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Chapter 20 — The Sky Ninja Appears
Knock, knock! A firm rapping came from the door.
Inside the room, Konan—still in the form of a middle-aged man—stood and opened it.
"Here. Water and three rice balls. That should be enough." Amaru handed the food over impatiently. "This is all we've got right now, so don't be picky."
She lingered at the doorway, peeking past Konan into the room. "Do you know where the three men downstairs went? I told them not to wander around at night, but of course they didn't listen. So annoying!"
"No idea," Konan replied evenly, taking the food and shaking her head. "Did they say anything to you before they left?"
Konan shook her head again.
"Ugh, forget it…" Amaru stomped lightly and sighed. Seeing how little this quiet man spoke, she lost the mood to chat further. She had wanted to ask what the outside world was like.
"Anyway, don't go out tonight. I'll take you out of the mountains first thing in the morning."
With that, Amaru clattered down the stairs and left the small two-story building.
Bang! Konan shut the door, dispelling her transformation.
Moments later, Alex fluttered in through the window, drifting before her.
"Any news?" Konan asked.
Alex shook his paper body. On the surface, black ink-like words appeared:
[Nothing important. This village doesn't seem connected to Soragakure.]
After returning from the forest, he had asked Konan to rest while he slipped off to the village chief's home to search for records related to the Sky Village. He'd found nothing useful.
Noticing the rice balls on the table, Alex floated over, balancing them atop his paper form, and brought them to Konan.
[Eat something. At dawn, we'll head to the ruins of Soragakure and look for Shinnō.]
The Flying Fortress had to be hidden nearby. Alex was certain the old man Shinnō wouldn't stray far from it. If they searched carefully, they were bound to uncover a clue.
Konan nodded, inspected the food to make sure it was safe, and sat by the window. She took small bites, washing them down with clear water. Moonlight poured in through the window, bathing her serene face in silver. Her indigo hair shimmered faintly under the glow, as if dusted with frost.
My Konan really is a living painting…
Alex hovered quietly in midair, admiring her, his white paper form fluttering softly in the still air. The broken old house felt calm, even warm.
...
Boom!
The next morning, an explosion shattered the silence.
Konan's eyes snapped open. She shot up from the bed, the gray blanket sliding from her body, revealing a glimpse of dazzling beauty.
A single white sheet of paper drifted lazily through the air.
Still half-asleep, Alex was suddenly flung upward by something soft and springy. He blinked groggily, his sight adjusting—only to be greeted by a very familiar sight that froze him in midair.
Even though he'd seen it before, it still had the power to stun him every single time.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
More explosions echoed outside, shaking the ground.
Alex snapped out of it instantly. He shot up to Konan's side, words forming rapidly on his body.
[Konan, what's happening?!]
She turned to the window. "I just woke up too. I don't know yet."
[Get dressed—quickly!]
Alex extended a slender paper thread, hooking her cloak from the table. More white lines uncoiled and moved deftly, dressing Konan in seconds. The threads brushed against her skin here and there, stirring a faint, strange warmth in her chest.
The nimble paper strands fastened the long line of buttons on her Akatsuki cloak with mechanical precision. The motion reminded her of the previous night—when Alex had used those same threads to massage away her fatigue. The pressure had been perfect—firm yet gentle, strong yet pliant—leaving her feeling lighter than she had in weeks.
When she was fully dressed, Alex slipped back into the position near her heart and vanished.
Konan brushed off the strange feeling that lingered, then used a Transformation Jutsu to disguise herself again before leaping out the window toward the sound of the blasts.
As she ran, her sharp gaze swept the surroundings. Houses were burning and smoke curled upward, but there was no sign of an enemy.
Then, a low whistling sound sliced through the air. She looked up instinctively.
A round black object streaked down from the sky, trailing flames, before crashing into a rooftop and detonating violently.
"Modified explosive tags… falling from above?"
[Konan! Look left—high altitude!] Alex's message scrawled urgently across his paper surface.
Konan halted, turned, and peered into the sky. A tiny black speck darted rapidly through the clouds thousands of meters up. She sprang onto a nearby rooftop, narrowing her eyes to see more clearly.
"That's… a person?" Her pulse quickened.
As the dark speck emerged from the clouds, she finally saw him clearly—a ninja, flying through the air with a square brown pack strapped to his chest, hurling black bombs toward the ground below.
[A Sky Ninja!] Alex recognized the silhouette immediately.
He glanced at the burning houses and the terrified villagers fleeing below, confused. What's a Sky-nin doing attacking a random village like this?
A piercing scream answered him.
Amaru!
She was running, clutching a small child, when she tripped and fell. A flaming building groaned and began to collapse toward her.
Konan vanished in a flicker and reappeared beside them. She scooped up both Amaru and the child, carrying them to an open clearing away from danger.
"This place is safe for now. Stay here and don't move."
She'd developed a faint fondness for the spirited girl, enough to intervene.
"Th-thank you! You—" Amaru began, clutching the boy tightly. But before she could finish, the "middle-aged man" had disappeared.
Alex glanced down as the ground sped away beneath them. Once Amaru was no longer visible, he looked ahead again.
If things went smoothly, Amaru would never have to face the cruel truth about her mentor, Shinnō—never to see the betrayal that would break her heart.
Maybe that's for the best… he thought.
Shaking the thought aside, Alex focused on the distant figure soaring across the sky. The Sky-nin was gliding casually toward the ruins of Soragakure.
A grin formed in Alex's tone. [Well, that saves us the trouble of searching.]
Following this one would surely lead them straight to Shinnō—the current leader of the Sky Ninja.
Under their watchful eyes, the Sky-nin slowed, hovered over the ruins, scanned the surroundings, and descended.
Finally, he vanished into an area filled with massive stone statues.
[They're hiding there.]
High in the clouds, Alex floated beside Konan, both unseen. Every movement of the Sky-nin was under their quiet surveillance.
Like a bird returning to its nest, the Sky-nin's flight pointed the way home—toward the Flying Fortress.
And Shinnō was almost certainly inside.
Konan gripped Alex gently, then darted down from another angle, gliding silently into the maze of stone below.