Naruto x Fairy Tail: Fairy's Shadow

Bonus Chapters every 100 Power Stones

"Normal Dialogue"

'Inner thoughts'

[Year X790]

~ With Fairy Tail ~

The journey back to Magnolia was sombre.

When they finally arrived at Magnolia's station, the town greeted them with the same enthusiasm it always showed returning guild members. Children ran alongside their path, throwing flower petals and shouting congratulations. A small crowd had gathered near the guild hall, and someone had strung up a banner reading "Welcome Home, Team Fairy Tail!"

"Look at them. They're proud of us." Bisca said quietly, watching the excited faces as Alzack squeezed his wife's hand.

"We did our best." Max said.

As they walked through the celebrating crowd, each of them felt the weight of what they hadn't accomplished. The townspeople's joy was genuine, but it felt separate from their own experience. They smiled and waved, accepting congratulations and praise, but their hearts weren't in it.

When they finally reached the guild hall, they stopped dead.

Standing outside the entrance, arms folded over his long robe, was Warrod Sequen. The Wizard Saint's presence was immediately noticeable, not hostile, but ominous in a way that made the air feel heavier than it already was. His usual jovial expression was absent, replaced by something that looked like exhaustion.

"Inside," he said without preamble. "We need to talk."

As Fairy Tail entered their guildhall with Warrod close behind, the entire hall fell silent, sensing that something significant was about to happen.

Macao stepped forward, his face already showing concern. "Warrod-san. This is... unexpected."

"Master Macao, I apologize for the intrusion, but there are matters that can no longer wait." Warrod replied, inclining his head slightly.

He turned to address the team that had represented the guild he was once a part of. "You have all grown. Not just in strength, but in spirit. Your performance at the Games was admirable, considering the circumstances. Shisui would be proud."

The words should have been comforting, but something in Warrod's tone made them feel like a prelude to bad news.

"Warrod-san, have you heard from him? Is he coming back?" Romeo asked, the hopeful tone in his voice causing Warrod's heart to sink a little.

Warrod's ancient eyes seemed to dim. "The truth is... his mission took him further than any of us imagined. Far beyond even what I would be capable of."

Gasps rippled through the guild. Max felt his stomach drop. "What are you saying?"

"Where he went," Warrod continued, his entire presence seeming to have aged older the more he spoke, "whatever he was sent to investigate, it had remained hidden for over hundreds of years. Hidden even from the Magic Council's sight."

Macao's voice came as a soft plea, his face paling at the implications of Warrod's sudden words. "Warrod-san, please. Is he alive?"

The pause that followed felt like an eternity. When Warrod finally spoke, his voice was barely above a whisper.

"I... don't know."

The words hit the guild hard. Bisca covered her mouth with her hand. Jet looked like he might explode. Even Warren's usually composed expression cracked.

"Why didn't you tell us this earlier?" Romeo demanded, trying to remain calm.

"Because I didn't know. Not for certain. And even now... I fear what I know may only be part of the truth." Warrod sighed heavily.

He opened a vine-woven satchel and placed a heavy bag on the nearest table. The sound of jewels clinking together was clearly audible in the silent hall.

"This is the reward for the S-rank mission that Shisui undertook," Warrod said, his voice becoming more formal. "The Magic Council has..."

He stopped, struggling with the words.

"The Magic Council has decided that Shisui Uchiha will be labelled as 'Killed in Action' while undertaking an S-rank mission sanctioned by the Magic Council."

The silence that followed was deafening. No one moved. No one breathed.

"I tried to fight that decision," Warrod continued, his voice growing stronger as if drawing on some inner reserve. "But the majority had already made up their minds. The mission was classified with utmost restriction, and after a year without contact, they've declared it impossible for anyone to have survived."

Romeo's hands were shaking. "But you said you didn't know. You said—"

"I said I don't know if he's alive," Warrod corrected gently. "The Council has made an administrative decision based on probability and precedent. They are not the same thing."

"So there's still hope?" Macao asked desperately.

Warrod looked at him for a long moment, then shook his head slowly. "I cannot give you false comfort, Master Macao. The place where Shisui went... it is not a place from which people return."

He stood, adjusting his robes. "Please accept this reward. It is the least I could do. Shisui... he was special. He was trying to protect everyone, even those who will never know his name."

"Wait," Jet stepped forward. "That's it? You're just going to leave?"

Warrod paused at the door. "There is nothing more I can tell you. I am sorry. For all of it."

He left without another word, leaving the guild in stunned silence.

For a long time, no one moved. The bag of jewels sat on the table like an accusation, the physical representation of a life that might have been lost. Romeo was the first to break, tears streaming down his face as he stared at the reward money.

One by one, the others began to cry. Bisca leaned into Alzack's arms. Jet sat heavily in a chair, his head in his hands. Droy's shoulders shook with silent sobs. Even Macao, who had tried so hard to be strong for everyone, felt tears running down his cheeks.

Max walked slowly to the table and stared at the bag. This was what Shisui's life was worth to the Magic Council.

A sum of money, a closed file, an administrative decision.

"He's not dead... He can't be. He's supposed to come back. He's supposed to..." Romeo said through his tears. 

But his words trailed off, lost in the weight of what they'd just learned.

The guild remained gathered around the table as evening fell, none of them able to speak, all of them staring at the reward money that represented the end of their hope.

Outside, Warrod walked slowly through the forests on his way home, his heart heavy with the knowledge of what these people had lost. First their family at Tenrou Island, and now, just when they'd begun to rebuild around Shisui's strength and guidance, they'd lost him too.

'Some burdens... are too heavy for even the strongest shoulders to bear.'

~ End of Chapter 73 ~

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