ZIL: Hi readers yes, I know I've been on a Naruto binge lately. Here is another story I had been saving until its completion. I know you've seen my rants before but, I love Sakura's character and felt she deserved more credit than she was given as she drove herself to grow and become more than what she was before. Thank you all for being loyal readers I am working on the updates for my other stories but I did want to share this piece with you. Please read and review I love to hear from you all.
Chapter 1: A Day of Rebirth and Blessings
It was an ethereal plane where many dwelled some in shadow while other's prevailed in the light. A god of healing grew tired of balancing the odd of life against his brother. His brother was a good who thrived on blood, sacrifice, pain, and death, while he loved his brother Jashoma was ready to pass the torch onto his daughter. However, before he would be allowed to do so she would have to live a single lifetime among the humans.
Jashin approached his twin brother with a smirk looking over his niece with his blood red eyes, "So this is the one who will watch as you fade? What did you name her?" Jashoma met red eyes with his own green, "Jashira, she must live a life among the mortals before she can take my place Brother, I do hope that your….servants" Jashoma said with distaste. "Will be informed that she cannot come to harm at their hands lest I be forced to strike them down?"
Jashin allowed his hand to lightly hold the cheek of his beautiful little niece who opened her emerald orbs. Her soft but wise young eyes meeting his before she smiled Jashin said softly, "No, Brother she will never be harmed by one of mine. Should it ever occur I will deal with them personally before handing them over to you, myself." Jashira reached her tiny hand up and giggled while holding Jashin's finger with a firm grip. "Strong little thing aren't you?" Jashin said softly the weight of her existence finally striking him with its purpose.
Jashoma sighed and confirmed what his brother would not ask aloud, "Yes Jashin, I have grown weary of this existence…when she has lived her mortal life she will ascend to take my place. I will fade until such a time I am remade again for some other purpose." Jashin remained silent though he wished to scream at the unfairness of his brother abandoning him in this immortal existence. He used a light excuse, "Most gods and goddesses live at least 3 lives among humans before joining the pantheon Jashoma."
The green eyed god watched his twins features as they twisted in his rage and upset, "I am tired Jashin…many souls I have tried to save for their purity and too many times I was led to disappointment. They are killed, defiled, and sacrificed by your servants or humans who just don't care about preserving what little light is left in the hearts of man." He waved his hand over the orb beside his chair and images of many people appeared, "Rin who was sacrificed by the Mist, Izuna had been killed by Tobirama, Asami, Riko, and Torai all innocent women massacred by priests of your religion while mine goes forgotten the world seeking more ways to kill then to heal."
Jashin began slouching, his posture reluctantly weakening as Jashoma paused to take a breath. He looked at the faces of the innocents who died and asked, "Do you think your daughter will follow your religion and become a healer with no enemies? You know as well as I do the shinobi villages do not operate that way."
Jashoma smirked, "I have planted suggestions for her to join academy and go through basic training but when the time comes to select her specialty she will become a medic who adds a conscientious objector clause to prevent her from being used in combat." Jashin looked from the baby to her father and back, "Do you really think that something like that will work Jashoma? Suggestions are useful but, that doesn't guarantee that things will happen the way you want them to."
Jashoma met his daughter's gaze softly, "No of course it doesn't, but the suggestion will remain since she is of my blood she will be drawn to my way of existence. Even if it doesn't happen immediately she will eventually fall on the right path." He gently lifted his daughter from her cradle and held her in his arms, "Won't you my little miracle?"
Jashira giggled and looked at the orb poking it with her finger soon an image of a pair at a temple were praying could be heard.
~ At the Temple ~
Kizashi and Mebuki had just experienced their third miscarriage and were informed by the healers that the final attempt destroyed any chance for Mebuki to give birth to a child. Mebuki was torn both from the physical pain of her hopeless labor and the emotional pain of never being able to have a child of her own with her husband.
Kizashi suggested going to pray at a temple to beseech the gods for aid as in the old stories. There were legends where a god or goddess would grant those incapable of having a child of their own with a blessing to raise a young child gifted by the gods. Mind you many of those legends were of foreign gods but, could it really hurt to try.
Kizashi thought of his wife softly and bowed his head whispering his own prayer, "Kami, we ask that you hear our prayers and aid us…my wife and I. We have tried to have children of our own three times. This labor bore the most disheartening results not only did we miscarry a third child so close to term…the labor brought a devastating price. My wife was injured in the labor and can no longer bear children at all. I ask that you bless our union, give us one miracle child for us to love and raise, which is all I would truly ever ask of you. We care not the gender or the appearance, we simply wish to have a child to love and raise ourselves."
Mebuki was kneeling down several spots away praying, "Kami, I know at times we mortals may not heed your words or warnings. Three chances I have had to birth a child and all three were lost. I wish for a child to raise with my husband more than anything. A small lovely little miracle to love, cherish, and guide throughout their life so long as we live. I ask that you grant my husband and I this favor for it is a gift that would always be cherished."
~ Among the Gods ~
Jashoma and Jashin looked from the child to the people who prayed in the orb and back to the child. Jashoma looked at Jashira with pride and brought her head to his face to plant a kiss upon her brow, "Already you sense those who need your light most my little one. A miracle child they desire…and a miracle child they shall receive."
Jashin sighed but smiled happy for his brother as he glanced closely at Jashoma's person. His brother was young in appearance but in his brother's eyes he saw the weariness Jashoma felt towards the world and its people. He truly wanted nothing more than to rest and Jashin while greedy to his followers would never have denied his brother Jashoma his rest. His only fear was that in his eagerness to disappear that his newly living niece would not live a proper human live span as a result of his brother's desire to fade from the realm of the gods.
Jashin took the child from Jashoma and nodded, "I will place her with them when the time comes…you must write a note telling them of who she is. She cannot go by the name Jashira among the mortals," Jashin looked down at his small niece with warmth filling his chest. 'Jashira, you are precious and rare it's not every day that a god creates a child to take their place. Most just lay with humans to pass the time bringing demigods into the world. I pray that my brother's wishes are fulfilled through you.'
Jashoma smiled as his harsher brother's features softened in the presence of Jashira, 'I know he will watch over her strictly to insure his servants do not allow her to come to harm.' He then wrote a note addressed only to Kizashi and Mebuki Haruno. Once he read the letter and assured himself that the contents were exact he sealed the letter and placed Sakura in her bassinet with the letter before saying once more, "I love you Jashira, should you ever truly need me call and I will come."
Jashira closed her eyes sleepy and curled into her blankets clutching the letter to her human parents. Jashin gently took the bassinet from his brother and disappeared from the god's realm to the mortal one. He waited until dark and placed the child's bassinet on their doorstep before vanishing from sight after three knocks upon the door.
Jashin watched unseen as the man Kizashi opened the door and looked around before glancing down and called his wife who came running. Mebuki grabbed the child carefully from inside and looked around for anyone in sight. Kizashi grabbed the bassinet and pulled the letter from it before taking both inside. Mebuki following after and Jashin followed the pair into their living room where he wished to see how they reacted to the letter.
Mebuki cradled the beautiful girl so gently it almost brought tears to the God's eyes. Aside from his brother who had a heart lighter than any other he had never seen such a reverence for new life before. He smiled, 'Jashira you chose your mortal parents well.'
Kizashi picked up the letter, "Mebuki…this letter is addressed to us by name." He showed his wife the sealed letter with their names written on the front. Mebuki met her husband's eyes in shocked not knowing they were being observed. Mebuki glanced back down at the child and then to the envelope, "Well read it out loud and tell me what it says, Dear." She suggested gently as she cooed at the little infant in her arms. She could hear the wax seal on the letter breaking as her husband opened the letter and the sound of the paper unfolding where a thunk was heard. She turned to see a necklace with an emblem from the statue they prayed before at the temple earlier that day and met her husband's gaze with hope.
Kizashi read the letter aloud,
Dear Mebuki and Kizashi Haruno,
You do not know of me by name but I know of you. A prayer to me and brethren you both shared to have a child of ours to raise as your own. I give you a gift and a great responsibility. In answer to the prayer you spoke my brother and I both heard I give you my own daughter, Jashira to raise and name as your own. She cannot use her godly name among humans and as such I ask you pick one that is befitting for her.
She is a light that will shine with a heart full of Mercy, Compassion, and Love in this world. All Gods and Goddesses live at least one life as a human among you before assuming their responsibilities in the godly realms. I tell you this not to frighten you but to warn you, she will be noticed. She will grow to be an icon of legend, and she will not, and should not know this. When she joins her team after academy you may tell her the truth of her origins but, you must make her realize she cannot breathe a word to any other soul. This is for her own protection as others may seek her out in an attempt to garner favor with another god or goddess. Even we have our own enemies among our brethren.
I place in your hands my greatest prize and treasure to love, to cherish, and to guide for the rest of your mortal lives.
Jashoma
God of Life, Healing, Mercy, and Salvation
PS. Enclosed is an emblem she should always wear on her person when she is older it will protect her and help remind her of her destiny when those who could remind her may not be near. I have also enclosed a second letter for you to present to your Hokage. He will not know the truth of her origins the letter will simply inform him that the child is yours to raise as a deceased family member willed it.
Mebuki looked startled but had tears of joy in her eyes, "You were right Kizashi…we prayed to the gods and they heard us!" She looked upon the little girl and saw the soft petal pink hair. She placed the little girl in the bassinet and saw her open her jewel green eyes, "Sakura…like the beautiful flowers that bloom in spring, just like you little one."
Kizashi sat beside his wife and wrapped his arms around her smiling down at the child, "Haruno, Sakura is the perfect name for our little blossom. May she bloom, eternally in the light, and hidden between the leaves." His soft blessing made the hidden god smile, 'You chose the perfect parents, Sakura. Until such a time, where you and I can meet again, my little niece.'