Fairy Tail: Metal and Threads

Earth Land, Ishgar, Kingdom of Caelum, the Village Hidden in the Mist.

November, x788.

Just before Alfonzo could leave to deal with Obito, Mei, who had also received the news about Yagura taking the field, stepped out of the rebel's base.

"Alfonzo." Mei said, her tone sounding rather seductive. "It seems this battle is about to reach its climax. According to our spies, Yagura is about to take the field."

"Yeah, I can sense him moving." Alfonzo replied. "But it looks like I won't be able to participate in the upcoming battle."

Hearing that, Mei's eyebrows furrowed slightly. She was paying good money for this quest. And the fact that the strongest of the reinforcements she was able to procure would not be participating in the most important battle of the entire rebellion was not making her happy.

"Don't look at me like that, Mei." Alfonzo said, subconsciously reaching up to comb his fingers through Mei's long hair. "But there's a reason for this. I can sense someone watching all the fighting from that hill over there."

Reaching that point, Alfonzo pointed towards the tall hill that Obito was watching the conflict from. However, Mei did not even seem to hear what he had to say. Instead, she was staring at his arm, the arm connected to the hand that was combing through her hair, with confusion.

"Ah... Sorry..." Alfonzo said as he pulled his hand away. "I have a bad habit of doing that when I'm trying to comfort women... My wives all love it so much that I don't even think when I do it anymore."

"*Cough* I see..." Mei said as she looked away with her cheeks colored pink. She then continued while continuing to look away. "Anyway... Please don't do things like that again. Now is neither the time nor the place for such affectionate gestures. Now, could you please explain to me again why you won't be participating in the battle with Yagura?"

Seeing the expression on Mei's face and the words she said, Alfonzo was surprised at first. From what he could remember of her personality from the source material, Mei was not so easily flustered. Even so, he eventually smiled.

"Like I said... There's someone watching us from that hill over there." Alfonzo replied while once again pointing to the tall hill in the distance. "And I just sensed their magic power signature in the Mizukage's office just before Yagura started to move. So, I wanna see who it is that met up with Yagura before he decided to enter the war."

"I see." Mei replied, turning to look Alfonzo in the eye now that she had her blushing under control.

Hearing that, Mei frowned deeply while thinking about the implications of what Alfonzo just reported. Meanwhile, Alfonzo was communicating with Laxus and Marin via [Telepathy].

{"Laxus, can you feel that?"} Alfonzo asked.

{"Yeah, the big guy in the village is starting to move."} Laxus replied.

{"Right, I'm gonna leave him to you."} Alfonzo continued.

{"What will you be doing, Fonzie?"} Marin asked curiously.

{"Someone stopped by the Mizukage's office just before Yagura started to move."} Alfonzo replied. {"And I've got a lock on them. So, I'm gonna see who they are and why they're here."}

{"At least you're not hogging the best fight for yourself."} Laxus said. {"Cause I'm getting really bored with these small fries."}

{"*Sigh* We should have brought Saya or Chico with us."} Marin said in a playful tone. {"Laxus is so much nicer to talk to whenever they're around."}

{"Shut up!"} Laxus grumbled, a hint of embarrassment making its way into his tone. {"This is too dangerous for them... For now."}

{"Whatever you say."} Marin replied, still in that playful tone. Her tone then turned more serious as she continued. {"Anyway, what should I do, Fonzie?"}

{"I'll be counting on you to keep Shizuka safe."} Alfonzo replied. {"The battle between Yagura and Laxus is probably gonna get really dangerous. Like 'when Natsu takes quests' dangerous. So, there's a chance that the collateral damage could reach the base where she's treating the injured with Mei's medical ninjas."}

{"Got it."} Marin replied. {"I was just on my way there with the latest batch I took down. So, I'll stay with her after I get done handing them off."}

{"Good."} Alfonzo said. {"Then, let's go and bring this civil war to an end."}

With that, the three Fairy Tail wizards headed off to their respective destinations.

Meanwhile, Obito continued watching the war from the aforementioned hilltop. More specifically, he was waiting for Yagura to make his appearance on the battlefield.

"Other than the Terumi girl, no one from the rebels can stand a chance against Yagura." Obito said while letting his Sharingan roam over the entrance to the Village Hidden in the Mist. "The only issue is Fairy Tail. I've already Identified Laxus Dreyar and Alfonzo Marcus. And both of them should be able to handle Yagura as he is now. There's even a chance that the Master of Metal could put up a decent fight against Yagura when he releases the Three-Tails."

"Oh, I promise you, I could do more than just put up a good fight against the Three-Tailed Etherious." A deep male voice said from an uncomfortably close distance behind Obito. "But I'm sure you only said that to keep your precious little pride intact, right?"

Upon hearing the voice from so close behind him, Obito immediately leapt forward, putting some distance between himself and the one behind him. However, he did not panic, as he was confident in his abilities. More specifically, the additional ability of his Mangekyō Sharingan.

A moment later, Obito turned around. When he did, his eyes fell on exactly who he was expecting to see after hearing what the man said.

"Alfonzo Marcus..." Obito said in a grim tone. "I would ask how you knew I was here, but it's probably from some absurd magic item you created."

"Not bad... You got it on the first try." Alfonzo replied while smiling casually. "Anyway, judging from that cloak, you're a member of the Akatsuki. The organization that tried to kill my first wife because she was protecting a kid we know. So, mind introducing yourself?"

"I am Madara Uchiha." Obito replied. "Now, answer my question. Why do you medal in the matters of a kingdom that is not your own, Master of Metals?"

"Because the price was right." Alfonzo replied with a shrug. "I'm a wizard, that's kind of the reason we do anything."

Reaching that point, Alfonzo lowered his voice as he continued.

"I'd rather be sitting at home playing with Amar'e, though." Alfonzo grumbled. "Damn that Ur and the fact that she was right about me being the best option for this quest."

"I see." Obito replied while ignoring Alfonzo's discontent grumbling. 

"Anyway, I know that Madara is an alias." Alfonzo said after pulling himself out of his inner thoughts. "I mean, he was supposed to be on par with Hashirama Senju, who I fought a few months ago, though he was nowhere near his peak. But from the glimpse I got of his power I could tell..."

Alfonzo then glared directly into Obito's eyes.

"You're way too weak." Alfonzo said in a matter of fact tone. "In fact, I have an idea who you really are. But Kakashi said you were supposed to be dead... Crushed by a boulder. But your magic power signature and the one in Kakashi's left eye are---"

*Swoosh!* *Swoosh!* *Swoosh!*

Before Alfonzo could finish voicing his thoughts, the sound of three projectiles cutting through the air could be heard. However, before they could pierce through Alfonzo's head, throat, and heart, they stopped less than an inch away from his skin.

"Dude, that was rude as shit." Alfonzo said with a feigned tone of disappointment. "I know Minato Namikaze taught you to be a better person than that, didn't he, Obito Uchiha?"

After speaking his piece, Alfonzo tapped the tips of the three projectile weapons, kunai, with an electrical current flowing over his hand in quick succession. 

*Boom!* *Boom!* *Boom!*

As a result, the three kunai, after turning around with their tips pointed at Obito, shot off at five times the speed of sound, breaking the sound barrier several times over. And just as Alfonzo expected, Obito did not have the time to react.

*Boom!* *Boom!* *Boom!*

Even so, despite the three kunai passing through Obito's body and decimating a portion of the landscape behind him thanks to the tremendous force, Obito stood there completely unharmed.

"It looks like getting rid of you has jumped to the top of my list of priorities, Alfonzo Marcus." Obito said as he walked away from the spot where he stood, circling around Alfonzo in a seemingly calm manner. "You know more than you should. Such a pity, the world is going to lose one of its brightest inventive minds today."

Although Obito seemed calm, he knew that no matter how good his reflexes were, if Alfonzo caught him off guard with those sound barrier breaking attacks, he would be hard pressed to defend himself. Luckily, he had activated his Mangekyō Sharingan ability, [Kamui], as soon as he saw Alfonzo raise his hand to tap the tips of his kunai.

[Kamui], an ability that allows Obito, and Kakashi, to send items to another dimension. While the eye Obito gave Kakashi on his supposed death bed gave Kakashi the ability to do so from a distance, Obito's remaining eye did the opposite, allowing him to move himself and those he was in contact with into the same dimension. And when trained to the extreme, Obito gained a form of intangibility by partially moving parts of his body into the dimension.

"Oh, please miss me with that shit." Alfonzo said while rolling his eyes. "Still, I think the world would like to know why Obito Uchiha, one of the Fourth Hokage's students would fall so far. Is it because you lost your other team mate? What was her name again?"

"Be silent!" Obito ordered angrily.

A moment later, Obito launched himself forward. This time, however, he chose to not use a kunai, as it would just be subjected to Alfonzo's [Metal Magic]. Instead, he threw a right straight aimed at Alfonzo's nose.

In response, Alfonzo tilted his head to his left to evade. Yet, before he could counterattack, he was forced to raise his right hand to block a left hook. Then, as he tried to wrap his arm around Obito's to start his counter attack, it slipped right through, as if Obito's arm were only an illusion, leaving him open to a left hook to the ribs.

*Bang!*

Despite taking the punch without being able to defend himself, Alfonzo did not move at all, and his expression made it look as if he had not even been attacked.

"Like I said, you're too weak to be calling yourself Madara." Alfonzo said while looking down at Obito, who was a full seven inches shorter than he was.

Making eye contact with Alfonzo, Obito, while gritting his teeth at being called weak, used as much magic power as he could to cast a [Genjutsu] through his Sharingan. Despite that, he quickly covered his eye as he could feel blood leaking from it and down his face under his mask.

"Seriously, dude." Alfonzo said while shaking his head. "What part of you are too weak didn't you understand? Anyway, Let's see what it will take to get through that intangibility of yours. [Electromagnetism Magic: Lightning Enhancement]."

In the next instant, Obito saw Alfonzo's fist heading straight for the center of his mask. And it was much faster than any punch he had ever witnessed before. Even so, he did not panic, turning on his intangibility and letting it pass through him harmlessly.

Having expected as much, Alfonzo did not slow down his assault, following up with a low kick aimed at the nerve cluster just above the knee. Then, a left hook to the ribs, a right uppercut, a left elbow strike to the jaw, a right knee strike to the chest, and a spinning left heel kick aimed at Obito's temple.

Even so, Obito did not even try to dodge any of these incoming strikes, having faith in his intangibility. However, that was not the end of Alfonzo's onslaught, as no matter how long Obito waited, it never seemed to end.

Three seconds...

Five seconds...

Ten seconds....

Even after ten seconds, Alfonzo's combination of punches, kicks, elbow strikes, and knee strikes did not slow down. Despite that, Obito never even attempted to dodge or retaliate, as he was still confident in his intangibility.

Twenty seconds...

Thirty Seconds...

One minute...

Despite continuing to stand confidently without retaliating, Obito was starting to wonder just how one person could attack so many times at such a relentless pace without stopping to take a break.

Meanwhile, Alfonzo was silently counting the time as he threw strike after strike at his immobile foe.

'[Kamui] has a five-minute time limit.... I think.' Alfonzo thought to himself. 'At least, that's what Konan said in the canon. The problem is that if I go for the kill... Or rather, if he senses any killing intent from me, He'll just use [Izanagi] to rewrite his death. Sure, it would leave him with a useless eye, but I'd still have more work to do. And I'm sure he can fight without his sight. I mean, what good shinobi can't, right?'

["Maybe not an Uchiha."] Bedlam chimed in from Alfonzo's inner world. ["I mean, what kind of Uchiha would ever fight without using their eyes."]

'Fair enough.' Alfonzo replied as he continued to attack.

Two minutes...

Three minutes...

Four minutes...

And just as Alfonzo's memory suggested, Obito's intangibility could only last for five minutes. So, when the countdown reached only one minute remaining, Alfonzo could see the desperation in Obito's visible eye.

"Oh, what's wrong?" Alfonzo asked while smiling mockingly. "Looks like someone's getting nervous. I wonder why? Are you getting close to a time limit, or something?"

Instead of replying, Obito only gritted his teeth. Yet, instead of simply standing in place, letting Alfonzo's attacks simply faze through him, Obito started trying his best to dodge.

Seeing that, Alfonzo's smile widened. Then, he increased the power of his [Lightning Enhancement], raising it to the level he used back when he cut Laxus' [Roaring Bolt] in half during the first Battle of Fairy Tail Tournament. Yet, because of his vastly increased strength, an enhancement like that barely put any strain on his body at all.

However, the increase in Alfonzo's speed and attack speed frustrated Obito to a whole new level. Because now, despite trying to dodge and make some distance so that he could reset his intangibility, Alfonzo never gave him the chance to do so. 

After another thirty seconds, Obito really started feeling desperation. So, instead of just trying to dodge away, he started attacking, trying to make Alfonzo think that he was willing to trade blows. Despite that, Alfonzo was relentless. Every time Obito threw an attack, Alfonzo's incoming attack would be coated in a current of electricity that would be strong enough to incapacitate even the strongest shinobi were it to land.

So, despite the fact that Obito was ready to take a hit to reset his intangibility, a hit like that was not worth it in his opinion.

'Damn it!' Obito roared internally. 'How can he keep going like this? And where the hell is Zetsu? If he were here this wouldn't be happening. Whatever, I'll just have to make him make a choice. Even if this might make it impossible to capture the Three-Tails after the war.'

*Roar!*

In the next instant, Alfonzo could sense a massive surge of magic power just outside of the village. Following that, a large cloud of smoke obscured the area. Then, a roar shook the area. Finally, when the smoke cleared, a large beast that looked like a three hundred plus feet tall turtle with a crab-like shell, spikes all over its blue skin, two front legs that end in claws, back legs that are replaced by flippers, and three shrimp-like tails revealed itself.

'Now what will you do, wizard?' Obito thought to himself after the order he sent to the Three-Tailed Beast that dwelled inside of Yagura was carried out. 'Even if I've lost control of Yagura, who is most likely dead after such a forceful transformation, the fact that he should choose to save all those on the battlefield will buy me enough time to escape.'

"Oh, looks like Laxus is gonna get the fight he wants." Alfonzo said while continuing to attack Obito just as relentlessly. "I bet Mei is pissed, though. She wanted to stop Yagura from transforming at all. Or at least stop him at his Stage 2 transformation. Oh well, Laxus should be able to handle this. And if he can't, I'll just bail his ass out after I finish up here."

Hearing Alfonzo's monologue and seeing that his attacks had not slowed down at all, Obito was losing his mind inside. However, when he felt a second surge of magic power, Obito understood.

'Even if it's not quite as strong as the Three-Tails, it's close.' Obito thought. 'And that's why he doesn't seem worried. Damn it! Isn't the Master of Metal supposed to be the strongest wizard on this battlefield? Where did this one come from?'

*Bang!*

*Zap!*

"Argh~~~~~~~~~!" Obito screamed in pain before losing consciousness shortly afterwards.

While he was complaining internally, Obito lost track of how long he had been intangible. Unfortunately, that meant that when Alfonzo landed an uppercut to his abdomen, he was not expecting it, which made it hurt so much worse than it would have normally. Add to that the fact that Alfonzo's fist was sparking with violet electricity, Obito's pain receptors were so overwhelmed that he fell unconscious quite quickly.

"*Sigh* That took too long." Alfonzo said while looking down at Obito, who was unconscious and twitching thanks to the electrical current running through his body. "If it weren't for the fact that I told Laxus he could have Yagura, I would have just put up a [Space Locking Barrier] before letting him know I was here."

Saying that, Alfonzo bent down and slapped Obito on the chest, which formed an anti-metal restraint around his arms and torso. Then, he picked him up before throwing him over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes and made his way back to the rebel base to put Obito in prison. Though, he had every intention of not leaving him with the Mist, as he thought he should give the rogue Leaf shinobi back to his village of origin.