Sorry for the major delay in getting this chapter out. I was unwell for a while, and stress at work hasn't helped with finding free time either.
Updates will be slower from now on. I've just got so many other commitments, and it's becoming increasingly more difficult to sit down and work on this story lately. Please don't be alarmed; I am continuing with it. But new chapters won't pop up as frequently as you've become accustomed to, unfortunately and regretfully.
Many thanks to all who reviewed the last chapter. I really appreciate it! You're all amazing for continuing to shower so much support and feedback on this story.
A respectful reminder to all my dear readers. When I receive constructive criticism, (or criticism of any sort, for that matter), I request, please, that you do not answer by posting criticism-rebuking replies on what you deem is my behalf. I will address it myself. Please don't go out of your way to contact someone who has criticised this story, with the aim of justifying/defending a piece of fanfiction. This story, as a piece of FANfiction, doesn't need justifying. It's somewhat concerning when readers feel strongly enough about this story that they express hatred/throw insults at others who criticise anything about it, and include my penname/story name in their negative comments.
Please remember that everybody is entitled to their own opinion. This story is not going to click with everybody, of course it isn't; writing style is an acquired taste. If people don't agree with characterisation or whatever else, they have the right to express that, just as I reserve the right to agree/disagree with them. I accept constructive criticism, as long as it's politely and tastefully delivered. And if it isn't, then I will follow it up with the person myself. Please don't do it on my behalf. Thanks.
Please visit the links on my profile page under chapter 31 for tracks accompanying the scenes below. The first one plays when Sakura first enters Elysium and Sasuke leads her through the orchards/landscape. The second plays when Sasuke starts moving forward to fight the dragon. The third plays as she enters the Hesperide Gardens and sees the apple tree for the first time, up to the point where she takes a bite from the fruit.
Chapter XXXI
And there,
In glow of blessed light,
Revealed to him,
In passing flight,
A glimpse of truth,
That gold-spun thread,
Raining calamity,
Upon Death's head.
Sakura had not thought it was physically possible for a place to surpass the wondrous beauty of the Elysian Fields, from which Sasuke had just whisked them. But what she found herself gazing upon as the colossal gates silently parted made her realise just how dense and mistaken she had been.
To call the landscape stunning was a gross understatement. The sunshine flooding cheerfully down from the blissful, jewel-blue sky seemed different, more vivid, somehow. Everywhere it touched glistened. Endless acres of rich, verdant, flower-strewn fields and rolling, sprawling valleys filled Sakura's vision, and for a few minutes she was completely overwhelmed by the natural splendour stretching out before her. Blades of grass swaying lazily in the fragrant breeze glinted gold, and even the slender trees littering the expanse of the field seemed to shimmer with an ethereal glow.
Sakura swallowed down a lump in her throat as Sasuke stepped over the gate threshold, turning to cast an expectant glance back at her.
She shook her head, feeling oddly nervous and anxious all at once. It suddenly seemed difficult to speak. "I can't go in there."
The death deity stared blankly at her for a long moment, before directing his gaze toward the heavenly scenery in front of them again. Then his dark eyes returned pointedly to Sakura. This was it. He had brought her to the most sacred isles in his realm – the place where souls shined with their true worth, where no mortal was permitted to tread. There could be and would be no turning back, now.
Without a word, he extended his left hand.
Sakura gulped again, her eyes stinging unexpectedly. Sasuke understood. Of course he did. He was a god and could read the apprehension she knew was written all over her face. He was aware that she didn't feel anywhere near worthy enough to set foot into the divine meadow, comprehended that she was utterly daunted by the staggering, untainted perfection of what could only be described as ultimate paradise.
Yet his waiting hand symbolised his unspoken permission to enter. Sasuke was showing her this place because he wished to, because he believed she could handle it – and Sakura had to reassure herself that as long as he was taking her into it himself, she was doing nothing wrong.
Hesitantly, she put her palm into his, and with a pounding heart, crossed the threshold after him. The second she did, the intoxicatingly sweet scent of a wonderful combination of flowers filled her nose, and Sakura inhaled deeply, her lungs delighting in just how crisply pure and clear the air seemed. Its fragrance was so strong that it overpowered the garlands she still wore around her neck.
She then became aware of a pair of eyes fixed on her, and glanced up to find Sasuke staring. Hard. Thrown by the intensity of his gaze, Sakura tensed.
"What?" she blurted out. Why was he looking at her like that? Had he changed his mind about letting her enter?
He blinked, but offered no verbal response. Instead he led her by the hand, his fingers neither firm nor loose in their hold – simply guiding. When Sakura grew uncomfortable and tried to pry herself free, she was met with a warning scowl.
"Do not stray," Sasuke instructed.
The meaning behind his words was transparent; she had to stay close to him – for what she assumed was her own wellbeing. Sakura averted her eyes, but did not try to tug her hand loose again, even though her skin was prickling from the contact.
As they drifted along, she allowed the long grass ends to tickle the fingertips of her trailing left hand, and her head turned as she heard achingly lovely voices, singing somewhere in the distance. Was that the sound of harp strings, too? She caught sight of pristine white structures dotting the area around them in all directions; majestic, fluted columns forming porticos, heralding entrances into what Sakura guessed were actual dwelling places. Various, elegantly carved, spectacular roofed bridges boasting the same colonnade styles further emphasised the striking scenery of their environment. Golden vines brimming with exotic blooms coiled around the columns, providing fabulous bursts of colour against imperial ivory.
They crossed over a pillared bridge, beneath which flowed a sparkling river. Sakura's lips parted in surprise when she spotted a group of people, young and old, reclining idly by the river bank's edge below. Unlike those she had spied in the Elysian Fields, their clothes were not restricted to white and gold alone – they were dressed in brightly coloured tunics and gowns, in materials that looked luxuriously rich and expensive. They were smiling and at ease, and Sakura was struck by the incredible clarity in their faces – they seemed to be glowing with an almost hallowed light. Even their hair and eye colours were unnaturally bright.
She slowed down, suddenly realising that there were much less people in the new area they had ventured into. Once her mind had gotten over the initial shock, and when she felt an impatient tug on her hand, Sakura commented questioningly, "The people here seem different?"
"These are the Blessed Isles of Elysium," answered Sasuke. "The greatest paradise reserved for heroes and those chosen by the gods."
She glanced back at the now laughing people in amazement. It was no wonder, then, that the light radiating from within them was so tangible. But what did a human have to do, what trials did they need to endure, in order to become a hero, or be chosen by a god?
A thought struck her then, as her eyes darted back to her hand, clasped in the death deity's. Was she allowed to see this wonderful heaven, this Elysium, because she herself had been 'chosen' by Sasuke?
The notion was an unsettling one.
Eager to divert the flow of her troubling musings, Sakura pushed the question out of her mind and allowed him to lead her through a compressed cluster of elegant trees, gazing in wide-eyed awe at the gold-tinged leaves and vines rustling in the dancing wind above her. The exotic, unfamiliar fruits hanging from the branches looked ripe and delicious, prompting Sakura's mouth to water.
Pearly, tinkling laughter echoed around them, and Sakura's head turned as she tried to locate its source. She caught a glimpse of slender figures in shimmering silver, sheer gowns, skipping between the trees, beautiful young women with flowers woven in their rippling, silken locks. Curious, large, inhumanly luminous eyes peeked playfully at her from behind tree trunks, and she heard whispers and giggles as some of the women pointed at her, speaking once again in a language she could not comprehend. There were young men too, Sakura realised with a start – handsome, tunic-clad youths with bright eyes and softly curling hair. One of them offered her a smile so charming that Sakura found herself suddenly captivated, drawn in by eyes that seemed to hypnotically shift colours in the sunlight…
Not looking where she was going, she stumbled over an unseen vine knotted deep in the grass.
"Sakura," a sharp voice snapped her out of the brief spell, and a steely arm was quick to steady her.
"Huh?" she flushed, embarrassed to have been caught gawping at the unearthly attractive young men, who had immediately made themselves scarce the second Sasuke had spoken.
The Underworld King's smoky irises seared disapprovingly down at her. "Watch your step," he censured.
Sakura clenched her teeth. Get a grip, Haruno! She internally chastised herself, once the death deity had turned his attention away from her. You'd think you'd never seen a guy before, and they're not even anywhere near as gorgeous as Sasuke is, anyway-
She felt the heat in her cheeks immediately intensify at her mind's treacherous acknowledgement, then relief when Sasuke relinquished her hand at last, permitting her to move freely once again. They followed a grassy path along another crystal clear stream, and Sakura saw yet more feminine figures, giggling and splashing water about as they bathed. Some of the girls were dressed in short, revealing gossamer tunics, and sat upon large rocks, wringing the water out of their hair whilst they hummed; others had only their long tresses to cover their modesty.
Water nymphs, Sakura guessed. They were too ethereal to be human, and she thought that only nymphs could be so at ease with washing so openly.
Butterflies with shiny wings fluttered prettily around them, shedding magical dust. Sakura, clutching the flowing skirt of her gown, snuck a discreet glance at Sasuke, expecting him to have at least spared a look in the direction of the exceptionally beautiful young women as he led the way over stepping stones in the stream. But the God of Death was pressing onwards, his eyes set resolutely ahead, even when the nymphs lowered their heads in reverential greeting to him. As they passed, one of the silver-haired nymphs lifted her head and winked playfully at Sakura, and her watching friends giggled.
Unnerved, Sakura quickened her pace to catch up to Sasuke.
The stream wound down a gentle slope in the ground, and the forest gradually opened up and led them into a fragrant, flowered, pergola-decorated orchard, bursting with what Sakura was certain was enough fruit to feed almost half of her village. Again her mouth watered. Sasuke seemed to read her mind this time though, for he directed a stern, pointed look over his shoulder at her.
"Touch nothing."
Sakura gestured imploringly toward a fleshy, ripe fruit that looked like a spectacular, gigantic purple fig. It looked and smelt so good. Surely just a bite wouldn't hurt? "Can't I try those ones?"
Sasuke's expression remained stony. "No."
She pouted unhappily. "Not even one-?"
"No."
"But they look so delicious…" her voice trailed hopelessly off. The death deity was already moving dismissively on.
She huffed, muttering unhappily under her breath, but her bad mood was soon forgotten as she took to admiring the curtains of cream orchid flowers adorning the many wooden pergolas stationed about the orchard. It was difficult for her overloaded senses to absorb Elysium's perfection, how idyllic and dreamlike and utterly enchanting its fields were. Otherworldly birds with spectacularly colourful feathers sang melodiously, and Sakura watched enviously as they pecked freely at fruits of their choice.
Sasuke cast a surreptitious glance back at the trailing girl, his inner frustration growing by the second. Nothing could hide in Elysium, and yet his eyes had still not perceived the answers he so desperately sought in Sakura. Her inner light was still there, the same alluring warmth that had always drawn him irresistibly in like a moth to a flame – but all he could see was what he had always seen – a pure soul, untainted, almost infant-like in its innocence, as if cleansed of any sin-
Abruptly, he stopped, now staring openly at a smiling Sakura as she bent to examine a joyful yellow bloom on the ground. Her soul possessed a remarkably similar clarity to the blessed inhabitants of the greatest of heavens, those who were chosen by the gods. How had he failed to make the glaringly obvious comparison before? Even as he asked himself the question, Sasuke knew the answer. In the long gone past, Elysium had been supervised by other members of his Clan. He had barely ever set foot in the Blessed Isles, and had never seen a cause to do so, not when there were so many other areas in his Kingdom that required greater attention. Elysium was a place without conflict, where those fortunate enough to enter into it lived in peace and blissful tranquillity. His intervention was not needed in these harmonious fields. But now that he was there, the similarity was unmistakeable.
And yet… there was a markedly different quality to her, too. One he still could not quite pinpoint with his finger. Sakura's complexion, he noted, was definitely brighter here, as well. But he could see nothing of the seal he had suspected had been placed upon her. And nothing of a special essence, either. Why? His eyes had the power to uncover everything – wasn't that the reason why his family had been so well suited to ruling the Underworld? What kind of cursed, complex spell had been cast upon Sakura, that her secrets remained concealed from him even in the holiest of places?
Or perhaps, he thought suddenly to himself, the deeper they ventured into Elysium, and the more time they spent in its light, the more he would be able to see.
When her green eyes lifted to find him watching her, Sasuke abruptly turned. Sakura rose from her kneeling position next to a group of flowers, and clasped her hands behind her back as she trailed leisurely after him.
"How do heroes enter here?" she wondered aloud. "Do they die saving somebody?"
"That is one way."
Sakura considered this. "Is everyone who saves someone else considered a hero?"
"No," Sasuke stated.
"Then why do heroes come here, and not go to the Elysian Fields?" Sakura pressed. "What's the difference?"
It was a valid question, and although he would never openly admit it, Sasuke was pleased that she was asking. It demonstrated that Sakura wanted to distinguish between the heavens – and the criteria souls had to meet in order to enter into the correct place.
Turning his head slightly to the right to indicate that he had acknowledged her query, he said, "The heroes here have performed greater services in honour of the gods."
"What kinds of services?"
"Acts of true courage," the death deity informed her.
What constituted an act of true courage? To Sakura, it was something as simple as defending those who were less fortunate.
"Like giving your life, so that somebody else can live?" she asked.
"For the right reasons," Sasuke told her pointedly.
"Reasons that please the gods?"
"Yes."
As Sakura was contemplating this, something occurred to her, and she was speaking before she had even really stopped to weigh the words.
"Is it an act of true courage, to be unafraid of death?"
Sasuke halted, and after a few seconds of silence, turned to cast an assessing look over his shoulder at her. Slowly, he walked back to Sakura, until he stood within arm's reach, his stormy gaze trailing searchingly over her face.
Then, wordlessly, he reached out, his hand just shy of touching her.
Sakura compelled herself to stand very, very still.
His eyes locked with hers, as his fingertips grazed her chin, before falling away. "You still fear it."
Sakura was puzzled when she felt her pulse beginning to quicken. His words had been delivered as a statement, but he seemed to be waiting for an answer - as if it had been a question.
But Sasuke was right. She had always feared death. Death, decay, darkness, and being alone. And when she had first met its governor, she had been even more terrified. A part of her still very much feared him.
Sakura acknowledged that a large reason why she feared Sasuke was the power he commanded. The awful, absolute power to still beating hearts with a mere thought. At a mere whim. The power to judge and send souls to their final destinations. In many ways, he was the final reckoning for all mortal beings. What humans chose to do with their lives… it was Sasuke who kept records on them, who measured and decided their worth.
But that wasn't all, and Sakura knew it. She feared what would happen if Suigetsu's plan didn't succeed. She feared what it meant that her skin seemed to thrum with an ever increasingly-potent electrifying current, whenever Sasuke came near and touched her.
She chewed anxiously down on her lower lip. What she really wanted to tell him was that now she had seen the heavens, it petrified her to think what Hell looked like. A quiver of apprehension filled her. Was it wise to go along with Suigetsu's schemes? What if she angered Sasuke enough for him to damn her soul to the fiery pits of eternal torment?
Perhaps it was the terror of that possibility, and the need to be reassured, or perhaps it was the keen way in which Sasuke seemed to be peering straight into her thought processes, that resulted in Sakura blurting out what was on her mind. "I'm scared of what will happen to me."
A dark eyebrow lifted questioningly at her words. Embarrassed, but aware that it was too late for her to withdraw what she intended to say, Sakura looked down and added awkwardly, "I'm here now because you want me to be. But if that changes… if you then don't want me around after-" she fumbled and broke off under the weight of his silent stare. God. Why had she even bothered to open her stupid mouth? She could hear how disjointed and nonsensical she sounded.
A feather-light touch at her jaw startled Sakura into looking up again to meet the death god's probing eyes. He had stepped closer, and a cool fingertip was tracing up her skin, following the gentle curve of her cheekbone. Sasuke's focus shifted to watch his digit's movements thoughtfully – and for an intense minute, he seemed to be studying every single detail in her face.
He spoke casually. Unhurriedly. He angled his head, lowering it so that his ember hot eyes were boring into hers. "After what, Sakura…?"
"After…" Sakura began, oddly breathless and agitated all of a sudden. A part of her was indignant. Furious, even. He knew exactly what she was alluding to – the fact that he was purposefully causing her to become flustered only served to further emphasise his arrogance. And so did the smug, barely-there half-smirk on his lips.
For a horrifying instant, Sakura had trouble looking away from that sinfully wicked mouth. Her heartbeat was thundering. Why did those lips seem so unexpectedly inviting under closer scrutiny?
"Well?" the death deity prompted, and she was terribly conscious of his fingertips as they tucked a lock of hair carefully behind her left ear. "Sakura…?"
She needed space. His proximity was stifling and head-spinning all at once. He was patronising her, mocking her, and it struck a bitter chord deep within Sakura. How much of a child did he consider her, if he thought that she wasn't anticipating that he would soon tire and lose interest in her, and throw her away, the way she'd understood from Suigetsu that gods had done to mortals in the past? It wasn't like she was the most riveting and complex person in the universe. She was just ordinary, geeky, sugar-food loving, medicine-obsessed Sakura. And if Sasuke ever obtained what she now knew for certain he wanted from her… if he took the everything he had told her he desired…
She felt sick to her stomach at the thought and at what consequences would doubtlessly follow, what they would mean for her. It spurned her to angrily burst out, "After you don't want me here, and I do die."
A deafening silence followed her exclamation, punctuated only by the melodious tweeting of birds in the trees around them and the rustling of the grass and trees in the breeze.
Finally, Sasuke broke it, stepping forward so that they were even closer. "That is not," he uttered silkily, "your fate."
She faltered, confused, caught off guard. What did he mean? Did Sasuke have the power to see her future, too? Shakily, she dared, knowing that she was being selfish and likely breaking some divine rule, knowing she had no right to demand to know what her future would be, "Then what is?"
Her breath hitched in her throat when his arm slipped around her waist, and he tugged her against him.
"You ask the forbidden, Sakura," he breathed into her ear. "Such knowledge does not come without a price."
She was painfully aware of her heart, pounding against his front, and knew he could feel it, too. Stop, she ordered herself. Don't listen. Don't ask anything else about it. I'll decide my fate. It has nothing to do with-
The remainder of her thought dispersed, when Sasuke murmured again, "Close your eyes."
But paradise was already spinning before she got the chance.
The silver saloon rolled slowly and quietly down the lamp-lit, residential road before drawing to a smooth stop. Honey eyes slowly took in the sight of the trees generously lining both sides of the street. Instead of blooming as nature intended during springtime, what little leaves scattered about the boughs looked sickly, their edges curling and brown.
Global warming, the weather reporters were claiming. But Tsunade knew better.
A gentle touch on her arm made her conscious of just how hard she had been gripping the steering wheel. Hard enough to break – were she at full capability.
"Tsunade-sama?" a gentle voice called to her, like light piercing through the bitterness of her thoughts.
"I've always told you not to call me that," Tsunade muttered, flicking an irritated glance at the dark-haired woman who sat in the passenger seat. "Aren't we sisters?"
Shizune smiled apologetically. "It has become something of a habit, Tsunade-sama."
Tsunade rolled her eyes. "One I'm not sure why I tolerate."
"We are sisters," Shizune responded lightly, her voice laced with ill-concealed amusement.
"Hmph." The blonde shook her head, but Shizune could see the tiny smile playing on her beloved friend's lips. Then they both turned their focus to more serious matters, as Shizune nodded out the window to their far right.
"So this is the place?"
"Yes," Tsunade nodded. Her gaze narrowed as she took in the immaculately tidy exterior of Kabuto's house. She was ready to bet her last bottle of ambrosia that the interior was every bit as clinical and spotless. Snorting derisively, she remarked, "We certainly don't pay him enough for a house like that."
"It does seem odd," Shizune agreed, as Tsunade pulled something out of her dark green trench coat pocket and unwound the material surrounding the object to display a small key.
"What do you think it's for?" Shizune whispered.
Tsunade frowned and shook her head. "It could be anything. But my hunches have never been wrong before. That weasel is up to something." Her eyes returned to glare in the direction of the junior doctor's house. "I can feel it," she added with conviction.
"The lights are on," Shizune noted what they could both see.
Undeterred, Tsunade's left hand closed tightly around the key. "I'll come back when he's on shift," she vowed. She would find out what the key was for – and what Kabuto was up to, once and for all.
A silence. Then a hand was laid softly upon her angry fist, and Tsunade had to blink back the tears of frustration and misery that threatened to overwhelm her vision.
"We'll come back together," said Shizune softly, "as we have always been."
When the world finally stopped rotating and feelings of light-headedness diminished, Sakura looked around her – only to gasp in astonished delight. Sasuke had transported them to yet another spacious cavern – and one that looked like it had rainbows bursting inside it. Pretty rays of light danced around them, and decorative crystal structures protruded from the walls and ground. Light glinted off rock, reflecting many colours, leaving Sakura's eyes dazzled by a magical spectrum.
"Amazing…" she breathed, unable to help herself from extending a hand to touch one of the magnificent, finely cut crystals. It was cold, sharp and hard - definitely genuine.
The death deity moved to one of the walls. "This way," he ordered.
"Where are we?" Sakura questioned, looking around her in puzzled wonderment. She wanted to spend longer exploring the area, but Sasuke clearly had other ideas.
"At one of the paths that lead to the Forbidden Gardens."
That sounded ill-omened, thought Sakura nervously to herself.
Sasuke waited for her to join him. He wasn't sure how the garden's inhabitants would receive Sakura – it was, after all, one of the most secretive of places in his realm, and prohibited to mortals of any kind. In ages past, mortals had believed the gardens to exist at the very edges of the world. They had not been entirely wrong. The gardens lay in the western-most borders of his realm, the path to which could only be accessed through Elysium. The route was far beyond the boundaries of the ordinary living, and what the gardens contained was sacred to the gods.
"Isn't this a dead end?" Sakura's voice diverted his ponderings.
In response, Sasuke reached out and pressed the palm of his right hand against the crystal wall. Sakura's jaw dropped as she watched a silver trail of light blaze to form an arch shape in the wall. The section rumbled back and retracted to reveal a long, narrow, grassy underground passage. Delicate vines hung from the rocky ceiling and thicker, greener ones grew from the walls. The smell of dampness filled the air.
"Keep up," commanded Sasuke, and began to lead down the path. Sakura jumped when the crystal wall slid back into place behind them, and a flitter of trepidation whispered through her at the realisation that she was alone with Sasuke in such a claustrophobic place.
Stop thinking like that, she reprimanded herself, disturbed to find herself so aware of his presence once again.
When she heard rustling and an odd creaking behind her, Sakura glanced over her shoulder and blanched as she witnessed the vines on the walls overgrowing with thorns and tangling behind her, as if to cut off the route from which they had come. So that was why Sasuke had told her to keep pace with him. If she fell behind, she would be ensnared and suffocated.
She hurried forward until she was just a single footfall behind Death God, but she could still hear the path swallowing up at her back. To her relief, the passage ahead soon began to open before them, until it spilled out into a wide, circular cavern. Sakura looked back to find the passage they had just come out from completely blocked by jagged vines and knotted, curling leaves. She gulped, but Sasuke returned her attention to his tall form as he moved toward the middle of the cavern.
There were many openings in the rocky walls around them, providing entrances to unknown places. Sasuke's sight, however, was set firmly on the one directly ahead of them. A floaty curtain of flowered vines concealed what was beyond it, but Sakura could see golden light filtering through.
She began to follow, when the death deity abruptly held up a halting hand, and sharply instructed, "Wait."
Sakura paused, frowning in confusion. Her irritation at the bluntness of the order turned to uncertainty when Sasuke abruptly drew Kusanagi out of its sheath.
"What are you doing?" she asked uneasily. Sasuke did not reply, instead stood very still as if he was listening intently to something.
"Sasuke-?"
"Keep still."
"What?" Sakura shifted, resting her hands on her hips. "Why-?" her breath hitched in her throat when, without warning, a bone-rattling, ear-splitting roar suddenly reverberated all around them. It chilled the very blood in Sakura's veins, and she covered her ears, stunned and immediately terrified. But it was the wrong thing to do, for she didn't hear Sasuke calling her name, and the next thing she knew, a great ball of fire was hurtling straight toward her.
Her body froze over, shocked into inaction by how surreal the flaming sphere looked.
Is that really a-?
Her dumbfounded thought was lost when a hard arm wound around her waist and she was hauled back, out of the hell-ball's destructive path. Sakura lost her balance and toppled to the floor in Sasuke's arms. Onyx eyes locked with hers, as another roar caused bits of debris to crumble and fall from the roof of the cavern.
Sasuke inwardly cursed. The dragon guarding the precious treasures contained within the gardens had obviously sensed a mortal's arrival at the entrance and left its usual post, coiled around a great tree, to remove what it perceived to be a threat to the sanctity of its lair.
'Sakura,' Sasuke's voice telepathically communicated to her, as the ground trembled beneath the devastating weight of beastly footfalls. 'A dragon guards the Hesperide Gardens.'
Sakura gaped at him in dismay. 'A what?'
'Do not meet its gaze-' he broke off, for Sakura's eyes had already lifted to look upon the towering mass of pure muscle looming over the death deity's shoulders. He watched as her eyes became as wide as saucers, and she lifted an unsteady hand to point behind him, her quivering mouth incapable of forming coherent words.
He supposed it had to be shocking, to see a living, breathing dragon in the flesh for the first time.
"Tch," Sasuke released a sound of irritation under his breath. How inconvenient, to be confronted before they had even entered the gardens. The dragon, named Ladon, only answered to another goddess's commands. Simply ordering it not to harm Sakura would not be enough. Sasuke knew that he would first have to immobilise the creature and place it under an illusion, in order to remove all risks of danger to Sakura.
The serpentine dragon was humungous, awful – yet deadly beautiful. A fantastical, magnificent creation, more striking than she could have ever imagined - and Sakura couldn't tear her eyes away from it. She found herself dreadfully mesmerised by the deep, vivid green, lustrous scales that covered the entire length of its colossal body. It possessed ember-red eyes that made Sakura feel like her body was aflame just by looking into them. It growled, and smoke burst from its nostrils with every exhalation. Golden circlets pierced its ears and a huge, golden chain adorned its gracefully curving neck, bearing a massive circular pendant with a whirlpool-like insignia carved into it. Sakura found herself staring at the symbol. It seemed almost familiar. She was certain she had seen it somewhere before…
Her thoughts violently derailed when she saw the size of the dragon's mighty, thrashing tail and the sheer length of its claws. They were alarmingly sharp. Flesh-puncturing sharp. And the dragon was looking directly at her – like she was its next morsel of meat. Sakura swallowed, her heart hammering against her ribcage.
Ladon finally seemed to notice Sasuke, for it paused in its advance, as if waiting to gauge the situation.
"Remember your training."
Sakura's eyes darted anxiously back to the death deity.
"I- what?!" she blurted, her mouth hanging. Had she heard correctly? Had Sasuke lost his mind? Was he actually suggesting that they take on that monster – and she should attempt to fight it, too? "Can't you just order that thing away?"
In response, Sasuke produced three smoky spheres in his right hand. Veiling orbs, Sakura recognised from one of their previous training sessions.
He had to be joking. But Sakura reminded herself that Sasuke did not joke. He was as serious as the dragon that was glowering murderously down at them.
"Ladon answers to another," he explained nonchalantly, depositing the spheres casually into Sakura's unwilling hands. As if fighting a dragon was a completely normal and civilised thing to do.
"Wha-?" Sakura couldn't quite get her head around a creature in the Underworld not obeying Sasuke's command. "You mean it'll attack you, too?"
Sasuke tilted her head and gave her a condescending look that brought horror raining down on Sakura.
"You brought me here to fight a dragon? I'm not- I can't- it'll kill me!" she panicked. How could he place her into such a perilous position? Didn't Sasuke realise that facing a ginormous monster was a thousand leagues beyond what little and basic training she had received? She couldn't believe it, and blathered, "I don't have a sword- I'm not ready! I can't even run in this dress-"
She was cut off by the sound of fabric shredding and looked down in shock to find that the end of her gorgeous gown had been sliced away, leaving an uneven skirt at the back, and a shorter length that grazed above her knees at the front.
She turned startled eyes to Sasuke, whose gaze had been lingering on her shapely and now exposed bare legs.
"Sasuke-!"
But he didn't wait for her to protest any further. The death deity rose unhurriedly to face the beast, brandishing a glinting Kusanagi in his left hand.
'She is with me,' he mentally communicated to Ladon. 'I permit her to enter.'
The dragon snarled its disapproval, displaying razor sharp teeth.
'You will not harm her,' Sasuke ordered, glaring coldly up at the creature. It growled again in displeasure, and responded by doing something that caused Sakura to shriek fearfully behind him. The dragon's head divided into two. Then four. Then eight. Then sixteen…
She scrambled away, until her back touched a rocky wall, staring in abject horror, clutching the spheres tightly to her chest.
Sasuke's eyes narrowed. When the heads reached one hundred, he knew the monster would be at its full power. And while Ladon would ignore and attempt to bypass him, the death deity knew it would stop at nothing until it obliterated Sakura.
It was not his intention to slay the creature. That, Sasuke could do relatively easily. He needed instead to disable it, whilst keeping it away from Sakura – and that would be much more challenging.
He moved fluidly forward, his focus on the beast's mighty legs. Ladon released another ground quaking roar and four of its hissing heads extended, straight toward a horror-stricken Sakura. Instead of her body locking over as she had feared, life-preserving adrenaline finally kicked in and she flung herself out of the incoming heads' path. She realised a second later that there had been no urgent need to move. A bolt of electricity had already impaled each neck and sent the heads recoiling.
Sakura's breath caught in her throat as her eyes struggled to keep track of Sasuke's rapid movements. He was so fast, so sure and graceful in his bearing, and effortlessly evaded every attempt the dragon made to repel him away. He made the fight look more like an elegant, deadly dance. Lightning screeched from his blade and jagged upwards and outwards to strike eight more heads in quick succession.
However, the malicious heads kept sprouting, until Sakura was certain the count had reached about fifty. How many heads did it have? She had read about similar dragons in mythical stories in the past, but to see one with her very eyes was as sickening as it was awe-inspiring. Half of the dragon's heads were looking her way, while the others were busy trying to keep a swift Sasuke at bay.
Her hands tightened on the veiling orbs. He had given them to her not because he needed her assistance – Sakura had no doubt that Sasuke could single-handedly fell the gargantuan beast on his own with little trouble – but as an opportunity for her to put what he had already taught her into practise. It was a chance for Sakura to show that she wasn't just a helpless damsel in distress – even if terror was doing a good job of making her feel very much like one.
Seven more heads shot out in her direction, and Sakura's right hand moved out of instinct. She hurtled a sphere to the ground and it exploded, shrouding her form from the dragon's seeking eyes. Its heads released a unified hiss, and the sound was almost enough to still Sakura's heartbeat. Keeping close to the walls of the cavern, she dashed away from the creature. When she heard whistling wind behind her, she didn't hesitate to throw a second orb, and knew she had stalled the dragon further when its heads growled angrily again.
Adrenaline was coursing through her veins now, and along with the fear was a strange sense of exhilaration that she did not understand. Was this what warriors felt in the midst of a real battle? Sakura continued to run, when a head suddenly flew through the smoke and smashed into the wall directly in front of her, its jagged teeth snapping as it briefly caught in the rock-face. Sakura stumbled to an abrupt stop and choked on a scream as collapsing debris flew onto her, and threw her final orb straight at the enormous head. She then ducked under its writhing neck and raced around the perimeter of the cavern until the veil cleared and she could see Sasuke, his piercing crimson irises tracking her closely.
Ladon's heads suddenly coiled and it reared back, its eyes glowing hatefully. The heads were still multiplying, Sakura noted in revulsion. The creature was no longer beautiful, but a hellish abomination spawned from the most disturbing of nightmares. Then, what was about to happen next hit her, and she knew she would be powerless to do anything to stop it. The smoke billowing out of the dragon's nostrils was increasing alarmingly. It was preparing to shoot scorching streams of flame from its seventy-something jowls – directly at her.
Sakura gasped breathlessly, and froze to the spot in mindless panic. Her heart was careering at cardiac-arrest inducing speed. This was it. Sasuke was too far from her. He was too busy dealing with the hordes of snarling teeth that were trying to get at him-
A blur of darkness flickered before her eyes as the death deity materialised before her. His lowered eyelids lifted, and when Sakura heard his voice, it was chillingly cold.
"Susano'o."
With ear-splitting roars, the dragon's heads fired, and flame hurtled toward them. Sakura cried out, grabbed onto the trailing ends of Sasuke's cloak – a purely senseless gesture stemming from a reflexive desire to pull him away from danger too – but what happened next caused the air to abandon her lungs.
A humungous barrier encircled them, taking the form of a semi-transparent, gigantic skeletal head and ribcage, which throbbed with dark, purple-blue energy. Sakura's tresses shot upwards from the force of the gust that accompanied it, and she clung tightly onto Sasuke as the skeletal frame began to sprout muscle and tendons, before a coating of armour enveloped it entirely, completing the form of a glowing, masked warrior, wielding a massive sword and shield.
The combined balls of flame struck the barrier, and Sakura expected to feel the devastating heat. Instead all she felt was incredible coolness, and the kiss of wind. She looked around her, at the rushing energy that was causing every nerve cell on her skin to prickle. Such a maliciously cold aura… her heart pounded. Sasuke had effectively created an impenetrable shield around them – but its deadly power was petrifying.
"This ends now," the death deity uttered ominously, raising Kusanagi. The screech of a thousand birds filled the air and as he moved forward, the barrier extended, so that Sakura remained within it. The phantom-like warrior released a great echoing battle cry and drew back its sword in turn. What happened next was literally a confusing blur. Sakura saw lightning flash, thin, metallic-looking strings whipping in the air, the dragon's heads snapping and lunging – and then a blinding explosion that forced her to shield her eyes. The ground rumbled and shook, and she lost her balance, falling to her knees.
When the ruckus and smoky dust had cleared, she found herself staring at a fallen dragon, its limbs ensnared by the same strings she had glimpsed earlier. Its many heads had disappeared, and all that remained was the original, its muzzle securely clamped by the glowing threads too.
Sasuke was kneeling next to the head, the palm of his right hand placed against it. The dragon's eyes, fixed on the death deity, widened – and then began to close sleepily. It released one final, low growl before growing completely still.
The luminous barrier around Sakura disintegrated as suddenly as it had appeared, disappearing in a rush of howling wind. For a long moment all she could hear was the pounding of her heart and the rushing of blood in her ears. Then she became aware of the fact that Sasuke still had not moved. With unsteady legs, she got up and hurried toward him.
"Sasuke?" she reached him, hesitated, and then lightly touched his left shoulder.
To her astonishment, he was breathing deeply – as if the battle had actually made him exert himself.
He stood up, sheathing his sword again as he stepped back from the slumbering dragon. He gave her an assessing once-over, checking for any injuries, and when he found none, began to turn away.
"Wait a minute," Sakura tore her gaze away from Ladon, her mind racing to catch up with the reality of what she had just experienced. "Wait!"
The death deity shot her an indifferent look. She wondered how he could just walk away like nothing out of the ordinary had happened, when they had just battled an enormous dragon.
"That barrier – how did you – what was that? And why did that dragon attack us?"
"The gardens are sacred."
"But this is your territory," Sakura frowned. "Everything in the Underworld answers to you, doesn't it?"
Sasuke's eyes moved briefly back to the fallen beast. "Ladon is not of the Underworld," he stated matter-of-factly.
His eyes returned to her, and he continued, "I told you to remember your training." Sakura bristled, assuming that he was about to criticise her.
"Sasuke," she began to defend. "I've never even seen a dragon before-"
"You did," he interjected, his eyes lowering pointedly to her legs. Sakura's cheeks burned indignantly when they lingered. Was he being genuine or sarcastic? His gaze, charcoal once more, then lifted to meet hers. They stared at each other in silence.
Then Sasuke broke the contact, and nodded toward the flowered curtain to their far right. "Come."
She swallowed. Her body was still shaky after the adrenaline rush. Obligingly she followed him, ruffling remnants of debris out of her hair. She certainly wasn't going to stay in the cavern with a dragon that could wake up at any moment.
Sasuke pushed the vined curtain aside, and the sight beyond it made Sakura leave the stress of the dragon battle behind her as they stepped into a delightful, impeccably kept garden, littered with a multitude of trees bearing delicious fruits. Butterflies and birds fluttered about and the evening sky was a marvellous canvas of rich gold, strewn with pale pink and orange hues. Sakura inhaled deeply, relieved to smell fresh air once again. To their left were orchards and pretty pergolas, to their right, a stone bridge bearing passage over glistening rivers that led to flowered glades.
It was beautiful. Everything seemed to shimmer with life, too. But Sakura wondered why this particular area was special enough to warrant having its own guardian dragon, and turned her face inquiringly to Sasuke.
"What did you say this garden was called?"
"The Garden of the Hesperides."
"What are those?"
"Nymphs stationed here by the Queen of the Sky Gods."
Sakura was fascinated. "Who is she?"
Sasuke shook his head. "She is no more."
"Oh," Sakura's shoulders slumped in disappointment. Then she shrugged and clasped her hands behind her back. "May I look around?"
He nodded, and Sakura moved forward, smiling in the mellow, setting sunlight, allowing her body to fully relax at last. The warmth felt so very real – and at that precise moment, it was enough for her. Sasuke remained behind, permitting her space, but staying close enough to move to her side in an instant, if the need arose.
"So the sun sets in Elysium?" she asked, lifting her gaze up to the brilliant, blazing sky.
"Yes. But the sunset in these gardens is eternal," was Sasuke's reply as he trailed leisurely after her, his eyes taking in the wondrous details around them. He could not remember the last time he had set foot here. More specifically, his thoughts briefly darkened, he did not wish to recall that particular memory.
"It's beautiful," Sakura said softly. As she walked, she felt an odd yet pleasant lightness creeping from her toes, up through the rest of her body. It was the sunlight here, she realised. It was soothing, and removed the aches of the cavern scuffle. She heard the tranquil sound of water trickling over rock and sweet voices serenading in the distance. She was drawn to the singing, and strolled toward it, until she arrived at a cluster of willow-like trees with shimmering green-gold leaves, where she came to a stop, gasping in surprise when three exceptionally pretty dryads peered curiously at her from behind glistening trunks. They were clothed in short dresses that appeared to be made entirely of flowers and leaves. Tiny, faint veins of green were visible beneath their skin, and their eyes were large emeralds.
Instead of joining her, Sasuke stayed back, waiting to see how the tree spirits chose to interact with the girl. One of them, a dark-blonde haired dryad, moved fluidly to Sakura, tilting her head interestedly as she offered a shy smile. Sakura hesitated, momentarily uncertain. But something about their lovely faces and flowery scents was so reassuring. They seemed kind. Friendly. And she felt a strange ease in their presence – unlike some of the other unnervingly beautiful nymphs she had already encountered in Sasuke's world.
Another brown-haired dryad gestured toward her dress and began to speak to her companions. Sasuke resisted the urge to snort contemptuously. How typical, he thought, as he watched the other tree spirits' eyes lighten up eagerly. They wanted to repair Sakura's torn gown – as it was in their nature to repair what was damaged.
The third dryad, who had flaming red hair, cast an imploring look his way. All three curtsied low and the redhead murmured her request politely. Sakura glanced back at the death deity in bemusement.
"What's she saying?"
But Sasuke's inky gaze lingered on the sweet-featured, red-haired dryad. After a moment of consideration, he offered a single nod.
They were delighted with his consent, and immediately grasped Sakura's hands, chattering excitedly and tugging at her to follow them into the cluster of curtained trees.
Sakura struggled to look back at him, bewildered. Then she allowed them to pull her along, when his voice communicated, 'They wish to mend your dress.'
The dryads led her deeper into the trees, before coming to a stop by a shallow river. They fussed and pulled at the tattered fabric of her skirt, clucking their tongues disapprovingly. They marvelled over her hair colour with childlike wonder and talked animatedly amongst themselves. Sakura desperately wished she knew what they were saying. Then the blonde smiled and pushed Sakura gently down to sit on the grass. She turned back to her companions and Sakura watched, intrigued, as they appeared to busy themselves collecting something from the trees and flowers around them. They then returned to her, holding thin, dewy balls of threads in their hands, nodding enthusiastically to each other.
The brown-haired dryad pointed at her skirt, and Sakura was alarmed when the redhead moved to untie the lace at the back of her gown.
"Huh?" she spun and folded her arms defensively across her chest. "No. No way. I'm not undressing. My dress is fine, thank you."
They either didn't understand what she was saying or were absolutely determined to repair the damage the death deity's sword had done.
"No!" Sakura protested. In a quieter voice, she whispered nervously, "I can't! Sasuke is right back there!"
Three pairs of emerald green eyes blinked at her, before exchanging glances with each other – and then the tree spirits burst into melodious giggles.
Sakura's eyes darted from face to face in confusion. "What's so funny?" she demanded, not holding onto much hope that they would understand or actually tell her.
They merely offered her mysterious smiles – and the next thing she knew, she had been stripped of her gown, and left only in her undergarments. And so a blushing Sakura sat hunched on the grass, wrapping her arms self-consciously around herself in a futile attempt to preserve her decency. Part of her was terrified that Sasuke would slink out from between the trees around them – even when another part was oddly certain that he was still waiting where she had left him. But fascination soon overtook her discomfort as she found herself mesmerised by the dryads' dexterous hands. They wove the thread expertly and within a matter of minutes had restored the dress to its former glory.
As they smilingly helped her back into it, Sakura marvelled at their work, spun around to test the material's flow. It was perfect, as if it has never been ripped to begin with. When she turned back, she found that the three dryads had mysteriously vanished into thin air.
Where had they gone? And how was she supposed to find her way back to Sasuke? Sakura stood uncertainly for a minute, and then shrugged to herself. She would just continue walking, until the Death God caught up to her. Having a few precious minutes to herself would surely help to calm her mind.
She walked between the trees, touching their barks and sighing at the contentment she felt deep within her. At the same time, she was filled with a terrible sadness. It made her think too much of the surface. And Sasuke was showing her places she could never hope to enter into – regardless of what he claimed her fate was.
Eventually she glimpsed an opening ahead, and stepped into a large, circular, flower-strewn glade, surrounding prettily by trees on all sides – and gasped once again in astonishment. In the middle was a humungous tree, with a lustrous, gold bark and green-gold leaves. It was brimming with a wealth of ripe, pure gold apples. They looked enticingly sweet and succulent, and Sakura's mouth watered in response to the overwhelmingly fragrant scent of the fruit. She had to blink rapidly just to check that she wasn't dreaming.
That was when she noticed three dazzlingly beautiful, willowy young women slumbering upon mossy mounds at the base of the spectacular tree. They were fair haired and ivory-skinned, and wore long shift-like dresses that were white. There were flowers in their hair and one of them held a golden harp in her hand. Another was cupping a half-eaten golden apple in her slender hands.
Sakura's stomach growled. It looked so tantalisingly appetising. She just wanted one bite. Just a little-
No, a voice said firmly in her head. Sasuke told you not to eat anything. Don't you think there has to be a reason why he-?
Her eyes widened when they suddenly caught sight of an apple on the grass close to one of the pretty women, and her thought immediately derailed.
I just want to look at it, she told herself, as she lowered herself to creep toward it. Just a closer look. The skin looks so shiny…
One of the fair-haired women stirred – and with a gasp, sat upright, amethyst eyes tracking onto an approaching Sakura. She blinked, as if in disbelief.
"Korē!" she exclaimed, pointing. Roused by her call, her sisters awoke, the doziness immediately vanishing from their keen gazes.
Sakura halted in place, staring senselessly back at them. She wasn't certain whether to turn around and flee – or to grab the apple and make a dash for the shielded safety of the surrounding willowy trees. Were these the Hesperides Sasuke had mentioned earlier? They were the loveliest nymphs she had seen yet, their hair like liquid sunlight, rippling down beyond their curvaceous hips.
"Korē!" Her sisters echoed sweetly, excitedly. "Korē. Korē!"
What are they saying? Sakura wondered perplexedly to herself. What was a Kore?
Then one of them slipped lithely off the mossy mound and with a flourish of her left hand held out an apple to her, smiling enticingly at Sakura. When Sakura simply gaped at her, the Hesperide gestured insistently with the apple.
"You… want me to take it?" Sakura shook her head in puzzlement. Her conscience was screaming at her to heed Sasuke's warning. Hadn't bad things already happened to her whenever she had disobeyed him before?
But the allure of temptation was too strong to ignore. The apple was whole, and looked so tantalisingly delicious…
The watching nymphs nodded encouragingly.
The apple was deposited into her hands, and when Sakura felt its solid weight and coolness in her palm, temptation won the one-sided battle inside her. She couldn't believe how fragrant the fruit smelled, and inhaled its scent deeply.
The Hesperide that had given the apple to her giggled, and whispered to her sisters. Sakura barely paid them any attention. She was too enchanted by the lustrous sheen of the fruit's golden coat.
I'll take it to Sasuke, she told herself distractedly, as she turned away from the magnificent tree and the mischievously giggling nymphs. Stepping beneath the shaded canopy of the surrounding trees, Sakura made plans to present the fruit to the death deity, and ask him about its curious shine… but she managed only four steps before her teeth bit into the sweetest apple she had ever tasted.
She was taking too long. Far too long. Sasuke scowled, turning his face up to the evening sunlight spilling through the gaps in the vines hanging between branches high above him.
Surely the dryads had repaired her dress. Even if they had chosen to spin her up a new one, they would have finished by now. He considered waiting a little longer – but patience had never been his strongest trait. And so he could not help himself from reaching out with his mind, engaging the direct connection the bangles at her ankles provided between them-
An image flashed before his eyes, causing his breath to still. Pale pink tresses, fanned out on lush green grass. A creamy, slender hand. Closed eyelids.
In a heartbeat, the Death God vanished. When he materialised at his destination, he stared at the sight that met his eyes, half-caught between anger and disbelief. How in the Underworld had she ended up here? Had the dryads left her, or led her? How had she made it to the heart of the garden, without being chased away by the Hesperides?
The fair-haired, cooing nymphs who had been surrounding his target, stroking her hair and humming, gasped as they noted the death deity stalking forward, and immediately scattered, fleeing back toward the sanctuary of the sacred apple tree.
Telling himself that he could always interrogate them later, Sasuke edged forward, cautiously, warily, his thumping heart accelerating with every step he took closer toward Sakura. She was sprawled out on the grass, like an achingly lovely flower nymph that had succumbed to the Hesperides' sweet serenade of slumber - but Sasuke instinctively knew the sleep that had befallen her was anything but ordinary. He could sense the curiously inquisitive, bright gazes of the other nature spirits that dwelled in the enchanted garden watching him with great interest, but paid them no heed. His attention was fully fixated on Sakura, on the light he could see glimmering hypnotically within her soul. A faintly golden sheen had now settled upon her complexion, and the death deity found himself unable to tear his eyes away from her. His heart pounded. Something was inexplicably but definitely different about her. Was this the moment of truth? The second the pebble dropped at last? He could not ignore his divine intuition, which was whispering to him that something was surely on the verge of changing - forever.
He knelt down on the grass beside her. Tentatively – as if fearful of what would happen when he touched her, he reached out with his right hand, meaning to brush an index finger lightly to her cheek – when abruptly, Sakura sat up. He jerked back slightly, surprised, a purely reflexive action, and caught his breath sharply when her eyes suddenly opened and locked directly with his.
Sasuke froze. Their colour was no longer apple-green alone. Instead, her irises were tinged with tiny sparks of gold – barely visible, but definitely there. Her cheeks were flushed, and she seemed breathless. And that wasn't the only thing that was off about her.
The formerly stable, radiant aura inside her was now flittering fitfully, like a caged, agitated bird desperate to break free from within the confines of her ribcage. He stared at her in open bewilderment. Was his vision playing tricks on him, or was that inner light starting to glow out of her body, too?
What was happening?
"Sakura-" he began in confusion, and broke off when, without warning, she sprang up nimbly to her feet, with an energy and grace he had not witnessed in her before. Something fell out of her left hand, something that had been previously concealed from his sight.
A large, tantalisingly juicy golden apple – with approximately a quarter of it missing.
The Death God's gaze widened as realisation struck him like a bolt of lightning. The damned Hesperides had actually offered the girl an apple? It wasn't like them to do such a reckless thing – after all, despite their mischievous nature as nymphs they were guardians of the tree and had been created with the sole intention of keeping the fruit out of the grasp of mortals. And for Sakura to be foolish enough to ingest it… after he had already strictly ordered her not to eat or drink anything in Elysium!
A playful giggle tugged his focus back onto Sakura, just in time to watch her dart away from him, shedding the garlands around her neck, her essence flaring brightly as she delved deeper into the magical garden. Her movements were lithe and faster than usual – but that was only to be expected, given what she had partly ingested.
With an exasperated sigh, the death deity turned frustrated eyes up to the canopy above him – before turning around to give chase.
Author's note
Chase scene and Sakura's dream sequence will be in the next chapter. Also an update from Naruto and Kakashi. Not ideal, as I had intended to include the chase and dream here, but this was already over ten thousand words and I didn't want to wait another month to update. Hope you enjoyed the Sasuke and Sakura time here. Expect more drama and much action in the following chapter.
By the way, to clear up any confusion, Kore itself means maiden - so the Hesperides are actually literally calling Sakura 'maiden'.