He had listened wordlessly as the kunoichi launched into a retelling of her day. It sounded about as strange as anything else that tended to happen when Haruno was in the vicinity, which meant it was likely all true. The trials she had agreed to undergo was one of many points in the story where he'd wished for further elaboration. The whole thing seemed ominous and the last thing he needed was it all coming to a head while he still tried to hunt down the real culprit behind the pox.

Thinking about the way so many familiar people had laid weak and helpless, waiting for a cure or even death to claim them, his mind was made up. "I'll go with you tomorrow."

Haruno tilted her head and stared intensely, as if she hadn't heard him right. Tobirama stared back unfazed, waiting for her to voice her disapproval. Though her lips thinned, she withheld whatever she wanted to say, nodding faintly.

The absence of the fiery protests that'd normally be falling from his mouth left him just a little put out. But, if everything she'd told him had transpired since he'd last seen her, then Tobirama supposed it'd explain.

She collected her cat and left with a murmured goodbye, and he wondered how much of the truth would be revealed if he followed along with whatever Haruno planned to do.


Generally, the night before a mission, (or anytime really), Toka found deep sleep evaded her. But after another awkward dinner in which Reira was moody, she was at a loss, and Hashirama did his best to lighten the atmosphere unsuccessfully, that was especially true. She wondered as much about how to reconnect with her drifting niece as she did about how to stop Goemon Ishikawa from humiliating the daimyo.

Mei-san's eyes had been far too knowing when she met Toka before the kunoichi could leave the compound, handing her a bento and solemnly promising she would look after Reira while she was away. At this, Toka managed a thin, exhausted smile, wondering if she'd even be seen off by the girl in question.

It had been a tradition of theirs for years. Whenever she was leaving, Reira would be there to give her a final parting hug and whine into her stomach. Although in the last year she wasn't as melancholy, but more curious and interested in when she would be old enough to join.

Toka prayed fervently she would never live to see a time when Reira undertook some of the more dangerous missions she had. But that aside, the thought of not getting seen off at all was a stone in her stomach.

The morning was still as she waited at the village gates, watching the first rays of sunlight enshroud everything it fell on in a soft glow. 'When I return…I'll tell Reira…'

"And here I thought I'd be the first one to arrive." Her eyes shifted, finding Naoko Uchiha had silently appeared, her hair shiny and streaked with dark blue in hues of sunrise. Without hesitation, the other woman slunk closer, studying her with keen interest.

Toka didn't draw away, her emotionless mask falling easily into place. "Invading personal space seems to be a trademark of yours."

"You look troubled." Naoko said, finally drawing away. Her gaze flickering to the stoic expression Toka wore, she amended the statement with a small chuckle. "Well, you don't look anything. It's more of a feeling. It can't be that the unflappable Toka Senju has pre-mission nerves?" The Uchiha playfully lifted a thin brow.

Turning away slightly, she decided her best bet was simply to ignore the teasing. One thing she had determined for a fact about Naoko, was that the woman was gifted with an intuitive sense of what buttons to push. For all her crass comments and air of whimsy, she was incredibly skilled at picking up on even the most subtle emotional states of those around her. It was impressive…and with a kunoichi like Naoko, dangerous.

"I see I've overstepped. I've forgotten you're not one for sharing." The Uchiha mused, perfectly content to carry on a one-sided conversation it seemed. Placing her hands to her hips, she swiveled to stare out over the quiet streets of Konoha. "Yurine…she's never done this type of mission before, has she?"

Barely looking over, Toka considered the question. "To my knowledge, no."

"She seemed unsettled in the Hokage's office," Naoko pointed out.

Toka had noticed as well. And it was a concern, given that there'd be no time for insecurities when the daimyo was being targeted and their services to him represented the shinobi force of Konoha. But the Senju had already decided she would take the lead on the mission. If Yurine fell short in some way, as team leader she would simply have to compensate for it.

"Lord Hashirama carefully chose us from the pool of available shinobi. I trust his judgement." The sense of finality to her words were followed by a soupy silence.

Somewhere in the distance a crow cawed.

Then the racket of two voices drawing steadily closer.

The women turned simultaneously to find Yurine sprinting toward them, waving her hand over her head frantically, long blonde hair whipping behind her as she moved. It was the sight of her brother jogging along at her side that truly through Toka, though. But perhaps he'd only come to see her off.

"I'm sorry!" Yurine cried, skidding to a halt in front of them and bracing her arms out in front of her. "I spent all my time arguing with him about why he shouldn't be coming on this mission!" she pointed accusingly back at Kureno—Yuhi Two, as Toka had taken to referring to him.

"You were daydreaming," Kureno swept some of his windblown bangs from his face with a scoff. "I had nothing to do with it."

Balling her fists, the youngest kunoichi's cheeks reddened. "You—"

"What's this about you joining our happy trio?" Naoko sidled up to Kureno, wrapping her arms around his bicep and placing her head on his shoulder. "Are you going to be the strong shinobi who watches out for us?" A sultry coo was all it took for Yuhi Two to become beat red, incoherent gibberish falling from his lips.

Naoko pulled away with a hearty gale of laughter, one hand pressed to her ample chest as she threw back her head. Yurine had Kureno's ear seized firmly in her fingers, scolding him about how quickly he fell apart, and insisting he return home.

Toka wasn't sure what to make of this. Had Hashirama…really thought these individuals would be right for such an important job?

"Lord Hashirama…sent you?" If there was a note of skepticism detectable in her voice, she could hardly be blamed.

Recovering slightly, Kureno rubbed at his forehead, casting a sheepish look Naoko's way and swallowing. "Y-Yes. Here, this might help explain," He fished out and handed her a slip of paper, and Toka read it with scrutiny. The handwriting was indeed familiar, and it clearly stated Kureno was to be a last minute addition to the team.

"This…" Toka pushed down whatever words of frustration wanted to arise, nodding once. "Alright."

"Alright?" Yurine had released her brother's ear to clutch to handfuls of his shirt, and she was staring at the older kunoichi in disbelief. "He begs his way onto the mission, which he's definitely going to goof up, and you're not going to make him go home?!" By the end of her rant, the blonde's voice had become comically shrill.

"Lord Hashirama has made this decision, and I have no authority to go against it. There's also the fact that we've wasted enough time here." The Yuhi siblings' heads bowed guiltily under Toka's stern expression. "We should move on now."

"Right!" they chorused. Naoko cocked her head, a wry uplift to her mouth.

"I'll assume you're taking the role of our vigilant leader."

"Is there an issue with that?" The countdown to the mission had ended, and the Senju's mindset had already shifted over into completing the objective. No time for games.

"Not at all," Naoko shook her head. "I'm no one's leader."

Despite her pacifying words, Toka found herself locked into another tense stare. Naoko's eyes were beetle black, bottomless. She didn't need the Sharingan to display an unnerving stare. But, with everything she had seen and done, it would take more than intimidating eyes to ruffle Toka.

She turned her back, marching out with her new teammates behind her. The capital. Reaching it in time was what mattered.

An image of a childish grin and inquisitive eyes set into a tanned face flashed through her mind.

Then why were her thoughts already straying to Reira, and the fact that she hadn't come?


The sun fell over the valley and made the dewy hills of the farmland she passed look idyllic. The cows and horses grazing in pastures behind sturdy fences were so oblivious to life's difficulties. Nothing as grave as protecting the world from wrathful gods would ever fall on their shoulders.

For the same reason she had left Usamaro behind in Choshu. The cat hadn't been happy, but the innkeepers were kind enough to have their grandson watch the little troublemaker so he wouldn't attempt to follow her.

As grateful as Sakura was for her loyal, crafty feline friend, she had a feeling what she'd be up against starting today would do a little more than singe off some whiskers. And she wasn't going to risk Usamaro's life needlessly. She'd rather have him alive to be cross at her later.

Besides, she reminded herself, there'd be a prickly, cat-like man skulking after her. One was more than enough. While the idea of partnering up with the surly shinobi wasn't filling her with any great amount of enthusiasm, she knew Tobirama's stubbornness rivaled her own even if he wouldn't admit it.

He was going to find a way to involve himself in one way or another, especially because he clearly saw some link between her goal and the clarity he was chasing. He'd probably be sorely disappointed when he found out Ippon-Datara was just as cryptic as Mizuchi was. Honestly, handing out vague, frustrating answers had to be a special commonalty shared in divine beings.

The thought of them vexing someone else, someone who would be sharing in her misery, brought a touch of amusement to her lips. But all of it fell away in an instant when she crested the final hill and saw Tenryu nestled down below.

A single sweep was all it took to see something was wrong down in the little village. Ugly smoke snaked up through the air, and the bitter tang curled up her nose and made her throat feel scratchy.

There was…fire!

Sakura didn't even bother trying to assess what could've been happening. She was already streaking closer, unsure of what danger she'd have to confront, but positive it was as ominous and deliberate as it felt in her bones.


Oboro whistled through the air, piercing the backs of three people as they ran from the mayhem. He pulled his weapon free of their bodies with a jerk, the segments glistening with fresh, dark blood.

They fell in a heap, and the rest of the sniveling villagers cowered away, trying to shield their children from him. One man, a hole ripped through his chest, attempted to crawl over his wife, her own wound just as severe.

He took his time walking to them, crouching over their prone, defenseless forms and staring hard through the eye holes of his mask. "There'd be no need for this destruction and bloodshed if someone would tell me what I want to know." he informed them.

Groaning, a teenage boy struggled to pull himself from under his parents. As he inched along, eventually rolling onto his back, the masked warrior noticed the hole in his clothing wasn't as large compared to the others.

Possibly because the bodies of his parents had taken the brunt of Oboro's steel. When he peered up into Cat's eyes, there was a deep well of venom under a shine of anguish. "W-Why?" he ground. "What's brought an omen like you?"

"Not every punishment is about whose most deserving." he spat. "If that were the case all the suffering in this world would be reserved only for the most vile and wicked. But innocents are impacted just as much as the unjust."

A small shift in the air, and then Cat was leaping away to avoid an underground sneak attack. He swung Oboro, the sword slashing right through the neck of what turned out to be a clone.

It disappeared with a grunt, leaving Cat facing down the original. While another clone worked to resuscitate the injured family clinging to their last breaths, Tobirama Senju's icy red gaze locked onto him. For a split second, he felt as if the man knew who he was.

"Ah…back for another round?"

"That was a nice little speech you gave," The Senju sneered, never taking his eyes away as he took out a kunai, twirling it around his fingers, "And normally I'd be inclined to agree…but I hope you don't consider yourself an innocent."

Cat tilted his head down, gripping the hilt of his blade as memories briefly resurfaced before he snuffed them out with a vengeance. "No…I can't be. You took that away from me."

"You aren't the first person to try to enact revenge based on a grudge against me." Tobirama sighed. "But there's a reason I'm still standing. Wanting me dead doesn't mean it'll be how our encounter ends."

"You're so cocky," Cat growled. "If you were an honorable man you'd save me the trouble of all this, lay down and offer me your neck and most solemn apologies before I watched the life drain from your eyes."

Leaping into the air, he flipped, striking out with Oboro and then allowing the sword to deftly slither in the direction of two children hiding behind a fruit cart. Tobirama was quick to phase in front of them, drawing them into his arms and spitting a layered mud wall. The lethal tip burst through the first layer with minor difficulty, but by the time it had collapsed the next three Tobirama and the two small girls had teleported to safety.

"You know, you're really not even who I'm after today…I'd much rather destroy you from the inside out. A man like you doesn't feel much, but if I search deep enough I'm sure I can rip apart what you do feel by taking everything you cherish."

"Then it was you." Suddenly Tobirama was there, ducking under his guard and swinging a punch into his gut. Cat stumbled across the roof he'd landed on.

"The pox you mean? And what of it?"

"You—" There was a ferocious glow the likes of which he had only seen once before. Not from a cold-hearted man with snow-kissed hair, but from the equally hateful carmine orbs of a white-haired boy.

A potent chakra began to leak out of Tobirama, killing intent amplifying to levels that had civilians in close proximity slumping over to retch on the ground. Cat felt the clawed hand of death scrape its nails down his spine. But it was a sensation he had felt too many times before for it to slow him down for long.

"This is the rage I want you to feel when we have our deciding match. Hold onto the feeling that I almost took everyone away from you." At this point he was only sticking around to goad the arrogant Senju, let him know who was really in control.

Back at the forge, they'd know soon enough he was missing and when they saw the state Tenryu was in, he'd get an earful about how impetuous he'd chosen to be. Scolding was all they could do though, because they needed him. A godslayer wasn't exactly easy to come by, and he was able to wield Oboro. Without him, the sword's full potential would remain locked, and it would be a waste.

Tobirama's chilled features darkened further. "But you didn't. I'm guessing now it was all a way to ensure I'd travel here."

"Coldly analytical." Cat remarked. "It suits you." He swung Oboro and sent a wave of green flames that he'd sapped from the other godslayer the shinobi's way. Even when he evaded in time, the acidic flames still corroded whatever it touched, quickly spreading from one roof to another and sending burning rubble onto trapped villagers inside. Raw screams and pleas for help mixed with the buzz of disorder already in the air. "Do you understand, Tobirama?"

A strange kunai flew by his head, and he leaned to the side to evade it. A whisper of malice was all the warning that came before a clone teleported behind him came dangerously close to impaling him with an electrified water spear. "The next time, I can make a pox that kills within the first hour. And if I wanted to destroy this village and everyone in it, if I wanted their agonized cries to be the very last thing you heard before your demise, then that's how it would be."

Ignoring his declaration entirely, Tobirama continued his offensive without holding back. A circle of flame blasted from his mouth, trapping them both in a tall ring of billowing fire.

Cat stared down, sticking his foot close to the flame and then withdrawing it right before it could touch him. Underneath his mask, he smirked. "There's a lot of irony in you thinking fire's enough to trap me. Is this the only plan you can come up with in your desperation?"

"You do a lot of talking, but not a lot of observing of your surroundings." Tobirama stated. "It makes me wonder how young you are under that mask."

A sharp tug around his ankle drew his attention down, seeing a clone had grabbed his legs. Before he could raise his sword to detach it, a shadow fell over him, a sharp look up revealing the snarling face of the pink-haired godslayer with her claws out. Cat had heard about some of her abilities, and he knew that she was generally despised so much for a reason. Meddlesome. Tenacious. Hideous.

Those were some of the words that had been thrown out when he'd asked to know more about this godslayer the heavens were keen to see erased as soon as possible. Although, Cat couldn't see any true credence to the last claim.

With her long hair fluttering like blush pink petals on the wind, an eye-catching outfit snugly fitted to her body, shining silver scales climbing up her forearms, and glittering eyes swiftly becoming an unusual golden-green, she was far from unattractive. With a lazy flick of the wrist, Oboro split apart and rose to meet her.

She crossed her arms over her chest as gravity continued to bring her down. As if the tough scales protecting her with as soft as melted steel, the weapon cut, bright blood bubbling up. It dripped down her arms, but aside from a momentary flinch, she pretended as though she couldn't feel it.

Impressive. A wound from a divine weapon burned like liquid mercury shot through the veins.

No…he was sure of it now. Hideous was not a descriptor that suited this woman, something he could admit despite his willingness to cut her down for his true goal.

If anything…her fury only made her more striking. Unusually dazed by her sudden appearance and warrior-like image, Cat felt her claws sink into the flesh of his shoulders as she took him to the ground, a knee shoved hard into his stomach. "If that's what you think, then I'm about to become the most beautiful person you've ever seen!"

Had he made the comment about her anger being attractive out loud? Flipping them over, he threw her off, watching her slide backwards and take up a combat-ready stance. "So someone else in my way joins the fray…"

Sizing her up, he glared down at the rips she'd left in his clothing. Her claws had cut deep and both shoulders now bled through the material. "Sorry, but you're not someone I'm that interested in killing right now either. But…" They couldn't see it, but his face had pulled into a thoughtful frown. "Maybe you'd be more willing than they were to tell me where the One-Eyed God is hiding? I have some…things I'd like to talk about with him."

She certainly didn't look impressed. Cat decided he liked that she wasn't as trusting as her appearance would lead one to believe. "I'm supposed to just take your word I guess."

"You don't have to." Tobirama flickered to her side, ready to resume what they'd started. "You could watch me turn this little village into a gaping hole in the ground. I'll leave it up to you."

The answer was a tightening on the palpable tension in the air, the spring of their legs as they all flew toward each other. It was a flurry of jutsu and sword swings and licks of flames with corrosive power. As they jumped and guarded, Cat knew exactly what their plan was. They were on the outskirts of the small village, no longer endangering the lives of the people that called it home.

There was also the added benefit of having more room to do battle, though that worked both ways. If they thought they'd successfully cornered him, they were sadly mistaken. Neither of them seemed to recognize the spot they were headed towards, or rather what was beneath it. He on the other hand had ventured down on several deadly errands, the last being to retrieve the materials necessary for his weapon.

'Trapping them will be more suffering than I could ever cause, and give me time to hunt down that pesky god.'

The female godslayer struck the ground and it rumbled like a giant's yawn had disturbed the earth. Rock shot up in great chunks he had no choice but to dodge, nimbly leaping closer to her. However, as expected there was no trace of fear in her eyes as she maneuvered from place to place just as effortlessly. He'd lost sight of Tobirama, but there was no doubt he was close.

Staring down at the rift, he waited, allowing the girl to think he was distracted again. She seemed hesitant to attack, perhaps sensing he wasn't as preoccupied as he seemed. But when he pretended as though locating Tobirama was the higher priority, she once again came in for a strike.

His hand shot out, seizing her around the throat before she could land a blow. A short wheeze sounded from her as he tossed her idly, biting his thumb until he tasted a trickle of blood. Weaving one-handed seals, he slapped his palm down on the rock.

The power from beneath glowed, and Cat had to move away himself, not eager to share their fate. Caught unsuspecting, Sakura Haruno shrieked as she was sucked toward the pulsating light of the portal.

He turned his attention outward, catching a slip of chakra that allowed him to locate his second target. Tobirama was visibly bewildered by what had happened to his partner, half surprising Cat when he lunged to grab her arm.

The swordsman swung a knee into the distracted Tobirama's abdomen, sending him sprawling. Seizing the downed Senju by a leg, he flung him with all his might down into the abyss, giving The Under its second victim.


She scraped the side of her face and hit various parts of her body countless times on the way down. One minute she was facing off against the mysterious cat-masked man, the next he'd opened a portal that swallowed her whole.

Now Sakura was free-falling down, down, down, her dragon eyes barely able to make out the craggy, jutting rock occasionally illuminated by masses of faintly glowing crystal. Flipping, knowing she wouldn't find purchase and yet still determined to slow her fall, Sakura extended her talons, hearing the long toenails tear through her socks over the whistling in her ears.

Arms and legs extended, they scraped the sides of the rapidly narrowing space she was dropping through. She continued to slide, though not as fast, giving her a moment to catch her breath. If her limbs hadn't been transformed, she probably would have been feeling immense burn from the friction of the hard rock and her supple skin meeting so quickly.

'This feels like a cave.' Sakura thought, glancing up only to find whatever way she'd entered was predictably swallowed by the fathomless dark that was everywhere. Her feet dangled, indicating the end of the rocky protrusions shortly before her nails involuntarily retracted and she fell to her stomach on a decidedly stony ground.

Rubbing at her head, the pinkette lifted herself on shaky arms. The right side of her face was warm and sticky, reminding her of how much skin had been scraped off from her descent.

Taking the precious few moments she could to heal herself while she got her bearings, Sakura ran through what was likely to be the most logical plan. Tobirama…what had happened to him?

He'd reached for her, a small glimpse of something other than exasperation in his eyes when they locked gazes. Then the swordsman had kicked him out of the way and she'd dropped with no one to hold onto.

Sakura could feel the skin finish knitting itself back together, prodding it experimentally with two fingers to be sure there was no other gash to lead to a nasty infection later.

Granted, even if she'd managed to scrape off the entire side of her face, she was confident she could restore herself in no time, but it was a hassle she'd rather not go through regardless. She'd barely climbed to her feet, mind still trying to puzzle out where she'd been dropped, when a solid weight slammed into her from overhead. She toppled flat onto her face, banging her chin.

A low grunt gave her a strong guess about what had happened. Sakura was far from happy when her face shot up from the ground for the second time in under five minutes.

"Are you kidding me?!" she raged, all but flinging Tobirama a distance away, watching his body stop as it met the cave wall. "Shannaro! I just finished patching myself up!"

"Sorry, Haruno," The voice confirmed it was indeed the same surly Senju she suspected. "The next time I go plummeting through a portal and end up free-falling into a cave I'll have a light on hand to see where I'm dropping."

Picking himself up and dusting himself off, Sakura's eyes adjusted enough to see Tobirama surveying their surroundings. "Where is this?" he demanded. "This cave feels strange. It feels…alive."

Sakura narrowed her eyes. Since he mentioned it, the same heightened senses that were more in tune to powerful auras since coming in contact with Mizuchi, did feel something like a pulsing sensation.

Closing her eyes and willing only her dragon eyes to activate, Sakura gasped, noticing a translucent, rippling web stretched everywhere on the cave walls. Moving forward and lightly touching sent a tingle up her arm. Curious, Sakura put one foot up and summoned chakra to the soles of her feet.

She took precisely three steps up before the chakra suctioning her to the wall disappeared and she felt her knees knock together, weak as a newborn calf's. She tumbled onto her back, staring up at the ceiling incredulously. "I couldn't stick…" she muttered to no one in particular.

Tobirama's face appeared above her as he looked down on her with a huff. "I don't see you trying it!" she challenged.

Rolling his shoulders, Tobirama summoned his own chakra and started sprinting up the cave wall. Sakura sat up and watched, annoyed he was making good progress.

That was until he got blasted back down on his ten step. Not wanting to be too uncharitable when he was the only person around in this unknown place, Sakura turned her mouth into her shoulder and bit her lip.

"So it's as I thought…" he said, brushing at a sleeve. Sakura figured it was too dark for him to see her rolling her eyes. Was he really going to play it off like he knew that would happen and still risked an embarrassing tumble just to prove a point? Men and their pride.

"What is?" she asked, humoring him slightly. And, she was partially wondering what theory he was spinning in that head of his.

"This cave is as close to 'alive' as anything inorganic I've ever encountered. It's similar to the black mountain that was resistant to my attacks that day. I shouldn't have to tell you about the strange atmosphere here…"

Sakura slowly nodded even though he wasn't facing her. A deep rumble shook the ground, a piece of stalagmite falling from somewhere overhead. "What now?" Sakura grumbled, already feeling done with the whole ordeal. This was so far from where she had planned for her day to go.

"The walls…" Tobirama's voice had picked up half an octave, indicating unmasked shock. Sakura let her eyes drift to them, then scrambled to her feet when the rock started moving closer. The both of them backed hastily, neither speaking as the cave continued to narrow until the small alcove they'd been standing in was a sliver of space so small a skinny, stray cat would have had a hard time squeezing through.

Blinking, Sakura plopped down then and there, her eyes snapping shut.

"What are you—"

"Shh!" she scolded, "I need to try and reach Mizuchi. I don't know what's going on but she probably does."

Tobirama surprisingly offered no further comments. Sakura made herself as comfortable as possible and started the process of reaching for the invisible tether that linked her to the deity.

It was faint at first, buried deeper than usual. But Sakura pulled steadily until it felt as though her own hand was solidly gripping it in a tightly clenched fist. "…!"

"The connection is faint, Sakura. Where've you gone off to?"

Squirming in place, Sakura curled the hand resting on her knee. "I don't know! One minute I was fighting the same guy with the cat mask and the divine sword, and the next he throws us into a portal. There's something off here, I can feel it. I was hoping you could—"

"Say no more. I'm sure I already know the gist of your situation. Listen carefully Sakura, contacting you again may prove difficult for now. You are in The Under."

The name sent a trickle of recognition into her brain, and she recalled Ippon-Datara had mentioned it toward the end of the conversation. "The…the place where the Second Rite is supposed to be? Isn't that sort of a good thing then?" Already, though perhaps prematurely, she could feel some of the tightness loosening from her back muscles.

She could almost feel the goddess' piercing eyes searing into her. "Without proper understanding or preparation it is the last place for a mortal to be…The Under is not simply a deep pit in the earth. It is a pocket realm placed between the top world and the underworld."

The jolt of astonishment was so great, Sakura had to fight to keep hold of the connection. It didn't stop the bodily spasm that overcame her. Once she'd calmed, she leaned forward, refusing to give up until she understood completely. "That explains why it feels so oppressive here. It's like being in the stomach of a monster."

"That…is more accurate than you may be comfortable hearing." Mizuchi sighed. "Long ago, early on during a period before humanity, the gods experimented daily, attempting to establish what would roam the earth. Many strange things were made. Then they grew bored, being as fickle as divine beings are, and sometimes they carelessly created monstrosities too unruly and dangerous to ever allow to remain free."

'Typical,' Sakura couldn't help the disdainful thought that slipped free. When had the gods shown good judgement so far?

"Instead of destroying what they had done, they sealed up some of those early, rejected creations into a pocket realm. It is a box of discarded, misshapen toys you might say." Mizuchi continued. "Not everything in The Under will try and kill you, and some of the most precious, forgotten treasures of the heavens also lie buried there. But for a mortal, it's truly a testament of their endurance and courage to survive there long enough to find anything valuable. In a realm that existed before humans, chakra and ninjutsu will likely get you nowhere. If you want to find a way to escape…you need to—"

Her voice trailed into something tinny, and Sakura cursed aloud. She waited several beats, prodding at the link but there was only more garbled speech and then Mizuchi was gone.


Nothing of great significance had been said between them in a while. After Haruno finished making contact with her deity and relayed the little bit of crucial information she'd managed to glean, it became a matter of determining the best direction out.

Unimaginable horrors supposedly awaited them, and they had no sense of where they might be lurking or how to outright avoid them, assuming it was possible. The first fork in the path had come not long into their walking, and a standoff had ensued about whose choice they would go with.

Tobirama's sensory skills had picked up no life from either path, but foreboding wound through each part of him every time he so much as glanced to the left. On the other hand Haruno insisted it was the right that would spell doom, citing that her enhanced draconic senses made her at least slightly more aligned with this new world.

Grudgingly he agreed to allow her to take the lead, with the understanding that if it led them to trouble he would revoke her leadership without hesitation. She agreed and they'd set off. Aside from being dank, sparsely lit by the strange glow high above, and progressively chillier as they traveled, nothing popped out. It had been an inconvenience so far, but not an unordinary one.

Tobirama was busy focusing on the light pink hair swinging down Haruno's back, tracking it as the beacon he was following through the dark tunnel. Her words, admitting that the Second Rite the deities expected her to undergo was to take place here anyway, made him wonder if she'd known the portal would lead to The Under all along.

With the monotony of walking aimlessly stretching his patience thin, he decided there was no point in remaining silent about his questions. "Haruno," he called, aware she'd heard from such a close proximity.

"Hm?" She turned her head a little, still walking.

"How much did you know about this place before today?"

"Nothing besides its name," she replied, her words echoing. "I said that when I explained about the Rites."

"You seem so keen to blindly follow along with these deities and their schemes. You have no idea if they're leading you further into a trap or have any intentions to deliver on their end of the deal." He crossed his arms, finding himself steadily growing more agitated with the notion.

For the times she had proved herself a deep thinker, able to rationalize and analyze at a level he would have to admit impressed him, she was painfully naïve to throw herself forward into peril so often. Because she felt she could trust the words of that sharp-tongued dragon woman.

'It's not my concern if she ends up fooled.' Tobirama thought.

"You don't really understand the full situation!" she hissed. "I don't put myself in those situations because I like the thrill. But…all my life I've been looking for a way to truly stand strong and protect everyone and everything that matters." There was so much fervent passion in her voice, Tobirama found himself struck silent.

It had been so long since he was a small boy, powerless in the face of the bloodlust and greed of the adults around him. He had vowed with resentment in his heart not to follow their path. Though he knew it would be difficult and the road riddled with huge obstacles, he wanted the same world Hashirama did.

Speaking more quietly, the pink-haired girl went on, "Mizuchi's fickle, I agree, but she's proven reliable enough for me to have developed some faith. I'm not willing to let what's important to me disappear yet."

Her declaration enveloped her in a shroud that radiated heat like a warm hearth. Tobirama could feel the unyielding grit of her will as much as he had heard it in her voice. At some point it had become less about whether or not Sakura Haruno actually had good intentions and more about if those good intentions would become something that dragged her and everyone else around her down.

It was the source of the lingering apprehension about her he couldn't completely dispel. Haruno probably thought she had it under control, but she was still following along with gods who said they would help.

If they truly possessed such limitless power, why make the ordeal so lengthy when it could be handled instantly? In Tobirama's head, Haruno was more likely to be an instrument they were using for their own ends.

The journey resumed in silence, nothing left to say. Tobirama turned his attention back to remaining vigilant, and Haruno plodded on ahead with her shoulders squared, hopefully in the same mindset. At some point the air was so chilled that he physically felt the skin of his exposed forearms rise and pebble. However, it was more than just the drop in temperature that made uneasiness rise. Between the sporadic pattern of droplets coming from the cave's roof, there was a subtle meaty squelch. It sounded like bare skin that had adhered to a wood floor being forcibly removed.

Haruno noticed it not long afterwards, stopping entirely and craning her neck around. The darkness did nothing to dim the brightness of her luminous green eyes, which were darting in every direction. The squelching continued, and it dawned on him. They were being stalked.

Something wet dripped down on his nose, thicker than the water that had fallen on him before. The spot tingled, the tip of his nose going numb. Wiping it away, Tobirama was sure to grab Haruno's arm, stopping her erratic movements. "Above." he whispered.

They both turned their faces upwards, no more neck movement than necessary. A fleshy lump hung down from the ceiling, large, rubbery lips opening wide to expose three rows of needle teeth and a lashing tongue. What he assumed to be its head bobbed, and then an impossibly long, fat neck shot out with the creature's clear intent to swallow them whole.


It's been a while since an update, I realize. Honestly motivation has been dwindling. Not sure if FFN's outdated system has not been notifying readers of when there's an update or if it's another reason, but the lack of response is sort of deafening at times. I still enjoy writing, but it's a lot of work to do in my limited free time just to wonder if anyone is going to read/review.

Also, I recently got a new job and will start it in the near future and I'm thinking I'm going to be busier than ever…

I hope theTobiSaku interactions have everyone excited for where this arc will go. There's a lot to be said about how being stuck in a super deadly realm full of monstrosities can bring two people closer together. Not mention they still have to unravel the whole mystery behind Cat. Angst Island is ahead, just to warn everyone.

A bit of bright news is that the fan art of Sakura in the newer outfit she now wears is finished and can be found on my tumblr. FFN is bad about not messing up links so I'll just say go to my blog (same username as here) and fingers crossed if the tags are working it shouldn't be too hard to find. Now that there's a visual available even I have an easier time seeing Sakura going around with her new look. There's actually a part 2 of the drawing, but that won't be something revealed until the story catches up with that moment, sorry.

As usual reviews are appreciated.