Transition

Sakura is perceived from the perspectives of others as she changes during the years into something else entirely. The people near her follows her transition closely and when she starts abandoning everything she held dear - she gets closer and closer to her goal.

Chapter 19

The Truth of a Betrayal

Through the Eyes of an Old War Veteran, the God of Life and a Man with a Name

The Goddess of Death, Izanami

"What do you want?" Izanami seethed as the girl appeared inside her maze of shadows.

"Sorry for disturbing you, Izanami-sama. But... You have been unusually quiet. You haven't called for blood in a while." Sakura stated, her viridian eyes calm as she stared at the imprisoned Goddess. "What are you up to?"

"Impetuous girl. Go back to training." The Goddess tiredly commanded the pinkette and she glared at her icily.

"Tell me." Sakura asked, no, demanded. Izanami raised an eyebrow. When had she become this disrespectful?

"You seem to have forgotten your place. Ordering me to to talk? Seems like the last dream session in the fires yesterday didn't do enough for you?" Izanami smiled with coldness in her eyes.

"It was hot." Sakura frowned at the recollection. It seemed still vivid to her.

"I can make it hotter next time, trust me. Go back, leave."

"Yes, Izanami-sama." Sakura gave in reluctantly, but all the same she bowed respectfully and disappeared from the void, back to the real world. The girl had become stronger, Izanami absentmindedly thought.

The Goddess of Darkness sighed and draped her white kimono over her bare leg. She decided to remember that time and let the void drain from her mindscape. The scenario in her mind changed, wobbled and disfigured, and in an instant all was clear. Her memory of the palace in the sky filled her with regret, but she had to remember. The soft creamy clouds shifted and lazily drifted underneath her. Stars above her blinked lustily, seducing her. The beautiful palace stood proudly beside her and the marble pillars reached further into the sky. But what made her heart freeze and burn at the same time once more was a man in front of her.

The man walked towards her. Silently, his robes swirled in the light breeze. His long onyx hair fell like a waterfall down his shoulders, his back. His smile could destroy worlds.

"What about some light?" He asked her. "Only our presence shines on the world. Why not have another source of light to make your face more visible? So everyone can gaze upon your beauty."

Izanami let the memory play and she answered in the same voice she once had.

"Your presence is enough to make my heart flutter. What other light do I need?" She whispered and her hand touched his cheek lovingly.

"I believe the humans are cold. They need light as much as I need you, love." Izanami whispered in her ear, letting his lips touch her lightly. She shivered.

"Then make them warm." Izanami breathed.

Izanagi stepped away from her and smiled. He turned his hand so the palm faced up above his head and his energy gathered, surging through the world.

A gush of wind and a rushing wall of heat made Izanami catch her breath and her eyes were blinded. Izanagi laughed and cast the source of light out onto the sky, out and away, further. The heat brushed on her face, stinging and hot. The world changed, shadows were created and Izanami fell in love again.

She took a step forward to the man who had his back on her, as he watched the ball of light shine down on the humans and they saw how life would be created because of it.

There would be cycles of life. There would be things called plants to feed the hungry and there would be fresh water to fall from the sky. Izanami let her hands embrace the back of the man she loved, and he touched her fingers gently and glanced over his shoulder at her. She sniffed and his fragrance filled her with comfort.

"What will you call it?" She had asked into the thin fabric of his kimono.

"The Sun. It will be the reflection of the Moon you created." He had answered and turned around, his oh so soft lips had met hers and she had melted in his arms.

They had made love. And Izanami knew she was going to bear another child.

At that point, Izanami abruptly shut off the memory. She switched back to her black void and growled. She had been impregnated then and when she was giving birth to her child of flames, she had died.

She didn't want to remember anymore. But she had to. The Priest had contacted her and there was a chance she would become whole again. And she would finally be able to destroy the world. But lately... That desire of hers had stalled. Not disappeared, not at all, but it had been... Put on ice. She felt the need to discover. She wanted to roam the forest. She wanted to enjoy human made tea. She wanted to watch birds fly in flocks above her head. She wanted to feel her hair between her fingers as she smoothed it down. She wanted to feel the touch of -

She realised she was jealous of Sakura, for being free. Izanami grit her teeth and snapped her head back, absorbing her wild thoughts into a light spectre which shot off from her eyes, and then she crushed it. There would only be blood, and nothing more.

The Old War Veteran in the Cabin, Kurotsuchi Miura

He knew she would leave soon. Discovering that the girl carried the sword that hid the goddess Izanami imprisoned inside its blade could be nothing short of fate. It all came together. His plan would start its mechanisms, the cog wheels clicking into each other, the beginning of everything. All he had to do was one thing left before he could fulfil the promise he had made to his wife on her deathbed. The promise of a lifetime.

A commemoration of his wife of sorts were to happen soon and it was the perfect opportunity. Sakura sat in front of him and ate her breakfast quietly. He cleared his throat and caught her green eyed attention.

"There will be an occult festival the day after tomorrow at the village down in the valley, it's called the Festival of the Forgotten Gods. I usually attend it every three years. I stand for the main attraction called the Dance of the Sun, a theatrical piece with music as guidance throughout the story. Though I dance for the place of two people nowadays, since my wife... Would you mind being my dancing partner?"

Sakura almost sneered at the mention of 'dancing partner', but she seemed to think better of it. The old man's eyes glittered and it seemed she couldn't deny him.

"I can do that, as a show of my gratitude for you training me and letting me stay. But... I-I can't dance." She admitted and splayed her hands in front of her in a helpless gesture, still munching on her tomato.

"Then all is well. The concept of dancing for a shinobi is not such a hassle as you might think. Shinobi only dance with a different kind of music in mind. We should start practicing after lunch."

"Sure." The pinkette said and shrugged.

"Oh, and take your sword with you." Miura drawled and rose from the table. He saw her still, then she nodded as she emptied her tea cup.

Later that day, Miura had taken them to a clearing in the woods. Sakura stood lackadaisically in front of him, donning the white kimono he had given her. It was a bit too big for her, hanging loosely on her slender figure.

"Now, I will play the part of the forgotten god, the creator of light, called Izanagi. You'll play the part of Izanami, the forgotten fallen goddess, the creator of darkness." Miura explained, wondering quietly if Izanami had deemed Sakura worthy of knowing of her presence inside the sword.

Sakura sputtered and her eyes went wide, with interest and disbelief blended with suspicion in her green eyes. That answered Miura's silent question.

"Izanagi? Izanami?" She asked, as if she had misheard it. "They were... Gods?"

"Yes, oh, of course you wouldn't know the story of the beginning." The old man wrinkled his lips into a gentle smile.

"It all began with them, you see. Izanagi and Izanami were the first gods. They were in love and all was bliss, they created the Sun and the Moon, the humans and the demons and the dragons. But when Izanami bore their child of fire, she died sorrowfully in the flames and woke up in the Underworld. While she was there, her heart turned ugly and dead - since dead things never see the light of things. Izanagi was heart broken in heaven. He refused to eat, to sleep. He couldn't stand life itself without her. So when Izanagi successfully broke into the Underworld to rescue her from darkness, he saw her for what she had become. A demon, a creature of darkness, rotten to the core of her missing soul. He escaped from her with his heart cleaved in two and fled her claws and she screeched as she chased him, like sirens calling in the middle of a storm at sea. Izanagi successfully, and luckily, sealed her into the Underworld by pushing a stone in front of the entrance, the Yomotsu Hirasaka, and when she clawed at the stone with her sharp fingernails without being able to destroy it, she screamed she would take the lives of thousands of men. Izanagi promised her to give the lives of more. And that is how life and death truly was created and time became precious, as the time Izanagi had with Izanami became but a precious memory to him."

"And which side of the story is this told from?" Sakura mumbled. Miura raised an eyebrow. "I won't dance for you."

"But-"

"I'll dance for Izanami." Sakura said and gave Miura one last unreadable glance before she turned and walked a little distance away.

Then she moved. Miura had earlier instructed her of the dancing moves and also played her a piece of the melody that was to sound at the festival with his old koto. He had brought the koto with him at the clearing.

Miura found himself instructing her further on the steps she took, and he tapped with his hand on the koto to direct her with the rhythm.

"Now, swirl." He said and she did. The yukata flowed around her, the fabric thin and yielding in the currents of the wind created by her movement.

The movements were simple. But what made the dance extraordinary was the feeling one put into each step. The expressions were just as important as the rhythmic choreography.

Miura felt his heart pound harder. What the girl didn't know was the importance of the dance. She didn't know the ritualistic nature of it and the power it would father.

Two days later, they were ready. Miura and Sakura had walked the distance to the village leisurely, taking their time, appreciating the rising sun. Miura went to talk to the festival management when they arrived in Ishigakure, leaving the girl with the seamstress he had appointed to dress her for the dance.

Miura had already dressed in the traditional black robes since he already owned a costume from earlier years. An hour later Miura found her walking gracefully through the streets of Ishigakure. It was hard not to see her. All of the civilians seemed to pass her by as if she was standing still. Her black demonic mask with horns and sharp teeth representing Izanami's rage and hate covered her face and the black coloured wig flowed behind her in the breeze, like silk in the wind. The seamstress seemed to have gone a bit overboard, what with the black thin wings which sprouted from the demon's back, made with raven feathers. It made the appearance that much more terrifying.

She looked truly fearful, as if she had become Izanami herself. Miura felt a muscle in his chest become a musical organ, as all he heard was his heartbeat thump and vibrate through his body and all other noises were forgotten.

It was time.

The dance would take place at nightfall and he would be on his way to fulfil his promise to Amaya.

The Man with a Name, Sai

The man crouched and hid within the shadows of the street. There were no gas lamps nearby so the only source of light was the moon, which aided his discrecy in the shadows. The ringing sound of crickets did nothing to sooth him. His heartbeat was calm, as an old habit due to years of training in Root, but his mind raced.

Sakura hadn't come to the village at the appointed time. Sai grit his teeth, allowing himself to do so since none could see him. His appearance was covered in a black haori and indistinguishable shoes and a black flak jacket. None would be able to see him.

A memory played in front of his retina as he allowed himself to stand still and not move.

When it all had started.

Hokage Tsunade-sama had gotten angry at a meeting with three hidden village leaders and had smashed the table. The Kirigakure leader had gotten an injury and had called to being offended, especially since she apparently had showed unhidden rage and insulted him. The leader of Kirigakure had an ally, another village called Kumogakure, on their side and they planned to assassinate Tsunade for her impudence and her unwillingness to not cooperate with them in an attack on Sunagakure. Sunagakure had grown too powerful, was their conclusion, plus they were afraid of a Jinchuuriki Kazekage - Gaara. Kirigakure had weak relations to Sunagakure and the village in Sand took over their trade. Kirigakure also thought their services were too cheap, making the customers of the two villages fade to the cheaper missions in Suna. Sai had acted undercover in the two villages of Kiri and Kumo and had written countless reports on their plans, later delivered to Danzō.

Kirigakure and Kumogakure were power hungry as well and had expressed deep want towards the Hyuuga eyes in Konoha, which they would be able to get if they requested it as an apology - it was all similar to the Hyuuga Affair that had taken Hyuuga Neji's father's life instead of his uncle Hiashi, the leader of the Hyuuga Clan. A Hyuuga eye for each village, was their thoughts, Sai had gathered. When after the meeting where Tsunade had smashed the table, Kirigakure's leader had acted miffed and had demanded a direct apology. At that time, as ANBU and whatnot attended the open apology meeting, Kumogakure's leader had went to the Hyuuga mansion secretly.

The Kumogakure leader found Hanabi asleep therein, but Tsunade had had her suspicions and she had followed the leader of Kumo and left a kage bunshin to attend to the apology meeting. As Tsunade saw the Kumo leader sneak away with an unconscious Hanabi slung over his shoulder, Tsunade found herself in a rage. She quickly cut his artery in his neck and he died. At that time, Hiashi and Neji found them. Hiashi said he was reminded of his brother's sacrifice and death.

"They never learn, do they. Repeating mistakes such as these..." Sai had heard Hiashi whisper in the commotion.

When Sai got back he told Danzō that Kumogakure planned to have Tsunade dead. Danzō allowed Sakura to be with him, she being his right hand. When Sai told them of this, Danzō wanted to kill the two village leaders directly. Offending Konoha like that wasn't allowed. Then he thought that if they actually sent them Tsunade's head, they'd let go and they'd avoid a war. Sakura interrupted him then.

Sai closed his eyes again and let his mind wholly wander back to that day.

Six Days Before Sakura's Defection from the Hidden Village of Leaves

"I do not think that is necessary. If we bow down to two petty hidden villages; what does that make us look like? It makes us look like a weak village, having abandoned the Will of Fire. No loyalty. No fighting spirit. Open for attack." Sakura breathed with hard eyes. Danzō stilled. Then she continued, her voice growing stronger, more firm.

"No. That won't be necessary. What we should do instead is to make a statement, but avoid confrontation with Kirigakure and Kumogakure. We should inform Sunagakure of the incoming invasion and offer our assistance in battle. They are the only village of which we have a stable alliance with. We have no reason to break it. Second of all, we should make a fake manoeuvre so to avoid the conflict getting to Konoha; meaning, we will fake Tsunade's death. Then you, Danzō, will be chosen Hokage. Your reign will be stricter, but required to make Konoha feared by Kumogakure and Kirigakure. There will be no political vacuum since you will be chosen directly. When the battle in Sunagakure is over, we will reinstate Tsunade."

Sakura said and then locked her green eyed with Danzō's.

"You cannot kill what is already dead." She finished.

Sai stared at her. She took another breath and clenched her fist, then loosened it as she breathed out. Danzō only looked at her, letting her continue with her elaboration of her plan inside his office at the Root quarters.

"I have a plan that will go alongside this one. Akatsuki have lately become a lot more aggressive in their actions. Their base in Rain Country is too stable and they rule an entire nation that listens to their every word and worship them like gods. We have almost no information at all regarding their organisation, their abilities, strengths, weaknesses or anything. All we know is that they're after jinchuurikis. They have become more dangerous, maybe even more so because of the disinformation. We caught a spy from Rain eight months ago, and we believe his priority in Konohagakure was to gather information; meaning that they might plan on an invasion or something of the other. The possibility exists that they will invade Konoha while we battle in Sunagakure, leaving the civilians unprotected. This concludes that we need to have an informant on the inside of Akatsuki in Rain, to know what their next moves will be. If they plan on war. And if they do, we should be the first ones to know. And the ones to prevent it. But if it all comes down to it, we fight and... we prevail. There is no other option."

Her green eyes pierced them like arrows.

"I volunteer on being the one accused of murdering Senju Tsunade, and then attempt to get into the criminal organisation Akatsuki. Me being her former apprentice as well as having showed open hatred towards her will make this plausible. If it seems to Akatsuki that I have killed my own Hokage and left my village to roam the nations, they will notice me. If I am lucky and my calculations are correct, I will get accepted into Akatsuki. Then I will contact you of their plans, their members and their goals." She finished.

"That is a very elaborate plan. I believe it might... be of interest to discuss further." Danzō said and cleared his throat. "Contact the Hokage and the Council. We'll have an emergency meeting within one hour at the ANBU headquarters." Danzō ordered Sai, and so he nodded blankly and disappeared in a puff of smoke to inform the Godaime. He left Sakura to stand alone in front of Danzō.

Four Days Before Sakura's Defection from the Hidden Village of Leaves

The Powerful Alcoholic, Senju Tsunade

Tsunade had discussed with Sakura about the plan, and she grew angry. Why did the girl have to sacrifice her reputation? Herself? Tsunade understood the importance of having it done. She understood the complicated situation they were in and Sakura's plan was beneficial in two ways; the other villages would think Tsunade was dead and Danzō's reign would be rather fearful and necessary, secondly it would be the perfect opportunity to infiltrate Akatsuki. From their gathered information on the members, they had all defected from their respective villages and had successfully killed one strong person of importance. This would make Sakura an ideal member of Akatsuki and fill the missing spot of Sasori, the one she had killed herself.

But Tsunade still had trouble accepting it. When they stood alone in her office, Tsunade let her rage show and she hit the girl as her emotions boiled to the brink, and she left her in a rampage. Tsunade knew it was at that time Sakura poured the paralyzing potion into her saké. It was necessary, since they knew Konohamaru had been sneaking around the office and had peeked at their confrontation.

But as she calmed down in the library together with Kitsune, a cup of medical herb tea served to her by Shizune in her hand, she saw that it was the only option.

She only needed to gain approval from the Council, so she set up a meeting in the afternoon. As the members gathered around the table, Tsunade filled the Elders in on their plan. A little silence followed Tsunade's last words, then Elder Ueno cleared her throat to speak.

"We need a strong shinobi for this. Is Haruno Sakura really capable of doing it? Mentally and physically." The Council woman Ueno to Tsunade's right asked, and by all means, she had the right to question it. By appearance only, Sakura didn't look much to the world. What with cotton candy hair and green eyes and amiable features she looked like an innocent princess. An agreeing sound was heard from a Council member on the far end of the table.

"I agree. Why is she suitable for this mission? Why is Haruno Sakura a dangerous ninja?" The elderly man Yawata asked the Godaime and pushed his thick glasses up his nose, his black eyes judging and piercing. Tsunade cleared her throat.

"Well, the more apparent reasons why she is a dangerous ninja is because she owns the Old Cursed sword called Izanami. And because of her contracts with the Celestial Beasts, Kings of the Elements. But that is not all. The Haruno is a dangerous ninja because she is extremely adaptable. She adapts to every situation she is in, be it a social situation or a political meeting or a life and death situation- she adapts accordingly. She is calculated that way. She is dangerous because she is strong but doesn't acknowledge it; because of this, she always strives to improve. Always trains herself until she is broken and then just gets back up. She is dangerous because she is unknown; she derives from no famous clan, has no kekkei genkai, is no apparent prodigy, has no beast inside her. This makes her even more cunning and suitable for the mission. She has medical knowledge, scholastic intelligence, unscarred determination, an exquisite physique and she excels in the art of killing. Haruno is a dangerous ninja because of her connections; she is on good terms with me, the Nara clan and the Hyuuga. She is friends with the Kyuubi container Uzumaki Naruto and the Copy Nin Hatake Kakashi. She is ANBU and has connections therein as well. Haruno is a dangerous ninja because she unconsciously adheres bloodlust. Her killing intent is massive. When she sees crimson so does her eyes. She is a dangerous ninja because she has goals set, and she will stop at nothing from accomplishing them. And lastly; her devotion and loyalty to this village is unparalleled."

The Godaime said, then she looked around the room of Council members and at Danzō on the other side of the long table. They were all ears and anticipated her conclusion.

"These are the reasons why she is dangerous. These are the reasons we want her to stand at our side and not at the enemy lines. These are the reasons why she will be suitable for this particular mission." Tsunade declared and the Council fell silent, stunned. That afternoon, there was not much else to be discussed. The Council, Danzō and the Hokage had decided. The finer details of the plan would be discussed with the Haruno present.

That night, Tsunade died on top of the Hokage mountain with a determined and cold Sakura in front of her. An ANBU operative had spotted them, and Sakura had escaped. Tsunade's body was later delivered to Shizune who pronounced her death. Hours later she had been awakened by the antidote and was offered a saké bottle by Kitsune in the library. The death-induced sleep hurt like hell, and the librarian knew of all the effects. Tsunade gratefully accepted the bottle and touched the cap with her chapped lips. Her limbs stretched and protested.

Everything began at that moment as Tsunade heard Naruto's mournful roar tremble through the village.

The Goddess of Death, Izanami

Izanami was attentive and tried as much as she could to see through Sakura's eyes, through the view portal. The festival was loud and colourful, the nuances harmonising and soft cheers from children was heard. The round shaped lanterns shone a red dim light and hung above Sakura's head in a zigzag pattern, casting red shadows upon the masses of civilians scuffling around underneath.

Izanami couldn't hide her excitement. She wanted so deeply to get out and just feel. She wanted to rip the sword apart, burn it, break it, shatter it, electrocute it; whatever it took to make it breathe dust. She growled lowly and quickly changed her mindscape clothing to the same Sakura wore. But in her mind, the mask was her face and the wings were her own.

The Goddess of Darkness let her mind wander. She thought of her own existence, which was only a scrape of her true self. Her true body was in the Underworld where it was kept by her underlings and creatures of dark. In a glass container they had encrusted her body, feeding it with the blood of the dead, waiting for the night of her return. Izanagi could not seal all of her into that scrap of metal Sakura carried since it would have imploded, so he cut out the most important aspect of Izanami's being and sealed it into the cursed sword. The sword was specifically constructed by Muugi, the God of Forgery, to be able to contain her omnipotent presence.

Izanami opened the vision to Sakura's eyes again and watched as she moved up to the stage. It was a beautifully decorated high stage which was situated in the middle of the street festival, with painted traditional clouds on the thin fabric that had been stretched as a background to the stage. The humans gathered expectantly and talked amongst themselves, holding dangos and plastic bags with goldfishes captured inside the water. Happiness painted the blotched night into colours of yellow and red and gold, laughter swiping a brush of joy and the civilians' hardships turned into oblivion.

Sakura went to stand behind a black veil and she saw Miura stand on the other side with his white mask and black robes. He nodded and the koto music began. The Goddess prepared herself and breathed.

Sakura moved, and so did Izanami within the mindscape.

The God of Life, Izanagi

The man watched from the shadows. Fires played around the crowd, letting the warm glow dance on their faces. The Priest chanted as he danced, the girl wearing the demon mask slowly walked in a circle around the Priest, getting closer with every step at the sound of a drum from the orchestra below the stage.

"The Light will ascend upon a dark world and

Until the stars bleed,

Until the end of the falling twilight,

Until we are nothing but dust and cosmic colors,

Until it rains acid upon yielding hearts,

We will not falter,

Since the God of All will save us from what we do not know.

Souls will be reborn from star dust,

And we will pray for forgiveness and sacrifice our most precious feathers of freedom,

And He will hear our whispers.

The truest follower of Him,

Will be granted a wish of no return,

And He will bring back what was lost."

The Priest sang raspily and swirled away. The Izanami demon continued her raging dance on her own, as if she was starting a fire with her fingers, her feet. The Priest slid away from the stage and saw Izanagi stand behind a dark veil at the back of the stage, wearing the body of an Uchiha. The Priest came up to him and offered the Izanagi mask. The man accepted it and switched places with the old man.

"My Lord." The Priest whispered. "It is good to see you in a true body of flesh. I'm sorry for this haphazard tribute to you, the civilians should be bowing deeper at your feet. But that time will come. Your followers are preparing for the prayer."

Izanagi didn't answer, only waited for the man's question. The Priest swallowed harshly.

"I hope you will keep your promise to me, Lord Izanagi?" The Priest asked and averted his eyes, bowing down further.

"In due time, what you want will be - the truest follower of my divine power." Izanagi said and the Priest faltered in his stance, Izanagi's words weighing down the old man with its power.

"Yes, yes. I will not keep you from the dance. She is ready." The Priest stuttered.

The old man bowed respectfully, then disappeared into the crowd. When Izanagi emerged from the veil, none noticed the change.

When he moved towards the container of Izanami, his long lost love, her dance stalled minutely. Apparently, she had been the only one who had noticed the change. Izanagi knew his dance was godly and he had captivated every human present with his dance. The ritual was almost complete. There was only one thing left to do.

"You're not Miura-san." She whispered. She slowly danced her way to him, swaying her hips and moved alongside, as if it was in the choreography. Then she gallantly took away his mask, slowly. Her breath was cut short as his hair was let down, his eyes made visible, spinning. His porcelain features glowed.

"Sasuke?" The pink haired girl asked, her green eyes widening.

"Oh, little sword bearer. This body no longer belongs to Uchiha Sasuke, he is ashamedly caged within. I am the Light. I am Izanagi." He whispered in her ear, so close his breath touched her skin.

"What? You- did you take over? How-"

"Can you not feel it? Are you that much of a weakling, human?"

"You... you're not Sasuke. It's his body, but... Your chakras..." Her breath hitched as she felt his presence overwhelm her, smooth down her bones with sizzling unhidden power, burning. He saw her eyes glitter unsteadily through the holes in her demon mask and she squirmed, her thighs rubbing unconsciously together. Interesting, Izanagi thought. She was sexually attracted to his power and killing intent. None else had ever been, they'd mostly died.

"Dance with me." In a trance, listlessly yet heated, she accepted his hand. Expectantly. She couldn't help herself as she was lost in his godly presence.

She didn't notice how the crowd settled in rows, then began to sing prayers. The devotees inside this little village indeed helped with the ritual, their voices rising. The children stood with their parents, their expressions just as serious and their hands knitted together in the prayer gesture.

Izanagi felt himself smile. Her body would work as a container for his love.

The Goddess of Darkness, Izanami

Izanami's stomach almost lurched when she watched her former lover inside the human Uchiha. Izanami vaguely felt how Sakura reacted and the Goddess snorted. The girl was so attracted to Izanagi she didn't know what to do with herself. Suddenly a whoosh of air told the Goddess of Death that her host had arrived inside the sword's mindscape.

"Izanami-sama! I don't- I don't know what's happening! He's doing something to me, I can't help myself... I can't resist him!" Sakura yelled, her voice angry and afraid inside the black mindscape. She had tumbled inside to Izanami's void, her face red with shame and embarrassment. "Please, help me. I can't- I can't do anything. I'm dizzy and I can't think straight..."

"I know about his pheromones. He's much like the sun he created, that way. All the same, I will help you. I have a way for you to escape his being." Izanami said curtly, the plan moving so fluently according to her will it was almost too good to be true.

"What?" Sakura asked and bit her soft cherry kissed lip, her body shivered and she gasped as another wave of power surged through her from Izanagi in the outside world.

"The Merge." Izanami said and raised an eyebrow. It was interesting to see the effect her former lover had on her.

"But... can we really do it? You said it was almost impossible." She stuttered.

"Why do you think I have been training you, girl? Did you think it was just so simple as to help you accomplish your goals? Foolish twat. I have been training you to this point so that when we Merge, you won't implode. If you have similar enough experience to mine own we will be able to Merge completely. If I hadn't trained you, your body would have broken and exploded due to my presence and I would have been forced back to the sword. Also, the nightmares on the battlefield has made your brain stronger and more compatible. The wars helped you process intense emotions without real life consequences." The demon Goddess snarled and looked down upon the pinkette from her floating form in the compact darkness of Sakura's mind.

"B-but what will happen to me when we merge? What will happen to us?" She asked and dizzily clenched the black fabric over her heart.

"We will become powerful. You'll barely notice my presence, it's more like a ride along than anything. It's also not permanent, so we can later cleave ourselves into two again. My powers will slowly transfer to your chakra reserves and you will be able to dispel Izanagi's attraction. We might even be able to escape him - I am not strong enough to take him on yet. He's dangerous and he knows I am here. We need to get away, now." She lied and Sakura nodded, her eyes swimming.

"What's it like?" The pinkette wondered, biting her lip again. Izanami felt the sudden need to roll her eyes.

"Imagine it like this; the Merging is quite like a symphony. The notes has to be correct, the music in tune with every instrument, and the goal of the piece clear. Every sound has to blend with each other into its completion. Merging is a symphony played by two, which means I cannot do it by myself. You need to approve of it and play the other part. The symphony is divided into two pieces, where I will play the first part and you the second. By the end of it, in the third and last part, two will play as one."

Izanami watched Sakura's blushing face and she looked down.

"Okay... I agree. Let's Merge." She said unsteadily and Izanami noted how irregularly the girl's heart was beating. Izanami smiled and the girl watched wide eyed the Goddess' show of emotion. Maybe Sakura regretted her decision in that second, but it didn't matter anymore.

"Merge of Symphonies." Izanami whispered.

A distinct and clear crystalline tune flowed through her body. The tune flowed slowly at first, then the tempo rose and their minds worked together at first. Izanami's presence was black and empowered itself with the help of the song of the merge, taking from Sakura, taking her limbs, taking her heart, taking her brain. Izanami's blackness covered every part of Sakura's body. Sakura's green presence, which had lately taken to have its own Colour, tried to push back, to create a balance, but was nonetheless drenched in the darkness.

Izanami had the upper hand since her chakra was almost infinite. Sakura noticed how Izanami took over and she shoved the Goddess away, realising her mistake. In the outside world Izanami watched her former lover, The God of Light, dance with her body that moved on its own. Izanagi knew they were merging so he lead Sakura's limp body on his own.

"No! What are you doing?" Sakura shouted as Izanami took hold of her body, stabilising and flexing her limbs. Inside the mindscape, Izanami's presence grew stronger and the darkness seethed into Sakura's own mind. The smoke grew thicker and reached for Sakura's mind-form. She tried to get away but the smoke surrounded her and then engulfed her inside a prison of darkness.

Sakura screamed helplessly with pain and remorse at what she had allowed Izanami to do, her scream choked by the darkness which flooded her mouth and violently went down her throat, quieting her into submission.

Izanami was drawn out into the world when she had seen to Sakura not being able to escape outside the smoke prison, and she truly opened her eyes. They were green now, and the body of Haruno Sakura was now her own.

The man in front of her danced so closely she could feel his pulse vibrate through her body.

"Hello, love. Welcome back into a dark world." He said huskily. Izanami growled in his embrace and pushed away.

"Don't." She snapped and danced a few steps away. The crowds were as silent as the dead, watching paralysed by the gods on the stage. The prayers had stopped.

"Izanami, my Izanami. It's been millennia. Will you not forgive me?" He asked and moved alongside, spreading his robes like wings in the current of the soft breeze.

"How could I? I will bear you for now. We will see what happens when I truly materialize into this world. I will make it rain blood and you will fear the sound of my wings." Izanami replied. "And how come you have been imprisoned into a sword?" She asked. It had bothered her for a while, all the time since Sakura had discovered the Uchiha bear Izanagi in his sword form. Izanagi couldn't have sealed himself into a sword, that was impossible. And stupid.

Izanagi sighed and smiled gently, his black eyes glittering in the red lights of the lanterns.

"My dear moon of the sky. I believe you will forgive me, as I have forgiven you. One day you will accept my hand again. We will rule over the puny humans and create a better world."

Izanami scoffed at his grand speech, as he didn't answer her question and danced closer to him again, as fierce as flames and as smooth as silver stream in the moonlit forest. She would find out, one way or another - the reason behind his imprisonment. Izanagi paused, then looked deeper into her green eyes.

"You found a bearer strong enough in mind to contain you and draw you. I did as well, in the Uchiha. Their minds are strong and flowing. We are lucky to have found them, the two that will contain gods." Izanagi whispered as they danced. The crowd was eerily silent as they watched two gods dance. Izanami sniffed as she swirled around him in an evasive manner which put a darling smile on the God's face.

"Mine is a little different, though. She's...resilient." Izanami muttered. Then her eyes flickered up to the man's handsome features through the holes in the mask.

"You are aware that when I find my real body again, I will kill you. I'll rip heaven apart and find your real body." Izanami said sweetly, abandoning her aggressive approach.

"My love, you will try. But you will never succeed." Izanagi smiled and leaned in to take away her mask which was sewed to the black wig, revealing Sakura's petite face. He held the black demon mask in his hand for a second and took in her facial features, so soft and creamy skin, her long wavy pink cotton candy hair and lastly her green, green eyes. Izanagi pulverised the demon mask instantly.

"Your bearer is beautiful. What was her name?" Izanagi asked, his eyes lazily gulping in Sakura's body and he grabbed her waist, firmly pulling her closer to him. Their bodies touched.

"Her name is unimportant." Izanami said haughtily. Then she bit her lip, a habit seemingly inheritable by using Sakura's body. "But her mind is strong. Sakura is not broken. I couldn't cage her properly. I did everything to break her in her dreams and with whispers, through my memories of the Old Wars and the Fires, but she didn't give in."

"What you lack, my love, is imagination. A little battlefield and you expected your bearer to break and give herself to you willingly? That is laughable." The God smiled heartily.

"And what do you have in mind that would break her?" Izanami asked with a devilish smile.

"Open a portal to Hell with your Hakai key and drag her to the Underworld, make her taste real pain. All she needs to do is say yes, which she will only do when you have broken her, and you will be revived."

"If I did that, then there would be nothing left of her." Izanami said wearily. "And my Hakai key is sealed away so I can't reach Hell- oh. But - if I use her mortal mind to resolve the sealing, I could materialise it. I could actually visit my home for a bit." Izanami realised and a grin plastered on her handsome face.

"Your home is not with the dead, love. But none the matter, we will have plenty of time to resolve that later. If you take her there, she might survive it, she might not. In the end, she will break and find no other way than to accept you."

"Well... What is interesting about the Haruno is her mind. Its ever flowing and strong currents of thoughts and structure is nothing I have seen before in a human. When I watched her mind from within my prison, it was fragmented yet it functioned and harmonised with her being."

"Then take her to Hell." The God of Light suggested and his black eyes sparkled. Izanami found it hard to understand Izanagi's intentions- it was as if he wanted her to become herself again. As if he wanted her to drown the world. She shook her head.

"This will be fun." Izanami smirked. "I'll play with her. After she breaks... I'll step out onto the soils of this little world and burn it down."

Author's Note

Hi guys!

Hope you enjoyed this chapter. If anything is confusing to you, please let me know!