Life and the timeline of this fic finally coincide again. That hasn't happened in a while. This chapter might not have arrived in time for Valentine's Day but I guess depending on what you were waiting for it's still sweet.
How did someone know they were having the perfect sleep before they even woke up? In Sakura's experience, it got ruined. Nothing made her more cognizant of the incredible rest she was missing out on than the moment it got snatched away.
"Sakura," Groaning, the pinkette lifted her head. She didn't bother to hide her yawn, rubbing half-heartedly at her heavy eyes instead. Colors swam around, gradually becoming more defined, until she saw the statuesque vision of a goddess bent over her.
"Come right in," Sakura groused, still half-asleep. "Everyone else does…"
"Enjoying your well-deserved rest?" Mizuchi asked, her voice tender.
"I was." The kunoichi stretched, feeling Usamaro shift and stretch beside her. "I did just get back to my own bed yesterday." To be more precise, it had been her first night trying out the brand new bed that had replaced her old futon.
The Hokage truly had left no corner of her house unchanged in his quest to increase her comfort. Her reservations about accepting all his generosity had eased the minute her body was snug on the mattress with the quilted sheets up to her throat. Incredibly, it felt better than the one she had in her bedroom at her parents' house.
"Apologies," sighed the deity. "I realize this is an inconvenient time, but the sooner we discuss a strategy I assure you, the better off we'll be." She sank to her knees gracefully, setting aside the bundle in her arms. Sakura squinted, unable to keep from noticing how even at such an early hour, the goddess was so put together. Was it because Mizuchi was almost always unruffled, or was that just a perk of being a divine being?
"Here, I've brought you gifts." The basket was moved even closer, and Sakura eyed it curiously. "A reward, you could say, for your performance against such stacked odds."
"Speaking of that…" she began, lifting the 'gifts' into her lap, "Was there any reason you left me to fend for myself in that battle?" It was honestly just like what she'd come to expect from Mizuchi, to appear all of a sudden, nonchalant as ever.
"Were you truly alone?" Mizuchi countered, a small, impish grin on her ruby lips. "I recall you having allies at your side." Sakura watched her grow preoccupied, feeling the smoothness of the silk-spun rug that decorated the floor. It was another major upgrade from the second-hand rug she had purchased that collected dust and cat hair like a magnet, and had to be beat out frequently.
The young woman cleared her throat, making the goddess look up. "Understand that there will be times that I will be unable to lend direct aid in your battles. You did well even without me."
Sakura harrumphed, peering at what Mizuchi had brought. Though the goddess made a point, that battle had been her first without her divine mentor's assistance. Performance under pressure wasn't really a problem, but allies every bit as immortal as their foe would have been a great help.
She still didn't feel right about letting Tobirama, Izuna and Hashirama put themselves on the line along with her in the future, even if they had all made it clear they were willing. All of them were descendants of Kaguya, whom the gods held particular disdain for.
"I managed to kill Kanayago, but what happens now? Yama warned us that the pantheon wouldn't take that sitting down."
Mizuchi placed her chin on the back of one elegant hand, her thoughtful pose. "Hm, yes. Well, she was their only supplier of divine weapons. Until her next reincarnation—if the Divine Council chooses to let it happen—they'll be in a bind, so we've managed to stall them from rearming."
Sakura paused, having tugged out what she could now tell was an outfit. One identical to the battle attire she had made before leaving Konoha. The very same one that had been all but destroyed in The Under. "This is…but how?" She marveled over the texture, like nothing she had ever felt.
"I personally liked that style of outfit, and thought it would be a shame if your clothes continued to be damaged by the wear and tear of upcoming battles." The raven-haired goddess explained, "I'm sure you'll find this highly resilient to such damages, as it's made out of thread woven on the looms of the Heavens. Much like my own kimono, it is nearly indestructible even from god-tier attacks."
Sakura slipped out of bed and held the outfit in front of her body. It would be hard to say without trying it on, but it appeared to be a perfect fit. "Thank you," she folded it neatly. "It's perfect, and it'll be nice not to have to keep buying new clothes."
"I suggest you finish looking at your gifts, and we can talk while you do." Figuring it couldn't hurt, Sakura moved the thin sheet of wax paper aside to see the rest of the contents in the basket.
Large, plump gooseberries were clustered in a bowl, along with a gooey block of cheese, oranges bigger than her fist, white strawberries, a melon and bread that was still warm to the touch. "Mizuchi, where did all this come from?" she stared in awe.
"Compliments of the Heavens' own gardens mostly. The bread I simply…borrowed from a windowsill I happened to pass."
Sakura gaped, although if anything the water dragon was more pleased of herself than ashamed. "You stole from the Heavens? The same realm that's mobilizing other deities to hunt you down? What's the point in trying to evade them if you stroll right back to…"
Rising, Mizuchi placed a finger to her lips. "Shh, my dear progeny. I have my methods. How did you assume I've managed to slip by undetected in plain sight while they scour earth?" Sakura began to respond, but the deity beat her to it.
"Most of them have not come down to earth from the celestial realm since shortly after the creation of The Under, and many of the gods and goddesses are less than enthusiastic about being deployed here now. Many have their own agendas. I don't intend to make myself easy to capture."
Grudgingly satisfied, Sakura tried one of the berries. It burst on her tongue in a balanced combination of tangy and sweet. "Alright," the kunoichi relented, "Just don't go getting yourself captured after all the hard work I put in."
"As I said, there's no cause for worry."
Sakura wished that Mizuchi would take less of a devil-may-care approach. While the pinkette was committed to not letting deities do whatever they wanted on earth, the fact remained that she would have been back in her own time if not for the goddess. The least she could do was take remaining uncaptured seriously. Sneaking in and out of the Heavens, while impressive, was risky.
Sakura tore off a hunk of the fresh bread, and a piece of the cheese. "I don't condone stealing, but, I appreciate the breakfast."
That, of course, made Mizuchi turn slightly smug. "The cheese is one of my favorite treats, aged to perfection, and infused with thousand year old wine made with grapes from Heaven's vineyards."
"You gods don't do anything halfway." Sakura agreed, placing the cheese against the bread and finding the first bite to be warm, gooey and addictive. She took the food and her new change of clothes, leaving the bedroom with the goddess and her cat following.
"I want to be sure you fully replenish all the musubi you exhausted. This food is meant to nourish divine bodies, thus making it the quickest way to do that."
The first stop was to the kitchen, where she arranged everything the way she wanted it, continuing to happily munch away on the bread and cheese, followed by a few of the white strawberries. Sakura knew from a mission a long time ago, that a small region in Snow Country grew them. But the ones in the basket were the best she'd ever had, courtesy of what the pinkette could only imagine was incredibly rich soil and quality gardening.
Usamaro pawed at her, obviously hungry. When she glimpsed down at him, his ears were flat against his skull and his eyes were huge and pitiful. "Mew,"
"Oh, sorry. I guess you want food too, huh?"
Before she could retrieve food for him, Mizuchi swept by, setting a bowl down in front of the begging cat. Sakura knew just by the smell that they were the duck hearts and liver she had bought for him from the butcher and left out to thaw.
Sometimes she wondered how it must taste. She could never see herself being that enthusiastic as she tucked into the internal organs of a fowl, but Usamaro usually dove right into his meals and then licked the bowl when he was done.
"He's a very clever beast, this feline of yours," The deity cooed, scratching him under his bloody chin. The pleased pet stopped ravaging his breakfast just long enough to purr.
"Careful, don't go giving him a big head." Sakura lazily but contentedly polished off the rest of the cheese. She decided to save what was left of the bread for later, electing to have a few more gooseberries. Usamaro meowed, sounding indignant.
"He can't be any worse than that Uchiha you inexplicably keep around. Prowling like a great big skulking cat."
"Madara," Sakura rolled her eyes. "He's made himself way more at home than I'm comfortable with."
The words brought a large, scheming smile to the deity's face. "If you'd allow me, I could—"
"No." Sakura shook her head, brushing the crumbs from her cheek. "Whatever you're about to suggest would definitely be overboard. I can take care of it myself."
"Hm." It didn't sound like a convinced hum, more of a very doubtful 'whatever you say…' hum, but Sakura ignored it.
"Speaking of that," Sakura cleaned the table and stood up. "He mentioned getting his memories back from the Well of Desire. Do you know anything about that?"
Mizuchi propped her head in her hands, tilting her face almost innocently. "The well or his memories being retrieved from it?"
The pinkette could sense the coyness of her tone and was having none of it. "Humor me."
"The well was constructed as a pool of enlightenment. Omoikane, the God of Wisdom, crafted it millennia ago. His hope was that humanity could use the well to see their deepest desires, and he could help them break free from unhealthier vices." Mizuchi's voice followed her in as she stepped into her bathroom.
Ever since the contraption in the yard had been installed, Sakura found bathing much faster. Fresh well water was dumped directly into the basin of her large wooden tub, and could be heated quickly.
Once steam began to rise off the water's surface, she dumped in and sprinkled her usual dissolvable soaps and oils, deciding she had the time to relax enjoy it today.
Sakura looked over her shoulder, finding Mizuchi was still there. "I guess that's a gamble. In a way it puts the temptation right in front of them." The pinkette let her clothes slide to the floor, dipping her foot into the water. "Since the well contains memories, obviously it can grant intangible desires too. Isn't that…dangerous?"
"Even Omoikane was once young and foolishly idealistic." The goddess shrugged, perching on the lip of the tub. "It's the reason why he hid his well away after so many mortals lost themselves to it."
Sakura started to wash her hair, having been too tired to do it the day before. "Smart. But that brings me to my next question: how did Madara find it?"
Sighing, as if the question itself greatly distressed her, the goddess hesitated. "I don't suppose you would believe me if I told you it was sheer coincidence."
"Divine coincidence." Sakura corrected.
"Why Sakura, are you suggesting that I had a hand in leading him there?" The goddess made a subdued—and very practiced-sounding—noise of exclamation.
Not even the flat stare made Mizuchi look ashamed. "Not exactly, but are you suggesting you didn't?"
Dropping all pretenses of innocence, Sakura watched her roll her eyes. "You were gone, and he was persistent enough to seek me out. Several times. What was a deity to do?"
"Mizuchi, that was…"
"Brilliant?" she finished, "I think so as well."
"No!" Sakura cried, the soap she had been using to scrub along the length of her arm slipping through her fingers. "I was going to say, hasty. Yama mentioned that Sanna and the twins were deceived with memories from the Well of Desire when Erika took them there, and they tried to burn the world down because of it."
"I did what I needed to in order to help you," she emphasized, clutching at her chest. "At the rate things were going, he may very well have chosen to circle you for years. I took away his reason."
"Are you sure about that?" Sakura grunted, fishing for the soap in the warm water. Several times her fingers brushed it, just to lose it in the milky depths of the bath again. "I think you made a pretty big miscalculation. For better or worse, Uchiha are relentless. I thought you would have picked up on that. Madara's already told me that his interest in being around me has only increased, for whatever reason."
Finally finding and securing the bar, Sakura took up her wash cloth and started working the soap across her neck and chest. It was several beats of no self-assured retort from Mizuchi that she looked up, finding the goddess staring off pensively. "What's gotten into you?"
"Sakura, surely you see that you don't have to allow the Uchiha free reign to settle into your life as he pleases. Honestly, of all suitors to entertain, I had hoped you would find someone more—"
"Suitors?" Sakura sputtered, fumbling with the elusive soap as it nearly fell again. "Entertain?" Here, she couldn't help but cackle.
It was fair to say Madara had worn down some of her apprehension, but it didn't mean she wouldn't keep any eye on him as long as she was stationed in the past. At the slightest hint he was drifting toward any dark inclinations, she would absolutely find a way to stop him.
Mizuchi thought she was entertaining the idea of dating Madara? Really? The man was arrogant, overly competitive and increasingly possessive of her time. Like he had a right to take it up. And those were some of his more "mild" traits. Not a chance in hell.
Calming herself down into a state where she could properly answer, Sakura grinned. "One thing neither of us should worry about is me falling all over myself for Madara Uchiha."
"You've just told me he's proven to be relentless. He isn't the only one I would pay careful attention to."
Sakura held out her leg, leveling it up in the air and washing down to her toes. "Uh-huh…"
Mizuchi's lecturing went on. "Frankly, Sakura, in regards to matters of the heart you're frightfully naïve. I know you're young, but I see the way of the godslayer isn't the only lesson I should be instructing you in."
"We've gotten kind of far off track from my concern about the Well of Desire, haven't we?" she reminded. What was Mizuchi getting at? She wasn't interested in Madara or anyone else. The kunoichi couldn't afford to be.
She wasn't even supposed to be here! Did the crazy goddess somehow forget that?
Besides, after the last great disaster that came with giving someone her heart—an Uchiha no less—Sakura wasn't eager to let history repeat itself with all the warning signs already flashing.
"Fine," The goddess snapped. "Have it your way." Smoothing down her already perfect kimono, Mizuchi responded more steadily, "Erika's petty-mindedness knew no bounds, and Kanayago was no better. That the two of them devised the scheme they did surprises me very little. Shinigami are entrusted by Yama not only with reaping all souls who are destined for his realm, but in guarding them too. Yomi is a land with its own rules, which is why deities have great deference in not interfering there, but that's of little importance right now. My guess would be that she saw her chance to hurt the Uchiha for assisting you, and plucked up the three immature souls of their brothers."
Tobirama had explained as much on the return trip home. Erika had been particularly chatty, having thought he would be the one dying.
"Was them aging also her doing? I can only assume Koya and Kamin didn't live to adolescence if Sanna didn't. But all of them were brought back as young men." Their features were also undeniably those of the Uchiha. In different circumstances, Sakura might have been impressed. Erika had managed to reconstruct bodies for them in the perfect image of their clan.
Mizuchi waved a finger and a small jet of water rose from the bath, swishing through the air and attracting Usamaro's attention. The cat lifted up to bat at it, and the liquid splattered in his furry face.
"The body of a child would usually be unsuitable for the incredible strain of becoming a godslayer. As you yourself have experienced, it is an intense process. Deities can manipulate their human forms to be whatever they wish, and shinigami do it out of necessity in order to blend in while reaping. Constructing new vessels of whatever physical age they desired was probably a very small feat once they already had chosen the souls to go into them."
Tapping her fingers against the grain of the tub, Sakura bit at her lip, formulating her next question. "Speaking of godslayers, what I've wanted to know for a long time is why? Why do they exist? It's a lot of work to go through for you, right? You spend time searching for a suitable human, train them, hope they survive and then…use them against other deities?" The many, many theories Sakura had come up with since Mizuchi had first selected her whirled around in her head.
Yet none were as plausible as she wanted. Now that they had reached this point, seemingly one of no return, the kunoichi felt more comfortable just asking directly.
"It seems a pointless tradition, but if you knew the ways of the gods as well as I do, you would see it is perfectly normal to most of us. Though in recent centuries I wouldn't call the practice common."
"Good to hear," Sakura retorted, washing the suds out of her hair. "There'd be a lot more displaced transmigrants through time if more deities did things like you."
"You wound me." Mizuchi tutted. "If more of my kind were inclined to behave like me, and shirk the formal customs of the Heavens, then our problem may very well not exist. But, that is wishful thinking of me. You may not be too surprised to learn most deities have fallen woefully out of touch with humanity."
"Go on," Sakura encouraged, beginning to get restless as the water cooled. She reached for the stopper at the basin of the tub.
"Long ago, humanity was made and gods kept a close eye over their creations. They roamed earth as they wished, collecting followers by interacting directly with humans. Because of this, humans were more inclined to have strong faith in their deities. They heaped adoration and deference onto the gods. The relationship continued on in this manner for quite some time."
Sakura felt her skin pebbling with the chill as she stood up, reaching for a towel and quickly covering herself. Carefully stepping out of the tub, she watched Mizuchi reminisce. "So, what triggered such a huge shift? I know Kaguya wanting to become a goddess had to have rubbed them the wrong way, but the last time you told me anything about this, it sounded like gods and humans had been distant for much longer."
"Oh yes," The goddess adjusted her hair, arranging it behind her horns, then pushed it back into place again. There was mild consternation evident in the deep pools of her eyes, which were focused on a point far beyond their physical surroundings. "As time went on, deities came to be a little too greedy for the idolization mortals so willingly gave them."
Sakura thought about it, and came to the conclusion that it was only too likely. Gods, from what she had witnessed, had an attitude of viewing humans as simultaneously useful yet expendable.
"After all," The water goddess said, "the more a god is worshipped, the more boons they experience. The Seven Lucky Gods, Amaterasu, Izanagi and Izanami…all of them are among the most highly exalted in the pantheon. And they owe it to how many followers they gathered in their youth. Even when popularity began to wane among lesser deities who could never gain as much traction, those I just mentioned remained strong and well-loved. Over time, others of the pantheon who coveted power on their level began squabbling with each other over followers."
Sakura padded down the hall back to her bedroom with Mizuchi's voice trailing behind her. "Several times, heavenly wars were waged. But gods needlessly slaughtering gods over such 'petty' grievances were deemed unsightly in the eyes of the Heavenly Council. And so, a new solution was proposed."
"Godslayers." Sakura gasped.
"They weren't always called that, you understand."
Sakura blinked, completely drying off, and then rubbing on the lotion she recently purchased. "Then…what were they?"
"Godhands." Mizuchi said. "A god deemed fit by the Council was permitted to pick a human from among their followers, and bestow them with their musubi, turning them into a champion. Before Kaguya's consumption of the fruit leading to the spread of chakra, and later ninshu, nothing on the realm of our abilities existed among mortals. Those chosen, the first godhands, remained at the sides of their deities as stalwart disciples. They led the followers of their deity, and on occasion mediated with other gods their master might have had disagreements with."
"That role doesn't sound anything like what I do." Sakura complained. "Not that talking it out would be effective at this point,"
"You were chosen as a godslayer, not a godhand." Rolling her eyes, she explained, "Later, godhands would face each other in combat on behalf of their respective deities. The losing godhand would be slain, along with the deity they served. Thus, the name changed to reflect the times. The Heavens became even more selective in who they allowed to take on a godslayer, for obvious reasons. Very few have been permitted in recent times."
"Let me guess," Sakura raised a brow, dawning her undergarments, "You completely skipped the selection process."
"Would that I could follow the rules…" Although Mizuchi's voice was heavy with lamentation, Sakura had every reason to believe the goddess enjoyed rebelling.
"Right," the kunoichi drawled. "I do see what you mean about how easily a god or goddess might use their godslayer recklessly." Once again, her heart went out to the three Uchiha, resurrected with the express purpose of hurting their brothers and serving as Kanayago's henchmen.
Pleased, Mizuchi began preening. "Yes, as chaotic as my methods sometimes are, you can at least rest assured I have your best interests at heart."
"Don't give yourself too much credit." Sakura shimmied into her clothes. "I feel like I've nearly died more times since meeting you than in all my years as a ninja—which says a lot given the team I was on." Slipping her gloves on and wiggling her fingers, the pinkette smoothed both hands down her sides.
"Something wrong?" Mizuchi asked idly.
"Something feels…different." Twirling, Sakura glanced behind her, placing a hand on her backside. "The movement's fine, and the fit isn't uncomfortable but…"
"I'm sure it's just that you're not use to wearing garments of such divine quality." Glancing around, the woman sighed. "I would think you would be more interested in the visitors you have?"
Sakura stopped tugging at her hem, blinking. "Visitors? I don't have any—" A series of knocks at her front door echoed through the whole house, and she froze. "Wait! Izuna and Jun'ichi! I invited them over, how could I forget already?!"
Clasping her hands to her face, Sakura stumbled around the room, much to Mizuchi's amusement. "So giddy."
Brushing her hair and flailing her way out of the room, she didn't even respond. It wasn't until she had made it to the front room and started to open the door that it clicked. The bustline of the outfit was lower than the original had been.
Izuna had thought about lying, so maybe he wasn't as gentlemanly as he got credit for. He had nothing against Jun'ichi. After that talk on the bench all that time ago, he found that he and the Kaguya just clicked. A friendship had developed soon after. Friends didn't lie or exclude each other for petty reasons.
If he didn't pass along Sakura's invitation to his friend, and simply showed up alone and told her Jun'ichi couldn't make it, what kind of person would that have made him?
It wasn't the one on one time with the pinkette he was hoping for, but he'd rather share the visit with Junji than deceive people he cared about. Conscious clear, he met his friend at the Inuzuka compound, where he and his sisters were still living. Tsuba Inuzuka had apparently taken the girls out to train, leaving the oldest Kaguya to wait alone.
They made small talk on the walk to Sakura's home, Izuna trying not to make too much of Jun'ichi's quiet assertion that he was happy to be along for the visit. He and Sakura shared a somewhat strange relationship, due to how they had met. But, like him and many others in the village, Junji had been captivated by the kunoichi and drawn into her orbit.
Having not seen her recently because of her extended time outside of the village and Junji's continued 'house arrest', Izuna supposed he could understand. He was anxious himself, eager to hear about everything she had been up to while away.
They stood on her doorstep, Izuna knocking and hoping they were catching her at a good time. A minute or two ticked by, and there was no answer. "The sun's high." Junji observed, craning his neck back. "So I doubt she's still asleep, but, maybe she just didn't hear us."
"Maybe not." Izuna agreed, raising his fist to knock again.
The door flew open, almost startling them into taking a step back. Sakura's flustered face poked out, her eyes large and apologetic. "Jun'ichi, Izuna! S-Sorry. Time got away from me…"
"If it'd be more convenient, we could always come back another day." Izuna offered, sharing a glance with Jun'ichi.
"No, it's fine. I'm the one that invited you, and I've been looking forward to catching up." It warmed him to hear the admission, although he was bemused by the fact that Sakura was still only talking to them through the door.
"Alright," Jun'ichi glanced between the two of them. "Should we…come in?"
Sakura's cheeks only got darker, the door opening wider. Izuna's smile fell away as his lips parted, unable to muster up the gratitude that would have been appropriate.
He had never seen her wearing anything like that. Ironically, he had seen her wearing less if the hot spring excursion counted. But somehow, this affected him even more. For a second, he thought his heart had given out.
Sakura shuffled away from the door, motioning for them to come inside and then moving off.
Jun'ichi took the first tentative step, but Izuna was still trying to process that outfit and the way it looked when she walked. The color scheme and functionality was very Sakura, but the cut around the bust was almost…Naoko.
The only reason he had worked out of his stupor was because of Jun'ichi gently placing two fingers under his chin and easing him to close his mouth.
His friend shot him a very pointed look, and Izuna blushed brightly, stammering as he stumbled into the house and closed the door.
Sakura stood in her kitchen, staring down at her bare feet and running both hands through her hair simultaneously with the same dainty pink still marring her complexion. "I haven't even had a chance to put the tea on. Please make yourselves comfortable while I get it started." she mumbled.
"Take your time. We don't mind waiting," Jun'ichi hummed, quietly taking in the room.
"Something seems different since the last time I've been here." The Uchiha noted.
"Oh, it's probably because so much of the furniture is different." Sakura remarked, pulling a shiny, very unused looking teapot from her cupboard. "Actually…a lot of my new kitchenware needs breaking in."
"This lacquerware is exquisite quality," Junji ran a hand over her kitchen table after sitting, studying the picture etched into it. "You have beautiful tastes." Izuna joined him, running his own fingers over the smooth texture.
"Um, thank you. To be honest, most of it was gifted recently." Sakura hurriedly began to prepare the water. "Oh wait, is there any particular flavor I should make? I have green, ginger, and white peach."
"Peach would be a pleasant change from my usual green." Jun'ichi said politely.
"Perfect!" Sakura plucked the pink canister down from a shelf, standing on tiptoe to reach. "I really wanted to try this too. The seller I bought it from in the market says it goes pretty quickly, so I'm assuming it's popular," she gushed. "Is peach alright with you too, Izuna?"
Izuna heard her say his name, but he would admit his attention wasn't fully on the types of tea she was offering them. All he could think about was that gifting someone an entire kitchen full of expensive lacquerware was very…generous. "Hm?" Realizing she was waiting, he nodded, leaning into his palm. "Whatever you recommend."
Sakura nodded in determination. "Three cups of peach tea coming up!" After the tea had been started and a very enticing peach blossom fragrance filtered through the air, the pinkette brought over a bowl of ripe fruits and set it down between them. "Help yourself to some fruit. I doubt I'll finish it all myself."
"Huh. I didn't realize these were in season." Junji picked up a white strawberry to inspect.
"The fruit was given to me this morning," she explained. "I've already had some, so try it! There's plenty more."
Izuna took a gooseberry and put it to his lips, Sakura's bright eyes watching as he began to chew. It was deliciously fresh, an enormous amount of flavor packed into one tiny piece of fruit. Without thinking too much about it, he reached for another as Junji took a bite from the strawberry.
"This is very refreshing." his friend sighed. "Thank you for sharing."
"Yes," Izuna nodded as Sakura's attention shifted to him. "It's a shame this isn't available in the market right now."
Now, he was doubly curious, and a little…apprehensive. Who had gifted her luxury furniture worth a small fortune, or exotic fruits out of season?
Scratching her index finger against her cheek, Sakura's eyes closed in thought, a small smile on her lips. "I'd ask Mizuchi to bring more next time, but all things considered I'm not sure if that's a good idea."
Izuna stopped chewing abruptly. "Mizuchi gave you this?" A little relief filtered into his system as that mystery was solved. But, he also had to wonder if it was a good idea to eat what the goddess had brought. Then again, it was incredibly unlikely she would try to harm Sakura.
"I'm sorry, but who is Mizuchi?" the Kaguya asked.
"Oh, that's right." Sakura smacked a hand against her forehead. "You've never met her but she's…well, to put it bluntly an ancient goddess whose been hovering around me for a while now. Sounds pretty unbelievable, I know."
"No," Jun'ichi's lips parted in a soft chuckle. "You're pretty extraordinary. Why shouldn't fantastical things happen to you?"
Sakura avoided his gaze bashfully. "Don't oversell it. The only thing extraordinary about me is my ability to be in the wrong place at the wrong time."
Before Izuna had the chance to correct her, the high whistle from the kitchen had Sakura dashing off. "Sounds like the tea's all finished." As she turned her back, Izuna eyed his friend, trying to discern if there was any hidden meaning there.
Jun'ichi blinked innocently, silently eating a berry. His warm brown eyes gave a very transparent message of 'relax, I understand' that had the Uchiha almost sighing in relief.
Sakura sat a tray down on the table just as something soft brushed at the hand in his lap. Izuna peered under the table to see inquisitive feline eyes staring back. Usamaro stood on his back legs, nudging his wrist with a damp nose and purring. "Well, well…you've got a lot of nerve acting innocent."
Usamaro kept up the façade, his ears flattening and his pupils only growing bigger. "Meow?"
Izuna accepted his tea, thanking Sakura as she began to serve Junji and then herself. "Oh, I have honey too if you'd like some." Taking a small sip, Izuna let the warm floral taste wash over his pallet. "Mine's fine as is."
"Same here."
"Huh, more for me I guess." She gleefully dolloped two spoonfuls into her cup and began stirring. Usamaro got bored of pawing at him, and slunk off to rest near Sakura's chair. Although it wasn't what he had been anticipating, Izuna was content to just enjoy the serenity of the moment. Until Sakura took her first sip. "Mhmn!"
The noise caught him so off guard, Izuna's knee jerked under the table. He kept a tight grip on his cup to keep from spilling. While Sakura's eyes were closed as she savored her drink, completely unaware, Junji was eying him with an expression somewhere between pity and amusement.
"I can see why this is such a good selling blend," she commented, smiling over the rim of her cup.
"It's perfect for days like today." Junji nodded, calmly carrying on as if he hadn't heard the same sound Izuna had. "So Sakura, it's been quite some time since we've spoken. I'd be interested in finding out what you've been up to. If you're willing to share of course."
The pinkette powered through one more gulp, setting down her cup, but keeping her eyes fixed on its depths. An errant drop trickled from the corner of her mouth, and the tip of her tongue poked out to swipe it away. "I…I guess you could say I've been preparing. Ever since I got dragged into this it's been about survival. Mizuchi's not the kind of 'mentor' that coddles. She almost reminds me of my past teachers in that way." Izuna could have sworn he saw a flicker of a smile, but it was gone too quickly to be sure. "I was in the river valley between the villages of Choshu and Tenryu most recently."
"That's not very far from here." Izuna perked up, then deflated as he thought that Sakura had been maybe a day and a half's journey from the village and he still hadn't been any help to her. "But what business would deities have there? It's a peaceful place. Nearly everyone is a farmer by trade."
"I was hunting down a god that she thought could help. He goes by the name of Ippon Datara these days, a blacksmith who forges divine weapons. If you're eventually going to attempt to kill a god, you've got to be equipped with the right weapon." she laughed feebly.
"You've returned, and knowing you I'm sure you succeeded." Junji noted.
Sakura slumped against the table a little. "I did. But missions are never straightforward when gods are involved. Ippon Datara was missing when I arrived, and when I was trying to track him down, I ended up running into Tobirama instead. We—"
"Tobirama…Senju?" Surprisingly, it wasn't Izuna that interrupted. Junji wore a pensive expression. Izuna knew that it was Tobirama who had advocated the strongest for the imprisonment of the Kaguya siblings indefinitely. Hashirama had been lenient enough to allow the Inuzuka to host them instead.
"Is there another one I haven't met?" Sakura said lightly. Refreshing her on teacup, she shrugged. "It wasn't ideal at first, but after we learned partnering was inevitable there wasn't much that could be done besides forging ahead."
Izuna mentally tallied up the days Sakura had been gone. How had she survived cooperating with that man for so long? The same Tobirama that regarded her and her godslayer abilities with suspicion at the best of times and disdain at the worst.
"How did this even come about?" he asked, his mind drawing blank after blank.
His incredulity only mounted as she launched into a lengthy tale, chronicling her time in the valley, which was filled with hostile encounters from a mysterious godslayer, talking otters, time spent in the terrifying realm known as The Under, new allies in the form of yokai called mujina, and an explosive final battle with the goddess Kanayago and her backup. Through it all, somehow, Tobirama had been there. At first reluctantly, and then as she described it, offering earnest support. "I know it sounds out of character. Or, that's what I would have thought at first too. But it's hard not to see a different side to someone when you're stuck with them in a situation like that with only each other to rely on."
"I understand coming together for the sake of survival, but, do you really think you're able to trust him now?" Jun'ichi was every bit as concerned as he was; although he expected it was coming from an entirely different place.
"Yes, I do." The conviction in her voice and in her eyes cracked something in Izuna. He should be grateful that, if nothing else Tobirama was going to back off on surveilling Sakura and treating her hostilely. "I already had to trust him with my life more than once. I don't see any reason that should end now. Neither of us would have made it home without the other."
The instances she described of Tobirama grabbing for her just before they were pulled into The Under, coming back for her when she was nearly finished by one of its monsters, and putting his life on the line to help her finish forging her battle axe were so far from anything Izuna could have ever imagined him doing.
To think of him staying by Sakura's side while she was weak and recovering from the battle, tending to her every day, sent a sour feeling burning all the way down his throat and through his gut. He should have been the one there watching over her, protecting her.
A small part of him was grateful someone had been able to do it. It just aggrieved him to know that of all people, it would be Tobirama.
After all, they had once been adversaries. Time and again they engaged each other in battle, both with the intent to kill the other. He still clearly recalled their encounter on the street, when Tobirama confessed that he wished he had been able to kill him before the treaty was signed.
Sakura spoke of a man who had a heart, something the Uchiha was sure must have frozen over in the Senju's chest at birth. But, he trusted Sakura's words. She wouldn't lie to him.
"That aside for the time being," All Izuna's appetite had washed away with the bitterness that swept in, but he pushed it as far down as he was able, "Erika's finally gone, huh? I wish I could have been there to witness that. She got me good the last time we crossed paths."
If he closed his eyes, Izuna could still remember her cherubic little face, lit up by a dark, gleeful smile. He could still picture how she battered his face and ripped into him and then prodded at the wound with her touch. A touch like the cold tendrils of death. Shortly after getting back from that mission, Izuna began to have a new set of nightmares to add to the long list of images that haunted him from his youth.
The dreams often stole his breath, watching Erika or other faceless specters callously take his brothers away, rejoicing as they plucked their souls from the earthly plane and whisked them away to torture for eternity.
"Yama destroyed her himself for going behind his pack." Sakura confirmed, breaking him from his waking nightmare. "But I'm not really sure how permanent Kanayago's death is. From what I understand she can be resurrected at any time if the Heavens want."
"Here's to hoping she was despised more than she'll be missed." Jun'ichi added.
"You can say that again," Sakura grumbled. "The mujina didn't make her end pleasant, though. So that's a small bright spot I've been hanging on to."
The mujina. Preternatural creatures that had once resided in The Under. Now set free, and bound to the woman he adored as her Summons. "As I've already said, you're extraordinary." Junji remarked.
Sakura plucked at her fingers, cheeks coloring slightly. Izuna grinned, "Exceptionally extraordinary." The way the color on her face deepened in hue made his chest swell.
"What?" Sakura giggled in surprise. "That's excessive."
"Not true," Izuna countered. "Because you're amazing in such a distinctive way, the best way."
A gentle light descended over her face just then. Soft, like Sakura was basking in the glow of the compliment, absorbing it like a flower did nutrients to grow.
Izuna was starting to consider that there would always be a new angle to appreciate the depths of her green eyes or the pink hair that wisped across her cheeks. And, needless to say he was completely okay with that.
"W-Well, we can't properly catch up if this is all about me. Tell me what you've both been up to!" she stuttered, nearly setting her hand down in the fruit bowl. "Oh," He and Junji laughed a little as she moved it to the side, out of the way, and placed her hand carefully on the table.
"There isn't much to do but bide my time until the Hokage decides I'm trustworthy enough to be allowed more freedoms." Junji explained. "But, I don't really mind. Every day here is comparatively tranquil to growing up within the Kaguya compound."
Spending time with Jun'ichi was pleasant. Izuna valued his friendships within the clan, but sometimes the younger man offered a new perspective that was very insightful.
He wouldn't be surprised if some of those in the clan had started to talk. No one would ever dare to say it to his face, but Izuna wasn't naïve enough not to notice the long looks they received when they were together.
He and Jun'ichi often trained together, or simply took walks around the lake. All the while, Izuna politely spurned the advances of the many young women who batted their eyes and swooned for his attention.
Unlike Yurine, who accepted his answer with grace, a lot of interested parties within the clan were persistent. No, they didn't throw themselves at him, but securing the interest of the second-in-command was still considered a good match.
Goaded by their pushy mothers, they tried to catch him at times they thought would be opportune. Only for him to decline invitations, or spend his time with his brother or male friends. He didn't mind if they made assumptions about his preference. In fact, when he shared the revelation with Junji one day, they had agreed it was amusing.
"I have to say, it's surprising you haven't been tracked down yet."
"My father could never go up against the might of the entire village." The Kaguya remarked. "Though I doubt that would stop him. He was, after all, nothing short of a madman when it came to his campaigns."
Izuna had learned much more about his friend's upbringing since he and his sisters had come to the village. While traumatic childhoods were from uncommon in the Warring Clans era they were born into, there was a special kind of vileness in the cruelty and savagery Yoshiro Kaguya both subjected his children to and expected them to live by.
"It's not a concern anymore. This is our home now, for as long as the village will have us." Jun'ichi took a measured sip of his cooling tea. "I doubt my father could do us much harm from beyond the grave anyway."
"What are you saying?" Izuna raised a brow, baffled by the assertion.
"Nothing short of death would have stopped him. So I have to assume that shortly after we abandoned the clan, he met an untimely end. It should make me sad, I suppose. A father is a father, in some ways. Even if the only thing I truly learned from him was what not to be."
Shoulders slumping, Junji only shook his head. "But I can't dwell on guilt. My father chose his path long before I was born. He didn't get progressively worse over the years, because he was always that way. Without his…leadership…if you could call it that, I'm sure the rest of the clan would be in disarray. But here is the last place they would try to find us. My sisters being safe is all I can be bothered to care about."
"How did they take it?" Sakura asked, brow pinched in concern.
"I haven't actually shared my theory with them yet." Junji confessed. "They're finally adapting to being normal children here. It didn't seem prudent to bring up. They also shouldn't feel guilty if our father really has met his demise."
Izuna had met both girls on separate occasions. Kikue was shy with new people but quickly opened up, revealing herself to be talkative, bubbly and inquisitive. Harihane perhaps had a mild case of middle-child-syndrome.
He had suffered from it himself for a while as a boy. She hid insecurity behind a sharp tongue, but was obviously fond of her siblings. She was also less ornery around Tsuba Inuzuka's daughter Yoku. "Children are certainly resilient. I'm glad Harihane and Kikue are flourishing."
Junji's normally blank face softened with a gentle smile. "Harihane's even stopped trying to evade her academy lessons, if you can believe it."
"Small steps are still steps," Sakura pointed out, winking. "What about you, Izuna?"
"If you count babysitting Madara as an enjoyable pastime, I guess I've been well entertained since you've been gone."
"He was in good spirits by his weird standards when I saw him the other day."
"Let me guess, he showed up here?" Izuna knew his brother far too well. Madara would be impatient, eager to be in Sakura's space and assert a claim as swiftly as possible. It was in the nature of their clan to be that way, so Izuna didn't really mind it. As long as his older brother didn't think it would stop him.
"You know it," Sakura placed her face in between her palms. Even she looked resigned to the fact that she wasn't getting rid of Madara anytime soon. "At least I didn't catch him eating my food this time."
"Does this happen frequently?" Junji asked.
"More than it should," Sakura rolled her eyes. "It's a long story, but Madara basically thinks it's his job to repay me helping him by badgering me indefinitely."
Lips pressed into a thin line, Junji attempted a smile. "Sounds…charming."
"Lying isn't your strong suit, my friend." Izuna teased. "You can go ahead and say it sounds like a nightmare. It wouldn't offend me. He's my brother, so I know how he gets."
He regaled them with a tale from their childhood, when Madara had convinced him and their younger brothers to trail what he told them was a scouting party. Eager to follow along on whatever adventure the oldest led them on, they had all agreed. Though they avoided detection, trailing the men all the way to an unassuming town, none of them were prepared for the discovery.
It had turned out that the small group they followed wasn't any sort of scouting party, just some pent up young men who were itching to let loose at a very seedy establishment that promised cheap drinks and had lots of female servers.
Madara led them home in a tactical retreat, where their parents were waiting for them with a list of chores as punishment.
"I had to clean my mother's aviary with nothing but a spoon, along with my little brother Sanna." he reminisced. "The falcons almost seemed smug about it."
He almost didn't notice the way Sakura seemed to tense momentarily, but he couldn't figure what caused the reaction. Then again, if someone told him that story, he would cringe in sympathy too.
Hashirama understood from the beginning that leading an entire village and protecting the population was simultaneously the same and yet different than leading a clan. More lives to be responsible for. On the surface, that was the most obvious thing.
It didn't always mean head to head battles, either. It could be establishing good relationships with political leaders to crush the chance of potential invasion before it even became a concern.
Communicating with the daimyo and, with Tobirama and Madara's help, negotiating conditions that would give Konoha as much autonomy as possible. It was a tedious, delicate juggling act sometimes.
Although he always projected confidence and optimism to those who looked to him as their leader, Hashirama was just a man. He had doubts. In those moments, it was only borrowing strength from those around him he could trust that allowed him to rebuild his fortitude.
If not for Tobirama standing close, arms folded, face unreadable and stance undaunted, his own façade might have slipped. Toka's letter had of course briefed him, but having been given the full run down now, he understood just what a difficult position they might be in. It was mainly with the daimyo's blessing and financial backing that Konoha had been a success.
It was no issue to use his Mokuton for village infrastructure, but establishing a working economy was another matter. The plan had always been to ease away from any reliance on the daimyo when the time was right. The vision they had discussed was for Konoha to exist as its own sovereign shinobi nation. Building up to that would take time. The recent developments in the capitol had thrown that into flux.
With Azusa's crimes brought to light, he had been jailed. The Fire Lord's successor generally wasn't his oldest child, but the available male heir. The problem was, Azusa's son was far too young to assume his role.
A regent had been appointed, who would continue to raise and teach the boy along with his mother. Due to the unexpected nature of this shift, the team had been all but shooed from the capitol, told to wait until they received word on a decision by the regent once things had settled down.
"I ask that you focus the blame on me, Lord Hokage." Toka actually got down on one knee, bowing her head. "I was team leader, and I failed."
"The blame should be shared equally, actually." Kureno shook his head. "We were all there too."
"They're both wrong," Yurine lightly pushed through everyone else, her hands clasped meekly together. "It was me, Lord Hokage. I…I knew I would mess the mission up. I should have asked you to select someone else from the beginning."
"Is it always this tense around here?" Hashirama studied the man that had come along with them. The Goemon Ishikawa had followed them home. Of all the ways the mission could have ended, Hashirama would have never imagined that. Two young children stuck to his legs like filings to a magnet, saying nothing but gazing around his office in wonder.
"When our shinobi bring back a rogue samurai who might be responsible for ensuring the destabilization of our village's economy, yes." Tobirama retorted.
For his role in the happenings in Otsu-shi, the samurai didn't look particularly repentant. He did, however, lift his hands in acquiescence, "Trust me, Azusa would have stiffed you before long. He risked the prosperity of his own capitol. He wouldn't have cared about dragging down one lil' shinobi village."
"So should we be thanking you?" Tobirama scoffed.
"He does have a point, if I may." Naoko interrupted. "A man like the daimyo only gets bolder and less subtle over time. And, I can offer up some proof that's not just hearsay if it helps."
Hashirama turned his head as the woman reached into her bosom.
"Why would you even keep anything there?" he heard Yurine question.
"There's no better place than close at hand…and at heart, right?" Naoko returned breezily. "At any rate, anyone who felt the need to look away can safely focus their attention on me again."
Heat crawled down the Hokage's neck at the playful jab, and he glanced at the Uchiha to see she had a folded piece of paper in one hand. Flicking her wrist, it sailed straight at him, and he caught it easily.
The more Hashirama read, the more troubled he became. In the daimyo's on hand it seemed to be intercepted correspondence detailing plans to expand his reach beyond the Fire Country through gradual acquisition of businesses with the intent to choke out the competition. He mentioned hoping for Konoha to be snuffed out over a matter of time when he cut out the village's ability to accept more than menial missions while also oversaturating the market for mercenaries with his own forces. "Where did you get this?"
"I studied the daimyo's routine, and noticed when he would be discreet about sending missives out by courier. I determined it was something private, as opposed to the times when he would make a big show about sending other notes off by pigeon."
Toka shot Naoko a small glare. "You didn't think that was relevant to inform me of?"
The dark-haired kunoichi smiled innocently. "Espionage is my forte, and I'm use to striking when the iron's hot, so to speak."
"Thank you, Naoko." Hashirama set the letter on his desk, where Tobirama quickly snatched it up. "This is the kind of damning evidence that'll be valuable as we plot out or next course of action."
His eyes once again fell on the tall figure that stuck out the most. "In some way, I guess the exposure of the daimyo's true intentions is also because of you. It's unconventional but, your help was appreciated. I understand you would like to become a permanent citizen of Konoha, along with your siblings?"
"Only if we're not putting anyone out," Goemon sighed dramatically. "Wouldn't want to cause more trouble in the middle of all the upheaval."
"You followed us all the way home and you think of that now?" Yurine mumbled.
"Only at your earnest plea, milady." Goemon winked, and Yurine turned away, arms over her chest.
"I didn't plead!" she objected, "I…I just felt a little bad for Tomoharu and Saya."
"There's more than enough room," Hashirama said slowly, interrupting their banter. Yurine huffed and Goemon's face split in an easy grin.
The Hokage didn't think for a second the man wasn't cunning as a wolf. That swaggering slouch, roguish twinkle in his eyes and the presence of intimidating canines whenever he flashed a smile were hard to miss. The question was, could they afford to let an obvious wolf in among the flock?
"I know what you're thinking," Goemon locked eyes. "I give you my word as a gentleman thief I have no intention of robbing you, Lord Hokage. You don't have the scent of corruption that leads me to my marks." Hashirama could feel Tobirama bristling over his flippant tone and blunt assertion without even looking. He held up his hand, and his brother grunted low under his breath.
"There are far too many helpless victims of greedy tyrants in need for me to relinquish my work."
"You can't be affiliated with the village if that's what you intend." Tobirama stated firmly. "Noble or ignoble, targeting political leaders is only going to drag the village into unnecessary feuds if it's found you're one of our shinobi."
"I'd like to disagree," Hashirama cleared his throat. "But he's right. I wouldn't be able to give you a headband. You'd be granted permission to reside here as a civilian, as well as your siblings, of course."
Goemon didn't for a minute lose any of his self-assured attitude, shrugging broad shoulders with an expression of understanding. "That's reasonable, considering the position it could put you in. I'm also not a shinobi by trade. My skills lie in stealth and operating under the cover of disguise, as well as in the shadows. I rely on the iai style of sword-fighting but I haven't trained in ninjutsu. Simply look away from my activities when the time comes, if that makes you feel better."
"You're rather insolent, given the thin line you're walking." Tobirama pointed out.
Yurine nodded, placing her hands on her hips as she stared up at him. "He's right. Don't be so smug."
"Other than that, I think we're done here. Welcome back, and…considering the many twists and turns your mission took, you all did well."
"Thank you, Lord Hokage." Toka bowed, and the others, save for the village's new residents, followed her lead.
"Toka…you know, the formalities aren't…" Figuring it would be pointless to address, Hashirama only shook his head. "Rest, you've all earned it. Toka can show you to the available housing in the residential district, Goemon."
"Why can't Yurine do it?" It was the first time he had heard the little girl actually speak. She moved from clinging to her brother, to the blonde, much to Yurine's surprise.
"M-Me?"
"Hey, good idea." Kureno clapped his sister's shoulder as if he'd been the one to think of it. "Good for you."
Yurine didn't look thrilled by her brother's teasing, but she schooled her annoyance behind a sweet smile as soon as the children peered up at her.
"Lady Yurine, it's very generous of you to use your time in familiarizing us with our new home."
"I'm just going to walk you to a house…don't think it's more than that."
Everyone filed out, seemingly in high spirits given how the mission report had started.
Sensing Tobirama had more to say, Hashirama closed his eyes and braced himself. "I know you'd rather we not have accepted them at all, but if nothing else, Konoha should be a place for children to find refuge. Especially if they have kekkei genkai like Toka described in her letter."
"No, allowing them permission to stay was the right move." Well, his brother could have said something more shocking, but that was still something of a surprise.
"Oh?"
"I am not heartless to the plight of children like that. But it's more than that. Hatake has a certain skillset, as he noted. He's not a shinobi, and he shouldn't become one. But, in the course of his…crusades against injustice, it's possible for him to gather valuable intel on others like Azusa, who wish the village harm. In exchange, we let him do what he feels he must to curb corruption."
"That's a really good plan, actually." Hashirama blinked, not believing how agreeable Tobirama was being about all this.
"Don't insult me by sounding surprised."
Hashirama laughed, tickled more than he should be. Tobirama looked at him as if he had definitive proof he had finally gone crazy. "Don't mind me. Anija just missed having you home. Moodiness and all."
"Save it." Tobirama walked around the side of the desk, toward the window. "I'm going home. I have work to do."
It wasn't unexpected to hear, but that was exactly the problem. His younger brother was so attached to his routine, and resting usually factored into very little of it. "You just returned not long ago, you should really rest up too."
"No."
Tobirama climbed up onto the ledge.
"See you for dinner then."
"Maybe. As I said, I have work to do."
Growing mildly frustrated, the elder Senju sighed impatiently. "Work isn't everything."
"That doesn't mean much coming from you."
He was off before Hashirama could issue a proper retort. "I work," he pouted at the empty window ledge. "I just believe in balance. What's so wrong with that?" A brilliant idea struck him, and he smacked his fist into his palm. "Izuna told me Madara's awake and back to normal. I should go bothe—see for myself if he's well."
Yes, his best friend would surely be more than happy to shift aside whatever he currently had scheduled to accommodate him. Hashirama could use the break, and Madara had to be tired of being cooped up.
Mind made up, the Hokage was only too happy to leave his office behind for the time being, knowing his responsibilities to the village would very much be there upon his return. To the Uchiha compound it was!
Three days of getting readjusted to the village, and Sakura was feeling a little antsy. It wasn't that she didn't appreciate the downtime. Taking strolls and talking to friends over tea was a million times better than being stuck in a dank cave full of monstrosities or being hunted down by a vengeful goddess.
But it was precisely that kind of calm that had the pinkette anxious about what kind of storm could be headed her way. Mizuchi never reappeared after the day Izuna and Jun'ichi came by. She supposed she could always call for the goddess and count on her to respond, but she was miffed at the stunt Mizuchi pulled.
The first chance she had, Sakura rushed the outfit to the tailor shop that had made her first and asked for alterations. There was no way she could fight with that kind of…breeze blowing in.
Ino probably would have encouraged her to keep it the same, saying something dumb like it could be a good distraction against enemies. Ino's dignity wasn't on the line, though, so Sakura would do what she needed to in order to keep hers intact.
The Senju compound was active, as most large compounds would be this time on a nice day. It further cemented the belief she had made the right call in not wearing that outfit the way it was, instead opting for a simple mint green yukata that matched her eyes.
No one around seemed to mind her at all. If anything, when she met someone's eyes, Sakura found a respectful nod or warm smile waiting for her. It had been some time since she had stopped by, not really having much reason to before. She had visited plenty of Senju households when she delivered food containing medicine for the pox. They probably at least vaguely remembered her, thanks to her hair.
That aside, although she and Tobirama were on much better terms than back then, she hadn't expected he would be interested in seeing her now. At most, the kunoichi assumed there would be more civility between them when they happened to cross paths. It hadn't crossed her mind he would seek her out. But, evidently she thought wrong. The message that had arrived by bird at breakfast that morning was unmistakable in its intent.
Tobirama was inviting her to meet him at the compound. She wasn't sure exactly why but it had to have something to do with the pieces of foliage she had collected from Orochi's back during their battle.
He had requested she bring some, and not seeing much reason to refuse, Sakura packed it up and headed out, leaving Usamaro napping in a patch of sunlight. Strange how it had been so long, and yet she remembered her way through the neat rows of houses. Locating the main house where Tobirama had asked her to meet him wasn't difficult.
Wandering without announcing herself felt rude, even if he could sense her. "Hello," she called. Unlike during the pox, it might be in use by others, and she didn't want to be rude and disturb them if that was the case. "It's…" she paused, catching animated voices coming from just around the corner.
Following them, her curiosity getting the best of her, Sakura peered her head around the corner. Blinking several time at what she found, the thought of announcing herself slipped her mind. Naoko and Hashirama were in the dining hall, talking like old friends.
'What's going on? I didn't know those two were close.' Sakura gripped the edge of the entryway, trying not be too obvious. It wasn't her business. She was there to show Tobirama what he asked for, and here she was snooping.
"We don't have much time, but if you're intent on doing this, it should be as discreet as possible. Think you can handle that?" Naoko asked, voice syrupy with enjoyment. Seeing the way Hashirama's eyes brightened as he nodded eagerly made Sakura's fingers feel clammy.
'What are they going to do…and why hide it?' Naoko's tone and the way she leaned forward, bracing one elbow on the table between them, was almost suggestive. Not that it meant much when 'suggestive' happened to be her default. Hashirama was so excited. It couldn't be because—
"Sakura, perfect timing."
Sakura couldn't believe she'd made such a rookie mistake. She was maybe forty feet from them, and hadn't bothered to cover her presence. It would have made it seem like she was sneaking around, and she wasn't. She…just…wanted to know if…
'I really was listening in.' she realized, irritated with herself. 'What's wrong with me? They're adults, right? And if they want to do something private together then it's got nothing to do with me.' Except that the way her heart rioted in her chest at the mere thought was distracting.
Having been caught, the pinkette walked into the room, head lowered in shame. "Hi…"
"What's got you so glum?" Naoko mused.
Her beryl eyes widened. Curse her transparency. Adopting a more cheerful expression, Sakura waved her hand in a way she hoped was carefree enough. "Glum? Me? On a day like this? No, I'm better than ever. Being back in the village has been great."
The Hokage appeared pleased by that. "It's good you're taking prioritizing your rest seriously, Sakura-san. I just wish I could get Tobirama to consider doing the same."
"I'm actually here to see him. Is he around?"
"Not here, but since you've arrived I'm sure he will be soon." Hashirama said.
Placing her face in her hands, Naoko batted her eyelashes. "It's a good thing you walked in, instead of him, hm?"
"Why's…that?"
Given that Sakura had a much better understanding of Tobirama's complicated feelings toward the Uchiha, and the reasons behind them, she knew he didn't really hate the clan. But there was no doubt in her mind that he would have a lot to say about the idea of Hashirama and Naoko…
She had some thoughts on it herself, but she shouldn't have even been listening in the first place.
"It'd ruin the surprise, for one," The Uchiha explained.
'I'm sure there's still plenty about this situation to surprise him with.' Sakura smile was pinched. "Surprise of…?"
Hashirama's warm eyes found hers, so clear as usual. "When I went to visit Madara several days ago, I mentioned that Tobirama's birthday is right around the corner. It reminded him that Izuna's is too. I got an idea that maybe, because the two still don't really see eye to eye, we should plan something that could potentially bring them a bit closer."
"A party." Naoko finished. "It was Hashirama's idea, admittedly. But it seemed to have so much potential…for drama. And so naturally I was interested. Until Madara decides to join us in planning, I've been helping him come up with ideas."
The conversation she had walked in on rushed back into her head, taking on a completely different light. 'That's much more likely. What was I thinking?' Sakura mentally chided her overactive imagination. 'Naoko and Hashirama, really?' Naoko had a great deal of appreciation for the man's physique. She didn't hide that at the hot springs. But, it didn't appear to go further than Naoko being Naoko.
"…Sakura-san?"
Spacing out didn't do her any favors lately, did it? With bright cheeks and a little lingering guilt, Sakura gave Hashirama an apologetic glance. "I…I missed that, sorry."
"I asked if you're interested in helping us. It's completely up to you of course, but you always seem to do well with this kind of thing."
Sakura thought over it. 'Birthday party planning? I never do much more than show up when I get dragged into it. And I understand what he's trying to do but Izuna and Tobirama might not go for this.'
"Sakura." No sooner had she come to that conclusion than one of the very shinobi they were discussing made his appearance. "I apologize for my tardiness. Time slipped away from me."
Tobirama was standing so near she could feel his heat at her back. Odd that he had once almost seemed disgusted at being in the same room with her, but now never shied away from being so close it bordered on intimate.
Sakura didn't really mind, preferring it over how it use to be. She had to wonder if he never felt as flustered by their proximity as she sometimes did though. "I-It's fine." she swallowed, slowly turning around. He looked just as comfortable as her in a yukata, his signature blue. His hair flopped across his forehead without his happuri to obstruct it, and Sakura thought it might have gone a tiny bit longer at his nape recently.
"Anija," he stared over her head at his brother, expression unchanging. "Sakura is here at my invitation. Whatever you want to talk to her about can wait."
"Oh, a little more possessive than I'd expect from a type like you." Naoko snickered.
Tobirama shot her a brief but disapproving look, turning as he motioned for Sakura to follow.
"It was nice seeing you both. I'll er, get back to you with an answer when I can." she waved, and they waved back as she hurried to keep up with Tobirama.
"I don't think I've ever been here." Sakura stared around at the neatly arranged shelves, in contrast to the table with a mess of scrolls and a hastily stacked bunch of papers. There was futon in the far corner of the room, and a little potted plant for decoration.
"Of course not." Tobirama sighed, shutting the door behind them. "There wasn't a need. Where is it?"
Sakura took the small pouch from her waist and held it up, rolling her eyes. "It's nice to see your manners are the same as ever."
"I…" he paused, rubbing stiffly at a shoulder. The sharpness in his carmine gaze melted. "I didn't mean to be curt. I haven't gotten much sleep since we got back." Moving closer, he reached for the pouch, but Sakura tugged it away at the last minute.
"Why?" she demanded. "I know what it's like when your mind's restless, but this is the best time to recuperate. Who knows what the future might bri—hey!"
Tobirama tugged it right out of her hand mid-lecture! The polite thing to do would have been to wait until she was done scolding him.
"You sound just like my family. If it's not Hashirama, it's Mei-san…" Shaking his head, he added, "They've even stooped as low as sending Reira here with her big eyes and hoping it's enough to guilt me. But I haven't exhausted myself yet, I assure you. I'm simply curious, that's all."
Sakura watched him untie the pouch and shake the sample out into his hand. Not even she had a chance to really study it just yet. "This looks like some kind of fir."
"That's what I thought too, but the way it was growing on top of Orochi would suggest something like a fungi."
Tobirama didn't respond, getting an intensely focused far off gaze she recognized well. When he walked over and placed the plant sample down on a work table, Sakura noticed a pestle and mortar, several vials, and a pack of matchsticks. "I have several methods I'd like to use in order to determine what category this plant life could fall under and what use it has."
Sakura tilted her head, processing his explanation. "It almost sounds like you want my help."
Tobirama threw her a look over his shoulder, but he was already pulling out more of the plants from her pouch and holding them up. "If you'd rather not, then say so." Sakura almost thought he sounded a little defensive, like one might when their sentimental gesture had been rebuked. Could it be that…Tobirama wanted her company?
Surely, he could carry out whatever experimentation he had in mind alone. She would assume he did it all the time. But he hadn't expressly run her off after getting the pouch from her, which would suggest she might be right about him wanting her there.
Sakura rolled up her sleeves, "Alright, where do you think we should start?"
A satisfied look briefly flashed through his eyes, but it was gone shortly after. "Start with the pestle and mortar. Let's see what happens when it's ground to paste."
Time faded away as they worked in relative silence. Sakura found it comfortable. There was no real need to communicate.
Possibly because of all the time they had spent in close quarters together during their adventures, they worked as a well-oiled unit while saying little to nothing. She knew when he wanted her to examine the notes he made as they studied the plants. He knew exactly what tool she needed before she even looked at it.
Sakura only got an indication of how late it had grown when she felt the kink in her sore neck. As she stretched, her leg moved, brushing is. He didn't even seem to notice that they had been sitting with their thighs pressed against each other, taking turns marking down different properties.
To be fair, Sakura had fallen so far into research mode, she hadn't thought much of the heat against her leg. Now, it was all she could think about, as she shuffled to put a respectable bit of space between them.
"We know it's naturally rubbery, which leads me to believe it would act as a ground against electricity. It's possible that as these grew on Orochi he was therefore impervious to such attacks." Sakura was fascinated to find his mind had come to the exact conclusion hers had.
"There's a legend that says that he was originally killed by Susano'o the Storm God, right?" The tilt of his head in her direction told her he was listening. "He probably wanted to protect himself against lightning attacks because of that. We should conclude that these can withstand and negate…"
"The electric attack of a god." Tobirama's eyes lit with passion, and she knew hers must have matched. The power of discovery was a beautiful thing, after all. "Do you have any more of this?"
Sakura nodded rapidly. "There's a good bit of it in the bag the mujina gave me."
"Then we'll continue next time on how to turn this into practical uses."
Next time? Sakura smiled shyly, beginning to help him clean up. She actually liked the sound of that.
Days back in the village had turned into a little over a week, and Sakura remained cautious, but increasingly happy. Her life was much calmer than it had been as of late. She was able to hang out with Toka, Yurine, Shikamarin, Susumu and Naoko. They swapped stories about their missions or days as academy instructors, in the case of Susumu.
Sakura enjoyed preparing her meals with fresh ingredients, and going to sleep in a soft bed every night. As expected, Naoko and Hashirama had managed to convince her to help them (or maybe she was just that soft) and so far neither Izuna nor Tobirama seemed the wiser.
Izuna's actual birthday was two days away, and Sakura had a solid idea of what to get him already in mind. It sat hidden away in her closet until the time was right.
The joint surprise party would take place closer to Tobirama's however, but ultimately held a little before it. The kunoichi was growing sort of annoyed that Madara hadn't been much help. Izuna was his brother.
But, Naoko and Hashirama both seemed willing to forgive him. They explained that he was dealing with a lot of important matters within the clan, so she had let it go.
Sakura guessed that was the only reason she didn't come home and find him invading her front room again. Every so often there would be a basket of snacks, a tag with obnoxiously beautiful handwriting that read, "Your seals are still too weak." She hated him. She really did.
But at least he was finally contributing to her pantry, instead of taking from it.
The problem? They weren't particularly things she ate. Sakura certainly helped herself out of spite, but she knew the point of dropping off the baskets wasn't to be generous.
Not when she noticed that they contained many of what she remembered—she hated that she remembered— were his preferred foods. Or ingredients to make them. It was almost like a subtle but clear promise he was going to keep prowling around.
Mizuchi might have been onto something. Maybe Madara had more similarities to an unruly cat than she originally thought. The small consolation to this behavior was that at least he didn't leave dismembered animal parts on her doorstep.
Sighing, Sakura greeted her elderly neighbors, who were out in their garden. Today, she had been invited back to continue instructing the academy students in basic medical ninjutsu. Surprisingly, many of the children had been more eager than she was anticipating. The last lesson she had taught didn't go as she'd planned, largely thanks to Danzo.
This time, the irritable boy hadn't been around, and Sakura was free to instruct only the children that truly wanted to learn from her. The lesson went well, some already showing great promise.
The pinkette left in high spirits, marveling how she was passing along the same knowledge Tsunade had bequeathed to her. It was nice and nostalgic and made her feel like a part of her mentor would always be with her.
Usamaro sat waiting for her as she opened the door to her home, chirping and wagging his short, fluffy tail. He stood on his back legs, paws stretched high. Sakura often thought she had gotten a cat and a dog in one, picking him up nonetheless. "I don't see any basket and you're not locked in a closet, so Madara hasn't been here."
The cat wiggled free from her arms after brushing his cheek against hers. Sakura noticed he liked to do this when she had been in the outside world without him all day. Because he took comfort from it, and it wasn't unpleasant, she allowed it. The minute he began to twine around her feet bumping her ankle, she knew what he wanted. "Someone's ready to eat."
Usamaro trilled, doing happy spins she had figured it out.
"Fine, okay. I think I have something for you in the cabinet." Trying not to trip, the pinkette made her way into the kitchen with Usamaro right behind her. Something felt different, but everything looked the way she'd left it that morning, so she shrugged it off. That was what happened when you got so used to someone breaking into your house.
Sakura stooped and dug around in the first cabinet, but she was unable to locate the canned fish her cat loved. Moving onto the second lower cabinet, her brow furrowed. "I…don't remember putting these here. Weren't these olives in one of the top cabinets?"
"Mrwar."
She continued the search, but came up fruitless and bewildered after a few minutes. "I…I know I haven't given you all the fish already. But I also know this is not how I arranged everything down here." Sakura huffed. "Did Madara do this?"
She had to stop letting him get away with this. Enough was enough. If she wanted this kind of aggravation in her life from a man reorganizing things that were already properly arranged, Sakura would have married him the first time he popped up unannounced.
"Sorry Usamaro, but how about something else? I can't find the—"
"Here you go,"
Sakura gasped, the very canned fish she was desperately searching for appearing under her nose as if by magic. "Oh, thank you!" Taking the food from the outstretched hand, she began to shut her cabinet.
Only when she'd peeled back the thin sheet of metal did Sakura drop the fish in realization, leaving a mess on the floor for the hungry feline to eagerly lick up.
"W-Wait a minute…what the hell?!" Sakura ripped open the cabinet door so hard it flew across the room, clattering as it went. Crammed uncomfortably inside her cabinet and staring out at her nervously was none other than the Shodai Hokage.
"H-Hello, Sakura-san."
"You can't give me a normal greeting when you're in this abnormal position!" Sakura accused, pointing. "Hokage-sama, why are you in there?! I'd expect this from Madara, but not you!"
"I know, I'm sorry!' He appeared flustered, his cheeks pink. Was he drunk? He was hiding in her cabinet so he had to be impaired in some fashion! "I can explain though, honestly!"
She scooted back as he crawled out with great effort, groaning and hitting his head several times. And so, one of the most powerful shinobi in history sat before her on his knees like a chastised child awaiting punishment. "You see, Sakura-san, I'm hiding."
Unimpressed by the explanation, she narrowed her eyes. "In my cabinet?" It wasn't the first time she had found a man hiding in a cabinet. Which probably said something about the absurdity of her life.
Naruto had once stayed in one for four hours hiding from her because he didn't want his yearly physical. In the end he got it anyway, and she had made sure to strap him down extra tight just because.
"Tobirama's out to get me again!" he wailed. Wailed! "I know this is something I should have asked you first, but there wasn't time. I figured here was the best place to lay low. I apologize for the disorganization." The Senju gently placed a few displaced items back into the spot he'd vacated. "Fitting in there was a tight squeeze."
"You're over six feet tall." Sakura squeezed the bridge of her nose. "It would have made more sense to hide upright, in a closet or something." Hashirama's face grew thoughtful. "Wait, that's not the point at all! The point is that you can't break in!"
He curled himself into a ball, chin on his knees and a pitiful look on his face. "I already have enough issues with that. Moreover, Tobirama's a sensor-type. I'm sure he knows exactly where to find you if he wants to."
She would have expected him to know that. Doing this was not only silly, but pointless. Instead of a resigned sigh and more sulking Hashirama's lips curled wide into what Sakura recognized as a shit-eating grin. What struck her was how at home it was on his face.
"Not today. I've taken inspiration from his perfection of his doppleganger jutsu and improvised a version of my own." he explained. "I've created wood clones, and they're scattered around the village, leading him away from me. At the same time I've recently found out that I can touch wood and take on its properties. Being in those cabinets completely hides my chakra signature. It's like I'm not here at all."
"Uh-huh," Sakura nodded, secretly fascinated but unwilling to admit it, lest she encourage him. "How long do you really think those clones will hold him off?"
Hashirama was reluctant to say. "Long enough," he finally managed.
"Whatever this is about, you're going to have to go face him. You can't hide out in my cabinet for the rest of the day."
"You're right," Hashirama stood to his full height, "It was inappropriate of me to come here."
'It was more ridiculous than offensive, actually. And…pretty funny when I think about it.' Sakura almost giggled. "As long as you're not planning to make it a habit."
"I…" Hashirama's eyes bugged out. "I have to hide again!" He dove right back into the cabinet, no doubt giving himself some bruises. It slammed shut almost at the same time as someone began knocking at her front door.
Already able to guess what was happening, Sakura made her way around Usamaro, who was almost done cleaning the spill. Sure enough, Tobirama stood there, looking right over her head suspiciously. "Tobirama, I wasn't expecting you to drop by."
"Neither was I. However, I thought…" he stopped, thought, continued, "Have you seen my brother?"
"Here, today?" Sakura furrowed her brow, "No, why do you ask?" The Hokage officially owed her one. This wasn't even her problem, damn it! She didn't even know what this was about.
"He's long overdue for a…talk." She didn't trust the way he said that word so ominously. No wonder Hashirama was on the lam. "If he comes by groveling in a pitiful attempt to gain your sympathy, don't fall victim to it. Send word and I'll come collect him."
"Right, I doubt that'd happen," she chuckled, "but if I see anything, I'll let you know."
Tobirama nodded, spun around, and walked off, peering around. Sakura eased her door shut, made sure it was locked, and hurried back over to the cabinets. "He's gone, but you might want to find somewhere else to hide. He's definitely suspicious."
Hashirama's head poked out of a different cabinet, reminding her she had broken the door on the original one. Great, another repair. At least it was a fairly simple one. "Thank you, Sakura-san. Your kindness and loyalty are admirable."
In spite of her best efforts to remain stern, when he eased himself out on his belly, her mouth involuntarily quirked up on one side. "It's not every day you have to harbor the Hokage in your kitchen cabinet."
"No, I guess not." he beamed. "I still appreciate you being understanding, all things considered. I'm going to hide out in the forest until he—"
"I knew it,"
Hashirama squeaked, dropping to the floor and trying to crawl back into the cabinet, yet again.
Sakura gasped, Tobirama having appeared from thin air. Obviously, he never went far, and was waiting to come back and catch his brother in the act. Despite his stature and his famed reputation, the Shodai didn't stand a chance. Tobirama descended on him the way a hawk zeroed in on a cornered mouse, snatching him by his ankles and hauling him across the floor.
"No, Tobi, wait! Let's discuss this rationally."
"Rational adults don't take refuge in someone's cabinet." he snapped.
"He…does have a point." Sakura scratched her head.
"Sakura-san, reason with him! Please!"
"Don't call on her." Tobirama was steadily dragging his brother toward the door as Hashirama tried to find purchase and dig his nails into her floor. "In fact Sakura, very soon we'll have to have a discussion about you not indulging him."
Sakura pointed at herself, gaping. "I…I'm in trouble too?"
"You're an accomplice, so yes."
"If he's going to hold it against you anyway, you might as well help me!" Hashirama was holding onto her door with all his might but Tobirama was undeterred.
"Only because you dragged me into it," Sakura fired back.
Tobirama dislodged Hashirama with a grunt of effort, and the kunoichi closed her door. The sound of the Hokage's cries could be heard all the way down the straight. Seemed like Tobirama wanted to prolong his humiliation and drag him around for a while.
Closing her eyes, Sakura wrapped her arms tight around her torso and blew a steady breath out through her nose. "What a life."
Usamaro, sated and content, meowed in agreement.
I am really happy to be writing chapters like this again. As I said in previous ANs, for a while there will be more exploration on budding feelings, day to day village adventures, and of course some more important revelations. There was a lot of important exposition in this chapter but that's for good reason.
Mizuchi came back to shed a little light on things, and it likely will not be the last time. She might also torment Sakura with unexpected/unwanted relationship advice. And devilish "accidents" like the gifted outfit. To be clear, Sakura was given the exact same outfit she debuted a while back. Some of you may have seen that fan art on my tumblr. The one given to her just doesn't have the same bustline…which can really make certain assets more noticeable.
I didn't realize how much jealousy and misunderstandings I had in this chapter until I went back to proofread. I know because of this it seems very unlikely that things will eventually progress smoothly. But, they will. Events will happen that prompt everyone to put these feelings aside in favor of a more favorable outcome. There's not going to be any slash between the Founders though, sorry.
I think this came out alright, and hope readers enjoyed this update. Always fun to read your comments, guesses and I really appreciate the kind words so many of you give me.
