CHAPTER THREE:
ON ANGEL'S WINGS:
The new appendage connected to his back was quite uncomfortable. It made him use muscles he never knew he had and left his back aching for hours. Seriously wings are overrated. At least when you were learning how to use it. Naruto flew in unsteady loops and shaky turns. On occasion he would find himslef suddenly dropping from the sky like a meteor. If he was lucky, he would regain control just in time to keep himself from face planting on the ground. It was safe to say he was more unlucky than lucky.
Flying gave a sense of freedom that could hardly be contested with. Even though it was done with squiggly maneuvers. He hated learning to fly even though he loved the act itself. His teacher had said he was a natural, but he was sure she was being biased. After all who wouldn't love to praise your own nephew.
His father's twin sister was rather eccentric. In fact you could say she was even more of a child than he was. Not that he would admit to being childish. It has only been three days since they met. And in all that time she had done nothing but dote on him and teach him to fly, although with limited results. He did not know how to respond to her most of the time, since he did not know her, and even worse was the knowledge that he had a father out there. And if words were to be belived they would be seeing each other in anything from a months time.
" Naruto come down a bit, lets try something else."
Naruto managed to not make that much of a fool out of himself as he landed rather ungracefully. But at least he landed on his feet.
" what do you think about when you are happy?"
Naruto raised an eyebrow.
" Is there a point to that question?"
" of course there is, stop staring at my breast and tell me"
Naruto fell into a coughing fit. He actually thought he was very discreet. How had she noticed him. Though to be honest she had one of the biggest racks he had ever seen. What was God thinking creating an angel with this much sex appeal, it was causing great damage to his teenage mind.
An explosion went off inside his head, images, pure, vivid and accompanied with intention and emotions swam In His eye sight. It went fast like a movie on fast forward, but somehow he was able to understand and see every memory for what it was. He was able to feel it, to connect to that person that he was when all this happened.
She was annoying, a drunkard, a chronic gambler with a long history of losses. She was also his adopted grandmother, and his mother at the same time. He loved her so much, way to much. And he knew she loved him too. Naruto was lot different from who he was in his past life. But heaven be damned he missed his obachan. He missed her a lot.
He could not stop the stream of tears that flowed down his face. Such a change in personality shocked Gabriel. But she just held him as he cried like a baby. The intense feeling of loss and heart ache was so much that naruto felt like he was going to die. But she held him, and then she sang to him. Naruto had no idea what song that was but he loved it. She sang of loss, of need, of happiness. And it did not make everything better but it made everything clearer.
Naruto accepted his loss like any other man would when they find themselves in such a situation.
" tsunade".
The very whisper of her name caused ripples in his heart as his memories still gave him an ache. But life must go on. She was not here anymore. He was, and it was up to him to live his life for them, all of them.
" thank you, but am fine now"
" are you sure?"
" yes, so lets continue with the lesson."
" ok then. First of all I want to tell you the reason I chose to teach you how to fly. An angels abilities are driven by an intense feeling of freedom. With are not free of our emotions. Instead it is what drives us to be who we are.
So we learn control, we learn how to categorize and inventory our emotions. We are not completely free from it, so instead we tap into a different feeling. The feelings you get when you are cruising at two hundred miles an hour, the sky your domain and the birds your followers. To feel the wind in your hair and appreciate nature as it relates with the sky.
It is almost impossible for any angel to not feel that sense of freedom when flying, but to be honest these are just training wheels. Because in time angels get so used to the feeling of freedom which is always guided by their positive emotions that they just disconnect.
Our emotions become a switch, that goes on and off, at will. But for now that is something that will take you years to achieve, regardless of how much of a hard worker you are. So for now I want you to fly, but don't go above twenty feet. Stay as stationary as possible and meditate. Your emotions might be bit off wack now, but that is a good thing.
Not that a sixteen year old boy crying is a pretty sight. You need to sift through all those emotions and find the one that works best for you. You need to let it fill you up. Draw from it and accept as a part of you. Then centre it by channeling it to your heart. Emotions are energy too even though they are created by your brains reaction to certain things. And then from there, use yoir imagination."
Naruto understood everything she had just said. To be honest of all the lessons and books he had been given to learn from this past two months, this was the easiest thing he understood. Of course maybe that had to do with the fact that he was mainly angel than devil or human. Even if it seems he had all natures in balance.
Naruto hovered at twenty feet above the ground. The sunset on his face casting shadows as it peeked between the tall trees of the surrounding forest. There was an abundance of life here, even the almost three or four kilometers of ash and desolation he caused when he sucked the life out of a few trees, was showing signs of recovery. Which such a sight, it was hard not to feel relaxed and at peace.
Naruto felt free. It was a wonderful feeling. He felt un shackled by his past, his memories, his mother and secrets she keeps. His father and the strangeness of his family. His love for Rias seemed almost trivial in the face of all this responsibility and expectations he had shoveled unto his shoulders. To be honest he was not sure he had time for love at the moment. Maybe when he met up with rias again, they could talk and then he could give issei a punch or two for good measure.
Naruto felt a stream of heat, or more like a stream of energy that hardly gave off a characteristics of heat or fire. It was just there, abstract yet connected. Solid yet intangible. He guided the energy to his heart as he let his imagination run wild.
He led the energy all over his body, touching everything and leaving nothing. But all this felt slow to naruto. He wished he had a bigger brain or at least two bodies to make this go faster. Naruto played with the energy and he felt a tinge of it go out, along with what he could only describe as his will or consciousness.
Naruto opened his eyes and standing before him, or should he say floating was a glowing clone of himself. Everything down to the almost impercertible birth marks on his cheeks were there. Light weaving was powered by emotions, but it did not change what it really was at its core. A power to create and one unique to angels alone.
" uh hi, I am naruto"
His clone looked at him like he had grown a second head.
" seriously, are you introducing yourself to me. It seems you just keep getting dumber and dumber."
Naruto was incensed, who did this clone think he is, the foolish copy.
" who the hell are you calling dumb, you fool. You are me, stupid. which means you are also calling yourself dumb. how stupid can you be?"
" I think the question is how stupid can you be instead, seeing as you are also insulting me, makes me stick to my claim. You are dumb."
" how dare you, I think…."
And so on and so forth, this was quite comical to see naruto having a quarrel with himself. This had taking the talking to my self to a whole other level. And while the two naruto's were busy trying to out curse and insult the other. Gabriel was still on the ground with a shocked look on her face as she watched the whole drama. A clone, a clone. The thought just kept running through her head that it got to the point she couldn't hold it in anymore.
" what the fuck just happened!?"
Issei scratched his head as he looked at the board in front of him. He could not understand the need for chess. The game was boring, and as far as he was concerned his IQ was not built for it. Opposite him akeno gave a sigh. He couldn't tell whether she was just fustrated with his lack of abilities or she was bothered by something else.
Either way he hoped she sighed again. The movement her boobs made was just heavenly. Issei loved where he was now. It was better than what he would have expected in his wildest dreams or imagination. Sexy girls everywhere and a low ratio of boys to contend with him for their affections. But he was stuck playing chess with akeno, under orders from Ria's to raise his tactical and battle abilities.
It was obviously not working. Issei drew motivation from ecchi stuff and without a look from some tantalizing boobs he could not be pushed to do anything. But all this was the fault of that fallen angel kokabiel. The guy had attacked them in a bid to recombine all the broken pieces of the sword Excalibur. They won, and even had a new member join their club. But it was quite obvious their relationship were not the same as it was when he first came.
Kiba avoided anything that will join him with issei like a plague and akeno did not smile as much and kept a healthy distance from him and Rias. Naruto going missing changed a lot of things. since further investigation proved that he was still alive akeno and kiba have been relentlessly looking for him. Kiba was naruto's best friend so naturally he would look for him. But no one knew what relationship naruto and akeno had to make her so invested in looking for him.
But with what he had recently been through, issei knew he was not as strong as he was supposed to be. A pervert he may be but he wanted to be there for all of his friends. To protect and take care of them from forces that will seek to harm them. In a way issei had to admit that he missed Naruto. They were not really friends, but they had got along really well. Naruto had been able to give a sense of normalcy regardless of whatever crazy stuff was going on in the occult research club.
Issei never knew how he felt about Rias, as a boy this was something he would have been able to understand. And honestly he was not sure what he would have done if he found out earlier, I mean this was Rias they were talking about here. She was not like most girls and issei could see why. Naruto could have fallen so hard in love with her. But those humongous boobs was not something he wanted to give up under any circumstances. Issei was sure he was also in love with Rias too, or at least her body. But what was the difference, as far as he was concerned it was the same thing.
And with Rias by his side, issei was sure he would achieve his ultimate goal of becoming a harem king.
" enough of this, I give up"
" ehh akeno what's wrong"
" you. You don't listen, you never pay attention and you have spent the past fifteen minutes doing nothing but staring at my breast and quite honestly am sick of it."
Issei had no idea how to respond to Akeno's outburst, he never expected her to lash out like this. Sure he had been subjected to ridicule and attacks due to his perverted nature, but all this was for the good of all hot blooded males around the world. He was a pervert for their pride. But Akeno looked like she really wanted to kill him.
" what's the matter Akeno, you never had a problem with issei before. In fact you used to tease him endlessly, why change now. Is this about Naruto again? You know non of that is Issei's fault."
" well you want to know what problem I have with issei. Well I'll tell you. First off, the way he looks at me thoroughly disgusts me. As a devil there's a threshold of bullshit and unreasonable actions that I can take, but issei just crossed it. I am not some sort of sex idol to be used in the fantasies of a disgusting pig with no self control of a teenage boy like Issei.
I chose to be nice to him, tease him, entice him on your order's, to make him feel welcomed. After all he was the one who would save you from riser. And am thankful for that. But has your over sized breast and foolish ego, not to mention this strange sense of hero worship you have going on blinded you to the fact that this guy. Issei is all kinds of wrong and has a complete and total disregard for the opposite sex.
He has no respect for women apart from how hard they can make orgasm when he's jacking off. Not to mention his is not the right man for you. Staying with this idiot, will put your families and your own reputation in jeopardy. It is only a matter of time before his stupid mouth put us all in a situation we can't escape from. You are better off with an ordinary human being than him."
" I knew it. Akeno all this is still about Naruto right? I get that he might be in danger if he was taken by my enemies according to kiba's theory. But I am trying my best to find him. I know his disappearance has harmed our relationship even if you refuse to tell me why.
While I trying my best and pulling all the stops, not just because how much he means to you and kiba, but because he is also a member of the orc, trust me I am trying. But I can't bcome to invested in looking for him that I will put the rest of you in jeopardy. After all to the outsider he is nothing more than an insignificant human being. So taking out your frustrations on issei, who is a part of our family is not right. "
Issei did not know much about girls outside of porns and staring at their boobs for long periods of time. But he knew Rias just made a huge blunder calling naruto insignificant and ordinary. The sparks dancing allover Akeno was enough indications that shit was about to hit the fan.
" bouchou. Did you just call naruto insignificant and ordinary. Hahaha, oh the irony. The ignorance. The stupidity. How dare you call my husband insignificant! You are not even fit to lick his boots much less be his servant. AND YOU CALL HIM INSIGNIFICANT! I AM GOING TO KILL YOU."
And that was when the lightening flew. It struck Rias with such force that it drove her through the wall behind her and out into the woods that backed up the old school building. Never in his wildest thoughts did issei think Akeno will attack Rias. She was the queen of her peerage, the best friend of Rias and someone who issei had admired for being loyal to her friend. But of course at the moment what really struck issei as weird was that she called Naruto her husband. And he tried to calm Akeno down.
" Akeno calm down, let's talk about…..ahhhhh"
And he got a fistfull of lightening on his face. The satisfied smirk on Akeno's face was there for everyone to see. She enjoyed hurting people that much was known, and this time it was giving her an even immense feeling of satisfaction.
" Akeno I don't know what has gotten into you, but attacking me was a very big mistake."
" well besty, why don't you put your fist where your money is and shut your mouth. I have no time to listen to the aimless rambling of a bimbo."
Credit to Rias because she responded, firing a ball of dark Red energy that carried with the power of destruction. The very presence of that attack was intimidating as it seemed to destroy and instill a sense of hopelessness and desolation at the person receiving the attack.
Akeno moved to the side in a display of incredible agility, and the ball of destruction went past her by just a hair's breath to destroy the table, chairs and chess set she and issei had been playing on a few moments ago. She ran out of the hole she made with Rias's body a minute ago, drawing close to her opponents. Everyone knew that both Rias and Akeno were magic fighters and they preferred fighting at a distance.
The purpose of akeno running to attack Rias physically seemed stupid, unless she wanted to turn this into a normal girl fight whereas cloths will be torn and hair will be pulled. As such a thought went through Issei's head, he could not help the grin that came on his face as he openly cheered for both of them with blood flowing down his nose. Whether that was from akeno punching him or something else, no one wanted to know.
But Akeno defied all logic as she began to move in inexplicable patterns. Rias was exposed to a barrage of palm strikes coated in lightening as Akeno danced around her like a cat playing chase with a dog. Rias gave a scream of frustration as she released her power in a circumference pushing Akeno back. The lightning priestess dug her shoes to the ground as she skided back making a track on the forest floor. Rias did not stop there as she continued to lob her explosive balls of destruction at Akeno, who also kept dodging them with relative ease.
Rias let out an exasperated scream of frustration as everything she threw at Akeno did not touch her. Though she succeeded at being able to keep akeno away from her immediate area, or else this would have been a whole other different story.
Akeno slammed her hands on the ground as a dense wave of electricity left her body and slammed into Rias throwing the crimson head princess into the air and repeatedly slamming her into trees as she pulverized them from inertia and the her superior body.
Akeno was not done as she took to the skies and raised her hands up. Her eyes lost their lustre as they became completely blue and let out minute sparks of electricity. Thunder clouds could be seen gathering in the skies, lightening dance among them like dragons playing just after their birth. Akeno's long black hair turned into a shade of midnight blue as veins began to make an appearance beside her eyes.
Issei had seen Akeno fight before, but she had not displayed this kind of power, he could feel a sweat break out from his brows as it trailed down his face in tandem with his nervous breathing. Akeno was really angry and as such this had gone beyond the reality of a sibling argument or a fight between best friends. Akeno was really trying to kill Rias.
The winds picked up, as a massive magic seal appeared above Akeno, all of the lightening around the clouds began to consolidate into one form. If that thing hit, issei was sure it would not just destroy the academy, but the whole of kuoh.
" Akeno stop, are you going to kill Rias she is your best friend. You grew up together, I doubt you want to throw that away for whatever relationship you have with Naruto."
In retrospect, Akeno had said that Issei's mouth will get them in a lot of trouble one day as the boy lacked tact. It seemed all his reasoning with Akeno did was make her more angrier as the lightening surged in intensity. Rias had her pride, and as much as she wanted to smack Akeno around for attacking her, there was a lot at stake. People could die, a lot of people and knowing Akeno she would live and carry that guitl around like a stigma for the rest of her life. In the light of that, she needed to take the high road. The best she could do was apologize. But before she could open her mouth, a teleportation seal with the crest of the original Lucifer family appeared in front of her as her heart stilled in fright.
Were the old maou faction attacking, in such a crucial time. She gathered her energy preparing to converge it into a seal tattooed at the end of her waist, just above her lustrous behind. But the person that came out of the teleportation seal was completely against her expectation.
" miss Kushina?"
The mentioned person just gave rias a passing look as she moved her attention back to Akeno. If rias was honest with her self that action of her's brought down her self esteem. But still, Naruto's mother was a devil. This was totally unexpected and was a plot twist of epic proportions. Which meant naruto was more than just an ordinary human. Not to mention he was a descendant of the original Lucifer. If there was another civil war countless devils who supported the old maou will flock behind him in droves and support him as their leader.
Rias shuddered. She had been sheltering someone who could cause a lot of trouble for her brother and the the other maou if he was motivated enough to go after power. And as far as devils were concerned getting rejected by a woman was enough reasons to go to war. She had seen a noble family in the underworld destroyed to oblivion just because the heir had refused the friendship of another noble families son. The boy flew Into a rage and ordered the family destroyed. And it mattered a lot considering the boy was only sixteen at the time. The same age as Naruto and issei.
" Akeno that's enough, you are drawing to much attention and its not good for business."
" You. what right do you have to tell me to stop. She insulted your son, called him ordinary and insignificant."
Rias was a little relived Akeno had shifted her ire to someone else, but when she tried to put her in the limelight as someone who insulted the son of a potentially powerful enemy, rias did not find it funny.
As kushina turned to look at Rias with her perfectly streamlined eyebrow raised in amusement. Rias could do nothing but put her head down in embarrassment as she murmured how she didn't mean what she said.
" Akeno why are you angry at insults that you know is baseless and have no iota of truth in it. You know she was just speaking out of ignorance. I don't think Naruto will like this kind of attitude from you. You do know he likes the girl don't you."
" How can you say that, after everything that happened. Not to mention how dare you, you shoved a knife in my husband's chest. I don't care if you are his mother or not, no one does that to him. Now tell me where he is before I turn you to ash."
Rias was sure Akeno had gone insane. She had no idea what was going on. Akeno had called Naruto her husband multiple times in the past ten minutes and Rias was sure as hell that Akeno had never been far away from her long enough to get married.
" Don't worry daughter in-law he is safe and sound."
The mockery in kushina's tone was as bright as day. It seemed she found the whole thing funny and the fact that Akeno kept calling Naruto her husband childish.
" Don't play games with me mother, just take me to him. Now!"
" Hinata enough!"
It was obvious kushina could yell louder and more ferociously than akeno. But why call her hinata.
" Now come down and let's talk".
It was shocking that Akeno who only a moment ago was prepared to destroy the whole of kuoh just because Rias insulted naruto albeit by mistake, since she did not structure her word well. But the sudden change of character when her name was called or a different name was like a scene straight from an anime. Was she also a tsundere along with being a masochists and sadists. What kind of combination was that.
Akeno floated down from the sky, as the thunder clouds that were heavily packed and gathered a few moments ago dispersed. She fell into kushina's arms as she buried her face in the woman's embrace and cried her eyes out.
" I was so worried, there was blood everywhere and I knew it was his. Even though you told me to stay away I couldn't. the thought that he was in danger or hurt drove me crazy and I felt like I lost all reasons to live. Then I used a wraith and found out what happened and I was so angry with you, I was so angry at everything.
The man I loved was right in front of me but I had to let him go just so he would live a normal and happy life that was not as bad as our previous. And he had you. So I was happy for him. And then he came to the school and joined the O.R.C, I thought this was another chance for us, but he fell in love with Rias instead and it became the whole sakura situation all over again. But I endured, I wanted him to be happy. If he was in love with a devil I knew there was a chance that he would be turned and then maybe take a second wife or concubine. And then I can be with my husband. But then all this happened. Please tell me is he okay."
No one expected that amount of rant from Akeno. Not to mention she was crying and stuttering all through it that it was almost impossible for any of them to make sense of what she was saying. But even then Kushina still held her and ran her hands through Akeno's hair like a mother who was comforting her daughter.
" Don't worry Akeno, he is fine. And his memories are returning too."
With tears in her eyes she looked up and asked.
" really?"
" Of course, I wouldn't lie to you about this. Soon enough you will have your husband back. Both the new and old. But you need to be prepared, there's a storm coming. That's why I am here for you today. You need to continue your training and in a months time or so, you will see him again."
Akeno said nothing but buried her face in Kushina's shoulder sighing in contentment. It was koneko with her monotone and emotionless voice who broke the silence.
" What the fuck just happened."
Absolutely no one had the answer to that question.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: okay here is the next chapter. But after this I might not be around for a while since I am planning to rewrite my two earlier fics the alternate universe, and mecha chronicles. Anyway what do you guys think about this chapter. Don't worry we only have like two or three chapters more before the awakening/ training arc ends and we will be into the faction meetings. So last chapter I asked if minato should be reincarnated into a plethora of options and the majority chooses to make him Michael. So that wins. I was actually going to introduce him this chapter as one of the characters I will be focusing on. But I chose Gabriel instead and showed the first of five massive showdowns I have planned between Akeno and Rias for the duration of this fic. So how was it. I hope I did their abilities justice, since I had to take into consideration that akeno is the reincarnation of a battle hardened assassin or soldier. So anyway guys read and review and give me all your ideas. KING OUT.
