"Of all Gods only Death does not desire gifts."
::
Bare feet dug into the bloodied soil, as chaos raged around him. Black dyed yukata hug loosely around a young man, unfitting for any kind of battle, with an obi keeping it from coming undone. A tachi hung downwards from his obi, his hand resting loosely at the handle.
Amber eyes reflected the light of the battlefield, fire burned in many places and smoke was heavy and dark as figures shouted and cried as the clanging of metal was deafening.
He had decided long ago that this was not his type of scene, he did not particularly like the stench of smoke and sweat did not appetize him, at least not in the way it had when he was a young god, before the true natures of the gods came to fruition and they fought alongside and against the humans before they knew death.
Some gods took care of humans, some helped them out to a degree. In his own way, he felt he helped the humans as well, when their population grew too large and to polluting, he diminished their size. Humans could not see the beauty in his work, how he was helping the earth they lived in survive. They thought him a bad spirit, they made no shrine for him and tried to ward him away with magamata beads and o-mamori. Amusing as it was, because even their precious healing gods they worshipped to daily could not help them all, only some could escape his clutches.
They called him Ekibiogami, his specialty poison was what caused plagues to rise and humans to fall. He went by a simpler name to those who knew him better however.
"Sasori."
He lazily blinked at his name, said so clearly in the heat of battle. He turned his head, and a woman dressed in a very simple kimono, a bit shabby but otherwise untouched by the filth of war. Her pale blonde locks hung loosely in two pigtails, as her warm honey eyes glared at him.
The god had wondered when she would make her appearance. While most thought her a male, the god of healing was indeed female, though she had monstrous strength like a male.
"Tsunade." Most gods were not known by their real names, only the ones humans gave to them. For example, Tsunade had the very manly name of Okuni-Nushi.
He wondered, as her hard eyes softened, knowing why he had appeared here after his decades of solitude. She never failed to be there when he started his work, so diligent to watch over the humans she loved so dearly suffer at his hand.
"This… this war, they can kill each other off. They don't need sickness to finish them off." That was a first, she never pleaded. She kept her strong demeanor held, but her eyes flickered with a different emotion, sentimental almost.
For a moment he observed her, what was she so worried about? He looked around, the fighting that surrounded them, the young men dying at each other's hands.
Oh.
"You went and fell in love with a lowly human." He stated, his head tilting slightly as he looked at her with intense amber eyes. Her face faltered, but she was fast to regain her composure. He made no movement but lifting his left hand up in the air. He spread his fingers and closed his eyes.
The eerie quietness that had surrounded him and the goddess disappeared and the noise of the battle raged to full voice. All Sasori could hear were the beat of the war drums, thrumming a rhythmic sound in his ears. As his eye opened, they glowed with intense power as he stared at Tsunade. She was disappearing fast as men fought between them blocking his view, yet he knew she could still hear him.
"If he lives, he will be that much closer to being worthy."
With a smooth motion he took his tachi and stabbed it into a man wearing a heavy o-yoroi. It went through the armor without leaving a mark, and as Sasori pulled out his blade, no blood left, only violent coughing and the man seizing up. Sasori kneeled down, discarding the man's kabuto helmet. The man was turning pale fast and as Sasori grabbed his chin he felt the man's skin grow clammy.
Sasori smiled lightly at the frightened man, in all his distress he probably did not know what he was looking at.
"You are the first to be recruited in my cause, to help the earth heal from the scars you and your brethren have left. All but the strongest will die."
The man violently shivered and convulsed under Sasori, yet he barely batted an eye at it.
"I will tell you now. You are not one of the strongest, and you will take many with you when you die."
With that, Sasori got up, positioning his sword in front of him, with a small tilt of his lips, he ran into the battle. His sword slashed but did not raise blood, it caused a much more damage than a flesh wound. His tachi was created in the spirit world and was not made to leave external marks, but poison the inside and infecting the body. His poison created all the diseases known in man, and it was something man did not take lightly.
Eventually, he was satisfied with how many he had infected, and sheathed his tachi once more. He looked back, the battle still thundered on, and looking around, he saw the eyes of war gods fighting on their chosen sides giving him a second glance. They could not mess with his practice, he only came out every so often during the centuries, and only when humanity came to its worse.
He turned back, and walked on. His job was done.
As he passed one of the side's barracks and medical care, he did not know which as he hardly felt the need to know who was fighting who, he did not discriminate who he poisoned although many gods had tried to bribe him before, he saw familiar pale blonde locks. He watched from a distance her working on the injured and sick. It wasn't abnormal for gods like her to reveal herself to people like so, most likely she was just another medicine woman that excelled at what she did. Next to her a man worked at her pace, which was surprising, his long pale white hair tied up in a high-ponytail as to not get into his work.
Sasori looked on curiously. For a moment, he wondered if this was the one who had managed to steal a goddess's heart without even realizing it. Honey-brown eyes met his, and she protectively inched over to the man, confirming his theory.
He hummed, not too curious of the love affairs of god, and continued on.
::
He wouldn't stop bleeding, and Tsunade knew why. She tried every concoction she knew, she tried her spiritual healing, yet it only eased the pain.
"Dan, please, please fight against it."
She wept as he took another shallow breath. He had first shown signs of contacting the sickness going around a few months ago. He should've died over a month ago, but with Tsunade over watching him and keeping him from the brink of death, he stayed on the side of the living.
She could not tell how she exactly she fell in love with a mortal human. In her ageless lifetime, it was hard for her to pinpoint specific times, yet she knew with Dan it happened in a heartbeat. His compassion and love, his soul was one of the most beautiful things she had ever seen, and she had been to and fro from the spirit world.
Yet before her, his soul was withering and dying and there was nothing she could do about it. With Chiyo, it had been an on-going rivalry, Chiyo winning some and Tsunade winning more, however once Chiyo had passed the mantle down to her own grandson, Tsunade was ashamedly outmatched against Sasori. All she could do was comfort those who died of his plagues and try to help them through it, however only the strongest would survive, Tsunade had little choice in that.
She could try to fight him, stop him in his tracks, however the man was not out to kill humanity, only to maintain it. Tsunade could see that, but she wish she didn't. He only revealed himself every few decades when humanity was at its worse.
Yet, even with wars raging she had found love in the worst of ways. She knew it was dangerous to let her feelings get this strong for a mortal, gods were all-powerful, but they were known for their large range of emotions. Now, as expected, Dan laid dying in front of her.
She could make him a god, go straight for Izanagi, she was a favorite child after all. He was not meant for godhood, and he wouldn't take it. He loved humanity too much, becoming a god would change him just as it changed her.
Her body froze as cold fingers wiped away her tears.
"Tsunade-hime, do not cry for me." He struggled out, his chest heaving as blood dribbled down his chin. His pale skin translucent in the candlelight, as if he was a ghost already. She never got around to telling Dan who she really was, what she really was, yet she always felt he knew, even the teasing nickname he gave her hinted towards something more.
"How can I not? My heart aches to see you this way, and I know if you die, my heart might as well go with you." She bowed down, her forehead touching his sternum, she didn't put any weight down, knowing it would only hurt him. Her tears dropped from her eyes as his hand rested on her head.
"You must go on without me. I am but just another soul put here, you however can change the world with your hands. You must believe in yourself, Tsunade-hime, you are a strong woman and that is one of the many reasons why I love you." He gave out a weak cough, covering his mouth quickly with his hand to stop the blood from splattering out.
Tsunade rose up, looking into the eyes of her lover.
"How can I save lives when I couldn't even save yours?"
Dan let out a small chuckle, wiping his mouth off with a towel Tsunade handed him.
"You know better. I am but a grain of sand on a very sandy beach." He let out a weak toothy smile, which made the goddess to let out a watery smile.
"Unlike me, there will be many more to save. If our positions were reversed, yes my heart would yearn for you, but I would know you would want me to continue our work."
Hazel eyes widened slightly as she stared at his own green ones.
"Dan-"
"Tsunade, you need to let me go. You need to keep helping the ones that are weak, the ones that need your strength."
She bit her lip hard at his words, squeezing her eyes shut. They snapped back open when Dan gathered her in his arms, with energy he didn't have to spare.
"I love you, Tsunade-hime, but please, it is my time to go."
Tsunade shook as she wrapped her arms around him, sobbing into his shoulder. After a few minute she composed herself as she looked over to her lover, now limp in her arms.
"Dan…" She whispered, however his eyes had glazed over and his time in the living world was done. Her eyes went wide, as she held her hands up.
"Release!"
A diamond on her forehead shimmered as it appeared and a new world emerged in her eyes. A shimmering figure walked away from her, but long white hair identified him.
"Dan!"
He stopped, turning around, blinking in surprised at the appearance of Tsunade. He looked around, observing his surroundings. His calculating eyes were brought back to Tsunade's, and his eyes softened.
"I knew there was something special about you."
She caught up to his waiting form, drying her tears.
"Please, let me take you to the gates."
Dan let out a small smile, and nodded. Tsunade pulled him into a kiss, it was different from when he was a human, as if his love was so much rawer now.
"I love you, Dan."
"I love you, Tsunade-hime."
They turned, taking each other's hands and walked through the spirit world. As they walked, Tsunade finally told him over her true nature and her past travels in the spirit world.
Each step grew heavier as they approached the final destination of the two star-crossed lovers.
::
A toss of yen echoed as it clattered onto the metal grate, joining the coins that had already gathered.
"Ano, I was already at Ebisu-kami and Tenji-kami's shrine, but I thought maybe more luck was in order." A girl in her early twenties stood in front of a simple shrine. Noise echoed through the street as everyone was up giving thanks and celebrating another New Year.
"I wish that one day, I am to help people, all people, young and old. I'll be graduating soon, so I hope I can get a residency somewhere nice, somewhere where I can help a lot of people, I'm sure you understand Okuni-Nunshi-Kami."
"Aren't you a little young to be getting a residency?"
A voice sounded out behind her. The girl jumped whipping around to face a pale-blonde lady. The girl all but blushed at the cleavage that hung out of her revealing kimono.
"Y-Yes. However I graduated school earlier than most."
The lady raised one of her small, plucked eyebrows up in interest.
"When and what are you graduating with?"
"It's a little rude to listen in on peoples wishes," The girl murmured, looking sideways. The woman gave her a stern stare.
"What was that?"
"E-Eh! Nothing, just saying I am graduating a certified Epidemiologists this coming semester."
"Hm. Take my card, when you graduate come find me. I can promise a good learning experience."
The girl's eyes blinked in confusion and accepted the card unconsciously. She looked down, reading the information out loud.
"Tsunade… Senju?"
Her eyes popped out as she gasped.
"W-Wait you own Senju Hospital?" She looked up, only to find the woman had disappeared, only a cool winter breeze shuffled past.
She ran a hand through her pink locks, green eyes looking down to the card again and a wide smile gracing her face.
"Wow, Sakura, when did you get this lucky?" She asked herself, feeling herself get all giddy.
::
Characters are not mine.