Fairy Tail Tempest Inferno

Chapter 37

"Gah!" Naruto awoke and shot straight up, surprising those around him.

"Naruto-Sama!" Juvia yelled and tackled the whiskered teen.

"Ouch! Juvia, that kinda hurts..." The water mage apologized and got off of him. Why was he so sore?

Lucy looked him over. "Are you okay? After you finished fighting Zero, you fell to the ground and started to faint from exhaustion. We're lucky Wendy and the others showed up, your whole body was covered in bruise." She says while frowning.

Naruto nodded to his fellow blonde before looking at Wendy and managed a grin. "Thanks for healing me Wendy-Chan, I owe you one."

The little girl poked her fingers together shyly and shook her head. "N-no. It's the least I could do." But she was surprised how fast he had healed. The burns had healed themselves almost immediately after she began her healing magic.

Taking a look around, it seemed that everyone was here. Some were doing their own thing while others were just resting. Naruto sighed. "I'm guessing it's all over then?" He said laid back down and closed his eyes, he really was exhausted.

when she saw Naruto's figure lying on the ground, Wendy hesitated for a moment but finally began to lie next to Naruto and hug his right hand shyly.

Naruto, who was not aware of this, immediately woke up with surprise and saw the figure of the girl lying next to him, while hugging his right arm with blushing cheeks.

"Wendy-chan what's up?" Naruto said while fighting the blush that began to creep into his cheeks. After all, It's not every day your arm can be hugged by a cute girl.

"I just want to say, thank you for saving my guild" she said while blushing, and avoiding the blonde's gaze with embarrassment.

after saying that, Wendy began to stand up and run away from the blond godslayer with a blush still plastered on her face.

Naruto, who witnessed the shy behavior of the sky dragon slayer, could only chuckle to himself. After awhile Naruto finally got up and internally groaned from how sore he was.

the blonde continued walking towards Erza, who was currently speaking with Jellal. "Yo." He greeted, getting both of their attention.

Erza smiled. "Glad to see you're okay Naruto, you had me worried for a second there."

"You know better than anyone it takes a lot more than that to put me down." Naruto took a seat next to the knight and focused his attention on Jellal. "So, what are you going to do?"

The ex-council member looked away, as if he were ashamed of something. "I don't know... I'm afraid of regaining my memories. I did all of those things..."

"Jellal..." Erza put a comforting hand on his shoulder.

Naruto grimaced when he saw the pain in Erza's face, this whole Jellal situation was really tearing her apart.

Naruto suddenly hardened his face and Jellal flinched. "I'll never forgive you for making Erza cry like that." He said sharply before relaxing and scratching his cheek awkwardly. "But you are one of Erza's friends and helping you out would make her happy..."

'Naruto...' Erza thought and wiped the tears from her eyes.

"Meeeeeeeeenn~!" They heard Ichiya scream. The man was plastered against a barrier and was trying to get out. "I need to use the restroom!"

"Nobody move! We are from the newly reformed council!"

Naruto groaned. They never got a break, did they?

A mob of rune knights circled the group of mages and a black-haired man with glasses and white clothes walked up to the front. "I am the head of the fourth custody enforcement unit. My name is Lahar."

The news of there being a new council surprised everyone.

Seeing as he had their attention, the head rune knight continued. "Our purpose is to arrest the Oración Seis. The man code named Hoteye, please come on through."

Jura looked ready to defend his newly found friend, but was stopped by the ex-Oración Seis member himself. "Richard-Dono..."

The blocky man sighed. "It's alright, Jura. My good nature may have just awoken, but it does not erase my sins from the past. In order to start anew, I must make things right."

The wizard saint frowned but nodded. "If that is the case, then I'll find your brother in your place. What is his name?"

Naruto grinned, he was starting to really like that Jura guy.

"Really!? Thank you, his name Wally Buchanan." Hoteye said.

Erza's eyes widened. "Wally Buchanan? I know that man." She said and the two men looked at her in surprise. "Really!?"

The red-head nodded. "He is a friend of mine. Last I heard, he was traveling across the continent."

Richard's eyes began to water up and everyone smiled at the happy scene. "Thank you... Thank you!"

The knights then proceeded to shackle the man up and take him to the carriage. "Now then, for the other reason we are here... Infiltrating the council, causing its destruction, firing Etherion! Jellal, you are under arrest for federal treason!"

Naruto closed his eyes while everyone else gasped.

"Please wait! Jellal doesn't have any memories! He doesn't remember any of that!" Wendy fruitlessly tried as they put the shackles on Jellal.

Lahar shook his head. "That is no cause for pardon." He said before turning to one of the other knights. "Release the spell."

"Yes sir!" The knight said and the barrier around the mages faded.

"B-but!" Wendy sobbed and Jellal grinned at her.

"Don't worry about me Wendy, go back to your guild and keep having fun." With that, he continued to walk to the carriage. He stopped next to Lahar when he spoke though.

"Are you sure that is all you want to say? Your sentence will most likely be death or life in prison, you will never see these people again."

Jellal's expression never changed. "Yes."

Lucy gasped. "That's just..."

"Cruel..." Juvia finished.

Jura frowned. "I do not like this. Arresting a good man is unjust."

The mages looked like they wanted to take the man back, with force if needed, and the rune knights began to back off.

Lahar looked at the glaring mages and put his hand up. "I apologize, but this man has committed crimes, memory of it or not."

Naruto looked at Erza and noticed that she was trembling. 'Erza..' He put a hand on her shoulder and gave her a reassuring smile.

Somehow, that smile of his gave her hope. It was a smile that said: "Don't worry, just leave everything to me". Erza managed to smile back, Naruto really was someone you could count on.

But what happened next shocked her.

"You may take Jellal away." Naruto said with a neutral expression.

"Naruto!?" Lucy said, surprised. She expected him of all people would be against this whole thing.

Seeing everyone giving him strange looks, he sighed. "It sucks, but this is the council we're dealing with. Messing with them will only bring us trouble, and I don't think Jellal wants that either. Isn't that right, Jellal?"

Everyone looked to Jellal to see him nod. "I'm not going to resist."

Erza lowered her head, Naruto was right. Jellal, no matter how much she hated it, needed to go. She couldn't be so selfish as to dragging the others into getting in trouble just for her.

Lahar looked at Naruto with mild interest. "What is your name?"

Naruto kept his neutral expression and answered. "Naruto Uzumaki of Fairy Tail."