Earth Land, Ishgar, Kingdom of Fiore, Valley of the End.
January, x787.
After the incident with the merfolk, Kai Mikawa, the rest of x786 went on without a hitch, with Irene and Brandish integrating into Fairy Tail without issue. On top of that, Irene took it upon herself to join Team Natsu. Brandish, on the other hand, only took quests as a solo wizard.
On top of that, the x786 S-Class Promotion Exam took place as well. And like the previous year, there was more than one wizard who passed the exam and was promoted to S-Class. Unsurprisingly, Irene and Brandish were not among those who were promoted. And the reason was self-evident. In fact, they were not even among the eight participants.
From the eight participants, Bickslow, Evergreen, Laki, Levy, Gray, Natsu, Elfman, and Marin, the only ones who did not pass were Bickslow and Evergreen. And the reason was that they had just received their [Soul Armament Embryos] a week before the exam. The others, on the other hand, already had [soul Armaments] with their first seals released. So, Bickslow and Evergreen found themselves at a severe disadvantage, despite their strengths.
After the S-Class Promotion Exam, Alfonzo finally had the time to present his Lacrima Phone idea in front of the Magic Council. And with part of the signal receivers having been placed between Fiore and Era, they were able to demonstrate all the lPhone's features during a video call between Alfonzo and Hibiki.
Then, after explaining and demonstrating the system that would pick up key words and phrases to alert the Council to activity between dark wizards and the like, Alfonzo and Hibiki gained permission to launch their new business.
Unfortunately, before either Alfonzo or Hibiki could start making the kind of money they were anticipating, they would have to install the rest of the signal receivers around Ishgar. Luckily, that would be taken care of soon enough, if the current Hokage of the Village Hidden in the Leaves accepted Alfonzo's mission when he went to upgrade their training facilities.
After presenting the lPhones to the Magic Council, the next thing of note that took place was Alfonzo and Cana's wedding. Unlike Alfonzo's wedding with Elicia, Cana's wedding took place in the evening. That way, the reception, which would be another long affair, would still be going on when the calendar changed from x786 to x787.
And just like during his wedding with Elicia, Gildarts walked Cana down the aisle. Also, like when he married Elicia, Alfonzo sang to Cana during their first dance. And the song he chose was "All My Life" by K-Ci & Jo-Jo, which Cana, and the rest of the guests loved. They also wondered where he gained the inspiration to write songs like the ones he wrote for the two weddings.
Naturally, Alfonzo only smiled in a mysterious manner when anyone asked him about it. Still, having their wedding on the last day of the year was a great way to close out x786.
The last thing to take note of since then was Elicia announcing her pregnancy only a day later. And according to the news she received from Porlyusica, she would be due to give birth in August. Naturally, this brought a wave of excitement to the wizards of Fairy Tail. On top of that, it made Bisca put Alzack through his paces, so as to not be left behind.
Other than that, nothing else of notice happened. As for the current time, Alfonzo, Elicia, Ikaruga, and Irene were waiting in the Valley of the End for the representatives from the Village Hidden in the Leaves, to arrive.
"*Sigh* We talked about hiring more maids months ago." Alfonzo said while leaning against the side of the Escalade. "I'm surprised no one has applied for the position yet."
"Well, the fact that they need to have a certain amount of magic power has been cutting the numbers quite severely, too." Elicia, who was leaning against Alfonzo, replied.
"*Sigh* I know." Alfonzo replied while rubbing his right hand over Elicia's still flat belly. "I was even thinking about lowering the criteria. Until you told me you were pregnant, that is. Unfortunately, the vetting process is gonna have to be even more strict with the little one coming into our lives."
"*Sigh* If only my husband in the past had been so loving." Irene said while she glanced at Alfonzo and Elicia. "Unfortunately, he was just an opportunistic waste of life."
In the months since Irene decided to change sides, she has spent a lot of her time either taking quests with Team Natsu or talking magic theory with Alfonzo or Levy, the two most interested in the subject in the guild.
And during that time, she has come to understand something about the current generation of Fairy Tail. And that was the fact that they were extremely hard workers. In fact, the only reason they were weaker than the Spriggan 12 of the Alvarez Empire is because of the environment on Ishgar.
For example, those meant to be wizards on Alakitasia started off with a higher amount of magic power at birth. On top of that, the ambient ethernano in the air was much denser in Alakitasia. Those two facts naturally led to the wizards of Ishgar being weaker on average.
"If you'll excuse me, Miss Irene." Ikaruga said politely. "I'm actually surprise you insisted on coming with Master Alfonzo and Madam Elicia on this trip. I would have thought you would want to spend more time with your daughter, Erza."
"I actually came because I was curious." Irene said, answering Ikaruga's query before she finished speaking. "I've heard of the shinobi of old. They usually only stuck to members of their own---"
Irene's explanation came to a complete and sudden halt, however, when she registered the rest of what Ikaruga had to say. Then, she turned her eyes, which were open to a comical degree, towards Ikaruga with shock and panic swirling in their depths.
"Wh-Wha-What are you talking about?" Irene asked in a stuttering mess. "I-I-I-I have no d-dau-daughter. I haven't laid with a man in over four hundred years. There's no way I could have an offspring."
Hearing that, Ikaruga looked at Irene awkwardly while tilting her head in confusion. Then, she turned her head towards Alfonzo and Elicia.
"*Sigh* We told you that was supposed to be a secret, Ikaruga." Elicia said in an exasperated tone. "Everyone knew that Irene didn't wanna talk about it. That's why it was never brought up in the past."
"Ah… Now that you mention it." Ikaruga said in a tone of realization. "I forgot you said that some time ago."
On a side note, now that Elicia was confirmed to be pregnant, Ikaruga came along on this trip to make sure that Elicia did not push herself too far.
After hearing that short interaction, Irene also turned her incredulous gaze towards Alfonzo and Elicia once again.
"Don't look at us like that, Irene." Alfonzo said while smiling wryly. "You've made it way too easy to tell that you and Erza were related since you came to Magnolia."
Irene opened her eyes wide in response.
"If it wasn't because of the 'discreet glances' you shot at her every time you were in the same room." Alfonzo said while raising air-quotes as he spoke the word "discreet". "The similarities between your features were a dead giveaway, too."
"Then, there was that time you almost crushed magnolia with your magical pressure when we talked about our childhoods." Elicia added. "Or rather, when Erza talked about her childhood as a slave in the Tower of Heaven."
Hearing that, Irene slumped her shoulders.
"Does that mean Erza knows, as well." Irene asked in a dejected tone.
"Yup." Elicia replied with a smile. "But I think she knew way before that. She said something about feeling a connection to you not long after she first met you."
"*Sigh* I see." Irene replied while shaking her head. "I guess I've been trying to keep it a secret for nothing then, huh?"
"Well, if it makes you feel any better, I don't think Brandish knows." Alfonzo said with a smile. "But I think she was suspicious until she found out you were a dragon."
"*Sigh* I'm sure she'd be able to figure it out, too." Irene said while shaking her head with a wry smile on her face. "If she didn't feel like it was too troublesome to think about, anyway."
With that, the area around the Escalade fell into an awkward silence. Not long later, the awkward silence was eventually broken when a trio of young men appeared near the quartet from Magnolia.
"Oh, it's Genma." Elicia said after recognizing one of the three young men. "Long time, no see. How have you been?"
"Yeah, it's been almost a year since the last time we saw each other, Elicia, Alfonzo, and Ikaruga." Genma replied while adjusting the Senbon in his mouth. "And I see an unfamiliar face with you, as well. Mind introducing us?"
"Yo, what's up, Genma." Alfonzo said while nodding his head in greeting. As for the new face, she's a new member of Fairy Tail…"
"Irene Belserion." Irene said as she changed her expression back to her confident, yet sadistic, smile. "It's nice to meet you. But I'd appreciate it if you stopped staring at my breasts."
"Maybe if you didn't put them on full display, they wouldn't." Alfonzo muttered.
In response, Irene shot a glare in Alfonzo's direction. However, because she was still trying to figure out if the [Soul Armament Embryo] she had been given could reverse her [Dragonization], she chose not to say anything.
"Anyway, why don't you introduce us to your friends, Genma." Elicia said, deciding to move the conversation forward.
"Right." Genma replied with cold sweat sliding down his back after feeling Irene's glare. "These are the members of my squad, Raidō Namiashi and Iwashi Tatami."
Like Genma, Raidō and Iwashi also wore the standard Hidden Leaf uniform consisting of a dark blue body suit, a green flak jacket, and black ninja sandals. On top of that, Iwashi wore his forehead protector as a bandana that covered most of his brown hair. He also wore a small goatee on his chin. Raidō, on the other hand, had spiky brown hair and scars on his face that covered the majority of the left side of his face and the bridge of his nose.
Another thing everyone noticed was the fact that Raidō and Iwashi were both glaring at Ikaruga with hostility.
"Oh, that's right." Elicia said while bringing her right fist down into her left palm. "Maybe bringing Ikaruga wasn't such a good idea. She's the one that left those scars on that guys face."
"Yeah, but you're pregnant." Alfonzo said while shaking his head. "And she's only here to take care of you. She won't do anything to bring harm to the village, right?"
As he asked his question, Alfonzo turned his attention to Ikaruga. In response, Ikaruga lowered her head as she replied.
"I swear that I will not cause any trouble for you on your trip to the Village Hidden in the Leaves, Master Alfonzo." Ikaruga said in a solemn tone.
"Well, there you have it." Alfonzo replied, shifting his attention back to the trio of Hidden Leaf Shinobi. "And if she causes any trouble, Lici and I will take responsibility. Especially since she's been our responsibility since she was released from prison."
"*Sigh* All three of us know that." Genma said in an exasperated tone. "But letting go of a grudge isn't so easy."
"Yeah, I get it." Alfonzo replied with a nod. "As long as she isn't attacked unprovoked, we won't have any problems."
"Got it." Genma replied with a nod. Then, he looked in his teammates' direction. "That won't be a problem, will it?"
"No." Raidō replied in a begrudging tone.
"I'll have my eye on her, though." Iwashi said while continuing to glare at Ikaruga."
"Alright, I guess that's good enough." Alfonzo replied. "Anyway, should we get going?"
"Yes, but we'll need to blindfold your companions." Genma replied.
"Yeah, Master Tsunade already explained that to us." Alfonzo replied. "So, go ahead. Just don't let your hands wander anywhere they shouldn't. You're only B-Class wizards… Or rather, Special Jonin if we go by your village's ranking system."
"You don't need to worry about that." Genma replied while smiling wryly. "None of us are suicidal."
With that, Genma, Raidō, and Iwashi each blindfolded Ikaruga, Elicia, and Irene respectively. Once they were done, they quickly stepped away to show they had no bad intentions.
"Alright, this will probably take a while since we have to lead them to the village." Genma said. "I hope you understand."
"Nah, you don't need to worry about that." Alfonzo replied while waving dismissively. "Ladies, why don't you climb into the Escalade. Then, you can enjoy the ride. Oh, but don't take off the blindfolds while you're inside. That would just cause unnecessary problems."
After Elicia, Ikaruga, and Irene nodded in response, Alfonzo helped each of them into the Escalade. Then, once they were all settled, Alfonzo levitated the vehicle as he turned towards his guides.
"Alright now, let's get going." Alfonzo said with a smile.
In response, Genma, Raidō, and Iwashi only stared at the floating magic vehicle in a daze. A few moments later, they broke out of their dazes. Then, they started running towards the Village Hidden in the Leaves at high speed. Meanwhile, Alfonzo, while dragging the Escalade through the air with his [Metal Magic], sprinted after the shinobi, keeping up with little effort.
Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoy the story.
Comments, Reviews, and Power Stones are always appreciated.
Earth Land, Ishgar, kingdom of Fiore, the Village Hidden in the Leaves.
January, x787.
The trip from the Valley of the End to the Village Hidden in the Leaves was not a long one. Despite that, Genma, Raidō, and Iwashi were surprised just how easily Alfonzo kept pace with them on the trip.
Not to say that they thought Alfonzo would be slow or weak. However, they thought they would have had an advantage when it comes to forest travel. By the time they stopped in front of the village gates, however, that notion had been completely turned on its head.
"There's no way anyone in their right mind would call this a village." Alfonzo said while looking at the village from the sky. "It's almost as big as Shiratsume."
Alfonzo's comment was enough to bring the three Leaf shinobi back to their senses. Then, they looked up at Alfonzo who was lowering his altitude.
"Why did you even run through the forest with us if you could fly?" Iwashi asked curiously. "Hell, I would have rather flown than run, myself."
"Oh, I just wanted to see how fast you guys were." Alfonzo replied with a shrug after landing next to Raidō.
"I see." Iwashi replied.
"Anyway, let's get you all registered at the gate." Genma said. "After that, we'll escort you to the Hokage Tower."
"Sure." Alfonzo replied with a nod. "What should I do with the Escalade, though?"
As he asked his question, Alfonzo lowered the Escalade to the ground. Then, he helped Elicia, Ikaruga, and Irene climb out. After that, the three ladies tried to remove their blindfolds. Unfortunately, no matter how hard they tried, the blindfolds would not budge.
"Please, don't force it." Raidō said after watching the ladies attempts to remove the blindfolds. "Those blindfolds have [Seals] on them that require a certain process to deactivate."
With that, Genma, Raidō, and Iwashi stepped forward. Then, they removed the blindfolds, allowing the ladies to take in the sight of the village gate.
"Now, if you would follow us." Genma said while gesturing towards the gates.
After that, the new comers were registered. All the while, Alfonzo floated the Escalade above the group. At the same time, Elicia turned it invisible with her [camouflage Magic] Then, once the registration was complete, the group of seven made their way through the village towards the tallest building in the village, the Hokage Tower.
While walking, the group drew a lot of attention. And that was naturally because of the outsiders that were visiting the village. And the most conspicuous of all the onlookers was a young boy with spiky blond hair and bright blue eyes wearing an orange jumpsuit and a pair of goggles on his head.
'Hmm... That's definitely Naruto.' Alfonzo thought to himself after seeing the blond kid. 'And since he's still wearing goggles, that means he hasn't graduated from the academy yet. Maybe Lici and I can take him under our wings. That way, he'll be at a better starting point than the anime.'
Like Alfonzo, Elicia also noticed the young Naruto in the crowd of onlookers.
'O.M.G. Those whiskers are so cute~." Elicia squealed internally. 'I wonder if he'll let me pinch his cheeks.'
Unfortunately, Elicia was not thinking the same thing when she first saw the blond boy, Naruto. Instead, she was only considering how cute he was. Eventually, the group of seven reached the Hokage Tower.
The Hokage Tower was a large, mostly cylindrical building with the Kanji for Fire adorning one side at the top. On top of that, it towered over every other building in the village. Also, during their walk through the village, the three Leaf shinobi explained that it was not only the place where the Hokage worked, but it was also his official residence.
"What are those faces carved into the mountain over there?" Irene asked in a curious tone while pointing at the mountain behind the Hokage Tower.
"Those are the faces of the former and present Hokage." Raidō replied solemnly. "From right to left, they are the first to fourth Hokage."
"I suppose we'll be meeting with the one on the right, then." Ikaruga said quietly.
Hearing that, Genma, Raidō, and Iwashi all lowered their heads.
"Unfortunately, no." Iwashi replied. "You'll be meeting with the third. Unfortunately, we lost the fourth in an accident several years ago."
Hearing that, Ikaruga put on an apologetic expression as she said words of apology to the three ninja. Alfonzo and Elicia, on the other hand, briefly exchanged glances as they put a few things together in their minds. Meanwhile, Irene, who had been scanning nearly everything and everyone in her [Magic Power Detection] range frowned at the news.
'The strongest person in the village is nearly on par with Gildarts in power.' Irene thought to herself as she looked up at the top of the Hokage Tower. 'Then, there is that mysterious magic power that was seal inside of that young boy from earlier. Something tells me there is a much deeper story behind the loss of the fourth.
"Anyway, let's head up." Raidō said. "Lord Third is waiting."
Nodding in response, Alfonzo, Elicia, Ikaruga, and Irene followed the three shinobi into the building. Then, after a few minutes, they reached the door to an office on the top floor.
*Knock!* *Knock!* *Knock!*
"Lord Third, we have escorted our guests." Genma said in a professional tone.
"Good." The voice of an elderly man replied from the other side of the door. "You may enter."
Nodding at the permission he received to enter, Genma then opened the door to the office. And when he did, five people could be seen. While four of them were standing, the last was sitting behind a desk opposite the door.
Wasting no time, Genma, Raidō, and Iwashi ushered the quartet into the room. Then, once they were all inside, Genma closed the door, and the three shinobi stood respectfully near the door.
"Welcome, my friends." Hiruzen, the elderly man sitting behind the desk said in a friendly tone while wearing a grandfatherly smile. "I am Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Hokage of the Village Hidden in the Leaves. And these are my advisors, Danzo Shimura, Koharu Utatane, and Homura Mitokado."
Each of Hiruzen's advisors nodded their heads in greeting. Though, Danzo was staring at Alfonzo rather intensely. Needless to say, Danzo's glare made the Fairy Tail wizards uncomfortable. Especially when one considered all the different magic power signatures in his right eye and arm. Despite that, none of them showed any discomfort in their expressions.
"It's a pleasure, Lord Hokage." Alfonzo replied as he stepped forward and bowed politely. Then, he continued after raising his head while reaching for Elicia's hand. "I'm Alfonzo Marcus. And this is my wife, Elicia Marcus Taylor."
Hearing that, Hiruzen and his advisors turned their attention to the other two visitors.
"And this, is Irene Belserion." Alfonzo continued while gesturing towards Irene with a smile on his face. "She's one of the strongest wizards in Fairy Tail. And last, but certainly not least, this is Ikaruga."
Hearing the name Ikaruga, Hiruzen and his advisors, along with the last person in the room who had yet to be introduced, narrowed their eyes at Ikaruga. Everyone in the room was aware that she had ruined a mission Genma, Raidō, and Iwashi took years ago.
"She's our maid and will be taking care of Lici during her pregnancy." Alfonzo said as he pulled his lovely wife into a hug. "And should Ikaruga do anything unbecoming, the two of us will take responsibility."
Hearing that, all eyes shifted back to Alfonzo. And when they did, they saw steel-like determination burning in the depths of his eyes. And after hearing that declaration, everyone in the room looked at Alfonzo as if he had grown a second head. However, Hiruzen was the first to snap back to his senses.
"Very well, we'll trust your words… for now." Hiruzen said in a skeptical tone. For now, however, allow me to finish the introductions."
With that, Hiruzen gestured towards the last of the people in the room, a tall, lean man with spiky, silver hair that is styled slightly to the left and a dark grey right eye. As for his attire, he wore the standard Hidden Leaf attire consisting of a dark blue jumpsuit, a dark green flak jacket, black shinobi sandals, and a Hidden Leaf forehead protector. Though, his protector was slanted, covering his left eye. He also wore a mask that covered the lower half of his face.
"This is Kakashi Hatake." Hiruzen said. "And he will be in charge of guiding you around the village."
"You mean monitoring our movements." Irene said as she crossed her arms, emphasizing her breasts even more.
As soon as Irene's breasts were pressed together, both Hiruzen and Kakashi zeroed in on them. However, they both broke out of their trances just as quickly.
"Perverts." Irene muttered as she glared at Hiruzen and Kakashi.
"It's only natural to keep unknown elements under surveillance, is it not." Danzo, the man with an X-shaped scar on his chin, said in an emotionless tone.
"Oh, I have no issue with that." Irene said dismissively. "But you should just call it what it is. Otherwise, it feels as though you're insulting our intelligence."
"I see." Hiruzen said calmly. "Believe me, that was not my intention. However, I also did now want it to seem as though we were suspicious of any of you."
"It's fine." Alfonzo said while waving off Hiruzen's concerns. "None of us are wet behind the ears. So, we understand the reason for all of it. But I have to ask, does that mean you'll have someone accompanying Lici, Irene, and Ikaruga. Because I'm certain they won't be spending all their time around me while I'm working."
"Yes, and they will be introduced once you start your work on the training grounds." Hiruzen replied. "For now, let's talk about the mission you wanted to put forth for our village. Before that, please take a seat."
With that, Alfonzo, Elicia, and Irene took seats on a nearby couch. Meanwhile, Ikaruga stood behind them, ready to protect or receive any instructions that may come her way.
Then, once everyone was seated, Alfonzo pulled out a rolled up map of Ishgar, that he handed to Raidō. A moment later, after checking for traps of any kind, Raidō handed the map to Hiruzen, who unrolled and spread it out over his desk.
Alfonzo then went on to pull out a magic item and explained that he needed these magic items buried in the places that were indicated on the map. However, he did not tell the shinobi what the devices were used for. The only thing he said was that this mission was authorized by the Magic Council.
Hearing that this was authorized by the Magic Council, was enough to let Hiruzen accept the mission, which he classified as an A-Rank mission. No one would lie about getting permission from the Magic Council, after all. Something like that was too easy to verify.
At the same time, Danzo's eyes glinted after he heard about the Magic Council's authorization. Something that none of the wizards from Fairy Tail missed.
'I really hope he decides to steal one of my magic items and tries to figure out what it does.' Alfonzo thought to himself. 'The process of getting rid of Danzo will start much earlier than it did in the canon, if he does. And his "friendship" with Hiruzen won't be able to stop it, either.'
"We'll collect the rest of the magic items once you've been settled at your lodgings." Hiruzen said with a smile. "For now, I'm sure you're tired after your journey. So, we'll lead you there so you can get some rest, if that's okay with you."
"Sounds good." Alfonzo said as he stood from the couch. Then, with his hand extended forward, Alfonzo took a step towards Hiruzen's desk. "And please allow us to thank you for your hospitality."
Standing up as well, Hiruzen accepted Alfonzo's handshake.
"Don't mention it." Hiruzen replied diplomatically. "And please, let us meet tomorrow to discuss the renovations to our training grounds."
"Of course." Alfonzo said as he released the handshake.
Hiruzen then gestured for Kakashi to lead the visitors to their accommodations. And once the group of five had left his office, he also dismissed Genma, Raidō, and Iwashi. Once only his advisors were in the room, he turned towards Danzo.
"Danzo, this time we can't afford for you to get up to your usual tricks." Hiruzen said sternly.
"Just who do you think I am." Danzo replied with a scoff. "I know what I can and can't do."
'Or rather, what I can and can't get caught doing.' Danzo thought to himself. 'That young man will be under my control sooner or later, though. Then, I'll be able to make the Village Hidden in the Leaves even more prosperous with his talent for invention.'
Although Hiruzen felt as though he knew what his longtime friend was thinking, there was nothing he could do about it until Danzo was caught in the act.
Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoy the story.
Comments, Reveiws, and Power Stones are always appreciated.