I felt like even though I had just finished ch.68 I couldn't write this one fast enough. I was overflowing with whatever the opposite of writer's block is, and I have you all to thank for that. That is the power of encouragement! I was able to feed off your support and turn it into something I'm pretty proud of.
Writing this was fun and it was made even more fun knowing I'd get to share it when it was through. For my mythology people: if you were waiting for more on that front, the wait is over. This arc (which started in ch.64 tbh) is officially the Sakura Retrieval Arc but really, its nickname is the "Gods and Mortals" arc, and I feel it's for good reasons.
The terrible scream in the background hardly registered. He kept his eyes focused on the man impaled on the end of his sword, watching the way his face paled as he stared down at the nasty wound. Though he took no pleasure in it, death was inevitable. He needed control of the territory, and the Momose clan's cooperation, but their leader had refused to submit.
Reto withdrew his sword, the dying man on the end of it hacking violently. A wet spatter of blood flew from his lips, some of it staining the golden sand.
"Murderer," one of the onlookers whispered spitefully. "We'll never follow you."
"Had he yielded when I offered him the chance, he wouldn't be in the state he's in." Keiichiro Momose's daughter ran to her father's side, trying to staunch the blood of his wound in vain. The man had demanded all of his clan members not interfere as he and Reto faced each other in one on one combat. He could hardly be blamed for honoring an opponent's wishes to fight to the death.
He flicked his sword, watching small droplets of blood land unceremoniously on the ground. "It's over now. I would rather not see any more of your clan fall."
Bravely, the clan matriarch stepped forward with fire in her eyes. "What do you want?"
Sheathing his sword as a sign that he wanted no further bloodshed, he swept his eyes around the vast desert they stood in. "I want to unite this region under a single leader. That is, taking the strongest desert-dwelling clans of Wind Country and bringing them together as a village. Our neighbors to the southwest have already done that long ago. I'm sure you've heard of Konohagakure?"
The Momose clan exchanged pensive glances among themselves. "And so you intend to become the Kage of a similar establishment." A young man concluded.
"That's right." Reto saw no point in hiding his intentions any further. At least not in such a matter. "The first Kazekage. I humbly imagine I've earned the right. You were the last clan to stand against me, but now that…" He glanced over at Keiichiro's corpse, his daughter gripping it tightly with tears pouring from her eyes. "…What divided us is no more, I look forward to your cooperation."
The faces that stared back at him were bitter, but resigned. The Momose would follow him, even with their leader slain. He would bring structure to the ninja clans of Wind Country, and a new world power. The vision he had always strived for would be realized.
ASiT
"That took no time at all, did it not?" Reto prodded at the fire blazing in front of him, hardly surprised that his shadow wasn't the only one cast across the sand.
"I hardly needed your power to make them yield." He turned back to the meat he was grilling. Unlike parts of the world lush with vegetation and the animals that lived in it, in the cold, harsh desert lands Wind ninja called home, they had to make do with what they had.
Food was sometimes scarce to come by. Living off the water squeezed from cactuses and the protein provided by creatures like scorpions and snakes was not unusual. But tonight, he feasted on desert antelope. Tonight was his last night as simply Reto Kashiwagi, leader of just one clan. "Though the real work is still ahead."
"It is your power now as much as mine." There was additional weight on the log as the god came and sat down beside him. "But you are correct…there is still much to be done for both of us to fully realize our ambitions."
Reto turned the meat, listening to the crackle of the flames as embers rose in the chilled night air. There was a pulse he could feel on his inner wrist, hidden beneath the sleeve of his top. The mark of the chosen. "This power has given me a duty to use it for the purpose of building a new empire." he muttered, staring at the mark in the firelight. "One that unites not only the wayward shinobi of this desert, but eventually…much more."
"In time, but…" His companion turned his face up to the starry sky. "You have to be sure your ambition does not outgrow your might. At least for now. You've only newly been made a godslayer, and seem to be adapting to the power quite well…but there are others…I am but one of many who has taken on a worthy human such as yourself. And I suspect more will follow."
"What does that mean to me?" Reto grunted, hefting the spit on which the animal's carcass rested from the fire. "From the beginning I knew you had your own agenda. You made that evident. So long as this power is mine to wield, I'll help you achieve your own goals."
He had fought all his life. Fought and killed endlessly, surviving one battle and then the next. Eventually he had exceeded the life expectancy of a shinobi, approaching thirty-eight, an age where most would have been long dead or looking to put down their weapons. But it didn't feel right to walk away when there was still so much left that only he could do.
That was when a true miracle had occurred. On a night just like this one, in a strong gust of wind that whipped the sands of the desert into a cyclone, a stranger appeared. At a glance, he didn't look like much. Certainly not like someone who should have been able to keep standing against the mighty winds that Reto himself had to take cover from. But not only did he stand, he stood tall.
Dull eyes that couldn't seem to decide if they wanted to be yellow or light brown stared at him intensely, sunken into a pointy face. The short, brown hair hung limp in those eyes, and all but his clothes were unimpressive. To be blunt, Reto's first impression was that the stranger who had appeared before him looked sniveling, someone who would turn tail and run when things didn't go in his favor.
Imagine his surprise—and outright disbelief—when he had gone on to introduce himself as Isetsuhiko, a god of wind. Though not a very well known one, he later admitted. There were more prominent gods who took front and center, and to hear Isetsuhiko tell it, for many millennia, he had been relegated to a background role, pushed aside and forced to bow and scrape before more powerful deities.
Once he got past the fact that he was speaking to a deity and not a delusional man (having the god prove himself through a series of small tests helped convince him), Reto had been skeptical. The god spoke of joining forces, of granting him power that would allow him to transcend humanity and make all his wildest ambitions a reality. It sounded too good to be true, and that meant it couldn't be trusted so easily.
Aside from that, he didn't align himself with weaklings. But Isetsuhiko had soundly beaten him in combat. And that was when Reto learned that no matter what station a god held, all of them were far and away above the power of a human.
Divine strength burst from the wind god, and it was obvious that had he wanted to tear the shinobi apart with his wind and scatter the pieces across earth, he could in an instant. That was exactly the kind of power Reto needed; he was practically salivating for it. Keeping his composure, he calmly agreed to become what Isetsuhiko called a godslayer, and thus, did his rebirth begin.
So long as he could remain a godslayer, he would do whatever Isetsuhiko asked of him.
"Good." The god stood up, brushing any traces of sand from his heavenly garments. "We shall continue to strive towards a world that is reshaped to both of our satisfactions." Reto sliced into the now tender meat, not bothering with a plate as he popped it into his mouth and sucked the juices from his fingers.
Isetsuhiko's expression of scorn was illuminated by the flames. The ninja would have never put up with anyone else turning up their nose at him over his meal etiquette, or perhaps admittedly lack thereof, but this was no man. "I believe…that beyond your endeavor to unite the shinobi of this country under your rule, you should aim to make connections outside this land."
"Why?" Reto slurped another bite of meat off the bone without a pause. "What can Konoha offer me?" Until he had received the musubi coursing through him, the Hokage had been a looming threat. The legendary Mokuton's devastating abilities could not be understated. But now, as a godslayer? What could even the mighty Hashirama Senju do against that?
"Not that land. I have heard the godslayer of the wily dragon goddess resides there. Though my power is formidable, no doubt that…wretched dragoness has trained her godslayer vigorously. To face her now would be tough. Aside from which, you wish to destabilize them without the fuss of a full-scale invasion, do you not?" Reto inclined his head.
It was a far off piece of his dream. First came corralling all the clans of Suna into his service as a Kage, an idea he wouldn't deny he got because of Konoha's existence.
When everyone recognized the new village as the respectable force he would build it into, then he could set his sights on other places. He had shared these thoughts with Isetsuhiko, how he knew he could not invade anyone any time soon, even as a godslayer.
But he was good at dreaming big and biding his time. "Surely you can't be the only one with the same goal." The god continued. "And since word of your conquest across Wind Country is likely to spread rapidly, new allies will be hurrying to your side before long."
"New enemies too." Power always attracted those who were covetous, not just admirers but jealous conspirators too. The one thing Reto would prefer about the whole affair was not having to rely on or trust anyone too heavily. He had been a loner his whole life.
Less likely to receive any form of kunai to the back that way, figurative or literal. He joined with who he had to, cooperated when he had to. But it wasn't his way. The desert was a rough place to live, and just like the blustering sands weathered the craggy cliffs, the caustic nature of the desert weathered the heart as well.
Even among his own clan, he trusted few, if any. That was why his tent remained on a precipice by itself, overlooking the rest of the encampment down below. He could see the glow of their own fires as they talked and reveled, high off the energy from the battle earlier in the day. Soon, it would be time to commence building the village, and all the clans he had won over or beat into submission would move there. Somehow, he would have to lead them all, even those who may have held animosity in their hearts for him.
"Yes, with your brusque demeanor you're bound to make lots of those regardless." Again, Isetsuhiko looked down his nose in a way Reto normally didn't allow. "You'll have to smoothen out your approach. Threatening barbarians is one thing, but making allies is a more delicate matter."
"Is the god that schemes against his own from the shadows going to lecture me about diplomacy?" he taunted, "I've always faced things in my way head on. This is different for me."
"Undoubtedly, but it's necessary."
Reto snatched a strip of meat from the antelope's tender flank and offered it up to the god, who stood aghast. "Very well. Then let's sup together like true comrades. It's good practice for me, since I may share meals of camaraderie with stuffy types like you."
"Stuffy?" That seemed to light something within the deity, his gaze becoming indignant. He sat roughly on the log after grabbing the meat he was offered, keeping eye contact as he stuffed it in his mouth and chewed. Reto wasn't sure gods needed human sustenance; he had never seen Isetsuhiko eat before. But the deity clearly had a point to prove, and he said nothing, other than to motion for more when the bite he had was all gone.
Reto handed it over, wondering if all gods were as easy to rile.
Uwatsutsu tugged at a stick that had gotten ensnared in his thick curls. The jungle's humidity didn't do him any favors, turning his hair into a damp, tangled mess. The sea god grimaced over the strands it pulled out when he ripped it free, though he supposed it was his fault for coming this way. It was far too likely he would run into Sarutahiko Ōkami if he crossed the Floating Bridge to reenter the Heavens.
The leader of the kunitsukami was, in Uwatsutsu's opinion, pretty intimidating without even trying. Not to mention the fact that the older god outranked him by quite a lot. He'd feel compelled to answer any questions asked of him, and knowing Sarutahiko, there would be many.
Uwatsutsu could already foresee the way he would tremble if he tried to lie. He might even vomit. Better to just avoid the possibility of needing to entirely. It was a good thing he knew of this lesser known entry into the realm of the gods, one he had discovered while playing many centuries ago. Of course, he had never had the courage to use it to descend to earth without permission, so knowledge of its existence remained a secret he quietly kept in his pocket.
His heart hammered away in his chest as he picked through the underbrush, finally emerging into what was so beautiful, the humans might call it paradise. The Heavens, much like earth, had many biomes, but the gods had only given the mortals a dull imitation of what they kept for themselves. The realm officially known as Takamagahara (though these days it was called 'The Heavens' by all but the most traditional gods) glittered with lush splendor and hummed with the combined musubi of all gods' divinity.
The width of the crystal clear water that separated one half of the jungle from the other was at least the same as a small country on earth. But Uwatsutsu appreciated that even in the home of the gods, a deity such as himself could still stand beside its splendor and feel small. It kept him grounded, humbled by his own station. He stood and watched the water collapse into a massive waterfall that could flood out the earth if even a few liters were ever poured over it. From so high, it was impossible to see where the waterfall ended. It seemed to fall right through the dewy mist that shrouded what waited below.
The god took a deep breath, a hollow pang filling his heart. This was a sight so glorious, mortals might trade life itself to see it, but as much as he loved it, Uwatsutsu already missed the earthly sea. He missed its pull, its depth, its mystery, its smell. He missed the connection he could feel to every creature that called it home, and the comfort it provided. Going to that seaside town may have been a mistake, as much as telling a renegade like Mizuchi anything. After the encounter, she had let him go on his way, as promised. There was no threat against him or coercion to get his cooperation. But Uwatsutsu felt guilt stirring in his heart all the same. He just couldn't understand why. He hadn't betrayed the Heavens…
But after seeing that side to earth, really pondering on what Mizuchi said, he feared what staying among mortals could do to him. Their ways were fascinating, but that was the problem. He had to be ready to carry out his duty at a moment's notice. Even if…even if….
Though he was expected to continue scouting, he chose to voluntarily return home, at least to clear his head. Maybe seeing the mountainous beauty and deep, sunny valleys brimming with divine radiance would remind him of what his priorities should be. It was true he had never had a glamorous role amongst the pantheon, even with his title.
Being a member of the Sumiyoshi Sanjin sounded great, but his brothers had earned the title more than him. He was just fortunate enough to be born their sibling, and so he got to share in undeserved fame. It suited him well to stand in their shadows, and his only regret was that he might bring shame to them, or get in their way.
Hanging his head, the troubled god sighed deeply. Maybe that was it. It had all stemmed from delusions of grandeur. In his desperation to prove useful, be a part of something greater than himself and come into his own, he had entertained turning away from the teachings of the Heavens to…what?
Something stirred in the jungle behind him, something he could feel. Uwatsutsu sucked in a breath, tensing in preparation. What if they knew? The Heavens knew everything, even about his traitorous thoughts. They would come and confront him. He would be hauled off for imprisonment, or worse. And the most horrible part of all was that it would smear his brothers' names and overshadow all their hard work. All because they had the misfortune of being born alongside a god like him.
Something came flying right at him, and he barely clamped in his shriek. A light weight fluttered to land atop his head, and then there was a small tug on one of his curls. Glancing up, he was a bit startled to see the curious little face of a shima enaga pop into view.
It twittered at him, and the god cupped his hands together and offered them as a perch the tiny bird gladly alighted on. Bringing it closer to his face, Uwatsutsu blinked at the oblivious bird, who chirped once again. "Wha?" Shima enaga were birds Izanami Ōkami was especially fond of, so not only were they on earth, a hardier but identical version dwelled in the Heavens as well. But given that the jungle was not their normal habitat, Uwatsutsu was surprised one had ventured such a long way from its home and friends. "What are you doing out here by yourself?" he asked the bird, receiving yet another sweet chirp. "I wish I could at least understand you."
It snuggled into his hands, not seeming to mind the barrier to communication. Some deities could understand the creatures in the Heavens, but he was a god of sea, and he had never been able to translate what beasts of land and air said. "You're so little…and puffy and cute." Uwatsutsu gushed quietly. Shima enaga were quite charming with their fluffy white feathers and innocent faces.
"It sounds like you and your new friend have much in common." This time, Uwatsutsu couldn't contain his startled yelp, eyes huge as he spun to face a god with whom he was very familiar. Still, not even the sight of the usual languid, lopsided grin that often rested on his friend's face could make his heart stop thumping so swiftly. At least not right away.
"Kagutsuchi!" he whined, "You jerk."
"Hey, you're just too unaware of your surroundings." The god of fire held up his hands, "On top of being skittish, it's not a good combination my friend."
Uwatsutsu calmed down, because the other deity was right. They were friends. The best of friends.
Outside of his brothers, there wasn't a single other god in the pantheon he was closer to than Kagutsuchi. The two had grown up together, since their earliest days of existence. Humans would call them childhood friends, so Uwatsutsu supposed that made them whatever the equivalent was. And, of course they were opposites, like close friends often were.
While Uwatsutsu was timid and indecisive, Kagutsuchi was bold and pushy. Many of the other gods actually scorned him, and had for as long as the sea god could remember. He would call them disdainful whispers, but they were a bit too overt in their ostracization for that. He had a reputation as hotheaded, unpredictable and…dangerous. But, to Uwatsutsu he had always simply been Kagutsuchi.
"Still, I must say, I always knew you had it in you, you know."
"What are you talking about?" Uwatsutsu's question only made his friend's smile broaden, pride glowing in his orange eyes. The bird flew away as Kagutsuchi lurched forward and threw an arm heavily around Uwatsutsu's shoulder and pulled him close. The heat of his arm alone could have seared right through the fabric of his clothes.
Hot. Always hot. Everything about Kagutsuchi was hot, even when he had tempered his heat down as much as possible. His wild, bushy orange hair often burst into flame when he was passionate, and his eyes always burned like a lit candle, even when he was happiest.
The heat that always radiated from his skin could scald to the touch, if he wanted it to. But Kagutsuchi's normal heat was more pleasant, cozy, like a well-lit hearth. At least to Uwatsutsu. Few others were likely to get close enough to discover the same.
Though young, he was rumored to be the strongest incarnation of a fire god the pantheon had ever had. The only one whose flames could burn stronger was the Most Divine, Amaterasu Ōkami herself. All Kagutsuchi's power was partially why he was feared.
"I know what you were up to." The hot breath curling against the shell of his ear made Uwatsutsu flinch as much as the declaration.
"Knock it off," the sea god attempted to shrug away from his friend's hold. "I didn't do anything."
"Are you really trying to hide something so big from me ?" Kagutsuchi sounded mostly amused, but there was a flicker of hurt in his eyes. "Come on, remember who you're talking to here!"
"Okay," Uwatsutsu swallowed quietly. "But please, promise me you won't tell."
Thick orange eyebrows pulled down over sharp eyes full of confusion. "Tell…that you finally went and enjoyed yourself like I've been trying to get you to do for the past five hundred years?" Slowly, he pushed away, holding the other god in place by his shoulders. "That is what we were talking about, right?"
Uwatsutsu set a shaky hand on one of Kagutsuchi's wrists. "Sort of…"
"You okay?" A burning hand tentatively touched his forehead, and Uwatsutsu laughed.
"Kagutsuchi, you always run hot. How could you tell if I'm feverish?"
The fire god stared, surprised by the question. Then he snorted, lightly slapping him on the same forehead he had just been touching so carefully. "You really think I'd be the God of Fire and not be able to recognize elevated temperatures? I can tell the difference between my own heat and other sources of it, dummy."
"Well…" Uwatsutsu rubbed over his forehead, blushing. He had a point; it was a silly assumption. "I'm not feverish." he said instead, "Really. I just…I just," he sighed helplessly. "Kagutsuchi, what would you do if you might have…broken a rule, but you don't know how. And now you feel bad about it?"
He was met with a flat stare. "Are you really asking me?" It was another good point. Kagutsuchi was as likely to disregard rules he deemed beneath him as Uwatsutsu was to follow the rules he deemed above him (which was all of them). "I think we both know which one of us is going to be imprisoned for monumental rule breaking first." He laughed as brightly as the fire of his hair suddenly burned, placing two fingers between his lips and giving a loud whistle. "In fact…check out what I've been up to while you were away!"
The ground trembled, and Uwatsutsu was tempted to cover his ears as an eerie sound disturbed the air. "What is that? It almost sounds like 'basa basa'…"
"Exactly!" Kagutsuchi's hair burned brighter, embers drifting from it. "Meet…PonPon!" With a piercing cry, a fiery red, monstrous bird flew to them from over the horizon. Uwatsutsu could only gape as it got closer, and thus larger. It was roughly twenty-four meters tall when it landed, spreading emerald green wings that easily reached eleven meters before they folded in. The comb on its head was even brighter than the red of its body, to Uwatsutsu's astonishment, and the brightly hued tail was the same green as its wings. The blue of its hackles and dangerous looking claws was the last thing he noticed. It was somewhat reminiscent of an earth rooster, if that rooster could grow large enough to dwarf mountains and knew how to fly.
"Kagutsuchi," he breathed, "Where did you get…PonPon."
Here, the god puffed out his chest, even as he dragged Uwatsutsu by the arm, closer to the monstrosity that looked like he would be perfectly at home in The Under. "I made him!" he explained. "He's my attendant."
Uwatsutsu didn't have time to even absorb that before he was being ushered onto PonPon's back, Kagutsuchi mounting right behind him. Another flutter of its massive wings, complete with the same strange sound, and they were in the air, climbing far above the jungles and expansive waterfall. From higher up, the Heavens were only more beautiful, a sight that could still take his breath away even after thousands of years.
Once he finished peering down over the side of the bird, he glanced at his friend again, who had his eyes closed in contentment, the wind tousling his currently unlit hair. "So…how did you make an attendant? I thought Izanagi Ōkami forbade you…" Attendants were powerful assistants, normally completely loyal to the deity who created them. They came in all shapes and sizes and forms, and while some only held a semblance of freewill, others were entirely sentient beings, even capable of speech. Much like godslayers, they were a privilege not every deity was afforded. Those who chose to have attendants by their sides had to have the blessings of one of the ōkami. And Izanagi would never allow Kagutsuchi that honor.
Kagutsuchi miraculously heard him over the rushing wind, cracking one eye open. "My father?" he sneered, "You really think I would allow him to stop me?" Uwatsutsu was beginning to think his time on earth had dulled his memories of Kagutsuchi. Why else would he be surprised by the things the fire god did? Kagutsuchi lived to disobey his father. Their relationship had always been badly strained. Kagutsuchi wasn't afraid to have it out with a god few others would dare cross, deity or mortal. Their arguments were legend, though Izanagi Ōkami was probably using some measure of restraint. He had even tried for civility a time or two. But it meant nothing to his son. No concession made would ever lessen Kagutsuchi's grudge. Uwatsutsu didn't think it was his place to try dissuading him away from it, either.
"Did you know he's got me training to take up blacksmithing now? I guess they can't wrangle the god they banished to earth and lost, so I happen to be the next best thing." Normally, to be named god of multiple things was an honor.
It solidified a deity's importance when they were given governance of more than one area. But Kagutsuchi didn't sound impressed. He probably felt like he was being used. Amanomahitotsu didn't seem to want anything to do with the Heavens, or be inclined to return.
His talents with a forge were rare, even among deities. The arts of blacksmithing were teachable to those well-suited, but no one had been able to craft divine weapons the same caliber as Amanomahitotsu's since he left. Lady Kanayago had been the next best they had, but she had met her end at the hands of Mizuchi's godslayer.
The Heavens swore revenge on both Mizuchi and the mortal for killing one of their own, but it was clear they were reluctant to revive the goddess of iron nonetheless.
She was…unpleasant, to be tactful, and he had heard rumblings that she had already been allowed to reincarnate several times more than was average for a deity of her station. So it was perceived as a pain, possibly more trouble than it was worth. That meant it would all fall on Kagutsuchi, if he had been tapped by Izanagi Ōkami to take on those duties.
"I think having my very own attendant is well deserved." he concluded, patting PonPon's neck. "I'm calling him a basabasa. You know, because of the sound his wings make." The flight was a rough one, but considering how pleased Kagutsuchi seemed with his attendant, Uwatsutsu said nothing. He focused on the changing view instead. The Heavens was a vast, vast place. Three times as large as earth.
Traversing from one plane of it to another could take a long time, even for a god. But with the help of PonPon, they jerkily flew through the open sky at a much quicker rate.
Already, he could see Lady Sakuya's gardens, regarded as the prettiest in the whole realm. A vibrant rainbow always hung like a banner over the grove of cherry blossoms that eternally stayed in bloom. A carefully crafted wooden bridge arced over a smaller waterfall than the one near the jungle.
Grassy knolls waited on the other side of the structure, the perfect place to contemplate or have tea. On another, a set of rocky protrusions with flat tops acted as a stairway to the grassy knoll topped with more sakura trees. She was generous enough to allow anyone to visit the gardens she had so lovingly cultivated, whether she was there or not. When they were small, he and Uwatsutsu would play all day there, although some gods complained there was a chance the young fire god would get too caught up in roughhousing and burn it all down, even if it had never happened. "See how fast that was?" Kagutsuchi asked as they disembarked from PonPon.
Uwatsutsu watched the basabasa take to the sky with a grateful wave from his friend. The strange bird's chest glowed orange as it breathed a stream of fire into the air on its departure. Wherever Kagutsuchi had it living, he hoped it wouldn't cause any trouble…for his friend or whoever happened upon the creature.
"By the way, what was all that about earlier?" Kagutsuchi folded his arms behind his head as he walked across the knoll, stopping to breathe in the fragrant trees. "Something about you breaking a rule?"
A part of Uwatsutsu wished he had never said anything. But he kept no secrets from his closest friend, and he was sure Kagutsuchi would never tell. He wasn't even sure if he could talk to his brothers about it, as much as he wanted to.
Uwatsutsu sat down in the grass, resting against the trunk of one of the trees. Kagutsuchi joined him, waiting for him to explain. "How well do you remember earth?"
Kagutsuchi squinted, his nose scrunching as he thought. "Eh, it was a short trip. Father didn't even really want me to go. It was Mother that convinced him. I didn't interact with any mortals or see much, if that's what you mean." He tapped his chin, "Oh, but I made some volcanoes." he finished brightly. It stood to reason that would be the most memorable part of the outing to him. Due to Izanagi Ōkami's feelings regarding Kagutsuchi, he had never traveled to earth for any extended time either.
When they were still very new gods, Kagutsuchi had briefly gone with his father to earth, back in the days when deities were more directly involved in the lives of mortals. It probably wasn't wrong to assume Izanagi Ōkami took him at the request of his wife. She and Kagutsuchi had a much better understanding in their relationship.
"I see…" Uwatsutsu thought back to sailing on the peaceful sea, living off that quiet beach for months on end. Mizuchi had been right about him from the beginning. He hadn't done much to fulfill the objectives of the Heavens, but instead took the opportunity to lean into his sense of wonder about earth. He had been alive for thousands of years, but those fleeting moments on earth for a few months made him feel what he had never felt…and when the humans of Yumegakure showed him kindness and interest despite not knowing his status—he faintly touched the necklace he was still wearing— and he wondered what being around them even more would be like.
Deities tended to regard humanity as a stubborn plant that needed constant pruning and reshaping to keep it in line. Otherwise, the ōkami explained, there would be chaos. But at large, the Heavens hadn't taken a very active role in what mortals did for a long time, unless one of them did something catastrophic to throw off the Heavens' sense of order.
"I walked among them recently, and it wasn't like what I imagined."
Kagutsuchi made a noise of surprise, sitting straighter and drawing his knees to his chest. "How was it?" he asked excitedly. "Did they know you were a god? Did they fear you?"
"No," Uwatsutsu answered both questions at once. "They were…good to me. They gave me things." He hooked a thumb under the necklace to lift it up. Eyes glittering, Kagutsuchi let his fingers skim over the jewelry with an appreciative "oooh!" Neither of them had ever been on earth to get a devout following the way the ōkami and other gods had. And Kagutsuchi especially had never been gifted much of anything if not from him or perhaps Izanami Ōkami. "And it made me wonder…this conflict the Heavens are preparing for…what if humans get dragged into it?" Even with Kagutsuchi, he couldn't reveal that he had met Mizuchi, or that it had been her who first put these thoughts in his head. Not out in the open. "Is anyone going to protect them? What if…what if this is wro—"
The palm that fell over his mouth was firm, warm and a little calloused. The back of his head scraped the bark of the cherry blossom tree, and he found his wide eyes mesmerized by the fiery intensity in Kagutsuchi's gaze. "Ssshhh!" He hissed, finger placed up to his own lips. "You…you can't say that."
Uwatsutsu opened his mouth to speak, but the fire god shook his head furiously. "Let me be the one who says rebellious things like that out loud." He winked, smile a little cocky. "They're used to it from me." No one would take his friend's protests seriously if he did choose to defy the will of the Heavens', because everyone knew Kagutsuchi had a habit of opposing the ōkami on principle. Gods like him, on the other hand, had to fall in line. Though as Mizuchi had pointed out, in all his life, had anyone ever really stopped to tell him his purpose? He was a deity, so he had to have some specific reason to exist. Being god of the sea would be one thing, but he had two older and more powerful brothers who commanded the sea with far better mastery than he ever could. So that left him…wandering. In every sense.
Slowly pulling his hand away, Kagutsuchi's face became more serious, "But…there's no going back from thoughts like that, so you have to be careful." He was right…it was a lot to put on the line to even entertain opinions like the one he had been about to voice. Sensing his nerves taking over, in the way he always could, Kagutsuchi's eyes softened. "If that's what you really want, then let me know first. I'm always ready to raise a little hellfire."
'Kagutsuchi…' His heart slowed to a calmer rhythm, and Uwatsutsu began to relax. For a fleeting moment, he had been scared he had said too much, but this was his dearest friend. Of course he would understand and show support.
The weight eased right off his shoulders after that, the tension drifting away like a passing cloud. Tranquility curled around them, almost coaxing Uwatsutsu to rest his eyes for a spell. It was only because he didn't that he noticed when another deity entered the gardens. He could tell who it was just from the statuesque build and the energy that surged up from the grass, all the way through the tops of the trees.
Kagutsuchi could sense it too, opening one of his eyes with a slow grin, "Hey…haven't seen him in a while." He was up and taking off down the hill so fast Uwatsutsu stumbled to follow after him. There weren't many deities Kagutsuchi was truly friendly with, given the distance between him and most of the pantheon. But a few had always been kind, and the god of the forests was one of them.
Kukunochi leaned his weight against the bridge separating the two halves of the gardens, radiating a sort of peace that Uwatsutsu felt guilty about breaking. His friend, on the other hand, had no such reservations. "Old Man Kukunochi!" He greeted with an enthusiastic wave, "It's been a while, huh?"
Uwatsutsu shuffled along behind Kagutsuchi, a little embarrassed on his friend's behalf. Kukunochi wasn't as old a god as some others, though he had been a grown one when the two of them were first born. And he never looked down on the younger gods, instead treating them with intentional kindness. There was a trick he used to do for them, pulling a leaf from behind one of their ears, which had been endlessly amusing when they were small, despite its simplicity. "Ah, it certainly has." he agreed, his voice clear and gentle, as usual. "You're both looking well."
"You too," Kagutsuchi said through a lop-sided grin. "But I guess all this nature agrees with you." In Uwatsutsu's opinion, Kukunochi had always been a god that glowed. To mortals, they all did. But among their own kind, when everyone dripped with divinity, it was a bit more unusual.
The forest god was tall, standing about a head above them both, and he had a rich, sable complexion always positively accentuated by the autumnal tones of his kimonos. He kept his thick brown hair long, held in place by a wooden circlet that sprouted golden leaves which never withered.
It hung down his back, tucked behind his left ear to reveal the simple jade earring he wore there, while some of it was secured in a loose bun by a kanzashi. There was always a fatherly interest in his amber eyes when he spoke to the younger gods, listening to details of the exploits Kagutsuchi dragged them into.
"Do you think so?" He chuckled, his attention back on the gardens. "I personally believe all of Sakuya-hime's hard work simply makes it a little easier to hide the rust." he winked.
"Eh, you're always so humble." The fire god shook his head. "I knew you'd say something like that."
"Humility is the key to aging well," Kukunochi told them, "Even for a god! And that's the truth."
"Hm…" Kagutsuchi caught a few petals that had blown in their direction. "I'll keep it in mind. But anyway, kind of surprised you're here, and not in counsel with the rest of 'em. I can't imagine they didn't want you on earth when they move out."
"Kagutsuchi!" Uwatsutsu admonished, unsure if it was too rude.
"They did…ask." Kukunochi admitted, his expression still serene, "But I politely turned them down. I'm not sure what good I'd be in a war counsel."
Uwatsutsu felt a particular kinship to the older god, though he knew realistically they weren't the same. His elder was virtuous, wise, and when he wanted to be, plenty powerful enough to join the other gods. No one had invited him to sit in on the counsel, though he knew both his brothers would be there.
"What?" Kagutsuchi's disbelief was obvious, "Your powers are pretty versatile. I've heard about the way you use to dispatch Heaven's enemies."
"Long, long ago, I can assure you." Kukunochi closed his eyes, taking a gentle whiff of the sweet air. "These days, I'm just a gardener. And one who's being pleasantly outshined by a new generation."
Uwatsutsu didn't know why he thought that for a brief moment, the god of the forests sounded lonely.
Her head was spinning. The room felt too small, everyone's agitated chakra was bearing down on her, and her head was spinning. Mito didn't bother to interrupt. Her mother and grandfather were in the middle of a heated talk, and neither really seemed to notice her cringing away from their frustration. "Milady…" Namika whispered, gently touching her arm. "Are you alright? Do you need anything?" It was always Namika who remained ever vigilant and always attentive to her moods, physical state, and overall well-being.
"Some fresh air might be nice." She whispered back, glancing over at her family. Namika nodded immediately.
The topic of conversation had been the same since they woke up and discovered their village host was nowhere to be found. It took no time at all to realize he wasn't present in the Hokage Tower and then less than an hour for everyone to dress for the day and set out for the Senju compound to demand an explanation.
At the very least, when a village leader hosted an important guest from outside the village, they communicated all their coming and goings. Even if an emergency only the Hokage could handle come up, surely it was most proper to leave a message for them.
Her mother was sure the Senju clan would have the answers. Except, as it happened, they didn't. None of them were aware of where Hashirama might be either. And that certainly warranted a bit of flustered professions of how rude it was. At least her mother saw it that way.
Mito only hoped he was safe, wherever he might be. It was unusual for him to just go off and not return. She didn't know him very well, but on the day he had walked her around the village, he had been attentive and personable, but with a sort of professionalism that befitted the newness of their acquaintanceship. He didn't strike her as someone who didn't take his responsibilities seriously. In fact, as he spoke of the village and how it had come to be the marvel that it was, Mito felt a great deal of his pride and love for Konoha and its people. It filled her with warmth, knowing he was as attentive a leader as he had been as a host to her. So nothing indicated this behavior was the norm. "I don't mean to interrupt," Mito said, doing just that, "But if you both don't mind, I'd like to step outside for a short while."
Her mother studied her, and it was then she seemed to notice the tightness in her daughter's face for the first time. "You look dreadful," she fussed, "Yes, stepping outside would do you well. We'll undoubtedly still be here when you return."
Just as she said that, an older woman came sweeping in through the door. The Senju clan had ushered them into the main house's receiving room, and Tobirama Senju himself had come and spoken to them when they first arrived. Though he had no better idea about his brother's whereabouts than the rest of them, he told Ojiisama he planned to join the search, as well as using his doppelgängers to cover more ground.
That seemed agreeable enough to her mother and grandfather, who had also sent Kameyo and Ayumu off to help look as well. It was probably for the best. Ayumu would inevitably raise hackles with his normal flippancy. Since Tobirama's departure, Senju had been coming to check on them periodically, apprising them of any updates—there hadn't been any promising ones—and seeing that any small thing they needed could be taken care of.
Mei Senju was by far the most impressive person they had met. She carried herself in the same way Kaasan did, Mito thought. It appeared to be her turn to check on them, and when she did, Ojiisama wasted no time telling her Mito wanted to step outside and rest.
Her stern eyes gave the Uzumaki one half-glance before she turned around, "Yes, follow me, Lady Mito."
Lady Mito. Yes, that was the persona she needed to slip into. Following behind the elder woman at exactly five and a half paces so as to keep a polite distance, Mito almost breathed in too deeply when they stepped into a very nice garden. Instantly, the flowering bushes and mild breeze calmed her nerves. She even spotted a few birds she had never seen before flitting around, their colorful plumage brilliant in the sunlight. "Oh, is that a kousa dogwood?" Namika pointed at a small tree that was flowering with little white blooms.
"It is," Mei-san confirmed. "Our Lord Hashirama is fond of plants and trees that bear fruit. He's had a habit of snacking on them since he was a child." Mito wandered closer to the kousa dogwood, and indeed found plump pink berries. She picked one, squeezing it delicately and wondering about its texture. "Are these ripe?"
"Yes, that's the color they turn when they're ready to eat!" Namika answered gleefully, picking one as well. "But they don't normally produce fruit this early in the season…"
"Interesting, isn't it?" Mei-san's face would suggest that she didn't find much of anything interesting, expressionless as it was. But her tone was not unkind or condescending. "Lord Hashirama has a special way with plants. It's not unusual for the ones he takes care of to do especially well, sometimes even flowering or bearing fruit out of season."
'It must be the Mokuton. It's a most fascinating thing.' Trusting her attendant's knowledge, Mito popped the berry into her mouth without delay, rewarded with an unpleasant flavor as she bit into the skin, until the fruit's inner flesh overtook it. If she had to compare it to anything, it would be a persimmon.
"Oh, milady!" She could already hear that Namika was fretting before she looked at her. "You really shouldn't bother with the skin or the seeds. They don't taste as good as the meat of the fruit inside."
"She isn't wrong," Mei-san agreed. "It would be best to spit those out."
If Mei-san wasn't with them, Mito might have considered it. But she could hear her mother's words so clearly. 'That would be very unbecoming.'
"It's alright." She lifted her pristine sleeve up so that her mouth was hidden, careful not to press it too close to her lips and smudge the red paint there. "I don't mind." Then she pulled down another berry, and slowly, put it in her mouth and began to chew. Again, she got the sweetness of a taste similar to persimmon, but only after her taste buds had been assaulted by the bitter skin and odd texture of the seeds.
"Very well." Mei-san didn't look entirely convinced, but she didn't press the issue. "Take your time here. I'll see to it you aren't disturbed."
Mito saw a flicker of gentleness in her eyes just then, a glimpse, perhaps, at a less reserved side? When it was only the two of them, Mito hurriedly spat the seeds and whatever she hadn't chewed on the ground.
"Oh, Lady Mito." Namika gasped, lifting her sleeve up to wipe at her mouth for her without a second thought. "I knew you found it unpleasant!"
"Namika," she gently brushed her friend's hand away. "We are alone. I've told you, you don't have to use a title." Namika blushed slightly, lowering her hand with an obedient nod. "But, I couldn't let Mei-san see me spitting out pulp and seeds all over the ground. Kaasan would never approve."
"Should I go inside and find you something to wash the taste away?" Namika offered.
Mito shook her head, though she found the gesture thoughtful. "I'd rather you stayed and talked to me. You're the only one I can express my thoughts on all this with."
"Oh, of course. I'm happy to lend my ear if you need to confide in me."
Years ago, when they were young girls, Mito would call Namika to her room and the girls would talk quietly in the middle of the night while the rest of the household slept. Though Namika often didn't want to 'step out of an attendant's place' and worry her, Mito had reminded her that they were also friends, and friends shared in their struggles as well as their happiness together.
Timidly, Namika would open up, speaking of times when she doubted her service really benefited the clan that had taken her in. Mito would reassure her that it did, and in exchange be reassured when the expectations of her family weighed heavily upon her shoulders.
Now it was not much different. Mito was no fool, nor was she oblivious. She could guess at her grandfather's ultimate plan. How he would go about securing a strong tie between the Uzumaki and the Senju, which by extension would make them an ally of Konoha.
It would likely mean her life would change dramatically, but growth often came with discomfort, and it was always her family's wish that she would grow to be a fierce and formidable Uzumaki woman. To satisfy that desire and bring honor to her family, she could learn to accept the change in status that might soon be thrust upon her. And the Hokage, no, Hashirama was a nice man. She could sense it. The Senju were lucky to have him. The village was lucky to have him. …She would be lucky to have him. And she could learn to feel it was more than duty, at least in time. "He will return soon, won't he?" Mito found herself asking.
"Who do you mean?" Namika blinked, fiddling with a berry she had picked but not eaten yet. "The Hokage. I'm sure with everyone looking, it's highly possible he'll be found soon."
"Unless he was spirited away…" Mito frowned. Namika paused, looking startled. "Perhaps by a juragumo…or a tsuchigumo."
"W-Well," Namika smiled lightly, though her eyes were nervous. She had always believed in the dangerous mythical creatures Mito told her about, and thus she had always feared them. "The Hokage is a peerless shinobi, right?"
Mito sighed, "I just hope it wasn't a hinoenma. Anything but that." Wicked, vile and manipulative, they would prey on attractive men and twist their hearts to ruin.
"Whatever he comes across, I'm sure he will overcome it." Namika reassured, stopping to admire another blooming bush as they walked around the garden.
"Yes, I feel his will is strong." Mito watched a bee land on a nearby flower, collecting pollen. It was a simple, productive life, to be a bee.
There was harmony in the way they lived, and value in the results they produced. Yet it was an insect, and it existed without the burden of wondering if its efforts measured up to the next bee. A simple, productive, enviable existence.
The conversation lapsed into less pressing things. Namika spoke about the garden arrangement she had planned when they returned home, and Mito admitted how she would like to see more attractions while they visited Fire Country. Spot the differences in the flora and fauna, notice the signs of the mysterious creatures that roamed about unnoticed.
Something might inspire her to create a new seal. The seal work on Naruto-kun was complicated and wildly ambitious, but it set her heart ablaze with passion. Someday she would like to come up with something that brilliant, and a good use for it, of course.
Thoughts of ambition reminded her that inside, her grandfather and mother waited, still discussing if the Hokage's disappearing act changed anything. Was Konoha worthy of Uzumaki cooperation? What would put their clan in the best position of gain? "We've been out here for some time." she remarked.
"Has it been that long already?" Namika searched the sky for an answer, likely trying to determine how much time had passed. "Are you ready to return to the receiving room then?"
"Not particularly." Mito would never take the fact that she could speak her mind around Namika without hesitation for granted. "They'll be discussing more of the same, I imagine."
"Then please, let me fetch you something. A drink or a snack! The Senju offered tea cakes earlier." The blonde had a determined gleam in her blue eyes that Mito knew not to stand in the way of. One of the only times her friend was not so self-conscious and demure was when it came to one of her cherished hobbies, or providing for Mito in some way. "If they ask, I'll tell them you're still feeling flush."
She was off in the next breath, Mito unable to shout after her when she was already stepping back inside. Namika's loyalty was rare, and dear to her. It had always made her life less lonely than it could have been, though she found comfort in her family as well, as complicated as they were. But things weren't complicated with Namika, and she hoped they didn't grow that way. She needed at least one person who understood by her side; her life might soon be facing a great amount of upheaval.
Although she couldn't imagine what Hashirama was thinking, or where he was, she still pitied the boy. The Uzumaki had a way of sucking the air from the room when they were displeased. And that…was an understatement. They didn't show up screaming, to their credit, but it had been clear they wanted answers. Answers no one could immediately give.
Hashirama's disappearance was as unexpected to the clan as it had been to his guests, and all there was left to do was try and track him down as quickly as possible. No one bothered to inform the Uzumaki that he had wandered off a time or two in the past. Once, even as a small boy of five, he had vanished for several days.
The clan had been in an uproar, Butsuma demanding every Senju not otherwise indisposed to search for his heir. The prevailing theories in the air were kidnapping by the Hagoromo or the Uchiha, or maybe he'd been snatched away by bloodline hunters.
The clan head had been livid with Tobirama at the time; the last person to see his brother before he disappeared. But Mei and Lady Chinatsu had firmly put their foot down against anything even remotely resembling a punishment. To expect a three-year old to answer for such a thing was ludicrous.
In the end, the lost boy turned up like he had never been gone, dazed but unscathed. He seemed to have no recollection of where he had been, no matter how many times Butsuma pressed him. Eventually, his father had just had to settle for acting like a reasonable parent, and being satisfied his child was back home.
Nevertheless, Mei understood how serious this was to the Uzumaki. They had come all the way across a raging sea at Hashirama's request to negotiate an even stronger allyship going forward. One that would serve to benefit the village more than the Uzumaki, at least at a glance.
Such an arrangement hinged on the pot being sweetened to make it worth their while. Now this. It was unlike Hashirama, so unlike him as to be alarming, but the Uzumaki didn't know that. And it was unlikely they would simply take the Senju giving empty platitudes; it didn't mean much to them. They had a right to be upset, aggrieved even. They even had a right to voice it.
She could appreciate a straight-talker. She was one herself, in her humble opinion. But, she still questioned the need for the Uzumaki to spend so long lounging in the receiving room, reiterating the same grievances about the situation amongst themselves.
Though she supposed them waiting at the Hokage Tower for word made less sense. It was just that waiting on them when she had better things to do was a bit aggravating. Better her than some other more easily intimidated soul, she supposed. She would play respectful host while Tobirama and whoever he had rounded up searched for Hashirama, but she would not bow and scrape. They were just lucky she had already promised a cake to a sick, elderly friend. She surveyed all her ingredients, ensuring she had enough to double the recipe for two cakes before she began. All seemed to be in order, except that racket happening out in the hall. What was that?
Eyes narrowed, Mei peered out of the kitchen to see the blonde young woman that had accompanied Lady Mito tripping and fumbling her way through an apology as she spoke to someone she had evidently collided with. Jumpy, that one. And a bit unsure of things. She was Mito's attendant, and guessing based on her station and hair color, she shared no blood with the household she served.
Mei marched into the hall, just as the man was advising the attendant to be more careful. She bowed, offering another sincere apology. "What is this disturbance about?"
Both looked mildly surprised to see her, but it was Namika who spoke first, flushing, "My apologies. It was my fault. I don't always have the best sense of direction in new places, and I was trying to locate the receiving room again, but wandered around and bumped into him while I wasn't paying attention."
Mei turned to Yutaka. "Then is all well here?"
"It is on my end," He held up a hand. "As long as the young lady knows to be more careful and ask for directions sooner next time."
"What did you need from the receiving room?" She asked Namika.
"Oh, I was going to retrieve a tea cake for Lad—Mito." Mei vaguely mused over the informal correction. She and Lady Mito must have been quite close. Shinobi clans that kept a house full of servants weren't much different than noble families who did the same; both required acknowledgement of their elevated station from said servants, and anything else would be impolite.
"Come with me."
While Mei reentered the kitchen, ready to start her baking, Namika stood in the doorway nervously, stiff as a board.
"Well?" She asked expectantly. "Come and crack the eggs. I need the whites."
Blinking, Namika hurried to help, locating the mixing bowl Mei intended to use. "I…I thought you were going to discipline me. I'd understand if you did. I'm not normally so rowdy in someone else's household." She talked rapidly, anxiously, even as she set to work beating the egg whites. "I'm not rowdy in the Uzumaki household either, for that matter! It reflects poorly on them to be rude in someone else's house, so—"
"That's ready." Mei told her, peeking over into the bowl. Her hands were already busy picking up the next ingredient. "Here, you can add the yolks, as well as the sugar, salt, vanilla, honey, and water."
If she kept the girl occupied and at her side, at least she wouldn't get underfoot. Even returning to the receiving room could lead to accidental trouble, or the Uzumaki there verbally taking their frustrations out on the skittish thing.
She had seen the way Ashina addressed her, and it gave Mei the sense that he was traditional in his stance on servants, wanting them to be neither seen or heard unless called upon. Namika was keeping up well, taking instructions with ease and swiftly combining everything she was handed into the bowl. "I have two cakes to prepare. One of them I intend on taking to the receiving room. I doubt they're ready for more now, or that there's any left there. All of this goes faster with two sets of hands, you see."
"R-Right." Namika looked up only long enough to salute her.
"You don't have anything to worry about." Mei traded her the bowl she had already added the flour and matcha powder to for her to whisk. "No need to be stiff."
Namika's blue eyes grew curious, and she slowly nodded. "Um, alright. Thank you." They worked on in silence, surprisingly in sync. Mei often found baking or cooking alone easier on her nerves. Sometimes other cooks got underfoot, sometimes they moved too slowly or had a different way of doing things. But as Namika helped, she relaxed, in her element when she could be of service. It almost caught her off guard when she chose to initiate conversation. "Is this by chance a matcha cake?"
"It is," she confirmed, busy making sure everything was folded in perfectly.
"Interesting," Namika murmured. "Matcha cake isn't commonly had with tea in Uzushio."
"Oh?" Mei poured the mixture into the first cake pan, making sure the parchment paper was in place. "Then what is?"
"Chestnut cake, I think." Namika carefully placed the pan in the oven. "Chestnuts are popular in many of the desserts on Uzushio."
"It's versatile," Mei poured the second cake into the pan so it could join the first in the oven. "You're very competent in the kitchen, hm?"
"Me?" Namika shook her head. "Oh, no. At home I simply find things to keep occupied when Mito doesn't need any help. Which…is quite often these days. If I provide her anything, it's just company."
Mei wiped her hands on a rag, then passed it to Namika to do the same. "You shouldn't underestimate the value of that."
A small smile lifted her young face, "Mito tells me something similar."
"She's right. Everyone could use a friend from time to time." Mei agreed, reclaiming the rag once Namika was done. "There's not much to do but wait on the cakes to be ready. Thank you for assisting,"
"Thank you for allowing me." The blonde bowed cordially. "It was a pleasant experience to make something I've never had the opportunity to bake before."
'This one's certainly got manners.' Though, it was no surprise. Ashina seemed the type to drill decorum into those serving his household, and Namika clearly took her position seriously. "You know, you might as well wait for the cake to be finished. It won't be long."
"I would like to," Namika began, already sounding apologetic, "But I should check on Mito."
"Then why not take her some tea?" Mei suggested. "Take some for yourself as well."
It took a little convincing for Namika to accept the second part of the offer, but once the girl took a sip of the cool, blackberry tea she had personally made that morning, she finished her cup in no time.
Mei sent her off with two cups, a second one for herself, and another for Lady Mito. She couldn't explain the sudden affinity she had found to the young woman, but maybe she was just getting soft in her old age. Or maybe it was just as she had told Namika. Everyone needed some form of support from time to time.
Every sight he took in was only succeeded as the most extraordinary by the next. From the tale he had heard in his office, Hashirama had painted a picture of The Under in his mind as a terrifying, bleak place. Not one with flowers that looked lit up by the sun, or rivers that sparkled like gems.
It was an unusual place, pulsing with something ancient, but so far nothing felt as imposing as he had expected. Though it might have something to do with the herd of creatures at his side. He followed along, seeing as they seemed to have a destination in mind. 'But maybe I should have inquired more about that…' he considered.
They could be taking him literally anywhere. Then there was the matter of the one who seemed like their leader. The one who had called him Hashira and implied they met before.
He could see her up ahead, her beautiful tail flickering occasionally as her powerful flanks rippled when she walked. The strongest warhorse couldn't compete with her, or any of the rest of her herd. Making up his mind, Hashirama carefully moved from his place on the outside of the herd further inward, trying not to get in their way, but also trying not to be trampled. They glanced at him, some with wariness, and others with curiosity, but none of them impeded his path as he made his way closer to the one in charge.
"Excuse me," he called, "Do you have a minute?"
Surprisingly, she picked her head up and looked over her shoulder, though she kept moving. "Yes, Hashira?"
His intention had been to ask where they were headed, then maybe get around to asking how she knew him. But he faltered, realizing something important. "It feels odd, not knowing how to address you." He cleared his throat. "I…if you have a name, I'd like to call you by it."
She nickered, and to his ears it sounded a little like an amused chuckle. "You may call me Rumiri."
"Rumiri," he repeated. "It's nice to meet you," Hashirama paused, holding his chin in thought. "Although I can't shake the feeling that we share some connection. Clearly you know me…somehow."
Her ear flickered, one of her purplish-pink eyes focusing on him as he now walked right beside her. "I do. I would even go as far as saying very well. Although you've grown quite a bit since our last meeting."
The admission almost made him trip over his feet. "I'm sorry…" he frowned, "I don't remember meeting. I don't remember being here at all. And it seems like a place like this…" he gestured widely with both arms, "would be hard to forget."
"Indeed," she nickered softly, "But I hesitate to say more. For the time being, trust that if you don't recall this place, it's simply for the best."
They were entering what looked like an ordinary wheat field, except much taller. Rumiri and the herd walked through it with no trouble, but for all his height, Hashirama could barely see over the stalks. The feathery ends went right up his nose, and he batted them away while trying to keep up. The creamy color of Rumiri's coat almost blended in, actually. Every so often he would catch a glimpse of her glowing sides, and march on with determination. 'Follow the glow.' he told himself. 'Follow the glow.'
He could hear the rustling all around him, assuming it was the rest of the herd, fanned out as they moved through the field. The brief moment he glimpsed to his right to find out if one of the others was close, was the moment he lost sight of Rumiri entirely. Eyes widening, Hashirama spun around, swearing the wheat was growing taller as it whacked him in the face. "Rumiri?" he called. "Where'd you go?" Stumbling blindly, he tried again. "Rumiri? Rumi—"
His cheek throbbed as he smacked right into a solid form, looking up to see Rumiri standing tall, her neck craned as she peered down at him. "If you needed help, why didn't you just say so?" She shook her head, lowering herself until she was resting in the wheat, pressing it flat under her massive body. "You aren't so much different than before. You always tried to keep up without help then, too. Ride on my back for this leg of the journey. It'll be easier than trying to keep track of you."
There was something in her tone that struck Hashirama as the kind of indulgence one would have for a child whose antics they were used to. If they met long ago, and judging by everything else she had said about their last meeting, he must have been very young at the time. But how young, for him not to remember it at all? Surely, he would've.
Not wanting to shirk her kindness as he stood and gawked, Hashirama climbed on, and when she stood back up, he lightly held onto her mane, amazed at the difference in view. It offered a much better view of the field, as well as the grove on the other side. He could also see all the other creatures that were traveling with them, who had stopped to wait for them. "Hope you're not scared of heights." A member of the herd with a ginger coat nickered playfully.
"Rumiri, after all this time, you're still affording it special treatment?" Hashirama noticed a black beast with a blue glow to his mane and sides watching them with disdain.
"Aoto." None of the gentleness Rumiri had previously addressed him with was present in her sharp reprimand. "If you have a problem with the decisions I make, just say that."
Tension thick enough for him to choke on curled between the creatures, and then Aoto huffed, backing away. "Not at all. I just don't think it's wise to become too attached, that's all. Remember what happened the last time."
He trotted off with his tail high, clearly in a mood. Rumiri snorted, moving along at a steady pace, the rest of the herd moving with her, as if they hadn't just witnessed the face off. "I hope I'm not making any problems for you." Hashirama said quietly.
For a beat, Rumiri said nothing, and Hashirama wondered if she was trying to figure out how to tell him. "I wouldn't call it that." she said at last. "Aoto might not be fond of you, but the rest of the herd remembers you pleasantly enough to make up for it. Ignore his griping."
Even now, Hashirama could feel the displeasure radiating from Aoto, who was breezing right through the field with ease. It was hard to ignore that some strange, and probably very strong creature held such animosity towards him, but he could try. Instead, he thought about what he had wanted to ask since he first saw them. "You say herd…" the Senju looked at the rest of Rumiri's herd, at least fifty strong. "Forgive me if it's rude, but does that mean you are horses?"
"We're sagari!" The chipper voice popped up as suddenly as its owner, nearly startling Hashirama from Rumiri's back. A white creature built more wiry than Aoto and Rumiri popped up, grey speckles all over her body, and a pink glow on her sides and at the tips of her white-blonde mane. A large blotch shaped like a heart was stamped on the end of her nose. "You know, horse yokai?" Her body dipped low to the ground in a play bow and she swung her head to the side. "I'm Airi, by the way." she giggled. "Since you probably don't remember."
"Your coat is beautiful, Airi." He complimented, "All of you are so majestic."
"Thanks," Airi tossed her head, and her mane flipped with the motion, silky and flowing. "I, you know," she hooved at the ground bashfully. "I brush it, eat the right mosses. It helps with the shine."
Hashirama hadn't thought that the sagari could be glowing because of some bioluminescent plant in their diets, but it wasn't unheard of. "Fascinating."
"Anyway," Airi began prancing around restlessly, "Gotta go. Places to see, tails to chase."
She dashed off, tail fluttering behind her as she raced up ahead, head butting another sagari until they began chasing each other around playfully.
"She's always been…excitable." Rumiri explained. "She adored playing with you the last time you were with us."
"I don't suppose you'd reconsider telling me about that?" Hashirama coaxed, letting the strands of her impressive mane run through his fingers. She didn't seem to mind, or she hadn't noticed, "or at least where we are or where we're going."
"We are currently passing through the stretch of The Under we've carved out as our own, our territory. Where we met you was west of here, near the flower fields of Konohanasakuya. Almost everything here was made by our creator, the god of agriculture, Kuebiko."
'It's useful information,' Hashirama thought, 'so I can't complain about that. I did ask. But I probably shouldn't have given her the out I did. She ducked answering the question about my past here again.'
"As for where we're headed…" she continued, "the nearest exit to The Under I know of. With any luck, we can get you out safely."
The wheaten fields finally gave way to what should have been regular grass or dirt, but Hashirama leaned over Rumiri's side to stare in astonishment at the sky, in a place where the sky would be. It rippled as the sagari walked, the pale blue reflecting both the grove around them and their reflections back at them. "I've heard of up being down, but this is my first time seeing it…"
"The Under is a realm of horror, but sometimes of wonders." Rumiri said. "The deities who created it used to experiment with their powers and the things they could create with them. Some made miracles, others monstrosities. So The Under is now home to both. All the things most of The Heavens have shut away and forgotten over the millennia."
"…Even you?" Hashirama couldn't imagine giving life to something and then leaving it abandoned. The sagari were clearly sentient; it felt wrong.
"We were the prototype." The same ginger sagari from before explained. "In the end, a less fantastical creature was chosen to roam earth. Horses."
"We were not destroyed." Rumiri added, "That's what matters most. Kuebiko gave us these fields to roam, and we've made the most of it."
"But he still left you here…" Hashirama argued, struggling to understand. "I'm sure your home is great, but wouldn't you rather be at your deity's side?"
"Certainly." Rumiri paused. "But as I told you long ago, we don't all the time get what we want, Hashira. By now I would have thought you'd learned that."
There was a part of him that had adjusted to his new situation so quickly, because it was easier than letting his mind gravitate back to the thoughts he'd been ruminating over before he fell into The Under.
Rumiri's words struck like a bolt of lightning, a nasty shock that dredged up the truth he hadn't wanted to face. What was and what could never be. She was right; she didn't know how much he had learned that lesson recently.
Something tapped his head, but when he looked up, there was nothing there. The Senju decided he must have been imagining things, until he felt a definite tug on his ear. Almost blending in with the blue color of the…ground…was the reflection of the creature that had started it all. The one he had first seen in the woods on earth. "You! You again,"
To his surprise, it waved, and when he looked up from the ground, it had landed to sit on his shoulder, kicking small feet without a care in the world. "First you run, then you return. First you don't want to be seen, then you do." He eyed it suspiciously. "You have a pretty fluid temperament."
"That is a sudama." Rumiri informed him. "I can assure you they likely mean no harm."
Careful to keep hold of Rumiri's neck with one hand, Hashirama reached back and poked the sudama with the other. "What are they?"
"At best, they can be described as the essence of lush trees in spirit form."
Instantly, Hashirama plucked the sudama from his shoulder, squeezing Rumiri's sides with his legs so he could hold it with both hands. "So you are a forest spirit."
Another creature fluttered by, as if it were a ribbon unfurling in the wind, despite not even a gentle breeze blowing. It had a round head, similar to the sudama, but instead of its entire body being one large circle, it had a torso, overall resembling a pale blue anesama ningyo. It bore three big red swirls on its face and two small red swirls on both sides of its paper thin torso, near what could be considered the creature's waist. "That's the creature that made me fall down the hill earlier!"
"Ah yes," Rumiri looked up to gaze at it. "That is a kodama. Tree spirits of a more mischievous nature."
"My entire life, I've felt like there were spirits in the forest…" The sudama floated out of his hands, hovering next to the kodama. "And I was right."
"There must be some on earth." A chestnut sagari nudged one that floated by him, watching it dramatically spin through the air like a deflated balloon. "Though I wonder why…"
"They have a purpose." Rumiri replied calmly, "The sudama and kodama are protectors of the forests, and help maintain the balance of nature. They seem to have taken a strong liking to you, Hashira."
Hashirama saw the reflection of the kodama wrap itself loosely around his head, as if hugging him in apology for its earlier mischief. It was so lightweight, if the ground wasn't reflective, he wouldn't have noticed it was there. "All's forgiven." he assured it, smiling as more kodama and sudama drifted past like a gently floating flock of birds. "But Rumiri, if you don't mind me asking, how soon do you think we'll arrive at the exit?"
"That's hard to say." She admitted, "Time in The Under is a strange thing. Less fixed than on earth, since there's no need for it to be. This is a realm normally sealed off, after all."
"But this is the jinmenju grove," Airi came galloping up to them, bonking heads with a sudama. "Once we're on the other side of it, that should be two-fourths of the journey!" Her bottom lip stuck out in confusion as she thought. "Or would it be two-fifths…?"
No one replied, but Airi was more than happy to fill the not-quite-silence. "Oh, but check out how funny the jinmenju trees are! Get a load of this!"
"Airi, don't you dare!" Aoto called from the group's flank. How he had gotten behind them, Hashirama wasn't sure, but it probably explained the hateful aura bearing down on the back of his neck. Not heeding the dark sagari's warning, Airi pranced right over to one of the large, gnarled trees, rearing back and kicking the trunk. There was dead silence, and then the tree rumbled, the strange, lumpy dangling things Hashirama had assumed were small melons, astonishing him by suddenly sprouting eyes, noses, and mouths.
"Are they…are they…" he sputtered, unable to comprehend the bizarreness he was seeing.
"Surprise!" Airi puffed her chest out, tail swishing in pride as if she had done something monumental. "The fruit of the jinmenju tree have human faces!"
"Not Kuebiko's most inspired idea." Rumiri said. "When he began to decide what would grow on earth, these were excluded for perhaps obvious reasons." Hashirama shuddered, thinking over the idea of going to pick fruit and finding a face staring back as he went to bite into the side. Revolting.
Airi kicked at the tree's trunk again, and this time, one of the fruit opened its mouth and let out an eerie, discordant wail. It was less than a second before the other fruit followed suit. Hashirama covered his ears and tucked his head into his chest as Rumiri picked up the pace, her own ears pressed back.
"Airi!" Half the sagari shouted.
ASiT
After the encounter with the jinmenju trees, Hashirama eyed the seemingly innocent field of plants guardedly. This god of agriculture, Kuebiko…he seemed to make some questionable decisions in the name of experimentation. All the commotion caused by the screeching fruit had even caused the sudama and kodama to flee. "Do they scream too?" If they did, he wanted to be prepared.
A nearby sagari snorted over his question. "No, nothing so insidious. These are…" he stopped, one ear flickering as he thought. "Actually, did Kuebiko ever get around to naming these?"
"Not that I know of," Rumiri replied.
"So what are they?" Hashirama was no longer riding on Rumiri's back. Though she said his weight meant very little to her, he had insisted on walking so as not to tire her out. "I mean, what do they do?" He was prepared to be told something creepy or unsettling, which is why he elected not to walk too close or touch them as they passed by.
"They…" Rumiri tossed her head to the side. "They make miracles possible."
Hashirama gave the unassuming plants a second look, trying to spot what made them so miraculous. They had broad, springy green leaves that arced out, each containing a pale greenish-yellow pod about the size of his closed fist in the center. It somewhat resembled a banana plant, but not exactly.
The chestnut sagari that had introduced himself as Chairo shortly after the herd ran from the jinmenju studied the plant appreciatively. "Kuebiko had some help in making these. He and Ōkuninushi specifically crafted this to save nations in times of peril."
"Save nations?" Hashirama crouched to view the plant more closely, though he still hesitated to touch it.
"Yes," Rumiri came to stand beside him. "They may not look like much, but they are able to cure any malady, reverse any blight-brought curse, help any ailment or sickness, divine or mortal. They are extraordinarily magical."
"Then what are they doing down here?" Hashirama gasped, jumping to his feet. "They should be planted all over the world!" The lives that could be saved with something like this plant were in the thousands…no, tens of thousands. If he could study something like this, maybe then he could even—
"That is not the will of Kuebiko or Ōkuninushi." Aoto sneered, joining the conversation.
Hashirama rounded on him, ready to butt heads with the obsidian sagari. He had tried to ignore him, as Rumiri suggested, but not about this. "Why create something with the potential to do so much good and not spread it?" he challenged. "The amount of suffering this could undo…"
Nose quivering in agitation, Aoto stepped closer. He was truly a brute: large stature, intimidating eyes, and icy voice. "If they have a need for it, they know where to find it. But you mortals…you're all too greedy. Listen to the way you talk. I can taste your desperation. Millions more mortals would be just as desperate to cheat death with it. You'd wage wars for it, slaughter indiscriminately. Cruelty is in your nature as humans."
Hashirama refused to back down, even with the sagari's muscular chest almost above his head. "Some might try to abuse it, but there'd be many people who…"
"Nothing you say would convince me it's any different than how I'm imagining. This should be far out of mortal hands." He stamped a hoof on the ground as if to emphasize his finality, then turned around and stomped off. Other sagari who had been watching the confrontation cut a path, then fell in to fill it when he had gone.
"He's harsh, but he has his reasons." Chairo remarked, "Though for what it's worth, you're not a half bad human to me." He nudged the side of Hashirama's head with his own, then calmly turned to resume walking.
The Senju remained staring at the plants, unable to simply ignore the fact that something like this existed, and yet no one had access to it.
"I know what you're thinking, Hashira." Rumiri said slowly. "It must seem unfair, or selfish to keep such a thing here. But while Aoto's words and sentiments are clouded by his personal feelings, there is some truth that there may be dangerous unintended consequences to making such a thing readily available on earth."
"I know," Hashirama admitted, "It's just…" he shook his head. "I've lived my whole life seeing so much needless death and dying and pain. Sometimes it felt like the future would be covered in the same river of blood." His hands clenched into fist, remembering all the people he had lost, all the sacrifices he had made.
It was true that with the way the era he had grown up in had been, no doubt having something as special as the…kiseki plant would have ironically brought even more fighting as everyone grappled to possess it. "Just when it was starting to feel like there was some purpose to all of it, the future's plunged into uncertainty again." He could feel the tendrils of depression vining their way around him again. There was so much happening, so much he needed to brace for.
"I can sense your heart is troubled." Rumiri softly moved her head to rest on his shoulder, and unthinkingly, Hashirama reached up to stroke her nose. It felt natural, like something he had done before. The sagari didn't seem to mind, waiting patiently for him to continue.
"My situation's become complicated lately. On earth, I'm a leader." Rumiri's warm breath on his hand as he petted her was more grounding than he would have expected. It urged him to speak at his own pace, knowing she was silently listening. "I lead a village of people who are all relying on me to protect them. I was confident that with my own determination and the help of my allies, I could do that. Then I learned of a grave threat involving the gods…"
That caused the yokai leaning against him to stir. "What? The gods are active on earth again?"
At some point, they began walking, and the herd had given them the space to continue their conversation in relative privacy. They probably already knew the way, wherever it was. "It seems so." Hashirama replied somberly, "And it doesn't bode well for anyone in their way. People are putting their faith in me. Their lives are in my hands, but I'm…I'm just one man." His hand fell away from the sagari's face, dangling limp at his side. "What's worse, because I can't do anything, someone important to me is being forced to bear the brunt of this alone."
As he often did when he was troubled and there was plant life nearby, Hashirama began to manipulate it absently. Lifting one finger, he watched the pod wiggle and unfurl to reveal a dazzlingly white flower with a sweet, heady smell. Vaguely, he noticed Rumiri freeze, but didn't think much of it. Twisting his finger, the pod closed again, looking as untouched as before. "She's putting her life on the line, and I'm not sure how to support her. I vowed that I'd stand with her, and I intend to keep that promise, but a part of me wonders if I'd only be getting in her way."
"Is this companion of yours also mortal?" Hashirama titled his head, bemused.
He couldn't imagine what gave Rumiri the impression she might not be, but then he did say she could face the threat of the gods and he couldn't. That had to be why. "She's a godslayer, but yes."
"Ah, one of the chosen." The sagari gazed at him with interest. "I had a feeling when you left this place your destiny might be to be swept into the affairs of the Heavens one day. I am glad it sounds like you have a strong ally you can trust on your side."
"Yes, the circumstances that brought her to the village were unusual, but…" He couldn't help but think of everything that had happened since they met, and the way Sakura had gone about worming her way further into his life. All the moments he was filled with a type of warmth he couldn't explain flitted through his mind, and before he knew it, a smile was forming. It didn't change the truth, and that hurt immensely, but the memories made along the way were ones he could at least hold close, bittersweet as they had grown to be. "I'm…glad. The village is lucky to have her."
"Oh?" Rumiri murmured, "Only the village?"
Flushing, the Senju balked. "I'm not sure what you're insinuating, Rumi,"
She threw her long neck back and whinnied merrily, sounding like a hearty laugh. "Rumi now, is it?"
"I'm sorry," Hashirama held up a hand sheepishly. "That was too familiar considering we've just me–er, just reunited."
"Rumi is what you insisted on calling me the last time." she informed him. "Just as you insisted I call you Hashira."
"We must have been fairly good friends." Hashirama chuckled too, "It explains why I feel a connection to you." Cautiously, he placed a hand on her neck, but she didn't act put out, her eyes bright with fondness.
"I hardly knew what to do when a human child suddenly appeared," she mused good-naturedly, "but it was clear you were a helpless creature. The herd protected you and kept you safe until you could be returned where you belonged."
"How did…how did I end up here to begin with?" he asked, "And how did I get out?"
"I have no idea how you came to be in The Under." Rumi answered, sounding honest enough that Hashirama believed her at once. "I can only surmise you somehow fell through a crack. As for how you escaped…that, I'm afraid I can't share."
"I thought we were friends." Hashirama gave her his most pitiful look of betrayal.
"I'm sorry, Hashira." She stubbornly refused to look him in the eyes. Smart. Then again she did already know him, so maybe he'd used this tactic in the past. "But…if you recall any more about your last visit on your own, then I will tell you what I can to fill in the gaps."
"You've got a deal." he agreed eagerly, "But you should know, I've gotten very good at wagers and games of chance over the years."
"Is that so?" she hummed, "We'll see, won't we?" Her eyes twinkled as if she fully accepted the challenge. "In the meantime, tell me more about this godslayer of yours."
"You want to hear more about Sakura-chan?"
"Is that what she's called?" Rumi bumped him lightly, "A child of spring, eh? I should have known it would be someone who also has a connection to nature that would have you so ensnared."
Ignoring her teasing, Hashirama thought of the traits that immediately came to mind when he thought of Sakura. "She's…brave," he said, "And intelligent. She and my younger brother share an intellectual curiosity I really admire." The two of them muttering about this jutsu equation or some new theoretical application was something he found endearing. It was nice to see Tobirama so content to have someone to discuss his interests with. "The way her mind works is something I never get tired of watching. She's also determined and resilient. If I had to describe her as an element, it would be earth. Although," Here he paused, grinned, "her temper can be downright fiery under the right circumstances. My best friend tends to draw that out of her more often than not."
"Then…?"
"Then?" Hashirama echoed, halting as Rumi stared at him intensely.
"Is she not your chosen partner? You seem well-matched." If he had been drinking tea, the Senju was sure he would have spit it all over himself.
"You know, Rumi…" He scratched his cheek, which was definitely unusually warm "you're a little more nosey than I first took you for." Is this what it felt like to have a prying older sister? It was no wonder Madara complained about Naoko so frequently.
Looking around, it appeared they had left the field of kiseki plants behind, entering what could only be described as a bog. The sagari waded into deep navy water, tufts of grasses rising from the wetlands.
Rumi motioned for him to get on her back again. "Unless you'd just like to take your chances with the kappa who live in these waters."
Hashirama wasn't quite sure what a kappa was, but this was The Under, and Rumi was offering to keep his clothes dry by ferrying him through the bog. He swiftly climbed on again, and she began walking with the rest of the herd.
"So, what else is up ahead?" Teasing was well and good, but it would be better if he didn't expose himself any further. If Rumiri was meeting him as an adult for the first time, and could already see through him, he was in trouble.
"On the other side of the bog is an icy wasteland, where the yokai who prefer the cold reside. Would you like to rest before we continue?"
"You're making travel much easier on me," He brushed a hand over the top of her head. "So it's up to you. I don't want you to tax yourself."
"I'm not a frail pony, Hashira." she chuffed, "But the sentiment behind that is sweet." Hashirama could see wide, white eyes peering at them from what he first assumed was some sort of lily pad. They didn't get any closer, but they didn't look away either. Those, he assumed, were the kappa.
"I do have a question though…" The worst that could happen is Rumiri would give him a negative answer, right? Hashirama couldn't see her lashing out over a question. "You've lived a long time, and you know about things here I've never even heard of. Do you know a way I could stand against the gods?"
Several sagari looked over at him, surprised. "Come again?"
"You want to fight them? I would think that over again, boy."
"Hashira," Rumi whispered, "I understand what's at stake for you, so I won't brush aside your request, but…to help you is a complicated matter."
"Help?" a warbling voice croaked. "Did someone say help? Maybe I could offer my services?" A head of a beast he had never seen rose from the water, emerald green and scaly with the round, white eyes and beady black pupils he had seen peering at them before. Its mouth was similar in shape to the beak of a snapping turtle, and when it saw it had their attention, it waved a webbed, thumbless hand.
Aoto waded forward, impatient as Hashirama had come to expect. "We want nothing from your kind. Kindly move aside."
"Come now, are we not all friends here?" The creature placed both hands to what looked to be the underside of a shelled chest as it rose slightly more from the water. "At the very least we're acquaintances, since you're crossing my bog."
" Our bog." a second voice corrected, and another identical creature popped up from a spot in the water not far ahead.
"Friends?" Aoto kicked one of his strong legs in outrage, and the first creature who had addressed them was forced to duck. "You're a muck-dwelling anus eater, and you repulse me."
Normally, Hashirama might have assumed Aoto's rudeness was undeserved. He didn't seem to be the most trusting. But the other sagari were tense too, as if just waiting on the word to charge.
"What's going on?" he couldn't help asking. "Are they kappa?"
"At your service!" the second kappa croaked. "We couldn't help but overhear…"
"You seek the power to fight a god? Raw strength, is it?" The first finished.
"We know a way." They said in unison.
"Though tell me, Upright," the second kappa pointed a claw at him. Now that Hashirama got a good look, it appeared to have blue scales instead of green like its companion's. "What manner of yokai are you? I can't quite figure it out."
"I'm…not a yokai at all." Hashirama said hesitantly, "I'm…"
"A human!" gasped the green kappa. "I'm right, aren't I? You are a human?"
"He is under our protection." Rumiri's body language had become guarded as she took on a stance as if ready to attack. Suddenly her faint but ever present bioluminescent glow got brighter, traveling across her coat until it formed a series of markings that had previously been hidden. "If you're hoping for a meal, I suggest you look elsewhere."
"No, no, friends!" Aoto snorted aggressively at the familiarity, baring teeth. "You've got it all wrong…"
"Do we?" Chairo retorted, "Do you not drown and eat humans?"
"Human innards are a delicacy we've never had the opportunity to taste." One kappa admitted, sniffling as if he were going to tear up.
"I've heard anus is especially scrumptious." The blue one added, "Oh, but not yours, new friend." Its beaky smile did little to ease Hashirama's nerves. "Unless…" it trailed, "are you perhaps no longer in need of it?"
He blanched, to say the least. "I don't think a question has ever made me feel more…violated."
"We're done here," Airi reared up threateningly. "Let us pass!"
"Fine, fine!" The emerald kappa held up its webbed hands in surrender.
"We only meant to share our knowledge…" The blue one shrugged, "but if you change your minds, you know where to find us."
They swam away, but Hashirama had the misfortune of hearing bits of their conversation. "You just had to mention the anus…good going."
"Now then, let's continue the journey." Rumiri announced, a notion everyone else, including himself, was perfectly on board with. "As for your question…getting stronger is possible, yes. But, there is no going back. It's because of this that I feel especially reluctant to aid you. Whatever happened to you would be my responsibility."
"You can't be seriously considering taking him there ?" Aoto called over to them, ears pinned back in displeasure. "That's foolishly indulgent of you."
"You likely share my objections." Rumi didn't even spare Aoto a glance. "For different reasons, of course. But, all the same…"
"All the same, you seem to be forgetting this is a human, not your foal." the black sagari scoffed. "How long do you intend to coddle him?"
"Back off, Aoto." Airi sounded more serious than she previously had. "He was part of the herd before, so it's like helping one of our own."
"He was never part of the herd." the male sagari refuted. "You all were fools blinded by pity then, and you're the same now. We have a quiet existence here. What if it's ruined by your actions?"
"Wait," Hashirama frowned at the arguing coming from all directions, unhappy to know his request was the cause. "I apologize if I overstepped. I didn't mean any harm to any of you. Rumi, thank you for even being willing to entertain the request, but I don't want to cause a rift between you and your herd. Please just forget what I asked."
"But," Airi stammered, "don't you need that power? You don't strike me as the kind of human to go on a powertrip just for the sake of it."
The herd reached the end of the bog alarmingly fast, but then maybe everyone wanted to get away from it just that much. The ground was suddenly hard, cracked and frozen. Blustering winds pelted them almost immediately, and Hashirama huddled close to his sagari friend without a second thought. "Y-yes," he spoke through chattering teeth, "E-Everything and everyone I care about is in danger. I want to…" Another cold wind whipped at his face, and Hashirama sneezed. He wouldn't be surprised if icicles hung down from his nose before long. It was positively freezing, like they had stepped directly into a blizzard. Ahead really was a wasteland, too. Icy protrusions rose from the frozen blue ground. It was a winter canyon, and he dreaded knowing what could be living here. "I want to have the power to fight for everyone."
"Then by all means, feel free to die trying." Aoto's voice barely reached his ears. All he wanted to do was curl closer into Rumi and soak up her warmth.
"It's too cold for him here." Rumiri whinnied, sounding restless. "We need to find him shelter."
"It's also almost too cold for us." Another sagari replied. "It would have been longer to take the Pass, but it might have been worth the detour."
"We're in the thick of it now…" Chairo squinted against another freezing wind. "The best thing we can do is shelter. Those caves up ahead look promising."
"Caves mean nothing without heat…" Aoto quickly countered. His tone was missing its practiced bite; perhaps the weather had stolen it all away.
"Wait, look!" Airi nickered, "Above us!"
They all must have stopped to look. Hashirama wanted to look too, but he'd closed his eyes and they felt frozen shut. So instead, he settled for sinking into a chilled, deep darkness.
She strained under the weight of all the crops she had harvested. They were loaded into a wheelbarrow, ready to bring in to be cleaned and prepared for the night's feast. The sheer volume of them was a larger yield than they had anticipated, and without help plucking them all up before sunset had been hard.
But she wasn't one to complain; instead she picked up the slack, pushing her way through the fields, steadily making for the main compound. This was one of the few rituals that hadn't changed much over time. The Kaguya once made her and the others gather up crops for their feasts too.
Now their former captors were all gone, and they only feasted to celebrate each other. They only labored to enjoy the fruits of it for themselves. It was a great thing she never would have assumed she would get the chance to experience. It put a spring in her step all the way to her destination, greeting the young woman she would hand the harvest off to with a smile. Risako smiled back, coming around to look at the contents of the wheelbarrow appreciatively. "Thank you for your hard work collecting these. This haul looks great!"
Though her back ached and her brow was sweaty, Megumu felt a glow of pride wash over her. "It's those of you who turn the raw ingredients into a feast for all of us that deserve the praise."
"Hm, is that so?" She picked up a beet in one hand and a carrot in the other. "Let's just say we both equally do our parts then. It wouldn't be wrong."
Megumu joined her in inspecting the crops, something she didn't have the opportunity to do when she was gathering them up. "Very true."
"By the way…did you do all this by yourself? Didn't your partner help at all?" There were a few rules in the community they had made for themselves, and one of them was that everyone pitched in. In little ways or big ones, no effort went unnoticed. There were no abusive overseers monitoring their work, and no harsh punishments like time spent in the Black Cells, but nonetheless, lazing about wasn't well tolerated. Which was why Megumu hesitated, though Risako clearly expected an answer of some kind with the way she was watching her. "Um, yes. I did…my partner was Miyazawa today."
The reaction she received—a disdainful wrinkling of the brow—was exactly what she had expected. Even she had groaned when she checked the chores she was slated to do for the day, and the person she was meant to do them with, and saw Miyazawa's name beside hers. "Let me guess, he was absent again?" She stated more than asked, decidedly unimpressed. "Something should be done about him!"
His work ethic left…much to be desired. Although Megumu recalled that it hadn't always been that way. Miyazawa used to carry his own weight and contribute around the compound just like everyone else. He was a man in his mid-thirties with shaky hands and a permanent hunch from the back-breaking labor once forced upon him. The Kaguya had beaten anything even vaguely resembling a spine out of him long ago, and he had cracked under their cruelty.
Cracked and never completely pieced himself back together following their demise. But, still, he was humble and hard-working. Up until a trip he took with a few others who were assigned to leave the compound and go trade for goods with the nearest village. The survivors of the Kaguya who had fashioned themselves as the Covenant of the Dragon's Flame had changed many things, but one thing they had kept from the time of their oppressors was a preference for isolation.
Anyone who wanted to leave and venture out into the world to start over was allowed, but almost everyone chose to stay. A one-of-a-kind camaraderie had formed after all they endured together. So they joined hands to rebuild a community they could peacefully and quietly exist in. The main exception was leaving the compound for traded goods, and sometimes to seek entertainment. But not much else.
Miyazawa had left acting the same as always, and come back someone else. Anyone who knew him from before would have picked up on the fact that the dark circles under his eyes had disappeared, and his back had never been straighter. Yet the biggest change was in his personality. He was…confident in a way few others could match suddenly.
But with that confidence came self-importance, and with that self-importance, a change in attitude toward the cooperation that allowed their community to sustain itself. People stared disapprovingly when he walked by. People whispered. And still it didn't really seem like Miyazawa cared, or took much notice of his new status as a pariah. Some part of Megumu still felt sorry for him; but she understood Risako's frustration and she was sure others echoed the sentiment. Sooner or later, something would need to be done.
"Maybe so, but for right now, let's just let it go…" she looked up at the building they stood in front of, containing the banquet hall and the kitchen where the vegetables would be used in a variety of delectable dishes. "The vegetables got harvested and that's all that matters, right?"
"You're kinder than me, Megumu." Risako shook her head, but still grabbed the handles of the wheelbarrow and began pushing.
Kind. The young woman wasn't sure about that, but somehow, she had an uneasy feeling. It was an uneasy feeling that persisted for the rest of the night, through the wonderful meal in the banquet hall with everyone, and through the happy chatter and socializing from the other women at bath time afterwards. She was quiet, unable to get the nervousness flowing through her to subside.
But it didn't come to a head until several days later, during a routine visit to the shrine. There was only one deity anyone in the compound worshipped. The one who had descended to earth and saved them in their hour of need, when pleas to all other higher beings with the power to help had fallen on deaf ears. And it wasn't that it was required of them; she never asked them to build a shrine in her honor. Never demanded they devote themselves to her. But they all wanted to.
It was assumed that if a person chose to remain in the compound, they wanted to give themselves over to the service of their goddess. It wasn't a rule, but who wouldn't? She was the force that had changed their life for the better, and they owed her everything. Megumu had almost managed to forget about the feeling she had spent the last several days trying to ignore.
The walk to the shrine was a solemn but not unpleasant affair, and she found herself filled with a sense of rightness. The young woman could tell the people around her felt the same. Worshiping made them happy, complete. And it made sense. Belief wasn't hard to muster when they served a deity who showed her face to followers, who actively roamed the earth. A deity who was wrathful when necessary and neutral when not.
As Megumu took up her spot in line behind Risako, her husband, and other worshippers, the strong pulse of foreboding that had stuck around in recent days returned with a violent insistence. It sent a terrible shiver wracking through her, one that drew the attention from several others who hadn't yet bowed their heads. Risako gazed at her in concern, but Megumu simply smiled, not about to start spilling out her woes when she had no idea what they were even about. She was at the shrine of the dragon goddess; that's what prayer was for.
When it was her turn, she took the little wooden ladle to begin purifying herself, doing it swiftly with a practiced hand. Returning the little tool back to its rightful place, Megumu made her way into the shrine's main hall, starting immediately. Those that had brought offerings left them to the side, in the designated spot.
Megumu eagerly placed the dumplings she had prepared with the other treats for Mizuchi, then joined the others in giving two deep bows. The singular sound of the two claps everyone did afterwards were nearly thunderous in the quiet space, but it probably had nothing on her pounding heart. It wasn't until everyone was preparing to bow again and begin their prayers that a loud scoff knocked all the solemnity from the moment, instead causing a sour feeling to curl through the air.
"You're all wasting your time…" A familiar voice rasped quietly. There, at the gates of the shrine, stood Miyazawa. He looked…awful. His hair was pressed to his head with sweat, by the looks of it; his cheeks were gaunt, his shirt was stained and rumbled, his eyes held an unnatural sort of shine, and when he walked closer, it was an ambling sort of swagger, like he was drunk. But a sixth sense she couldn't explain told Megumu it was more than that. Much worse. "A false goddess could never hear your prayers. Never answer them."
The tension rife in the air was only deepened when Risako's husband turned around, a burlier man that stood above Miyazawa by a considerable amount, hard lines carved into her face. "Whatever you think you're doing here…don't." he warned. "What you're saying is already blasphemous enough, but you don't get to disrupt the sanctity of this place."
Miyazawa's face twisted, like he was being spoken to in a language he only partially comprehended. "Blasphemous?" He repeated, looking them all over with those glinting eyes. Megumu had never given what color they were a great deal of thought. She only knew they were dark. But if they had ever been brown before, they now appeared void as a starless night sky. Eerie. "I'll tell you who blasphemes!" He spread his arms wide and leaned back. "That false creature that's deceived you. She's deceived all of us! Parading around like she has the answers." Miyazawa began to pace, sneering, "Pretending to be so much mightier than us insignificant worms who looked up to her. Salvatation?" he cackled, voice rising. Megumu flinched away, staying closer to Risako and the other women. "I've found true salvation—and it lies beyond the stars. Not here in this despot's little fish bowl."
Megumu watched, body taut, as Risako's husband stepped forward, now chest to chest with Miyazawa. He laid a heavy, threatening hand on his thin shoulder, bearing down on him with authority. "I won't ask you again… leave."
Miyazawa slowly looked down, eyes fixed on the appendage. "No…" he said at last, and when he raised his head again, there was a collection of horrified gasps Megumu was sure she contributed to. Silvery rivulets ran from the corners of his eyes, leaking down across the contours of his face. It was like he was crying…moonlight. "I don't think I will." He snatched the hand resting on him, squeezing tightly in a way that drew a surprised groan of pain from the other man. He didn't let up, even when Risako's husband attempted to stumble back, his seized hand only turning purple from the crushing grip.
"I've outgrown this. I've outgrown all of you," Miyazawa declared, and then everyone in attendance watched as his left hand became a sickle before their eyes, coming down to slice clean through the flesh of the hand he wouldn't let go of with a meaty squelch. Everything after that was chaos.
A chorus of screams, blood spurting everywhere, covering an unfazed Miyazawa as he grinned maniacally. The sickle was his hand again, but he curled the bloody extremity into a fist, punching the injured man hard. Hard enough to send him flying clear out of the gates of the shrine, a gaping hole where the hit had connected.
Miyazawa turned then, heedless of the fact that he had just killed a man with inhuman strength, surveying the rest of them as they cowered away from him. Risako was crying, Megumu knew that much. She might have been too. Miyazawa was calmly standing above them, possibly searching out his next victim. And then his eyes settled on a little girl, her mother attempting to hide her. Megumu's breath hitched as the crazed man marched over to them. "Give me that!" he barked, and it was then she saw the child had a small doll…obviously hand-made, a slightly lumpy toy fashioned to look like Mizuchi.
Miyazawa reached down to snatch it away, but she held tight with a cry of protest. A brief tug-of-war ensued, ending when he smacked the little girl across the face hard in frustration, taking the doll away and glaring at it. He reeked of hatred.
Megumu had never known that emotion had a taste before now, but it did, and it was a putrid one. Miyazawa ran a finger across the doll's neck, then ripped its head off and threw it away, dropping the broken toy back in its owner's lap. "That's what I'll do to the real thing." He told them. "That's what I'll do to any of you who get in my wa—"
The choked garble his words ended on startled all of them, Miyazawa included. His lips moved, blood coming out in place of anything intelligible. Straining, he looked down, down at the elegant hand poking through him. "N-No…you're just a fake…" he coughed, blood flowing down his chin. "You can't…you can't…" He shuddered, the hand twisting, then coming free with force.
As he slumped to the ground, their savior stood above him, holding his still beating heart. "I think you'll find that I can." She said coolly, speaking to the still warm corpse.
Megumu should have been horrified at the sight. Utterly revolted. There was a smear of blood on her face that had splattered when she'd ripped her hand from Miyazawa's chest. There was blood matting down her emerald green sleeve. And there was a ferociously calm expression on her face, as if killing a man who had once worshiped her and pledged himself to her meant nothing.
All those things should have made her cry, but not for the reason that tears began to bead from her wide eyes. Mizuchi had returned to neutralize the threat, just in time to prevent further tragedy. Their avenging deity had descended from on high, just like Megumu had prayed for.
"And so, you see…" Ubagabi rubbed his paws together with a nervous smile. "That's why there may be a small…"
"Significant," Sōgo corrected.
"…chance that that's where he is."
Sakura could only stare, hardly believing what she was hearing, but also knowing she had no choice. After Natsume had done some sniffing around, thoroughly scenting the area that Tobirama had traced the last of Hashirama's chakra to, the mujina had gone stiff, and ran over to huddle up with his friends Then Ubagabi had approached her and asked if they could pull her to the side.
Not far away, Tobirama and Madara waited, confused and probably impatient as she convened with the mujina.
"He's in The Under?" Sakura gaped. "Are you sure?"
"It makes the most sense." Natsume nodded. "The tremors they spoke of, they likely shook the region. He was just unlucky enough to fall through a rift."
"And you're telling me our training opened that rift?!" Sakura ran a hand through her hair, mussing it anxiously. "It was really that powerful?"
"Hey, it's like we've been saying…" Sōgo pointed to himself with a sly grin. "Beings of chaos. It's been a while since we've really let loose. And naturally, there'd be consequences." Still, the mujina sounded very matter-of-fact, not necessarily remorseful.
"The Under itself is a realm of chaos." Uzuki took over the explanation after glancing in Sōgo's direction, "It's also the place where we resided for so long. Our magic calls to the ambient chaos that exists in the world, and sometimes that means unintended things happen…" she finished, ducking her head timidly.
"Like…opening a rift into The Under." Sakura reiterated. "Wait, did you say magic ?"
"You've got your tricks, we've got ours." Natsume crossed his front paws, closing his eyes with a nod. "But how did you think we could do what we can?"
There was really a lot she needed to learn about the mujina, it seemed. They were strange creatures, from their physiology to the revelation that their powers came from something far beyond what she had considered, which was to be expected given they had existed almost since time immemorial.
"I don't suppose you come with some kind of instructive text, do you?" She reached out and scratched Ubagabi's belly fondly, the affectionate mujina giving a happy giggle.
"'Fraid not, sorry." Sōgo once again didn't sound too apologetic. "Though even if we once did, we probably ate it."
The others giggled, covering their snouts with their little paws as if that was the joke of the century.
"It's not so different than you, Sakura!" Ubagabi threw in helpfully, beaming as his fluffy tail swished.
"I…guess we'll debate the truth of that later." Sakura half-grinned. "In the meantime, we have to find a way to get Hashirama out, and fast. It's way too dangerous down there for someone who's not even a godslayer to be wandering alone."
"Eh, to do that, we'd need a better way to track 'im." Natsume told her, scratching under his chin.
"Having the scent of his chakra trail isn't enough?" Sakura asked, surprised and a little concerned.
"Not in The Under." The mujina said simply.
"Right. Because it's a place that suppresses chakra." Sakura remembered. "Then, how…?"
"Simple." Ubagabi chirped, "Just need something that carries enough of his scent. That'll do the job,"
"Oh," Hope fluttered in her heart again. That shouldn't be too hard to get a hold of, at least. "Then we should probably head back to the village. I'm sure there's something there."
"The village? The one where you live?" Sogo asked, clearly interested.
"That's the one…" Sakura stood from the crouch she had been in since they started their huddle, hearing her joints pop. The mujina, who had been circling her, looked up with round eyes and quivering noses. Cute. Always so cute. But secretly, she had reservations about letting them loose on poor, unsuspecting Konoha. Even if only four were here with her right now, that was still more than enough to make some serious mischief if she wasn't careful.
'It'll be a quick enough trip.' Sakura tried to reassure herself. 'Go there, get something of Hashirama's, come back. I just have to keep a really close eye on them.'
"Let me just tell Tobirama and Madara what the plan is, and then we'll head there." Of course, they trailed behind her like a row of ducklings as she finally made her way back over to the waiting men.
She could imagine their reactions before she even got the words out, and Tobirama certainly didn't disappoint, reservations written all over his face. "It's the only way." She tried to reason, "Just…trust me."
"I do." He said in an instant, and something warm spread throughout her chest, in spite of the situation. Sakura wasn't sure she would ever get tired of knowing that. "It's them I don't trust."
Sakura stared down at the small group of mujina, who looked amused if anything. "He of little faith…" Sōgo sang. "I wouldn't worry your snowy little head, human." Tobirama raised a brow, but said nothing to refute him.
"We intend to be on our best behavior." There was probably something to be said about the angelic expressions they all suddenly wore, and how…practiced they were, but it wasn't exactly something that bore contemplating at present.
Until they gave her trouble, the kunoichi would just have to take them at their word.
ASiT
The mujina took in the village much like a gaggle of tourists, much to Sakura's amusement. All but Ubagabi, who was on his preferred spot riding on her back, were walking around her feet, oohing and ahhing as if everything they laid eyes on was a marvel. Tobirama and Madara walked on either side of her, though with the mujina around they were forced to stand a wider distance than normal.
"Why's everyone just…staring?" Uzuki asked anxiously. "Have we done something wrong?" She had chosen to walk on her back feet, one of her paws holding firmly to the bottom of Sakura's yukata.
"Isn't it obvious?" Ubagabi trilled down to her. "It's cause they've never seen anything as cute as us before!"
"Yes…" Tobirama agreed flatly. "That's clearly the reason." Undoubtedly, he wanted to say more. She could all but feel the sarcastic quip he was suppressing. It probably had something to do with the fact that when they had walked through the market district and Ubagabi had spotted a large melon. Though they weren't exactly on an unhurried stroll, the mujina had grown excited, scampering down from Sakura's person to seize the melon before she could tell him to put it back.
In the end, she had no choice but to pay the man so they could move on without incident. But that…wasn't what drew attention to them. Not really. In the seconds after being told the fruit was legally his, Ubagabi had cheered, opened his mouth wide, and stuffed the entirety of the big melon—rind and all—down in one gulp.
It was fascinating. It was horrifying. It was something she wasn't sure she should have witnessed. All at once.
When she cautiously warned him against eating too fast (for lack of a better warning), he had sunnily told her not to worry, and that it was also alright if he ate large quantities of food, as apparently mujina had two stomachs. The more she learned, the more Sakura's head spun.
"It could have also been the spectacle they made of themselves in front of that fish market." Madara contributed.
"Ugh," Sakura rubbed her forehead at the memory. "Don't remind me." Drawn to the strong odor of the fresh fish, Natsume had gone running off, heedless of her calls for him to come back. Once they caught up, they found that he, and soon Sōgo, were inspecting a merchant's fresh catch of the day—some impressive swordfish. Though the man was trying to swat them off, assuming them to be pests—and getting thoroughly ignored.
Once Sōgo realized that the fish with the pointy appendages made excellent makeshift weapons, the game was on, and soon he and Natsume were playing around, infuriating multiple people as they jumped around, on top of heads and across carts, fighting 'to the death' with the stolen fish. Yet another angered merchant, and more money Sakura had to shell out to make things right. She still wasn't sure when she'd feel comfortable showing her face there again. At least not as herself.
At the present moment, they had almost made it to the Hokage Tower without further incident. Almost. "For a human village, it's pretty fun here." Ubagabi said, "What's next?"
"We get what we came here for, and we leave." Tobirama replied curtly, clearly not as tolerant of their mischief as she was.
The mujina didn't really seem to mind. Or notice. "Aw, we're leaving so soon."
"Our mission's time sensitive, remember?" Sakura tapped his head lightly.
"You're right," Ubagabi agreed after thinking it over. "I don't know the guy, but I'm guessing you want him back in one piece."
"Yes!" All three of shinobi declared emphatically.
Funny that whenever she was trying to distract herself from thinking about complicated things, they had a way of making themselves hard to ignore. Such had been the case when she tried to escape her problems in Tanzaku-Gai, and again when she went looking for some quiet contemplation up in the mountains. Now this, racing against time and wanting desperately not to think about the thousand worst-case scenarios that could be occurring with Hashirama in The Under. On earth, few shinobi could match him, but that wasn't earth. That realm was twisted, unpredictable, and dead-set on killing anyone who didn't belong. 'We have to make it in time…we just have to.'
She was going to need something, though. A way to battle back against The Under that she didn't have the last time.
"Sakura?!" She jolted with recognition at the sound of her own name, startled from her determined thoughts to see Naruto all but barreling through people as he neared them. "Whoa, where've you been?" Sakura tried to reply, but in typical Naruto fashion, he pushed on full speed ahead. "You said you were going for the day, not the whole night too! I wanted to go out and look for you, but Kakashi-sensei said to just leave you be, you'd find your way back when you were ready. But I'm glad you're here now, I was getting kind of restless, so I figured I'd go see if I could find you. Sai's been driving me crazy , says you probably ran away from home all together. But what's he know?" He ended in a huff, hands on his hips.
She wasn't sure what was more impressive, the fact that he found her or that he had gotten all that out in one long breath.
Madara eyed the blonde with scrutiny. "Who is…?"
"Naruto." Sakura pointed to her friend. "He's a close friend."
"Ah," Madara's eyes lit with recognition. "A close friend from the future."
"Shh!" Sakura flailed, "Say that a little quieter," she glanced around, but fortunately no one seemed to really notice. "Or better yet, not at all."
"I'm sorry I worried you," Sakura sighed, addressing Naruto. "Staying out overnight was kind of unplanned."
"Mm, I guess it's no big deal as long as you're okay. Not that I think you can't handle yourself. Your punches pack…a punch!"Naruto rubbed his head, no doubt reliving a memory of when she had whacked him upside the head for something idiotic. "I've had enough of 'em to know…it was more just that you seemed kind of frustrated when you left. But you're okay now, right?" He tilted his head endearingly, seeming to notice the mujina for the first time. Yet again, before she could answer, Naruto had another question. "Hey, what're they?"
"Who are we, you mean?" Sōgo drawled, his voice lilting in a comically lofty tone. "You may refer to us as mujina—beings of absolute power, superior cranial capacity, and most importantly, creatures of chaos."
"Oh uh, you can talk?" Naruto squinted as he stared down at them. "Wait a minute, you just said you were smarter than me, didn't you?!"
"No, not at all." Sōgo replied. Turning to Uzuki, he whispered in a far from quiet voice, "I took him for a bit of a fool, but maybe I got it wrong."
"Anyway," Sakura cut in, before there could be a brawl, "I need to head back home anyway. I know I just came back, but there's something I need to do and I want to make sure I'm prepared. Do you mind?" She asked the Founders, "It's closer going to my house than directly to the Hokage Tower from here anyway."
"If it's a necessity then it can't be helped," Tobirama replied, which Madara seemed to silently agree with. "Although…I find it a bit disconcerting how many of us it takes for such a brief trip." If she knew Tobirama, he was talking about everyone that wasn't her or himself, but she knew he would continue to cooperate, and that made her internally smile.
If there was one thing Naruto had learned over the years, it was that when Sakura had made her mind up, it was best to stay out of her way. He watched her stuff whatever she felt she needed in a handy travel sack, her hair thrown up in a ponytail, and a determined set to her brow. She was wearing clothes he had never seen her in before—fuschia and pink and form-fitting— muttering something about how she learned her lesson the last time.
She looked good. Really good. Though it took all the self-control people didn't believe he had to keep from starting a fight when he noticed Madara eyeing her up as she bent over to retrieve something from a storage trunk.
"Could we back this up?" Ino asked. Though it was Ino, which made it more of a demand. "The Hokage's missing, and you're going where to find him?"
"The Under." Sakura pulled out the item she was looking for, a scroll. Flipping it deftly in hand, she turned to the gathering in her bedroom. "Dangerous realm, existed for millennia, home to countless untold horrors." She summarized absently, closing her bag and putting it on her shoulders.
"So what makes you think you can go there unarmed?" Karin asked skeptically.
"I won't be unarmed, because I have this." From inside the scroll, Sakura unleashed a massive weapon that he was pretty sure even made Kurama's jaw drop.
"Take care not to anger her in the future, Naruto. " The fox advised, deep voice rumbling with amusement. " She could separate you from more than the family jewels with that."
The pinkette carefully hefted the double-headed axe with one hand, and Naruto wasn't entirely sure if he could lift it with both hands unless he borrowed strength from Kurama. "This is my divine weapon, Hanabusa."
"Sakura, what the hell have you been up to?" Ino shook her head in disbelief. "I'm starting to think you skipped over some details."
"It's a story for another time, Pig." As deftly as she'd summoned her weapon, Sakura sealed it away again, apparently all set for the journey ahead. "While I'm gone, keep an eye on things here." She instructed, "And…" Naruto watched his friend's cat run into the room, leap onto her bed, and then into her arms. "Keep Usamaro with you."
When she held him out towards him, Naruto reluctantly accepted. The cat squirmed, his meow disgruntled. "Not really much of a cat guy, but…I guess I can look after him for you."
"Well," One of the talking tanuki things Sakura had briefly introduced as her new summons stared at the feline. He had climbed from Sakura's back into her arms, he and the cat almost nose to nose. "We meet again. Bet you thought you'd seen the last of us, didn't you? Bet you thought you'd get to keep Sakura all to yourself forever." He pulled on the sides of his face and stuck out his tongue, crossing his eyes.
Retaliation was fast, almost too fast to track. No sooner had he done that then Usamaro hissed, delivering the most forceful smack he had ever witnessed from a house cat. Crying out, Ubagabi held his cheek, lifting a paw and smacking the cat back. The next thing Naruto knew, the feisty cat had gotten away, and he and the mujina were on the floor, engaged in an all-out smack fight. "Uppercut, Ubagabi, uppercut!" Another of the mujina watching screamed, raising a curled paw in demonstration.
"Hey," Using her foot, Sakura scooted them apart, looking displeased at them both. "This is exactly what I don't need to worry about right now." Picking up the puffed up cat, Naruto watched him instantly settle, growing demure and curling close to Sakura under her chin. "It's not like you're getting replaced." She told him. "There's only one reason why I don't want you to come along, and it's about your safety." Giving him one last hug, and a loving kiss on the head, she handed him back to Naruto. "I'm trusting you with Usamaro, so you better take that seriously. He's really important to me."
Naruto stared down at the cat in his arms, who stared back at him with unimpressed, mismatched eyes. "Uh, right…"
"Good luck, Sakura." Kakashi sauntered into the room without a sound, leaning against the doorframe. "We'll update Sasuke when he returns."
'Oh yeah,' Naruto thought, almost forgetting that the aloof man had been forced to spend time at the Uchiha compound in large part to keep up the charade. It would be strange to be reintroduced as the long lost son who made it home after nearly two decades lost, and not want anything to do with the family he managed to return to.
Given his antisocial tendencies, part of Naruto found it funny at Sasuke's expense. We're they grilling him? Smothering him? Making him sit through awkward family meals? On the other hand, he wondered genuinely how his friend was holding up, and if being part of a community composed of his own clan brought back any memories.
It might not have been the same people Sasuke lost as a kid, but they were still his people. His clan. So, he was glad that he had an opportunity to be a part of that once again, no matter how those circumstances came about. He sure had his fill of good memories having visited an intact Uzushio now.
"You may be overvaluing how much importance Sasuke would place on that kind of news, sensei." Sakura shrugged, "But thank you."
There used to be a time when Sakura would have done almost anything to catch his eye—and he would know, since he had always been trying to catch hers to no avail. Bravely heading off somewhere dangerous was the kind of thing someone would want their crush to know about. Unless their crush wasn't their crush anymore.
It was strange to really believe Sakura was over Sasuke for the first time, when he had wanted that to be true so many times before. It was equally as strange that Sakura also had no real reaction to being in such close proximity to Madara.
He had, after all, almost succeeded in killing all three of Team Seven's original members. But following the new priorities she had for nearly a year, Naruto guessed it had become possible for Sakura to put bad blood behind her. He couldn't exactly judge, given the amount of times he had forgiven his enemies.
"In any event…" Madara drawled, "if all the goodbyes are sorted out, then let's move on." But…even knowing that Sakura had to put the past behind her, it didn't mean he had to suddenly like Madara.
The last thing he wanted was for Sakura to be out of his sight, and with the Uchiha whose ass he couldn't kick like he wanted to. But it was actually too late for that anyway, since she had been around him much longer than today without Naruto nearby. At least the Nidaime was going with them too. He seemed like a cool guy during the war, so he could run interference for him instead.
It felt a little strange to just barge right into the Hokage's empty office, but Tobirama had no qualms about it, so she let him lead the way. "Alright," the younger Senju said, "We're in search of something containing enough of Hashirama's scent to…"
The mujina had instantly began exploring—even Ubagabi jumping down to roam the spacious room—and it was clear Tobirama wasn't too happy about it. "Remember what I said about focusing." Sakura reminded them.
"We will…" Sōgo trailed off, walking behind the Hokage's desk and then jumping up on his chair. "It's just…lots of things we've never seen before in here."
"What's this?" Natsume's voice called from the opposite end of the room. "A baby tree?"
Sakura's heart stopped when she looked over and found him already snout deep in Bukkai's pot, rifling through the soil. "Don't touch that!" She ran over, snatching him away from the bonsai without a second thought. He blinked bleary eyes up at her, nose dirty and quivering. Softening, Sakura carefully set him down far away from Hashirama's treasure. "That's uh, very special."
"Like a sacred tree?" Uzuki asked.
"Yes, it might as well be." Sakura nodded immediately.
"So what do you think would be what we need?" Madara was doing his own searching, looking at the books on the shelf and lifting an empty tea mug left on the desk. "Hashirama doesn't seem to have many personal effects here."
"It's probably better to choose an item from his bedroom." Tobirama considered. With one parting glare at the mujina, he flash-stepped from the room, presumably to search in Hashirama's quarters.
Deciding to wait until he returned, instead of continuing to poke around the Hokage's office, Sakura set her sights on admiring Bukkai. Its growth and the care with which Hashirama had been shaping it were both aesthetically pleasing to the eye, a small but mighty cherry blossom tree to gaze at all year round.
Though while she spent time looking over the bonsai, she could feel someone looking over her, and she somehow knew it wasn't the mujina. Her instincts were proven correct when Madara spoke. "Is there any reason that outfit doesn't make an appearance more often?" he asked casually.
Sakura glanced down at herself, skimming a hand over the fabric. "It's battle wear based on my own design. Mizuchi gave me a modified version identical to the first, except this one has the durability to withstand almost anything. I spent the last time I was in The Under running for my life with my outfit barely intact." That wasn't going to happen again. It was one thing to fight off giant fire-breathing krakens and withstand body-swaps, and another thing to do it while suffering an embarrassing wardrobe malfunction.
Madara stared at her appreciatively once more, heat building behind his eyes as he leaned against Hashirama's desk. "It suits you." he said, licking his lips.
The low rasp sent goosebumps down her back.
" I want you. " That was his bold declaration when he had reiterated his interest the last time she visited his house. Sakura had pushed that to the back of her mind then. Doing the same now was probably for the best. Wrapping her head around one Founder actually being in love with her was difficult enough.
"You know, from almost anyone else, I'd just assume it was an innocent compliment." Sakura scoffed, turning her back to him. "But with you, it always feels like there's more than that."
"Do you doubt my sincerity that much, Sakura?" Oh, she had forgotten that too. The way he insisted on speaking her name like it was a sensual invocation. "I am paying you a compliment." he insisted, causing Sakura to peek over her shoulder in time to see his lips rise in a wicked smirk. "But there also is more than that."
"I already told you…"
Madara held up a hand, and though she couldn't see the eye hidden underneath all his hair, the visible one was closed. "Brushing aside a man's feelings twice in one week is cruel," he chuckled. "When you return from The Under, we'll revisit it."
That felt more like a promise than Sakura wanted to commit to, but when Tobirama breezed back into the room, she didn't really have a choice. "Are you banking on it being so dark there she'll drop something?" Evidently, he had heard enough of that final exchange to come back with an opinion. "Her standards, for example?" The Senju held up his hand, a red cloth dangling from the end of two fingers. Sakura's face brightened. Hashirama's headband! He wore it often enough for it to hold a good bit of his scent, hopefully.
"I never thought I'd say this…" Sōgo cleared his throat. "But I'm sure glad you're back. Human emotions are complicated enough, but throw human arousal in and it really clogs up my sniffer."
Sakura blushed. Hopefully he wasn't referring to hers, because that would be… "What…are you eating?" Tobirama's strained voice made Sakura direct her attention the mujina he was addressing, only to find him nonchalantly stuffing paperwork from Hashirama's stacks into his mouth.
"Sōgo, no!" She shrieked, rushing over to pull the rest of what could be salvaged from his paws and, if necessary, his mouth.
"What?" The mujina was genuinely startled, staring at her as if she had lost it. "I didn't see any other snacks lying around."
"That's not a snack either." Tobirama glowered.
"It sort of smells like one, in his defense." Natsume piped up.
Curious, Sakura lifted the dry, safe papers he hadn't eaten to her nose and sniffed. "It must be the ink. Some of the heavier ones have a sort of sweet fragrance."
Sōgo tilted his head, motioning with his paw as if to say 'What did I tell you?'
"But that doesn't excuse you eating the Hokage's…" Sakura tried to decipher what she was looking at from the torn page she had managed to save from the jaws of greed. "Quarterly crop yield report!"
Madara threw his head back, laughing from deep in his gut. "You willingly made a contract with them?" he mused. "Not as well thought out as I would expect from you."
Sakura took Sōgo off the desk, holding him aloft until she felt it was safe to put him down. "Your summon doesn't even listen to you most of the time!"
In lieu of a proper rebuttal, Madara shrugged. "My contract was inherited," he explained.
"Can we move on?" Tobirama held up the headband once more. "Is this sufficient to find Hashirama or not?" Natsume scampered over, jumping to grab the accessory from the shinobi's hands and holding it under his nose, where he gave it a long sniff.
"This thing is loaded with his scent." The mujina whispered, smelling it once more, "So tracking him with it should be doable."
"Then…we finally have everything we need?" Sakura clenched her fist, heart thrumming with adrenaline. "Let's g—"
She didn't even have the opportunity to finish her sentence when a portal she hadn't seen in a while sparked into existence, a dragon goddess she would know anywhere primly stepping out. "Hello, Sakura." There was something edged in that sweet smile. Something she was sure Mizuchi was going to reveal…or not.
"Mizuchi!" She glanced around, but the other occupants in the room only looked mildly surprised to see the deity. Least of all the mujina, who were staring blankly.
Mizuchi crouched, reaching out a hand to Uzuki. "Oh, I remember these deceptively cute darlings." She gave the timid mujina a quick pat to the head. "Having fun outside of imprisonment, I assume?"
"We could ask you the same thing?" Ubagabi replied.
"Yes," Mizuchi gathered herself elegantly, not a hair out of place as she stood to her full height again, "we'll have to have a deeper conversation about how we've chosen to spend our freedom some other time." Her golden-green eyes fell on Sakura, and not for the first time the kunoichi wished their connection allowed her to sift through the depths of Mizuchi's mind. There was sure to be a lot there worth knowing about. "Sakura, I need you to come with me."
"What?" Sakura had heard, but she wasn't sure she really comprehended. "Right now ?"
"Yes, right now," Mizuchi repeated, slightly exasperated. "This is a matter of another god on the loose that may soon cause problems."
"How do you know that?" Tobirama beat her to the question.
"I've…come across irrefutable evidence." There was a strange tone to her voice. "I had to put down one of my followers who'd been turned against me. He was out of control." The pinkette could sense her sorrow; she felt true regret over doing it. But this was Mizuchi, and she was sure that meant if she was in the same position, she would do it again.
" Followers ?" Sakura's mind had only just caught up to the reality of that implication.
"Yes, with all disrespect, who exactly is signing their life away to follow you?" Madara added. Sakura raised an eyebrow, and he grinned at her. "You have to admit, I'm not entirely wrong."
Sakura rolled her eyes. "Unfortunately…"
"I have a small but devout group of humans who worship me as their primary deity." Mizuchi clasped her hands together, speaking as if she was discussing something inconsequential. "They even call themselves the Covenant of the Dragon's Flame. A bit dramatic, but it makes them happy—"
"Okay," Sakura pressed a hand to her forehead. "Okay. You've got…followers…" she said slowly, "Who worship you…and one of them turned against you."
Mizuchi nodded, "That's the gist of it so far."
"And now you need me to come with you, because you think another god's behind it?"
"I'm certain of it, in fact."
Sakura pressed her lips together, glancing to her left at the two men watching her intently, then to her right, where the mujina were silently waiting on her verdict. This would normally be the part where she would go wherever Mizuchi needed her to, and she figured everyone knew that. "I…I can't."
A ripple of shock echoed through the crowded office, starting with the dragon goddess herself. "Can't?" Mizuchi repeated, the word thin and sour on her lips. "Sakura, have I not impressed upon you the magnitude of the situation? There is another god," she motioned towards the door. "Roaming around and it could lead to…"
"Bad things." Sakura nodded, shifting her pack higher on her shoulder. "I know. I've dealt with that before, remember?" She glanced down to where Natsume still held the headband in his grasp. "But there's something bad already happening, and I need to stop it."
Mizuchi's expression was unreadable, her jaw twitching, and her eyes deep with mystery. "And what, pre tell, takes precedence?"
"Finding Hashirama." Sakura didn't have to think about it. She didn't feel ashamed enough to hesitate, "And bringing him home safely." There might be countless faceless people that needed a hero, a godslayer that they didn't know existed to fight for them.
But, there was someone she knew well also waiting on her. Someone who had been kind to her and encouraged her even when she was a stranger to him. Someone who had watched the stars with her when she was too lonely and scared to sleep. Someone who had taken her hand in his and walked around an entire town with her like she was a one-of-a-kind treasure he was thrilled to have by his side. Someone who made the cherry blossoms bloom for her, just because she existed.
"So, you would defy me…" Mizuchi said softly, "prioritize one man, even though people need you?"
"People need him too," Sakura said stubbornly. "In all the time I've been your godslayer, whenever you called on me, I never said no. I've gone through trial after trial to prove that I'm worthy of a title I never even asked for." And each had taken more of a toll than the last. "I've endured excruciating pain I can't even properly put into words…" Consuming those blights and almost losing herself forever, The Under, Ippon-Datara's forge, Kanayago kicking in her ribcage…she had endured it all, gritting her teeth and bearing it for the sake of her duties. "I've sacrificed…" Before the tears collecting in her eyes had a chance to make an appearance, Sakura aggressively rubbed them away with the back of her arm. "But this time…this time this is something I need to do. I'm going to do it."
When she lowered her arm, Sakura half expected to see the same blank expression Mizuchi had been wearing for most of the conversation, but there was a lightness that had overtaken her beautiful face. There was respect in her eyes. "I see…" she said, nothing hinting at bitterness or anger there. "Then, go forward." She floated right up to Sakura, lifting her hand and gently pressing the bottom of her palm to her forehead. "Save him."
"I will," she promised, giddy suddenly, despite how out of place it was. "And after I do, I'll take down that rogue god too."
"We will together, if that's what it takes." Tobirama vowed.
"Together." Sakura repeated softly. The four mujina nodded, beaming up at her with their unusual smiles.
She turned to Tobirama, and he nodded once, as if to seal his vow. Then, she met eyes with the Uchiha. Madara's face wore softness well, she realized. He looked more handsome with that kindness in his eyes. Before her heart could do something embarrassing, like start to race, she extended her hand out to Mizuchi. "Alright, you have my word as your godslayer."
Notes:
Thanks to your outpouring of support, I was moved enough to do another chapter much sooner than usual. Hopefully this doesn't come across as embarrassingly overeager ehehe…As promised there's a lot of plot here, and not as much romance. But that doesn't mean we're through with the love lives of our colorful cast. Far from it. But there are a lot of moving pieces I couldn't let fall to the wayside very easily. Important endnotes incoming: Reto is the first Kazekage. There's not much info on him, but it's said he started Suna by gathering up the ninja of Wind Country together, thanks to him being powerful. Of course he certainly wasn't a godslayer in canon, but that's the explanation about where he got all the power here. I feel like I saw somewhere that Suna was the second major village to form after Konoha, so here we are, finally reaching that point.
I really did love exploring the mythology used here but heh, what else is new. Everyone's new favorite god returned rather quickly. I did not expect him to be so instantly popular.I also got to introduce other gods and concepts, as well as more insight into the realm of the gods (Takamagahara) in the Japanese pantheon. Kagutsuchi is the most well-known fire kami in Shinto mythology, and a son of Izanami and Izanagi, the same as here. He's also often a god of blacksmithing, which is why in the story he's recently gained that title as well. Kagutsuchi's attendant PonPon the Basan or BasaBasa is what is described in the general sense as a legendary fire bird (there are multiple and the Basan/Basabasa is just one species) in Japanese mythology, sometimes thought of as a "fire rooster".
Here, in this story, the basabasa was made by Kagutsuchi. In myth it's just one of many mythical beasts without a clear origin of where it came from. Fun fact: But the Pokemon Torchic and its evolutionary line was based off of it.
PonPon is actually a sound effect for light tapping, not really a "name" per se, but I just found it so fitting I decided to use it. Besides, as people often give pets or things they're fond of silly names, and Kagutsuchi is very proud of PonPon while being a bit oblivious to how horrifying a 70ft fire-breathing rooster monster is, it works that he'd give it a cutesy name that doesn't fit its appearance without hesitation.
And speaking of attendants, I know one actually appeared in an earlier chapter, but it's been a while since then so I get people may need a refresher. This chapter is the first to really begin delving into what they are and the purpose they serve; this is going to be important going forward. ^^ They can be thought of as the familiars to deities, and some deities prefer to have attendants instead of godslayers, because they don't trust or like humans. Others have attendants over godslayers because the process of making one from scratch is far more likely to be successful, since they don't have to go and search out a compatible human to train.
Attendants are molded to be whatever their creator needs them to be. But because of the infinite possibilities of attendants, normally as mentioned here, gods gain the blessings of deities who are higher on the totem poll to create them: the ōkami. The ōkami are a group of deities who have a title that sets them above the rest of the pantheon, for example, Amaterasu Ōkami. They're an elite group who are given the utmost respect and whose word is never questioned because their roles in the pantheon are that significant. There are only seven deities in the Shinto pantheon, which has millions, given this distinction. Izanagi, who was mentioned quite a few times in this chapter, is one of the ōkami.
Three others were also mentioned. Furthermore, Sarutahiko, another ōkami, is mentioned as being leader of the kunitsukami; that is, "the earthly gods". The pantheon has several categorizations: the gods who dwell in heaven or were born in the realm of the gods are the amatsukami. The gods who dwell on/govern different aspects of earth or were born there are kunitsukami. Yaoyorozu-no-kami is just the general name of deities belonging to the Shinto pantheon.
Mito is what you might call a superstitious person. She believes in yokai–which while real, many people haven't actually found proof of–and speaks about them as if it's fact that they are everywhere. Again, she may not be wrong, but her saying these things is regarded with strong skepticism. The three she mentioned, the juragumo, tsuchigumo and hinoenma are all known to be particularly evil monsters, and two of the three commonly take the guise of beautiful women in order to get victims to let their guard down.
I have to say I love that virtually no one had a concern about Hashirama being in The Under by himself. Comments ranged from 'ah, he'll be fine/out soon' to 'wonder what he'll get into' to 'Hashi in Underland' adgfh and finally, 'did he meet a Pokemon?' It also says a lot that quite a few of you initially assumed he was high in the woods again. A guy can't have a trip on literal shrooms more than one time before he gets a label.
Now we know what he actually met are sagari, horse yokai. They're a bit creepier in mythology than they are here. Normally depicted as the heads and necks of horses that have died on the road and been abandoned to rot. They're the spirits of these deceased horses that get tangled up in trees (and everything below the neck is this weird worm-like appendage). However, ASiT sagari aren't nearly that gross. They resemble large but otherwise normal horses with very long manes and a bioluminescent glow. Much like the mujina were created by a goddess, they were created by a god here.
The kodama and sudama are also creatures that are interesting, as throughout the fic Hashirama has brought up feeling a special connection with the forest, as if it's alive in more than the 'plants are alive' sense. They have a role that will be expanded on in chapters to come.
An anesama ningyo, which Hashirama compares the kodama's appearance to, is a type of flat paper doll that was popular as a craft for young girls since before the 15th century. Later on, they would evolve into washi ningyo, the 3D paper dolls.
the jinmenju is a tree that bears fruit which have human faces. Not a whole lot else to say about these guys. Except that for any Pokemon fans out there, Exeggutor was based on this tree.
I know Sakura wasn't as front and center the last two chapters but trust the process that this sort of set up was absolutely necessary and she'll have more POVs next chapter. On the flip side, I'm happy to be able to bring you Hashirama's solo adventures. kappa are water yokai, possibly the most famous water yokai in folklore, and they can be some nasty customers. Occasionally they will be helpful and befriend other yokai or humans, but they're famously known for trickery, attacking and drowning people, being able to overpower even a strong grown man despite their size, uhh quite a few unsavory other habits, etc. The two foods they can't resist are cucumbers and… human innards (which they get at by starting with the anus). So yeah, hope no one was eating during that part or anything. But ASiT prides itself on both creativity and authenticity! XD rest assured there will be more Sakura next chapter, but the events of this one were vitally important in order to kind of align what's coming in this arc. The mounting threat is, well, mounting.
