Thank you to everyone who kindly took the time and effort to leave a comment for the last chapter.
Chapter LXXXIX
Love is cruelty, love is pain,
It singes then salves like soothing rain,
One cannot choose to set apart,
Whom will claim and own their heart,
Beyond control, it soars on wings,
A cruel and damned and broken thing.
~x~
"I'm leaving."
The words fell from her lips, cementing her decision in stone. Apprehension coursed through Karin's veins as the true reality of her situation slammed into her, sweeping through her like a blustering tempest. But in her heart, she knew there was no other alternative. Her brief, final encounter with Sasuke, in which he had not even afforded her the respect of listening or allowing her to convey her emotions, had made plain to the nymph that she held absolutely no standing or consequence within his kingdom.
She was merely a servant. Nothing more. She never had been.
It had been crushing. Humiliating. A ruthless, callous rude awakening that had shaken away the last remnants of misguided hope onto which she'd so desperately clung, that perhaps she had meant something more.
Instead, he had dismissed her. Granted her verbal permission to exit his realm. And Karin preferred to do so, before she had the misfortune of seeing him again. It would pain her, but it was for the best, she told herself, that she never laid eyes on King Sasuke of the Uchiha ever again.
Jugo peered down at her, his expression solemn. He did not appear surprised by the news. Rather, the calmness of his demeanour appeared to suggest that perhaps he had been expecting it. Karin had considered simply departing without a word, but he had been her companion in duty for a very long time. They'd served together. It didn't feel right to her, to abandon him so selfishly. Jugo was not one to talk much, but nevertheless he had always been nothing but kind to her.
"Where will you go?" he asked quietly. There was no judgement in his eyes, and he did not ask her why she was departing. For that, Karin was grateful. Perhaps, she thought to herself, he already understood. Perhaps he was a lot more perceptive than he let on.
She gave him a small, rueful smile. Where was she heading? She hadn't really given it much thought. She knew only that her destination was the surface. For the first time in centuries, she would set foot upon it and try to forge a place for herself there. A part of her was terrified of the unknown. Terrified to leave behind everything that was familiar and comfortable. She didn't know what to expect, or what she would discover in a world that would surely be so changed from the one she had known before she'd departed it. But anywhere was preferable to being unvalued and invisible. She couldn't waste away her existence any further, without purpose or reason. Without finding out what it was that brought her happiness.
"I'll find a place where I belong," she answered. "I know it isn't here, now." Shifting awkwardly on her feet, she added, "Will you be alright on your own?"
Jugo blinked at her. "I am not alone," he answered. "Lord Sasuke watches over me."
Karin bit her tongue, swallowing down the bitter words that leapt to its tip. She didn't tell Jugo that Sasuke saw them as little more than cogs in the machine that kept the Underworld revolving. If this was a place where Jugo felt safe, provided for and content, then who was she to tell him otherwise? In many ways, she envied him. He was smarter than she was. He hadn't allowed his head to be filled with any misplaced notions of importance. He had understood that his role was simply that - a role without emotions or expectations, other than to serve.
If only she had done the same. If only she hadn't been so entranced by Sasuke's dark eyes, the moment she had first looked into them.
"Right," she adjusted her spectacles and the strap of the small bag of possessions she carried. Basic supplies of food, water, and her personal belongings. A small, pitiful few items that cast into harsh relief just how much of a life she had not had. "Well. I guess this is goodbye. Don't do anything stupid."
With a grim nod, she lifted the hood of her black cloak, throwing it over her scarlet hair, and turned away from him. She had only taken several steps when Jugo's voice called out after her.
"Karin."
She paused, casting a glance back at the taller man. He approached her, and held out a small pouch. As Karin accepted it, she was astonished to realise that he was giving her his provision of gold coins.
"This is...?" she glanced questioningly up at him. "But Jugo-"
"I have no need of them," Jugo smiled kindly. "Perhaps they will serve you better in your new venture on the surface."
"Thanks." Karin felt her eyes sting unexpectedly. She swallowed down the sudden lump in her throat, telling herself it was pointless to feel emotional. She had to harden her heart to the world. She had to start putting herself first.
"I wish you well," he said.
"You too." Karin gave him another nod, cast one final glance around at the island that had been her station for so many centuries, and then turned away to begin her journey toward freedom.
~x~
Sakura smoothed flyaway strands of hair away from her face as the monsters that had materialised in the training arena disappeared in plumes of smoke, defeated. A cluster of six centaurs that she had been able to dispose of with ease alone, thanks to the use of her chakra crystals. It was the third round of creatures she had fought solo, and she decided to take a short breather before pulling the lever to activate the next level.
She thrived on the adrenaline of battle. The way it focused her mind and heightened her senses, the way her body acted on instinct. The welcome release of tension and stress and the distraction from her thoughts it provided. She'd come a long way from the clueless, inept girl who couldn't even so much as hold a sword correctly in the past. Knowing that she had worked hard to grow stronger filled her with a satisfying sense of pride.
"Hn. Not bad, Sakura."
Her body immediately tensed as the voice settled around her, like sensual, black silk. She could feel the weight of his intense gaze fixed onto her back. How long had he been standing there, watching her?
Self-consciously, she glanced down at her outfit, reaching to adjust the belt of her black, pleated leather skirt, ensuring that it sat just right about her hips. She'd paired it with a crimson, short tulip-sleeved top, the mid-section of which was secured by a black, laced corset-belt. Knee-length, onyx gladiator sandals were strapped to her legs and her long hair was secured back in a simple ponytail.
She picked up her sword, her nerves immediately jangling with anticipation. Following the heated kiss they had shared in The Grove, Sasuke had finally joined her in the training arena. Slotting speed and strength enhancing chakra crystals into the slots in her arm-brace, she took a deep breath and finally turned around to face him.
He stepped off the platform and walked unhurriedly through the stone pillars toward her, his movements as graceful as a black panther. He was dressed in a sleeveless dark tunic, decorated with delicate gold embroidery along its hems, that enhanced his broad shoulders and showed off his lean, smoothly muscled arms. Black bandages were wrapped around his hands and forearms and he wore loose black pants that were bunched at the knees and secured at the calves by strapped leather sandals. A diamond-cut onyx earring, set in a bed of gold, dangled in his left ear-lobe.
He was every inch darkness and shadows incarnate. The same darkness and shadows that Sakura had willingly accepted in the secluded garden. They had seen each other a few times following that occasion; once when they had shared another meal together and twice when he had joined her while she was exploring different sections of the palace with Ume and Chizu, who had respectfully fallen behind to allow them to walk ahead alone.
Each time, Sakura felt the blistering intensity of his gaze, felt her heart fluttering in wild agitation whenever their eyes locked, or he brushed past her. But he had made no move to kiss her again. Neither had he stopped by her room to call upon her in person.
Sakura wanted him to. Every moment she spent in his presence, she found herself yearning for him to invade her space once more. She longed for the feel of his steely arms wrapping around her and holding her close against him again. Craved the searing passion of his electrifying, head-spinning kisses. And yet, to her frustration, they had not been alone on any of the occasions. Each time, servants had been around them. And as she had suspected, Sasuke kept his personal affairs private from his serving household's eyes.
Sakura kicked herself for feeling so flustered, for the heat that assaulted her cheeks every time he looked at her. For still lacking the courage to seek him out on her own, to follow him whenever he excused himself to see to his duties. She wanted to go with him whenever he toured his Kingdom. She wanted to see what he saw, to understand what the full extent of his responsibilites as ruler were.
Where had her boldness gone? She had all but confessed to him, in The Grove, that she chose and wanted him. But she didn't want him to think her clingy, or over-eager. Not until they normalised their tentative, budding relationship.
She had believed that the tension had melted away between them, but realised how foolishly mistaken she had been. It had only evolved to give way to something else even more devastating, the crackling sparks between them intensified. Each time that charcoal gaze snagged hers, she still felt a wave of nerves sweep over her. His eyes did such terrible things to her thoughts and senses. They were eyes that devoured her in a way that set her pulse racing. Sakura wondered if he knew that. Sometimes she wondered if he had any idea just how wickedly seductive he was. If he did, then she had never met anyone so nonchalant about it.
Her stomach fluttered as she watched him unsheathe Kusanagi, and he descended the steps surrounding the vast arena floor to join her. They were alone now. There were no servants to be found. He yanked on the lever, causing the platform to rise back up to its first level.
Then, twirling his sword elegantly in his left hand, he nodded at her, indicating that she prepared herself and adopted the ready position.
"You never spar fair. " She lifted her sword, not taking her eyes off him for even a moment.
He blinked, the faintest of smug smirks playing on his lips.
"Afraid you'll lose again, Sakura?" he taunted, circling her like a prowling lion eyeing a particularly delectable treat.
"Make it fair, Sasuke," she said. "No Sharingan or elemental attacks. Don't warp. Or use your- shadows." She gestured at him, indicating the tendrils he had wound around her in the past. The mere thought of the inky ripples caressing and licking sensually along her skin set her pulse quickening.
Sasuke continued to circle her with slow deliberation, before angling his head in a slight nod, wordlessly acquiescing to her request.
She gave him a determined nod. "I'm ready."
He stepped toward her and immediately, her body launched into auto-pilot, exchanging sword strikes with him. She couldn't allow herself to be distracted for even a second, she knew. Even without warping, or the use of his many other gifts, Sasuke was faster, stronger and possessed more stamina, was much more agile and experienced in battle than she was. He had been her first teacher. She couldn't afford to make a single mistake - or he would be sure to make her pay for it.
She knew from experience that he was ruthless in battle, unforgiving. He had never taken it easy on her just because she was mortal.
He aimed a slice at her legs and she hopped nimbly back, parrying with a jab to his left side. He spun to avoid it, and caught her follow-up swipe, locking blades with her. Their eyes met briefly, before Sakura broke out of it and stabbed toward his midsection. Sasuke was swift to deflect, knocking her sword back. She bit her tongue as the impact of the blow rattled along her arm. Even when holding back on full power, the strength of his attacks strained her muscles.
Subtly, Sakura harnessed chakra from the strength orb, reasoning that it wasn't technically cheating. She was simply levelling the playing field. Immediately she felt the difference. The chakra wrapped around her muscles like a cushioning barrier and his attacks didn't feel so shattering, allowing her to parry much more comfortably. She slashed outward toward his neck, and he fluidly dropped low, aiming Kusanagi's tip at her gut. Sakura threw herself to the side to avoid it, rolling onto the sandy ground.
Sasuke was onto her in a heart-beat. He leapt forward, stabbing his blade at her lower calves. Sakura twisted to avoid it before pushing herself back up onto her feet, jabbing at his left shoulder. He side-stepped to avoid the strike and retaliated with a flurry of his own. Sakura's eyes darted rapidly left and right, up and down, trying to keep frantic track of the blindingly fast, precise series of blows. Kakashi had shown her how to respond to all manner of sword-strikes. All she needed to do was concentrate and remain level-headed.
Sasuke's weapon hit hers with a loud, metallic clang, and they locked blades once more. Sakura steeled herself, breathing heavily with effort and exertion. Ebony eyes met hers, as he applied more force, pushed down against her sword. She clenched her teeth, her arm quivering, and channelled more chakra from the strength sphere.
Sasuke raised a dark eyebrow, noting that she was not buckling under the strain.
"Borrowing chakra, Sakura?" he intoned. "You asked me to play fair."
"It is fair this way," she panted, pushing her blade against his with as much power as she could muster. "I'm just... using the strength orb-" she gulped. "So it's more even-"
He blinked and abruptly unlocked their swords, aiming a series of quick blows in succession that left her mind reeling. Dragging chakra from the speed crystal, she managed to keep up and deflect the strikes, dodging and ducking and leaping aside as they danced around one another, exchanging a long sequence of hits. No matter what she tried, he was able to read her, his eyes watching her feet intently. She felt her frustrations mounting. She wasn't deluded enough to believe she had any chance of beating him when it came to sheer strength and speed, but surely there was a way to outsmart or trick him? To turn his weaknesses against him, or to take advantage of her surroundings?
Her gaze dropped to his feet, lingering for a fraction of a second on the sandy particles covering the floor of the arena, as an idea began to slowly take shape in her mind.
She spun to avoid another swipe aimed right at her head, and countered with a forceful lunge, ramming her sword straight toward his chest. Sasuke launched himself gracefully up into the air, somersaulting straight over her head before landing behind her. Sakura pivoted, slashing out at him with her sword, but he evaded, his right hand clamping around her right wrist, and before she could think of an appropriate escape, he'd yanked her close, spun her roughly around and locked her arm across her midsection, effectively holding her prisoner in his hold.
Her heart raced rampantly at the feel of his chest pressed against her back, and the kiss of a steel blade resting against her neck. She could barely suppress the shudder that threatened to bolt down her spine when she felt a warm breath exhale against her right ear.
"Yield," he said, the rumble of his voice vibrating against her back.
Sakura swallowed, willing herself to remain calm. She hadn't lost yet. Kakashi and Naruto had showed her how to escape from similar holds. Her arms were incapacitated. That meant she simply needed to put her feet to work.
Lifting her right foot, she charged chakra into her heel and slammed it straight back against his right shin. He released an almost inaudible hiss, his grip on her loosening fractionally as he sought to avoid the devastating kick. A fraction was all Sakura needed to concentrate the strength-boosting chakra into her right arm and wrench herself loose. She immediately dropped low, aiming a sweeping kick with her right leg at his ankles which he jumped back to avoid. Just as she planned. As Sakura rose, she simultaneously grabbed a generous handful of sand behind her back, and as he lifted his arm to ready his next attack, she whipped her left hand out in front of her and blew the grains right into his face.
He blinked and instantly averted his gaze on reflex to shield his eyes from the fine particles - and Sakura used the split-second that she had managed to catch him off guard to set her plan into motion. Harnessing a speed boost, she released a determined yell and threw herself forward, tackling him bodily to the ground. She heard his sharp, astonished intake of breath as he landed roughly on his back, and Sakura wasted no time in clambering over him, straddling his midsection.
He froze, caught off-guard by her sudden proximity. Holding her sword steadily beneath his chiselled jaw, Sakura pushed its tip upwards under his chin, forcing his head back slightly, and grinned, her eyes glittering with triumph.
"Yield," she said.
She had the distinct satisfaction of seeing the brief, incredulous look that passed across his handsome features - as if he couldn't quite believe that she had managed to get the better of him by resorting to such underhanded, dishonourable tactics - before Sasuke glowered up at her.
"You cheated."
Sakura laughed, a pleasant, sweet sound. "It isn't cheating if I use the environment to my advantage," she answered, highly amused at his evident discomfort. "You were the one who taught me that." She pressed the blade more firmly against his chin. "Yield. I won, admit it."
His eyes narrowed. "You asked for an honourable fight."
"I didn't use that word," she pointed out.
He glared at her for another moment, and her fingers were suddenly overcome with the itching desire to brush aside the messy strands of raven hair that had fallen over his heavy-lashed eyes.
"Hn." His eyelids lowered briefly, the fingers still closed around Kusanagi's hilt tightening. Sakura felt liquid coolness gliding over her thighs and arms. She blinked, catching her breath, and glanced down in confusion to find that tendrils of shadow were rapidly coiling around her.
"Sasuke-!" she began to protest.
A second later she had been flipped over onto her back, and her sword had been torn out of her grasp. Before she could react, she was pinned in place by Sasuke, who had rolled fluidly over to straddle her in turn. One hand was pressed down against the sand beside her head, the other held Kusanagi firmly against her throat.
"That's not fair!" she spluttered indignantly, chest heaving as she fought to settle the rhythm of her breathing. "You cheated more!"
He smirked smugly down at her and Sakura felt her heart flutter at the deliciously sinister sight. For an awful split second, she couldn't look away from his lips.
"This world is forged of shadows," he said, implying that he had simply used the environment to his advantage, also - just as she had.
Sakura gritted her teeth, fuming up at him. The shadows were holding her down, locking all her limbs in place. Her hands, sprawled by her head, couldn't move, and no matter how hard she struggled, the tendrils of darkness would not relent. She gulped, pulse skipping when Sasuke lowered his face, and whispered tauntingly into her ear once again.
"Yield."
It was futile to resist. She had been disarmed, though she counted this as no fair victory on Sasuke's end, and there was no way she could disable or overcome his very element. He was the master of shadows, after all. Sakura relaxed, and released a heavy sigh.
"Fine," she relented. "But I still caught you off guard, even if you won't admit it."
He drew back slightly, meeting her gaze. "That trick won't work again."
"I'll think of another," she retorted defiantly, as the shadows around her dissolved and she felt her body return into her control.
He raised an eyebrow at her. She had grown smarter, he acknowledged to himself. Much more resourceful and cunning in her battle strategy. Another faint smirk ghosted across his lips, before it quickly faded away as their eyes locked. They stared at each other for a long moment in silence, in which Sakura felt her throat turn dry, and her heart hurtle frantically. An eternity seemed to pass, or perhaps it was only seconds, before Sasuke finally shifted, intending to move away and help her back onto her feet.
Sakura's heart lodged itself in her throat. She didn't want him to pull back, and her hand was immediately moving without conscious thought.
"Wait," she gripped onto his forearm before he could move. "Stay."
He paused, eyes returning to her to trail unhurriedly over her features. Several torturous heartbeats passed, in which he seemed to consider her words. Then, slowly, he lowered his face again, until it was inches away from her own.
"Is that what you want," he questioned. "Sakura...?"
"Yes." The word escaped from her lips in a breathless whisper. Unthinkingly, she added, "You don't have to ask."
Sasuke blinked, something indecipherable flickering transiently across his fathomless, anthracite irises. He tilted his head, inching closer to her, until she could feel the warmth of his breath fanning over the sensitive flesh of her rosy, parted lips. Teasing. Enticing. Her entire body seemed to thrum with anticipation.
Resting his forehead against hers, he murmured, "Don't I."
His gaze bore into hers and Sakura's pulse hammered at the base of her throat. It wasn't a question. There was no element of uncertainty in his words, nothing but clear intent written in those midnight pools of darkness. They pulled her under, submerging her beneath their bottomless depths. She couldn't draw a breath. She couldn't look away. They gazed at one another, entranced, transfixed; powerless to resist the magnetic pull between them that compelled Sasuke to flow toward her like a river tumbling into the sea, closing the remaining gap between them.
His warm mouth hovered above hers, brushing lightly over her own. Sakura's lashes fluttered and she closed her eyes, succumbing to pure sensation as his lips slanted over hers.
It was nothing like the scorching kiss they had shared in The Grove. It was slow. Sensual. Pleasurable. Tantalising. It was absolute torture. Sasuke's lips moved against hers with lazy, unhurried deliberation, as if he wished to commit the feel of her to his memory. The slow-burn it kindled to life within Sakura's blood was somehow even more excruciating and set her heart pounding in a wild, frenzied rhythm against her ribcage. Warmth flooded through her body, intensifying when he deepened the kiss, burning into a consuming heat that caused all coherent thoughts to flee from her mind as unchartered, carnal instincts stirred awake within her. Instincts that urged her to reach out to him. Pleaded with her to touch him.
With trembling hands, she grazed her fingertips lightly - hesitantly - over the biceps of his upper arms. The firm muscles tensed in response to her touch, rippling beneath his flesh like sinewy steel. He caught her palms in his, pinning them above her head, and Sakura was barely conscious of the needy gasp that escaped her parted lips when she allowed him entry, his tongue probing hers, swirling around her own slowly as if he sought to savour her taste.
It was the sweetest intoxication, drinking him in, allowing him to consume her in turn. Sakura's lungs heaved for oxygen, but she didn't want to break the kiss. She was spiralling, losing herself to his touch. Just like every other time his lips had met hers, she was left breathless, buzzing and disorientated. It seemed that Sasuke was as proficient with his mouth in kissing as he was with his hands, feet and eyes in battle.
Then, all too soon, he broke the kiss and pulled back, shifting away from her. Sakura remained in place, cheeks ablaze, heart racing, stomach fluttering. Slowly she sat up, dazed, legs folded beneath her, and sunk her teeth into her bottom lip, staring at his broad back as he sat with his elbows resting on his knee-caps beside her. She could tell from the rise and fall of his shoulders that he was fighting to compose himself and regulate his breathing, too.
Smoothing her hair back, and dusting the sand off her clothing, she blurted out without thought, "Can we go another round? Without cheating this time."
Sasuke blinked. Slowly, his head turned, to angle a glance back at her over his shoulder. He raised a dark eyebrow at her. She was flushed a charming shade of pink, and looked prettier than anything he had ever seen. He observed, with keen interest, how the blaze in her cheeks deepened, the longer he stared at her.
Another round? He wondered whether she was being sincere - or whether she was simply looking for another excuse to get physical. Two, he decided, could play at that game.
"Hn," he scoffed, before extending his hand to pull a grinning Sakura back to her feet.
~x~
The Yamanaka residence, with its polished, stylish, spacious interior, felt hauntingly empty without Inoichi.
Ino sat alone in the living room, on the large bay-window's ledge, gazing out into the night. The room was dimly illuminated by the spotlights that had been left on in the entrance hallway. It was comforting, somehow, to be left to the quiet of her own thoughts - and yet the roaring silence was equally deafening.
The remaining seraph posing as her mother and legal guardian had left the residence for her safety, at Ino's instruction. Following their emotional reunion, Hana Yamanaka had already known of her husband's demise. She had told Ino that she had felt the moment he had died. She had done her best to put on a brave face, yet Ino saw right through her facade. She was broken from the loss of her life partner. Her heart had been crushed. Grief was etched on her features, no matter how valiantly she tried to hide it from her charge's knowing eyes. It was a grief that mirrored Ino's own, though she knew Hana felt it much more acutely given the nature of her bond with Inoichi.
She had faithfully renewed her vow to protect Ino as best she could, but Hana hadn't been involved in things to the extent her companion had. Her responsibilities throughout the ages geared more toward the legal side, maintaining an income and ensuring all paperwork was in order to avoid raising suspicions about their true nature. That front was no longer required now that the seals had been broken on the Olympians.
For her own protection, Ino had ordered her to leave town. She'd spent an hour explaining things to her seraph, updating her about their situation and recent developments - and then she had instructed Hana to relocate elsewhere. Her seraph had defiantly refused, reminding Ino that it was her honour and duty to watch over her. But Ino had told her that their enemy was beyond her powers to fight and that she wasn't prepared to watch her only remaining guardian suffer or die, the way Inoichi had. The residence wasn't safe so long as the enemy could piece together where their dwelling places were on the surface.
An unhappy, troubled Hana had finally relented and agreed to leave the property in Ino's care, insisting that she be called and updated daily so that she knew Ino was safe. After sharing a tearful hug, her seraph had taken the car and disappeared into the night.
Ino swallowed, looking down at the house keys she clutched in her right hand. She knew she wasn't supposed to stay away from the High Council quarters for long, and yet she'd needed to check on her guardian's well-being. Since Hana had departed, she'd found herself reluctant to leave the house. It held so many fond memories, being the place they'd all lived in together for more decades than she cared to count. She looked around at the high ceilings, the white marble floors, the chic furniture her mother had ordered as imports from neighbouring countries famous for the quality of their craft. At the beautiful flower bouquets Hana loved to create, in their glossy vases. It was a fancier residence than most standard mortal houses, and yet it was nothing in comparison to Ino's true home. The palace of Olympus, that had been open to all Olympians, magnificent in its endless, pristine marble halls and towering archways. A paradise in the clouds, now rendered an unsightly ruin at the hands of the monster trapped upon the mountain's summit.
A sudden knock on the window startled her, causing her head to whip back toward the glass. Her eyes widened. A familiar face stared back at her from the other side, one eyebrow raised questioningly at her. She took a deep breath and unlatched the window, pushing it up. It was large enough to allow the individual who'd noted her absence to slip inside the room.
"You're out late," Shikamaru said, joining her on the window ledge.
Ino gave him a wry smile. "I was hoping nobody would notice I was gone."
"Tch," he shook his head, lighting a cigarette. It was a bad habit Ino wasn't too fond of, but not because of its harmful effects. That was only relevant to humans. "Might've worked, if I didn't know about your troublesome habit of sneaking off and getting up to no good for the past couple millennia."
She chuckled. "I've gotten much better," she defended.
"Only because your powers are bust," he angled a look at her askance, coolly exhaling smoke.
"Hey," she protested, sticking out a playful tongue at him. "You mean I grew up and got a lot more mature and responsible!"
"Right." He rolled his eyes and sighed. Internally he agreed. She had indeed matured. She'd hardly frowned back when they'd first met - when all he had heard about her was that she was an exceptionally beautiful but vain, spoiled, shallow and often cruel matchmaker. But the moment he had first encountered her, he had determined that there had to be more to the superficial facade she adopted before the world.
He had been right. Ino was spirited, sensitive, clever, kind-hearted and fiercely loyal to those she loved. They were some of the many fine qualities he admired about her. He hadn't ever expected to grow to care for her as deeply as he had come to throughout the ages. They had become unlikely friends, and now he considered her akin to his own family. One of his closest, most trusted confidantes. There was nothing he wouldn't do for her, no threat he wouldn't take out, to keep her safe.
He wished she would smile more, the way she always had when they'd first crossed paths. That her carefree days would return. Someday, he vowed, he'd help that happen.
"You knew where to find me, huh?"
He shrugged. It wasn't difficult, given how well he knew her, to guess where she had chosen to head out. "Is Hana gone?"
"Yeah. I sent her away. I don't want her to be here if that snake freak decides to hunt down any loose ends. I don't want her to be a part of this."
"Good call," Shikamaru agreed. "Why're you still out here? You shouldn't be alone."
Ino shrugged. "I needed some space to think some things over. And I guess... being here reminds me of when things were normal. I miss those days when all we had to do was pretend we were regular college students, just living everyday life to protect Sakura. I miss Tenten and Neji. I miss my dad. I miss Shizune and Asuma and everyone else we've lost."
He nodded in silent understanding. "Things have just gone from shitty to shittier since Sakura was first taken."
"You know, that's funny," Ino remarked thoughtfully. "Everything began to happen around that time, didn't it? I think maybe her kidnapping woke us up to what the enemy was doing."
"That's a fair point," Shikamaru agreed. "Up until then, we assumed he was just playing by the rules."
"Joke's on us, huh?" Ino ran her fingers through the ends of her golden ponytail.
"Yeah. That bastard makes his own rules."
A comfortable silence settled between them. "Do you think Sakura is okay?" Ino worried at length. "I know it's only been three weeks, but I miss her so much already."
"She's safer down there than she is up here," Shikamaru answered. "Sasuke has absolute control of the Underworld, and who enters and leaves it. At least for the next five months, we won't need to worry about anything trying to harm her there."
"I guess," Ino turned her eyes up to the cloudy night sky. "She might still have an attack, though."
"Let's hope that doesn't happen, and if it does, Sasuke will handle it. Chiyo's down there with them, too. Sakura will be alright."
"Right. You're right." Ino nodded. He always knew precisely the correct words to pick to help her feel more at ease, and she was suddenly grateful for his wise, level-headed company beside her. She could always rely on Shikamaru to put things into sensible, realistic perspective. He didn't lie or attempt to make things sound better than they were. His advice was honest and grounded. She needed that in times of uncertainty.
Rubbing at her arms, Ino gazed pensively out at the trees that lined the Yamanaka resident's sprawling front yard.
"Do you really think we can stop him?"
Shikamaru was silent for a long moment. Then he said, "Cronus? Hard to say. If he gets hold of the Rinnegan and ever finds a way to free those Titans... then we'll have a hell of a fight on our hands all over again. There'll be more of them than there'll be of us."
"But if Sasuke gets the Rinnegan?" Ino cast him an uncertain look. Sakura had told her all about the trade the Underworld's king had made. It confirmed the fact in Ino's mind that Sasuke was serious about her best friend, committed to finding a way to break the seals on Sakura and free her from her torturous cycle of rebirth once and for all. That was something that Ino found greatly comforting.
"He'd make a powerful ally, to be sure," Shikamaru answered. "We need all the help we can get, and the Rinnegan is the strongest eye there is."
"Yeah." Ino looked down and fidgeted with the keys in her hands. "It's a good thing we have the Guardians and other tailed-beast hosts on board too, huh? Kind of levels things up a bit more."
Shikamaru exhaled the last puff from his cigarette, before putting it out and setting it on the ledge beside him. Ino peeked surreptitiously up at him, not missing the faint smile that graced his lips at their mention.
"Yeah," he said, stuffing his hands into his pockets. "They've livened things up. Especially B."
Ino's throat constricted. Her heart skipped a beat. He was sparing her feelings, she was certain. Killer B was definitely not the guardian who had caught his attention the most.
She recalled the familiar, comfortable interactions she'd glimpsed between Shikamaru and Temari. She already knew there was something blooming there. There was no need to make Shikamaru feel uncomfortable, or degrade herself, by questioning it. There was no need to make things awkward between them. And yet, for her own peace of mind, for her own sanity, she needed to set things straight once and for all between them. She needed Shikamaru to understand her feelings - even though the thought of breaching the subject out loud terrified her.
The irony of that fact did not escape her. Here she was, the expert on all things relating to love and matters of the heart - too afraid to face her own. Ino knew she was nothing but a walking, talking hypocrite. She told others to accept their emotions. And yet, when it came to her own, she did nothing but flee.
She drew in a deep, steadying breath, willing her pulse to settle. She couldn't keep running. She'd put off talking about the nature of their bond for centuries enough, and now they were alone. For the first time in a long time. He had come looking for her, after noticing her absence, to check on her well-being. Because he cared for her. Ino didn't doubt that, not for a moment.
If she didn't speak up then, then she knew that it was likely she never would. The words Sakura had spoken to her before she'd departed the surface with Sasuke drifted through Ino's thoughts. Words that had encouraged her to open up to the long-time, dearly loved friend who sat languidly beside her. Overcome with nervousness, she hesitated, almost losing her resolve. But she gulped back her misgivings, knowing that the window of opportunity might never present itself again. She had to be brave. She had to set the record straight, once and for all - and then she had to move on. She couldn't be at peace unless she was sure they fully understood each other. She didn't want Shikamaru to cast uncomfortable looks her way whenever Temari teased him. That wasn't fair for him.
Carefully, she began, easing her way into the subject, "It's funny how we never really spoke to them before, don't you think?"
"Never had much reason to," Shikamaru leaned his head back against the window, turning his eyes to the ceiling. "Not like we ever climbed up those stairs."
"Right," Ino cleared her throat. "But they're nice. You seem to have hit it off with them."
Shikamaru shrugged. "They're alright."
Ino tugged at the keys in her hands as a brief pause ensued. The next words almost didn't want to leave her lips. Keeping her tone light and casual, despite the chaos running rampant within her, she added, "You know, Temari sure looks at you a lot."
He blinked, and turned his face toward her, a sliver of something flickering across his handsome features. A form of hesitance that Ino's experienced eyes immediately recognised as verging on guilt and for the first time in the history of their acquaintance, a heavy awkwardness settled between them. It was stifling. Instantaneous. Ino immediately hated it.
"Ino..." he started slowly.
"It's alright," she blurted quickly, holding a hand up to him, desperate to dispel the discomfort in the air as swiftly as possible. "Really, Shikamaru. I've been doing a lot of thinking lately, and-"
"We're friends," he interrupted. It was the truth. He simply had been pleasantly surprised to find that Temari was easier to talk to than almost every other female he had ever met - with the exception of the long-time friend that sat beside him. He knew she was interested in him, too. And although he found her personality and looks attractive, he was wary about initiating any kind of relationship with anyone at such an uncertain time, when they had much larger problems to deal with and focus on.
Ino gave him a wistful smile. "You know who you're talking to, right? I can read the signs a mile off."
"Ino-" he shifted uncomfortably in place.
"I know when there're sparks, and with you two...?" She left the remainder of the sentence suspended in the air, unspoken. She didn't need to complete it.
Shikamaru looked away from her, as if he were unable to meet her gaze. Frowning, he opened his mouth to speak again, but Ino jumped in first.
"I've spent centuries hanging off your arm, teasing you and flirting," she blushed, embarrassed to admit it out loud. "And you've allowed it and teased me right back. I used to think it was because maybe you were interested - before I realised that's never what it really was."
"Look, I-"
"Shh. Don't talk! Just let me finish. I really need to get this off my chest, before it drives me crazy." She turned baby blue eyes back to the window, gulping, horrified to feel that her hands were shaking. She clasped them together tightly, trying to hide their treacherous trembles.
"You were the first guy who ever tried to get to know me for me. I've never had anyone do that before you. Every other swaggering peacock who came along only judged me on my appearance or my function, or they wanted to use me to make some poor girl fall for them. They didn't ever bother getting to know who I was. But you? You did. That was a big deal. It kind of blew me away. I felt like- like a god had seen me - the real me - for the first time. And I think... maybe along the way somewhere, I got carried away by all these fanciful notions of what I believe romance looks like for other people in my mind.
"And that's the craziest thing; I do know what it looks like for others. I can recognise it when it's there for everyone else. Like Naruto and Hinata? Sasuke and Sakura? But for me?" She shook her head, a bitter smile gracing her plump lips. "I have no idea what it's meant to look like. How it should be. I stuck so close to you, because I think I was scared of losing you. Like you'd wake up one morning and decide I wasn't worth knowing, after all."
She snuck a nervous glance at him, to find him listening intently, his gaze fixed on the lounge's marble-tiled floor panels.
"So I think I-" Ino swallowed thickly. "I maybe mistook my feelings of admiration and respect for you, to be something more than what they were - and that's not your fault, Shikamaru. That was my mistake."
"No," he sighed. "I'm to blame in this. I thought if I drew a clear enough line way back, you'd take off." He shrugged. "Guess I was selfish, too."
Ino's eyebrows shot up, and she gaped at him in shock. The possibility that he had been afraid of ruining their friendship by not appearing interested had never before crossed her mind.
"Wait. You really thought I'd just bail on you like that? Are you serious?"
"You had a reputation," Shikamaru reminded her. "Not that I ever cared about that. But at the start, it was the only way to get to know you."
Ino felt the heat in her cheeks intensify. "I'm not proud of who I was back then. I was immature and naive," she rued. "I thought love was just a game I could play for fun. I abused that power. Sometimes, I think it's karma that I lost my abilities."
"We all have faults," he answered steadily. "What counts is how we learn and grow from them."
"See?" Ino gestured. "How many other gods my age can give me wise advice like that?"
He rolled his eyes. "Plenty. You're just picky with who you listen to."
"You're not wrong," Ino smiled. Looking down at the keys in her hands, she continued, "But you... you're smart, and kind, and brave and loyal. You're reliable. You've always been there whenever I've needed you. Even if I've freaked out about the stupidest, tiniest thing, you've always made time for me." She shook her head, adding softly, "I don't blame Temari for being interested. And if you're interested in her, too... I want you to know, that's okay. I don't want you to feel like you have to hide it. You don't owe me a thing, and I want you to do what makes you happy."
Shikamaru rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably. "I gave you mixed signals. I should've said something ages ago."
"Oh, please. You'd think the Goddess of Love would be smart enough to figure out that a guy wasn't interested if he still hadn't asked her out on a real date several centuries later, right?" Ino pulled a face, cringing at her own stupidity. Deep down, she had known it. All the signs had been there. She had simply chosen not to acknowledge it.
"We're friends," he repeated. "That's all it is."
"For now. My point is, you don't have to be afraid about upsetting me if you do go for it, because I realise, now..." she reached out hesitantly for his left hand. "Real love exists in so many forms, and friendship is one of the strongest. I don't ever want anything to ruin the friendship we have." She took a deep breath, looking toward him. He turned his head, meeting her gaze.
"I care about you," Ino confessed sincerely. "Whatever makes you happy, I want that for you. And I just really wanted you to know, that whatever happens, I'll always be here for you. I never want to lose you or this amazing bond we have now and-" she broke off, her throat clogging with emotion. Gulping, she apologised sheepishly, "Sorry. I'm not very good at this. Isn't that ironic?"
Shikamaru's hand closed around hers, squeezing it gently. He understood. He wasn't angry at her. All the tension she'd kept bottled up inside seemed to evaporate.
"I'm not going anywhere. Nothing's gonna change," he reassured her firmly.
"You promise?" she asked anxiously.
"Deal. Don't be so dramatic. Besides, I lost a bet. I still owe you that one date."
A choked laugh escaped her, and overwhelmed with emotion, she felt her eyes water, blurring with tears.
"Tch. Women. So troublesome," Shikamaru muttered. Then he gestured with his head for her to scoot closer. Ino did, and he draped an arm around her, in an affectionate hug that wordlessly conveyed and confirmed that he cared about and respected her just as much.
She buried her face in his shoulder, and squeezed her eyes shut.
"Thank you, Shikamaru," she whispered tearfully.
"For what?" he drawled.
There was a pause, before she replied. "For seeing the good in me. For being such a good friend. For everything."
Another brief silence ensued, before Shikamaru finally stated, "We're not just friends, Ino."
She caught her breath, eyes flying open as she rested her tear-stained cheek against his shoulder.
"We're family," he finished quietly.
Family. Warmth flooded through Ino at the word and she found herself beaming. Family. She felt lighter than she could ever remember feeling in his presence and realised that perhaps this was what she had been needing from him all along. The acknowledgement that what they had was more than simple friendship. It was love. It was family. A bond not cast in blood, but of their own choosing, that would never falter.
~x~
Almost a month had passed, and already the surface felt her absence. The leaves were losing their hue, shed from the boughs of trees that seemed to mourn the departure of Spring and the summer that followed in her life-bestowing footsteps.
Tsunade sat in deep contemplation beneath a large oak tree, watching as it discarded its coat. What had been verdant and vibrant only a month prior, was now yellow, turning to orange, littering the park floor around her. The harvest had been secured for another year, and the autumn air was growing crisper, colder, as the seasons inched ever closer to winter.
Her daughter's absence was rooted deeply in her heart. It seemed to permeate through her very bones, weighing crushingly upon Tsunade's breast - the ache of the immeasurable distance between them and the fathomless shadows that kept Sakura hidden away beneath the surface. Chiyo had assured her that Sakura was well. That Sasuke was treating her with kindness. But although it comforted Tsunade to know that her precious, only child was well provided for, it did little to soothe the crippling loneliness that afflicted her.
She inhaled deeply, closing her eyes, trying her best to clear her mind, reminding herself that Sakura was a grown adult who had every right to live her own life independent of her mother or anyone else. This was the same park Sakura had left the surface in, and Tsunade found herself almost subconsciously walking through it, whenever the need to escape the stifling confines of the High Council quarters became a pressing urge that compelled her to leave its grounds.
"Sulking out here all alone, old girl?" A deep voice questioned. "You wound me. I feel left out!"
Tsunade exhaled, her honey-hued eyes flying open. She glanced over her shoulder to find Jiraiya leaning back against the tree trunk just behind the bench she was sitting on.
"It's cold and dark," he said, holding up a small cup as he took the liberty of taking a seat beside her. "So I brought something to keep us warm."
Tsunade wordlessly accepted it. She could do with something to take the edge off the fatalistic thoughts of losing her closest friend to the enemy and her daughter to a King of Shadows.
"A toast," Jiraiya exclaimed. "To the endless misery that is an immortal existence."
Tsunade clanked her cup against his, and downed the alcohol in one gulp.
He chuckled and poured her another glass.
"What're you doing here?" she muttered.
"Our abilities may be unsealed," he replied. "Still, it's not wise to wander out alone, Tsunade."
She snorted at that, tossing him a condescending look. "I'm a big girl. I can handle myself."
"You most certainly are a big-"
"Don't make me shove this cup down your throat," she threatened, shooting dagger glares at him.
He chuckled in amusement, delighting in the fact that she had taken the deliberate bait. "I'd rather you be angry at me than watch you mope around feeling sorry for yourself. That's not like you."
Tsunade was silent. Accepting another glass of alcohol he poured for her, she confessed, "I'm angry, Jiraiya."
He hummed his agreement, inviting her to continue speaking.
"I should've been strong enough to stop all of this from happening. To stop Sakura from being taken. To save Shizune." She swallowed, frustrated by the tears that prickled at her eyes at the mere thought of her dearest sister. Hadn't she spent them all yet?
He sighed, sipping on his drink. "You've always been your own harshest critic. There are many things we can control in our roles and in the world around us. But many things we cannot. Especially when it comes to the behaviour and intentions of other immortals. Why, if we follow your line of thinking, I should've also had the sense and foresight to realise what Minato's plan was. That was a sacrifice he never should have made. If I had known..." he paused, before supplying, "I would have traded places with him in an instant."
Tsunade's breath stilled. She blinked, unable to believe her ears. Was this the same carefree, selfish Jiraiya she had known since the days of her adolescence? Who had chased her for millennia, trying to woo her and win her favour, never giving up no matter how many times she spurned him? She turned her head, staring at him in wide-eyed, silent astonishment.
"You would've? Truly?"
He laughed, a deep, hearty sound. "Bahahahaha! Look at your face! Is it so surprising to you that I might be capable of caring for others more than I care for myself?"
"It's not true to the character I've known all these years," she mumbled, grabbing the bottle of sake from his hand and pouring herself another shot.
"Maybe it is," he grinned. "Maybe you just didn't want to look, or focused only on what you deem to be my more questionable qualities. It's a little known fact," he went on. "Because I don't like to talk about it. Pour me another."
Tsunade filled his glass, and they sat in silence for a few minutes.
Finally, Jiraiya broke it.
"I feel responsible for his death," he confessed quietly. "And responsible for the fact Naruto was orphaned. I was closer to his parents than anyone. I knew Minato's brilliance. And yet, he managed to fool even me. I had no idea he had hatched a plan of suicide with Kushina. I should have seen it. I have shouldered that regret with me, every single day since then.
"He was young and carried the burden of a crown that he endured with dignity and grace, but he was forced to make decisions and sacrifices he never ought to have made. I was older. I was once his teacher, in politics and combat and in the ways of navigating a royal court. I should have been the one to lay down my life for him and Kushina."
Tsunade was quiet.
"So you see, we both have our regrets," Jiraiya concluded. "And two choices, now, before us. We can either choose to wallow in them and blame ourselves, or push onwards, accept that those things were beyond our control and seek justice for those we have lost." He lifted his glass to her in toast. "Which will it be, old girl? I know which one the fighter Tsunade I've known all these years would choose."
He was right, of course. Tsunade knew it. As she regarded him, it suddenly struck her that she had never considered things from his point of view before. How the loss of their most noble King and Queen had affected him. The feelings of grief he'd kept bottled inside, just as much as she did. She found herself wondering when he had gotten so wise and world-weary. His eyes, though crinkled with amusement at her, were also tainted with pain. Sadness. A tiredness she had never noticed before.
Perhaps, she thought, they were not so very different after all.
Holding his gaze, she silently lifted her cup to his.
~x~
"Then your good mother is the one who supervises the harvest?"
Sakura nodded, tapping the illustration depicting Demeter on the parchment of the thick, leather bound book she'd retrieved from the library. It didn't look anything like her mother, but Sakura supposed that the fact the illustration was a pencil sketch of what the artist imagined Tsunade to look like explained away the lack of accuracy.
She sat with Ume by the fireplace in one of the palace's many private study rooms. Beside them were plates of fruit and goblets of refreshing cold water.
"She's also a qualified doctor and surgeon who works in the central hospital in my hometown," Sakura explained. "She helps save human lives. I'm studying to be a doctor, too. It was what I always wanted to do, before I found out the truth about everything."
"That's wonderful, Mistress!" Ume exclaimed. "Healing suits you."
"It seems a bit pointless, now," Sakura confided, staring down at the sketch. "I mean, studying to be a medic, when I know I'm so much more, but... if I stay human, it's what I'd like to do. Help people."
Ume nodded in understanding.
Sakura turned to another page, and smiled fondly at the illustration that had captured an absolute siren.
"Oh, she is most beautiful," Ume gasped.
"This is my best friend, Ino. Aphrodite."
Ume gawked. "She who commands love? Truly?"
"Her powers aren't active anymore, so she doesn't get to matchmake as much as she used to," Sakura grinned.
The door to the room suddenly opened and Ume glanced back over her shoulder. Immediately, she tensed and rose from the brown rug they were seated on, turning to curtsy reverently to the new arrival. Sakura looked behind her, finding none other than Sasuke standing by the doorway. He looked dashing, dressed in a long, deep navy hued cloak, the high collar of which was stitched with elaborate swirls of silver, fastened over a matching blue tunic with silver detailing. The droplet earring swinging from his earlobe glinted brilliant sapphire.
"Majesty," Ume cast Sakura a brief look, before instantly exiting the room to allow them privacy at Sasuke's unspoken instruction.
Sakura got up, turning to face him, clasping her hands together before her. She felt heat creep into her cheeks and her pulse immediately quickened as he walked slowly toward her, his dark eyes trailing unhurriedly over the v-neck, gold gown she wore. Its pleated fabric rippled and flowed like liquid metal to her ankles. The braided gold cord-strings tied at her shoulders were decorated with golden butterflies, and around her midriff, a matching belt flattered her slim waist. Her hair was styled in a crown-braid, adorned with gold-butterfly pins. Loosely curled strands framed her face and delicate butterfly droplet earrings hung from her ears.
She hadn't seen him since the previous time when they had sparred together - and shared a second kiss - in the training arena. It hadn't felt like too long a time had passed since then - and yet, it was increasingly becoming the case to Sakura that anytime Sasuke left the palace on business felt like too extended an absence.
"Hi," she greeted, feeling the thrill of being under his piercing, probing stare, of having the full attention of the Lord of the Dead fixed solely onto her.
"Sakura," he drawled her name, and it sounded like a sinful caress falling from his proud, full lips.
She then noticed that he was carrying something beneath his cloak. He held it out to her, and she automatically accepted it, unfolding it to find a long, heavy cloak that matched his own in hue. It had beautiful stitchings depicting gold filigree swirls at the shoulders and hem, and a flower-shaped, sapphire encrusted clasp.
"What's this for? Are we going somewhere?" she asked, putting it on before fiddling awkwardly with the clasp. It was difficult to secure, and she frowned as she fumbled in vain for several attempts to fasten it. Sasuke stepped toward her, adjusting the cloak so that it sat just right about her petite shoulders, before expertly securing the brooch in place.
"Thank you," she said. Their eyes locked, and once again, Sakura felt her belly flutter in response to his proximity.
The Underworld's King then held out a hand to her.
"Come."
She did not hesitate to give him her hand, and bit her lower lip when he snaked a hard arm around her, and tugged her close against him.
~x~
The study room melted away into a gust of swirling shadows that whisked them swiftly out of the palace. When Sakura's feet hit solid ground again, and Sasuke's arm released her, she turned to look around them - only to gasp in amazement at what she saw.
They were in a vast cavern, full of pristine clear water that formed a large, underground pond. Waterfalls cascaded from the rocky walls all around them, feeding into the circular pool. Stalks of reed plants grew around its perimeter and lily-pads, with flowering black and blue lilies, floated within the water. Luminous golden fireflies danced through the air. But what was most striking about the location was the magnificent sight that stood in the middle of the space.
The towering roof of the cavern had a wide, uneven opening which allowed beams of sunlight from the surface to filter through, nurturing the large pink-blossom tree that was nestled on a small island of rock in the centre of the pool. A curving path of stepping stones led from the platform of rock they were standing on toward it, allowing passage across the glimmering water.
It was a most spectacular and magical sight, a splash of life and colour that was so strongly reminiscent of the surface, that Sakura found herself stricken speechless as she gazed in awe upon it.
"This is..." she breathed, "so beautiful..."
Sasuke stepped wordlessly around her and took her right hand, leading her carefully over the stepping stones. Sakura beamed as her delighted eyes took in the splendour of their landscape.
They reached the central island, and as Sasuke released her hand, she turned her face up to find a crystal clear blue sky above the gaping opening in the cavern's ceiling. The sun shone high, far away, but even despite its great distance, Sakura could still feel its warmth through the rays that filtered through the gently swaying boughs of the tree.
"I didn't know you could see the surface from down here," she shook her head in disbelief, before reaching out to touch the smooth white bark of the beautiful blossom tree. It was majestic, otherwordly, with shimmering, vibrant petals, more vivid than anything she had ever seen in Konoha.
"Only here," Sasuke replied. It was the only location within the Underworld that the true sun's light touched.
Sakura inhaled deeply, enjoying the cool crispness and freshness of the air around her. "How is this even possible?"
"Rhea," Sasuke answered simply.
Sakura sat down on the edge of the raised mound of mossy, flat, dark grey rock that the tree was anchored to and grew upon and Sasuke moved to perch beside her.
"But I thought he hated everything to do with the surface? I'm surprised he left an opening to it after he killed her. Do you think it was out of guilt?"
"He knows no guilt," Sasuke's eyes narrowed. "He used her abilities to further his ambitions, and when her role was fulfilled, he slaughtered her."
Sakura contemplated this, once again feeling pity over the cruelty of Rhea's fate. They sat for several minutes in companionable silence, in which they watched the gushing waterfalls together, listening to the soothing sound of water cascading around them.
"Your realm really is full of beauty," Sakura complimented. "I think people only fear it because they don't know anything about it. If they could only see it..." The words caused her to consider something else, that prompted her to ask curiously, "Did your clan ever have visitors from the surface? I mean, before the war?"
Sasuke contemplated the question. It was likely they'd had many, not that he had ever paid much attention to the politics of the royal court or been called upon to be present to such assemblies. He had never enjoyed parties of any kind.
"Perhaps," he responded vaguely. "I was not often here."
"Too busy causing trouble with Naruto, I bet?" she teased. "Or is that keeping him out of trouble?"
"Hn." Sasuke snorted. They both knew which option was correct.
"So does this tree ever shed its petals?" Sakura lifted admiring eyes up to the flowering boughs.
"No. The surface seasons do not affect it. It blooms eternal." He turned his face pensively up to inspect the blossom. The hues of its petals were so akin to Sakura's locks of hair. He had wondered often at the strange coincidence of that. It was a place he'd long kept in mind to show her, knowing how much she enjoyed nature - but her previous stay in his Kingdom had not allowed for it.
"The water's so clear. It's so unspoiled."
"Only the Royal family was permitted to venture here," Sasuke informed her. He recalled visiting with his kin several times before the war. It had been a favourite place for both his mother and Itachi.
Sakura hesitated, debating whether to ask the question she had in mind. She wanted to know more about Sasuke as a person. What he had been like in the past. The war and its events had broken him, then shaped him into who he now was - a proud, powerful, confident monarch - and yet she wanted to know about who he was before. The things he had once enjoyed. Simple questions she'd never had the courage to ask him about himself, because she had always been too afraid of him. Too convinced that they were enemies to find out the most basic facts about him.
"What was it like?" she asked gently. "Your childhood?"
He blinked, surprised at the abruptness of the question. Then his eyes lowered, slipping away from her face as his thoughts turned to its answer. He recalled his infancy to be a happy, carefree time. He wondered how long Itachi had been carefree for, and Shisui, and his parents; whether there had ever been a time when they'd truly been content and burden-free. If there had, it couldn't have lasted long. He knew that Itachi's abilities had activated young, and he had been burdened with crushing responsibilities way before Sasuke had ever tasted any semblance of accountability - and Shisui had been no different.
Sakura glanced at him, hoping that his silence was an indication that he was considering his answer, rather than choosing to give none. Her patience was rewarded, for he supplied at length, "It was... a time of peace."
Or so he had foolishly thought. He had no way of knowing what had been happening behind closed doors. He had known only ignorant, childish bliss.
She nodded. "What were your hobbies?" she followed conversationally, seeking to steer his thoughts away from darker musings.
He blinked, his eyebrows drawing together in confusion. Hobbies? It had been so many millennia since he had done anything other than rule, that he scarcely remembered the other pastimes he'd partaken in. He couldn't recall ever talking about himself in any other capacity than his function, and so her line of questioning caught him somewhat off guard.
What was the purpose of such a conversation? Why revisit a past long diminished and irrelevant? He cast her a dubious glance, finding himself hesitant to answer the question at all.
She seemed to guess his line of thinking, for she reassured him, "I just want to get to know more about you. I want to know what kinds of things you used to like doing, before you became a king."
He turned his eyes back to the serene view around them, scouring his mind for the interests he had once enjoyed, back when he'd been at leisure to enjoy them. It felt strange to contemplate. He wasn't used to discussing his life before the war, and so the words did not come easily to him. But then, who had he ever had to discuss such topics with before? Who had he had around to talk about anything at all with? He had known only silence and empty loneliness. The gaping void his clan's death had left.
At length, he offered, "Chariot racing."
She smiled. "Did you ever race down here?"
He shook his head. "On the surface."
"What else?" she prompted encouragingly.
His eyes shifted to her. The genuinely interested expression on her face had him expanding reluctantly, "Sparring and archery. Weapon forging."
"Who taught you how to make weapons?"
Sasuke fell quiet. His clan had possessed many talented blacksmiths - but he had not learned it from anyone within his realm. Rather, it had been a skill he'd picked up on Olympus, of all places.
"Kakashi," he finally stated.
Sakura's eyebrows shot up in surprise. Kakashi had taught Sasuke how to forge weapons? How close had they once been? Sensing that perhaps he didn't care to elaborate on that particular matter, she turned the conversation elsewhere.
"You like star-gazing too, don't you? You know all the constellations."
Sasuke stared out at the water. "My mother would teach us the names of the stars."
"Did she make constellations?"
"Yes." His eyes lowered, as the sentimental memory of Nyx leading both Hades and a young Thanatos by the hand to Elysium drifted through his mind. They had watched in silent awe as their mother had created stars with grace and scattered them into the sky in their honour.
"Think of me, my little loves, wherever you are. Whenever you see a star, know that I will be near."
He still recalled her words, spoken so long ago, and the way he had been too distracted by the miracle of the glowing balls of light to pay attention to Itachi's curious questions about how they were created. Their mother had then placed infant stars into both their palms, laughing in delight at the amazed looks on her sons' faces.
"What else did she teach you?" Sakura asked gently.
He paused, the pleasant memory of star-gazing replaced with another considerably less pleasant.
"I despise this. I can't do it right!"
"You need only lend ear better, Sasuke."
"No. It's boring! I do not wish to play at all, brother!"
"The more you delay, the more my Aunt will compel you to practice. Learn quick and be done with it, cousin."
"Music," he scowled lightly.
Sakura felt an amused smile tug at her lips upon glimpsing his expression. She imagined a reluctant, younger Sasuke being forced to take music lessons. "The piano, right?" She recalled. "And the harp?"
"The flute," he added.
"You're very accomplished," she folded her arms across her chest, impressed.
He raised a shoulder in a nonchalant half-shrug. It had simply been royal custom. He didn't consider himself anywhere near as learned and brilliant and accomplished as his older brother had been. Itachi had never touched a thing without becoming perfect at it.
"What other things did you have to learn?"
"Literature and poetry," he listed. "The art of combat."
"Poetry?" Sakura grinned widely. "Can you write sonnets, Sasuke?"
His scowl deepened into one of distaste. Eloquent, elegant prose had been more his brother's talent, and not something Sasuke had ever particularly enjoyed.
Sakura smothered a giggle at his telling expression. "Okay. I guess that's something you don't like as much." She then looked back around them, releasing a contented sigh as she admired the tranquility of their scenery. "Thank you for showing me this place. It's so peaceful here."
Sasuke hesitated, considering his next words carefully. "You may come here," he stated, averting his eyes to the roof of the cavern. "Whenever you miss it. The surface."
Sakura was touched by his words. She reached out to him, placing her hand over his. "Thank you." she repeated sincerely.
He glanced down at her hand, but she withdrew it, far too quickly.
"I remember parts of my childhood," she shared. "It was happy, too. But sometimes, I wonder what I was like in all my past lives. Was I a different person? Did I like the things I like now? I couldn't have been the same each time. My mother has a keepsake box of photos of me from my past lives." She was glad for the cloak fastened about her shoulders, for a sudden chill swept through her, thinking about her previous existences and the cycle of torment she'd been trapped in for over two millennia. "It kind of makes it hard to know who the real me is, when I've had so many identities."
Sasuke regarded her in thoughtful silence. The real her? He thought it was who she was right then. All her other incarnations had been temporary. He had never known any of them - besides the original, whom he could not recall.
"Well," she said quietly. "At least I know this is my last one. No more multiple personality disorders," she joked.
A hushed silence fell between them. It stretched on, until Sakura broke it, voicing the troubled thoughts that were bouncing around in her head.
"Sasuke?" she clasped her hands together, looking down at them. "Do you remember the dream I had? When I told you only Death with an awakened eye can break the cycle? Do you still think that means the Rinnegan?"
"..." Sasuke glanced at her. Itachi's words echoed in his ears.
"Only with True Death's eye, can the goddess's memories be awakened. Only in dying, can she be reborn."
He had initially believed the Rinnegan to be the logical answer once. That was why he had gone through the trouble to acquire it at all - only to discover that it was in fact Itachi's Sharingan that was the key required to unlock the seal. He didn't know what to tell Sakura. He didn't even know how the eye would manifest. All he knew was that the crow, which had been released from its confinement in the relic site, had something to do with it; a vital part in an intricately woven puzzle that he was still trying to piece together.
He noted the apprehension in Sakura's features, as she turned uncertain eyes toward him. She was looking to him for reassurance, he realised. For all her bravery, he could see the fear that simmered beneath the surface of those dazzling green irises.
"It is not the Rinnegan we need."
"What?" Her eyebrows furrowed together. "Then why...?"
"True Death's eye." He clarified, meeting her gaze. "My brother's Sharingan."
Sakura shook her head, bewildered. "But how? He's gone. How can we possibly find that?"
"The crow." Sasuke answered, watching the small, luminous spheres of golden light that drifted past them. Itachi had either hidden the Sharingan in his summon, or otherwise left a means of locating and activating it through the bird. Of that much Sasuke was certain; Itachi would have gone to great, pain-staking lengths to ensure a weapon so dangerous could not be easily found - and only found at the correct moment it was intended to be.
"The crow?" Sakura repeated in astonishment. "You mean that bird we saw in the last relic site? The one that vanished?"
The death deity nodded. "He told me I would possess it, when the crow awakens."
Sakura frowned at him in confusion. "What? What does that mean? How do we find it? Do you even know where to look?" she asked incredulously.
Sasuke shook his head. He had no leads. Chiyo had been little help, either. It was frustrating, that Itachi had left him with no other clues besides the words he had spoken within a dreamscape.
"Does Chiyo know anything about it? Can't she help us?"
"She cannot say."
Sakura's hands closed into fists on her lap. "Then what happens if you can't find it in time?"
He directed his gaze back toward her. He had to trust in his brother's words, in his wisdom. That whenever the crow awakened and reappeared, Sasuke would possess it - even if he didn't know what that really meant. There was no reason to alarm Sakura any further at that moment by telling her about the rest of what Itachi had said. That she needed to die in order to be reborn a goddess. That was a conversation for another time, once the eye was located. They had to figure things out one step at a time.
"I will." His tone was full of conviction.
She bit her lower lip, then angled her face away. For all of Sasuke's assurances, she knew there was no guarantee that she wouldn't have a deadly attack before then. Any one of them could prove fatal.
"I'm not afraid of dying," she confided. "I'm only afraid of not living. Of leaving you all behind. Of what Cronus might do, if he escapes and I'm not around to-"
"Sakura."
She sucked in a sharp breath, swallowing back the remainder of her words. Blinking back the sudden dampness in her eyes, she inhaled deeply, composing herself, before turning her gaze back to the death deity.
Obsidian met emerald. The green of her eyes was mesmerising. Pools of emerald, full of life and light, shining with a clarity and innocence and hope that was foreign to him. Transfixed, he slowly lifted his hand, barely conscious of what he was doing, feeling only the need to offer her wordless comfort.
Sakura stilled when she felt his fingertips touch her left cheek lightly, immediately eliciting dangerous tingles in their wake. His thumb brushed gently over the curve of her cheekbone, and she closed her eyes, losing herself to the way the chaste touch moved her so profoundly.
Sasuke watched the movement of his thumb intently, its tentative motions so wholly unfamiliar to him. How could his hands, that had known only bloodshed and violence, be capable of such gentleness? His eyes shifted back to inspect her features. Her small nose. Her long, lowered eyelashes. The fullness and softness of her rosy lips. Still a part of him was hesitant to touch her, although she had made it clear that she permitted it. Not because he did not desire it; Sasuke craved nothing more than to feel her near. To have Sakura close to him. But it was because he feared hurting her. Of breaking her, the same way everything else he had ever cared for had broken apart and slipped right through his fingertips.
He was tainted by shadows and darkness. She was a creature of light. Still he marvelled that she had accepted him for who he was, what he was.
Perhaps there was no danger of her breaking. Perhaps his worries were unfounded. For it was he who was broken, and it was her touch that shifted the plates of his existence, making him dare to believe that they could align once again. Could he throw himself to love so deeply once more? The way he had loved his family? Unconditionally, blindly, with unwavering trust?
Sasuke already knew the answer to that. The question was almost a mockery, for he had already flung himself off the precipice for Sakura long ago. And he hadn't thought twice about doing it.
"I know you'll protect me," she whispered. "But Sasuke, if another attack happens-"
She was silenced by the featherlight brush of his lips over her own. Her eyelids flew open, and her breath caught in her throat as her eyes found smouldering onyx. His intense gaze caused her heart to somersault violently within her chest. Then her eyes fluttered shut again and she forgot all about talking when his lips began to move softly, slowly against her own, leaving her burning and quivering inside.
His hand shifted to cup her cheek, and she leaned into him, gripping onto the fabric above his chest, feeling herself unravelling all over again. All thoughts of death and destruction scattered from her mind as his arm closed around her, leaving behind only the profound awareness of his touch, of how deeply it affected her and how it made her feel like she was both soaring and falling in equal measure.
~x~
The brown-eyed, middle-aged mortal man did not flinch as the syringe was savagely stabbed into his neck. He did not so much as blink as its contents were injected into his veins. He stared vacantly ahead, trapped in an enforced trance.
His mind was not his own. He possessed no autonomy. He existed solely to obey the will of the daemon who stood before him. The master of the curse seal that ravaged his system.
Golden, serpentine eyes watched the test subject closely with rapt interest. The ANBU guard was firmly chained to a steel chair, his signature face-mask removed, to allow for the full observation of the effects of the serum that had been administered into his blood-stream.
"How long will it take, Lord Orochimaru?" Kabuto, who stood beside him, had started the stop-watch, ready to time the duration of the experiment.
"Patience, Kabuto," Orochimaru rasped.
Within a minute, the test subject's curse seal activated, responding to the serum's liquid coursing through his veins. The curse mark at the base of his neck began to glow an angry, fiery red, and rapidly expanded outward, contaminating the ANBU guard's body at an unnaturally swift rate of acceleration. Within seconds it was swarming all over his flesh, its potent venom causing angry veins of black to surface beneath his skin. The man's mouth fell open in agony, and a shriek of pain left his lips. He began to twitch and convulse violently, frothing at the mouth, before his eyes rolled back into his head, the force of his shakes rattling the chains locked around his arms.
Seconds later, his heart stopped, and he slumped limply in place. Dead.
Kabuto stopped his watch. The entire process had taken under two minutes, from the point of injection, to the mortal body succumbing to the crippling poison.
"So it is true..." he breathed in awe. "The venom of Achlys is potent indeed, and rapidly weakens the body. That will allow it to accelerate the effects of the curse seal, resulting in catastrophic biological damage!"
"And if it takesss just two minutes to destroy a human..." Orochimaru prompted smugly.
Kabuto blinked, his eyes widening as understanding dawned upon him. "Then imagine its potent effects when administered to a god!"
"Yessss..." Orochimaru met his gaze, and licked his lips with glee.
~x~
Author's note
I was meant to update in May, but I got this finished sooner than expected. Reviews would be appreciated. To the guest reviewer who says they miss previews being posted, I post these on the Discord server but may start doing so on my Tumblr too. Details of how to find me are on my profile but please note unless it's to ask for a Discord invite or to submit art I don't really respond to Asks on Tumblr anymore.
See you next update.