Edolas

Naruto landed with a thump and looked around. Suppressing a shiver, the blond tried not to stare into the shadowed faces of the abandoned clown rides. Walking through the cracked and decaying entrance of the abandoned amusement park, Naruto stepped around the various fallen letters that had once comprised the greeting 'Magic Mountain'. The shadow that it created stretched out over three times its original height of twenty feet in the falling afternoon sun.

Absently drawing a kunai for reassurance, Naruto began tip-toeing his way deeper into the various alleyways. Ignoring the feeling that he was being watched, Naruto looked around for any sign of Mystogan. A cold breeze blew through the town, echoing through termite eaten holes in an eerie, forlorn cry that instantly gave Naruto goosebumps.

'Come on you walking clothes pile, where are you?'

Looking above him, the rusted tracks of some airborne rollercoaster squeaked in the wind, tiny pieces of brown being plucked from the corroding metal and being blown away in the air. Turning his gaze downward and off to the side, Naruto spied a sign that stated the attraction that was attached to it was the 'Hall of Mirrors'. Walking past that, he heard a sound from the stall opposite of it. Checking the name of this one, Naruto resisted the urge to cry out in frustration. This one was called 'House of Horrors'.

Hearing the noise within again, Naruto took a hesitant step forward and looked through the wide open door from a distance. The fact the door had been fashioned in the shape of a large mouth with enormous teeth did nothing to rest his fears as he stared into the inky blackness behind it. Swallowing, Naruto looked around in hope that the noise he heard had perhaps come from somewhere else. Unfortunately, as he looked, the noise came right out at him; a sound much like a ragged breath being exhaled.

Resigning himself to his fate, Naruto began his dead man's walk.

He could stare down the most powerful men in existence without flinching. He had looked death in the face many a time and laughed while giving it the finger. He had the most powerful of all created beings nestled within his stomach. Yet give him the possibility of a ghost and Naruto's legs became wet noodles.

Stepping into the blackness, Naruto felt the lack of light swallow him. Eyes widening, Naruto held his kunai up as he crept into the tunnel. Looking around, he only prayed that Mystogan was just being creepy and doing his quest in here for some reason.

Hearing the ragged breath near him, Naruto took a step forward and ran face first into a wall. Rubbing his nose and cursing the lack of light, Naruto turned and promptly screeched in fright as a disfigured face jumped out to greet him with a shrill cry. Reflexes took over and Naruto's hand flashed out in less time than it took to blink, slashing the creature's head clean in half.

Sparks shot everywhere and metal bolts clattered to the floor as the decapitated head continued to laugh mockingly at his fright. Holding a hand to his chest, Naruto tried his best to still his rapidly beating heart and near hyperventilating breaths. Hearing the noise yet again, Naruto held his shaking hand up and peeked around the corner. Seeing nothing, Naruto stepped forward.

Now getting deeper into the pits of the horror house, Naruto could hear some soft breaths before one large ragged one would sound out. Worrying his bottom lip, Naruto turned yet another corner and saw a softly flickering light a few feet from him, the dim light grubby from lack of cleaning and looking like it would burn out at any second. Walking up to it, Naruto checked around it cautiously before a hand jumped out from the darkness and ensnared his arm.

From the outside of the house, it looked like the roof itself erupted as Naruto screamed blue murder, his chakra boosted jump sending him through the ceiling like it was tissue paper. Landing outside, Naruto gave a mighty shake of his arm and the sparking hand attached to him was flung away into the sky, disappearing quickly into the dimming light.

Staring wide-eyed at the spot, Naruto tried again to calm his heaving chest.

"What are you doing here?"

Screaming for the third time in as many minutes, Naruto spun around with his kunai outstretched, only for it to come into solid contact with a wooden staff. Naruto stared at the form behind him, his fear filled brain taking a few moments to realise the monster was in fact the man he had been searching for. His shoulders seemed to be shaking slightly too, but Naruto couldn't tell if it was because Mystogan was scared of the immense reflexes he had exhibited once the blond sensed him, or if he was just laughing.

Coughing a little, Naruto took his kunai and slipped it away. "So –"

Clearing his throat, Naruto attempted the sentence again after his voice box betrayed him and blew out to an unsightly high note. "So, what are you doing in this place?"

If Naruto could see the man's face, he was almost certain he would have raised his eyebrow. "I believe that was my question to you. I am here on a mission. You however, are playing in an amusement stall."

Looking over his shoulder in immense distaste, Naruto shivered. "That was not amusing and I was not playing. I was searching for you and I thought I heard something in there so I went looking."

Mystogan snorted. "As much as it humors me to think I'd be in a place like that during a mission, I can assure you I was not. What you heard was no doubt old mechanics whose Lacrima has yet to die."

Raising an eyebrow, Naruto tilted his head to the side. "Lacrima?"

The covered head nodded. "Indeed. They are stones which hold magical energy and power things from them."

"Oh." Taking one last calming breath, Naruto sighed as he realised it wasn't a ghost or anything like that. Composing himself, Naruto frowned and looked up at the slightly taller man. "So, why didn't you put me to sleep as soon as you found me?"

Mystogan pointed out towards Magnolia. "The Master sent word that you were coming and that you were a friend in need of help. In that light, I apologise for when we first met."

Naruto raised a hand to his head and smiled awkwardly. "Awww, well, it's ok. It's not like you knew who I was or anything."

Dropping the arm, Naruto then became serious. "So the reason I am here is because I think you can get me home. You know something about that weird portal in the sky and I think it might be my ticket back to my dimension."

Naruto then noticed some movements then that indicated Mystogan was becoming defensive. "While I know what that was in the sky and to where it leads, I do not know if it is able to break through to your own dimension."

Naruto frowned at this. He was being rather difficult over the subject. Crossing his arms, he tried another question. "So what's your deal with closing them? They're just holes in the sky."

Mystogan shook his head. "No, they are more than that, though I really do not wish to elaborate."

Getting cranky, Naruto pointed a finger at him. "Dude, what is your problem? All I wanna know is what it is and how do I make one that can send me home! It's not like I'm asking you to reveal your deepest dirtiest secrets, dattebayo!"

The robed man sighed as Naruto fumed. Turning an eye to the pouting blond, Mystogan shook his head. "Actually, that is a rather big secret I have been keeping. If I am to tell you anything though, you must swear on your honor you will not tell another single person. Remember, the only reason I am willing to tell you this is because the Master requested I help you and the fact that you already come from another dimension."

Hearing the seriousness in his voice, Naruto nodded. "I swear, I'll never tell no one."

Sighing again, Mystogan looked around. "That hole in the sky... it is called an Anima. It was developed by the other world of Edolas because that world has a limited supply of magic. Earthland has an unlimited supply, so the Anima steals magic from this world."

Not quite seeing the problem, Naruto shrugged. "So? Why can't this world just give Edolas some?"

Mystogan shook his head. "No, that would be a very bad idea. Firstly, the king of Edolas has grown incredibly power hungry in his chase for magic and holds a dictatorship over what is left. Any more would only add to his strength. Secondly, Anima can only take magic from this world in a solid form to be converted into a Lacrima. If this was used over, say, a town or settlement, that entire village and its people would cease to exist."

Naruto's eyes widened when he heard this. "Alright, that's a fair reason." He then turned a thoughtful gaze to the sky. "Could you still send me there though? Through one of those Anima things before it sucks anyone up?"

Mystogan shook his head again. "No. For an Anima to be big enough to allow transport between worlds, it would have already have needed to be large enough to absorb the surrounding material. And I will not let one get that big, no matter where it's located."

Frowning unhappily, Naruto really wasn't pleased with the answer but understood his position. Turning a thoughtful eye to Mystogan, Naruto then frowned. "So why do you know so much about this place and how to close them?"

The man didn't say anything and simply turned away. Watching him as he continued to walk away, Naruto snapped his fingers as the answer came to him. "You're from there aren't you!"

Mystogan faltered ever so slightly in his stride and that was plenty enough of a confirmation for Naruto. Smiling, Naruto ran up beside him and dropped a hand onto his shoulder. "Well, never fear, I said I'd never tell anyone so your secret is safe with me."

Raising his arms behind his head, Naruto then started looking around as Mystogan continued walking deeper into the abandoned park. "So, you sure there's no way to make me an Anima to get me home from here?"

Mystogan stopped and looked under a raised attraction. "No. There is nothing."

Naruto looked down at him. "Not even if I knew the exact location of where I came through?"

Straightening, Mystogan looked around. "No. We do not have the tools required."

Naruto watched as the man walked over to the other side of the street and looked under yet another stall. "Do you know how to make it though? Like, what if we built one here? Improvised with what we have."

Naruto could have sworn he heard the man huff in annoyance. "No, I do not know how to build one. Operate, yes. Build, no."

Naruto fell silent as he thought that over. "So... there's nothing we can do?"

"No."

Ignoring the sharpness to the answer, Naruto pouted. "Well that sucks. I need to get home!"

Sighing in exasperation, Mystogan looked over at Naruto. "I apologise for not have the answer to your problems. However, you standing here complaining isn't helping anyone."

Growling, Naruto crossed his arms over his chest. "Well, do you know anyone who might be able to get me home?"

Rubbing his forehead through the slit in his head gear, Mystogan nursed a budding headache. "No. I know of no one, nor anything in this world that could send you home. There is nothing to say that there isn't some way to get you home, I just do not have the answer you seek."

Groaning, Naruto dropped to the ground and looked at the sky. "Awww, and I thought I was so close to getting home too! This sucks!"

Gazing at the dark night clouds that were gathering overhead, Naruto glanced down when he heard footsteps receding. Seeing Mystogan look down at a sheet of paper in his hands, Naruto jumped up and ran over curiously. "So what is that?"

Mystogan rolled it up and tucked it away before Naruto could see it properly. "That was the mission slip."

Waiting for more information, Naruto grew disappointed with the lack of elaboration. "So... what you gotta do?"

Turning, Naruto realised the patient man had his limits. "It does not concern you. This is my mission, I will complete it and then I will collect the reward. That is all you need know. Now, please leave me be and go back to the guild. I have helped you all I can and I would appreciate it if you left me in peace now."

Watching as the man came suspiciously close to stomping away, Naruto looked over to the horizon as the last few rays of light disappeared. Shrugging, Naruto could take a hint. Turning, he made his way back through the creepy streets. It was too late to do anything now, so he'd set up camp and then head out in the morning.

Shivering, Naruto then rubbed his arm as a cold chill blew across him. As a trained ninja, he was told never to ignore his instincts, and currently they were quite loudly shouting that he was being watched. They had been the whole time he had been in this horrible place, but now they were extra loud. Taking a breath, Naruto then whipped around with his eyes wide. "Alright you spooky bastard, where are you hiding?"

Nothing moved except for a slight gust of wind which blew up a puff of dust. Frowning, Naruto checked the area again before turning and making his way out.

XxXxXxX

Settling down, Naruto leant against a tree and poked the small fire in front of him with a long stick. He had managed to find a deer and turn it into his dinner without too much fuss. Now satisfied, Naruto was left to ponder his thoughts as he digested his meal. 'There was definitely something creepy in that place that didn't want me there. I'm just glad to be out. Shame Mystogan couldn't help me any more than give me a few details though. Interesting, but useless. Maybe I could convince him to let me hang around with him when he goes looking for another Anima? I might be able to work something out. Or he might think again and try send me over... seems like a good plan! I'll go see him now.'

Standing with a smile on his face, Naruto turned and looked over at the eerie, dark carnival. A little ghost eye was nothing if it meant he could get home. Grabbing a well burning branch, Naruto jogged over to the entrance. He looked around for any sign of the robed man and sighed when he saw nothing.

Now that he was closer to the accursed place, a lot of his bravado seemed to have vanished. Stupid ghosts.

Swallowing, Naruto resolved himself and stepped into the main street. He looked around cautiously as strange echoing calls surrounded him. It could have been passed off as the wind through the walls if there had been any wind. As it stood though, there was not a breath and yet the noise continued. Holding his arms to himself, Naruto shivered as the temperature dropped. While the burning stick was nice, it didn't give off nearly enough heat to warm him. Cupping a hand to his mouth, Naruto called out hesitantly. "Mystogan? You there somewhere? I want to ask you another question!"

The soft, hollow cries were all that replied and Naruto dropped his head as he looked around. Taking a breath, he tried to calm himself and looked out for any clothes shaped like a human. "Alright Naruto, just breathe. It's just the wind. Just the wind. Nothing scary."

He then jumped when he heard a thump ahead of him. Hearing a grunt that sounded a lot like Mystogan, Naruto ran forward. Rounding a corner, Naruto saw Mystogan standing in the middle of a street with a staff out, looking around cautiously. Breathing a sigh of relief, Naruto held a hand up. "There you are! I was beginning to think you had left. So, what are you do-"

Not given the time to even think of a Kawarimi (Body Replacement), a solid iron bar smashed into the back of Naruto's head. Mind spinning from the shock, Naruto stumbled forward before screaming out in pain and holding his head. "DAMNIT! WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?"

Glaring back around behind him, Naruto saw the bar lying on the ground. Tears pricked his eyes as the pain covered his cranium and all Naruto could think of was to inflict pain on whatever it was that hurt him. Hearing a movement off in the shadows, Naruto whipped his furious glare over and tried to see anything. "That how you wanna do this huh? Let's see how you like it when someone smacks your head with a pole!"

Running over to it, Naruto picked the large thing up. "Here, try it!"

Hearing a nervous shuffle move away, Naruto zeroed in on that point and swung. Letting out an effort filled cry, the bar shot away from his hands like a bullet, spinning so fast it looked like a giant, deadly Frisbee. Whether it hit anyone or not was unknown though since the amount of noise it created as it mowed down several attraction stands was enormous. Dropping to his knees again, Naruto cried out as he held his head. That had hurt. The massive lump that was forming wasn't helping the pain either. Naruto was just thankful he had a thick head and healed fast.

As the pain dulled to a powerful throb, Naruto opened an eye and looked over at Mystogan. The man seemed to be swinging away at the air around him in some weird kata. Growling, Naruto called out to him. "That had better not have been you! What are you doing anyway?"

The man grunted as he parried something with a clang. "I'm busy."

Groaning, Naruto pulled himself to his feet and rubbed the now shrinking lump. He watched Mystogan for a moment longer before he heard something trying to creep up behind him. 'Oh no you don't.'

Disappearing in a flash, Naruto appeared several feet back with his hand wrapped around something in the air and instantly felt hands trying to pry open his fingers. His eyes widened as he realised there was an invisible someone now in his grasp. The strangled gurgles also made him realise he had a pretty tight grip too. Slackening it off, he frowned. "Who are you? Was that you who smacked me over the head?"

The blond felt a kick smack into his side, but it hardly made him move at all. Raising an eyebrow, Naruto simply tightened his grip. "We can do it your way if you really want. You kick, I squeeze and we see who wins."

It was an empty threat, but who was this person to call his bluff? Feeling the resistance weaken, Naruto frowned. "Good choice. Now, who are you?"

Shimmering into view, Naruto's eyes widened again when he discovered that he had a rather busty woman by the throat. She had long pink, plaited hair that stretched most of the way down her back. Her furious green eyes glared at him as his grip unconsciously tightened. There was a small, horizontal scar under her left eye that seemed to crinkle the skin a bit as she frowned. Looking down, Naruto saw she had a very typical ninja getup on. Tight, form fitting pants and top, a belt with several tools hanging from it and rubber soled shoes to help quieten her steps.

The fury on her face marred her pretty complexion as her hands lifted to his arm again. "How did you hear me?"

Naruto shrugged. "Not many people can get the drop on me when I'm on edge. I answered your question, now you answer mine. Who are you?"

The woman scowled and replied with another question. "How did you survive that bar to the head?"

Frowning, Naruto gave her a gentle shake. "Oi, that's not nice. Answer my question first."

Hearing yet another noise behind him, Naruto's face lit up in annoyance as he stepped to the side and snatched out his other hand. Feeling his fingers close around another neck, he smirked. Dragging the new person back in front of him, Naruto gave them a shake too. "I assume this is your friend?"

The pink haired woman in his left hand glared at the newcomer. "How come you didn't attack him?"

Naruto dropped an eyebrow at the question. "Uh, I'm right here you know."

He was ignored as another lady shimmered into view. Had his hands not been occupied, he would have rubbed his eyes because he was currently holding an identical replica of this woman in his other hand. The only noticeable difference though was that this new lady had a scar under her right eye. "I tried! He was too fast!"

Sweat dropping at being ignored by his captives as they began to bicker, Naruto looked over at Mystogan. The man had managed to subdue his opponent and was now tying up a third girl, that one also looking like she was identical to these two. "Hey, what's going on here?"

Turning, Mystogan shook his head. "Bring them here. We'll tie them up."

"Fine."

Taking a step, Naruto had to snap his thighs together forcefully as the two women in his grasp lashed out with a kick aimed at his most manly of places. Catching their shins mere inches before contact, the girls shivered as his gaze darkened. "Oh you should not have tried that."

Bringing their heads together in a sharp crack, Naruto watched as they flopped into unconsciousness, his grasp around their throats being the only thing holding them up. Dragging them over to an amused Mystogan, he dropped them before the man and tuned out of the third triplet screaming indignantly. "For what I know of you, that seemed a bit out of character."

Naruto raised an annoyed eyebrow. "All bets are off when the family jewels are targeted."

Kneeling, Mystogan began wrapping up the twins before tying them to their still screaming sister. "So who are these guys?"

Standing, the robed man dusted down his pants. "It seems these women were the cause of the rumors. The job description mentioned that there had been thefts around this area of some rather curious objects, coupled by some mysterious sounds. My guess it was these three."

Nodding, Naruto walked around in front of the last awake girl and smiled as she snapped at him. "Hey there. Mind telling us why you and your darling siblings attacked us?"

She spat at his face and growled as he dodged it. He patted her head, much to her aggravation and grinned infuriatingly. "That's not very nice. You almost hit me."

She screamed and tried to bite his fingers. Pulling them away, Naruto looked down at her in concern. "Should she be this aggressive?"

Walking up beside Naruto, the man crossed his arms. "I don't believe so. This is most unusual."

Looking around, Naruto nodded. "Yeah..."

Glancing around the area, Naruto pursed his lips. "Hang on a second. Let me try something."

Stepping back, Naruto formed the Ram seal and welled up a generous amount of chakra. "Kai (Release)!"

The entire surrounding area instantly shimmered and dispersed as Naruto's chakra ran through the illusion.

"Woah..."

Taking a step back, Naruto's eyes widened as he saw an old storehouse standing before him. It had huge dual doors on the front with a couple of comparatively tiny windows spotted around the base. The wood looked to be old and rotting, but for some reason held up the structure with ease. Surrounding the area were the ruins of the carnival, their positioning perfect to include this out of place structure. Looking over at Mystogan, Naruto saw the man was just as surprised as he was. Looking around, Mystogan brought out a second stave. "You have a curious ability there, being able to break illusions like that. Especially one of that size."

Nodding, Naruto turned his gaze to the girls on the ground. The last of the three had fallen into unconsciousness, her head lolling backwards and her mouth open with a small amount of drool seeping from her lips. Frowning, Naruto knelt down and made her more comfortable. It looked like the three girls had been controlled by some form of mind manipulation.

Looking over to Mystogan, their eyes met and they nodded before heading towards the storehouse. Creeping up to it, Naruto looked in through a window. Seeing nothing interesting, he turned back to Mystogan. "Alright, I'll check things from above if you want to go in through the door."

"Agreed."

Not waiting for anything more, Naruto quickly channelled some chakra to his hands and feet and rapidly ascended the wall. Reaching the top, he peeked over the edge and looked around. His eyes widened as he saw a single door in the middle of the roof. Checking to see that there were no other people, Naruto slipped over onto the slanted wood and ran over to the door.

It was attached to a box no taller than the door was, but only the depth of a single person. Seeing no handle, Naruto pulled out a bit of ninja wire and slipped it into the crack opposite of the hinges. Running it up and down, he found the resistance of the latch. Pulling it out, he bent the wire around in the shape of a 'U' and threaded it back in and around the latch. When it poked back out at him, Naruto grabbed it and began rubbing the wire back and forth against the metal. Feeding some chakra gently into the wire, it gained a sharp edge and quickly sawed through the latch. Once that was done, Naruto pocketed the wire and gently pried open the door with a kunai.

There was a handle on the inside of the door so Naruto guessed this was some form of an escape route. Opening it wider, Naruto looked in to see a ladder descending down into the bowels of the building. Making sure everything was secure; he gripped the first bar and began lowering himself down head first, anchoring himself to the ladder with chakra as he decended.

The exit route wasn't very long, but it was quite dark. For most of the way, Naruto had to rely on his sense of touch to climb down until his hands touched on what felt like a trap door. This was also made of wood and had a rusted latched to the right hand side. Grasping it, Naruto gently pulled and was relieved to find it opened inward. Shifting his head over to the side, he peered through the crack that had appeared and checked everything in sight.

So far, it looked like a simple wooden room, completely empty of any ornaments. No people were in there either so he gently pulled the door open further. Resting it on the side wall, Naruto carefully lowered his head through the hole and checked around. The sound of some very muffled voices reached his ears, but from the monotone rumble, Naruto could tell they were several thick walls away at least. Like he had first seen, there was absolutely nothing in the room. The only defining thing of it was the old door that hid in the shadows of the corner.

Checking once more for any surveillance material, Naruto let himself drop silently to the floor and instantly ran to the darkest corner of the room. Counting to one hundred, Naruto stared edging for the door, now fairly confident that no one was going to come rushing in. Grasping the handle, Naruto pulled it open but froze when the hinges creaked. The door was already halfway open however and as such, Naruto squeezed through the gap and into the hall beyond.

Sticking close to the ground, Naruto ran down the featureless corridor, eyes and ears wide open for the tiniest of movements or sounds. Nearing a door towards the end of the hall, Naruto slowed up and frowned. There sounded like some faint footsteps disappearing as whoever owned them seemed to run away. Peeking under the door, Naruto saw that the room was dimly lit and what looked like the legs of a table and some ratty chairs were close to the center of it.

Pushing the door open, Naruto looked around and crawled in. There was some abandoned food scraps and a couple of empty mugs on the badly stained table top, the food half chewed and still reasonably warm. Looking to the open door on the opposite side of the room, Naruto quickly moved to it and looked in.

Yet another hallway led away, the dust all having been disturbed by the recent flurry of activity. A muffled shout from somewhere deep down the hall reached Naruto's ears and he frowned. It sounded aggressive and challenging, so Naruto could only guess they were out to attack someone. Hearing a boom follow up fairly soon after, the blond widened his eyes. It had to be Mystogan they had found.

Giving up most forms of stealth, Naruto slipped past the door and started running towards the noise. Several open doors lined the hallway, all looking like they had just been abandoned for the attack. Sliding into a right hand, ninety degree corner, Naruto stopped and was confronted by a strange looking man.

"Oi, how did you get in here?"

Not quite sure if he was friend or foe, Naruto readied himself. "Came in through the back way. What's going on?"

The man then rolled his yellow eyes and grabbed Naruto's jacket. "Well don't just stand there you moron! We've gotta go catch this guy!"

Completely bewildered, Naruto let himself be dragged along as the man fumed to himself. Looking around as they passed the last abandoned room, Naruto turned his gaze back to his guide. "Uh, so what exactly is happening?"

Casting Naruto an incredulous look, the man growled. "Where the hell have you been? The alarm was sounded over five minutes ago! It seems like a mage from Fairy Tail has somehow found us!"

Stumbling as the man wrenched him around another corner, Naruto heard another boom, much closer than the last. Coming to a set of stairs, they rapidly descended them and came into what looked like the storehouse on the first floor. Looking over to the noise, Naruto saw Mystogan surrounded by what looked like one hundred to one hundred and fifty mages, all trying to coordinate an attack on the secretive man. Finally bringing up the rear, the fellow dropped his hand from Naruto's chest and tapped a powerful looking man on the shoulder.

"Sir, sorry for making you wait. I found a straggler and brought him down."

"Hmmph?"

Turning, the massive man looked over his shoulder, first at the guide, then at Naruto. His eye widened and he turned fully to the guide and pointed an accusing finger at Naruto.

"WHO THE HELL IS HE? HE'S NOT APART OF THE GUILD!"

Near deafened by the roar, the comparatively small man turned to look at Naruto. "You're not?"

Naruto shrugged. "What guild is this?"

The man started sweating as the mountain behind him began to bear down on him. "Ph-Ph-Phantom Lord?"

A mighty kick then caught the man in the seat of his pants and he was sent rocketing through the roof high above with an almighty scream. Looking up, Naruto whistled at his rapid departure. "Wow, not bad."

The huge man grunted and cracked his knuckles. "Sorry, he was new so obviously didn't know to kick your ass when he saw you."

"Say what?"

Naruto then cried out as the man jumped forward, his surprising speed not at all hampered by his size. Diving into a side roll, Naruto avoided the strike and looked up. The man had already turned and was charging in again. Thinking on his feet, Naruto raised both hands and caught the incoming haymaker. Using his own strength against him, Naruto let himself be sent into a long backflip, his feet coming through and catching the man twice in the jaw. The first foot snapped his jaw shut with a painful snap and the second sent him sprawling away and into the group he had just broken formation from.

Landing in a crouch, Naruto looked over to see now a good dozen eyes trained on him. "Awww..."

A cry sounded out and suddenly Naruto had to contend with over ten men trying to incapacitate him. Weaving to the side, Naruto grunted unhappily as an unsuspected blow caught him in the middle of his shoulders. Dodging the various magical and physical attacks wasn't really an option when they were raining down on him from all directions. Dropping to the ground as a blade of something sailed over his head, Naruto growled and then rolled to the side as a spear smashed down where his stomach used to be. Seeing a foot within reach, Naruto lashed out a hand and grasped the limb. Rolling again onto his back, Naruto brought his arm around in a wide arc, the man screaming as the blond's superior strength sent him flying through his comrades. Flipping to his feet, Naruto backed up against a wall and checked out his opponents.

The group that had just been knocked down were getting back up as well as more coming to join in on the attack. Hearing a boom, Naruto looked up and saw a massive plume of dust along with several screaming men being sent spiralling into the air. Deciding to step things up, Naruto levelled his gaze at his attackers and grinned. He then raised his hands and brought them in front of his chest and crossed his fingers.

"Kage Bunshin (Shadow Clone)!"

The group suddenly paused in their slow approach and all the men and women widened their eyes when suddenly thirty or so exact replicas of the blond they were stalking exploded into view. Seeing the amazed looks on his assailant's faces, Naruto laughed. "What happened? Where did all your steam go?"

No one moved, so Naruto shrugged and grinned a little more evilly at them. "No takers? Fine then, I'll go first. Try keep up."

Exploding into action, the blond and orange group blurred into the mages. The actual attack lasted less than three seconds as the Naruto's ploughed through them. Bodies went flying in all directions as near invisible kicks and punches broke through hastily constructed guards.

Sliding a fist into the face of the last man, Naruto paused and looked around as his target was sent careening across the massive room. His clones had all fanned out and were now in a perfect semicircle around him in various attack poses as men rained down around them. Seeing the group all turn their gaze to him, Naruto nodded appraisingly and basked in the moment of his awesomeness. Damn he looked cool.

He was broken from his moment of glory when what looked like a paper star was thrown through a clone, causing it to explode. Over two dozen eyes then turned their gazes over to the man that had attacked and frowned. He was a weedy little thing and instantly started sweating bullets when he was locked on. Not even trying to attack, he turned tail and fled.

Chuckling to himself, Naruto straightened up and looked over towards Mystogan. The man seemed to be batting away humans and their attacks like he was playing a ball game, but with the large number of men surrounding him, he was bound to get tired eventually. Shaking his hands and bouncing on his toes, Naruto turned to his clones.

"So, keen to go create a little havoc amongst the Gay Lords?"

The clones suddenly burst into movement and attacked a group that seemed to drop out of the sky. Landing beside the original, a clone looked up with a grin. "Do you even need to ask?"

Grinning back, Naruto turned and chuckled again. "No, I guess I don't."

The group then spread at an unspoken command and sped towards the mob encircling Mystogan.

XxXxXxX

Smacking yet another annoying insect and his attack away, Mystogan very nearly let a growl through his lips as another pest quickly filled that last one's space. He still couldn't understand how he had been detected when he had entered either. He had sworn he had been completely silent. The only thing he could think of was that one single bird that fluttered away as soon as he had opened the door. A raised voice then called out over the noise of the fight.

"So, how's it going over here? Getting tired yet?"

Casting an irritated glance over his shoulder, he saw that immensely annoying blond standing behind him. Mystogan was naturally a reserved person, so this abrasive human was exactly the kind of person he avoided as all costs. However, despite his sizeable shortcomings, Mystogan couldn't deny the boy was incredibly powerful.

The trail of downed Phantom Lord agents behind him coupled with the solid replicas creating mayhem in the midst of the mages only raised his begrudging respect of the blond. Beating away another weak attack, Mystogan grunted. "I'm managing."

Naruto chuckled as he backed up against Mystogan and began protecting his back. "That's good to hear. So, do you know what these losers want exactly? I mean, outside of trying to turn us into a paste on the floor."

Ducking under a poorly thrown spell of some form, Mystogan threw his staff into the man's gut before recalling it back to his hand. "I am unaware of their objective yet. We need to capture someone willing to talk."

Lashing out with two back to back roundhouse kicks, Naruto connected solidly with the stomachs of two women, throwing them back into the crowd forcefully, bowling over a large number of people. "You know what? I think I might have the perfect guy for that."

Creating another clone, Naruto then dispersed it and Mystogan saw one of his replicas break formation and disappear into the shadows. Not choosing to comment, the hidden man focused back on finishing off the seemingly never-ending flow of weaklings. Resisting the urge to sigh, Mystogan punched a man in the face as Naruto began speaking rather loudly again. "So... we only need one guy to talk? You weren't thinking of having pairs to make sure they're telling the truth?"

Mystogan shook his head. "No, just one."

Grinning, Naruto brought his hands up in his favourite seal again. "Well, I'll just finish this lot off now and get on with the interrogation."

Mystogan's vision was then cut off as a plume of white smoke filled the area. It quickly dissipated and revealed about two hundred Naruto's packed into the area. Resisting the urge to widen his eyes, Mystogan watched on as the orange mass turned and began flattening the unfortunate mages. Quite a few members tried to run once they realised their disadvantage, but all escapees were floored by fellow guild members being thrown forcefully at them by a Naruto or two.

The room quickly fell silent as the entire guild was squashed, the occasional pained moan from an unconscious man or woman eventually being the only noise left in the area. Nodding happily, Naruto walked over to a fairly solid looking man and gave him a chop to the neck, knocking him out properly. Straightening, he nodded to his replicas and they all nodded back before going up in a mass of smoke. Looking over to a dark corner, Naruto grinned as a clone came wandering in carrying a rather thin, little man over his shoulder.

Reaching Mystogan, the clone dropped his cargo, winked at Mystogan, then disappeared. Rolling his eyes, the robed man crossed his arms and looked down at the cowering human. "So is this what I think it is?"

Walking up, Naruto placed a hand on the man's head and earned himself a frightened squeak from the motion. "Sure is. Shouldn't be too hard to get some information from him."

Kneeling down in front of the shivering man, Naruto grinned and looked him in the eye. "So, what's your name?"

Flicking his gaze from Naruto to Mystogan and back again, the man swallowed several times before speaking. "T-T-T-Tony..."

Naruto instantly had the feeling this guy and Hinata would get on famously. "Tony huh? Nice to meet you. I'm Naruto and I'm looking to get a bit of information. Mind helping me out?"

Swallowing, Tony hesitantly shook his head. "I c-c-can't! I'd b-be expelled from the g-guild!"

Frowning, Naruto placed a hand on his shoulder. "That's not very good. I wouldn't want to have to do something to help loosen that tongue of yours."

Eeping fearfully as the grip on his shoulder increased, Tony began stuttering incoherently. Rolling his eyes, Naruto gave the man an escape. "How about you tell us, then we don't say who we got the info from?"

Falling silent, the man looked up at Mystogan hesitantly. "Y-You promise?"

Naruto nodded reassuringly and Mystogan just grunted. Swallowing, Tony nodded unhappily and began speaking. "O-ok, w-w-well, what I know i-is that w-we were here to gather provisions f-for the main guild."

Mystogan looked down at him. "I thought it seemed a bit small. What is the main part of the guild doing to need a storehouse like this?"

Cringing, Tony held his hands up. "I dunno, I swear! They don't t-tell low ranked m-mages like m-me anything important. I just k-know that there are a bunch of o-o-other guild segments d-doing the same thing as us."

Looking up at Mystogan, Naruto frowned. "What could they be stocking up on provisions for?"

Mystogan shrugged and asked Tony another question. "What can you tell me about those three hypnotised girls out the front?"

Shivering under the gaze, the small man seemed to shrink even further. "T-they were controlled because o-of their invisibility magic. W-w-we used them to s-scare kids and people away a-and to keep up the story of this p-place being haunted s-so no one would come here. T-they wouldn't join, so..."

He trailed off, no words needed to complete his sentence. Naruto's eyes narrowed and he glared at the man. "So they were like slaves then, hey? What were all the random thefts around the area for? You people just playing games?"

The small man didn't answer, so the two powerful men instinctively knew the response was a yes. Growling dangerously, Naruto leaned in menacingly. "I should break every bone in your body for that. Just be happy I'm kind."

Not giving him a chance to answer, Naruto tapped a pressure point on Tony's neck and he fell to the side, instantly unconscious. Standing, Naruto welled up something in his mouth and spat it out in distaste. "I hate hearing about slavery. Leaves a real nasty flavour in my mouth, dattebayo."

Mystogan silently agreed and looked over the still mass of humans littering the floor. "It looks like we'll need to find someone a little higher up in the chain of command if we want more answers."

Sighing, Naruto scratched his head. "Damn. Why didn't you say so earlier then? If you hadn't told me we only needed one person I could have grabbed someone more powerful!"

Scowling under his head piece, Mystogan began walking towards the exit. "How do you expect me to know something like that?"

Shrugging, Naruto raised his hands up behind his head and began following the man. Pausing as he saw Mystogan look up, Naruto spied a flag on the blind side of the door. It had a purple symbol on it that looked like the bottom two-thirds of an eye with two identical eyelashes sticking out from the bottom of it at about a forty-five degree angle. From the very bottom of the curve, right under the single dot in the middle of the semicircle, swirled out an odd tail, rather reminiscent of a pig's tail. Mystogan grabbed it and pulled it from its place and rolled it up, tucking it away into his masses of fabric. Looking at it curiously, Naruto tried to see it again. "What was that?"

Mystogan opened the door and walked out. "That was Phantom Lord's guild mark. I think I'll start collecting these until this new development is resolved."

Following Mystogan out, Naruto frowned. "So that means you're going out to find more of these segment things?"

The man nodded. "I must find out the reason behind Phantom Lord's unusual behaviour. Fortunately, this is where we must part. I cannot wait, and the girls that were subjected to the mind alterations need medical attention. I trust you will take care of them."

Not even giving Naruto a chance to reply, Mystogan seemed to shimmer and his entire body became a very light translucent. "Goodbye."

He then seemed to fade into a mist and was quickly blown away by a rising wind. Watching him disappear, Naruto pouted and looked over at the now snoring trio of girls. "Stupid Mystogan, dumping me with these girls. I wanted to ask him a simple question but nooo, I get stuck with nurse duty!"

Grumbling the whole time, Naruto stomped over and created two clones. Each then hoisted a girl up and into their arms, bridal style. Sighing one more time, Naruto looked back over his shoulder to where Mystogan disappeared and blew him a raspberry. "Stupid mist trick. Come on then, let's go."