A/N – Read chapter 26 for a refresher of Natsu's idea for runes

XxXxXxX

Standing before the Master, Naruto looked at his colleagues as Makarov rustled through some paperwork. Checking over some last minute details, the tiny man dropped the papers to the desk.

The blond was stood back in the Master's office a week later, the day before the S Rank announcement was to be made. He'd been called up with other S Ranked members of the guild to help administer the event. What was to happen now was the briefing of the mission, followed by the tasks set to individual members. What they didn't know was Naruto also had something he needed to reveal to the team.

"Alright, as you are all aware, the S Rank trials are coming upon us. These trials will be overseen by myself as usual, while you lot are there to obstruct the challengers' efforts. Just the usual sort of business." By 'you lot', Makarov was meaning the four Fairy Tail S Ranked mages before him: Mirajane, Erza, Gildarts and Naruto.

Raising a hand, Naruto waited until he was pointed at. "So what do you mean exactly by obstructing them? Are we tripping them up, asking them riddles, distracting them or something else?"

"I'll answer this one, Master." Waiting until she was nodded at, Erza turned with a finger raised and began her lecture. "Since you were a special classification S Rank, you didn't need to approach the trials the same way as the rest of us. Your question therefore is understandable. I shall use my own experience as an example of what we may do."

Stepping back, she motioned to the yawning Gildarts. While it was mid-morning, the scruffy man still looked like he'd only just woken up. "During my test, it was a game of cat and mouse mixed with capture the hill. I had to avoid Gildarts for a whole day before a flag I needed to claim was revealed. Once obtaining it, I then needed to return with the flag to my base."

Naruto cocked an eyebrow and crossed his arms. "I know it's Gildarts, but that honestly doesn't sound so bad. Couldn't you have just hidden until the flag popped up and grabbed it like that?"

Erza smirked and broadened her stance confidently. "Perhaps, however I didn't mention this was in the Fiore Desert and I was allowed no provisions except the clothes on my back. Gildarts however was allowed to approach me however he wished!" She threw her head back with a bark of laughter that made said-man flinch. "He was ruthless in his attacks! I barely escaped with my life! It took me weeks to heal from that engagement. It was positively thrilling adventure and I still look back on it fondly! A most honourable trial indeed."

Flicking his eyes to Gildarts, Naruto noted him looking away sheepishly while Makarov glared daggers at him. It sounded like the ginger mage might have taken things a bit too far, even if Erza was oblivious to that fact.

Still, the blond shrugged. If she liked that sort of thing, she could be his guest. Erza was a rather… special individual after all. Throwing herself headlong into near death experiences seemed to be a habit of hers. "Ok, that makes more sense then. I think I know what our stations will be within the test."

"To a point." The four mages looked back at the Master as he contemplated things. "Originally it was just going to be Mirajane, Erza and Gildarts. They were going to be gatekeepers of sorts. With your introduction, that may be a little unfair."

Makarov motioned at Gildarts firstly. "Gildarts is a Saint Tier mage, bordering on Transcendent Tier. The only reason he's here is because Mystogan has gone back to Edolas. For the majority of our challengers, he's simply too powerful to contend with." He then pointed to Naruto. "You almost fit that same category. You may be an S Tier officially, but all of us here know you're at least Saint Tier. If I throw you at them the same way, there's a chance no one will pass, even those who are worthy of S Rank classification. I can't just have you replace Gildarts either considering your inexperience with the S Rank trials. I'm struggling to think of how to fit you in. That's partly why I called you all here, to help me brainstorm ideas."

"Hmmm, that is a tough one." Erza frowned as she pondered things. "You are indeed stronger than myself or Mirajane. In the interests of fairness, you should be limited in how you can interact with everyone. Perhaps you could distract everyone with your female version somehow? Perhaps have a bikini parade to draw them away?"

Gildarts stiffened and looked over expectantly. "Excuse me?"

"Oh, has Naruto not mentioned this technique? You see, during the early days of his enrolment in the guild, Naruto – MMMPH!" Eyes enlarging comically, the red head grasped at the hands that clamped down over her mouth.

"Ignore her, there's nothing to know. It's all an illusion I cast over a few guild members." Sweating profusely, Naruto rapidly threw up a few excuses to get the older man off his scent as he fought the immensely powerful girl in his arms. He was willing to take a few hits from Erza to keep THAT particular talent a secret from Gildarts. He had no desire to get traumatised with any extra pervy memories the mage might subject him to. He had enough of those from Ero-sennin. "It was just an illusion, right, Mira-chan? Old man?"

A dog-sized hand chopped down on Naruto's head and sunk him bodily onto the floor. "I told you, stop calling me old!"

All the while, Mirajane had been giggling into her hands even as Erza glared at the blond after he released her. "While that could be an option, this currently isn't getting us anywhere. Please be gentle with Naruto, Erza. I don't think that would really fit the style of test we're aiming for this year anyway."

As the kerfuffle eased, the silver haired beauty raised a finger. "I do think I could have a potential part Naruto could play. Do we all remember what happened just after Phantom Lord attacked the guild?"

Naruto, Erza and Gildarts all looked on vacantly while the sharp mind of Makarov caught on immediately. "Naruto my boy, do you remember what you did to those Rune Knights?"

Cackling at the memory as he sat up, Naruto nodded. "I sure do! Pranks like that are my specialty!"

Glancing at the bar maid, Makarov pushed the thought. "I'd like to home in on Mirajane's idea a little further. You may have pranked them, however it was the traps you set in that process that were truly genius. I believe what Mirajane is suggesting is that you trap the challenge grounds."

"That's right!" chirped the girl. "I saw the results of your work, yet I don't think a single person actually saw you set the traps themselves. Uncovering and avoiding traps is a valuable skill and this should allow our challengers more of a chance to show their merit!"

Crossing his legs in thought from his spot on the floor, the blond nodded contemplatively. "Yeah, that sounds like fun. What are the terms of the mission?"

Mirajane giggled again while Erza clapped a heavy hand to his shoulder in amusement. "Mission, you say? Why, how formal of you."

Realising he had slipped into ninja mode for a second, the blonds ears went a little red and he huffed indignantly. "Well what else am I meant to call it, dattebayo?"

Mirajane then squealed adorably as she caught Naruto's speech quirk, causing his ears to darked further. Gildarts finally stepped in and pulled Erza away from the embarrassed teen. "Alright, alright, enough teasing. I wanna wrap this briefing up and get back to the bar. Sound good, Erza?"

Getting no reply, Gildarts blinked and looked around. "Erza?"

"Um, behind you."

Following the direction, he turned and saw he'd accidentally thrown the girl so hard she was now imbedded deeply in the wall. "Yikes! Sorry Erza!"

The flustered mage then carefully attempted to extract the girl from the wall, taking great care not to accidentally hurt her any further.

"Haaaah… deep breaths Makarov, deep breaths." Rubbing his forehead, the Master tried to hold the growing headache off for a few minutes longer. Clapping his hands, he drew everyone's attention as Erza was lifted from the wall. "Yes, Naruto, it will be a special mission for you which I will have to work the details out for later. The rest of you will be stationed throughout the first half of the course as obstructions. Now, any questions before you leave?"

Gildarts raised his hand. "Yeah, just one. Where is it being held exactly?"

"Oh, right." Blinking as he realised he'd forgotten a rather important part, the Master pointed to a map on the wall, specifically, a small island a few hours boat ride off the coast. "This year, we will be going to Tenrou Island. It's been a while since we held the trials there and the island has a number of underground paths we will use to help sort the challengers out. We have a bumper crop this year so I want to make sure it's not too easy for them."

Opening the draw beside him, Makarov pulled out a mud map of the routes. "From the beach front, there are eight entrances listed here from A to H. Once a contestant enters, the doorway will seal behind them. Paths A, D and E will have one of you three," he pointed at Mirajane, Erza and Gildarts, "stationed in here to confront the contestant. Paths B and C will end up fighting one another, same as paths G and H. As for path F…" The old man tapped it with the back of his hand. "I was originally planning to have it as a quiet path as it doesn't have the space for combat within the tight walls." He then looked up at Naruto through his eyebrows. "I believe though, this route would be to your liking for putting together a few traps?"

The blonds' eyes were dancing as he looked over the graphic. "That works perfectly! I'll gladly take that route!" He smacked a fist into his palm. "I'll make it super challenging, but just easy enough for them to be able to decode the traps."

"That's perfect, thank you," nodded the Master. He then traced a finger up to the end of the maze. "After that, they will then need to hunt out the grave of the First Fairy Tail Master, Mavis Vermillion. I'm not going to tell them where that is, so that is more like a treasure hunt. If you can place a few more traps in the open area to make things more interesting, that would be a great way to round out the test."

Naruto looked over the map while tapping a finger to his brow. "And that's the rest of the island they will be running over?"

Makarov grunted affirmatively.

"Well, I may need some time to set up reasonable traps then. We obviously don't want anything that could kill them, so I'll have to be gentle with how I go about it. Will I have time to prepare?"

Erza answered on behalf of the Master this time. "Yes, the contenders shall have a few weeks to prepare themselves. You can head over ahead of time to get things organised for their arrival." She then smiled challengingly. "If the option arises, I also would like to brave these traps of yours. It would be lovely to see how I fare against the might of a ninja!"

"Yes, yes, if we have time." Interrupting Erza's challenge, Makarov pulled things back on topic. "It is as Erza said. You'll have plenty of time. For now, I'll be revealing the test takers this afternoon from the guild stage. Please make sure you're up there with me for the announcement." He then sat back and looked over the team. "So were there any other questions?"

Seeing no one else raise their hand, the Master sighed in relief. "Well, if that's everything, then you're dismissed."

"Actually… there is one more thing." Gingerly raising his hand, Naruto looked around the group. "It's to do with me going home…"

Stepping forward, Erza quickly grabbed his hand as Mirajane sucked in a breath. "Wait a moment. Could it be that you may be returning soon?"

Biting his lip, Naruto nodded. "I got word this week about when it will happen. I've been trying to work out how to tell you guys and I don't think I'll get a better chance than now."

Tentatively reaching out, Mirajane whispered, "Will it be happening in the next few days?"

Naruto shook his head to her obvious relief. "No, it's still a few weeks away. I will be able to join in these trials, however I don't know how much longer I'll be around for afterwards."

"Well then, don't say anything yet." Erza squeezed Naruto's hand tighter, also casting an eye Gildarts way. "How many people do you need to tell?"

"Well, just the main group who initially found me. I don't think I'll want to trouble anyone else…" the blond looked over at Gildarts apologetically.

Gildarts raised his hands disarmingly. "Hey, your home is your business. If you decided not to tell me about it then it's not my place to ask questions."

"Alright, everyone out except Naruto. I need to chat with him about this." Realising the seriousness of the topic, Makarov immediately took control of things. He locked the girls with a glare as Gildarts had already walked out the door at this point. "Go and collect everyone who knows of Naruto's heritage. No point making him tell the story more than once. When I'm done, he can come down and explain everything to you. Understood?"

There was hesitation in their eyes, but they quickly relented. "Yes, Master." Erza then locked eyes with Naruto and stared meaningfully at him. "I will be seeing you later with everyone."

She then strode out the door with Mirajane in tow. The gentle girl only managed to send the blond one more worried glance before the door shut behind them. Now with the room cleared, Makarov sighed deeply and grumbled, "You really have shocking timing with things like this."

Not sure what to say, Naruto just slipped into the chair beside him.

Giving up on restraining the headache any further, Makarov pulled out a bottle of water from under the desk and took a few sips. Sighing, he then put it on the desk and softened his gaze. "Well, I think before you say anymore, I should ask how the last week has been? Were you able to work through your emotions and speak with anyone?"

Feeling like a he was back in school before the principle, Naruto resisted the urge to fidget and nodded. "Yeah… yeah I had the chance. I didn't speak with anyone from here though, I just kept summoning my toads and debriefed with them."

That in fact had been one of the best things the ninja had done in a long time. He threw himself back into all the news of his home. To his delight, Pa HAD been brought back to life with Kakashi-sensei. Everyone was whole and healthy and recovering from the attack. Akatsuki had withdrawn and Konoha had taken to rebuilding. He'd then had a chance to chat with more intelligent toads about everything that had happened in Edolas with his kidnapping, torture and all else he'd witnessed over there. The toads had also been incredibly supportive of his revelation of the Kyuubi Cloak. They'd been able to offer further comfort into the situation and appease his mind even more. It had been cathartic getting it all off his chest and he'd felt a new man on the other side of it. Due to all this though, he'd totally forgotten to find Natsu, Lucy, Happy or anyone else and let them know he'd been given an actual date range for his return home.

Seeing the peace in his eyes, Makarov nodded approvingly. "Very good. I'm pleased you took the time to get your thoughts straight. Now, about your return, didn't you originally say you didn't know exactly when this would happen?"

Naruto nodded and frowned. "Yeah, somehow the toads are now tracking it. Since they are summon animals, they have a better understanding of dimensional rifts. The best of them were working on the problem apparently and they've narrowed it down to a time of three to five weeks from now."

Makarov let out a whistle as he leant back. "That soon huh? I guess we all knew it was coming, but to hear it's finally upon us really makes it hit hard. We all will miss you very much."

Looking at the floor, Naruto nodded and rolled his thumbs around one another. "Yeah… I know. That's partly why I was procrastinating. I don't know how to talk about this sort of serious thing without hurting anyone."

Smiling gently at the teen, the Master chuckled. "Sometimes, it's better if they don't come out unhurt."

Naruto looked up questioningly as Makarov continued. "If they weren't hurt by the news, then it means they never cared. The pain carried by a heart of loss is the proof of a life well loved. In cases like this, the more it hurts, the greater the evidence of love."

The room fell silent with that. Naruto looked back down at his thumbs again, mind turning back to his old mentor Jiraiya. His heart had burned for months after he heard the news of his teacher's death. To be honest, it still burnt even now. From what Makarov said though, it suddenly gave the teen a whole new meaning to the pain. Smiling bitterly, he nodded through a bitten lip, a strange melancholy now hanging over the situation.

"Thankfully, there's still the potential of you coming back after some time, correct?" Looking up at the Master, Naruto sighed and shrugged. "Well, yeah, if we can work out how. I'm not sure how I'll be able to get an anchor in this world and I certainly can't leave a toad in Fiore for however long it would take to come back."

Leaning back thoughtfully, Makarov tapped his chin. "Didn't Levy say she was working on something? I only vaguely remember talk on it, but shouldn't she potentially have a way to help?"

Eyes lighting up, Naruto nodded. "She was, wasn't she! I wonder how far along she got with it! Although…" The teen then looked away guiltily. "We haven't spoken in ages and the last time we did, she seemed really scared of the Kyuubi Cloak."

"Enough of that," interjected Makarov. "Don't be so quick to assume. Intuition is all well and good, but for a good friend of yours? Just ask her. She's a tough girl, she has to be to take on the missions she does. It's unlikely she has a problem, however if she does, she will be brave enough to talk it out with you. All you need to do is be willing to be open about it. Understood?"

Grumbling at being caught out, Naruto nodded. "Yeah, yeah, I understand."

Humphing in satisfaction, the Master continued. "Very good. I'll leave it up to you to tell them all about what's happening. For now though, the Guild will want an explanation of where you've disappeared to. Perhaps the excuse of an extended mission may suit the need?"

Naruto smirked. "Yeah, tell everyone I've gone on a 10 year mission. That will set them straight."

"Not until you've officially earned the rank" came the amused reply. "I will simply say it's something you were personally requested for. When you come back, you can tell everyone where you've been, if you so wish."

If there was one thing Naruto appreciated about everyone, was their utmost confidence that he would indeed find a way back. On that note, he should probably go and tell everyone what was happening. Pulling himself up from the chair, the ninja turned for the door. "Well, I suppose I should go and face the music. I'll let you know how it goes."

Pushing his own chair out, Makarov dropped to the floor and began to follow him. "Actually, I might like to come along if you don't mind."

Feeling thankful for the support, Naruto opened the door wider. "Suit yourself."

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Hearing the door finally click shut and the volume of the basement rapidly rise, Naruto coughed into his fist and stood up. Before him was almost everyone who knew of his home in the Elemental Nations, minus Marco who was away on a mission for the day. Natsu and Happy were playing with one another in the corner while Lucy tried to shush them. Erza was standing off to the side in her usual spot, arms crossed over her chest plate and staring at him unblinking. Cana was sat on a bench top beside her, a conspicuous lack of alcohol in hand. Makarov and Yajima were sat side by side in a comfy armchair and Mirajane was busy offering everyone refreshments. Finally, Levy stood towards the back, one arm crossed over her stomach to hold the other and eyes not quite meeting Naruto's. Jet and Droy stood either side of her protectively, not entirely knowing what was happening with their team's main player but offering all the support they could.

Sighing as the noise calmed, Naruto spoke up. "So, did Erza and Mira-chan get a chance to tell you why I needed to speak with you all?"

Lucy piped up as she walked over from the corner, both Natsu's and Happy's ears clamped firmly in her fingers. "They didn't say much as we were rather distracted by these two. Something about news from home?"

"Yeah, that's about right. It seems like I now have a timeline on when I'm going home." Suddenly, all eyes in the room sharpened on him. Taking a breath, the blond thought, 'Here goes nothing,' and dived in.

"Over the last week I've been speaking with my toad summons about returning home. It's been a long time since I've arrived here and they really need me back there soon. To that end, the smartest of their clan have been working on a timer of sorts to work out when that may happen. Judging from the proximity of our dimensions, flow of time in our dimensions and a bunch of other things I don't really understand, they estimate that within about three to five weeks, I'll be summoned home."

Silence then settled over the room as what was said sunk in. The only one who didn't really get the implication was Natsu, and he announced as such with, "Awesome! That should be fun. So you'll head home for what, a week or two then come back? Actually, could we come with you? That would be an awesome adventure getting to meet all your friends and family!"

Thankful for the way he broke the tension, Naruto smiled and shook his head. "Unfortunately it's not quite that easy, remember? I'll be able to get back home because I have an active link attached to me from my home dimension through my contract with the toads. However, I won't have any easy way to get back here as I don't have a point of reference left in this world. You did suggest using runes as a point of anchor which was a really good idea, but it was all speculation."

Pushing down Natsu's head as he started to fire off, Lucy countered with, "But what about how you arrived here? Couldn't you just come over that way again?"

Chuckling awkwardly, the teen scratched his head. "I don't think so. As I said, I really don't understand this dimension travelling stuff, though from what I've been told, my landing in Earthland was total luck of the draw. Your dimension just happened to be the closest at the time I was teleported over. If we tried that again, there's a huge chance I'll just land somewhere else entirely!" Naruto also wasn't overly fond of travelling via Kamui (Authority of the Gods) again. First time around hurt like a bitch.

Pulling himself from Lucy's grasp, Natsu started smoldering heatedly. "Well that's bull crap! If you can't come back you may as well just stay here! Am I right Happy?"

Totally oblivious to everything going on, the little blue cat just shouted, "AYE!"

Crossing his arms in satisfaction like everything had been resolved, Naruto's fiery alter-ego nodded resolutely. "Well there you have it. Fairy Tail is your home now! Problem solved."

This time, it was Makarov's turn to speak. Turning his wise gaze to the feisty teen, the Master shook his head. "Unfortunately that's not so easy Natsu. What if I told you to stop looking for Igneel and just stay here?"

That mere sentence was enough to make Natsu explode into flame, fist raised high. "You wouldn't dare! Igneel is my dad and I'll find him no matter what!"

"And that right there is my point proven," proclaimed Makarov. "If you try to stop Naruto from getting home, you're no better than any of us if we tried to stop you from finding your dad."

The flames gradually died down as understanding took hold, aggressive fist slowly lowering. A contemplative look made its way onto the teen's face and he looked at the floor as he struggled to deal with the news and corresponding emotions. "Well… would that mean you'd only need to find a new way to link yourself to here? Levy said she could, didn't she?"

Suddenly aware of all eyes on her, Levy flinched and stammered out, "Well I suppose… there's maybe something that could be done? I have thought about it… I just don't know what to do."

Aware she was decidedly uncomfortable, Makarov took the lead again. "That's something for her to look into in her own time. Levy, understand that there's no pressure involved in this, correct?"

The lithe girl nodded sullenly, not looking at anyone. "Lucy, may I borrow you for a second?"

Looking between Naruto and Levy, Lucy's concerned eyes struggled to decide the best course of action.

"Just go," offered Naruto, a strained smile on his face. "I'm not going anywhere yet. I'll be here when you're back."

Nodding once, the girl grabbed her friend and led her off towards the showers at the back. Jet and Droy looked like they wanted to follow, but the door clicking closed changed their mind. They settled for simply staring dangerously at the blond. Whatever was happening to their mascot seemed to be Naruto's fault, and that was something they weren't about to forgive.

A loud sigh broke through the tension as Cana leaned back in faux irritability. "Ahhh, well that sucks! What's going to happen with my drinking buddy? Who's gonna make me breakfast in bed? How are you gonna take responsibility for that, boy?" Long legs reached the ground while she was still perched on the bench and the brunette pushed herself forward. She poked one long finger into the teen's chest and lent in close. "You better come up with a way to get back here because I won't forgive you otherwise."

"The local drunk speaks the truth!" piped up Happy. "You and Natsu still don't know who loves Lucy most and haven't fought to the death over her yet. I might be only a little cat and have no understanding of such things, but I know tension when I see it!" He then dodged a cup launched at his head by Cana and floated off to hide in the kitchen.

Feeding off Cana's energy, Natsu stalked forward with the same intensity and threw a fist up in his face. "She's damn right and I still got a score to settle with you! I still need to kick your ass and prove fire trumps wind every single time! In fact, let's get at it right now!"

Exploding into flame, the teen's excitement was cut short as the handle of a broadsword slammed into his head, knocking him out. Letting the dangerous weapon vanish into her armoury, Erza plopped the boy into a chair and nodded in agreement. "I understand Natsu's sentiment, his impulsiveness notwithstanding. I will train for your return so we can once again cross blades."

She then held a hand out, eyes firm and confident. "I will shake your hand now in thanks for everything you have done for us over the time we've known you. We may still have more time before us before your return home, however I still wish to take advantage of the moment and offer you an official farewell. I will be expecting your return as promptly as situations allow."

Staring at the extended hand for a moment, Naruto smiled soft and reached out. Gripping it firmly, the two warriors shook once before Erza drew the blond into a surprise, drawn-out hug. "I will miss you, Naruto."

After a few moments, Erza gently released the boy and stepped back. Cana didn't give Naruto much of a chance to breathe though because as soon as Erza let go, she swept Naruto up in a hug of her own. "Ya know, she's right. You've been a great guy to get to know. I'm gonna make you fix me as many breakfasts as possible before you leave to make up for it, ya hear?"

Chuckling, Naruto nodded into the vast volume of her hair and hugged her back. "Yeah of course." He then grabbed her shoulders and pushed her back to look into her eyes. "I refuse to drink any more of your poison though. I draw the line at that."

"Ugh, fine," she replied, grinning mischievously and rolling her eyes. She then turned to the rest of the group and held out a hand. "Anyone else want to say goodbye for now?"

Jet and Droy each looked away from the invitation, arms still crossed. Makarov shrugged and looked down at Natsu. The teen was still out cold, slumped in the chair with a bit of drool oozing from the corner of his mouth. Sighing, the old Master turned his gaze to Naruto through one open eye. "I will still have time to chat with you my boy. I won't let you disappear on me before I get to officially wish you a goodbye. I'll save that for the announcement."

Yajima grunted in agreement; the first sound Makarov's small companion had made the whole time. It was enough to convey his feeling about the situation though and Naruto understood it implicitly. Hearing the back door swing open, everyone turned and looked as Levy and Lucy softly made their way back into the room.

"Levy! Is everything ok? What did Naruto do to you?"

Instantly fawning over the small girl, Jet and Droy fussed around as Lucy was batted aside with an indignant squawk. Appearing to sink in on herself even more, Levy whispered something that was lost in the noise. It took Lucy slamming her hand down on a table to stop the worried babbling from the duo. Glaring at them, Lucy shouted, "I understand your concern, but would you just shut up and listen to her? She has something to say!"

Blinking owlishly, the two men did indeed hush and waited for Levy to speak. Squirming under the attention, Levy took a moment to catch her breath before she murmured, "If possible, may I just spend some time with Lucy and Naruto alone? I… I want to discuss the rune idea in more depth."

"That's preposterous Levy!" Immediately counted Jet. "You clearly aren't comfortable here, so we should stand guard with you!"

"Agreed!" Echoed Droy, fist raised in support. "It's our duty to make sure you're protected against things like this!"

"ENOUGH OF THIS!"

Iron hands clamped down on the collars of both men and each was dragged into submission beside Erza, the girl already having thrown Natsu's limp form over her shoulders. "Levy knows what she's doing and Lucy is here to help. Respect her wishes and come quietly with me."

Her dark glare instantly silenced both of Levy's fanatics. They did not look like they agreed for one second, but under the fearful eye of Erza they were powerless to do anything. "Yes mam," they mumbled in unison and allowed themselves to be led to the door back up to the main hall. Turning back to the room, Erza cast an eye over the remaining guild members. "I'll take these three up and will see the rest of you soon. Best of luck with your work, Levy."

Stretching and walking back to the blond, Cana gently punched his shoulder and winked at him. "See you topside in a bit. I'll take my leave as there's a barrel of beer up there that has my name on it."

As she left, both Makarov and Yajima hopped down from their chair in silence, nodding once to Naruto before they then began climbing the stairs in quiet discussion.

Finally, Naruto heard some bustling from the small kitchen as Mirajane cheerfully waved at him. "I'll duck back up top too! Nothing more I can help with here, so I'll leave it to the experts. I don't want to get in the way of that. You guys have fun and I'll see you soon! Just leave your mugs on the benches, I'll get them later. Good luck!"

"Hey, Mira-chan…" Naruto's sentence was cut short as the barmaid had already glided out the door, gently shutting it behind her. Blinking a few times, Naruto sucked in a slow breath through his nose. Why hadn't she said goodbye? Sure, there was more time before he went home, but that exit confused him. Looking back down at his current problem, the teen shook his head. Mirajane must have just had a lot of confidence in what Levy had to offer. Still, the possibility of the discussion to come didn't thrill the blond.

Dragging out a chair, he sat down gently, opposite both Levy and Lucy. Lucy was holding Levy's hand in hers comfortingly and offered a strained smile to Naruto. He could see the smaller girl trembling ever so slightly. Not knowing where to start, the boy just sat awkwardly and waited for one of them to say something. Eventually, Lucy felt the gentle squeeze of her hand and began talking. "I don't totally know how to say this, but I'll be trying to speak on Levy's behalf for the moment. Firstly, I need to let you know what is happening isn't entirely your fault."

Naruto let out a long exhale through his nose, uncomfortable but not saying anything.

The girl continued, "As you can tell, Levy's very… nervous around you now. It started back when Laxus threatened the guild; back when the fox's power leaked out for the first time."

"Ah. Right." Head dropping forward, Naruto sighed. This routine again. Wonderful. Plastering on a wide fake smile, the teen approached the topic how he always would. "Well, that is understandable! It's not like I care anyway, all's well and that. I'm gonna be going home soon anyway so you won't have to avoid me much longer!"

Caught off guard at the bravado, Lucy struggled to say anything for a moment. "Oh… is that right? I-I guess that's one way to look at it. I can't speak totally for Levy, but I know I will miss you at least! I'm sure she will too, considering all you've done…"

Burying the betrayed emotions, Naruto shrugged. "Honestly, that doesn't bother me. I was able to help out and that was enough for me!" Pushing back from the table, he stood up with confident bluster and pointed to the roof. "Well, the Master needed me for something this afternoon so I'm going to go and get ready for that. I'll be seeing you around!"

Striding for the door, a suddenly strangled, "Naruto!" called out. Hesitating at the handle, the blond looked back to the table. Levy was standing with an arm slightly outstretched, hair covering her eyes but a determined curl of her lips evident.

"D-don't go. Not… not till I can explain myself. Please."

Really considering if he wanted to hear it, the teen paused a long moment before sighing and stomped back to the table. He dropped into the seat with a thump and pointedly looked away from the girls, discomfort evident on his face.

The time seemed to then stretch on uncomfortably long as no one said anything. Lucy, being caught in the middle of this, felt the tension so much that she could barely contain herself. Just before she felt like she'd burst, she blurted out, "So now that you're back –" but that was cut off by Levy sharply shouting, "I'm sorry!" at the same time.

Both girls caught themselves and looked at each other in surprise, then back to Naruto. He was looking at them both from the corner of his eye, arms crossed and body language screaming to make whatever this was quick.

Biting her lip, Levy squeezed Lucy's hand and this time took control of the conversation. Though her voice was only just above a whisper, she was easily heard as she began to apologise. "I'm sorry… what's going on right now… it's not fair on you or me. I know this might sound shallow since we have been avoiding one another," Naruto didn't realise she'd thought they were avoiding each other, but didn't interrupt, "but I still need to explain myself."

Taking a long breath, the girl pushed on. "It's like Lucy said. When… when that… that power covered you… I genuinely thought that I-I was going to die. Everyone else seems to have just shrugged it aside like it was nothing, but even with your explanation of what it was, I… I can't," she shuddered, "I can't stop seeing it in my head! The vision of my death was so real!" A tear slipped down her cheek and she sniffed, shivering again. "It only started out as a feeling when I first saw you covered in it, but it grew and grew and grew and then I couldn't stop thinking about it every time I saw you! I don't know why I'm so weak and scared… but that… that thing in you, I've had nightmares over it and I-I just don't know what to do if I saw it again!"

She suddenly burst into tears and collapsed into Lucy's arms. The blond girl looked up at Naruto worriedly as she stroked her friends' hair comfortingly, offering all the support she could in the moment. Naruto for his part could only stare at the scene helplessly. Even if he wanted to say something or offer support, he was totally stumped as to what that could be.

The crying went on for a while longer, the room filled with soft sobs as the traumatised girl vented her emotions. Eventually they eased and Lucy looked to the boy, asking, "Naruto, could you go grab that box of tissues over there?"

Happy to be doing something other than watching a girl cry, the teen silently slipped over to the box and brought them back. Levy grabbed a handful and blew into them with a harsh, unladylike noise. Discarding that that pile, she grabbed another to wipe up the residue and fell silent, save for the occasional sniffs.

Eventually wiping her eyes with her sleeves, Levy paused for a moment longer before trying to rationalise everything externally. "Y-you know, it's not like I h-hate you or anything, it could just be that my weak co-constitution means I'm m-more susceptible to something like this. I did try just ignoring it in the hopes I'd come to my senses. Th-there's a reason I take on more academic type jobs after all. Jet and Droy are the perfect compliment to my inferiorities. They do a great job of covering my blind spots, e-even if they do get a bit over the top from time to time. Perhaps I might make a point of more mental training, or focus on magical studies that strengthen the mind against phobias, or anything else like that…"

"Levy…"

Trailing off her rambling, the guilt wracked girl looked up at Naruto through her fringe. The boy had sorrowful, downcast eyes that wouldn't look at her, but they still offered Levy support in the way they showed no hostility.

"Levy, I don't know how to fix this. And… and I'm sorry you thought I was avoiding you, I wasn't trying to intentionally. It's just been a busy few weeks. If anything, thanks for being brave enough to face me and apologise. I wasn't even given that much by most of the adults in the city I grew up with. They just hated me for what I held in me and that really hurt. So this means more than you know. I do wish I could take away your fear and put everything back to normal, but even if you can't find a way to be around me again, I am still grateful for knowing you and the help you've given me and… and yeah."

Trailing off, unsure what else to say, Naruto just fell silent and let his words hang.

Realising things had come to a bit of a head, Lucy edged in gently, "Would you guys like another drink? I think a bit of a time out might help. Anyone want a hot chocolate?"

Both teens nodded sullenly, neither looking at the other. Smiling softly, Lucy let go of Levy's hand and patted the back of it. She then rubbed Naruto's shoulder comfortingly as she made her way over to the kitchen. "Back in a minute guys. Just hold tight."

A few minutes later found the room a bit quieter with everyone holding a steaming mug of chocolate. They were sat around the same table, each watching the gentle waves of mist wafting away from the top of the brown drink.

"I'm still going to try help you."

"Hmm?"

Caught off guard by the abrupt comment, both Naruto and Lucy looked at Levy. "I'm still going to help you. Come back here I mean. With runes."

"Ah. Well, thanks, I guess." Naruto scratched his head, unsure what to say. "You don't have to if you don't think you're up to it."

Shaking her head softly, Levy sighed. "No, I need to. Whatever my problem is with the fox, it's mine to work through. I have Lucy, Droy, Jet, and anyone else I need to help me figure this out—including you, in time. With your return happening so soon, I can't just hide behind my fear and hope it will go away. There are too many people here who love you and want to see you come back. If I had a way to help but chose not to try, I'd hate myself even more than I already do for being afraid of you."

While everything was still unresolved, Naruto felt a warmth in his heart rekindle. He admired Levy's determination to push on through the hard emotions she was struggling with for everyone's sake. He hesitated a moment, but then extended a hand in goodwill. "Well, if you're offering, I'll gladly take the help. I couldn't do it on my own."

Levy's brown eyes watched the extended hand for a moment. Slowly, she reached out and took it in her own. Naruto could feel her shivering within his grip, but her grasp was still firm. "I'll do my best. I'll try resolve all these feeling before you go too so I can properly say goodbye."

Letting go, she then tucked her hand back into her lap. "Until then, may I be able to get some help from you?"

Cocking an eyebrow, Naruto queried, "How so? I'm not all that great with this interdimensional stuff."

Chuckling gently, Levy smiled for the first time. "Oh I know, you made that abundantly clear. Rather, I was hoping you might be able to summon me a toad who I could speak with about some theories I have surrounding it?"

Naruto blinked. "Oh, right, that's actually a pretty good idea. I'm not sure if my dimension is close enough yet for me to summon someone smart enough to help with this, but if I can I have just the right toad for the job."

Folding his hands into the first sign of Boar, the blond then paused. "Hang on, how will you talk with them? I'd love to translate but the Master does need me soon."

Levy pulled a familiar piece of paper from her bag and smiled coyly. "I kept a hold of our old translation paper. If your toad can write, we will be fine."

Naruto rolled his eyes in amused surprise. "You're an actual genius. I guess I shouldn't have worried. Well, here goes nothing!" Flicking through the five signs of Boar – Dog – Bird – Monkey – Ram, the ninja slammed his hand to the ground and cried out, "Kuchiyose no Jutsu (Summoning Technique)!" and disappeared into a large cloud of white smoke.

Levy and Lucy instantly started coughing on the mist, waving it away with both hands. It cleared fast enough and standing before them was a small toad with sharp eyes and arms crossed over its chest. It was a deep green and otherwise unassuming. The only odd part of the toad was the folded paper that wrapped around its middle like a belt. It looked around the room curiously before settling on Naruto and cocking its head at him quizzically.

Holding a hand out to the toad, Naruto introduced him. "This is Gamageta. He's part of a specialty group of toads called Seal Toads. I didn't know anyone else who may have better knowledge of dimensional stuff than him. I was hoping to get the… how would you say it in this language… uh, manager, of his… department, but I wasn't able to draw him over. Even so, Gamageta is still really knowledgeable of this kind of thing so hopefully you two will be able to work something out."

The two girls then watched on in fascination as Naruto introduced the two of them to the toad in his native tongue. They hadn't heard it in so long that they were taken right back to when they first met the blond ninja.

"It's such a strange language," whispered Lucy as Naruto finished chatting. Levy hummed in agreement as the toad hopped over and looked at the sheet of paper before it. It grunted at them and held out a hand, motioning for something to write with.

"Oh, right here, sorry."

Taking the offered pen, the toad scribbled down a bunch of words and waited. The paper glowed, absorbed the script, then spat back out the translation.

- Hello. I'm here to help with building Naruto-chan a bridge from your world to ours. Tell me your theories -

Levy chuckled awkwardly and took the pen back. "Straight to the point huh? Well, may as well get started. Lucy, can you help me as well?"

The blond girl nodded. "Sure thing! What did you need me to do?"

"Please go and grab us paper, lots and lots of paper. I dare say we will be writing quite a lot of practice runes and taking many, many notes."

Running off to look in the back, Levy took the moment to turn to Naruto. Steeling herself, she finally made eye contact with the teen; a determined expression securely planted on her face. She may have still been shaking a bit, but her resolve was firm. "I'll do my best, that I can promise. I… I'll need to ask you to leave now so I can focus. If I do learn anything useful, I'll have either Gamageta or Lucy come and get you."

Sighing, Naruto knew it wasn't personal, but it still stung. Nevertheless, he gave Levy that cheery smile of his and a big thumbs up. "I totally believe in you! You got this. We'll chat later!"

Excusing himself, the teen then exited the room as the furious sound pen strokes filled the basement.

XxXxXxX

Walking out into the hall, there was bustle about as chairs and tables were getting pushed around and cleared out for the afternoon's announcement. Naruto didn't feel particularly interested in joining in the work so just tucked his hands in his pockets and went hunting for the Master. Weaving through several mages smoothly, he rounded the corner when he heard his name called. Turning, he saw Mirajane waving at him. Perking up, he smiled and waved back.

"Hey Mira-chan! What can I do for you?"

Hoisting a barrel to her shoulder, the barmaid pointed to another forty or so beside her. "I need to move these to the back of the guild and I was hoping to borrow some muscle. Care to help a weak little girl with those big strong arms?"

Rolling his eyes humoursly, Naruto lifted two up and flexed his shoulders. "Fine, fine. Lead the way, my lady."

The two then began the trips back and forward, all the while Mirajane twittering empty words into the air. About halfway through the work, Naruto quirked an eyebrow as he recognised the girl had barely drawn breath the whole time. Dropping the next load off, he saw Mirajane wipe her brow down and sigh in exhaustion. Taking the moment of quiet offered, Naruto set his barrels down and sat on them. "So, what's got you so excited? You haven't stopped talking the whole time we've been working. You don't need to rush quite this much, do you?"

"Eh-heh…" the girl laughed awkwardly, the corner of her mouth twitching. "L-let's just say I'm just enjoying the company! Lisanna can't carry as much as you can and Elfman refuses to listen to me when I get on a roll. Actually, did you need a drink? I'll fetch us one now!"

Not getting a moment to decline, the girl then spun on her toes and skipped away. Perplexed, Naruto rested his elbow on his knee, chin in hand and watched her leave. She didn't take long before she returned with a cold glass and two straws. "Come on, come drink before it warms up!"

Dragging the blond down to a table, she pushed him onto the bench and then planted herself beside him, hips touching hips. Looking at the people about them, Naruto noticed a few people looking their way curiously. Hearing a thump, he blinked as the soda was pushed before him. He then looked at Mirajane quizzically as she dropped both straws into the liquid. Taking a sip, she hummed happily and looked up at her companion. "Well, don't just look at it! It's not going to drink itself!"

Leaning away slightly, Naruto blinked. "You didn't have two glasses?"

Mirajane shook her head firmly. "Nope, all the rest are either in use or being cleaned. Now come, have a sip! I made it myself. Or don't you want this expression of gratitude for helping?"

She then winked demurely at him and took another sip. The teen chucked and rolled his eyes again. She was in a funny mood right now, but who was he to decline such an offer? Leaning down, he went to take a sip. Coincidently, Mirajane also tried taking a sip at the same time and their cheeks touched. Jerking back, Naruto gave her space to continue. "Oh, sorry about that! You go… are you ok?"

The girl had a troubled look on her face for a moment, but it was quickly covered with her usual smile. "Oh, don't mind that! It was kind of cute, don't you think? Here, you drink now, I'll wait. You've been working harder than me, you need this too."

Eyeing her suspiciously, Naruto gently grabbed the straw. Giving her one more look, all he got back was her usual cheery, bubbly smile in return. 'Weird, but ok.'

Taking a big mouthful, the blond did feel his energy lifted by the carbonated drink and he sat back with a sigh. "Thanks Mira-chan, that hit the spot! You'll have to make me one to take home, that was great."

The girl hummed pleasantly as she leaned in for another sip. "Can do. Actually, would you like me to fix you one at my place? It's been a while since you've come over, and I still want to share my thanks with you for Edolas. What do you say? Home cooked meal on me?"

Grin instantly stretching over his face, Naruto nodded vigorously. "I'll take you up on that in a heartbeat!"

"Very good," she smiled, and flicked his nose. "Well, back into it! There's still more to be done. Finish this."

Holding the glass up to his lips, Mirajane tipped what was left into his mouth before pulling away and heading back to the kitchen. Watching her leave, Naruto really didn't know what to make of all this and he hadn't had a chance to ask.

"Well, come on, let's finish this up! There's still more work to be done!"

Hearing the girl call him, he sighed at her exuberance and pushed himself to his feet.

XxXxXxX

"Naruto! Mirajane! Where on earth are you two? You're late!"

"Coming Master!"

Dropping a crate to the floor, Naruto let out a huff as Mirajane skipped over to the Master. She began chattering away with the little man, not appearing to have lost a drop of energy even with all the activity they'd been doing. The need to get away to chat with Makarov hadn't been forgotten, but Mirajane's hyperactivity hadn't given Naruto a chance to tell her he needed to leave.

Wiping his brow, the teen took a beath before straightening up and strolling over. He caught the end of the conversation between the two mages; Mirajane apologising for taking so long and Makarov sternly rebuking her for losing track of time. He only just pulled up beside them when Mirajane's hand wrapped around Naruto's arm and held him firm. "… so it was my fault for getting distracted. We will go and get ready now! Sound good, Naruto?"

"What?" Sweeping him away before he could think, the bar maid tussled him off to the changing rooms with her. Makarov looked like he wanted to say something, but he was left in the dust of their rush.

"Mira-chan, what's going on?"

The blond looked at her in confusion as she fussed around him, considering his usual orange clothes and all the dust on them. "This won't do, these clothes are too dirty to salvage for the S Rank announcements. I think we may have something else you could wear, oh! Perhaps there's something in your scroll from when we went shopping last, I know we got some good looking clothes back then. Actually, Naruto, could you please -"

The girl was cut off as Naruto exasperatedly grabbed her hands and halted her movements. "Mira-chan, please, take a breath! I know you're excited but is anything wrong? Something seems… just a bit off?"

Smiling sweetly, the bar maid retrieved one hand and cupped Naruto's whiskered cheek with it. "Oh you silly thing, you're so sweet! I'm just excited for you to be officially recognised as an S Rank mage for Fairy Tail! While I know you're not really a mage, you're actually a ninja, that's still incredibly important to us and it's a real achievement to be presented as one before the guild and -"

She was cut off again as Naruto squeezed her hand tight. "There you go again, talking without breath." The teen looked into her eyes deeply. "Are you sure you're ok?"

Her eyes went glassy for a moment before they crinkled shut with a soothing smile. "I guess I am a little over excited, aren't I? I'll let you get ready then. You still have something nice in storage I hope?"

Watching her closely, Naruto nodded slowly. "Yeah, I'll be able to piece something together."

"Good." She then leaned up on tippy-toes and kissed the tip of his nose. "We can't have you looking scrappy for your big announcement. I'll let you get ready now, the Master said we needed to be ready in ten minutes!"

"What? I only have ten minutes?" Pulling his scroll from storage, the teen raced past Mirajane and into one of the changing rooms, imploring, "Make sure what I pick looks good when I come out, ok?"

Smiling sweetly, the girl nodded and waved as the door closed. "Sure thing, you can count on me!"

XxXxXxX

Naruto and the rest of the S Ranked mages stood on a wide stage at the front of the hall. The Master was before them on a little podium, a small mic propped up on it to help send his voice through the guild. While there was the noise of mages filling up the hall, none of them could see how many because a large, green curtain with gold tassels and a huge Fairy Tail logo hid them from the crowd.

Rustling some pages before him, the Master turned to take one last look at the mages standing before him. Erza was on his far left, followed by Gildarts, then on his right Mirajane and Naruto. The teen was now dressed in an orange button up shirt tucked into extremely deep purple slacks. A simple necklace Mirajane suggested hung about his collarbones, right between the unbuttoned top two shirt holes. Most prominently, his Saints Badge was firmly secured to his chest in clear sight.

Coughing into his fist, Makarov nodded confidently. "Right you lot, all you need to do is just stand there and look pretty until you're called. Naruto, just wave when I announce your status. No doubt this is going to raise hell among some of the guild members so just hold your tongue. Better they don't get into a verbal sparring match with you in the middle of this. We need to get to announcing the contestants as quickly as possible; that should take the heat out of things. If you absolutely must say anything, just tap my shoulder and I'll bring you up. Everyone ready?"

They all chorused, "Yes Master!" and stepped into place. Nodding once, Makarov then turned and flicked a switch on the inside of the podium. Heavy whirring kicked off somewhere in the roof of the guild and the huge curtain began to inch upwards, revealing several hundred mages all spotted about the hall. They all turned as the music began and fell silent as the top mages of the guild were revealed.

"Oi! What's Naruto doing up there?"

Natsu's indignant shout went mostly unanswered by everyone, however the question was still on their minds. Why was that kid standing up there with the other S Ranked mages?

Tapping the mic a few times to test it, Makarov leaned in. "Alright, shut up everyone and let me get this started. I'm sure a few of you knew what was coming today, but for the vast majority of you I'm sure this is a bit of a surprise. Ever since the founding of this guild, this has been our custom, that once a year the very best from our ranks are selected for the S Rank mage promotions!"

A large cheer went up from all the long-term mages who knew what to expect. That shout was accompanied with the more surprised gasp of newcomers who didn't realise the importance of the moment.

Waving them down, Makarov hurried along. "Alright, yes I know you're excited, but shut up, we have other news to get to as well. Naruto, get up here."

Stepping forward as requested, the blond stood tall, chest out so his badge caught the light and twinkled.

Holding a hand out to the teen, the Master continued. "I am sure most, if not all of you know who this man is. He has rapidly become a powerful foundation within this guild and has proven to have a capacity the likes of which I have rarely seen. His most standout accomplishment to this day was the protection of our guild members when Phantom Lord attacked us."

A deep murmur went through the crowd at the name of the hated guild. Many mages still resented that day, even if the name Phantom Lord was now just in the history books of disbanded guilds. "I was totally incapacitated for the entirety of the attack. It should have been I that protected this guild, but alas, it was left to these children to protect our home. Erza, Natsu and all the teams who took a stand were credited as the bravest of all mages by the publications. AND RIGHTFULLY SO!" The old man slammed his hand down on the pulpit, cracking it. "Everyone who was a part of that line of defence have my deepest thanks and public recognition of your actions. Let's hear it for our heroic mages!"

A large round of applause, whistling and cheering went up at that, the ruckus filling the hall with noise and echoing around for several minutes.

Letting them rave on, Makarov shouted into the mic, his voice easily carrying over the noise. "Of everyone who stepped up to protect this guild, none were more pivotal than this boy. At the time he wasn't even a member of the guild and had no reason to fight on our behalf! Yet fight he did, and in so was bestowed the vital honour of Temporary Wizard of the Ten Saints!"

The noise rose higher and Naruto struggled to hold his composure as his eyes took in all the cheering. This feeling of acknowledgement… this was everything he'd ever chased in his life, and damn it felt good. His chest puffed out and he glared out over the crowd confidently, basking in the Master's accolades.

Pointing at the badge on Naruto's chest, Makarov continued. "He fought that fight through blood, sweat and pain for us. The council recognised the power of this standout young mage and earlier this week, I was informed of something very special. There are only a few cases like this where a mage has been able to step up to this prestigious rank without needing to go through any formal trial, and while most of what the Magic Council does is total hog-wash, they damn well got this part right. It is my absolute pleasure to welcome Naruto Uzumaki as an official S Rank mage of our guild today!"

The roar of approval nearly lifted the roof off. Tears of gratitude towards the rousing speech from the Master pricked at Naruto's eyes as he surveyed the guild with awe. He had not been expecting such vehement praise and the emotions totally caught him off guard. Hands were clapping, cupped mouths were cheering, teeth were whistling and mugs were slamming onto bench tops as the entirety of Fairy Tail welcomed him in. Turning slightly, he was caught further off guard as he saw his fellow members Mirajane, Erza and Gildarts all smiling at him, each clapping his welcome.

Eyes watering, the teen made a furious face as he tried to suck the tears back up. 'Don't you DARE fall on the best day of my life, dattebayo! I need to look cool, damn it!'

Throwing his fist into the air, the noise in the guild erupted again, drowning out even Natsu's roar of challenges. The widest of smiles graced his face and Naruto shook his fist victoriously, thankful for the chance bask in this moment.

After another few minutes, Makarov got back on the mic and began hushing the crowd. It took a while, but they eventually calmed enough so that he could continue. "Naruto has an extremely specific range of skills which have earned him this position. Those who have seen him in action can confirm as much. Because of this, we are going to need to say goodbye to him for a while."

A confused muttering rolled through the guild at that, all wondering what the Master could mean. "Naruto has been called up for a specific task that is most suitable for him. This comes down from the Council of Mages, so this is a huge opportunity for him to prove himself on the field. There's a few weeks yet before he needs to leave, but the mission does not have an end date set. As such, we will need to wish Naruto a safe journey the Fairy Tail way. So take the opportunity to say goodbye these next few weeks present. He doesn't bite unless you bite first, so feel free to wish him well on his journey."

Several dozen mages started nodding their heads approvingly, seeing the reason in the decision. They whispered among themselves, the more experienced mages weighing up pros and cons of letting a new S Rank mage out so soon after his promotion.

"So with that major announcement out of the way, I can move onto the official S Rank challenge. You may step back, Naruto."

Pulling back in line with the other three, Naruto stood there somewhat dazed until Mirajane leaned into his ear with a smirk. "I told you I was excited for this. Not quite what you were expecting, was it?"

Basking in the afterglow of it, Naruto slowly shook his head. "Not even close. I had no idea the Master was going to spring that on me."

Mirajane giggled into a hand, and she patted his shoulder. "He does that on purpose. When I became S Rank, they sprung the event on me because at the time, I wouldn't have turned up. I didn't even know what to do or say. It's wonderful to think back on now."

Naruto hummed thoughtfully and straightened as Mirajane returned to her position. Makarov had begun the next part of the announcement so they and the guild hushed.

"This years venue for the trials will be held at Tenrou Island, the holy ground and founding of our beloved guild. For those who don't know, I've been watching for strength, heart and soul over this last year. This year, a number of extremely talented individuals rose to the top of the list and it wouldn't be fair to only pick one. During the Phantom Lord mess and subsequent adventures, eight stellar mages have earned the right to participate in these trials. They are as follows…"

Pulling out a sheet of paper and placing it on top of the pile, the Guild Master read through the list.

"Natsu Dragneel!"

"Grey Fullbuster!"

"Juvia Loxar!"

"Elfman Strauss!"

"Cana Alberona!"

"Fried Justine!"

"Levy MacGarden!"

"Mest Gryder!"

The guild erupted again as the names were read out. Bets were rapidly taken as to who would claim the next S Rank position and all the participants were heartily congratulated with drinks pushed into their hands, shoulders clapped and well wishes offered.

Shouting over the noise, Makarov continued, "You all have two weeks to prepare. Hone yourselves into the finest form you can before we leave for the island. I expect fantastic things from all of you! Sharpen your mind, master your body and skills and prepare for the chance to be recognised as one of the guild's greatest!"

Naruto then watched Mirajane step up as Makarov moved off the podium. She adjusted the microphone to her height and leaned in. "Since there are some newbies here, I'll explain the rules so you can understand what they are and how you may strive for the next round of S Rank trials."

Hushing came over the guild to respect the newcomers and allow them to hear the steps to earn them a legendary S Rank title. "Within the two week preparation period, you eight are to select one partner to support you through the trials. For them to be considered as a legitimate partner, there are two rules to adhere to."

She the motioned over to Erza who took over. The sturdy lady didn't move, instead opting to simply shout from where she was. "Firstly, they must be a member of Fairy Tail. No external partners are allowed as the location of this trial is exclusive to Fairy Tail mages. Secondly, they must not be S Rank mages themselves. I trust you all understand why."

A light chuckle floated through the guild at that. If any of the mages on stage were fair game as partners, there would have been an enormous squabble over who got to pick who.

Makarov then took mainstage again. "The details of the exam will be revealed after we arrive at Tenrou. However, I will let everyone participating this know, there will be S Ranked mages stationed through the test to block you from completing it."

A gasp sounded from the guild, the largest of course coming from the eight participants. "You mean to say we need to try and beat these guys to even have a shot of getting that S Rank?"

"Oh shut up," drawled Gildarts, his deep booming voice carrying easily. "This is something ALL S Ranked mages have needed to go through. Just be happy there's only four of us up here."

An invisible weight seemed to settle over the whole guild as they realised mighty Gildarts was actually participating too. An S Ranked mage like Erza or Mirajane was one thing. To try and tangle with a verified Saint tier like Gildarts? Totally impossible!

"NO WAY, YOU'RE ACTUALLY IN THIS? GILDARTS, I CALL DIBS ON VERSING YOU OVER THERE RIGHT NOW!" The whole guild faceplanted as Natsu's thrilled challenge bellowed out. Totally impossible for most, a mighty challenge for one, apparently.

"The chosen eight and their partners will gather at Hargeon port two weeks from now. Use your time wisely and pick your partner carefully. So until then, train hard and we will see you soon!"

XxXxXxX

Naruto sagged onto a bench in mental exhaustion and sighed deeply, a large goofy smile stuck on his face. As soon as the Master had finished with the announcement, the teen was accosted and dragged into the middle of a huge mage mosh pit of celebrations. His ears were ringing from the huge amounts of noise and congratulations, and he was pretty sure his whole upper back and shoulders were black and blue from how many times they were slapped. He rubbed his butt gently as even his cheeks had copped a few sneaky slaps from some wayward hands.

A few hours later, evening was coming and the guild had begun to empty as the members slowly drifted back home for dinner and bed. This finally allowed the blond ninja a chance to catch his breath and really process the joy of the moment. Resting his head on his arms, Naruto wondered if this is what it would feel like when he was finally recognised as Hokage. He closed his eyes and let his mind wander. Standing atop the Hokage monument, thousands of cheering fans before him, recognition from his peers and acknowledgement from the city of his hard work and years of effort… 'Yeah, that sounds like bliss.'

Just then, a pair of slender hands covered his eyes from behind and a pair of lips whispered, "Guess who?" into his ear. Grinning, he grabbed the hands and pulled them down. "Hmmm, I wonder… WHAT IN GOOD HELL? NANDA KONO YARO?"

Falling over himself as he tripped off the bench seat, Gajeel's chiselled face laughed hard at the shocked blond on the floor. It took a moment for Naruto to realise that the head was not attached to the body of said man, rather to a very familiar maroon dress. "What the f – Mira-chan? Is that you?"

Tears in her eyes, the sneaky bar maid's head popped back to normal with a glow of magic. "Oh – oh Naruto, you – you should have seen your face!"

Doubling up in laugher, the girl folded in on herself and collapsed onto the bench. Through her gut-wrenching laughter, she managed to wheeze out, "That – that was the best moment of my life! Oh dear, I can't contain myself!"

Realising he'd been thoroughly had, Naruto's ears burned red. As one prankster to another though, he had to admit, that was a damn good joke. Taking a moment to compose himself, Naruto shakily pulled himself up and sat down beside the girl, legs facing out from the table. He wasn't prepared for the head to land in his lap and he jumped in surprise as Mirajane continued to giggle into his stomach. Looking around awkwardly, the boy was thankful to see the guild empty of any prying eyes and was able to just enjoy the moment without interruption. Not really knowing where to put his hands though, he opted for one on her shoulder and the other resting back on the tabletop behind him.

It took a long while before she finally calmed down enough to be able to say anything more and by that stage Naruto's legs were starting to go numb. Finally rolling onto her back with a sigh, Mirajane rubbed away the last few of her tears and reached up to poke Naruto's nose. "I'll remember that forever. I can see why you pranked those guards the way you did back then. It's really fun!"

Naruto chuckled and batted her hand away. "You're just lucky I like you. Anyone else would receive the penalty of a full Uzumaki response!"

Mirajane giggled, knowing very well how spoilt she was. Her face then softened and a more sombre look took hold. Staring at the badge still attached to her companion's chest, she reached out and fingered it gently. "So, now that we can actually talk properly, how did you find the announcement? Can you see why I was all excited?"

"I sure do now," marvelled the teen. "I was concerned because you were acting really weird, but that explains pretty much all of it!"

An odd look briefly flashed on Mirajane's face but it was gone in an instant.

Leaning back, Naruto missed it as looked to the roof, a nostalgic smile crossing his face. "I told you I want to be the Hokage of my village once, didn't I? I really feel like what that was just before is just a taste of how it will be back home."

Seeing her friend getting sentimental over the topic, Mirajane smiled and sat up. "Pretend I don't remember any of it. Talk me through everything."

"You bet!" Eager to dive into his lifelong goal, Naruto started gesturing excitedly. "Ever since I was a kid, that's all I've ever wanted to achieve! The Hokage is the biggest, baddest and most powerful ninja in the whole village. One of the most powerful in the world in fact. Our current Hokage, Tsunade-baachan, she's ridiculously strong. Like, you do not even know now strong." He looked Mirajane in the eye for emphasis. "Like, so strong she can flick the ground and the damn thing opens up like a canyon." His eyes widened fearfully. "She's a real freak of nature."

Mirajane studied the blond incredulously. "You're not just pranking me back about this, are you?"

"Hell no," came the vehement response. "The things I've seen her do boggle the mind. I don't think there's anyone in the whole world physically stronger than her. The only person in Earthland who'd even come close would be Gildarts."

That gave Mirajane pause as she considered the statement. "So that means you're aiming to be stronger than her to take over? Isn't that a very steep hill to climb?"

Eyes glinting in determination, Naruto flicked his nose with his thumb and straightened his back. "It sure does, but I refuse to give up because that's my ninja way. I will never back down from this, I WILL see this goal achieved and you WILL see me seated as Hokage of Konoha!"

Mirajane's smile faltered for a second and she whispered, "I really wish I could see that."

"Sorry, what was that?"

Shaking her head, Mirajane just smiled up at the question. "Nothing you need to worry yourself about. With confidence like that, I have no doubt you'll reach your goal. To be fair, you're pretty strong too!" She reached out and squeezed his bicep. "I watched you go toe to toe with Phantom Lord. I watched you hold your own against Laxus. I even watched you bypass Erza and myself in strength! If you keep up this sort of development, you'll absolutely make it."

Expecting a strong reply, Mirajane then leant back, allowing Naruto ample room to move. What she didn't expect was a more subdued response; the teen staring meaningfully into her eyes. She blinked in surprise and found herself lost in the deep expression that captivated her.

"Thank you."

Lost for words, the girl couldn't find it within her to reply. Naruto interpreted it as her allowing him to continue to explain himself. "I know you know a bit about how I was when I was younger. Orphaned and ostracised because of the Kyuubi. Well, I was like that until I was about ten. It was a bit harder than you'd think because people wouldn't even touch me. They avoided my steps, threw things at me, banned me from shops… it was pretty horrible to be honest."

Brows furrowing in shock, Mirajane could only hold a hand over her mouth.

"So when I was old enough to really understand how much everyone respected the Hokage, I made that my goal. The reasoning is that if I got strong enough to take the seat, then everyone would have to respect me enough to let it happen. I am excited to say I have support from some of my friends there now, and each day there seems to be more people willing to believe in me! However, I will never forget the feeling when my first teacher, Iruka-sensei, finally acknowledged me for the first time. It was validation that all my hard work was starting to produce results, so no matter how popular I get, I will always remember back to that day when anyone offers me their support and remember how that felt."

Naruto took up Mirajane's hand in his own and held it firmly. "I still remember your wish you made for me you know, that one where you wished I'd never be alone. That is what will carry my dream on, even if everyone falls away. This is also what will drive me to find a way back here, to be able to share with you the victory speech of how I achieved my dream!"

His grip then softened and his eyes mellowed. "To be honest, it's gonna be hard to say goodbye to everyone, most of all you. You've been a real pillar of strength for me here you know! I can't… Mira-chan?"

The girl had stood bolt upright, eyes covered by shadows and a strange twitch on her cheeks. Grasping his hand firmly, she then shot him the biggest smile possible and dragged him to his feet. "You don't know how much that means to me! Come on, we don't really have to much l-longer to enjoy one another, so how about we go for a walk through the streets for old time's sake?"

Chuckling, the blond allowed himself to be pulled to the door and into the soft streetlight beyond. "Of course my lady, lead the way!"

XxXxXxX

The next few hours were spent floating through the sleepy streets of Magnolia. Most shops were closed at this point and the only real noise were the chirping of crickets and croaks of frogs from the river flowing through the town. Aimless, the pair just wandered between the houses, talking about everything and nothing as the conversation led.

Finding themselves overlooking the river from a bridge, Naruto threw a stone into the water and watched the ripples slowly float downstream. He chuckled and looked to his companion as she slumped on the wide railing, eyes trained on the moon in the sky. "You know, I wasn't expecting this as a second date, but I'll take it! This is great."

Smiling softly, the girl let her arm sway over the edge of the rail and her eyes drifted down to the river. "Yeah, this is nice. I don't actually want it to end, you know?"

Smirking, Naruto nudged her shoulder with his. "Yes, I do understand. However, I will need to get home. I need to start thinking about how to trap this island. I'll walk you home?"

Mira's soft hand reached out and gently took Naruto's in hers. "M-maybe you can wait a moment longer? I still have to make y-you that soda to go, and dinner too! You haven't eaten yet, have you?"

Suddenly realising he was indeed hungry, Naruto marvelled at how quickly time had passed for them. His stomach gurgled indignantly at only just being remembered and the teen scratched his cheek awkwardly. "Well, if you're offering I won't say no… isn't it too late though? I don't want to inconvenience you."

"Of course not! Never for you," replied the silver haired girl cheerily. "I can't promise it will be a feast, but it will get you through till breakfast. Now come, walk me home like a good lad."

XxXxXxX

True to her word, the two of them found themselves sat at Mirajane's table a couple of hours later having finished a simple but delicious meal. Rubbing his tummy, Naruto sighed happily and yawned deeply. "That was honestly so good Mira-chan. I really don't want to go, but it is super late." He began pushing himself up, but Mirajane beat him to her feet. "W-wait, just sit yourself down a moment longer! I need to make you that soda to go. I p-promise it's worth a few more minutes of your time."

"Uh, yeah if that's ok I can wait a bit longer…" Slowly sinking back into his seat, the teen watched his hostess curiously. Something wasn't quite adding up again with her actions. She was busying herself with grabbing various tonics and mixes, throwing them together with practiced ease into a thick mug. She then twisted the bottom of it and a small magical array glowed to life. Setting it to the table, Mirajane nodded and walked over to the couch. Patting the seat beside her, she beckoned Naruto to join her.

Chewing his lip in contemplation, the teen said nothing and slowly made his way over. Was there something wrong he was missing? Something was definitely not adding up. Unable to stifle a yawn, Naruto sank into the soft cushions and sighed as Mirajane rested her head on his shoulder. Looking down at the top of her head curiously, the teen tried to make her comfortable. "So how long will that take? It's well after midnight and I know you're tired after a big day at the guild."

She snuggled down into his shoulder and murmured a sleepy, "Oh, only another thirty or so minutes."

"Thirty minutes?" Naruto asked in surprise. "Didn't that drink at the guild only take a few minutes to prepare?"

Eyes blinking wide, Mirajane stammered, "Oh, that was because, um… this is a special mixer! That one at the guild was a pre-mix. So… so tasty enough, but it won't hold a candle to this one. I promise. You can wait a little longer… can't you?"

Hearing the tension in her voice, Naruto frowned in concern and twisted to look her in the face. "Is everything ok, Mira-chan? You're acting strange again."

Her smile faltered a second and she nodded hesitantly. "Yeah… I'm ok. Can you please just stay, for me?"

Worried, but unsure what else he could do, Naruto just nodded and leant back into the couch and let the girl rest on his shoulder.

Thirty minutes came all too fast though and the soft chime of a timer roused the drowsy duo. Stretching as Mirajane left, Naruto rubbed the spot where she was resting to get some feeling back in the muscle. Looking over to the kitchen, Naruto saw the barmaid paused at the counter, the soft moonlight filtering in through the window and illuminating her with a soft silvery glow. "Mirajane…?"

Turning, the girl held out the canister proudly. "There we go, all done! The best drink you'll ever have in your life, I promise on the guild!"

Chuckling, Naruto just shook his head and pulled himself to his feet. Grabbing the offered item, Naruto dragged his feet to the door and pulled it open. "Well, thank you so much for this afternoon and tonight. As if that announcement wasn't awesome enough, you went and made the rest of my evening one of the best nights of my life."

He then reached out and pulled her into a hug, one she readily returned. They embraced for a while, longer than what you'd expect for a simple goodnight. Eventually, Naruto smirked and pulled Mirajane back. "Well, as much as I'd love to stay, it's late and we're both tired. Thank you so much again and I will make sure to enjoy this." He raised the canister happily.

Mirajane though didn't match his smile. She held an arm nervously, eyes not quite meeting his. She looked like she really wanted to say something but couldn't bring herself to. Biting her lip, eventually she just gave him a weak smile and nodded. "Yeah, it's been such a lovely evening. It really seems like no time at all has passed… it's all too fast for my liking."

Taking a deep breath through his nose, Naruto studied the girl with concern. There was something troubling her, that was for sure. She was refusing to say anything more though and he didn't want to press. Looking between her and the mug she gave him, he just sighed and nodded. "Yeah, the night went by way too fast. I'll see you tomorrow though, yeah? Bright and early?"

The girl didn't reply, simply opting to bite her lip and nod again.

"Well, if that's all, I'll say goodbye for now and see you tomorrow." Turning, the teen gave her the cheeriest wave he could before making his way down the stairs. Feeling a very gentle tug on his shirt though, he halted. Looking down at his waist, the fabric was pulled tight around him as the back portion of the shirt was pinched between a pair of delicate fingers.

"I'm not ok…"

"What was that?" Turning back to face Mirajane, Naruto's resolve fractured when he saw a broken smile on Mirajane's face, her eyes welling up with tears.

"I said I'm not ok." Wiping her eyes with her free hand as the tears started to spill over, the words began tumbling out of her mouth. "I'm not ok, I'm totally not ok! I'm not ok with saying goodbye and I don't want you to go!"

She let go of his shirt and cupped her face in her hands, big rolling tears running down between her fingers. "I don't want this to end and I don't want you to leave the guild! I don't want you to go home and I don't want you to leave me!"

She began hiccupping and gasping as the tears came harder. "I know that's so selfish of me because of everything you have at home you're aiming for, but right now I don't care! I'm scared to see you go and face another day at the guild without you here! It only feels like yesterday Lucy and Natsu dropped you on the makeshift bed at the guild! Where has the time gone? What happened to all the fun between then and now? Why does it feel like nothing has happened, even though so much has?"

Naruto just stood there gobsmacked as the verbal waterfall flowed from the brokenhearted girl. "There's not been enough time to get to know you better, not enough time to tease you, or – or to have you tease me for that matter! I'm only just getting to know you now and you're already leaving? I'm only just now learning how much I feel for you… yet you're running away from me?"

Her large, wet eyes raised from behind her hands to capture Naruto's wide blue ones. "I… I really like you Naruto. Like, I like you, like you. And it's making me think silly, painful, sad and unfair things right now! I know you need to go, but I don't want you to. I know you will achieve this Hokage position you told me about, but it doesn't bother me if you don't. I know you have another world to save, but I DON'T CARE ABOUT IT!"

Her piercing scream stunned Naruto in place like he'd never move again. "It's dumb, so dumb. I'M dumb, for feeling like this, and I hate myself for it! But I do feel it, and if I didn't tell you, I feel like my heart would stop. It hurts Naruto, my chest; my heart, it really, really hurts! I don't know what to do, or think, or say, or feel, or, or ANYTHING right now!"

Her arms then fell weakly at her sides, chest heaving after having her tirade vented. Her eyes fell to the pavement, tears still running down her cheeks, a look of total loss in her eyes as she fell silent.

As for Naruto, his mouth was hanging wide open, his eyes frozen on the girl before him as she poured out her feelings. His brain was lagging several minutes behind everything and so it took him time to process it all. Eventually, he blinked and put a hand to his forehead in shock. "Is this why you didn't say goodbye to me in the guild like everyone else?"

Mirajane nodded weakly, saying nothing.

"And – and that's why you were super clingy all of today?"

She nodded again, having been caught in the act.

Naruto's head reeled. How had all this been going on under his nose? Was he actually that clueless that he'd missed everything Mirajane had been feeling?

Weakly, he offered, "I… I am SO sorry I didn't notice. I mean, no one has ever outright said anything like this to me, but I don't think that's much of an excuse, especially with Jiraiya-sensei being my teacher."

Mirajane snorted softly, remembering the few stories Naruto had told her about his old mentor. Still, she reached up hesitantly, eventually capturing his whiskered cheek in her hand. "Th-that's ok. I didn't exactly come out and tell you anything until now… so let's just say we're both dumb-heads."

Naruto let out a bark of laughter and held a hand over Mirajane's. "That's a very generous way of looking at it. However, I am very happy to be labelled like that right now. Yes, we are both dumb-heads."

They each then chuckled, the soft swirling of the air being the only thing currently moving.

"W-would you sleep with me?"

Naruto's face lit up like a lighthouse on the beach. "E-e-e-excuse me?!"

Realising how what she'd just said sounded, Mirajane's eyes widened exponentially and her face burned the brightest red Magnolia had ever seen. "N-n-n-n-not like that! I-I-I meant like how we did that one t-time when you were e-exhausted and stayed here, y-y-y-you remember that night, right? Right?"

The frantic panic in Mirajane's voice had Naruto nodding furiously. So THAT'S what she meant! Still, the clarification did absolutely nothing to ease the utter jackhammer rattling around inside his chest at the moment.

Unable to meet her eyes, Naruto stared at the floor pointedly, desperate to try and regulate his heartbeat and catch his breath. Mirajane was in the exact same position, her face scalding hot and buried in her hands with embarrassment.

They stayed like that for a good five minutes before a tiny giggle escaped Mirajane's lips. That in turn set off Naruto and before long each of them were laughing harder than either of them had done so in a very long time. They were doubled up, tears streaming down their faces, arms crossed across their tummies to try ease the pain; each resting on one another to help them stay upright.

Eventually, Naruto was able to croak out, "M-maybe we should go back inside? A-at this rate we'll wake the neighbours!"

"YOU SAY THAT LIKE YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY?"

The furious bellow from up the road instantly froze the pair on the spot, deer caught in the headlights of an angry citizen. Wincing in guilt, Mirajane called out, "S-sorry, we'll be quiet now!"

"AND ABOUT DAMN TIME!" The shout was then punctuated by the slamming of a window, ending the conversation abruptly, point made very clear.

Flinching from the rebuke, the two looked at one another before stifling another round of laughter. Stepping back, Mirajane opened the door wider and beckoned Naruto back in. "Please, spare the night some more time? For me?"

How could he refuse after all that was said? Nodding graciously, the teen let himself be led indoors.

Thankfully, Naruto had brought his scroll, and his pyjamas were soon donned. Shuffling into the comfortable bed, Naruto then felt Mirajane slide in beside him in the dark. A pair of soft lips then pressed against his cheek and she lowly muttered, "I wished you'd never be lonely again. I can't say I can do it forever, but for as long as you're here in Earthland, I'll make sure that wish comes true."

XxXxXxX

Omake

Naruto followed the toad into the next, vacant room. This one was HUGE, the roof dozens of meters above his head. It was also vastly wide and long, the walls reaching over one hundred meters in each direction. Whistling loudly, Naruto smirked as he heard the echo.

Cupping his hands around his mouth, he screamed, "BUTT HOLE!" and giggled to himself as it echoed around the room several times. Turning to the toad, Naruto then asked, "How did they fit something this huge in here? It didn't look that big from outside?"

"Magic," came the unimpressed reply. Flicking through the papers, his guide came to the next page and moved it to the front of the clipboard. Walking over beside the door, the toad studied a list of buttons about shoulder height.

"Mr. Naruto, we are now testing your destructive capacity. How would you rate your strongest technique?"

Smirking confidently, the teen buffed his knuckled on his shirt. "Let's just say that I took the top of a mountain off with my best attack."

That caused the toad to pause. "I see… if that's the case, then this should be about right."

Slapping one of the buttons, a deep groaning from beneath the floor rebounded throughout the room as several huge slabs of some kind of metal rose up before them. They were just huge rectangle walls in single file, each one twenty meters tall, ten meters wide and five meters thick.

Blinking in surprise, Naruto walked over to the firs tone and rapped a knuckle against it. A sharp chime rang out, reverberating longer than what should have been normal. Pointing a finger at the wall, Naruto asked, "So what's this made out of? And what am I to do? Vaporise it?"

Pulling out a pair of goggles from one of its pockets, the toad pulled them over its head with a sigh. "It's a magical composite that's patented to the Magician's Council. Therefore, I can't tell you anymore than that, only that we use it to test the destructive force of a mage. Punch it, kick it, throw your best spell at it, whatever you need to do. The goal is to knock over as many of them as you can in one hit."

Naruto leaned to the side and looked at the long row of them stacked behind the first. There had to be twenty all lined up with about a ten meter gap between each. "So I'm not allowed to disintegrate them?"

Crawling behind a blast shield, the toad settled in for the show. "If you can, please do so. However, know even knocking over one is a passing result."

"Hell yeah, now we're talking!"

Quickly crossing his fingers, Naruto called out, "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu (Shadow Clone)!" and beside him appeared two replicas of himself.

Eyebrow raising but saying nothing, the toad watched on as the two clones stood either side of the original. "Hey toad, if you have ear plugs, it would be worth putting them in."

Heeding the warning, a pair of muffs were dropped onto the toad's head as a wind began kicking up in the room. A bright, glowing blue sphere of energy began forming in the blond's hands as the two clones seemed to stabilise the energy. Right as it looked like the ball couldn't get more intense, a sharp ringing sound began to fill the hall as what looked like flickering white blades started growing out from its sides.

The noise became deafening and the toad was thankful for the warning to put on hearing protection. Even as it is, its ears were hurting from the sound. Hearing two muffled explosions, the toad looked over to now see Naruto standing by himself once again. The giant ball of singing energy in his hand pulsed dangerously, as if begging to be let loose.

Looking back over at the toad, Naruto smirked and shouted over the noise, "I'll tone it down a bit, I don't want to see the whole council blown up again!"

Leaping into the air, the teen reared his arm back and launched the spiralling ball of light at the large walls with a cry of, "Fuuton: Rasenshuriken (Wind Release: Spiralling Shuriken)!"

The ball of light smashed into the first wall not a second later, the power and intensity of the collision lighting up the whole room in a blinding, cold blue light. Covering its eyes, the toad winced as even through shut eyes, the light still burned its retinas. An absolute cacophony ricocheted off the walls and through the room as deep, groaning booms interspaced the ringing. After what felt like an eternity, the light began to dim and the ringing eased.

Slowly opening one eye, the toad surveyed the damage.

Standing proudly before the mess, Naruto held up a thumb in triumph. The first wall had a hole bored through it that was almost as wide as the wall itself. As did the next one. And the next one. And the next.

Blinking in surprise, the toad walked over and counted the number of walls the attack had managed to pierce. There were fifteen in total that had holes through them, and none that weren't totally without damage.

Trotting over, Naruto leaned in excitedly. "So, so? How'd I go? Do I pass?"

While technically not knocked over, the massive structures were only just holding together by crumbs. "You said you toned this down?"

Naruto nodded confidently. "Yup! If I really went all out, this room, us and all the council probably wouldn't be here."

Shaking its head, the toad sighed. This was going to be a long day. Absently, the toad asked, "What guild were you from again?"

Naruto held up his palm, orange emblem standing out proudly. "Fairy Tail, of course!"

Wincing, the toad nodded understandingly. "Of course you are. No where else would have a mini Gildarts in their ranks."

"Gildarts? You know Gildarts?" Poking the toad, Naruto began badgering it for info. "How did Gildarts do? Did he knock over as many walls as I did? Did you see it first hand or did you just hear about it? Well? Huh? Tell me, I wanna hear his results! Tell me, tell me, tell me!"

Sighing again, the toad rubbed its forehead. This was going to be a very long day.

XxXxXxX

A/N – what's this? 2 uploads in only 2 weeks? Is the world falling down or something? Lol according to some people it is. What this is though is me being on holiday and forcing myself to do something different for a change.

I will admit, I have been waiting to write that final scene with Mirajane for a very long time.

When I first started this story, I intentionally left the pairing blank because I wanted to keep the mystery around relationships intact, the way it is in real life. I'll be honest, during the process of developing the characters, I was tossing up Ultear as a potential match but eventually decided that despite how much I like her character (and her legs), there simply wasn't enough time Naruto would spend with her to develop anything more meaningful than a passing crush.

Thusly, we ended up with Mira-chan bagging the long-awaited confession and cuddle time. I hope it was worth the wait for everyone, even if it didn't end up with any lemon scenes. I know there's a lot of you out there who'd be keen for it but bruh, Naruto's only 16 and Mirajane's 19. Das weird guys, come on. Go straight to horni-jail, do not pass go, please collect 200 bonks.

As for a personal take on this chapter, I'm honestly really pleased with it, I feel like this is one of the best chapters I've written in a very long time. I really took time to put myself in the character's shoes to try and make it feel as real as possible. Also, this is officially the longest chapter I've ever posted. It has over 17700 words! Wild hey?

As always, reviews are deeply appreciated!

Anyway, I'm not sure when the next update will be. I'm back to work tomorrow and it's lining up to be pretty hectic, I've already got a ton of clients hitting me up for mentorship sessions so that's just how it will be for a while.

I'll see what the muse can muster though and I'll try get the next part of the story up before too long.

Until then, take care.
Lanky Nathan