10,732Thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter. So pleased you all enjoyed reading about Sasuke's past.
Chapter LXV
A young Prince, sheltered by Death and Sleep,
Was once accosted by a Snake who wished to keep,
His ocular gifts, his crimson eyes,
But narrowly escaped his own demise,
When Death drew his blade and cast asunder,
The Snake's arm and tongue – with cold rage like thunder.
Defeated, the Serpent promised, someday,
He would obtain his revenge in the cruellest of ways,
And so he waited, until the time was right,
Vowing that Death's legacy - he would one day smite.
After the meeting with the High Council had been adjourned, Naruto stepped outside onto one of the balconies of the residence to collect his thoughts. He stared out at the endless stretch of evergreen forests that encircled the imposingly structured building in all directions. The secret location was protected by a special chakra-maintained barrier that surrounded the forests, rendering it invisible to any seeking eyes from the outside – which was the reason why the only way to access it was via teleportation.
He heard the sound of the wooden door opening behind him, followed by heavy footsteps joining him on the balcony.
"Naruto," Jiraiya's deep voice reached him. "I know the news of your parents has been difficult for you to accept. We feel the anger and pain of Madara's injustices also. But you almost lost control back there. You cannot afford to slip up that way; the enemy has spies everywhere, and that power was entrusted to you to keep out of their hands!"
The sun deity stared sullenly ahead. "Why?" he asked quietly. "Why was it entrusted to me?" His hands, resting atop the balcony's stone balustrade, closed to form frustrated fists. "What good is it if I can't even call upon its power? If I could, maybe I could have gone up to Olympus myself, and saved my mum and dad-"
Jiraiya's lips tilted downwards. "That is out of the question. The instant Madara finds out what you carry, he'll be after you. You know this, Naruto. Besides, you would need to learn how to harness the beast's chakra. It isn't an ordinary power you can draw upon so recklessly."
"Then teach me!" Naruto exploded, whirling to face Jiraiya, pain and desperation wrought on his face. "I can't- I can't just stay helpless. It's killing me, Jiraiya-sensei! If I had been able to use it at the ball, much less humans would've died!"
Jiraiya looked at him a long moment – and then sighed, closing his eyes briefly. "I have an idea. A way we can possibly bypass this restriction, so that you can at least begin to learn how to control the chakra before you actively use it." At Naruto's hopeful look, he raised a hand. "I need to speak to Kakashi and the High Council first. I ask you to be patient for a little longer."
"But-!" Naruto started to protest.
"When our seals are removed, things will be different. Your abilities will be restored, and you'll be able to harness the Kyuubi's chakra safely," Jiraiya cut him off. "Minato was brilliant; I have no doubt he intended for you to use its powers to enhance your own. But until you learn to keep it in check and wield it correctly, avoid drawing upon it at all costs – and be mindful of your emotions. Do you understand?"
Naruto turned away again miserably. "Thanks a lot, perverted old hermit," he muttered unhappily.
Jiraiya's eyebrows knotted together, and he sighed. Then he became aware of a presence behind him, and turned to glimpse a wide, pale-grey eye peering through the opening in the door. The elder deity glanced back at Naruto, then decided that perhaps the moon goddess would do a better job at lifting the boy's spirits. He stepped back and left the balcony, nodding to Hinata as he passed her.
Hinata's heart felt heavy. She could sense Naruto's turmoil, his inner anguish, his frustration. Concern had made her seek him out while the other deities and seraphs waited in the entrance hall for Tsunade, Sakura and Ino to re-join them.
Slipping onto the balcony, she raised a hand, clasping it to her chest, and called softly to him. "N-Naruto-kun…"
Naruto tensed at the sound of her voice. He'd experienced four great failures in his existence; the first, the inability to protect and save his parents, the second, his inability to keep his promise to Hinata and ensure her family's safety, the third, his continual failure to save Sakura from dying in each of her lifetimes, and the last: losing Sasuke to the darkness.
"I've made you worry again," Naruto said in a hushed voice. "I'm sorry, Hinata."
"P-please don't apologise," she entreated in a whisper. "I'm so sorry about your parents, Naruto-kun."
He shook his head, unable to turn and look at her. "It took me forever to come to terms with it," he confided. "Their deaths, knowing they'd passed on. Knowing they knew they were going to die but didn't let me know, because they didn't want me to give up. It hurt, but I finally accepted it. But this… finding out that bastard has been holding their bodies hostage all along… how am I meant to accept that?"
"I-I am sure… we will get them back, Naruto-kun," Hinata attempted to offer comfort. She drew to a stop beside him, hands clasped tightly together.
Naruto's eyes lowered. "I couldn't save them. I couldn't save your family. I can't save Sakura and I couldn't save Sasuke. I'm just- just a stupid, stupid idiot, a failure. I break every promise I make. My dad was a true leader. Me? I'll never live up to his name. I can't help anyone."
A pale, warm hand rested over his tan one.
"Th-that's not true. None of that was your fault, Naruto-kun," Hinata murmured. "This time, you can save them. We- we will all help you."
"You… really think that…?" Naruto blinked, as her soothing touch and voice began to draw him out of his wallowing hole of self-pity. "That I can save them?"
"Yes, Naruto-kun," she replied softly. "I-I want you to know… I believe in you!"
Naruto's eyes widened. She… truly did believe in him? Still? Despite everything? Despite his failures and shortcomings?
He didn't know what he had done to deserve her good opinion.
The tight knuckle under Hinata's palm relaxed, and he began to turn his hand, hesitantly, uncertainly, as if he feared any sudden movement would cause her to snatch her own back. Gingerly, he opened his palm, and held his breath.
Hinata's slender fingers wrapped shyly around his hand, and squeezed gently. Naruto exhaled, his fingers closing over hers, and in silence, he gripped her hand firmly back.
"Unleashing monsters upon civilians was not part of our agreement," the voice uttered sternly.
Orochimaru didn't bother to turn away from the creature his dedicated scientists were presently incubating into existence. It had taken a little longer than he had initially expected, but he had anticipated this visit.
"Ah. But it is a small sacrificeee to pay, in exchange for unlimited power, is it not?" he rasped.
There was a displeased pause. "Do you have any idea how much of a hassle it was to clean up all traces of this senseless attack?"
"We were targeting the surface deities," Orochimaru stated. "It isss indeed unfortunate that human casualties were lost. But as I have said; what is a small sacrificee in return for an extensive gain?"
"Konoha is not to be harmed. I specifically mentioned this in our agreed terms."
"Lives must be lossst to pave way for a new world," the serpent answered cryptically. "A world in which our authority will not be denied. If you cannot accept thisss, then perhapss we ought to rethink our agreement. What I am giving you in exchange for your facility and subjectsss…" He turned then, to look pointedly upon his visitor. "Do you wish to cease our contract?"
His guest glowered at him in displeasure. Finally he answered gruffly, "No. But they suspect you, so it would be wise to scale your scare-tactics down. You will find there are more discreet means to get your points across without meaninglessly massacring humans."
"We will take your suggestion into conssideration," the snake smiled coldly. "Now what of their responses? Will there sealss be removed?"
His visitor stared stonily at him. "Do not misconstrue the nature of our brief alliance. I am risking a great deal smuggling your work into a hidden basement level of my facilities, and providing you with a larger platform in which to carry out your experiments," he replied, skirting around the question entirely. "We will proceed as agreed. But if any further attacks occur in the meanwhile that endanger mortals directly, I will send no further assistance to help relocate your facilities."
Orochimaru met his guest's gaze, and smirked in response. "Very well. Then we will simply target the godsss themselves."
[Next surface day]
Shikamaru sighed. The journey to their intended location was such a drag, but it was a necessary one to make. When Naruto and Jiraiya had first approached him and informed him of their intention, Shikamaru had wearily agreed to accompany them – out of curiosity, he told himself, if nothing else.
Jiraiya had said that they needed a neutral, level-headed surface deity to join them on the mission they'd decided to go on shortly after returning from their meeting with the High Council. Shikamaru, a lazy genius, but a genius none the less, had been the perfect candidate fitting those descriptions.
He trudged unhurriedly behind Kakashi, Jiraiya and Naruto, hands dug into the pockets of his dark grey jeans. As they finally stepped out of the sparse forest, he lifted his eyes, and drew in a breath, overcome with a strong wave of recognition and nostalgia.
It had been a very, very long time since any of them had visited.
He drew to a stop beside Naruto, who was gazing up at the mountain with a swirl of conflicting emotions on his face. Olympus. This had once been the place they'd all called home – before they had been forcibly exiled from it and cast to the surface to live under the guise of regular mortals.
The summit of the mountain was shrouded by thick cloud. The steps climbing up to the pinnacle were crumbled and worn by time, mere shades of their former glory.
He detected the fine tremors that afflicted his friend's shoulders as Naruto's hands closed into angry fists.
"They're up there," he said quietly. "My parents…"
Shikamaru's eyebrows knotted together and he closed his eyes briefly. Lifting a hand, he gripped the sun deity's right shoulder firmly. "We'll fix it."
Naruto swallowed thickly. To be so close to his family's majestic dwelling palace, the very place he now knew his parents' bodies were being held – filled him with unspeakable grief – and fury. But in exchange for being allowed to accompany Kakashi on the visit, he had promised that he would retain his composure – however difficult that was now that he was standing just a forbidden teleport away from his mother and father's deceased, unlawfully preserved corpses.
He released a slow breath, willing himself to keep it together.
Kakashi and Jiraiya walked forward. The Guardian of Olympus – Killer B – who had been sitting cross-legged atop the base of an eroded pillar, hopped up at the sight of them, and gave them an enthusiastic thumbs up.
"It's been a groove-bustin' few days for sure! Lots of visitors at my door! Yeaaah!" He nodded at the masked deity and Jiraiya.
"Killer B," Kakashi greeted. "It's been a long time."
"It seems he has recovered well," Jiraiya observed.
"Yo, what's up, old peeps Jiraiya and Kakashi? What brings you here to see The Killer B?"
The frown on Shikamaru's brow deepened. What was up with this guy? Why were his eyes concealed behind sunglasses, when the skies were a murky grey? And did he always speak in such atrocious rhyme? Shikamaru couldn't quite recall; he had never conversed with the guardians of Olympus in person himself.
"He's here to see us," a light female voice called. Shikamaru looked up to see an attractive, sandy-blonde haired young woman clad in a knee-length, lilac wrap dress that grazed beneath her shoulders. Black mesh-net fabric concealed the low neckline, and she wore black leather sandal boots and bracers on her arms. At her back, she carried a giant, iron fan. An impressive feet, Shikamaru thought absently to himself, given how small she was and how heavy it looked. The woman was standing atop a section of steps that were still intact, and beside her was a male guardian, dressed in a black hood and cargo shorts, bearing war-paint markings on his face.
B looked curiously behind Kakashi and Jiraiya, noting the other two in his company.
"Ah," Kakashi gestured. "Meet Shikamaru Nara and Naruto Uzumaki."
"Uzumaki?" The blonde girl's eyes widened. She hopped lithely forward off the steps, landing effortlessly beside Killer B.
The guardian with the face paint followed suite. "You're King Minato and Queen Kushina's son?" he asked, eyes wide. "Apollo?"
"Yeah," Naruto nodded, jabbing a thumb to his chest. "That's me, dattebayo!"
Immediately, all three Guardians pressed their fists against their chests in a sign of allegiance and dropped to their knees before him.
"E-ehhh?!" Naruto sputtered uncomfortably. "Wh-what are you doing?!"
"Geez…" Shikamaru sighed, turning his eyes skyward. "How troublesome. You don't need to bow to him, you know."
The blonde haired woman's head lifted, and she shot Shikamaru a fierce look. "He is the rightful heir to the throne of Olympus!"
Shikamaru held her gaze, one eyebrow lifting slightly at the fire he saw blazing in her eyes. They were a striking, deep blue, and reminded him of stormy ocean waves.
"Hmph," he muttered in response, looking away.
"N-no-!" Naruto stammered, waving frantically. "I'm- I'm not a King! I'm not like my dad- get up, dattebayo!" Deeply embarrassed, he flushed red and rubbed at the back of his neck. He didn't deserve his father's crown. He told himself if anyone was worthy of leading the surface gods, it would be calm, collected Kakashi-sensei, or ferocious granny Tsunade. Even the perverted old hermit Jiraiya would be a better choice; at least he possessed great wisdom.
They obeyed and got back to their feet.
"I am Temari of the Sand, and this is my brother, Kankuro."
Her brother lifted a hand in greeting.
"Our third sibling, Gaara, is the final guardian, and is at his post," he explained. "He isn't allowed to leave it."
"So," Jiraiya folded his arms. "You saw the fight that happened here?"
"Yes. It was Kankuro and I who found B unconscious," Temari explained.
"Those stupid, idiot, baby fools!" Killer B declared, moving his hands animatedly in time to his words. "Showed up like punks! So uncool!"
"Uh…" Naruto gawked at the Eight-tailed beast holder, amazed to be standing in the presence of a fellow Jinchuuriki. He wasn't sure whether he found the rhymes impressively hilarious – or annoyingly outrageous.
Shikamaru stared at B, eyebrow twitching, growing somewhat irked. How could they make sense of anything with such bothersome rapping? He raised a hand to his forehead, trying to hide his exasperation.
"Can you describe them to us?" Kakashi questioned. "What did they look like? Their attacks, weapons, anything that might help identify them?"
"Four punk ass little fleas!" B lifted a hand. "Three dudes and a little lady! Ohh yeaahh… they showed up with serious shade! Wanted Samehada, my badass blade!"
"Samehada?" Shikamaru blinked. "That's a legendary sword."
"It's been in B's possession since its last owner was sealed away in Tartarus," Kankuro informed them. "His attackers stole it from him."
"I see," Jiraiya rubbed at his chin thoughtfully. "And was this their only motive for attacking?"
"They just wanted the sword! Must've been hella bored!" B shrugged.
"What did they look like?" Naruto asked desperately.
"I only saw one of them from a distance when I arrived," Temari said. "He had dark hair. Wore black. Carried a katana blade."
"Oh yeah! Lady's right!" B rapped. "Those four punks turned up to fight! A white-haired dude who shifted to water! Some crazy ragin' big fool out for slaughter! A red-haired lil healer chick! And this crimson eyed dude who had moves real slick!"
Naruto's heart pounded. He sucked in a sharp breath, and looked at Kakashi, who in turn exchanged troubled glances with Jiraiya.
"White hair, shifting to water?" Shikamaru remarked. "That's Suigetsu, for sure."
"Most likely," Kakashi agreed, sighing. "He has an interest in sword collecting. Clearly he found another means to get his hands on Samehada."
"So Danzo was right…" Naruto said in a low voice laced with bitter disappointment. His shoulders slumped.
Shikamaru glanced at his forlorn figure, before looking back at the guardians.
"Was the sword really all they were after? They didn't mention anything else? It seems such a drag to attack Killer B just for the purpose of getting their hands on a blade," he commented.
"Samehada is no ordinary blade," Temari answered him. "It responds to its owner's chakra. In the wrong hands, it can be deadly."
B shook his head. "I almost killed those baby fools! But that crimson-eyed punk had some real powerful tools!"
No mistaking that the 'crimson-eyed punk' was Sasuke, Kakashi thought to himself – followed by another thought – that it was quite an apt name for the death deity's bad attitude.
"The one with the dark hair fled when he saw us," Kankuro said. "He looked in bad shape, and didn't seem to be interested in starting another fight."
"Fled where?" Naruto piped up. "Did he go up the mountain? Did you see-?"
"He vanished," Temari clarified. "We intended to catch him, but he was too fast."
"Damn it," Naruto looked to his teacher. "It just doesn't make any sense, Kakashi-sensei! B says they picked a fight to get his sword. Why would Sasuke do that?" He glanced at Jiraiya in desperation. "Danzo said that Sasuke must have gone to Olympus afterwards. But if Temari says he was hurt after the fight, that wouldn't make any sense either. Sasuke would never do anything so reckless!"
"Something definitely doesn't add up," Kakashi agreed.
"Suigetsu can clear this up for us," Jiraiya stated. "We'll have to try and make contact with him. Though it surprises me that he and Sasuke would cooperate, given their most recent history."
"He's always been troublesome," Shikamaru rolled his eyes. "Never know which side he's on."
"Sasuke?" Kankuro folded his arms. "You mean that it was Uchiha Sasuke, the Underworld's King we saw? And Suigetsu Hōzuki, King of the Oceans?"
"Aaah," Kakashi confirmed. "Your descriptions match reports we heard from the High Council."
"What business would either of them have with a blade?" Temari's eyebrows drew together. "They aren't exactly lacking in power themselves."
The question hung heavily in the air, unanswered.
"We're sorry for your troubles," Kakashi then offered. "If they have your sword, we'll do our best to arrange some terms to return it."
"Get my blade Samehada back from those loons, and I'll bust out some real big tunes!" Killer B announced. Then he nodded toward Naruto. "Trip! Tap! Looks like you could be good at rap!"
"Your raps are totally weird, dattebayo," Naruto muttered.
"Yo, say what?! Don't doubt me! I'm the rappin, clappin Killer B!" he crowed, nodding his head with enthusiasm.
"…" Shikamaru grit his teeth and closed his eyes, praying for patience.
"How do you make everything rhyme?" Naruto gawked at him. "Doesn't that take a lot of time?"
"Boom, bam, sting! Your words there had a rhyming ring! Ohhh yeahh!" The guardian gestured. "Put it there!" He lifted an enthusiastic fist, and held it unwaveringly out to Naruto, whose eyes widened.
So this was the Eight-Tails Jinchuuriki. A tail below the one Naruto held. The sun deity wondered if B could sense what he held sealed within him, too. Was that why he was extending his hand?
He lifted his regardless, and awkwardly exchanged a fist-bump with the guardian.
"Say, B," Jiraiya addressed the guardian. "You have full control of your Tailed Beast, correct?"
"Yes," Temari confirmed for him. "Both he and Gaara are able to call upon their chakra. It's why they were chosen as two of the Guardians, and Kankuro and I were selected to supervise them."
"I see," Jiraiya answered thoughtfully.
'Naruto,' he telepathically addressed the sun god. 'Perhaps B can help train you in how to control the Kyuubi's chakra.'
Naruto looked at him. 'Jiraiya-sensei…' he began.
'As I said. Give me a bit more time to run this idea by the Council and the others. If B is to train you, we'll need a replacement for him here.'
Naruto glanced back at B. He didn't seem burdened. If anything, he seemed perfectly up-beat and happy.
Could Kurama and I be like that some day? Naruto wondered to himself.
"Thank you for your time," Kakashi said. "We'll get to the bottom of this. Stay safe."
The guardians nodded.
"If you need our help again," Temari called as they exchanged goodbyes, "just drop by."
Her blue eyes lingered on Shikamaru, who held her gaze briefly, before turning to take his leave.
Tsunade descended the basement steps to the sound of a punching bag being pummelled savagely. She found her daughter up early, dressed in black shorts and a black sports bra, with protective bandaging wound around her fists and forearms. Her beautiful, pale rose long hair was pulled back into a ponytail and she was punching the navy bag with aggression, keeping count of numbers beneath her breath.
She looked focused and angry, like she was putting her all into every punch, like the bag was a hated enemy and she was dishing out unrestrained, brutal justice.
Tsunade stood for a minute, watching her, holding a refreshing glass of freshly prepared lemonade in her hand. Sakura had improved in combat greatly. With the chakra spheres at her disposal, her mother felt a lot more reassured that she could protect herself more effectively.
Still, pain squeezed at her heart. Knowing what the pool had shown them, what she now had to tell Sakura the truth about…
Tsunade had scarcely managed to rest overnight, with so many worries plaguing her mind.
Would her daughter be afraid? As livid as Tsunade was? Would she accept it? Whatever the reaction – Tsunade knew she could delay the news no more.
"Good morning, Sakura," she greeted, joining the girl by the punching bag.
Sakura blinked as she noticed her, and pushed a sweat-slickened strand of hair out of her face.
"Mother!" she exclaimed breathlessly. "I didn't hear you come down."
"No," Tsunade said wryly. "You were really focused on your target. It's not even 8AM. A little early to be murdering the poor bag?"
Sakura ducked her head sheepishly. "I woke up at six and couldn't go back to sleep. I was feeling kind of restless, so I thought I'd come down here and train."
Her mother nodded and handed her the glass of lemonade, which Sakura gratefully accepted.
"Take a break," Tsunade sat on the bench by the wall, gesturing for Sakura to join her.
Sakura obliged, wiping her face with a hand towel. Tsunade waited for her to catch her breath and finish her drink.
"I know you lost people close to you at the ball," she began.
Sakura gulped down the last of the delicious lemonade, and set the glass on the floor by her feet.
"Yeah," she said, lowering her head sadly. "Their funerals are later today. I guess… that's probably why I couldn't sleep," she shook her head in recollection. "It was horrible, mother. All the bodies…" she swallowed thickly. "I'm a trainee-doctor, but I couldn't help them."
"That isn't true," her mother replied firmly. "You got lots of people out, and saved their lives in doing so."
"I couldn't save the wounded," Sakura said. Her voice dropped to a whisper. "I couldn't save Tenten…"
"Sakura," her mother looked earnestly at her. "Being a doctor, a medic, will never guarantee that you can save every life. Sometimes, no matter how hard you try, no matter what you try, nothing works. The attack on the ball was deliberate and lives were going to be lost, even if we had anticipated and prepared for it. You were unarmed. You did what you could, and you pushed through bravely."
Sakura released a shaky breath. "I'm just- I feel so angry."
"As you should be," Tsunade agreed. "As we all are. Cronus has broken every single agreement and mocks us holding the remains of our former rulers. Hold onto that anger, Sakura. It will give you the strength to fight. And now you have the chakra crystals, you'll be able to heal yourself and anyone else you need to, much more efficiently."
Sakura met her mother's honey-hued eyes. "Right," she agreed.
Tsunade's gaze slipped away and her hands, resting on her lap, balled into fists. "There is something I… I need to tell you, Sakura."
Noting the sudden tension in her mother's body, Sakura shifted on the bench to face her, alarmed.
"What is it?"
Tsunade's expression was plagued by guilt. "I am sorry…" she started. "I blame myself for letting this happen. Had I watched you more closely, would it have been different? Or was there nothing any of us could do to prevent the inevitable?"
"Mother?" Sakura asked in concern. "What's wrong? What's happened?"
Her mother's eyes lowered to the floor. "When we visited the pool, you lost consciousness and couldn't remember falling asleep as you floated in it. Any time we have taken you in the past, nothing significant has ever happened. But this time, while you were in it, something did."
Sakura reached for her arm. "What?" she questioned anxiously. "Mother, what happened?"
Tsunade drew a deep breath. "The waters responded to you. Your body illuminated with the light of the gods," she turned her face toward Sakura, and reached out to take her right hand. "Sakura. On the day you were first reincarnated, Chiyo informed us that the pool would continue the cycle of rebirth – until we see the light. And that when we saw it, it would mean…" she clenched her jaw, "it would mean that you had reached your final cycle, and wouldn't be reborn again. Meaning…"
She watched as understanding dawned on her daughter's lovely face.
"If I die this time, I die for good…" Sakura finished in a hushed voice.
Her mother's grip on her hand tightened. "I am sorry. I wanted to tell you earlier, but I needed time to process it, and-" she broke off, seeing the expression on her daughter's face.
To her great surprise, Sakura did not look terrified. She didn't cry. She merely looked saddened. As if the news wasn't something wholly unexpected.
"It's alright, Mother," she finally said quietly. "I understand."
"No," Tsunade shook her head, horrified. "Sakura, it isn't. You can't be reborn because of the seeds you ingested. Do you understand? Your tie to the Underworld makes it impossible for your body to be absorbed back into the pool. Had it not been for that, then I'm certain this wouldn't have been your final life."
Sakura looked down at their joined hands and was silent for a moment.
"You said that my final incarnation would be when events mirror what happened in my original life, right?" Sakura met her eyes. "Well, I was kidnapped to the Underworld in my first life. And it's happened again in this life. And Cronus has broken the pacts and is attacking humans. Mother… maybe this was all meant to be. Maybe I won't die."
Tsunade exhaled, fighting back the tears that threatened to well in her eyes. "How can you be so calm about this? I thought for sure you'd be afraid to know that if anything goes wrong this time, we lose you forever. Your body is tied to the Underworld. We don't know where your soul would end up, if you can even pass to the void at all-"
"I am afraid," Sakura answered, feeling her own eyes sting with unshed tears. "I'm terrified. But whether this was my last life or not, I would've died at the end, anyway. I would've lost who I am right now. Whenever I'm reborn, I forget everything about my previous life. All my memories, everything gets reset. And this time around, I've found out so much more about myself, and so many things are happening that I never got to experience before. I feel…" she swallowed. "I feel that maybe that's really why I've been so afraid of death in this life, why I hated it so much – until I went to the Underworld and really understood it. Maybe, deep down, I felt it all along. That this is it…"
Shaking her head, Sakura added, "And now that I've seen where souls pass, I'm…" she released a trembling breath. "I'm not afraid, Mother. I can't…" she squeezed her eyes shut. "I can't spend whatever time I have left, sitting around in fear, doing nothing. I've had so many lifetimes, living a normal life, only for them to end the same way. I don't want to be helpless anymore. I want to fight. And if, at the end of it all, death is all that waits for me, then I'll go knowing I gave it my all, that we tried everything we could, that at the very least we stopped Cronus and saved innocent people. I hope…" she whispered, "I can live long enough to do that."
"Sakura…" her mother murmured.
"I'm mortal right now," Sakura continued. "And humans only get one life, anyway. That's how I have to think of it. I won't sit around and hide. I want to do everything I can to help."
Tsunade blinked. Overwhelming pride and sorrow for Sakura's difficult fate clogged her throat. This brilliant, bright, selfless young woman, who had suffered endlessly over so many lost generations, in existences she couldn't even recall – was willing to face the real danger of perishing forever with such bravery, willing to do everything she could to help others, even if she did end up losing her life at the end of it all.
The goddess of harvest couldn't imagine a life without Sakura. Without her cherished daughter, her own existence would seem bleak, meaningless.
"Besides," Sakura added. "Remember what Kakashi-sensei said? If my body is kept alive, that can buy us time, right? Maybe he's right about that. Maybe the seeds I ate could end up helping… maybe they'll buy enough time for us to figure out a way to remove the seal, so that I can regain my goddess-hood again."
Or perhaps the seeds would simply just bind her daughter's physical shell eternally to Death, as the prophecy had stated. Tsunade didn't know what would become of Sakura's soul; as it was immortal, how could it remain in the Underworld? If it was unable to carry out its role any further, surely it would pass to the Pure Realm? But how could it pass, if it couldn't sever fully from her body?
The seeds had exploited a loophole – but without the removal of her seal, and without injecting Sakura's purified blood back into her body to allow her to regain her immortality, the loophole was a useless one with consequences that could not be predicted.
"So please…" Sakura reached out and touched her mother's cheek gently. Tsunade blinked. She hadn't even realised that a tear had rolled down her left cheek.
Her daughter's eyebrows knotted together. Seeing her formidable mother so upset filled her with deep pain. "Please don't blame yourself," she continued, her eyes shining with tears. "You wanted me to live. You did what you had to do to keep me alive. Please don't cry for me, mother. I'm still here."
"…Yes," Tsunade got out. "Yes, you are." She wiped hastily at her cheek, and straightened her shoulders. "You're right. It's senseless to despair over when we can't control. We'll fight this together. We'll find a way." She stood up. "Enough sapping around. Put your bracer on, and equip a strength and speed crystal. Let me teach you how to move faster and hit harder."
Sakura raised a fist. So long as she continued to focus on directing her feelings into fighting and growing, she told herself she would be fine. Because the alternative – to crumble and cry – would serve no use.
Her time in the Underworld had taught her that harsh lesson.
"Right!" she complied.
Bearing the title of Messenger God had its perks. As well as being able to traverse freely between the surface, sky, Underworld and sea, Sai also had the ability to travel swiftly between different locations – so fast that he could move and arrive at places virtually undetected - thanks to the use of special wings at his ankles, namedTalaria. It wasn't an ability he summoned often – only when absolutely required. He'd used it to find Sakura in the Underworld, and to pass the ferocious Cerberus without hindrance.
He also had the means of gathering information quickly.
This was an instant where the use of his special skills were deemed necessary. Glowing gold transparent wings flapped at his ankles, ready to bear him with great speed to his chosen location. Lifting his hands, Sai focused on his target. His form flickered out of sight in a blur of blinding movement invisible to the naked eye – deity and human alike.
When he stopped moving, he had alighted at the ANBU and Root base. Hidden away in the Ryūchi caves district, it was a gigantic complex facility consisting of multiple levels, encased within a steel structure that took on the guise of an enormous factory. The building was surrounded by dense evergreen forests, the borders of which were strictly patrolled at all times.
The entrance to it was through an opening in one of the humongous caves of the aptly named region. The structure had two upper levels and two built underground. The deeper one ventured to the lower floors, the tighter the security and the more classified the rooms became.
In reality, however, it mainly served the purpose of an intelligence gathering and training facility with multiple combat simulators, torture rooms for interrogating enemies, laboratories, and weapons storage, supervised by Danzo, for the purpose of perfecting and growing his ANBU army. It also held lodgings for the ANBU. Root, the underground division of ANBU, were the black-ops unit who obtained information and carried out missions below radar – often resorting to shady means that were never discussed or revealed because all ANBU were literally sworn to silence in Danzo's service.
The ANBU's main responsibility was to protect Konoha and its denizens from invasions and threats. And yet Sai, who had helped train recruits within the division in the past with his brother – and consequently abandoned it when his brother had lost his life – could not fathom why no masked ANBU soldiers had arrived on the scene of the Winter Ball to offer any form of assistance. Danzo had his spies and guards stationed everywhere. The Council had appeared genuinely surprised by the enemy's attack – and yet Sai couldn't understand why Danzo hadn't immediately sent out his teams to dispatch the monsters.
Was it possible they had been at the scene, and upon witnessing the surface gods dealing with it, had chosen to fall back to prevent further suspicion on the part of humans? But Danzo hadn't mentioned anything in their meeting about that. And everyone else had been far too occupied on the subjects of Cronus and Sasuke to think to ask.
But Sai knew better. He knew the ANBU division like the back of his hand, was familiar with how they operated and knew the layout of the facility without the need for any map. He knew all the secret passageways, the hidden entrance rooms. He knew how to move around to avoid the cameras, and remain unseen.
Stealth was something the ANBU prided themselves on, after all.
Sai had landed by one of the air ducts leading inside the building. Climbing noiselessly inside, he was overcome with memory. He hadn't returned here since The Incident – one he had suppressed for so long, pushed to the back of his mind in a desperate attempt not to think of it. But now, returning to the base, the recollections came back, overwhelming in their intensity. And once more, he felt it. The inner pain he had tried so hard to obliterate – and never had.
His brother, Shin, a lesser, wind elemental demigod and skilled fighter, had been recruited by ANBU to train their Root soldiers, in the same way Sai had. They had not been biologically related. But Sai, who had never known his origins, had grown up with Shin and regarded him as family, his own blood. It had been Shin who had gifted Sai his set of scrolls and brushes, and actively encouraged him to pursue his gift of literally bringing his art to life.
Neither of them had realised the other had been initiated into the ANBU Root ranks, being sworn to secrecy when doing so. On the day of The Incident, Danzo had instructed Shin to enter the combat simulator dome. Sai, unknowingly, had done the same. The simulator consisted of multiple levels of increasing difficulty; the only way to get out was to slay the enemy. ANBU recruits fought against each other, in a gruelling, gruesome survival of the fittest contest. The final test before graduation was designed to ensure all members of the division had been stripped of their emotions entirely and any lingering weaknesses that Danzo was known to frown upon. Sai and his brother had passed their levels with ease – until they came face to face with each other.
Sai swallowed, pausing as he made his way through the pipe. On that day, Shin had let him win. Dying in Sai's arms, he had explained that he'd been gravely sick for a long time, and life-sustaining pills provided by Danzo had been the only thing prolonging his existence, which was why he'd felt he had owed the Elder his allegiance. Before he had passed, he had instructed Sai to mask his emotions, so that he could never become weak like Shin had been.
Sai had immediately confronted Danzo upon exiting, who had remarked that it had been 'an unfortunate accident' and nothing more. But the messenger deity had found that difficult to believe. With no proof, however, Sai had been unable to press any formal charges for his loss. Since that day, he had harboured great resentment toward Danzo, but become so trained in hiding his emotions, that he had never shown it.
He had departed ANBU that very day, deeply wounded from the battle dome and too low on chakra to heal himself. Crushed by his loss, he'd been on the verge of giving up on his own role, had fallen into a river and closed his eyes, ready for whatever end awaited him – and that had been when Tsunade had found him, and nursed him back to health.
Since then, he had stayed by the surface gods' sides, forever indebted to them for saving him from his own bleakness. They had become his new purpose, his new family. He and his brother had both been in Zeus's service before the war, and following its events, had lost their way, believing they could find a place within the ANBU. It had ended up being a grave mistake for them both.
He repressed thoughts of his brother again and continued to move silently through the air duct, until he came to a ventilator opening. Peering through it, he saw masked ANBU personnel in familiar uniform, wheeling what appeared to be tanks and other various equipment back and forth.
"Be careful with those," one of the soldiers called to his colleague. "It contains samples that are irreplaceable."
"Is that what you were told?"
"Yes, so don't drop them. Not unless you want to lose your head."
Samples? Sai peered curiously at the workers. He knew Danzo had experimentation facilities of his own. He was always trying to engineer pills and potions to boost his army's strength, stamina and speed. What was he working on these days, though?
He continued to watch. When nothing else of interest came up, he proceeded along the vent, crawling slowly to the next opening, which his photographic memory calculated ought to bring him above one of the research rooms.
He was right. Inside, he could see cylinders being set up. His dark eyes widened. These were new. Plastic and metal tubes were being connected to the structures.
"Hurry up and plug those in. We don't want these specimens to rot after the long journey. Then we'll take them to the new place."
Specimens? New place? Sai tried to get a better look, but the angle at which he was positioned made it impossible to see inside the tubes, which were concealed by cold mist.
"How many more do we need to wheel over?"
"There's plenty of others in the other locations. Don't relax just yet. These aren't even the heaviest of them. Lord Danzo has us all on the ground working to complete this move by the end of next month."
The messenger deity's eyebrows drew together in a perplexed frown. What was this new project Danzo was working on? What did they mean by a new place, and other locations? Why would a move take a month? He had so many questions.
Shuffling along to three more airway openings, he discovered more of the cylinders were being set up, but no further explanations offered as to what they were. He continued to creep and peep through the openings, until he began to come across rooms that were sequentially empty. Eventually he came to a stop, and decided he had lingered enough for one visit.
If Danzo had a project to complete over the next month, then Sai decided he would continue to monitor the events for a week or two, until he pieced together enough information to figure out what in the world was going on at the facility.
Nodding to himself with determination, he rerouted, and began the slow journey to the exit point.
[Two surface days later]
The cell phone vibrated, indicating the arrival of a new message. Sakura had gotten a replacement over the weekend, assigned to her same old number, which had been activated the previous day. She'd used an old sim card to copy in the most important numbers she needed.
Slipping her phone discreetly out of her cardigan pocket, and still keeping her ears on the lecture being delivered, she unlocked it, and swiped down to view her notifications.
Ino-Pig – 12:52PM
Meet me at the car park at 4PM.
Don't be late, Forehead ❤
Mother – 13:03PM
How are classes going? Kurenai is keeping an eye out. Stay safe.
The final message caused her stomach to twist unpleasantly.
Unknown – 2:08PM
Are you in today? I couldn't find you anywhere yesterday. I've tried calling and messaging so many times. Just let me know you're ok?
Sakura locked her phone again, exhaling quietly to herself. She felt guilty – since her phone had activated, Kenji had sent her at least seven messages asking after her, and had missed called her several times already. She knew it was his number, as his was the only one she hadn't saved on her older sim. The shameful truth was, she hadn't been ready to face him. After attending Tenten, Chouji and Shino's funerals on Sunday, Sakura hadn't been in the mood for any company.
Besides, everything had changed on that night. It had been a harsh wake up call, one that had snapped her back to the true reality of her situation.
She'd welcomed Kenji's normality before the events of the Winter Ball. Now, trying to play at pretend filled her with a sickening sense of anxiety. There was nothing normal about her. She was living her final life in a cycle of rebirth that had lasted countless centuries. She was tied to a dark kingdom, to the land of the dead, and to its formidable king, bound to return to him six months every year – provided she even lived that long. Her mother and friends were all deities. She was a reincarnated deity in human form. They had been attacked by a vengeful god who wanted to eradicate not only the surface gods, but enslave all of humanity itself.
And here she was in the midst of it all, studying at medical school…
It all suddenly seemed so ludicrous. How had she ever hoped to restore any semblance of normality to a life that had been turned upside down on its head the moment a certain God of Death had decided to abduct her to his world?
Ugh. Sakura rested her forehead against her right palm. She was no longer listening to the lecture. She knew she couldn't avoid Ken forever. His confession to her replayed in her mind, taunting, mocking her. Perhaps Kenji losing his memory was her punishment for so foolishly entertaining the idea that she might actually be able to embark on a nice normal relationship with him.
She'd told her mother about what had happened after they'd finished training. Tsunade had surprised her and stated it was entirely her decision whether she wanted to give him another chance, or cut off all possibilities of a romance permanently. She'd made it clear that Sakura would have to tell Kenji the truth eventually if she chose to pursue a relationship – but given the danger looming around them from Cronus and his subjects, her mother recommended keeping him at arm's length until things at least stabilised.
Sakura wondered if things ever would. She didn't hold out much hope. If she had learned anything about this Cronus, it was that he would ruthlessly stop at nothing to achieve world dominion.
Sakura sighed heavily as the lecture ended and students began to disperse from the lecture hall. Collecting her notebook and belongings, Sakura exited the room – only to bump right into the very person she had been actively avoiding since the start of the week.
"K-Ken!" she gasped, flushing with shame. Damn it! Couldn't fate give her a break?
"Sakura!" Kenji blinked at her, looking equal parts concerned and relieved. "Hey! A first year told me there was a lecture here, and since you've not answered any of my messages or calls, I thought I'd try my luck and wait outside."
"Uh- hi!" Sakura chirped, plastering a bright smile onto her face. God. It hurt to summon such a fake smile. Guilt gnawed away at her like corrosive acid. Kenji was none the wiser. It wasn't his fault that he didn't remember. None of what had happened was any of his fault.
"What's going on?" he frowned. "I've been worried sick."
"I'm so sorry," Sakura offered, feeling wretched. "My phone only activated yesterday, and I've just been so busy getting my head around what happened at the ball-"
"Right," Kenji nodded, as students streamed past them. "The gas explosion. I woke up and I couldn't find you. I wanted to drive over to see you, to check you were ok… but once I got home, I just slept like crazy for two days straight, with the worst headache. I guess it was from all that gas we probably inhaled, huh?"
Sakura swallowed and nodded silently, reminded once again of what a genuinely great, considerate guy Kenji was.
Kakashi had said he believed Sasuke had been there at the end of the event, and had cast a powerful genjutsu to make everyone outside forget it. Sakura's heart skipped a beat. They had no proof it had been Sasuke, and him helping the surface gods with a surface problem seemed very uncharacteristic on his part. Whatever had happened, whoever was responsible for erasing memories, she could tell from the look on Kenji's face that there was absolutely no chance that he would remember anything.
"But you're ok?" he asked worriedly. "Did all your friends get out alright?"
Sakura's eyes lowered. "I… lost some."
His eyes widened. "I'm so sorry," he looked genuinely saddened and reached out to place a supportive hand on her shoulder. "Damn. Now I feel so selfish. I should've given you more space."
"No, it's…" Sakura licked her lips. "It's fine. Thank you." Then, she went on carefully, "What do you remember about the evening? What's the last thing you can recall?"
He retracted his hand, stuffing it into his pocket. "It's weird. Everything just feels so hazy. I remember coming to collect you from your house. And us going to the venue together. But… we must have passed out as soon as we got inside, because I can't remember a thing about the party. And neither could anyone else I spoke to about it. What about you?"
"Y-yeah. Same," she got out, feeling despicable for lying. But she told herself, it was for Kenji's own good. She had to protect him. If anything happened to him because of her, she would never forgive herself.
He had forgotten that she'd agreed to date him. Heat crept into her cheeks.
"It's crazy," he shook his head. "How nobody remembers anything. I've been trying to look into what gases could cause amnesia, but it's so weird how nobody's really talking about it. Don't you think?"
"I'm glad you're alright," she told him, hoping he wouldn't notice that she didn't answer his question.
"Just a little shaken up. Heard the whole street's been cordoned off and it'll cost the government loads to rebuild the heritage-listed building. It's a real shame. Everyone was really looking forward to it."
They began to walk together down the hallway.
"I had to replace my phone too," he held up his new one. "Lost all my photos and messages from my old sim. I hadn't gotten around to backing any of it up. Wish I had."
Sakura was internally relieved. She imagined that had anyone's phones survived the floods from the hydra monster, explaining away the selfies taken that night would have been very tricky indeed.
"I'm sorry if you felt like I was avoiding you," she offered. "I just really needed some space."
"Sure. Sure, I completely get that," he nodded. "But I couldn't find you at the hospital yesterday, and that really made me worry. Your mother wasn't there either."
"It's… been a rough few days," Sakura said.
"Yeah. Of course. I'm so glad you're okay. When I couldn't find you, I didn't know what to think."
Sakura felt her throat constrict. She could hear how much he cared about her. It made her feel even worse.
"I'm fine," she replied softly. "I hope you didn't lose any of your friends."
"No, they got out alright," he answered.
Sakura was thankful for that small mercy; that he didn't need to go through the same heartbreak she had.
"Well, I'm just heading off for a bite to eat before my next lecture. Want to join me?" he invited.
Normally, Sakura would have jumped at the chance to enjoy his company. But now, as she looked at him, she remembered his words to her, words he had no idea he'd even said. She recalled the sight of lifeless bodies littering the floor and floating in water. And all she felt was the need to keep him at arm's length.
She didn't want him to hurt the way she had hurt. And if Cronus was aiming to take out her friends and family, then the harsh truth was, it simply wasn't safe to be around Kenji any more than she absolutely had to be.
She told herself she would rather go back home and train. Ino was picking her up, and they'd agreed to practice together.
"I'm really sorry, but not today," she apologised. "I'm a little tired."
"Oh, I get it," Kenji held up his hands. "You've been through a lot. Is there anything I can do to help? If you ever want to talk, just call me?"
"Thanks," she forced a smile. "Take care, Ken."
"Will you be at the hospital tomorrow?" he asked, as they came to a crossway in the corridor.
"Yeah," she replied.
"Great. I'll see you then?" His face and voice were hopeful. Sakura felt like knives had been stabbed in her gut. Guilt once again washed over her, drowning her in remorse.
To be so blissfully ignorant of the bloodshed and murder that had occurred was a blessing. In many ways, she envied him.
It's not his fault, she told herself again. It's not his fault he can't remember. Even if you wished that he could – how would you have explained everything to him, anyway? He probably would have freaked out and run as far away from you as possible. You're saving him a lot of shock. Remember how you felt when you discovered gods existed in human form?
"Sure," Sakura answered, and turned quickly away to her right. She knew her abrupt dismissal was unfair. But suddenly, she was unable to stand looking at or talking with him any longer.
When she reached the end of the corridor, and chanced a glance back, she found him standing in the same position she had left him, looking confusedly after her.
I'm sorry, she thought out to him in silent apology, tears stinging her eyes as she rounded the corner that removed him from her line of sight. I'm sorry I can't be normal.
Karin squinted up at the glass cylinder.
'What's up with all these tubes?' she communicated to her team, frowning. 'They have nothing in them.'
The hideout was larger than the other two they had infiltrated, full of equipment but no evidence of research samples or any incubating monsters. Just as with the rest, it was located underground, but instead of rocky walls, this one had been sturdily constructed with bricks that had blackened over the flow of time.
'It's so dim in here,' Suigetsu complained, referring to the offensive turquoise lighting that flickered deplorably around them. 'Why do all his bases look so fucking creepy?'
'Because he is creepy, idiot,' Karin scoffed, prodding at some shards of broken glass on the floor with her sandals. Then she turned her attention to Sasuke, who had just cloaked all the cameras with shadows and was prowling intently around the spacious room they were investigating.
Slipping discreetly next to him when Suigetsu's back was turned – much closer than was physically necessary - she purred quietly, 'Sasuke? Is there anything in particular you're looking for? I would be so happy to help-'
He shot her a cold, dismissive glance, as her right arm brushed intrusively against his left side.
'Step away,' came the flat, warning response.
Suigetsu released a snarky, telepathic laugh at his open rejection of her proximity. Karin straightened her glasses huffily, and turned to mind her own business again. She'd had much more excitement in mind than this when they'd first set off travelling together. But it was near impossible to get any time alone with the death deity – something that was increasingly frustrating her.
'Lord Sasuke,' Jugo spoke respectfully. 'It seems this base is also abandoned like the first.'
'Oi, Karin,' Suigetsu addressed the tracker nymph. 'You sense anything here?'
She shook her head. 'Just faint traces of Orochimaru's chakra signature.'
Sasuke's eyebrows drew together. Why were the facilities being vacated? Was Orochimaru planning to create new ones? Relocating? Or had these bases simply served their purposes?
What purpose had this one had? It was difficult to tell, when the only things left behind were empty cylinders and scraps of defunct looking equipment.
'Let's just blow this shithole up,' Suigetsu suggested. 'It's dead anyway-'
His telekinetic thought broke off, when the sudden, loud sound of metal shuttering down caused them all to tense, immediately at attention. Sasuke's head whipped around, as the echoes of the shutters dimmed to an eerie silence.
'What was that?' Suigetsu asked, hand closed firmly around Samehada's hilt.
'The doors appear to have been locked,' Jugo observed.
'…' Sasuke's eyes bled to red, as he waited, listening attentively for any hints of an ambush. When nothing else happened after a minute, he called to the water nymph. 'Karin.'
'I still don't sense anything,' she scowled in confusion.
'Then why the hell did those shutters just-?' Suigetsu began – when the lights suddenly dimmed out completely, plunging them into absolute darkness.
Karin yelped out loud in surprise, forgetting to communicate in her mind. "What the he-?!"
'Shut up, you dumb bitch!' Suigetsu moved quickly to clamp a silencing hand over her mouth.
Sasuke's eyes, accustomed to the shadows, darted around the area. They were still the only ones there.
Then a sudden, strange hissing noise filled the air.
'What the fuck's that?' Suigetsu frowned. Karin froze, clutching onto his arm senselessly as he lowered his hand slowly from her mouth, looking around for the source of the sound – at the precise moment Sasuke located it.
A thick white gas was rolling into the room, flooding through openings in the ventilation ducts on the ground that were set into the bases of the brick walls around them. His eyes widened in alarm, as noxious fumes filled the air with an almost sickly sweet stench.
This was no coincidence, he knew. Orochimaru had clearly caught onto the fact his other two facilities had been wrecked – and this time, had been prepared to meet any intruders.
'Don't inhale it!' he ordered harshly.
'W-what?!' Karin stammered mentally. Unlike Sasuke and Suigetsu, she and Jugo couldn't hold their breaths indefinitely. 'But how-?' She involuntarily sucked in a deep breath in panic.
'Stupid bitch!' Suigetsu snapped impatiently. 'Did you not hear what he just said? Sasuke's not just gonna let you and Jugo's hearts stop beating, so fucking quit breathing!'
'I can't just stop breathing, you idiot, my lungs just do it on their own-' she began to panic.
'Fucking stop, I said Sasuke will take care of it! Sasuke, tell this dumb bitch!'
'But-!'
Sasuke threw a murderous look their way. Now was absolutely not the time to be arguing so pettily.
'Shut up,' he instructed both snappishly.
Jugo swatted at the mist, shifting unsteadily on his feet. 'Lord Sasuke- it stings-!'
'Fuck! There's something on the ground-!' Suigetsu exclaimed.
'Kyaaaaah!' Karin began to hop about hysterically. 'Snakes!' she mentally screeched. 'They're snakes!'
Shit! Sasuke cursed inwardly. This was no ordinary toxic mist! Then, to Suigetsu, 'Get above ground!'
He flung Kusanagi forcefully to the highest point of the eastern wall, and placed a hand on Jugo's shoulder, flickering them both to the point where the blade had embedded into the brick. Jugo charged chakra into his feet, remaining glued beside Sasuke, who crouched suspended from Kusanagi's hilt. Suigetsu grabbed Karin and alighted onto the opposite wall. She released a strangled sound, finding that to her amazement, even though she was taking no breaths, her lungs did not feel as though they were depleting of oxygen. Just as the ocean deity had informed her, Sasuke was closely monitoring her and Jugo's consciousness, his iron-willed command over death ensuring that their hearts continued to function without air, as if they were respiring ordinarily.
'What is this?' Suigetsu caught the death deity's gaze across the room. 'You think that freak knew we were coming?'
It was only a matter of time, Sasuke had known from the outset, until Orochimaru added two and two together and suspected him of being the one responsible for leading the raids on his facilities – if he hadn't done so already.
A static sound then filled the air a second later, as the electronic intercom system kicked in.
A familiar, slippery voice spoke through it.
"How unfortunate that our expected guestss choose to keep themselvess so shyly concealed from us."
'Sasuke!' Suigetsu's violet eyes widened. 'Shit! He's figured us out!'
Sasuke clenched his teeth, repulsed and furious. The serpent was highly intelligent, and this was precisely the sort of underhanded choice of attack he ought to have anticipated Orochimaru would pull. But Karin had informed them that the base was derelict. It seemed it had been kept so on purpose – as a trap to force Sasuke's cell to reveal themselves.
"Of course, choosing not to reveal yourself framesss you as guilty… Uchiha Sasuke. I have been waiting and hoping that you would come to me…"
'Son-of-a-bitch,' Suigetsu thought out in disgust.
"The Helm may conceaal your chakra signature, but you forget; my snakess can sense movement in the air itself, even the faintest ripples, or slightest dips in air pressure…"
Damn it, Sasuke glowered down at the mist, which was densely fogging over the floor below them. The snakes below were slender and white – Orochimaru's signature serpents. They hissed menacingly, tongues flickering in the air, tasting it, picking up even the smallest traces of body heat.
"There is only one way out of this facility," the immortal personification of Terror continued. "And it is through the way you came in. You will have to navigate through the gas to force your way back to the shuttered entrance. My serpents will be waiting, Sasuke-kun…"
'What a fucking creep!' Suigetsu cringed, at the skin-crawlingly over-familiar use of the affectionate suffix attached to the death deity's name.
One corner of Sasuke's lips curled back to form a derisive sneer. Did Orochimaru truly believe he feared being discovered? He wanted the serpent to know he was hunting him down with the killing intent of taking him out for good.
Crimson eyes narrowed into menacing slits. Orochimaru believed he could toy with him? Then Sasuke would beat him at his own game. He decided to play along, right into the serpent's hands - to prove the point that he would stop at nothing until he torched down every last facility - even with Orochimaru knowing who was responsible.
He lifted a finger to his lips, took a deep breath, and summoned a raging Katon fireball, at the precise moment Susano'o curled protectively around his body and his team, cocooning them all from the scorching wrath and oppressive heat of the intense flames.
The room exploded into fire, a force so potent and densely charged with chakra-manipulated energy that the shutters were blown right off their hinges entirely, and every single snake on the ground sizzled into ash. Glass shattered and smoke billowed, enveloping the poisonous mist.
'S-such power…' Karin gaped, unable to tear her gaze off Sasuke. His chakra signature was dark, potent – and full of malice.
The death god yanked Kusanagi's blade from the wall and teleported to the intercom, shadows trailing in his wake. Pressing the speaker button, he spoke with chilling, deadly calm into it.
"You think your Curse seal will give you control of my Sharingan. You will fail with me, just like you did with Itachi. My brother was lenient; I won't stop at one arm. I will find and burn down every last remnant of you, Snake."
With that, he savagely tore the intercom off the wall and tossed it into the blazing flames below, before warping his unit safely out of the base.
The connection severed abruptly, plunging the room into silence once more.
Orochimaru smirked darkly to himself. Just as he had expected; Sasuke was retaliating in anger and the master-mind behind the raids on his research facilities. He was using his abilities to his advantage, his role as the Underworld's King to stealthily cloak his location so that his movements couldn't be traced on the surface.
The relocation of all bases to the new facility would take several more weeks to complete at the very least. He needed to stall the death deity as much as he could, to ensure the most important equipment and resources were moved across safely, with minimal disruptions. But since he couldn't predict for certain which of the bases would be attacked next, Orochimaru had to ensure all were fortified adequately – including the new, largest facility.
He supposed that the tracker nymph he'd spied on Olympus was likely assisting Sasuke. That had to be how he was managing to locate his hideouts with such impressive accuracy. The three bases that had been compromised up to that point were within neighbouring regions. He made plans to direct more workers to the closer facilities first, as it seemed logical to assume Sasuke would continue to proceed according to geographic area, until he disabled them all.
He had certainly grown into a formidable force to be reckoned with, Orochimaru admired. No longer the sheltered child deity he had been in the past, no longer naïve and weak, Sasuke was now lethal, cunning and merciless; forged by time's cruel flow into a volatile vessel of hatred, bitterness and pure ice. No longer prey, but a fierce predator in his own right. Orochimaru had seen the frightening lack of feeling in those emotionless, crimson eyes. Eyes he finally had a real chance of acquiring. Pure Uchiha eyes, powerful, untainted - and an agile, strong body to go with them.
He shuddered in delight at the thought of possessing the death deity's physical shell, and all the terrifying powers that would be at his disposal once he acquired it. That chilling aura emanating from Sasuke was one Orochimaru had only ever come across once before – but it'd been one he had never been able to forget.
Sharingan eyes, just as merciless, yet even more intense, flashed through his mind, and the smirk on the serpent's lips waned, as he recalled the words the death deity had spoken callously into the intercom device before destroying it.
"You think your Curse seal will give you control of my Sharingan. You will fail with me, just like you did with Itachi. My brother was lenient; I won't stop at one arm. I will find and burn down every last remnant of you, Snake."
His words summoned an unpleasant memory in Orochimaru's mind, dragging him back in time to when he had first laid his eyes on the child Hades, who he would later learn was named Sasuke Uchiha - running through a forest. He had been a mere fledgling of a god – but even back then, Orochimaru had sensed potential in him.
The mistake he had made on that day, however, was believing Sasuke to be unguarded and alone.
The young child bounded spiritedly through the forest, turning his face up toward the thick green canopy high above him. Sunlight filtered through the openings in the trees. Clutching a scroll in his right hand, he sped up, hoping he could make it out into a clearing before the others in his company – when he narrowly avoided colliding into a tall figure that suddenly emerged before him. With a startled gasp, the boy skidded abruptly, side-stepping at the final moment, the momentum causing the scroll to fly from his grasp as he quickly twisted to anchor his balance.
The scroll flew into the air and landed at the individual's feet with a muted thud. The man bent over, reaching an alarmingly pale hand down to pick it up.
Deimos offered the child a smile, and watched as the small body tensed when his shadow fell over him as he stepped closer. Holding out the scroll, he noted the child's wide, long-lashed, stormy-grey eyes, soft, unruly dark hair and startlingly beautiful features. He was dressed in what appeared to be noble finery; a fitted, silver-stitched midnight tunic, black breeches and sandals, beneath a long black cloak.
A small, jewelled dagger scabbard was strapped to a belt at his waist. His attire screamed aristocracy: a young princeling that stood out amongst the flora like a thorn. Deimos regarded him with keen interest. Who was this striking boy? His eyes then lit up, catching sight of the Uchiha clan crest that kept the cloak securely fastened at the slim child's right shoulder.
"I did not mean to distress you," he spoke in honeyed tones, extending his hand further. "You dropped this, child."
The boy gave him an uncertain and unforthcoming look. Wrapped in a dark grey cloak, the odd-looking man possessed pale, alabaster skin and slanting, serpentine-slit golden eyes that glowed unnervingly as they gazed upon him. The boy had never seen such peculiar eyes. Long, straight, jet-black hair framed the man's sharp-featured face at the sides and fell back over his shoulders.
Then, after a minute, the child reached out and took his scroll.
"…Thank you," the boy replied stiffly, as if just recalling his manners, and quickly drew his hand quickly. Being the child he was, however, kept gazing at the man, in the open, unabashed manner children did whenever they looked upon something strange.
Deimos nodded, keeping his expression amicable. "Could it be you are lost?" he questioned. "Perhaps you need assistance to find what you are searching for?"
The child continued to stare. "What are you?" he asked directly, a noble lilt to his accent that confirmed he was certainly born of a most prestigious line.
"I am a traveller, searching for something, too," Deimos smiled more deeply, running a long tongue along his lower lip as he spied an unparalleled opportunity. The child was an Uchiha. Even if he hadn't spotted the emblem, Deimos knew he would have suspected it from the boy's clothing, attractive features and unmistakeable colourings. He was an Underworld dweller. A descendent of the great Cronus himself – which meant he possessed the Ocular Gift.
Deimos wondered whether the boy had yet awakened his Sharingan. Thought of all the untold powers such eyes could afford him.
Here was a slip of a boy, unguarded, who could easily be ensnared, subdued and manipulated. A boy who possessed the very eyes he had always coveted to acquire.
"What is your name?" he enquired, still friendly, his voice a soothing lull, eyes glowing mesmerizingly.
"It's…" the boy blinked, as if bewildered to find himself answering something he wouldn't normally disclose to an utter stranger. "It's… Hades." Confusion began to overtake his features, as he felt his mind begin to oddly cloud over.
Trapping the child's dark eyes with his hypnotic golden orbs, Deimos reached out slowly with his left hand, intending to place it upon the boy's shoulder. He could see from the muddled expression on the child's face that he had succeeded in luring the boy in with his gaze. He had, after all, the unique ability to seduce the senses, lower defences, overtake a person's consciousness and possess bodies at will.
"Ah. Hadesss…" Deimos's dark eyebrows lifted. "And what is a fine boy dressed as you are, doing alone in a forest like thiss?" he hissed. "It iss no place for a child…" His left hand inched closer – closer – so as not to startle the enthralled child – and had almost made contact, when the whistling sound of flying metal caused Deimos to tense and jump swiftly back, barely avoiding the slicing strike of three spinning shuriken that had been aimed straight at him with lethal accuracy.
There was a blur of rustling movement from the trees, and a heartbeat later, the young child Hades was swept up in a pair of strong arms that lifted him and hopped lithely back, placing a safe distance between the boy and Deimos once again.
"He isn't alone," an older, adolescent youth replied, with a dangerous warning edge to his tone as he lifted his right hand and pointed a slender blade directly at the snake. He had wavy dark hair and was dressed entirely in black. An elaborate silver mask concealed half his face from view, but even with it on, Deimos saw the glint of tell-tale crimson which informed him that this Uchiha had already awakened his Sharingan.
The youth draped a protective left arm over the child's chest, holding Hades firmly back in place against him. The boy, snapped abruptly out of his daze, looked around unsteadily, and reached up to grip the older Uchiha's wrist, clearly unnerved by the serpent once again.
Recognition hit Deimos, and his pulse picked up pace. That mask. He knew of only two Uchiha deities who wore them – though he had never encountered them in person before.
There was another flicker of blindingly swift movement, and a second individual alighted elegantly before the other two Uchiha. Also dressed in a black cloak bearing the Underworld clan's crest, this adolescent had long, thick, silken black hair, which was drawn up into a high tail upon his head, secured by a jewelled silver clasp. Like his companion, he wore a silver mask that concealed half his face from view.
Deimos drew a sharp breath. Immediately he felt it – this new arrival's dense, ominous chakra signature, which at that moment, was coiling out threateningly, full of raw, electrically charged, malicious energy.
Thanatos of the Underworld, the serpent recognised in wonder. It could not be anyone else. This was the renowned God of Death himself, in the very flesh, the feared entity that was solely responsible for reaping mortal souls from their bodies. Such power he commanded.
Behind him, Deimos concluded by association, was Hypnos, who governed Sleep. Humans often spoke stories and sung songs about how the two were inseparable and always travelled together.
"Thanatos," the wavy haired god Hypnos spoke smoothly, confirming the god's unmistakeable identity. "That is the very same snake I saw approach Hades."
Deimos smirked deeply to himself. This was a treat, indeed. To have not one, but three pure-blooded Uchiha standing before him. His eyes lowered back to the weakest link, the boy-deity who stood huddled against his older relative. Little Hades, Deimos thought to himself, would make an invaluable addition to his experiments, and an excellent research specimen. And unlike the other older Uchiha, the child was unlikely to be able to put up much of a fight or resistance to being brainwashed.
Deimos had never battled an Uchiha or Sharingan eyes before, but was highly confident in his battle prowess, and needed only to separate the child from the others for a few brief seconds in order to snag him away to dark places he could not be found. Then, he relished, those fabled Sharingan eyes would finally be his.
Beneath the mask, dark eyes flashed threateningly, as an aloof death god regarded Deimos and said in a silky, quiet voice, "You watch my brother too eagerly, serpent."
His brother, Deimos noted – which likely made Hypnos a cousin of sorts. "I was merely passing through this forest," he gestured, continuing to feign innocence. "The child dropped his scroll. I returned it."
"My eyes were watching you from the trees," answered Hypnos. "You reached out to Hades even after returning his scroll. Go on. Why don't you tell us why?"
Deimos offered, "The boy appeared frightened. I simply wished to offer-"
"Spare us the lies," Hypnos interrupted dismissively. Deimos observed that he had lowered his blade at Thanatos's arrival. "We all know what you intended to do next. You'd better choose your next words carefully."
"…" Deimos's eyes flickered to Thanatos, who continued to watch him coolly, clearly awaiting a response. He had drawn no weapon, which Deimos took to be an encouraging sign. "I do not believe we have met before, for you to be so sure of my intentions," he pointed out.
"Wrong words," Hypnos rejected. His words were severe – but his tone was deceptively light. It was a slightly unsettling combination that gave the God of Sleep an air of unpredictability. "You must mistake us for a pair of fools. Do you think we have not heard of you?" Deimos blinked, regarding Hypnos with intense interest, as he continued, "Do you think we are unaware of who you are, and the dark arts you dabble in? Of the human children you steal away, puppets to dissect and maim to satisfy your twisted sense of curiosity? For you, human lives are nothing but toys. You would dare to attempt to take one of our own?"
Hades looked up at his cousin in alarm.
Deimos offered a petrifying smile, dropping the act as he once again ran a long tongue over his lower lip. Of course, Thanatos and Hypnos's reputations proceeded them. His sources had informed him that they were highly intelligent, perceptive, and gifted in their proficient command of their respective roles. And just like him, they had clearly done their research, to be able to identify him so quickly.
"Three who possess the preciouss Sharingan stand before me," he hissed. "How fortunate I am, to have a choice of vessels at my disposal."
The child, Hades, gripped tightly onto Hypnos's arm. "Wh-what is he saying…?" he questioned nervously, visibly disturbed.
"Sasuke," Thanatos addressed him softly, hearing the tremor of fear in his younger brother's voice. "Do not be afraid."
Sasuke Uchiha. Deimos stored the young deity's true name in his mind.
"Death itself is at your fingertipss…" he said to Thanatos. "The ability to postpone it, the key to granting eternal life. To wield such a power… would allow me to reverse the degeneration and decay of my research specimensss, to harvest the secrets of endless regeneration…"
"…" Thanatos stared back at him stoically, his expression utterly unreadable.
"Perhaps we can agree a trade," Deimos suggested, gaze sliding to Hades once more, who shrunk instinctively back against his cousin. "I will spare the boy, and instead - take you."
Without warning, a large, brown, hissing snake shot out from under the right sleeve of Deimos's cloak and coiled swiftly around Thanatos's body, caging his arms by his side, disabling them from drawing any weapons.
Hades's eyes widened fearfully. "Nii-san!" he exclaimed in alarm, moving reflexively forward to aid his older brother. But Hypnos's steely arm drew him back again. Deimos watched, out of the corner of his eye, as the older youth leaned down and murmured something in the child deity's right ear. Hades stayed put, but his little body was shaking.
Deimos turned his attention back to a passive Thanatos, who still had made no move to engage in combat with him. "With your Sharingan, abilities, and such a strong, fine body, I will have an indestructible vessel eternally at my disposal, yesss…"
Thanatos's eyes lowered. He appeared remarkably unconcerned for one caught in a deadly snake's clutches, as Deimos began to drag his body closer. The God of Death was then lifted off his feet, and tilted sideways at an angle, as Deimos smiled gleefully up at him.
Heavy-lashed eyes then swept up, glinting deep crimson, meeting Deimos's gaze directly.
"Your greed," Thanatos replied evenly, "will be your ruin."
"…?!" Deimos felt a pulse of pain throb through his head. All at once, he found he could not move a muscle in his body. Thanatos was no longer ensnared in his snake, but standing calmly before him.
"I-impossible!" The serpent bit out, struggling against the invisible binds that held his body frozen in place. What was happening? How had the death deity escaped so effortlessly, without so much as lifting a single finger? All he had done was-
Realisation slammed into Deimos, rattling him. Thanatos had simply activated his Sharingan. And with just one, brief look, he had immediately captured his target within the tangled web of a heavy-layered illusion.
"How can it be that I am caught… in a paralysis genjutsu?" Deimos rasped.
In response, Thanatos lifted his right hand to his mask, and began to slowly lift it away from his face.
"…!" Deimos grit his teeth, as the death deity's left eye revealed itself first. Dark lashes, so long and heavy that they seemed to tangle at the corners, framed a piercing, bloody-crimson iris that skewered through the serpent's mind with violent force, akin to a thousand burning needles impaling into his skull. As the remainder of the mask fell away, revealing Thanatos's face in its entirety, Deimos's lips parted in awe.
The face of True Death was frightening in its beauty, all angled, chiselled planes, each feature sculpted to perfection – but it was his eyes and their searing, soul-stealing, breath-taking intensity that rendered Deimos motionless and powerless to look away. They were swirling, stormy seas of dark red; beautiful, captivating eyes that held such wisdom and terrible power within their unfathomable depths. The heaviness of that severe stare was chilling, and Deimos felt as though those stabbing eyes were looking straight into his very soul.
The Sharingan spun alluringly, entangling Deimos's mind deeper within the layers of genjutsu they were so easily weaving, enticing him with whispered promises of discovering their most ancient, untold secrets – if he only but continued to gaze into them.
So this was the true power of the Sharingan. Deimos's body trembled, straining against the unbreakable cage inflicted upon his mind. "What… incredible visual prowess…" he gasped out. "Magnificent!"
Another wave of agony assaulted his head. He suddenly saw red, and his body rooted in place, impaled by large metal rods. The pain was excruciating. He fought against the mental paralysis, struggling to lift heavy arms that hung like limp dead-weights by his sides.
"Orochimaru," Thanatos spoke his true name quietly, confirming he knew exactly who he was. "Try any jutsu you wish; they will have no effect before these eyes."
The God of Death's body then rippled and disintegrated, breaking off into dozens of black crows that flapped around the serpent, cawing deafeningly as they spiralled in motion. Deimos's eyes widened in alarm, gaze darting anxiously left and right, attempting to locate Thanatos before he closed in for the kill. But the birds obscured his vision as they circled him viciously, and he could still see metal rods holding him in place.
He did not realise that there were no rods. That Thanatos had trapped him with nothing more than his sheer will, turning Deimos's own mind against him.
"…!" He felt a plunge in air pressure fall over him, and looked up, just in time to see Thanatos flicker into existence above his head. Such speed! Deimos thought. Piercing crimson eyes narrowed as Death fell into descent, dark strands of hair whipping across his face, blade drawn back in his right hand to strike. Deimos felt strong fingers grip his left arm at the shoulder-hinge point, and then the genjutsu instantly shattered like glass at Thanatos's silent command.
Deimos gasped, released so abruptly from it, his mind was sent violently reeling. Black feathers rained down around him, as the cawing crows dispersed.
"Try to touch Sasuke again…" Thanatos murmured, leaving the rest of the sentence hanging ominously in the air - not a threat, but a deadly promise. The death god wanted Deimos to feel the pain. To remember, precisely, how every nerve ending turned to fire from the debilitating injury he was about to inflict, as he pulled ruthlessly back on the arm that had attempted to lay a hand on his little brother.
Deimos released a curdling scream as his limb was sliced off above the elbow, torn from his body with such brutal force that it caused blood to spurt into the air, spattering onto the grassy ground. He watched as Thanatos discarded the severed arm onto the ground and stabbed into it as he landed gracefully back on his feet. Dragging the tip of his blade down the length of the bloodied limb for good measure, his Sharingan eyes flicked upward again, locking onto the serpent's horrified gaze once more.
Deimos's breath caught in his throat, and for the first time, the fear he delighted in placing upon others was reversed and slammed into him. Thanatos's handsome face was callous, completely devoid of any emotion - and his penetrating eyes glinted with a lethal, murderous intent.
"Th-Thanatos…" Deimos clutched at his heavily bleeding wound, drawing a shallow, ragged breath. Within his chest, his heart was pounding thunderously. "W-wait-!"
He choked in shock, the coppery tang of warm blood suddenly welling in his mouth, as his long tongue was seized with lightning-fast reflexes between vice-like gloved fingers, and with no semblance of warning, ripped viciously out of his mouth before he could form another word.
"Speak with Sasuke again," Thanatos continued calmly, once more allowing the remainder of the threat to go unspoken. As if inviting Deimos to imagine the horrific consequences that would ensue if he ever again dared to approach his little brother.
Deimos looked upon him in horror, a river of blood pouring down his chin. He coughed, spluttering it out, trying to keep it from flooding into his lungs as he raised his hands, attempting to form the seals he needed to flee. But he knew, from the frightening ruthlessness he glimpsed in those steady crimson eyes, that Death would show no mercy. Nor was he yet done. With terrifying speed, Thanatos blurred out of sight and reappeared behind the serpent, so rapid in his movements that Deimos acknowledged he stood absolutely no chance of defending the incoming attack in time, as the God of Death savagely drove the end of his sharp blade straight toward the base of the snake's neck.
"…!" Deimos's eyes widened. He meant to decapitate him so heartlessly! Finding no other choice, he summoned all of his power to disintegrate into a desperate pile of writhing white snakes, narrowly missing the tip of the slicing sword that had been whistling with killing intent toward his throat.
A silent assassin. The deadliest of predators. Deimos realised his mistake far, far too late. He had walked into a trap. The moment Thanatos had showed up, it had been over for him. The death god had not drawn a weapon immediately because he did not require a physical weapon.
His Sharingan was all he needed to crush anyone foolish enough to threaten him – or, as Deimos had so unfortunately discovered – his younger brother. Finally he had witnessed the true, devastating power of the Sharingan and the paralysing illusions it could cast. And Thanatos was evidently not even at full deity-maturity yet. To wield such awful speed and unmatched ocular abilities – to possess such chillingly-restrained composure and effortless power, and at such a young age…
Thanatos had decimated him in minutes. And Deimos had never known true fear, until that moment.
The death deity lifted a finger and swiftly summoned an explosive stream of Katon flames that engulfed the serpents. They hissed out in pain, and when the smoke and fire diminished, nothing was left on the ground except their charred remains.
Thanatos then straightened, perfectly composed, and replaced his blade nonchalantly in its scabbard at his waist.
From the safety of the trees, a lone snake that had managed to slither away at the last moment watched as Hypnos released Hades, who ran immediately forward to his brother, clutching worriedly at his cloak.
"Nii-san! Are you hurt?!"
He watched, as Thanatos's right hand – the very same hand that had been so deadly in its precisely coordinated attacks just seconds earlier – lifted to press gently against the child's left cheek.
"No," he replied reassuringly. Then, crouching down, he said, "What have we told you about speaking with strangers, Sasuke?"
The child's shoulders hunched, and he appeared ashamed. "I'm sorry, Nii-san."
"No more giving you a head-start," Hypnos remarked, ruffling the boy's dark hair affectionately. Then, to his cousin, he nodded, "Nicely done, Itachi."
Itachi. Itachi Uchiha, Deimos thought to himself, committing the name to memory, hissing in snake form. He observed as Thanatos rose fluidly to his feet and turned away, his arm draped protectively around his younger brother's shoulders, who clung to his right side. The boy began to look behind him – but Thanatos's hand lifted, pressing to the child's right cheek, averting his face back to look ahead. The three walked away together, their conversation trailing, consisting mostly of the child expressing open admiration and gushing compliments for his big brother's battle prowess.
Then – unexpectedly - Thanatos's face turned, to glance back over his right shoulder.
His piercing, glowing Sharingan locked straight onto the serpent's location in the trees, glinting with silent, lethal warning – and Deimos took it as a cue to retreat and melted immediately out of sight.
Orochimaru's features darkened as the memory reached its end. He lifted his right hand to unconsciously touch his bandaged left arm. He had regenerated his tongue, and the limb – but it had never quite recovered the same strength and power as it'd had in the past.
He had never been able to obtain revenge on Itachi directly. That was one of his greatest regrets. However, he told himself that giving Thanatos's precious little brother the Curse Seal of Heaven was a more than justified way of making up for it.
The seal was ever evolving. Every day drove it closer to reaching its cycle of completion. And once it did, Sasuke's body would betray him, would shut down, responding only to Orochimaru's commands. He smiled, in delicious anticipation of the moment when he would make the proud King of the Dead kneel before him.
He vowed that Sasuke's vessel would be his – at any cost.
That, he told himself, would be his true revenge.
[Next surface day]
Sakura sat crossed legged on the training mat in the basement, sifting through the chakra crystals Chiyo had given her. She had sorted them by category: green for healing, grey for strength, pink for speed, red for fire, yellow for lightning, pale blue for water, dark blue for wind, brown for earth. She picked up the final orb – an inky black one, which served as a cloaking crystal.
She then lifted a finger to her chin thoughtfully. How should she distribute them, she wondered? One of each orb? Prioritise healing, speed and strength over elemental attacks? She needed to test one out, to roughly gauge how many uses each crystal would allow.
The sound of footsteps clattering down the basement's steps caused her to look up.
"Sakura-chan," Naruto's blond head appeared. "I came as soon as I got your message, dattebayo!"
He joined her on the mat, plopping himself comfortably down opposite her, dressed as colourfully as ever in a dark orange hoodie and beige cargo pants. His outfit was a stark contrast to Sakura's toned-down, black tank top and faded grey sweatpants.
Picking up one of the grey crystals, he squinted at it. "So these are the crystals old granny Chiyo gave you? You tried them out yet?"
"She told me not to waste them," Sakura answered. "But I've used some strength and speed chakra to get a feel for how they work in training. I'm going to test one, to see how many times it can be used before it runs out."
"Hmm…" Naruto's eyes turned pensively upwards. "If I remember from the perverted old hermit's lessons way back, you get about maybe eight summons of chakra for each?"
That was surprisingly generous, Sakura thought to herself, as he handed the orbs back to her, watching as she sorted them into supply satchels.
His cobalt gaze then met hers. It had been several days since their return from the High Council's meeting, and Naruto had kept mostly to himself. He'd needed to take some time to reflect and process on everything that had happened and everything he'd discovered. But the moment he'd received Sakura's message requesting for him to see her, he had done so in an instant.
"So what's up, Sakura-chan?" he asked, lifting his hands and joining them casually behind his head.
"Are you alright?" she asked him, linking her fingers together as she finished with her task. "I know this's been pretty hard on you."
Naruto's eyes lowered. He shrugged and mumbled, "I'll feel a lot better when we do something about that bastard, Cronus, and get my parents' bodies back."
Sakura nodded. "I wanted to ask you about something. Back at the Council meeting, when you got angry, it looked like chakra was coming out of you. What was that red aura?"
Naruto flinched. He was silent for a long moment. Then he said softly, "It's nothing you need to worry about, Sakura-chan."
"Naruto." She reached out to grip his arm. "Stop trying to take on everyone's burdens alone. Stop trying to protect me all the time. This time I-" she took a deep breath. "I can't be left out of anything. Because it's-" she fumbled, and decided to just tell him the truth her mother had told her, because Naruto deserved to know, they all had to know, and the sooner she said it, the sooner she could stop worrying about how to say it. "It's my final life cycle."
Naruto's blue eyes shot up to her face, widening in alarm. "Huh? S-Sakura-chan? How do you know that?"
"I visited my sacred pool before we went to the High Council. My mother told me she, Ino and Shizune all saw the light of the gods when I went into the water. Mother told me what that means. So, this is it for me, Naruto." She looked down at her hands. "Either we find a way to break my seal, or…it's over. Now that I have the seeds in me, if I were to die, this body can't be reabsorbed into the pool, which means I can't be reborn again."
Naruto's eyebrows drew together, as if pained. "It makes sense…" he said, voice rough. Then, he took her hand, squeezing it tightly in reassurance. "You're not going to die, Sakura-chan. We're going to do everything in our power to find a way to free you, believe it! Besides, Sasuke's already agreed to help prevent anymore attacks. You have nothing to worry about."
"The attacks aren't the only way I could die, Naruto," Sakura pointed out, drawing her hand back. It felt surreal, to be discussing the very possible threat of her potential death - when she had always shunned the idea and fled from the whole concept of death before. But her mother telling her the truth had changed her outlook. She knew she needed to be realistic, practical and as prepared as possible to try and minimise the risks to her fragile mortality.
"Even still, Sasuke can reverse those, too, and I know he'd do it," Naruto stated with admirable certainty.
Sakura released a strained little laugh. "I wouldn't be so sure about that. It's not his job to reverse death. Besides, I betrayed Sasuke. He hates me, and has no further reasons to help me."
"That's not true. Who could ever hate you, Sakura-chan?" Naruto looked angry. "That bastard let you eat the fruit. He's not just going to let you die. You're as much his responsibility now, as you are all of ours."
Sakura was unconvinced. She doubted the God of the Dead viewed her as his responsibility. She told herself she didn't want to be anybody's; that she wanted to be able to manage and take care of herself.
"He'd help," Naruto repeated with conviction.
Sakura shook her head incredulously. "How can you be so sure about him? He's attacked a guardian, and apparently communicated with Cronus, too? We don't know whose side he's really on, Naruto."
Naruto's expression darkened. "I told you. Sasuke's not a bad person. He didn't have to tell Kakashi-sensei about my parents. He'd would never do anything like that without a good reason. And he always has reasons, Sakura-chan. He was always the smart one who planned ahead. He's never been one to do something just on… some crazy impulse! That's me, not him!"
Her friend's insistent words caused a memory to whisper through Sakura's mind.
"Who are you…?"
"Sasuke."
"Where am I?"
"In my abode."
"B-but why? Please, my friends must be worrying- and my mother-"
"Because I wish it."
She swallowed back the bitter taste in her throat. He had let her believe that kidnapping her had been a mere whim of his. But according to Naruto, Sasuke never did such things. She now knew for certain it had been no impulse. He had watched her from the shadows for years. It had all been deliberate. And with the way everything was unfolding, how intrinsically linked Sasuke had become to all their fates, and how his actions had affected her cycle of rebirth so severely, Sakura wondered just how much their meeting in this life had been pre-planned – and by whom.
"Anyway," Naruto was going on. "Sasuke shouldn't have done it, but he left B alive. All they wanted from him was his stupid sword."
Sakura blinked, surprised. "Huh?" she said. "His sword? That's really it?"
Naruto rubbed the back of his sunshine head. "Uh…" he began awkwardly. "Yeah. Kakashi-sensei is telling the others later, but we went to Olympus to ask B about what happened. And turns out… they just wanted his sword, Samehada."
Sakura's eyes widened. Samehada?
"Wait a minute-" her mind played catch up, pieces clicking into place. "They? Who else was with him?"
"Eh… three others, they told us. I don't know about the other two, but Suigetsu was one of them."
"Suigetsu?" Sakura gaped at him, stunned. Suigetsu was working with Sasuke, now? But the two hatedeach other. What was going on? Just what had happened since she had left the Underworld? It was an unsettling reminder that just as she had her own life and was living it, so too, did Sasuke – getting up to things that were likely none of her business, and yet - she had the nagging urge to know why he was doing what he was doing, and how in the world he and Suigetsu had formed such an unlikely alliance.
"I know. None of it makes sense, dattebayo," Naruto looked just as baffled. "And knowing Sasuke, he won't tell us anything if we tried to go down there and find out."
"Have you asked Suigetsu about it?" Sakura questioned.
"We're gonna, after Kakashi-sensei tells the others. Point is, Sakura-chan, he'll have reasons for all this shit he's doing, and as soon as I can, I'm gonna beat them out of him and beat sense into him! Believe it!" He closed his hands into fists.
Pushing thoughts of Sasuke and his motives out of her mind, she went back to her initial question. "So what was that chakra around you?"
Naruto fidgeted with the strings of his hoodie. If this was Sakura's final life, then he knew there was no reason to keep anything a secret anymore. She needed to know, so that she couldn't be caught by surprise being left in the dark. He had never told her more for her own protection. But now, with no possibility of another resurrection for her, he knew he had to be open about it – even though he was nervous about how she would perceive him and react.
"I'm a Jinchuuriki," he confessed.
Sakura stared at him. "What?"
"A Jinchuuriki. I hold the chakra of a tailed beast inside me. They're, uh…" he scratched his head in bemusement. He'd never considered himself a good teacher type, and wondered how he could explain it clearly enough so that Sakura would understand.
"Kakashi-sensei already told me what they are," she surprised him by replying. "But you hold one? How? Which one is it?"
"We never talk about it, because Madara can never know," Naruto said uncomfortably. "But my parents sealed half of the Kyuubi's chakra inside me before they passed. They did it to hide it from Madara, so he couldn't find the Nine-tails and use it again. He would never suspect they'd place a tailed-beast inside their own son."
Her apple-green eyes widened. "Kyuubi?" she exhaled. "You have the Nine -tailed beast?"
"It doesn't change a thing, Sakura-chan! Please don't freak out – I'm still me!" Naruto reassured her. "Just think of it as uh… like, I have a pet. A really grumpy, angry pet, who's not so friendly."
"You said one half," Sakura tilted her head curiously. "Where's the other?"
Naruto shrugged. "I don't know. They never told me. Only that the Nine-tails was so powerful, only half of it could be sealed at a time. They wanted to make sure it could never be enslaved to a deity again. But… Kurama doesn't see it that way. He resents my parents for locking his power inside me."
"Kurama?"
"That's his real name. The Nine-tails," Naruto clarified.
"Wait a minute," Sakura struggled to collect her thoughts. "What do you mean he doesn't see it that way? Can you, like, communicate with this thing?"
Naruto nodded. "Yeah. Think of it like… I hold his spiritual energy, and he's in my head. He doesn't talk to me much. I've tried to talk to him a lot… I've tried to explain why my parents did it - but he never answers. He has a lot of hatred toward deities because of what that asshole Madara did."
Sakura shook her head, appalled. Was there a being in existence that Madara had not wronged?
"I'm not supposed to use Kurama's chakra," Naruto continued to explain. "That's what the High Council always told me. That my parents sealed it away to hide it, and that I should never tap into the seal, to ensure it remains hidden from Madara." He raised a hand and held it over his abdomen. "But… I've always wondered if there was more to it than that. Maybe my parents wanted me to use it to protect everyone. If I could… if I knew how to control it, then I'd be strong enough to protect everyone! At least, until my other abilities are unsealed. But…" his voice trailed.
Sakura waited.
"If I try and fail, his chakra will overtake my body. If that happens, I transform into the Nine-tails – and I won't be able to come back. Sometimes, when I get angry, or upset, the chakra can leak out on its own. Kurama will pick up on any hatred, and whatever weakens my resolve, allows his chakra to seep out. That's what you saw at the Council. I just got so mad. But Jiraiya-sensei and Kakashi-sensei know how to stop it from going too far."
Sakura gasped. It sounded like an incredibly heavy and frightening burden to bear – one that carried major risks. "Can it really possess you like that?"
"If a Jinchuuriki loses the will to fight, yeah. The tailed beast's chakra can take over and absorb them, both physically and mentally. They become trapped within the tailed beast's consciousness instead," Naruto explained. "Also, if a tailed beast is extracted by force from their host, the host dies. The only way to safely remove it, is if the host naturally passes, and it's transferred to another. Without a host, tailed-beasts are chaotic forces of nature. That's why we lock them in Jinchuurikis – to protect humans and to protect the beasts themselves."
Sakura now understood why the location of the beast had to be hidden away so carefully. Just like with her Essence, if the Kyuubi fell into the wrong hands, it could be used to cause unimaginable damage.
"And that's why you won't use its chakra… because you're scared that you might get overwhelmed and lose yourself?" Sakura leaned forward.
"I wouldn't be scared, if I learned how to use it," Naruto looked at her. "Plenty of other Jinchuuriki have done it before me. I spoke to Kakashi-sensei and Jiraiya-sensei about being trained after I met Killer B. He knows how to manipulate his beast's chakra. I think he could teach me."
"What about the Council?" Sakura raised her eyebrows. "Would they be alright with that? I mean, it makes sense to me for you to learn to use it, so just in case you are ever targeted, you can at least defend yourself, right?"
"Right. They're going to speak to the High Council about it," Naruto shrugged. "I'm done doing nothing, Sakura-chan. I can't just be a sitting target now that Madara's on the move. Not when I'm the only one out of us, besides the perverted old hermit, who has another source of power other than my role abilities." At Sakura's questioning look, he added, "Jiraiya-sensei has Sage Mode. It's a special chakra energy he can harness from nature itself, which he's agreed to teach me, whether the Council gives their permission or not."
"I guess we both know what it's like to carry something dangerous inside us, huh…?" she said softly. Sadly.
Naruto glanced at her. "We'll both find ways to control our powers," he said. He lifted his right fist and slapped it against his left palm. "We'll get stronger together, Sakura-chan!"
She nodded. "Thanks for explaining it to me."
He stood up, and offered a hand to pull her up. "Want to spar?" he asked, grinning boyishly. "I'll lose on purpose just for you, Sakura-chan."
Sakura rolled her eyes, and took his hand. "You better not take it easy on me," she scoffed.
Tsunade closed the front door behind her as Kakashi and the others finally departed for the evening. They had just concluded a meeting, in which she had learned that Kakashi, Naruto and Shikamaru had visited the base of Olympus following the Council meeting, to confirm the reports of Sasuke's attack on Killer B.
Jiraiya and Kakashi had informed the elder deities that they would be taking the case to the High Council the next morning, to train Naruto in the use of both the Nine-tail's volatile chakra and Sage Mode. Until the relic retrieval mission could be completed, they'd argued, it was imperative that Naruto was able to use what powers were at his disposal in the event that Cronus struck again – and both Kyuubi and Sage chakra would allow him to do just that.
Masking and blending the Kyuubi's chakra with Sage Mode chakra also ensured the tailed beast's energy was still kept concealed from the enemy.
Tsunade had been concerned along with the others. She had no objections to Jiraiya teaching the boy Sage Mode. Trying to draw out and use the Kyuubi's chakra, however, was a dangerous idea, and ran the risk of Madara's many spies discovering the beast's true location. But Naruto had made a very valid point: that in the event he was targeted or captured, knowing how to manipulate the Kyuubi's energy within him would provide him with a better chance of defending himself and taking out as many of their adversaries as possible.
Killer B had been provided as a prime example of beast and Jinchuuriki working together in perfect harmony. Kurama was much more bitter and violent in nature – but Tsunade had every faith that if anyone could bring the beast to heel, it was Zeus and Hera's energetic son.
They had all followed the High Council's rules without question since they had been enforced. Now that Cronus had started taking action against them and the surface, they had no choice but to strengthen their own defences, to ensure they were able to fight back when the need arose.
Tsunade told herself she had gotten a little rusty, and that it was high time to start training her mind and body again in preparation.
She walked to the kitchen sink, and filled a tumbler with water, her eyes narrowing as she recalled the rest of the meeting's details.
The death deity had indeed fought the eight-tailed host. This much Tsunade expected, given that the boy was a cursed Uchiha who had no concern or consideration for anything other than himself and his clan's name - as had always been the case with all Underworld dwellers. But what had shocked her most was the apparent confirmed reason behind the attack – and that he had not acted alone.
Near-slamming the glass on the counter beside the sink, she telepathically barked out the name of the individual she wanted answers from, knowing that he would be approached by the others, too. But she didn't care about that, and she didn't care to wait. This was the person she had entrusted her daughter's safety to, once. She had a personal bone to pick with him.
'Suigetsu! Get your treacherous-filth here this instant!'
Silence met her summon. Gritting her teeth, she tried again. 'Suigetsu! I know you can hear me! Answer!'
Once again, there was no response.
'If you don't show yourself right now, I'll see to it you're summoned to the High Council to answer for your crimes!'
Nothing happened. Tsunade's hands closed into furious fists. Why that slippery, dishonest, conniving- she began to think angrily to herself – when the water before her finally rippled, and his face appeared within it.
'You're really noisy, Tsunade,' he yawned lethargically. 'Can a god not catch a break around here? I just wanted five minutes of peace. That too much to fucking ask?' Then he glowered at her in irritation. 'What crimes am I paying for, now? Is this a new one you're adding to your list? Because if you're giving me a headache over some prehistoric shit I pulled-'
'Suigetsu!' Tsunade's expression was positively thunderous. 'Is it true? You assisted Sasuke Uchiha in attacking and retrieving a blade from a Guardian of Olympus?'
He blinked, visibly surprised – but quickly recovered. 'Oh. That. Well. Actually, he assisted me in getting the sword. You know. Since you were such an epic failure, and couldn't get the job done – I went to someone who could.'
'Traitor!' Tsunade mentally snarled. 'You're in league with Sasuke?'
Suigetsu eyed her a moment. 'I wouldn't go that far. He's an unbearable, arrogant douchebag. I don't like him one bit. But right now, his interests and mine happen to be aligned.'
'And what interests would those be?' Tsunade bit out acrimoniously.
'Wouldn't you like to know,' the ocean god smirked back. 'Don't worry though. We're not causing you any trouble. In fact. You could say we're doing the opposite.'
'…What?' Tsunade frowned.
'Look. The only reason we went after B was to get the sword. It was nothing personal. And since he wouldn't exactly give it up, as you well remember, we had to fight him. We beat his ass, took Samehada, and he's all nicely patched up and recovered now. So what's the big deal? Why are you making such a huge fuss over it?'
'Sasuke has been communicating with Cronus! Cronus is an enemy to us all!'
Suigetsu's purple eyes gleamed with interest. 'And who told you that…?' he inquired.
'Don't try to deny it. The High Council already know.'
'Is that right…?' Suigetsu looked thoughtful – but unconcerned. 'Heh. What a downer.'
'You told us you'd never work with him. And yet now you are?' She accused, livid. 'You were dishonest with us. You've shown us exactly why we can't ever trust you.'
Suigetsu's lips drew back, baring pointed teeth. 'Sasuke's actions and what he chooses to do are none of my business,' he defended. 'We made a deal. He offered to help me get Samehada, I took him up on it. That's all. We're not best buddies all of a sudden. I get what I want from him, and move on.'
'The Uchiha does not simply offer his services freely,' Tsunade responded stiffly. 'Especially not to you. He had you locked up in his Kingdom!'
'Yeah, I remember… no thanks to you.' Suigetsu sneered. 'And what did I have to show for it at the end, huh? Who the fuck betrayed who? You couldn't even keep your word. I stuck to my end of the deal for as long as we had it, don't go calling me dishonest. You've got no grounds to be lecturing me. I do what I want – it's always been that way. I told you to get me a seat on the Council – you fucked that up, too. And you get all butt-hurt when I choose to do things my way?'
'We can't get you a seat until we all get our seats back, you idiot,' Tsunade answered heatedly. 'And we would have maybe considered it had we not found out about your involvement in this!'
Suigetsu glared back at her. 'Who the fuck told you about us, anyway? How'd the Council find out? Was it that rapping loser freak who thinks he's the world's best DJ? He's lucky Sasuke let him live, can't sing for shit.'
'Killer B is an honourable Jinchuuriki. Which is more than can be said about you.' Tsunade retorted. 'We gave you a chance to show us you have changed your ways. And this is how you repay us.'
Suigetsu chuckled, clearly undaunted by her opinion, and threw back sarcastically, 'Says the great goddess who couldn't even keep her word. I sat cooped up in a shitty cell for months for your sake, to rescue some silly air-headed little girl I give no shits about – that wasn't proof enough?'
'Shut up. What did he want in return?' Tsunade demanded. 'Tell me!'
'You sure are used to ordering people around,' the sea god's lavender eyes narrowed at her. 'I'm not some fucking junior medic on your ward, Tsunade. I'll say it again – we have an agreement that's none of your business, and won't be any of your business unless I decide otherwise. Besides – you really should be showing us some fucking gratitude.'
'And why would I do that?' she glowered.
Suigetsu stared at her for a long moment. Then he said, '…Because you can't clean up your own shit, so guess who had to?'
Tsunade's eyes widened. She gripped the edge of the kitchen counter tightly. 'What are you saying?'
'You think that hydra that attacked all those humans fucking vanished on its own? You guys couldn't even fix that. So I did.' As Tsunade was still reeling from this revelation, he added, 'Oh, and I guess I can tell you, because you'll find out soon enough anyway if you go opening your big mouth and get us all put on trial – those kids at the party? How do you think they all conveniently forgot about the night's events? You think your people did that?' He laughed condescendingly. 'Please. Give me a fucking break.'
At the dubious, shocked look on Tsunade's face, Suigetsu smiled maliciously.
'Yeah. That's right. Someone's Sharingan took care of it.'
Tsunade's heart raced. It was just as Kakashi had predicted. Sasuke had been involved. Sasuke had used his Sharingan to cast a memory-erasing illusion on the ball's survivors.
But why? Why would he intervene? When he had clearly spoken to Cronus too – and yet told Kakashi about Zeus and Hera?
It made no sense.
'You're lying,' she dismissed.
'Am I?' he appeared oddly serious. 'Or is it that you hate Sasuke so much, you don't want to accept that he might actually be capable of doing something that you don't expect? I'm not defending the asshole. Once our business is done, I want nothing more to do with his crazy shit. And believe me, he's involved in some really shady shit, and I don't know what the fuck he's really up to. But you?' he grinned widely. 'He's gonna be in your hair for a long, long time, thanks to your pretty little daughter, eh? So instead of focusing on me, why don't you worry about yourselves?'
Tsunade was so mad, she couldn't form a thought of Sasuke helping them made her even more enraged. What was the damn Uchiha playing at?
'Oh…' Suigetsu added casually. 'And before I go… just because you've pissed me off, calling me fucking dishonest. You might wanna have a chat with sweet little Sakura. Maybe she hasn't been entirely open with you about what went on between her and that grumpy bastard while she was in his Kingdom.'
At Tsunade's stunned expression, he cackled in amusement.
'What-!' She telepathically struggled to articulate.
'Man. Must suck…' he stirred mischievously, shameless in his trouble making. 'When your daughter probably tells her diary more than she does you…'
With a final, echoing laugh, he dissolved out of sight.
Author's note
Would love your thoughts! Please leave a review and see you next update! Next few chapters feature time-skips and are gonna be wild so buckle in!
