Chapter Text
"What about that one?" Obito tersely asks, lying on the roof of the tallest building in the city, black wings camouflaging themselves in night's darkness despite their blue feathers, these acting as a cushion for his body. He scans the streets with disinterested eyes, fed up with the situation and eager to return home.
Hunting humans is much easier than hunting angels.
"No, poor physical ability, he won't even withstand a hit," Shisui answers, observing the same celestial being his companion pointed out. Their goal is clear, to find a divine protector of excellent conditions and skills, though they have been on the task for about a month and the aforementioned does not seem to exist.
"Why can't it be either of us two, again?"
"You didn't hear a word the leader said, did you?"
"I mean, can you blame me? I get chills just listening to his voice, creeps me out so much I'd rather act as if I don't exist when he's talking to us."
"You're a child."
"I'm not a child, I value my life, it's different. I don't wanna be subject to the leader's wrath."
"Yeah, and for that very reason you keep asking what the fuck we have to do since we arrived!" Shisui ends up pseudo-yelling in frustration, shoving him and getting a punch in reply. "You wouldn't have a fucking clue about what to do if-"
"LOOK AT HIM!" A blue claw points at a new angel, and following the direction Obito guides, Shisui agrees with him for the first time. Down the street, an angel with a powerful aura and a bowl-cut walks beside an old woman, probably the human to whom he must be bound.
His wings are large, thick, and his body looks in good condition. Not so young, not so old, he's the perfect description provided to them by the leader before leaving. "Do you think he'll be strong enough?"
"I sure hope so." Both demons stand up in unison, launching themselves into the heights and taking advantage of the darkness to camouflage themselves without any problems. They fly higher than any angel would, out of the radar and shielded, following their target at a safe distance, waiting for the right moment to act.
When the angel they are tailing seems to stop in front of a building, they quickly descend, taking up position on another rooftop and observing again. "You have the leader's blood, don't you?" Obito asks, biting his lip at the sudden anxiety for action. They've spent what felt like an eternity searching for the perfect vessel, and now that they have it in front of their eyes, they can't fail.
"Ha, and here I thought you hadn't heard anything of what he'd told us."
"It's hard to ignore when the strongest man in the entire fucking world gives you a vial of his blood, you idiot."
Shisui produces a small container filled with red liquid, carefully feeling it in the palm of his hand as if afraid of losing it. The cold glass on his skin generates a sense of comfort, securing the most important part of the entire sequence in his grip, ready to proceed.
They listen as the old woman and her angel exchange a few words, presumably having arrived at the lady's home. "Thank you very much, Guy, again, no need to take care of this poor old thing if you have business to take care of up there you know."
"Please, Akira! In heavens I'm bored, it's much more fun to spend time with you and feel the blessings of youth blossom! Did you enjoy your Shogi game? Your opponent was humbled by your skills!"
His aura is sweet, pleasant, powerful, the kind of energy any human would want to have around.
The being's gestures, the bizarre movements of his body, the awkward way of speaking and expressing himself, everything is strange about him, but the strength he carries within is undeniable, just as the leader described he needed.
"You are exaggerating, my dear angel, I could only win once, but it was more than enough. How are your friends? I haven't seen the gray-haired boy for a long time."
"Kakashi? He's too busy to pay attention to me, I'd rather devote myself solely to you!" The angel flashes a perfect white smile and gives a thumbs up when he hears his human snorting.
"Ayay, come back soon so I can cut your hair, it's getting too long."
"Will do!"
As the woman closes her front door, the angel is left alone on the street, spreading his wings, and setting out to take flight. Analyzing him closely, both demons confirm he is the perfect vessel, the best body for the leader to possess and execute his purpose, they can't miss the opportunity.
Once they see him flying, the two decide to follow at a moderate distance to avoid suspicion, waiting until a reasonable altitude for no one to see them intercept him. At this hour, most humans are eating dinner, watching TV, getting ready for bed, and the flow of angels diminishes due to lack of demand.
It is the perfect moment.
At the right moment, both demons increase speed in sync, sandwiching him one from above and the other from below. Obito takes it upon himself to land on his back, shrinking his unsuspecting wings and embracing him in a constricting grab. “WO-A-AH”. Shisui, on the other hand, approaches from below, the vial of the leader's blood open, and grabbing him by the neck.
"WHA-AT!"
When Obito has him successfully imprisoned, being the one to keep the angel from plummeting to the ground due to the inability to move his wings, he spins in midair, letting the celestial being rest on his chest while still managing to keep them moving.
"WHAT'S GOING ON? WHO ARE YOU-"
Shisui, now staying on top of him, doesn't waste a moment or give him time to understand the situation, squeezing his cheeks and forcibly opening his mouth. The blood from the vial enters smoothly and slides down his tongue like honey, until the last drop is secured inside.
The change is immediate, and when the angel stops struggling in the demon's arms to try to free himself, Obito sets off for the landing, choosing a particularly desolate alley without prying eyes. Followed closely by his partner, they both hit the floor of the cramped passageway kicking up a cloud of dust, and deposit the angel carefully on top of a dumpster.
"And now?" the blue-feathered demon asks, uniquely sure of how they were to execute the plan but having no idea how it all follows.
"Just wait." Shisui kneels on the ground, bows his head, and prepares for his commander's triumphant entrance.
The angel's body, stiff and paralyzed as if dead, suddenly convulses. His limbs tremble uncontrollably, his ridiculous haircut moving with the uncontrolled shaking of his bones, his mouth producing incomprehensible and agonizing noises.
Obito can only watch in horror as the celestial being that seconds ago he had trapped in his arms now seems to transmute in front of him, its sickly sweet energy changing into a dark and terrifying one, the same one that gives him goosebumps when he has to face it at home.
The leader's own power takes possession of the angel's body, invading the entire cramped alley with spikes of fear and panic, the air becoming thick and heavy. Imitating his companion, he quickly collapses to his knees upon realizing what is about to happen, and ducks his head nervously to avoid looking his commander in the eyes.
None of them dares to watch the transformation, but after a few seconds of screams of agony and convulsions, all goes silent. Unable to check what's going on, they listen as the angel's body sits on top of the dumpster, and lands on the alley floor a few seconds later.
"Took you long enough." It is the guardian of heaven's voice, but both demons know it is not him speaking.
"I'm sorry... we... we weren't finding anyone bu-" Shisui tries to explain without daring to look up, only to be stopped in his tracks by that terrible presence. "Not interested in your excuses, where is he?"
"We have no idea." Obito bluntly confesses, preparing his body for the most brutal beating he will ever receive. The Leader is ferocious, a beast with no restraints, to be subject to his rage is a straight ticket to death.
"You're telling me you've been here for a month, yet you couldn't find who I asked you to find? A month, a whole entire month, and you have no trace of him?" The possessed angel walks up to them, and with their heads down, they can both see the sandals of the being they just abducted inches away.
"Sorry, my lord, but-" before he can explain anything further, Shisui gets kicked straight in the mouth, fangs flying and blood in the air. His head slams against the opposite wall of the alley, and the demon slumps to the ground. The Leader walks over to him, stepping on his black and emerald green wings on the way, grabbing him by the neck, and lifting him into the air.
"A month, a whole month, one where both of you strolled around whilst I still haven't regained my powers." The demon struggles for breath, holding the wrist of the possessed angel, desperate for release. "A whole month, where I remained wingless and you flew free as birds." Obito feels a shiver of terror run through his body at his words, finding himself paralyzed on the ground, unable to move his body out of fear of suffering the same as his companion.
"A whole month, where my brother wanders free through life and I continued to suffer his injustices." He has to move, he knows he has to say something to save Shisui's life, but the panic is stronger than his will, reduced to a bundle of tremors and cold sweat.
He hears his brother's body hit the ground again, a desperate cough as he tries to regain the air he lost for more minutes than would be prudent, and the dirt on the alley floor rattles again under the angel's sandals.
"Come on, I feel him." Is all he says before taking off, white wings unbecoming of any demon fluttering rapidly in ascent, and when Obito feels him far enough away, runs to Shisui, assisting him to stand and draping one of his arms over his shoulder. "I'm fine... I'm fine." The previously attacked demon manages to regain stability, able to launch himself into flight on his own and following the pace of them both amidst labored breaths.
Together they mimic the Leader, flying off and following the direction of his dark, unmistakable aura. If any angel in the city was paying attention, it would not be at all difficult for them to identify him, pure and materialized darkness in his whole person.
It is overwhelming to keep up with him, and it is bizarre to observe how the celestial being they captured, cheerful and calm, funny, now wears a long and angry face, serious and unpleasant countenance.
Obito never saw him in action, never able to witness the unrestrained power of his commander, so to be faced with his presence, not literally but energetically, about to go into action, is both wonderful and terrifying. He could stand and watch the perfect movement he executes with his borrowed wings, so different from what demons themselves do, but the fear the man inspires in him is stronger than anything else.
From birth, both demons were trained by their elder brothers, Izuna and Madara, without ever having had the privilege of seeing the leader use his might. They have grown up under Izuna's tales, the stories he always told about him, about his strength and power, about how he is the most powerful being of all time. The leader always confined himself to his private quarters, where only invited guests could enter, always wearing a long black cloak covering him from the shoulders down.
The only things he knows about him are myths, but he has no doubts about those either.
The man himself is a legend, a figure of respect and fear, someone not to be contradicted, and the only thing the blue-feathered demon is sure of is that the Leader has no wings. No one knows what happened to him, not even Madara himself can explain the story for he has no idea, and the only certainty is that they were taken away from him at some point.
Nobody knows why or how, who did it.
Engrossed in his fear and overwhelmed by his thoughts, Obito concentrates on keeping up, his companion a few meters behind him, and descends quickly when he notices the leader goes first. He seems to be heading for a rural area, few houses scattered around a small neighborhood on the outskirts of the city, desolate.
The possessed angel lands hard and without fear of attracting attention in the middle of the street, while the other two prefer to remain unnoticed, not sure if their help will be needed for the moment, hiding together at the top of a tree.
Several angels appear before the rumble, some coming out of their humans' houses and others rapidly descending from the sky. The two demons watch as a circle of white wings and light robes surrounds the leader, confused and worried faces asking him if he is all right.
Neither of them knows this angel is not normal.
One, in particular, stands out in the circle, a celestial being the commander keeps staring at, and before everyone can take note of what is happening, he pounces on him with the cry of "ASHURA!". The onlookers soon try to join the conflict, attempting to attack the leader among all, and that's the moment when they realize they both must help.
Angelic bodies fly back and forth and both are convinced the Leader could handle them all alone, without an ounce of help, but he seems to be interested in one particular guardian, and if the demons don't get rid of the excess, he'll never have time to fuck him up alone.
"NOW!" they exclaim in unison urgently, coming out of hiding and bringing out their sharp claws for combat. Where ten angels simultaneously attack the leader without any success, the two demons join the fray, landing on the heads of several and mercilessly launching themselves at others.
They form the perfect distraction for the Leader to take care of his target, fighting one-on-one with no hindrance in between.
...
Ashura looks at that particular angel, who landed in the middle of the street and left a crater in the asphalt, and asks him if he is all right. It irritates him terribly to think about how he’ll have to repair the damage in the morning, but it worries him even more whether his companion is in trouble and needs help.
"Are you okay? Hello?'" He asks again, and his neighboring angels join the round of curious onlookers. They all form a circle around him, repeatedly asking if everything is okay, but something is wrong with that creature.
His aura is heavy like pure darkness itself, energy full of black and revulsion, terror, and the hairs on his back stand on end when those eyes stare at him. Serious countenance and leaving nothing to be seen, the angel is scary, plain and simply scary.
Words catch in his throat as he realizes how recognizable the intensity of that gaze is, but before he can react, two hands grab him by the neck and take him flying over the street to the cry of "ASHURA!"
It can't be. There's no way this is happening, he's supposed to be dead.
Paralyzed, he watches as the rest of the angels swoop down on his attacker, trying to cut him down, but none are successful in their attempt. White feathers and forged bodies fly this way and that, and each one that tries to touch him is hurled in the opposite direction without success.
It cannot be.
In his peripheral vision, he notices two pairs of black wings, and the paralysis ends when a nostalgically familiar force impacts his face mercilessly. Ashura flies backward again, this time impacting a tree. "'Thought you'd never hear from me again?" The possessed angel asks, and no doubt remains.
The movements of his hands, the way he stands, the coldness of his gaze and the madness of his words, all indicate it is him. "A-Aniki-i?" he tries to ask, before a foot dives into his stomach and steals all the air from his lungs.
"Did you truthfully assume I would die, how you would never have to deal with me ever again?" there is venom in his words, pure resentment in every sentence, tangible evil in the way he expresses his loathing. When a fist is about to impact against his chin, Ashura finally reacts, deflecting the blow with his own hand and using the opening to stand up again.
"HO-OW… HOW CAN YOU BE ALIVE! I-I SAW YOU FALL!" his question is abrupt, solely because of the surprise and anxiety he feels knowing his brother never disappeared, never left. "I SAW YOU FALL, I TRIED TO STOP IT BUT-"
"Try to stop it... you were the one who yearned the most for my banishment, pure greed in your dirty intentions to keep everything for yourself." The serenity with which he relates his point of view is at odds with the violence with which he wields each blow, lashing out again and again at him relentlessly. This is not his body, yet there are marks of his own in each of his movements.
Ashura can even visualize that large, flowing brown hair flying in the wind after each lunge, red eyes full of anger at him, his Aniki's soft hands, the ones he held in his own over and over again as a child.
The way he uses the wings of the body he borrowed, the short, precise flicks of the white feathers, everything is an account of how Indra used to fight, exactly as he set out to remember him after the day of his death.
He saw him fall, and could do nothing to stop it.
Memories and flashbacks mix with shock and surprise, reducing his ability to battle the brother he thought dead years ago, showing himself weak and insecure at every step. Ashura cannot find within himself the strength to put aside all that was awakened when he recognized that look, exposed in front of the most brutal and merciless angel that ever stepped on heaven.
He saw him fall, for fuck’s sake, he saw him fall!
Two wings wrap around him from each side, acting as a catapult to bring him face to face with the body his Aniki stole, earning him a direct headbutt to the forehead that leaves him dizzy enough to collapse to the ground.
No one seems to come to his aid, unable to see what happened to all his companions, but the lack of assistance indicates they were reduced and defeated by those creatures that appeared alongside his older brother.
Everything is a blur from that moment on, but his last memory is how those black-winged beings hold his arms and legs, while his Aniki steals his blood from one of his cuts, and plucks two white feathers from each of his wings.