Scrying with Blood

Haunting

Last Time:

Shikaku frowned, "Orochimaru was framed. What's to be happy about?"

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"They aren't back yet." Naruko pouted as she casually hung from the tree branch. A full week has passed, but there was still no sign of her teammates.

"You can train, I'll help." Minato offered as he floated around as a mini bloody version of himself.

"I kind of wanted to see more of this place," Naruko commented as she flipped and landed gracefully on the ground to look out at Magnolia from her spot on the cliff.

"Just take a stroll through the shops." Minato said ignoring what she really meant.

"I mean Fiore, Dad, not just Magnolia. You really don't want me to explore the kingdom, do you?" She said with a look of mock hurt.

Mini Minato frowned, "You shouldn't travel alone. Yes you're fully healed and can fight off many enemies, but it's never a good idea to face ninjas alone even if you have the advantage. A kage-"

"Can be killed by a genin with the right opportunity." Naruko finished the phrase she heard from her father over and over again. "I wasn't planning on traveling alone. Besides, it's no fun being alone on a trip." She said putting her hands on her curvy hips almost daring her father to argue and he wanted to. After all, all the women, except the bartender, left with their teams on trips for money, which left only the very people Minato was trying to protect his daughter from... men.

"Fine." Mini Minato sulked knowing he had no control over his daughter and it's not like he can imprison her when he's stuck in her familiar. As long as he behaved he can travel with her and keep her safe.

"Glad you agree!" She exclaimed happily as she kissed her mini father on the cheek before strolling into the woods to return to Fairy Tail.

Minato huffed, "I don't." He grumbled before dissolving into vapors to follow after his beloved little girl who wasn't little anymore if she ever really was in the first place ...

XXXXXXXXXX

"Thank you, Bickslow." A grateful Laxus said as he looked down at his teammate.

"No problem. I can't promise Evergreen and Freed won't find out, but I'll do what I can to stall them if they do." Bickslow said tossing a bag of supplies to a second Laxus. It was a clone. "Good thing the master is feeling like playing matchmaker."

Laxus raised an eyebrow, "What are you talking about?"

"Oh come on, Laxus. You and your grandpa might have had a rough patch, but you don't think it's strange he saved this low level mission for us and just happen to get a mission right when you asked for a second one, which lucky the second mission is in the exact opposite direction. He saw us practicing the clone technique and has seen you staring at Naruko with those love sick puppy eyes." Bickslow chuckled nervously as the lightning dragon slayer glared at him. "I'm just saying that he knew you wanted some time alone with our blood mage and he gave you one hell of a mission to do it."

The tall blonde dragon slayer blushed and looked down at the mission flyer that asked for two mages to investigate strange occurrences at a romantic hotel that was recently losing business because of the events. "Oh ... ok, I see your point."

"You should. It's pretty obvious. Now you go and grab your blonde and I'll make sure no one realizes we have your clone." Bickslow exclaimed cheerily as he walked off with the Laxus clone.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm going ... and thanks man." Laxus said gratefully. He knew he'd never fool Bickslow because of the mage's ability to see souls. The clone would be spotted right away so his only chance to get away from his team was if Bickslow had a little mercy on him and thankfully he did. Evergreen and Freed are both too clingy to allow this to happen so this was his only option. If they somehow figure it out they will be pissed at him and Bickslow, but when he spotted Naruko at the bar asking if anyone was free for a mission he couldn't bring himself to care about the things that could go wrong. "I'm free if you'd like to go with me."