Chapter 28:
– Blake –
I stood awkwardly beside Mom, shifting my weight nervously from foot to foot as we waited before the Fire Daimyo's throne. The vast, lavishly decorated throne room seemed even larger and more imposing now, with Iroh seated in his official robes, the weight of his authority more evident than ever.
Thankfully, he did seem somewhat calmer now that he'd confirmed Azula and Zuko were safe. But his eyes still held a sharp intensity that set my nerves on edge.
Mom stood silently beside me, still fully decked out in her ANBU gear and wearing her raven mask.
He leaned forward slightly in his throne, his deep voice filling the hall. "ANBU-san, I truly appreciate your timely intervention tonight. You undoubtedly saved many lives. Mine included. Would you please remove your mask? I would like to thank you face-to-face."
Shit. Exactly what we'd hoped to avoid.
I swallowed nervously, glancing sideways at Mom. Though her face was completely hidden, her slight fidgeting told me she felt as uncomfortable as I did. Taking her mask off would invite way too many awkward questions.
Like how the hell my mother was so young-looking…
After a tense pause, Mom cleared her throat softly. "Forgive me, Lord Daimyo, but I'm afraid I cannot. Hokage-sama explicitly forbade me from removing my mask while I'm technically on a mission outside the village. My mission includes training Blake and keeping him safe until we return to Konoha for the finals."
Iroh raised an eyebrow skeptically, his sharp eyes lingering silently on my mother for a moment. Clearly, he didn't entirely buy what she was selling. Yet, after a short, heavy silence, he finally nodded, deciding not to press the issue.
"I understand. A pity, but I shall respect Lady Tsunade's wishes," he relented gracefully, relaxing back into his throne.
Crisis avoided. For now, at least.
Iroh turned his gaze toward me next, his serious face breaking into a warm, genuine smile. "Blake Himejima, you have my sincerest gratitude. Without your quick thinking and brave intervention, I likely would not be alive right now. I owe you a debt."
I scratched the back of my neck awkwardly, my cheeks flushing slightly at his earnest praise. "It was nothing special, really. Anyone would've done the same in my position."
"Modest too," he chuckled warmly. "Such a rare trait."
He studied me thoughtfully, stroking his beard lightly before continuing. "You know, I confess I haven't personally heard of the Himejima clan before tonight. But, given the circumstances, I suppose it makes sense. Countless noble clans fell or disappeared entirely during the chaos of the Warring States period nearly a century ago. Clearly, the Himejima clan must have been noble and honorable indeed, to produce someone of your character."
Mom and I both snorted simultaneously at his words, then immediately froze, realizing how disrespectful that probably sounded. Iroh blinked at us, puzzled by our sudden reaction.
"Apologies," Mom said quickly, her voice tight with suppressed amusement. "We meant no disrespect, Lord Daimyo. Blake and I simply have a… complicated history with our clan."
I nodded rapidly, struggling to keep a straight face. "Complicated is definitely the right word," I added, biting back further laughter. If only Iroh knew how completely twisted and messed up our so-called "noble" clan really was.
Thankfully, Iroh just shrugged it off. "Families often are complicated," he agreed calmly, as if sensing there was more to our story, but wisely choosing not to pry. "Regardless, in recognition of your bravery and service tonight, I have decided to officially grant the Himejima clan noble status within the Land of Fire. You shall enjoy equal prestige and privileges alongside other noble ninja clans like the Senju, Uchiha, or Hyuga."
I froze in surprise, completely unsure how to react. Next to me, Mom's entire body went rigid, clearly just as stunned as I was beneath her mask. Quickly regaining her composure, Mom bowed deeply, her voice trembling slightly with genuine gratitude. "Lord Daimyo, you honor us deeply with such generosity. Thank you." Then she leaned subtly toward me, whispering harshly under her breath, "Blake! Bow already!"
"Oh, shit—right!" I quickly mumbled back, hastily bowing next to her with an embarrassed chuckle. "Thank you very much, Lord Daimyo."
Honestly, I had no freaking clue what becoming an official noble entailed in this world, but judging by Mom's shocked reaction, it had to be a pretty big deal, right? At the very least, it sounded cool as hell.
Iroh simply smiled kindly at us both, clearly amused by my awkward fumbling. "Raise your heads. It's a well-earned reward."
The tension hanging thickly in the throne room vanished instantly when Iroh suddenly hopped right off his ornate throne. Without any hesitation, he began peeling off the extravagant noble robes draped around his shoulders, casually tossing them onto the polished marble floor like they were nothing more than an old coat.
My eyes widened in shock, and I couldn't stop myself from openly gaping at him.
Nearby, a couple of palace attendants sighed softly, and I caught fragments of their resigned muttering.
"Oh no, not again…"
Iroh didn't seem to notice, or maybe he simply didn't care, as he stretched his arms overhead and then patted his large belly with satisfaction. "Ah, that's much better!" he announced cheerfully. "I absolutely despise all that stuffy…stuff… they make me wear as the daimyo. I'd honestly prefer spending my days relaxing with family, drinking tea, and playing Pai Sho."
He paused, looking thoughtfully at me with a warm twinkle in his eyes. "Speaking of Pai Sho, Blake, we never did get to finish our earlier match, did we? Those pesky assassins interrupted us. Would you care to join me in finishing our game?"
For a moment I hesitated, glancing uncertainly toward Mom, who still stood quietly at my side, her ANBU mask firmly in place. She tilted her masked face slightly toward me, clearly as surprised as I was, but she gave a subtle shrug as if to say, "It's your call."
"Uh, sure, I guess," I finally answered with a slight smile.
"Splendid!" Iroh beamed, turning immediately toward a smaller door on the far side of the throne room. "This way, please!"
We followed him down a short hallway to another room, smaller and far more comfortable than the grandeur of the throne hall. A low wooden table had already been carefully prepared, complete with a pristine Pai Sho board and three steaming cups of fragrant tea neatly set beside it.
Iroh eased himself down onto a cushion with a satisfied sigh, gesturing eagerly for us to join him. Mom and I exchanged another quick glance. Even without seeing her face, I could practically sense her amused resignation at this unexpected turn of events.
With a mutual shrug, we both sat down across from the daimyo.
Iroh took a slow, appreciative sip of his tea, closing his eyes briefly in pleasure. Then he set the cup down gently and gestured toward me with an encouraging smile. "Since our previous game was interrupted, why don't you make the first move this time, Blake?" he offered warmly.
I nodded, chuckling slightly as I leaned forward to carefully select my first tile. "Alright, but don't expect me to go easy on you just because you're the daimyo," I teased lightly. One hundred percent knowing he was going to crush me of course. This old guy was an obvious master of the board game.
Iroh's laughter rang out warmly. "I wouldn't have it any other way!"
—
A couple hours later, Mom and I were walking back through the Fire Capital toward our hotel. Even though it was late, there were noticeably more samurai patrols roaming the streets now, their armored figures keeping careful watch on every shadow. After tonight's crisis at Prince Zuko's birthday party, that wasn't exactly surprising.
My mind drifted back to the attack. The attackers were ninjas from the Sound Village, of all places. I'd never even heard of that village before tonight.
Seriously, what the fuck was their problem?
I realized I'd said that last thought out loud when Mom turned to look at me.
She shook her masked head slightly and sighed. "The Sound Village has deep ties with Orochimaru," she explained quietly. "At least we suspected it did, but now that's pretty much confirmed. But even then, tonight's attack… it doesn't make sense. I don't know why he'd attempt something so brazen and reckless?"
I frowned thoughtfully, kicking a small pebble across the street as we walked. "I guess Konoha's going to send some specialist shinobi to investigate this whole mess, right? Probably interrogate any prisoners we caught tonight." We'd find out soon enough.
Mom nodded calmly. "That's right. They'll be here quickly to get to the bottom of things."
A sudden mischievous grin crossed my face as I glanced at her again. "Think Anko will come along with them?"
Mom instantly froze in place, her whole body stiffening. Even without seeing beneath her ANBU mask, I knew exactly what expression she was making. "Absolutely not, Blake," she scolded sharply, clearly annoyed. "You stay away from that perverted kunoichi."
I laughed, holding up both hands defensively. "Relax, Mom. I was just kidding." Sort of… I think all guys were attracted to crazy hot girls deep down, even if they knew it was bad for them.
She huffed in irritation, obviously not believing me at all. Chuckling to myself again, I walked on beside her.
As we approached our hotel, another nagging thought entered my mind. "Hey, where was Konan?" I asked suddenly. "She didn't storm the palace with you earlier."
Mom tilted her masked face slightly toward me, her voice thoughtful and a little concerned. "Konan stayed outside the palace during the attack. She wanted to make sure no enemy shinobi escaped. Still, it's definitely odd that she never showed up afterward."
A small knot of unease formed in my stomach. Konan wasn't the type to just disappear without checking in, especially after something like this.
Mom must have noticed my worried expression, because she quickly added, "Don't jump to conclusions, Blake. We can just ask her ourselves when we get back to the room."
"Yeah," I said quietly, trying to push down the unsettled feeling. "You're right." Still, as we finally reached the hotel entrance, I couldn't quite shake the sense that something was off.
The moment Mom and I stepped into the hotel room, I stopped dead in my tracks. Standing silently in the center of the room, as if she had been waiting patiently for our return, was Konan. My initial relief at seeing her quickly turned to unease.
Something felt…wrong. Off, somehow.
Beside me, Mom stiffened noticeably, sensing it too. Without a word, she slowly reached up and removed her ANBU mask, revealing a cautious, tense expression beneath.
My attention snapped back to Konan when I noticed she was holding a sealed letter in her hands. Before I could ask what it was, she calmly tore it apart into small pieces, scattering the remnants onto the floor.
What was that letter?
She turned toward me, offering a gentle smile—one that looked exactly like Konan's, yet somehow lacked all her familiar warmth. "Welcome back, Blake-sama," she said softly.
I narrowed my eyes suspiciously at her, voicing my doubts aloud. "You're not Konan…"
Her soft smile widened slightly, a hint of approval flickering in her eyes. "Very good," she acknowledged quietly. "You're right. I'm not the real Konan. I'm merely a paper clone. The original Konan created me as a contingency to activate in the event something happened to her."
I felt my entire body tense, panic immediately surging through my chest. "Something happened to Konan?" I snapped urgently. My heart started pounding hard in my ears, adrenaline flooding my veins. "Shit! Come on, Mom—we need to go rescue her right now!"
Mom placed a firm hand on my shoulder, holding me back before I could move toward the door. Her voice was steady but calm. "Wait, Blake. We need more information before we rush off blindly. Let her finish!"
I clenched my jaw in frustration but forced myself to remain in place, turning back to Konan's clone. "Fine," I growled tensely. "Tell me exactly what happened to her. Where is she?"
The clone sighed quietly, a hint of sadness flickering across her face. "I'm touched you care so deeply for her, Blake-sama. But trying to rescue Konan right now would be suicide. The original Konan was taken captive…by Nagato, her former friend, and by Madara Uchiha."
Beside me, Mom gasped sharply, her eyes wide with shock and disbelief. "Madara Uchiha?" she whispered hoarsely. "That's impossible! He's supposed to be dead!"
Even I'd heard about Madara from Tsunade. She'd told me stories of him and her own grandfather, Hashirama Senju, and how they'd both possessed power strong enough to single-handedly level entire villages. Basically, they were the human equivalent of archangels from my original world…
The clone nodded solemnly. "Honestly, I'm not entirely sure he's truly the original Madara Uchiha. But whoever he really is, he's terrifyingly powerful. On top of that, Nagato himself wields the Rinnegan. Either one alone could easily destroy legions of skilled jonin-level shinobi. Together…well, no one would stand a chance. Certainly not you, Blake-sama. Not as you are now."
Her blunt honesty stung deeply, and I gritted my teeth bitterly. "So what? I'm just supposed to let her go? To let them take her without a fight? What the hell will they do to her!?"
The clone hesitated briefly, as if choosing her words carefully. "Nagato truly does care deeply for Konan, so physically, at least, she shouldn't be harmed in the short term. However, they'll almost certainly try placing her under powerful genjutsu, to alter or control her mind. In fact, that's exactly what they'll do."
I felt sick hearing that, clenching my fists so tightly my knuckles turned white. "They'll brainwash her…?" I whispered bitterly.
The paper clone nodded softly. "They'll try. But the original Konan prepared contingencies precisely for this possibility. She has techniques to protect herself and resist the worst of it." Her expression softened slightly. "Even then, she'll likely pretend to be fully under their control—to keep you safe from harm."
Hearing that somehow gave me a faint glimmer of hope. Of course Konan had prepared for this. And yet…I hated the thought of leaving her trapped, helpless, at their mercy.
I exhaled slowly, gathering myself and lifting my head to look the clone directly in the eyes. "I'll get stronger," I vowed quietly, voice determined. "Strong enough to rescue her, no matter who stands in my way. Tell her that for me. If you can…?"
The clone smiled softly, and for the first time, I sensed a genuine warmth from her, echoing the real Konan I knew and cared for. "I already know she'd believe that, Blake-sama. She trusts in you completely…and so do I." And then the clone turned into a bunch of small pieces of paper, before they all slowly flew out the open window catching the breeze. Hopefully bringing our conversation back to the real Konan…
I sank heavily onto the couch of the hotel room, feeling bitter and frustrated. No matter how much stronger I became, it never felt like enough—never felt fast enough. Every time I turned around, there was some new enemy popping up, someone I wasn't powerful enough to face yet. It was driving me fucking insane.
Mom quietly settled onto the seat beside me, sensing my dark mood. Without a word, she wrapped her arms around my shoulders, pulling me gently into a comforting hug.
"Don't beat yourself up so much, Blake," she murmured softly, her voice reassuring but firm. "Honestly, considering your powers were sealed away for ten entire years, the progress you've made already is nothing short of astounding. You're already at the level of a new jonin, and with another few weeks of intense training, you'll be holding your own against most average jonin without issue. No one else could get that strong that quickly, trust me."
Her calm, unwavering confidence lifted some of the heavy pressure from my chest, easing my frustration just a bit. I knew logically that Mom was right. I had come a long way already.
But it still wasn't enough. Not yet.
I looked up at her seriously. "You're right, Mom. But even so…I want you to train me harder. I mean it, push me even further these next two weeks, until we make it back to Konoha. I don't care how exhausting or painful it is. I need to get stronger faster."
She smiled warmly, brushing my black hair back gently with her hand. It was getting longer and would need to be cut soon.
"Of course, Blake. Anything for my son." Then her expression shifted slightly, turning serious again. She sighed softly. "Tsunade isn't going to be happy when she sees my report. Hearing that Madara Uchiha might actually be alive, or that the legendary Rinnegan truly exists… It's going to give my future daughter in law another drinking problem." We sat in comfortable silence for a moment before Mom spoke up again, this time quieter and more hesitant. "You know…speaking of your powers, maybe it's time to start practicing your other power as well. The one that brought us to this alternate world in the first place."
I looked up sharply, my heart skipping slightly at the mention of that power. "I barely know where to begin with that one…"
Mom continued softly, her voice tinged with quiet sadness. "This world is wonderful, Blake, and we've been lucky enough to start building new lives here. But our family…it's not complete without Akeno. We can't just make this place our new home, and abandon our old world completely."
I nodded solemnly, my chest tightening painfully at the mention of my older sister's name. Mom was right. "Yeah, you're right," I admitted quietly. "It's time I started seriously trying to control that power."
Truthfully, I'd grown to like this strange ninja world we'd ended up in. But there were definitely things I missed from Earth as well. Akeno, most importantly, but even beyond her, I still had friends back home.
Like Peter.
…Man, he'd have a freaking heart attack if he heard even half the crazy shit that had happened to me. He definitely wouldn't believe it at first…but damn, I could already picture the look of total shock on his face when I finally unfolded my fallen angel wings right in front of him.
And then there were those other two girls as well. I hadn't forgotten about Emma or Jean. It's not like I'd been in this new world for that long after all.
—
"Much better, Blake!" Mom called down approvingly from her spot in the treetops.
We were several days deep into our intense training regimen, practicing again out in the forests just outside the Fire Capital. Mom had spent the past hour or so hurling kunai knives down at me relentlessly from above, her chakra-enhanced throws hitting with the force of an elite jonin. Granted, she was using blunted kunai so they wouldn't actually pierce my skin, but each hit still stung like a son of a bitch and left bruises to remind me exactly where I'd screwed up.
Determined not to get battered even more, I quickly sidestepped two more incoming knives, then swiftly deflected a third with my own knife. Breathing steadily, I focused, counting silently as I moved.
Eighteen, nineteen, twenty in a row—
I suddenly paused, mid-step, as my senses abruptly alerted me to multiple people approaching fast from the direction of the capital. I turned sharply, raising an eyebrow curiously. Who the hell was interrupting our training now?
A small contingent of samurai emerged through the trees, forming a protective circle around a familiar figure striding toward us. It was Prince Zuko himself.
I stared, thoroughly confused. What the hell was he doing out here?
"At ease," Zuko said sharply, waving a hand for his guards to halt as he stepped forward toward me. "I need to speak with them privately."
He looked at me carefully, then glanced toward Mom as she dropped gracefully from the branches, landing silently beside me. She quickly slipped her ANBU mask back onto her face, concealing her youthful features.
"Prince Zuko?" I asked. "What are you doing here?"
Zuko hesitated for a second, obviously uncomfortable. He cleared his throat awkwardly before finally blurting out, "Blake Himejima, I'd like to train with you and your mother for the next two weeks!"
"..."
"Um…why exactly?" I asked Zuko awkwardly, raising an eyebrow. Last I checked, I was pretty sure the guy didn't even like me very much.
Zuko's face twisted into a bitter expression. He clenched his fists tightly at his sides and took a shaky breath before answering, his voice edged with anger and pain. "The shinobi from Konoha finished interrogating the prisoners from the assassination attempt at my party. We finally know who was responsible." He paused for a moment, clearly struggling with how fucked up this revelation was for him. "It was my own father, Ozai. He personally orchestrated the attack—he hired Orochimaru's ninja specifically to kill my uncle, my little sister Azula, and me. All because he wanted to seize power and become the next Daimyo of the Land of Fire!"
Damn. My eyes widened slightly at the shockingly blunt admission. Here I'd been thinking my own father, Baraqiel, was a shitty parent. But compared to Ozai, he almost sounded father-of-the-year-worthy. Seriously, what kind of complete fuck would try to murder his own kids and brother just for power?
I glanced over at Mom, who stood quietly next to me. Her expression was hidden behind her ANBU mask, but she tilted her head slightly in my direction, silently signaling that this was entirely my call.
"Okay… that's seriously fucked up. But it still doesn't explain why you want to train specifically with me and my mother."
Zuko took a deep breath, clearly gathering his thoughts before continuing. His expression darkened even further as he spoke again. "After the attack failed, my father fled the capital. We believe he's taken refuge directly with Orochimaru himself now. The thing is, my father isn't just another weak, pampered noble—he's actually served in the royal army for years. His fire-based kekkei genkai is decently strong, and he's a capable fighter." Zuko's gaze hardened with resolve, his fists tightening even further until his knuckles turned white. "I have to get stronger. Strong enough to take him down myself. After what he tried to do to me, to Azula, to my uncle—I can't just let someone else handle him. I have to do this personally." He glanced directly at me, determination burning fiercely in his eyes. "Look, everyone knows Orochimaru is planning something big in Konoha during the third stage of the Chunin Exams—even my uncle, the Daimyo, is aware of it. He's personally attending the finals because we're certain my father will show himself there, alongside Orochimaru. And when he does, I need to be strong enough to confront him directly!"
I stared quietly at Zuko for a few moments, genuinely impressed by his resolve. Sure, the guy and I weren't exactly best friends, but I respected what he was trying to do. Standing up to his own father after being betrayed like that took serious resolve. Finally, I nodded slowly. "Alright then, Prince Zuko. If that's how you feel, I'll train with you. But fair warning, my mom's idea of training can be pretty brutal. If you're serious about this, it's going to hurt." I showed him the bruises on my arm to prove that point as well.
A faint, bitter smirk flickered briefly across Zuko's face, but he straightened his shoulders and gave me a firm nod. "Good. I wouldn't expect any less."
Heh… He was saying that now, but we'd soon see how he'd handle mom's brutal training.
XXX
Next chapter will probably be a time skip back to Konoha for the finals.