I apologize for the wait on this chapter but life took a lot out of me, and I really wanted this chapter to be as close to perfect as possible, because I've been waiting to write it for close to two years at this point. I don't generally listen to music when I write but uh, Marry You by Bruno Mars does come to mind with this for…reasons.
Chapter Warning: childbirth scene towards the end
The day was mild and sunny, the kind that put a light, airy feeling in someone's chest. Sakura had been happy to enjoy the buzz of an easygoing solo trip to a place where no one knew her, without complications from deities or handsome men she wanted to put out of her mind.
Though, sitting directly across from the Hokage, who was staring at her with interest, made it difficult to say the least. She should have known what little luck she had these days wouldn't hold.
Since she declined the alcohol the gambling parlor's server wanted to bring them, citing the early hour, they had tea in front of them, Hashirama insisting he was fine having whatever she was having.
Activity had resumed, the Hokage announcing he was taking a break and the other gamblers going about their games with vigor as money was won or lost and dice were rolled.
Sakura was trying to collect her thoughts, and the Hokage seemed to be waiting patiently. Fiddling with the cup in her hands and taking a small sip, the pinkette pursed her lips. "Um...I'm not sure I understand. I saw you earlier today when I asked to leave the village. You...were hard at work in your office."
Sakura admired his diligence, but she wouldn't have expected he would be done with the stack of documents he was reviewing so soon, and then have time to rush all the way to Tanzaku (which was a few hours journey on foot).
"That was actually one of my wood clones." Hashirama rubbed the side of his neck. "As it turns out, they make good substitutes for things other than hiding from Tobirama!"
After the time she had found him hiding in her bottom cabinet, Sakura really should have expected that. "Huh."
"It probably looks pretty irresponsible to you." She was surprised to see him hang his head, looking genuinely troubled by the notion she thought less of him. "Here I am in a place like this having a good time, leaving a copy to take care of my duties back in the village." Peeking up at her, he pouted, "I hope you understand I never intended to be gone longer than a day or two. I'd never leave the village defenseless—"
"You just needed a break." Sakura surmised, stopping his unnecessary pleading. "I...understand Hokage-sama. You carry the weight of the whole village on your back everyday, and every now and then, everyone needs a way to recharge themselves." Being a Hokage's student meant that she saw first hand the toll the job took. To be expected to solve every crisis big or small, whether it was disputes between farmers over property lines, a merchant who didn't like the hours they were allowed to do business, or a substantial threat like invasion from a dangerous enemy, she had seen Tsunade handle it all. Paperwork was only one small portion of the duty and people could be exhausting, not to mention being tethered to the village, never able to stray too far unless for diplomatic reasons. Sakura didn't begrudge Hashirama needing time away; it was just a shame for her she had to run into him when her head was still a mess.
A warm smile filled up his entire face, shining in his eyes. "Exactly! I should've known I could count on you to understand, Sakura-san." It didn't really surprise her when he pulled her hand in between both of his to hold, long since understanding him to be a tactile person. But the strength and warmth of his big hands encasing hers made her heart skip a beat, and Sakura swallowed quietly, fighting not to snatch it away.
"A-Anyway, I won't tell anyone I saw you here, so...please enjoy your day." She made to remove her hand from his grip, especially since Hashirama didn't seem to intend to let go on his own. Sakura's hand slid out of his as bemusement entered his eyes.
"Wait, I…" he cleared his throat, sounding uncharacteristically nervous. "I thought it would be nice for us to spend time together. With you always in and out of the village we don't have many opportunities."
Sakura had been getting up, but paused. "T-That's true, but—"
"And since we're both here, coincidentally, it feels meant to be." he concluded.
It wasn't fair. It really just wasn't freaking fair. A powerful man shouldn't be so good at making himself appear cute and charming, but Hashirama had mastered it to an art. When he looked at her with so much hope in his rich, brown eyes, Sakura grew tongue-tied, ready to give in with little to no fight.
She had come to have a little downtime herself, put all the complications of her life on hold. Now one of those complications was asking her to spend time with him. If she was as smart as people said she was, Sakura would find an excuse—albeit a good one—and book it while she still had the willpower to say no.
But, her treacherous tongue was forming unbidden words of agreement before her mind could really catch up. "Well, just so you know I'm not much of a gambler. So it's probably better if I just watch."
'Yeah, Sakura, that's telling him.' snarked the voice in her head.
At least the beautiful smile he graced her with made her feel better about caving.
"You put on quite a show for us today," The dealer, a grizzled man named Honki-san, cut the cards. "A winning streak like yours isn't an everyday occurrence, even around here. They're all going to be lining up for a piece of you now." he grumbled around his toothpick.
"Yes, and allow me to be the next one to issue a challenge." Hashirama glanced up, seeing a man swaggering over with a giggling woman on one arm and holding a plump sack carrying winnings in the other.
He wore his kimono top so loose, it might as well have been completely open, revealing a pouch tied around his waist like a belt.
Honki said nothing as the man motioned for the woman to give him space, sitting down across from the curious Senju. "Been watching, wanted to see if you were really that good or if it was just some dumb out-of-towner's fluke." He stroked at his goatee, squinting through one eye from over his shades. "And I think you're the real deal, so now it's time to put that to the test."
"Of course, happy for any challenge."
"Glad to hear it." Puffing out his chest, the man motioned to himself with a thumb. "The name's Keita Asada. Kind of a local legend around here." He introduced, running a hand through his gelled hair. It remained unmoving, except a distracticly springy curl that fell on his forehead.
"You're a local, but the legend aspect is debatable." Honki had lit a pipe, looking bored. "His skills are good though."
"Hashirama Senju," Hashirama greeted, "Nice to play against you Keita-san."
Sakura watched from his side, saying nothing, just eying Keita with silent judgement. It was clear the man was cocky, braggadocious and blunt, but an opponent was an opponent.
"Hashirama…Senju?" Keita repeated, flipping his shades up to take him in better. "I've heard that name. Where've I heard that name?"
"I've heard it too." someone else whispered. Soon it seemed like half the parlor was pondering over his name, and Hashirama felt a little humbled. Yes, his name was recognizable to them, but the fact that there was no immediate recognition was a nice change of pace.
"He's a shinobi." Honki said, blowing out a ring of smoke and looking no more impressed than he had by Keita's entrance. "Pretty powerful one I've heard. You're the leader of some ninja village west of here, right?"
"Oho, big shot!" Keita slapped his thigh, leering now. "In that case, let's really roll out the welcome wagon. You ever played karuta before?"
"I've dabbled on occasion," he replied humbly. It was a fun, challenging card game, but not one that was easy to find opponents for, even at parlors. "But if you're suggesting what I think you are, I accept." In fact, it got his blood pumping. He had pride in his card playing, but more than that, Sakura-san was watching. It would be a waste of her time if he didn't go all out. A game like karuta was perfect, as far as he was concerned.
"Great, great," Keita smiled, eyes gleaming. "Honki, cut the cards."
Honki plucked the pipe from between his lips, staring hard at Keita with his good eye as he skillfully set up the game one-handed. "Patience."
Schooling his features, Hashirama watched Honki lay out the two decks, first the yomifuda cards followed by the torifuda. Once that was completed, the dealer nimbly split the deck of torifuda cards until it was halved to fifty, excluding the other pile of ghost cards.
Slapping the pile of remaining torifuda cards face down, Honki gestured to the two of them. "Awright, you know what to do from there."
Keita was quick to snatch up the first card, although it was customary to let the visitor go first. Hashirama didn't mind, picking up the next card in the deck. They continued taking turns until they each had their twenty-five, placing them face up in their respective 'territories'.
"Now, the pre-match period can begin. I'll be your reciter as well, just so there's no confusion." Honki explained.
"Pre-match period?" He heard Sakura's voice, "Sorry, I don't know much about this game. Would you mind explaining a little more?" It brought a slight smile to his lips. Sakura was just so inquisitive, wanting to figure out the why's and how's of just about everything. Hashirama admired that quality, knowing it was why she and Tobirama could spend so much time together hunched over research, utterly riveted.
"Right now is when the players both get fifteen minutes to study and if they're lucky memorize their decks." Honki scratched at the nape of his neck. "Karuta's all about memory…and well, speed. These cards are all sets. There's a torifuda for every yomifuda. When the pre-match period ends, I'll start reading off poems from the yomifuda decks and it'll be a race to see who can touch the matching torifuda card first. The objective is to get rid of all your cards before your opponent. And that's it."
It was easy to see the kunoichi had hung on Honki's every word, eyeing the yomifuda deck as well as the cards laid out between the two men. "A memory game that requires stealth to win, I see…" she rubbed her chin, green eyes bright with interest.
"If everyone's clear, then I'm officially starting the pre-match period." Honki announced. The spectators grew quiet, respectfully allowing them to concentrate. Hashirama studied his cards carefully. Keita did the same with his, smirking as he leaned into his fist. The woman he walked in with rubbed his shoulders, leaning against him as he looked over his deck. Though she hovered, probably unconsciously, Sakura was careful not to touch him. Still, she was close enough to feel her presence as if she was, and the hairs on the nape of the Hokage's neck prickled. It wasn't that having her there was bad but, he'd be lying if said it wasn't somewhat distracting.
As the end of their allotted pre-match time drew near, Honki cleared his throat. "Two minutes left. You can both practice your strikes if you want."
Hashirama stealthily grabbed for cards, letting his fingers brush them as he would when he was going to flip them over. Keita, from what he could see without really looking directly at him, was doing the same. There was no rule on talking during preparations, but typically they were executed in silence.
"You know there's all kinda interesting superstitions in Tanzaku-gai," Keita informed, not interested in remaining quiet.
Hashirama continued with his striking practice, though figuring he would humour the other man, he hummed in interest. "I've heard something like that."
"Yeah?" Keita chuckled. "Then you know it's been said that if a gambler on a lucky streak gets defeated by a new opponent, it not only breaks the streak but transfers all the luck to the challenger. That'd be me. Never been one to put much stock into that until now."
The Hokage thought briefly if the remark was meant to shake him. Gamblers were normally a superstitious bunch, after all. That was only natural when it so often came down to being about luck as much as skill, fickle mistress as she was. Although Hashirama always played to win, he simply enjoyed the process. It wasn't about the riches some chased after. So even the prospect of never being lucky in another card game again wasn't really scary. "Daunting stakes, but that being said...you're free to believe whatever you'd like, Keita-san. I can't wait to play against you."
Keita's expression soured a little. "Hmph, fine. I warned you."
"The pre-match period is over." Honki looked up from picking his nails. "Get ready to start."
Keita tensed in preparation, but Hashirama had always found the best approach was to keep his shoulders loose and start the game with his palms on his knees.
Honki began reciting the introduction poem, allowing them to get accustomed to his voice and the rhythm of his reading. He noticed that unlike the majority of the onlookers, who typically started to pay attention once the 'real action' began, Sakura was giving Honki her utmost attention.
The reciter finished his poem, took another drag from his pipe and then frowned. "That's the end of that smoke I guess," he mumbled. "Anyway..." The Senju's eyes watched the man's fingers move to draw one of the yomifuda cards. Clearing his throat, Honki began reading the poem on the card, and Hashirama saw the same spark of recognition in Keita's eyes he knew must be mirrored in his own. They both reached out, but the Hokage was just that little bit faster. As per the rules of the game, the torifuda card was removed from play.
"Early leads usually don't last long." Keita commented, rolling his eyes. Gesturing at the aloof man acting as the reciter, he grumbled. "Well? Keep 'em coming."
Though it was obvious he didn't appreciate being told what to do, he read the poem on a new card, and the next successful strike went to Keita, who felt the need to hold the card up boastfully and look around at the spectators. "Don't worry everyone, this game's as good as mine. I'll win for the pride of all us Tanzaku natives."
"What was that you said about early leads not lasting?" Sakura scoffed. "Besides, you're only tied up now."
"I think I like you better when that pretty mouth isn't moving, Pink." Keita sneered in her direction.
Eyes narrowing, the pinkette was obviously about to retort, but Hashirama briefly touched her shoulder, staring his opponent in the eye. "You've been talking non-stop since before the match, Keita-san. Sakura-san's just as entitled to voice her thoughts as any other spectator here, isn't she?"
"W-well, yeah, but..."
"If she is, then she can. This is much my match as it is hers, and I don't mind hearing her thoughts. It's not like she said anything that isn't true."
Twisting his mouth and tugging at the end of his facial hair, Keita shrugged. "Whatever, still gonna beat you in front of your girl and all your new admirers."
Hashirama didn't bother to correct him, more amused that he managed to recover his bravado so fast. The match continued to play out and they both began losing cards or transferring them when the torifuda they touched was in the other's territory. Honki made an off-handed explanation, possibly for Sakura's benefit, that when someone touched a card in their opponent's territory, the player who won the card transferred one of their own cards to their opponent's pool.
They were both down to one row of cards, Honki getting ready to read the next poem when a quiet breath of realization drew his attention to Sakura. The kunoichi was frowning. "I knew it!" She turned to Honki. "Keita's cheating." she said, glaring at Keita, who recoiled, a hand pressed to his chest in offense.
"Slow down there, Pink. Can't accuse me like that without proof just because you think your guy here might lose."
"That's got nothing to do with it," Sakura snapped, ire flashing through her gaze. "I've been paying close attention since the start of the game. I memorized the rules, your strike pattern, everything. And there are only so many combinations left."
Clicking his teeth, he waved it off. "Yeah, so?" Keita crossed his arms. "I've been at this for a while. You tend to get good." The pretty woman who had been cheering every time he won a strike leaned into him, rubbing his chest, and likely his ego.
"Too good." Sakura countered. "My guess is that you come here often. It only makes sense if you're an avid gambler and a local. I don't even need to bet money on the fact that you know Honki-san's usually the reciter and officiator for karuta matches, but if he's always this disinterested," Honki gave a half-hearted roll of the eye not covered by a patch as Sakura paused to shrug at him. "Then you knew that you could cheat. So you took some cards you kept in your sleeve and transferred them discreetly during the pre-match period after you got a look at your torifuda set. You probably came prepared with both sleeves full so it wouldn't matter what line up you got."
Hashirama listened, as silent as everyone else who was hearing Sakura possibly expose the boastful gambler.
It was dishonorable, but more than being upset Keita may have been cheating him, Hashirama wondered why, if his opponent was supposed to have such a strong unfair advantage, he was able to keep up and hold his own. There are twice as many cards that match yours in the pool Honki-san's using to call from. You wouldn't have won the last three or four strikes if you hadn't been cheating. You're not as fast as Lord Hokage, but the rules say if the players touch a card at the same time, it goes to the player whose territory it was originally in." Sakura jabbed an accusatory finger Keita's way, "Every single instance that's happened, it was one of your cards."
Tugging at his oily hair and gritting his teeth, the man shot Sakura a look that could kill. "Like I told you Pink, you're prettier with your mouth shut. Every word you're saying makes you uglier, you know?"
"A critical opinion of my looks means a lot coming from you." Sakura retorted. "Not to mention, you worked twice as hard just to lose in the end. There are only so many possible combinations left. Every time you had Lord Hokage take a penalty that resulted in him having to take one of your torifuda cards and add it to his side, you unwittingly evened the odds again. Funny how you didn't think of that. If I've been studying right, then this game is as good as his."
Hashirama heard the fervent murmuring from the sidelines, but he was too blown away by the quick-witted analysis to pay it much mind. "Are you really going to let her run her mouth and make all kinds of shit up like that?" Keita barked at Honki.
"Depends. We all know what you'd do to win. You're a good gambler anyway but you've never been this much of a contender at karuta. It adds up." Honki replied lazily. "Meaning, you should be disqualified and by default…"
"No," Sakura held up her hand, her eyes determined. "Lord Hokage, I'm sorry for this. I only wanted to watch, not impose, but would it be possible if I could play against him for the next few strikes?"
Keita gaped, and everyone gathered around leaned forward, waiting for his answer. Sakura appeared to have a point to prove, and while he had set out to impress her with his card-playing prowess, Hashirama wasn't above letting it play out. "It's alright with me, Sakura-san. Have fun."
The kunoichi gave him a quick, grateful smile, and the two of them swapped places.
"This ain't right. There's no such thing as switching players halfway through a match."
"Karuta, and every other game played in this establishment, also has a rule against cheating." Honki reminded him. "You can play the rest of your match with her or forfeit your money now. Not to mention the fact that you're looking at a possible month-long ban for what you pulled."
That shut him up pretty effectively.
Despite Keita's position and the way Sakura had outed his deceit, it didn't stop the man from taking not so discreet glimpses at the pinkette's clothing. Specifically, at the cut he himself had turned away from upon seeing it, to remain a gentleman. In Tanzaku, it wasn't really inappropriate, but unfortunately it had still caught attention from someone like his disgraced opponent. One hard stare from the Senju over Sakura's shoulders and he went back to glaring at his cards.
"This is it, then. Next few strikes decide everything." Honki told the crowd waiting in suspense. All eyes were on him as he picked up and read the next torifuda card. He had barely finished before Sakura's hand flew forward like lightning, snagging a card from Keita's territory. Without missing a beat, she transferred one of her own cards. Keita's card count remained the same, while Sakura was one step closer to getting rid of her last half row.
'Her strike speed is almost on par with mine.' Hashirama mused. 'Coupled with her sharp memory, I don't even think I'd want to face her in a battle like this.'
As it turned out, Sakura made an astounding karuta player, able to match the poems read to the cards in play before Keita had even fully processed the words.
No one should have been surprised when the pinkette emptied her territory first, but the upset of a newcomer soundly beating the cheating local after taking over the match halfway through had the whole parlor in a buzz.
Had Honki not been sitting there to witness it all, it was very likely Keita would have tried to cut in one. He threw the money he'd lost at Hashirama's feet, rising and charging to the exit without a congratulatory bow.
The match having ended, all the confidence Sakura had spoken with seemed to wash away, leaving her face bare with surprise as people clapped or tried to entice her to play against them next.
"You did very well," he told her, squeezing the top of her hand.
"I-It was honestly kind of just luck." she said quietly, eyes darting around, taking in the faces of her new fans.
There was hardly time to bask in the thrill of victory, or soak it in for that matter. The Hokage had just helped her onto her feet when a girl ran over, hands on her hips and stance confrontational.
Sakura tensed, wondering if she wanted to make trouble with them and ready, just in case. She had been in more than enough rowdy situations thanks to Tsunade and her penchant for sneaking off to not only gambling parlors or taverns.
It all went well until her mentor gave someone a black eye for trying to get too handsy or she drank in excess and then couldn't pay the bill. Then it was time to cut and run, which sometimes involved throwing a few swings if it was one of shishou's seedier watering holes.
Aside from humiliating Keita, who was a slimy cheater anyway, Sakura hadn't exactly done anything to rock the boat since arriving. The girl standing defiantly in front of them had black hair fashioned into a pixie-cut, a healthy smattering of dark freckles on her face, a beauty mark centered on her chin. Walking up more calmly beside her was another young woman with an identical face, though she wore her long, black hair in pigtails, streaks of purple presumably dyed all the way to the tips. In contrast to her companion's passionate expression, she simply gave them a cool nod, saying nothing. Both were dressed identically in purple shirts and shorts that looked like some kind of uniform.
"Hey, play with us next." The first girl demanded. Sakura bristled at the tone, the second sister sighing loudly.
"You're getting ahead of yourself. It would be more proper to show respect by giving an introduction," she reasoned. "Hello," It was somewhat unexpected to get such a nice bow from her, but the kunoichi let her continue. "My name is Miho Morita. This is my sister and partner,"
"Naho Morita," Pixie-cut answered for herself. "We play darts. Actually, we're the champs. Ask anyone here."
"I've heard of you," Hashirama snapped his fingers.
Sakura glanced over at him. "You have?"
"Well, they're a pretty big deal here in Tanzaku," he explained. "But they travel to participate in dart tournaments all over the Fire Country. They're thought of as prodigies."
"You're well informed," Miho hummed. "Yes, all of what you've said is true."
"And unlike Keita, we're the real deal. We don't believe in cheap tricks. Just skill. After you demolished just about everyone in here by yourself at all the other games," she tilted her chin at the Hokage, "And you saw through Asada's cheating," This time her piercing eyes fell on Sakura, "we decided we had to take you on, here and now." Naho wiggled her eyebrows, smirking, "What do ya say?"
Sakura pointed at herself. "So you're challenging me too?"
"Obviously," Naho crossed her arms, widening her stance. "There's two of us and two of you, so there's no reason for one of us to sit out just to accommodate him playing by himself."
"But I'm not really here to gamble," Sakura protested, though she knew after the display everyone had seen it might as well be a moot point.
"You held your own perfectly fine against Asada. I liked the way you called him out and then backed it up," Miho considered her, pushing some hair from her eyes. "Don't tell me I misjudged you."
"It's up to you, Sakura-san," Hashirama said encouragingly. "Gamblers here are persistent but you don't have to participate if you'd rather just watch,"
He said that, but if she turned them down, he would have to pass on their challenge unless he could find another partner. Though she doubted the Hokage would ever force her, it was pretty easy to see he was intrigued and wanted to give it a try.
Sucking in a slow breath, the pinkette closed her eyes and opened them again, wondering if this was going to become a habit for her. "Alright, but I'm a total beginner." Since Tsunade-shisou had no real interest in darts, Sakura didn't know much about how to play. "Teach me the rules."
Sakura couldn't believe how wide she was smiling, looking up to find Hashirama in much the same state. They burst into peals of laughter as soon as they made eye contact, holding onto their winnings with tight grips. Sakura had never expected to join the gambling scene when coming to Tanzaku-gai. She had watched shishou gamble—and pulled her away from it—what felt like a hundred times and never taken a particularly strong interest.
But teaming up with Hashirama, reveling in their victory, had her soaring so high. For the first time gambling had an appeal. A near addicting one. Though the pinkette couldn't imagine what had changed for her, aside from the company she was with. So maybe it was less to do with rolling dice and snatching cards and more to do with the general atmosphere of fun that came with the experience.
She felt slightly bad for the sisters, seeing as how they had been handed defeat by a team that was one half total novice, but the ear to ear smile the Hokage was wearing more than made up for it.
"We probably shouldn't walk around with so much money in our arms." Sakura realized, stopping to stare down at the sack held to her bosom. Saying that was strange in itself. Tsunade never cleaned up like this, no matter how many "streaks" she attempted. Who knew gambling with a Senju could be so…profitable?
Hashirama nodded, "You're right." Pulling something from his robes, he brandished a shiny new scroll. Sakura was prepared to hand over the sack she was holding, which seemed fatter than a well-fed pig, only for him to try handing her the scroll at the same time.
Blinking down at the proffered parchment in his hold, Sakura hesitantly let her eyes drift back up to his face. "You want me to carry it?"
Hashirama arched his brow, clearly not getting her hesitation. "We won together, Sakura-san. It's only right you keep half of it, isn't it?"
Sakura shook her head furiously. "No, no it isn't! I mean yes I was there, and yes I gambled. But I didn't come to Tanzaku for that reason specifically, it kind of just ended up that way. You on the other hand—"
"Couldn't have won it without you, which is why I'm insisting half belongs to you." Hashirama put the scroll into her free hand. Sakura pursed her lips, ready to refuse anew, but was struck speechless by the stony look suddenly taking over his features. "Sakura-san, you've given me plenty of reasons to be in a good mood right now. It'd be easier to stay in one if you listened to me about this. You deserve half."
The saliva in her mouth suddenly evaporated, leaving it exceptionally dry and unable to form words. On occasion, a more commanding side of Hashirama emerged, one that became evident when she stubbornly resisted his kind gestures. Whereas Sakura would have once assumed he'd sulk at a rejection, it seemed more and more like the Hokage wasn't afraid to be firm.
And for whatever reason, the young woman found herself obediently doing as he wanted when that tone came out. Like the sun breaking through passing clouds, his warm smile and happy demeanor was back almost instantaneously. He produced another scroll and sealed his own bag in it just as she had finished doing the same to hers.
"Thank you," he said, tucking his scroll away.
"No, thank you," Sakura smiled weakly. "This is too generous, as always."
"I think you're confusing fairness with excessive generosity." he stated, calmly. "But I'm willing to concede the point for now if you are. Is there anywhere you're thinking of going next? I've personally spent enough time in the gambling parlor for one day."
Sakura pondered over the question, "I didn't have much of a planned agenda. I just…" Her stomach rang out with a startling noise, reminding her that one thing she had wanted to do before Hashirama had dragged her into the parlor was eat. It seemed like her body had chosen the next activity.
Hashirama seemed to be in total agreement, staring at her in amusement, making Sakura quickly avert her gaze. "Eating it is!" he cheered. "There's a kaiten-zushi house not far from here that's supposed to have a wide variety."
"Kaiten-zushi?" As hungry as she currently was, Sakura wasn't too picky, but some good sushi would hit the spot nicely. "Wait, you want to have lunch together?"
Hashirama tilted his head, brown eyes a little concerned. "Do you not want to?"
It occurred to her then that perhaps he assumed that she was willing to spend time with him beyond the gambling parlor. Maybe he had taken it as a blanket agreement for the rest of the day. Sakura, on the other hand, hadn't planned to get sucked so far in.
Originally, the pinkette assumed she would keep him company while he played a few matches and then part ways afterwards. It wasn't that his companionship was terrible—far from it—but she was kind of on a mission to clear her head of all things related to handsome men who made her flustered. So far, she was failing miserably. Then again, for the last hour or so, she'd been having fun. Maybe…it couldn't hurt to have lunch, at least.
"Actually, I haven't had any tamago in ages." Sakura answered truthfully.
That was all the answer Hashirama needed, already resting a gentle hand on her shoulder. "In that case, we'd better get there before they run out."
Sakura laughed a little, falling in step with him. He didn't remove his hand, but part of her hadn't expected him to. "Does a kaiten-zushi house ever run out of food?" Logically it was possible. They were a restaurant like any other, so she was sure they ran out of popular items from time to time. But every time she had been to that type of establishment, the food going around the conveyor belt seemed never ending, no matter how much customers took.
"Well," Hashirama mulled it over. "I've heard they're the best place to go for sushi in Tanzaku-gai. Given how many restaurants there are, I assume that means it's exceptionally popular. So it's better safe than sorry, right?"
"If it's the best sushi here, then I'm getting a little excited." Sakura clapped her hands in front of her, already envisioning the veritable buffet awaiting them. "Maybe I'll have some eel too. That'll go good with the tamago. But then again bluefin otoro would also be…"
Brazen shouting broke her from her food-filled fantasies, and she stopped in her tracks. Just up ahead was one of the same barkers that had hounded her earlier about coming inside an escort club. Thankfully his focus was on the two young women he was trying to entice inside the building.
He had gotten off lightly. Sakura had only had to threaten him with the prospect of a black eye for him to get the picture.
Regardless, she didn't relish having to walk his way again. She understood Tanzaku's culture was a bit different than Konoha's, and didn't begrudge anyone making a living, but why did there have to be so many adult entertainment establishments everywhere she looked? When they were so bold about recruitment, it made it hard to be a single young woman wandering around town.
Predictably, Hashirama picked up on her shift in mood. "Something wrong, Sakura-san?"
It was a little embarrassing to explain. He was the Hokage. And this was just the nature of Tanzaku. Yet their time together had already partially erased the barrier she had mentally erected. Sighing, Sakura turned to him. "When I got here earlier, I got a lot of…attention by myself." His face prompted her to elaborate slowly. "A few barkers tried to recruit me, a-and I had to be a little assertive sometimes to make them back off. I'd rather not do it in front of you."
Understanding shone in his brown eyes as he stared past her. "When I arrived, there were a few massage parlors offering special services that were quite persistent." Sakura's eyes widened. "I think there's a simple way for both of us to avoid being…solicited." The weight on her shoulder disappeared, only for him to grip her hand firmly instead.
A little startled, Sakura stared at their suddenly joined hands. "Hokage-sama, what exactly is—"
"One thing I've noticed about Tanzaku is that unions are respected even here," he said. "Couples generally aren't bothered as much by those establishments as people on their own."
Just as the Hokage had said, a couple walked by the same barker, hand in hand, leaning on each other as the happy man fed his partner a bite of food. They were paid no mind, the man's focus instead drifting to a woman on her own walking behind them.
"You're right," Sakura murmured. "But we're not…" Hashirama gave her hand a squeeze.
"There's no way for them to know better, as long as we play the part whenever we pass them. What do you say, Sakura-chan?"
Sakura-chan?
The change in honorifics so suddenly nearly made her heart stop. Then, there were the implications of what he was suggesting. Walk around town, pretending to be a couple? It was possible that if his observation was correct neither of them would have to worry about the persistent barkers, but…but he was the Hokage!
"What would people think if word got out the Hokage was in Tanzaku spending his time with a random woman?" Sakura blurted, her mind quickly spiraling with the long term ramifications. Hashirama was meant to have a wife one day. It wasn't touched on much in class, but he was apparently married to an Uzumaki woman, a fuinjutsu specialist. "What if—"
"You have to stop thinking of yourself as someone who isn't my equal." Hashirama interrupted. "You remember what we discussed? The Hokage is supported by everyone in the village. That's the only way he can support them all in return. In whatever way I can help one of my villagers, I will. That being said…it wouldn't bother me to have everyone make their own assumptions." he winked, and Sakura knew then and there that she had to stay vigilant around this man. "Would it bother you?"
Although his large form blocked out the sun, Sakura's face was overtaken by a wave of heat. Bother her, to have people look at the two of them and assume they were closer than strangers, or even friends—close enough to be lovers? A strange little peep erupted before she could stop it, and the kunoichi pressed a hand to her face.
"N-No, it wouldn't bother me." Which was just a tiny bit of fabrication. To be associated with such a powerful, charismatic, generous man in a romantic way was something Sakura would never dare to imagine. Admitting she found him handsome was a far cry from thinking of herself as worthy to be at his side in any intimate manner.
Even briefly, and even under the circumstances of pretending, how could he propose such a thing so readily and calmly? Didn't he know better than to send a girl's head spinning?
'This is exactly why I was trying to avoid all of them!' She mentally whined.
"I can't go through town punching out every barker that approaches me, s-so if there's a way to avoid it all together…"
Gently, Hashirama leaned down, peeling her fingers from her face as he maintained the hold on her other hand. Her vision was almost swimming, his smile so sweet and his eyes so reverent.
"Then, do you trust me, Sakura-chan?"
"Yes, Hokage-sama, I—"
"You should probably just call me Hashirama." he reasoned. "At least for the time being."
"Yes…Ha-Hashirama…I trust you." She didn't even call Tsunade by her first name without an honorific!
His eyes twinkled mirthfully, as if he enjoyed her struggle a little too much.
"Okay, okay." She mumbled, scrubbing an arm across her face. "I thought we were going to get sushi."
"Ah, you're right. Sorry about the delay," And just like that, he was successfully distracted, pulling her down the street by the hand, without a care in the world. They passed right by the barker, and Sakura tensed, half expecting him to still call out, or rush toward them demanding she come inside again. Peeking behind them, Sakura could see the man eyeing the 'couple' closely, his gaze stopping on their joined hands before he turned his attention elsewhere.
"I didn't really think it'd be so simple." she whispered, speaking mostly to herself.
Hashirama threw her a playful stare. "You said you trusted me, didn't you?"
Sakura could only give him a one-shouldered shrug, still being led by the hand. She did say that, didn't she?
It was a little chilly inside the restaurant but the people enjoying their meals made him feel warm. Finding an available booth was surprisingly fast given how busy it was, and the overall popularity of the establishment. He let Sakura seat herself first, taking the space on the opposite side of the table.
On a large conveyor belt that stretched from one end of the restaurant to the other, dishes passed by. Empty plates were collected and new ones with freshly made sushi dishes replaced them in rapid succession. Sakura clapped her hands together, holding them just under her chin as she surveyed the delicious-looking plates with eager eyes.
"I didn't expect them to be using a line shaft roller conveyor system. It's running on a crude motor and everything!" To Hashirama's mild surprise, he realized that her excitement hadn't been for the food. At least not when she noticed how it was being distributed. "It makes sense though, given the application. The plates are light enough where this method would be most effective. Not to mention," she paused, hand to her chin in thought, "it's got the advantage of easy installation and low maintenance. The safety aspect is there too. Even if someone's fingers get caught they probably won't actually be injur—"
A low chuckle passed through his lips, his chin rested on his hand as he quietly listened to the kunoichi musing aloud. She froze, wide-eyed as she remembered he was there and then ducked her head, a little pink in the cheeks.
"S-Sorry you had to hear that. I just…wasn't expecting them to have such an efficient system so I was theorizing…" Groaning into her hands, the pinkette shook her head. "Look, would you actually please just forget you heard it?"
Hashirama sat up straighter, his brow rising in genuine bemusement. "I'm not sure I understand what there is to be embarrassed about. I think it's endearing, and it gives me a glimpse into how your mind works."
It reminded him only somewhat of Tobirama, who did most of his rationalizing in his head, only speaking when he had finished working through his thoughts and had an outcome to demonstrate. However, Sakura's distracted rambling really was cute to him. A lot of things about her were, as the Senju was finding out.
When she avoided responding by leaning over and snagging a plate of gunkan-maki, he decided to be merciful and follow her lead. It took a bit of consideration, but the minute fresh kappa-maki rolled by, Hashirama plucked it off the line.
Breaking his chopsticks, the Hokage took his first bite, enjoying the crispness of the lightly seasoned cucumber in the dish. "Is this your first time visiting Tanzaku?"
Having been incredibly invested in her meal, Sakura started, cheeks bulging as she met his eyes. Slowly swallowing, she dabbed at her mouth with a napkin. "Um, not really. I've come before here and there, briefly, but this is the first time I've made a day out of it, or come for myself."
That had him curious, given that most people came to Tanzaku to enjoy themselves in one way or another. It offered a little something for everyone. Why else would she have come in the past? Before he could ask, a presence at the side of their table made itself known. They looked up as one. A perky young man with close-cropped hair and a service friendly smile stood before them, a tan apron over his shirt. "Anything to drink for the happy couple?"
Her cheeks beet red once again, Sakura began stammering at the mention of the word 'couple', her words coming out stilted. Hashirama decided taking the initiative would be best.
"Green tea for me, and is jasmine alright for you, Sakura-chan?"
"I…Sakura…jasmine…yes!"
The Hokage had to suppress a coo as the pinkette resumed stuffing her face, unwilling to attempt saying more.
Graciously ignoring her blunder, the server bowed. "Coming right up," he sang, spinning on his heel to retrieve the drinks.
By the time the brunette had his attention on Sakura again, she was grabbing for another plate, the sushi on the first barely swallowed. "He really thought…we were a couple," she shook her head. While he didn't think it would be polite to point it out just then, Hashirama had noticed when flustered, if food was in front of her, Sakura would all but scarf it down as a distraction.
Feeling a little mischievous, he cast her a baleful blink, "Aren't we?"
She stopped mid-bite, the rice and fish falling from the end of her chopsticks and back onto her plate. "For the sake of the circumstances, yes, but that's…you know. An act. He took one glance at us and immediately assumed."
"That's a good thing," he stated, perhaps a bit too hurriedly. "If it's the assumption people get at a glance then it's bound to keep fooling the barkers."
Considering his words, Sakura slowed her eating down. "I guess there's that."
Happy she saw his reasoning, Hashirama nodded, picking up another plate from the belt as it continued meandering.
This time it was a random selection, since he wasn't particularly picky. Given the color and texture, it was crab sashimi. Dipping a slice into the soy sauce on hand at the table, Hashirama offered it to the young woman. "Do you want some? Crab will be out of season soon, so we should both savor this while we're here."
Sakura stared at the strip of crab meat, coated in the sticky brown sauce, biting on her lip. "I was trying to save room for eel, but it has been a while since I've had fresh crab…" She began looking over at the conveyor belt. "I should grab some—"
"There's no need," he insisted, moving his chopsticks closer to her lips. "This platter has more than enough to share."
Although the pinkette still looked adorably conflicted over accepting the gesture, she moved hair away from her face, opening her mouth. The Hokage fed her the crab before she could change her mind. The slice of sashimi had barely cleared her lips, but by the way her eyes lit up, it was safe to say she enjoyed it.
"Tea time, tea time!" Their server sang out, returning with a tray containing two steaming cups of aromatic tea. Hashirama lowered his arm and Sakura leaned away, allowing him to set the tray down in between them without disturbing their food. "Oh, I'm sorry I interrupted." he giggled. "I'll be on my way, but don't hesitate to call for more."
Hashirama always appreciated spirited service, amused to see the man all but dance away as he muttered what a cute husband and wife they were. The Senju doubted Sakura heard the man's remark, but it had his heartbeat doubling in his chest.
From early on, Hashirama knew what was expected of him. As the oldest of his parents' children and the clan heir, growing up, he knew he could have had an arranged marriage. Now as an adult in his prime, there were expectations for him to settle down, to have children that would hopefully revive the Mokuton. It wasn't that he was opposed. Falling in love, marrying, raising a family in a village he had built alongside his clan and friends and allies was all well and good.
He'd prefer a marriage built on love, as unlikely as that tended to be for shinobi from prominent clans where politics often were the primary reason behind unions. Hashirama wanted to imagine somewhere out there was someone he could truly cherish and who would in turn cherish him, stand at his side. He wanted someone who could understand his dreams and his love for Konoha and its inhabitants. He didn't want a union of convenience, like his parents' had been. He wanted to fall hard and irrevocably.
Sakura picked up her tea carefully, staring into the steam. Her cheeks were blotched with color as she blew gently, but he wouldn't doubt that some of the pink there was his doing.
Evading persistent advances for their patronage from escort clubs and massage parlors by suggesting they pose as a couple was a hasty proposal. One he truthfully hadn't fully expected Sakura would go along with. But now that they had walked down the street hand in hand, were sitting in a booth sharing a meal with her allowing him to feed her, it got him contemplating.
What kind of wife would she truly be? Since she had come to Konoha seeking a home within its walls, he'd gotten to know her better.
Sakura was undoubtedly fiery, a trait that came out often enough, but also gentle at heart. She held a large sense of cooperation, but when something didn't sit well with her, the kunoichi revealed herself to be stubborn. Holding her hand in his made Hashirama feel grounded; he wondered what holding his hand felt like for her.
It felt safe to allow her to see the man beneath the title. Sakura gave him the sense that she understood and respected the pressures associated with running a village, always knowing just what to say to reassure him. Of course, her sense of hard-work and willingness to roll up her sleeves and commit to new endeavors, be it bonsai potting or gambling, was another thing that never failed to leave Hashirama silently awed.
While he was thinking over it all, he loved that the pinkette could be so bold, but shyly flailed away with the right provocation. It astounded him that Sakura clearly never thought twice about how exceptional these qualities were, at least to him. If he had to guess, she didn't even notice the enchantment she placed on those around her. "So," Hashirama had a slice of sashimi himself, coating it liberally in soy sauce and a dab of wasabi before taking a bite. "Was it good?"
Taking a delicate sip of tea, the kunoichi nodded with a small smile. "I forgot how amazing fresh seafood is. Actually, everything I've tried so far has been really great. You were right about this restaurant."
"It's certainly earned its reputation," And, not that he would embarrass her by saying it, but aside from the food, the company he was eating with was another reason to remember the experience fondly in the future. "Oh, unagi rolls." Using his arm length, Hashirama was easily able to secure a plate of eel sushi rolls from the conveyor built before it slipped away.
Sakura cheered, green eyes bright as jewels. The Senju suppressed his chuckle at the irony that she was more openly elated to be presented with a plate of sushi than she had been over the extravagant furniture at first. She wasted no time in picking up her chopsticks, eating one of the rolls and humming in delight. "Thank you, Hoka…" His pointed look halted her thanks. "…Hashirama."
Warmth settled under his skin. He'd never get tired of the way his name sounded when it came from her. Slipping into addressing each other by more familiar terms felt nice, something he hoped could continue beyond the charade that had prompted the change.
Hashirama could admit to himself that he had been envious over the familiarity she had when speaking to Izuna, and then Tobirama. Even Madara was addressed casually (albeit with ire), come to think of it. Yet with him it was always his title. Nice as it was to know he had her respect, it made him wonder if that was all she thought of him. He was her Hokage, but he also wanted her to consider him her friend. "What kind of husband would I be if I wasn't considerate to my wife's most basic desires?"
Squealing, Sakura narrowly avoided sending her plate sky high when her elbow hit the edge of it, still smacking her knee under the table in the process. "Hey," she hissed, green eyes unamused at his teasing. If he continued to make her blush, Hashirama would be tempted to keep a running mental tally. "How are you able to say things like that so calmly?"
Placing a hand on hers, he intertwined their fingers, grinning. "I'm not sure." he admitted. Sakura attempted to tug her hand away with a roll of her eyes. "I'm flattered you trusted me enough to do this though."
"You didn't give me much of a choice," she huffed, giving up on getting her hand back and hesitantly picking up her chopsticks in her non-dominant hand. "I thought Madara would be the pushy one."
Watching her struggle to eat neatly was fun, but he did feel bad—though not bad enough to relinquish her hand, and the fantasy just yet.
Instead he used his own chopsticks to guide the unagi she had been looking forward to up to her mouth and waited patiently. "I don't think I've been that pushy." he stated.
Sakura eyed him skeptically. "I'm sensing a lack of self-awareness then." Pouting, she reluctantly took the food from him, unable to resist the temptation literally presented in front of her face.
"Well, I can't say you'd be the first person to feel that way." Encouraged by her accepting the first piece from him, Hashirama picked up another. Sakura didn't even hesitate, simply giving him a grumpy glare as she ate.
"See?" she said, looking triumphant.
Just as she opened her mouth for the next sushi roll he brought to her lips, Hashirama snatched his chopsticks back, eating it himself.
It was entirely worth it for the stare of immense betrayal he received, causing him to laugh abruptly.
By the time they left the kaiten-zushi bar behind, after much debate over who would cover the bill, the streets had filled up more than Sakura thought was possible. Peeking back over her shoulder as she felt Hashirama looming behind her, the kunoichi resisted the urge to grab for his hand to keep them from becoming separated.
"Hm…quite the crowd's gathered. I wonder if there's an event happening." The Hokage observed.
"Possibly," Sakura replied. "It's going to make moving around without any real aim harder, that's for sure. I was kind of hoping to see a play…I heard there are noh theatre performances several times a day."
"That there are." Hashirama stepped from behind her, turning slightly to the left. "If I recall, the theatre house I passed earlier was…this way." He pointed off into the distance, beginning to wade his way through the throng of people. Sakura hurried not to be left behind, though with their differences in stature and the sheer volume of people out en masse it was getting harder not to lose him. She could see his head bobbing up ahead, and had to firmly elbow a few men out of the way who didn't heed her more polite attempts to maneuver around them.
"Hokage-sa—Hashirama!" She called, surging forward with the intent of pulling the back of his shirt. However, the silken texture that slid through her fingers as she tugged was not clothing at all. No sooner had she realized than the absolutely sinful sound of a loud, guttural groan reached her ears. Sakura let go immediately, stumbling back as the noise replayed in her head. At the realization that she had accidentally pulled his hair, and it had spurned that strong of a reaction, Sakura felt heat shoot straight into her nether regions, making her clench tight around nothing.
Hashirama, for his part, looked mortified. For the first time that day, it was his cheeks that were aflame, a large hand covering the lower half of his face as he panted shallowly.
"I…I'm sorry." Her meek tone of voice caused him to crack an eye open and stare, normally bright brown gaze unfathomably dark.
Neither of them paid much mind to the few people who had paused to whistle or make comment after witnessing the incident, or those who were shoving around them as they stood still. Until someone gave Sakura a particularly rough elbow to the back, and she tripped forward with a curse. The strong arm that quickly cinched around her bare back—how had she forgotten so soon about her outfit—dragged her against a broad chest. Heart quickening by the second, she stared unsurely into Hashirama's half-lidded eyes, the ends of his hair brushing her neck. "Sakura-chan,"
She would have never imagined her name could sound like that on his lips, ashamed to admit that her core throbbed for a second time as his touch, his expression, the shift in his aura registered.
"Why would you—"
"It was a mistake," she said in a rush. "I w-was just trying to get you to slow down. My legs aren't as long as yours." As she explained, her voice mellowed into its normal tone, but the uptick in her heart rate remained.
He took a long, slow breath in and out through his nose, "Sorry, for rushing ahead. Let's walk together this time."
Sakura nodded mutely, lightly pushing away from his chest to walk beside him, only to release an "oomph" when Hashirama chose to keep her glued to him and walk them both forward.
The crowd parted much faster for him, maybe something to do with the dominating air still surrounding him. Sakura wanted to complain that she was more than capable of managing on her own, but given how easily they became separated before it would be hard to make that case.
Eventually, the crowd did thin out, and they found their way to the arts district, which included an impressive outdoor theatre. The ornate gates to the compound were open and people from the last show filtered out. Finally, Hashirama turned her loose, appearing sheepish as his arm left her body. For someone who had all but picked her up and carried her through the streets, Sakura wondered where the bashfulness was coming from.
"I didn't mean to drag you here. I wanted to be sure we wouldn't get separated and I thought it would be better than pulling you by the arm." The puppy dog eyes and bowed head let Sakura know the jovial, approachable man sometimes prone to sulking was the one in front of her.
"It's alright," Sakura rubbed her arm. "I mean I could have walked beside you," But, if she was being honest with herself, as independent as she thought herself to be, it wasn't the worst thing in the world to be wrapped up in his hold. In fact it gave her a sense of safety and comfort.
"I know." As his head tilted, his red headband kept his fringe from falling into his eyes, and she thought back to just how soft his hair was. "There's something about it, though." Typical of a nervous Hashirama, he rubbed at his neck, and Sakura sucked in a breath. This was the part where he generally said something that embarrassed them both.
Nonetheless, her curiosity made her cautiously ask anyway. "Something about what?"
"You just feel right in my arms." There it was! Sakura nearly recoiled, tired of how easily he knew just what to say to make her face change shades. Gesticulating emphatically, he continued, "I…hope I'm not making you uncomfortable." Realization passed over his face, and then his expression was suddenly so crestfallen Sakura did flinch. "I've just been pulling you from one thing to the other all day. Maybe it's just been me indulging a little too much in having your undivided attention."
Is that what he thought? That she wanted to get away from him, that she wasn't enjoying herself? In the beginning, it might have been true that she was panicking at the prospect of being around the man she had been trying to put out of her head along with three others, but it was only out of fear of embarrassing herself.
That aside, never once had her day with him thus far been a chore. "If that were true….then I'd be just as bad for indulging too much in having your undivided attention." Sakura was a little shy to admit that, but it needed to be said.
Hashirama had to know she wasn't forcing herself to have fun with him. Unexpected as the developments had been, each new experience was pleasant. Holding hands, being fed, having him shield her from crowds. It all made her feel a little…spoiled. She could close her eyes and pretend…and that made it all so dangerous. It brought her back to why she had run off to Tanzaku to clear her head in the first place. That and him being unfairly attractive.
Eyes so tender it made hers feel watery, Hashirama collected her hand in between his, like he had done several times before. "Thank you, Sakura-chan. I'm flattered."
She looked away, toward where people were purchasing tickets for the next performance. 'I should be saying that. You are the Hokage.' But she knew better than to voice that opinion, anticipating what his reaction would be. Her heart couldn't take more right now.
"I got carried away, and it became a chance to shower you in gestures I know you'd normally refuse. Spoiling your partner is only natural when you're together, isn't it?"
Sakura's narrowed eyes didn't deter him at all. "Yes, that's generally how it is." How many times had she fantasized about the ideal relationship as a young girl? Being courted, being spoiled, being shown off to the whole village. In between doodling what she hoped would one day become her new initials in her notebooks and stealing wistful glances at her crush from across the room, daydream after daydream had taken shape.
Admittedly some were more over-the-top than others. To be faced with some of the things Sakura had long given up hoping for—at least from her estranged teammate—was a little more than she was prepared to deal with so suddenly.
"If nothing else comes from this, I hope you at least form an idea of what it should be like for you one day."
"To be in a sham of a relationship?" Sakura teased.
"To be married." There was nothing silly about the look in the man's eyes. He was completely serious. "You deserve someone that's willing to do these things for you, even if they have to fight through your stubbornness." Dumbfounded and slack-jawed, Sakura could only listen. "I'm not sure when you developed the mindset that you have about relationships, but the right ones include acceptance and respect. When there's hurt, it's never because someone intends it."
The Hokage could have pierced her through the chest with a kunai, and it wouldn't have opened the old wound on her heart any more effectively. It was true that her wariness about falling in love included the fear that she would be the last one there, holding her still pumping heart in her hands, unable to do anything about the messy, gaping hole in her chest retroactively. It wasn't that she swore off love forever, just that she wanted to use an abundance of caution.
Stopping her lip from trembling and her eyes from flashing with vulnerability was more difficult than Sakura wished. She wanted it to be a simple thing one day, to think of past heartbreak, like thinking of a scraped knee that had long since healed. Today was not that day. Today…she needed distance from the subject. "We should…go buy our tickets if we want to get good seats, right?"
Following her gaze, he dropped her hand. "We should."
"But I should at least pay for my own ticket," she told him as they walked.
Hashirama gave her a strange look. "Sakura-chan." In the span of one day he had made her name sound like the first breath of spring, raw sensuality, and the first star in a winter sky. Now? It was without a doubt a warning.
Huffing, Sakura decided to meet him with a warning tone of her own. "Hashirama."
"You paid for your own lunch even though I could've—"
"It wasn't even that much," she reminded him. "Splitting the bill was the right call."
She waited for him to dispute her, but he only shook his head, smiling a little. "You really are something." He had told her that before, months ago in his office.
"Who's to say that's not a compliment to me?" Sakura joked.
As others began gathering, claiming their seats before the show began, Sakura couldn't help but feel…restless. It was odd. One moment she and Hashirama had been engaged in a riveting conversation about a battle against the Uchiha from several years ago. Tobirama had, rather spitefully, used a katon and managed to catch Madara on fire, ironically. Madara being Madara retaliated by using the Sharingan to copy and then perform one of Tobirama's signature suiton techniques and douse him in frigid water (particularly unpleasant due to the winter season).
The whole thing had devolved from there, one of the rare instances where neither side suffered a casualty but both walked away bemused about how the fight had become so petty. To the point where Hashirama and Izuna (in Madara's preoccupation) had stepped in and mutually agreed to stop the day's skirmish.
Sakura had been thoroughly transfixed with the task of imagining Tobirama so wet his shirt revealed every sculpted plane of his upper body, teeth chattering, and an angry Madara with a hole burned into the seat of his pants and his ass out, when something scurried right over the top of her foot.
She had to refrain from kicking the row of seats in front of them, knowing her strength could send everyone already seated flying through the air. Gritting her teeth, the pinkette looked down in time to see a furry body and skinny tail scampering away. "Was that a rat?"
Hashirama stared after it too. "A little strange, but we are outdoors." he reasoned. "You know, some people think rats can be found scurrying around the feet of the wealthy, because there's more likely to be plenty of rice and grains to nibble on."
Sakura gave a short smile, "Shouldn't it be running around inside the gambling parlor then?"
"I think we took most of that wealth with us, Sakura-chan," Hashirama winked.
The bench in front of them creaked, two more people finding spots in the row. The dull restlessness that had been plaguing her since they entered the theatre grew into a full body buzzing sensation. Not one to discount her feelings, Sakura took instant notice of the pair. A man and a woman that stood out quite a lot, now that she paid attention. The woman had long, pin-straight hair whiter than the driven snow, bone white. Compared to hers, Tobirama's hair might as well have been brown.
It didn't stop there, her entire outfit from head to toe devoid of all other color from her thick kimono down to the tabi on her feet. Due to the angle she sat, Sakura couldn't see her face well without leaning intrusively closer. However, from the glimpse she'd gotten, the pinkette saw a thin countenance and high cheekbones. She was the picture of somber grace, someone who could have appeared on stage alongside the actors in the play they were preparing to watch.
Slowly, so as not to be felt staring, Sakura let her eyes float to the man who sat shoulder to shoulder with the white-haired woman. He turned a little as he got comfortable in his spot, briefly meeting her startled gaze and offering an assessing smile. Before the girl was able to discern if she'd imagined it, he had turned around completely. But not before she decided the one word to describe him was sharp. His eyes, his jawline, his heavily pressed clothes. All of it was so crisp and professional, the way a very wealthy merchant might present himself at a trade negotiation.
Sakura traded a soft glance with Hashirama, who seemed to sense something weird about them as well, but the play's beginning prevented either of them from saying anything. Light drumbeats and the delicate flow of the shamisen drew everyone's focus to the stage, where an actor dressed in splendid regalia that denoted high birth paced, the wooden mask on his face marking his 'expression' as concerned. A child actor wearing a white porcelain mask watched him, fidgeting with his sleeves and waiting for the word.
"Summon the Shichifukojin," he commanded.
"And so on hurried feet the young attendant went through the Heavens, collecting up the Seven Lucky Gods, sometimes known as the Shichifukojin." The narrator sang to the tune of the shamisen.
Sakura did a double take, marveling at the irony. It seemed like everything she came to Tanzaku to escape was right there waiting for her. Although, it was also her fault for not checking to see what the play would be about beforehand.
She had simply decided whatever show was being performed was the one she would watch. People raved about the theatre productions in Tanzaku as far north of Konoha as the Land of Tea. 'Now that I'm here…I might as well stay.' What was the worst that could come of it, after all? These were not the real deities she was waging war against, just human actors giving their best interpretations based on stories.
The flow of the music changed, the drums and shamisen accompanied by the biwa, creating a fast-paced tempo. A new figure joined the rest on stage, short, well-rounded middle, and holding a fishing rod in one hand, a stuffed sack shouldered onto his back. His mask was white, the cheeks bright red, likely symbolizing a ruddy complexion, with a large smile painted on it and small slits to indicate squinted eyes.
"The first to be found was a god of acclaim. A fisher and businessman, Ebisu his name."
Sakura heard a scoff, glancing around to see Hashirama paying rapt attention, as well as everyone else sitting near them. If not for the slight bunch in the shoulders of the man in front of them, she might not have guessed it would come from him. Paying it no heed, she stared at the stage again, where a new actor had stepped out.
Just like all the others, his true face was masked, but the large smile painted across it was eerily cheerful. Going off the actor's build, he was played by a teenager, one with short legs who was nearly drowning in his kimono. Given that it was unlikely the theatre production couldn't afford to tailor the costumes to precisely fit the stars, Sakura assumed it was a deliberate design choice.
"The second also had many titles, god of prosperity and commerce, a demon hunter, and patron god of cooks, hunters, and bankers, protector of crops. Daikokuten!"
"…typical." The word was hushed, definitely not something Sakura would have heard if she had not been sitting right behind the one who had uttered it. It was the second outburst (albeit it a very small, nearly unnoticeable one) the man in front of her had.
'What's with this guy? Does he have an issue with the play?' Sakura eyed him suspiciously for a moment longer, but turned away to see the next 'god' that would appear.
The narrator did not disappoint. "The next one to come of the Lucky Seven, is regarded as one of the strongest in the Heavens. Forged by each fight, wielding weapons with might. To see the tides of battle turn in your favor, curry the blessing of the god Bishamonten." 'Bishamonten' came strutting on to the stage, and Sakura suppressed a shudder. Kanayago was dead and gone, but the actor dressed in fake armor, helmet included, still made her stiffen up. The build suggested a woman was playing this character, along with the bouncing curls falling past her shoulders.
The three 'deities' who had been introduced so far began to dance around, joined by a fourth soon after. Through the flashes of colorful fabric and eye-catching masks stepped another woman, announced as Benzaiten by the narrator, goddess of flow.
The name instantly rang a bell. "That's her!" Sakura gasped, pointing. Hashirama turned a little quizzically.
"You know the actress?" he asked quietly.
"Well no, but the goddess she's playing is the one who created the mujina." she whispered back.
A soft "hmm" from the man in front of her made Sakura wonder if he had overheard, but even if he had, it wasn't likely he knew what she was referring to.
The four 'deities' and the attendant sent to find them searched for the next god in their group as the narrator explained what was happening. The fifth "god" to hobble out was an actor heavily hunched over a cane, hand rubbing his lower back. His wood mask was carved with wrinkles to indicate the character's old age, and he wore what Sakura suspected to be a fake beard. There was a thick book tucked into his armpit, and if it wasn't a prop the kunoichi would have thought it weighed enough to make him double over for real. "Jurōjin, god of the elderly and longevity was found at long last," the narrator sighed. "To the journey he adds his grandfatherly wisdom, going with his comrades to seek the remaining two members of the Seven."
When the speaker paused for another short burst of music, the pinkette was about to lean over and ask the Hokage what he thought so far. That was, until an unexpected voice made her twitch. "No regard for accuracy I see…"
The girl had almost had it with the passive aggressive remarks from the well-dressed man in front of them. He at least wasn't loudly heckling, but if he was so bored or dissatisfied with the show, why stay and keep watching? Especially at the expense of everyone that had to sit nearby and hear his every sigh and hushed complaint.
"You know, it's theatre for a reason. Myths are open to interpretation the last time I checked." Sakura challenged.
Hashirama stared at her, wide-eyed, but he had to have known her well enough to know she'd speak up.
Turning smoothly, the man in front of her regarded her with a tight smile. "My apologies, was I being disruptive?" Sakura watched him push some of his short, tousled brown hair from his deep oceanic eyes with long fingers. He was pretty aristocratic himself, much like his female companion, someone who would look at home in a costume similar to the ones on stage. "I have a terrible tendency to think out loud."
'I'll say.' Sakura thought.
"It might be better to keep some things in your head then. The actors up there are only doing their jobs." She told him, still trying not to be too noisy herself. She hadn't counted on having to scold anyone; it just slipped out.
"Hm…indeed." Casting the stage a disinterested glance, where a sixth actor portraying a god pranced around, his thin lips twitched into a slight smirk. "Hotei."
Before she could ask if he was speaking to her, the narrator introduced the sixth member of the Lucky Seven, the god of popularity and fortune—Hotei.
"Not that an oaf like him would ever appear fully clothed. And he'd never enter a scene quietly. There would be far more fanfare."
At this point, something was starting to click. These mysterious people and the auras they gave off, the fact that he was clearly unimpressed by the production. Now his confidence in describing one of the gods in a manner contradictory to how he was being shown on stage. "You seem pretty knowledgeable." Sakura said tentatively.
"One might say I know a thing or two." he said nonchalantly. Normally she would never be so rude as to carry on conversation while a play was unfolding right in front of them, but Sakura had to know if her suspicion was correct.
It was true he could simply be a theatre fanatic and self-appointed critic, or perhaps a historian who focused on studying myths. But if her life up to this point had helped her understand anything, it was that even looking "underneath the underneath" never prepared you well enough for each twist. The fact that she was sitting at a play occurring nearly eighty-years in the past from the time she was born, watching with the First Hokage, was proof.
"So, which one are you?"
At a glance, aside from being a well-dressed, pompous man with a standoffish attitude, there was nothing that felt ominous about him. That didn't mean he didn't have something to hide.
Beside her, the Hokage's focus was entirely on them. The tension coming from him was readable. No, he may not have a full idea what was going on, but he had enough of one to be ready to back her up if it came to that. Sakura would be lying if she said it didn't make her swoon.
"Reports were correct. You're a very intelligent human, and quite formidable on the battlefield I hear. What a dangerous combination," His words sounded like a patronizing coo, causing Sakura to glare.
A heavy weight wrapped itself around her shoulders, the familiar grip of a guarding arm tightening there. "You're one of the deities after Sakura-chan?"
For perhaps the first time, the unnamed deity's attention shifted to Hashirama, and the pinkette instinctively laid a protective hand on his arm. While she had no concerns he could hold his own any day against any mortal foe, a god was another matter.
"You aren't a godslayer as far as I can tell, but you're interesting." The deity blinked. "After her? No, no. I'm simply here to take in all this hub of human expression has to offer. I'm not your enemy, not today." He rose abruptly, and Sakura was ready to rise too, but true to his word, the deity didn't seem interested in brawling. A soft tilt of his head and his silent companion got up. "The next time we meet, well who knows?"
Brushing past a few disgruntled people without paying their annoyance any heed, the duo exited the theatre, leaving Sakura chilled.
Legs knocking together, she stood as well, Hashirama's hand steadying her. Without questioning her, he followed, absently brushing her back in comfort.
Hashirama couldn't do much more than helplessly watch her pace and fidget. All traces of the easygoing side to Sakura he had been enjoying receded, leaving behind a serious young woman in problem-solving mode. "They're really here. I should've known better than to let my guard down."
"You couldn't have known." he tried, remaining seated on the bed as she wandered absently around the room.
"I still should've expected it." The pinkette argued. "There are so many unsuspecting people here. If gods are slinking around, and if the civilians get hurt, it'd be due to my carelessness."
The afternoon had waned on and by the time they left the theatre show early, it was nearly sunset. The plan had been to sneak home, take his licks from Tobirama and swear (while crossing his fingers) not to do it again. But now, Sakura had voiced her intentions to stay in Tanzaku a bit longer, to try to figure out who that god was.
He didn't seem interested in a confrontation, but it was also just a little too nice to assume he was out on vacation. Knowing Sakura, if she was anything like Tobirama her mind would work tirelessly through the night, contemplating what the deities were planning.
He couldn't, in good conscience, leave her to face whatever was in Tanzaku alone. The mission report she and Tobirama had given him nearly stopped his heart before, hearing how many times they had both been close to death. If what he wanted was the chance to be there to fight alongside her the next time Sakura was targeted, this was the opportunity.
"Hello?" Although there was a short knock, a head popped through the door before either of them could answer. "I was just coming to tell you the second room you've requested is prepared and ready."
Hashirama smiled courteously, unsure why her eyes were so expectant. She leaned further into the doorway, as far as her shoulders, fingers wrapped around the edge of the door. "Thank you. I hope it wasn't too much trouble on such short notice."
"No trouble at all," It could have just been his imagination, the subtle hint of a purr as her voice dropped. "Not for you." Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Sakura straighten, staring at the inn worker who had yet to acknowledge her presence. "I mean, you're paying quite a generous amount." she added. "So please let me know if there's anything else you require." Abandoning her post by the door, she inched into the room, wrapping her arms just under her bosom and tilting her head almost invitingly.
Hashirama was at a loss as she fluffed her light brown hair, twirling some of it around two fingers. "Anything at all. We offer a variety of services and it wouldn't do for our guests to receive anything other than the best pampering imaginable."
The atmosphere was growing a bit…tense. While the inn maiden refused to look anywhere but at him, the ignored kunoichi was staring her down with an increasingly annoyed expression. Hoping to stop things from growing any more awkward, Hashirama fished for a diplomatic response. "Actually…"
"We're fine. If we need anything else, I'm sure one of us could find our way to the front desk." Sakura interrupted.
The change in the inn maiden's expression was instantaneous, her lips falling into the hint of a frown, her gaze flat. "Alright then," she replied, her tone short. "I have errands to run on this floor, so when I'm finished with those, I could return one more time to be sure you're comfortable." Again, the words were directed at him, and again, Hashirama wasn't the only one who noticed.
Sakura's tone was edged with ever growing aggravation, which only meant one thing. She was going to erupt sooner rather than later. "We're going to turn in early tonight, so it would be better if we weren't disturbed."
"'We'?" The woman curled and released some of her sandy-colored hair. "Oh, I'm sorry. Given that you'll be staying in a separate room I thought perhaps you'd have separate agendas for the rest of the night. I didn't realize you were—"
"His wife." Sakura said with all the composure in the world.
Gone was the woman who could barely fathom faking a relationship without choking on her food. The calmness of her voice and the lethality in her eyes sent a strange shiver through his body, stomach clenching in surprise. Hashirama had to do his best to remain composed, which was hard, considering his lips had a mind of their own. The corners twitched against his instinctive reaction to start beaming.
The other woman made a strange face, but didn't say much more than, "I see. Please rest well."
Sakura followed her to the door, shutting it so forcefully the decorations on the walls rattled. Hashirama remained in the same spot he had always been, sitting on the edge of the bed, head in a fog. But all the giddiness ebbed away at the sight of her blazing eyes, still cold as they stared off at a point over his head. "Who did she think she was?" The pinkette spat, raising her clenched fists in front of her as if she was squaring up for a brawl. "Honestly, that was beyond unprofessional and shameless."
"Sakura-chan…"
"Even if she didn't think we had any special relationship, you weren't exactly showing any interest." She continued, shaking her pink head. "There's such a thing as quitting while you're ahead, you know."
"Sakura-chan, I—"
"It's not like I'd ever fight with a civilian but,"
Hashirama stood, sensing she wouldn't be winding down on her own. "I didn't realize—"
"It was disrespectful; why wouldn't she just assume we were a couple?" Funny, given that earlier in the restaurant Sakura was having a hard time understanding why anyone who saw them together would assume them a couple, let alone married.
Slowly approaching her with his arms out, Hashirama finally let his smile slip through. She wasn't paying the slightest bit of attention.
Her words tapered into faint grumblings as he gently laid his hands over her fists, lowering them to hold, rubbing his thumbs against her knuckles until they loosened. The haze in her eyes lightened, her mouth falling open and her cheeks predictably coloring up as Sakura stared up through her lashes. "I didn't know you felt that way."
Thoughts suddenly seeming to catch up with her words, Sakura's face became mortified. "Er, w-well it's like you said, as long as people get the impression of us as a couple then we're both less likely to have to fend off any unwanted advances. I just think it's annoying for her to be so forward with you while she's working."
Hashirama nodded along, "It was disrespectful to you as well. I'm sorry I didn't say anything sooner."
"Disrespectful to me?" Sakura pointed to herself cluelessly.
Unable to control himself, the Senju decided a little shameless teasing wouldn't hurt. "As your husband, I don't want to give you the impression I have eyes for anyone else."
The kunoichi's palms shot up in front of her, face contorted into embarrassment and denial. It reminded him of the exaggerated manner of silent street performers who conveyed emotions without speaking to get a laugh. Sakura losing her voice, simply miming words that never came drew a deep belly laugh out of him.
Positioning her arms in a square above her head, Sakura blindly reached behind her for the door. "I'm heading off to bed! We still need to investigate first thing in the morning!"
The Hokage watched her rush out, only stopping a short distance down the hall in front of the door next to his. She rushed through, almost tripping inside and then popping back out shortly after. Jabbing a finger sharply in his direction, Sakura narrowed her eyes. "I appreciate you being willing to help but be ready for a lot of searching tomorrow. Deities can be elusive when they want to be." Then the door shut, the hall settling into silence. The other rooms had to be vacant. Otherwise someone would have surely poked their head out to see what all the commotion was about. It was lucky though, both because it meant they wouldn't have to worry about causing disturbances and because it made finding two rooms at the same inn easy.
'Hmm,' Hashirama eased the door shut, thinking back to the adventures of the day. 'Lucky…'
Snuggling into the comfortable sheets, Sakura opened her bleary eyes to the sound of emphatic chirping. Turning over, she felt around, half-expecting there to be a warm, purring body near her hip. But her usual cuddle partner wasn't around, and it took a few seconds longer to register where she was. Sitting up, she took in a deep breath and stretched. Yep, one look around the room confirmed it. She was still in Tanzaku, having decided to spend the night.
After the events of yesterday, Sakura couldn't help but feel as though some parts had been a dream, despite knowing better. It was hard to imagine the spirit of Tanzaku-gai seizing her so fully, but it wasn't like her to go gambling and get "married" in the same afternoon, so something had to be responsible.
Life, or in particular her life, was either tragic, strange or funny as of late.
Sometimes it was a combination of all three. Right now it was bordering somewhere between the first two. She had come to Tanzaku to escape her inappropriate thoughts and the men causing them, only to meet one of those men and get wrapped up wholeheartedly into his shenanigans. Though it would be a lie to say she hadn't enjoyed herself yesterday.
After cleaning and refreshing herself, Sakura splashed water into her face and then patted it dry.
Combing and brushing her hair, the pinkette began going over what she knew. Hashirama was in the next room. As far as anyone who saw them was concerned, they were together—to think she was 'married' so unceremoniously, Ino would have a fit or a field day.
There was also now a mysterious god on the loose with unknown intentions. Just another day in the life of Sakura Haruno. At least she didn't remember having any dreams that would make it hard to look the Hokage in the eyes. Her hair shone a lustrous blush pink as she finished grooming it. Sighing, she eyed it in the mirror.
Feeling spontaneous, Sakura put it in a loose braid similar to the one she'd had it in while Tobirama inhabited her body. Her bangs might need a trim soon, but for the time being they did a great job of framing her face on both sides.
Ready for the day (and hopefully whatever it brought along with it) Sakura slipped from the room and into a quiet hall. She had barely eased her door shut when a quiet scoff from behind her made her shoulders stiffen. "Hm, interesting that a married couple wouldn't sleep together."
That part of yesterday came back too, and so did her emotions. Namely the aggravation. Whirling on her heel, the kunoichi found the same inn maiden standing with a basket of sheets cocked on her hip, staring her down. Although Sakura was sure intimidation was the girl's aim, she was the furthest thing from it. Even if the pinkette hadn't dealt with everything from the Forest of Death to war and more recently real life gods, her nerves still wouldn't have been shaken.
This was no different than being back in the academy, the first girl to flinch having to sit as far from Sasuke as possible that day. She was also no stranger to trading barbed insults in the hallways with Ino and every other girl who had their eyes set on the Uchiha.
It didn't matter how far she had to carry the facade, Sakura was well beyond any lingering discomfiture, her pride roaring to life. "Interesting that you're still skulking around hoping for a crumb of a chance. You're casting out a line in waters too shallow to fish."
The inn maiden clucked her tongue, shifting her weight as her knuckles gripped the basket all the tighter. "You're just a little bit pretty, nothing that can't be found at one of the brothels." She walked closer, right into Sakura's personal space, and still the kunoichi refused to give an inch. "I'd say don't get any false hopes about what it takes to keep a man like that happy, but it must be hard not to with a forehead that large."
Sakura stared at her smirking face and almost could have laughed. Clearly she thought she'd won. In this girl's mind, this was the part where she wept, fell to pieces and retreated into feelings of inferiority. Amateur. That might have been the case if it was her younger self, but from the vantage point she held now, it would take much stronger blows. "My forehead is the most original point you could find to go after?" Sakura snickered, "And what would you know about what keeps a man happy and at your side? Yours seems to be missing in action, which is why I guess you feel the need to try enticing one away from a relationship."
Her rival clammed up, and Sakura assumed she finally was experiencing a modicum of mortification at her actions. 'Better late than never.' she thought, almost jumping at the sudden arrival of a large, warm presence that was by now plenty familiar. A hand slipped into her own, and without even looking back Sakura squeezed it tightly. "Good morning, Sakura-chan,"
There was something in the cadence of Hashirama's tone that tugged involuntarily at her heart. She looked up, about to return the greeting, only to release a muffled squeak when a soft pair of lips descended to peck her cheek.
"G-Good morning," she just barely managed to get out. Knowing they still had an audience, and refusing to have come this far for nothing, Sakura surged up on her tiptoes and carefully placed a kiss in the same spot against his smooth skin.
The minute flicker of stupor in his eyes gave way quickly to ardor the pinkette wanted to look away from. Normally, Sakura would have been concerned about him catching sight of such an unflattering side to her personality, but Hashirama was nonplussed. "Ready for breakfast? With a long day ahead we'll need the stamina."
"Um…" The inn maiden, who had been so sure of herself before, appeared to be having a hard time putting together a coherent sentence.
Sakura had to give her credit for not fleeing on the spot. Had she been so soundly defeated she would've had no choice but to turn tail. "Mara!" Correction, the kunoichi would have fled the minute she heard someone screech her name like that. It reminded her of the way her mother would shout through the house for her when she had spent too long up in her bedroom daydreaming and there were chores to be done. "I asked for those sheets nearly an hour ago! Are the guests just supposed to do without?!" Mara, as Sakura now knew her name to be, looked over at the steps with something close to fleeting terror. Heavy footsteps and a lot of huffing preceded the arrival of the no-nonsense woman who had checked them in. Apparently the stern attitude extended to her staff.
She stood hand in hand with Hashirama as the blond woman laid eyes on Mara, who hurried forward with her head bowed, basket extended out like a sacred offering. The older woman snatched it away, her gaze critical. Then, her eyes falling on the two shinobi, some of the lines around her mouth softened, although she didn't particularly look friendly. "You weren't running that damn mouth of yours again, were you?"
"N-No, of course not!" Mara denied.
"Better not have been, because if I hear a single complaint about your attitude you know I'll send you down the road to muck up after the cows on the nearest farm!"
Sakura almost felt a little pity, but it faded away nearly too fast to count.
"Ew!" Mara cried, sticking her tongue out in disgust. "I haven't been anything but friendly, auntie, really!"
"That so?" Mara's aunt lifted her chin. "Well why take your word when I can just ask these folks. Has she been rude? She's got a habit of getting jealous with young couples."
Looking over and seeing Mara's big, pleading eyes from over her aunt's shoulder, a sick sense of perverse glee filled Sakura. It shouldn't be so satisfying to know with the right words—the truth at that—Mara would be off scraping up cow dung, but she felt more powerful in that moment than she did wielding Hanabusa for the first time.
It was the hand still holding hers that made her pause to think. Hashirama was a person that more often than not extended mercy. Would he think less of her if Sakura showed a more vindictive side? Mara wasn't an enemy nin. Just an arrogant, flirtatious girl who had made the mistake of getting under the kunoichi's skin.
When Sakura locked eyes with the Senju, he gave her a gentle nod. He hadn't heard everything, but he had been there for Mara's innuendos the night before, and at least some of their exchange this morning. If she was interpreting things correctly, it felt like he was saying he trusted her to make the right call.
"She's been…very helpful." Sakura put as much effort into sounding genuine as possible. Mara took an almost inaudible sigh of relief, but the kunoichi wasn't exactly done. "In fact, would it be possible for her to serve us breakfast? We were having such a good discussion," she cooed, "I'd love to chat more."
"Huh, I guess if that's what you want." The innkeeper shrugged. "You heard her. Make sure they get filled up on whatever they want for breakfast. I'll be taking these sheets up to the rooms they should have already been in."
"Yes, auntie!" Mara waited until her aunt's back was turned, to her credit, but the face she made at Sakura assured the pinkette she would have rather just cleaned up after the cows.
There was no denying the ulterior motive to Sakura's show of magnanimity. Mara was a mixture of miserable and wary every time she came to their table and asked them if they wanted her to refresh their tea or bring more plum porridge. Each time the light-haired girl drew closer, Sakura made sure she was all smiles, offering him food from the end of her chopsticks or dabbing at the corner of his mouth.
Hashirama couldn't bring himself to hate the attention, nor could he say he didn't find Sakura's devilish behavior intriguing. It gave him even clearer insight on how she had managed to tame a personality like Madara's into a tolerable state. "It's not that I have an issue with the arrangement," Hashirama grinned as Sakura directed him to feed her in plain sight of Mara, who scowled as she stomped away, red in the face. "But there's still the matter of our rogue god."
The edge of her tongue breached the seal of her lips to clean a dab of sauce at the corner of her mouth. Sakura scratched her cheek sheepishly. "I let my competitive side get the best of me. Sorry you had to see me act like this, or if I took it too far."
"Would it be strange if I said I found it cute?" Sakura perked up, though the question left a bemused expression lingering on her face.
"Yes," she nodded without hesitation, feeding herself and speaking around the spoon. "I could've just ignored her."
"That's true, but the point of our…arrangement… was to divert unwanted attention from the both of us." Hashirama reminded her. "Mara probably wouldn't have given up any other way. It's nice to know you take being my wife so seriously."
Sakura turned away, drinking her tea and attempting to appear unaffected by his ribbing. "I don't know if she's given up yet," the pinkette snorted quietly. "But never mind that for now. I stayed up for a while last night thinking of who our visiting deity could be."
He could see her eyes lightening, her lips undoubtedly ready to share her theories.
"Great minds think alike." he hummed. "I tried taking some guesses of my own, but with you having made contact with other deities prior to this, I'm sure I'll only be so much help." His clan had lore, some of it tied to minor deities of the forest, but would it really be all that useful?
Sakura waved him off. "Any help is better than none, right? We'll compare our guesses. One of us might be able to point out something the other's missed. Since he bothered to attend a play, I thought maybe he's connected to theatre."
There were plenty of gods and goddesses said to have an appreciation for the arts. After all, humans so often used them as their muses, it must have been a point of pride to feature in mortal plays.
"That's something I considered as well," The Hokage ate some of his marinated tofu absentmindedly. "That play in particular was about the Seven Lucky Gods. They're major figures in the pantheon, and all of them are extremely popular."
"There's that, and then there's the way he acted so tickled by the portrayals in the play..." Sakura muttered. "But…I've also been trying to figure out who that woman with him could've been. She didn't say a word even once."
The Senju had nearly forgotten about the woman clad all in white who floated silently behind the god like a specter. Who could she be? Those features were surely distinctive to have been spoken of in a fable somewhere or other if she was mentioned at all. "What if—" He hardly had time to offer any conjecture before Mara was bustling over to them, a man peeking hopefully out of the swinging doors to the kitchen she had walked through. "For the sweet couple," she recited through her clenched teeth once she reached their table and sat down the plate, "Compliments of our chef."
He and Sakura simultaneously stared at the single, long pastry that had been presented to them. "A cornet?" The pinkette's eyes were large and sparkling. Hashirama had long since noticed Sakura's love of sweets and catalogued the information away.
"I don't think I'm familiar," he confessed, drawing a scandalized look from the excited girl.
"They're simple but delicious." Sakura explained. "It's sweet bread with custard inside, shaped like a spiraled cone. They can be chocolate flavored too. Try some!" Picking up one end of the sweet, she held it up to him. Hashirama wondered if sharing dishes since yesterday had made her grow so comfortable she didn't even think of it. Considering she hadn't been as forward about casual intimacy with him until very recently. This time the offer seemed genuine, a desire to share the pastry with him so he could get the same enjoyment from eating it she clearly had in the past, versus a desire to spite Mara or keep up their act.
He leaned in without hesitation, biting into the end presented to him, immediately noticing the fluffy texture and creamy filling on his tongue.
"I…I actually was handing it to you." Sakura stammered. "But I guess that was my fault for not just leaving it on the plate."
Wiping some of the filling from the edge of his lips and licking it from his thumb, Hashirama agreed that it really was delicious despite the simple concept. "I see why you enjoy these. Have you ever tried making them yourself?"
Sakura nodded, "A few times. But it feels like mine never come out right compared to the ones cooked by others."
Hashirama perked up. "It almost sounds like you could use a taste-tester."
Playing along, the pinkette tilted her head. "Are you offering?"
"Only for the sake of your baking," he explained, keeping his tone casual.
She scoffed, no derision in her voice as she retorted, "I appreciate that the Hokage himself could find time to help my cooking skills improve then."
"Anything for you, Sakura-chan."
Mara walked by at that moment and scowled in their general direction, balancing a tray of food she took to another table. As soon as she had turned her back, contagious laughter spilled out between them. "I'd have thought it'd be old by now, but I'm still enjoying this." Sakura commented.
"I couldn't tell." he quipped, holding the rest of the cornet in her direction. "Here, you should have the rest." Hashirama could have easily polished off the treat on his own, but he'd rather see the delight light up Sakura's eyes, the emotion always evident when she bit into good food.
She made a move to take it from him, but he shook his head. "Let me,"
Sakura stared thoughtfully at the cornet, then shrugged. "Well…it's not really new at this point," she reasoned, opening her mouth expectantly. Hashirama gingerly gave her the rest, not at all disappointed when her eyes sparkled just like he knew they would.
"Tanzaku cornets are the best!" She gushed, patting her full cheeks as she continued chewing.
An older man hunched over a cane paused at the edge of their booth, his eyes smiling as he took them both in. There was a gray-haired woman on his arm, laugh lines carved around her mouth and kindness in her bespectacled eyes. "Oh, you bet they are, little miss! I've been with my wife for over half our lives now, and it's all thanks to sharing one of those cornets!"
Interested, Hashirama glanced over to see Sakura licking her lips, her attention also focused on the elderly gentleman. "Eh? These must be special pastries,"
"Yes, that's true. I take it you two aren't locals?" his wife asked.
"N-no ma'am," Sakura said. "We're just visiting."
Smiling proudly, the woman laid her head on her husband's shoulder. "Well, I'll tell you what; one of the secrets to a long, loving marriage like ours is sharing a cornet or two regularly. It sweetens the love."
"That's the legend around here, anyway." Her husband added. "We just so happen to believe it!"
Suddenly, Hashirama realized why Mara looked like she would rather swallow a lit explosive tag than present them with the cornet. Sakura, on the other hand, had her mouth parted just a bit, questions on the end of her tongue and pink on her face. It was one thing to play at being lovers, and another to unwittingly commit to it.
Hashirama was thoroughly fascinated. "That's an interesting belief. Where's it come from?"
"They say sharing a cornet reunited two estranged lovers who parted over a terrible misunderstanding. They met after twenty years, both still heartbroken, and sat down to talk for the first time by sharing a cornet. The story goes that they were overcome tenfold by the love they'd both been carrying around all that time, and lived the rest of their long lives happily together."
"Love that endures through years even without contact, and a chance encounter that leads to second chances," his wife finished. "It's rather moving, isn't it? Although as cozy as you look, staying together shouldn't be a concern, mm?"
"We've taken up enough of their time, Chi." Chi's husband gently began tugging her along, "Enjoy the rest of your meal," he winked.
Hashirama peeked over at the young woman who he could hear muttering to herself.
Sakura stared down at the now empty plate the cornet had rested on, finger lazily running over the rim. "I…I've never heard any stories like that before," she whispered under her breath. "Since when does dessert bind you together with someone forever? I mean sure, it's really romantic, but…"
Resting his head between his palms, the Senju stared at her with half-lidded mirth. "It looks like you're stuck with me a bit longer than today, in any regard."
Smacking her palms against the table, Sakura lurched up, waving one arm frantically. "I think we're ready for the bill over here!" she screeched.
In a place so full of vibrant characters, where an already elusive god had a hundred different areas to remain hidden, Sakura wasn't sure if simply asking around was the best approach. The memory of both the god and his companion were burned into her mind, and so recounting their appearances to Mizuchi seemed a better option. Of course, the cheeky deity herself tended to make enough of a scene on her own.
"If you have a question for me, you need only ask, Sakura."
The voice in her head should have felt familiar; but a totally separate entity having access to her conscious stream to come and go as she pleased was still disconcerting nearly a year later. Mizuchi was nothing like Inner's presence used to be.
Hashirama stood waiting across the street where she had left him, enticed by a souvenir stand. Sakura remained near the fencing that was protecting someone's well maintained garden. "Hmph…if you just popped into my mind then I'm sure you already know what I'm thinking about."
"You could bury your thoughts better, if you'd prefer I not shuffle through them. But that's neither here nor there. You have no need to worry about encountering that deity. He's left your vicinity, as has his attendant."
Sakura's eyes widened, hardly registering Hashirama turning from the woman he was speaking to and gesturing in her direction. "Left? But…but wasn't he here to confront me?"
"You still don't understand. Though hunting the two of us down should be a priority, some gods are content to simply roam the mortal plane again, and fulfill their own agendas. Granted, remaining vigilant is never a bad idea. But I hoped to exploit the lack of unity to our advantage. To that end, I'm working with Hitotsu to discern who's actively hunting you…and of course me."
"Well it's nice to know you're trying to plan ahead. It makes me feel kind of bad to be here, slacking off." Sakura placed her hands lightly behind her back, ignoring a man in a bandana, about her age, who'd come swaggering from a nearby tavern and was eying her up.
"Take the opportunity to rest. You won't get many such chances when war is so close on our heels."
The word was something the kunoichi hadn't wanted to think about, despite knowing it was inevitable. Though the Heavens may have not all been united, at this point she felt it was safe to trust Mizuchi on a few points. The deities had decided they would rather destroy a chunk of humanity and go for a massive overhaul of history, erasing any and all traces of Kaguya this time. Though she and her descendants hadn't created a perfect world, to allow them to shatter and rebuild it was something Sakura knew she could never stand for.
Short as it had been, the Fourth Ninja War was brutal and left so much death, trauma and devastation in its wake. She should have been home, recovering and piecing the village back together along with everyone else. She should have been consoling Ino over the loss of her father or perhaps comforting Hinata after losing Neji.
There had also been plans she'd wanted to talk to Tsunade about, how to best assist those dealing with survivor's guilt and other mental scars related to the battlefield. But, all of it had been put on hold, in favor of this mission. One Mizuchi thought she was destined for. And so, Sakura put her focus towards it wholeheartedly, like she would any other pursuit. Safeguarding everything she held dear depended on it.
"All out…war." Just as she was growing lost in the entrapment of her mind, taking her back to the smog and shouts, the hell of the battlefield, her shinobi senses dragged her back into the present moment.
The man in the bandana was confidently walking her way, and Sakura grimaced, gearing up to shoot him down as forcefully as needed. That was, until Hashirama's large body smoothly intercepted him. "Sorry that it took so long." he apologized, planting a kiss against her neck and holding up some trinkets in one hand as the other took hold of her waist. "I wanted us to have a way to commemorate our trip."
Sakura had to fight to keep her vision focused on what he was showing her. Hand holding, feeding each other and even cheek kisses had all been an adjustment. But the way he brushed his mouth calmly over her pulse, as if he were staking a claim, made her heart jolt, and at the same time her stomach fill with warm goop. The side of Hashirama she had been witnessing in Tanzaku was doing nothing to ward off any pesky attraction. Sakura was beginning to think she was sunk.
The man who had been about to approach turned away with a loud scoff, apparently not wanting the challenge. Though grateful, the pinkette noticed the Hokage hadn't removed his arm yet. Instead they stood close, the Senju beaming down at her eagerly. The first item he slipped into her palms, and Sakura blinked down at a little okiagari koboshi clad in a red kimono, her tiny features painted onto the doll's white face and her straw hair dyed pink.
"I've never seen one like this before," she cupped it adoringly, bringing it closer to her face to examine.
Tapping his finger gently against the doll's side, they watched it bob before righting itself again, thanks to its rounded bottom. Koboshi dolls symbolized resilience, always able to rise from whatever knocked them down.
They were popular souvenirs at festivals or in tourist-heavy towns like Tanzaku. Sakura could remember getting one as a child at the academy festival, although her bully Ami had stolen it shortly after. "She's just like you." Hashirama exclaimed.
It was sweet, and admittedly the pinkette could see the resemblance, had she too been wearing a kimono. "Thank y—"
Apparently, Hashirama wasn't done, holding a kanzashi hair pin carefully between his fingers and leaning closer, until she felt his breath move the wisps of hair on her forehead.
It was a glittering gold one, a jeweled, jade blossom on the decorative end and a small gold tassel connecting a little jade teardrop to the bloom. The flower's stem wound around the stick like ivy, quite the eye-catching piece without being too much.
There was light pressure just above her ear, and then he stepped away proudly. Sakura could guess what he'd done. First, Izuna's flowers, now this? "Now you look just like her too."
"You didn't have to, you know," Sakura floundered to keep her speech fluid, her tongue fighting to tie itself into knots. "You should have bought yourself something."
The Senju reached into hakama and produced a little hand-sewn charm. "Don't worry about me. I bought myself this omamori, and a new ceramic vase for Bukkai that'll be delivered to the village when it's finished being made."
Sakura fidgeted with the little doll in her hands, unable to say much else. Arguing would be fruitless. The Hokage had made it very obvious he was going to take every opportunity to spoil her, in one way or another, and trying to fight it would only draw out a...very assertive side.
"You look like there's something on your mind," he noted, putting his charm away.
"Well I talked to Mizuchi," Sakura put the little doll in the small pouch she was wearing in place of her thigh holster. It seemed as good a spot as any to collect trinkets safely while roaming Tanzaku. Pausing at his quizzical expression, she cleared her throat, clarifying. "We're mentally linked, as godslayer and goddess."
Hashirama nodded along, "Did she have anything helpful to say about that deity's identity? Or his motives, for that matter?"
Rubbing at her shoulder, Sakura sighed. "Not…really. She thinks he's left this area, actually. The way she spoke about it, it's almost like she thinks it was coincidental…According to her, some deities are treating coming to earth as a sightseeing trip, doing whatever they want while they're here."
"She thinks he was really just here to see a play?"
Sakura understood his skepticism, because she felt it too, along with a healthy dose of growing frustration. "She definitely wasn't overly concerned about him popping up, at any rate."
Stroking his chin, the Hokage frowned. "That's less reassuring than it ought to be."
"Welcome to life with deities." Sakura grumbled in agreement. "I'd still feel better if we visited the town archives. It may not yield any better results, but you never know."
"If it means doing our due diligence then I'm…"
A pained scream cut Hashirama off, both of them whirling in the direction of a small crowd gathering down the road.
"Some sort of trouble?" Hashirama ventured a guess.
"There's only one way to be sure," Sakura was already making her way there, tunnel vision on whatever was waiting ahead.
People were tutting and murmuring sympathetically, and someone was asking for help, for a medic.
Only seconds later she broke through the line standing in a half circle, discovering a panting young woman on the ground with her hands tightly gripping two other women.
"Keiomi…" Sakura instantly recognized the russet hair and pregnant belly. Moving to her side, the med nin took the spot on Keiomi's right as the woman who had been there moved back.
"Sakura-chan, i-it's nice to see you…again….s-so soooo—"
Taking in her sweating face and heaving breaths, Sakura smiled solemnly. "It's time, isn't it?"
"Yes!" Keiomi moaned. "Yes!"
"I'm a medic, I can help, but I'm going to need some space." Sakura said gently.
"I want to…" Keiomi huffed, hands molded to her abdomen. "I want to have this baby at ho-home."
The kunoichi surveyed their surroundings. The streets were crowded, people had stopped to watch either out of concern of sheer nosiness. Keiomi was in the dirt with nothing to cushion her, and depending on how long it took, the noon day sun would be beating down directly over them soon enough.
"Hashirama, do you mind carrying her? I know the way to her house." No sooner had she asked the question than the Hokage was kneeling to scoop Keiomi into his arms.
Comforted by the fact that the civilian was being safely transported in arms Sakura personally knew to be as sturdy as they came, the two shinobi took off, albeit at a gentler pace than normal. It was easiest traveling over the rooftops, avoiding the ruckus down below. Keiomi whined slightly, and Sakura turned to offer a few words of comfort about how they would be there in no time. Keiomi managed a weak nod, her grip on Hashirama testing the integrity of his shirt and its ability to remain intact.
"How long have you been feeling the contractions, and how far apart do you think they are?" Sakura asked, knowing it would be important so she could get to work as soon as possible.
"Um," Keiomi paused to think, "Th-they were about twenty minutes apart this morning, so I thought it'd be okay to get outside b-but now…I'd say about four minutes apart?"
"You're tensing up, did you have one just now?" Hashirama asked, gently.
"Yes, that was another one," Keiomi grunted, and Sakura felt her heart flutter in relief at the sight of the residential district.
"Almost there, now!"
She landed swiftly in front of the large house she recognized from the day before, Hashirama doing his best to land carefully beside her. "Sorry about this,"
"About wha—"
The pinkette had the door kicked in before the expectant mother could get the full question out, Hashirama hustling her inside as Sakura pressed the door shut behind them.
"Should we lay you down in your bedroom?" The Senju offered, already searching for a suitable place.
"Th-that's fine. I was going to have the medic come to me, so everything you'll need should already be prepared there."
Sakura was glad that at least they wouldn't have to fumble around and waste more time, jogging up the stairs with the Hokage and Keiomi behind her.
Locating the correct room, the medic immediately peeled back the sheets and laid down the clean, neatly folded towels ready to be used. Once it had become something of a nest, Keiomi was finally placed in it.
Slipping on a pair of gloves, Sakura steeled herself for the possibility that she could be with this jittery mother-to-be for the long haul, if today was the day. As rounded as she was, and based on their conversation from the day before, it sounded like this would be a baby delivered at full-term. Judging by the lack of other children running around, it was more than likely her first.
And, though Sakura was no stranger to delivering babies, having helped bring at least a dozen into the world since becoming a med nin, it was a nerve-racking experience each time. Not that Sakura had ever let a nervous mother struggling through the pain of childbirth know that; she certainly didn't intend to start getting cold feet now. Keiomi would be the one doing all the hard work.
"The next few steps might require me to get a little up close and personal," the kunoichi warned, gently propping up one of the woman's legs so her foot was flat on the mattress and her knee was bent.
"I-It's fine, no time for shyness." She swiped at her damp forehead. Her eyes took in Hashirama, who was moving toward the head of the bed, "A-Are you also a medic?"
"Yes, though if you'd rather me not be here while she checks you over, I understand."
"No, please stay!" she shifted around, eyes wide. "The more help I have getting this child safely out of me, the better."
Sakura silently thanked whatever non-hostile deity might be listening. She was trained by Tsunade, the best of the best, so of course if it was necessary, delivering a baby on her own wouldn't be impossible.
However, Hashirama had to be the most formidable med-nin of his time, and having his help was invaluable. Had Keiomi asked him to leave, she would've respected that as much as the Senju. But she was more than willing to take the small miracle of his help today.
"I'll check your dilation," Sakura announced, "Hashirama, would you mind taking her vitals, please?"
Sakura eased up Keiomi's yukata and the slip underneath, until she was able to gently ease her fingers where they needed to be. Without the gleaming instruments of Konoha's hospital, she would have to make do with what she had. It wouldn't be the first time she delivered a child away from the village, so the prospect wasn't quite as daunting as it had been the first time. That delivery had resulted in twins, at that.
Pressing her fingers up to the cervix, the pinkette gently spread them apart, mentally approximating the distance. "You're about six centimeters into your dilation." she explained, withdrawing her hand. "Be prepared to wait a little longer."
That got an impatient wiggle from the russet-haired woman.
While she had never personally been through labor and childbirth, Sakura could understand that after nearly a year of growing a new life, almost anyone would be ready to end the experience. "How're you holding up? If you're really uncomfortable, I could use a numbing technique to—"
"There's no need," Keiomi replied, "Hashirama-san's doing a wonderful job of that already."
Flashing a charming grin, he removed his hand from where it had been placed, glowing palm over her heart. "I'm only glad I'm able to help. You're the one doing wonderfully, Keiomi-san."
"Oh," she swooned, placing a hand to her flushed cheek. "Where did you find him, Sakura-chan? He reminds me of my darling—so considerate. I didn't know you had someone already, but I'm very happy for you. How long have you been together."
Hashirama looked almost too pleased by the praise, and Sakura resisted the urge to lean over and lightly pinch him, chuckling awkwardly. "N-Not long."
Her faltering speech went unnoticed as Keiomi seemed eager to chat. "I've known my husband for five years, and we've been married for two." Sighing dreamily, she added, "We met right here in town. He'd just come back from business travels and I tripped head first into an apple cart."
Had it been any other situation, Sakura might have snickered. Though there was no need, as Hashirama did that for her. He shut up, going back to innocently taking her vitals when Sakura shot him a look. "He helped me up and said, 'since they're bruised now, the cart owner will sell them at a discount'."
The memory brought such a look of bliss to Keiomi's face, Sakura didn't have the heart to do more than smile. If a stranger fell into a fruit cart, wouldn't it be natural to ask them if they were alright first? "Oh, of course he helped me up since he noticed the fruit wasn't the only thing bruised," Keiomi giggled. "Then he walked me home. You might be able to guess the rest of the story." she finished, lovingly patting her stomach.
"Your vitals are all fine," Hashirama told her. "Within perfectly normal range for this stage of labor."
Sakura wanted to ask when the Hokage had ever had occasion to deliver a baby, but she didn't want Keiomi to panic, thinking one of the medics she'd entrusted wasn't qualified.
"Thank you, I didn't expect things to turn out this way, but since Sakura-chan helped me home yesterday I wondered if I'd see her again. Now that I am, and to find out you're both medics…it must be fate!" She exclaimed, wide smile on her face as she tossed her arms lightly into the air.
"I couldn't leave you by yourself," Sakura countered. "But really, it was the only decent thing to do."
"I still appreciate it, please let me at least be grateful." The kunoichi felt Keiomi nudge her arm playfully with her bare foot.
"You might want to conserve your energy, Keiomi-san." Hashirama advised. "Sakura-chan's just not the best at accepting any kind of appreciation. Trust me,"
The pinkette rolled her eyes at the Senju's dramatic, mournful tone.
"Oh, well that's a shame. I can already tell there's a lot to appreciate." Keiomi looked at Hashirama mischievously. "You'll have to try harder to show her that for the both of us."
"I'll do my best." Sakura's heart skipped a beat, taken aback by how serious he sounded, like he was making a pledge.
'What's he up to?' From the start, Hashirama had approached the role of her 'husband' with avid enthusiasm. Whereas Sakura grew flustered with enough prying, unless she was provoked by someone like Mara, the Hokage gushed and doted with a straight face.
If he was taking the role seriously, it would make sense why he almost seemed overly prepared to assume it. 'That's getting ahead of myself. This whole thing is just another opportunity to tease and prod. He's got a mischievous side, I'm just not use to being on the receiving end of it, so it caught me off guard.' Sakura reasoned with herself, but there was a tiny seed of doubt planted in the back of her mind.
She didn't have the luxury to sink further into that line of thought, not when Keiomi let out a pained moan. Quickly assuming position, Sakura murmured an apology for the intrusion, then gingerly checked the woman's dilation again. "Okay, you're progressing now. I'd say we're at eight centimeters. A little more and you should be able to start pushing."
Sakura could tell when a contraction spasmed through her body, and it was obvious that Hashirama could too. Brow furrowed in sympathy, he took her hand, offering what support he could. "The numbing shouldn't have worn off already. But if it's needed, I can use the technique again."
"N-No, the contractions don't hurt as much, so it must still be working," Keiomi whispered, closing her eyes. "I think I got so swept up in talking I forgot. That's my fault for being as easily distracted as I always am. I just love romance." she confessed.
Hashirama and Sakura smiled at each other, both overtaken by the same fondness for their patient. "Noted." they said in unison.
Opening her eyes, the woman sniffled, wiping at her waterline. "I wish my husband was here for the birth of our first child,"
"I know he would be if he could." Sakura assured, "But think of the look on his face when he comes back and meets the baby for the first time."
A tear slid down Keiomi's cheek, "You're right. I'm sure he'd pass out if he had to witness this anyway. It's not for the faint of heart, is it?"
"In my experience, no," Sakura grinned wryly.
"I can second that." Hashirama laughed softly. Keiomi began to laugh too, but it faded into a harsh grimace that had her bucking up, gritting her teeth.
"I think…I think I feel something." The statement was followed up by a sharp gasp and a drawn out moan of pain. Seeing how her once bright eyes had dulled, Sakura didn't waste time in slipping her hand back under Keiomi's clothes.
"Ten centimeters." She said breathlessly. "You're there!"
"Okay, okay good!" The new mother huffed. "Be-Because this baby really, really wants to come out."
"Remember your breathing," the Hokage reminded. His free hand migrated to the side of her stomach. "The baby's vitals are strong. That's a good sign,"
"He's right. Controlling your breathing is going to help in pushing." Sakura prepared herself. "You can start."
Grunting and straining, the young woman set to work, her eyes tightly shut and her hand locked around Hashirama's. To his credit he didn't so much as flinch, despite the considerable force she had to be squeezing with.
"You're doing good!" Sakura cheered, "The baby's crowning."
The pinkette watched the woman's head tiredly flop back to rest on her pillows, cheeks red from exertion. Puffing, she continued her breathing exercises, pushing just as hard the second time. Heart in her throat, Sakura watched the baby's head breach its mother's birthing canal, until the child was out almost to the ears. "
"You're making good progress," The Senju still monitoring her vitals, praised. "Right, Sakura-chan?"
Always a little dumbstruck from watching the miracle of life, she was slow to nod. "Right. Give me a slow push,"
As the medic nin had half expected, the next push came with a mess of amniotic fluid. Tsunade had always taught her never to shy away from the messy side of their work. It would get smelly both because of what was expelled with the baby and because mothers often couldn't control their bowels. Her job wasn't to wrinkle her nose but to power through unflinchingly.
It went on like that, Sakura calling out instructions on when and how to push, and Hashirama periodically speaking about Keiomi's vitals, until the first signs of a real issue arose.
The baby was out to its shoulders, but didn't seem to be slipping free any further, even with the effort happening to expel it. When the head looked to be retreating, the pinkette's worst fear was confirmed.
"It's shoulder dystocia."
"Dys-w-what?"
While Keiomi had never heard the term, Sakura was sure by the look on his face that Hashirama knew exactly what she was talking about.
"It means the baby's stuck," he explained, gingerly.
Well…I hope everyone feels like they got more than their money's worth for this chapter (since they paid nothing). Hashihusband absolutely does not mess around about making sure his "wife" is respected and adored. XD Think of it as kind of a sneak peek for both readers and Sakura. I normally am not that interested in fake relationships, admittedly, but the more I thought about what I wanted to include in this chapter, the more I thought it was the perfect temperature for some fake newlywed shenanigans. Sakura deserves it, and Hashirama has The Range (Hokage, gambler, husband, soft dom, thirst trap…). Throughout the course of this fic, lots of people have doubted the compatibility of HashiSaku as a romantic couple here "because their chemistry feels mostly platonic", but nah. It's not.
Competitive karuta is considered a game that requires a lot of skill, and for that reason although it's viewed as something of a sport in Japan, there aren't a surplus of professional players. This is why it's kind of a flex. Sakura is able to not only follow along but pick up the rules to the point of near mastery just by watching a match. As if she didn't have Hashirama's heart before, eh?
Darts is played competitively in Japan as well, and as it turns out HashiSaku make quite the good team for doubles. I almost included a full scale scene of them playing but decided not to as this chapter was already long enough. Maybe if they have occasion to visit Tanzaku-again they'll give the sisters a rematch. All you need to know is they kicked ass. The lesson here is never let HashiSaku gamble together lest they clean out every casino in a ten mile radius.
For lunch they go to an kaiten-zushi bar, or conveyor belt/rotating sushi bar. This is a popular style of fast food in Japan (and now in other parts of the world) where patrons can come in and fresh sushi is put out on a conveyor belt that goes around the whole restaurant. You can either select the pre-made dishes that you want or request a special order that will arrive at your table via the belt. Usually considered a fun, affordable way to enjoy different sushi dishes.
Hashirama and Sakura also take in a noh play, which is one of the ancient and still popular forms of Japanese theatre. It's often known for its use of masks in performances to convey a range of expressions to the audience, and generally noh plays are dramas. Also traditionally all the actors were male though over time women were allowed to join. Because Tanzaku-gai is so progressive they use women, and no one thinks twice about it. But the important part here is that generally noh plays have a subject that relates to the mystical, like the one they were watching. The Seven Lucky Gods are a very Big Deal in the pantheon so…could there be some foreshadowing? I'll let you readers decide. There is also the fact that a deity was in attendance, but which was he? Your guess is as good as mine~
I consulted with an actual doctor to write that birthing scene folks, so big shoutout to her! Didn't mean to leave everyone on a cliffhanger with this chapter but I felt I had reached a stopping point, and better to wait for next time than to force it.
As I mentioned, I really have been looking forward to writing this chapter for a very long time. It would mean the world to me if it ended up getting a lot of engagement, because I have been anxious to share with readers who have highly anticipated HashiSaku scenes. Times have been tough out in the real world for me, took a lot of breaks from hobbies due to a busy schedule and mental health, so it took longer than I thought it would to get this out. But I really, really hope people read and let me know if they enjoyed it. That always means a lot to me. Well, I think that's all for now~take care everyone.
