Chapter 16

Days had passed since Cana's initial training with Naruto. As the sun began to rise over Magnolia, painting the sky in hues of soft orange and pink, she could be seen jogging through the dense forest on the town's outskirts. This place had become a familiar training ground—not just for her, but also for Naruto, Wendy, and Carla, who often spent their time here refining their skills.

However, today was different. Wendy and Carla had taken off on a mission with Mystogan, leaving only Naruto and Cana behind. The rustling of leaves and the occasional chirping of birds filled the morning air as Cana's steady breaths accompanied her rhythmic footfalls. Her toned arms pumped in sync with her stride, sweat glistening on her skin as she pushed herself forward.

Leaning casually against a nearby tree with his arms crossed, Naruto observed her progress with his signature fox-like grin. He had promised to accompany her during training, though he hadn't been too vocal about why. Truth be told, he was using this as an excuse to escape Magnolia's local white-haired bartender—Mirajane—who had taken great joy in teasing him the day before.

He shuddered at the memory. Mira had that mischievous glint in her eye when she cornered him at the guild, throwing playful winks and making sly comments about how he and Cana made a "cute pair." If it weren't for the fact that Cana was already deep into her training, Naruto had no doubt Mirajane would've roped her into the teasing as well.

"Damn demon woman…" Naruto muttered under his breath, shaking his head before refocusing on Cana.

Cana, on the other hand, had her mind set on the task at hand. She was determined to improve, and the intensity of her workout showed it. With each stride, she visualized her next goal—becoming stronger, faster, and more skilled in combat. Sweat dripped down her forehead as she pushed herself harder, fully aware of Naruto's watchful gaze.

After a few more laps around the forest clearing, she finally slowed down, placing her hands on her knees and catching her breath. "Hah… I thought… hah… you said you were gonna train with me, not just stand there like some lazy bastard," she huffed, sending a pointed glare at Naruto.

Naruto smirked, walking toward her. "Oi, oi, I am training you. It's called supervision, y'know? Besides, I'm keeping an eye out in case you drop dead from exhaustion."

Cana scoffed, straightening up and rolling her shoulders. "Oh, please. I'm tougher than that. Unlike some people who run away from Mira's flirting."

Naruto twitched. "Oi! That woman is dangerous! You wouldn't get it."

Cana let out a chuckle before stretching her arms above her head. "Yeah, yeah, keep making excuses. Now come on, if you're done standing around, how about you actually spar with me?"

Naruto grinned, cracking his knuckles. "Heh, fine. Just don't complain when you end up face-first in the dirt."

Continuing the spar, Cana braced herself against Naruto's infamous draining presence. Every time their limbs touched, she could feel a tug—a siphoning of her magic that made her muscles burn and her mind fog over. She wasn't a seasoned close-combat fighter by any means, and every exchange with him was a reminder of that fact. Yet, she pushed forward. Perhaps engaging him in the fight would serve a dual purpose: not only would it help distract him from the nagging PTSD triggered by Mira's relentless teasing, but it might also force her to confront her own limits.

Earlier before she started her training session, she had already switched on the training wristband—affectionately (or not so affectionately) dubbed the "training wristband(of hell)." Its function was brutal yet simple: it siphoned her magic with every move, and the more magic it drained, the heavier the gravity that would rebound upon her. Now, as she squared off with Naruto, the wristband was already leeching away her reserves. Every step felt like she was dragging an anchor through quicksand; every strike became an agonizing endeavor as the weight of depleted magic manifested as crushing gravity on her limbs.

She felt herself teetering on the brink of collapse—her body screamed in protest with each contact with Naruto's aura, a reminder that his mere touch could sap the life out of even the most determined fighter. And to make matters worse, Naruto's own unique gimmick—the way his presence amplified the drain—added to her already spent up reserves. It was as if the very air around them was infused with an energy-eating void, one that left her feeling not just tired, but utterly overcooked.

Yet, even as exhaustion and gravity piled upon her, Cana refused to surrender. She gritted her teeth, drawing on every last reserve of her willpower. In that moment, every drip of sweat and every labored breath became proof of her resilience—a fierce determination to rise again, no matter how well-cooked she felt.

Her spar didn't last a second under his relentless pressure, but Naruto appreciated her effort nonetheless. Cana, collapsing onto the soft forest ground with a heavy pant, managed to catch a few more gasps of air. In that brief, exhausted moment, she picked up on something in his tone—a rare sincerity amidst his usual playful bravado. Squinting up at him, she asked, almost incredulously, "About... you being married... was it true?"

Naruto, still catching his breath between slurps of miso ramen remnants and casual glances, gave a lazy nod. "Yeah, it's true. I got married, like, more than a decade ago," he replied, his voice a mix of humor and quiet resignation. Cana's eyes shot wide, as if she'd just heard a ridiculous punchline; the image of the unyielding, fiery Orange Leech as a devoted husband was almost too surreal to process. "No way..." she protested in disbelief, shaking her head, but then she noticed the faint, somber smile tugging at the corners of Naruto's lips. It was subtle but heavy with truth.

In that moment, it all sank in—Naruto was really married. And despite his ageless, almost boyish looks that made him seem more in her age group, along with Erza and Mirajane, his life was far from a carefree adventure. Cana's curiosity only deepened. "Any... kids?" she ventured, her tone a mixture of wonder and caution.

Naruto shifted to sit next to her on the cool stone floor, his eyes softening as he spoke. "Yeah... three of 'em. Two are in their early teens, and the other—she's just hitting her teens," he explained, his voice imbued with a gentle pride that was rarely on display.

"Y-you got a daughter?" Cana pressed further, as if the mere possibility was too fantastic to be true. Naruto nodded slowly. "The youngest, in fact."

Cana's breath hitched. Of all the things she expected to learn today, finding out that Naruto, the laidback ramen-addicted bum, was not only a husband but a father of three? That was beyond the realm of her imagination. She tilted her head, staring at him like he'd just grown another set of arms.

"No shit," she murmured, running a hand through her sweat-drenched hair. "You? A dad? You gotta be messing with me."

Naruto let out a chuckle, scratching the back of his head. "Yeah—" His voice held a nostalgic weight, something deeper than just the usual mirth he carried. "But yeah... it's real."

Cana stared at him, studying the way his eyes softened—not the dumb, goofy softness he put on when teasing, but something real, something old. The kind of look you saw in people who had lived through too much but still held onto the pieces that mattered.

"What's she like?" Cana asked, shifting to rest her forearm on her knee.

Naruto exhaled through his nose, a small grin tugging at his lips. "She's... similar to Wendy. Stubborn like me, but sharper—precise, like her mom. She's got a mean strike too. Nearly took me out once when she got mad."

Cana snorted at the image. "Damn, she sounds fun."

"You'd like her," Naruto admitted, his gaze fixed somewhere in the distance, lost in memory.

Cana fell silent for a moment, letting the words hang between them. It was strange, hearing this side of Naruto—the famed Orange Leech, also a ramen-loving bum. She had always seen him as someone unshakable, a force of nature wrapped in a whirlwind of orange and carefreeness. But this? This was different.

"You miss 'em, don't you?"

Naruto's smile wavered, just for a second. "Every damn day."

"Where… are they?" Cana asked, hesitantly. There was a weight in her voice, heavy with an unspoken expectation—a fear she couldn't quite put into words. She had heard too many stories, seen too many faces twisted by loss. And from the way Naruto spoke, from the distant way his gaze stretched toward the sky, she couldn't shake the feeling that this story, too, carried the same undertones of grief.

Naruto remained silent for a moment, his expression unreadable. Then, in a voice softer than usual, he finally answered. "Somewhere—somewhere I can't reach. A place locked away, cut off from me. And I… I don't even know how to get there."

His fingers curled slightly into the dirt beneath them, frustration lacing his tone despite the calm mask he tried to keep. Cana felt a chill run down her spine. There was something about the way he said it, something deeper than mere distance—something unnatural. It wasn't just that he couldn't reach them physically. He was being kept away.

"They're alive then?" she asked, carefully choosing her words, unwilling to trample over wounds that may still be fresh. She held her breath as she waited for his response.

Naruto exhaled through his nose and gave a small nod. That was all.

Cana let out the breath she hadn't realized she was holding. "Hah… okay. That's good," she muttered, running a hand through her hair. Alive. That was better than the alternative. But something still gnawed at her.

And then, something strange happened.

For a brief moment, it was as if she could feel the weight of his daughter's absence—as if she were slipping into the shoes of a child separated from her father. A girl growing up with nothing but a memory of a man who was supposed to be there. Cana's chest felt tight, her throat dry. She didn't even know the kid, but she could feel the pain, the yearning, the emptiness of being kept apart from someone who was meant to be a constant in her life.

It wasn't fair.

Her fingers clenched against her knee as she stared at Naruto, watching the way his eyes never left the sky, as if searching for something beyond what anyone else could see. A man who had spent his life chasing after people, never letting go—and yet, here he was, unable to reach the ones who mattered most.

Cana took a deep breath, steadying herself before speaking. This wasn't something she talked about often—hell, she rarely even admitted it to herself. But after everything, after how much Naruto had pushed her, fought with her, and trained her, she figured he deserved to know.

She looked down at her hands, her fingers idly tracing the rim of her card deck. "The S-Class Trials… it's not just about getting stronger," she admitted, her voice quieter than usual. "It's about proving something. To myself… and to him."

Naruto listened, he had always known that the trials were a big deal to Fairy Tail mages, but for Cana, this was different. It wasn't just about power or rank—there was something deeply personal about it.

It wasn't just from her multiple attempts.

Her several failures, the need to succeed, the fear of being left behind by her peers.

It ran deep.

She exhaled sharply, a wry smile tugging at her lips. "I need to pass. I need to prove that I belong here. That I'm not just another face in the guild. That I'm—" she hesitated, her fingers clenching around her deck. "That I'm his daughter."

Naruto blinked. He had expected some deep, personal struggle, but this? This was on a whole other level. "Wait. Him?"

Cana looked up, her brown eyes meeting the blonde's. "Gildarts."

For a moment, Naruto was sure he misheard. Gildarts? The strongest member of Fairy Tail? That guy? That guy was Cana's dad?

His shock must have been written all over his face because Cana let out a dry chuckle. "Yeah, I know. Crazy, right? He doesn't even know. Or maybe he does, and he just doesn't care." She shrugged, but Naruto could see through it—see the way her shoulders tensed as if she were bracing herself for rejection even now.

He leaned back, rubbing the back of his neck. "Damn… I mean, I've heard of him, but I haven't met the guy yet. Everyone says he's a monster in a fight."

"He is," Cana muttered, her tone laced with something between admiration and frustration. "And that's the problem. I've spent my whole life in this guild, watching him be this legend, this untouchable force… and I'm just here. Sitting in the background, hoping that maybe if I prove myself, if I become an S-Class mage, he'll finally see me."

Naruto was quiet for a moment, letting her words sink in. He had trained her because he wanted to help, because he saw potential in her—but he hadn't realized it ran this deep. He hadn't realized how much this meant to her, how much she had carried this weight alone.

And then, something in her reminded him of his own son.

Boruto.

The way Cana spoke, the way she tried to play off her emotions, the way she wrestled with the legacy of a larger-than-life father—it was all too familiar. He had seen that same frustration in Boruto's eyes, the same desperation to be acknowledged, to step out of his father's shadow.

Naruto let out a slow breath, his lips curling into a small, understanding smile. "I get it," he said simply.

Cana frowned. "You do?"

Naruto nodded. "More than you know."

Naruto's mind raced, the weight of Cana's determination pressing against his own resolve. Now that he understood the depth of her reasons, he had to step up his game. Training her wasn't just about making her stronger—it was about making sure she had every tool necessary to win. The S-Class Trials were only a few months away, and while he was confident that he could push her above the competition, the reality was that things could always go south. If she hit a wall, she'd need something—an ace up her sleeve—to pull her through.

His sharp eyes flickered down to the training wristband wrapped around her wrist. It was one of his personal creations, designed to drain her magic and then use that very energy to increase the gravity bearing down on her. A brutal yet effective way to condition her body and magic reserves. But what if he could take that same concept… and flip it on its head?

An idea sparked in his mind, the gears turning as a devious grin spread across his face. "What if… I can give you a crutch?" he mused aloud, his tone filled with mischief.

Cana, still catching her breath, lifted her head at him, brow furrowing. "A crutch?" she echoed, unsure whether to be intrigued or insulted.

"Yeah," Naruto continued, crossing his arms as he leaned back slightly. "Your training is already leveling the playing field, but what if you had a fail-safe? Something that could tip the scales when you need it most?" His slitted, goat-like eyes gleamed with excitement, the idea evolving in real time.

Cana straightened up, her curiosity fully piqued. "Alright… what is it, then?"

Naruto's grin widened. "The opposite of your training wristband—a stockpiling wristband. Instead of constantly draining your magic to weigh you down, it would siphon your magic, store it, and then let you unleash it in one go." He gestured with his hands, mimicking an explosion. "A temporary but powerful boost when you need it most."

Cana's breath hitched. A magic storage device? Something that could give her an instant surge of power at the right moment? The possibilities flashed through her mind—how it could turn the tides in the trial, how it could let her go beyond her limits even when she had nothing left.

A slow smirk crept onto her lips. "Now that… sounds interesting."

Fairy Tail, Magnolia - year X784

The doors of the Fairy Tail guild flung open with a loud BANG, the sheer force nearly knocking them off their hinges. The entire hall turned their heads just in time to see a familiar, rowdy pink-haired Dragon Slayer stomp inside, his voice booming with uncontainable energy.

"WE'RE BACK!" Natsu roared, grinning wildly as he strode in, followed closely by his team—Erza, Gray, Lucy, and Happy. The group looked exhausted yet victorious, their clothes slightly tattered from battle, but their spirits as lively as ever.

Before anyone could even properly greet them, Natsu cracked his knuckles, his grin morphing into something downright feral. His sharp, onyx eyes darted around the guild hall, searching for a specific blonde troublemaker. "NOW, WHERE'S NARUTO?! I'M RARING FOR ANOTHER ROUND!" he bellowed, already heating up with anticipation, flames flickering from his fists.

Lucy groaned, palming her face. Of course, the first thing on his mind is fighting…

Gray rolled his eyes, already prepared to strip off his tattered shirt. "Tch, why don't you sit your ass down for two seconds before picking a fight, flame-brain?"

"WHAT'D YOU SAY, ICE BASTARD?!"

Erza, unfazed by their usual antics, scanned the guild hall, her sharp gaze assessing the state of things. Though she wouldn't admit it out loud, she too was curious about Naruto's whereabouts. He had a way of keeping things lively—though mostly at Natsu's expense.

Cana, perched atop the bar with a massive barrel of alcohol resting in her lap, took a swig before lazily glancing at the overhyped Dragon Slayer. She smirked, already expecting this kind of entrance.

"He's on a mission, Natsu," she said, taking another deep drink, the strong liquor burning her throat in the best way possible.

Natsu instantly deflated, his excitement faltering for a split second before he clenched his fists. "DAMMIT! WHY'S HE ALWAYS GONE WHEN I WANNA FIGHT?!"

Happy, fluttering beside him, tilted his head. "Aye! Maybe he's avoiding you?"

The guild hall erupted in laughter, with several members nodding in agreement not from the fact that Naruto was avoiding Naruto but someone else's—Natsu grumbled, crossing his arms, muttering about how he was gonna beat Naruto to a pulp next time.

Cana set down her barrel of booze with a dull thunk, rolling her shoulders before leveling a firm gaze at Mirajane, who was polishing a glass behind the bar, humming innocently. The white-haired beauty had been particularly ruthless with her teasing towards Naruto lately, and while Cana enjoyed some chaos, even she felt that Mira was going overboard.

Taking another swig, Cana exhaled sharply and crossed her arms. "Oi, Mira. Maybe ease up on messing with Naruto?"

Mira blinked, tilting her head with a sweet—yet utterly mischievous—smile. "Oh? Whatever do you mean, Cana~?" she cooed, a glint of mischief sparkling in her sapphire eyes.

Cana narrowed her gaze, not buying the innocent act for a second. "You know damn well what I mean. The poor bastard's already dealing with enough. And you? You're out here hitting him with enough innuendos to make Lucy combust on the spot."

Lucy, who was innocently sipping her juice, immediately choked. "H-Hey! Why am I getting dragged into this?!" she sputtered.

Cana ignored her. "I swear, if Naruto had a weaker mental, he'd have already ascended to the afterlife from all your teasing."

Gray, who had been casually listening in, scoffed. "Wait, wait, wait—you're talking about Naruto? The same Naruto that folded both Erza and Natsu in a serious spar? That Naruto?" His disbelief was almost comical.

Erza, arms crossed, narrowed her eyes in thought, silently processing what Cana was saying. Meanwhile, Natsu bristled at the reminder, slamming his hands on the table.

"Tch! I was so close that time!" he argued, though everyone—including Happy—knew that was a lie.

"Aye, no you weren't," Happy interjected with brutal honesty.

Erza, however, ignored the brewing bickering, her eyes slowly shifting between Cana and Mira, as if scanning for something—no, searching for something.

A weakness.

A potential, lethal weakness.

And suddenly, like a predator catching the scent of fresh prey, her demeanor shifted.

A malicious aura bled from her, an ominous smirk creeping onto her lips. "So…" she muttered, voice laced with a dangerous kind of amusement. "That means Naruto does have a weakness."

The realization hit her like divine intervention. And just like that, her expression twisted into something almost Natsu-like.

"Revenge Match time."

Natsu immediately perked up, mirroring her energy. "OH HELL YEAH! IT'S PAYBACK TIME!"

Mira giggled behind her hand, but Cana could tell she was absolutely fueling the fire. "Fufufu~ My, how scary."

But before Erza could run off to hunt Naruto down, she suddenly slid toward Mirajane, gripping the counter with uncharacteristic hesitation.

"BUT FIRST," Erza declared, her voice straining slightly, "I need some… guidance…"

Her fingers twitched, her face struggling to keep its usual composure.

Mira's grin widened like a Cheshire cat. "Oh my~? Guidance? From me?"

Erza gritted her teeth, as if forcing the words out. "Y-Yes."

The entire guild hall went dead silent.

Gray blinked. "…The hell am I witnessing?"

Lucy's eyes darted between the two women, torn between curiosity and sheer horror.

Natsu just looked confused. "Hah? What kinda guidance? You got a secret technique or something, Mira?"

Mira giggled again, her expression knowing, her voice dripping with playful malice. "Oh, Natsu… you wouldn't understand."

And for the first time, Natsu actually felt afraid.

Later that day…

The lively chatter inside the Fairy Tail guild hall reached a crescendo as Team Erza finished their exaggerated retelling of their latest S-Class mission.

"—AND THEN," Natsu roared, practically leaping onto the table, "OUTTA NOWHERE, THESE DAMN BABOONS STARTED POPPIN' OFF WITH SOME KINDA VOODOO GROOVE! AND WE—"

"—Were completely caught by their rhythm lure," Lucy interjected flatly, arms crossed.

Gray snorted. "And started dancing like a bunch of idiots."

Natsu flinched. "Oi, you didn't have to say it like that—"

"He's right though," Happy chimed in, smirking. "Aye, you and Erza were going HARD. I've never seen anyone Krump with that much pain in their eyes."

"I DIDN'T MEAN TO! IT WAS THE DAMN MAGIC—"

Lucy sighed dramatically, flipping her hair. "Hahh… If I wasn't inside Horologium, I would've been doomed too." She lifted her chin smugly, the only survivor.

"Tch, yeah, yeah, we get it, you got lucky," Gray grumbled.

Lucy beamed. "No no no~ That was pure skill."

"Tch. It was pure hiding, that's what it was," Natsu huffed.

Erza, however, seemed to be lost in thought, her fingers twitching ever so slightly as if recalling the humiliating rhythm she had been forced to dance to.

"...I will have my revenge," she muttered ominously.

But before the conversation could devolve into another screaming match, the heavy wooden doors of the guild swung open with a creak, revealing three figures.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

A silence fell over the guild as all eyes turned toward the new arrivals.

Wendy. Carla.

And—

The elusive enigma himself.

Mystogan?

Or rather—

"JELLAL!"

Natsu, Gray, Lucy, and Happy all snapped into aggressive stances, eyes wide with disbelief.

Mystogan—Jellal—stood there, unmasked, an awkward expression plastered on his face. And worse—

He was wearing a fancy black mustache.

A. Mustache.

Cana choked mid-drink, barely suppressing a snort. She could feel the waves of embarrassment radiating off him. It was like a heat haze, a visible aura of shame.

Erza, however, was quick to raise a hand, stopping her team from lunging at the poor bastard.

Her eyes studied him carefully, memories clicking together.

This wasn't that Jellal.

Not the one who had once deceived and manipulated them. Not the remorseful one they encountered in their battle against Oración Seis.

No, this was Mystogan. The same man she and Natsu briefly glimpsed during the Battle of Fairy Tail, before he had vanished like a shadow once again.

The other Jellal.

Still, that didn't make the mustache any less ridiculous.

Mystogan—Jellal—coughed into his fist, subtly lowering his chin as if hoping the floor would swallow him whole.

He was dying inside.

But Wendy, standing beside him, refused to let go of his hand, gripping it with a firm determination. She was the one who had convinced him to stop hiding his face entirely.

Even if the mustache was… a bit much.

The room remained frozen for a moment, tension thick enough to slice through.

Then—

"PFFFFT—"

The first burst of suppressed laughter came from Cana.

Then, Lucy lost it.

Then Gray.

Then Happy, who was literally rolling on the floor wheezing.

Even Erza, after a few seconds of intense composure, brought a fist to her lips, her body shaking slightly.

Natsu, however, was still locked onto one single fact.

"WHY THE HELL DO YOU HAVE A MUSTACHE?!"

Mystogan sighed. "…Wendy thought it was a good idea."

Wendy, still gripping his hand, puffed her cheeks. "It's stylish!"

Silence.

Then—

Laughter.

Mystogan wanted to die.

"P-please stop calling me Jellal… J-just Mystogan is fine…" he spiraled into dust.

Chapter End