Kitsune

CH 4: S-rank

Naruto" - Person Talking

'Naruto' - Person Thinking

"Naruto" - Summons/Biju/Dragon talking

"Naruto" - Summons/Biju/Dragon thinking

"Shadow Clone Jutsu" - Jutsu/Magic/Technique

(Author's Note)

FLASHBACK NO JUTSU

LINE- October 13th x783

The hot sun blazed over Naruto, and it's heat covered him like a hot blanket. Naruto tugged on his collar and pulled down his straw hat as he tried to ignore the heat. He found it rather unusual that it would still be this hot in early October. It didn't help that he had been walking behind some carriage for hours. Naruto looked up at the carriage, and sighed as he stared at the Junelle Corporation logo.

Naruto felt an intense sensation of anger well up in him. That man…. had figured out his identity with no trouble. It left Naruto babbled but at the same time it didn't surprise him. After all the man was a mage of that craft. The very one that held the truth at the tip of their fingers. There was little Naruto could really do; if he truly wanted to shush things up he would need to slaughter every mage that wielded that magic. Naruto quickly rejected the idea, knowing very well that it was an impossible task to do even for himself. Not to mention unnecessary slaughter was not something he liked doing. Naruto's eyes gazed at his hands, and for a moment he saw a flash of blood stain his hands. The image was only there for a brief second but it burned deep into his skull. Yeah, there was no need for him to kill again. He needed to set an example.

Naruto's eyes gazed to his left, and looked down to his side. His blue haired companion looked worse than him. She had refused to go in the carriage, and ride with their escort. Wendy had explained to Naruto that she too was in charge of protecting Athena, so she would walk behind it like Naruto. Her cheeks were bright red, and she looked like she could really took a break. It didn't help that she was carrying Carla in her hands.

Naruto grinned, and he quickly moved behind her. He scooped her off her feet, and threw her up onto his shoulders. Wendy quickly scrambled her hands on top of Naruto's head, wrapping her hands on top of Naruto's straw hat, she kept herself from sliding off.

"W-what are you doing Naruto?" asked Wendy with a flushed looked on her face from both the head and childish position she was in.

Naruto didn't reply, and instead removed his straw hat. He tossed it perfectly into the air, and as it came down landed right on Wendy's head. The straw hat was a bit big for Wendy, and it quickly slid over her eyes. Carla who had been in Wendy's hands slid out of her grip, and jumped down to the ground. Wendy used the opportunity to adjust the hat. Carla walked by Naruto's side, and begun to lecture Naruto.

"You shouldn't be spoiling Wendy, she needs to learn the hardships of a long walk," said Carla with a yawn as she stretched her arms a bit. Naruto looked down at the little feline, and gave a smirk, "I'm not spoiling anyone. I was just having a little trouble looking ahead, and I was gonna ask Wendy to be my scout."

Wendy's eyes pouted knowing that it was Naruto's excuse to give her a break. While she appreciated it, something inside her kept her from letting Naruto treating her like a child. She hated being looked down for her age, and even more when it came from the people she adored. Wendy's thoughts were interrupted as Naruto and Carla begun to bicker.

"That's a stupid excuse." replied Carla not buying Naruto's obvious lie. Naruto chose to roll his eyes and add, "Well, you could also learn a two or thing from Wendy. Having her carry you for a good 3 miles."

Carla blushed at the remark, and refused to meet Naruto's eye. After all, she refused to explain her unspoken pact with Wendy. The one that started when Carla begun to fly Wendy around for the exchange of Wendy occasionally carrying her around.

"Naruto, please it's not like that. I wanted to carry Carla because she is my friend." replied Wendy as she rode on Naruto's shoulders. Naruto gazed up, and met Wendy's chocolate colored eyes. Naruto didn't say a word as he stared her down. Wendy's gaze….he knew it too well. Every single time Wendy stuck up for Carla, Naruto was just looking into his own reflection. Wendy then spoke out.

"Anyways, I think you should let me down. Carla is right." remarked Wendy as she crossed her arms, and tried to make herself look bigger. Wendy then lifted her head up in a more proper manner, and she announced, "I'm a big girl."

"Then get off, no one is stopping you."

A pause followed after Naruto's statement. They walked further down their path following the carriage, and a smile begun to grow on Naruto's face. Meanwhile, Wendy looked down from below and then back up to the in front of her. Her muscles ached and at the very moment getting off didn't exactly sound fun. Wendy pulled down the straw hat to cover her eyes, as she refused to look at either Naruto or Carla. Carla who had remained quiet looked up at Wendy, and rose an eyebrow.

Naruto's smile had grown even more, and he quickly burst out in laughter. In between laughs, he asked, "Well?...Are-aren't you getting off?"

"I-" exclaimed Wendy as she tried to gain the courage to talk. Embarrassed by having to show weakness she finished, "-It's just I'm really tired, and it feels kind of cool to be up here. I can see everything."

Naruto eyes gazed back at the back of the carriage, and his lips begun to move.

"Having and wanting your own strength is okay, Wendy, but you should also learn that relying on your allies is a strength of its own." spoke Naruto with much wisdom behind his words.

Wendy's embarrassment begun to waver, when Naruto's much more wiser tone arose. She had noticed that whenever Naruto had some advice to give, his tone and personality would change. It was odd, and for some reason Wendy came to enjoy it. Since they always came with some story or adventure of Naruto's.

"What do you mean by that?" asked Carla not quite understanding Naruto's words.

Naruto closed his eyes, and an image of Itachi flashed through his mind. After all it was the greatest lesson he had learned from the man. Naruto reopened his eyes, and answered Carla, "The best of the best don't become the best because they can do everything on their own. They become the best because they realize that doing everything is impossible, and learn that relying on your comrades is a strength of its own."

"That still doesn't answer my question." replied Carla a bit annoyed at Naruto's answer. She didn't like his usual complicated answers, and sometimes wished that the dumb blonde had to give such dumb answers.

Naruto looked at the cat, and sighed, "It's not something easy to teach, it's something you just have to learn on your own. Just remember this. It's not a weakness to ask for help, it's a weakness if you can't ask for help."

Carla hushed up trying to decipher Naruto's words. Wendy who was looking up at the sky stared at it with a soft look on her face. Then she gave an inaudible mutter, "A strength of its own…."

The trio trotted behind carriage for a couple minutes in complete silence. The only thing that could be heard we're the hoofs of the horse's pounding loudly on the floor, and the occasional "neigh" from the horse. However, their peaceful silence was pierced by a shout.

"Oh Naruto!"

Naruto's shoulders slumped as he gave a sigh at the sound of the voice. He closed his eyes for a moment, and sped toward the carriage praying for it to not cause his death. Wendy squealed at the sudden increase of pace, and Carla was left chasing after them. Naruto came to a quick stop, and was quickly walking by the side off the carriage door. There was a little opening that acted as a glassless window. A girl's head peeked from out from behind the window. The girl gave Naruto a flirty smile, and twirled her fingers in her long brown-luxuriant hair.

"Naruto, how long until we arrive to Crocus?" asked Athena with a sparkle in her eyes. Naruto looked up at the sky, and examined it for a minute.

"I would say an hour." replied Naruto stoically.

Athena gave a loud audible sigh, and rested her hand on the palms of her hands. She looked down at Naruto, and gave him a pout.

"I'm so bored, why don't you come entertain me?" suggested Athena as she motioned for Naruto to come into the carriage. A sound of muffled laughter suddenly came from the front of the carriage. Naruto's left eye twitched at the driver of the carriage. Not finding the situation humorous at all.

Wendy's, who had been sitting on Naruto's shoulder, face flushed red at the sudden implications of Athena's actions. She had read in Carla's love novels that the girl needed to be open with their emotions, but….to this extent?

"I would take your offer, but I'm busy with protecting your carriage. However, do not fret, Athena. We will soon arrive to the capital, and your friend, the princess, can entertain you if you wish." replied Naruto with no emotion in his voice. Naruto didn't really care for the mission, and it wasn't really his desire to befriend the girl. Athena clenched her fists at the sudden rejection of her offer. She quickly looked the other way, and crossed her arms. "Hn."

Naruto walked alongside Athena for a few moments, before deciding that it would be best if he fell back a bit. A sly smile appeared on Athena's face. It didn't go unnoticed by Naruto and the mischievous smile almost made Naruto abandon the mission, but he just waited out for what came next. Athena looked towards the direction of the driver and shouted out, "Driver, I'm getting bored. I want you to move at max speed, I do not wish to wait no longer."

The driver who had been sitting comfortably at the front replied to Athena, "But Lady Junelle…."

"No buts!"

The driver peaked around the corner of the carriage, and gave Naruto an apologetic smile. The sound of a whip being cracked could be heard, and Naruto and Wendy watched as the carriage moved rapidly ahead. Wendy placed her hand on her chin, and narrowed her eyes. Is this what they called a lovers' quarrel?

Carla had finally caught up to Naruto, when she let out a groan watching the carriage speed up.

"What's going on?" asked Carla as she watched the carriage travel farther down the trail they were on.

Wendy was going to respond, when Naruto grabbed Carla, and handed her to Wendy. Then to the surprise of the two, Naruto jumped towards a tree.

"Lady Athena's patience seems to be running thin. We'll be going at full speed now." replied Naruto with an annoyed look on his face.

Then for the second time Wendy squealed as they begun traveling through the trees at blinding speeds. Wendy's arms tied themselves around Naruto's forehead, and Carla hung onto Wendy with her claws deep into Wendy's clothes.

LINE

Athena rested her head on her palm, and took a deep sigh. She lazily looked out of her carriage's window. Her eyes gazed up at the clouds, as the her carriage zoomed by. Athena couldn't believe that stupid mage. How could someone reject her?

She looked away from the clouds, and she reached out for a purse on the seat beside her. Athena carefully pulled out a mirror, and took a hard long look. Her light brown hair matched perfectly with her honey colored eyes. She was by far from being ugly, and she was rich and powerful too. However, that didn't seem to catch the eye of that stupid gorgeous blond.

Athena tried give an angry frown, but a smile kept threatening to spill every time she thought of Naruto. She had never seen a man like him. Gorgeous blue eyes with the sun kissed hair. It was match made in heaven. And those whisker marks gave him a ferocious look. Now that was Athena's type of man.

Athena was broken from her trance, when suddenly her carriage came to a stop. Her eyes peered out of the window, and was met with the beautiful sight of Crocus. The name surely lived up to it's definition. Flowers of all sizes and colors could be seen all over the city. Athena gave an enormous smile as she thought of her younger friend, Hisui.

To Athena, Hisui was a very close friend to girl was only two years younger than her, but to Athena she was the precious little sister she never had. Hisui was a bit on the shy side, contrary to Athena's rather loud personality. However, for some reason they had always gotten along.

The carriage begun to move again, as they were forced to move at a much slower speed inside the capitol. Athena sat back in her carriage, and begun to think about tomorrow's adventure. They would be traveling to Magnolia, in order to quell Hisui's desire to see the famed Fantasia Parade. Athena would be lying if she wasn't excited, but as the daughter of Junelle cooperation she would never admit it.

Thinking about of her father's company, she couldn't help but wonder why her father had hired wizards. Athena wasn't complaining about the hunk of a man she had received as a guard, but her father had never resorted to hiring wizards to guard her family. Not for her or her elder brothers. Hmm….an oddity indeed. Oh well, she could always question her father later.

At the moment she was happy with her guard. Not too enthusiastic about the brat and cat, but they seemed to be a package deal with Naruto. They appeared to be siblings at best, even if they looked like polar opposites. Nevertheless,he had lost them long ago. Hmm….now how were they suppose to get into the castle without her? It seemed she would need to stop her driver, and wait for them to catch up.

Athena turned towards the window, and was about to shout but her voice got caught in her throat. Walking besides her carriage was Naruto, and he was no longer carrying Wendy on his shoulders. Instead, he had her slung on his right shoulder, and Wendy looked awfully sick. He appeared to be in a deep argument with the cat of his.

"What the hell are you doing here?" asked Athena out loud not caring for her language or status as a Junelle. Naruto looked over at Athena, and gave her sly smile. Finding it amusing that the girl was left stumped.

"What do you mean?" replied Naruto comically as he already knew the answer to the question. Athena's head burst through the window, and she looked down at Naruto, "How exactly did you catch up so fast? We were moving at two magical horses' fastest speed. Their is no way you could have caught up."

Naruto brought up both his hands, and slowly waved them to the side. Then he answered, "Magic."

Athena bit down on her lip at the ridiculously vague answer. Her hands clenched onto the window frame until her knuckles turned white. Then she shouted at Naruto, "Magic? No shit! What do you take me for?"

Naruto smirked at Athena's outburst, and was about to respond when Carla beat him to the punch.

"It's just as he said," replied Carla who gave Naruto a nasty glare. Not appreciating his little ride she crossed her arms in defiance, and she continued, "This stupid man can use magic to amplify his speed. Thus, he can move really fast. Catching up to you is like child's play for him."

Athena was taken a bit back, and looked at Naruto with a bit of bewilderment. So this was the extent of a mage. She had never had the opportunity to see magic in use, but it was quite extraordinary. It was more than just throwing out fancy spells, but small things like this really did amaze her.

Naruto nodded, and he looked up at Athena, "It's one of many magic spells I use. I'm pretty cool, huh?"

"Don't be so cocky." snapped Carla making sure that the idiot didn't get a big head.

Athena rose an eyebrow, and then proceeded to ask, "So what type of magic spells can you use?"

Wendy, who was barely conscious, had been listening to the entire conversation. Mustering her strength she pushed herself off Naruto's shoulder, and landed on her feet. She wobbled for a moment, and quickly caught herself. She then looked up at Athena. Then like nothing had happened she quickly sprouted a smile, and begun to discuss one of her favorite topics, "Well, Naruto uses a lot of magics, but my favorite would be his ras-"

Naruto cut off Wendy, and he looked up at Athena. He then brushed his white cap to the side, and revealed his katana to Athena. In a swift motion, he unsheathed his katana and revealed the deadly blade, "My magic is based mostly on my speed and swordsmanship. Those are my two strongest spells, alongside a few wind-make and earth-make spells."

Athena looked at the blade at awe, it's black beauty shun in the sky, and then she watched as Naruto quickly placed the blade inside the sheath. Athena then gave an approving nod, "I must say that sounds pretty impressive Naruto. I hope I receive the honor of seeing these skills in action."

Naruto shook his head, and looked up at Athena, "Not to sound rude, but you're better off praying that doesn't happen. After all I don't wish for anyone to come after your life Athena. It would be rather troublesome if someone cut you down."

Naruto's tone had caught Carla, Wendy, and Athena off guard. Athena blushed a little bit as she saw it as a notion towards Naruto's affection for her, while Wendy and Carla we're quickly reminded the where on an S-rank job. Athena oddly satisfied with the conversation, sat back into her carriage, "I'm gonna clean myself up real quick. Stay close to the carriage, we will be entering the palace soon enough."

Naruto looked up, and watched as Athena disappeared from the window. He then looked down to his side, and looked at the curious eyes of Wendy. Wendy gave him an odd look, and her head was tilted to the side. Naruto looked in front of him, and gazed at the marvelous city of Crocus.

"Crocus is quite the sight." said Naruto to Wendy. He turned around, and looked at Wendy who just kept staring at she would be wanting to wander off to explore. Her sudden silence was putting Naruto on edge.

Naruto abruptly asked, "What's wrong?"

Wendy's face flushed red the moment she noticed she had been caught staring. She quickly looked to the side, and remained silent. Then she answered, "It's nothing…."

Carla looked at Wendy strangely, and was unsettled by Wendy's sudden attitude. Naruto looked down at the girl, and then asked, "Are you mad that I cut you off earlier?"

"No…" replied Wendy as the trio continued to walk. Wendy stopped gazing at the city, and looked back at Naruto.

"I was wondering….why did you lie to Athena?" asked Wendy.

Naruto stopped walking. Wendy and Carla both stopped, and they watched as the carriage slowly passed them. When it was a couple meters ahead of them, Naruto turned around completely, and looked down at Wendy and Carla, "It is better off that way. She doesn't need to know about my higher forms of magic."

"But she's our client….shouldn't she know the extent of our magic?" inquired Wendy.

Naruto shook his head, "Her father is our client, she is the job."

Carla nodded, and looked at Wendy, "I agree, she doesn't need to know any more than she needs to know."

Wendy frowned and crossed her arms, "But I don't like lying to anyone. Grandeeney told me it was wrong."

Naruto took a deep sigh, and forced himself to remember that Wendy was only eleven years old. She may be talented in the arts of magic, but she was still so naive. Naruto crouched down, low enough that they were at eye level. Wendy met Naruto's eyes, and by just gazing at them she felt like she had said something wrong. She didn't want to disappoint Naruto, but deep down she felt bad whenever she lied to people. For a moment she felt like crying because she knew how stupid she sounded. Like a little brat that didn't know anything better.

Naruto then placed his head on top of her head, and gave her a big smile, "Then Grandeeney must have been the best parent you could ever have. To have taught you to be such a respectful young girl. Lying is horrible thing to do especially towards your own 's poison that kills trust."

Naruto gazed into Wendy's confused eyes, and he continued, "But you need to understand that sometimes it is a necessary evil. I'm not doing it to disrespect Athena, but to protect myself.'

"What?" asked Wendy a bit confused, "How would it protect yourself?"

"I'm an S-rank mage, Wendy. Whether I like it or not I have made a few enemies. It's better off if they don't know the type of magic I use, so they don't use it against me." replied Naruto.

Wendy nodded understanding what he meant. After all…..Naruto was always right. The few months they had been together, he never failed her. Wendy suddenly felt Naruto rub his hand on her head, and her eyes widen at the gesture.

"Naruto! You're going to mess up my hair!" screeched Wendy not appreciating another childish gesture from took a step back, and couldn't help but crack a smile. Wendy was an interesting child that never failed to amuse him. He apologized, "My bad, now let's get going. We don't want to lose our job."

Wendy nodded and returned his smile, "Okay."

Carla watched their little encounter carefully. She didn't know what it was exactly, but something about Naruto was different. She had never met a human with such such an influence like him. The way he was able to control a conservation was unreal, and always find the right thing to say was unnerving. Carla hated to admitted, but the boy was something. He had his quirks….a lot of quirks, but Carla acknowledged the he wasn't the bad guy she thought he was. Carla blinked as she suddenly noticed that Wendy and Naruto had sped off after the carriage. She gritted her teeth, and then she growled, "Hey! Don't leave me behind!"

She then watched as Naruto turned around, and stuck out his tongue at her. A deep growl could be hear from her, "Naruto…."

Carla chased wildly after them, and shouted, "You stupid man!"

LINE

Their arrival to the castle had been just as spectacular as Naruto had imagined it. As soon as Athena had been taken inside the castle, Naruto and his group had been quickly shown to their quarters. Even though, they were taken to the part of the castle for the guests of the guests, a.k.a the servants, Naruto had to let out a loud whistle.

Naruto had to admit that the royal family really did know how to treat their friend's employees. There was no doubt in Naruto's mind that the room they had been given was better than any hotel they could have found in Crocus. The room was extremely large, and had 10 beds scattered across the room, each one with their own dresser and lamp. The room was decorated with many bright flowers that complimented the bright green painted room. Hanging from the ceiling was a single golden flower the size of a small car, that opens downward into the room.

Wendy and Carla really hadn't paid much attention to the room as Naruto had. Unlike the stamina freak, they we're pretty happy to have finally found somewhere comfortable to rest. Instead the pair made their way down the row of beds trying to decide which one was the best.

Naruto spotted a wooden door across the room that had a small sign hanging on it. The word Bathroom gave Naruto a sense of relief, and very quickly made his way to it. To immersed in his current objective, he failed to notice Wendy and Carla stop at the fourth bed away from the entrance. A red suitcase caught the girls' attention.

"Carla, is this a suitcase?" asked Wendy as she pointed at the obvious red suitcase.

Naruto, unaware of the current situation, burst into the bathroom and took several steps into it until he realized the large amount of steam in the . Hot vaporized water quickly surrounded Naruto's eyes, and Naruto took a step to the side. The steam quickly escaped into the adjoining room, and it didn't take long until Naruto stared at the back of a red haired individual. The individual's stood in a bathtub as their wet red hair draped down to their waist, and when the person turned around Naruto's face blushed up.

"Hello, may I assist you with anything? Asked the red headed girl as she just stood in front of Naruto without a single amount of shame. Naruto remained speechless as he couldn't help but observe the sight in front of him. The girl was nothing short of gorgeous as she had the perfect hourglass body. It wasn't until Naruto met her brown colored eyes that he broke from his trance. Naruto quickly looked away, and tried to back out as fast as he could. All while Naruto babbled, "I'm so sorry! I had no idea somone-"

Then to Naruto's dismay he slipped on the wet floor, and went tumbling straight into the bathtub filled with hot water.

LINE

Naruto couldn't remember the last time he felt so embarrassed. Sitting on the edge of the bed with his head looking down on the ground, one might think he was a kid about to get shouted by his parents. Carla and Wendy both sat next to Naruto both with different thoughts on the matter. Carla fumed at the idea their so called companion had just been caught peeping, while Wendy was still thinking about the redheaded girl's ability to requip clothes at a moment

The redheaded girl now sat across the three on a separate bed. She now wore a sleeveless white blouse accompanied with a blue skirt that hovered slightly above her knees. Erza wore a pair of long black boots that came up to her knees. Naruto peeked up to look at her, looking rather neutral about the whole ordeal. Naruto felt bad admitting it, but she looked just as good dressed as she did naked.

That's when the red headed girl decided to speak up, "I didn't think that anyone else would be staying here, or else I would have done a better job of alerting my presence. I apologize to you sir."

Naruto's jaw nearly dropped as he had not expected the apology. Carla was having none of it as she suddenly smacked Naruto's arm, and she huffed, "You don't need to apologize, it's this….filth that needs to apologize,"

Carla then looked over at Naruto, and she stabbed her finger into his chest. Carla then hissed, "Weren't you bragging a couple days about being the best sensor in all of Fiore?"

Naruto rubbed the back of his head and gave an uneasy laugh as he looked over at the red headed girl. Realizing that Carla had put him in a very bad position he found his voice shake a bit as he croaked, "I was ca-caught off guard."

"I bet you just wanted to peek…"

"Carla!" pleaded Wendy at last. Carla jumped a bit not expecting Wendy to raise her voice. She turned around slowly as she faced away from Naruto and towards Wendy. Now having Carla's attention Wendy then tried to defuse the situation for Naruto and explained, "I don't think it's fair to blame Naruto. I mean he's probably tired from walking all day like us! I-I just don't believe Naruto would be capable of such a thing."

"But Wendy…."

Wendy shook her head not accepting Carla's attitude against Naruto, and then added, "Can you really blame him if his sensor ability wasn't working him? He carried us at blinding speeds for the last hour of the trip! He was just super tired!"

Carla didn't say anything as she conceded to Wendy's argument, but she crossed her arms as she was not fully satisfied with the answer. The red headed girl gave Wendy a smile, as she was enjoying Wendy's protective nature towards the Naruto.

Naruto cleared his throat getting the attention of the three girls. He then looked over at the red headed girl, and extended his arm to her. He then offered an apology, "I offer my sincere apologies. I didn't mean to run into you in the bathroom nor less peak on you. I would like to start off with an introduction this time, I'm Naruto Uzumaki from Cait Shelter."

The red headed girl reached for Naruto's hand, and shook it, "I'm Erza Scarlet from Fairy Tail"

"Erza….," repeated Naruto as he let go of Erza's hand, letting the name roll of the edge of his tongue. Naruto narrowed his eyes for a moment as he took a harder look at the girl. The girl was without a doubt a guild member of Mystogan's, but Naruto had heard the name before.

"Erza Scarlet!" nearly shouted Wendy as she jumped on top of the bed. Both Carla and Naruto quickly looked up at Wendy as they had never seen the girl so excited in her life.

Wendy gave a little shrill as she pointed at Erza, and tried to find the words to say. She then finally exclaimed, "I-I can't beli-believe it!"

Erza looked over at Naruto for an explanation, but Naruto was just as dumbfounded as Erza. That's when Wendy finally managed to squeal, "You-You're the famous Erza Scarlet, Titania!"

"The strongest female Wizard in all of Fiore!" proclaimed Wendy as a small blush suddenly appeared on Erza's face. Quite not used to the attention that Wendy was giving her. Wendy further added, "I've heard tales about your strength and power from the Sorcerer's Weekly!"

Carla and Naruto gave a small "ahh" as they remembered the trash that Wendy adored to read in her free time. Naruto then looked over at Erza and had to give a grin as the girl was turning a shade red. So there was something that embarrassed the girl. Naruto was almost starting to think she was some type of robot. Erza waved her arms denouncing Wendy's claims, and she replied, "Ahh...I wouldn't say the strongest of all of Fiore, but I am the strongest female wizard in my guild."

Naruto couldn't help himself as he crossed his arms, and gave her a teasing smile. He then added, "I would have to disagree, Titania. Even I, a newcomer to Fiore, have heard grand tales of your exploits. I must say I never imagined I would run into a guildmate of Mystogan in a place like this."

Carla gave Naruto an odd look. A newcomer? This was news to her. She had always believed that Naruto had been born in Fiore. Naruto didn't notice Carla catching on to Naruto's slip, and that's when Erza looked over at Naruto and once again waved both of her hands at Naruto. Then just like with Wendy she also begun to deny the claim, "Oh please you're too kind-"

Erza stopped halfway through her sentence. Gone was the blush on her face and instead she tilted her head to the side. She looked at Naruto for a moment, and then she asked, "Mystogan? You know Mystogan?"

Shit. Naruto couldn't believe he had slipped up. Naruto just stared right Erza and tried to keep his eye from twitching. He was just the god of slip ups, and now he found himself in a potentially bad situation.

"Mystogan? Who's Mystogan?" asked Wendy who had dropped her starstruck look. Carla was know standing next to Wendy, and gave Naruto a suspicious look. She then added. "And what was that about you being a newcomer to Fiore? You told us that you were working for the Magic Council before joining our guild."

Erza looked at the girl and the cat, and then back at Naruto. Talk about looking suspicious thought Naruto as he read Erza's mind. Naruto took a nervous gulp, and he tugged away his hand from Erza. He looked at Erza and gave her a smile, "Well….you could say me and Mystogan go way back….before I started working for the Magic Council. ."

LINE

"Did you hear?" came the question from a rather ominous person.

Two figures rested in the shadows of some alley in the streets of Crocus. A man was kneeled in the presence of the other. The figure standing up was the one who had asked the question. His body completely hid in the shadows of the alley way. While the other man was kneeled in the rays of the setting sun. The kneeled man wore a weird attire. Which consisted of a heavy black coat with blue pants. He wore metal boots that came up to his shin. He also wore metal black gloves that gave him a rather odd appearance. However what was really odd was the mask he wore. It was a black ski mask that completely hid his face except for a small patch. It was like someone had ripped a piece off the mask, but in that patch there was a small amount of his skin showing. A small lightning tattoo was located on his right cheek, and the only thing visible from his whole face.

The man hidden in the shadows looked down at the kneeled assailant in front of him, and he asked. "So tell me, Robert, did you hear?"

"No," simply replied Robert.

The man in the shadows quickly informed Robert, "Erza Scarlet is suppose to accompany the princess and her guests to Magnolia tomorrow."

"Fairy Tail's Titania?"

"Yes, a very fortunate set of events for us. Had it been anyone else, it might have been a nuisance, but her magic and the rest of the guards will be no match for yours." answered the man.

Robert closed his eyes for a moment, and nodded. He then asked, "Anything else?"

"Everything else will go according to our plans. Soon enough the country of Fiore will fall to the hands of Alvarez Empire."

Robert finally looked up at the man hidden in the shadows, and replied, "As you say Mr. Wizard Saint."

"Do not call me by that title, it's a dishonor to my title as a Spriggan 12 to be called a Wizard Saint of this land."

Robert finally stood up, and faced the man in the shadows, "Just remember our part of the deal. I do not care what happens to Fiore, but I do care about being paid."

"Well of course. Bring me the daughters of the two most powerful men in the country, and you shall have your money."

Robert nodded as he turned around to exit the alley. The man who was hidden in the shadows let out a thundering laugh, and very quietly muttered, "Finally, the opportunity to get rid of the embarrassment of two years ago has come. Soon Lord Spriggan, I shall finally return to your side..."

LINE

Naruto's eyes fluttered open, and he quickly stood up in his bed. Sweat poured down Naruto's forehead, and his breathing was heavy. His eyes scanned the room as his muscles tensed up and chakra rushed through his body. His eyes stopped on Wendy and Carla, and just froze there for a second. His breathing calmed down, and his muscles relaxed.

Naruto glanced up at the clock, and noticed it was only 2:34 in the morning. Three more hours until he would have to wake up and get ready for the mission. Naruto took a deep breath, and tossed his feet off the bed. He sat himself up, and continued to breath deeply. What the hell was that?

Nightmares weren't anything new. He'd been having them for months, but this one was completely different. Naruto's arms couldn't stop shaking from just thinking about it. All his nightmare's had always been about his time before coming to Fiore, but this one….Naruto lifted his head, and stared up at the ceiling. He then gazed over at his shoulder, and looked at Wendy.

Naruto's eyes narrowed as he stared at the teen. He couldn't afford to break now. Naruto had promised Mystogan he would look after this girl. It was the only way he could ever repay his debt to Mystogan. Naruto looked away from Wendy, and stared back at the ground again. Now it's become more than a promise to keep.

Wendy wasn't a promise to keep, but an opportunity for Naruto to rebuild his life. She was a way to rediscover himself, to bring happiness back into his life. And the idea of losing her because of his past was starting to haunt him. When will he finally trip over that final string of silk created by his web of lies?

Naruto had managed to quell Wendy and Carla's curiosity earlier, but they were sharper than he gave them credit for. Not to mention he also had to come up with lie for-

"Are you awake?" whispered a voice. Naruto turned his head, and looked a few beds away from Wendy's location. Erza was sitting up in her bed, and was looking at Naruto intently.

Naruto apologized as he hoped Erza hadn't heard him having a nightmare, "Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you up. ."

"You didn't wake me up, " replied Erza as she suddenly gave Naruto a concerned look. Naruto didn't know what to think of the red headed beauty. She seemed like a genuinely nice person….with a few awkward quirks. Okay she could probably work on her people skills, but she was a very honest person to speak to. Naruto replied to Erza, "You can't sleep either? Don't tell me the grand Titania is nervous about escorting the princess of Fiore."

"Of course not," huffed Erza as she puffed out her chest, "I will quell anyone who dares to interfere with my mission."

Erza then turned the question on Naruto, "How about you? as a cucumber, don't tell me you lose that cool act when Wendy's not paying attention."

"What do I have to worry about, when I have you oh great Erza by my side?" shot back Naruto. Erza glared a little bit at Naruto getting tired of the constant mockery of her fame. Naruto let out a little smile having fun with the girl, and then he decided to put an end to the game.

"Alright, I guess it's best if we go back to sleep. We do have a mission tomorrow."

Erza crossed her arms, "I don't need to sleep, I'm ready to run for days on end. If anything I'd rather return home as soon as possible."

"Why?" asked Naruto as he raised an eyebrow. Erza didn't seem like the one to be hasty about things. Erza then looked around, and then jumped off her bed. She then quickly walked over to Naruto and in not so quiet approach she jumped right onto his bed. Once again Naruto found his personal space being invaded by Erza as she leaned in close to him. Then very quietly she whispered, "There's just something off about the Royal Guard."

Naruto's eyes darted to Wendy's bed, and scanned her sleeping body. Naruto then turned his head back to Erza, who was sitting a few feet away from him. Naruto leaned into her this time, and then he inquired, "What do you mean exactly?"

"They're just….too weak." assessed Erza as she let out some air from her nose, and then leaned away from Naruto. Erza brought her leg over her knee, and brought her hand up to her chin. Erza added, "Besides the Captain of the royal guard they aren't very impressive."

"What was his name again?" asked Naruto as he tried to recall the name of the Captain. Erza answered, "Captain Arminius, he's got quite the reputation with the two magical swords he carries. Apparently he used to be some big shot S-rank wizard a few years back."

"Then what are you so worried about?" questioned Naruto as he played the fool. He then added, "He seems plenty strong."

Erza gave Naruto a look of uncertainty, and then she countered, "That's not the problem. It's just….besides him the rest of the royal guard surrounding the princess isn't exactly….strong."

Naruto took a hard look at Erza finding it hard to believe that the girl had seen through the facade. Naruto gave a scoff, which caused Erza to be a bit offended. Naruto then added, "I'm very impressed….you live up to all the hype."

"What?" spat Erza a bit confused with the direction of the conversation. Naruto took another peek behind Erza making sure Wendy was still asleep. Naruto then looked back at Erza, and he disclosed, "You're not the only one with concerns about the Royal Guard. Why do you think I was hired?"

Erza opened her mouth to speak, but said nothing. Naruto's words still running through her head, she looked at him for a bit. Seeing that the girl was confused, Naruto then added, "Look I'll just tell you what I know. Their someone out there plotting against Dan Junelle, and they've tried a few times to get rid of him."

"A few times?"

"Try ten times." elaborated Naruto. Naruto then continued, "He's tried several times to communicate to the Magic Council about it, but someone has kept him from doing so. Can you imagine….someone powerful enough to keep Dan Junelle, the most powerful man in the country, from talking to the government? Something is obviously occurring behind the scenes."

"So….you think that has to do with the royal guard?" asked Erza as she was a bit confused why the information was relevant to what she had confided to him. Naruto took a deep breath, and then he muttered, "Maybe I gave you too much credit…."

"OW!" shrieked Naruto as he had suddenly been given a solid punch straight into his shoulder. Erza had not appreciated Naruto's little shot at her, and Naruto gave a hurt look as he rubbed his shoulder. Naruto then muttered again, "And she has anger issues…."

Naruto barely ducked underneath Erza's flying fist. Naruto fell onto the bed, and put up his hands in surrender. Very quickly Naruto choked, "I-I'm joking!"

Erza then crossed her arms, and took a deep breath. She then confessed to Naruto, "I haven't met anyone near as frustrating as you. Usually my guildmates know better than to show such blatant disrespect."

"Well, you kinda are a scary woman, Erza." pointed out Naruto as he put a finger on his chin, and then theorized, "Maybe they're scared of you?"

"They're not scared of me!" suddenly defended Erza as she refused to believe that any of her guildmates would have a reason to fear her. After all, she has shown nothing but compassion towards her guild. Naruto quickly shooed Erza by putting a finger to his lips, and whispering, "Quiet down!"

Erza stopped her antics, and looked behind her. Wendy rolled around in her bed, and gave out a small snore. Naruto let out a quick breath, and then he got back on topic, "So where was I?"

"You incorrectly stating that my guildmates feared me."

"Not that!" Before!"

Erza sat back down on the bed, and then she answered, "The conspiracy about Dan Junelle and what it had to do with the Royal Guard."

"Right." acknowledged Naruto as he got back to the important details. Then Naruto finally theorized, "Well, now that you've brought up those suspicions about the weak Royal Guard that has been put together for this, then Mr. Junelle might be right about believing that someone might target his daughter."

Erza paused for a moment to let the information sink. She stared into Naruto's blue eyes for a few moments before her own eyes begun to widen in realization. Then she concurred, "That….actually makes a lot of sense. If someone from inside the government was trying to get to Mr. Junelle, then they might be able to manipulate the Royal Guard."

"If they're true target is really Junelle Corporation's princess, then all they have to do is weaken the guard just a little bit. Just enough so that in the middle of a fight the guard will only be able to protect one individual, and well….not the other." summarized Naruto as he let it all out for Erza. A few moments of silence fell over the two as they looked into each other's eyes. Erza then asked, "Why tell me this? If you have suspicion that someone is after the girl, then why tell me."

"Well, if shit goes down, there's too many people to look after." replied Naruto as he motioned at the blue haired girl behind him. Naruto took a deep sigh, and the he admitted, "If it was up to me I would have never brought Wendy along, but things got a bit complicated and well here she is."

Erza nodded in acknowledgment, and then she agreed, "I see…. it would be rather difficult to look after the Wendy and Athena."

"I suppose I can help you out. My job was only to accompany the Princess to Magnolia, not necessarily as protection, but more like….."

"Tour guide?" finished Naruto for Erza. Erza nodded and she stood back on her feet. Naruto also stood up, and looked over at Wendy. That's when Naruto commented, "I wouldn't tell anyone about this….all this is just speculation and we really don't have any hard evidence. Let's not paint any unnecessary targets on ourselves, and who knows…..maybe Mr. Junelle is just being paranoid."

"It would be kinda hard not to with that evidence." muttered Erza as she began to walk back to her bed. Erza turned around to look over at Naruto only to see the blond gone. She quickly turned around just to have her heart sank deeper into her chest. Naruto sat on the bed calmly with a red book open, and reading very intently. Erza nearly shrieked, "WH-what are you doing!"

"I didn't know you were into this kind of naughty stuff." giggled Naruto as he flipped the page of the book. Erza was about to claim it wasn't her book when Naruto began to read a small piece of the book, " 'Oh, Mitomi! I'm so glad we're back together,' moaned Tom as he Mitomi nibbled on his…."

"NO SPOILERS!" yelled Erza as she grabbed a nearby pillow and threw it at Naruto with all his might. Naruto ducked underneath the pillow, and he couldn't help but laugh out, "You're a closet pervert!"

Erza stopped dead in her tracks and gave Naruto a very nasty glare. Naruto couldn't help but return the favor with a big fat grin on his face. However, his grin didn't last very long because a bright light suddenly engulfed the room. Naruto nearly fell off the bed as standing in front of him was Erza wearing her famous Heaven's Wheel Armor. She was now dressed in some type of armor that covered her chest with a large metal flower over it, and she wore a large billowing skirt that had metal plating in the upper area. Her stomach and neck were uncovered and she had large metal wings that were made out of individual blades. Naruto gave nervous laugh as he squealed out, "I suppose it's too late to say sorry?"

"Die."

LINE

"I can't believe you slept through all that." coughed out Naruto as he held a bag of ice onto a red welt on his cheek. Wendy just shrug her shoulders as she had been surprised to wake up to a bruised Naruto and a missing Erza. Carla gave Naruto a scorn look, and she shot, "Well, you do deserve it after yesterday's stunt. I'm just surprised it took her so long to hit you."

"What did you do to her anyways?" asked Wendy. as she was curious to why Erza had hit Naruto. Naruto gave an uneasy laugh as he remembered Erza's little book collection. Naruto then uneasily said, "Well, I kind of went snooping through her stuff, and I found an embarrassing book."

Carla tilted her head not sure what would be an embarrassing book. Carla then asked, "Book? What type of book?"

"Uh…..an anatomy book…..yeah an anatomy book!" answered Naruto as he came to the right answer. Wendy and Carla gave Naruto a weird look not understanding what he meant. Naruto just looked at them gloomy and sighed, "Their way too young to understand."

"Alright, Wendy we're about to go meet up with the Chief of the Royal Guard." revealed Naruto as he strapped a katana to his waist. Naruto then slipped on his backpack, and strapped a scroll to the back of his waist. Naruto then added, "Erza shared the same sentiments as me and she has agreed to go with our plan of protection. All we got to do is convince Chief Arcadios to go along with it."

Wendy tilted her head in interest, and it was Carla who asked, "What exactly is the plan."

Naruto bent down to tie his shoelaces on his boot. As he tied them he explained, "You two will accompany the Princess and Lady Athena inside the Royal Carriage." Wendy gave a nervous look. "While Erza and I will stay as close as possible to the carriage. It shouldn't really alter any preexisting plans they have, and does make it very easy to incorporate."

"Do you really think their going to allow Wendy just to take a seat next to the Princess of Fiore?" questioned Carla with a lot of skepticism. Naruto finished tying his last boot, and looked up at Carla with a grin. He announced, "Leave that to me"

LINE

Naruto, Wendy, and Carla made their was out of the large castle. Naruto was dressed in his usual orange jacket and black pants with a new black cape and red flame pattern around the hem. Wendy and Carla were dressed in their normal getup, and the three made their way towards the entrance of the castle. That is when they were met with a giant crowd of soldiers and guards running around in chaos.

Naruto quickly scanned the area, and that's when his eye caught Erza's vibrant red hair. Naruto motioned towards Erza's direction, and Wendy caught on. Naruto took about five steps forward, when a large sword was quickly put to his throat. Naruto quickly put his hand in front of Wendy and Carla and stopped them in their tracks. Wendy looked mortified as she saw one of the royal guards standing in front of them. The guard barked, "Authorized Personnel are only allowed in this sector! Now tell me what the hell you are doing here?"

Naruto narrowed his eyes and looked down at the sword. He then scanned the area and saw that almost everyone had stopped in their tracks. All the soldiers ready to pounce on him if he gave them a reason. That's when a voice shouted,"Captain! That's enough!"

A muscular, well built man of average height approached the four. He was dressed in a very stylish piece of armor. The man had deep set of eyes and high cheekbones, with a small scar running down from his left temple to the edge of his thick eyebrows. HIs hair was dark and wavy, sticking up around his head, with prominent sideburns that join into a curved and pointed beard. The so called captain wearly pulled back his sword, but did not put it away. The man quickly approached Naruto and stuck out his hand. Naruto eyed the man for a second, before reaching out and shaking his hand. The man introduced himself, "I am Chief Arcadios, the man in charge of the escorting Princess Hisui."

"I am Naruto Uzumaki, I was hired to be the bodyguard of Lady Athena, but I assume you already know who I am." replied Naruto. Arcadios nodded, and he added, "Yes, I've read your files very thoroughly. A very successful S-rank mage with much respect in the magic council." Arcadios looked behind Naruto and made eye contact with Wendy. Wendy had to fight the urge to jump back. Arcadios asked, "And the girl?"

Before Naruto could even answer, Wendy decided to introduce herself. She bowed, "I am Wendy Marvel of Cait Shelter!" Wendy then stood back up, and added, "It is an honor to meet you Sir Arcadios!"

"Hahaha!" barked Arcadios. Wendy felt her shoulders slump as the man laughed at her introduction. Wendy's eye fell to the floor and her face turned red in embarrassment. However, that was when Arcadios waved off the guard, and added, "It's been ages since I met such a respectful brat. Follow me Mr. Uzumaki and Ms. Marvel."

"Didn't even acknowledge you." muttered Naruto and Carla could feel a vein pop in her head. Wendy was no longer embarrassed but rather confused at the man's reaction. The three Cait Shelter wizards followed Arcadios towards the middle of the yard. There was one large carriage surrounded by several horses, wagons, and some magical vehicles. Erza was standing near the carriage were a she talked to a few other soldiers. Erza glanced over and noticed Naruto, Wendy, and Carla.

"Erza, I missed you last night after you left." called out Naruto with a straight face. Erza frowned as the soldiers around here gave a few snickers. Erza sighed, and she sassed, "Are you always this annoying?"

Naruto shrug his shoulders, and he revealed, "Only to those who are easy to mess with." Naruto then grinned as he glanced over at Carla. Carla crossed her arms, and shot Naruto a glare. It was Arcadios that cleared his throat, and asked Naruto, "So, Erza told me you'd come up with a plan to integrate you into our plan without causing major shifts."

"Of course," answered Naruto as he pointed at Wendy, "I propose that Wendy and Carla be placed with the Princess and Athena." Aracadios rose an eyebrow, "Carla?"

"That would be me, Sir Arcadios." answered Carla proudly. Arcadios took a step back, and whispered softly, "You can talk?"

"Yes, I'm a special breed of a cat." disclosed Carla, and she added, "I'm also capable of some magic."

"Wendy here has a special type of magic known as Dragon Slayer Magic." pointed out Naruto. Erza perked up at the mention of the name, and she looked at the girl with interest. She then asked Wendy, "You're a dragon slayer?" Wendy nodded, and she told her, "Yes, I am the Dragon Slayer of the Sky."

Before Erza could ask any other questions, Naruto further elaborated, "Wendy here is able to use a rare type of magic. She can use healing spells."

"Heal-healing spells?!" stammered Arcadios as he whipped his head to look at the girl. Wendy looked confused as she looked over at Naruto. She then begun to ask, "But Naruto y-"

"So, you see how valuable she is." quickly added Naruto as he cut off Wendy. Wendy bit her lip as she suddenly remembered the lesson he'd told her earlier. Naruto then advised, "I believe the best strategy would be to keep Wendy as far away from danger. If anything was to occur during the trip she would be more than able to heal anyone from an injuries."

Arcadios nodded as it was basic battle tactics to keep your medics protected. Arcadios then inquired, "How about you and Erza?"

"I believe it would be best to keep me and Erza close to the main carriage. I do believe your knights are more than capable to take on any bandits or rogue wizards that may cross our paths. If we were to encounter a wizard powerful enough to get past your guards, then we would be more than able to protect the Princess and Athena." explained Naruto. Arcadios nodded, and he praised Naruto, "Yes, a very solid plan to incorporate your skill to our troops." Arcadios then looked over at Erza, and he continued, "We'll go with it since it works well with my already established formation. We don't expect to run into any trouble, so let us hope we won't have any use for your skills."

"We be leaving as soon as Princess Hisui come forth." explained Arcadios he then stepped away and started barking orders to other soldiers. The soldiers that had been talking to Erza also moved along leaving Erza with the Cait Shelter members. Naruto glanced down at Wendy, and reminded her, "Wendy, Carla make sure you two are on your best behavior. The last thing we would want for our guild is for Princess Hisui to get pissed at our guild."

"Yes, I understand." answered Wendy as she gave Naruto a determined look. Carla just gave a sigh, and she took a shot at Naruto, "At least it isn't you who had to be with the Princess. It would be a total disaster if you talked to her."

"I'm not that bad." mused Naruto. Erza rolled her eyes, and she muttered, "Sure."

A fat grin appeared on Naruto's face, and he teased, "Maybe I'm a little mean when it comes with Erza, but how can I help it. She likes that kind of stuff." Erza fumed a little as she felt her face reddened a little bit. Erza then glared at Naruto, and threatened, "If you ever spea-"

"Yeah, you'll kill me. You made that pretty clear last night." said Naruto as it was his turn to roll his eyes. Wendy and Carla exchanged a glance as he wondered what exactly they were talking about. Wendy then decided to ask, "Is it because of your anatomy book?"

Naruto had to hold back a laugh as Erza's face turned completely red. Naruto quickly came to Erza's aid, and he reassured Wendy, "Why would she embarrassed about an Anatomy book, Wendy? It's just a little inside joke between me and Erza."

Erza nodded completely as she didn't say a word. Wendy looked at Naruto skeptically, but she muttered, "Ok." Erza desperately tried to change the conversation, and asked Wendy, "So you're a dragon slayer?"

"Uh, yeah." lamely replied Wendy. Erza was able to gain a bit more composure, and then she asked, "There's actually a guildmate of mine that's also a dragon slayer."

"What?!" shrieked Wendy as her eyes roared with life. Naruto gave a sigh as she saw Wendy's determination to find her mother. Just the mention of another Dragon Slayer was more than enough to get her excited. Wendy then asked, "Erza, does your guildmate know where Grandeeney is?"

Erza's eyes softened at Wendy's question, and she looked over at Naruto. Naruto and Erza exchanged a glance of sorrow, and Erza then disclosed, "So, your dragon disappeared too?"

Wendy's shoulders slumped at what Erza had said. Then she concluded, "So, his dragon disappeared too?"

Carla grabbed onto Wendy's hand and squeezed it softly. Carla then tried to cheer up Wendy, "Don't worry about that now, Wendy. After all we are going to Magnolia, where Fairy Tail is located. Maybe if you meet this guildmate of Erza, then you might be able to figure out a clue about your mother."

Wendy perked up at the prospect and nodded, "You're right."

Suddenly the sound of trumpets being played filled the courtyard. Everyone whipped their heads to see a man dressed in armor. He stopped playing the trumpet, and announced, "I NOW PRESENT YOU, PRINCESS HISUI!"

Almost instantly every soldier got into their positions and bowed in the princess of the princess. Naruto patted the back of Wendy's head, and encouraged her to do the same. Naruto and Erza quickly bowed as Princess Hisui and Athena walked out of the castle. The princesses made their way towards the main carriage. Naruto looked up and met Arcadios's eyes. The man motioned Naruto to walk up and Naruto nodded.

"Wendy, Carla, follow my lead." instructed Naruto as he made his way towards the courage. Naruto, Wendy, and Carla go the carriage at the same time as Princess Hisui and Athena. Now closer in person Naruto took a good look at the princess. HIsui was a slim, petite woman. She had long wavy light green hair that reached down to the middle of her back. Hisui had long green eyelashes that only made her eyes pop out more. The princes was dressed in a long sleeved white and pink dress. Naruto was no expert in clothing, but he could tell with just his eyes how delicate the material she was wearing. In her head she wore a tiara with seven gemstones with the largest placed place in the middle and the rest following outwards. She also wore a large silver necklace with a large pendant and a pair of earrings with two large gems in both of them.

"My highness, it's an honor to meet you." divulged Naruto as he bowed, and then he introduced himself, "I was hired by Mr. Junelle to look after Ms. Athena."

"It's an honor to meet you, Mr. Uzumaki." replied the Princess with a bright smile. She looked over at Athena with a giggle, and Athena just smiled. Naruto had to force himself not to sigh, and then he introduced Wendy, "This young lady, is my teammate Wendy Marvell and her companion Carla."

"An honor to meet you." bowed Wendy as she mimicked Naruto. At this point Arcadios then stepped in, and explained Wendy's position, "Lady Hisui, Wendy will be accompanying you inside of your carriage. She is able to wield a rare type of magic that allows her to use healing magic. We hope not to intrude on your privacy, but hoped to keep Wendy alongside you. In case anything was to occur."

Athena did not looked very enthused about Wendy joining them, but Hisui's eyes lit up at the sound of Wendy's magic. She gushed, "Healing magic? Woah….I thought it was considered a lost magic." Wendy's face turned a bit red as she opined, "It's really not that great."

"I love learning about magic a lot, Wendy, so please don't undervalue your healing magic. I read in a book once that it's been ages since anyone has seen healing magic. In fact, I believe it wa-" Hisui didn't get a chance to finish as Athena cut her off, and then snickered, "Please don't get Athena talking about magic. She'll never shut up."

Naruto rose an eyebrow at the blatant disrespect towards the princess, but wasn't really surprised by Athena's personality. Hisui didn't seem to take offense, but she blushed a little bit. Naruto then asked, "So, it's perfectly fine if Wendy rides with you?"

"Of course! Please, Wendy I'd been honored if you joined me on my trip." offered Hisui. Wendy smiled, and she quickly whispered to Naruto, "She's super nice."

Naruto nodded in agreement, and that's when Arcadios motioned for them to enter the royal carriage. Hisui and Athena both entered the carriage, and Wendy and Carla followed close behind. The moment the door closed, Arcadios grabbed Naruto's shoulder, and muttered, "You're welcome."

Naruto narrowed his eyes, and quickly looked over at the carriage, "I see why you are the Chief in commander." Naruto looked over at Arcadios, and gave him a grateful look, "Thank you."

"It's the least I could do. I'll admit that Lord Junelle's suspicions are concerning, and I would hate to put a child on the battlefield." revealed Arcadios. Naruto rose an eyebrow, "So, he told you after all?"

"Yes, but let us hope they are wrong."

Naruto nodded in agreement, and he made his way back to Erza. Praying that nothing would happen on their trip. As he could never live with himself if anything happened to Wendy cause of him.

LINE

YO! HAVEN'T UPDATED THIS STORY IN YEARS! BUT I REALLY LOVE IT SO I'LL KEEP WRITING. I HAVEN'T FINISHED THE FAIRY TAIL MANGA, BUT I HEARD IT IS NOT GOOD. I LEFT OFF AT THE PART WHEN NATSU AND FAIRY TAIL FIGHT THE SPRIGGAN AND RETRIEVE MASTOR MAKOROFF. BESIDES THAT I'M NOT TOO SURE ABOUT NEW ABILITIES BUT I HAVE A GOOD UNDERSTANDING OF THE HISTORY OF THE ALVEREZ EMPIRE. THERE WON'T BE ANY MEMBERS FROM THE ALVAREZ ARC APPEAR, BUT JUST A COUPLE OC's THAT WOULD FIT THE TIMELINE. FOR YOU OF THOSE THAT DO NOT KNOW *SPOILER* IN x782 THERE WAS A BIT CONFLICT FROM FIORE WITH ALVAREZ. APPARENTLY A FEW LEADERS IN THE ALVAREZ EMPIRE WENT AGAINST THE WISHES OF ZEREF AND TRIED TO INVADE FIORE. ONLY TO BE ANNIHILATED BY FIORE'S ETHERION CANNON AND A THREAT OF FACE. THIS ARC PICKS UP ON THE AFTERMATH OF THE CONFLICT AS IT IS x783.