A/N: Many thanks to those who added my story to their favorite story list! Love you guys! So…who is the fifth Angel? One more Angel to go! I DON'T OWN NARUTO!
Chapter VI: Demons Hunting
Jiraiya sipped his saki slowly, letting the Hyuuga's stare at him in shock at the discovery of another Angel in their midst. He observed them and felt bad for the two gennin who had just awakened, he knew why they fled and he understood the necessity of knowledge at these moments. Most people knew of the Angels and end up searching for them, some don't believe, thinking of them as a sort of tale told by desperate humans wanting a miracle. Jiraiya sighed and placed the saki cup down; he looked down at the youths and coughed to rouse them from their shocked stupor. Neji looked grave and Hinata was trembling, but overall they looked terrified.
"Look, I'm assuming you don't fully understand your situation, that you don't really understand why things are the way they are. I want to help you; it pains me to have to leave two vulnerable preteens by themselves."
"We don't need your help! We're doing just fine on our own," Neji shouted as he rose from his seat abruptly. Hinata touched his elbow to get him to calm down.
"Please Neji, we need help. He is older and is more experienced than us; it would be wiser to have someone to teach us." Neji huffed but sat back down with his eyes shut and his arms crossed over his chest. "Please do not mind him Jiraiya-sama, he is just very protective. We hope to be your faithful students and learn much under your supervision." Hinata bowed, Neji reluctantly did the same. Jiraiya was flattered by the tiny female; looking at her he still couldn't believe she was a Hyuuga.
"I accept you as my students, and my first lesson will be the understanding of what an Angel is. Like you, I awakened around the time I hit puberty, I managed to stay in Konoha because of my friendship with my sensei."
"You are from Konoha?" Neji looked at the man suspiciously; he scooted closer to Hinata in case he had to push her away from the older male.
"Don't worry, I'm not one of your family's search dogs, don't look so surprised, a lot of people know of Hiashi paying for your return. Yes, I am from Konoha, I am one of the three great sannin, taught by the third Hokage himself, and sensei to the deceased fourth Hokage!" Hinata looked at him in awe, she was amazed that such a person would be teaching them; it was very exciting as the prospect of becoming just as powerful as the sannin before them became a possibility. Neji was left slack jawed; he didn't know that he was such a powerful man. "Now, to start the lesson I need to know what you know about the Angels."
"From what our Academy sensei explained, an Angel is a creature that is sought out by man as they can grant any wish and that there is only five in existence at a time, and that was pretty much it," Neji answered, his eyes serious. The food they ordered had just arrived and for a moment they just stared at the plate of yakisoba, Jiraiya was the first to try the meal, the youths followed his example when they realized they didn't need his permission to start eating.
"Hm. Well, at least they didn't tell you complete crap." Hinata began to choke and Neji had to pat her back to get her breathing again, he glared and Jiraiya who gave Hinata an apologetic look. "Sorry, what I meant was that they at least told you the truth. When I was a kid they told me that Angels were these evil demons that created chaos where ever they went."
"W-why would they lie?" Hinata asked when she finally caught her breath.
"To be honest I don't know, maybe they were being selfish and wanted to keep the true purpose of the Angels a secret; less competition I guess. Only way I understood what an Angel really was, was when Sarutobi-sensei found out I was one," Jiraiya chuckled aloud.
"How did he find out that you are an Angel," Neji asked, curious as Hinata was. Both leaned forward when the sage paused for affect.
"That day I had been assigned to a three man squad, and that day Sarutobi-sensei had challenged our group to catch a bell, sadly there were only two and I was the unlucky guy to not have gotten a bell, as punishment I ended up being tied to a wooden stump and unable to eat my lunch. When everyone else left, the old man finally decided to let me out, he used a kunai to cut the rope, I squirmed and this caused him to cut through part of my clothes. I had managed to learn how to wrap my wings around my body, just like you're doing right now Neji." Jiraiya sighed. "From the cut he was able to see the feathers sticking out, I was terrified that he would hate me for being a monster and kill me, but he ended up smiling at me and we've had a great friendship ever since."
"And Hokage-sama assisted in hiding your true form from others," Hinata added, it was such a low input that he had to strain to hear what she had said.
"Yup, though this didn't spare me from his constant lectures and reproaches on my misconducts." At this Jiraiya gave a deep sigh and sunk into his seat, another sip of saki before he returned his attention to the Hyuuga. "Let us return to what you are, I must inform you that the knowledge I have acquired has been from intensive study of old tales and legends, it took me years to separate truth from false claims."
"How did you know what was truth?"
"That is easily answered my dear Hinata, what was false was discarded when it did not match a trait that applied to me and my abilities, but some parts were hard to differ as truth or fiction. Some stories told of curses and rituals that our kind was used for, and back then I was still honing my power and had no way of trying these rituals for myself, though I certainly wouldn't want to."
"Why would that be? Was it too complicated for you to perform, or is it that the result could prove terrifying?" Neji's eyes sparkled with curiosity and intrigue.
"You are right on both accounts, it was far too complicated and what would come forth of that experiment would be disastrous for all nations."
"It is that powerful a ritual? What would have happened if you had fulfilled the ritual requirements?" Neji looked at his tiny cousin, her eyes focused on the older male, serious was her facial expression.
"We would have opened the gates of Hell…" The three shinobi sat in silence as they let this bit of information sink in. Hinata couldn't believe that they were capable of such a thing, that she, someone who has been called weak by her own relations, was capable of causing chaos and destruction. "Let's not worry about that, as long as I'm here that will never happen. From where we left off, it is obvious that you have an overall understanding that you are creatures of power. I will start with the information I was capable of gathering, though it may not be complete I am sure that what I have gathered is true, or close to it.
"Angels weren't part of specific families; they were descendants of shamans and an extinct race of demons. I don't know much about these unknown demons other than that they came from human's desires. Well, these creatures weren't like their fathers, they weren't wicked and selfish beings that only satisfied their baser instincts. The offspring that they had created took after the shamans that sought happiness for human kind, their children were good and virtuous, they went forth and created peace to warring lands, fed the hungry, and healed those near death; this is why we're called Angels. It wasn't surprising that the fathers were displeased with this, they tried to change their children's ways, but it was in vain. At first they tolerated their kind nature but soon it proved to them a bothersome trait that got in their way, the demons loved causing pain to humans and it was their goal to cause as much havoc as possible, but the Angels continued to heal the human's open wounds and comforted the weak. What relationship they had with one another had diminished over the years and each fought with one another when they came across each other. The last straw came when the demons decided to destroy the shamans that brought the Angels into the world in hopes of never created more of the Angels, this angered the Angels and a war between these powerful beings ensued.
"You're probably wondering what this has to do with you; I can see it in your eyes, this part also explains why there can only be five Angels at a time. What happened next was pure chaos, and humans were stuck in the middle, and man had had enough of being the damsel in distress, so to speak, they decided it was time that they got into the action. When the war was nearing its end, only five Angels were still standing, one demon was still fighting against the creatures it helped create, and most of the humans that fought had died, the rest refused to fight any longer. Four humans braved one final battle and they headed towards the mountain that swelled with a thick miasma, they didn't hear the loud curse the final demon spat at the Angels. As the demon died he cursed the Angels; that they will forever serve the humans, that they will become the slaves of the wicked beings that had created their fathers. When the demon perished the humans over heard this and did not wish that to be true, they did not want corrupt humans to have such power and the Angels shared the same sentiment, so they let their souls be consumed by the four brave humans."
"Wait; wouldn't there have been an extra soul? And that doesn't explain why we have to bind ourselves to another person?"
"I'm getting there Neji. The spare soul was joined with another, like a double yoke, and was consumed by the person that would later found the Hyuuga clan, the last three were distributed and the humans scattered to the four winds, never to see each other." Jiraiya sighed before he continued. "This didn't mean the curse wasn't still active, the curse demanded that anyone who is an Angel be bound to a human and serve them and fulfill their every desire, if they do not find a human before the anniversary of their awakening then the magic that is stored within the Angel's body will become like poison and kill them, and another of that clan will become the new Angel."
"How does binding ourselves keep us from dying exactly," Neji inquired, his hand clutching at the cup of tea he had ordered, Hinata sipped hers and listening intently.
"There's only two ways of killing an Angel and that is if our master wishes it, or we die from the magic build up. We must give this excess power to the human we bound our self so we can survive, this in turn extends the life of our master. Many Angels had cruel masters and to end the cruelty given them they would refuse to give their masters their power and this would kill both master and Angel, of course the Angel would be reincarnated from the same clan and obtain a new master that was just as cruel. This way the demon's curse is acted out."
"J-Jiraiya-sama, must we suffer under a cruel master? Is it not possible to serve someone kinder, someone we trust deeply," Hinata asked. "Also, why can't we just instill the energy inside an inanimate object such as a tree or rock?"
"I had the same idea once, it was a lesson I will never forget. I used a tree for my experiment and the poor thing exploded! I found out that because it had nothing to circulate the massive amount of energy it just built up and exploded, same thing goes for a rock and don't get me started with the goldfish. The tiny thing was incapable of absorbing all of the energy, that was a sad day for me." Hinata and Neji looked at each other in horror at the painful fate the fish had suffered.
"This means that humans are the only things capable of withholding our power, but does the person necessarily have to be cruel?"
"No, Neji, they just have to be human. Look at me, I'm bound and I'm fairly happy, even if the person I'm bound to can be a bitch." Neji covered Hinata's ears, and sent a second glare at the old sage.
"Again, I'm sorry." Jiraiya stood from his seat and paid for the meal, Hinata and Neji followed the sannin out the door and into a large casino. Gamblers paid no mind to the newcomers and focused on their slot machines and tables that they were stationed at. One table in particular was surrounded by people, they were throwing dice and betting on numbers, the men where howling in delight as they won, the females that clung to their arms rewarded them with affectionate kisses and intimate touches. One woman was flushed from the saki she was holding in her left hand and laughed alongside the men, even though they were laughing at her.
"Yo, Tsunade, get your ass over here! I need you to meet my new students, and will you please stop tormenting Shizune, the girl is going to worry herself sick because of you," Jiraiya yelled, catching the blond woman's attention. Tsunade stuck out her tongue at him and placed a large stack of cash on the table, demanding they exchange it for chips. Jiraiya looked down at the preteens and motioned them to his hotel where they paid for a room themselves; they didn't want Jiraiya to have to baby them. The woman, Tsunade, eventually stumbled in an hour later, her arm was over the shoulder of a petite woman keeping her from falling. Hinata presumed her to be the one called Shizune as her face looked tired, her cheeks were lacking blood and her hair was in disarray.
"Jiraiya, you idiot, I lost all my money because of you," the drunken woman shouted at the white haired man. "Shizune, take me to my room and bring me some more saki!"
"Tsunade-sama, please understand that if you continue this way you might die from alcohol poisoning," Shizune cried, a pig in her arms squealed as she squeezed him tightly against herself.
"Ton Ton, you understand me don't you? Of course you do, you're the only one who knows how much I love my saki!" The pig squealed again and jumped into its master's arms. "If you won't get me my saki, Shizune, then fine! Jiraiya I want saki, I command you to bring me some!"
"I think you should listen to Shizune. Woman get off of me!" Tsunade wrapped her hands around Jiraiya's neck and proceeded to strangle the man senselessly, all the while Neji and Hinata watched from their door, a look of confusion fixed on their faces. It took five minutes to get Tsunade off of Jiraiya; she took Ton Ton from Shizune and marched into her room, not once looking back at the Angel. "That woman is so cruel to me sometimes!" Jiraiya stood with the help of Shizune and turned his attention to his new students. "Forgive her, she is addicted to gambling and drinking but in truth she is a good person. Tomorrow I will formally introduce you both, but until then you can rest in your room without fear of intrusion." Jiraiya said his good-night and took his leave, before entering into her master's room Shizune stared at Hinata and Neji with recognition, but said nothing of what they really were. That night Hinata was plagued by the memory of the man wanting to take her away from Neji, she would wake during the night, her mouth dry and her eyes drowned in tears.
"Good morning," Jiraiya called to the gennin who exited their room, he gave Hinata a curious look when he spied dark circles under her eyes, he turned to Neji but he just nodded to the old sennin. "Ahem, well, I was looking through one of the scrolls I was able to salvage from an old shrine that spoke of the Angels and after carefully going through its contents I was able to determine our next course of action."
"And what would that be, Jiraiya-sama? Oh! First, would you like to join Neji and me for breakfast; there we can discuss the matter more privately." Hinata smiled up at Jiraiya, she motioned him into their room where she commenced to make a series of delectable treats to fill their grumbling stomachs. Jiraiya was content with the meal and as he waited for the others to enter he thought of a good way to explain his plan. Tsunade entered, her hand clutching her hair as the after effects of her drinking left her with a hangover, Shizune carried Ton Ton in her arms and a smile graced her face at the smell of food.
"How are you feeling, Tsunade? Alcohol finally got to you did it?" Jiraiya smiled when Tsunade shouted at him to shut up and winced at the loudness of her own voice. Hinata brought the women their breakfast and tea, Tsunade gave her a thankful smile and Shizune did the same. "Tsunade, I want to introduce my new students, Hinata and Neji Hyuuga." Tsunade choked on her tea and Shizune was forced to leap out of the way lest she get sprayed.
"New students, when did this happen," Tsunade asked when she was able to breathe again, she looked at both Hyuuga. Tsunade was aware of the search for these two, she wasn't sure if it was wise the have these two gennin with them unless they wanted trouble. "Jiraiya, you know just as well as I do at what could transpire if the Hyuuga clan finds out that we have them. I do not want to risk my head for these two, you may be an Angel, but others will be hurt."
"You're right; I'm an Angel and can kick their asses pretty damn easy. I also know I would never purposely get in the Hyuuga's way."
"So, pray tell why are you making these two gennin, these Hyuuga, your pupils," Tsunade asked, her eyes serious, her chin rested above her intertwined hands as she regarded the Angel. Hinata felt a chill go up her spin as she looked at both sannin, each exuded an air of determination, neither wanting to back down.
"Like me, they're Angels as well." Wide eyed Tsunade turned to the Hyuuga and mentally kicked herself for not noticing it earlier, they were quite beautiful and each gave off a scent that made them very appealing. "The boy awakened first and soon will need to be bound; the female is still in her first year and will not need to be bound for a while."
"Interesting, what do you plan to do?"
"I originally wanted to discuss our next course of action, we can discuss the binding at a later date. Last night I was able to understand that one way of really understanding what we are is by speaking with one of the creatures that lived through that time."
"Stupid, that was way over two thousand years! How do you expect to find someone from that time?"
"We will not be looking for someone, but something. There are only nine creatures that lived through that time and are still in existence. We need to look for a demon!"
"Jiraiya-sama, you are speaking of the tailed beasts, correct?"
"Yes, Shizune, we need to find a demon and speak with it to know the whole story." With his excitement Jiraiya abruptly stood and toppled the table over, dropping the contents to the ground. A vain bulged on Tsunade's head as she watched her unfinished breakfast fall to the floor. "Ts-Tsunade, okay, that was an accident." A moment of tense silence filled the room before the enraged female jumped over the flipped table and started strangling Jiraiya's neck, his face turned various shades of pink to red and then blue and purple. Hinata watched in horror, Shizune tried prying her master off the older male, and Neji looked at the choking sannin with amusement, Jiraiya's eyes looked like they would pop out of his sockets.
"You ass-hole, that was my breakfast!" Tsunade smashed his head against the ground and Jiraiya was forced to turn them over and managed to free himself of her grip, he jumped back and extended his wings, finally giving Hinata and Neji a glance of his unique appendages. Jiraiya's wings were large, much larger than that of Neji and Hinata, the feathers were pure white and seemed a ruffled mess, those very feathers surrounded him and he disappeared in a flurry of soft plumage, his voice echoing to them, instructing them to ready themselves to leave for Konoha, that they would be going demon hunting.
A/N: Done, next chapter we have Gaara meet Hinata! How will he react? Will he be out of character? He most likely will be for a while; I'll make sure to keep it to a minimum. Hope you enjoyed!
-Baron