You must never stray too far from the village, Sakura …

The echo of her mother's voice repeated in the back of her mind as she laid back in the tall grass of the field and Sakura frowned. It had been something she'd heard all of her life and while in her youth, it meant trouble-no dessert after dinner for a week-if she ventured too far away from the village, the older she got, the more daring she became.

She wasn't so far away that she could no longer see the walls and it wasn't exactly forbidden to go out this far. It was just frowned upon and dangerous. The danger the outside world posed was one that Sakura had learned about her entire life, though she'd never seen it. Oh, the tales of the gods were infamous and infinite in numbers.

Jealous and petty, brutal and unforgiving, the gods give so much and have the power to take it all away in an instant. We must never disappoint the gods, Sakura , her mother would tell her before bed when she was a little girl. After whining and begging to pick wildflowers in the fields outside the village, she was never satisfied with the reasons why she couldn't. We have the gods to thank for your life and wellbeing. To put yourself in danger would only be an insult to their blessings.

"Ugh," Sakura opened her eyes and stared up at the enormous clouds passing over her head. They were tall, white, and towering fluffs that sailed slowly through the sky. When she was younger, she would envision the gods living inside the clouds as if they could hide entire cities of gold and marble.

This usually happened when she found herself in the field of wildflowers beyond the village when she wasn't supposed to be. Her conscience would creep up and remind her of her blessing , and that being so far from safety is only a slap in the face for the gift of life she was given.

Her brows furrowed as she glared up at the sky, watching one of the clouds part to let the sun's ray pierce through it. Before it could blind her, she closed her eyes and let the warmth sink into her skin.

"Why should I feel guilty?" She muttered to herself, shifting on the bed of grass she had made for herself. "What good is a world if I never get to see it? How dangerous could wildflowers and bumblebees and open sky be?"

As numerous as the tales of the gods' blessings and generosity, there were just as many that told of their tricks and tests. Nothing ever good came to a mortal from falling victim to one of their traps and Sakura was sure this was what her parents were truly afraid of. Mortal women were always going missing, only to return several months later with a new baby in tow. A baby that wasn't quite human and not exactly a god.

Konoha had two of these children, though they'd grown up alongside Sakura. They protected the village with their strength and their stamina and their divine powers but while the rest of Konoha praised them, Sakura knew them personally. And usually, when she was venturing out of the walls to enjoy peace and quiet, they weren't too far behind to disrupt it all.

When a shadow passed over her, blocking the warmth of the sun, she didn't even have to open her eyes. She let out a sigh. "What do you want, Naruto?"

"What are you doing?" He ignored her question and poked his toe into her shoulder, making her finally open her eyes to scowl up at him. "You do realize you can sleep inside, right? On an actual bed?"

"Maybe I enjoy being out in the sunlight," she closed her eyes and once again settled into the grass like they were crisp, clean sheets. "Which you're blocking with your giant head."

Naruto let out a laugh but thankfully stepped aside so that the light poured back over her face. She could hear his feet crunching the grass as he walked away and she folded her arms behind her head. When he was several yards away, he turned to call out to her once more.

"Be careful this far out, Sakura. I don't want to have to come to rescue you."

Scowling, she sat up on her elbows and glared at Naruto's retreating form. What an ass. He and Sasuke both were so full of themselves. Just because they had been touched with divinity, they thought they were something special but they'd forgotten the time she had punched them both when the other children had been too afraid of them. And while she couldn't know for certain, she could have sworn she saw tears welling up in Sasuke's eyes as he held his bleeding nose.

Sure, they may have been godlike , but that day, she'd made them both think twice about messing with her.

"I don't need you to rescue me," she called out to him, sitting up to prop herself up with her palms on the grass behind her. "I'd rather you leave me alone!"

The wind carried his laughter to her ears and she rolled her eyes. After twenty years of knowing him, she should have learned not to let him get under her skin. But for some reason, Naruto always knew what to say to annoy her, and usually, it got her in trouble. Her mother especially would be appalled at how she spoke about the two demigods and would constantly chastise her about it.

Sakura hurried to her feet and stood with her hands on her hips, watching as Naruto strolled lazily along. No one ever told him to be careful outside the village, no one ever feared he would be taken by the gods and dumped back months later. Just because the blood of the divine flowed through his veins, he was given free rein and Sakura hated to admit she was jealous. But her jealousy didn't stem from wanting to do whatever she wanted...it was because she was touched by divinity as well and couldn't tell anyone.

Well, that's what her mother had always told her. The goddess of healing had blessed infant Sakura with a gift and if others knew, they would demand gifts of their own from the gods. Her parents hadn't asked for it and had pleaded with the goddess that their only child be healed and survive.

Tsunade was the only goddess that Sakura had ever prayed to. She was the only one she truly believed in, though she would never admit that aloud just in case there were nosy spirits listening. It only infuriated Sakura more knowing she would never be able to share the gift or even tell anyone about it. What was the purpose of a gift when she was forbidden to use it?

Her thoughts and Naruto's surprise chaperoning had put her in a sour mood and while the late summer air and sunshine usually lifted her spirits, she was left with nothing but bitter resentment as she glared in the direction the local demigod had strolled. In the distance, just above the copse of trees Naruto was near, the looming walls of the village could be seen. Every post was adorned with a statue of a different god.

Just seeing the marble monstrosities there, towering taller than the trees like enormous spies, made her eyes narrow into a glare and Sakura spun on her heel. With her back to the village, she stomped further away through the grass that nearly reached her waist. She snatched one of the blades and ran it through her fingers as she walked.

It had started turning golden this late in the year and she knew that autumn would be right around the corner-a bittersweet time that filled her with nostalgia and made her long for the new beginnings of spring. The flowers blooming, baby birds calling for their mothers in the early morning, leaves sprouting to cover the bare cold of winter in warmth...Sakura never felt more alive than in the spring.

But it never lasted long enough and summer brought heat and soon, the harvest would begin which meant...More days spent celebrating the gods in the temples. With another roll of her eyes, Sakura lifted the blade of grass to her hair and twisted it into the strands. By the time she was finished, the golden color had faded away and rich, vibrant green had taken its place. It was a contrast to the soft pink strands it was braided into and Sakura smiled as she stared down at it.

She would have to discard it before returning to the village. People would see it and be suspicious and she didn't want to irritate her mother more than she would be when she found out Sakura had strayed away from the village. She crested the ridge ahead of her and intended on turning back to see the walls from such a high vantage point. When her mother scolded her for being so careless, Sakura would describe the view for her and hopefully calm her anger.

That was what she had intended .

What Sakura hadn't prepared for was the loose ground hidden from her sight by the grass stretching to her hips. She placed one foot on a large stone jutting out from the dirt and grunted as she tried to haul herself up. It was a bit too high and Sakura stumbled back, her heel sinking right into the loose stone and dirt and she fell.

The split second of weightlessness had stolen her breath and when her back slammed into the cold, sand and clay several meters beneath the Earth, she was desperate for air. Pain radiated out of her left shoulder and elbow and she sucked in a breath-or tried to. Her lungs squeezed tight and she winced in agony. Slowly, she managed to sit up through the wave of dizziness and she rotated her shoulder.

Thankfully, the fall hadn't broken it but there was a nasty sprain in her elbow. She would have to spend the entire night in the temple to pray for relief.

She managed to blink out from behind her eyes shut tight and tilted her head back. There was a hole just big enough for her to slip through high above her and she could see the grass swaying back and forth in the gentle breeze.

Damn .

She'd never hear the end of this for sure. It would take a miracle from the gods if her mother ever let her out of the house alone again.

"Sakura!" A familiar voice called out and she struggled to stand on her shaking legs. Not half a moment later, Naruto scrambled to a stop over the hole and peered down. He shielded his eyes from the sun and stooped to see her better. "Are you alright?"

The concern in his voice was a surprise. She was almost certain he would have teased her for getting hurt. "I'm fine," she sighed.

"Hah! I knew you'd need me to rescue you!"

And there it was.

Setting her eyes into a glare, she put her hands on her hips and resisted the urge to wince from the pain in her elbow. "I don't need you, Naruto! I'm more than capable of getting out of here myself!"

He laughed again, the sound infuriating her. He stood up straight and put his hands on his knees, pointing to the west. "You fell into one of the tunnels we used to explore-" We being him and Sasuke. Sakura had never been allowed to go along. "-They all lead to a cave right at the forest's edge. Just go west and we'll meet you at the entrance!"

After grumbling an affirmative response, Sakura watched him bound over the hole and she dodged a few pebbles he kicked down to her. She dusted the small clods of dirt from her hair and turned to face the same direction Naruto had run off in. The cave was dark but several holes above her head let in enough sunlight for her to see her way well enough. She narrowed her eyes and strained her ears.

Was that running water?

It wouldn't be surprising. There were small creeks on the other side of the village that flowed beneath the walls from the river. Sakura had never seen the river but knew from her studies that it was there, streaming all the way to the desert in one direction and the ocean in the other.

She took a deep breath that reminded her about how sore she'd be in the morning before she set off. Her steps were slow at first as she tried to get her bearings but the longer she stayed in the dim light of the tunnel, the better her eyes adjusted to it. It narrowed ahead and she put her hands to either side. The path was barely wide enough for her to squeeze through but in the distance, the rush of water was louder.

She had to be getting close already.

Good. The first thing she'd do is take a bath as soon as she got back home. The feel of dirt and clay on her hands and elbows made her grimace no matter how many times she had dusted herself off. Maybe she could rinse herself in the underground stream.

The sound of rushing water was louder here, and she sucked in her breath, pulling her stomach as flat as it would go as she squeezed through the passage. It was a slow game getting through. She slid a foot forward, ducked her head around a rock jutting out, shimmied her hips through, and finally pulled her other leg free.

The heel of her sandal caught on the edge of the rock and she stumbled, reaching out to keep her balance with the help of an enormous stalagmite. It was cool and smooth beneath her palm and she was surprised by the feel of it. Expecting rough stone, she turned toward the cavern she had stepped into and let out a gasp that echoed around her.

Enormous crystals jutted out from the ceiling and a few sprung from the ground around her, all casting prisms around her from a light she couldn't see. It was everywhere and yet, there was no source for it. What she did find, some hundred meters down into the cave was the source of water. A narrow river, barely larger than a creek, that flowed from one side of the cavern to the other with water so crystal clear, Sakura could see the opposite side of the banks even from a distance ran through the cave floor, trickling calmly

She followed it back to where it disappeared around a bend in the cavern and though she wondered where it started, she didn't want to find out. The river ran into the wall on the opposite side and slipped through a few boulders that looked to be closed around what used to be an entrance.

And between those rocks was the faint shine of sunlight shining through a passageway big enough to fit through. That must be where Naruto had wanted her to go.

Sakura cautiously made her way down the slope, using the various crystal stalagmites to keep her from slipping over the damp ground. It would be too humiliating to take another fall and need rescuing like a helpless mortal.

The closer she got to the river, the cooler the air became, and Sakura wrapped her arms around herself. It was beginning to make her second guess washing herself off, but she would have to cross the river if she wanted to make it out anyway. If only there was a way across without-

Her eyes went wide as she scanned the cavern and found a small rock formation that spanned the length of the waterway. It was just a few stones positioned perfectly that she could step across but her lips lifted in a smile as she took a step forward. She lifted her gaze to the other side of the river bank and blinked in surprise.

On the opposite side of the river, a few paces away from the bridge was the most curious sight. A table sat with a long black table cloth that draped the ground, and on top was a copper bowl full of fruit. Her eyebrow arched as she moved closer and studied the table. Grapes and apples sat in the bowl but her eye was drawn to the pomegranate in front of it. The red rhine was cracked open, spilling the glistening seeds out on the table and her stomach rumbled in response.

Who would leave a bowl of fruit in the middle of a cave? Better yet, why was she suddenly craving pomegranate juice?

The water splashed against the stone bridge, collecting a bit on her toes and Sakura shivered, though she wasn't sure if it had more to do with the strange fruit she couldn't take her eyes off of than the temperature.

Once she had reached the opposite side, she narrowed her eyes on the table, circling it as she studied the centerpiece and table cloth. Her hand reached out to brush the black cloth, letting it flow between her fingers until she came back around to where she had started from. Glancing around the rest of the cavern, she couldn't see a single opening except for the very tight space she had managed to wedge herself through. How long had this table been sitting here? She had heard things like this happening before.

Traps set by the gods to lure naive mortals in with delicious and delectable things.

Gold and silk and the promise of pleasure, she could understand but fruit?

Despite the slight growl in her midsection at the sight of the seeds, Sakura shook the hunger from her head and left the table behind. She moved to the river bank and knelt down to peer through the cracks in the boulders. Beneath the surface of the water, she could make out a space big enough for her to make it through. The sunlight shone over the bed of the river, lighting up the crystal stones on the bottom.

She glanced back at the table and frowned.

There was a pull that she couldn't understand calling her back to the fruit, whispering dangerous promises in her ear and she was struggling to ignore it. Just a taste , it said to her. Nothing will happen from just a taste .

Surely she must eat all the fruit to fall into the trap.

Sakura was halfway back to the table before she even realized she was moving, and her eyes widened as she stepped back up to it. Her palms lay flat on the smooth cloth, fingers drumming impatiently. What would one taste hurt? Besides, it looked absolutely delicious. Letting it sit here to rot was just cruel.

Holding her breath, she lifted her hand and reached for the seeds still sitting on the peeled portion of the fruit. They fell into her palm easily, almost as if they wanted to be eaten and she looked down at the three seeds sitting innocently enough.

Strange how the voice of her mother had been so quiet from the moment she had fallen into the tunnel. Sakura was almost surprised that her echoes hadn't been scolding her the entire time and as she peered down at the three seeds that sat like ruby gemstones in her palm, she couldn't hear much else aside from her hunger.

Sakura popped them into her mouth and closed her eyes at the exquisite taste. The juice filled her mouth and she crunched the seeds between her teeth. She had never tasted something as delicious as that in her entire life.

Before she could stop herself, she was reaching for more and held another small mound in her palm. She pressed them to her lips and hesitated, eyes snapping open. From far away, she could hear a strange rumbling sound that trembled the soles of her feet. Her eyes went wide and she dropped the seeds, stumbling backward on her heels.

She hurried to the water, splashing loudly as she sank beneath the mild current leading out of the cave. By the time she had submerged to her shoulders and spun back around to face the table, the rumbling was loud and her eyes bulged at the faint blue light appearing from a crack in the ground of the cave. It opened about as wide as the table and Sakura could only stare at the black mist swirling up around the edges of the rocks.

The table cloth waved from the breeze and she could feel the chill of it seep over her, making her shiver as she sank down into the water. Rising from the sudden hole in the gravel, a figure slid up from the depths. The black fog poured off a pair of twisting, black horns that pointed toward the stalactites high above. Silver hair tied back behind the man's head seemed to shine in an unseen light. Sakura held her breath as she watched the strange man lift out of the ground as if he were walking on the mist, his body covered in an impossibly black robe that fell to his bare feet in thick panels.

Slowly, he stepped up to the table. Sakura couldn't help staring at the open robe-more specifically the strip of his pale chest as he circled the fruit as she had done only a short while ago. As he eyed the bowl she had eaten from with a dark, narrowed gaze she winced from her stupidity. It had been a trap. How could she have been such a fool?

He reached for the open half of the pomegranate, taking it in his hands and Sakura fought the undeniable urge to flee. She couldn't bring herself to turn away just yet. He turned the fruit so the small section she had sampled was facing him and Sakura felt her stomach pitch in fear. Though he was now facing where she hid in the water, she couldn't make out his entire face. A curtain of hair fell out from the tie holding the rest of it back and she gripped the rocks and gravel on the bank as she leaned closer. Her curiosity would be the death of her but she just had to take a peek.

She stared and her blood ran cold as he lifted his gaze from the fruit and found her cowering in the water. Through the silver strands covering one side of his face, she knew he had seen her in an instant. No one could make a mortal tremble in fear with just a glance. And certainly, no mortal looked like that.

He was a god.

And an angry one judging by the look of fury in his eyes.

With a deep breath, she sank into the water and spun, kicking off the rocks to swim as hard as she could toward the cave opening. The boulders jutted out from the ground, nearly trapping her inside the cave but she found the narrow path. Sunlight pierced through the surface of the water and she swam as if her life depended on it.

The edge of the rocks cut into her feet as she kicked and her head smacked against one of the boulders on her way through the entrance but she surfaced on the other side with a deep breath. It felt good to have the warmth of the sun on her face again but she didn't stop swimming. Not when she knew what was behind her.

The creek wasn't as crystal clear outside the cavern as it had been inside and Sakura could feel fish bump her arms and legs as she swam. Eventually, it opened wider and the current took her further and further from the cave she had escaped from. Once she had calmed down enough to breathe normally and her pulse had returned to normal, Sakura spun in the water and blinked.

A part of her was surprised that she hadn't been followed. Surprised, but relieved. After that look that... being had given her, she had been certain she wouldn't escape with her life. Or at the very least, her maidenhood.

Sakura flushed and swam quickly to the creek bank. She crawled onto a patch of sand, her arms and legs trembling and just as she rolled onto her back, a figure jumped down from the grassy hillside and landed right beside her. A scream erupted from her throat before she could stop it but the familiar chuckling laughter quickly silenced her. She blinked up at Naruto's grinning face and clutched her heaving chest.

"You imbecile!" She screeched, slapping his legs as hard as she could though he danced away from her with a giggle. "Do you have any idea what I just went through?"

"Oh, relax." Naruto reached up to scratch the back of his head as he stretched. "So you took a swim, big deal? I told you to meet me at the west cave entrance, not the south."

Sakura scowled up at him before she managed to lift herself onto her feet. "It's a little hard to find my way underground, you know."

The breeze blowing through the trees picked up the loose strands of her hair and she shivered, wrapping her arms around her waist before glancing over her shoulder. There was nothing but the babbling creek, tree limbs stretching over the water, and an occasional frog croaking. No strange, horned gods following her, no dark gazes piercing through her.

"Hey," Naruto said, making her whirl back around to face him. "You okay? You're kind of pale."

Her mouth opened and she instantly snapped it shut again. She searched his bright, blue eyes and swallowed. There was no way she could tell him. To see a god was almost unheard of. They hadn't been seen by a mortal for nearly half a millennia. That in itself was unthinkable.

But to fall into a god's trap and escape?

She nodded and looked into the threes. For the first time, she was happy to see the walls of the village so close. "I'm just cold. I want to go home, bathe, and go to bed."

"Fine by me. I'm starving anyway."

"You're always starving."

"So what? A god has an insatiable appetite." He flexed his muscles and Sakura quickly slapped her arm against his stomach. His abs were like marble and her injured elbow flared with pain, but she hid it behind a roll of her eyes.

"You're not a god, Naruto."

"Yeah? How would you know? You've never seen one." He continued walking but her steps had slowed to an almost stop. Again, the breeze carried an uncharacteristic coolness in it that was rare for this late in the summer. It brought chills to her arms and she shivered, glancing back once more where the creek bent and disappeared into the trees. Though she could see nothing staring back at her, she couldn't shake the feeling that somewhere out there, she was being watched.

Alone in a cavern, with nothing but the sound of the stream rushing through the boulders, the god stared at the spot he had seen the mortal in the water. She had been peeking up at him with bright, green eyes that would make the purest jade pale in comparison. So surprised by the sight of not only a mortal in his territory but a mortal woman , Kakashi hadn't been able to do much but watch her dive under the water and flee.

She'd been gone for several minutes when he finally felt free of the daze she'd left him in and his eyebrows lifted on his forehead. The fruit in his hands pulled his attention down to it and he watched the red juice drip out of the side of his palm. With a hum, he lifted it to his lips and traced the thin stream with his tongue.

For some reason, he wondered if she would taste just as sweet.

The god dropped the fruit back onto the table and wiped his hands on the side of his robes before taking a step to the water's edge. He stared down at the place he had seen her hiding and frowned. Wedged between one of the rocks and the sand, a blade of grass struggled against the swift current. It was a brilliant shade of green, so full of life-just like the mortal woman's gaze had been.

Kakashi plucked the blade from the water and held it in both hands as he knelt at the stream. It wasn't very long, almost the length from the tip of his middle finger to his elbow but it seemed as if it had just sprouted. His eyes lifted to the opening at the cave mouth. The evening sun was bright and gold and just beyond, he could see the leaves on the trees. Their yellowing tint told him the harvest was soon and a sprout this long shouldn't be this vivid green.

Humming, he dropped the grass to his feet and turned back to the opening on the gravel floor of the cave. By the time he had stepped in and made his descent to the underworld, the blade of grass had shriveled in its death.

Chapter 2: Two

Chapter Text

The crickets were chirping and the sun had slipped below the horizon by the time she and Naruto had returned to the village. He abandoned her almost immediately upon entering the enormous gate, and while normally, Sakura would have been thankful, she was hoping she could keep his company for just a while longer. Just until the shiver that had clinged to her body from the moment she stepped foot in that cave could fade.

Every breeze, every hoot of an owl, or unexplained sound that reached her ears made her glance over her shoulder in paranoia. It was almost enough to make her long for the scolding her mother would surely give her. But, instead of going home, Sakura headed to the temples.

After what she had been through, she was desperate for help and would beg and plead for Lady Tsunade's protection. Then again, she wasn't exactly certain what she had seen was a trap set by that god. For all she knew, it could have been his dinner she had taken a sample from. Sure, he'd be upset, but would he come to claim her?

The more time that passed, the more reassurance she felt that she wouldn't fall into the same fate as so many mortal women before her. It was a reassurance, but she still couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't quite right.

A crawling sensation, just beneath the surface of her skin, refused to leave and by the time she had reached Tsunade's temple-a smaller structure tucked behind the massive columns of the main temples-Sakura was scratching her skin raw. The sting of her nails made her flinch and she hurried into the dimly lit building.

The rotunda was topped with a dome of glass, the late summer vines clinging to the panes as the last of their leaves turned from green to orange. During the spring, when the flowers were in bloom, the sunlight would stream through the colorful petals and light the temple like a rainbow. It was one of Sakura's favorite places in the village. Especially because she was one of the few women who frequented it. Not many people bothered her while she prayed and the soft, perpetual flames burning on the sconces made her feel warm and safe.

She took a step down into the sunken floor where a clear, pool of water stayed. When she brought offerings of flowers and medicinal herbs, she would lay them on the surface of the water, light a candle, and pray. But sometimes, thanks to a suggestion from one of Tsunade's other worshippers, she would sneak some wine into the temple and pour the contents into the water. If it helped her prayers reach the goddess, Sakura wasn't too sure, but what would it hurt?

The last time she had ventured up to the temple, she had stored a bottle beneath the creep of ivy that climbed one of the columns near the back of the temple. And she was thankful that the bottle was right where she had left it.

Sakura pulled the stubborn cork from the bottle with a pop and took her place near the edge of the pool, tucking her legs beneath her to sit on her heels. She took a deep breath and leaned forward, tipping the bottom of the bottle until the rich, red wine slipped over the rim. It poured quietly into the water, rippling slowly and steadily across the pool.

"Divine Tsunade," Sakura murmured with a nervous breath. She always felt silly saying prayers out loud. "I pray to you in reverence and gift you an offering so that I may gain your grace and favor. I pray for protection against-"

The prayer hadn't yet fallen fully from her lips but her words were cut off by the crack of lightning that struck the ground just outside the temple. Sakura's eyes snapped open in time to see the thick bolt of electricity burn into the stone just beyond the column of the temple and the bottle in her hand slipped, falling into the pool of water. The flash of light was bright, nearly blinding, and she threw her hand up to her face to shield her eyes from it.

Static crackled in the air, lifting the hair across her arms and Sakura fell onto her backside. The bright light was fading but had lit the inside of the temple blue and white and in the wake of the bolt, a figure emerged.

A figure that instantly sent terror ripping through her chest, clenching her lungs tight so that no air could escape. They took a step forward, bare feet poking out from beneath thick, dark robes that dragged the ground. Sakura followed the length of the fabric up to where a chest was exposed, pale and muscular. She crawled backward on her palms until the altar behind her pressed into her back and stared at the two horns on the figure's head.

Twisting to points behind his head, the horns were as black as pitch and nearly scraped the archway as he entered the temple.

"Please-" the word came out as a pathetic whimper, cracking halfway out of her lips and Sakura quickly swallowed. "I-I'm sorry."

"Quiet." His command was quiet but firm and Sakura's teeth snapped loudly as she shut her mouth. For several beats of her heart, several terrifying seconds that seemed to stretch on for hours, he simply stared at her. The shadows prevented her from seeing his face fully, but she didn't need to see him to know the look of fury behind his gaze. She could feel it. The god took a step to the right, circling the pool on the floor and Sakura couldn't help it. She leaned the opposite way until she was crawling once more, trying to put the length of the temple between them.

He tipped his head to the side and came to a stop and she did as well. If it weren't for the horns on his head or the feeling of dread and fear wafting off of him, he wouldn't look much different than a mortal. With a sigh, he lifted his head and stared up at the dome of vines and glass above his head. "You pray to the goddess for protection?"

"Y-yes."

"Protection from what?" As he spoke, his black eyes slid to the side and pierced right through her, making her flinch. "Answer me."

"Protection from...you."

"You fear me." It wasn't a question but Sakura nodded anyway. "Why?"

"Because I..." The words nearly stuck to the back of her throat, freezing against her tongue, too frightened to come out. "I think you set a trap for a mortal. In the cave."

Even in the dim light of the candles that flickered shadows across the white, marble columns, she could see the wicked smile curling the corner of his pale lips. The god turned his head toward her again. "And why would a trap set in a cave warrant a prayer of protection from the goddess?"

Sakura pursed her lips to keep the words from escaping. He was trying to get her to admit what she'd done. She refused. He may have been a god and he may have the power to reduce her to nothing but a pile of ashes where she stood, but she wouldn't go down so easily. If he wanted her to admit she had eaten those three seeds, he was going to have to try a lot harder.

"Why would a god set a trap in a cave in the first place?"

She watched the horns tilt as he leaned his head to the side, staring at her. The smile never faded from his lips but his eyes narrowed icily. Before he could respond-or smite her for being so insolent-a rumble of thunder spread across the sky and the god's eyes lifted once again to the dome ceiling. When his gaze returned to her, he took a breath and crossed his arms over his chest. "Perhaps your prayers will be answered. At least, for now."

Sakura had no time to make sense of what he said. Another blast of thunder trembled across the village and she barely had time to look up and see what was coming. For the second time, Sakura could only watch helplessly as another bolt of brilliant light pierced the air in front of her. This time, the light was a soft green but the static crackled around the room the same as it had before.

And when the glow faded, another figure stood in its wake, their back to Sakura, between her and the horned god. Pressing her body against the column, nearly disappearing into the ivy stretching high above her that she had hidden the bottle of wine in, Sakura could only stare in awe of the goddess standing before her.

Pale hair waved in the gentle breeze across her shoulders, tied at the back of her neck while two strips were left hanging on either side of her temples. A pair of white horns curled up and back around to frame her face. The tips were capped with metal and a ring of metal circled the wides part of the horns right above the crown of her head. Trinkets hanging from the metal rings clinked softly in the fading static still clinging to the air. As beautiful as the horns were, adorned with the tinkling jewels, Sakura knew they were deadly in battle.

She'd studied the stories of Tsunade's power and strength all her life.

"You have a lot of nerve entering my temple," the goddess said, her tone quiet but intimidating. "Especially to terrorize a mortal sworn under my protection."

Across the temple, the dark god shrugged his shoulder and looked around Tsunade's legs to where Sakura still cowered against the column. "I wouldn't call it terrorizing."

"Then what would you call frightening the poor girl in the middle of her offering?"

The god straightened and Sakura watched the tip of his black horns nearly scrape the carved architrave between the columns. "I'm simply coming to collect what I'm owed."

"You're owed nothing, Hatake."

"I have no quarrel with you, Tsunade. But the mortal is mine."

Tsunade took a step forward, her feet carrying her across the surface of the water and Sakura felt as if her heart was going to beat out of her chest. The commotion, the lighting, and thunder had drawn the attention of the village and from beyond the temple, she could hear shouts of concern. Even though she could hear nothing but the blood pounding in her ears, she knew what they would be saying.

The gods have come to our village? Do they bring war or good tidings? Why are they here?

Oh, if they only knew those answers. Sakura wanted to slip out of the temple while the two deities argued over her, wanted to run to her mother and apologize, beg for forgiveness. Tears burned the back of her eyes as she thought of her parents.

"You have no claim over her. She is under my protection and has been since she was an infant."

Another roll of thunder clapped in the distance and Sakura flinched, wishing she could press her hands to her ears to stop the noise from shaking her. The shouts from outside were growing louder, villagers drawing closer and she could only hope that her mother wouldn't be among them to see the mess her daughter had gotten into.

The god gestured with a hand pointing to Sakura. "Ask her yourself. She took from me, consumed what was mine."

"Those rules are archaic!" Tsunade shouted, her voice trembling the temple around them. "You of all gods should know this!"

Fire and fury burned across the god's face as he slowly turned his gaze back to Tsunade and while Sakura wasn't on the receiving end of his rage, she could feel it just as well as if she were. It sent a tremble through her body and she could barely breathe.

"You're crossing a line, Tsunade. Be careful where you step next."

"You threaten me in my own temple?"

Tension spiked between the two immortals and Sakura knew she had to get out of here before they resorted to violence. She just hoped Tsunade would be the victor in whatever battle broke out. Turning on her side, Sakura crawled on her hands and knees to the other side of the temple, sliding between two of the columns that nearly pressed against the structure behind her. She could fit but just barely-reminding her of the narrow passage she had swum through to escape the dark god's trap earlier that day.

Shouting from the street was growing louder and as she stumbled out from between the two temples, Sakura spun around and saw a crowd gathering on the path. It circled around the series of temples that sat at the bottom of the mountain, passing in front of the Temple of Hashirama where Tsunade's stood directly behind.

And on the dusty path, Sakura could see familiar faces all hurrying toward the commotion. Leading the group of villagers were Naruto and Sasuke, their swords drawn and powers rippling around them in red and gold auras. She'd seen it before, had always scoffed at the display but mostly that was due to the fact that they were doing it to show off. She hoped now that they would use it to help protect her.

They may be demigods, but with them and Tsunade on her side...she might stand a chance.

"Sakura!" A familiar voice cried out, full of worry and sudden relief. Her mother emerged from the crowd and embraced her, smoothing the tangled mess of hair down the back of her head. "I was so worried when you didn't come home."

"I'm fine," she breathed, lifting her head to find her father standing behind them. Their eyes met briefly but the clap of thunder that struck the village, strong enough to rattle the enormous walls, had him pulling his own sword. "We need to go home."

Mebuki pulled away and cupped Sakura's face in her hands, searching her eyes. "What's happening? Are the gods displeased with us?"

No. Just displeased with me.

Sakura answered her by pulling her away from the temple, reaching out to hook her hand around her father's elbow. He stumbled after her a few steps and from over the crowd, Sakura could see the familiar figures emerging from the temple. Her eyes went wide and her face ran pale and she tugged them harder, trying to force them away from the scene. It was no use.

There was no way to run from the gods.

"Sakura Haruno!" The booming voice, louder than the thunder and commanding the attention of everyone in the village, even though that stayed home out of terror of the gods, stopped Sakura in her tracks. Silence fell over the crowd. Not even a murmur of questions whispered through the villagers and one by one, they all turned to look back at her.

Sakura couldn't breathe. She stared at the goddess on the steps of her own temple, the silver and green robes she wore reflecting the flames still flickering in the sconces and the torches some of the men held in their hands. Tsunade's amber gaze landed on her instantly, along with the god's dark eyes beside her. It was his that made Sakura tremble from head to toe.

He looked...smug as he stood there, though his face was stoic and void of anything remotely humanlike. He was a terrifying sight.

Panic sank its icy claws into her chest, freezing her to the spot. Her eyes darted from the gods waiting for her response to the sea of faces all turned to stare at her. Naruto and Sasuke stood taller than the crowd and they found her easily, fear and confusion written in their gazes.

"Sakura," the goddess spoke again, softer this time but still ripping Sakura's attention away from the demigods. She swallowed and stared up at the goddess, watching her face soften into defeat. "Is it true what the god of the underworld tells me?"

Hearing his title out loud sounded worse than in her head and she flinched at the mention of him.

"Did you eat the seeds from the fruit belonging to him?"

By now, the silence that plagued the crowd lifted and she could hear the sharp gasps and whispers racing through the villagers. Beside her, her mother stepped up and grasped her hand, squeezing it tightly. "Sakura, say it isn't true."

"I..." She swallowed tightly, making her voice squeak out. Though she knew it would kill her, she turned to her mother and felt a tear slip out of the corner of her eye. It rolled down her face and dripped onto her chest and without a word, her mother knew the truth. Disappointment and hopelessness sank through her and she ducked her head, turning back to face the gods though she kept her eyes on the ground. "It's true."

"Then I have no choice but to revoke my protection." The crowd let out a cry of anguish and both Mebuki and Kizashi hugged her closer. Their arms held her tight and she could hear the sobs deep within her mother's chest. "For consuming the fruit of the gods, you are hereby exiled from the mortal world. You will be cast into the underworld to live out your remaining days to serve the god you offended-"

"No!"

The shout didn't come from her own through though she felt the same. Sakura turned away from her mother's embrace to see both Naruto and Sasuke position their swords. Their power rolled off of their bodies and the crowd of villagers took several steps away in unison. Some ran away altogether.

"You will not take her," Naruto spoke through clenched teeth. "You have no right."

Both gods turned to look at them and Sakura knew now that Tsunade would not be on her side in this. She was alone. And she couldn't let Naruto and Sasuke die because of her.

She pulled her arms out of her mother's hands and turned, taking a deep breath before she hurried up to where the two demigods stood in front of the temple. Before she could reach them, they lunged forward.

Her eyes went wide and she reached out but there was no use.

One sword swung down from above Naruto while the other was thrust out from Sasuke's side and neither of them landed. With a flick of his finger, a lazy gesture as if he were swatting away a fly, the god unleashed only a fraction of his power and both Sasuke and Naruto were tossed away. They hit the wall surrounding the village, the force of their bodies cracking the stone beneath them. Their swords clattered to the ground next to them and Sakura pressed her shaking hands to her mouth. Behind her, she could hear the desperate cries from some of the women who had always assumed the village could be protected against the wrath of vengeful gods.

Sakura looked back at where Tsunade stood and moved closer. The sight of the god lifting his hand again terrified her. She couldn't let him kill them. "Stop!"

The horned god looked at her, piercing straight to her soul with his dark gaze. For a moment, he held his hand in the air, two fingers out and pointing to where both Naruto and Sasuke were stumbling to their feet and Sakura feared he would kill them just to prove a point. She was surprised when he lowered his hand and even more shocked when he stepped toward her.

Every fiber of her body begged for her to retreat, to run back to the safety of her parent's arms, but she couldn't. She was too terrified to move. He stopped a few steps from her and studied her face for a moment before his gaze lowered to her body. She felt naked beneath his scrutiny despite the tunic wrapped and tied around her body and her arms slid around her waist.

When his gaze lifted back to meet her eyes, he held his head high and looked down the length of his nose at her. "Do you accept your fate?"

Though she could feel the stares of her family, her friends, and the villagers boring into the back of her, waiting for her to submit to the god to spare them more of his wrath, she couldn't help asking. "What if I don't?"

"Then you will face a fate far worse than servitude, I can promise you that."

Sakura nodded. She had assumed the answer would be something along those lines. Turning to glance over her shoulder, first at the two demigods who watched her with an all new fear etched into their faces and then at her mother and father. Their teary eyes and twisted faces, wrought with anguish and terror, would be burned into her memory. She sighed and faced the god once more.

There was no escaping her fate. She had sealed her doom with that first bite of those seeds and she would never get the taste of them out of her mouth. With a small nod of uncertainty, she turned back to the god-her new master and closed her eyes.

"I accept."

As soon as the words fell from her lips, she felt the cool caress of his fingers on her face. The touch pulled the breath from her lungs in a quiet gasp that echoed around her. The god's fingers curled around her chin and tilted her head back and though she was terrified of what she would see, Sakura opened her eyes.

Darkness swirled behind his gaze, infinite and unfathomable, and she felt lost within them-lost in nothing, lost in eternity. The village she had been born in, where she had grown up and made friends, where she had worshipped the gods the way she had been taught, all disappeared around her and there was nothing left in its place.

There was nothing but her and the silver-haired god before her.

The fingers at her chin fell away and Sakura sucked in another breath of surprise, listening to it echo in her ears before everything went black.

Chapter 3: Three

Chapter Text

The soft babbling of water slowly pulled Sakura from the depths of a sleep she couldn't remember falling into. Her mind was fuzzy and memories were nothing but a haze. Frowning, she shifted her hips and let her head fall to the side, ignoring the brush of her hair falling across her eyes.

Whatever she laid on was scratchy beneath the thin fabric of her tunic. Tiny pricks of grass pierced through the material, poking into her back. Had she fallen asleep in the grass beyond the village walls again? It certainly wouldn't be the first time it had happened.

Any minute now, she would hear Naruto's annoying chuckle of laughter as he found her in the golden fields. She could certainly remember the last time she had laid beneath the enormous, white fluffs of clouds, letting the sun warm her face while the breeze swayed the grass all around her.

But there was no breeze today, no sunlight to give her warmth, and the soft bed she could remember was gone. It had only been a few hours since she had laid there.

In the distance, something deep rumbled through the sky and she could feel it tremble the earth beneath her. Like a bolt of lightning, Sakura's eyes snapped open and she sucked in a breath. Through the curtain of pink hair across her face, she could see that the golden fields beyond her village were gone. In their place were mud and rocks and thorns and the sky overhead held no warmth of light in it.

Clouds of black and grey, thick and undulating with the threat of a storm, rolled high above her. Every few seconds, thin streaks of electricity raced through them and the thunder would come soon after.

The haze clinging to her head was fading fast now, and Sakura longed for those brief moments when she couldn't remember. Her memories were slowly returning, playing through her head and she shakily pushed off the damp ground to sit up. The fabric of her tunic was wet with mud and she shivered as it clung to her body.

Blinking through the sleep that still lingered at the edges of her mind, she took in the sight of her surroundings. Dead, gnarled trees twisted up from the stagnant water of a swamp stretching around her and the sight startled her so much she scrambled to her feet. Her heel caught on a slippery patch of mud and she stumbled to the side, putting her hands down in time to keep her from falling hard on her back side.

A bolt of lightning cracked the center of the sky above her, sucking a breath from her lungs as the thunder that followed shook the earth beneath her. In an instant, visions of a dark, horned figure appearing in a flash of light returned to her memory and she felt a sob tighten her chest.

The quarrel between the two gods in the temple, the crowd of villagers-her mother and father-staring in horror as she was singled out and taken away...it all rushed back.

She was in the underworld.

Did that mean she was dead, doomed to wander the neverending hellscape for the rest of eternity?

Her chin quivered with the threat of oncoming tears and she pushed herself back onto her feet, slowly stepping off the muddy path to find a dried patch of moss. Or, what had once been moss. There was nothing left now but a tangle of dried, brown twigs.

Another shiver raced across Sakura's body and no matter how tightly she hugged her arms around her waist, she could find no warmth. Death and cold surrounded her and she sniffed, turning in a circle to take in the rest of the swamp.

It stretched on in every direction, disappearing into a thick fog that settled in the distance. An unsettling dread weighed across her shoulders, pressing down and around her, choking her. Sakura lifted a hand to her throat and her eyes went wide. Rings of metal had been sealed around her neck, loose enough not to suffocate her but there was no way to pull them free. She wedged her fingers beneath the choker and pulled, hissing in pain at the sudden pressure at the back of her neck. There was no clasp, no tie. It was as if they were a part of her.

A collar of servitude.

You will be cast into the underworld to live out your remaining days to serve the god you have offended ...

By now, there was no stopping the sob that wracked her chest, pulling it tight and searing it with a heat she'd never felt. Her knees hit the twisted patch of moss and mud before she realized she had even fallen, tears streaking through the grime on her face. Clinging to the collar around her throat with one hand, she let the other fall to the ground in front of her and leaned her weight into it.

Through her gasps and sobs, she screamed and pulled again at the metal. The skin at the back of her neck was raw and the pain nearly unbearable.

"There's no use, you know?" A soft, feminine voice broke through her cries and Sakura whirled around on her knees. She blinked through the tears but saw nothing but the swamp stretching around her. "You're only hurting yourself."

This time, the voice was right behind her and she spun in the mud, falling back as she sucked in a breath. Standing in a shallow pool of the stagnant, black water was a woman-a goddess.

Two antlers, short with only three small prongs, sat atop her silken, black hair cut to her chin. Sakura could only stare, her eyes wide and lips parted in awe, at the woman and she blinked to take in the rest of her. The goddess wore a simple skirt and tunic with long, billowing sleeves that nearly swallowed her hands in their depths. Vines adorned with leaves and small, white flowers twisted around the goddess' ankles and stretched up one leg, around her hip and curled around her throat.

The goddess smiled softly but Sakura didn't feel reassured by the gesture. When she spoke, her words came out shaky and broken around the lump pressing against the back of her tongue. "Who are you?"

"I'm no one to fear, Sakura."

She had no time to ask how the goddess knew her name. With one step, the distance between them disappeared though only seconds before, they had been at least several yards away from one another. The sudden presence of the deity sent Sakura sprawling back again and she sucked in a breath of surprise.

From a canvas pouch on her hip, the goddess pulled a small, bundle of herbs pinched between her fingers. In an instant, Sakura could smell the rich scent of the plants and let her gaze fall to the goddess' hands. She clasped the pinch of herbs between her palms and hummed softly. When she pulled her hands apart, there was a smear of what looked like aloe in the center of her palm.

"This will soothe the wounds on your neck." She didn't wait for Sakura's permission, reaching out to gently rub the salve across the raw spots beneath the collar. The pain and burn lifted and Sakura blinked up at the goddess. "Now, doesn't that feel better?"

"Yes," she whispered, her voice timid and trembling. "Am...Am I dead?"

The goddess let out a laugh and stood to her full height, dusting her hands off on the sides of her skirt. "I can certainly see why you'd think that, but no. Hatake has little patience and even fewer manners. He dropped you in my swamp without even telling me."

Sakura frowned. "You live here?"

"I do." The look of confusion and disbelief on Sakura's face pulled a quiet laugh from the goddess' lips. "It's quiet and there's no one around to bother me. Now, come. I'll take you to the castle."

"The what?" Sakura nearly recoiled from the goddess but didn't want to submerge any further into the mud. Instead, she stared up at the woman's soft features and the vine that seemed to be alive around her throat. It unfurled, stretching straight out as if it were waking from a nap, before curling back around the fabric of her tunic.

"You're expected at the castle. It isn't that far."

"I don't want to go to...to his castle." She couldn't bring herself to even utter his name. As miserable and dreary as the swamp was, Sakura preferred it to anything the god of the underworld had in store for her. "I want to go home."

The goddess sighed and extended her hand, the tips of her fingers dipped in black. "It's best not to keep him waiting. He has a temper that I'd rather not deal with today." When Sakura hesitated, not yet able to lift herself from the mud, the goddess pursed her lips. "You can't go back home, Sakura. But you'll be alright. No harm will come to you here."

There were so many questions, so many things she needed to know, but none of them could form into words. What was the point? The gods never favored mortal pleas. They were uncaring and cruel from what Sakura had seen. Even Tsunade, who had gifted her once with divinity, couldn't save her from her fate. And now, her life was in the hands of a savage god who thought so little of her, he dropped her in a swamp in the middle of the underworld to fend for herself.

Perhaps trusting the first god she came across wasn't the smartest idea, but Sakura had no other choice. And the salve the goddess had used was helping.

Sniffing, Sakura lifted her hand and slid it along the goddess' palm, finally finding a small amount of warmth that did little to help the cold clinging to her body. As she rose to her feet, the swamp shifted around them and Sakura sucked in a breath. A fog swept through, erasing the twisted, dead trees and stagnant pools and when it parted, the two were standing in a field.

It was just as void of life as the swamp had been, with no evidence that anything had ever grown there at all. Just gravel and chunks of broken marble littering the stone pathway that cut through the dead grass.

The warmth of the goddess' hands vanished and Sakura pulled her arms around her waist, turning on her heel to take in the sight of an enormous structure behind her. Two sets of stairs, steep and wide, made of aged, white marble led up to what could only be the castle belonging to the god of the underworld.

It was wider than the entire village Sakura had called home, taller than the gates that encircled it, and each column stretching across the facade of the palace dwarfed the giant oak trees standing at the edge of the fields. Even from below, she had to crane her neck to see the top point of the broken pediment at the center of the structure.

Her breath left her in a single, shaking puff of air and she nearly collapsed to her knees once more. The grey and black clouds stretched above the castle here as well but the sizzle of lightning and rumble of thunder was distant. At least she could be thankful for that.

Along the top of the pediment, statues that had once stood tall and sculpted were crumbling. A pair of legs stood on the far left, nothing left of them except a pair of sandals carved into the marble, and on the far right was a pile of rubble dangerously close to the edge. The broken pieces looked as if they would tumble down onto the stairs at any moment.

"This is where I leave you," the goddess said quietly, turning to face Sakura with a soft, reassuring smile. "For now."

"Wait." The word left her lips before she could turn completely away. "Where do I...I mean, I don't want to go in there alone. I feel like I'm not welcome."

"It's your home now, Sakura."

Did all gods speak in circles and frustrating responses? It was almost enough to make her roll her eyes and stomp away, but she was frozen to the path. She pursed her lips and watched the goddess make her way back toward the swamp in the distance. Before she could leave for good, Sakura couldn't help calling back out for her. "Will I see you again?"

"Oh, I'm certain you will."

"I don't even know your name!"

The fog surrounding the swamp unfurled along the ground and enveloped the goddess like open arms welcoming her home. A soft voice echoed from inside the mist but it didn't quite reach Sakura's ears. As the fog settled back around the dead trees of the marsh, the goddess was gone and Sakura felt more alone than she ever had.

A part of her wanted to just lay down on the steps and wait for him to come to her...or some other god or goddess. She barely had the chance to even finish the thought when a familiar, frustrating voice echoed through her head, reminding her of something the cruel god had said to her outside of Tsunade's temple.

Do you accept your fate?

What if I don't?

You'll face a fate far worse than servitude, I can promise you that.

Perhaps it would be best not to poke the sleeping beast. If he was waiting for her up in that palace, then he more than likely already knew she was as close as she was.

With a deep breath of irritation that was starting to eclipse her fear, Sakura started up the path and reached the steep staircase. Her bare feet brushed over dust and pebbles, making her wonder just what had happened to the palace. It was as if a battle had been fought here long ago and no one had ever thought to pick up the pieces afterward.

The closer she crept up to the towering columns, she could see just how neglected it was. Surely a god could find servants to repair his home. Then again, maybe he preferred it this way. It would certainly keep her out if she stumbled upon it.

By the time she had reached the top of the staircase, after one hundred and forty steps, Sakura's legs were aching. The mud covering her had dried and caked onto her skin, pulling at the hair and causing her clothing to stick to her uncomfortably. Sweat had gathered beneath her arms and along her hairline and she reached up, brushing the backs of her dirty fingers across her forehead.

Looking beyond the columns didn't reveal much of the palace. The main entry was open but dark despite the overcast skies that supplied enough daylight to see without being bright. Not a torch or candle or flicker of a flame inside. Did he honestly expect her to just walk in without knowing where she was going? He set traps in forgotten caves, surely his home would have wards set to protect him.

As she took in a deep breath, preparing to shout and see who answered, a flicker of light caught her attention out of the corner of her eye. It was barely anything but turned her head to the right, past the main entry into the palace. There was another pathway there, leading around the thick, imposing columns, and through them, Sakura could see a small lantern bobbing through the darkness.

She didn't want to follow it, afraid of who or what might be holding it, but what other choice did she have at this point?

You can't go back home, Sakura. But you'll be alright. No harm will come to you here.

That was what the goddess said. Hopefully, she was telling the truth.

Sakura turned to the right and hurried around the entryway, finding another section of the palace here. It was open but not as grand or impressive. No statues-crumbling or otherwise-sat atop the pediment on this side and the damage wasn't nearly as bad. The flicker of the lantern pulled her onward and inside and as she rounded the corner, her heels nearly dug into the marble floors.

She stared at the lantern and...nothing.

There was no one holding it up, no one leading her but it came to a stop just as she did. Her eyes went wide and a shiver of terror raced down her body. In an instant, she regretted following the light. It didn't give off near enough to make her feel safe and now she was alone with a floating lantern in the palace of the underworld.

"H-hello?" Her voice squeaked out and the lantern bobbed up and back down slowly. "Is...is anyone here?"

Again, it bobbed up, hesitated, and then lowered back down just as if an invisible arm was carrying it. Sakura swallowed and glanced over her shoulder to make sure she wasn't being followed. There was no one but her.

With another swing, the lantern continued its journey deeper inside the castle, and Sakura whimpered. She really didn't want to follow it. She really didn't want to be here at all. Why hadn't she just listened to her mother? If she had obeyed and stayed within the village walls, she could be home right now, safe in bed.

But no. She had to be stubborn, had to be a know it all and now she was paying the price for her pride.

Despite every fiber in her being telling her not to follow a floating lantern with no one carrying it into the palace of the underworld, she had no choice. Besides, it didn't feel like a threatening force beckoning her forward so she crept along quietly through the dark hallways.

Cobwebs stretched from the ceiling to the walls and hung between the framed artworks. Thick layers of dust covered everything, obscuring the paintings and frescoes that were painted on the walls. At one time, it could have been a beautiful gallery. Even the floor, despite being littered with rubble and dust, had been a colorful mosaic. Each of the tiny pieces were broken or missing from their place but Sakura could see what it once had been.

The light dimmed, pulling her attention away from her surroundings and she watched the lantern turn down a hallway that stretched to the left. With a small sigh, she followed it through the winding labyrinth while trying to observe as much as she could.

Every corner they turned, the corridors grew narrower, leaving behind the works of art and decor. By the time the lantern stopped altogether, Sakura stumbled back to keep from slamming into it and blinked at the light nearly blinding her. The room it had led her to was wider than the hallway but only just. A window had been carved out of the stone but did not let in much light from the swirling storm clouds outside.

All at once, a stack of candles in the corner of the room flared to life, pulling a shriek from Sakura's throat. She spun around but found no one. But with the extra light, she could see a tub of water on the opposite side of the room. It was full and deep enough that she could sit down and be submerged to her shoulders. On the surface, tendrils of steam rose and disappeared into the air and she slowly moved closer.

Several bottles of oils and perfume sat on the edge of the tub with a jar of salt in the middle of them. The sight made her arch an eyebrow and turn to where the lantern remained in the center of the room, waiting.

It felt silly to speak to a floating lantern but she cleared her throat. "Am I meant to take a bath?"

When no answer came, Sakura glanced around the room once more. Darkness lingered in the corners far from the light of the candles and lantern and she sighed. With no one around to see, she didn't feel too nervous about stripping down. And besides, the mud was starting to annoy her.

She unwrapped the tunic around her waist and let it fall to the floor beside the tub, one hand reaching for the collar around her throat. If only she could be rid of that as well. Frustrated, she pushed her leggings to her feet and kicked them to the side before leaning forward to dip a hand into the water. It was perfectly warm and carried a soft aroma of rose petals and honey. If this was the life of servitude she was doomed for, at least it wasn't as bad as she thought.

Against her better judgment, Sakura lifted a leg and dipped her toes into the water. The caked-on grime and dirt lifted away from her skin and dissolved beneath the scented oils floating on the surface. She sank into the tub and didn't stop until she leaned back and submerged her face and hair beneath.

Only seconds had passed but she already felt brand new. She rose up from the water and hugged her knees to her chest, blinking away the droplets that gathered along her lashes. And still, the lantern remained where it was in the center of the room.

"And what am I to do after? Do I wear my filthy clothes again?"

As soon as the words left her mouth, another stack of candles flared to life on the opposite end of the room. The sudden brightness startled her and scared the persistent shadows into new hiding places but revealed a short bench across from her. Folded neatly in two piles was a stack of material and Sakura pursed her lips. So he's thought of everything. How convenient for her.

It suddenly dawned on her that as a god, he could go unseen if he pleased and she shrank further into the water. "I don't appreciate being spied on."

The room remained empty aside from her and the lantern floated patiently. If it was the god, he was as stubborn as she was. She suddenly felt silly for assuming he would be the one to lead her through the castle, to the bath and lay out her clothes. He was a god. He wouldn't lower himself to something like that.

She turned away from the lantern and scrubbed her arms, though the mud was long gone. With the oils softening her skin and the perfume clinging to her hair, Sakura gave one final, apprehensive glance to the lantern and stood up from the tub. She tiptoed to the bench and quickly picked the clothes up.

One was a thin chemise that she could nearly see entirely through. As she slipped it on and stared down at herself, she frowned. Her nipples and the pink patch of hair at the apex of her legs were only slightly obscured through the translucent material. She snatched the other garment, thankful that this one was at least solid. It was a robe of deep blue that she nearly mistook for black upon first glance.

Sakura secured it around her waist and made sure nothing beneath was showing before she turned to the lantern. But she wasn't alone anymore and she was no longer standing in the room with the bathtub.

Rosy perfume and honey lingered in the air but was quickly replaced with the delicious smells of roasted meats and warm vegetables laid out before her. In just a blink of her eye, she had been transported to another part of the palace-a dining room. Stretching before her was a table longer than she had ever seen in one room before, full of dishes and bowls overflowing with decadent foods.

Her jaw dropped nearly to her chest and she blinked in shock. In the spaces between the dishes, tall, black candles stood, topped with steady flames that gave light to the room. And at the far end, sitting in a chair with an ornately carved back was the elusive god she was nowhere near prepared to see. Even though his absence had been irritating so far, Sakura suddenly didn't want to see him at all.

She opened her mouth with no idea what to say, but didn't have a chance to utter a sound.

"Sit." His command was firm and echoed around the cavernous space.

There was only a moment's hesitation clinging to her body but in the end, she obeyed and lowered herself into a chair that matched his.

From so far away, and from over the multitude of food and candles in her way, she could barely see him. All she could make out was the silver of his hair draped on his shoulders and the twisting, black horns on his head. From the way he sat in the chair, relaxed against the arm while his head was propped in his hand, she wondered if he even wanted to be here in the first place. He certainly looked bored with her already.

"Eat," he said, startling her so badly she nearly slipped out of her chair. In a flash, her gaze cut away from him and she studied the empty plate on the table in front of her.

Carefully, she reached for a dish full of steaming, roasted chicken and tipped the edge toward her to peer into it. Though she couldn't remember the last time she had eaten, food was the last thing on her mind. Her eyes lifted back to stare at the god and she clenched her jaw. A voice that sounded far too similar to her mother's whispered in the back of her mind, telling her to mind her manners and be polite. Just like most of her mother's warnings, it went ignored.

"Who is the goddess in the swamp?"

Silence was his answer and the longer she waited for him to speak, the more irritated she became with him. Sakura sniffed and let go of the dish, ignoring the clatter of it as she sat back in the chair and crossed her arms over her chest. The years of arguing with two pig-headed, obnoxious demi-gods had prepared her somewhat for the god sitting across from her now.

"She had said you dropped me there because you had poor manners." This made him lift his head out of his hand but she simply shrugged and continued on. "I suppose she was right-"

His fist came down hard on the corner of the table, dangerously close to sending a bowl of strawberries tumbling to the floor and Sakura nearly jumped completely out of her chair. She stared, hands gripping the arms of the chair on either side of her. Tension coiled in her muscles, ready to burst into a run if she needed to flee.

"You accuse me of poor manners when I have bathed you, clothed you, and attempted to fill your belly with food?" He had a point. Sakura shrank a bit in her seat and cut her gaze away from him, focusing on a small rubble pile near the wall. "If this is poor manners, then I wonder just how much it would take to please you."

Color touched her cheeks and she dropped her hands into her lap, the sudden need to apologize rising at the back of her tongue. The way he spoke to her now, as if he were doing this all as a favor to her, to impress her was such a contradiction to what he had said to her in front of Tsunade's temple. He had implied she would be a servant to him, forced to serve him for the rest of her days. Was that not what she was forced here to be?

Reaching up to tuck her hair behind her ear, Sakura opened her mouth to ask him that very question but her words were cut off by a boisterous voice echoing from somewhere in the palace.

"Where are you hiding now, Hatake?"

Sakura lifted her gaze and met the god across the table. He was already standing to his feet, his height towering even from so far away. She watched him move closer, his steps silent except for the soft swish of his robes across the dusty floors. As he neared, her eyes drifted from his face and took in the sight of his body.

Impossibly black robes hung from his shoulders, open from his collar to his waist and cinched loosely around his hips. Sakura had never seen a man so open with his body and her heart skipped several beats as she took in the sight of his sculpted chest. Beneath his navel, dipping lower than the robes allowed her to see, was a thin line of silver hair and as she followed it down as low as she could, heat lit her face. Quickly, begrudgingly, she pulled her gaze away from it and met his eyes once more as he neared.

The god stopped beside her chair and tipped his head to look down at her. Though whoever had called out to him was whistling happily and beckoning loudly for attention, the god didn't seem to be in much of a hurry.

He reached out and Sakura had to stop herself from flinching away from him as he curled his fingers around her chin. The edge of his fingernail pressed into her flesh just enough to let her know they were there but not to cause pain.

"As frustrating as you're proving to be," he said quietly, almost as if he were speaking to himself instead. "I can't deny that I'm looking forward to making you submit."

And with that, his fingers fell away from her face, taking all of the air in her lungs with them. Too stunned to try to speak, Sakura was forced to watch him walk away from her, all rational thought reduced to silence in her head. It was only after he disappeared into the darkness of the hallway beyond the dining room was she able to finally suck in a trembling breath.

The fear and dread and panic that had been lying dormant beneath the surface of her skin bubbled back to life and she abruptly stood to her feet. Serving a god was one thing. Submitting to one was something else entirely.

The echo of voices from elsewhere in the palace startled her and she took a step away from the table, unsure of where to go. He had transported her through the rooms and she knew she would have no way to find her way back outside. Counting on lanterns carried by incorporeal beings was out of the question as well. There was only one option and though Sakura didn't want to be anywhere near the god while his threats were echoing through her head, she knew she would have to follow the voices and see just who had visited the palace of the underworld.

Chapter 4: Four

Chapter Text

The rasp of Sakura's breath filled her ears as she raced through the corridors of the palace, following the sound of voices despite not exactly wanting to. On one hand, she needed to know if whoever came to visit was someone who could help her or not. But on the other, she would have to be face to face with the god who had nearly stolen her breath away.

Even after he had walked away from her, she could feel the ghost of his touch on her face, the soft brush of his thumb up the length of her jaw. Remembering it brought a shiver racing down her spine and she shook her head to get it out of her mind.

Though the voices were muffled through the walls of the palace, whoever had come calling to the god of the underworld spoke with so much volume, it was rather easy to find her way to them. She crept close to the wall and turned to the left down a hall that opened up to a massive room. The ceiling stretched so high above her head that she could barely see through the darkness clinging to it.

There were no discernible shapes she could make out, no beams or columns. Just inky black like the night sky that made an all new chill sink through her.

Sakura kept her body hidden behind the wall and quickly took in the rest of her surroundings. The room was long and about as wide as the staircase she had climbed to reach the palace. At the far end stretching to her right was a raised platform made of onyx and sitting on a dark throne in the center was the god who had left her behind at the dining table. He sat on the seat, relaxed and stoic, his face passive and chin resting on the knuckles of one hand while he kept his gaze on the figure in the center of the room.

For just a moment, probably far longer than it should have, Sakura's gaze lingered on the dark god, taking in the sight of his silver hair that seemed to glow like moonlight, before she ducked back into the shadows and turned her head to see who had paid a visit. Upon first glance, she assumed the man was mortal. With stark white hair tied back behind his head, he didn't have the same elegance and grace as a god. His shoulders were broad with a different kind of strength and he wore simple garments of dull reds and greens.

Even though Sakura had only seen three deities up close and personal, the figure standing in the center of the room, absently twirling a staff in his hands, his sandals clacking on the marble floor, appeared too...approachable. The man's mouth was stretched into a grin and the staff in his hands ceased its twirling so he could rest an arm over the top of it.

"Don't tell me you haven't missed my presence in the underworld, Hatake," the figure said, a hint of teasing humor in his words. It startled Sakura and she held her breath. Memories of the last time she had witnessed the god of the underworld handle someone who dared cross him flashed through her mind. With just a flick of his fingers, he had sent Sasuke and Naruto flying like mice. She didn't want to see him treat his guest the same way.

"The last time you visited," the dark god muttered, pulling her attention back to him. Thankfully, his narrowed eyes were focused on the man in the center of the room. "You got the nymphs drunk and started an orgy."

Her eyes went wide. An orgy? She'd only heard about them, of course. When the boys of the village spoke of the beautiful goddesses and how open and willing they were with their bodies, the word had come up a few times. It wasn't until Naruto had explained to her, in rather perverted detail, just what an orgy was. She'd shut him up with a punch to the nose but her face had blushed the rest of the day.

"Can you blame me?" The boisterous voice pulled her from her thoughts and she blinked as the messenger chuckled to himself, eyes lifting as if replaying the memories in his head. "Who would have thought that in all the land and sea, the most nubile nymphs reside here in the dreary depths. If all it took to start an orgy was a little bit of wine, they were already willing."

And just like the day Naruto had explained to her what happens in an orgy, she felt the tops of her cheeks heat with a blush. It crept up the length of her neck and didn't stop until the tips of her ears were warm with it. "Yes," the god spoke, his voice deep but not exactly as annoyed as she expected. "But next time, don't pit the nymphs against one another. I'm sure there's plenty of you to go around and I don't want to have to waste my time with their petty jealousy."

"Jealous, you say?" The figure grinned, his eyebrows lifting nearly to the line of white hair above them. "Which ones?

"It's irrelevant. To what do I owe the surprise of your visit?"

Clucking his tongue in disappointment, the guest took a deep breath and gave a small shake of his head. His gaze narrowed and for a moment, Sakura could feel the light tone of the room shift. Tension started to sizzle and once more, she found herself holding her breath in anticipation. "Rumors are starting to spread like wildfire about you, Hatake."

"It wouldn't be the first time."

Sakura ducked back into her hiding place in the shadows, her heart skipping a few beats from just the sound of his voice. If he were to find her here, eavesdropping on his conversation, would he be furious with her? As stubborn and defiant as her nature was, she didn't want to risk the god's wrath.

"Oh, I'm well aware that you have no patience for gossip." The figure cleared his throat and for just a split second, barely even enough that Sakura noticed, his eyes flickered to the wall where she was currently pressed. She held her breath but whether or not her hiding place was discovered, she wasn't sure. "But this time, you've been summoned."

"By whom?"

"I think you know the answer to that." This time, the figure tilted his head to the side, upsetting the tufts of white hair on his head to reveal a pair of horns. Sakura swallowed a sharp gasp. The two horns were small, no longer than her thumbs and came to dull points, and nearly matched the color of hair they hid beneath. No wonder she had thought he was mortal. "She's in a furious mood."

She ?

"She has no reason to be."

The white-haired god chuckled, the deep sound echoing quietly in the cavernous space. "That's not what I heard. Either way, consider my presence here your official summons. Whether you want to answer it or not is entirely up to you." The god shrugged, the corners of his lips lifting once more in a grin. "But I wouldn't get on her bad side if I were you."

On the throne, a sudden shift of dark fabric caught Sakura's gaze and she craned her head to the side to peer in his direction. The god stood to his full height, the thick length of his robes settling around his bare feet as he did so, and Sakura once again couldn't help staring at his bare chest. Perhaps it was her innate curiosity that kept her attention on his anatomy, or the fact that he was an alabaster statue, carved by a master sculptor, come to life, she wasn't sure. Either way, seeing the taut, pale skin stretched over the muscles beneath locked her in a daze she had to physically shake herself out of.

"Don't tell me that after all these centuries, you're still afraid of her."

Throwing back his head to laugh, the messenger god gripped his staff to keep from falling and the powerful sound he let out echoed off the empty walls. It was a laugh that the stoic god did not return. He simply stared at his guest, eyebrow arched and arms folded as he waited.

"When you've seen her decimate entire cities, you'll understand that it isn't fear. It's respect. Which, coincidentally, is what she aims to teach you whenever you decide to grace them with your presence."

With a sigh that carried annoyance that Sakura could feel even from her hiding place, the god dropped his arms to his side. By the time she managed to shift in the shadows to take a peek at him, she found him rolling his eyes. "And I suppose this summons is for an immediate meeting?"

"At your earliest convenience, oh dreadful one." With an arm sweeping the air in front of him, the messenger stuck one foot out and bowed low. It wasn't a sign of respect. Even a mortal with little knowledge of the relationships between the gods could see he was doing it out of jest. Her eyes went wide and she waited for the dark god to retaliate. Instead, for as long as it took his guest to stand to his full height, he simply stared with a hint of a playful scowl on his face.

"Remind me to revoke your invitation to the realm, Jiraiya. It's long overdue."

Before the laughter could even echo off the walls, the god disappeared in a flash of light that completely dissolved the shadows of her hiding place. She threw a hand up to shield her eyes from it, nearly falling as she stumbled on her heels. As quickly as the light flashed, it disappeared and she blinked the spots from her eyes, pressing back into the wall to conceal herself once more.

"You might as well come out, little mortal. No point in hiding anymore."

Terror gripped her with icy claws and she sucked in a breath that froze in her chest. She didn't move-couldn't move. Despite wanting the wall to open up and swallow her whole, it remained solid and she couldn't press herself flatter. How long had he known she was there? Had it been the flash of light that revealed her presence or...It was too much to think about now. She was caught and he was right. There was no point in hiding.

Slowly, with a sting of embarrassment pricking her face, she ducked out from the shadows and took a single step into the massive hall. The god stood facing her, one arm propped on the wings carved into his staff, a small smile tilting his lips. "So you're the mortal causing all this fuss."

Her gaze fell to the floor like a scolded child and she wasn't sure whether he was waiting for her to answer him or not. She was still unsure how to behave in front of the gods. Some demanded respect, others spoke to her and treated her as an equal. There was no way to know for sure so she stayed quiet.

The god who had been called Jiraiya, moved closer, the clack of his sandals on the floor the only sound in the hall between them. He circled her but for an odd reason she couldn't explain, she didn't feel threatened by him. It was simple curiosity. By the time he had made his way back around to face her, Sakura lifted her head and stared up at him.

"How's he been treating you?"

Was the question a trap? If she answered truthfully, he might go and repeat it to the god in question. Then again, what was the truth? So far, the only mistreatment she'd faced was waking up in a swamp and forced to walk to the palace. Pursing her lips, she glanced away from the god before her and shrugged.

"Fine."

Her answer didn't satisfy him and he let go of his staff to fold his arms across the width of his chest. To her surprise, the winged staff remained standing next to him as if it had a mind of its own and her eyes widened at the sight of it. She quickly snapped her gaze back to him just in time to see a slender, pale brow arch.

"I have a feeling that isn't the truth, but if you don't want to tell me, that's your business. However," he said, dropping his arms to plant his fists on his hips. "Something tells me that through all this squabbling, neither Tsunade nor Hatake have asked you what you want."

Was that an option? What god would lower themselves to ask a mortal of her needs or wants? The goddess in the swamp had told her there was no going back home but what if she had been wrong? Sakura frowned up at the god and took in the sight of the two horns right on top of his forehead. When her gaze fell back to his eyes, she found a curious look in them and for the first time since revealing herself to him, she felt the need to take a step back.

"What do you want, Sakura?"

Her breath hitched in her throat and she lifted a hand to circle the metal encircling it. "I want to go home."

"And I suppose you thought that was impossible?"

All she could do was nod. Speaking-even breathing-seemed impossible. She was afraid this was all another trick of the cruel god and any moment now, the messenger would disappear in a puff of smoke and she would be faced with a wrath she wasn't prepared to deal with.

"Nothing is impossible. You just have to play the right game and you have to win to get what you want."

"Game? I don't understand-"

"They say," the messenger started, his voice soft but large enough to fill the hall with its volume. He took a step backward and then another, and Sakura watched with her lips parted and eyes wide as the wings on either side of his staff fluttered. It lifted him off the floor to float but he kept his stare on her as he continued. "The god of the underworld can't resist a game of wits. Challenge him and win, and you just might make the impossible happen. Now, I have to find some nymphs for a little game of my own."

And with that, a cloud of white enveloped him, curling in on itself until it, and the messenger god disappeared from the hall entirely. The only evidence that he had been there at all was the echo of his voice in Sakura's head. Challenge him and win ...Challenge him to what? Surely any game she could think of would be far too easy to win for a god.

She would stand no chance. A game of wits seemed impossible. Nothing is impossible. You just have to play the right game…

Perhaps the strange god- with his rather perverted proclivities-was telling the truth. The goddess from the swamp had told her there was no way to go back home and now, Sakura had a chance. A small, minute chance at that, but it was still something.

Staring up at the space the god had disappeared from, Sakura pursed her lips and nodded to no one. She would think up a game, she would challenge the god, and when she won, she would leave this place and hopefully never return for as long as she lived.

Irritation gathered in the tension across Kakashi's shoulders and he rolled them, trying to loosen the knots that stubbornly clinged to his muscles. Dealing with a mortal was never an enjoyable affair. He had avoided it for centuries, stayed below their world, and only dealt with them when they were dead.

They were easier that way. All of their pride and self-righteousness, their insufferable egos, melted away once they were faced with the uncertainty of their eternity. With just a flick of his wrist, mortals knew he could send them to the Elysian fields for eternal paradise or cast them into the pits beneath the underworld to rot in their torment until the end of time.

Each soul that came before him feared the latter, and their fear humbled them. It ripped away their facade and stripped them down to who they truly were and only then did Kakashi ever want to deal with them.

Mortals were bothersome and seldom worth the trouble they brought.

And the little mortal who had sat before him, insulted him one moment and cowered before him the next, was exactly that-trouble

He knew that stealing her away would upset the order of things, especially with the goddess Tsunade's protection over her, but he had broken no rules. Their deal had been made in fairness and the goddess hadn't put up much of a fight. Now that she'd had some time to think about it, time to stew in her anger, it seemed she was rethinking things.

She had even taken it as far as to summon him before the gods. It hadn't been the first time he stood among his peers and listened to them disagree with his decisions. He knew it certainly wouldn't be his last either. It was all a formality. Tsunade knew they wouldn't revoke his power or hand the mortal back over to the goddess. This summons was nothing but an annoyance to get under his skin and perhaps a chance for her to yell at him with the full might of her power.

As abruptly as he had left his realm, he arrived in the immortal lands the same. A bolt of lightning that brought a tremendous rumble of thunder shook the mountainside as his feet touched the loose, cool dirt. Several lesser deities scattered at his sudden appearance, nymphs and spirits shrieking from the surprise as they disappeared in puffs of air and flora. Kakashi paid them no mind.

The City of the Gods stretched up the side of the mountain, with bright structures and statues glittering beneath the sun. Houses, hot springs, temples, and great halls dotted the mountainside like jewels, all leading up to the tip that disappeared into the clouds high above.

It was there that he had been summoned and he knew the gods were expecting him to appear before their eyes in the sprawling temple. He never got tired of frightening the lesser immortals upon his arrival. Even with the annoyance still coursing through his veins, he allowed a faint trace of a smile to curl his lips before setting off toward the slope of the mountain. As he made his way through the streets, ignoring the whispers that followed him, the gossip and rumors left in his wake about his unfairness, Kakashi thought back to the trembling girl he had left at his dining table.

Even now, so far away from his realm, he could see the quiver of her chin and the fear filling her eyes. The green of them had seemed so bright against his colorless palace at that moment-so bright he nearly felt lost in them. She had looked at him in the same way the day he had caught her in that cave, peeking over the edge of the river before she dove down into its depths. The fear was obvious, but something else sparkled in her gaze as well.

Something he couldn't quite put his finger on but noticed it as she sat at his table, accusing him of rudely dumping her in the swamp. He had, of course, done the very thing she accused him of, but he didn't appreciate her boldness. The mortals he was used to stuttered and stammered when speaking to him, could barely lift their gaze to him.

She was different. She had looked in his eyes and each time nearly rendered him speechless. It was such a curious thing...Kakashi was unsure which way to feel about it-angry that she dared speak to him the way she had or amused that she had spoken up at all. He certainly hadn't expected that much from her.

With his thoughts swirling around her, he hadn't quite noticed the crowd that had gathered behind him. He could hear their whispers and giggles and felt their presence following him, but it wasn't until he reached the highest point of the mountain did he turn to glare at them all. Once more, the skittish spirits disappeared in poofs while the other deities suddenly found the clouds and flowers to be far more interesting. Rolling his eyes, Kakashi spun away from them and continued up to the temple.

The clouds parted around him and he glanced up at the brightly painted mosaics stretching around the temple's architrave. His portrait was there somewhere, possibly haphazardly painted on the back wall, depicting his greatest triumphs and deeds but he had never cared to look for it. If he had it his way, he would hardly ever venture too far from his own realm. And that plan had been going splendidly for the past several hundred years.

All until he had set his sights on one mortal girl.

"Color me surprised to see you here so soon," a soft voice spoke from the left, making his heels dig into the soft dirt path. From behind one of the columns, a familiar figure emerged and Kakashi relaxed at the sight of the goddess. Black hair cut to her chin that was adorned with leaves and vines, Shizune was a sight for sore eyes all the way up here. His trips out of the underworld were rare, but for her even more so. Which only heightened his suspicions.

"Consider me just as surprised. It's a rare occasion indeed to see you outside your swamp."

Shizune smiled and folded her arms over her chest. "Yes, well, when mortal girls are dropped into the mud without a head's up, disturbing my peace, I figure I might as well see what all the fuss is about."

"There's no fuss," Kakashi muttered, his eyes narrowing on the goddess. They had a rather easy going relationship. He didn't bother her and she bothered him even less. But seeing her here in the temple, it was clear that she had her own reasons to attend the summons that had little to do with the rumors. Her loyalty to Tsunade was no secret and without another word to her, Kakashi turned away and made his way to the temple doors.

A pair of guards stood like statues, moving only to nod at his approach, on either side of the entryway. As soon as the ornately carved doors opened on their own, a rush of noise hit Kakashi in a cool breeze and he took a deep breath.

Arriving the way he did, against expectations and to the surprise of the city dwellers, hadn't been just for his entertainment. The gods within the temple weren't expecting him so soon, or at all in some cases, and they freely voiced their opinions without the knowledge of his presence. He could immediately hear Tsunade arguing her case to her closest relative, already counting on the god of the sky to be on her side. Kakashi had expected as much.

"She was under my protection. He had no right to sweep in and lay his claims!"

"Yes, we've been made aware of the situation. At length." The exasperated sigh lifted the corner of Kakashi's lips. Perhaps he wouldn't need to say much. By the sounds of things, the gods didn't seem too interested in this disagreement. Still, he kept to the shadows, folding his arms over his chest as he slowed to a stop and lingered just outside the rotunda.

Along the back curving wall, three thrones were carved into massive blocks of marble. Each represented a different realm-the realm of the gods, the mortal realm, and the realm of the dead. The third throne was reserved for Kakashi but he so rarely sat upon it, that it had been unofficially passed to the consort of the god of the sky. Not that he cared.

Hashirama and Mito were inseparable. It was only fitting that they ruled the heavens side by side.

"These little traps set for mortals are barbaric and archaic. Surely we've grown past this kind of behavior? For the lesser gods, this kind of thing is acceptable but not for us."

"I think it would be best," Hashirama started cautiously, not wanting to ignite his granddaughter's tempestuous anger. "If we waited to hear Hatake's side of things."

Tsunade scoffed and crossed her arms over her ample chest, stomping into Kakashi's view as she hurried to the raised platform where the three thrones sat. "You know Hatake. He'll make us wait decades before he shows his face."

"Be that as it may, stamping your feet like a child and pouting won't make it happen any faster. Hatake has one week to answer the summons. If he does not send his response by then-"

"You sent the summons through Jiraiya. He's probably neck deep in drunken nymphs by now, his duties long forgotten."

"Oh, I received the summons," Kakashi finally spoke, snapping the rotunda into silence as the gods within whipped their heads to face him. Lingering in the shadows, one shoulder leaning against a thick, marble column, he lifted his head and met Tsunade's fury-filled gaze. "But you're right about Jiraiya. I imagine he'll be indisposed for some time."

The goddess' amber eyes rolled back into her head before she turned on her heel to face the three seated deities. Each of them offered Kakashi a single nod of their head as he stepped quietly into the room but it was Mito to speak first. Hands folded regally in her lap, the goddess studied him only for a moment. "This mortal girl," she began quietly, her voice soft but full of a strength that commanded the attention of everyone. "Is she worth all of this trouble?"

"Her worth is of no importance to either me or Tsunade." Before the hot-headed goddess could open her mouth, Kakashi continued. "It's only a matter of claim. She was under Tsunade's protection from birth, but she's not a child anymore. She made the choice to enter my realm and eat the seeds that did not belong to her and whether she's worthy of all the fuss , is irrelevant."

Though Tsunade let out a scoff full of derision, she didn't argue just yet. The goddess had offered the mortal girl protection, but there was nothing noble in her pursuit of this issue. The gods were nothing if not territorial and selfish-even ones who had lived as long as she had-and to be undermined this way would infuriate any of them. But Kakashi's argument was strong.

It didn't matter how archaic their practices were. Mortals knew the risks, they had been told from one generation to the next and onward, to never displease the gods. The consequences were no secret and there was no one to blame but the poor soul who fell into the trap. In this case, a mortal girl who bewildered, antagonized, and captivated him. No matter who laid their claims on her first, Kakashi would stop at nothing until he had her.

To the far left of the rotunda, seated on a throne of roiling waves carved into the stone, Tobirama lifted his hands and crossed his arms over his chest. The rich, indigo robes he wore, accented with whites and silver, shone in the bright sunlight filtering in through the domed ceiling above the rotunda. He and Kakashi had never associated much with one another, but the latter was aware of his temperament. Just like the sea, he could be calm and peaceful one moment and the next waged war like a violent storm.

Thankfully, his mood was tranquil today and he tipped his head forward in a brief nod. "Mortal whims cannot be favored, even those who have been claimed for years. She ate of the fruit that was not hers and must face the consequences."

The words had barely left his mouth when Tsunade dropped her arms to her side and opened her mouth to argue the point. Kakashi didn't give her a chance. Though he was just as selfish and possessive as the other gods, he preferred to get his way through means other than force. When they were applicable, he always chose brains over brawn. And he knew the goddess enough to know she couldn't resist a gamble.

"However," Kakashi said, stepping into the goddess' line of sight. As she spun on her heel to burn him with her furious gaze, he held up his hands in surrender. "I didn't come here to argue and I want no ill will between us, Tsunade. One month for every seed that was consumed, she must stay in the underworld. If at the end of those months, she chooses to leave, she will be free to do so."

The hostility behind the pair of amber eyes lessened, but only by a fraction. Suspicion narrowed the goddess' eyes and she turned to face him fully. "What's the catch?"

"There is none."

"There's always a catch, Hatake."

His shoulders lifted in a shrug and he took a step back. "If you don't accept the terms, I'm willing to keep her forever."

"I never said I didn't accept your terms. Six weeks."

"Three months." He thrust his hand out toward her, eyes never leaving hers. Tension sizzled in the room and he could feel the stares of the other gods that had snuck into the temple to watch. Hundreds of eyes were on the two deities standing in the center of the rotunda and Kakashi forced his face to remain stoic and passive though he was certain he had won. Tsunade had never passed up a game, especially one she was favored to win. What mortal would choose to stay in the underworld of their own volition?

The goddess took a single step to cross the distance between them and grasped his hand in her own. It was a brief gesture, the shorter the better in his opinion, but it was enough. The game was set and while they both had enough tricks up their sleeves to tip the scales either way, Kakashi knew something Tsunade didn't-something he could use to his advantage and secure Sakura's place in the underworld and in his bed forever.