Thanks for the feedback of the last chapter. I really appreciate it and read every comment.
Chapter LXXXVI
The hour of parting draws near,
Filling a mother's heart with anguished fear,
As a future - unknown - lies in wait,
In a world that crimson seeds dictate,
Compelling Spring to The Shades once more,
Returning light again to its darkened doors.
~x~
"We must be careful," Kakashi cautioned quietly. "Any barriers erected around this place will surely notify the ANBU of our location, once we step inside."
"Let them come," Tsunade's eyes narrowed.
"Oooh! Are we gonna go smashy smashy and mess this place up?" Fū whispered loudly.
"Shh!" Ino scolded her. "Keep it down!"
"Sorry! I just really wanna kick butt!"
"You're pretty violent for such a tiny-looking kid, 'ttebayo," Naruto muttered.
Fū giggled. "I may be small, but don't underestimate me!"
After spending several more weeks fruitlessly scouring the globe, the surface gods had finally made a break-through and succeeded in tracking down what they hoped was the main ANBU training facility. Jiraiya's toads had burrowed deeply underground and worked tirelessly to locate Danzo's hidden stronghold from beneath the earth. Its discovery had been entirely coincidental when the summons had briefly made a stop in an underground tunnel and sensed the presence of powerful chakra seals surrounding the vicinity. They had wasted no time in retreating to notify Jiraiya.
"Do you think Orochimaru's making his monsters here, too?" Sakura wondered.
"Only one way to find out," Temari responded.
The hideout was located in the very outskirts of Konoha, beneath a large, innocuous-looking, sloping hill, concealed within a densely packed forest. Jiraiya's toads had transported them to the site, and they'd alighted in a musty, earthy, damp tunnel. They walked through it, following its course, until they eventually arrived at a set of metal steps that led them upward.
"I can't sense any ANBU nearby," Naruto informed them.
"It may be abandoned," Sai said thoughtfully. "It was common practice by the ANBU to change base often."
"Or perhaps the seals in place keep them from being detected." Kakashi suggested.
"To be expected," Gaara chipped in. "Given Danzo's preference for secrecy."
"I still can't believe he betrayed you all like that," Temari shook her head as they walked along.
"Good riddance," Ino's lips curled in disgust. "He made my skin crawl. And his breath? Ugh! It stank!"
Temari chuckled, angling a wry glance her way. "I only met him several times, but he wasn't the most likeable deity."
"Trust me, a few times is more than enough," Ino assured her.
Tsunade glanced at Sakura, who walked beside her.
"Sakura," she murmured. "Are you feeling alright?"
Sakura met her searching gaze and nodded. After experiencing her first episode of symptoms in the library several weeks prior, and following Sasuke's explanation of them in her dream, she'd informed her mother the very next day of the pomegranate seeds' effects, knowing that it was imperative she was made aware of it in the event that another bout occurred at a critical moment. Tsunade had looked visibly disturbed and gravely concerned by the news, but had made no comment about the fruit, instead assuring Sakura that she would keep a close eye on her whenever they ventured on missions beyond the protective sanctuary of the High Council's grounds.
She'd had several more episodes since the first. They seemed to occur sporadically, with no particular pattern, and she found that as time marched on, each one was becoming progressively more unpleasant than the last. She had no choice but to bear them, doing her best to remain calm, to reassure herself that they were not dangerous - at least, so long as she returned to the Underworld in time.
They'd split into two teams to infiltrate the large base from different sides. The second cell, consisting of Lee, Hinata, Jiraiya, Killer B, Kankuro, Roshi, Shikamaru and Kurenai had already entered the building.
At length, their climb up the steps led them to a metal platform and a thick steel door that was securely locked.
"Alright, stand back! I can knock this down for ya, no problem!" Fū exclaimed, punching a fist against her palm.
"Wait, you maniac!" Ino grabbed at her arm, pulling her backwards with a frown. "We're not just going to blow the door up. We may as well waltz in and announce our arrival!"
Fū pouted, looking visibly disappointed. "Aww, but-!"
"Allow me," Gaara interrupted, stepping forward, and reached out toward the keyhole. The others watched as fine particles of sand entered into it at his command, and seconds later, the telling clicking of the lock coming undone informed them that he had quietly opened it.
"Whoa! You control sand?" Naruto blinked. "That's so cool!"
"Gaara is master of the one-tails, after all," Temari reminded him.
They opened the door, with Kakashi and Gaara leading the way, entering into a long, drab corridor. The walls were lined with metal panels and dotted with steel doors. The hideout strongly resembled the previous base they'd visited in the simplicity and practicality of its design.
"It's too quiet," Ino commented, as they walked along the corridor, peering into the small, rectangular-shaped window panels of the doors, finding them to be filled with various equipment, but no ANBU were inside. Kakashi's dog summons ventured ahead, sniffing out any signs of life.
"Odd," he agreed. "I'm not picking up on anything here, either."
"You think it's another abandoned one?" Temari asked.
"But if it's abandoned," Sakura frowned, "why would the barrier still be on it?"
"They must be keeping something here," Sai guessed.
They continued to venture onward, and had been walking for almost twenty-five minutes without incident, when they rounded yet another corridor and spotted a large, orange and white-striped toad hopping toward them.
It stopped at the sight of them, croaking.
"Look!" Ino pointed.
"Ah. That's Jiraiya's," Tsunade said.
The toad gestured for them to follow and they walked for a further fifteen minutes through the empty corridors, until at last the summon led them to a large, shuttered metal door, indicating that they entered inside before disappearing in a plume of smoke. The gods broke through the barrier easily, stepping onto a raised, metal mezzanine overhang platform that overlooked an enormous storage space. The area was lined with glass cylinders and they found that the other team were already inside.
"Over here!" Lee waved to them. "We have made a most disturbing discovery!"
"What the hell is this place?" Naruto frowned.
Sai was immediately struck with recognition. He'd seen the ANBU wheeling cylinders like these before, in another hideout.
"Looks like a holding facility," Kakashi commented.
"We've found some of Orochimaru's creations," Jiraiya greeted them with a grim nod.
"Is this where he's making his monsters? The Zetsu?" Ino shook her head in disgust.
"We're not sure. It doesn't seem to be active." Kurenai replied.
They walked through endless rows of large tubes, inspecting their contents. Sakura peered through the cylinders, alarmed to find unidentifiable shapes within. Some of the figures were visibly humanoid, stored in a liquid she wasn't so sure was water. Others looked like they were partly-human, but missing vital appendanges. Some were crosses between different species of animals entirely. All were equally disturbing to look at and Sakura felt her skin crawl when she glimpsed a severed head floating in one of the cylinders.
"Yo! What! This is some messed up shit!" Killer B exclaimed. "If we take this place out, we'll score a big hit!"
"These creatures aren't moving," Roshi observed.
"Hinata?" Jiraiya glanced at her. "Do you see any inactive chakra pathways?"
The moon goddess shook her head. "No." She answered softly. "Their chakra pathways are completely dead."
"Eww," Ino tapped against the glass, her voice echoing loudly about the space. "What are these? They're all really gross-looking."
"This doesn't make any sense," Shikamaru's brow furrowed. "Why would a chakra-barrier be around this place, if it's empty and the only monsters it does hold, don't look like they're even alive? What are they protecting here?"
"We found nothing on our side," Kakashi picked up a disconnected wire, inspecting it. "No sight of any ANBU."
"We also failed to detect any humans here," Lee agreed.
"I have seen such cylinders before," Sai notified them. "But the wiring to them was not cut off in this way."
"So these are what? His failed experiments?" Kankuro squinted, looking into one of the dark tubes. The creature within was a decapitated wolf.
"Perfect," Tsunade muttered. "A junk yard."
"Some of these things look like humans," Temari shook her head, repulsed by the naked bodies that hung lifelessly in their glass tombs.
"Orochimaru doesn't discriminate," Kurenai pursed her lips. "He preys on vulnerable mortals."
"That bastard," Naruto's jaw clenched. "Toying with human lives like that!"
"That has always been his way," said Jiraiya.
"Let's just blow this room up anyway!" Fū chirped. "For good measure!"
"Fū," Roshi shot her a disapproving look.
"What?" The boisterous girl shrugged. "We've come all this way!"
Gaara's calm voice drew everyone's attention onto him. "The chakra barrier might not be erected for the purpose of keeping this place hidden. What if it has endured for another reason entirely?"
Kakashi and Jiraiya exchanged concerned glances.
"Wait a minute…" Shikamaru tensed. "If this place is empty and unguarded, then that means-"
"Exactly. Our adversary wanted us to find it," Gaara confirmed.
"But why?" Ino blinked. "There's nothing here except this pile of junk."
As if on cue, a sudden rumbling in the ground caught them off guard.
"What was that?" Sakura asked nervously. Tsunade gripped onto her arm, a thoughtless, instinctive, protective action.
"Oooh yeah! No mistake! That's the ground dancing to a groovy quake!" Killer B remarked.
"Can't you speak normally?" Ino scowled at him. "Do you know how distracting it is when you-?"
She broke off, when a loud explosive sound followed the quake, causing the walls in the area to shake.
"It's a trap!" Kurenai cried. "That explains why it's empty!"
"They mean to bury us here," Roshi's eyes narrowed.
"Uh oh," Fū cringed. "Not good! Forget blowing it up. Time to leave!"
Another violent quiver rocked the building, causing the fluorescent bar-lights hanging above their heads to swing dangerously from their chains.
"I can't warp out," Naruto, who had lifted his hands to do just that, scowled. "What gives?"
"A teleportation-negating barrier!" Tsunade stepped forward, just as several lights snapped off their chains and plunged to the ground, crashing into the thick cylinders with enough force to make the thick glass crack. "Son of a bitch!"
"They let us get in because they don't want us to get out!" Temari gritted her teeth.
"The ANBU must be monitoring this premises remotely," said Sai.
Gaara raised his hands, summoning a canopy of sand from the gourd he carried at his back above their heads to protect them from falling debris and the lighting that was starting to break off the ceiling. All around them, explosive tags, which had been embedded into the walls, were starting to detonate, damaging pipes and sending shards of glass scattering into the air.
"Should've known this was too easy when we found nobody in it," Shikamaru frowned.
Tsunade's hands balled into fists. "Then this isn't the main ANBU stronghold."
"It might have been, once," Sai supplied. "It is certainly large enough and similar in design."
Kakashi shook his head. "Orochimaru anticipates we're searching for him, so he'll plant all the decoys he can."
"Then that means we're gonna have to search through more of these before we find the real one?!" Naruto exclaimed.
"We have no choice. We have to keep looking!" Kurenai said.
"Umm… guys?" Ino looked around then anxiously. Sakura flinched at the dull sound of metal striking the umbrella of thick, solid sand that Gaara had placed protectively above them. "Hate to break up the chat, but if we can't warp back to the entrance tunnel, how are we meant to leave with all these explosions going off?"
"That arrogant son of a bitch thinks he can trap us so easily?" Tsunade hissed. "Just wait until I get my hands on him."
"This might have posed a problem," Jiraiya said. "If our chakra was still compromised."
"Now it's just a waste of our time. What a drag," Shikamaru sighed.
"Back to square one it is," Kakashi recalled his canine summons who vanished in puffs of smoke.
Hinata suddenly tensed and gasped. "I sense an influx of chakra-!" she warned.
All at once, the glass cylinders around them shattered simultaneously, sending sharp fragments exploding in all directions.
"What the hell-?!" Naruto turned, immediately ready for battle, stepping in front of Hinata instinctively.
To their horror, the creatures within the tubes had become animated. They staggered out of their holding containers, their forms bleeding entirely to black until they were completely unrecognisable, merely dark shadows that began to surround them. Their eyes glowed an eerie, unsettling shade of luminous yellow.
Ino shrieked at the sight of a severed head rolling about on the floor.
"What is that...?" Tsunade exhaled, eyebrows drawing together in confusion.
"How is this possible?!" Lee demanded.
"That strange black liquid..." Kankuro observed.
"That chakra can't be their own!" Jiraiya determined. "They're being controlled by something!"
"Yes!" Hinata confirmed. "The signatures are all the same in nature!"
"Wait a minute!" Naruto squinted suspiciously at the beings. "Don't they kind of look like those Aloe-Vera freaks?"
"You're right," Sakura gasped. "Only black variants!"
"He's making more," Kakashi murmured. "Ones that haven't been corrupted. That must be it."
"Whatever they are, there's no sense in wasting energy on a battle here," Shikamaru strategized. "The building's coming down regardless, we need to get out!"
Gaara passed his hands in front of him, directing a wall of sand all around them to cocoon them from the approaching, deformed test subjects.
"I can hold them off temporarily," he informed them.
"Let me at 'em!" Fū stepped forward, eager to engage in combat.
Roshi grabbed the back of her red hoodie. "Pick your battles wisely," he censured.
"Hurry!" Gaara urged, the thick sand vortex howling around them warding the creatures backwards. "Find an exit!"
One of the experimental entities broke through the cocoon, but was swiftly disposed of by Lee, who aimed a powerful aerial kick at its grotesque head. Temari opened the giant fan she carried on her back, and generated a powerful gust of wind that helped to fortify Gaara's wall of sand.
"Wooo yeah! Don't fret! Imma break us loose, no sweat!" Killer B gestured. They watched in astonishment as he channelled a tailed-beast bomb in his hand, and blew a large hole cleanly through the floor, melting straight through the metal panels.
"We got in underground," Jiraiya nodded, summoning multiple toads. "And that's how we'll get out. Everyone, let's go!"
~x~
The wails of the eternally damned echoed from the infernal pits of Tartarus, horrific cries that hung heavily in the oppressively hot air. It was a fiery landscape of rocks, bleeding flame and acid, set against a hellish orchestra of nightmarish screams.
Difficult to discern beyond the haze of smoke and flame, the outermost perimeters of Tartarus were lined with towering, volcanic-like structures that formed an impenetrable wall around the region. The entrance to it was heavily guarded by colossal iron gates and the two ferocious, behemoth Hecatoncheires stationed there. Possessing one-hundred mighty arms and fifty heads, the fearsome giants allowed nothing to escape their watch.
It was claimed that Cronus himself had single-handedly defeated, captured and enslaved them into servitude to the Underworld and its throne. It was the Hecatoncheires who supervised the passing of the boats along the flaming river Phlegethon that led into the hostile terrain of Tartarus with its cracked, parched landscape. Lava glowed through the deep fissures in the rock, and the heat of the river generated acid-spewing geysers that filled the air with burning fumes of sulphur.
Sasuke had no need to enter through the gates. In his Kingdom, he possessed the ability to alight to whichever point in the realm he wished. He merely had to will it, and the shades would bear him obediently to his desired destination.
Standing at the edge of the chasm, Sasuke stared intently into the bubbling, molten flames. Tartarus was a deep well of boiling, roiling lava, but that was only one stage of the punishment it promised. The first was imprisonment within the cells built into the crater's walls, where those consigned to Hell would suffer in torment and contemplate their impending damnation, gazing down at the roaring infernal ocean of agony that awaited them, the full horror of their situation festering upon them.
The next was the plunging fall, the engulfment by lava, incinerating the damned until they felt that they could burn no more. Only the suffering and terror never ceased. They would writhe and scream and desperately attempt to swim back up to the surface of the scorching chasm but there was no reprieve, no escape from the anguish of the blazing inferno, hotter than any flame found on the surface. Any soul that tried to climb out was dragged back down by vengeful chains of fire.
The lowest level of Tartarus, in which Sasuke assumed the Titans had been sealed, was not a river of fire but a barren, sweltering, lightless wasteland contained beneath the lava pit. According to ancient scriptures, it would take nine surface days for a mortal discarded into the pit to reach the end of Tartarus's volcanic crater, but a soul could not fall through the deepest level upon reaching the bottom, as it was sealed off by a powerful barrier. A soul or deity could only be permitted to enter the level beyond by the King of the Underworld himself.
Sasuke had never seen the wasteland with his own eyes; he knew it only from his father's teachings - that the deepest level of Hell was reserved for the greatest of scum, the most villainous and unrepentant of sinners, those who had greatly displeased, insulted or betrayed the gods. It was a reputed graveyard of darkness and bones, full of unforgiving, red-eyed monsters - shadow-like wraiths that fed on souls that were forced to drink liquid lava for sustenance, ripping them to pieces before they would reform and be torn apart all over again. It was said the souls tried to flee from there, too, but there was no escape from an eternity of nightmares. Everywhere they turned was torment and terror.
Sasuke's eyes lifted from the gulf of flame, to the surrounding edge of the yawning crater's vast mouth. Chiyo had told him that this was where his brother and cousin had perished. Somewhere, along its precipice, was the embedded, marked kunai that they had warped to from the battlefield, before weaving their final seals to lock the Titans away in the darkest pits of Hell.
He scanned the expanse with his Sharingan, seeking the weapon out. As he prowled along the edge of the pit, he found himself contemplating how terribly injured Shisui and Itachi had to have been, to have wasted away from existence entirely.
The gods were not so easy to erase from the world. They were immune to sickness and death, unaffected by the ravages of old age, but were capable of becoming crippled and hurt if attacked by a deity superior in power. They were born in form in likeness to their parents, or in the image their parent gods willed, and yet were capable of changing, adopting any physical appearance they desired.
Death was a complex process, usually brought about through catastrophic trauma in the absence of healing ambrosia - or through a deity's intended suicide. One common method was to administer a very specific, potent poison within the ichor that formed a deity's blood. A dark, deadly venom brewed from a single drop of the goddess Achlys's blood, that was heavily guarded and difficult to obtain due to its dangerous, unstable nature and the destruction it had the potential of causing within an immortal's body.
Achlys had once resided in the dark depths of what eventually became known as Tartarus itself, a deity symbolising the mist of death, who had preceded Thanatos in his role. Sasuke did not know much about her, other than the fact that she had been a cruel goddess who fed off misery and sadness, and had been hunted by other gods who sought to obtain droplets of her prized blood. Recognising her power, she had then cunningly traded phials of her venomous ichor to the immortals in exchange for favours, human sacrifices that fed her existence and political power - up until Cronus, seeking her poison and gifts for himself, had devoured her whole with chaos.
Little did he know that his father had already procured phials of her venom in the days of old - a gift that was duly inherited by Zeus upon ascending the Olympian throne and obtaining all its wealth and assets. It had been her blood that had laced the weapons of the Uchiha and Olympians in the war.
Sasuke suspected that Chiyo possessed the ichor of Achlys, too. He supposed it was the same venom that had crippled him when Sakura had made her escape from his realm.
Once the poison was injected into a deity's bloodstream, it disabled their strength, steadily corrupting their inner chakra pathways, inducing turmoil - to the extent it was impossible for the victim to recover chakra in time to heal - but even that process did not immediately terminate a god's life-force. They would instead waste away, little by little - denied any healing until their bodies became paralysed. Unable to recover, trapped within a body that could not fulfil its function, their souls would eventually depart for the Pure Realm.
Another way was to compel a god to go against their function - or if a deity willingly rejected their role themselves. Again, the process would result in a slow, anguishing end. But there were other ways to grievously injure an immortal. Cronus's powers of chaos were particularly unstable and damaging, as they infected their target with the corruption of darkness itself. The tailed beasts were also extremely powerful entities, capable of inflicting great injury by virtue of the chaotic nature of their chakra. Without ambrosia or enough chakra to assist in healing, the gods were capable of suffering terrible wounds.
Sasuke's eyebrows drew together to form a troubled knot. Their wounds alone wouldn't have been enough to instantly kill deities as powerful as Shisui and Itachi had been. Not if Itachi had become the Underworld's ruler for a brief time. Surely the shades would have negated and healed the damage for him, and he, in turn, could have healed Shisui.
Which meant... that the sealing magic itself was likely indeed what had caused their demises. There were a great deal of forbidden workings in existence, dark arts that traded extraordinary power in exchange for souls bound to the seal itself. Dark arts that forged a suicidal contract with a deity's spirit, only used in the greatest of emergencies, to protect the balance of the world, or to lock away beings or items of peril that could not be allowed to continue to roam. To eternally seal them away with the power of a god's own life-force.
But there were not many deities so selfless, who were prepared to lay down their own lives to save others. There were not so many immortals willing to tie their life-forces to such workings, knowing that once the seals were complete, their souls, lost in kamikaze for immediate gain or greed, would be denied access to the Pure Realm.
Itachi had always been selfless. Shisui had shared his aversion for war and violence. Sasuke swallowed. Of course they had laid down their lives for the greater good. Would he have expected anything else from either of them? They had been shining, exemplary examples of the most honourable, most noble, most uncorrupt of the Uchiha. A rarity in the blood-line, it seemed.
Sasuke had traversed halfway around the crater's edge when his gaze was abruptly snagged by something on the ground. The glint of metal. His breath caught in his throat as he approached it, and sure enough, he found the hilt of a kunai marked with ancient runes.
Hiraishin.
The death deity crouched down beside it. The weapon was buried deeply into the rock, overlooking the precipice that plummeted to the bottomless chasm. He gripped the kunai's handle, pulling it out of its resting place as a wave of emotion cascaded through him. Chiyo had been right. The weapon remained. Here was the precise place his brother and cousin had died, after discarding the gourd into the flames. Had they lain here? Where he knelt? Suffering in silent agony before their life-forces were entirely spent? Who had passed on first?
His head bowed as he gripped the kunai tightly in his hand, silently mourning them once more. It was the closest thing to a grave he had left for his kin - but a kunai alone did their most honourable sacrifice no manner of justice.
He held out a hand, summoning shadows into being, bending and twisting them to mark the spot, telling himself that he would have to erect a structure in their honour and memory that did.
"You know," a voice suddenly spoke casually behind him. "This has got to be the shittiest place in all three realms. How are you not melting? I need to drink an ocean to hydrate in this unbearable heat. Phew!"
Sasuke tensed, immediately irked. He was in no mood to entertain Suigetsu's ridiculous attempts at conversation, and the sound of the ocean god slurping on his bottle of water behind him was almost enough to tempt Sasuke to throw him over the edge of the pit right then and there. How had he even known where to find him? How had he been allowed to pass through Tartarus's adamantine gates? He had likely lied that he had urgent business with the Underworld's King. Suigetsu was certainly known to be economical when it came to the truth.
"You've got your very own sauna here." The sea god was going on. He peered over the chasm, wrinkling his nose in distaste. "Yikes. They sound like they're having a swell time down there. This'd make a great tourist attraction. Maybe not so much for the faint of heart, but how much do you think mortals would pay to see this place?" He snickered at his own joke, knowing that no human in their right mind would.
"You should not be here," Sasuke stated coldly, his gaze still fixed on the shadowy pillar he had forged into existence before him. The shape of a black crow rested atop it, in homage to his brother and cousin,
"You're right. I'm totally intruding, but since you did the same to me, I figured we're now even. In that department, anyway."
Sasuke turned toward him, regarding him stonily. He was being interrupted at a very inopportune moment, and did not appreciate it. But Suigetsu turning up unannounced in his Kingdom was nothing new. Sasuke had simply never cared about it before, because in the past, his visits had almost exclusively related to where their functions overlapped in the area of sea accidents.
"Oooh," Suigetsu smirked. "Is that the scary, intimidating, constipated look that all the chicks dig?"
Dark eyes narrowed. The death deity knew from experience that Suigetsu was only going to shut up if he forcibly ejected him from his Kingdom, or made short work of hearing what it was he wanted. Slipping the marked kunai under his belt, he hastily decided on the latter, reasoning that perhaps the ocean ruler had traversed all that way with important information. Before Suigetsu could move, shadows coiled around his form. A heartbeat later, they were both standing in the entrance hall of Sasuke's palace.
"Ahhh..." Suigetsu declared, as the shades around him dispersed. "Much better. That place makes Sand Country in summer seem like the arctic."
"Five minutes," Sasuke stated, indicating how long Suigetsu had to speak with him as he turned away and stalked toward the throne-room.
"Heh. That's four more than I was expecting," Suigetsu grinned toothily. "Someone's becoming more generous, huh?"
"Four," Sasuke interruptly curtly.
"Okay, okay. I'll get to the point." Suigetsu rolled his eyes. "You know, since you cost me Samehada, you technically still owe me something as part of that deal we struck."
Sasuke blinked, but did not break pace. Suigetsu cast a glance around them, appreciating the polished, darkly enchanting beauty of the architecture - not that it was something he was prepared to admit aloud - and went on, "So, I'm here to suggest something else."
Sasuke quipped flatly, "I delivered on my end."
"You delivered for a short period. The idea was that I'd have the blade permanently, but I had to give it back."
"That was nothing I could control, and is not my concern."
"Hold up." Suigetsu flash-warped in front of him. An impatient Sasuke drew to a stop, before the heavily jeweled, gilded throne-room doors, regretting that he had not chosen to boot Suigetsu out on sight. His time was being wasted discussing something they had already cleared in his opinion, and Sasuke did not enjoy repeating himself.
"Karin," Suigetsu lifted a finger.
Sasuke stared at him blankly, concealing his mild surprise at the unexpected, peculiar request. He wanted... Karin? But the two despised each other, did they not? Why was Suigetsu mentioning her at all, given the animosity that existed between them? Unless he meant to spite her.
"..." He waited, wondering what mischievous game the ocean king was playing.
"She's a water-nymph, which means technically speaking, she's one of my subjects." Suigetsu folded his arms across his chest smugly.
"Karin is bound in service to my Kingdom," Sasuke reminded him.
"Right, but let's be real, given you're the only reason her deluded ass signed up for the job to begin with, and you clearly give zero shits about any girl that isn't a certain pink-haired, green eyed babe..." He noted the way Sasuke's eyes narrowed marginally at the careless way Suigetsu chose to refer to Sakura. "Whaddaya say you terminate that binding contract altogether, and we'll call it even?"
Why was Suigetsu asking for Karin's freedom? He had never cared for it before. Why was he requesting it now? Was he acting on his own designs, or had Karin specifically requested his interference on her behalf? That struck him as odd in itself. They weren't on friendly terms, to his knowledge. Was she even aware of what Suigetsu was asking him?
The death deity brushed the thoughts aside. He told himself it didn't matter. Their strange affairs were none of his business. If it would make Suigetsu shut up, and drop the fact that Sasuke owed him anything once and for all, then he would gladly consent to him taking the nymph back to the surface. Provided that Karin, herself, wished to depart the Underworld. He would not force her to exit if she did not desire it. After all, she had been a loyal subject for a great many centuries. But if she wanted to go, if she desired freedom, then he had no qualms allowing it. Jugo was more than capable of seeing to tasks alone, and Sasuke reasoned that he could always assign a suitable replacement.
"She may leave," he stepped around the ocean god, willing the throne-room doors to part. "If she wishes it."
Suigetsu's jaw dropped and he swivelled around to stare at Sasuke's back in astonishment. He had posed the question as a test, not expecting Sasuke to agree so readily. "What? Seriously? You'd let her go just like that?"
Sasuke did not reply. He had no further need for Karin. The contract could be dispelled in seconds. And with Sakura due to return to his realm in just over a month's time - and his recollection of the nymph's jealousy and spite toward her - he did not even remotely care whether she remained or left. Whatever it took to keep Suigetsu from making any further pointless visits. He didn't want him troubling him again - or Sakura for that matter, when she arrived.
"You really give no shits about her at all, huh?" he demanded. He had suspected as much, but to see it confirmed so coldly caused a twinge of something akin to irritation to spark within Suigetsu's chest. He'd told her so. Hadn't he been right all along? Karin was too blind, too stupid, too stubborn and annoying to see it. Why did a denizen of his realm allow herself to be so humiliated? To remain in a Kingdom whose ruler saw her as nothing more than a servant with no hopes, dreams, emotions or ambitions of her own? That wasn't anything like the spirited water nymph Suigetsu had first met, so long ago, the one who didn't allow anyone to walk over her.
"To think that dumb bitch has been cooped up here all these centuries, wasting her time and efforts on trying to get your-"
His response came in the form of the resounding echo of the throne-room doors slamming rudely shut in his face, signalling that his five minutes were over.
~x~
Karin stood by the shoreline, waiting for Nagato to ferry across the next cluster of souls. She stared unseeingly out at the dark, misty waters, feeling nothing but the dull tediousness of being caught in a monotonous job she no longer enjoyed.
What did she have to look forward to every single day? The excitement had all but fizzled out of her. Soon it would be August on the surface, and Sakura would return to the Underworld. She felt a stabbing pain in her chest. Did she really want to see them together? The King of the Underworld and the bubblegum-haired human he'd taken such a shining to, spending whatever length of time it was she had in the Kingdom? Suigetsu had taunted her, saying it was six months.
That was six months too many in Karin's opinion. She knew her dislike of Sakura was unfounded, irrational. The girl had been kidnapped against her will, after all. She had not asked for Sasuke's attention or affections. Deep down, Karin couldn't really resent Sakura. She knew what it was like, to be a victim, to be trapped in a place where one did not belong. It was Sasuke and his callousness, the way she did not even exist beyond her duty in his eyes, and her own inability to strike up even the most basic of friendships with him, that frustrated her to no end.
Had she not been polite? Had she not been accomodating? Had she not done everything and anything he had asked? Did none of that please him? Did none of that warrant any acknowledgement or thanks at all? And yet, no matter what she did, still those dark eyes looked right through her. In his world, she was little more than one small piece, an insignificant cog that helped keep everything turning. And cogs could be substituted easily enough with similar pieces.
"This shit just doesn't compare to the surface oceans," a familiar, aggravating voice sang over her shoulder.
She almost jumped out of her skin, stumbling forward dangerously close to the edge of the riverbank. Strong, cool fingers clamped hold of her wrist and tugged her back, followed by a familiar chuckle that had her immediately wrenching her hand out her unwanted saviour's hold.
She whirled around to glare daggers at Suigetsu. Why was he back again so soon? She pressed a hand over her heart, attempting to settle its startled rhythm.
"You idiot," she snapped. "Why do you keep sneaking up on me?"
"Why do you keep letting me sneak up on you, bitch?" Suigetsu countered, his amethyst eyes glowing with mischief.
"I don't. I'm doing my job. You shouldn't even be here!"
"Your job?" He smirked smugly. "You mean the one Sasuke just told me you can leave whenever you want?"
She froze, staring at him in wide-eyed surprise, but he didn't miss the hurt that flashed briefly across her ruby irises. To Suigetsu's disappointment, she didn't attempt to hit him. Instead she stood deathly still and was quiet for a long minute.
Swallowing thickly, she then managed, "You're lying."
"Nope," Suigetsu folded his arms. "You can ask him yourself, although... do you really wanna embarrass yourself any more than you already have?"
Karin turned away, to hide the furious heat that flooded into her cheeks. Her eyes stung. Her throat burned. Was it true? It couldn't be. She wanted to strangle Suigetsu but wouldn't give him the satisfaction of seeing her upset, she told herself fiercely. He was goading her for a reaction. She wouldn't give him what he wanted. She wouldn't.
He had no reason to torment her in such a way, other than trying to irritate her just for the sake of it. Why was he taking a sudden interest in her affairs, and what she did and didn't do, or where she chose to be? It was infuriating.
"What're you doing?" Suigetsu asked, a hint of curiosity in his voice. "Don't tell me you're about to cry over his worthless ass."
"N-no!" she stuttered. "Of course not! And anyway, even if he doesn't want me here, the oceans are the last place I'd go to!"
Suigetsu snorted. "Why'd you hate the seas so much, huh? Didn't you grow up in them?"
She spun around and jabbed a finger aggressively at him. "Because you're in them!" she snarled back vehemently. He blinked, momentarily surprised by her outburst, and listened silently as she continued, "Lording over everyone! Being a pain in the ass and an embarrassment to everyone you meet!"
He shrugged, looking nonplussed. Embarrassment? He ruled the seven seas. Embarrassment wasn't an emotion he recognised or cared about. He cared even less what other deities thought about him.
"Lording it is kind of my job, as King-"
"A selfish, egotistical spoiled brat who thinks he's better than everyone, who cares about nobody but himself!"
Amusement danced across the ocean deity's eyes. "Uh huh. You know I can totally rip out your tongue for talking to me like that?"
"Go ahead," she lifted her chin defiantly.
"Tempted," he quipped. "But way too easy. I can think of much better ways to shut you up."
"You're disgusting," she looked at him with aversion.
His grin grew sharper. "A selfish, egotistical spoiled brat who thinks he's better than everyone." He quoted. "Like that moody asshole is any different?"
"Sasuke is-" Karin caught herself. "Sasuke lost his clan. What's your excuse? You've never lost anything you cared about!"
The smile waned from Suigetsu's lips. His eyes narrowed. "Hey. Contrary to what you think, I do care about all my subjects." He paused, before amending, "Well, nearly all. You make it pretty impossible to give any shits about you."
"The feeling's mutual, asshole," Karin retorted harshly.
Suigetsu chuckled at that. "You're so full of shit, acting like the river never happened."
"Why are you bothering me again?" she demanded, mortified by the awareness of how hard her heart was thumping against her ribcage. She hated it whenever Suigetsu brought up the past. They'd had a tryst. Only the one. She'd fooled around with the ocean god, despite knowing his reputation to take what he wanted, whenever he wanted it, without care for emotions. Everything in Suigetsu's eyes was a game, something to either toy with, trap, or maim and destroy. It had been a mistake. Karin had known it the moment it had ended. She had wanted to put it behind her, but he had never allowed her to forget it.
And to her deepest shame and frustrations, she never had, either. Their sex had been nothing short of explosive, the chemistry and sparks between them bordering on dangerous. She hadn't understood it. She had never even remotely liked him. It had been an instance of them arguing, as they always did, the exchange growing more and more heated, until it had ended with his lips crashing against hers, her nails raking roughly through his silky fine hair, then down the slant of his back, and his mouth doing terrible things to her as he'd pushed her back against an uncomfortable boulder and proceeded to fuck her thoroughly. Hard and rough. Without remorse.
She remembered, distinctly, how wild it had been. How quickly it had all happened, and how out of control it had felt. How hostile and angry, the loud, filthy moans he'd pulled from her throat and the low groans she'd dragged from his as they'd writhed against one another, wrestling for dominance. The triumphant smirk she'd felt against her throat, her ear, her lips. The smugness in his glowing eyes as he'd claimed his conquest, a challenge like nothing else he had ever known.
When it was over, she had felt tainted, somehow. As though she had committed a great sin. He was a jerk, but the undeniable King of the Oceans all the same. She was a lowly nymph. It had been a moment of utter madness for them both. It never should have happened.
When she had departed the surface oceans to serve Sasuke in the Underworld, she had hoped that Suigetsu would lose interest and forget all about her. But he had continued to relentlessly torment her. She didn't understand why he would expend his energy doing so, when he had plenty other, more attractive and pliant naiads at his disposal. Was it simply a battle of egoes? He just didn't want to lose one of his subjects to Sasuke? Whatever it was, she wasn't interested in playing his immature games. If Sasuke couldn't respect and value her in the Underworld, and Suigetsu obviously didn't in the oceans, then what choice did that leave her with?
She knew the answer. A surface life, away from the Underworld and the seas. Would she find happiness and a purpose for herself, there, she wondered? She hadn't even given any thought about what her own interests were in so long. What she enjoyed doing for herself. Finally realising and accepting that she had no chance with Sasuke had shaken the foundations of her existence. With him no longer being the goal, the end game, it was as though she had been jolted awake from a paralysed state of inertia, and was suddenly looking at everything around her through new lenses.
"You doubted me." Suigetsu folded his arms across his chest. "I gotta prove you wrong. Someone's gotta show you how dumb you've been all these centuries." He flashed her a razor-toothed grin. "Who better than a noble monarch to enlighten his clueless subject?"
"Listen, you idiot," she growled. "If you think I'm going to give you the satisfaction of dragging me back to your realm just so you get to order me around-"
"Order you around?" he interrupted, and threw his head back, laughing loudly. "That'd be too easy, bitch." He sauntered toward her, a devilishly handsome smirk dancing on his lips, stopping toe to toe with her. Leaning forward, he raised his eyebrows, his eyes burning into hers, as he brought his face closer to her own and smirked, "Willing would be way more fun."
He cocked his head to the side, his eyes trailing unhurriedly over her flustered features, a bright, wicked, knowing light to them that confirmed he was thinking back to the time when he'd had her, pinned beneath him against the rockface with his fingers wrapped around her throat - until she'd furiously grabbed hold of his neck, reversed their positions and rode him with a savagery that had made multiple colourful expletives tumble from his lips, causing his nails to dig into her hips hard enough to leave crescent marks.
Karin was horrified to feel an even deeper, ferocious blush searing through her cheeks, and for a few terrible seconds, her tongue could form no words.
Suigetsu snickered, and to her immense relief, drew back. "You're way too easy to wind up," he remarked. "But I really did talk to Sasuke, and he really did say you can leave, if that's what you want." He angled a wry look at the stunned nymph. "Guess all that's left is to see how desperate you really are. The dick didn't even hesitate to let you go."
She shook her head. "That's..."
Fresh tears stung at her eyes. She fought them back, swallowed back the hurt at learning how eager Sasuke was to see the back of her. All those years wasted, and for what? Had she truly meant so little to him? Had he really seen her as only a subject, nothing more?
The pain was piercing. It was a harsh wake-up call. A reality check. She could tell that Suigetsu was not lying, by the oddly serious look in his eyes.
He shook his platinum head, all mirth evaporating from his features. "Stop making excuses for that asshole, Karin," he said plainly, surprising her by addressing her by her name. "You really wanna be around when Sakura gets back down here? Because you know how that's gonna go down, right? It's fucked up, but they're totally into each other." He snorted. "I watched them when we travelled together. Pinky's totally getting that Uchiha winky."
"You're disgusting!" Karin spluttered, turning her back to him again.
"I know." He snickered. Then, after another brief pause, "Look, are you seriously gonna stay here when he clearly gives no shits? At least fuck off back to the surface. Why be here when it's obvious you mean nothing to him?"
Karin released a short, bitter, rueful laugh. "And how's that any different to coming back to the oceans, idiot?"
Her back was turned, and so she didn't see the way Suigetsu opened his mouth - before quickly clamping it shut. He glared at her for a moment, before finally retorting, "Bitch. Least I talk to you. You wanna stay invisible and waste your life slaving away down here, instead of having fun?" He scoffed. "Heh. Be my fucking guest. Not like I give a shit. I already proved your ass wrong. Laters."
With those words, he abruptly vanished, leaving Karin standing alone by the shoreline, a scream clawing its way up her throat, begging for release from her lips. But once more, she bit the pain back, straightened and composed herself, before returning faithfully, numbly, to her duties.
~x~
As the weeks went by, June gave way to the height of summer, turning to July and then August. The surface gods and Olympian guardians worked tirelessly on their hunt to track down Orochimaru and continued to discover further clusters of ANBU hideouts. Their frustration began to mount, however, when their infiltration of each successive base yielded nothing of significance. There were no signs of Danzo's ANBU soldiers anywhere. Only abandoned storage facilities greeted them, all of which contained nasty monsters that had been purposefully planted inside, clearly left in waiting for them. The deities made short work of defeating the creatures before torching each base, leaving it in ruins before moving onto the next.
"They can't have all just vanished into thin air, 'ttebayo," Naruto had complained.
"This is getting tedious," Shikamaru had pressed a hand to his forehead. "What a drag."
"But it's fun to hunt monsters!" Besides Killer B's relentless energy, Fū had been the only one to remain enthusiastic amongst them.
"We're going around in circles," Tsunade had frowned. "That bastard knows exactly what he's doing."
"He must be resorting to the use of a complex, negating seal," Jiraiya had wagered. "Something that prevents all chakra from being detected, even the barrier itself."
There was little doubt in their minds that Orochimaru had completely possessed the ANBU and was utilising his sorcery and knowledge of the dark arts to keep them - as well as himself and his main research facility - from being tracked and discovered. Wherever his hideout turned out to be, they were certain that they would locate the ANBU nearby, also. There was no way the serpent would allow such a mighty army of conditioned human resources to go to waste. But finding it was proving exceptionally difficult and their searches underground were picking up only the smaller bases.
However, the world was a large place, even for Jiraiya's toad summons, and they still had several countries remaining to cover.
"We have to keep looking," Kakashi told them. "And hope that somewhere, somehow, one of the ANBU soldiers slip up. If we can locate just one, they'll lead us to the others."
And so the search continued, and they began to discuss enlisting Suigetsu's help to search beneath the oceans, knowing that the price for his assistance would be hefty. The more time wore on, however, the worse Sakura progressively began to feel. Her concerned mother gave her carefully measured doses of ambrosia, which helped to take the edge off her symptoms, but the frequency of bouts of nausea, dizziness and trembles began to increase, until she was forced to sit out of missions entirely for her own safety, much to her frustration and dismay. Yet Sakura knew it would be reckless and selfish to risk her wellbeing out on the battlefield. She couldn't afford to be incapacitated while facing chimera, satyrs and the other monstrosities Orochimaru had manufactured and left lurking in the numerous ANBU hideouts. She couldn't afford being a liability to the others.
And so she remained behind in the High Council grounds, guarded by her mother who closely monitored her symptoms, Ino who kept her company, Kakashi, Lee and Koharu while the others continued to venture out, passing the time by learning more about potion brewing, making chakra crystals and sparring with her mother, Kakashi, Ino and Lee.
Her anxiety levels crested the closer the final hour drew, and in the last few weeks of her allocated time on the surface, Sakura began to hallucinate. Shadows seemed to haunt her steps. They lingered there, in the corner of her vision, ominous and foreboding, but when she turned around to confront them, they dispersed away, leaving her feeling disorientated. She began to see strange shapes moving in the darkness; indiscernible, silent wraiths that set her heart racing when she lay in her bed at night, until she succumbed to an exhausted slumber.
She dreamt increasingly of whispering shadows that enveloped her, enticing her to melt into pools of darkness. Sometimes she thought the shadows around her dream self felt tangible, like fleeting caresses on her skin. Sometimes she swore she felt the warmth of someone's breath on her ear, as the shades wrapped around her, swallowing her whole.
Increasingly she was startled awake, and woke in a cold-sweat, with an anxious Ino and Hinata leaning over her while an oblivious Fū snored soundly in her bed. They offered her water and soothed her back into sleep, where the darkness consumed her all over again and in each fitful dream, Sakura did nothing to fight it.
~x~
The effects of the seeds, compelling her to return to Sasuke's realm, grew so potent and unpleasant that when the last day of August finally arrived, Sakura found herself feeling profound relief above any other emotion. She was glad that the torment was almost at its end.
After weighing the risks, she had been permitted to spend part of the day outside in her friends' company, with her mother and the other elder gods and guardians keeping close watch nearby. At the first sight of any trouble, they would warp her out immediately, and return her to the High Council grounds. They remained in safe clusters, keeping a close eye on their surroundings at all times, determined to allow Sakura to enjoy her final few hours in the sun.
She took careful sips from a small canister of ambrosia whenever the need arose and strolled unhurriedly through verdant parks brimming with colourful flowers, listening intently to the laughter of jubilant children playing and the pleasant drifting chatter of families and friends enjoying each other's company.
She walked pensively along river banks, eating ice-cream and turned her face up to the sun to catch its rays, knowing that it would be a long time until she felt its warmth on her skin again. A long time until she would be able to spend a few precious, carefree hours with her loved ones again.
It was a strange, wistful feeling, somewhere on the spectrum between sadness, excitement and an odd sense of guilt. Was it wrong that part of her was looking forward to returning to the Underworld? Looking forward to exploring more of its magic and enchantment and mystery? Looking forward to mending bridges with Sasuke? She would be free to roam wherever she pleased this time, surely, without restriction. Six months in which to discover so much more than she had already seen.
Would she be permitted to return to the surface at all over the duration of the six months, she wondered? Or did the mechanism of the seeds make that impossible? She had so many questions. Would her friends be allowed to visit? Could her mother come and see her? How strict were the rules? Would Sasuke be lenient with them?
The late morning blurred into afternoon, which then crept into evening. Sakura sat beneath the shade of a large oak tree in the midst of a grassy field, talking to Ino, Naruto, Shikamaru and Hinata, enjoying the pleasant breeze as her mother, Kakashi, Jiraiya and Kurenai stood nearby, conversing with Chiyo. The guardians, Lee and Sai had already said their farewells to Sakura and returned to the High Council grounds.
"So," Shikamaru drawled. "Do you get to come up and visit in winter, or what?"
Sakura shook her head. "I don't know," she answered honestly, watching as Ino absently twirled a long blade of grass in between her fingers. Her gaze flicked subtly from her best friend to Shikamaru. There was no tension or awkwardness between them that Sakura could discern. She knew that Sai had drawn a stunning portrait for Ino, and in her opinion, there was definitely potential for more between them, but she also hoped that Ino would find the courage to speak to Shikamaru, and clear the air between them once and for all. She only lamented that she couldn't be there for Ino, if she chose to do it over the next six months.
"Well," he remarked thoughtfully, exhaling smoke from his cigarette. "If not, I guess at least it means you get to skip the troublesome cold."
"Wait," Ino's eyes widened, as something suddenly occurred to her. "So that means you literally don't need your winter wardrobe anymore. Like potentially, ever."
Sakura grinned despite herself. Leave it to her best friend to think of such irrelevant details that hadn't even crossed her mind.
"Sasuke better not do anything to upset you," Naruto threatened. "If he does, you just send me a message, Sakura-chan! I'll come down there and beat his ass!"
"Sureeee," Ino drawled, rolling her eyes. "You know he can stop you from entering his realm entirely, right?"
"Sai can get in," Naruto pointed out. "I'll get him to smuggle me in too, 'ttebayo."
"Perhaps... we might send letters with Sai?" Hinata suggested. When they all turned their attention to her, she blushed and added, "I mean, if you would like that, Sakura?"
Sakura smiled at her. "I'd love that. I'm going to miss you all so much, it'd be great to hear from you." She sat back, resting on her hands, regarding them all.
"We can totally visit, Sakura-chan," Naruto waved confidently.
"Uh huh," Ino folded her arms and leant back against the tree trunk behind her. "Aren't you being a little optimistic? What's next? Free Underworld tours?"
"Sasuke will let us talk to her," Naruto lifted his hands. "She's not a prisoner, 'ttebayo!"
"Maybe he doesn't want to see you," Ino teased. "Maybe he'll only let us visit."
"C'mon, cut it out!" Naruto exclaimed.
"I don't see why not," Sakura assured the sun god. "You guys have to keep me up to date with everything that's going on up here, anyway. If anything happens, and you need help..." she glanced at Naruto. "You know you can ask Sasuke now, right?"
"Right," Naruto agreed. "Y'know, I told Kakashi-sensei that we should ask him to help us track down those Aloe-Vera freaks."
Sakura considered this. "His powers have corrupted them. That shouldn't be a problem for him. Why haven't we asked him to, yet?"
Naruto shrugged. "He's done a lot for us already, Sakura-chan. And we have our own abilities back, we should be able to handle those circus-rejects. They're not even showing, though."
"You mean he's done a lot for Sakura," Ino corrected lightly. Sakura felt her cheeks warm at the truth behind the words.
"In any case, if Orochimaru knows his lackeys have been corrupted," Shikamaru remarked, "then I doubt he'll be keeping them in his main base anyway. He wouldn't risk that if he knew Sasuke could find them all so easily. The White Zetsu aren't an issue anymore. They're just a nuisance, and the next time we run across them, sure. Let's call Sasuke. It's these black ones we need to find out more about."
"You're right," Ino sighed. "It's just so frustrating. If we can find where he's making his monsters, and wreck those facilities, we'd be wiping out a lot of their firepower."
"The monsters we can handle," Shikamaru frowned. "It's Obito and the tailed-beasts he holds that are more dangerous. And Orochimaru and that Kabuto."
"And Ares," Ino reminded him. "We don't know the extent of his abilities, either."
"That bastard Cronus," Naruto drew his knees up, and rested his elbows on them. "Still enslaving his own kin."
"Well, he'll never change." Shikamaru mused.
A contemplative, comfortable silence fell over them, in which they watched the people around them, enjoying the summer sunshine.
"I still want to help, however I can," Sakura's eyebrows furrowed together. "If there's anything I can do from down there..."
"Come back with your own shadow army," Ino grinned, waggling her eyebrows. "That'd be so cool."
Sakura rolled her eyes. Ino laughed and slipped her arms around her best friend affectionately.
"Don't you worry about a thing, Sakura-chan," Naruto assured her, giving her a thumbs up. "We'll handle things up here."
~x~
The sun was setting, and with it, the final few hours of Sakura's time on the surface. She had grown into a beauty. With her long, pastel-pink hair and vivid green eyes, she was a striking vision to behold as she sat amongst her friends beneath the cooling shade of a tree, dressed in a short-sleeved, white summer-dress that was feminine and floaty and grazed just above her sun-tanned knees. Tsunade watched as Ino braided and laced purple flowers in her daughter's hair, and then as Sakura embraced her friends, one by one. She swallowed back the thick lump in her throat and did her best to bear the heavy ache in her heart with patience, but every so often, her eyes would sting in misery.
Along with Sakura's kindness, her bravery, her selflessness, her intelligence and all the other personality traits that made her so wonderful, was it any wonder that she had caught the King of the Dead's attention? Tsunade thought not. In truth, she was not surprised at all. She only hated the way it had all happened. Hated that she was forced to be parted from her only child, the only sunshine in her life, her dearest treasure for six cruel months. She would miss her dreadfully. The smiles, the cups of tea, the quality time she was so used to spending with her daughter. The loneliness would be even more profound, without Shizune there to comfort her. And yet, Sakura was now a grown young woman who would walk down a path Tsunade could not follow, and she was forced to endure it as best she could. She had no other choice but to trust that Sakura would be taken care of, provided for, and kept safe in the Underworld.
"Tell him to look after her. To keep her safe," she murmured.
Seated on the bench beside her, Chiyo smiled knowingly. "You have nothing to fear on that count, Tsunade," she reassured her old friend. "Your child will not want for a thing."
Tsunade considered her words, lips pressing together to form a thin line. She didn't want to think about Sakura being alone with Sasuke in that lightless place. She didn't want to think about the things she was certain would transpire between them, now knowing all that she did about their shared history. About the fact that they had partaken in a secret love-affair, millennia prior.
"He is sincere, then," she said. The question hung in the air, trembling with uncertainty. "About her?"
There was a long pause.
"He always has been," Chiyo affirmed at length. "Even when not conscious of it." She regarded Sakura pensively, before finishing, "Most sincere, indeed."
~x~
"Please be careful, Sakura," Hinata said softly, as Sakura embraced her affectionately.
"Look after yourself, alright?" Shikamaru gripped her shoulder, giving her a nod.
"I want all the gossip," Ino whispered smilingly into her ear, but her powder-blue eyes were wet with tears.
"I'm going to miss you, Pig," Sakura buried her face into her best friend's shoulder, hugging her tightly.
"You will," Ino agreed, a teasing lilt to her voice. "But you'll have plenty of distractions there to keep you busy, too."
Sakura released a stifled choke, as the goddess of love drew back, planting a kiss against her cheek.
Then Sakura turned to Naruto last and gave him a smile. He threw his arms around her, enveloping her in a bear hug.
"I'm gonna miss you, Sakura-chan!" He squeezed her affectionately.
"Me too," she whispered. "Stay safe, all of you," she entreated, as she finally pulled out of Naruto's hug.
Reality was finally catching up to her. The sun had set, the sky a clear dark canvas against which glittered a dazzling array of stars. She said goodbye to Kakashi and the other elder gods in turn, and her friends slowly began to drift away from her, leaving her alone in the field with only her mother and Chiyo for company. Sakura angled a watery smile at Ino who walked backward, blowing her kisses, her eyes shining with emotional tears, before Shikamaru noticed her sadness, stepped closer to her, and draped an arm casually around her shoulders to comfort her.
Sakura smiled wistfully at the sight of them walking away together. Maybe they were better off as friends, the sincere, relaxed affection between them so apparent in their body language. She then turned her attention, at last, to Tsunade and immediately felt her heart lurch inside her chest.
Her mother's eyes were mirrors of pain. Sakura understood. Six months of parting would not be easy for any of them, but her mother would feel the distance, her absence, more than anyone else.
She threw her arms around Tsunade, who held her close, and Sakura bit her lower lip, fighting to keep herself from crumbling and sobbing in her mother's arms. That would make everything worse. She didn't want to cause her mother any further misery. She would see her again soon. This parting was only temporary.
"Please don't worry about me, mother," she whispered instead. "I'll be safe. Please stay safe, too, and if you can't visit, write to me?" When her mother did not answer, Sakura squeezed her eyes shut, and added fiercely, "I love you."
Tsunade held her for several more minutes, before finally drawing away. She cupped Sakura's face in her hands, and pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead.
"You will be missed." Her voice was tight with the emotions she was clearly suppressing. "But it brings me some comfort, knowing that Chiyo is also there with you, and that the enemy we face up here will have no access to you down there."
Sakura gave her a tentative smile, her vision blurring with tears. She nodded. "I'll be fine. He'll keep me safe."
Tsunade's lips pursed together. "Remember what I told you, before," she reminded her. "You are the one in control, Sakura."
She didn't need to say anything else. Sakura understood. She hugged her mother again, kissing her perfumed cheek, reassuring her one last time that all would be well. That the months would fly by, and before she knew it, spring would fall, and Sakura would return to trigger it on the surface, as she had been doing since the day she had first been born. They remained locked in an embrace for a long minute, until Tsunade finally pulled back, smoothed her daughter's hair, kissed her cheek, and then, with great reluctance, turned away, joining Jiraiya and Kurenai who were waiting for her.
When Jiraiya placed a hand on her crestfallen shoulder, Tsunade did not shrug it off.
A conflicting storm of emotions swirled within Sakura as she watched the people she loved depart, walking slowly across the now near-deserted park away from her. Every now and then a few of them would look back in her direction to wave, but her mother did not.
Sakura imagined it was because the simple act of walking away hurt Tsunade enough. She wasn't a parent. She couldn't even begin to imagine the depths of her mother's agony. Of course she didn't wish to witness the moment Sasuke arrived to take her only child away. Sakura watched her go almost mournfully, before a voice drew her attention back to the only deity that remained with her.
"The hour shortly comes," Chiyo said, as Sakura pulled her mint-green cardigan on. The goddess then nodded at a point somewhere behind her. "I will wait with you."
Sakura glanced back over her shoulder to find a cluster of trees. She hesitated, before turning to face Chiyo again, who gestured for them to walk together, linking her arm through Sakura's. Comforted by the fact that she wasn't alone, Sakura approached the trees and leaned against one, the nervousness that had been humming through her veins for the entire duration of the day now a loud, riotous cacophony that swept through her blood. She felt light-headed. Anxious. A part of her was afraid. Not of Sasuke, but of the unknown future, of the awareness that her time underground would surely alter her forever.
Would her mother and friends be alright? What if their enemy coordinated a devastating attack while Sakura was in Sasuke's Kingdom? What if she found out about it all too late? She had so many worries. And yet, what demanded her immediate attention was the fact that she was about to return to the very place she had been abducted to, almost a year and a half prior.
How everything had changed since then. How much she had changed.
"Do not be afraid, young Sakura," Chiyo croaked kindly.
Sakura frowned at her odd choice of words, folding her arms across her chest. She was too lost in her own thoughts to hold conversation, and thankfully, Chiyo said nothing more. As the minutes crawled by, Sakura felt increasingly restless. A chill started to creep into her bones, wholly unrelated to the still, almost muggy night air. Her body began to feel increasingly fatigued. Her breaths grew slower, shallower, and her eyelids felt oddly heavy, as if she had not slept for days and wanted nothing more than to succumb to slumber right there and then.
She lifted a hand, pressing it against the bark of the tree, struggling to push through the violent wave of nausea that suddenly washed over her. It was debilitating and caused the world around her to spin precariously on its axis, knocked wildly off balance by a spinning hurricane of vertigo. But Hinata had taken her ambrosia canister. She had nothing to drink to settle the unpleasant symptoms of the seeds once again calling her to the Underworld.
"Ugh," she groaned, pressing a palm to her flat abdomen, where a deep pain had taken root, pulsing, burning. She blinked rapidly to clear her vision, which was beginning to cloud over. But all around her, she could see darker shadows forming, closing in on her, clearly discernible against the blackness of the night. Shadowy tendrils that coalesced in the air, coiling out toward her. She froze, staring at them, wide-eyed. Almost mesmerised by the silence and complexity of their movements, unfurling like intangible vines of dark mist before her.
Her lips parted, and alarmed, she tried to call out to Chiyo, her heart pounding hard and fast, rocking the plates of her body like an earthquake. What was happening? She could hear whispers filling her ears. Speaking words she couldn't understand.
The strength was leaving Sakura's body. She could feel it rapidly dwindling, slipping between her fingers like fine grains of sand, and half-gasping for breath, she slumped weakly, heavily against the tree. With great effort she pushed herself to rest on her left side against the trunk, trying to seek out the old crone whom she was certain had been standing beside her moments earlier. But her vision was now swarming with darkness. Her skin prickled, ice-cold. A terrible tremor seized her body, and she could not stop it shaking. Her legs trembled, feeling as though they had liquified beneath her. She felt herself toppling backwards, and didn't possess the strength to stop it, overcome with an impending sense of doom that left her feeling suffocated and frightened.
Strong, warm arms caught her from behind, her fall broken by a solid, firm body. Hands gripped her shoulders, supporting her, and immediately Sakura felt some of the pain and discomfort plaguing her overwhelmed nervous system abate. The tendrils of shadow were all around her now, embracing her in their darkness. The seemed to permeate through her flesh, stealing the last of the strength from her bones, dulling the ache within her belly.
She felt a steely arm wrap around her midriff and could barely suppress the shudder that shot through her spine when a warm breath exhaled against the outer shell of her ear, sending tingles through her skin.
"Sakura." A voice as sensual as the night itself murmured. "It is time."
She shivered, sagging against him in relief.
"Sasuke..." she whispered.
"Close your eyes."
She felt the rumble of his voice through the chest pressed flush against her back. It filled her ears irresistibly, and almost instantly her heavy eyelids drooped at the command. A moment later, a hand lifted to her eyes, pressing over them, blacking out all sight, before she felt the rush of wind howling around her and lost consciousness entirely.
~x~
The sound of crackling flames filled her ears, seconds before her eyelids finally lifted to find the underside of an elaborate, heavy canopy hanging high above her head, its swirls of golden thread staring back at her.
Sakura blinked up at it groggily, failing to register what she was looking at - when recollection abruptly slammed into her, jarring her rudely back into a state of full awareness.
She knew that canopy. She knew that sound. Fire burning in a hearth.
Slowly she sat up, her eyes looking past the bronze, gauzy drapes drawn around the spacious bed she occupied, her eyes confirming what she already knew to be fact.
She was back in her room. Back in Sasuke's palace.
Back in the Underworld.
~x~
Author's Note
This chapter marks the end of the third arc and the start arc four out of five. Huge thanks to everyone who has held out and kept reading up until this point. At long last, the SasuSaku arc and full-blown romance begins and I'm so SO excited to share it with you after all these years.
See you next update!