Chapter 5: Lightning, Legends, and a Most Curious Meeting
Morning in the wild was always a quiet affair, but not when he was involved.
Naruto Uzumaki sat cross-legged by the fireless pit, munching thoughtfully on a pair of sunny-side-up eggs that came from a rather opinionated species of magical hawk-birds called Skycluckers. The birds themselves were feisty, known for laying eggs mid-flight and squawking judgmentally at anything that dared oversleep past dawn.
"These eggs taste like they've got an opinion," Naruto muttered cheerfully, scooping the yolk with a slice of flatbread made from ground mountain grain. "Bit dramatic. Just like the bird."
Beside him, a jug of juice—sunny, tart, and a little sparkly—glistened in the light. It came from the Zestbloom, a cousin of the orange, only rounder, fuzzier, and prone to mild explosions if overripe.
Ark the Arcanine lay nearby, eyes half-closed, basking in the early sun and the fading scent of roasted herbs. He flicked an ear but didn't say much. Until, of course, the breakfast ended.
After wiping his mouth with a cloth made from sky-silk (woven by cloud spiders, naturally), Naruto stood and performed a little ceremony. He clapped his hands together, closed his eyes, and whispered a few thankful words to the earth.
Then—thwump—the campsite vanished, pulled gently into the earth like a story ending its chapter.
In its place, the land bloomed with gratitude. Trees unfurled their leaves in seconds like they were stretching after a good nap. Flowers of soft amber and blue winked into life.
"Blessed by the bounty," Naruto said softly, as he always did. Then he turned his eyes upward.
The mountain wasn't impressive. Not to someone who could casually leap into the stratosphere. It was squat, craggy, and looked like it might apologize for being in the way.
Still—adventure called.
"We'll be climbing it," Naruto said, stretching his arms. "Can you do it, or should I carry you?"
Ark narrowed his eyes at the challenge. "I can climb it without issue," he said with great dignity, flicking his tail like a noble lion.
Naruto smiled gently, then ruffled Ark's fur. "Good. Then go slow. Treat it like training."
Before Ark could reply, Naruto tapped him on the shoulder—and a seal the size of a dinner plate glowed faintly before vanishing into Ark's coat.
Whump.
The ground suddenly felt heavier. Ark's paws pressed deeper into the soil, and he felt like he'd aged several centuries in the span of a second.
"What… did you do?" Ark asked, lifting a paw and watching it fall like a sack of bricks.
"I turned off your cheat codes," Naruto said cheerfully. "Just temporary gravity magic with a pinch of chakra restriction. You'll thank me later."
Ark stared at the mountain again.
The same mountain.
Only now… it looked like the villain in a horror movie. He wasn't sure whether to bark at it or apologize for insulting its mother.
"Hahaha!" Naruto laughed, slapping his loyal companion on the back. "You should see your face! Come on, old boy—race you to the top."
With that, the man was off, jogging at a leisurely 30 km/h—about the pace of an enthusiastic bicycle.
Ark grunted. Then groaned. Then gulped.
"Right," he muttered to himself. "I'm a legendary beast. An Arcanine. I don't need cheat codes to climb a mountain. I've got pride."
And so, he ran.
Well, "ran" was generous. It was more of a determined shuffle that tried very hard not to look like a struggling tourist climbing the stairs to a wizard's tower.
But Ark pushed through, chasing after Naruto's figure in the distance, tail swinging like a banner of stubborn resolve.
As the wind picked up and the mountain slowly welcomed them into its crags and crevices, Ark allowed himself a small smile.
I wonder how strong I'll be when this journey ends.
He didn't know the answer yet.
But the question alone was enough to keep his paws moving.
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The ascent was not a race but a rhythm, a kind of flowing dance between man, beast, and stone.
Naruto moved like the wind given form, leaping from ledge to ledge, twisting through narrow gaps, sometimes vanishing in a flash step and reappearing with a laugh just a breath away. His body barely touched the surface at times—it was as if the mountain itself welcomed his presence, reshaping ever so slightly beneath his feet to accommodate his steps.
He wasn't defying nature.
He was part of it.
A breath among the leaves, a shadow passing across the rock. The world was his playground, and it showed.
Ark, on the other hand, was sweating. And cursing. And very nearly plummeting to his death—at least seven times.
The worst part? Naruto never intervened. Not directly. But every time Ark's paw slipped, every time his balance wavered, a ledge would appear. A stone would jut out. A branch would bend just so. As though the world whispered, "You're not alone."
"Come on, you can do it, Ark," Naruto called, his voice echoing gently from somewhere ahead, dancing on the wind like encouragement written in song. "I'm beside you. Forget the fear."
Ark's breath hitched.
Those words—simple as they were—dug deeper than chakra or gravity seals. He wasn't sure when the bond had become so tight, when the man beside him had started feeling less like a master and more like something… more.
Not a father. Not a brother. Something that didn't have a name.
A presence that made the world feel possible.
Ark surged forward, claws gripping the stone, tail sweeping for balance. The burn in his limbs no longer felt like weakness—it felt like growth.
When he finally caught up to Naruto on a plateau, he nearly collapsed. But instead of being met with sternness, he felt fingers scratch gently into his mane.
"Good boy," Naruto said, his smile as warm as the sun peeking over the distant peak.
Then came the candy.
It was amber-colored and faintly glowing, like honey hardened by magic and sunlight. As Ark bit into it, his eyes widened. Pure natural energy. It wasn't just sugar—it was power, condensed into a treat.
It didn't just fill him with strength. It made his senses clearer. The wind sang louder. The stones whispered louder. The world itself opened like a book he could almost read.
They pressed forward, Naruto sometimes walking upright, sometimes crawling through thin passes, sometimes launching through narrow cliffs with the joy of a boy in a new sandbox.
Ark followed, one paw after another. His limbs were heavy—intentionally so, because of the seal—but he was learning. His sight adjusted to the terrain. His instincts sharpened to subtle changes. Even his sense of rhythm adapted, taking in the natural flow of the land.
They were halfway up now. The mountain stood tall at six thousand meters—not an impossible height, but a formidable one nonetheless. For any ordinary human, even the most elite mountaineers, it would be weeks of planning, oxygen masks, cold gear, and ropes.
But for them—it was a lesson.
Not in power.
In grace.
And Ark was starting to see why Naruto insisted on walking the world instead of flying over it.
"This place has secrets…" Ark murmured to himself, eyes following a bird nesting in a cliff hollow, a flower blooming in snow.
And beside him, Naruto just smiled and said, "You're starting to hear it now, aren't you?"
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Naruto had met many a bird in his adventures—some big, some small, and a few who could recite poetry if you gave them enough fruit—but none quite like the one now soaring directly at his face.
It was a magnificent thing: sleek indigo feathers, a glint of steel in its wings, and a proud crest that suggested it considered itself something quite special. And it probably was.
"Ah, a Corvisquire," Naruto murmured, extending his arm as casually as if he were offering a perch to a house sparrow. "Hullo there."
The magical bird swooped down with a loud skreeee! and landed on his arm with the elegance of a professional stage performer. It gave him a once-over with curious eyes, as though trying to decide whether Naruto was a worthy branch to stand on—or just another oddly dressed hiker.
Above them, the skies were alive with chaos.
Hundreds of birds were locked in a midair skirmish that looked like a wizard's fireworks display gone horribly off-script. Beaked missiles darted through clouds, feathers exploded like confetti, and somewhere in the middle of it all, a Pidgeot was flapping angrily at what looked like a surprisingly smug-looking Corviknight.
Naruto tilted his head, watching the spectacle. "Hm," he said with the same mild interest one might show toward two elderly wizards fighting over the last biscuit at tea. "Territorial dispute? Or just a really shiny trinket?"
A glint of gold caught his eye.
It wasn't just shiny—it was practically glowing. Floating right in the center of the avian battle royale was a single, shimmering golden apple, suspended in midair like a prize in a magical treasure hunt gone airborne.
Naruto's stomach growled, a low, almost conversational rumble.
"I mean… that does look delicious," he muttered to himself. A little louder, he added, "But we don't steal fruit from people in the middle of a family feud. Even if they have wings."
Ark, meanwhile, had been staring wide-eyed at the apple, his tongue practically hanging out. The poor creature was drooling like a puppy outside a bakery.
With the gentlest of pats, Naruto rested a hand on Ark's head. "Learn to resist the temptation," he said kindly.
It was such a simple sentence, but it struck Ark like a spell. He blinked, as if waking from a dream, and pulled his tongue back in with a startled grunt.
"Sorry," Ark said, ears drooping slightly. "I'll do better next time."
Naruto chuckled and scratched behind his ears. "That's the spirit."
They continued upward, stepping over tangled roots and rocky outcrops as the sounds of bird-battle grew fainter behind them. But just as they neared the summit, something shifted.
The air thickened.
The sky darkened.
Clouds gathered as though someone had insulted the weather's mother, and within moments, fat droplets of rain began to fall. A crackle of thunder lit up the horizon, followed by a jagged bolt of lightning that painted the mountaintop in ghostly silver light.
Naruto stopped, standing perfectly still as the wind tugged at his cloak. His eyes narrowed—not with fear, but with a curious sort of amusement, like someone watching a kitten try to open a locked cupboard.
"Impressive little kid," he said softly.
Ark looked up sharply.
The way Naruto said it… it wasn't directed at him.
The words hung in the air, like an invisible thread connecting him to someone—or something—that Ark couldn't see.
It wasn't just the words that bothered Ark. It was the feeling. A strange, twisting sensation in his chest. Not pain, exactly. Not fear. But something sharp. Something… unpleasant.
What was that?
He didn't know.
But he did know one thing:
He didn't want to feel it again.
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The mountain was a mess.
Scorched earth, scattered feathers, and the odd crunch of a monster's unfortunate misstep underfoot all bore witness to the chaotic skirmish that had just unfolded. The air still crackled faintly with residual electricity, and a light rain began to fall, washing away the dust but not the memory of the battle.
Naruto walked calmly through the aftermath, his boots squelching softly on the damp soil. Around him, smaller creatures — ones too weak to join the fray — were beginning to stir, blinking in confusion as if wondering what all the fuss had been about.
His eyes were fixed on the prize.
The golden apple.
It still gleamed invitingly despite the downpour, as if untouched by the chaos around it. Naruto plucked it from its precarious perch, savoring its warm weight in his palm. Just then, a flash of lightning split the sky—BOOM!—striking with surgical precision and frying every hostile beast within two hundred meters.
Naruto blinked, impressed despite himself. "That was… rather spectacular," he murmured. "Not many children these days can command lightning with such finesse."
His thoughts drifted, a nostalgic smile curling his lips as he watched the storm play around him. Another child from the same distant place, he mused, drawn together by fate and that irresistible spark of adventure. What wonders—and challenges—await them in this wild world?
As lightning illuminated his rain-drenched figure, Naruto's presence felt almost otherworldly—a mysterious guardian amid the tempest.
Suddenly, from the shadows stepped a figure that contrasted sharply with Naruto's quiet calm.
Laxus Dreyar.
An S-rank mage from the renowned Fairy Tail guild, Laxus was the sort of man who didn't just stride into a room—he stormed in, hair like a thunderbolt, muscles bulging beneath a lightning-patterned coat, and a jagged scar tracing down his cheek like a battle trophy.
He had chosen this mission on a whim—nothing too serious, just enough to sharpen his combat skills and blow off some steam. His booming laugh and crackling magic had scared off many monsters before, bending the wild to his will like a true master.
But tonight, Laxus's eyes were drawn not to the ruins or the fading sparks, but to one drenched figure standing alone in the storm.
Naruto.
There was something about the way Naruto smiled as he bit into the golden apple—something so genuine, so unguarded—that Laxus found himself rooted in place, utterly captivated.
"How…?" Laxus whispered under his breath, feeling a flicker of something unfamiliar—a curiosity, a hint of envy, or perhaps the first seed of respect.
The man was smiling despite the rain. Unfazed by the storm. Unafraid of the chaos.
And then, as if sensing his gaze, Naruto turned toward him and began to walk closer.
What magic is this? Laxus wondered, heart pounding with the thrill of the unknown.
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Naruto bit into the golden apple again, and this time, he poured a bit of his own magic into the fruit before sending a sparkling copy of it back home. The effect was instant — the juice was so sweet and full of life it practically sang on his tongue, sparking little bursts of joy in his chest and painting the air with warm, shimmering light.
"Absolutely scrumptious," Naruto said with a grin, his eyes twinkling with delight. The fruit was known to boost magic power, but for someone like Naruto, whose strength already danced on the edge of legend, it barely tickled his vast reserves. Still, he happily tore off a juicy piece and handed it to Ark, who gobbled it eagerly.
Then Naruto turned to the young man standing nearby — the one who had interrupted the storm's chaos with a flash of his own lightning.
"Here," Naruto said, slicing off a generous piece and offering it with a friendly smile, "Thank you for the help. Eat this."
Laxus eyed the fruit suspiciously, but the aroma was irresistible, and somehow, Naruto's presence made the moment feel... safe. He took the piece and bit down. The burst of flavor was so intense, so delightfully rich, that even the seasoned S-rank mage felt his magic pulse stronger, his senses sharpen.
How? Laxus wondered, blinking in surprise. His magic, usually steady and rock-solid, was suddenly lighter, more vibrant.
Naruto chuckled and winked. "Magic, little one. You must be a friend of the Scarlet One, then."
With a casual flick of his hand, Naruto created a small bubble around them — a cozy, dry little space where the rain vanished, and the chill lifted. His clothes shimmered and dried instantly, as if kissed by invisible sunbeams.
Laxus's eyes narrowed, watching every move with the sharp curiosity of a seasoned fighter. This man wasn't just powerful — he was otherworldly. "Who exactly are you?" he asked, voice low.
Naruto's grin broadened. He gave Laxus a playful flick on the forehead. "You're a naughty child, Laxus. And you know what naughty children get?"
Suddenly, the peaceful magic that had cocooned them snapped away like a popped bubble, and Laxus felt a familiar, burning anger rise inside him — an electric fury that made his fists crackle with raw lightning energy.
"You'll pay for this insolence," Laxus growled, launching a lightning-coated punch toward Naruto's face.
But Naruto caught it easily, his arm glowing with golden lightning that met Laxus's attack with a crackle and a hum. Stats equalized, Naruto thought with amusement.
"Let's have some fun, little one," Naruto said with a sparkle in his eye, pulling Laxus forward before delivering a swift kick to his abdomen. The move was precise, practiced — and full of teasing challenge.
Laxus staggered but grinned, excitement flooding through him.
This was the kind of battle he lived for — the kind that wasn't just about power, but about learning. About testing limits. About growing stronger while laughing in the face of danger.
Naruto stretched his arms, his smile wide and ready.
"Show me what you've got."