Devil From The Heavens

Chapter 33: A Promise

Ape spotted the remains of the village at the horizon. Finally, they can take the Kyubi and wipe out the rest quickly and they should be home by the end of the day. He looked to his right and he could see his fellow Hybrids itching for destruction. One was already building ki in his palms. Ape scowled and pulled Samehada out. He got the other's attention and pointed the sword with a shake of his head.

The Hybrid fell back in line as Ape put Samehada away. The village would receive no warning. He looked to his left and nearly had a vein pop as he spotted two of them playing rock-paper-scissors! He was about to physically scold them until one of them abruptly vanished.

There was confusion among the group as they stopped to look for their missing comrade. One pointed up just as the other Hybrid was used as a club to knock him out of the sky. Their robes ruffled as the shockwave passed over them. Ape brought his arms down and his mouth fell agape. He was supposed to be dead!

"Just to let you know, I will be taking my time here." Broly noticed a breeze in an unusual spot and looked down. "I'll also need one of your robes."

Down below, the trio bore witness to the most violent fireworks display in their history. Emerald orbs littered the sky tens of miles away. Holes large enough to fit the village below blew apart the thick cloud layer. Thunderous booms greater than any that could be produced by natural storms shook their very bones. A new Sun was seemingly born midway through the clash.

Jade fire and dark lightning met and the sky cracked in two. For a moment, they could see the skies and blackness beyond before it reformed.

The affair ended violently moments later as a body destroyed the ground in front of them. A second followed right after. Broly landed on the second's head and it exploded in a shower of gore.

The Saiyan, hair awash in blue, trudged over to the semi-conscious hybrid with a pale, eyeless facsimile of his own head in his grip. He wiped away the copious river of blood that had painted his face before he straddled the hybrid's chest and began to beat the thing with his face with its ally's into little more than a bloody pulp. Once he had his fill of brutality, Broly stood soaked.

"That was...cathartic." He tossed the head onto the Zetsu's body. "Have fun with that."

With those words, his hair relaxed into its natural black and he adjusted the improvised half robe that he wrapped around his waist. More Akatsuki apparel but at least they were reversed so the titular red clouds weren't visible.

"Was that all of them?" Konan said as she watched the Zetsu's mangled body for any movement. "Madara might have sent more."

Broly hocked up a glob of blood. The numerous open, charred wounds on his body seemed to not bother the man. "The pressure is pretty much gone; they're all dead. I thought about leaving one alive to tell him so that he could wallow in his fear." He grabbed at his right arm and wiped the blood from it. "He'd suffer more at the end for it but I can't guarantee he just won't send more here."

"Are..." Hinata, along with the others, flinched as the Saiyan pulled a piece of Samehada from his back. "Are you okay?"

"I'll live; there was only one worth a damn and his body is in the forest miles away."

Konan looked at him skeptically but refrained from saying anything.

Naruto kept his eye on the remaining Zetsu. "Did they all look like you?" Upon Broly's nod, the blond shuddered. "Oh man, that's creepy."

"I remember you using a lot of clones yourself." Broly said.

Naruto rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah but, like, I summoned them myself, y'know? And they looked exactly like me. Less weird that way."

The Saiyan shrugged it off. "I'll take your word for it there."

It was then that Tsunade arrived with Jiraiya and a contingent of shinobi. "What's going on?!"

"Nothing you need to worry about for the moment." He gestured at the corpse that was left behind as his aura ignited. He'd overstayed his welcome as it stood. "Think of that as a parting gift. Do what you want with it."

With that he blasted off leaving behind a thoroughly confused group of ninja behind. Konan shrugged at them before her own wings sprouted and she followed close behind. They wouldn't interfere with their leaving.


They had flown in silence for nearly an hour before Konan decided to confront the Saiyan.

"You can drop the facade now." She said. "Those Zetsu...they're more dangerous then you're letting on, aren't they?"

Broly sighed. "They were like children that were just given a hammer. They swung their power around but they were sloppy and unfocused. Hell, I was surprised they could even launch a blast. If I didn't know better, I'd say they were born yesterday. But, as I am now, the threat was there. Their lack of experience was what kept me from the medic's tent."

"Or the grave."

He frowned. "Yeah, I didn't want to say it."

"Do you believe they could put a stop to you?" She questioned.

"These things are a roadblock but Madara'll die in the end all the same."

"Is that a certainty or a hope?"

He stayed quiet and she sighed. "That means getting that seal off you is of even greater imperative. We will need to convince the Leaf to remove it as Jiraiya is the only one with the knowledge necessary."

Indignation burned in his chest. "You can't expect me to let them just have that over-"

"I said nothing of the sort." Her eyes, hard as stone in their gaze, cut his words short. "They will not have you."

"Oh, um,-" He looked away embarrassed at ever having had the thought. Broly cleared his throat. "Good to know; where does that leave us? I've got nothing when it comes to politics."

"I overheard talks of the five Kage holding a summit to discuss how to deal with the threat of the Akatsuki. With Suna gone and Konoha effectively crippled, they will be left wanting for more allies."

He raised a brow. "You want to crash the party and offer your village's help?"

She nodded. "Our shinobi are renowned but our numbers are small and so they will be likely dismissive unless we bring something to grant us greater leverage."

"Me." He finished with a frown.

Konan nodded though she did not seem happy at the idea either. "Yes. If Ame offers both our shinobi and your help, we might be able to negotiate the removal of the seal along with other concessions." She slowed down and he did the same until the two were hovering in front of each other. "I do not wish to force you into anything. If you do not want to go this route, we will think of another way."

For all the backstabbing he'd seen, he should have been skeptical. A cynical interpretation of events would have her as some great manipulator finally achieving what she wanted but...something about Konan had him believing she was sincere in her desire to help. Whether it was Hagoromo's naive compassion rubbing off or his own naive impressions of the woman, he was inclined to think her honest.

And, if worst comes to worst, he didn't need all of his power to make them regret it. As little as he desired that.

"I don't like it but if you think it's the best option, I'm for it."

"Your trust in me won't be in vain, Broly."


Ame was a day and a half's travel at her speed. Broly said he could go faster normally but the fight with the Hybrids had taken most of his power and since he left without another healing session with Tsunade, his wounds slowed him down further. As a result, they opted to take a rest that night. Between her paper and his ki, a campfire was easily made in minutes.

Broly took the initiative of knocking down a tree so they'd have a place to sit for the time being. There were rains the day before and the forest floor hadn't dried yet as a result. Konan opted to create two paper tents with poor facsimiles of sleeping bags within them. Paper was a terrible material for the job but it'd have to do for now.

After the setup of their temporary camp, the Saiyan took a dip in a nearby river to wash the soot and dirt from his body as well as to clean his wounds. He was regretting not sticking around Konoha a bit longer now. He came back around an hour later as clean as he was going to get to the smell of cooking meat which got his stomach grumbling.

"I caught what I could." Konan said offhandedly as she tested the flesh of a rabbit. Nearly done. "This should hold us over somewhat until Ame."

He dropped onto the log. There were three to share; barely a snack if he ate all of them himself. It'll have to do.

"Thanks."

The Saiyan shook his head to get the last bits of water from his hair. Konan blocked the droplets from hitting her with a quick paper shield. Broly gave it a quick once over.

"I haven't seen anyone else use paper like you do. Is it rare on this planet?"

The kunoichi shrugged as the shield dropped. "I suppose; I created this style on my own when I was younger. I had a talent for origami as a child and it naturally evolved from there."

He made a thoughtful noise as he looked to the fire. "This place is weird. Pretty much everywhere else, their abilities are like mine, just explosions and power, but here you can make clones, weaponize paper, and throw the elements around like nothing. I can't say I'm a fan."

"That seems rather straightforward." She moved the rabbits off the flame and offered two to the Saiyan who took them and began to eat greedily. "One might even say boring."

Broly scoffed before swallowing his current bite. "You say that but my being here is probably the most exciting thing to happen to this world in a while."

"Touché."

The two ate in silence for a brief time. He had turned his own rabbits to clean skeletons within seconds in a display that'd make even the most gluttonous blush. Konan had to keep her eyes away to eat her own in peace at a much slower, normal pace. Broly tossed the bones into the woods and sighed.

"This is as good a time as any, now that I think about it."

"Hmm?" Konan looked up from the fire at the Saiyan. "What do you mean?"

"You remember our bargain? Never got a chance to uphold my end. That Sand Village took me away and then you and Pain were too busy preparing for Madara after and then-" He gestured in the direction of Konoha. "That whole thing happened."

The former Akatsuki furrowed her brow as she searched her memories. "You're right. I had nearly forgotten." She let out a deep sigh. "It all felt much longer in the midst of it."

"Ha, tell me about it." Broly leaned back on the log and looked up at the mostly empty sky. "Feels like it's been years."

Konan moved so she sat next to the Saiyan. She set aside her meal; there was little meat left regardless. "If I remember it correctly, you said I could ask you any question?"

"Yep."

She thought on it for a moment. "You know my origins. How did you end up here?"

He shrugged off the question. "I got my ass kicked and landed half dead here where some old guy with purple eyes imprisoned me." There was silence for some moments and he twisted his head to look at her. She was thoroughly unamused. "What?"

"While it did follow the letter of the question, it did violate the spirit." She deadpanned in response.

Broly smirked and returned his gaze to the stars. "There's not much to say. I was born with so much power that the king of my planet had me stabbed and thrown out with my father. I saved the both of us when the planet was destroyed not long after by a meteor. What followed was nearly twenty years of me and my father going through the galaxy surviving and pillaging."

He grew a little quieter. "That girl was wrong. I didn't kill billions; I killed trillions. Even my father grew terrified of me. He couldn't control me and feared dying in one of my wild frenzies so he had a crown built. One night, he forced it on me when I was sleeping and...I don't even know how much time passed like that. It was all a haze; I couldn't string two thoughts together. Then Kakarot showed up."

Broly sat up as the memories played in his head unbidden. Even now, the rage flared. "Kakarot was next to me in the nursery and he cried without pause for hours. Now whenever I think about him, all I hear is the cries and I can't help the anger that comes. When I saw him, I exploded. The next bit is hard to remember. I just...I only know I was free and I was enjoying beating Kakarot and his friends to death." He pointed to the scar on his stomach. "Until he tore me open with a punch and left me for dead. Luckily, I found a ship and I crash landed here."

"That was when Hagoromo found me. I was pretty much dead so he was able to knock me out and imprison me." He turned to her. "You know what happens next."

Konan stayed quiet for some time. She knew of most of the elements but to have all the pieces put together for her was enlightening. Furthermore, it was surreal to try and imagine the scale of the murder Broly had inflicted on their corner of their universe. Even harder still to rectify that with the man across from her who wished to atone for what he's done on this world. It seemed like two different people.

"Thank you."

"For what?"

"For telling me." She clarified. "You didn't have to."

"There's nothing to thank me for. I keep my word." He stood up and stretched with a yawn. "I think I'll head off to bed."

"I'll keep first watch then."

She turned her attention back to the flame as he went into his tent. She didn't know how to feel about the man nor about what the next day held. She'd be back in Ame after her forced exile from the village. Would the people accept her after abandoning them? What of the news that their god is dead?

Would it even be there tomorrow? The thought kept sleep at bay as anxiety coursed through her system. Even after her shift and she was within her tent, her eyes stayed wide open. Gods and aliens and her village caught in the midst of it all.

She closed her eyes to try and rest. She needed the energy.


Morning came after too long a wait. The campsite was deconstructed and all traces of their stop removed by Konan. Broly offered to just blow it up but she informed him that was as good as leaving it up for anyone trying to track them. He shrugged it off.

After a half day, Ame's skyline came over the horizon. The relief that filled her was enough for her to weep but she remained stoic. She had to be prepared for any potential reaction of her people.

If any remained.

Luckily, her worries were for not. The people of Ame welcomed her back with open arms and proclamations of their faith being rewarded. They had been struggling and only now healing from the sudden attack that left entire stretches of their village ruined. She gave them the reassurances they needed and they showered her with reverence.

Then came the questions of their god, Pain. He had not been seen since the attack.

Her arms fell. It wasn't that she had forgotten but with recent events, Nagato's death had been pushed away. She had told herself she could not grieve. Not yet. Not while her village needed her, not while Madara's machinations ran wild, but to be confronted so suddenly. It left her on weak legs.

"I...I will make a declaration regarding our dear leader soon." She said before her wings spread and she flew away from her people. There was a lump in her throat and she tried to swallow it down. It wasn't the time, she told herself, but then Konan came upon a scene of devastation.

She never got a moment to see what Madara did to Ame in her absence. Even with most of the debris cleaned and early signs of construction, the open wounds of Ame were there for her eyes to bare. Her hand came up to her mouth as she begun to shake.

"You left them pretty suddenly." Broly said from behind her. "Did something-" His words died in his throat when she turned. Her eyes were red and wet and it was clear she was barely holding on. The Saiyan looked to the crater below. His gaze softened.

He floated closer and took her other hand in his like she did days before. Tears began to stream down her face and a sob escaped but she shook her head. She couldn't-she couldn't when the village needed her help. When Madara was still out there planning-

"You told me...'You don't need to suffer alone. I'm here.'." He hesitated as if the words were hard for him to say but, after a moment, he pressed on. "That goes the other way too."

The memory of Nagato's Naraka Path falling limp flashed through her mind. 'Our dream lives with you now.' It was too much for the kunoichi and she was wracked with sobs as she allowed the tears to freely arm wrapped around her shoulders in a gentle embrace.

"Nagato, Yahiko, my village...I've failed them all."


A Village To The North Of Konoha

It was like any other night in the village. Save for some clouds blocking the full moon, the night sky was clear and its residents were getting ready to end the day. Shopkeeps were waiting for their last customers while children raced home to avoid breaking their parents' curfew.

Near the edge of the village, two men struggled to stay standing. Their shift was nearly over and they were close to falling asleep as it was but their replacements were running late.

"I'm gonna throttle them." One said.

"You say that every time." The other replied.

"Yeah, well, eventually I'll snap if they keep doing this. Don't they know we need them at the ready in case of any threats?"

His friend scoffed. "You're telling me; I don't know why we keep them around."

"I think it's be-" There was a lone figure trudging along the road to their village's entrance. The two men straightened themselves out. "Is it your turn or mine?"

"Yours."

"It's always my turn." He muttered as he stepped forward to meet the visitor. His mouth opened, ready to recite his greetings for the thousandth time, but nothing came out. Whoever this was, they were covered head to toe in blood and ruined clothes and on their back was an absurdly large sword that- was it breathing? It had to be a shinobi but were they from the Leaf or Sound?

"Hey! Identify yourself and we can get you some help!"

Above, the clouds shifted ever so slightly and the full moon was exposed for the first time that night. The 'sword' wriggled around and its scales shot outward like fur on a startled cat's tail. The figure lifted its head and piercing red eyes stared into him.

Come the morning, the village was naught but ash and glass. Rumors of an ape-like creature howling in the forest would persist for generations to come.


Author's Note

A very Konan/Broly centric chapter. I'm not particularly happy with it but it's too late for a reqrite. These kind of chapters are always one of the hardest to write so I hope it was all good. Next will be a small time skip followed by the 5 Kage summit.

Lemme know what y'all think.

Ent out.


Review Responses!

fightingchampion: Funny how fate works lol Treat a weapon of mass destruction nicely and suddenly your village is on top.

Isaiah Navarro: Glad to hear I was able to brighten up the week just a bit. I agree about the clothing situation but Broly would probably stay away from Akatsuki attire for good reason. What we got this chapter is temporary until he gets settled in Ame.

Abyss Emperor: There's nothing there, that I'm aware of at least, that would prevent him from using all 8 Gates as a zombie which means he'd probably be able to blitz the entire remaining shinobi forces by himself unless Broly gets in the way again.

Bapu-chale-sasural: Thanks!

SilverJoJo: Ah, I want to answer your question but that'd be spoilers.

SuperSaiyajin4Vegeta: Isn't that what happened with Majin Vegeta? Or am I misremembering?

Sax Marine: To what tho.

God of Light: No matter what happened with Broly, Konoha wouldn't be top dog anymore for obvious reasons lol

Juan: No se sobre eso. Broly no me parece alguien que quiera hacer eso.

DTLA1992: Yeah, me neither. It was weird how he got that redemption imo. Also, I'd love to write that confrontation myself; I'll have to see if I can swing that.

RandomCoolGuy: Not everybody...just most people.

Masteria: Glad to hear it!