He was born beneath a sky unburdened by war, cradled in the hands of two of the greatest shinobi the Hidden Leaf had ever known. Menma Uzumaki—the prodigal son of Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki—was a child of privilege, a genius among geniuses. Where others clawed their way toward greatness, he walked a path paved with destiny. By the time he was sixteen, he had eclipsed even his father, standing at the peak of Konoha's golden age.
Yet, for all his power, for all his brilliance, he was still just a boy who wanted to protect the people he loved.
He grew up with everything, however he too came to understand its weight from his friends' eyes. What it means to lose something important to them.
The hole it brings.
He was born with everything and because of that he fears losing them more than his life.
The world, however, was never kind to such wishes.
The Akatsuki moved in the shadows, their eyes set on the final remaining Jinchūriki. He would not let them come for his mother. He would not let the burden of the Kyūbi torment her. So he asked Minato to do what no father should ever have to—transfer the beast into his own son. And Minato, torn between duty and love, agreed.
With the Kyūbi's power raging within him, Menma did not falter. He led Konoha into an era of dominance, forcing the Akatsuki's hand. The war that followed—the Fourth Great Shinobi War—was unlike any before it. An alliance was forged among the five nations, and under Menma's command, they waged battle against the Akatsuki's ambitions. Victory was swift. The world stood united. Peace was finally in their grasp.
But peace is fleeting.
At the war's end, an omen took shape before him. A being beyond human comprehension—Kaguya Ōtsutsuki—descended upon the battlefield. It should have been impossible. He should have fallen that day, just as so many had before him. But Menma was a once-in-a-millennium anomaly. A prodigy even the gods could not anticipate.
So he did the unthinkable. He sealed her within himself.
It was his first mistake.
It would not be his last.
Years passed under Minato's reign as Hokage, but the peace Menma had secured was constantly shattered by shadows that stretched beyond the stars. More came—Toneri, Momoshiki, Kinshiki, Urashiki, Isshiki—each one fell before him.
All housed within his unique seal that defies logic, woven to protect everything but himself.
With every victory, his power grew. With every conquest, his body changed. His palm bore the weight of six Karma seals, layered atop one another in a spiral of cosmic rot. The more he devoured, the less of himself remained. The human within him—Menma Uzumaki, the son, the shinobi, the boy who once dreamed of peace—was fading, drowning beneath the divine.
And then, the worst of it.
His body had reached its limit.
No matter how strong he was, no matter how brilliant, he was still bound by flesh, by mortality. His cells rebelled against him, unable to contain the unfathomable chakra he had absorbed. He could feel it—the slow erosion of his existence, the unraveling of his very being.
He could not allow it.
Not here.
Not in his home.
Not before his father's eyes.
Not where his mother would have to watch him become the monster he had fought so hard to destroy.
And so, Menma Uzumaki ceased to be.
He left without a word, exiling himself to the abyss, a place where neither gods nor men could follow. He cast himself into the unknown, surrendering to the void, hoping—praying—that space itself would erase him.
Using Shinjutsu.
But fate was cruel.
He did not die.
He awoke somewhere else—changed.
The man who opened his eyes was no longer Menma.
He was Kushiki.
Kushiki Ōtsutsuki—the harbinger of his own destruction. A being cursed to wander beyond the stars, seeking the one thing the gods could never grant him: an end.
As if fate itself conspired, his self-destructive desire set events into motion.
Was it his will, his Shinjutsu, or a mere coincidence?
A man had arrived—one who bore an ironic fate.
He who bore a paradoxical fate of defying fate.
In the end, Menma failed in his endeavors.
And if he could not erase himself—
Then perhaps the star of change would.
Mystogan walked through the shadows of Magnolia, the worn edges of his cloak whispering against the wind. His gaze drifted skyward, searching—waiting. Anima. The phenomenon that threatened to swallow this town, this world. He had spent years preparing for its emergence, ready to fight against the unseen pull that would strip Earthland of its very magic.
But something had changed.
He could no longer feel it.
As if the fabric of existence itself had hesitated, as if Edolas—his home, his forsaken mirror world—had frozen in time.
It unnerved him.
Magic was not meant to stagnate.
The balance between worlds was fragile, held together by forces beyond even his understanding. And yet, the pulse of Anima—the silent war between Earthland and Edolas—had stilled. Like the breath before a storm that never came.
Something has changed.
And Mystogan, despite all his knowledge, could not grasp what.
Elsewhere, beyond the veil of a world—buried in the silent embrace of a celestial tomb—he waited.
Encased within a crystalline mass, a pale-skinned figure slumbered in eerie stillness. The weight of entire stars pressed upon his prison, layers of translucent mineral gleaming in the abyss. Time did not touch him. It could not.
His form, though foreign to this world, was unmistakably human—almost. His flesh bore an unnatural, ivory pallor, as if drained of all mortal warmth. Yet, even in his endless sleep, the strands of his red hair remained vivid, untouched by the void. A remnant of the past. A whisper of the life he had forsaken.
He did not dream. He did not think.
He only prayed.
For the end.
Of death.
But for someone to bring him peace.
For the one with the eyes that defies fate.
In which at the time he didn't know.
That the person who'd steer his fate was none other than him.
His other self from another world,
The ninja that will bring great change in the ninja world.
Naruto Uzumaki.
Chapter 11
"GAH!"
A man clad in black robes let out a guttural gasp, his body convulsing as Natsu Dragneel's flaming fist buried itself deep into his gut. The sheer force sent him hurtling backward, his form crashing through the air before slamming into a stone wall with a resounding crack. His body crumpled to the ground, unconscious, as small shards of rubble rained down around him. Smoke curled from the scorch mark on his abdomen, proof of the power behind the attack. Standing in the aftermath, his fist still smoldering, was none other than the Fire Dragon Slayer himself—Natsu Dragneel, the Salamander of Fairy Tail.
"Natsu! What the hell?! We were supposed to be discreet!" Naruto shouted, his voice carrying over the sudden silence that followed Natsu's explosive entrance. His body moved instinctively, his feet barely touching the walls as he scaled the interior of the building with effortless speed. High above, a hostage—a young child, no older than six—quivered in fear, gripped tightly by a black-robed figure. The man's grip tightened as he eyed Naruto warily, sensing the overwhelming presence of the blond intruder.
Without hesitation, Naruto became an orange blur, his form vanishing as an afterimage trailed behind him. In the blink of an eye, he appeared behind the kidnapper. The dark mage barely had time to react before he felt a paralyzing force crush into his spine. Naruto's strike sent him flying across the room, slamming into the ground with bone-jarring impact. The child, freed from his grasp, fell—only to be caught in Naruto's arms a split second later.
The remaining members of the dark guild, Scarmeleon, stiffened. Their insignias—an emblem of a chameleon with a scar near its eye—glowed faintly under the dim lighting. Murmurs of fear spread among them as their gazes locked onto the orange-streaked warrior.
"D-Draining presence… Eyes reminiscent of a goat… The orange streaks left behind every time he moves..." one of them stammered, his face draining of color. "There's no doubt about it—that's Cait Shelter's Orange Leech!"
A smirk tugged at Natsu's lips, his fists igniting once more. "Well, guess the cat's out of the bag." Flames crackled hungrily around his hands, the air around him distorting from the heat.
Naruto exhaled sharply, dragging a hand down his face in exasperation. Damn it, Natsu.
He had spent the last hour meticulously scouting the entire building, mapping out the dark guild's numbers, positioning, and potential threats. Their client had explicitly warned them—stealth was crucial. If the enemy was alerted too soon, there was a high risk that they would trigger the ritual prematurely, endangering countless innocent lives. Now, thanks to Natsu's impatience, chaos had already begun to unfold as civilians screamed and scattered, panicked by the sudden battle.
"Gah, just make it quick before they call for backup!" Naruto barked, his body already in motion as he blurred past a group of mages. His precision was terrifying—each strike landed with pinpoint accuracy, rendering his targets unconscious before they could so much as lift a finger.
Their mission was an urgent S-Class Quest assigned under Erza's lead. The city of Fortenna was the epicenter of a large-scale dark magic ritual, one that spanned five separate vantage points. If left unchecked, the spell would consume hundreds of thousands of lives. Each team was tasked with infiltrating and neutralizing a designated sector. Gray handled the northern vantage point, Erza took the west, Lucy and Loke covered the east, and Wendy, alongside Carla, secured the south. Meanwhile, Naruto and Natsu were assigned to the southwest—a sector particularly dense with hostages, which made it even more crucial to remain undetected.
But that plan had just gone up in flames—literally.
In response to Natsu's open attack, waves of Scarmeleon guild members surged forward, weapons and spells at the ready. However, their confidence shattered the moment Naruto reappeared in their midst, bodies dropping left and right before they could even register his presence. His strikes were merciless yet calculated, ensuring maximum efficiency without excessive harm.
Natsu, on the other hand, was far less reserved. A savage grin split his face as he plowed through enemy ranks with unrelenting aggression. Fists wreathed in fire, he sent opponents flying with each devastating blow, their screams drowned out by the roar of his flames. He was a walking inferno, an unstoppable force drawing all attention onto himself.
And that was exactly what Naruto needed.
While Natsu acted as the perfect distraction, Naruto maneuvered in the shadows, swiftly eliminating enemies before they could alert reinforcements. The balance between brute force and precision proved devastating to their foes. One by one, Scarmeleon's forces fell, their bodies either bound or left unconscious in their wake.
Within minutes, the battle was over.
The surviving hostages huddled together, whispering in hushed relief as they watched the unconscious forms of their captors being secured by the local garrison. Several knights moved to contain the remaining members of Scarmeleon, ensuring none would escape to report back to their comrades.
Naruto let out a deep breath, straightening his posture. "Well, that was a mess."
"Yeah," Natsu chuckled, cracking his knuckles. "But it was fun, though."
Naruto shot him a glare, but before he could say anything, a familiar voice crackled through the communication lacrima.
"Report. What's the status of your sector?" Erza's commanding tone rang through, her voice sharp and urgent.
Naruto sighed, rubbing his temples. "Southwestern vantage point secured. No casualties. But... we might have blown our cover."
A heavy silence followed.
"Might?" Erza's voice darkened, the sheer weight of her authority sending a shiver down Naruto's spine.
"…It was Natsu."
A beat passed before Erza responded.
"Natsu, prepare yourself."
Natsu paled, sweat instantly forming on his brow. "…Uh-oh."
The call did not end.
Erza's voice crackled over the commlink: her sector was secured—Wendy, Carla, and Gray had all taken out their targets—except for Lucy, whose frantic transmission had cut off mid-sentence.
"Hyieeee—"
At that moment, Naruto's expression darkened. Natsu shifted his stance, and without another word, Naruto only managed to call out Lucy's name before they bolted.
Lucy was meant to cover the east vantage point, with her loyal spirit Loke by her side. Instead, her panicked voice had echoed through the channel, sending waves of worry through the group. When they reached her sector, the sight that greeted them was surreal—a throng of Fortenna's civilians, once timid and fearful, now parading Lucy like a heroine. Children and adults alike tossed her high into the air, their cheers ringing out in exultant unison.
"Our Hero!"
"Goddess!"
The marketplace—usually a bustling haven of haggling barkers and colorful stalls—had transformed into a spontaneous celebration of Lucy's valor. Amid the jubilant chaos, Loke's voice cut through as he recounted the day's events to Erza, Naruto, Wendy, Carla, Natsu, Happy, and Gray. He explained that while he had been holding off the dark guild's muscle, Lucy had focused on rescuing innocents and dismantling the pillar essential for their sinister spell.
With all five pillars of the dark guild's spell now reduced to rubble by Fairy Tail's relentless assault, their adversaries had lost the means to sustain their unholy ritual. In the outskirts of Fortenna, Fairy Tail forces had systematically hunted down the remaining members. The final act was a merciless annihilation—leaving the master of Scarmeleon bound, his head a patchwork of bumps and bruises.
Fortenna itself, a commercial hub famed for its vibrant market and diverse clientele, now stood as a testament to the guild's intervention. Their client—a high-ranking general from the local garrison—had been relentless in exposing the dark guild's misdeeds. Thanks to Fairy Tail's swift actions, a lavish feast was arranged, and a hefty reward promised to those who had risked their lives to halt the catastrophic spell.
As the celebrations began to ripple through the streets, Naruto stood apart for a moment, surveying the scene with a mix of relief and resolve. Despite the chaos and the cost, they had succeeded—and now, as whispers of Lucy's newfound status as a hero echoed through the city.
While riding in a creaking carriage toward Magnolia after their Fortenna mission, Naruto's gaze kept drifting to the celestial wizard's hip, where a gleaming celestial key was affixed. The sight tugged at a memory from the night before Cait Shelter's disbandment…
"Naruto?" Lucy's soft voice broke through the murmur of the dark night. Behind her, two small blue figures—twin-like, plush apparitions—hovered silently. They were the spirit, the one that had spied on their mission to subjugate Oración Seis by perfectly mimicking Ichiya's every nuance.
Naruto's eyes narrowed thoughtfully. He'd always had an inkling about why Lucy had approached him that night. The spirit's uncanny imitation wasn't just in appearance; its movements, its aura—even its subtle expressions bore an eerie resemblance to Ichiya. He recalled, with a pang, that this same spirit had once used his mentor Jiraiya's face as a distraction—the very act that had led to his sealing in the Stygian Lacrima.
Easing his presence so as not to startle the celestial wizard, Naruto murmured, "Hm?" in a low, measured tone.
Lucy bowed her head respectfully. "I'm really sorry, Naruto…" she said softly, her voice carrying genuine remorse. "On behalf of Gemini…" she added, gesturing to the blue spirit whose form flickered slightly with an otherworldly glow.
The spirit—Gemini—could only manage a quiet "Piri, piri…" Its limited vocabulary did nothing to mask the sincerity in its tone, a heartfelt apology for having used Jiraiya's face as a decoy.
Naruto smiled faintly, waving a hand in acceptance. "I get it," he replied, his voice gentle. "No harm done."
Curiosity lighting his features, he asked, "So, how exactly do you copy someone so perfectly without even needing to observe their every move?"
Lucy shot a knowing glance at the spirit before speaking. "G-gemini doesn't just copy someone's face. It can pick up on their aura and even their personality—as if it's tapping into their very memories. Every little detail of who they are seems to be etched into what they replicate with their ability."
Naruto's eyes lit up. "So, you mean if Gemini digs into someone's memory, it can recreate them completely? Not just how they look, but how they act, too?"
Lucy nodded, her voice soft with wonder. "Exactly. It's more than mimicry—it's like the spirit is recording their essence and playing it back flawlessly. That's probably how it nailed copying Ichiya so perfectly."
Naruto reached out and gently patted one of the blue twin spirits on its head. "That's really something. Just promise me one thing, Gemini, can you guys keep what you see in my memory our little secret."
The spirit chirped a gentle "Piri, piri…" that Naruto felt was full of understanding and sincerity.
As the carriage rolled past the outskirts of Magnolia, Naruto's gaze drifted over the changing landscape while his mind churned with quiet wonder. He couldn't help but reflect on the enigmatic celestial wizards and the unique magic they wielded—a power reminiscent of summoning jutsu yet imbued with a depth that hinted at secrets of traversing universes.
There was something captivating about the spirits; perhaps they held the key to unlocking hidden dimensions and mastering the art of interdimensional travel.
For now, though, his thoughts shifted to a simpler, more comforting pleasure. He recalled the last bowl of Mirajane's ramen—a dish so masterfully prepared that it could easily rival the legendary recipes of Old Man Teuchi and his daughter Ayame. The memory of that rich, savory broth and perfectly balanced spices warmed him from within, a welcome respite amid the relentless search for deeper truths.
In that moment, as Magnolia's sprawl came into view, Naruto allowed himself a brief, satisfied smile, ready to savor the familiar taste of home even as his mind wandered toward the mysteries of celestial magic.
Fairy Tail, Magnolia - Year X784
Tucked away in a quiet corner of Fairy Tail's massive library, Naruto sat surrounded by towering shelves packed with old books and scrolls. A few years ago, he would've hated being buried in all this reading, but now? After everything he'd been through, he found a weird kind of peace in it. His sharp eyes darted across the pages, soaking up everything about celestial wizards and their unique summoning magic—something that didn't just call forth creatures but tapped into the cosmic forces of the universe itself.
Celestial wizards were different from regular summoners. Instead of calling creatures from their own world, they formed bonds with spiritual beings tied to the stars and the deeper workings of reality. The texts described how their magic wove through the fabric of the universe, opening pathways to other dimensions. Diagrams filled the pages, illustrating rituals where energy flowed like starlight, linking wizards to forces beyond ordinary understanding.
Naruto traced the elegant calligraphy with his fingers, his mind racing with possibilities. If celestial wizards could tap into interdimensional energies, could their techniques help him understand more about crossing worlds? Maybe even help him find a way back? Each new detail only fueled his curiosity, but at the same time, he felt a familiar itch of frustration. If his shadow clone jutsu wasn't restricted by the modified tetragram seal, he could've been plowing through this research at ten times the speed. But for now, he had to rely on his own eyes and memory—annoying, but worth it.
He had plenty of time—after all, he'd already spent months in this world, so what more harm could extra time cause? Turning to another page of his book, Naruto mused that if he wanted an even better perspective on celestial wizards, there was nothing better than to observe them—to actually spend time with their local celestial wizard herself.
Lost in thought, Naruto barely noticed the soft footsteps approaching until a familiar voice snapped him out of it.
"Naruto."
He looked up to see Carla—the ever-graceful white cat—now in her human form, something she had grown so used to that she barely reverted back anymore. In her hand, she held up a piece of paper. Another mission it seemed.
"Wendy and I are heading out for a bit," she said smoothly.
Naruto chuckled. She almost sounded like a kid asking for permission, though he knew better than to say that out loud. He simply waved her off with a grin.
Carla turned on her heel and left, just as graceful as she had entered.
Heading out for their mission Wendy and Carla set out from their guild. Amidst one of the rooftops near the building of Fairy Tail— a man draped in a cloak that concealed his true identity, he remained an enigma amid the urban sprawl.
One of the strongest wizards in Fairy Tail.
Mystogan.
Chapter End