chapter 8
Chapter 8:
– Blake –
A few days later…
I darted around a massive oak tree, wings beating furiously, trying to keep myself aloft without slamming headfirst into a trunk. My heart pounded with the thrill of our latest sparring session!
Tsunade stood on the ground below, tracking my movements with that unreadable smirk she always had when she was about to show off.
I hurled another Lightspear at her, feeling the dark energy as it left my hand.
She saw it coming and casually raised her palm, a faint glow of protective chakra flickering around her skin.
I watched in shock as she caught the damn thing in her bare hand. I'd never seen her do that before. Usually, my Lightspears forced her to dodge since they burned so hot! But this time, she just snatched it out of midair like it was nothing. My jaw might've dropped a little, but I didn't have time to stare because a split second later, she whipped her arm back and flung the spear right at me!
"Shit!" I yelled, pumping my wings to dive out of the way. I veered left too quickly, though, and my left wing clipped the edge of a thick branch. Pain exploded across my back, making me hiss as the shockwaves crawled down the nerves in my spine.
My wings spiraled out of control, and I crashed hard onto the forest floor with a thud. "Ow…"
Tsunade was on me in an instant, her hands glowing green with healing chakra. "You did a lot better that time," she said calmly. Her fingers danced across my ribs, my shoulder, and finally along the muscles where my wing connected.
I groaned, half from pain, half from relief. The dull ache in my back slowly subsided, replaced by a comforting warmth as she worked her medical jutsu. "Since when could you catch my Lightspears?" I asked, still panting. "You've never done that before."
She chuckled. "I've always been able to do it," she said. "I just didn't want to bruise your ego too soon. My chakra control is strong enough that I can layer a protective shield over my skin. If I really wanted to, I could walk through fire without a scratch."
I couldn't help but grin, despite the lingering sting in my wing. "My girlfriend is super amazing!"
"Damn right I am," Tsunade replied, leaning in. She finished healing my back, but she didn't pull her hands away. Instead, she slid them over my feathers, carefully smoothing out any twisted shafts. The sensation was… intense. A tingling warmth traveled the length of my back, and I let out a strangled noise that might've been a hiss, or maybe a moan. I wasn't sure if I was in pain or if it was something else.
Her fingertips grazed the sensitive spots at the base of my wing. The shiver that rolled through my body made my breath catch, and I found myself biting my lip. She seemed to notice, of course. She was Tsunade, after all—nothing got by her.
"You like that?" she teased, leaning closer. One of her hands slid around to my chest, tracing small circles over my shirt. I could feel her breath against my ear. "My boyfriend did great in training today. I think he deserves a reward."
"Tsunade, what are you—?" My voice cracked as her hand drifted lower, dangerously close to the waistband of my pants. My heart hammered, and I felt the heat rising in my cheeks. We were literally out in the woods, a mile from Tazuna's home, but still. Anyone could stumble across us.
She gave me a mischievous grin. "Come on, we're all alone out here. Let me—"
A sharp cough from somewhere to the right made us both freeze. Tsunade closed her eyes for a moment, visibly annoyed, then sighed heavily. "Dammit," she muttered. "Can't you take a hint, brat?"
I turned to see Haku stepping out from behind a large cedar. He was wearing a soft pink kimono, and for a moment, I almost didn't recognize him. He looked, well… like a beautiful girl, actually. If I hadn't known better, I would've thought some random girl had wandered into our training area.
"Dude, what the hell are you wearing!?" I blurted out, scrambling to my feet and brushing off the leaves and dirt that clung to my clothes. My wing still throbbed, but Tsunade's healing had taken the worst of the pain away.
Haku's cheeks turned pinker than his kimono. "Is there a problem with my attire?" he asked softly.
I could practically hear Admiral Ackbar's voice in my head: "IT'S A TRAP!"
That was one of my best friend Peter's favorite movies…
Tsunade gave me a light smack across the shoulder. "Don't kink-shame the trap if that's what he likes to wear," she scolded, sounding more amused than angry.
"Right… sorry," I muttered. I couldn't really talk shit since I liked having my wings rubbed and he probably just saw all of that…
Haku gave a small shake of his head as if to say it was fine. He cleared his throat. "I apologize for interrupting," he said. "Gato now has more ninja in the Land of Waves—this time, a group from the Land of Rain, led by a traitor from the Leaf Village named Aoi Rokusho."
At the mention of that name, Tsunade went very still. Her gaze sharpened, and she got to her feet. "Aoi Rokusho," she repeated. "That's the guy who stole my uncle's sword!"
I tilted my head, letting my wings fade back into my body. The process always felt a bit weird—like retracting an arm into my torso—but it was something I'd gotten used to. "What sword is that?"
She folded her arms. "It's called the Sword of the Thunder God. The blade is made from condensed lightning chakra. It's basically an electric blade that shocks more than it cuts."
I let out a low whistle. "That sounds awesome." I mused.
She raised an eyebrow at me. "You know, that might be a useful training weapon for you, Blake," she pointed out.
Over the past few days, Tsunade and Shizune had been working with me to harness my own Holy Lightning abilities, but every time I tried, it drained me like crazy. I could conjure a small bolt or two, but that was it. If I tried anything bigger, I felt like I'd collapse. We joked about me summoning thunder from the sky, but it would probably be months before I could do that consistently without wiping myself out.
Haku stood quietly, hands folded, giving us time to process the news. After a moment, Tsunade addressed him directly. "So, how many ninjas besides him are we talking about, exactly? And how strong are they?"
He bowed his head again. "I'm not quite sure, but at least a squad. I couldn't get too close without risking detection," he admitted. "But from what I overheard, it's a small squad. Maybe four or five from the Land of Rain, plus Aoi. They're planning to wait until the bridge is nearly finished, then destroy it and crush the people's hope once and for all."
"Typical villain move," I grumbled. "Let them build it up, then smash it at the last second."
"When does Zabuza want to start our plan?" Tsunade asked.
Haku let out a soft sigh. "He's healing, but not as quickly as he'd like. You broke a few ribs, bruised his spine, and knocked him around so badly he's still cursing your name even in his sleep. He should be ready to go in a day or two…" he added.
"I want a few more days to train Blake up anyway," Tsunade said while smiling at me.
"If you're content to wait, that's fine. But I thought you'd want to know what's going on in case Aoi and his group decide to act sooner." Haku added.
"It's good you told us," I chimed in.
Haku dipped his head respectfully. "Understood. If anything changes, I'll let you know." He hesitated a moment, glancing at me and then Tsunade. "Again, I apologize for… interrupting earlier."
Tsunade just waved him off. "Go on. I won't kill you for that." She cast him a sarcastic smile. "This time..."
Haku rolled his eyes, but I noticed a little grin on his face.
I watched Haku's slender form vanish into the trees. No sooner had he disappeared than Tsunade turned toward me with a mischievous smile. She closed the distance, pulled me in, and pressed her lips against mine. I was caught off guard for a moment, but then I wrapped my arms around her waist and kissed her back. Her lips were warm and soft, and I could taste a hint of mint on her breath. My heart thudded in my chest as I savored the familiar rush of warmth spreading through my body.
We stayed like that for several seconds, caught up in each other, until Tsunade finally broke the kiss. She let out a small sigh, resting her forehead against mine. "It's probably best if we don't get too carried away in the middle of the woods again," she said. "I was so distracted, I didn't even sense Haku until he was already on top of us..." she sounded a bit disappointed to admit that.
I nodded, gulping down air to steady my breathing. My libido was still in high gear—something I'd been struggling with ever since I discovered what being a fallen angel Nephilim did to my hormones. It felt like fighting against my own nature sometimes. "Yeah," I agreed, running a hand through my hair. "That could've been awkward. And God knows what other people might have walked in."
Tsunade snorted softly. "It'd be better if we weren't still stuck sharing that tiny house with a bunch of people…"
It had been great that Shizune found us a place to stay so quickly, but I don't think Tsunami knew her father was coming back with four other people when she agreed to let us stay with them.
I let out a groan of agreement. "I love cuddling with you and Shizune, but the bed is way too small, and those walls are paper-thin. Plus, Naruto snores like he's possessed." I rolled my eyes, thinking about the racket he made every night.
Tsunade's gaze drifted off into the woods. "The kid's not quite as annoying as I first thought. Still a brat, but…" She paused, frowning. "He reminds me of my little brother—just a dumber version."
I recalled the conversation we'd had the night before. She'd opened up about her past for the first time in a while, telling me about her younger brother and what happened to him. The pain in her voice had been obvious, and I understood why she turned to gambling and booze. She'd been through a lot of heartbreak. I was glad she felt comfortable enough to share that with me.
She gave a rueful shake of her head. "Anyway, I might go looking for a more private place to stay for the next day or two. Haku and Zabuza apparently found an abandoned house a few miles out. Maybe there are others? We don't want Kakashi catching onto our plans either. He still hasn't figured out why we're actually in the Land of Waves." And she didn't want him to know, because that potentially meant cutting him into our final take. That was our money dammit!
"Good luck finding a place," I said.
Tsunade smirked. "I'll let you know if I find anything decent. In the meantime, what are your plans?"
I shrugged. "I'll go check on Shizune. Last I saw, Kakashi roped her into helping train his new genin squad. She's been teaching Sakura some basic medical ninjutsu."
Tsunade made a face that said she pitied Shizune's situation. "Better her than me…"
With that, Tsunade headed off into the woods. I watched her go for a moment, admiring her perfect backside, before turning and making my way toward the river.
It didn't take long until I heard the inevitable yelling of two bickering idiots. Sure enough, Naruto and Sasuke's voices cut through the air.
"I made it up three inches further than you!" Naruto crowed, clinging to the trunk of a large tree he was climbing.
Sasuke scoffed. "Are you blind, you dweeb? I was clearly half an inch above your mark!"
"For a guy from a clan with freaky eyes, you sure can't see for shit!"
"It's called the Sharingan, loser!"
"Yeah, it's called the Sharin-GONE because you don't even have it!"
Sasuke pounced on Naruto and they started wrestling again while Kakashi barely even glanced at them from the book he was reading.
A short distance away, I spotted a small stream. Shizune stood at the water's edge, leaning forward with her hands glowing a soft green. Next to her was Sakura, who wore a look of intense concentration. On a flat rock before them lay a fish that flopped around weakly, gasping for breath. Shizune was teaching Sakura how to use medical chakra to resuscitate a suffocating fish.
I paused behind a wide trunk, deciding not to interrupt. It was fun watching Shizune in teacher mode—she had a calm patience that reminded me a bit of how she was with me whenever we trained.
Shizune nodded at the younger girl. "Good. Now keep the chakra steady, just a little more. Don't force it."
Sakura exhaled, adjusting her grip. The fish's tail flapped in response, then it went still for a moment, seemingly calmer. Shizune carefully picked it up and placed it back into the stream. It took a second, but then the fish swam off, looking no worse for wear. Sakura grinned, and Shizune gave her an approving smile.
"That's the idea," Shizune said. "Your control is getting better. Just remember, one slip-up, and you can do more harm than good."
Sakura nodded. "I'm trying. It's harder than I expected!"
"It always is," Shizune replied kindly. "But you have good instincts. Keep practicing. You're certainly doing better than your two teammates at least…"
Shizune called an end to their lesson.
Sakura suddenly shouted, "I'm gonna go show off my new healing jutsu to Sasuke-kun!" and dashed off before Shizune could say a word.
My eyes followed her, and sure enough, she was already by Sasuke's side, hovering over him like some overeager nurse. He was covered in bruises and Sakura looked excited to finally be useful.
"That's so cool! Can you heal me too, Sakura-chan?" Naruto yelled, still sprawled on the ground with scrapes all over his arms and knees after his fight with Sasuke.
Sakura shot him a nasty glare. "Eat a dick, baka! I'm not touching you or your gross jumpsuit!"
Naruto let out an indignant squawk.
Oooooff… Emotional damage…
Shizune, standing right beside me, forced a tight smile. "I guess she's doing okay," she said, nodding toward Sakura's glowing hands. "I was going to warn her to practice on an enemy first, though. Sometimes if you dump too much healing chakra, you can accelerate cell growth wrong and give the person cancer."
I whipped my head around to stare at her. "Cancer? Holy shit. Are you serious?" The ninja world never failed to remind me how screwed up it could be.
She shrugged. "That's just how it is. You can do more harm than good if you aren't careful with medical techniques. Although I've heard of some medics doing exactly that on purpose to their enemies in combat."
Damn, intentional cancer jutsu sounded hardcore…
Then her eyes flicked to my face, and a mischievous grin spread across her lips. "Speaking of healing… how'd your training session with Tsunade go? Did you actually train, or did you spend the whole time on… other activities?" She raised an eyebrow and pointed to my lips, which were still a bit swollen from Tsunade's kisses.
I felt a flush crawl up my neck. "We trained," I insisted. "The lip thing happened at the end. We were sparring—she helped me with aerial maneuvers and all that—then it got a little intense." I avoided Shizune's gaze, remembering exactly how intense it got. If Haku hadn't shown up, I might have ended up losing my virginity!
Well, maybe not that far but who knows now…?
"...Damn trap," I muttered under my breath, still annoyed at Haku's impeccable timing.
Shizune snickered. "I see. Well, at least you got some work done before your… break." She left it at that, clearly enjoying how flustered I was.
I cleared my throat and tried to steer the conversation to safer territory. "Anyway, Tsunade's out scouting for a new place for us. That cramped house is driving her nuts. We never get any privacy. Also, Haku told us Gato hired ninja from the Hidden Rain, including some asshole who apparently stole a sword from Tsunade's uncle."
Shizune's eyes lit with recognition. "Oh? I think I know what you're talking about. That relic was crafted by her Uncle Tobi. Tsunade really loved him. Whoever stole his sword basically signed their own death warrant. Especially now that we're framing him for the biggest heist in history." She sounded oddly proud of that plan, which was funny considering how nervous she'd been at first.
I reached down and grabbed her hand. The two of us strolled down the stream as we continued to talk…
– Kakashi –
Kakashi usually didn't find himself jealous of other guys, but damn!
Blake Himejima was living the dream! Two beautiful, formidable women at his side—Kakashi had to admire the man's luck.
Still, there was a lot he didn't know. He'd already caught snippets of conversation. Between sinking Gato's yacht and dealing with the ninjas who were hunting Tazuna, the trio had done more than their share of damage to Gato's operation.
Kakashi was glad, of course—it meant his very green Genin team wasn't at risk of facing higher-level threats. But there had to be more to their presence in the Land of Waves. Tsunade, Shizune, and Blake weren't just here on a whim. He guessed they had a plan, and he intended to find out what it was.
Right after he finished this chapter of course! A man of culture didn't quit reading halfway no matter what!
He flicked his gaze down to the well-worn pages of his beloved orange book. The latest passage involved a character named Kimiko-chan, who was getting into all sorts of trouble in a hot spring scene with an enemy ninja that specialized in the water tentacle Jutsu. Kakashi's single visible eye curved into a pleased squint as he read. He let out a small giggle, completely ignoring the disgusted looks his Genin were giving him from a few feet away.
"Ew, Kakashi-sensei's giggling pervertedly again…"
– Peter Parker –
Peter felt like his life had been turned upside down over the past few days…
First, he got bitten by a radioactive spider on a school field trip, and instead of keeling over, he developed some kind of superhuman abilities. He could stick to walls, jump like a damn grasshopper, and lift objects he never dreamed of handling. It was insane—and also kind of awesome.
But all that excitement took a back seat the moment he realized his best friend, Blake, was missing! Blake hadn't shown up at school for days, and the foster home he'd been staying in claimed they had no clue where he went. Then Peter found out that foster mom got arrested after the school reported how she'd kicked Blake out on his birthday.
Peter couldn't help thinking, 'Good riddance to that old bitch,' since Blake had complained about her for months.
Still, Peter wished Blake had come to him instead of disappearing. Aunt May and he would have let Blake crash at their place until they finished high school. Blake was there for Peter after Uncle Ben died; it stung that Peter couldn't do the same now.
Unable to focus on anything else, Peter spent his nights leaping across rooftops with these new spider-like powers, determined to find any sign of Blake. On this particular night, he bounded over a thirty-foot gap, the wind whipping against his face. The rush was exhilarating, until something slammed into him mid-air—an invisible wall that seized his limbs from all sides. He let out a startled squeak as he hung in the air, stuck like a fly in a web.
"Hey, let me go!" he shouted, squirming against the unseen force. Slowly, he was dragged to a nearby rooftop and dropped onto the concrete.
Peter's eyes widened when he saw who was waiting for him: Jean Grey and Emma Frost, the two hottest new girls at school. Rumor had it they were the last people spotted with Blake before he vanished. Jean stood with her hand outstretched, faint red light shimmering around her fingers. Emma crossed her arms, looking bored but somehow elegant, like she owned the place.
"What the hell is going on?" Peter snapped, realizing a second too late that he was wearing a black ski mask. They shouldn't have known who he was—but they obviously did.
"Hello, Peter," Emma said in a dry tone, ignoring his outburst. It freaked him out how casual she sounded. Did they have psychic powers or something? Had they been stalking him? Were they the ones who made Blake disappear?
Was he next!?
Peter tried to yank himself free, but Jean's telekinetic grip pinned his arms.
She rolled her eyes. "We didn't do anything to Blake," she said, reading his expression. "We were trying to help him, but we got attacked."
Emma nodded. "We have a lot to talk about, Peter," she added, glancing at the ski mask like it was a pointless accessory. "We know you've been looking for him…"
"When Blake comes back," Jean said, stepping closer with a calm stare, "he's going to need people he can trust. We figured you should know what's really going on."
Peter's heart pounded. He wanted to demand more answers, but he stayed silent for a moment, his mind racing. These two clearly had powers, just like he did. They knew who he was, even through his mask. And they claimed they'd been involved in some kind of attack while trying to help Blake.
He forced himself to swallow his panic. "Alright," he finally muttered, gaze flicking between them. "Tell me everything. And you'd better not be screwing with me!"
XXX
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Here is the list of Current Advanced Chapters:
The Fallen Gamer ch 316-320
The Fox Hole 53
The Blood Queen 33
The Fox Hole 52
Thunder and Black Wings 9
The Fox Hole 51
The Titan 25
The Fox hole 50
The Titan 24
The Blood Queen 32
The Fox Hole ch 49