Chapter 37: Hereditary Lineage
For a moment, Sakura was not sure if Sasuke would ever let go of her hand. His fingers curled around her fingers in a firm clutch, the hard calluses on his hand pressing against her palm tightly. It was as if he was trying to fuse them together. Like two cells that were meant to be together to create something even greater. All the while his dark eyes flickered back and forth as he took in her face making her feel like he was looking into her soul as if she was the mortal she once was. His expression was pensive as he studied her, making want to squirm under his inspection but she did not move. Only looked back at him, taking a moment to absorb his image and breath.
It felt like a pause in life itself. And then he released her and time skipped ahead to catch up. The abruptness of it all sending a jolt to her as her empty hand fell down to her side. The remnants of his warm hand lingering as a faint reminder of what they had just agreed to as he turned away from her and started walking briskly away.
"Follow me," he said over his shoulder as he began to make his way towards the exit.
Sakura followed after him, jogging to keep up with his long strides. "What are we doing?"
Sasuke seemed to notice the way Sakura was struggling to stay on his heels and shortened his strides without slowing their pace too much. "If you are going to stay here, you need to learn how to survive," he explained, taking a sharp turn.
Sakura paused for a moment, slightly confused by what that meant or entailed but she was quick to recover when he took another almost immediate turn. It had them traveling in the same direction they had just come only on the other side of the rock wall. From there their route was a continuous zig zag of tunnels that had Sakura completely turned around until she eventually found herself following him through a heavy set of iron doors.
There was no questioning the purpose of the room upon entering. The mounted racks that lined the walls, and the multiple rows of tables and cabinets, all laden with various weapons of all kinds. As she took in the weaponry that ranged from practicality to lethality, it was all explanation enough. By surviving, he meant fighting.
Sakura's eyes roved around the armory. The room was massively wide and dome shaped. In the center, right below the apex of the ceiling, a large space was cleared of any weaponry as the floor sloped down into a small arena-like setting. It was designed like a sparring ring but instead of a matted smooth floor like one would expect, it was uneven and filled with obstacles. Short and tall rises of stone and wood, chains and rope hung down and stretched across, polished smooth stone that provided no footing, graveled and rocky patches that shifted one's balance, even a trickle of water flowed across part of the floor and pooled down into a shallow collection of water. It was designed to prepare someone for any type of terrain or situation.
As Sakura looked at it, she recalled her fight with Sasori and the struggle she had fighting in the crumbling warehouse. The battle ground then had not been like the flat grassy field she had trained in the heavens, it had been like this and had been constantly changing with every wall that crumbled and every collapse of the ceiling above. Had she trained in a place like this, she felt she would have done much better. Her only advantage back then had been the element of surprise. Sasori had underestimated her and his arrogance had been his downfall.
High above, a large chandelier hung from thick solid chains as what Sakura had learned to be, eternal fire. Which burned high within the large bowl that made up its base. The light produced by the tall flames reached out across the large room where small pedestals and sconces of eternal fire littered the walls and darker corners. The reflections of the flames caught on the assortment of metal weaponry and armor which in return amplified the amount of light. It was perhaps the most light Sakura had seen in weeks and it made her painstakingly miss the surface and daylight.
As she looked around the room, Sasuke immediately went over to a table with an arrangement of swords, his hands running down the line of blades, occasionally wrapping around the hilt of one and lifting it, testing out the weight, running a thumb down the edge, and holding it up to look down the blade to inspect the craftsmanship and integrity of the material.
As he did this, Sakura wandered the room, taking in the different weapons and armor. Some she recognized as weapons used by the blessed only in the style and design that was more fit for the underworld. Where the blessed designed things to be light and delicate, the fallen made their weapons menacing and dark. The metals used held a tinted shade that gave the impression that shadows themselves had been smelted into the steel before shaping. But despite the sharp and sometimes terrifying designs, the craftsmanship was no less worthy of admiration than what she was used to.
Soon she found herself wandering through the racks and tables until she reached an entire wall that was designated to an assortment of bows with their counterpart arrows designed and shafted for each style. Sakura's fingers ran across the fletching of some of the arrows until she came across a quiver of arrows unmistakably fletched with seraph feathers. Her own wings quivered and squirmed beneath her skin at the sight and she quickly turned away.
And only just in time.
Sasuke had turned around to face her, one of the swords he had been inspecting in his hand. Just as she turned, he tossed the sword to her.
Being a seraph with evolved and advanced reflexes and strength, Sakura did what any creature with such skills would do when a sword was whirling through the air at them. She ducked and dodged. And the blade sliced through the air past her and clattered noisily to the floor. The resounding twang of the metal echoed loudly in the cavern as Sakura looked away from the weapon with wide eyes up to Sasuke as a heavy awkward silence fell upon them as Sasuke blinked surprisedly at the sword laying on the ground.
Sasuke who was looking nearly as stunned as she was, looked at her crouched form and started again before finally breaking the silence. "What are you doing down there?"
Sakura peeked out slightly from the table she had practically jumped under, her eyes wide with disbelief. "You threw a sword at me!" she exclaimed, her voice slightly hysterical. "What else was I supposed to do!?"
"Catch it," he commented succinctly, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
Sakura looked at him agape, trying to think of how to respond.
Sasuke rolled his eyes and walked over to the sword. Bending down he retrieved the blade and held it out to her. "I heard of your fight with Sasori which is a victory that is impressive," he looked at her with what some would call pride, but Sakura found herself frowning as the memory of the aftermath hit her. A reaction that Sasuke seemed to survey for a moment and pondered before continuing. "You have well developed strength and agility. But from what I saw last night, you need to work on your weaponry. Not all things can just be pummeled and torn apart."
Sakura reached out and took the offered sword tentatively. Like last night when she took up Sasuke's own sword, it felt clumsy. When Sasuke withdrew his own hand and released the sword fully to her, it weighed unbalanced in her hold, the tip falling to the ground instead of being held upright.
Sasuke tsked with an air of annoyance and reached out to her. "It's like you have neve held a seraph blade before," Sasuke said as his hands wrapped around hers as he adjusted her hold, sliding her hand farther up the hilt until the weight felt more balanced, then adjusted her thumb to support and control the blade better.
"I haven't."
"..." Sasuke paused in adjusting her fingers and stared at her, dumbfounded. Then his eyes narrowed. "I thought you said you were an archangel? Isn't that why you were out and about in the middle of the night?" he questioned. "Hunting demons?"
Sakura frowned. "Rogue seraph," Sakura corrected, not liking the accusation in Sasuke's voice. "And we didn't exactly get that far into my training," she mumbled quietly.
Sasuke's brow drew up. "Any?" he inquired, again with skepticism in his voice. "How long have you been training for?"
Sakura looked up at him. "I have been training for centuries but I didn't get appointed until a little before that night on the rooftop when you thought I was just a random mortal that Kakashi and Naruto were protecting."
"But you were a guardian before that...didn't they train you to fight?"
"I was taught to defend myself," Sakura said hesitantly, picking up on the antagonistic stirring seeping from Sasuke's end of their tether. "As a guardian you are there to protect, not attack," Sakura expanded, unsure why Sasuke was becoming aggravated. "I have learned to use shuriken and kunai knives, but nothing larger than that."
Sasuke twisted his face in disgust. It was pathetic and hypocritical. They had claimed they did everything to protect her, to keep her safe. Yet for hundreds of years they kept her from developing skills and forcing her to be dependent on them. And he just knew it had been done purposefully.
He thought about all his years training with Kakashi, how the silver seraph had pushed him and forced him to begin things that looking back, Sasuke realized he had not been ready for. Yet with Sakura, they were so afraid she would venture out on her own and discover truths. Afraid she would discover him so much that they had locked her up for centuries and made her dependent. Made her reliant on them so she would always stay with them. Like some sort of pet that had been house broken and stayed because it did not know any better.
"Sasuke…is everything alright?"
His eyes looked up at her, his expression hard because of his thoughts. "So they just thought you could go on forever without knowing how to properly fight? Yet they still made you an archangel? That is like being a tiger trying to hunt without any teeth."
Sakura frowned. "In the heavens, life is valued over all. We believe a life force is to be preserved. As seraphim it should be in our nature to ensure we nurture not slaughter. A blessed is not taught to pick up a seraph blade until they can fully understand the consequences of ending that life."
"But you're not really blessed are you?"
Sakura slightly flinched at his words, then she began to wonder really what that could mean. She knew human nature, she knew their tenancies to war and selfishly put their needs above others. As a human...had she been like that? Had she disregarded the importance of life back then? It was a horrid thought that made her sick but the reality of it was that she had absolutely no idea what she had been like or done. For all she knew she could have easily watched others suffering without a care in the world.
Sasuke watched as Sakura's face twisted and he realized he had said something wrong. However when she spoke, the conclusion she had reached was not what he originally thought...it was worse.
"As a human did I not value other people's lives?"
Sakura's almost trembling voice broke through his bubbling raged mind and instantly his body and anger was gone. Her green eyes were set on him, looking at him as a worried crease formed on her forehead. His eyes traced the disturbed grimace they had thinned into.
"No," he quickly replied. "If anything you cared too much. I am just frustrated that they一"
"You cannot blame them anymore," Sakura said quickly. "Us starting over, that includes them too." Sasuke opened his mouth to reply but Sakura quickly shook her head and continued on. "I know you might think it weak or undeserving that I am quick to forgive. But that is the only way we can move forward, otherwise there will be other exceptions that get brought back and eventually we will be back to where we started, always stuck in the past."
He did not like the idea of it, but she was right and it was very clear. If she was to forgive him for dragging her through hell, he would have to comply. Her eyes flickered back and forth rapidly as she waited and anticipated his acceptance of these terms.
"Hn," he finally hummed, loosening his fingers which had been still grasping hers with a tightness that he had not realized had been increasing the deeper their conversation progressed.
Turning around he made his way towards a spacious area in the center of the dome. Walking to the center of the ring he came to a stop in the center of a circle of runes then turned to face her. His hand went up to the handle of the blade strapped to his body and unsheathed it. Then lifting a hand, he beckoned her to enter the ring as well. Sakura followed his command, walking towards him with a firm hold on her sword. She came to a stop when she reached the center of a runed circle that he gestured to.
"You will learn how to kill," he said sternly. "If it comes down to you or them, you will choose your life. There are creatures down here, that while life forms, are not ones that should exist. Do you understand?"
Again Sakura wondered just what kind of creatures existed in this world but finally she nodded. "I understand," she said.
"I will not go easy on you," he stated.
He watched as she seemed to shift on her feet but it was only to take a stance. It was the wrong stance, but she would quickly learn that. If this was a new start, he was determined to make sure it did not end the same way. She was no longer a fragile mortal. He could push her, he needed to push her so she could learn, so she could fight, so she could survive.
"I don't want you to go easy on me," she replied, her voice strong as an inspiring look of determination took over her face.
Sasuke smirked at her words. There was something in her tone that challenged and seemed to awaken something within him he had not felt in a long time. "Don't regret that later," he said smugly, then flew forward.
Sakura fell down to the ground with a hard thud as her sword clattered against the stone floor several feet away as she lost her grip. When the echoing metallic clang died down, it was replaced with her heavy breathing.
"Your footing is off again," Sauske said monotone, for what felt like the hundredth time. "This shouldn't be difficult. It's uneven but you have to use your balance, your wings, said pointing towards shoulders, you should use them. You may have not have had any experience in using a sword but your wings should feel like second nature, or were you not allowed to use those either?" he could not help but quip.
Sakura forgot about the throbbing pain in her tailbone as her shoulder blades shifted consciously as she felt her wings shift beneath her skin. When Sasuke's wings had burst from his back when they started three hours ago, instinctively she moved to summon hers too but for some reason, she found herself unable at the last moment. Pushing the self conscious thoughts that were plaguing her mind, Sakura lifted her head just high enough to glare at him from under her bangs. She was too tired to lift it any higher as her shoulders were sore and ached anytime she moved her neck.
Sasuke raised a brow at her glower. "Keep your feet at the balls of your feet so they can adjust to the varying terrain."
Sakura shot him a scowl. "Oh, I have a place where I can put my foot," she suggested from where she sat on the ground.
"How eloquent of you," Sasuke responded dryly. "I see the heavens have allowed the vulgarity of mortals to slip through its gates," he added, his posh tone making him seem like some elite princeling.
Despite the fact that according to seraph lineage, Sasuke was in fact considered royalty, Sakura rolled her eyes then stuck out her tongue. As Sasuke walked away, muttering something about her uncivil behavior, Sakura lowered her body back onto the ground and sprawled out her limbs ungracefully. The polished flooring that she lay on was cool against her hot and sweaty skin. The more the cold seeped into her, the more it soothed her burning and aching muscles.
She had always thought Tsunade to be challenging in their training sessions. She would leave-more like drag-herself from the training sessions exhausted and battered. After learning to endure such intense physical training, Sakura had thought herself in peak condition. However, one session with Sasuke had taught her there was a far more superior level. Where Tsunade challenged, Sasuke demanded. Where Tsunade encouraged, Sasuke critiqued. It was not just physically draining, but mentally. He had her repeating the same motions and holding the same stance for hours straight, never letting her move so much as a millimeter off. Perfection and precision was his expectation from the start. Anything less he grunted and tsked at.
And it did not help that her body seemed to start functioning and feel like she had just awoken again from transforming. It was like learning to fly all over again. Her body had the physical strength, abilities and reflexes of a seraph, but it was like she had the coordination of a human. No knowledge or muscle memory to unlock them. Being around him made her feel...mortal. She knew it was all in her head, that she should be performing better, and perhaps he knew that too and was the reason why he kept getting frustrated with her.
When she proposed a restart, she wasn't exactly sure what to expect. It seemed silly, but for some reason she thought he would suddenly transform and change into some other person. But she could hardly sense an alter in the way he interacted with her. But despite this, there was the slightest of shifts. He was still an asshole, but a different kind. There was more cheek than detestation in his condescending remarks. Sakura was quickly learning that there was a lot to discover and learn about not just him, but herself to understand what exactly brought them together in the past.
Across the room, Sasuke approached a low table where a few cups and a pitcher of water sat. After pouring and draining a full cup, he leaned against the low table, looking at Sakura's form. She looked exhausted and for a fraction of a second, he thought perhaps he had pushed her too hard. But then he remembered, they were starting over.
Everything he once knew, thought...and felt for her, had to be thrown out the window. It was a task that he was finding much more difficult than Sakura made it seem when she presented the proposition. As he took in her prone body and watched her chest move up and down, rapidly straining to catch up on the oxygen to recover from the day's exertions, he wondered if she was struggling as much as he was. He had always already struggled with interacting with others, and this situation was not any better. A start over was such a simple resolution to their problem but in reality, it was a fantasy idea. Life was not that simple and there would always be something within him that would resent what happened.
Frustrated, Sasuke ran an agitated hand through his sweaty bangs then looked down at the table. Reaching for the pitcher he refilled his cup before walking back over to her, pitcher still in hand. She did not even stir or open her eyes when he came to a stop at her feet.
"Here," he said, holding out the cup of water to her when she cracked her eyes open.
She lifted her head just barely enough to look at him. She stared at the cup suspended over her for a few seconds then her head fell back to the ground as she let out a tired sigh. "I'm too tired to move my arms," she complained.
"You need water," he said. "We might not be able to die from dehydration, but you can become weak."
She responded with a dramatized groan but she at least began to sit herself up. Her back curled up as she rose then settled cross legged on the ground as she reached up to his outstretched hand. As she took it from him, the tips of her fingers grazed his skin and he hated the fact that his skin tingled where they had touched. It was a reaction he was not supposed to be having anymore. Yet even with that, he watched as she lifted the cup to her lips. When she lowered it to wipe a few drops that clung to her lower lip, he forced himself to look away.
As she drained the cup in a few greedy gulps, Sasuke settled down on the ground and took the cup from her and refilled it with the pitcher he had brought. Handing it back to her, he made sure to do so without repeating any physical contact.
"About us starting over..." Sakura began.
Sasuke lowered the pitcher he had begun to drink from and looked at her. One of her fingers ideally traced the lip of the clay cup as she stared down at the remaining water.
"From what I have learned today, you do not strike me as a person who has a tolerance for repeating what should already be known…so it would be assumed that any general facts that we know about each other do not need to be relearned. Facts like I was once human and you have known me before any memories I have access to."
She looked up at him, her eyes flickering back and forth with uncertainty. Sasuke pondered what she meant by this, then let out a grunt of agreement. Yes, it was impossible for them to pretend they did not know anything at all, but how they felt, it was perhaps more possible to change that.
At his agreeance, Sakura's hesitation seemed to dwindle and she shifted around. Uncrossing her legs to sit on her knees as she faced him. "I know for a time you trained with Kakashi, but that was only for a short span of time. Who else trained you? Your father?"
Sasuke let out a snort and clicked his tongue, but after a moment, he looked at her and realized how genuine the assumption had been. Which made him realize how serious about starting over she was as she should have concluded by now that his relationship with his father was not good. To him that was a fact. But maybe to her, that was something not as solid and she was waiting to hear it from him, to let him tell his own side instead of drawing conclusions.
He titled his head to the side, his dark eyes surveying her closely as he slowly began to understand what starting over really meant for them. "My father dedicated all his efforts and attention to my brother's training. He only ever had enough effort left to lecture me about expectations and how short I was falling from them," Sasuke began, pausing for a moment. "I can only think of a few times when he actually took the time to instruct me on how to meet those expectations."
Sasuke swallowed, suddenly finding it difficult to speak of such things. It had been a long time since he spoke of such subjects that, despite what he told himself, were raw and personal. He wasn't sure if he had even told Sakura such things when she was mortal just as he did not know much of her own family. It had just been so easy to forget about everything else when they were together. They left their worlds and realities and made their own world beneath the starlit skies and in the grassy meadows.
"I learned the basics mostly from the training that all younglings are presented with. Most of the instructors were hardly noteworthy. Anything they taught was what is instinctual, they just helped speed up the process of figuring it out on their own."
"But what about your other skills? I am assuming Kakashi taught you the chidori, but what about your sharingan? Or your sword skills? Did you learn those on your own?"
"Itachi taught me mostly how to handle my powers. Helped me learn to summon fire and control my sharingan when it first awakened. Shisui was the first to show me how to use a bladed weapon."
He noticed a crinkle form at Sakura's brow. "Who is Shisui?" she asked.
"My cousin."
"When will I get to meet him?"
"You won't, he is dead," Sasuke said bluntly, instantly noting Sakura flinching at the crass way in which he delivered the information. He cleared his throat and continued. "His parents died before the final war ended and so he fell under my mothers care. In fact the room you are in now used to be his."
"Really?" she asked and Sasuke nodded. "How did he die?"
Sasuke was not exactly sure how to answer that. He had been told suicide, but Shisui had never been one prone to such thread bare mental health that he would go to such extremes to escape it. While his exuberant behavior annoyed Sasuke, it was not one of a person so distraught with life that they would take their own life. Then again, Sasuke knew that many times what was on the surface was not always what was beneath. However Sasuke had not looked into much of it given the timing of the event and what had happened after. The destruction of Konoha, Sakura's death, and his abandonment of his realm and people had easily erased just wonderment.
"His body was found in one of our deepest chasms," he answered.
He watched as her face crumpled into confusion, straining to understand his meaning. But whatever curiosity she had, she seemed to let it go.
"Who else?" Sakura pressed on.
Sasuke looked at her, hesitant to say. "And there was..." Sasuke looked at her warily. "...Madara...he taught me privately for a short span before his disappearance. And I am sure you are already aware of my time with Orochimaru. "
He was more than aware Sakura would know of his affiliation with Orochimaru and before he had never regretted going to him...but now he felt the smallest of worries as to what acknowledging this known fact would do. Sasuke kept his eyes pinned on her, anxiously waiting for her to respond.
"Oh," was all she said after a paused delay. Sasuke watched as she seemed to process this information, then she looked at him, and before she said it, he already knew what she was about to ask. "What exactly did Orochimaruー"
"Don't," Sasuke quickly cut in. Sakura looked slightly taken aback by his abruptness . "Don't ask me that. Because if you do, I will tell you. And I would rather not...at least not right now."
She was quiet for a moment, then she nodded her head once and Sasuke felt a calm of relief pass over him. He wasn't ready to start becoming a villain in her eyes again.
An awkward silence passed over them before suddenly Sakura seemed to grow impatient with the lack of conversation. "Tell me more about your cousin? About Shisui?"
Sasuke could not help but roll his eyes. Of course she would want to know more about him.
"I don't think he is exactly the one to tell you about Shisui." Both of them turned around to see Itachi strolling into the room, a curious look in his eye as he observed them sitting together which made Sasuke wonder just how long Itachi had been listening in on them and watching. Itachi looked at Sakura and smiled at her. "When it comes to Shisui, Sasuke likes to exaggerate."
Sakura looked amusedly at Sasuke who only glared at Itachi.
"What are you doing here?"
Itachi shrugged his shoulders. "I was just checking in on Sakura, making sure she was okay."
Sasuke's face only seemed to darken more. "She's with me," he pointed.
The corner of Itachi's mouth curled. "Yes I see that," he replied, his tone expressing the unspoken challenge that questioned again, if Sakura was okay.
"Sasuke was teaching me how to use a seraph blade," Sakura spoke, painstakingly aware of the heavy rivalry between the brothers but completely ignorant as to why there was such tension.
Itachi's attention eventually broke away from his brother to look at Sakura. "Ah, and how do you find my brother's teaching skills?"
Sasuke silently listened with a glower on his face as Sakura eased into a conversation with his brother, laughing and joking as if they had known each other for centuries, all at his expense. And when that was over, Itachi then had the audacity to give Sakura his own session of tutelage, giving her advice that went against what he had drilled into her for the past few hours. However, as annoyed as he was, he remained. Because while it bothered him to see her with his brother, she was distracted enough that he could easily observe her. And soon Sasuke felt the familiar pull that he had once had long ago. That budding curiosity that had him returning to a certain villa in the mortal realm for this same purpose. To watch her.
As any place that is left unattended for far too long, there was a lot of restoration to be done. And like a dusty old house that had been empty for too long, Madara had spent the last month's time doing as such.
The first tasks had been to weed out the vermin and rodents that had decided to move in and nest. Creatures of the underworld who needed retaming. Then of course certain clan families were reestablished in the hierarchy, some rising in station while others were dragged down like wretched souls into the depths of hell. He did this subtly by visiting some of the larger families who had taken advantage of Fugaku's weaker rule and weaseled their status to higher ground. They had thought themselves cunning and sly, thinking they would someday be at the same level as the Uchiha, some perhaps dreaming of overthrowing them. And it was satisfying to see those weak clan leaders cowering before him as he reminded them of his superior lineage. He unearthed the Uchiha reputation like an ancient artifact and restored it to its former glory. He could feel his subjects trembling under his Will, a feeling Madara had forgotten how sweet such a power was as it grew stronger day by day.
And now that he had finally tidied things up and made things more presentable, it was time to open the doors and entertain. It was time to make his presence known to all his subjects within the underworld. However, there were just a few more things he had to set into motion before he was ready to establish himself not just in this world, but to all.
He descended down to the deepest parts of his world where even Beelzebub would not dare to go. But Madara had never feared anything within this realm. There was nothing to fear when everything cowered in his wake.
The rock path cracked and crumbled beneath his feet, the integrity of the igneous rock brittle from when it cooled too quickly when forming. The narrow slab of rock he traversed served as a bridge that arched over a gaping chasm before connecting to a solid wall with a narrow crack on the other side. As soon as he slipped between the crack, it turned sharply and suddenly the darkness that had once been consuming was faded out as he entered a cavern that spiraled down to where a deep pool glowed with an eerie green light.
Descending the chipped and uneven stairs, his eyes receded from their red swirls to empty blackness as they fell upon Kabuto who was at the edge of the pool of water. So wrapped up in the clinking of his test tubes and analytic mind, Kabuto was oblivious to the demon lord's presence.
As Madara reached the bottom step, he crossed over to where a rock table had been carved and various tomes, beakers, and texts were strewn among the fluttering papers and notes of Kabuto's research. He picked up a heavy piece of parchment and examined the diagram on it. It was of a mortal body, much like the ones found in anatomy books and medical facilities. However instead of mapped out blood vessels and neurological systems, this diagram was unique. Instead of physical insides, it showed where the spiritual essence of a human resided. Instead of glands and blood circulation, it showed where chakra points lay and the flow of aether. Instead of the heart, it pointed out the soul.
He was drawn away from the black and white diagram when Kabuto approached the alchemy bench, setting down viales and sorting them out into an order that only made sense to him. "What brings you all the way down here, my Lord Madara?" Kabuto inquired, grabbing a notebook as he jotted down some notes.
"I wanted to see how the arrangements made for you have been accommodating."
Kabuto paused in writing his notes to gesture around the elaborate lair that he would argue was a laboratory. "What more could I want for?"
Madara's dark eyes glinted, knowing full well that Kabuto's desires ran far deeper than this. "Sasuke is yet to be made aware of your affiliation and role, so you will need to continue to make your presence unknown," he remarked, picking up a book and beginning to thumb through it.
To his surprise he found it was one from the mortal realm. It was interesting just how similar mortals were to them on paper yet so grotesquely inferior to seraphim. It made the rumors and myths that were passed down from Indra himself almost insulting. To think that they came from such roots. Yet in more recent times, Madara had found himself hoping such things were true as they would certainly be convenient.
It was almost fateful that a little starling happened to fly into his path of desires and get tangled in the netting. He had always cursed the feathered ones but the pink haired anomaly that had caught his young nephews interest was perfect. That is...if she really was what he hoped.
He just needed the proof. If not then she was of no use to him. Perhaps a circumstantial piece of leverage, but only if the opportunity presented itself. She was a wild card in a deck of cards. A lucky draw, but if not used, it would be a waste. And the longer he held her in his hand, waiting for the opportune moment that may never arise, she was a risk. For if someone dealt their own hand before, the consequence of his hesitancy to use or discard her grew increasingly.
"Kabuto," he began leisurely, picking up a murky jar and examining the questionable contents without a change in his expression. "Is there a way to find out a seraph's lineage without the records of an ancestral pedigree?"
Kabuto paused in his notes as he pondered for a moment. "I suppose identifying the unique hereditary powers of the individual and tracing them down to a source would be possible. Although with so many branches and clans, many powers have died out or morphed as each clan mingled with others. This would make it difficult to be accurate in which specific branch they stemmed from. For example the Suna clans among the fallen are a bramble of different lineages that are connected in some way or another, but it is complicated. Within it some wield the magnet release which is a combination of earth and wind element. And then you have clans in the heavens who have lava release which is a combination of earth and fire elements. They share half of the same nature and yet are from a completely different tree lineage."
"And if I did not have the time to archive family histories?"
Kabuto seemed to ponder for a moment as he pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "A simple genetic test could possibly identify the gene pool from which a seraph came from. It is a method developed by mortals, but I do not see why it would not work. Biologically we have some similarities to humans. Each seraph comes from one of the original twelve families. A simple extraction and comparison of the individual with a known member from each tree would suffice."
"And if a seraph did not match into any of the original families?"
Kabuto's head shot up from his notes to look up at Madara. "That would be impossible-" He abruptly cut himself off as a heighted look of intrigue came to his face- "...unless…"
He pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose as he began to dig around in his stacks of books on his work table. Eventually he found what he was looking for beneath a pile of rolled up scrolls. It was an ancient wooden box. He opened the box and carefully pulled out an even more primeval looking book with a frayed binding that was held together with only a few strings. Blowing off a layer of dust from the cracked leather cover, he carefully opened its pages, speaking as he searched.
"I have read ancient writings, written by mortals, that speak of the gods coming down from the heavens and plucking a number from them and creating Nephilim. I pushed such writings aside as nothing less than folklore of a bored civilization. That is until I came across a text in the libraries of the heavens before I was cast out."
"What kind of texts?" Madara pressed.
"The kind that if interpreted a certain way, it hinted that seraphs came from mortals. At first I thought I had translated the language incorrectly but the coincidence of it all was too close. Both of them spoke of a cup and transitioning."
"Hagoromo's chalice."
Kabuto paused halfway through turning a page. "So the legends are true? The cup...it exists?"
Madara was quiet for a long moment. "It was rumored that Indra brought it with him to the underworld when he fell. However I have never seen it in its physical form. I have searched the entire underworld and even the Uchiha temple before it became rubble along with the rest of Konoha."
Kabuto was quiet for a moment, then began to turn a few more pages before stopping. "If a seraph did not match, then it would be safe to assume this seraph had been made later down the road," Kabuto explained, turning the book in his hands and holding it out for Madara. "I believe I could figure it out, I would just need a specimen and the right instruments."
Madara looked down at the page Kabuto had opened for him.
It was an archaic image of the goddess Kaguya. Unlike the blessed images that portrayed Kaguya as a beautiful and fair woman. This image was a grotesque macabre in comparison. Her form was not the soft curves and bright features of the standard depiction of a female figure. Instead her limbs were spindly like a spider and every joint was angled and sharp. She stood naked before a human man, her lips the color of blood stretched out into an inhumanly wide smile that did not meet her blank eyes. In the center of her forehead a sharingan pattern glistened red, contrasting against the otherwise black and white drawing.
Madara stared greedily down at the pattern that he coveted, before letting his eyes move down and observe what was taking place.
In her right hand, which looked more like the talon of a bird, Kaguya clutched a chalice with lines emulating out from it in glorifying emphasis. Her other hand was outstretched, her long claws digging into a writhing human's chest as a shaded essence seemed to seep from fingers into the man. Madara's dark eyes drew to the human's face, taking in the contorted expression of his agony without an ounce of empathy. Instead his eyes quickly drew to the human figure's back, taking in the wings ripping from the flesh of his back, feathers dripping with blood as they expanded and stretched out.
An eager hunger arose in Madara but on the surface he seemed unaffected as he seemed to be bored by the drawing. "And what would I need in order to test such a thing?" he asked plainly, finally looking up at Kabuto.
"Just some DNA. Saliva, a hair, preferably a sample of their blood. Then of course a specimen of DNA from each of the original clans."
Madara nodded, his expression ponderous as he began to walk down to the edge of the water and looked down into the pool.
"They are spawning well," Madara commented after a pregnant pause.
Kabuto came to stand beside him, his eyes looking down pridefully at what lay beneath the water's surface. Translucent embryos clumped together like that of aquatic egg sacs were submerged beneath the surface. Within each sac one could make out the form of an ambiguous humanoid body, pale skin stretched across a skeletal frame as the tufting of grey-green hair seemed to sprout from the head of the shaped body, waving in the fluids like sickly seaweed at the bottom of a murky lake.
"Yes," Kabuto murmured. "Although it will be quite some time before they are mature enough." He looked to Madara, who did not even seem perturbed by this as it would have been expected. Confused, Kabuto prodded. "You do not seem bothered by the delay of your plans."
Madara looked away from the spanning parasitic embryos and turned to start walking up the spiral of stairs that had brought him here. Before leaving, he paused, giving Kabuto a devious look. "That is because I have something much better in mind that I did not originally count on. While these will be useful, they will be mindless. I don't not care for minions, I need soldiers that will follow me. I need an army of seraphim."
"Sire, I know many have flocked back to your side, but our numbers as a species is still limited," Kabuto argued with an edged respect. "To do what you plan, you need substantial numbers that do not all your followers were trained at an elite level like in the past that would be one thing, but this stagnant feud and petty hunting of rogue seraphs has made even the most war breed seraphim soft."
"You are correct," Madara conceded. "And while rigorous training would transform what I have to that level, I do not have the time nor resources to do such a thing. But even the most basic of seraphim, when put into masses, their inferior skills are made up for in bodies. And again, you are correct in saying there are not enough of our kind," Madara replied, unphased by Kabuto's dissuasion. "That is why I intend to create them."
"Create?"
Madara smiled wickedly. "In due time, Kabuto. I must first confirm my little starling is what I believe her to be."
He walked away leaving Kabuto's mind whirling as he began to analyze everything that Madara had said. And soon after, he was tinkering in his laboratory and pouring over his books. Reanalyzing everything with a new perspective.
"Thank you for accepting to attend tea with me," Mikoto said, breaking Sakura out of her mental practice of foot stances.
Over the past couple of days Sakura felt as if all she did was breathe and dream of proper sword stances and movements. Sasuke's voice seemed to constantly be echoing in her head day and night. Lectures on how to stand, instruction on where to grip, and tutorage on where to strike, they were all repeated in his sultry rumble of a voice that demanded her attention but kept her from focusing on what was actually being spoken. And her dreams were not helping.
For at night her dreams were of a different approach. She would feel his fingers guiding her body while he pressed into her back. His voice would whisper into her ears in a way that made even the most mundane directions of proper form seem like a sensual command. She would wake up from those dreams hot and flustered before praying immediately to the gods that Sasuke did not sense any of the emotions raging throughout her heated body in those moments.
"Thank you for inviting me," Sakura said, pushing down the warm feelings settling in her belly as she thought about the particular dream she had last night that involved far too much physical contact between herself and her tutor.
"It was actually Hinata's idea," Mikoto admitted. "Although I should have thought of it weeks ago. She is young, right around Sasuke's and your age. She comes off as closed off and reserved at first but her mild mannerism is just a surface impression that too many only see."
"What is she really like then?"
"How familiar with the Hyuga are you?"
Sakura shook her head. "I don't know really much at all," she admitted. "Only that they are one of the more dominant clans of the fallen. Like the Uchiha they have their own unique oculus. I think I have met a few in the market, but none of them were very friendly."
Mikoto nodded. "That would be them. They don't take too kindly to those not of their own kind. Not that you are not any less one of us," Mikoto quickly chimed in as if thinking she had offended Sakura. "Just because you came from the heavens, it does not mean you are not welcome among us. You belong and have no reason to doubt any of them are any higher than you."
Oh but she did, Sakura thought to herself. She was far more of an outsider than Mikoto was even thinking she had implied.
"They just don't trust or accept anyone not Hyuga," Mikoto continued to explain and Sakura nodded as if understanding and accepting. "But I suppose it would not really matter if you did know them well because Hinata is not like them at all. But I won't say anymore. I am a firm believer in letting people make their own opinions and conclusions of others."
Sakura nodded, her curiosity becoming distracted as they came upon the largest formation of quartz she had ever seen. Standing as tall as trees in the other realms she had dwelt, Sakura's eyes took in the hexagonal columns that sprouted high above. Their opaque smooth edges cut to a sharp point at the very tips giving the picture of dangerous elegance. Like the opaque color she had learned to associate with the Hyuga when looking at them in the eyes, the crystals mimicked such a shade.
In the center of the crystal formation, a perfect squared gateway was cut into the glassy formation and above was an etched clan symbol inlaid with white gold which was polished so well it took on the mirrored surface properties of mercury. The crystalline structure held a pearlescent shine as they gave off the faintest of glows that illuminated the entrance. Standing guard at either side were two clan members who looked more like statues than sentinels given the disciplined stillness in which they stood.
Mikoto led them through the gateway, each Hyuga guard breaking their frozen stance just enough to nod their heads and give the bare minimum of respect to her as she passed by without a word. One of the guard's pale eyes moved from the Uchiha to Sakura only for his lips to curl back into a sneer as he glared at her. It was not exactly a threatening gesture, but certainly was not welcoming. And as Sakura passed by and they entered a vast courtyard-like cavern with numerous tunnels branching off, Sakura made sure to stay close to Mikoto for the rest of their journey through the compound.
Unlike the organic structure that was usually the theme of the underworld, with its jagged ceilings of stalactites, snaking hallways that twisted and narrowed, the Hyuga compound was designed to reflect the people that dwelt within it. Everything was precise and perfectly angled. The walls, floors, and ceiling had all been perfectly cut away and smoothed so that there was a symmetry to everything.
A vein of silver spiderwebbed throughout the polished and perfectly cut stone that made up the tunnels. As a result, the precious metal reflected the glow of the crystals and surrounded them in an ethereal light. Mikoto led her through a few passageways of this before they entered an area where the natural formation of the earth had not been smoothed and chiseled into perfection. But it was still nothing like what Sakura had ever seen in her time deep beneath the earth's crust. As she took in the sight, Sakura found herself liking the room to that of a garden courtyard.
Sakura's gaze rose to the ceiling where the stalactites hung over them and the assortment of purple sapphires that had been inlaid to the mineral deposits reminded her of a wisteria tree. Along the walls, green emeralds gave the illusion of the crawling vines and the occasional blooming flower when a crystal formation had grown out from the cavern wall. It was just like the gardens she had tended to in the heavens but instead of grass, there was a crystal mosaic floor and instead of flowers blooming, precious stones sparkled and shined like dew dropped petals.
After giving the immaculate gem garden the deserved appraisal and appreciation, Sakura finally managed to notice a woman that was sitting at an iron table located in the center of the room. And like the room, the woman herself was just as beautiful. Her raven hair was long and silky as it fell down around her waist. It shined with a deep luster that absorbed the glowing sapphires that hung above them as it took on an indigo hue. The dark haired woman herself could be compared to that of a pearl and gave the impression that she belonged within this garden treasury.
As they approached, the woman noticed them and rose to her feet, giving a small bow. When she straightened, her pale eyes which identified her as a Hyuga landed on Sakura. But unlike the rest of her clan, Sakura was met with a warm expression of welcome as the woman's deep red lips lifted into a shy smile.
"H-hello, I am H-hinata, you must be S-sakura?" She turned to the side and gestured to the tea set out on the table. "Welcome, p-please sit."
.
.
.
Hinata was, as Mikoto said, more than what was on the surface. She was more than just a beautiful wall flower as Hinata made herself out to be at first meet.
Like Mikoto, Hinata had never been to the surface. The reasoning however, she found out later from Mikoto was not because her family wanted to keep her safe, but because they had deemed her inept at being a demon. And as harsh as that seemed, Sakura understood their reasoning. For despite Hinata being a demon, corruption was obviously not in her nature. If anything it was against her nature, for Sakura could not identify a single devious bone within the raven haired woman's body. She was gentle and kind by nature. Born to be nurturing and loving, even towards those who spoke ill and degraded her worth at any chance they could have, Hinata had nothing but sweet words to say in return.
From what Sakura had gathered from her pleasant visit and from what Mikoto told her of the woman following their tea time, Sakura found herself rethinking how seraphim had always been portrayed. After meeting and living among the kind that she had always been told were the enemy, she began to theorize that the seraphim were not meant to be separated into fallen and blessed. Like her, they were far more human than she had ever thought. And now that she knew the truth of the origins of their species, it all made sense. Perhaps there was a piece of flawed humanity still left in all of their DNA that made them incapable of being natural predators or saviors. Maybe, just maybe, their so-called purpose was not as clear and direct as the elders always preached.
Sakura stumbled backwards when Sasuke gave a forceful shove with his sword. She retreated a couple of unsteady steps but she managed to keep her footing and a strong hold on her blade's handle.
"Good, you are improving," Sasuke remarked. Sakura could not help but grin at his praise as her chest swelled with pride. It was certainly a rare thing to come by when he was in what she had dubbed teaching mode. "But you're still relying too much on your reflexes to regain your balance versus keep," Sasuke quickly corrected. "Use your wings to counter your weight so you always have an equilibrium for your footing. They are not just for flying. And you keep letting your wrists give in, that is bad form, so don't get too confident."
Despite his lecturing words, Sakura's prideful smile did not even falter at these words, she had gotten used to it. "Itachi said confidence is important to have. And he also said that there is a balance between form and what feels natural."
Sasuke gave her a sour expression which only encouraged her smirk to grow more. There was something about getting under his skin that she enjoyed. A certain thrill to it. Like the rush of excitement that one would get from a roller coaster or a repelling down a mountain side. There was knowledge of knowing it was safe, but it still got her heart pounding at the exhilaration and feeling of something unexpected could happen.
The way it drew his attention, the way his eyes seemed to bring a heated temperature, the way her heart skipped when he drew nearer. It was addictive and perhaps unhealthy, but she could not help but crave it. And bringing up Itachi was all the bait she needed to get what she had set out to capture.
Sasuke's eyes seemed to darken with what Sakura could only decide was jealousy. And perhaps it was a dormant part of her human nature that had not been remodified when she was transformed, but she could not help but enjoy the thought that Sasuke seemed to hold a guarded protectiveness of her. It made the memory of his hatred when he discovered the truth less harsh and gave her confidence that perhaps they truly could make whatever it was that they were becoming, work. And also that she would be safe if she remained her. That Sasuke came for her, just as he had when she had wandered into the labyrinth.
Sasuke strolled towards her, his steps of a prowling nature. And when he came to a stop just a foot away from her and looked down, Sakura's insides quivered in anticipation as his dark eyes rested upon her. "Well then, if you think so highly of him and his teachings, maybe we should cease our sessions and you can train with him?"
The idea of such a thing had Sakura panicked for a moment, for as much as she resented and hated the repetition and strain of Sasuke's training, she had learned to cherish what was exchanged between them. After each session as they recovered, there was a small window in which they were so exhausted that insecurity and hesitation was dropped just enough that they could open up. It was short and often what some would think a boring conversation. But afterwards, when she was able to process and think about what she had learned or shared, she could feel something growing. Like a frayed rope being rewoven and securing something more tightly. She just was not sure what that was yet. At this point she had more than figured out what it had been in the past, but that was the thing about restoring something broken, it was never the same as it was before.
The panic she had been feeling at his suggestion to end their training schedule left her when she caught something in his expression. He was playing with her just as she had been with him.
She opened her mouth to continue their game of cat and mouse but before she could even begin, a voice which had her skin crawling echoed over to them, causing a cold chill to seep into the very marrow of her bones and she shivered.
"I am glad to see that it is only in nature that starlings and hawks do not get along."
Both Sakura and Sasuke first looked at one another, their eyes locking for an exchanged moment. It was a natural movement as if checking on the others reaction and wellbeing before redirecting to the doorway where Madara was silhouetted.
The ancient seraph stepped into the light, his teeth flashing in a dangerous smile as his dark eyes seemed to drink them in. Like his two most prized possessions on display. Neither of them moved or spoke as he closed the distance and Madara came to a stop in front of Sasuke and Sakura. His eyes moved from one to the other a few times before finally resting on Sakura.
As soon as their heavy weight came to a stop on her, Sakura shifted on her feet, gravitating towards Sasuke. And when his eyes suddenly bled red, Sakura flinched, jerking back like a startled bird until her body backed into Sasuke in her retreat from the demon Lord.
Madara's mouth curled into amusement at her reaction. "Do not worry little starling, I mean you no harm. I just want to take a good look at you. It's been awhile since I have seen you."
It had only been a week since the dinner and Sakura could not have disagreed more with him. If she had it her way, she would not ever have to see him again. And it seemed that thought was written on her face as Madara began to chuckle to himself.
"Still a little hesitant I see," he said. Then his sharingan receded, his eyes settling in their natural black state. Sakura could not help but notice they were the same color as Sasuke's. But Sasuke's, while an inky endless abyss, possessed the ability to reflect some emotion. Madara's were just desolate voids. Cold and empty as the dark bottomless pit they mimicked. They ran down her body until they paused at the hand that was tightly grasping onto the hilt of her sword. "Do you mind?" he asked, holding out his hand.
The idea of arming Madara did not sit right with her. And she could not help but look up to Sasuke for guidance which came in the smallest of nods. When she looked back to Madara, he had an amused smile on his face as he watched them closely, obviously having witnessed their small exchange. Slowly, with the assuring warmth emanating from Sasuke against her back, Sakura raised her blade towards Madara.
"This is one of the swords that was created during the shichinin era, crafted by the infamous mortal blacksmith Masamune," he said as he began taking it from her hand. "It is difficult to believe that a mortal could create anything worthy to be held by aー"
He cut himself off when Sakura took in a sharp inhale of breath as the razor edge of the blade grazed against her skin and cut a deep line across her palm.
"Oh!" Madara exclaimed.
Tossing the what he claimed valued sword to the side, he snatched Sakura's wrist mid motion of her attempting to draw her arm back as she clutched her hand closed against the wound. Sasuke twitched forward but stopped when Madara's eyes flickered to him then down to Sakura.
"Here let me see it," he said as he began to pull her arm straight.
Sakura immediately began to pull away from him. "It's okay, I canー"
"Let me see," Madara said, a force of command in his voice. With his tone, Sakura felt her body give in on its own accord, her fingers uncurling like a blooming flower to display bloody fingers instead of petals.
Madara clucked his tongue as he looked down at the wound. "I am so sorry my dear," he said with a practiced ease, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a handkerchief. "It seems my age is catching up to me and I have grown clumsy," he excused, gently wiping the crimson blood with the white fabric and staining it red.
Soon the bleeding slowed as her blood's platelets began to stick together. But before the flow had fully stopped, Sakura pulled her hand away. "I think that should be enough," she said. "It looks deeper than it actually feels, I am sure it won't even scar," she quickly said, clutching her hand tightly to put pressure against the cut as she began to step away, not just from Madara, but Sasuke as well. Her eyes flicked between them. "I will just go properly bandage this, then maybe pick some things up from the market for a poultice." She looked at Sasuke. "Thank you for the lesson today." She then turned to Madara, but then only gave a quick bow.
Sasuke watched Madara's eyes follow Sakura as she left the room, clutching her hand. As he did his eyes narrowed in suspicion questioning what had just happened. While Madara had been gone for a long time, Sasuke was more than aware that Madara enjoyed his mind games. But what had happened seemed more than Madara just toying with Sakura. Madara had been watching for something while tending to Sakura's hand. Which made Sasuke question again, just what exactly Madara knew about her and how did he know.
Finally, as Sakura disappeared from the armory, Madara turned to him. "It seems she trusts you," Madara commented.
Sasuke shrugged.
"Continue to build it. There will come a time when I may need you to convince her."
"What would she need convincing of?"
Madara shrugged. "Only time will tell us that," he replied and Sasuke watched as he folded the handkerchief and pocketed the bloody piece of fabric.
Sasuke's eyes narrowed but any formation of suspicion was suspended when Madara spoke again.
"I noticed you paid a visit to the surface at the end of last week."
Sasuke's answer only took him a moment of thought to produce. "I did," Sasuke confirmed, knowing well enough that lying was not debatable. Madara already knew otherwise he would not be questioning about it.
Madara walked over to where he tossed Sakura's sword and picked it up. Slowly he meandered to a table and set it down on the cloth that protected the blade from any scratches from the stone table top.
"And what did you do?" Madara asked, his back still towards Sasuke.
At this, Sasuke did debate what to tell him, but it did not take him long to decide. "I met with Naruto and Kakashi," he said truthfully.
Madara turned around at this, his eyes surveying as he watched Sasuke carefully. "Why?"
"They wanted to talk."
"About what?" Madara pressed, not allowing Sasuke his usual vagueness.
"Tch. They just wanted to beg for Sakura to be given back. Not sure why they think she is so important though." He gave out a casual shrug as he sheathed his sword, using the angle of his head to allow his bangs to cover his face in case Madara caught something in his face. "It is not as if she has any special skills or abilities. She can't even handle a seraph sword properly and her chakra is low," he said nonchalantly as he looked back up at Madara, the posed look of indifference on his face.
"You took an interest in her," Madara commented bluntly. Sasuke froze at his words, unsure of how to react to this. Madara was testing him. If he refuted it, it would go against him spending time with her, but if he admitted an interest, it would only most likely instill Madara's belief that his own interest was valid. However, Madara seemed to already sense this and saved him from giving an answer. "I don't blame you for taking an interest in her, she is quite the creature. Just remember," he said, taking up a warning tone, "Beautiful women are heaven for the eyes, but hell for the soul. I always saw that you had potential, it would be a shame if you lost your focus."
Sasuke swallowed but managed to let out a huff. "Don't pretend you care about what I am focused on when we both know you just need me to play my part. A role which I remind you, that you have yet to fully direct me on."
Madara's mouth curled wickedly. "Right now, I just need you to keep doing what you are doing. You're a natural, when the time comes that I feel you need to change your course, I will instruct you."
Sasuke did not like his answer. It was too vague and had too many underlying factors. One of which he knew involved Sakura. For a few moments, Sasuke silently stared at Madara, waiting for him to say more all the while debating if he dared demand more explanation from the Demon Lord.
In the end, he walked away, knowing full well Madara would not say anything. But that was not the only drive that forced him to leave the armory and wind his way back to his family's halls. Instead it was the tugging unsettlement within his chest that had him walking the course. The source of the upsetting emotions is not his at all, but Sakura. He could feel it trickling through the line that connected him like dew drops collecting on a web. Dripping from all directions into one central point and becoming dangerously close to over weighing the thin silk that held everything together.
Following his talk with Madara, Sasuke went directly to Sakura's room without stopping by his. The weighted unease that was not his yet flowing naturally through him practically magnetized him to her and his hand was on the door handle and twisting it. It was only at the last moment when he hesitated, recalling the numerous times she questioned his invasions of her privacy. And at the last second, he remembered himself, and raised his other hand to knock gently on the wooden surface.
When there was not an immediate response he spoke out. "Sakura, it's Sasuke," he announced, even though he was certain Sakura knew it was him just as much as he knew it was her presence in the room beyond.
"Come in," he heard her call quietly after a few moments.
Slowly, he opened the door and stepped in.
It was unusually dim for how she normally kept it. That was one thing he noticed about her, she sought out light in this dim world, never discriminating its source, only for how brightly it shined. And her room was always a sanctuary, candles always lit and illuminating the cavernous bedroom. So it was odd to find everything so shadowed.
His eyes quickly adjusted and searched out to her, only to find her silhouetted in front of the only source of light in the room. Within the small fireplace, several logs burned slowly. At this point only a few low flames of blue and orange flickered at the surface while the rest of the charred bark contrasted brightly against the orange glow where the heat was focused.
Without a word, Sasuke crossed the room and sank down to the floor a short distance away. All the while, Sakura's attention did not move from the flickering glow of the blackened logs. He took her in from the corner of his eye and could see that despite the heat that radiated from the burning wood, she was shivering. His dark eyes traced the trail of prickled goosebumps that ran down her arm until his eyes drew down to her hand. A piece of cloth was clumsily wrapped around while a tangled knot that was already coming loose barely held the bandage over the wound on her palm.
He clicked his tongue in annoyance, reaching out without a thought and grabbing onto her wrist.
She automatically pulled away from him, stopping halfway when his intentions registered with her and she slightly relaxed, allowing herself to surrender her hand to him as he began to unwind the gauze. "I thought you are supposed to be skilled in treating wounds," he critiqued as he pulled away the tourniquet to discover she had not done anything to treat the wound.
"I'm not left-handed," she commented, something missing in her voice.
He looked at her critically then looked to the collection of healing balms and bowl of water that Sakura had seemed to initially mean to treat the wound but never did. Either out of careless neglect or she had blindly overlooked it. Reaching out to the bowl of water and dipping the corner of a clean piece of bandaging, he began to dab at the now crusted bloody line that was scabbed across her open hand.
"Why didn't you just heal yourself?" he commented, thinking back to how her fingers had grazed over his skin, mending the torn and damaged flesh together and leaving a lingering longing within the newly grown cells as they craved for her to touch them again.
"I-I think that is what he was waiting for," she said. "I don't know how, but he knows something. It's like he is just waiting for me to reveal everything to him."
Sasuke paused for a moment, his recollection replaying the memory of how Madara had watched the blood flow from her palm for a moment too long before applying pressure to the wound with the handkerchief. However, when he noticed Sakura's unease, he decided to not comment, knowing that she was waiting for him to confirm her fear. Not wishing to cause the turmoil that was seeping from her to escalate, he bent his head low and continued to dab at the wound.
As he worked, a heavy quietness fell over the room with only the occasional crack of the burning wood in the fireplace to keep it from becoming completely silent. Once he had managed to clean away the blood, he tossed the bandage into the bowl of water then reached for a small container and unscrewed the cap.
"You really don't have to do that," she said quietly. "It will heal on its own by the morning."
Sasuke did not even look up at her, he just continued to dab on the ointment. And Sakura made no attempt to speak again, instead she watched as he dipped his finger back into the container one last time and began to slowly apply a final layer of the ointment. His fingers slowly ran down the cut with the most gentle of touches that all she could feel was the small tickle in her palm. It caused her fingers to slightly curl into herself. And soon they began to graze his own as his hand stilled at the contact.
Sakura watched as Sasuke ceased his movement and just stared down at her palm. Their fingers were so close to entwining that Sakura did not dare move them either way. He stared down at her palm in such a way that it felt far more intimate than if he was staring straight into her soul. And then he raised it and for a fraction of a second, Sakura thought he was going to bring her palm up to his lips but at the last moment, he seemed to notice this as well and stopped.
wind it around her heard him clear his throat and with his free hand, grabbed a strip of cloth and began to When he finished, again he stared at the newly bandaged hand with a frown pulling at the corners of his mouth before he finally looked up at her.
"Sakura…" he began, but found he was not sure of what to say.
Sakura looked away from him, her eyes focusing on the burning logs as she drew her knees to her chest, wrapping her arms around them to hug herself as she hunched over to rest her chin on her knees. Sasuke watched her, not moving, not saying anything, just observing her shadowed profile as he took in the melancholy picture that her profile made.
"I don't like being around him," she said quietly. "He frightens me."
"You can't let him scare you."
Sakura managed to turn her head and give him a wry look. "He knows something," she said firmly, the light dim light casting over her face and giving her a shadowed look. "I just...I don't understand why he is so desperate for me to reveal my true self. Everyone seems to want something from me but I have nothing to give. I don't want to give them anything."
Sasuke felt something in his chest tighten painfully. Was he too included in this statement? Did this mean she wanted to leave, that she expected him to just let her go. Because even as much as he claimed himself to be in power of his own, he was not sure he could do this. With or without Madara's permission. And as much as he wanted to deny it, he could not truthfully say he did not want something from her.
He was not exactly sure what it was, but when he looked at her, all he felt was desire. Desire to be close to her, to touch her, to talk with her, to not talk with her. He didn't care, he just wanted everything. He felt like a child wanting for something someone else had but now that he had it, it was not what he had first perceived it to be. And now he had no idea what to do with it. He had no idea what to do with her.
"..." he struggled to think of a response, scared of what her answer would be for any question he could think of regarding her meaning.
"How did it happen?"
Sasuke's face crumpled, not understanding.
"My death...or…what would have been my death." She shook her head and shrugged. "Whatever it was that caused me to become what I am now."
"You mean they never told you?" Sasuke asked, mostly in disbelief, but there was a tinge of anger as well.
"Not really," she answered. "They just said it was an accident."
Anger that it seemed despite everything they had put her through, there were still lies. Vital and important things that they kept from her. But at the same time, it surprised him. For people so determined to keep her away from him, he would have thought telling her he was the cause of her death would be a good enough reason. For some they could label it as an accident, but Sasuke was not as low as them to not take the blame. Because purposeful or not, it was he and Naruto who had caused her death. They had all caused her death.
After a long pause, Sasuke stretched out his legs and leaned back on his hands as he looked at the glowing coals, acutely aware of her eyes watching him. "It happened the night that Konoha fell. Earlier that day I had warned you not to go there." He turned his head and gave her a wry look. "Like now, you were never very good at listening to where to go and not go." His face became more serious. "But that night I needed you to obey...you didn't..."
Ancient Greece
"Sasuke! Tell me what is going on?!" She tried to yank her arm free but Sasuke only clutched her hand more tightly as he moved forward, forcing Sakura to stumble onward. "Tell me what is going to happen." Sakura's demands were ignored as Sasuke practically dragged her down the steep cliff.
That night he had dropped her off at home with a warning to not venture anywhere until he came for her. Confused and alarmed, Sakura had demanded why, to which Sasuke of course gave no answer.
She had laid awake all night as her wild imagination came up with every reason as to why he would be so worried. Was something going to happen to the city? An attack from the Persians? A natural disaster? Recent news of Atlas' shifts had caused an entire city to crumble and fall into the sea. Could that be what was about to happen here? She knew he had extra senses and wondered if he sensed something approaching. Like animals who quieted or fled when something bad was going to happen. The calm before the storm.
And given his most recent behaviors, she felt desperate. She wasn't sure if he would know either, but she needed to talk with someone who could give her answers. She needed to find Naruto. So just before the sun began to descend behind the horizon, she had begun to venture up to the temple on the mountain where she had learned to be a place where seraphim claimed as an earthen home and was ruled by Naruto's parents.
She had been halfway up the mountain when she noticed the smoke. It billowed and gathered into a dark cloud, the heat of unnatural fires that burned along the mountainside, clashing with the cold air coming in from the sea.
Thunder rumbled down from the sky and soon Sakura began to notice streaks of lightning flashing violently through the trees ahead. Only unlike the lightning she was familiar with, this was not like Zeus' strikes that zig zagged across the sky. It was erupting from a figure flying just above the tree line and aiming towards another figure who was screaming angrily as he too produced a swirling ball of energy.
Her heart thundered within her chest as the glow of each element in their hands illuminated their faces. It was Sasuke and Naruto. And they were trying to kill each other.
A wrenching scream escaped her throat as her body began to move forward, carrying herself between them as she took in their advancing attacks. Sakura's head whipped from side to side, watching as their contorted faces of anger morphed into surprise as she centered herself between them. The last thing she recalled was turning her body to face Sasuke, the whites of his eyes reflecting the blue electricity as he looked at her with wide, horrified eyes.
"There was no stopping our trajectory and all we could do was move our hands just enough to not physically hit you. But instead we ended up moving the same way and our attacks collided…" Sasuke was quiet for a moment as his dark eyes stayed forward. "The force of our attacks were meant to be lethal and when they collided, it was nothing short of an explosion of insurmountable energy. It took me several months to fully recover from the damage that my own body received and I cannot imagine it was any different for Naruto. However, for you...you were just a mortal.
"After I was able to move my body and get myself to you, your body was already shutting down. Naruto had said to bring you to Tsunade which was exactly what we did. But after a moment, she told me there was nothing she could do. So I left..."
Sakura watched as Sasuke swallowed thickly and a shadow of guilt played across his face. "That is when she turned me," Sakura finished for him.
"..." Sasuke was quiet for a moment, only the occasional crackle of the burning fire keeping them from being absorbed by silence. "I never should have left," he admitted, turning to her. "I'm sorry I abandoned you."
"..." It was Sakura's turn to pause. "I don't think I would be here if you had not," she proclaimed truthfully. "I don't know if Tsunade would have saved me then."
It was harsh and painful to imagine. Sakura knew that Tsunade would never have hesitated now. But back then...Sakura was more than aware that the woman who raised her was not the same woman that transformed her. She had not been in a good place at that time. Back then Tsunade only knew loss and betrayal. She was a person who had lost hope in not just humanity, but all beings. From mortal's to gods and everything in between, it was a plague that was slowly destroying the world. For Tsunade, life and the perseverance of it seemed to only extend that.
Sasuke turned his head, his obsidian eyes looking over at Sakura with observance. As he did, he noticed her concentrated face slowly change as a small frown began to pull at the corner of her lips. "Are you okay?" he inquired softly.
Her green gaze, which was darker than usual, lifted up from the spot of the carpet they were sitting on. "It's just odd," she began. "Knowing there was a whole life that I lived yet cannot even recall an image of it on command. I just…" She shook her head. "I just wish I could remember. If I could know for myself what exactly occurred and know what it was like." Her hands came up to her chest. "I can feel it here. I feel all the emotions and connections to those events but I have nothing to connect them to. It's like having another person living within me and no matter how much people tell me or explain to me, it hardly makes a difference. Because it's not my memories, not my recollections, it's their version and it never matches with what is living within me."
It was quiet for a pause before, "I can bring them out," he offered, causing Sakura to look up at him. For a moment he hesitated then offered again. "If you want, I can help you remember."
Her eyes flicked back and forth as she took in his face. All the while Sasuke held his breath and when her mouth parted, his eyes darted to them as he read her words on her lips.
"Okay."
It was hesitant, but it had just enough surety that he was willing to overlook it and take her answer as full consent. For a long moment they looked back at one another, each staring quietly as they seemed to silently debate how to do it. And then as if synced, they both shifted.
They each settled down cross legged on the rug as they faced each other. For a split second, Sasuke hesitated, then slowly raised his hands to either side of her face. The warmth from the fire overheated one cheek while the coolness of the dark room chilled the other.
His eyes closed slowly then lifted back up to reveal a blossomed pattern of red in the center of his iris. He felt Sakura react at the sight, her head slightly retracting back but he gently held on. One hand loosened enough to slowly tuck a piece of hair behind her ear soothingly before slowly finding a spot at the juncture of her neck and jaw.
"Are you ready," he asked quietly.
Sakura's eyes flickered back and forth with an expression of apprehension on her face. But the longer she took in his face and felt the soothing touch of his fingers against her skin, she found her apprehension recede as trust replaced it. She nodded her head, meeting his eyes as she prepared herself for the unknown.
Finally! Sorry about the wait I have just been really busy with life stuff and hardly have time to sit down a write. Thank you everyone who checked in on me to make sure I was still doing well. I promise I am just busy with work. I still try to do a little every day but literally its been like a paragraph here and sentence there. But eventually I will finish this story. I am super excited for the next chapter, it is one of the scenes that I have first imagined that pushed me to actually make this story happen. And it will also have the long awaited first flight that many have been asking about!
As always take care of yourselves and enjoy life. Be your excellent selves!