Chapter Thirty-One: Hell of a Week
Present Day:
Mikoto Uchiha was both lovely and loving, which made disliking her all the more difficult. Sakura had been there nearly a week already and the insufferably kind woman had not given her a moment's rest. Sakura just wanted to be left alone for one day to sulk and regroup, but the woman was suffocating her with authentic care and effort as she took the roll in which Madara gave her with full gusto. If she wasn't so genuine about everything, Sakura would think she was a prison guard instead of a hostess with how closely the woman seemed to watch her.
However today had been different. Mikoto had yet to make an appearance and it was already nearing evening time. And without the direction or distraction of another, Sakura did what anyone who was finally left alone to do everything needed to be done.
Which was absolutely nothing.
Some would call it a wasted day of opportunities-and there is logic in that-but at the moment Sakura couldn't care less. It was not as if she had anywhere to go or duties she had to manage.
So she spent the day thumbing through a few books that Mikoto had brought from the library. A place in which Sakura had interest to visit but had not allowed herself to ask how to go there. Despite how much she was growing to hate the confines of her room, she was intimidated to venture out of their protection.
When reading failed to settle the growing, restless agitation from spending several days within the confines of the room, she had begun trying her hand at rearranging the room. She was planning to replicate the setup of her own room up in the heavens in an attempt to bring some kind of normalcy to her overturned life. However, when she went to pull the bed away from the wall, the sound of something sliding loose, followed by a light thud, caused her to pause. Curiously, she came around to the head board and found a leather bound book. It was lying flat on the ground where it had fallen after being dislodged from where it had been jammed between the cavern room wall and bed frame.
Carefully she picked it up and turned it over in her hands to look at the cover. There was no title or author printed. Instead, there was an etching of a symbol she had recently become familiar with. It was the shape of an uchiwa fan, and given the faded red and white ink that had once made the design stand out more, Sakura confirmed it was the Uchiha clan symbol. Intrigued even more, she moved to open the cover but noted the sealed plating that kept the contents within secure. Going back to the cover, her fingers traced over the edging to the right corner where the letters SU were also etched into the hard leather. Her brows drew together in confusion as she traced each letter individually.
Mikoto had told her this room once had a previous occupant. At the time she had not even pondered who that inhabitant had been, but now she was curious. It was obvious that this was some kind of personal journal, a log of that person's thoughts and life. Depending on the owner, the contents within this book could prove very useful. The question was...who was SU?
The moment she asked herself the question, her mind produced a plausible answer, causing her head to snap up as she looked up at the door, thinking of the person lodging in the room across the hall from her.
Could it be? Her mind contemplated. Sasuke Uchiha.
The lettering certainly matched but why would the journal be here? Had this once been his room? The idea of it made her shiver, thinking of Sasuke occupying the very room she was now confined to. Sitting at the same desk, bathing in the same bathroom, sleeping in the same bed. It made her uneasy.
Her eyes flicked down to the bed and she swallowed. Surely not, she thought skeptically. It just seemed too simple of an answer.
But the potential of this being his journal was far too intriguing to ignore. To read the thoughts and inner workings of his mind. Perhaps she could find answers. Not just about him but herself as well. If she had been so important to him, perhaps he had written about her, she could learn of her past. It was perhaps a vain thought, but it was certainly alluring. So much so, that it had her immediately looking back down at the journal and attempting to open it again.
After several hours of trying to pry the journal open, Sakura gave up in a fury that had her throwing the book across the room in a fit of frustration. She stood glaring at the book for a long moment before crossing the room, picking it up, and returning it back to the hiding spot she had found it in. She wasn't giving up. She was determined to open it. But she needed to calm down first. Otherwise she might end up destroying it. With that in mind, she decided to soak in the deep basin of the porcelain bath of the washroom. Hoping that after some calming meditation, she would be able to think of a way to open the book.
Coming out of the bathroom a half hour later, Sakura crossed the room and opened the doors to the large wardrobe that stood against the wall. Pausing in front of the arrangement of clothing before her, Sakura readjusted the towel wrapped around her as she took in the different cuts, colors, and fabrics of the clothing within.
Despite what she had told Mikoto, the demon lady had taken it upon herself to bring her 'just a few' articles of clothing. But that was a grossly, inaccurate understatement. The woman had gone above and beyond by bringing her several pieces that first night. By day two Sakura had been somehow coerced by Mikoto into letting some servants take her measurements and first thing this morning, when her breakfast was brought to her room, it came with a delivery of clothing for every occasion.
And the once sparse wardrobe was now overflowing with clothes all made and tailored for her. There were even a couple of gowns that were exquisite in craftsmanship that Sakura could not fail to appreciate. But the idea of such an occasion happening in which she would need or wear such a thing was unfathomable to imagine.
There was a knock at the door and Sakura quickly grabbed a robe from the collection and pulled it over herself. As she tried it shut she crossed the floor and cracked the door open as soon as she was relatively decent.
Speak of the devil and they shall appear - or in her case think - was a phrase that was beginning to hold a whole new meaning to Sakura since coming to the underworld. For as she opened the door, it was to find the very person she had been thinking of, standing patiently at the door.
"Oh good, dearie, you are here," Mikoto said with a smile as she pushed past the petal haired seraph and marched over to the wardrobe.
"Where else would I be?" Sakura questioned dryly as she shut the door with a frown, it seemed her almost day without Mikoto would not happen after all.
"Well there are the gardens, the library, the star caverns," Mikoto pulled open the wardrobe doors and began to rifle through the contents. She continued to expand on said places and extend to other areas that Sakura had no clue as to where she would even go to find such places.
Before being dragged down to hell, Sakura had been brave. She had been determined. But it was easy to do that when still standing amongst familiar faces and places. Now, Sakura was in a whole new world. A world she had no knowledge of how the inner-workings, layout, and governments worked. That was the trouble with realms, they all had their own laws of physics and limits of the supernatural. Earth was simplistic to learn after having dwelt in the heavens for so long, but this place, she dared to believe had the potential to be far more complicated than even the heavens.
"Ah! Here we go," Mikoto said as she pulled a dress out from where it hung and held it up to Sakura, tilting her head to the side before smiling. "Oh this is just a delightful color! I knew it would suit you!"
Sakura stood quietly, not commenting or even looking at the dress. Mikoto's smile seemed to purse slightly as she went back to looking through the clothes she had commissioned for Sakura.
"You know why don't you put on this first dress and you can come have supper with us. It's nothing overly eloquent, just a simple family supper. We try to keep up a habit of having at least one meal together with all of our duties. It's been a long time since we have had a full table with Sasuke being gone and all." She paused for a moment before her tone which had dampened brightened. "And it will be good for you to get out of this stuffy room, I don't think you've been getting enough to eat. The maids said you were not eating all of your food."
She turned around and held the dress out to her in offering. Sakura looked at it for a moment then looked back up to meet Mikoto's dark eyes.
"That's okay," Sakura said as she waved her hands and backed away, "I can just take my supper here in my rooms as I have been taking all of my other meals. I just haven't had a big appetite lately...but I will be sure to try and eat more tonight," she promised before adding, "And I wouldn't want to intrude on your family time."
"Nonsense, you wouldn't be any–"
"I don't want to."
Mikoto slightly stiffened at Sakura's sharpness, instantly making Sakura feel bad. The woman had been nothing but nice to her over the week. But genuine or not, the woman was blatantly ignoring the real reason why she was here. Perhaps the first night she could forgive her for that, but Sakura was certain that this woman was not so oblivious to know by now. Sakura was not a guest, she was a prisoner. Her efforts were well meaning, playing the role of an umbrella as Sasuke's actions rained on her parade. But instead of throwing a parade, it was a pity party Sakura was trying to host for herself, and Mikoto was postponing it.
Mikoto watched as the pinkette sank down onto the edge of the bed and she could not help but let out a weary sigh. She had tried. For days the woman had honestly tried to get the girl to at least open up a little, to get her out of this room. She had been gentle and kind, and while she could see that Sakura struggled with turning such kindness away, she still resisted every attempt Mikoto tried to cheer her up. Mikoto felt for Sakura, she really did. But the girl needed to accept the cold hard facts, she was not going anywhere.
She was also worried for the young woman. It wasn't healthy to stay so cooped up and secluded. Which is why Mikoto hardly left her alone. She was worried what the Sakura might do to herself. She just looked so...so broken. Which is why Mikoto has been careful around her as if walking on thin ice, doing her best not to crack the surface.
However, while she had learned nothing from Sakura herself, she had learned a little from Itachi and Fugaku as to what had happened. She had tried several times for Sasuke to talk to her but that conversation had been short.
'Who is she?' Mikoto had asked.
'Nobody,' he had answered.
Despite this, there was something that Mikoto had learned that gave her an idea. According to Itachi and her husband, Sakura was the daughter of Tsunade Senju. Technically adoptive but all the same, it meant that Sakura had been raised by the infamous woman. Mikoto had never met Tsunade personally, but she had heard plenty of stories as to the woman's tough and coarse exterior. And perhaps that was the answer to getting through to Sakura.
Crossing the floor, Mikoto thrust the dress into the sulking woman's lap, causing Sakura to look up at her, her green eyes widening slightly when she took in Mikoto's stern face.
"Look, I understand you are struggling. I even understand that you want nothing to do with myself or any of my family, seeing as it was my son who is the reason you are here. But you need to get something into your pretty little head," she said, putting her perfectly manicured hands on her hips. "You're stuck here, and you are not going anywhere anytime soon. So you might as well make the most of it.
"If you want to see us as your enemy that's fine, but I fail to believe that a daughter of Tsunade Senju would just give up so easily. When you are stuck with your enemy you don't just give up, you take advantage of it. You learn of your enemies inside and out. The more you know about them, the more you know their weaknesses. I am giving you the perfect opportunity for that as a token of apology. Not on behalf of not my son-" she quickly established- "he needs to repair his own errors. But for the fallen that wanted nothing but peace, I extend this offering."
Sakura stared dumbly at the woman.
"Now get dressed," Mikoto continued. "Dinner is in an hour. I expect you to be there. And if you are, I will let you be for an entire day like you've been wishing for since you came here. You can sulk and throw yourself a pity party tomorrow but tonight, you will join my family for dinner, is that understood?"
She couldn't do anything but nod her pink head as she looked up at the woman. Instantly Mikoto's dark and cold exterior broke and she was the beautiful, smiling, and kind woman again.
"Good," she said sweetly as she started for the door. "Go right when you leave the room, take the third corridor to the left, and it's the fifth door down."
Mikoto disappeared leaving Sakura alone.
After a heavy pause, Sakura looked down at the dress in her lap. Holding it up, she took in the design and cut. It was simple but elegant. A rich green dye, colored the soft fabric that was stitched with a flower like shape she was unfamiliar with.
Moving to the vanity, she held the dress up to herself and couldn't help but agree with the Uchiha woman, it paired well with her. Her green eyes which had been dull over the past days seemed a little brighter and alive giving the pallor of her skin some color.
As Sakura stared back at herself she took in what Mikoto had said. She had been right, she couldn't keep on going like this. She needed to accept her fate and make the most of it. Tsunade had said that they would get her back but she would be on her own for a while. Kakashi had told her she was strong enough to do this. And Naruto, she had promised she would come back. And she would.
But as much as she wanted to be immediately home, she was going to be here for a while. So she needed to be proactive and learn as much as she could. She couldn't just give up. Otherwise, she would be here forever.
She paused in front of the double doors, tugging at her dress nervously before lifting a hand to the doorknob that- if she had followed Mikoto's instructions correctly- would lead her into the dinning room. Her fingers touched the cold metal, its intricate design more for show than function, as the decorative edges made it awkward to open the heavy door. She cracked it slightly before hesitantly stepping through. Her jade eyes took in the scene before her as she lingered at the door, letting it shut behind her with a soft thud as she leaned against it.
The room was carved into a small rectangle. A few extra seats lined the walls beneath evenly spaced sconces that gave out a warm light to the room. On one side was a large fire place with glowing embers that also put out an illumination that set an intimate tone to the ambiance. Above its carved mantle was a large painting. From her angle, Sakura could not quite see its depiction properly, only enough to see it was a portrait of several people. High above, in the center of the vaulted ceiling was a colony of jagged stalactites. Where the points of the longer columns hung down, numerous holes had been carved into it, and candles had been inlaid into the mineral deposits, forming a chandelier. Beneath the naturalistic light fixture, was a long stone table that could easily seat a dozen people, but at the moment only one end was currently being occupied.
Fugaku was seated at the head of the table and to his right, facing Sakura, was Mikoto. Unlike her frowning mate, she had her usual happy smile on her face as she talked away, gathering hums and grunts with the occasional sentence from the others. Across from her, Sakura could see two of the chairs being occupied on the opposite side of the table. While his back was towards her, Sakura could easily identify the side of Itachi's face from his position next to his father. His long and maintained hair was a characteristic she was quickly becoming familiar with from his short visits over the past days.
She was just about to make herself known when her eyes went to the chair next to Itachi, and Sakura stiffened. In the chair next to Itachi, Sakura recognized the spiky head of hair turned away from her.
She should have known he would be here, but for some reason, in her mind, she had failed to realize that Sasuke would be present as well.
Despite the quietness in which she entered, Sasuke's head snapped around the moment her eyes set on him. His own, darker eyes widened fractionally in surprise when he caught sight of her standing awkwardly at the threshold. It was the first time she had actually physically seen him since the day she had been dragged to this place. However that did not mean she had not been aware of his presence.
She had heard and sensed him coming and going from his room all week. It had always been a strange sensation but with increased frequency, she had gotten used to the tightness and flurry of emotions that came with his close proximity. But this, seeing him, having nothing between them to serve as a barrier...it was a whole new level that she was not ready for. Sakura's heart leapt and she found herself quickly turning to leave before anyone else noticed her.
But it was too late.
Noticing her son's distraction, Mikoto's eyes followed the direction of her son's attention to catch sight of Sakura just about to make her escape. She quickly stood and started making her way around the table to the door.
"Sakura! I was beginning to think you got lost," she said sweetly, causing the girl to pause in her escape and turn back around. Mikoto looped her arm through Sakura's and started guiding her to the table. "Come. You can sit next to me."
Sakura found herself being pushed down into the chair next to Mikoto where there was already a plate of food set out in front of her. She wasn't sure why, but it wasn't exactly what she expected to be served for dinner in hell. For some reason she had imagined bat wings and spoiled fruit to be the cuisine of the underworld. Never mind the fact that every meal she had already been served was relatively normal. Herb potatoes were piled next to a juicy cut of pork that lay on a bed of roasted asparagus as a red compote was delicately plated with the finest art.
It looked delicious and the smell of it had her mouth watering. But even as the hunger manifested, she felt her knotted stomach wriggle as her lost appetite fought with the stimulation of the aromatic food.
As the queasiness set in her stomach, she looked away from the delectable food and straight into Sasuke's heated gaze as he was seated directly across from her. It was piercing, and within her she felt everything become mixed as foreign emotions seemed to seep in. Not foreign as in unfamiliar, but just simply not hers.
"I believe you are already acquainted with my sons," Mikoto began, drawing Sakura's attention to the woman addressing her, "but I don't think you have been properly introduced to my husband. This is Fugaku."
Sakura looked at the oldest male at the table who gave a silent nod of his head. Sakura nodded back and mumbled what was a questionably audible greeting. She watched as Mikoto put her hand on the stoic man's arm sitting next to her and gave him the warmest of smiles. To Sakura's disbelief, the man seemed to soften. It was not necessarily the warmest of affectionate expressions, but compared to his earlier expression, Sakura could tell that this man cared deeply for the woman. And the woman looked positively infatuated with him despite her aged years.
After this short exchange, Mikoto extracted herself from her husband and leaned towards Sakura as she pushed the pinkette's fork towards her. "Eat," she prodded. "I can already tell you've lost some weight this past week. I took those measurements just a few days ago and already your clothes are looking loose."
Sakura knew this was an exaggeration, the dress she was wearing fit like a glove. But she nodded anyways and picked up her fork to push her food around in an attempt to appease the woman. As she speared a small potato, Sakura listened and watched from beneath her lashes as the family interacted with each other.
Earlier, Mikoto had given her a piece of advice that whether intentional or not, was sound advice to someone who was a glorified captive labeled as a guest. So she listened and noted, observed and analyzed her captors, taking in as much as she could learn about this world and its inhabitants. All the while, she tried to ignore the heavy stare of the man sitting across from her.
It seemed as much as he believed he had changed, there were some things that would remain the same forever. Sasuke had only come because he could not find it within himself to deny his mother a simple request for dinner. And at the moment, he was thoroughly regretting and cursing his feeble will power when it came to Mikoto Uchiha.
He should have known something was odd when he saw an extra setting at the table. And he especially should have known the extra guest would be her.
He had felt her emotions seep into him before he even realized what him feeling them meant. When he did, he had turned around to find her standing frozen at the door. She looked nearly horrified, spinning around to leave but it seemed his mother had other plans. Now, she was sitting across from him, avoiding his eyes, and pushing her food around on her plate without taking a bite for the past ten minutes.
As his mother went about conducting the conversation of the table, he couldn't help but keep his eyes fixated on Sakura as he silently stared at her. Not that he really needed to say anything or respond to his mother. It was one of his mother's gifts, to converse at a table full of mutes and still manage to have a two way conversation.
"Sakura," Mikoto said, finally conducting her attention to the pinkette who had just finally taken her first bite of food, "what kinds of things do you like?"
Sakura quickly swallowed the small bite she had managed to eat and looked at Mikoto. It was an odd question to ask a seraph. Seraphim were not like mortals who went about pursuing dreams and hobbies, they only had their duties. Sure there were certainly things that a seraph enjoyed and did during their free time, but it was hardly something they pursued in the name of passion. Duties always came first.
"Um…" her eyes flashed around to each individual. Mikoto was looking at her with enthusiastic encouragement, Fugaku was glaring down at his plate, Itachi was gazing at her with intrigue, and Sasuke...Sasuke was just...looking. She looked back to Mikoto. "I suppose I like gardening. Before I started my guardianship I was a caretaker for most of the gardens in the heavens."
"Oh how wonderful!" Mikoto exclaimed. "Perhaps you can help me with the gardens here."
"You mean things actually grow in this place?" She had not said it to be mean, it was just a genuine question of surprise. But her tone had a mocking sarcasm to it and as soon as the words came out, she realized how insensitive it could sound. Sakura may have not wanted to be here, but this was still Mikoto's home. "I'm sorry一I didn't mean for一I just meant…"
Sakura trailed off when Mikoto's gentle laughter filled the air and she waved her off. "It's quite alright dear, I understand. Yes, we do have things that grow here. Probably not as delicate or soft as your world but they have their own beauty." She looked at Itachi. "Itachi has always told me of the gardens in the heavens. He describes them beyond fathomable beauty," she said wistfully.
"You have never seen them?" Mikoto gave her a wane smile and Sakura realized the stupidity of her question. "Right, sorry," she quickly corrected as she bit at her lip thoughtfully. "But surely you have seen the earthen realm and their foliage! They too have a beauty that the heavens' growths do not have. Some may argue it, but there is a melancholy beauty to the imperfections and fragility of the plants that cover the earth. I find it enchantingly poetic in the way even the most frail looking plant can dig its roots into the earth and thrive with only the bare minimum to sustain it."
Again Mikoto gave a sad smile. "I have never been to the surface. As you know, not all of us are given the duties of tempters and watchers of mortals. Some of us must remain behind to oversee that our own realms remain in order."
Sakura had no words. She could not imagine being confined to only this place, to having only knowledge of this dark world, to have never felt the warmth of a sun's rays. She knew that everyone was bestowed different callings, many of them not involving going to other realms. At a time she too once thought that to be her fate. But Kakashi and Naruto had stood up for her, spoken in her defense. That was when she was released from her garden duties to start her guardianship.
At the thought of the two seraphs, Sakura's mood dampened as she thought about the pair. Mikoto seemed to notice the shift, but misinterpreted the reason behind the change in the younger females composure.
"It is all right," she replied. "Just because I have never been there does not mean I am ignorant of the beauties. When Sasuke first started going to the surface, he would bring down flowers and plants for me," she said, looking at Sasuke fondly.
Sakura could not help but look at him too. He made no reaction to the comment as he gave his plate far more attention than needed. It was hard to imagine such an action being done by him. Hard, but not impossible. Because despite the closed and hard exterior that seemed to have poisoned her image of him, she could still remember seeing a tender side to him before this, pre-being dragged down to hell. It was still difficult to believe he ever had a side that would have picked and collected flowers for his mother.
But Sakura could see the truth by the way Mikoto looked at her youngest. It was nothing she had ever seen in another's face when he was the topic. Even in Itachi there had always been a small greyness in the way he spoke of him. However this look was pure.
"It was so sweet," Mikoto continued and Sakura watched as a tension manifested in Sasuke.
Sasuke did not like the turn in conversation. He did not like to be reminded of his naive childhood. Yes, he remembered bringing fallen leaves, tree clippings, and flowers back from his early surface days like he was some kind of feather brained magpie collecting trinkets. But that was back before he learned truly the cruelness of mortality. That was before he questioned the gods' purpose in even creating things and beings if they only perish in the end. It was fruitlessly unproductive and had no point. But that was not what bothered him. It was the look in which Sakura attained upon learning of this.
She was looking at him differently. Looking as if she was seeing past the darkness and seeing a light that. An accomplishment that another soul had once done. And he detested her for being able to see that in him.
So he opened his mouth to end whatever notions that she might be creating about him, because he would not allow her to see him in such light. "Too bad they all died," he said, dark eyes staring intently at Sakura, challenging her to continue to look at him in such a way.
There was a small pause and Sakura wrinkled her brow. Then Sasuke got his wish, any tender understanding of his brooding self she had was replaced by a hard glare. And again any illusion or resemblance of her being able to see a tender side of him was erased. But, like everything else that had gone Sasuke's way as of late, he didn't feel any satisfaction in the accomplishment. However before he could contemplate what was wrong, his mother was moving on.
"Yes...yes they did," Mikoto continued in a slightly somber tone. "But I guess that is to be expected when you bring a flower to a place it does not belong."
"And yet he still brought them home despite knowing they had no place here," interjected Itachi.
There was a thickness that formed in the atmosphere around the table and Sakura could not help but think they were no longer speaking of plants. An awkward silence fell over them and unable to withstand the discomfort of Itachi and Sasuke's glare down, Fugaku's disinterest, and Mikoto's anxious glances as her peaceful conversation was obliterated, Sakura spoke up.
"You know…" she began, looking at Mikoto as she warily glanced at Sasuke and Itachi. "I don't know if it would work, but you could maybe try grafting plants from the surface, into plants that live here in this realm. Depending on the type of flora you have of course. It is done with many types of fruit trees. Like olive trees for example." Sasuke's head whipped around to give her an odd look but she did her best to ignore the magnitude of his attention as she focused on Itachi and Mikoto instead. "When a tree is not producing well, you take branches from it and graft them into the more healthy trees to keep them alive and bearing fruit."
"Oh, I know of the tree you speak of. There was a time when Sasuke brought me those particular leaves all the time," she commented.
Sakura could not help but glance at Sasuke. When she did, his face was pulled tightly as if deep in thought. However when her attention turned to him, he narrowed his eyes and she quickly looked back to Mikoto. But all the while, she watched Sasuke from the corner of her eye, curious about his sudden odd attention after having practically ignored her since he first entered the heavens to collect her.
"I have always liked the look of olive trees. There is just something fascinating about the tint of the leaves, how they almost turn silver when the light hits them just right." Sasuke's eyes narrowed more and Sakura could have sworn his head tilted just slightly as if contemplating something.
"I do not think I have ever seen them in the heavens," Itachi joined in. "But I have not explored all the edenic gardens that you have there either. I can only imagine they are even more beautiful in their celestial form."
"Oh we don't have them in the heavens," Sakura replied. "They are strictly an earthen realm plant that was gifted by the gods. I think that is why it is such a significant plant in their world. Even though mortals have no knowledge of the uniqueness it is to their realm, you see it throughout their history as a symbol ofー"
"That's a myth."
"..." Sakura looked to Sasuke upon his interruption. "Pardon?"
"That's a mortal myth, a Greek myth," Sasuke accused.
"Sasuke, dear, what are you speaking of?"
Sasuke did not even look at his mother when she asked for clarification. His dark eyes stayed solely on Sakura as he looked at her, truly looking at her with an expression that no one at the table could fully interpret its meaning.
"The gods giving mortals olives," Sasuke answered. "It was said that whichever god bestowed the people of Greece with the most esteemed gift, would earn the right of naming their most important city. Poseidon, their god of the seas, was a seeker of shoreland kingdoms. So he created a waterway through Attica that provided fresh drinking water and easy access to the sea. But Athena...Athena gave them olive trees.
"And while the people of Attica were grateful to Poseidon, they preferred Athena's gift. In return for the gift, Athena was granted the right to name the city after herself. That is why the Parthenon, the temple built in her honor, overlooks the city of Athens."
There was a long pause as Sasuke concluded his short tale and suddenly he felt self conscious from the looks of his family. But the one that made him the most uncomfortable was Sakura's. She wasn't exactly looking at him, as her attention to her surrounding world seemed to be blocked by whatever she was thinking deeply about. As if she was trying to place something.
Across the table, Sakura was doing just that. She had listened to Sasuke with wrapped attention just as she had weeks ago when he told her of other tales and stories. And just like then, this story had a strange familiarity about it. As if she knew this story, she had known how it ended before Sasuke had even revealed its conclusion. She blinked and noticed that Sasuke was staring at her with an expression that was easily read as suspicion.
"So your claim that they're from the gods is false," Sasuke suddenly said towards Sakura with a hard tone. "It comes from a story, not fact. So why would you claim it as if you actually believed it?"
Sakura tilted her head to the side, trying to figure out his motive. And while instinct told her to let the subject go, she found herself speaking, "All stories stem from truth" she declared, lifting her head and meeting his eyes in a challenge.
Sasuke was slightly unsettled by her remark. It was a phrase he had once said long ago. However he would not acknowledge the coincidence of it. It was a common belief among many that there was always some truth to legends, myths, and tales. It was just a matter of how much truth was in them that was debated.
"And why do you know so much about them?" he inquired. "Since when do seraphs spend their time familiarizing themselves with mythological beliefs of ancient mortals?"
"And what makes you any different," Sakura defended. "Seems to me you're the one who has an uncommon knowledge. Why are you so familiar with them?"
Sasuke's jaw clenched, annoyed that this woman had a valid point. But his case was different. Those stories were important to him because of who had taught and familiarized them to him. It seemed Sakura could tell she had caught him at his own game as a smug smile came to her face which only irked him more.
Sasuke leaned slightly forward, flashing his teeth in a sneer as his lip twitched in annoyance. "How are you such an expert of a plant that does not even exist in your realm?" he countered, steering the interrogation back to her.
His words came out like an accusation, causing Sakura's confident look to falter. Sasuke watched as the small ease that she had gained faded slightly. She opened her mouth to reply but stopped before anything passed her lips.
"Where have you ever seen such a plant you claim to know so much about?" Sasuke then found himself asking.
She looked befuddled and genuinely perplexed. Sasuke watched as a small crease formed between her eyebrows as if in full concentration to remember something. And then her green eyes darted around, almost as if in panic in not knowing the answer.
"I am sureー" his mother began, as she saw the near alarm in the pinkette's face, but Sasuke cut her off.
"Where?" he barked, his voice sounding gruff.
Sakura looked at him, her green eyes meeting his smokey stare. Again she opened her mouth but again she failed to utter even a single answer. Where had she seen such a tree? She knew where they grew, she knew what they looked like, but had she actually ever seen one?
"I suppose that is the flaw with living such a long life," Itachi spoke up. "You gain an insurmountable knowledge but you forget who and what taught you such lessons. Which is sometimes the most important part. The how and who, get overshadowed by the what. Wouldn't you agree, Sasuke."
Sasuke caught and held Sakura's gaze with a hard expression, trying to read what was going on in her mind. He could feel her own confusion and panic within his own chest, as if she was disturbed by the fact that she had no answer to his question. But then she blinked and Sasuke was eerily struck by a sense of deja vu and nostalgia as she looked away from him.
"I suppose you are right, Itachi," she said, giving a small grateful smile.
This only served to irk Sasuke as his hand clenched the fork in his hand. But before he could again press matters further, Sakura was standing abruptly.
"Mikoto, thank you for the meal," she said awkwardly, avoiding Sasuke's gaze. "But if you will excuse me, I am not feeling well."
Sakura left before she could even allow Mikoto to try and coerce her into staying. She did not even care if Mikoto didn't allow her a day of being left alone. She just wanted to escape. To be away from Sasuke's interrogating questions. When she had entered the dining room and noticed his presence, she had known it would not end well. However, the dinner turned out to be far more disturbing than she thought. Sasuke's questions and words, her inability to defend her stance nor answer his inquisition bothered her.
She knew the exact source as to why she couldn't answer him. She knew exactly why she had knowledge and familiarity with everything he had said. And yet that knowledge did little to comfort her.
When Sakura had first found out about her previous life that she had no recollection of, it disturbed her. Compared to the years she had accumulated as a seraph, the barely twenty years as a mortal seemed nearly irrelevant and hardly much of a loss of memory. She had once grieved the inability to recollect her memory, mostly because of Sasuke's significance to them. But his recent actions had made her decide that it was probably for the best that she did not recall them. She had dubbed it a blessing from the gods.
But tonight, there was something altering and disturbing to her lack of memory. While twenty years was hardly any significant chunk of her life, she was reminded of something Kakashi had once said to her. 'It was the quality of content in a person's life that gained significance, not the quantity.' Tonight, Sakura was reminded that perhaps the content in which was captured in those years was more significant than she could deny. And tonight, she found herself grieving for the life she lost and could not remember. In fact she found herself in such distress, that she failed to take the turn that would lead her back to her room.
Unable to stand the suffocating presence of his family, Sasuke left the table not long after Sakura. He couldn't stand to look at his defeated mother after all her efforts to strike up pleasant conversation took a sour turn of events. His scowling father's disappointed silence, as he had yet to even say a single word since Sasuke's return home, was ironically loud with only the scrap of forks against plates to cover up the silence. And then Itachi and his overt concern for Sakura's well-being was the most irksome.
After Sakura had left, Itachi had stood to follow her. Sasuke had been about to stop him himself, but surprisingly it was his mother who halted him, telling him to let her be for a moment. He had given Sasuke a silent lecture with a single look before following his mother's command and going back to eating in silence. That silence had been what drove Sasuke, a usual lover of such a phenomenon, to flee the dining room.
So with his meal half finished he stood from the table. "Thank you, mother," he vocalized, not able to leave without acknowledging her warmth, despite how unwanted it was. Mikoto gave him a wane smile and a nod before he turned around, and while avoiding Itachi's stare, walked out of the dining room.
He turned down the hallway, not entirely sure where he was going to go, but any thoughts of a destination were halted as a flash of pink in the corridor ahead caught his eye. Sasuke stopped and focused more closely at the empty hallway. Confused.
He could have sworn that there was a…
Pink came from an adjacent corridor, streaking across the wide hallway as Sakura appeared. She crossed the intersection to continue down another long hallway that ran perpendicular to the one he was standing in. However, just as she was about to disappear, she came to an abrupt stop.
Sasuke's brow bunched together. What was she doing?
Her body backtracked a few steps as she looked down the opposite part of the hall he was standing in. As she stood in the hallway with her back towards him, he watched as her head turned from side to side, looking down each corridor in front of her. Her hands were grasping at the green dress she wore as a sound, possibly of frustration, echoed down to him. Her hand released the bunched fabric of her dress as she brought it to her hair where she clenched at the strands near her scalp as she muttered something.
And then it hit him as to what exactly she was doing.
Unlike most structures made by any kind of being, the underworld was not designed and built to accommodate those who would be dwelling in it. Instead, those who lived in it worked with the already naturally made cavernous tunnel systems and adapted it into their architecture. This made for hallways that ended in dead ends and intersections of corridors that had on average, five to six possible directions to continue down. And the hallways were not always entirely straight. They bent and curved, sometimes slow and subtle like the horizon line, while other times it was sharp and numerous like the slithered pattern of a snake's movement. It was easy for anyone who did not dwell there to get lost.
Sasuke flashed stepped silently and stopped a couple of meters away from her. Cooly, he leaned against the wall where he watched her. His eyes ran up the bare calves of her legs then followed the curvature of her body as he took in her jerky and agitated movements as she took a half step forward then second guessed her direction. He could hear her muttering under her breath and could not help but let the tug of a smile come to his face.
"Lost?"
Sakura let out a sharp intake of breath and whirled around as her hands and feet moved into an unmistakable defensive stance. Then she stilled and straightened when she realized who it was.
"No," she said haughtily. "I was just looking around before I headed back to my room. Trying to get a feel for the layout. You know, since I will be living here from now on." She finished speaking with a pointed look on her face, casting as much blame as she could towards him.
Sasuke pushed off of the wall. Shoving his hands into his pockets, he walked up to her. She took the smallest of steps back before she forced herself to stand ground, glaring up at him as he came to stand before her.
He leaned forward slightly, his sharp nose coming close to hers. "You should head back now, you don't want to find out what lurks in the dark within this realm." His head fell to a tilt. "Trust me," he said with an air of smugness.
She glared at him, her face turning up to him as her brows narrowed. "I would rather take my chances with the worst of dark lurkers than trust you."
"Fine," he hissed between his teeth, "but I promise a little guardian dove like you has no chance. This world was here before the first of the fallen fell through the earth's surface and I am afraid to say, he did not land at the top of the food chain."
Sakura did not want to even dwell on what kind of creatures he was talking about. She told herself he was only trying to scare her and she refused to show that his words made her fearful, despite the trickling unease that ran across her skin. Unwilling to show him any kind of reaction to the imaginations running through her head, she calmed herself by concluding that the fallen wouldn't just let these creatures room around freely. Surely they had an established territory or have put up some kind of protective wards?...wouldn't they?
She realized she was taking too long to respond when she caught him staring at her. "Well then I thank the gods for their existence and will pray that one of them grows hungry," she said in a snarky reply. "Your arrogance reeks and they should easily find you."
There was something that lighted within her eyes and it was like a beacon. And like other nocturnal creatures, Sasuke found it fascinating and alluring. It ignited something within him and he stepped towards her, forcing Sakura to retreat backwards from his advance until she ran into the wall. There he put his hands against the uneven tunnel wall as he leaned down to her level, trapping her.
"I would be more worried about your own scent," he said slowly.
He leaned his head towards her as if magnetized. Dipping his head to the crook of her neck, he took in a deep inhale of her and let his nose run up her skin. It was like a recovering drug addict being offered a hit he could not refuse. The intoxicating rush had him nearly euphoric by the time he reached her ear and whispered into it.
"You reek of the heavens," he exhaled, his cheek grazing against hers as he spoke into her ear. "And I am sure those creatures would be far more delighted in a more rare delicacy like you, than myself."
He withdrew from her, taking his time as he moved to come face to face with her. He came to a stop when his eyes locked onto her. His nose was so close to hers that she felt herself going slightly cross eyed.
It was like a substance had been injected into her chest and flooded her system, leaving her inebriated. She could hardly think straight. All she was aware of was the thundering of her heart within her chest and the touch of the tips of his fingers as they grazed her jaw bone and touched her lips. His eyes flickered to where his fingers had come to rest at her mouth as her ventilated breaths moved sporadically through her parted lips. There his attention stayed, as if hypnotized.
Under his heavy and close presence, Sakura squirmed. Her body, her mind, it was like every neuron was being fired up. Quickly her mind became overheated and shut down, resulting in her body reacting to him on its own accord.
Her hands, which had been pressed into the cold cavernous tunnels wall, reached out and pressed against his abdomen. Heat seeped into her fingers from his body beneath his shirt and the numb sensation that had formed in her digits was quickly thawed. The ridges and muscles of his toned core could be easily distinguished as she let her hands slowly run up his front, memorizing every dip and definition.
All the while, her eyes remained locked on his and she could hear his breath distinctly hitch. She felt his body lean into her touch of the smallest degree. When her hands reached his chest, a brief soberness seemed to overtake her and she realized with horror what she was doing. As she strained to keep the panic controlled, the thought that he was just toying with her came to mind and she became angry.
"Well won't that be a disappointment for them when they get a taste-" her face became hardened- "because turns out, I'm apparently just as damned as you."
She shoved him away from her.
Not anticipating her strength, Sasuke stumbled backwards until he hit the other side of the hall. Sakura could not help but let the slightest of smirks come to her lips. She wasn't sure how she managed to be so bold, but there was something she had felt, another of those foreign emotions, that had made her realize she had some kind of involuntary effect on him.
"Do us both a favor, and stay away from me," she said, moving to make an escape as her heart thundered within her chest from the impulsive effect he seemed to bring forth in her as well.
"Go back to your room Sakura," Sasuke responded, his warning tone causing her to pause and look at him. He gave her a serious expression. "I mean it, you should not wander around down here."
She wanted to defy his warning, take off down a random passage and run away. But there was something in his tone that told her that his warning was genuine. And despite herself, she knew that he was right. However she refused to let him know that.
"Why do you even care?" she spitefully asked.
"..."
She rolled her eyes at his silence. "Fine," she sighed, exasperated. "I was already on my way back anyways."
She turned and began to walk down the corridor.
"Sakura," Sasuke called after her.
She snapped back around. "What?" she said in annoyance.
"You said you were going back to your room."
"And? What of it?"
Sasuke pointed to the hallway in the opposite direction. "Your room is that way," he said monotonously.
She looked to the hall that he was pointing down then looked at him. He could tell he had unsettled her with his advances, he could see it, he could feel it. But she was trying to hide it from him. An action he could easily read because he too was putting on a show. Hoping she had interpreted his moment of weakness as some sort of sadistic persona on his part. He would rather her think of him that way than to know she had a power over him that made him lose control of himself.
He watched her walk past him as she stiffly ignored his heavy gaze. As she passed by and continued down the hall he had pointed her towards, he leaned against the corner and continued to watch her closely. He let out a short snort as she overshot the door and backpedaled on her feet. She placed a hand on the door handle and began to twist it open when she stopped at the sound of his voice.
"Sakura," he called again.
Her pink head whipped around as she glared down at him. "What?" she said sharply.
"That's my room," he replied in a calm, informative manner. "Your's is the other one...but you knew that already, right?" he added sarcastically.
Her hand retracted away from the door handle as if it burned her. Without looking at him, she turned on her heel and crossed the hall to her own room where she quickly opened the door and slammed it shut.
The slam of the door reverberated loudly as it echoed far down the tunnel system. Sasuke could have sworn he felt the earth shake from the force of it. But it was just another reminder that she was not who he once thought. His Sakura had always been gentle. However, despite this flaw, he couldn't help but find a slight amusement. Because despite the difference, he couldn't help but find a similarity in the temperament, this one was just more enhanced.
His brow twitched at that thought. It was frustratingly annoying.
He could feel her soft body against him as the sweet scents, that were always her, filled his lungs with each relaxing breath. Half of her was curled into his side while the other half lay over him. Her head rested on his chest with the crown of her head tucked just beneath his chin. In his half asleep-half awake state, he found himself absentmindedly lifting his hand and stroking the long hair that curtained her shoulder and cascaded around them. Her hair was thick but had a softness to it that mimicked the velvet petals of the flower in which she was named after.
At his touch she stirred and shifted until her chest pressed up against his and he felt her warm lips touch his. It was chaste and so light that it could have been mistaken by a whispered breeze. And all too soon she was pulling away, an action that Sasuke was not quite ready for. He did not even bother to open his eyes as he grabbed the back of her head and reeled her back in as he deepened the kiss. She melted into him, following his lead. Their tongues danced together as they enjoyed and savored each other slowly. Finally, after a lingering chaste kiss, he let her go.
As she pulled away, he let his lids lift just enough to hazily gaze at her from behind his lashes. Her pearly front teeth bit down at her bottom lip as she looked mischievously down at him, her eyes heated with a lust. She let out a soft giggle before she lowered her face into his neck and he felt her warm tongue against his skin as the light nip of her lips became more aggressive. And then she moved lower, her nimble fingers coming to his shirt as they undid several of the buttons before dragging down his torso and slipping beneath the hem.
He couldn't help but let out an appreciative hum in his throat when she gave a particularly long suck at a certain point that he always appreciated when given particular attention. She responded with a sweet giggle. The sound of it causing his body to be covered in goosebumps with the melodic delight that her voice seemed to always bring to him.
She was happy and content.
He was happy and content.
It was perfect.
...
"Sasuke."
He was in such a relaxed state her voice sounded far away, but then he noticed the absence of her weight on top of him and the feel of her playful fingers dragging along his abdomen was gone. Cracking his eyes opened, he sat up quickly when he realized she was indeed not there.
"Sasuke!"
Now that he was more alert, not only did he note the distance of her voice, but the panic.
He was to his feet in an instant, his eyes searching for her but everything had shifted when he had. Gone was the golden light from the sun as well as the soft grass beneath. Instead darkness fell down from the sky as a misty fog covered the ground. Beneath his feet he could feel an uneven rocky surface, but there was no telling what it really was, given the thickness of the low fog. With each step, there was a loud crunch that, while he hoped it was gravel, sounded more like the breaking of hollow bones. His evolved eyes swept around the area but all he saw was darkness and mist.
"Sakura?" he called out, and his voice echoed out around him.
"Sasuke!"
Her voice seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere at the same time. Sasuke whirled around, his heart beating rapidly as he searched for her.
"Sasuke! Please," she cried out, this time coming from a distinct direction.
He turned in the direction that her voice came from and like a curtain being drawn, the mist pulled away to form a path through the fog. As the ashy gray trail was revealed, Sasuke neglected to note what substance it was made from when he spotted Sakura standing a short distance down the split in the foggy sea.
"Sakura," he shouted as he started sprinting towards her.
She too started to run towards him but was only allowed a short distance before she came to an abrupt stop. She fell backwards as if having run into a wall. Looking dazed, she slowly stood back up as she looked around in confusion. Lifting her hand in front of her she seemed to push against something he couldn't see. When Sasuke reached her, he found out why. It was because there was something there, something in between them, separating them. Some kind of invisible barrier that was free of color or temperature, just solidified air that didn't allow either of them to pass through.
He pounded against the barrier, kicking, punching, and finally slamming his fist down with panting breaths. With his forehead pressed against the barrier, he panted heavily before opening his eyes to see a pair of green ones looking up at him. Sakura, on the other side of the barrier, had her hands pressed against the glassy barrier as she looked up at him with teary eyes.
"Help me," he saw, more than heard her say desperately.
Her voice was muffled behind the barrier and her face was so frightened and scared, all he wanted to do was caress her cheek and tell her it would be fine. But he couldn't, not with the barrier.
"Sakura, I will get you out!" he quickly assured, not sure if she could hear him or not.
Spurred with a new energy, Sasuke took a step back. Summoning lightning into his hand, he brought it back and forcefully slammed his fist into the barrier. Only there was no longer a barrier. Instead his screeching hand passed through the air as if nothing had ever been there and plunged into Sakura's chest.
She let out gasp and he froze. Everything seemed to still as the sound of his screeching lightening was dampened and muted. He stared at his hand sticking into her chest, a red circle forming and seeping down her front.
And all he could do was stare.
"Why?"
Her weak voice was full of pain but not the kind of pain one would expect. It was emotional pain that bled from her words and he looked up to meet her fading green irises. Her hair framed her face in short strands as he took in the face of the seraph Sakura, her black wings protruding out behind her as they limply hung in the air, her strength to hold them up failing her.
"Why can't you see me?" She said with a pained question. "Why can't you see it's me?"
And then it was as if the pain she should have been feeling was being transferred into him. His chest erupted with a searing heat. The impact of it hit him so hard he found himself tumbling backwards, down to the misty ground. And like the fallen seraph he was, he fell through the earth into the cold black depths beneath.
Like every dream when one is falling, Sasuke jolted awake. Sitting up quickly, his right hand grasped at his chest where a pain was radiating from within his chest. It was not as painful as in his dream but it was enough for him to let out a groan as a mess of emotions seemed to burst from his heart and spread throughout the rest of his body making him feel nauseous. As the initial pain dulled, he flopped back down onto his back as his arm came up over his eyes.
He let out a groan as the initial shock of his dream died and the reason for this pain came to mind. When this phenomenon had first come to be, he had thought he was about to die. But over the growing number of days, numerous manifestations had happened and he had narrowed down the source of such pain: Sakura.
He had still yet to figure out the reason why she was the cause. Up until this point, he had tried to just ignore it. Hoping it would go away like a cumbersome headache. But the problem was, it wasn't going away.
Her being here was supposed to be a punishment for her and her fellow feathered friends, yet he was the one who he felt was serving the damnation instead. She had been here for barely over a mortal week's time. But to him it had been an eternal week. He had done his best to avoid her and while the first few days he had done that, it was a bit unavoidable now that she was venturing out of her room and popping up at meal times. Although one factor in frequent run-ins was due to her being boarded in the room across from him. An arrangement that he was still not sure if his mother had done knowingly or unknowingly as to the discomfort Sakura's presence brought him.
He had avoided this vicinity of the underworld as much as possible. But it was at times like this, when exhaustion took over and he had to retire to his rooms, that he had to endure her presence. It had taken him a moment, but eventually he had connected the pained and twisted feelings of emotions within him to her, most likely due to the pull that they seemed to share. However what he had still yet to figure out, was why they even shared a connection in the first place. It came and went depending on what he assumed was her mood.
Over the course of the past few days it seemed to have become dulled and more subtle, not quite as freshly sorrowed and betrayed. Instead it had turned into a more somber mood of dull resentment. Usually it was not too bad at night as she was asleep and her emotions were laid to rest in her slumber. However, given the swirling and spiking fluctuation that he felt at this moment, Sakura was not currently sleeping.
Laying back down, he tried to relax, doing his best to ignore the foreboding presence that hovered over him. But it seemed the odds were stacked against him. Having woken in a hot sweat earlier, the heavy bedding that lay on top of him felt suffocatingly warm, which resulted in him eventually kicking at his covers and sheets until they were twisted around at the bottom of his bed. There they lay draped halfway across the floor in a messy pile. Tossing and turning he struggled to get comfortable.
With the aching pain that came and went in his chest, combined with his busy mind that continued to replay the haunting words and images of his dream, Sasuke soon found himself sitting back up as he glared at his door.
But it wasn't the door he was blaming. The source of his loss of sleep and comfort was past the door, across the hallway, and behind the other door opposite of his. She was the reason why he had a weeks worth of sleepless nights pending and constant discomfort within his own skin.
He ruffled his unruly head of hair in irritation while his other hand rubbed at his chest. Again his eyes went to the door and glared, as if the intensity could somehow penetrate through the barriers that separated him and the source. When the swirled mess of lonely sadness throbbed again within him, he was to his feet and walking towards the door.
Grabbing the silk robe that he had thrown across a chair before going to bed that night, he haphazardly pulled his arms through the sleeves, not bothering to tie it shut as he wrenched the door open and made for the opposite door.
It was when he was standing right infront of the adjacent door when he finally paused and questioned what he was even doing. Running a hand through his already messy hair, he turned to walk away but paused when he heard the unmistakable sound of a choked sob. There was a pause before a staccato intake of breath sounded followed by a wet sniff. It was muffled by the door, but as he listened to the sound of the unmistakable shedding of tears that matched the foreign anguish in his chest, he found himself recalling Itachi's words.
'And what if she is?' His brother had been referring to Sakura actually being his Sakura...the mortal Sakura.
'You just abandoned her and left her to be taken up by others.' He didn't abandon her, she was kept as close to him as possible.
'I would not blame her if she hated you.' What did it matter if she hated him? She was not who he wanted her to be.
But even with that thought, he turned back around to her door and his hand knocked on the heavy door before he could stop himself. He heard the smallest of sounds, perhaps a sniff or a gasp before the light padding of foot steps trailed towards the door. His heart leapt at the sound of her approach and again he moved to leave, not wanting to face her as he had no reason to be here. But her crying and sorrow had seemed to drive an instinctual urge within him to stop her tears. Making him linger.
"Itachi?"
Sasuke stiffened at the name. Why would she think it was Itachi? What would Itachi be doing here in the middle of the night? Those two questions ignited something within him. Anger began to burn away any emotions or feelings that had been previously influenced by her end of the strange connection they shared.
On the other side of the door, Sakura froze as she was suddenly flooded with a heated bubbling rage and what she thought felt like a lining of jealousy. Before he had even said anything, Sakura knew who was on the other side of the door. But even still, she did not believe it was him until his own voice confirmed his presence.
"It's Sasuke." His voice was muffled as it came through the door but there was no mistaking the sharpness it held.
Sakura frowned, unsure of what to do. She was half tempted to just ignore him. What right did he have coming to her door in the middle of the night? Then again, what right did he have taking her away from her friends, family, and the only home she could ever remember. That rebuttal of a thought caused her to remember that- when it came to rights and no rights- Sasuke did not care what he did and did not have rights to. He just did what he pleased.
Fueled by the anger that had suddenly forced its way into her at his approach, along with her own anger adding to that fire, she pulled one side of the double door entrance open, ready to snap at him but she was instantly distracted from her words.
Sasuke stood far closer to the doorway than she had been expecting. With his hand braced on the frame and restlessly drumming against the wood, he leaned forward, glaring down at her from his still superior height. His hair was a mess due to the combination of bed head and the constant grasping of his fingers as he ran an agitated hand through his ebony locks.
But this did not phase her as much as the bare chest that was fully exposed to her as he stood in front of her. A silky black robe was left open to frame and perfectly displayed his sculpted bare chest and well toned abs that made up his very naked torso. The only true piece of clothing he was wearing was a pair of far too loose pants that hung low on his hips.
Sakura could not help but let her eyes run down and memorize the topography of every well defined muscle that was flexed in agitation. It was unfair for someone to have a face like his attached to a body like that!
How in the hell were mortals supposed to resist being tempted by someone so sinfully attractive when beings that were not even supposed to be influenced by him found themselves tempted?
The cleft that was shaped beneath his abs caused her eyes to follow the diagonal 'v' shape as her eyes wandered naturally downward to...
Sakura swallowed down the lustful thoughts inappropriately forming in her mind. Then she forced herself to look away from his toned muscles that dipped and drew the eye down to other- thankfully covered- regions of his body.
When she met his eyes, the heat of attraction that could not be helped, burned even more in her cheeks when she saw his expression. She was not sure how, but it was like he knew exactly what she had been thinking and feeling just a moment ago.
She narrowed her eyes and glared at him. "What do you want?" She snapped, emphasizing the distaste in her voice as she addressed him.
The slight smirk that had appeared in his amusement of her earlier feelings was dampened at her tone, causing him to slightly frown. Leaning forward, he pressed the door open more widely. His dark eyes ran down her face, taking in the swollen redness beneath her eyes and the damp lashes that framed her green irises.
"You were crying," he noted.
While his tone was observational, Sakura felt a twinge of concern within her that she was not sure was her own emotion. She had been noticing this more each time she was around him, making things more complicated than she needed them to be. She was already dealing with her own conflicted emotions, now she had to deal with not just unfamiliar, but literally foreign emotions that were not even hers. It seemed Sasuke noted the concern as well and he too was not pleased with the manifestation.
She recovered quickly from the surprise of his observation and cleared her throat. "So?" she prompted, raising a brow. "Is it some forbidden rule here in the underworld?"
"I can't sleep," he stated, his tone holding accusation as if she was the factor for such a struggle.
It was as if their emotions were feeding off of one another and Sakura found herself becoming irritated herself. He couldn't sleep? He couldn't sleep?! That was his issue. That was what brought him here.
In the past few months she had been stalked by a demon who claimed she was someone she had no knowledge of. Then was told that she was in fact that long lost person. Her entire existence was revealed to be questionable. She was chased down by a body snatching demon. Connected and even started to fall for her previous stalker only to have him try to abduct her, then kill her, only to escape because of his bitter mercy. Her home was invaded by a resurrected demon Lord that had been thought dead for centuries. And finally, she literally dragged down to hell where she was utterly alone because her family or anyone she could trust was in a whole other dimension.
And he was complaining about not getting his fucking beauty sleep!
Her mind was raging as she stared at him in disbelief of what he was suggesting. "I'm sorry," she gritted out, "next time I will try to keep it down." Her eyes dipped down to his bare chest without her permission and she felt her cheeks burn red again as her mouth watered. As if he even needed beauty sleep! With an effort that was far more difficult than she was comfortable with, she wrenched her eyes back up at him. "But in the future, I think a note would have sufficed," she said bitterly. "Or at least next time you feel so inclined to knock on my door in the middle of the night, or any time for that matter, wear some damned clothes! Nobody wants to see that!"
The door slammed in his face before he could even process the fact that Sakura was yelling at him. It took him a moment to even register what she had been yelling at him about.
At this point, most would have just walked away and left it alone after saying their piece. But Sasuke was not normal, he was a masochist and for some unfathomable reason, he was not quite ready to leave. He was not ready to give up the interaction quite yet because the brief meals and this less than minimal interaction was not enough to satisfy the draw he had been resisting. And now that he had given into it...he wanted to satisfy it.
Before he could fully establish what his intent was, he was knocking on the door again. His fist hit the door harder than he meant as it shuttered under the force.
"Sakura," he called out when the door did not immediately reopen. "Open the door, I am not finished," he commanded.
It was quiet for a moment before a muffled, "go away," sounded through the door.
He knocked on the door again and when he did not get a response, his hand went for the door handle. Just as he began to twist it, he heard a small scramble, then the unmistakable sliding of the lock.
He glared at the door as if he could somehow glare through the thick wood. "Sakura, unlock the door," he commanded again.
"No." Her denial only fueled his frustrations.
"You know I can just break down the door."
"You wouldn't dare!" her voice challenged from the otherside.
Sasuke's brow twitched. "Oh, I would," he disputed with a dangerous tone.
On the other side of the door, Sakura's eyes widened as she quickly sat up from where she was crouched down and leaning against the door. Sasuke really was going to break down her door if she didn't do something, she could hear it in his tone, feel it in his emotions.
Shooting up to her feet. "You wouldn't if your mother heard about it!" she spurted out frantically before making her voice more firm. "And you can bet all the heavens and infernos that I will make sure she knows exactly who and why my door has to be replaced in the morning!"
It was a pathetic and dirty play, and Sakura felt cowardly for hiding behind Mikoto's skirts like a child. But she had been desperate and it was the only thing she could think that would stop him without being forced to open the door. She was tired of Sasuke always winning at dinner time.
She had taken Mikoto's words to heart and gleaned anything she could use against all of them. Sasuke had been difficult to read but she had noticed one thing about him, he had a weakness for his mother. If she was in a different situation she would perhaps think it was sweet, but right now, she just saw it for what it was, an exploit.
There was a long pause, and Sakura was half tempted to open the door just to check if he was still there. However when there was a sudden slamming of a door, Sakura had her confirmation that he was gone. Letting out a small sigh as her head rested against the door, she slid down to the floor again. She felt exhausted and her pounding heart in her chest was not helping. She had not even been here for two weeks and she had accomplished hardly anything that would set her free of this place.
She let out one long sigh before lifting her head up, a fierce look of determination on her face. No, she was done crying, she was done feeling sorry. She would find a way out of here. One way or another, she was going to go home because she refused to let time make this place, her home.
Sasuke slammed the door as he returned his own quarters. His gaze moved around the room as he breathed in and out, his breaths labored from annoyance.
"Fuck," he muttered to himself as he walked forward, running his hand through his hair.
Walking over to the fire place he removed his robe and tossed it onto the lounge chaise as he passed by it. A decanter of alcohol was sitting on the table which he paused at just long enough to pour himself a drink before continuing to the fireplace.
The dying embers left a dim orange tint to this part of the room and Sasuke came to a stop right before the fading warmth, nursing the liquor. He usually was not one for spirits but he was desperate to take the edge off. Heat seeped into his bare skin from the hearth as he braced a hand against the mantel and stared deeply into the glowing coals.
He took a final sip before throwing the rest of the liquid onto the smoldering logs. Flames burst to life greedily burning the alcohol before quickly burning back down to a dull glow. But right before it dimmed, a movement caught Sasuke's attention as the sudden heightened flames cast a farther glow into the room. Placing the empty glass on the ledge above the fire, Sasuke moved to the edge of where the dim light reached. His pale skin glowed as the muscles on his torso rippled with the smooth movement of each step. He stopped at the casted lights perimeter and activated his sharingan.
It did not take him long to find the source of movement that had caught his attention. Squatting down by the table near him, he grabbed the small knife that had been laying idly on it. With a flick of his wrist, it flew through the air where it struck against the wall and pierced the small toad that had been hiding in the shadows. Immediately it disappeared in a puff of smoke, leaving behind a small roll of paper to fall down to the ground.
After retrieving it, he walked back to the fire place and cast the parchment into the fire, not even bothering to read it. There was no need, he already knew what it would say. The same thing that they all said previously, and he had no interest in what Naruto had to say. He had his chance.
Instead Sasuke watched the parchment darken at the edges. It unrolled slightly as it burned and involuntarily he read some of the chicken scratch of inked words written across before a hole burned through the center and spread outwards, consuming the words that begged him to commune.
Sasuke kissed his teeth in annoyance as he turned his back to the ashen message. He made his way back to his bed, determined to fall into a slumber that was undisturbed by a message carrying toads and fallen angels that cried at night.
*Cue the joker* And here...we...go...!
Stay safe and keep slaying doing you! Thanks for reading!