Suspicions About Irene and Brandish

Earth Land, Ishgar, Kingdom of Fiore, the Village Hidden in the Leaves.

December 7, x787.

A few more weeks have passed since Alfonzo introduced Naruto and Kurama to each other. And in that time, Alfonzo taught Naruto how to enter his mindscape. And every time Naruto came out, he complained about how gloomy the sewer system was.

Unfortunately, Alfonzo was unable to explain to Naruto how to manipulate his mindscape. Even though he had done extensive research into the soul ever since he started working on the [Soul Armaments], an inner world and a mindscape were different. The mindscape was more of a representation of the mind than the soul, after all.

Luckily, there was someone Naruto could ask. And that was Ino's father, Inoichi Yamanaka. Though, Naruto and Ino did have to spend a while convincing Inoichi that they were not dating… or thinking about dating… or secretly dating before Inoichi would help. But in the end, he was able to get Inoichi's help. And in the future, what it ended up turning into was a huge, multi-story version of Ramen Ichiraku… To absolutely no one's surprise.

As for the other kids, they continued to make good progress. However, it was obvious that Sasuke was starting to get impatient with Saeko's sword training. Because she refused to teach him any advanced techniques until he made the basics second nature. However, Sasuke felt that with his Sharingan, all that training in the basics was useless.

But other than that little hiccup, things went on as usual.

On another note, Lee was also pushing himself harder during training. That way, he would have more excuses to see Wendy at the hospital. And because of the little falling out Wendy and Carla had not too long ago, Carla was not interfering in Lee's courting of the blue-haired Dragon Slayer, and Wendy seemed to be responding positively, as well.

But today, Alfonzo was once again meeting with Hiruzen in his office.

"So, you have to return to prepare for the S-Class promotion Exam, huh?" Hiruzen asked before taking a toke from his pipe. "I suppose there's nothing that can be done about that."

"Yeah, but don't worry, we'll be back in about two weeks." Alfonzo replied casually.

"We?" Hiruzen asked in a confused tone. "Are any of those other girls S-Class like you?"

"No." Alfonzo said while shaking his head gently. "But two of them will probably be participants this year."

"I see." Hiruzen replied as he opened a drawer of his desk. "*Sigh* I'll have to write up another two missions to have you escorted in and out of the village then, won't I?"

"Sorry for the extra work." Alfonzo replied with a shrug.

"It's not your fault." Hiruzen replied. "It's just a village thing."

"As allies, I don't even know why you're making this such a big deal.' Alfonzo said in a genuinely confused tone. "I mean, no one from Fairy Tail would ever betray an ally."

"It's a law from the First Hokage's era." Hiruzen said in a tired tone. "And getting it changed would be more trouble than it's worth at this point. So, I just leave it how it is."

'I bet Tsunade would have that law changed immediately.' Alfonzo mused. 'As someone who's led a guild, she knows how important it is to have people coming and going from the HQ. Otherwise, the economy gets stagnant. And this village has been like that for a long time. Probably since the last war.'

"So, how is Naruto's training going?" Hiruzen asked while writing out the escort mission.

"As of right now, he's handling Nine-Tailed Fox's influence pretty well, I guess." Alfonzo replied, once again shrugging his shoulders as he did so. "I mean, his magic power flow is much more stable. So, he's gaining control of it much faster than before."

'Hiruzen will probably have a heart attack if I tell him that Naruto is trying to be friends with Kurama.' Alfonzo thought to himself. 'And he'll definitely try to put a stop to that if he finds out. I should probably make sure that Naruto knows not to say anything about hat to anyone, too. At least not for now, anyway.'

"That's good." Hiruzen said while continuing to write. "I was afraid he would not be able to graduate if that wasn't taken care of. With his Uzumaki bloodline, his magic power naturally grows at an astonishing rate, making getting adequate control a constant struggle."

'And you just let that shit fester because of Danzo.' Alfonzo thought to himself. 'I wonder if you even really care for the kid. I mean, he's your grand disciple's son for God's sake. You could have at least tried to get some better conditions for him.'

"I've been teaching him the [Sealing Arts], too." Alfonzo continued while not letting his thoughts show on his face. "And he's been taking to it like a fish to water. And thanks to his creativity, no doubt honed through all the pranks he's committed, he's probably gonna be some kind of trailblazer in the field of [Sealing]."

That was enough to make Hiruzen look up and stop writing for a moment. Just the thought of another grand master in the [Art of Sealing] coming from his village made him happy beyond belief. However, when he thought about the possibility of those [Seals] being used in Naruto's pranks, he could not help but start dripping cold sweat from his forehead.

"*Sigh* I can only pray for the citizens of the village." Hiruzen said in a wistful tone as he looked back down to his scroll and started writing again. "I'm sure he's gonna get some payback on all the people who bullied him in the past. Even worse, there will probably be no evidence that it was him."

"I wouldn't put it past him." Alfonzo replied with a smile. "But at least they won't be too malicious… Probably."

Hiruzen could only sigh once again. However, he did not stop writing.

"So, is there anything else?" Hiruzen asked.

"No, that's it." Alfonzo replied. "So, I'll get going. I need to pack. Then, I'll train the kids before getting a good night's sleep. We'll be leaving around dawn."

"Understood." Hiruzen replied. "I'll include the departure time in the mission details. I assume you'll be returning around the same time that you have for the past two times."

"Yeah, that's right." Alfonzo replied. "And we should be back on the twenty-second."

"Understood." Hiruzen replied. "Oh, and the mission you commissioned for us to spread those devices all over Ishgar should be completed before you get back."

Hearing that, Alfonzo could not help but smile as he stood from his seat in front of Hiruzen's desk.

"Alright, I'll have the rest of the payment for you when I get back." Alfonzo said before turning around to leave.

Though it was not previously mentioned, when Hiruzen accepted Alfonzo's mission request, it was agreed upon that half the payment would be made up front while the rest would be paid once the mission was completed. In total, the Hidden Leaf Village would be receiving one billion Jewels (equivalent to 10 million USD) for this long and tedious mission.

With that, Alfonzo took his leave while Hiruzen continued to write the scrolls for the two escort missions. And while Alfonzo was on his way out of the Hokage Tower, he could not help but smile. Though, this smile would be rather scary for anyone who saw it.

'Finally, the lPhone's coverage network will cover all of the land on Ishgar.' Alfonzo thought to himself while smiling maliciously. 'And after the Seto Group finishes installing the ones in Ishgar's territorial waters, there will be nowhere for you to hide, Junko Enoshima. I don't know what your plans for the future are, but as long as your anywhere controlled by Ishgar, I'll be able to track your magic power signature. And then, you'll pay for all the shit you've pulled over the years.'

Eventually, Alfonzo left the Hokage Tower. Then, accompanied by Kakashi, he returned to his borrowed residence where he would train the kids from the academy, prepare dinner, and get ready to return to Magnolia so he could join Fairy Tales wizards to set up Tenrou Island for this year's S-Class Promotion Exam.

Earth Land, Alakitasia, Alvarez Empire, Vistarion

In the throne room of the Alvarez Empire's imperial castle, Zeref sat upon his throne silently with his eyes closed. However, that silence was soon broken by the sound of the throne room's heavy wooden doors being pushed open.

"Invel, do you have something to report?" Zeref asked without even opening his eyes.

"I do, Your Majesty." Invel replied after approaching the throne and bowing reverently.

"I would assume it is not good news." Zeref said, finally opening his eyes as he spoke.

"I'm afraid it is not." Invel replied as he straightened his back while keeping his head lowered.

"Well, let me hear it." Zeref said, seeming not to be bothered by the apparent bad news that was coming.

"Yes, Your Majesty." Invel replied before adjusting his glasses. "It has been some time since the last report we received from Irene and Brandish arrived. Over a year, in fact."

Hearing that, Zeref raised an eyebrow.

"Normally, that would not be cause for concern." Invel continued. "Both of them have been on missions that required them to break contact for long periods of time in the past. However, when this mission started, they contacted us, at least, once every three months. However, they have missed their schedule four times since the last report. And in another month, it will make that total five times if we do not receive a report in the coming month."

While Zeref found that unusual for Irene, Brandish was often found it too troublesome to send regular reports when she was out on long-term missions. So, he did not think much of it in her case.

"Another thing that caught my attention was the fact that Heine Lunasea and Juliet Sun, Irene's sentient swords, received a message from Irene almost three months ago." Invel continued. "And a little over a month ago, they both boarded a ship headed away to Caracole Island."

"Hmm…" Zeref hummed in interest. "Going through Caracole Island is the only way to reach Ishgar without raising much suspicion."

Caracole Island is an independent resort island situated between Ishgar and Alakitasia. As a popular tourist destination, neither continent has been able to lay claim to it, without causing a war. So, it is common for those trying to reach the two continents to stop there first when trying to move without having to deal with either continent's navy.

"Though the implications could be rather concerning, I doubt Irene would betray the empire at this point." Zeref continued while wearing a contemplative expression. "Still, just to be safe, send Jacob to ascertain Irene and Brandish's situation. However, he is under no circumstances to engage in combat. Only have him collect information on Irene's situation and return."

"As you command, Your Majesty." Invel replied as he once again bowed in reverence. "Then, if you'll excuse me, I shall relay your orders."

"You may go." Zeref said nonchalantly.

With that, Invel backed a few steps away from the throne, all with his head lowered. Then, he turned on his heels, not raising his head until he was facing away from Zeref. After that, he strode towards the throne room's doors, closing them behind him as he left.

Meanwhile, Zeref was left contemplating the information he just received.

"Is it possible that Irene could have betrayed me" Zeref asked himself. "The only way I could see her doing that was if someone on Ishgar was able to reverse her [Dragonization]. But that should be impossible, right? She's been trying to do that for centuries with no results, after all. And she is one of the most brilliant people I've ever had the pleasure of meeting when it comes to magical theory."

Shaking off that line of thought, Zeref once again closed his eyes and returned to thoughts of other things… Things he truly deemed to be important. Because even if Irene and Brandish were to become his enemies, that would only mean there were two more strong wizards to deal with when he finally invaded Ishar. However, even with their help, no one would be able to stop him from reaching his goal.

"I will have the [Lumen Histoire]." Zeref said quietly. "And when it is mine, with its unlimited magic power, I will finally be rid of this curse. I will also be able to regain everything I've lost during these long centuries."

With that said, the throne room once again fell silent.