Chapter 19

The clash of steel rang sharp in the air as Erza Scarlet closed in, her strikes a relentless blur of power and precision. Each calculated swing of her blade forced Naruto on the defensive, his kunai flashing as he narrowly parried her blows. But this wasn't just any spar.

This was terrorism.

A devious mix of swift, underhanded attacks and innuendos so well-timed they should be illegal.

Naruto had expected a fight. He hadn't expected a battle for his sanity.

Erza feinted a downward slash—only to pivot at the last second, her blade scraping dangerously close to his thigh. "Oh my~ You're quick, but can you handle me coming from below?" she purred, her smirk downright evil.

Naruto damn near choked on air. "W-what?!"

His kunai snapped downward, barely deflecting the attack before she twisted around him, her armor glinting in the light. The moment his footing adjusted, Erza dropped to a knee, her hand grazing the hem of her skirt—a deliberate move—before lunging forward in a sudden, vicious stab aimed for his ribs.

"GAH—" Naruto twisted just in time, her blade skimming his jacket. His counter strike was immediate, kunai whistling as he aimed for her exposed flank, but Erza had already disengaged, flipping gracefully backward.

She landed with a sultry tilt of her head, her scarlet hair cascading over one shoulder. "Mm~ That was close," she mused, dragging a finger along the edge of her sword. "You're so good with your hands, Naruto. Really makes a girl wonder~"

Naruto almost dropped his kunai.

"Hell naw."

This wasn't a spar. This was psychological warfare.

He barely had a second to recover before a sheathed blade launched at his blindside—fast, silent, and no doubt intended to disarm him in more ways than one. But Naruto had been burned enough times today to expect her treachery.

His hand snapped up, catching the sword inches from his face. With a grunt, he slammed it into the dirt beside him. "Gah! That's filthy, Erza!" he barked, stepping back as if escaping her aura of menace.

Erza groaned, rolling onto her back dramatically, arms spread out in defeat. "D-damn it… even after all that… still not hooky enough…" she muttered, staring up at the sky in frustration.

Naruto wiped a hand down his face. "You don't need any more of that, you need a restraining order."

Then, in the blink of an eye—

"LET'S GOOOOOOOOOO!"

A wild blur of pink shot toward Naruto, fists crackling with fire. Natsu Dragneel had been waiting for his turn, and patience was never his strong suit. With a battle cry that rattled the trees, he lunged, fire roaring from his limbs as he aimed a flaming punch straight at Naruto's gut.

Naruto dodged, side-stepping effortlessly, his expression unimpressed. "Really? We doing this now?"

But Natsu wasn't one to back down. He kept swinging, each strike more reckless than the last. And yet, Naruto countered every move, anticipating the Dragon Slayer's rhythm before shutting him down completely.

With a sharp twist of his body, Naruto caught Natsu mid-air, flipping him over before pinning him to the ground.

"Alright, that's enough," Naruto muttered, pressing a firm palm against Natsu's chest. A subtle glow emanated from his hand as he began draining the excess magic surging through Natsu's body, forcing him into a temporary cooldown.

Natsu wriggled beneath his grasp, growling in frustration. "Damn it, Naruto! Lemme go, I ain't done yet!"

"You're done," Naruto deadpanned, keeping his grip firm. Then, after a moment, he loosened up just a little, giving Natsu a knowing glance. "Let's finish this properly—back at my usual spot. You know the one."

Natsu blinked, his initial resistance fading as he huffed out a breath. "O-okay," he relented, nodding.

Satisfied, Naruto got off him, rolling his shoulders with a sigh.

But just as he turned around, a presence loomed behind him.

A deep, unsettling hum filled the air.

Squatting just inches from Naruto's manhood was none other than Elfman Strauss. His eyes, sharp as a hawk's, bore into Naruto with a gaze so intense it could pierce through solid steel.

Naruto froze.

Then—

"Do not fear, my dear nephew."

Elfman's voice was a low, almost reverent whisper, his massive hands clasped together as if in silent prayer.

"Soon… you will be free from your restrictions."

Naruto paled. What the hell does that even mean?!

Before he could utter a response, Elfman stood to his full height, cracking his knuckles, a fiery resolve burning in his eyes.

Naruto knew that look. He had seen it many times before.

It was the look of a man who was about to drag him into something insane.

Nope. Not today.

Without a second thought, Naruto bolted out of the guild, dust kicking up behind him as he sprinted like his life depended on it.

Behind him, Elfman extended a dramatic hand, his booming voice shaking the very walls of the hall.

"NARUTO!"

The blonde didn't dare look back. He ran as if he was trying to escape fate itself.

The guild hall erupted into laughter at the ridiculous spectacle, some members wheezing from the sheer absurdity of it all.

Mirajane chuckled softly, shaking her head as she wiped down the counter. The massive wooden doors still rattled from the force of Naruto's hasty exit, leaving a lingering dust cloud in his wake. The sight of the normally unshakable blonde fleeing for his life never failed to amuse her.

She sighed, placing a delicate hand over her lips to stifle another giggle. It really is never boring with him around.

Across the guild, Wendy's face was practically steaming. Her fingers fidgeted as she clutched the hem of her skirt, her mind reeling. "S-So daring…" she whispered, half in admiration, half in pure, flustered disbelief.

Erza's tactics—if they could even be called that—had been bold. Between her shameless honey trap and Elfman's disturbingly cryptic declaration, Wendy wasn't sure which had more impact. One thing was certain—Naruto handled both with more composure than she ever could.

Beside her, Carla, now in her human form, let out a long-suffering sigh. She placed a hand over her face, shaking her head. "Honestly… the lack of shame in this guild is astounding."

Despite her scolding tone, there was a light dusting of pink on Carla's cheeks. Whether it was from embarrassment or repressed laughter was up for debate.

Gray, who had been watching the entire ordeal unfold with mild disinterest, finally snapped out of his trance, rubbing the back of his neck. "Okay, what the hell was that?" He pointed a lazy finger at Erza. "Did you actually try to seduce him mid-fight again?"

Happy, perched on Gray's shoulder, clutched his stomach as he cackled. "Aye, Erza! If only you had a little more purr! Just a little more, and he would've fallen for it—"

WHACK!

A boot to the face sent Happy flying across the guild hall, his tiny body spiraling before he crashed into a nearby table. His wings twitched weakly. "…Owww…"

Lucy, meanwhile, looked both horrified and oddly impressed. "Did… did she really have to try that again?" She turned to Gray, expecting some sort of rational explanation.

Gray just shrugged. "You do realize this is Erza we're talking about, right? And also… Naruto."

Lucy pinched the bridge of her nose. "That was some next-level confidence…" Then, with a growing smirk, she added, "Too bad Naruto's completely immune to that kind of thing."

Erza, still lying flat on her back, twitched. "…Shut up, Lucy…"

Mystogan, standing beside Wendy and Carla, watched the chaos unfold, sweat beading at his temple. His normally unreadable eyes flickered toward Erza, who remained sprawled out in a very unknightly, comically defeated pose. Her armor was slightly askew, her sword still embedded in the ground beside her.

His mustache twitched slightly as he resisted the urge to sigh.

So this is what Naruto does to people…

Once upon a time, Mystogan had been just like Erza—always composed, always serious, forever lurking in the shadows, watching but never fully part of the guild.

Then Naruto happened.

Somehow, the blonde had a way of pulling people out of their shells, dragging them into the insanity of the already insane that was Fairy Tail, making them love every second of it.

And despite himself, Mystogan had become one of those victims.

Now, instead of standing in the distant corners of the guild like some enigmatic phantom, he found himself in the middle of the madness—mingling, interacting, actually enjoying the company of his guildmates.

The faintest of grins tugged at his lips beneath his almost comically grand mustache.

Never a boring day with that idiot.

As the guild's laughter finally began to die down, Erza sat up, rubbing her temples. "Hah… it's official," she muttered, shaking her head. "I hate fighting Naruto."

Mirajane, still smiling behind the bar, hummed in amusement. "You love fighting Naruto," she corrected with a knowing smirk.

Erza grumbled but didn't refute it.

Cana Alberona—who had been watching everything with a half-empty barrel of booze in her arms—let out a long, amused sigh. She took a generous gulp before turning to Elfman, who still stood dramatically, his muscled arms crossed over his chest as he mourned Naruto's flight.

Cana squinted at him. "So…" She took another swig. "What exactly was that about?"

Elfman's eyes gleamed with conviction. "A MAN must be freed from his restrictions, Cana!" He pounded his fist against his chest. "My nephew—from Naruto's balls—is being held back! By artificial limitations! But soon, he will—"

Cana raised a hand. "Yeah, yeah, I get it. Manly speech, whatever." She took another swig before side-eyeing him. "But seriously, Elf. You sounded real creepy back there."

Elfman gasped, looking deeply offended. "Creepy?! That was the purest expression of MANLINESS!"

Cana deadpanned. "You were squatting in front of his junk, whispering about 'restrictions' while making direct eye contact. That's not 'manly'—that's nightmare fuel."

Elfman staggered back as if she had physically struck him.

"No… B-But… my nephew—" he muttered in horror, his world crumbling around him as his vision blurred between common decency and his obsession with Naruto being his future brother-in-law, plus the unborn prodigy he believed resided in Naruto's balls.

Cana smirked, slapping him on the back. "Don't worry, big guy. I'm sure Naruto'll totally forgive you. Eventually."

Mirajane, still giggling behind the bar, simply shook her head.

Magnolia Outskirts - the Forest

A day had passed since the chaotic events at the guild, and Naruto finally had a moment of peace—or so he hoped. Standing at the outskirts of Magnolia, surrounded by towering trees and a lush green expanse, he exhaled deeply. The forest was his sanctuary, a rare escape from the sheer madness of Fairy Tail.

But peace was a fragile thing.

"YO, NARUTO!"

A loud voice shattered the calm, followed by the unmistakable sound of hurried footsteps and flapping wings.

Naruto turned to see Natsu and Happy approaching, the fire dragon slayer waving enthusiastically while the blue Exceed hovered just above him.

"Erza with ya?" Naruto asked, eyes flickering behind Natsu as if expecting the redheaded menace to be lurking in the shadows, ready to pounce.

"Nah, just me and Happy. Want me to fetch 'em?" Natsu offered, cracking his knuckles.

"HELL NAW!" Naruto's hands shot up in alarm, shaking his head like his life depended on it. "Last thing I need is more psychological damage. I just got my sanity back, man."

Happy snickered, his tail swaying mischievously. "So what's the deal, Naruto? You never call anyone from the guild out here. Got something special for Natsu?"

A knowing grin stretched across the blonde's face. "Yep. Just wanted to confirm something."

Natsu perked up instantly, bouncing on the balls of his feet like an eager child. "OH! WHAT IS IT?! SPECIAL TALENT?! SUPER HIDDEN POTENTIAL?! EH?! EH?!"

"Something like that." Naruto's smirk deepened. "But if you wanna know for sure, you gotta beat me first."

Silence.

Happy and Natsu both gawked at him, eyes wide in disbelief. Sure, Natsu loved a good fight, but Naruto had never directly challenged anyone like this. The blonde was usually the one dodging nonsense—not dishing it out.

Natsu's initial shock melted into a sharp, toothy grin, his competitive fire kicking in. "Heh… fine then. I'm really gonna break my leg this time."

"Aye, break a leg, Natsu!" Happy chirped.

"Oi—" Natsu shot him a glare before cracking his knuckles.

Naruto rolled his shoulders, stretching his arms as he prepared himself.

"This time, I'm gonna suck you really, really bad, but even after that, I want you to keep hitting me."

Pause.

The world stopped.

The wind, the birds, even the trees seemed to hesitate, as if questioning whether they really just heard what they thought they did.

Natsu jerked back. "D-DID YOU JUST—?"

Happy's ears twitched before he exploded into cackles. "Aye, Naruto! Looks like Mira and Erza are rubbing off on you~"

Realization.

Naruto turned pale, eyes widening in sheer horror as the weight of his words hit him like a tidal wave. "NOOOOOOO! THAT CAN'T BE!" He dropped to his knees, clutching his head in despair. "I'M GETTING… INFECTED! NOOOOOOO!"

Natsu, however, didn't hesitate. He reared his fist back, flames erupting in his palm as his grin turned feral.

"OPEN WIDE!"

Natsu came at him like a runaway freight train—wild, unrelenting, and with no brakes in sight. Any rational thought had long since abandoned the dragon slayer's mind; there was no more strategy, no hesitation, just pure instinctual combat. Naruto could see it in the way he moved—fluid yet aggressive, precise yet unpredictable. But something was off.

Naruto's sharp eyes caught the shift in Natsu's fighting style. Unlike their previous battles, where the fire dragon slayer would unleash explosive, large-scale attacks without care for collateral damage, this time was different. Natsu wasn't using his usual wide, sweeping flame techniques; he was fighting tighter, closer, using small bursts of fire in controlled, deliberate strikes. His flames were compact—like Wendy's wind, refined and concentrated—but still carried the raw ferocity of a dragon's wrath. It wasn't just wild swinging anymore; he was thinking without thinking, acting without overcomplicating.

The fight stretched on longer than before, a testament to Natsu's growth. He was adapting. Learning. His body and instincts were piecing together the puzzle that was Naruto's infuriating drain ability. Even though every blow he landed resulted in a piece of his strength being siphoned away, he refused to back down.

Again and again, Natsu pushed forward, absorbing punishment that would've made lesser men crumble. Happy, watching from the sidelines, couldn't mask his concern anymore. His tail twitched, his ears flattened, his usual lightheartedness vanishing as he watched his best friend slowly but surely burn out. Naruto could tell too. The fire dragon slayer's once-bright eyes were dimming, his breathing was ragged, and his body moved on sheer will alone.

But Natsu wasn't done.

With one final roar—silent but deafening in its intensity—he lunged. His fist, shaky but unwavering, crashed toward Naruto with everything he had left. A desperate, last-ditch punch from a man who refused to fall.

Naruto caught it.

His palm enclosed around Natsu's fist, and immediately, the drain kicked in. But there was nothing left to take. Natsu's body was empty, completely wrung dry of all his magic. It was like trying to draw water from a dried-up well—nothing but fumes and willpower holding him upright. And yet, for just a fraction of a second, Naruto felt it.

A sting.

A faint burn where Natsu's fist made contact.

Naruto barely flinched, but his mind did.

He looked down at his hand, expecting the usual magical singe from a dragon slayer's flames, but this was different.

It wasn't magic.

Naruto carefully laid the unconscious dragon slayer on the soft grass, ensuring he didn't just collapse into a heap. Happy fluttered over instantly, his ears twitching with concern as he hovered close to Natsu's face, checking for any signs of movement.

Naruto, however, was focused. His Sage Mode was constantly active, allowing him to scan Natsu's body with heightened perception. At first glance, everything seemed normal—Natsu's life force was stable, his magic reserves were depleted but intact. In every way that mattered, he was just like any other mage Naruto had encountered in this world.

But Naruto knew that wasn't true.

He had felt something earlier—something beyond Natsu's dragon slayer magic. So he sharpened his focus, stretching his senses to their absolute limit, pushing his perception past the physical and into the unseen. His hand rested on Natsu's stomach, the core of his being, where his ethernano reserves resided.

And there it was.

First, Naruto detected a seal. Ancient, intricate, woven so deeply into Natsu's existence that it was practically fused with his very essence. It was undoubtedly tied to his dragon slayer magic, likely the reason he could wield such devastating flames. But then—there was another one.

Foreign.

This seal was unlike anything Naruto had ever encountered. It was otherworldly, unnatural. Not vile in the sense of evil, but something about it felt fundamentally wrong. It wasn't meant to coexist with life—it was malicious by design.

Naruto frowned. This wasn't something he could analyze with just his Sage Mode. If he wanted answers, he'd have to push further, even if it meant shaving away at the power he had so painstakingly built up over months.

With a deep breath, he made his decision.

Faux Baryon Mode—The Aokugan.

The moment his enhanced perception activated, the world around him sharpened. What had once been cloaked in mystery was now crystal clear—every thread of magic, every stitch of energy woven into Natsu's being, laid bare before him.

And it confirmed his suspicions.

The first seal was indeed draconic in nature—an ancient magic woven so tightly around Natsu's being that it was indistinguishable from his own life force. But the second one—the curse—Naruto would have examined it first if not for the fact that there was something inside the dragon seal.

His instincts told him to look there first.

So he did.

The moment Naruto peered into the dragon seal, the world around him shifted.

In an instant, the grassy field of Magnolia's outskirts vanished, replaced by a scorching, molten domain. Rivers of lava bubbled and frothed, the air thick with the scent of brimstone and fire.

And then—

"What do you think you're doing here, boy?"

A deep, rumbling growl echoed through the realm, reverberating through Naruto's very bones.

His breath hitched as his eyes snapped toward the source of the voice.

A massive silhouette loomed over him, scales like hardened obsidian gleaming against the searing glow of molten rock. Twin burning eyes locked onto him, filled with ancient knowledge and raw power.

Naruto took an instinctive step back.

"A d-dragon…" he breathed, his voice barely above a whisper.

"You DARE peer into what was meant to remain hidden?! You tamper with forces beyond your understanding!"

The dragon's voice thundered through the molten domain, each word carrying the weight of something ancient, something furious.

"I—I only came here to see… to understand Natsu's power… his true power!" Naruto shot back, steeling himself against the overwhelming pressure. "First off—who are you?! And what the hell are you doing inside Natsu?!"

The massive beast loomed over him, those piercing, fire-lit eyes scrutinizing the blonde. His large, clawed fingers tapped against the molten rock beneath him, each movement deliberate, measured.

He was watching.

Studying.

Then, finally, he spoke.

"You are making a HUGE mistake, boy!"

"Yeah, yeah, I get it! But how about this—you introduce yourself first, then explain what this 'mistake' is! I don't exactly have all day here, y'know!" Naruto barked back, crossing his arms in defiance.

The dragon stilled.

Then he laughed.

A deep, guttural sound that rolled through the cavernous inferno like an earthquake.

"GUHAHAHAHA! Such fearlessness… very well…" The dragon's wings stretched wide, sending a shockwave of scorching air that forced Naruto to brace himself against the sheer force of it. Lava churned and cracked under the pressure, the ground itself trembling at the display.

"I am… THE FIRE DRAGON KING—IGNEEL!"

His voice was filled with pride, the sheer authority of his declaration reverberating through the very fabric of the space around them.

Naruto grinned, undeterred. "Naruto Uzumaki! Nice to meet ya!"

That made the dragon huff in amusement.

"Alright, now that we've got introductions out of the way—explain this whole damn ordeal! What are you doing inside Natsu? And what's the deal with this curse I sensed in him?!"

The dragon hummed, a deep, rumbling sound that reverberated through the molten domain, as if lost in thought.

"It is a legacy… a will of a man whose fate became intertwined with his."

"A will?" Naruto echoed, brow furrowing.

"Indeed. Tell me, boy… do you know the name Zeref?"

The dragon's massive fingers tapped against the molten ground, each impact sending tiny embers into the air.

"Zeref?" Naruto tilted his head. He wasn't entirely unfamiliar with the name—he had heard whispers of it during some of his missions, usually in relation to small-time dark guilds. But beyond that…

"N-not much. Just his name."

Igneel let out a long, heavy sigh.

"Hmmm… if that is all you know… then this will take quite a bit of your time, boy."

Naruto exhaled sharply before plopping down onto the searing rock, his weight sinking into its unnatural warmth.

He could already feel the price this was going to cost him. A silent farewell to his hard-earned resources.

"I-I've got all the time in the world…" he muttered, already sweating.

Igneel gave an approving nod before his voice rumbled through the cavern once more.

"Very well. Then listen closely… for this is a tale that stretches back 400 years."

"A tragic tale of a scholar who lost his family to dragons."

"The tragic tale of the Dark Wizard—Zeref."

Chapter End