By the time Naruto pulled himself from the wall, Levy and Gajeel were sat on a stone, the small girl chatting with Lucy and Cana of all people. Blinking the brightness of the sun away, Naruto squinted at the small group as he held a hand up to shade his eyes.

He ignored Gajeel's satisfied smirk as he patted off the last of the dust and did his best to straighten his crumpled clothing. Hearing his approach, the three girls looked over. Lucy and Cana grinned, beckoning him over.

"Looks like you were put through the ringer," Cana chuckled as she looked him up and down. "What sort of fight did Levy and Gajeel give you?"

"A surprise one," grumbled the blond, "Gajeel attacked me after Levy passed the trial." He raised his voice slightly so Gajeel would hear him. "Apparently one metallic ingot got a bit pissy after having his buttons pushed."

"You're not taking this moment away from me." Said ingot languished in deep fulfilment against the wall he and Levy were sat. "You don't know the satisfaction I had snapping your mouth shut."

Seeing the fight brewing, Lucy was quick to interrupt. "So what sort of test was it? We just had to fight Fried and Bixlow. Levy was about to tell us when you walked out."

Naruto shrugged and thrust his hands in his pockets, motioning with his head to the smaller girl. "I won't steal her thunder then. Let her explain it."

Levy then recapped everything, timidly at first but rising with passion as both Cana and Lucy egged her on. The replay of the final challenge had both girls shivering and casting a sidewards glance at Naruto.

"So THAT'S what we felt earlier?" shivered Lucy. "It felt like a cyclone was about to hit us! That was insane!"

Goosebumps ran up Cana's arms as well and she rubbed them. "You're not wrong, I'd have hated to be standing right in front of it!" She examined at the nonchalant teen, currently looking about as threatening as Happy. "Did you really have to go all out like that?"

"Hmm?" Naruto raised an eyebrow, clearly not having been paying attention.

"I… personally think it was justified." Eyes turned upon Levy, the shuffling girl nervous but resolute. "Naruto said at the end he'd rather me f-face my fears in a controlled environment, as opposed to being caught off guard on the field."

She looked over at him hopefully, nodding at the teen despite her tension. "I actually think it's the best test that could have been run for me. S Rank missions aren't all glitz and glamour. They can be dangerous and terrifying, uncontrolled and chaotic. You guys know this more than I do since I'm more of a bookworm."

At this Lucy huffed and crossed her arms, casting an irritated glace at the ground muttering, "I'd rather be a bookworm, but that's not happening with Natsu around."

No one paid her complaining much heed.

"Seeing Naruto in all his power… directly before me, yet still able to make rational decisions…" Levy smiled softly to herself. "If I can face that, I can face anything."

Cana grinned and slapped her hand down on the smaller girl's shoulder, making her wince. "If you reckon that's the best way to do it then good for you. Hopefully this will do you well in the future though because sorry, but I am going to be winning the S Rank trial this year!"

Levy bristled at the challenge. "I'm not about to give up that easily. Anything the next part of the test throws at me will be a dream compared to Naruto!" Sparks suddenly seemed to fly about as the two mages glared competitively at one another.

"Yes, yes, very good, very good." Interrupting the moment, Naruto wandered over, holding his hands out between them. "Now, if I might steal Levy for a moment, I have something I'm pretty damn excited to chat with her about."

"Oh right!" Eyes widening as the real reason Naruto was here slipped her mind, Levy hopped off the rock and dusted down her short dress. "If you'll excuse me, I'll only be a moment!"

Gajeel simply grunted while Cana and Lucy waved her away. Naruto meanwhile was busy pushing the rising adrenaline down and focusing on not letting his thoughts get ahead of themselves. Letting the girl led him to a quiet clearing just off to the side, the small mage pulled out a tiny box and held it out to him. Looking at it quizzically, Naruto picked it up and looked it over.

As he studied it, Levy urged, "Go on, open it."

Flicking it open, the blond spied two small rings inside. There was a small, clear gem molded into the ring, the surface of it flush with the edge of the ring. Grasping one, Naruto pulled it out and inspected it as Levy began talking. "Well, this is the best attempt I could manage. I wasn't able to figure out how to anchor you to anything in this world, so I had to come up with a solution."

Holding it up to the sky, the dull grey of the ring did its best to reflect the sunlight. He rolled it between his fingers before noticing something written on the inside of it. Peering closer, Naruto tried to read it. Weirdly, it seemed to be a mashing of rune and seal scripts.

"Ah, you spotted it already." Turning his eyes to Levy, she explained. "This was the tricky part. I never realised, but your seals act as teleportation devices. How they actually do it is beyond incredible," she gushed. "They create ripples in reality that fold it onto itself and pull you across it. The size of the object that can be summoned is directly proportional to the amount of energy, or chakra in your case, the summoner has and the distance from the target."

Levy took a breath to continue but noticed Naruto staring at her blankly. "Ah, right, I may have to simplify."

Sighing deeply, the girl grabbed a stick and started drawing in the sand. She started by drawing a round version of Naruto's head and then placed a rock opposite him to symbolise a toad. "You see this?"

Crouching beside her, Naruto nodded.

"Say you want to summon this toad with a seal." She drew a line from Naruto to the toad. "You put chakra into the seal, it squishes the space between you two," she drew an X through the gap and pushed the toad over to Naruto, "and out pops the toad ready to go."

Seeing Naruto still struggling, she grabbed a leaf. "Just imagine the toad is at one end and you are the other." She then folded the leaf over so the ends touched. "Essentially, this is what's happening. By folding the leaf, it allows the toad to hop across the ends. The difference here is that your seals do that with the very reality around you! The reason we're not impacted is because we're 'in' the leaf, so to speak."

Naruto pointed at the dirt, head spinning with the level of info just dumped on him. "So, when I summon a toad it's not because they respond to my call?"

"That's only half of it," came the reply. "The toad has to be willing to allow you to pull it across, that's the connection part I was having trouble with."

Levy frowned as she explained. "Essentially there's got to be a 'beaconer' and a 'witnesser'. Without each of these things, there's no folding of reality because there's no way to ascertain the location of the summons and the summoner."

Levy noticed Naruto was still baffled and tried another route. "Ok, try this, Mirajane is somewhere on the island but you don't know where." She drew the face of Mirajane in the dirt. "You are stuck in place and want her to come help you: what do you do?"

"Enter Senjutsu (Sage Techniques) and seek her out," came the immediate reply.

Levy faulted, a bead of sweat rolling down her temple. "Ok, pretend you couldn't do that. What would you have to do?"

Frowning, Naruto cupped his chin. "I guess I'd have to shout," he said after a moment's pause.

Nodding, Levy pushed that angle. "Very good, but what if Mirajane couldn't hear you?"

"I guess I'd have to shout louder." Suddenly, Naruto's eyes widened. "Hang on, so that's me using more Chakra to… what did you say, 'beacon'?"

Levy smiled. "Now you're getting it! The further away she is, the more energy you need to use." She pointed to the drawing of Mirajane. "So now she's heard you. She wants to come to you. What will she need to do?"

Seeing where Levy was going with this, the blond pursed his lips and finished the thought train. "She'd have to shout back for directions. But in this instance, since I'm not actively shouting directions, that would be the seal sending the directions to the thing I'm trying to summon?"

Clapping excitedly as his understanding increased, Levy continued. "Yes, and this is the part Gamageta helped me with. When you signed that contract with the toad clan, essentially you entered into an agreement that every time you reach out to them, they would respond, almost like a handshake. In doing that, they respond to your call and they are drawn to your position."

Levy watched closely as Naruto twirled the ring in his hand. She could see the wheels turning in his head. "One more thing," he asked, gears ticking over slowly. "How does this work if I'm using a seal, but Mirajane is using a rune? That doesn't seem to make any sense."
Levy crossed her arms, frowning. "And that brings me to the really hard part of all this. It's also the most hypothetical part of this experiment as there was literally no way of testing this across dimensions." She raised a lecturing finger. "Essentially, the rings are more than just simple anchors, they're designed to resonate with each other."

Naruto looked up, intrigued. "Resonate? You mean they're like... tuning forks?"

Levy smiled a little, impressed by his comparison. "Exactly. The seals and the runes I inscribed on both rings aren't just random designs. They're interconnected, so when you use your chakra to create a 'beacon,' it won't just be a one-way call. The scripts within the rings are designed to sense each other and synchronise. Your seals do all the heavy lifting of actually transporting you, while the runes act as signposts."

Naruto raised an eyebrow, still processing. "So, it's like they're... in tune with each other?"

"Exactly," Levy chirped again, glad he was starting to get it. "When you use your chakra to activate your seal, it creates a resonance that 'vibrates' through the runes on your ring. You should be able to feel that vibration on your finger if you perform it correctly. Mirajane's magic responds to that frequency, and in turn, her ring resonates back to yours, giving you the exact location of where she is."

Naruto squinted, his mind piecing it together. "So, it's like if I play a note, she'll play the same note back at me? And her magic will show me where she is?"

"Exactly! The seals and runes are kind of like complementary frequencies," Levy explained. "Your chakra initiates the signal—like striking the first chord—and Mirajane's magic is the response, the echo that tells you where she is. The rings create the harmonic link between the two of you. It's that resonance that allows you to 'jump' to her."

"Got it," Naruto said, smiling at the clarity. "So, the seal is like the signal, and the runes on Mirajane's ring are the receiver. And when they 'resonate,' the space-time fold thing happens, right?"

Levy nodded, visibly relieved that he was following. "Exactly. The rings essentially communicate through that resonance, allowing the space between you to collapse. And since her magic is the 'receiver,' it ensures that the connection is guiding you directly to her position, even across dimensions. It's not just some random shot in the dark."

Naruto grinned, looking down at the ring again, then back up at Levy with a new sense of determination. "Alright, then. I think I've got it. I'll call out, the rings will sync up, and I'll jump right to her. Just need to focus on the 'vibration' part."

"Exactly," Levy confirmed. She then paused, eyes softening and looking down with worry. "However… this is all just in theory. I don't know if it will actually work. The hypothesis checks out, but that's a lot different to real world application."

Naruto offered her a comforting grin. "I'll make sure it works. I've got no other choice. This is all I've got to go on and you just threw me a lifeline with these rings. I cannot thank you enough!"

Levy smiled, a mix of pride and concern in her expression. "I believe you, Naruto. But be careful. Just because you can 'jump' doesn't mean the distance won't be tricky. Make sure you focus on that resonance; that vibration, when you reach out. Make sure it's buzzing as fast as possible. The sharper the buzz, the closer you'll land to Mirajane."

Naruto gave her a nod, his confidence unshaken. "Don't worry, I've got it covered. Am I able to test this out with her now?"

Levy chewed her lip. "I suppose you can. I didn't have anyone to try it with other than myself in the final stages so you might as well go check and see if all my work paid off." She then looked off to the side as an idea hit her. "It might be worth calling on Gamageta again and just get him to walk you through things from his understanding of it. He will be able to explain how to turn it on too, since I have no understanding of how chakra works."

She suddenly squeaked in surprise as Naruto snatched her up in a big hug, twirling the girl around. "Oh Levy you're the best! Thank you so very much!"

Dropping the dizzy girl to her feet, Naruto abruptly shot into the air and disappeared out of sight.

XxXxXxX

Following Mirajane's energy signal, Naruto tracked her to a small camp set up in a clearing. A large tent housed a few beds for injured mages, and a pergola nearby served as a makeshift kitchen where food was being prepared. At the front of the camp, a log jutted from the ground, bearing the Fairy Tail emblem and a sign reading Supervisor Base.

Swooping down to alight just outside camp grounds, Naruto called out as he ran into the pergola, "Mira-chan! Mira-chan! I got a surprise!"

"Oh, Naruto! Good to see you're here! Who did you get to test?" Erza's voice called back instead, the vibrant redhead manning the stove as she tied an apron on. A pot of vegetables was slowly beginning to boil before her, steam wafting up into her face.

Coming to a stop, Naruto also spotted Lisanna and Juvia sat at a table opposite Mirajane, each looking a bit disheartened. Naruto could only guess they were unfortunate enough to have been knocked out during the first round and decided to keep quiet about it. "I got Levy and Gajeel. They passed with flying colours. You?"

Erza pointed at the two aforementioned girls and Naruto wished he'd just kept his mouth shut. "Ah, I had the honour of testing these two fine mages! Our battle was of legendary proportions, yet alas they weren't quite able to make it past my defences!" She raised a challenging arm towards the morose pair and flexed at them. "Nevertheless, they shall try again next year and I have no doubt their efforts will be rewarded! Let's here it girls, cheer for your hard work!"

"Yaaay…" the deeply underwhelming response did nothing to dampen Erza's enthusiasm as she returned to stirring her pot, humming what sounded suspiciously like a victory march.

Mirajane shot the girls a sympathetic glance before getting back to sticking a plaster to her cheek over a nasty looking bruise. She winced as she covered it before shooting Naruto an apologetic smile. "Ah, sorry about this. You might not want to kiss me for a few days until this goes down."

"K-k-k-k-k-k-kiss?"

Naruto ignored the neon red Juvia as he made his way over to Mirajane and sat down beside her. Taking a closer look at the damage, he just grinned and flicked her nose. "You'll be fine, a little mark like that isn't enough to mess up that beautiful face of yours. You remain fully kissable."

Pouting slightly, she rubbed her nose and sighed. "You know, when your girlfriend gets hurt, you could at least pretend to care more."

"Ah, right." Naruto's gaze flickered toward Juvia, an idea forming. Smirking, he leaned in. "What do you want me to do? Kiss it better?"

Mirajane nodded sharply and tilted her cheek toward him. Without hesitation, Naruto pressed a gentle kiss to the bruise. The thump of Juvia's head hitting the table was just what Naruto had hoped to achieve. 'She's so innocent. Poor Gray,' he thought as he rubbed Mirajane's head.

The girl giggled and pushed into his hand. "That's more like it! Now what was this surprise you mentioned?"

Grinning, Naruto reached into his pocket and pulled out the little box. "Levy thinks she has worked out how to get me back here!"

He opened it up to reveal the two rings. Mira's eyes twinkled as Naruto offered the box to her. Taking it, she pulled one out and admired it in the light. "Kind of like wedding rings, no?"

Lighting up just as red as Juvia, Naruto found all the air sucked out of his lungs and he struggled to form any words. He vaguely noticed both Lisanna and Erza gawking at them, eyes as big as saucers. The devious girl wrinkled her nose and giggled at the reactions, clearly having planned that one.

Finding himself needing to fan his face, Naruto turned his eyes away from the smug girl and did his best to hide the steam swirling from the top of his head. "W-well, I *ahem* I s-suppose they do… a little…"

Slipping one on her finger, Mirajane turned her hand over as she examined it. "So how does it work?"

Taking a moment to regather himself, Naruto tried to repeat what he was told, but suddenly found himself drawing blanks. "Uh… something about the rings resonating… tuning forks… reality folding on itself and… you calling out to me? Oh, and something else about beacons."

Rolling her eyes good-naturedly, the silver headed beauty shrugged. "Sounds like you understood as much about this as I did when she tried explaining the process to me. Not to worry, did she say how to make it work?"

Frowning, Naruto thought back to the conversation. "I think we need to channel energy into the rings to make it work."

"Very good!" Jumping to her feet, Mirajane reached out and pulled Naruto up. "Let's go see if we can figure it out now then!"

Simply allowing himself to be pulled along by the whirlwind of energy, Naruto looked back at the girls under the tent and saw all their wide eyes following them on their way out.

He was also pretty sure he heard Lisanna whisper, "Did they just get engaged?"

XxXxXxX

Finally reaching a clearing a safe distance away, Mirajane let go of Naruto's hand and turned her attention back to her ring. Naruto, meanwhile, planted his hands on his hips and glanced around curiously.

"Why'd you drag me all the way out here? Couldn't we have just tested it back at camp?"

"What if it blew up? Or if you teleported straight into the cooking pot?" Mirajane shook her head, casting a knowing look his way. "Too many things, as well as people, you could run into. Out here, worst case, you hit a tree or kick a rock."

"Not exactly reassuring," Naruto grumbled, though he couldn't argue the logic. Still, as Mirajane handed him his ring, he took it and examined it closely.

The intricate weaving of runes and seals along the inner edge was nothing short of breathtaking. The craftsmanship was so fine, so precise, that it felt less like something drawn by hand and more like it had been etched by the very flow of Levy's magic. Every stroke carried an intentional weight, no line wasted, no curve without purpose. The runes and seals didn't just exist alongside each other, they melted together in seamless harmony, as though one had been born from the other.

The runes, ancient and dense with meaning, spiralled through the seal work like veins of silver through dark stone, their edges curling into the delicate, razor-sharp loops of a master penman. Some of them were entirely enclosed within the seals, like secrets whispered into the ink, while others bled into the formulae, reinforcing them, deepening them. The very structure of the seals themselves seemed elevated, as if whatever Levy had done with the runes had reinforced them to a new level of proficiency.

This wasn't just high-level sealing. It was something more, something new.

He had seen Jiraiya weave masterful arrays and had been forced to study the stroke order and pressure necessary to make a seal hold firm under stress. But this? This was beyond efficiency. It was artistry. It was poetry written in magic and chakra, two separate languages fused into one fluid, elegant script.

Mirajane, for her part, simply thought it looked pretty. But Naruto, who had spent years under Jiraiya's tutelage, seeing firsthand the depth of what was possible with ink, paper, and chakra, recognized this for what it was: an unparalleled level of craftsmanship.

His thoughts were interrupted as Mirajane plopped down beside him, holding out her own ring. "So? Any ideas how we do this?"

Almost unable to tear his eyes from the script on the ring, Naruto pursed his lips. "From what I remember, Levy said you act as the witness while I'm the beacon. That means you just have to push magic into the ring. The actual transportation happens on my end with the seals." He turned the ring in his fingers, thinking. "Since seals activate through chakra, a blood contract, and specific hand seals, I'm guessing this only works one way. You can call me, but you can't come to me."

Pausing, he glanced at her. "Actually, give me a sec. I need to summon someone. Stand back real quick."

Biting his thumb, Naruto ran through a series of hand seals and slammed his palm to the ground. "Kuchiyose no Jutsu (Summoning Technique)!"

A puff of smoke erupted between them. Mirajane coughed lightly and waved it away, revealing a small toad standing before Naruto, arms crossed as he looked up at his summoner.

"You missed this part, but back in the basement, I summoned this little guy to help Levy design these rings," Naruto explained. "She actually suggested I check in with him to figure out how to activate them properly."

Mirajane's eyes sparkled with curiosity as she crouched down beside the toad. She reached out to touch him, only for the toad to lean away with a disgruntled croak. "That's so cool! Can he understand me? Hello, Mr. Froggy!"

Naruto chuckled and shook his head. "Yeah, no, he can't understand you. Also, he's a toad, not a frog. They get a bit grumpy if you mix them up so try remember that." He motioned for her to sit beside him. "I'll need to talk to him and translate for you. It might take a bit, so be patient."

Mirajane hummed in understanding, settling in beside him as Naruto turned to the toad and switched to his native tongue. "Yo, Gamageta! Thanks for coming back! Levy-chan said I needed to chat with you about how to get these rings to work."

The toad gave a slow nod, extending a webbed hand expectantly. Taking the offered ring, Gamageta turned it over in his grasp with almost reverent care, his fingers gliding along the intricate etchings. His wide, unblinking eyes traced the weaving script with something close to awe.

"Boy… do you realize what that girl managed to pull off with this?"

Naruto hesitated before nodding. "To an extent, but I think you understand more."

"Damn right I do," Gamageta croaked, his voice tinged with disbelief. "You don't even begin to comprehend the brilliance of that girl. Hell, I'm not sure she even fully understands it herself."

His hand gestured sharply toward the delicate script. "In just a few hours, she processed everything I told her, tore through every book I had on me about seals, and then, like it was nothing, started weaving an entirely new system that fuses sealing with her runes."

Gamageta ran a hand down his face, still stunned. "She had these strange glasses on, some weird enchanted thing, that let her read at speeds that shouldn't be possible. Apparently five hundred times faster than normal or something extraordinary like that. She flipped through complex seal matrices in seconds, absorbed their structures, and then, like she was just sketching in a damn notebook, started designing original seals on the spot."

The toad shook his head, his disbelief deepening and started ticking things off on his fingers. "By the first hour, she had a grasp of sealing fundamentals on par with Jiraiya-chan, rest his soul. By the second, she was drafting prototype teleportation scripts. By the third, she had figured out how to use her own rune system to amplify the power of your chakra, based entirely on hypotheticals!"

He flopped onto his backside, shaking his head as if still trying to process it. "All I did was feed her information. She absorbed it in a way I've never seen before. And these rings? These rings she created…" He let out a low whistle. "Boy, these are sealing masterpieces. I'd even dare say on par with the Hiraishin no Jutsu (Flying Thunder God Technique)."

Naruto stiffened, his breath catching.

"The only reason the Hiraishin is superior is because the Fourth Hokage could apply it instantly via touch, without needing pre-set anchors," Gamageta admitted. "But in terms of sheer intricacy? In terms of design? And the fact she managed to weave two entirely different languages together? I'll be honest with you… this right here? This might be the superior craft."

His golden eyes locked onto Naruto's, drilling the weight of his words home. "I spoke with Ma and Pa when I got back. They want to meet this girl, whatever it takes. With the right guidance…" His voice dropped, thick with meaning. "She could rewrite sealing as we know it."

Naruto swallowed thickly as the gravity of what Levy had achieved sunk in. "I… wow… I knew she was smart, but not THIS smart…"

Rolling the ring over in his hands a few more times, Gamageta handed the ring back to Naruto and let out a deep sigh as he crossed his arms. "You've stumbled across a genius the likes of which we've only seen once or twice before. You'd do well to learn all that you can from her."

The toad then motioned toward Mirajane, who was biting her lip, practically vibrating with the effort of not interrupting. "Might be an idea to fill her in before she bursts."

Seeing she was almost dying from curiosity, Naruto filled the girl in on what he'd learned. By the end of it, Mira's huge eyes were almost double the size of normal. "Levy did all that? She's incredible, wow!"

Naruto chuckled, "That's what I said. It's incredibly high praise." He studied the ring again, a newfound respect for it now gleaming in his eyes. "I suppose I should find out how we get this thing working then."

Turning back to Gamageta, Naruto got straight into it. "So, how do we actually go about using these things? Levy said she wasn't sure how the chakra side of things worked, even if she was confident in its design. Could you help me with that part?"

Holding a small palm to his cheek, Gamageta tapped the side of his brow in thought. "We spoke on this, though it's all still theory. All we can do is try and see what happens. I will have to let you know of a few things that could go wrong though," cautioned the toad.

"Firstly, energy drain." Gamageta raised a finger. "If you don't do this correctly, you guys could each waste a whole lot of energy and it could exhaust you guys. Secondly," another finger raised, "if you guys don't get the resonance perfect, there's a chance you'll miss jumping to your girlfriend and end up somewhere else. You may not even be in the same dimension."

Naruto gulped at the implication.

"Thirdly," another finger, "if you break focus during the actual teleportation, pieces of you could end up in different places. I don't need to expand on the outcome of that particular scenario."

The boy paled as a few beads of sweat rolled down his forehead. "But, that shouldn't be too likely, right? I mean, that's never happened to any toads before?"

Gamageta shrugged. "Not that's recorded. Being that you're calling us, your focus is pretty locked. However, since you're summoning yourself to another point across dimensions, your focus could waver and that makes the risk jump exponentially." He placed a gentle yet warning hand on Naruto's arm. "If you take your time to get it right, and I stress that part, I'm confident you'll be ok. I was able to take a copy of Levy-chan's notes home with me and review them. They're solid for as much of the script I can understand."

"Is… everything ok?"

Turning an eye to Mirajane, he saw her looking worried again, her big eyes asking if anything was wrong. Chuckling awkwardly, Naruto wiped his brow dry and just grinned. "Yeah! Just Gamageta making sure I know of the risks of attempting this without being fully focused."

An eyebrow raising, Mira asked, "Oh? What sort of risks? Were you planning on telling me?"

"Eh-heh…" Naruto didn't meet her eyes. "Oh, you know, just chakra exhaustion… or missing this dimension… or… dismemberment."

Gasping, Mirajane slapped his arm in shock. "What? How is that possible? Surely we can't try something so risky!"

Catching her hand, Naruto shook his head comfortingly. "No, no, it's not that bad! Well… actually, it is, but only if we lose focus during the technique! So long as we make sure to stay alert, everything should be fine. Right, Gamageta?"

The toad shrugged unhelpfully, not understanding a word just said.

"Ok, ignore him." Naruto moved on. "The long and short of it is if we trust one another, we can do this. I have full confidence in you. Do you have the same confidence in me?"

Mirajane smiled weakly, totally unconvinced. "Uh, yeah, usually I'd say yes, but this seems a bit too insane, even for you."

Naruto grinned. "Good enough for now."

"So, Gama," Naruto looked down at his little friend, "how do we go about activating these things?"

The toad pointed to his finger. "First, put the rings on. Make sure you both wear them on the same hand and finger."

Relaying this back to Mirajane, the girl quirked an eyebrow. "What finger do you want to use?"

Naruto shrugged. "I really don't care. You pick."

Pursing her lips, the girl thought for a moment before a wide smile graced her face. "How about the ring finger on your right hand?"

"Yeah sure, why not." Naruto slipped the ring over it. "Any particular reason?"

The girl batted her eyelids coyly at the teen. "Because that's the finger you put a promise ring on. These rings are your promise to me you'll come back some day."

Blushing furiously, Naruto looked at his hand and nodded hesitantly. Gamageta was smiling smugly at him, the intelligent amphibian interpreting the situation easily, and Naruto felt the urge to thump the toad.

Coughing into a fist, the blond declared louder than necessary, "Ok, finger choice decided. What's the next step?"

Getting back into serious mode, the toad pointed to the pair. "This part is for either of you. The way I understand it, Levy has linked the runes and seals together in such a way that if either of you funnel energy into the rings, the other will vibrate. Give it a try."

Naruto grinned. "Ok, first step seems easy! Let's see!"

Holding his hand out, he pushed a small amount of chakra into the ring and watched Mirajane. After a moment, she gasped and held her ring out. "I feel it buzzing! It's only very faint, but I feel it!"

Seeing her reaction, Gamageta nodded. "Ok good, so she feels something. She now needs to push her own energy or magic or whatever it is into the ring to answer the call."

Getting the directions from Naruto, Mirajane focused and allowed her magic to flow into her ring. Naruto's eyes widened as he felt his own ring begin to vibrate, even as Mirajane exclaimed, "Oh, mine is buzzing harder now!"

"Good, good, keep that up," urged the toad. "From here, you two need to balance the amount of energy you're each sending into the rings. This should act as a link to establish connection once the resonance is reached. Levy did write in an 'alarm' of some sort that lets you know when the balance is reached."

Looking to his girlfriend, Naruto stood up and started backing away. "Might as well give this a crack now. Gamageta says we need to balance the energy output until we feel an alarm of some sort. That means it's ready. You willing to try?"

Nodding hesitantly, Mirajane backed up to the other side of the clearing and held her hand out, the other one tucked up against her chest in worry. "I guess… let's just take this one slow, ok? No mistakes!"

They each began channelling their energy into the rings, raising and lowering the flow, trying to match one another's output.

"More," Naruto called out.

"Less!" Mirajane countered.

Bit by bit, the buzzing intensified until—

ZAP! ""Ouch!""

A sharp sting ran through their fingers.

Naruto winced and shot a look at Gamageta. "I assume that's the alarm?"

The toad shrugged. "I guess so."

Seeing Mirajane wince out of the corner of his eye, Naruto asked, "So what now?"

"Now, you summon yourself I believe." Gamageta replied. "Levy did say something helpful though, she mentioned following the energy link mentally and summoning yourself to that point. I thought over this and I believe following the usual summoning steps should be enough. Your blood will activate the seals in the ring, the hand signs will mould the chakra for the technique, and then the execution will drag you over."

"This time though," the toad reasoned, "instead of placing your hand to the ground, place your hand to your chest. To call something to you, you place your hand to the floor. To call yourself to her, I speculate you'll need to tug the chakra thread through yourself, rather than to one of us toads like usual. Pull yourself down that guideline and if everything goes to plan, you'll end up right beside her."

Taking a deep breath, Naruto looked down at his hand. "Well… here goes nothing. You ready, Mira-chan?"

She clenched her eyes shut and held her hand out. "No, but that's not stopping you."

Chuckling dryly, Naruto conceded the point. "Nothing ventured, nothing gained."

Biting his thumb, he swiped the blood across the ring and felt the buzz intensify. Blurring through the hand seals, Naruto thumped himself on the chest and called out, "Kuchiyose no Jutsu!"

Grasping the thread of energy with his chakra, he felt the technique activate and he suddenly felt like the ground disappeared from under his feet. Crying out in surprise, the weightlessness only lasted a fraction of a second before his feet slammed into the ground, cracking it slightly, his hand wrapped around Mirajane's own.

A triumphant whoop from Gamageta rang out as Naruto blinked up at Mirajane, who stared at their joined hands in shock. "You did it! Naruto, you did it!"

Attempting to steady himself, Naruto's legs wobbled beneath him, exhaustion slamming into his body all at once. He dropped onto his backside with a shaky breath, wiping sweat from his brow. "Heh… that's… that's really relieving, dattebayo. What did it look like?"

The girl shrugged; wide eyes totally baffled by what just happened. "Honestly, I can't even begin to describe it. It was like you collapsed in on yourself? You just… fell into you, and split second later, you sort of just… exploded from yourself? No, that's not right, uh…" Mirajane struggled to find the words to what she just saw. "I think, it was almost like you inflated? From nothingness? And then you landed heavily, like you'd fallen from a height. I didn't even notice you grab my hand, it was just kind of there!"

Letting out a chuckle, Naruto flopped onto his back with a weak cheer. "That sounds awesome. Three cheers for Levy-chan! Banzai!"

Sinking to her knees beside her boyfriend, Mirajane let out a shaky breath of relief, her legs too unsteady to keep her upright after the fear of what could have been. Resting back on her hands, head raised to the sky, she let the emotions run through her before looking back down at Naruto as Gamageta hopped over.

"So what did it feel like for you?" She enquired. "Did you see anything cool on the trip?"

Reaching out to scratch the toad as he arrived, Naruto shook his head from the ground. "Nah, nothing really. It just felt like the earth fell out from under me, like I stepped off a ledge and dropped to the ground. I didn't see or feel anything else."

Croaking inquisitively, Naruto quickly translated what they just said. Nodding thoughtfully, the toad reflected, "That lines up with what I'd expect. If the transition was truly instantaneous, then it should've felt like just a single step. Compressing reality like that means you were practically within arm's reach of the young lass the whole time." He then poked Naruto's nose. "As for why you're so exhausted… did you lose focus for any moment in the technique?"

Naruto pursed his lips and thought back. "Hmmm, if I did, it was only for a second when I felt the ground disappear beneath my feet. It caught me by surprise."

"Fair enough," mused the toad. "You will want to make sure you're ready for that drop next time then. If you're this exhausted from stepping over such a small distance, imagine actually hopping dimensions. There's every chance you'll die from chakra exhaustion." Gamageta stared pointedly at Naruto who had quirked an eyebrow disbelievingly. "Yes, even you are susceptible, Mr. Supposedly-Infinite-Chakra."

"For now though, I must run home and report this to Ma and Pa." Looking between the two humans, the toad gave them a small bow. "They absolutely must hear about this monumental achievement. You should probably go and let Levy-chan know it worked too, I'm sure she's interested to hear the results."

Rolling onto his belly, the blond pushed himself up into a kneel. "You go then, and thanks once more for the advice. We couldn't have done it without you!"

Croaking in agreement, Gamageta gave Mirajane a wave before vanishing in a puff of smoke.

Startled by the sudden bang, Mirajane let out a small squeak before calming her racing heart. Shaking her head in disbelief, she exhaled, "That has got to be one of the wildest thirty minutes of my life. Does this kind of thing happen all the time in your world?"

Pulling himself to his feet, he reached out and helped Mira to hers. "Not all the time, but often enough. You kinda get used to it after a while. Now, mind letting me use you as a walking stick to get back to camp? My legs are still kinda wobbly."

Rolling her eyes, she let Naruto rest a heavy hand on her shoulder as she tucked herself under his armpit and the two walked back to the others.

XxXxXxX

Naruto flopped into one of the chairs in the camp and greedily accepted the bottle of water handed to him. Sucking it down with gusto, he heard Erza and Mirajane animatedly begin to discuss what they'd been up to. Mirajane was particularly excited and seemed to forget her previous hesitation about trialling the 'spell' in favour of the route Naruto now had to return.

He chuckled but didn't say anything, content to let her have her moment.

Erza's eyes progressively got wider and wider as the climax of the tale drew near. Juvia and Lisanna were leaning in as well, ears burning with interest. "… and then he kind of just went *shoop* into himself and then *bloop – pop* back out right in front of me! I don't even know how he grabbed my hand, but he was there, from all the way across the field, all sweaty and happy and successful! Levy cannot be praised enough for what she's done with these rings!"

Holding up her hand proudly, Mirajane puffed up her chest as she displayed her new jewellery to the three ladies, all of them gawking at the ring in disbelief. "Fu, fu, fu, so what do you think of this?"

"So wait, did you and Naruto actually get married while you were out there?"

Water blasted from Naruto's nostrils at Lisanna's comment and Mirajane's face went as red as Erza's hair. "N-n-n-no, that was a joke! This is a promise ring, see the finger? Promise ring!"

Rubbing the tickling water from his nose, Naruto squinted up at his flustered girlfriend. "That totally serves you right for that one."

Eager to change the topic, Mirajane spluttered out, "O-on the topic of the rings, we need to let levy know they worked! She'd be so excited!"

Heaving a sigh of relief as it did indeed distract the girls, Mirajane looked across as Erza spoke. "I know for a fact she will be. As it stands though, she is still in the middle of her S Rank challenge if you had forgotten. Interference of any form is strictly prohibited."

Blinking as the realisation hit her, Mirajane giggled bashfully. "Oh, yeah, that's right. Well, we can wait. No hurry after all!"

"Juvia wonders how much longer the test will be… Juvia is missing Gray." Despite mumbling that last part, Naruto's pretty sure everyone heard the girl.

Chuckling but ignoring the comment, Erza remarked, "Well, it can't be much longer. It's been a while since the Master sent them onto the next part of the test so I dare say we will have the results post-haste."

She then frowned as realisation hit her. "On that, Wendy and Mest seem to be taking their time returning to camp. They were defeated a while back, I wonder whatever became of them."

Lisanna lifted her head, eyes widening. "Oh yeah! Why wouldn't they have come back with Juvia and I? It does seem a bit odd, Mest was always so punctual."

Suddenly her eyes narrowed as she raised a finger to her lips. "Or, was he? I at least get the impression he was. Did he join before or after I went to Edolas?"

Erza laughed. "Oh Lisanna! He joined right around… around… you know…" she then went quiet, eyebrows furrowed as she tried to dig into her memories. "When did he enter?"

She turned to the others. "Do any of you have any remembrance of him?"

Naruto shook his head. "I can't really picture the guy. What's the problem?"

Mirajane frowned and tapped her temple with a finger. "It's strange… I know he's been here for a while… how come I can't think of anything he's done? Or when he joined the guild?" She looked down at Naruto. "Surely you remember him? You remember how you and he had lunch that one time?"

The blond shook his head vehemently. "I have the strangest impression of knowing him, but I can't think of who he is. How do you remember him? This is the first I've ever heard any of you mention him."

The girls all went quiet as the teen looked at them suspiciously. "There's something not right here."

Glancing over, Erza shook her head. "Oh, hardly, Mest is one of the guild's most loyal members! He even went… somewhere, to fight for us…"

Perusing the girls and their varying levels of confusion, Naruto raised the Ram hand sign. "Ladies, just grab something for a moment, I want to try something."

Waiting until they were secured, Naruto welled up a small amount of chakra. "Kai (Release)!"

A wave of energy washed over the girls and they all staggered momentarily. Immediately any impression of knowing who this 'Mest' vanished from Naruto's mind. From the way the mage's eyes sharpened, he guessed they experienced the same thing.

"Naruto!" Erza barked, all business and no nonsense. "What was that technique you just performed?"

"It's a simple disruption technique," the teen explained. "It interrupts any Genjutsu, or Illusionary Techniques, a shinobi might throw over you. Anything from sleep, to hallucinations or anything else, it works by interfering with the chakra holding you or your team; it breaks the illusion's hold on you."

Growling, the fiery redhead ripped of her apron and grabbed Juvia. "Juvia, you're coming with me. Your invulnerability to physical attacks would be useful in this instance. Mirajane, you and Lisanna remain here in case they arrive after we've left. Naruto, recover your energy for now. I doubt anything overly insidious is afoot, however I'd rather you available to back up these two if necessary. Any complaints?"

Even if Juvia looked like she did, they went unvoiced as Erza's stern eyes surveyed the group.

"Good." Nodding once, the redhead spun on her heel and dragged her fellow mage out of the tent. "If you need anything, have Naruto send one of his clones to seek me out. He will be able to follow my energy signal."

As the duo disappeared into the shrubbery, Lisanna growled softly and grunted, "So who is this guy and what's he doing here? I have a right mind to chew his ear off!"

Mirajane humphed in agreement, arms crossed angrily under her bust. "You're not wrong! I have a stern word or two in mind to tell him!"

Naruto certainly had his reservations about whoever this guy was, but he was confident things were currently under control. "Well, if Erza's onto the case, we know it'll be solved before long."

Relaxing back into his chair, he sighed and pulled a magazine over his face. "Wake me up if you need anything. I'm pooped so I'm taking a nap."

XxXxXxX

Naruto's eyes fluttered open, and he let out a long sigh as he took in the all-too-familiar walls of the damp sewer. So much for getting some rest.

A low, impatient rumble echoed from down the tunnel. Sighing again, he trudged toward the Kyuubi's lair.

Meeting the massive fox's gaze, Naruto grouched, "What's going on? I was just about to have a snooze, thank you very much."

Ignoring the complaint, the Kyuubi leaned down, its crimson eyes narrowing. "As expected, you've been paying as much attention as ever. Which is to say, none."

It huffed, irritation flaring in its voice, but there was something else beneath the usual growl. Something that gave Naruto pause.

Uncertainty.

"You'd do well to shut up and listen," the fox continued. "I've sensed something nearby. Something that warrants caution."

Naruto stiffened, his brows drawing together.

"Being confined to this blasted cage dulls my perception, but there's a… void of energy on this island," the Kyuubi rumbled. "I cannot pinpoint its location, only that it has been moving to and fro for some time now."

A growl rumbled from deep in its throat. "The unnaturalness of whatever this is has irked me enough to drag your sorry ass down here just to make sure you tread carefully. The last thing I want is to be sucked into yet another mess I have to bail you out of."

Naruto hesitated. Was the fox just messing with him? Normally, he wouldn't put it past the damn fuzzball. But this… This was the first time the Kyuubi had actively tried to warn him about something. That alone was enough to make him take it seriously.

Taking a slow breath, he nodded. "If… if you say so. I'll try to steer clear of anything void-like."

"Good," came the flat reply. "If you bothered to access your Senjutsu, you'd be able to sense it yourself."

Point made, the Kyuubi turned its head away, dropping onto its massive paws with a grunt. "You are dismissed."

Naruto sucked in his lips, nodding silently. His mind churned with this new information, but something held him back before he left.

"…Hey, Kyuubi."

A single massive eye shifted toward him, half-lidded and disinterested.

Naruto hesitated, then forced out, "Thanks for letting me know."

That same strange look flickered through the Kyuubi's eye again, making Naruto shift uncomfortably under its gaze.

Saying nothing more, he simply shut his eyes and willed himself away.

XxXxXxX

An indeterminate amount of time later, Naruto was jolted awake by his chair getting bumped and the sound of shouting. Snorting as he pulled the magazine off his face, he blinked groggily. "Wha's happenin', Mira-chan? Ya good?"

Before he could fully wake up, several hands clamped down on his wrists and ankles, trying to restrain him.

"What the hell?"

His vision cleared and the sight of the mages who'd surrounded him made his blood run cold. He knew those uniforms. His shock was fleeting, instantly replaced by anger.

"Get OFF ME!"

Chakra surged through his body and the hands holding him might as well have been made of paper. Tearing free, he grabbed the nearest mage in a crushing grip. Power erupted from his feet, rocketing him into the air with his captive in tow. The mage screamed as they broke through the treetops, Naruto's blazing eyes locked onto theirs.

"Where the HELL did you lot come from?"

The mage in question struggled under his grip, the fabric around their neck rapidly cutting off their oxygen supply. They croaked out a reply and Naruto didn't ease up despite the voice being decidedly female. "W-we're h-h-here f-for… for…"

Their body slumped, unconscious.

Naruto cursed his impulsiveness. Scowling, he glanced back down to where he had launched from. A cluster of mages stood below, shouting and pointing up at him. His growl rumbled through his chest.

Grimoire Heart.

The bane of his existence in Earthland. The faction whose master had handed him one of the worst beatings of his life.

Fury burned in his veins as he dropped the unconscious mage straight toward her comrades. "I owe you lot some payback."

The moment they scrambled to catch their falling ally, Naruto was on them.

He landed right in their midst with a heavy thump.

"GET HIM!" one of them shrieked in panic.

But before any of them could react, Naruto was gone.

A violent wind blasted through the group as, one by one, they were struck harder than they had ever been hit before. The teen was moving too fast to track, his righteous fury leaving no mage untouched. Bodies flew left, right, and center as he weaved through them with brutal precision. He made sure of one thing, none of them would be getting back up.

Clearing them out in record time, Naruto's sharp eyes swept over the camp, locking onto Mirajane as she dished out her own brand of punishment. Even untransformed, she was still an S-Class mage and a force to be reckoned with.

The real problem wasn't the quality of Grimoire Heart's mages. Rather, it was their quantity.

Hundreds of them poured from the forest in waves, not to overwhelm but to hinder, throwing themselves recklessly at Mirajane and Lisanna like cannon fodder.

Something wasn't right.

'They're stalling. But for what?'

If it were anyone else, this might've been an issue. For Naruto though, there was no guild in all of Earthland who could challenge him on numbers.

Crossing his fingers, Naruto called out his favorite technique. "Tajū Kage Bunshin no Jutsu (Mass Shadow Clone Technique)!"

In an instant, the battlefield shifted.

It wasn't a fight. It was a massacre.

The sheer volume of clones turned the tide in moments. Grimoire Heart's grunts didn't stand a chance. No matter what they threw at him, his relentless army crushed them under sheer numbers. Worse still, for every clone that popped, five more took its place.

Minutes later, the area was wiped clean.

Naruto strode toward the sisters, his steps calm but cold. They stiffened slightly under his gaze. Noting this, he softened his expression and asked gently, "Either of you hurt?"

Lisanna shook her head, though her voice wavered. "N-no, we're okay. They got the jump on us before we could wake you, though. I'm glad you're all right."

She glanced at the clones warily, clearly wanting to ask but hesitant. Mirajane smoothed a hand over her sister's hair.

"That's Naruto's version of Thought Projection," she whispered. "Pretty effective, yeah?"

Naruto's gaze sharpened as he looked over the scattered bodies. "So, did any of them say what they wanted?"

Mirajane met Lisanna's eyes before shaking her head. "No. They just attacked. We didn't even think to ask."

Before they could dwell on it, a bright red flare exploded overhead.

The sisters froze.

Naruto followed their gaze skyward. "That means what I think it means, doesn't it?"

Lisanna's face darkened. "This is my first time seeing it in person, but… that flare doesn't just signal an enemy attack. It declares a guild war. We have to take our battle stations."

Mirajane frowned. "Fairy Tail will do their best to regroup here. This camp is our emergency meeting point. If we lose this position, our fallback is the beach where we landed. We need to be ready."

Naruto summoned another wave of clones, then turned to the unconscious Grimoire Heart mages littering the ground. "Sounds like we need some space. Let's deal with this first."

He and his clones made short work of the cleanup, hurling bodies out of the camp with careless efficiency. He didn't particularly care how they landed.

By the time he finished, Mirajane and Lisanna had already tidied the tent, securing anything that wasn't absolutely necessary. A table had been moved to the center, a topographical map of Tenrou Island spread across it.

Mirajane's eyes were sharp as she marked locations. "As information trickles in, we'll get a clearer picture of the battlefield. Once we do, we can organize a front against Grimoire Heart." She turned to Naruto. "Can you send clones to gather intel on everyone?"

One nod was all it took for his clones to vanish into the trees.

Mirajane smirked. "Good. Now that we've got that underway, we can—"

Naruto's senses SCREAMED.

With no time to think, he lunged, grabbing both sisters and driving every ounce of chakra into his feet to explode backwards. The moment they cleared the tent, a veritable meteor of thick, black fire slammed into their camp, consuming it in an instant.

In less than a second, the plans, supplies and the very ground beneath them was melted into nothingness as the fire from heaven bore an enormous hole into the ground.

The sisters screamed in panic as Naruto twisted through the storm of debris, dodging shards of rock and splintered wood erupting from the impact zone.

"UGH!"

A massive chunk of stone slammed into his back. Too big to avoid, he took the hit head-on, shielding Mirajane and Lisanna with his body. Pain flared hot and sharp but the Kyuubi was already at work, knitting him back together.

Not fast enough.

His senses shrieked a second warning—too late.

Gritting his teeth, Naruto hurled the sisters away to save them just as a black-flamed fist smashed into his face and nearly tore his jaw off. The world turned upside down.

The force of the blow sent him hurtling through the undergrowth, his body ricocheting off trees and rocks like a ragdoll in a hurricane. The air cracked with each brutal impact, his body breaking, healing, breaking again.

Finally, his flight ended with a bone-jarring crunch against a massive boulder, his impact sending fissures across the stone face.

Blood gushed down his chin as he let out a wet cough. Several loose teeth clattered to the ground, spat out with a growl. "Ohhh… what the hell was that?"

His head swam. A brief, brutal concussion turned his vision into a swirling mess of black vortexes and flashing light. The Kyuubi's chakra surged through him, straining to put the pieces back together as rapidly as possible.

Through a swelling eye, he caught the sight of a burning figure marching toward him with death in every step.

Naruto blinked, his disoriented mind struggling to place the silhouette. "N-Natsu?"

A scalding hot hand seized his throat and hauled him into the air.

Gagging against the pressure, Naruto came face to face with a nightmare.

Scarred.

Bald.

Melted.

Twisted and grotesque.

The man's face was a ruin, beyond recognition, except for one unmistakable feature.

Blood-red eyes, ringed in an outward ripple pattern, drilling into Naruto's soul.

"No," rasped a voice like shredded metal, hoarse and broken beyond repair.

"Zancrow. Die."

XxXxXxX

Omake

Naruto and his guide stepped into the next room, and with all the grace of a sack of rice, the blond immediately flopped to the floor. Leaning back against the wall, he groaned dramatically, "Sooo... when are we getting some food in here? I mean, I'd love to keep going, but I don't want to, y'know, fade away while aiming for this Saint Tier thing. A starving shinobi is a useless shinobi."

He cracked an eye open, ever-hopeful that someone outside the walls would hear his plight and rush to his aid with food in hand.

Instead, his ears were met with the resigned sigh of his amphibious guide. "If you would wait a few moments, I will arrange something for you, Mr. Naruto."

Grinning, Naruto patted his stomach and kicked his legs excitedly like an overgrown child. "Oh, I really hope it's something good! Can you tell me what's on the menu? Oh! Ramen! It's gotta be ramen, yeah? I don't even care what flavor at this point, just make it that noodly, brothy goodness!"

Without another word, the Toad Guide turned on his heel and scurried off—whether to fetch food or simply escape Naruto's boundless energy remained unclear.

XxXxXxX

To Naruto's everlasting pleasure, his plea was answered: RAMEN.

A steaming bowl was placed in front of him, and within seconds, it was empty.

Another was immediately demanded.

And another.

And another.

By the time Naruto let out a satisfied sigh, the shell-shocked kitchen staff had stopped counting. A thoroughly traumatized messenger was carrying the mountain of empty bowls away, staring at Naruto as if he had personally just witnessed an eldritch horror consume a human. In terms of food volume, that wasn't too far from the truth.

Meanwhile, the Toad Guide, now used to these eccentric antics, bowed before the blond. "If that is all, we will proceed to the next test."

Naruto, now revitalized and practically vibrating with energy, hand-sprung to his feet and began stretching his arms above his head. "Sure thing! What do you got for me now?"

The Toad gestured toward a large treadmill in the center of the room. "Speed and endurance."

Naruto blinked at it, then hopped onto the machine with a grin. "So, how long are we talking here? How much time you got?"

The Toad fiddled with the controls. "You will simply run at the fastest speed you can handle for as long as possible."

Naruto smirked, bouncing on his toes. "Oh, you might want to grab a chair, then. We're gonna be here a while."

With that, he cranked the treadmill to its maximum setting.

The machine roared to life, hitting speeds most people would only experience in vehicles. Yet, Naruto merely loped along as if he were out for a casual morning jog.

Ten minutes passed.

Fifteen.

Thirty.

The Toad Guide, initially expecting this to be over after a half hour at best, had pulled out a clipboard to record results. But as time went on, his frown deepened, and he glanced at the speedometer.

—100km/h.—

The Toad's hand trembled slightly. 'I... I should have guessed.'

Meanwhile, Naruto was still talking.

"...and then this one time, Ero-Sennin tried to get me to sign a book deal, can you believe that? He said something about 'untapped market potential,' but I think he just wanted me to write all the boring, non-pervy scenes for him. Anyway, I—hey, you listening?"

The Toad blinked, shaking himself from his existential crisis. "Ahem. Yes. How are you feeling after running this long at the machine's maximum setting?"

Naruto barely glanced down at his legs, which were still moving at breakneck speeds. "Honestly? I'm gaining back more energy than I'm losing at this point. Got anything faster? Otherwise, I might be stuck here all day."

The Toad Guide took one look at the now-smoking treadmill and calmly turned it off before it could combust.

"At this point, I think any further testing is pointless." The Guide wrote something on his clipboard. Naruto peeked over his shoulder, only to see the word 'INFINITE' scribbled under 'Endurance.'

"Awww, that's boring!" Naruto pouted, hopping off the machine like he hadn't just defied human limitations by several magnitudes. "I thought you guys had more in store for me!"

Tucking the clipboard under his arm, the Toad shrugged. "These tests aren't meant to be exciting. They're simply a method to gauge your potential."

He turned toward the exit. "Come. I need to report your results. You will have your answer soon."

Naruto followed with a huff, rubbing the back of his head. "Man, they really should've thrown in a real challenge. Surely you got stronger mages than this on the books."

The Toad chose to ignore him, but inwardly, he was already scratching down the bottom of the page for the Mage Council's report to include one extra note:

"Do not, under any circumstances, engage this human in an eating contest. Or a race. Or, frankly, anything that involves stamina. You will lose."

XxXxXxX

A/N - Well then, I'm pleased to offer you all this next token of my gratitude to all those who continue to read! This chapter was very tricky to get right, with all the space-time talk and hypothetical merging of runes and seals. I really hope I managed to properly explain everything in an easy-to-understand way so that no one gets lost. I know topics like this sometimes is really clearly understood by the author, but the story itself doesn't properly convey the meaning and intention to the reader.

I'd REALLY appreciate it if you could let me know if what I wrote was easy to understand or not. This won't just be nice to hear, it will also help me become a better author, allowing future chapters and fics will be of even higher quality.

Now, I would like to bring everyone's attention to something I recently found. Buried in the depths of the Naruto x FairyTail fandom is a story that I stumbled across that literally broke my mind. By FAR the best crossover I've ever read in this genre (better than mine in my humble opinion) and it will absolutely fill the gap while you wait for another chapter from me. It is called 'A Girl's Mind is a Dangerous Place' by Tsuta-chan. You can find it in my favourite stories. It is an absolutely BRILLIANT Natsu-in-Narutoverse story that is incredibly unique. There's nothing else written to my knowledge that comes close to the originality of this story. To top it off, it's fantastically well written and there's almost 80 chapters for you to dive into!

So please, do yourself a favour and go find this to read. I promise you'll be sucked in just as much as I was when I got started. (This is also part of the reason why I was so late uploading this chapter. I fully got bogged down for over a week reading this thing. Tsuta-chan, I blame you for this.)

Anyway, we're finally into the meaty stuff, so stay tuned for next chapter! It's gonna be a big one!

Lanky Nathan