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Thunder and Black Wings 17
🕑 Added 2025-03-22 02:09:18 +0000 UTCChapter 17:
– Pain –
Nagato sat silently, staring out into the constant drizzle falling over Amegakure, when a gruff voice suddenly broke the silence from behind him.
"Konan has betrayed us."
He tensed, his back stiffening in shock at the blunt words. "...What?" was all Nagato could manage to say, his voice wavering slightly despite his attempt to remain composed.
"Exactly as I said," Madara—or the man who claimed to be Madara—replied calmly, stepping closer. His single visible eye glinted coldly beneath his mask. "Zetsu went looking for her after she failed to report back from the Land of Waves. Turns out she went straight to the Leaf Village and is now cozying up to Tsunade Senju...and your old master, Jiraiya."
Nagato's fragile, weakened body trembled slightly in the wheelchair, fury building inside his chest. He clenched his fists, the knuckles whitening painfully. "That's impossible," he spat bitterly. "Konan would never betray me—not after everything we've endured together!"
Madara let out a dark, cruel chuckle. "It is what it is, Nagato. Deny it all you want, but facts are facts." He tilted his masked face slightly, voice dripping with contempt. "We aren't ready yet to attack Konoha directly, but when the time comes, we'll have to kill her too. Honestly, this is why having a woman in a group hell-bent on world domination was always a bad idea."
Nagato’s head snapped around sharply, eyes blazing with barely restrained anger. "Shut your fucking mouth, Madara," he hissed venomously, voice low but vicious. "I'll investigate Konan's situation myself. And when I do, I'll bring her back. Whoever or whatever has caused her to turn against me will be completely eliminated. Do you understand me?"
Madara chuckled again, unfazed by Nagato's anger, his tone annoyingly calm. "Whatever you say... 'leader'." He paused for a moment, clearly enjoying Nagato’s frustration. "Anyway, I'm heading out. There's a promising new recruit I'm interested in—some explosive-happy psychopath who blew up half of the Hidden Stone Village. He’ll fit in perfectly with our little dysfunctional family."
Nagato glared at him, seething silently.
Madara turned casually toward the exit, throwing a final mocking glance over his shoulder. "Try not to become a quadriplegic while I'm gone."
Nagato didn't respond, biting back the torrent of rage and pain building within him. He would find Konan, he would confront her personally, and he would understand exactly what had led her astray. Then he would ensure whoever caused this betrayal would experience true, unending pain.
"This world will have peace," Nagato whispered coldly to himself. "...And it will know Pain—no matter what it takes."
– Tsunade –
Tsunade stood inside the Senju compound beside Shizune, utterly flabbergasted as she stared at Shuri’s youthful face. Somehow, Blake’s mother was standing right in front of her—alive, breathing, and younger than her own son. Tsunade felt like reality had completely abandoned logic today.
"How the hell is this possible?" she finally asked, voicing the question burning in her mind.
Shuri shook her head slowly, sadness etched into her expression. "Honestly, I don't fully understand it myself. The last thing I clearly remember from our world was dying...and then suddenly, there was a pulse of blue light. When I woke up, I was here, in this world, and somehow much younger."
Shizune exchanged a quick glance with Tsunade, eyes widening slightly in recognition. "Wait, Tsunade-sama... Blake described the exact same thing when he talked about how he ended up in this dimension."
Shuri turned sharply to Shizune, startled. "Wait—are you saying my son might have been responsible for bringing me here?" She paused thoughtfully, shaking her head slightly in disbelief. "I always knew Akira was special because of his Fallen Angel heritage, but I've never heard of even the strongest angels opening dimensional pathways to other worlds..."
Tsunade pondered that. "Actually, Blake told me a bit about these strange humans known as 'mutants' in your original world. Apparently, they're humans with special genetic powers–like bloodlines here except they appear randomly. We've suspected for a while that Blake’s human half might also possess a ‘mutant ability.’ Maybe that's how he and you ended up here..."
For a moment, all three women stood in contemplative silence, each processing what this meant. Finally, Shizune turned to Shuri again, breaking the quiet.
"So, what do you plan to do now?" Shizune asked gently.
Shuri’s expression softened. "More than anything, I want to be part of my son's life again. If it's alright, I would like to stay here, to live here with Blake." She hesitated for a brief moment, then smiled softly. "Although, I'd prefer not to leave Naruto behind either. I've looked after the kid for years. He's reckless, impulsive, and kind of an idiot, but he's got a good heart."
Tsunade snorted loudly. "Yeah, that sounds about right. He certainly proved that much in the Land of Waves. He challenged Blake and got his butt kicked then tried his luck against a missing nin and got his butt kicked again…"
Shuri sighed wistfully upon hearing that. “That sounds like him alright.”
Shizune laughed softly, nodding her agreement. "Neither of us have any problem with you moving in. In fact, it would probably make Blake really happy in the long run."
Tsunade's expression shifted slightly, growing more serious. "Actually, that's the only thing I'm concerned about—how Blake might react when he finds out you're alive. This isn't exactly a minor thing, Shuri. He’s already been through a lot. Even as this village's new Hokage, my first priority is going to be keeping my new family happy and safe…"
“I’m happy to hear that,” Shuri said. “And i approve of both of you as Blake’s partners…”
Tsunade couldn’t help but chuckle that a woman younger than her was approving of Tsunade dating her son. “You don’t care about that age difference?”
“Baraqiel was thousands of years older than me,” Shuri pointed out.
Yeah, that was fair.
“Also,” Shuri continued, “you might not know this, but sleeping with an Angel or Fallen Angel actually has the benefit of making the human partner…younger. At least if it’s unprotected…” Shuri had a slight blush on her cheeks as she explained that. “The grace imbued from the angel has a lot of benefits.”
Tsunade’s eyes lit up at that information! Sex with Blake would make her younger over time!? She and Shizune both exchanged knowing smirks with each other!
“Thank you for telling us that,” Shizune’s cheeks were bright pink. “Neither of us have done that yet, though.”
“Ara, my son is a healthy young man so don’t make him wait too long now,” Shuri suddenly teased. She then paused for a moment. "...I've been wondering this for a while now, but...do either of you know why Akira started going by the name Blake?"
"When Blake came here, he didn't know who he really was. His memories were tampered with for almost half of his life. He didn’t even remember being part Fallen Angel—he thought he was just a regular human. He only recovered his real identity shortly after arriving in this world." Tsunade explained.
Shuri gasped sharply, eyes wide in horror and shock. "Someone tampered with my son’s memories?" Anger flashed through her eyes. "Who the hell could do something so cruel to Akira? And what about his older sister, Akeno? Do you know if she's safe, or if she’s here too?"
Tsunade shook her head slowly, expression sympathetic. "Unfortunately, no. All we know is that Blake was sent to some distant country called America, completely wiped of all his memories. We haven't been able to find out anything at all about Akeno yet."
Shuri clenched her fists tightly, fury evident in every tense line of her body. "That worthless ex-husband of mine...I trusted him to protect our family, and this is what happens?" Her voice became cold, laced with barely restrained rage. "Whoever did this—whoever harmed my son—will pay dearly."
Tsunade shared another quick look with Shizune. Somehow, they knew Shuri was very much serious about her threat—and honestly, they both understood exactly how she felt.
…
After their conversation calmed down, Tsunade spent some time carefully working out the details of exactly how they would break the news to Blake about his mother suddenly being alive and well. She knew this would be a delicate situation—Blake had already gone through too many emotional upheavals in a short amount of time.
Dropping something this huge on him would have to be done thoughtfully.
"Right now, Blake is still resting at the hospital," Tsunade explained quietly, glancing between Shizune and Shuri. "Konan insisted on staying to guard him until he wakes up again, and knowing her, she's probably watching him like a hawk right now."
Shuri nodded, clearly grateful. "Good. From what I saw earlier, Konan seems devoted to my son. At least I know he's safe."
"Yes," Tsunade replied with a slight smile. "I honestly doubt anything short of a full invasion could get past Konan right now. Blake should be awake soon, though."
Shuri visibly relaxed at that, the tension in her shoulders easing slightly. She then straightened, looking determined as she turned to face Tsunade more fully. "In that case, I'll head back to my apartment. Naruto and I will start packing our things. The sooner we move in, the better."
Tsunade agreed with a firm nod. "Good idea. We should probably hold a nice dinner tonight to welcome you both officially. It's also the perfect opportunity to gently break the news to Blake. I'm sure he'll have plenty of questions, but at least we'll all be there together."
"Sounds perfect," Shizune chimed in warmly. "It'll be a nice evening before the chaos starts tomorrow." She gave Tsunade a sympathetic look. "Once you officially become Hokage, we'll all be incredibly busy, especially with the Chunin Exams going on."
Tsunade sighed, rolling her eyes dramatically. "Don't remind me. Tonight will literally be the last quiet evening we'll have for a long time."
Shuri chuckled softly, smiling at both of them warmly. "Then we'll have to make the most of it."
"Definitely," Tsunade agreed, her tone more cheerful now. "It's settled, then. Shuri, you and Naruto get your things together and join us here this evening. I'll check on Blake shortly and make sure he's ready for this."
With that settled, Shuri said her goodbyes and left the Senju compound to start the moving preparations with Naruto.
Now alone with her apprentice, Tsunade released another tired breath, brushing a hand through her blonde hair. "This whole situation is exhausting," she muttered quietly. "Blake’s definitely going to freak out."
Shizune offered a reassuring smile. "Probably. But he'll be okay once he sees her. Honestly, Tsunade-sama, I think he'll be thrilled once the shock wears off. Who wouldn't be happy to find their mother alive?"
Tsunade nodded slowly, realizing Shizune was probably right. Still, she felt protective toward Blake. "You're right. It'll just be a lot for him to process."
Shizune stepped closer and squeezed Tsunade’s shoulder gently. "We'll all be there for him. It'll be okay."
Tsunade relaxed under her apprentice's reassuring hand. After a brief pause, her lips quirked into a softer smile as she changed the subject. "Alright then, since we've decided on dinner, what exactly should we have tonight…?"
– Blake –
I woke up slowly, blinking at the ceiling of a hospital room. Everything came back to me in a rush—the fight, Jiraiya's perverted stupidity, Raven showing up, and Konan swooping in at the last minute to save our asses.
My leg still throbbed faintly, but at least I wasn't dead.
Sitting up carefully, I scanned the room and quickly noticed Konan sitting quietly nearby. She looked up the moment I stirred, relief washing visibly over her features. "Welcome back, Blake-sama," she said softly, rising from her seat and approaching the bed.
I smiled gratefully at her, genuinely glad to see her. "Thanks for rescuing me earlier, Konan. Seriously, without you, Jiraiya might’ve fried my ass for real."
Konan shook her head slightly, but the corners of her mouth curled into a subtle smile. "Of course, Blake-sama. I'd never let anything happen to you."
She paused a moment, looking me over carefully before continuing, "Lady Tsunade and Shizune already healed your injuries. They left instructions that you're free to return to the Senju compound as soon as you woke up. They even took care of all the discharge paperwork."
I laughed quietly to myself. "Guess there really are some nice perks to dating the two women running the entire hospital now."
Konan rolled her eyes dramatically. "Men… Afraid of a little check out paperwork."
I moved to get out of the bed. Konan immediately stepped forward, offering her arm to steady me as I swung my legs out from under the sheets. She was close enough that I caught her faint scent of flowers and paper—definitely a comforting presence after the chaos from earlier.
Standing upright, I gingerly tested the weight on my injured leg. A tiny ache remained, but it wasn't anything I couldn't handle. After a few cautious steps, I realized I was fine enough to walk without her assistance, though I was reluctant to let go of her just yet. "Seriously, Konan," I said quietly, turning to face her directly. "I really do appreciate you coming to help. Jiraiya lost his goddamn mind back there. I honestly have no clue what the fuck his problem was, but if you hadn't shown up when you did, Raven and I would've been in deep trouble."
At the mention of Jiraiya, Konan’s eyes hardened slightly, her expression darkening noticeably. "Yes," she said coolly, voice sharp and resolute. "My former sensei and I will definitely be having words later about his actions today."
I couldn't help but grin slightly at her protective tone. It was oddly reassuring to have someone as strong as Konan so willing to stand up for me.
"Well, I’m glad you’re on my side."
She met my gaze, determination shining in her amber eyes. "Of course. I'll always protect my angel—" She stopped abruptly, cheeks flushing deeply the instant the words left her mouth.
I couldn't resist teasing her gently. "Your angel, huh?"
Her blush deepened further, and she quickly turned her face away, avoiding my gaze as she motioned toward the door. "We should probably get going."
Chuckling softly at her embarrassment, I shook my head. "Door? Come on, Konan—let's do it the ninja way." Grinning playfully, I walked to the window and pulled it up and open. Without a second thought, I hopped out onto the nearest rooftop. I only winced slightly when I landed on my leg.
Behind me, Konan landed gracefully, her paper wings briefly visible before they dissolved back into her cloak. I turned to find her smiling softly at me, clearly amused. "You're already letting this village be a bad influence on you, Blake-sama," she teased gently.
I smirked at her over my shoulder, already starting to move forward across the rooftops. "Maybe. But it’s definitely more fun this way."
Konan glanced over at me thoughtfully as we leaped across the rooftops toward the Senju compound. "Blake-sama," she began, "I think you should know that quite a few villagers saw you use your wings earlier, during your fight with Jiraiya. Your secret's probably out now—there’s no going back from this."
I considered that briefly, then sighed, shrugging casually. "Well, shit. I guess you’re right. But honestly, it was only a matter of time before everyone knew anyway. It’s probably easier this way."
To emphasize my point—and to give my aching leg a rest—I let my four black wings burst freely from my back, spreading them wide. A couple of powerful flaps lifted me off the rooftops, and I hovered comfortably in midair.
Konan smiled faintly at my decision, clearly happy that I was becoming comfortable with who I really was. She quickly formed a pair of elegant paper wings behind herself, rising gracefully to fly alongside me. "You look happier flying," she said quietly, eyeing my relaxed posture.
"I suppose it's natural for me," I replied with a smirk.
As we soared openly over Konoha, we attracted plenty of attention. Below us, villagers and ninja alike stopped, stared, and openly pointed. There was a lot of murmuring, but no one interfered. I guessed my earlier confrontation with Jiraiya was already spreading around the village. Hopefully, that would be the end of people randomly attacking me.
We were nearly at the Senju compound when shouting suddenly erupted from a street directly beneath us.
A young kid’s voice rose in panic.
"Let me go!"
I exchanged a quick look with Konan. She nodded in agreement, and without another thought, we both swooped downward toward the source of the disturbance.
Below, I spotted Naruto and Sakura standing defensively, facing a strange teenage boy in dark cat-like clothing and bizarre purple makeup on his face. He held a frightened kid by the shirt collar, lifting him off the ground.
"Put him down, jerk!" Naruto shouted angrily.
"Yeah," Sakura added, "let the kid go!"
The makeup-wearing guy scoffed at them. "Not until I teach this brat a lesson."
Nearby, a blonde girl in desert-colored clothes watched nervously, clearly this guy’s teammate. She frowned at him. "Kankuro, knock it off. We didn't come here to start trouble."
He sneered, ignoring her completely. "And what if I want to start trouble anyway?" He raised a fist menacingly, clearly about to hit the terrified kid.
Naruto and Sakura looked ready to leap forward, but I wasn't about to wait for things to escalate further.
"If you’re looking to cause trouble," I growled sharply from above, "then I'll be happy to finish it."
With a single powerful flap of my wings, I kicked up a cloud of dust and dirt, landing directly between Naruto and the foreign ninja. Konan landed softly beside me a moment later, her paper wings gently folding behind her back.
The sand ninja—Kankuro, apparently—froze completely, staring at me with wide, startled eyes. His teammate, the blonde girl, took a cautious step backward, also gaping openly.
"What the hell...?" Kankuro muttered nervously, his eyes locked onto my black wings as he slowly lowered the trembling kid back onto the ground.
I folded my arms firmly, glaring at him. "I suggest you take your teammate's advice and back off."
Naruto immediately stepped up beside me, looking offended. "Aw, come on Blake-san! I totally had this under control. I was about to kick this guy's ass myself!"
Kankuro scoffed loudly, turning his attention to Naruto and sneering arrogantly. "Ha! I'd like to see you try, blondie!"
Naruto pointed dramatically at the blonde girl behind Kankuro. "Hey, your friend's blonde too, idiot!"
"She's not my friend—she's my sister." Kankuro rolled his eyes.
Sakura gave Kankuro a disapproving look. "That's not very nice, you know. Your sister can still be your friend!"
"Yeah, what the hell, Kankuro!" the blonde girl snapped, clearly offended out of nowhere.
Kankuro stared at his apparent sister in utter bewilderment, as if completely unable to process the situation he'd just found himself in. In his confusion, he unintentionally loosened his grip, allowing the kid to slip free.
The boy immediately ran over toward me, hiding slightly behind my wings. "Whoa!" The kid's eyes widened as he admired my wings up close. "These wings are awesome, nii-chan! Thanks for saving me. My name's Konohamaru!"
Naruto quickly jumped between us, puffing his chest out indignantly. "Hey! I was the one saving you, brat! Blake-san just showed up after I had everything handled!"
Konohamaru stuck out his tongue at Naruto defiantly. "Nuh-uh! Blake nii-chan saved me first!"
"Nuh–uh!" Naruto crossed his arms stubbornly, leaning down closer to glare at the kid.
"Yeah–huh!"
I sighed deeply, shaking my head at the ridiculous argument that was unfolding in front of me. Kids.
Nearby, Kankuro muttered angrily, shooting an annoyed glare at his sister. "Dammit, Temari, look what you did! You made me drop the stupid kid."
Temari rolled her eyes, clearly having no patience left for him. "Just shut up already, Kankuro. Let's go before you embarrass us even more." She hesitated for a brief second before glancing back at me. Her cheeks reddened slightly as she offered a quick bow of apology. "Sorry about the trouble we caused in your village...and thank you."
"It's fine," I said firmly, giving her a brief but reassuring nod. "Just make sure your brother learns to control himself while he's here."
Temari grabbed Kankuro by the collar of his strange cat-suit outfit, roughly pulling him away as she turned back toward the street. He protested loudly but didn't dare resist as they quickly disappeared around a corner.
I turned my attention back to Naruto and Konohamaru, who were still bickering and making faces at each other. "Okay, that's enough, you two."
Naruto pouted dramatically, still giving the younger kid an exaggerated glare. "Fine...but just remember, Konohamaru, next time I'm totally saving you first."
Konohamaru crossed his arms, grinning smugly. "Whatever, Naruto nii-chan."
Sakura shook her head with an exasperated sigh, though a fond smile tugged at her lips. "Honestly, Naruto, you’re just like a little kid yourself."
"Am not!" Naruto protested loudly.
I laughed quietly, glancing over at Konan, who seemed amused but clearly ready to continue back home. "Alright, Konan, let's get going before they find something else to fight about."
"Konan?" I called out curiously, noticing she'd stopped moving. I glanced upward to where she was hovering, perfectly still, eyes locked onto something—or rather someone—in the distance.
Following her gaze, I spotted a strange boy standing silently atop a nearby rooftop. He had blood-red hair, cold green eyes, no eyebrows at all, and a massive gourd strapped to his back. Something about his unsettling grin made my instincts immediately tense up. Before I could ask Konan who he was, the boy vanished abruptly in a swirl of sand, leaving only empty air behind.
I blinked in surprise at how quickly he'd disappeared. Turning back to Konan, I caught her releasing a soft breath of relief, as though she'd been holding it the entire time. That was unusual—Konan rarely showed unease about anything.
"Who was that guy?" I asked, waving down at Naruto and Sakura before ascending back into the sky to hover beside her. "You looked pretty freaked out for a second there."
Konan's expression remained serious as she spoke quietly, her voice tight with concern. "That boy is the Sand Village's Jinchuriki. I'm certain of it. He’s dangerous, Blake-sama. Extremely dangerous for all but the strongest ninja to face in a fight."
I frowned thoughtfully, trying to recall what little I'd heard Tsunade and Shizune mention before. "Jinchuriki...you mean those people who have crazy-powerful demons sealed inside them, right?" I asked her.
Tsunade had warned me that Naruto was this village's Jinchuriki, but the kid never exhibited any evil or special demon powers in front of me so far.
"Yes," Konan replied firmly, her gaze still scanning the rooftops warily as we began flying again. "Though it’s far more complicated than just that. It seems unusual the Leaf would knowingly allow someone like him inside their walls without strict precautions. They might not actually know his identity,” she speculated.
“Then how do you know it?” I asked her.
She looked a bit ashamed before she answered me. “It’s complicated…”
I told her she didn't have to answer until she was ready and she looked grateful to hear that. At the very least, we would give Tsunade and Shizune the heads up and they would pass it along…
– Gaara –
The winged man and the woman beside him flew away, disappearing from view. His fists were clenched tightly at his sides, sand swirling restlessly around him, whispering its agitation.
“I hate him!” the voice screamed loudly inside his mind, filled with a violent hunger. “That winged bastard feels WEIRD for some reason—I can't stand him! I want him dead! Crush him into nothing, Gaara! Grind his bones into dust!”
Gaara felt a dark, twisted smile slowly creep across his lips as he listened to Mother's furious demands. "Of course, Mother," he whispered softly, his pale green eyes narrowed with murderous anticipation. "I will destroy him for you. I'll crush anyone who gets in my way." The sand calmed slightly at his promise, settling around him like a protective shroud.
“Kill him! Prove you're stronger! Crush that smug face!”
Gaara let out a slow, calming breath, savoring the thought of violence that danced in his mind. Soon, he would demonstrate his strength at the Chunin Exams. Everyone would see what he could do, how powerful he truly was. And after that, he would find this man with the black wings, and he would tear him apart—piece by piece.
"Yes, Mother," Gaara whispered again, eyes glowing with sinister anticipation. "I'll make sure he dies slowly and painfully. I'll enjoy every second of his suffering." The sand rose protectively around him, shielding him from view as he began moving toward where Temari and Kankuro had gone. A cruel smile remained fixed upon his lips.
XXX
Comments
Aeden Emrys
Thanks for the chapter! Looking forward to reading much more!
HugoH
Wow we could totally see how bitter is obito about the relashionship between Konan and Nagato
Rycork
Shuri, what an unworthy mother you are: you just sent your son's "purity" as a sacrifice to Tsunade and Shizune so that they could gain a second youth.
Chase Garcia
Man that could have Naruto if he had nobody
WhatAFungi
Oh noooooo. Blake’s gonna die… he’s sooooo doomed -_- Thanks for the chapter :P
Schloppi
"Ara Ara, time for a lightning massage for shukaku~" -Akeno, probably
