Azrael rested on top of the corpse of a crooked merchant. He embezzled money out of selling weapons to Konoha that he had manufactured. Constant protests and exploitation were the norm in his company, and he was allowed to do so because he had a connection with the daimyo of the land of fire.
Tsunade works in the darkness on projects that are not yet public because she doesn't have the subsidy or support from the daimyo. Her real objective is to become the daimyo herself, and for that, an external work is required outside the village.
He has to be exposed to the public and executed for his actions, but it has to be done in a way that provides accountability and clarity.
"Akatsuki has networks; most of their members were at some point bounty hunters, war heroes... or deeply involved in the politics of their villages. If I want to know more about them, I have to target such individuals," Azrael mumbled and then sighed.
Sadly, control over souls was not in her repertoire. She couldn't get into someone's head and read their memories, but she knew someone who could.
'Hasshaku-sama and perhaps Kuroka would be able to help me... among all of us, they are the ones who most control the soul. There is also Lady Galadriel, but... she should be busy, no... I can't think like that, we are a family'
She was acquainted with the people of her world, but she was most reluctant to ask for their help.
[Azrael: Lady Galadriel, may I ask for your help?].
[Galadriel: Oh... how odd for you to message me directly, sister~].
[Azrael:...]
It was the way Galadriel addressed everyone in the group, the reason why everyone thought she was cute, and the reason why she was the 'bridge' between both worlds.
[Azrael: Are you busy?].
[Galadriel: I am not, but even if I were, I would still make some time for you, my dear].
'No wonder master loves her. She's certainly... a kindred soul'.
[Azrael: I am having a problem. I need to access someone's memories, but I don't have that capability. With your control over souls, would you be able to help?]
[Galadriel: Hmn... I can certainly help, but that will be complicated. I do not have the means to create an interdimensional gate. Husband is going there with the intention of creating a permanent one, that way we wouldn't have problems travelling back and forth, but since it is not there yet... Hasshaku-sama is also not here to help us].
[Azrael: I understand then–]
[Galadriel: But let's not give up yet~ even if I can't go there myself, this system still has a function that can help us. I can't go there myself, but I can send you something through the system].
Shortly after, a light shone in front of Azrael, and an object appeared floating above her palm.
"... t-this is?".
It was an eye, a pristine eye with rainbow-like irises. Upon being exposed to the elements, it crystallised into some sort of material that resembled a topaz gem.
[This is my eye: a Soul Stone Ember. It allows me to see through everything. Although I don't know if it is going to work any differently in another world. You may give it a try~].
[Lady Galadriel, you didn't have to...]
Azrael felt troubled; she was given way more than she expected.
[We are sisters, aren't we?~ Besides, it is going to grow back eventually. I hope this can help you].
[How should I use it? Should I tear my eye off and replace it?].
[I-I don't think that will be necessary... just hold it and try to see through it].
Azrael did as Galadriel said; the eye shone and began transforming into something else.
"Wow".
It was a magnifying glass, extremely beautiful with a sky-blue lens. However, this magnifying glass was bigger than her scythe; it wasn't small at all!
'Worthy of a gigantic Midnight Elf'.
[Galadriel: As you use it, think of what it is you wish to see. Whether it be past or present, or memories or the movement of particles... You should be able to see it all, it is like a weaker version of the husband's energy records].
Azrael noticed that in order to use it, her energy was getting zapped significantly. And it wasn't only her energy, but the surrounding chakra too. This artefact would use any energy it could get its hands on.
[Azrael: Thanks for your help, Lady Galadriel. I shall treasure it and return it to you when the time is nigh].
[Galadriel: You don't need to add honorifics, sweetheart. I hope we can share the bedroom soon with our husband and have a good time].
The angel's cheeks flared up, and she only nodded without giving back an answer. Low-key, she was looking forward to it too.
[Galadriel: You don't need to give it back to me either. If you meet husband in your world, just give it to him and tell him it is a gift from me~].
[Azrael: I shall do as you hope, please be safe and blessed].
She knew if she asked for help, everyone in the group would help her in their own ways. Some would even tease her. But she didn't expect Galadriel to straight out give her an eye.
Upon using the magnifying glass on the corpse of the merchant, she could see a lot of things. People involved, names and locations. Moments and scenes of corruption, things that, if shown to the public, could put the daimyo in a bad place.
Sadly, those could only be seen through the glass. There was no way to portray them to the public.
Mere minutes after using the ember, Azrael felt the atmosphere start to get a bit tense and realised it had already consumed the majority of the chakra in the surroundings.
She used it one last time, thinking about a certain individual, wondering if the ember could make such a miracle. The lens of the magnifying glass blackened up completely, like there was nothing to see. She spanned it in a 360-degree view around the area, and soon enough, a shallow red dot manifested; it was almost not visible.
The magnifying glass palpitated for a few seconds before the image disappeared. With the naked eye, Azrael could see the trees around begin to wither and die.
She knew she had to stop, or it would start affecting the surrounding nature in a detrimental way.
'Deity artefacts are indeed terrifying'.
Rather than putting it away, Azrael strapped the magnifying glass on her back and wielded her scythe, Sheol.
Her eyes set up in the direction where the red dot appeared, that's where her objective was. Perhaps a great distance away for the commonfolk, but not for her.
WHOOSH!
BOOMM!
She flapped her wings one time to propel herself to the skies like a rocket, flew in that direction, bypassing towns and forests, and eventually came to a place that resembled a small settlement by a river.
At the edge of this river were two individuals, and one of them was the one she was looking for.
!!!
Both men got immediately on alert when they sensed something akin to a monster locking up on them. With almost no time to even react, one of the men grinned and wielded a massive greatsword that seemed to be wrapped in bandages.
CLAANGG!!
BOOM!!
He felt something crash on him like a mountain, but he stood his ground surprisingly, even if his feet sank into the ground and dragged him a few metres. He still managed to parry that strike from the gigantic scythe.
Upon raising his head, he came face to face with death. A beautiful woman, but one who was covered in such an aura of death that it was impossible to focus on those flawless features.
"I expected to end you with one strike, Kisame", Azrael mumbled, a bit surprised by Kisame's raw strength.
"A pity you couldn't!" He grinned maliciously and put all his focus on his sword, but his grin disappeared soon after when his face began to contort.
He jumped away and held his face in shock; one of his eyes was bigger than the other, and his skin was starting to get a bit lumpy.
"T-This is not Chakra... who are you, woman?!".
Azrael ignored him and instead looked at Itachi, who was lazily looking at them as if he was uninvolved. His eyes were red, with three tomoe, the Sharingan activated, and he was expecting every move.
"Uchiha Itachi", She pointed her scythe at the man.
"Answer... who are you?" Itachi asked back. It was not every day that his partner, Kisame, was fased by somebody.
"You shall perish today. But first, there are some things I would like to know".
She removed eight of her wings, being in a more comfortable two and then pulled out the magnifying glass to look at Itachi.
"To get some answers..."
"Answers...?"
Itachi sighed, he got ready, and something shocking happened next. He flickered away from the reach of the magnifying glass into the nearby forest away from the river, but she chased after him... something she shouldn't be able to do.
"What...?".
Even Kisame was confused when he saw her flicker away and chase after Itachi.
That's because the version of Itachi that was still standing there, the illusion (genjutsu)... should be what the mysterious woman is focused on, but she ignored the clone completely!
Itachi frowned, and his body once more split in two in front of Azrael's eyes, but as if she had a cheat code, she chased after the real Itachi once more, forsaking the illusion!
Azrael saw Kisame come at her from the right slowly, reading to engage.
"You're full of surprises! Where is your bandana, huh?! What village are you from?!"
"She's the demon (Akuma)" Kisame heard Itachi say, "The Fifth Hokage's lap dog that has been doing her dirty work".
While talking, he analysed his options.
'Genjutsu doesn't work with her...?' He looked at her eyes, they were pitch-black like the abyss, no byakugan.
"Oh, so that's how it is. I heard the rumours, this sort of explains why she doesn't use hand signs. She uses pure nature energy, not chakra... I can't absorb that energy, Itachi" Kisame shared some intel.
"And genjutsu also doesn't work on her. We may have found ourselves a worthy opponent this time"
For some moments, they all went quiet. Azrael realised that these two weren't pushovers that she could easily assassinate. She was able to follow Itachi's trail, but that didn't mean his genjutsu didn't at least confuse her.
'There are two of him, but only one has a soul'.
"Uchiha Itachi... I want to hear it from your mouth first, before I inspect you. Why did you massacre your clan?" She asked one last time, "And why did you let your little brother live?".
The man frowned, his eyes darted towards Kisame before settling on Azrael once more.
"Isn't it futile to ask something that can't be absolved? The fifth hokage sent you here to kill me. Shut up and do your bidding, Akuma".
Aware that his opponent was no joke, Itachi fixed his coat and a kunai popped up in his hands with a cloud of smoke.
"It seems you won't talk" Azrael sighed.
WHOOSH!
Kisame hurled first, but his sword didn't come in contact with her scythe, rather it was her hand. Kisame thought he was being underestimated and growled. Only until he felt a heavy thud that his sword did not move any further.
Almost like he struck a mountain.
!!!
The Archangel Azrael stopped Samehada with her bare hands.
CHAA!!
The next thing he knew, a scorching pain in his chest. He looked down and saw something akin to a light pole or a lightning spear piercing his body from one end to the other. Death stared at him coldly.
WHOOSH!
A shadow loomed next to Azrael; she was forced to release the light spear she created to block Itachi's kick.
BAANG!
Much to her surprise, that kick packed a punch and forced her to back off several trees until she came to a stop, stabilising herself with her wings.
Kisame tried to remove the spear, but his arms burned upon touching it.
"UGGH!!!"
His flesh scorched from the inside, and as if that wasn't enough, upon landing, Azrael created more and was ready to impale them until they looked like holed cheese. In any case, she could inspect Itachi's corpse and still get the answer she wanted.
In the middle of this chaos, Itachi had no choice. He opened his eyes and stared at Azrael, his eyes changed in shape to what resembled a shuriken, and only then did Azrael freeze in shock.
This time, the illusions worked.