Thanks to everybody who reviewed the last chapter. I really appreciate each and every comment.
A note to the reviewers who thought I was somehow rude/unappreciative last chapter; I'm very sorry you felt that way. I do value how much readers enjoy this story; of course it means a lot to me and humbles me as a writer. I just don't want my readers to fight/argue with others who choose to criticise Quietus, constructively or otherwise.
To all the anonymous reviewers who are losing patience with the story because of the lack of a kiss; I know I said five chapters ago that a kiss would feature in the following five chapters, but the plot evolves as I write each chapter and the much anticipated event has as a result been slightly delayed.
Also, I don't know where people are getting the idea that I am somehow 'milking' this story. What? That doesn't even make sense, sorry. I'm not deliberately dragging the plot out. Why would I? I have a plot in mind and am sticking to it. I realise people are getting very impatient. If you can wait just a little more, I hope you'll find that it was worth it.
Ally Braginskaya, yes I do write the poems at the start of each chapter. It depends; where do you intend to use them?
To the reviewer Angel, who did not leave an address for me to contact them; yes, Quietus has become bigger than expected, and you are quite right, I don't deserve credit for the characters, or the original myth. But I'm not looking for any kind of credit. I write this story because I love SasuSaku and Greek myth; it is fun marrying the two together and I enjoy it. The songs are to build a sense of atmosphere when reading. And for the record, I am working on an original novel. Fanfiction is a good way for me to practice my writing skills : ) thanks for reviewing.
Hold onto your seats because a lot happens in this chapter.
Chapter XXXII
Herald the coming,
The impending dawn,
In which fragments are cast,
To the ground as stones,
Spelling a name,
Unspoken, unknown,
Shrouded by time's veil,
Forgotten, forgone.
Never before had she felt so alive. So alert and brimming with energy. It was as though liquid sunlight had been injected straight into her veins and her entire body was thrumming from the euphoria of it. She felt exhilarated, free – like an incredible weight had been dislodged from deep within her chest. And her legs – how light and wonderfully agile they were beneath her!
Smilingly, Sakura flitted through the trees, moving with a grace and elegance she had never before experienced. It was as liberating as it was completely alien – and yet it seemed oddly familiar. As if she was certain that she had once been able to run this swiftly, in a long ago past – but could not quite remember exactly at which point in her history she had done so.
Her lungs inhaled the sweet, fresh scent of grass and trees and flowers, and her senses rejoiced. This was what it meant to be truly free. To feel the breeze rippling through her hair, to smell the earth around her. To be one with nature.
How she had missed it.
The vigour racing through her blood spurned her forward. She didn't know precisely where she was heading. She didn't have a destination in mind. All she knew was that she could not possibly keep still when she felt so delightfully lively. The world around her seemed to be glowing and shimmering much more vividly, as if she were gazing at it through new, finely focused lenses – and, strangely, she felt like she was glowing, too.
And yet, amidst the joyful warmth that had flooded her body, Sakura still heard the whispers of uncertainty in the deepest catacombs of her mind, pleading with her to stop fleeing.
Her conscience was once again fighting a losing battle, however, as she tossed all caution to the wind. At the moment, she didn't care that she was being pursued by Death. In fact, she was confident that she could lose him.
Surely she had done it before, long ago?
What…? Sakura asked herself in puzzlement at the thought, as trees and undergrowth streaked by her. What am I thinking? I've never beaten Sasuke in a race.
The harder she tried to remember, the more nausea seemed to rise up, like a menacing wave that threatened to overcome the pleasurable bubble of elation that had settled over her.
So Sakura stopped thinking about it and instead focused on how cool the grass felt beneath her feet. She had long since discarded her sandals. Who had even invented such silly items of clothing? She certainly had no need for them.
She heard the gentle rustling of leaves behind her and the smile dancing on her lips broke into an exuberant grin. He was trying to catch her. She would make sure he could not, and felt a strange thrill at the prospect of irking him as a result.
Pink glinted between the trees ahead of him. She was quick. Sasuke had not quite expected her to be so nimble on her feet and was once again left to ponder how sensitive Sakura seemed to be to foods that possessed the ability to imbue humans with the power of the gods. She had certainly not ingested enough of the apple for its immortality-gifting properties to affect her so profoundly. She wasn't as fast as a goddess – but she was definitely faster than she had been as a human.
It didn't match up. Just as he had witnessed with the ambrosia, Sakura was exhibiting reactions that did not fall in line with the norm. Further proof, which he now no longer required, that there was more to her than met the eye.
He wove through the trees after her, half-tempted to engage the bangles at her ankles and bring an abrupt end to Sakura's childish game of chase. But the curiosity to see where she was leading them was greater, and so he chose to follow.
The light flaring from her form now was anything but ordinary. It was too bright. Too unstable. His thoughts raced. Was this the essence Naruto had referred to? Was this what had to remain hidden? How had the apple caused Sakura's aura to morph into something else entirely, when she had only taken a few bites?
Because she is not wholly mortal, Sasuke now knew with dead certainty. All the signs and clues he had amassed about her pointed to the conclusion. Her blood was undeniably that of a mortal – and yet her soul was seemingly not. What, then, did that make her? Even a demi-goddess would possess at least some traces of immortality in her veins. Yet Sakura did not have Tsunade's blood. She had nothing.
He sped up and lessened the gap between them – only to watch her spring onto a rock, before propelling herself lithely onto the boughs of a tree. He stopped, momentarily surprised and caught in admiration of the beauty and confidence of her movements – before scowling impatiently up at her.
"Sakura. Stop this."
She peered at him, looking unconcerned by his irritation. "Why?" she questioned, her voice reverberating clearly around them. To Sasuke's ears, it was akin to the sweetest of nectar. "I belong in the trees." Stroking the bark of the great tree she had taken refuge in, she added fondly, distractedly, as if caught in a sudden memory, "They are a home to me."
The death deity's eyebrows drew together slightly at that. What kind of nonsense was she rambling about, now?
Slinking forward like a sleek black panther, his eyes locked onto her, he gestured with a hand, indicating that he wanted her back with him on level ground.
"Come down."
Sakura's apple-green eyes met his and she folded her arms obstinately. "No."
Sasuke's eyebrows lifted at her flat refusal.
"I like it up here," she added. Then, without warning, she leapt from the bough and onto another – as if tree jumping was something she did on a daily basis.
Sasuke watched, speechless, until she disappeared once again from his field of vision. What had gotten into her?
In a heartbeat he alighted onto the branch Sakura had just departed and leapt gracefully after her, expecting to catch sight of her coral head at any moment. After a few minutes, in which there was no sign of her, Sasuke began to realise that she had to be speeding up. As if the effects of the golden apple were growing. There was no other possible explanation.
The trees streamed by in a blur as he engaged the connection between them and continued to track her. She had moved to the left. He manoeuvred fluidly in the same direction, over and under branches, through tangles of leaves and hanging, flowered vines, until he sensed that she had taken to the ground again. Instead of joining her, he remained stealthily concealed in the trees, his movements purposeful and precise as he accelerated. At last he spotted Sakura, and was momentarily caught again by the sight of her sprinting like a young, sprightly doe, her beautiful hair rippling behind her like a dusky waterfall.
He ran along the length of the bough and slipped onto a lower one, his eyes never leaving her, until he drew up parallel to her in the trees. But just as he prepared to flash step in place directly beside her, a thin curtain of hanging leaves cloaked his vision and once he had passed it, Sasuke found that Sakura had vanished from sight, leaving the death deity somewhat bemused.
His eyes darted left and right, seeking her out in the undergrowth. He could not see her – and suddenly, much to his shock, he could not sense her either. It was as though something was suddenly interfering with the connection between them – and was giving him confusing signals.
'Sakura,' he called telepathically to her. 'Enough. Come out.'
Birdsong and the rustling of grass in the pleasant breeze were the only sounds to respond to him. Sasuke waited, scowling, his impatience and uncertainty mounting with every second. What had happened? Only he had the power to remove the bangles at her ankles. How was it that he could no longer trace her through them? Returning to lower ground, he moved noiselessly, waiting for Sakura to give away her whereabouts. For a lengthy few minutes, nothing happened.
"I can see the fields from up here."
He froze, his eyes widening in surprise. She was above him? But he had not even heard or seen her take to the trees again. He turned his face to find her sitting prettily on a high branch, her legs swinging leisurely over the edges. The bangles were still very much intact. As he drew closer, Sasuke noticed that her feet were brushing against slender vines that were hanging off the branch. Some of them seemed to be hiding her calves – no, he realised a second later – the vines were wound around her legs.
Did that have something to do with why he had been momentarily unable to locate her?
"Sakura-" he began again.
"Who is that?"
He fell silent at her interjection, gazing up at her, waiting for her to elaborate.
Her face angled in his general direction, but her eyes remained focused far ahead of her.
"That name you keep calling?"
It was disturbing, to be caught by surprise so often. Sasuke was not accustomed to it – and he did not like it one bit. After all, it went against all of his godly principles. Was she playing some sort of game with him? But no – he already knew her question was sincere. She sounded distracted – yet genuinely confused.
"It is-" he paused, struck by the ludicrousness of the situation. What had the damned apple done to her? The Hesperides had a lot of explaining to do. "Your name," he finished.
Now her gaze did move to him and she looked muddled.
"My... name...?" she echoed perplexedly. Then she shook her head, as if dismissing the thought out of her mind. A brief silence lingered between them, in which Sakura's expression seemed to glaze over, and she murmured as if to herself, "That's right... Hades... he always liked those trees..."
Her words were soft, barely audible – but they rang deafeningly and torturously in the death deity's ears. As if they sought to taunt him.
Something lurched unexpectedly in his stomach as he stared up at her, and for the second time in a matter of minutes, Sasuke was stunned.
She had said it again. A name that had long been discarded. The name by which mortals had worshipped him in ages long past. As if she was familiar with it – as if somewhere, deep inside of her, she possessed knowledge of it.
Quick to mask the turbulence of his internal reaction, Sasuke questioned tensely, "How do you know that name?"
Sakura did not seem to hear him and looked like her mind was drifting elsewhere. Sasuke inched closer to the base of the tree, slowly, so as not to startle her. The thunderous force of his heartbeat disconcerted him, and a part of him bitterly acknowledged that it had been a very, very long time since anybody had been able to throw him as much as Sakura could, so effortlessly.
Noiselessly, Sasuke alighted behind her, but did not move to touch her, wary that she might take off again at any instant. His gaze fixed onto the back of her head, and he watched the way the breeze stirred her silken locks of hair. Was it his imagination that even her hair suddenly appeared to be a slightly deeper hue of pink?
"How do you know of Hades?" he asked again, much more quietly. His heart pounded; a combination of anticipation and cursed uncertainty. Would he receive a coherent response this time?
Sakura blinked, as his voice directly behind her caused her to draw out of her reverie.
"Hmm?" she hummed absent-mindedly. What was Sasuke talking about? The name sounded vaguely familiar; hadn't he spoken it to her before? She tried to remember, but the more she tried, the more her head throbbed. She decided that she couldn't focus on his question. Not when she could see such blissfully beautiful fields rolling out beyond the shielded enclosure of the gardens ahead of her. The fields were calling to her. The urge to go there was overpowering, and so was the sudden need to move.
Bothered by her silence, the death deity reached out, meaning to take her right shoulder and turn her around to face him – when Sakura abruptly sprung forward, hopping lithely from the bough and back down to the grassland below, leaving Sasuke's fingers grasping at nothing but air.
He stood for a long moment, a troubled frown weighing on his features, before giving chase once again.
The forest-like cluster of trees was growing sparser. Sakura drove eagerly forward at the realisation that she was quickly approaching the clearing ahead. Soon she reached the edge of the grove and burst triumphantly out into the endless fields. Her eyes met a blazing, sunset strewn sky – so much more vivid than anything she had ever seen on the surface. She questioned how that was even possible. Then she remembered that she was in paradise. Laughing joyously, she clutched onto the skirt of her gown and waded into the swaying fringes of grass, delighting at the feel of the strands tickling her ankles. The breeze was causing a wonderful array of petals to scatter into the air, making everything around her all the more fragrant. Sakura spun and twirled, extending her arms, tilting her face up to the beautiful sky. The waning sun's light on her skin was so warm.
These feelings… the oneness with nature… the way her body seemed to feed off the natural essence around her… it was like she had been craving it - even when she did not understand how, or why.
Then, as suddenly as the unnatural energy had come to her, it began to drain. As Sakura continued to whirl, she felt a sharp, painful stab deep within her chest, and gasped as her head throbbed unexpectedly, causing her to see stars briefly. All at once, she felt dreadfully exhausted. Like a puppet with its strings clipped, she collapsed limply onto the grass. The sky high above her rotated, and the phantom sunshine's light was now overpowering, paining her vision. She lay sprawled, breathless, disorientated.
What's happening to me…? She had just been feeling so alive. Now it was as though the life had been sucked out of her veins. Like she had run an endless mile marathon, or climbed a colossal mountain. But even panicking about it seemed to require too much energy. She was overwhelmed by nausea and tried to get up when she felt her heart palpitating irregularly inside her. However, moving was impossible when her limbs were like dead weights around her. She couldn't summon the energy to wriggle a single finger, let alone shift her legs.
Sa- Sasuke… she thought dizzily, as the vertigo grow stronger, prompting her to release an agonised groan. Where was he? Her body felt like it was on fire, and yet she was also suddenly dreadfully cold. The pain in her chest was gradually waning, but her head still felt as though nails were being driven straight into her skull.
Heaviness began to settle over her, making the simple task of keeping her eyes open a laborious chore. Her eyelids fluttered shut, the fiery sky ebbing as she slipped into the respite of unconsciousness.
The night was a clear one. Not a single cloud obscured the sky. As he strolled leisurely through the forest, Hades released a light, exasperated sigh. Thanatos had sent him on another resource collecting hunt. He did not understand what the purpose of these exercises was. Thanatos claimed that their mother had need of certain surface herbs which she wished to grow in her gardens. But only a rare few on the surface would grow without the warm kiss of sunlight. His job as youngest in the family, apart from running errands, was simply to patrol the Underworld. But often he tired of it, and longed for more responsibility, more power than what he had.
Hades frowned to himself. He saw no point in imposing a time limit, not when he had gotten so damned quick at locating things. Sometimes he wondered if Thanatos assigned him such superfluous tasks deliberately in order to get rid of him for a few hours. He and Hypnos had been awfully scarce in the Underworld as of late, and on the few occasions when Hades did spy Death and his inseparable companion Sleep, they were uncharacteristically quiet. Well, Hades thought, a tiny smirk gracing his lips, vocal Hypnos was, anyway. His brother had never been one to engage in idle chatter.
He had found the specified herbs, as instructed, with two hours left to spare. Two hours to the time Thanatos had requested to meet him at the mouth of the Underworld. That left him two hours to do… what?
Idly, Hades wondered what the idiot of all idiots, Apollo, was doing at this time of night. He moved gracefully, dressed in midnight blue, with a long black cloak wrapped around his shoulders. A reflection of the darkness from which he originated. He was a whisper, a shadow, invisible to both mortal and deity eyes. His shadow-elemental abilities made it easy for him to blend into the night.
He did not go up often to the surface during the day, although he enjoyed the stillness and quietness that befell the upper world at night. Sometimes he would take a walk after sunset alone. Although he feigned disinterest in Apollo's presence, he was curious about how different the surface was to his home. But he did not like the noisiness and light that accompanied day, and so he avoided visiting the upper world then, unless it was absolutely necessary. On those occasions, Apollo was usually quick to find him. By Tartarus, he had never encountered such a loud and senseless god. It was a wonder that such an important role had been assigned to him, but Apollo was Zeus's son, after all.
If he was lucky, Thanatos would occasionally walk with him in comfortable silence, patiently bearing his questions and quietly telling him stories of the world above them. Sometimes, Hypnos would join them, cracking sarcastic and witty jokes, while making empty threats to Thanatos that he would one day impose a deep sleep on Hades as punishment if he didn't get any quicker at avoiding his attempts to grab him in a headlock.
Hades knew that Hypnos was the only other his brother tolerated. They were always together, so inseparable that they were considered by ignorant surface folk to be masked twins. Sometimes Hades envied the time Hypnos got to spend with Thanatos. But he knew it was largely due to the nature of their roles – Sleep and Death had always shared a close bond.
Those pleasant instances of camaraderie were growing fewer and farther in their frequency. Hades scowled as he stepped over a fallen log. Perhaps he would return home early. What did it matter whether he-
His thought trailed off, as a glimmer of light to his right suddenly caught his eye. Having nothing more urgent to direct his focus elsewhere, he abruptly changed course, slinking stealthily in its direction, weaving noiselessly through the undergrowth until he came to a clearing that opened up to a pretty little glade. Keeping behind a tree, he peered curiously out into it.
A slender figure was standing with her back to him, clad in a light, white gossamer gown, with a thin, plaited golden girdle wrapped above a softly curving waist. Her hair was like a pale silken river, falling past her hips, but it was the light exuding from her and glimmering in her outstretched hands that captured his attention - and held it fast.
He watched, transfixed, as the dull grass around the maiden's legs rustled and straightened, as if it were being infused with fresh life. Flowers uncurled and with a pretty burst of soft green light, sprung joyously into full bloom. Leaves that had been crisp and dry were hydrated and glistened with renewed shine. Vines hanging between the trees on the other side of the clearing grew thicker, stronger. Soon, the entire area was brimming with life. Even the tree shielding him seemed to exhale – as if the presence of the goddess standing in the glade had breathed new vigour into it.
Hades's eyes darted back to find that she had started swaying gracefully. He watched her hips move alluringly in time to the sweet tune she was humming, and when she suddenly twirled, he was struck with recognition – and was troubled by the unfamiliar, unexpected jolt deep within his chest.
That face. He knew it. That peculiarly-shaded hair. By Tartarus. He recognised her.
The grass was curling gently around her calves, as if feeding directly off the blinding essence that was radiating from her. One after another, flowers shyly uncurled their petals, releasing an incredibly sweet scent. He stared at her, wide-eyed. What was this strange gift? Why were the blooms leaning toward her – as if she was their sun? As if she was Spring itself?
He had never seen anything like it. The warmth and light glowing from her – for a terrible, frightening moment, he could not tear his treacherous, dazzled eyes from her light imbued form. It was wondrous, enchanting – and foreign to him all at once. He was so accustomed to the darkness, that he did not know how to process such brilliance. What he had witnessed was the polar opposite to death – his Clan's domain.
Unthinkingly, he rested a hand on the tree before him – and the instant he did, Kore gasped, and froze. Her head whipped around to look directly his way, and Hades tensed, caught by surprise. It was not possible – she could not see him when he wrapped his shadow element around his form. And yet her luminous, gold-tinged green eyes were staring straight at him.
"Who is it?" her voice, as soft and honey-like as he remembered it to be, demanded.
Hades scowled – and that was when realisation hit him and he glared accusingly at the renewed tree before him. He supposed it made sense that the gift this goddess possessed allowed her to somehow communicate with the flora she so evidently nourished.
"You had better show yourself," she added, her voice quivering with uncertainty, "before I inform my mother."
Was he supposed to be afraid? Fighting back a snort of disdain, Hades saw no point in keeping himself concealed. He had nothing to hide. Quietly, he blended out of the shadows, stepping out from around the tree.
He had the satisfaction of seeing her look startled. A slender hand flew to her rosy lips, as she gasp, "Y-you!"
He raised a dark brow in response. Several heartbeats passed in which they both regarded each other with caution. She glanced around them, looking oddly nervous. Then, with a suppleness and swiftness that caught Hades quite off guard, Kore suddenly darted away, slipping deeper into the quiet forest like a sprightly deer seeking to escape from her predator.
He stared bewilderedly after her. Well, here was something new and thoroughly refreshing – a girl running away from him, instead of flinging herself at his feet. How intriguing. Hades was pursuing her before he had really stopped to consider his actions. He was doing it on a whim, he told himself, because he had time to spare. Because he had never met a deity with such riveting gifts. Because, although he would never admit it, his curiosity had been snagged and he wanted to watch her create life again. It wouldn't take long to capture the young maiden. After all, there were few immortals who could match him in speed. A doe-eyed, naïve little goddess would cause him little trouble.
But Kore proved to be faster than he had initially anticipated, for he quickly lost sight of her slender form in the undergrowth. It was as though the trees themselves were trying to obstruct his path with their low boughs and endless curtains of leaves. Soon he came to a stop at another small clearing, and listened intently. Silence. Then something crackled in the branches high above him, but when he tilted his gaze upward he found only a squawking blue bird, angling its head quizzically at him.
Still listening closely, Hades spoke, somehow certain that she was lingering nearby – even if he could neither see or hear her.
"I am unarmed," he stated, holding his hands away from the blade at his waist, indicating that he had absolutely no intention of using it. He waited, and when nothing happened after another minute, he added, "You shan't be harmed."
Another minute passed. Just when Hades was beginning to think that she might have actually managed what few other immortals had ever managed to do and eluded him, he heard a gentle rustle behind him, and turned to find the goddess peering at him from around a tree trunk.
The moonlight that filtered through the leafy canopy above them cast a flattering silver glow upon her features. Yes, on closer scrutiny she was definitely the same goddess he had met in Apollo's company – but somehow she seemed even more delicate than he recalled. She radiated purity and light. Her eyes were large and long-lashed, and her childish, button nose and rosy lips made him internally question her age. Her silky, flowing hair was the same striking shade of coral pink, spilling down like a glorious river behind her. It kept falling into her heart-shaped faced, and she kept pushing it automatically back behind her right ear.
It was only when she spoke that Hades realised with a start that he had been staring quite openly at her.
"Please leave this forest. My mother will return with Lady Hestia at any moment, and I am not to speak to anyone."
Hades folded his arms across his chest, signalling that he wasn't about to go anywhere.
Kore gripped tightly onto the bark of the tree. Her heart was beating fast, and she was not enough of a fool to attempt to deny why. The enigmatic Hades was standing right there in front of her, clad in dark blue and black and looking as sinfully handsome as he always did – perhaps even more so under cover of darkness. He seemed to wear the night like a second skin. His lustrous charcoal eyes glinted in the moonlight, piercing into her, and the incredible aura of raw power and masculinity radiating from his tall, arresting form was enough to set her entire body on edge. Why had he been prowling around her mother's fields to begin with? How had nobody spotted him? How long had he been watching her create flowers, and why had he chosen to follow her?
A part of her whispered that she ought to run. He certainly looked like untameable trouble. Another voice pleaded with her to stay, was overcome with curiosity. She wanted to gaze at that face for longer. What was he like? Was he really as cold, arrogant and indifferent as he appeared? She had never really spoken to him alone – Apollo had interrupted her attempt to do so the previous time. Would he interact differently now that the Sun God was not with them?
Her thoughts were diverted away from her musings when Hades spoke again, his voice like black velvet, enveloping her ears in luxurious darkness.
"Hn. How childish," he remarked, and allowed himself a moment of smugness when he saw her blink in surprise - before bristling indignantly.
"I- I beg your pardon?" she stuttered.
"Do you always flee to your mother?" he taunted.
Kore's lips parted and she frowned. She did always listen to her mother, unconditionally – but she most certainly didn't want a god like Hades to think she was nothing more than an over-protected, pampered little fledgling.
"My mother acts only to protect me," she defended.
"So you are a child," he mocked.
"I am not a child."
"Hn," he turned his face dismissively away.
Horrified that he did not seem to believe her, Kore insisted, "I am not!"
Immediately, searing eyes locked back onto her. "Prove it," he challenged.
Kore faltered, regarding him uncertainly. What was he planning?
Hades gestured nonchalantly with his head. "Come closer," he dared her.
She automatically shook her head and made to take a step away.
The dark-haired god regarded her coolly, before mocking flatly, "Afraid, little goddess?"
Kore swallowed. A part of her wanted to flee. Her mother had warned her many times in the past about deities who looked like Hades. They were only ever after one thing. Just because the young god standing before her seemed different and shared some strange friendship with Apollo, that did not mean she could afford to lower her guard.
However, another part of her, the part that Aphrodite was always trying to coax out of her, was screaming at her to prove him wrong. She remembered how Aphrodite was always teasing her for being so timid, so obedient.
"Tch," uttered Hades derisively. She could see that she was rapidly losing his attention, for he stepped back, and began to turn dismissively away. She wasn't so interesting after all. Just another mindless, muddled maiden who was too young to make her own decisions. Even her life-giving gifts could not salvage that.
No sooner had he taken three steps, he heard her move. He glanced back, to find her edging away from the tree, inching closer to him. She clutched onto the skirt of her dress. Its flowing material was long at the back and grazed her knees at the front. His eyes lingered briefly on her legs, noting that she was barefoot – before he turned back to face her.
She continued to step toward him, stopping when they were a mere two metres apart. She lifted her face, in what he supposed was meant to be a look of defiance. He resisted the sudden urge to smirk. She looked more afraid and anxious than she did brave. Such a small thing… and yet he was ready to guess that she was the life-force responsible for sustaining the entire forest.
"You command life," he remarked.
Kore bit her tongue. Her mother had always forbidden her to share information about herself to others. But how dangerous could a friend of Apollo's be? The temptation to speak back to him was overwhelming, even though the guilt of disobedience was gnawing away inside at her. She felt the same inexplicable, almost magnetic attraction she had experienced when she had first set sight on him. He exuded such elegance, such dark beauty… and those searing eyes seemed to hold all kinds of alluring secrets.
"You are a friend of Apollo's," she answered, trying to determine whether it was safe to disclose anything to him.
Hades snorted at that and averted his gaze. "Hn. That moron," he uttered, but it was more with exasperation than genuine dislike.
"He can be quite overwhelming," Kore fiddled nervously with the loose end of her girdle.
When Hades said nothing to that and merely stared back at her, Kore felt her pulse accelerate. What did he want? Why was he looking at her so silently? Suddenly she was awfully self-conscious. Did he consider her strange-looking? Unattractive? She felt heat burning her cheeks, and was thankful for the cloak of night disguising it.
"I'm-" she began, but Hades was quick to interject.
"Why is this forest blooming?"
Kore blinked at him, confused by the obviousness of the question. "It is nearly springtime," she answered.
Hades pounced. "You are Spring," he stated with certainty.
She shook her head, realising that his question had been deliberately posed to formulate the conclusion. "Please leave. If my mother returns-" she broke off, for Hades had taken a step toward her. Her instinct was to leap away, but his movements were so careful that it caused her to reconsider and hold her ground. However, she sent a whisper to the grass beneath his feet, ready to defend herself as her mother had taught her to do, if the need arose.
But Hades innocently held up a hand and uncurled his fingers. Inside it was a brown leaf.
"Renew this," he instructed.
Kore's eyes darted from his face, to the leaf, then back to his face again.
"It has been severed from its root-"
"But you can restore it," Hades insisted.
Their gazes locked, and for a long minute, Kore found herself unable to break it. His request was a strange one, and she did not understand why he was making it. But he had already seen her creating flowers. He now knew what her gift was. What was the point in denying otherwise? He looked so keen to see her restore the leaf. She did not want to lose his interest. And she supposed she could always enlist Apollo's aid in ensuring that Hades did not share his newfound knowledge with anybody else.
Throwing all caution to the wind, she decided to trust him. She did not think a friend of Apollo's could be any kind of villain – not when Apollo swore brotherhood with him.
She held her right hand directly over his palm. Hades scarcely acknowledged that he was holding his breath as incredible warmth radiated from the light glowing from her hand, into his, then all the way up his arm. It was so unfamiliar. And yet… oddly soothing.
He watched, with wide eyes, as the leaf's colour began to change, until its previous coat of green had been completely restored to its full lustre. He looked back at the goddess. Her eyes were luminous. Once again, he found himself briefly unable to look away as his mind raced to digest what she had just shown him.
If she could reverse death in plants, could she also reverse death in humans? Or was her gift limited only to that of the seasons? He was struck by the discovery that there existed another deity with the power to undo decay.
She began to withdraw her hand – and when Hades reached out as if to take her wrist, Kore immediately retreated. Her heart pounded. She decided that she had shown him more than enough. It had been a mistake to reveal so much to Hades, when she knew so little about him.
"I must go now. Please leave," she entreated, backing away.
He stepped forward, as if he had no intention of allowing her to escape.
"My mother will return at any moment." Kore looked nervously behind him. "If she finds you here with me-"
"You will not outrun me again," Hades stated confidently, his eyes glittering with open challenge.
Kore blinked, surprised, and for a heartbeat, neither of them moved. Then she abruptly darted away, and he was after her in a flash. They raced through the forest, weaving through the trees, under and over boughs. When she took to the branches, Hades followed, and when she sprang through the undergrowth, he pursued. She was certainly very quick, or perhaps it was simply her environment that afforded her a great advantage. Kore's feet seemed to know every short-cut and every clear path to tread. But Hades had always been known for his speed. At length he began to gain ground on her, until eventually he was close enough to reach out and snag her.
His arm extended, his fingers seeking her wrist – and that was the last thing he remembered, before what happened next was a blur. He felt something wind around his arm, a great tug and the application of pressure – and then the world screeched to a sudden halt. He blinked and looked down, stunned to find vines wrapped around his arms and torso, effectively immobilising him.
He looked up, to find Kore hanging gracefully from vines between the trees.
"I am sorry," she murmured quietly, looking genuinely apologetic. "I asked you to leave."
He glared at her for a second – before a small smirk graced his lips. He had always enjoyed a challenge – and this foolish little goddess was certainly the most interesting he had encountered in a very long time. There was clearly more to her than he had initially assumed – but she clearly had no idea who she was meddling with.
Kore's heart raced. The smirk on his mouth was so devious. So wicked. So… so utterly delicious. She was horrified at the sinfulness of her thoughts. It was wrong, her mother had always told her, to desire anyone before marriage.
She opened her mouth to inform him that her mother was approaching, but the words never left her lips. She watched, wide-eyed with mounting shock and horror, as her vines began to change in hue, turning from a lush green to a pale, sickly colour, before shifting to brown. They dried and shrivelled and with little effort, Hades began to pry himself loose, his piercing eyes locked onto her as he caused the vines to wither harmlessly. Alarmed, she summoned more. But he kept killing them with the touch of darkness, his eyes narrowed pointedly at her.
"Darkness," he uttered haughtily, as he continued to allow her a glimpse into a fraction of the power he wielded, "is superior to light."
Kore was stricken. Was this his gift? Did he bring the winter? Did he bring suffering to trees? She gasped fearfully, not wanting to see any more, too dismayed at the realisation that the god, whose devilishly good-looks had weaved some manner of spell over her better sense of judgement, was the wielder of such awful power. Afraid that her mother was on the verge of sensing a trespasser in her lands and catching her red-handed with a stranger, she summoned enough vines to keep Hades preoccupied and to prevent him from following her, before turning and hastily fleeing away.
By the time Hades sliced himself completely free, he acknowledged, with mild irritation - and a reluctant respect - that Kore had succeeded in losing him once again.
Sunset was falling in Elysium. As Sasuke reached the edge of the cluster of trees that led out of the territory of the Hesperide Gardens, he found himself contemplating where the time had gone. He always seemed to lose track of it in Sakura's presence. But he did not want to dwell on what that fact really meant.
She was directly ahead and had stopped moving. He could sense her without difficulty again. As he strode unhurriedly forward toward her, he realised that his heart was drumming. This time, he vowed that he would not allow anything to stop him from reading her mind. He would find out just how she knew of Hades, once and for all.
He spotted her, lying in the grass, sprawled as if in deep sleep. So she had passed out again. He sighed lightly as he approached her. It was almost becoming predictable, this strange pattern of behaviour. As he reached her, he blinked, wondering if his eyes were someone playing tricks on him. But it was no illusion. The flowers directly surrounding her really were angling gently in her direction. It was subtle, and he might have missed it entirely, had he not been looking closely enough. He stood incredulously over her for a minute, his eyes carefully absorbing every detail in her face. Her skin still had its dewy gleam. There still seemed to be something off about her. He knelt down, and as soon as he did, the blossoms seemed to relax back into their original positions. Scowling, Sasuke turned his attention back to Sakura, and brushed a strand of hair from her eyes.
"Sakura," he called to her, even when he already knew she could not hear him. Then, before his very eyes, the strange glow that the apple had bestowed upon her began to ebb and wane. She sighed in her slumber, and her complexion returned to normal, the blinding light within her reverting back to her pure aura.
The death deity reached out to touch her, but hesitated. In the flattering glow of the setting sun, she was so achingly lovely. Like a flower that was on the verge of blooming into the most beautiful of all. His eyes stopped on her lips. They were soft and plump, and a sheen of moisture gleamed invitingly on the lower of the pair.
The tips of his fingers brushed against her cheek, and he was barely conscious of the fact that he was already leaning down, flowing toward her. Like a moth drawn powerlessly to the flame it knew would consume it.
How long had he waited to taste the sweetness of those lips? Far too long, he knew, from the painful ache throbbing deep within him. No other deity would have held back for so long. Many had fallen to far prettier faces. So what had caused him to do so, when thoughts of Sakura had tortured his waking being for so long? He desired closeness with her, and yet his hands did not dare to do what others of his kind had done with the women that had captured their fancy.
It was her purity. The same force that pulled him relentlessly toward her was also what kept him at bay. She was sprawled out before him, vulnerable, defenceless, and while he might have entertained taking advantage of such a tempting situation beforehand, he found that now he could not. He could not taint her. And that was all his hands were good for. Sasuke listened to her breaths, deep and slow. He could sense the steady rhythm of her heart. And he cursed it. The need that she caused to rage inside him, that he had been fighting to suppress. For her sake. He exhaled, suddenly struck with anger and indignation. Since when had he cared so much about her feelings? Since when had they begun to override his own? Hadn't his conscience withered along with his long forgotten past?
What was she doing to him?
Her lips were so close. As if to prove a point to himself, he closed the gap between them, stopping when they were a mere whisper from his. What if he could not stop? What if, once he tasted those divine lips, he kissed her until he claimed all the air from her lungs?
He pressed his forehead to hers and lowered his eyes, releasing a trembling breath.
'What are you?' he thought out to her. The chirruping of birds and the lazy swishing of grass around him were his only answer.
He angled his head, to capture her mouth, wondering if doing so would somehow quench the fire inside him and provide him with all the explanations he so desperately thought. But his lips only succeeded in brushing lightly and chastely over hers, before his mind, which had been simultaneously extending to probe hers, suddenly struck against a blinding white barrier. A jolt of throbbing pain overcame his mind, causing him to jerk abruptly away from her. He expected it to end there, as it had before, but this time was different. Something flashed transiently across his vision – an imprint that was so infuriatingly familiar, he almost recognised it – but when he reached out to touch her forehead with gritted teeth, in an attempt to force his way through the mental obstruction, the pain became unbearable, so agonising that it caused the air to fracture cleanly in his lungs and his vision to swarm over. That was the last thing the death deity recalled, before everything fell to darkness.
Sakura's eyes fluttered open to a twinkling midnight sky. She blinked groggily, struggling to remember where she was and what had happened to her. She shifted, as memory slowly trickled back to her through the haze. Sasuke had taken her to the Hesperide Garden. She took a deep breath of cool air – only to lose it a second later when she looked to her right.
Sasuke was lying on his back on the grass beside her. With a poorly suppressed, startled yelp, Sakura sat up, staring wide-eyed down at him. Her pulse immediately picked up pace. What was he doing there? Surely deities didn't just take leisurely naps – and if they did, she could not imagine Sasuke ever letting his guard down so much. What had happened to them? She looked down at herself in turn. Nothing seemed to be amiss. Heart racing, she glanced back at the Death God. Apart from the steady rise and fall of his chest, he was otherwise completely still.
Nonplussed, Sakura surveyed their surroundings nervously. Was this some kind of joke? Surely it had to be? Had he actually fallen asleep waiting for her to wake up? But that seemed so unlike him. And how had she fallen asleep? She couldn't even remember doing so.
Leaning over, she called cautiously, "Sasuke?"
Silence answered her. He did not respond. Sakura hesitated, before reaching out to shake his left shoulder lightly. Still he did not move.
It then dawned on her that the Underworld's King was not asleep. It seemed more like he had been knocked out cold. But to Sakura that was even more absurd than Sasuke taking a random nap. She could not imagine anything or anyone managing to physically disable the fierce, proud deity lying before her.
She sat for a moment, her hands folded neatly in her lap. Well, this was certainly awkward. What was she to do? She certainly could not leave the fields alone. Finding no other option but to wait, Sakura busied herself by watching him. It was funny, she thought distractedly to herself, as the heaviness that had been plaguing her head blessedly began to settle, how different he appeared in sleep. As her eyes trailed over his handsome features, enhanced by the silver glow of the phantom moonlight, she found herself contemplating how much younger and less intimidating he seemed. Sasuke was beautiful even when he scowled, but she was not accustomed to seeing his face look so unguarded, and was quite struck by it.
I wonder what really happened to him, she mused, remembering the goddess Chiyo's previous words to him. When he's asleep like this, he almost seems like he could be just a nice, ordinary, outrageously gorgeous guy…
She caught the ridiculous thought before it could develop further. Flushing, she looked away, sighing heavily, watching the way the blades of grass and flowers around them danced playfully in the refreshing breeze. She shivered, rubbing at her arms. It was cool, and she wished she still had her cloak on her. Then she turned her attention up to the sky. A sky that resembled the surface one so closely, and yet, she thought with sadness and a sharp twinge of nostalgia, was not the same.
Her eyes fell back to the death deity. The light wind had displaced strands of his unruly hair, sending them over his long-lashed eyes. Sakura had a senseless desire to push them out the way. The more she gazed at him, the stronger the urge became.
Those strands were really annoying her. But was she mad, even entertaining the idea of touching him? What if he suddenly woke up?
Don't be such a wimp, her inner voice chastised her. Can't you see he's completely out of it?
Deciding to give into the whim, Sakura scooted quietly closer. She wondered what Ino would say if she saw a face like Sasuke's. She wondered what she would do if she was in exactly the same position that Sakura presently found herself in. She bit back a sudden, embarrassed giggle. The answer was so obvious.
Her heart began to pound faster as she leant over him. Even reaching out to innocently shift hair from Sasuke's face seemed like a crime. Surely it was a sin to touch a god when he was not even aware of it. Then Sakura told herself off again. She was hardly touching him! There was nothing wrong with pushing those silky, raven locks away from his eyes. She wondered if his hair felt as soft as it looked.
A strange feeling came over her as Sakura continued to stare at him. It was like she could not look away. Her left hand lifted, as if in a trance, and inched closer to his face. She scarcely acknowledged the fine tremors that were assaulting her fingertips. Closer. Closer. Until-
She gasped, as without warning Sasuke's left hand shot up, his eyes simultaneously opening. Her stomach lurched when they narrowed at her. Then she found herself being yanked forward, and in a heartbeat, far too quickly for her to follow, Sasuke gracefully flipped their positions, pinning her swiftly down on the grass beneath him.
His eyes, rendered molten anthracite under the moon's silver glow, scorched through her. The air abandoned Sakura at that moment. She had never seen him regard her so intensely. He looked positively livid – and that only made her heart thunder even harder inside her.
"You," he bit out accusingly. "What did you do?"
She stared back at him, her parted lips gaping in dismay. What was he talking about? But she couldn't think coherently, when his hands were encircling her wrists so tightly, when his weight was pressing down on her.
"I- wha-?" she floundered. "Sa- I never- I didn't-"
"Stop lying," he snapped.
Flustered, Sakura gathered her wits. He was clearly and understandably unhappy about being knocked unconscious. And she knew far better than to struggle. She had no hope of physically overpowering a deity. Taking a few seconds to calm her agitated nerves, she swallowed, before crying back indignantly, "I just woke up and found you here! I swear to you, Sasuke, I don't know what happened!"
Sasuke glared down at her. He had accused her of lying – but all he saw in her eyes was truth and genuine distress. She was upset. How preposterous. She had caused him to black out, yet she had the nerve to be upset with him? It only caused his glower to intensify. He fumed, furious that whatever Sakura had somehow done, apparently without even realising it, had actually resulted in him losing consciousness. Leaving him so open and unguarded to her! How long had he been out for? The last thing he remembered before he had passed out was a blinding, throbbing pain in his head.
What was this cursed, mysterious power she possessed that was locked away so deeply inside her? He could not remember the last time he had felt so disturbed. So out of his comfort zone. But he also knew it was worse to allow her to see the extent of his frustration, and so, with great reluctance, Sasuke gathered the storm within him and with one final scowl down at Sakura, released her and pulled away, replacing a more comfortable distance between them.
She sat up, clutching a hand over her galloping heart, before rubbing at her arms. The air around her now felt cold. They sat for a long while in utter silence, Sasuke angled away from her, his elbows resting on his knees, his hands clenched into tight fists. When the quiet between them dragged on, and Sasuke did not move, Sakura, growing more and more anxious, automatically blurted out, "Are you alright?"
Sasuke stiffened, his eyes widening incredulously as he stared at an unfortunate flower directly before him. Now she was asking him if he was alright? What was wrong with her? He did not understand her.
His head whipped back around to cast a displeased glare her way as he clipped, "You're annoying."
Sakura's jaw sagged. The first reaction that passed through her mind was one of utter disbelief. Then she had the sudden urge to burst into slightly hysterical laughter. Finally her emotions settled on feeling insulted. But before she could open her mouth to retort anything in her defence, the death deity rose fluidly to his feet.
Without looking down at her again, Sasuke unclasped his cloak and wordlessly dropped it around her shoulders as he passed her, and spoke in a voice which, given his previous outburst, struck a confused Sakura as being very quiet.
"We're leaving."
The lights were off. She knew for certain that he would not be back from his shift until after midnight. Glancing at the passenger seat beside her, Tsunade nodded at her companion.
"Are you certain you want to do this? I do not expect it of you, Shizune."
Shizune sighed lightly. "I would not leave you here alone even if you ordered me to, Tsunade-sama."
Her friend smirked, before nodding seriously. "Then we will need to be quiet and quick. That snake will not be back for a few more hours, but we must remain vigilant."
"Yes," Shizune agreed softly.
Both women exited the car and made the short walk to Kabuto's residence. Shizune pulled her baseball cap down lower over her face and adjusted her black scarf as Tsunade tugged at the strings of her dark green jumper's hood on her head. Shizune glanced surreptitiously around them. Apart from an old man walking his dog on the other side of the road ahead of them, the street was otherwise empty.
'Clear,' she telepathically communicated to Tsunade, who immediately tested the gates surrounding the house. They were solid iron – but that posed little problem to her.
'He wouldn't have such security in place if he didn't have anything to hide,' she mentally remarked, sneering in disgust. As Shizune kept watch, she charged a tiny stream of chakra into her hands and bent the bars apart cleanly, wide enough to allow both women to slip through. Once on the other side, she bent them effortlessly back in place. They hurried down the front path, noting the small garden lights that illuminated the fake lawn that had been rolled out around them. It was a deep green. Tsunade felt a painful tug in her heart. Without Spring's presence, real grass could not grow so vividly.
'There's an alarm up there,' Shizune warned, pointing with a gloved hand up at the large red alarm, clearly visible to intruders at the front of the house.
Tsunade nodded. Pressing a gloved finger against the key lock, she channelled another wave of chakra and closed her eyes as she seeped a tiny amount through the lock, getting a feel of its shape, before proceeding to mould a matching key out of chakra. With a burst of power, she commanded the chakra key to twist and smiled upon hearing the satisfying sound of the door unlocking. She undid the second, lower lock in the same way.
'It's been a while since I've done anything like this,' she mused.
'You certainly haven't lost your touch,' Shizune answered amusedly.
They entered the house, closing the door quietly behind them. Pulling a large torch from the satchel tied at her waist, Tsunade communicated, 'We'll split up. I'll search downstairs. You search upstairs. Look for anything that needs a key to open it. If you hear anybody coming back, exit from a window upstairs. I'll deal with them down here.'
'Yes, Tsunade-sama,' Shizune nodded and flicked on her own flashlight, before carefully making her way upstairs.
Tsunade entered the first room and shone the light around to find herself in the lounge. Kabuto's modern-styled home was unremarkable. The décor was limited to pale, washed out colours; as thoroughly clinical as the man was in person. How apt, Tsunade thought bitterly.
She looked closely around, being careful not to move or touch anything unless it was absolutely necessary. She tested floor-boards and examined the walls, looking for any clue as to what the key she had discovered could be used for. Finding nothing of worth in the lounge, she moved to the adjoining kitchen. After opening and closing all the cabinets and drawers, and peering into the boiler door, she left for the second reception room. It was smaller, but just as dull in appearance.
She made a note of the time on the wall. They had been searching for twenty-five minutes already with no luck.
'He sure likes white,' Shizune's voice remarked mentally to her from the upper floor.
'Hmph,' Tsunade responded, pulling open a table drawer and finding nothing but business cards in it. She removed picture frames from the walls, seeking any secret compartments hidden behind. But there was nothing. Her frustration mounting, she moved to another door. It was locked.
Charging chakra into her hand, she forced the knob open and found herself in a spotless utility room. Her hopes of discovering something interesting in it were quickly diffused. Nothing seemed suspicious.
She returned to the main hallway and shone her light around, and opened another door to find a small, plain white bathroom.
She checked her watch. Forty three minutes precisely had passed since their entry.
'It has to be here somewhere. Why else would he carry a key?' Thinking to herself, she added to Shizune, 'Unless that weasel is keeping whatever this key unlocks somewhere else?'
'There is nothing up here either, Tsunade-sama,' Shizune informed her regretfully. 'I only have one final room to search.'
Damn it, Tsunade seethed to herself. Forcing the rear garden door open, she shone her flashlight at the back of the house. There didn't seem to be a basement in the house, which meant the only places left to look were in the attic and the garden shed. But when she peered into the garden shed, she knew she was unlikely to find anything in it. In stark contrast to the rest of the house, the shed was a mess, littered with old furniture and broken bicycles, as well as a random assortment of plant pots.
She circled the perimeter of the house, and frowned when she came across a section with barrels of what appeared to be recycled compost. Was Kabuto an enthusiastic gardener? She shuffled past the barrels and continued along the side of the house. Nothing. Discouraged, she returned to the utility room through a side door in the outer wall, and was about to call Shizune down – when the floorboards beneath her shifting feet creaked.
She looked down. A rug had been stationed in the middle of the utility room. She crouched down and threw it back, shining her torch on the floor. On first inspection, the wooden boards had seemed unremarkable. But now that she was looking again, Tsunade was certain she could see the faint, very cleverly concealed outline of a square just large enough to accommodate a person.
'Shizune!'
Her friend immediately responded. 'I'm coming, Tsunade-sama!'
Thirty seconds later, both women were staring down at the wooden floorboard.
Tsunade knocked down on it with a fist. 'It sounds different to the other boards around it.' Her heart began to accelerate hopefully. 'There must be something under here.'
Spreading her palms flat, she channelled chakra into the floor. The faint green light illuminated a square shaped panel in the ground, and Tsunade caught her breath. She applied a little pressure. The panel did not move. But when she applied more, the wood groaned.
Grabbing a nail from her satchel and a hammer, Tsunade chipped into the outline until the panel finally began to budge. Shizune assisted her in pulling it aside, and both women found themselves looking down a steep set of stairs leading into darkness.
They exchanged glances, before Shizune gave her friend a reassuring nod.
"I'll be right behind you," she whispered.
Tsunade began to climb down, shining her flashlight. The gut feeling that she was on the verge of discovering something significant intensified with every step she took. The stairs beneath her feet creaked, and every noise seemed deafeningly loud to her ears. Eventually she reached the bottom, where she came upon a light switch. Tugging the string down illuminated the small area in dim light.
"What is this?" Shizune whispered.
All around them were barrels of compost, which were growing spores of some kind. Tsunade frowned as she inspected one batch. The smell of dampness and soil hung heavily in the air. Was Kabuto some kind of drug-plant grower? But she knew all about medicines and drugs, and she could not recognise these spores. They were a sickly white colour. Fresh bags of unopened compost rested against the walls. It was a very bizarre sight.
"That bastard," she muttered. "I'll fire his sorry ass first thing tomorrow morning."
"Look!" Shizune suddenly exclaimed. Tsunade turned to find her friend crouching beside a large crate, nestled cleverly behind some compost barrels. But it was far heavier than a crate ought to be, and when they lifted the top, they discovered why. Inside was a metal safe – with a number-coded lock.
Without wasting another second, Tsunade forgot all about leaving no evidence before, and smashed the door cleanly in with a chakra-charged punch. She yanked it open to find another compartment with a regular key-lock. Retrieving the key from her satchel, she inserted it into the lock, and with baited breath, twisted.
The door opened – to reveal two silver phials.
Shizune gasped in alarm.
"Impossible! That cannot be-"
Her heart pounding, Tsunade grabbed the phials, and with trembling hands, unwound the top off one. Lifting it to her nose, she inhaled – and Shizune saw from the way the colour drained from her face that her suspicion had been correct.
"That bastard," Tsunade whispered, clutching the phials tightly to her chest. "That damned son of a bitch. I'll kill him with my bare hands."
"I-I was sure nobody else had access to the samples- Tsunade-sama, I promise you-" Shizune stammered, horror-stricken.
Tsunade held up a soothing hand. She knew that Shizune had guarded the samples to the best of her ability. The fact was that Kabuto had simply found a way to outsmart them – which meant he had been watching them for even longer than Tsunade had realised.
Gripping the phials tightly in her hands, she uttered tensely, "Let's go."
They hurried back up the stairs, and had just replaced the panel in the utility room, when they heard it. The sound of someone returning home. A second later, the hall lights switched on and they heard casual whistling.
Shizune's eyes widened in alarm. Instinctively, she grabbed onto her friend's arm.
'Out the side door,' Tsunade telepathically hissed. 'Into the garden. Quickly, Shizune!'
Being as quiet as possible, the women exited into the garden. Summoning chakra into her hands, Tsunade unlocked the side garden door and closed it quietly after them. They walked around until they reached the front yard – only to freeze when a familiar voice sighed behind them, "Ladies. It's a criminal offence to trespass into someone else's private property. Surely you're aware of the law."
Tsunade whirled to find Kabuto standing with his hand in his pockets by the front door. He looked relaxed, and, to Tsunade's mounting suspicion, completely unsurprised to see intruders on his grounds.
"Dr. Haruno," Kabuto continued mildly. Tsunade fought back her shock. How had he identified her so easily, when she and Shizune's faces were concealed? "You never quite struck me as the criminal type."
Tsunade gripped Shizune's wrist, signalling for her to remain silent.
'Keep quiet. He has no proof it is us. Wait for my command,' she instructed.
Kabuto sighed again, adjusting his glasses. "In any case, I'm afraid I can't allow you to leave with the samples."
Tsunade's heart leapt, and she stiffened despite herself. That treacherous snake-
"That is why you came here, isn't it?" Kabuto went on casually. When they still said nothing, Kabuto gestured with his hand. "Oh, come now. It wasn't too difficult to figure out. First my key went missing. Then I thought to myself, who is the only person who could possibly access my locker – or would want to? You've never liked me very much, I know. I can't think why. I was always very polite to your daughter. She was such a lovely thing… it's a real pity, that she disappeared. So much wasted potential…"
Enraged, Tsunade yanked off her hood and scarf, vowing that she would silence him – permanently – after she extracted all the information she needed. "You bastard!" she snarled. "You stole the phials!"
"Stealing is such a strong word," Kabuto shrugged. "I merely like to think I am keeping them safe."
"How did you get your filthy hands on them?" she demanded.
"One can learn a great deal by simply observing others, Dr. Haruno," Kabuto answered, his tone still friendly. Smiling, he continued, "For instance. By observing Sakura-san, I learnt that she has an uncommon fondness for flowers and nature. And by observing you, I discovered that you have an uncommon obsession for preserving life – although you have been neglecting your duties, as of late…"
Tsunade's honey eyes widened with shock. So she had been right all along! Kabuto was the spy.
"You know the serpent!" Shizune exclaimed, her voice muffled by the scarf.
"Now, that's not way to refer to the great Lord Orochimaru," Kabuto defended, shaking his head.
Tsunade's mind raced as she came to terms with the unpleasant truth. Kabuto, a mortal, was in league with a monster from her hated past. But how? Why? What had the fool been promised? How low must he have once sunk to, in order to have even encountered Orochimaru to begin with?
"Hah!" she spat aloud contemptuously. "Is that what he's calling himself these days?"
"Do you realise what you're getting yourself into?" Shizune demanded. "Do you even know what he really is?"
"Lord Orochimaru has promised me the greatest of gifts. He recognised my potential. He found me when I was at my lowest point. He showed me the way."
Tsunade stared. She didn't know whether she pitied the fool or just plain despised him. But she knew Orochimaru's tongue had the power to lead even the most devout astray. He thrived on negative emotions and used them to manipulate unsuspecting humans.
"The way to what?" asked Shizune in dismay.
"Immortality. Once I acquire the serum, I, too, will ascend to greatness." He chuckled, looking excited by the prospect. "It's so simple. I will go down in history as the greatest doctor that ever lived. The man who found a cure for all the ills that befall humanity."
"Listen to yourself," Tsunade snapped. "You are a fool if you believe you can trust that serpent. His words are poison. He'll slit your throat the second he's done with you."
"Which is what you want to do now, I suppose?" Kabuto mused. "Those phials are very valuable. I am sorry, Dr. Haruno. I cannot possibly allow you to leave with them. Without them, my creations cannot be perfected."
"Creations?" Shizune echoed dubiously. He sounded like a mad scientist. And suddenly, he looked the part, too.
"I call them the Zetsu," Kabuto replied, appearing very pleased with himself. "Allow me to introduce you to the concept. You might have noticed the spores growing while you were trespassing on my grounds?"
The women exchanged uncertain looks.
"Who would have thought such a thing possible? By mixing plant and human DNA, I have created something that incorporates the best of both worlds. Of course, this scientific breakthrough would not have been possible without Lord Orochimaru's aid. And of course, the samples, which you're attempting to smuggle out of here. Such peculiar molecular structure…" he contemplated, rubbing his chin. "Lord Orochimaru tells me that if I assist him, he will tell me where I can obtain more of the samples."
"Son of a bitch," seethed Tsunade.
"The human world isn't quite ready to be introduced to the Zetus yet. But I see no reason why I can't treat you to an exclusive preview," Kabuto smiled. "Of course, I had hoped to resolve this amicably. I greatly respect your work, Dr. Haruno. If you would just hand me back the samples, we can forget this entire affair."
"Over my dead body!" Tsunade barked back. "I'll crush every bone in you before you lay a finger on them again!"
"I see," The young doctor sighed heavily. So his Master had been correct when he'd stated that the phials were of great value. He could not afford to lose them. Adjusting his glasses, he looked up at them, his previously courteous expression replaced with a darkly sinister smile. "Then I am afraid you leave me with no other choice."
He clicked his fingers, and immediately the ground around them began to rumble.
"The spores have been dispersed all over my residence," Kabuto explained calmly. "In this way, my creations keep watch for me."
"What is he talking about?" Shizune gasped, looking fearfully around them.
"It doesn't matter," Tsunade shook her head. "Orochimaru has corrupted him. He's out of his mind. Get ready, Shizune!"
"Come on now, don't be shy," Kabuto chuckled.
Then they saw it; grotesque white spores growing out of the grass around them. They were naked, androgynous forms with faces that vaguely resembled a human's. As the spores grew, they began to sprout human-like limbs. Seven of them grew into existence, and began lurching toward Tsunade and Shizune.
Tsunade's eyes flew back to Kabuto in repulsion. What forbidden arts had the fool meddled in? What unholy creatures had he created?
"If you think your disgusting puppets can stop me-" she began.
"Ah, yes. I seem to recall. Lord Orochimaru said that He's always watching. You are forbidden from tapping into your chakra seal, are you not?" He chuckled again. "That turns the tables in my favour, doesn't it?"
Shizune was horrified. Just how much did Kabuto know? She was stunned; that Orochimaru would choose to reveal so much to a mere human…
'Shizune,' Tsunade's voice echoed in her mind. 'Run on my signal. More of them are growing, but they're slow. We can easily outrun them.'
'Yes, Tsunade-' she broke off, gasping at the feel of a slimy hand wrapping around her ankles. She kicked down, managing to escape from its clutches, and then she and Tsunade forgot all about timing, and made a dash for the gates. But the Zetsu spores kept sprouting, and were now multiplying more rapidly. Tsunade aimed a kick at one, with enough power to snap its unstable head back. Shizune grabbed the baton from her belt and smashed another aside.
"I'll hold them off!" she cried. "Open the gates, Tsunade-sama!"
Tsunade didn't need to channel chakra to pack in a hefty punch. She elbowed a Zetsu spore aside, and ducked when another lunged at her. But she failed to see the one lurching toward her from behind and almost gagged when a cold, damp arm wrapped around her throat.
She stomped back with her left foot, hard. The Zetsu made a strange groaning sound, and collapsed back onto the grass.
"Most interesting," Kabuto remarked, as he watched the fight keenly.
Shizune smacked and stabbed at three others. "Hurry, Tsunade-sama!"
Tsunade raced toward the gates, ducking and dodging the horrendous white bodies that were trying to obstruct her path. She supposed once Kabuto 'perfected' his creations, they would be stronger, quicker and more capable of fighting back. As she shoved another aside, she frantically wondered what this newest revelation meant. Were they aware of whose blood the phials contained? Just how much did the serpent and his puppet know? How much did He – the hated one in the sky – know?
Unexpectedly, three spores sprouted out before her, and one succeeded in grasping the satchel at her waist. The momentum of her movement caused part of the belt to tear. Tsunade's heart leapt into her throat. She couldn't lose a single drop! Without the missing two phials, the samples she and Shizune had locked safely away were incomplete!
With a mighty cry she spun and her instinct to protect what was hers overrode the cautious part of her that warned against tapping into her chakra. Channelling a small amount, she connected her fist straight into the Zetsu's face, severing the head cleanly. Green liquid spurted into the air. She delivered a furious kick at the spore that was trying to crawl toward her.
The sudden sound of a gunshot and a scream caused her to freeze in place.
The night was a cold one. Certainly colder than it ought to be given the time of year. Sasuke alighted opposite the house, his eyebrows drawing together when he did not recognise it. After returning Sakura to his palace and leaving her in the care of Ume and Chizu, he had thought long and hard about what he had seen and experienced in Elysium, his irritation growing with every detail he kept replaying, over and over in his mind. His patience had worn thin. He had tired of all the guessing games. He wanted answers – and he was going to get them.
The Helm atop his head made him invisible to both human and immortal eyes. She was here. There was no mistaking her familiar aura. One of the perks of being the God of Death meant that he could track whoever he pleased – god or otherwise.
She was not alone. He could detect another with her. Her sister, he realised, as he drew closer to the house. But what were they doing here? He had expected to find Tsunade at home and had intended to listen to her conversations with the others in the hopes of learning something of value concerning Sakura. Something which he knew he ought to have done much earlier – but in an attempt to cover his tracks, had left the task of gathering information to the worthless messenger boy. He sneered contemptuously. He did not need anybody to bring him news. He would obtain it through his own means.
It was only as he drew closer that he realised something was seriously amiss. The sound of a scuffle filled the air, and as he peered curiously through the gates, his eyes widened at a thoroughly unexpected sight.
Tsunade was locked in combat with creatures he had never seen before. Shizune was with her, struggling to ward back a cluster of white, gruesome looking entities. What in Tartarus's name were they? His eyes then darted to the figure standing by the door of the residence.
Immediately he recognised who it was. The silver-haired doctor from the hospital. Sakura had been shadowing him in the period just before Sasuke had taken her from the surface. He had not bothered to remember the young fool's name, and scowled. Who had summoned the monstrosities? He guessed the human somehow had something to do with it, given that the creatures were not attacking him. He wondered how that was even possible, but saved the thought for later consideration, upon witnessing the man raising his left hand to aim a gun directly at Shizune.
Gun-fire rang out, and Shizune's cry pierced the air. She fell, clutching her leg, as the white creatures lumbered toward her.
Swiftly, he jumped over the wall, and alighted on the other side. Tsunade was using chakra to finish off the creatures in her way. She was breaking the laws that had been imposed upon all surface-bound gods. Sasuke lingered by a tree, watching with great interest as Tsunade reached her companion, cursing the silver-haired doctor hatefully.
"Damn you, Kabuto," she snarled. "I'll deliver you to Hades with my bare hands!"
Sasuke's eyes narrowed. He did not think that likely – but he had almost forgotten how fierce the woman could be when aggravated.
"Now there's no need to be so dramatic. All of this could have been avoided if you had simply just handed the phials over," Kabuto replied. "I'd hate to have to fire again. Give them to me, and even now I'll let you go."
Phials? Sasuke's eyes darted between both sides. What were they talking about?
"Get away from her!" Tsunade yelled, warding another four pores back.
"I won't miss this time," Kabuto sighed, drawing closer. "My Zetsu spores will never tire. We both know you're fighting a losing battle, Dr. Haruno."
Zetsu spores? Sasuke frowned. This human had clearly meddled too much into forbidden arts for his own good. He already knew what his fate was.
Another Zetsu lunged at Tsunade's waist, grabbing onto her satchel. Tsunade automatically moved to punch it away, hastily taking one phial out in her hand – but a carefully watching Kabuto fired another round off his gun.
Distracted, Tsunade turned back to Shizune, fearful that she had been shot again – but played right into Kabuto's hands. The satchel tore off under the persistent Zetsu's grasp, but not before Tsunade managed to connect a devastating kick at its elbow, snapping its arm in half. The satchel flew into the air, the remaining phial shooting out of it from the force of momentum.
"NO!" Both Kabuto and Tsunade cried.
Sasuke's eyes followed the spinning phial, his irises bleeding immediately to red. Black pinwheels spun, recognising his mind's intention. One instant the phial was there – the next, it had vanished into thin air.
Shizune's hand at her chest brought Tsunade's attention back to her.
"Leave me, Tsunade-sama!" she gasped.
Kabuto had rushed to the spot where the phial ought to have fallen, howling.
"No! No, it vanished! How could this be? Where is it? WHERE IS IT?!"
Using his distraction to their advantage, Tsunade whispered to her dear friend, "Close your eyes."
"What? No. Tsunade-sama… that technique- it is strictly forbidden-"
In the blink of an eye, they vanished.
Author's note
A lot of drama, yes? Hope you enjoyed it.
There is music to go with this chapter, but I will put it up later. I'm eager to release this, and I don't think people want to wait another day just for me to link to tracks that go with certain scenes. Good reason for you to read this chapter again. Keep checking my profile for the links, which I will put up over the next few days.
It wasn't THE kiss, but his lips DID touch hers :) Yes we are getting much closer. Hurray.
Lots of plot development too. Please leave your thoughts. Next chapter will be just as action packed. I hope the near fourteen thousand word count makes up for the very long delay in updating.
Thanks for reading guys. Excuse any mistakes, I haven't proof-read this either. Again I will come back and edit shortly.