Chapter Thirteen: An Oath, a Reunion, and Revenge
Ancient Greece:
Excessive blandishment aside, Sakura could not help but feel charmed by Oberon. Her experience with young men was limited and she could not help but feel flattered by his pretty words and chivalrous manors. As they walked together, Sakura listened to his wild tales and encounters of city life on the mainland. Her attention was wrapped and enthralled with his words as she dreamed of the day when she would have her own stories to tell.
They had just passed the small shrine that marked that halfway point to her destination when it all happened. One moment Oberon was matching her steps as he carried her heavy basket, and then the next, pottery and wicker was being smashed and broken when a black blur came from the darkness and pounced on her new acquaintance.
Sakura let out a scream of alarm and Oberon let out a grunt of pain as he was tackled to the ground then abruptly thrown through the air. She watched in horror as Oberon smashed into one of the pillars of the shrine so hard that she could have sworn it shifted. The impact should have killed him, but to her surprise, he was still moving when he slid to the ground, albeit very slowly.
She only had a moment to see his dark brown eyes look up before his body was blocked from her sight by another. Leathered wings were poised and spread like a cobra's hood reared up to strike. Tense muscles, bulged from the strained weight of the massive appendages of aviation and she could see the figures body shaking as tremors of anger rushed through his body. Although he had just been a blur and now all she could see was his posterior, Sakura knew who this new arrival was and he was no stranger, despite his absence for the past month.
"Sasuke!" There was no mistaking the spiky ebony hair that was silhouetted against the moonlight. "What are you doing!?" Sakura exclaimed as she scrambled up from the ground where she had been knocked over in his abrupt entrance.
If he heard her, he paid her no mind as he reached down and lifted the slumped form from the ground by his neck. He let out a small choke that was replaced by a grunt when Sasuke slammed his back against the pillar he had just recently been thrown against. Brown eyes widened as Sasuke's bled red and a strangled gasp escaped his lips.
"Uchiha," he managed to whisper, a deep fear echoed in his voice as his face reflected that turmoil as well.
Sasuke took a moment to smirk as he relished in that new found power he had been tasting in the recent month. But it did not last long as his face menaced and he began his interrogation. "Who are you?" he demanded.
"M-Muso," the struggling demon stammered.
Sasuke heard a questioning hum of confusion come from Sakura but he paid her no mind. The name meant nothing to Sasuke and he held no recollection of this demon. "Did Orochimaru send you?" Muso only gave him a look of confusion which Sasuke responded in return by the tightening of his hand. "Who sent you?" he growled.
"Sasuke stop it!" her shout fell upon deaf ears again which spurred Sakura forward.
She raced to his side and only when her small hands wrapped around his forearm did he acknowledge her. His head angled to look at her, blazing red eyes glowing forebodingly down at her. Jet black bangs shrouded most of his face but she could see his features soften, if only a little, as he caught sight of her. But his attention hardly lingered. He avoided her wide eyes as she looked up at him with alarm as her fingers clutched at his arm. Automatically his attention went back to Muso and his grip tightened even more.
"What are you doing!?" she demanded again. "Let him go! You're hurting him!"
Sasuke's face immediately darkened again as a hiss seeped between his clenched teeth. "Sakura," he began firmly, "go home. You do not need to see this."
"No, I said stop it!" she protested as she uselessly pulled at his arm in an attempt to pull him away from Muso. "Oberon is a friend!"
"His name is Muso and he's a demon," Sasuke spat, keeping his attention on Muso.
At this revelation, Sakura was taken aback. From the corner of his eye, Sasuke could see her earlier foundation crumble. He watched as her eyes, a forest green in the dim light, darted from him to the demon in his hands, then back to him. Slowly, her head began to move from side to side.
"No...he's a friend. He lives with一"
"He's a demon," Sasuke cut her off with an exasperated tone. "An outcast from the underworld and judging by the minuscule level of chakra, he is in desperate need of a soul. If you were not so gullible you would have seen past his ruse and saw that he was taking you for a fool. You're not his friend, you're his next meal."
Sakura said nothing in response, too stunned to speak. Taking advantage of her silence, Sasuke continued, turning his attention back to the squirming demon in his hands.
"He is nothing but a leech, a parasite in need of eviction from this world...from all worlds," he said darkly as he moved his free hand towards his waist.
Sakura watched as his free hand moved beneath his cloak. She had not noticed it at first, but now as his hand wrapped around its long handle and the sound of metal being drawn began to ring, she realized he was armed with his sword. It was not the first time she had seen him with it, but never had she seen him use it. It did not take long for her mind to realize what was about to happen.
Her body moved automatically. Letting go of his forearm, Sakura ducked under his outstretched arm and planted herself between the two demons.
Blazing red eyes snapped down to her and for the first time, he finally met her eyes full on. He paused in the withdrawing of his sword as she stared back at him, mesmerized by the swirling tomoes, but not entranced. Her eyes moved over the rest of his face, taking in the furrowed brow and downward pull of his lips. It was strange, in terms of a lifetime a month was not much, even more insignificant for one who lived for eternity. Yet, there was a noticeable change about him. It was not physical, but there was something about his countenance, it was different. And Sakura was unsure if it was good or bad.
"Sakura," Sasuke began in a stony command, "move."
She shook her head.
"Sakura," he repeated in warning.
"No, Sasuke," she said firmly. "I don't want you to kill him."
He gave her a look of utter disbelief. "Sakura, he was going to destroy you."
"But he didn't," she said firmly. "You stopped that, I am safe now."
"And he never will because now he dies," Sasuke spat. "He is a rogue, a traitor of his people, of my people, my family. As an Uchiha it is my duty to ensure scum like him know there is no mercy when they disband and disobey."
He moved to continue withdrawing his sword but was stopped when Sakura shoved him. It was not strong but given the unexpectancy, she managed to push him back a few steps until he reclaimed his balance.
"I said no, Sasuke," she yelled.
Sasuke's eyes narrowed and his face pinched in annoyance. "He isn't innocent Sakura, nor will this sudden saving turn him into a saint. He isn't like you and your fellow mortals where he can repent. He has forsaken his duty to the gods, he has defiled his purpose. In our world there is only duty or damnation. We are immortal for a reason, we are not meant to die. That means he will do everything in his power to ensure he escapes that fate. Today would have been you but if you let him go it will just be someone else. Can you live with that?"
He watched as she hesitated for a moment but as soon as her eyes narrowed, he knew what would come out of her mouth. "I said no, Sasuke. I will not have you kill someone because of me."
Sasuke's lips drew back as he bared his teeth. "I am not doing this for you," he lied. "I am doing this because it is what I do. I condemn mortals and kill traitors."
He withdrew his sword and took a step forward, but he stopped when she did not move.
"Sakura," he began, his voice barely controlled, his patience was wearing paper thin. "He may have been kind, charming, and flattering but that is how he works. He first gains your trust before he turns on you. Seduction is his tool and empty promises are his lure."
Slowly, his free hand moved up and for the first time in a month, he closed the final remaining space in which he had so painstakingly kept between them. His finger outlined her hairline, stroking the floral strands before sweeping down to touch her cheek then outline her jaw.
"It may seem impossible now," he said gently, "but he would have had you doing your darkest imaginations and more. He would have found your weakness, your vice, and then he would have exploited it. You mortals have no idea what your truest desires are until you are bathing in the blood of innocents or writhing in pleasures of the flesh. You would find yourself giving yourself away to anyone without any care or regard to the sacred temple of your soul. He could have shown you the path to a seat of power where you would end up razing nations and leaving nothing but soot and bones. And if those were not something you craved, he would have found it. Everyone has a darkside, even the purest, they are usually the worst."
He was not sure if he truly believed the last part or if Sakura was capable of any of it. It was impossible to imagine. But if it brought her to reasoning, he was willing to let only lies pass from his lips for the rest of his life. Why he was willing was unanswerable, he just knew it was true.
His fingers paused as he found himself staring directly into her eyes. "All mortals have a weakness Sakura. You are lucky he did not find yours today but if he goes free whose will he find instead? Your mother's? Your father's? The carpenter boy's?" At the mention of Pyrro, Sakura let out a small gasp of either shock or surprise. Whichever, Sasuke did not care. All that mattered was that he finally seemed to have her attention. "They will be next Sakura, and if not them, someone else's beloved. Would you truly allow that on your conscience?"
She hesitated in giving an answer, telling Sasuke that she was indecisive. Slowly, he tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. "I will make it quick," he assured. "There will be no suffering in his death." His eyes flickered up to look at Muso from over her head. "Only after," he said darkly, his eyes boring into the rogues eyes, as if promising that he would go to purgatory himself to ensure the demon's suffering.
"No."
Her words were soft and contrasting to his preceding ones and it took him a moment to even register that she had spoken.
His eyes shot down to her. "What do you mean一"
"I mean I won't let you kill him."
Her voice was firm as she reached up and grasped the hand that had settled onto her shoulder after tucking her hair away. His thumb, which had been slowly stroking her skin on its own accord, stilled as he brought his full attention to her. But she did not reciprocate such actions as she twisted and turned her back on him. Her hand still clasped his, keeping him in place as she faced the demon who was looking between herself and Sasuke with an expression of intrigue.
"Leave this island," she instructed in a monotone.
The demon gave her a lingering look before starting to move, only to be stopped when not only Sasuke, but Sakura moved as well. It was Sakura's arm being pushed in front of him that caused him to pause, and it was the glowing red threat that he saw hovering right behind her that made him freeze.
"Do not prey on any of its inhabitants nor any others you may cross upon in the farthest of lands," Sakura said, drawing the demons eyes to her. "Swear that you will never take, nor corrupt a single soul on this earthen land for the remainder of your existence." The demon nodded but Sakura did not move her arm. Her eyes narrowed. "I want an oath. Swear upon the creators of my world and yours and make a covenant that if you do any of this, you will be taken by Jashin himself to be punished for a thousand times a thousand."
Sasuke stared at the back of Sakura's head, surprised by her demands. How she knew of a covenant oath or of the minor but ultimately feared god of the seraphim, he did not know. His only guess was that Naruto had been going into far more in depth topics of their world than normally accepted. A covenant oath was rarely spoken of and made even more rarely. If the promise of the oath was bent, a seraph would lose their wings. If broken, they would lose their life instantly and delivered to the god Jashin, who hungered for souls.
"Are you insane!" the demon demanded. "If I don't claim souls, I die! I can't agree to your demands!"
"You'll die anyways if you don't," Sasuke responded, looking straight at him from the top of Sakura's head. He wasn't sure if she would protest or not but given the tightened silence that lingered, he assumed she agreed. Part of him, the new found desire he had recently awakened, begged for the demon to refuse. It both excited and sickened him.
After a prolonged debate, the demon finally nodded. "Fine," he spat, staring darkly at Sakura with contempt. "I solemnly swear that I shall never take, nor claim, a single human soul from this earth. May my wings shrivel and shed if I am tempted, and may my life be claimed and soul delivered to Jashin for my thousands times thousands years of pain and suffering."
Sakura gave a nod and after sending them both a venomous glare, the demon departed, tripping over his feet and taking a faulty lift off before disappearing into the night. When she turned around Sakura was presented to a skeptical looking Sasuke.
"What?" She spat, her tone taking on a harshness at her conflicted feelings.
She knew she had just condemned the demon to a slow and painful death. But the thought of letting someone be killed because of her or another soul facing the fate in which Sasuke described, it seemed the lesser of two evils. Was it truly bad if it was done with the intention of stopping something worse?
Sasuke let out a tsk, breaking her from her inner turmoil. Sakura gave him a glare then moved to brush past him to collect her offerings, which were now spilled across the darkened path. As she picked through the broken shards of pottery, she did her best to salvage what was left. The basket in which she had carried most of the offerings had been smashed but the contents in which it held were still salvageable. She frowned at the bent wicker and did her best to reshape it to functionality.
A pair of familiar black sandals came into her vision. Sasuke was not even attempting to avoid smashing the preserved olives that she had brought in offering in hopes for another abundant year.
"You know you just condemned him to a worse fate than I would have given him. At least mine would have been swift and painless."
She continued to work around his feet, salvaging what few olives were left. "You don't know that," she said quietly after a prolonged silence.
Another tsk made her brow twitch in annoyance but she refused to look up at him. Apparently being ignored was not satisfactory to him as she found herself face to face with him. As he crouched down, he stilled her hand. It was only then that she allowed her eyes to drift up and meet his.
"He will break his oath," he assured her. "They always do. Therefore you cursed him to damnation with Jashin which makes the standard damnation look like paradise in comparison. Not only that but an innocent soul will be taken from its mortal body when desperation of survival sets in."
She did not respond immediately and he cocked his head to the side. Having difficulty forming words, Sakura swallowed and looked down at the ground. She was overwhelmed. Overwhelmed with guilt and conflict. She looked up at Sasuke and she suddenly became aware of the sensation of being pulled towards him. Conflicting emotions were forgotten as she was overcome with a single overwhelming sensation. His presence.
Sasuke's entrance had been so rushed and unexpected that it had not even set in until now. Sasuke was here. A month of his absence had taken a strange toll on her and forced her to feel emotions that she was not used to. It had been exhausting. And now he was here and acting as if the past month had not even passed. He was still the same bossy grouch without so much as an explanation or apology.
Sasuke watched Sakura as she stared down at the ground. From the tilted angle of her face he could only see her half lidded eyes and forehead. At first he could see a small sadness within her green irises as her brow worried. He could tell she was feeling guilty and suddenly thought that perhaps he should not have rubbed salt in the wound with his earlier words. But it was a thought he batted away like he would a pesky fly. She needed to learn. This was a lesson she needed to know.
She blinked and something shifted. Sasuke watched as her head slowly moved up and he was able to finally see her face in its entirety, giving a full performance as her expression morphed into new emotions that were taking over. Her brow furrowed, her eyes narrowed, and her jaw clenched.
"Why are you even here?" she demanded.
Sasuke raised a brow at her tone. "Saving you from your naive stupidity obviously," he responded dryly as he got up.
She followed his actions. "Well then I guess I was lucky it happened tonight instead of two days ago, or two weeks, or any day within the past month."
Sasuke narrowed his eyes as her arms wildly gestured in the air as she responded with heavy sarcasm. He was not appreciative at being mocked by the animated pixie woman. Her face was flushed and her eyes seemed to glow like the bioluminescent flora and fauna that illuminated the underworld. The glow was alluring, a small reminder of the true beauty that this already beautiful vessel held within it.
Sasuke suddenly became aware of his thoughts and the danger that they brought. His instinct was to grab hold of her and shut her up. However, if he were to grab ahold of her, he was not sure if he could trust himself to let go. Already he felt his body being pulled towards her as if she were a magnetic field and he was a hunk of iron. It was taking everything he had to keep the minimal space between them and her wild arms and advancing steps were not helping in his endeavors. He needed more control, which meant he needed more space, more distance. He needed to be away from her.
"Where in Hades domain have you even…."
Sasuke heard her rant falter when he took an abrupt turn and began to walk away without so much as a glance back. He heard her scrambling around as she picked up her belongings and for a moment, he thought she was letting him go without a fuss. It was an unexpected but relieving reaction on her part. However it did not last long.
The sound of her sandaled feet following after him brought a twitch to his eye but he did his best to ignore it. Picking up his stride, he attempted to out march her, but the transition of her following pace of walk to a jog, told him it was futile.
"Excuse me!"
Her voice did not hold the soft and gentle tone that she used with others. Instead there was annoyance and if he was not mistaken, Sasuke detected a bit of anger. An emotion that he had thought she was incapable of. A small whisper of smugness appeared in his face as he continued to ignore her, proud that he could summon such emotions from her. He figured only a few could manage such a feat from a pure heart and even fewer from Sakura specifically.
"Stop following me," he called half-heartedly.
He heard a growl followed by the quick stomps of a run which allowed Sakura to catch up to him enough to step in front and cut him off. With her arms folded in front of her chest and cheeks puffed out, Sasuke found himself more amused than intimidated as she tried to stretch herself to be tall enough to reach his shoulder.
"Move," he commanded, but she did not even bat an eyelash.
"If you really did not want to be around me you would fly off," she pointed out with a confident tone. "For the past month you had no problem not being around me so why are you delaying it? Why don't you just fly off and leave? You don't need me to move, just go over me."
His amusement turned sour at her words. Deep down, he knew she was right. If he took to the sky she could not follow. What bothered him about that fact was that he already knew that, yet, he had lingered.
The past month had been horrible. Yes he had watched over her from afar, but he had come to find that it was not the assurance of her safety he needed. It was her presence. However, that was something he would not admit. Not to himself, not to her, even to the gods themselves he would never utter the truth. And it was not his blatant ignorance that kept him distant, but the danger.
His face darkened and his body tensed, causing Sakura's earlier brisk manner to become shaken. A ripple coursed through his body as his wings burst from his back. His teeth gritted in annoyance with his moment of weakness to bask in her presence. But his irritation was fueled by more than just that. It was her infuriating determination that had him on edge as well.
Sasuke did his best to keep his own firm determination in his voice as he spoke. "Go home Sakura," he said in a warning tone. "It's not safe for you to be out here."
"No," she refused firmly with a stomp of her foot. "I have things to do and I am not going to put those things on hold just because you say so. However if you are so concerned then why don't you just escort me. You never had a problem with it before. At least you never used to! Which brings me to my original question. Why are you avoiding me? Did I do something to offend you? Did you grow tired of me? Did you decide I was not worth一"
He let out a feral growl and grabbed onto her shoulders, giving her a frustrated shake as he did his best to not harm her. "Do you not realize that maybe I'm the one that you need to protect yourself from?! Do you realize what I could do to you? What I would do with your soul?" When her stubbornness failed to recede he gave out another snarl. Pushing her away slightly as he ran a hand through his hair. He paced a few steps away then turned back to face her. "You have no idea how much your soul beckons to my kind. You are like the forbidden fruit sitting in the garden, just waiting to be partaken of. It is most likely the reason why that demon even came to this island in the first place. He had been drawn to your soul. If you even had an inkling as to what I could do with your soul, you would run away to the other side of the world to escape me."
His words did nothing to alter her challenging stance except to force her pouted lips into a frown. "You can't scare me away Sasuke," she replied stubbornly.
He stepped closer to her, towering over her as his chest rubbed against her crossed arms. His hand moved up to caress her cheek, his long index finger tracing her jaw before gripping her chin almost too tightly in his frustration.
"What do you not understand about the part that I am a demon! I am a creature of the underworld, are you not afraid of the eternal suffering that I can bring you?!"
"No."
He looked at her in disbelief. "Then you are a foolish little girl," he spat as he released her chin with a flick of his hand and turned his back on her.
Her face scrunched in anger at his words. "You might be the superior being but this is my world, my life, therefore I chose what is and is not good for me," she stated firmly. "And I need you Sasuke."
Her words stirred something within him. He had never been needed, for anything. His father had Itachi as his heir, therefore Sasuke was nothing but a spare should anything ever happen. But nothing would ever happen to Itachi. Fugaku Uchiha would be disappointed if he lost his favorite and cherished son, and Itachi did not disappoint their parents. His brother, despite how much he said he loved him, could hardly give him the time of day. Then there was his mother. There was no argument that she did not love him, Mikoto loved all of her family equally. But did she need him?
There was something else about her words that altered him. She sounded so sure of herself but how could she understand? She was a mortal, limited by a feeble body, short life span, and weak mind. She may be smart when compared to other limited mortals but when compared to his kind she was naive. Her understanding of what lay behind the veil of death was far beyond what she was capable of grasping.
Did she think that she was so special that he would dedicate himself to her for the rest of her life? And if he did, what would come of it? She would die and her soul would pass on to the god tree, no assistance or guidance needed due to her true soul status. He had no role to play in her life but a villain. That was what he was born to do, that was what the gods designed him to be. How could he be the good and needed being she proclaimed him to be, if it went against divine design? The answer was plain and simple, he wasn't. Unless for some reason she thought he would change for her.
He let out a growl as a hand went up to tug on his silky dark locks in irritation. "I'm never going to change. This is what I am," he said suddenly as he spread his arms out as if to put himself on display. "I was designed by the gods to be this. Only they have the power to undo what they have created and we know that will never happen." He shoved his hands in his pockets and tilted his head, narrowing his eyes at her. "And even if I could change, I wouldn't. Not for them, not for Naruto, not for you. I like what I am, I like what I am becoming."
His words hurt her just as he meant them to. But the result was not as satisfying as he hoped. He watched her flinch as her eyes fell down to the ground at his feet.
"I'm not asking you to change Sasuke," she said in a quiet voice. She wrapped her hands around his forearm as she took a step and looked up into his eyes. "I know you are dangerous, but not to me. I trust you."
"Tch," he scoffed but he made no move to separate himself. Instead he turned to face her full on. His free hand moved up to tuck a piece of hair behind her ear. "And what if I break that trust?" He pondered aloud, letting his eyes move from her hair to meet hers.
She raised an eyebrow. "Then that is a risk I am willing to take," she said in a firm voice that left no room for questioning. "The fact that you try to protect me even from yourself tells me you are not as selfish or evil as you like to think. I like you in my life, please don't take that away from me."
Her spring flora eyes stared up at him with such pleading that Sasuke swallowed thickly. The pleading look made them even larger, widening the windows to her soul. That oh so delicious soul that was the whole reason why he was keeping his distance.
At the reminder, Sasuke found himself beginning to withdraw from her grasp but her grip on his arm tightened to a strength that he felt did not match the little nymph latching on to him.
His brow creased. "Why?"
Her pleading look morphed into slight confusion. "Why, what?"
"Tch," Sasuke sounded his annoyance. "Why do you care so much?"
She looked at him in complete bafflement, as if he had just asked her if the sky was blue or the grass was green. "Because you are my friend and those who abandon their friends are worse than scum," she stated firmly. Sasuke rolled his eyes, she had been spending far too much time with Naruto and Kakashi.
He gave her a hard look, his annoyance at her stubbornness grating at his patience. Did she not understand that this was for her sake? Did she not realize just how much she lacked in knowledge of him and his world? If she truly understood him, she would run far away from him. She would not care for him, she would not want anything to do with him.
He managed to extract his arm from her hands and began to walk away. "Don't worry Sakura, you are not abandoning me. Your reputation will not be tarnished by my absence," he assured with hardly any care. "You already have plenty of friends, trust me, you don't need me."
He heard a foot stomp on the ground and he turned around to see her standing with her arms folded and heel pressed into the ground.
"You don't get to make that choice for me Sasuke." The way she said his name was full of so much emotion and authority that Sasuke found himself feeling very much like a subordinate. She marched the small distance between them and stopped toe to toe with him, her head angling up to glare at him. "You cannot just come in and out of my life on your choosing. This is my life, I get to dictate who my friends are and when I will let them go."
"And what about my choice?" he asked with a slight amusement and raised a brow.
Sakura's determined face instantly split into a grin that paired all too well with his home in the underworld. "You're just a seraph," she said as if it were she who was the superior species. "Your choices don't matter."
With those words, she began to walk up the mountain path that led to the temple. Pushing her basket into his arms for him to carry as she promptly began to tug him along with her in her trek up the slope.
Sasuke could have easily stopped her from dragging him along with him, but there was something about the bossy side of her that he could not help but condone. So he gave into the tug and with an amused smile, he followed along side the girl, cherishing the close contact and the seemingly peaceful presence that she brought him when her mouth was not open in defiance.
Muso had only heard rumors about the corrupted seraphim named Orochimaru. Many banished and rogue seraphim from both realms sought him out for solutions of survival. Most rumors seemed either unbelievable or too frightful. Therefore Muso had never sought him out and actively avoided those who were associated with him. But things had changed. Now, he was desperate and vengeful.
The Uchiha that was with the vile little mortal had mentioned Orochimaru. Muso didn't know what to make of the fact that a member of such a powerful clan was lingering in a place of insignificance. But two things were clear to him.
The first was that the Uchiha was protecting her. His little tussle with the higher demon had nothing to do with territory or claim. He had seen the softened look the Uchiha had given the mortal when he looked at her, and there was no intention of claiming the soul in which she carried within her. No, that demon was not just protecting his property, he was protecting her for her own sake.
Which brought him to his second conclusion. The Uchiha was protecting her from Orochimaru. How a mortal came to be wrapped up in such seraphim business he did not know. Nor did he care. All he cared about was that if he was right, it had value. And he needed value. He needed a bargaining chip if he wanted to survive. Taking a soul meant instant death, not taking a soul meant a prolonged death. Neither choice was acceptable.
Of all the rumors he heard of Orochimaru, one stood out to him the most right now. The snake seraph had a method to attach himself to life forms without consuming human souls. If this was true, Muso would be able to survive. There was a slight possibility that it would bend the rules of the made covenant. If this happened, the result would be the loss of his wings. It was an idea that made him shutter, but it was better than the fate of breaking such a covenant or the chance of no existence at all.
The mortal would pay for that. But he would not dare do the deed himself, not with an Uchiha protecting her. So instead he would leave that up for Orochimaru. Any soul being sought out by the snake seraph was in for a world of undesirable suffering that one would not even wish upon their enemies. Which was why it was the perfect fate for her according to Muso. It was what she deserved after what she had just done to him.
The seraphim called them covenants, sacred oaths made rarely and reverently. The rosette mortal had just made a blasphemy of such a thing. She saw it as just a promise but for him it was a curse. And it was for that reason he was standing before the most decrepit looking seraphim he had ever laid eyes upon, letting the encounter flow freely from his lips.
"Ku, ku, ku," came the sinister chuckle from Orochimarui. The scales that melded in with the patches of exposed skin glimmered as he leaned forward. "Interessssting," he cooed. "And you say the Uchiha was protecting thisss mortal?"
Orochimaru watched the demon nod his head. "Yes, though I am not sure why," he spat. "That little mortal girl is more demon than even you or me."
"Yesss," Orochimaru agreed with mocking sympathy. "It would take quite the mortal to have managed to enssslave a sssuperior being with a covenant and achieve the protection of an Uchiha…"
Orochimaru went silent as his musings became muted and private within his mind. His reptilian skin shivered and made him want to shed in his excitement. He licked his lips with all the wonders he could do with this information. But he desired more information. He needed to know why Sasuke was protecting the mortal.
"So will you help me now?" Came the inquiry of Muso, drawing Orochimaru out of his thoughts.
"Help you with what?" he responded innocently.
Muso scowled. "Show me your secret. How do I keep living without breaking the oath?"
Orochimaru cocked his head to the side, his neck bent unnaturally farther than it should. "And why would I give such a secret to you?"
"Because that was the deal. I give you information in exchange for a loophole."
"Ku Ku Ku," he chucked. "Wasss it now? Tell me, do you know the nature of the relationship between the Uchiha and hisss mortal charge?"
Muso shook his head.
"I see, then it seemsss you are lacking in information." He flicked his hand in gesture and two henchmen stepped forward to seize Muso
"What do you mean!" Muso protested as he thrashed to free himself. "We had a deal!"
"Oh no we didn't," Orochimaru chimed calmly. "You had an assumption. But don't worry. You won't sssuffer the fate the mortal cursed you with."
Muso's screams and threats echoed, muffled, and died as he was carried away to one of the many rooms in which Orochimaru would conduct his experiments. Orochimaru's yellow eyes closed as he leaned his head back and enjoyed the melodious sounds of Muso's frantic screams as if they were music to his ears. When the symphony of screams came to a finish he opened his eyes when the door to his throne like room was opened.
"Go to the island that our lovely Sasssuke has been spending time on. Do not let yourself be detected or ssseen. Find out as much as you can about the mortal girl with rosette hair. Most importantly, find out what she is to Sasssuke Uchiha."
Orochimaru watched his minion leave as he settled back into the carved throne he had claimed for himself. His body shivered with anticipation and excitement for what was to come. If everything was as it seemed, he would have Sasuke Uchiha more than willing to cooperate with him once he was given a little inspiration. He was intrigued to learn of this mortal girl and what value she had to offer. However his interest in the girl did not exceed his interest in the Sharingan that would come to his possession because of her. If needed, he would use her by any means to earn it. She was leverage, nothing more.
Sasuke watched Sakura from the threshold of the temple as she kneeled down before the statue depicting a female form. If he remembered correctly, it was a representation of the goddess Demeter.
Tenderly Sakura pulled out the few olives that she collected then a small candle which she lit from a lantern that hung from the statues outstretched hand. With care she lit several incense and placed them at her feet before muttering a few prayerful words under her breath as she bent before the statue and moved onto the next deity that she owed prayers. This time she gave prayers of thanks to Athena for the gift of olives that she brought to their world. Finally, she went to the small pool that lay at the feet of Poseidon. Here original pottery that she would have used to carry the water back down had been smashed but it was as if the gods had been looking out for her and she had spotted an abandoned jug that, while chipped, would suffice for her needs.
When she stood back up she took note that Sasuke was watching her from the doorway. She had offered for him to help her but he had rejected the offer and instead took a stance at the doorway, like a dutiful century dressed in black uniform.
"Are you done yet?" he remarked when he realized she was looking at him.
She nodded, trying to hide the faint smile that crept onto her lips as she dipped her head. She had missed his ever annoyed presence. It was a strange thing to miss, but she did. It was what made Sasuke, Sasuke.
"Good," Sasuke grunted as he pushed off the doorway and began to make his way down the few steps that had brought them into the temple. "Let's get you home."
Sasuke started to make his way towards the path that would take them down the mountain. But when the soft patter of Sakura following behind paused, he turned back around to see her stalling as she looked out over the countryside and its coast. She eclipsed the sunrise which painted a picturesque backdrop that formed a glowing halo around her body. The rising temperatures had caused her to lose her shawl from earlier and the cream dress she wore soaked in the colors of the purple and pink sky, giving it an ombré hue that shifted and transitioned from one color to another. Her already colorful hair was glowing as the round sun matched up perfectly with her head and surrounded her with a majesty. In combination, the sight was like looking at the personification of a goddess.
Again Sasuke was reminded of his thoughts that she did not belong in this world. When compared to his own kind, mortals were very plain creatures. However, as he watched her face smooth into a relaxed smile, he found his throat suddenly dry. He tried to swallow and let out a small cough, causing Sakura to look at him. The action only served to elevate the image as she added a splash of green to the work of art that she was currently personifying.
No longer distracted by the scenery, Sakura made her way over to him. Her happy smile never faltering as she neared. Sasuke scowled, he didn't like what that smile was doing to his stomach. "What are you so happy about?"
Sakura seemed to ponder then wrapped her arm though his. "I am just happy you stayed today."
Sasuke let out a tsking sound. "Common," he mumbled, not bothering to pull himself free as he began to lead her down the path. "No more dawdling, it's annoying."
Sakura stayed quiet for awhile and Sasuke enjoyed the quiet until a soft request broke the peace. "Sasuke," she began tentatively, causing him to look down at her. "Promise me you won't leave again."
Sasuke was not one to grant requests. He didn't do favors for others. At least not unless there was something in it for him. But as he looked down at her face that silently pleaded to him, he found himself unable to form the denial. He thought about the events of this morning and the nuisance she had caused because he had not been there soon enough. He wondered how many other times when he was busy trying to keep his distance that she had been close to making other idiotic choices like befriending soul sucking rouges. It was this reason that he decided he would agree to her request. Because it certainly was not because he missed her. That would mean he had a weakness and Sasuke Uchiha did not have weaknesses. He had power, raw power that he had just recently been able to tap into.
"Hn," he let out.
It had been awhile since she had heard that sound but Sakura could not help but smile at the hummed syllable. It wasn't a proper word but she knew what it meant. Consent. Sasuke was allowing her request. Automatically her arms squeezed his tighter.
"Thank you."
Her words were so quiet any person with normal hearing would have missed it. However Sasuke was not normal. He caught the words of gratitude and while he made an effort to show no acknowledgement of the tightening around his arm or her words, he still failed to stop the small half smile that spread at the corner of his lips. Perhaps it would not be so bad if he stayed around.
He walked with her until her home was in sight. With a quick jab to her forehead, he made his leave with simple but cherished words. "See you," he murmured before taking flight and disappearing with the cover of the low cloud coverage of the day.
Sakura watched him leave, shielding her eyes as she squinted against the bright sun until she could no longer see him. For a moment she felt a tugging to follow but she knew this was a sensation of her imagination. It was impossible for her to follow, she had no wings. Therefore she was at the mercy of Sasuke coming to her. A thought that did not sound quite so bad as the lingering feeling of his two forefingers against the skin of her forehead. She didn't understand the action, but she was growing fond of it. She was growing fond of him.