Naruto x Fairy Tail: Fairy's Shadow

Bonus Chapters every 100 Power Stones

"Normal Dialogue"

'Inner thoughts'

[Year X790]

~ With Fairy Tail ~

Four more months passed, and Shisui was still missing. The outside world had begun to take notice.

Macao was in his office, reviewing supply requests, when the knock came at his door. He looked up to see two strangers in the main hall. A man with a camera and a woman with a notebook, both wearing the distinctive press badges of Sorcerer Weekly.

"Master Macao Conbolt?" the woman asked, her smile professionally bright. "I'm Virella Lyraelle from Sorcerer Weekly. We're doing a feature on Fairy Tail's guild recovery stories post-Tenrou, and we'd love to include some personal perspective. Particularly regarding the status of your S-class mage, Shisui."

Macao's expression didn't change, but inside, his stomach tightened. This was exactly what he'd been dreading.

"Shisui is on a long-term S-Rank mission. He'll return when it's over." He said, his voice steady and authoritative. 

"It's been almost a year. That's quite unusual for simple the run of the mill S-rank missions. Which means we can infer that the nature of the S-rank mission is likely complex and of high difficulty. Are there any concerns about his safety?" The reporter stated. 

"No. Shisui is one of the most capable mages that I've ever had the pleasure of knowing." Macao said flatly.

The photographer raised his camera, but Macao held up a hand. "No pictures. And this conversation is over."

After they left, Macao found himself alone in his office, staring at a stack of maps and mission reports he'd been secretly reviewing for weeks. Late at night, when the guild was empty, he'd been trying to trace any possible lead on where Shisui might have gone. He'd cross-referenced restricted zones, blacklisted areas, and ancient ruins that might require an S-class mage's attention.

Nothing. Every lead turned into a dead end, every possibility ruled out by distance or timing or sheer impossibility.

The worst part was that the Magic Council had been less than helpful. It was as if they were intentionally keeping him in the dark about his own guild member.

Meanwhile, news from the wider magical world continued to filter in. The Grand Magic Games were approaching, and the competition was fiercer than ever. Reports spoke of Sabertooth's Twin Dragons undergoing intensive training that had reportedly shaken a canyon ridge during their practice sessions. Other guilds were recruiting powerful new members, bringing in S-class hopefuls.

~ With Team Fairy Tail ~

"We need to talk about the Games. Registration deadline is in two weeks." Max said that evening, gathering the core team around one of the guild's larger tables.

Bisca looked up from the mission flyer she'd been reading. "Are we really doing this? Without him?"

"We have to. Fairy Tail needs to be represented. We can't let the guild's reputation suffer because of one missing member, no matter how important he is." Alzack said quietly.

"Important?" Romeo slammed his hand on the table. "He's not just important. He's—"

He stopped, his voice cracking slightly. "He's supposed to be here."

Jet reached over and squeezed the younger mage's shoulder. "He is here. Just not physically. But everything he taught us, everything he believed in. That's still with us."

"That's right," Max said, straightening in his chair. "So we train, we compete, and we show the world that Fairy Tail isn't broken. Not by Tenrou, not by missing members, not by anything."

The training that followed was unlike anything they'd experienced before. Without Shisui's guidance, they had to push each other, finding new ways to combine their abilities and cover each other's weaknesses. Max worked on more complex sand constructs, creating shifting platforms and tactical barriers. Jet focused on sustained speed, learning to maintain his high-velocity movement for longer periods. Droy developed better control over his plant magic, creating more precise and powerful constructs.

Bisca and Alzack, meanwhile, worked on their coordination, developing new synchronized attack patterns that maximized their combined firepower. Their chemistry as a married couple translated well to the battlefield, each able to anticipate the other's moves with increasing accuracy.

The night before they were scheduled to leave for Crocus, Macao called the entire guild together. The main hall was fuller than it had been in months, with every member present for what felt like a moment of significant importance.

"Tomorrow, Team Fairy Tail leaves for the Grand Magic Games," Macao began. "They'll be representing not just themselves, but all of us. Every member who's ever called this place home."

He paused, his eyes moving across the faces in the crowd. "I know this year has been difficult. But we're still here. We're still Fairy Tail."

Romeo stood up, his young face serious. "What about Shisui?"

"What about him?" Macao asked gently.

"He's still part of us, right? Even if he's not here?"

Macao smiled, and for the first time in months, it felt genuine. "Of course he is. And I know he'd want us to show the world what Fairy Tail is capable of. He'd want us to fight with everything we have."

The team gathered their gear and prepared for departure, but privately, each member found themselves writing something they couldn't quite bring themselves to share. Bisca wrote a letter describing their training, their hopes, their fears. Alzack wrote about how the guild had held together despite everything. Max wrote about leadership and responsibility. Jet and Droy wrote about friendship and loss.

Romeo wrote about wanting to make his mentor proud.

None of them mailed their letters. Instead, they sealed them away, keeping them close like talismans. Maybe when Shisui returned, they'd share them. Maybe they'd burn them. But for now, they were a way to keep him present in their thoughts and hearts.

As they boarded the train to Crocus, most of the residents of Magnolia came out to see them off. Cheers and good wishes followed them to the station, while the remaining Fairy Tail mages would depart the following day.

~ End of Chapter 70 ~

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