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Chapter Text

Isle of Flightless Birds: Part I

Now is the climax to the story, that gives the demons and angels purpose. 

They fly around while we are walking, and mold our emotions just to please them. 

-Twenty One Pilots: The Isle of Flightless Birds

Prologue

They have been called many names over the centuries. Seraphim, Malachim, Valkyrie, but in the beginning, they were called the Ōtsutsuki. They were created by the gods to protect and guide mortals until their lifeforms expired and were returned to the ground. Once passed on, their spirits were collected and fed to the God tree which gave them power. For thousands of years they did this, and with every passing year, they grew in power. They served the gods peacefully and worked together in harmony, guided by the ruler of their kind.

His name was Hagoromo and he had two sons. Indra was the eldest, and Asura the second born. While they grew up, they each had developed their own unique powers and with those powers, they used them to guide the mortals through their lives in different ways. Despite their different methods, they loved each other greatly and spent nearly all their time together. It seemed the brothers would always be at the others side for eternity. But their bond of brotherhood was broken by a single decision. When the time came for Hagoromo to choose a predecessor, it was Asura, not Indra, that Hagoromo chose to lead their kind. Seen as an act of betrayal by the eldest, a divide was placed between the two brothers.

A bitterness grew in Indra's heart and where it once housed love, hatred became its inhabitant. He began to rebel by sabotaging the work that had been bestowed upon them as he sought power for himself. Unhappy with his actions, the gods cursed Indra and cast him from the heavens. In fiery exile, he fell down to the mortal world like a meteor. When he hit the earth's surface, he broke through its hardened shell and when he finally landed, he found himself encased in the darkness that lay beneath the ground. His once white and soft feathered wings, began to mult, and turn into hardened leather. No longer did they resemble pure innocence of a dove. Instead they took on the form of the other winged creatures that lurked in the darkness of caves. It was there in the cold shadows that he dwelt. And it was there, in the damp darkness, his hatred festered.

Soon a war waged between the two brothers. Their posterity became their armies and the earth, being the space between the sky and the underground, became their battlegrounds. For thousands of years the war went on even after the two brothers themselves died in their feud. New powers developed as new branches of their posterity sprung from their blood lines. From Indra, the Uchiha and Hyuga were the strongest. And from Asura,stemmed the Senju and Uzumaki. There were many others on each side, smaller branches that had their own unique powers and names.

While they were all of the same kind, they began to distinguish themselves from one another. The fallen or the blessed. The mortals identified them with many labels, but the most common became angels and demons.

The Uchiha, inherited not only Indra's cursed bat wings but also his Sharingan. It was his most powerful weapon and therefore, they ruled over the fallen. They seduced young maidens and poisoned the minds of men. Corruption was their goal. For it was long discovered that if a mortal passed on with a corrupted heart, their souls went to the underworld, giving those descended from Indra more power. And power was what they thirsted for.

The Senju, having inherited the great healing powers that the gods believed was the greatest gift in keeping the mortals safe, were granted hierarchy over the blessed. Their goal was to save the souls of mortals in hopes that they would resist the temptations of the fallen seraphim and return to their creators.

War began to sweep across the lands and in its wake, pestilence and famine. As a result, the mortals began dying before their souls could be claimed by either side. With fewer souls claimed, the seraphim lost their purpose and without a purpose, they would cease to exist. So it was fate that a certain angel and a certain demon crossed paths.

Madara Uchiha and Hashirama Senju grew up on the battlefield. Bred to fight and taught to hate the other, they developed a rivalry with one another. But it was not made of the same essence that fueled the feud between their kind. It was a friendly banter between the two and as they watched their friends and family die wastefully in the war, they began to become weary of the amount of loss in their lives. So a truce was made and an agreement was settled.

The night was given to the fallen and the day was given to the blessed. Each was given twelve hours to do as they pleased with the mortals. At night the demons crept from the dark crevices of the earth to the surface. They moved about the earth, corrupting and sabotaging any noble values that any human possessed.

At dawn the blessed would descend upon the earth and go about healing and guiding the humans during the day. They would attempt to reverse the darkness that the fallen had managed to plant within their hearts and strengthen those who were still pure in heart. It was a brutal game of tug of war that the mortals had been caught in. But it made them stronger and restored a purpose for the seraphim.

Hashirama and Madara created a dwelling on earth that served as neutral ground between the two factions of seraphim. They called it Konohagakure and within the lands, the mortals flourished. Once a year they would meet together in a council and renew their peaceful accords.

As mortals thrived, they spread out across the earth. They explored and built great cities in new lands. Over the centuries, the seraphim followed and formed a new city to serve as their neutral territory. They were worshiped and known by many cultures around the world. Some humans even proclaimed them gods and built great temples and pyramids in their honor. But despite the many centuries that paused in easy peace, it was short lived when compared to the thousands of years they had waged war together. For when the gods cast Indra from the heavens, it was more than just his wings that were cursed but it was also his heart. It would come to be known as the curse of hatred.

Despite the respite of war between the seraphim, the accords were fragile and trust was brittle. Both Madara and Hashirama lost many of their family, but they each still possessed a brother that survived the war. And each seraph loved their brother greatly.

Some said it was an accident that had led to the death of Izuna Uchiha, but whether it was an accident or intentional, there was one fact that stood true. It was Tobirama Senju, Hashirama's younger brother that had caused Madara's brother to fall to his demise. And it was that fact, that caused the brittle trust to snap and Madara grew hungry for revenge. He demanded for the life of his brothers killer but when Hashirama refused they engaged in a great battle. Each fought with great ferocity but spurred by the curse that plagued his heart, Madara had come out the victor.

After Hashirama's death, neither Madara or Tobirama, who took up his brother's rule, were willing to go back to the old ways. So the accords were broken. But after centuries of war that were not all that long ago, the numbers on both sides were few. Despite their hatred for each other, both leaders knew war would drive their kind to extinction. So the seraphim became dormant, only venturing out in small numbers during the safer hours of the day or night to collect souls.

Occasionally they would cross paths, a brave angel trying to save a soul during the night or a greedy demon who ventured to corrupt even throughout the day. On these occasions, without the accords between the two, only one usually returned to their kingdom in the sky or their realm beneath the earth. They lived this way for centuries with only one law to govern them, a soul was to be claimed, but a mortal life was not to be taken. In this and only this were they in agreeance.

It seemed that things would always be the same. But there was an unwritten law in the fate of mortals, that history would always repeat itself and it seemed that this law was not above the fates of seraphim. For it was not long after, that a single demon and a single angel chanced upon a meeting. They fought and rivaled against each other just as Madara and Hashirama once did. They became brothers and despite the feud between their kind, they met up over the centuries in secret.

Perhaps it was a coincidence or perhaps it was the fate of the gods in hopes that things could be mended yet again. Whatever the outcome that was to be expected, it did not happen. For down the road, in the time of the Greeks, the two friends chanced upon a mortal that changed everything that could have or would have been. Instead it set about a new course that would change their worlds forever in the far future.

Chapter Text

Ancient Greece:

Sasuke crouched on the roof of the small shrine that sat atop the small mountain rise. As the sun slowly peaked out over the horizon, he looked down on the city that sat at the base of the mountain. He knew he should return beneath the surface, but he dreaded his return home. He did not want to face his ever displeased father, he did not want to lurk in the dark. He hated the dark, but it suited him so well.

"Hey bastard,where are you!" came the familiar, loud yell of a certain blonde haired and blue eyed man.

Sasuke cringed at the shrill voice that entered into his ears.

"Shut up Naruto," the dark haired boy replied in an annoyed tone. "I am right here."

Naruto turned around at the sound of the cool, monotone of his friend. He caught sight of the dark haired figure perched above him.

"Oh," Naruto turned slightly red and rubbed the back of his head, causing his already spiky hair to stick up more. "Sorry about that Sasuke," he laughed nervously. "Thought you were not coming."

Sasuke rolled his eyes and stepped off from the roof. He fell quickly but at the last moment, his wide, bat-like wings stretched out and he landed softly on the ground. As soon as his feet touched, his wings tucked back into his body. Shoving his hands into his pockets, he began to walk down the dirt path.

"Whatever, I was bored and had nothing else to do," he muttered nonchalantly without waiting for his companion.

"Hey!" Naruto protested as he ran to catch up to the stoic boy. "You know, I have more important things to do than be here. Believe it! I only came here because I feel sorry for you!"

Sasuke gave a monosyllable 'hn' as a reply which seemed to only fuel the louder boy's need to defend himself.

"Besides," he went on, "you could do with some sunlight, your skin is nearly translucent. Honestly I don't understand how you survive down there!"

At his words, Sasuke stopped and angled his head to glare at Naruto from the corner of his eye. Suddenly he was flying through the air. Fast and deadly like an arrow, he rammed into the blonde. With a flash of light, two white wings burst from Naruto's back as his attacker tossed him through the air. His wide feathered wings slowed him to a stop as he hovered above Sasuke who stood firmly on the ground. With his wings poised and his stance ready for action, Sasuke smirked up at him. Naruto mirrored the demons enjoyment of the battle heavy air.

This was what their rivaled friendship was born from. Sparing and critical words. They had bruised and broken each other but never had their blows been ill intended. Perhaps some were a little more heated than others, but never lethal. For a long moment they stayed in their spots, sizing each other up as they eyed each other. There was the sound of the occasional flap of Naruto's wings as he bobbed up and down in the air, everything else seemed to be silenced in dramatic suspense. Then, with one powerful beat of his wings, Naruto was sailing back towards the dark demon below him.

They collided and in a flurry of feathers and talloned wings. Together, they hit the ground heavily and immediately began to wrestle around in the dirt. A dusty cloud of dirt rose up and surrounded them as they rustled around on the path, the sound of gravel, grunts, and fists consuming them. Naruto bit down on Sasuke's forearm who let out a feral snarl at the angels cheap method. In retaliation, Sasuke pushed his hand into Naruto's face and shoved his head to the side. The scramble continued until the sudden smash of pottery echoed around them and they each froze.

Naruto was currently wrapped around Sasuke in a choke hold while Sasuke's hands pulled at Naruto's arm. The moment they froze, they each looked towards the source of sound. Blue and onyx orbs gazed up the path in stunned silence as they met a pair of jade green staring back at them in shock.

She was a mortal. Easily identified by the lack of a chakra signature. At her sandaled feet lay a broken clay jar and a pool of water that was quickly seeping into the ground that had once been contained within the vessel. She wore a simple cream dress that fell down to her knees while her wrists and neck remained bare of any jewelry. While both boys had already exceeded a century in years, according to mortal standards they looked to be only eighteen years of age. The girl seemed to be close in age, perhaps a few years younger as she seemed to not have yet reached full womanhood. A small braid crowned her head as the rest of her hair was pinned up into a loose bun. A green ribbon that matched her eyes, crisscrossed and held any pieces that threatened to fall out of place. Everything about her apparel and style confirmed that she belonged to the Greek culture of the mortal world, yet she herself did not look as if she belonged. It was her hair, more specifically, the color.

As Sasuke took in the pale pink strands that hung around her face, he was reminded of the small blossoms of the cherry trees he had seen in a land to the far east. Combined with the vivid green of her eyes, she took on the personification of spring. She looked like an ethereal being, destined to live in an epic life that was far beyond the imaginations of the mortals. But here she was, mortal, and ordinary. Doomed to a dull life among those who were born to die. In a way it possessed the poetic tragedy of plays. Like the ones mortals performed on the stages of the amphitheaters. The ones he watched from the shadows on nights he could not dedicate himself to corruption.

Her eyes moved back and forth between the two young men tangled on the ground as her chest moved heavily up and down. Her viridescent stare took in their faces and then, very slowly, they moved on to take in each of their wings. A look of awe replaced the shock in her eyes and it was then that both Naruto and Sasuke realized their situation.

Quickly Sasuke chanced a glance behind him to find Naruto looking back at him, they exchanged a silent panic for a moment and then they were moving. Sasuke ripped Naruto's arms from around his neck and pushed away from him. They each scrambled with a wild flap of wings and arms to get to their feet. Both ruffled their wings before quickly drawing them in until they had receded beneath their skin, leaving only the black markings that outlined the shape of what was once there. Brushing away any remaining dirt that clung to his clothing, Sasuke looked to Naruto who was still covered in a layer of dirt.

"Dobe," Sasuke hissed. "Why did you not search the area before coming?"

Naruto looked beriffed at Sasuke's accusation. "You bastard! How was I supposed to know! You're the one who has been out all night! I just barely arrived. If anyone should have been aware of someone being up here it should have been you!" he finished, moving a pointed finger to poke Sasuke with a swift jab in the shoulder.

Sasuke reflexively slapped Naruto's hand away before the blonde could touch him and growled. "You should have been searching the area when you flew down here, dead last! "

"Don't call me一" Naruto's loud voice was cut off when the soft whisper of a question sounded in their ears.

"What are you?"

Sakura had not even realized the words had slipped from her mouth until the attention of both men moved to her. They seemed so normal now as they stood before her, that Sakura almost believed her eyes had played a trick on her. But she had seen it, she had seen them. Just a moment ago, there had been wings on both of their backs. She had seen the ruffle of feathers on the blondes back and felt the gust of wind when he had ruffled the dirt from his wings. And the pale dark haired one, she had seen the veins that ran through the membranous wings when the sunlight shone through them.

There was also the feeling inside of her bones. Like a primitive instinct that screamed to her that these two were no ordinary pair. They were not citizens of the island making their way up to the temple at the top of the mountain.

At that thought, Sakura's eyes widened and she quickly twisted her head to look up to the building that stood high above the land around them. Suddenly, a horrifying realization hit her. These men were not ordinary humans, in fact, they were not human at all. They were deities.

Her head twisted back to look at the pair in front of her and she quickly observed the blonde one. His skin was well tanned giving it a bronzed complexion that made his blond hair seem even brighter. Contrasting brilliantly with his blonde hair and sun kissed skin, his bright blue eyes took on the hue of a cloudless sky on the sunniest of days. In fact, everything about the man seemed to be the personification of the sun that was now currently shining down upon them. Sakura's mind stalled. The sun. Deity. This man was Apollo.

Once her mind fractionally processed this information, her eyes slowly moved over to the dark haired man. If the one on the left was the personification of light and sunshine, this one was the opposite. His hair was ebony and his eyes matched the dark hue of his unruly spikey locks. Contrasting with the darkness of his eyes and hair, his skin was unusually pale. As if he spent his entire life in a dark cave far beneath the earth and today was the first time he had ventured out in a hundred years. High cheekbones and thin lips gave him a stoic and unapproachable look. Like the other one, he was handsome, but not in the same way. Unlike his sunny companion, he emitted an aura that made one feel uneasy if they gazed upon him for too long. There was an almost visible darkness that surrounded him, warning Sakura that this man was dangerous.

Every instinct told her to run, to flee from his presence but she already knew without trying that it would be a futile attempt. Her eyes moved up his defined jaw and aristocratic nose until she met his eyes. A shiver ran down her spine as she looked into the dark pools within and then the identity of the man hit her. She swallowed the thick lump that formed in her throat. Any emotion she had felt before was lost to her as she was consumed with overwhelming terror. Hades, the god of death. There was no other deity that could hold such coldness in his eyes.

Her mind lost any further thought. Not minding the mud that her knees sank into or the gravel that dug into her hands, she fell to her hands and knees with her head bowed deeply. "My lord Hades, my lord Apollo," she quickly sputtered. "I apologize for not recognizing you before, I meant no disrespect. Please do not bring death to my home. Please continue to bless these lands with day and the life giving sun that you give us. Please…"

The woman continued to sputter out nonsense as she refused to lift her head, sending her pleading words towards the ground in which she was kneeling in. Naruto could not make sense of anything she was saying. Her words were linked too quickly together with hardly a breath between. For one who was proficient in the art of blabbering on endlessly, the only thing that Naruto could conclude was that the girl was groveling. What about, he was at a loss. So he looked to Sasuke who was staring at the girl with an incredulous look on his lips.

"What is she talking about?" Naruto asked. "I did not know they were a monarchy in these parts. Since when did they elect a king?"

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Idiot, she thinks we are gods."

Naruto folded his arms and glared at him. "Don't call me that!" he shouted loudly causing Sasuke to flinch in pain by the invasion of volume into his ear. "Besides, how do you know that?"

Sasuke pinched the bridge of his nose as he tried to drown out the loudmouth's antics as well as ignore the steady stream of apologetic words that were escaping the woman's mouth. His earlier thought of her being deserving of something better was easily erased by the display of weakness she was currently exhibiting. It was pathetic. It was such a mortal thing to do. To cower before anything that was superior to them.

"Dobe, Hades is the deity of death for these people and Apollo is their sun god." He dropped his hand and opened his eyes to look at him. "Don't they teach you anything up in those clouds of yours or is there just too much air up there that its filled your head as well?"

Naruto let out a low growl but ignored his rivals words of insult. "Well if you're so smart then, what do we do with her? She is hysterical!"

Sasuke shrugged as he crossed his hands across his chest. "Not my problem, she will get over it eventually."

"And what if she doesn't!" Naruto shot back to which Sasuke only gave another unconcerned shrug.

Naruto narrowed his eyes but knew it was fruitless. He wondered if there would ever be anything in this world that would soften the cold heart within his chest. He waved off the dark haired demon as he grumbled under his breath and walked towards the cowering girl.

Slowly, he lowered himself down to crouch to her level and gently placed a hand on her shoulder. Her entire body was shaking but the moment he touched her, she stiffened as her words that had flowed freely from her lips instantly ceased. Her head snapped up and Naruto was taken aback by the vivid green orbs that looked up at him. Startled by his close proximity, she jerked away from his touch. Falling back she retreated away with her arms supporting herself from behind. Her sandals scuffled against the ground as she pushed herself away from him.

"Hey, hey," Naruto quickly cooed in a calming tone, as if she were some sort of woodland creature he was attempting to coax out of hiding. "We're not gods, don't worry. We won't hurt you."

Her eyes scanned his, then flickered behind his shoulder to sneak a peek at Sasuke before returning to him. She angled her head to the side, looking at him sidelong with skeptic disbelief. "If you're not gods," she began suspiciously, "Then what are you?"

"Ummm…"

Naruto hesitated. There was no law or commandment that forbid them from revealing their kind to humans. Mortals have always had knowledge of their kind, but like their gods, they were usually perceived as myths and legends. Believed in, but not seen. Seraphim never outwardly exploited themselves. It was taboo and believed that it would bring upon bad things.

"We're just travelers," Naruto began, his eyes looking around frantically for inspiration. His bright blue eyes landed on the temple high above them and he peeked up. "Come to pay patronage just like you!" He finished excitedly as he pointed up the steep slope.

The girl did not even look in the direction of his gesture. "I saw your wings," she deadpanned.

Sasuke nearly let out a snort of amusement at the girl's words. She may have had no dignity but at least she was not gullible. Naruto's hand dropped down from pointing and moved to the back of his head. He let out a nervous laugh, with his eyes closed, he rubbed the back of his head.

"Uh, you're smarter than most mortals," he opened his eyes in time to see her give him an offended look at his compliment. "Well you see, we are seraphim."

She looked at him blankly as if the word meant nothing to her.

"I do not understand," she stated slowly.

"Naruto." Sasuke warned from behind him, but Naruto waved him off as he watched the girls eyes flicker to the dark haired boy.

"Um…you know, the fallen and the blessed," he continued, causing the girl to look back to him. But again there was no registry in her face at the words. "We collect the souls of mortal beings."

At that he finally got a reaction, but it was not one he was hoping for. She instantly tightened up again. "Hermes?" She breathed tentatively at him then glanced at Sasuke. "I thought Charon couldn't leave the River Styx?"

Naruto frowned at the names, again. They were unfamiliar to him, but before he could manage to even ask Sasuke or clarify with her, she was weeping large droplets of tears.

"Ppp...please...I am not ready!" She stuttered out in panicked sobs. "I am not ready to die!"

Naruto moved to grab her shoulders and comfort her but the moment his hands touched her she let out a scream and crawled from his grasp again.

"We're not here to kill you!" Naruto shouted in panic. "We're not…" he struggled to remember the names she had uttered. "We aren't who you think we are. Remember we are not gods or deities, we're.." his mind scrambled to think of one of the more recent names he had heard mortals refer to them as, "angels!" he yelled out.

At that word the girl began to calm down as she looked at him with watery eyes. She let out a couple of hiccuped sobs as she collected herself and managed to repeat the word.

"Angels?" She asked. Naruto nodded and she glanced at Sasuke. "Both of you?"

"Well um...sure!" Naruto supplied, thinking it best not to differentiate between the two. He had a feeling the word demon would not be received as well as the word angel.

Technically speaking, they were the same species. So he figured the white lie would be harmless. Perhaps if Sasuke were any other demon he would make sure she knew to stay away. But he knew Sasuke was different. He did not enjoy what his kind did. He corrupted those who would most likely corrupt themselves. He just helped them along. But the good natured and innocent, he left alone.

The girl's eyes moved back to Naruto. "So you know what an angel is?" Naruto asked. "You understand we won't hurt you?"

Slowly she nodded her head, her eyes slightly vacant as she seemed preoccupied with processing the information. Naruto smiled softly and cautiously stood up to walk towards Sasuke. The girl did not move a muscle as she continued to sit on the ground and stared forward at the muddy spot her broken pitcher had created.

"What do we do with her?" Naruto asked the dark haired demon. "She isn't supposed to know about us."

Sasuke's eyes flickered from the girl on the ground to Naruto and narrowed. "What do you mean we? You told her, not me. Clean up your own mess."

He turned and began to walk away but stopped when Naruto began yelling. "Oi, bastard! I am not the only one who had my wings out! She saw them before I told her!"

Sasuke stopped, his hands clenched at his sides as he spun around to glare at Naruto. "Then what do you want me to do?"

"Uh…" Naruto stalled as he looked back and forth between his rival friend and the girl. "Can't you just do your little eye thingy and make her forget?"

"My eye thingy?" Sasuke sneered incredulously. "You're such an idiot."

"You know what I mean!" Naruto defended. "Isn't that one of the so called powers your family is proud of? Can't you just hypnotize her to forget or something?"

Sasuke rolled his eyes at the blondes antics. He could not help but be further annoyed at the fact that Naruto was right. Letting out an annoyed sigh he stepped closer to the girl. He grabbed onto her arms and pulled her to her feet. A small gasp sounded from her lips as she took in a quick breath of air. She stiffened at his touch and he unconsciously tried to let his fingers loosen their hold on her shoulder.

Black orbs bled to red as he looked down at her. She froze, even her chest stopped moving for a long moment as she ceased to breathe. It was his bloodline gift, the Sharingan that he looked down at her with. With his sight enhanced he took in the young woman's face. He had done this hundreds of times over the years. Forced people to do unspeakable things with barely a thought. But as she looked back up at him, with those jade eyes that shimmered in the sunlight from her earlier tears, something inside resisted. He was not sure why, but he was suddenly overwhelmed with a desire he had never felt before. A desire to be remembered. For some strange reason, he did not want this young woman to forget him.

Sasuke frowned at the thought and narrowed his eyes down at her, annoyed with his hesitation. His glare caused her to break from her frozen state and she moved to take a step back but his grip tightened on her shoulder. He saw panic flash across her face and perhaps even fear. He did not like that look, the emotions did not suit her. He felt her eyes attempt to look away from his but he knew it would be impossible, once gazing upon the Sharingan, one could not look away unless the wielder willed it. A slight smirk curled at the corner of his mouth as he felt her fighting the draw his eyes had on her. But the smirk was short lived when the woman did the unthinkable. She blinked, and then she looked away, past his shoulder to Naruto.

"Please don't hurt me," she said with a slight tremble in her voice. "I will do anything, I won't tell a soul, I will go to the temple every day and give patron to each of you. I swear, myself and my entire family will…"

"What is your name?" came the monotone voice of Sasuke.

She did not answer immediately, either too scared or too thrown off by the question. So he repeated his question, this time trying to sound a little more gentle.

"What shall I call you?"

"S...Sakura," she stuttered out, her eyes hesitantly flickering to his face, carefully avoiding his eyes.

Sasuke stared down at the woman. Sakura, his mind tried out, not daring to let his tongue taste the name. It suited her, though it did not suit this region. His mind wondered how her family had come by such a name. Perhaps she came from a family of merchants that traveled or her ancestors came from different lands. These Greeks had already conquered many lands, perhaps she came from one they had taken under their control. Either possibility would not surprise him, but what did surprise him was that he was curious. Curious about this girl. This girl who was nothing but a mortal, whose life time would pass in a blink of an eye compared to himself.

"Hn," he let out.

Then suddenly, he let her go and turned around. Sakura stared at his retreating back in shock as Naruto continued to look between her and Sasuke with a stunned expression.

Ancient Greece Three Years Later….

"Sasuke!" came the angry growl of the blonde haired and blue eyed boy that followed in pursuit of him.

Sasuke had heard his name being shouted from the mouth of the noisy seraphim for the thousands of times over the years he had collected so far in his immortal life. But never, in those collected years had he heard so much bitter betrayal and uncontained rage echoing out with his name. It was understandable, the smoke and screams that echoed from the ancient pavilion that sat atop the mountain was a testament to that. For it was Naruto's family and friends that were screaming and dying within the temple, and it was by Sasuke's family that they were being slain. He had known, in fact he was supposed to be doing his part in the slaying, but when the time came, he could not follow through with his uncle's command. So instead, he ran away from the frey and it was because of this, he was running away from his rival, running away from his friend.

As blue lightning and yellow sunlight flashed in the darkness, each young man flew at each other with swift speed. Never had they fought with so much power, and never with intent to destroy, to kill. There was no stopping them at the velocity and ferocity in which they surged forward. There would be no backing out of this blow for either of them. And so it was for this reason that when a third color, the delicate color of cherry blossoms in full bloom came between them, that each of the bickering men's eyes widened with horror.

Sasuke barely heard her cry to cease above the chirping of his lightning just before she ran between them. Her arms were outstretched, hands facing them in halt as her pink hair whipped around in the wind caused by Naruto's Rasengan. He watched in heart wrenching slow motion as her attention moved from the blonde to whip around and gaze up at him. He was granted a whole of two heartbeats to gaze back into her emerald orbs that turned teal in the reflected light of his lightening before it all happened.

In unison, as both boys realized the impending doom that was about to happen, they each tried to direct their attack away from the frail mortal that stood between them. The relief that Sasuke felt as he watched his hand move away from her heart was short lived as it moved past her shoulder and collided with Naruto's ball of energy. The moment his electricity merged with his rotating ball, he felt his body being thrown back. Naruto flew back as well, slamming through several trees before coming to a stop. Sasuke was thrown into a wall of rock, while he instantly came to a stop. His body created a small dent with hundreds of cracks and fissures in the slab from the force.

Sasuke shook his head, his usually perfect eyesight blurry and disorienting. On weak legs he slowly stood and began to walk back. Blinking his eyes to bring clarity, he caught sight of Naruto stumbling out of the bushes. His blonde hair shone brightly in the night and his large eyes were easy to see as they reflected the moonlight. Sasuke felt a twinge of relief to see his long time rival still alive. However his heart stopped when the blonde seraph's eyes locked onto something in the space between them. Sasuke followed the direction of his attention and took in the horrifying sight of the pink haired woman lying on the ground, motionless.

Tsunade. We can take her to Tsunade, she could help her.

Those were the words Naruto had said. They had been murmured with uncertainty and desperation by Naruto, but Sasuke took it as a promise. Tsunade would help her. She would heal her. She would save her. There would be no other option.

With every powerful stroke of his wings, Sasuke carried himself higher up towards the top of the mountain. Smoke billowed up in thick black clouds, suffocating the stars as the dark shadow consumed the temple. He could barely hear her heart beats. They were so weak he wondered if they were even there. He counted the thuds coming from her chest and noticed they were spaced out more and more with time. Spurred by urgency, he quickened his climb. He could hear Naruto's own wings beating heavily behind him as well. They were more muffled because of the feathers which was a testament to how much power the angel was putting into his wings to keep up. But Naruto had always been slower than him.

He came down to the ground with a heavy landing. The ground beneath his feet forming tiny fissures in the stone pathway as he landed. His eyes automatically moved searchingly. Naruto landed not long after and placed a hand on his shoulder when he moved to take a step forward.

"Wait here," Naruto instructed. "I will go find her and bring her here."

Sasuke stiffened at his words and bared his teeth to let out a snarl but then the reality of what had just taken place came crashing down on him. The Uchiha had just attacked, their objective had been to destroy, to massacre, to annihilate. Tsunade Senju could be dead.

"What happened!?" came the harsh bark of the busty blonde as she made her way down the steps of the temple. Naruto and Kakashi followed not far behind.

Tsunade would have crushed his skull between her two powerful hands had it not been for the delicate mortal he held firmly in his arms. When he only looked at her blankly, the woman walked closer, her honey eyes watching him with every step she took towards him. When she was close enough, she slowly lowered her gaze to the pink haired woman in his arms.

"Help her." His throat had been so dry and tight that the words had come out strained and barely audible.

At his words, her honey eyes moved back up to him and took in his face. They narrowed into slits and his heart beat frantically. It felt like an eternity but it was but a few moments later when she instructed him to lay her on the ground. Sasuke followed her command with a gentle movement before taking a step back as he stared down at the woman examining the woman lying on the ground.

He heard her ask again what happened but he could not bring himself to speak a single word. So it was Naruto who began to frantically explain the events that had led to the injured woman being brought to her. Naruto's words became muffled white noise to his ears as Sasuke focused on the struggled rise and fall of Sakura's chest. He was so focused on her breathing, that it took several barks of Tsunade to get his attention.

"Uchiha!" she barked, causing his eyes to snap sharply at the woman's spiteful tone of his family name. "Within the Naka shrine on the north side of the temple, have you ever seen a cup? It would be in the shape of a chalice, it would be gold and would have the insignia of Ōtsutsuki."

Sasuke looked at her in confusion, but as his mind raced through the memories of the times he had entered the shrine, he could not recall ever seeing. He shook his head which seemed to cause an annoyance in the woman's face.

"I need you to go to the shrine, find it, and bring it here," she instructed going back to hover over the pink haired woman.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes. "I am not leaving her," he said sternly. "Send the dobe."

Tsunade's head snapped up. "You are the only one who has access to that temple!" she snapped. "Now stop this nonsense and go! Every moment you waste she gets closer to death!"

There was no need for her to say anything else. He was already in the air and sailing swiftly to the opposite side of the temple where his family's shrine stood proudly. It was the only structure on the top of the mountain that had only acquired minimal damage.

It did not take him long to enter the lower level hidden beneath the stone slab in the entryway. Once he descended the stairs, he immediately began to scan the room. His eyes gazed around, catching sight of the old relics and dusty tomes of his ancestors. He did not let his keen eyes miss a thing, taking in every detail of each item but to his frustration, nothing looked anything like Tsunade had described. In his frustration, he grabbed ahold of a heavy trunk and threw it against the far wall, letting out a frustrated scream as it smashed against the wall. It burst into pieces and fell to the floor with a clatter of splintered wood.

He fell to his knees as heavy gasps of air sounded from his lips as he did his best to contain the choked sobs that threatened to take over. With deep calming breaths, Sasuke slowly began to calm down. As he let in the slow breaths of air, he suddenly became aware of something. The room was sealed far beneath the earth, there were no windows and the door that he had opened to enter the room had sealed itself automatically, so when he felt the faint cool draft of air, he was confused.

His eyes circled until they caught sight of the torch that was flickering in the breeze. Next to it, where the chest he had thrown had landed, was a small crack in the wall. He was to his feet and crossing the room in an instant. His hand went to the crack automatically and traced the fissure, feeling the cool breeze that escaped until he reached the middle. There his fist clenched and in in one fluid motion he brought his arm back and slammed it against stone. Several more breaks formed and he did it again. This time, as his hand slammed against the stone it broke away and his fist traveled through the wall. As small pieces of stone and dust fell from the hole as he removed his hand, Sasuke peeked in and his heart leapt. Tipped over on its side, resting behind the wall in a hidden cove was a chalice. Not just any chalice, the chalice. It was dusty and tarnished but engraved on the side of the cup, Sasuke made out the design of the ancient symbol of the Ōtsutsuki, the symbol that had once represented all seraphim before the schism of Indra and Asura.

He was racing back to the small group gathered around the limp body that lay on the ground. For a moment he thought he had taken too long but then he saw the faint rise and fall of Sakura's chest in the faint green light of Tsunade's chakra as it flowed into her.

At the sound of his racing footsteps, Tsunade looked up at him. "Fill it with water, quickly," she instructed as she pointed to the small fountain beside them.

Sasuke veered for the pooled water and filled the cup. With steady steps and minimal spillage, he raced back to Sakura's side. Tsunade took the cup from him wordlessly as she gently sat Sakura up. With a small tilt of the chalice, she pressed the cup to her lips and poured a small amount into her mouth until it began to dribble down her chin. He heard Tsunade quietly coax Sakura to swallow the mouthful and watched with relief as her throat bob up and down as Sakura began to drink. It was agonizingly slow but finally, when the chalice was empty, Tsunade set the cup down and lay Sakura back down on the ground.

He was not sure what to expect. A bright light, a gasp of breath, a chorus from the heavens. But none of those happened. In fact, everything remained unnervingly normal. Crickets chirped, a small breeze passed by and ruffled his bangs, the steady stream of the fountain continued to bubble. And Sakura remained completely still and unresponsive.

He felt sick. The sight of her pale skin and lack of movement gave the illusion that she was already passed on, so instead of focusing on what she looked like, he set his eyes on her closed lids and willed them to open. As his eyes focused on her closed lids, he focused all of his hearing on the weak faint heartbeat that sounded within her barely rising chest.

Thud.

It was slow and sluggish.

Thud.

He noticed Tsunade frowning and pressed a flicker of green light into Sakura's chest.

...Thud…

There was no heartbeat that followed.

Tsunade's green light faded and her shoulders slouched. After a long silent pause, she looked up from Sakura's body, her honey eyes free of her earlier animosity as she looked up at him with apology. Sasuke did not like this, he preferred the hatred. He wanted to see fury. He wanted to see spite. He wanted to see accusation. Anything but this sympathetic and silent pity.

"I am sorry." He saw, rather than heard her say. "She is gone."

Sasuke stared down at the still and lifeless shell that once held the most precious of souls he had ever laid eyes on. He searched for any sign or lingering source of the pure life that once flowed in her veins, but he saw nothing. There was nothing. Her soul was gone, Sakura was gone.

It started as a dull ache, like the one felt when resisting the urge to cry, but then it erupted. Pain beyond anything he had ever felt burned at his eyes. His vision became clouded with a red tinge and he snapped them shut. With shaking hands he pressed his palms against his lids in hopes to relieve the pain and felt something warm and sticky seep from between his shut lids. He opened them slowly as he pulled his hands away to see blood staining his palms.

His shoulders heaved heavily up and down as a tremor shook throughout his body. Anger, grief, hatred, they all coursed through his veins and suddenly, he was overcome with an urge he had never felt before in his life. Revenge. What he wanted revenge for he did not know. So his eyes searched for something to blame. Red irises in the shape of flowers flashed up to the group around him. Tsunade looked back at him and flinched slightly before dropping her eyes to the ground. He watched as Kakashi's single visible eye widened as he looked into his own eyes. Then he moved his gaze to Naruto. Naruto looked at him with similar, agonized pain that Sasuke was currently struggling to suppress as he let the hatred flow and wash away the pain.

"You said she would save her," he hissed at Naruto. When Naruto failed to provide any defense, his tone darkened. "You will pay for this. You will all pay for this!"

Chapter Text

Present Day: New York

"I thought we already talked about this!" Sakura groaned into her hands as she leaned forward onto the coffee table. "You should know this by now. Children who can't even read know this."

"I am sorry but I am failing to understand why you are distressed about my actions?"

Sakura looked up from her palms to look at her dark haired mentee.

"Are you kidding me?" She asked, sounding exasperated. "You stole a woman's purse!"

"But I gave it to a homeless man and the female looked like she had plenty to spare." The young man replied without a change in his tone. "I do not understand how I am at fault. Am I mistaken in my understanding that it is good to take pity on the poor? Is that against the rules of morality?" The man asked, his tone taking up a hint of concern as he quickly withdrew a notepad and began skimming through its pages.

All frustration and anger she felt earlier dissipated as she watched him. He really was trying, she had to give him credit for his efforts. And the genuine distress that was conveyed during these moments told her that there was still hope. Before he could flip another page, Sakura leaned over the table and pushed the notepad down from his face. As she disrupted his searching, he looked up at her quizzically, his black eyes staring back at her with curiosity.

"Look Sai," she began. "What you did...it was done with good intentions...but you executed it wrongly."

He cocked his head to the side. "How do you mean?"

"Helping those less fortunate is good. But stealing from others to do that is still wrong, even if you meant well. Yes, the woman has more than enough to spare, but it is still her money to choose what she is to do with it. You cannot dictate what she does with it without her permission."

"But the book you gave me said it was okay."

Sakura looked at him in confusion. "What book?" She asked, certain that no book she had ever given him had told him it was okay to steal.

At her question, Sai turned to the shoulder bag in the empty chair next to him and began to dig through its contents. He pulled out a sketch book and several pencils before finally pulling out an old leather bound book. When he set it down on the table, Sakura recognized it instantly. Printed on the cover was the title Fairy Tales for Children. Below the title was a picture of a young girl wearing a red cape and speaking to a wolf as she stood on a dirt path surrounded by trees.

Before she could say anything, Sai began thumbing through the pages until he reached a certain story, then turned it around on the table so that Sakura could look at it up right. The moment she saw the title of the story and the picture of a man dressed in tights and a green tunic as he leaned on his bow, she let out a groan.

Of course the one moral he learned from the children's book would be steal from the rich and give to the poor, her inner self bemoaned, and Sakura could not agree more.

"Perhaps I was mistaken, but I was led to understand that the outlaw in this story was the hero." Sai asked in genuine curiosity. "Or is the sheriff supposed to be the good guy? I did not find the man to be noble, but policemen are noted to be heroic occupations if performed correctly. And he was following the laws of the land…"

Sakura pinched the bridge of her nose as she listened to Sai ponder aloud. Here she thought today was going to be an easy day.

"Sai," Sakura interjected with a heavy sigh. "Robin Hood is the good guy in this story."

"But he was stealing from the rich and giving to the poor." Sai countered. "Was I not doing the same thing? How can two people do the same action but one of them be in the right while the other is wrong?"

He had a point, Sakura thought to herself.

"Yes he did," she admitted. "But the people who he was stealing from were bad and he knew that. The woman you stole from is not bad."

"How do you know that?"

Sakura grimaced. "Okay I don't know that for sure, but neither did you. She could have been bad, she could have been the most deplorable person on the earth right now. But she could have also been good. Maybe she has a charity and gives to thousands of homeless people every day." He looked at her blankly, making her feel even more like a failure. "Look, the point is, we don't know her situation, but we know yours. It is not for us to punish others for their bad behavior. What matters is that you are doing good and doing it in the right way. One wrong and one right leaves you the same."

"But Robin…"

"It's just a story Sai," Sakura interrupted, growing weary with the debated dilemma.

"But is it not believed that the story is based on a real person?" Sai asked.

Sakura let out a weary sigh as she looked down at her now cold coffee. "Look, why don't we take a break today," she said tiredly as she looked up at him.

There was a small frown on his face. "You are angry," he noted as a small look of dejection filled his eyes. "I am sorry to disappoint you."

Her heart strings pulled at his words and she quickly covered his hand as he reached out to collect his things.

"Hey," she said softly, causing him to look at her. "I am not angry. In fact I am proud of you. You have come a long way and what you did today was good. Just, next time, maybe offer your own money or buy the man a meal instead...okay?"

Sai looked at her for a long moment, his dark eyes searching her face for any deception. When he seemed satisfied that she had been speaking honestly, he gave her a smile and nodded. Sakura could not help but smile as well as she watched his eyes close and his lips move awkwardly into a curve to form the actions.

"Come on," she said, trying to keep in her laugh. "Let's go to the park, we can sit on the swings while you draw."

Sakura let out a happy hum as she tilted her head up to the sky and absorbed the warmth of the descending sun. She loved this time of the year. The trees were just beginning to blossom and the air was warm enough to not require layers. With a deep inhale, she breathed in the floral scent being carried through the air as the breeze rustled the honey locust that bloomed nearby. Her vivid green eyes opened up to the sky to watch the clouds then slowly fell down to the young man sitting on the swing beside her. She pushed herself gently with the tips of her toes as she watched Sai pull out a sketch pad and begin to draw. As she quietly watched him draw the small boy and his father on the grassy field in front of the swings, she began to ponder what to do with him.

He truly had grown and progressed. Not only was he getting better at interpreting emotions, but he was also beginning to express them himself. While not always accurate, he was still better than before when he seemed to be an empty shell. He had been incapable of understanding even the concept of the simplest emotions. And his actions, or at least the intention behind his actions, were more or less good. Though there was still much more for him to learn and her work was far from over.

"Hey Sakura!" came a loud shout from across the park.

Both Sakura and Sai turned around at the call of her name. There was no missing the newcomer as he ran towards them, dressed in an orange sweatshirt, he was a bright beacon to all around him. And like a beacon, he drew the attention of several around him as he ran with his hands wildly waving around. Sakura sighed, the definition of subtlety and blending in was never Naruto's forte.

"Hey Naruto," she greeted as he strode up to them with a broad grin on his face.

"Hello dickless," Sai chimed with a closed eyed smile and stiff wave.

At the nickname Naruto glowered at the pale faced boy and Sakura let out a groan. And here she was just thinking about the progress he had made.

"Sai we just talked about name calling the other day," she groaned.

"But it's…"

"Oh never mind," she cut in with impatience before looking back to Naruto. "What are you doing here?"

"Tsunade sent me to come get you," he reported. "It's getting late."

Sakura looked at the sky. The sun had begun its descent, leaving purple and pink streaks across the clouds that littered the sky. It was late in the day, but there was still plenty of time before sunset. She frowned but nodded and stood anyways. That was another reason why she liked this time of the year, with each passing day, the sun's light lingered longer and gave her more time to enjoy things.

She turned to Sai, "I will see you tomorrow, be safe and make good choices," she said with a quick wave.

He gave her his usual imitation of a smile and waved back. "See you ugly."

Sakura's shoulder sagged in defeat and turned to Naruto who was looking at Sai with an unsettled look.

"You know," Naruto said lowly when they had made it a far enough distance, "as much as I dislike him spreading inaccuracies about my pe…"

"Don't you dare finish that sentence," Sakura warned.

"Errr um…my...you know," Naruto panically altered while watching Sakura's clenched hand closely, "anyways, what you really need to work on, is making him look less creepy when he smiles." He paused for a moment looking thoughtful. "And while you're at it, maybe work on his wardrobe. Guy looks like a pedophile wearing that belly shirt around the park. If he smiles at the wrong person you're going to be bailing him out of jail with a sexual predator registration stamped across his forehead."

Sakura shot him a dark glare. Taking a few quick steps she rounded on him, hands on her hips and eyes narrowed. "I will have you know that Sai has made a lot of progress. You should be impressed that he can even manage the attempt to show emotion!" She defended.

Naruto raised both his hands in surrender. "Okay, okay, I know, geez," he quickly said not wanting to goad Sakura's unpredictable temper any further. "I was just kidding," he said before muttering under his breath, "sort of."

"What was that?" She said as she balled her fists again.

At the sound of her knuckles cracking, Naruto panicked and his mind went to self preservation mode. Distract and distance.

"Race you home!" He quickly blurted before he took off in a quick run.

Taking his hoodie off with a smooth motion and tying it around his waist without slowing down, he quickly leapt high into the air as a blinding light flashed around him. Sakura looked away, shielding her eyes before looking back to her friend when the light dimmed. Sakura watched him as he soared upward, his white wings catching the descending sunlight and alighting them with an orange hue. Like wings of flame, they beat widely as he gained altitude. Then he tipped forward as his wings folded in close to his body, diving him back down towards her.

"Come on slowpoke!" He cheered as he swooped past her. "You're making this too easy!" He shouted behind him as he soured back up towards the clouds.

The gust from his wings ruffled her pink hair and blew away all anger and annoyance she had harbored earlier for her blonde friend. A wide grin spread across her pink lips as she crouched down in preparation. With a sudden burst of energy she sprung up with the agility of a bounding deer. In a flurry of smokey light and feathers, Sakura began to gain altitude. Large feathered wings protruding from her back between the spaces of her tank top. Unlike her companion her wings did not reflect the sunlight. Instead, they contrasted darkly against the still light sky as the black feathers beat through the air in pursuit.

The sun was just beginning to fully set by the time they approached the veiled split in the sky that would take them to their home in the sky above. To the human eye, it would look like nothing more than a rift in a cloud, a fissure in the earth's ceiling. But to them it was the doorway to home. Together they flew through it, the cooler air of the altitude suddenly warming as they passed through and in the blink of an eye, they were landing in a whole new world.

Sakura had always thought Earth was beautiful. She had seen many cities and gone to a vast amount of villages in the countryside spread through the mortal realm. The extensive variety of scenery in which the various terrains and climates created was her favorite. Each point of earth had its own unique beauty. But despite this, they were all incomparable to the ethereal beauty that her home in the sky possessed. The green vegetation was more vibrant, the water was always sweeter, and the scents more enticing.

Water dumped over a high cliff that rose not too far from them. Its thundering crash drummed along with the soothing songs of birds as the waterfall fell down to pool into a small lake at the base of the cliff. The lake fed into a meandering river that traveled through a large meadow of wildflowers that bloomed all year. In the middle, sat a large tree with thousands of buds that had yet to bloom. It was called the God Tree and it was by far the most beautiful sight to behold when it was in full bloom. She had witnessed the phenomenon only twice in her life and it brought tears to her eyes each time.

"Hey," Naruto called from up a path with a river stone wall that ran parallel to it. "Common let's go, Tsunade will want to talk to you and I don't want to get in trouble because I did not deliver you on time."

Breaking her eyes away from the serene picture in front of her, Sakura began to follow him on the long pathway that led up to a city. Built with such great craftsmanship and design, the city itself created a sight one could gaze upon for thousands of years and not get weary of its architecture. Quickening her pace, she ran to catch up with her friend who wrapped a warm arm around her shoulders as they walked together.

Sakura knocked on the large cherry wood double door, its red grained wood lacquered and polished to give off a small reflection. When she heard the unmistakable bellow of her mentor to enter, she pushed one of the doors open and stepped in. The circular room was lined with a dozen marbled stone pillars, with gold filigree that wound up them like vines, they rose up to support the ceiling that stood high above them. The ceiling itself was made up of panned glass. Each piece was a different shade and color, creating a rainbow of light to be cast down into the room. On the walls, between the spaces of each pillar, hung a ceiling to floor oil painting. Each one depicting events pulled from the history of seraphim.

The first was of a beautiful woman bestowing a pair of wings to a small group of men and women. Each of them kneeling proudly before her. The next few conveyed similar beauty and peace, the years of tranquility. But as the viewer took in the rest that followed, darkness and war began to become a more common theme within the paintings.

The last depicted a man with a long mane of dark hair and blood red eyes. Even as a painting, his eyes were hypnotic and seemed to pierce into her very soul as he watched from the smoke filled and desolate landscape that surrounded him on the canvas. At his feet lay several blessed, their white wings broken and bent and their feathers stained with blood. Behind him was a large creature of the underworld that took on the appearance of a fox.

A shiver ran down Sakura's spine as she looked at it. She had never met Madara Uchiha, he was from a time long before her existence, but she knew the stories. He had been the leader of the fallen during a significant span of events within the seraphim world. He had made peace with the first Senju leader but that peace was long broken when he betrayed his friend.

Some say he had gone mad, that he had been poisoned with a tainted love. Sakura believed this to be true, for it was unfathomable that someone could do the things that he had done and still be sane. He had gone on a tirade and made it his quest to run the Senju to extinction. Something he had very nearly achieved with the exception of one. Even the fallen thought he was no longer stable enough to lead and it did not take long after his disappearance that another Uchiha took up the underworld's throne.

Things had been relatively quiet in the few hundred years that had proceeded afterwards. It was not peaceful, but it was at least a period of balance and order. Souls were claimed and casualties were far and few. But that all changed when an official proposal of peace was extended. After the fateful night in which the peace council was held, everything changed. The blessed had been betrayed again and a vast number of them had died that night, including her parents.

At least, that is what she had been told. She did not see them die. Or more specifically, she could not remember. She could not recall anything from that night or really anything of her life before. She had vague pictures and recollections. Faceless silhouettes that remained silent and still. Scents that brought a feeling of nostalgia but with no memory to connect it to. She had no real memories. She could not remember being raised by her parents or anything from her childhood. It was a strange phenomenon. It was almost as if she had suddenly come into existence the day after the disastrous peace council. And it was all due to an injury she had received that night.

She had been found by Tsunade who had healed her and taken her in. Her, Naruto, and Kakashi were her family now. Naruto was the brother she loved unconditionally. He was loud and obnoxious, but he always knew how to make her feel shared each other's secrets and defended the other when anyone tried to speak poorly of them.

Kakashi was a little more difficult to label. He was a very construed version of a father figure. He had been the one to teach her how to fly again. It had been difficult and humiliating. A seraph learned to fly when they learned to walk. For any seraph her age, as young as she had been at the time, flying should have been as easy as breathing. But for her, it was awkward and strenuous. It was as if her muscles had no memory of the actions, as if she had never flown in her life. But Kakashi had been patient and she had eventually perfected the art. He was also the only one she had ever felt truly comfortable with when she had her wings out. And it was only because he himself shared in a discoloration in his feathers, though his was slight in comparison to hers.

Tsunade was her mentor but even more, she was like a mother. She took her in and taught her how to use her strength and how to handle her chakra. She was strict and hard in her training, but after every bruising and beaten lesson, she would take her home and run a soothing bath for Sakura to relax in. Following her bath, Tsunade would sit her down on a chair and brush her hair with soft strokes as she told wondrous stories that Sakura should have known but could not remember. It was what she imagined her real mother would have done and it made the emptiness of not knowing her real mother feel a little less empty. With thoughts of Tsunade in her mind, Sakura naturally turned her head to the center of the room.

Located in the middle of the room was a raised dais with a beautifully carved chair positioned in the middle. Made of rich mahogany, the shortened back of the chair allowed one to sit easily with their wings out. Seated in the chair slouched Tsunade, making the seat look more like a recliner than an extravagant throne. Standing in front of her was Shizune as she relayed a days worth of messages and reports to Tsunade as the blonde gave more attention to a porcelain bottle than the woman speaking to her.

Upon Sakura's entry, Tsunade looked up from the bottle of saké. Giving a dismissive gesture with one hand to Shizune, she beckoned Sakura with the other. Shizune gave a small bow then turned to leave. She gave a small, sympathetic smile as she passed by that told Sakura what kind of mood their lady was in. Though she was not surprised when she spotted the saké. Sakura rarely saw her mentor in any other mood when the drink was in her hand, except for maybe the one time she ventured with her mentor to the earth city of Las Vegas. She shuddered at the nightmare of an experience. Sakura had nearly killed herself trying to keep her teacher from exposing her angelic powers to the entire room of gamblers in the casino they had been in.

"My lady," Sakura said with a small bow of her back.

"Enough of that," Tsunade snapped. "I have had enough of bending and bowing for the day."

Sakura quickly straightened which seemed to bring about an amused smile to the Senju's lips. The pink haired girl nervously chewed her lip, unsure if she should speak or wait for the woman who had summoned her to speak first. When Tsunade's attention seemed to drift back to the shortly forgotten bottle of sake in her hand, Sakura deemed it best to prompt her mentor so that she might escape before Tsunade drank herself farther from sobriety.

"Naruto said you wanted to speak with me?" Sakura prodded.

Tsunade paused, her container of saké half way to her mouth as she looked at Sakura. At first it seemed as if Tsunade had no recollection of doing such a thing. And then, something changed in her face as she seemed to remember as to why Sakura was there.

"Ah, yes," she said, taking a swig of alcohol. Her face barely cringed from the burn of the alcohol having grown used to it over the countless centuries she had clung to her drinking habit. "How are things going with Sai? I heard about the incident that happened today."

"He is improving, today was just a misunderstanding," Sakura clarified although her voice held a slight tone of disappointment.

Tsunade raised a brow. "I would think such news would be given with a bit more enthusiasm," she commented in a teasing tone. When Sakura only gave a wane smile, Tsunade sat up at attention, a look of concern on her face. "Is there something wrong? Is someone else influencing him?"

Sakura shook her head. "No nothing like that," she quickly assured. "I just...I had hoped he would have progressed more. It's been two years and he still struggles with the basics."

Tsunade relaxed back into her chair as a look of relief appeared on her face and she nodded. "Do not get too discouraged. Despite what you might think, you have made good progress with that one. That traitor Danzo played quite the number on those orphans. It is why I assigned you to one of them. They require the best if they are to be saved. Sai's progress may be slow when compared to the others you have been guardian to, but he is a special case. When comparing him to the others that were in Danzo's clutches, I fear he will be one of few that will be able to recover from the damage."

Sakura nodded meekly as she looked down at her feet. It was true, Sai certainly was the most lost of souls she had ever been assigned to. It was just over two years ago that he was put into her care to guide him back.

Danzo Shimura had been one of the high council members for longer than Sakura could remember. He was highly influential. Some even said he had been considered for the position of leading the blessed. It had been back when Minato died during the Uchiha betrayal of the peace talks in the Greek era. He had always been bitter about Tsunade being selected over him. She had been a disgrace of their kind, falling in love with a mortal and spending numerous years drinking and gambling amongst them. Some even still questioned her ways. And because of this, Danzo had quite a supportive group until two years ago when it was discovered that he was corrupting mortals and using them to gain his own power. He had been executed for his actions immediately but his devious ways had left a mark on their angelic work. Sai had been one of these marks. He was just one of many mortal children who had been corrupted nearly to the point of no return. Tsunade had assigned the best of her guardian angels to them but few were showing any progress of improving.

"If that is all there is to report," Tsunade said, interrupting Sakura's thoughts. "Then you may go."

Sakura nodded and moved to bow but then thought better of it and instead simply turned to walk away. She had not even fully turned her back to her mentor before she came to a pause.

She looked back to see Tsunade smiling gleefully at her bottle of saké before noticing Sakura was still there. "Was there something else that you wished to discuss with me?"

Sakura turned to fully face Tsunade. She folded her hands behind her back as she looked down at the ground. "I was just wondering...if maybe...would you maybe…"

"Spit it out brat I haven't got all day," Tsunade growled.

Sakura flinched at the bite in her words but it was enough to spur her forward. "I wanted to know if you have given any more consideration in my request to progress as an archangel." She quickly blurted out as she bent forward in a respectful bow.

There was a long pause and all Sakura could hear was the pounding of her own heart. She slowly peeked up through her bangs to see Tsunade looking at her with a pinched expression.

"I have," she replied stonily and Sakura's heart skipped a beat. "And my answer is no. You are not ready yet."

Sakura frowned. "But you yourself said I was getting stronger!" she argued. "Kakashi also said that my skills in chakra control would be useful. He said…"

"Well Kakashi doesn't decide if you are ready now does he?" Tsunade snapped back. "And besides, you cannot just abandon your guardianship of Sai, he needs you."

"But I can still help Sai and hunt…"

There was a shatter that echoed throughout the room as Tsunade's hand clutched the saké jar too tightly.

"I said no!" she bellowed. Her thunderous voice cutting off any retort that Sakura might have had as the glass windows above them rattled.

As Tsunade's resounding rejection died in the air, the only sound left was the drops of saké hitting against the stone floor as they dripped from Tsunade's drenched hand. Sakura stared hard at the small pool forming amongst the shattered pieces of the broken bottle. Her eyes burned from the threat of angry tears but she refused to let them fall. Without another word she turned on her heal and stomped away from the throne. She heard Tsunade let out a tired sigh of regret but it was not enough to stop the pink haired seraph from slamming the throne room door as hard as she could.

She heard the wood groan from the force, threatening to break but she ignored it. It would not be the first time it happened and it certainly seemed it would not be the last. Leaning against the closed door she let out a heavy, dejected sigh. She had known the answer before she had already asked the question. It was the same as every other time, yet this rejection tasted just as bitter as the first.

She let out another sigh as she let her eyes close. When she had calmed herself enough, she opened them back up to see the first stars beginning to appear in the sky. Naruto and Kakashi would be leaving soon and as much as it hurt for her to watch them depart without her, she knew she could not disappoint them. She had seen them off every night since Naruto got his promotion and as much as she was disappointed in herself, she would not disappoint them.

A small frown pulled at her lips as she walked down the path to the portal. There were many things in her long life that she did not understand. Normally she did not question them, but on the rare occasion that she did, it was half answers or a quick change of subject as an answer. For the most part she was patient and accepted what was given to her. But she was beginning to grow weary of it. She was getting weary of many things. One of them being just how delicately everyone treated her. She loved being a guardian but she wanted more. She wanted to be more helpful. She wanted to prove to herself and everyone else that she was strong. Things were getting worse on earth, at least that is what she had heard Naruto and Kakashi whispering to each other about. If that was the case she wanted to be ready.

Naruto was already standing at the gate as he waited for Kakashi to descend back down to Earth. Sakura slowly meandered towards him, with her eyes cast down to the ground. So she missed the scrutiny of her friend and had not thought to hide her distress before he would notice.

"What's wrong?" Naruto asked, causing her to look up at him.

"Huh? Oh, nothing," Sakura sighed. "I am just tired. That is all."

She came up next to him and plopped down on the ground with her legs crossed. Naruto followed suit as he slid down the wall until he sat with his knees bent and arms resting across them.

"You asked her about going with us didn't you?" he said after a short pause. "My guess is that it did not go as you hoped?"

Sakura let out a sigh and let her head fall back so she could look at the sky. "I do not understand," Sakura breathed out in frustration. "She keeps setting standards that I have to meet in order to qualify and then when I meet that standard, she comes up with a new one. You did not even have to go through half of what I have done."

Naruto gave her a sheepish smile that was half guilt and half sympathy. "What standard did she tell you this time?"

Sakura let out a scoff and clucked her tongue. "She didn't even bother giving me one this time. She just said no and gave the excuse that I was not ready." She let out a grunt and bowed her head. "Am I really not as strong as I think I am? Does she really think I am so weak I cannot handle myself? I just...feel so useless." Her last words were quiet, barely whispered and filled with so much vulnerability that it caused Naruto to frown. He did not like it when Sakura doubted herself.

"Hey, don't think like that." Naruto dissuaded as he put an arm around her shoulders. "You're strong Sakura. Hell, we both know you are stronger than me in an arm wrestle!" He let out a small chuckle but when she did not respond in the same way, he sobered slightly. "Look. It took Tsunade nearly a millennium to finally let you start as a guardian, and look at you now. You are one of the best guardian angels that we have! Hell, you are the best. Although Guy and Lee may have you beat for enthusiasm."

That earned a small chuckle from her and Naruto quickly went on. "Listen Sakura. I know you want this, but I am sure Tsunade has her...reasons...for doing what she does. Perhaps it's for the best. I know you would do great with Kakashi and me but being an archangel is a lot different than guardian. It changes you and it's dangerous."

"I know that," Sakura growled as she whipped her head to the side to look at him. Her hands clenched into fists and Naruto eyed them warily. He had seen what those tiny hands could do. "Why else would I have spent all those years in training with Tsunade?! It sure as hell wasn't for the bruises!" She quickly stood up from the ground and looked down at him. "You know, I used to think that you wanted me to team with you and Kakashi. But it seems like you're just as determined as she is to keep me cooped up here as much as possible!"

She began to walk away and she heard Naruto scramble to his feet. "Sakura," he called, reaching out to stop her.

As his hand caught her shoulder firmly, she stopped. They both knew she could easily break from his grip but he was relieved when she stayed still. He took in a deep breath, unsure of what to say. He did want her to join them and he knew she would be a good asset to their team. Kakashi believed in her, but Kakashi had always been more lenient with her.

It was because of his convincing that Tsunade even assigned her a trial based guardianship. It had been supervised extensively, as was her second and third mortal. It was not until her sixth assignment that Tsunade allowed her to be assigned a solo mission. And even then she often sent either himself or Kakashi to escort her to the ground or home when she left particularly early or stayed late. It was not because they thought she was weak. They just feared what could happen should a demon see her, one demon in particular.

Run ins with Sasuke had been far and few over the past centuries. But each time he had changed. He had become stronger, faster...darker. The deeds he had done were sometimes unfathomable ever since that night. He did not know if Sasuke would even remember Sakura, but something within Naruto told him that there was no forgetting a soul like hers. Perhaps he would have trusted the old Sasuke, but this new version of his friend was unpredictable. One of the more recent times they had run into each other, Sasuke had nearly torn one of his wings off. An injury that would have been unmendable even with Tsunade's healing abilities.

Naruto had thought he had lost Sasuke completely back then. But then Sasuke had been the one to give the killing blow to Orochimaru back during the mortals second world war. The snake had once been counted among the blessed but he fell when he became hungry for power. Sasuke had been his apprentice for quite some time but then something changed. Naruto was not sure exactly what had caused Sasuke to turn on his master, but he hoped it meant there was some glimmer of hope for his friend.

Since then Sasuke had been quiet. They had heard rumors of sightings but Naruto and Kakashi had not seen him in more than half a century. He hated the fact that he had kept such an important thing from his friend but there was no telling what Sasuke would do if he saw Sakura. If he knew what they had done, what they had kept hidden from him and nearly the rest of the seraphim world, both fallen and blessed, the knowledge could destroy them all. He shivered at the thought and suddenly became aware that Sakura was watching him very closely. Too closely for one as perceptive as she.

He gave her one of his trademark grins. "Some day you will join us," he said optimistically as he stuck his thumb in the air. "Believe it!"

Unable to resist his warmth, Sakura returned his smile and wrapped her arms around her friend in a tight hug. "Thanks Naruto," she whispered in his ear.

The rustle of feathers and a light thud on the grass caused them to pull apart and look at the newcomer. "Yo," greeted Kakashi with a single crinkle of his right eye, the only indication that he was smiling from the small amount of visible face.

"You're late!" Naruto screamed as he took a stance and shoved an accusing finger in his face.

"Sorry about that, I got lost on…"

"The road of life, yeah, yeah." Naruto finished for him as he waved him off. "Come on, let's go."

"Just a moment," the silver haired angel said as he placed a hand on the blonde's shoulder.

Kakashi produced a bundle of cloth from seemingly out of nowhere and threw it towards Sakura. Taken off guard Sakura caught it as the soft bundle hit her in the face and she lowered her arms to glare at Kakashi who was smiling at her expectantly. It was then that Sakura looked down to see what exactly had been thrown at her. It was a pair of black jeans and a silky black shirt that had shimmering sequences on the front. They danced in the moonlight, twinkling like stars as she unfolded to admire the garment. It was the perfect cut and style that she preferred but it was an odd gift coming from Kakashi. Confused, she looked up at the silver haired man to find him holding out a pair of booties and a leather jacket.

"It still gets cold down there at night during this time of year so you will want this," he gave with no other explanation.

Sakura continued to stare, then she looked at Naruto who was looking just as perplexed as she felt. And then it dawned on her. With eyes alight with excitement she whirled her head back to Kakashi.

"You mean…" she began, unable to voice it fully as she tried to contain her excitement for fear that she was misunderstanding. It was too good to be true.

"Suit up kiddo," Kakashi said with a cheerful tone. "That is only if you want to start tonight, I heard it was a bit of a tiresome day with Sai. I am sure you would like to just go get some rest, maybe start fresh…"

He was cut off when Sakura snatched the boots and jacket from him and dashed off to change behind a tree. She stepped out a few minutes later adjusting the leather coat. She was happy to find that it fit perfectly with two slits in the back for her wings to fit through without having to take it off every time she flew, or risk ripping it should she summon them before. It was a problem among a lot of the seraphim which was why most chose styles to cater to this problem such as backless dresses or tank tops. Naruto was always complaining about ripping his favorite sweater yet his closest was packed full of twenty identical outfits for this same reason. Why he did not get them altered like Kakashi or most other seraphim was beyond her. She had asked him once and he complained about it being too drafty.

As she neared them, Sakura spread her arms out and turned in a circle to show off her new ensemble before standing at attention with eager eyes. Kakashi gave her an inspection which seemed to leave him content as he nodded in approval.

"Ready," Sakura announced as she clasped her hands behind her back in an attempt to contain the unsurmountable urge to jump up and down.

"Excellent," Kakashi said with a clap of his hands. "Now, to go over some terms and conditions."

Earlier…

The sharp slam of the door reverberated around the room. It was followed with a tired sigh as Tsunade leaned back. Her wings ruffled slightly as she adjusted in her chair then let her head fall back to stare up at the glass ceiling. She needed a drink but the wetness on her hand reminded her that her drink was currently a puddle on the floor. Her tired sigh turned into a groan of frustration. She hated keeping Sakura on such a tight leash but there was nothing else to do. Since that first day she was brought back, since she was made, Tsunade had loved Sakura like her own daughter. She was strict and harsh but it was all for her protection. There were only three of them that knew the full truth, not even Sakura knew, and she never would if Tsunade could help it.

She heard the faint sound of a rustle. It was a light flutter but not one made by wings. It was more like paper being shifted, like the turning of a page in a book. By the softness of the sound it was most likely a very worn page. As if it had been read a numerous amount of times causing the page to become thin and weak. They had many old books and texts contained in their libraries that were like this. Each of them held centuries of history and information but she knew better than to think that the sound was caused by one of those books. No, this sound came from a more modern book. One with lewd themes and pictures to compliment. And there was only one person in all the heavens that would possess such a book.

"I do not recall summoning you into this room," silence was her reply so she added, "and eavesdropping on private conversations is not considered morally correct."

She turned her head to the side in time to see Kakashi come out from behind one of the large pillars. As he came into view, she watched him snap the book in his left hand shut before tucking it away in the pocket of his vest. Tsunade narrowed her eyes as she took in the all too familiar cover of the book.

"Nor would I consider that type of reading material very saintly Kakashi," she stated in a reprimanding tone.

Kakashi stuffed his hands in his pockets and slowly began to circle around the front of the dais.

"Ah, well, I am an angel, not a saint," he corrected as he came to a stop in front of her. He eyed the broken saké bottle and looked at her. "But good for you, kicking the old booze bottle and setting an example," he added sarcastically.

Tsunade sat up and leaned forward, her knuckles turning white as she gripped the wooden armrests of her chair. "What do you want Hatake," she growled as her honey eyes narrowed with mirthless warning.

"There has been a lot of demon activity. Activity not sanctioned by the Uchiha's. They are lacking in order and too many are running rampant and free. The fallen's efforts may go against ours but it serves to strengthen the mortals. Those who overcome their trials are better than before. But these demons are not serving a purpose for mortals. They are merely collecting for themselves."

Tsunade let out a scoff. "Tell me something that I don't know. There has been disorder among the fallen for quite some time. I have contacted Fugaku and he said he was handling it. Which gives me no reassurance. His word lost all validity long ago and despite his efforts, it has been hardly redeemed. It's why we started sending teams down at night to try and get a handle on things," Tsunade explained. "It's why I send you and Naruto down there. So unless you two have been screwing around and not dealing with this matter I do not see why we are discussing this!"

She was shouting by the end but Kakashi remained unaffected.

"Let her come with us," he stated bluntly.

Her brow narrowed as she gritted her teeth. "I know you were there long enough to hear my earlier conversation so I will pretend I didn't just hear…"

"You can't keep her up here forever," Kakashi interrupted. "You know she can handle it, she is strong, and she could be…"

It was Tsunade's turn to interrupt him. "I made her a guardian didn't I? She already spends too much time down below. And with the demons running rampant there is no telling how many she could encounter just during daylight hours." She shook her head. "No, it's out of the question. She stays here during the night."

Kakashi's mask shifted as his mouth pulled into a frown and he pulled his hands from his pockets to fold them across his chest. "She wants this, she is curious."

"You think I don't know this?" Tsunade asked, voice strained and full of distress. "You think I enjoy denying her? That I like keeping her cooped up here as much as I do? I know she has an undying urge to be down there, it's instinctual. She belongs down there but she isn't safe. There is no telling what could happen, gods save us if someone like Orochimaru had discovered her. The Uchiha brat did us a favor by ridding us of that snake, despite what kind of damage he did when in his services. That apprentice of his, Kabuto is still lurking out there? And if what Juraiya has said about that infernal Akatsuki group is even half true…if they were to set their eyes on...if she were…"

Tsunade wavered and broke off as she shook at the thoughts plaguing her mind. Kakashi let the silence that settled in the room linger for a short moment before speaking again. "Whether you allow her or not, Sakura will find a way to venture. She did it before and she will do it again," Kakashi said softly. "And this will be after the daylight has been long gone. At least this way Naruto and I will be there."

Tsunade remained quiet and he did not wait before pushing her more. "I care about her just as much as you do. I knew her before all of this, if but just a little, but even then she was gifted. She has only become stronger since then...and she has talents that could be useful," he pressed on. "Just let her try it. We can call it a trial run."

Tsunade let out a deep sigh as she steepled her fingers together against her lips. She stared down at her lap for a prolonged contemplation before looking back up at him. She closed her honey colored eyes for a long breath and opened them as she let it out.

"Very well," she abdicated with a great sigh. Kakashi smiled faintly and moved to leave but stopped when she looked at him sharply and lifted a finger, "but there will be certain rules. If she does not follow them then she does not go."

Kakashi nodded and turned to leave. As he reached for the door handle, her voice rang out once more.

"Oh, and Kakashi," she said in a dark tone. "Should anything happen to her, I will see to it that every copy of icha icha collection is thrown into hell's furnaces myself."

A sheen of sweat immediately formed on Kakashi's brow and he swallowed the thick lump that had formed in his throat. Without looking back at her, he nodded his head and ducked out of the room. As he wandered through the halls to take a detour before meeting at the portal, Kakashi pulled his precious book from the pocket of his vest and clutched it tightly to his chest. There would be no way he would ever let such a fate befall such a collection of precious literature. Sakura would be safe, he would give his own life and soul as would Naruto, to preserve their precious blossom.

Chapter Text

Ancient Greece:

Naruto watched Sasuke make his way down the path in absolute befuddlement. Sasuke was not exactly the most caring person in the world. However, that did not mean he went out of his way to be cruel either. He was the perfect specimen of indifference. Yet, if Naruto was not mistaken, he could have almost sworn Sasuke did not want to use his Sharingan on Sakura. The sunny angel looked back to the mortal, unsure of what to do. She was still standing there, her eyes staring blankly at Sasuke's back while her mouth hung slightly open in paused confusion.

"Hey dobe," Sasuke called over his shoulder in his usual monotone. "Are you coming?"

Naruto gave one last long look at the pink haired girl. His blue eyes scanned over her petite figure. Dirt and mud covered her hands and knees. Her dress was stained brown at the hem and knees from when she had knelt in the patch of mud and at her sides, where her hands clenched at the bunched fabric of her clothing, she left brown streaks of dirt from her fingers. Her hair was a bit disheveled from her frantic scramble to retreat from them earlier and her eyes were still red rimmed from her earlier tears. Aside from her disheveled appearance she seemed to be in no harm. Perhaps a little shaken but Naruto believed mortals were resilient. So it was with this comfort that she would be okay, he followed after his dark companion, leaving Sakura standing alone in the middle of the path staring at two departing figures.

"Why didn't you erase her memories?" Naruto asked after they had walked for sometime in silence. When Sasuke remained silent, Naruto chanced a glance at him to see Sasuke staring ahead with an odd look on his face. "Sasuke? Are you okay?"

Sasuke gave him a sharp look at his words of concern and let out a scoof. "Tch. I just didn't feel like it. Why would I waste my time and energy on something so futile as her."

Naruto gave Sasuke a strange look. The Uchiha was from the main branch of the underworld's leading clan. While young, Sasuke already possessed a vast amount of power. Erasing this mortal's memory would have been as effortless and blinking for Sasuke. But Naruto did not voice this point. Instead he asked, "what if she tells someone?"

Sasuke shrugged. "So what if she does not, like anyone would believe her. And it's not like it has not happened before. Mortals are such weak minded people that it won't be long until she begins to question herself." He waved a careless hand in the air. "By tomorrow she will have convinced herself that this morning was just a dream. And besides, it is not as if we will ever see her aga一"

"Hey wait up!" came a shout from behind them.

The seraphim halted their trek down the mountain and looked at each other. Then, in a synchronized motion, they each turned around to take in the sight of the pink haired girl sprinting down the path and waving her arms.

She slowed down and doubled over when she reached them. With her hands on her knees and her head bowed, she took in deep heaving breaths. Sasuke's lip pulled up in disgust in the poor display of stamina. It always surprised him just how much weaker mortals were compared to those not of their world. As if sensing his thoughts, her head snapped up and she looked up at his face, her vivid eyes meeting his own as if in challenge. It was as if she were daring him to summon his Sharingan again. Just so she could prove to him that she could resist its pull.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes at the thought. It had been a fluke. She had not overpowered the pull. It had been because of that damned thought that had passed through his mind. The idea that he did not want to erase her memories. It had been his hesitancy that had broken the pull of his sharingan, not her will. If he had truly wanted to erase her memories he could have. In fact, he had half a mind to do it right now just to prove it to her. But again, as he looked into the jade pools, he was struck with the same feeling again. He did not want this girl to forget him.

"What do you want?" he asked, his voice coming out harsh as his frustrated thoughts plagued his mind.

He watched her face slightly flinch from the abrasive tone but did nothing to rectify it. So instead she looked to Naruto who was looking at her with a warmth of welcome that always radiated from the blessed seraph.

"Can I ask you some questions?" she asked diffidently.

Immediately Sasuke felt this was a terrible idea. But before he could even deny the request, Naruto, who had no self control, was answering for both of them. "Of course what do you want to know!"

Sasuke rolled his eyes. For someone who had been so concerned with the fact that a mortal knew of their existence, it sure did not take a lot for him to change his mind. Now the idiot was seemingly willing to divulge anything and everything about their kind.

"Well," she said, her eyes cast down to the ground as she dug the toe of her sandal into the ground while she fidgeted with her hands behind her back. Then suddenly, vivid green shot back up to them as a soft smile caressed her face. "To start with, what are your real names?"

Some questions had been an understatement. The sun was nearly at its highest point in the sky and she had still yet to run out of things to ask. Of course Naruto had done his fair share of interrogation as well. The loudmouthed angel had always been fascinated with mortals and how they lived. Anytime Sasuke had ventured into the city with the blonde seraph, Sasuke had always felt like a caretaker watching a toddler as Naruto bounced around from shop to shop. It was nearly cringe worthy watching him exclaiming loudly about how mortals had finally figured out something or wondered aloud what other things were for. He had lost count how many times he had to pull the dope quickly away as he went on about things that did not exist in the mortal realm.

Just the other day he had to pull Naruto away from the markets they had been exploring when he started describing a fruit to a vendor. It was one that grew on the other side of the world in lands that had yet to even be discovered by people within these parts. Yet somehow Naruto still managed to seem baffled that the man did not understand what he was talking about. The man had looked at Naruto as if he were demented.

Sasuke let out a small snort of laughter as he thought about the look on the merchants face. It only took a few seconds after the noise escaped him, that he realized the none stop chattering that had been running into his left ear for the past few hours had ceased. He turned to see his walking companions staring at him with raised eyebrows.

"What?" Sasuke asked as he looked at Naruto standing next to him.

"Whatcha laughing at?" Naruto asked with a curious tone.

It was then Sasuke realized that he had laughed out loud. His eyes flickered to Sakura who stood next to his friend. She was leaning forward slightly to peek around Naruto's broad chest to look at him more clearly. Her face was holding a small smile of amusement that Sasuke instantly dubbed: annoying. He did not like the idea of being some trivial form of entertainment for a mere mortal.

"Tch," Sasuke scoffed. "I was not laughing, I was clearing my throat."

Naruto narrowed his eyes with suspicion. "Didn't sound like it," he accused as he leaned in closer to examine Sasuke more clearly.

Sasuke's lips twitched in disapproval of the close proximity and brought his hand up to Naruto's face. "If I was laughing it would have been because of you moron," he chided as he shoved the blonde away.

"Stop calling me that you bastard!" Naruto shouted as he stumbled back and pushed Sasuke's palm away from his nose.

"Stop yelling dobe," Sasuke shot back.

"Why you…"

Naruto was just beginning to crouch into a preparatory lunge as Sasuke took up his own stance when their banter was interrupted by the hundreth question that morning.

"Are you two sure you're angels?" Sakura asked, looking quizzically at them.

Paused in his stance, Naruto looked at her. "Of course we are. Why would you think otherwise?"

Sakura's gaze moved back and forth, taking in each of their battle ready stances. "Well...you don't act like them," she said with a wavering tone.

"Hn," Sasuke said bringing her attention to rest on him. "And you are an expert on how seraphim should act? You just found out we existed today."

She swallowed under his scrutiny, her earlier bravery seeming to dissipate as she had grown relaxed over the day. "That doesn't mean I have not heard stories of your kind. My mother used to talk about the angels in the sky that watched over us when I was little."

Something flashed in Sasuke's eyes but it was gone quickly. With slow movements, he straightened up from his crouched stance as he folded his arms and raised a brow at her. "Oh, and what did mother dearest tell you about the seraphim in the sky?"

Sakura frowned at the mocking tone he spoke with. But despite it, she obliged in giving him an answer. "She said that they are gentle and peaceful. That they are our ancestors long passed away and watching over us, protecting us."

Sasuke let out a tsking sound and stepped closer to her. She moved to take a step back but was stopped when Sasuke caught her shoulder. She looked up at him, wide eyed and frozen as a smug smirk curled at the corners of his mouth. Her stomach churned at the nearly gleeful, predatory look in his eyes. With smooth movements, he leaned forward until his warm breath tickled her ear and caused the hairs on her neck to stand on end.

"There are many different kinds of seraphim little mortal, not all of us are happy cherubs," he whispered darkly. "You would do well to remember that."

As he pulled away, he paused a few inches from her face as he stared into her eyes. They were wide, letting in plenty of light and causing her pupils to dilate and become consumed by the jade coloring of her irises. For a moment, Sasuke felt trapped, as if it were she who wielded power in her eyes and not him. He felt a small breeze tickle his cheek and managed to use the distraction to look down at her lips. They were parted as the small flow of air escaped from them. Tinged with the faintest of pink to make them stand out next to the rest of her milky skin. It was enticing. Like ripened fruit just waiting to be picked from its green surrounding as it hung from a tree.

A warm breeze passed by and ruffled the leaves of the trees overhead. It would have escaped his notice had it not brought something else with it as well. Her scent. It was a mixture of floral and fresh spring water. And it was intoxicating. It shook something within him. The slight movement of her throat bobbing up and down as she swallowed nervously let him know that she too was feeling something as well.

His eyes trailed up until he met her stare. There he kept his eyes locked on hers, savoring the way her body seemed to tremble under the hand that remained latched to her curved shoulder. His fingers twitched and slid down from her shoulder to her bare arm. He felt the smooth skin prickle at the contact and it made him wonder if it was in fear, or something else entirely.

He continued to stare into her eyes. Taking his time he memorized every shade of green within her irises as well as the flecks of gold that the sun highlighted when the light hit them just right. Sasuke felt as if he could spend an entire century mapping out every detail. The way the individual pink lashes that framed her eyes contrasted…

The moment was utterly shattered as a yellow blob suddenly pushed its way between them and Sasuke felt his body being forced to take a step back.

"Oye," Naruto bellowed. "Stop it Sasuke, you're scaring her."

Sobered by the disruption. Sasuke quickly looked over Sakura, concerned that perhaps he had gone too far. But it seemed that she too had been broken out of whatever enchantment he had put on her. Immediately a rosy color began blooming across her cheeks. Sasuke smirked which seemed to cause the blush to become deeper, despite the now scowl that adorned her face.

Naruto was busy looking over her, his bright eyes inspecting her face with caring worry. Despite the blonde separating them, Sakura still felt her gaze being drawn past Naruto's shoulder to where Sasuke stood looking at her. At first it was with a peculiar look in his eyes but it was short lived before an arrogant expression took over. It was then she felt the heat in her cheeks and became horrified at the thought of the crimson color that would be accompanying it. This thought seemed to only make it worse as she felt the warmth increase and spread. In an attempt to hide how much he had affected her, Sakura glowered in his direction only to see him smirk wider.

She would have sent an even darker look in his direction but was disrupted when Naruto took her face in his hands and forced her to look at him. Bright blue orbs took over her vision as she stared into his summer sky gaze. His stare was intense but nothing like she had just experienced.

Sasuke's gaze had felt heated and languid. He had taken his time to inspect everything. As if her were taking her apart, layer by layer. Before she had realised, he had eased into her mind and thoughts. Once he had inspected every thing she had to offer within her head, he had moved on. He had traveled through every inch of her body, making her tremble as he moved closer and closer to the center. She had just felt the beginnings of a gentle caress against the thundering walls of her heart, when she suddenly felt him being yanked away when Naruto pushed himself between them. It had left her feeling exposed and Sakura immediately began to wonder which stare truly was the more dangerous. The gleaming red that he had drawn her in with earlier that morning or the solid onyx that had taken her apart piece by piece.

Naruto's stare was nothing like either of Sasuke's. It felt rushed. As if he were quickly surpassing the details and diving straight down to the bottom of her jade pools. Deep beyond the recesses of her mind and straight into her soul. For a long moment he just stared, examining with intense scrutiny. And then a look of relief passed over his face and he relaxed and released her face, seeming content with something.

The 'hn' sound that was becoming relatively familiar since the early hours of morning sounded and she looked back over Naruto's shoulder to see Sasuke walking away. It seemed to be a regular habit of his for the day.

"Hey where are you going?" Naruto called out.

Sasuke gave no verbal reply but a long arm raised above his head and a single finger pointed up into the sky where the heated sun beat down on them. Naruto turned back around, a look of understanding on his face before met her eyes and smiled brightly.

"I guess it's just you and me for the rest of the day!"

The underworld was not the scorching heat of fire and brimstone that the mortals painted it to be in their stories and art. Neither was there a chorus of suffering pleas of imprisoned souls to fill the air. And it was no longer the empty dank cave that Indra had fallen into long ago. It had been quickly rectified and turned into an underground cathedral in which the demons dwelt and ruled. Carved with craftsmanship only capable by angelic hands. Littered among the walls and ceiling, were precious stones that mortals had yet to even discover. When a stone caught the smallest of light and became illuminated, it made it easy to forget that one was submerged miles deep beneath the earth's crust.

Beauty aside, Sasuke had always felt the dim hallways of his home frigidly cold. But it was not a temperate cold. Being so far beneath the surface, the earth's core did well to keep the temperature a comfortable warmth, no matter the season at the surface. No, the coldness was not the kind that made a person shiver and reach for a warm blanket. It was an unwelcoming feeling that made him feel as if he did not belong. Sasuke loved his family, he loved his home, both these things meant everything to him. But he could not help but feel as if he were always alone. It was always seemingly too dark as the only light came from luminescent stones, glow worms that cling to the ceilings of the caverns, and the flickering flames of torchlight. It was enough to guide a person through the shadowed halls and dark corners of the underground, but it was nothing like the brilliant light of the sun that consumed the surface during daylight hours.

His steps were silent as he walked through the fire lit halls. The warmth of the torchlight heated parts of his skin each time he passed by the intricate sconce or raised pillar that held an everlasting fire. Fire was his family's pride and joy apart from the Sharingan. It was what they took inspiration from on how they ruled. Fire was what was used to forge and refine, but it could easily turn on you. It was not to be taken lightly for if manipulated incorrectly, it could consume and destroy.

"It is a bit late in the day for you to be coming home, don't you think Sasuke?"

Sasuke paused his steps at the disapproving sound of his father coming from behind him. He turned slowly, delaying the moment he would have to look at the face that would match the tone.

"I was busy, thought I would do a little overtime," he said with an impassive expression.

It was difficult to maintain the indifference in his voice but over the years Sasuke had perfected it. He would be lying if he said it did not bother him that his father still viewed him as nothing but a disappointment. He had given up long ago trying to live up to his father's unattainable standards. How his brother had managed such a feat Sasuke did not know. One thing he did know for certain was that as long as Itachi was around, Sasuke would never be on the receiving end of his father's beacon of pride.

Fugaku's dark eyes trailed over Sasuke's attire, taking in the mortal clothing. His father's face was mostly shadowed but Sasuke could still make out the deep lines near his thinned mouth deepen with disapproval. "You were with that blessed Uzumaki again, weren't you?"

Sasuke did not say anything in reply.

"You would do well to stay away from that one," Fugaku instructed.

Sasuke finally managed to bring himself to look his father straight in the eye. While he had given up trying to impress his father, it still stung to see the reflection of disappointment in his dark orbs. But he was done letting his father see that. Instead, he was determined to show his father that he was no longer concerned with his opinion. It was because of this that Sasuke tilted his face questioningly as he spoke.

"I thought we were in the process of working out peace negotiations," Sasuke stated. "I would think communication with one such as the Uzumaki himself would be a good thing. Especially considering who his father is. Would it not make things easier if we were already...acquainted?" Sasuke did not dare, nor would he ever outwardly admit that he considered the blonde idiot a friend.

Fugaku frowned at his sons bravery to question him. "We are," Fugaku confirmed. "But until then, we cannot be blinded by familiar connections. We must be vigilant and wary. Otherwise we will find ourselves walking away from a deal with nothing to benefit us. There will be a settlement, but Madara will not be making the same mistake twice. Remember, he considered Hashirama as a friend as well but the Senju betrayed him in the end and we as Uchiha were given nothing in return."

Sasuke made no reply. He knew there was more than peace treaties discussed behind closed doors. But those were in meetings that only contained the most important of the main clans. Despite the fact that he was a member of the main branch of the leading clan, he knew better than to think his presence was needed. And he certainly knew better than to think it was wanted. Sasuke knew his father would prefer that the clan forget he had a second son. So Sasuke kept to himself and let things run its course.

Things had been shaky for quite some time between the fallen and the blessed. For several centuries they had been stuck in limbo between peace and war. After Madara killed Hashirama there was no communication between the fallen or the blessed for decades. Each went about their duties and when their paths crossed only one of them survived. While certainly not a peaceful time, there was no one group purposefully seeking out to destroy the other. Although many had speculated that the Uchiha leader might have been an exception when Senju began to disappear at a rapid pace. Sasuke had not been alive during this time, but even he felt as though Madara had hunted down every last Senju with the exception of one. But no one had really seen or heard from Tsunade Senju since the war. Tobirama was the last to fall.

With no more Senju to take leadership, Hiruzen Sarutobi took up leadership over the blessed. Things had been slightly better during his time. A parlay was held and neutrality during sunrise and sunset was established during his reign. But before things could evolve into a more developed treaty, he had been killed by one of their own.

Orochimaru had wanted power and tried to take it from the God tree. In the end he failed. He had escaped the heavens before he could be dealt with. Originally he had sought refuge among the fallen but Madara had denied him entrance and the angel slithered off just as quickly as he came. Now he dwelt among the mortals searching out for new sources of power, for without the support of souls, his body was quickly deteriorating. The man had managed to survive thus far by linking himself with the life source of animals, specifically serpents. But there had been consequences to his actions. Now the man was more chimaera than seraph. The snake had approached Sasuke several times himself, promising him gifts but Sasuke denied him each time. Sasuke had yet to even learn what the man wanted from him but he desired nothing that the reptilian man had to offer. After his betrayal, Orochimaru had been deemed untrustworthy and Sasuke knew that any bargain made with the serpent was not worth his time.

Following Hiruzen's death it had been Naruto's father who had taken up leadership with the blessed and he had been determined to mend things between the fallen and blessed. Minato meant to end this cold war between seraphim and had extended an offer of peace to Madara. At first Madara ignored the attempts of contact, but Minato was persistent in achieving a better world. It had taken a while, but for the first time, the fallen were finally considering the offer.

"I would like you to start attending the councils," Fugaku instructed, taking Sasuke off guard and instantly becoming wary. His father had never so much as been concerned with his presence at the dinner table, let alone a meeting. "Madara requested you be more involved."

And there was the catch. It was not his father who cared, it was Madara. Madara, had been more interested in Sasuke's life than his father for more than he cared to remember. He knew his father disliked it. In some ways Sasuke thought it was why Fugaku almost seemed to resent him. Because the clan leader seemed to show favor on him instead of his brother. Itachi, Fugaku's pride and joy.

"Ah," was all Sasuke offered in confirmation.

Fugaku stared at him for a long moment, then nodded. "Stay away from that cherub. He distracts you from your true purpose. You are already weak minded and sympathetic."

Sasuke fought the flinch that threatened to grace his face at his father's last words. It seemed that while he had told himself he did not care, it was times like this that reminded Sasuke that somewhere deep down, he still hungered for his father's approval. With a stiff neck, he managed to lower his head in the slightest of nods. The movement was minuscule but was caught by his father's sharp eyes.

Without another word, Fugaku departed, leaving Sasuke to stare at his back as he was consumed by shadows. An ache in his jaw made Sasuke realize how tightly his jaw was clenched and he managed to loosen his gritting teeth. No longer wanting to return home where he would have to see his father all too soon, Sasuke began to walk with heavy steps in the opposite direction, determined to delay his return home until he had managed to calm himself.

Sasuke sat on the gravel shore and had been for hours, staring and thinking. His crossed legs had fallen asleep from lack of movement but he remained motionless. He did not even bother to turn around nor did he look away from the blackened lake when he sensed someone approaching.

"And what seems to be bothering my foolish little brother so much that he misses supper?"

Sasuke nearly let out a scoff at the question. There were many things that were bothering Sasuke's mind. Some were old and some were new. In hopes of sorting them out, he had wandered to the underground lake where many of his childhood memories were spent. On the far side was a wooden dock in which he learned to harness his first powers of procuring the flames that his clan was proficient at. It was perhaps the only time he ever felt his father acknowledged his efforts.

Sasuke remained quiet and unresponsive as his brother neared him. He heard the scrapping of rocks against each other and felt his brother settle down on the ground beside him. Itachi took in a relaxed breath and then let silence fall between them. At first Sasuke was determined to continue to ignore his brother. But Itachi was the epitome of patience. After several minutes of nothing but the occasional flutter of a winged creature that thrived in darkness, Sasuke lost his commitment and gave in.

"How do you do it?" He finally asked as he kept his dark gaze on the equally dark water. A small draft swept through the cavern causing the surface to ripple and catch the light of the glow worms that clung to the spiky ceiling above. With each line of disruption, the water caught the light causing it to sparkle and dance, giving the illusion of a night sky full of shining stars.

"Do what?" Itachi asked.

"Corrupt," Sasuke clarified, turning to his brother to look into his dark grey eyes. "How do you do it so easily? How do you justify it?"

Itachi took a deep breath and Sasuke watched his profile as his brother turned back to the lake. "I don't justify it," Itachi replied. "I just see it differently."

"What do you mean?"

Itachi leaned back with his hands behind his head and closed his eyes. His long legs crossed at the ankle as he let out a relaxed sigh. "Do you know what the god tree is?"

Sasuke gave his brother an affronted look. "Of course. It is what gives the blessed their powers."

Itachi nodded. "And where do we get our powers?"

Again Sasuke looked at his brother with a reproached offense. These questions were trivial. Any child would know them. But despite this, he humored his brother and answered. "We gain it from the Statue of the Outer Path. The souls we collect are fed into it which in return grants us our powers."

Itachi nodded again. "One man's poison is another man's cure." Sasuke looked at him in confusion, not understanding his brother's philosophical prattle. "Did you know that all the souls once went to the god tree?" Sasuke raised a brow, this he did not know and the expression on his face told his brother so. "In the first years of our existence, all souls were fed into the tree. Both good and bad. At first there was no consequence to this. Mortals were small in numbers and there were few that led themselves astray. But as their population grew, so did the number of corrupt souls that entered the tree. It was like a weak poison. A little will not hurt, but over time, the build up begins to take its toll."

He paused for a moment to let the information sink in. His long lashes opened slightly to see Sasuke looking at him in and he went on.

"The gods originally created us for one purpose. To protect and strengthen mortals. That is what we do, that is what I do. According to the blessed, Indra committed a great sin and was cast away from them. We are the result of his actions. But the way I see it, Indra's ways we're not corrupt, at least not at first, they were just misunderstood." He closed his eyes once more. "It is my belief that Indra saw this and knew that eventually the tree would die. And without the tree, we too would die. So he created the Statue of the Outer Path as a way to collect the corrupted souls, to preserve and save the god tree from being poisoned. It was just unfortunate that Hargoromo did not acknowledge the importance of his actions. And I believe it was this misunderstanding that caused Indra to lose focus and began to corrupt instead of collect the self corrupted. I think Madara and Hashirama knew this as well when they ended the war. They knew that they could not let all the souls return to the tree which meant someone had to collect those who had gone astray."

Sasuke looked at Itachi thoughtfully. "I guess that would make sense as to why the seraphim did not try to reunite fully."

Itachi nodded. "Yes, but I fear history likes to repeat itself." He added as he laid fully back down and closed his eyes.

His statement spoke volumes of what he truly thought of Madara. Sasuke knew his brother did not agree with the clans methods, nor their leadership. Itachi had never said it out right, but it was times like this, when he shadowed his disapproval with vague hints. Small suggestions that gave Sasuke the impression he was perhaps not the perfect child that their father saw.

"So you think that in order for all seraphim to survive, we have to collect the corrupted souls?" Sasuke clarified.

"Yes," Itachi replied without opening his eyes.

"So how do you bring yourself to do the actual corruption and temptation of mortals?" Sasuke asked.

"Mortals are weak minded and their hearts are even weaker. But when a mortal over comes a trial they become stronger and their soul becomes more precious. When a soul returns to the god tree it must be tried and tested otherwise it is worthless. And that is our purpose, to be that temptation. We are to test the limits of their will power and reveal the true intentions of their hearts. It is unfortunate that not all can resist, but that is our purpose. It may not have been the gods original plan but mortals are unpredictable. It is why our race has evolved, to adapt to the change in our purpose."

"It still does not feel right," Sasuke said quietly as he settled down on the ground next to his brother. He tucked his hands behind his head to serve as a pillow and stared up at the jagged teeth of the caverns stalactites.

"Perhaps it is more rewarding to be the one to guide a soul to success but what we do is necessary," Itachi replied after a short pause. "We don't get the glory, but our work is just as important. Some of us just don't see that."

Silence settled between them as they lay together and after a long and silent lapse of time, Itachi stood and without a word, left his brother alone with his thoughts. For a long while, Sasuke pondered his brothers words, wondering how accurate he was in his musings.

You are already weak minded and sympathetic.

The words of his father suddenly disrupted his thoughts and resounded in his mind. The peace that his brother had created in his troubled mind became turbulent again.

He was not weak.

The flash of pink lashes blinking and breaking away from his pull played across his mind and he frowned. Not pleased with the reminder of the pink haired fluke of a mortal, Sasuke drew his brow together and with determination, voiced a different affirmation in his mind.

He was not sympathetic.

As if his own mind was mocking him, another flash pictured in his mind. This time it was green. Green eyes looking up at him with complete innocence and purity. And then his mind truly betrayed him as a single wonder flashed across his mind.

Did she still remember him? Or had she already forgotten?

Chapter Text

Present Day:

Alexandria, Constantinople, Rome, Thebes, they were all great cities that he had once loved. Or in more correct terms, had a deep appreciation for. He had watched them all rise, thrive, and fall. He had seen many cities do this over ages. Some had been rebuilt, while others had been replaced with another upon its rubble, but few were ever restored to their former glory. They were only mock replicas of the original masterpiece. Like the cheap souvenirs mortals bought when they visited said places.

He had done his fair share in the work that caused many of these cities to crumble and fall. Some he had done it out of spite, others because he was instructed to, and a few, he destroyed just because he could. But it had been a long time since he truly wrecked havoc upon a city. Great cities seemed to flourish all over the earth now, but many did not quite hold the same finesse that the ancient empires once created. Those cities were true works of art.

There were still some that he admired during these modern times. Cape Town, Barcelona, Dubai, and London to name a few. Los Angeles fell under many other people's lists, but he could never bring himself to like the place. But then again, he was a bit biased. While his days of razing cities were over, he would be okay with that one sliding into the ocean after a good earthquake, if only because its namesake. It was perhaps a cruel thought, but he did not care. He was good at not caring, he excelled at it.

Currently he was in one of his favorites. Crouched down on the overhang of a skyscraper, he sat poised like a statue as he drank in the essence of what made New York. There was no starlight to be seen in the night sky, only the silver half moon that hung high in the sky managed to permeate through the light pollution from the city. Flashing traffic lights switching from red to green. The moving red line of brake lights running parallel to a white line of headlights flowing the opposite direction, highlighting the city streets. Yellow squares glowed from windows of late night workers and apartments. Display boards that advertised the wondrous entertainment that the city had to offer. They all lit up the city and basked its tall towers in a glow of LED and neon.

The smell was an orchestra of everything good and bad the city had to offer. The smell of food wafted through the air from vendors and restaurants that littered the city and the blooming trees in Central Park that was not far off was delicious. But in between the floral and cuisine scents, there was the wafting stench that accompanied the city. It was not a humid hot summer night, but already the warm spring had brought the beginnings of the sweaty odor that usually took over the city during a heat wave. Garbage and urine from the littered streets and subways also weaved itself into the aroma that made up the city's air. Mixed together, it was a pungent potpourri of various smells. Not all would consider it appealing, but it was the smell of New York.

Sirens wailed from all directions. Distinguishing sounds of fire, ambulance, and police vehicles crashing together and mixing in with the rest of the auditory stimulation. The rev of an engine sounded and echoed out from an alleyway. The blare of thousands of horns, all being blown at various intervals from impatient taxi cabs and town cars. Mixed with the sounds of man made machines were the shouts and cries of humans themselves. Businessmen calling out for cabs, clubbers voicing their excitement as they waited in line, and street vendors peddling their merchandise. It was an orchestra of the intertwined culture and lifestyles of over eight million individuals.

It was all part of the nightlife of New York and he loved it. It was the chaos that he loved. The constant distraction of sounds, light, and smells that kept his mind busy and off of other things. The city had changed with time but not in a way that marred what made New York, New York. Just more buildings, more lights, and more noise, all which elevated the potency of it all. He was indifferent to the city during the day light, but at night, it held a type of energy that had been there since the beginning. He had been drawn to it the first time he came to the city back in the late 1800's and it was what brought him back ever since.

In the most recent years, he had been experiencing a certain phenomenon that also made the city stand out to him. Every time he came, he felt his body constantly searching and reaching out. He did not know what to expect to find, or why he was even looking, but something in his bones told him that when he did find it, he would know.

A pulse of energy grasped his attention and pulled him away from his thoughts. His dark eyes bled from onyx to blood red as he focused on the eastern side of the city. His eyes narrowed as he tried to pinpoint the exact location of what had caught his attention. There were several chakras out but nothing more than lesser demons, nothing that would be powerful enough to have distracted him. And then he caught it. The familiar faint glow of two chakra signatures.

It was too far away to make out the actual individuals, but he did not need to see them to confirm to whom the signatures belonged. The strongest and most familiar signature was bright and warm. There was no mistaking that it belonged to a useless blonde idiot that got on every single one of his nerves. Next to it, flowed a more average but just as familiar signature. Given the relaxed way the chakra flowed and swirled with ease, he was willing to bet a heavy wager that this one belonged to his long ago mentor. As he focused more closely, he suddenly found himself detecting a third chakra mixed in with them. It was faint and smaller than the other two but he could see the faint green mixed in with the red and white that dominated it. His head tilted to the side. It was not odd for the other two to have a companion with them, however he found himself intrigued. The steady calm of it, the way it seemed to flow so smoothly and controlled. Despite him never having come across such a signature, he could not help but feel a strange sense of familiarity.

He was already running late but he did not exactly care for the person who had summoned him. It annoyed him that he even received the summons, but it would bother the other person even more the longer he made them wait. A smirk graced his thin lips as he decided that perhaps it was time for a little reunion. Standing up from his crouched position, he casually walked to the corner of the building before stepping off the side. He fell through the air, plummeting towards the ground. His dark hair whipped around in the cool night air that rushed past. As he reached the halfway point to the ground, his wings spread open with a sharp snap of leather. Instantly he took a sharp turn and beat his wings to regain the altitude he had lost from the plummet. Rushing past the building he once perched on, he escalated towards the moon. His momentum slowed and died as he rotated towards his destination and with a single powerful flap of his wings began to soar across with a silent ease.

"Now what is a little thing like you, doing alone in such a big city?" came a deep voice, dripping with dark intentions.

Resisting the urge to grimace at the man's words, Sakura quickly planted a look of innocence on her face as she turned to watch the demon slide into the empty barstool beside her. His lust filled eyes scanned her body, a lecherous smile coming to his face as they moved along the mass of exposed leg that the too small of dress failed to cover.

"May I join you?" He asked. "Perhaps buy you a drink?"

Sakura swallowed the words that would point out that facts that, one, he had already joined her before asking, and two, she already had a drink in front of her. She flashed him a sweet smile. "Of course," she replied instead.

The demon turned to the bartender and gestured for two drinks. As the man behind the bar table began pouring their beverages, the demon turned back to face Sakura. His teeth flashed sharply as he grinned at her. Their drinks appeared in front of them quickly before the bartender moved onto the next patron, leaving them alone. The demon took a quick swig of his alcohol and set it down on the table as he turned sideways on his stool to fully face her.

"Now," he began, pushing her drink towards her, "you were about to tell me what brings you to New York and why a delicate thing like you is alone."

Sakura ignored the drink being pushed towards her and gave him a saccharine smile. "My husband and I are on our honeymoon here."

The demons eyes alighted. "A newly wed," he said, then tilted his head as if in contemplation. "I would think that a newly married couple would be inseparable, don't tell me you are having marital problems already."

The tone in which he spoke was a mockery of concern. Sakura could see the delight in his eyes at the idea which told her that the lure was working. The ploy was a new one that they had recently developed, and so far, it seemed to be earning a place in successful missions. It had been Kakashi's idea for her to wear the dress. After a great amount of protesting, Sakura had given in and put on the too short and too low of a cut dress. She had argued that it made her seem already uncaring about morals and did not match the character, but Kakashi assured her they would be too distracted and would overlook that small detail. So here she was, sitting in a bar, playing the innocent and happy newlywed, and hoping beyond hope that she would not flash more than just leg and neck if she bent forward too much.

"Well, we had a date for tonight but he got called into work," she said with feigned disappointment as she leaned forward and rested her chin on her hand. "He has several offices in major cities, it's why we came here so he could be close to one in case of an emergency. His secretary called just as we were headed out the door."

The demons brow raised and she suddenly felt a tingle running up her forearm. She realized it was caused by a finger being drawn along her skin and she did her best not to recede away from his touch.

"Does he often have these emergencies with his secretary?"

"Yes," she said, putting a small hint of hesitancy in her voice.

"So you mean to tell me," he began, leaning in closer than she cared. "That your husband is off with his so called secretary, alone in an office, on your honeymoon, because there was some kind of 'emergency'?"

"...yes…" she replied, again with uncertainty.

He leaned in more closely. "Would you like to know what I think?" She nodded, keeping her eyes wide and naive. "I think that if your husband really wanted to be here, he would."

She gave him a look of confusion. "What do you mean?" she queried, forcing some waver in her voice. "His work is important, he did not have a choice...didn't he?"

The demons face turned into a wicked grin. "Oh darling," he said darkly as he took a strand of her hair and played with it between his fingers. "We have so much to get into that pretty little head of yours."

"How dare he!" Sakura shouted, slurring her words slightly to sell the idea that the four rounds of drinks were affecting her. Instead, she was slowly filtering the alcohol with her chakra, burning it away while simultaneously keeping it masked with such precision that she continued to appear as a mortal.

She had spent the last hour letting the demon in front of her think that he was convincing her that her none existent husband, was in fact, cheating on her with his secretary while on their honeymoon. She had quickly let him believe she was easily swayed. She had started briefly with denial, insisting that he would never do such a thing. That they trusted and loved each other equally. Then, she finally feigned accepting the idea and moved into an episode of displaying herself in hysterical tears. She had put on a spectacular show, grieving about how much she valued their relationship and how she would never do something like that herself. For a quick moment she made off that perhaps they could work through it, that she could forgive him. But the demon was quick to dissuade her from that. Insisting that she could not let him get off so easily. Now, she was currently putting on a show of anger. Slamming her fist down and making threats about what she would do with his favorite appendage. With each violent fantasy, the demon grinned wider, his eyes growing lustful with each darker and more vengeful idea that she voiced.

"...I spent the last year nearly killing myself to make sure the wedding was perfect for all of his corporate friends and his high end family. I moved away from my family, and gave up my job! I gave up everything for him! I am going to kill him...no, I am going to destroy him. Destroy his company...no, take his company and everything else. I am going to..."

She continued on and by the time she finished her rant, her hands fisted and her body tight, she was breathing heavily. With a deep breath her chest expanded and as she exhaled, she let her body collapse in defeat. "Who am I kidding...I will probably just go back to the hotel and act as if nothing happened. My mother always said I was too forgiving," she let out a sigh, "I guess she is right, because as much as it hurts, I still love him."

"Tsk. Tsk. Tsk." The demon tutted. "Oh darling, you may not be able to do those things now, but with my help you can," he said. His voice was seductive and alluring. If Sakura were mortal, she knew that she would feel herself being pulled.

"You can?" she asked timidly.

His smile widened. "Oh yes," his hand came up and stroked her cheek. He slowly leaned into her ear. "Come with me, we can start tonight by getting even and then tomorrow, we will go beyond even."

He pulled away slowly, his eyes connecting with hers and with smooth movements, his hand lifted in silent invitation. Without saying a word, Sakura slowly lifted her own hand and placed it in his with acceptance. He flashed her his teeth in a wide grin, his canines looking sharp like a predators as his eyes heated with chaotic joy.

They walked out of the bar, Sakura making a show of stumbling in an effort to continue the charade of her drunken state. He moved to call a taxi but Sakura pulled him away from the street into a darkened alley. The demon gave her a small look of inquiry but she responded with a look of heady want.

"You are an eager one aren't you," he said.

Sakura turned away and directed her attention to the dark alley in an effort to hide the look of disgust. She took him as far as she could before she suddenly felt her body being tugged and pushed up against the brick wall. She could have easily overpowered him, but she let her body be pushed and positioned as the demon pressed up against her and attacked her neck with hot wet kisses. She masked a disgusted groan as a hum of appreciation as her green eyes stayed open and began to scan the area from over his shoulder, doing her best to ignore the sloppy tongue that ran along her pulse point.

Where the hell were they! She thought to herself. She felt his hand wander up her hip, it traced her waist, and then it...Oh hell no!

The wet kisses assaulting her neck were cut off when the demon's head fell back as he let out an anguished cry. Along with his cry was the accompaniment of the cracking and breaking of bones of the earlier offending hand. The demon fell down to his knees as Sakura stood over him, staring down at him with an empowered smirk on her face. His hand, now a disfigured bag of flesh, was grasped tightly in hers.

"What the hell you bitー"

He was cut off when he was suddenly yanked off the ground and away from her upon the arrival of two individuals.

"Now that is not how you talk to a lady," Kakashi said as he grabbed the man's arm and shoulder.

"Yeah, and don't you know it's wrong to take advantage of a woman who is drunk?" Naruto said as he took the other shoulder and arm. "Drunk is not consent."

"What took you two so long?" Sakura asked drawing the attention of her two newly arrived companions.

"We got a little held up, ran into one of this guy's friends and had to have a little chat," Kakashi answered.

The demon's eyes snapped from Kakashi to Sakura then narrowed. "You're one of them!" he said, his tone full of disgust. "Thought whoring would be above you heavenly buzzards, or is it all just for show? I always thought you were all a bunch of prudes but who would've thought a blessed could turn out to be a good fuー"

Two growls interrupted the demon's insults. They were followed by the sound of ripping and tearing of flesh as Kakashi and Naruto pulled the demon apart. Sakura quickly looked away, her stomach still not used to the blood and gore that came with the duty as an archangel. If there was something that she quickly learned in the last three weeks, it was that the duty was somewhat hypocritical. It bothered her at first, she was a guardian, she taught not to kill, not to have violence, to be forgiving. Yet, here she was, playing a role that resulted in something being torn apart and erased from existence.

Kakashi had explained to her that it was their purpose, that they had to get their hands dirty in order to save mortals. As seraphim, they had different rules and regulations, there were exemptions. As long as their actions served their true purpose, their deeds were valid. He was patient with her and had spoken more deeply, even opening up about his times during the war which he rarely spoke of. In the end she still struggled with it but she was growing to accept it. She had still yet to actually take a life and Kakashi had promised her that he would not require her to until she was ready. A gift to which she was grateful for.

Shaking herself out of her queasy stupor, Sakura readjusted her dress for what seemed like the one hundredth time that night while Naruto and Kakashi busied themselves with the body. As she finished, she looked up from her now, not quite so exposed chest, to see Kakashi walking towards her as he clapped his hands together as if brushing off dust.

"I told you that dress would be productive," he commented as his lazy eye grazed over her body.

Sakura gave the pervert a glower as she folded her arms across her chest. "Just because your pervy idea worked still does not mean it was a good idea," she hissed. "It was demeaning and wholly demoralizing."

"Ah well, morals are for mortals," he replied with a relaxed charm. He pulled out a book that put several morals into question and began to walk back into the building. As he went past her, he paused to pat her on the head with an amused twinkle in his eye. "If it makes you feel better, we can try out for an innocent school girl look tomorrow."

Sakura gave him a look of disgust then another to the book in his hand. Pictured on it was a scene of a girl in a plaid skirt and knee high socks being chased around a desk by a man who looked an awful lot like a teacher. Another wave of disgust washed across her face. And here she thought Kakashi was a genius, turns out he was just taking inspiration from an even bigger debauchee.

"Forget it," she snapped. "I have no desire to play in some twisted live action performance of your pervy trash!"

Kakashi actually had the audacity to look offended and Sakura rolled her eyes as he walked away, stroking his book soothingly. She was nearly positive she heard him whisper hushed words of comfort to the cover before Naruto came striding up. He clapped her on the back and began dragging her along to follow Kakashi.

"I am not going to lie Sakura," he began, "as much as I love having you come with us, I kinda miss the old days. It's almost too easy now. Two weeks and I am already starting to get bored with the lack of challenge. These demons nowadays, they just lack imagination like they used to. It used to take a lot more than an innocent face and a few bats of lashes to get them away from mortal witnesses."

Sakura narrowed her eyes. "Trust me, it takes a little more than that to get them out here," she said through gritted teeth.

"Common you two," Kakashi called as he held the door of the bar open for them. "One more and then we will be done for the night."

Naruto was the first to burst through the roof top door, he stretched his arms as he gave out a big yawn. Sakura followed after and took in a deep breath, relishing the fresh air and open space after a night of sitting in dismal bars with stale air and crowded bodies. Kakashi was the last to walk out of the dark stairwell that had led to the roof, his nose stuck inside his book as he quietly giggled to himself.

"Boy I am beat," Naruto announced loudly. "Although…" he turned to his teammates with an eager grin. "We could always stop by that ramen stand near the park and…"

His proposal was cut short by a groan from Sakura. "We have already eaten there four times this week!"

"What's wrong with that!" Naruto exclaimed.

"It's Tuesday," Sakura deadpanned.

"But it's tradition!" Naruto retorted. "Kakashi, back me up here."

He turned to look at his long time teacher only to find that his teacher was distracted. While this was not unusual as his the pervert seemed to always have his nose buried deep in his books, this time was different. The silver haired angel stood in pause near the edge of the building, his eyes scanning the skyline of the city, not paying a single thought to his old student.

"Oi! Kakashi!"

"He obviously doesn't want to go either Naruto," Sakura shot at him, distracting the blonde from his mission to gain another to his ramen cause. Instead his attention went back to defending his precious ramen.

Kakashi stood motionless. The loud babble of exchanges, followed by the familiar sound of a blonde being hit over the head by a small fist, became white noise as he scanned the black towers surrounding them. Something felt off. Slowly raising the cloth that normally covered his left eye, he scanned the sky.

He felt him, rather than saw him first. It was so familiar and distinct. The unruly and raw power of the chakra signature. It was not as dark as it had once been but there was no mistaking who it belonged to. It was distant, several miles away but it was quickly moving. Moving directly towards them. Both eyes widened and he quickly spun around.

"Both of you silence."

They each froze and looked at him. Sakura stood with her arm outstretched and hovering above Naruto's head with her fist paused mid pummeling. Naruto was already cringing, his hand nursing an earlier assault as his eyes flinched in preparation for the next hit. When the next blow did not come, Naruto cracked an eye open to look at Kakashi. When he saw the spinning red eye that Kakashi only revealed on rare occasions, he opened the second eye and straightened up.

"Kakashi?" Sakura asked, "What's wronー"

Before she could complete her question, Kakashi had grabbed ahold of her and was dragging her to the other side of the roof.

Sakura let out an exclamation of surprise as she was yanked along. "Kakashi, what's wrong?"

He gave no reply as he continued to pull her. Two large air ducts protruded from the roof. The vents blew out cool air and created a loud billowing sound as the heating and cooling ducts worked to keep the building they were standing atop at a comfortable temperature. The pair of towering metal airways cast a large shadow to which Kakashi pulled Sakura into.

"Surpress your chakra," he hissed.

"But Iー"

"Do it now!" he said in a slightly raised voice.

If she did not know any better, Sakura felt as if she sensed a panic in Kakashi's voice. It was something she thought the heaven's most relaxed seraph was incapable of feeling. Despite this, she did not question the urgency and immediately followed his instruction. It took little effort on her part as she had a gift for it. One moment it was flowing through her body like any other seraph, the next moment it was completely masked. To anyone who did not know who she was, she would appear as a mere mortal.

"Oi, Kakashi. What the hell is going on?" Naruto hollered as he followed closely on their heels. "I don't understand what—"

Kakashi turned around for a moment and stared past Naruto and nodded his chin in the direction of the sky. Confused, Naruto followed Kakashi's indication. Sakura tried to look as well but Kakashi obstructed her view. She tried to focus on the minimal amount Kakashi's visible face in hopes to glean information but she became distracted by the explicits that sounded past his shoulder, drawing her attention to Naruto.

"Shit," the blonde seraph swore. "Shit, shit, double shit, shit." He continued as he hurried the rest of the way towards her, pulling his sweater from his body.

Before she could manage to even inquire as to what was happening again, she was interrupted by a mass of orange cloth suddenly being pulled over her head. She thrashed for a moment, trying to free herself but gave up quickly as Naruto overpowered her. Her arms found sleeves and slipped in, although her hands remained hidden in the too long of arms. When her head managed to slip through the neck hole, she moved to push the hood off as it hung over her eyes like a veil, but the blonde seraph quickly stopped her from pulling it all the way off. She shot him an affronted expression, her face scrunching into displeasure of being manhandled into the offensively orange clothing. Naruto remained unaffected as he continued to adjust the article of clothing. The blonde seraph was in her view for only a moment more before Kakashi replaced him and began to push Sakura farther into the shadows. In the whirlwind of movement, the hood slipped from her head.

"Rule number two, what is it?" He asked as he pulled on the hood again, adjusting it so she could see but low enough for her face to remain hidden.

"Always appear as a mortal unless told otherwise," she recited. She gave him a confused look. "Kakashi, what isー"

"What is rule number four?" He interrupted as he tucked a few strands of hair that had been exposed behind her ear, hiding them from sight.

"Always listen to you and do exactly as you say."

He paused in his adjusting of the sweater and looked straight into her face. Sakura could barely make out his expression. The shadow from the air vents and the mask that covered the majority of his face did well to hide his face. Only his eyes were visible but even then, she could not make out the distinguishing lines that crinkled when he expressed himself.

"No matter what, you are to stay here. Do not make a sound, do not move, and do not draw attention to yourself," he said in a stern tone. "If you are spoken to, do not reply. Am I understood?"

"But Iー"

His red eye fixed on her with a firmness that Sakura had never witnessed before. Again she gave him a confused look that he could not see on her shadowed face. She was desperate for an answer, but she trusted the silver haired man. She may not understand it, but she would follow. She gave a nod of her head to convey her submission to his command.

Seemingly satisfied, Kakashi nodded in return before turning to stand next to Naruto, who was already taking a stance at the edge of the shadowed area. As he stood, he faced the night sky, his eyes locked on something in the distance. A quick flash of light and both their wings were out. Rigid and tense, they each took a stance as they whispered quietly to one another. Together they made a barrier, cornering her against the air vent and blocking the majority of the roof from view.

Her heart beat rapidly. Gone was the confusion as it was replaced with panic. Something was going on, and judging by the reactions and the seriousness in which they were both acting, the severity of it was dire. Her hands moved up to her chest in an effort to keep herself calm and she focused on keeping her chakra suppressed. She was in no danger in losing control of it, but the focus kept her mind less frantic as her eyes surveyed the pieces of sky that she could see in the spaces between Naruto and Kakashi.

Suddenly, a silhouette of a man appeared before them, he had been so quick and so quiet that it almost appeared as if he manifested out of thin air. He had glid so smoothly through the dark sky and alighted with such graceful agility on the edge of the roof, that he did so without a sound. With the moon behind the stranger, Sakura could only make out the outline of the tall male figure. His face was hidden in the shadow of the ebony locks that hung over his face, but despite not seeing his eyes, Sakura could feel his stare as it briefly glanced over her. It was but a brief moment but the intense feeling of scrutiny made her feel uneasy.

She moved to take a step back, hoping to dampen the intensity, but she was greeted by the cold metal from the air ducts behind her. In the earlier chaos, she had not realized that Kakashi had backed her up so far into the shadows. The stranger's head moved from side to side, as if scanning the area, looking for something or someone. When he had concluded his scan of the area, his attention moved back to their direction. It was then he finally spoke, his deep voice sent shivers down her spine with an eerie familiarity.

"Where did the other one go?" he said, sounding almost bored. "I detected three chakras earlier."

"Just a messenger," Kakashi replied in a stony tone before quickly diverting the subject. "It's been a long time Sasuke, what brings you to New York?"

Sakura felt, rather than saw him looking at her again. The silhouette of his head tilted slightly, the way a bird of prey surveys its target before it moves in for an attack. With the new angle of his head, the side of his face caught a sliver of light. Pale skin and high cheek bones were revealed and she saw the faint glow of red where his eyes were. There was a rustle of feathers as Naruto's wings slightly adjusted. Lifting higher and obstructing Sakura's entire view of the man.

"Who is your little friend?" she heard him ask, his voice dangerously curious.

At his question, Sakura saw both Kakashi and Naruto stiffen.

Chapter Text

Present Day:

Sasuke soared above the towering buildings and crowded streets, all the while, keeping his eyes set on his destination. He knew the moment his presence had been detected because the calm and collected chakra that his teacher usually emitted, spiked and began to become more frenzied. He smirked as the one belonging to his long time rival began to become more active as well. However, when the third one suddenly disappeared, a small frown of puzzlement formed on his lips. He became even more puzzled when he saw that three individuals remained on the roof. Watching them as they assembled themselves on the end of the building cast in shadow, he readied himself for a possible surprise attack from the owner of the chakra that remained unaccounted for. It was not that he could easily terminate such an attack, but it would certainly be an annoyance. He did not want this reunion to take too much time, he was just curious as to how his ex-comrades were faring these days.

With ease, he dropped altitude and alighted softly on the roofs edge. With dark eyes, he stared down at them from his elevated perch. As predicted, he was greeted by his old teacher and rival. Kakashi stood with his arms stuffed into his pockets, his one black eye lazily watching him. His left eye was covered by the cloth that had always kept it hidden for as long as he had known the man. Although Sasuke had no doubt that it had been recently pulled up to reveal the unmatching red eye that was hidden beneath. It would have been impossible for them to have detected his presence so soon had he not, despite Sasuke's lack of effort to approach undetected. On the outside, Kakashi looked calm and cool as he always did, but the fast current of chakra flowing through his body told Sasuke otherwise. Kakashi was nervous...but why? While he had to admit their past record gave good enough reason, Sasuke had not tried to kill either of them for several decades.

He moved on to take in the blonde seraph that stood next to the silver one. For some reason the idiot was shirtless as his broad arms crossed over his bare chest. Sasuke was not sure if he really wanted, nor cared as to why the sunny seraph was half naked. Naruto had always been odd and his behavior seemed to still be the same. The only anomaly seemed to be the lack of a foxy grin that was usually pasted on his face. Instead he looked grim and wary.

For a moment his eyes flicked to the dark shadow behind them, but his gaze hardly lingered. It was only an insignificant mortal, nothing worth noting. Instead his eyes began to wander around the surrounding area. His head shifted from side to side, scanning the entire rooftop and a few neighboring ones as he put on a show of looking for someone.

"Where did the other one go?" He asked, curious as to where the third chakra he had detected disappeared to. "I detected three chakras earlier."

"Just a messenger," he heard Kakashi reply, as he continued to look around. "It's been a long time Sasuke, what brings you to New York?"

"It's New York, do I need a purpose?" Sasuke hedged as he finally brought his attention back to the old archangel.

He surveyed Kakashi again as he stood nearly shoulder to shoulder with Naruto. Both of their wings were out as they stood in near battle stance. He tilted his head thoughtfully as a realization came to his mind, a correction in his analysis. It was not a battle stance per say, but more of a defense, a barrier. A wall between himself and the mortal standing against the billowing air units. For the first time since his arrival, Sasuke gave his full attention to the mortal. Having been incurious before, he now found himself significantly more interested.

Given the petite figure and short stature that was being consumed by the baggy sweatshirt, he assumed it was female, a young woman judging by the curve of her hips. He tried to focus closer on her face in an attempt to get a glimpse of her features, but his view was blocked off by the sudden wall of feathers that appeared as Naruto ruffled and raised his wings. The smallest of smirks curled at the corner of his lips, he was now fully intrigued. He had been wondering why the pair of them were so wound up when he arrived, now he had his suspected reason, he just needed confirmation.

"Who is your little friend?" he asked, watching them closely.

Kakashi did well to mask his emotions but Naruto was always too expressive. He caught the slight, panicked look that the blonde gave to the older archangel. And despite the silver seraphs composure of his face, he watched as even his wings and shoulders tensed. Sasuke's smile widened. It was in that subtle movement that he had his confirmation.

"Since when did Tsunade start assigning archangels to do a guardians work?" Sasuke asked as he looked to Kakashi. "Naruto I understand, he has always been a bit backwards. But for you it's a bit insulting for one such as yourself is it not? Did you get yourself demoted or is your old age catching up with you?"

Naruto sputtered a bit as he let out a growl, but Kakashi remained unphased by Sasuke's insults. Instead, the mask covering the lower half of his face raised slightly and his eyes crinkled as he gave a polite smile to the Uchiha.

"She is just a mortal we saved from a rogue demon earlier," he said casually. "Something that we would not have to do if your family worked a little harder at trying to control your people? But then again, I guess they are not your people are they." Sasuke remained silent. "But who are your people Sasuke? For a time you seemed to have found a place with Orochimaru but I suppose you proved that wrong when you killed him. Would it be too hopeful that you have finally come to your senses and decided to join the Leaf Alliance?"

Sasuke could not help but let out a laugh of mockery. His dark chuckle echoed out around the rooftop. "Why would I ever align myself with such a pathetic force," Sasuke asked when his laughter had died down.

The idea of joining such a cause was not just humorous, but insulting. The Leaf Alliance was the peace treaty between the blessed and the fallen. It was what his father had agreed to after Madara disappeared, leaving him in charge. No doubt it had been done by the council of his pacifist brother. But there had been consequences to such actions. The rift between the fallen and blessed had grown over the years and many demons had been outraged with the new restrictions and rebelled against the Uchiha rule. Now they were spread throughout the mortal realm. Many died off quickly, having been cut off from their source of power, but some found loopholes. Sasuke had his own reasons for remaining detached from his family and the alliance other than his dislike of the nephilim world. Thanks to Orochimaru, he had his own power source. It was the only useful thing that had come from the centuries of mocked servitude to the snake.

"I am sure your mother would certainly appreciate it," Kakashi said, drawing Sasuke from his thoughts. "We could use someone like you fighting for order."

Sasuke let out a scoff. "Be happy I have stayed neutral in this rebellion because we all know I would never side with astral lap dogs. My father may have become desperate enough, but I have no desire. You promise things you cannot deliver on."

Kakashi raised a brow. "I know you have your resentment towards the blessed, but this is more than that and I know you would not join the other side."

"Do not sound so confident Kakashi," Sasuke chided.

"I know about the mortals Sasuke," Kakashi replied in a more serious tone. "Is that not why you turned on Orochimaru? Because he was experimenting on them? You know what the other side is doing to mortals in order to survive. You may hate us, but I know you care about the mortals, and it is them that we are fighting for."

Sasuke stiffened at his words. There was a long pause. The air conditioning to the building shut off, making the absence of the loud hum make it seem eerily silent, despite the rest of the sounds of the city flooding around them.

"Why would I care about mortals," Sasuke muttered darkly as his eyes narrowed. "Their lives are fleeting and pointless. They are weak. Why would I ever waste my time on something so transient?" He saw a saddened expression take over the small visible portion of his mentors face. And it was not just sadness, it was disappointment and pity. Sasuke hated the expression. He sucked on his teeth in annoyance. This conversation was not going in the direction that he wanted and he was done speaking on such topics. "I have somewhere else to be," he quickly spat.

Without waiting for a reply, he spread his wings and shot up into the air. He did not look back at them as he swept away. However he did spare one glance to the little mortal that stood silently behind them. Unsure as to why, but for a strange reason, he felt drawn to her. The feeling was only momentary before the idea was banished from his impatient mind. Mortals did not interest him. Not anymore.

In the blink of an eye, his figure had melted into the darkness of the night. Neither Kakashi nor Naruto moved an inch as they watched the spot he had disappeared from. Sakura's green eyes traced the tight muscles of Naruto's back and took in the strained posture of Kakashi as well. She took a step forward, her hand automatically moving up to push the hood of the Naruto's sweater away from her face.

"Who was that?"

Her question seemed to break the pair from their statuesque state and they each turned to look at her. She caught Naruto's blue eyes flicker to Kakashi as if looking for a prompting. Her brow creased in confusion. Naruto was not one to check his tongue. As Kakashi slouched into his usual carefree posture and gave her a cloth covered smile her attention moved to him instead.

"That, was Sasuke Uchiha."

Sakura's eyes widened. She had heard of the infamous, rouge prince of the underworld. There was a plethora of rumors circulating around, all varying in degree and conflicting with the next. He was the youngest son of Fugaku Uchiha, the head of the fallen. But he had unofficially defected from the demons. For a long time he had been rumored to be with Orochimaru up until he killed the serpent angel during the mortals second World War. Since then it had been a mystery as to what the seraph had been doing for nearly the past century.

Some said he was cursed just like Madara but she had always been confused by this claim. Everyone knew the story of Madara and how his brother's death had led to madness. It was a fact known just as well as Indra's own similar cause of his own curse of hatred. But Sakura had never heard any reason as to why Sasuke hated the blessed seraphim. He just did. And given the lack of involvement he had with the fallen, he seemed to not care for either side.

Sakura knew that both Naruto and Kakashi had a personal history with him but she did not know the full details. She had only the conflicted expressions she witnessed when the Uchiha was mentioned or after a rare run in with him.

She remembered the time when an injured Kakashi had come back with a half dead Naruto in his arms. They had tried to talk Sasuke out of aiding Orochimaru and his endeavors. She remembered the broken and torn wings of Naruto as he cried out in anguish. She remembered it vividly, for it had not been the potential of losing his wings he had mourned, but it had been the loss of his friend. Sakura remembered the way his tears had flowed from his eyes while Tsunade healed a thrashing Naruto as he repeated over and over that 'they had lost him, he was gone'.

At the time Sakura did not know who he was, so as she healed Kakashi with shaking hands after Tsunade yelled at her to tend to the silver seraph, she asked him. Kakashi had explained that long ago, Naruto and Sasuke had been good friends. But something had happened, it was no one's fault but Sasuke had needed someone to blame, so he blamed Naruto. Sakura had asked what happened but Kakashi had brushed it off. She had wanted to prod more but she could see the hurt and loss reflected in Kakashi's eyes and let it go.

"We should head back now," Kakashi announced. "Sakura," he called, breaking her out of her thoughts to look at him. "I will carry you back in case we have any watchers."

Sakura gave him a look. but did not question the oddity of keeping up the pretense of being mortal during this part of their mission. There was no one around. But instead of pointing this out, she silently came to his side and wrapped her arms around his neck as he wound his own arms around her middle, locking her into place. With a nod to Naruto they were in the air, Sakura clinging on as Kakashi's powerful wings pumped through the cool night air and lifted them high into the sky. As Sakura clung closer to Kakashi she peeked over his shoulder to see Naruto flanking them, his face serious as he scanned their surroundings. For a brief moment, she caught his eye and Naruto grinned at her in a way that was almost convincing of its genuinity. She responded with a wane smile of her own but she could not bring herself to commit to it fully. She was too preoccupied with the wonders of her mind.

Sakura sat in the small alcove of the bay window in her room. With bright eyes, she stared up at the half moon that shone down into the small garden below. She could not bring herself to sleep. Everytime she closed her eyes she was greeted with two red orbs suspended in darkness while a muffled echo repeated something over and over. She had strained her ears to try and make out the whisper but it seemed the more she tried, the more distorted it became. She had woken up over an hour ago drenched in a cold sweat and a throbbing in her head. With the comfortable breeze hitting her skin and bringing clarifying air to her mind, she had managed to bring herself some peace. Her pounding head had subsided significantly but she still felt the small throb each time she recalled her dream.

She shifted slightly and the ache in her joints and tingle in her legs told her she had been sitting still for far too long. With no foreseeable sleep coming if she were to lie down, Sakura decided perhaps a small walk through the gardens would help calm her frazzled mind. Grabbing a thin shawl and wrapping it around her shoulders, she quietly made her way through the still house she shared with Tsunade and entered the garden through the back door.

It was peaceful in the garden, it always was. Sakura was not sure why she had always been drawn to it, but it was always where she felt most comfortable, most at home. There was a koi pond in the middle with a small waterfall that trickled down a display of balanced flat stones and fed into the small body of water. A simple arched bridge crossed over it and she had spent many hours sitting and watching the fish consume the small morsels of food she brought as offerings. Foliage from all types of terrains decorated the botanical space, each thriving easily despite the contrast in many of their natural climates. Spread throughout, were varying species of trees, with each featured genus making small groves in sections of the garden.

She had been making her way to the small bridge when a pair of voices caught her attention and she discovered her destination to be already occupied. Standing on the sturdy planks were Kakashi and Tsunade. Each of them had a serious expression, Tsunade's growing more somber as Kakashi spoke. Upon seeing them, Sakura moved to silently retreat. She had never been one to eavesdrop. She knew it was wrong and despite the numerous mysteries in her life, she had never wanted to stoop to that level. However, that did not mean she was not ever tempted. But when the utterance of her own name drifted into her ears, for the first time in her life, Sakura gave into the temptation. For could it truly be eavesdropping if you were the very subject of the conversation?

She quickly ducked behind a tree to avoid being seen. Their hushed voices were quiet but when she concentrated hard enough, she could make out their words over the chirp of crickets and the trickle of water as it spilled soothingly into the pond.

"I told you this would happen," Tsunade hissed, her anger obviously just barely under control. "No more. From now on, she no longer goes with you two."

"He did not recognize her, to him she was just a mortal that we saved," Kakashi explained.

"A mortal that caught his attention," Tsunade shot back.

"A faceless mortal," Kakashi pointed.

"I don't care," Tsunade waved. "No more. She stays here during the dark hours."

"There is no reason to overreact," Kakashi replied.

"Overreact?!" Tsunade all but yelled. "Be thankful I am not revoking her guardianship duties as well!"

"She will not like this," Kakashi warned. "She has seen it, you know she won't go back to…"

"I don't care about that, what I care about is her safety."

Sakura's brow furrowed. Were they not all taking the same risks by hunting? Every angel descending after dark was in danger, why would her's be any different? Why would her's matter more? Why did it matter if Sasuke did or did not see her? She did not know him, she had never met him, so why would him seeing her matter?

Kakashi took a deep breath and sighed. "A few nights. Have her stay in a few nights and then let her continue, she needs this." Kakashi tried to bargain. "Sasuke never stays in the same place for long, we have her stay in for a period of time but then we let her continue."

Any more of the conversation was drowned out by the thudding of her heart as the rush of blood deadened her ears. Panic took all ability to think at the idea of being banned from the mortal realm. Unable to gather anymore information, Sakura quietly moved away to retreat back to her room and try to process everything she had heard and seen tonight.

It had always been a mystery as to why she always had to be so cautious around their kind and act like a mortal. At first she thought it was to better their success in hunting down rogue demons. But now, she was not so sure. Sakura's brow narrowed as she thought back to earlier that night. Kakashi's instructions, Naruto's protectiveness, both of their mannerisms when speaking with the Uchiha. Kakashi had always seemed to divert the subject anytime it fell on or near her. It was almost as if they were hiding her. But why?

She had been seen by many demons in her time. Granted, each time had always been as a mortal. The few who had discovered her true identity as a seraph had been the ones her teammates had destroyed. This fact had not been any different during the nights earlier encounter but somehow, this encounter was different. And it seemed that the varying variable was this Uchiha.

This conclusion did not do anything to bring clarity to her confusion. All it did was intensify it. Was it all Uchihas that they were worried about or was it just this one? If so, what was different about Sasuke Uchiha that they were so worried about his discovery of her? For that is what it was, was it not? It had been she who had been hidden and protected and it was she that would be suffering the consequences. But why? The demon had no connection with her whatsoever. Perhaps it was her connection to Tsunade. But then again, Sasuke had said he was neutral in the rebellion that was taking place. So again, why was he dangerous?

The pulse of the bass coming from the club thrummed through the walls and into the back of the club. The overhead fluorescent lights that lit the dingy corridor did not match the mood in which the music set. On the other side of the wall, in a large room dimmed in low light with the occasional flash of a strobe, hundreds of bodies were pushed together as mortals writhed against each other to the tempo of the music. He could smell the body odor and alcohol the moment he opened the rusty back door normally used by delivery trucks and employees. With quick strides he made his way to the hollow stair well and ascended each step with an even grace.

At the top of the landing was another, more narrow and darker hallway. Half the lights above were burnt out, leaving only the light closest to the stairs and the flickering light at the end of the hallway to illuminate the way. The walls, having been bathed in chipping black paint did nothing to help with guiding him to the door of his destination. But Sasuke did not need the assistance of light to navigate, his evolved eyes were meant for darkness.

The door opened into a small room with another door. It was empty with the exception of a lone, dark haired man sitting on a metal fold out chair. His tan face was hidden behind a mask pulled around his face as his green eyes stared greedily down at a wad of cash he was thumbing through. He paused in his currency counting to look up at him. A glimmer of recognition flashed across his eyes and he nodded to Sasuke before reaching back to knock on the heavy steel door that he guarded. He gave two quick raps of his knuckles followed by two slow ones before going back to his money without a word or further acknowledgment to Sasuke. Sasuke waited in silence. A minute passed by before he heard the slide of a lock being unbolted and the door cracked open.

"You're late," commented a slicked back, silver haired man.

Sasuke said nothing and stepped past the man, giving him a red eyed warning as he passed by the demon. The thud of the heavy door being shut sounded and the effect was instantaneous. The loud, nearly deafening music was cut off by quality sound proof walls. Replacing the fluctuating rave music was a smooth tone that set a sensual, relaxed tone to the atmosphere.

The only evidence of the riotous music that was being played on the other side of the wall, was the small vibrations he felt in his feet from the heavy bass of sub-woofers that no amount of building material could escape.

The private lounge consisted of three solid walls painted a deep crimson while the fourth was a floor to ceiling window that stretched out from wall to wall. It overlooked the interior of the club's main attraction. Sasuke could see the sea of bodies grinding and bobbing up and down to the beat of the music. From below, if a person were to look up, they would only be greeted with a reflection of the throng of dancers as the two way mirror gave those within the private lounge the option to observe the crowd below while keeping their own activities unknown to the masses.

The silver haired man who had opened the door passed Sasuke and took a seat at the small mini bar in the corner. A woman in a thin dress instantly pressed herself up along the silver haired man's side. Wrapping an arm around the woman, he pulled her closer as she ran a finger along the exposed chest his half buttoned shirt revealed. Her manicured nails dug into his skin as she gave the man a sultry look. Sasuke internally sneered at the woman and the demon in which she was attached to, for that was what he was.

He was no mortal but one of his own kind. Though Sasuke could tell he was far from a pure bred like himself. Purebred or not, the demon was powerful. He could tell by the chakra that emanated from him. He either had no control in keeping it steady or the fool just did not care. He caught a glimpse of a silver necklace around the man's neck as the woman's hand fiddled with the pendent that hung from it. Sasuke recognized it instantly. A circle with a flipped triangle, the symbol for Jashin and the source of this man's power. Sasuke's eyes flickered back over the man as a name came to his mind. Hidan; he was a rogue demon, either banned or defected by choice from the underworld.

Without access this meant he had to find his own way to survive, just like the rest of the seraphim that no longer remained loyal to the duties bestowed upon them by the gods. It was that, or quickly diminish out of existence. Hidan was one of the few who had found a loophole, although that number had been steadily increasing with time as more methods were discovered. Hidan however, had a signature method. He sacrificed mortals in the name of Jashin, a minor and more rebellious god, who in return granted him power to survive. Sasuke looked over the girl attached to him and wondered if she realized that the 'night of her life' that Hidan promised her would also be her last night ever.

His dark eyes looked back to the silver haired demon. If this truly was Hidan, then that most likely meant it was the infamous Kakuzu that had been sitting out front. Kakuzu had his own way in obtaining power to survive. Unlike his companion, instead of sacrificing mortals, he bought their souls. It was no wonder the man had been so obsessed with the wad of cash in his hands. For it was that bundle of green that kept him alive. That, and any mortal desperate enough to, in short, sell their soul to the devil.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't my favorite nephew," came a sinister drawl.

Sasuke turned to face the direction from which the voice had come. Pinned to the wall was a massive pair of blessed wings, spread out in full expanse for optimal display and mockery. There were a number of angels to which these wings could have belonged to given the identity of the man sitting below them.

Sasuke eyes dropped down to the man sitting on the low backed couch that was positioned directly below the taxidermied display. His face, so similar to his own and his hair, dark and spiky just like his but with greater length. Nuzzled against his massive body, two mortal women stared up at their companion with lust filled eyes as the man himself ignored their wandering hands and lips. A pair of dark wings, muscled and scared from the countless battles of their long ago history, hung over the back of the couch without a care that mortals were in his presence. Sasuke met the man's eyes. They were cold and dark, just like his but far more dangerous. Sasuke watched as a wide grin spread across his face just before his uncle spoke again.

"It has been a long time Sasuke," he greeted.

"Madara," Sasuke replied, nearly growling the name. "Thought you had crawled under a rock to die long ago."

Madara smiled. "Ah yes, I can see where some would think that. But, as you can see," a lazy hand indicated the length of his body sprawled on the couch, "those were obviously rumors as I am very much alive."

"That is a pity," Sasuke murmured.

Madara's mouth curled even more. "I have to admit, I did not think you would come so quickly when I sought you out."

"I wanted to see for myself that your messenger was telling the truth."

"Ah, and here I thought you missed me," Madara mocked.

"What do you want?" Sasuke deadpanned.

Madara had the audacity to look innocent. "What, can't a lonely uncle reach out to his nephew in hopes for a family reunion?"

Sasuke's eye twitched as he gritted his teeth in annoyance. "Spare me the theatrics Madara. We both know you don't care about family."

A dark glint shone in Madara's eyes. "On the contrary, my dear boy, I care very much about my family." There was a small pause of intense silence before Madara seemed to relax and continue. "But you are right, I did not just summon you for a reunion." Madara leaned forward slightly. "I want your help."

Sasuke let a moment of silence pass by as he observed his uncle. Madara stared back at him, his onyx eyes focused solely on him with perfect practice as the two women attempted to draw his attention only to be easily disregarded.

"I don't help others," Sasuke stated simply.

"Then perhaps we could call it a trade," Madara offered. "You do some tasks for me and then I can pay you for your services. Help me, to help yourself. I promise I can certainly make it your while."

Sasuke let out a small chuckle and strolled over to the large window to watch the pulse of dancers moving up and down to the music. There was no telling what song was being played, but the vibrations he felt in the floor told him they were on point. Crossing his arms he turned to lean his back against the cold glass as he looked back to Madara who was still watching him closely.

"What makes you think that I want anything from you?" Sasuke said spitefully. "What makes you think I want anything at all...from anyone."

The corner of the older Uchiha's mouth curled with mirth. "Everyone wants something. I remember you were always eagerly looking to expand your power."

Sasuke gave an internal sigh. How many times would he have to repeat himself tonight that he wanted no part of the rift between angels and demons? "People change," Sasuke remarked. He was growing weary of this conversation. He had already given his answer and there would be no changing his mind.

His words did nothing to berift Madara, if anything, Madara only looked more amused. "Yes," he agreed, "they do change. But you don't," he added with a thoughtful tone. "It is why I called for you. Just tell me Sasuke, what does that sinfully black heart of yours desire? Power? Position? Acknowledgment?"

The last suggestion struck a nerve in Sasuke, his eyes narrowed dangerously, but Madara did not so much as blink. He was not an unwise man. Everything he did, he did with purpose. And right now, he was playing against Sasuke's weaknesses. The inability to ever earn his father's approval.

"I already gave my answer," Sasuke said with a sour expression and a bitter tone. "I don't want anything from you and I have no desire to help you. Not now, not ever. I don't trust you."

"You helped Orochimaru and that snake lived up to his title in more than just appearance. He was the inspiration for the phrase 'treacherous snake'," Madara commented, he had a glint in his eyes that made Sasuke want to snarl. "Tell me, what made him so special? What did he offer you?" His head tilted to the side as his eyes glistened with intrigue.

Sasuke angled his head to look back down at the dancers below. He watched them for a long time as all expression in his face was wiped away. "Something unattainable," he said in a small whisper, not caring if he was heard or not.

"Nothing is unattainable."

His uncle's comment caused him to break away from his absent minded staring and looked back to his uncle. The covet in his uncle's eyes gave Sasuke pleasure, knowing that Madara would not let that show if he did not want it that much. Which made his denial all the sweeter. Pushing off the window, Sasuke stuck his hands into his pockets and began to make his way to the door.

"That is what Orochimaru said as well and I made the mistake of believing him for centuries," Sasuke commented as he crossed the floor. "But he paid for his lies."

"Well if you change your mind," Madara began, causing Sasuke to come to a sudden stop. His head slowly turned to the side to look at Madara. "My door is always open."

"Tch," Sasuke scoffed, turning back to continue his way back to his exit. "Don't count on it."

Not long after leaving the club, Sasuke found himself wandering along the streets of New York. He wove his way through the foot traffic, his grace and agility keeping him from bumping into anyone. The longer he strolled, the deeper his mind began to go over the events of the day. He had hoped the busy night life would have distracted him from such things but it seemed his mind was too perturbed to be diverted. To his relief, Madara had said nothing more to delay his departure after his last words. But he knew better than to think the long ago patriarch of the fallen faction would let him off so easily. Madara did not have dreams, he had goals that he made into realities. Sasuke had once had this same mentality in his younger years. It was one of the many reasons why so many always stated that he was more of his uncle's son than his own father. He had once thought it a compliment but now he was not so sure.

Madara had fallen hard after his failed attempt to take over the blessed faction. After the disaster of the peace talks during the Grecian Era, Madara had disappeared, leaving the fallen without leadership. Not to Sasuke's surprise, it did not take much convincing for Fugaku to step up and take his place. For awhile he kept order but when Sasuke left to pursue his own ambitions, many began to question his father's ability when his own son failed to follow him. Sasuke was not bothered by it in the least. Occasionally he felt sympathy for his mother as she continued to stand by her husband as their world crumbled into disarray, but there had been certain things that had taken precedence over making his mother happy and pretending to be a loyal son to a father who hardly acknowledged his existence. It was true that he was long done with that ambition, but he doubted he would be welcomed home after all these years. His brother said otherwise whenever they ran into each other but Sasuke no longer heeded his brother's words.

So instead of going home, Sasuke had chosen to wander. For awhile he had a few companions but they had found their own goals eventually and went their separate ways. Jugo; a mortal that had been possessed by several blood-thirsty demon souls, had gone on to live a life in a secluded temple in the mountains of Tibet. He had been one of Orochimaru's first successful experiments. Although mortal, Jugo was now nearly three thousand years old, the majority of those years having been kept captive in a cage. With no way to rid himself of the demon souls that kept him alive but a danger to those around him, Jugo thought the best solution would be to learn how to keep control over his mind. It was his hope that the monks that lived in the mountains would be able to help him learn to do this.

Suigetsu was a demon far from the main branch that Sasuke had come to tolerate over the years of exposure. The shark toothed demon had taken a less zen like path than their orange haired giant. He had gone on to collect the seven nephilim blades that had been forged by the god Takemikazuchi himself. How he was going to obtain them and what he was going to do with them was unknown to Sasuke.

The third had been Karin, she was a blessed angel that Orochimaru had collected after the attack during the peace talks. Her ambition had not necessarily caused her to stray away more so cause Sasuke to leave her. He was not sure what the red haired cursed angel was up to now but he did not care.

For several decades he had roamed the earth by himself. It was lonely and many times meaningless, but Sasuke preferred that. He had given up on trying to bring her back long ago and when he had finally accepted that fact, his thirst for revenge had left him. Tired and weary of an immortal life, Sasuke now meandered the mortal if he were waiting or hoping for something to present itself to him and give him motivation.

In short, Sasuke was bored. However, not bored enough to be tempted in getting caught up with Madara and his schemes. He had to admit that after centuries of no word of whisper of him, Sasuke was surprised to find that he was still alive and well as ever. Perhaps at one point he would have been tempted, but it was the company in which Madara kept, that caused him to immediately deter from accepting Madara's offer.

Madara wanted his help. For what, he did not he did not want to know. He was done with angelic business. If there was one good thing that came from Orochimaru, it was the curse mark. It gave him the ability to survive without being attached to either faction of seraphim as well as not being forced to find his own means of survival like Madara's men.

After witnessing two known Akatsuki members practically act as henchmen for his uncle, it did not take a genius to figure out who the leader was of the elusive group. Sasuke did not know everything about them. In fact he only knew a few facts. But it was enough facts to know what kind of assortment Madara had working under him. The varying ways that their kind resorted to in order for survival made him sick. Buying souls, sacrificing mortal lives, sealing souls into puppets before they had a chance to pass on, they had all found a way and it was all cruel. It was one of the weaknesses Sasuke seemed unable to rid himself of.

Kakashi had been right. He did care. He cared about mortals and that is why he stayed out of it. For a long time he had tricked himself, he told himself they did not matter and that they were insignificant. It worked for centuries and he had done unspeakable things. But that all changed during the mortals second World War. He had still been with Orochimaru. He had been the one behind the majority of evil influence that had taken place during those years.

Sasuke had done well up until he discovered the experiments Orochimaru had Kabuto doing on mortals. Sasuke had walked in on one of Kabuto's sessions, and the woman who had been his victim of the day had looked up at him. It was that look that caused everything to change. She looked nothing like Sakura. Hollow cheeks, skin tinged blue and black from the frigid weather she had been exposed to. And the hair, a mousy dull brown. In reality, it most likely would not have phased him had she not caught his eye. It had been her eyes that had undone him. Her green eyes had nearly been the same color, dimmed from the misery and pain of living the past year in Orochimaru's personal lab, but it was close enough. The woman had looked at him with such pain, as if pleading him to end her life. It was that look that he knew she would have been disappointed and for the first time in his life, he felt ashamed.

It was then that he had turned on Orochimaru and not long after, the mortal war ended. He was only sorry that he had not finished Kabuto off before Orochimaru, he had not expected the scaley minion to evade him for so long. He had been hunting the sick sadist for nearly seventy years only to find a trail of rumors and dead ends. He could be dead for all he knew but something in Sasuke told him otherwise. Kabuto was a survivor and a chameleon. He did not perish so easily.

Eventually Sasuke found himself outside of the city on a lonely pier. He leaned against a lampost and gazed back at the metropolis as the first rays of the rising sun began to make the city line glow. As he took in the scene, the warmth of the sun hit his back. He let out an exhausted yet relaxed sigh. As the thoughts of Orochimaru, Madara, and suffering mortals left his mind, it was replaced with a single thought in the form of an image. A hooded small frame standing in the shadows. It was a fleeting thought but Sasuke clung to it, curious as to why his subconscious would bring such a thing to his attention. The more he thought back to his short reunion, the more he became intrigued. Since he was in the city maybe he would keep tabs on his former comrades. Perhaps this so-called mortal would show up again and he could see why she earned such protection. Because it was quite obvious that she was valuable to them and he wanted to know why.

Chapter Text

Ancient Greece:

It sounded as if all the birds of Greece had migrated to the small glen in the woods, but it was in fact the opposite. There was not a single fowl insight as they had all been scared off by the wild screeching and flashing blue electricity. While no birds were present, two pairs of wings could still be found, but they belonged to an entirely different species. One pair was black and leathered. At the tips, sharp talons shone in the lowering sunlight as the owner sweat with exertion and breathed with heavy pants. The second pair were soft as a dove's but colored in a faint grey. The discolored feathers shifted slightly as a breeze passed through them while the owner stood with his arms folded and a single black eye observing.

The blue electricity, once steady and bright, began to flicker as the dark haired seraph began to pant with exhaustion. A growl of frustration erupted from Sasuke's lips as the last tendril died. As the snarl echoed and died, the mountain meadow fell quiet for a moment as Sasuke slumped to his knees. He clenched the grass, pulling it from its roots as he tried to regain his breath. After the short rest, he stood up. With a look of determination on his face, he began to concentrate and start the hand signs that would summon the blue lightning again.

"That's enough for today," Kakashi said.

Sasuke shot him a look. "One more time," he insisted as he moved to continue.

A hand on his shoulder stopped his fingers mid sign. "No more," Kakashi said more firmly. "It's too power is not meant to be wielded more than twice in a session. In time you will build up more strength and that number will increase. But for now, you need to rest, we can pick this back up tomorrow."

Sasuke remained in his stance for a few more seconds then finally gave in. Straightening and walking over the small stream, he bent down to cup several greedy gulps of water. The last handful he splashed over his face. It felt cool and refreshing against his hot skin. Feeling revived, he stood back up and rubbed his sore shoulders.

Kakashi was already resting against a tree trunk when he finished, his face covered by a scroll of parchment as he vigorously studied it. Sasuke's eye twitched when he heard the older seraph giggle behind the page. The silver seraph was a peculiar one. He was several centuries older than himself and had earned quite the reputation during the war. Ever since the war ended, he had become somewhat of a recluse. He was still loyal and served the blessed, but he spent more time on earth than he did in the heavens. A decade or so ago he had started mentoring Sasuke. He had been one of Naruto's mentors first and when he and the blonde started up their rivalry, Naruto had introduced them. It was then that Kakashi began to mentor him as well. Sasuke liked the silver man, even possibly looked up to him, but he was still odd.

Despite knowing him for a good amount of years, he still did not know much about the seraph. He was not sure how exactly his wings had become tarnished, but the man had many mysteries. He had his theories, most of them linked to the sharingan that he possessed and kept hidden. Sasuke had only seen his family's bloodline on the man a handful of times. How he came to possess and wield it was just another mystery that made Kakashi. One thing he did know was the man's perverse habits. He knew that scroll was nothing academic. Despite what Jiraiya, the seraph that had given it to him, claimed it to be. The sage proclaimed it to be a composition of rigorously collected data and research. He and Naruto had stolen it once and found it to be nothing but a highly graphic pictograph of some rather intimate moments between a man and a woman. Speaking of the loud mouthed angel, he was late.

As if Sasuke's thought had a magical summons, the loud thuds of something crashing through the forest broke the tranquility of the glade surrounding them. Sasuke glanced towards the sound while Kakashi remained unphased by the approach of something that sounded like a herd of elephants. From the pine trees and underbrush, Naruto burst through the foliage. Arms wildly pumping as he sprinted towards them, Sasuke took in the blonde seraph who had several sticks and leaves collected in his spiky hair, making him look like a crazed wild man.

"Where have you been?" Sasuke asked as he settled down near Kakashi who finally peeked out from over his scroll.

Naruto's heavy panting filled the air as he sat down with them under the shade of the tree. Kakashi moved his attention back to his scroll as his hand casually dug through a satchel sitting on the ground beside him.

"Sorry, sorry, I was with Sakura and we kind of lost track of time."

Sasuke's head whipped to the side. "Sakura?" He asked in confusion, looking at the blonde as he drank from a flask of water offered to him by Kakashi.

Naruto paused and looked at Sasuke. "Yeah, Sakura, remember that mortal we met a couple weeks back."

"I know who she is moron, I am not like you and have the memory of a goldfish," Sasuke replied in annoyance. "My question is, why were you with her?"

Naruto shrugged. "She asked if I wanted a tour of her family's olive grove the other day when we went into the city."

"You spent time with her before today?"

Naruto gave him an odd look, "Of course, pretty much everyday since we met her," he clarified. He paused for a moment, analyzing Sasuke's expression and odd reaction to this new information. Suddenly he was hit with an idea and a devilish grin spread across his face. "Why do you sound so bothered? Jealous?"

Kakashi peeked over the papyrus scroll in his hands to satisfy some of the intrigue that developed from the conversation being exchanged before him. This was not the first time Naruto had mentioned a mortal girl he had been spending time with. Kakashi had heard his blonde student talk about her a handful of times over the week.

It was no oddity for Naruto to meet and take a fascination with a mortal. The boy both liked and lacked friends, so he was happy to accept them in any shape and form. Whether they be angel, mortal, or in Sasuke's case, demon. Whomever and whatever they were, Naruto made them his friends. Although Kakashi figured the dark haired seraph would argue that terminology to label his relationship with the rambunctious angel.

What made the conversation particularly interesting was the fact that Sasuke seemed to know the girl as well. That one fact was enough to draw his attention away from the most recent addition to his personal library. Sasuke only associated with mortals enough to influence their soul before moving on to the next, never bothering to learn their name or recall their face. Therefore, it spoke volumes as to the impact this mortal must have made on Sasuke for him to not only remember her, but to question Naruto about her. If it were anyone else it would seem insignificant. But this was not just anyone else, this was Sasuke. And Sasuke was Sasuke. He did not ask questions unless genuinely interested.

Kakashi caught Sasuke's dark gaze move to him and he quickly retreated back behind the scroll. As he stared at the Egyptian pictographs that illustrated Jiraiya's most recent imagination of a pharaoh, a slave girl, and their forbidden love, Kakashi continued to listen sharply as Sasuke nonchalantly interrogated Naruto and his associations with their mortal acquaintance.

Sasuke stiffened at the accusation of being jealous, he was above such things. He quickly looked towards Kakashi whose one visible dark eye quickly disappeared back behind the scroll. Sasuke frowned at the nosy seraph, knowing full well that the older man was still listening closely to their conversation. He shot Naruto a glare.

"Tch," Sasuke scoffed. "There is nothing to be jealous of. She's an insignificant mortal. I am just concerned about her talking. If you keep showing up, how is she supposed to forget about our existence? She's going to tell someone."

Naruto shook his head. "She won't do that."

"How can you be so sure?" Sasuke challenged.

"She is not stupid," Naruto endorsed. "And she gave me her word."

"Whatever," Sasuke brushed off.

Naruto noticed Sasuke's effort to seem casual. Deciding he was not quite done with his fun he continued. "She asked about you the other day," he baited, watching him closely from the corner of his eye.

Sasuke's eyes snapped to Naruto. It was brief but Naruto caught the genuine eagerness before it was quickly masked with indifference. "What did she want to know?" he asked casually.

"She was just curious about why she hadn't seen you," Naruto answered. "You know, you should join us sometime. She knows the market really well in the city."

"Tch, why would I want to waste my time with a mundane mortal?"

"She's different," Naruto defended. "She said she would show me a sensational overlook of the sea tomorrow. You should come!"

"Why would I want to do that when I can just fly over the sea?" Sasuke argued.

Growing tired of Sasuke's indifference Naruto waved his question off. "Suit yourself, just offering to come."

"Hn," Sasuke hummed as he laid down and settled in the long grass.

"So is that a yes? You'll come?"

"Hn."

Two Weeks Ago

Darkness had consumed the earth several hours ago. Sasuke had done his very best to not be here. Confused and frustrated, he had no answer as to why he was here. But he was. Perched on the tall rock wall that surrounded the humble estate, Sasuke watched the figure in the garden. Several tall fruit trees hid him in the shadows and he did his best to ignore the sweet scent of ripened fruit that wafted in the breeze.

It had not taken him long to find her. Despite his seemingly withdrawn attitude from the mornings earlier conversation, he had found he had retained every scrap of information about her that she had shared. It was annoying. Annoying, but useful. She had talked about her family's olive grove that was located just outside the small town at the base of the mountain. Most of the area was farming and agriculture but there was only one olive grove.

She was kneeled down on the ground in front a little garden. Herbs and flowers flourished in the small bed as she quietly hummed to herself. Her hair was left free to tumble down around her back and face. She paused in her digging around a rosemary bush to tuck the curtain of locks falling into her face behind her ear. Sasuke watched as the movement left a muddy smear across her cheek as she went back to digging her bare hands around in the dirt. As he watched her move from plant to plant, sometimes pulling weeds while other times pruning the plants themselves, he found himself gaining more questions in his mind than answers.

The first question was if the girl was ever not dirty. He watched her gather up a basket of collected herbs and brush off her dirty dress. With the wicker balanced on a hip she walked into the small brick home and disappeared behind a door. With no more reason to remain, now that his object of observance was no longer visible, Sasuke spread his wings and took off into the air, concluding that he would have to return again in order to collect more information in order to satisfy his curiosity.

Sasuke had returned the very next night, as well as the next, and the next, and the next. In fact, he had returned every night since meeting her two weeks ago. He told himself it was to make sure she was not telling anyone of his kind's existence. But deep down, he knew there was more to it than that. He had yet to figure out that reason and that irked him. He did not like to be ignorant of things, he wanted to understand. Ignorance was a weakness and this girl, while seemingly normal in almost every way, had somehow managed to stand out to him.

Tonight his attendance was no different. As soon as the sun began its descent beyond the horizon, sending Naruto and Kakashi back to their heaven above, Sasuke had swiftly found himself perched at his usual point of observation. There was still a small amount of reflected light in the sky, but complete darkness would soon consume the world.

He was earlier than usual. Passersby were frequent as they returned to their homes in the dusk light. Each time a fellow farmer or merchant passed by on their return home from the market, they each called out to Sakura with a happy greeting. She returned each and every one with a happy wave, a warm smile, and her own cheerful greeting. A few stopped and spoke with her, mostly girls her own age and a few elderly. When a young boy stopped by and spoke with her as well, Sasuke listened in, his heightened hearing not missing a word. The young boy spoke of his grandfather and an ailment he had been experiencing. Sakura asked a few more questions and as he answered her, her face scrunched in thought as she listened. When finished she told the boy to head home and she would be by later to visit. Not long after she disappeared into her home. On any other evening, this was usually the time when Sasuke would depart, but this time, he lingered.

Sakura entered her home from the back door that led into the kitchen. Her mother was standing at the table taking inventory of the cellars with the woman who helped around the house. They were not excessively rich but her family did well enough that they were able to hold a few servants to help maintain the small manor as well as a few workers that helped her father with the olive grove and oil pressing during the harvests. Upon her entry, her mother looked up from the ledger and gave her a warm smile. Her golden hair was swept up into its usual bun as her green eyes shone with warmth.

"Pyrros' grandfather is not doing well," Sakura announced as she walked over to a wall with several dried herbs and a shelf of medicinal salves. She began to collect various supplies into a small basket. "I am going to go over to and check on him. I do not think it is anything serious but he has never been in full health since that cough developed."

Her mother paused to peek outside. "Very well but be quick about it and take your cloak. It might be chilly tonight when you come back."

Sakura nodded as she grabbed her cloak from a peg next to the door and slipped out. With hurried steps she walked down the path that led from the back door through the garden to the back gate. As she crossed her family's property and onto the road that ran by her home, she began to walk briskly towards the small home of the carpenter.

He did not live too far away, but he certainly lived in the secluded area of the mountainside. He was somewhat of a hermit until his daughter and grandson came to live with them after his son-in-law died. Pyrros was learning the trade quickly, which was good given his grandfather's declining health. Already the twelve year old boy did the majority of the work while his grandfather sat and instructed him. His hands had become stiff with arthritis which Sakura did her best to relieve and keep functioning. She had done well to keep him healthy over the past year but a few months ago he developed a cough and it began to take a heavy toll. Most days the old carpenter could only manage to walk a small way before running out of breath.

By no means was Sakura a physician but she had a basic knowledge that she did her best to expand. The small, secluded town did not have a physician. This forced people to travel to the city which was far and expensive. For most minor ailments they came to her and anything more they would make the journey or pay the expense to have a physician come to them.

But the carpenter was too frail to travel such a distance and the expense of paying a person trained in medicine to come was too steep for the suffering carpenter's business. So Sakura did her best to help as much as she could. She accepted the small carvings made by the boy and the pottery made by Pyrros' mother as payment, although she would do it for nothing if the family let her. The carvings she passed onto other children she visited to persuade them or reward them for taking medications. The pottery she made use by storing salves and medicines.

Sasuke followed the maiden all the way to a small hovel of a home. To the side of the home was an open shed full of half finished furniture. The smell of fresh cut oak and cypress was heavy in the air. The closer to the home, the more potent the smell became.

He had moved with silence and a stealth with each step. With it being a new moon, it was easy to follow closely and not be seen. When Sakura arrived at the humble abode, she knocked on the door and was greeted by the same young boy that she had spoken with earlier. Behind the boy appeared a woman who looked to be the boy's mother, who eagerly invited Sakura inside.

When Sakura disappeared through the door, Sasuke moved. Taking up a position next to a small hole in the wall, that served as a window. He peered in to watch Sakura lean over a frail looking man laying in a bed.

He watched her as she reached out a delicate hand and felt the old man's forehead, she seemed satisfied with the results and continued further with her examination. Sasuke continued to observe her as she helped the man sit up and with her ear pressed to his chest, she listened to his ragged breathing for a while. She continued various tasks, preparing tea, rubbing an ointment on the man's chest, and speaking with the woman.

All the while, Sasuke watched her. The way she moved and handled her patient with such gentleness. The reassuring smile she gave the grandson when he worriedly asked if his grandfather would be okay. As Sakura spoke with the young boy's mother he noted the compassionate friendliness in which she interacted with the woman. From what he had observed, Sakura's family was among the more wealthy in the countryside. This family was obviously struggling. And in a society segregated by class, Sakura was certainly far higher on the ladder than this family. But despite this fact, Sasuke noticed the maiden treat each member of the family with respect. There was no superiority in the way she interacted with them. Instead she treated them with kindness. But it was not out of pity or charity, Sasuke realized. He recalled the way Sakura had seemed to know and care about everyone that had passed by her house. She did everything out of the goodness of her heart and with pure intent.

This discovery disturbed Sasuke. It was people like her that attracted his kind. Both blessed and fallen. The blessed reveled in such purity and guarded the souls as if they were the most precious stones to be found. But the fallen saw them differently. They saw such mortals as a challenge and they took enjoyment in tainting such precious souls. A person such as Sakura would draw any demon towards her, especially the more powerful ones. Sasuke frowned at this thought. She was a vulnerable target and here she was, traveling in the middle of the night just to tend to some sickly old man without any regard as to what could be lurking in the dark.

Unconsciously he felt himself reaching out for any indication that there was another of his kind nearby. He felt no presence, but that did not mean she would cross paths with one on her way home. He was not sure why, but the thought of someone influencing her, whether it be good or bad, disturbed him.

Sakura was regretting not bringing a lantern with her. When she had left her home, the sky was still a navy blue and gave off enough light to see the silhouettes of her surroundings. Now, there was nothing. A heavy curtain of clouds overhead blocked the faint starlight that would normally help guide her. And with the moon being at the beginning of a new cycle, it too failed to produce a light bright enough to penetrate through the veil of clouds. Sakura knew the path that led to her house well enough. In fact she knew it so well, that it was easy enough to navigate through the darkness. But it was not necessarily the possibility of going astray that had Sakura on edge.

There was nothing she could see nor did she hear anything. There was no evidence that her normal senses picked up that anything was amiss. But the prickling of her skin as the hairs rose on her arms and neck, along with the deep impression of being watched, made her feel uneasy.

She had started her journey home, grasping her basket tightly with one arm and holding a small clay jar given to her as payment. Through the darkness she strode with slow, steady steps. At first she ignored the uneasy feeling. She had never been one to be afraid of darkness. Her village was safe and secluded, nothing bad ever happened. And it was not necessarily fear that she was feeling, she was not sure what emotion it was. But as her adrenaline began to make its way through her body, the feeling intensified.

She picked up her steps, moving quickly through the dark and guiding herself with the familiar feel of the ground beneath her feet. She was nearly jogging when the sudden break of the quiet surrounding her was interrupted by a voice. A dark, sultry voice that was both alarming and alluring.

"You should not be out here by yourself."

Sakura let out a yelp as the smooth deep voice sounded far closer than it should without her knowledge of a person's presence. The sound of broken pottery echoed around her as she whirled in the direction of the voice. Staring out into the darkness, she strained her eyes for something. Eventually she managed to distinguish something. A dark figure leaning against something tall and slender, perhaps a tree? Unable to get her feet to move closer, she strained to identify the person. Her eyes adjusted a little more and noticed the light color of the pale skin that was not covered by the black cloak wrapped around their body. A pair of arms were folded across a chest. Near their right shoulder she caught the shine of a silver brooch holding the cloak tight, an indistinguishable emblem was engraved on it but it was too dark to make out the details. As she looked higher she found what was the person's neck and face, and then she caught the faint glow of red.

Anyone would be afraid. They would scream. They would run. But Sakura did none of these. Because she knew those eyes, she knew that voice. She had only seen and heard them once a couple weeks ago but they were memorable enough that it only took once to memorize. Many times she thought she had imagined such features. But there had been a pair of blue eyes that had returned nearly every day as a reminder, as evidence that she was not insane. But she never thought she would see this particular set of eyes again. While she knew the person before her was not a threat, it did not mean she was at ease.

"Sasuke?" She asked, her voice sounding small in the darkness as she looked for confirmation of his identity.

"Hn."

Not only was the girl always dirty, but it seemed that she was always dropping pottery. His eyes looked down at the broken shards by her sandaled feet, his blood trait made it easy for him to take in the individual pieces with detail, despite the darkness around them. With slow survey, he trailed his eyes up to her face to see her squinting in effort to see through the dark. It was another reminder just how weak mortals were.

The reminder brought about a twinge of disappointment. He was not sure why, but he found himself always hoping that she would somehow be different, superior to the other mortals. The past two weeks of observing her in the dead of night had been frustrating to find out just how annoyingly normal she was. Aside from the one time fluke of her ability to resist his bloodline, she was monotonous. But that was not as annoying as the fact that he found himself continuing his habits every night, regardless of the repetitive findings.

She called out his name, her tone hesitant. It was as if she was not fully sure it was him. He wondered if it mattered to her whether or not if she was correct. He let out his signature hum and watched a small flicker of relief wash across her face at the confirmation of his identity. Although he still sensed an uneasiness about her, he found himself content that she seemed somewhat comforted with the fact that it was his presence and not someone else.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, her voice holding confusion.

"I would like to ask the same thing," he found himself replying. "It's dark out."

He saw a twinge of challenge in her face at his comment. And he liked it. It was that minuscule feature about her that had caught his attention before. It was that defiant sort of bravery that he realized set her apart from other mortals. She just needed some gentle coaxing in order to show it.

"I am not afraid of the dark," she stated firmly.

Sasuke's mouth curled at her determined bravery. He quickly stepped to her side, his steps light and silent with only the shift in air to give warning of his movement. In the blink of an eye he was at her side, leaning into her ear.

"It's not the dark that you should be afraid of, but what's in the dark," he whispered.

She startled at the sudden close proximity. Her sandals made a scraping sound as she turned and shuffled away from him. Her whole body twitched and her grasp on the basket faltered. It too fell towards the ground but before joining the broken jar, Sasuke reached out and caught it.

"Tch, so clumsy," he mumbled to himself as he lifted the basket and pressed it back into her shaking arms. He was slightly disappointed in how her summoned courage seemed to be so easily shaken. But he was torn, for he enjoyed the way his words and proximity seemed to rattle her as well.

"Thanks," Sakura said quietly as she managed to get her shaking hands to grasp the returned item.

Sasuke tucked his hands into his cloak and began to walk down the road. When she did not follow he paused to look back at her. "Are you coming?" he asked, his voice holding impatience.

She stared at him, barley making out his body in the dark. "Where are we going?"

Sasuke did his best to not roll his eyes. "To your manor," he replied, making it sound as if it were the most obvious answer.

"...oh..okay," Sakura stumbled out but failed to move.

Sasuke raised a brow. "Well?"

"R-right," she quickly stuttered as she finally managed to move.

When she moved, he moved, and she had to quicken her steps for several strides before she fell into step with him. After a short while they settled into a slow pace, Sakura's sandals making a small pitter-patter with each step, while Sasuke strode silently next to her. As they walked in silence, Sasuke watched her closely from the corner of his eye.

It felt different than the last time they had walked together. She was less vocal than a few weeks ago. While her never ending stream of questions had been annoying, he was beginning to think that this odd, reserved version of her bothered him more.

And it was not just the lack of talking that was different. Her body had still yet to fully relax. Her steps were more rigid and he could see her fingers grasping tightly at the woven basket frame. Sasuke found himself frowning, puzzled by her change in personality.

"Why haven't I seen you with Naruto again?"

At her question Sasuke suddenly found his answer as to what was different. Naruto was not here. It was the blessed one who she had directed all of her questions to last time and it had been the blonde's presence that had put her at ease. Sasuke knew he did not give off a calming aura, in fact most of the time he intentionally put people off. Why he expected her reaction to his presence to be different was beyond him.

"Why would you expect to see me with him?" Sasuke asked in a dull tone, keeping his head pointed ahead as he watched her in his peripherals.

"I just thought since you were friends…"

"Whatever that idiot has led you to believe-" he interrupted with a cold tone- "we are not friends."

There was an uncomfortable pause before she let out a quiet, "Oh."

He watched her press her lips together and look down at the ground. He was unsure as to how to interpret her body language. Was she was trying to watch the path so as not to trip or had he hurt her feelings. As he was not one for dealing with emotions, and this girl seemed to be one that had highly elevated ones, he did what he did best.

He ignored it.

For the rest of the walk back she remained quiet and somber. Towards the end, her steps had become slightly slower and she fell behind him a half pace. When they reached her home, Sasuke stopped and turned sharply to face her when he reached the gate. Preoccupied with staring down at the ground, Sakura nearly walked into his chest but was stopped when he stuck a hand out and stopped her. She looked up at the contact, her wide eyes blinking rapidly as she looked up at him.

"Why did you stop?" she asked.

He let out a "Tch," before stepping to the side for her to see the warm lamp light coming from the windows of her home. "We arrived."

She stared at her house, a faint look of confusion on her face as if she did not recognize it. She looked back to him, her face tilted with inquiry, and her large forehead creased with confused wrinkles. "How do you know where I live?"

Sasuke was grateful for the darkness as it hid the momentary bought of panic. His mind raced as he scrambled for a reason. "You said your family owned an olive grove, this is the only one for miles," he explained, deciding to go with a partial truth, leaving out the part that he found it two weeks ago and had frequented it every night since.

"Oh," she said with a small nod, "right, of course."

He watched as she pulled her bottom lip into her mouth and nibbled at it. Her eyes moved around, just as nervously. To the ground, at her hands, his shoulder, the wall that they stood by. Sasuke stood silently waiting until finally she managed to look him in the eye. She held his gaze for a moment before lowering it again.

"Thank you for escorting me," she finally said, addressing his chest.

Sasuke waited until she raised her eyes again before giving an acknowledging, "Hn," and turned to walk away.

Sakura watched his back, thoroughly confused and perplexed by the encounter. She had asked Naruto about him after the first week of their first encounter, curious as to his absence and whereabouts. Naruto had given her a slightly hedged answer, explaining that Sasuke was not much of a socialite and liked to keep to himself. It had killed her to keep so quiet on the walk home. So much so that she had to physically tense herself so as to not disrupt the silence. She liked Naruto and by the way he spoke of Sasuke, she felt that she would like him too. But he made her nervous and unsure. Unsure of how to act or what to say. He was unpredictable, one moment close and intense, the next far and aloof. Each of those examples went for both physically and mentally.

"Hey Sasuke," she called out, causing him to pause in his steps.

She froze as the words came out of her mouth on their own accord, for she was sure her mind did not tell it to do such a thing. He turned around, staring intensely at her, waiting for her to speak. But she was unsure as to why she had even called out to him. His mouth thinned, a sign of annoyance and she began to frantically think of something to say. Her mind thought of Naruto which inspired her.

"Tomorrow Naruto and I are going to a spot on the cliffs at sunset. You are welcome to come-" Sasuke had turned and began to walk away- "...if you want," she finished after he had already vanished into the darkness.

Sakura was left standing alone at the gate of her home. A small frown pulled at her face as her shoulders sagged. Naruto would be disappointed. He talked often on how he wanted the three of them to be friends. Unfortunately, Sakura was beginning to doubt that would ever happen. A breeze passed through ruffling her hair and causing her to shiver out of her depressed stupor and retreat into the warmth of her home.

Unknown to her, a dark figure sat perched on the wall that faced the windows of her personal quarters. As her silhouette moved about behind the drawn curtains, Sasuke watched it. Perhaps it was time he expanded his observances to a more closer and personal examination.

Chapter Text

Present Day:

Sakura was not herself. So much so, that even Sai had noticed the changes in her behavior. It was just unfortunate that he did not have the social knowledge in how to handle it. Sakura had taught him many things over the years and his humanity had progressed significantly, but his ability to read social cues and react in the proper manor still lacked. What he did know was that Sakura was not Sakura, and he did possess the knowledge to fix her.

Her mind had seemed preoccupied and distracted for nearly two weeks. So distracted in fact, that she was failing to correct him in his behaviors. Sai knew this because he had been purposely making mistakes to see if he could gain her attention. He had observed a small child doing this one day at the park and it seemed to work for him. The mother had been preoccupied with another child but as soon as the neglected child began to act out and cause mischief, the mother had directed all of her attention to the naughty boy. While Sai knew better than to throw his arms in the air, lie on his back, and begin to kick and scream, he found his own ways to act out that Sakura would deem as misbehaving.

He cut in line at the hot dog stand but Sakura simply fell into line behind him. He threw his trash on the ground but Sakura merely walked around it without stopping him and forcing him to pick it up and dispose of it properly. These transgressions were child's play when compared to what he had done in his past, but Sakura was not one to let even the smallest of infractions go without reprimand, followed by remedial actions. Yet for the past few days, she seemed to be letting things slide.

It was then that Sai decided he needed to do something bigger. Something more noticeable and more hurtful to others. If there was one thing Sakura despised the most, it was hurting innocent people. Physically, mentally, or emotionally, she was never lenient. He knew it was wrong, but like a child being ignored by his mother, Sai felt he had no other choice if he wanted to regain her attention.

So he punched a man. A random man. A burly, muscled, and steroid using man on the street. His logic had been that the man looked tough, therefore he could handle the pain. And Sai had been correct. The man was tough, and he handled the pain very well. Unfortunately, he did not handle his rage very well. For it just so happened that an anger management session had just concluded. Its members were exiting the building they were passing and Sai had chosen their newest member as his victim. His plan worked. He had gained Sakura's attention. But along with it, came her wrath as well as another's.

Sakura was at a loss as to what had happened. One moment she was strolling peacefully down the semi-busy sidewalk, taking care to weave through the motley group that had just exited from the Compass Counseling Center, when out of nowhere, Sai was throwing a fist into the face of the largest man in the group. A loud crack erupted over the hustle and bustle of pedestrians, causing several onlookers to stop and pause, all of them taking several steps back to give the upcoming brawl plenty of space. Immediately Sakura whirled around to look at Sai. To her utter disbelief, Sai was standing calmly with his hands now tucked into his pockets. And to make things worse, he had his signature, awkward smile, planted on his face as he looked at the man he had just punched with an expression of polite civility.

"What the hell!?"

They were the very words she was thinking and getting ready to scream into Sai's face but someone else had beat her to it. His voice was so deep and grizzlied that it sounded more like a growl than a question. The tone told Sakura that things needed to be settled quickly and drawing from past experience, Sakura knew that Sai's empathetic lacking self was not going to defuse the situation. Already the polite smile he had on his face was only making the situation worse. She was tempted to let Sai suffer the consequences but guidance and protection were her primary duties to Sai, not judgement and execution.

With great difficulty to resist the urge to begin her interrogation of his motives then and there, Sakura turned around to begin her apologies on Sai's behalf. But she was greeted by a wall of muscle instead of a person. She angled her head up only to be met by a meaty neck. She readjusted again, her neck straining from the stretch until she was finally greeted by the man's face. A broken nose and blood covered snarl was all she could register before Sai opened his mouth and made everything worse.

"Apologies," Sai said, his tone light and inappropriate for the circumstance. He sounded as if he were apologizing for lightly brushing past the man, not punching him in the face for no apparent reason. "But it seems my calculations were incorrect, I did not mean to break your nose. If you wish, I would happily assist you to the nearest clinic for medical assistance. If you do not reset the break quick enough, your nose will look disfigured permanently." He paused as his eyes ran up and down the man's body in quick survey." However, I see the rest of your body seems disproportionate in other areas. I can assume this is due to your lack of lower body exercise, unless you wish for your body to be disproportionate. If this is the case, then perhaps I have done you a service ..."

Sakura managed to turn around and gape at Sai for one more sentence before all hell broke loose.

"Why!?" Sakura questioned for the hundredth time. Sai opened his mouth but was cut short of uttering a single syllable when she continued. "Don't say anything," she snapped as she dabbed at the swollen cheekbone on his face. It was already beginning to blossom into a violet discoloration. With the last of the blood washed from his face, Sakura turned to the trash and threw the bloody napkin away. She let out a sigh and shook her head before looking at him. "Why in all the heavens would you do that?"

Following Sai's backhanded apology, the man had managed one swing. It was all Sakura would allow before she threw the man backwards. It had taken everyone for a surprise given her petite frame and the man's large build. After recovering from the shock of being thrown back by a pink haired pixie of a woman, the man moved forward, ill intentions blazing in his eyes but he was stopped by several others of his group that grabbed hold of his arms.. With some mantra nonsense being quoted by his friends and a warning glare from her, the man quickly calmed down and left after throwing some choice words in Sai's direction.

Now they were settled at a metal table with matching chairs that scraped horribly against the sidewalk pavement each time they shifted. Given the bloody mess on Sai's face, Sakura had opted for outside seating and ordered two drinks to keep the cafe owner happy when she grabbed a handful of napkins and requested a cup of ice. With the blood now cleaned off, she placed the cooled ice against the bruise. Taking one of his free hands, she lifted it up to the cup for him to grasp in silent instruction for him to hold it himself. Satisfied that all her work as a healer was achieved, she leaned back and gave him an expectant look, waiting for him to give her an answer.

"I am confused. Do you wish for me to speak or not?" Sai replied. Sakura let out a growl of warning and Sai was quick enough to interpret the response as an affirmative. "I wished for your attention."

The lines creased between her brow quickly disappeared as she raised them in surprise. "My attention?" she asked in confusion. Her mind raced for an answer of the type of attention he was speaking of.

Sai nodded. "You have not been yourself lately and I feel different. I do not know what to call this emotion. It is not sadness nor is it fear. But I do not like it. I feel driven to do something but I am at a loss as to what to do. Something seems to be bothering you, yet I feel a drive to find a solution for you."

For a moment Sakura blanked as she tried to process Sai's struggle to describe his feelings. Having a childhood like Sai's, emotions were not allowed. Since a very young age, he had been trained to suppress such feelings and therefore, he never learned how to match what he was feeling with the name of the emotion and the proper action when feeling such things. When put under her care, the first thing she worked with him was allowing himself to feel such things. Now they were working on identifying and reacting. Each newly identified and mastered emotion was a mile stone, though Sai only had a few that he had learned to become familiar with. Mastery was perhaps a stretch for what he could do with them but Sakura knew someday it would become a firmly solidified title.

"Sai, I think what you are feeling is worry," she finally replied, a hint of excitement sounding in her voice. It was an emotion they had never managed to bring forth, therefore, this was a groundbreaking occurrence.

At her words, Sai quickly pulled out one of the books he carried around with him constantly. It was a small pocket sized dictionary. With a flurry of fingers and pages, he thumbed towards the back of the book and paused as he found the sought after page.

"Worry," he read aloud. "to feel or experience concern or anxiety." Sakura watched him as he turned quickly to another page, this time towards the front of the book. He stopped and his eyes ran down the line of vocabulary until he found the one he had been searching for and read aloud again. "Concern: to be a care, trouble, or distress for someone or something."

She watched him flip from page to page as he reread and compared. Finally after a few minutes of mental deliberation and assessment, Sai looked up from the notes he had compiled into a separate note book.

"It seems you are correct. I..." he looked down at his notes, "...I am worried about your change in character and how it will affect my progress. At first you seemed burdened and over the week it evolved into agitation. When you began to disregard my bad behavior I began to worry. I am afraid I have done something to make you no longer care or that perhaps you have given up on me. I fear that perhaps I have reached my potential and will not improve more and that this will be the best I will ever become."

Sakura gave him a look of endearment. It still surprised and warmed her of how innocent and childlike Sai truly was. It was her belief that he would have been a truly righteous soul had Danzo not corrupted him so much. Unfortunate as it was, it was not a complete travesty because she also believed that he would one day be that soul. And because of his trials and wayward past, he would be even better for it.

"Sai," Sakura said with a sympathetic sigh. "I would never give up on you. You have too much potential to ever give up on. However you are correct on one thing. You are right, I have not been myself and I apologize that I caused you to worry. I have been distracted, there have been things that have been bothering me lately and have been preoccupying my mind. But I should not have let them affect my work or duty to you. I am sorry."

Sai looked ponderous for a moment. "I read that when one is troubled, it often helps to speak with a friend or loved one," Sai said. "I know I do not fall under these categories for you but if you would like to speak to me about your predicament, I would like to offer my services. I hear most times people do not need a solution just for someone to listen."

Sakura reached over the metal table and grabbed his hand, giving it an affectionate and tight squeeze. "Thank you Sai. While I wish I could voice things to you, I myself am still unsure of how to make sense of things. I don't even know where I would begin. But don't worry, it is most likely nothing and merely coincidence. But for what it is worth, I do consider you my friend, and I love all my friends."

Sai nodded with a smile on his face and Sakura could not help but catch a glimmer in his eyes that could only be interpreted as relief and warmth. As she watched him process the emotions that she knew were trying to resurface after years of repression, she caught sight of something yellow and orange from just over his shoulder. Her eyes flashed to the point and there was no mistaking what she was seeing.

Naruto was standing near an alleyway. The moment he realized he had been spotted, he quickly ducked back. Sakura frowned. It had been thirteen days now. Thirteen days since Tsunade had given her a shallow of an excuse to keep her in the heavens at night. She had been expecting it and therefore accepted it without a fuss. Had she not overheard Tsunade's and Kakashi's conversation, she would not have submitted so easily.

Now she was regretting it. She had told herself it would only be for ten days, a week and a half, she could survive it. That had been the agreement between Tsunade and Kakashi thirteen nights ago when she overheard them in the garden. Ten days of remaining in the heavens during the dark hours. She had done it for centuries so what was less than two weeks? It turned out to be torture.

Sakura now understood the struggle mortals had with the addictive poisons they inserted into themselves. Once she had a taste of the freedom and experienced the adrenaline, it was difficult to give up hunting. She had rejoiced on the tenth day but when Kakashi gave her a strange look when she made to go with them, she realized that she had been wrong. Now it was three days passed and still she had yet to hear anything. She was paranoid. Already she felt Kakashi was suspicious of her but then she remembered, she had nothing to be guilty for. It was they who were being suspicious.

If she had not overheard Tsunade and Kakashi's conversation she would not have thought anything of it. But she had overheard them, and they spoke as if the Uchiha's presence was directly connected to her freedom. She would have understood if they were taking precautions with all of the younger and less experienced archangels. She did not like the idea of being too much of a risk to go out during dangerous times. She understood if it was because she was new. But it turned out she was the only trainee that was being banned.

Another reason why she was on edge was they were watching over her during the day. This was not the first time she had caught Naruto tailing her during the day. She had also noticed that someone always seemed to have a reason to delay her departure in the mornings and in the evening she found Kakashi and Naruto frequently coming to collect her significantly earlier than usual. It was one thing to be banned during the dark hours, it was another to be babysat during full daylight hours. She was new to her archangel duties, but she had been a guardian for far longer. She had experienced war when the mortals fought. She had guarded her mortals during their darkest times as they sat in the trenches as bombs exploded over their heads. While it was not a war between seraphim, they still fought and defended the precious souls of the mortals. Demons were always behind such contentions and while she had yet to take a life, she held her ground and fought against them on occasion in order to protect the souls she guided. Tsunade had trusted her then, she had faith in her skills and abilities. Where was that faith and trust now?

Naruto always had some kind of excuse for why he would come early. Excuses such as needing her for something then forgetting what for upon their return, or declaring he needed her healing expertise only to find out it was a splinter. That last excuse had earned him a well deserved goose egg that the golden angel was still sporting on his head.

Kakashi never even bothered to give her a reason to which she both appreciated and hated at the same time. He had always been like that when it came to her past and coddled treatment. Kakashi, the king of excuses, never insulted her when it came to matters that he knew to be important to her. She could see it in his eyes that he had truths and that he wanted to feed them to her, but something held him back each time. She had once asked him about it and he replied by saying, 'if you wish for lies I can weave them, but I would prefer not to'. It did not make complete sense but it at least assured her that Kakashi did not agree with whatever was causing him to withhold information.

Checking the time on the clock visible through the cafes front window, she noted it was nearly six o'clock. Sundown was not for another two hours. Yet for the past thirteen days she had been collected at six o'clock sharp. If she had not spotted Naruto spying on her, it would have only been a little longer before he made an appearance.

"I think I will take an early leave today," Sakura suddenly said, turning her attention back to Sai. She stood up as he nodded. Just as she was about to leave she paused. "And Sai," she began, waiting for him to look up at her.

"Yes?"

"Don't throw trash on the ground and remember it is unfair to cut in lines. You need to wait your turn."

"So you did notice those things?" he commented. "Why did you not say anything?"

Sakura raised a brow. "I am certain you know better than that. You have to take some responsibility for yourself. I won't always be her to dictate what is right and wrong. You have to judge for yourself and reap whatever consequences come from it."

Sai nodded and she began to step away but paused once more. "And the next time you want my attention, just don't have to punch a person in the face. In the words of a good friend of mine, 'it's troublesome'."

With that she departed, rounding the corner and catching a blonde Naruto off guard. After giving him a good throttle and interrogation to which she gained no satisfaction or honest answers, they each made their way to the heavens.

After Sakura left, Sai had felt better than he had for the past week and a half. He remained at the small table that was set up along the sidewalk as he sketched patrons and passersby. It was a quieter street on the outskirts of New York. Some would consider it more Brooklyn than New York City.

After he finished his chai tea, he stood up from the rickety table with a cringe as the metal scraped against the pavement. Lugging his bag up he pulled the strap over his shoulder. Preoccupying himself with placing his books back into their proper places, he began to make his way down the street.

He had not gone far when he felt his body run into another body. His hands lost their grip on the book he had been attempting to stow away into his bag and he quickly dipped down to retrieve the sketchbook that now lay open on the pavement. A half sketched Sakura smiled up at him for a few seconds before he gathered and closed it in one smooth motion. As he straightened up to give an apology, he found himself looking at his reflection or what seemed to be his reflection.

Dark eyes and matching dark hair, contrasting with pale skin. But the longer he took in the other person, he began to notice the subtle differences. His complexion was slightly darker and his hair longer and more untamed. His features were sharper as well, his nose and chin ending at a more narrow point than his own. And there was an air about him that seemed to exude power.

Sai was no stranger to supernatural powers. He knew of the seraphim world. It was a limited knowledge and slightly misconstrued given the contrasting examples that Danzo and Sakura were. Danzo showed his powers but gave no explanations, only orders. Sakura rarely showed her powers. She worked with him as if she too were mortal so as to give a true example of what was attainable for himself. However, if there was one thing he had learned from being around them and the others of their kind, was to distinguish between a mortal like himself and a higher being.

The only exception was Sakura. He was not sure why, but for some reason she was different. She looked ethereal but she felt human. From the first time they met he had felt that something was off. Perhaps it was her constant efforts to make sure she seemed as normal as any other mortal to help him feel human as well. Or perhaps it was something entirely different. Whatever the reason, she was unique.

As a mortal, the trick to identifying a demon or angel, was being fully aware of one's intentions. Seraphim had a certain attraction that drew mortals in. Like their own gravitational pull that grasped a mortal's desire and morphed it into a nearly uncontrollable urge. The stronger a seraphim was, the harder it was to ignore the pull. The tricky part was knowing if they were demon or angel, because despite a person's ability to know right from wrong, a mortal's mind could rationalize even the most sinful actions to be the most innocent of gestures.

As Sai looked at this man before him, he immediately drew the conclusion that this man was no mortal being. Judging by the intensity of the pull he felt for the man, he also concluded that he was no common seraphim. It was either that, or Sai needed to speak with Sakura again about sexual preferences. He had not ever contemplated his attraction preferences before since he had never felt the need. He had of course inquired about them. His observances of other people had brought about a curiosity as to why they were drawn to their partner or partners. Sakura had explained, but they had not focused on any feelings of the romantic nature as those feelings were complex and difficult to handle. It would most likely be awhile before he would ever be ready for such things.

The man's eyes were focused intensely at Sai's hands as he began to slip his sketchbook into his bag again. Sai noticed the pinched frown on his face as well as the deeply furrowed brow as his eyes remained glued to Sai's bag, even after he had tucked the book away. Immediately Sai began to match the man's expression with the earlier event in an attempt to try and interpret what the man was feeling. His conclusion was that the man was angry that Sai and ran into him. With his analysis complete, he immediately went into the proper actions.

"Pardon me," Sai quickly said, doing his best to honor the manors that Sakura had so painstakingly tried to ingrain into his habits. He paused in his apology when he noticed that the man had been exiting a building. While Sai had yet to accomplish the feat of driving, he was aware of the mechanisms of merging and yielding. Sakura had taught him that it was common courtesy to adapt these vehicular laws when in pedestrian traffic as well. Not one for giving up an opportunity to pass on the guidance of his guardian angel, Sai continued to speak, altering his initial plan of action. "I know it improper of me to walk without watching, but I believe as a person merging onto the sidewalk, you yourself should watch and wait for the right opportunity in which you might integrate yourself into the flow."

The man said nothing, he just stared at Sai's bag. Then, finally, when Sai cleared his throat, the man's dark gaze moved up to meet Sai's own with an annoyed expression.

"I mean no offense in correcting your manors. I only mean to help a fellow man. My friend once told me that 'acquired knowledge goes in vain if you do not impart it to others'," Sai quoted. Sakura had been teaching him about not belittling those who were less educated, but instead helping them to understand. "I am just trying to make sure…."

His explanation died when the man brushed past with nothing more than a simple 'hn'. Confused if the sound was acceptance, gratitude, annoyance, dismissal, or anger, Sai was left to watch the man's retreating back as he pondered the meaning of the single syllable sound. On his walk home he had opened his dictionary and searched for the word, this time taking precautions to not bump into any others as he researched. To his dismay, he was unable to find such a word of existence. After trying various ways of spelling and similar sounding words, he gave up his search and decided to ask Sakura tomorrow of its meaning.

There was something odd about today and it had nothing to do with his day starting in the late afternoon, this was usual for Sasuke. It was not an event that made it odd, but a feeling. Not just any funny feeling, but a sixth sense that tingled with promise. Or at least the potential of something astronomical happening. It was a strange feeling, but not entirely unfamiliar.

Sasuke had felt it a handful of times over the centuries. It was a strange feeling, difficult to describe. It was as if destiny was lurking around the corner, waiting for him to find it. At times it felt close, while other times it was just a faint pulse on a distant plane. Strong or faint, it was always the same feeling and always ended with the same results. Nothing would happen.

After the first couple of times, Sasuke had learned to not expect anything to come from these days and did his best to ignore the pulse that seemed to beckon to him as if begging him to follow. He was prepared to ignore it as always but for some reason, it seemed stronger than he had ever felt it. As if every other time there was always something not quite in place. But now, it felt as if all the stars were finally aligned. Not a single luminescent spheroid was out of place.

He had been contemplating this slight change when he was exiting the hotel he had been staying at for the past thirteen days, when all of a sudden, a mortal decided to walk right into him. His first instinct was to push the mortal out of his way and keep moving but all thoughts and actions were erased when he looked down at the human as it scrambled to retrieve its belongings. All agitation and annoyance, dissipated as he caught sight of an image. Roughly sketched in graphite was the image of a girl. Her hair was short, just barely reaching her shoulders and the eyes were unfinished, but the smile. The smile was perfectly shaded and contoured. While the image held no color, his mind automatically filled in the blank space that the eyes would be located with an iridescent jade. It was gone as quickly as it happened when the mortal managed to close the book and begin to slide it into his bag.

Sasuke felt his face scrunch into deep lines as he pursed his lips. He continued to stare at the man's bag, his eyes riveted on the canvas material as if he would be able to suddenly see through the barrier and look upon the page again. The man said something but he disregarded his words until he heard the man clear his throat. He raised his eyes to look at the man, his annoyance to the distraction clearly showing on his face.

"I mean no offense in correcting your manors. I only mean to help a fellow man. My friend once told me that 'acquired knowledge goes in vain if you do not impart it to others'."

All thoughts of the drawing were erased as Sasuke absorbed the odd mortal before him. And then he realized the absurdity of his earlier thoughts. It was just a drawing, a half finished drawing with hardly any details. It could have been anybody...but that smile, that perfectly drawn and familiar smile...

"I am just trying to make sure…."

Sasuke let out a skeptic 'hn' to himself and began to walk away, shaking his head at the illogicality of his thoughts. He heard the man's words trail off but it mattered not. He was too focused on other things to listen to the apologetic ramblings of a mortal. At least that is what he guessed the mortal was attempting. Whatever it was, it mattered not. He needed to find something distracting, something that would preoccupy his mind before it fully entered dangerous waters. And so he did something that he had never done before, he let his feet guide him through the city as he followed the instinctual pull of whatever made this day seem...fateful.

It seemed fate at least knew what he needed. Sasuke had followed the pull until he found himself inside a loud dance club with plenty of auditory and visual distractions that his mind had difficulty focusing on anything. Any other needed diversion was provided by an abundance of alcohol. His immortal body was hardly affected by the mortal drinks, it took a great amount for any of his kind to become truly inebriated, but it did bring a dullness to his mind that helped immensely.

It had been an utterly uneventful, and disappointing week and a half. Sasuke had kept track of his former comrades but it turned out that they were relatively boring these days. It seemed that the first night he had run into them, they really were just trying to save a random soul from being claimed by a rogue seraph. It was odd, but it reminded him of another time he had hoped that something was more than what meets the eye. He had wanted to find out that there was something more special about the mortal from that night. But after thirteen days of watching from the shadows, Sasuke came to the conclusion that perhaps he had been a little too bored lately. His mind was attempting to find something of interest where there was no entertainment to be had. So much so, that his eyes were beginning to deceive him. They certainly had when the odd mortal had run into him.

At the time he could have sworn that he had seen a face he had not seen outside of his dreams and nightmares in a very long time. It had been a light sketch and only half finished. Obviously it had been a trick of the light or his mind. His eyesight was superior to perfect, they did not get fooled by optical illusions. So he could only blame it as a cruel trick of desperation that plagued his mind.

This thought disturbed him. It was obvious that New York was not providing the necessary distraction that he needed. With this conclusion, he decided that it was time to move on. He had enjoyed the city, walked the streets, and found himself thoroughly distracted. Until now. Now it was time to move on, find another place that would provide what he needed to keep sanity. He would enjoy one last night in the city, then check out the latest rumor for Kabuto's whereabouts over in Manila.

The densely populated city would provide the chaos that all highly populated cities offered to keep his mind distracted but it would also make his search difficult. That being if Kabuto was even still there or had ever been there. He had a knack for knowing when Sasuke was getting close and slipping away. Kabuto was also very good at leaving false trails as Sasuke had come to discover. But he seemed confident in Manila. It made sense, it was a good city for a person to disappear and hide. It also had an abundance of mortals that would make it easy for Kabuto to harvest souls in mass quantities.

A wave of contempt and disgust rushed him at the thought but he pushed it aside. Tonight he would enjoy New York's nightlife one last time without any thoughts of Kabuto, old comrades, or long lost souls. Tonight was about not thinking at all.

At the moment, he sat alone at the bar of one of the more popular clubs of New York. As the music and shouts of dancers filled his mind, it made it impossible to think. The atmosphere buzzed with energy making his senses vibrate like a suppressed coil waiting to burst. Along with watching his old comrades, he had been enjoying the energy that New York awakened in him each time he revisited.

A body settled next to him, and his relaxed posture tensed. He kept his eyes forward, focusing on the arrangement of top shelf spirits as if the world depended on his choice of poison for his next drink. When it was obvious that the person next to him would not be leaving anytime soon, Sasuke let out a tired sigh and finally spoke, not bothering to raise his voice as he knew they would hear him just fine.

"Did I not make myself clear the last time I saw you that if you bothered me again I would rip your tongue out," he said as he finally turned to the blonde man sitting beside him. "Or did I need to be more specific and tell you which tongue I would rip out? I did not think that you would be more partial to one over the others," he added, glancing down to the man's hands. "Or maybe I should just rip them all out."

The man's long blonde hair swung in its ponytail as the lackey looked to Sasuke. The one blue eye not covered by his bangs looked at him with no fear. "You may be powerful, hm," he said in a confident tone. "But I take Madara's threats more seriously, hm."

Sasuke's eye twitched. "I already gave him my answer, Deidara," he growled, finishing off his drink and grabbing his jacket from the back of the chair. He pulled it on as he began walking away.

"He says he will give you anything. " He heard Deidara call after him. "Sounds like a pretty sweet deal if you ask me, hm."

"Leave me alone," he said, not bothering to turn around as he began to make his way towards the exit.

A hand grabbing his shoulder caused him to whirl around, his sharingan blazed red as it activated and it was only then that Deidara showed the slightest of unease. His blue eyes dropped and his arms quickly retracted in a raised surrender.

"Hey hey, easy man. I am just the messenger, hm," he said with an uneasy chuckle. "If you change your mind…"

"I won't," Sasuke stated flatly. "So you can fuck off and tell Madara that I don't want anything from him. I don't want any part in his scheming, he should be happy enough that I am not involved at all. And you can tell him that next time he tries to summon me after two thousand years of silence I will see to it that I get involved with the opposing side just to spite him."

He did not wait for a response. Instead he turned back around and stormed off towards the exit. The masses parted before him. All eyes were drawn to him and each person who witnessed the expression like the one painted on his face, quickly removed themselves from his path.

All but one.

It seemed she had appeared out of nowhere but in reality it had been from the dance floor from which she had squeezed free from the tight mass of dancers. Short pink hair that was slightly disheveled and wearing a flashy red dress that caught the eyes of each male in her vicinity. Sasuke scowled at her. If there was one thing he hated about the modern fashions and inventions, it was hair dye. He could tolerate the green, he rather liked the blue, but the pink, the pinks he hated. He loathed them. They were a cruel joke because no matter what, his heart betrayed him each time with a beat of hope. Hope that was washed away when he met their eyes.

He watched the girl slightly stumble as she emerged from the dancing masses. Her abomination of rosette hair curtaining her face as she looked around her surroundings. He could not decide if she was searching or reorienting herself. His debating ceased immediately when she turned and he was greeted with a shade of green that had haunted him for over two millennia.

Time slowed as he watched her wandering eyes roam over the surrounding club patrons. And then they fell onto him and everything paused. The thud of the music halted, the cold blast of air conditioning that spilled from the vent above could no longer be felt, and all he could see was the veridian orbs that were framed by pastel strands. It was as if he were reliving the moment of the first day he had met her, that moment when he had looked into her eyes and then went deeper.

Just as he was about to plunge deep within these very same orbs to explore everything he knew she possessed within her already, she blinked. And as if to make up for the paused time, everything came crashing back into him.

His heart went from a dead stop to beating against his ribs at a bruising pace. The flash of strobe lights were nearly blinding as they skipped around the warehouse room, and the music was like a deafening sonic wave of indistinguishable notes. All the while, it seemed he was the only one being affected by the tidal wave of stimulation that was crashing down on his senses. He watched as the woman that had frozen time casually continued her sweep of her surroundings. Her lips pulled down into a concentrated frown as her brows narrowed with focus.

His vision of her was momentarily blocked off when the occasional clubber entered or exited the dance floor. But between intervals of comers and goers, he took in the woman's face as she remained in place, occasionally stepping onto the tips of her toes as she continued her search for whatever she was searching for.

He knew that face. The eyes, the nose, the curve of the lips. Only the hair was different in length. But every other physicality of the woman before him matched to such an exact correctness, that it was impossible for this woman to be anyone else but her. Everything was exact except for the fact that the woman standing there did not belong here.

She belonged in an era that crumbled into ruin long ago. She did not belong in those clothes. She did not belong amongst the synthetic smoke that billowed from electrical machines. Nor did she belong amongst flashing LED lights. Her people were not this crowd of instagrammers and ravers. And she most certainly did not belong in this metropolis of skyscrapers and pavement. She did not belong in this modern world. Most of all, she did not belong because she had died. He had seen her die, seen the light fade from her eyes, listened to her last breath. Yet here she was, centuries later, standing in the middle of a club in New York city, and looking at him as if she had never seen him in her entire life.

His body was pushed forward as a group of drunken college students passed behind him. They were spared from any wrath tonight because the moment his foot moved forward to keep his balance, his other followed. He shifted through the crowd, his eyes never leaving the rosette as he watched her halt her search and turn her back on him. His pace quickened when he caught her move in the direction that would distance them and in a flash, he was standing right behind her with his hand wrapped around her upper arm. He relished in the warmth and familiar smoothness of her skin. And before he could even bring himself to register his actions or the impossibilities, a single word fell from his lips in the form of a name.

"Sakura."

It was like a whispered prayer on his lips. A prayer of the utmost sanctity. He had not uttered the name for quite some time. Yet despite its agedness, it was still as sweet as the first day he dared let it part from his mouth. Upon his hand encircling her arm, she immediately turned to look at him. There was a slight look of annoyance displayed on her mouth as her eyes glared up at him with silent threats. At the utterance of the name though, her green eyes widened and her face changed. Gone was the begrudged face and replacing it was one of shock and what he hoped was recognition.

"Sakura," he repeated pulling her arm and forcing her to come closer.

He needed to touch her face, he needed to run his fingers across her cheeks and along her jaw. He needed to trace her lips and tangle his fingers into her hair. He needed to read every plane of her features with his fingers tips like a blind man would read braille. He needed to be sure, he needed to know for certain that this was truly her, for what else could she be?

He managed two inches before he felt resistance. He refocused on her face to find her looking at him with an odd expression. Confusion and perhaps fear. He felt her begin to pull against him. It was a knee jerk reaction that his own hand tightened around her arm. He would not let go.

His grip on her was the only thing that assured him that this was reality and not a dream. He feared letting go because if he did, he was certain she would vanish like a ghost would. Because that was the only viable explanation. But specters did not cut their hair, nor did they wear the latest modern style. And they most certainly did not have physical bodies that he would be able to feel.

No, this was not the manifestation of a dead woman. Her warm skin and the feel of her racing pulse beneath his fingertips told him that this woman was very much alive. Her eyes widened into a panic and he was quick to try and rectify that.

"It's okay," he said soothingly. "It's me, it's Sasuke."

Sakura weaved her way through the mass of dances as her eyes searched each face she pushed by. Where was he? She had been dancing with a demon for a good hour and working up to getting him to leave with her when he suddenly said he had to excuse himself. That had been nearly twenty minutes ago and now he was nowhere in sight.

She cursed under her breath. She had put a lot of effort into him. Tolerated his wandering hands and put up with his annoying way of speech. Now she had lost him.

The edge of the dance floor was tight and not wanting to throw any mortals halfway across the dance floor, Sakura was forced to wedge and wriggle her way through the wall of bodies. She tumbled out of the masses, catching herself before she fell onto the sticky and dirty floor. Straightening herself up and trying to reassemble herself, Sakura began to survey the booths and tables lined along the wall. Her viridian eyes swept the faces of the club patrons. Looking for a flash of blonde hair and blue eyes of the male demon she had been working on all night.

He was an important target. Powerful, and rumored to be part of the Akatsuki. It was her first night back after nearly two weeks of being banned. Tsunade had a different term but Sakura knew better. Although she still did not fully understand why there had been a delay, when she returned to the heavens with Naruto earlier that day to receive the news that she was to go on a hunt, she lost all earlier worries. Now she was starting to feel a bit nervous again.

It turned out that Kakashi had been pushing Tsunade for several days to revoke the ban. And it was only with the promise of the possible capture of a member of the allusive Akatsuki that she was even allowed into the mortal realm tonight. And here she had lost him.

Sakura let out an annoyed sound from deep in her throat and continued to look carefully. It would be easier to find him if she did not need to keep her chakra so carefully masked. But alas, that would notify every present rogue seraph in the club that archangels were around and hunting. And she could not mess this up. Tonight had to be a success, there was no other option.

She felt the pulse of a chakra and turned her head in the direction of it. Her eyes searched around for a moment until she was able to pinpoint which face it belonged to. She was met with dark features and a pale face, nearly opposite in every way of the demon she was looking for. The moment she took note of this fact, she had quickly moved on to scan the rest of the area. Any other night she would have abandoned her other target and approached the dark haired one instead. But tonight's mission was not as simple as taking out rouge demons. Tonight, was about gaining information that only certain demons could provide. Tonight was about proving that she was of more use down here than in the heavens.

Not seeing the blonde Akatsuki anywhere, she decided to venture outside and look around. Perhaps her target had gotten distracted with a more vulnerable mortal than she had played herself to be. Turning around, she began to move towards the main entrance, but she was only allowed a few steps before she felt a strong hand encircle her upper arm.

It was nothing out of the normal. She frequently had to deal with this kind of thing, especially as the night went on. Drunken men and even sometimes woman thinking they could just drag her onto the floor where she would freely let them grind and grope her. Most of them did not leave without a sprained wrist or broken finger. Narrowing her eyes, she turned around to face the person who was about to regret touching her. She was greeted with dark eyes that pierced into her.

His swirling chakra was nearly chaotic as the stranger looked down at her, his face pale and features construed into an assortment of emotions. Desperation, hope, anger, hurt, disbelief, they all danced with each twitch of his brow, the tightening of a jaw muscle, or the flash of his onyx eyes as he looked over her face. She watched his black orbs narrow with suspicion as if examining her with the precision of a microbe under a microscope. And then they widened. As if he had made some kind of astounding discovery that challenged everything's existence.

"Sakura," he murmured.

It was intimate and familiar sounding from his lips. Yet his expression and tone made it seem as if he were not certain. She looked at him warily. Did she know him?

So took a moment to take him in fully. She could not ignore the bought of familiarity that coursed through her mind, telling her that she knew him. But Sakura would have never forgotten such a face. His dark locks looked nearly midnight blue in the dim light and his eyes, piercing and intense, were just as striking against his pale skin. Angled and sharp bone structure carved his cheeks and nose into a devastatingly handsome face that would tempt even the most noble of angels into corruption. Deep down she could sense her own unconscious mind pondering what actions she could commit in order to appease him.

And with that thought, she suddenly became afraid as she realized the danger that this demon could bring. She suddenly became all too aware of the bruising grip he had around her arm. He was strong, and judging by the hefty aura of chakra that was leaking out of his body, he was powerful. Very powerful. A strangely familiar powerful. But as before, she could not place where she had felt it before.

"Sakura," he repeated, sounding almost soothingly.

But despite his tone, the louder volume of his voice suddenly struck her. A cold chill ran down her body as a flash of a crying Naruto with broken wings played in her mind. Along with that came the sudden, not too distant memory of why he seemed familiar, or at least why his voice was so familiar. Who is your little friend? She was certain it was the very same voice that had spoken those words. Her heart was now pounding as adrenaline coursed through her veins. How did he know her name?

"It's okay," he said quickly as if he caught sight of the panic that was more than likely posted across her face. "It's me, it's Sasuke."

The confirmation of his identity had the opposite effect on her that, judging by his tone, he intended to have. She quickly pulled her arm from him in such a panic she was sure she had let the mask of her chakra slip slightly. As she put a small distance between herself and him she watched for any reaction but he seemed too distracted with something else to have noticed the slight slip.

Her entire body was on edge as her mind scrambled to choose fight or flight. The decision was made for her when he moved forward to grab her again. Her body moved on its own accord as it chose flight as the proper method to handle her situation. She pushed past groups of men and women. Some falling over from the hard force and their unstable feet. As she passed by she heard a second wave of protests repeated not long after, telling her that he was following.

For the past thirteen days, she had been confined to the heavens during the dark hours. She had spent that entire time wondering and gleaning for answers. After nearly two weeks, all she knew of the reason was that it was connected to Sasuke Uchiha. Sasuke Uchiha whom she had only heard whispers of his cruelty and lust for vengeance. Sasuke Uchiha who had nearly killed Kakashi and Naruto, his former friends. Sasuke Uchiha, who, at this very moment was pursuing her. She ducked down, and scampered towards the exit. She needed to get out, she needed to get away.

She burst out of the doors that were guarded by the bouncers and immediately veered right to make for the alleyway. She ignored the strange looks and occasional whistle from the line of mortals still waiting to enter the club. The moment she turned the corner she did not delay nor check to make sure she would go unseen as she let her wings burst from her back and in the same motion, lift her up into the air towards the sky. She beat her wings ferociously until she was to the roof and there she landed. Taking refuge near the edge she peaked out to watch as the demon himself, burst from the club and dashed into the middle of the street.

His name only seemed to frighten her more and suddenly her arm was yanked out of his grasp. First he felt relief. Relief that she did not vanish but it was quickly replaced with shock. Shock that she had managed to break free of his strength. Then again, she always seemed to have a resistance to his power.

He moved forward to grab her again but she was quick to step back. He could see her chest rising and falling as her breaths increased and her pulse, visible on her neck, began to beat harder. He stared at her for a solid minute, neither moving. And then she blinked and the small dip of her lashes was like the starting gun of a race. Before he could register the fluttered dip of her long lashes, she was moving. Not just moving, she was running, fleeing from him.

Sasuke watched her push past three small groups before he managed to break from his trance and begin to follow, nay, pursue. He could not let her escape. He had searched for a way to bring her back to him for so long, he had done unforgivable deeds, he had been willing to sacrifice his own body in an effort to revive what he had lost. And he had given up that hunt long ago. He had lost all hope and as a result lost himself. And then suddenly, out of nowhere, there she had been. And now she was leaving his sight nearly as quickly as she had left him once before, leaving him alone in this cold world.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes. No; not this time. He would not lose her this time. He would capture and he would hold onto her. There would be no time limit, there would be no fragility. Because this time, he knew better. He caught a flash of pink just before a crowd crossed his path but there was no need to keep his eyes locked on her anymore. He already knew where she was headed. To the streets. She was headed for the exit where the wide open streets and late night would keep the view open for him.

It was perfect.

With a speed too fast for the human eye to capture, Sasuke was moving towards the door. He was sure he would cut her off but he had perhaps hesitated for too long. For when he arrived at the front of the club, she was not anywhere near the entrance. Sasuke was not bothered by this fact, he knew she would not be far. In a second he was out the door. Given the lateness of the night, the street was nearly barren except for the few late night partiers still waiting in line in hopes to enter the club.

His sharingan swirled and spun as he looked up and down the street. His eyes narrowed and his hands shook. It was impossible. There was no way she could have caught a cab or ventured far enough down the street in the fragment of time it had taken him to exit the building.

He swore loudly, his mind reeling as he frantically rotated in a full circle, scanning every alley way and car that drove by. It had not been an illusion. He had seen her. He had felt her. Yet, at this moment there was no evidence of anything he had witnessed. He let out an inhuman growl and disregarded the stares he collected by passersby as he stood in the middle of the road.

It was not until the high screech of rubber skidding across pavement, followed by the long draw of a horn that he was able to focus on something. It was a yellow cab, its headlights flooding his overly sensitive eyes. Immediately he let the sharingan fade as he focused on the cabbie hanging out of the window and yelling incoherent words. His heart pounded audibly in his ears drowning out everything.

Unable to contain it anymore, he let his fist slam down on the hood of the car where it had stopped only a few inches from his legs. It drilled a dent into the metal, warping and reshaping as well as damaging what lay beneath. The car gave out a mechanical groan and he watched as the cabbie retreated back into his car, a look of fear and startlement on his face before revving the engine and speeding away in reverse.

As his shoulders heaved, Sasuke looked around, his eyes taking in the numerous spectators as their jaws hung open in disbelief. It was then he realized that in his rage, his wings had appeared for all to see. He caught sight of a young man with a group of friends, his arm extended as his hand held up a phone. Sasuke swore and flashed stepped to the man. His friends jumped at the sudden apparition before them, but the boy with the phone remained in place, unable to move as Sasuke grasped his wrist with one hand. With his free hand he reached up and plucked the phone from his hand and in the same movement, crushed it and let it fall to the sidewalk. It crumbled onto the cement in a heap of wire, broken glass, and plastic.

Ignoring the kids complaints, he took to the air, all shrieks of spook and awe being swept away with the wind as he rocketed to the skyline. Tonight was to be his last night in New York but that was no longer the case. Kabuto and Manila could wait. Now, he had an all new hunt before him. He would tear the city apart, brick by brick if he had to. He would find her, he would have her again. He did not care about the impossibility of it all because for the first time, in a very, very long time, he felt alive.

She watched with both horror and awe as his roar filled the air. His blatant display of supernatural powers shook her. There with no hesitation as he nearly punched through a car hood, leaving a large dent with his full wings on display. For a moment she thought he would rip apart a mortal and she moved to rush forward and stop him from committing the ultimate sin of their kind. The blood shed of a mortal. But she was halted when all he did was smash the man's phone before taking off into the air.

Sakura hid herself quickly as he soared above and scanned the street below him. As she watched him fly away, Sakura was left shaken and incapable of processing what exactly had just happened. When she finally did, there were certain facts that disturbed her.

The first being that he had known her name. He had spoken it not just with knowledge but with familiarity. As if he knew who she was. Yet at the same time, it was obvious that he did not know what she was. He thought her mortal. She had seen the surprise in his face when she broke free of his grip. And the way he searched up and down the streets instead of the skies, told her that he did not know of her angelic identity. What disturbed her the most was the intensity of his search and pursuit of her. It was not one of vengeance or a demon looking for sport. It had been like an act of desperation. As if his own sanity had been dependent on catching her.

As she watched his silhouette continue to spur along the streets, she felt a pull towards him. It was a gentle tug, as if they were somehow linked by a small thread. Sakura felt her mind being coaxed into following and she felt as if she were slowly gaining a small, understanding perception of the allure a moth had to a source of light. She was the moth and he was that light source. But he was not just any source, he was a flickering flame. A flame that could burn and consume her wings. Yet despite this danger, she found her body urging herself to fly to him.

She nearly hurtled herself from the roof in the direction of the departing dark demon. But just as she moved forward, she paused as a brief moment of clarity came to her mind. No, she needed to stay away from him. He was dangerous, he was a flame. If she got too close, she would burn. With this thought resonating through her mind, she forced herself to turn her fixation away from him and took flight in the opposite direction.

Chapter Text

Ancient Greece:

Sakura paced impatiently from one side of the road to the other. The escalating heat throughout the week had dried out the land and left the road dry and dusty. With each step she took, a small cloud of fine dust would lift around her feet before settling back down at another part of the road. The result was an overlapping trail of pronounced footprints to act as a recording of her impatience. A cart pulled by a horse caused her to pause her pacing and stand to the side. As the farmer passed by, Sakura gave a small nod of her head as the older man steered the cart past her. As she waited for the road to be clear of any more traffic, Sakura looked down at her feet. Leather straps crisscrossed over her feet and wound around her ankles and calves. A thick layer of dust had settled on her skin and she frowned at the definite line of where her normal skin tone contrasted significantly from the dirt covered portion of her lower legs. Instead of continuing her pacing, she decided to sit on the rock wall that ran along the road as she waited.

She managed to sit still for two breaths before her legs began to restlessly swing back and forth. When that was not enough to burn off the strange energy she had buzzing beneath her skin, her hands began to swat at the tall wheat that grew along the wall. She was not sure why she felt so restless but she had felt this way all day. After a night of tossing and turning she had pulled herself from her bed. Tired and dragging, she had managed just enough time to take two bites of her breakfast before she left with her father to the markets. It had been a busy day to which she was grateful for the distraction. But there had still been a gnawing in the back of her mind that caused her to feel nervous and queasy.

When it came time to come to the meeting spot and wait for Naruto she was relieved. Naruto always seemed to be able to find some way to distract her from anything that seemed to make her days seem off. It was strange, she had acquired many friends over the years but yet, she had never felt such a deep kindredship to anyone like she shared with Naruto. Not even a month had passed since her eyes were open to the existence of the angelic world. Yet now, she could not imagine her life without it.

As she plucked individual grains from the tuft of grain she had pulled from a certain stalk that had been tickling her elbow, a tanned hand was suddenly thrust into her face. Startled, she looked up to be greeted by the sun kissed face of Naruto. His brow and mouth scrunched into an investigative look of concern as he scrutinized her.

"Oh you're here," she said quickly.

Unconsciously, her eyes darted past his shoulder and a small bout of disappointment filled her when she noticed that it was Naruto and only Naruto that was standing in front of her. Naruto gave her a funny look as he looked over his shoulder then back to her. He caught the small glint of dismay as she continued to absentmindedly look past him. He waved his hand in front of her face again to regain her attention.

"Are you feeling okay?"

She blinked a few times and then looked at him owlishly. As she seemed to awaken from her thoughts, she finally graced him with a soft smile.

"Yes," she said. "Sorry, I did not sleep well and it has been a long day."

"Oh...well...do you want to do this another time?" Naruto asked hesitantly.

Sakura was slightly tempted to accept the offer. Despite her earlier abundant supply of energy, she suddenly found her reserves low. The lack of sleep and rigorous day at the market was now collecting its toll. She cast a quick glance behind Naruto then looked back to his wide blue eyes. She had been ready to reschedule a moment before but the eager glint in his eye seemed to dim slightly at the proposal. Such potential disappointment caused her heart to go out to the blond seraph. She could see how much he was looking forward to this and she did not have the heart to postpone it. Summoning some extra energy, she shook her head and gave him a stronger smile.

"No," she brushed off. "I have been looking forward to this all day."

"Great," Naruto beamed as he extended a hand. "What are we waiting for then, lets go!"

Sakura hesitated. Unsure as to why, but she had hoped that Sasuke would have come. She had believed he would have accepted her invitation. However, it seemed that perhaps he was not as interested in spending time with a mere mortal like herself as she thought.

Doing her best to not let the disappointment fill her mind, she gave one long look down the road before nodding her head. She slid down to the ground with the help of Naruto's hand and as they began to walk in the opposite direction, Sakura gave one more glance over her shoulder.

"I don't think he is coming," Naruto's voice sounded.

"I didn't...I wasn't…" she fumbled over her words. Why was she even bothering to look? Sasuke had given no indication that he would come last night. Yet, something inside her continued to demand that she had been right to hope. "Are you sure?"

Naruto looked at her closely. He had not seen her since yesterday afternoon and he sensed something had changed. Sakura rarely seemed to be bothered by Sasuke's absence. She had always seemed nervous, almost dreading when he mentioned he would invite the brooding seraph to come with them today. But right now, if he were not mistaken, she seemed almost discouraged by his failure to show up. Deciding to not push the matter, Naruto began to lead them down the road. And like always, it only took a few minutes of Naruto's happy chatter until Sakura was nearly skipping along with him as she laughed and conversed with the sunny seraph.

They had only made it around the bend when Naruto came to a sudden stop. With their hands still clasped, Sakura had not been far behind him as she had been practically running to keep up with his long stride. With no amount of warning that they were stopping, Sakura did not slow down nor stop immediately. However, she managed only one more step before she felt her arm being yanked nearly out of its socket when the extension of their connected arms ran out. Rubbing her shoulder as she moved to question their sudden cease of movement, she was distracted when she noticed Naruto's eyes fixed on something behind her.

"Didn't think you would come?" Naruto said, a wide grin spreading across his face as he looked past her shoulder.

Sakura turned her head just in time to watch Sasuke step out from the shadows of the lining of trees along the road. She watched as his eyes drifted from Naruto to herself. Like always, she felt pulled and trapped under his scrutiny. Dark eyes ran down her frame and she was certain she could feel a heat travel through her body as he took in her appearance. His eyes lingered on her feet and she suddenly became self conscious about the layer of dust. The wisps of hair she could feel tickling her neck told her the neat arrangement her mother had pleated before leaving for the markets was becoming unraveled.

When his eyes moved from her feet they only made it to her waist again where they lingered for a moment. Sakura suddenly became aware of the fact that her hand was still clasped within Naruto's. A look of disapproval waved over his features and Sakura was struck with the realization that such a friendly gesture could be interpreted into something more. With this thought, Sakura loosened her grip on Naruto's and quickly clasped her hands behind her back.

"What gave you the idea that I was not coming?" Sasuke asked, his tone monotonous and calm as he finally let his eyes rise fully and move his attention to Naruto.

"You didn't say you were coming yesterday," Naruto commented.

"Ah," he acknowledged then after a short pause, "but I never said I wasn't," he pointed out.

Relief came the moment Sasuke's eyes moved away from her and Sakura felt slightly more relaxed without the heavy pressure of his judgment. Subtly, she attempted to tuck a few loose strands back into her braided crown and kick some of the dust from her feet. She saw Sasuke's dark eyes focus on her from the corner of his eye and she stilled, this time feeling silly for caring about her appearance.

Vanity was never an aspect she cared about except for when she went into the city market. It was the only exception she made to look her best at all times because when she was there, she represented her father's business and her family. Gracing the family with a good image was what she strived to do. She was proud of what her family did and wanted to showcase that pride to the world. But in the countryside things were different. Everyone had a bit of dirt on them.

But there was something about the dark haired man before her that made her falter. The whiteness beneath his nails, the crisp and freshly laundered clothing, and the prim posture he held made her feel as though she was the odd one out. Suddenly Sasuke was looking at her all too soon again. He stared at her for a breath then raised a brow.

"So where is this view that you claim to be the best in the land?"

He had been losing his patience in waiting and was about to forget even joining them. He was in the process of doing just this when he heard the familiar obnoxious voice of his rival calling out for someone to hurry up. His shout was followed by the pitter patter of hurried footsteps on the compact ground of the dirt road. At the sound of their approach, Sasuke directed his attention farther down the road to see Naruto with his usual smile of a fool plastered on his face. Along with him, he towed a laughing and skipping Sakura.

Naruto caught sight of him first and came to an abrupt stop, causing Sakura to let out a small yelp of pain as she was yanked to a harsh stop. The dark haired demon watched with annoyance as a crooked, smug smile enveloped the sunny angels face.

"Didn't think you would come?" Naruto commented.

Sasuke rolled his eyes and pushed off from the tree he had been leaning against. Hands still secured in his loose pockets, he moved forward into the sunlight and onto the dusty road. He kept his eyes fixed on Naruto for a long moment, then slowly trailed his attention to the reason he had even come. To clarify, he was not there for her, but to observe her. And that was exactly what he was doing now.

Her hair was disheveled, falling out in small wisps around her temples and neck. They clung to her skin, sticky from the sweat of a long day in the summer heat. She looked tired, yet her bright eyes suggested she still had plenty of energy for adventure. He liked this. It made her seem more resilient than most mortals. It meant she wanted to utilize every waking moment to enjoy her precious and limited life. His eyes trailed down the rest of her body.

She was wearing a finer dress than she would normally. From the time he had observed her in the evenings and nights of the past fortnight, this told him she had gone to the city today. He wondered how she acted amongst those of the finer and more chaotic lifestyles that the flourishing cities of Greece brought. Was she bold and outspoken like the city folk, or was she intimidated by the city and became a meek and gentle country bumpkin? Something told him that she was not one to be cowed by others. He had seen her brief challenging looks, and while she seemed to be timid around him, he had no doubt she would not be this way with other mortals. Polite yes, but not pushed around.

As he moved down to her feet, he could not help the twitch of his entertained lips when he noticed the layer of dust. It was more evidence to his growing suspicion that she was never clean. His eyes began to rove back to her face but they only made it halfway when he noticed her hand clasped with Naruto's. He frowned at the innocent yet incriminating gesture.

The gesture of their hands was innocent enough. Children and parents, companionable friends, a simple offering of polite manners, they could all require such actions. But it could also be something else entirely, something of a deeper affection. If this was the case, Sasuke felt a sudden and deep disapproval of such a relation. It was not forbidden, but it was certainly taboo. It was unnatural and illogical. A relationship between a mortal and an immortal was inane. It was pointless. Perhaps some would deem it a poetic romance, but it was one of tragedy and would always end poorly.

Naruto was the kind to easily be affectionate with anyone and everyone. The idiot gave out more unwanted hugs and smiles then what should be socially acceptable. Then again, the blessed were always more affectionate to others than the fallen. Sasuke came from a family where rigid reserve was the only option. To show emotion would be to show your weaknesses. Physical and even vocal affection was limited and kept private. It was given to only those who were considered a truly special person. These things he knew, but he did not know what such actions meant to Sakura. Naruto had been practically dragging her along to keep up, but why where they still connected even when stopped?

As if sensing his thoughts, Sakura's hand quickly pulled free from the blonde man's beside her and she quickly tucked her hands behind her back. This sudden change brought about a pleased feeling within his chest. His eyes moved back to study her face, she looked uneasy under his stare. He did not like this. He needed her to be more relaxed if he were to properly observe her.

It was then he decided to finally answer Naruto's earlier comment. "What gave you the idea that I was not coming?"

"You didn't say you were coming yesterday," Naruto commented.

"Ah," he let out. It was a true statement and he had not planned to come. At least, not when Naruto had mentioned it. But that changed when Sakura had extended the invitation a second time. However he was not about to admit that detail. "But I never said I wasn't," he found himself giving as a hedged answer.

He caught Sakura fidgeting from the corner of his eye. At first it seemed like a natural movement but then he noticed the not so subtle way she tried to kick the dust off from her feet.

He turned his full attention back to her and she immediately ceased all movement as she stared back at him. He suppressed the amusement that dared to show on his face. She looked like a child having been caught in the act of a naughty deed.

"So where is this view that you claim to be the best in the land?"

And with that question it was not long before they were trekking along the cliffs of the coastal sea that formed the edges of the island they were on. It had taken them over an hour to walk there. A feature Sasuke was confused by at first. Such a trip could have been only a few minutes if flying. But then he remembered Sakura was leading the way and again, he was reminded of how ordinary she was. It was this reminder that brought about the usual frustrations and questions of why he seemed unable to not be fascinated by her. It was as if she had a forceful pull that he could not ignore. There was something about her he needed to discover, that he needed to know. Once he found it, he would finally put his mind at peace and no longer be forced to waste his thoughts with a mortal.

Sasuke was not sure what to expect. He had many doubts by the claims Sakura had made about the view, so he decided to not have too high of expectations. And he was right to do so.

The region of the island in which Sakura's family lived, was located in the foothills of a mountain that was more of a large hill. Its landscape was made up of a white, rocky soil and a normal assortment of foliage that grew sparsely along the mountain side. Most greenery came from the crops, orchards, and vineyards of the local agriculture. It was not desolate or unattractive, but it was rather mundane and basic when compared to other corners of the world.

"Is it not the most beautiful place in the world?" Sakura exclaimed when they came up to the rocky overlook that looked across the sea.

Sasuke took it in and he disagreed strongly. It was a nice view at best. The sea was a mixture of green and blue that made up the majority mediterranean coasts but it lacked the glassy clarity that was found in the more picturesque regions. The sun cast a red glow across the far waters, turning them a deep purple and highlighting the tips of the calm current in warmth. It was certainly a sight that one could appreciate. However it was nothing memorable when compared to the true art Sasuke had witnessed nature create in other places of the mortal realm. And those masterpieces were far from comparison to the beauties that lay behind the rifted portals that crossed over into the worlds of immortals. He was almost positive that there was a much more lush and vivid view of the same sea on the next island over. He was just about to point this out when Sakura turned around and looked at them.

"My father's sister lives in a villa on the coast close to Athens on the mainland. When I turned thirteen she came to visit and told me all about the beautiful sights that are there. Before she left she made a promise that I could travel across the sea to the mainland and stay with her for awhile. It was supposed to happen last year but my father nor my uncle could spare the time to travel with me."

Sasuke could hear the disappointment in her voice as she took a seat on a flattened rock and tucked her legs beneath her. Naruto followed suit, taking the spot right next to her. Sasuke followed his lead with one small adjustment. He took a seat across from them, situating himself directly across from the maiden to allow optimal observation. Her attention moved back to the sea and the salty breeze picked up the loose strands of hair and caused them to dance.

"For my birthday she sent me a beautiful painting that she had commissioned just for me. It was a view from their villa of the sea," she continued after a moment. "This place is nothing in comparison, but it is the closest I have been able to find. I like to sit out here sometimes and pretend that I am there at her villa."

Sasuke watched her carefully as she continued to describe her imaginations. The sights she would see, the people she would meet, and the different lifestyle. She spoke of what she imagined sailing across the sea would bring. What it would be like to see the great temples and experience to see a play set in the amphitheaters of Athens.

As she spoke, Sasuke watched her eyes and face as they alighted with a yearning, a deep need for these things. It then dawned on Sasuke that perhaps Sakura had some validation in her claim, because she did not know any better. She had never left this island, she had never gone any further than the beaches and cliffs of this rock sitting in the middle of the sea. A piece of land that could be traveled in less than a full day's time. So yes, perhaps this was the most beautiful sight of Sakura's pathetically small world.

As she spoke of the wonders she had been deprived of, Sasuke began to think of other places, places not even of the mortal realm. He thought about the heavens and the god tree that sat in the meadows. He had only visited the place in the sky once when he was very young, but he remembered it vividly. He was certain the colors and aesthetic construction that the heavens of nature had created, would leave the already awed mortal speechless when she cast her jade eyes across the lands.

Sakura was still talking but Sasuke was no longer listening. But it did not matter as Naruto was doing his part to stay engaged and pester Sakura with questions about Sakura's aunt. The pair chatted away and Sasuke took advantage of her distracted attention to analyze her. She seemed so natural and relaxed than the other times he had been in her presence.

He took in her unique features that always seemed meant for a person far superior than a mortal. She did not belong in a dull world, she belonged in a place where her features did not defy what was around her, but instead complimented her. He thought of his own home. Though dark and dangerous, it too was beautiful in its own way. Incomparable to anything found in Sakura's world.

He began to imagine what her face would look like then if she were to see it. Would she be frightened or awed? Whichever it would be, Sasuke was suddenly struck with the desire to know the answer. And unlike everything else in his life, he was not indifferent to which answer it would be. He had a preference. He had a hope that she would think and imagine his home the same way she dreamed of the lands across the sea.

They stayed at the cliffs edge until the sun fell past the lapping waves of the sea. As the last glowing light began to fade and darkness began to take over the sky, Naruto stood. He let out a loud groan as he stretched and then in a flash he summoned his wings, giving them a few slow flaps as if recovering from being cramped within his body. The small gust caused a flurry of dust to rise into the air causing Sakura to turn her face away and cover her eyes. Sasuke watched her actions and glared up at Naruto.

"Oh sorry," Naruto apologized, stilling his wings.

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Idiot," he murmured in a low breath as he stood as well. He heard a small breath of laughter escape Sakura and looked down to see a small smile of amusement on her lips.

"I need to go," Naruto announced, causing Sakura to rise to her feet as well.

After brushing off her dress, she moved to wrap her arms around Naruto. He returned the hug and Sasuke stared at them, taking in the affectionate interaction. Again his mind wondered what kind of bond they shared. When the embrace lingered longer than he liked, which was the moment they made contact, he let out an annoyed tsking sound.

"I thought you had to leave?" he said with an unexpected sharpness in his voice. "The portal will be closing soon."

His words had the effect he wanted and the hugging fest before him was ceased.

"Yeah, yeah," Naruto waved carelessly then looked to Sakura. "Are you okay to get home by yourself?" Sakura nodded. "Are you sure? Because I can fly you…"

"No," she cut in quickly as she shook her head. "I can manage just fine, I walk through this area by myself all the time."

Naruto gave her a nod. "Okay suit yourself," he shrugged as he took a few steps back from the cliff, preparing himself for a running start. "But one of these days I will convince you to fly with me."

Sakura smiled as if this was some kind of shared humor that the pair shared. "Well until that day I will keep my feet firmly planted on the ground."

Naruto grinned and sent her a wink before setting his feet into a fast sprint until he ran out of earth. He pushed off with his last step, arching into the air before plunging down. Sasuke heard Sakura take in a deep breath as she peeked over the edge. She watched with a nervous excitement in her face as Naruto suddenly snapped his wings open and began to soar up to the skies. He sped past them in a blur of gold and white. He let out a distorted farewell that was carried away quickly as he continued to climb then disappear into a patch of sky above the sea.

Sakura remained at the edge of the cliff, her eyes glued to the space of air where Naruto had disappeared. Sasuke waited for a moment before growing weary of waiting for her to break her gaze away from the disappeared portal.

Unlike the fallen, who kept their gates open at all times, the blessed kept the tradition of closing the portals during nightfall. It was something that was done during times of war as a defense, leaving no possible entry during their enemies most powerful times. Ever since Madara took the life of Hashirama the blessed had kept their portals closed during nightfall. As far as Sasuke could understand, Madara both liked and disliked it. It showed that they were afraid, as Madara had claimed with pride. But now that there were talks of an official peace to be made between them, it caused him to be untrusting and paranoid.

Slowly, Sasuke walked towards Sakura and laid a hand on her shoulder. She startled at the contact. Letting out a hitched breath as her sandals began slipping, she wavered to catch her balance. Tightening his grip, Sasuke pulled her closer towards him and away from the cliff's edge, steadying her as she finally found her footing.

"Thanks," she said, the word coming out breathy. "I forgot you were still here. You startled me."

Sasuke frowned at her words. He did not like the thought of being insignificant to the point that his presence could so easily be forgotten. "Hn," he hummed, then turned away, shoving his hands into his pocket. "Come on, You need to go home," he called over his shoulder.

"Are you walking with me?" she asked.

Sasuke paused and turned around to look at her. "Of course, it will be fully dark soon."

"I thought I told you I am not afraid of the dark," she said, her hands falling to her hips as they jutted to the side.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow at her attitude. This was a new development in her actions compared to last night. Perhaps she was becoming adapted to his presence.

This was good. It was progress and perhaps it would speed up his discovery of what it was about her that intrigued him.

"And I thought I told you that it's not the dark, but what's in the dark that you should fear," he replied. "Stop being annoying and just come."

She puffed out her cheeks then after a moment of thought, she let out the air in a huff. "Very well," she sighed as she began to walk towards him.

Sasuke stayed still until she reached him and then fell into step with her. He noticed she quickened her pace and he could not help the twitch of a smile. Without any effort he adjusted his stride, taking no more effort than before to keep up with her. When she noticed the ease in which he kept up with her, she let out another frustrated huff as her breaths became labored and she slowed down.

They walked in silence, the occasional cricket filling the soundless void between them. Sasuke watched Sakura from the corner of his eye. She had a happy smile of ease on her face as she played with the long strands of hair that were now collected over her shoulders. She had taken it down earlier as they watched the sunset and now her nimble fingers worked small braids into the rose strands with an absent mindedness. There was a thoughtful look on her face as she stared forward.

"What's it like?" She suddenly asked.

"What is what like?"

"To fly." She stopped walking and turned to face him, her green eyes looking straight into his. "What's it like to be up there?"

Sasuke stared back at her, her eyes showed no hesitation with their held gaze. He cocked his head in thought. He had learned to fly when he had learned to walk. It felt so long ago but he recalled it vividly.

He remembered a few occasions when his wings had dragged on the ground. He remembered the gruff voice of his father telling him he was too weak to even hold them up properly, let alone manage to catch air. He had been determined to prove his father wrong and worked vigorously at it. He remembered being frustrated when he seemed to only manage to achieve a prolonged glide. The disappointment in his father's eyes had stung deeply. His own brother had practically flown from his mother's womb when she gave birth to her first son. His father had been so proud of Itachi and then he was born and that same pride could not be found in him. A seraph who could not perform what he was born to do was an abomination.

With hours of practice, and numerous bruises and cuts he accumulated from crash landings before his brother suggested practicing over the lake for a softer less injuring crash, he finally made his first flight. He remembered landing sturdily on the ground before his father and the approving nod that his father gave him before walking away. His chest had swelled with so much pride at that simple gesture.

Sasuke often wondered if he would have cherished that moment so much at the time if he'd known how far and few of those looks he would receive in his life. He noticed Sakura looking at him strangely and he quickly cast away the unwelcome thoughts and focused on her question.

How would he describe such a sensation?

To him it was natural now. There was no effort or thought needed. But Sakura was not asking about how to fly, she was asking what it was like. And that was something words could not describe. There were not enough nor the right descriptions to paint a picture of the sensations one found in the sky. There was that change in temperature and pressure as one road the wind currents. The exhilaration as one plummeted to the earth. The erratic beating of his heart and the sensation of feeling the tips of grass graze across skin as he pulled up just before colliding with the earth.

"It is something only to be understood with experience," he finally said. Then, without thinking he extended a hand. "Would you like to know?"

Sakura looked at his hand, outstretched and waiting. Sasuke saw her own hand twitch but then she took a step back, her arms coming up to her chest to hug herself as her head shook from side to side. "No thanks," she said quickly then bit down on her lip.

Sasuke let his hand stay suspended in the air as he watched her. He could not deny he was slightly disappointed with her decline. But then he remembered the twitch of her hand. Something inside of her had wanted to accept it. It was that thought that turned the earlier disappointment into satisfaction. He moved his hand back into his pocket and shrugged.

"Perhaps another time then," he said and she nodded.

Satisfied with this, he began walking, pulling his hand from his pocket once again as he passed by her. His hand wrapped around her shoulder, guiding her to turn and walk alongside him. As they took up their earlier pace, he let his hand slide from her back. His fingers grazed against her soft hair and clung to a piece before regretfully releasing the silky tresses all together. Despite the warm summer night air, his hand felt oddly cold with the lack of connection.

He quickly shoved his hand back into his pocket when he noticed her looking at him with a strange expression. He cleared his throat and looked ahead to the darkening path before them. "When you do decide you want to fly," he began, "make sure you come to me and not Naruto."

He saw her look at him from the corner of his eye and he turned his head. Her face was pulled in question. "Why?" she asked, and Sasuke was pleased that he did not detect any displeasure in the request, just curiosity for his reasoning.

He gave her a smirk. "Because I won't drop you like that idiot will."

It seemed that perhaps having the goal to get Sakura relaxed around him could have been a mistake. The maiden could speak so quickly that it sounded like an archaic language lost even to an ancient creature like himself. But despite this, he clung to every word. Filing away things he could use later when he had time to analyze his findings. He took note of the tone of her voice. Analyzing the emotions that filled her melodious voice as she spoke of people and things. With each subject, he mentally paired them with the emotion, learning her likes and dislikes without her even declaring them.

They had been walking for nearly a half hour when his attention, for the first time tonight, was drawn to something other than the rosette girl that paced just a few inches from his left. Summoning his blood limit he scanned the area. His blood red orbs surveyed every tree and bush within a mile of them and then he paused when sensed it.

Like the thrashing waves of rapids, the chakra of another seraph moved through the rocky edge of the mountain. The tomoes of his eyes spiraled faster as a darkened anger coursed through his skin. His heightened eyesight took in the blue hue of the man's hair. The silver shine of a large sword gleamed in the sliver of visible lunar sitting high in the sky.

He moved into action, his body moving of its own accord as he grabbed a hold of Sakura and dragged her behind the large tree that they had just passed by. He felt his wings erupt with a heavy, smokey darkness as he pushed the small frame of the mortal behind him against his spine. His heart beat strongly as he masked his chakra. It took little effort as it was a skill that had been practiced and perfected over the years. What did bring about his strain was the masking of Sakura's soul. It was like a beacon set atop a high cliff with a bonfire alight that called to all seraphs both blessed and fallen to come to her. Never had he thought her more annoying than in this moment. She was too pure. Too innocent to not be a delightful find for any demon who had a yearning for the challenge in corrupting a soul.

Sakura felt dizzy and confused from the sudden change in their situation. They had been walking easily through the staggered outskirts of the forest as she spoke about a humorous exchange she had witnessed in the market today between a young child and his mother. They had been walking so closely together that it surprised her at how at ease she felt around him now. But then it all changed.

She had not noticed at first but eventually she realized that Sasuke was no longer listening to her. He had paused his strides and his attention was focused far off into the darkness that her eyes could not see through clearly. Walking to his side she moved to touch his arm and call out to him but then she noticed his stature.

It was alert and rigid. She was almost certain she could see the dark hairs on the back of his neck rising like that of an animal sensing danger. Then his head shifted, giving her a better view of his face and she noticed the faint red with black swirls being cast across the land.

Following his gaze she strained to see what he was seeing. She could see the mountain, framed and dotted by the small stars that were quickly taking over the skies. At its summit, she could see the geometric outline of the small temple that stood like a sentinel over the land. Along the mountain slope she could make out the darker shapes of trees and larger brush but nothing in detail. Only black blobs among darker or lighter blackness. She was about to turn back to Sasuke when she saw it. A flash of silver, the glint of metal and along with it, the shadow figure of something lurking.

She was not given a chance to observe it any more before she felt the sharp tug of her arm that was still paused in a half reach for Sasuke's sleeve. Wrenched from her firm stance, her body was dragged then spun and pressed into something warm and firm. The rush of a strong wind blew around her and she shut her eyes as the dizzy whirl took over her head and body as well as the consuming smoke that had summoned from nowhere with the gust of wind.

She shoved her face into the source of warmth, squeezing her eyes tighter as she caught against the weak footing she felt in her body. As it dissipated, she slowly cracked her eyes open. Then eventually she opened them fully.

Pulling her face free she found herself looking into the finely woven linen shirt of Sasuke's. She felt a roughness brush against her cheek and realized that his wings protruded from the altered slits of his shirt that were fashioned at his shoulder blades. She had always been curious about the function of this strange fashion design but now it made sense. She had seen Naruto ruin his fair share of shirts when wearing more similar tastes to that of folk of this region when he accompanied her into public amongst normal humans like herself.

She moved herself slightly, trying to peak around his side but she was stopped by the tug of her arm that he still grasped in his long slender fingers.

"Stay behind me," he hissed in a tone that was laced with warning and a hint of annoyance.

"What is wrong?" She asked, keeping her voice whispered.

She saw his red eyes glance down at her from over his shoulder. He peered down at her with a look that she could not place before turning back around. "He is a rogue demon," he replied as he kept his focus on the figure moving about.

"Is he dangerous?"

She heard Sasuke let out a near snort at her question. "To some maybe," he answered.

"Is he to you?"

She earned herself another hard glare before Sasuke turned his red stare back to the mountain side. He said nothing in reply but Sakura took his glare as one being offended. Naruto had told her Sasuke was part of a powerful family, but how was she to know there were no families more powerful. It happened all the time. Even among her own country, the power of leadership was ever shifting and in many cases, it was a person's own family member that turned out to be their greatest enemy.

Sakura did not understand the politics and ways of the seraphs but she had seen enough of their traits bordering on the same level of human traits, that she was not stupid enough to think they were any different. For all she knew, that figure could be very well a family member of Sasuke's. One of equal or possibly more power than Sasuke. From what she understood, Naruto and Sasuke were young for their kind, certainly the longer one lived the more powerful they became if immortal.

"Then why are we hiding?" she accused.

"Because I do not feel like killing anything tonight and if he were to see you, there is a high chance that could happen," he said firmly. The shift of his head caused her to look up at him and meet the hypnotic spin that she was becoming more and more intrigued with. "Or would you like to watch me rip him apart?" Sasuke asked, with his brow arched.

Sakura could tell he was being sarcastic but she could not ignore that there was an underlying curiosity in his voice. Did he truly think she would even consider such a thing? Yes, she knew the evils of a demon. Naruto had warned her about the deeds and corruption that they could cause a mortal to do. But still, killing was wrong, no matter what a person had done.

She sent him a hard glare. "Of course not," she said with a tone of stone.

She watched as a flicker of something ran across his eyes but he turned his head from her before she could identify it. "Then be quiet and stay behind me."

Sakura frowned at the back of his head but he either did not feel her eyes burning into his skull or he did not care. As time stretched on, Sakura gave up her glaring and let her eyes roam down to where his wings protruded from his back.

In the dim starlight she could barely make out the true details but she could see the small pulse where a vein protruded beneath the rough outer skin. She could feel his heart beating where her arm was partially pinned against his back. She watched with fascination as the beat of his heart synchronized with the pulse of the vein.

Her eyes moved on, moving along the edge of his wing. The polish of the spiked talon that rested atop the joint in his wing gleamed in the starlight. Without thinking, she shifted herself to free her pinned hand. She felt the tight warning of Sasuke's hand around the wrist of her other hand but he did nothing else to stop her from freeing her arm.

With slow, transfixed movement, Sakura raised her finger up towards the peak of his wing. She was curious if it would be like softened leather or weathered and calloused. Would it be warm or cold? The complicated web of veins that fed hot blood into the membrane seemed to be answer enough. But in this moment, Sakura did not want to deduce by facts, she wanted to know from physical evidence. Upon first contact she took notice of two things. It was very warm and surprisingly soft.

Sasuke had continued to watch carefully from around the tree as the familiar demon finally began to make his way in the opposite direction of Sakura's home. His eyes narrowed as he watched him disappear into the dark. It had been Suigetsu, a rouge seraph that was loyal to Orochimaru. And it did not look like he was just casually looking around for some poor soul to prey on. He was here with a purpose, looking for something specific.

His fingers dug into the bark of the tree at the thought. He did not like the idea of Orochimaru taking interest in something, or anything on this island. It was remote and sparsely populated. The few cities it hosted were mostly small trading ports with a few local taverns as an offering of entertainment. It offered nothing that the larger cities of the mainland offered when it came to options in sinful indulgences. With those facts, no rogue demon would ever look for souls here. At least not one as greedy as Orochimaru. Not unless there was something of true value.

The light brush and tickle along the veined leather of his right wing caused him to break from his focused thoughts and turn around. Sakura stood wide-eyed with her hand held in the air and a single finger poised guiltily. He looked at her finger accusingly and frowned. Then he ruffled his wings, wanting to shake the lingering sensation of her finger tip where it had traced the sensitive edge near his talon.

"What are you doing?" he asked, moving his glare up to her face.

She did not shy away from his glare. Instead she kept looking up at him, meeting his eye with a slightly awed expression. He narrowed his brows more when she failed to give an answer which seemed to break her from the spell.

"Sorry," she said, blinking a few times. "I just wanted to know what it felt like. They're so beautiful."

Sasuke stared at her. No one had ever described any demons wings as such. Frightening, yes. Daunting, sinister, powerful, all of these he had heard. But never had he heard them described as a thing of beauty. Again a phantom sensation ran down his right wing and it sent a shiver down his body. It was disturbing how much he enjoyed such a feeling and caused him to frown again.

"Don't do that again," he said, his eyes narrowing. "I am not a cat to be petted."

His reprimanding words seemed to have no effect as a smile spread across her face and she let out a small giggle. He sent her another dark look and she put on a serious face, though he could see the hint of a smile as she struggled to suppress another giggle that was attempting to break from her lips. He rolled his eyes.

"Let's just go," he growled. "I have other things to do tonight other than walk you home since you insist on keeping to your mortal method of slothful travel."

He heard her composure crack again as a breathy laugh sounded but did not turn around. The soft sound of her sandals told him enough that she was following closely behind. If there were rouge demons wandering this landscape, he was not going to risk her lagging behind. He needed to get her home then find the reason why Orochimaru had suddenly taken an interest in this island.

Like the night before they came to a stop just outside the front gateway to her family's home. Sasuke paused with his hands in his pockets as Sakura turned to face him. Her earlier ease and playful attitude seemed to waver as she began to nibble at her lip in thought, a somber expression taking over her face.

"You are one of them aren't you," she said, breaking the silence.

Sasuke stilled for a moment, there was no question as to whom she was speaking about. Demons. Fallen seraphs. The evils of the world.

He had never been ashamed of what he was. Questioned his duties perhaps, but never had he regretted what he was born as. Yet, as Sakura looked up at him, her eyes fixed on him with careful calculations, he found himself faltering, delaying what seemed like a dooming answer.

However, her tone had not been in the form of a question, but a statement. He could see it in her eyes, the truth. Therefore, why was she asking? Was she testing him? Or was she hoping she was not correct? What if he were to lie, tell her he was one of the blessed, one of the good ones?

No, that would not do.

That was not who he was, he knew his heart and his heart yearned to lead mortals astray. It was his damned conscious that he had been cursed with that kept him back from his potential. And it seemed like he now had another reason, in the form of a mortal girl that he had an unhealthy obsession in understanding. She knew what he was, but did she know who he was? If she knew what he could truly do, she would run away from him just like any other mortal. Yet here she was, looking at him with no fear in her eyes, an anomaly.

He tilted his head to the side. "And what if I was to say yes?" he asked curiously. "Would that change the way you see me?"

The silence that followed as he waited for her answer was painstaking. His heart changed pace to a more rapid throb. As he acknowledged the pounding within his chest, he realized something. He cared what her answer would be.

He watched her eyes graze across his face then move down his body, pausing at the small stitched symbol adorning the left side of his tunic. He watched her take in the details of the red and white thread that made the fan. Slowly they moved back up and he wondered if this is what she felt like when he surveyed her.

"No," she said simply but firmly.

Sasuke felt his shoulders relax. "No?" he asked with a lift of his brow. "And do you truly understand what I am?"

He needed her to know. Her lack of fear in the appearance of a demon that was not him had him worried. Did she not understand the dangers? Did she not understand his kinds purpose or the value of the soul that lay within her?

Sakura nodded. "Naruto told me about the divide between the fallen and the blessed."

"And you did not fear Suigetsu?"

"Suigetsu?" she repeated in confusion. "Was that the rogue demons name? Did you know him? Why did he go rogue?"

Sasuke did not have the patience for her to lose focus on the matter at hand. "Were you afraid?" he demanded more forcefully.

"No." Her answer was nearly instantaneous.

"Why not?" he continued to demand, his frustration at her lack in understanding the potential danger was bleeding into his tone.

"Because you said he was not dangerous to you," she answered simply.

He paused at this, trying to process what this meant. If he were correct, he was to assume she felt safe around him. Sasuke nodded at this idea. It was a truth, she would always be safe around him. But he had to be sure he was right.

Keeping his eyes trained on her face for any hint of deceit, he continued his interrogation. "And yet you are not afraid that I may claim your soul and drag it down to the darkest parts of your gods underworld?"

She shook her head.

"Why not?" his tone was no longer demanding but still insistent.

"Because if you had wanted to hurt me you would have done it by now," she stated plainly. "And you made sure to keep me away from that other demon. If you wished me harm, you would not have protected me."

Her perception was sharp and Sasuke did not like this, it made him feel vulnerable. If a mortal could interpret his actions, there was no telling what an immortal could gain from him. It was he who was supposed to be learning about her, not the other way around. He needed to regain his standings.

Sasuke took a step closer, then another when she made no move to keep distance. He leaned down slowly, taking in the grassy smell of the countryside that had been trapped by her hair.

"I would not underestimate me if I were you," he whispered. His breath trickled across her shoulder, causing a budding of goosebumps to rise on her skin. "I am a very selfish person and I do not like to share. Who is to say that I am not just biding my time?"

She pulled back slightly, but only enough to look him directly in the eyes. "I would like to see you try," she defiantly challenged.

He watched the corners of her mouth twitch in a small self victory of her bravery. And he could not take it away from her. It was this version of this tiny mortal that intrigued him on the first day. A twisting ball of excitement rolled in the pit of his stomach and he gave her a devilish grin as he straightened up.

Her green eyes, of which the hue could still be seen in the darkness of the night, followed him. In a soft motion he raised his hand to her eyeline. Then, with a slow tap just above, he placed his index and middle finger to the center of her forehead. It was a familiar gesture he had been on the receiving end more times than he could count. But this was the first time he had ever offered the gesture himself. His arm had moved on its own accord but the moment the tips of his fingers touched her smooth skin, he had a feeling this would not be the last.

As he withdrew his hand her eyes came back into his vision. Confusion of his actions painted into her green irises that he felt he could agree with.

"Hn, maybe next time."

Chapter Text

Ancient Greece:

After Sasuke left her in a fashion that she was beginning to think was normal, sudden and confusing, she dazedly went into her house and up to her room. Her exhausted body had barely made it to the bed before she flopped onto her back. Her feet hung over the edge while her hands dangled over the sides. For an hour she lay like this. Her body tired but her mind too muddled and mixed for sleep.

Still dressed in her clothes from earlier, with no intention of changing until the next morning, Sakura lay restlessly on her bed as she stared up at the ceiling of her room.

Something had changed tonight. At what point this change occurred, she was not sure. Before tonight she had seen Sasuke only twice in her life. Each time had been just as intense as the other. And each time she had felt on edge. Like a prey being watched by a predator.

But on this third encounter there had been a shift. Sometime between the moment Sasuke stepped out from the shadows into the road and when he stepped back into the shadows with only the ghost of his fingers against her skin as evidence that he was there.

Somewhere between those two moments, something had changed. She had felt at ease. More than at ease. She had felt...safe. Which was odd because never before had she felt unsafe.

She was not naive enough to think the world without its dangers, but it was a simple fact that bad things did not happen in this countryside. Yet somehow he had managed to create the illusion of being protected from a danger that was not there. And there was more to him than she had thought. Before she thought him distant and indifferent but he continued to surprise her in the small gestures he offered. They were awkward and rigid, but they were sincere to what he was. He was a protector and he cared more than what he showed to the people important to him.

Like Naruto. He called the blonde seraph every insulting name she knew and more. But despite their frequent bickering and writing each other off, Sakura could tell that Sasuke truly valued Naruto's friendship. She would not be so bold as to think Sasuke felt this way about her, but the thought was appealing. And perhaps with time, and more appearances of the dark haired seraph, maybe she could be gifted with such a friendship.

Her mind replayed the small banter they had shared just before he slipped away into the dark. She was not sure what had come over her when she had challenged him like that. But she could not help but feel it was exactly what he wanted. It was painfully confusing and her mind strained to provide answers that only resulted in a headache.

A heavy sigh of frustration escaped her lips and she shut her eyes, determined to fall asleep and not think anymore of it. When her body did not seem to be lulling into any state of rest, she shifted. Pulling her legs up to cross and fall open as she moved an arm up to cushion her head. With her eyes still clamped shut, she took in a deep breath and slowly let it out as she mentally traveled through her body and relaxed every muscle. It was an old technique she learned from a healer man who had traveled from the far east. And for awhile the effort seemed to work.

She was nearly lost in the focus of the air moving in and out of her lungs when all concentration was broken by the abrupt tap on her forehead. Body frozen in shock, Sakura's heart pounded in her chest as her eyes snapped open only to be stunned by a wave of confusion.

She had expected to see a dark haired figure with glowing red eyes to be hovered over her. But what she was greeted with, was the same boring ceiling she had been staring at all night as it played backdrop to her own hand suspended over her face. Extended and pressed against her forehead, were her own two fingers. She glared up at them in accusation then mentally cursed the rest of her arm for moving on its own accord.

'Maybe next time.'

The words played in her mind with the voice that was quickly becoming familiar. Smooth syllables with a touch of darkness that bordered on dangerous. Every time he spoke, she could not help but relish the richness of his tone. Despite the potential menace it held, she could not help but be drawn into the underlying promise of something enticing.

But what had he meant by those words?

It could be interpreted as a promise to do what she had challenged him to do. Claim her soul, and drag her down to the dark lords realm. There she would suffer the darkest of punishments Hades saved for the most evil of deed workers. It seemed like an unfathomable idea that she could earn such a place in the underworld. But there was something about Sasuke that told her he could make the best of people, join the worst, with just his words. Those sinfully dark, yet drawing words, could be her downfall.

She shivered.

It disturbed her how much his words could send her body into a nearly euphoric state. He was dangerous, there was no doubting that. But yet, she could not deny the strange pull she felt for him. She had been drawn to him since the beginning.

She had not noticed it at first. In fact tonight was the first time she took acknowledgement of it. There was no other way to describe it, other than having a string attached to her finger to which the other end was connected to him. When he moved, she felt a tug. A pull in which she was instinctively compelled to give into. It made the thought of being dragged down to hell, not quite so fear inspiring when attached to the promise, that he would be there with her.

She bolted up from her bed.

Those thoughts were not her. She narrowed her brows and glared down at her hands. She traced her finger, running the tip of her left pointer around the circumference of her right hands counterpart. Quietly, she stood and sat down at the bench beneath the small window of her room. She looked out into the dark, contemplating this idea.

The pull was not always there. It was usually during the late hours of the night. Like when she was tending to her family's garden before going to bed. Other times she would be woken from the soft tug. Now that she was aware of it, she wondered if it meant that when the pull became absent, it meant he was absent as well. Gone from her world and into his own.

Not the one in the sky that she had first imagined, but the one down below. The one that she once was terrified by the thought of its existence. It worried her how much that fear had dissipated in such a short amount of time. The meaning of it was lost to her and she wondered if she would ever make sense of it. Such a connection to someone who was nothing but a strange mystery was absurd.

With a soft sigh, her head fell against the window frame as she gazed around the shadows of the night. Right now she could feel the tightening of the string around her finger. It was soft and subtle, as if it was more of an assurance that it was still there than an urging insistence that she follow. Did that mean that Sasuke was out there? If so, was it faint because he was far away or was it meant as something else?

It reminded her of the safety that had settled around her earlier that night. She should have been more afraid. She should have been terrified, still terrified, with the thought of a demon, other than Sasuke, lurking around these lands.

But she was not.

Instead she felt perfectly safe.

She recalled the stories her mother had told her long before she knew of the actual existence of the seraphim. Her favorites had always been about the guardian angels. Spirits that protect mortals from the evils of the underworld.

Perhaps there were guardian demons as well. Dark shadows that stalked instead of watched, and killed instead of protected. Over the past weeks, she had begun to think of Naruto as her guardian angel. If that was the case, then perhaps, without her knowledge or it seemed even his own, Sasuke was her dark shadow.

Suigetsu was nowhere to be found. Sasuke had spent the entire night soaring through the skies and haunting the ground below him, but there was no trace of the shark toothed demon, or any other demon for the matter. Despite this, he remained posted outside of Sakura's family manor until first light.

She was sleeping against the window sill. Her body leaned against the frame while her neck bent at an uncomfortable angle. If she spent the entire night like that, she would wake with a horrible knot in her neck.

He was tempted to go inside and lay her on her bed. But that would be crossing a line. He had never crossed over the walls of her home. Nor did he ever plan to. He was not here to take care of her, he was here to observe her. If she was too foolish to not get herself to bed then it was her own fault.

"Tch," he mumbled to himself. "So annoying."

And it was.

When Sasuke first began to observe her, he had come up with a set of strict guidelines. These rules were meant to keep him from becoming too involved. If his observances got too personal, he could possibly miss something. He was looking for facts, not friends. He needed to keep an unbiased observance.

But for some reason, Sakura made him want to break those rules which is what brought up this annoyance. Sasuke liked his rules. They kept things in order and he liked order.

So he stayed firmly perched in the tree and focused his attention on surveying the land around the manor, instead of what was in the manor. The moment the sky began to lighten, Sasuke was gone. Leaving no evidence for Sakura or anyone to know that he was even there.

It was the first meeting since his father told him of Madara's wishes two weeks ago. He had nearly skipped it in exchange for catching some sleep. But upon his arrival home, he ran into his father who had reminded him of his obligation to not disappoint his uncle's request. Or in other words, to not be an embarrassment for the family.

Fugaku had said it the same way he said everything. With sure expectation that Sasuke would be just that. An embarrassment.

So here he was.

Tired and annoyed, he made his way through the various faces that made up the council. Most ignored him. Being the second, lesser son of Fugaku, his presence seemed insignificant. But there were still a few raised brows and curious eyes to which he ignored or returned with a glare. After what felt like an eternity of wading through an amount that bordered on a mob than a council, he settled down into the empty seat next to his brother.

"What are you doing here?"

Unlike his father, Itachi did not sound degrading, only curious and perhaps slightly alarmed.

"Trying to prove to father that I am capable of not always being the disappointing failure that he sees me as," Sasuke replied, perhaps a bit more roughly than Itachi deserved. "Though I am sure I could sit here without moving or speaking anything and he would find something worthy criticism."

Sasuke's words had changed from rough, to biting bitterness. He watched his brother frown deeply at his remarks.

"You know he does not think that," Itachi assured. "He just…"

Words failed Itachi as he struggled to explain the complicated and more often incomprehensible person that was their father. Sasuke gave him a pointed look as if his falter only seemed to silently confirm Sasuke's earlier comment.

Itachi frowned. He did not like that his brother thought such things of himself.

Their father was hard and harsh with their upbringing but he had his reasons, albeit poorly justified, it was still what he thought was best. Fugaku expected a lot of them because he wanted what was best for his family. He cared and loved for his family deeply, he just didn't show it well. And to some, like his brother, it seemed it did not show at all.

But right now he had other worries.

Such as why exactly Sasuke was here. He had never shown an interest for council meetings or the politics of their world before. Yet, suddenly, when things were just beginning to escalate, he was here.

"So what else has brought about this sudden interest in meetings then?"

Sasuke looked at him from the corner of his eye before he moved his black irises to lay upon a point across the room. Itachi followed his direction until his eyes fell upon none other than their uncle, Madara Uchiha. A trickle of dread trailed down Itachi's body, leaving everything in its wake numb and buzzing.

"Apparently Madara has requested that I start attending," Sasuke said with a shrug.

The confirmation left a bitter taste in Itachi's stomach. Madara Uchiha was one of the oldest seraph's that was still alive. He had the most experience and knowledge in the ways and histories of their kind. He was also the closest stem from the original roots of any bloodline. That meant he was also the most powerful. And the last person he wanted near his brother.

Itachi was still very young when the war ended but he still remembered it vividly. Any child scared by the horrors of war would, and if he ever got close to forgetting, he could always rely on his nightmares to refresh him.

Madara had been strong even then. He had led legions through blood slaughter at the command of Tajima, Madara's father and Itachi's grandfather. At the time, it was he who had been the leader of the fallen. Tajima had been determined to wipe out all of the blessed. Many believed his son to share the same views given the ferocity in which Madara fought on the battlefields.

But Itachi remembered the few times when he saw his uncle's mask fall and he could see the pain that such wasted life caused him. It gave Itachi hope, and that hope grew when Madara himself claimed leadership and established peace almost immediately. It was the first time Itachi realized what life was supposed to be like. It was also the first time he was truly able to go about his true purpose in servitude.

For a time, Itachi considered his uncle a hero. Many still did. But itachi had lost faith in his uncle long ago. No one would dare say it, but Madara was unstable.

Many excused his slaughter of Hashirama as a grief stricken moment of weakness. But Itachi could see it. Like a thin veil hanging over Madara's head. His sanity was being suffocated. He saw it in his eyes. The cruel unsteady way he examined everyone with paranoia and as a possible threat. It is why he eliminated nearly the entire population of Senju. His actions seemed somewhat stable since then, but Itachi believed they were just dormant. That worried him. For there was no telling when it would stir again and who or what would be destroyed when the beast was unleashed.

Just before Sasuke was born, Madara had once taken an interest in Itachi. He had been fascinated with his proficiency and the quickness in which his sharingan evolved into the deeper, more dangerous stages. His uncle had tried to take him under his wing, claiming he wanted to help him develop those skills and prepare him as his beneficiary. But Itachi knew better. Madara did not want a successor, he wanted a weapon, a minion. He wanted a means to rule not just their realm, but all the realms.

But Itachi had made it clear long ago that he wanted nothing to do with Madara's dark musings. For awhile he thought that was the end of it, but then Sasuke was born.

Over the years their father had disregarded any effort Sasuke ever made. But while Fugaku watched blindly, Itachi had always seen the potential Sasuke held within him. Sasuke held within him a great power. A power that could do great things, but also greatly terrible. His younger brother had just not found the right motivation and focus needed to reach that potential. And it seemed Itachi was not the only one who had noticed this.

Madara had taken notice in Sasuke's potential not long after he mastered his wings. As soon as Itachi realized this, he had taken action to keep Sasuke away from Madara. For a while it had worked, decades had passed since then but it seemed his precautions had worn off. Madara was taking an interest again.

As if Madara sensed his stare, he suddenly turned from the Hyuga clan member he was speaking to and met Itachi's eyes. A glint of victory flashed across Madara's eyes as his attention flickered slightly to his left where Sasuke sat. Itachi felt his fingers curl into fists when he caught the ghost of a smug smile twitch at the corner of his uncle's mouth. Itachi sent him a heated, silent threat until Madara turned away to continue speaking to the Hyuga. Itachi's eyes remained on the back of Madara's head for another heated moment before moving his attention to his little brother.

"It would be best if you stay away from him," Itachi said in a warning tone.

Sasuke looked back at his brother, confused as to why Itachi would request such a thing. Itachi rarely did anything without warranted reasoning. It was the way he was. But his brother was also supportive of him, he was one of the few who believed in him. This recognition from Madara was a big step for Sasuke.

Yet, his always supportive brother was requesting that he disobey and disregard their uncle's acknowledgment. Was it not a good thing that their leader would want his presence at councils? Was his brother not proud that for once in his life, he was getting recognition as an asset to their world?

"Why?" Sasuke inquired, curious for his brothers' reasons.

Itachi stayed silent for a long moment as he continued to stare back at him with a blank face. Eventually he looked away. His black eyes swept across the council members as they began to settle into their seats.

"Just stay away from him," Itachi repeated.

And with those words hanging between them, the meeting began.

Despite the riveting and wholly detailed tale of an emperor's daughter, her guard, and the explicit encounters that happened between them in the dark, Kakashi found himself unable to give his full attention to the pictographs, beautifully composed on the scroll that Juriya had recently finished. Instead, his eyes were fixated on the little nymph that Naruto and Sasuke had managed to catch two months ago.

They had claimed she was a mortal and Kakashi had believed it until he laid his one visible eye on her. Since then, he was beginning to become a believer of the myths and legends passed between the mortals of these lands. She was quite exquisite, and he now understood why she caught the attention of the two young seraphs.

It would not have taken much for Naruto, but it had been Sasuke's subtle, but increasing involvement that had made Kakashi curious about the girl. And today he was granted a glimpse into those mysteries when upon their designated training time, he found himself sitting slightly adjacent to the girl in question.

At the moment she was preoccupied with watching Naruto and Sasuke spar with awe. Her eyes flicked from one point to another as she followed the black and white blur of wings as the two boys wrested, collided into, and chased one another. They had conversed a little when the session had first begun and with the small exchange of words, Kakashi felt he had already gathered enough to make a general assumption of her.

She reminded him a lot of Rin. Infectiously cheery with a bright smile, large eyes that displayed every emotion that was felt, and an instinctive need for healing others who were damaged in more ways than physical hurt.

He just hoped this girl would not also share the same fate as the other. Because despite all the wonderful traits that Sakura shared with Rin, there was one that worried him. She was a mortal. A mortal who seemed to be caught up in a world far beyond hers, and more deeply immersed than any of her kind should.

There was nothing truly wrong with mortality. At times Kakashi felt envious of mortals. Immortality, at times, could feel tedious.

Then again, for a sinner like him, maybe immortality was the damnation he would inevitably face when it finally came for him to be granted death. But for a bright spirit like Sakura, death seemed like a punishment. Not just for her but to the world. Warm, comforting spirits like hers should be eternal like the shining stars. But then again, even the brightest of stars eventually dim and fade.

"Why are you wings grey?"

It took him a moment to realize that Sakura was no longer watching Naruto. At the moment, said seraph was flying around like an irritant fly as he threw insults down to an annoyed Sasuke. Sasuke himself looked ready to do more than swat at him.

Kakashi looked away from the pair to give Sakura his full attention. Her green eyes looked innocently at him, completely ignorant of the highly personal question she had just asked him. Then again, it was a valid curiosity. He himself was an anomaly of his kind, just the way she was one her kind with her rosette locks.

"It's because I am old," he supplied, pulling his scroll up to hide his face and hoping she would accept the answer.

But when he peeked back over the scroll, she was eyeing him suspiciously.

"I thought seraphs were immortal," she pointed out. "What is the point of living forever, if you still have to deal with aging?"

He could not help but let out a small chuckle. It seemed that there was another trait she and Rin shared. Too smart for their own good.

"Careful Sakura," Kakashi teased. "With that kind of thinking you might realize that you mortals are better than us immortals."

She gave him a mischievous smile before going back to watching the rivalry that would never be settled.

Watching the three interact was the most intriguing. They all sat together with their feet dipped into the small stream of water that ran through the glade. Both boys sat with their wings sprawled out as if sunning themselves while Sakura's hair shone rosy in the life giving light. It was an odd and amusing sight. An angel, a demon, and their little mortal. It brought a happy sadness in Kakashi's heart. To see that such things could still be formed, no matter the history that had happened in the past.

Sakura let out a lilting laugh before a relaxed silence fell between the trio. Kakashi heard her let out a happy sigh before linking her arm with Naruto's and then lay her head on his shoulder. She murmured something but her words were too low for even his heightened senses to catch. But it appeared that Sasuke had heard as his attention was drawn to the pixie sitting beside him.

Sasuke's dark eyes locked on her arm looped through Naruto's, then they trailed to her smiling face as she leaned her head against Naruto's shoulder. Kakashi watched as Sasuke's face hardened and frown at the pair, a flash of unmistakable envy flashing in his eyes.

Kakashi let out a small chuckle and wondered if the dark haired fallen even understood what he was feeling. As if sensing the dark jealousy, Sakura's left arm moved and looped through Sasuke's. As she fully linked her arms with his, he was forced to move closer as she sat up, moving her head from Naruto's shoulder as she pulled the pair closer to her. Kakashi watched as Sasuke's earlier sour look evaporated. Uncertainty surfaced at first, then it smoothed over with a relaxed contentment. The silver haired seraph could even swear there was a ghost of a smile on his lips.

"Interesting," he mumbled to himself.

Sakura certainly was a special mortal.

Eventually Sakura announced her intended departure, claiming she had to check on a neighbor who had recently given birth the night before. Naruto gave her a hug goodbye to which Sasuke interrupted as he pulled her away to give a warning to be home before dark. Sakura returned his words with a roll of her eyes and assurance that she could take care of herself. When he gave his own words of doubt she happily reminded him that she had been doing it for seventeen years before he had shown up.

It was a statement that Kakashi could see grated on Sasuke as his jaw tightened and the corner of his eye twitched. He took several steps closer to Sakura. With each step, Kakashi could see the earlier confidence of Sakura slightly falter, but it never fully gave away.

They stood toe to toe for a growing moment, as if it were only the two of them. Kakashi watched with surprise as Sasuke lifted his hand and poked her in the middle of the forehead. Sakura's head jerked back as she blinked several times in surprise. Once recovered, she narrowed her eyes at him but Sasuke seemed unphased as he whispered something so low, Kakashi was certain even she could not hear the dark haired boy's words. And then Sasuke stepped back, and the odd, almost intimate exchange, was broken.

"Go and don't dawdle," Sasuke commanded.

Sakura's cheeks puffed as she pursed her lips. "Fine," she spat then turned to the other two.

Kakashi was taken aback by the instant and abrupt change in her face. One moment, hardened and defiant, the next, warm and sunny as a brilliant smile consumed her features.

"It was a pleasure to meet you Kakashi," she said with a small bow of her head. "Hopefully our threads of fate will cross again."

She gave a final wave to Naruto and a dark look to Sasuke, then skipped off towards the small farming settlement on the other side of the woods. Kakashi watched as Sasuke's dark eyes followed her until she disappeared from sight.

"So annoying," Sasuke muttered under his breath.

It was an utterance not meant to be heard by anyone else, but in his agitation, it came out strong enough for both Naruto and Kakashi to hear.

"Oh come on Sasuke," Naruto chimed, earning a dark look to be cast towards him. "You're just mad because she won't do everything you tell her and you can't control her."

Kakashi raised a brow at this. "What do you mean can't control her?" he asked curiously, causing both boys to look at him.

Sasuke's face was in a glower while Naruto's curled mischievously. "Sakura is immune to Sasuke's sharingan," Naruto supplied with glee.

Kakashi's single visible eye quickly darted to Sasuke who was busy trying to burn Naruto alive with his eyes. It was a good thing Sasuke's eyes were not as advanced as they could be, otherwise Kakashi was certain there would be sure black flames consuming the golden seraph.

"Is this true?" Kakashi inquired, drawing Sasuke's heated glare from Naruto to their teacher.

"Of course not," Sasuke denied through his teeth.

"Yes it is," Naruto argued. "She did it on the first day. Sasuke went to erase her memory of us but she broke out of his pull."

"That was only because I let her," Sasuke snapped back. "It was a fluke, a one-time thing."

"So you have used it on her since then?" Naruto asked, his voice holding a bit of a threatening edge.

Sasuke hesitated before giving an answer. "No," he proclaimed truthfully. "I have not needed to."

In truth it was because he was afraid that it was not a fluke. That it would turn out that she truly did resist his pull. Because that would mean he was weak. So weak in fact, that even a mortal could overcome what was supposed to be his most powerful attribute. If this was so, what did that mean for him if a mere mortal could beat him. Perhaps there was validity in his father's dissatisfaction.

His eyes flashed to his teacher who was looking at him with an eye that was too observing. The rest of the silver seraphs face was covered, but he could see the pull of cloth over his mouth that indicated he was deep in thought.

"What?" Sasuke growled.

Kakashi's brow rose at his tone. "It's nothing, just…"

"Just what?" Naruto encouraged.

Kakashi mussed up his already untamed hair. His mind raced. He had heard things, rumors and stories of mortals with certain souls. But that was the problem. They were rumors. And rumors were like feathers, it was rare they held any weight. That weight meaning truth.

"It's probably nothing," Kakashi said as casually as always.

But his nonchalant tone did nothing to lose the interest of his students.

"Tell us anyways," Sasuke demanded in a tone not normally used when speaking to superiors. Then again, Sasuke hardly ever held respect for anyone. "If it's nothing, then there is nor harm in humoring us."

Kakashi gave him a look that silently stated his dislike for the tone. But his immediate denial of the request died on his lips when he saw the emotion in Sasuke's eyes. A depraved hunger of desperation. He had seen that same look in the eyes of young scholars who craved knowledge. He had hardly seen Sasuke have a need for anything other than power.

Interesting.

"Very well, but it would be best that you keep this thought to yourselves," Kakashi warned, then waited until they each nodded. Once he had their promise of silence, he continued. "It might be possible that Sakura possesses a true soul."

There was a long pause of silence as Kakashi studied each of the boys for a reaction. It did not surprise him when their faces remained vacant of any understanding. Not many believed in true souls. They went against the nature of a seraphs purpose.

"A what?" Both Sasuke and Naruto questioned after a short while.

"More specifically, a true pure," Kakashi clarified. "There are two types of a true soul."

His words hung in the air again before Naruto let out a suppressed snort. "Of course her soul is pure, anyone who has looked at it will see there is not a single marring. She's too nice to do anything wrong. And I don't know if you noticed, but this island is not exactly the biggest lure for demons. Most people around here have good natured souls."

From the corner of his eye, Kakashi saw Sasuke shift uncomfortably but he brushed it aside as nothing. Instead he shook his head, focusing on Naruto.

"There are plenty of nice mortals in the world that go their entire lives without much of any sinning without the coaxing of a fallen. But a true soul is different. Unlike other mortals, they are not drawn to our influences. They could be surrounded by a hundred demons and not feel the draw of temptation to do their bidding. Same goes for angels as well. They are, in a sense, immune to us." He looked at Sasuke. "It would explain why she could break away from your sharingan. It was not that your hold was not good enough, it was because she had a true choice. I would imagine she would be immune to any sharingan for that matter."

The relief Sasuke felt with that information was surprising. And it was not just the fact that it meant he was not weak, it was the fact that she was safe from any other sharingan holder.

"That is so cool!" Naruto crowed.

"Perhaps," Kakashi agreed with a slightly grey tone. "But it also means that she will be sought after all the more."

Sasuke's eyes snapped to Kakashi, his eyes alert with apprehension. "What do you mean sought after? And by whom?"

"True souls are extremely valuable. A single true soul would be the same worth of a hundred others. Meaning whomever claimed her would be granted a great amount of advantage," Kakashi explained. "For example, if a rogue seraph were to claim her soul, they could live for over a millennia without having to claim any other soul during that time without their powers or life forces weakening."

At this he saw Sasuke's already pale face grow ashen.

"Hang on," Naruto interrupted. "I thought you said a true soul couldn't be influenced by anyone. So how would anyone be able to claim it?"

Kakashi looked at Naruto who was giving him a skeptical expression, then to Sasuke who looked slightly relieved at Naruto's point.

"She cannot be influenced but she can still choose."

"Psh," Naruto waved away Kakashi's words. "Then there is nothing to worry about. Sakura would never give her soul to some rogue. She is nice but she isn't stupid. And why would anyone choose to let their soul go to the demons? No offense," he quickly added to Sasuke who glared, but gave no counter remark.

There was nothing to say in defense. What mortal would choose an eternal damnation of misery over the eternal peace and serenity that the heavens provided? Sasuke looked at Kakashi, his eyes narrowing with suspicion.

"Naruto's right." He said the words with difficulty but managed them all the same. "Sakura is a good person. She cares for others and would never hurt another person intentionally. She is innocent and kind and she would never change. She's too stubborn." His last words were more to himself than anyone.

"Let us hope that you are right then," Kakashi replied. "But in the meantime, I wouldn't go around telling others about her," he warned.

No response came from either boy but he hoped they took his warning to heart. He could see that they each held Sakura in close regards. Which was good for the mortal girl. She would need as much protection as she could get if she was a true pure.

The counterpart of a true pure, were not as coveted. Their souls were just as priceless but those on the market for such souls were limited. Angels had no interest in tainting the god tree, and the inherently evil attributes of a true pure's counterpart would automatically find its own way to the statue of outer path, thus negating the needed pursuit from a fallen. This only left rogues, but those souls were dangerous to a rogue. A rogue seraph was just as susceptible to being consumed by a true evil as he was in claiming said soul. But a true pure. That was an entirely different market.

There was something about corrupting the incorruptible that demons loved. Therefore, if Sakura truly was a true pure, and word was to get out of her existence, every rogue seraph would be swarming this country side. It was an unspoken rule that true souls were left alone. Like a true evil, their natural affinities would ensure their souls would find their way without the guidance of a seraph. A true pure returned automatically to the god tree without the need to be collected, thus nullifying a seraphs purpose to collect them. But Kakashi had no doubt, that if Madara himself were to get word of her, he would send an army, or worse, come to collect her himself.

While immune to influence, she could still choose if given the right motive. Kakashi had seen the unfortunate occurrences of mortals torturing each other to the point of begging for death. A seraph could do the same and so much more for the chance to claim such a soul. Sakura may be defiant to Sasuke, but Sasuke did not seek any ill intent towards her. She was strong willed, she would have to be if she could resist the powers of a sharingan, but even the strong had a breaking point.

It surprised him that she was not assigned a guardian angel to protect her already. But then again, perhaps it was unnecessary seeing as how fate had already bestowed protection upon her. He looked at Naruto, his sunny features scrunched with thought. He was perhaps too hot headed and impatient, but he took those flaws and let them fuel his bravery and dedication.

Kakashi then looked to Sasuke. His attention was pointed to where Sakura had disappeared to, giving only his profile to be examined. There was very little written on his features but Kakashi had seen enough today to know that he too cared for the well-being of Sakura.

"I'm going," Sasuke suddenly announced.

"What!? But we are not done with our training!" Naruto protested.

Sasuke's wings burst from his back. "I'm bored," he stated. "And I have more important things to do."

As he took off into the air Kakashi could not help but smile as Naruto sputtered out insults that went ignored by their target. Yes, it seemed Sakura would be alright. With Sasuke and Naruto watching out for her, she would be okay. For he could not think of two other seraphs more dedicated to their goals. And if keeping Sakura safe was a goal of theirs, they would see it out.

But even as he watched Sasuke fly towards his destination that Kakashi was certain would possess a rosette mortal, a sinking feeling of doubt seeped beneath his skin. It was a simple task keeping her safe, and as long as it stayed simple he had no reason to fear. But life was not simple, especially when mortals and immortals mixed. Already they had a complexity. What other complexities would arise and how quickly? It was those thoughts that left Kakashi wary.

He did not wish anything upon the charming young woman. But that was perhaps the problem. She was a charming young woman that had managed to make even the most indifferent person he knew care.

Days turned into weeks, weeks into months and before they knew it almost an entire year had passed by since the two immortals first met their little mortal. Since the day they went to the view point, Sasuke's presence became more frequent. As always Naruto and Sakura's relationship continued to flourish into a warm and comfortable friendship.

While he knew their bond was strictly platonic, Sasuke could not help but always wonder and question the bond between angel and the mortal. Each time this questioning was renewed, he was filled with a confusion to how he felt. At first he thought it was because of the ultimate disappointment it would lead to, but as time grew on, he could not help but notice his competitive resentment growing with each passing day. In the end, Sasuke decided to write it off as a part of the rivalry between himself and Naruto as there were more important things to worry about.

It was not often, but Sasuke had crossed paths with several more rough seraphim wandering the countryside of the island. He had yet to come across Suigetsu again, but there was no telling if these additional rogues were part of Orichimaru's followers. Whether they were or not, it did not matter. Because they never had the chance to return to whatever dank hole they had originally crawled from. Sasuke had seen to it that their fates ended long before the thought could ever cross their minds.

It was a temperate spring day. The cloudy sky and the occasional glimpse of the sun left a warmth upon one's skin that brought about a sleepiness as the soft breeze that shifted through the tall grass kept one from becoming overheated.

The trio were camped out in the middle of an abandoned field. Both Naruto and Sasuke were laid out on their backs as they relaxed in the afternoon warmth. Sakura sat with her legs tucked neatly to the side, her dress spread out across the green blades of grass as she gathered flowers and wove them into a fragrant crown.

Sasuke let his chest rise and fall in relaxed breaths as he listened to the light humming from Sakura as she sat by his and Naruto's heads. Another wave of air rushed across the long grass causing it to rustle and drown out Sakura's melody and disrupt his already unruly hair. As the breeze died down, Sakura's humming had been replaced with a small giggle and he noticed the light from the sun penetrating through his closed lids had dimmed. Something tickled his cheek then his nose.

Cracking a single eye open, he found himself face to face with an upside down Sakura as she leaned over his head. The bright green of her eyes were highlighted by the fresh green stems of colorful crown of flowers that decorated her already, colorful and flowing hair. In her hand, she held a piece of grass that was poised above his nose. He glared at the source of the irritant tickle.

She moved to tickle his face again but he was too fast for her. In a swift movement he snatched the blade of grass from her hand and crushed it.

"Hey!" she protested.

It had taken a while for her to even dare such an action but over the past year, such actions had become normal from Sakura. He would never admit it, but it pleased him.

"Go back to your flower weaving," Sasuke grunted as he shut his eyes again.

Instead of finding herself more flowers, Sakura instead began to run her hands through his hair. A pleased hum nearly escaped his throat but Sasuke caught himself just in time.

"There aren't anymore flowers in this area," she complained. "We need to move to another spot."

"Hn," Sasuke let out, his hum lacking any empathy.

He was not about to let the soothing petting cease. So instead, he shifted himself until his head fell into her lap. For a moment he felt her stiffen and her hand froze mid stroke. He could still feel her fingers trapped in the tangles of his hair. For one bated breath, he panicked. He had never initiated contact with her that was inessential of purpose. And he only 'tolerated' any contact that she made because he needed her to get comfortable around him.

He was just about to sit up and move away when her hand moved again and he felt her slightly relax. As soon as her hands began running through his hair, all the worries of overstepping his boundaries vanished. Pushing the boundaries he had set up at the beginning was something that had been occurring more and more frequently. The distinct lines he had drawn were becoming smudged so thinly, they could hardly be considered lines anymore. And these fading lines were not the worst part.

What worried him the most, was the ever growing lack of concern he had for the disappearing lines themselves. He had set those lines in place to make sure he did not become too involved. It was not a seraphs purpose to sympathize with mortals. It was a weakness.

"Do they not have combs in the underworld?" Sakura suddenly asked as she tugged on a piece of his hair.

Sasuke's eyes snapped open and glared up at her as Naruto burst into a fit of laughter. A swift kick of Sasuke's leg caused the angel to quickly change his tune. Naruto grumbled and whined and Sasuke watched Sakura's attention move to the whining seraph. From his position in her lap, he could not make out her entire features but he watched as her head tilted to the side as if in thought.

"You know your hair is not any better Naruto," she commented. "And Kakashi's is a mess as well. Do seraphs in general just not know of the concept of grooming?"

Naruto's whining ceased as he crossed his arms and began pouting. Sakura shook her head and looked back down at Sasuke. She paused upon finding him already watching her.

With the sun haloed over her head, he could not ignore the fact that she looked like the images he had seen many civilizations paint when depicting their heavenly deities. She was still smiling demurely from her earlier amusement and her green dress reflected and highlighted her eyes making them look lush and full of life.

She was beautiful.

The statement flashed across his mind faster than he could deflect such thoughts. But even as it registered, he could not deny nor refute it. It was the truth. She was stunning at that moment.

After awhile, he found himself looking past her green irises to beyond the anatomy of her eye to where her soul lay. It was the first time he had ever done this, looked directly into her soul.

When any seraph looked at a mortal, demon or angel, one could usually see a partial glimpse of the essence of the soul. Each mortal emitted a general feeling of where they lay upon the alignment of morality. But to truly get an accurate reading, one would have to look through the windows of the soul.

Their eyes.

Anytime Sasuke had attempted this on Sakura, he found himself so lost he never managed to make it this deep. Or in other cases like their first encounter, she had resisted him. But today, he felt no resistance, no hesitation. She was letting him in. Consciously she would be unaware of this. It would seem like a few seconds to her mortal mind but for him, it felt like an eternity as he gazed upon her soul.

It too was beautiful. The shimmering essence of golden light swirled untarnished and wholesome. It was breathtaking. He had never seen a soul so pure. Immediately Kakashi's words of warning from three seasons ago came to his mind. At first he had been skeptical of Kakashi's proclamation that she was a true soul. He had never heard of such a thing.

Despite his lack of belief, he had still taken full precaution to the warning that she needed to be protected. But now that he gazed upon her soul, he found himself becoming a true believer.

This was a soul to be desired.

A strange feeling crept into his mind then slithered down to his pulsing heart. He was a demon. It was he who was supposed to be the tempter. But as he gazed upon her soul, it was he who felt the pull of desire.

He wanted that soul.

He wanted to possess it, to hold it, to capture it and never let it go.

He jerked up and in a blur he had put himself on the opposite side of the small circle they had created in the grass. His chest raggedly expanded and compressed as his heart thundered within his rib cage. Both Sakura and Naruto were looking at him with wide eyes. Perspiration formed on his skin as the heat of his earlier feelings caught up with him.

"Sasuke," Naruto called as he sat up from his laid back position. "Are you okay? Your eyes are kind of wigging out."

It was then that he became aware of the discomfort in his eyes as they flickered back and forth between black and red. He blinked furiously, trying to regain control until he felt as if he were going cross eyed. He let out a growl, and rubbed them vigorously with the heel of his palm.

"Sasuke?"

The quiet sound of her voice made him still. With restrained movement, he looked up at Sakura. She was still sitting on the ground like before but her face was crumpled into concern. He saw her move. Untucking her legs as she moved to stand.

"I have to go," he quickly excused. Both Sakura and Naruto were standing now. He heard Naruto ask him what was wrong but he was distracted by Sakura's movement as she took a step towards him. "Don't come near me," he growled, causing her to pause.

He saw a flash of hurt confusion run across her eyes as her head flinched back at his harsh tone. He wanted to comfort her, to assure her it was not her, it was him. But that would be a lie. It was her fault. Never in his life had he ever been compelled to collect a soul outside of duty and never had he been tempted to keep one for himself.

For the past summer, autumn, and winter, he had been watching her. At first it was to gather answers, but after Suigetsu's appearance and Kakashi's warning, it had changed. His motivations and actions had been more out of protection than observation. He had been prepared to defend her from the worst. Been ready to face Orochimaru himself if he or any of his cronies showed an interest in her.

But never, never in the three full seasons that he had known her, had he thought it would be he who would be the danger.

With that realization he lept into the air. The wind whistled against his ears and the change in air pressure became nearly painful, but he did not slow. He needed space. He needed to clear his mind and stay focused on his task. He had been careless and let his mission to find what was so intriguing get side tracked. But now it seemed he had accomplished that.

He had found out what it was about her that drew his curiosity. Her soul. Her perfect and pure soul. Now that he knew, he could be rid of her. That is what he had promised himself before and that is what he would do.

It was just unfortunate that fate was against him. Because as soon as he began to make a decent towards the portal that would seal him in the world beneath her world, he felt a tug. It was gentle and small but it was persistent and promising. In the back of his mind he could hear the whispering of fate as it gave the solid promise that this was far from done.

Chapter Text

Present Day:

Sakura landed on the rooftop much harder than she normally would. The encounter had left her shaken and feeling lost, among other things. But there was no sorting the emotions that coursed along with the racing adrenaline in her veins. Distinguishing one from another was unachievable, as they had all merged and fused into one, singular bundle. A bundle that no amount of pulling and twisting would untangle.

Breathing heavily, she stared down at the cracked pavement of the crumbling warehouse roof. The surface crunched slightly as the loose gravel beneath her feet slid and scratched beneath the souls of her shoes. The sound was strangely comforting as it helped her reign in her thoughts tightly enough that she could focus.

There was still no processing the emotions she felt, so instead Sakura focused on the facts. She was an intellectual, she could deal with facts far better than her emotions. Those she had never been able to control. So as she focused on the cool air that passed through her hair and the crunch of rocks, she listed the facts of tonight's events.

Deidara was at the club. That meant their informant was to be trusted. Sakura had been able to keep him by her side for the majority of the night. But he disappeared. That meant either he had an agenda tonight or she was not as intriguing as Kakashi had thought when he assigned her as the bait to lure him. These first facts were simple and easy to glean insight from. But once she had easily processed these particulars of the night, she came to the more difficult events.

Sasuke Uchiha had picked her out of the crowd and confronted her. He had spoken to her, called her by name, and touched her. At this thought, the place on her arm where each of his fingertips had rested seemed to burn.

Her own hand raised to her forearm and traced the lingering heat that haunted her skin. She closed her eyes tightly as she tried to focus back on the factual and not emotional.

He had chased after her when she ran away. And when she escaped, he lashed out in frustration. He had lost control and risked exposing himself to mortals. To other observers, his upset manor and loss of control would appear to be the final piece of data worth taking note of. But for Sakura there was one more fact that she could not ignore. He had not given up.

Instead he had taken to the skies and continued his search. For how long she did not know, she had not stayed long enough to find out. For all she knew he was still out there, flying around and searching, looking for her. Despite this missing information, there was something she could gain from this fact, he was desperate.

Why? How? Each question was paired with each fact she listed about the Uchiha and she could not produce a single intelligible answer for any of them.

She was a seasoned guardian who had just barely been selected to join the ranks as an archangel. Her lineage was of no significance. In fact, she did not even know from what branch she originated from. She was close with Tsunade but she was not a confidant in any political business in which the Senju collaborated in.

In other words, she was of no use in gaining any intelligence from. She had no special powers or bloodline that could not be found somewhere else. Perhaps her healing abilities went above the normal, but again, Tsunade was far more superior. And she was certainly not a person of significance within the seraphim community.

So why would someone of such famed power pick her out of a crowd? How would he have even known that she was a seraph? How did he know her name? What, in all of the gods names above, would Sasuke Uchiha want so desperately?

"Sakura."

Dazedly she looked up to see Kakashi walking hurriedly towards her. "What happened?" he asked, his eye quickly scanning her over. "Is something wrong? Did we miss the signal?"

Numbly she shook her head. "No, I'm fine there was no signal," she managed to say breathlessly.

At her words he gave a final appraisal then looked around the building, flaring his chakra in signal as he surveyed. Immediately Sakura felt a response, followed by the appearance of Naruto as he dropped out of the clouds where he had been circling above. As Naruto landed, he looked between Sakura and Kakashi, his eyes alert and looking for a reason as to why he had been called down.

"What's going on?" he asked. "Did we miss the signal? Where is Deidara? Sakura are you…"

"No you did not miss the signal and I am fine," Sakura quickly interrupted as her brain finally began to truly catch up. She looked between the two. "I am sorry but I lost him. He was there, I had him, and then he stepped away and I don't know where he went. I swear I looked everywhere for him but then…" She paused unsure of how to explain.

As her words slowed, faltered, and then stopped, Kakashi took in her face. Her mouth was pulled into a deep frown as the point between her two eyebrows bunched together. It was a tell tale sign that he knew well. Something was bothering her conscience.

He thought back to when she first arrived. Even then he had noticed something off by the way she had landed. He hardly ever saw her land so ungracefully since she first learned to fly. Only when something was truly upsetting her did she lose control of the strength Tsunade had given her.

Automatically Kakashi's mind filled in the reason. She was feeling guilty for losing Deidara. His mouth turned down at this. He admired Sakura's tenacity in perfection but too often it was a flaw. She put too much on herself and did not give herself enough credit. She could not blame herself for losing a demon such as an Akatsuki member.

He let out a quiet sigh.

If anyone was to blame it would be him for putting too much on her. It was easy to forget who and what she really was. She blended so well with their kind that it became easy to forget that she was not one. At least not fully. She may have gained their gods given powers and immortality, but there were still traits that made her still very human.

As these thoughts ran through his mind, he could not help but catch on to the unusual way she was looking. Small tremors were coursing through her body. They were quickly calming but he could still see the tremors of her fingers in between the clenching of her fists at her side.

When Sakura was guilty she got twitchy and refused to make eye contact. It was what made her a terrible liar. But her fingers were trembling, not twitching. The closer he looked, the more he was beginning to think that it was not guilt that she was feeling.

His eyes flashed back up to her face and he caught her eye. There was a staggered dazed look to them as if she was switching in between the wanderings of her mind and focusing on conversing with them. Kakashi pondered this as he took in her features again. She was disturbed but it was not from guilt. There was something else that was causing her to struggle with her usually adept focus.

"Sakura," Kakashi said as neared her and laid a hand on her shoulder. Sakura looked up to meet his eyes and she saw his single visible eye looking at her closely. "Did something else happen tonight?"

Did something else happen tonight? Her mind parroted his words within her head.

A hysterical laugh nearly escaped her lips at the question. She was not sure why her mind found any amusement in this query. Perhaps it was because she was such a nervous wreck at the moment or it was the heavy irony weighted in the truth.

But what exactly was the truth?

Her mind reformed Kakashi's question. What exactly, had happened tonight? It was a question she was not sure how to explain. A fabled rogue demon had approached her, called her by name, looked at her so...so…

She did not even have the knowledge on how to interpret what she had seen in his eyes. But what she did know, was that it had frightened her. The intensity of his presence and the potential of what could have happened had caused her to flee.

A shiver ran down her back as she recalled the anger he had expressed upon failing to catch her. What kind of ire would he have displayed had he caught her? Or a far more terrifying, yet plausible question, what kind of wrath would he rain upon her when he caught her?

It was not a thought she wanted to even dare introduce to her imagination. But like a person afraid of scary things when alone in the dark, she could not seem to think of anything but that.

This time the shiver that ran through her body was frigid, making goosebumps rise along her skin as the likelihood of such an event happening was calculated within her mind. In the span of approximately two weeks she had happened to run into him twice. Statistics would suggest that she only had a week before the inevitable would occur again.

Third time's the charm. It was an unwritten and unscientific law that mortals quoted to each other when hoping for a certain outcome. Sakura wondered if that certain law would be granted to a seraph as well. But the question was, which seraph would be granted the charm. Usually the third outcome was the opposite of the first two results, and she had just evaded him twice.

She thought back to those evasions.

The first time he had been so indifferent. He had hardly taken any notice of her until the end. And even then it was nothing more than a casual curiosity. She could hardly label that has an escape. There had been nothing trying to capture her. But tonight. Tonight was something else entirely. And Kakashi was asking her to describe it.

If she did, what would be his reaction? What would be the result?

It had been a week and a half since she had been allowed to come back to hunt. Thirteen consecutive nights in which she had felt locked and trapped in the skies above. It was a funny thing, she had never felt trapped until she experienced freedom. And what would happen to that freedom if she revealed that not only had she ran into the reason for her imprisonment, but he had singled her out.

Internally she shook her head. No, she could not let it be known. She could not risk being locked up. She had been lucky enough to even be allowed to the mortal realm during daylight hours.

Sasuke was out there right now. Soaring across the city looking for her, searching for her. Why he was doing this she did not know, but that would not matter to Tsunade. And if she were to tell Kakashi, he would tell her.

She looked directly into Kakashi's eyes. She could not remember a time when she had ever lied to him. Or at least tried. And never had attempted to cover something as big as this. It hurt and she did not like it. But she could not risk it.

"No," she said, shaking her head from side to side as she focused on keeping eye contact and holding her hands steady. "I am just…" she looked down at her feet. It was harder than she expected. Mortals made it look so easy. Other seraphs made it look easy. So why was this so difficult? She swallowed then met his eye again. "I am sorry I failed. I know you worked hard to convince Tsunade to let me come tonight and I failed."

She was tempted to look away again, but she held fast. She needed him to believe her. She watched as his eye slightly narrowed as he scanned every inch of her face. Her heart beat hard against her rib cage when it darted to her hands. She resisted the urge to tighten her grip, it would be a give away that she was trying to hide her usual tell of untruthfulness.

In reality her heart had not slowed since she encountered the Uchiha and the lie was prolonging its return to a normal palpitation. And she hoped he could not see the racing beat of her pulse.

After a prolonged and stressful bated breath, Kakashi finally pulled her towards him. He rested a hand on her cheek as his head tilted sympathetically.

"It's alright," he assured her. "It's not your fault. It was a long shot and the fact that you even made contact with the target goes beyond what I was expecting." His hand moved to pat her on the head. "You did well tonight. I am just glad you are safe."

Guilt stung her at his words. Was she safe?

"Let's head home," Kakashi announced, turning to Naruto and giving Sakura a chance to let out the breath she had been holding.

"Can we get some ramen before we go!?" Naruto exclaimed.

Sakura felt something heavy fall on her and she looked up to see Kakashi looking at her strangely. She always wondered how he could manage to have so much force in a single eye. But she did her best to not blink as she held his stare.

"No," Kakashi said, his eye not leaving Sakura. "We need to report back. Tsunade will want to know as soon as possible how the mission went. We need to let her know that we at least made contact and that our sources were correct."

Sakura swallowed as her heart sped up even more. He knew. She did not know how, but that look told her everything. He knew that she was lying. Kakashi finally looked away and she felt the weight of his stare lift away.

She shook her head. No, she was being paranoid. She was feeling guilty for lying. Everything was fine, she was fine. For all she knew she was being paranoid about everything.

As much as she wanted to believe those thoughts, there was only so much she could ignore. She wanted to believe it was all just her imagination, that it was her ego being overly inflated. Why would a creature so dangerous and powerful want anything to do with her weak and insignificant self. The answer was simple, they wouldn't. But as much as she clung to that belief, something inside her whispered something far differently. And what scared her the most was the desire within that whisper.

It was a desire that was far too persuasive and wanting that she was tempted to give into it. She was not sure, but it was almost as if that whisper had come from the deepest depths within her heart. As if that desire was her own and not some invasive foreign thought as she hoped it to be.

The first rays of the sun were stretching in the early morning sky, painting it a golden color as it took over the midnight blue that twilight had dyed it.

Sasuke sat perched atop one of the eagles heads of the Chrysler building. It was a wondrous overlook but it went unnoticed as the demon stared down at his hand. Even now, hours later, he could still imagine the feel of her skin and the fragrant smell one would think would be forgotten after a few hundred years. His eyes projected his memories vividly and he scrutinized every image of her, comparing memories from long ago to last night, looking for flaws or evidence that proved he had been mistaken.

He had spent the entire night searching, covering the area of the club numerous times. Sweeping back and forth every street between there and a ten mile radius. But she was not to be found anywhere. It was as if she had just disappeared into thin air. He had even tried to hone in the pull that he had felt earlier but there had been nothing to follow. The line was silent, he was cut off.

The only evidence he had to prove tonight's encounter were his memories and the knowledge that he had touched her. The last one was the most important. He had physically touched her. Which proved she had not been some manifestation made up by his half sane mind. She had been real and when he had spoken her name she had reacted, she had been surprised and caught off guard that he knew it.

His brow furrowed deeper and he traced the lines on his hand with a finger. The tingling sensation brought back the faint memories of her arm in his hand. As he finished tracing the last lines in his palm he clutched his hand, nails biting into his skin as his eyes lifted to the horizon.

The impossible had happened. He had no sound knowledge of how to explain what had happened last night. But he had theories. However he needed more information to prove those theories. Information that was limited to only a few certain people who could provide him with answers. At least answers he felt could be true and not just overheard rumors.

Slowly he stood up, his bones cracked and popped from his stiff posture for the past hour of deep thought.

He thought of each candidate and let out a breathy curse as he realized that there really was only one option in which he could get answers from. The idea of it made him feel sick. But desperate times called for desperate measures. It had been a long time since he had entered his home realm.

"So has the prodigal son decided to return home?"

The familiar voice almost caused him to regret even stepping a single toe into this realm. He squeezed his eyes tight before turning around to face his guest. He should have known his brother would be aware the moment he wandered beneath the Earth's surface. He had just hoped he would have had some time to acclimate to the place he once called home. But perhaps it was for the best. The fewer who saw him the better.

It had only been a few years since Sasuke had last seen his brother. A small time frame when compared to the decades that used to pass between their encounters. His father had forbidden anyone in his family to speak to him. But Itachi had never been able to fully obey his father when it came to Sasuke.

At first Itachi had sought him out in an attempt to 'save' him. And despite Sasuke's great lengths to prove to his brother that he needed no saving, Itachi had never given up. Many times Itachi had interfered with Sasuke's actions and plans. At one point, it had been one time too many and Sasuke had vowed to kill Itachi. He almost succeeded over seventy years ago but with Orochimaru's death, also came the death of his vow.

Why his brother would even want him back now was beyond him. But every few years or so, Itachi would seek him out and make an offer. And each time, Sasuke refused. Deep down he was not sure which day to dread the most, the one when Itachi gave up, or the one when he accepted and came home. Because despite how much a person could push others away, even the lonest person needs someone. Sasuke hated that fact but he could not deny it, he needed his brother. But going home also felt like giving up, it felt like betrayal. And given recent events, it was certainly no longer an option.

Sasuke took in the familiar face of his brother. It surprised him how much he seemed to have aged, especially for an immortal. The stress lines beneath his eyes seemed deeper and his body looked weaker, thinner. If they had been meeting for any other reason, Sasuke would possibly be concerned. But he had other pressing matters.

Itachi's eyes moved down him in examination.

"You look well little brother," he said with a nod of his head. "I would be happy if the circumstances were different but I worry what you have done over the years to look so...healthy."

Sasuke sent him a dark look. "You know I have no need to collect souls to survive."

Itachi nodded in agreement. "Yes, but there is still a price."

There was a drawn out silence between them. There was no denying Itachi's statement but Sasuke would not let his righteous brother have the satisfaction of being right. So he did the alternative.

"I did not come to talk about me," he said, changing the subject.

Itachi cocked his head to the side, intrigued. "Then what did you come to talk about? It must be something important for you to come here and talk to me willingly," he commented. "That or you had no other options."

"I had options," Sasuke said.

An amused smile pulled on his brothers thin lips. "So I am the lesser of two evils," he said wryly. "My what an honor. I shiver to think who else you could possibly know that would be more vile of an option than myself."

Sasuke felt his brother look at him closely. His words were sarcastic but his tone had a hidden worry.

"What do you know of reincarnation?"

It was obvious that the topic was nothing Itachi was expecting by the surprised expression on his face. But the surprise hardly lingered as guarded suspicion took over.

"Why?" Itachi asked.

"That is my own business," Sasuke quickly replied harshly.

"The last time I let you to your own business I lost my brother," Itachi shot back in a hardened tone. "I won't make that mistake again. So unless you tell me why, I suggest you go find that other loathsome source you avoided by coming to me."

Sasuke gritted his teeth. His irritation to his brother growing. This was the exact reason why he had been dreading this. Itachi was not one to give answers freely. He was the type to give one and take two. But Sasuke was desperate. He needed his answers and he was much more willing to pay Itachi's price other than the price that would be required by his other only reliable source.

"I found her," he stated bluntly. "In New York. Walking, talking, breathing, living." His last word was emphasized.

Itachi stared at his brother, disbelief sweeping through his body. There was no need to ask who his brother was referring to.

There were many things that led Sasuke to his wayward road of destruction and travesty. Itachi felt he could have prevented or protected his brother from most of them. But he had failed his brother in too many ways to count. However there was always one in which he could never blame himself for. One that he always wondered if it had really been the true cause of it all.

Sakura, the catalyst of everything.

The mortal girl that had bewitched and entranced his brother so much, that when she was lost, he too became lost in a different sense. Itachi had never met the girl, but his brother had confided her existence. Sasuke had never claimed his true feelings but he did not need to. Itachi had seen it in his eyes when speaking of the 'annoying mortal' that did stupid things out of the kindness of her heart. However he had not realized the depth of Sasuke's feelings until the mortals untimely death.

Perhaps there was something Itachi could have done before. But at the time, Itachi had thought it harmless. His brother had found something that brought him happiness, who was he to take that from him?

Now that he knew of the consequences, Itachi would have personally removed the girl from Sasuke's life early before anything could evolve too deeply. But even as early as Sasuke had told Itachi about the mortal girl, he was already far too late.

Itachi was not a believer of fate, at least not for his kind. There was no logical explanation of the need for destined intervention to interfere with their balanced world. They were the makers of intervention. But then again, gods were easily bored and they were fickle creatures.

So if he did believe that a thing such a fate existed, he knew there would be no stopping it. Whatever his foolish brother had done to deserve his tapestry of fate to be entangled with another, it must have been a truly dark mark against the weaver. For it was a cruel fate his brother had lived. And it seemed he was still being punished.

"That's...impossible," Itachi finally uttered in a tone just barely above a whisper.

He was having a hard time believing his brother was still fixated on the girl. He had thought he had given up on her long ago. But here they were, two and a half thousand years later and he was speaking of her existence with more life and hope in his eyes than he had seen reflected in his brothers face for just as long.

A part of him had a small hope that what his brother was saying was true. Because then maybe he could regain his foolish, but beloved little brother. If anything could cure him it would be her. But there were two problems.

The first being that Sakura had died. It had been an early and unfortunate death but it was a death all the same. The second problem was that along with hope and life, there was also desperation in Sasuke's eyes. And desperation was dangerous.

Desperation planted false hope and convinced people to see things that were not there. It caused a person to find solutions that only resulted in more problems. Decisions were made without any thought. Actions were taken that had dire consequences veiled as insignificant. Desperation was the fuel for poor choices. It had been desperation that caused his brother to seek out Orochimaru, which had been just the beginning of his brothers downfall.

"I know it sounds unbelievable. But it was her. That is why I need to know," Sasuke insisted. "What do you know of reincarnation? Is it real?"

"Yes," Itachi replied. "But it would be impossible for her," he quickly added when he saw the shift in Sasuke's eyes.

Sasuke's brow furrowed. "Why for her?" he demanded.

"Because reincarnation is for the souls that are uncollected. If a soul goes unclaimed it is recycled until it can be harvested," Itachi said softly. "You told me yourself she was a true soul. If she was, her soul would have automatically found its way to the god tree. There was no need for it to be collected by seraphim." He watched Sasuke's shoulders sink and his eyes lower. Itachi hated the dimming of hope in his brothers eyes but he would not feed him false hope. That was what the snake seraphim had done.

Silence passed between them until Sasuke shifted. His body stiffened with a set posture as he lifted his eyes to meet Itachi's. It was then that the older brother saw that desperation flicker again. "Maybe she wasn't a true soul. Maybe she was just a good person," Sasuke challenged. "What if we had been wrong. Naruto and I were the only ones close to her and neither of us claimed her soul because we thought there was no need. Otherwise–"

"Otherwise what?" Itachi interrupted, his tone taking on a sharp edge. "You would have claimed it? Dragged her down to hell where she would spend an eternity of sorrow and punishment?"

Sasuke said nothing and Itachi let out a heavy sigh. He wanted his brother back so badly but not this way. If he gave Sasuke any hope in thinking he could somehow bring her back there would be consequences. Ones that he was not sure the world could survive again. The actions of his brother's past had already put a strain on not only their realm, but all. While there were many other factors to the delicacy between the underworld, heavens, and earth, there was no denying Sasuke had played his part in weakening the fragile balance.

It was just recently that things had passed from hostility to abrasive tolerance. And no matter how strained their relationship was, Itachi could not afford to lose him. The man in front of him was hardly a fraction of the little boy who used to follow him around. His eyes had always been so full of that dangerous desperation as he pleaded for him to train him. Itachi could not help but let a wane smile adorn his lips but it quickly disappeared when he saw the expression on his brother's face.

Itachi sagged. "Sasuke," he said gently. "I am sorry, but Sakura is gone. Had it not happened then, it would have happened a few decades later. Disease, war, old age, childbirth." A flicker of anger raced across Sasuke's face at the lay causes. "Humans died for many reasons back then. But the reason would not matter. What matters is she was a mortal, her fate was inevitable. Her time was always going to be limited."

Sasuke was shaking his head before Itachi had even finished. "You don't understand though," Sasuke replied. "I saw her, I touched her."

Itachi let out a sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Even if she was reincarnated, she would not remember. She would not have any knowledge of you. It may be the same soul but it is a different life, a different family, a different name, a diffー."

"She has the same name," Sasuke quickly interjected. "She looks exactly the same."

Itachi paused for a moment contemplating this oddity but he finally shook his head. "Coincidence," Itachi brushed off.

"Is it though?" Sasuke questioned. "I have heard that some mortals have visions or dreams of people from history or other lives, their other lives." Sasuke was quick to follow up. "If this is true that means when a person is reincarnated they still possess their memories. They just can't remember fully. If I could just make her remember–"

Desperation was dangerous and Sasuke's entire being was overflowing with it.

"Sasuke," Itachi cut him off in a pleading tone. "Please, let it go, let her go. She is mortal. Mortals die, if this truly is her, what hope do you have than to lose her again? Has the past not taught you enough of the consequences that befall mortals that get involved beyond the guidance and temptation of seraphim? There is a reason there are no records of a bonded mortal and immortal having a happy ending. It is because there are none. Even if Sakura were to remember you, would you truly risk her being hurt again?"

"I won't let that happen again!" Sasuke growled. His voice quivered with anger.

"She's mortal!" Itachi growled back. "All mortals die. There is no escaping her fate."

"Orochimaru knew how to do it," Sasuke defended. "He made mortals immortal. I have seen it myself."

"Then perhaps the one good thing that came from your fall was his death," Itachi snapped back.

He saw Sasuke's eyes flicker back and forth as if searching for a rebuttal. And then they paused and Sasuke looked up at him, determination setting into his eyes. Itachi felt his stomach drop. Determination, paired with desperation, was even more dangerous.

"Kabuto," Sasuke stated. "Kabuto would do it."

Itachi's face crumpled with disgust. "The man that you have been hunting down for over half a century? You would let him near, nay touch Sakura?" His tone was sharp and full of disgusted accusation. "Nothing good will come from that leech," Itachi continued. "If you truly cared for her, you would see to it that she stayed far away from him. Not take her to him for guaranteed suffering and damnation."

Sasuke glared at him. "I would not make the same mistake as last time. As soon as he is finished I will end him."

Itachi shook his head. "There would be consequences."

"Fuck the consequences!" Sasuke growled. "I am already scheduled for the worst parts of hell. If I reserve more suffering then so be it."

"You may be willing but is she?" Sasuke said nothing in return. His eyes fell to the ground. "Sasuke," Itachi called lightly. "If she truly is living, then let her do that. Let her live her life in peace. Let her live a long and happy life full of all the wonderful experiences that come with mortality. Dragging her into our world will only hurt her."

For a long moment, Itachi thought he had broken through to his brother. He had thought he had finally brought sense to him. But then Sasuke looked up and all earlier thoughts were erased. The look in Sasuke's eyes told Itachi that he had thought wrong.

"I don't care," Sasuke said firmly. "I need her."

Itachi was not surprised. Despite the many changes and dark things, there were somethings that had always been a part of his brother's personality. Sasuke was both stubborn and selfish. Always had been and it seemed he always would be.

As Itachi stared back into Sasuke's face, he watched it morph into a long forgotten expression. It was the face his brother donned when he wanted to bargain for something. When Itachi had last seen it, Sasuke had asked him for piggy back rides and flying lessons. Usually the offer in exchange was Sasuke's already unwanted dessert or a shiny knick knack that he had found while exploring a certain cavern.

Itachi had never been able to say no to such innocent trades but he was not so sure this time. For as familiar as this expression was, there was still a hardness to it. A sign that told Itachi that he would not like what would be requested of him.

"You want me to come home?" Sasuke tempted. "Then help me."

Itachi looked back into his brother's face. Moving his attention from side to side as he looked into each of his brothers eyes. Itachi did not desire many things. Bringing his brother home and seeing him healed from his wayward years of destruction was one of those few.

But this was not the right way. It went against so many laws of nature. His shoulders sank and his eyes fell down in sorrow. "I am sorry Sasuke," he said to the ground. "But I cannot help you with this. I cannot stand next to you and watch you destroy yourself."

There was a long pause that was broken by a single word. "Fine," Sasuke bit out.

There was no need to look at his face because his tone told Itachi everything. Sasuke's tone held betrayal and anger. But when he spoke again it was gone.

"Will you stop me?" He challenged.

"No," Itachi whispered quietly.

He could not condone it, but deep down, he would not deny what could heal his brother. The outcome would most likely destroy what was left of his foolish little brother, but perhaps Itachi was plagued with the same thing as his brother. Desperation.

"Good," Sasuke let out. "Because if you do, I will not fail to do what I meant to do seventy years ago."

Sasuke stood in the shadow of one of the several, small maple trees that decorated the Brooklyn neighborhood. It was one of the more quiet neighborhoods in the city. Occasionally a taxi or personal car would drive by but nothing compared to the constant stream of skyscraper metropolis outside of the residential district.

The occasional jogger or hipster passed by. Each one too focused on their rectangular devices to pay him any mind. And if they did, Sasuke did not take notice. His entire focus was on the apartment building across the street.

His sharingan blazed behind a dark pair of sunglasses as he moved his eyes from one window to the next. Many had their curtains drawn but if there was even a crack in a drawn window, Sasuke took in every detail and movement within the small flats.

A flash of sunlight being reflected by glass caused his eyes to snap from the third floor to the front entryway. The glass door was pushed open fully and with a thundering heart of anticipation, Sasuke waited for the resident to come into view.

"Damn it," he cursed the moment he saw the pale boy with dark hair step out into the sunlight.

All anticipation erupted into irritation. It was him, again. The boy he had run into in the street a week ago.

There was something off about the mortal in more ways than one. Normally he would not have given the young man anymore mind if it were not for the fact that it kept leading him to this particular mortal. It being the pull.

Sasuke was certain it was broken. After Sakura got away from him, he was left with nothing. She was at a club and the pull was what had led him there, it had led him to her. It was his only source. His only hope. So he had followed it. But something was wrong now. The pull was broken. It had to be because each time he followed it, he found himself running into the pale faced mortal with the awkward mannerism.

The first time he had not even taken notice of the boy. His eyes had passed over him without a thought in their search for pink and green. The second and third time he had brushed it off as coincidence. The fourth had brought about the suspicion and the fifth confirmed it. He had purposely followed the boy around for the past three days, hoping that perhaps he would somehow lead him to Sakura. He had thought it worth it only because of the drawing he had seen when he first ran into the awkward boy.

Sasuke had brushed it off not long after and had nearly forgotten about the picture until a few days ago. He had been watching the boy at a coffee shop he had followed him to and the recollection hit him when the boy began sketching the barista.

At the time, Sasuke had easily refuted the possibilities that the drawing being of Sakura for a couple sound reasons. It had been black and white making the coloring of the girl any possibility and the hair had been too short. With that he had easily forgotten about the boy within a few minutes. He had just been another insignificant mortal like the thousands he had passed in the street that day.

But then he had seen her that very night, stepping out of the crowd with the very same short hair. After that, coincidence could not be ignored. And after finding himself drawn to the pasty artist for a week, Sasuke could not help but ignore the possibility that this boy knew Sakura. But alas, after two days of following the boy, all Sasuke had gained was more than a lifetime's worth of watching painfully awkward interactions between the boy and the rest of the world.

The more Sasuke observed him the more he learned of the boys habits. He was always drawing people, strangers to be exact. The deli man behind his cold cuts, the child flying a kite at the park, the woman waiting on a bench for the subway. Sasuke was not pleased with this discovery as it meant that even if it had been Sakura in the drawing, the raven haired boy had most likely sketched it while staring at her from across a cafe.

Sasuke watched the boy pull his phone from his pocket and answer it. The conversation was short and brief before the boy hung up and began to make his way down the street. As he turned the corner, Sasuke ignored the aggravating tug that insisted he follow.

Gritting his teeth he did his best to ignore it. No, today he would not follow. It seemed pointless. But he would not give up entirely. He had to know for sure that the picture was just a coincidence and not a possibility.

So after waiting an extra five minutes, Sasuke crossed the street and made his way into the building. Strange as he was, the boy had a connection to Sakura. The question was what kind of connection. Was it a brief sighting? A chanced moment when their paths crossed and he thought her an image worth capturing. Or was she more than that? Perhaps a friend or coworker. Whichever it was, Sasuke was going to find out.

Sakura was regretting omitting certain details of the night with her run in with the Uchiha. It was a funny thing. She had kept quiet about her meeting with the Uchiha for one reason. Her freedom. And yet, it turned out paranoia and fear was doing the same job she had thought Tsunade and Kakashi would have done had she said something.

For the past week she had avoided and neglected her guardian duties to Sai. Too scared of what would happen if she ran into Sasuke again without Naruto or Kakashi only a signal away. So instead she spent most of her time in the past week, deep in the archives of the library, trying to find out all she could about Sasuke Uchiha. And there was not much. There was plenty about his family but nothing much about Sasuke specifically. To make things worse, what she learned about the traits and patterns of the more famous of his ancestors did not help her confidence of safety. An enemy that was Uchiha was one to be feared.

She had tried to subtly gain some knowledge from Naruto but it was difficult to keep him focused between his short attention span and the strained history of their relationship. In short, she gained nothing from the blonde seraph. Kakashi would have been a reliable source but Sakura was currently avoiding him at the moment.

Perhaps it was her paranoia but Sakura was almost certain that Kakashi knew she was keeping something from him. From the look he had given her before their departure that night, to the hawkish way he seemed to be watching her now, Sakura knew she needed to tread lightly. She had given the excuse of not meeting Sai for the past week under the pretense that she was 'testing him', seeing how he did for a few days without her influence. Those few days turned into a week and now there was no avoiding it. Sakura could not put it off any longer.

It was not as if she had not left the heavens realm. She had come with Naruto and Kakashi at night to do the usual hunting. She had skipped the first night with the excuse that she was too tired. But there was no avoiding the other nights under the same excuse and there were no new ones to be made. So for those nights she had swallowed her fear and gone with them.

She had been fidgety and cautious, always looking over her shoulder the first few hours. But it soon faded into an eased repetition as she stayed near them as the night progressed. It was easy to forget about the dangers with the knowledge that Kakashi and Naruto were close by. So easy that she had nearly lost all fears until the next morning.

She had stood at the portal, staring down at the swirling void of light for nearly an hour before cowardice took over and she found refuge in the library. Sakura had hoped that gaining knowledge of the unknown would help quell the fear but after a week, everything still seemed a mystery. However she could not put it off any longer. Today was the day she had to go down alone. She just had to hope that should anything happen, luck would bless her again.

She was standing at the void's edge again. Taking a deep breath she tried to calm her racing heart as she wiped her moist palms against her thighs. Her attempt did little to dry the damp skin as this was the third time she had done this and the fabric of her dress was beginning to feel more like a damp kitchen towel than a fashionable garment.

"You can do this Sakura," she whispered to herself. "There is nothing to be afraid of. You are a strong, independent woman. You can rely on yourself—"

"Rely on yourself to do what?"

Sakura jumped at the sudden interruption of her private pep talk. She turned around instantly to find the owner of the unexpected voice walking lazily down the path.

Kakashi stopped a few feet away from her, his hands in his pockets and his head cocked the side, observing.

"Uh," Sakura stalled. "Nothing, just talking to myself."

Kakashi raised an eyebrow but said nothing. Instead his head tilted back as he stared up at the warm sun and the clouds that covered the heavens sky.

"Bit late in the day for you to be headed down?" he finally commented as his attention fell back down to her. "Trial finally over?"

She was not sure but she detected a hint of sarcasm in his voice. All she could do was nod dumbly until she realized he was waiting for her to make some sort of explanation. "Yeah," Sakura said, her voice sounding not quite so sure. "I slept in and had a bit of a late start. Guess a week of slothfulness formed some bad habits." She let out an awkward nervous laugh that felt heavy between them. "Anyways…" She began when Kakashi only managed a tight smile of social conduct. "I should probably head now."

She took a backwards step and tried to turn away but was stopped by the call of her name.

"Sakura." She turned back to see Kakashi looking at her with a worried expression that made her feel guilty. "Is everything alright?" he asked slowly. "Because you can tell me anything. I might be a glutton for gossip but am also known to keep a secret or two. If that is what you wish?"

She almost let everything slip from her lips. Starting with the incident with the Uchiha going all the way back to her centuries worth of yearning for answers to her past. But despite the good sense of self preservation and her trust that Kakashi would keep his word if she asked, she kept her tongue still.

Finally she managed to shake her head and give him a tight lipped smile. "No," she managed to say. "I am fine. Just still a little disappointed with myself about Deidara and stressing over Sai. I feel like he is really close to a breakthrough. That's why I wanted to see how he does on his own and did some research this week instead."

She was not proud of the half truths she was feeding him but what else could she say. She was not exactly lying. Sai was close to a break through. Although she did feel guilty that she hardly gave any attention to his actions the past week nor did any of her 'research' have anything to do with the subject of her guardianship.

It seemed Kakashi was not thoroughly impressed either. Disappointment crossed his face which only served to fester her earlier guilt. "Very well," he said dismissively. "Run along then I am sure you have plenty of work waiting for you after abandoning Sai for a week. Or at least enough to cure you of your slothfulness."

She was not sure if his phrasing was purposeful or accidental accusation but it stung all the same. However, she swallowed the thick bitter taste of her half truth lies and pretended they settled heavily in the pit of her stomach and not on the conscience of her heart.

She bid him farewell as she tried to ignore the guilt. Using her escape as a cloak for her fear, she passed through the portal.

Kakashi watched as Sakura jumped down into the portal. Her pink hair swirled as the whirlpool of white and golden light absorbed her until she disappeared into the mortal realm. Like a pool of water settling from the ripples of disruption, he watched the portal as the warm colors settle into its normal gentle flow. He stared at the calming swirl for a moment longer before giving out a heavy sigh and running a hand across his face.

He was worried.

He had looked into what Sakura had been researching and it had nothing to do with helping Sai. She had spent the past week reading just about every archive available regarding the Uchiha. Naruto had also mentioned she had been asking about Sasuke and Kakashi was certain she was avoiding himself in addition to lying.

But the most worrying of all was the cause of this sudden obsession she had with the Uchiha. Was it just a random curiosity or was it more? Was there something internally drawing her curiosity?

Sakura had never given any particular attention to the Uchiha for the multiple centuries that he had known her and now, suddenly it was like an obsession. No, he mentally corrected himself. It was not sudden nor random. In fact he could pinpoint the moment of her odd behavior beginning. It was the night they had run into a particular Uchiha.

It only had drastically changed in the more recent week but now that he thought about it, she had been off ever since that night they had run into him. Had that meeting triggered something within her? Brought about memories that had been buried and sealed away?

Kakashi was confident the seal placed upon her mortal memories was still intact. But he questioned how intact it was? Could something like a brief meeting between them be strong enough to weaken it? Maybe just enough to let something slip through? If not, could it just be residing emotions that lingered for centuries? Dormant and awaiting to be reignited by the person they belonged to.

With a heavy sigh he turned around and began walking back up the pathway. He often times questioned the decision to not let Sakura know of her true past and how she came to be. He also questioned keeping it from Sasuke. Yes, Sasuke was unpredictable and untrustworthy, but that was because of the loss of Sakura in his life. Before he was neutral but if it meant keeping Sakura safe, Kakashi believed Sasuke would have done anything. There were other events and situations that led him down his wayward path, but Kakashi believed Sakura could have been enough to keep him stable. But that would all remain a mystery he supposed.

Tsunade's command had kept him from saying anything from the beginning. He both dreaded and praised the day when it all came to revelation. Tsunade believed that day would never come but Kakashi knew better. He had always known.

There was a force that had drawn those two together. He never knew what it was or where it came from but it was there. Be it the will of the gods or something far beyond that, it was inevitable, Sakura and Sasuke belonged together. And Kakashi had no doubt in his mind that force would eventually draw them together again.

He looked forward to that day because he was tired of the lies. He saw the hurt and confusion that Sakura bore from her mysterious past. It bothered him that a piece of her was missing. Yes she would be angry with him when she realized the degree of truth he had kept from her, along with Tsunade and Naruto. But Sakura was forgiving and when the truth came to light, he was sure she would eventually come to an understanding. He did not like it when Sakura was angry with him but thankfully it was never for long. It was not in her nature, even things such as secret keeping of her true existence were forgivable in her book. At least that is what he hoped for.

But what he truly feared was the connection between her and Sasuke. If her memories returned they would be of a boy who, despite his grumpy nature, loved far more strongly in a subtle way. She would see a boy who had protected her and sought out everything to keep her safe. She would see the boy that had a heart dispute the icy core that held it. Her emotions that were dormant would finally make a connection and he feared what she might do if those unclaimed emotions were finally attached to something tangible.

The Sasuke now was not the Sasuke she had known and he was fearful that Sakura would realize that the hard way. She would seek out that boy and what Kakashi feared is that she would find herself face to face with a monster. And there was no telling what that monster would do to her.

The worst of that fear was what would happen if that connection drew them together before she knew the truth of anything. What would be the result? Sasuke loved her fiercely but he was also selfish.

Kakashi shivered at the thought as his imagination made the worry on his mind increase ten fold. There would be no telling what Sasuke would do to Sakura, where he would take her, or what he would tell her. Even if she had no idea who he was, Sasuke would not care because he would have her.

Chapter Text

Present Day:

Sakura found a secluded spot to dip down out of the sky and land without being spotted by any mortal eyes. As soon her feet touched the cracked cement of the ally way, she moved towards the opening that led to the street.

A rush of people were coming down from the high rise platform of the train and she quickly fought her way against the current of bodies until she reached the deck. With the train having just unloaded and reloaded, the platform was relatively vacant. There was a homeless man laying on one of the few benches and a pair of teenagers that seemed to have been too preoccupied with their lip locking than getting to their destination. The rest of the train stop was deserted. Her eyes moved to the opposite end where she spotted some vending machines next to a payphone and overflowing garbage can.

After depositing several folded bills into the sleeping homeless man's coat pocket, Sakura made her way over to the vending machines. On the left was a snack machine with an assortment of salty and sweet treats as well as some questionable looking sandwiches. Taped to the front was a water wrinkled piece of paper with the smudge words 'out of order'.

Knowing better than to test fate, Sakura turned to the humming Coke machine beside it. She slipped a dollar into the feeder only to have it promptly spat back out at her. She let out a grumble of annoyance and tried it again.

Again the bill was denied and Sakura gritted her teeth as she glared at the machine, her dollar hanging out of the feeder like a stuck out tongue, making it seem as if the machine were mocking her.

The pop of knuckles cracking sounded as Sakura resisted the urge to smash the machine into smithereens. With great restraint, she snatched the wrinkled bill from the soda dispenser and rubbed it against the corner a few times in an attempt to iron it out. After one last rub for good measure, she stuck the green paper next to the slot and slowly fed it in.

The bill was sucked in and after some whirring and other mechanical noises, Sakura deemed it accepted and promptly hit the coin release button. Another moment later the distinct tinkling of coins being dropped into the change dispenser sounded. Immediately, her attitude changed and with a pleased smile, Sakura reached into the small tray and pulled out her hard earned change.

Sakura stared down at the three quarters and round object that looked more like a washer than currency. The pinkette let out a sigh as her happy mood was dragged back down. There was once a time when the seraphim were far more advanced than mortals. But in the more recent century, the crafty humans had somehow surpassed them in technology.

Many a time Sakura had tried to convince Tsunade that perhaps it would be best to adopt some of their communicative inventions but the Senju dismissed it, declaring that they already had a dependable way of communicating.

While receiving and sending notes via summons was efficient in the seraphim world, it did not mix well with the mortal realm. As a seraph, the goal was to be as subtle in their mingling with mortals as possible. Talking toads and dogs that used floral shampoo were not exactly the definition of blending in. So with no cellular device, Sakura had to resort to this tedious method. And with the dwindling number of payphones still in service, it was making this process even more grueling.

Change in hand, she moved to the phone and picked up the receiver. She slipped one of the quarters into the pay slot then listened for a dial tone before punching in the only number she had needed in the past few years.

It rang twice before the familiar voice of her charge sounded in the ear piece. "Hello?" he asked, sounding uncertain if the unknown number was legitimate or just another spam call.

"Sai, it's me," Sakura replied.

"Oh, hello Sakura," Sai replied. His tone held a sharpness to it. As if he were angry with her.

Sakura did not like the thought of him angry at her but she could not help but appreciate the moment. Him being mad meant he cared, which meant he was making emotional connections, which meant he was making progress. And to be fair, she felt he had a valid reason to be angry with her.

"Sorry I have not been around," Sakura began in an attempt to smooth things over. "I know I should have told you I would not be around but I was...preoccupied."

"Were you working with someone else who needed help?" Sai asked, his voice held a small hint of what Sakura could only interpret as jealousy.

"No, no, nothing like that. In fact I was not even really here all this week. I had to do some work back at home."

"Oh," there was a pause. "Well good. I don't like the idea of you working with someone else."

Sakura raised a brow even though Sai could not see her. "That sounds a bit selfish Sai," she chided. "You should always be happy when someone else is getting help."

She heard a sigh on his end of the line. "I know," he mumbled. "I just worry about you finding someone else more worth helping."

Sakura's face pulled down sadly. It surprised her in moments like this how much Sai's self confidence lacked and she took note that perhaps they should have some lessons on self worth.

"Sai you know better than to think that," she assured him. "You are worth saving and I promise I will never give up on you." She waited for a reply but when he said nothing else she continued. "Hey why don't we meet in our usual spot at Prospect Park. We can rent bikes and ride around for a bit then maybe go over what happened over the week."

"Okay," Sai finally responded, sounding enthused at the idea.

Sakura smiled knowingly, she could always lift his spirits with this suggestion. Prospect Park was one of his favorites as it provided the perfect access for two of his favorite things. People watching and the small zoo full of animals for him to draw so detailed that they seemed to come out of the paper with life.

"Do you think you could meet me there at noon?

"Hang on." There was a pause and Sakura could nearly visualize Sai pulling the phone from his ear to look at the time. "Yes," he finally answered.

"Great," she replied with a happy grin. "I will see you then and I will treat you to some lunch as we review the week."

With an exchange of goodbyes, Sakura hung the phone up and began to walk towards the stairs. As soon as she made it to the ground, she began to walk across the pavement to the fastest route to her destination.

As the golden sun warmed her skin and the clean breeze freshened the usually stale city smell, Sakura could not help but let her happy smile linger. Why she had been so fearful to come all week was beyond her. Perhaps it was good weather or the fact that she was back to work instead of sitting hunched over in a gloomy library, but at this moment, Sakura could not remember exactly why she had been so afraid.

It was not difficult for Sasuke to find out which apartment belonged to the mortal. A simple description of the boy's mannerism to the old woman pushing a cat in a stroller and she knew exactly who he was looking for.

His name was Sai and it seemed most people felt the same way as he did. He was an odd boy and regularly disliked. The few neighbors he passed by and questioned all said the same thing. He had no friends and they had never seen or heard anyone else at his apartment.

This fact was quite disrupting to his investigation. He had been hoping to hear of at least one memorable woman to have been there but no one recognized his descriptions. After questioning a handful of neighbors and gaining no more insight than he had collected himself, Sasuke made his way to the top floor.

The apartment was at the end of a short hall. With each step the floorboards of the aged building creaked until he stopped at a paint chipped door. It did not take much to force the door open without damaging the lock. While he could care less about the mortals home security, he did care about leaving any traces of his presence.

The apartment was small but the spartan lifestyle of its tenant gave it a more roomy atmosphere. It was a studio floor plan, with a small kitchen area that provided the bare necessities for a person cooking for one. A small dish rack with a single plate, cup, and fork suggested that there was only one occupant taking their meals within the meager home. The bathroom was just as simple. A toilet and sink with a small mirrored cabinet to hold a single toothbrush, toothpaste, and comb. A small shower just large enough to allow a person to step in and step out was set up across from the toilet and sink, giving just enough space for the door to open and shut freely.

Sasuke spent little time observing these areas. He lingered and snooped just long enough to ascertain that there was only one person dwelling within the four walls of five hundred square feet. Next to the bathroom was a small closet but that too was given only a small glance before the dark haired intruder focused on the living space of the flat.

Next to the kitchen area, set up in front of the only window in the apartment was a drawing desk. Currently it was laid flat and on top, sat stacks of loose papers and notebooks. A chipped mug with the words 'I heart New York' held several drawing pencils and broken pieces of charcoal. It was here that Sasuke began a more in-depth search.

He started with a stack of delicate water colors. Each painting had captured the colors and shapes of everyday life. Each brushstroke had been flawless but it was obvious that it had taken little effort. Sai was truly a mortal with a gift. It was an appraisal that Sasuke would have bequeathed him if it were not for the circumstances which brought him here.

He had not come here to admire the artwork as if he were touring an exhibit at the MET. He had come here for only one purpose. So instead of taking in the details of each work of art, Sasuke took seconds to glance over each painting, Giving just enough attention to note the lack of pink or a certain green shade on each piece.

Painting after painting was revealed and with each image, stranger after stranger looked back up at him. He quickly finished the stack of paintings and moved on to a notebook. The first one was just a sketch pad, it was old and worn, with several of the pictures roaming loosely within its bindings. Sasuke leafed through it, occasionally pausing to take in a certain person's features before deeming them not a match and moving on.

It took him longer to go through the notepads and journals. With no color, he found himself forced to pause on nearly every page and take in the details instead of quickly scanning for Sakura's unique colorings as he had done with the watercolors. And it did not help that the loose pages kept falling out and he had to pick them back up and place them back in the book.

With each delay in progression and with each sketched profile of a nameless face, Sasuke found himself becoming more and more irritated. She was not in any of them. Not a single book or loose page did he find anyone who was remotely similar to Sakura.

Saskue let out a growl and slammed the last journal back down. Breathing heavily, he began to rifle through the drawers of the desk. But all he found was extra art supplies and random knick-knacks that he found mortals liked to collect for no apparent reason. Dead batteries and takeout menus but no evidence of Sakura.

Slamming the last drawer shut Sasuke paused to breath in and out of his nose as he let his eyes run around the room. There was no real reason to have his sharingan activated as there was minimal furniture or possessions to be seen. But it had activated in frustration.

Doing his best to not destroy the wooden desk as he slammed his fists down on the rickety surface, Sasuke glared out the window. It was cracked open just enough to let a small breeze through, bringing some fresh air and calmness to Sasuke's mind. He breathed in slowly and let his head bow as he stared down at the piles of already searched artwork.

While he was angry he found no evidence that could connect Sakura with the odd artist, he was more angry with himself for putting hope into the idea. He had told himself to ignore it but the tick in the back of his mind had kept persisting and the pull had been too insistent. So he had given in and now he had wasted an entire week watching and following some mortal freak instead of looking for her.

He let out a sigh and turned around to lean against the desk. For a moment he stood with his eyes closed as he tried to rein in his emotions. He did not like losing control, for many reasons, but the main reason was because bad things happened. Either to him or because of him. His eyes peeled open and he found himself staring at the unsearched area of the studio.

On the far wall, opposite of the kitchen and bathroom was a murphy bed. At first Sasuke had given this part of the apartment no thought as it seemed insignificant. But now as he stared at the stained wood that neatly disguised the bed as a closed cabinet when put away, he took notice of the shelves and side cabinets on either side of the large doors that hid the bedding.

On one shelf was a small tantō that looked far too realistic and worn to be just a decorative piece of blade ware. On a couple others he found an assortment of self help books and sociological topics. A small bonsai tree sat on one side while a bamboo plant grew on a high shelf on the other.

While each of these items seemed relatively normal, it was what was mixed in amongst these items that caught Sasuke's attention. Picture frames. Rectangle after rectangle made of wood, metal, and plastic, covered and filled every extra space of each shelf. While still nothing unordinary, it was the photos in which they held that had truly caught his eye.

He flashed stepped and was standing face to face with a shelf of frames within the blink of an eye. There were three photos sitting next to four books on the behaviors of humans. Each frame was a tacky colorful frame that each featured a different location that could be found within the city of New York. Despite the horrendous lettering or gods awful glitter that sparkled in the design of the empire state building, Sasuke's eyes fixated on the people within the frame. Or more specifically, one of the people.

Sakura.

Sakura with her head pushed closely to Sai's as they squeezed together in the frame to fit themselves and the overlook of the city from the top of the Empire State building. Her hair was loose and several strands blew across her features but she smiled widely as if her rebellious locks went unregistered.

The second frame was colored black with small drama masks surrounding it. And again, there she was. Sakura standing next to a stranger dressed in a costume while Sai stood on the opposite side, the three of them standing in front of the Broadway Theatre as the sign above announced the musical being performed. Sai stood with the smallest hint of his awkward smile while Sakura and the actor made a dramatic face at the camera.

The third frame held a picture of Sakura standing next to Sai on a boat. In this picture her arm was linked through Sai's as they stood together at the bow of the boat. Behind them the Statue of Liberty held aloft her beacon of enlightenment above the frigid looking upper bay.

It must have been winter at the time when the picture was taken. They each stood bundled in heavy wool coats and scarves as they each held a steaming cup of coffee. Sasuke paid little attention to Sai but he took in every detail of Sakura. She wore a pair of leather boots and jeans beneath a heavy woolen pea coat. The coat was an emerald green that he knew would perfectly match her eyes if they were open. It was difficult to tell if her eyes were closed because she had just blinked when the picture was snapped or if she had been so content in that moment, they had closed on their own to savor the moment. Her hands were gloveless and one was thrown up into a peace sign as she posed for the camera. Beneath her knitted cap Sasuke could see the short strands of rosette color poking out from beneath the cream colored yarn.

His eyes took in the rest of the image.

Sai was standing awkwardly next to her. His body stiff as if he did not know what to do with it. On his face was the awkwardly shaped smile but it looked to be even more forced and construed than the others. And there was something different in his eyes than the other pictures. They were empty and tormented.

Sasuke knew that look, he had seen it many times in his numerous years. It was a look he had seen in both seraph and mortals that had endured haunting experiences. He knew it, because he had seen in his own reflections.

Sai also looked significantly younger in this picture than he did in the others. Sasuke had judged the young man to be just barely in his twenties but in this picture he looked hardly even seventeen.

Red eyes trailed back to Sakura's face.

She looked older than him but only by a few years. In fact, she looked the same as she did in the more recent pictures. But this thought was fleeting as he focused on other thoughts that came creeping into his mind.

The smallest of satisfied smiles pulled at the corner of his mouth. He had found her. Or at least he had found a connection to her. Now it all made sense. The pull was not broken, it was just leading him to her through another route.

As if summoned by the thought of it, Sasuke felt a tug. It was so familiar and so strong it almost felt physical. Pulling his eyes away from the picture he moved across the room and was out of the building within seconds. He paused only a moment to reorient himself with the direction in which he needed to go. He felt a strong pull to follow to his left, the same direction in which Sai had departed earlier.

Whether it was because of his recent discovery or because there was something unusually forceful about the pull today, Sasuke found his heart pounding wildly as he made his way down the street. When he reached the end of the neighborhood, he paused at the crosswalk.

The street was busier than the last few blocks he had just exited from and it took him a moment to hone in on the pull again. He closed his eyes and focused, trying to reach out and decide which direction to go. As he muted the chaos around him and refocused on the tugging sensation that had dulled earlier, his eyes suddenly snapped open when he felt a sharp jerk.

His feet automatically moved forward. Following his instincts, he walked to the cross walk that would cross over the busy street. After waiting impatiently for the stick figure man to appear, he made his way toward the large park that was located on the opposite side.

The trails and paths of Prospect Park, while numerous and winding, were easily marked. And for any tourist or newcomer, they would easily be able to find their desired attraction hosted in the park. But Sasuke's destination did not have a marked spot on a map. All he had was a feeling, an incline to go right, left, or straight. And to make things worse, it seemed to keep changing locations.

He felt like he was going in circles. When he passed by a park bench that he was certain he had passed by three times already. He let out a long string of curses when the reality hit him. He felt like he was going in circles because he was going in circles.

Pausing himself, he took in the scene before him. It was strange, the pull seemed to have dulled but not like the other times when it seemed to disappear. It was not entirely gone, nor did it feel like it was leaving. It was just not as persistently urgent. He could still feel the phantom knot around his finger but it was like the string had gone limp, as if he had ventured too closely to its tether and the string was no longer taught.

At this thought, Sasuke began to scan the area. Three main paths meet together forming an intersection close to that of a center square. To his right stood a pavilion where carousel music played and children gathered in lines, each of them eagerly begging their parents for sweets and toys from the street vendors that had gathered in the area. It seemed there was some sort of festival or holiday going on for the mortals. But that fact was disregarded as Sasuke continued to let his eyes sweep around the area until he spotted something that paused them in an abrupt stop.

Standing off to the side and away from the busy crowds was Sai. Looking as awkward as ever he stared into the crowd of celebrators as he stood poised with a bike on either side of him. At first Sasuke felt the annoyance begin to rise up, but then he acknowledged something.

Two bikes, that meant two people. He was not sure if it was a coincidence or by some mystic power, but the moment he made the connection she appeared.

His breath paused as he stared.

Despite all the evidence he possessed to prove he had truly seen her, there had been plenty of doubt in his mind and heart over the past week. But there she was, weaving in and out of pedestrians with a near angelic stride as she avoided absentminded walkers and the occasional trip wire of a leash when a curious dog tried to wander to the end of their owners reigns.

Her pink hair just barely grazed her shoulders as the skirt of the summer dress she wore moved with each step. In her hands she carried two hot dogs, one of which she passed over to Sai who in return handed her the second bike as they began to walk down the path away from the crowded area.

In a moment of panic, Sasuke's feet surged to flash step to her side, grab her, and launch up into the sky. He could already feel his wings beginning to push out from beneath his skin when he finally caught himself.

His half crazed mind seemed to scream violently at him in protest but the other half, strangely taking on the tone of his brother, caused him to stay firm. He watched as Sakura walked with her head turned to the side as she spoke to Sai. The warm happy smile as she conversed with the artist was both calming and infuriating. She looked happy, her lips moving quickly as she chatted away, flashing her white teeth as she smiled in content.

Itachi's words surfaced to his mind.

Let her live her life in peace. Let her live a long and happy life full of all the wonderful experiences that come with mortality.

For the briefest of moments, Sasuke considered the idea. But it was gone as quickly as it came when he watched Sai reach out and pick something from her hair. It was not necessarily an act of affection, more so than one out of innocent and purposeful action. But Sasuke knew all too well the results that such strictly purposeful acts could lead to, because he himself had been tricked into such a mindset.

As he watched the boys pale fingers graze her strands as he pulled a fallen blossom petal from her pastel hair, a darkness grew within Sasuke. The words of his brother were abruptly extinguished as the less stable portion of his mind began to make a battle of dominance.

Sorry brother, he apologized mentally. But he could not let her be and he would not let her go.

But do not worry, she would live a long and happy life, he promised.

In fact it would be much longer than she would ever think possible. And it would be full of wonders she could never even dream of with the dull life of a mortal. Sakura did not belong in this world of casual strolls in a crowded park with a boy too awkward to form a compliment worthy of her. She belonged with him in the transversal world of his home realm and hers, like he had always planned.

His feet began to move as he stalked after the couple, his eyes blazing with heated criticism of their every friendly action as he followed from a distance.

He was not sure which part of his mind was dominating his thoughts and actions but there seemed to be a strange order to his chaotic mania that usually governed the more irrational side of his mind. He knew he could not act out on instinct like the last time. Last time he had scared her off by being too impulsive. But he had been off guard then, surprised by her appearance. Now that he knew how to find her, he could take his time much more easily.

He needed to learn more about her and assess the best way to approach her. The last time she had adapted well to the knowledge of what he was, but that was when she lived in a world where mythology was much closer to the truth. In this modern world his existence was more fantasy, fairy tales told to children.

Instead he followed the pair and learned all he could of this new Sakura. He watched them return their bikes to a kiosk where they had rented them, then followed them to a duck pond where Sakura fed that last few bites of her hot dog bun to a mother duck and her ducklings. He watched her comfort a crying child as Sai climbed a tree to untangle the small girls lost kite. Then again he watched her sit with an elderly man on a bench, talking with his faded mind as Sai went off to search for his caretaker. While he never understood her need to always care for those who were strangers to her, he could not ignore the fact that her nature did not seem any different than before. And that gave him hope.

For an hour Sai and Sakura continued to walk and talk, the topic of their discussions went unheard but it seemed almost business-like in the way they communicated.

Only when they paused to speak by a lamp post did Sasuke venture closer. He took up post in the shadows of a tunnel not far from where they stood as he tried to listen in on their conversation. But then a chatty pair of mothers pushing strollers passed by, and the wailing of children and one squeaky wheel droned out any of the words being exchanged.

Annoyed, Sasuke sent out an influence to every mortal within the perimeter to suddenly have the urge to leave and seek out a deep, sinful desire. All but the pair that he was watching. Those two he let stay but not without casting an illusion when he saw the pale artist look in his direction.

"Why don't we spend the afternoon at the zoo," Sakura suggested. "Then after we can…"

Sakura lost her train of thought when a peculiar sensation passed over her. Like a cold wind passing by but heavy with something sinister. It was the sensation that one would feel when standing in a dark alley late at night with the unnatural sense that something was watching from the shadows. And then a movement in her peripheral sight grabbed her attention and she found herself looking at the bridged tunnel nearby. But she could not quite understand why her attention had been drawn to it.

It was a sunny day at the park and everything was moving. The trees rustled in the wind. Birds fluttered around the ground as they picked at the morsels of food left behind by picnicers. Squirrels scampered up trees as they foraged for food and ran away from dogs. Children ran ahead of their parents. Couples strolled hand in hand. A herd of cyclists raced passed by where her and Sai stood off to the side of the path. A jogger slowed down to a trot before taking a break to stretch beside a bench. No matter where one looked, something seemed to be in motion.

But there was something off about this one particular movement.

They were standing beside a lamp post near the Cleft Ridge Span. Normally, this path would be highly trafficked at this time on a day such as this. But at the moment, it was unusually vacant. Sakura stared at the shadowed arch that supported the heavy stone making up it's often disregarded architecture. As she peered into the shadows, she realized another oddity.

It was unnaturally dark.

She could still see through to the other side. And where the sunlight managed to peek beneath the archway, all seemed safe and normal. But the line between shadow and light contrasted far too much. There was no gradient fade from light to dark, just a solid line where sunlight touched and shadow began. And the sheer density of the shade was too thick to even make out the walls or cobblestone path. A void of darkness in the picture of reality.

She felt like she was looking at an unfinished puzzle. Everything around the bridge was picturesque and connected to create an image. But in the middle, where the tunnel was, it seemed like there was a missing piece to the puzzle. And where the hole was, something was moving . No, that was not right. It wasn't something moving in the darkness, it was the darkness itself that was moving, dissipating.

It was like watching the timelapse of a thick fog evaporate. At first there was nothing to be seen, but as the darkness thinned and softened, it took on the normal hue of any other shadow found in the park. It was as if someone had placed that final piece into the puzzle and everything was restored to normal.

At least for anyone else it would have, but for her, everything within her body was set on edge as she stared at the figure who stood in the middle of the archway. A flutter in her stomach made her feel on the brink of either passing out or throwing up. She tried to swallow down the sick feeling, only to find her throat dry. She licked her lips which felt uncomfortably dry as well but it brought no stability.

He was here.

He stood with his arms folded over his chest as his face tilted upward to appraise the carved ceiling and walls that gave the structure its delicate design. The moment her eyes fell on him, his head slowly tipped forward until his eyes met hers. Red glowed for only a second until he blinked and only a dark, glassy abyss was left behind. His eyes were a lingering reminder of the thick darkness that she had just been looking at.

And then he took a step forward followed by another.

His hands found his pockets and the casual pace in which he was taking, Sakura almost believed he was just another park patron taking a leisurely stroll through the park. She wanted to believe that perhaps it was true. It was just unfortunate for her nerves that there was no mistaking his features. With his dark hair and angular face, there never would be mistaking Sasuke Uchiha as another average person.

Her desperate mind formed another hope that perhaps he did not recognize her. Perhaps he would eventually look away from her and keep walking as if she were nothing but another piece of the scenery. A scene that was meant to be observed, appreciated, then moved on from. But that hope sputtered out quickly when his eyes never moved away from her. With each passing moment that he neared, not once did his eyes waver from her.

How he had managed to find her? Had he tracked her? Was she being watched this entire time? What was she to do now?

Her logic screamed at her to run, to flee. She now had a well versed knowledge of what this man walking towards her could possibly do. She should fly away from this place, take to the sky and escape into the safety of the heavens.

"Sakura?"

The sudden sound that was not the rushing of her blood in her ears, startled her. She barely managed to drag her eyes away from the approaching demon to look at Sai. His normally flat face was pulled up in what could only be interpreted as an attempted look of concern. And then it hit her.

Sai.

How could she have been so selfish? While she was busy contemplating her flight for her own safety, she had completely forgotten about her charge. She was his guardian angel. Guardian being the key word. How could she have been so negligent? It was then she knew what she had to do.

"Sai," she said carefully, her eyes darted towards the approaching demon then back to her mortal. "Um, why don't we take a rain check for the rest of the day?"

She saw Sai's brow scrunch with confusion. Her eyes darted back to check Sasuke's progression then back to her charge. Sai was looking towards Sasuke now, his head cocked to the side with intrigue as a small frown pulled at his lips. She grabbed his hand, causing him to look back at her.

"Go home now," she said, her tone full of warning.

"But what about…"

"I will be fine," she quickly assured him. She was not sure how she managed to sound so confident, but as she said the words, she could not help but feel the truth. Where this truth came from she did not know. "I will see you tomorrow okay? We will go to the zoo then, I promise."

Sai looked back to where Sasuke was, then back to her. His charcoal eyes searched her face and it was obvious why Sai was hesitant. He knew what Sasuke was.

"Go," she urged, sending all of her will in hopes that her influence would be able to penetrate into his mind.

She did not like using her influence on her charges. She wanted them to make their own decisions. But Sai's safety went beyond the guilt. If something were to happen to him she could never forgive herself. It felt like an eternity before she received a minute nod of his head and she watched him go as she urged him to hurry.

When Sai had disappeared into the more crowded pathways of the park, she turned back around and her heart skipped a beat. Sasuke was standing right before her. His dark eyes dancing wildly with emotions as his thin lips curled into what she could have sworn was a soft smile.

His plan to keep his distance had fallen to shambles. He had no intention of approaching her today, but the moment she had looked over to the archway with such a perplexed and investigative intensity, he realized his mistake. She was not seeing the same illusion that every other mortal was seeing.

He should have known that the illusion he had cast would not work on her. They had never worked, she had always been able to see that something was off and more often, see past them. However his failure only brought a small smile to his lips. It was just another testament that she was truly his Sakura and not just a similar faced vessel for a soul.

It was obvious that she was not seeing past the illusion, at least not fully as her face indicated that what she was seeing was not right with the world. He had almost kept it up just to see what she would do, to see if she would eventually see through the curtain, but his eagerness got away with him. He wanted her to see him.

He was being impulsive again when he should stick to the original plan. He should observe, just like the last time. Watch and learn, try to understand and take note of any differences. It was like what Itachi said, she may have the same soul but the memories and person he knew before was not the same. Yet so far from his observances, she was like her old self in nearly every way. It was like she had never died and became reborn, just continued to exist.

However, there was one thing different about her that he could not quite place. It had nothing to do with her personality or appearance, those were the same except her hair length. But there was still something changed. It was more about the aura around her. She had always been ethereal looking but now it was almost as if it had been intensified.

It was but a thought and he played it off as nothing but his mad fantasies. While all of this was surreal, Sasuke knew better than to believe that fate would gift him such a thing. Waving away the idea, he focused on the task at hand.

Despite his original plan, Sasuke could not resist the urging temptation to approach her. He needed to be closer to her. Needed her to look at him, to hear her voice. So he took a step from the shelter of the tunnel, then took another.

She watched him like a deer in headlights. Her vivid eyes so wide he could almost see into her mind as the wheels of her cognitive whirled to make a fight or flight decision. Only when her companion spoke to her did she seem to finally find a course of action to run. He overheard her urge him to leave, he hesitated at first but then something changed. Sasuke was not sure what came over the boy, but his mind seemed to suddenly switch when he nodded and left her side, retreating down the path to leave her alone.

Excellent.

Sasuke took advantage of her distracted attention as she watched Sai depart, quickly moving, Sasuke stopped to stand only a few steps away from her. When she finally turned he watched her startle at his sudden and unexpected proximity. He watched her throat bob up and down with a nervous swallow as her eyes trailed slowly from his chest to meet his face. He knew he needed her at ease so he offered her a smile.

She seemed puzzled at first but then determination appeared giving her a look of bravery.

His soft smile turned into a smirk as the memories of this same look played in his mind. This was always his favorite version of Sakura. Whenever she managed to summon an inner strength that gave her courage, it electrified his entire being making him feel alive. His favorite past time was to challenge and lay siege to that courage, push her boundaries and test her strength. She was no weakling which made it all the more satisfying when he managed to take over.

"Hello," he greeted with a sinfully smooth voice.

There was a pause as her hold on that inner strength seemed to falter. "Hi," she replied in a breathless tone.

"Do you remember me?"

Sakura looked at him carefully, doing her best to read him.

At the moment, she did not sense she was in danger. In fact she seemed strangely calmed by his presence. It was like having that nagging sensation in the back of your mind that you forgot something suddenly erased. Instead, she was acutely aware of the feeling that she was being drawn to him. Like the pull of a magnet, she wanted to attach herself to him and never let him go.

It was terrifying. Sakura had only ever felt this feeling one time before. It was on the night of the club, when she watched him fly away as she hid herself on the rooftop. She had felt it then too.

However, despite the lack of danger she felt from him, she had to be cautious. She was a moth and he was a flame. Come too close and she would get burned.

Sasuke's motives were unknown, and she needed to find them out. How he knew her and what he wanted from her were her first priorities.

But she had to be careful. She could easily say something that could change things. Say too much and he could become suspicious, say too little, and he may realize that she was not worth anything to him.

She had heard of his unpredictability. She needed to tread lightly.

The trouble was that the last time she had run into him, he must not have been expecting to run into her. He must have been taken off guard then because now she was having a very difficult time getting any amount of information from his body language. That night he had been an open book of emotions, today he was near the opposite. Not entirely sealed off but certainly regulated.

He controlled his expressions with such precision that it was impossible to read his emotions or his thoughts. Anything that gave a hint of what was going on behind his mask was obviously put there with a purpose. Each raise of his brow, movement of his lips, and blink of his eyes was done with designed intention. It was an obvious tactic to manipulate a person's perception of him. Like a wolf in sheep's clothing. And right now, Sakura was feeling very much like a lamb.

Slowly she took in a deep breath in an attempt to clear her panicked mind. She needed to stay calm. She needed to think. She needed a plan. She took her time putting on a show of taking in his face.

Of course she knew exactly who he was, but she could not let him know that. As far as she knew, he knew her name and thought she was a mortal. That told her that his knowledge of her had to be limited to an extent. Unless he too was playing a naive roll. Whichever the case, it all went back to her second priority. What did he want with her?

Slowly, she moved her head in a nod. "Of course," she said as she let a hint of a smile grace her lips. "How could I ever forget you," she caught a glint in his eye that could be interpreted as excitement but it quickly dissipated with her next words. "You were at the club last Saturday."

"What about before that night?" he inquired further.

Sakura felt a slight unease as he set his eyes on her, watching every move. It made it difficult to think straight but she continued with her original plan. She was just an innocent mortal that he approached at a club. Until she knew more of his motives, she would not let it be known to him that she knew of the seraphim world. And unless he found out for himself, she would not let him know that not only did she have knowledge, but she had a place within that world.

"...no," she answered, hoping that the uncertainty in her tone would be attributed to innocent ignorance and not the sign of a lie.

He took a step forward and it took everything within Sakura to not retreat. But even more, to resist the temptation to minimize that space herself. Her mind whirled with some sort of explanation for this. Never had she felt this kind of a force. Was it an attraction or was it some strange temptation?

She had grown quite an extensive knowledge of the Uchiha over the past week. They were powerful. Could it be that their powers went beyond just the influence of mortals? She knew their sharingan could gain control over both mortal and seraphim. It is what made the blessed so afraid of the fallen leaders. She was relatively well versed in the Sharringon and its effects because her time spent with Kakashi. For some reason, Sakura had a knack for resisting his. A skill she was well versed for as long as she could remember.

Her earliest memories of Kakashi were mostly of him using his Sharingan on her. Time after time he had tried to bring back the memories lost on that fateful night due to her injury. Each time she felt something move forward but just before they could come fully to her recollection, they were stopped. It was like there was some sort of wall or barrier that was imprisoning them.

It had been awhile since he had tried this, only every few decades when Tsunade requested it. She found it strange, but Sakura almost felt like the consistency of it was almost purposeful. As if to assure her surrogate mother of something. It was almost as if Tsunade was afraid she would remember.

It hurt Sakura at first but then Shizune made the comment that maybe she was afraid that with the memory of her real parents, Sakura would no longer see Tsunade in that light anymore. It made sense, but at the same time, Sakura could not imagine herself changing the way she saw Tsunade. She was grateful for everything the woman did for her and provided for her. Love and a home being the most cherished. Nothing could ever change that.

But there was one thing that she kept pondering in her mind over the past week. One fact she had learned was that there were different levels of the Sharingan. Each one possessed different powers. With this in mind, Sakura could not help but wonder if maybe all she needed was a stronger Sharingan.

She did not doubt Kakashi's skill with his borrowed eye, but she could not help but question. Kakashi was an Uchiha, nor did she believe it was as evolved as others. Kakashi could stir up her memories, she knew this, she felt them begin to surface each time. But each time they slammed against that wall. With her new found knowledge, for the past week Sakura had pondered what would happen with a more powerful Sharingan? Could it be strong enough to break through that wall?

At the thought, her eyes automatically moved up to meet Sasuke's. Panic struck her when she realized what she was doing and she stopped herself just in time. If he did have a powerful enough Sharingan to bring back her memories, there would be no telling what he would have her do if he had her under his control. The panic settled when she half met his eyes and was greeted by the charcoal hue which were narrowed in focused attention.

"Are you sure you never saw before then?"

Sakura swallowed and subtly slid her foot back in hopes to widen the space between them if but only by a fraction. She was having difficulty breathing and there was not enough space between them to provide the air she needed. Her eyes moved down to his lips, the intensity of them too much for her to handle at the moment. She needed to stay focused.

"Yes," she replied in the most confident tone she could muster. She was going to leave her answer at that, but her curiosity got the better of her. "Should there be another time that I remember?" For some reason, she felt like he was not just referring to the first night on the rooftop with Kakashi and Naruto.

Should there be another time that I remember? Her question seemed to echo over and over in his mind.

Sasuke nearly laughed at the bitter irony of such an innocently stated inquiry. Another time, another place, another life. If only she knew half of it. But instead of giving into the construed humor of the situation, Sasuke kept his face blank and focused on her movements and body language.

She seemed jittery and nervous, much like the early days of when they had first met, in her original lifetime. But there was something about the way she would not meet his eyes longer than a second or two that told him something was off. Why would she be afraid to look at him unless she knew what his eyes could do.

"Be honest with me Sakura, were you there that night on the rooftop?" he asked in a steady, stern voice. "Are you the mortal that Kakashi and Naruto were protecting?"

She gave no immediate answer but he noticed her brow slightly twitch just before her mouth turned slightly downward.

"Rooftop?" she repeated slowly with a slight look of confusion. Then she shook her head. "I am sorry but I don't know what you are talking about. Who are Kakashi and Naruto? And what do you mean by mortal?"

He was not sure what to make of her answer. Her tone was even, almost too even. He was not sure if this was because she was consciously lying to him or he was reading into things. She was certainly acting odd. But then again, it could just be the circumstances.

You are a stranger, he reminded himself.

But there had been a glint in her eye when she spoke. Something akin to familiarity. Was this some kind of subconscious recognition or was she purposely holding something back.

He took a step forward, this time he noticed that she did not try and hide her retreat as she slightly stumbled backwards a half step before he caught her arm. She froze at his touch and her eyes darted up to him. For the first time she met his eyes fully since he approached her today. He could see the alarm and twinge of fear radiating from them as her throat moved as she swallowed deeply.

Instantly, he let his grip loosen. "Be careful," he cautioned before letting her go fully.

You are a stranger, he reminded himself.

After he released her, he noticed her relax slightly. If only a little. But it was enough to urge him to push forward. "If the other night at the club was our first meeting," he began again. "Then why did you run away from me?"

Sakura did not answer immediately, it was impossible as she struggled to form thoughts let alone words. Her emotions were far more out of control than she could remember them being in a very long time. His closeness brought about his scent, a mixture of smokey sandalwood and musk. It was intoxicating, making the draw of him even more irresistible. But it was the familiarity of such a smell that had her truly confused.

In addition to this, her mind was frantically trying to stay ahead of the conversation. But at the moment she was hardly keeping up and would soon be falling behind. Sasuke was drilling her, looking to catch her in a lie and she could not let that happen. So her mind formed a plan. Distract and play innocent. It worked for most of the devious demons she hunted, why not him?

"Why wouldn't I?" she began. "A strange man grabbed me and spoke my name. I thought you were a stalker or something," she paused for a minute as she eyed him. "And at the moment, I am beginning to think I was right."

Her last comment she dared to utter almost jokingly. She was not sure why, but there was something about his presence that both set her on edge andt calmed her as well. It was as if she had hyped herself up in her secluded hiding for the past week for nothing. He seemed so...harmless.

As a guardian, Sakura had grown well attuned with reading other people's intentions. And while reading a mortal was juvenile when compared to a demon, she sensed nothing sinister coming from Sasuke towards her. He was holding something back, that she could tell, but it was not ill intent, just cautious.

Her comment however did not seem to amuse him as she caught the tightening of his jaw muscle. "Do you know what I am?" He asked.

"Aside from being a creep?" The teasing words had left her mouth without a second thought.

It seemed so natural, like this was something she had done before. And it was not helping her situation in trying to play the role of an ignorant mortal that had been approached by a stranger. Sure he was tall and handsome with an alluring darkness, but he was still an unknown stranger all the same.

Any other mortal woman in the same situation would have pulled out her mace, given him a good roundhouse kick, and ran for it. Or at least she hoped every other woman would have done this by now. Yet here she was, still standing in front of him, and making jokes about his behavior as if they were long time friends.

Sasuke however did not seem to feel the same way. His eyes narrowed, obviously annoyed and frustrated. With his lips pursed together, she suddenly began to feel like prey as he looked her over. The slight tilt of his head gave him a hawkish look as he looked down at the little mouse that she was feeling like.

"What has Naruto and Kakashi told you about me?"

"Nothing," she automatically answered.

A glint came to his eyes and his tight face moved into a smirk. Sakura's stomach dropped the moment she realized what she had just admitted to. She tried to swallow but her throat had grown too tight. She could barely manage to get the air she needed to breath to pass through.

Shit, she internally cursed. She did not like to use foul language but in this case, double shit, as Naruto would say. He had caught her off guard and caught her in a lie. Here she had thought she was doing so well, despite the feeling that she was swimming upstream the entire conversation. But he was just so...distracting.

In all her years, Sakura had never felt a true attraction to another. She had often found plenty of handsome men and many of their companies enjoyable, but anytime it came to having a desire for more, she could never find a place for them in her heart. For many centuries she fretted that her heart was broken, that she was incapable of any kind of romantic feelings. It hurt to break others, but she felt it would hurt them more if she tried to give them what she could not. It would be unfair.

But there was something different about Sasuke. And his penetrating eyes and gods divine features were only half of it. However, attraction or not, she was in dangerous territory. Flashes of Naruto's half torn wings ran across her mind and she shivered.

What kind of punishment did Sasuke Uchiha, a demon from the underworld where eternal punishment was dealt, would have instore for a liar? Would he rip her tongue from her mouth, flash his red eyes and make her see horrible things, or simply end her life with no more effort than he would a bug. She imagined everything and anything. Everything but what he actually did, and Sakura began to understand the true unpredictability of Sasuke Uchiha.

He smiled.

Oh so wickedly and toe curling slyly, that she felt a warm heat build in her lower abdomen.

Gods he was so beautiful it was a sin, she thought in her mind.

The thought brought about a whole new fear towards Sasuke that she had not even considered over the course of the week. Despite the comforting ease and lack of hostility that she felt from him, Sakura realized he was still, possibly even more dangerous, than she originally thought. It was just in a way she had never expected. And to make things worse, she had no idea how to defend herself from such dangers.

Sasuke could not help but revel in the glee that came from catching her in a lie. And the expression on her face was well worth the aggravating accusations of being a stalking creep. She was a rabbit caught in a snare and she knew it. The question was, was she going to fight against the trap or accept her fate and give in.

"So you do know them?" he pushed. "You know what they are?"

He watched her eyes dart around as if searching for inspiration.

"I um…" her eyes met his then quickly moved away as she focused her attention on his forehead. She let out a nervous laugh that caused the predator inside of him to shiver with anticipation.

"Sakura," he purred, causing her eyes to move down to his lips. He moved them into a side smirk that grew further when he watched her tongue dart out and wet her bottom lip.

Reaching out, he boldly grasped her chin to tilt her face up until green orbs met his dark ones. He noted the way her chest heaved with breaths and her pulse throbbed against her throat, telling him her heart was beating wildly. A hunger grew within him that had been dormant for far too long. It was so strong and pressing that it was difficult not to consume what he was craving. He was starving for her. Her lips, her mind, her soul, everything.

The need for her was so pressing he nearly swooped down and claimed those parted lips that were held open as she stared up at him. The monster inside him roared its approval and even the sane portion of his mind could hardly give a reason not to do it. For despite its stability, even his sanity knew that he needed her.

She doesn't know who you are.

Those words were his damnation but also his saving grace. He needed to be careful, he could not scare her.

"How do you know me?"

Sasuke broke out of his thoughts and looked down at her, clarity flushing into his mind as her soft and soothing voice anchored his sanity. His hand fell slowly from her chin as he tilted his head to the side. With those green orbs wide open, it was like he could see into her mind. He was tempted to jump in and search her familiar depths but he resisted. He saw conflict and want as she stared back at him, almost as if she were pleading him to tell her their history.

He felt his brow narrow as he tried to understand this. He felt the words begin to build but a pair of familiar chakras in the distance caused him to pause. Looking over her head he starred in the direction as an annoyance began to rise up. He wanted more time but it seemed that life would not be quite so giving today. However, he did not let it bother him too much.

He knew how to find her now, or at least someone who could lead him to her. With that thought, his dislike of the pale artist decreased marginally. His mind raced with a way to leave her without letting her easily forget him.

An idea sparked in his mind. His eyes settled back down on her and he gave her a smirk as the thought of what he was about to do played out in his mind.

"I have to leave," he announced.

"What?" She blurted in protest as a hand shot out and grabbed ahold of his wrist. "No! I need answers!"

Her protest caused something inside him to purr with content. And the feeling of her touch enthralled him, tempted him. He nearly snatched her up and took him with her, but he feared that if Kakashi and Naruto were involved, that plan would backfire. Or at least prove to be highly inconvenient.

"Hn," he hummed as he took a step closer, taking caution of how she reacted to his proximity.

When she gave no indication of discomfort, most likely distracted by his announced departure, he raised his hand and ever so slowly, extended his middle and forefinger. Her eyes followed his hand with every movement and her brows creased in wonder as he poised his fingers just above her brow. With a small jab, he taped the middle of her forehead.

He felt a warm, genuine smile take over his face as she did her familiar flinch. Then her eyes opened and she looked at him with a strange expression. He held her gaze, searching and hoping that he was not mistaking the familiarity that shone in her eyes.

"Sorry Sakura, maybe next time."

And with those words he departed from her. Flashing his red eyes to capture the moment before he flash stepped away, leaving her alone with nothing but a confused expression to keep her company. As he took to the air his mind raced with excitement. She was alive and he was going to have her back. How he wanted to take her with him then and there but he would be patient. When she came with him, she would come with him willingly.

Soon, he cooed to the creature that lived within him. His assurance seemed to settle its stirring and give him clarity to formulate his next step.

Chapter Text

Ancient Greece:

It was but a blur when it happened and even after when she recalled it in her mind later. They had been lazily enjoying the abandoned wheat fields near her family's olive grove. Sasuke had his head in her lap while she had been enjoying the moment and feeling of the days lethargic pace when she looked down at him. For a moment, for one solid and paused breath, time seemed to slow impossibly more.

Dark eyes looked up at her with onyx color that was such a rich luster that it was like gazing into the midnight sky. She felt far more trapped in that moment than when she had ever gazed into them when they had bled into red pools of hypnotizing allure. But that was when clarity ceased and blurriness took over.

In the blink of an eye, he had removed himself from her lap. It had happened so quickly she had thought he had dissolved into nothing. But then she spotted him standing on the opposite side of their small sanctuary of flattened grass, looking at her with nothing less than horror. Before she could even be alarmed by what could cause such an expression to appear on his apathetic face, it transformed.

Confused, she had made a move to stand and that was when he had shouted at her to not move. That was when it hit her and the hurt of the rejection was nearly physical. Disgust was what she saw on his face. Disgust and contempt and it was all directed at her.

Naruto had gone after Sasuke not long after his hasty and unexplained departure, thus leaving Sakura alone, feeling confused but mostly hurt.

There were two things that remained vivid in her mind. The look of near worship as he gazed up at her from her lap and the repulsed expression he wore as she attempted to shorten the smallest of space between them. She had folded into herself and wept until Naruto returned an hour later. Her eyes had long since dried up but the red and puffy swelling, as well as the salty tracks, told Naruto all he needed. After many cursings of a certain bastard, Naruto took her home, told her it would be alright, and to not take Sasuke's actions to heart.

"That bastard has more mood swings in a day than he has brain cells," Naruto had yelled. "Tomorrow he will show up as if nothing had happened. He might even be the one weaving flower crowns for you as he frolics through the field."

She laughed when her mind produced an image of such a thing. Sasuke would never frolic, he would stomp. And he would not be weaving the flowers, they would be what he was stomping on. But all the same, she felt better after Naruto's assurance that Sasuke would be back within a day or two and acting like nothing had happened. She had gone to bed that night feeling much lighter than she had felt earlier that afternoon. But the next day passed and then the next, and Sasuke had yet to make an appearance.

The metallic glint of reflected moonlight was all he needed to make a quick descent and land precisely where he wanted. Taking station on a cobblestone wall that ran along freshly tilled farmland, Sasuke glared down from his vantage point as his purposefully hard landing captured the attention of his prey.

Purple eyes gazed back up at him, a predatory smile resembling that of a shark spread across his face. "Ah, Sasuke Uchiha, just the demon I was looking for," he commented as he hefted his large sword from his shoulder and propped it into the ground to lean on. "You know you're a tough one to find. You would think with such raw power it would be easier."

Sasuke allowed an arrogant smirk to shape his lips. "I am only found when I want to be found. You're lucky that I was in a giving mood tonight," he replied before his tone and face turned frigid. "Now what are you doing here? This is not your territory."

The threat in his voice seemed to have no effect on Suigetsu as he grinned toothily. "Yes well," he responded. "As a rogue technically I am encroaching on someone's territory no matter where I am so I figured why not choose this charming little countryside."

Sasuke moved from his perch, wings making a flutter as he landed on the ground. His knees bent with the abrupt force only minimizing the small fissures that spread through the ground beneath his feet.

As he straightened, his eyes bled red in unvoiced threat. "Both of us know that you have other places in the world in which you would want your beady little eyes to rove over," Sasuke remarked darkly. "Now do us both a favor and don't waste our time, why are you here?"

Suigetsu's casual display only faltered slightly as he shifted his body, taking a subtle stance of defense that ceased to escape Sasuke's observance. "Orochimaru would like to seek out an audience with you. He has an offer to extend."

Sasuke's brow raised. "Never thought you would sink so low as to become that serpents messenger boy. Even for you that's low. Who would have thought the lone shark would ever be so weak and desperate to sell out for servants work."

Suigetsu's lavender eyes darkened to violet but despite the hate reflected in his orbs, he pasted a crooked grin on his face. "He made an offer I couldn't refuse."

"And now you claim he has one for me?"

Suigetsu nodded.

"Tch," Sasuke scoffed. "Don't bother wasting your breath, I already told him I am not interested."

He shoved his hands in his pockets and began walking away.

"You know," Suigetsu's voice echoed from behind, causing Sasuke to slow his steps. "I couldn't help but notice you have been spending a lot of time on this little rock the mortals call inhabitable land. Makes me wonder what's on it that would cause you to linger so long."

Sasuke did not turn around as he stared down the dark road before him. Gritting his teeth, he moved to take a step forward but was stopped by the next words that echoed through the night.

"I couldn't help but notice you seem to hover around a particularly enticing mortal. I haven't seen her myself but her soul's aura calls out so sweetly. I can't even imagine what it actually looks like."

Sasuke's fist was tightly clenched as he did his best to not show a single sign that would give away that Suigetsu's words struck a chord far deeper than intended.

"Well, I guess now you know why I have been spending time here then," Sasuke remarked back, his head turned to the side to eye Suigetsu threateningly. "Just also know that you are to stay away from it. That soul is mine to claim."

Suigetsu let out a scoff. "Please Uchiha, we both know that if you were going to claim that soul you would have done it a long time ago. It's not your style to play cat and mouse. You arrive, you corrupt, and you leave. Which makes me wonder…what exactly is so special about this one."

Sasuke swallowed, he did not like the unease that such a threat brought upon him. He should not care. Not this much. "Tch," he let out, turning his back to Suigetsu. "There is nothing special about this one. I just felt like trying something new."

"Nothing special eh," Suigetsu repeated. "Well then I am sure you wouldn't mind if I—"

Before Sasuke could even form a thought, his body had reacted on its own accord. One moment he was standing while facing the darkness and in the next, he was crouched over a more than stunned Suigetsu with his hand clasped around the demons neck. His mind was dizzy with rage and movement as he glared almost nose to nose with the violet eyed demon. He could feel the tomoe patterns in his eyes swirling so quickly they were just a blur to the rogue demon.

Teeth clenched, his seething breaths came out labored and hot as small flecks of spittle fell onto the demon beneath him. His body shook. He had never felt so out of control that had his mind been able to cognitively acknowledge it, he would have been worried. But at this moment, worry was but a fleeting thought. Instead he felt powerful and territorial. Like a lion who had found another lion trespassing in his pride, he wanted to rip the other creature apart.

It was just fortunate for the slippery eel that Sasuke needed a message delivered. With great restraint, he was able to calm himself enough to unclench his jaw to speak the words he needed.

"If I see you so much as look in the direction of this island ever again I will chop you up so finely that you wouldn't even be considered chum for the bottom feeders," he growled darkly before standing up, dragging the rogue demon up with him. Once standing, he shoved him. "Now run along before I change my mind."

Suigetsu no longer held any ease that he posed earlier. With caution, he nodded his head and stepped towards his sword, pausing in his crouch when Sasuke spoke again.

"And tell your master and any other demon you come across that they will share the same fate as you if they come near here. I want nothing from that snake nor will I ever."

Sasuke did not wait to make sure Suigetsu left. He did not need to. The look in his eyes was enough. He had seen that look many times caused by his brother, father, and most often by his uncle. It was always terrifying but also inspiring to see such fear from another's power and presence. Tonight was the first time Sasuke had ever seen such a look and he be the reason.

To say he liked it was false.

He loved it.

Despite her warm attitude and caring heart that made people like her, Sakura did not have very many friends. The island she lived on was small and the area she dwelt was low in population. While she got along with everyone, she could not call any of them true friends. Most were either too old or too young to be considered peers.

Over the past year, Sakura had grown overly fond of having both Naruto and Sasuke in her life. Despite his pervy habits, she had even grown fond of Kakashi's presence. But the silver seraph was not the same. For when it came to the sunny angel and midnight demon, she had found a special place in her heart. Naruto pretty much carved his own name in that place with how easily he contributed to their relationship. But Sasuke had been much more difficult. It was like a small seedling had been planted and while on the surface it looked like nothing more than a small sprout, beneath the surface was a complex and deep rooted system. The kind that would do damage if uprooted. And uprooted it had become.

On that day in the abandoned field, she had thought she had finally broken through to him when he had laid his head in her lap as if he did not have a care in the world. It was not as if Sasuke completely avoided touching her, and it was not as if she were hoping for his touch. But his habit of only touching her purely out of necessity had not gone unnoticed by her. Sasuke had always been careful around her.

Yes, he had his tendency to be slightly too close in proximity that left her unnerved every time. But rarely was there actual physical touching. Sakura was positive he did it on purpose. She had a suspicion he liked to make her feel uncomfortable. But that aside, actual physical contact was left to be far and few occasions.

That day he had so easily been trusting and open for the briefest of moments. It was what she finally marked as his acceptance of her. The budding of the tiny plant that had steadily grown over the changing months and seasons within her heart. It had warmed her so much that she felt a flutter within her heart and stomach that she could not help but beam down at him.

Sasuke had looked at her and for the first time, his face had been completely open to her. He had looked at her like no one had ever looked at her before, as if he were in awe.

There was no denying that such an expression coming from him was not flattering, and it stirred something within her. Sasuke was, by every means, the most handsome being she had ever laid eyes upon. Although his personality seemed cold and abrasive, Sakura had learned in the past year that it was just a front. While his methods and delivery were not always a mastery, Sakura knew that his actions and demanding aura were always directed in the preservation of those he cared for. A category in which she had thought she had finally earned a place.

But before the bud could even begin to bloom, it had been ripped out of her chest, roots and all. Leaving her feeling like there was a giant hole in her heart. Initially, Sakura had been confused and hurt but those feelings had been steadily changing over the days. Changing into something she rarely felt.

Anger.

It had been a month since she had seen a single spiked hair of the demons head. She had interrogated Naruto about it but the blessed seraph seemed to be just as confused as her. After the third week, she seemed determined to focus on being angry with the demon.

She found it hurt less when she was angry at him. It made his absence seem more like her idea than the uncontrolled reality that Sasuke seemed to have removed himself from her life. Or phrased more painfully, removed her from his life because it seemed she was not important enough.

Sakura understood she was just a small countryside mortal. Her life was dull compared to only what her wildest imaginations could derive from what little she really knew about the seraphim worlds. But all the same, without the anger to mask it, it hurt.

She had done well to not let Sasuke's absence bother her for the past week, but on this particular morning, she found herself having difficulty pushing thoughts of him from her mind. It was the anniversary of their first meeting. Like that fateful day a year ago, Sakura had awoken before the sun had come up to carry her families offerings to the temple and return with the fresh spring water that was blessed by the gods.

It was something she had always done with her father but in recent years the trip up the mountain had become too rigorous for his bad knee. So it was a task Sakura took upon herself to make sure her family's prosperity remained blessed by the gods. Last year was the first time to do it on her own, this year was her second.

Waking up before the sun had even begun to show signs of its approach, Sakura ate a small breakfast then gathered her offerings in a basket. Lastly she grabbed a light shawl to wrap around herself as the morning air was still cool despite the warmer season they were currently in. With the basket tucked neatly beneath her arm and her shawl wrapped around her shoulders, she lit a small oil lantern and made her way out the door.

As always it was quiet on the mountain side and the stars above were exceptionally visible tonight with the lack of cloud cover. Sakura had always loved this day. But despite the fond memories of the many years of tradition, there was a subtle melancholy this particular morning. Although she had done this alone last year, she had not felt lonely then. Today was different.

It was the year mark from when she first met her seraphim. Yes, her seraphim, for that was how she had come to know them over the year. They were always around it seemed. Even when they weren't there, they were there. She didn't know how to explain it but it was like their presence was ever felt.

But not today. Today she was alone. She felt nothing.

Doing her best to push aside the eerie loneliness, Sakura took up a swift pace in order to make it to the summit before dawn. With the dim light of her oil lamp and the full moon, it was easy to make her way up the winding path. However there was something about the way the light cast shadows all around her that left her uneasy. While darkness kept her from seeing dangers, the light made her visible to predators.

It was a silly notion as there were no predators in the area but Sakura still couldn't help but feel uneasy. As if something were watching her.

The memory of a wandering demon came rushing back to her and she found herself hugging her shawl closer to her as if it were a Spartan shield. A crack to her left had her whirling so quickly her lamp was nearly extinguished from the wind she had caused. Its illumination flickered and then slowly grew back to light her surroundings.

"Hello?" she called out, doing her best to keep the quiver from her voice. She swallowed deeply when there was no reply but the distinguished flutter of cloth confirmed that something, or someone was there.

"Sasuke?" she called out, hating how much hope was present in her tone, she was supposed to be angry with him. Again there was no reply.

Whether it was self preservation or stupidity, Sakura found her earlier fear being replaced by irritation as she lowered the lamp slightly and placed her belongings onto the ground. As she straightened she grabbed a few rocks that were near her feet.

"Sasuke if you are out there this isn't funny," she growled. When she received no answer again she threw a rock into the brush. "You have some nerve to not show your face for the past month and then decide to try and scare me!" She tossed another rock, this time throwing it harder than the first. "I'm serious, this next one is going to hit right in that arrogant mouth of yours that I know—"

She was cut off from her rant when a rustle of leaves sounded and a dark figure stepped out into the light. But it was not Sasuke she saw standing before her with his hands raised in defense and a gentle but surrendering smile on his face.

"Wait, wait," the stranger protested as he eyed her arm that was poised and ready to throw. "I came out, don't throw. I didn't mean to frighten you!"

Sakura stared at the stranger as her brow wrinkled. She did not recognize him at all, and while the island ports brought in a constant flow of new faces for trade and work, none of them ever wandered this far from the main islands hub.

"Who are you?" she asked in a guarded tone. "Why were you lurking in the bushes?"

"Can you put the rock down first?" he requested gently, eyeing the drawn back arm that held the stone. "That first throw was not bad but that second one makes me not want to know how much harder that third one would be."

Sakura studied the man for a long while. After a moment she lowered her hand but kept a firm hold on the stone. The stranger nodded and gave a small grateful smile.

"I am sorry to have startled you, my name is Oberon," he said taking a step forward but stopped when Sakura retreated back a step herself.

"What are you doing here?" she asked suspiciously.

"I live here," he answered. "I am new to the island," he explained quickly when she seemed to not buy this piece of information. "I live with my uncle you may know him. He owns the barley farm just a stone's throw from here."

Sakura knew the man he was speaking of. Aetós was a middle aged man who liked to keep to himself most of the time. However he had grown sick last winter and she had helped him recover and learned more about him than any of his neighbors. However she didn't recall him ever speaking of any family.

"Oh," she said slowly. "I did not realize he had a nephew."

Oberon rubbed the back of his head as he made a show of looking uncomfortable. "Ah yes well, I would not think that. Not too many people like to speak of the bastard son of their sisters. I assume he probably never mentioned he had a sister either?"

Suddenly Sakura felt guilty as she shook her head and quickly moved closer to him again. "Forgive me, I didn't mean to be so ill mannered and callous," she quickly apologized while stretching forth her hand. "My name is Sakura, I live in the manor a few kilometers from here, where the olive grove is."

Oberon took her hand and gave her a charmed smile. "No need to apologize," he said, accepting her hand and drawing it up to lay a kiss atop her knuckles. "A pretty maiden such as yourself should always be cautious when coming across a stranger at any hour."

Sakura felt a warmth grow in her cheeks. She hadn't always been one to fawn over men but then again, her experience with handsome men within her age was limited. Sasuke and Naruto did not count. Since they were already over a century old and not exactly young men. And then there was their ethereal beauty. She knew better than to even hope that they would look upon her with any attraction.

However, now that she was eased, she could not deny Oberon's own attractiveness. It was a bold statement but she almost felt as if he could give the seraphim a run for their money when it came to handsome features. Slightly long dark brown hair curled around his ears and the nap of his neck, the fringe of his bangs just barely framed his dark brown eyes. And in his mouth he chewed a piece of grass that gave him an easy going but roguish look.

"Well all the same, I apologize," she managed to say as she withdrew her hand and busied herself with collecting her belongings in an attempt to hide her flushed face until she could compose herself. "I just wasn't expecting to meet anyone and you caught me off guard hiding in the dark like that."

"Ah yes, well, it's a bit embarrassing but it seems I got a little turned around," he answered. "I couldn't sleep so I thought I would take a walk. But it seems I got turned around. Seems I somehow wandered off the path."

She attempted to give him a sympathetic smile. "I can see how that can happen when wandering around it a strange new place, in the dark, without a light," Sakura pointed out. It was perhaps a harsh judgment but Oberon did not seem to be too bright when it came to common sense. Taking pity on him, she held out her oil lamp. "You may take this if you would like to guide yourself home." She pointed down the direction she had been coming from. "Follow the path straight then turn right when you reach the old mill. That path should lead you straight to your uncle's farm."

"I couldn't take away the only light of a beautiful thing like you," he protested with a tone that held almost too much flattery.

Beneath the flowery words was an underlining of second meaning that seemed malicious. However Sakura ignored this. She never liked to be one to judge too quickly.

Sakura shook her head. "It's nothing. I know my way well enough I could get to my destination blindfolded," she insisted as she offered the lamp again.

Oberon reluctantly took the lamp. "How about this, I can escort you to your destination, then perhaps you could walk me back when you finish with your things. I wouldn't feel right knowing you were out here all by yourself. There could be other things that are lurking in the dark besides lost city boys."

Sakura couldn't help but give him only a polite smile. In any other case she would have been fully amused but his words had reminded her of another handsome, dark haired man that gave out similar warnings of what lurked in the darkness. Immediately Sakura frowned at the thought of Sasuke. She was not supposed to be thinking about him. Thinking about him made her miss him and she would not miss someone who walked out of her life without a care. She was moving on. From what exactly was a bit grayed, but all the same, she refused to dwell on it.

With this determined reminder, Sakura faced Oberon and forced a more genuine smile. "I would be happy to have your company," she said as she looped her hand through his offered arm and began to walk with him, setting her attention up the darkened path.

As she began to talk animatedly and inquire of Oberon's life before coming to the island, she failed to notice the dark desire that flamed in his eyes. Little did she know that Oberon was just the name of the last mortal soul claimed by the demon walking alongside her. Little did she know that he was in deep need of a soul to keep him going a little longer since his recent banishment from the underworld.

As the rogue demon supplied fanciful answers taken from stories he had stolen from the mortals he preyed upon, he failed to realize who the true prey was in this situation. For little did he know just what a precious jewel he had crossed paths with. Most rogues stuck to the cities where there was an abundance of souls. But there was a risk of running into seraphim, both blessed and fallen. Muso, the true name of the demon, was young, he had yet to even collect a century to his name, therefore he was weak.

He would not have lasted more than a decade before being hunted down by an archangel or demon lord. So he resorted to the outskirts, making his prey far and few. Normally he would not have come to such a remote island but something had drawn him here.

He had thought it was desperation but the moment he sensed her soul, Muso knew that it had been her. This ignorant little mortal girl that had him practically drooling with how delectable her aura was. The rogue had thought himself lucky in finding a diamond in the rough. He had yet to fully look into her soul but he could sense it had a strong purity. It would last him far longer than the murderous soul he had last claimed. However, little did he know, that this diamond was guarded by a creature far more menacing than a dragon in its treasure trove.

Chapter Text

Ancient Greece:

Excessive blandishment aside, Sakura could not help but feel charmed by Oberon. Her experience with young men was limited and she could not help but feel flattered by his pretty words and chivalrous manors. As they walked together, Sakura listened to his wild tales and encounters of city life on the mainland. Her attention was wrapped and enthralled with his words as she dreamed of the day when she would have her own stories to tell.

They had just passed the small shrine that marked that halfway point to her destination when it all happened. One moment Oberon was matching her steps as he carried her heavy basket, and then the next, pottery and wicker was being smashed and broken when a black blur came from the darkness and pounced on her new acquaintance.

Sakura let out a scream of alarm and Oberon let out a grunt of pain as he was tackled to the ground then abruptly thrown through the air. She watched in horror as Oberon smashed into one of the pillars of the shrine so hard that she could have sworn it shifted. The impact should have killed him, but to her surprise, he was still moving when he slid to the ground, albeit very slowly.

She only had a moment to see his dark brown eyes look up before his body was blocked from her sight by another. Leathered wings were poised and spread like a cobra's hood reared up to strike. Tense muscles, bulged from the strained weight of the massive appendages of aviation and she could see the figures body shaking as tremors of anger rushed through his body. Although he had just been a blur and now all she could see was his posterior, Sakura knew who this new arrival was and he was no stranger, despite his absence for the past month.

"Sasuke!" There was no mistaking the spiky ebony hair that was silhouetted against the moonlight. "What are you doing!?" Sakura exclaimed as she scrambled up from the ground where she had been knocked over in his abrupt entrance.

If he heard her, he paid her no mind as he reached down and lifted the slumped form from the ground by his neck. He let out a small choke that was replaced by a grunt when Sasuke slammed his back against the pillar he had just recently been thrown against. Brown eyes widened as Sasuke's bled red and a strangled gasp escaped his lips.

"Uchiha," he managed to whisper, a deep fear echoed in his voice as his face reflected that turmoil as well.

Sasuke took a moment to smirk as he relished in that new found power he had been tasting in the recent month. But it did not last long as his face menaced and he began his interrogation. "Who are you?" he demanded.

"M-Muso," the struggling demon stammered.

Sasuke heard a questioning hum of confusion come from Sakura but he paid her no mind. The name meant nothing to Sasuke and he held no recollection of this demon. "Did Orochimaru send you?" Muso only gave him a look of confusion which Sasuke responded in return by the tightening of his hand. "Who sent you?" he growled.

"Sasuke stop it!" her shout fell upon deaf ears again which spurred Sakura forward.

She raced to his side and only when her small hands wrapped around his forearm did he acknowledge her. His head angled to look at her, blazing red eyes glowing forebodingly down at her. Jet black bangs shrouded most of his face but she could see his features soften, if only a little, as he caught sight of her. But his attention hardly lingered. He avoided her wide eyes as she looked up at him with alarm as her fingers clutched at his arm. Automatically his attention went back to Muso and his grip tightened even more.

"What are you doing!?" she demanded again. "Let him go! You're hurting him!"

Sasuke's face immediately darkened again as a hiss seeped between his clenched teeth. "Sakura," he began firmly, "go home. You do not need to see this."

"No, I said stop it!" she protested as she uselessly pulled at his arm in an attempt to pull him away from Muso. "Oberon is a friend!"

"His name is Muso and he's a demon," Sasuke spat, keeping his attention on Muso.

At this revelation, Sakura was taken aback. From the corner of his eye, Sasuke could see her earlier foundation crumble. He watched as her eyes, a forest green in the dim light, darted from him to the demon in his hands, then back to him. Slowly, her head began to move from side to side.

"No...he's a friend. He lives with一"

"He's a demon," Sasuke cut her off with an exasperated tone. "An outcast from the underworld and judging by the minuscule level of chakra, he is in desperate need of a soul. If you were not so gullible you would have seen past his ruse and saw that he was taking you for a fool. You're not his friend, you're his next meal."

Sakura said nothing in response, too stunned to speak. Taking advantage of her silence, Sasuke continued, turning his attention back to the squirming demon in his hands.

"He is nothing but a leech, a parasite in need of eviction from this world...from all worlds," he said darkly as he moved his free hand towards his waist.

Sakura watched as his free hand moved beneath his cloak. She had not noticed it at first, but now as his hand wrapped around its long handle and the sound of metal being drawn began to ring, she realized he was armed with his sword. It was not the first time she had seen him with it, but never had she seen him use it. It did not take long for her mind to realize what was about to happen.

Her body moved automatically. Letting go of his forearm, Sakura ducked under his outstretched arm and planted herself between the two demons.

Blazing red eyes snapped down to her and for the first time, he finally met her eyes full on. He paused in the withdrawing of his sword as she stared back at him, mesmerized by the swirling tomoes, but not entranced. Her eyes moved over the rest of his face, taking in the furrowed brow and downward pull of his lips. It was strange, in terms of a lifetime a month was not much, even more insignificant for one who lived for eternity. Yet, there was a noticeable change about him. It was not physical, but there was something about his countenance, it was different. And Sakura was unsure if it was good or bad.

"Sakura," Sasuke began in a stony command, "move."

She shook her head.

"Sakura," he repeated in warning.

"No, Sasuke," she said firmly. "I don't want you to kill him."

He gave her a look of utter disbelief. "Sakura, he was going to destroy you."

"But he didn't," she said firmly. "You stopped that, I am safe now."

"And he never will because now he dies," Sasuke spat. "He is a rogue, a traitor of his people, of my people, my family. As an Uchiha it is my duty to ensure scum like him know there is no mercy when they disband and disobey."

He moved to continue withdrawing his sword but was stopped when Sakura shoved him. It was not strong but given the unexpectancy, she managed to push him back a few steps until he reclaimed his balance.

"I said no, Sasuke," she yelled.

Sasuke's eyes narrowed and his face pinched in annoyance. "He isn't innocent Sakura, nor will this sudden saving turn him into a saint. He isn't like you and your fellow mortals where he can repent. He has forsaken his duty to the gods, he has defiled his purpose. In our world there is only duty or damnation. We are immortal for a reason, we are not meant to die. That means he will do everything in his power to ensure he escapes that fate. Today would have been you but if you let him go it will just be someone else. Can you live with that?"

He watched as she hesitated for a moment but as soon as her eyes narrowed, he knew what would come out of her mouth. "I said no, Sasuke. I will not have you kill someone because of me."

Sasuke's lips drew back as he bared his teeth. "I am not doing this for you," he lied. "I am doing this because it is what I do. I condemn mortals and kill traitors."

He withdrew his sword and took a step forward, but he stopped when she did not move.

"Sakura," he began, his voice barely controlled, his patience was wearing paper thin. "He may have been kind, charming, and flattering but that is how he works. He first gains your trust before he turns on you. Seduction is his tool and empty promises are his lure."

Slowly, his free hand moved up and for the first time in a month, he closed the final remaining space in which he had so painstakingly kept between them. His finger outlined her hairline, stroking the floral strands before sweeping down to touch her cheek then outline her jaw.

"It may seem impossible now," he said gently, "but he would have had you doing your darkest imaginations and more. He would have found your weakness, your vice, and then he would have exploited it. You mortals have no idea what your truest desires are until you are bathing in the blood of innocents or writhing in pleasures of the flesh. You would find yourself giving yourself away to anyone without any care or regard to the sacred temple of your soul. He could have shown you the path to a seat of power where you would end up razing nations and leaving nothing but soot and bones. And if those were not something you craved, he would have found it. Everyone has a darkside, even the purest, they are usually the worst."

He was not sure if he truly believed the last part or if Sakura was capable of any of it. It was impossible to imagine. But if it brought her to reasoning, he was willing to let only lies pass from his lips for the rest of his life. Why he was willing was unanswerable, he just knew it was true.

His fingers paused as he found himself staring directly into her eyes. "All mortals have a weakness Sakura. You are lucky he did not find yours today but if he goes free whose will he find instead? Your mother's? Your father's? The carpenter boy's?" At the mention of Pyrro, Sakura let out a small gasp of either shock or surprise. Whichever, Sasuke did not care. All that mattered was that he finally seemed to have her attention. "They will be next Sakura, and if not them, someone else's beloved. Would you truly allow that on your conscience?"

She hesitated in giving an answer, telling Sasuke that she was indecisive. Slowly, he tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. "I will make it quick," he assured. "There will be no suffering in his death." His eyes flickered up to look at Muso from over her head. "Only after," he said darkly, his eyes boring into the rogues eyes, as if promising that he would go to purgatory himself to ensure the demon's suffering.

"No."

Her words were soft and contrasting to his preceding ones and it took him a moment to even register that she had spoken.

His eyes shot down to her. "What do you mean一"

"I mean I won't let you kill him."

Her voice was firm as she reached up and grasped the hand that had settled onto her shoulder after tucking her hair away. His thumb, which had been slowly stroking her skin on its own accord, stilled as he brought his full attention to her. But she did not reciprocate such actions as she twisted and turned her back on him. Her hand still clasped his, keeping him in place as she faced the demon who was looking between herself and Sasuke with an expression of intrigue.

"Leave this island," she instructed in a monotone.

The demon gave her a lingering look before starting to move, only to be stopped when not only Sasuke, but Sakura moved as well. It was Sakura's arm being pushed in front of him that caused him to pause, and it was the glowing red threat that he saw hovering right behind her that made him freeze.

"Do not prey on any of its inhabitants nor any others you may cross upon in the farthest of lands," Sakura said, drawing the demons eyes to her. "Swear that you will never take, nor corrupt a single soul on this earthen land for the remainder of your existence." The demon nodded but Sakura did not move her arm. Her eyes narrowed. "I want an oath. Swear upon the creators of my world and yours and make a covenant that if you do any of this, you will be taken by Jashin himself to be punished for a thousand times a thousand."

Sasuke stared at the back of Sakura's head, surprised by her demands. How she knew of a covenant oath or of the minor but ultimately feared god of the seraphim, he did not know. His only guess was that Naruto had been going into far more in depth topics of their world than normally accepted. A covenant oath was rarely spoken of and made even more rarely. If the promise of the oath was bent, a seraph would lose their wings. If broken, they would lose their life instantly and delivered to the god Jashin, who hungered for souls.

"Are you insane!" the demon demanded. "If I don't claim souls, I die! I can't agree to your demands!"

"You'll die anyways if you don't," Sasuke responded, looking straight at him from the top of Sakura's head. He wasn't sure if she would protest or not but given the tightened silence that lingered, he assumed she agreed. Part of him, the new found desire he had recently awakened, begged for the demon to refuse. It both excited and sickened him.

After a prolonged debate, the demon finally nodded. "Fine," he spat, staring darkly at Sakura with contempt. "I solemnly swear that I shall never take, nor claim, a single human soul from this earth. May my wings shrivel and shed if I am tempted, and may my life be claimed and soul delivered to Jashin for my thousands times thousands years of pain and suffering."

Sakura gave a nod and after sending them both a venomous glare, the demon departed, tripping over his feet and taking a faulty lift off before disappearing into the night. When she turned around Sakura was presented to a skeptical looking Sasuke.

"What?" She spat, her tone taking on a harshness at her conflicted feelings.

She knew she had just condemned the demon to a slow and painful death. But the thought of letting someone be killed because of her or another soul facing the fate in which Sasuke described, it seemed the lesser of two evils. Was it truly bad if it was done with the intention of stopping something worse?

Sasuke let out a tsk, breaking her from her inner turmoil. Sakura gave him a glare then moved to brush past him to collect her offerings, which were now spilled across the darkened path. As she picked through the broken shards of pottery, she did her best to salvage what was left. The basket in which she had carried most of the offerings had been smashed but the contents in which it held were still salvageable. She frowned at the bent wicker and did her best to reshape it to functionality.

A pair of familiar black sandals came into her vision. Sasuke was not even attempting to avoid smashing the preserved olives that she had brought in offering in hopes for another abundant year.

"You know you just condemned him to a worse fate than I would have given him. At least mine would have been swift and painless."

She continued to work around his feet, salvaging what few olives were left. "You don't know that," she said quietly after a prolonged silence.

Another tsk made her brow twitch in annoyance but she refused to look up at him. Apparently being ignored was not satisfactory to him as she found herself face to face with him. As he crouched down, he stilled her hand. It was only then that she allowed her eyes to drift up and meet his.

"He will break his oath," he assured her. "They always do. Therefore you cursed him to damnation with Jashin which makes the standard damnation look like paradise in comparison. Not only that but an innocent soul will be taken from its mortal body when desperation of survival sets in."

She did not respond immediately and he cocked his head to the side. Having difficulty forming words, Sakura swallowed and looked down at the ground. She was overwhelmed. Overwhelmed with guilt and conflict. She looked up at Sasuke and she suddenly became aware of the sensation of being pulled towards him. Conflicting emotions were forgotten as she was overcome with a single overwhelming sensation. His presence.

Sasuke's entrance had been so rushed and unexpected that it had not even set in until now. Sasuke was here. A month of his absence had taken a strange toll on her and forced her to feel emotions that she was not used to. It had been exhausting. And now he was here and acting as if the past month had not even passed. He was still the same bossy grouch without so much as an explanation or apology.

Sasuke watched Sakura as she stared down at the ground. From the tilted angle of her face he could only see her half lidded eyes and forehead. At first he could see a small sadness within her green irises as her brow worried. He could tell she was feeling guilty and suddenly thought that perhaps he should not have rubbed salt in the wound with his earlier words. But it was a thought he batted away like he would a pesky fly. She needed to learn. This was a lesson she needed to know.

She blinked and something shifted. Sasuke watched as her head slowly moved up and he was able to finally see her face in its entirety, giving a full performance as her expression morphed into new emotions that were taking over. Her brow furrowed, her eyes narrowed, and her jaw clenched.

"Why are you even here?" she demanded.

Sasuke raised a brow at her tone. "Saving you from your naive stupidity obviously," he responded dryly as he got up.

She followed his actions. "Well then I guess I was lucky it happened tonight instead of two days ago, or two weeks, or any day within the past month."

Sasuke narrowed his eyes as her arms wildly gestured in the air as she responded with heavy sarcasm. He was not appreciative at being mocked by the animated pixie woman. Her face was flushed and her eyes seemed to glow like the bioluminescent flora and fauna that illuminated the underworld. The glow was alluring, a small reminder of the true beauty that this already beautiful vessel held within it.

Sasuke suddenly became aware of his thoughts and the danger that they brought. His instinct was to grab hold of her and shut her up. However, if he were to grab ahold of her, he was not sure if he could trust himself to let go. Already he felt his body being pulled towards her as if she were a magnetic field and he was a hunk of iron. It was taking everything he had to keep the minimal space between them and her wild arms and advancing steps were not helping in his endeavors. He needed more control, which meant he needed more space, more distance. He needed to be away from her.

"Where in Hades domain have you even…."

Sasuke heard her rant falter when he took an abrupt turn and began to walk away without so much as a glance back. He heard her scrambling around as she picked up her belongings and for a moment, he thought she was letting him go without a fuss. It was an unexpected but relieving reaction on her part. However it did not last long.

The sound of her sandaled feet following after him brought a twitch to his eye but he did his best to ignore it. Picking up his stride, he attempted to out march her, but the transition of her following pace of walk to a jog, told him it was futile.

"Excuse me!"

Her voice did not hold the soft and gentle tone that she used with others. Instead there was annoyance and if he was not mistaken, Sasuke detected a bit of anger. An emotion that he had thought she was incapable of. A small whisper of smugness appeared in his face as he continued to ignore her, proud that he could summon such emotions from her. He figured only a few could manage such a feat from a pure heart and even fewer from Sakura specifically.

"Stop following me," he called half-heartedly.

He heard a growl followed by the quick stomps of a run which allowed Sakura to catch up to him enough to step in front and cut him off. With her arms folded in front of her chest and cheeks puffed out, Sasuke found himself more amused than intimidated as she tried to stretch herself to be tall enough to reach his shoulder.

"Move," he commanded, but she did not even bat an eyelash.

"If you really did not want to be around me you would fly off," she pointed out with a confident tone. "For the past month you had no problem not being around me so why are you delaying it? Why don't you just fly off and leave? You don't need me to move, just go over me."

His amusement turned sour at her words. Deep down, he knew she was right. If he took to the sky she could not follow. What bothered him about that fact was that he already knew that, yet, he had lingered.

The past month had been horrible. Yes he had watched over her from afar, but he had come to find that it was not the assurance of her safety he needed. It was her presence. However, that was something he would not admit. Not to himself, not to her, even to the gods themselves he would never utter the truth. And it was not his blatant ignorance that kept him distant, but the danger.

His face darkened and his body tensed, causing Sakura's earlier brisk manner to become shaken. A ripple coursed through his body as his wings burst from his back. His teeth gritted in annoyance with his moment of weakness to bask in her presence. But his irritation was fueled by more than just that. It was her infuriating determination that had him on edge as well.

Sasuke did his best to keep his own firm determination in his voice as he spoke. "Go home Sakura," he said in a warning tone. "It's not safe for you to be out here."

"No," she refused firmly with a stomp of her foot. "I have things to do and I am not going to put those things on hold just because you say so. However if you are so concerned then why don't you just escort me. You never had a problem with it before. At least you never used to! Which brings me to my original question. Why are you avoiding me? Did I do something to offend you? Did you grow tired of me? Did you decide I was not worth一"

He let out a feral growl and grabbed onto her shoulders, giving her a frustrated shake as he did his best to not harm her. "Do you not realize that maybe I'm the one that you need to protect yourself from?! Do you realize what I could do to you? What I would do with your soul?" When her stubbornness failed to recede he gave out another snarl. Pushing her away slightly as he ran a hand through his hair. He paced a few steps away then turned back to face her. "You have no idea how much your soul beckons to my kind. You are like the forbidden fruit sitting in the garden, just waiting to be partaken of. It is most likely the reason why that demon even came to this island in the first place. He had been drawn to your soul. If you even had an inkling as to what I could do with your soul, you would run away to the other side of the world to escape me."

His words did nothing to alter her challenging stance except to force her pouted lips into a frown. "You can't scare me away Sasuke," she replied stubbornly.

He stepped closer to her, towering over her as his chest rubbed against her crossed arms. His hand moved up to caress her cheek, his long index finger tracing her jaw before gripping her chin almost too tightly in his frustration.

"What do you not understand about the part that I am a demon! I am a creature of the underworld, are you not afraid of the eternal suffering that I can bring you?!"

"No."

He looked at her in disbelief. "Then you are a foolish little girl," he spat as he released her chin with a flick of his hand and turned his back on her.

Her face scrunched in anger at his words. "You might be the superior being but this is my world, my life, therefore I chose what is and is not good for me," she stated firmly. "And I need you Sasuke."

Her words stirred something within him. He had never been needed, for anything. His father had Itachi as his heir, therefore Sasuke was nothing but a spare should anything ever happen. But nothing would ever happen to Itachi. Fugaku Uchiha would be disappointed if he lost his favorite and cherished son, and Itachi did not disappoint their parents. His brother, despite how much he said he loved him, could hardly give him the time of day. Then there was his mother. There was no argument that she did not love him, Mikoto loved all of her family equally. But did she need him?

There was something else about her words that altered him. She sounded so sure of herself but how could she understand? She was a mortal, limited by a feeble body, short life span, and weak mind. She may be smart when compared to other limited mortals but when compared to his kind she was naive. Her understanding of what lay behind the veil of death was far beyond what she was capable of grasping.

Did she think that she was so special that he would dedicate himself to her for the rest of her life? And if he did, what would come of it? She would die and her soul would pass on to the god tree, no assistance or guidance needed due to her true soul status. He had no role to play in her life but a villain. That was what he was born to do, that was what the gods designed him to be. How could he be the good and needed being she proclaimed him to be, if it went against divine design? The answer was plain and simple, he wasn't. Unless for some reason she thought he would change for her.

He let out a growl as a hand went up to tug on his silky dark locks in irritation. "I'm never going to change. This is what I am," he said suddenly as he spread his arms out as if to put himself on display. "I was designed by the gods to be this. Only they have the power to undo what they have created and we know that will never happen." He shoved his hands in his pockets and tilted his head, narrowing his eyes at her. "And even if I could change, I wouldn't. Not for them, not for Naruto, not for you. I like what I am, I like what I am becoming."

His words hurt her just as he meant them to. But the result was not as satisfying as he hoped. He watched her flinch as her eyes fell down to the ground at his feet.

"I'm not asking you to change Sasuke," she said in a quiet voice. She wrapped her hands around his forearm as she took a step and looked up into his eyes. "I know you are dangerous, but not to me. I trust you."

"Tch," he scoffed but he made no move to separate himself. Instead he turned to face her full on. His free hand moved up to tuck a piece of hair behind her ear. "And what if I break that trust?" He pondered aloud, letting his eyes move from her hair to meet hers.

She raised an eyebrow. "Then that is a risk I am willing to take," she said in a firm voice that left no room for questioning. "The fact that you try to protect me even from yourself tells me you are not as selfish or evil as you like to think. I like you in my life, please don't take that away from me."

Her spring flora eyes stared up at him with such pleading that Sasuke swallowed thickly. The pleading look made them even larger, widening the windows to her soul. That oh so delicious soul that was the whole reason why he was keeping his distance.

At the reminder, Sasuke found himself beginning to withdraw from her grasp but her grip on his arm tightened to a strength that he felt did not match the little nymph latching on to him.

His brow creased. "Why?"

Her pleading look morphed into slight confusion. "Why, what?"

"Tch," Sasuke sounded his annoyance. "Why do you care so much?"

She looked at him in complete bafflement, as if he had just asked her if the sky was blue or the grass was green. "Because you are my friend and those who abandon their friends are worse than scum," she stated firmly. Sasuke rolled his eyes, she had been spending far too much time with Naruto and Kakashi.

He gave her a hard look, his annoyance at her stubbornness grating at his patience. Did she not understand that this was for her sake? Did she not realize just how much she lacked in knowledge of him and his world? If she truly understood him, she would run far away from him. She would not care for him, she would not want anything to do with him.

He managed to extract his arm from her hands and began to walk away. "Don't worry Sakura, you are not abandoning me. Your reputation will not be tarnished by my absence," he assured with hardly any care. "You already have plenty of friends, trust me, you don't need me."

He heard a foot stomp on the ground and he turned around to see her standing with her arms folded and heel pressed into the ground.

"You don't get to make that choice for me Sasuke." The way she said his name was full of so much emotion and authority that Sasuke found himself feeling very much like a subordinate. She marched the small distance between them and stopped toe to toe with him, her head angling up to glare at him. "You cannot just come in and out of my life on your choosing. This is my life, I get to dictate who my friends are and when I will let them go."

"And what about my choice?" he asked with a slight amusement and raised a brow.

Sakura's determined face instantly split into a grin that paired all too well with his home in the underworld. "You're just a seraph," she said as if it were she who was the superior species. "Your choices don't matter."

With those words, she began to walk up the mountain path that led to the temple. Pushing her basket into his arms for him to carry as she promptly began to tug him along with her in her trek up the slope.

Sasuke could have easily stopped her from dragging him along with him, but there was something about the bossy side of her that he could not help but condone. So he gave into the tug and with an amused smile, he followed along side the girl, cherishing the close contact and the seemingly peaceful presence that she brought him when her mouth was not open in defiance.

Muso had only heard rumors about the corrupted seraphim named Orochimaru. Many banished and rogue seraphim from both realms sought him out for solutions of survival. Most rumors seemed either unbelievable or too frightful. Therefore Muso had never sought him out and actively avoided those who were associated with him. But things had changed. Now, he was desperate and vengeful.

The Uchiha that was with the vile little mortal had mentioned Orochimaru. Muso didn't know what to make of the fact that a member of such a powerful clan was lingering in a place of insignificance. But two things were clear to him.

The first was that the Uchiha was protecting her. His little tussle with the higher demon had nothing to do with territory or claim. He had seen the softened look the Uchiha had given the mortal when he looked at her, and there was no intention of claiming the soul in which she carried within her. No, that demon was not just protecting his property, he was protecting her for her own sake.

Which brought him to his second conclusion. The Uchiha was protecting her from Orochimaru. How a mortal came to be wrapped up in such seraphim business he did not know. Nor did he care. All he cared about was that if he was right, it had value. And he needed value. He needed a bargaining chip if he wanted to survive. Taking a soul meant instant death, not taking a soul meant a prolonged death. Neither choice was acceptable.

Of all the rumors he heard of Orochimaru, one stood out to him the most right now. The snake seraph had a method to attach himself to life forms without consuming human souls. If this was true, Muso would be able to survive. There was a slight possibility that it would bend the rules of the made covenant. If this happened, the result would be the loss of his wings. It was an idea that made him shutter, but it was better than the fate of breaking such a covenant or the chance of no existence at all.

The mortal would pay for that. But he would not dare do the deed himself, not with an Uchiha protecting her. So instead he would leave that up for Orochimaru. Any soul being sought out by the snake seraph was in for a world of undesirable suffering that one would not even wish upon their enemies. Which was why it was the perfect fate for her according to Muso. It was what she deserved after what she had just done to him.

The seraphim called them covenants, sacred oaths made rarely and reverently. The rosette mortal had just made a blasphemy of such a thing. She saw it as just a promise but for him it was a curse. And it was for that reason he was standing before the most decrepit looking seraphim he had ever laid eyes upon, letting the encounter flow freely from his lips.

"Ku, ku, ku," came the sinister chuckle from Orochimarui. The scales that melded in with the patches of exposed skin glimmered as he leaned forward. "Interessssting," he cooed. "And you say the Uchiha was protecting thisss mortal?"

Orochimaru watched the demon nod his head. "Yes, though I am not sure why," he spat. "That little mortal girl is more demon than even you or me."

"Yesss," Orochimaru agreed with mocking sympathy. "It would take quite the mortal to have managed to enssslave a sssuperior being with a covenant and achieve the protection of an Uchiha…"

Orochimaru went silent as his musings became muted and private within his mind. His reptilian skin shivered and made him want to shed in his excitement. He licked his lips with all the wonders he could do with this information. But he desired more information. He needed to know why Sasuke was protecting the mortal.

"So will you help me now?" Came the inquiry of Muso, drawing Orochimaru out of his thoughts.

"Help you with what?" he responded innocently.

Muso scowled. "Show me your secret. How do I keep living without breaking the oath?"

Orochimaru cocked his head to the side, his neck bent unnaturally farther than it should. "And why would I give such a secret to you?"

"Because that was the deal. I give you information in exchange for a loophole."

"Ku Ku Ku," he chucked. "Wasss it now? Tell me, do you know the nature of the relationship between the Uchiha and hisss mortal charge?"

Muso shook his head.

"I see, then it seemsss you are lacking in information." He flicked his hand in gesture and two henchmen stepped forward to seize Muso

"What do you mean!" Muso protested as he thrashed to free himself. "We had a deal!"

"Oh no we didn't," Orochimaru chimed calmly. "You had an assumption. But don't worry. You won't sssuffer the fate the mortal cursed you with."

Muso's screams and threats echoed, muffled, and died as he was carried away to one of the many rooms in which Orochimaru would conduct his experiments. Orochimaru's yellow eyes closed as he leaned his head back and enjoyed the melodious sounds of Muso's frantic screams as if they were music to his ears. When the symphony of screams came to a finish he opened his eyes when the door to his throne like room was opened.

"Go to the island that our lovely Sasssuke has been spending time on. Do not let yourself be detected or ssseen. Find out as much as you can about the mortal girl with rosette hair. Most importantly, find out what she is to Sasssuke Uchiha."

Orochimaru watched his minion leave as he settled back into the carved throne he had claimed for himself. His body shivered with anticipation and excitement for what was to come. If everything was as it seemed, he would have Sasuke Uchiha more than willing to cooperate with him once he was given a little inspiration. He was intrigued to learn of this mortal girl and what value she had to offer. However his interest in the girl did not exceed his interest in the Sharingan that would come to his possession because of her. If needed, he would use her by any means to earn it. She was leverage, nothing more.

Sasuke watched Sakura from the threshold of the temple as she kneeled down before the statue depicting a female form. If he remembered correctly, it was a representation of the goddess Demeter.

Tenderly Sakura pulled out the few olives that she collected then a small candle which she lit from a lantern that hung from the statues outstretched hand. With care she lit several incense and placed them at her feet before muttering a few prayerful words under her breath as she bent before the statue and moved onto the next deity that she owed prayers. This time she gave prayers of thanks to Athena for the gift of olives that she brought to their world. Finally, she went to the small pool that lay at the feet of Poseidon. Here original pottery that she would have used to carry the water back down had been smashed but it was as if the gods had been looking out for her and she had spotted an abandoned jug that, while chipped, would suffice for her needs.

When she stood back up she took note that Sasuke was watching her from the doorway. She had offered for him to help her but he had rejected the offer and instead took a stance at the doorway, like a dutiful century dressed in black uniform.

"Are you done yet?" he remarked when he realized she was looking at him.

She nodded, trying to hide the faint smile that crept onto her lips as she dipped her head. She had missed his ever annoyed presence. It was a strange thing to miss, but she did. It was what made Sasuke, Sasuke.

"Good," Sasuke grunted as he pushed off the doorway and began to make his way down the few steps that had brought them into the temple. "Let's get you home."

Sasuke started to make his way towards the path that would take them down the mountain. But when the soft patter of Sakura following behind paused, he turned back around to see her stalling as she looked out over the countryside and its coast. She eclipsed the sunrise which painted a picturesque backdrop that formed a glowing halo around her body. The rising temperatures had caused her to lose her shawl from earlier and the cream dress she wore soaked in the colors of the purple and pink sky, giving it an ombré hue that shifted and transitioned from one color to another. Her already colorful hair was glowing as the round sun matched up perfectly with her head and surrounded her with a majesty. In combination, the sight was like looking at the personification of a goddess.

Again Sasuke was reminded of his thoughts that she did not belong in this world. When compared to his own kind, mortals were very plain creatures. However, as he watched her face smooth into a relaxed smile, he found his throat suddenly dry. He tried to swallow and let out a small cough, causing Sakura to look at him. The action only served to elevate the image as she added a splash of green to the work of art that she was currently personifying.

No longer distracted by the scenery, Sakura made her way over to him. Her happy smile never faltering as she neared. Sasuke scowled, he didn't like what that smile was doing to his stomach. "What are you so happy about?"

Sakura seemed to ponder then wrapped her arm though his. "I am just happy you stayed today."

Sasuke let out a tsking sound. "Common," he mumbled, not bothering to pull himself free as he began to lead her down the path. "No more dawdling, it's annoying."

Sakura stayed quiet for awhile and Sasuke enjoyed the quiet until a soft request broke the peace. "Sasuke," she began tentatively, causing him to look down at her. "Promise me you won't leave again."

Sasuke was not one to grant requests. He didn't do favors for others. At least not unless there was something in it for him. But as he looked down at her face that silently pleaded to him, he found himself unable to form the denial. He thought about the events of this morning and the nuisance she had caused because he had not been there soon enough. He wondered how many other times when he was busy trying to keep his distance that she had been close to making other idiotic choices like befriending soul sucking rouges. It was this reason that he decided he would agree to her request. Because it certainly was not because he missed her. That would mean he had a weakness and Sasuke Uchiha did not have weaknesses. He had power, raw power that he had just recently been able to tap into.

"Hn," he let out.

It had been awhile since she had heard that sound but Sakura could not help but smile at the hummed syllable. It wasn't a proper word but she knew what it meant. Consent. Sasuke was allowing her request. Automatically her arms squeezed his tighter.

"Thank you."

Her words were so quiet any person with normal hearing would have missed it. However Sasuke was not normal. He caught the words of gratitude and while he made an effort to show no acknowledgement of the tightening around his arm or her words, he still failed to stop the small half smile that spread at the corner of his lips. Perhaps it would not be so bad if he stayed around.

He walked with her until her home was in sight. With a quick jab to her forehead, he made his leave with simple but cherished words. "See you," he murmured before taking flight and disappearing with the cover of the low cloud coverage of the day.

Sakura watched him leave, shielding her eyes as she squinted against the bright sun until she could no longer see him. For a moment she felt a tugging to follow but she knew this was a sensation of her imagination. It was impossible for her to follow, she had no wings. Therefore she was at the mercy of Sasuke coming to her. A thought that did not sound quite so bad as the lingering feeling of his two forefingers against the skin of her forehead. She didn't understand the action, but she was growing fond of it. She was growing fond of him.

Chapter Text

Present day:

Madara watched as the hunched form of a withered looking man came before him.

"I've seen you take better vessels in the past," Madara remarked with disgust. "I hope you are not becoming so weak that the body of an old man, who already had a deteriorated mind and no will power, is all you can achieve Sasori."

Sasori gave a sneer before an exhausted cough escaped his lungs. "Every vessel I collect serves a purpose," he defended. "While this body may be deformed, it has served me well in collecting some of my greatest masterpieces. These mortals take pity on vulnerability and as a result let down their guard. As the mortals good book says, there is a time and place for everything. That goes for my puppets."

Madara gave a disinterested nod. He could care less about the empty bodies that Sasori preserved and wore after sucking out their souls that they once housed before coming into his clutches. All Madara cared about was that the puppeteer was still of use to him.

"Very well," he acknowledged. "Then tell me, what has Sasuke been up to? Where is he now?"

"He remains in the city," Sasori reported.

Madara lifted an eyebrow, intrigued by this information. "You are sure of this? It is not like my nephew to linger."

Sasori nodded. "Well linger he has. He has been spending a lot of time wandering the city. Sits outside of buildings, watching, waiting."

"For what?" Madara pressed.

Sasori shook his head. "That I do not know. But recently he has made contact with some mortals. I assume perhaps he found himself prey."

Madara pondered this but did not look convinced. "Perhaps, but Sasuke has no need for souls. Unless boredom has driven him to hunt but I doubt it."

It fell silent as Madara went deep into thought, the only sound coming from his pacing as he walked along the wide window. The clubs day time workers went about in preparation for the coming weekend. He paused and stared down at a sound crew member who was flirting with a bartender. The woman looked thrilled to have the attention of the man and Madara sent out an influence of lecherous intent towards the sound crew man. He couldn't help but smile as the man leaned in to whisper something in the woman's ear who looked shocked, then heartbroken before anger rose to her face. The bartender slapped the sound crew man then stomped away.

It was pathetic really. But it was in his nature to steer mortals away from what would be good for them. However the juvenity of it caused him to suddenly gain a frown on his face. He had so much more in him, but now he had resorted to simple broken hearts.

It disgusted him.

He was a lord of the underworld. Not just any Lord, but the Lord, the ruler of the fallen. It was time he took his place back. His sister's husband, Fugaku, had run the fallen to a shameful mockery of what they once were. Making alliances with the blessed and following their rules.

It was time he returned. It was time he finished what he always meant to start. Unfortunately he needed Sasuke. Sasuke was the catalyst, the match, the spark that would start the fire. There had always been an underlying dark power within his nephews. At one point Madara had thought Itachi would be the one to unlock it but he proved to be more in control. Lucky for him, Sasuke had proven to be less in control and to top it off, Sasuke had a hunger for it. Unlike his pacifist brother.

Unfortunately, Sasuke was too much like Madara himself. He was driven by selfish desires which had been the delay in Madara regaining his full power. He needed Sasuke, but before that, he needed motivation for Sasuke. A weakness, a desire, a benefit. Whatever it was, Madara would find out what it was and then he would exploit it.

He took a slow sip from the rich amber liquid in his hand as he took in the face of the sound man. The poor mortal was preoccupied with questioning why he had gone with such an offensive pick up line on the sweet girl he had finally found the courage to ask out. Not bothering to take his eyes off the confused and heartbroken man, Madara gave instructions.

"I want you to find out why Sasuke is lingering. Find out what has caught his attention and report back to me."

Sasori gave him a low bow before making his way out of the club and into the streets of New York. He would first start with the mortals he had seen Sasuke approaching over the time he had spent watching him. But before then he needed to make a stop. It was time he found himself a new form, and the young red headed boy that lived in the apartment next door, who took pity on his crippled form, would do just nicely.

Tap.

Methodically and repeatedly, Sakura's index and middle finger hit the center of her forehead as she stared up at the ceiling.

Tap.

There was something eerily familiar about the gesture. But she just could not seem to place the time, nor place, that such a thing would occur.

Tap.

Everything about this situation had a heavy sense of familiarity. The forehead poke, the promising words, the sudden departure of a dark haired demon, the lingering confusion, the pondering of meaning. It was all familiar, down to even how she ended up laying half way on her bed with her feet hanging over the edge. She wondered if this was how mortals felt when they claimed to experience deja vu.

Whatever it was, it was infuriatingly irksome. With each poke of her fingers, Sakura hoped it would somehow trigger something in her mind. So far all she had managed was a buzzing headache.

Tap.

Her fingers landed on her forehead and she felt herself go cross eyed as she glared up at her paused hand. Her mind felt numb from the labored straining she had put it through for the past hour. It was like having something at the tip of her tongue but she just could not quite form it into something tangible. It was just a fuzzy blur that did not help with the dull throbbing that was forming at the point just right behind her skull. At the very spot where her fingers were now resting.

"Urg!"

The frustrated groan escaped her as her body lifted from the bed and she glared at the reflection of herself in the window across the room. With another huff she pushed off from the bed and moved towards the window bay and sat down. Shoving the panes wide open, she gazed up at the constellations that shone down upon the heavenly realm. Again she was hit with an odd sense of familiarity.

As she looked and identified her formations of stars, her mind wandered. There were too many mysteries in her life that she was suddenly becoming aware of. For a long time she had let things go, whether it was out of trust to her pseudo family members, or her own blatant oblivious naivety, Sakura had never bothered to seek answers. At least not in ways that would break the rules. But with the sudden trend of current events, Sakura couldn't help but think all of these mysteries revolved around one thing.

Herself.

Perhaps it was a bit conceited but it was how she felt. She hoped it didn't but until she could find the proof, she wouldn't be able to let it go. Her tolerance for being kept in the dark was growing to its end. Over the centuries it had been rubbed and worn thin. Now it was threadbare and about to completely unravel.

The tingle of fingers dancing up her spine made her arch into the touch. The caress continued at her response, moving along her rib cage as the touch moved towards her right shoulder. Goosebumps followed in the tracing fingers wake, like bread crumbs they marked the path of the wandering fingers. They moved along the edge of her scapula where her wings would sprout but as they did, she was hit with a knowledge that there was nothing but flesh and bones beneath her skin. There were no dormant feathers waiting to be summoned to take flight. Her wings were gone.

She would have panicked at such a nightmare but there was something oddly familiar about the plain emptiness. She would have pondered more had the feeling not been overshadowed by another realization.

Her shoulder was bare of any clothing. And it was not just her shoulder, but her entire body. She was naked and the feeling of the wandering fingers were nothing short of intimacy that she knew she had never experienced. Not that she did not want it but she had never been given the opportunity, never found a partner in which she felt right about. There had always been something missing and always a layer of guilt. As if she were betraying someone.

Her thoughts became muddled as she was lost to the sensation of the fingers as they rounded her shoulder and moved up her neck. They found purchase as the hand moved up the nap of her neck and gently tangled in her hair. Tugging gently, she felt her head being guided to tilt to the side and her eyes closed as the fingers combed through the strands of her hair. Strands that were far longer than she had ever allowed her hair to be. Combing her hair to the ends, her hair was released as the large masculine hand ran down her bare arm.

Something solid and warm pressed up against her back and she could feel the steady rhythm of a man's breathing as his bare chest pressed up against her. A second hand curved from the top of her hip to her waist where it curled around to her stomach. A soft breeze grazed her left ear just before the gentle caress of a pair of warm lips brushed against her neck. The sensation lingered as she felt his lips draw away only a fraction of space and hover just above the surface of her skin. Her skin prickled and the hairs on the back of her neck rose as she felt his heavy breath trickle from his parted lips down her neck and brush her clavicle.

Her hand moved of its own accord as it reached up and behind her. As if she had performed such a movement countless times to make it a natural habit, she found herself grasping onto a mess of soft locks. She felt a rumble vibrate against her back from the man pressed against her. The rumble was her undoing and she pulled her arm down, her grasp on the silky locks tugging the mystery person's head, forcing the teasing lips back down to her neck.

The moment they made contact all teasing was lost to hunger. No longer was it just a brush of the lips but instead it was a hot open mouthed attack. His teeth scraped at her skin before she felt the warmth of his tongue trace her pulse, latching on a giving it a suck. When he released her skin his cool breath rushed over the moistened bruise that she knew he left to mar her skin. But she didn't care.

"Sakura."

It was a worshiped plea of longing that she felt was reciprocated by her own body. She felt that need and want within her core. The feeling was so overwhelming it ached. She needed to be closer, she needed to partake herself, she needed him.

Her eyes snapped open but it made no difference. She was in darkness, complete, suffocating darkness. But that did not matter. She did not need to see or breathe. She just needed to feel.

She extracted her hand from the silky hair and turned her body.

Sakura froze the moment she turned.

Two orbs of bloody swirls of red and black stared back at her. A faint glow ebbed from the gleaming red giving just enough illumination to see the mess of black hair above and the twisted smirk of lips beneath.

Sakura bolted from her bed, her heart beating wildly in her chest as her breaths came out ragged. With each beat of her heart, her head pounded with a near splitting pain. Raking a hand through her sweat dampened and bed tangled hair, she took in an uneasy breath as she tried to recall the strange dream she had.

Unfortunately it was like trying to grasp sand. The tighter she tried to hold onto it, the faster it seemed to flow from between her fingers. Soon it was empty with only a few grains that seemed to cling to her skin. The few grains she managed to cling to were just snippets and flashes that seemed to have no connection from one to the other.

While she was at a loss for what to do with what remained, there was one image that stayed well into her mind. Unruly, dark hair above scarlet irises that were swirled with a piercing black. And then there was that predatory smile. A smile she knew from more than just dreams. She had seen that smile hours ago on a man that had matched the features of the man from her dreams.

Sasuke.

The fact that she was dreaming of the rouge demon prince was odd. However what struck her as the most odd was the feel of the dream. It hadn't felt like anything she had dreamed before. The lingering emotions made it seem like she had lived it rather than dreamed it. Even now, even though she failed to bring up what she had seen, she still felt the residual feelings that were left behind. Lingering heat and desire that made her cheeks grow warm. She wanted to label it as lust but that felt too superficial. This was deeper, more meaningful. It was not a means to satisfaction but survival.

It all befuddled her even farther with her already confused mind. But despite the murky thoughts and confusion, one thing, one fact seemed solid and clear. Sasuke had promised her answers. At least that is what he led her to believe just before his departure the day before. Whether they were the answer she sought, she did not know but it was worth asking.

Logic told her to avoid him at all costs, but curiosity made her question that action. And all too soon she was laying her head back down as her mind pondered what she would do if she were to cross paths with a certain Uchiha in the future. Would she run or would she linger?

Sai was in the process of unchaining his bike from the bike rack outside of the public library when he approached him. Him being the man from the other day in the park. Sai had not gotten a full look at the man but it was his presence that was far more identifying. There was a coldness in the air, despite the warm spring sun and high humidity of the day. As if his body possessed a sixth sense, Sai felt the hairs on the back of his neck rise. Before he had even looked up and saw the dark haired demon standing next to the line of bikes with his attention set on him Sai knew who he was.

Slowly, Sai stood and freed his bike from the metal bars that kept it standing. With steady steps, he wheeled it over to where the demon stood in obvious wait. He cast a wary glance around, suddenly worried about being alone. Sakura had taught him a lot, he knew better than what he once thought was right and wrong. But the heavy presence escaping the demons body before him seemed to beckon all too enticingly. He knew he needed to stand his ground and resist. It would prove that he had grown stronger. But another part of him wanted him to run away. Too afraid to disappoint Sakura by falling prey to temptation and too unsure if he would or wouldn't do just that.

"It's Sai right?"

The fact that the demon knew his name made him uneasy. A fact that must have shown on his usually unreadable face.

"My name is Sasuke," Sasuke introduced in an attempt to make the mortal before him relax. "I believe we saw each other the other day in the park. You were with a friend of mine...Sakura."

Sai shifted slightly, unsure of what to make of the claim. But despite his lack of belief, he nodded. "Yes," he confirmed. "I remember seeing you."

"Good," Sasuke said with a sharp smile. "So you have known Sakura long?"

It was more of a statement than a question in the way Sasuke's tone inquired and again Sai was wary. "A few years," he replied in a vague answer. Sai was sure that in all his years he had never met this demon except for a few brief bumps and passing. But the way Sasuke seemed all too familiar with him made him wonder if perhaps his recollection was failing him. Did he know him from his darker years as a youth? If so, Sai wanted nothing to do with this demon.

"And how is it that you came to know her?"

This Sai was unsure of how to answer. As far as he knew, demons and angels were not friends. That meant, whatever he said could possibly serve to hurt or endanger Sakura. To top it off, Sasuke seemed to know things about him, and Sai was unsure of the extent of that knowledge. Did he know that Sai had once been nearly fully corrupted to the point of no return? Did he know that Sai was aware of what he was? Did he know that Sakura was his guardian angel? He had never had to deal with or interact with divine and damned beings that knew each other aside from Ugly, Dickless, and on the rare occasion the grey haired sex obsessed angel.

As a precaution, Sai decided to go with the assumption that Sasuke knew none of this. When Sai had first met Sakura she had given him specific instructions to never reveal what she was. When it proved to be difficult, she gave him an alibi that he could use should anyone inquire of her. At first he had questioned the morality of it as he felt it was very much like lying. It was then that Sakura had explained how on rare occasions, keeping the truth to protect someone who was innocent was okay.

"She is my councilor."

"Seems a bit young to be a psychologist," Sasuke commented, obviously not believing his words.

Sai shifted uneasily. No one had ever questioned the validity of the cover up. "It is more of a peer mentoring," Sai explained, doing his best to remind himself that his lies were good and not bad if they protected Sakura.

"And what exactly is she mentoring you about?" Sasuke pressed.

"I um...got into some trouble several years back," Sai answered hesitantly. "Sakura has been showing me how to make better life choices."

Sauske rolled his eyes. Of course, Sakura would see the good in someone and think she could save them. If it wasn't a demon then she found the next best thing to "fix", a corrupted soul. If he didn't already know she was mortal, she would have been an annoyingly perfect candidate for an angel.

Sasuke wasn't completely familiar with reincarnation, but he felt that the nearly identical personifications were abnormal. She wasn't just another vessel for a soul, it was like a complete carbon copy.

However this fact did not dissuade him as it made him hopeful. It would make his task of slipping into her life very easy if he already knew exactly what would make this version of her tick and think.

"So your relationship is only on a professional basis?" he asked hopefully, recalling the all too casual way he saw them interacting in the park and was now hoping it had only been his imagination.

"Maybe at the beginning," Sai found himself saying, unable to hold back some truths. "But with time I have come to find her to be a fine companion for friendship."

It was an odd way to phrase it, but in the time that Sasuke had spent watching this particular mortal, he had noted that he was an awkward soul. Awkward, but obviously precious to Sakura. That he had no doubt. Sakura had always valued anyone who was bestowed the title of friend, whether they wanted her friendship or not.

"And where could I find her place of residence?" he found himself pressing.

Sasuke watched closely as Sai suddenly seemed to become even more nervous. After fidgeting for a moment, the mortal managed to look him in the eye as he narrowed his dark eyes.

"I thought you said you were a friend of hers," he said with a tone of suspicion. "If you were, wouldn't you already know where she lived?"

Sasuke's jaw tensed in irritation. It seemed this mortal was smarter than he thought. He forced a smile on his face. "An old friend," Sasuke said. "It's been awhile since I last saw her and it was by chance that I ran into her the other day. I unfortunately had to depart from her before I could get her contact information. But since we share her as a mutual friend, maybe perhaps you could oblige me. After all, any friend of hers is a friend of mine."

Sai felt the familiar feeling of influence wash over him. Like an invisible nudge, he felt himself wanting to let the information flow from his mouth. He pressed his lips together, resisting the urge to open his mouth and give all his secrets to the demon standing before him.

Painted on Sasuke's face was a smile that most would think friendly. But Sai could only see the dark intent behind the mask of friendliness. "I am sorry," Sai said, struggling to form the words that were not what Sasuke was asking for. "But I am not comfortable with giving that information away. If she wanted to be contacted she would have given that information to you herself."

The unthreatening smile turned into a gritted sneer that Sasuke quickly checked. This mortal's resistance to his influence was impressive. Especially for one who had such a spotted and tarnished soul.

He sent out another influence, much stronger than the one before and tried again. "As I said before," Sasuke said, doing his best to keep his temper. He would like nothing more than to hold the boy over a ledge until he uttered everything but he resisted the urge. Sai was important to Sakura and unfortunately, that meant Sasuke could not afford to let any harm come to the mortal. At least not yet. "I had to leave before we had a chance to exchange information." He sent out another pulse of influence. "I have been trying to reconnect with her for quite some time. I was only lucky that I ran into her at the park."

"Then perhaps you should invest in a charm?"

"What?" Sasuke asked, taken off guard that Sai had managed to resist his influence yet again.

If it were not for the nuisance of it all, he would be impressed. Though judging by the bead of sweat that was forming at his temple, Sai was struggling. Which meant he was consciously aware of the influence that Sasuke was sending his way. He was mentally battling against it.

Interesting, Sasuke thought to himself. It seemed that Sai was aware of the existence of seraphim. It made sense given the fact that Sakura seemed to have a knowledge of them as well.

"A lucky charm," Sai said, breaking Sasuke from his thoughts. "You should get one, then perhaps you will be lucky again in running into her. Now I must apologize but I will take my leave first. I have things to attend to."

Before Sasuke could respond, Sai had taken off quickly. Sasuke could have followed but he chose to linger behind and process this new information. If need be, he at least knew where to find the mortal again.

It took him three days to find her again. Or at least that was how long had passed when he decided to make an appearance. It was strange to Sakura. Only three days had passed but it had felt far longer, and the anticipation for when he would appear again had surprised her.

She was making her way through the streets with Sai when she spotted him. Leaned against one of the legendary buildings of New York. His eyes stared at her through the throng of pedestrians that passed between him and herself. Not once did his stare leave her as he watched her. The moment she locked eyes with him, she made out the smirk that graced his lips and the glimmer in his eye that was an unmistakable invitation.

Sakura had had three long days to think long and hard about what she would do if she ever crossed paths with him again. Up until this moment, she was undecided. But now, she felt as if there was never any other choice. The promise within his eyes was too enticing and she couldn't resist.

She liked to think it was because he had answers but there was a deeper, nearly carnal reason. There was an ache within her that would only ease with the closing of space between them.

She turned to Sai who was oblivious to the entire exchange as he dug around in his messenger bag. They had been on their way to a job interview for him. Recently they had been working on being a contributing and functional citizen of society. This meant having a job, being self sustainable, and making something of himself. Sai had had many jobs in the past since he had been on his own nearly his entire life. Unfortunately his lack of social skills made it difficult for him to keep said jobs. So Sakura had been focusing on finding him a place in the world that he could thrive.

Art was where he thrived so art was where she decided he belonged. Perhaps it was cheating but she had influenced a small marketing company to give him an interview in helping with their graphic designs. The job came with the needed training, all a candidate needed was the artistic eye. This Sakura knew he had.

As she watched him fumble around, she took in his black slacks and dress shirt that he had already rolled the sleeves up. It looked less professional but she allowed it since it gave him a more artistic look and she hoped that they would see that too.

He paused in his rummaging and withdrew what he had been looking for. A small key chain that Sakura had given him last year as a good luck token. Content that he had it, he carefully stuffed it in his pocket then looked up at her.

She couldn't help but feel the proud swell in her chest and smiled fondly as she noticed his tie was crooked. "Be sure to give them a firm handshake and speak clearly, no fidgeting," she recited as she adjusted his tie with nimble fingers. She brushed his shoulders, clearing them of invisible lint as she took a step back to look him over entirely. Happy with what he presented, she gave him a nod and met his eyes. "Be yourself, just not...too much yourself," she added hesitantly. "Mind your Ps and Qs."

"Do I not pronounce those letters right?" he asked and Sakura rolled her eyes.

"No your letters are just fine."

"But you said—"

"It's just an expression," she explained. "It just means to be on your best behavior."

"Then what does P and Q stand for?"

"Never mind that," she brushed off, not about to admit that she had no clue what Ps and Qs meant. She had picked up the expression with the last mortal she served as guardian to but she herself didn't understand the origin of expression. Only the meaning. "Do you have your portfolio?"

He nodded and tapped his messenger bag.

"Good," she nodded, then fell silent for a moment. "Good luck and I will see you later."

"You are not coming with me?"

She hated the slight disappointment in his voice but she did her best to try and ignore it. It was the hardest part about being a guardian. Guidance, too often turned to dependence, and she always felt like she was betraying them when the time came to set them free. Sai was still far from no longer needing help, but he was at a point that there were certain things he had to do on his own.

Sakura shook her head, doing her best to focus on Sai and not the heavy feeling of the pair of eyes boring into the back of her head. "This you must do on your own, but you can tell me about it after."

"This evening?"

Sakura hesitated. She wasn't sure what would become of her day when she left him and approached the lurking man not more than one fifty feet behind and slightly to the left of her. However, the eager look in Sai's eyes made her not want to deprive him of this. This was important. If it went well he deserved a celebration. And if not, he would need someone to pick him back up from the defeat.

"Yes," she said, determination in her voice to keep the promise. "I will see you later tonight. We can go out to get that tofu cake you like in celebration of your new job."

He cocked his head to the side. "But I don't know if I got it yet."

Sakura rolled her eyes. "But you will," she assured, doing her best to stir up some confidence in him. "Now go on so you won't be late!"

She gave him a gentle nudge to send him on his way. Obediently he walked towards the tall office building and she watched him until he disappeared past the revolving door. Then with a deep breath, she turned around and began to make her way towards the dark demon that was waiting. Her feet moved faster than she was prepared for as the invisible pull seemed to eagerly spur them forward.

Sasuke watched her every move until she was standing before him.

"You do know this really doesn't help with clearing you of being a stalker?" she said with her hands on her hips. The sass she had managed surprised her but he seemed unperturbed by it. If anything he looked gleeful.

"And what exactly is this that goes against my case?" he said playfully.

He was in a better mood today than the last time he had spoken with her and she accused him of being a creeper. His talk the other day had set him at better ease knowing the relationship between her and the mortal boy she had been with. He had been watching them both particularly closely today. Checking to see if what Sai had told him added up.

"I mean you showing up and watching me from across the way."

Sasuke rose a brow. "What? A man cannot sit in the city square and appreciate beauty. I thought such actions were romantic?"

His words brought a tinge of pink to her cheeks and he smiled, causing her to frown as she placed her hands on her hips. "Not in this day and age," she replied. "It's creepy."

"Ah yes well, is it really stalking or creepy if you already knew I was coming."

Sakura opened her mouth to retort but was left gaping when she had no response. He had a point. He had told her he would see her. And it wasn't as if his appearance was unexpected. She had been on the lookout for him constantly for the past seventy-two hours. She crossed her arms instead.

"You said you had answers for me," she accused.

"I do," he assured. "But let's go somewhere more quiet and private."

He extended a hand, his long thin fingers splayed out for her to take. Without a thought Sakura's hand moved upwards to accept it. Just as her fingers were about to touch the tips of his, she caught herself. She quickly retracted her hand before making contact, taking note of the physical strain it seemed to take in order to pull her hand away.

When she looked up she noticed the action had not gone unnoticed from his eyes. Even now he stared at her clasped hands that she was holding against her torso, fearing that her hand would move on its own accord if she did not physically restrain it. Self conscious of his gaze she moved her hands behind her. The action broke his gaze away from her hand and he met her eyes once more.

As naturally as he could, Sasuke let his own hand return to him where it found itself stuffed into the pocket of his trousers. A smile came to his lips that looked forced to Sakura.

"Follow me then," he said with a tilt of his head before turning his back to her and began walking away.

They had walked in silence. With every turn down another street, Sakura found it to be less populated than the one before. With each turn, he would glance back to be sure that she was still following him. As if expecting that she would change her mind. The idea had passed through her mind more than once but each time her curiosity won out over self preservation.

Soon he abandoned the streets and took to alleyways and parking lots until finally they reached what Sakura assumed was their destination.

He had led her to a pier. It was vacant, secluded, and certainly private as he promised. As they reached the end of the boardwalk, Sakura gazed out across the water. Near the opposite shore a sailboat moved through the marina on the opposite side of the harbor. The breeze it sailed on brought in a salty air as a handful of seagulls sailed around, squawking occasionally as they searched for scraps of food. The hollow thud of the wood against wood, along with the squeak of rusty metal and the wet slapping of water sounded with each bobbing of the dock as the waves washed into the shore.

Grasping the wooden railing that was worn and weathered by the sun and salt, she cautiously turned around to face Sasuke. Despite the fact that she knew he was behind her, his presence still unnerved her in the way he intently watched her. Not once did his attention move from her.

Suddenly feeling self conscious, she searched for a way to lighten the mood. "So is this were you murder me and throw me into the bay for the fishes?" she asked, thinking about the numerous crime shows that Sai found a fascination with. Initially she had disapproved of them but it turned out they served a purpose in educating him on the definitely wrong things to do. It was a poor attempt at humor that even she failed to laugh at, mostly because a small part of her knew the suggestion was not as far-fetched as she wanted it to be.

Sasuke forced a stiff smile to his face and took a step closer to her. Like a startled cat, Sakura jerked from the wooden railing and attempted to keep the distance between them. Taking a side step, she moved away from the edge and towards the direction that would give her a straight shot to get off the floating wharf and onto solid pavement. At her action Sasuke paused, tilting his head to the side in contemplation.

"Um…" Sakura fumbled for something to lessen the awkwardness. "So...how exactly do you know me?"

Sasuke gave her a contemplative look, tilting his head to the side. "Would you like to hear a story?" he asked, ignoring her question.

Sakura gave him a confused look.

"Long ago," he began without waiting for her answer, "in an ancient land that was once the prime glory of the world-" he started to circle her- "there lived a young maiden. She was beautiful. With jewels for eyes and floral hair."

She felt a tug on the back of her head and turned her neck just enough to see that Sasuke had paused in his prowling and was now fingering a section of her pink hair. "Her long locks were velvety soft, just like the petals it mimicked." His eyes were focused on the pastel strands, his mouth slightly frowning at the short ends between his fingers.

Sakura took in the odd expression. His words seemed much heavier and melancholy than the sultry tone he usually spoke in.

Suddenly, his eyes shot up to meet hers. He held her gaze for a heart beat before his mouth twisted darkly, replacing vulnerability with predatory. He started his circling again, eyes roving over her body as he came around the front of her.

"She was a special girl with powers unknown to her."

"What kind of powers?" Sakura could not help but ask as he passed behind her for a second lap.

"Beguilement."

Sakura startled when his breathy answer was given closer to her than expected. He gave out a small chuckle as she whirled around to face him.

She looked at him quizzically. "You mean like a seductress?"

Sasuke sneered at her wording. "No," he said, a hint of contempt in his voice at the lack of decorum in her delivery. It was as if she were suggesting the woman in his story was nothing but a common whore. "She drew people in with her aura. She was lovely to look upon but that was not what attracted them. It was her pure kindness and gentle touch. She had a gift for seeing the good in even the lowest of creatures."

He paused for a moment as he seemed to drift off in thought. For a long moment he seemed to nearly forget she was there. When Sakura could no longer stand the awkward feeling of being intruding on his private moment, she cleared her throat. Snapping him from his thoughts, Sasuke blinked a few times before looking directly back at her. There was a small delay before his smug smile took over again.

Back to his unnerving predatory self, Sasuke continued with his story. "She dwelt upon a small island where she blissfully lived in ignorance that her home was really a prison. She lived happily in peace but she was meant for so much more. Her closed and small world held her back. Despite her yearnings, she resorted to being content with her simple and quiet life in the countryside. She would have lived and died wastefully and in vain had fate not stepped in."

He began his circling again, each time he passed in front of her, Sakura's eyes followed him. And each time he circled behind, her body stiffened in apprehension of an unexpected touch or close breath. It was not until he appeared on her other side where she could watch his every movement again that she managed to breath.

"One day she crossed paths with a creature that became intrigued with her," Sasuke continued. "She was different from others and he wanted to know why. So he befriended the young mortal maiden. Day after day he agonized over finding his answer but it was not until many months later that he discovered it."

"What was it?" Sakura asked, her voice breathy as she became engrossed with his story. It was strange, yet, so...familiar. She wanted to think it was one Tsunade told her back when she used to tell her all the ancient stories, but something about that did not seem right.

"She had a soul of the purest intent," he said, stopping again only a few inches from her face as he gazed into her eyes.

Sakura felt herself go nearly cross eyed as she stared back into the black pools before her. He was looking at her expectantly, as if waiting for some kind of understanding to hit her. But even if her mind was not already fuzzy from his close proximity and the powerful scent that came with it, she was not sure if she could find what he was hoping she would.

A crease formed on her forehead. "Why would that be significant?" she asked, causing a slight disappointment to glaze over his eyes. When he blinked, it was gone.

"Because he was a demon of the underworld," he answered. "Born and bred to corrupt and drag down any and every soul to the underworld where they would spend an eternity paying for the sins that he had enticed them to commit."

A shiver ran down Sakura's spine at the intensity of his words because there was not a single doubt in her mind, that the man before her, did the same things. Demons craved corruption and chaos. They thrived in watching a souls downfall. The farther the fall, the better. If this girl had been as pure in heart as Sasuke was leading her to believe, she could not imagine the allure she would have for any demon with enough ambition.

Sakura had looked upon thousands of souls, each one unique according to the deeds and intentions of each one's hearts. Some were blacker than Sasuke's own eyes, while others dull and grey like Kakashi's wings. Others she had seen, shined with a pearlescent beauty and light that flowed with life and true joy. Very few went untarnished. In fact, she had yet to ever see one that did not have at least a few spots that were slightly dulled. If she was correct in assuming what Sasuke was describing, she could barely imagine what that soul would look like.

"Did he?" She whispered, sorrow in her voice as her heart went out to any soul that would be targeted by a creature that would want to taint such a holy thing.

"Did he what?" Sasuke asked tilting his head to the side.

Sakura swallowed as she watched his eyes roll across the plains of her face. "Did he claim her soul? Drag her down?"

A dangerous smile crossed his lips and Sakura dreaded the answer that would bring about such a smile. "No," he said, surprising her. "She claimed his."

Sakura's face pulled into confusion. "What do you mean?"

His hand moved up to caress her face and she made no move to avoid it, too eager for his answer to register what he was doing before it was already happening. She felt his fingertips graze across her cheek as he leaned closer. Her heart began to pound against her rib cage, growing in rapid speed and strength with each inch he grew nearer.

"I mean," he purred lowly, his warm breath ghosting across her skin.

When he came to a stop, his lips were poised so closely to the left of hers that if she made even the smallest of movements, they would brush against the corner of her mouth. Sakura remained frozen. A petrified statue that could be mistaken as a sculpture of marble made by Michelangelo himself.

"Despite what he was and what he wanted to do to her, he had grown too attached to her. So he tried to separate himself from her, worried that he would some day lose control and give into his greed. But," he interjected, his voice taking on a soft vexation, "she was annoyingly tenacious in keeping his company. Regardless of his many warnings, she still saw goodness in him. Despite the damnation that she risked, she deemed him worthy of her own goodness. He belonged to her, and she…" his voice grew soft as he drew away from her face to look her in the eyes again. "...to him."

A silence fell between them as Sakura stared back at the demon. Gone was the predatory look in his eyes as they softly washed across her. Instead he held the expression of someone who had lost something precious and was intent on finding it before ever returning home.

"So they fell in love," Sakura concluded.

Sasuke let out an amused breath.

"Hn," he hummed. "Love is something that mortals like to attach to their precious people, but those bonds are so often broken with the boredom of time or death, easily replaced with another." He shook his head. "No, what these two shared went beyond the definition of love. There are no mortal words that describe what they had."

As he spoke Sasuke's eyes blazed so fiercely that Sakura could barely hold his gaze. But his hand that still remained on her skin kept her from looking away. There was something in his voice and in the way his eyes held so much intensity, she began to question this story's origins. It sounded like the beginning of a myth. Some romantic saga written by a whimsical mortal but Sasuke's eyes told a different story.

And then it hit her.

The intensity in his eyes, the heat that fueled it. It did not come from an appreciation of such a tale. It came from an understanding that went beyond empathy or sympathy. It was the look of someone who lived it. This was not just a fairy tale Sasuke was telling her, it was a memory. His memory.

Sasuke was the demon.

With this realization, Sakura was flooded with more questions than she could sort. If this demon had such a treasured and pure love, how could he be so heartless in his actions. Perhaps his past deeds had been embellished but even if they were significantly less drastic, the actions of Sasuke Uchiha were still far and beyond sadistic. And what kind of mortal could tame such a beast? Who was this woman?

"What happened?"

She saw Sasuke swallow hard as if pushing down the emotions she knew he had to be feeling. "She died," he said quietly.

Despite her suspicions of such a tragic ending, Sakura could not help but feel her own sorrow for the anguished heartbreak of such a travesty. It was as if she herself had suffered the loss. Her eyes burned as she stared back at him but it was nothing like the heat of intensity like Sasuke's. Instead it was from the tears that built up in her glossy green eyes.

"I'm so sorry," she said in a broken tone, causing the first tear to fall down her cheek.

Sasuke watched, mesmerized by the glistening drop of salty sorrow that fell from her long lashes. It intrigued him, made him wonder if this was just a part of her natural empathy or because it was something deeper. When the second tear dropped from her lashes he caught it. Wiping his thumb across her skin and drying her cheek.

He dared to take a step forward so that she was forced to tilt her head nearly straight up as he brought his other hand to her other cheek. Cradling her face in his hand, he let his head fall forward, stopping just as his long bangs touched the top of her head. His black fringes danced in the small breeze that managed to flow between them. The heat of her body radiated from the two inches that separated him.

"Why are you sorry?" He asked.

"Because you lost her," she answered. "I can't imagine what that would be like. To have loved so deeply and to lose it."

There was a taste of bitterness that flooded his mouth at her words. He knew he should have known better than to assume a simple story would bring back her memories. And yet...there was something in her eyes that said otherwise. It was as if she possessed the emotions and feelings but the real experience was veiled by the lack of memories. He attempted to see something tangible through the opaque veil but only continued to see muddled shadows, nothing of true clarity or understanding.

At this he concluded his eyes were just seeing what they wanted to see. Empathizing had always been her strong suit. When a person cried, she cried with them. It was a pity he saw in her eyes, not recollection. And it hurt. It hurt his heart and his pride. The later pain sent him into a natural instinct of defense.

He did not want her pity.

He let his hands drop from her face and took a step back. "Tch," he scoffed, giving her a look that accused her of silly naive. "Why would you be sorry for me? It's just a story."

The flatness in his tone made Sakura flinch at the ability in how quickly he switched. One moment she felt as if he were bearing his soul to her, the next he was cold and aloof, making her feel like a fool.

He took another step away, shoving his hands in his pockets as he looked out across the water. She could tell she had done something to displease him but she was unsure of what had caused such a change in his tone and body.

"Perhaps," she conceded, her tone treading lightly but she could not help but query on. "But are not all stories stemmed from some truth?"

Sasuke's attention moved back to her at her words, his body turning along with his head. For a moment Sakura nervously bit at her lip as he looked at her blankly. Tucking her hands behind her back, she dug the toe of her sandal along the boardwalk. He could not help but let the small smile come to his lips at the action.

"So they are," he stated with a fondness in his voice.

A demure smile crossed her face and his warm tone gave her bravery to close the distance between them herself. As she moved up to the railing she wrapped her arms around the weather worn wood and gazed out at the water. Sasuke joined her, taking position at her right and leaving just enough space to allow the breeze to travel between them.

The amount of time that passed between them went unchecked as they stood in silence and watched the ferry boats cross over the bay. Or at least Sakura watched the boats as Sasuke watched her.

"What happened to the demon?" Sakura asked suddenly, breaking their relaxed silence.

When she received no immediate response, Sakura looked up at him to find that he was already turned toward her with a pensive expression. As if he were struggling to find the right answer to her question.

"Unwilling to let her go, he vowed to bring her back, no matter the cost."

"And what was the cost?"

"Does it matter what the cost was? No price was too high." She raised an eyebrow, unsatisfied by his answer. Sasuke let out a sigh a turned more somber, his eyes moving to the water. "Without her light, he fell into darkness," he replied. "A darkness he had never imagined and there he dwelled for centuries."

There was a pause when Sasuke finished, and Sakura waited for him to continue. When she realized he had no more to add, her nose scrunched up. "I don't like the ending of your story."

Sasuke let out an amused breath and leaned closely to her, his nose coming to a stop just inches from her own pert nose. He grinned at her. "Who says it's the ending and not just the beginning?"

His words brought a knot to her stomach and she took a step back. Unnerved in the unknown underlying of his words. She swallowed thickly. "So what is the ending?"

He turned his body fully so he was facing her frontly as he rested his arm against the railing. "That, my dear Sakura," he began, raising a hand to poke her in the middle of her forehead,"...has yet to be written."

She let out a surprised grunt at the action and he retracted his fingers as she stared at him. He smiled at her, his eyes shining with a sparkle that left Sakura even more uneasy. It was an unhinged look like someone on the bridge between sanity and crazed actions.

"But do not freight," he assured her, thinking the unease was from the displeasure of receiving no conclusion to his tale. "I have a feeling you will get your ending very soon when all the stars are finally aligned."

His eyes glanced up to the sky.

"You should go now. I believe you have a promise to keep and it will be dark soon. It is not safe for you to wander around in the dark."

Sakura frowned at his words. Not only because she realized he had been eavesdropping on her conversation with Sai or because she felt like she was being treated like a child. But it was mostly the familiarity of it. It was like she had heard the warning multiple times.

As an angel, she knew the dangers that came with the departure of the sun. But it was a danger that everyone knew about, it was instinctual for their kind. There was no need to voice it. Yet, the warning sounded like a broken record, a repeat of something she had heard a thousand times.

"Wait," she protested when he looked as if he were about to leave. He paused and looked at her. "You said you would give me some answers…"

He smiled oh so sinfully. "And you trusted the word of a demon?"

Sakura stared at him in disbelief, her green eyes wide as her mouth hung open. They had both alluded to the fact that she had a knowledge of what he was, but it was the first time either of them had so blatantly acknowledged it.

"Well…yeah," she said dumbly, hating herself for admitting that yes she had in fact trusted the word of not only a stranger, but a demon.

"Hn," he hummed. "Still just the same."

Her face scrunched. "What do you mea—nhg."

She was cut off when he suddenly jabbed the center of her forehead again. "Next time," he said as he withdrew his fingers. "I promise."

"When will that be?" She questioned, rubbing her forehead as she glared at him. "Two days, three weeks?"

He smirked. "Tomorrow," he answered as he waved his hand gesturing to the area where they stood. "Same spot."

He was gone in a blur, leaving Sakura alone to make her way to find Sai and hopefully congratulate him on his new job.

Chapter Text

Ancient Greece:

"Sasuke, promise me you won't leave again."

"Hn."

"Thank you."

Sasuke kept his promise and he did not leave her. At least not without a promised return that was sealed with a poke of her head. Each time she felt the jab to her forehead, she believed him. And each time she believed him, she was never disappointed, as he always came back.

It was not everyday they met, but it was enough.

Days turned into weeks, and weeks into months. And soon the spring months had transitioned into summer. Their time together varied in attendance and activity but with each moment and day they spent together, Sasuke grew a little warmer, Sakura grew a little bolder, and together, they grew a little closer.

"Tell me the one about the two brothers," Sakura requested.

Sasuke let out a lazy droll. "Why? You hate that one."

Sakura rolled over onto her side, her lips pulling up into a pout and she rested her head on her hand. She glared at Sasuke who was laying beside her, stretched out on his back with arms tucked behind his head and eyes closed.

It was dark out and Naruto had left hours ago. Sakura had expected Sasuke to send her home not long after, before the curtain of night fell, but to her surprise, he didn't. So she lingered until the first star began to glow in the night sky and before long, the sky had been splattered with the twinkling of many heavenly lights.

"I don't hate it," she insisted.

Sasuke's eyes cracked open to look at her from the side. Seeing her pouting face, he closed his eyes again, letting out a grunt of annoyance as he rolled his eyes and shifted himself to mirror her body. With his head propped up, he leveled himself with her to look her in the eye.

"Everytime I tell it you complain about the ending."

"That's because I don't like the ending," she commented. "It's sad and lonely."

"Well it's how it happened," Sasuke retorted, giving her forehead a poke.

She frowned at him as she rubbed the surface of her forehead. "You could change it. That's the point of stories isn't it?"

Sasuke gave her a pointed look. "All stories stem from something real. The further away you move from the original, you lose the lesson to be learned. I'm not changing the ending. If you don't like it, then choose a different one."

"But all your stories have bad endings." She commented dryly. "Don't you have any happy ones?"

"No," Sasuke answered automatically as he rolled his body back to stare up at the stars.

The truth was that he knew plenty. His mother was just like Sakura, always looking for a happy ending and coming up with sickeningly sweet fantasies. But he didn't want to encourage Sakura. She was already annoying enough with her constant nagging for a story. If he complied, he would never have peace. She would insist on more and more. She was a glutton with an insatiable craving for imaginations that went beyond her pebble of a world.

"Then I want the one with the brothers," Sakura demanded, causing him to give her a side glare at her tone. Her demanding face quickly morphed into one of pleading.

Sasuke cursed her. He hated it when she made that face. He found it difficult to say no and he was suspicious that she knew it. He tried to will himself to deny her but then he looked at her large eyes and all fight dissipated in him. He was the one with the Sharingan, yet it was she who manipulated him with just a single look.

He rolled his eyes. "Fine," he sighed out. "So annoying," he muttered under his breath.

Immediately Sakura's pleading look brightened as a bright smile came to her face. Like an eager child she rolled onto her back and shifted herself closer to him. Automatically his free arm shifted to let her lay on his shoulder and his fingers began to trail through her hair. He wasn't sure how this came to be a natural habit, but it had.

He took in a deep breath, looking up to the skies, he pointed to two stars. He felt Sakura's head adjust to look at the pair of gleaming stars. He wasn't sure why he bothered, by this time Sakura had learned them well enough she could find them blindfolded. But when he caught her smile from his peripheral, he stopped questioning it.

"Long ago," he began, "there were two brothers. Indra the oldest, and Asura…."

"You didn't have to come with me."

"Hn."

"I do this by myself all the time."

"Hn."

Sakura let out a heavy sigh.

It was market day and she had been sent to oversee the stall that her father vendored at the port. It was something she had done by herself hundreds of times since she was old enough to handle such affairs. However, as of late Sakura had been accompanied more often than not.

It was a side effect to his more frequent attendance in her life. Sakura knew Sasuke was a little paranoid. He manifested it every time he chastised her for roaming outside of her family's manor after dark and unaccompanied. However, recently it had gotten even worse. Now it felt like he thought something would happen to her even in the brightness of mid day sun.

It was endearing but also inhibiting.

And perhaps accompanied was not exactly the right word to define Sasuke's presence. Sasuke more lurked behind her, then escorted. While his foreboding presence was good for deterring any ill intentioned people, it was not so great for business. Shoppers would begin to approach the stall only to catch sight of his scowling demeanor as he stood in the shadows behind her. Once they saw his glare, they would automatically seek business elsewhere, some taking a simple change of course while others seemed to flee.

As she watched the third young man run away, tripping over his feet and leaving a trail of dust, Sakura whirled around. With her hands on her hips she took in the brooding demon. His dark eyes were still narrowed and focused on the spot where the young sailor had just disappeared from. While his obsidian eyes were as dark as ever, Sakura couldn't help but have a sneaking suspicion that he had just recently flashed his bloody orbs at the potential customer.

She cleared her throat and Sasuke finally moved his eyes to her. But that was the only movement. The rest of his body remained firmly locked and rigid. With his arms crossed and feet placed at a stance, he looked down at the stony frown on her face.

"If you're going to insist that you be here can you at least stop scaring the customers away."

"I'm not scaring customers away," Sasuke said dryly.

"Then what would you call that?" Sakura questioned, her arm flying behind her to indicate the now settling dust that was the only evidence of the young sailor.

"Tch," Sasuke scoffed. "He wasn't a customer."

Her hands went to her hips. "Of course not, because you scared him away too soon to buy anything. And even if he wasn't going to buy he could have been looking..."

Her voice drifted off as a smirk that looked more like a sneer came to his lips. "Oh trust me Sakura," he said in a dark tone. "He was certainly looking for something...but it wasn't olives."

Sakura stared back at him, not understanding his meaning. When she failed to catch his drift, he let his eyes meander down her body, taking in the dip of the neck line, the curve of her waist, and the width of her hips. When Sasuke realized he was taking far too long to make his point clear, he snapped his eyes back up to her face, just in time to see his meaning dawning on her.

Her face flushed and she quickly wrapped her arms around herself in a hug. "I um…" Her eyes fluttered around the small stall, every once in awhile landing on him before she flushed deeper and looked away. "I don't think….he was just a….he was probably supposed to meet vendors for possible trade deals…"

She drifted off when she caught Sasuke's look of skepticism. "Trust me, it had nothing to do with trading...although I am certain he was looking for some kind of offer…"

She flushed even deeper. "Stop it," she protested. "No one would ever think that…"

Sasuke felt his brow raise and then he scoffed. It baffled him how oblivious she was. When he had first met her, it was plain to anyone that Sakura possessed a unique beauty. Her coloring had been intriguing and bright, making her stand out. However, over the time that he had known her, Sakura's unique coloring was not the only thing that made her stand out.

She had grown taller and filled out in all the right places. In the course of a year, Sakura had grown from young woman to woman. It was a realization that had become more and more apparent to Sasuke in recent months. He had first noticed it after his month of absence. And when he started accompanying her to the market, he realized he was not the only one who noticed the changes of her body. Everyone had. Everyone...except for her.

It was annoying as hell. She was too naive and innocent for her own good. Sasuke understood that vanity was considered a sin but even a blind man would be able to see just how enticing she was. The sailor boy had no intentions in any business transactions, he had been headed this way purely out of his own lustful drives. All the young men had been. The first boy had perhaps innocent intentions but the hopeful admiration in the boys eyes was just a diluted version of the lustful want that the other two had harbored in their minds...or at least in some more southern region of their body.

"Sakura," he began, his voice taking on its usual annoyance when he was frustrated with her. "Do you forget that I can sense every intention that man had? Stop being so humble, it will get you into trouble. The sooner you become aware that people will take advantage of a pretty face whenever they can, the better. You have to be more aware of what your looks do to people...especially men."

Sakura looked down at the ground. She hated it when Sasuke chastised her like a child. But then suddenly his words sunk in and her green eyes snapped up to him. "Y-you...you think I'm pretty?"

Sasuke froze. "That's not what I…" he stopped himself, and ran a hand over his face. "Is that really all you took from that?" he groaned into his hand as it slid off his face and revealed a frowning Sakura. He let out a sigh. "Yes...you are pretty...for a mortal," he added when she beamed up at him, all too happily from his proclamation.

She grabbed his hand to which she earned an impatient look from him. "Come on," she encouraged, tugging him in the direction that would lead them into the busy street.

"Where to? I thought you needed to manage the stall?" Sasuke asked, but taking a few steps to follow her anyways.

"It's not like I will make any sales with you chasing everyone away," she said dryly over her shoulder.

"I let the old woman buy a pitcher of oil and the old man and his grandson linger," Sasuke defended, to which he only received a shaking of Sakura's head as she continued to pull him around the busy market.

"Here, try this," Sakura directed eagerly as she shoved a piece of bread into Sasuke's face.

Sasuke looked at the morsel of food, drenched in a golden honey that was beginning to run down her fingers. He had never cared for such delicacies before. But as he watched the shining stickiness begin to glisten down the back of her finger towards her knuckles he suddenly felt oddly enticed. He licked his lips and just as he found himself preparing to partake of the offering, the sickly sweetness hit his nostrils and brought him to the realization of what he was about to do.

Caught off guard, Sasuke batted her hand away, causing her to let out a yelp as she nearly dropped the treat. "What was that for!?"

"I don't like sweet things," he proclaimed.

Sakura let out a scoff that mimicked the one she was exposed to frequently in his presence. "Tch, do you like anything," she mumbled under her breath as she began to pick at the sweet treat and eat it herself.

Sasuke watched her take a piece of the honeyed bread and close her eyes as she savored the sweetness of each bite. "I like tomatoes," he suddenly answered, causing Sakura to pause with a finger in her mouth as she tried to clean the sticky residue left from her treat.

Her face scrunched into confusion. "Tomato?" she asked, the word sounding foreign on her lips. "I've never heard of them...what are they?"

Her ignorance was another reminder of just how small her world was. Sasuke had forgotten this part of the world did not produce his favorite fruit. He frowned, annoyed at himself for forgetting that Sakura was not like him. Her world was the island and her knowledge was limited to that world.

"It's a fruit found in a land far across the sea," Sasuke explained.

"Oh…" she said, "well maybe I can look for it at the market. There is a charming old vendor down the street that travels around the Mediterranean, collecting exotic things." Her face brightened. "One time, I had something that had come all the way from a land in the Far East of Asia. They called it Lychee and it was delicious," she said almost proudly in an attempt to sound more cultured.

Sasuke gave her a sympathetic smile. "I doubt your merchant friend would find this," he said, skeptical at her 'connections'. "This is a land that has yet to be known by anyone within you or even your empires knowledge. Across the ocean."

Sakura looked at him as if he were speaking in tongues. "There are lands across the edge of the world?"

Sasuke smiled again. "Oh Sakura, there are more than just lands across the sea but whole wonders and worlds…" he paused for a moment as he took in her awe. "...you know, I could take you there someday."

She looked at him in surprise. And then a glint of excitement flashed across her face. She looked eager as if she would accept his offer. The thought of showing her such worlds stirred something within him. He would show her the world. They would see every wonder and every scene. Not just of her world but his. He was just about to grab her and take her with him then and there. But then the spark of adventure dimmed.

"Certainly sounds fantisal," Sakura said with a sad smile. "Something like Odysseus' voyage...perhaps that is where the great sea took him before he returned. Though I don't think I could sail a ship, nor would I be very brave fighting off any creatures that may cross our epic journey."

Not willing to let the spark of adventure dim completely, Sasuke prodded her. "We don't need a boat, and I promise I would not let any harm come to you. I would slay all the creatures that should set themselves before us."

Sakura stared up at him. Unsure if he was being serious or mocking her. A part of her, wanted, even hoped, it was true offer. But then she recalled what he was and what she was. He was a higher being and she was a mortal girl.

While many of the hero's in most of the legends and myths of her time were just mortals as well, she still failed to sell the idea to herself. She was not like Perseus or Hercules who descended from gods. She was no warrior like Achilleus who had been dipped in the River Styx. She was not like Odysseus, cunning and brave. She was the daughter of a farmer. A girl with a humble education and a lack of any knowledge beyond the shores of her tiny island. She was no heroine.

"Maybe someday," she said noncommittally.

Sasuke let his attention linger on her, his heart slightly sinking in the change of her continence. He nodded. "When you wish it, I will take you anywhere you desire."

Sakura was in her family's olive grove helping with the grafting when he found her. She was crouched down at the base of the trunk, grafting in a healthy branch when suddenly something was shoved into her face. Sakura reared her head back to take in the rounded red object held out to her by a pale hand. She followed the arm attached to said hand and found herself looking up at Sasuke, who casually leaned against the tree she was working in. She was surprised but more than happy to see him.

He had been gone for a week and it had been a long and slow one. It was why she was more than eager to help in the grove to hopefully pass the time more quickly. With her work easily overshadowed by his presence, she quickly stood to her feet, taking the offering from his hand.

It was smooth and round like an apple but soft like a ripened plum. "What is it?" she asked curiously as she rolled it around in her hand, inspecting the green stem and the minuscule yellow lines that appeared here and there like veins.

"It's a tomato, try it," Sasuke encouraged, taking note of her eyes as they lit up at the name.

Giving it one last inspection, Sakura bit into its plump flesh. Immediately her eyes went wide as the unexpected juiciness took her for surprise. She pulled it from her mouth, her hand coming up to her chin to wipe away the juices that had escaped as she chewed.

Sasuke watched her closely. She gave no indication as to what she thought of it. Finally she swallowed. His eyes followed every action as her throat bobbed and then flickered up to her face again.

"It's not very sweet," she commented with slight disappointment.

She licked her lips and the action caught his attention. He noticed a small seed lingering on her bottom lip. Smoothly he lifted his thumb and dragged it across her lower lip. She froze, her green eyes snapping up to meet his dark ones. For a prolonged moment he let his finger linger and then he pulled it away, snatching the bitten fruit from her hand.

"Tch," he scoffed. "Do you like anything that isn't sweet?" He asked with a roll of his eyes. "Not everything has to be honey coated to be edible." He took a bite from where she had just bitten. Savoring the taste he looked at her, questioning how she could not enjoy such a delacy.

She let out a small laugh making him pause in his chewing. "You haven't a lick of sweetness to you but I still like you," she did teasingly before bending down to finish her work.

Sasuke chose not to respond as he watched her fasten a rope around the trunk to stabilize the switch in which she had just grafted. However he didn't stop the small smile that came to his lips by her words.

"What are you doing!" Sakura practically screeched.

Sasuke paused in removing his shirt. When he caught the crimson tint that was quickly overtaking her face, he smirked. He finished pulling the black linen over his head and tossed it to the ground.

"Don't tell me you live on an island and don't know how to swim," he said as he lifted a foot and pulled it free from his sandal. He let it fall next to his shirt then removed the other.

Once clothed in only his trousers Sasuke put his hands on his hips, his thumbs snaked between his skin and the waistline. He watched with amusement as Sakura's eyes widened even more.

She thrust a hand up. "Stop!" She screamed, averting her eyes.

Sasuke smirked. "Calm down Sakura, don't worry, I will let you keep your innocence today."

She gave him a wry look. "Now answer me, do you know how to swim."

She gave him a hardened look. "Of course…" Then her face turned nervous. "But it isn't safe in this area. The tide and the current..."

He didn't give her a reply to her worry. Instead he grasped her hand and began to pull her towards the coming waves that were gently sweeping the stony beach.

"What are you doing?" She questioned as she immediately dug her heels into the ground and tried to pull free.

Her sandals did nothing against the seaweed slicked stone and his strength. She slid forward, grasping onto his arms as she let out a yelp.

"Sakura," he whispered into her ear. "It's okay, trust me."

She looked up at him. "But the-"

"Trust me," he emphasized again. "I won't let anything happen to you." Sasuke watched her gaze up at him and slowly nodded her head in consent. He smiled. "Then let's go."

He grabbed her hand, steadying her as they walked across the flat rocks. Every once in awhile Sakura's foot slipped, until Sasuke kneeled down and removed her shoes for her. "Your feet will have better traction," he said as he tossed her sandals farther up the shore where the waves did not reach. Sakura said nothing, only nodding her head as she grasped his arm and followed.

They reached a point in the rocky ledges where a large black circle gurgled and rippled. A wave lapped up onto the rocky ledge they stood on and rushed past them. Salt water sprayed up onto Sakura's bare legs as the tide hit against her ankles and calves. The tickle of seaweed skimmed the top of her feet making her want to squirm. As quickly as it came, the water was pulled back as the current retreated back to the sea. Soon the ledge was no longer submerged with the exception of the circular drop off that they stood at the edge of.

It was when Sasuke began to enter into the dark pool that Sakura began to be hesitant again. Sitting on the edge with his feet dipped into the dark hole, Sasuke looked up at her and gave her hand a tug. "Common," he encouraged. "Trust me just a little bit longer, I promise it will be worth it."

Warily, Sakura crouched down and sat at the ledge. The water was shockingly colder in this spot than the shallow waves that she had grown used to. The deeper her feet went the colder it got. "What exactly are we doing?"

Sasuke grinned. "How long can you hold your breath for?"

Sakura stared at him blankly then shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know."

Sasuke nodded. "You'll be fine. Just hold on to my hand and don't let go, no matter what."

Sakura's eyes bugged as he scooted off the ledge and plunged into the pool. A wave of water rose out, disrupted by his body mass, it rushed over her legs and thighs before trickling away. A rise of bubbles made their way to the surface just before his head broke through as well. Weighed down by water, Sakura took in the odd look of his flattened hair. It was such a foreign look that it made her want to reach out to ruffle his hair and reshape it to its normal form of messy spikes. Instead, his hand rose and took hers.

"Common, we have to time it just right." With shaking hands, Sakura grabbed his and slowly lowered herself into the pool. Her dress swirled and floated around her legs as she submerged herself but she thought nothing off it, too distracted by the suspense of what they were about to do. Just as her body settled, a crash of waves came over the ledge and she felt her body being pushed away from Sasuke. Panic flooded her mind but before she could drift away, she felt the tightening of his hand with hers as he pulled her close to his body.

Clinging to his arms with her chest pushed against his bare side, she looked up at him. There was something in his stare that left his eyes rich with a shiny luster. Unable to hold it, she looked down, only to be met with an eyeful of the bare skinned chest. Her attention lingered far longer than what should have been appropriate and was only pulled away when he spoke.

"When I say, take the deepest breath you can manage and keep holding on." Wide eyed she nodded. The waves began to recede back and just as the pull of the current lessened Sasuke gave her hand a tug. "Now," he said before dipping beneath the surface and pulling her down with him.

It was darker than Sakura had ever experienced. Her eyes were pinched tightly, but she knew that even if they were open, she would see nothing. All she felt was the buoyant current which seemed to suck them deeper and deeper and the tight grip in which Sasuke held her hand. The brush of sea kelp made her fear being tangled and trapped but all it ever did was tickle her skin as she swam on.

She wasn't sure how long they had been under. In her panic to take in a breath when Sasuke had instructed, she had forgotten to start counting. However long it was, she was beginning to feel the burn in her chest. Despite Sasuke's assurance, she couldn't help but panic. They were no longer swimming down but horizontal now, there was no telling how much further they still had to go.

The burning in her lungs began to intensify, reminding her that her body needed oxygen as her heart began to fluctuate more rapidly in panic. Instinctively her body moved to go back, to return to where she knew the exit from this soon to be watery grave was, but Sasuke held tight and continued to tug her along. Whether it was by his assuring squeeze, or the fact that she realized she was disoriented and as a result, really did not know which way would lead her to the exit, Sakura followed. She kicked her feet to go faster in hopes to convey to Sasuke the urgency of her need for air.

She was beginning to think Sasuke truly was dragging her down to hell and heat in her lungs was not from lack of oxygen, but from the fiery pits of the underworld. As this thought formed in her mind, she felt herself being tugged upwards and without warning, her head broke through the surface of the water. She took in a deep breath that was cold and refreshing despite the salty taste that came with it. Coughing a few times, she wiped her eyes before opening them. Sasuke popped up right before her, his red eyes shining brightly in the dim light.

"Are you okay?"

She shook her head automatically, unsure if she really was or not. It was then that she began to look around. Black rock surrounded them in a small cave, the pool of water being the entrance. Judging by the draping of seaweed and mollusks that had fastened themselves to the walls, Sakura assumed that at high tide this place was flooded.

"Why are we here?" She asked, doing her best to hide the panic that came with the danger of being caught in such a place at the wrong time.

Sasuke gave her a secretive smile. "I want to show you something."

He pulled himself up onto the ledge then reached down to pull her out of the pool. "But what about the tide," she couldn't help but stress.

"Don't worry about it," he assured as he steadied her then began to make his way down the narrow passageway.

It was then that Sakura realized the faint light that was allowing her to see. Farther down where Sasuke was leading her, there was a pale blue light, tinted with green that seemed to almost glow.

"What-"

"Just wait," Sasuke cut her off.

Sakura nodded even though Sasuke was not looking at her as she continued to follow. The floor of the cavern was cushioned with a small path way of small grained sand, making it easy to step. With each step she felt the gritty wet sand shape and reform into a perfect imprint of her foot.

When they reached the end, Sasuke turned to her. "Close your eyes," he instructed.

She gave him a quizzical look but when he said nothing else she slowly let her lids fall. She heard Sasuke step around her before his arms suddenly snaked around her. She startled but stilled when she realized he was doing it with a purpose. With a gentle nudge, he guided her forward a few steps then turned sharply.

"Step up," he said into her ear.

Blindly, Sakura lifted her foot higher then slowly set it down. Setting her hands to the cavern side to steady herself, she stepped up then waited for Sasuke to join her before moving forward again. Soon the echoed splashing of the waves from where they entered where muted and all she could hear was the shuffling of their feet and the small dripping of a different water source.

"Are you ready?" Sasuke whispered into her ear. She nodded. "Then open your eyes."

There were no words that she could use to describe it. It was like nothing she had ever seen or imagined to ever exist. It was of another world.

He had led her to a hollowed out portion of the cavern. The floor was flooded in a pool of water that was surprisingly warm. Sakura was standing at the pools edge, her toes just barely brushing the water and savoring the warmth it gave to her numb feet. From the center of the cavern roof, water dripped in a soothing trickle to feed the small pool below it. Centuries of this constant flow of water had deposited a build up of minerals and as a result, stalactites hung from the ceiling like a great chandelier.

While the natural architecture of the room was beautiful, this was not what awed Sakura. Instead it was the glowing light that illuminated the cavern with an iridescent blue light that had her speechless. Strings of it hung from the formed stalactites like beaded strands of glass, adding to the whimsical strangeness of the room.

"What is this?" she asked in a small breath.

"The light is created by a pubescent species of insects." She felt, rather than heard Sasuke take a step next to her as his arm brushed up against hers. "You once asked me what my world was like," Sasuke began, "This-" he gestured around the room- "is not even a fraction of its beauty. But it is the closest thing in your world that I have to compare it to."

Sakura took a few steps forward into the pool of warm water. She relished the warmth that seeped farther up her legs the further she became submerged and without thinking, she sat down, bending her knees as she rested herself on her ankles. Her dress pooled around her like a jellyfish as it floated near the surface. The light color seemed to absorb the blue-green light from above, giving the illusion that she herself was glowing as it reflected the light.

Sasuke watched as she stared in awe at the water around her. Her fingers skimmed the water's surface as she softly smiled down at the glowing fabric of her dress. Her neck turned as she looked back at him.

It felt like he had run into a wall all full speed as a wave of strange, but not entirely foreign feelings hit him. He had felt this once before, several months ago when he had looked upon her soul. But this time it was different. He wasn't looking at her soul, he was looking at her physical being, yet the image of her sitting in the pool was just as beautiful. Her face, cast in shadows in some places then highlighted in others looked so delicate and smooth in the lighting. Her skin, which had darkened with the warm season contrasted against the light color of her dress that in its wetness, clung to her body in a way that Sasuke thought was all too intimate for anyone to see. Yet, with this knowledge, he made no movement to look away at the sheer drapings that had molded to her skin and left little to the imagination. Instead of averting his gaze, his eyes wandered to her waist where the water line began, and then they traveled to the skirt of her dress where it floated around her like petals on a sweet lily. He could see the beginning of her thighs, paler than the skin that was regularly exposed to the rays of the sun.

He felt a tug within him, forcing his body to take a sudden step forward. The splash of his feet caused him to come back to himself somewhat. He looked down at the rippling water at his ankles then back up to Sakura. She was still looking at him, but there was an odd expression on her face.

Slowly, she stood. The sloshing of water turned to the unsteady dripping as the excess water seeped from her skirt. Sasuke looked her up and down. The unhidden shape of her legs and body as her wet dress clung to her skin doing nothing to help quell the urging feeling within him. He felt the tug again, it was insisting and powerful but this time he was ready for it and resisted the step his feet seemed to beg for.

Something was wrong with him. His heart was beating irregularly and he felt uncomfortably warm and breathless. Had he caught some sort of mortal disease?

Sakura began to walk towards him at an almost rushed pace. Her hurried feet stumbled through the water, unbalanced, as if she were being tugged towards him by an invisible force. In her rush she seemed to trip over her own feet and began to fall forward. In a flash he was grasping onto her, catching her before she could fully fall.

With surprised eyes, Sakura looked up at him. Her lips parted slightly, the movement catching Sasuke's attention. "Thank you." He saw rather than heard her lips form the gratitude.

Another movement caused his attention to move from her lips to her hand as she reached up to tuck a clump of wet hair behind her ear. His eyes lingered there. Taking in the curvature of it and the shape of her ear lobe.

"Also, thank you for bringing me here," she added. "It's…" Her voice trailed off as she failed to express what it was to her. He watched as she looked around the cavern and met her stare when she looked back to him. "I never would have known there could be anything within the caliber of this beauty if it were not for you."

Sakura's heart fluttered when Sasuke's hand moved to her face. With the back of his fingers he gently caressed her cheek with a strange look upon his face. "As would I, had it not been for you."

Sakura stared back at him blankly, her mind struggling to comprehend the meaning of his words. Surely they meant something other than what she was reading it as to be. Her stomach fluttered and flipped as she opened her mouth to say something, anything to try and settle her nerves, but she did not want to break the moment. It was too precious.

There was no denying the building of her feelings for the man before her. It had started innocently enough. He was handsome. Any maiden would have fallen for him initially. But most would had left it at that, a fickle attraction for a handsome face.

However Sakura had passed the point of admiring and moving on. It was after his month of absence that she realized her feelings for him. It had been when she was trying to understand why she had been angry and hurt. The answer being because her feeling for him ran far deeper than she had ever imagined. Upon this revelation she had done her best to quell such things. It had always been easy due to his indifference. That and the fact that her presence and actions seemed to always be an annoyance to him. And then there were far more cosmic reasons. Those being that they were of other worlds. He was an immortal seraphim, and she, she was merely a mortal being.

Sakura may have whimsical and romantic dreams, but that was just it, they were dreams. She was not so small minded to think that anything of a romantic nature could ever occur between herself and the dark haired seraphim standing before her. And even if they did...she knew better than to think it would end happily, no matter how deeply she felt for him. She knew the story of Eos and Tithonus. Mortals were not meant for an immortal life.

However, in moments like this, moments in which he looked at her the way he was now, or touched her in the way that was gentle, it was easy to forget those reasons. "Sasuke," she said so faintly and delicately it was just another breeze in the cavern. "I…"

"We should go," Sasuke quickly interrupted as he withdrew his hand away from her cheek faster than any normal eye could see. "The tide will be coming back in soon and if we linger any longer…"

He did not finish his sentence. He did not need to. They were both aware of what would happen should she remain. It was a subtle reminder of exactly what made them so different, even if their bodies and flesh seemed to be made of the same things, they were not the same.

Chapter Text

Present Day:

"Hey Sakura!" Came the loud cry of a yellow haired friend.

Sakura paused in her trek for the portal. She turned in the direction of the call and saw Naruto running towards her with his arms waving around excitedly. She gave him a smile and a wave as she watched him run up to her. He came to a stop in a breathy hunch as the cloud of dust settled along his path.

"Hey Naruto what's up?"

Naruto straightened and gave her a quizzical look. "Where are you headed?"

Sakura pointed down the path that led to the portal as if it was plain as day. "I was just headed down for the day." Naruto gave her a puzzled look and suddenly she felt as if he knew what she was truly up to.

"Today?" he asked in indignation. Then a dawning expression came to his face. "Did you forget?" He suddenly asked in disbelief.

Sakura paused in thought. Forget? Forget what? Suddenly dawned on her.

Today was the celebration of the celestial drink. A holiday of sorts within the heavenly realm that celebrated the creation of their kind. During the day, the blessed spent the entire sun's time in the sky within the heavens, feasting, putting on festivities, and in the evening was a more reverent and spiritual mass. When it was over, the reveling began again. This time with stronger drinks and in some extremes, the partaking of certain herbs.

It was as Kakashi liked to say, they were angels, not saints.

Traditionally, she and Naruto have always spent the day together. They would begin first thing in the morning by exploring the decorations and looking where the best foods and competitions would be. By noon they were completely full and still stuffing their faces with as much delicious food the heavens could provide. It was one of her favorite celebrations and it only occurred once every one hundred years.

"You forgot!" Naruto added when he noticed the look on her face. Her face crumpled, telling him that he was correct. He gaped at her. "How could you forget! It's one of your favorite days of the century!"

Sakura ran a hand over her face. "I know!" she exclaimed. "I am sorry. I just...forgot," she finished lamely.

Naruto looked her over. "Are you feeling okay? Is something going on," he pried inquisitively. "You haven't been yourself lately. Always distracted and on edge. Now you're forgetting this!"

Sakura shook her head almost no quickly. "N-no. Everything's fine, I just…" she drifted off, not sure what to tell him.

It was not even necessarily that she wanted to keep the truth from him. But she was truly at a loss as to how to explain what she was doing. What was she doing?!

She was losing her mind, that's what she was doing. She was on her way down to earth, to the spot where Sasuke had told her to meet him. And she had to be crazy for going through with it. It was one thing to run into him, but to willingly go somewhere, knowing he would be there, knowing what he was...she had to be insane. It was the only explanation.

He took a step closer. "Sakura," he said, making eye contact. "You can talk to me. You can tell me anything...you know that...right?"

She stared back at him and for a moment she almost gave in. But she knew he wouldn't let her go alone. She almost asked him to come with her, but she immediately threw that possibility out the window. From what little she knew of Naruto's and Sasuke's past, she was convinced the result of such a reunion would be just short of apocalyptic.

"It's fine...I'm fine," she corrected. "I am just…" There was nothing she could say. No explanation.

She should stay. Stay and spend the day with Naruto in celebration and safe companionship. But then what of Sasuke? Would he be angry? Would he seek her out again? How do you reschedule an appointment with a darkling prince? The answer; you don't. Intuition told Sakura that, being stood up, would not bode well with Sasuke.

"I am sorry Naruto," she began. "But I just have to check on Sai today."

"I thought he got the job, won't he be at work all day?"

Yes. "I know but I just want to check on him," she argued. "I promise it won't be all day. I just want to make sure he got there and then I will be back. I'll be gone only in the morning but then I will come back and then we can celebrate as always. You can have all the best eats picked out and listed for me to try."

"So a little recon work aye," he said with a sly grin. "Okay then, I will come with you! Then we hit the food. Hey!" he exclaimed. "We could even get some ramen while we are down there! I keep telling Tsunade she needs to implement it in the ceremonial menu," he rambled thoughtfully with a finger on his chin.

"No!" Sakura all but yelled, startling Naruto from his fantasy. She cleared her throat when Naruto looked at her as if she had grown a third eye. "No," she repeated more calmly. "I think I should just go by myself. I don't want him to feel overwhelmed if he notices that a bunch of people are checking on him."

Naruto gave her a suspicious look. "Okay...then I guess I will see you this afternoon," he said, his voice holding disappointment.

Sakura nodded then started for the portal again, doing her best to make it look like she was not running away.

"If you aren't back in time for the duel relay I am hunting you down! This year is the year we finally beat Guy and Lee!" He yelled after her, to which she turned back to him and gave him a promising grin.

Naruto watched her disappear and remained long after she had gone. Something was not right...

"Why aren't you at the festival stuffing your face with the best sweets and delicacies that the heavens can offer?" Naruto turned around to look at Kakashi who was walking towards him. His one visible eye lazily grazed the area. "And where is Sakura? The two of you have been inseparable on this day since the first time you dragged her to her first celebration. Shouldn't you two be stuffing your selves sick before the ceremonial feast tonight? Gluttony at its finest."

Naruto frowned and looked back to the portal. He stared at the milky swirling void then turned back to Kakashi. The silver haired seraph was giving him a deep in thought look.

"I think something is wrong with Sakura," Naruto admitted.

Immediately Kakashi's lazy posture stiffened and straightened. "What kind of wrong? Where is she?" He asked, his voice holding an authoritative alarm.

"She went to the ground."

Kakashi's attention went to the portal and narrowed. "Did she mention where she was going?"

"She said she was going to check on Sai and that she would be back before the afternoon...but something just doesn't feel right." He looked to Kakashi who was still staring at the portal. "Naruto," he instructed. "I need you to go to the festival and pretend everything is fine. Make sure Tsunade is unaware of Sakura's whereabouts until she can get back. Understood?"

"We're covering for her?" Naruto asked in confusion, before adding, "And you want me to lie to Tsunade?! Do you have any idea what she will do to me if she catches me?"

"For now, yes, while we can possibly still help her on our own," he instructed, ignoring the blondes worries about being eviscerated by their beautiful, but not so gentle and understanding supreme leader. "Make sure Sakura feels like you don't suspect anything when she comes back," Kakashi added, giving him a pointed look.

"Okay...What are you going to do?" Naruto added.

Kakashi looked back to the portal. "Recon."

"And if it's bad? Then what?"

Kakashi let out a sigh. "We dig her out of the hole she has dug for herself." With that, Kakashi began striding to the portal.

From the roof of an abandoned warehouse, Sasuke looked down at the pacing woman on the wharf. He had arrived before her and decided to wait for her arrival before he made an appearance. He would never admit it verbally, but he had been slightly nervous as he waited. In the short time between his arrival and her appearance, doubt had weaseled its way into his mind. But this had been a test he had set for her. A test to see if she would come to him.

And she had passed.

Ten minutes ago she had arrived and Sasuke delayed his descent to the ground to take a moment to observe her and form a plan. Before he had been so preoccupied with just finding her, that he had neglected to come up with a plan of action. He was still not completely knowledgeable in what he was working with. The mortal knowledge of reincarnation was a patchwork of truth, whimsical idealism, and falsehood. However he was not keen on returning to the underworld's library and the heavens archives were out of the question. It would be easy enough to slip into his home realm and go undetected to the library. But he had a suspicion the documents he would find the most helpful would not be in the basic section. The higher, more detailed knowledge would be in a place that would make not running into familiar faces much more complicated. Itachi was a much avid reader of deep knowledge.

With resources limited, he decided trial and error was his best method at the moment. He had contemplated using his Sharingan but he was not keen on messing with or forcing her mind. Mostly because he was too afraid of damaging her and also, because he doubted it would work. She had been resistant before, therefore the chances of her having the same ability was high. Unless perhaps she willfully let him use it. He needed to gain her trust more before he tried anything that extreme. He needed to draw her in, not scare her off. The knowledge of what she did and did not know of his world was still unknown. She could know to fear his ability, or know nothing at all.

It was for these reasons that he came up with his plan. He would start simple. Put her in situations that would be familiar and possibly jog her memory. Already he had seen that she was sensitive to things that would have been familiar. He had seen it in her eyes when he poked her forehead in the park. And again he was certain there had been something there the last time he had been with her when he told her of their story.

He looked down at her pacing form. It wasn't ideal. It would be slow progress. But until he could fully understand what he was working with he needed to be patient. And he could be patient. At least he hoped he could. After hundreds of years, it was difficult not to run full force at something you had been chasing after when it was finally in sight.

She paced back and forth across the boardwalk, her hand coming up to ruffle her short hair in agitation to her conflicted feelings. She was lying to her friends and she was forgetting things that were important. She paused at the railing, letting out a groan as she let her head fall onto the grainy wood surface.

"I should just go back," she said to herself. "I should just check on Sai and go back."

"Go back where?"

Sakura startled at the sudden deep voice that vibrated in her right ear. With it, came the smell of burning embers and sandalwood that stimulated her senses. She moved to turn around, but she found herself trapped and unable to move in the small space that Sasuke had left between his arms, his body, and the dock railing. She heard him chuckle, his chest vibrating against her back in a not so unfamiliar way. And then he pulled away, taking a step to her side to casually pose himself against the railing.

As she slowly calmed her nerves from the unnatural ability he had to sneak so closely to her, Sakura took a moment and looked him up and down. He wore dark blue jeans and a plain black t-shirt. It was not exactly what she expected the prince of the underworld to wear, but the simplicity suited him.

"Uh...nowhere?" Sakura finally managed to squeak out.

The corner of his mouth curled. "Hn."

Silence fell between them, making Sakura fidgety, unsure of what to do or say next. He had asked her to come to him, which she had done. But now she realized she had no idea what to do next. Were they going to talk? Were they going to go somewhere? Was he going to do something to her?

"Why did you want me to come here today?" She asked, hoping to take away some of the mystery of why she was here and why he was so interested in her.

"You seem to be thinking I am the reason we are here but yet-" he cocked his head to the side- "it was you who was wanting answers to your questions." He leaned forward and straightened his head to mirror his face directly with hers. "So what are these answers you seek, little mortal?"

Sakura stared back at him, her mind at a loss. Yes she wanted answers, she had so many conflicting feelings and emotions that, for some reason, were stirred by his presence. There had always been a mystery in her life but she had never felt a driving need for the knowledge of the unknown. That is, until she laid eyes on him that fateful night. It was like something within her had been awakened from a dormant state. Now, after an unknown length of hibernation, it was hungry. But how do you transform feelings into questions?

"How do you know Naruto?" It was risky, she wasn't sure if she should ask, but she was curious to know his perspective. It could possibly leave her something more to glean from.

Sasuke's face tightened at the name. "He was what some may call a friend-" the word sounded bitter and sarcastic- "but he broke a promise, a promise that had dire consequences and therefore I no longer associate with him. I don't associate with any seraphim if I can help it."

Sakura's brows drew together. "Why? Aren't you lonely?...or bored?"

Sasuke smiled dryly. "How could I be bored with such-" he reached out and tugged on a short stand of her hair- "fascinating mortals before me?"

Sakura dared not move as he continued to roll her hair between his fingers. "But don't you get tired of being among those who do not understand your abilities and past? You can't blend in very well when you don't age. You would be constantly moving and changing the people you know. You wouldn't ever have the opportunity to form friendships or bonds with others."

"Friendship and relationships are an overrated mortal need. And besides, why would I need to blend in when there are mortals like you who know of my existence." He paused for a moment. "Would you be my friend? Would you bond with me?"

Sakura shifted slightly. His offer seemed much deeper than what he innocently let on. The word 'bond' had a heavyweight to it. As if what he was asking from her was beyond what a normal friendship would be.

When she failed to respond he raised his brows in expectation. Immediately Sakura knew she was not going to get away without responding to his question. "I would never deprive a person in need of a connection," she answered.

His eyes flickered back and forth between hers before he let out a hum. It was a neutral sound that gave no indication if he accepted the answer or not. "Can I ask you a question now?" She paused, then slowly dipped her head in a nod. "How do you know Naruto?"

Sakura swallowed. This was an answer she wasn't sure how to give. Lying wasn't an option because she had a feeling he would know, and secondly, because she didn't want to.

"He has been by my side for as long as I can remember. He helped me in ways that no one else could. He gave me a bond in which I could rely on when I had nothing else to hold onto."

She spoke with fondness and passion. All of it was truth. When she had woken after the destruction of the last place where seraphim permanently dwelt in the mortal realm, she had been alone. She had no memories, no faces, no names, no one to call upon. Everything was wrong. The air was sweeter and the world was brighter. Even her body had felt wrong and foreign to her. Tsunade had explained it was because she had most likely never been to the seraphim realm, as her parents had come from the small community of seraphim that resided on the earth, connected to the heavens by the blessed waters of the mountain.

It had been the most alienating and terrifying experience of her life. And Naruto had been there for her. He had been there for her, offering something, someone, for her to attach herself to. It was almost eerie how easily they had formed their bond. It was so natural.

However, looking back, it almost seemed like nothing now. Not when she compared it to the strange familiarity that was with Sasuke. What happened between her and Naruto had been like water being poured into a cup, natural and clean. But whatever was going on between herself and Sasuke was much more complicated. It wasn't a simple falling into place. It was a twisted pull into a tangled web. The more she tried to resist, the more tangled she seemed to become.

She looked up at him. If she didn't know any better, she would think she was seeing jealousy in his face. "I know him how any other mortal would know of a seraph," she added with a white lie, "he guided me when I needed guidance."

Sasuke let out an indignant snort, the sharpness that had come with jealousy dissipating. "Somehow I fail to believe you needed guidance."

"What makes you say that?" She questioned.

He gave her a wolfish grin. "Because if you did need moral guidance, I don't think you would be wandering from the main streets to meet with me if your soul was at stake."

Sakura suddenly felt as if she were in one of the stories Sai read in the fairy tale book she had given him. The one with the wolf that is trying to persuade the little girl to stray off the path. With his predatory demeanor, Sasuke was the wolf and she was the girl, his prey. In the story, the girl, what was her name? Something about a red cape her grandmother had made her? Suddenly the details of a mortal fairy tale seemed crucial within her mind. Hood, something about hood. Red Hood? Riding Hood? Ah yes that was it, Red Riding Hood.

The remembrance seemed to bring a short calmness to her until she realized, red riding hood never wandered off the path. She had gone straight to her grandmother's house where the wolf followed and swallowed her whole. But the woodsman had found the house and saved both Red Riding Hood and the grandmother. Sakura thought for a moment, who was the woodsman in her story? Naruto? Kakashi? The grandmother would be Sai, that was where she had been headed to wasn't it? Or at least where she was supposed to be headed to.

The nervousness that had been fluctuating within her since she had met him suddenly spiked and put her mind at high alarm. In the story, Red Riding Hood had stayed on the path, she had not given in to the wolf's enticement, she had gone straight to her grandmother's house. Sakura had not. She had already wandered off the path and diverted from the original story plot. In this version, would the woodsman still find her?

Shit. Sasuke thought to himself as he saw the fear in her face. He was just playing with her, trying to make her nervous but he had pushed her too far. This was what he had been worried about.

Instantly he leaned himself back, trying to give her a feeling of safety with his space. "I'm not here to steer you away," Sasuke quickly said, to which Sakura, after awhile seemed to believe. But she was still tense. She didn't feel comfortable alone with him, he could read in her face and the way her body was held spoke volumes. "Would you like to go somewhere else?" he offered. "Somewhere more public?" He added when she seemed to indeed want to leave, but leave alone.

Slowly, hesitantly, she nodded. "The park," she answered. "I want to go to the park where you found me."

Sasuke nodded and extended his hand. "The park it is."

She didn't take his hand, but he expected it. Instead they walked side by side to the bus stop. All the while, Sakura seemed to keep a certain spacing between them. Sasuke was not fond of it but he was done pressing the boundaries for today. He needed her to trust him. He needed her to come to him.

Sakura returned just in time to participate in the race. And as always, they lost. It had been a close call but in the end, Guy and Lee had beaten them. Naruto had wailed about cheating and claiming he wanted a rematch but after the suggestion of grabbing a bite to eat, the loss was quickly forgotten.

Sakura was relieved. Everything seemed normal. Naruto had not even questioned about how Sai did on his first day, and everyone else had seemed to not even notice her absence during the first half of the day. And what a day it had been.

It had not turned out as expected. Instead of answers, Sasuke had offered her more stories. But unlike the last story he had told her, these ones she had already known. They were the stories that every seraph knows. How they came to be, the banishment of Indra, the curse of hatred. She knew them all but yet today it was as if she were hearing them for the first time.

She had only ever heard them told from the perspective of the blessed. Never had she heard nor considered what these stories would be like from a demons perspective. For example, the tale of the two brothers Indra and Asura, one of her favorites, was far from the colorful tale that Tsunade had always recited. It had always been lathered with triumph and glory. With Asura being painted as the young valiant warrior that defeated the treacherous dragon in their peaceful garden home. But Sasuke's version was not as brightly colored and celebrated. She had found it sad and lonely. No longer was Indra a monster to be defeated but someone who sacrificed his home for the good of all.

Her happy fairy tales had been stained with a darker light. Making her wonder if the divide between blessed and fallen really was as black and white as she had thought. Where demons truly evil? Was Sasuke truly evil? Or was he just misunderstood?

It had been fascinating and Sasuke had earned himself a captivated listener as he told her each tale as they wandered the park. Soon the noon day sun was stretching over them and Sakura had announced she had to be on her way. She could tell Sasuke was hesitant to allow this, but to her surprise he made no protest. However before she left, he asked her to meet him again, this time in two days.

Kakashi waited outside the apartment building with his nose stuck in the ever present, orange bound book. The occasional pedestrian walked by or tenant exited the building but they each went unnoticed to the seraph. In a different age he would have been noticed himself but mortals were too busy to even take notice of his presence, all of them too preoccupied with getting to their destinations or surfing their mobiles. Kakashi loved it. It had always been a bother when social etiquette was a part of melting in with humans. Now the more a person minded their business, the better. It was wonderful.

It was not until a particular set of feet appeared unnaturally close to him, that he looked up from his book to see Sai standing in front of him, far closer than most people would. Kakashi made a mental note to talk to Sakura about educating the mortal about personal space and keeping it. However it was but an afterthought as he had more important things to address.

He snapped his book shut. "Yo," he said, with a lazy salute.

Sai's vacant face stared back at him. "Hello, may I inquire why you are outside my place of residence?"

"Did Sakura check in on you today?" Kakashi asked.

Sai gave him a confused look. "No," he replied, causing a sinking feeling within Kakashi. "She said I was to be alone today. Is something wrong?"

Kakashi frowned, in any other situation he would be impressed with the genuine concern within Sai's voice. Sakura was correct in reporting his improvement. However, Sai's automatic reaction that Sakura was not okay worried him. As a person of facts and analyzing, Sai would only come up with that conclusion if he had enough evidence to infer such things.

"I don't know," Kakashi admitted truthfully. "Have you noticed anything odd about her? Her habits or maybe even something she has mentioned?" The grim expression that passed over Sai's face did nothing to settle Kakashi's nerves. "What happened?" He said more seriously.

"There is a person of your kind that has been showing up lately. I think he is a demon, given the temptation I felt when I was around him," Sai explained.

"What did he look like?" Kakashi quickly asked, as his mind began to whirl with panic.

"Dark hair, pale…" Sai drifted off. "I cannot say much more. It was his aura that was more impressionable than his appearance. At first I thought he might be trying to influence me. I kept seeing him nearly everywhere I went for nearly a week straight. He never approached but it was hard to not notice him, not when you instinctively want to do his bidding. When Sakura and I were in the park a while back was the first time he approached.

"Sakura sent me away before he came too close. She even used her influence to make sure I left immediately, but not before I saw him approach her fully. They were alone and I think they talked for some time as it was nearly an hour later when she returned to my apartment to check on me. I asked her about it but she said she handled whatever it was.

"At the time I assumed he had been targeting me and that she had somehow ran him off, because for awhile I did not see him again. Until just a few days ago. He approached me."

"What did he want?" Kakashi pushed.

"He wanted to know about Sakura. How I knew her, where she lived, things like that."

"And what did you tell him?" Kakashi asked.

"I told him what I tell everyone. That she is my mentor and we have known each other for a few years. He claimed he was her friend, but he didn't even know where she lived. Said they go back from a long time ago…"

"Anything else?" Kakashi pushed.

Sai thought for a moment, his face pulling into a look of hard thought. It softened when it seemed he had remembered something. "Yes," he exclaimed. "His name. He said his name was...Sasuke."

Kakashi's heart was beating hard with his chest as his mind buzzed. So it had happened. Kakashi thought to himself, just before the rise of anger submerged. Why had she not told him any of this. Did she not realize who he was? Have they run into each other more than once? What has he told her? Or more important what has she told him?

"Did I do something wrong?"

Sai's question caused Kakashi to look up and see the worry stricken face of the once emotionless boy. Yes, Sakura had done well with him. However he couldn't bring himself to say anything. Automatically he turned around and began to walk away without a word.

The fresh herbs from the stall at the farmers market brought a calming clarity with its earthy smell. Sakura wandered down the street it was set up on, pausing every once in awhile to pick up a trinket or look at a piece of art on display.

Sasuke watched from a short distance, walking along with her as she moved from stall to stall. A farmers market was no rarity, especially for a person who lived in this area of the city where food was all organic and gluten free. Yet she eagerly took in everything with great enthusiasm, as if fascinated by not just the environment and trinkets being sold, but the people. She talked with everyone, charming them with her small talk so well that they all offered her free samples and trinkets as gifts. It was as if they were drawn to her and affected by her. Their moods, having been soured by the hot heat and busy work, instantly brightened and improved with her presence. He would find it strange had he himself not already experienced it. He knew that feeling of being drawn to her and he knew that inability to stay ornery with her around.

He couldn't help but smile slightly at the sight. He had brought her here because it was the closest thing he could find in New York, that compared to a tenth century Greek market. As she moved onto another vendor, who was selling something that made Sasuke wonder if there were any other ingredients besides sugar, Sasuke glanced around the busy street.

He watched a young college frat boy eyeball Sakura's backside and began walking in their direction. Immediately Sasuke shifted to shield Sakura, who was too preoccupied with speaking to the vendor to notice. Crossing his arms across his chest, Sasuke flashed a dark look at the guy the moment he met his eye. Immediately the student took a hard turn and moved down the street in the opposite direction.

As he walked away, Sasuke glared at his back, tempted to set it aflame. He didn't like the thoughts and emotions he had sensed within the guy. It seemed that even though the earth had aged two thousand years, mortals had not changed one bit.

"Here try this," Sakura said behind him, tugging on his arm to get him to turn around.

With his mood dampened by the mortal man, Sasuke kept his eyes sharp as he caught sight of another man looking in their direction. Perhaps it was a mistake to take her somewhere public. "I don't like sweets," he said, his tone coming out gruff with his spoiled mood.

From the corner of his eye he caught a flash of pink as Sakura came around to his front. Instinctively he was tempted to pull her back around him but he was stopped when she shoved something into his face. "I know that, that's why I got you this instead. It's fried green tomato, trust me, you will like it."

At her words, Sasuke stared at her as he registered what she had said. For a moment she seemed to hesitate in her earlier boldness and confidence in his dietary preferences. But the smell hit his nostrils and his eyes automatically lowered to the offering she held before him.

Neatly wrapped in newspaper, were three crispy looking slices of tomato. The seasoning and freshness of the ingredients made his mouth water.

Seeing his appetite triggered, Sakura pulled one of them free and lifted it up to his mouth. "Try it," she encouraged with a sweet smile.

Sasuke was above being hand fed in the middle of a street that was flooded with mortals. However, when a mouth watering offering was being offered from such delectable hands, there was no denying it. He opened his mouth partially and Sakura took advantage and pushed the food into his mouth. He opened wider before taking a bite, savoring the crispy outer layer then the fresh flavor of the tomato. As soon as he swallowed Sakura pushed the food to his lips again. Automatically his mouth opened and she shoved the entire remainder into his mouth, giving out a mischievously giggle. Sasuke tried to scowl but his mouth was too full and it would only serve to worsen the undignified look.

Grabbing his hand, she placed the remaining tomatoes into his hand before giving him a smile and turning back around. He lagged for a moment before beginning to follow behind as her small body parted their way through the growing crowd. While he munched and savored the last of his food, his mind obsessed and pondered, his eyes never leaving the rosette hair that swayed in front of him.

They walked along one of the quieter streets. As they strode side by side, Sakura finished looking at all the treasures she had accumulated from the market and looked to the side at Sasuke. He had been oddly quiet, for a person already of few words. As she took in his face she could tell he was deep in thought. His face was pinched and his brow was furrowed so much Sakura was tempted to reach up and smooth the creases it caused on his forehead.

"You've been awfully quiet," she commentated.

Sasuke said nothing in return as he continued walking with his hands in his pockets and eyes focused on the cracked pavement. Sakura frowned at the lack of response. She couldn't help but wonder if she had said something or done something to make him angry. Perhaps he had not tolerated her stuffing his mouth with tomatoes as much as she had thought.

Sauske came to a sudden stop and turned to face her. "How did you know that?"

Sakura stared back at him blankly. "...what?"

"How did you know that I didn't like sweet things and that I would like the tomatoes?"

Sakura continued to stare at him. Was that what was bothering him? Her knowledge of his food preferences? And then she considered his question and realized what he was asking. How did she know he didn't like sweets? And why did she know he would like the fried tomatoes? A food she herself disliked.

"Um...lucky guess?" She said with a nervous chuckle and a shrug.

Sasuke's eyes narrowed. Not as if he were angry, but as if he were deeply considering something. "You remembered...didn't you?"

Sakura's brow quirked. Remember? Did he tell her this in their earlier meetings? Even as flustered and nervous she had been during those times, she knew he had not. She let out a nervous laugh, the intense look he seemed to easily muster setting her nerves on edge. It was as if everything in the world was riding on why she knew he liked tomatoes. She opened her mouth to say something that would ease the weight but Sasuke beat her to it.

"Sakura, do you believe in reincarnation?"

"What?" she asked, perplexed by the change in subject.

"Reincarnation, the belief that people are rebo—"

"I know what it is," she quickly filled. "I just don't understand what that had to do–"

He grabbed her shoulders delicately and leaned closer. "You wanted to know why I know you? It's because we met before Sakura." Her name flowed from his lips with a tone that went behind her capacity to interpret. Want, desire, longing, urgency. It was all there. "A long time ago you lived another life, and perhaps many others after and maybe before, but in one of them you and I met."

Sakura stared at him, her words failing her as he looked at her with so much hope. As if his life depended on convincing her of this.

Her mind whirled around until it suddenly settled on something he had told her the first time they met on the boardwalk. The story that sounded like it belonged in a book of tragic myths. At the time she had a suspicion that Sasuke had been the demon and she had wondered who the woman could be. And now, if her assumption was right, she believed he thought that she was a reincarnation of that mortal girl.

The instability of his mind suddenly came into question. She had always heard the rumors of the prince that had gone mad, but from her previous interactions he had always seemed stable. Unnerving and dangerous but not unstable.

She swallowed thickly. "I don't believe in it," she answered. "People are born and die once...only once," she emphasized.

Her answer seemed to not be the right one. The disappointment that shone was quickly masked by a sharp smile. "Mortals have always been so fickle with their beliefs. But trust me Sakura. It's real."

She shook her head. "I know what you are thinking...but..."

His face twisted in what she could only assume was frustration. "I know you feel it Sakura. That connection, that pull. You feel drawn to me like we are tied and tethered to each other."

Sakura did everything she could to not let the gasp of surprise escape her lips. It was true, she had felt something. She had noticed it early on. However she had thought it was intrigue. Over the course of their frequent meeting up, she had become more and more aware of it. But all this time, she had not realized that he felt it too. And she knew he was not lying. No one could describe it so understandably unless they had experienced it themselves.

However there was one flaw in his logic. She was no mortal woman. She was a seraph, like him. But he didn't know that. She suddenly felt the urge to tell him that but something within her told her that would be a terrible mistake. And this time, she listened to that voice.

She took a step back from his grip. "I am sorry...I-I should go," she stammered as she backed away.

Panic flashed in his eyes. "Wait," he said quickly. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean–" he swore under his breath as he turned around and ran a hand through his hair. Turning back to her, he gave her a pleading look. "Please don't go." Sakura stilled as she looked at his face.

Pain. There was so much pain in his face that she felt herself feeling it. As a healer, she wanted to relieve that pain. She wanted to take it away from him, bare it for him. But her powers were useless for this kind of pain.

She wasn't sure how long ago he had lost that mortal girl, but it was obvious he was still grieving for her. She wondered just how long it had been. Decades, centuries, millennia? Even the shortest was too long to be in such agony.

She couldn't heal him, but maybe she could help him. Help him accept his loss. Then, maybe he could move on from that pain and in a way, be healed. Though she knew there were some kinds of wounds, where even their scars left pain. This was one of them.

She took another step back. "I am going to go," she said carefully, then began to turn, only to pause for a moment. "When might I find you at the docks again?"

Sasuke could not put words to the kind of relief that question brought him. He had fucked up today, he had thought he fucked it all up. Pushed her too far. It was just...she had remembered something. Somehow, someway, she had remembered something about him. For awhile he had thought recreating experiences from their past was not getting anywhere, but now…

He gave her a small smile. "Can I see you tomorrow?" It was perhaps too hopeful but then again, he didn't want to give her too much time to think. If he did, she might not come back.

But then she nodded. She said nothing else but to Sasuke that nod was enough. He knew his Sakura. His Sakura kept her promises, she kept her word. She was good and wholesome. And at this moment, she was turning away from him and walking to the bus stop. But that did not matter. It did not matter because tomorrow, tomorrow he would see her again.

He would see his Sakura.

Chapter Text

Present Day:

After speaking with Sai, he had tried to find her. Kakashi had gone to all of their usual places of haunt but she was nowhere to be found. If his hair had not already been silver, the panic and worry she had put him through would have been enough to grey him from hairline to the nape of his neck. By the time he returned to the heavens and found her safe and sound, happily participating in the festivities, he didn't know if he wanted to strangle her or hug her and never let go.

He had done neither.

Instead he watched her.

She seemed almost normal but there was something that did not quite reach her eyes. Her usually bright and carefree eyes seemed to hold a heavy weight within them, as if she had been given a burden that she had no idea what to do with. It was a look he could identify as a person who had been tasked with a similar thing. However it was not the burden she was bearing that bothered him the most, but who had gifted her such a thing.

All through the night, as celebratory cheers rang out, Kakashi sat on the side lines, watching and musing. He needed to take action, but choosing the right one was the most difficult part of the task.

He could go to Tsunade first. But that would only serve to punish Sakura. A consequence he did not believe she deserved, as none of this was her fault. She had not asked for any of this. However, if Sai was telling the truth, and Sasuke was aware of her existence, then Sakura was in grave danger. Or at least the potential of danger.

It seemed things were unraveling. And it was only a matter of time when everything would fall apart. He dreaded that day for what would happen. Not just to Sakura but to all of them, fallen or blessed, mortal or seraph. They would all be affected.

With his mind whirling with what was to come, Kakashi came to a decision. First, he needed to find confirmation. He had to be sure it was really Sasuke that Sai had met. Then the second thing would be to protect Sakura. She had all the physical training he and Tsunade had to offer, but physical skill was not always the best defense. Knowledge was.

There was darkness.

All around her, there was nothing but darkness. And not just any darkness caused by the night or the lack of a lit lamp. But a darkness caused by the absence of anything around her. How she knew this she wasn't sure, but what she did know was that if she even had a match, candlestick, or any other light source, it would not matter. For there was nothing to be seen if there was nothing for the light to fall upon.

She felt a glimmer of fear ignite within herself and her breaths began to rapidly increase as panic began to set in. She was stranded in a void of nothing and darkness. She couldn't move because there was nothing to step on. And there was no need to call out for help. For who would come when there was no one there to hear her.

Was she dead? Was this where seraphim went after their lives came to an end? The gods had created the heavens and hells for mortals. Mortals that were expected to die. But why would the gods bother to create such a resting place for seraphim? They were immortal, they were not meant to die. And what would be the point of creating a place that would just stay empty?

Wet tears began to seep from her face. She didn't want to be here. She didn't want to be alone.

"Sakura."

The deep voice seemed to come from nowhere and everywhere. It surrounded her and entered her, filling her with a soothing comfort that she was not alone. But as her blind eyes looked around, there was no one to be seen.

"Sakura," came the voice again. "How can you think you are alone?"

Suddenly the light brushing of warm fingers moved up her legs. She could feel each individual finger grazing the lateral sides of her thighs, moving over her hips, then grasping her waist, just above her hip bones where her curvature began.

"Sakura," called the voice, this time coming from a distinct location. She looked down and the silhouette of a figure just barely stood out. It was the difference between a midnight black and black ink. But in a world of nothing, it made all the difference. He was knelt before her, like a man at the altar with his head bowed. "You are never alone. I will always be here, I will never let you go."

At his words, she made out the head of the silhouette lift. As his face tilted up to her, red eyes glowed in the darkness.

"Sasuke," she whispered, her tone coming out as one of relief and pleas.

She watched as his head moved forward, his forehead coming to lean just below her chest as he pressed his face into her navel. Automatically, her hands moved to his head where they burrowed into the silky locks and hugged him closer. She felt his mouth curl into a smile against her skin and she realized that she was fully naked. But she found herself unperturbed by such a discovery. She felt no indecency or shame, it was as naturally feeling as donning a favorite sweater or pair of jeans.

"Fear no more Sakura," Sasuke's voice whispered against her skin before giving her stomach a light kiss. "I will keep you from being lonely."

He spoke the words against her skin as his lips moved farther up. They grazed her stomach and abdomen before moving to her sternum. As his lips wandered up, the rest of his body rose. Between her breasts he gave a hot, open mouthed kiss as his hands left her hip bone and grazed her sides.

As if running his hands over an instrument, his fingers delicately ran up her ribs, playing her skin in a symphony of alluring touches. He made a trail of small nips at the top of her breast and over the surface of the skin where her heart was beating erratically beneath.

Her eyes closed when he reached her collarbone as she tried to reign in and concentrate. With seemingly every nerve buzzing with quivering anxiety to be touched, combined with the warmth within her belly that was quickly growing to wanting, it made for a difficult task.

His left hand grazed the side of her breast to her clavicle where it wrapped around the back of her neck in a gentle cradle. All the while, his right hand lingered at her side, his thumb drawing lazy circles as his left hand tilted her head to allow his lips better access to her neck.

His teeth grazed across a particularly sensitive spot and she took in a deep breath. The fresh air brought about a moment of clarity and Sakura's mind suddenly developed a thought.

"This isn't real," she whispered aloud, her voice causing him to pause in his actions.

With deliberately slow motions, he pulled his head back to look at her. She watched as his teeth bit onto his bottom lip, which shone from a wetness from his earlier ministrations. He released his lip with a motion that was far more seductive than such a simple action should be.

"What's not real?" he asked.

"This," Sakura whispered, her wide green eyes meeting his half lidded, lustful gaze. "It's a dream. It's not real, you're not real. This isn't you. I know of you. I know what you have done. What people have told me about you."

If her words bothered him he did well to hide it. An awfully wicked smile, but oh so promisingly good wicked, began to curl on his lips, his teeth looking sharp in the dimness as he grinned down at her.

"Oh Sakura," he purred, his hands moving against her skin with a burning touch. "I assure you, this is real, I will make it all feel real. Yes I have done wicked things, evil things, vile things. Others will tell you that this is not me. But none of them matter. All that matters is what you think, what you want." He leaned into her ear. "So tell me my little goddess. What can a simple servant of the gods do for you? How do you want to feel?"

Sakura shot up from her bed, her chest heaving with deep inhales. Her body felt overly warm, the source of the heat from the fire that burned in her lower belly. Her body grieved for and yearned for those sinful promises that had been offered, then abruptly cut short before such promises could be fully delivered. She could feel it, her body fully prepared and stimulated for such activities. And oh how it yearned and mourned now that she was awake and alone.

Raking her hands through her hair, Sakura pushed the blankets from her body and stood up. The effects of the dream made her feel lightheaded as she stumbled her first few steps to the bathroom. Once confined to the washroom, she braced her hands on the side of the sink as she looked at herself in the mirror. She half expected red and purple bruises to trail from her neck down beneath the lacy trimmings of her silk nightgown but there was nothing but pale, blank skin.

Her green eyes moved from the reflection of her neck to meet their own green reflection as she stared back at herself. The moment she met her reflections eyes, the memory of what she had felt just before waking resurfaced to her mind. She caught her face becoming flushed as her mind began to finish the interrupted dream, imagining and vividly displaying, what could have been.

Catching herself, her eyes grew wide and she immediately turned the faucet on to the far right and began to cup the frigid water and splashed her face. It was not until the feeling of her fingers going numb that she shut off the tap.

With her eyes shut tightly, she blindly reached for the hand towel and brought it to her face. Her back straightened as she patted her face dry. Slowly, and hesitantly, she lowered the towel so she could look at herself again. The water had cooled her down, settled her electrified nerves, and doused the fire that had been ignited within her. However, she did not feel any better. There was still a tension within her that was gnawing at her insides.

What was wrong with her?

This was not the first time she had experienced such strange and vivid dreams. Nor was it her second or third. They were becoming more and more frequent, and with each, they were progressively more intense than the one before.

She let out a slow sigh as she tried to calm herself, and focus. It was then she noticed the daylight shining through the window that was reflected in the mirror. Her eyes widened. She had not realized it was even morning when she had first awoken. It felt as if she had just fallen asleep and immediately gone into her dream. Which made her wonder just how long her dream had been, or how far it had gone and what she had failed to remember.

At that thought she remembered another thing. Sasuke had asked her to come to him today and immediately, she began to regret the affirmation she had given him. She could just not show up, but that would mean she would break the promise she had given him. Then again, it wasn't as if he was a friend or close acquaintance, it would not be as bad if she broke a promise to him versus Naruto or Tsunade...would it?

She shook her head and the movement brought the dull ache to her attention. It had been there when she had awoken but she had not registered it until now, her receptors had been too busy processing other things that had seemed far more in need of attention than pain.

Again her she felt a warmth beginning to build again and she let out a mournful groan.

How was she supposed to face Sasuke after what she had just dreamt. How was she to look him in the eye and not imagine what she had dreamt him doing. If dreamt was even the right word. It was more of a full experience than a dream. She had dreams before, and that...that had been no simple dream.

Sasuke had never been one to frequent museums. They were nothing but reminders of past years he wanted to forget. That, and it was a depressing and sad display of what once was. To see what was once such rich cultures and thriving empires as nothing but broken pottery and sometimes misguided speculation of what present day mortals thought their ancestors did and believed. It was somewhat of a disgrace. Sasuke believed that their glory would have been best left in the past where they remained glorious, not ruble. However, when he had seen the advertisement for a popular modern art display taking place within one of the art museums, he knew he could make an exception.

He had it all planned out, the only problem was if she was going to show. She had left him with what he took as a promise, but as the morning drew on, he was beginning to doubt. However that was all washed away when something happened.

She showed up.

There was a part of her that felt like she had known Sasuke forever. But when it came down to the truth, he was still a stranger. She lacked a deep enough knowledge of him personally to be able to read him or even guess what he was thinking. When they first arrived at the museum he continued to keep her on her toes in trying to understand him. Sasuke had a complex soul and art certainly seemed to be the kind of thing that complicated individuals like him would enjoy.

However, modern luminism did not seem like the kind of medium that such a soul would choose to have an aesthetic for. She pictured him admiring oils and watercolors from artists that had pioneered the concept of art with brushes and canvas. Never did she expect the work of a group of fine arts majors currently attending NYU, who used electric lights to create abstract sculptures and scenes, to be his forte. And given the speed in which Sasuke seemed to be guiding them through the art show, Sakura could only assume that she was correct in the assumption that this was not his medium of art.

With each room they entered, Sakura had hardly enough time to even register that there was a piece of art before Sasuke was tugging her onto the next display. With each transition of one piece to another, Sasuke's head swiveled about the main atrium, as if looking for something.

The museum consisted of a main atrium with a large glass ceiling high above. Each floor had several show rooms in which patrons flowed easily from one room to the other as they made their way through the different levels of the gallery. However this was not what Sasuke had done. Instead, they had bounced from one floor to the other as they nearly sprinted through each display. On one occasion, Sasuke had merely stuck his head through the door before pulling her out and moving onto the next.

Sakura heard him let out an irritated growl before stomping over to where a map of the gallery was displayed. He inspected it as if he were planning out an elaborate siege. Sakura had just barely caught up to his side before his head paused on the outline of the sixth floor.

In a flash, before Sakura could even manage to see what was on display, he had grabbed her hand and was dragging her to the elevator. However when the doors did not automatically open the moment his finger moved from the button, he was dragging her towards the stairwell.

"Sasuke," she called out breathlessly as he pulled her up the stairs. He was taking two steps at a time which was an easy feat for someone of his height, as for her, she was beginning to feel the burn. "Can we slow down, what is the hurry? Wait! We haven't even looked at anything on the fifth floor," she commented as they passed a sign announcing the fifth floor without even a pause before continuing up the final flight.

When she stumbled on one of the steps, he finally looked back at her. She took advantage of the pause and breathed in deeply, trying to catch her breath as she looked up at him. "Trust me just a little bit longer, I promise it will be worth it."

There was something about the phrase that made her believe every word. And suddenly, her energy was restored as the eagerness to see the worth of his promise being paid off. They reached the top of the stairwell and before she knew it, they were standing in a line to enter the door of the final piece. One group at a time was being led into the display to enhance the viewers 'experience'. Each group being allocated five minutes to take it in. With twenty groups ahead, Sakura was not too enthused at standing in line for over an hour and a half. And it seemed Sasuke was not either.

She felt the influence emanate from him the moment he released it. Given the potency of it, it was not surprising when the effect was nearly instant. Moods darkened, couples began to argue, security took two men away for breaking out into a fist fight, and chaos ensued. Within five minutes, the rest of the line, including the workers, had all disappeared as they went off to complain and cause mayhem somewhere else. It was not something she condoned, then again, it did result in no wait and an unlimited time in the display.

Sakura moved forward to enter but stopped when Sasuke pulled her back. "What's wrong?" she questioned with a furrowed brow.

"Close your eyes," he instructed.

She gave him a quizzical look but when he said nothing else she slowly let her lids fall closed. She heard Sasuke step around her before his arms suddenly snaked around her. She startled but stilled when she realized he was doing it with a purpose. She felt him reach one arm forward to open the door then it was back to directing her.

"Step forward," he said into her ear.

Blindly, Sakura took a couple steps forward, the heat of Sasuke's hand at her back, giving her a warming comfort to trust him. When his hands left her, she stopped and listened as the sound of the door being shut echoed loudly. It was a strange and hollowed echo, making her wonder if there was anything even in the room. When she felt his hand return to her back and take her arm to guide her, she began moving again. Everything felt muted, and all she could hear was the shuffling of their feet.

"Are you ready?" Sasuke whispered into her ear. She nodded. "Then open your eyes."

Sakura had always been an admirer of nature, and it had saddened her with time as mortals seemed to destroy more and more of it. The one thing she held against mortals above all, was their mentality that something they created could be as beautiful or even as near beautiful than what the earth had created in that spot. And she had always felt that way, until now.

It was not better than nature, but the artist, whomever they were, had managed to recreate something that certainly made her question her beliefs that they were incomparable. She had been able to tell that there was hardly any lighting, the darkness against her eyelids had been an indicator of that. But when she opened them, it was surprisingly lighter than she would have expected.

Tiny blue-green lights hung down from the ceiling of the room. Contrasting brilliantly with the painted black walls and ceiling, it gave the illusion of being in a hollowed cavern. She stared up at the lights hanging over her head. They glowed with an iridescent hue that made them look alive. As the fiber optics transitioned from blue to teal, teal to green, then back to blue, it gave the illusion of something breathing in and out. Like a strange terrestrial firefly not found within the mortal realm. She could have sworn she had seen such a thing before but she could not recall when or where.

She took a few steps forward as she continued to lean her head back to stare up at the tiny lights. Her feet moved her to the middle of the room to bask in the fullness of the light. Finally, when she reached the center, she managed to pull her eyes from the ceiling to look down at herself. She had worn a plain white shirt and jeans but in the light of the display, her shirt glowed with a higher fashion and her skin took on an ethereal pigment. It was as she stared down at her arms that she noticed the floor.

What she had assumed was just a standard tiled floor was nothing what it seemed. Instead of individual tiles, small screens had been inlaid like flooring, the monitors just barely illuminated with a midnight blue hue. With each movement of her foot, the pressure triggered something on the screens. From where her foot stepped it was like a ripple effect, spreading out and alighting across the rest of the screens as the rings moved to the edges of the display. It was mesmerizing. Sakura took another step and watched as another rippled simulation spread from beneath her other foot. It gave the illusion of one walking on or in very shallow water.

Intrigued, Sakura squatted down and pressed her fingertips against another screen. She let out a small giggle of glee as ringed circles spread from the light tap she had pressed. Thoroughly entertained, and lost to everything around her, she let her hand trail across several screens to experiment the effect.

She was not disappointed.

She watched the pixelated ripples disappear from the screen floor then turned to Sasuke, her mind buzzing with juvenile intrigue to see what he thought about the display.

"This is so…" Her words drifted off when she looked at him.

He was standing at the edge of the display. But Sasuke was not even taking in the exhibit. Instead his eyes were set directly on her. There was something in his face, something about the blue green lighting being reflected on his pale skin, and something about the position in which she sat and looked up at him, it all seemed to align into a familiar combination. Familiar but obscured. Like a cracked mirror, the image was distorted. And then it morphed and suddenly she had been transported.

She was no longer in a museum in Manhattan. Instead she was standing in a cave, a cave that she had no idea where or how she had gotten there. Slowly, she stood, and the trickling sensation that came with it made her look down at herself. Gone was the tee shirt and blue jeans, gone where the black shoes she had been wearing. Instead she was barefoot and wearing a creamy white dress that clung to her body as water dripped from the hem into the shallow warm pool she was standing in.

A breeze came from a part of the cavern that chilled her damp skin and made her body prickle and shiver as it reacted against the chill. Looking in the direction from where the draft had come, she found herself surprised that she was not alone.

Bare chested, with only a pair of trousers, stood Sasuke. His sharp eyes stared at her with an awed expression, as if there was nothing else of interest to be found among the glowing phenomenon of the underground pond that reflected the lights above.

He too was wet, his hair weighed down against his temples and forehead with the exception of an untidy tuft of hair that stuck up where the cowlick was on the back of his head.

And then her eyes trailed lower. To his sculpted chest that was smooth as marble and sharp as granite. It shined in the light, small droplets of water that dripped from his hair onto his chest glistened as they trailed down his torso. She followed a drop as it curved down his pectoral and rolled over the definition of abs to where it was lost in the small patch of hair that began just below his navel. The weight of his water soaked pants pulled the waistline low, giving her a detailed display of definition.

As if in a trance, she walked towards him, her eyes unable to part from his body until she was standing before him. Her head lifted and tilted to see that he was still watching her. Watching her unashamedly admiring his anatomy and physique.

All the while, her surroundings and situation blinked in and out like a faulty light bulb. One moment she was standing in an air conditioned building, surrounded by a man made art display and the next, she was in a humid cavern with the echo of dripping water haunting her ears with an eerie sensation of nostalgia.

She wasn't sure where she was when she felt his fingertips graze the side of her face, in the cave or the building. But she did know that it was him who pushed her hair behind her ear. He was close when his head leaned forward. She felt the pulsing blood within her body everywhere. In the balls of her feet, within her chest, in her core. Like a percussion of drums it built until her whole body seemed to reverberate into a loud crescendo. It increased until even her head began to thunder at her temples and a blinding pain manifested within her skull. White light flashed across her closed eyelids as her whole body began to shake from the reverberations.

The moment her body collapsed he was at her side. He had been so entranced with the familiar scene that it had taken a delayed moment for his body to react. She hit the floor hard, her limbs haphazardly angled and hair sprawled out around her head. He moved to touch her then noticed she was twitching. The jerky movements and fluttering of her closed lashes sent his mind into a panic. When he regained his bearings, her body had stilled and her eyes snapped open, mouth parting to release ragged breaths.

Instantly he was helping her sit up as she dazedly stared forward. He supported her neck and grabbed an arm, her skin feeling cold and clammy against his warmth.

"Sakura," he called, his voice urgent when she seemed to not respond. "Sakura are you okay? Are you alright?"

She tilted her head back to look up to him. "Air," she whispered. "I need fresh air."

He nodded vigorously before looping his arm beneath her knees while supporting her back with the other. She was heavier than expected, dense from the muscles he felt beneath her shirt as he clutched her to him.

"Okay," he conceded, his fingers digging into her as he clung tightly to her. Fearing that she would disappear if he didn't. "Let's get you out of here."

He flashed stepped them out of the building and if she had been in her right mind, she may have found caution in just letting him take her away. But in this moment, as the receding headache faded into a soft pressure than the incomparable thundering pain, she couldn't be bothered with where he was taking her. She would let him take her to hell itself if it meant that this feeling would go away. The pain had subsided leaving her feeling drained, dizzy, and nauseous. So instead of worrying about where they were headed, she buried her face into his chest and let her mind empty of everything that had been bothering her over the past several weeks.

When a hint of salty air was added to the smell of burning sandalwood, she knew exactly where they were. And when the light thudding of his steps on wood gave out the occasional groan from his weight, it was confirmed. He had taken her to the familiar docks that had become their ritual meeting place. She kept her face buried in the softness of his shirt until the last moment when he lowered her onto something hard and cold before separating himself from her just enough to get her situated on the metal bench.

She opened her eyes, only to blink rapidly and hood them with her hands. It was too bright out. After being in the dim light of the museum, then blocking out the light as her face was pressed into him, she wasn't prepared for the bright midday sunlight.

Hunching over she did her best to ignore Sasuke's hovering presence. She had wanted to be outside for fresh air, but his unrelenting close proximity was defeating that purpose as he was practically breathing her air.

"I'm fine," she mumbled into her hands. "I just need a moment."

Sasuke kneeled down in front of her to look at her shielded face. Her eyes were extremely dilated as she blinked against the bright light of the outdoors. As they adjusted, the blinking slowed until she finally let her hands slide down her face and fall into her lap. She was still pale as a ghost but he was relieved to see that her breathing had somewhat subsided to a regular pattern of inhales and exhales.

Slowly, he rose from his crouched position and straddled the bench as he sat next to her. Grabbing onto her body, he turned her to face him. Her body stiffened when he grasped either side of her face while he appraised her under masked eyes.

"What happened," he said, his tone serious and lacking in the earlier tenderness that he had been showing.

Sakura raised her hand to grasp his hands and tried to pull her face free. She was not keen on being so close, nor by being in contact with him now that she was finally with a clear mind. His touch...did things to her. It stirred something within her that she would rather not be stirred. Not here, not like this.

"It was nothing."

His brow narrowed as he searched her face. "It did not look like nothing," he said with a stern tone. "I will take you to a hospital or better yet, a seraph healer," he said thinking of Karin. He was not sure if the woman would be keen on helping Sakura, but she would not have a choice. Sasuke would see to that. "She can examine you and would be more proficient than any mortal doctor."

"No!" Sakura quickly protested.

It was one thing to already be with him, but to go to someone that he associated with would be truly stupid. She had heard of the 'healing' that had been done under Orochimaru's command and she could only assume this healer he spoke of would be one of them. And as for a mortal doctor, there would be nothing they could do for her. She had already released the smallest amount of chakra throughout her body and everything seemed fine.

She just didn't feel fine.

Sasuke stared at her for a long moment then finally let out a small breath. As the air escaped his lungs his head fell forward against hers. He felt her head and neck go rigid but he ignored it. He needed to feel her, just for a moment. He needed to feel the warmth coming back to her cheeks and the steady beat of her heart where his left hand had slid down to her neck to feel her pulse.

"Thank you," he whispered. He felt her try to shift her head but he held her still, keeping them connected, forehead to forehead. "Thank you," he uttered again.

"Sasuke," Sakura began, feeling awkward and trapped. "I don-"

She cut herself off as he tilted his head up to let his lips press against her forehead. Right in the center, in the same spot she had felt his fingers press multiple times now, he kissed her. Wide eyed she did not dare move a single muscle or a single eyelash as his lips lingered against her brow.

He pulled back slightly, his eyes lowering to meet hers as he looked at her. She had but a moment to glance back at him before he was leaning forward again, this time his lips meeting her cheek. She did not even have a chance to recover before he had moved onto her other cheek and as quickly as his lips brushed against the apple of her cheek, he was pulling away.

Her mouth parted as she stared at him, and her brow crumpled as she tried to understand his actions. The movement of her mouth seemed to catch his eyes and he stared down at her lips. With genuine and curious contemplation on his face, he raised one hand and let his thumb trace her mouth. He stopped in the middle of her lips and slowly drew his thumb down, pulling her lip down into a small pout as her wide eyes watched him.

She watched his eyes linger on her lips then flicker up to meet hers. He held her gaze for one, two, three breaths. And then he leaned in. Closer and closer, she watched him draw near. Cautious, but she could see the anticipation. The hunger in his eyes and the way his tongue flicked out to wet his own lips.

And then they were on hers. Slow moving and light, he moved his lips against hers.

Sakura's eyes stared wide eyed as her body went rigid. And then, she melted and moved, her eyes falling closed as she began to reciprocate.

Chapter Text

Present Day

Dehydration occurs when a person has gone too long without the replenishment of water lost from the bodies stores. Water is what makes up the majority of a person's body, it is what is needed for nearly every single function. Without it, a person cannot survive.

Sakura was his water.

To die from dehydration, it can be a long and painful death. Before death comes, a person can experience symptoms that vary between slight discomfort to extreme pain. Among those symptoms are cramping, vomiting, headaches, rapid heart beat, and lethargy. During dehydration people can begin to act abnormally as confusion and irritability take over. Their minds begin to make up hallucinations and they begin to see what they want to see. The psychological torture of such a thing can make a person go mad.

Mad, Sasuke had gone.

There have been many accounts of humans who have gone through severe dehydration and survived. Most of them, poor unfortunate souls that had been lost at sea or forced to wander in the desert. All of them have their own unique story of how they survived. Not only did they survive, but they endured.

Some of them were alone while others were in groups. Some who started with groups, ended their survival alone, their partners having not been able to survive. Some died due to their physical bodies giving out, others were taken by wild predators, and others sustained injuries that resulted in a fatal accident.

In one such story, two men were lost at sea. After several months, one of them gave up. He laid down, stopped eating, and starved to death. The other man also considered such a thing, but after having endured such misery for such a length of time already, he decided to persevere. He was convinced that it would all be worth it as long as he was able to survive and drink again.

Sasuke had wanted to give up.

Death would have been welcomed long ago. It was something that Sasuke had hoped for at one time, so long as it would stop all the pain and anguish. But Sasuke was not mortal. He could not just lie down and die. No matter how long he went without water he would remain.

So Sasuke continued to endure and search for his water.

Now, at this moment, Sasuke understood what the second man had meant. Despite the hundreds of years of pain and anguish, despite the torture and the feeling of no longer being in control, he would do it again. All of it. So long as it meant even just a mouthful of water.

It had been worth it to endure.

They tell you when rehydrating it should be done slowly. After the body has gone without water for so long, it will reject it and get sick. To prevent this, one should take small frequent sips of water until fully restored. It sounds simple enough, but what they don't tell you is how hard it is to stop. They don't tell you that the thirst only increases when you get that first sip of life giving water.

Sasuke knew he should have stopped. He knew he should have taken only small sips. But when she began to reciprocate, when her lips began to move along with his like a synchronized dance, it was like turning the tap full force and telling a man just out of the desert not to drink.

It was impossible.

His lips were warm as they pressed softly onto hers. Sakura stared cross eyed at him for one long moment. His dark eyes were closed off to her as his long lashes gently rested above his cheeks.

He was kissing her. He was kissing her. He was kissing her!

It was not her first time receiving such a gesture. There had been a handful, but every time she received such a token she was also hit with the hard feelings of betrayal. Her betrayal. Yet, the longer his lips remained on hers, she realized something. The feeling of treachery was not there. She waited for it to appear but it never came. Only one impression came to her. The impression that this was right. It felt right in more ways than one. Perhaps she was not fully recovered and not thinking straight, perhaps it was the after effects of her dreams from earlier that morning, or maybe it was the undeniable allure he had held over her since she first met him. Whatever the reasons, be it none or many, she gave it no more thought as she gave into it.

Her eyes fell closed.

He was kissing her.

And she was kissing him back.

It started out soft and slow. For one second, just after she began to move her lips with his, he paused. It was minuscule and could have easily been mistaken as nothing but a pause for breath. But the small gasp that sounded along with it told her it was more than just a pause for air. He was surprised.

However surprised he was, he recovered quickly. For it did not take long before his lips began pressing against hers far more aggressively than before. Sakura did not even hesitate to keep up. Their mouths moved together more vigorously, nearly hungrily. It was like something within her snapped and without pause, she was climbing into his lap to deepen the kiss. Her tongue broke through his lips and she savored the taste of him.

She was lost. Lost in the feel of his hands gripping tightly onto her waist as if to anchor her to him. Her own hands wandered around his neck, grasping onto the back of his hair and pulling him closer to her. It was frightening how much she needed him closer. They were pressed tightly, lips sealed against each other yet even then, it was not close enough.

Her heart was beating wildly. She could feel it crashing against her ribs as if it was about to be dislodged from its proper place within her chest. Next to her racing heart her lungs burned. And her mind was like entering the consciousness of a feral and wild animal. There was no thought, just instinct. The intensity of it all was too much. It was a loss of control she had never experienced before.

He pulled away slightly and began to move to her neck. Her head fell back as she let out a small hum of approval and let herself enjoy the trickling sensation that was taking over at every point in which they were connected.

"You left me for so long," he mumbled between nips as he latched on and gave a particularly hard suck.

At his words, her mind slowly began to catch up and register what she was feeling and doing. Or at least it tried. Everything about it felt right but once logic began to settle, it was all wrong. Sasuke was a demon. She was an angel. That in itself should have been enough. But that was not what stopped her. What truly caused her to rip herself away from him, was the fact that this, none of it, was real.

The girl. The one that Sasuke had told her of. The mortal girl that he had mistaken her as reincarnated version of. That was the one he was kissing, the one he was thinking about, not her.

As for herself, an explanation for her actions...well that could only be blamed for the dreams she had been having. Some type of pent up frustration that had driven her to react in such a way. It could be the only explanation. She should not be feeling such things for one who was still practically a stranger.

In a burst of energy she pushed herself off of him and backed away. Her back hit the railing on the other side of the dock and she stopped. She stared at him, wide eyed as her chest heaved for breath that it was in desperate need of. But even with air flowing in and out, it was not enough. She felt a crushing force around her torso. With each breath it became tighter as an invisible force continued to pull. Pull and tug her towards him.

Sasuke looked dazed and disheveled. His hair was a mess and his shirt was crumpled and pulled up slightly, exposing tantalizing definition that Sakura had dreamed of just the night before. Sakura felt her body begin to burn. It was far more enticing in person.

She had done that, she had been the one to pull herself into his lap and encourage him. None of this was his fault, it was hers. She had led him astray from the beginning. He was the demon yet it was she who had misguided him, made him think that she was something far greater to him than what she really was. She had set out to help him but now, after what she had just done, she realized her mistake. She had fed his fantasy, not helped him.

He seemed to recover from the sudden shift in the mood as his face turned to one of concern, which only made her feel worse. He moved to stand from the bench but she thrust a hand up.

"No don't," she halted.

Her hand went up to her mouth, tracing her lips where they still tingled. Oh how she wanted the now fading sensation to be renewed. But such thoughts were banished. They were wicked cruel thoughts. A fitting punishment for her deceit.

"Sakura," Sasuke said, bringing her attention back to him. He looked how she felt. Scared and wary. Like someone approaching a cornered animal, he lifted his hands in the air. "It's alright. I promise I will find a way for this to make sense. I am sure you are confused…"

She shook her head. No. She could not do this to him any longer. It surprised her how much she had grown to care about him over the weeks. At some points it felt like that care for his well being had always been there, but that did not make sense.

"I should not have done that," she blurted. She needed to leave, she needed to free him. She was like a synthetic version of a drug he was addicted to. It made him feel like he was getting what he craved but in reality, it was just a mimic of what he wanted. It was not real, just a transference. If he knew what she really was he would hate her. That thought hurt far more than it should have. "Sasuke you are confused," she continued. "I'm not who you think I am. I am not what you think I am."

Sasuke shook his head, a panic coming to his eyes as he noticed her beginning to side step towards the ramp that would lead to her escape. "No," he argued. "You are, you just don't remember," he said firmly.

She watched his eyes dart in the direction of her escape route as his body gave out a small twitch. As if to move forward and block her escape.

Her heart began to beat for a whole new reason now. She could see it in his eyes, he was panicked and scared just as she was, but for a different reason. He was worried she was going to leave, which was exactly what she meant to do, and something about his body language made her question if he would let her or not.

"I should go," she announced, hoping that if he knew her intentions he would not feel as panicked. Just so long as she kept it casual.

"No," he said, immediately getting to his feet.

She took several hurried and stumbled steps away, startled by his speed. Before she could manage to catch her balance, his hand was wrapped around her wrist, in a grip that was far tighter than she liked.

"Sasuke," she said, trying to sound calm. "I want to go home."

He was silent for a moment before he finally nodded. Relief washed over her only to retreat back like a tide when he spoke again. "I will take you. Where do you live?" He was not going to let her go so easily.

Sakura's mind raced. There was no way she could tell him that she lived in the heavens. That would cause questions that could reveal the truth. As much as she currently felt guilty for lying to him, she could not bring herself to reveal such things. Already she was beginning to feel that twinge of fear when she had first encountered him. But this fear stemmed from a whole other type of horror. It had nothing to do with her safety and everything to do with his hatred and personal despise of her.

"It's okay," she said, trying to pull her arm free of his grasp.

His hold tightened. "Sakura," he said in a warning tone. "I just watched you collapse on the floor for no apparent reason and practically have a seizure. If you think I am letting you go home alone, you are sorely mistaken." His wings erupted from his back, either out of annoyance or preparation.

Immediately Sakura knew she could not let him take her. There was something in his tone, something underlying the concern that was unstable. She now understood what people meant by his unpredictability. She had thought he was just misunderstood, thought that she knew him. But now she was beginning to realize she had been naive. Like a spool of thread rolling on the ground, she was watching him unravel.

She tried to pull her arm free again but she did not even manage to let her arm slip fractionally from his grip. "Sasuke," she said, a hint of panic showing. "You're hurting me."

It was a lie but it was her only hope to free herself without using her unnatural strength. She looked up from where his hand was latched around her arm. His face was pinched and his eyes were hard. He was looking at her but not. While his gaze fell on her, she could tell he was spacing out as he fought with something internally.

Suddenly, his eyes flashed red and he seemed to snap out of his stupor. "I am sorry Sakura but I can't let you go. Not this time."

"I'm not going anywhere," she lied as tears began to pour from her eyes. She pulled at her arm, her body now thrashing to free herself from his grip. "Please! I just want to go home."

She released the smallest amount of chakra and pushed him away from her, all the while yanking her arm free. He stumbled back several feet, surprise coming to his eyes. She was not sure if it was out of shock that she broke free or if he had sensed the chakra. Most would miss it but with his Sharingan activated she was unsure. She could only hope it would be a lost thought that would be distracted by her next actions.

She ran.

Ran as fast as she dared without exceeding a supernatural speed that would be abnormal for a human. Her foot caught her other foot as she turned sharply to sprint up the ramp. She fell hard on her knees and the sting in them told her she had suffered minor abrasions.

In a scramble she was back to her feet, not bothering to look behind herself as she heard the pounding of steps behind her. Panic set into her as her tears blurred her vision. She wasn't sure why she was crying, be it out of fear or pain. The pull she had always felt toward him was almost painful as it seemed to be physically constraining her, and then she realized that it was not the pull, it was Sasuke. He had his arms wrapped around her, pinning her to the ground.

"Sasuke stop," she screamed in desperation as she wriggled beneath him. "Please."

She needed help, she needed to defend herself but even now, Kakashi's rules flashed through her mind. It was ironic. His rules had claimed to be there for her safety yet now it was inhibiting her. She managed to roll onto her back and began to frantically beat at his chest and face. Everything was blurred by the steady stream of tears as she choked out sobs of pleas.

For a moment she thought she had somehow released chakra into one of her punches as the heavy pressure was lifted from her. She remained tight eyed and on her back, waiting for another attack. When it did not come, she cracked her eyes open.

He was sitting on the backs of his legs, his face one of pained horror as he stared at her. He moved slightly, as if to touch her but she scrambled backwards, her eyes opening wider in panic as she stared at him.

"Sakura."

Her name was slowly formed on his lips but she did not give him time to finish. She bolted. Ignoring the throbbing pain in her knees when she had fallen, she ran as fast as she dared. There was no telling if he was following or still sitting on the boardwalk, stunned from whatever shock had caused him to stop.

She looked behind herself as she rounded the corner, checking to make sure he was not following. It was then she ran into something sturdy and warm, causing her to ricochet and fall to the ground. Hands grabbed at her and automatically she began to thrash but she soon found her arms pinned to her sides as two strong arms wrapped around her.

"Shhh," a voice soothed in her ear. A voice that was very familiar. "It's okay," Kakashi calmed. "It's just me. It's just me."

Her body relaxed and his arms loosened, letting her able to turn around and face the silver seraph. The moment she saw his more than half covered face and messy silver hair, she launched herself at him, wrapping her arms around his neck as she squeezed him tightly.

Tears soaked into the cotton of his shirt as she sobbed into his shoulder. "I just wanted to help him," she cried. "I thought I could save him."

Kakashi's hands pressed into her back, holding her closer to him. He let his chin rest on top of her head as he gave a heavy sigh. When he had followed her and found her with Sasuke he could have strangled her. Now, all he could do was comfort her. It was as he concluded before. None of this was her fault. Of course she wanted to fix Sasuke, it was what Sakura did. Heal and fix bruised and broken things. But how do you fix something that is no longer what it once was? Do you dare fix it? Or do you keep it weakened so it remains from being a threat?

As he felt her shoulders shaking beneath his grip, he tightened his hold as an anger arose. Sakura had been in danger. She could have been taken, all because she did not understand. And he could not be angry with her. This was not Sakura's fault, this was someone else's and it was high time they own up to their mistakes. Whether it started with good intentions, it had been an obvious mistake for some time. And it was time to fix it.

When she felt his grip loosen, Sakura took a step back and looked up at Kakashi. Her stomach dropped as soon as she saw his expression. There were a few times when she saw him express anything above lazy boredom. And few of those hardly bordered anything remotely past frustration. But right now, his expression was beyond irked, hardened with anger. She swallowed a gulp as he stared down at her, his single eye glaring.

"Sakura!"

Her name echoed down the alley as Sasuke's voice cried out to her, full of desperation, anguish, and regret. Before his voice had settled there was a flapping behind her and she turned to see Kakashi with his wings out. The silver seraph was staring back in the direction from where Sasuke's voice had called out to her.

"Come with me," he said in a hollow monotone.

It was worse than him yelling at her. And she dared not disobey. Without a word or question, she took flight right after his wings burst from his back and spurred upward. She heard Sasuke scream her name again as they moved higher up into the sky. Her wings seemed to work harder than usual as the resistance of the tug seemed to pull against her flee to the heavens, trying to tether her to the earth.

He did not say a single word as he dragged her down the marbled hallway. Sakura could only follow. Her legs, weak from the overwhelming feelings within her, struggled to keep up. She was positive only the momentum of him pulling her was the only reason why she was still standing. She was terrified of what was going to happen.

A flash of orange in the corner of her eye caught her attention and she turned her head to look down the adjacent hallway to see Naruto.

"Hey Kakashi, Sakura!" he bellowed boisterously down the hall. "Where have you guys been I've been lookin' everywhere for you! Huh?"

Kakashi did not even pause as he continued to walk past Naruto. Sakura heard Naruto's footsteps follow behind as well as the continuous line of questions that fell from the blondes mouth. She heard him speaking but his words became jumbled as she began to take notice of Kakashi's route.

She knew exactly where they were headed. Staring at the back of his silver head, she noticed the rigidness in her shoulders. When she ran into him earlier it had only been relief and security that she felt from him. But now, Kakashi was angry. He was furious. He was beyond anything she had ever seen.

The familiar cherry wood doors that rose from floor to ceiling came into sight when Kakashi took a sharp turn to the left. The silver and gold lines that had been carefully melted and hardened onto the frame glimmered as the midday sun shone through the open balcony that took up one side of the hallway. Kakashi did not even stop to knock or even pause. He threw the heavy doors open with ease as he pulled Sakura into the throne room, tugging her forward to stand in front of him as he displayed her to a perplexed Tsunade and a handful of council members.

"What is the meaning of this Kakashi," Tsunade said, sparing a brief look at Sakura then to Naruto who followed cluelessly behind, before looking back up to the gray winged seraph. "You cannot just barge in here during-"

"Tell her," Kakashi demanded, his dark eyes fixing onto his ruler as if it were he who was sitting upon a dias and giving commands.

Sakura twisted to look at Kakashi, confused when she realized that Kakashi was not speaking to her, but Tsunade. Anger and fury burned from his single visible eye. She turned back around to look at Tsunade. Her lips were pressed tightly as she stared right back at Kakashi. "All of you leave," she bellowed to the confused looking council members.

"Tsunade...what is the meaning-"

"I said leave!" she screamed as her fist came down onto the arm rest with a hard force. The sound of splintering wood echoed along with her command.

With a dull murmur of grumbles and complaints, the council slowly filed out of the room. Some of them gave Kakashi curious looks while others gave suspicious looks at Sakura. None of them bothered to even glance in Naruto's direction. All of their looks went ignored by both the silver seraph and woman sitting on the throne in the middle of the room. Instead they glared at each other, neither blinking or moving until the doors slammed shut.

After the echo of the heavy wood died, Kakashi finally moved forward, pushing Sakura with him. He stopped when they were at the foot of the dais. "Tell her," Kakashi commanded again.

"No."

Sakura's head moved back and forth between the pair as she tried to understand what was going on. "Tell me what?" she asked, her words drawing neither of their attention.

"Kakashi so help me, if you do not leave this room this very moment along with these two-" she pointed to Sakura then Naruto who was still standing near the doorway- "I will have you-"

"He found her," Kakashi cut in. "Sasuke has seen her, spoken with her…" He did not go into any further detail as to what they had done, mostly because it was still unknown to the extent of what they had done.

There was a long pause as Tsunade stared at him in disbelief. And then her attention finally moved to Sakura, terror and fear written across her face. Then it all disappeared as rage overshadowed the weaker emotions.

"Wait are we telling her what I think we are telling her?" Naruto suddenly asked, breaking the silence. Sakura looked back at him quizzically but was not given a chance to ask before Tsunade responded.

"We are not," she said firmly, standing up she pointed to Kakashi. "This is all your fault. You promised me that you would watch over her, keep her protected," she yelled as she began walking down the stairs. "You said he did not see her! You assured me he would disappear after a few days following the night you ran into him!"

"I didn't expect him to find her in broad daylight."

"Then maybe you should have been better at predicting his moves. The assurance of that was the only reason I allowed her to go down there!" Her eyes looked to Naruto who cowered under her glower. "And where were you? You are supposed to be watching her."

Naruto's mouth flapped open several times before he managed a defense. "I did not know she was going down today! She wasn't一"

"Save your excuses Naruto! I asked you to do one thing. I asked both of you to do it." She added as she moved her attention back to a hard faced Kakashi. "Was it so hard to keep her monitored?"

"Would you rather us keep her in a cage! Like you did the first one thousand years?" Kakashi bellowed. "She needed freedom. How could any of us predicted he was still looking for her after all this time."

"That boy isn't sane!" Tsunade shouted back. "He is obsessed, finding a way to bring her back has been his only motivation. How could you not know he would fin一"

Their arguing came to a halt when Sakura cut in with her own words. "He didn't find me!" Both of them looked at her and she took a small step away from Kakashi so she could look at them together. "It was an accident. We ran into each other at one of the night clubs," she looked at Kakashi. "That night I lost Deidara. We ran into each other, he had been stunned. I don't think he was expecting to see me let alone believe he was seeing me."

Kakashi stared at her then let out a sigh as he ran a tired hand through his hair. "I knew something was off when you came back," he mumbled with a shake of his head. He gave her a more direct look. "Why did you not say anything?"

Sakura's eyes flickered between the pair of seraphs then looked down at her feet. "I did not want to be kept away again." She looked back up just in time to see Kakashi throw Tsunade an accusing glare.

Kakashi glanced over his shoulder to Naruto. "Did you know of any of this?" Naruto shook his head violently, looking stunned in his silence. Kakashi looked back to Tsunade. "This is your fault," he said, pointing an accusing finger at her.

Tsunade stiffened at the accusation. "I did what I thought was best."

"A thought that was poorly planned and made evident long ago," Kakashi replied. "It's time you tell her. I would if I could but your damn command has silenced me every time the truth has neared the tip of my tongue," Kakashi hissed.

There was a long pause before Tsunade let out a heavy sigh. "Very well...I concede," she said quietly. There was silence for another moment and then Tsunade's honey eyes raised up to look at Sakura, her face serious and her eyes somber. "Sakura, before I tell you anything, I need you to promise me that you will listen with an open mind and try to understand why we did what we did. We had a purpose in keeping such things not just from you, but everyone.

"As you are well aware, I have kept you secluded from the majority of the seraphim world. Very few know of your connection with me as your adoptive mother. I told you it was to protect you from our enemies using you against me. It is why you have always been required to make yourself scarce when the fallen have come for diplomatic meetings. And it is why I had you keep your wings hidden in the heavens. I told you it was because others would not understand. As you know, Kakashi goes through his own trials with his own discoloration, but you would draw even more attention. I had you pretend you were mortal while on the earth because I said it would play to your advantage. And all of that is true. However the reason why I had you do this all was to hide the truth and keep others from being too curious about it all.

"The only people who know of the true reason, are standing in this very room with the exception of yourself. You were not told for fear of your safety. However, I now see perhaps that was a mistake. In your ignorance you have walked into a danger that was of no fault of your own.

"It is for this reason, and this reason only, that I allow you to have this knowledge. It is vital that you never speak of this openly to anyone but us. And even then, it must be with the utmost discreteness. If this knowledge were to fall upon the wrong ears; life, not just yours but everyone, every seraph, and every mortal, would be changed. And not for the better. Chaos would ensue. Therefore, I need to know that you understand the consequences of such knowledge and that you can be trusted with that knowledge."

Sakura's throat bobbed up and down. As much as she had always wanted to know of these secrets, the weight of it already seemed far more than she was willing, nor able to bare. However, she needed to know. Unable to open her mouth, she resorted to a single nod.

Tsunade mirrored the action, accepting her understanding. Clasping her hands behind her back, she began to stroll around the room. For a moment, Sakura did not move until she caught Kakashi's eye who nodded his head in a small command to follow. With small steps, she followed in the older woman's wake as Kakashi and Naruto took up the rear. They made their way towards the entrance before Tsunade veered slightly to the right and stopped beneath the large mural painted next to the door.

"Do you know how the seraphim came to be Sakura?" Tsunade asked as she came to a stop and turned around.

Sakura looked at the woman, suddenly she felt like she was back in the days when she was being lectured by her private tutor. The abrupt fear of not knowing the right answer set in, and she began to second guess all knowledge she had ever attained. "Um...we were created by the gods."

Tsunade's lips quirked at the answer that sounded more like a question. "Correct," she praised, "but do you know how they created us?"

Sakura came to a blank. She looked behind her to where Kakashi was standing, leaning on the pillar with his nose stuck in his book. He lifted his eyes from the pages to spare her a glance, only to raise an expectant brow before going back to his reading. She shot him a glare that went unnoticed then turned to Naruto. Naruto looked half asleep. A norm when it came to scholarly things and she knew that even if he knew the answer, he would be no help. She turned back around to Tsunade.

Tsunade gave her a fond look before turning around to look up at the picture behind her. Naturally, Sakura's eyes followed and she took in the piece of art that she had always admired when in the throne room. Her eyes went first to the beautiful woman that was the centerpiece of the painting. White, flowing hair fell down her bodice and pooled around her feet. She gazed down from her higher altitude with pearled eyes. Her beautiful face, painted to perfection of what all delicate beauty originated from. From the white strands that flowed from her head protruded a pair of horns that, while fierce and menacing, only served to enhance her celestial beauty as the lackerd shine to them contrasted strikingly against her pale hair. Within her perfectly manicured hands she held a pair of feathered wings as she held them out to the figures below her.

"We call Kaguya the mother goddess because it was her that brought us to life. She was the one who saw the need to guide mortal souls back to their heavenly realm. So she selected a number of mortals who would be the ones to do so. They all drank from a cup that had been filled with the blessed water of the heavens. Then, after they had drunk from the cup, she gave a part of her chakra to them. As the chakra flowed throughout their bodies, they began to change. Wings sprouted from their backs, their physics were strengthened and their senses were heightened, thus was the first seraphim ever created."

Tsunade turned away from the painting and examined Sakura, waiting for the reality of what she had just revealed dawn on her. Sakura stared back at Tsunade, unsure if she heard her teacher right. If she was understanding what Tsunade was saying, then that meant…

She looked back up to the painting, focusing on the people gathered around the hem of Kaguya's intricately woven dress and for the first time she looked, really looked at the people. They were all kneeling in a semicircle. Most of them looking up to the goddess with their hands outstretched to the pair of wings she offered down to them. And then she saw it. At the end of the line stood a man. Unlike the rest, he did not have his hands raised up to the goddess. Instead they were clutching a chalice as he drank from the golden vessel. The more she studied the man, the more she began to recognize him.

It was Hagoromo Otsutsuki, the father of Indra and Ashura. At least he looked like Hagoromo, but not in the way that she was used to seeing him portrayed. She was used to seeing him depicted as standing strong and tall, his wings spread out majestically as his violet eyes captured all attention in every picture she had seen him portrayed in. This Hagoromo was thinner. His muscles less developed and his body looking aged. This was a mortalized version of Hagoromo.

Sakura continued to stare at the painting, her eyes becoming vacant and the painting becoming unfocused as she processed what all of this meant. She had always known that this painting was a depiction of the creation of seraphim but never had she taken the time to truly interpret the art, nor take into account the bottom half. Her attention had always been enthralled and trapped by the depiction of the goddess. But now, as she looked at it, it was all evidence to what Tsundade had said.

She blinked and managed to move her attention from the painting to look at Tsunade in disbelief. "You mean the original seraphim were mortals?"

Tsunade nodded. "Yes, Kaguya created seraphim from mortals. Humans that were born on earth and chosen for a higher calling."

Sakura stared and then a question came to her mind. "Are...are all seraphim originally mortal?"

Tsunade gave her a charmed smile. "While I admire your innocence Sakura, I know you don't need me to tell you where babies come from. Or do we need to review that part of anatomy and physiology again?"

Sakura's face reddened, she had known it was a stupid question but she had to know for sure. "No," she shook her head. "Of course not."

"Good," Tsunade nodded.

"But," Sakura began, when Tsunade gave her a look to continue, she spoke on. "Why is this a secret? Why does no one else know about this?"

Tsunade gave her a wane smile, then began to walk slowly around the perimeter of the room. Pacing her steps slowly as she gave each painting a consideration before moving to the next. Sakura followed, her eyes casting over each painting with new regard, looking for any details she could have missed long ago.

"This knowledge was once known and taught but then a discrepancy came about." Tsunade's hand came up to skim the frame of one of the paintings. Sakura automatically looked up to see the depiction of Asura casting Indra down to the ground. "Indra had more than one offense against him when he was banished. We tell it as if he rebelled and led mortals away but that was only one of his sins. The other was because he had been caught trying to turn more mortals into seraphim, trying to create an army. Fortunately Indra did not possess the right kind of life giving chakra. But that did not stop him from stealing the chalice before he was cast down."

"And that is why that version of history is no longer taught?" Sakura asked. "Because someone might abuse the power."

They finished the circle of the room and were now standing beside the final piece of art, the one depicting Madara Uchiha. Sakura shivered at the thought of what he would have done with such knowledge. It was as Tsunade had said, if this knowledge fell into the wrong hands, it could change their world. It would change all realms.

Tsundade looked to Sakura and saw where her attention was set. "Yes," she confirmed. "The knowledge was hidden from everyone except for a select few. It was a knowledge only Asura was allowed to pass down to his successor, and from his successor there's, and so on and so forth."

"Until it came to you," Sakura concluded.

Tsunade nodded. "Although it is a knowledge that seemed worthless seeing as how we no longer possessed the cup as Indra had taken it with him. And there is no telling what knowledge Indra passed down to his successors. From what I have been able to glean from our current state of peace, it seems the knowledge may have died with Indra."

"How do you know that?"

"Because the cup showed up when Konohagakure was built. It was an ancient artifact that the Uchiha's seemed to have no knowledge of."

"They still have it?"

Tsunade shook her head. "Not anymore, but they had been the ones to keep it within their safety. When our earthen city was destroyed I took it and hid it."

Sakura nodded, then she paused mid motion. "What exactly does this all have to do with me?"

Tsunade went quiet as she looked up at the painting of Madara, his seeming omnipotent presence, towering over the burning buildings and bodies that had once been a safe haven for seraphs on the earth. When she finally looked back to Sakura, her face was grave.

"Because although all of the original seraphim have long since expired from our world, there still remains one mortal soul that has been transformed into a seraph."

Sakura's eyes widened. "Who?" she asked in a whispered breath.

Tsundae looked her directly in the eyes.

"You."

She had always wanted to know who her parents were, what they looked like, their personalities. Now that she knew they had been mortal, she found herself wondering even more. Had they been good people who earned their way back to the god tree? Or had they fallen prey to temptation and were now just a pair of tortured souls in the underworld.

Then there were her other concerns. Concerns for her own mortal self. Like what kind of relationship did she have with Seraphs before? Just how immersed and familiar to their world was she, that she ended up as one? She supposed that would be something she could now discuss with Naruto and Kakashi, now that she knew the truth. But there were still other things she felt even they would not be able to answer. There was only one person who could answer those questions. And now she was not sure if she could face him. Now knowing what she knew, and having an idea of how he felt. She was not sure she could lie to his face now.

Sakura sat crouched against a wooden trellis. The vines that crawled up its sides and over the top formed a small veil in which she hid herself. With her legs pulled snug to her chest, she hugged them tightly with her arms. Her eyes stared blankly forward as she tried her best to process everything that had been revealed to her.

Her mind had been right when it hesitated to accept Tsunade's offer for the truth. And even now, she still pondered on whether or not she wanted to know what she knew now. The fact that seraphim originated as mortals did not bother her. In fact, she found it quite inspiring that such delicate and misguided creatures could ascend to such heights. It was the fact that she had been mortal herself that bothered her. It answered why she felt she had such an understanding and connection to them but still…

It meant she had a life before this. She had been just as fragile and delicate with a mind vulnerable to the influence of seraphim. She had family and friends. Lived in a community of similar people who were just as susceptible to mistakes. She had lived this way for nearly twenty years. But when she tried to recall any of it, there was nothing there. No memory, no connection. She couldn't muster up a single thing.

It was a side effect to the transition, Tsunade had said. When a mortal is turned, their entire physic is changed but there is something delicate about the human mind that cannot endure such changes. So instead, a seal is formed upon their minds, blocking all memories from their previous lives.

Earlier:

"Anything that you experienced and did, people you knew, opportunities you had, they were all blocked. As you are the only mortal born seraph in many millennia, we did not know what to expect. When you connected so easily with Naruto and Kakashi we made a discovery, or at least developed a theory. While your memories are blocked, it seems the emotions tied to those memories were not. They still linger in your consciousness, free to come and go just like anything you have gathered in the years that you have lived as a seraph...it seems this goes for Sasuke as well."

Sakura's eyes shot up to her. "You mean…"

Tsunade nodded. "Yes, in your mortal years, you knew Sasuke."

Sakura stared at her in disbelief and then she turned to Kakashi, waiting for him to deny this. But all he did was shrug his shoulders and give a nod. She looked to Naruto who avoided her eyes.

Sakura's heart thundered against her chest, then that meant… "What kind of relationship did I have with him?"

"The extent of what you two felt for each other is only known to yourself and him. Or really, given the present case, only him. With no memories I am sure it is difficult to sort and match the floating feelings that cannot be paired to faces you do not remember."

Sakura considered all of this. Yes, it all made sense. The instinctual things and conflicting feelings, feelings that she had never felt but yet possessed. And then she thought of her dreams.

"I...I have been having dreams lately. Ever since meeting him it's like something has been triggered."

Tsunade frowned at this. "What kind of dreams?"

Sakura immediately felt her face warm. The content of those dreams were nothing that she wanted anyone else to know of. They were intimate and private moments. "Um…just flashes of moments but they are always disjointed. It was more of the feeling of...things, than seeing. It's usually dark and shadowed so I can't see anything and when I do, it's just parts of him or our surroundings."

Despite the vagueness, Sakura heard Kakashi clear his throat and immediately felt herself grow warmer with embarrassment. She looked to Tsunade and it seemed she too knew what kind of dreams she was experiencing.

"It could just be your mind manifesting and interpreting those feelings," Tsunade explained. Sakura considered this and found herself unsure of how to feel about that. She wasn't sure if she liked the idea of her mind just making such scenarios up. But at the same time, having actually done such things and not know it seemed even worse. "Or it could be that the seal is being strained. I have often considered the possibility, it's the reason why Kakashi 'tests' your resistance to his sharingan."

Sakura looked to Kakashi, her earlier embarrassment forgotten. "You mean you tried to pull my memories out?"

Kakashi nodded.

"It was never our intention to take your memories or even keep you a secret, at least at first." Tsunade said bringing Sakura's attention back to her. "You have to understand that. I didn't know it would do that to you. When Naruto and Sasuke brought you to me, you were dying. You would have died."

"Why didn't you let me die?" Sakura asked. "Why do it when you know it is forbidden? I was a stranger to you then wasn't I...or did we meet before as well?"

Tsunade shook her head. "No. The first time we ever met was when they brought you to me. As for why I did it?" She shook her head. "Right now I would not even hesitate to save you. I gave you life, I am as much a mother as any woman. It was not a traditional birth but there is a part of me in you. It is why you have my skills and powers. I love you like my own," she said, tears beginning to build up into her eyes. "But why did I do it back then...I can't say why. Perhaps it was because I never saved Dan and always regretted it. Or Maybe it was seeing the distraught look in that Uchiha's eyes," she said with a shrug before straightening. "You may not know what your feelings were, but I have no doubt that Sasuke cared for you greatly."

Silence fell within the room as Sakura considered all of this. So it was true. Sasuke had been right in thinking she was whom he had hoped. She had thought him wrong but it had been she who was wrong all this time. Her face suddenly hardened.

"Why did you not tell me any of this before?" She asked. "Why was Sasuke not told?"

Tsunade let out a heavy sigh and moved to her chair, taking a seat as her hand reached for the saki bottle hidden in a side compartment. "At the time I kept the secret as a means to keep the truth safe. But as time went on, it was to keep you safe. As for Sasuke…" Tsunade's face hardened. "His family had just slaughtered hundreds of blessed, he is Uchiha, a blood relative to Madara and Indra. The apple doesn't fall too far from the tree in that family. It was perhaps a poor decision, seeing as how things turned out, but there was no telling then. There have been hundreds of times since then that I reconsidered telling you but didn't for fear of how you would react."

Sakura herself wasn't even sure how to react. She wanted to be angry, she wanted to be furious. But she felt too drained to even feel anything. From their perspective she would have most likely done the same if it meant protecting someone she cared about. Even now she was almost wishing everything could all go back to normal, back to how things were before. Before she knew, before she met Sasuke...and yet...that life felt empty now.

"I just want you to understand," Tsunade said bringing her attention back. "That I only did what was best for you. I understand if you are hurt or feel betrayed, but...I ask that you can forgive us. And do not hold any blame against Kakashi or Naruto, they had no choice as I used my Will over them."

Sakura looked up in shock then looked to Kakashi who gave a wry smile and a shrug. Naruto gave her a sheepish smile and shrug as well. It surprised her that Tsunade would go to such an extreme. She had yet to hear of a time when Tsunade had ever used her Will. Then again, it explained how Naruto had managed to keep such a secret for so long.

The Will was a power bestowed to the rulers of each seraphim realm after the fall of Indra. The gods had done it as a means to keep seraphim from being split again and forming more factions. Passed on to the successor at death, the power acted like the influence seraphim had over mortals. Instead it was a ruler over their subjects and there was no resisting it unless a seraph had a mighty gift of mental power. Even then they did not go without suffering extreme pain. Those who did resist were usually exiled from their realm. Which in many cases meant death. It was a power not to be taken lightly nor be abused. Tsunade did not like it. It disgusted her as it took away free will. It was tyranny at its best.

"I think I need to go," Sakura said as she stared vacantly at the floor. When she looked up she could see a worried look on Tsunade's face. "I just...need to process," she added.

Tsunade nodded in understanding. "I have a meeting with the delegates from the fallen. We can talk later tonight? At home?"

Her voice sounded hopeful but worried. Sakura nodded and began to make her way towards the door. As she went, Naruto moved to follow and she raised a halting hand.

"Alone," Sakura requested. "I need to be alone...please."

A hurt expression came to his face and then Naruto looked to Tsunade. Sakura could tell she didn't like the idea of her being alone. Sakura didn't blame her, a part of her wanted to run away. But as hurt as she was, she had to understand. If not, where would she go? To the mortal realm? To Sasuke?

After a long pause, Tsunade nodded. Sakura nodded as well then began to make her way out of the throne room. But she stopped when she heard her name called out. Turning around she looked to Tsunade.

"Remember," she warned. "You cannot tell anyone any of this. The peace treaty is almost finalized, if word were to get out...it could undo everything."

.

.

.

Sakura had found herself in the gardens not long after. She said she needed to process but she had done more crying than thinking. Wiping away what she hoped was her last tears, Sakura took in a deep breath and let it out, trying to calm the sobs that still occasionally worked into her throat.

There was a rustling of leaves and she felt something brush against her shoulders. Sakura startled, sitting up and away from the wooden slats as she twisted to see what had been moving. When she noticed what it was, she blinked a few times as she stared at the white handkerchief being offered by long fingers, just slender enough to fit through the holes.

Hesitantly Sakura reached out a plucked the handkerchief from the phantoms fingers. "Th-thank you," she stuttered out, still taken aback by the gesture and the fact that she had not even heard anyone approach.

"Hn."

Sakura's heart stopped at the sound. She knew that vocabulary. There was only one person in the entire of all her existence that she knew, who seemed to think such a sound was a word. She leaned forward, her stopped heart now racing as if to make up for lost beats during her stunned state.

Peeking through the slatted wood. She could see the outline of a person and bits and pieces of his clothing but his face was hidden by a veil of greenery. Pushing aside the leaves, Sakura craned her head to try and catch a glimpse. She needed to confirm. Surely she had to be mistaken.

The movement of the leaves seemed to catch the person's attention and his dark haired head turned to face her. For a moment she froze, too shocked to believe it that it was really him.

"Sasuke?" She asked, her voice nearly breathless with disbelief.

Chapter Text

Present Day:

"Sasuke?" She asked, her voice nearly breathless with disbelief.

The moment the name left her lips her mind seemed to catch up and register what she was seeing. It wasn't him. It wasn't Sasuke. His hair was too long and his eyes were not quite the right shade. They were lighter, and had a burdened look as deep stress lines ran from the corners of his eyes along his nose to his cheeks. She stared at him and he stared back, a small look of surprise displaying across his forehead as he raised his eyebrows.

"No," the man said, his voice was just slightly higher than Sasuke's, lightened by the polite tone in which he spoke. "But I am curious as to who would associate with my brother?" He cocked his head to the side the way a crow would observe something shiny. "My name is Itachi," he said as he stuck what he could fit of his fingers between the spaces of the wooden trellis, in what was an odd offer of a handshake. "Who are you?"

Sakura stared back at him. Brother? Sasuke had a brother? It was a fact she should have already known, did already know, but still, it took her off guard. Sasuke, Uchihas, and demon heritage had never really mattered to her before. But that was before. Now after everything she did not know what to think. If this was Sasuke's brother, had she already met him before? If so, did he recognize her? What was he doing here?

After everything she had just been told and with all of the questions racing through her mind, her first instinct was to run away. But then she remembered Tsunade had said the delegates of the fallen were meeting with her. Was this one of them? Suddenly she remembered her manners and took his fingers with hers as they clasped in a makeshift handshake.

"Sakura," she said, her eyes not leaving his. "My name is Sakura."

She watched him as a look of surprise over took his entire face as he stared at her in disbelief.

The diplomacy meeting had been long and exhausting. Peace talks aside, tension between the negotiating factions was still tight. He supposed it was to be expected after thousands of years worth of divide and reinforced programming to hate each other.

He had come at his father's wish to which Itachi had no argument against going. He enjoyed the heavens, his favorite part being the lush and brightly colored flora. With his eyesight deteriorating, the underworld was becoming darker and darker as the strain on his eyes increased. No longer did the unique cavernous gardens glow bright enough for him to enjoy. But the heavens...they were enough for his senses.

When it seemed that the discussion would be going far longer than planned, he took advantage of not being needed at the moment and wandered out to the gardens that he knew to be just outside the building in which they were meeting. The moment he stepped out from the overhanging, the sun hit his face and he took a moment to take in a deep floral breath. Scanning his eyes, he found himself a nice shaded spot to sit and rest that would give him a view of the surrounding displays. It was nothing but a wooden trellis with dark green vines climbing and weaving through the holes and slats of the wall. Here and there purple flowers hung in full bloom, giving it an aromatic atmosphere as he settled onto the ground.

He had just leaned back to enjoy the quiet solitude when a small sniffle sounded behind him. He was surprised he had not even noticed another's presence as his senses were usually intune for any chakra detection. After thousands of years of cold warring and high alert, it became second nature.

His first thought was to find another spot, not wanting to be disturbed nor wanting to intrude on the stranger. But just as he leaned forward to stand, he remembered his manners. His mother had always tried to ingrain compassion into her sons, despite the disapproval of her husband.

As quietly as he could, he pulled a clean handkerchief from his pocket and turned to the wall of greenery. Leaves and wood obscured whoever was on the other side but after pushing aside a few vines he managed to make out what was a narrow shoulder. He stuck his fingers through one of the many holes until his hand could go no further.

The square fabric grazed right by her shoulder and ear, causing her to startle as the cloth tickled against her skin. A light feminine gasp came from behind the curtain of greenery and after a moment, a small hand accepted the offering as a quiet word of gratitude was uttered.

Itachi nodded then realized she would not be able to see him. Instead he gave out a hereditary hum of acknowledgement. His plan was then to depart but the gasp, followed by the rustling of leaves, caused him to turn around.

From between a gap in the slats, a pair of green eyes appeared. Bright and lush with life, just like the vines that surrounded them. A burst of chakra flared up and Itachi realized why he had not noticed her before. The girl had excellent chakra suppression skills. It intrigued him, he had not met many that had such perfect control. But this was not what intrigued him the most. No, it was the name she uttered following this that truly captured his curiosity.

"Sasuke?" She asked. Her voice was a mixture of disbelief, fear, and if he was not mistaken, hope.

He tilted his head to better meet her eyes and he noticed she recognized her mistake. However, that did not stop him from answering. "No," he said lightly. "But I am curious as to who would associate with my brother?" He cocked his head to the side in contemplation. "My name is Itachi," he offered as he stuck what he could fit his hand through the wooden holes. "Who are you?"

He watched her eyes look down at his fingers for a moment and then he felt her warm fingers wrap around his in a miniature handshake. "Sakura," she said. "My name is Sakura."

Itachi froze. He knew that name. He had never actually met anyone with such a name. But he was familiar with the name associated with the woman who had hung over his brother, leading him to self and worldly destruction due to his obsession.

He wasn't sure how to feel for the girl that had such an effect on his brother. Angry, for what her absence had done. Sorrow, for the loss of such a young life. Or gratitude, for at least proving his brother was capable of having a heart, no matter how damaged and decayed it had become.

He had never met her but he often contemplated what it would be like. Despite not ever meeting the girl, he knew enough about her. Sasuke had told him many things and he had pried a few things from the blonde blessed that had once been a close companion of his brother. Back when they were both just barely grown into their wings. After Sasuke had disappeared, Itachi had interrogated Naruto, or at least tried. But the blessed seraph seemed to have an aversion to the topic regarding the mortal. He had been only able to get minimal information as the sunny seraph seemed to make himself scarce any time Itachi came into close proximity.

"Sakura," he repeated. "That is quite a...fitting name." She gave him a polite smile that lacked amusement, obviously she had heard this comment one time too many.

Any other time he would have let the shared name pass by without any reflection of the name. But the fact that the current possessor of the name had just uttered his brothers name, it seemed too coincidental.

He took in the girl with more detail. There was of course her eyes but then he began to piece other parts of her face from what the crisscrossed wood did not mask. Porcelain skin and soft brows, all framed by light strands of pink hair. The girl was certainly beautiful, strikingly so and unique.

It felt like he was meeting more of a garden nymph than a fellow seraph. She was just like the mortal realms mythological creatures that either charmed or tricked those that wandered into their gardens. And Itachi was not sure which one she was, a charmer or trickster.

"May I ask how you are acquainted with my brother?"

Sakura shifted so that she was kneeling on her legs as she scooted closer to the Uchiha. Despite her better judgment, she couldn't help but want to continue the conversation. If Itachi was Sasuke's brother, surely he would hold some answers or insights that could be useful in knowing what to do. However, she had to tread lightly. As much as her curiosity yearned, Tsunade's warning still rang fresh in her ears.

"Who doesn't know of your brother? Everyone knows of Sasuke Uchiha, the fallen prince of the fallen."

Itachi gave her a wry smile. "Yes that is one of the many, and more kinder things people say about him. However that is not what I asked Sakura." Her name danced from his tongue. "I asked how you know him. My brother does not make a habit of being familiar with our kind anymore, and when he did, it was of the lowest and most deplorable examples." He raised his brow. "You hardly look the type to fall under that category. Unless...you knew him before his downfall?"

Sakura bit her lip. This Itachi was far more clever than the usual demons she was around. The only other in comparison that she had socialized with had been Sasuke. It really should not have come as a surprise that his brother would be any different. "I suppose you could say we are...recent acquaintances. I cannot say I really know him." And it was the truth. At least that is how she rationalized it, she pleaded ignorance to justify the bending of her truth.

"Interesting," Itachi commented. "And what do you think of my brother?" He asked, curious as to what her answer would be. "Is he a crazed heretic that wields chaos? Or a blight bringer to souls? Depending on how long you have been around, maybe you still see him as Orochimaru's reaper?"

Sakura frowned. She had heard many of these things spoken by many different people when on the subject of Sasuke or any rogue seraphim for that matter. However, it was unseemly coming from a person claiming to be a brother. It seemed unnatural. But there was something in Itachi's face that told her, he was only repeating what he heard others say. None of this he actually believed, that much she could tell. But why would he say such things? Perhaps to test her?

"I think he is someone who is hurting," she answered truthfully. "Someone who was never taught how to handle grief. I think people misunderstand him. He is not evil, just lost."

She wasn't sure if she truly knew this to be true, not after what she had seen earlier today. The crazed desperation she had seen still played across her mind in vivid detail. But people act irrationally when they are afraid. And Sasuke had been afraid of being left alone. Already she felt guilty but while perhaps these feelings she seemed to carry within her went out to him, she was not about to just follow him blindly. Not when so much was in jeopardy.

Itachi seemed to deeply contemplate her answer before finally, the corners of his mouth curled into a smile. "I like you Sakura," he commented. "You are what our world needs."

She was not sure how to respond to that but the honesty in his tone made her like him. He was certainly not what she expected. "What was he like?" she requested. "Before Orochimaru, before he left, what was Sasuke like?"

Itachi let his face turn up to the sun as he leaned his head back and closed his eyes. He heard Sakura shift around again and a small smile came to his lips. She was a curious little creature that he himself was just as curious about.

"My brother was nothing like what most people know him to be. As a child he was always eager. Eager to learn, eager to please, eager to be acknowledged. It drove him to work hard. When he had a goal in mind, he set out to perfect it then and there," Itachi spoke his words with a fondness in his tone. "He was not very patient though. He always wanted to have the skills and knowledge immediately. That was perhaps his greatest flaw. He wanted to stand on mountains but did not want to take the time to climb it. Therefore he was always looking for shortcuts and the fastest routes."

A frown came to his face and Itachi turned his head to look at Sakura who had her face nearly pressed up against the trellis, holding on to every word he spoke. "Our father was always hard on him which made him hardened on the outside as he grew older. Though there were the occasional times when his softened heart would shine through in his actions. He never did like corrupting."

"But he is so…" Sakura trailed off, unsure of how to finish her sentence.

"Good at it?" Itachi finished with a wry smile.

Sakura hesitated but then finally gave a guilty nod. "Sorry, it's just that I have heard so many rumors. And you can only ignore so much of what we know of history. He himself is not mentioned much, but I know he was behind a lot of what Orochimaru had done."

Itachi nodded in understanding. "Yes, well, you asked what my brother was like before. But my brother has not been my brother for a long time."

They had spoken for quite some time, eventually Sakura seemed to be brave enough and circled around to his side of the wall. She had kept her distance from him, cautious but curious. Like a stray cat being offered cream but won't accept until given enough space.

All while they spoke, Itachi could not shake the feeling that this woman was more than she appeared to be. Sasuke had said he found Sakura, his Sakura. This girl, from what he knew, matched the image and tranquil aura that he had always pictured such a pure soul would have. There was only one problem, Sasuke's Sakura had been mortal, this girl was not. He had sensed her chakra earlier and while at the moment she had suppressed it again, almost as if out of habit, it proved that she was seraph. Though with her wings not visible it was certainly easy to forget that. She could easily be mistaken as a mortal.

Which brought him to wondering of the possibility that the reincarnated Sakura that Sasuke had found, and the seraphim Sakura before him, could be the same. If this was so, that brought him to another question. How did this Sakura come to be? Itachi was a believer of a many great things that the cosmos could do and he failed to believe that this could just be a coincidence.

"Sakura," came a beckoning call.

The newly acquainted pair turned to see Tsunade standing on the boardwalk looking between the two with a slightly pinched expression. She waved her over. "Come," she urged quickly, giving Itachi a wary look.

Itachi looked to Sakura who gave him an apologetic smile. "It was a pleasure meeting you." She exclaimed.

Itachi gave a nod. "Yes," he agreed. "It certainly was a pleasure." And it was the truth. "Perhaps we shall have an opportunity to meet again soon."

She gave him a sincere nod before standing and making a quick scurry towards Tsunade. Itachi watched as Tsunade put a protective arm around her as she began guiding her towards the home in which he knew the blessed ruler lived. As she guided the younger seraph away, she shot Itachi a dark look over her shoulder. A look that held an animalistic threat similar to that of a mother bear.

Interesting, he thought to himself. Tsunade was protecting this girl. And if he didn't know any better he would think she was almost hiding her. For several decades he had made many diplomatic trips to the heavens. And never in his life had he seen or heard of this little seraph that seemed so close with the ruler.

Intrigued by the turn of events, Itachi had a sudden urge to check on his brother. He had said he would not be involved but circumstances had changed.

"Sakura, what were you thinking speaking to strangers like that!"

They were the first words that came from Tsunade's lips the moment they entered their home.

Sakura looked at her, slightly taken aback by her outburst. "We were both just enjoying the gardens. Is he not one of the delegates for the peace talks? Why would that be a problem?"

"Even more reason you should stay away from him," she countered. "He is an Uchiha."

"I know," Sakura remarked. "Itachi Uchiha to be specific."

Tsunade's eyes widened. "You knew he was an Uchiha and you still spoke with him? What did you discuss? What did he want to know? What did you tell him?"

Sakura did not respond immediately to the flood of questions that came pouring from Tsunade's mouth. She was taken aback by the near panic that Tsunade was in. Did she think that Sakura would mess up the peace talks somehow? Her conversation with Itachi had been nothing but pleasant. They had started out with speaking of Sasuke but it had moved on to much lighter talk as they found they shared an appreciation for gardens. Why would Tsunade be so worried about such discussion such as favorite flowers and herbs?

And then it hit her. Tsunade was not worried about the peace talks. She was worried that Sakura would say something on the subject of everything that had been revealed to her earlier.

Sakura gapped at the woman that she had always viewed with so much adoration and respect. How could she possibly think that she would divulge even the smallest of information to the first person she ran into? Did she not think that Sakura could not handle such knowledge? Did she think that Sakura could not understand the consequences that could happen? It was not hard to believe given the fact that she had kept such things from her for so long. And the only reason why Sakura knew now was because Kakashi had forced her hand.

Sakura had not known how to react before, mostly because she had so much thrown at her all at one time. She had still been recovering from her earlier with Sasuke and not everything was absorbed quite so quickly. It had been a roller coaster of emotions throughout the entire day and it was just barely halfway over. It had started with an all too confusing morning of suppressed urges after her dreams, by mid morning she was confused and disoriented after she had blacked out. That was quickly overcome with a lustful passion that went beyond the capacity of just carnal needs. By mid day she was scared and panicked as she tried to flee the same source in which her body had been just a moment ago ready to give itself in entirety then and there on a pier bench. And then she was given an overload of revelation that she had barely enough time to register one thought before another tidal wave of life altering facts were thrown at her again.

After the peaceful and calming experience she had with Itachi in the gardens, she finally had a moment for the tsunami of emotions that had washed over her throughout the day to settle. Tsunade's outburst was like throwing a cannonball into the newly calmed waters. A ripple moved within her. It started with annoyance but as the ripple spread, it escalated to a tidal wave of anger. And she could not hold it back this time, the dam had been too far damaged. She had never raised her voice at Tsunade, but if there was something she had learned in her accumulated years, it was that there was a first for everything.

"Do you honestly think I would say something to him? Do you truly believe me to be so incapable and childish that I cannot keep a secret? Is that why you never told me before? Because you doubted me?"

"Sakura, you do not under-"

"No!" Sakura interrupted as she pointed a finger at the woman. "You don't understand. Do you have any idea how isolated and confusing my life has been? Do you have any idea what it is like to live in a way where you are not expected to question the irregularities that you live with every day? To be lied to for centuries by the people who claim to be like family? Do you have any idea what it is like to wake up one day and suddenly find out that you had a life before? A life you can't remember? A family that you have no memory of even their names? A home that you have no idea where it is? A loveー"

She cut herself off before she finished. She had been thinking of Sasuke at that moment and the word had just slipped out. But she stopped herself before she could finish. She still did not understand what they were, friends, lovers, friends that loved each other? It was all still a mystery which fueled her enough to continue. It was something she did not want to label until she understood.

"You understand nothing, no one does. You kept me in the dark for so long. If Kakashi had not found out, how much longer would you have kept lying to my face? Do you even regret or even feel the smallest bit of remorse for lying to me?" Tsunade opened her mouth to speak but Sakura was not finished. "Now, when I finally have at least some truth, you think me so naive that I would immediately go and spill it to one of the higher Uchiha's of the fallen? I am not a child, I never was in all the years I have known you, yet you treat me as such. You claim to love me like a daughter but what kind of mother lies to their child so easily? You're not a mother, you're selfish. You claim you're protecting me, but it was yourself you are saving."

"Sakura..." Tsunade tried again.

"I am not finished," Sakura raged. "Itachi and I spoke in the gardens. We met each other and became acquainted. I knew who he was from the beginning and I spoke to him with caution. After I found out he was Sasuke's brother I asked him about Sasuke. I asked him what he was like before and we discussed that along with any other common knowledge. He asked how I knew him and I only revealed that we were recent acquaintances that I did not know him well. Not once did I bring up his relationship with me before.

"I saw an opportunity to hopefully glean some understanding of the person that obviously had a large impact on my previous life. It was an opportunity for me to try to gain some understanding to sort out these drifting emotions. After a short conversation we spoke of flowers and herbs. That was it. After everything that you have put me through, I think I deserve a little respect and trust that I am not so stupid to go and ruin everything you have worked so hard to keep safe. I understand why you did what you did, I understand why it is important. However, I do not understand why after all this time, you would think so little of me!"

Her rant finished more so because she could no longer continue through the sobs that were escaping her mouth than the fact that she had finished what she wanted to say. There was just too much to speak of and too little vocabulary to express everything she was feeling. How do you cope or even accept the fact that what you are, is not really what you are.

There was a long pause with nothing but her own sobs to break the silence as she bowed her head and sobbed into the palms of her hands. She stood weakly and alone before the strong and familiar embrace of Tsunade wrapped around her body. Sakura stiffened for a moment, tempted to rip away from the woman's touch. But the comfort and warmth that filled her caused her to soften and fold into the woman's large bosom.

She felt Tsunade begin to rub her hands gently on her back as she leaned her head to rest against the side of hers. It was then that she felt the warm tears of the other woman against her skin.

"I am sorry," Tsunade whispered in remorse. "I am so sorry Sakura. No parent is perfect, and I am far from even a glimmer of perfection. It is not that I do not believe you can keep a secret or that you are not trustworthy. It is just...I worry so much for you. You filled a void in me that had been vacant for so long. I had not foreseen any of this happening when I turned you into what you are. Perhaps if I had known the pain it would cause, I would have changed my mind to spar you such sorrow. But in all honesty, after knowing what I know now, I would have still chosen to save you, to preserve you. Because you are right Sakura, I am selfish and I cannot fathom the thought of not having you here with me to fill that void."

The women held each other until their tears had dried and their sobs had settled down. And after that it had taken a little while longer before they could truly let each other go. Finally, they found themselves in the kitchen quarters, Sakura sat at the wooden table while Tsunade stood over the fire preparing a kettle for tea. The servants had been long dismissed, leaving the home quiet. They had yet to speak much after Sakura's out lash and Tsunade's apology. Each of them unsure of what to say to the other, but in a sense, there was nothing more to be said. For that is the bond between mother and daughter. Arguments arise, tears are shed, but in the end, all is forgiven because of the love they hold for each other.

"Kakashi said that he had been looking for you when he felt a spike of your chakra and heard you cry out," Tsunade finally said as she pulled the whistling tea kettle from the flames of the fire and moved over to the table. "He reported he was on his way to you when he ran into you in the alleyway. He said you were shaking and he had smelt your blood," she added as she poured the tea into separate cups then paused. "He didn't...hurt you did he?"

Sakura remained quiet for awhile as she reached for one of the cups. She cradled the cup in her hands, letting the warmth seep into her fingers. Staring down into the water, she watched it slowly become a darker shade as the aromatic herbs steeped within the warm water.

"No," she finally answered with a shake of her head. "He just...scared me, that's all. The blood was from when I fell and scraped my knees, nothing I cannot heal myself."

From under her bangs she caught Tsunade relax and nod before bringing her own tea cup to her lips. She took a small sip before gently setting the cup back down onto the table.

"Please do not take this in the wrong way," Tsunade began, "I promise I will not be angry as most of this is a consequence to my faulty thinking, but I need to know everything that has been exchanged between you two. What he has told you, but most importantly, what you have told him."

There is something entirely soothing and relaxing about having one's hair being brushed by another. Like so many animals that use grooming as a way to bond, Sakura had always cherished the moments when Tsunade brushed her hair. It brought about a bonding intimacy that she believed could heal just about any rift between two women.

As Tsunade brushed, parted, and braided Sakura's hair, Sakura recalled everything that had happened over the course of the past months. "...I just do not understand, from what I feel, and from what I have gathered, Sasuke and I were...or at least we...we had some kind of bond."

Tsunade gave a wane smile. "I believe the word you are looking for is love Sakura." Tsunande nearly teased. "It is quite alright to use it."

Sakura shook her head. "But that is just it...I just can't fathom loving someone who has done such horrible things. And how can such a heartless person even be capable of love? From what Sasuke has told me of the past between him and...myself-" Each time she said it, it sounded odd to her. "-it seems like a dreamy romance. But I just do not see myself capable of being able to love someone like him, despite the conflicted feelings I have been feeling. It just makes me wonder what kind of person I was myself."

Tsundae tied off the short braid that she had fashioned and set the hair brush down on the armoire that Sakura sat at. She then let out a small sigh and moved towards the window to look up at the darkening sky. Sakura turned and followed Tsunade's movement with her eyes.

"We gain an insurmountable of knowledge and skills in our collected centuries as seraphim," Tsunade said as she stared up at the stars. "The longer we live the greater the mastery we achieve. But there is one thing that we immortals cannot master, and that is dealing with the loss of a loved one. You would think centuries worth of time would be enough, but it is not when you expect eternity. You could lose one or one hundred and it never gets easier. Death changes people. Grief drives us to do things we would never think ourselves capable of. And no matter how long it has been, a seraph never recovers, not truly. We learn to cope at best. Some do it better than others, but it does not make them better than those who don't."

Sakura stared at the older woman, taking in her silhouette against the moonlight. If there was anyone who understood what it was like to lose a loved one, Tsunade did. She had lost practically every kind of love that one could have. Family, friends, comrades, lovers, she had lost them all, one after another. Hearing her explanation served to also heal the hurt she had felt before. It gave her a better understanding as to why Tsunade had been so rash and extreme with her decisions. Tsunade had never had children of her own, Sakura was the closest thing she had that resembled the bond of parent and child. And it was the only bond in which she had no experience in the loss of. Sakura could only imagine how much more fragile and cherished that bond was to her.

"I myself am not fond of the brat, but you should not judge too harshly when it comes to your judgments of what he is or is not capable of feeling. If anything, his reaction when he thought you died is only a testament to how deeply he felt for you," Tsunade remarked. "Damning a person in grief is like cursing a cripple for not running. You asked yourself what he was like before and Itachi answered. And while you may have no memories, from what you have told me of what has happened in the past weeks, he has at least tried. You cannot deny that you did not experience at least some moments of his tenderness."

Sakura was unsure of how to respond to this. It was strange hearing Tsunade remark on how an Uchiha deserved compassion, or at least a small amount of lesser judgment. But she was right. Sakura was perhaps judging all too quickly. He had been gentle and tender at times. His actions had been more or less sweet. It was perhaps glimpses of the brother Itachi had told her of. But those glimpses of his old self had been tainted with the knowledge and manifestation of his new self. He was a cocktail of the two personifications and Sakura was unsure if she could handle such a strong drink.

Tsunade let out another yawn and pushed away from her position against the window. "It is late," she commented, her melancholy tone disappearing with the casual observance. "You have had a long day. Tomorrow we will discuss with Naruto and Kakashi on the new protocol for when you are in the mortal realm."

Sakura looked at Tsunade with surprise. "You mean I am still allowed?"

Tsunade gave her a side grin. "I may have made a stupid miscalculation, but I am not so stupid I do not learn from my mistakes," she commented. "Yes, you will still proceed with your duties. But we will obviously need to proceed with caution. While I trust you...I cannot say the same for the Uchiha. I know I said to not judge too quickly, but I also warn you to not trust too easily. That boy is broken, he is no longer whole."

Fuck.

Fucking shit he fucked up.

But even as he acknowledged what he had done was a complete fuck up, he could not help but let the lost part of his mind rationalize his actions. He had not planned for any of that to happen. Had not planned to kiss her, planned to hold her, to feel her. But then again, he had not planned for her to collapse right in front of him. The flashbacks and the memories that had been revived from the deepest recesses of his mind had attacked the fragments of what remained of the sane portion of his mind.

He had seen mortals suffer from what they called post traumatic stress disorder. A condition of persistent mental and emotional stress due to severe psychological shock. When triggered, a person's actions could become unpredictable, even to the one suffering from it. He was too prideful to think himself susceptible to the same sickness that affected mortals, but it was the only thing he could compare it to. He had nearly lost it when he watched her fall, and would have, had she not opened her eyes and spoken so quickly after.

After being reminded of the vulnerability that her existence could so easily be erased, he couldn't be blamed for not wanting to let her out of his sight. And when she tried to, he panicked. In truth he blacked out for a moment as desperation took over which spurred an instinct. An instinct that had caused him to do everything he could to keep her in his sight. And then he became conscientious of what he was doing to her, her pleas filled his ears and her tears caught his eye.

She had a look on her face that he had never seen pass across her features. He had seen her look at him with intrigue and curiosity, unease and guarded alert, annoyance and love. At one time or another, she had seen him as a stranger, friend, and lover. But never, never in his entire life, past or present, had she ever looked at him the way she had after he pulled himself away.

She had looked at him the way everyone did, as the evil demon that he was.

She had never judged him for what he was and never had he seen her be afraid, not truly. Small degrees of fright he had seen, but never a fear so strong that it seemed to terrify. But for that moment, for a fraction of a second before she scampered off, she had looked at him as if he were nothing but a demon crawling out from the cracks of hell.

Everything in him wanted to follow her but his body would not listen. Too stunned to move. He knew not everything was the same with her, but still...he never thought she would look at him that way. She had always seen past the darkness enough to never be truly scared, to never worry that he would hurt her. He had never been the villain to her. But after what he had just done...after he had lost control...

He let out a heavy sigh.

He was losing control again. Her presence back onto his life was undoing the hard work he had done to regain control over himself. It had taken lifetimes for him to become the master of the curse mark Orochimaru had given him. The mark that had driven him into an insane and obsessed driven slave that was controlled and manipulated by the snake.

He bit down on his cheek in frustration. None of this was his plan, but as always, he would have to make due. There was no undoing what had already been done. However, he could prevent things from happening. He had not planned for this to occur so quickly. He wanted to give her time, find a way to get her to remember first. But consideration was thrown out the window. Right now, her life took priority over anything she felt. He could ask her for forgiveness later. However he would not be able to earn such a thing if she was gone entirely. He did not have the patience nor the sanity to wait another two thousand years to find her again.

Tracing his lips he replayed the memory just before she pushed herself away. It had been so refreshing and freeing to kiss her again, to no longer hold back or block away that desire. But just to act. It reminded him too well of the first time he had done it over two thousand years ago.

Chapter Text

Ancient Greece:

Kakashi watched as Naruto and Sasuke rustled around vigorously before Sasuke gave Naruto a particularly hard kick. Naruto swore and let out a protest to which Sasuke ignored and lashed out with a punch to match. It was a normal day and activity, however it was not a normal aura. Sasuke was being more aggressive than usual, his anger rising and his attacks more violent. Obviously something was bothering him.

"What's wrong with Sasuke?" Kakashi asked as he leaned to whisper into Sakura's ear.

Sakura looked at him then turned her attention to where Kakashi was looking. And then he watched her face harden as she looked at Sasuke. "How should I know," she snapped irritably. "I'm just a mortal why would I know seraphim business. I have no place nor worth among them."

Kakashi's eyebrows rose with surprise at the bite in her tone. Scratch his earlier questions, what was wrong with her? And who put such ideas into her mind?

There was an advantage in having people think you only paid attention to your reading rather than them. They let their guards down and you could notice things that were usually kept hidden. And notice Kakashi had certainly done. He had distinguished a certain change of dynamic between Sasuke and Sakura weeks ago, but it was nothing like now. Two weeks ago they had suddenly gotten very quiet and awkward around each other. Sakura had reverted back to her shy self, while Sasuke seemed more agitated than usual. And everytime Sakura touched or even grew near Sasuke, the boy seemed to lock up. The pair was constantly casting glances at the other when they thought no one would notice.

Today Kakashi not only noticed the shift in their behaviors, but there was also a tension between them that he felt would inspire a wonderful read for Jiraiya's next piece of art. Unlike the shy and hidden glances that had passed unknowingly between them, today was nothing less than heated glares. While at the surface it seemed to be anger that fueled such glares, behind the veil of rage, there was something far more sensual and passionate of nature. It was the very look Sasuke was currently shooting in their direction as he and Naruto took a water break.

Kakashi followed his gaze just in time to watch Sakura's own fiery glare mirror Sasuke's before she went back to weaving the basket in her lap. Her face softened slightly as her resolve seemed to slip and a twinge of sadness came over her face. However it was a brief slip before she pulled her mask of indifference back down. As he watched her nimble fingers move to lace the wicker inbetween itself, he found his mind pondering a single question.

What happened in the past two weeks?

Ancient Greece:  14 days ago...

They were both silent as they pulled themselves from the bubbling depths from whence they entered. Sakura had attempted to climb out of the water immediately by herself but each time she attempted to pull or lift herself, she went sliding back into the pool as her hand or foot slid against the kelp covered rock. Sasuke climbed out with ease then assisted a struggling Sakura by lifting her free from the pool. The moment she was free she had pulled herself from his grasp and began to slip and slide over the flat rock to where their abandoned shoes were nearly stolen by the high tide.

They were both silent as they walked back to her family's manor. Neither of them willing nor knowing how to address what had happened between them. In truth nothing had happened, but the unspoken, unknown, and unfulfilled of what could have happened, hung heavily in the air.

As they came to a stop before each other, they again continued the silence. For a long time only unspoken locked gazes were the form of communication as they each searched within themselves for the meaning of what they had felt in that cave.

"Sasuke I–" Sakura began but Sasuke cut her off before she could speak further.

"See you," he quickly cut in with a jab to her forehead that was harder than usual. Powered by his haste to get away and understand what this strange feeling and urge was.

Sakura watched him go as a heavy sinking filled her stomach. Nothing had happened, she told herself, but something had changed between them. There was no denying it. She had feelings that had been growing far past what she looked for in friendship. For a long time she was not sure what she wanted from him. But today, as she stood in that cave before him as his head bowed nearer and nearer, she knew exactly what she wanted. Unfortunately, she was unsure of what he wanted from her.

She was no stranger to social hierarchy. While perhaps she was higher up according to social rule upon this island, she was nothing when compared to the many other mortals upon this earth. Across the waters that surrounded her small world, there were others that were far superior. In simple terms, she was an insignificant daughter of a farmer. How could she compare to Kings and Queens, Emperors and Pharaohs? She was no Helen of Troy, a beauty of such grandeur that wars were waged. Nor was she a priestess that had oracle powers to foretell the fates. She was a girl on an island with dirt beneath her fingernails.

And when looking at the ladder of hierarchy, Sasuke was superior to even the grandest of mortals. Therefore, these feelings she had were nothing but fantasy. Unfortunately, in moments like today, when Sasuke looked at her, in the same way he had months ago when he had looked up into her face with awe...she could not help but believe, maybe she could be a Helen of Troy in his eyes. Maybe, just maybe, she could be worthy of him. She just had to be brave.

Ancient Greece:  Twelve days ago…

Sakura.

Sakura. Sakura. Sakura. It was all that seemed to be on his mind. Consuming all other thoughts and plaguing him with memories and ideas that he was positive had never happened between them. The most common one was that last moment of when they were in the cave.

She had been standing in front of him. Her eyes open wide, her presence glowing in the ethereal lights above them. And then there was her body. Draped in nothing but a thin cloth that had become opaque in its wetness, leaving little to the imagination of what he would find beneath such covering. And he found himself imagining such things much too often.

Sasuke was no stranger to lust. It was a well worn tool when seducing mortals. And he had felt attraction before, you can only do so much when physiology takes over. However, he himself had never been overcome with a lust so powerful he had to take and consume the offering before him. But he had seen it happen dozens of times over the numerous decades he had collected souls. He had seen it consume mortals to the point where they had done atrocious things just for a few moments of passion. Murder, plot, even wars had raged because of the lustful attractions of a single person.

Yes, Sasuke had seen enough to know the signs and symptoms of such a powerful emotion. Which is why he knew that this was not it. These feelings within him were foreign. As his eyes roved over the peaks and curves of her body, he was not consumed with the desire to ravage her until he was sated. Be not mistaken, that urge was there, but the desire was not. He did not want to merely have his way and be done with her. No, he wanted to take his time. He wanted to peel away everything he knew about her and rediscover it in ways that he knew no man had ever done before. If he didn't know any better he would think that this is what lov一

Fuck.

The cursing within his mind stopped his thoughts immediately. What was he thinking? It was preposterous, unnatural. Obviously he had been spending too much time with her that her ludicrous ideals of romance were rubbing off on him. He let out an audible scoff, as if he were to fall for a mortal. But even as the scoffed remark resounded in his head, it was muted by the image of Sakura.

Sakura.

Sakura. Sakura Sakura.

He looked over to where she was sitting next to Naruto who was animatedly telling her a story. She let out a tinkling laugh that set Sasuke's senses into overdrive. As her laughter died down, her eyes moved towards him and locked with his. Her jolly features softened into a demure smile as she gave him a nod of acknowledgement before quickly looking away. Instantly he felt a reverie beginning to form in his mind. One of her standing before him, garbed in a sheer dress as she looked at him with that same demure expression, just before she let her hands slide across his bare chest, caressing the definitions of his muscles before moving down to his一

Fuck.

He needed to get away from her. He needed to separate himself and get a clear mind. Surely this was some side effect of his desire for her soul. For that was what it was, wasn't it? That is what his drive was back then, was it not? He had been sure of it then, but now...now he was not so sure. He didn't want to own and consume. He wanted to be gifted and privileged to partake.

Ancient Greece:  Eight days ago…

It was a scenario that had been played numerous times. Sasuke stood by the underground lakeside looking for solitude when his usually absent brother, decided to be a nosey brother, and intrude.

"Something seems to be bothering you lately. What's going on in that head of yours?" He asked as he jabbed a finger in the middle of his forehead.

Sasuke was quiet for a long time. All the while, Itachi stood patiently next to him as they stared out across the lake. "Do you think it's possible that some humans were born in the mortal realm by accident?"

Itachi turned his head to look at his brother who was frowning at the black water. "What?" He asked, taken off guard by the obscure question. "Where is this philosophical thinking coming from?"

"It's nothing," Sasuke replied automatically, but with a prying look from his brother, he gave in. "There is this mortal, a girl-" Itachi raised his brow- "She is just...different. I don't know why or how to explain it, but there is something about her that just seems like she was destined for something greater. Like she belongs in our world and not the mundane one she was born in."

Itachi stared at his brother, perplexed. It was strange when Sasuke first confessed that he had made friends with the Namikaze boy. Maybe friend was not the right word, given how Sasuke spoke of the boy, but all the same, it was surprising that he was even social. But now, it was even more surprising that he had made another friend. A mortal no less. For a long time Itachi had feared Sasuke had inherited the pompous mentality that seraphim were above mortals, despite the fact that their entire existence depended on them. So really, who was the superior being?

Debates aside, it was comforting to know that Sasuke would deem a mortal suitable to enjoy amiable companionship. But again, Itachi was not sure if that label was quite correct. The tone in which Sasuke described her...It was almost as if…

Itachi shook his head. As much as he wanted his brother to be capable of those emotions. He also had to be logical. This was Sasuke, asking for anything above a tempter and temptee relationship was already pushing it.

He let out a sigh before giving an answer to his brother's inquiry. "Mortals are not meant for our world. They would constantly be victimized. It would be like throwing a rabbit into a circle of wolves."

"What if she couldn't be influenced."

Itachi gave Sasuke a perplexed look. "What?"

Sasuke cleared his throat. "I mean...hypothetically. What if said mortal was immune to temptation. What if even the strongest of our powers had no effect on her."

Itachi narrowed his eyes. "You mean…" he looked around, then lowered his voice. "A true soul?"

Sasuke's eyes widened. "So they are real? If she really was, could she-"

Itachi shook his head quickly. "Don't even entertain such an idea," Itachi warned. To think that his brother had found a true soul. He had read of them in the few markings within the manuscripts that alluded to confirming their existence. But Itachi had never seen or heard of one outside of the pages of ancient tomes. In fact, the only ones he had ever read about were during Hagoromo's time, when seraphim were created by the gods. It was a coincidence that Itachi had always thought odd. Was there a link to the disappearance of true souls and his kind's creation? To think that his foolish little brother had found one and was now thinking about bringing her here, to this place...the girl would be torn apart. "Mortals are born in the mortal realm for a reason. They belong there, not here."

"And if I do not want it that way?"

Itachi almost laughed at his brother's tenacity to stay stubborn even against the natural laws. "What exactly is she to you?" he asked curiously.

Sasuke was quiet for a long time. It was a reaction Itachi was not expecting. Could it be that his brother had found something worthy of his eyes? Something good and deserving of that worth other than power? Or was it the power this girl would bring him that had him so enticed? And this true soul, what kind of soul was it? Was she pure or evil?

"Do not spoil what is a precious commodity of that world Sasuke," Itachi said. "Treasure it and let it be the blessing that the gods gifted to that already struggling realm. It is best to let such souls run their course naturally and not get involved. I am sure she would make our world great, but she is not needed here."

Sasuke remained silent. The more he pondered his brother's words and questions, he realized that his brother was perhaps right. He was too involved, too attached. Yet even as he did his best to cement those ideas into the structure of his mind, something loose in the back seemed to echo answers and rebuttals to Itachi's words.

What was she to him?

Everything.

She is not needed here.

Oh, but she was.

It had been several days since Sasuke had seen her. He had been avoiding her. The last couple of nights he had been leaving signs and tokens at her windowsill to let her know that he was still there. A way to keep his promise to not leave, but also keep his distance. He wanted to sort out what had occurred between them in the cavern but the distance was not clearing his mind. It was only making it more muddled.

Ancient Greece:  6 days ago…

"Common Kakashi," moaned Naruto. "Just show me! Please, please, please! I promise I will master the other stuff later."

Kakashi let out a groan then set down the manuscript that he had been thoroughly devouring for the past hour. "Very well," he gave in as he got to his feet. "I will show you the hand signs once and that's it."

"Aw common," Naruto complained. "That's unfair. I am not Sasuke and can memorize it by cheating."

Kakashi shrugged. "Then you better pay attention closely."

Sakura watched Kakashi with a small smile before she turned to Sasuke. Immediately the smile fell into a small frown when she took in Sasuke sitting distantly from her. His attention was riveted to the stream that meandered through the meadow.

"I haven't seen you a lot this past week," she said, trying not to sound too clingy. She knew he had his own duties but still... "I've missed you."

Sasuke let out an eventual hum but his attention stayed glued to the stream. Slowly, Sakura inched towards him and put a small hand on his. Immediately he flinched and jerked away.

"What are you doing?" he said quickly.

Sakura retracted her hand to her chest and frowned. "Sorry, you just seemed distracted. I was just trying to…" her small shoulder came up into a shrug when she failed to form a full explanation. "Sorry," she apologized again. "I didn't mean to startle...or offend you."

Sasuke heard the veiled hurt in her voice and let out a tired sigh. "It's fine,'' he said. I've just been...distract一"

His words were cut short when she leaned towards him with her eyes open wide. His eyes darted over to where Kakashi and Naruto were disappearing into the wooded area. Realization dawned on him that this was the most alone they had been together since that day in the cave. Soon they would be completely alone.

"Sasuke," she said, his name sounding sweet as the honeysuckles that were growing wildly around the tree they sat under.

Her speaking his name drew his attention to her lips. Parted ever so slightly and tinted with the faintest of red, he felt himself being drawn in. Like in the cavern, he felt himself begin to gravitate towards her, his eyes solely focused on the pair of lips. And then he let them flicker up and he caught her eyes, once wide eyed and curious, they were falling closed with a heady gaze. His heart leapt and he pulled away.

"I have to go," he said quickly as he avoided looking at her, missing her rapidly blinking lashes as she seemed to come out of the stuppor herself.

In a blur Sasuke took to the skies and fled. All the while his mind raced until finally it clicked into place as to what he had just been about to do.

Fuck.

Ancient Greece:  5 days ago…

Sasuke pinched the bridge of his nose and let out a heavy sigh. He wasn't supposed to be thinking about Sakura, he was supposed to be focusing on the family dinner that he was currently sitting at. Lifting his head and opening his eyes, Sasuke focused on the conversation that was taking place around the large table.

"What purpose is there in this plan," Itachi argued. "You have already destroyed the Senju clan?! You have your revenge!"

"Itachi," came his mother's warning from beside him but Itachi ignored it.

"The seraphim are already on their way to extinction, do you really believe that is worth some petty rivalry?"

"Careful nephew, your pacifism is showing," Madara remarked, his tone spiteful and full of hatred as he glared at Itachi. "Some may think you are weak or a traitor."

"There is no shame in wanting peace," Itachi argued. "However there is shame in not fulfilling our duty and purpose. Which is to sort out and guide mortal souls, not wage war with our own kind."

Madara clucked his tongue. "Mortals," he said with distaste. "Such weak creatures. They have no need to be gently guided, they need to be ruled into submission. Getting close with them does nothing but make us fools. Just look at the disgrace that Tsunade Senju became when she became transfixed with a mortal. Tobirama, despite our differences, would be rolling in his grave if he knew what she became." An arrogant smirk pulled at Madara's lips. "To be honest it's the only reason why I allowed her to live. It brings more satisfaction seeing the Senju diminished to a pathetic heartbroken shadow."

While Sasuke had not been paying much attention to the discussion, the last mentionings of Madara had caught his ear. "What happened to Tsunade?" Sasuke suddenly asked, drawing the attention of the small gathering to himself. "Why did you let her live after swearing to run your enemy into extinction?"

His brother gave him a deep frown and a small shake of his head. Itachi had warned him about drawing attention to himself around Madara but over the past year, Sasuke couldn't help it, he craved the recognition. His mother had a worried look as if nervous that the interruption would upset Madara. And his father gave him a look that suggested he was a toddler asking why grass was green and the sky was blue.

Madara let out a bellowed laugh, breaking the tension that had built from Sasuke's question. "Ah, yes. I have forgotten you're too young to know the stain of the Senju," he chimed with spite in his tone. "Tsunade Senju is nothing but a pitiful excuse for a seraph. She was never a threat nor will she ever become one. She was so weak she claimed she fell in love with a pitiful mortal who did what every mortal does. He died. Now she is nothing but a drunken mess that wanders the earth like the the rest of the pitiful creatures that inhabit that realm." He let out a disgusted scoff. "We are above such creatures, anyone who sees them otherwise are weaklings themselves that need not taint our kind."

Itachi glared at Madara. It was this kind of influence he was worried that his brother would inherit. With that in mind, he looked to his brother to gauge what he was thinking. There was a disturbed look on Sasuke's face that made Itachi wonder what exactly was going on in his mind. Was this curiosity brought about because of that mortal? How long ago did he meet this mortal and was he still returning to her? He had never thought much about his brothers attachment with the mortal since their discussion. But now, he was beginning to wonder if maybe it was more than just hypothetical talk. Was Sasuke actually considering bringing a mortal to their realm?

Across the table, Sasuke's mind was in frantic analyzing. Did he fall under that category that Madara was speaking of? Was he lesser because he was sympathizing with a mortal? Here he had the ultimate prize, the soul that would most likely bring him all the honor a glory that would finally bring recognition from his father and all of the council should he collect it. He knew Madara had taken an interest in him, but lately that interest seemed distant. All his life that had always been the only thing that mattered. Now, he had the guarantee to receive everything he had ever wanted. And here he was, protecting it, hiding it. Everything but claiming it.

But even now, as he tuned out Madara who continued speaking with his father on other matters, he could not help but think, Sakura was an exception. She was not like other mortals. She was higher up...but why? Did the gods perhaps make a mistake in creating her? A seraph without wings? They had to in order to have such...influence over him. She was like an evolved being, born with traits that made her better equipped for the world, for a bigger world, for his world.

He looked across the table to see Itachi watching him closely. Itachi's head tilted to the side as his eyes narrowed in concentration. That look reminded him of what his brother had said more than a week ago.

Do not spoil what is a precious commodity.

Those were the words Itachi had told him. And Itachi was right, as was Madara. Mortals did not belong. He would not betray Sakura, she was too precious. For the first time in his life, he would not be selfish. But even as he made that promise to himself, he had a hard time believing because he knew what he was. He was a demon, he was allowed to lie.

Ancient Greece:  2 days ago…

Sasuke balanced on the branch of the tree that allowed him to peak over the stone wall that served as a perimeter to the small manor. His eyes blazed almost obsessively as he stared at the window that he knew to be Sakura's room. With every beat of his heart, he felt a tugging urge. An urge to fly up to that window.

Distancing himself had proved to be more difficult than the last time. Which was why he was sitting outside and waiting for her to appear in the window. He just needed to see her. That's what he told himself. That seeing her would be enough to curb this craving of her presence he seemed to have developed an appetite for.

"Sasuke?"

The quiet and unexpected call of his name nearly caused him to lose balance. He had been so focused that he had failed to realize the someone had been approaching. Looking down from his branch, Sasuke caught sight of Sakura looking up at him. One hand rested on the tree trunk while the other held a small shawl around her shoulders as a simple shift covered the rest of her body.

Sasuke's mind began to wander when she adjusted the shawl and a flash of her bare skin stretched across her collar bones and a peak of cleavage was exposed. Sasuke stared down, transfixed until he realized what he was doing. He did not lust after mortals, mortals lusted after him. Hardening his resolve, he jumped down from his perch. He landed only a few inches away from her with his gaze fixed on her face.

Her eyes widened at his abrupt appearance. Without taking his eyes from hers, he reached up and adjusted the shawl so that it covered her fully. "What are you doing out here," he questioned. "And why are you not dressed? It's the middle of the night, you should be up in your room...asleep." His tone came out hard and annoyed, fueled by the fact that this was exactly what he thought she had been doing, not wandering around in the night half dressed. It made him wonder just how often her wandering about was going unchecked with his mind so distracted lately.

"I was just…" She shrugged when she could not find a valid answer. "I couldn't sleep."

"Why not?"

"I don't know," she said, as she looked down at her hands that played with a frayed tassel that hung from her shawl. "Something just kept bothering me. Every time I tried to lie down there was something in me that felt tight. I couldn't relax so I thought I would take a walk. I didn't mean to come all the way out here, I just did. I didn't even know that you were here until I looked up."

As she spoke, she lifted her head as a curiosity befell her. "Why are you out here?"

Sasuke paused before he answered. "There were rumors of a rogue in these parts of the islands, I was just scanning the area, looking for him," Sasuke made as his excuse. "Anyways," he finished. "I was just leaving."

"Wait," Sakura cried as she reached out and grasped his hand in an effort to keep him from leaving. Sasuke paused in his departure, not bothering to turn around as he looked at her from over his shoulder. "I...I can't help but feel like something is wrong between us."

"Tch," he scoffed. "Why would something be wrong."

Sakura's brow crumpled. "I don't know. But everything has felt off lately."

"Your mind is just making things up."

"Then why are you avoiding me? Even when you're around you're not really." Sakura pressed. "Did I do something wrong? I have been getting your little tokens so I know you have been here, but I have hardly seen you over the past week."

Sasuke whirled around. "Did it ever occur to you that I have more important things than stick around some insignificant mortal?"

His words caused her hold on his arm to loosen as she ducked her head. "No, I just thought that maybe…"

"I don't have time for this Sakura," Sasuke irked. "I have a rogue to find. I can't be bothered with another speech about how you so desperately need me in your life. Unlike you, my role in this world has some significance other than sitting around and waiting for trees to bare their fruit."

Sakura flinched at his hurtful words but she recovered quickly. Her head shot up with a hard look. "Very well, if you have such highly important tasks, then why are you here Sasuke?" she questioned with a hard tone. "Why are you outside of my home? Why are you even in my life? If I really mean so little to you then why do you keep promising to be back?

Sasuke said nothing in return as he had no answer that would satisfy her. So Sakura continued on. "If you're just here to toy with me then please just do it. Get it done and over with. Have your way with me, take me and corrupt me. Push me to do vile things. Show me the evil ways of this world or tempt me into damnation, I don't care. Just do something, anything. I will do whatever just as long as it makes sense because this unknown is worse than any hell I can conjure within my mind." She tightened her grip again and held his hand in a beggar's plea. "Please Sasuke, I will do anything-"

He ripped his arm free from her grip. "Stop it," he snapped. His mind raced wildly, unable to focus on anything but her offerings. While her offering of herself was most likely empty and facetious, it made the imaginations of his mind run wild. She had no idea what she was saying nor the effect that her words were having on him. And that only served to anger him more. "You don't know what you are saying."

"What is going on with you Sasuke?" she inquired with almost desperation. "I know things in your realm have been tense, Naruto told me of the peace talks and the stress that all of your kind have been under. Is that it? Is that what is bothering you? If so you can talk to me. Just open up, let me in."

In her begging to understand his behavior, her shawl had fallen down from her shoulders and now hung from the crook of her arms. The result had been the revealing of the low cut and thinly strapped shift of her sleeping gown. The amount of exposed skin and the thinness of the material covering her unbound chest, revealed the shape and form of her womanly body. The sight of it made Sasuke unable to fully think.

He needed to get away from her. He needed to think clearly.

"What's bothering me," he began, doing his best to keep his eyes focused anywhere but at her chest, "is that I have an annoying mortal that is sticking her nose into business she has no part in," Sasuke growled in agitation. Despite his efforts, his eyes dipped down to her chest and the rushing of his urges caused him to grab a hold of her arms with a tight grip. It took him two deep breaths before he could pull his eyes back up to meet her wide green irises. "Now will you please cover yourself, go back into your damned house, and stop fucking annoying me by wandering around at night!"

Tears poured down her cheeks as she ran away from him. Sasuke did not even bother to watch and make sure she went back into her family's manor. Instead he kept his eyes glued to the spot where she had been standing next to the tree. He let out a roar of annoyance and slammed a fist into the side of the tree. It let out a groan as it cracked slightly but not enough to make it fall down. Heavy breaths escaped him as he tried to calm himself. He hated and loved her obliviousness to the effect that she had on him.

The image of her standing next to the tree was summoned back into his mind. Along with the idea of how easily that linen gown could have slipped from her shoulders to expose two perky breasts. He thought about how he would have been able to run his hands across the smooth skin and memorize their shape with his touch. It had been everything his body had been urging him to do. Her small and delicate body would be nothing to lift and angle against the tree to a degree that he knew he would have sated both of them rigorously and numerously. Her legs would wrap around his waist while her hands would dig into his back and grasp at his hair as he一

His mind halted when he realized what he was thinking of. But he was not sure if it was a blessing or a curse that he had caught himself. For while he had rid himself of his mental fantasy, the physical evidence of such a fantasy was now pressing painfully within his trousers. Sasuke let his head fall forward against the tree as he let out a curse under his breath.

Fuck.

Ancient Greece:  Current day…

Sakura watched the pair as they sparred. While she had been snappy with Kakashi and dismissed his inquiries, it had nothing to do with her lack of caring. In fact, she cared very much. The only problem was that she didn't know the answers, and everytime the concern passed through her mind, Sasuke's last words to her had replayed in her memories.

They had hurt. It was not as if he had never called her annoying. But in the past, it had almost served as a term of endearment and fondness. But the other night there had been no such affection, whatsoever. He had never used such harsh language or tones. Sasuke had tried to push her away before, and she had fought through it. But she could not help but think that this time was different. Sasuke was not just avoiding her, their whole dynamic had changed.

However she could not put the blame on just him. Some of that change had been her fault too. The way in which she saw him had changed and it was difficult to treat him as she did before. She didn't like to see him irritated or frustrated. She didn't like to see him angry and violent. She did not like to see him the way he was now.

She watched the sparring for a moment as she paused in her basket weaving. Sasuke maneuvered around Naruto, grabbing his arm and twisting it painfully. Naruto let out a yelp as a sickening sound of his shoulder popping out of place echoed over to where her and Kakashi sat observing. Sakura flinched at the sound and look of pain that went across Naruto's face.

Normally this kind of thing would not happen. She had seen them leave a bruise or maybe a small laceration when using weapons, but never something of such intentional infliction. So when Sasuke moved forward to continue his attack, it was even more surprising. The violence in which Sasuke was handling Naruto, Sakura had only ever seen once, when the rogue seraph had targeted her. But that time had been out of protection and duty, to see him inflicting such violence towards someone who was supposed to be his friend was...disturbing. And it seemed Kakashi agreed with such thoughts.

"Sasuke that's enough!" Kakashi called out. It was as if Sasuke did not hear and if he did, he did not care as he continued to ram his fist into Naruto's side. Immediately Kakashi was to his feet and flash stepping towards the tangled pair. "I said that's enough!" He repeated as he pulled Naruto free from Sasuke's hold.

Naruto fell down to the ground in a slumped heap as he let out several moans of pain. Sakura, who had gotten to her feet much slower than Kakashi, raced to his side where she bent down and began to look over Naruto. With gentle hands she helped him remove his shirt to take a full look at the damage. As soon as she saw the extent, her stomach churned.

His back was battered black and blue and the deformed look of his dislocated arm disturbed her. For a moment she paused in tending to the moaning Naruto to look at Sasuke. Kakashi was standing before him as he gave a hard lecture on the manors and rules of sparing which seemed to go unheard. From over Kakashi's shoulder, Sakura could see Sasuke's expression which was stony and closed off. Only his eyes, which were dark and gleaming, seemed to be the only expression of emotion within his face.

As if sensing her eyes on him, Sasuke's dark orbs twitched to the side to look past Kakashi's shoulder to her. She froze under his hard glare as she felt the strong and mixed emotions within the dark abyss of his eyes center on her.

Sasuke watched as Sakura cast her eyes away from him and it did nothing to improve his mood. As he tuned out Kakashi's beratment of his violation of the rules of sparing, Sasuke watched as Sakura gently tended to Naruto. Her first task was resetting his shoulder which she did with surprising quickness and strength as she gently lifted his arm into position then forcefully yanked it back into place with that strength Sasuke always had a hard time wrapping his head around. As Naruto cried out in pain, any guilt or solace that he would have felt was lost when Sakura's hands began to move across his back, tenderly touching the muscles as she inspected the purple blotches that marred Naruto's tan skin. She palpated his side and Naruto took in a hissed breath as she prodded at the place where several of his ribs were most likely broken.

It rebirthed the rage that had spurred him to push the spar so far. Had Kakashi not been standing between them, he would have most likely pounced. This revelation was disturbing to Sasuke. It was one thing to be protective of Sakura, but he refused to be possessive. That meant claiming her. And while it was not in the sense of claiming he had originally refused to do, he was not willing to give into claiming her at all. Not in any way, shape, or form. He would not give into such weakness. He would not give reason for Madara to find fault in him, or anyone for that matter.

"...back to her home," finished Kakashi.

The last of his words were the only ones that grasped his attention as Sasuke moved his eyes away from Sakura, who was still crouched over Naruto, to look at Kakashi.

"What?" Sasuke questioned.

Kakashi let out a heavy sigh and turned his back to him as he walked over and pulled Naruto up to his feet. The blonde seraph gave out a loud grunt as he stood and straightened. With his students arm draped over his shoulder, Kakashi looked to Sakura.

"Thank you Sakura, but I believe your abilities, while great for those you serve, do not extend to the skill of our kind," he said gently before throwing a hard look to Sasuke. "See to it that she gets home safely, I noticed there have been some rogues making their way through these isles."

At his words Sakura quickly stood. "Oh that's not necessary, I can-"

"It would give me peace knowing that you will get home safely this evening," Kakashi interjected. "Is that not right Sasuke?" he called out, not looking at the dark seraph. "Can I trust you at least know how to properly escort Sakura to her home?"

Sakura's green eyes flashed over to where Sasuke was standing, his dark eyes avoiding her yet again. The last thing she wanted was to be left alone with him. But at the same time, she could not deny the hope that maybe they could fix whatever rift had fallen between them.

"I would never let anything bad befall her," Sasuke said sincerely.

With that promise, Kakashi nodded his head and he and Naruto took to the skies. After the rush of the wind from their wings settled, Sasuke began to walk towards Sakura. For a moment she expected him to do as he always did, walk past and expect her to follow. Instead, he paused before her. With slow movements, he raised a hand to her face and ran a thumb across her cheek.

With a gentle rub, he brushed off a smear of Naruto's blood that had somehow managed to soil her skin and withdrew his hand. "Don't touch that seraph, you have no idea what kind of diseases he carries."

Sakura crumpled her brow as she watched Sasuke begin to walk in the direction of her home. Since when was Naruto that seraph?

"Come on," Sasuke called over his shoulder. "I don't have time to waste.

For a moment Sakura was struck with familiar nostalgia but with his last words, she was reminded of the sudden rift and distaste he seemed to have for her. Not wanting to further that rift, she obediently followed behind, keeping herself a few paces behind as they walked in silence.

When they reached her home Sasuke stopped just before the gateway and turned to her. Not expecting the sudden stop, Sakura ran face first into his chest. Stepping back with a dazed look she felt his hands come up and stabilize her as she looked up at him. As soon as she was steady his hands let her go as if she burned him.

She gave him a quizzical look as he took a step back from her and put his hands in his pockets. "What is wrong with you?" She blurted out as she watched him shift uneasily from one foot to the other.

Sasuke stilled and looked up at her, his eyes turning hard as he frowned. "Nothing," he replied testily.

Sakura folded her arms and glared off into the dimming surroundings. "That didn't look like nothing to me back there with Naruto," she said firmly, earning a sharp look from Sasuke which she ignored. "I understand I might be insignificant to you, but Naruto is—"

"I don't think you're insignificant."

Sakura paused in her interrogation to look at him. "What?"

Sasuke was pinching the bridge of his nose as he let out a sigh. When his hand dropped, he looked at her with a soft expression. Taking a step towards her he reached out and plucked a portion of her hair and examined it.

He knew it was a bad idea but he was tired of being angry and it was obviously doing nothing to stop what he was feeling. He just needed to be in control. With that conclusion, he thought if distancing was not working, then perhaps desensitizing himself to her would be best. So he played with her hair, relishing the smooth shine as he let her scent fill his nostrils with slow, controlled breaths.

"I don't think your insignificant," Sasuke repeated. "I do care about your wellbeing and I think you are important to your world...and mine."

Taken aback by his change in attitude, Sakura opened her mouth to say something but Sasuke held a hand to her lips.

"But you don't belong in mine," he said, more as a reminder to himself than to inform her. "And I only bring danger to yours."

Sakura stared up at him and with a small, delicate hand she reached up to his and grasped it. Slowly, she took his hand away from her mouth and held it to her chest, just above her heart. "Is this what this is about again? You being a danger to me." She questioned almost irritably. "I thought I already told you, I don't believe you would hurt me."

A look washed over his face that was one that she had not seen for quite some time. It was the predatory one that had always made her feel weak at the knees. He raised his hand just high enough to grasp her shoulder and pulled her to him. With his head bowed close to her ear, he took in a deep breath of her scent as he opened his mouth.

"Trust me Sakura," he whispered dangerously. "You have no idea what I wish to do with you."

A shiver ran down her spine as she felt his hands move up and tighten in her hair. And all too soon he was pulling away from her, leaving her with a pounding heart and dizzy mind.

"I love you."

The words fell from her lips and immediately she brought her hands to her mouth as if to stop the words, but it was too late. They had already been spoken and they had already been heard. Sasuke spun around and stared at her.

"What did you say?" Sasuke inquired, not believing what he had just heard.

Sakura remained frozen with her hands clasped over her mouth as her eyes bulged in shock. Finally, after a long pause, she lowered her shaking hands. "I...I love you," she repeated in a hushed tone.

Sasuke stared mutely back at her. All he could feel was the rushed thundering of his heart within his chest. How? When? Why? The last question was the most perplexing. The only time he had heard those words fall from a person's lips was from his mother, and it had been decades when such affections were verbalized. Acceptance and approval was his downfall. He craved approval, but had difficulty accepting it in certain forms and from certain types of people.

"No you don't," Sasuke finally managed to say after a long pause.

His answer seemed to surprise her as her brow furrowed. "Yes I-"

"No you don't," he interrupted sharply. "And don't ever even fantasize such things."

His purpose was to keep his urges under control. However if he knew that his urges would be welcomed it would make it that much more difficult. And it was something he could not let happen. She had pretty much already offered her soul up to him the other day, something that was still tempting, but he cared too much to tarnish. However if she offered all of herself, whole body, heart, and soul, he was not sure he could quell the temptation so easily with some unmeaningful words delivered with a harsh tone. No, if he let her offer everything there would be no letting such an offer pass him by. He had to stop her, he had to keep her from ever giving such an offer to him.

The stubborn expression that always intrigued and annoyed him came to her face. "You don't know how I feel."

"Then you are foolish and delusional to even let such ideas and feelings be harbored within you," Sasuke replied in a monotone, doing his best to keep anything escaping his flat facade. "What do you expect to gain from such a confession? Do you expect such a thing to be requited? What would I, a superior being, gain from accepting your measly offering? Why would I want it?"

The glassy shine that came with the building of her tears glistened in the moonlight. "I do not expect anything," Sakura said quietly. "I was just trying to be honest."

Sasuke clucked his tongue. "I didn't ask for your honesty."

Sakura's watery eyes hardened as she glared up at him. "I didn't say it was for you," she snapped. "I was trying to be honest with myself. I have been denying these feelings for months now. Do you not think I know it is foolish? But I would be an even bigger fool to deny what my heart wants, to at least give it a voice."

Sasuke ran a hand through his hair and let out a sigh of exasperation. He paused in his agitation and looked at her. "What do you want from me?"

"I just want you to be happy."

He advanced on her. "You want to make me happy?" he repeated, causing her to nod vigorously. At her affirmation, Sasuke leaned close to her. So close that there was not even room for a full breath to pass between them. "I want you to move on, Sakura. Forget about these ideas and forget about those feelings. Do not even think for a second that they will ever be returned."

Chapter Text

Ancient Greece: 5 weeks later...

"Where is Sakura," Sasuke asked in a tone that was too casual. "I am not going to wait around all day for her to show up."

Naruto waved him off. "We don't need to wait for her, she's not coming," he filled in as he walked past Sasuke and began to go up the mountain.

He hadn't seen her in a week and she had been scarce the month before. He told himself it was what he wanted but his mind was treacherous. The less he saw her, the more his mind obsessed. He had taken to his old ways in stalking the house but it seemed Sakura had caught on, keeping her windows shut and staying indoors at night. He wanted to tell himself that is what he wanted. She was moving on. But the longer her absence went, the more and more agitated he became. Like an opioid addict who was in desperate need of a fix.

Sasuke's crossed arms dropped down in surprise. "What do you mean not coming?" he questioned doing his best to ignore the slight disappointment.

Naruto turned around and walked backwards, giving Sasuke a sly grin. "She has an engagement with a suitor," he said with a wink.

Sasuke came to a stop as he looked at Naruto with disbelief. "Suitor?" he parroted, as if the meaning of the word was foreign to him.

"You know, a person looking to seek out a marriage," he said in a bubbly tone as he turned back around to trudge up the hill. "A lad took a fancy to our Sakura and tossed an apple in her direction."

"I know what a suitor is," Sasuke growled in annoyance. "What I mean is, what do you mean by an engagement." Engagement could have several different meanings in such a situation. It could be as simple as a meeting or appointment but it could also mean something far more serious such as a betrothal. And Sasuke had to know which one. "And who is it with?"

"There is a festival in the town tonight," Naruto answered. "There is a new family that just recently moved to the island. The matriarch was ill when they arrived and Sakura has been tending to her.

"Anyways, it seems like their oldest son took a liking to her and asked her if she would accompany him to the festival. She seemed excited and wanted to spend the day preparing. He is a bit older than her, perhaps in his later twenties but I've seen these mortals marry men old enough to be their grandfathers. But the guy seems nice enough and he has a good soul too…"

Naruto's rambling feel upon deaf ears as Sasuke ceased walking. When Naruto turned around to see why Sasuke was being so quiet, he found it was because Sasuke was nowhere in sight.

Sakura smoothed out the new dress she had picked out with her mother the other day. Pristine fabric flowed around her with a braided golden belt that wrapped around her waist. Matching gold clasps on each of her shoulders held the chiton on her body while the emerald himation wrapped around her right shoulder. Nervously she checked her hair that her mother had carefully arranged her hair before placing fresh flowers into the weaving of her rosette locks.

Her mother had proclaimed her as beautiful as Persephone herself and when Sakura had looked at herself in the polished silver mirror, she could not even let her humbleness disagree. She felt beautiful and excited. She was a romantic but had never experienced anything that would fall under that category. That is unless she counted those special moments with Sasuke when she thought...

Sakura shook her head as she rid herself of such thoughts. No, she could not think about those moments. They no longer brought about a giddy excitement within her. Sasuke's rejection that had not just been a declining of her feelings but a mockery, had spoiled those precious moments. Now each time she thought of them they were tainted with a bitter realization that while they meant everything to her, they had meant nothing to him. It had all been in her head. With that conclusion, she focused again on a different man.

Atticus was a charming and handsome looking man. His family had been kind and lovely in her time with helping the matriarch a few weeks ago. His family was well off, managing and controlling a large portion of the trade ships and cargo ports within the area. They had just moved from the mainland as their mother was in want of a more quiet life, closer to what she had grown up with.

At first she did not think much of the Atticus. He had not been present for her first visit to check on his mother. And it was not until the end of the second visit that she had finally met the son that the woman of the house was constantly telling her of. The woman had six sons with an age span of twelve years between the oldest and the youngest. But Atticus was the one she spoke of most fondly and consistently. Sakura had been polite and humored the woman by listening to the man's praise. When she finally met him, it was but a brief passing and introduction before she headed home. Sakura had thought him friendly and attractive, just as his mother promised, but she had no other thoughts about him as soon as she was gone from his presence.

However after two weeks of daily visits, and his consistent attendance to each of those visits following, she found herself paying more attention to the man. It was not exactly the best of intentions, but Sakura found that he was a great distraction to a dark haired demon that haunted her constant thoughts. She had not even considered the effect of her actions until Atticus asked for her to join him at the festival. It was then that she realized the reason for his presence when she came to their house, as well as his constant offers to escort her home. She had always politely and obliviously declined, not wanting to be a nuisance, but now she knew why he continued to offer.

When she realized his intentions she panicked. But after more thought, she recognized it as an opportunity. Sasuke had told her to move on, a task that at the moment seemed impossible. But that was the thing about the impossible, it will always be impossible if you do not try. With that determination in mind, she decided to give Atticus the best chance she could offer. So she had accepted and now she was making her way towards the small town that was at the closest port.

She had been attending this festival for as long as she could remember but today everything seemed new and special. The colorful flags that had been worn from the many years of use looked more vibrant and the foods that were always served during this time smelled more enticing than ever.

"Sakura," called her mother. "Your father and I will be down by the town square. Find Atticus and join us, we would like to meet this young man."

Sakura nodded and turned away to make her way down the busy streets as dancers and musicians gathered. Many of them called out to her in happy greetings, several of the men requesting dances later and women inquiring of her parents. Normally she would have stopped to take the time to tell them her family was well or make a promise to dance later. But tonight was different.

Her eyes danced around looking everywhere and after several wanderings of streets, she caught sight of his familiar curly head of hair, making its way through the crowd in the opposite direction of her. She called out but her voice was drowned out with the ruckus of the festival. So she pursued him, politely pushing past bodies with numerous apologies until she broke from the crowd. For a moment she thought she had lost him until she caught sight of him disappearing into an alleyway with a woman in tow.

When Sasuke came to the fields that morning, he was not the first to arrive. The sun had just barely climbed past the horizon, casting a golden light on the summer dried hay field. In the middle, beneath the lone tree that designated their meeting point, Naruto sat on the ground with his arms wrapped tightly around Sakura. Dressed in clothing that he knew was of a higher finery than she would normally wear, he could only conclude they were from the previous night's celebration.

"What's wrong?" Sasuke asked, his tone unnaturally level as he took in the sight of Sakura, curled into the golden seraph as her shoulders shook slightly.

Naruto looked up as he ceased his whispered consolation to address Sasuke. "Turns out Sakura's suitor was not as respectable as I thought," Naruto growled as he looked back down to Sakura.

Sasuke raised a brow. "Oh?" he commented casually. "Seems his heart was not quite as pure as you thought...or maybe he was just weak and had never been tested."

At his remark, Naruto looked up at Sasuke. His hand stilled in the petting of Sakura's smooth hair as a look of suspicion morphed into disbelief as a realization dawned on him.

"Sakura," he said quietly as he pulled her away from his embrace. He looked down at the girl. "I will be right back. Don't go anywhere and remember, that man is not worth these tears, you hear me?"

Sakura gave him a small nod of her head then watched him as Naruto stood up and walked towards Sasuke. "I need to have a word with you," Naruto said lowly as he passed by and continued walking, not waiting for Sasuke to catch up.

As Naruto passed by him, Sasuke's eyes moved down to Sakura who was twisted around to look at him. Her eyes were red, and heavy dark circles showed the evidence of lack of sleep from the night before. However despite the saddened look in her eyes and the weary exhaustion, he couldn't help but take in the radiance of her sitting with the golden morning sunlight cascading upon her. The green himation around her shoulders brought out her emerald eyes as the smudged kohl that rimmed her eyes made them even more striking. The divinity of the image she made only solidified warrant for his actions from the night before.

The Previous Night…

Sasuke slipped through the town square with a stealth that made him no more than an added shadow in the darkening evening. His eyes searched the crowd with hawk-like precision until his attention fell on his prey. A man in his late twenties was standing at the edge of the town square as he moved nervously from foot to foot. In his hand he held a small bouquet of flowers that were tied with a ribbon that was nearly the same green as Sakura's eyes. Immediately Sasuke knew that this was the man Naruto had spoken of. And just as Naruto said, his aura certainly matched the label of a nice guy.

He watched as an older woman approached him who had similar eyes as the man. For a while she fussed over him before speaking a few words that seemed to make him calm down and give her a warm smile. When the woman left, another person approached him and Sasuke watched the interaction. As he watched the man he picked up on the polite way he interacted with everyone, old and young, male and female. It reminded him very much of how Sakura so easily interacted with others.

The more he observed the more he learned, and soon he found himself looking forward into the future. The image was so vivid, he found himself nearly watching it play before him. He and Sakura would wed. They would own a villa at the seaside in which they would have a small garden where Sakura would tend to when he was away with trade. Her belly would grow and soon there was a child in her arms. And soon another and another, until there were more children than hands between her and her mortal husband. As her husband tenderly held her, they watched their children run around the yard. All of them laughed and skipped as they donned their curly brown hair that was the same shade of their father while they all shared the green eyes of Sakura.

The image set his stomach rolling. It was sweet, happy, and all too probable. As Sasuke watched as a young boy who looked to be his brother leave the mortal man's side, an idea came to his mind when a young woman approached and began to speak with him. At first Sasuke thought nothing of it. While it was obvious that the woman was certainly looking for something more than conversation, Atticus only politely spoke with her, keeping a maintained distance even when the woman continuously encroached. It was then he sensed it. It was but a flicker of the mortals man's eyes and most would not blame him. But it was the smallest of desire he felt from the man that brought an idea to his mind. When the woman left after giving up on her advances, Sasuke took his turn to approach the man.

"She would have done anything you asked of her you know," Sasuke said casually.

Atticus jumped from the sudden voice behind him and turned to see a Sasuke leaning against the building behind him. He was examining his nails but when the mortal turned, Sasuke's eyes flickered to meet the soft amber eyes of the man. Startled, Atticus took a step back as he stared into Sasuke's red swirling irises.

"I don't know what you are talking about," he said.

Sasuke could sense his wish to depart but the weak mortal was too entranced by the swirling tomoes in his eyes to even blink. It was just another validation of his unworthiness to Sakura. She was far more above him.

He took a step closer. "I mean," Sasuke expanded, "that she would have laid on her back, bent over for you, kneeled for you. Anytime, anywhere. And I am sure she is not the only one. I can see it in your eyes, you desire more than just a simple coitus."

As his words were processed, Sasuke could sense the unease. He had seen it many times with mortals. There was something about another person knowing your deepest and darkest secrets that unsettled them, made them afraid. And they should be. For a man's desire was his greatest weakness. And Sasuke knew every man's desires, even his own. And right now, this human was interfering with them.

"I am sorry," Atticus said slowly. "I am new to these parts, I don't think we have met. My name is Atticus Andino."

Sasuke smirked at the mortals attempt of politeness to cover his unease. Pushing off from the adobe wall he leaned against, Sasuke closed the distance between them. With a strong hand, he grasped the hand Atticus offered and gave it a squeezed clasp.

"Greeting Atticus," Sasuke said sinisterly. "My name is not important, but what I am going to do for you is. I can see your darkest desires. You have done well to suppress them and ignore them all these years. No doubt a loving mother had taught you well. But life is short and with the specimen of a man you are, why would you waste that? Women desire you, and you desire them. So let me ask you, have you ever been tempted, even the slightest to let go of that restraint...just for one night."

Atticus moved to pull his hand away but Sasuke gripped it tighter. "I am sorry," Atticus said quickly as he tried to pull free again. "But I must be going. There is someone expecting to see me."

The man's natural draw to be self righteous and good stirred his annoyance. But he was not about to give up. He released a heavy influence and drew the man closer, wrapping an arm around his neck as he pulled their clasped hand between them. In a stiff, one armed embrace, Sasuke whispered into his ear. "I am sure you are, but there are many others around you that are wishing...begging for you to give them attention. Would it be such a sin to appease them? Is it not a far greater sin to ignore their heady needs?"

.

.

.

As Sasuke watched the mortal man disappear into the alley way he could not help but feel the smallest of smiles come to his face. Sasuke had never corrupted or even attempted to corrupt a person who was innocent and hardly blemished with sin. He had always avoided it because he felt he would not have the heart to go through with it. Yet, as Atticus pulled the woman into the darkness to satisfy his carnal desires and possibly more, he did not feel even the slightest of remorse. Instead something with him purred with content and accomplishment. Like a tiger who had successfully run an intruder from his territory.

"Tell me you didn't do what I think you did," Naruto demanded the moment they were out of earshot from Sakura.

His eyes were still trained on Sakura on the other side of the field. Observing her as her head bowed down and body pulled into herself, Sasuke stayed silent.

"Sasuke," Naruto snapped, causing the dark haired demon to finally look at him.

"I did not make him do anything that he would have not done on his own."

Naruto's eyes bugged. "Gods almighty Sasuke, did you really tempt him? Why would you do that! Do you have any idea how upset Sakura has been? How hurt she was because of what you did?"

"What he did," Sasuke corrected. "I merely got him to show his true colors. If anything I did her a favor."

Naruto narrowed his eyes. "He had a clean soul, hardly discolored. How much influence did you use on him? What, did you have to use the Sharingan?" Sasuke remained silent, which was answer enough. Naruto gaped at him. "Sasuke why?"

Sasuke's eyes snapped to Naruto. "Because he wasn't good enough for her. She deserves better than that specimen."

"You mean you did this because he was a suitor? Sasuke you can't do that!" Naruto exclaimed. "Love matters are not our jurisdiction. We are seraphim, not matchmaking cherubs!"

Sasuke flashed his teeth at Naruto. "He would not have made her happy enough. She deserves better and this gods forsaken island sure as hell will not provide such a thing." He began pacing as he ran an agitated hand through his hair. "If she married him she would always be stuck on this island. Perhaps, if she was lucky enough, maybe she would see a few other port towns on the surrounding islands and mainlands. But her life would be monotonous. She was meant for a greater story than that. She deserves to see the world, to have it gifted to her with her wildest dreams. Find me a mortal that can do that and then I shall let them be, but until then, I will see to it that every single one of them is tried and failed."

Naruto stared at him as dawning came across his face. "You...you have feelings for her...don't you."

The declaration made Sasuke come to a halt and twist around to face him. "No," he denied, but he had hesitated too long.

Alarm came to Naruto's eyes. "Sasuke," he said in a hushed voice.

"It's not as if it's forbidden," Sasuke defended. "There are no laws against it."

"No, but it is tabooed," Naruto pointed.

"Tch." Sasuke waved him off with a careless hand. "Then I guess it's a good thing that I have no feelings for her then."

Naruto did not respond. He saw past the denial and he wondered if Sasuke was purposely denying it or blindly ignorant to his feelings. It was difficult to tell. Sasuke would not know love if it were dancing naked in front of him.

"Sasuke," Naruto began slowly. "All I am saying is that you cannot go chasing off mortals who show an interest in her. It is not fair. She should be able to choose, to live a normal human life. That involves choosing a suitor. She cannot do that if you go around tempting every single man that comes into it. What you did last night was wrong. You should have stayed away from Atticus."

"What did you just say?"

Both of them turned to see Sakura standing a small distance away from them. Her small hands were clenched to her chest as she stared at Sasuke.

"Ahh, Sakura I thought you were by the tree," Naruto said nervously as he scratched the back of his head.

"You were taking a while and I was going to head home," she replied, not taking her eyes off of Sasuke. "I was just coming to say goodbye when…" She stopped speaking as her face crumpled into anguish. "Sasuke did you make him do that?"

"Listen Sakura," began Naruto. "It was not like Sasuke-"

"I want to hear it from him Naruto," she said in a hollow tone. "I want to hear Sasuke say it."

Naruto looked to Sasuke who was staring coolly back at Sakura with his hands in his pockets. After a long pause, he finally opened his mouth. "Well it seems you already know what I did. What's more to say?"

"Tell me," she demanded.

"What do you want me to say Sakura?" Sasuke asked as he pulled his hands out of his pockets. "Did you want me to tell you about how easily he gave in? Or maybe it's the details of how I did it that you want. How I looked into that golden boys soul and found it was truly and richly rotten inside? Do you want to know how many women he had gone through that night before you had even found him? Or maybe it's the deeds he did with each of them?" He gave her a cruel smile. "Who would have thought, innocent and pure Sakura would have such a keen ear for all the ways a person liked to fu-"

"Sasuke that's enough," Naruto cut him off harshly.

Sasuke fell silent as he looked closely at Sakura and realized there was a small tear that was making its way down her cheek. He wasn't exactly sure why he had elaborated so much. In reality, it was not how things had laid out. Atticus had proven himself quite resistant to Sasuke's temptations and it had taken a lot to finally get his resolve to stay loyal to Sakura to crumble. Even after the man had a taste of his desire he had given it up early. There had been only one girl and they had hardly even consummated his descent into a life of promiscuous liaisons. But there was something about seeing Sakura grieve the pathetic mortal that irritated him. It meant she cared.

Sakura quickly wiped away the tear and looked to Naruto with a reclaimed dignity. "Naruto, could you please leave us," Sakura requested quietly.

Naruto looked torn but after another simple plea from Sakura, he nodded and walked away. Sasuke watched him go, in a locked glare they stared at each other until Naruto took to the sky, leaving him alone at the edge of the wooded area with Sakura. Once Naruto disappeared, Sasuke turned his head towards the woman.

He was greeted with a sharp slap as her usually gentle hand came across his cheek. When he managed to recover and finally look back at her, he expected her to be glaring at him angrily, which she was. But mixed in with the anger was hurt and pain, its evidence in the form of the small tears that slowly escaped her eyes as she glared at him.

"Why," she said, her voice cracking as a sob escaped her lips.

Sasuke had no reply. All the rational, all the validation he had before cracked just like her voice when he realized she was crying because of him. But cracked, was not broken. Naruto was right, he had hurt her, but even now as the guilt tried to emerge it failed to bring regret. If he was given the opportunity, he would not have changed anything he had done.

"Why would you do that!" she shouted.

"It's what I do," Sasuke replied in monotone. "I am a demon, remember."

She glared at him. "And since when did you start corrupting people who were good natured?"

"Good natured?" Sasuke scoffed. "You saw what he did."

"Because you made him!"

Sasuke stepped before her. "He made the choice, I do not force anyone to do that they were not already capable of," he defended. "Besides, you should be thanking me that you found out what kind of a man he was before you connected yourself with him in a bond that was undoable."

Her brows furrowed before disbelief came to her expression. "And why would you care?" she demanded. "You're the one who told me to move on, to stay out of seraphim business. So why can you not give the same courtesy for me? Stay out of my mortal business, let me make my mistakes and deal with the consequences alone. You had no right Sasuke."

"He was not good enough for you," Sasuke sneered. "How can you not see that?"

"Then who is?" she demanded. "If you have not noticed, I do not have many choices. I don't know how things are in your world, but this is my future, my reality. I am a woman, that means when I am of age I am to be wedded, if not to him, then to someone else. An arrangement will be made by someone else with nothing of love and happiness in mind but advantage and prestige.

"At least with him he was someone who I could have possibly grown to love." Sasuke's lip involuntarily sneered at her words but it went unnoticed as she continued to rant. "Now that I have no options, I have no say. My aunt and uncle on the mainland have already written to my parents telling them of several proposals. If I do not begin a courtship soon, my parents will agree to one of them someday. And I will be shipped off to the mainland to marry a stranger. Yes, he could be sweet, and young, and handsome as I hope, but it is like you say, those are just frivolous daydreams. Most likely he will be older and I will be nothing but an object in his home, whose purpose is to bare and raise his children by day and bring him pleasure in his bedchamber at night. That is my future, that is my reality, that is all I will ever be destinー"

She was cut off when his lips collided with hers. The force of his body caused her to step back which he followed in pursuit as he guided her until she was pressed up against a tree. His hands, which had grasped her face and pulled her towards him initially, gently moved to caress her cheeks as he pulled away fractionally.

"That will not be your destiny," he said quietly against her lips. "You are worth so much more than this world could ever pay."

He moved to kiss her again but her head pulled back as her hands came up to his chest to stop him. He looked into her eyes which moved searchingly back and forth. "I don't understand?" she whispered quietly. "You said-"

She was stopped when he pressed a finger to her lips. "Demons are allowed to lie, Sakura," he said in a jesterly tone before his face became more serious. "And we are also selfish. I don't want you with him because the thought of you with anyone detests me. You consume my every thought both in my waking moments and my dreams. I don't want you to know of my world because I want you to be my world."

He let his hand drop down and with a small tilt of his head, he kissed her forehead, then her cheek, and the other. As he pulled away, her lids flickered up to gaze up at him with a brightness that he had yet to see. And as much as he wanted to continue to bask in that glow, he wanted to taste her as well.

He started slow but when her hands moved up from his chest to run through his hair he lost it. Hunger consumed him and it only developed a bigger appetite when she kept up with him. He had dreamed of this many times and thought of it constantly. Not just this, but more. And as his hands ran up her sides and she pressed herself closer to him he knew that this would lead to far more enticing things. But right now was not that moment, she was exhausted from the night before as was he. And he did not want this to go any further when Naruto or Kakashi could easily come across them.

So it was great reluctance that he pulled away from her. The moan of protest upon their separation that came from her lips sent a thrill through his body. Oh how that moan would be satisfied. That was a promise he would not let go unfulfilled. But not here, not now, later. Many times he would do it later.

Chapter Text

Present Day:

It started out like they all did, she was in darkness and alone. But there was something different about this darkness. It was altered from the usual nothingness that had been the theme of her dreams. The suffocating and all consuming aura was absent. While she could still not see anything, she could feel the air around her moving, like a constant breeze it blew gently past, ruffling her hair and causing goosebumps to rise along the skin of her arms. She closed her eyes as they were useless to her anyways, and concentrated on her other senses. With the moving air, a distinct smell was brought to her. She took in a deep breath and her nostrils were filled with a briny scent. Releasing the breath through her parted lips, she caught the salty taste of the air that reminded her of the sea. As the connection came to her mind, a sudden spray of cold water rained down on her. Her eyes snapped open from the shock and she was stunned to find that she could see.

It was not entirely restored vision, but she could make out the frothy spray of a vast sea stretched around her. Above her was still dark as if it were night time, but there was no moon or stars, just a vast canvas of spilled ink. Where the lighting was coming from to allow her to make out the rolling waves around her was unknown, but nothing ever made sense in the dream world. The tickling of something around her ankles caused her to look down and she watched as water rushed past as it was sucked back with the swell of the tide. As the water receded completely, she found herself standing on a flat, rocky foundation that protruded from beneath the water. In the center was a dark hole where a deep well of water was pooled. Each time the waves managed to wash over the edge of the rocky foundation, the pool filled with a gurgling flood of water before emptying slightly as the tide retreated. Turning around in a small circle, she noticed that the entire rock formation was surrounded in water, with no other land in sight.

At first she had no reason to panic. Surely if she took flight and headed in a direction she would be able to find land somewhere. But then a dawning came to her, she did not have wings. It was like her other dreams before, when she had no wings to summon, only this time she knew why. It was because she was mortal and mortals did not have wings. That fact made her consciously aware of the fragility of her current state. This body was precious. It was not gifted with divine power and healing capabilities. Nor was its physical capability what she was used to.

This realization brought about another thought. The tide would eventually come in, this platform of an island would be submerged and while she knew how to swim, she was not confident in her lesser physique. Just how long would she be able to tread water? While she had yet to put it to the test, Sakura already knew that her stamina and strength would not be what she was used to and would not last until the tide changed again.

“Sakura.”

She whirled around, her eyes searching frantically for the owner of the voice. Without seeing she already knew who she would find, but even still, as her eyes finally found Sasuke, she was still not prepared for the sight of him.

Sitting at the edge of the deep well, he sat with his legs submerged in the cold water while he leaned back on his hands. Shirtless, the salty spray collected and dripped down his naked torso. Sakura’s eyes traced the lean and defined abdomen before trailing her eyes up to his sturdy chest and then finally to his face. When she met his eyes, he was smirking, as if enjoying her attention she had given to his physical body. Sakura felt her face grow warm and was mortified with herself for blatantly ogling him with no subtlety or propriety to his privacy. Then again, he was practically displaying himself, as if telling her to admire it.

He sat up and stretched a hand out towards her. “Come,” he beckoned. “Do not be afraid.”

Long ago, Kakashi once told her only the untrustworthy needed to assure you they could be trusted. As she looked at Sasuke, Sakura wondered if this applied to those who were a danger. Was he telling her to not be afraid of the water...or of him. If the latter, why would she need assurance not to be afraid?

She looked up from his hand and looked into his eyes. They glowed red as black tomoes swirled around in lazy circles. As she stared into those eyes, she was struck with a complete familiarity. As if she had gazed into those eyes often, admired those eyes frequently, and had never feared those eyes before. She knew those eyes were dangerous, but not to her, they never had been. Eased by the comforting familiarity, Sakura walked towards him, taking his hand when she was close enough and knelt down next to him as he drew her down with the guidance of his hand.

A particularly large wave washed over the ledge they were on and Sakura sucked in a breath as the shock of cold water washed over her legs. As it receded, she found herself still sitting in an inch of water. The tide was beginning to come in. However, that fact escaped her when she felt a wet hand against her cheek. Turning her attention to the man before her, she met his calming familiar eyes.

“Do not worry,” he consoled. “I will take you somewhere safe.”

“But there is no where to go,” she said, looking around at the never ending body of water. She looked up to the sky. Or what would be the sky. “The heavens are not in this world.”

There was a chuckle. “You mortals are always looking up to the heavens for saving, but you forget there is a whole other world beneath the surface of your own.”

She heard a splash of water and drew her eyes from the void of black to look down at Sasuke as he treaded at the surface of the dark water. From the depths of black liquid, his hand broke the surface and reached out to her.

“Come,” he beckoned. “I will take you somewhere safe.”

Another wave of water crashed over the ledge and this time she found herself sitting in two inches of water. As she stared at his hand, she questioned the logic of it. How could entering the water help their predicament? They needed land, solid ground. Then again, this world never did make sense.

It reminded her of the mortal story book about the young girl who falls down the rabbit hole. That world too did not make sense. Curiouser and curiouser the girl had said. In the story, the heroine believed in six impossible things before breakfast, why could she not believe in at least one.

She took his hand then met his eyes and froze. His eyes were not the same. Gone where the swirling tomoes and gone was the familiarity. Instead, his irises had been reshaped into the form of a star or a blossoming flower. It was eerily beautiful, but it was also unfamiliar. And Sakura did not like the smirk that pulled at his lips. Sakura had always found the mortal expression of a ‘crocodile smile’ odd, until now. Now, she felt she completely understood the meaning of it. Because as she looked back at those unfamiliar eyes, she noted something. This was not the Sasuke from her other dreams, this was a different version. A more current version. This was his darkside. The one that razed cities and destroyed societies. The one that did the bidding of Orochimaru without a single hesitation. The one that she had been warned of time and time again. This was not Itachi’s brother that he had described with fondness, it was the monster that had possessed his brother.

She moved to pull away but Sasuke was already prepared for it. Taking advantage of her surprise, he dove down into the water, dragging her down with him as he propelled himself beneath the surface of the water. Sakura was allowed a half breath before she was pulled under the depths of the water.

The initial shock of the frigid water stunned her and the deeper Sasuke pulled her, the colder she grew. Again she was back to a dark world where nothing could be seen. She could still hear but it was nothing more than a muffled shift of water and the faint thundering as the rising waves crashed down on the rock ledge above her. And the deeper she was dragged, the more quiet things became.

Her whole body was numb. All sense and feeling in her arms and legs was lost, the only exception being the tug on her right arm as Sasuke clung to her, pulling her deeper and deeper. She pulled her arm back, trying to free herself but her mortal strength was no match for Sasuke’s divine strength. The pool seemed to be never ending and the amount of time seemed to drag on and on. And then she felt it. A burning within her chest as her lungs screamed to be replenished of fresh air. Air. Air was up above, but Sasuke was pulling them in the wrong direction, he was taking her away from what she needed. And as much as she needed it, she already knew it was pointless to try. They had already gone to a depth where even if she were to free herself, she would never make it in time. She was drowning. Sasuke was drowning her, and she had let him. Like a foolish sailor letting a siren take him to a watery grave, she had taken his hand and let him drag her down.

Sakura lurched up from the mattress, her eyes snapping open as her mouth sucked in a loud gasp of air. Her body was drenched, but as she took in several more gasping breaths, she realized it was not from the salty sea, but a sticky cold sweat. Wiping a shaking hand across her forehead, she swiped away the beaded drops that had formed on the surface of her skin and swung her legs over the edge of the bed. She intended to stand immediately but she remained sitting at the edge of her bed, not trusting her legs to hold her up. Her entire body was shaking with a wild tremor that shook every fiber of her being.

Her hand dropped down from her face to her chest as she attempted to soothe her racing heart. Staring at the floor of her room with vacant eyes, she began to feel herself calm down. At least enough for her to finally regain function of her body and stand. Crossing her room she sat down at the small bench beneath her window and with a still slightly trembling hand, she pushed the window open.

The fresh air that brought a floral scent from the gardens below calmed her even more as she closed her eyes. For a moment, she had peace. Until the flash of a pair of gothic flowered irises came across her mind and her eyes snapped open. A shiver ran down her back and she suddenly felt fearful to look around, too scared that she might come eye to eye with the real thing. Like a child afraid of monsters under their bed, Sakura wanted to crawl beneath her blankets and cry out for someone to come save her.

“It was just a dream,” she said to herself. “It means nothing. It was just a dream.”

She was safe to be alone in the heavens. Nothing would drag her down or away from it. As long as she was in the heavens, Sasuke, that Sasuke, would not be able to take her away.

Two days felt like two centuries, and by the third, Sasuke realized she was not going to come back. With this realization, he knew he would have to seek her out again. Thankfully, he already knew where to go. The mortal, the odd one with the peculiar mannerisms, that was his ticket in finding her again. If Sakura was one thing, it was loyal. She would not abandon the strong bond that he had observed between the two. Eventually, she would show up again. And when she did, he would be ready, waiting. And when the opportunity came, he would make his move.

It was perhaps a sloppy and extreme measure that he was planning, but that was what happened when things started to come unhinged. You just had to frantically pound nails randomly to keep things from falling apart completely. He had felt this way before, though not to the same degree. But it was a state he could not afford to enter into fully again. And Sasuke had a feeling that if he let this be prolonged for too long, he would certainly lose all of his sanity.

As he sat on the rooftop where he could look down and watch the coming and goings of the residents that were becoming more and more familiar, Sasuke obsessively reviewed the events of his most recent moments with Sakura. Recorded flawlessly by his Sharingan, Sasuke replayed the look of fear over and over in his mind. No matter how many times he watched it unfold, every time seemed renewed. It was that look, the look she had given him. It just did not belong. It was not the look of his Sakura.

Disgusted with the sight of it, he moved farther back into the interaction when things had first gone south. He did not dare go any further, for if he re-lived that moment in which he held her in his arms, ran his hands up her thighs and around her waist, and tasted her as she pressed herself against him, he truly would go insane.

The one piece that he had trouble with, was when she had pulled free from him the first time and pushed him away. It was almost as if his Sharingan recorded it incorrectly, like a glitch in the programming, something was showing up that did not belong. As if extra footage from a different memory was overlapping with this one.

Chakra. It was faint, and faster than it appeared, it was gone with no trace. But all the same, it was there. It had taken him several times of replaying the incident before he had even caught it. When he did, he became obsessive. Was there a third party that he did not notice? But even that did not explain it. Because each time it appeared, it was a flash of green that seemed to emanate from Sakura herself. But that could not be right. Sakura was mortal, she did not have chakra.

Sasuke shook his head in frustration as he tried to let it go. This was obviously not going to help the frail sanity of his mind if he continued. He needed to let it go, he needed a distraction while he waited. As if the thought summoned such a thing, Sasuke stiffened when he felt a familiar presence.

Not bothering to turn around, Sasuke continued to watch the apartment building as the tenant with the cat that she treated like an infant returned with her walk around the block. Today the poor cat was secured to her chest with a sling that Sasuke was certain was meant for human babies.

“Hello Itachi,” Sasuke called out. “Come to give me another lesson on the ethics of mortal interactions?”

Itachi had found him on a rooftop lost in thought. For a while he had just observed his little brother. Like a gargoyle of a cathedral, Sasuke squatted in his perch, unmoving and rigid like the stone guardians he mimicked. After a while of gaining no information of what was going on in his mind, Itachi had let his presence be known.

He could not help but gain a small smile at his brother’s greeting. It was moments like these that he was reminded of the brother that was no longer. Seeing snippets of the ghost of the boy always gave him hope.

Closing the distance between them, he pulled himself up onto the ledge, and settled down next to Sasuke. “I suppose it depends on the situation,” Itachi said as he looked at Sasuke. “How are things going with your little mortal?”

“I thought you said you would not get involved?” Sasuke said, his eyes still focused on the building across the street.

“That is true, but humor me,” Itachi responded. “How have things been going with your Sakura?”

Itachi turned just in time to see a small frown pull at Sasuke’s mouth as his eyes narrowed to focus even harder on the street below. “It has proven to be more complicated than I thought,” he answered with a frustrated tone.

“Tell me about her,” Itachi requested. Sasuke looked at him from the side. “Have you noticed anything strange?”

Sasuke’s eyes narrowed in puzzlement. “What do you mean strange? Do you know something?” He said suspiciously.

This suspicion gave Itachi the impression that, yes, there was something strange. However, he wanted to address this lightly. He was fond of seraph Sakura and did not want her to get into any trouble. Especially if she was not involved at all. For all he knew, mortal Sakura could look completely different. Perhaps the spring-like description Sasuke had given long ago, was more figurative than literal. Maybe she had black hair and brown eyes and it was her essence that was like the spring flowers, not her actual appearance.

“I was just wondering if you noticed any…” Itachi drifted off when he realized his brother was not listening.

Sasuke’s body had come to an abrupt attention as his eyes fixed on something below. Itachi followed his line of sight and found himself transfixed on the same thing at the end of the street. From their vantage point atop the five story building, the pedestrians were not very distinguishable from each other. Perhaps a hat or different hair color separated them from being identical but there was no real identifying a person from the tops of their heads.That is, with the exception of one, candy floss colored head that stood out with vibrant color.

Itachi had only met her once but even he could not mistake the top of Sakura’s rosette head. The very same Sakura he had met in the heavens.

She was looking down at a book as a dark haired boy walked along with her. As they came closer, he could make them out more clearly. Sakura had the same pleasant smile she had given him in the gardens as she chatted with the dark haired boy. Like before, any sign of chakra was absent and again, Itachi was hit with the illusion that she was mortal. Especially walking among them, it was no wonder his brother was fooled. Even now he wondered maybe it was he who was fooled and this really was just a mortal Sakura and the seraph Sakura he had met just happened to look like her.

“Is that her?” Itachi asked, even though he already knew the answer. From the corner of his eye he saw Sasuke silently nod his head. “She’s beautiful,” Itachi commented.

“Yes,” Sasuke said quietly. “In every way.”

Itachi managed to take his eyes from Sakura and looked at his brother. The tone of his voice had been one he had never heard before and he had to check and make sure it was in fact Sasuke who was still sitting next to him.

“I can certainly see why…” Itachi drifted off, unsure of how to finish that sentence. Why he went crazy. Why he nearly destroyed the world. Served a master such as Orochimaru? Why he was so determined to regain her? “...she is so special to you,” he finished.

“Hn,” Sasuke replied.

And with that, silence fell between them. For an hour they sat together even after Sakura and the dark haired boy had disappeared into the apartment building. Sasuke remained fixated. Itachi wondered how long Sasuke would remain but eventually he stood and bid his brother farewell. He had learned what he had come to learn, confirmed that seraphim Sakura was for sure to be mistaken as mortal Sakura.

The only problem was did Sasuke? And when he found out, because he would, how would he react? There was nothing more that Sasuke hated than betrayal. And deceiving him, whether ignorantly or with good intention, would be seen as such an act. He needed to warn her but how? If he approached while Sasuke was watching, he would see it as interfering. The peace accords were coming soon but would that be soon enough? A lot could change in a week.

Itachi had left hours ago and it was not until the sun was beginning to descend that Sakura finally exited the apartment building alone and started walking down the street. As soon as she appeared he was to his feet and via rooftop, he followed. Stealthily he leapt across the gap between two buildings, easily clearing the alleyway with a small boost of his wings to help propel him farther. He didn’t need the assistance to clear the gap, but it resulted in a softer and therefore more quiet landing.

While he was sure Sakura would not think to expect someone following her from above, he would not put it past her. She already seemed alert, her stride quick paced and rigid, as if she were expecting an attack at any minute. And then the thought came to him, was she alert because of him?

Sasuke frowned at that thought. She should not be worried about him. While their last encounter had not gone as planned, it was all just a misunderstanding. He just needed a moment alone with her to explain that.

She turned down a secluded alleyway and Sasuke saw his chance. Gliding across the main street, he landed on the building that was opposite to him. As soon as his feet touched down, he silently sprinted to the edge where he abruptly dropped down into the gap of the building and the one next to it.

He landed in the narrow alley, his landing softened by his wings. As soon as he lifted his head from the ground where his feet landed, he saw that he had calculated correctly in blocking Sakura just before she reached the other end. She came up short, startled by his sudden appearance as her eyes went wide and a small gasp sounded as she suppressed a yell of alarm.

“You’ve been avoiding me Sakura,” he said in a light scold.

She moved to take a step back but paused when she realized how closely he was watching her. He did not want to scare her, but he certainly wanted her to know that she was not going to escape him until things were settled between them.

She hugged her arms as if giving her a security barrier as she avoided his eyes. “No I haven’t.”

Sasuke tilted his head. “You seem to be in a hurry to leave.”

“It’s getting dark,” she supplied. “I need to get home and do some things.”

Sasuke rolled his eyes. Of all the times for her to start listening to his warnings about staying out after dark.

“Tch, it only took you two thousand years to learn that lesson,” he muttered under his breath.

“Maybe we can talk later at a more convenient time,” she suggested.

Sasuke waved her off. “You know I wouldn’t have to drop in on you so abruptly and inconveniently if I knew where to find you or at least contact you. It’s a bit of a nuisance to have to sit around and watch mortals walk in and out of a building all day long in hopes one of the millions who live in this city finally arrived. It’s a bit mundane for my taste.”

Sakura’s eyes finally met his, and he saw the faintest glint of amusement. “Finally admitting you’re stalker?” She said with a teasing tone. “Congratulations, you finally accomplished the first step, acknowledging you have a problem. Only eleven more to go.”

Sasuke shook his head with mirth. “As I said before, I would not have to resort to such measures if I had better means of contacting you.” An amused smirk came to his lips. “I cannot deny I have an addiction to you but stalking is beneath me. I prefer to label it as an observance of your activities.”

Sakura’s brow rose. “You mean like a stake out?” she asked dryly, thinking of the numerous cop shows that Sai enjoyed.

“Sure,” he said with a shrug. “Unlike stalking, which is to pursue without being noticed, I have no intention of hiding myself. I sought you out with a purpose.”

“And what would that be?” She asked curiously.

He took a step forward but stopped when the amused glint in Sakura’s eyes vanished and she stumbled back. He frowned but stayed where he was.

“Forgive me,” he requested. When she gave him an inquisitive look, he expanded his explanation. “I want to apologize for the other day. I meant you no harm, I was just...not myself,” he finished. “I should not have forced nor handled you in such a way...I just…” he looked up at her. “Could we maybe just forget that happened, could you give me another chance. Let me regain your trust.”

Sakura stared at him quietly. Her mouth opened but nothing came out so she closed it. She repeated this several times before she finally managed to summon some sort of response.

“I’m sorry,” she said quietly hugging herself. “But I don’t think...I don’t think that it’s a good idea.”

She met his eyes and Sasuke saw something within them. Regret? Pain? Whichever it was, one thing he was certain of, was part of her did not agree with those words. It was perhaps minuscule but he could see it. The desire to give a different answer, the want to give in.

He swallowed the thick lump in his throat. Why was she denying her wants? “Sakura,” he began but she was shaking her head.

“Please Sasuke,” she pleaded. “Please just accept my decision. I just...I just want a normal life,” she said with a pained tone. “I can’t give you what you want.”

Sasuke opened his mouth to refute her claim that she had nothing to offer, but he was cut short when the flutter of wings echoed and filled the alleyway and two large forms dropped down. One behind Sakura and the other behind Sasuke. Before the flutter and flapping died and their wings tucked back behind them, Sasuke knew who they were already. There was no mistaking Kakashi's signature grey wings, and he did not even need to look to know Naruto was behind him due to the boisterous chakra the idiot couldn’t suppress to save his life. His eyes narrowed as soon as he met Kakashi’s single eye. And then suddenly everything made sense.

“Hn,” he let out. “I should have known you two would be involved.”

“Sasuke,” Kakashi said in a firm tone. “What are you doing here?”

Sasuke raised a brow. “What am I doing here? What am I–“ he cut himself as he let out a snort of disbelief. “You’re kidding right?”

Kakashi did not reply.

“Tch,” Sasuke tisked. He pointed to Sakura. “When were you going to tell me? After all we have been through, you did not even think that her existence would have been important to me?”

“It’s because of that we have not told you,” Kakashi replied gravely. “Your actions have not proven that you are the most suitable to be around.”

Sasuke narrowed his eyes. “And what gives you the right to decide that? That is between Sakura and I, it is for her to decide.”

“And she did.”

At Kakashi’s words, Sasuke’s eyes went immediately to Sakura. She looked back at him guiltily then lowered her eyes. It was true, it was her decision. They had discussed it days ago. When asked what she wanted to do, Sakura had said she wanted distance, at least for the time being.

Until she could get a grasp on what she had been and was now, she wanted to have minimal complications. And Sasuke was a big one. She thought with time he decision would change, but ever since her dreams had changed, it left her fearful of the idea of him in her life.

There was no way of knowing which Sasuke he was. The one who held her and touched her with gentle hands that made her feel things she had never felt for anyone else before. Or, was he the one that dragged her down beneath the surface of the water and didn’t let go, holding her captive beneath the suffocating water.

He took a step forward and Kakashi immediately pulled Sakura back where he held her protectively to his chest. Sasuke’s eyes drifted between the two before finally settling on Kakashi.

“Let her alone Sasuke,” Kakashi warned. “It’s what she wants.”

Sasuke narrowed his eyes. “You sure about that? Because it didn’t seem like that before.” His attention moved to Sakura who reluctantly met his eyes. “Is it Sakura? Is this what you want, or what they want? Tell me, what brainwashing ideas did they feed into your mind to convince you of this?”

She shook her head. “Nothing,” she said quietly. “Its my-”

“Bullshit,” Sasuke cut off with a snap. He pointed a finger to Naruto then to Kakashi. “They are lying to you, Sakura. They knew who you were from the beginning and they never told you. I guarantee the only reason they even paid any attention to you is because they knew who you were. They knew who you were the moment they first saw you just as I did. But I told you the truth from the beginning, of who you were. How long has it been that they failed to do that Sakura? How long have you known them? A year? Two? Since you were a child? All this time and I bet they never even mentioned your previous life.”

Sakura said nothing. From behind Sasuke, she caught Naruto’s look of guilt and she felt Kakashi’s hold tighten, no doubt feeling the same way as Naruto at his words. Because they were true, truer that most likely Sasuke even realized. Perhaps not all of it but yes, they had lied. Change those years Sasuke had speculated to millennia and he would have hit it right on the nose. But it was not their choice.

“I have never lied to you, Sakura,” Sasuke continued as he pointed to himself. “From the beginning, I have always been honest.” His face darkened. “Yet it's going to be them that you trust?” She felt herself drawn to him as his eyes gazed at her heatedly. “I know you Sakura, I know you better than they ever did. You told me your wants and desires, your dreams and your fears. I know you in and out, which is why I question if this is really your choice or there’s. Wake the fuck up Sakura, I’m the one you want. I know it, you feel it too. Stop listening to them and listen to yourself!”

She didn’t like his anger being directed at her. She didn’t like any of this. She wanted to go to him, to reach up and smooth out the cress in the middle of his forehead, and calm him. She was not sure why she felt she could do that, but she did. However, even now as she felt herself being drawn to him, just as he referred, the recollection of the change of atmosphere within her dreams had her hesitate.

Sasuke is dangerous, she reminded herself. You cannot be selfish, she added. It was a mantra that she found herself needing as she found herself thinking more and more of him. But with the risk of him finding out, and the outcome not going as well as she would hope, she could not bring herself to go to him.

She shook her head. “Please,” she said, her voice sounding strained as she tried to keep down the choke that threatened to break her resolve. “Please understand, I am not her, not anymore. I am someone different.”

“Sakura,” Kakashi said quietly, “Why don’t you go back the other way and head home. I think the bus two blocks down will be there in about fifteen minutes.”

Looking away from Sasuke, Sakura nodded her head. It was code for how far she should go before taking to the skies as well as the time that Kakashi would stall Sasuke for. She moved around Kakashi and took a few steps backwards. All the while, Sasuke shook his head to the side just slightly enough for her to pick up on his plea. But Sakura denied it when she turned around and began to walk down the alleyway.

“Sakura.” His voice carried her name all the way down to where she was, but she continued to walk away. Sasuke began to follow after her. “Sak-”

He was cut off when an arm was thrust in front of him. Stopping abruptly, Sasuke looked down to the strong arm that was acting as a toll booth. He followed the arm up until he was looking into the dark grey eye of his long ago teacher.

“We need to have a little chat,” Kakashi said.

Sasuke grabbed a hold of Kakashi’s arm and twisted it, ducking under to pursue Sakura but he was only granted a step before he felt himself being tugged backwards. He flew through the air until his back hit against the old brick of the alley way. He let out a grunt and pushed off the wall only to be forced back against the gritty wall as Kakashi pinned him. Sasuke glared up at the grey haired seraph as he gritted his teeth. Behind Kakashi, Naruto stood as back up, nearly bouncing on his toes in preparation.

“Let me go,” Sasuke growled.

“Not until you listen to what I say,” Kakashi remarked. “We have gone to great lengths to keep Sakura safe for years.” How many years Kakashi would leave for Sasuke to decide on his own. “We will not risk her safety. Let. Her. Be.”

Summoning some strength, Sasuke pushed Kakashi into Naruto. While startled, he recovered quickly and before Sasuke could move they had him cornered.

Sasuke glared at them. “You found her, you have known, yet you did not think to ever tell me?” he said accusingly. When he caught the guilt in both their faces he realized that the idea had crossed their minds. Yet they didn’t. “Why?” he demanded.

“We had to keep her safe,” Naruto responded this time.

Sasuke’s eyes widened. “You think that is not what I want? What I always wanted? You have no idea what I went through to try and keep her safe, to bring her back.”

“That is exactly why we didn’t tell you,” Kakashi remarked.

Sasuke sent him a sharp look. “I would never harm her,” he said with a tone of offense.

Kakashi gave him a softer look. “None of us would mean to, none of us meant to, but…”

He let the unspoken words hang in the air and their minds filled in the unspoken. But they did. He did. Naruto did. They had hurt her.

Sasuke’s face hardened. “Do not,” he began darkly.

“I am not blaming you Sasuke,” Kakashi quickly defended. “It is not that event that this decision was made, but your actions after. They have not given me the confidence that you can keep her safe. Stay away from her, and trust us to keep her safe. We have done so thus far.”

“Trust you,” Sasuke spat. “Trust you like Sakura trusts you? Blindly and stupidly. Tell me, what horrors have you painted me to be for her? What malicious things will I do to her?”

“She does not think poorly of you Sasuke,” Kakashi answered. “However your reputation may fail in her eyes the more you push her. It may be her, but she has changed. She is not the same Sakura you used to know and she does not know you.”

“That's because she doesn't know who I am,” Sasuke snapped. “No thanks to you.”

Kakashi let out a heavy sigh then gave Sasuke a hard look. “Leave her be,” he said in a tone that he hardly ever used. “You had your fun, you saw that she is alive and well, now let her be. Stay away from her.”

He became a blur. Sasuke moved quickly, taking advantage of the surprise he had on them. Moving to Kakashi first as he was the faster of the two, Sasuke grabbed him and tossed him into the garbage container at one end of the alley. Using the same momentum, he sent a hard kick into Naruto’s stomach, causing him to double over. Again, in the same movement, he let his wings take him up past the fire escapes and power lines that ran along the alley way.

Naruto let out a groan as he managed to stand up. Holding his stomach, he moved to where Kakashi was crawling out of the weeks worth of garbage.

“Do we go after him?” Naruto asked urgently, fluttering his wings in preparation for flight.

Kakashi pulled a banana peel from his shoulder then began to scrap something that he hoped was gravy and not some other brown substances that was oozing from a napkin. His nose wrinkled in disgust as he spoke. “No,” he answered, finally looking at Naruto. “Sakura had plenty of time to get back to the heavens, she should be fine.”

“Well what are we going to do about Sasuke?” Naruto worried. “We practically confirmed that Sakura is Sakura.”

“We wait.”

“We wait?” Naruto questioned.

Kakashi nodded as he looked in the direction that Sasuke had flown off to. “Yes, now we wait and see really what Sasuke we are dealing with. A Sasuke that can be trusted to do what is best, to keep her safe, or...we see if he really is a danger.”

“And if he is that latter?”

Kakashi let out a sigh and placed a hand on Naruto's shoulder, giving it a squeeze. “Let’s just hope, for our sake and Sakura’s, that he isn’t. Because I fear not even all the heavens and hell could not stop him. Not now, not anymore.”

Chapter Text

Ancient Greece:

"But their numbers exceed ours!" protested a council member.

There was a chorus of murmuring as several others nodded their heads in agreement.

Another council member stood and walked to the center. "Are we really going to submit ourselves to an alliance with those cherubs!?" He yelled over the murmurs. "They would have us bowing down to mortals and asking them what bidding they would have us do!"

As several more began to voice their own opinions, Madara sat darkly on his throne, listening, watching. And the more members he saw swaying into agreeance and the more he heard them voice their support, the angrier he grew.

His dark eyes roved over the scene, stopping occasionally on specific individuals. Fugaku sat with the same sour face that he was born with. His hereditary dark eyes quietly skipped from one speaker to the next, showing no emotions as to which form of action he thought would be best. It was a smart tactic on his part. Madara's eyes then fell upon Sasuke. His young eyes darted around frantically trying to keep up with the debate. There was something about him that had changed and Sasuke had improved immensely over the past year . He had drive, he had direction. It gave Madara's greedy mind hope for him yet. He had been worried when he first took an interest in him, thinking that he would never quite hold up to his brother. He had the potential but until recently, Madara had been worried it was wasted potential. Moving on from his hopeful prodigy, his eyes settled onto Itachi. Unlike his brother and father, Itachi's eyes were not moving. Instead they were set directly at him, unmoving and unflinching, even when Madara's higher evolved eyes met his.

And then he smiled.

There was a taunting victory in Itachi's face and it rubbed against Madara's patience too rawly. He was the Demon Lord, he was a god in the underworld, his Will was law.

It erupted out of him like a sonic wave, rushing over the congregation and rendering them silent. He sent out another pulse so strong that those who were standing fell to the ground, overcome with his influence. With slow movements, he rose from his throne. Without the raised dais beneath his feet, he already towered among most of them, but from the raised platform he loomed at a mountainous height as his eyes bled red into the highest level that any of them had seen since Indra.

"You all speak as if this decision is to be debated, but I have spoken," he said darkly, his voice deep and reverberating within their bones. "I vow to you, in one year hence, we will defeat our enemies. Their numbers may be more, but they are weaker." He looked around the various council members. "We are the descendants of Indra, the true heir, and the true inheritors of the divine realms. We will take back what is rightfully ours. They named us the fallen," he announced, raising his hands into the air, "then let us rise."

What was once filled with debates of peace, was now filled with raucous cheers of battle cries as Madara's Will was forced upon those present. Even Itachi, with his peaceful ideals and desire to coexist and work alongside the blessed, found his blood boiling for the need to spill blessed blood. He strained to keep a small hold on the now nearly cold coals of what was once a burning fire for peace. Pain surged through his body at the resistance but he kept his face shaped into one of indifference as Madara's eyes settled on him, challenging him. He glared back as sweat began to form on his forehead and it was only when a group of merry demons blocked his line of vision, that he looked away.

With a deep intake of breath, he cast his attention to the side and saw his brother. Sasuke was sitting on the stone bench next to him, his face construed in pain. While he never wished for any harm to befall his brother, seeing that pain on his brother's face was the greatest relief, it meant he was trying to resist as well. But was his brother strong enough? Was he strong enough? To keep from being fully consumed by Madara's influence over them?

He needed to stop this, he needed to break free of the Will. It was the only way he could warn the blessed. But he could not afford to be cast out of hell, not while his brother was being preyed upon by the Lord of the realm himself. He needed to preserve him, preserve that innocence that reached out to mortals and made friends with the blessed. It was seraphs like his brother that the future needed, not Madara. Therefore, he needed to find a way to break free from Madara's will without him knowing.

Two years, it had been two years that had passed by faster than a blink of an eye. Even for Sasuke who was immortal and counted his years in decades and centuries not weeks and days, thought it should have been longer. Sakura had just finished her worships for the coming harvest, and now, it was his turn to give worship.

The sound of their bodies moving together, the heavy breathing, and the serene sound of Sakura's moans brought about a delight within him that made him yearn for the next time he would hear it before it had even ceased. As they copulated against the granite statue of what the mortals thought were gods, Sasuke only found it befitting that they chose Demeter as their surface in which they held their bodies against each other. Some would label such an act as defilement or even blasphemous, and if it were any two other beings, Sasuke would perhaps agree.

But between them, it was nothing but befitting of worship that was being performed. He was worshiping her divinity, worshiping her essence. She was the only goddess that he had ever felt inclined to pay homage to. As he moved within her, Sakura let out a cry that echoed through the temple, filling his ears with sweet songs of pleasure that pulled him into his own euphoria. With her head arched back against the statue, he let out a grunt into her hair as their bodies convulsed as one. As one they rode out their ecstasy until their movements stilled. All that was left was their heavy breathing as the lingering exhilaration rippled through their bodies.

Sasuke lifted his head to look into her lusty and sated eyes. A shiver ran down his spine and his grip on her legs that were wrapped around his waist tightened. She gave him a tired smile and he could not help but press a gentle kiss onto those lips that formed such a warmth. When he pulled away he let his forehead rest against hers as he gave them another moment to recover their breath.

But it was just a moment before Sakura's hands moved up his arms, took hold of his head, and pulled him to her lips. She kissed him hungrily which he fed such hunger until a chuckle escaped him and she pulled away from him.

"So eager for more," he purred as she allowed him to nip at her neck. He moved up to her ear and grazed it with his teeth before speaking into her ear. "Unfortunately while my stamina is far superior than any mortal you can find, even an immortal needs his recovery time."

With that he let her down slowly, savoring the feeling of her body, slick with sweat as she slid down his body. With her feet now on the ground, he brought his hands to her hair and tucked the tangled mess of her locks behind her ear. She was exquisite like this.

He stared down at her, letting his fingers wander her face as he gazed into her eyes, admiring the glow that she always gained after their times together. It was because of his admiration of her features that he caught the hint of sadness wash over her face.

His brow crumpled. "What troubles you?" He asked, tracing the lines that emerged on her forehead.

"My father received a letter from his brother the other day. And it has been decided that I will be going to the mainland to stay with my aunt and uncle after the grafting."

Sasuke let his fingers run through her hair, gently untangling the knots he had made with their rigorous activities from earlier. "Good," he said. "It's about time you experience the world beyond the tides of this island. But why does that sadden you?"

"Because I don't want to leave you," she said honestly. "It was everything I ever wanted but now...if I leave that means I will leave you! And I.." she looked down at her twisting hands. "I know that we have never-"

She stopped speaking when Sasuke's laughter began to take over her quiet voice. When she looked at him in confusion he ran a hand across her face as he let his laughter die down. "Sakura, I can travel from one realm to another with the ease of a step, do you really think traveling to any part of the mortal realm would be any harder?"

She blinked a few times, as if the thought that he could be present anywhere else had never crossed her mind. "You mean, you would follow me?"

"Tch," Sasuke let out sarcastically. "Sakura, the only reason why I even lingered more than a few months on this island is because of you. I would be more than happy to never come back here so long as I could see you somewhere else." His hand tilted her chin and he placed a kiss on her nose. "I will follow you. No matter where you are, I will always find you."

There was a slight chill that came with the changing season. They lay in the abandoned field as the night stars shined down on their bodies. As the wind rustled through the long grass, Sakura snuggled closer to Sasuke's warm body. Too tired to get dressed, she pulled the shawl from the pile of their clothes and spread it over her like a blanket.

"The grafting was finished today," she said quietly. "My uncle will be here within the week to travel with me."

Sasuke let out a lazy hum, not bothering to open his eyes as the fatigue from their vigorous ministrations to each other began to set in.

"Sasuke, I need to tell you something" Sakura called. He released another hum to tell her he was still listening. Sakura bit her lip as she debated on whether to speak or keep it to herself. "I...I don't, I'm not sure if this will matter to you or not...but, I feel as if...if you feel the way I do…"

"Just say it Sakura," Sasuke sighed out as he readjusted his arm to serve as a better pillow than the grassy ground.

"The reason why I am being sent to the mainland is so that I might...be-paired-with-a-suitor," she finished her explanation in a hurried jumble of words.

The flood of words did not register instantly, but when they did, Sasuke's eyes snapped open to see Sakura propped up and looking at him nervously. He took in the way her teeth bit at her bottom lip then to her eyes as they moved back and forth between his, waiting. He lifted himself up, propping himself with his arms as she sat up off of him.

"And you are telling me this because…"

Her face slightly fell. "Um...I just thought that maybe..." She waved him off. "No reason. I guess I just got carried away with myself. I was just nervous about it but I suppose it's something I will have to do eventually. I just thought you...that we..." she turned away from him, only to have her face forced back to him as his hand cupped her cheek.

When she met his eyes, he gave her a look that made her insides twist. "There is no need to be nervous about courting Sakura," he said comfortingly. "I will be there every moment to make sure-" Her eyes feel in disappointment only to snap back up with his next words- "that every single one of them does not have a chance to even speak to you.

"None of them will ever have the pleasure to know the silkiness of your hair. For their hand will be broken before they manage to touch even a single hair," he said as he caressed her head. Then his hand moved down her jaw to her chin where his thumb moved up to trace her bottom lip. "None of them will ever know what it will be like to breath your sweet breath nor know the smoothness of these lips. For their tongue will be ripped from their mouth before they could even taste you." He leaned in and gave her a soft kiss to make a point. As he withdrew, he set his eyes to her and gave her a look that was lustful but dark with malice. "And should any of them even dare think they would ever know your body in a way that only I know it, I will rip their spine from their throat and end their pathetic mortal life before they could even form the thought."

A shiver ran down her spine. His words were dark and sinister. She was not used to such images within her mind. Yet, even as the bloody and gory imaginings of his words made her shiver with a disturbed unsettling, it would be a lie if she did not also find them thrilling.

She had no reservations in giving herself to Sasuke. Knowing full well that more than likely someday it would end, be it her old age or him just tiring of her, Sakura had been content with what he would give her. Be it one night or a thousand. Now, after she had a taste of it, the thought of losing such a thing was unimaginable. And it was not just how he made her body feel. That in itself made her more than willing to sell her soul to the darkest of devils just for one more time with him. But it was the way he made her feel within her mind, soul, and her heart.

He made her feel like she was his whole world, despite the fact that he wandered many. The way he listened to her prattle on about her mundane life, it told her that everything about her was important to him as he seemed to glean every once of information she was willing to present to him. He made her feel as though she were his everything, and at this moment, she felt that he was her everything.

In a whirl of movement, she found herself on her back as he crawled over her, his lips marking a path as he slowly moved over her. Pulling the shawl that once partially covered her, he exposed her body to him. He started with at her ankle and then moved to her shin, curving her bent knee before moving down her thigh as he pushed her legs straight as he placed a lingering kiss on her hip bone. As he dragged his tongue more central, her heart began to beat wildly as her body eagerly awaited his lips to meet the destination in which a throbbing was forming. She let out a mournful groan when he fainted and moved up towards her belly instead.

He chuckled against her sternum at the heady moan but it turned into a hum of pleasure when his hand dragged up her thigh. In a blissful delirium, she found his face hovering directly over hers as the bliss ended and his fingers moved up her sides.

"I assure you Sakura," he said huskily. "No matter what, we will be together."

She wanted to accept that, she wanted to believe and let this moment continue. "But how?" she could not help but voice. "Sasuke, you of all people should know. This," she managed to pull a hand up and point between them, "this will not last forever. Some day, my parents will die and as a woman...I cannot survive without the support of a man." She said, her voice slightly bitter. "And while I have no wish for any other man, eventually, I will have to depend on one who can exist along with mortals. And while I will gladly give myself to you over and over, you have to realize, it will not always be. Someday I will have to…" she couldn't finish that sentence. And given the dark look on Sasuke's face, it was obvious he didn't either. "We have to be realistic," she said with regret. "I know you will never share me. Which means, someday, this will-"

She was silenced with a finger to her lips. It dragged down her bottom lip as his dark eyes commanded her to remain silent. "I will find a way," he promised. "I will find a way for us to be together at all times, in all ways, and there will not be any sharing nor sacrificing family or lives."

He had no knowledge on how to grant her such things, but as he said it, as he promised it, he knew he would make it so. No matter the cost on his part, Sakura would have everything she wanted. She would be with him, she would travel the world, and she would still have her family. His uncle was the ruler of the fallen, he was practically a prince, royalty. And if there was anything he had learned from mortals, it was that royalty got anything they wanted.

He would earn favor from Madara and get permission for her to come to his realm. She would live with him and be with him always. Anytime she wanted to see her family he would grant that wish. He would bring her back to this gods awful island so that she could check on her pitiful little garden, hug her mother, and tend to her father's ailing joints.

He thought about the most recent council and what Madara vowed to do. Soon they would rule every realm, not just rule, but command. With such power, the unimaginable would surely be manageable. He could make the impossible possible. For example, make a mortal, immortal. Sakura would not just be with him, she would be with him forever.

As the delirium from such intoxicating ideas sobered, Sasuke looked down into Sakura's eyes. As he looked into the green irises that he knew had golden flecks when the sunlight hit them just right, he knew he would do it. Everything he imagined, he would make good on his promise.

"I swear I will make it so Sakura," he said with determination. "Just give me a year...no, less than that," he corrected. "On the anniversary of our meeting, I promise. Just give me until then, can you do that."

Without hesitation her head nodded vigorously. "Yes," she said breathlessly with a faith filled tone that told him she believed him.

The room was dim but the lack of light was nothing for the two persons within the room. Orange flames of ever fire burned in the intricate sconces to give a shadowed illumination about the room. However, the two pairs of Sharingan saw to it that their possessors saw every detail of the room with flawless precision.

Sasuke stood in the middle of the room, his shirt drenched with sweat as he breathed in rapidly from the vigorous training that had commenced for the past hour. Circling around him, Madara appraised his movements and improvement of his swordsmanship.

"Your ever growing skill with your blade is impressive," Madara commented, causing Sasuke to pause in his stance and look at his uncle. "As is the work you have been doing lately. The souls you have been collecting have been certainly impressive. I am glad you have begun to see the value in claiming a challenging soul as your conquests have been lately. The more innocent, the farther the downfall, and therefore far more stronger on our behalf."

Sasuke nodded, knowing full well that a verbal acknowledgment would not be any better of a response in his uncle's case. While he did his best to seem indifferent to the praise, Sasuke's mouth still twitched in the slightest of triumph. He knew that changing his type of souls would gain such acknowledgment. And if he was honest, deep down, he was growing to like it more and more. The power that it brought, and the satisfaction to watch a person fall lower than they had even thought themselves capable of, was invigorating.

Sasuke had never been great at collecting souls...until now. And he had figured out why. It was because collecting was monotonous and a waste of his skills. However corruption was not. Corruption was proving to be Sasuke's forte. He had a natural aptitude for it and the thrill of it was exhilarating. And that was not the only reason why he had decided to go for the more innocent.

It was because he knew, if done right, it would catch Madara's attention. And with the acknowledgement he had just received, Sasuke knew that it had proved right. He was gaining Madara's favor and therefore, growing closer to granting his promise to Sakura. She would most likely not approve of such things, but what she did not know would not hurt her. So long as they were together, that is all that mattered.

Chapter Text

Present Day:

"He is here," Sakura whispered under her breath as she ducked her head down to hide the movements of her lips. There was no telling how far those eyes could read lips from.

Both Kakashi and Naruto looked at her.

"How do you know? I can't sense anyone's chakra except mine and Kakashi's," Naruto noted as his head swiveled around.

Sakura shook her head. "It's not his chakra, it's….I'm not exactly sure, I just...know."

Kakashi looked at her curiously. "Do you know exactly where, or is it just an inclination?" It wasn't that he doubted, he was just intrigued with the idea that Sakura shared a type of connection with Sasuke. If they did, then that would change a lot. He just only hoped Sasuke could prove that he could be trusted.

Sakura lifted her head slightly. "Don't look now, but he is over by the train station. I'm not exactly sure where, but he is in that direction." Despite her words, Naruto's head automatically lifted and spun in the exact direction. Kakashi rolled his eyes and grabbed the top of his head to twist it back around. Naruto gave a sheepish grin as Sakura glared at him.

"He's been following all week," Sakura continued. "I was not sure at first but I am now, it's like the feeling is getting more...insistent."

Kakashi put a thoughtful finger to his lips. If Sasuke had been keeping his distance, that could be a sign he could be trusted. He was doing what he was told, leaving her alone, letting her be. To think he wouldn't check in on her was too much to ask and Kakashi knew that. But that was only if that was what Sasuke was doing.

"We should head now," Kakashi said, looking over to Sai who was walking out of the building that he worked at.

As the other two seraphs departed to greet Sai, Kakashi stood up slowly, and lazily put his hands into his pockets. Walking to the edge of the courtyard, he looked out across the street to where the train station was. It only took a moment before he spotted Sasuke.

Standing in the upper platform, Sasuke leaned against a pillar that supported the overhang that provided shade to the travelers. Sakura had been right. He was here, but still keeping his distance. However there was something that unnerved Kakashi. Sasuke was not trying to hide himself. If anything, Sasuke wanted to be seen. He was sending a message, a challenge.

"Please Sasuke," Kakashi murmured to himself. "Please don't do anything rash."

Sasuke stared back at Kakashi. The tarnished seraph stood with his back straight and arms crossed, as if warning him. Sasuke narrowed his eyes. Since the alleyway, Naruto and Kakashi had been like sentinel, always present and watching from somewhere when he came across Sakura. While to some they may look like guardians, to Sasuke they looked like prison keepers. They were keeping Sakura away from him.

And they had no right.

Sakura was his. And how dare they think he was a danger to her. If anyone was to see that no harm befell her, it was him. He just needed to separate her from their whispering influence to talk to her, to make her understand, and regain what they had been building. Because despite her not having any memories, there was no denying that there had been something there, forming and growing over their short time together.

Unfortunately, having a private moment with her would not be easy with those two constantly around her. He needed to separate them, and keep them separated long enough. But the problem was that there were two of them and only one of him.

Dark clouds rolled overhead as a storm began to muster, causing the daylight to end early as the clouds grew heavier. With one last look at Kakashi, he turned and began to walk away as his hand dug into his pocket.

He pulled the thin rectangle device of the mortals from his pocket. The bright screen illuminated his face as he dragged his thumb up to unlock its screen. Going to his contacts he scrolled down the short list of names and tapped the call icon on the intended name. Holding it to his ear he listened as the line dialed and began to ring. After the sixth ring, of the third redial, it ceased when the other person finally picked up.

"Who the hell is this? Can't you take a hint after the first time you didn't reach me? What do you want so badly you're blowing up my phone," snapped the voice. "I've got a dead body in the middle of myー"

"Suigetsu," Sasuke cut him off. "It's me."

There was a long pause before the voice on the other line spoke again. "Sasuke," he said, his tone changing quickly. While not fearful, there was still an underlying unnerve as he tried to speak casually. "It's been awhile. Thought you had forgotten about me. I would ask how you are doing but I have a feeling you would not be calling to catch up and chat."

"Hn," Sasuke hummed in agreement.

"Then what are you calling for?"

"I have a job for you," Sasuke replied, not willing to outwardly admit he needed assistance. "Find Jugo and Karin then come to New York."

"And what's in this for me?" Suigetsu inquired. "While I have no qualms with the big guy, I don't fancy being around the loud mouth. Honestly you're probably closer to her than me. She certainly seemed attached before, can't imagine her letting you go too far out of her four-eyed sights."

"We split ways decades ago, I don't know where she is." Sasuke quickly answered. "And if you cannot find her fast enough, then forget her. Just bring yourself and Jugo for all I care. So long as you are here in two days."

"Two days! You expect me to be there with Jugo in two days!" Suigetsu protested. "That bird brain is out in the middle of fuck nowhere, playing the jolly green giant with a bunch of monks. Do you have any idea how long it's going to take me to even find him! Not to mention the travel time. I am sure as hell not carrying that mortal's ass halfway across the globe, so that means we would have to fly the other way. On a plane," he said the last word as if it were an abomination. "That means security checkpoints. Do you know how hard it is to get a pocket knife through customs? Now try and imagine a sword the size of a full grown man and get that through. I will tell you, it's not easy," he snarked before continuing. "And then, after getting gods know what, stuck up only gods know where, you have the flight to deal with. Stuck in a tin can for fifteen hours with nothing but crying babies, some strangers sockless feet on your arm rest, and squashed between two people because Jugo insists on sitting at the window. And you tell me I have two days to do that!"

"Sounds like you better get moving," Sasuke replied unsympathetically. "Two days Suigetsu. Be here."

He heard Suigetsu begin his protest again, questioning what exactly was in it for him. But Sasuke was already withdrawing the phone from his ear and pressing the red button that cut off the stream of curses that flowed from the speaker. Tucking his phone into his pocket, Sasuke watched Sakura and Naruto greeting Sai as Kakashi began to walk towards the little group. Walking back to the edge of the platform, Sasuke crouched down and gazed down at the pinkette.

Watching her, seeing her alive and well, it brought peace to him. And soon, he would always have that. He would have his Sakura, and he would not be sharing. Naruto and Kakashi had their chance when they first discovered her, but they lost their privileges to her when they failed to tell him. It was wrong, they had no right to hide her. Sakura belonged to him, she had always belonged to him from the very beginning. And she would soon again.

"...and this is Sakura," Sai introduced.

Sakura gave a warm smile to the young man who had approached them. She extended her hand and shook it, giving him a warm smile as she took in his young face and soft eyes. He looked to be the same age as Sai, give or take a few years. As he released her hand, his eyes ran down her with appraisal and she did her best to keep from squirming under his scrutiny.

After hundreds of years she was still not used to the side effects seraphim had on humans. The supernatural species naturally drew their attention. The attraction worked as part of their influence over mortals. However the look this young man gave her was more than just the usual draw. It was a look of desire, but not in the lustful way that usually came with the inspection of her body. Compared to the other younger students currently present at the art show, who looked at her like a piece of meat, he looked at her as if she were one of the pieces of art on display. And she was not sure how she felt about it. The other men she knew what motivated their looks of desire, but for this one, she was not sure what motivated his appraisal.

"Hello," she greeted.

"It's a pleasure," the young man said. "And what is your medium of art?"

They were currently at an art show that Sai had entered in. Sakura had been adamant that she attend and support him. With everything happening in the recent months, she felt she was truly neglecting Sai and did not want him to feel that she was abandoning him. Fists fight with anger management newbies aside, the last time he had felt she was doing this his lash out was more or less an innocent tantrum. But she worried about what should happen when she was not around to keep him safe or if things went on longer.

Sakura gave out a polite chuckle as she waved her hand. "Oh no I cannot even doodle to save my life, let alone make a canvas come to life." She looped her arm through Sai's. "I am just here to support this artist right here."

The young man nodded and let his brown eyes move to the wall of charcoal drawings and ink paint. "And what an artist he is," he commended in sincerity. Turning to Sai, he tilted his head towards the art display. "Tell me about your work Sai, I would love to hear what inspires such imagery."

As Sai went into details of his work, Sakura watched him with a happy smile as she watched the two boys talk. Sakura had yet to see Sai get truly excited about anything. Passion, yes. Fondness, yes. But never had he expressed excitement. But as she watched him speak with the red head, whose attention was all his and his art, she could not help but feel she was witnessing elation, bordering on excitement on his face. As the pair moved on to a discussion of other types of mediums and arts, Sakura moved on to observe this new acquaintance.

She was not sure what had happened to lead up to Sai bringing the redhead over. And at first she was a little confused and wary by this, but after even just the short interaction, he seemed nice and sincere. His face was innocent and the way he seemed to ignore Sai's social faux pas and accept him as he was, made her warm up to the young man even more. Sai had yet to make any friends but as she watched the pair talk back and forth, she realized that maybe they could move on to such relationships.

"Beautiful," the redhead said as he took Sai's art in again as their conversation died down. "It's truly beautiful."

Sai gave a proud smile then began to look awkward. He looked to Sakura, as if asking her for some kind of guidance as to what to do or say next. Given his earlier accomplishment, Sakura decided to reward him and take over for the time being.

Turning to the redhead she grabbed his attention. "Are you a student here or just an outside participant?"

The redhead's brown eyes fell upon her and for a moment he paused as he gazed at her, a small crumple of confusion furrowing his brow before it was erased as an eased smile came to his face.

He shook his head. "No," he responded. "I am just an artist who likes to appreciate the work and efforts of others."

"Oh," Sakura remarked. "And what kind of art do you do?"

He seemed to ponder for a moment before he opened his mouth, but the opportunity to speak escaped him as an orange blur interrupted. Pushing rudely past the redhead, Naruto intruded into the middle of the three and gave Sai a heavy clap on his back.

"What's up my man, how's the show going?"

Sakura shot him a displeased look as she crossed her arms and moved her attention towards the redhead to give him an apologetic look only to find he was busy looking at Naruto with a curious expression which was nothing out of the ordinary. Naruto was a bit eccentric and always earned curious looks, from both seraphs and mortals, wherever they went. She opened her mouth to apologize but as Kakashi's tall frame appeared behind the short redhead, he beat her to the punch.

"I apologize about that," he said, causing the redhead to turn around to face him. "He is just excited for Ramen after this."

The redhead gave an understanding nod then turned to Sakura. "It seems it is time that I move on," he said.

"Oh no," she protested quickly, not wanting to lose such a potential friend for Sai. "You don't have to go."

The redhead shook his head. "It's all right," he said politely. "I actually have someone to meet up with and I should probably go anyways." He stuck out a hand. "It was lovely meeting you, Sakura." Her name rolled off his tongue with a lingering of intrigue.

Sakura took his hand and shook it. "You too…" she paused for a moment, realizing she had not caught his name. "I'm sorry," she said, her face turning red with embarrassment, "but I seemed to have missed your name."

He gave a smile as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a card. "Sasori," he said. "My name is Sasori." He handed her the card. "Give me a call, I would love to continue our conversation and get more acquainted-" he sent a nod towards Sai- "with both of you."

Sakura gave him a nod as she took the card and waved him goodbye. She watched his red hair disappear into the crowd before looking down at the small piece of cardstock in her hand. Embossed in red ink was his name. Just the one name, no last name or even an association. She flipped it over to find herself looking at a black scorpion stamped on the back and beneath it a phone number. She flipped it over several times, looking at the single name and emblem until she felt a presence next to her and looked up to see Kakashi standing next to her.

"Well don't you just have a way with the mortal men," he said with a sly grin.

Sakura rolled her eyes. "It's nothing like that," she defended. "He just wanted to meet up again... with the both of us," she added when he gave her a look that suggested this only backed his comment.

This only caused him to raise his eyebrows higher. "The both of you," he said with a sly grin, "...kinky." His eyebrows danced around suggestively which earned him the largest eye roll he had ever witnessed.

His lungs inhaled the breath of damaging chemicals while he savored the lungful of narcotic bliss. If he were human he would be practically unfunctional, but as the drug had a minimal effect on his supernatural physiology, it was nothing but a light high. He let out the lungful in a billowing cloud as he leaned his head back and watched it rise and dissipate into the hazy fog that was forming in the middle of the room.

The door opened and Kakuzu entered. "He is here," he said in a deep grumble.

Madara let out another billowing exhale. "Then let him in," he said calmly. "We've been waiting."

Kakuzu let out a grunt and disappeared outside the heavy metal door before reappearing with the grey haired arrival in tow. Madara gave him a wicked smile.

"Quite a long time for you to finally arrive, what did you do? Travel the mortal way?"

The man adjusted his glasses, the lens glinting in the light. "Forgive me for being cautious in rushing here. I understand Sasuke Uchiha has been lingering in this city and I would rather avoid a reunion with him. I do not think such a meeting would play well in my favor. However I could not avoid such an intriguing invitation from Madara Uchiha, the great Lord of the underworld. Rumor is that you're supposed to be dead. However I never believed them for a minute. How could such a being be erased from existence?"

Madara smirked. "While your flattery is quite eloquent, I am afraid it is not why I requested for you, Kabuto."

"Yes, I gathered that," Kabuto replied. "And why, may I inquire, did you call for me."

Madara leaned forward and stumped out his blunt as he let out a final exhale. "I want to strike a bargain," he said, leaning back as he raised his arms to the back of the couch and lounged.

A glint of intrigue flashed across Kabuto's face before he sobered. "A deal with the devil," he commented casually. "There is a warning that usually comes with such things. Why would I want to run such a risk?"

Madara grinned. "Mortal rumors, I assure you," Madara commented. "And like I said, it is a bargain. I will give you something in return."

"And what if I have everything I ever wanted?"

Madara released a chuckle. "We may not be acquainted well, but I know of you, which is enough to know you desire power. And anyone who desires such a thing and has acquired such a thing, knows you only hunger for more."

Kabuto adjusted his glasses again, an eager look coming to his face. "And you are offering me more?"

Madara's teeth flashed, knowing his bait had been swallowed, now he just needed to reel him in. "Not at the moment, but if all goes according to plan, I will possess the power of not only the statue of the outer paths but the god tree as well. With unlimited power like that, why would I not be willing to share?"

Kabuto licked his lips greedily. To have access to such sources, the things he could do. The experiments would be endless. "And what would you wish for in exchange."

Madara's dark eyes gleamed. "Your help of course when the time comes," he answered. "But also...information."

The spectacled seraph tilted his head thoughtfully. "Information? What kind?"

"My nephew has not been cooperating as I wish," Madara said in a tired voice. "He seems to be lacking in incentive these past few decades, nothing I am offering is tempting him."

"Sasuke is involved?" Kabuto questioned, alarm sounding in his voice as his eyes darted to Hidan in the corner. "You did not tell me he was involved."

A dark chuckle escaped Madara. "Do not worry Kabuto, I did not lure you here on false pretenses as a way to entice my nephew...I already made that offer."

Again Kabuto stiffened with unease and earned a bark of laughter from Madara. Kabuto narrowed his eyes. "I am glad you find amusement with my possible demise."

Madara's laughter slowly died down but the amusement remained. "Don't worry about my nephew, at the moment his vendetta to end you has been put on the back burner, as he has become recently preoccupied with something else."

"What do you mean?" Kabuto asked with intrigue.

"I mean," Madara clarified. "That you do not need worry about my nephew at the moment, and if what you can give me works, I might be able to delay him in becoming fixated on killing you indefinitely."

Kabuto considered this then finally nodded. If he had unlimited power after all of this, he would not need to worry about Sasuke. "Very well, I will do my best to give you the information that would earn such a promise."

Madara smiled. "Excellent," he exclaimed, standing up and moving over to the liquor cabinet. He grabbed a couple of glasses and began to fill them with a rich amber liquid as he spoke. "Long ago, my nephew struck a deal with your old master. Sasuke served him diligently for centuries and proved himself to be everything I always hoped he would be."

Drinks in hand, Madara walked up to Kabuto and offered him one before raising his own to his lips and took a slow sip. Kabuto did not so much as lift his own glass which seemed to amuse Madara.

"Yes, Sasuke certainly pleased my old master." Kabuto agreed, setting his glass on the low table next to him. He pushed his spectacles back up when he looked up to Madara. "But it is no mystery as to what Sasuke did. Everyone knows of his deeds. The blessed curse him, the fallen resent him, and rogues envy him. What information would I hold that you would not already know?"

"How did he do it?" Madara asked. "How did Orochimaru gain such service? Sasuke said he offered something. When Orochimaru couldn't deliver it, he turned on him. So I would like to know, what was so unattainable?"

Kabuto was quiet for a long moment before a chuckle escaped him. And soon the chuckle turned to a boastful laugh.

Madara's hand tightened on his glass. While he enjoyed a good mockery, he did not find humor in people laughing at him. "Is my ignorance so amusing to you?"

Kabuto's laughter slowly died down to a surprised humming of amusement. "Forgive me," Kabuto pardoned. "I do not laugh at you, but the situation. You make it seem as if Sasuke asked god of the gods but I would hardly consider a mortal even a stepping stone to such feats."

Madara's brow crumpled. "A mortal?" he questioned, his tone holding disgust.

Kabuto nodded as he stepped towards the couch to look at the pair of wings displayed above, his body eased and his manors became bolder with his current advantage of knowing something the great demon lord desired.

"When Sasuke came to Orochimaru, the deal he struck was that he would serve my master in exchange for him to resurrect a mortal woman."

"And who was this woman?"

Kabuto shrugged. "She wasn't anyone. At least no one of any importance or significance of the era from what I know"

"You mean to tell me that Sasuke, my nephew, wielder of an advanced Sharingan and descendant of one of the only remaining pure bloodlines, became a servant of a greedy fallen angel...for a mortal?" The contempt and disgust on his face caused Kabuto to lose his earlier ease.

"To bring back a mortal, not quite so simple of a task," Kabuto clarified. "It was not until after her death that Sasuke came to Orochimaru. My master had tried vigorously to get him before but Sasuke hardly batted an eyelash at what was offered him. The only time he even partially seemed to be tempted was when the mortal became sick. He came to Orochimaru for something that would cure her, and it surprised me when Orochimaru gave him the life saving antidote with no strings attached. I questioned my master but when Sasuke came back a year later, with a sharingan far more advanced and offering his services, I understood why."

Madara finished his drink and walked to the window. "You have given me quite a lot to process, Kabuto," he said, staring down into the pit of dancing mortals below. He turned back to look at the seraph. "You may go back to your hiding hole, I will contact you again when I have secured Sasuke's promise not to slit your throat the moment you two are in the same room."

He did not wait for a response before turning back around to look down at the pulsing dance floor. He hardly acknowledged the door being shut, signaling Kabuto's departure as he was lost in his thoughts.

Not many knew the secrets of the Sharingan. His blood line had gone through great efforts to keep it that way. Efforts that made it a mystery to even those who possessed it. But not Madara. Madara knew them all too well. He had obsessed about his lineage which was why this new found information was intriguing.

He had heard that Sasuke had awakened a deeper progression of the ability. He had seen and heard the evidence of the power over the centuries. All that time, Madara had always wondered when and how he had managed to unlock it. If he was correct in understanding, this mortal, this girl that had died centuries ago, had been the catalyst for that. Possibly for everything Sasuke had ever done.

It was both impressive and revolting. To think that Sasuke would sink so low and go through such lengths not for himself, but for a measly mortal, it was rather disappointing. On the other hand, he was impressed on behalf of the mortal. A mortal of such influence on the events that became history was rather impressive. It was all very poetic. But appreciation for poetry would not get Madara what he wanted.

The sound of the door reopening caused him to break from his thoughts and turn to see the face of an older adolescent with fire red hair entering into the room. It took Madara a moment to recognize Sasori's newest form. It was much more impressive than the one the puppet master had been using before. However, the admiration of the puppeteers latest possession was lost by a reminder of why he was here.

Sasuke's reason for lingering had been linked to a pair of mortals. With Kabuto's recent information, Madaras interest in such mortals had increased ten fold. Whatever his nephew's weakness was for mortals, seemed to be his best bet in recruiting him.

"Sasori," Madara greeted. "You have come just in time. Tell me what you have learned of Sasuke's reasons for remaining in the city."

Sasori's face became wistful as he recalled his most recent interaction with the two mortals that he had finally made acquaintance with after observing them for a month. The art show that Sasori had discovered Sai was entering, seemed the perfect opportunity for a casual meeting in which he could get to know him without bringing any suspicion. It had been luck that the blossom of a woman happened to be present as well. Giving him the perfect opportunity to interact with the both of them.

He rather liked Sai. Unlike most of the city slickers that claimed they were artists but focused more on the praise and number of followers, Sai was a true artist. He cared about the story and emotion behind the inspiration than the results. The lack of emotional expression he had in his social skills were found in his art. And what magnificent expressions they were. The emotion that had been portrayed was not something a person could fake. It was real, felt and expressed through the lines and shading that made up the pieces.

"Sasuke's interest is certainly understandable," Sasori said thoughtfully. "Sai, the boy, has quite a gift for the arts. His talents are truly ones to be desired."

"And what about the girl?" Madara asked, nearly impatient. "You said before that it seemed the girl was Sasuke's primary target in your observations."

Sasori's eyes became glazed over as he thought back to the beautiful specimen he would like to possess. She truly was a piece of art worthy of his collection. Fortunately for her, he had been there to collect information, not master pieces.

"Ah, such a lovely girl, with a fitting name," he said wistfully. "And such a curious one at that."

Like any seraph meeting a mortal for the first time, fallen, blessed, or rogue, Sasori had taken the time to look into their souls.

Sai's had been tarnished and spotted darkly, like a rusty metal that had been poorly taken care of and unpreserved. However, it seemed as if there were small spots here and there that kept it from being completely black. Those few spots shone brightly, as if someone had taken a polishing rag and slowly worked the corroded soul until those spots were restored to pristine condition. Most likely a guardian angel was assigned to him and whoever it was, was a master. He had seen enough works of guardians to know that this was the work of someone who truly cared about the individual and not the soul. As an ex guardian angel, he was more than knowledgeable in the art. To answer Sakura's earlier question, regarding his medium of art, preservation was his.

Many times he had seen a soul worked on by a guardian that had no darkness, but the shine was not quite so bright. This was the result of a rushed job and usually did not last as long. It was patch work, throwing coverings over the brokenness instead of fixing it. Restoring a soul was not meant to be done quickly, it took time and patience to achieve such rich luster. Whoever was assigned to this particular mortal was an artist worthy of his acknowledgment to the masterful work. It almost made him think it a sin to try and corrupt such a restoration.

While the mystery guardian's work was commendable, there was something far more curious that he had found when he looked into Sakura's eyes. Or perhaps, not found, was a more accurate description. When Sasori looked into Sakura's eyes, he found himself blocked from her soul. It was a shame too as he had been eager to see what kind of soul she would possess. Such a vessel would surely have an equally unique soul as well. Unfortunately, as he met her vivid green eyes that made him envious of such a color, and began to look past the iris and into her soul, he was met with a seal. And not just any seal, but a powerful and ancient one. One so ancient that he did not even recognize its purpose of placement and function.

He was taken out of his thoughts when Madara posed a question that intruded on Sasori's pondering. "And what makes her so curious?"

"She seems to have something blocking her soul. I tried to look at it but there is a seal within her that kept me from looking past her eyes."

Madara's head cocked to the side in curiosity. "A seal? What kind of seal?"

Sasori shook his head. "I do not know, but it is strong. And she had a pair seraphim over her guardianship."

"Guardian angels are not anything uncommon," Madara remarked, unimpressed as he leaned over and pulled a cigar from a box on the low table in front of the couch.

"Perhaps," Sasori mused. "However the demon eyed archangel and his spawn of the yellow flash's sidekick are certainly not your typical guardians."

Madara paused halfway in lighting his cigar. Setting the lighter down and pulling the cigar from between his teeth, he looked at Sasori with a new found interest. "Kakashi Hatake and Naruto Uzamaki are watching over her?"

Madara leaned back on the couch and looked deep into thought. His hand came up to his chin as he rubbed at it thoughtfully.

"Would you like me to continue to observe them?" Sasori asked after a prolonged silence.

Madara's dark eyes flashed up to the redheaded rogue, for another long moment his face showed nothing, and then it broke into an evil grin. "I think we have gone past observance," he remarked. "You said you have made acquaintance with them?"

Sasori nodded.

"And Kakashi and that boy do not know what you are?"

Sasori shook his head. "No, they have no inclination that I am seraphim," he remarked. That was the advantage of possessing a soul instead of claiming it. The mortal soul shrouded his chakra, making him seem as human as any other mortal in the world. And even if they knew of his existence, they would not know the new face in which he was wearing.

Madara nodded in satisfaction. "Very good," he remarked. "Then bring me the mortals. Use your acquaintanceship, befriend them, and bring them to me."

Sasori nodded and began to make his way towards the door.

"Sasori," Madara called, causing him to turn back around. "Make it soon," Madara commanded. "We are running out of time."

Chapter Text

Ancient Greece:

Athens was everything and more than she had imagined. The food, the culture, the life, it was far above what her tiny little island had ever offered her. After a week of travel, she had arrived safely with her uncle into the warm embrace of her aunt. Since then, her aunt had seen to it that she experienced everything the city had to offer. However, as exciting and entertaining life had been for the past month, Sakura had found herself missing the quiet and peaceful solitude that the low population of her home island provided.

Her aunt had suggested she visit the local Laconia as a remedy for this. And her aunt had been right. The steamy and quiet solitude that the bath house provided seemed to sooth her highly stimulated mind as she soaked in the warmth of the water and rubbed the calming peppermint oil across her skin. But even as she breathed in the fresh scent, she still felt a yearning need for something else. A particular thing that had been absent in her life since she had come here. That thing was Sasuke. 

It had been a month since she had seen Sasuke and she was missing him in every way. Taking in a deep breath, she slowly let it out as she sank lower into water, letting her head fall back onto the edge of the pool. 

He had said he would find her no matter where she went, that no matter what, they would be together, that he would find a way. She had believed him and she still did. At least she wanted to because the alternative was unbearable. She missed him terribly and the thought of never seeing him, never being with him again, was undesired. She missed his presence. His quiet attitude and commanding, but so easily swayed authority. And she missed the feel of his body against hers. It didn’t matter if it was a single finger, his breath, or his entire body, she just missed the connection, the bond that they had established over their time together. 

She missed the way he would trace her features as if memorizing the feel of her skin was the most important knowledge to possess. And the way his hands would eventually wander to her locks and soothingly comb the tangles from her scalp after their times of intimacy. Even now as she lay back she could imagine the way his nails would dig into her scalp before running the length of her hair with a soft gentleness so not to pull on a tangle too hard. He would do this until her locks were perfectly smooth and flowing before placing a soft kiss on her–

The pressure against her forehead caused her eyes to snap open with alarm. For a moment she stared up in disbelief. She must have been in the heated bath for too long and was experiencing some fatigue, for surely it was the only explanation for the phantasm that she was seeing. 

A perfect image of Sasuke hovered over her. His face upside down from her perspective. His dark eyes shined like obsidian stone. She recalled the earlier pressure on her forehead and took note of the sensation that was lingering on her skin and made a realization. You could not feel a phantom’s touch, therefore this image was not an image, it was real. Sasuke was here. 

As the delayed realization caught up, her body went into a sudden reaction. Water sloshed around as she twisted around from the edge and sank deeper into the pool. As she turned back to face him, she stared wide eyed at his smirking face. 

“You’re...you’re really here!” She whispered as she hugged her arms against her naked chest. “What are you doing here?”

Sasuke’s eyes moved from her face and ran down her submerged body before moving back up to meet her reddening face. “Since when did you become so modest?” Sasuke inquired. “And isn’t this a public bath house,” he asked as he stood up slowly. “I thought anyone was welcome?”

“Ye-yes but this section is not open to men,” she stuttered out. 

Sasuke smirked and brought his hands to the hem of his shirt. With slow and smooth movements, he slowly lifted his shirt up his torso. Sakura took in the tight muscles and defined lines with every inch that he revealed. As soon as it was over his head he let it drop to the floor by his feet and stared down at her. 

“Is it now?” he asked with mocking innocence. “...but I am in such dear need of a bath,” he added as his thumbs went to the waistband of his trousers, lowering them just enough to reveal the defined shape his transverse muscles made.

Sakura licked her lips hungrily as she stared with a heated gaze. It was only when he paused in the removal that she raised her gaze to his face. 

“Unless maybe you have some objections...Sakura?”

The way he said her name sent a surge of exhilaration through her body. It was full of promising allure that her body immediately reacted at the thought of receiving such promises. Unable to look away from his eyes, she silently shook her head from side to side. 

Sasuke’s mouth curled even farther and he proceeded to undress himself fully. All the while Sakura watched motionless and quiet as he tossed his clothes onto the floor and stepped into the pool, slowly submerging himself farther and farther until he was waist deep and standing right before her. 

He brought his hands to her crossed arms and pulled them free of her chest. Wrapping them around his neck, he pulled her closer until she was in his lap with her legs wrapped around his torso. He ran a hand down her wet spine which caused her legs to squeeze him tighter, pushing a satisfied groan from him as she pressed closer to him. 

“We shouldn’t be doing this,” she said quietly as his head bent forward and began to nuzzle her neck. “What if someone comes and finds us?”

“Then they will be blessed by the gods to witness such a thing.”

She let out a sound of disagreement that turned into encouragement as he found the sensitive part of her neck. 

“However do not worry, no one will disturb us,” Sasuke assured. 

He emitted an influence to the surrounding area to anyone near to have a desire for something else than a bath. As much as he would love to see what she would do if someone were to find them, it had been too long and he was not about to let their time together be disturbed. He had been so busy over the month that he had not been able to find time between finding favor in Madara and getting a chance to approach her. 

He leaned back slightly and let her hands fall down to rest on his chest beneath the water. “So what do you think of the mainland?”

At the question her eyes brightened and she began to tell him of everything she had done and seen in the past month. Her words of description came out awed and dazzled as she described the temples and theaters she had been to, as well as the arts themselves that she had witnessed. All the while, Sasuke imagined what it would be like when she saw his world. If just a large mortal city brought about this much joy, it was hard to imagine what she would think of his home. Would she even be able to handle it? There were so many things he wanted to show her he didn’t know where he would begin. The underground lake, the lava tubes, the glowing caverns, or the gardens of plants that no mortal had ever seen? 

As she happily spoke, Sasuke found his hands wandering up to her face. With her head cupped in his palms, he finally grabbed her attention and her gushing of the city fell quiet. “You truly amaze me,” he said quietly. “Your fascination for even the smallest of things...is there anything that does not impress you?”

She tilted her head as she looked at him in confusion, unsure of how to answer his question. The absence of an answer seemed to amuse him as his mouth curled. He gave her cheek a quick peck with his lips then leaned back, pulling her to him as he wrapped his arms around her. Her head came to rest in the crook of his neck as he lounged back, his fingers idly running circles against her skin beneath the water.

“I wonder in the years to come if we shall finally find something that won’t astound you. Once you live in my world long enough, surely you will find some dullness in the mortal world. Then again, after enough years you see new civilizations rise one after another. Mortals always surprise me with the new things they come up with.”

As Sakura listened to him talk as she lay in his arms, a wane smile spread across her lips. She loved this, loved being in his arms, and loved hearing him talk of them in the future. It was comforting to know he was planning a ‘them’ in his future. But despite this, she was still worried about just how long it would last. Sasuke spoke of them in terms of eternity. It was poetic and lovely, but Sakura was not stupid. She knew her life was limited, and as much as Sasuke promised her, she could not bring herself to breach the subject, afraid of what else Sasuke would promise her. Would he search out to extend her life? Was that even a possibility? The idea was certainly thrilling but surely if that was not possible, Sasuke or even Naruto would have mentioned it by now. 

She had never feared death, and she still did not. But she did fear growing old and Sasuke growing tired of her. Yes, he spoke of them together in the future, but it was easy to speak of such things when in the here and now. 

But at the moment, as they coupled together, as Sasuke pulled her head up and began to kiss her passionately while his hands began to move across her body and draw out vocals of the bliss she felt, she realized she did not care. She would take as much time as she was given. And should she find herself an old spinster with no Sasuke at her side, she would take it, so long as she had him here and now. She would cherish the years, months, or even just days she had left with him. 

There was a sickness going around, and it was spreading like wildfire across the city. It was like nothing that Sakura had ever seen. It started like a simple head cold. Slight pain and pressure in the head with the occasional sore throat. But by the third day, things rapidly changed. A burning fever would take over, causing the ill to become nearly delusional and bedridden. Those that did not break the fever quick enough began to hemorrhage, which caused those inflicted to bleed from the lungs, nose and ears. The mortality rate was high, even for those who were in prime health seemed to have difficulty surviving the comatose fever. 

When the husband of her aunt's neighbor had fallen sick, Sakura could not find it in herself to sit idly by. She had done everything in her power to try and save the man. Every medicine, every technique, she had tried and still, it had not been enough. He had slipped away in the late evening, leaving his wife and two sons behind. The eldest was just barely  thirteen years of age and was now left with the responsibility of running the estate. 

With heavy footsteps, she dragged herself home. Silent tears ran down her face as she stared down at the ground. She had taken the route from their home to her aunts so many times in the past week she didn’t need to pay attention to where she was going. And so it was not until another body crossed her path and she ran straight into it, that she even became aware of her surroundings. 

Looking up and opening her mouth to emit an apology, Sakura failed to speak when she looked up into the pinched face of Sasuke. 

“What are you doing out here,” he said in an irritated tone. “It’s dark and you are in the city,” he chastised harshly as he grabbed onto her shoulders and gave her a slight shake. “Do you have any idea how dangerous that is! This isn’t your peaceful little island where nothing happens. You have been here for three months. You should know better by now! Has your aunt not warned you? Have you no regard for your safety? I have been looking everywhere for you! Where the hell have you been!”

His rant stopped when he saw the sad and vacant expression in her face. Her eyes were glazed over as she stared at his chest, telling him that not a single word of his reprimand had been acknowledged by her. His brow crumpled when he finally noticed the wet tear tracks that lined her face and all of his earlier worry and annoyance turned to concern.  

Sakura stared at his chest as his angry rant entered one ear and immediately went out the other. Not a single word registered as she found herself unable to focus on anything but the throbbing in her head that seemed to radiate down the rest of the body, making her muscles ache with soreness. She was so exhausted from the past week of late nights and restless sleep that she suddenly lost all cares. She just wanted to close her eyes and forget. 

She wanted to forget the grief in the woman’s wails that had escaped her as she realized her husband was gone. She wanted to forget the overwhelmed look in the man’s eldest son as the responsibility of a grown man was thrust upon him. And she wanted to forget the wet, gasping breaths that had escaped the man’s throat as he struggled to hold onto life and fail to gasp it tightly enough. Gripping onto Sasuke’s shirt, Sakura pressed herself harder into him when his arms snaked around her and held her trembling shoulders tightly. 

“Sakura,” he said gently. “What’s wrong?”

His questions seemed to break her as her silence broke and a sob escaped her lips. She fell forward and buried her head deeper into his chest. As she wept, the feel of his arms around her, holding her so gently but still tight caused a dawning to fall upon her. It was not the first time she had cried in front of him but it was certainly the first time he had ever seemed to comfort her with such a tender embrace. Sasuke did not show affection often and after the tormenting last few days, the tenderness only made her cry harder as inaudible words began to fall from her lips. She told him of the man, told him of everything she had tried, what should have happened, and finally, what had happened instead. 

Sasuke was at a loss for words to say and lacked the knowledge of what to do. He didn’t like Sakura crying, for many reasons. The first being that he did not like her to be upset. He wanted her happy, he wanted everything to be what she wanted. The second reason he did not like it, was because he did not know what to do. And Sasuke despised being ignorant. No one had ever taught him. Very rarely did he find comfort from someone when he was upset, mostly because within his world, you did not show emotions. If expressed, it was done behind closed doors where no one could see your shame.

However Sakura was different, she had been raised with an opposing stance. She allowed every emotion to be seen by the world.  Which was why, despite his lack of knowledge, he had to try. He did what felt more natural and he held her. Held her tightly to his chest and imagined that he could absorb her sorrow the way his shirt absorbed her wet tears. However, when she began to blame herself for the tragedy that had just happened, he could no longer comfort her. He would not condone such belittlement of herself. 

Pushing her back slightly so to put some space between them, he looked down at her. Her eyes were puffy and red while her face was flushed and wet from her tears. “Stop it,” he said with a slightly hard tone. She took in several staccatoed breaths and hiccuped. He gave her a small shake which caused her to look up at him. “It is not your fault,” he said firmly. “You cannot save everyone, do you understand? You have no control over who dies and who lives, that is for the gods.”

She hiccuped again but managed to give a small nod as she looked down at her feet. Sasuke’s hand rested softly on her shoulders but when her body slackened he quickly moved forward and tightened his grip. He caught her in his arms as her own jerked up to grab a hold of him. She looked up at him with wide eyes, surprised by the sudden fatigue. 

She blinked a few times then did her best to support herself. “Sorry,” she said quietly. “I guess I am more exhausted than I thought.” She began to take a few steps to start back home. “I should go home and get some sleep–“

She was cut off when her own body began to sway as a spell of dizziness rushed over her. As soon as it subsided her world was swirling again, but this time it was because she really was moving. Sasuke had snatched her up into his arms and had begun to walk down the vacant street. 

“You should not have exhausted yourself so much,” he muttered under his breath. “You need to take care of yourself as well, not just others. You cannot just disregard your well-being...it’s annoying.”

Sakura gave out a small hum, too tired to open her mouth. Instead she snuggled into the warmth of his shoulder and let out a heavy sigh as she tried to ignore the throbbing in her head. It felt good to close her eyes. They had felt strained all day to the point that it hurt to have them open. She was not sure how it happened but at some point she opened her eyes and found herself being set down on the bed in her room. 

Sasuke situated her body into a comfortable position then let his hand fall on her hair. Sasuke’s eyes narrowed as he caught sight of the sweat that was beading along her forehead. Shifting his hand from her hair he pressed it against her forehead. Instantly he pulled his hand away. She was burning up.

“Sakura,” he said, causing her to crack her eyes open. “How long have you been feeling like this?”

She mumbled something inaudible and he repeated his question. With a tired effort she shrugged her shoulders. “A few days,” she sighed. “It’s nothing, I’m just tired. I have not been sleeping well.”

Sasuke looked over her worriedly, taking in the heavy bags beneath her eyes and the flush of her skin from the excessive body heat. He was no healer or doctor, but he was certainly not ignorant to what had been happening in this region of the mortal realm. There was a sickness, and while he had been absent for the past couple of weeks, he knew exactly what Sakura had been up to. Taking care of others and disregarding her own safety was an annoying habit of hers that he had yet to break her from. 

He narrowed his eyes, unsure of who to be angry with. Her, her patients, or himself for not having checked in on her earlier. He gave the top of her head a few strokes before placing a kiss on the crown of her head and pulled away. 

“Get some sleep,” he said quietly. She nodded and closed her eyes. “I will come back tomorrow.”

She let out a sound that he was unsure if it was a hum of acknowledgement to him or just a sound of her slipping into sleep. Standing up he went to the window that he had entered in. Pausing at the ledge he gave one last look at her before disappearing into the night. 

He had come to lighten the heaviness of everything but now he felt even more weighted. As he soared out of the city, he set his mind straight. It was nothing. She was just exhausted. He would come back the next day and she would be fine. She would be well. She would survive. 

She wasn’t getting better. It had been five days and Sakura had only gotten worse. It was long past midnight, the only time he could sneak through her window and see her as her aunt was always at her side, tending uselessly. It had been a whole day since Sakura had even opened her eyes. Twenty-four long hours since he was privileged with the two emeralds that he relished the attention of. 

Standing by her bed, not daring to go any nearer, he watched her restlessly fidget beneath the coverings of her bedding. Sweat soaked her nightgown as the fever raged within her body. And her hair was a knotted tangle, the roots dampened at her scalp from her feverish perspiration. 

She began to mutter something inaudible, her words growing louder the more restless she became. Automatically his hand moved to reach out to her in an attempt to sooth her, but the sound of someone stirring in another part of the house caused him to pause. Before he could even manage to try and brush his fingers reassuringly against her heated skin, the approaching footsteps from down the hall caused him to quickly move to the ledge beneath the window.

Using the overhang of the manor, he crouched next to the windows opening. He watched as her aunt entered the room with a small oil lamp. Crossing the space between the door and bed, she set the lamp down by the small table and sat at the edge of the bed. With a pale hand, she felt Sakura's sweaty head, frowned, then pulled a cloth from the pan of water on the same small table as the lamp. Wringing out the excess water, she laid it on her forehead as she whispered out a quiet prayer. Sasuke barely heard the woman’s pleas as she called out for Asclepius to bless her niece. 

The words of her prayer went unregistered but the tone was noted. It was desperate and worried. Sasuke was suddenly hit with the reality of just how fragile Sakura was. From the beginning he had always found things about her that he proclaimed superior than her fellow mortals. He wasn’t sure when, but somewhere down the line, he had convinced himself that this was exactly what she was. Something higher, less susceptible. Like the Demi gods of her faith. But in this moment that false security that she was better, stronger, more resilient, seeped away from him. The illusion of her being ethereal was shattered as reality set in. Sakura was not an exception. She was just as frail and susceptible as any other mortal. She could recover, she could get over this and things would be as they were. But, she also couldn’t. She could get sicker, she could die, and then she would be gone forever. 

The rush in his ears caused him to be rendered temporarily deaf as he stared forward unseeingly as what if’s flooded his mind. Unaware of his surroundings, he failed to notice the shadowy presence behind him.  

“Again,” came the low instruction of his uncle. 

Sasuke smoothly withdrew the katana from the scabbard, his fingers readjusted as he familiarized himself with the crisscrossed fabric that was woven as the grip. Even as his fingers moved around to find a grip that felt right, he knew that there would be no point. His form had been off all day. No matter how many times he had done this previously, and no matter how many times he had messed up and corrected himself today, he seemed doomed to fail each time. He knew it, and given the look on Madara’s hard face, he knew it too. 

“Something bothering you boy?” 

Sasuke winced at the tone of the term. It was just how his father said it, which in his case, was not favorable to him. He needed Madara to see him as a proficient fighter not as a mistake riddled child. But he couldn’t seem to focus. His mind was too preoccupied with thoughts of Sakura. It had been a week and she had still not gotten better and if she did not get better soon, it would only be a matter of time before…

Sasuke looked up to Madara. “What exactly happens to a soul after it has been collected?” he asked. “How does the tree and statue work? Are the souls transformed into something else? Is their existence of what that person was just erased? Or Is it like a hidden cache of souls that could be broken into? If souls go in? Can they also be taken out?”

Madara looked at him curiously. “Given your volume of wondering, it seems you have thought long about this,” Madara commented. Sasuke shrugged and Madara eyed him more closely, taking in his stance and forced casualness, contemplating on if he would divulge in Sasuke’s inquiries. Madara let out a deep hum before shifting and beginning to take a turn around the training room. He paused every once in a while to inspect a weapon here and there as he paced. “And why, may I ask, are you so curious?” he asked, almost too casually.

Sasuke paused for a moment before answering, choosing his words carefully. “Our entire existence seems to revolve around the collection of souls,” Sasuke answered, “I was just curious as to why our work is so important. And what exactly comes from it?” 

Madara seemed to consider this for a moment before speaking. “And if it were the latter, what would you do with the souls if you could break in?”

His tone was something Sasuke was unsure of. There was a warning but also...curiosity. As if the thought of it had never crossed his mind. 

“I don’t know,” Sasuke replied. 

Madara’s mouth turned up into a thin smile. “All that thinking and you never once imagined what you could do? What you wished to do?” Madara’s brow rose expectantly as he caught a glimmer in Sauke’s eye. A glimmer that told him Sasuke had thought plenty of what he would do. “Humor me Sasuke, say you could do anything, what would you wish possible?”

Sasuke chewed his lip, uncertain of what his answer would summon from his uncle. “Revive the soul?” His answer came out sounding more like a question than a statement. 

“And why would you want to bring back a mortal from death when there are already more than enough in their realm,” Madara remarked. 

Sasuke thought for a moment on how to phrase such a thing that would be intriguing to Madara. “Why not?” he said with a shrug. “To be a master of life and death...it would be godlike would it not?”

There was a glint in Madara’s eyes. After a long moment of silence, he let out a bellowing laugh that unnerved Sasuke but he gave a small smirk and played along as if sharing Madara’s amusement. As his uncle settled down he walked over to him, placing a hand on his shoulder. 

“I knew I chose well when I decided to train you personally,” Madara remarked. “You have a gift, Sasuke and an advantageous mind. I need followers like you if we are to rule more than just our realm. But while I admire your imagination, I must be the unfortunate informer that you are limited in reality. As far as I know, there is no way to bring back the dead. Mortal or seraph. If there were a way...do you not think I would have already tried?”

Sasuke shifted slightly under the weight of Madara’s hand but more so from his stare. It was rare that Madara spoke if his brother and no one ever dared bring him up on their own accord. There would be no telling what would happen and no one was willing to trigger him to find out. However, this rare opportunity to speak of his deceased and unfamiliar uncle was lost to Sasuke as he was too distracted by the unwanted truth of Madara’s words. 

Madara was right, if there was a way to bring someone back from the dead, Madara would have done it by now. Sasuke never met Izuna, his death preceding Sasuke’s birth, but he had heard of the bond Izuna and Madara shared, it went beyond brotherhood and blood. If he could have, Madara would have brought him back. Which meant there was no way to bring anyone back, which also meant, if Sakura died...there would be no bringing her back. A cold chill ran down his spine at the thought. She needed to get better, he needed her to get better. 

He looked to Madara. “I have something to attend to,” he announced, drawing Madara’s vacant thoughts to him. He nodded, giving permission for him to go. 

As soon as he was excused, Sasuke was making his way to the portal, not bothering to change. He needed to check on her, he needed to make sure she got better. 

He lept up onto the overhang beneath her window but froze the moment he saw Suigetsu leaning against the wall beneath it. The moment his purple eyes fell upon Sasuke he shot him a sharp grin.

Sasuke did not allow it to linger for long. 

In a blur he had the smaller seraph’s neck in his hand as his eyes bled red. “I thought I told you to stay away from her,” he said darkly, his eyes flickering to the opening of the window to check on a slumbering Sakura. He did not like to see her restlessly moving around in a fevered slumber, but in this moment, he found comfort in it, it meant she was still alive, still fighting. 

Suigetsu raised his hands in defense. “Easy, easy,” he said in an all too easy tone. “I didn’t touch her, and besides, you told me to stay away from the island...not the girl.”

Sasuke bared his teeth in a snarl. “I think my meaning was quite clear.”

Suigetsu rolled his eyes. “Relax, Uchiha. I didn’t come here for her,” he said. “I was looking for you. I came with a message...an offer.”

Sasuke stared back at the rouge for a long moment, his grip neither tightening, nor loosening as he considered. Finally, after a long thought, he moved, dragging Suigetsu down to the alleyway outside of the manor before releasing him with a shove. Suigetsu bounced against the mortar wall and stumbled for a moment as he recovered from the manhandling he had been put through. 

Sasuke heard him mutter something about not getting paid enough to deal with certain shit but he ignored it. “I’ve already told your master a thousand times,” he growled. “I am not interested in working for him.”

Suigetsu stood up and made a show of tugging on his shirt, readjusting the baldric over his chest, and finally grinning at him. “He just wants to meet with you once.”

Sasuke frowned. “So I’ve been told.”

“Your little mortal is not doing well,” he commented. “She’s a fighter, lasted longer than others but I heard the older woman talking, seems the hemorrhaging has begun this afternoon…”

Sasuke stilled. His mouth went suddenly dry and he struggled to swallow. “She will be fine,” he strained to say. “Like you said, she’s a fighter, she will survive.”

Suigetsu raised a brow. “Are you willing to bet on tha–.”

Sasuke had him pinned against the wall before he could even finish. “Is that a threat?”

Suigetsu chuckled. “So it’s true, this mortal really does mean that much to you.”

Sasuke shoved him hard against the stone in warning and Suigetsu let out a grunt. “Easy man, you're gonna leave a bruise.” 

“I will do more than that,” Sasuke growled. 

Suigetsu let out a snort. “I don’t think it’s very smart of you to threaten someone who can save her.”

Sasuke narrowed his eyes. “What do you mean?”

Suigetsu dug into his pocket then brought a small object up to the small space between them, displaying a small vial of glass with a discolored liquid inside. “Orochimaru sent a little present,” he explained. “An antidote that will cure your little mortal of what ails her.”

Sasuke moved to grab the vile but Suigetsu had anticipated it. Taking advantage of Sasuke’s delay, he managed to free himself, holding the vial away from him as he held out a finger and waggled it in Sasuke’s face. 

“Ah ah, tut tut, Sasuke,” he said with a reproaching tone. “You know how Orochimaru works. Nothing is ever for free. You agree to meet with him, and I give you the antidote. That’s the deal.”

Sasuke glowered. “And what if it’s not what you say? What if it’s poison?”

Suigetsu rolled his eyes and rested his hand on his hip in annoyance. “Come on, do you really think Orochimaru is that foolish. He wants you on his side, not against him.”

Sasuke glared at the toothy seraph, his eyes occasionally glancing towards the vial or up to the window that led into Sakura’s room. He heard a violent cough sound. It sounded labored and wet, meaning there was blood in that cough. 

Sasuke gnawed at the inside of his cheek. Suigetsu was right, she was not getting better. “So I agree to meet with him and you give me the medicine,” he clarified. “Nothing else. I just meet with him?”

Suigetsu nodded. 

Sasuke glanced one more time at the vial then to Sakura’s window. “Very well,” he held out his hand, “give it to me.”

Suigetsu stepped forward and handed it to him. Sasuke moved to pull it from his grip but paused when Suigetsu’s hold tightened. “Half now, half later,” he said as he surrendered the vial and stepped back. “I suggest you don’t take too long, that there will only delay her death, the other one will cure her.”

Sasuke narrowed his eyes and moved forward but Suigetsu was already taking flight. “You didn’t think Orochimaru wouldn’t ensure you would come?” he called down as he began to flap away. He circled around once. “I suggest you don’t dawdle. Orochimaru does not like to be kept waiting. And if that is not enough to hasten you, remember, that only buys her so much time.”

Sasuke’s hand gripped the bottle so tightly it threatened to break. When he realized this, he forced his hand to let up. Only when a violent cough sounded again did he manage to move. Jumping up into the lower roof before crawling through the window. 

Sasuke flew through the air as fast as he could. The morning twilight was fading far too quickly for his liking. In his hand he clasped the cure, or at least what Orochimaru claimed was the cure. As the morning dared to begin, his anxiety escalated with every powerful flap of his wings that brought him closer. His muscles ached and were beginning to cramp from the swift strain but he powered through. Suigetsu said the medicine he had given earlier would only delay her death. How close she had been to death he did not know. I could have a week, days, or just hours. Whichever time frame he had, Sasuke had no desire to find out. Which was why he was racing full throttle to the manor. 

Just as the sun’s rays were beginning to reach up like fingers reaching up to pull the sun above the horizon, Sasuke maneuvered through the open window. In his urgency he had failed to make sure no one else was in the room. but he lucked out as he alighted onto the floor and found only Sakura laying in her bed. 

He quietly crept to her side and laid a hand in her head. She looked more restful than when he left her after giving her the first dose, a good sign that the medicine was in fact a medicine and not one, of the many, sinister potions that Orochumaru had in his macabre of a collection. She stirred slightly at his touch and he gently pulled her into his arms. 

Cradling her upper half he brought the vial to her lips. Like before she did not respond and he had to manually open her mouth and pour the liquid in. He watched with gratitude as her throat bobbed up and down as she swallowed it on her own accord. Earlier he had to force her body to swallow and it had not been a pleasant ordeal. 

He set the vial down at the bedside table and shifted her so that he could sit in her bed with his back against the wall as she leaned on his chest. There he sat and waited, waited for the burning fever to fad, waited for her to open her eyes, and waited for her to live. For hours he held onto her, his arms wrapped around her as he rested his chin on the top of her head. Every once in a while he would move, but only to tighten his hold again as it loosened when he found himself nodding off. 

He sensed her aunt moving about several times to come and check on Sakura, but everytime he sent her away with an impulse as he was not willing to let Sakura go. He would remain here until she was better, no matter how long he would wait. And when she did, he would send her home, back to the island and away from the city. 

He had been foolish in thinking she should see the world without realizing just how fragile she was. It was time he found a way to keep her safe forever. Madara’s plan would soon come into play, a plan Sasuke had still yet to fully commit to. Fully committing would be going against the blessed, which meant going against Naruto and Kakashi. However, it would also win him Madara’s favor. And with that, he could get permission to bring Sakura to his realm. In his realm the existence of time was moot. There was no need for it in a world where nothing aged. If Sakura were to dwell in such a place she herself would not age, her age would be temporarily frozen; if she remained there, she could potentially live forever so long as no unnatural cause of death came to her. And he would not let anyone inflict such a thing on her. 

Sasuke bowed his head and took in a deep breath. The floral scent that came from her bathing oils and soaps was faded but he could still detect the faintest hint of the familiar smell. It brought him peace as he hugged her closer and relaxed with her in his arms. Yes, he would commit to Madara’s cause and in exchange, he would bring Sakura to his home. Then, and only then would Sakura be safe and his forever.

Chapter Text

Present Day:

Sakura stared up at the giant hole that had once been a roof above her. All around her, rubble and debris piled up and confined her in the crater of a hole that had once been the ground floor of the now skeletal abandoned building. Next to her lay a body that she could not bring herself to look at. 

Just moments ago there had been life flowing through the body of flesh. A beating heart had pushed blood through its veins while its muscles moved its limbs and gave it motion. Now, it lay lifeless like an empty shell that had washed up on the ocean shore. 

And she had been the one to end that life. 

But was it just one? Or had she killed two people today? 

A warmth leaked down her face as her eyes watered for reasons she did not understand. Her vision blurred but she kept staring up. The peaceful clouds that sailed across the sunny blue skies above were unnaturally unfitting for the atmosphere of devastation and death that bore down on her. But despite the lack of appropriateness, it was better than looking at the corpse. 

In her blurry peripheral, winged figures appeared at the edge of the cut out hole. Muffled words echoed down to her but they went unregistered. It was not until the figures descended down with feather-like grace that she was able to blink and look away from the sky. 

She watched as Kakashi, then Naruto, landed carefully on the rubble and made their way towards her, taking care to not step anywhere treacherous. 

She saw their eyes take in the still warm, but very dead body next to her. When their eyes looked back at her, she had been prepared for the guilt that would come with their judgments. What she was not prepared for was the gentle affection and concern that crossed their faces as they looked at her as if she were the victim and not the murderer. 

Kakashi kneeled before her as Naruto crouched down beside her. “Sakura,” Kakashi said gently. “Tell me what happened.”

What happened? 

What had she done?

“I killed him,” she said in a breath. “I killed them both.”

“Both?” Kakashi questioned in confusion. 

Sakura stiffly managed to nod her head. “The rogue….and the mortal.”

There was no response from Kakashi or Naruto. Just silent staring. And then Sakura lost it. She broke down and cried into her palms as the reality of what happened crashed down on her. She did not just kill someone, she had committed the biggest sin a seraph could. 

When she had woken that day, never had she expected things to turn out as they did. Never did she think that she would blindly lead Sai into such a danger. Never did she think that Sasori would turn out to be seraphim. Never did she think she would face such a powerful rogue on her own. And never did she think that she would end a life, let alone two. But most of all, never did she think that today, tomorrow, or any day of her existence would she end the life of a human being.

Yet today, she did all of it.  

And as she wept into her hand and felt the warmth of two pairs of arms wrap around her, she asked herself the same question that Kakashi had just quarried to her.

What happened?

Earlier that morning…

A light chime sounded from Sai’s pocket and Sakura immediately straitened up in her seat as she looked expectantly at the dark haired boy sitting across from her. With his head bent over the sketchbook laying next to his forgotten lunch, Sai did not make a move or even acknowledge the alert of his cell phone. A second chime of either a new text message or a reminder that he had an unread message sounded from his pocket again. Gripping the edges of the metal table they sat at, Sakura starred intensely at the top of Sai’s bent head as she willed him to check his phone. Her knee began to bounce when he made no move again. A full two minutes went by before Sakura could wait no longer. 

“Are you going to check that?” she quickly prodded. Her dangerously sweet tone that was edgier than usual caused Sai to look up at her.

“Hmm?” He hummed in question, as if oblivious to the fact that it had gone off. 

“Check. Your. Phone,” she emphasized through the gritted teeth of a stiff smile. 

With motions far too slow for Sakura’s liking, Sai pulled his phone from his pocket, slid his finger up to unlock the screen and tapped the new alert icon. Sai silently read the message and then put his phone quietly back in his pocket. Sakura waited for him to say something and when he went back to drawing without a word, she frowned. 

“Well…” she prodded. 

Sai let out a sigh that bordered on annoyance. It was a recent development and Sakura wondered if this was what it was like for parents with teenagers. 

“It was just a reminder text from the landlord about rent being due this week.”

Sakura sagged. “Oh,” she said in disappointment. 

Sai paused in his drawing to look at her. “Why is it so important that he replies back?”

“Because you guys seemed to have really hit it off the other night,” she explained. “If you met up again you could become more acquainted and develop a possible friendship.”

Sai went back to his drawing. “Why is it so important that I have friends. I already have you,” he stated, “why do I need more?”

“Yes you do have me, but it never hurts to have more friends and variety. He can talk to you about other things that I cannot.” Sakura answered. “And besides I thought you liked Sasori?”

“I do,” Sai said, not looking up at her. “But I just feel-“ he paused his hand in shading but remained avoiding eye contact with her, choosing to talk towards the page instead of her- “it feels like you seem to be eager to pawn me off onto someone else.”

His admission pulled at her heart strings. Sai always seemed so oblivious to others that it was easy to forget he could be self conscious. 

“Sai,” she said, pulling on his sleeve until he looked at her. “You know that’s not true, I promise. But it’s important that you make relationships with others, other humans,” she emphasized when he opened his mouth to counterpoint. “A person's worth is not based on the number of friends but the quality. And as much as I value the worth and quality you see in me to be all you need, there are others that can offer what I cannot. You know this.”

Sai nodded with understanding. However there was still uncertainty in his face. “But what if he doesn't like me? What if the only reason why he reached out was because of my tie to you?”

This was the difficult part when it came to be Sai’s guardian angel. In many ways he was an adult, physically for sure but he also possessed experience most men his age, or most people in general, would never experience their entire lives. But in so many ways he was still a child. Developmentally he was at all spectrums of age groups, toddler, teen, adult, and elderly. Right now she felt she was working with the toddler portion. It felt like she was setting up a playdate. For a person his age it was certainly inappropriate, but for someone at his level of emotional capacity for relationships, it was necessary. Sai would not get far, nobody could get far, without a good friend or two. 

Sakura shrugged. “Then he is not a person worthy of your friendship. But that’s part of life. Friendships are not much different than romantic relationships,” she explained. They had recently gone over the basics of the purpose of dating. “Some people just aren’t meant to be friends and that is okay. And if they do, sometimes it depends on a point in a person's life. Some friends are forever and others are just there for important moments and times in your life. They come and go, some bonds are painful when broken while others you may not even notice fade away. But what is important is that you value the time you have with them. You respect them and they respect you. Give and receive, do not take advantage but do not let yourself be used.”

Sai’s face became strained and he looked overwhelmed. “It sounds complicated.”

Sakura nodded. “It can be. But if matched with the right person, it can be really easy. But you won’t know if you don’t try.”

Sai pondered her words then sat up, a determined look on his face. “Then I will try for you.”

Sakura shook her head as she smiled softly. “Don’t do it for me,” she corrected. “Do it for yourself.”

The sound of his phone went off and both of them looked down where it stuck out from the pocket of his jeans. With his new attitude, Sai was much quicker to pull the phone out and open the new text. 

She watched as his eyes lit up. “He replied!” He said excitedly, at least what was excitement for him. “He said he would like to show me around his studio,” he announced as his eyes raced across the screen. He turned the screen to her to read but flipped it back towards himself to reread before she could even focus on the letters. As he reread the message, his face glowed happily with the acceptance he had gotten. 

Sakura smiled, happy for him. “That’s great! Now ask him when and where,” she instructed. “Oh and ask if you can bring anything, it’s always good to be considerate and contribute.”

He began typing a response then paused and looked up at her, his fingers hovering over the keyboard as he looked nervous. “Will you be coming with me?”

“If you want,” she replied. “And only if he is okay with it.”

Sai nodded and finished a response as he stared back at his phone, waiting. A bubble with three dots began to dance on the screen, then disappeared, then reappeared before the chime sounded and a new message popped on the screen. 

“He said that would be even better,” Sai responded. Another message popped up and he paused to read it. “He wants to know if this afternoon is okay?”

Sakura paused for a moment. It was not ideal, given the new situation with their protocol, but she was sure there would be no harm. Kakashi and Naruto were usually pretty adept in adjusting to changes. 

She nodded. “Sure, where are we meeting him?”

Sai looked down at the address that had been sent earlier. “His place is in queens.”

Sakura nodded. “If we catch the bus to the train we should be able to make it easily enough.”

“Are you sure this is the right place?” Sakura questioned as she looked at the rusty roof and worn brick building. 

It looked like an old warehouse that had been converted into loft apartments that had been vacant for at least twenty years. From her peripheral she saw Sai check his phone, switching back and forth between the text and the GPS app that he had used to direct them to the destination. 

“It should be,” Sai said. “Unless he meant another Red Brick Estates but the next place closest to here of that name is…” he paused for a moment as he searched on his phone- “...is a Brick Estates over in New Jersey.” 

Sakura shook her head. “No that would not be it.” She paused for a moment, tilting her head to the side as she looked at the building with survey. “Maybe it looks better on the inside,” she suggested optimistically. “He is an artist,” she pointed out. “I guess there's a certain charm and beauty to things that are crumbling. Looks can be deceiving and the interior could be renovated and hospitable.” 

She looked to Sai who merely shrugged at her suggestion. 

“Well let’s not delay,” she said, setting a course for the entrance. “We can go in and if it is as it seems on the inside as it is on the outside, we can give him a call and get better directions.” 

As it turned out, the inside was just as rough as the outside. The building was in fact abandoned and practically gutted of anything that made it once a functioning residency let alone a studio business. There was a large lobby in the front with a tall ceiling that was bowed in from water damage. Meanwhile the floor was more cement and grout than tiling. The few tiles that had yet to be cracked and broken were an off-green 70’s style that reminded Sakura of pea soup. 

On one wall were several rows of mailbox slots, most of which were missing doors. And on the opposite was a front desk that was covered in a layer of dust. In the far corner was a gaping hole that might have once been an elevator that ran up to the second and third floor above. The doors were jammed half way open, revealing that it was now nothing but an empty shaft in the corner of the building.

Leaving Sai on the bottom floor, Sakura braved the stairs that groaned with every step to look at the second floor. At the top of the landing was a long hallway that led to variously sized apartments. She moved down the hall. Only two apartments still had a front door, one of them just barely hanging by one of its hinges. 

As she examined each layout she soon found herself seeing the same things. Barren walls with peeling paint and ceilings with water stains and holes that had been created over years of neglect and exposure to the outside environments. The only sign that anything had ever lived or occupied the buildings were the worn abandoned mattresses of a homeless person, or the occasional pile of rat droppings. 

Sakura frowned at the mess before she began to make her way back down to the main floor. There was no sense in even searching the third floor because one thing was clear, there was no one here and had not been for a very long time. Sasori had to have sent the wrong address. It was the only explanation. It was obviously just a human error that could easily be fixed once they had called him. But even with this thought, Sakura could not help but feel an unease. Automatically she pushed the idea out of her mind. She was just being paranoid. 

As she came down the stairs, Sai, who was taking in the decay and corrosion of the building with a blank face, turned to her. “Why don’t you call him,” she suggested. “This is obviously not-”

“Sakura, Sai,” came a voice from the other side of the lobby. 

They both turned to the doorway they had entered from and spotted Sasori’s short silhouette in the door frame. He stepped into the building and came to a stop beneath a beam of sunlight that entered the room from a hole in the side of the wall. He wore simple slacks with a dark blazer over a red button up shirt. 

“I apologize for my tardiness, I did not realize you would arrive before me,” he said, giving them a stiff smile. 

Sakura could not help but be hit with another wave of something being off. Before, them being at the wrong building had explained the oddity she felt about the situation. However, with Sasori being here, that meant this was the correct place. Yet, this was certainly no studio. No matter how artistically challenged she was, she knew this to be a fact. And there was something different about Sasori, the way he moved, the way he was smiling at them, it was almost...mechanical. 

Despite her unsettlement, Sakura gave him a small nod but could not help but open her mouth and ask, “I thought we were coming to your studio?”

Sasori surveyed her for a moment with a calculative examination before displaying a casual face of what Sakura thought could be an apology. “Ah yes,” he said with an apologetic chortle. “I can see now why you are not at ease. I suppose I should have been more specific.” He indicated to the crumbling building around him. “This is what I hope to someday be my studio. I recently purchased it, hoping to restore it and make a studio that would feature upcoming artists.” He looked to Sai. “Your art spoke so strongly of finding beauty in broken things that I was hoping maybe you could help me,” he explained. “Perhaps you could take a look at it and give me ideas of what to do with the design.” He looked to Sakura. “I was hoping you could help as well.” 

Sakura felt some of her anxiety dissipate with his answer. “Oh,” she replied, glancing at Sai who was now looking around at the building with a new light, his mind morphing into his artist mode. She looked back to Sasori. “It is an honor that you would share such a thing with us. I cannot say I will be much help, but I certainly agree with you about Sai. I am confident he can certainly make this place what you hope it to be.” 

Sasori smiled even more widely and this time more genuine. “Oh I think you devalue yourself,” he said.  

He came closer, taking her hand in his. Sakura felt his thumb rub across her skin, leaving an unsettling feeling. He was looking down at her hand as if examining a fabric to be made into an extravagant garment. She pulled her hand slightly from his grasp and he looked up at her, something in his eyes glinting. 

Unsure of how to respond, Sakura was relieved of the task to say anything when a fourth presence announced itself. A presence that Sakura sensed before they had even made an appearance. A presence that triggered her internal alarms to a high enough alert that was impossible to ignore. 

The chakra could not be described as anything but explosive, sudden and alarming. Immediately her eyes went to the doorway and she stiffened the moment the fourth person walked into the building with a swagger. While she was not entirely familiar with all members of the Akatsuki, she had no struggle with identifying Deidara the moment she took him in. After spending several hours with the rogue’s all too grabby hands on her as they danced, the blond hair pulled into a ponytail and the ice blue eyes were all too familiar. 

She moved to open her mouth, to call Sasori and Sai to her but she was stopped when Sasori let out a curse and greeted him. 

“Deidara,” he growled in an unnaturally deep tone, “What are you doing here?”

Sakura’s eyes flashed between the pair. Did Sasori know him? Was Sasori under his influence? If so, what exactly was Deidara planning?

Deidara gave an arrogant snort. “Boss man wanted me to come help, yeah,” he said as his icy blue eyes moved around the room, taking in Sai and then moving on to Sakura. He did a double take when he looked at her. For a moment his brow crumpled in confusion as if trying to place the familiarity of her, and suddenly a glint of recognition brightened in his face. “Well, well,” he said with a sinister sneer. “Isn’t this a pleasant surprise.”

Sakura did not even respond, her body was frozen as her mind seemed to be unable to communicate as it was overcome with worry. When was the last time she let her chakra slip? 

When she was around only mortals she oftentimes let it flow freely as it was tiring to keep it masked for the entirety of the day. But given more recent events, she had been more cautious.  There was no telling when Sasuke could randomly show up. However with his absence over the past couple of days, there was a chance she could have relaxed a little. If she had, had it been recently since they arrived here? How long had Deidara been in the area?

In her peripheral vision she caught Sasori giving her a curious look. “Do you two already know each other?” he asked, looking between herself and the rogue seraph. 

At Sasori’s inquiry, Deidara pointed to her. “Oh I most certainly do, we met at a club awhile back. Wouldn’t forget a body like that after having it pressed up against me for a good hour,” he said, causing Sakura to look repulsed. “Unfortunately that was the night I had to meet up with Sasuke and when I came back she was not to be found.” His eyes glinted. “What a coincidence that we met that night and it turns out that you are one of them, yeah.”

Her heart leapt in her chest at the mention of Sasuke. If a member of the Akatsuki was meeting with Sasuke, did that mean he was one of them? Would Sasuke do such a thing? She hated to believe he was capable of putting her in danger. Surely if he was involved, he would know this encounter would be taking place. Then again, as she recalled her last words to him, perhaps he was conceding to her wishes. Leaving her alone. 

In this moment, all she could think was how she wished he was here. It was like an instinctual knowledge that he would keep her safe no matter what threatened her. Though in this moment, it was hard to imagine, not after the way she had treated him, pushed him away when he so direly needed someone, needed her to give him a chance.  

As much as she wanted to immediately begin to question Deidara and find the truth to these answers, there was something else Deidara had said that caught her attention. Something that unfortunately took the president over Sasuke and his possible involvement with Akatsuki. 

Sakura’s brow creased. “What do you mean, one of them?”

Deidara gave out an arrogant snort. “As much as I would like to oblige any request that came from those pretty little lips of yours, my instructions are to just bring you in,” he answered. “I will let the boss man answer what he will, yeah.”

Sakura shifted slightly as she widened her stance and curled her hands into a fist. “I am not going anywhere with you,” she said firmly. 

Subtly she let her eyes dodge around the room, taking note of exit points and each person's position, most importantly Sai and his escape. Sai stood just a few meters away, his dark eyes blankly watching the exchange but Sakura knew him well enough that he was analyzing everything and was more than aware of the danger they were in. As much as she hated his tragic past, she was grateful for the skills that he had learned during those times as they were about to come in handy within the next few moments. At least that’s what she hoped.  

Taking a few cautious steps, she moved over to Sai and brushed her hand against his. Upon contact, she gave him the smallest of tugs on his sleeve before sending out a small influence for him to run away. It was not so potent that he was forced to take immediate action, but it was enough to nag at his mind. She noticed him look at her slightly from her peripheral and give the smallest of nods, telling her that he understood. It was not the clearest of communication, but it at least kept others unaware that they were even communicating to form a plan of escape. And it told her that when she gave a command, Sai would obediently follow her direction. 

Deidara walked over to where Sasori was and Sakura cursed herself. By the looks of it, they were working together, but more than likely, Sasori was under Deidara’s influence. Which meant, he was just an innocent mortal caught up in a rogues manipulation and she was torn. Sai was her charge, his protection was her duty and went above all else. However, she could not just abandon a wayward soul, especially to the likes of a Deidara. There was no telling what he would do with him.

She gave the lobby one last sweep, taking in the hallways that led to other parts of the main floor, the pillars that stretched high to the vaulted ceiling, and to where Deidara was sauntering over to Sasori. Her foot shifted and nudged a piece of tile on the floor. She looked down to see it broken in half, the edge of the broken side sharp and pointed. When she looked back up to where Deidara was, she had her plan. 

Keeping her eyes on Deidara, not daring to even blink, she squatted down. With her fingers, she reached for the tile. For a moment they blindly searched until her fingers brushed its side and it let out a grainy sound as it shifted. She grabbed it and slowly rose back up, tile in hand. 

Deidara let out an amused huff. “Sweetheart,” he said with a degrading tone, “I’m sorry but that little tile there isn’t going to do you much good, yeah. Why don’t you ju一”

Sakura moved into action. Like the many frisbee tossing park goers she had observed in the parks with Sai, she flung the tile towards Deidara. As it spun towards him with a far more lethal speed than he had been expecting, he leapt out of the way. By the time the tile shattered against the wall behind him, Sakura was already pulling Sai towards the exit.

She shoved Sai forward and pushed him towards the exit. “Keep going,” she shouted when he hesitated. “I will be right behind you.”

Trusting that he would follow her instructions, she paused at one of the supporting columns. It was already damaged, a large chunk of bricks missing as if something massive had taken a bite out of its base. She sent a kick into its opposite side and it fell like a tree being harvested for timber, causing a shower of ceiling to rain down on them. She turned back around to follow after Sai but a pair of strong arms wrapped around her, stalling her escape. 

Twisting her head around she caught a glimpse of red. Sasori. She failed to register the strength holding her when in the corner of her eye, she saw a flash of yellow and she looked to see Deidara running out of the exit towards Sai. Her heart leapt and she moved into action. Doing her best to keep Sasori’s fragile mortal body in mind, she twisted in his arms and gave him a gentle push. He was thrust away from her and she wondered if perhaps she had overly compensated her restraint in force as he hardly moved a few steps backwards, when he should have been thrown to the ground. However the thought did not process fully as she was already turning back to follow Deidara. 

At the sound of her pursuit, Deidara turned around, a small look of surprise and annoyance coming to his face. He reached into the pocket of the trench coat he was wearing and tossed something from it. Sakura watched as it landed near the entrance. She was given just enough time to register the shape of wings and a beak on the small clay figurine before she found herself being thrown back by a heated explosion that erupted in front of her. 

She landed on the hard surface of the crumbling tile and cement flooring of the building. After rolling several times she finally came to a sliding stop several yards from where she had been standing earlier. Pain manifested all across her body. The side she had initially landed on ached from the impact while the rest of her body stung from the abrasions that had been scraped into her skin from the rocky ground. And her insides in general felt like jello from the blastwave. When her body finally came to a stop she let out a groan, unable to move from the aftershock of the explosion. 

She was not sure how long she laid there but she found herself stirring when she thought she heard someone yelling. A ringing in her ears kept their words from being registered, but she could make out the urgent tone in which they spoke. She focused some chakra to her eardrums and as she repaired the damage, the tinnitus faded. With a grunt she began to sit up, but paused when she heard the unmistakable sound of her name being called out. 

She looked to the doorway, or at least where it once was. Now there was nothing but collapsed building and a crater covering the entrance way. Her name was called out again and immediately recognized her best friend's voice. 

“Naruto,” she called, her voice weak and strained. 

“Sakura!” he called back. “Thank the gods, don’t worry Kakashi and I will get you out in a second.”

She heard something being shifted but opened her mouth to halt it. “No wait,” she exclaimed with a wheezing breath, letting out a cough as the dust had yet to settle. “Sai...you need to go after him...Deidara, he was here, he was going after him.” She looked at the wall of debris and caught half of Kakashi’s face peeking in at her through a small gap. “Go, you need to get him.”

“Sakura are you hurt? We need to get you out of there,” Naruto insisted. 

Sakura shook her head. “I’m fine. Just some scratches and bruising, nothing I can’t manage.” She yelled back. “You two go, I will catch up with you. I bought some time for Sai but not enough. I will dig myself out then catch up with you but you have to go now!”

From the other side of the wall Kakashi and Naruto exchanged worried looks. “Very well,” Kakashi conceded as he looked back at her through the gap. “If something else happens go straight home, we will get Sai but I don’t like this. We were set up and their intentions are unclear. None of this makes sense.”

Sakura nodded. “Yes, I promise. Don’t worry about me, I will be fine, just get to Sai.”

She received a single nod from Kakashi before he disappeared from sight. The sound of running feet and the flapping of wings followed, telling her they had left for Sai. The dissipating sound of rustling wings gave her enough comfort to adjust her attention from Sai and focus on her injuries.

Nothing seemed broken but there were several tender contusions on her hip and ribs where she had landed. Abrasions covered the bare skin of her arms and legs where her clothing did not cover, most small surface wounds but there were a few deeper cuts. And while her insides felt abused, nothing was severely damaged. Assessment finished, she went to work healing herself. 

While the swelling receded and the bleeding stopped, she was still covered in smearings of blood but there was nothing to be done about that until she had a bath. Getting to her feet, she moved her body around as she began to take a few steps. After confirming that everything seemed to be in order, she quickened her steps into a run. 

Just as she prepared to take a leap and let her wings burst from her body, she felt something warm and tight wrap around her ankle. Before she could fully register the odd sensation, she felt both her feet being pulled out from under her and again, she crashed down onto the sharp ground. 

Her chin cracked against the cement and a radiating pain traveled up her jaw as a trickling warmth began to run down her chin and neck. As she pushed herself up to her hands and knees, she wiped at the warmth, adding another layer of blood on her forearm as she shakily transitioned from her hands and knees to sit down and look at her foot.

Wrapped around her ankle was a thin cord, the blue tint of its glowing hue giving her skin an eerie look. There was no questioning the makeup of such a material. Her fingers automatically moved to the coil of chakra only to note the string trailed from her ankle along the ground. With her eyes she followed the thin line to where it ran along the floor then dipped down into the crater left from Deidara’s explosion. 

She now understood why she had tripped but what she did not understand was who’s chakra was this?

Her confusion was only expanded when she saw the top of a red head rise from the crater, followed by the rest of Sasori’s body. In all of the confusion and distraction, she had completely forgotten about the mortal. But there was something off, he seemed to be injury free, not a single scratch across his skin nor a single hair singed. Her brow crumpled, she could have sworn Sasori had not been standing far from her, how he could have survived the explosion, let alone not even get a single injury….had he managed to move? If so, how did he manage to move away so quickly? Or perhaps maybe she was remembering wrong and he had been farther away than she thought. 

As he managed to escape the crater and stand at the edge, looking at her with a blank face, she registered something that caused her to shake her head in disbelief. She really had hit her head harder than she thought, because she could have sworn she could see chakra streaming from the tips of his fingers...but that was impossible. 

She refocused her eyes and found herself not mistaken. And not only was the chakra streaming from his fingertips, but pooling down by his feet and running across the space between them in thin strands to where they were sneaking around her ankles and wrists. Sakura quickly yanked herself backwards, snagging her arm away from one tendril that had been just about to snag her right arm but her left was not fast enough. Like around her ankle, the string snaked around her wrist, tightening its hold with an uncomfortable warmth. 

Alarmed, she looked up to Sasori whose face contorted into a mechanical smile. “So you can see them?” he said with a fascination in his voice. “You are a curious little mortal aren't you. I apologize for the damage, I did not wish to see such harm come to you. I prefer to preserve such beauty but unfortunately my partner does not seem to share the same ideas.”

Sakura furrowed her brow. Was Sasori working with Deidara of his own free will? It was not unheard of mortals being involved within the seraphim world on their own free will, but it was still rare. However even as she thought of this, she took in the chakra. No mortal could manipulate chakra...at least not to her knowledge. Which meant Sasori was not a mortal. But yet, she could still sense something mortal within him. It was muffled and faint, but still there.      

Then the unthinkable happened. A pair of wings burst from his back and her eyes widened as she took in the arched appendages and she felt her stomach lurch at the display. She could tell by the soft and delicate feathers that began at his shoulder blades that these were wings of a once blessed seraph, but it was the only recognizable trace of what this seraph once was. 

Her own black feathers and even Kakashi’s tarnished grey wings had always been unique. Never had she been able to look at her ebony wings and think they were normal. But as she took in the sight of Sasori’s, for the first time, she felt hers were as normal as any others. 

Apart from the scapular feathers where the shoulder blade met the wing, his wings were nothing but a perverse mechanical copy of what represented a seraph. Where smooth and soft feathers should have made the body of wings, castings of steel with razor edging had replaced the feathers. Obviously this was a case of a seraph who had lost their wings, either by an inflicted wound or a curse from a vow that had been bent. Sakura could not even stomach the thought of someone intentionally switching out what was so precious to a seraph for something so barbaric. 

With a mechanical sound, Sasori raised his wings and spread them out for full display. “Do you like them? They are my own creations,” he informed her as he gave her an unhinged smile. “By the look on your face you have never seen such things. They are unique, are they not?”

Sakura took in the frightening scene as her mind went into panic. She was far over her head. She had been trained to fight, trained to defend herself and if it came to it, defeat another of her kind. However, could Sasori even be considered seraph anymore? Could such atrocities even produce flight? If not, what purpose did they serve? 

“What are you?” she questioned.

Sasori gave her a tilted look. “Nothing your little mortal brain could ever comprehend,” he said with a sinister tone. 

As her mind whirled, Sakura was struck with only one life preserving thing. Sasori had called her mortal, he still believed she was mortal. It was not the best advantage, but it gave her something to work with. She just had to time it right. 

A tightening around her ankles and wrist reminded her of the strings he caught her with. With the slightest of movement, she pulled at them, testing them without drawing too much attention to the action. They were strong, the chakra that they were made of was obviously well controlled, but if given enough force she could hopefully sever the strings with her own. 

It was risky but what else did she have? She needed to free herself then flee. If Sasori was a seraph and working with Deidara, that meant he was more than likely the same status as any other Akatsuki member, something she was certain was far above her ability to best on her own. With no other ideas presenting themselves, Sakura moved into action. She would only have one chance at this, once she released her chakra she would be exposed. There would be no masking it, not with the amount she was calculating would take to sever his strings. 

She slammed her fist down, the force of chakra leaving her body equal to a mortar exploding, causing an eruption of cement, dirt, and structural metal to become disrupted as it flew in all directions. With another force of chakra she yanked at the cords wrapped around her skin as she leapt into the air. Her wings exploded from her back and immediately she began to furiously flap them, the momentum projectiling her through the debris that was raining down around her as parts of the building shook loose from the small tremor caused by the impact of her fist. As plaster and brick fell away, it created holes in the sides and roof of the building, letting in pillars of light. She spotted a particularly large hole that would allow her body to get through and sped towards the opening. 

She was nearly there when she felt something catch around her ankle. She looked back, expecting to find another string of chakra and preparing to yank herself free. Instead she found Sasori just below her, his hand clasped around her in a vice grip as his face was contorted into a disfigured glee.

It seemed that his heavy wings could provide flight. That was the only thought she could process before she felt her body being yanked in the opposite direction as she was hurdled through the air. 

Her wings flapped wildly in an attempt to regain her control but she collided with a wall before she could manage to even reorient herself. Through drywall and timber she crashed through until her back hit a more solid wall of brick. It cracked and crumbled slightly but remained sturdy as she slumped against it. As dust and mortar settled around her she stayed still, like a bird flying into a closed window, she felt stunned and unable to move. 

Through the dust and plaster that particled in the air, Sakura heard a spine chilling sound echo around her. She looked up to see the form of Sasori’s mangled wings and body appear as he strutted towards her through the hole in the wall she had just created with her body. 

“Isn’t this a surprise,” he said as his manic laughter died down. “And here I thought I was the master of deceiving people for what I am...but this...this is too good,” he finished, stopping in front of her as he took in the ebony feathers of her crumpled wings. 

With a wariness, Sakura managed to rise to her feet, using the brick wall to support herself. She ruffled her wings, shaking free the plaster and dust that had clung to the feathers. 

“To think a fallen angel such as yourself is still working with those heavenly vultures,” he said as his eyes ran down her wings, taking in the rich darkness with admiration. “I must know what you did to rid yourself of their colors yet still keep your feathers?” He indicated to his own wings. “As you can see I was not as able to preserve mine, but you...I must know.”

“I am not fallen,” she growled. “I would never betray my duties nor the heavens.”

Sasori tilted his head to the side. “You mean you still live in the heavens? They allow you to dwell there even after defiling their sacred symbol of purity?”

Sakura frowned at what he was insinuating. “I didn’t do anything,” she said. “I was born this way, there is nothing wrong with me.” 

Despite the centuries she had spent wondering what was wrong with her shadowed wings, she now firmly defended them. The affirmations from Tsunade, Naruto, and Kakashi that she was no lesser of a seraphim, resounded in her ears more than ever. And for the first time, she fully believed their words were of truth and not just comfort to ease a troubled mind. 

“Interesting,” Sasori commented. “Unfortunately we do not have time to praise such natural beauty of defiance, my master is eager to speak with you. And given the certain change in circumstances, we should make haste, he will not like the news of your heritage to be postponed.”

Sakura narrowed her eyes. “I think I already made it clear to Deidara I did not want to go anywhere with him, the same goes for you.”

Sasori let out a heavy sigh. “I was wanting to avoid such things.” He gestured around the rubble that had already formed around them. “This building will not take much more of your resistance to cooperate, surely you can be a good girl, and for the sake of this building, come willingly.”

Sakura gave him a hard look in response. 

Sasori sighed again. “Very well,” he announced with a tired shrug. 

The moment his shoulder finished its descent to normal posture, he was moving again. His wings flared out as he propelled them forward around his body. Sakura’s eyes went wide as razor sharp feathers were thrust towards her, slicing through the air like knives. She focused chakra to her feet just in time to jump out of the way. The moment her feet landed she was forced to move again as another wave of feather knives were shot towards her and she was forced into a backflip, twisting and turning to avoid the sharp metal. With every small sting she felt, she knew she had failed to avoid one. 

She landed again and slammed her fist into the ground, sending a slab of concrete to break into pieces. As one half was forced deep into the ground the other rose up and formed a barrier to deflect the final wave of knives. 

Taking advantage of the pause, she peeked around the wall to where Sasori was still standing in his original spot. The tingling of metal against rock rang through the air. A metallic glint caught her eye and Sakura spotted the scattered feathers that had been thrown at her move across the ground towards Sasori. Like a magnetic wave, they were drawn to him, connecting and forming back into the shape of wings on his back. 

Sakura narrowed her eyes, unsure of how such a thing worked but she assumed they had been infused with his chakra in order to manipulate them as such. His brown eyes began to scan the area and she quickly drew back behind the safety of the wall. 

“Sakura,” he called. “I do not have time to play games of hide and seek. Come out and let us settle this as seraphim. You and I are not all that different after all. I can now assume you are Sai’s guardian? 

“You know I too was once a guardian,” he continued. “I understand the bond, the need to protect. We both know he won’t outrun Deidara. Come with me and I will take you to him. You know that he will be safer if you are there. While my master wanted the both of you, I believe it was you that he wanted most. I cannot promise Sai will be okay if it is just him. But if you come with me now, I promise you he will not be harmed.”

Sakura listened to him and did her best to ignore his words. Kakashi and Naruto were going after Sai, she had to believe they would get to him in time. She cast her eyes around and she tried to think. She had promised them that she would be okay and she would keep that promise. She had been trained to fight, not to give up, therefore she would fight. 

With this firmly in her mind, she reached out to a large piece of debris. It was a section of foundation with rebar sticking out of it. A person with average strength would barely be able to budge it, let alone lift it. But Sakura was not of average strength.

Wrapping her hand around a suitable hand hold, she prepared herself. She heard footsteps coming towards her, announcing that Sasori was nearing and coming around from the left. Breathing in deeply, she began to anticipate when to make her move. She took in two more breaths before she took action. 

Standing up, she rounded the wall and hurtled her weapon like a hammer throw. Sasori had just enough time to turn towards her before it connected to his body and he was sent flying, just as she did moments before, through several walls. With each additional damage to the structure of the building, it gave out a groan and more fragments of the building fell down around her. She avoided them as she ran towards him, taking advantage of her strike as she moved to attack again. Summoning chakra to her fists and feet she leapt into the air and prepared to strike down at him again as she used her wings to propel her more forcefully. 

Sakura avoided the latest shower of cement and debris, jumping to the side and taking cover near a sturdy pillar at the edge. She watched as the last of the three levels, including the roof, collapsed in the middle to form a large pile of rubble. A dusty film filled the air and the ground shook beneath her feet as the integrity of the foundation was compromised, sinking slightly into the ground. As the dust took its time to settle, Sakura darted her eyes around the enclosure, looking for any signs of Sasori. She had lost track of him when the roof collapsed and she was forced to land to avoid being caught beneath the debris. 

The sound of rocks shifting to her left caused her to start but it was only rubble settling. She ducked down anyways and hid behind a sheet of rusty metal that once served as part of the roof. Using the holes made from the corrosion of rust to peak through, she kept an eye out for Sasori. As her eyes scanned the rubble, her mind raced for an answer of what to do. Her side had a severe wound from when one of his feathers had impaled her but she had healed it enough to stem the flow of blood. She had a few other wounds that would need more than her natural healing but at the moment they were not what worried her. 

She was getting tired and chakra was running low. That is where her concern resided. She could try to slip away like before, but Sasori would most likely follow. If he did, that meant their battle would only commence somewhere else, possibly somewhere more populated with witnesses. The risk of innocent bystanders getting hurt was not something she was willing to take. 

Her first strategy had been to stall as long as possible until reinforcements came, but she was now seeing a flaw in that plan. There was no telling when Kakashi and Naruto would return and she was not sure how much longer she could last. This meant she needed to handle all of this herself. And handle it fast.

Naruto and Kakashi had always been the ones to do the killing, an idea she was not comfortable with but capture was not an option, not when it was just her. This left her with only one option. She knew this day would come, she just never thought it would be today.

There was movement at the top of one of the rubble piles and Sasori appeared, his red hair dulled by the grey cement dust that had covered everything like a fresh dusting of snow. He had long ago discarded his blazer and his dress shirt was missing several buttons, causing it to fall open and expose his chest. 

Peeking through a hole as she watched him look around. Her eyes narrowed when she noticed something on his chest. Straining her eyes, she focused on a marring on his otherwise smooth skin. To some they would think it nothing more than a scar or tattoo, but having lived long enough among the seraphim, she recognized those marks. They were marks caused by a seal, and if memory served her correctly, they were the sealing marks of a mortal who had been possessed. 

Possession. So this was Sasori’s method of survival in the mortal realm. She now understood why she had sensed a mortality about him. And it was also why she had never suspected him before as his seraphim presence had been hidden by the mortality of the human boy he was possessing. It also answered why his wings had been so...altered.  

She had yet to personally handle a case in which a mortal was possessed. The duty of exorcism was usually left to seasoned archangels as it was a task that required meticulous precision as things could go south very quickly. 

Possession itself was a delicate technique. Like a parasite, the seraph would latch on and merge their soul to the mortal body. As bodies were only meant to host one soul, one would suppress and dominate the other. Usually the seraph took control but on the rare occasion the mortal would win the battle, causing the seraph to become entrapped and unable to move to another host. 

When done correctly, it was the best way for a seraph to survive the mortal realm without collecting souls as they fed from the host. However when possessing a body, a seraph was limited to only what a mortal was capable of. It was why so many rogues sought out alternative means to survival. But it seemed Sasori had found a way around such limitations.    

As she took in the markings on his chest, Sakura did her best to recall everything she had ever read about exorcism. The most popular method was to force the demon out of the body where you could then fight the seraph in his true form. But this took certain skills she had not been trained in. However there was one other, more difficult method. If the place in which the demon had attached himself was known, one could break through the seal to where the essence, or seraph’s soul, lurked within the mortal. In this case, the center of Sasori’s chest. The essence was then destroyed when extracted.  

If she could break through the seal and destroy the essence of the seraph, it would be an instant kill. Something she was in desperate need of. There would be no telling just how much more powerful Sasori would be out of the confines of a mortal body.    

If she were to get close enough, she could manage to do this. The only problem was that anytime she came into close range, she was forced to retreat by Sasori’s feathers. However there was always a lag when he had to summon them back. But that was when he would use his chakra strings. Already she had several red rings around her arms, wrists, and legs from when he had managed to catch her. Each time she was able to break free by manipulating her own chakra to sever the tie. But she was running low, too low. 

Sakura bit at her lip as she tried to come up with a plan. Sasori fluttered his wings with an agitation as his eyes scanned around the rubble. He let out a low growl of her name. It ricocheted and echoed before dying down. When he only received the breezy wind in response, his face contorted with anger. 

The sound of rubble shifting on the opposite side of the building caused him to whirl around and send a wave of feathers towards the source. They sliced through the air before penetrating into part of a still standing brick wall. They quivered for a moment before suddenly being yanked out and magnetized to him. 

Sharp metal against metal sounded as each feather latched onto the metal frames on his back until they reformed his wings. And as Sakura watched this, she was struck with an idea. 

It was dangerous. If it were to fail, this fight would be over and she would be captured. Or given the agitation that Sasori had gained, she would be dead. The action not being put past him now that she had spent a good hour going against him. There was no one else around, who would ever tell his master? However despite the small chance that she could properly carry out this plan, it was all she had. 

He always flung them in three waves, each wave made up of his different feathers. The primaries, secondaries, and finally the corverts. With this in mind, she put her strategy into action. The moment she came out of hiding, Sasori whirled around and sent his first attack flying.

The first wave she maneuvered through. While the largest, they were also the fewest and dullest of his feathers. They were designed more for impaling than slicing. Twisting and turning, she dodged the sharp points as they shot past her and embedded themselves in the metal sheet she had been hiding behind.

As she tumbled and rolled back up onto her feet after the last feather of the first wave cut past her, she grabbed up a piece of plywood as she stood. No later did she manage to get a grip on it and Sasori sent the second wave of attack. As she dodged through the shower of Sasori’s secondaries, she used the plywood as a shield against the ones she could not move out of the way for. The plywood gave out a dull thud each time it was struck and a pointed tip wedged through to the other side. 

The third wave started before the second even finished. This wave was the sharpest and had the most obstacles for her to avoid. Like spray of machine gun bullets, they shot towards her. She flung the plywood at an angle, clearing a portion of them as she slid to the ground to avoid others. The stinging of new cuts announced that some were still unavoidable. For the second time that day, her thigh and forearm were practically skinned to the meat as she slid across the floor. By the time she came to a stop, the thunder shower sound of metal striking against rock and wood had fallen silent. 

She squeezed her eyes shut at the flaming pain that burned at the abrasions. Gritting her teeth she forced herself to prepare for her next move as it was the most important. The tickling warmth of the chakra strings winding around legs and arms was he cue to make her next and hopefully final move. 

Bolting upright, Sakura grabbed the strands that were reaching out to her with her left hand. As soon she grabbed them, they began to wind around tightly. Looping around her wrist and forearm before constricting with a tightness that made her arms burn as the skin was twisted at odd angles as the multiple strings made their own attachment. 

In a swift motion she collected the strings in her hand and pulled on them until they were taut. As soon as the strings were tense, she gave a hard yank. Sasori, who had been unsuspecting and unprepared, jerked forward. Catching up the slack of the line, she yanked on it again, this time with a strong force that had Sasori careening towards her. 

Caught off guard he had no chance to react or stop himself as he was pulled towards her. Reaching back, she charged her free fist before thrusting it forward. She had timed it perfectly as her arm reached its full extension just as Sasori came close enough for her to make contact. 

The skin beneath the seal shattered like wood instead of flesh and bone. And her hand grasped around something of a viscous material the size of a baseball. She pulled her hand free, the body of Sasori crumpling to the ground. Within her hand was a glowing orb. Automatically her hands squeezed and a purple essence began to leak out like blood, only this blood did not yield to the laws of gravity. It dripped upwards like rainfall in reverse where it collected into a ball above her. 

Sakura gave out one final squeeze. The orb disintegrated as the light leaked from her grasp and rose to join into a swirl of purple and blue light. It spun around into a vortex, a current of wind being caught up and whipping her hair around wildly. With a thunderous crack, it collapsed into itself. 

Following the implosion, there was an unnatural stillness left in the area. Sakura stared wide eyed in disbelief as her breaths came in and out and sounded far louder in the silence. A drip of sweat ran down her back and made her shiver. She blinked, unable to believe that she had done it, that it had actually worked. 

However as the thought struck her, there was a sound near her feet and she looked down to see Sasori’s body moving. Her eyes widened at the movement. How could he still be alive? Surely that theatrical display hadn’t been nothing. 

But then his eyes opened and Sakura found herself falling to her knees as she leaned over Sasori’s body. Looking into his brown eyes, she could tell that something was different. His gaze was panicked and pained but also...soft and grateful. It was then that Sakura saw it. The flicker of his soul, growing brighter as it awakened. This was not Sasori, this was the mortal he had possessed. She looked deeper into his eyes, past his irises and the deep pupils. Straight into the nonphysical depths where his soul was kept.

It was like candlelight, small and flickering. But the integrity of the light was still warm and clear. It was a lonely soul, the type found in neglected children who did not want for much except for the love of a parent. She had seen such souls far too often and too many times these events caused a soul to go down a wayward path. 

But not this soul, not this mortal. It was the soul of a good spirit. Someone who lived their life with others in mind. She could see the compassion and care that flickered in those flames. They reached out to others, giving them what he himself never received in return. 

She pulled out of his soul's eye when his body gave out a ragged cough. Droplets of blood flew from his mouth, some spraying her face and clothes while the others sprinkled upon his all to pale skin. He took in a ragged breath that sounded like he was drowning and it was then that the reality of what was happening struck her with a jolt. 

The mortal was alive but he was in the process of dying. She looked down at his chest where the seal had been only to find a gaping hole. Blood seeped from his chest with every weak heart beat that his body gave. 

She took in a shocked breath and immediately began to fumble around. Her hands pressed down on the hole and she began to flood his chest with healing chakra. However this only caused the boy to give out a cry of pain. Her flow of chakra faltered at the sound and she looked up to see his face contorted in anguish. 

She moved to continue again, putting her chakra into his chest, trying to knit his body back together and replenish the massive amount of blood lost. “Stop!” he begged. “Please stop, make it stop.”

“I will, I will,” she assured but even as she said this her chakra was beginning to sputter out. “I’m sorry,” she said with anguished sobs. “I’m so sorry.”

She felt his hand come to her wrist in a weak grasp. The gesture made her pause and look up at his face. He gave her a weakened smile, blood staining his teeth pink as it collected at the corners of his mouth. With shaking hands she cupped his face and gave him a reassuring smile. 

“Don’t worry, I will help you. I just need...it’ll be alright,” she assured him. “My friends will be here soon and they can help.”

He shook his head. “No,” he said weakly. 

She shook her head and opened her mouth to assure him again but she was cut off. 

“Thank you,” he said. Sakura stared at him in confusion as he repeated the gratitude. “Thank you.”

He opened his mouth a third time but only a gurgled breath left his lips as his body went limp. His hand slipped away with a dull thud as she continued to clasp his head between hers. She stared down at him, taking in his blank stare and the flecks of blood that smeared his cheek. Then her lip began to tremble and a dry sob escaped her lips followed by tears. They ran down her cheeks and dropped onto his face, mixing with the still wet blood and causing red lines to draw across his skin as her tears ran down his face like rain on a window pane. 

How? How could she have been so negligent? She knew Sasori was possessing this body. She should have taken the mortal into account. This was why it was meant for higher seraphs, for more skilled seraphs. Not for someone who was so careless to neglect the most important factor when it came to exorcism, that there was a mortal involved. 

She continued to stare down. Her hands shifted to pat down his curly red hair, leaving a bloody handprint on the side of his face. Not just any blood, his blood. His blood that had poured from his chest. His blood that covered her hands like a pair of crimson gloves.

She took in a shaky breath, her chest straining with a tightness. 

She did this. This was all her fault. This innocent and pure soul was lost to the world because she had driven her hand through his chest. She had not even given the mortal any regard when she had attacked with killing intent. She had just done it. She murdered an innocent. 

She fell back onto her haunches as the reality of what had just happened seeped even farther into her mind. A breeze rustled her hair and the chirp of a flock of birds caused her to look up at the hole above her. The walls of the building surrounded and towered over her like a colosseum. Blue skies stretched out above her with fluffy white clouds that meandered the aqua canvas. In the center, the midday sun touched her face and it surprised her when the heat of its rays penetrated the numbness of her body and heated her skin.

It was calm and peaceful. And it was all wrong. Everything about it. But she supposed that was what made this so real. It was how reality worked. It did not rain and cloud over like in the movies to set a mood or tone. It was just life. It went on as if nothing happened. As if she had not just committed the most unforgivable sin. 

She kept her head down as she recounted the battle and Sasori’s demise, not looking at Naruto or Kakashi as she kept her eyes trained on the red coat of blood that stained her hands. It had begun to dry, leaving her hands feeling sticky and stiff. 

As she finished, she felt a warm hand gently touch her chin and lift her head. She met Kakashi’s single eyed stare. 

“That was not your fault,” he said firmly. “The mortal would have died no matter what as soon as Sasori was no longer possessing his body. Spirit possession is a very dangerous art which is why it is forbidden of our kind. It’s parasitic, the longer and deeper a seraph has threaded and attached itself to a mortal, the more reliant that human becomes on that attachment. Sasori had infected that mortal's heart. Poisoned an essential part of a human body. 

“So be it you today, or him willingly detaching himself from the mortal’s vessel, it would have ended in the same. His suffering was not the injury you had given him, but something far more painful than physical pain. It was the reality of the deeds committed by Sasori while in possession of his body.”

“But he could have at least lived longer,” Sakura said, causing Kakashi to shake his head.

“If anything, you did the mortal a favor by ending his life. You freed his soul from the torment of being suppressed and trapped in a prison that was worse than hell. He was not living, he was watching someone else live for him while he sat in a prison within himself. Because you killed Sasori, you freed his soul and let him pass on. Given the description of the soul, I would say he found himself entering the god tree.”

Sakura sniffed. “So he is at peace now?” Kakashi nodded and Sakura’s shoulders sagged slightly in relief, her conscious feeling lighter. 

It fell quiet as she took in several deep and calming deaths. As her mind began to calm, she was able to focus better as she began to process the day. Suddenly, her head snapped back up as she looked at Kakashi in alarm. 

“Sai?” she pressed. “He is alright?”

Kakashi nodded and as if on cue the sound of someone approaching caused her to look in the direction of the noise. Sai was walking towards them through the rubble as his eyes took in the destruction around them. Apart from a heavy sweat and messy hair, he looked fine.

He looked to Kakashi for a moment. “I know you said to wait until all was clear but you…” he drifted off when he noticed Sakura and the dead body. “Whatー” 

He was cut off when Sakura sprang to her feet and wrapped her strong arms around him. After a moment she felt his arms reach around her and give her an awkward pat on the back. 

“Are you okay?”

She nodded into his shoulder and held him tighter before releasing him and standing back. “Yes,” she said. 

“Then why are you crying?” he asked. 

She could not help the small choked laugh that escaped her as she quickly wiped away the few tears that formed as she hugged him. “I am just relieved that you are okay.” 

He nodded. Not looking like he understood but at least accepting it. She then looked to Naruto. He pulled her into a bear hug and when he released her, he kept one arm around her as he turned to Kakashi. 

“What do we do now?”

Kakashi looked around the building. “Given the state of the building before, I guess we can leave it. The mortals will assume there was a structural problem that finally gave out. They are usually good at finding reasons that make sense to them when it comes to the unexplainable. 

“As for the body,” he said, looking down at the lifeless shell of what once held life, “we will bury it, out of respect for the mortal.”

He looked to Sakura when he said this, seeing that the suggestion seemed to lighten the burden that she held in her eyes. It would take awhile for that to be fully eased, if it ever did. No one truly gets over killing another, at least not someone who truly values and cares. 

Sakura was certainly one of the people who did care. She valued life both good and bad, always trying to find a way to redeem even the lowest. It was a nice idea, but Kakashi did not quite hold the same belief. There were some that were far too gone, the trick was to know how far was too far. 

Sakura came out of the park bathroom looking far better than she felt. After Kakashi gave her a petal from a preserved god tree bloom, she was able to restore enough chakra to heal the largest of her injuries as well as the few Kakashi and Naruto had sustained. Scratches and half healed scars still marred her skin from the battle and she was already debating on if she would heal them all the way or keep them as a reminder. 

As she walked past the garbage that propped the door open, she shoved the clothes she had been wearing earlier into the bin as she adjusted the flimsy shirt that she had bought from the corner store. 

Silently she walked over to where the three men were waiting for her. Looking down at her now clean hands she noticed a spot of blood she had missed and quickly rubbed at it. As she approached, Kakashi, Sai, and Naruto broke from their lowered conversation and looked at her. They each gave her their own different versions of examinations and sympathetic looks.

She hated it. Despite what Kakashi said, she still could not fully take away the blame from herself. She clutched her hands, suddenly struck with the sensation of having the mortal’s blood on her.

After burying him in an unbefitting shallow grave, they had begun to make their way down the streets until Sakura noticed the stares. It was then when she reflected on how she must look, covered in blood, torn clothing, and limping. Kakashi had insisted she go back with Naruto and he would see to Sai, but she refused, not willing to let Sai out of her sight until she knew he was home safe. So they stopped at a corner store and purchased some clothes then went to the nearest public bathroom for her to change and clean herself up. 

As the three of them fell silent and watched her, she knew they had been talking about her but she ignored it. She looked to Kakashi who was giving her a nod as he took in the T-shirt that proclaimed her love for the Big Apple. 

“I think it would be best that we take Sai to a safe house,” Kakashi announced. “Deidara and Sasori had been after both of you. Since Deidara got away I don’t want to take the risk of him showing up at his apartment. We can take him to Yamato and he can stay there for the time being until we sort things out.”

Sakura nodded. She was familiar with Yamato. He was an old friend and contact for Kakashi when he needed information about the underground seraphim world. Yamato was the result of when the human world and seraph world got too integrated. His mother was a mortal who had been involved with an unknown seraph. 

It was not often that such an interaction produced children but it did occur on occasion in the situation when the mother was mortal. If the mother was seraph the child would not survive. It was a situation similar to the mortal condition of RH incompatibility. However instead of having opposing blood types, the chakra in the seraphs body would attack the child. It was not instant but over time, the longer a fetus was exposed to the chakra, the mortal side of it could not handle the exposure. This, in accompaniment to the taboo of having relationships of the romantic nature with mortals, was the reason for such children to be rare.

With the exception of being slightly stronger or having a slight prolonged longevity, children born of such circumstances had no defining seraphim powers. They could not manipulate chakra nor could they produce wings. It was hypothesized that they could possibly influence other mortals but it had no concrete proof that it was genuine influence or just good charisma. Thus said, they were no different than mortals. 

Sakura nodded her consent to the proposal and Kakashi’s eyes lingered on her for a moment. “We will all go together and once he is settled we will report back.” He looked around at the group, checking that they all understood. 

After it was decided they began to walk in the direction of Yamato’s home. As Naruto and Sai walked ahead, Kakashi slowed down to fall into step with Sakura. For a block they walked in silence. Sakura clutching her arms around herself while Kakashi casually walked with his hands in his pockets. 

“Sasori of the Red Sand,” Kakashi suddenly said, causing Sakura to look at him in confusion. He looked at her before expanding. “That was the title he was once known by. He earned it during the first war, back when the Egyptians were still building their pyramids. He was one of the most proficient on the heavens side. It was because the color of the sand was stained red after he had slaughtered a battlefield.”

Sakura frowned at this image but Kakashi continued. 

“I should have made the connection sooner.” He shook his head and let out a sigh. “We always suspected he was a part of the Akatsuki but we could never confirm it as his true form has not been worn for millennia. I was just a kid, my wings were not even fully developed when he left the heavens. He blamed the blessed for being corrupt and proclaimed them hypocrites. But I think it always went back to his parents.” He fell quiet for a moment before adding, “It was my father who killed his parents, back when he…”

He drifted off and Sakura knew exactly why. Kakashi’s father was a delicate subject. He had betrayed the heavens during the wars then at the end came back. However the guilt of his betrayal had been too much and he had taken his life with his own seraph blade. A lot of people, mostly the elders, held a prejudice against Kakashi. They were suspicious that he would follow in his father's footsteps. 

Kakashi did not talk about it much and always seemed like none of this bothered him but occasionally, Sakura saw through his mask and glimpsed the pain. Even after thousands of years, it seemed to have an effect on him. 

“Why are you telling me this?” Sakura finally questioned. If he was trying to make her feel better, it was a strange way to do it. 

Kakashi gave her a long look then looked ahead to where Sai and Naruto were arguing about flavors of Ramen. “Sasori was a powerful enemy. And you defeated him,” he said. “Death is not something to celebrate in callousness but if there is something to be taken from it, know that what you achieved was a great accomplishment. 

“Be it luck or smart strategy, you were able to prevail because of your obligation to your duty to Sai. It was not for your survival but to be at the aid of another. As long as the reason you end another’s life is for the greater good of others, and not for your own personal gain, you will never be at fault for ending a life. Mortal or immortal. The greatest sin is to impend on the free will of others. What Sasori was doing was the epitome of that. If not, crueler.”

Sakura considered his words for a moment then finally nodded. As a somber silence fell between them again, Sakura’s thoughts recalled something. It was a piece of information she had gleaned just a couple of hours ago but it seemed like days now. 

Her head lifted with a jerk, drawing Kakashi’s attention to her. “Deidara mentioned something about meeting with Sasuke,” she quickly blurted. “He wouldn’t...Sasuke couldn’t be a part of the Akatsuki...could he?”

Kakashi frowned at this information. She looked at him eagerly, almost desperate for him to confirm the impossibility. Unfortunately the sigh that escaped Kakashi’s lips was not reassuring. 

“I would like to think him incapable of such a thing,” was all he said. 

“No fucking way,” Suigetsu exclaimed as he stared down at the group making its way through the street, or more so the woman within the group. At first he had not thought much of it until the dawning of recollection hit him. He had seen that face before, seen that hair. “Is that who I think it is?” 

He looked back to where Sasuke stood near the rooftop entrance. His arms were folded coolly across his chest with his head bowed and eyes closed. “Hn.”

“But how is that possible?” he questioned. “I thought she died?”

“Reincarnation,” was the only answer Sasuke gave. 

“She is like a flower,” Jugo gently commented as he too peered over the ledge. 

Suigetsu looked back down to the streets and looked at her again. There was movement to his left and fire red took over his peripheral as Karin came to the edge of the building and looked down as well. 

“Hmp,” she said after a moment. “She’s not that pretty.”

Suigetsu gave her a side look. “Compared to what? The mother goddess?” he asked in a snark reply. “If so, where does that put a troll like you in the line up?”

“Shut your trouty mouth before I chop you into ceviche with your own sword!”

Suigetsu gave her a sneer. “I knew I shouldn’t have bothered tracking you down.”

She folded her arms across her chest. “I am not sure why he even called you. He doesn’t need you, I can give him everything–“

“Shut up you two,” came Sasuke's sharp and finalizing command. 

The pair instantly stopped their squabbling as they looked at the Uchiha. With slow motions, he opened his eyes and took in the pair with sharingan eyes. And then pushed off from the wall he was leaning on and made his way to the edge. Without a word to them, he peered down at the crowded street, his eyes finding their target instantaneous as they were pulled automatically to her. 

“The three of you get ready,” he instructed. “It’s time.”

Chapter Text

Ancient Greece:

"Kukuku," Orochimaru laughed to himself. "That was excellent," he hissed, not long after Sasuke had departed. "Such deliciousss power jussst waiting to be unlocked. It makesss me nearly unable to contain myself."

Suigetsu wrinkled his nose. To be honest, he was still not sure why Orochimaru was so determined to have Sasuke so badly. Sure he was an Uchiha and therefore had a unique and powerful trait. But as far as he knew, there were plenty of Uchihas of equal power. And there were several with sharingan of far more superior stages of evolution that he could choose from as well. Then again, by the way Orochimaru sometimes spoke of Sasuke, he often wondered if the sharingan even had anything to do with his desire for Sasuke. Far too often Suigetsu found himself wondering if the snake wanted to recruit, eat, or marry Sasuke. Suigetsu let out another disturbed shiver, whatever the reason, he planned to be done with the snake before he found out. He would pay his dues, collect what he wanted, and be gone.

Speaking of paid dues. "Remind me again just how tonight was even remotely worth the bruises I am going to be finding tomorrow morning?" he asked, rubbing his already tender back from being thrown against the brickwork.

He didn't care for the fact that he had been bruised and battered, let alone having risked his life tonight for nothing. Sasuke had come, listened to Orochimaru prattle on for an hour, then immediately left, cure in hand with no impression of returning. It all seemed a waste to him.

Orochimaru's slit eyes moved to him. "Have you already forgotten? We got to have our dear Sasuke come as a guest."

Suigetsu let out a contemptuous snort. "Yeah? And do you recall him leaving without even a moment of consideration?"

Orochimaru gave out a slithering laugh. "Yesss he did. But we planted an idea in his mind. The next time he is in need he will come, and he will come because he will need me again. I asssure you. Mortals expire ssso easily."

Suigetsu let out a scoff but kept his clairvoyance of such occurrences to himself. Hell would freeze over before Sasuke appeared in this gods forsaken serpents pit.

Time was not a thing he had ever paid much attention to, he had never needed a reason, at least not until recently. It was because of this lack of consciousness to time, that he found himself ignorant as to just how long he sat there with his arms around her, hugging her to his chest as if she was the only thing of worth in the world….which she was.

He was at the cusps of sleep when he felt her stir. The moment he felt her muscles begin to shift, all weary pulls of sleep were cast away as he sat up and shifted her slightly to look at her face. Never had he loved such a shade of green more than when her lids lifted and she silently gazed up at him. She blinked sleepily, and it was like he could see the inner workings of her mind, trying to figure out why he was there.

"Sasuke?" she croaked, her voice hoarse and strained from the lack of use over the past few days.

He raised a hand to her lips. "Shh," he coerced. "Don't talk, hang on."

With a gentleness he helped her sit up enough so that he could slip out from behind her and arrange the pillow for her to remain sitting up. At the small table beside her bed, he poured some water from a pitcher then sat at the edge of the bed and held it to her lips. She stared at him with curious eyes for a moment then began to drink when he tilted the cup.

She took in a few sips, then several more after his insistence. When she was finished, he turned back to the table and set it down. He found her watching him when he turned back to her. Raising his hand to her forehead he felt her skin. Her skin felt sticky and dirty but there was no more fever.

"How are you feeling?" he asked, his eyes running over her face as his hand cupped her cheek that held a healthy looking glow. Gone were the gaunt shadows around her eyes as well as the pale pallor of her skin.

Her own hand moved up to clasp his as she gave him a smile. "I feel fine," she said with a small chuckle before she gave him a questioning look. "Sasuke what has gotten into you? Why are you here?" she questioned as she looked about her room and noted the midday sun. Her eyes slightly widened and she sat up straighter. "Does my aunt know you are here? Has she seen you?"

Sasuke gave her a long look. "Are you sure you feel okay?" It was as if nothing had even happened. While he hoped for a recovery, this was certainly beyond his expectations. He had expected her to be weak and frail, he expected her to take days, even weeks to be back to normal health. But here she was, only hours away from her escape from death and she was as if she had never been sick.

"I feel fine, better than ever," she assured.

He relaxed slightly. But not for long as moments later he was pulling her to him. He pressed his lips to her dried and chapped lips and gave her a long, hard kiss. When he parted from her, he learned his forehead against hers and his eyes opened slightly to see her staring at him wide eyed.

"I thought I was going to lose you," he admitted softly. "You were...there was nothing else I could do. I had to do it."

Sakura gave him a confused look. "What do you mean?"

He froze for a moment then shook his head. "Nothing," he brushed off. "It matters not," he added as he sat up straight. There was no need for her to know about Orochimaru as Sasuke knew he would not be facing the snake ever again.

His hand moved to her hair. Caressing her locks before he let it slip down to her shoulder. From there he ran his hand down her arm where he grasped her own. Lifting it, he turned it up to stare down at her palm. His thumb ran over the lines, tracing the line that the seers and soothsayers claimed to foretell a person's life span. Lifting her hand to his lips, he gave the crease a lingering kiss. As he lowered her hand back down to her lap, he raised his eyes to her and gave her a long stare.

"You are not allowed to leave me," he instructed.

She gave him a nervous laugh, the rosy color in her cheeks that had developed during his show of rare affection, making the fact that she had been near death just the night before almost unbelievable.

"Where would I go?" she chuckled. "You said yourself you would find me no matter where I was. So why are you worried?"

He did not smile at her light heartedness, causing her to sober slightly when she detected his seriousness.

"Promise me," he urged earnestly. "Swear to me you will not leave me."

She gave his hand a healthy firm squeeze and leaned into him, her face forming a tender and promising smile. "I promise Sasuke, I am not going anywhere."

He nodded then insisted that she lay down and rest, despite her fulmination that she felt more than fine. She finally conceded when she had him agree to lie down with her. Within minutes, Sasuke was fast asleep, his head propped on his arm with the hand of his other arm tightly gripped hers.

Sakura lay awake next to him, her body curled into him as she watched him sleep. She could have sworn it was just last night that the man she had been tending to had passed away. But as recent as that horrible night seemed, the vague memories and blurry images of her aunt tending to her through a feverish haze told her that more time had passed by than she had thought.

But even still, she was surprised to find him wrapped around her in the middle of the day when she woke. It was not normal for him to come during the day anymore. And he had been overly touchy. Not that Sasuke was not affectionate, but rarely did he touch like that, with such attentive tenderness. It was almost as if he could not, not touch her. Even now as he slept, his hand held onto hers like a lifeline.

With her free hand she brushed his bangs away from his face as she smiled softly. "I promise Sasuke," she said softly. "I will always choose to be by your side."

After that she closed her eyes and nuzzled herself closer to him. As she settled in and drifted off, Sasuke cracked his eyes open. The smallest of content smiles came to his lips before his eyes fell closed again and he drifted off into a slumber that had never felt so restful or peaceful in his life.

Ever since her sickness, Sasuke had been...off. The first thing he had done was insist she go back to her home on the island. A request that she refused to do despite his almost paranoid actions and warnings that things were not safe. And since her decision to stay in the city, his behavior had gotten even odder.

He was constantly checking in on her, both day and night and then suddenly, he would be gone. For days sometimes even weeks, she would see neither leather hide of a wing nor spiky hair of him. He was just gone. And when he decided to show back up, he would appear randomly in the middle of the night, waking her from her slumber and asking if she was okay. Each time he did this, he would immediately tell her to go back to sleep, as if all he needed was for her to open her eyes and assure him of something. Some nights he would stay, but he hardly slept, not like when she had first recovered and he had held her so tenderly in slumber. Instead, he lurked near the window and stared out at the night sky.

And it seemed she was not the only one who noticed his odd behavior. Naruto had too.

She did not see the sunny seraph for several months after she had come to the mainland. In fact, four months had gone by before she was making her way through a busy market place and quite literally bumped into him, or rather, Naruto came out of nowhere, tackling her to the ground in a tight hug. After a short and happy reunion, Naruto dragged her away to a more private area in which he could speak with her more openly.

"Has Sasuke been by to see you since you moved?"

Sakura nodded. "Yes," she answered. "He comes to visit me quite regularly, unlike some people." She gave him a hard look of accusation as she folded her arms across her chest.

Naruto rubbed the back of his head. "Heh heh," he chuckled nervously. "Sorry about that Sakura, it's just that things have been...intense in the seraphim world."

Sakura's face morphed as her grumpy stance faltered. "What? Is something wrong? What is going on?"

Naruto gave her a curious look. "You mean Sasuke has not told you? The peace treaty is going to be signed. It's been in the works for years but now it's official. They have called for a meeting and everything. It's to be held here in the mortal realm actually, in the temple overlooking the city."

"When?"

"In two months," he answered, then looked at her curiously when she frowned. "Sasuke never told you any of this?"

Sakura shook her head. "Sasuke does not say much of the happenings in your world as of late. He does not say much of anything these days," she muttered this last part more to herself. She looked up to Naruto. "Is this why he has been acting odd? Is there a lot of pressure on you two given your families?"

"I have been busy, but I can't say there is a lot of stress on me," he answered. "As for Sasuke…" Naruto gave a shrug. "Wouldn't know, I have not seen him in ages."

Sakura's forehead creased. "What do you mean you haven't seen him? What about your training sessions with Kakashi?"

"That's just it. He hasn't shown up. Not in a long time," Naruto replied. "In fact, that's why I came to see if you have seen him. There have been some...rumors. I don't want to believe them, but given his sudden avoidance, I can't help but wonder..." He drifted off in thought and then looked at her. "I just need to make sure he is okay and has not gotten himself into trouble."

A worried expression came over his face as he spoke, causing the troubled feeling that had been growing within Sakura to grow even more. "What kind of rumors?" she asked warily.

Naruto frowned, her response not giving him hope of refuting the rumors. He let out a heavy sigh as he bowed his head. He only looked up when a small hand took hold of his arms and gave it a soft squeeze. He was greeted with the wide orbs of Sakura as she leaned her face into him, looking up at him with worry in her eyes.

"Naruto," she said in a small plea, "tell me what you heard."

Naruto remained silent as he looked back into her viridian eyes, those innocent and pure eyes that held so much care and concern he was convinced they could solve all the problems in the world.

He let out a sigh, Sasuke was a bastard. Naruto used to tell him that everyday out of habit. But if the rumors were true, if they were even fractionally true, Sasuke really was a bastard. An undeserving lower than scum bastard, who did not deserve Sakura. Yet he had her. Somehow, some way, that bastard had somehow gotten her dedication. And in some construed way, he made her happy. And Naruto did not want to be the one to take that away.

However, he was willing to put Sakura's safety over her happiness. Happiness could be reversed, but death or other things that were a lot worse than death if Sasuke was truly involved with what Naruto hoped he was not involved, could not. There was no coming back from those things.

After a very long pause, Nartuo finally opened his mouth. "Kakashi said that he has been hearing some rumors lately while hunting down rogues." His blue eyes looked straight into hers, watching for a reaction. "Has Sasuke ever mentioned the name Orochimaru to you?"

Sakura's face contorted into concentration as she tried to recall such a name ever being mentioned. "I'm not sure. Perhaps? Maybe?" She shook her head and closed her eyes, trying to remember. "I don't know," she finally finished in defeat before looking back up. "Why? Who is he?"

Naruto gave her a disturbed look. Opening his mouth, he began to delve into the unsettling answer that was Orochimaru.

He was consuming her, heart, body, and soul. Again and again, under the curtain of night, his body moved with hers, causing her toes to curl and her voice to cry out each time she was brought to exaltation.

Sasuke had come to her late that night, not unlike he had many other nights before. He had awoken her suddenly, his hands grasping her face as he desperately called out her name. The moment she was cognant and opened her eyes, she had just enough time to see his sweat dampened hair and pale face before his lips came crashing down into hers. Hungrily he worked her lips, nipping and biting, his tongue tangled with hers as if air meant nothing to him as he pulled her closer and closer to him.

It was not until she had to press against his chest and force their separation that she was finally allowed to breath. He gave her a fraction of space in which to allow air to pass in between them as their heavy breaths filled the otherwise silent room. As the lightheadedness from her earlier lack of oxygen was remedied, she chanced a glance up at him.

She was met with swirling read eyes before his head fell forward and he pressed his forehead to hers. "Come with me," he whispered. "I need you tonight."

She gave her answer in the form of a silent nod and before she could even look back up at him, he had her in his arms and was rocketing to the sky. Sakura's stomach lurched. It was not the first time he had flown with her in his arms, that had occurred within the first year of knowing each other. And in the nearly two years that had passed since then, she had soared with him on numerous occasions, but she had still yet to get used to the exhilarating sensation.

Any sleepiness that had remained after being awakened was blown away as the cool night wind rushed past them. His heated chest and arms that wrapped tightly around her protected her from the sting of the cold.

Her feet had just barely touched the ground from his hard landing before he had her pinned to a tree and was pressing his lips to hers. She tried to keep up with his vigor but there was something fueling him that she did not hold. Growing impatient, he moved away from her mouth, to her jaw, to her neck, and to her collar bone. Automatically he went to the sweet spot that always made her more vocal as his hands ran across the thin fabric of the nightgown that covered her body. The looseness of the garment caused it to slip from her shoulder by his rough hands and soon Sasuke had exposed her chest and moved farther down.

His hands moved down her body, leaving a sensitized trail of phantom finger marks until he had reached her thighs and hoisted her up. Automatically her legs wrapped around him, securing herself as their bodies meshed together as one. In no time her pulse was beating wildly as her breaths became shaky. Her face flushed as his hands, well versed in making her body coil and release, moved about her bodice.

Hours later, Sakura found herself swirling in delirious bliss as she lay on her back breathing deeply. She stared up at the night sky, the twinkling of the stars shining down from the heavens as if to give their blessing of what had just been consummated between herself and Sasuke. She was exhausted. Her body was worn out and her mind was just a melted and useless mess after the repeated stimulation that had left her brain too overworked to function. But no less than a few restful moments later, Sasuke climbed over her again, his hands slipping across her perspired body as he began to nuzzle at her neck once more.

He needed more. He needed more contact, more distraction, more Sakura. Over the past few months, Sasuke had hardly gotten any sleep. Stressed out, paranoid, and guilt ridden, Sasuke could barely shut his eyes without the torment of one thing or another plaguing his mind. He had been proving himself greatly to his uncle as of late, working his body past its limits, and carrying out tasks that made him question every teaching he had as a seraph.

He had given in to Madara's Will, just as so many fallen others had. They worked like drones, doing anything and everything that was bid of them. It disgusted him, and he had become one of them. Yet there was still a piece within him that cried out and resisted. A piece that gave him enough free will that made him conscious of his actions. Which only made him feel conflicted all the more. Because it meant he was choosing to do these deeds of his own free will.

His normal stress relief would be a good sparring against a particularly loud mouthed feather brain. But Sasuke could not do that, not anymore, not ever. He could not fathom looking him in the eye, both Naruto and Kakashi, knowing what was to come, knowing that what he was about to do was unforgivable, yet he was still doing it.

He heard a sigh of content to his left and was reminded of why exactly he was doing this. Why it was all worth it. Why it was validated.

Earlier, before he had come to her, his accumulative exhaustion had finally paid its toll and he had finally managed to fall asleep. However, it was riddled with unrestful nightmares and he had woken up in a cold sweat with the lingering image of Sakura, fading away like the sunset as she dissipated, turning his surroundings into darkness. The image and feeling of loneliness, paired with such imaginations, had driven him to her bedside and then to here. Where he could make her call out as loud as possible without the risk of someone disrupting them.

At the recollection of that horrid image, Sasuke found his earlier settled anxieties now no longer satisfied. He turned to his side and took in her heaving body as she stared up at the stars. For a moment he relished in the action of her breathing, it meant she was alive. But he could not trust his sight, he needed to feel her, needed to hear her, to taste. Just as he had done several times tonight. The carnal lust that had been the theme of tonight's endeavors was reignited. He needed to not think, he needed to just feel.

Without another thought, his hands were moving over her skin as he moved over her. He hovered for just a moment to look at her satisfied face before moving in to satisfy her more. His lips met the skin of her neck as he shifted over more, his knee nudged between her legs and his hand moved around her waist to pull her closer. Breathing her in, he released a breath against her neck before grazing his teeth across the silky skin. Soon her hands were tangling with his hair but it soon changed from impassioned grasping to pulling him away from her.

"Sasuke," she panted between exhausted breaths. "Wait. I...I need rest...I can't-"

"Then let me do all the work," he said, lowering his head back to assault her neck.

She let out a sound that was a hybrid of a moan and groan. Her fingers tightened in his hair, pulling his head back as she pushed herself up against him, forcing him back and onto his haunches. She met his heated and lust filled eyes with determination and concern.

"Sasuke, wait," she repeated. "Somethings wrong, somethings bothering you."

"I'm fine," he said all too defensively as he moved to push her back down, but she stayed firm, bracing an arm behind herself to keep him from pushing her back.

"No," she said sternly. "It's not fine. Please, talk to me."

He gave her a dark look. Talking was the last thing he wanted to do. Talking meant thinking which was the opposite of his objectives. And telling her of what he was avoiding would not bode well. She would not understand. Not yet. After, after everything, then he would tell her...maybe. She would forgive him, wouldn't she? This is what she wanted, to be together always and forever?

A smooth hand pressed against his cheek. She had always had smooth skin compared to his calloused hands, but after months of city life and not helping with the manual labors of her home back on the island, they had grown even softer, more delicate...more fragile.

"Sasuke," she pleaded as she ran a hand across his face. "Talk to me, please. What is going on? Naruto saidー"

His eyes sparked at the name. "When did you see that feather brain?"

"Just the other day. He stopped by to check on me...and to check on you," she added slowly, taking note of the twitch of his brow. "Sasuke, he is worried about you. He and Kakashi. He said that you have been avoiding them, that they have not seen you in months. And he said that there are rumors…"

"You should not take note of anything that comes out of that idiot's mouth," he slurred as a spark of panic began to beat in his chest. What rumors were they hearing. Did the heavens know of Madara's plan?

Sakura gave him a hard look of disapproval. "Sasuke, he is your friend," she emphasized.

His eyes hardened at the word friend. "He is not my friend," Sasuke declared, his tone straining to convince not just her, but himself as well. "And you should distance yourself from him. He's a clumsy fool and could get you into trouble."

Sakura's brow furrowed. "Are you forbidding me to see him?" she challenged, her voice dangerously defiant.

Sasuke clicked his tongue. "If I knew that would work, yes," he answered, looking out into the dark. "But I know you, you do not listen to instruction very well."

Sakura stared at him in disbelief as he continued to keep his gaze firmly away from hers. Where was this coming from? Since when was it dangerous to be near Naruto? "Is it true that you are working with a seraph named Orochimaru?" she blurted out, getting straight to the point.

Sasuke's eyes flashed up to her. "How do you know that name?" he demanded, before sitting up straighter and looking at her seriously. "Did something happen? Did someone approach you?"

She shook her head instantly and his shoulders relaxed. "N-naruto told me of him," she admitted, causing a look of annoyance across his face. Sakura gave him a look. "Sasuke, he said there were rumors of you going to him. Is that true? Are you...are you helping him?"

"No," he nearly instantly.

It was the truth, however, given by the look that followed his answer from Sakura, she could tell the answer was less simple. She stared at him, her forehead slightly creased in a silent challenge to his answer. Sasuke stared back at her, a long draw of silence passing as he debated what else to say. The longer the silence, the more anxious she seemed to become and he could see the disapproval in her eyes.

"I went to him once," he finally admitted in a barely above whisper. "Several months ago, out of desperation."

Sakura stilled at his admission, her green eyes moving back and forth as she took in his face. Why? She wanted to ask. Why would he do such a thing, what could he possibly be so desperate for to cause him to go to such a creature….

Her mind stopped when she began to think back to several months ago and then it hit her. When all of this started, when Sasuke began his strange behavior. Her sickness.

Sasuke hardly ever spoke of it. She had never seen him so shaken than that day she had woken in his arms. She had made light of the severity of it, but it only served to make him agitated. He had only told her small details, but from what she had gathered from her aunt who had been hopelessly tending to her, she had been close to death. And her quick, almost instant recovery, had been proclaimed a blessing from the gods. Now, as Sakura thought about it, perhaps it was not so much as gods that had blessed her, but some other ethereal beings.

"Sasuke," she began in a quiet tone, "where did you get that medicine from?"

Sasuke stayed quiet.

"Sasuke," she prompted. "Did you get the medicine from Orochimaru?"

She noticed his jaw clench, an indication for his desire for such things to be dropped, but she refused. She was worried and was determined to hear it from him.

"Sasuke," she said in an unnaturally sharp tone, causing Sasuke to look at her.

His jaw moved from side to side for a moment as he ground his teeth before answering. "Yes, I got it from Orochimaru," he confirmed, looking away from her horrified expression to his admission.

Sakura stared at him as a shudder went through her. Naruto had told her what the corrupted angel had done to people, told her of the experiments. To think that something of his making had been inside of her. She shuddered again. She didn't want to even know what had been in it nor what others were put through to lead to its creation.

She looked back at him with a stony expression. "You shouldn't have done that," she said with a hard tone.

Sasuke's head whipped around and he gave her his own hard look. "And what was I supposed to do?" he questioned. "Sit around and watch you die?"

"Yes, if it meant you staying away from him!" she exclaimed. "Naruto told me of his desire to have you with him. My life is not worth yours being trapped into servitude for him."

"I am not serving him," he defended. "It was just a one time deal," he assured.

Sakura watched him closely, looking for any indication that this was the truth, the full truth. It was not as if she believed him capable of lying. Sasuke did not lie. But he did omit, he left things out and let people assume.

"Promise me," she pleaded, grabbing his hand and leaning forward to look him in the eye. "Please, do not ever go back to him. Not for anything, especially not for my sake. It's not worth it."

He stayed quiet for a long moment. Finally he moved. His hand lifted and he caressed her cheek with the backs of his fingers.

"Don't worry Sakura," he assured her with a tender tone. "I won't, I will never need a reason to." It was a promise he made because he believed he would never break it. For in less than a few months, the peace talks would take place, the fallen would rise to rule, and he would have a place for her beside him. Safe and sound, his forever.

Sasuke followed the silhouette through the underground maze of dark tunnels. Every so often a torch clung to the otherwise barren stone walls, giving just enough light to maneuver through the maze without walking straight into the wall when the path suddenly took a sharp turn. Absolute silence seemed to be the theme of ambiance with only the light tapping of their feet with each step. His guide took a sudden sharp turn and Sasuke followed in his wake. As soon as he cut the corner, it was to find himself suddenly entering an open cavern that was slightly more lit than the hallways. His guide took a bow then moved to the side, giving Sasuke a full view of Orochimau sitting on a mockery of a throne, smiling gleefully as his snake eyes stared at him hungrily.

"Sssaske," Orochimari cooed in a lilting tune. "What a pleasant surprissse."

"You said you could make a mortal live forever," Sasuke said sharply.

The snake seraph's eyes glinted in the fire light. "Yesss," he answered with a sinister hiss. "For a price of course."

Sasuke took a few steps forward, his shirt clinging to him from the mixture of sweat and blood that soiled it, but this all went unregistered. His body was numb of any discomfort or pain that came with his injuries and dishevelment. Not just his body but his mind as well. It was numb. The pain that he knew he should be feeling was nothing but a fuzzy thought in the back of his mind and he would not allow himself to give into the nudging instinct to try and clarify such feelings.

He knew what would happen if those emotions became sharpened and more pronounced. If he let himself process and register them, it would destroy him. So instead he pushed it farther back. Besides, there was no need to grieve. That is what he told himself. She was not gone forever, he would get her back.

"You say your powers are great, just how great are they?"

Orochimaru leaned forward. "And what greatness are you wishing for my dear Sasssuke?"

"Resurrection," Sasuke replied. "Bring a mortal back from death and make it so she will never enter into such a state again."

Orochimaru leaned back and let out a tut-tut sound with his tongue. "Oh dear Sasssuke, it seems you should have come to me much sooner. Perhapsss when I first made you an offer you should have accepted."

Sasuke's eyes bleed red and Orochimaru's eyes widened as he took in the recently evolved irises. "Then I guess your powers are not as you make them seem," Sasuke said, his voice straining slightly as he tried to reign in his emotions. He was a fool for thinking he could come to Orochimaru, a fool for thinking such things possible. But it was his last option. Everything was gone, everything he had worked for in the past year had been pointless. "Pity," Sasuke remarked, his voice remarkably indifferent compared to the raging storm within him. "And here I thought you had power."

Sasuke moved to turn and leave, but Orochimaru's greed would not let such a thing happen. "Kukuku," he laughed, causing Sasuke to turn his face back to him. "Oh my dear Sasssuke, when I say you should have accepted earlier, it did not mean I could not do it," he claimed. "What I meant, is that you should have accepted when the price was not quite so high. What you ask of me is no easy feat."

Sasuke turned fully back to Orochimaru. "And what is such a price?"

Orichimaru's head tilted unnaturally too far to the side. "How much is it worth to you?" he inquired. "What are you willing to do, to have her back?"

Sasuke's eyes glinted with wild hunger and desperation as he stared into the snake's slitted pupils. "Anything," Sasuke replied. "I will do anything."

Chapter Text

Present Day:

Sakura was stuck in a limbo between feeling guilty and convincing herself that what she had done for the mortal was good. Kakashi had worded it as such and he had never been one to sugarcoat the truth. What he said was plain and simple facts, it had made sense to her sorrowful heart. But later when she tried to believe that her actions were in fact for the greater good, it felt like she was lying. In fact, she would almost rather just take the blame of the mortal's demise and deal with the shame and consequences instead of being stuck with an emotional pendulum. She had enough of her emotions swinging back and forth because of Sasuke, she didn't need more.

As always, Times Square was busy as ever as they made their way down Broadway. It was late now, the sky was darkening as those dressed in nightlife attire began to dominate those dressed in business. Just as the clock of the paramount building came into sight and they crossed over to walk down the meridian, Sakura came to a halting stop as those around her continued moving at a rush.

Pedestrians pushed past her, bumping her shoulder as they grumbled at her for damning the flow of the foot traffic. But their dark looks, rude gestures, and mutters all went ignored. Everything around her was ignored as it became a jumble of white noise and blurry movements. Her vision became unfocused and as the crowded street continued to move without her, she was struck with the sensation of being stuck in a time lapse, where everything was at a high speed but her. Soon the sounds of New York became muffled and dulled as the sound of her heart beat seemed to be all that she could distinctly hear.

The sensation gave her a unique and focused concentration amid the chaos around her. Without it, she was not sure if she would have even noticed. And while she was grateful for the warning, she was also filled with an anxious unease as dread washed down her spine and made her shiver.

She could feel it. The pull.

It was tugging away at every nerve in her body while the sealed portion of her mind seemed to pound within her head, begging to be released. But as desperate as that deeper part of her wanted this feeling to be true; the broken, beaten, and weary parts of her cried out with sorrow.

No, she pleaded within herself. Not here, not now.

Her first instinct was to break down into tears. Today had already taken its emotional toll and she was not sure if she could deal with him right now. Not now when all she wanted to do was to submerge herself beneath the warmth of a bath while she let her body be relieved of the aches in her muscles and her mind to shut any and all thoughts. Where she could cry to her heart's content and the tears would not be noticed. She knew she was vulnerable right now, she knew that she was weak. And she did not like that. She could not trust herself to make rational decisions in such an emotional state.

Swallowing down the urge to break down in the middle of the crowd, she spun around, eyes vigilant and searching. The three men she had been walking with were completely oblivious to her halt as they walked on towards their destination. But she could not bring herself to say anything. Not yet, not until she knew for sure.

As her heart raced, she did her best to ignore the distracting pounding within her chest as she tried to concentrate on the pull. Focussing on the teather, she honed in on the source of the tug until the crowd parted and her eyes fell upon a dark haired man standing just meters away from her.

Her pounding heart skipped treacherously and her legs nearly made a move to walk towards him. His dark eyes were fixed on her, rich with a luster that held an air of promises and dark desires that she wanted to see fulfilled. His absence had been noted over the past couple of days, but until this moment, she had not realized just how much his presence in her life made a difference. It was intense, nearly suffocating, and given the dark smirk that curled onto his lips, he could see what she was feeling, what she was wanting.

A group of passersby crossed between them, blocking him from view and when they had moved out of the way, he was gone. Disappeared as if he had evaporated into thin air like an apparition. With alarm her eyes began to search the area, scanning for the smallest glimpse of spiky black hair with a hint of a blue undertone. As she searched, the hope of actually wanting to spot him or not, eluded her. Did she want it to have been just her imagination or did she really want it to have been him?

After she was certain there would be no spotting him, she shook her head. It had been a long day, she was tired and most likely had mistaken someone else for him. And besides, why would he want anything to do with her after how she had dismissed and pushed him away? She turned around, her almost crestfallen gaze lifting from the cigarette and gum wrapper littered sidewalk, only to stop short.

It was Sasuke.

Standing before her, only now just feet apart.

"Sakura," he said, his tone rich with fervent calm, as if nothing in the past few encounters had gone wrong.

His hand rose in either an offering for her to come closer or to close the distance between them himself. Whichever it was, she was not given the opportunity to find out as she felt her body being jerked back and away from his grasp. The soft smile that had adorned his face contorted as a snarl escaped his lips and loathing took over his features.

Sasuke watched as Kakashi pulled Sakura behind him. "Sasuke," Kakashi said in a sharp tone. "I thought we had an understanding? You were going to keep your distance."

Sasuke's dark eyes flashed from where Sakura was peeking out from behind Kakashi's barrier, to look at the grey seraph. His lip curled. "Oh, we did." His eyes drifted back to Sakura. "But I changed my mind. I can do that, you know-" his eyes flicked to meet Kakashi's single grey eye- "free will and all."

"You're still outnumbered Sasuke," Kakashi protested. "Please, just walk away and I will overlook this."

His dark brow, with perfect curvature, rose. "Oh will you? How...benevolent of you," he mocked, voice dripping with sarcasm. "You certainly have changed over the years. If I were you, I would keep that new found angelic ego in check. Your pretentious bull shit sounds more like arrogance than altruism. And you have to be careful with such things, your pretense has made you ignorant."

Kakashi narrowed his brow. "What do you mean?"

"I am not outnumbered," he revealed, just as Karin and Suigetsu appeared behind him.

Sakura found it within herself to look away from Sasuke and take in his companions that had appeared at his side. The first was a woman, her ruby eyes an obvious indicator of her seraphim blood, even without the large amount of teal chakra that was easily flowing from her. She was standing right next to Sasuke. As she practically breathed down his neck, she glared at Sakura from over his shoulder. It did not take a mind reader for Sakura to know that this woman despised her.

Moving her attention away from the glaring red head, she looked to the other person who was standing to Sasuke's left. As soon as she looked at him, his predatory face moved into a sharp toothed grin. He gave her a wink, his purple eyed gaze hinting at a familiarity between them.

Sakura blinked at him, perplexed by his actions.

Strapped to his back was one of the largest seraph blades she had ever seen. He shifted, whispering something into Sasuke's ear and the sword glinted in the sunlight. At the flash of light, Sakura was suddenly struck with a familiarity of the situation, as if she had seen that same metallic glint but under a different light at another time. Her eyebrows drew together as her head tilted to the side in perplexity. However, any thought into the matter was lost when Kakashi shifted uneasily and she was reminded of what was happening.

Sasuke smirked at the slight unease his companions' appearances seemed to have on Kakashi as well as Naruto who had appeared with Sakura's dark haired mortal friend. Even the mortal looked uneased. The Uchiha's eyes glimmered with mirth at his blonde rival before letting his eyes trail back to Kakashi.

Kakashi swallowed hard. "Sasuke," he said quietly, almost pleadingly. "Don't. Don't do this," he said with a shake of his head. "Not today. She's been through enough today already."

His words brought about a hesitation and Sasuke's eyes drew down to where Sakura was standing, half hidden behind Kakashi.

Her thin arms were wrapped around herself as if giving herself a comforting hug and she was not as put together as she usually was. Her jeans were ripped and frayed in places that were obviously not purposeful. And they were stained, dirt and something of a dark maroon that looked too much like dried blood to ignore. While her shirt looked clean and crisp, it was ill fitting and was nothing that he thought would be found in her wardrobe. Her pastel locks that always looked so soft and smooth, were matted and frazzled as if she had been running around all day. A smattering of dust, grime, and whatever else New York had to offer in dirtiness, covered her skin in patchy spots that she had obviously tried to wash off without taking a proper bath. When he looked closer to the smudged dirt, he noticed the half healed bruises and fresh pink scars that marred her skin. Evidence of injuries that he knew were not there the last time he saw her, but could not have healed as much in the short span he hadn't seen her.

Upon seeing the injuries, his eyes moved up to her face as if he expected the answer of how such injuries and distress came to be. She seemed to evade meeting his gaze for a moment, but as if unable to ignore his penetrative stare, she eventually lifted her eyes to meet his dark gaze. Emerald locked with obsidian and he looked at her, really looked at her. And that is when he saw it. A slight emptiness and hollow sorrow. There was something weighted in her gaze and the way she held herself, it was defeat.

Something within him stirred in agitation. This, this was exactly why she needed to be with him. Obviously Kakashi and Naruto were failing to provide what she needed, what he could. He was stronger than ever before and he had power, resources, everything he needed to insure that look he was seeing now, would never shadow her face.

There was an unnatural stillness before Sasuke opened his mouth, his words bringing an icy dread to those facing him. "I think i've waited long enough, my patience has grown tiresome and it is plain to see that you two are incapable of providing what she needs."

Sakura watched as Kakashi's hand twitched, a sign that he was uneasy. That action caused the dam that was already holding back the overwhelmed feeling to begin to crumble. But mixed in with that was the smallest twinge of annoyance towards Sasuke. Kakashi and Naruto took plenty of care of her. And as much as the outcome of her earlier fight had crushed her, she could not help but feel a little pride in her actions. She had gone up against an Akatsuki. Gone against one by herself and won. Did that not win any merit in the fact that maybe she did not need anyone to provide for her? Had she not provided for herself? But then again, Sasuke did not know of this...at least she did not think so. Surely he would not be doing such a thing if he did.

Sasuke had certainly prepared, Kakashi thought to himself. This was not just a coincidental run in. "Sakura," Kakashi voiced in a low tone, not taking his eyes off of Sasuke and his accomplices. "Take Sai and run."

Sakura did not immediately move to action, her eyes were still set on Sasuke. Stepping back she kept her eyes on Sasuke and she was hit with nostalgia. It was just like in the alley way, she was walking away, about to turn her back on him, denying him once again. But there was one difference. His eyes.

They were not asking her to stay. Instead they were demanding that she go with him, he was not giving her a choice. He didn't want her to accept him, he wanted her to submit. Those same eyes narrowed for a moment as he looked at her, as if reading her thoughts. Then his hand flicked forward in signal. That motion was like a starter gun for a race, setting everyone into action.

"Sakura, go now!" Kakashi barked as the red haired and sword wielding seraph surged forward.

Sakura did not delay. She grabbed Sai's hand and began to run.

Running through a mass of any type of being was not easy. Running through a mass of human beings was particularly difficult. Their slow reaction times and greater interest in seeing what the commotion was, instead of avoiding such clamor, was severely irritating. And while Sakura usually looked down on the action of pushing and shoving, she rigorously plowed her way through the crowd. Running into shoulders and knocking others over, she pulled Sai through the crowd as they fled the scene.

That is until she ran smack dab into a mortal that did not even budge. She looked up to be greeted by a mountain of a man, his flaming orange hair standing out like a beacon over the ocean of pedestrians around them. Sakura mumbled out a quick apology and moved to step around him, only to have a vice like grip clamp down on her shoulder.

Sakura spun around, expecting to see Sasuke or one of his other earlier companions. But instead she was greeted by a wall of broad chest. Slowly, her eyes moved up to find that it was the same unnaturally large and bulky man that she had just run into. He was a colossal of a mortal, and his grip was unnaturally strong. But there was something else about him, something in his eyes that told Sakura that there was something wrong, something not normal. His soul, while certainly mortal, was old. Too old. Combined with her paranoia that Sasori had instilled within her that anyone could be non-human, no matter how mortal they seemed, it caused her to move into action.

Grabbing the man's wrist she manipulated her chakra, twisting it she forced his grip off of her then sent a high kick in his solar plexus. The mortal was sent into the crowd of pedestrians, knocking several over while a wall of them closed in to make sure he was okay. She did not wait to see if he was injured, she had other concerns.

She spun around, her eyes dashing around for an escape as she reclaimed her hold on Sai's forearm. A bright glint caught her eye and she turned to look at its source, her heart pounding rapidly only to realize it was just the building nearby, covered in glass and reflecting the last light of the sun as it set. Green irises ran up the tall length then a shout behind her caused her to glance back.

It was the red haired woman and shark toothed man from earlier. They were busy helping the orange haired mortal up and immediately, Sakura felt relieved that she had acted on instinct and attacked him. They were interrogating the giant who, despite his large stature, shrank into himself like a defenseless animal. Finally, his eyes shot up, locking with Sakura's for a moment before he lifted a treacherous finger. The gesture caused the other pair to turn around, their eyes searching for a moment before landing on her.

Sakura's grip on Sai tightened even more as she bolted. Not willing to delay or linger, she sprinted for the large building. At its entrance was a steady flow of late night business workers flowing out of the multiple doors, all too preoccupied and absorbed in their own lives and work to have any civility for anyone else. Sakura sent out a courteous influence, causing everyone to stop and move out of the way and let her pass. One man opened the door and held it for her as she dashed through, dragging Sai along with her. The moment they passed through, she lifted the influence and the mortals went straight back to their self oriented habits.

She paused for a moment in the lobby, the click-clack of shoes across the tiled floor echoing all around her. It was almost deafening in her panic as her wild eyes moved around the vaulted ceiling, taking in the sunlight that flowed through the high wall of windows. On the other side of the lobby was a large front desk where a lingering front desk woman stood to greet and direct the few people that were coming for late meetings. Beyond the desk was a security checkpoint that led to a line of elevators opening and closing as people loaded and unloaded.

Automatically she made for the security line, sending out another influence to make the security guards lenient and forgiving as she and Sai passed through the metal detector. It let out a loud chirp and lights flashed but she kept going. Heading towards the elevators, one opened its doors to let out a pair of women in tailored power suits and Sakura shoved Sai through the threshold as soon as they stepped out. She jabbed at a random numbered button before stepping back out. Keeping her hand in front of the door to prevent it from closing, she looked at him urgently.

"Get off when you arrive on that floor, then find a bathroom or any place to hide. If I am not back in twenty minutes come back down, catch a cab then go to 1136 on 5th Avenue. When you get there, go to the front desk and tell them you are there for Yamato. Tell him that Kakashi sent you, he will know what to do," she quickly relayed. "Do you understand?"

Sai nodded and Sakura made him repeat the address before she moved her hand and let the doors close. There was a shout and she whipped her head around to see the three henchmen enter the building. Sasuke was nowhere to be found but she did not wait to see if he would show up as well, she moved on, dashing to the stairwell.

The door let out an awful squeak as she wrenched it open, most likely from lack of use given the otherwise pristine building. As it shut behind her, she began to race up the stairs, taking two, sometimes three, at a time as she pushed chakra into her feet to go faster. Upward she climbed and when she heard the unmistakable sound of the door being opened on the bottom floor, followed by the sound of feet in pursuit, she spurred on faster.

Karin was right behind him when he nearly ran over Jugo laying on the ground. Suigetsu stopped abruptly and looked down at the big guy. He crouched down to help him stand but the colossus was too busy trying to catch his breath to stand.

"Hey big guy, what the hell happened?"

"Unggg," he groaned. "Girl...huff, huff...attacked."

Suigetsu looked at him in confusion. "The girl did this?"

A scoff came from above them and they both looked up to see Karin standing next to them with her hands on her hips and foot tapping impatiently. "Where is that pathetic mortal? We were driving her right towards you? You should have easily grabbed her, you big stupid oaf!"

Jugo looked sadly down at the ground and clutched his hands. Suigetsu sneered at her. Sure he was not fond of the neanderthal, he was a pain in his ass and his pacifist dreams annoyed Suigetsu, but nobody insulted the blockhead but him. But that was not the main reason he was annoyed with her. He could see Jugo was losing his grip on reality, and they could not afford to let their kumbaya singing hulk go rampage on them, at least not yet.

So much for all those years, sitting in scratchy robes and chanting with monks if he lost control after just five minutes into the mission, Suigetsu thought.

He needed Jugo to stay within controllability if they were going to accomplish this mission and be on their way. From working with Sasuke in the past, Suigestsu knew that Sasuke did not give up until his goal was complete. And there was something about this one in particular that Suigetsu just knew if it was not done today, they would be forced to remain until the job was done. And he was not sure he could tolerate a screeching Karin, an 'om' chanting Jugo, and for sure not a pain in the ass Sasuke that had more than just a stick shoved up his ass.

"Hey take it easy on him!" Suigetsu snapped up at her before looking at the giant man, who looked like he was on the verge of either melting into a puddle of tears, or bursting into a flaming rage. "Hey big guy where did she go?"

After a few breaths, Jugo slowly looked up and his eyes scanned the area for a moment before pausing. Slowly, he lifted a finger and pointed. Suigetsu followed his direction and almost immediately he spotted her, her hair was like a beacon in the crowd.

Immediately the girl took off like a rabbit being hunted and Suigetsu was to his feet in an instant as he began to push his way through the crowd, calling out to his companions to hurry up as he took off after her. He lost sight of her for a moment but then caught a glimpse of pink just before it disappeared into the tall building nearby.

He turned to see both Karin and Jugo not far behind him, the both of them looking around, obviously not having caught sight of the girl's escape. "This way," he instructed, moving forward towards the building.

The crowded entrance way was an annoyance but eventually he got through and came to a shortstop, Karin bumping into him.

"You dumb flounder!" she screeched. "Why the hell did you stop?"

Suigetsu turned around. "Have you ever heard of surveying the layout you bimbo?"

"They're mortals you chowderhead! What are they gonna do? Push you?"

Suigetsu rolled his eyes then scanned the area. And then he spotted her, right in front of the elevators before she took off towards the end of the hall. He did not even bother saying anything, he just moved, expecting Jugo and Karin to follow. If they didn't, well that was fine by him as well.

Sasuke stared darkly at Kakashi and Naruto, his eyes narrowing.

He had meant for them to engage with Karin and Suigetsu when they went after Sakura, giving him the opportunity to pursue Sakura himself while they were preoccupied. But of course, Kakashi and Naruto had a knack for not letting things go according to plan. They were always at the center of things being sabotaged.

"You're just going to let them chase after her, just so you two can have the satisfaction of stopping me?" He questioned.

Naruto's fist clenched. "Sakura can handle herself," he burst out. "Even if they catch up to her, she could whoop their asses–"

"Naruto," Kakashi said quietly, cutting him off with a warning look. He looked back to Sasuke. "Call off your hounds, Sasuke. Let Sakura be and leave here now."

Sasuke's lips twitched in a smirk.

Kakashi took a step forward. "For once in your life stop being selfish Sasuke," he growled. "This is more than just trying to keep you away from her. There are things that we cannot risk. Things that if others knew, could very well put her in danger."

"Explain it to me," Sasuke replied. "Tell me these things, then I will help. You know when it comes to her safety there is nothing I wouldn't do?"

"You want to help?" Kakashi remarked. "Then stay away like we asked. Prove to us that you can be trusted and then maybe later, we can allow you to see her."

"Tch," he scoffed. "You herold a lot about a great deal of nothing, Kakashi. Something that I have come to see that all you blessed do. You desiguse yourselves as angels of light, preaching your higher than thou knowledge that you claim to have. But you see, you speak of things being complicated and confidential. But to me, it's a simple matter of your kind acting as you always have, always trying to make things more complex than they really are. So I am done playing by the rules of heralding angels that are nothing but hypocritical fowl. I was done a long time ago. I just never had a reason to correct it. Now, I do."

With that, he blurred and vanished. Immediately Kakashi and Naruto took off after him. Through the streets they chased him, occasionally catching him in a short lived battle before Sasuke slipped out of their grasp. This continued for a short while, but it did not take long before they were coming to a stop at the end of a less busy street and where his trail disappeared.

"Shit," Naruto murmured, nursing a particularly deep wound on his forearm that had been caused by a shuriken, "when did he get so fast."

Kakashi shook his head, his breaths labored from a cocktail of exertion and panic. "I don't know, but we need to forget him for now and find Sakura, before he does. We need to get her back to the heavens."

There was no wonder mortals never used the stairs in these skyscrapers.

She had only reached a third of the levels and already she felt her muscles burn with each step. It did not help that her energy levels were already low to begin with and as much as she was struggling to keep moving quickly, she was certain she was slowing down.

Her echoing footsteps and rushing breath as it was recycled through her lungs was all she could hear. Which is why, when she reached the landing of the twentieth floor and moved to ascend to the twenty-first, she let out a scream of surprise when someone grabbed onto her leg, causing her to tumble down onto the stairs.

She caught herself enough to control her landing but still felt the ledges dig into her hip and side as her elbow hit the tread hard enough for a tingling shock to radiate through her arm. Ignoring the signals of pain her body was sending out to her, she twisted around and was greeted by the pale haired and jagged toothed seraph. His eyes gleamed at her with the predatory hunger of a shark.

"Gotcha," he smirked. Sakura immediately began to squirm around, trying to free her leg from the hand that was digging into her calf. The shark seraph let out a bark of laughter. "It's no use little mortal, you may have bested the big guy but he's a big softie. Cries anytime a butterfly gets its wings bent," he gave her a dangerous look. "But I am not so kind. I don't care if you are a little weak mortal, I am not as gentle."

Weak.

That word was beginning to grate on her nerves like a mill stone grinding wheat. She was tired of feeling weak today, she was tired of being underestimated, tired of being targeted. She looked into the violet eyes of the shark seraph, noting the lack of mercy in his expression as he began to pull her towards him and climb over her. And as the arrogant and victorious glint shinned in his eyes, something within her snapped.

She was done, fucking done.

"Oh yeah," she growled as he continued to climb over her, "neither am I."

She brought up her foot and slammed it into the middle of his chest, not bothering to even care if her chakra manifested in the power she put into it. The seraph flew back and crashed into the wall of the stairwell landing below her. The smooth wall caved in at the impact sending white powder into the air as a large dent was formed in its plaster.

Gods it had felt good, but as much as she wanted to linger and continue to vent in this new found lust of violence, she felt the exertion of chakra take its toll as the weak feeling began to settle into her body. That, as well as the echo of his companions only a few floors below, had her turning around and sprinting up the stairs again.

As she made her way up, flight after flight of stairs, her mind whirled. Where had that come from? She had never been one to take satisfaction in violence. When it came to sparring, she had always been one to hesitate and undercompensate. Too afraid she might actually hurt someone. But today, in that moment, something within her had broken. She was becoming broken, altered, changed. It was overwhelming and she was unsure as to how much more she could take. A fact that worried her as she had a feeling today's emotional strains and toils were only half over.

It took a moment for Suigetsu to finally catch his breath and he felt like he could now truly relate to the mortal saying 'gasping like a fish out of water'. The girl packed a punch...or in this case a kick. Now he understood why the big guy had been so startled.

"What that hell are you doing?"

Karin's shrill voice did not help. Rubbing at his chest, which he was certain would have a nice bruise, dead center in the morning, Suigetsu finally managed to take in a breath. Automatically he regretted it as a sharp pain escalated the deeper his breath went.

"Shit, I think she cracked a rib!" he exclaimed, more to himself than anyone. But Karin heard.

"You mean the mortal did this to you?" she said with mocking disgust. "Seriously, what is wrong with you guys? She's a pathetic mortal and you two can't even manage to hold onto her?"

He looked up at her. "Shut the fuck up Karin. Let's see you take on one of her roundhouses and see how you handle it. I'm telling you that girl isn't normal." Which would explain why Sasuke found her so intriguing, but this he kept to himself, there would be no sense in sharing such a thought with Karin. That red headed psycho could never believe that her precious Sasuke could have eyes for anyone but her.

"Well she's getting away!" Karin screamed, kicking past him as she started up the stairs again.

Suigetsu let out another string of curse words as he managed to stand. He could hear the girls footsteps echoing down to them and it sounded like she had already cleared four more flights. Damn she was fast, he thought, looking over to where Jugo was standing next to him, looking timid and torn between helping him and following after Karin.

"Common big guy, let's go," he said, taking an ascent and wincing each time his right side was jarred just a little too hard on a particular step.

She had broken many of the rules today, and as Sakura found herself bursting through the door when she ran out of stairs to climb, she realized she had broken another two of Kakashi's rules.

Rule #9: Always have a plan.

Rule #11: Never get cornered, always have an escape.

She had not meant to end up here but really she had not meant to end up anywhere in particular. She had just meant to lead them away from Sai. In this she had been successful. Unfortunately, in her need to keep Sai safe, she now realized she had forgotten about her own escape.

The echoed thunder of furious footsteps reached her ears and she turned back around to face the doorway leading into the stairwell. Plan, always have a plan! She screamed to herself as her eyes began to dart around.

Her earlier bravery that had been spurred by her irritation had dissipated in the last half of the climb up the stairs, leaving her feeling panicked and indecisive. Did she stand and fight or did she flee? The possibility of them spotting her was risky but fighting them without revealing herself would be impossible as well.

Her eyes fell onto a screw driver that had been left behind by a maintenance worker. Snatching it up she moved towards the door. Just as she grabbed the metal door, those in pursuit of her appeared. It was the red headed girl first, her face pulled into an ugly sneer as she looked back at Sakura standing above her.

Sakura moved quickly to slam the door right in front of her face. Pressing herself against the door Sakura went to jam the door with the screwdriver but before she could get it secured, something slammed into the other side and it cracked open. Digging her feet into the cement she pushed her body against the door.

She was winning, she had nearly gotten it reshut when she heard the woman shout out, "Jugo!"

Sakura's eyes widened. She needed to get this done fast. Slamming the door with all her strength it latched shut and she grabbed the handle, keeping it from being twisted as she readied the screw driver. Positioning it in the crack between door and frame, she wedged it in, jamming it shut just as a heavy body slammed against the other side with the force of a battering ram.

Sakura stumbled back as the door shook. Heart racing against her chest as she was unsure of the hold. The screwdriver seemed to be holding well, but the hinges were a whole other factor. She needed to move, she needed to get out of here. She had stalled them yes, but it would only be a matter of time before one good hit would bust the door wide open. And she couldn't just wait around for Kakashi and Naruto, there was no telling what was going on with them. Where were they now? Had they dealt with Sasuke? Were they still dealing with Sasuke? Did they even know where she was?

She turned away looking for a fire escape and realized, this was a sixty story building, there was no fire escape. The only way down was through the door she had just jammed. However…her eyes glanced up, maybe down was not the direction she needed to go. There was one alternative option, and with the door blocking her from view, no one would see, even if they sensed her chakra, there would be no way for them to connect it to her. Her pursuers knew there were other seraphs with her, they could think it was anyone else.

She looked back at the door as she listened to the arguing behind it. Curse words and insults flowed from the two seraphs on the other side, while the grunts of the giant of a mortal sounded each time he slammed his body against the metal door. Already the door was beginning to bend as a dent formed in the middle at the point of impact.

Turning away she prepared for take off. It was now or never. If she didn't go now then there would be no escape without revealing herself. And she had already made enough mistakes today. She wouldn't mess this chance up.

Only she already had.

As soon as she spun around, she collided into a chest. Arms wrapped around her instantly, clamping her arms down and limiting her mobility. But she didn't need to look up to know who it was. In her panic to secure the door and form an escape, she had failed to notice the small tug that had been pulling within her. And when he spoke, it only confirmed it.

They found themselves going back to where they first separated and began to take their original course to Yamato's, hoping that Sakura would have done the same. Kakashi took a deep breath while lifting the bandage over his eye before slowly opening his gifted eye, sharingan blazing he focused on everything around him, looking for any signs that would tell them what direction Sakura had fled with Sai. His eyes searched purposely as they walked, that is until he came to a sudden stop and his eyes drifted.

He stared up at a tall building, his eyes running up its length then moving back down to the front door. Just as his eyes settled on the glass entrance way, he caught sight of someone exiting the building. The familiar aura of the mortal soul told him who it was before he was even fully in view.

It was Sai, looking slightly dazed and completely alone.

Kakashi was in front of him in a matter of seconds, despite the heavy traffic that was brought with the start of the weekend nightlife of the city. "Where is Sakura?" he demanded, ignoring Sai's startlement at his sudden appearance followed closely by Naruto's at his side. "What happened?"

Sai shook his head. "I do not know," he answered. "We split ways. She said to hide and wait for her but if she did not show up in twenty minutes, I was to leave and go to Yamato's. I know I should not have, but I waited twenty-two before leaving. I thought maybe she wouldー"

"Where did she go?" Kakashi demanded, slightly abrasive.

Again Sai shook his head, to Kakashi's annoyance.

"Ummm, Kakashi…" Naruto sounded, causing Kakashi to turn around to see Naruto staring straight up the building. "It's Sasuke, I found him…"

Kakashi's head snapped up, his eyes focused on the sky and then his heart dropped. He could make out the essence of three separate chakras. Two of them were frenzied and agitated. And as savage as those ones were, they did not disturb him. But the third one did.

Despite the familiarity of it, the aura it produced at the moment almost made it unrecognizable. Kakashi could hardly remember the last time he had seen it so calm. One would think such a subdued signature was not dangerous, but there could only be one reason why Sasuke would be so tamed.

Sakura.

Sakura was up there.

While he could not read a single trace of her chakra, Kakashi just knew. He looked to Naruto and without a word, they were both shooting up the side of the building, disregarding the usual protocol of taking flight in such a public area.

"Sakura," Sasuke seemed to almost sigh into her hair as she felt his head bow forward.

His hand came up to pet the back of her head and a cold sensation ran down her spine at the contact. There was something off in his voice. It wasn't how he always said her name before. It wasn't sultry like when he seemed to almost purr her name as he looked at her with eyes of deep desire. It was not fondly like when he looked at her as if she were a pleasant dream coming to life in his reality. Nor was it full of unspoken promises that made her feel safe, as if nothing bad could ever happen in his presence.

Instead there was an unhinged sound to it. Rather than protective, it was possessive. Instead of fondly, it was obsessive. She didn't feel safe. She didn't feel like she naturally belonged in these arms as she had previously felt before. His arms felt like a cage, trapping her in without an escape. It was like in her dreams with the two different Sasukes. And this Sasuke was the dark one. The one that terrified her. The villainous one in her nightmares that dragged her deeper into the suffocating abyss of the dark water.

She tried to move but his hold tightened as he pulled her impossibly closer. "It's all right, I have you now," he rambled on, making Sakura wonder if he was talking to her, or reassuring himself.

"S-Sasuke," she managed to say. "Please let go...you're scaring me."

The vulnerability within her voice seemed to pierce through his near transic state of possession and waken him into reality. He could feel her trembling against him and then he began to register the loud banging and cursing that was taking place behind the rooftop entrance, and it hit him. Of course she was afraid.

While Jugo wished to be a gentle creature, he was what nightmares were made of when he lost control. Karin, while perfectly capable in her skills, had obviously held some resentment towards Sakura, and she had an inability to let personal vendettas from mixing with her work. And Suigetsu, Suigetsu was just as he seemed. A verousicious tiger shark that went into a frenzy at the first drop of blood. And they had all chased her down like a pack of wolves, driven by his command. It was not how he meant this to play out, but it had, and now, he had her in his arms. So there really was no room for true regret.

Slowly he loosened his hold, giving her some space but he still retained a gentle hold on her. "Sakura," he said, his tone taking on a clearer tone, easing her slightly more. He brought a hand up and caressed her hair. "I am sorry, but I had to. They were keeping you from me and you don't belong to them. They have no right."

His words bothered her. Kakashi and Naruto were her comrades, her friends, and her family. She didn't belong to either of them, she belonged with them. But the way Sasuke spoke, it was as if to infer that she had just been found and kept by them. That they had claimed ownership over her. When really she was owned by someone else. He spoke like a bereft person who had come to revoke the law of finders keepers.

"Sasuke."

The possessor of said name stiffened. Sasuke's grip on Sakura tightened as he reeled her in, tucking her into the nook between his arm and side as he turned them to face the one who had addressed him. As they shifted, Sakura felt the leathery brush of his wings on her arm and against her back as he tucked her into him more securely. Once he had turned them fully, Sakura caught sight of Kakashi. He was standing on the raised edge of the building, Naruto standing next to him.

Once he had their attention, Kakashi stepped down from the wall. His knees bending to absorb the high step before he walked closer. The cloth that usually covered his left eye was raised, exposing the red swirl that was so similar yet different to Sasuke's eyes. He looked at her closely, his gaze holding hers for a long moment, as if to convey some sort of message before roaming to Sasuke.

A sharp sound came from Sasuke as he sucked his teeth in annoyance. "I thought I lost you," he said. "Seems next time maybe I need to incapacitate you before taking my leave."

Sakura shuttered in his arms at the tone of his words. It suggested that his methods of incapacitation went beyond just temporary. She tried to shift slightly in order to shake off the unnerve, but his hand around her waist tightened even more.

"And what makes you think there will be a next time?" Kakashi taunted, almost as if he was baiting him, trying to make him angry. And judging by the way Sasuke's fingers dug into her, it was working.

Sakura looked at Kakashi wide eyed, trying to figure out what he was thinking, but she was distracted before she could even start to form a theory. From the corner of her eye she caught a movement coming from Naruto as he attempted to catch her eye. Subtly, she looked at him and realized what was going on.

With the smallest of hand signs, Naruto conveyed a message to her, all the while his eyes stayed locked on Sasuke, watching him, making sure Sasuke was staying distracted by Kakashi. She heard Sasuke give a reply to Kakashi, but his words went unregistered as she read the hand signs that Naruto was flashing at her. As soon as he finished, Sakura noticed his blue eyes flash to her and she gave the smallest of nods that she understood. Now, she just needed to wait for the right moment of opportunity, which came almost too soon.

With a loud bang, the rooftop entryway door busted from its hinges and crashed down onto the ground with a loud clatter of metal, causing everyone in the stand off to pause and look to where Suigetsu, Karin, and a towering Jugo emerged from the stairwell. All but Sakura. While Sasuke looked towards them, Sakura took advantage of his distraction.

She shoved him away, the force of her escape causing her to fall backwards but she quickly rolled away when Sasuke turned back to her. He moved several quick steps but stopped when she managed to stumble up to her feet and reach Naruto and Kakashi, who helped her stand.

Together they stood in a small group as Sasuke's cronies fell into an obedient line behind him. Sasuke's eyes, which had bled into his sharingan in anger, looked sharply at them individually before they fell back onto Sakura.

"Sakura," he instructed. "Come back over here."

Unable to manage any words, she shook her head vigorously.

"Sakura-"

"She doesn't want to go with you Sasuke," Naruto cut in, causing his former best friend to set his sharp gaze on him instead. "Can't you see that she is scared?"

"Only because you brainwashed her and filled her mind with ideas that I would be dangerous." His eyes snapped back to Sakura, softening slightly as his tone did the same when he addressed her instead. "Sakura, remember the stories, remember what I told you," he said.

Long ago...there lived a young maiden...she crossed paths with a creature…he was a demon of the underworld...he belonged to her, and she to him…

His words echoed in her mind as she looked at him. Taking in his features, her green eyes ran across his face, his shoulders, his tall frame. It was all so familiar to her in the sense that she had become accustomed to him over the weeks of their frequent meetings. At least that was what she thought, but no, it was deeper than that. That familiarity had been there the first time she had ever laid eyes on him. However, as her eyes wandered back up to meet his, he spoke again, and anything that she had been even partially convinced of, was shattered.

"I can see it in your eyes. I know that you can feel it within yourself," he said when he was certain she remembered. "You belong to me."

There it was again, that phrase. That claim that she belonged to someone. Not belonged with, not even just belonged. But belonged to. As if she were a possession not a person. And it was that kind of mindset that did not sit well with her.

"But I don't though, do I?" she suddenly said in a terse tone. "Not really. I have no memories, no recollection, no proof. All I have are stories, stories that could have been inspired by anyone and written by anyone. For all I know they are just whimsical fantasies with no history or truth." She bowed her head as she shook it from side to side, when she looked up, her eyes had taken on a hardened expression. "I don't belong to you, nor anyone for that matter. I don't remember you. I don't know you at all. And the same goes for you. You know nothing about me."

Her words seemed to hang heavily in the air, just like the heavy storm clouds that had managed to sweep over the city over the course of time. A strong wind had picked up after the evening darkness overtook the sky, bringing in a muggy breeze that fired one's nerves with an electric energy. It was that exhilaration that one could feel deep down in the marrow of their bones, right before a storm. A dull rumble announced the start of it all, followed by the light pitter patter as large water droplets began to spot the heated cement of the roof.

As if the storm controlled his mood, or his mood controlled the storm, Sasuke's face slowly darkened as he continued to stare silently at her. She could see his mind working, he was contemplating, rolling her words over and over. But while she could see the mechanics of such things, she didn't know what he was actually thinking. Only that he was calculating and forming a plan. One that she had a feeling she was not going to like.

His head turned to the side as he tilted his face towards his comrades behind him, and in a low voice, he spoke to them.

The rumble of thunder covered his words but the moment it had died down, Sakura did not need to hear his words to know what he had said as they all moved in an attack. She moved to ready herself, but before she could even take a stance, she felt herself being yanked back again.

Kakashi shoved her away from him just before pulling out a small seraph knife and flung it towards Suigetsu who was running towards them. As soon as he had thrown the knife, both he and Naruto spurred forward as Sakura stumbled and rolled by the force of Kakashi's shove. Sliding across the smooth pavement that had become slick with the rapidly falling rain droplets, she let out a hiss of pain as the skin of her arm was removed for what felt like the hundredth time that day. She spared the new abrasions a single look before moving to rise, using the ledge wall to push herself up. When she had managed to get back to her feet and turn to the scuffle taking place, she froze.

Karin and Suigetsu were latching onto Naruto's arms as the blonde seraph wriggled around, trying to throw them off. He almost freed himself until Karin managed to wrench one of his hands behind his back and Suigetsu withdrew his massive seraph blade and held it to Naruto's neck, forcing him to still as the razor sharp metal grazed his skin. She saw a line of blood shine and drip down his neck just before she looked to find out why Kakashi was not helping him.

The answer was simple, he couldn't. Not when he was pinned to the ground by Jugo and Sasuke. The massive mortals' heavy body was holding Kakashi's leaner form while Sasuke gripped his gray wings at an awkward angle. Sasuke sneered down at the older seraph as Kakashi tried to free himself from the weight on him. As she took in the vicious glint in Sasuke's face, Sakura's last shred of hope for the day was eviscerated and again she was reminded just how poorly the day had been.

"Stop it!" She screamed. "Don't hurt them!"

Sasuke paused, his red eyes flashing up to her. For a moment he stared at her, their eyes locked and Sakura refused to look away until he was releasing his hold on Kakashi as he let Jugo take over by himself.

On a good day none of this would have happened. On a good day, Naruto and Kakashi could have easily overpowered their captors, even with Sasuke not being distracted. At least that is what she believed. But today was not a good day. Today everything had gone wrong.

They were at a disadvantage. Sakura had been useless, constrained by the rules. And Naruto and Kakashi had been at a disadvantage by being forced to put her first and already having their chakra levels depleted after their chase of a battle with Deidara.

It was not fair, none of it was fair, but as Sakura was now realizing, Sasuke didn't play fair. He played to win, to get what he wanted. And she now understood how he had managed such great feats. While evil and vile, they had been impressive and now she knew why. Now she knew how he did it.

He found weaknesses and exploited them.

"Have you finally come to your senses?" His voice had an eerie way of being easily heard despite the pelting rain and rushing wind that roared along with her heart. "Or Are you going to keep running away and hiding behind their wings?"

Sakura's eyes stung as the realization of what was happening hit her. Kakashi would never forgive her, neither would Naruto. They would be punished by Tsunade for sure. But what other choice did she have? Punishment was better than perishment. Because while she had hoped Sasuke was not what she had always been told, she was being awoken to reality. The recollection of Naruto returning home with his wings halfway torn off played in her mind. Sasuke had done that then, what was to stop him from doing so now?

"Do you promise not to hurt them?" Her voice was frail and she wondered if her words could even be heard, but she could not bring herself to speak any louder.

With slow, methodical steps, he began to close the distance between them. Coming to a stop halfway between herself and his leverage he was holding against her, he extended a hand out towards her.

"Come with me, Sakura," his voice was alluring, every syllable pronounced with care and laced with temptation to respond to every wish that voice commanded of her. "Come with me, and they will not be harmed today."

Sakura took a single step towards him as her hand twitched at her side to take his, then she was halted.

"Sakura," Kakashi's panicked yell broke the spell and she managed to tear her eyes from Sasuke to the silver winged seraph.

With a spur of strength, he twisted with an agility that Jugo could not keep up with, freeing himself out from under the giants crushing weight. As soon as he was free, he threw his knee into the stomach of the man. As soon as he separated himself from the man, Suigetsu was on him, abandoning his hold on Naruto in an attempt to restrain Kakashi.

This only left Naruto free to quickly begin to resist his own captivity as he thrashed about, trying to get out of Karin's hold. Sakura watched as Kakashi reached over Suigetsu's shoulders to grab hold of his wings. The demon let out a roar of pain and Kakashi paused in his moment of having the upper hand to turn to Sakura.

"Go!" He cried.

Her head began to move side to side in panic. How could she leave them?

Jugo, having recovered from Kakashi's attack, wrapped his trunk like arms around Kakashi's arms and torso, distracting him for a moment. She watched as Kakashi struggled for a moment before he managed to flip the giant over his head where he landed on his back. She could feel the weight of his impact in the ground beneath her feet as the orange haired man landed flat on his back. But again he was attacked from behind as Sugietsu jumped onto his back, wrapping his arms around his neck. Kakashi spun to face her again, his hands grasping onto Suigetsu's as he struggled to pause in his scuffle.

"Sakura," he said as firmly as he could as he wrestled to free himself of Suigetsu. "Forget the rules, forget us, just go!"

Tears were falling down her face as she looked at him. She shook her head. "Kakashi please," she begged.

Please don't make me do this. Please don't sacrifice yourself for me. She was tired of people always putting her first. Tired of always somehow being the center of it. She was tired of being the one at fault, but never being able to take the blame.

Kakashi thrashed himself free, throwing Suigetsu off of him where he slammed against the brick wall. He turned back around to Sakura, his sharingan eye swirling wildly as he glared at her.

"Sakura! For the gods' sakes go!"

She let out a choked sound, her eyes grazing over Sasuke who was still standing at the halfway point, looking at her with a strange expression. Then she spun around and began to sprint.

Her feet splashed in the forming puddles where the falling rain was being collected and at full speed, she leapt onto the high edge. Her hands braced on top of the brick work as she swung her legs up and half rolled, half jumped right off the side of the building. Arms spread wide and not a single drop of hesitancy in her movements, the building's solid structure was replaced by over two hundred and fifty feet of air between herself and the busy streets below.

.

As she cleared the wall, a horrified scream filled the air. It sounded like someone having their soul ripped from their body with a pair of tongs pulled straight from the furnaces of hell itself. Tortured and pained, horrified and distraught. But as gravity began to play its part and her body began to free fall through the air, the tormented scream was drowned out by the rushing wind as she plunged down towards the streets below.

He heard the scream, he felt the scream as it wrenched from his throat, but he still did not register that it was he who was making the noise. His body was moving before he could even acknowledge what had just happened. All he could process was the image of her running across the roof, leaping to the wall, then disappearing over the edge. What had she been thinking? What had Kakashi been thinking? Were they so desperate to keep him away from her that they would resort to her death itself? Were they that committed to punishing him?

He was over the edge before he could really contemplate such thoughts or ideas. All he could think of was getting her. Getting to her before it was too late, before she was taken from this world for the second time.

He dove head first, his eyes searching until he caught sight of her already halfway down. His stomach dropped and his wings snapped to his body, propelling him faster as he made himself as aerodynamic as possible.

He watched as her arms and legs flailed in the air, her drop not as graceful or controlled as his, but it worked in his favor. The wind resistance her body was catching kept her falling body from building up a momentum that exceeded his. They were a quarter of the way down to the ground when he reached out and grabbed around her middle. His wings snapped open so quickly it was like the crack of a whip as the leathered wings caught wind like a parachute.

But his hold on her did not last long. She twisted around in his hold, her hands and legs bracing themselves against his torso before she pushed herself away. It was like an explosion had erupted between them as a burst of green flashed between them and he was sent hurtling away from her.

His back hit the building hard where he bounced off the window, the shatter proof glass cracking before he began to tumble down. Disoriented and confused, Sasuke wildly looked around until he caught sight of Sakura. Her body twisted around like a cat falling through air, thirty feet from impact.

Eyes growing wide, he surged forward, rocketing towards the ground as he stretched his arms out.

She was twenty feet from the ground when it happened.

It was like the comet's tail trailing behind her as a green stream began to leak from her then a flash of smokey light erupted from her back as the T-shirt she wore split open as a mess of black feathers emerged from her back. They snapped open and tilted and before Sasuke could even fully take in the pair of wings she wore. She had veered up towards the sky, he watched her soar past him and took in her face. It was conflicted and torn, but all he seemed to be able to see was the ebony feathers that framed her body as she sped past him.

Sasuke was broken from his astonishment as he suddenly registered the speeding traffic that was below him. Instantly he pulled up just before he crashed into a taxi car roof and was immediately forced to veer sharply to the left to avoid flying straight into the side of a large delivery truck. Haphazardly he maneuvered out of the traffic and came to an ungraceful landing on the sidewalk.

Mortals screamed and startled as he staggered to a stop but they all went ignored. Instead he found himself staring blankly at the building wall that he had just barely managed to keep from running into as his mind struggled to process what the hell he had just seen.

Wings. Black feathered wings. On Sakura.

But that was impossible. Mortals did not have wings.

And then the flash of green colored his thoughts. Chakra. Chakra that had not been his, it looked nothing like his and it had not come from him, it had come from her. But how...the pier, back when she had first run away from him. He had thought it a glitch, he had written it off...and then he thought back farther. Back to when it all began. On that first night he had come to New York and ran into Naruto and Kakashi. He had sensed a third signature. A green and warm signature that he had never seen but had felt a familiarity with it. And then it hit him.

Sasuke's eyes grew wide and he turned around, his eyes fixed on the night sky above him. His sharingan blazed wildly as it searched the stormy skies and finally, in the distance, he found it. It was frenzied and distressed, and disappearing quickly. He felt a yank in his chest and suddenly became aware of the familiar pull that he had always associated with his internal compass to Sakura. It was pulling, tugging, prodding him to take action. To move forward, in the very same direction as the green chakra that was disappearing far into the sky, begging him to go to her. To go to Sakura.

But there was a problem.

That was not Sakura. It looked like Sakura, it sounded like Sakura. And oh how he had wanted so badly for it to be Sakura. But now, he realized. He had been played for a fool. Tricked and deceived. It was worse than hiding Sakura from him.

His eyes narrowed as a burning rage ignited within him. Sasuke had met a lot of cruel creatures over his centuries. Many of them during his time living in the underworld, but a surprising many of them had been on the earth's surface. A staggering amount of those souls being humans. It was nearly disturbing just how naturally selfish and cruel those mortal creatures could be to each other. It almost made the work of demons too easy. However, of the evils and low things he had seen in the worlds he had traveled, the joke that had just been played on him was the most cruel and despicable thing he had ever imagined.

He was supposed to be the monster but now he was beginning to understand who the real monsters were. They called themselves angels, painting themselves as the guardians of light.

He had thought his monster slaying days had ended when he killed the basilisk that was Orochimaru, but in this moment, he was willing to go back to his old ways. After all, he was an avenger.

She felt as if her wings were going to give out at any moment and she would plummet down to the earth. Rain poured like a monsoon, weighing her feathers even more and making her muscles ache as they strained to keep her in flight.

Rain drops mixed with tears as they ran down her face, nearly blinding her as she did her best to race back to the portal. She could see it high above her, like an opaque window in the dark clouds, it was the faintest of lighter color as the always perfect weather of the heavens shone through and contrasted against the raging storm in the mortal realm. It was like a lighthouse beacon, guiding her safely home in the storm. But it was still a good mile away, so he stayed low in the air, not worrying about being seen as she blended with the night sky.

It was perhaps the one upside to her dark wings, they were perfect camouflage for the night, especially during the darkened storm. Unfortunately, she was not the only one with such stealth.

It was like being shot down by a missile. One moment she was gliding above the tree line of the park below and the next, she was crashing down to the ground when something hit her from the side with a force so strong, it stunned the breath out of her. She hit the soppy ground hard with a crunch and slid through the muddy marsh that was usually a field of well manicured lawn when there was not a monsoon flooding the park.

She tried to take in several gasping breaths but each attempt only brought a burning pain to her side. Clutching a hand to her side, she pressed on her ribs gently in an attempt to alleviate the pain so she could take in a proper amount of air. Her fingers of her other hand, as well as her knees, sunk into the mud as she supported herself to rise to her hands and knees. Her wings weighed down on her as she tried to lift the heavy appendages free from the mud. But the pain that radiated in her side caused her to stop. She took in a couple of shallow breaths, then decided to retract her wings instead. The process was excruciating as they shifted and slid beneath her skin. When it was all done, she was left panting heavily as the rain continued to pour onto her bare skin where it was exposed from the torn shirt that was barely hanging on to cover her body. With her hand still pressing to her side, she let what little chakra she had left to try and mend her rib, she was only half way done when she ceased all actions.

Any worry of broken ribs, torn shirts, and muddy wings was lost to her when she heard something shifting not far from her. Looking up she caught sight of a pair of muddy wings rising from the ground as the outline of the person in which they were attached, seemed to recover from the impact of falling to the earth. Like her, he let out a grunt as he first got to his knees and tried to catch his breath. But it seemed his landing had not been quite as damaging, as not long after, he easily began to rise fully to his feet.

His dark hair hung in front of his face as water dripped from it steadily. When he rose his head, muddy streaks began to run down his pale skin. He was an image of black and white with the exception of his eyes. Scarlet red and glowing with a heated gaze of hatred, anger, and uncontrollable rage. He staggered to take a stand, seeming to not have quite fully recovered from the landing. He let out another grunt and took a firm stand. A whip like sound cracked through the air as he snapped his wings, ridding them of the mud that clung to them as he straightened fully.

Not once did his eyes leave her and not once did she dare even blink as she stared back at him. He took a step forward, his left leg slightly limping as he strode forward.

A bright flash of lightning appeared just behind him, and for a moment, he was nothing but a silhouette. It was like the effect of a strobe light, the moment the electrical illumination had flashed and gone, it was as if he had teleported instead of walked towards her. When the thunder rumbled its echo, he was standing before her.

It was as if the stormy skies were led by his dark mood as he towered over her and another flash of lightning lit up the dark clouds above them, painting them an eerie violet as they glowed with electricity before dimming again.

Sakura's whole body began to tremble as she started to crawl away from him, trying her best to keep the distance between them as he took each step. Unfortunately, her side burned with each movement and her hands and feet slipped almost any time she tried to move backwards, making her progress slow and futile. And all she earned was more sharp pain.

It was the flash of his face that she had caught each time the lightning illuminated their surroundings that had her so fearful. If it were not for the pain in her side to distract her just enough, she would have been sniveling in the mud.

"What did you do to her?"

His cold and hollow voice was what made her freeze in her efforts to retreat more than the confusion.

"W-who?"

She had never seen someone move so quickly. She had heard tales of such speeds, Naruto had recounted countless tales to her, telling her of his father and why his skills had earned him the name of the yellow flash. She had often thought Naruto had exaggerated as he always did, but even in her wildest imaginations, she had never conjured anything even close to what Sasuke did. She had not even been able to blink fully before he had grabbed her and slammed her against a large boulder that had been previously ten feet behind her.

Her cry of pain was drowned out by the feral growl that escaped his scathing teeth as he dominated over her like a starved wolf over a rabbit. "Sakura!" he barked. "What did you do to her? Why do you have her body? Were you working with Orochimaru? Did he put you up to this, thinking that when the time came that he needed to deliver you that he would have you come in and imitate her?"

He let out a laughter that was full of sadistic irony.

"Oh and you almost had me fooled didn't you? But too bad you're several decades too late," he added darkly. "Orochimaru is dead. I killed him, which makes me wonder why you are showing up now. What do you get out of this?"

Sakura was utterly confused. "I-I don't know what you are talking about?" she stuttered out. "I have never even met Orochimaru."

He narrowed his eyes. Her words almost sounded like she was speaking the truth, but then again, she had him deceived before. A fact that he did not take lightly. His brow twitched in annoyance as he tried to search for how any of this could be possible. And it made him wonder, who else knew, or didn't know?

"Kakashi and Naruto, do you have them fooled as well? Is that why they are so protective of you?" he questioned rapidly, not even giving her a chance to answer. Not that she could. "Did you seek them out or did they just happen to cross paths just as you did with me, and you figured you would use them?" But the ludicracy of what he was saying hit him and he shook his head as it fell forward to his chest. "Who am I kidding, of course they knew. Why else would Kakashi have told you to jump off the building, because he knew you would not die.

"So tell me, did they give it to you after she died?" he demanded, his head snapping up as he leaned in so close that his breath breezed against her skin. "Did she no longer hold any worth to them after she died and they thought she did not even deserve a proper burial? Did they just abandon the corpse when they fled to the heavens, leaving it alone for a worthless piece of shit like you to find her and possess her? She may have been dead but it takes time for some souls to finally leave a body. I bet you thought you struck gold when you stumbled upon such a pure soul didn't you?"

Again Sakura shook her head, her eyes wide with frantic urgency to understand what exactly he was talking about. "I-I don'tー"

He slammed her against the boulder again, this time his hand came up to her throat, pressing down on it very slowly as if to prolong the satisfaction of her airway being cut off.

"I went back!" he bellowed. "I went back to retrieve her body, I was going to revive her, but I couldn't do it without the body. I excavated that mountain side looking for any kind of grave and I found nothing," he screamed. "Not a single trace of her as if she had never existed. I had trusted them and they let me down."

His hold on her neck grew tighter causing her eyes to go wide as her hands went up to try and pry his fingers away. Her feeble attempt did not even seem to register to him as he continued to loom over her. Another strike of lightning with a loud rumble followed almost instantly behind.

"I should have known," he continued, more to himself now, than to her. "I should have known when they refused to tell me where they buried her that they had done something." He let out a laughter that made the hairs on her arms raise. It was unhinged and unsteady. "They accuse me of falling low, and yes, I sank low, but now I see. They sank even further, didn't they. I at least had reasons for what I was doing!"

It finally hit her as to what Sasuke was rambling about. He no longer thought that she was Sakura, his Sakura, the mortal Sakura. He thought that she was just a random seraph. One like Sasori, who claimed a body and possessed it, possessed her mortal self. Not only that, but he thought Kakashi and Naruto had given this body away as a part of a plan. As some twisted way to torture him.

"S-sasuke it's not-"

His hold tightened, limiting her airflow even more. "You do not speak! I have had enough of your lies to last me eternity."

"Ple-please," she begged. "I swear...I had no idea. I never meant anything, I never meant to mislead you. I was just try-trying to find answers," she strained to say as he pressed even harder. "P-please, Sasuke, I-I don't want to die, I'm not ready to go yet. Please believe m-"

She was cut off when he blocked off the airway in her throat, causing a gagged sound to finish her plea. A flash of lightning cracked above and in that same moment he was holding his own crackling blue lightning. It screeched over the rumbles of thunder as he raised a chidori charged hand. Her fingers clawed and feebly tried to pry his grasp on her neck free as her wide eyes stared at the blue electricity in his hand. But her attempts only caused him to strengthen his hold, determined to not let it go until she was nothing but a limp corpse.

He looked at her, looked into her eyes, ready to watch the life drain from the abomination that she was. But the blue hued illumination of the crackling heat in his hand, showed him her face all too well. Within it, all he saw was pain, sorrow, fear, and a plea for mercy. As his hand crushed against her windpipe, he didn't feel powerful. Instead it felt shameful. It was like trying to take pride in pulling the wings off a butterfly. Sadistic and unnecessary.

He was reminded of a long ago time when he had seen this face being illuminated by this very same type of light.

Sakura would have been ashamed. His Sakura, the one that shared the face and eyes of the woman before him. It was just too much, too similar. Watching her struggle beneath him was like watching her die all over again. Only this time it truly would have been his fault. And as much as he detested the fallacy before him, he found his chidori dimming in one hand and his fingers of his other hand loosened against her rain slicked skin.

He let out a cry of anguish and frustration as his hand slipped from her neck, grasping onto the scraps of her rain soaked shirt as he slumped forward. She took in a horrendous gasp as she coughed horsley next to his ear but he did nothing. He could do nothing. His body was numb and unable to move. His eyes burned and a warmth trickled down and mingled with the cold rain water. There were many things he recalled over the years, many things he recalled from that night long ago. But one thing he could barely recall was grieving. Truly and properly expressing her loss.

He remembered the feelings, remembered them beginning to surface and manifest. But he had suppressed them so quickly and bottled them for later. His denial had never truly let him believe that she was gone. There had always been that hope, that goal that he would bring her back. By the time he realized that Orochimaru had been lying to him, he had hardened himself so much that he had not even found an ounce of remorse. He had just ended the snake then moved on without a thought.

But now, now it was as if he were back two thousand years ago with her loss still fresh, only this time he could not suppress it.

At first he was alone. Leaning forward as his body trembled, his forehead pressing against the boulder as he pressed himself closer. He had nearly forgotten about the girl sandwiched between himself and the rock until he felt trembling hands hesitantly touch against his back, then they slid farther as her thin arms wrapped around him and he felt her head tuck into his chest.

"I am sorry," she sobbed. "I am so sorry I can't remember, that I can't be her for you. I never meant to hurt anyone. You, Kakashi, Naruto, Sasori, the mortal…" She let out a sob. "I never meant to kill the mortal, I didn't know he would die too. I didn't think about him. I am such a horrible person for begging for my life when earlier today I ended one myself.

"I know I do not deserve this second life," she was rambling, she knew this. She knew he didn't care about what she had to say and knew that she should not be saying such things. But that did not stop her, she continued, "I didn't ask to be made, I didn't choose this. I did not know what you were, and never did I think of how this would affect you. I was selfish. I just wanted answers. I just wanted to know why, who, and how this all came to be."

Her rambling nonsense, while making no sense, sobered him from his moment of weakness. He stepped away from her, wrenching himself from her embrace and loathed the way a part of him mourned the loss of contact. He could hardly bring himself to even look at her, too worried about what weaknesses may arise again.

She isn't her, he reminded himself. She couldn't be.

As soon as he was separated from her, she fell down to the ground, her knees sinking into the soggy grass. He looked down at her with a hard expression. Her usually vibrant hair hung in darkened sections as the rain continued to beat down and soak them both. Another bolt of lightning caused Sasuke to look up at the sky. As the sharp fork of electricity erupted, Sasuke stared up at the falling raindrops with a hypnotized stare, his sharingan catching every singular drop as everything seemed to slow down.

The rumble of thunder that followed broke the spell as the sky went dark and the sound of pounding rain increased. He brought his head back down as his eyes fell onto the woman before him. She had stopped her babbling nonsense, but it was impossible to tell if the drops running down her face were a continuation of tears or just a result of the collected rain. He regretted it the moment he locked eyes with her.

Before he knew it, he was falling to his knees as well. There was a squelch as he landed, causing a small splash of muddy water to spatter on his pants and her. A particular drop landed on her lip, causing his eyes to be drawn to the spot of mud which seemed to go unnoticed by her. He couldn't bring himself to look away as his eyes traced the outline of her lips.

"I promise," she said in the smallest of whispers. "This body has always been mine. It was the one I was born with. I did not steal this face. And I did not know it meant anything to you when I first met you. That meeting was not purposeful, I was in that club for other reasons."

"How?"

The word slipped from his lips. He was not ever sure what he was even really asking. How was this possible? How did he move on? How was it that he felt drawn to her?

His eyes fell down from her lips to take in the long column of her neck. The pale skin was already marred with the start of bruising from where his fingers had clenched around it and he frowned. The image was disturbing and automatically he lifted his hand to touch her, as if to try and rub the markings away. But he stopped half way when she flinched away from him.

His eyes flashed up to meet hers and he was greeted with fearful retraction. She was looking at him with wide eyes that were filled with horror. As if he was some kind of monster that had just crawled out of a swamp.

If he were rational at the moment he would understand why. He would have made the connection that she had every reason to be afraid of him given what he had just attempted to do only a few minutes ago. But not a single neuron in his mind was rational at the moment. They hadn't been for a long while now.

Then it dawned on him again, he had been falling for the same foolish trap, thinking that this was his Sakura. But she wasn't. His Sakura never looked at him as if he were a demon. She was just a mockery of the real thing, some sort of doppelganger that the fates had thrown at him to torture his already tortured mind.

Sakura was frozen as she pressed herself against the rock, staring at his face as she tried to read what was going through his mind. There was so much conflict and turmoil that any fear she had earlier was lost as sympathy, and the need to heal, took over. And soon she found that it was her turn to reach out to him and just like him, she only managed to get half way before his own had stuck out to slap hers away.

She retracted her arm back and hugged it to herself as she looked at him. The moment she met his eyes, she regretted it.

He was looking at her with a pulled disgust and hatred that struck into her core. It was like an invisible hand was reaching deep within her and hollowing her out, leaving nothing for her to keep for herself.

"Sasu一"

"Leave," he growled. When she did not move immediately he slammed his fist into the ground. "I said leave!"

Sakura shot to her feet, the pain in her side from her injured ribs not even enough to compare to the pain she felt deeper within her. But still she did not leave immediately. She stood still, staring down at him, finding that she was unable to leave.

His head tilted up as he glared at her, his red orbs glowing brightly as if fueled by his anger as he looked at her. "I said to fucking go!" he roared, pointing a finger as if to cast her out of his sight.

She was not sure why it hurt so much but burning hot tears began to seep from her eyes. "Sasuke," she said with a sorrowed whisper.

"Don't," he warned, pointing a dangerous finger at her. "Don't you ever say my name. Don't you ever come near me again, because the next time I see your damnable face again, I swear to all the gods, Sakura...:" he stumbled over the name, it had just come out so easily- "or whoever you are," he corrected, "I will not be so merciful. I will finish what I almost did tonight, and the next time I won't hesitate. Because you are not her. No matter how much you try, you will never be her."

He heard a sob escape from her but then she was gone. And with her absence, whatever was holding him up, crumbled and he slumped forward. His forearms landed on the ground as his fingers dug into the muddy ground. Not even caring about the swampy mess he was practically bowing in, he let his forehead fall to the ground as well as he struggled to breath.

The images of her final facial features plagued his mind and caused his body to rise back up as he tilted his head up to the sky and let out a cry that was soon drowned out by thunder. It was as if the skies were crying out for him and as soon as the earth shaking rumble died down, he let himself fall backwards as he laid in the mud and let the rain continue to wash over him, as if in hope that it would somehow baptize him of every remorseful thing and free him from the torment of his sins.

But baptism was for disciples and saints, not demons like him. And somehow he found dark humor in this. A humor that escaped his lips as he laughed out loud in a tone that lacked any genuine comedy. Instead it was a cynical laugh at the irony of it all. As it died down, the construed humor he had found faded away, leaving his face blank as he stared up at the dark clouds above with his arms and legs spread out across the sopping ground.

He was not sure how long he stayed there after she had left. It could have been minutes or hours, his body was too numb and his mind was too weary to register trivial things such as time. But with the passing of such insignificance, things began to slowly trickle in. Flashes and words of things that had been said or occurred. And with his mind calmer and not quite so full of so many things, he was able to actually focus and comprehend what exactly Sakura had said when she had been babbling.

'I am sorry. I am so sorry I can't remember, that I can't be her for you. I never meant to hurt anyone. You, Kakashi, Naruto, Sasori, the mortal…I never meant to kill the mortal, I didn't know he would die too. I didn't think about him. I am such a horrible person for begging for my life when earlier today I ended one myself.

'I know I do not deserve this second life. I didn't ask to be made, I didn't choose this. I did not know what you were, and never did I think of how this would affect you. I was selfish. I just wanted answers. I just wanted to know why, who, and how this all came to be.'

Most of this still did not make sense to him but there were certain phrases and things she said that he could not let go. I am so sorry I can't remember. What did she mean, couldn't remember? Remember what? I know I do not deserve this second life. What second life? The one he spared just earlier, or a different time, a different life? I didn't ask to be made. What the hell was she talking about? I just wanted to know why, who and how this all came to be.

His mind played her words over and over again. The more he thought about it, the more he became fixated on her. It was the exact opposite of what he wanted to do but it was impossible to ignore. He was becoming obsessed with her, but for different reasons than before.

What had she meant by saying she was made? At first he had thought she was referring to her actions, that she had been made to deceive him. But the phrasing was not quite right. Instead, it was more as if she was talking about the actual action of being created. But created into what?

He sat up suddenly, a muddy squelch sounding as he pulled his body from the indent in the ground that had been made over the course of time he had lay there. Bending his legs he rested his forearms across his knees as he pondered deeply. He thought about Kakashi and Naruto and the way they had been so protective of her...as if she was the real Sakura.

But why? Were they just looking for a replacement for the missing void that he had felt after all these years? That thought was dismissed almost immediately because they could never know that hollow and empty feeling.

For thousands of years he had held a bitter hatred for them. Them and all seraphs because they never understood. For centuries they had dedicated their efforts to try and make him see reason, to see an error in his ways, but never did they try to even understand his pain. Kakashi, Naruto, even his own brother had refused to try and understand, always just calling him foolish and wayward. And all the gods knew Sasuke had tried to make them.

One time he had nearly ripped Naruto's wings from his back as he tried to convey the wrenching pain of loss that he had felt. For what better loss would it be for him than to have his wings clipped. To lose the freedom and life that flight brought every seraph, to have it ripped from him forever. It was not even the same type of loss, Sasuke would have gladly traded his wings if that was the price. But at the time, it had been the only thing that he could think of that would even be half of the loss that he felt within himself.

But now...now as he analyzed and weighed the evidence, he was beginning to think that perhaps there was a way for them to see reason. A way to make them pay for every time they had interfered with his efforts to bring Sakura back. And the irony of what form their loss would take was all too sweet.

The seraph girl was obviously precious to them. And it was time that they finally learned what it was like to lose her. Then maybe...just maybe...he would not be alone in his misery.

"Explain to me why you are standing here, empty handed of any mortal and why I have just lost my most useful spy?"

"He was exterminated, yeah."

"What do you mean exterminated?"

"As in dead as a doornail, beyond the grave, gave up the ghost, yeah," Deidara answered with an unremorseful shrug, as if the death of his partner did not bother him a bit. Then again, they never had seen eye to eye. Their differences of what art was and was not, were polar opposite. This was one of just many of their disagreements. "As in someone destroyed his vessel and now he is dead."

Madara leaned forward on the couch to deposit the accumulated ash on his cigar onto a silver tray. "And you just expect me to believe that the mortal you left him with killed him?"

Deidara let out a bark of laughter. "That's what I'm trying to tell you, yeah. That girl is no mortal."

Madara's eyes shot up to him. "What do you mean not mortal."

"I mean," Deidara began, "is that you sent us off to capture two mortals but that girl, she's not a mortal, she's a seraph."

Abandoning his cigar, Madara stood and moved from the couch, over to his desk. "You are certain?" He asked as he came around to sit in the large chair, pointing to the empty one in front of his desk for Deidara to sit.

Deidara nodded as he lowered himself into the chair and Madara leaned forward, resting his elbows on the mahogany surface of his desk as he steepled his fingers in front of his face.

"Tell me exactly what happened," he instructed.

Deidara let out a heavy sigh of exasperation. A daring action given the devil who he was addressing. "All I know is that I left him with the girl while my ass was being chased by two seraphs. I managed to get away while he got killed by a fairy." He let out an unkind laugh. "Guess we now know which of our arts was the superior."

Madara did not share in his humor. "You saved yourself and lost your target. Yes, your methods are so superior," he said mockingly as his eyes ran across his missing appendage, a battle wound from Kakashi. "Now tell me how it is that you know this girl is seraph."

"I saw her using chakra, yeah," he answered. "After I got those other two off my tail, which I remind you, was no easy feat. That Kakashi has truly mastered his Sharingan like a real Uchiha." Madara's lips curled into a sneer at his comment but he said nothing as Deidara continued. "Anyways, I go back to meet with Sasori to find the building practically razed to the ground and that little fairy seraph is pouring out chakra, healing everyone's wounds while they bury Sasori's vessel and have a fucking memorial for the mortal like he is some fallen comrade!"

Madara stiffened halfway through his explanation, the last part falling on deaf ears. "You mean the girl has healing powers? Like a Senju?"

Deidara shrugged. "I guess, yeah. I was never around when the Senju was more than just Tsunade so I don't know what that power looks like. Since when did the Senju start making a comeback?"

Madara was asking himself that very same question. It was his belief that the woman had sworn off any romantic attachments. Then again, you did not have to have a romantic partner to produce a child. But would Tsunade do such a thing? Did she have a child and passed down her gifts? Or was there something else at play? What exactly was Sasuke's involvement in this? Did he know anything about the girl's true identity? If so, that meant he needed his nephew even more.

His dark eyes flashed to Deidara who was still babbling like the idiot he was. "Bring her to me," he instructed, cutting Deidara off.

"Huh?"

Madara's brow twitched. As gifted as many of his men were, there were too many imbeciles in his following. "Bring the girl to me. I don't care how you get her or what you do, I just want her alive."

Deidara nodded and stood. "Sure thing boss," he said, too lightly for Madara.

"Deidara," he called as the blonde turned towards the door, causing him to look back to his master. "Do not fail me this time. I will not be tolerant nor forgiving if you fail me."

Deidara's cool calm faltered and he swallowed. Giving a stiff nod he began to make for the door but was stopped when the door burst open with a force that caused it to hit the wall, leaving a dent in the drywall as it ricocheted with a metal twange. Through the threshold appeared Sasuke with a Kakazu trailing behind him.

Kakazu gave a bow. "I apologize my lord, I tried to stop him but—"

Madara held up a hand, silencing him. "It's fine," he said calmly as his eyes trailed to Sasuke. He gave him a wide smile. "Family is always welcome anytime. You can leave us," he waved the guard away before looking at Deidara. "Forget about your little chore, you have lucked out. I have a feeling our plans are about to change."

Deidara gave him a questioning look but dropped whatever inquiry he had on his many tongues from a single look from Madara. Instead he gave a nod and left the room. Leaving the two Uchihas alone to talk in private.

As the heavy metal door was shut behind them, Madara took a moment to take in his nephew.

Sasuke stood still, his charcoal eyes staring at him with a darkness that would make most people cringe away, but Madara was only intrigued. His hair was plastered to his face and around his neck as water dripped from the ends that stuck out with untamable defiance. His clothing was soaked and caked in a palate of blood and mud that stained the black jeans and shirt that were torn in the places that he bled from. A pool of water was forming beneath him and as he stepped towards the desk. His gait possessed the smallest of limps as he left a wet trail of footprints behind.

Despite his disheveled appearance, Sasuke was an image of dominance as his chakra flared with a vehemence of anger and rage. As Madara basked in the aura of the storming chakra that flowed from Sasuke with unbridle, he felt a pang of nostalgic jealousy.

It had been a long time since he had felt his own chakra so alive and dominant, to the point that it was almost suffocating. It took everything in Madara's control to not show the hunger for such wildness. Long ago his own chakra had been just as omnipotent, but these days he found his passion and motivation dulled by time. It was just another sign that he had spent far too much time in the mortal realm, it had made him weak.

"You said you wanted my help in exchange for a favor," Sasuke began, cutting right to the chase.

"Not one for pleasantries before getting straight to the point," Madara commented before a grin came to his mouth. "You have changed Sasuke. You used to beat around the bush and I would have to draw out your true intentions. Quite a change."

Sasuke ignored this. "Do you want my help or not?"

Madara raised his brow. "Do you not even wish to know what it is that I have planned? What I will ask of you?"

Sasuke was partially tempted to give in and ask. He did not like diving in without knowing the full consequences of his actions. He had learned that the hard way. Then again, rational and learned lessons were the least of what was on his mind. He wanted revenge, he wanted Naruto and Kakashi and all the blessed involved to pay for the trick they had played on him.

"Your goals have never been a secret," Sasuke commented. "You want the blessed to fall and the fallen to rise."

"Oh," Madara let out. "I would like to think that my plans and ambitions are more imaginative than that," he defended, but Sasuke made no reply. After a drawn out silence, Madara continued. "And what is it that you wish for?"

Sasuke's eyes took on a maroon tint as his Sharingan began to manifest just beneath the surface of his irises. "There is seraph in the heavens...she does not belong there," he intoned, thinking of the pair of black wings that had shimmered wetly in the storm.

Unable to hide the humor of how things were playing out, a wide smile curled onto Madara's lips. Some would say what he wanted to do was blasphemous and would bring the wrath of the gods upon him. But given how fate seemed to be neatly putting his plans into action even better than he imagined, he could not help but wonder, if it was fated for him to not be punished by the gods, but to join the gods as one himself.

"And if I get you this girl, what will you do in return."

"Anything," Sasuke replied. "I will do anything."

Madara's smile widened even more. "Well then," he began. "Perhaps it's time we extend this little family reunion. Tell me Sasuke, how are your dear old mum and dad?"

Chapter Text

Present Day:

She had run away. Run away at a human speed, her feet slipping and sliding across the muddy lawn. Sprinting instead of flying like she should have. There was just something naturally appropriate for her to clumsily run away from him like the mortal she once was.

When her body grew tired from the exertion of the miles she had covered, she slowed to a walk and meandered through the streets of New York. Without a single destination in mind, she let her feet guide her aimlessly as she navigated through somewhat familiar avenues and boulevards of the city. She knew she should be flying up to the heavens, she knew that lingering would only prolong the danger, but she could not bring herself to summon her wings. Each time she thought of returning to her home, Sasuke's face appeared in her mind. The look of disgust, betrayal, and hatred when he looked at her, when he realized what she was...It was perhaps foolish, but she felt that if she just pretended they weren't there beneath her skin, she could somehow be a mortal. Just a simple mortal wandering the streets among her fellow humans and not some creature of abomination that Sasuke had seemed to think she was now. She knew she shouldn't care, that it was safer as a heavenly being, but controlling how one felt was not that simple.

The rain had let up a little but it still fell down in a light sprinkle, making it wet enough for the people walking by to shroud themselves with raincoats and umbrellas, which made her stand out even more with her tattered tee shirt and dripping hair. The earlier heat of the day, mixed with the precipitation, made it humid and muggy. But the wind that managed to maneuver through the skyscrapers caused her skin to prickle with a coldness and she soon found herself wrapping her arms around herself as she wandered her way down an unknown street as her teeth chattered together.

Soon her feet met the end of the sidewalk where a crosswalk began and she paused. Looking up from the ground she took in her surroundings, unsure of which way to go. Not because she was lost but because she truly had no idea as to where she was supposed to be. Should she find Kakashi and Naruto? What had happened to them? Maybe she should go check on Sai? Did he make it to Yamato's okay? Or did she go back to the heavens and wait where it was safe?

The questions left her mind almost immediately. She was too tired and numb to think properly and there was a sharp pain within her chest that was distracting any form of focus. She was doing her best to ignore it but it was difficult.

Just as she was about to turn the corner to walk down the adjacent street instead of crossing it

, she came to a stop when she noticed a dog sniffing the air as it walked down the street without a leash or even an owner nearby. It paused when it's nose caught a particular scent and it's ears perked up and twitched just as it turned its head to look directly at her. Recognition came to her face that was reflected by the dog as it gave out a bark and trotted over to her.

Kakashi dodged the large sword that swung through the air with a metallic ring before bursting forward and smashing his head into Suigetsu's forehead. The shark seraph crumpled to the ground where his giant companion was already prone on his back with his eyes wide open, caught up in the genjutsu that Kakashi had trapped him in earlier. Turning around he moved to help Naruto who was just now incapacitating the scarlet woman he was battling. Taking a hold of her wings, Naruto threw her against the cement wall that bordered the building's edge. Her body hit it with a crunch as the cement cracked and her body went limp.

Seeing that his assistance was not needed, Kakashi bit his thumb and with the blood that seeped from beneath his skin, he drew a quick summoning circle on the wet cement before slamming his palm down in the center. The bloody lines lit up for a moment before smoke steamed from the glow. A waft of air burst from the smoke, disrupting it into a thin fog before quickly dissipating into the damp air, revealing a small creature standing in the summoning circle.

"Pakkun," Kakashi addressed the familiar. "I need you to find Sakura. Tell the others as well to search the city and find her as soon as possible. If she is in danger you are to remain and protect her until help arrives."

The supernatural dog gave an obedient sniff of his nose and without delay, disappeared, leaving a cloud of grey smoke. As soon as he was gone, Kakashi dug into a pouch at his side and produced a thin roll of wire.

"Here," he said, tossing the wire to Naruto. "We will tie them up, if we can't find Sakura, it will because Sasuke took her and these three will be the best chance we have of finding him."

Naruto caught the wire tossed to him and immediately went to work wrapping the red heads limbs behind her back then securing her legs. As he worked, his mind whirled with worry. How could Kakashi be so calm right now? Naruto wondered at his teacher's ability to somehow be able to have a level head while Sakura could be kidnapped by now, or possibly hurt, or even dead for that matter. While he wanted to believe Sasuke would never do such a thing, there was no telling how he would handle such a revelation of Sakura being seraph now. Sasuke hated their kind, both fallen and blessed. It was why he stayed uninvolved all these years.

A sound erupted behind him just as he was finishing and he quickly turned to see Kakashi's familiar had returned.

"I found the girl. She was wandering around Yamato's apartment," Pakkun reported in a gruff bark of a voice. "She is safe now, Bull and the others are escorting her to his home. She seems fine but something smells off."

Kakashi gave a sharp nod then beckoned to Naruto. "Leave them," he instructed. "We can deal with them later, we need to get to Sakura and get her home."

"You're positive you are alright?" Sakura said for the hundredth time.

When Bull had found her wandering the streets and called the rest of Kakashi's familiars, including Pakkun who had told her to follow the others to Yamato's, Sakura had obediently followed. With the knowledge that Kakashi and Naruto being fine, and having no other objections as it gave her an opportunity to check on Sai. Now, fifteen minutes later, as she stood in the middle of Yamato's living room while Sai sat on the couch, she was still doing that, asking him every thirty seconds if he was okay. All the while, Yamato himself was moving from kitchen, to hallway, to dining room, trying to fend off Kakashi's pack of familiars as they chewed at the legs of his hand crafted wooden furniture by the rambunctious group of dogs.

"I'm not even supposed to have dogs in the building," he bemoaned, pulling a half chewed book that had been sitting on a side table that now had a corner chewed off.

His anguished groan was drowned out by a frenzy of barking when the ding of the elevator caused the stampede of familiars to run off to the opening doors in the foyer. He reached the foyer in their hairy wake just in time for Kakashi and Naruto to step off the lift, Pakkun in his master's arms.

"Yo," the masked man saluted with an eye crinkle of a smile.

Yamato only gave him a haunting glare that could send chills in the coldest of cold blooded monsters. "I opened my home to be a safe house, not a pound," he said sternly, lifting the cover of his once favorite book with a threatening posture.

Kakashi gave a nervous chuckle and rubbed the back of his head before giving a shaky apology and made some hand signs that dismissed the familiars. In a puff of smoke, fleas, and hair, they all disappeared, leaving a more serious and somber atmosphere when Sakura appeared at the end of the hallway.

"Sakura!" Naruto yelled before running over to her and wrapping her in a breath constraining hug.

Sakura did her best to return the hug with her pinned arms but became distracted when Kakashi appeared just behind Naruto. At first he looked concerned as always, his eyes wandering over her body for any sign of injury. His slate gaze caught the red lines that were beginning to darken on her neck and his face darkened as he looked at her sternly.

"Sakura, what in the hell were you thinking wandering the streets? You should have gone straight to the heavens as soon as you escaped! Or at least come into the safe house instead of loitering outside! You know the rules, you know if you get separated you are to return immediately to a safe place."

His sharp tone and stern look stung, not just stung but it grated. Earlier Sakura had been distracting herself with the well-being of Sai, but now that she was no longer keeping her mind preoccupied, everything that had just happened, everything that had happened all day came crashing down and again she was struggling to hold the weight of it.

Nothing she did was any good and it was not fair. Why did it always have to be what the others told her to do? For once couldn't she decide what she thought was best for her? What she needed to do? It started with Deidara and Sasori demanding their master, whoever the hell he was, expected her to be brought to him. Then it was Sasuke, telling her what she felt, commanding her to come with him, and casting her away without letting her make a defense for herself. And now Kakashi was yelling at her for breaking the gods damn rules, after forcing her to break the biggest one of them all, revealing her immortal status to, not just anyone, but to Sasuke of all people. Something that had not resulted well.

"I just needed a moment," she said in a quiet defense.

His eye widened with irritation. "A moment to what? Give the enemy a moment to catch up? To find you? You know the rules!"

The constraint Sakura was struggling to hold onto was lost as something within her snapped. Quickly, she extracted herself from Naruto and sent a hard look to Kakashi. "I thought you said to forget the rules?" she questioned. "If anything what I did was minuscule compared to the breach that you had me do when you had me reveal myself!" She took in a deep breath, rubbing at her chest where that dull pain was earlier as a weariness took over. "It's been a long day and I just...I just needed a moment, is that really too much to ask for?"

"When your life is in danger yes."

Her eyes snapped from where her tired eyes had trailed to the intricate carpet beneath her feet to Kakashi, her weariness forgotten as anger took over again. "It was just a moment!" she bellowed.

Her tone seemed to take Kakashi off guard as well as everyone else given the shared looks between everyone. When he seemed to have recovered, Kakashi took a step forward and reached out his hand to place it on her shoulder as he always did when she was distressed. She knew what was about to happen, he was going to say something far too rational that would make sense and instantly make her feel like a fool for the way she was acting. It was what he always did when she was becoming hysterical. Only this time, she wasn't ready to be rational right now, she needed to vent and needed to let it out because she was hurting. Damaged from Sasuke's hateful looks and words, tortured from the shame he made her feel, and she was angry at Kakashi. She needed this, otherwise she felt she would explode.

Sakura smacked his hand away and when he opened his mouth to speak, Sakura cut him off. "No," she snapped, pointing a finger into his face. "How dare you do that to me, to force me into that situation! Do you have any idea how horrible of an idea that was? What was the point of all this hiding, the lies, and the secrecy, only to reveal everything in the worst way?" she questioned. "That was the whole point of it all wasn't it? To keep Sasuke in the dark? Well guess what, he knows now and he did not take it well."

Her voice broke slightly and Kakashi saw a pained look come to her face as her hand went to her chest and rubbed at a spot. As if there was some kind of irritation or she was having difficulty breathing. It made him wonder just how much she was still connected to the Uchiha, even without her previous memories. He would have thought such feelings would have faded over the years without something physical to tether themselves to, but it seemed he was wrong. He wanted to comfort her but he also needed to get her to understand that he cared more about her safety than Sasuke's knowledge. He would gladly tell all his secrets if it meant she was safe. There were just too many he had failed to keep safe in the past…Sakura would not be counted among them.

"Sakura, I know things have not been easy. I can understand that you are upset about Sasuke, but—"

"This isn't about Sasuke!" she bellowed, though even as she said it, the flash of his angry face, full of contempt as he took in her seraph form, appeared in her mind and that pain in her chest twitched. But she kept going. "I am angry at you! This is about you forcing me to leave you, to abandon you both!" She sent an angry look of accusation towards Naruto before looking back at Kakashi with the sharpest look she could muster. "Those who break the rules are scum, but those who abandon their friends are worse than scum!" Her voice broke as she choked on a sob that had been working out of her chest but she swallowed it. "Is that what I am now?! Worse than scum?" You did that! You forced me—"

"Sakura," Kakashi began, "forgive me but that's not what—"

"Not what you meant but that's what you did," Sakura finished for him. She was still angry but for some reason it was wearing off as the pain in her chest became harsher. It was distracting her and it was taking everything in her to not let out a physical acknowledgment of it.

"Sakura," it was Naruto who was now speaking. "Please don't be angry, we were just trying to protect you, keep you safe. If we were to lose you—"

"If you were to lose me?! What if I lost you?" she asked, sounding almost offended. "Did you ever think that you guys are just as important to me? Did you ever consider the idea that maybe my life is not more important than yours?" She argued back, then she looked at Kakashi. "You want me to forgive you then stop! Stop putting my life before anyone else's. Don't you dare ever do something like that again. If it ever comes down to my life and my safety over others, then you are to let me go. I can take care of myself and if I can't then I would rather die trying than have others sacrifice themselves for me."

He did not reply, none of them replied.

"Kakashi?" Sakura prodded, not willing to let it go. Finally he nodded though he did not look entirely committed but it was a start. She looked to Naruto as well who gave an unhappy nod as well. Though they were not quite as important in getting agreement, Yamato and Sai gave small nods as well when she looked around, her body relaxing slightly. "Okay then…" she looked to Sai. "You will be safe here. Yamato can get you anything you need and if you need me...you still have that scroll I gave you."

Sai nodded, holding up an ancient looking scroll that Sakura had just drawn out and given to him before Kakashi and Naruto had come. If he were to open it and drop his blood on it she would be alerted. She would know if she would be needed. It was not common for such things to be given to mortals but at this point, Sakura didn't care. She had messed up enough, she wasn't going to lose all the progress Sai had worked so hard for by letting him fall into the hands of the wrong person. There was no denying it, she had become an enemy to someone today, and there would be no telling what the repercussions would be. It could be that nothing happened, but she was not willing to chance it.

The ideology of a broken heart had always been romantic in her mind's eye. It was one of Sakura's favorite things about mortals, to believe that they could love someone so much that it could physically hurt. The emotion was one she had always thought would be incomprehensible to know unless you had felt it yourself.

But as the pain burned within her chest, she wondered if this was the feeling that mortals wrote songs and stories about to try and convey such anguish. It felt as if a hole was about to be charred through her chest and her heart would fall out at any moment. She almost wished such a thing would happen if it would at least stop the pain. If there was an actual physical wound, she could at least mend flesh. But this...this she had no knowledge of how to stop hurting when there was nothing physically wrong. She had checked three times as well as Tsunade but there was no wound or damage to that area of her body...it just hurt for seemingly no reason at all.

It was like her mind was trying to express her feelings by telling the neurons in her body to signal pain for her emotions, but even that did not make sense. Was it even possible to be heartbroken when you were never in love? Because while she could not deny she had felt something with Sasuke over the weeks before tonight's disaster, she couldn't confirm it had developed to that extent. But could it be a manifestation of what her inner, blocked off piece of mind was feeling? It had never occurred to her that it would be conscious of what happened to her now when that sealed piece seemed so silent and subtle. If so, then what exactly had her mortal self felt for Sasuke?

Just recently she had been able to connect the wandering emotions she had always felt to Sasuke. However, identifying and interpreting those emotions had been a little more tricky. But given what Sasuke had told her, how she felt, and what other little morsels of information she had gathered, she had concluded that her mortal self and Sasuke had been in love. At least that is what she reasoned given his determination. But just how deeply had they been committed to each other? Sasuke had determination but what was that drive? Love or obsession? And why?

Why?

That was the answer she wanted most of all. Why had she loved him? After everything he had just done tonight, after everything he had tried to do, why had she loved him? Or better yet, why the hell had she comforted him after everything he had done? Why did she still seem to care for him even now after everything? It was not healthy what she was feeling towards him, not with how little she knew about him and certainly not after what he had done. He was hurting, yes, but that did not excuse his actions.

She was standing in her bathroom. Stripped of her clothing as she waited for the basin of the bath to fill with water, she stared at herself in the mirror. Taking in the bruises and cuts, looking at the muddy smudges and bloody streaks. But most of all, she was staring at the perfect print that Sasuke's hand had left around her neck. Over the hours since he let her go, they had turned a dark purple, making it look as if a shaded wraith of the underworld was clutching onto her and at any moment, she would find herself being pulled down to where it dwelt in hell.

Why? She asked herself again. Why had she comforted him?

He had reached around her neck, pressed against it until she could no longer breath. And then there had been the lightning. The blue frenzy that he had held in his hands, poised as if he had been on the verge of plugging the shock into the cavity that was now holding the aching heart within her chest.

It had all been a blur, and perhaps that was what had happened, and that was why her heart was hurting. Maybe he had shocked her and this pain was the residual effects...That would at least make more sense than a broken heart.

"I finally found you."

His hand began to move up her body, skimming the hem of her shirt. Her skin prickled and her body shivered when his thumb grazed the skin of her stomach beneath the cotton garment. But that was all he did before slowly dragging his hand up to her neck.

"It's been so long," he sighed as his hand smoothly moved around the column of her neck.

Her heart beat within her chest and her eyes fell closed as she savored his touch. Trying to predict and anticipate where his hands would wander next. But his hand remained wrapped loosely around her neck like a warm scarf during winter. Warm and comforting but not constraining.

She felt him lean closer. His hips brushed against her abdomen as his chest grazed hers. Then she felt his head lean forward and a gentle breeze of his breath by her right ear, told her that his face was less than an inch from the side of hers.

"You have been misbehaving, Sakura," her name rolled off his tongue like rich, golden honey. "It's been too long, you have forgotten where your loyalties lie."

Her eyes cracked open in confusion to his words. She opened her mouth to refute such things but the sudden tightness that constricted around her throat stopped her from being able to say anything. Automatically her hands went up to pry his fingers from her throat but in an instant, she was thrust up against a barrier. Her head cracked against whatever invisible wall she was being held against, causing a blinding pain and whiteness to render her sight momentarily useless.

"You betrayed me, Sakura. You betrayed us," he seethed, hand on her throat tightening even more to emphasize his words.

As the white flash of pain subsided, she was able to finally focus on him. Her eyes widened at the sight. Burning with hatred and spite, his sharingan spun wildly. They were the pattern she was not as familiar with, the ones that were flowered like her other dream when she drowned. The ones that belonged to the other Sasuke. The Sasuke that wanted to hurt her, the Sasuke that tried to drag her down to hell.

She opened her mouth again, to defend herself, but a screech of what sounded like a thousand birds filled her ears as a blue light erupted. The glow made him look even more menacing as he raised his electrified hand to illuminate both of their faces.

"I'm disappointed in you Sakura," he said with an unsettling level voice. He leaned in, his lips nearly brushing hers as he spoke. "You tried...but you will never be her."

His hand moved forward and thrust into her chest. Pain erupted within as the lightning spread through her body, igniting her nervous system until every part of her was burning with an electrical fire. But that was not the worst of it. The worst was the pain she felt in her heart, not the one caused by the electrical waves that were charing at the flesh, but deeper. She felt it in her soul as everything that made up her existences cried out and withered.

She stared back into those hateful eyes, hoping to find relief. But all she found was contempt. There would be no mercy, there would be no humanity. She was going to die, fade out of complete existence and he would not care. He would not regret this destruction, she meant nothing to him.

Present Day: Several Days Later

She woke with a start, her body shooting up from the mattress as her chest heaved in gulps of breath. Her skin was drenched with a cold sweat and beneath her skin, her nerves hummed with a numbed vibration, as if an electric current really had pulsed throughout her body and she was now feeling the numbed effect of the shock.

She ran a hand down her face and found tears staining her cheeks along with the perspiration that formed at her brow. She felt unsettled, and the hateful look of Sasuke flashing in her mind each time she blinked did not help. That look he had given her when he had taken in her dark wings and realized what she was, the disgusted contempt, it had physically hurt. Like an arrow shot through her chest it had stung and burned. And she felt it would be the last true look she would ever receive from him. Because when he discovered what she was, he could hardly look at her.

To make things worse was the conflicted feelings she had within her. The draw that she had to him, the allure. She knew attraction played a part in it, for who could not be attracted to that face. Physically he drew the eye. But this was something beyond physical attraction, beyond anything she had ever felt for anyone. And it was all tied to what they were before she had been converted into a seraph.

She of course had her suspicions, but she did not want to believe it, at least not until she had proof of what they were. And that would come in the form of memories, to which she had a strong belief would never be returned. Until she knew why, she refused to fully believe that they had once been in love. People who love each other do not hurt each other, even when there are misunderstandings. And they had both been guilty in that, whether intentional or unintentional, they had hurt the other in some form and fashion.

This is what she kept telling herself in an attempt to stamp out the feelings that had developed over the few weeks she had gotten to know him. And if that was not complicated enough, she now had new feelings that went out to the dark haired man.

Fear. Not the slight anxiety of the unknown fear type that she had before, but true fear. The kind that cripples and impares. The kind that makes every waking moment, and every sleeping nightmare centered around that object of fear. She had thought she had this fear at one point but compared to this it was nothing.

What did he want from her? What would he do? Would he do anything? When would he show up? Was she safe? Were those close to her safe?

Before when those questions arose in her mind there had always been an assuring sense that he would never harm her that overlapped the unknowns. That she had been certain of. But things changed a few nights back, everything changed. That night she had thought he was going to kill her, just as in her earlier nightmare, she thought he would plunge his sparking hand into her chest and decimate her.

She had come out lucky. He had shown her mercy. At least some would say it was mercy. She herself was unsure of what to call it. Because now, this...this was torture. Knowing he was out there, hating her.

She let out a forlorn sigh as she pushed the covers of her bedding from her body and walked to her bathroom. Turning the tap of the bathtub on she ran her fingers under the water until she had found the perfect temperature. As the stream pooled in the tub, she stripped the sweat soaked nightgown from her body. It pulled at her skin uncomfortably and she let it fall at her feet in a crumpled mess before stepping into the tub and lowered herself into the comforting warmth.

It helped calm the lingering darkness that had been conjured by the nightmare and it felt good on her still sore muscles from the exertion she had put them through earlier that week. Again a woeful sigh escaped her as she slid further into the water.

This had been her routine for the past several days, ever since she had come home from what was the longest day of her life. That night, upon their arrival home, Kakashi wanted to talk to her, but she could not bear to continue speaking to him after her earlier lash out. She had been too angry and even now was still hurt. Naruto wanted to talk too but she could not find it within herself to let him cheer her up. She just wanted some space to be miserable. Then Tsunade wanted to interrogate her, but thankfully Kakashi had picked up on her mood by then and talked Tsunade into just letting her be, something that had earned him a little forgiveness and softened her anger.

She had gone straight to her room and drawn a bath in which she had stayed in for hours, numbly scrubbing her skin for the first hour, submerging herself and holding her breath for as long as she could for the second, then the third hour she had just sat vacantly in then cold water, hugging her knees as she stared at the tiled mosaic wall.

That night had been riddled with dreams and nightmares that had meshed together. And every night since had been just the same. Every morning following such nights she had woken drenched in sweat, trembling, and breathing so frantically her whole world spun. And in between her abrupt wakings to falling into her fitful sleep, she had dwelt in her room for the first few days. Like a hermit she sat behind the confines of her bedroom, only occasionally peeking out into the gardens before flopping back down onto the bed to sleep for two or three hours, then she would wake up to consume copious amounts of non nutritional mortal foods that Naruto left at her door in attempt to lure her out and talk. Something she had just begun to do the previous day before.

Sai was still okay. He had been staying with Yamato for the past few days and it seemed it would be his permanent residence for the time being. She knew it was difficult for Sai, but it was a good experience for him. This way he would be forced to have regular interactions with another and so far there had been no troubles, aside from an incident regarding Sai having a lack of boundaries when it came to bathroom etiquette. At least this is what Naruto and Kakashi reported. Her self isolation had kept her cooped up in the heavens. Self isolation or not, Sakura would not be allowed to leave per order of Tsunade, though it was certainly something she was okay with this time. At least in the heavens she was safe. No one could take her from here.

She wanted to talk to someone. But who? The usual people would be Naruto, Kakashi, or Tsunade. But anytime she tried to test run a conversation through her mind, it never flowed the way she wanted it. Tsunade, while having always been a level headed console in the past, had a hatred for Uchiha that ran far too deep for her to be able to understand all sides of what Sakura was feeling. Kakashi, while wise and certainly one with an ability to see all sides of a debate in genuine consideration, was too protective of her. And Naruto, as lovable and eager as he was, was too considerate. He would not be able to give her any council in which he thought would hurt her feelings. That left her with….well...no one.

Even as she came to this conclusion, a yearning to speak to someone rose within her. Sasuke. Yes, Sasuke was the one she wanted to speak with. Even as the idea of being in his presence terrified her to pieces, the urge to speak with him was there. She wanted to rectify and clarify everything, she wanted to make him understand that she had not meant to trick him, that she was not betraying him. But even as she thought of this, the question of if she really had tricked him rose within her mind.

Yes, technically it was true that she was the woman from his past, the mortal girl that...that he had felt something for. But was she really her anymore? Or had she really just been pretending, unconsciously hoping that she could be something that she was not to fill the empty void within her. Because in all reality, that woman had died two thousand years ago, and Sakura was not sure when she was revived if she really did come back the same. There was no telling without her memories.

In short, Sasuke had been right in a way, she was just wearing the face of his Sakura, she was not really her. Not anymore...but she wanted to be.

A part of her, deep down cried out to be her. The part of her that had relished the adoring looks and sweet, sensual caresses that Sasuke had laid upon her. The part of her that craved for her long ago dreams to be reality, before they had been stained and tainted into nightmares. The part of her that mourned the hatred that he had looked at her with.

She let out a sigh and lounged back in the bath. The water sloshed slightly as she let her arms fall from the side into the water as she looked up at the ceiling. Above her hung several plants, their vines clinging to the ceiling and hanging down from the planters that were stung above. It reminded her of the gardens just outside her bedroom window. The jasmine buds were blooming fragrantly above, their floral perfume mixing with the lavender oil in her bath and serving to help her mind find the smallest of ease.

It was not much solace, but it was just enough for a clear idea to pool into her mind and form a thought as she stared up into the green leaves above her, recalling another time when she had done something similar to find someone else staring back. While she could not speak with Sasuke, there was still someone who perhaps could understand what she was feeling. Not just understand but have an insight to the workings of Sasuke's mind. A fellow tortured soul that was torn between logical, moral, and personal emotions when it came to the young princeling of the underworld.

She sat up in the bath as the face, so close and similar, yet not so similar when truly compared to Sasuke, popped into her mind. Itachi. Of course, if anyone could have the slightest understanding and give her council, it would be his brother.

She had not seen him since that first time in the gardens, but she had felt an immediate kinship to him. While she failed to believe such a connection was the same for him, he seemed the giving type. The type to take pity on her and offer what she needed.

Today was the day of the peace signings. It was to take place first thing this morning. She was not an official person of the group chosen to represent the blessed during the signing, and she was positive that Tsunade would not want her there. But certainly if she just stayed in the shadows, there could be an opportunity for her to speak to him.

The sound of water splashing and dripping against tile filled the room as she abruptly stood and stepped out of the bath. Haphazardly she grabbed a towel and wrapped it around herself as she dashed to her closet, as she went about preparing herself as quickly, but as presentable as possible.

"Itachi," came his father's voice from the doorway. "It's time."

Itachi looked at his father from the reflection of the mirror he stood in front of. With a silent nod, he finished dressing and turned to make his way. There was something relieving about the day. While things had been relatively peaceful between the fallen and blessed realms, there was something about peace being official that brought his several thousand years worth of stress and worry to an end. Finally after a lifetime of warring and rumors of warring, Itachi would finally see peace. Maybe perhaps he would be allowed to come and go to the heavens, enjoy the lush and colorful gardens that grew there and meet with new acquaintances like curious little angels that looked like mortals.

Sakura, now that was certainly a mystery and problem he would not mind spending some time solving. She was different from the other blessed. First off, she did not look at him the way the others did, with hidden contempt and dislike. They only saw what he did for the sake of their duty, not him. But Sakura...she looked at him and spoke with him as if there was nothing that divided them. They were just equals, colleagues with different roles that were equally important.

But that was not what intrigued him the most. It was the connection she had with his brother. When he had seen Sasuke last, it had only confirmed his suspicions. Sakura the seraph was Sakura the mortal. Only she wasn't mortal, she was pretending to be...but why? And how could they trick Sasuke so easily? His brother was nothing less than paranoid and observant. If there was anything amiss he would know. But it seemed that she passed the rigorous scrutiny of his brother, Sakura was an identical match to Sasuke's mortal from long ago.

As always he was not a believer of fate for their kind but still, the coincidence of this doppelgänger was hard to believe was a random chance. But if it meant bringing his brother back home and healing him of his pain, Itachi was willing to believe in anything.

When he spotted his mother waiting for him at the end of the hall with a warm smile, his pondering died down. Accepting his mother's offer of a hug he gave her a light squeeze before releasing her.

"I will walk you to the portal," she said, looping and arm through his, when he released her.

"You are not coming?"

She shook her head. "Your father wants me to stay in case something goes wrong."

Itachi rolled his eyes and let out a sigh. "If this is going to be successful we need to have trust."

Mikoto patted her son's arm. "Yes dear but trust is a slow thing to be earned. I know you experienced the war but it was near the end when most had already died. Not all Senju were like Tsunade. There were some that were not so gentle and willing to save, we had our fair share as well but still, it's hard to recover from. We all still remember."

Itachi gave out a hum that made Mikoto take her turn to roll her eyes.

They came into a large cavern with a spider web of passageways spindling from this central one, taking a sharp turn they moved down a long narrow corridor. It was a tight fit, the unevenly carved walls forcing Itachi to take a place behind his mother as they walked quietly until the rock wall opened up into a tall, oval shaped cavern.

Forming a semi circle around the edges were several variously styled archways and gateways. However instead of seeing the rocky wall that was on the other side of each of them, the air between the masonry that made up the frames shimmered and flowed with a viscosity of mercury. But instead of the metallic silver of mercury, the color was a cloudy opaque that, depending on the doorway, was lighter or darker than the neighboring one. The difference in color was dependent on the realm that one would find themselves should they step through. At the base of each threshold was a set of stairs that led to each doorway.

At the pinnacle of the oval room stood the tallest portal on the highest rise. Its staircase curved up the dark stone base until reaching the flat ledge in which two white obelisks stood tall and contrasting until a carved bowing beam connected them at the top. All down the sides were intricate carvings with crystals and gems placed into the workings, creating a colored mosaic that sparked in the dim light as they reflected the light coming from the brightest of all the shimmering portals.

Most of the council members were gathered at its base, some of them looking how Itachi felt while others looked more reserved and wary of today's outcomes. Mikoto watched her son look around the room with the smallest of frowns as he took in the latter of the two groups. Reaching her free arm to his forearm that was again linked with her own, she gave it a squeeze, causing him to look down at her.

"Do not worry," she said. "I know you will see to it that everything will go well and you will keep peace." She looked to her husband who was walking around and speaking with some fellow contingent members. "And your father will too. I know he does not always seem it, but peace is what he wants."

After this, Fugaku took his place in front of the gathering to address them. He looked out around the group, his everly present grimace seeming slightly lighter with what was about to happen. Clearing his throat, the room fell quiet as they all turned to look where he was standing.

"I know many of you are skeptical of this day, but the outcome of its success is something that will change our lives for the better. We are not weak, nor will this make us weaker. We are still the children of Indra, our powers and purpose will not be weakened or diminished with this alliance."

He looked around, seeing that many agreed but there were still too many in the gathering that seemed to not be in the same mindset as him. He looked to his wife who gave the smallest of nods and encouraging smiles. And it was all he needed to regain his confidence. Being a ruler was not necessarily anything he had wanted or planned for. It was not anything he had truly believed would be set upon him when he married his wife. Back then no one believed Madara would ever be gone. Yet here he was, standing in Madara's place. And it was obvious that it was to the displeasure of still more than he was comfortable with.

"I can see that some are still not fully committed to what will be happening today. And as your ruler," he said with a warning flash of his sharingan, "I will not tolerate it. This is our life now, these are our ways. Your loyalty and your dedication will be to keeping to this peace treaty. No longer will we live in the shadowed world that Madara一"

There was a flash of light and gust of wind that came from two portals down, interrupting his speech while everyone in the room looked to the portal that had been activated. Fugaku's hand came up to shield his eyes from the bright light and as the gust of wind died down, a voice took over and echoed around the room.

"Speak of the devil and he shall appear."

As the deep voice echoed around the cavern, everyone froze and as the flash of light dimmed down to reveal the speaker. There standing at the plain looking gateway with the portal swirling behind him, stood Madara. His dark eyes glinted with a crazed mirth as he looked down at the small gathering at the floor of the portal room.

"Madara," Fugaku whispered in disbelief. "But your…"

"Dead?" Madara finished for him when he drifted off. No one replied but the expressions on all of their faces only confirmed they had shared this belief. Madara let out a bark of laughter and began to descend the stairs.

"I don't understand? How are you alive?" Fugaku questioned, his tone becoming slightly firmer and challenging as he recovered from his initial shock. "You do not seem the type to lower yourself to a rogue and collect souls merely for the purpose of survival on the surface."

Madara grinned. "The flame," he answered simply before elaborating, "I am the one who holds the flame of the underworld, the one that was held by my father and his predecessor, and the one before him, all the way down to Indra. Whoever holds the flame can dwell outside the realm for as long as they have it. And whoever holds the flame rules this realm, such as it has been since the Indra broke through the earthen surface."

He looked around at the group, he could see the surprise and fear in their eyes. All of them worried what he was going to do. It was something he reveled in. It had been long since he had felt this kind of influence, this kind of command, and it brought him even greater pleasure that this was just a small taste of what was to come.

Those who dwelt on the surface were all survivors, only looking out for themselves and they were already rebellious in nature, but these people, they were subjects. Ones that were now back under his power. Mirthfully he noted the few glances that seemed to hold a surprised, but excited gleam to see him returned. Obviously not everyone had become so weak minded as he thought and they still held true to the teachings and meaning of what it was to be a fallen.

"Why do you all seem surprised upon my return, surely you did not all think me dead?...Especially you Fugaku." He let his dark eyes fall upon his grim faced brother-in-law. "Ever wonder why there are so many rogues leaving this realm? Why you couldn't seem to truly rule them? Control them?" he questioned, feeling a satisfaction come from the unease of Fugaku. Obviously he had noted his lack of power and command over the underworld. It must have driven him mad feeling so weak. "From the rumors I've heard on the surface, it seems our once glorious kingdom has fallen, but not in a good way as our forefathers fell for the better. This realm has become a joke to the many rogue demons in disarray on the surface, which is unacceptable."

Madara clucked his tongue as he shook his head to the side, causing Fugaku to glance around nervously towards his wife. Madara followed his attention and looked at his younger sister. It had been a long time since he had seen her and he was struck with how much she looked like their mother. There was a reason why he had always shown Fugaku favoritism and it was all for his sister. Mikoto was deathly white as she held firmly to her oldest son's arm and looked at her husband with concern.

"Oh do not worry sister," Madara said gently to his beloved sister. While Izuna had been the one he was closest with, he had always had a soft spot for Mikoto, even with the centuries of age that separated them, practically making their relationship one that resembled distant cousins at best. "I do not blame your husband for the neglect of our home. He did his best. Really I should be blamed due to my prolonged departure, I left without establishing a successor and transferring the flame and the powers of the Will that come with it to another. My lack of preparation is inexcusable but I had not meant to be away for so long...I was not myself."

He gave a strange smile that did not match the look in his dark eyes. No one spoke up as he seemed to be caught up for a moment before jarring himself from his thoughts.

"But I have returned to restore our home," he suddenly said with a lighter tone. "And it seems just in time." He came to a stop and placed a hand on Fugaku's shoulder, giving it a comradic squeeze. "We have some cleaning up to do despite your efforts. But I have no doubt you will continue to work just as hard back under my rule. There won't be any...disagreements over who is in charge, now that the flame has been brought back...which I possess."

He gave Fugaku a hard look that gave the thinner man no other option but to mutely comply and submit to Madara. Madara smirked with satisfaction before his eyes flicked to where Itachi was standing stiffly next to Mikoto. He sent a smirk to his stony faced nephew.

"Itachi," he chimed. "So good to see you."

Itachi said nothing. He remained silent as he glared back at his uncle and continued to support his mother who was trembling next to him, no doubt worried that her husband was about to be torn apart at any moment.

"What is with all the sullen looks," he questioned. "I would think a family reunion would be a happy occasion?" When no one replied he snapped his fingers. "Oh yes, that's right, maybe it's because we have not been all reintroduced, maybe you will all be more happy to see who I brought back with me!" He stepped back and theatrically gestured up to the portal that he had entered in from the mortal realm. "Sasuke," he called out. "Why don't you come out and say hello to dear mum and dad."

Itachi's eyes widened as he watched his brother, his foolish, foolish little brother, step out from behind the pillars of the realm gate.

"Sasuke," he heard his mother whisper.

Sasuke's eyes went directly to his mother, it had been two thousand years since he had seen her and his eyes lingered longer than his usual indifference.

Sasuke, Itachi thought to himself, what have you gotten yourself into?

"Mother, father," Sasuke said, greeted in monotone. He looked to his brother. "Itachi," he nodded. "Good to see you."

"I wish I could say the same," Itachi said slowly as he silently challenged what was going on in his brother's mind.

An awkward silence fell upon them which was broken when Madara let out a small snort of amusement and turned around to walk up a few steps of the curved staircase that led to the heavenly portal. He paused halfway up and turned around.

"Well," he said, raising his brow, "don't we have some peace talks to get to?"

The council, among a few others were already gathered near the portal that led to the underworld. This portal was normally deactivated but for occasions such as today, it glowered with a warm shimmer that opaquely revealed the other world in which it was connected, though there was hardly anything to be seen given the dimness on the other side. It seemed grim. Sakura had oftentimes wondered what the underworld realm was like, though she had never believed she would have a chance to see it. Even with the peace treaty about to be agreed to, the fear her imagination painted of such a place made her hesitant to desire crossing the threshold.

Peeking around the stone pillar of the ancient outdoor shrine that the portal was located in, she looked around for a place in which she could watch more closely without being seen. As she searched, she caught Kakashi looking in her direction and froze. Sakura had been told specifically to stay away the night before, but she could not help but be drawn. However, the anxiety that she felt when she saw Kakashi's dark eye on her dissipated when his head twitched in the smallest of gestures. Sakura followed the direction and spotted a large statue near the outskirts of the gathering. It had a large bass which she could easily hide behind, and the curtain of untamed ivy that was over taking the towering statue, was just thin enough for her to peek through while still remaining hidden. Behind it was a small path which she could easily access and approach without being seen.

She looked back to Kakashi who gave her a quick wink and turned to Tsunade, distracting her wandering eyes as he spoke to her. Sakura could not help but feel a warmth of appreciation go out to Kakashi and again, she found herself forgiving him a little more for the other night. He truly was just looking out for her, keeping her safe but also doing his best to give her freedoms when others failed to see her curious need. Which only made him thinking her life was worth more, all the worse. Kakashi was ten times the better seraph she could ever hope to be.

Ducking down she went around the stone wall that circled around the portal area before finding the overgrown path that led through a small arch. Bending low, she quickly and quietly crept to the pedestal of the statue. It was a depiction of an archangel standing guard with a full suit of armor and his wings spread wide in an aggressive stance. Between his legs, Sakura peeked over the base of the depicted angel and gently pushed aside some of the vines to peer at the gathering. Her location put her close enough to make out what was being said by those speaking, as well as giving her a full view of the portal.

She had settled just in time to see the first of the fallen to pass through the shimmering veil. It looked like a pool of dark water defying gravity as it rippled from where the figure emerged from the dark depths of the underworld.

Sakura did not fully recognize the man, not that she knew many demons to recognize, but there was still a familiar look to his hair and eyes. Though the scowl on his face was certainly a unique feature, lined and tight as if permanently there. It was certainly not the look of someone who was there to sign a peace treaty.

When the second person came from the portal, Sakura immediately made the connection when she saw the same familiar eyes and hair line in the face of someone she actually did know. She recognized Itachi immediately and she believed she could now identify the first man. The grim look on Itachi's face, while not what she remembered as one of his usual features, served to highlight the similarity. With such similar features, she could only assume it was Fugaku, the current Lord of the underworld and father to Itachi and Sasuke.

It was like there was a jinx on his name for as soon as she thought of the second son's name, Sasuke himself emerged from the threshold, causing Sakura to force herself to stifle a gasp as she stared at the stony faced man. He came to a shortstop, lingering behind his father and brother near the frame of the portal. His dark eyes moved across the small semi circle that the gathering of blessed had formed when the arrival of the fallen had begun. It was as if he were searching for something as he quickly breezed over the faces, only pausing slightly when he spotted Naruto and Kakashi. The pair looked heavily unsteady as they looked at him with the same shock Sakura had felt.

A few other fallen streamed through the portal behind him but they all seemed to go unnoticed as Sasuke drew the attention of most. Tsunade took a step forward, her eyes narrowed at Sasuke as she directed herself at Fugaku.

"Fugaku," Tsunade began, "I was unaware that both of your sons were to be here today," she said, a slight warning and alarm in her tone as she turned her attention to the demon Lord. "What is the meaning of this? We had an approved list of those who would attend. Fifteen from the blessed, Fifteen from the fallen, and your son-" she pointed an accusing finger at Sasuke, her voice venomous- "was not on that list."

Fugaku only grimly exchanged a look with his oldest son before looking back to his youngest.

"Fugaku!" Tsunade snapped, her tone sharp. "That boy needs to leave now, he is not welcome—"

"I must apologize for the improper manners and lack of decorum when it came to our répondez s'il vous plaît. But that faux pas is not to be blamed on my dear brother-in-law."

A cold ripple seemed to emanate through the gathering of seraphim and Tsunade immediately looked to the entrance of the portal. She paled the moment her eyes fell upon the large figure of the man who had murdered and maimed her family for centuries, the man who had practically made hunting Senju down a sport. The man who was the reason the last time such a planned event ended in disaster, Madara Uchiha.

She was not the only one disturbed by his presence. It was obvious that this was the source of grimness planted on Fugaku and Itachi's faces upon their arrival. And there was a hushed silence that everything seemed to bow to, even the wildlife and foliage seemed to still and quiet.

Sakura, standing behind the statue stopped breathing, fearing that even the smallest morsel of breath would be too loud. All shock and unease of Sasuke's appearance was forgotten but not lost, it was only exponentially increased to a degree that had Sakura literally trembling at the knees.

She had only seen this man described in the text of ancient tomes and a few pieces of art that the heavens had in their collections. The most impressionable had always been the one found in the circular throne room. The menacing man portrayed in the painting hanging in that room had always made her uneasy. However now, as she looked at the impossible form that inspired such art, she felt it did not do him justice. But as she looked at the towering demon whose presence seemed to just command the elements themselves, she wondered if there was anything that could possibly prepare a person for seeing Madara Uchiha for the first time.

"H-how is this possible?"

The fear that Sakura could easily hear in Tsunade's question did not help with the fear she was feeling. From the shadows, Sakura's eyes wildly moved between Tsunade and Madara as she grasped at the granite rock in anticipation for what would come of this unexpected turn of events.

"Well it's very simple," Madara said, taking a few steps forward, the seraphs of the fallen realm stepping to the side to give him a wide berth, while the blessed retreated back. "From what I hear, everyone thought I was dead. Seems some gossip was blown out of proportion because as you can see-" he indicated at his body- "I am very much alive."

Tsunade did not reply immediately, unsure of what to say and too afraid of what the answer would be. But finally, after a long pause, she found enough courage to ask what she feared his reappearance meant.

"So you have come to finish what you always meant? End the Senju line, perhaps kill the rest of those within this realm so that you can finally sit in the throne that your bastard ancestor tried to take?"

A shadow passed over most of the fallens faces at her degradation of Indra. The original fallen was a hero to them, a legend that they valued greatly for what he did. However, to his credit, Madara did not even bat an eyelash. Instead he gave a smile that did not reach his eyes.

"Of course not," Madara defended unconvincingly. "No that is not what I came here to do at all. Though I must apologize, I believe today's agenda involved a peace signing which, and again I do apologize, will have to be postponed." He nodded his head to Fugaku. "You see, my brother-in-law arranged something on behalf of our faction that he unknowingly had no sanction to do. Only I am the one who can approve such things and I am not one to sign contracts without first reading the fine print," he gave a satisfied grin.

"Though do not worry," he assured, "I believe we have the same intentions, I too would like to see all seraphim unified once more, however I will need to ask that you give me some time. I need to get my house in order before I can make any big commitments. It seems those who are under my realm have become a little rebellious, so I have decided that it is time to round them up. I've heard your archangels have done well in trying to clean up their mess and the havoc that has been taking place in the surface realm, but now that I am back, I have decided to personally take up that responsibility again."

"Do you really think I would believe that you have any intentions that would correlate with the heavens?" She looked at Fugaku. "Do you agree with this?"

"Of course he does," Madara answered for the other Uchiha. "They all do, we are all unified by the Will of the underworld's Lord, which would be my will. I have no issues with taking up the duties again. And I swear to the gods my dear Tsunade, I have every intention in unifying our kind."

Tsunade didn't trust him. He could make a covenant oath and she would not believe him. He had already seemed to come back from the dead so what would he have to fear should he break such an oath. However at this moment she had to go along with his game he was obviously playing. Her people were not ready, she was not ready. By the looks of Fugaku and Itachi, they too had not been expecting this today. However, her eyes went to Sasuke standing casually behind them with his arms crossed and face blank. Him, that brat, she had no doubt had played a role in this.

Automatically her thoughts went to Sakura and she worried what Sasuke would have told Madara. And new fear arose within her and she looked back to Madara, doing her best to calm her mind and think clearly.

"So if you have no intention in signing the treaty today then why are you here?"

Madara strolled up to Tsunade, circling her like a vulture once, before stopping in front of her. "Two reasons," he said, holding up two fingers. "The first being that I wanted to reestablish who exactly is running things down below. And the second-" He put down a finger- "is as I said, I am putting my house back in order, gathering my sheep as the good book of the mortals says. I figured I would start with the ones that have somehow wandered all the way up here."

Tsunade narrowed her eyes. "We do not have any of your kind up here."

Madara raised his brow. "Really," he said with feigned surprise. "Because my sources tell me otherwise, you wouldn't mind if I just...look around would you?"

He moved to step around her but Tsunade moved to block him, her arms folding beneath her heavy bosom as she glared at him. "Actually I do mind."

Madara frowned. "Now is that a way to treat a soon to be ally? Really Tsunade," his eyes wandered around, taking in the surroundings.

He paused when his eyes fell on an ivy shrouded statue. For a moment he nearly missed it as it was the faintest difference in shade, but his ocular prowess was designed for catching such subtle details. There, blended in with the dark green ivy, was a pair of vivid green eyes that peaked and contrasted brightly with the foliage. The widening of them and faintest of gasps he heard only confirmed it.

"Well it seems maybe I don't need to go so far into your realm as I expected," Madara commented, raising a hand to point in the direction of the statue. "I think I found a little lamb already."

Tsunade turned to look in the direction of the statue. At first she was confused but then she caught sight of Kakashi standing stiffly with a drained pallor in the part of his face not hidden by his mask. No, she thought. She shook her head at the silver seraph, silently pleading with him to deny what she was thinking, but Kakashi only gave her a grim look from behind his mask. Her heart sank as she turned to look up to Madara who was still looking gleefully curious at the statue. He raised his arm and waved a hand.

"Why don't you come out little one," he said with a beckon. "I promise we don't bite, word is you already know some of us."

Sakura did not move a single eyelash as she watched Madara curl his fingers to motion for her to come out of her spot. Her eyes moved fractionally to look at Tsunade then to Kakashi who had turned to look at her, looking ashen. After a length of time without moving, she noticed Madara narrow his eyes and she felt a compulsion to come out now, before Madara became angry.

Timidly she stepped out from the shadows and foliage. At her emergence, Madara gave a satisfied smile that seemed to confirm something for him. "Well, well, who do we have here?" Madara mused.

Tsunade was already walking towards Sakura, taking her hand and pulling her behind her. "She is no one," Tsunade said, turning back around.

Madara raised a single brow. "She certainly doesn't seem like no one. You are Sakura, correct?" he asked, giving his attention to the pinkette that was half hidden by the larger woman who stood in front of her.

Sakura's eyes widened, taken aback by his knowledge of her name but then her eyes fell on Sasuke, who glanced at her once before looking away, fixating his attention on Madara instead who had also looked to Sasuke as well. Sasuke gave the smallest of nods, causing Madara to turn back and set his eyes on Sakura.

"My nephew has told me a little about you," he said. "I became curious about why a blessed seraph would grab his attention. But now I see," he said loquaciously. "You are quite a beauty. May I ask what your lineage is? Perhaps I am familiar with some of your ancestors?"

Sakura stayed mute as she peeked at him from behind her adoptive mother, unsure as to how to answer him. She knew Tsunade had always meant for her adoptive status to be quiet to outsiders but even still, she couldn't help but feel like she needed to answer him.

"She is my daughter," Tsunade suddenly answered, surprising Sakura that she would give such information to Madara so easily. "And she is not supposed to be here so if you'll excuse her…" Tsunade turned to push Sakura towards the exit but Madara's voice stopped her.

"A daughter," he said in surprise. "Well it seems congratulations seems to be in order, who ever thought the Senju would make a comeback."

Tsunade turned around, her face slightly pale. She had admitted Sakura's relation to her in an attempt to solidify her being a normal seraph, but she had forgotten what attaching Sakura to her lineage meant to the man she was speaking to.

"She is not Senju," she quickly said. "I adopted her. Her lineage is unknown as she was orphaned when you decided to destroy the earthen commune."

Madara gave a false look of sympathy. "My condolences," he said, looking at Sakura. "I hope you do not resent me too harshly for the events of the past. It seems even the youngest of us are still affected by the wars that raged so long ago. That is the unfortunate thing about war, too many innocents suffer. But I do hope that we can perhaps come to an agreement that the past is messy, but if we can come to resolve things in the present, the foreseeable future can be quite orderly. Do you agree little one?"

When Sakura did not respond, Madara looked to Tsunade. "Perhaps I lied earlier when I came here for only two things. But it seems that a third task has presented itself. I hate to do this but it seems that back when the earthen sanctuary was...should we say removed from existence, you took something that did not belong here in the heavens."

Tsunade's heart pounded quickly within her as she scrambled to keep up with Madara's game. Her mind whirled about as she tried to think of what he was talking about. But then she looked at Sasuke and the thought of the cup...the chalice that she had sent Sasuke to retrieve from the Uchiha shrine that night long ago.

She stared at Sasuke, trying to read his face but the boy was too practiced in keeping his features blank. But even if Sasuke had told him of the cup, Tsunade did not take it. Sasuke had been the one to remove it from the Uchiha temple. And technically the chalice's original resting place had been the heavens before Indra had stolen it the first time. But technicalities aside, it did not matter, given the fact that she had no idea where the chalice was anymore. There had been other events that night that distracted her from taking it back with her to the heavens. And when she did think to return it to its original home, the cup was gone. Most likely pillaged by mortals that had been attracted by the destruction of the earthen seraph city. She had often kept track of the mortals' legends of the holy grail, keeping tabs of the rumors in hopes that maybe the chalice had appeared and mistaken as such. So far she had no such luck.

"What are you talking about?" she replied defensively. "We have nothing here that was stolen."

Madara lifted a hand and pointed a finger just past Tsunade's shoulder, right where Sakura was. Tsunade narrowed her eyes.

"Are you out of your gods damned mind?!" Tsunade yelled. "She is my daughter!"

"Adoptive daughter," Madara corrected before adding, "as you put it. So no actual blood connection."

"That doesn't change a thing," Tsunade growled with the ferocity of a mother bear. "She is still my daughter."

"Ah yes...well this is certainly an awkwardness that I wanted to avoid." Madara gave her a sympathetic look. "Believe me Tsunade, I take no pleasure in breaking up families," Madara slipped in, "but, it seems when you took this little starling in, you took one of my own. I do not doubt you have taken care of her, but she should be where she belongs."

Tsunade barred her teeth as golden light flashed behind her, summoning her wings as she aggressively snarled at Madara. "Sakura is my daughter and you will not take her away from me so long as I breathe! You have no claims to her, she belongs in the heavens with her family."

"Oh but I think I do have a claim to her. And I would be happy to put it to a test."

"What are you talking about?"

"The loyalty bond," Madara simply stated. "If Sakura is under my Will, then the gods dictate she is my subject."

"Fuck your Will!"

Madara tsked disapprovingly. "Language, language Tsunade…you younger generations know nothing about proper manors and behavior of a heavenly being," he chastised. "And I am afraid your disregard for manners will not stand on their own when it comes to the laws." His face became more serious. "You know the rules, Tsunade. When the factions were created each ruler was given jurisdiction over all subjects to do as they will of them, so long as we continue to see that our factions duties are done.

"I am sure as a parent you found yourself tempted to use your Will to keep her in line at one time or another. Word is that she hasn't exactly followed your instructions which makes me question where her loyalty lies."

"Unlike you I don't abuse that archaic power!"

"And maybe that was the downfall of the blessed," he said, his polite mannerism and airy persona slipping to his true nature.

"It doesn't matter," Tsunade argued firmly. "Sakura is blessed."

"Then if you are so sure there shouldn't be a problem testing that." Madara raised a challenging brow. "I give you my word, if Sakura does not bend to my Will she can stay here, unless you want to use your own Will and prove she is yours?" Tsunade remained silent and Madara gave her a snide look. "I didn't think so."

Sakura was completely lost. Why was Madara talking as if she wasn't blessed? Tsunade had created her, she was made by a blessed and hadn't her mortal soul been pure, or at least pure enough for her to end in the heavens had she not been turned? What was Madara talking about testing her loyalty? She was loyal to Tsunade, her family, to the heavens, she would never betray them. However as Madara opened his mouth she felt her heart skip right before Tsunade whirled around looking at her desperately, pleadingly.

"Sakura leave now," she said forcefully. "Do not listen to him or do anything he says, just turn around and leave."

Sakura's green eyes moved back and forth as she took Tsunade in, scared and panicked at what was happening. She took a paused step back then moved to turn until a deep resounding command erupted into the air.

"Stop."

Sakura's feet instantly froze as if glued to the ground. She turned her head, looking back with wide eyes to a horrified looking Tsunade, to a stunned Kakashi and panicked Naruto, then to a smirking Madara. Behind him she noticed Sasuke shift slightly but she was unable to focus on him, only Madara.

"Come here Sakura," Madara commanded again, raising a hand out to her and smirking wickedly.

Sakura was surprised by the overwhelming pull of obedience her body was overcome with. Before she knew what was happening, her feet were taking her past Tsunade and towards Madara. She tried to stop herself but the moment she tried to stay her feet, it felt like she was standing on hot coals. She suppressed a whimper of pain which was instantly alleviated when her feet began to move forward again.

As she walked by Naruto, her friend grabbed a hold of her arm. "Sakura what are you doing?" he said in a panic.

Sakura opened her mouth to reply but only a pained grunt came from her throat as what felt like pins and needles split open her head. The pain was so intense she could hardly see, all she could register was a tugging on her arm as her feet moved to keep going only to remain anchored in place by Naruto's strong grip, causing her feet to feel like she was standing on hot coals again.

"Naruto let her go," Kakashi quickly instructed, realizing what was happening.

Naturo looked at his teacher as if he had lost his mind. "But-"

"You are hurting her!" Kakashi said urgently.

Nartuo looked to Sakura whose face was pulled in pain as she tugged at her arm. Instantly he let go as he realized what was happening. The Willl, she was going against Madara's Will and this was her punishment. He had never seen the Will of a seraph ruler be actually used. Tsunade vowed to never use it and his own father had only used it on very rare occasions, and never in front of him. Instantly he let go and she stumbled forward, the pain immediately seeming to disappear the moment she was moving forward again.

As Tsunade watched Sakura walk towards Madara with jerky steps, Tsunade's heart plummeted. It grew even more painful to watch when Sakura looked back at her with confusion, but to Tsunade it looked like betrayal. There was one more thing she had failed to tell Sakura when she divulged their secrets. However, Tsunade had not told her because she herself was not even sure. She had hoped and denied the possibility of it, but in this moment, it was even worse than she had ever imagined when she initially had the suspicion.

Ancient Greece: The night of the Fallen's attack

Tsunade hovered over the girl as she tilted the still girl's head back. Her mouth opened and Tsunade held her finger over her parted lips as she focused a dense chakra to the tip. Like a dew drop, her chakra pooled at the tip of her finger before falling into Sakura's mouth with a silent drip.

She looked up at Naruto. "Quickly, the chalice."

Naruto handed over the chalice that had just been recently refilled. Quickly she sprinkled some dried blood she had managed to wipe off Sasuke before he had raged off. She swirled the liquid around until it was dissolved. Carefully, Tsunade lifted the girl back slightly, and like before, when Sasuke had been present, she pressed the brim of the cup to her lips and let it slowly trickle in her mouth. When the cup was empty, she laid her back down and shifted slightly away as silence fell around them.

"Nothings happening," Naruto said, disrupting the silence. "Did you do it wrong?"

Tsunade shook her head to the side as she stared at the girl, unwilling to look at the desperate stare of the blue eyed boy across from her as he leaned over the pinkettes body. While she hated Uchihas, the look on the Uchiha boy's face had been a reminder of a grief that she knew all too well.

"I don't know," Tsunade admitted. "Maybe I needed more Uchiha blood."

Naruto looked back up from Sakura to Tsunade. "Then we need to bring Sasuke back. I can send a summon to tell him to come back and he will give more! He will give anything you need, I know it."

Tsunade shook her head and Naruto was about to open his mouth again and argue when a sudden gasp was emitted by Sakura. Naruto fell backwards, startled, but sat back up as he took in her face. Her eyes snapped open to reveal her usually green irises had lightened and warmed to a golden shade. Not just her irises but even the whites flowed with golden light. Then her back bowed as her spine lifted from the ground and her face contorted into only what Naruto could assume was pain, a lot of pain.

This guess was proven correct when the escaping gasp of air turned into a cry of agony. A sound that made even those who heard it feel pain within themselves as the tortured sound filled their ears. When her body began to contort and seize, Naruto moved to touch her but stopped halfway when Tsunade gave a command.

"Don't touch her!"

"What's wrong?" Naruto asked as his hands went to his ears instead to try and dampen her screams. Unable to stand hearing such anguish and not able to stop it. His blue orbs moved from Sakura's suffering body to Tsunade, who was staring down at the girl with a mixture of compassion and fascination.

"She's changing."

Naruto's eyes crumpled. "Changing?"

His concern of what change was occurring was disbanded when Sakura's body began to cease its seizing and only discomfort and pain seemed to be playing a role in her body. Her limbs moved slightly, her legs restlessly moving as her knees bent slightly before straightening again and her hands clenched and unclenched steadily.

"Help me roll her over," Tsunade instructed.

Obediently Naruto, as well as Kakashi who had taken a spot at Sakura's feet, helped roll her over into her stomach. Or at least they tried to before Sakura seemed to move on her own accord. Her eyes snapped open again, the familiar green restored but while it was the same color, there was something more to them. Something of a higher sight as they vacantly looked ahead. Moving unsteadily like a newborn fowl, she sat on her knees before slumping forward slightly to support herself with her hands. Her lips pulled back into a grimace as her teeth gritted with grunts and groans of pain that seeped between them.

It was then that Naruto noticed the movement on her back. It was like the bones were popping and breaking beneath her skin and made him feel sick to his stomach to watch. But he could not look away as something began to emerge from beneath her skin. Something sleek and dark.

It was not until they were halfway out and one wing unfolded, that Naruto realized just what exactly they were. A pair of ebony feathered wings, rich with a well oiled luster spread out around her, cascading down her back and to graze the ground beneath her.

It was beautiful...but it was all wrong.

He looked to Tsunade with wide eyes as the dawning of what exactly just happened hit him.

'She is changing.'

Her earlier words did not make sense then but now they did. Tsunade had just transformed Sakura into a seraph. When he took in the blonde woman's face, he saw her looking down at Sakura with a crumpled brow...no, not at Sakura, but at her wings.

The moment her wings had fully emerged from her back Sakura fell forward, she avoided falling onto the hard rocks of the ground when Kakashi reached out and caught her. Slowly, he lowered her down to rest her head in his lap while keeping her back faced up, as he too stared down at her dark wings. If there was anyone who knew what that meant it was him. However...even as he stared down at the blackened wings, he found himself perplexed by the abomination that he too shared. It made him rethink the use of such a word because how could Sakura, lovely sweet Sakura, ever be considered an abomination. For her, he had to call it a strange phenomenon.

"Naruto," Tsunade suddenly asked as Sakura's whimpers died down with the gentle soothing of Kakashi's hand on her head of hair. "I thought you said she was a pure soul?"

"She...she is," Naruto defended, looking up to only find Tsunade looking to Kakashi for confirmation.

"It's true," Kakashi said. "There was not a single tarnish on her soul...I even thought her to be a true pure but…" He drifted off looking back at her wings.

Tsunade glared down at the pile of ebony protruding from Sakura's back as she thought. No one had ever told her of such results. But then again, to her knowledge, no one had ever created a seraph since the gods created the first of their kind. That was the problem with such well kept secrets, truths were bent and knowledge was lost.

"What exactly was her relationship with the Uchiha boy?"

She looked to Naruto but found him not paying attention to her, he was still staring at the black feathers of Sakura's wings, so she turned to Kakashi.

"Was it not obvious enough?" Kakashi asked dryly. "You saw the look on his face, the way he reacted, the evolution of his eyes. That would have taken the loss of a strong bond for something like that to happen. And I cannot deny that Sakura's connection with him was just as seemingly strong, if not more. She had a lot of love to give." He paused for a moment, looking at Tsunade curiously. "You are not suggesting…"

Tsunade nodded absentmindedly. "What other explanation would it be? It is my understanding that your wings darkened when you came to possess something that belonged to a fallen? Your eye." Kakashi nodded. "Then could it also happen if she possessed something that belonged to a fallen...to an Uchiha as well for that matter?"

"But that is all figuratively. I literally possess a piece of a fallen within me. I hold Obito Uchiha's eye within me. Don't you think that would be a stretch in her case?"

"What are you talking about?" Naruto inquired, causing the two older seraphs to look at him.

They exchanged a glance before Tsunade explained her theory. "I think, due to Sasuke and Sakura's...connection, one could say that Sakura had given her heart to the Uchiha, meaning that the heart that beats within her belongs to him. While she had a pure soul and would have no doubt belonged to the god tree and heavens, her heart belonged to a fallen, causing the...discoloration."

Naruto stared at her, unable to think of how to respond. Finally, he managed to speak up. "But what is there to worry about, Kakashi has discolored wings and he is good. Sakura would never—"

"Being a fallen or blessed is not a matter of being good or evil," Kakashi interrupted. "That is a matter of what we are trained and raised. However our allegiance is dictated by that."

"What do you mean?"

"He means," Tsunade answered for Kakashi, "is that when the ruler of a seraph sect uses their Will...I don't know which one she will obey."

Present Day:

Back then, when she first thought it, Sakura was just a little mortal she had saved from the cusps of death. But now...now Sakura was her daughter. Her daughter that she loved with every fiber of her being. She had gone to great lengths to protect and keep her safe from the type of monster that she was now walking towards. Madara, with his arms stretched out as if welcoming a long lost child back home, only it was Tsunade's child that was entering into the snare of his demon claws.

Sakura found herself standing before the ancient Uchiha that had been the image of nightmares she had dared not dream. And then he was touching her. His hand came to cup her chin as he inspected her like some sort of steed to be bought, and then he grinned at her and his arms wrapped around her in an awkward hug. He was a tall man, Sakura could not even see past his shoulder but from the crook of his arm, she could see Sasuke glance at her. And for the first time he did not immediately look away.

At first there was nothing in his face, it was blank of anything but even still, she kept her eyes locked on him as if somehow he would have answers. Eventually he looked away with a twitch of his eyes, but not before she saw the smallest of cracks in his mask and she saw an uncomfortable look in his face. What the cause of discomfort was she couldn't really say. It could be that he had reverted back to not being able to look at her because of what she was, but a small part of her could not help but wonder if there had been guilt in that look as well.

She was only allowed this brief exchange before she found herself being turned back around as Madara guided her to stand at her side and face the gathering of blessed seraphs across from them. The atmosphere felt more like a war room then the peace treaty signing it should have been as she took in the confused, hostile, and horrified looks of various council members and members of the blessed. The horror and pain being reflected in Tsunade, Kakashi and Naruto's eyes, was the most painful. Seeing her family looking so broken made her insides feel as if they were cracking and at any given moment, she would shatter.

"I appreciate how well you have taken care of our little lost sheep but it's time she comes back to the fold," Madara said. "Don't worry, she will be well taken care of. We shall make sure she thrives in her true home. I will see to it personally that she does not get neglected."

Tsunade was glaring at him as her arms shook right down to her clenched fists, where chakra was already beginning to pool, readying for a fight.

"Why are you doing this," she said in a surprisingly steady voice. "If this is because of your personal issues with me and my family, then fine, but do not take this out on those who are not involved. This girl has no significance to you."

Madara only grinned more widely. "Perhaps," he admitted though even as he agreed that yes, at one point this girl had nothing of interest, he was finding that the more he learned about her, the more he was beginning to think that admission was no longer true. Each time he learned something about her his interest peaked, like just now with her relation to the last Senju. It made this moment all the more sweeter. "But it seems my nephew has a certain-" he picked up a piece of Sakura's hair and played with it- "interest and as leader and uncle how can I deny what my people want?"

"You bastard!"

Naruto's shout caused everyone to look at him just as he started to run forward. Evading Kakashi's attempt to stop him and pull him back, Naruto was in front of Sasuke at a speed that was nearly reminiscent of his own father's famed velocities. His fist smashed into Sasuke's unsuspecting jaw thrice before Itachi grabbed a hold of Naruto, pinning his arms back and pulling him away from his foolish little brother. Naruto cursed and thrashed in Itachi's iron hold but the long haired man kept him incapacitated as he hissed in the whisked seraph's ear.

Sasuke recovered quickly. Rubbing at the side of his face, he straightened himself and glared at Naruto. He spat out a mouth full of blood before whipping the residue that had stained his lips as his sharingan blazed angrily. He made a move as if to retaliate but was stopped at Madara's command.

"That's enough!"

Madara's roar echoed over all of them, causing everyone to pause and look at the Uchiha ruler. He looked to Tsunade, a darkness in his shadowed face as she returned his expression with a murderous look of her own.

"Tsunade, is this how you run peace talks?" Madara questioned. "By attacking my faction?" He pointed a thick finger at her. "Keep your faction in line Tsunade or I will take it as an act of war," he warned coldly.

To her credit, Tsunade did not even bat an eye as she looked Madara in the eye, but her arm hesitantly and slowly moved in gesture to stand down anyways. It was then that Sakura noticed that the entire group of blessed seraphs had their wings out and were crouched in fighting stances. However, at Tsunade's gesture, they relaxed...marginally.

"Good," Madara commented when the tension eased slightly. "Now I think it is best that my faction take our leave, we got what we came for." His hand on Sakura's shoulder tightened. "We can discuss a union between our factions at a later time."

He took a step back, pulling Sakura along with him but paused when both Kakashi and Tsunade moved forward.

"I don't think you want to do that Tsunade, you have a faction to govern and lead...and right now you are outnumbered. You wouldn't want to make the wrong move which could escalate to heights you cannot manage to fly." He blinked and his irises shifted until his sharingan was blooming in his eyes. The strongest and most powerful that had existed since Indra himself. "It will not end well."

Madara was right. While Tsunade had some strong warriors present, like Kakashi and Naruto, many of the council members were elected because of their brains, not brawns. And with Sasuke and Madara in addition to the original agreed upon fallen, they were outnumbered. But even if they were to have more bodies, the balance in power was still far more in the favor of the demons over the angels. But even with these facts, Sakura could see Tsunade debating. She could see her weighing the numbers and calculating the risk of failure. Sakura could see it in the heavens ruler's eyes, she was deciding if Sakura was worth sacrificing for the safety of their home.

Stop putting my life before anyone else's...If it ever comes down to my life and my safety over others, then you are to let me go. I can take care of myself and if I can't then I would rather die trying than have others sacrifice themselves for me.

Sakura's eyes moved to look at Kakashi. Just a few days ago she had yelled those words at him. She had made him swear that if it ever came down to her or others, the others were to be put first. Yet, now that the situation presented itself, she was not sure if she was selfless enough to make such a sacrifice.

She glanced back to Tsunade whose entire body was quivering as her chakra moved about her body with precision, moving into the familiar joints and muscles that would be used in an attack. Then she looked to Naruto, who was still trapped in Itachi's arms. But even still, she could see the fight brewing in his eyes. And then she became aware of the tight grip on her shoulder and realized why Madara was grasping her tightly. He was warning her, giving her a chance to save her family and her home.

Her eyes shot to Kakashi who was still staring at her, his face torn. He was giving her a chance to take back what she forced him to promise. Not just giving her a chance, but pleading with her. However, despite her fear, she gave the smallest of looks, confirming that what she had said, still held true.

She could see disappointment in his shoulders but there was an admiration in his eyes as he gave her a nod and turned to Tsunade, whispering into her ear. It was obvious that Tsunade did not like what she was hearing as she furiously shook her head, tears of hatred and sorrow streaming from her eyes as she continued to stare angrily at Madara.

However, after a few more hushed words, her eyes fell to Sakura. Sakura gave the most reassuring nod she could muster as she stood stiffly next to Madara. Taking in a deep breath, Tsunade took a step forward.

"Let me at least say goodbye."

Madara seemed to ponder for a moment, as if actually considering being cruel enough to deny such a thing but then his hand lifted from Sakura and she felt a small nudge forward.

"But of course," he said. "As I said before, I am not here to cause rifts, but to just restore what is only natural."

Tsunade rushed forward and grabbed Sakura into her arms. Cradling the back of Sakura's pink head, she pulled her into her shoulder and held her tightly. Despite the older woman's strong hold, Sakura could feel the blonde woman's entire body trembling as she leaned her head into her. Sakura's arms gripped the only mother she could ever recall and pressed her face into Tsunade's shoulder, doing her best not to cry.

"I will get you home," she whispered quietly. "Just do your best to hang on. But I promise, you will come back home. No matter what he says, you belong here."

She pulled away quickly just as Kakashi was appearing behind her. At this she stepped aside and for a moment Sakura just stared at him before rushing forward and giving him a tight hug around the middle. She felt his leather, fingerless gloved hand pat the top of her head before he bowed his own head and gave her a soft squeeze back.

"The rules do not apply down there," he said. "Just do what it takes to survive. We will do our best, but you may have to save yourself for awhile. But I wouldn't worry too much, you are strong enough."

He was pulling away from her all too quickly, ruffling her hair and passing her onto Naruto, who had been released by Itachi. Naruto's icy blue eyes were glaring at Sasuke, his chakra becoming wildly out of control as the animosity within him grew with every second. Instantly Sakura grabbed his face and pulled his attention to her.

"Hey, it's going to be alright," she said in a shaky voice. "I promise I am not leaving forever, I promise to come back."

Naruto grabbed her wrists and held tightly to her. "Sakura," he said worriedly. "You don't have to do this, we can fight, all of us. I won't let that bastard take you."

She shook her head, the burning of tears only being stayed by her determination to not let him see just how terrified she was. She had to be strong, she had to be brave, she had to protect her people, her family, her home. And if leaving them was all it took, she would gladly abandon them a thousand times.

"No," she said firmly. "Be good and patient," she said, before getting on her tiptoes and giving his cheek a platonic peck. "I promise I will be okay."

She moved to turn away but Naruto was pulling her into his chest and wrapping her into a bear hug. That was when she lost it as the first sob escaped her. He only squeezed harder when he heard her sniffle.

"Kick the bastard's ass if he tries anything," he commanded and she nodded her head into his chest. "Hell, just kick his ass when you get the chance."

She wasn't ready to let go but she had no choice when she was suddenly pulled away from his arms.

"This is all very touching but we have to go now," Madara said. He tilted Sakura's head gently to look at him. "Don't worry little starling, you will not want for anything and I promise, you will see your friends again...might be even sooner than you think," he finished, tapping the end of her small nose with the tip of his finger.

Grabbing a hold of her shoulder, he guided her away, directing her towards Sasuke. "Sasuke," Madara prompted as he moved Sakura closer to the young Uchiha, as if meaning to pass her off.

Sasuke gave Sakura a single glance before he shoved his hands in his pockets, turned, and walked straight into the portal. Madara shrugged, then handed her over to Itachi without a word. Itachi mutely took her and she walked with him. His large hand pressed against the middle of her back as he gently guided her towards the portal, a deep frown making the stress lines of his face even more pronounced.

Fugaku entered the portal ahead of her, his body being consumed by the rippling dark veil before he disappeared altogether. She could see the faintest of outlines of his body for a moment before he moved deeper into the realm just inches away from her. Taking a step forward after a soft nudge from a gentle and quiet Itachi, she moved closer to the portal's surface. But the moment her toes reached the reflective matter, she paused.

In its simmering surface she could see her reflection. She was ashen and wide eyed and she suddenly felt all courage and confidence dissipate. For a moment, she felt that she could not go through with it. But then she looked into her own green eyes as if looking into another's soul and something within her seemed to reach out, something dormant until just recently, lent her some sort of strength. With that small bout of assurance, she stepped forward entering into the tingling portal as she stepped out into the underworld.

The first thing she noticed was the dark coldness and it had hardly anything to do with the temperature.

Chapter Text

Present Day:

As he walked through the portal, the warmth of its warping doorway caressed and tickled his skin as all portals did. There was the slight dizzying sensation of disorientation and the discomfort of struggling to breath, but it was gone nearly as quickly as it came as he stepped out into a terrain that contrasted with the heavenly scene he had just departed from.

As soon as he was through, he made his way down the staircase until he reached the main floor of the portal room, and stopped a small distance as he took in a deep breath and let it out. As he exhaled, he took advantage of his solitude in leaving first as he let out a curse. Then his fist came down on the side of the staircase he was standing next to as he let out another. A piece of the rock broke and crumbled, filling the cavern with its rocky echo as he let out another curse, venting his frustration with how poorly all of that went.

In his unstable mind, he had not imagined things to play out the way it did. In fact he was not sure he even knew how he wanted everything to go, he had not thought about how it would be but instead focused on what it would feel like. He had yearned to feel relief. He craved to feel satisfaction. He had hoped for some sort of conclusional ending to his misery. But none of that had manifested within his emotions. Only the twisted mix of criminality and guilt. Taking Sakura from them was supposed to bring justice but it only felt unlawful.

The sound of someone stepping through the portal had him turning around with a blank face and leaning cooly against the black rock, as he looked up at those returning from the heavens. One by one, the portal doorway lit up, its jewels set into the architecture sparkling with each new face as the fallen returned. Each time someone appeared, his heart treacherously skipped a beat when he found it was not Sakura. It seemed like it took forever for her to appear and it disturbed him how much it bothered him when it was just another face of a council member, and not her delicate features, that appeared at the portal.

His father came through, grim faced and scowling as usual. Sasuke followed him with his eyes for a moment as he descended the stairs until Fugaku looked at him in return. Straightaway, he looked back up to the portal, not wanting to bask in his father's scrutiny. When he looked back to the portal, it was just in time to see Sakura appear, relieving him of the building anxiety.

She blinked rapidly as she blindly stared forward, waiting for her eyes to adjust. Then, she paused when her eyes seemed to regain their focus and she looked around the cavern from the high platform. From below, Sasuke watched her, taking advantage of her distracted attention to take her in without notice.

Her hair shifted in the small breeze that always seemed to pass through the drafty underground world and the warm light of the portal gave a glowing outline to her body. Where she stood, in the center of the portal door, the gemed pillars of the portal framed her perfectly, giving the image of a live portrait as she rigidly stood and looked around the room. The white dress she was wearing was plain and simple, but when paired with the backdrop of the portal, it absorbed the glimmering colors and painted it so that it looked more like she was wearing a fabric woven of rainbows than a simple cotton. There was a certain familiarity about this illusion but there was something just not quite right with this replication. He would say she looked like a goddess but given the melancholy expression found on her lips, and the fearful look in her eyes as they skipped around the room, all while her chest rose and fell with hyperventilized breaths, she looked more like a sacrificial virgin meant for the gods than an entity herself.

There was a momentary blinding light behind her that quickly died when Itachi appeared. He put a hand on her back, causing Sakura to startle and look back at him. With a silent command, Itachi escorted Sakura down the dark stone steps, their spiraling path guided by the glowing crystals that had formed along the side of the staircase.

When Sakura's feet touched the ground, her eyes were drawn down the oblong cavern to where a crevice was located opposite of her. At its opening, were a pair of perfectly sculpted hooded figures. Their arms extended towards the ceiling to cross their seraph blades as their demon form wings spread out widely in an aggressive stance. Beneath the hoods, their blank faces loomed down at her from high above and she felt an unease. While their faces were shadowed by their robes, one could not ignore the impression they brought of being carefully monitored by watchful eyes. But then again, as she looked away and saw Sasuke looking at her intently, she wondered if it had just been his overbearing stare that she had felt.

The cavern in which the portal gateways were located was narrow but where it lacked width, it made up for in height. Its vast ceiling was higher than most of the underworld's. The dark rock that formed its walls slanted inward as they soured up to support the earth's crust above. The height was accentuated by the bioluminescent lichen that painted the walls as it grew in large patches along the rocky cavern. The different species and their varying glowing colors gave it an intricate design of decor, creating an organic wallpaper for the cavern.

Madara was the one who guided them down the narrow path of the cavern as they all formed into a single file line to follow him deeper into the underworld. As Sasuke moved forward with the group, he found himself falling in line right behind Sakura. Her pink hair seemed to turn into a pale lavender under the green and blue hue that the lichen produced. He couldn't see her face, but her posture in the way she carried herself, and the general aura of her chakra which she seemed to no longer have any control over at the moment, told him enough to know how she was feeling without her expressions. And he could not help but feel a little disappointed.

Sasuke had dreamt of a moment like this thousands of times. A moment in which he escorted a rose haired woman of spring into his world. Every time, he imagined her astonished as her attention would fail to stay focused on all the wonders she was being introduced to. Every time he had envisioned this moment, she brought his world to life with her own vivid colors and bright personality. In this moment he was supposed to feel relieved, he was supposed to be happy. But at this moment, none of that was happening.

Sakura walked with her shoulders hunched as her arms wrapped around herself, tightening every moment he came a step too near her, as if his proximity brought her unease. There was no constant jabbering, there was no sounds of awe as she took in the wonders of his world. She wasn't even looking. She was quiet. Too quiet, as she stared silently at the ground and followed the feet of Itachi who walked ahead of her. And her aura did nothing to lighten his dark home. Instead, her somber stance seemed to muster a dark cloud over her, making his home look more gloomy than he had ever remembered it.

It was wrong, all wrong.

But that was because it was not her, he reminded himself.

This is not the woman he had planned to bring, the sun that was going to brighten his world, nor the companion he was going to keep by his side. This woman was nothing but a pawn in his revenge. She meant nothing to him. Him bringing her here was a punishment for her just as much as it was for Kakashi and Naruto. He didn't care about her presence, just so long as it got him the results that he had intended.

But if that was true, why was he so disappointed with her reaction? Why was he so inclined to want her to look around and fall in love with this place, to accept this place, and to be happy in this place. Why did he want her to turn around and look at him with a bright smile as she took his hand and gleefully asked him to show him more.

The narrow corridor widened to the circular cavern that had a lower roof and numerous openings, all leading to other parts of the underground labyrinth that made up his home world. Standing in the middle was his mother, wringing her hands as she waited for them to approach. As they entered into the room, their single file line spread out, but Sasuke kept to the back, watching and listening as he tried to ignore his thoughts and the pinkettes presence who seemed to be gravitating to Itachi, as if he would somehow shake her from the nightmare she seemed to be living given the shifting expression and tense muscles of her face.

He had mixed feelings between this bond she seemed to have with his brother. Judging by the easy manner in which Itachi had taken the role as her escort, they seemed familiar. And he didn't like this seeming closeness between them...it bothered him to see her clinging to his brother and not….

However, it was better than before when Madara had been the one to have her in his proximity. Perhaps it had been too long or Sasuke had not been thinking when he had gone to Madara, but seeing a fragile little thing like Sakura, under a powerful Madara's hand was worrisome. Now that he had a clear mind, he was realizing Madara had been too easy in accepting his demands. Almost too eager to fetch Sakura from the heavens, which had been too facile, too well planned. Madara seemed to know more about Sakura than himself and he was showing far more interest in her than he should for an angel that should be of no significance. Then again, he too was finding a lot of strange things about her. The wings he had already known about but her relation to Tsunade, her loyalty to the faction of the fallen…Those had all been a surprise today, yet not to Madara. It made him wonder just what else the demon lord knew as well as what Sakura was still hiding.

He looked at Sakura again with a pensive stare. But any conclusions or deep thought was interrupted when Madara spoke.

"Mikoto," Madara said smoothly, causing the elegant woman, who was eyeing Sakura curiously, to look at her ruler, and older brother. "We have a special guest," he said, turning to Sakura and beckoning towards her. "Come here Sakura."

For a moment, just a fraction of a second, Sakura did not move. But then her face flinched with pain and she stumbled forward as if her body moved without her being ready. When she was at his side he put a hand on her back and directed her in front of Mikoto.

"This is Sakura," he informed his younger sister. "She's a friend of your son and will be staying with us from now on. She is to be treated as one of the family. Would you see to it that she is given a comfortable room, some new attire more fitting of this realm, and anything else that she may need?"

His tone was casual and calm but there was a strict warning underlining it that Mikoto did not miss. Nodding her head, she gave Sakura a warm smile before wrapping a comforting arm around her and grabbing her arm with the other to gently guide her down one of the many corridors.

"Oh and Sakura," Madara called, causing the pair to pause and the pinkette to slowly turn her head. Madara opened his arms to indicate their surroundings. "Welcome to hell."

It was difficult to tell if his words implied what was to come or if it was an attempt of humor. Whichever it was, Sakura paled and turned back around to let the older seraph woman take her away, most likely hoping it would be to take her all the way away, but it was a hopeless wish. She had been dragged down to hell and there was more than one demon determined to keep her there. As Mikoto led Sakura forward, she turned her head around to give Itachi an inquisitive look, who only nudged his head in the smallest of motions towards a figure standing in the back.

Sasuke watched as his mother craned her neck to look at him. Her gentle face pulled into confusion and concern as she walked away with Sakura, but deep down, in her slate colored eyes, Sasuke saw something in her gaze that made him think she was quickly drawing conclusions to the situation. For in her eyes, he saw something he had never seen expressed by her...disappointment. From his father he had seen it numerous times, from his brother and handful of times, from his mother never...until now. And he would be lying if he didn't feel the slightest twinge of guilt.

He heard Madara speak to Fugaku, something about looking at the mess his kingdom had become in his absence before the pair departed. Madara's departure was taken as a dismissal for the rest of those who had been present for the 'peace' talks, and they too moved to disband, all of them taking various paths that webbed out from the main cavern.

Sasuke tried to ignore the annoying feeling his mother had instilled within him and the earlier annoyance to Sakura's reaction, or lack thereof, to his world. But it was an annoyance that only created more annoyance that such a thing even annoyed him. He let out an irksome tsk and moved to make his own departure. However his escape was stalled when his brother's voice echoed out to him. He twisted his head to find that Itachi had lingered and was looking at him with his arms folded across his chest looking at him.

"What are you doing Sasuke?" came his brother's disapproving voice.

Sasuke glared at him, not in the mood for a lecture. "Going to my rooms," he answered, knowing full well this was not what his brother was inquiring about.

Itachi kept his expression the same as his piercing eyes continued to judge his younger brother. "Sakura is innocent in this all," Itachi answered. "And you know she does not belong here."

"Given her sooty wings and her obedience to Madara's Will, I would say this is exactly where she belongs," Sasuke countered. "She will fit right in with the rest of the manipulative, backstabbing, nefarious beings that infest this underground world."

Itachi pushed off from the wall and took several steps forward. "I know you were young when we last dealt with Madara, but you could not have been so young to be ignorant of his ways. Did you not think it odd that Madara was all too willing to bring her here, all too eager almost to have possession of her? Especially with her connection to Tsunade, who you know will not let this go for long."

"That's because it was his part of the bargain," Sasuke explained. "He just wanted my help and that was the-"

"You just took the girl you claim to care about so deeply from the safest place possible and delivered her to the most unsafe place!"

"That!" he said with a snarl, his finger jabbing towards where Sakura and his mother had disappeared, "is not her."

Itachi did not even seem phased by this. While he could not find a single explanation, his ever growing faith to the idea of fate told him otherwise. "And what if she is? You went to Orochimaru to find a way to make her immortal. You spent centuries searching for a way to bring her back. What if you have just been given one thing you have ever wanted so badly enough, that you spent all this time searching and fighting for. You endangered her by bringing her to this place, by bringing her to him. Just how long have you known he was still alive? How long have you been working with him? Was it when you first found her or after when you grew so selfish and desperate, that you align yourself with him instead of coming to me? I would have helped you." His admonishing tone became softened with a saddened and pained sound. "You should have accepted the benevolent gift not squander it by bringing her here."

Sasuke took several steps forward and leaned in towards his brother. "Well it's a good thing that what you are suggesting is impossible," he said in a flat voice. "I know my Sakura, and she would have never looked at me the way that girl does now." Even as he said the words, he wasn't sure he believed them. Itachi's words of possibilities and chances had shaken something within him.

"Then maybe you should move on," Itachi snarled back without an ounce of sympathy. "Your Sakura is dead, but you are not. And you can't continue living like this because it will destroy you...it already has! I saw the way you looked at that girl before all this, in the city when you looked down at her, you felt something for that girl, I could see it." Sasuke opened his mouth to snarl back a refute but Itachi was not finished. "And even if she wasn't the same girl, did you ever think that maybe the gods were finally pitying you and gave you a gift? Gave you a second chance?"

"I don't want pity," Sasuke sneered. "And I don't want her!" Again he pointed to where Sakura had disappeared.

"Then why is she here then?" Itachi demanded. "You just took her from her home, bargained only the gods know what for her, and now you won't take responsibility. You just abandoned her and left her to be taken up by others. And you know who one of the people are?….Madara. He wanted her, he has plans for her, and nothing good will come from that!"

"She is here because they needed to be punished," he pointed up to the ceiling, to indicate who he was speaking of.

"Then you should have just confronted the people who wronged you, and left her out of this," Itachi lectured. "There is something more to her, something that we and even she, might not know. That was badly done Sasuke," he chided. "Badly done indeed."

There was a short pause as their heated glares cooled slightly and Itachi continued more calmly. "I spoke to her in the heavens, spoke to her of you." There was a small change in Sasuke's face with these words. "She did not say much, but I could tell she cared about you, cared about your well-being."

There was a long pause before Sasuke slightly stepped away. "Well I am sure now she hates me now, so no worries there. If anything I did her a favor."

His words said it, but Itachi noted the lack of truth in his eyes for his disregard in how she felt about him. "I would not blame her if she hated you," Itachi responded. "In fact, I find it unfortunate that her compassion will someday forgive you of it. And I hate myself for hoping that she does."

They walked in absolute silence as Sakura let the beautiful strange woman guide her down through a complex network of tunnels. She was not sure how long they had been walking or how far they had gone, but soon Sakura found herself in front of a set of double doors. Mikoto released her hold on her to open them both widely as Sakura tried to ignore the coldness that took over again with the woman no longer touching her. She followed the woman into the room slowly as she watched the raven haired woman set about tidying the already orderly room.

"This will be your room, most of the personal belongings of the previous occupant have been removed but if you find anything lingering just let me know, I can take them to be put somewhere else. This is your space now so if there is nothing to your liking just let me know."

Sakura's eyes slowly trailed around the room looking, but not really taking in, her surroundings. She caught some curtains hanging high over the wall and wandered over to them, surprised that such a place would have windows. However as she pulled it back, only to find a black, hollowed cavern outside it, she let the drapes fall back to block the drafty air.

When she turned back around, she found the woman whose name she had forgotten, looking at her, a curious glint in her eyes. Upon being caught staring, the dark haired woman gave her a kind smile, which Sakura could not return.

If she had heard right this was Itachi and Sasuke's mother and she wasn't quite sure what to make of her. She seemed kind and nice...but she had also thought Sasuke had been a gentle person before. And while Itachi had never shown her anything but kindness, she couldn't help but remind herself, she hardly knew him. She hardly knew Sasuke, despite what she thought she felt. And this woman she certainly did not know. She was in a lair of what she hated to call, but could only think of as now, the enemy.

"Your name was Sakura, correct?"

After a long pause following her question, Sakura silently nodded and despite her distanced hesitancy, the woman smiled again.

"You can call me Mikoto," she offered.

Mikoto watched as Sakura made no acknowledgement to this, instead she went and sat on the edge of the bed. Her small hands grasped at the dark comforter for a moment before moving to her lap where her fingers twisted together as her head bowed to look down at them. It was only then that Mikoto frowned slightly, perturbed not by the girls lacking manners, but by her presence here in the underworld. She had been brought from the heavens and the reason being was somehow connected to her youngest son. But was she really a guest as Madara said because she seemed more like a prisoner.

Just what happened up in the heavens? Why was this angel here? Or was she an angel? Madara had spoken about gathering the demons that had wandered from this realm, but what would a fallen seraph be doing in the heavens?

Everything about her seemed angelic but Mikoto was not so ignorant like most to think being a demon or an angel was divided by good and evil. There were plenty of fallen that were kind and gentle, who genuinely cared about mortals. It was why they picked the bad ones out and preyed upon them. Like a garden, they took out the bad thistles and suffocating plants so the good could grow.

Walking over the wardrobe she opened it up. "We will have to get you measured and fitted for some clothes to be made later, but I can bring you some clothes that you can wear in the meantime," she said as she pushed aside some old clothing that was hanging up as she began to open a few of the drawers to check their contents. "I will have these packed away and–"

"Leave them," came a quiet command that sounded more like a request. Mikoto turned around to see the girl's bright green eyes peek at her before looking back down to pick at her nails. "Don't trouble yourself with changing anything for me. I won't be here long."

Mikoto admired, but was also saddened, by the determination in her voice. This girl was obviously taken without consent and while Mikoto felt this was beyond wrong, she knew her brother, she knew her son. Unless they let her, Sakura was not going anywhere...and even as she thought it, Mikoto found herself not wanting her to go herself.

She had seen the strange way in which Sasuke looked at this little angelic demon and her motherly intuition had told her that her son needed this girl. If he was going to stay, if she was going to get her son back again, this girl would be the reason. Mikoto was a kind and generously giving person, but she was still an Uchiha. Which meant she could be selfish when it came to her loved ones and Sasuke she loved, she wanted him to be happy.

"Very well," Mikoto said, going along with the girl. "Maybe I will just bring a few things then," she suggested. "Just to make your temporary stay comfortable."

Sakura did not reply and Mikoto went towards the door.

"You know what you could use," Mikoto said cheerily. "A warm, soothing bath with plenty of scents and bubbles. In fact, let me just go grab you some extra clothes and a few special oils I have in my collection. I promise you will be–"

She cut herself off when she opened the door widely to exit the room as the door across the hall swung open forcefully.

He arrived at his room with as much ease as if he had never left, his memory easily navigating the warren of caverns, crevices, and dark plunges that made up the underworld. Everything was as he remembered when he walked in. The dark silky bedding of the large four poster bed. The immaculate wardrobe that still held clothes that had not been worn in centuries, but all as clean and fresh as if just newly tailored. In fact everything was still fresh and clean, most likely due to his mother's instructions.

At that thought, his mind wandered to the matron. It had been good to see her, it had been long since he had left her and while he had not allowed himself to think it before, he could not stop the thought now. He had missed her. Though the last look he received from her made him not as eager to see her again. While normally he did not care what others thought of him, the opinion of his mother seemed to still hold some significance.

The image of her leading Sakura away made him wonder where exactly Mikoto had found Sakura a room. There were hundreds of thousands of places in which his mother could have taken her, but something in him told him that she was nearby. That ever annoying pull within him told him so. He had not felt it in days and had thought he had somehow managed to sever it several nights back when...when everything happened. He would have liked to say he had been happy with the detachment, but he would be lying if there was not the smallest part of him that mourned the loss of his connection to her. It was that same small part of him that had beat vigorously when he first stepped into the heavens and felt the immediate tug.

He had looked around, searching for her, but there was something off about the connection. He could feel it but there was something different. It felt tangled and loose making the connection difficult to thread directly to her. He had felt her presence but couldn't find her in the group of those present. However when she stepped out from behind that statue, he knew why he had felt her. However it bothered him that he had not felt her as strongly as before when she was in such close proximity. There was something wrong with the tether...somehow it had been weakened.

Pushing the pinkette out of his tired mind, Sasuke moved towards the bathroom attached to the room. Stripping his clothes and leaving a trail of laundry, he stepped into the shower and let the water cascade down his body. After cleansing himself he was tempted to just fall into the bed and enter a mindless sleep, but the day was still young, this morning having felt longer than it really was. So instead he got redressed, throwing on whatever clothes he pulled from his wardrobe first and made to depart.

Just as he was walking out to leave his room, he noticed something that made him pause. A small slip of paper sitting on the ancient apothecary desk set between his bookshelves. Side tracking, he walked over and picked up the piece of paper that was rolled loosely up into a small scroll.

He frowned slightly when a slimy residue stuck to his fingers when he picked it up. Wiping the residue on his pants, he unrolled the small piece of paper to find a small message scribbled in sloppy handwriting, familiar sloppy handwriting.

We need to talk. -N

Something in the corner of his eye caught his attention and he tilted his head to see a small toad near his foot. Sasuke's brow twitched at the sight of the amphibian before shifting his foot and stepping on it. Just as he suspected, instead of squishing beneath his weight, there was a small pop as a small wisp of smoke escaped from beneath his boot.

Irritated, Sasuke held the note up to his eyes as he gently let out a heated breath, fire forming within his breath. Catching the parchment alight, he threw the burning note onto the stone ground, where it crumbled into a small pile of ash. Stomping to his door with a dark cloud of irk following him, he wrenched the door open only to freeze in its threshold when the door adjacent from him opened, only much more gently than his.

His mother was paused, looking at him with surprise, and the door of the room behind her propped open. Behind her, Sasuke could see the slumped form of Sakura sitting at the edge of the bed.

The pull that used to be strong, but was now coming in and out of focus like a radio frequency, seemed to find a strong connection and he felt his heart lurch within his chest. It seemed that she too felt it, for her pink head snapped up with her vivid green eyes contrasting against the dark colors of her room. Like a lone flower that survived a brush fire.

He stared back at her for two moments before wrenching his eyes away as he slammed his door shut and quickly walked down the hall, ignoring his mother when she called out his name. He walked briskly and quickly but soon he was out of breath and it was not from exertion. He stopped in the middle of an abandoned corridor, grabbing at his chest as pain spread from the spot within the cavity of his ribs. It burned and ached all at the same time.

"Fuck," groaned.

It had started with a pinch the moment the connection had seemed to strengthen and when she looked at him, in her eyes he saw everything she was feeling...not just saw but felt. He felt everything that she was feeling, disquiet, sadness, anger, trepidation...everything.

As he took in deep breaths and grabbed at the pain in his chest, it slowly began to recede and dull to a numb throbbing. When he straightened back up he moved to wipe the bead of sweat that had formed on his brow only to find that not only sweat but tears had escaped him. He glared down at the wet tear now smeared on his hand, staring at it in confusion. What the hell was going on?

If you decide to live by, what you think's wrong and what's right

Believe me you'll begin to wish you were sleeping

Your weeping will creep in head and you'll cry

But if we wake up every morning and decide what we believe

We can take a part our very heart and the light will set us free

-Twenty-One Pilots: Isle of Flightless Birds

End Part I

To Be Continued in Part II

Chapter Text

Isle of Flightless Birds II

Your soul knows good and evil, your soul knows both sides

And it's time you pick your battle, and I promise you this is mine

-Twenty-One Pilots: Isle of Flightless Birds

Intro

There once was an angel who had no wings.

Flightless, she was stranded on an earthen isle and forced to live among the human beings.

There on that island in the ancient lands, she was discovered by a boy.

A boy who saw her for what she truly was.

And in that realm of mortals and men, they fell in love despite fate's end.

The angel was content, but the boy wanted more, so he struck a bargain with the devil in hell, who gave him wings to make her soar.

But when the angel spread her wings, she flew far away into the sky. And the boy was left alone with nothing but the bitter wind to remain at his side.

Abandoned and betrayed, the boy was dragged down to hell, where he paid his debt to the devil below.

There once was a demon who grew weary of hell.

Plagued with boredom, he climbed from the depths of the inferno to wander the surface realm.

In his roaming of the concrete lands, he crossed paths with a girl, who reminded him of a life undamned.

And in the city of empires and dreams, he sought out to reclaim his soul.

The demon was hopeful, but the girl was not, for it turned out things were not as he thought.

He found her on earth but she lived in the sky, among the clouds where his enemies lie.

Feeling cheated and tricked, the demon went back down to the shadows, where he made a deal with the devil king of hell.

There once was an angel who was dragged down to hell...

Chapter Text

Present Day:

Mikoto Uchiha was both lovely and loving, which made disliking her all the more difficult. Sakura had been there nearly a week already and the insufferably kind woman had not given her a moment's rest. Sakura just wanted to be left alone for one day to sulk and regroup, but the woman was suffocating her with authentic care and effort as she took the roll in which Madara gave her with full gusto. If she wasn't so genuine about everything, Sakura would think she was a prison guard instead of a hostess with how closely the woman seemed to watch her.

However today had been different. Mikoto had yet to make an appearance and it was already nearing evening time. And without the direction or distraction of another, Sakura did what anyone who was finally left alone to do everything needed to be done.

Which was absolutely nothing.

Some would call it a wasted day of opportunities-and there is logic in that-but at the moment Sakura couldn't care less. It was not as if she had anywhere to go or duties she had to manage.

So she spent the day thumbing through a few books that Mikoto had brought from the library. A place in which Sakura had interest to visit but had not allowed herself to ask how to go there. Despite how much she was growing to hate the confines of her room, she was intimidated to venture out of their protection.

When reading failed to settle the growing, restless agitation from spending several days within the confines of the room, she had begun trying her hand at rearranging the room. She was planning to replicate the setup of her own room up in the heavens in an attempt to bring some kind of normalcy to her overturned life. However, when she went to pull the bed away from the wall, the sound of something sliding loose, followed by a light thud, caused her to pause. Curiously, she came around to the head board and found a leather bound book. It was lying flat on the ground where it had fallen after being dislodged from where it had been jammed between the cavern room wall and bed frame.

Carefully she picked it up and turned it over in her hands to look at the cover. There was no title or author printed. Instead, there was an etching of a symbol she had recently become familiar with. It was the shape of an uchiwa fan, and given the faded red and white ink that had once made the design stand out more, Sakura confirmed it was the Uchiha clan symbol. Intrigued even more, she moved to open the cover but noted the sealed plating that kept the contents within secure. Going back to the cover, her fingers traced over the edging to the right corner where the letters SU were also etched into the hard leather. Her brows drew together in confusion as she traced each letter individually.

Mikoto had told her this room once had a previous occupant. At the time she had not even pondered who that inhabitant had been, but now she was curious. It was obvious that this was some kind of personal journal, a log of that person's thoughts and life. Depending on the owner, the contents within this book could prove very useful. The question was...who was SU?

The moment she asked herself the question, her mind produced a plausible answer, causing her head to snap up as she looked up at the door, thinking of the person lodging in the room across the hall from her.

Could it be? Her mind contemplated. Sasuke Uchiha.

The lettering certainly matched but why would the journal be here? Had this once been his room? The idea of it made her shiver, thinking of Sasuke occupying the very room she was now confined to. Sitting at the same desk, bathing in the same bathroom, sleeping in the same bed. It made her uneasy.

Her eyes flicked down to the bed and she swallowed. Surely not, she thought skeptically. It just seemed too simple of an answer.

But the potential of this being his journal was far too intriguing to ignore. To read the thoughts and inner workings of his mind. Perhaps she could find answers. Not just about him but herself as well. If she had been so important to him, perhaps he had written about her, she could learn of her past. It was perhaps a vain thought, but it was certainly alluring. So much so, that it had her immediately looking back down at the journal and attempting to open it again.

After several hours of trying to pry the journal open, Sakura gave up in a fury that had her throwing the book across the room in a fit of frustration. She stood glaring at the book for a long moment before crossing the room, picking it up, and returning it back to the hiding spot she had found it in. She wasn't giving up. She was determined to open it. But she needed to calm down first. Otherwise she might end up destroying it. With that in mind, she decided to soak in the deep basin of the porcelain bath of the washroom. Hoping that after some calming meditation, she would be able to think of a way to open the book.

Coming out of the bathroom a half hour later, Sakura crossed the room and opened the doors to the large wardrobe that stood against the wall. Pausing in front of the arrangement of clothing before her, Sakura readjusted the towel wrapped around her as she took in the different cuts, colors, and fabrics of the clothing within.

Despite what she had told Mikoto, the demon lady had taken it upon herself to bring her 'just a few' articles of clothing. But that was a grossly, inaccurate understatement. The woman had gone above and beyond by bringing her several pieces that first night. By day two Sakura had been somehow coerced by Mikoto into letting some servants take her measurements and first thing this morning, when her breakfast was brought to her room, it came with a delivery of clothing for every occasion.

And the once sparse wardrobe was now overflowing with clothes all made and tailored for her. There were even a couple of gowns that were exquisite in craftsmanship that Sakura could not fail to appreciate. But the idea of such an occasion happening in which she would need or wear such a thing was unfathomable to imagine.

There was a knock at the door and Sakura quickly grabbed a robe from the collection and pulled it over herself. As she tried it shut she crossed the floor and cracked the door open as soon as she was relatively decent.

Speak of the devil and they shall appear - or in her case think - was a phrase that was beginning to hold a whole new meaning to Sakura since coming to the underworld. For as she opened the door, it was to find the very person she had been thinking of, standing patiently at the door.

"Oh good, dearie, you are here," Mikoto said with a smile as she pushed past the petal haired seraph and marched over to the wardrobe.

"Where else would I be?" Sakura questioned dryly as she shut the door with a frown, it seemed her almost day without Mikoto would not happen after all.

"Well there are the gardens, the library, the star caverns," Mikoto pulled open the wardrobe doors and began to rifle through the contents. She continued to expand on said places and extend to other areas that Sakura had no clue as to where she would even go to find such places.

Before being dragged down to hell, Sakura had been brave. She had been determined. But it was easy to do that when still standing amongst familiar faces and places. Now, Sakura was in a whole new world. A world she had no knowledge of how the inner-workings, layout, and governments worked. That was the trouble with realms, they all had their own laws of physics and limits of the supernatural. Earth was simplistic to learn after having dwelt in the heavens for so long, but this place, she dared to believe had the potential to be far more complicated than even the heavens.

"Ah! Here we go," Mikoto said as she pulled a dress out from where it hung and held it up to Sakura, tilting her head to the side before smiling. "Oh this is just a delightful color! I knew it would suit you!"

Sakura stood quietly, not commenting or even looking at the dress. Mikoto's smile seemed to purse slightly as she went back to looking through the clothes she had commissioned for Sakura.

"You know why don't you put on this first dress and you can come have supper with us. It's nothing overly eloquent, just a simple family supper. We try to keep up a habit of having at least one meal together with all of our duties. It's been a long time since we have had a full table with Sasuke being gone and all." She paused for a moment before her tone which had dampened brightened. "And it will be good for you to get out of this stuffy room, I don't think you've been getting enough to eat. The maids said you were not eating all of your food."

She turned around and held the dress out to her in offering. Sakura looked at it for a moment then looked back up to meet Mikoto's dark eyes.

"That's okay," Sakura said as she waved her hands and backed away, "I can just take my supper here in my rooms as I have been taking all of my other meals. I just haven't had a big appetite lately...but I will be sure to try and eat more tonight," she promised before adding, "And I wouldn't want to intrude on your family time."

"Nonsense, you wouldn't be any–"

"I don't want to."

Mikoto slightly stiffened at Sakura's sharpness, instantly making Sakura feel bad. The woman had been nothing but nice to her over the week. But genuine or not, the woman was blatantly ignoring the real reason why she was here. Perhaps the first night she could forgive her for that, but Sakura was certain that this woman was not so oblivious to know by now. Sakura was not a guest, she was a prisoner. Her efforts were well meaning, playing the role of an umbrella as Sasuke's actions rained on her parade. But instead of throwing a parade, it was a pity party Sakura was trying to host for herself, and Mikoto was postponing it.

Mikoto watched as the pinkette sank down onto the edge of the bed and she could not help but let out a weary sigh. She had tried. For days the woman had honestly tried to get the girl to at least open up a little, to get her out of this room. She had been gentle and kind, and while she could see that Sakura struggled with turning such kindness away, she still resisted every attempt Mikoto tried to cheer her up. Mikoto felt for Sakura, she really did. But the girl needed to accept the cold hard facts, she was not going anywhere.

She was also worried for the young woman. It wasn't healthy to stay so cooped up and secluded. Which is why Mikoto hardly left her alone. She was worried what the Sakura might do to herself. She just looked so...so broken. Which is why Mikoto has been careful around her as if walking on thin ice, doing her best not to crack the surface.

However, while she had learned nothing from Sakura herself, she had learned a little from Itachi and Fugaku as to what had happened. She had tried several times for Sasuke to talk to her but that conversation had been short.

'Who is she?' Mikoto had asked.

'Nobody,' he had answered.

Despite this, there was something that Mikoto had learned that gave her an idea. According to Itachi and her husband, Sakura was the daughter of Tsunade Senju. Technically adoptive but all the same, it meant that Sakura had been raised by the infamous woman. Mikoto had never met Tsunade personally, but she had heard plenty of stories as to the woman's tough and coarse exterior. And perhaps that was the answer to getting through to Sakura.

Crossing the floor, Mikoto thrust the dress into the sulking woman's lap, causing Sakura to look up at her, her green eyes widening slightly when she took in Mikoto's stern face.

"Look, I understand you are struggling. I even understand that you want nothing to do with myself or any of my family, seeing as it was my son who is the reason you are here. But you need to get something into your pretty little head," she said, putting her perfectly manicured hands on her hips. "You're stuck here, and you are not going anywhere anytime soon. So you might as well make the most of it.

"If you want to see us as your enemy that's fine, but I fail to believe that a daughter of Tsunade Senju would just give up so easily. When you are stuck with your enemy you don't just give up, you take advantage of it. You learn of your enemies inside and out. The more you know about them, the more you know their weaknesses. I am giving you the perfect opportunity for that as a token of apology. Not on behalf of not my son-" she quickly established- "he needs to repair his own errors. But for the fallen that wanted nothing but peace, I extend this offering."

Sakura stared dumbly at the woman.

"Now get dressed," Mikoto continued. "Dinner is in an hour. I expect you to be there. And if you are, I will let you be for an entire day like you've been wishing for since you came here. You can sulk and throw yourself a pity party tomorrow but tonight, you will join my family for dinner, is that understood?"

She couldn't do anything but nod her pink head as she looked up at the woman. Instantly Mikoto's dark and cold exterior broke and she was the beautiful, smiling, and kind woman again.

"Good," she said sweetly as she started for the door. "Go right when you leave the room, take the third corridor to the left, and it's the fifth door down."

Mikoto disappeared leaving Sakura alone.

After a heavy pause, Sakura looked down at the dress in her lap. Holding it up, she took in the design and cut. It was simple but elegant. A rich green dye, colored the soft fabric that was stitched with a flower like shape she was unfamiliar with.

Moving to the vanity, she held the dress up to herself and couldn't help but agree with the Uchiha woman, it paired well with her. Her green eyes which had been dull over the past days seemed a little brighter and alive giving the pallor of her skin some color.

As Sakura stared back at herself she took in what Mikoto had said. She had been right, she couldn't keep on going like this. She needed to accept her fate and make the most of it. Tsunade had said that they would get her back but she would be on her own for a while. Kakashi had told her she was strong enough to do this. And Naruto, she had promised she would come back. And she would.

But as much as she wanted to be immediately home, she was going to be here for a while. So she needed to be proactive and learn as much as she could. She couldn't just give up. Otherwise, she would be here forever.

She paused in front of the double doors, tugging at her dress nervously before lifting a hand to the doorknob that- if she had followed Mikoto's instructions correctly- would lead her into the dinning room. Her fingers touched the cold metal, its intricate design more for show than function, as the decorative edges made it awkward to open the heavy door. She cracked it slightly before hesitantly stepping through. Her jade eyes took in the scene before her as she lingered at the door, letting it shut behind her with a soft thud as she leaned against it.

The room was carved into a small rectangle. A few extra seats lined the walls beneath evenly spaced sconces that gave out a warm light to the room. On one side was a large fire place with glowing embers that also put out an illumination that set an intimate tone to the ambiance. Above its carved mantle was a large painting. From her angle, Sakura could not quite see its depiction properly, only enough to see it was a portrait of several people. High above, in the center of the vaulted ceiling was a colony of jagged stalactites. Where the points of the longer columns hung down, numerous holes had been carved into it, and candles had been inlaid into the mineral deposits, forming a chandelier. Beneath the naturalistic light fixture, was a long stone table that could easily seat a dozen people, but at the moment only one end was currently being occupied.

Fugaku was seated at the head of the table and to his right, facing Sakura, was Mikoto. Unlike her frowning mate, she had her usual happy smile on her face as she talked away, gathering hums and grunts with the occasional sentence from the others. Across from her, Sakura could see two of the chairs being occupied on the opposite side of the table. While his back was towards her, Sakura could easily identify the side of Itachi's face from his position next to his father. His long and maintained hair was a characteristic she was quickly becoming familiar with from his short visits over the past days.

She was just about to make herself known when her eyes went to the chair next to Itachi, and Sakura stiffened. In the chair next to Itachi, Sakura recognized the spiky head of hair turned away from her.

She should have known he would be here, but for some reason, in her mind, she had failed to realize that Sasuke would be present as well.

Despite the quietness in which she entered, Sasuke's head snapped around the moment her eyes set on him. His own, darker eyes widened fractionally in surprise when he caught sight of her standing awkwardly at the threshold. It was the first time she had actually physically seen him since the day she had been dragged to this place. However that did not mean she had not been aware of his presence.

She had heard and sensed him coming and going from his room all week. It had always been a strange sensation but with increased frequency, she had gotten used to the tightness and flurry of emotions that came with his close proximity. But this, seeing him, having nothing between them to serve as a barrier...it was a whole new level that she was not ready for. Sakura's heart leapt and she found herself quickly turning to leave before anyone else noticed her.

But it was too late.

Noticing her son's distraction, Mikoto's eyes followed the direction of her son's attention to catch sight of Sakura just about to make her escape. She quickly stood and started making her way around the table to the door.

"Sakura! I was beginning to think you got lost," she said sweetly, causing the girl to pause in her escape and turn back around. Mikoto looped her arm through Sakura's and started guiding her to the table. "Come. You can sit next to me."

Sakura found herself being pushed down into the chair next to Mikoto where there was already a plate of food set out in front of her. She wasn't sure why, but it wasn't exactly what she expected to be served for dinner in hell. For some reason she had imagined bat wings and spoiled fruit to be the cuisine of the underworld. Never mind the fact that every meal she had already been served was relatively normal. Herb potatoes were piled next to a juicy cut of pork that lay on a bed of roasted asparagus as a red compote was delicately plated with the finest art.

It looked delicious and the smell of it had her mouth watering. But even as the hunger manifested, she felt her knotted stomach wriggle as her lost appetite fought with the stimulation of the aromatic food.

As the queasiness set in her stomach, she looked away from the delectable food and straight into Sasuke's heated gaze as he was seated directly across from her. It was piercing, and within her she felt everything become mixed as foreign emotions seemed to seep in. Not foreign as in unfamiliar, but just simply not hers.

"I believe you are already acquainted with my sons," Mikoto began, drawing Sakura's attention to the woman addressing her, "but I don't think you have been properly introduced to my husband. This is Fugaku."

Sakura looked at the oldest male at the table who gave a silent nod of his head. Sakura nodded back and mumbled what was a questionably audible greeting. She watched as Mikoto put her hand on the stoic man's arm sitting next to her and gave him the warmest of smiles. To Sakura's disbelief, the man seemed to soften. It was not necessarily the warmest of affectionate expressions, but compared to his earlier expression, Sakura could tell that this man cared deeply for the woman. And the woman looked positively infatuated with him despite her aged years.

After this short exchange, Mikoto extracted herself from her husband and leaned towards Sakura as she pushed the pinkette's fork towards her. "Eat," she prodded. "I can already tell you've lost some weight this past week. I took those measurements just a few days ago and already your clothes are looking loose."

Sakura knew this was an exaggeration, the dress she was wearing fit like a glove. But she nodded anyways and picked up her fork to push her food around in an attempt to appease the woman. As she speared a small potato, Sakura listened and watched from beneath her lashes as the family interacted with each other.

Earlier, Mikoto had given her a piece of advice that whether intentional or not, was sound advice to someone who was a glorified captive labeled as a guest. So she listened and noted, observed and analyzed her captors, taking in as much as she could learn about this world and its inhabitants. All the while, she tried to ignore the heavy stare of the man sitting across from her.

It seemed as much as he believed he had changed, there were some things that would remain the same forever. Sasuke had only come because he could not find it within himself to deny his mother a simple request for dinner. And at the moment, he was thoroughly regretting and cursing his feeble will power when it came to Mikoto Uchiha.

He should have known something was odd when he saw an extra setting at the table. And he especially should have known the extra guest would be her.

He had felt her emotions seep into him before he even realized what him feeling them meant. When he did, he had turned around to find her standing frozen at the door. She looked nearly horrified, spinning around to leave but it seemed his mother had other plans. Now, she was sitting across from him, avoiding his eyes, and pushing her food around on her plate without taking a bite for the past ten minutes.

As his mother went about conducting the conversation of the table, he couldn't help but keep his eyes fixated on Sakura as he silently stared at her. Not that he really needed to say anything or respond to his mother. It was one of his mother's gifts, to converse at a table full of mutes and still manage to have a two way conversation.

"Sakura," Mikoto said, finally conducting her attention to the pinkette who had just finally taken her first bite of food, "what kinds of things do you like?"

Sakura quickly swallowed the small bite she had managed to eat and looked at Mikoto. It was an odd question to ask a seraph. Seraphim were not like mortals who went about pursuing dreams and hobbies, they only had their duties. Sure there were certainly things that a seraph enjoyed and did during their free time, but it was hardly something they pursued in the name of passion. Duties always came first.

"Um…" her eyes flashed around to each individual. Mikoto was looking at her with enthusiastic encouragement, Fugaku was glaring down at his plate, Itachi was gazing at her with intrigue, and Sasuke...Sasuke was just...looking. She looked back to Mikoto. "I suppose I like gardening. Before I started my guardianship I was a caretaker for most of the gardens in the heavens."

"Oh how wonderful!" Mikoto exclaimed. "Perhaps you can help me with the gardens here."

"You mean things actually grow in this place?" She had not said it to be mean, it was just a genuine question of surprise. But her tone had a mocking sarcasm to it and as soon as the words came out, she realized how insensitive it could sound. Sakura may have not wanted to be here, but this was still Mikoto's home. "I'm sorry一I didn't mean for一I just meant…"

Sakura trailed off when Mikoto's gentle laughter filled the air and she waved her off. "It's quite alright dear, I understand. Yes, we do have things that grow here. Probably not as delicate or soft as your world but they have their own beauty." She looked at Itachi. "Itachi has always told me of the gardens in the heavens. He describes them beyond fathomable beauty," she said wistfully.

"You have never seen them?" Mikoto gave her a wane smile and Sakura realized the stupidity of her question. "Right, sorry," she quickly corrected as she bit at her lip thoughtfully. "But surely you have seen the earthen realm and their foliage! They too have a beauty that the heavens' growths do not have. Some may argue it, but there is a melancholy beauty to the imperfections and fragility of the plants that cover the earth. I find it enchantingly poetic in the way even the most frail looking plant can dig its roots into the earth and thrive with only the bare minimum to sustain it."

Again Mikoto gave a sad smile. "I have never been to the surface. As you know, not all of us are given the duties of tempters and watchers of mortals. Some of us must remain behind to oversee that our own realms remain in order."

Sakura had no words. She could not imagine being confined to only this place, to having only knowledge of this dark world, to have never felt the warmth of a sun's rays. She knew that everyone was bestowed different callings, many of them not involving going to other realms. At a time she too once thought that to be her fate. But Kakashi and Naruto had stood up for her, spoken in her defense. That was when she was released from her garden duties to start her guardianship.

At the thought of the two seraphs, Sakura's mood dampened as she thought about the pair. Mikoto seemed to notice the shift, but misinterpreted the reason behind the change in the younger females composure.

"It is all right," she replied. "Just because I have never been there does not mean I am ignorant of the beauties. When Sasuke first started going to the surface, he would bring down flowers and plants for me," she said, looking at Sasuke fondly.

Sakura could not help but look at him too. He made no reaction to the comment as he gave his plate far more attention than needed. It was hard to imagine such an action being done by him. Hard, but not impossible. Because despite the closed and hard exterior that seemed to have poisoned her image of him, she could still remember seeing a tender side to him before this, pre-being dragged down to hell. It was still difficult to believe he ever had a side that would have picked and collected flowers for his mother.

But Sakura could see the truth by the way Mikoto looked at her youngest. It was nothing she had ever seen in another's face when he was the topic. Even in Itachi there had always been a small greyness in the way he spoke of him. However this look was pure.

"It was so sweet," Mikoto continued and Sakura watched as a tension manifested in Sasuke.

Sasuke did not like the turn in conversation. He did not like to be reminded of his naive childhood. Yes, he remembered bringing fallen leaves, tree clippings, and flowers back from his early surface days like he was some kind of feather brained magpie collecting trinkets. But that was back before he learned truly the cruelness of mortality. That was before he questioned the gods' purpose in even creating things and beings if they only perish in the end. It was fruitlessly unproductive and had no point. But that was not what bothered him. It was the look in which Sakura attained upon learning of this.

She was looking at him differently. Looking as if she was seeing past the darkness and seeing a light that. An accomplishment that another soul had once done. And he detested her for being able to see that in him.

So he opened his mouth to end whatever notions that she might be creating about him, because he would not allow her to see him in such light. "Too bad they all died," he said, dark eyes staring intently at Sakura, challenging her to continue to look at him in such a way.

There was a small pause and Sakura wrinkled her brow. Then Sasuke got his wish, any tender understanding of his brooding self she had was replaced by a hard glare. And again any illusion or resemblance of her being able to see a tender side of him was erased. But, like everything else that had gone Sasuke's way as of late, he didn't feel any satisfaction in the accomplishment. However before he could contemplate what was wrong, his mother was moving on.

"Yes...yes they did," Mikoto continued in a slightly somber tone. "But I guess that is to be expected when you bring a flower to a place it does not belong."

"And yet he still brought them home despite knowing they had no place here," interjected Itachi.

There was a thickness that formed in the atmosphere around the table and Sakura could not help but think they were no longer speaking of plants. An awkward silence fell over them and unable to withstand the discomfort of Itachi and Sasuke's glare down, Fugaku's disinterest, and Mikoto's anxious glances as her peaceful conversation was obliterated, Sakura spoke up.

"You know…" she began, looking at Mikoto as she warily glanced at Sasuke and Itachi. "I don't know if it would work, but you could maybe try grafting plants from the surface, into plants that live here in this realm. Depending on the type of flora you have of course. It is done with many types of fruit trees. Like olive trees for example." Sasuke's head whipped around to give her an odd look but she did her best to ignore the magnitude of his attention as she focused on Itachi and Mikoto instead. "When a tree is not producing well, you take branches from it and graft them into the more healthy trees to keep them alive and bearing fruit."

"Oh, I know of the tree you speak of. There was a time when Sasuke brought me those particular leaves all the time," she commented.

Sakura could not help but glance at Sasuke. When she did, his face was pulled tightly as if deep in thought. However when her attention turned to him, he narrowed his eyes and she quickly looked back to Mikoto. But all the while, she watched Sasuke from the corner of her eye, curious about his sudden odd attention after having practically ignored her since he first entered the heavens to collect her.

"I have always liked the look of olive trees. There is just something fascinating about the tint of the leaves, how they almost turn silver when the light hits them just right." Sasuke's eyes narrowed more and Sakura could have sworn his head tilted just slightly as if contemplating something.

"I do not think I have ever seen them in the heavens," Itachi joined in. "But I have not explored all the edenic gardens that you have there either. I can only imagine they are even more beautiful in their celestial form."

"Oh we don't have them in the heavens," Sakura replied. "They are strictly an earthen realm plant that was gifted by the gods. I think that is why it is such a significant plant in their world. Even though mortals have no knowledge of the uniqueness it is to their realm, you see it throughout their history as a symbol ofー"

"That's a myth."

"..." Sakura looked to Sasuke upon his interruption. "Pardon?"

"That's a mortal myth, a Greek myth," Sasuke accused.

"Sasuke, dear, what are you speaking of?"

Sasuke did not even look at his mother when she asked for clarification. His dark eyes stayed solely on Sakura as he looked at her, truly looking at her with an expression that no one at the table could fully interpret its meaning.

"The gods giving mortals olives," Sasuke answered. "It was said that whichever god bestowed the people of Greece with the most esteemed gift, would earn the right of naming their most important city. Poseidon, their god of the seas, was a seeker of shoreland kingdoms. So he created a waterway through Attica that provided fresh drinking water and easy access to the sea. But Athena...Athena gave them olive trees.

"And while the people of Attica were grateful to Poseidon, they preferred Athena's gift. In return for the gift, Athena was granted the right to name the city after herself. That is why the Parthenon, the temple built in her honor, overlooks the city of Athens."

There was a long pause as Sasuke concluded his short tale and suddenly he felt self conscious from the looks of his family. But the one that made him the most uncomfortable was Sakura's. She wasn't exactly looking at him, as her attention to her surrounding world seemed to be blocked by whatever she was thinking deeply about. As if she was trying to place something.

Across the table, Sakura was doing just that. She had listened to Sasuke with wrapped attention just as she had weeks ago when he told her of other tales and stories. And just like then, this story had a strange familiarity about it. As if she knew this story, she had known how it ended before Sasuke had even revealed its conclusion. She blinked and noticed that Sasuke was staring at her with an expression that was easily read as suspicion.

"So your claim that they're from the gods is false," Sasuke suddenly said towards Sakura with a hard tone. "It comes from a story, not fact. So why would you claim it as if you actually believed it?"

Sakura tilted her head to the side, trying to figure out his motive. And while instinct told her to let the subject go, she found herself speaking, "All stories stem from truth" she declared, lifting her head and meeting his eyes in a challenge.

Sasuke was slightly unsettled by her remark. It was a phrase he had once said long ago. However he would not acknowledge the coincidence of it. It was a common belief among many that there was always some truth to legends, myths, and tales. It was just a matter of how much truth was in them that was debated.

"And why do you know so much about them?" he inquired. "Since when do seraphs spend their time familiarizing themselves with mythological beliefs of ancient mortals?"

"And what makes you any different," Sakura defended. "Seems to me you're the one who has an uncommon knowledge. Why are you so familiar with them?"

Sasuke's jaw clenched, annoyed that this woman had a valid point. But his case was different. Those stories were important to him because of who had taught and familiarized them to him. It seemed Sakura could tell she had caught him at his own game as a smug smile came to her face which only irked him more.

Sasuke leaned slightly forward, flashing his teeth in a sneer as his lip twitched in annoyance. "How are you such an expert of a plant that does not even exist in your realm?" he countered, steering the interrogation back to her.

His words came out like an accusation, causing Sakura's confident look to falter. Sasuke watched as the small ease that she had gained faded slightly. She opened her mouth to reply but stopped before anything passed her lips.

"Where have you ever seen such a plant you claim to know so much about?" Sasuke then found himself asking.

She looked befuddled and genuinely perplexed. Sasuke watched as a small crease formed between her eyebrows as if in full concentration to remember something. And then her green eyes darted around, almost as if in panic in not knowing the answer.

"I am sureー" his mother began, as she saw the near alarm in the pinkette's face, but Sasuke cut her off.

"Where?" he barked, his voice sounding gruff.

Sakura looked at him, her green eyes meeting his smokey stare. Again she opened her mouth but again she failed to utter even a single answer. Where had she seen such a tree? She knew where they grew, she knew what they looked like, but had she actually ever seen one?

"I suppose that is the flaw with living such a long life," Itachi spoke up. "You gain an insurmountable knowledge but you forget who and what taught you such lessons. Which is sometimes the most important part. The how and who, get overshadowed by the what. Wouldn't you agree, Sasuke."

Sasuke caught and held Sakura's gaze with a hard expression, trying to read what was going on in her mind. He could feel her own confusion and panic within his own chest, as if she was disturbed by the fact that she had no answer to his question. But then she blinked and Sasuke was eerily struck by a sense of deja vu and nostalgia as she looked away from him.

"I suppose you are right, Itachi," she said, giving a small grateful smile.

This only served to irk Sasuke as his hand clenched the fork in his hand. But before he could again press matters further, Sakura was standing abruptly.

"Mikoto, thank you for the meal," she said awkwardly, avoiding Sasuke's gaze. "But if you will excuse me, I am not feeling well."

Sakura left before she could even allow Mikoto to try and coerce her into staying. She did not even care if Mikoto didn't allow her a day of being left alone. She just wanted to escape. To be away from Sasuke's interrogating questions. When she had entered the dining room and noticed his presence, she had known it would not end well. However, the dinner turned out to be far more disturbing than she thought. Sasuke's questions and words, her inability to defend her stance nor answer his inquisition bothered her.

She knew the exact source as to why she couldn't answer him. She knew exactly why she had knowledge and familiarity with everything he had said. And yet that knowledge did little to comfort her.

When Sakura had first found out about her previous life that she had no recollection of, it disturbed her. Compared to the years she had accumulated as a seraph, the barely twenty years as a mortal seemed nearly irrelevant and hardly much of a loss of memory. She had once grieved the inability to recollect her memory, mostly because of Sasuke's significance to them. But his recent actions had made her decide that it was probably for the best that she did not recall them. She had dubbed it a blessing from the gods.

But tonight, there was something altering and disturbing to her lack of memory. While twenty years was hardly any significant chunk of her life, she was reminded of something Kakashi had once said to her. 'It was the quality of content in a person's life that gained significance, not the quantity.' Tonight, Sakura was reminded that perhaps the content in which was captured in those years was more significant than she could deny. And tonight, she found herself grieving for the life she lost and could not remember. In fact she found herself in such distress, that she failed to take the turn that would lead her back to her room.

Unable to stand the suffocating presence of his family, Sasuke left the table not long after Sakura. He couldn't stand to look at his defeated mother after all her efforts to strike up pleasant conversation took a sour turn of events. His scowling father's disappointed silence, as he had yet to even say a single word since Sasuke's return home, was ironically loud with only the scrap of forks against plates to cover up the silence. And then Itachi and his overt concern for Sakura's well-being was the most irksome.

After Sakura had left, Itachi had stood to follow her. Sasuke had been about to stop him himself, but surprisingly it was his mother who halted him, telling him to let her be for a moment. He had given Sasuke a silent lecture with a single look before following his mother's command and going back to eating in silence. That silence had been what drove Sasuke, a usual lover of such a phenomenon, to flee the dining room.

So with his meal half finished he stood from the table. "Thank you, mother," he vocalized, not able to leave without acknowledging her warmth, despite how unwanted it was. Mikoto gave him a wane smile and a nod before he turned around, and while avoiding Itachi's stare, walked out of the dining room.

He turned down the hallway, not entirely sure where he was going to go, but any thoughts of a destination were halted as a flash of pink in the corridor ahead caught his eye. Sasuke stopped and focused more closely at the empty hallway. Confused.

He could have sworn that there was a…

Pink came from an adjacent corridor, streaking across the wide hallway as Sakura appeared. She crossed the intersection to continue down another long hallway that ran perpendicular to the one he was standing in. However, just as she was about to disappear, she came to an abrupt stop.

Sasuke's brow bunched together. What was she doing?

Her body backtracked a few steps as she looked down the opposite part of the hall he was standing in. As she stood in the hallway with her back towards him, he watched as her head turned from side to side, looking down each corridor in front of her. Her hands were grasping at the green dress she wore as a sound, possibly of frustration, echoed down to him. Her hand released the bunched fabric of her dress as she brought it to her hair where she clenched at the strands near her scalp as she muttered something.

And then it hit him as to what exactly she was doing.

Unlike most structures made by any kind of being, the underworld was not designed and built to accommodate those who would be dwelling in it. Instead, those who lived in it worked with the already naturally made cavernous tunnel systems and adapted it into their architecture. This made for hallways that ended in dead ends and intersections of corridors that had on average, five to six possible directions to continue down. And the hallways were not always entirely straight. They bent and curved, sometimes slow and subtle like the horizon line, while other times it was sharp and numerous like the slithered pattern of a snake's movement. It was easy for anyone who did not dwell there to get lost.

Sasuke flashed stepped silently and stopped a couple of meters away from her. Cooly, he leaned against the wall where he watched her. His eyes ran up the bare calves of her legs then followed the curvature of her body as he took in her jerky and agitated movements as she took a half step forward then second guessed her direction. He could hear her muttering under her breath and could not help but let the tug of a smile come to his face.

"Lost?"

Sakura let out a sharp intake of breath and whirled around as her hands and feet moved into an unmistakable defensive stance. Then she stilled and straightened when she realized who it was.

"No," she said haughtily. "I was just looking around before I headed back to my room. Trying to get a feel for the layout. You know, since I will be living here from now on." She finished speaking with a pointed look on her face, casting as much blame as she could towards him.

Sasuke pushed off of the wall. Shoving his hands into his pockets, he walked up to her. She took the smallest of steps back before she forced herself to stand ground, glaring up at him as he came to stand before her.

He leaned forward slightly, his sharp nose coming close to hers. "You should head back now, you don't want to find out what lurks in the dark within this realm." His head fell to a tilt. "Trust me," he said with an air of smugness.

She glared at him, her face turning up to him as her brows narrowed. "I would rather take my chances with the worst of dark lurkers than trust you."

"Fine," he hissed between his teeth, "but I promise a little guardian dove like you has no chance. This world was here before the first of the fallen fell through the earth's surface and I am afraid to say, he did not land at the top of the food chain."

Sakura did not want to even dwell on what kind of creatures he was talking about. She told herself he was only trying to scare her and she refused to show that his words made her fearful, despite the trickling unease that ran across her skin. Unwilling to show him any kind of reaction to the imaginations running through her head, she calmed herself by concluding that the fallen wouldn't just let these creatures room around freely. Surely they had an established territory or have put up some kind of protective wards?...wouldn't they?

She realized she was taking too long to respond when she caught him staring at her. "Well then I thank the gods for their existence and will pray that one of them grows hungry," she said in a snarky reply. "Your arrogance reeks and they should easily find you."

There was something that lighted within her eyes and it was like a beacon. And like other nocturnal creatures, Sasuke found it fascinating and alluring. It ignited something within him and he stepped towards her, forcing Sakura to retreat backwards from his advance until she ran into the wall. There he put his hands against the uneven tunnel wall as he leaned down to her level, trapping her.

"I would be more worried about your own scent," he said slowly.

He leaned his head towards her as if magnetized. Dipping his head to the crook of her neck, he took in a deep inhale of her and let his nose run up her skin. It was like a recovering drug addict being offered a hit he could not refuse. The intoxicating rush had him nearly euphoric by the time he reached her ear and whispered into it.

"You reek of the heavens," he exhaled, his cheek grazing against hers as he spoke into her ear. "And I am sure those creatures would be far more delighted in a more rare delicacy like you, than myself."

He withdrew from her, taking his time as he moved to come face to face with her. He came to a stop when his eyes locked onto her. His nose was so close to hers that she felt herself going slightly cross eyed.

It was like a substance had been injected into her chest and flooded her system, leaving her inebriated. She could hardly think straight. All she was aware of was the thundering of her heart within her chest and the touch of the tips of his fingers as they grazed her jaw bone and touched her lips. His eyes flickered to where his fingers had come to rest at her mouth as her ventilated breaths moved sporadically through her parted lips. There his attention stayed, as if hypnotized.

Under his heavy and close presence, Sakura squirmed. Her body, her mind, it was like every neuron was being fired up. Quickly her mind became overheated and shut down, resulting in her body reacting to him on its own accord.

Her hands, which had been pressed into the cold cavernous tunnels wall, reached out and pressed against his abdomen. Heat seeped into her fingers from his body beneath his shirt and the numb sensation that had formed in her digits was quickly thawed. The ridges and muscles of his toned core could be easily distinguished as she let her hands slowly run up his front, memorizing every dip and definition.

All the while, her eyes remained locked on his and she could hear his breath distinctly hitch. She felt his body lean into her touch of the smallest degree. When her hands reached his chest, a brief soberness seemed to overtake her and she realized with horror what she was doing. As she strained to keep the panic controlled, the thought that he was just toying with her came to mind and she became angry.

"Well won't that be a disappointment for them when they get a taste-" her face became hardened- "because turns out, I'm apparently just as damned as you."

She shoved him away from her.

Not anticipating her strength, Sasuke stumbled backwards until he hit the other side of the hall. Sakura could not help but let the slightest of smirks come to her lips. She wasn't sure how she managed to be so bold, but there was something she had felt, another of those foreign emotions, that had made her realize she had some kind of involuntary effect on him.

"Do us both a favor, and stay away from me," she said, moving to make an escape as her heart thundered within her chest from the impulsive effect he seemed to bring forth in her as well.

"Go back to your room Sakura," Sasuke responded, his warning tone causing her to pause and look at him. He gave her a serious expression. "I mean it, you should not wander around down here."

She wanted to defy his warning, take off down a random passage and run away. But there was something in his tone that told her that his warning was genuine. And despite herself, she knew that he was right. However she refused to let him know that.

"Why do you even care?" she spitefully asked.

"..."

She rolled her eyes at his silence. "Fine," she sighed, exasperated. "I was already on my way back anyways."

She turned and began to walk down the corridor.

"Sakura," Sasuke called after her.

She snapped back around. "What?" she said in annoyance.

"You said you were going back to your room."

"And? What of it?"

Sasuke pointed to the hallway in the opposite direction. "Your room is that way," he said monotonously.

She looked to the hall that he was pointing down then looked at him. He could tell he had unsettled her with his advances, he could see it, he could feel it. But she was trying to hide it from him. An action he could easily read because he too was putting on a show. Hoping she had interpreted his moment of weakness as some sort of sadistic persona on his part. He would rather her think of him that way than to know she had a power over him that made him lose control of himself.

He watched her walk past him as she stiffly ignored his heavy gaze. As she passed by and continued down the hall he had pointed her towards, he leaned against the corner and continued to watch her closely. He let out a short snort as she overshot the door and backpedaled on her feet. She placed a hand on the door handle and began to twist it open when she stopped at the sound of his voice.

"Sakura," he called again.

Her pink head whipped around as she glared down at him. "What?" she said sharply.

"That's my room," he replied in a calm, informative manner. "Your's is the other one...but you knew that already, right?" he added sarcastically.

Her hand retracted away from the door handle as if it burned her. Without looking at him, she turned on her heel and crossed the hall to her own room where she quickly opened the door and slammed it shut.

The slam of the door reverberated loudly as it echoed far down the tunnel system. Sasuke could have sworn he felt the earth shake from the force of it. But it was just another reminder that she was not who he once thought. His Sakura had always been gentle. However, despite this flaw, he couldn't help but find a slight amusement. Because despite the difference, he couldn't help but find a similarity in the temperament, this one was just more enhanced.

His brow twitched at that thought. It was frustratingly annoying.

He could feel her soft body against him as the sweet scents, that were always her, filled his lungs with each relaxing breath. Half of her was curled into his side while the other half lay over him. Her head rested on his chest with the crown of her head tucked just beneath his chin. In his half asleep-half awake state, he found himself absentmindedly lifting his hand and stroking the long hair that curtained her shoulder and cascaded around them. Her hair was thick but had a softness to it that mimicked the velvet petals of the flower in which she was named after.

At his touch she stirred and shifted until her chest pressed up against his and he felt her warm lips touch his. It was chaste and so light that it could have been mistaken by a whispered breeze. And all too soon she was pulling away, an action that Sasuke was not quite ready for. He did not even bother to open his eyes as he grabbed the back of her head and reeled her back in as he deepened the kiss. She melted into him, following his lead. Their tongues danced together as they enjoyed and savored each other slowly. Finally, after a lingering chaste kiss, he let her go.

As she pulled away, he let his lids lift just enough to hazily gaze at her from behind his lashes. Her pearly front teeth bit down at her bottom lip as she looked mischievously down at him, her eyes heated with a lust. She let out a soft giggle before she lowered her face into his neck and he felt her warm tongue against his skin as the light nip of her lips became more aggressive. And then she moved lower, her nimble fingers coming to his shirt as they undid several of the buttons before dragging down his torso and slipping beneath the hem.

He couldn't help but let out an appreciative hum in his throat when she gave a particularly long suck at a certain point that he always appreciated when given particular attention. She responded with a sweet giggle. The sound of it causing his body to be covered in goosebumps with the melodic delight that her voice seemed to always bring to him.

She was happy and content.

He was happy and content.

It was perfect.

...

"Sasuke."

He was in such a relaxed state her voice sounded far away, but then he noticed the absence of her weight on top of him and the feel of her playful fingers dragging along his abdomen was gone. Cracking his eyes opened, he sat up quickly when he realized she was indeed not there.

"Sasuke!"

Now that he was more alert, not only did he note the distance of her voice, but the panic.

He was to his feet in an instant, his eyes searching for her but everything had shifted when he had. Gone was the golden light from the sun as well as the soft grass beneath. Instead darkness fell down from the sky as a misty fog covered the ground. Beneath his feet he could feel an uneven rocky surface, but there was no telling what it really was, given the thickness of the low fog. With each step, there was a loud crunch that, while he hoped it was gravel, sounded more like the breaking of hollow bones. His evolved eyes swept around the area but all he saw was darkness and mist.

"Sakura?" he called out, and his voice echoed out around him.

"Sasuke!"

Her voice seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere at the same time. Sasuke whirled around, his heart beating rapidly as he searched for her.

"Sasuke! Please," she cried out, this time coming from a distinct direction.

He turned in the direction that her voice came from and like a curtain being drawn, the mist pulled away to form a path through the fog. As the ashy gray trail was revealed, Sasuke neglected to note what substance it was made from when he spotted Sakura standing a short distance down the split in the foggy sea.

"Sakura," he shouted as he started sprinting towards her.

She too started to run towards him but was only allowed a short distance before she came to an abrupt stop. She fell backwards as if having run into a wall. Looking dazed, she slowly stood back up as she looked around in confusion. Lifting her hand in front of her she seemed to push against something he couldn't see. When Sasuke reached her, he found out why. It was because there was something there, something in between them, separating them. Some kind of invisible barrier that was free of color or temperature, just solidified air that didn't allow either of them to pass through.

He pounded against the barrier, kicking, punching, and finally slamming his fist down with panting breaths. With his forehead pressed against the barrier, he panted heavily before opening his eyes to see a pair of green ones looking up at him. Sakura, on the other side of the barrier, had her hands pressed against the glassy barrier as she looked up at him with teary eyes.

"Help me," he saw, more than heard her say desperately.

Her voice was muffled behind the barrier and her face was so frightened and scared, all he wanted to do was caress her cheek and tell her it would be fine. But he couldn't, not with the barrier.

"Sakura, I will get you out!" he quickly assured, not sure if she could hear him or not.

Spurred with a new energy, Sasuke took a step back. Summoning lightning into his hand, he brought it back and forcefully slammed his fist into the barrier. Only there was no longer a barrier. Instead his screeching hand passed through the air as if nothing had ever been there and plunged into Sakura's chest.

She let out gasp and he froze. Everything seemed to still as the sound of his screeching lightening was dampened and muted. He stared at his hand sticking into her chest, a red circle forming and seeping down her front.

And all he could do was stare.

"Why?"

Her weak voice was full of pain but not the kind of pain one would expect. It was emotional pain that bled from her words and he looked up to meet her fading green irises. Her hair framed her face in short strands as he took in the face of the seraph Sakura, her black wings protruding out behind her as they limply hung in the air, her strength to hold them up failing her.

"Why can't you see me?" She said with a pained question. "Why can't you see it's me?"

And then it was as if the pain she should have been feeling was being transferred into him. His chest erupted with a searing heat. The impact of it hit him so hard he found himself tumbling backwards, down to the misty ground. And like the fallen seraph he was, he fell through the earth into the cold black depths beneath.

Like every dream when one is falling, Sasuke jolted awake. Sitting up quickly, his right hand grasped at his chest where a pain was radiating from within his chest. It was not as painful as in his dream but it was enough for him to let out a groan as a mess of emotions seemed to burst from his heart and spread throughout the rest of his body making him feel nauseous. As the initial pain dulled, he flopped back down onto his back as his arm came up over his eyes.

He let out a groan as the initial shock of his dream died and the reason for this pain came to mind. When this phenomenon had first come to be, he had thought he was about to die. But over the growing number of days, numerous manifestations had happened and he had narrowed down the source of such pain: Sakura.

He had still yet to figure out the reason why she was the cause. Up until this point, he had tried to just ignore it. Hoping it would go away like a cumbersome headache. But the problem was, it wasn't going away.

Her being here was supposed to be a punishment for her and her fellow feathered friends, yet he was the one who he felt was serving the damnation instead. She had been here for barely over a mortal week's time. But to him it had been an eternal week. He had done his best to avoid her and while the first few days he had done that, it was a bit unavoidable now that she was venturing out of her room and popping up at meal times. Although one factor in frequent run-ins was due to her being boarded in the room across from him. An arrangement that he was still not sure if his mother had done knowingly or unknowingly as to the discomfort Sakura's presence brought him.

He had avoided this vicinity of the underworld as much as possible. But it was at times like this, when exhaustion took over and he had to retire to his rooms, that he had to endure her presence. It had taken him a moment, but eventually he had connected the pained and twisted feelings of emotions within him to her, most likely due to the pull that they seemed to share. However what he had still yet to figure out, was why they even shared a connection in the first place. It came and went depending on what he assumed was her mood.

Over the course of the past few days it seemed to have become dulled and more subtle, not quite as freshly sorrowed and betrayed. Instead it had turned into a more somber mood of dull resentment. Usually it was not too bad at night as she was asleep and her emotions were laid to rest in her slumber. However, given the swirling and spiking fluctuation that he felt at this moment, Sakura was not currently sleeping.

Laying back down, he tried to relax, doing his best to ignore the foreboding presence that hovered over him. But it seemed the odds were stacked against him. Having woken in a hot sweat earlier, the heavy bedding that lay on top of him felt suffocatingly warm, which resulted in him eventually kicking at his covers and sheets until they were twisted around at the bottom of his bed. There they lay draped halfway across the floor in a messy pile. Tossing and turning he struggled to get comfortable.

With the aching pain that came and went in his chest, combined with his busy mind that continued to replay the haunting words and images of his dream, Sasuke soon found himself sitting back up as he glared at his door.

But it wasn't the door he was blaming. The source of his loss of sleep and comfort was past the door, across the hallway, and behind the other door opposite of his. She was the reason why he had a weeks worth of sleepless nights pending and constant discomfort within his own skin.

He ruffled his unruly head of hair in irritation while his other hand rubbed at his chest. Again his eyes went to the door and glared, as if the intensity could somehow penetrate through the barriers that separated him and the source. When the swirled mess of lonely sadness throbbed again within him, he was to his feet and walking towards the door.

Grabbing the silk robe that he had thrown across a chair before going to bed that night, he haphazardly pulled his arms through the sleeves, not bothering to tie it shut as he wrenched the door open and made for the opposite door.

It was when he was standing right infront of the adjacent door when he finally paused and questioned what he was even doing. Running a hand through his already messy hair, he turned to walk away but paused when he heard the unmistakable sound of a choked sob. There was a pause before a staccato intake of breath sounded followed by a wet sniff. It was muffled by the door, but as he listened to the sound of the unmistakable shedding of tears that matched the foreign anguish in his chest, he found himself recalling Itachi's words.

'And what if she is?' His brother had been referring to Sakura actually being his Sakura...the mortal Sakura.

'You just abandoned her and left her to be taken up by others.' He didn't abandon her, she was kept as close to him as possible.

'I would not blame her if she hated you.' What did it matter if she hated him? She was not who he wanted her to be.

But even with that thought, he turned back around to her door and his hand knocked on the heavy door before he could stop himself. He heard the smallest of sounds, perhaps a sniff or a gasp before the light padding of foot steps trailed towards the door. His heart leapt at the sound of her approach and again he moved to leave, not wanting to face her as he had no reason to be here. But her crying and sorrow had seemed to drive an instinctual urge within him to stop her tears. Making him linger.

"Itachi?"

Sasuke stiffened at the name. Why would she think it was Itachi? What would Itachi be doing here in the middle of the night? Those two questions ignited something within him. Anger began to burn away any emotions or feelings that had been previously influenced by her end of the strange connection they shared.

On the other side of the door, Sakura froze as she was suddenly flooded with a heated bubbling rage and what she thought felt like a lining of jealousy. Before he had even said anything, Sakura knew who was on the other side of the door. But even still, she did not believe it was him until his own voice confirmed his presence.

"It's Sasuke." His voice was muffled as it came through the door but there was no mistaking the sharpness it held.

Sakura frowned, unsure of what to do. She was half tempted to just ignore him. What right did he have coming to her door in the middle of the night? Then again, what right did he have taking her away from her friends, family, and the only home she could ever remember. That rebuttal of a thought caused her to remember that- when it came to rights and no rights- Sasuke did not care what he did and did not have rights to. He just did what he pleased.

Fueled by the anger that had suddenly forced its way into her at his approach, along with her own anger adding to that fire, she pulled one side of the double door entrance open, ready to snap at him but she was instantly distracted from her words.

Sasuke stood far closer to the doorway than she had been expecting. With his hand braced on the frame and restlessly drumming against the wood, he leaned forward, glaring down at her from his still superior height. His hair was a mess due to the combination of bed head and the constant grasping of his fingers as he ran an agitated hand through his ebony locks.

But this did not phase her as much as the bare chest that was fully exposed to her as he stood in front of her. A silky black robe was left open to frame and perfectly displayed his sculpted bare chest and well toned abs that made up his very naked torso. The only true piece of clothing he was wearing was a pair of far too loose pants that hung low on his hips.

Sakura could not help but let her eyes run down and memorize the topography of every well defined muscle that was flexed in agitation. It was unfair for someone to have a face like his attached to a body like that!

How in the hell were mortals supposed to resist being tempted by someone so sinfully attractive when beings that were not even supposed to be influenced by him found themselves tempted?

The cleft that was shaped beneath his abs caused her eyes to follow the diagonal 'v' shape as her eyes wandered naturally downward to...

Sakura swallowed down the lustful thoughts inappropriately forming in her mind. Then she forced herself to look away from his toned muscles that dipped and drew the eye down to other- thankfully covered- regions of his body.

When she met his eyes, the heat of attraction that could not be helped, burned even more in her cheeks when she saw his expression. She was not sure how, but it was like he knew exactly what she had been thinking and feeling just a moment ago.

She narrowed her eyes and glared at him. "What do you want?" She snapped, emphasizing the distaste in her voice as she addressed him.

The slight smirk that had appeared in his amusement of her earlier feelings was dampened at her tone, causing him to slightly frown. Leaning forward, he pressed the door open more widely. His dark eyes ran down her face, taking in the swollen redness beneath her eyes and the damp lashes that framed her green irises.

"You were crying," he noted.

While his tone was observational, Sakura felt a twinge of concern within her that she was not sure was her own emotion. She had been noticing this more each time she was around him, making things more complicated than she needed them to be. She was already dealing with her own conflicted emotions, now she had to deal with not just unfamiliar, but literally foreign emotions that were not even hers. It seemed Sasuke noted the concern as well and he too was not pleased with the manifestation.

She recovered quickly from the surprise of his observation and cleared her throat. "So?" she prompted, raising a brow. "Is it some forbidden rule here in the underworld?"

"I can't sleep," he stated, his tone holding accusation as if she was the factor for such a struggle.

It was as if their emotions were feeding off of one another and Sakura found herself becoming irritated herself. He couldn't sleep? He couldn't sleep?! That was his issue. That was what brought him here.

In the past few months she had been stalked by a demon who claimed she was someone she had no knowledge of. Then was told that she was in fact that long lost person. Her entire existence was revealed to be questionable. She was chased down by a body snatching demon. Connected and even started to fall for her previous stalker only to have him try to abduct her, then kill her, only to escape because of his bitter mercy. Her home was invaded by a resurrected demon Lord that had been thought dead for centuries. And finally, she literally dragged down to hell where she was utterly alone because her family or anyone she could trust was in a whole other dimension.

And he was complaining about not getting his fucking beauty sleep!

Her mind was raging as she stared at him in disbelief of what he was suggesting. "I'm sorry," she gritted out, "next time I will try to keep it down." Her eyes dipped down to his bare chest without her permission and she felt her cheeks burn red again as her mouth watered. As if he even needed beauty sleep! With an effort that was far more difficult than she was comfortable with, she wrenched her eyes back up at him. "But in the future, I think a note would have sufficed," she said bitterly. "Or at least next time you feel so inclined to knock on my door in the middle of the night, or any time for that matter, wear some damned clothes! Nobody wants to see that!"

The door slammed in his face before he could even process the fact that Sakura was yelling at him. It took him a moment to even register what she had been yelling at him about.

At this point, most would have just walked away and left it alone after saying their piece. But Sasuke was not normal, he was a masochist and for some unfathomable reason, he was not quite ready to leave. He was not ready to give up the interaction quite yet because the brief meals and this less than minimal interaction was not enough to satisfy the draw he had been resisting. And now that he had given into it...he wanted to satisfy it.

Before he could fully establish what his intent was, he was knocking on the door again. His fist hit the door harder than he meant as it shuttered under the force.

"Sakura," he called out when the door did not immediately reopen. "Open the door, I am not finished," he commanded.

It was quiet for a moment before a muffled, "go away," sounded through the door.

He knocked on the door again and when he did not get a response, his hand went for the door handle. Just as he began to twist it, he heard a small scramble, then the unmistakable sliding of the lock.

He glared at the door as if he could somehow glare through the thick wood. "Sakura, unlock the door," he commanded again.

"No." Her denial only fueled his frustrations.

"You know I can just break down the door."

"You wouldn't dare!" her voice challenged from the otherside.

Sasuke's brow twitched. "Oh, I would," he disputed with a dangerous tone.

On the other side of the door, Sakura's eyes widened as she quickly sat up from where she was crouched down and leaning against the door. Sasuke really was going to break down her door if she didn't do something, she could hear it in his tone, feel it in his emotions.

Shooting up to her feet. "You wouldn't if your mother heard about it!" she spurted out frantically before making her voice more firm. "And you can bet all the heavens and infernos that I will make sure she knows exactly who and why my door has to be replaced in the morning!"

It was a pathetic and dirty play, and Sakura felt cowardly for hiding behind Mikoto's skirts like a child. But she had been desperate and it was the only thing she could think that would stop him without being forced to open the door. She was tired of Sasuke always winning at dinner time.

She had taken Mikoto's words to heart and gleaned anything she could use against all of them. Sasuke had been difficult to read but she had noticed one thing about him, he had a weakness for his mother. If she was in a different situation she would perhaps think it was sweet, but right now, she just saw it for what it was, an exploit.

There was a long pause, and Sakura was half tempted to open the door just to check if he was still there. However when there was a sudden slamming of a door, Sakura had her confirmation that he was gone. Letting out a small sigh as her head rested against the door, she slid down to the floor again. She felt exhausted and her pounding heart in her chest was not helping. She had not even been here for two weeks and she had accomplished hardly anything that would set her free of this place.

She let out one long sigh before lifting her head up, a fierce look of determination on her face. No, she was done crying, she was done feeling sorry. She would find a way out of here. One way or another, she was going to go home because she refused to let time make this place, her home.

Sasuke slammed the door as he returned his own quarters. His gaze moved around the room as he breathed in and out, his breaths labored from annoyance.

"Fuck," he muttered to himself as he walked forward, running his hand through his hair.

Walking over to the fire place he removed his robe and tossed it onto the lounge chaise as he passed by it. A decanter of alcohol was sitting on the table which he paused at just long enough to pour himself a drink before continuing to the fireplace.

The dying embers left a dim orange tint to this part of the room and Sasuke came to a stop right before the fading warmth, nursing the liquor. He usually was not one for spirits but he was desperate to take the edge off. Heat seeped into his bare skin from the hearth as he braced a hand against the mantel and stared deeply into the glowing coals.

He took a final sip before throwing the rest of the liquid onto the smoldering logs. Flames burst to life greedily burning the alcohol before quickly burning back down to a dull glow. But right before it dimmed, a movement caught Sasuke's attention as the sudden heightened flames cast a farther glow into the room. Placing the empty glass on the ledge above the fire, Sasuke moved to the edge of where the dim light reached. His pale skin glowed as the muscles on his torso rippled with the smooth movement of each step. He stopped at the casted lights perimeter and activated his sharingan.

It did not take him long to find the source of movement that had caught his attention. Squatting down by the table near him, he grabbed the small knife that had been laying idly on it. With a flick of his wrist, it flew through the air where it struck against the wall and pierced the small toad that had been hiding in the shadows. Immediately it disappeared in a puff of smoke, leaving behind a small roll of paper to fall down to the ground.

After retrieving it, he walked back to the fire place and cast the parchment into the fire, not even bothering to read it. There was no need, he already knew what it would say. The same thing that they all said previously, and he had no interest in what Naruto had to say. He had his chance.

Instead Sasuke watched the parchment darken at the edges. It unrolled slightly as it burned and involuntarily he read some of the chicken scratch of inked words written across before a hole burned through the center and spread outwards, consuming the words that begged him to commune.

Sasuke kissed his teeth in annoyance as he turned his back to the ashen message. He made his way back to his bed, determined to fall into a slumber that was undisturbed by a message carrying toads and fallen angels that cried at night.

Chapter Text

As much as she was determined to hate this world, Sakura was still a curious creature by nature and this realm was a mystery that her curiosity craved to unlock. 

Sakura followed Mikoto through the crowded market as her head swerved and her eyes darted about in an attempt to absorb everything. Initially when Mikoto had offered to take her to the market, Sakura had been hesitant. Unsure if she was ready for such things. So far she had only been to the family library and Mikoto’s own private garden, which Sakura had spent hours upon hours learning of the new plants and fungi that flourished in this otherwise seemingly lifeless, cavern of a world. 

But those places had been private personal areas where Sakura mostly only bumped into the owners of such territory. With the exception of a few maids and servants whom she had grown familiar with and the four Uchiha’s she was under the care of, Sakura had not seen any other inhabitants of this subterranean empire. 

But the market was different. A market meant gatherings. It meant masses of strangers. Not just strangers, but demons. She had never been one to be fully prejudiced against someone for being a demon, but she had been taught to be cautious when around dangerous strangers. And all demons, like all angels, had the potential and capability to be dangerous. 

However, it was an opportunity in which Sakura could learn more. Not just of the people of this world, but of the world itself. 

And what a world it was.  

The underworld market was nothing like the mortal farmers markets she was used to going to with Sai. Nor was it like the peaceful distribution centers that she was familiar with in the heavens. It was a hybrid of a trading hub and black market. Selling anything between trinkets from the mortal realm to creatures and substances that Sakura was not sure from which realm they originated. 

She paused when they passed by a vendor with cages stacked onto eachother. Taken aback by the strange and curious creatures that peered back at her, she found herself wandering through the cages, crates, and stalls of this particular section of the market. At first she saw nothing out of the ordinary. Birds with feathers of all colors and shapes chirped and squawked within cages and perched on stands. Feline cats stood poised and looking dignified between the wires of cages and the slats of crates they were being held in, their sharp yellow eyes peering out at her. There were even a few creatures that were freely wandering about, weaving between her legs and sniffing curiously at her hands as they sat on top of boxes and carriers. 

But then there were creatures that she recognized at first, but found her eyes taking a second glance when she realized something about them was misleading. A squirrel-like critter hopped around the rafters of the vendor's structure but when it crawled down a pool and paused to look at her, a pair of long floppy ears perked up. They were like a rabbit's ears but at the tips, fluffy tufts of fur stuck up like that of a lynx. 

In glass terrariums, snakes slithered and coiled within their containers but instead of glossy scales, sleek feathers covered their long, slender bodies. Sakura watched with awed fascination as one of these peculiar feathered snakes lifted up like a cobra, hissing and swaying as a fallen seraph came to inspect it more closely. But instead of a hood, a fan of feathers framed its head like that of a peacock, and stark black markings contrasted against the rest of its pure white feathers that covered its body.  

As she ventured deeper into the shop-like stall, it became curiouser and curiouser. Hybrids of creatures that were a mixture of so many different animals, it was difficult to place of which origin such a creature could be. These chimera were such a macabre of their species that a certain unease came about her. It seemed genetically impossible to bred such creatures, which made her wonder just what world did they naturally come from? 

Like the plants in the heavens, there were also creatures that were unique to her realm. Some of them she had even recognized and stopped to pet as they stood or sat tied to leashes. Like the pegasus that was standing in the makeshift stable and the phoenix that was perched on a golden pedestal, clicking its beak and ruffling its feathers when unwanted guests tried to touch it. However when she gently reached out to give its flame colored wings a few strokes, its once ruffled feathers settled as it gave out a more peaceful chirp. 

She spent a few minutes calming the bird and wondering if it too felt like they had more things in common aside from calling the heavens home. They were both creatures taken from one world to be bought and owned in another. She might not have been exchanged for money, but Sasuke more or less bought her by offering his support to Madara. The only question was...why? Because from what she could tell, her presence only seemed to annoy him. 

She moved on from the phoenix and her thoughts when a small reptile-like creature with wings of a dragonfly glided down from the rafters and distracted her. So many unfamiliar species had Sakura wondering just how many realms the fallen had access to? There had been numerous doors in the portal cavern in which she entered the underworld, and there was no telling how many more caverns were like that. 

Sai would have loved this place, Sakura thought as she followed Mikoto to a different section of the market. He had always loved the zoo, taking inspiration from the animals and copying them down in ink onto paper. He had always seemed awed by their movements and prowess. And if he were to see some of the creatures she had just witnessed, she was positive he would have shown a genuine expression. 

At the thought of Sai, a wane smile spread across her lips but it soon darkened as she began to think more of her charge. She missed him. She missed his innocent antics and misinterpretations of behavior. She missed his handicapped understanding of humor and the constructed delivery when he attempted a humorous pun. She even missed when the puns usually turned out more insulting than funny. But he tried.

Not only did she miss him but she was worried for him too. While now, she understood those attacks of Deidara and Sasori had been for her, not him, there was something within her that still worried for his safety. She believed Yamato, Kakashi, and Naruto would do their best to keep him safe and on the right path, but they had their own duties. She wanted to trust that Sai knew enough now to do the right thing, but his fear of abandonment brought about a disquiet to her mind. Would he take her absence as being abandoned? Just how long would it be until she could leave this place? Time did not matter within the realms of seraphim, but the earthen realm...time was everything. A hundred years could pass on the surface and she could not even notice.  

“Sakura,” came Mikoto’s voice of concern, “are you alright?”

Sakura turned to the dark haired woman and gave her a nod. Mikoto, unconvinced, watched her closely. 

It had been awhile since Sakura had been glum...or at least outwardly showed it. 

There had been a change in the girls attitude and composure. She had been more adventurous and outgoing, asking to see different places and being more open and vocal. Mikoto liked to believe it was because she was getting more comfortable and trusting but she was skeptical of that. If anything, Sakura had taken her advice and decided to play along and learn. 

Today though, she had seemed genuine in her friendly conversation as they walked around. Which made Mikoto wary of the sudden change in her continence. However, she was not about to change it. She was not about to push the girl into sharing openly. At least not yet. She still needed time. 

Mikoto gave her an encouraging smile as she looped her arm into Sakura’s. “Come, I think you will like the next area too.”

There were many things Sakura had learned about each Uchiha over the course of the past couple of weeks. 

Sasuke was an asshole. A petty, arrogant, and predatory asshole, who had a weakness for his mother, a bitterness for his father, and a severe brother complexity with Itachi. The only other interactions she witnessed of him were with her and she was at a loss for what to make of that. One moment he wanted nothing to do with her, the next he was banging on her door, demanding she speak with him. So with that in mind, she supposed, confusing asshole, could also be added to that list of assholeism as well. It was hard to believe he was the same being that she had met months ago that had acted and behaved with such a contrasting persona. What had happened to that Sasuke? The one that she felt so familiar despite knowing nothing about him. 

Then there was the other brother, Itachi. She found he was a mixture of hot and cold. There were moments when he was cold and firm. He was a type of genius that made a person fearful of just what he was capable of. He was a pacifist by nature with an ironic gift for the arts of warfare. But he was also gentle and considerate, seeking out to nurture the well-being of others but not always catering to their feelings.    

Fugaku, the patriarch, was a strict man with a hard shell around a hidden tender heart. He cared for his family and took pride in his work. Although, Sakura could see that his methods of showing such traits were not exactly the most warm hearted displays of affection. He was hard on those around him with the intention of making them stronger.  

Then there was Mikoto. Lovely, loving, eager to be loved, Mikoto. She was generous and giving but there was a darkside to her that only came out when things precious to her were threatened. She had a vivacious love for gardening and telling stories. During all the hours that Sakura spent with her in her garden, Sakura could not say a single word and there was never a moment of silence. But it was not annoying or interruptive. Her voice was gentle and sweet and between her storytelling and chatting, she happily hummed strange tunes that were both eerie and enchanting with every gentle note.

And today, as Sakura walked through the aisles and stalls with Mikoto alongside or just a small distance away, there was another thing that Sakura discovered about Mikoto. A certain habit that she would have never picked up on unless she had come today.    

She had seen this habit among humans, especially the ones that had a lot of those plastic cards in their purses and wallets. It was like a game to them, to hit the maximum number each of those cards allowed each month as if trying to beat the high scoring from the month prior. Sakura was no accountant, but she was pretty sure that was not how those credit cards were supposed to be used. Shopoholics- if she remembered correctly- is what the mortals called those who developed such habits. 

And Mikoto was the world champion of shopping. 

Sakura should have known when Mikoto went above and beyond when she stocked Sakura’s wardrobe. But during that time she had been a little distracted. However, now as they moved from vendor to vendor and made purchase after purchase, Sakura was positive that Mikoto had a problem. But it was difficult to condemn such a thing when the majority of what she looked at and purchased was hardly ever for herself. 

Mikoto had guided her to a section of trade workers. Smelters and silversmiths, tailors and weavers. All of them were gathered, working and laboring as their crafts and goods were being displayed for others to admire. First Mikoto took her to a silversmith where a beautiful tea set was on display. Crafted with a blue enamel as an accent near the rim and bottom of each piece, it was like an ode to the night sky. The hue of the enamel was of such a deep and dark blue that it mimicked the shade found at twilight as the naked metal mimicked the silver moon at its fullest. To endorse the night sky theme, the artisan had engraved small grooves, perfectly calculated and spaced to represent constellations. 

Farther down the display table, necklaces, bangles, and earrings shined and sparkled with a blue glow as they caught the light of the glowing crystals formed high above on the porous cavern roof. Some jewels were set against deep velvet and plush pillows while other body ornaments hung from carved stone stands. Mikoto was like a magpie as her fingers moved from one item to the next. Sakura mostly only looked, too afraid that if she were to touch any of the pieces she would earn the attention of the silversmith who was watching them. His yellow eyes made Sakura uneasy. They looked at if they belonged on a nocturnal animal but then she remembered, he was a demon, he was nocturnal. His eyes were most likely a trait evolved within his clans bloodline to better adapt to this world. Each time Sakura looked at him, his wings fluttered, the silver covered tips of his talons glinting in the red glow of the smelter.

Mikoto held up a pair of earrings to Sakura as she admired their comparison of them to her eyes. “Oh these would be perfect on you.” 

Mikoto turned to the shopkeeper. 

“We will take these,” she instructed. 

The silversmith demon nodded, not looking surprised at all when Mikoto added several more pieces of his inventory to the order. Sakura had noticed most people within the market were accustomed to the Uchiha matriarch's presence. She was casual and polite, speaking with them with familiarity and warmth but somehow still holding authority. And in return, they treated her with a respect that went beyond appreciation of a patron. Sakura saw it in their eyes. They respected Mikoto with a level of revere that went beyond admiration. Although Sakura was still not sure as to what it was about Mikoto that drew such esteem from them. Her position? Bloodline? Likability? Mutual respect? Maybe it was a combination of all.   

Sakura felt the shopkeeper's eyes fall onto her and she shifted under his scrutiny. This had been happening a lot which made Sakura wonder, despite Mikoto’s friendliness, if it was an oddity for her to be accompanied when in the market. Or did people just know she didn’t belong here.

Everyone seemed to just stare and observe. She had caught a few younglings blatantly pointing at her and excitedly tugging on their parents hands and clothes to get their attention and point her out to them. And not all of them were curious looks. Some had sinister cruelty and hatred. Others had envious greed. And then there were expressions that Sakura was not sure how to decipher the intent behind the face. It made her unsettled how much attention she drew after hardly seeing another soul for the past couple of weeks.  

Noticing Sakura’s discomfort, Mikoto quickly addressed the demon, giving him instruction of delivery and taking his attention away from her. Once finished, she took Sakura’s arm and moved on to another stall. And then another and another. 

It was while they were at a stall with various bolts of fabric and woven tapestries that Sakura was beginning to become more comfortable around the mass of strangers and chaos. As Mikoto ran her hands over each of the different fabrics, her fingers praising the quality and feel of silk and the dye wash of the cottons, Sakura wandered. At first she kept Mikoto in sight but then her curiosity got away with her and she was soon weaving in and out of stalls and shops as her green eyes took in all shorts of peddled trinkets and goods. 

Soon she found herself walking down a narrow alley, a few sparse quarts of glowing crystal guiding her down until she found herself walking through a hollow pocket in the cavern with numerous strings of beads hanging down over its opening, acting like a door. 

She pushed them aside and stepped through the oval shaped threshold. A pungent smell hit her immediately causing her to cough slightly until she got used to the thick smoke hanging in the air. It’s source, burning incense sticking up in an extravagant cauldron. A pair of dragons coiled around it to form a base with their bodies and handles shaped with their long necks. Their heads were savagely baring their teeth over the pot of sand that held the sticks up, making them look like fearsome protectors of the threshold. 

It was difficult to tell just what exactly this place was. At first she assumed it was an apothecary with all the strangely labeled jars and containers holding both familiar and foreign substances. In some cases mystery contents depending on the receptacle. Glass jars held pickled and preserved animals, some whole, some just parts. Other porcelain and ceramic pitchers held liquids and oils, were labeled neatly with their contents. A few wooden boxes that Sakura dared to peek in held powders of ground roots and insects. A few she found full bodies of dried beetles and grubs that made her wonder what exactly their use was for. Hanging from the ceiling above her head, dried herbs and flowers gave off a sweet and earthy aroma that replaced the incense that was burning by the door. 

Locked chests, random furniture, and statues took up most of the space, only allowing narrow pathways to walk through as the merchandise was stacked and packed into the small space of the shop. As she reached the back she found an unoccupied counter with another beaded doorway behind it. Cautiously she approached it, where she found an assortment of trinkets, open boxes to display their odds and ends, and an assortment of jewelry and brooches that made her second guess that this was an apothecary. 

A chill ran down her spine making her feel uneasy as she took in the room. This was the kind of place she imagined the underworld to be like. There was something sinister and dark about this shop and yet...curiouser and curiouser she found herself remaining.  

She was bent down examining an old leather bound book with an upside down triangle in a circle on the front. Curled around its cover was what looked like the real bones of a hand acting like a latch to hold it shut. Sakura did not even have time to wonder if it was human or seraph when a papery voice caused her to look up and a startle intake of breath left her. 

“You’re the little fallen angel.” 

At first she had thought the voice had come from thin air until a short figure slowly emerged through the waterfall of beads. As they split, Sakura watched as a hunched woman appeared and hobbled in from the back room. 

It was rude, but she could not help but stare at the decrepit looking seraph. 

While immortal, a seraphs body did age albeit very, very slowly. But Sakura had never seen one so ancient looking, not even Madara looked this aged. Then again, there were methods of preserving one's looks, just as Tsunade did. The woman's leathery skin was so spotted and loose, it hung from her bones. Her wrinkled and withered lips looked like the dried river bed in a drought. And her wings, which were displayed openly as Sakura found was the popular trend among demons, failed to hold the rich luster in her talons as others of her kind. Instead they were cracked and blunt. The stretched skin of her leathery wings also lacked the dignity in which most seraphs preened their avian appendages. They were withered and hung low, one of them dragging along the ground as her body seemed to lack enough strength to hold them up. Sakura wondered if the old woman could even fly. 

The old crow of a seraph let out a cackle of a laugh that caused Sakura’s skin to crawl. “You are, aren't you?” She exclaimed with a brightness to her eyes that Sakura was wary of. They were too intrigued, which had Sakura unconsciously stepping back a few steps. The woman beckoned with a wrinkled hand which Sakura found herself obeying, despite the nervousness the woman gave her. As she approached, the woman reached beneath the counter. 

“The rumors of you have been spreading the underground. I had hoped to see a glimpse of you but never would I think you would grace my shop,” she said as she pulled out a square shaped item wrapped in a cloth that was woven with a pattern and skill that rivaled the combined works of the fates, norns, and Orihime.

The woman paused for a moment and Sakura looked up to see her beady black eyes watching her. A sly toothless smile curved on her lips before she looked back down to finish unwrapping the cloth to reveal a box carved from purpleheart wood. Its deep violet shade stretched out and lightened to a sandy colored edging as the natural core of the wood was smoothed and lacquered to hold a rich shine across the grain. Slowly the woman opened the box to reveal a necklace crafted with an unfamiliar metal and designed with inlaid jewels that glowed with an ethereal luster. 

It was beautiful and terrifying to look at. It was designed with the intention to be worn by someone of importance, like a king, an emperor, or a pharaoh. But with the blue hued metal and the iridescent stones that were encrusted within the frame, Sakura could only imagine a god or goddess to be worthy of such a decoration. 

Her eyes fell onto the teardrop gem that was in the middle. It was a massive stone that was the color of blood. As Sakura stared deeper into its glassy color, she was certain she could see the color swirling. As if the stone itself was hollow inside and filled with actual blood. It was sinister in nature but held a gothic beauty to it. 

“Hehe,” the woman cackled as she looked up to see Sakura’s mesmerized eyes. “Beautiful isn’t it...go on...try it on.”

She was reaching for it before the woman even finished inviting her. Despite the red flags that she should have noticed waving in alarm, she couldn’t help it. There was just something about the piece that called to her. As if the metal had a magnetic pull and she was polarized to it. Her fingertips were just about the brush the blood gem that was centered in the middle when her hand came to a stop. 

Sakura blinked, noticing that another hand was wrapped tightly around her wrist, holding hers millimeters away from the red stone as another moved her head and forced her eyes away from the stone. She found herself redirected and looking up at a scowling Sasuke glaring down at her. His black eyes held a maroon tint as his anger and rage poured from him into her.  

“I wouldn’t look at that again if I were you,” he growled when she moved to look back down at the necklace. Then he looked over to the old woman, baring his teeth like a predator guarding its kill from a scavenger. “Lady Chiyo.” He spoke the title with a tone that was mocking. “I see you are still up to your deceptive and poisonous ways.”

The old crow of a seraph gave him a withered looking smile as her face cracked and wrinkled even more. “So the rumors are true. You have returned, little Uchiha, but you certainly have grown. Lord Uchiha seems more fitting now.” Her beady eyes moved back to Sakura. “I was just admiring the colorful addition you brought back with you. Such a gem deserves a pretty trinket.”

Sakura found herself being pulled behind Sasuke’s body. But she peered out behind him, curious about the woman. A growl rumbled deep within Sasuke’s throat and Sakura could feel his hand tighten where it was still clasped around her wrist. 

“Watch yourself witch. She is not one you want indebted to you.”

“I would never dare. I just wanted a little feather,” she looked to Sakura. “Are they really black as tar, yet soft as a dove?”

Sakura stared at her in confusion. How did she know about her wings? As far as she knew only Sasuke had seen them, but given the surprise she felt coming from him, he too was thrown off. With Sasuke seemingly cleared of guilt, her mind began to wonder of other things, why would she want a feather?

Her eyes ran over the woman again, this time she took notice of the necklace around her neck. It was a design made primarily of white feathers. A small sickness settled in the pit of her stomach as the intuitive feeling hit her that those were not feathers of fowl. She had come across several of these types of decorations and designs. Especially in this lower region of the underworld. 

The Uchiha family and quarters that she had seen seemed dignified and orderly. But there was a wild barbarism among the smaller, lesser clans of the fallen that made up most of the market. The news of Madara’s return had stirred something amongst them and rogues that had disbanded long ago were crawling back, their survival habits of the mortal world questionably going unchecked or reprimanded.  

“How do you know–“

“Sakura, silence,” Sasuke said with such force, Sakura clamped her mouth shut as if he had the power of the Demon Lord’s Will. Instead she looked up at him but his focus was on Chiyo. “You may have had freedom before while my father let chaos reign and pathetically tried to claim he had power, but Madara is back. Order will be enforced. You answer to the Uchiha again.”

Her lip twitched as if to sneer at his words but she controlled herself and instead, Chiyo gave him an amused smirk. “You really think Madara values order?”

Sasuke gave no verbal response but the muscles in his face strained and flexed in his jaw before baring his teeth. The only reason for hesitation Sasuke had when first agreeing to helping Madara, was Madara himself. However, once the bargain had been struck, there was nothing to be done. At the time he did not care, he had been blinded with rage and anger. But now, his vision was clearing. He didn’t want to admit it, but he was beginning to see that maybe this was a mistake. He had failed to even bother learning of Madara’s full plans and intentions. And still he was ignorant of those as Madara had yet to give him instruction. Even the part Sasuke was to play in Madara’s plans was a mystery. He hadn’t even seen Madara since coming here. 

But right now Madara and his workings were not his concern. Sakura being targeted by Chiyo was. 

Chiyo’s eyes moved back to Sakura, who, despite her dislike for the man next to her, leaned into him. Sasuke felt her body press against his arm and back and nearly jumped at the contact. His skin tingled with sensation. Starting at the places that she just barely brushed up against his shirt and spread, causing him to lightly shutter which he played off as a twitch of agitation. 

Kissing his teeth and staring down at the old croon, Sasuke turned around, pushing Sakura around as well as he directed her towards the door. 

“Tell your brother I have his elixirs ready, but it will cost him double because resources are limited.” 

Sasuke looked back at her with confusion in his face and a question in his eye. But when he saw the mischievous look in her wrinkled face he turned back around, grabbing onto Sakura and dragging her as she failed to move forward fast enough. He was only able to get to the end of the narrow alley-like space before he was met with resistance from Sakura, as she dug her heels in and twisted her wrist in an attempt to free herself. 

He turned around to see her looking accusingly up at him. “What just happened? How did sheー”

She was silenced as Sasuke tugged her forward and proceeded to join the hustle and bustle of the market which seemed to have become more busy. 

 “That was lady Chiyo,” he said, offering some information as encouragement to keep walking along with him as she hurried slightly to hear his words. “You are to stay away from her.” 

Sakura frowned at his short explanation and started to slow, silently telling him that if he wanted her to cooperate and follow, she was to be given a full answer. “Why?”

Sasuke stopped and gave her a hard look. “Because I said so.” She halted and he glared at her. He tugged at her wrist and was rewarded with a stubborn look. “She is dangerous,” he expanded.  

“By that logic then I should stay away from you too. Hell I should stay away from everyone down here,” she rationalized. “So maybe you should just take me up to the surface and I can find my way to safety from there.” 

To her disbelief, Sasuke actually laughed. “Nice try,” he remarked, causing Sakura to frown sourly at him and wrench her hand from his. 

Folding her arms across her chest stubbornly, she gave him a pointed look. “Then give me a better explanation. I’m not going anywhere but up to the surface if you don’t” 

“Goodluck finding it when you can hardly find your own room,” he muttered lowly to himself. But despite that, a growl rumbled deep in his throat as he glared around, then grabbed onto her. “I’m not standing in the middle of the path to chit chat,” he argued when she didn’t move with him. He pointed to a small outcropping of rock near a tall crystal that acted like a street lamp as it rose up above the crowd. 

“Fine,” Sakura agreed, moving towards the purple quartz. She then promptly turned around and faced him expectantly. “Answers now,” she demanded, not caring how bratty her voice sounded. 

“It would be easier if you knew more of the history of the fallen and the way things are run,” Sasuke began, “but since I don’t have the patience for your feather brain to learn and understand, I will give you the short version...

“Long before you and I were ever in existence, the fallen had its own inner rebellions. Clans succeeded and formed their own factions within the underworld. The Hyuga had been one of the major ones that broke off while another, made up of several smaller clans made up the other. They called themselves Suna. Madara’s father was the one who reunited the clans by giving them a common enemy...the blessed. However things have always been a little strained between the clans since the war ended without that common enemy to bond us together. We have stayed united from an outsider's perspective but we are still very much divided. The Hyuga have been complacent but Suna still likes to believe they rule themselves. 

“Lady Chiyo was one of the main leaders of Suna and was well respected for a long time. But when she lost her son in the war, she blamed the Uchiha for dragging them into it. She became unstable and started to dabble in the dark arts. And it seems my father’s failure to rule properly has made her believe she has fair game to things that are not hers.” 

Sakura’s spine chilled at those words. She was not familiar with the dark arts and the extent in which they were used, but she knew enough to know that nothing good came from them. Orochimaru had been the most notable of users and that was enough to tell her she wanted nothing to do with them. And it seemed Sasuke read this in her expression. 

“Is that a good enough reason for you to stay away?”

It was, but it didn’t stop Sakura from questioning. “And what does any of that have to do with me? I’m not an Uchiha.” 

“But you belong to us.” 

“I don’t belong to anyone,” she quickly corrected. Sasuke did not respond nor acknowledge her words as he glared around at the crowd passing by. “How are people even aware of who I am? How did she know about my wings?” Sakura asked, bringing his attention back to her. “You’re the only one that has seen them,” she accused. 

“Tch,” he scoffed. “As honorable as you may think that privilege is...I doubt it. I am sure I’m not the only one who has seen them. Besides, what gain would I get by telling others.” 

Sakura’s brow crumpled in confusion. “If not you...then who? I was always careful, there are only a handful of trusted people and you who have actually seen them,” she clarified, making it a point to keep him separate from the other group. 

“Sasori,” Sasuke said with a simple phrase. When Sakura’s face became confused, Sasuke gave her a look. “Madara told me of your little scuffle with him and Deidara. Seems you had them fooled too as to what you really were. Guess you really are the artist of deception. Not to deglamorize your accomplishment, you can’t tell me you beat him without revealing your true self.”

She was quiet for a moment. “But Sasori is…”

“Dead?” Sasuke finished for her. She nodded and Sasuke gave out an arrogant snort. “You don’t think he can’t still speak from the beyond. Don’t tell me you still believe in that prattle about no existence after immortality?”

“But I thought the after life was only for mortals...”

Sasuke gave another snort of amusement. “It is. But that doesn't mean a seraph has a piece that remains. You can shatter glass into a fine powder until the glass is no longer a glass, but the particles are still there. Nothing is truly gone just no longer functional. Stars die but their essence remains as particular elements in the space. Like broken glass and dead stars, the essence of a seraph lingers in the space around us. There is no full cognition, only enough self awareness that they exist but cannot do anything. That my dear little angel, is the reality of our after lives. A true hell. It also brings up another reason to stay away from Chiyo.”

“And what is that?”

Sasuke prowled around to her side, leaning against the crystal she was standing beside and lowered his head to her level to whisper, his chin grazing her shoulder as he spoke directly into her ear. “Sasori is Chiyo’s grandson. And I bet you anything it was he who told her all about the little angelic girl who killed him.”

Sakura’s blood chilled and curdled at those words. Turning her head slightly, she looked at Sasuke’s cruel smirk as he so easily spoke of the moment that caused her so much grief. 

Her throat began to strain and she swallowed thickly. “I didn’t mean to,” she said in a quiet murmur. 

Sasuke’s glee faltered when he heard the strain in her voice and felt the surge of regret that traveled through their tether. He let out a sigh and grabbed onto her wrist, “Come on, I gave you your answers,” he said as he began to drag her into the flow of market goers. 

He dragged her through the vendors then paused for a moment. His head swiveling around, looking for something as he ignored her completely. Even when she moved to tug her hand free her efforts went unnoticed. She was about to push chakra into her arm to boost her attempt to free herself when she was suddenly jerked forward and she was forced to jog along behind him until they came up to a feminine figure with familiar dark hair. 

Mikoto turned around at their approach, her eyes growing in surprise as Sasuke marched up to her with Sakura being dragged behind him. As he came up to her, he pulled Sakura forward and deposited her at Mikoto’s side. 

“Sasuke what is wrong?” She asked, looking Sakura over with concern as Sasuke glowered at his doting mother.

“If you insist on taking her out, at least keep her in sight...or better yet, give her a leash,” he said sourly. “She doesn’t need to be wandering off.”

Mikoto looked up at him, her questioning face also holding a warning. “What happened?”

“Chiyo. Found her trying to peddle off one of her relics in her collection without giving a price before,” he replied curtly then turned around and disappeared amongst the crowd. 

He had to be a masochist. 

Every time she looked at him he felt it, felt everything that she was feeling. And it irritated him. Not only that, but when he had decided to bring her here, he failed to realize that he would be seeing her face, seeing the identical face of the lost person he could never have back. Not only that but everything she did was so Sakura like. And when he did find differences, they were only slight differences to her personality. The kind of differences that were changed with time and experience, not from being a whole different person. 

Therefore, he was a masochist. 

There was no other way to explain it, nor was there any person to blame for this self-inflicted torture other than himself. As usual he had tried to find someone else to blame but in the end, when he lifted an accusing finger, he found it directed right at himself. Over two weeks ago, he had struck a deal with the devil to bring an angel from the heavens to hell, because if this was not hell, he didn’t know what was. Now, he was stuck living across from her and seeing her far more than he wanted, yet at the same time, unadmittedly not enough. And he had no one else to blame but himself.

Fucking masochist. 

And she was becoming more troublesome than simple sleepless nights or showing up unexpectedly at meal times over the past week’s time. Like the woman he found himself constantly comparing her to, she was too curious for her own good. She was growing comfortable and venturing out of her room more often. Roving and exploring the underworld. While he had no issue particularly about her going other places, it was the wandering off alone that had him bothered. Like the other day when he found her in the market. 

He had spotted her just as she disappeared into the narrow alleyway. At first he tried to ignore the nudging feeling to follow but it did not take much to have him turning around and following her when his mind began to develop scenarios in which she would get herself into. 

And he had intercepted her not a moment too soon. 

In the world of people, motives, tasks, and powers are dictated between what is considered ‘good and what was evil’. The problem with this is that they were two concepts of considerable and contrasting polarity open to interpretation. Which leaves an abundance of space in between on that spectrum of a scale that is grey area. 

Lady Chiyo’s  witchcraft, while questionable, was not always of an evil nature. She herself was not what he would consider evil, not many of their kind were. They were just doing their divine obligations as Itachi had once put it. But there was one thing about Chiyo that made Sasuke wary of her. She held grudges. 

When on her good side, she was quite useful. But when on her bad side, you had to sleep with not one, but both eyes open. Her poisons and enchantments were a big factor when it came to the fallen's success during the ancient wars. And with Chiyo already bitter against his family name, and Sakura was now under the jurisdiction of that name, along with the fact that Sakura killed her grandson, Sasuke was confident that the pink haired hybrid was not on Chiyo’s good side. 

And if that was not enough to convince, the cursed necklace that Sakura had been about to touch should have been confirmation to it. She had been an inch away from touching the blood ruby that would have indentured her into a hundred years of servitude to Chiyo. Despite what Chiyo claimed that she only wanted a feather, Sasuke knew that stone and its properties. What he wanted to know was why? Why did Chiyo want Sakura indebted to her? Yes, she was unique...but what made her so special that Chiyo would want to add her to her collection? What had Sasori whispered to the old witch seraph from behind the veils of death? Why was Sakura different? 

Sasuke shook his head, his mind at a loss and exhausted from trying to crack the anomaly that lived across from him. As he moved to enter his room, he paused. Looking over to the direction of Sakura’s room, he felt a strange emptiness within him. Normally when she was asleep there was a lack of certain presence felt in the connection, but this was different. This was a complete absence that came with a physical distance. 

Crossing the hall and hesitating for a moment, Sasuke knocked. When there was no answer or even a rustle of sound, he entered the room. Opening the door slowly at first, but when he saw no immediate sign of her, he quickly pushed it wide open, staring wildly at the empty bed, vacant room, and darkened bathroom. She was gone. 

Gods damn it where did she wander off to this time!? Turning around he left the room searching within himself for the tether and leaving the door wide open. 

Sakura let out a grumble of frustration which did not go far. It was as if the cavern absorbed and consumed the huff of noise as she turned away from the dead end and back tracked. As she did, she looked down at the piece of paper in her hand as she consulted the hand drawn tunnel system she was trying- and miserably failing- to map. Her failure had nothing to do with her lack of knowledge of cartography, but instead that the world itself did not want to be mapped out and therefore made it as difficult as possible to record. 

Disorienting. That was the word in which Sakura would use to describe the realm of the underworld. And it was not just because of the twisting and random tunnel system. That was just the beginning of the convoluted and seemingly unchartable realm. 

While the perception of time was of no significance to an immortal race like the seraphim, the change in starlight and sunlight was at least still something Sakura was certainly not attuned to. It determined when to go to the mortal realm and when to return to the heavens. However here in the underworld, the fallen seemed to rely on their instincts and internal clocks to know when it was their time to rise to the earth's surface and rule the night. Function aside, Sakura just missed the skies, all of them. She missed the sun that warmed her face, she missed the twinkling stars that painted out pictures and stories across the horizon, and she missed weather. Or rather she missed normal weather. 

Strangely enough, the cavernous realm of the underworld seemed to create its own terrarium. Sometimes the hollow halls of the fallen kingdom were frigidly cold, while other times it felt hot and muggy like a sauna. The air flowed in unpredictable patterns, causing a draft that ran throughout the webbing of tunnel systems and pockets of caverns. It was like the world itself was breathing, inhaling and exhaling. And then there was the strange fog like mist that formed within the tight passageways. This was the rarest and Sakura’s least favorite, as the phenomena made everything seem haunting. 

It seemed there was a certain required and complicated set of skills to thrive in this world. One in which she was not evolved for like the rest of the creatures that dwelt within this world. With the lack of terrestrial light, everything felt dim and gloomy. Everywhere she went, there seemed to be shadows, shadows that followed, shadows that haunted, shadows that whispered... 

For races like the Uchiha and Hyuga, this was no problem, they were born with visionary prowess that gave them the ability to navigate such darkness. But for a simple seraph like herself, Sakura felt as if she was half blind. Instinctually one would just rely on other senses but even they seemed to be useless. The acoustics of the caverns were disorienting. At times they carried sounds from far away, making the flutter of wings or the murmur of a voice sound as if it was coming from right behind the listener. But then at other times, one could scream and shout as loudly as they could, and the cry would immediately bounce back in a muffled reply. 

Looking down at the paper in her hands, Sakura added a small ‘x’ to the short line that she had drawn to represent this particular corridor. Making her way through the short and narrow passage, she found herself entering an oval shaped crossing where several leading tunnels broke from. Consulting her map again, she examined her options as she looked around to the three unexplored paths. A yawn escaped her mouth and she failed to cover it as her hand went up to rub her tired eyes. 

She had been exhausted hours ago but she had been determined to explore this section. However, after dead end after dead end with the only passageways that continued seemingly forever as they lead up to another level or down to the deeper rings of hell, it seemed perpetual. The world seemed infinite, never ending, just a continuous circle. 

That was another issue she was facing when trying to navigate this world. The underworld, with its curving hallways of dead ends and continuous tunnels, was also level upon level of empty pockets within the earth. A pathway was never level, as they all seemed to slope up or down. The descending ones she did not dare venture but the upper ones seemed to only lead to yet another top level. It made her wonder just how far beneath the earth’s surface they really were. Then again, was there even access to the earth’s surface. 

She had come here by portal, which she had thought nothing of it at the time. But now, she was beginning to wonder if a portal was the only way in or out of this place. After a solid week of exploring and mapping in an attempt to find the portal room and having no results, Sakura was thoroughly hating herself for not being more attentive when she had first come here. Instead she had been fearful and self pitying. It was shameful to think about now that she had gotten more settled. Not that that made her feel all the more better. 

She didn’t want to feel at ease here, she didn’t want to be here for that long. Which was exactly why she had spent the extra hours exploring. 

Looking down at the paper, she took note of where she was. Then, she pulled the second paper from behind it and lined up the black lines that connected the path she was currently, to where her room was located. Her shoulders sagged as she took it in. 

It felt like she had trekked miles and mapped numerous paths, but in reality she had only made it a short distance from her room. Tonight had been a lot of wasted time backtracking when she came to a spiraling dead end. Many a time she had been making an upward slope only to find the tunnel narrowing and the floor coming to an end as it met the ceiling. 

She let out another tired sigh and decided to give in to her weary body and return to sleep. She turned around, her head bowed down at her map as she studied the route she would need to take to get back to her room. When she had finally configured her route, she folded the papers together and lifted her head. 

A screech erupted from her mouth and echoed down several of the adjoining tunnels as she stumbled backwards. Her foot caught on a rock and she came tumbling down onto her bottom. Wincing and rubbing at the bruised spot, she looked up at the cause of her fright and froze. 

Sasuke was standing at the opening of the tunnel she was about to go down. His dark gaze was focused on her as his mouth was pulled into a thin line. Displeased expression, combined with his crossed arms in front of his chest, he looked ever the disapproving character she was beginning to become familiar with.  

“I thought I told you to not be wandering around at night?” He said, a chastising tone slicing through his words. 

“Because day and night is so easily distinguished here,” she muttered, pushing herself up from the floor and giving Sasuke a displeased look of her own. 

“But not here,” he said strictly, not in the least bit amused. 

“I’m sorry I didn’t realize I had a warden. I was under the impression that I was a member of the faction not a prisoner here.”

He didn’t respond. Instead his dark eyes moved down to her hands where she clutched her wrinkled map. Quickly she tucked it behind her but as soon as she did, she knew this was the wrong move. It only piqued his interest. 

It was no secret she did not want to be here. And she would not put it past them to already expect her to be looking for an escape...why else would Sasuke seem to be popping up here and there and Mikoto to be so attentive when Sakura was nothing but a stranger. She didn’t like to think about it, but Itachi too seemed to be watching her. Though she hadn’t decided what his motives were. And while she had yet to see Madara once since her arrival- a reunion which she was happy to avoid- she was confident that there was someone watching her nearly constantly. Which is why she reserved her wandering to night time, when she felt certain that no one was watching. However as she looked back at Sasuke who’s attention was still curiously fixed to the arm hiding behind her back, it seemed that assumption was wrong. 

“How did you even know I was gone,” she asked, she had been certain she had not made a sound when she left. 

“You weren’t in your room when I checked inside,” he stated bluntly. 

“You were in my room? Without my permission?” she questioned. 

“You didn't answer when I knocked.”

Her brows raised. “So you just let yourself in? What if I had been indecent?” She said, a tone of indignation in her voice for the intrusion of her privacy. “And how did you even find me?”

He didn’t give her an answer this time, but his hand twitched, then went up absently to his chest and rubbed the spot where she herself seemed to always feel a tugging. 

The pull, she should have known. 

She suppressed a grumble as she realized another complication to her escape. How in all of this hellish world was she supposed to get away, when Sasuke had a built in honing detection to her?

“What are you even doing out here?” he questioned. 

“I sleep walk,” she replied dryly, sidestepping along the cavern wall as she kept her back facing away from him. 

It was like he evaporated into thin air and before she could register his movement, she felt the paper map being plucked from her hand. 

“What’s this?” he asked, as she whirled around to find him unfolding the paper, his dark eyes examining the lines. 

“It’s nothing,” she said, grabbing for it but Sasuke moved too quickly out of her reach. 

Sakura stumbled forward when Sasuke lifted the paper out of her reach. Instinctively his reflexes kicked in and with his free hand, he caught her shoulder and steadied her before she ran face first into his chest. Ignoring an unhappy pout that came to her face, Sasuke moved his eyes to the paper and formed his own unhappy expression as he studied it. 

At first it looked like a bunch of scribbled lines but then he began to notice small notes and symbols that indicated its purpose. There was a clearly marked market with a formation of lines that led back to what Sakura clearly marked as her room. Down from her room was the path to the dining cavern and beyond that the family library. His eyes traced back to where she had marked her room and he noticed a small drawing across from it. A stick figure with devil horns protruding from a head of spiky hair. The eyes were crossed and there was a deep frown on the animated face as it held a pointy pitchfork in the air with a speech bubble coming out of its mouth. Sasuke sneered at the childish drawing, despising everything it mocked, right down to the forked tail coming out of its bottom. 

However, he didn’t give it as much distaste as expected as his eyes began to take in the rest of the cartographed lines. While the earlier paths and locations made sense to have noted, it was the farther out branches that did not make sense for her to have. It was random and explorative, certain tunnels crossed out with others holding question marks. He was familiar with the pathways and he knew they led to nothing of any interest to her. But the random, yet thorough, exploration of it told him this was someone looking for something, searching. And then it hit him exactly what she was doing. 

She was trying to find a way out. She was trying to escape. She was trying to leave him. That last one left a bitter taste to his tongue that stung far more than it should have. 

Tearing his eyes away from the black lines of her map, he looked down at her with a hard expression. Under his stare, he could see her throat swallow with unease as she sensed the change in his continence. 

A spark of flames erupted from his hand, catching the paper on fire. He watched as Sakura’s eyes went wide. 

“What are you doing!” She screamed, knocking the burning papers from his hand where they fell to the floor. 

Immediately she dropped down to the ground, her hands frantically beating at the flames, trying to smother them and stop them from consuming more of her precious work. She felt her fingers being burned but she didn’t care, her hope of leaving this place was burning away before her eyes. This was an entire week's worth of wearily wandering around at night, working tirelessly to figure out how to get home, to keep her promise to her family that she would not give up, that she would find a way, that she would be brave. By the time she had successfully smothered the consuming heat. The edges had been blacked as an ashy, sooty film stained what was left of the pages. Sakura stared down at her ruined work, silence consuming everything until the scrape of a shifting boot caused her to finally look away.  

Sakura turned her head slightly to see the heavy black boots Sasuke wore. His foot shifted again and the loose gravel beneath his shifting feet let out a grinding sound. When it stilled and fell silent again, she looked up to see his passive expression. Not a single fragment of remorse was visible.  

“What the hell did you do that for?!?” She screamed, springing up to her feet as she craned her neck to look up at him. “Do you have any idea how long it took me to do that? Do you have any idea what that meant–“

“You’re not leaving,” he interrupted. She glared up at him, accusingly. “That’s what it was for, was it not? You were trying to find a way out?”

“So what if I was?” she challenged. “You didn’t honestly expect me to not try.”

He let out a huff of amusement. “That map of yours was useless.”

“Well then that’s my problem! You didn’t have to burn it you-you-you stupid face!”

There was a long pause between them as the juvenile and uninspired insult echoed down the numerous tunnels that branched out from where they stood. With each echo of her words, Sakura felt herself burning hotter with embarrassment.

It only worsened when Sasuke’s face pulled into a mocking expression. “Stupid face?” he said critically, folding his arms across his chest. “If you mean to hurt me, you might want to work on your insults. A bit too angelic and far too childish of vocabulary,” he commented, as if it was an insult. He bent down to her level, meeting her eye as his voice lowered. “If you want to hurt me, you’re going to have to try a lot harder than that.”

Her arm was moving backwards, winding up to gather momentum one moment, and before she knew what she was doing, her clenched fist was moving forward. Sasuke, having been so focused on her face did not even see it coming. Which made it all the more satisfying as Sakura's hand met his jaw. A loud crack sounded as Sasuke's face was thrown to the side and he stumbled backwards onto the floor. It was his turn to look up at her in surprise from ground level. 

Sakura glared down at him, both fists clenched as her body trembled from the rushed adrenaline of what she had just done and rage for what he had done. She was tempted to continue, to jump on him and pound him into the earth until even his spiky hair left an indent. But she was not that foolish, she knew he would easily overtake her. Even now she knew as soon as he got over the initial shock of her hit, he would most likely react. 

“How’s that for hurting?” she spat, determined to extend the rush of what she had done a little longer. She watched him rub his jaw and took note as his brow flinched in pain as he tenderly touched the red welt she had left. Soon it would be a dark bruise, a fact that Sakura took pride in. 

Knowing her time was running out before he recovered. She sharply turned around and swiftly walked away. When she was out of sight, she took off in a full sprint as she rushed back to her room. Slamming the door and barricading it with a chair as she sat at the edge of the bed, half expecting him to break down the door at any moment. But he didn’t come and Sakura hated herself for the small amount of disappointment she felt. 

Sasuke had truly been taken off guard. That was his reasoning for letting her manage to hit him. He was still sitting on the ground nursing his sore and now bruising jaw when he noticed the crumbling paper. He grabbed it and examined it again. 

Again he frowned at the lines and passageways that she had obviously explored. It wasn’t that he blamed her for attempting such a thing. If anything he would have been disappointed if she truly just gave up. However what she was doing was dangerous. 

It was a crude map of the area, but he knew these tunnels well enough to recognize where exactly she had wandered. Most areas were harmless, leading to other dormitories or random rooms and facilities. However, there were a few areas that, while she had not quite entered, judging by her patterns of exploration, she eventually would. And those places were not safe. 

He let out a sigh and ran a hand down his face, flinching when he brushed the sore spot on his jaw. Standing, he began to make his way back to his room. When he returned, he could just barely sense her presence within her room telling him she was most likely in a state halfway in between sleep and being awake. He could feel a drip of anger from her end of the tie and as much as he told himself he didn’t care, it annoyed him how much he resented that emotion streaming from her. Content that she was in for the night, he continued on, his mind too perturbed and bothered to try and find sleep. 

Eventually he found himself in the library, sitting at the writing desk, and bent over a blank paper. It was nearly morning by the time he finally returned to his dormitories corridor. He could feel the pull confirming she was just behind the door and given the lack of emotions leaking through the connection, he assumed she was finally asleep. 

He was just considering how to deliver what he had just spent all night composing when he realized he forgot it in the library. Since she was already asleep and, given the last time he knocked on her door in the middle of the night, he was not in the mood for dealing with her after waking her up. Content with saving it for the morning, he entered his own room where he half undressed himself before falling asleep on top of his covers and promptly fell asleep. 

“I just don’t understand him,” Sakura vented in exasperation. “He brings me down here as some kind of punishment for...for existing . And then he tells me he can’t stand being around me, yet when I try to leave it is as if I have offended him to the highest degree! He is just…just...errrgggg.”

She and Itachi were in the middle of a nonprogressive game of chess. The game had become stagnant as Sakura was too distracted to make her next move. As Itachi sat at the small table with the abandoned game, Sakura paced across the elaborate rug that was laid out in the library.

Itachi had offered to take her here at breakfast when he noticed the hostile contention of the breakfast table as Sasuke and Sakura sat across from each other, both of them in utter silence yet seemingly shouting between each as they glared across the spread of poached eggs, delectable scones, and fresh fruit. Judging by the purple bruise blooming across Sasuke’s cheek, paired by the proud glint of satisfaction by the usually concerned Sakura when she looked at it, they had recently had an altercation. He had hoped a riveting game would distract her, or they would find her a book that she could get lost in as he always did, but alas, it seemed she had grown tired of books and had no interest in the game.

Leaning back in his chair, Itachi gave all of his attention to the agitated seraph in the room. “Give him some time,” Itachi answered. “I know it seems impossible for him to feel enough to have such emotions, but he is grieving,” he found himself advocating. 

As frustrated as he was with his brother, he still had compassion which gave him clarity and understanding. While it did not justify Sasuke’s actions, he still felt it was pain, not malice, that drove Sasuke’s actions. 

“I know what he has done and how he is acting is inexcusable,” Itachi continued. “But Sasuke loved the mortal woman and I think now he is realizing that he will never have her back...” 

He watched as Sakura nearly tripped over her feet and he caught the wide eyed expression on her face at those words. Quickly he filed this observation away into his mind where he was collecting anything and everything about her. 

“L-loved?” Sakura queried, taking a seat in the chair on the other side of the small table, looking at him curiously from over their forgotten game. 

“From what I can ascertain, yes,” Itachi confirmed. “He has never said it in words per say, but Sasuke never has been one toー”

A sharp twinge of pain within Itachi’s head caused him to let out the smallest grunts of pain and rubbed at his temple. His eyes had been bothering him more often lately. In his distraction with everything that had happened over the weeks and recent months, he hadn’t had a chance to visit Lady Chiyo. 

“Itachi? Are you okay?” Opening his crumpled eyes, he saw Sakura staring at him with a look of concern.

 He gave her a weak smile. “It’s nothing, just a little strain in my head,” he answered hedgedly. He motioned to the chess board. “Is it my turn?” he asked, trying to deter her from his ailment. 

He wasn’t sure why he thought he could distract her from his discomfort, given her gentle and nurturing personality, but the effort was fruitless. Before he could even manage to assure her again that it was nothing, she was abandoning their game as she stood up and tugged him from his chair and moved him to the couch in the sitting area. Taking a seat on the low round table in front of him, she reached out towards his face. 

“Mind if I take a look?” she quickly asked, pausing her hands halfway to his head as she waited for permission to proceed. 

Itachi wasn’t sure what exactly she would be able to do as this was something that went beyond a simple head massage, but she looked so earnest in her request he found he could not deny her. And a part of him was curious. He gave her a nod and she proceeded to gently put her hands on either side of his head. 

“This may be a little unnatural feeling at first but just try to relax,” she said. 

Before he could even question what she meant, he felt a cold pressure enter his head and he instinctively moved to pull away. But it seemed she was used to this reaction as she held his head a little more tightly as she leaned forward to stay connected. He stared at her with wide, curious eyes. But she did not seem to notice as her eyes were closed off to him as her face pulled into concentration. Once the shock of what she was doing passed, he let himself relax but he kept his eyes open as he looked at her, a slight awe taking over as he felt her chakra gently enter his head and move into his nervous system. 

Her eyes cracked open and he felt her soothing chakra slightly still as she looked at him. “Your optic nerves are really swollen and irritated,” she observed. “Do you get that kind of pain often?” 

“It comes and goes,” he answered. 

“Have you also been experiencing some loss of sight? Perhaps blurry and nearsightedness.” He nodded. “I could help ease the tension, I am not as skilled as Tsunade who could probably fully restore them, but I could at least ease it enough to improve the discomfort for now. After some practice though I think I could figure it out.” 

Itachi tilted his head slightly, looking at her curiously. 

Again he was slightly hesitant, while he trusted Sakura was innocent in her intentions, it was hard to push past the initial protective instinct of his bloodline. But again, he was curious, so he nodded. 

She took in a deep breath and exhaled. With the calming breath, he felt the cooling sensation of her chakra move around the strain in his eyes, alleviating the pressure and pain that had become a constant irritant for several centuries. And soon, he found his eyes closing as he let her work. 

It was quiet for a while before Itachi’s mind began to think. “Sakura,” he started and she let out a gentle hum to let him know she was listening. 

He opened his eyes and raised a hand to pause her work. With his hand over hers he gently lowered it and looked at her. She looked back at him questioningly as his face became serious from its earlier relaxed caliber.

“It would be best that you not show anyone else this power.” 

“Why?” she asked. 

He gave her a knowing look. “Because I have a feeling you don’t want people to know how you came by such a power without any blood relation to Tsunade...the only remaining Senju. The only clan with such capabilities.” 

He watched as her face slightly paled, clear that she had not even thought about people questioning such things. 

“Don’t worry,” he assured. “No one will hear it from me, and while I would not want you to keep you from using such a gift, I say this as one with abilities not easily shared,” he continued, watching her very closely. “There is a reason why the Uchiha are so secretive about the Sharingan, because there are people who would abuse such things.” 

For a moment Sakura’s eyes narrowed and he could tell that she wanted to question him. He hoped she would as there were many questions he wanted her to answer, but he wouldn’t force them. He needed her full trust and was worried what pushing the limits too soon would do to that trust. 

Finally, Sakura swallowed, then nodded, an understanding in her face. “Thank you for the warning,” she said very quietly. After staring at his chest for a moment, obviously reevaluating her situation, she looked up at him. “Would you like me to finish?”  

Itachi studied her for a moment, unsure of what to make of her reaction. While he did not mean to trouble her, he felt compelled to warn her to be more careful. He nodded leaning forward as she raised her hands to his face, her fingers gently pressing against his skin as she let her chakra seep into his body once more. 

He was making his way to the library to collect what he had forgotten the previous night. After a tense breakfast, Sasuke had nearly forgotten about it until later that morning. As he neared the library, he became aware of voices coming from the cracked door. Cautiously, he approached the entrance and peaked through. The moment he caught sight of the occupants of the room, his body went rigid. 

They were just barely in his line of vision which gave him a perfect side view of the pair. Itachi sat in the low chaise lounge while Sakura was positioned across from him. She was biting at her lip, looking slightly unsettled as she stared down at her hands. Her hands were entwined with Itachi’s as they rested on his lap. That scene caused something within him bubbled and his eyes narrowed. They were speaking in hushed tones that Sasuke was too bothered to pay any attention to as he focused on the body language instead. 

Sakura was at ease, her body leaning in, her face open. Itachi said something that made her smile up at Itachi, a smile that was filled with sweetness and gratitude that even caused him to feel its warmth. However, when she reached up to Itachi’s face, that warmth ignited into a raging fire that blazed throughout his body. 

Fueled and unwilling to watch things progress, Sasuke shoved the door open then slammed it shut. His entrance caused Sakura to nearly topple backwards off the table she was sitting on while Itachi, slowly and casually turned around. The lack of surprise in his face only caused Sasuke more anger as it was obvious that his brother knew they were being watched. The smallest of amusements curved at the corner of his mouth, only serving to anger Sasuke even more. 

“What are you doing?” Sasuke demanded, his eyes boring into his brothers before flickering to Sakura. 

“Just taking a small break from our game,” Itachi replied, indicating the abandoned chess game at the other table. “It was a little too...invigorating, so we moved on to something else.” 

He knew his brother was provoking him, but having possession of that knowledge did little to stave his reaction. His dark eyes flashed to Sakura who seemed to physically flinch under his gaze. It was either that, or the tumultuous rage that he was unsure why it was manifesting, had managed to seep through the connection and it had just hit her. 

He felt a nervous worry and panic trickle into him from her end of the connection. Both emotions are a tell tale sign of guilt, which meant she had been doing something she knew she shouldn’t have been doing. And to think last night he had dared to feel slightly bad for her. However, as angry as he was feeling towards her, and annoyed by the betrayal he was feeling and hoping she was not sensing, there was someone else that he needed to deal with. 

“Sakura,” Sasuke bit out authoritatively, not taking his eyes off Itachi. “Go back to your room.”

She gave him a stubborn look which grated against his waning control. He opened his mouth again to repeat his command but Itachi beat him to it.  

“Sakura,” Itachi called gently. She looked at the elder brother who, after giving his younger sibling a disapproving frown, looked at her. “If you don’t mind, could you please give us some privacy. We can finish our game later but I would like to have a private word with my brother.” 

Sasuke’s eyes twitched as she gave Itachi a small nod and stood from where she had been sitting to obligingly grant his request. Sasuke watched as she made her way towards the door and him without giving him even a glance of acknowledgment.  

“Wait,” Sasuke called out causing her to stop right as she was about to pass by. 

Walking across the room to where the writing desk was, Sasuke grabbed the folded piece of paper he had come here to retrieve. He then crossed the room to where she was standing and thrust it into her face. Her head jerked back slightly as she blinked at it. 

“Take it,” he instructed, impatient when all she did was stare. 

She gave him a wry look before snatching it from his hand, slightly crumpling it in her grip. She flipped it over in her hand, unable to give it a curious inspection. 

“Don’t wander,” he warned, causing her to look back up at him. “Down the hall to the left, take the second passage from the right then the third passage on the left when you get to the intersection. Your room is the one on the left,” he supplied, emphasizing which door was hers.

She gave him one last resentful look before wordlessly turning around and departing. The door shut behind her with a hollow thud of the wood, leaving the two brothers in a pregnant silence as Sasuke remained with his back turned from Itachi as he stared at the shut door. 

“If you treat her with common decency she might be more docile. You would be surprised with how far a few manners will get you.” 

Sasuke turned around, glaring at his brother. “I bet you would know all about that,” he sneered. 

Itachi’s brow twitched, confused as to what Sasuke was insinuating. 

Sasuke walked over to the wall of books and began to peruse them with disinterest. “You two seem to be quite close,” he commented. 

His tone was casual but Itachi sensed the underlying tone and barely managed to suppress a huff of amusement. Sasuke was jealous, he had seen it manifest enough in their childhood years to recognize it. 

“We are friends,” Itachi defended. “We share some common interests and enjoy each other's company. I wouldn’t read into it too much,” he responded dryly. 

Sasuke shot him a look before looking back to the books, grabbing one, he flipped through its pages. “I didn’t bring her here for your entertainment.” 

“Then what did you bring her here for?” Sasuke did not respond causing Itachi to press further. “I’m not going to just sit back and watch her waste away, nor will I turn an blind eye to abuse.” 

Sasuke snapped the book shut and glared at his brother. “I haven’t laid a fingerー” 

“I am not speaking of physical abuse. There are other types such as neglect and emotional,” Itachi interrupted tersely. “But while we are on the subject of her physical wellbeing, she needs protection down here. There is a curiosity that even I cannot ignore and others will surely notice. This is a world where power is always desired and pursued. And as you won’t release her to a safer place, I have no choice but to keep her protected from those who would seek out to use her for their personal gain...even you.” 

There was a long, drawn out silence. 

“I have no intention of letting harm come to her,” Sasuke finally defended. “It’s why I kept her from Lady Chiyo’s prying witchcraft the other day in the market. Which reminds me, she mentioned she had something for you...mind sharing what that is about?” 

“...”

It was brief and Sasuke barely caught it, but there was a shadowed look that came across Itachi’s face. One that Itachi quickly covered with a mask of nothingness. 

“Tch,” Sasuke scoffed. “How about we make a deal,” he suggested, turning to the door to exit. “I won’t question your silence and in exchange, you stay away from Sakura.” 

“Take up some responsibility for her and I will gladly stay away from her if it means she is taken care of properly.” 

He was answered by the slam of the door and Itachi was left to shake his head. Running a frustrated hand over his face he sat down at the small table. He stared at the unfinished chess game as he planned and strategized a wholly different kind of scenario in his mind. His mind which he was finding quite less strained after Sakura’s treatment...yet another curious thing about her. 

Healing abilities to the calibre in which Sakura insinuated she was potentially capable of should be impossible, yet, he had witnessed it himself. She had chakra healing abilities yet not a Senju...how was that possible? Was she capable of everything a Senju could be rumored to do? 

As soon as Sakura returned to her room, she shut the door and fell against it. It was then that she recalled the piece of paper Sasuke had given her. Distracted by her annoyance towards Sasuke and determination to resist the temptation to eavesdrop on the conversation between the brothers- only out of respect for Itachi- Sakura had forgotten about the folded paper until now. She looked down at paper in her hand, flipping it over curiously as she tried to contemplate why Sasuke would give her anything.  

Making her way over to the empty desk of the room, she tentatively opened it as she lowered herself into the chair. When she unfolded it to reveal the contents within, she stared in disbelief as she realized what exactly she was looking at. 

It was her map. Or at least a copy of what she had charted. Redrawn and more detailed than she had ever managed over the past week. And it even came with extra additions. 

There were the familiar paths that led to the places she already knew such as the dining room, Mikoto’s garden, and library. But as she took in the paths she had explored, where she had originally put question marks of future paths to explore, she found he had made notes. Some labeled dead ends like she had, while others extended past where she had explored and noted what would be found at the end such as more gardens, a hot spring, and a lake. At the end of a few, there had been a large ‘x’ crossed over certain paths with a drawing of a stick figure angel with a striking resemblance to herself, lying prostrate with the eyes crossed out and a tongue hanging out of the corner of her mouth. Sakura did not need a key to the map to know that those were the tunnels Sasuke had warned her about. Where things lurked in the dark. 

She rolled her eyes before letting them roam over the fresh map to where her own room was. It was there that another detail caught her eye that made her snort. Across from where her room was labeled, there was an obvious indication as to whose room was across from hers. He had redrawn himself but instead of horns, Sasuke had given himself a crown. The figure was winking up at her in mockery and Sakura let out another snort, half fueled by indignation, the other half by amusement. 

“Tch,” she mimicked in the manner of a certain dark haired demon. 

She grabbed for a pen and quickly touched up the drawing to mimic more closely to the original copy, this time adding a goatee and devilish mustache for good measure. When she finished, she sat back to admire her work. 

“Much better,” she proclaimed, failing to recognize the smile on her face and lightness that had eased on her heavy heart. 

Sasuke had not gone far from the library when he turned a corner and found himself face to face with someone. 

“Sasuke, just the nephew was hoping to find,” Madara greeted in a deep baritone. “I have been busy lately and I hope you have not felt left out or neglected. I had some things to arrange and take care of, your father had sure left this world in a state. There is a lot of cleaning up to do and reorganizing that I will need your help in. But I figured you needed some time to reunite with your family first.” His dark gaze ran over Sasuke’s tense stature and read his perturbed aura. Then his eyes fell onto the bruise on Sasuke’s cheek and he could see amusement and intrigue grow in his eyes. “I hope you are settling in well and making amends.”

“I’m fine,” Sasuke gritted out. 

“Good...and how is our little starling settling in? I hope she is getting comfortable with her new home.” 

“Too comfortable,” Sasuke muttered lowly. 

“What was that?”

“She’s fine,” Sasuke replied more clearly. 

Madara nodded. “Excellent. We will have to arrange a time to all get together. I would love to get to know her better. Perhaps maybe even help her find a place in the new world that I am envisioning.”  

Sasuke gave him a wary look. There was something within him that told him that was the last thing he wanted to happen. “Yeah, maybe sometime,” he answered noncommittally.

“Tonight,” Madara said firmly. It was not an invitation, it was a decree.

Sasuke was not used to following orders. He hadn't needed to for quite some time. But it was different now, he had agreed to this, struck a bargain. Despite the bitter taste in his mouth, Sasuke found his head nodding obediently. 

Madara smiled looking far too satisfied for the simple request that he had been granted. “Perfect, I will see the both of you at dinner then. Since it’s a special occasion, see to it that Sakura is readied properly.” 

Madara promptly left, walking past Sasuke to continue on down the corridor. As the young Uchiha remained standing alone, he was left with an uneasy feeling in his stomach. He was not sure exactly how long he remained but a voice coming from behind him in the direction he himself had just come. 

“I warned you,” came Itachi’s patronizing tone. “People would become curious about her. They will use her.” 

Sasuke twisted his head to look at his brother with a side eye. “It’s just dinner.” 

“You and I both know it is not that simple. With Madara, it is never just dinner.” 

“It’s fine, i’ve got it,” he said forcefully before starting to walk away. 

“Sasuke,” Itachi called to his retreating back. “I can help you.” 

Sasuke kept walking, not even pausing at the desperate tone in his brother's voice. “I don’t need your help,” called out. “Just stay out of my way and stay away from her.” 

There was no need for help, he told himself. He was fine.

Chapter Text

There was something about being fully submerged in a tub of water that Sakura found relaxing. The weightlessness seemed to not only give a physical feeling of lightness, but it also seemed to ease the heavy burdens in her mind. The sensation of her body being fully embraced by warmth, warming her down to her very soul and giving her comfort.

Like her chakra control, Sakura also had a skill for breath control as well. After centuries of frequent practice of this habit, she was able to stay under for several minutes at a time with hardly any effort. The key was to regulate her heart rate, to conserve oxygen levels as she slipped into a meditative trance, just aware enough to be mutely aware of her senses.

Since coming to the underworld she had done this many times. It was something familiar, something where she almost, just almost, completely forgot where she was as she focused on the senses of her body rather than the chaos in her mind. The warmth of the water, the muffled splashes when a hand or foot broke the surface, the smooth shift of the water against her skin as it moved back and forth against the confines of the porcelain tub each time she moved. A small bubble of air escaped from her nostril and she cracked an eye open to watch it rise to the surface of the deep depth that that bathing tub provided. She would be lying if she said there was nothing praiseworthy in hell.

Everything, in short, was immaculate. It was all made of the finest materials from precious metals to exquisite textiles, rare woods to artful ceramics. All crafted and designed into tasteful and luxurious furnishings, draperies, and everyday functional facilities. And it wasn't just the interior décor that made this world praiseworthy.

While the cavernous structure of the world would not seem an ideal architecture, the way the demons had incorporated refinery into the rocky world was praiseworthy. Where the heavens hung portraits painted with vivid colors and vivid detail, the demons carved the stone walls into murals that told stories with such immaculate skill and detail, even in monochrome the artwork seemed to be alive. And when there was not a crafted engraving within the wall, nature itself seemed to create a masterpiece. Veins of precious metals like gold and silver ran on the surface of the caverns in lightning strike patterns. The metallic lines captured and reflected the orange light of the everlasting flames that lit the tunnels, or glinted with the multiple colors of the iridescent crystals that formed and glowed among the black rock of this world.

As the bubble of air managed to reach the surface, it caused a ripple to stretch out above her. Sakura watched how it bent and reflected the light of the large chandelier that hung on the high ceiling of the washroom. But as she watched the light dance with the rippled water, it was suddenly eclipsed by a dark form leaning over the edge of the tub. Before she could even register what was happening, hands were grabbing at her arms and she was being yanked up and out of the water.

Water splashed over the sides as she was wildly brought to the surface. She coughed as she choked on the inhaled water that she had breathed in panic upon being grabbed and wiped at her eyes. The splatter of water hitting the tile floor filled her ears and was drowned out almost instantly with the roar of a male voice filling her ears.

"Have you lost your mind!"

Sakura blinked up into a darkened face of Sasuke. His eyes were wide, overtaken with a flamed fury and if she did not know better, panic.

"What the hell are you doing?" he roared into her stunned face as he shook her shoulders.

The jostle he gave her caused her mind to catch up and suddenly become more aware. Aware of the sloshing water, aware of his looming presence, aware of his fingers grasping onto her wet and bare skin, and she was more than acutely aware that she was completely naked.

Her hands flew to her chest as she frantically shoved him away from her, chakra escaping in her force and causing him to fly across the washroom where he caught himself upright against the sink.

"What the hell am I doing!? What the hell are you doing!?" she screamed, her face burning from the angry flush that was rising over her face.

"I was trying to keep you from…" his voice trailed off as the panic that he had felt earlier began to fade and he could think clearly.

He had come to her room to tell her to get ready for dinner, only to find that the room was empty. It was then he heard the smallest of splashes and became aware of the gentle tug that directed him to the bathroom door that was left ajar.

He had knocked first. In fact he had knocked several times and even called her name. But when he got no response and heard another splash, his mind jumped to a panicked conclusion. And how else was he supposed to react when he thought she was trying to drown herself? He was more than aware of her desire to escape but he had not imagined she would try to escape that way. Was it so horrible in this world of his, that she felt death was better?

Sasuke stared at her as the reality of a possible mistake on his behalf had been made, induced by the heart wrenching panic that had manifested within him when he came across her submerged under water. With the bleary rage of such an attempt and the panic of her safety now gone, he was suddenly aware of the very naked woman crouching in the tub as her bare chest heaved beneath her crossed arms. She was glaring back at him with eyes that for the first time since bringing her here, did not hold an ounce of dull light. They were brilliantly alight with a burning rage.

Immediately he opened his mouth, to explain his overreaction, to rectify the situation. But she cut him off with her own words. "Stop staring and get out!" When he did not take immediate action, she grabbed a bar of soap and hurled it at him. "I said get out you degenerate pervert!"

Sakura watched as Sasuke seemed to break free from his staring and immediately exited the bathroom in three quick strides, slamming the door behind him with his escape. As soon as the door shut she fell back, staring up at the glowing chandelier above her and breathing deeply until her racing heart began to regulate. She continued to sit there, her attention falling from the light fixture above, to the shut door. And then her face began to burn again, this time with an all different reason.

Her hands came up to her face as she let out a muffled groan of mortification. When she ran out of air to vent, her hands slipped from her face where they splashed into the water. Suddenly far too warm to remain in the heated water, Sakura stood and stepped over the side of the tub. Water dripped from her body as it splattered on the bathmat then the floor as she walked over to where her towel was. Wrapping the soft sheet of fabric around her she walked towards the door, muttering to herself about pervert assholes who had no regard for privacy.

Opening the door to her room she let out an exclamation. "Jashin's bloody sauna!" she yelped, when she caught sight of Sasuke sitting on her bed. "What are you still doing here!" she questioned, pulling the towel around her tighter. "What part of get out do you not understand!"

Sasuke looked up at her, his obsidian eyes fixated on her. He watched as she tightened her grip on her towel as she shifted from one foot to the other. "I need to talk to you," he replied, his eyes involuntarily lingering in places.

"Would you stop staring!" she snapped, causing him to realize what he was doing and force his eyes back up to hers. "Actually better yet, why don't you get out!"

He stood, crossing his arms across his chest. "We need to talk."

"It can wait," she deadpanned.

"No, it can't," he said, sitting back down on the chase lounge at the end of her bend and raising a brow at her.

She let out a muffled scream of frustration and turned away from him. Without so much of a glance towards him, she moved over to her wardrobe, all the while acutely aware of his eyes on her. She opened the doors, finally shooting him a narrowed look as she grabbed at her towel again before casting her gaze to the closet.

"If you're not going to leave can you at least look the other way," she demanded, as she began to push aside some hangers. "I think you already got enough of an eyeful to satisfy a pervert for one day."

He didn't say anything but she heard him shift and the weight of his stare seemed to lift. However, she did look over her shoulder to double check and found his back to her as he looked at the opposite side of the room. Watching him warily, she quickly pulled on some underwear before letting the towel fall to the ground. Facing the wardrobe she quickly found a silk robe among the many articles of clothing and wrapped it around herself, tying a firm knot around her waist before turning back around.

Sasuke stared at the intricate carved wall, the filigree pattern gave it the illusion of wall paper but it was all carved out of stone. But he hardly registered what his eyes were taking in as his ears picked up every sound of what was going on behind him. The shift of fabric, the scrape of a drawer, the distinct thud of the towel as it hit the floor…

Sasuke's mind rarely dabled in lustful fantasies. There had only been one person who could truly make him burn with desire and temptation...until now. At the moment, he was struggling with diverting his mind from the memory of the image of water droplets running down the creamy smooth skin of the woman he had wrenched from the bathtub, her heaving chest, the perfect physique. Despite the brief moment in which he had taken her in, it seemed his eyes logged the image vividly into his memory. And now that he was far too aware of every movement and sound that told him what was going on behind him, his mind was more than happy to provide a mental imagery that paired far too sensually to what was really going on.

"You know most people knock before they just barge in unannounced and pull people from the bath," he heard her say just as she came into his line of sight.

The image of her dressed in a silky navy blue robe did nothing to help him control his earlier wild imaginations. He swallowed thickly, averting his eyes. "I knocked and you didn't answer."

"So you just let yourself in? Did you think for a moment that I might have been a bit busy!?"

"I thought you were drowning," he said in hard defense. "I thought you were trying to-" he found himself unable to voice what he had truly thought. His throat tightened at the very thought.

Sakura stared at him for a long moment in confusion. But then clear understanding washed over her features and her mouth opened. "I would never do that," she defended, her voice taking on a hard offense.

"And how am I supposed to know that?" he snapped. "I know you hate it here, you're miserable. You wouldn't hesitate to take the first opportunity to escape this place, no matter what it was."

She glared at him. "I don't take life for granted. It is precious in all forms, no matter how small the organism, or short the life span, it is all valuable and should never be retired before the gods see fit. No matter how unhappy or miserable I am, it would never be a good enough reason to end my own life. I would endure an eternity here rather than do that."

Sasuke was quiet for a long time. He found a strange relief and comfort from her words. However when he looked up at her to find her still glaring at him with accusation, he mirrored her expression. "And how was I supposed to know that?" he demanded defensively.

"Anyone who knows me knows that."

"Tch." He stood up as he let out his scoff and walked a few steps as he ran a hand through his hair. He could feel her eyes moving with him as he strode towards the other side of the room. He came to a stop, then abruptly turned on his heel. "Everything I know about you, is a lie."

The room fell quiet as a sudden tension seemed to fill the air. Sakura stared back at him, her face curiously unreadable as she seemed to search for a response. Finally, after a long pause, she turned her body towards him and strode with a measured pace.

Sasuke could not help but watch as her hips swayed and the lower half of her bare thighs flexed with each step she took. As she came closer, his eyes traveled up her body, taking in the way the silk draped her curves until he finally settled back to meet her eyes. They were piercing and bright as she came to a stop. Tilting her head up towards him, she met his obsidian stare.

He watched as her tongue darted out to wet her lips before taking in a breath before she spoke. "I never lied about who I was," she declared boldly. And it was true. Technically she really was who he thought she was. Or so she had been told. But technicalities aside, when she was with him back on the street in New York, she truly had been her true self. There had been no ploy or attempt to deceive him, she had just wanted to know him. "Believe it or not Sasuke, but you're not the only victim of a lie."

He took a step towards her, his face hardening. "So you mean to tell me," he said, raising a hand to the knot of her robe and toying with the bow. "That there are no secrets between us."

"No, of course there are secrets. Mine and yours. But omitting a secret is not the same as lying," she said pointedly, trying to ignore the feel of his hand against her body when it brushed against the thin fabric of her robe.

At her answer, his eyes sparked with what looked like interest. A finger slipped through the belt of her robe and he tugged, forcing her to take a half step until they stood chest to chest. She was forced to crane her neck even more to keep meeting his eyes, not willing to back down from the spark of challenge that had formed.

"Careful, Sakura," he practically purred her name as he gave her a hooded look. "One would think that you are trying to entice me. Tell me," he said, running a hand up to where her robe had begun to slip off her shoulder and dragged a finger along the seam of the silk, grazing the skin at her collar bone, "just what exactly would you demand to relinquish such...omissions as you say?"

Sakura's eyes fell shut as his finger ran down to just above her breast before pausing. It took a moment to fight off the dizzying feeling before she was able to reopen her eyes and gaze up at him. Her mind felt a drift after the swarming wave of emotions and desires that were passing back and forth between them, interchanging and mixing so much that she was unsure of what was his and what she was actually feeling.

"Why are you here, Sasuke?" she uttered, just barely above a whisper.

The excited glint that had appeared in his dark eyes slowly disappeared as a glimmer of disappointment shifted into his features. Retracting his hand away from her, he stepped back, then turned towards her wardrobe.

"I came to bring you to dinner," he said, searching through the collection of clothing his mother had managed to fit into the wardrobe.

"Pretty sure I can find my own way there. I have been managing it alone for a few weeks now," she commented dryly. "And I am certain that I can dress myself," she added when she watched him start to pull out an outfit that was far from what she would normally wear.

"Well we are not eating in the usual dining room." Sasuke walked over to her, and held a dress out to her. "Put it on," he instructed.

Sakura looked at the midnight blue fabric in his hands, then she looked up at him. "Why not? Where are we going?"

A twitch of annoyance crossed his face along with something that looked like anxious anticipation. "Madara has requested we join him for dinner."

He watched as she paled at his words. "Why?" she said cautiously.

"He just wants us there," he answered, his tone slightly frustrated. He shoved the clothing into her arms and nodded towards the bathroom. "Now go get ready."

When she made no move to do as she was told, he roughly spun her around and pushed her towards the bathroom.

"Now, Sakura," he said sternly. "Or do I need to dress you myself?"

That had her scampering into the bathroom without any more protest. Though Sasuke did note that she shut the door with a more forceful snap than necessary.

He waited impatiently in her room, striding across the floor, snooping around the desk. He had just noticed something odd sticking out from behind the bed when the opening of the bathroom door distracted him and he turned around.

Sakura stepped out of the bathroom with her head bowed as she seemed to fidget with the dress. She had braided a crown of hair that wrapped around the side of her head where she had neatly fastened it into a low bun that gently rested at the nap of her neck. When she looked up, Sasuke found himself frozen.

The dress that she wore was of the traditional fashion of the underworld. The fabric was the exact shade normally worn by his family as it hung off one shoulder to wrap around her chest. Right above her navel was a split in the fabric that showed off a section of midriff in the front before the high-low skirt of the dress flowed down around the length of her body, the fabric falling to just above her knees in the front before cutting off as it continued to drape down to her ankles in the back. Draped over her arm was the extra skirt layer that was supposed to be wrapped intricately around her waist.

"I don't know how to put this on?" she admitted meekly, staring at him with those green eyes of hers as her fingers fidgeted with the extra draping that was to be wrapped around her waist and flow over the skirt.

Sasuke walked over to her and grabbed the rich red fabric she had in her arms. The navy and gold threading that made up the intricate pattern of the top layer added an elegant texture that paired well with the dark bottom layer. Slowly, he unfolded it and smoothed out the wrinkles she had created in an obvious attempt to put it on herself.

"It goes around your waist," he explained, putting his arms around her as he wrapped the fabric around. "And is supposed to lay over the bottom so it acts as an accent."

For a moment he focused on lining the rich red up so that the blue skirt beneath it peaked out just ever so slightly. Like the fresh petals of a budding flower breaking through from the green sepal wrapping. As he wound the extra length of the caped skirt around her waist and tied it securely at her left hip, he was more than aware of her watching him closely. And despite being aware of her attention, he was not prepared for the look she was giving him when he raised his attention back up to her face.

She was biting at her lip as her green eyes shyly followed his movements, meeting his obsidian gaze at the same time as he met her emerald. Suddenly a hunger began to rise in him which he quickly swallowed down before it managed to leak through their connection.

"Come," he instructed, quickly turning away from her and making for the door. "Madara will not be happy if we are late."

The reality of who she was about to see and be in the presence of did not hit her until they reached the door of their destination. Distracted by Sasuke's intrusiveness and the tense and charged exchanges that occurred as she got ready, the impact of the reason Sasuke had even come to collect her had escaped her. Which only made this sudden realization that she was about to be in the presence of Madara all the more intense. And as soon as it hit her, she came to a sudden stop.

Sasuke turned around to look at her with an expression of annoyance but she could not be bothered by it this time. In fact she had not even noticed it as she stared at the door. Her body trembled beneath her weight and she was afraid they would give out if she even tried to move a step.

"Sakura?" Sasuke called, the smallest hint of either curiosity or concern was in his voice but it was difficult to discern through the annoyance that dominated his tone.

She looked at him. And as soon as she saw the insistence in his eyes, her head began to move. Side to side, she slowly shook it as her feet began to retreat, backing away from the door.

"I-I don't want to go in there," she protested, shaking her head and looking up at him with frightened eyes that silently pleaded to him. "I don'tー"

She stopped speaking when Sasuke walked up to her and grabbed her chin. It was not enough force to be rough, but not tender enough to be gentle, just purposeful. He tilted her face up to look at him as he leaned over her.

"Listen to me very, very carefully," he began sternly. "You will go in there, you will remain silent unless spoken to, you will refrain from drawing attention to yourself, and you will not say anything that will get you into trouble. If you are not sure, just do not say anything at all. Keep your answers short, yes and no as often as possible. If you do this, if you heed my advice, you will be fine. Understood?"