Chapter LXXXIII
A truce dishonoured, a discarded deal,
Begets the removal of ancient seals,
Runes carved in relics of stone,
The key to their oppressive binds, undone,
As Underworld and Surface forge an alliance,
Against the forces of Chaos, in open defiance.
~x~
Sasuke remained seated alone for a while in the healing room after Kakashi had departed, leaning his head back against the cool stone wall as he took the opportunity to compose himself, to absorb everything that he had experienced in a short duration of time.
Being tortured by Madara and retrieving some of his past memories. Watching helplessly as Sakura had been ruthlessly stabbed before his eyes and almost drowned to death. The distressing struggle to save her. Nearly forfeiting his own life by allowing Orochimaru's curse to ravage his bloodstream in his desperation to keep her heart beating. His unexpected meeting with Itachi after he had lost consciousness, where he had finally learned the whole truth about his family's sacrifices, before awakening and reconciling with Sakura. All those events, which had culminated in a fateful showdown with Danzo.
Sasuke closed his eyes tiredly, releasing a quiet breath. He had endured a wild rollercoaster of exhausting, intense emotions. His nerves were stretched taut and had neared snapping point from all the stresses of his punishing, relentless ordeals.
His overburdened, weary mind could find no rest. He longed for nothing more than to return to the darkness and security of his Kingdom, to be allowed the chance to process what he'd endured without interruption. To somehow attempt to reconcile his grief, now knowing what the price of his continued existence had cost those he'd loved most, in privacy.
At length, he rose to his feet just as a loud knock sounded from the other side of the door. Sasuke walked toward it and pulled it open - to discover a familiar face on the other side.
He blinked at Naruto, features carefully schooled into a blank, expressionless slate.
"Sasuke!" Sapphire blue eyes met the death deity's steadily. "Hey. I'm glad you're up and feeling better, 'ttebayo."
'Ttebayo. There was that word again. Sasuke had never known, precisely, just what that strange catchphrase meant. Probably something moronic and senseless, he thought to himself scornfully, like ninety-nine per cent of everything else nonsensical that ever left Naruto's mouth.
An awkward, weighted pause hung in the air between them. Naruto rubbed at the back of his neck nervously, before blurting out hastily, "Uh. You kinda look beat up. I thought maybe you'd wanna clean up first, so... I brought you some clothes." He held up a bundle. "Kakashi-sensei said they should fit. There's a bathroom next door you can use."
"..." Sasuke's eyes shifted to the neatly folded pile of clothing Naruto held out to him, which included, from what he could see, a long black robe of sorts, a long-sleeved black top and black jeans. Wordlessly he accepted them, before his dark eyes flicked back onto Naruto. Just as was the case with Kakashi, he fully recalled his past bonds with the loud-mouthed sun god, all the previous blanks that had inhabited his mind filled in with countless recollections of their chariot races, sparring sessions, endless bickering and arguing, and general, pointless mischief making that Naruto had always seemed to be able to drag Sasuke into.
"Sasuke," Naruto began, after another lengthy silence. "I just wanted to say, I'm really sorry about what happened to your family. I'm glad you took that creep Danzo out. He deserved it! We'll get that bastard Cronus next time, believe it!"
Sasuke stepped forward, brushing past him in silence as he made his way toward the bathroom next door.
"I won't give up," Naruto's voice quivered, his hands balling into determined fists by his sides. Sasuke halted by the bathroom door, fingers gripping the handle.
"You still wanna act like you don't know me, like you hate me, you wanna keep pushing me away and shutting me out, go ahead," the sun god rallied on. "It won't change what I think and what I know about you, Sasuke. You're a good person! I'm not gonna give up. I know the Sasuke I once knew is still in there. I never stopped believing!"
His words struck a nerve. Sasuke couldn't stand his kindness, his good opinion, or anything about him.
"Why are you so obsessed with me?" he snapped irritably.
A faint smile graced Naruto's lips. "Because…" he answered simply. "You're my best friend."
Sasuke clenched his jaw tightly, irked by the blind faith and stupidity of the sun deity's response. Naruto was delusional. Just because they'd been friends before - that didn't mean everything would just suddenly fall back into place so seamlessly, so easily. How could Naruto be so hopeful?
Kakashi's words drifted through his mind. That they considered him their family. Sasuke's throat burned and he swallowed back the bitter taste in his mouth. Family? Nothing could ever replace the one he had lost.
"You're still as foolish as ever," he muttered, not registering the significance of his acknowledgement, nor the way Naruto's eyes widened in astonishment upon hearing them.
"Huh? As ever…?" Naruto began in bewilderment. "Wait a minute, what do you mean by-?"
Without another word, Sasuke entered the bathroom, locking the door behind him, denying Naruto the chance to probe him any further.
~x~
Twenty minutes later, Sasuke stood before the remaining members of the High Council, in the same spacious chamber in which judgement had been passed upon him almost a month earlier. Koharu and Homura had fully recovered following Danzo's assault on them, and appeared subdued in mood.
He felt the weight of many eyes directed at him, and pointedly chose to ignore everyone's gazes as he placed his hand upon the binding contract scroll, waiting somewhat impatiently for it to be dispelled at last.
"Please accept our sincerest apologies, Sasuke," Homura stated gruffly. "For Danzo's inexcusable actions. Chiyo and Kakashi have informed us of the true extent of his long-standing treachery. This discovery has admittedly come as quite the shock to us."
"Regrettably, we believed many of his twisted truths as we held him in such high regard and assumed him to be honourable in character," Koharu sighed, shaking her head.
"We would have preferred for him to face trial, of course, as is our way, but it seems he already decided his own path." Homura frowned.
"There was no way to save him." Chiyo sniffed. "His mind was set in as impermeable a stone as that of a Gorgon's curse."
"We possessed no knowledge of his intentions toward you, of his plan to relieve you of your ocular gifts, nor of the fact that he harvested Sharingan from your deceased kin," Koharu appeared visibly repulsed.
"It begs to question from where, precisely, these were even obtained," Homura mused.
"They must have been acquired from the battlefield itself," Kakashi suggested.
Sasuke thought back to the eyeballs he had once glimpsed within the confines of Orochimaru's laboratory, held in labelled jars. No doubt he'd used some conniving means to steal Sharingan from all the slain Uchiha before the bodies had decomposed, and discovered a ghastly way to preserve them. That was precisely the grotesque kind of experimentation the daemon was known for. It made Sasuke's blood boil thinking about it. He could envisage all kinds of horrifying ways to maim and kill the snake for daring to meddle with things he had no right to tamper with.
"Orochimaru," Sasuke informed them, his voice ringing clearly through the chamber. "He had in his possession stolen Sharingan."
A hum of shocked murmurs filled the room. Koharu and Homura looked at Sasuke in alarm.
"Could it be?" Koharu glanced at her companion in bewilderment.
"You are sure of this?" Homura questioned.
"I have seen it," Sasuke confirmed.
"Why then did you not retrieve them?" Koharu's eyebrows drew together in concern.
"I searched for them," Sasuke replied. "He transported them to another location."
"But did you not destroy all his hideouts?" asked Homura.
Sasuke's eyes narrowed. He doubted they'd truly gotten them all. Likely they'd only laid to ruin the ones Orochimaru hadn't protected with forbidden jutsu.
"If Danzo was working with him, then it's likely he has other hideouts," Jiraiya commented, echoing Sasuke's thoughts. "Sasuke and his cell may have taken out only the smaller ones."
"That's true." Kakashi agreed. "He may have another or several that are concealed by sensor-repelling seals. Seals Danzo could have assisted Orochimaru in weaving. That may be the place where he is holding all his more… ah, valuable resources."
"That bastard!" Naruto exclaimed angrily, from his seat upon one of the benches flanking the left side of the room. "So he's been teaming up with that slime-ball all along?"
"But Orochimaru works with Cronus," Shikamaru pointed out. "Doesn't he?"
"Wait, are you saying Danzo was working with Cronus too all this time?" Ino frowned in confusion. "But that makes no sense!"
"Perhaps not Cronus directly himself," Chiyo remarked. "But he certainly benefited from an arrangement with the serpent."
"What did that blasted snake get in return?" Jiraiya wondered. "He'd never hand over such prizes unless he stood to gain exponentially."
"The ANBU," Sai, who was seated beside Hinata and had made a full recovery, said simply.
Hinata gasped. "B-but those are his guards?"
Eyes turned toward the Messenger deity in shock. Sai relayed his visit to the ANBU base, and all the strange things he had seen within it.
"Son-of-a-bitch," Tsunade hissed.
"I can't believe it. All this time he was preaching the law," Sakura exclaimed angrily, "while stabbing us all in the back?"
"Danzo was consumed by greed and the incessant desire to control the course of destiny." Chiyo explained slowly. "He believed himself to be the sole true custodian of law and order on the surface, and the balance of life and death. That he alone possessed the mind and mettle required to see the most difficult decisions through, for what he perceived to be the greater good. Unfortunately, his perception was extremely warped."
"What an egotistical asshole," Ino muttered.
"His obsession with obtaining Izanagi seems to have overshadowed all other sense and reason," Kakashi sighed.
"Then good riddance to that traitor," Kurenai said, clenching her hands into fists. "It's no wonder he never sent the ANBU to assist us! They were too busy deployed elsewhere!"
"His treachery runs deep, indeed," Homura scowled. "If this is the case, then we must immediately locate and disable the ANBU who may still be in the serpent's service."
"We'll hunt them down, 'ttebayo," Naruto punched his fists together. "Every last one!"
"Let us return to discuss our next course of action following the removal of the seals," said Chiyo. "I am certain young Sasuke here is quite anxious to be free of his remaining binds."
Koharu and Homura nodded and lifted their hands, forming rapid hand-seals in tandem with Chiyo.
"Dispel!" They ordered in unison. Sasuke felt warmth radiate against the palm that he had placed upon the scroll. It seeped into his skin, stirring through his veins, running along his arm, a jolt of magical essence in his blood which confirmed that the contract had been terminated. Slowly, he withdrew his hand away, feeling oddly lighter, and took a seat by himself on one of the empty rows of spectator benches.
Sakura stole discreet glances across at him. His raven hair was still damp from the shower he'd taken to wash off the grime of battle from his skin. It was unruly and spiked in all directions, and he had changed into a long, black hooded robe. He had chosen to sit alone, removed from everyone else, a clear, silent distinction that he did not identify himself as belonging amongst them. Her heart constricted. She wanted to go to him. To sit beside him, to reassure him that his place was with them. And yet she could see, from the wary glances the other deities were casting in his direction, that they didn't all trust him still. Because they didn't know him, and because, despite everything, he remained a descendant of Cronus.
They would see, Sakura thought to herself fiercely. In time, they'd come to realise Sasuke's worth and sincerity, just as the other members of Team Seven did. Her heart then warmed as she watched Kakashi silently rise and move over to Sasuke's bench, sitting casually at the end of it, his hands stuffed into the pockets of his gilet jacket. A carefully maintained distance from the death god, but on the same row regardless. As if to display a public stance of solidarity with the Underworld's ruler.
Naruto hopped over the bench behind them, and sat down on the other side of Sasuke, closer than Kakashi had, but still left a respectable gap between himself and the death deity. Sakura saw him cast a look in Sasuke's direction, but he did not openly acknowledge either of them.
Relief flooded her at the sight of him fully recovered. Twice he had almost lost himself to Orochimaru's curse; twice he had been saved at the last minute. She desperately hoped it wouldn't happen again, that once Sasuke's Rinnegan awakened, he would hunt the serpentine immortal down and free himself from his malicious, sinister seal.
Tsunade watched in silence, noting the way her daughter's gaze kept shifting surreptitiously to her right - in Sasuke's direction, she was certain. Pursing her lips, she turned her head, and briefly met Ino's gaze. The Goddess of Love, who was sitting to her left, was swift to avert her eyes, causing Tsunade's suspicions to flare more wildly.
Though Sasuke was not looking Sakura's way, it was plain to Tsunade that her daughter's attention was very much riveted on the taciturn God of the Dead. Her eyes had been drawn to him from the moment his proud form had entered the assembly chamber. The harvest goddess bit her tongue, reminding herself that Sasuke had saved Sakura's life. Even if she did not approve of any sort of mutual attraction taking root between them, Sakura was now a grown adult, and regardless of Tsunade's many misgivings about Sasuke's motives and character, there was no denying the value of him guarding over her daughter. He was a powerful ally in that sense. But could she truly accept Sakura being involved with the very line who had stolen her away to begin with, whose actions had led to her being poisoned and trapped in an endless cycle of suffering?
It was too late, she knew, to even contemplate. Involvement was inevitable, no matter how much it made her stomach churn. Sakura had consumed the seeds. Seeds Sasuke had trapped her with. Honey-hued eyes bore into the side of the death deity's head angrily. Whether Tsunade wished it or not, whether she approved or not, her daughter was bound irrevocably to the Underworld for six months every year. Six months alone with an undeniably handsome yet insufferably arrogant young god. Unsupervised. Six months in which anything could happen.
Tsunade swallowed back the unpleasant taste in her mouth. Her emotions had been thrown into disarray with the untimely, crippling loss of her dear Shizune, but it occurred to her at that moment that the end of August was little over three months away. It was imperative that she spoke to Sakura before then. She pushed the thought aside, feeling numb all over again. Now was not the time to confront Sakura about it. Not when her heart was still bleeding from Shizune's demise, and the bottomless hole that Tsunade knew her absence would leave in her life.
The High Councillors then moved to stand by their long, rectangular table. The relics Team Seven had successfully retrieved were placed upon it.
"We have studied the instructions on the relics," Chiyo began. "The unsealing will require the standing formation of a pentagram, with five elemental users at its points. The sixth will stand in the middle amongst them. All hand-seals must be performed at precisely the same moment."
"Kakashi. Naruto. Jiraiya. Tsunade. Hinata. Sasuke. You possess the required elements to unlock the seals." Homura announced. "Take the pentagram formation please. Sasuke, you must stand in the centre, as yours is the element that consumes all others."
They rose from their seats and adopted the formation, listening as the High Councillors detailed the order of the seals they were required to form. It would comprise four complex parts, all of which needed to be performed in perfect synchronisation. Sakura watched in awe as Chiyo struck her staff upon the ground, summoning into being luminous, golden circles of magic on the floor around the five deities. Ancient runes in the old alphabet glowed around Sasuke's circle and radiated outward, connecting to the others like five points of a star.
"We are ready," Chiyo confirmed.
Sasuke kept his gaze fixed ahead. Never would his past self have ever envisaged this moment; that he would be standing amongst the surface deities, about to assist them in regaining their full abilities. How his perception of so many things had changed.
They began the unsealing ceremony, following the lead of the Homura and Koharu who stood before them demonstrating the required seals to unlock each combination. It took the deities a few attempts to coordinate their hand movements in perfect time - particularly an excited Naruto who rushed on ahead - but after being scolded by Jiraiya to concentrate, he slowed down and they began to make steady progress.
"Wow," Sakura breathed, watching as each successfully completed combination caused the runes on the ground to blaze with molten, fiery light.
"It's pretty neat, huh?" Ino, who had scooted over to sit beside her, agreed. Tears stung at her eyes as she thought once again of Inoichi. Of how close they had been to unlocking the seals when he had been snatched so cruelly away from them, and vowed that his death would someday be avenged.
As if guessing her thoughts, Sakura reached out and slipped her hand into her best friend's. Ino swallowed back the lump in her throat, squeezing Sakura's hand gratefully, too overcome with emotion to say anything else.
At the final seal, they all knelt down, placing their palms against the ground, drawing on the magic that was flowing in an endless loop between them through the circles and runes pulsing on the floor.
"Release!" They uttered in unison, and with the word, golden light radiated from the surface gods' bodies, the seals that contained their chakra reserves lifted from them at last.
They stood up, raising their hands, staring at them in awe as they felt their powers, which had been restricted for so long, flow through their veins freely once again.
"I- I can feel it…" Hinata whispered, fingertips trembling as chakra, unhindered, tingled beneath her skin.
"By Olympus," Jiraiya flexed his fingers together. "It's about time."
"Feels good to be free, that's for sure." Shikamaru agreed.
"Our youthful abilities have returned!" Lee swiped a hand in the air, causing green chakra to flash at the movement. Sai summoned a ball of ink between his palms, fashioning it effortlessly into a bird.
"Hey," Ino turned to look at him, seated in the row behind her. "That's pretty neat."
Sai sent the bird toward her. It landed on her knee, but as soon as she touched it, it disintegrated into ink, staining Ino's light blue jeans. She shrieked in dismay.
"Sai!" she whipped her head around, glaring up at him. "What the hell?!"
Sai blinked at her, puzzled. "I… thought you would like to inspect it more closely?"
"Ugh! No! I didn't want it to ruin my jeans! Thanks a lot!"
"You're welcome," Sai supplied monotonously.
"No," Ino gaped at him in disbelief. "I wasn't thanking you."
"But did you not just say-?"
"I'd stay quiet if I were you," Shikamaru muttered beneath his breath to the clueless Messenger deity, who blinked, looking even more perplexed when Ino only grew more agitated.
"Ugh, I was being sarcastic! These are my favourite pair!"
Sakura stared at the two, open-mouthed, half caught between wanting to laugh, and half-shocked at how unapologetic the awkward Sai appeared.
"Sarcastic…?" Sai tilted his head, as if he did not understand the meaning of the word.
"Yes, sarcasm, when you- you know what, just forget it," Ino huffed crabbily, folding her arms as she gave up trying to clean the stain from her clothing.
Shikamaru met a bemused Sai's gaze, and snorted at their antics.
Sakura turned her attention back to the deities standing in front of her in amazement. The soft golden glow around their bodies was mesmerising and it slowly began to ebb away as they readjusted to controlling the hallowed abilities within them.
So this was the light of surface immortality. Had she possessed it once, too?
"They're back!" Naruto exclaimed jubilantly, and golden flames surrounded his body, their light as brilliant as the sun itself. "Alright! Now we can kick ass for real, 'ttebayo!"
Sasuke stepped out of the circle and returned to his seat upon the bench. Sakura looked his way, hoping to catch his eye, but he kept his gaze averted to the ground as the others celebrated the return of their powers.
After allowing them a few minutes to rejoice, Koharu cautioned, "With the unlocking of your abilities comes great responsibility. Remember, we initially sealed them in the hopes of averting any future wars and calamities. For millennia we believed Cronus to be complying with the truce forged between both sides - for he was silent, inactive - only to discover that he holds Minato and Kushina's bodies hostage and has been biding his time, plotting vengeance and manipulating his servants into doing his will."
"It is apparent to us now that if Cronus is not foiled in his plans, another war will inevitably be upon us." Homura agreed. "Naruto, you, in particular, must exercise additional caution."
"Cronus intends to obtain all Jinchuuriki and to extract their tailed beasts in order to put his plan to enslave the world into motion," Chiyo stated gravely. "Our priority is to prevent this from happening at all costs."
"We'll hunt down the remaining Jinchuriki," Kakashi assured them.
"We have to make sure we get to them first." Jiraiya agreed. "There is no doubt Cronus has Obito looking for them, too."
"You said Obito himself possesses their power?" Homura asked.
"Yes. We believe that Cronus may have sealed at least one tailed beast within him before the war." Kakashi affirmed, feeling a heaviness weigh upon his chest. His old friend was now doubtlessly the enemy - but tragically, also a victim of Cronus's heartless manipulation. After all, he had been saved from near-death only to exist as a mindless puppet who no longer retained any semblance of his own free will.
"Two of them are known to us; Gaara and Killer B," Koharu reminded them. "Four others remain to be found. It will not be easy - the seals upon them make it difficult to identify hosts amongst ordinary mortals. But I believe Naruto may request assistance from his own, who can surely recognise when they are near, being the most powerful of all the tailed-beasts."
"Wait," Naruto's eyes widened. "You mean you approve of me using Kurama's powers, now?"
"Sensibly," Homura conceded, frowning.
"Alright!" Naruto gave him a thumbs up. "You got it!"
"You will require extensive additional training with Killer B in order to discipline the Demon Fox," Koharu sighed. "We will arrange for him to return to these grounds so that you may continue in learning to wield your tailed beast's powers in harmony with your own."
"The same rule applies however - that you are not careless in revealing your identity as a host to the enemy," Homura warned.
"I will work with him," Jiraiya reassured them, placing a hand on Naruto's right shoulder. "By blending the Nine-Tails' chakra with Sage Mode, he should be able to disguise it adequately enough. It will take him a month or two at most to master if we practice daily - but inevitably, Cronus will come to learn of it. That cannot be avoided."
"Our only option is to train him to be strong enough to avoid their attempts to capture him," Tsunade said.
"Right," Naruto nodded, his eyes glinting with determination. "I'm ready to learn!"
"What is our next move?" Lee glanced at the others.
"We find and take out any remaining ANBU working with Orochimaru," Kakashi proposed.
"We should perhaps locate his base," Sai put forward. "Perhaps the ANBU can take us to it."
"Wait," Ino supported. "That's right. They were loyal to Danzo, right? Maybe if we locate them, we can make them take us to that snake's hideout?"
"That's assuming Orochimaru doesn't have them mind controlled already," Shikamaru folded his arms.
"I want him found," Kurenai's voice wavered with emotion. "I want that Zetsu army destroyed."
"Sasuke," Naruto glanced back at where the death deity was seated, listening to the exchange in silence. "We may need your help if we track those freaks down. You can disable them all right away, right?"
Sasuke's gaze flicked briefly onto him, before flicking away.
"Aaah," he confirmed nonchalantly.
"Look at him," Ino whispered into Sakura's ear. "Being all effortlessly cool like that. It's actually kind of disgusting."
Sakura dug an elbow into her side, feeling her cheeks burn. It wasn't the time for teasing.
"Quiet, Ino!" she hissed. Ino smirked playfully as she pulled away.
"Then the hard part is just finding those Aloe Vera creeps!" Naruto was going on.
"But what if there's others that he made, that he didn't use the phial contents for?" Sakura worried. "He'd know about Sasuke's ability to disable them. He might modify them now, somehow."
"Sounds like the kind of messed up crap he'd do," Shikamaru muttered.
Ino scowled. "We need to take him out. If we destroy him, it'll be a huge blow to Cronus's army. He's the one making all these monsters, right?"
"That's right," Kurenai nodded. "Without Orochimaru, Cronus only has Obito."
"Do not forget Ares," Koharu warned them. "His ability to possess a person's consciousness is not to be underestimated."
"An enemy we cannot see." Jiraiya's eyebrows drew together.
"Wait. If Sasuke awakens the Rinnegan - then maybe we will be able to see him. He must have some kind of chakra essence or something, right?" asked Naruto.
"The Rinnegan is all-seeing," Kakashi acknowledged. "But Sasuke has his own Kingdom to run. We can't rely on him in this."
"Exorcism seals," Homura said to the other Council members. "We can equip them with those, in the event he attempts to attack us directly."
Koharu nodded her agreement.
"That snake is mine," Tsunade's eyes were twin flames of blazing anger. "I'm going to be the one to kill him."
"..." Sasuke's eyes narrowed. He couldn't allow her to do that, not before Orochimaru had removed the curse mark from him.
"We need him to remove Sasuke's Curse Seal first," Kakashi reminded her, mirroring Sasuke's thoughts.
Tsunade pursed her lips. "Capturing him is significantly more difficult than killing him," she ground out.
"He's an elusive piece of trash, no doubt," Jiraiya concurred. "But we owe Sasuke that much, at least? After all, he saved Sakura's life and assisted us in the removal of our own seals. Let the boy be freed of his - and then you can pulverise him to pieces."
Tsunade's eyes shifted briefly onto Sasuke. Sakura's gaze darted between the two of them anxiously.
"Very well," the harvest goddess agreed stiffly.
"We must prevail!" Lee urged them emotionally. "For Guy-sensei, for Neji and every other dear friend we have lost! By the power of youth, if we believe in each other, we will be victorious!"
"An inspired speech," Kakashi agreed kindly.
"So what now?" Naruto demanded.
"Now, you're going to train with B," Kakashi instructed sternly.
"Right, right, but we can't just wait for me to be done, we need to act now, before they do!" Naruto insisted.
"Naruto-kun is right…" Hinata clasped her hands together. "We… we should not delay any further."
"The enemy will definitely be planning their next troublesome attack." Shikamaru sighed heavily.
"They won't be able to catch us off guard as easily now," Tsunade answered fiercely, slamming a fist against her palm. "We'll be ready for them."
"Maybe we should split up?" Sakura suggested. "Some of us track down the ANBU and Orochimaru's hideout, the others look for the Jinchurki?"
"That's a great idea, Sakura," Kurenai nodded approvingly.
"It would be more efficient," Sai contributed.
"Indeed," Homura agreed. "However, you must exercise caution. The enemy knows of your dwelling places. It is likely those will be targeted. In addition, our numbers now have been severely depleted."
"Perhaps…" Chiyo mused, "we can temporarily arrange for the Guardians of Olympus to lend their assistance to us over the course of these missions. Yamato can watch the mountain, can he not? We can deploy others to stand guard with him. What say you both?" She glanced at the other two Council members, who exchanged uncertain glances.
"Can we afford to lower our watch on Olympus with the enemy stirring?" Koharu voiced skeptically.
"Who else is available for us to call upon?" Tsunade raised her eyebrows.
"We have some allies yet." Chiyo answered. "Killer B has a powerful brother, A, whom I am certain will come to our aid."
"Eh?!" Naruto exclaimed. "B has a brother called A? You've gotta be kidding me?"
"In addition, there is Mei." Chiyo went on, ignoring Naruto's outburst. "Between the three of them, Olympus will be watched well, and it will allow Gaara, Kankuro, Temari and Killer B to join in the search."
"Hmm." Homura shared a contemplative glance with Koharu. "I suppose we have already paid enough of a price for sitting idle. We cannot afford to lose anyone else if we are to succeed in halting Cronus's plans."
"Yes. Increasing our numbers allows us to cover more ground," added Koharu.
"Having Gaara and Killer B with us reduces the likelihood of the enemy isolating them," Jiraiya rubbed thoughtfully at his chin.
"That would be a smart move." Kakashi remarked.
"Very well. Then it is decided." Homura nodded. "We will call upon the Guardians."
"It is probably for the best, however," Koharu gestured, "that you all remain in hiding here between your missions, rather than returning to your abodes. The best protection barriers are here, after all."
They all agreed unanimously to this.
"Sasuke," Chiyo called to the death deity. "A word, if you would be so kind as to accompany an old goddess…" she shuffled toward him. Wordlessly he rose to his feet, and waited for her to approach him, before turning away with her to exit the room.
"Wait, Sasuke!" Kakashi called after him, prompting the God of the Dead to pause midstep. "Thank you for helping us undo our seal."
"Yeah! We're all grateful! Right, everyone?" Naruto chimed in, looking desperately around at the other surface deities.
There was a brief, uneasy silence. Ino glanced at Sakura, noting the agitation on her features, and then stood up and said, "Thank you, Sasuke, for everything you've done to help us."
"You have our thanks," Kurenai joined in.
It was a snowball effect. One by one, the other surface deities voiced their gratitude - everyone except for Tsunade. Without turning to acknowledge any of them, Sasuke silently exited the room with Chiyo. Sakura watched him go, troubled, before her gaze moved to her mother, to find Tsunade staring right back at her, a deep frown etched on her face.
Quickly, Sakura averted her eyes and rose from her seat to join Hinata, Naruto and the others. Soon she was so engrossed in conversation with them, and marvelling over the elemental powers they effortlessly called into being in the palms of their hands, she did not notice her mother step away and pull Ino aside.
"Tell me something," Tsunade said tensely, her eyes fixed on her daughter with concern. "Since this is your forte. You see how she looks at him." Meeting Ino's blue irises, she pressed, "Has something happened between them? I want the truth, Ino."
Ino swallowed, her mouth suddenly dry. It wasn't her place to inform Tsunade of the kiss Sakura and Sasuke had shared in the Underworld. There was no way she would betray her best friend's confidence like that.
Carefully, she responded, "I see what's obvious to everyone else. I think Sasuke's serious about her. He put his life on the line to save her. Men don't do that for just anyone. I know it isn't what you want to hear, but he does care sincerely for her. That, I don't doubt for a minute."
Tsunade's nostrils flared, as if she were struggling with the concept that Sasuke could be sincere in anything.
"And Sakura?" she grilled, turning her gaze to the love goddess. "What are her feelings? She must have spoken to you of them?"
Ino hesitated. "I think... that's a conversation you'd better have with her. But she does care about him, too. I think, given everything that's happened, and the way the connection they have through the seeds has helped her up until now…" she shook her head. "Maybe he's what we need to break this cycle on her, once and for all. Maybe they were meant to find each other."
She did not add again. Tsunade still didn't know about their original love affair. But Ino found herself wondering whether it was right to withhold it from Sakura's mother any longer. Would it help matters, explain matters, would it make things make more sense, if Tsunade did learn of it? Especially now that Sakura advocated that Sasuke's memories had been stolen, that he'd had no hand in poisoning her during her first life-time?
"She's the embodiment of life on the surface. He's death beneath it." Ino went on softly. "They're each other's antithesis. It's ironic, really, and no surprise if they are drawn to each other." She glanced at Tsunade, whose expression had grown positively thunderous. Her jaw was tightly clenched.
"He has stolen her future," she uttered.
"Or maybe he's saved it?" Ino suggested.
"Since when do you defend him?" Tsunade's eyes narrowed disapprovingly.
"Since never." Ino frowned. "He's a jerk. I don't like him, beyond him being easy to look at. But with Sakura… maybe he's different."
"How so?" Tsunade demanded.
"Well, for one thing, he's saved Sakura so many times now. If not for him, she likely wouldn't still be here with us. I hate how the seeds have trapped her too - but if it's a choice between that and her dying? Which is worse?"
Tsunade swallowed thickly. She comprehended the rationale behind the words - and yet, she wondered whether she could ever make peace with the fact that her daughter belonged only half to the surface now, and half to the lightless Underworld.
"Excuse me," Ino politely said, before leaving her side to rejoin Sakura's, leaving Tsunade standing troubled and alone.
~x~
Chiyo walked slowly beside the Underworld's king, watching him closely from the corner of her eye. She could detect the tension lining his broad shoulders, glimpsed the clear shadows that haunted the chiselled planes of his features. She had observed him long enough to know when something weighed upon his mind, as it did at that moment. Sasuke was difficult to read for others - but she had seen him at his most vulnerable and weakest. She had watched him grow from a carefree infant god full of laughter, into a petulant prince, and finally into a formidable, proud ruler. She knew that beneath that carefully cultivated, stoic exterior was a sensitive and considerate soul deprived for too long of the love, warmth and security his family had once provided to him.
A love, warmth and security, she mused to herself, that would no doubt be restored to him in time, though through another source. The countless millennia spent in isolation had allowed him to master his abilities and weathered him into an iron-willed, just King, of that there could be no doubt. But she recognised also, his torment and suffering. How much of it could have been averted, by informing him of cold truths, instead of allowing him to exist believing in even harsher lies.
"Why?" Sasuke demanded, when the door to the private study room Chiyo had walked them to closed behind them and he turned to face the old goddess at last. As she suspected, his thoughts were of a similar vein to her own. "Why did you tell me nothing of Itachi's sacrifice?"
Chiyo watched him, her hands resting on the top of her staff as she gently lowered herself into a plush, dark-green leather arm-chair. The square-shaped, cosy room was furnished with an oak writing table and a matching chair, two shelves lined with thick, leather-bound books and a single sofa that the Goddess of the Crossroads occupied. The study was illuminated by the small, cast-iron fireplace built into the back wall, and a few other lit candles placed on the scribing desk. The High Council building preferred to rely on the wonders of chakra-fuelled magic than the electricity mortals used for lighting and heat.
Firelight danced across the death deity's face. Though his eyes, as hard as black diamonds, were carefully guarded, Chiyo could nonetheless still glimpse the torment that glimmered beneath the surface of those ever-composed pools of darkness.
"It was not my choice to keep this from you," she answered with a sigh. "Your family knew your heart best, and their concerns were valid. It was difficult enough to rouse you to accept the throne as things were back then." She tilted her head. "Have you forgotten, little King? Your initial rejection of it? Your hopelessness and will to give up, your longing to pass on? Such was how I came upon you."
"I didn't mean then," Sasuke retorted, more snappily than he had intended. "You had every chance, all those years afterwards, to say something. To speak the truth. Why would you allow me to continue living a lie?"
"It took you a great deal of time to master all your abilities, to fashion your Kingdom into what it is today. Had I informed you sooner, you would have surely been distracted from that purpose. Perhaps your resolve may have even wavered entirely."
"So that is all I am," Sasuke glared. "A different kind of pawn. One bound to my function. Is that the only thing that mattered to any of you?"
"Are we not all pawns, slaves to our respective roles?" Chiyo raised a sardonic eyebrow. "None of us have a choice which cards we are dealt. We exist to fulfil our purposes. Such is the trade for our great power, our wisdom, our immortality."
"I did have a choice," Sasuke argued back, pacing the room in agitation. "But it was taken from me."
"That is true, and it is indeed unfortunate," the goddess replied calmly. "You are a product of difficult circumstances. However, you must understand - this was indeed the only way Itachi could spare your life, whilst also ensuring that the throne of the Underworld was protected from Cronus and his schemes.
"Your brother and cousin were brilliant young deities in mind; do not think for a moment that they did not exhaust every possibility before deciding upon their actions. Their hands were tied. Cronus had them watched closely following Danzo's betrayal of them. They ran out of time to pursue any other avenue, including notifying you of what was happening."
Sasuke's heart constricted. It hurt. He could perceive the sense and logic in Chiyo's words - and yet the pain hurt no less.
"They had to lie to you. By misleading you over the issue of your parents' deaths, Itachi sparked the fire for you to desire to seek vengeance, for you to gain knowledge and ask questions - even if it was not directed toward who it ought to have been. He had no control over the memories Cronus warped in your mind. It was never his intention for you to detest the surface folk nor to hold them accountable for the loss of your clan.
"He thought, by allowing you to believe that he had murdered your good mother and father, that you would go on to question whether it had been on Cronus's orders. That would surely lead you to suspect Cronus himself. He knew you would mourn his loss too greatly otherwise. He sought to spare you such pain."
"He failed," Sasuke said quietly, drawing to a stop before the fireplace, gazing intently into the flames.
"Yes." Chiyo agreed. "Your brother had his faults, also. He sought to control things too precisely. Rarely did he miscalculate - but anytime he did, it certainly cost him dearly. I do not agree with his methods in relation to keeping all this from you - even though I do understand the reasons why he did it. Had Cronus caught onto your involvement in any of their schemes, you would have been slain immediately."
She paused, watching him for a minute. "Truly, I am sorry for the grief you have endured," she said gently. "Your mother was a very dear companion of mine, the most gentle of souls, and Itachi, also. He would frequently visit my hut as a boy, ever curious for new knowledge, particularly of the old world. Then, when I began to tell him stories, he would bring Shisui along, too." She smiled faintly in recollection.
Sasuke's eyes burned. His chest ached. He didn't want to hear it. The grief was like claws of iron, shredding him apart from the inside.
"I knew you would learn the truth someday." Chiyo added. "It is better you have discovered it this way, so as to remove all doubt."
She watched him for another moment, before expanding, "It was never Cronus's intention to honour their agreement and spare you. You will know, now, that he intended for Obito to sit in your stead upon the throne. What a calamity would that have been, young Sasuke? Your Kingdom would have fallen to ruin. The souls within it, unjustly judged, or worse still, stranded in limbo, unable to find rest.
The Underworld was forged of chaos - but it cannot function depending upon it alone. It requires order. A King of sound mind and resilient spirit to maintain it. You were the only one left. Would you have washed your hands of the land of your kin?"
Sasuke knew the answer to that. The Underworld was where he had been born. The Kingdom in which he had grown up and spent a happy childhood. It had been everything to his family. His mother and father had ruled in Madara's stead for a while, undertaking the daily duties of the throne. Even if Sasuke had not been the only Uchiha left, he knew he could not have suffered it to fall into ruin.
"No," he admitted, though the admission was made with a trace of bitterness in his voice. The tone of one who had never had a real choice.
"You are its sole custodian, now," Chiyo reminded him. "And you must exercise caution from this point onwards. If the serpent's curse fully consumes you, it is not only your life that is forfeit. Your very Kingdom itself will fall. You may command absolute authority within it, but remember; your enemy is also your kin."
Sasuke considered her words, thinking fleetingly of Obito. Relegating the thought for later, he finally posed the question that had been tormenting him since the day of the war.
"How did they pass?" he asked, his voice a near whisper.
Chiyo looked toward the fireplace. "Sealing the Titans away was their final act," she replied sadly. "They used the last of their strength to weave the seals, and had none remaining thereafter, forfeiting living in doing so."
"..." Sasuke's eyes lowered, his heavy lashes a curtain hiding the pain that swelled through the thick layer of black ice. Even until the very end, Shisui and Itachi had acted selflessly, to protect the surface and deny Cronus of his powerful allies. Hearing confirmation that Itachi had not died at his own hands was a small comfort. The wound was bottomlessly deep, and had opened anew all over again.
"The crow," he finally got out, after several minutes of silence had passed. "Itachi told me I will have his eye once it awakens."
Chiyo paused, regarding Sasuke pensively as he composed himself once again and turned his head to look expectantly at her. At length, she supplied, "The crow will indeed awaken - in due course."
"How?" Sasuke pressed. "How can I quicken it?"
"You cannot." Chiyo shook her head. "The crow slumbers until the time arrives for it to awaken. That is not something you nor I can hasten. I will say little else. Anything more would be an interference on my part. You must wait. You will have perfect clarity, soon enough."
Sasuke's hands balled into fists. "Still more secrets," he uttered, turning his eyes back to the fireplace, frustration evident in the rigidity of his body language.
"It is no secret," Chiyo disagreed. "You know the nature of my role well enough. And you are also aware that the awakening of any eye is wrought in pain and suffering."
Sasuke's eyes widened, and his head jerked sharply back in her direction. Did she mean that he would have to go through further anguish to obtain his brother's eye? Alarm filled him. What did she entail by that?
"You-" he began.
"I can speak no more of it," Chiyo rose from her seat, eyes crinkling into an amused smile. "Besides, you have an important visitor."
Sure enough, a knock on the door alerted them to the individual's arrival.
"Enter," Chiyo croaked.
The door opened, and Sasuke blinked, his dark eyes meeting honey-hued irises.
"Excuse my intrusion," Tsunade said shortly, her expression hard and stony. "But I wish to speak with Sasuke."
"No intrusion at all, young Tsunade," Chiyo said merrily. "We are quite finished here." Nodding at Sasuke, she continued, "You are free to return to your Kingdom at your soonest leisure. I will see you there, once I have completed arrangements with the others here."
With that, she shuffled out the room, closing the door quietly behind her.
A long, stifling, awkward silence ensued. Sasuke stood unmoving beside the fireplace, his eyes fixed once more on the crackling flames, while Tsunade remained by the door, regarding him warily.
Here was the King of the Shades, who had saved her daughter from certain death, returning her safely from Cronus's clutches. She was no simpleton. She saw the glances her daughter angled at him, so different in nature to what they had been before.
Sasuke finally shifted, clearly impatient. Did she have something to say, or was she just intent on staring at him and stalling him for pointless reasons?
With Ino's words from earlier rebounding in her mind, Tsunade began, "You saved Sakura from Cronus and returned her to me safely. For that I am…" she paused, feeling like the next word she compelled herself to articulate was coated with acid, charring her tongue. "Grateful."
Surprise flickered transiently across Sasuke's eyes. She was thanking him? The words felt forced. Fake. Or perhaps they were sincere, and it was that they were simply too strange, too difficult for her to concede.
He bit back the immediate, scalding response that deployed itself on the tip of his tongue. That he didn't want her gratitude. That she was fooling no-one; he knew she despised him. That her being here was a waste of time for them both. Instead he remained prudently silent. He wasn't in the mood to indulge the company of any temperamental mothers and found himself inadvertently thinking of his own.
Had Mikoto always been overprotective of both himself and Itachi? It was so long ago, but he recalled her immediately scooping him up in her arms whenever he so much as stumbled or pricked a finger and being quick to scold anyone who chose to tease either him or Itachi - save for Shisui. It was a universal thing to all mothers, mortal and immortal alike, to be averse to anything that threatened the wellbeing of one's offspring.
Sasuke could not fault Tsunade for loathing him. It was the natural, logical reaction to every terrible, oppressive crime he had committed against Sakura. A sentiment Sakura ought to share, and yet, had made plain she did not.
Sakura. His trail of thought moved to her as he allowed himself to contemplate her for the first time since they'd departed the Underworld together. They hadn't conversed since, and he still could not believe that she had given him her forgiveness. It seemed impossible to gain an audience alone with her, what with her mother lurking in the grounds, and if Tsunade was so determined to take up all his time here, then perhaps he would not see her at all before he left.
"In three months, she will return to your realm for half a year. Half a year, away from the light of the sun, stolen from me by your actions. Perhaps you feel some remorse. Perhaps you feel none. It's too late to-"
So much for gratitude. She'd come to lecture him again, and that was the last thing Sasuke wanted or needed at that moment.
"I know what I did," he interrupted frostily, his tone razor sharp. "What do you want?"
Tsunade glowered at him. "You insolent brat. Mind your manners! Listening is the least you can do for all the wrong you have committed to my daughter. You may be a 'King' in your realm, but you've a long way to go before convincing me that you are worthy of any such title."
Sasuke's lips twitched, not quite a sneer. He couldn't care less about impressing Tsunade or winning her over. She was irrelevant. He only noted her existence because she happened to be Sakura's mother. It was for Sakura's sake that he had even allowed her an audience with him at all - that, and reluctantly acknowledging that she had a point. He did owe Sakura at least that small courtesy - to allow her mother to voice her grievances - for all the grief he had rained upon them both. There was absolutely no love lost between them otherwise. He found Tsunade to be bossy and overbearing. Intimidating to others, perhaps - but simply irritating at most in his eyes.
Folding her arms across her chest, she ventured on, "I need to know that she will be safe there. That no harm will come to her."
Sasuke blinked. Finally he turned away from the fireplace, and angled a glance back at the goddess over his left shoulder.
"The Underworld is my kingdom," he stated flatly, the meaning behind the words transparent; that within his world, Sakura would be protected.
"That may be so, but I still don't have my answer as to what your intentions with my daughter are upon your return." Narrowing her eyes, she added with distaste, "I see the way she looks at you now, Uchiha. I do not know what happened to bring about this change over the course of your journey, but I will not have her taken advantage of in any way."
Sasuke felt anger flare in his chest, thoroughly insulted. Though he continued to stare aloofly at the harvest goddess, he felt his skin prickle with annoyance. What did she think he was? What, exactly, did she take him to be? Some kind of barbarian who sought to ruin her daughter? After everything he had done for her, seeking atonement? He had no intention of pushing Sakura into anything. Whatever she chose to do - or chose to give - would be of her own freewill entirely. He wasn't the same selfish deity that had stolen her away over a year earlier. Not when it came to Sakura. His wants were not precedent over her own wishes. He had no right to take anything else from her that she did not desire or feel comfortable giving.
It struck Sasuke once more in that moment that he was so changed in the depth of his feelings for Sakura, that he barely recognised his own self.
"Spare me the lecture," he dismissed. "Sakura will be unharmed. The shades of my Kingdom will protect her."
"From others," Tsunade clarified, her eyes burning into his as she began to walk toward him, stopping a deliberately measured distance away. "If she has lost her senses and wishes to- whatever it is she might be thinking- then that I can accept. Because she is grown and I can accept her making her own decisions, even if I do not approve of them, even if I believe them to be mistakes. But it must be her decision, not something she is coerced into. Whatever it is she thinks of you, she is too good for you. You know it."
Sasuke did know. He listened as Tsunade rallied on, "What I want to know is that you will not expect anything from her, just because she is tied to your realm."
"I do not," he deadpanned. It was the truth - even after the kiss they had shared - and also the answer he hoped would shut the unbearable goddess up fastest.
Tsunade released a slow breath, visibly relieved. She nodded. "That is good. Then you will give her space, comfort and the freedom to keep her own company if she wishes it. You will entice her into nothing. She is safe from you, then."
Sasuke was silent for a long moment. Safe from him? The memory of soft, warm lips pressing against his, of slender arms clinging onto him, of both their heartbeats galloping riotously within their chests, drifted agonisingly through his mind. Neither of them were 'safe' from one another. They probably never had been, from the moment they had first met before the war. However, he had absolutely no intention of discussing his private affairs - and the status of his still presently undefined relationship with Sakura - with anyone, especially not her pushy mother.
He walked forward, ready to end their little exchange.
"That choice," Sasuke said tersely as he passed her, "is hers."
Tsunade's lips parted in astonishment, too stunned by his unexpected chivalry to form a response as she speechlessly watched him leave the room, the meaning to his words unmistakeable; that whether or not anything happened between the two was Sakura's decision and call entirely.
~x~
Sasuke stalked into the entrance hall, his mood further soured following his encounter with Tsunade. Although her concerns were valid, they reminded him of a time when he had been selfish, of all his shortcomings and the pain he had inflicted upon Sakura. Something he did not need any help remembering.
It was high time he returned to his Kingdom. He did not wish to keep company with the surface deities for a moment longer.
"There he is! Sasuke!" A voice called ahead of him. Sasuke resisted the overwhelming urge to roll his eyes skyward in exasperation, lifting his head to find Naruto standing before the landing point's forcefield, his irritation waning marginally when he discovered that Sakura was with him.
He slowed down as he approached the two, drawing to a stop in front of them.
"You're leaving, huh?" Naruto rubbed the back of his sunshine head. "Uh. Thanks again for all your help."
"Yes, thank you again, Sasuke," Sakura said earnestly.
"Hn," Sasuke exhaled dismissively.
Naruto paused, regarding Sasuke unsurely. Sakura had filled him and Kakashi in, in more detail, of what had happened on Olympus - that she suspected that Cronus had allowed Sasuke to see some of the memories he had stolen from him. The news had set Naruto's heart pounding, and for the first time, he had dared to hope that perhaps Sasuke did remember something of their past lives together. But Sakura had cautioned him to not be pushy about it; Sasuke had endured a great deal of psychological and emotional stress over a very short period of time, and it was for the best that they gave him much needed space for now.
When Sasuke simply stared blankly back at him, Naruto tried, "Y'know, Sasuke… now that all my powers are back, how about a re-match? I definitely won't lose next time, 'ttebayo!"
"Naruto!" Sakura glared up at him, appalled. What was he doing, suggesting a brawl? She smacked his arm angrily. "Stop that!"
"N-not now, not now, Sakura-chan!" Naruto winced, holding up his hands defensively. "Maybe after we finish kicking Cronus's sorry ass? Just one friendly sparring round. We can settle the score, once and for all. What do you say, Sasuke?"
"Just ignore him," Sakura said, fearing that Naruto was about to be incinerated on the spot by a death deity who was surely close to snapping entirely.
Naruto grinned widely, running the length of his forefinger under the tip of his nose. "You gonna ignore me?" he goaded. "Too chicken?"
Sasuke stared stoically back at him. Then he snorted, closing his eyes briefly, looking thoroughly bored.
"You'll lose, Dead Last," he quipped in disgust.
Naruto beamed. There it was again. The old, condescending name Sasuke had always used to address him.
"Alright, then we're on!"
"Shut up," Sasuke shot him down. "That's exactly the kind of reckless stupidity that can get you killed."
Naruto sighed, his mirth immediately faltering. "I know." He murmured quietly. "Maybe I won't even make it. But gotta give myself something to look forward to, if I do, right, Sasuke? What's more fun for you than giving me a black eye?"
"..." Sasuke was silent at that.
"Don't say that," Sakura folded her arms, casting an unhappy look up at her friend. "You will make it. We all will. We have to believe that."
"You're right, Sakura-chan," Naruto enthused. "We can take that bastard, and anything he throws at us!"
A brief pause ensued. Realising that Naruto wasn't leaving, Sakura telepathically reached out to the death deity.
'Sasuke?' Sakura's voice echoed in his mind, drawing obsidian eyes to her. Her heart fluttered erratically the moment that heavy stare settled onto her. 'What happens at the end of August? I mean when I…' she hesitated, before continuing, 'when my time is up?'
It was only just over three months away. Sakura had no idea of what the arrangements were. Would she be taken to the Underworld? Would she wait for him to come to collect her? She fidgeted with her fingers, nervously awaiting his answer.
Sasuke began to prowl forward, his gaze locked onto her intently. Its intensity was searing, and Sakura forgot to breathe, feeling her pulse climb higher and higher with every step closer he took.
Naruto had fallen silent, looking on in astonishment. Even someone as knuckle-headed and clueless as he generally was could sense that something was crackling in the air between the two.
'I will find you,' came the short reply in her head and Sakura felt her heart leap into her throat as he brushed past her without another word. His proximity was electrifying. The promise of unfinished business, which she had read clearly in his gaze, caused a shudder to shoot down her spine, one that she could barely suppress.
When she turned to look behind her, he had already vanished.
~x~
"We have work to do, Kabuto," Orochimaru rasped. Sasuke had once again activated the curse seal - and once more, it had been pushed back at its final stages, before it could completely overwhelm the death deity's chakra pathways, foiling the daemon's hopes yet again.
The news that Sasuke had killed Danzo had reached him. Orochimaru felt no remorse. He already had everything he required from the deceased Councillor as part of their brief alliance; specifically, the ANBU army that would now fall under his mind control. He had already rounded a great many of them up and placed curse seals upon them, ensuring that they did his bidding and were slaves to his will. Loyal to a fault to Danzo, he would manipulate them into seeking revenge for his demise.
It was a pity that Sharingan had been lost in the battle, but Orochimaru had others in his possession. He stared down at the ANBU soldier who lay on the operating table, unconscious. What would happen, the ever curious alchemist within him wondered, if he attempted to transplant an ocular gift of the gods into a mortal's eye? Would the body immediately reject it? Was there a way to work around that biological response?
There was only one way to find out. He needed to act fast to bolster his army and hoped that his latest trials would prove to be successful. Even if the humans could not use the same techniques as the Uchiha due to the immense chakra levels they needed in order to be executed, perhaps the Sharingan would allow them, at the very least, to better read and defend against immortal attacks. Now that the surface deities were about to unlock their abilities and level the playing field, they needed every boost they could get their hands on.
His White Zetsu were compromised. If Sasuke were to ever locate his final hideout - the one he had managed to keep concealed with Danzo's help in exchange for the Sharingan he had procured him - then Orochimaru knew for certain that the death deity would waste no time in laying waste to the remainder of his plant-natured warriors. He would mercilessly destroy them all.
There was only one Zetsu that Sasuke had no command over - the Black Zetsu, which was still in incubation and had been manufactured without the use of the traded phial contents. Until the creature was ready and able to clone itself, Orochimaru had to ensure that they had other reinforcements at their disposal. Just until he obtained control of Sasuke's body. Once he achieved that, he cared not for Cronus's cause.
"Yes, Orochimaru-sama," Kabuto agreed, as he retrieved a single Sharingan eyeball from its container using a pair of steel tweezers. "I am positive that the ANBU, with their genetic modifications, will respond favourably to this implant. We have immune-suppressing drugs which can combat any unpleasant side-effects. They will of course leave the mortals vulnerable to other health conditions, but we are not concerned with prolonging their lives."
Orochimaru nodded. "Very well. There is also the matter of Sasuke-kun. The curse seal requiresss further modification. At this rate, it will never fully possess him. He isss growing more and more accustomed to its use."
"He used it to defeat Danzo, isn't that so, Orochimaru-sama?" Kabuto questioned, as he leaned over the ANBU soldier and picked up a scalpel.
"Indeed," Orochimaru ran his long tongue across his lips. "We musst find a way to alter it. To make it even more aggressive, so that it doesss not require him to tap into it, in order to invade his system. A way to trigger it, through means of a serum of sorts, perhapsss."
"Is that possible?" Kabuto asked, adjusting his glasses on the bridge of his nose as he set to work.
"Anything is possible with the correct means, Kabuto." Orochimaru hissed. "I will find a way to out-smart Sasuke-kun…"
~x~
"What're you reading, bookworm?"
Sakura glanced up as Ino joined her in the library. Taking a seat opposite her best friend on the other side of the polished-oak desk, Ino rested her chin in one palm, peering curiously at the book Sakura had been studying.
"I'm trying to find if there's a way to remove the Curse Seal, some loophole that we maybe don't know about," Sakura replied.
Ino sighed. "Doubt you'll find anything. If there was another way, the High Councillors would've known about it."
"It's so frustrating." Sakura folded her arms unhappily.
"You're really worried about him, huh?" Ino observed.
"I don't want the enemy to control him." Sakura closed the book, giving up. She hadn't found anything that she didn't already know.
"You mean, you don't dig the snakes?" Ino grimaced, pulling a face.
"Don't be gross," Sakura groaned. Then she piped up, "Where's Hinata?"
"I think she's with Kurenai. Or Naruto. Maybe both," Ino shrugged.
"Is he going to make a move, now?" Sakura wondered.
"Maybe she'll shock us all, and do it herself," Ino snickered.
Sakura grinned. It soon waned, however, when Ino informed her, "Your mother's noticed the way you look at him, you know."
Sakura's cypress eyes widened. "She… she has?" she balked.
"You're not even trying to hide it anymore," Ino's cheeks dimpled as she smiled wryly at her.
Sakura felt her face warm. "What did she say?"
"She asked me what your feelings are."
Sakura covered her face with her hands in dread. Great. Her mother was on her case about Sasuke. Why couldn't she just leave things be? She knew Tsunade meant well. That she was just trying to protect her, as she always had. But Sakura was old enough to make her own decisions.
"You can't blame her. This isn't exactly an easy pill to swallow from her point of view. You potentially crushing on your kidnapper? Even when we find out he isn't on Cronus's side, and is actually on ours, doesn't change the fact he took you and did every messed up thing he did."
"I know that," Sakura sighed deeply. "I just wish she'd trust me when it comes to him, the way she's trusted me with everything else."
"Well, Sasuke's a sensitive topic. She can't see past the pain he caused you, and thinks he's stolen your surface life."
"She'll never understand." Peeking through her fingers, Sakura added defensively, "And I'm not crushing on him, Pig."
"Mhmm," Ino hummed, unconvinced. "Of course not."
"It's not a crush."
"You're right, Forehead. Silly me. Of course it isn't. Not with your history, calling it a crush is belittling. You've just gone and hopelessly fallen for him all over again. Granted, neither of you remembers," Ino huffed. "But anyway, your mother doesn't know what we do, and so she's confused and angry. She's worried about what's going to happen when you two are all alone down there. That you'll come back to her, completely different and changed."
"What did you tell her?"
"That she needs to talk to you about it," Ino answered simply. "But that you care about him." Regarding Sakura seriously, she added, "My advice, Forehead? The more you evade this topic with her, the worse this is going to get. She's going to talk to you about it eventually, before you go. She'll probably be entertaining some pretty wild thoughts, too. Maybe she thinks Sasuke will jump your bones the second you're both alone." She paused, before smirking, "That would be kind of hot."
"You're so embarrassing!" Sakura pushed the book across the table at her. Ino laughed and caught it. "He's not an animal!"
"Maybe he is." Ino waggled her eyebrows. "Every Uchiha I've ever laid eyes upon is a sexy beast. They can't be that hot for nothing."
"Stop it! Pig!" Sakura looked around anxiously, mortified by the innuendo.
"Alright, geez. You're so uptight and defensive over him. It'd be cute - if I liked him." She rolled her eyes.
Sakura shook her head, shifting restlessly in her seat. "She won't even give him a chance," she frowned. "She's so determined to hate him. I understand why she dislikes him, but he's trying so hard to make amends, Ino."
"She'll probably never approve of anyone. I mean, removing the fact he kidnapped you and screwed you over with those seeds - he is royalty, with his own Kingdom. If she can't approve of that, she won't approve of anyone."
"She liked Kenji," Sakura said quietly, feeling a violent twist of guilt as she recalled the violent end her late friend had met. If she hadn't gotten to know him, would he have still been alive? Most likely.
She had to get a message to his grandmother, somehow. It was the least she could do, without formally turning up to apologise, which would certainly lead to endless questioning by local officials. Sakura knew she didn't have that option. And yet there was no doubt that the old lady had to be worrying herself sick, and she deserved closure. All of Kenji's family did. She stored the thought in her mind for later. Perhaps she could ask Kakashi for help in delivering an anonymous letter to the village they'd visited.
"That's probably because she knew nothing serious could come from it," Ino remarked. "But Sasuke? Handsome, noble-born, powerful, a wealthy King with his own Kingdom? Someone who ticks all the boxes? That freaks her out." The blonde snorted to herself. "Well, almost all boxes. His social skills and manners need some work."
Sakura was silent for a long moment. Ino was right. The more she avoided the subject, the worse it boded for her. Eventually, her mother had to know her true stance on Sasuke. Would it make it easier, if she told her of their shared past? Or would that make Tsunade even more upset and outraged?
Sakura's heart skipped a beat, as realisation washed over her, causing anxiety to crawl beneath her skin. Either way, she knew her mother would never approve. Either way, she would be furious. It made no difference what Sakura said. It would take Tsunade a long time - if ever - to warm up to Sasuke Uchiha.
This was her final life. If she didn't bolster her courage and tell her mother the truth now - a truth she deserved to know, no matter how terrifying the notion of owning up to her was - then when would she?
She turned her head and met Ino's powder-blue eyes. Heart pounding, she made up her mind, taking a deep breath to anchor her resolve.
"I'm going to tell her, Ino."
Ino blinked in surprise. "Forehead…?" she began, a trace of alarm in her voice.
"The truth," Sakura said firmly, although simply speaking the words aloud caused a senseless panic to seize her. She gulped, doing her best to ignore the unsettling assault of nerves, knowing in her heart that her decision was the right one. She couldn't keep pretending. She was so tired of it.
"I'm going to tell her the truth about my past with Sasuke."
~x~
Author note
Please note that chapters going forward will now be shorter and broken into more manageable chunks for me to make things easier to proof-read. The majority of past plot has been covered and everything was compressed so that the Team 7 arc could intentionally take place over the seventies' chapters. This is the only reason we've had very long chapters recently as I was under constraints to fit everything in the right place.
Now that this arc is coming to an end though, I can revert to the more average chapter length found earlier in the story. They feel short if you compare them to the longest content I've put out, but compared to most other stories, they're a standard, decent length.
The Underworld arc starts very soon. Thanks, see you next update.