Eldritch


Sasuke could feel dried blood still embedded underneath his nails. Although well-known at this point in his career, he still intensely detested the sensation. Curtain Village was notoriously hostile and lawless, swarming with figures from the Bingo Book and equally sinister locals. His hand flexed in discomfort as he recalled feeling flesh char and disintegrate within his grasp – and hot, viscous blood drench his forearm. Sitting in a dark corner of a nameless café, he carefully assessed the patrons around him.

There were three men near the entrance drinking sake and loudly exchanging insults. Most likely comrades. Most likely skilled in kenjutsu based on the blades on their backs. Diagonally from the group sat a woman with deep set valleys on her aging face, eating daifuku and reading what seemed to be an old copy of the Bingo Book. Meticulously clean and pressed clothing. Seemingly ancient in such a town. She was mostly likely the opposite of an easy target. Lastly, several feet to his left, there was a heavily cloaked figure passed out. Several empty bottles of sake littered the table.

Overall, the individuals around him posed minimal threats and seemed keen on keeping to themselves. Which was welcomed, because Sasuke was tired as shit.

He lightly grasped the cup of hot tea in front of him and drank. Over the past two years, his mandate had been to gather intel on Kaguya Ōtsutsuki. It was a frustrating endeavor. A millennium had passed since she arrived on Earth – meaning a millennium of warring states, the rise and fall of hundreds of towns and villages, and mass diasporas had eradicated most traces of her. What was once credible information was corrupted into rumors, which was distorted into legend, and then lived on through the ages as myths and fairytales. Despite his steadfast effort, he had little luck.

Until now.

Less than a week ago, Sasuke had been in the Land of Hot Water covertly scouring through hundreds of old texts in an abandoned Jashinist underground compound. There were books alluding to world-ending cataclysms rebirthing Jashin in this dimension, journals filled with years of failed experiments to perfect immortality, and scrolls diagraming in meticulous detail the ritual of human sacrifice. Carnage. Death. Destruction. Pages upon pages of carnage, death, and destruction.

Then he found an ancient scrap of text unlike any of the materials found in the compound. It was tucked neatly in an unassuming tome, bookmarking a chapter called 'Nothing.' He tossed the book aside to inspect the writing more closely, but it was initially illegible in an unknown language with unknown symbols. Until he attempted to read it with his Rinnegan. What was once obscure became clear due to Kaguya's legacy. The irony was not lost on him, but he welcomed the small, promising lead.

Allegedly, there was a hidden shrine, supposedly the hidden shrine, dedicated to the Rabbit Goddess. Not Demon, but Goddess. A distinction indicating that perhaps the shrine would have information resembling closer to truth than fiction. Given the clue had only been deciphered with the Rinnegan, perhaps those with the Rinnegan would be able to find the lost temple.

This was why he found himself in the Land of Silence. A land outside the structure and influence of the five major villages. A land filled with vagrants and criminals entrenched in a zero-sum system of desperate survival. A land where as soon as he crossed its boarders, he was ambushed by bandits determined to kill him. Although easy to dispose of, the experience soured his first impression of the failed state, especially after he had sprinted non-stop for four days. It was unnecessary for him to rush here, yet his intuition screamed at the urgency of this lead.

So, he followed his gut.

Finishing his tea, he stood and dropped a generous number of coins onto the table. There wasn't a universally accepted currency in the village, however the owner had told him 'anything of value would do.' As he gracefully walked toward the entrance with his cloak gently swaying with his movements, all commotion and chatter stopped. Just as he had sized up everyone in the room earlier, the room was sizing him up now. He noted that the cloaked figure remained unconscious. Passing the old woman, he respectfully nodded at her and she curtly nodded back before resuming with her snack.

"Oi," barked a gruff voice.

Sasuke paused just before the entrance and slightly pivoted his body to where the voice originated from. The three men were intently staring at him. Bodies taut with tension. Chakra accumulating. A portly, bearded fellow with a huge scar across his forehead was the ringleader.

"You ain't from 'round here, ya?"

A moment passed.

"No."

He really didn't feel like causing a commotion and having his presence in the region officially known. Carefully contemplating his options, he would elect to knock out everyone and flee if the men sought confrontation. Evenly distributing his weight in anticipation, his feet slightly dug into the dirt floor of the establishment.

As the bearded man opened his mouth to respond, a firm voice interrupted.

"Leave him – he seems like a nice boy."

Sasuke noted that the cloaked figure had immediately awoken at the sound of the voice and turned to the scene before them. Ah, he was mistaken. The old woman was the ringleader.

The tension in the room dissipated as the bearded man simply shrugged, "Sure ma," and turned back to his comrades to reengage in conversation and drinks. The cloaked figure nodded its head before slamming back down into unconsciousness.

Just as Sasuke made his way outdoors, the old woman called out to him, "Whatever you're here for, make it quick… Uchiha."


Pedestrians swiftly maneuvered out of the way as a flurry of long pink hair hurried down the street. The friction of her movements made her large, puffy winter coat noisily announce her presence. A large paper bag was tightly tucked underneath her arm. Returning from a quick errand, Sakura was running late for her first appointment with Byakuya. It was quite out of character for her. Wryly, she thought maybe Kakashi was starting to rub off on her more than she cared to admit. But truly, she simply lost track of time.

Again.

Sakura could not account for an hour of her time today, in between a four-hour surgery and overseeing the physicals of several ANBU squadrons. It seemed that one minute she was triumphantly walking out an operating theater and the next minute she was on the complete opposite side of the hospital, standing in a hallway clutching a patient file. It was the darndest thing. But the majority of her career was spent at the hospital, so it's understandable she went on autopilot. She'd also been running herself ragged – it was probably a late-afternoon brain fog?

Thinking not much more of it, she had pressed onward with her day to deal with Konoha's special forces. When it came to hospitals, a few greenhorns tried to emulate some of the worst habits of the revered Hokage, whose escapades had become legend among the ranks. Their resolve for dissent quickly crumbled once she threatened to have them benched for two weeks to undergo an extremely invasive panel of diagnostic exams – and not even the Hokage could override her order. 'I'll have to give Kakashi shit about this later,' she schemed.

Normally she would have forgone errands if her day was running over, however this was essential to her upcoming appointment. Byakuya was a sweet and pure soul, yet he had suffered so much. According to the rescue team, when they attempted to extract him from his mother's corpse, he let out an endless, blood curdling scream. They ended up having to sedate him and he slept for three days straight. When he awoke in a Konoha hospital bed, he was silent. And he remained silent.

The first time she interacted with him, he was frail and near death. Completely haunted. It took three long months before he spoke a word to her – his first. Although he made remarkable strides in his recovery and appeared exceptionally resilient, sometimes she would catch cracks within his façade…

The automatic doors at the hospital chimed while a chorus of 'Welcome Sakura-sama!' erupted around her, disrupting her thoughts. Keeping her brisk pace, she gave everyone a quick smile and wave before weaving through the busy hallways to her office. Everyone knew not to get in her way at that moment. Approaching her office, she saw Byakuya patiently sitting outside. He was wearing standard shinobi attire with a crisp, new Chunin vest. A large grey scarf was wrapped around his neck and covered most of his lower face. His long black hair was tied neatly in a low ponytail.

"Oh I'm SO sorry Byakuya-kun!" she exclaimed hurrying to her unlock her door, her coat and the paper bag crumpling loudly with her movements, "I had to run a quick errand before our appointment."

The boy rose and trailed behind her as the door violently swung open, "It's okay Sakura-san." He gently closed the door after him.

Placing the package on her desk, she quickly shimmied out of her coat and tossed it on her office chair. The intense friction from her movements generated static electricity. As portions of hair rose, she quickly palmed at her head to smooth her hair down.

"Please take a seat," she said while motioning to a comfortable light blue couch next to her desk. The boy complied.

Plopping down on her chair, she snatched the package, a notebook, and pen from the desk before proceeding to scoot closer to him. Digging into the paper bag, a white container emerged.

"Before we start, I wanted to give you something in celebration of your promotion," she said while shoving the box in front of him, "I got your favorite, from the shop we always go to!"

Taking the box from her outstretched hands, he carefully opened the lid. Inside were piping hot, plump dango coated in a syrupy sauce. The delicious mixture of sweet and salty wafted into his nose and a warm smile blossomed on his face.

"Thank you so much, Sakura-san."

Waving her hand, "It's the least I could do. I'm very proud of you!"

His eyes widened, "Really?"

"Of course, it's an incredible achievement!"

Hesitating, "Oh, I overheard some people saying you didn't exactly… agree with it."

"People are so nosy," she sighed, rolling her eyes, "It's not that I disagree with your promotion specifically. In general, I disagree with promoting children under the age of 12 to chunin. We're not at war. There's no reason to accelerate children through the ranks. Kids should be given the opportunity to be kids and have a childhood – not rush to experience all the responsibilities and harsh burdens of life, especially a shinobi life."

He nodded in understanding, "That's a really kind view."

"Some people think it's too soft of a view, but whatever. Now go on and eat before it gets cold!" she urged with a motherly tone, "I'll give a general explanation of why you're here and you can just nod while stuffing your face to let me know you're listening."

Gesturing with the box, "Would you like one Sakura-san? I feel bad eating something delicious without sharing."

Such a sweet kid. "How about I'll take one at the end of our session? I'm on the clock and should be professional – this isn't just us hanging out, ya know?" She winked at him with a grin. Byakuya gave her a small grin in return and took a large bite to signal his amenability to the proposal.

"Well, the purpose of our meetings is for you to have a safe space to process your thoughts, feelings, and experiences. There's no agenda – we can talk about anything you want." Motioning to the open notebook and pen in her grasp, "I'll be taking notes for the sole purpose to help me keep track of what's going on in your life. My notes are always securely sealed and can only be accessed by myself. Sometimes I might follow up on certain things you've mentioned in the past just to check-in."

He nodded mid-bite, encouraging her to continue.

"I want to make it explicitly clear that everything discussed in this room is confidential. Now if you share something that is a threat to the safety of yourself, others, or the village, I will never judge you or break that confidentiality. However, I will choose the most appropriate course of action and inform the Hokage of my recommended intervention. My priorities are to ensure your health and safety, and to earn and retain your trust—"

"I trust you Sakura-san," he quietly interrupted.

"And I am grateful for your trust. I just didn't want to assume I had it," she said kindly with a smile. "So, does that all make sense?"

With a thoughtful look, "Yes, that all makes perfect sense."

"Wonderful, do you have any questions?"

He gulped down another large bite, "Nothing comes to mind."

"No worries, but please don't hesitate to ask me anything, okay?" Giving him an affectionate smile, "Is there anything you want to talk about today? It can really be anything."

There was a small pause. Sakura didn't dare interrupt, letting the temporary silence coax him into answering.

"Well… I know that being a Chunin means more advanced missions. Meaning more time outside the village."

Nodding, "Yes, that's true."

"Sometimes, I don't want to leave… I'm afraid to leave."

Jotting a few notes down, "Do you have an idea as to why that is?"

"I left once." She saw his movements stop as he stared past at the wall behind her. Continuing his thought, "I left my home once, to get water from a well for kaa-san. And when I came back, everyone was gone."

Her eyes softened, "I'm very sorry that happened to you Byakuya-kun."

"I also don't…"

"Don't what?"

"I don't want that to happen… with you. With my friends. To be here one minute and then… gone. What if something happens while I'm out on a mission and I can't stop it? I don't want to fail again."

"Byakuya-kun, you didn't fail your family. It's important you understand and know this. What happened was a tragedy completely outside your control. And no matter how strong a person gets, how prepared they try to be, there will always be things that happen, both good and bad, that will just happen. And it can't be changed. So, the fear and uncertainty you experience is absolutely valid and normal, however try to not let it consume you."

He slowly nodded as he absorbed her words.

Pressing on, "There's no guarantees in life, so I can't promise you that that would never happen. But understanding that nothing is for granted makes us appreciate life. Cherish the people around us. Savor moments of peace and happiness. Which is pretty cool if you think about it?"

He smiled at her, "It is."

"And don't feel as if it's your sole responsibility to keep people safe. We have a whole village filled with very capable shinobi who all rely on each other to keep each other safe. Trust in your teammates and friends. Trust in your teachers and seniors. Trust in the Hokage and village."

"Right... I will. That really makes me feel better."

Cheekily pointing to the seal on her forehead, "Also, I'm super hard to kill. So, trust in me too."

Byakuya softly snickered at her boast. He believed her though.

Their conversation flowed easily from there, although he seemed to avoid more serious topics, which was fine. They chatted about his new team and sensei, who all welcomed him with open arms and made him feel happy. About an exciting comic he read based on Kakashi's ninken (a hugely popular best-seller) where Bull took a big bite out of the moon mistaking it for a dog biscuit. About treating kids at the orphanage to some ramen using earnings from his latest mission. About…

Byakuya was staring at her, giving her a concerned look, "Sakura-san?"

Oh, she had zoned out.

Looking down at her notes, she realized they devolved into a repetitive scribble. Over and over and over again she had written: 'It's coming. It's coming. It's coming.' What the hell? Hastily, she scratched it all out with her pen. Turning her attention back to the boy in front of her, "I'm sorry Byakuya-kun, that was very rude of me. I got lost in thought for a second."

"It's okay Sakura-san." Byakuya didn't have the heart to correct her that it had been actually five minutes since she wasn't entirely herself.

Glancing at the clock, "Oh, we're over time! I don't want to keep you from the rest of your evening, do you want to meet next week, same day and time?"

"Yes, that works for me."

"Awesome. I really appreciate your willingness to open up to me and share today. Thank you for trusting in me, it's really cool."

Byakuya gave her a heartfelt smile. Offering a stick of dango, "Since it's the end."

Laughing, she accepted, "Since it's the end."


Sakura advanced down the main hallway within the Hokage tower, slowly savoring each bite of the stick of dango in her hand. Afar, she saw Kotetsu and Izumo standing alert, flanking both sides of the doors to Kakashi's office.

"Hey guys!" she called out, steadily approaching them.

"Hey Sakura-chan," they greeted in unison. Then Kotetsu continued, "We've been given explicit instructions not to let anyone bother him."

Snorting, "Well good thing I'm not a bother then."

Izumo chimed in, "No seriously, I haven't seen him so moody in a long time. Everyone's been steering clear since he came back from his meetings."

Sakura stopped in front of them, brows furrowed in determination. Well, that wouldn't do. She wanted to share (brag about) her day.

"Maybe it's best if you came back to—" Kotetsu started before gasping in horror as she proceeded to kick open the doors to the Hokage's office. Izumo let out an audible groan.

"Ka-ka-shi!" she chimed, nonchalantly striding into the room.

Not bothering to glance up as he diligently processed paperwork, "Kotetsu-kun, Izumo-kun… I'm demoting you back to genin."

Panicked, "Hokage-sama—"

"He's just joking," she retorted to the flabbergasted guards before slamming the door shut behind her. "Don't pout, if you really wanted to keep me out you wouldn't have only the two of them standing there."

"Duly noted." Internally, he was thrilled to have her interrupt his evening.

Sakura stuck out her tongue although he seemed too preoccupied with his task to notice the affectionate disrespect. Walking to his desk, she made herself comfortable in a chair, giving him a moment of silence as he finished writing his thought.

Looking up, "To what do I owe this distinct pleasure?"

"I come bearing a gift."

Eyeing the sickeningly sweet, sticky snack in her hand, "Half-eaten dango? It's literally my least favorite food."

"No, I'm gifting you with my presence—"

Kakashi coughed to disguise his incredulous snort.

Choosing to ignore it, "Actually I'm here to give you a quick update. I just finished my first meeting with Byakuya-kun and it went really well!"

Assessing her, he noticed that despite her exhausted appearance, she was glowing with pride. His warm gaze connected with hers, "That's really great to hear."

"Thanks again, by the way, for agreeing to allow him into my pilot program," she said shyly.

"It was futile to even try to disagree with you on that." Deciding to poke fun, "Plus, I felt sorry for the kid."

Confused, "What do you mean?"

"He's so infatuated. I'm sure he's thrilled to be mandated to spend time with you. I honestly believe he thinks you're an angel—"

"Don't be ridiculous—"

"—if only he knew that you are actually a horrifying she-devil—"

She stood up, "Hey—"

"—terrorizing poor interns, I get boxes filled with complaints Sakura-chan, boxes—"

She stepped forward waving her hands animatedly, "I only terrorize idiot interns. They could kill someone!"

"—also harassing the poor Hokage at all hours of the day and coercing him into all sorts of activities—"

Slamming a hand on his desk, "Don't make things sound so dirty!" Pointing an accusatory finger at him, "And you're often the instigator of our… shenanigans!"

Kakashi grinned, giving a signature eye-crinkle.

Unamused, "Izumo-kun wasn't kidding when he said you're in a mood."

"It's impolite to gossip. And I did just come out of a six-hour budget meeting. If I hear 'fiscal responsibility' one more time I'm resigning."

Scoffing as she walked around his desk to where he sat, "You can't just resign without a ready successor, otherwise shishou would have done it ages ago." She sat on the corner of his desk and he pivoted his chair to fully face her.

"Fine," he groaned, "then my last order would be for you to assassinate me."

Inching closer, her green eyes sparkled with excitement, "Neat, my street cred would go way up!"

"Mah Sakura-chan," he sighed, "Try not to be so overly cheerful by the idea."

"Oh, stop being such a grumpy… cat."

Turning up his nose, "Pakkun would take offense on my behalf for comparing me to a feline."

"I'm sure a juicy ribeye would quickly change his mind."

Throwing his pen at her, "Stop trying to make my ninken fat."

Easily catching the projectile, she laughed out loud. He smiled fondly at her mirth.

Grinning conspiratorially, "Want to lose your ANBU detail and make them freak out? I'll treat you to your favorite eggplant dish."

Kakashi noticeably perked up and stood at the mention of eggplant.

"I swear you have such old man tastes."

"Better than having a sweet tooth worse than a toddler – you have some syrup on the corner of your mouth," he remarked while poking her left cheek.

Sakura couldn't help but blush.

Furiously wiping her mouth with her sleeve, "Shut up and let's go."


The forest was eerily silent.

Throughout the day there had been no chatter of animals. No vibrating crescendo of cicadas. No chirping of birds. It was now late in the evening and there wasn't even a faint murmur of crickets. All he could hear was his heartbeat. His breath. The purposeful crunch of sticks and leaves underneath his sandals. In completely uncharted territory, his only sense of direction was dictated by following a faint path of chakra for miles upon miles. The chakra had been getting stronger over the past few hours. More pronounced.

He was getting close.

However, he had to be cautious. The forest seemed to slowly and steadily drain a small fraction of his chakra throughout his journey. Something was fundamentally wrong about this place. Brushing past a thicket, a new view emerged after hours of tree after tree. The outlines were incredibly faint, but before him was a dilapidated structure almost completely enveloped in foliage. There was a concentrated amount of chakra radiating from the shrine, suggesting that he found what he was looking for.

Pausing, he assessed the area around him for threats – there was nothing. Climbing the steps, he stopped in front of a deteriorated table with a stone bowl. Tentatively, he inched closer to inspect the bowl and saw engravings only decipherable with the Rinnegan.

'This is the shrine of the Rabbit Goddess. An offering must be made. In blood and chakra.'

Scowling, he weighed his options. Almost half of his chakra had been depleted at this point and he should turn back and return when he was fully recovered. If he were to encounter a credible threat, he may be hard pressed to neutralize it and escape from the unnerving forest. There was the option to temporarily escape to a different dimension, yet there was also the possibility the threat could follow him. Then he'd really be fucked.

But the shrine hadn't indicated how much blood and chakra was required. Maybe it was simply a taste, to demonstrate commitment. Piety. And Sasuke was impatient. Decisively, he pricked his thumb with his teeth, squeezing out a single droplet of blood falling heavy into the stone bowl. Forming pure chakra in his palm, he slowly descended his hand inside the vessel.

Abruptly, the overgrowth all over the temple disintegrated, as if incinerated. He simultaneously drew his sword and activated his Sharingan.

A minute passed. Silence.

The structure around him was now clearly defined and arguably pristine. As if it had been reinvigorated by the offering. Venturing further in, he saw an incredibly large stone tablet that had previously been enshrouded by vegetation and darkness. It looked remarkably similar to the tablet that had been under the possession of the Uchiha clan for generations. Deactivating his Sharingan, he inched closer, forming lightning release chakra in his hand as a steady source of light.

His breathe caught in his chest as he began to read the inscriptions.

Rabbit Goddess… God Tree... Chakra Fruit

Dimensions… Demons… WarDeath

The Inevitable… The Void.

The antithesis, the complete negation, of life... death... of everything. It was nothing.

And it was coming.

Eyes widened in realization of his mistake, "Shit."