#goddess!sakura

[darquedeath4444]

The Deity of Spring

Chapter ELEVEN

Gaara left the main tent soon after Sakura had. The meeting hadn't officially been concluded yet, but the suffocating atmosphere surrounding the table became too much for him at one point. His siblings could manage things for a while.

The sun felt like a nice change from the stuffiness of being indoors and he closed his eyes, basking in the natural warmth. The sound of human activity around him kept him grounded to the reality of war, though, and he opened his eyes again just in time to see a covered body being carried away on a stretcher.

A handful of warriors had been struggling in the gap between life and death for a few days, and it appeared they had lost another to the other side. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes again, allowing himself a moment of grief.

"Humans are so fragile, aren't they?"

Gaara's eyes snapped open and he whipped around at the voice. Sakura stood beside him, as though she had been there the entire time. She tilted her head as she looked him over. "I wonder, at times, what made my kin want to give up Godhood for something so frail and short-lasting."

Gaara did not reply, but it did not look as though the Goddess was looking for a reply.

"Then again, I simply do not understand the value of each life as well as you appear to," she said. So she knew. "Perhaps that is something one can understand only when they have a short moment to appreciate it." She linked her hands behind herself and leaned in towards him. Gaara could feel her breath on his neck and could sense the eyes of everyone nearby, who had noticed the pinkette's presence. "Tell me, human, does your life feel long to you?"

Gaara carefully stepped away, hoping she did not think him rude and turn him into a squirrel, or something. "It would probably feel longer if there was no war going on," he replied carefully. "My name is Gaara," he added after a second thought.

Sakura smiled and straightened herself. "I see. And, I am aware, Gaara." She opened her mouth again, only to freeze, and Gaara sensed what had made her pause. A tremendous amount of chakra was approaching and moments later Sasuke appeared from around the corner, eyes wide. "Sakura!"

"He found me," Sakura muttered. "That boy is worse than Naruto, I swear." She turned to Gaara and smiled in a secretive way just before Sasuke was close enough to see it.

"Don't wander off like that!" The raven scowled. "I turned around and you'd just vanished!"

Perhaps Goddesses did not roll their eyes, but Gaara was sure that if she had been any other person, she would have. Instead, Sakura simply smiled. "I won't leave this place without telling you," she said gently. "And Gaara was keeping me company."

Sasuke finally turned towards him, as though he were worthy of looking at now that Sakura had mentioned him. "That's what I was worried about," he said, without the slightest intention of hiding his scorn. "Well, better him than anyone else, I guess."

Amidst his growing annoyance at the blatant disrespect, Gaara wondered what he meant.

Sasuke turned away as though he had once again vanished from his world. "I looked around like you asked," he said, then pointed towards the part of the camp people of the Land of Water gathered. "I found one there," he said, then waved ambiguously. "Two there, and a couple of others all over the place. Then there's this one." Gaara received a jerk of his head in his direction. The raven rolled his eyes. "You knew already," he said. "Why make me count?"

Sakura smiled and from the way Sasuke scoffed it must be one she used often when she was unwilling to say any more. "Right, whatever," he muttered.

Sakura laughed. "Should you not be sleeping?" She asked.

Sasuke shrugged. "The idiot's not here. Someone has to keep an eye on you."

Gaara was beginning to feel more and more left out, as though he didn't exist. He had been just about to sneak away when Sakura turned towards him. "Do not leave just yet, Gaara," she said. She waved casually when Sasuke opened his mouth to no doubt protest, making him swallow whatever he had been about to say. "I would like to know more about your people," she announced.

Gaara paused. "Excuse me?"

"It has been a while since I experienced human life," she said. "And I believe it helps to know what exactly you are fighting to protect." She glanced at Sasuke and nudged him when the raven turned away. She then spun away from him, steps light and graceful. "Why did you decide to stand up against Kaguya?" She asked. "What made you decide to shoulder the weight of the lives of entire nations worth of people? What makes you stand up and fight?"

There were many places Gaara could have taken the Goddess. He could have taken them to where the warriors trained and talked about their pride as humans. He could have led them to the medical tents and the injured and shared their determination. He could have shown them the graves of those whose bodies they had managed to recover and talked of their sacrifices. He could have shown them their archives and relayed to her their history.

However, Gaara was selfish. He had lost so much to war and bloodshed. People had fought, people whose faces he didn't know and names he hadn't heard, and they had died. Some had died in front of loved ones, giving their life for those they cared for, and others had died alone, out in the unknown, to never be found and properly mourned for.

He wanted her to know that. He wanted her to know it all.

Sakura curiously eyed the platform of sand he had made. Beside her, Sasuke bristled at it suspiciously. Gaara cautiously held out his hand. The Goddess smiled and gracefully took it, allowing him to help her up beside him. Sasuke looked ready to protest but he surprisingly did not. He hopped up next to them and Gaara did not stop him. Instead, he simply urged the sand to follow his command, and it answered.

The people were long used to his habit of using his sand as a way to look over the camp, but the moment they began to point up towards them, Gaara knew they had caught sight of his unusual passengers. They were too far up to hear what was being said, and Gaara decided to ignore them for the time being.

Sakura peered over the edge without any worry of falling. "This must be useful," she commented.

Gaara eyed Sasuke, biting back a comment about the pinkette's own flying transport standing next to her. He nodded. "It is."

Soon, they were hovering well above the camp.

"Before the war," Gaara said, "I would do the exact same thing back at home. I come from the Land of Wind, and despite being the youngest of three siblings I took over as its leader after my father died." He closed his eyes, picturing his home as it had been. If he were in his usual spot, the market place would be to his left, the school to the right...

He risked a glance over at Sakura, who was leaning almost dangerously over the edge of his sand but hadn't made a move to say anything. He then turned to Sasuke, who was scowling and pointedly not looking down. He opened his mouth but closed it again when no words came to mind.

Finally, after a while, Sakura stepped back. "I wonder," she said softly. "I wonder whether scenery before my eyes differs from the one that appears before yours."

Gaara bit his lip, not knowing how to answer. He saw his people. The civilian area was right below them and he could see a group of children, their future, kicking around a ball they had managed to salvage from somewhere. Nearby, a group of elderly were seated surrounded by younger children, no doubt telling them a story.

There was so much he wanted to show her, and no time to go through it all. So, instead, he showed her his people and hoped she understood what he could not put to words.

"I think she was waiting for you."

Gaara turned towards Sasuke, surprised the raven was talking to him. The other male continued to look ahead, eyes fixed on Sakura, who was looking over the camp with something unreadable in her eyes.

"Naruto and I kept Sakura in the forest to protect her. Kaguya hurt her before, and she took it for mankind. We didn't want her to hurt anymore. She stayed because we wanted her to, and she cares for us despite her status," Sasuke sighed. "But deep inside, I think she was waiting for you to call, waiting for someone strong and desperate enough to break through our prison of protection."

Gaara did not reply.

Naruto returned grinning, a little dirty, but uninjured. Deidara could still remember the trail of fire the blond had left when he had fought the whiskered man and did not doubt for a second that that had been the form the blond was in when he had torn through the ranks of advancing Zetsu. He knew that while they had taken the Goddess' warning to heart and stayed away while the blond was gone, a team had been sent out to see what exactly had happened after he had returned.

He had to admit, he was curious himself. After all, the aftermath was probably what he and his team would have ended up like.

He watched, slightly amused, when the Tsuchikage stormed up to the blond, only for the Guardian to completely ignore the man as he placed a hand over his eyes and looked around. "Sakura-chan?"

Something brushed his arm, and he whipped around to see Sakura standing right beside him. "I am here."

Deidara jumped and stumbled backward. "Since when, un?" He demanded. He placed a hand over his heart, trying to calm his breathing. When was the last time someone had managed to creep up on him?

Sakura turned to him. "Since just now," she said. "I apologize if I scared you."

Deidara nodded, unsure of how to react. Then there was a flash of yellow, and Naruto was beside them as well, sweeping the pinkette up into his arms and spinning around. "I'm back Sakura-chan~"

"I can see that, Naruto." The pinkette smiled and ran a hand through messy blond hair. "Welcome back, I am glad you are unharmed."

Naruto put her down carefully and flexed in a dramatic fashion. "Weaklings don't stand a chance," he bragged. Still, Deidara knew the Guardian meant what he was saying. He could see the muscles rippling beneath his skin. Even if it came down to a purely physical fight, Naruto could more than hold his ground.

Sakura laughed softly. "Let us go find Sasuke," she said. "He has been awake this entire time, and he will no doubt be cranky."

Naruto grinned. "Because you ditched him?"

Sakura lightly slapped him on the shoulder. "I did not."

Naruto's grin widened, and Deidara paused for a second time when he turned towards him. "Hey, Deidara!"

"Hi, un..." He knew he looked less than comfortable, but neither Naruto nor Sakura seemed to mind. Deidara watched as the Guardian once again scooped the Goddess up into his arms, and the two of them vanished over the rooftops.

Itachi had been assigned to border patrol, and by the time he and his team returned all anyone could talk about Naruto's apparent decimation of an entire group of White Zetsus.

They reported their return and were dismissed for the day. Itachi instantly began heading towards the Uchiha clan tent and inwardly groaned when he noticed that heading there would not protect him from the thing he was currently trying to escape.

"You got to meet them properly, right?" His cousin, Uchiha Shisui asked. "What were they like?"

"A Goddess, and her Guardians," he said, already long tired with the question. The test of the party had been quick to understand he was not interested in answering questions, but Shisui either did not notice or, more likely, he was simply ignoring it.

Shisui pouted and opened his mouth, but Itachi cut him off.

"If you are that interested, you should go talk to her," he said, "I do believe she may like you."

That was not a lie. People tended to like Shisui, though Itachi wasn't exactly sure that extended to Goddesses as well.

Shisui grinned. "You think so?" He asked. "Okay, I'll go do that."

Itachi watched his older cousin skip off and wondered if he should apologize to Sakura on a later date, then backtracked a little, because did Goddesses understand jokes?

Shisui had to admit, he had been skeptical when the head council had revealed their almighty plan to save humanity, but when his cute cousin had returned with a Goddess he was probably one of the fastest to accept it.

He honestly didn't care what this Deity was like as long as they helped. Things were that desperate, after all. She hadn't been what exactly he had expected, but he was sure that was the case for many of them.

After parting with Itachi, Shisui headed towards the area of the camp that had been cleared for the Deity and her companions. Even before he was that close to the tent, he could tell there was no one there. He paused, then turned towards a warrior from Iwa to ask if he knew the whereabouts of the Goddess.

He received a shrug and an unsure direction towards the training grounds. Nonetheless, he thanked him and began making his way in the general direction.

The crowd gathered by the mouth of the biggest training area alerted him of something, and when he got there he saw that, indeed, it was the Goddess.

The pink-haired Deity was sitting on the ground, Sasuke lying down with his eyes closed and his head on her lap. A little away, Naruto was spinning around in what he thought was a variation of kata. Shisui eyed the crowd, who all looked too fascinated to leave but too scared to approach. Steeling himself, he hopped over the fence parting them and began making his way across the grounds.

Sakura paused in her action of petting Sasuke's hair and looked up right at him. In the next second, the hand Naruto had raised came down with fire wrapped around it, and Shisui quickly stepped back when the orange flames lashed out at him. "Woah!"

"Naruto," Sakura chastised.

Naruto shrugged unapologetically. "Sorry," he muttered. "Habit."

Sakura huffed. She glanced down at Sasuke, then gestured towards him with her hand. She patted the earth next to herself. "Come," she said. "Sit."

Unsure of the sudden direction things were heading, he did as told.

"You look like (ITACHI)," she noted. "You are family?"

Shisui nodded. "We're cousins,"

Sakura hummed. "I see," she said. "Now, what can I do for you, cousin of Itachi?"

Shisui laughed. "Call me Shisui," he said.

"Very well, Shisui."

He grinned and leaned back on his hands. "And I wasn't looking for anything, really. Just wanted to see what you were like."

Sakura smiled. "And what do you think?" She asked.

"You're very pretty," he told her honestly. "And I can tell you're much, much stronger than you look."

Sakura smiled and turned back down to a sleeping Sasuke. "I see."

Shisui watched them for a while. Their interactions seemed friendly enough. In fact, it reminded him of a family.

Naruto chose that moment to come bounding over. "Sakura-chan! I'm hungry." He crouched down in front of the pinkette and grinned.

Sakura smiled, and the blond leaned into her touch when she brushed his cheek. "Shisui," she called, making him jump.

"Yeah?"

"Do you know of anywhere we may acquire some food?"

Shisui's first though was the tent where they handed out rations, but he also knew that several people who had owned restaurants before the Kaguya incident had opened up stalls in the civilian district. Seeing it as an important way to keep up morale, the head council had agreed to supply it with food and resources to keep them going.

"Of course," he said. He jumped to his feet and thumped his chest proudly. "Follow me."

Uchiha Obito had been making his way towards the base gates when he caught sight of Shisui skipping towards the civilian district. That in itself wasn't strange; his cousin liked to hang around the civilian children. Shisui said it was because he liked the way they worshipped him, but almost everyone knew it was because he was simply worried.

Most of the victims during the destruction of their home had been defenseless children.

What surprised him was how the Goddess, Sakura, was walking right next to him, seemingly listening to Shisui's chattering with a smile on her face. She was linked hand to hand with Sasuke, who looked like he was sleeping even as he moved one foot in front of the other. A few steps behind them trailed Naruto, who had his hands linked behind his head. The blond looked around curiously, taking in their surroundings.

None of them seemed bothered by the stares from the people he knew they had long noticed.

Obito watched his younger cousin lead Sakura straight towards a ramen stand and usher them into seats. He saw the owner, a man named Teuchi, look surprised at his sudden customers but he took it in stride. He welcomed them with a large grin and asked for their orders.

Obito would have loved to see a Goddess's reaction to ramen, but he was already late and he knew he should get going. His friend had been assigned to a patrol a while ago, and he was finally back today. He was sure Kakashi wouldn't appreciate it if he were too tardy.

Chapter TWELVE>

<Chapter TEN

Chapter List

[darquedeath4444]

The Deity of Spring

Chapter NINE

Evening could not come any faster for Itachi as he and his team sat around, not sure how to pass the time. They had all run maintenance on their weapons, the number one time spender for those in their profession, and now they all hovered around the living room of the house, unsure, as Naruto prowled around for a few moments before he plopped himself down on the couch and lied down.

"Is he going to sleep?" Deidara asked.

"Looks like it," Shikamaru replied. The Nara yawned, and it looked like he would rather like to join the blond.

"Isn't he supposed to go prepare?" Kiba asked, scowling.

"I am preparing," Naruto called, eyes still closed. "I'm resting up for travel."

Itachi heard a soft growl resonating from Kiba's throat and placed a hand on the Inuzuka's shoulder before he could let out a scathing comment. The teen bared his teeth in his direction before he seemed to bring himself back. He shot the blond another glare before he stormed off. Itachi watched him head towards the door, throw it open, and step out, then glanced over towards the blond, who he did not doubt for a second did not know what was going on.

Sure enough, Naruto stretched but did not open his eyes. "Don't wander into the trees~" he called. Kiba slammed the door shut in response and Itachi could swear he saw the blond roll his eyes. "What did I ever do to him," he muttered. "Humans."

"You kicked his dog," Sasori supplied.

"You say that like you aren't human yourself, un," Deidara said, at the same time. "Are you actually not human?"

Naruto sighed, then slowly sat up. "Well, it's kind of difficult to say," he begins, much to Itachi's surprise. "I mean, I look human, don't I? And I act human too. By 'human', what exactly do you mean?"

Deidara glanced towards the rest of the team, but Itachi could tell that Naruto did not really mean harm with his question.

"The Goddess," Itachi said slowly, "she looks human but she is the least human out of all of us, isn't she?"

Naruto grinned. "You got that right," he said. "And yeah, the Teme and I aren't really human anymore. We were, once, but that was a long time ago."

"You barely look older than us," Shikamaru pointed out.

Naruto laughed, and it was the bright kind of laugh that made Itachi feel warmer, so unlike the mocking laugh of cold amusement the blond had first greeted them within the forest. "You might not believe it, but both Teme and I are well into our sixties."

Itachi blinked, not really sure what he had been expecting. Appearance wise, that really did not seem to be the case, but he had a feeling he had expected them to be much older. "There were others before you?" He asked.

Naruto nodded. "All Guardians are descendants of the original pair that stayed with Sakura," he explained. "Teme and I are merely two of many." He stood up and stretched. "Okay, I'm gonna go prepare," he said. "Might wants to go out and make sure your friends actually didn't step into the trees; a lot of those traps were left by our predecessors and none of us can really turn them off."

It turned out Kiba had settled himself just outside the door. He threw a stick towards Akamaru just as Neji stepped out the door and he didn't look up as his dog fetched it and brought it back. Sasori and Deidara glanced at each other, then started a loud argument about art and wandered off to the other side of the garden.

"Are you feeling better?" Itachi asked, and Kiba nodded.

"I thought you'd react more harshly," he said. "You seemed the most adamant out of all of us to return as soon as possible."

Itachi blinked. "There is nothing really we can do about it," he said after a while. "The Goddess clearly has her own agenda, her own rules."

Kiba tossed his stick again and watched Akamaru bound off after it. "I don't know," he admitted. "It's like the three of them have been holed up in this forest where nothing can touch them while the world died to conflict and illness and hunger around them. Even when Kaguya came and shit on us they still did nothing, and it looked like they were planning to continue doing nothing."

"But they agreed to help us," Neji said. "That has to count for something."

Kiba sighed. "I guess."

Neji thought he understood the Inuzuka's frustration. It was obvious from their first interaction alone that Naruto and probably Sasuke had great power, a power he thought could have been used to better the lives of a countless number of powerless people. Still, "There is much more than what we know," he said. "A lot has been lost to time and history, and there is too much we are missing for us to put together a story firm enough that it gives us the right to judge."

Kiba closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He took the branch from Akamaru and ruffled his white fur before standing up. "Right," he said.

Behind them, the door was thrown open and Naruto stepped out. "We're leaving once Teme wakes up," he called. "Sakura brought out more food, so if you want to eat before we depart I suggest you get back in here." He stepped aside to let them through and when Kiba nodded stiffly in thanks, Naruto simply grinned in return.

Sakura came down the stairs as they were eating. The pinkette had changed out of her simple white robes and into a slightly less flowing black outfit. She greeted them politely, then exited the house. Naruto watched her leave, then turned back to wolfing down the food on his plate. The blond had changed out of the lose, baggy clothes he had been wearing into something someone at a religious temple might wear. Shikamaru winced at all the orange but the blond did not seem to notice.

"Teme should be up soon," he told them in between mouthfuls. "Then we can leave."

"Is 'Sasuke' so much of a bastard that you actually refer to him as 'Teme' on a daily basis?" Sasori asked.

Naruto chuckled. "Having to deal with him every day should be illegal," he said. "It's not that people shit in his breakfast every morning; he buys rotten food on purpose."

"I am a saint for dealing with you," a voice growled. "Dobe."

Naruto whipped around, a grin on his face. "You're up!" He exclaimed.

"Not everyone can sleep through storms and your laughter is obnoxious enough to wake up anyone," Sasuke deadpanned. The raven had also changed and was now dressed in what looked to be a dark blue version of Naruto's clothing. "Where is Sakura?"

"Outside," Naruto replied. "She wanted to check on the daisies before we leave."

"We don't have any daisies," Sasuke said. He snatched an apple from the table as he passed.

Naruto threw up his arms and got out of his seat. "Daisies, poppies, flowers," he said. "They're all colorful and pretty." The two of them stepped out of the house but left the door open, and Shikamaru got to his feet when Itachi took the lead and they followed the pair. He was just in time to see Sakura stand up from her crouched position next to a patch of flowers. Now that he thought about it, there was an entire garden behind the house none of them had really had the chance to look at.

"I do not know long it will take Kaguya to notice my presence," Sakura said. "But I am sure she will come after me at some point. How likely is it that we encounter Zetsus on our way to your base?"

"Not very high," Itachi replied. "The base lies directly between here and where Kaguya is approaching from."

Sakura nodded thoughtfully. "If possible, I would prefer we find a place to rest for the night before the sun vanishes behind the horizon."

Shikamaru blinked because that was a really short time they had for travel. He glanced towards Itachi, who was yet to say anything.

"I'll be fine," Naruto said immediately. "I ate a lot today; I can manage a night, really."

Sakura eyed the blond for a second before she nodded. "Very well," she said. "But you will not push yourself."

Naruto nodded. "Promise."

Sakura smiled faintly, then turned towards them again. "Shall we depart?"

Deidara summoned his clay bird and Kiba saw the way Sasuke eyed it with distrust clear in his eyes, even when the six of them clambered onto it without hesitation. "Come with me, Sakura," he said. "I can follow them easily."

Sakura turned towards the raven and nodded. "Okay."

Kiba watched in fascination as black wings burst from Sasuke's back in a cloud of smoke. He easily scooped up the smaller pinkette and spread his wings. "Dobe?"

Naruto made a face. "I'm not flying," he said. "I'll run, 'ttebayo."

Kiba immediately wanted to question how exactly the blond was expecting to be able to keep up with their travel speed but when Sasuke simply nodded, he bit his tongue and refrained from saying anything.

"Are you ready?" Itachi called.

Sasuke glanced down at Sakura in his arms and something seemed to pass between them before the male nodded. "Whenever you are."

The clay bird took to the air and Sasuke gave a massive flap of his wings to follow. In seconds they had risen above the trees and Kiba glanced down to note that the house was no longer visible. Neither was Naruto. "Does he even know which way we're headed?" He asked.

Sasuke, who was hovering a little away from them, nodded. "He can follow our chakra," he said. "He might be stupid but he isn't that stupid. Sakura poked him and the raven grunted. "He is stupid," he insisted. "No too stupid, but stupid all the same."

Kiba glanced down again in uncertainty and was just in time to see a glowing ball of fire break free from the trees.

"He's here," Sasuke said, at the same time. "Lead the way."

Deidara's bird took off in the direction of the Alliance base and Sasuke easily kept up with them. Down below, the ball of chakra that was Naruto stayed directly beneath them.

"We can set up camp before it gets truly dark," Itachi said suddenly, and Kiba glanced at the Uchiha.

"Oh?" Sakura asked. Sasuke flew closer, as close as he could, so that the pinkette did not have to raise her voice.

"Traveling through the dark is not ideal," Neji noted. "And I believe our allies will appreciate us arriving when they can clearly see us."

Sakura tilted her head, as though considering this, before she nodded. "Okay." The two of them swooped downwards, presumably to tell Naruto their plans.

"This...limitation of theirs may cause problems in the future," Shikamaru noted half-heartedly.

"It will be ideal for them to share at least part of the circumstance with us," Neji agreed.

"If we start moving the moment the sun rises tomorrow morning, we'll arrive by evening," Sasori said.

Itachi nodded. "That is the plan."

Kiba glanced back down at the trio. "I wonder how much they can help us," he said quietly. "How much can they improve our situation?"

No one said anything in reply, and Kiba felt torn between satisfaction that that mankind finally seemed to have a way to properly combat a Goddess, and hopelessness of whether or not the Goddess who was supposedly now on their side could stand against the very creator of the lands.

As expected, their return was anticipated. Itachi had contacted Konan through special chakra paper to alert the Alliance of their return and by the time their base could be seen from a distance, Neji could see a crowd of chakra gathered near the entrance.

He wondered how many of them actually expected them to return with a Goddess.

"Are we just going to fly down?" Deidara asked. They had decided on one last rest before they made the final lap of their return journey.

"What else is there to do?" Sasori retorted.

"People are already waiting," Neji informed them.

"We will go down first and give a brief report," Itachi said, then glanced at Sasuke. "Could you join us when I give you a signal?"

Sasuke stiffly nodded. He looked down at the sleeping Pinkett in his arms and shook her awake. He whispered a few words to her before he turned towards Naruto, who nodded in understanding.

Itachi looked around his team and Neji met the Uchiha's gaze with a nod. The older teen narrowed his eyes just a little and turned to look at the base. "Let us go."

Gaara had been present when Nagato of the Akatsuki had brought news from the Deity hunt party. He was currently one of many who had gathered at the gates, eager to see if the best of the Alliance had actually managed to find something that might give them a fighting chance.

"I see them!" Hinata called softly, Byakugan eyes glaring white. "They are approaching."

Soon enough, Gaara caught sight of a single shadow in the sky. Within seconds he recognized it to be Deidara's clay bird and watched it circle above them for a second before it slowly descended. Itachi was the first to step off. The Uchiha bowed at Tsunade before he bowed at the rest of the Kage present. "Hokage-sama," he said. "We have returned."

Tsunade nodded stiffly. Itachi glanced around subtly and the blond woman turned to glare around at the gathered crowd. "Well, what are you all looking at?"

Gaara winced at the lack of tact, but he understood that discussions had to be held before anything was revealed to anyone. He nodded at Temari and Kankuro, who turned and began helping with herding the crowd away.

Once they were alone, Tsunade once again turned towards Itachi. "Well?"

"The Forest of Death was indeed inhabited by the Deity of Spring," Itachi said. "A Goddess, to be exact, and her two Guardians."

Tsunade glanced around and Itachi gestured up into the sky. Gaara guessed the Uchiha was telling them where the Deity and her companions were waiting.

"What did you think, Itachi?"

The Uchiha appeared to consider his words. "The Guardians take their roles seriously. They will probably attack is provoked or threatened. The Goddess appears to be empathetic towards our situation, but she has made clear she has her own reasons for lending us aid. I believe that if our enemy was not another Goddess, we, too, would have been eradicated within the Forest."

"So the Goddess is the reason for the rumors surrounding the Forest of Death?" A asked.

"The Guardians did," Shikamaru piped in. "To be fair, it appears as though most people who went looking for the Goddess, seeking for her help, were not genuine."

Tsunade looked around, and when their gazes met Gaara nodded. She turned back to Itachi. "Will the main tent suffice?"

Itachi nodded, then raised his hand.

Gaara glanced up in time to see something descend towards the earth. Black feathers flew in all directions and a dark silhouette turned towards them. Instincts honed by battle, Gaara raised a hand, sand answering his call beneath his feet, ready to fight.

"Watch it!"

A hand shot out of nowhere and grabbed his wrist. Gaara flinched and yanked his hand free. He whipped around and the gaze of a blond teen, who was suddenly standing next to him. "Where did-"

The blond raised his hands in mock surrender. "Hey, no need to attack."

Gaara turned stiffly towards Itachi, who looked the slightest bit embarrassed. "Naruto-san," he said.

The blond, Naruto, waved. "What he said," he said. "Nice to meet you, 'ttebayo." He pointed into the settling dust. "The ugly one over there's Sasuke, and the pretty one is Sakura-chan."

Black wings neatly folded themselves on the raven's back, before they vanished in a cloud of black smoke. The other male, Sasuke, nodded stiffly in the direction. The third newcomer, a delicate looking girl, hopped out of his arms. Naruto skipped over to stand to her right while Sasuke planted himself on her left. Gaara saw her green eyes turn towards them, taking them in, before she smiled softly. He had a feeling her eyes had lingered on him longer than the others but maybe that was simply his imagination.

"I am Sakura," she said. "I hear you are seeking my help."

Gaara instantly noticed that, whatever they had been seeking, she was it. The girl, no, Goddess, before him was much shorter than him. Her limbs were thin and everything about her screamed of fragility. Still, there was something about her, perhaps the look in her eyes or the way she held herself, that commanded power.

Gaara glanced over at Sasori, who noticed the look of curiosity in his eyes and nodded in confirmation, the usual laziness gone. Tsunade stepped forward first. "I am Senju Tsunade, one of the leaders of the Elemental Alliance," she said.

The rest of the Kage followed suit with their own introductions. The Deity simply smiled through the tense atmosphere.

Gaara could still sense the curious eyes of the people watching them, though they were much further away. If the Deity and her companions noticed, though, they showed no signs of it.

Tsunade looked at the main tent. "Perhaps we can discuss this inside?"

Sakura nodded, then gestured for the blond woman to lead the way. Gaara caught Sasuke and Naruto share a glance as they moved to follow the pinkette.

Despite not everyone fully believing in the tales of the Deity, the meeting tent had been set up. Tsunade gestured at the single seat that had been put up for the Deity, before she signaled for someone to grab more chairs.

However, Sakura stopped her. "One will suffice," she said. "It is no problem."

Tsunade looked unsure, but joined the rest of the Kage as they took their usual seats around the table. The Deity appeared willing to play human, and Gaara was grateful for that. Until she changed her mind, he would continue to treat her as an equal because he had really no idea how he was supposed to treat a Goddess.

Sakura sat down in the single chair while Sasuke hovered over her shoulder. Naruto plopped himself down on the floor at the pinkett's feet.

Onoki, who had been the most disbelieving towards the plan, immediately turned towards the girl. "You are the Deity?"

Gaara's eyes instantly caught the way Sasuke's hand drifted towards the sword at his hip. Sakura, however, simply nudged him. "I am," she replied.

Onoki scowled and A was quick to step in. "What we mean is-"

"You do not believe me," Sakura cut in.

A nodded stiffly. "No offense, but-" he gestured at her appearance. "You don't look like the strongest thing around."

Naruto snorted, then hissed when Sasuke not-so-subtly kicked him. Sakura continued to smile. "Did you expect me to look like Kaguya?"

The tense atmosphere seemed to get heavier.

"Gods and Goddesses were things of the pasts, legends, until Kaguya appeared," Mei said. "Not all of us were fully convinced we'd even be able to find you."

"And yet, you placed your hope on stories you did on even believe in," Sakura said. "That speaks volumes for the severity of the situation."

Tsunade linked her hands in front of her. "I guess Itachi filled you in?"

Sakura nodded. "I know of the situation," she said. "Though I must tell you, it could have been worse."

Onoki scoffed and opened his mouth, and Gaara knew that the old man was going to rattle off the number of people that had died, the lived that had been destroyed, but Sakura raised her hand in a surprisingly sharp gesture that stood out against her delicate appearance and he froze, almost as though something had compelled her.

"Kaguya was sealed," Sakura said. "And she is not yet at full power. It could have been worse, and there is a possibility it will get worse."

"And is there a way to stop it from becoming worse?" Tsunade asked.

"You stop her from fully regaining her powers," Sakura replied, as though it was the most simple thing in the world.

"And how do we do that?" Gaara asked. He could feel Tsunade's annoyance rising and was reminded of times when he spoke to Shikaku. Only giving answers to questions asked appeared to be a habit of those who knew more than they should. He didn't doubt for a second that the pinkette before him knew much more than the Nara, but they gave off the same air.

Sakura turned towards him and he once again had the strange feeling that she was looking right into his soul. "I cannot say just yet," she said. "It all depends on whether or not Kaguya managed to unseal herself, or if someone else unsealed her." She absentmindedly reached down and ran her fingers through Naruto's hair. "I will need to pay a visit to the ruins of the Otsutsuki clan."

Gaara glanced at his fellow Kage. Mei was the first to speak up. "That was where Kaguya was first seen," she said.

Sakura nodded. "That was where Kaguya was sealed."

"Won't it be dangerous to go there?" Gaara asked.

Sakura tilted her head as though thinking. "I doubt that," she said after a while. "If anything, I believe Kaguya will have vacated from the ruins as soon as possible."

"Why do you say that?" A prompted.

"The chakra of the Otsutsuki and its familiarity with ours made it the ideal place to seal Kaguya. The seals were very powerful, and I highly doubt Kaguya could have destroyed them even if she did manage to escape. Staying near them will continuously weaken her." Green eyes, suddenly cold, glanced over them. Gaara was reminded that despite her appearance, the girl before them was not human. He wondered to what extent she even understood thoughts and feelings. "Besides, she is currently looking for something. Why else did you think she hasn't destroyed you yet?"

Onoki looked ready to fly at the Goddess and Gaara opened his mouth to try and steer the conversation in another direction, but Tsunade beat him to it.

"Is it bad if she finds whatever she is looking for?"

Sakura smiled, and Gaara wondered if the look on her face was a show of emotion or simply movement of human-like facial muscles. "Indeed," she said. "However, until she finds them she will not...no, she cannot destroy you."

Chapter TEN>

<Chapter EIGHT

Chapter List

[darquedeath4444]

The Deity of Spring

Chapter TEN

Sasuke chose that moment to yawn, and instantly the Goddess was deeming it was time someone showed them to wherever they were to rest.

There wasn't much Tsunade could do to convince her otherwise, and she simply called out for Shizune, who she had asked to standby outside the tent, and she hurried to her side seconds later. "Tents have been prepared," she said quietly.

Tsunade nodded, then turned towards the Goddess and her entourage. "This is Shizune," she said. "She will show you to your tents. We are at war, and I am afraid we cannot offer you much comfort."

Sakura waves it off. "I know war," she said vaguely.

Naruto got to his feet and Sasuke was already moving towards the exit when Sakura turned around. "Do you have offensive plans?" She asked. "Or only defensive ones?"

Tsunade glanced at the other Kage before carefully answering. "Our next offensive move was going to be discussed at a meeting tomorrow," she said. "However, with the way the Zetsu grow stronger every day, we've had our hands full with keeping our defenses together."

Sakura nodded. "I will attend this meeting," she announced. "I have fought Kaguya before."

Sasuke held up the cloth door of the tent and Sakura stepped out. Tsunade watched the raven let go of it just as Naruto was trying to follow. The blond growled in annoyance and right after he had stepped out himself, she heard a childish argument break out between the two.

It faded as they were led away until finally, all she could hear was tense silence.

Mei was the first to break the silence. "She was not what I expected," she said.

Gaara nodded slowly in agreement. "I agree. I was expecting someone who-"

"Looked demonic?" Oonoki asked bitterly. "Huge? Like Kaguya?"

Gaara fixed the man with a blank stare. "I was going to say 'looked less human', but yes."

"Do you think she means it when she agreed to help us defeat Kaguya?" A asked. "They are fellow Deities."

"Versions of the story state that Kaguya went against the other gods," Gaara said.

"She will help us, but she has her own agenda," Tsunade said. "That's what it felt like."

Mei nodded. "As long as our goals align, I think she'll stand with us."

"We introduce them to the clan heads tomorrow," Gaara said.

Tsunade nodded. "Perhaps now, we can go on the offensive."

The moment Tsunade had led the small group away, Itachi hurried off to report to his clan while Neji did the same. Kiba was bowled over by his mother then dragged off. Sasori wandered off before Gaara's siblings could find him and Deidara rushed odd after him, leaving Shikamaru to stand awkwardly by himself. He didn't have to for long, though, for Ino and Choji had been a part of the crowd, waiting for him, and they were quick to reach his side.

"You're back!" Ino exclaimed. "Alive and whole!"

Shikamaru thought of the battle against Naruto and tried not to wince at the true panic he had begun to feel during that time. He had probably never feared a single enemy as he had at that point. He wondered how his friends would have reacted if he hadn't come back. "I guess so."

Choji had been following the Goddess and her Guardians with his eyes. "Is that pink haired girl the Deity?" He asked in awe.

Ino nodded. "The pretty one with the green eyes?"

Shikamaru nodded, suddenly feeling exhausted. He wordlessly began to make his way towards his own tent, and his friends followed.

"You have to tell us everything," Ino demanded. "So the whole Goddess thing is real after all? Who were the two guys?"

"She's going to help us right?" Choji asked at the same time.

Shikamaru entered his tent, and Ino and Choji followed without hesitation. They waited impatiently for him to put his things down and sit on his sleeping bag. "The Deity of Spring is a Goddess called Sakura," he began. "The two males are Naruto and Sasuke, and they act as her Guardians. We fought Naruto on our way into the Forest of Death, and he probably could have wiped us out. I don't doubt Sasuke is as strong as him." He paused. "Sakura and the other Deities fought Kaguya in the past, and they sealed her. Sakura is helping us fight Kaguya because she sees it as her duty to do so once again."

"That isn't very reassuring," Choji notes.

"She's a Goddess, a being above ours," Ino said. "Our creators."

Choji bit his lip and Shikamaru felt bad for his friends. It was easy to picture Sakura betraying them, after all. And unlike Kaguya, who was still out there, Sakura was right within their final stronghold.

"She appears to be empathetic towards us," he told them. "Maybe because she once fought Kaguya herself. I'm not sure if she is capable of feeling sympathy though."

Ino glanced over at the main tent again. "It'd be nice to be able to talk to her at some point," she said offhandedly.

Choji's eye widened, but Ino continued before the Akimichi could protest.

"There's a meeting tomorrow," Ino told him. "The one with all the clan heads. We're expected to attend, and I think the Goddess will be invited too."

Shikamaru made a mental note to check in with his father at some point soon; now that he was back, he would probably be expected to join the patrols and whatnot. He sighed again.

Hopefully, he could get at least a day off.

Itachi entered the main tent behind his father early in the morning. Fugaku sat down in his usual seat and Itachi wordlessly followed. When he had returned to his family, both his parents had been pleased with his safety but had reacted differently to the news of the Goddess.

His mother was pleased something had come out of his dangerous outing. Mikoto spent so much time worrying over him and the rest of his clan, crying for every member lost, that he often worried.

Fugaku, on the other hand, had been upset that there was a being with the power to possibly stand up to Kaguya hiding away all this time while mankind was slowly pushed to the edge. Itachi remembered Kiba reacting in the same way and could agree that it was a reasonable view.

Itachi understood why some people thought like that. Kiba had reacted in the same way, after all. Still, curiosity seemed to win him over an Itachi was glad when his father agreed to attend the meeting. The usual members were there. Itachi and Neji shared a nod and Sasori lazily waved in his direction when their eyes met.

The Goddess was yet to arrive and Itachi was relieved by that fact. Some expected members were still absent, and it would be very awkward if all those present could do was stare at the Goddess while they waited. The Goddess was very pretty, in an exotic, inhumane kind of way. It was a kind of beauty that screamed danger, and yet lured you in.

Almost as though mirroring his thoughts, or perhaps out of sheer coincidence, Sakura entered the tent moments after the leader from a clan in the Land of Lighting had settled in his seat. Instantly, eyes were on her, taking in her appearance. Naruto was behind her but Sasuke was nowhere to be seen, and Itachi had a feeling the raven was sleeping. The blond theatrically pulled out the chair for the pinkette. He then ignored his own, simply sweeping the seat to the side, and once again took his place by the Goddess's feet.

Tsunade cleared her throat to start the meeting. "Perhaps we should begin with introductions," she said. "We were a little bewildered yesterday, but is there a specific name we should call you by?"

Sakura blinked, as though the thought had never occurred to her. Itachi had to admit it was a good question. Was referring to a Goddess merely by her name rude?

"You can call her Sakura-sama and grovel at her feet," Naruto called. "The only one allowed to call her Sakura-chan is me!" He whined when Sakura smacked him lightly.

"Pay him no mind," Sakura said immediately after. "Sakura is fine."

Tsunade nodded. "Very well. Present here are those who lead the clans that make up the majority of our fighting force," she said.

Sakura smiled. "I am Sakura," she said. "This is Naruto, and our third companion, who is currently not present, is Sasuke."

"Why is that?" Someone, a man who Itachi recognized to hail from the Land of Water, asked.

"He's napping, 'ttebayo," Naruto told him. "Long travel is too much for his delicate skin."

Sakura smacked him again. "Ignore him," she said. "Though it is true that he is currently resting."

"Shall we begin?" Gaara asked. When he received no complaints, he raised his hand. Temari stepped forward and spread out a large map on the table before them. On it were markings from previous meetings. There were colored pins indicating ally forces and white pins that symbolized Zetsu. There were small flags that pointed out Zetsu sightings that had yet to be confirmed while small blocks represented temporary patrol bases.

Sakura eyed the map in a nostalgic sort of way. No one said anything as she swept her fingers over the paper. Finally, she looked up. "Kaguya," she said.

Tsunade nodded, and began telling the tale from years ago, back when the Zetsu had first appeared. Itachi knew the pinkette had heard the story from the hunting party, but she patiently sat through it again.

"You said yesterday that Kaguya might no longer be in the Otsutsuki ruins," Gaara said. "But from our intel, it appears as though the Zetsu are continuing to appear from that general direction?"

Sakura placed her hands on the map, leaning over it. She was muttering under her breath, too quietly for Itachi to hear. Finally, she seemed to come to a conclusion. "I will have to visit the ruins to know," she said. "Perhaps she is using the Otsutsuki chakra still in the ruins to create them."

"What are they really?"

Sakura closed her eyes. "Former humans," she said. "The Otsutsuki clan were Gods that had given up Godhood to become the first humans. Kaguya did not like that. Long story short, the White Zetsu were once humans that Kaguya consumed. She is digging up the graves of those who were once kin."

There was a moment of silence, and Itachi thought that perhaps the Goddess was mourning. Then it was gone. Sakura opened her eyes, revealing sharp green orbs, and she was once again sweeping her gaze over the map.

"The Zetsu are not affected by physical limitations such as fatigue, but they can be killed," she said. "Sasuke will join your night patrols, while Naruto will stay with those during the day. The priority will be to clear the Zetsu that are threatening to surround this camp. Once that threat is gone, you will further your offensive plans. Currently, we need to focus on removing the possibility of this base being swarmed while the fighting force is out."

"Won't it be faster if Sasuke and I just go out and smack them around a little?" Naruto asked.

Sakura eyed the map, eyes flickering over the colorful pins. "Could you do that without causing a single casualty from this side?" She asked. It was not a rhetorical question, merely one of curiosity, and Itachi once again wondered how the Goddess perceived human life.

Naruto frowned and tilted his head in thought. "That's might be a little difficult, 'ttebayo."

Sakura nodded. "Then that won't do."

Itachi let out a soft sigh of relief he hadn't realized he had been holding in. The Goddess before them could not possibly understand what a single life had come to mean to him. Over the course of the battle of survival against Kaguya, everyone standing with him in whatever role they undertook had become important.

He did not want to lose anyone else if he could help it.

Itachi looked up again to see Sakura's piercing eyes staring right at him. In seconds, others noticed and they too looked at him. The pinkette did not say anything, however, and she merely turned back to the map soon after.

"You do not have to waste so many men here," she said a while later, indicating towards the rivers, where they secured drinking water.

"Water sources are important to humans," Hiashi said curtly. "We-"

"Kaguya does not know that," Sakura said dismissively. "We do not need food, we do not need water. We are superior beings, we do not need to know of lesser lifeforms. Kaguya loathed humankind since it began, and was sealed for thousands of years. Kaguya does not know mankind to be anything more than mere insects. Do you know what insects need to survive?"

Itachi knew, for he had read a book or ten about it, but he held his tongue, seeing a point the Goddess was making.

Sakura swept her finger through the pins, knocking them away from where they had been stations around the riverbanks. "Move them," she said easily. "Now, these spots were your numbers are thin? Leave them like that. This-"

"You want us to spare our men, only to not send them where they are needed?" Fugaku demanded, and Itachi winced at the mockery in his father's tone.

Sakura looked up and eyed the man as though she were looking at an interesting and yet, a troublesome specimen which she had to chose between keeping and tossing aside. "If there are no men within the vicinity," she said slowly like she was talking to a toddler. "Naruto or Sasuke can easily clean up. If you do not want to lose your men, I suggest you keep them away while they are at it."

"You want me to go do that now?" Naruto asked, getting to his feet. "We still have some time until sunset; I can go there and be back before then."

Sakura narrowed her eyes. "The moment you or Sasuke actually fight, Kaguya will know I am here."

"And what happens if Kaguya finds out you're fighting with us?" C of the Land of Lightning asked.

"The two most likely outcomes are; she will immediately focus all her forces to this base in an attempt to eradicate me, or she will double her efforts to find the artifacts she is most likely out looking for."

Itachi narrowed his eyes. Right, the artifacts the Goddess would not tell them about.

Sakura continued. "I doubt it will be the first, because to kill me she will have to kill all of you, and as I said, she cannot risk doing that just yet. I will not be surprised if the attacks on this base lesson. She will know I know what she is doing, and she might gather her forces around herself in an attempt to slow down whoever might go after her to stop her."

"Will that make approaching the ruins easier?" Itachi asked. "From what you said, it appears as though we won't know anything for certain until we investigate them."

Sakura glanced his way before she turned to Naruto again, her mind apparently made up. "Check in on Sasuke before you go," she said. "He does not have to wake up. Just let him know you are leaving so he is aware."

Naruto grinned, understanding what she wanted. "He'll wake up if I tell him I'll be gone," he said, laughing. "But I got it."

"Do you need a map?" Sakura asked.

Naruto shrugged, then shook his head. "I just kill the Zetsu where I won't hurt any humans int he crossfire, right?"

And just like that, the blond headed out of the tent.

Itachi stared after him, and Kankuro was the first to speak up. "So, uh, he's just gonna go out and kill all the Zetsu?" He asked.

"In this area," Sakura corrected.

"In this area," Kankuro repeated. "All the Zetsu in this area."

Sakura nodded.

"Just like that?" Kankuro asked.

Sakura nodded again.

Kankuro leaned back in his chair, eyes wide in disbelief. However, before anyone could say anything else, Sasuke burst into the tent. He wordless approached Sakura and sat down by her feet, not seeming to notice, or not caring for, the gazes of everyone present on him. Sakura leaned down and whispered something to the raven, fingers running through his hair, and Sasuke leaned his head against her knee before he closed his eyes.

Sakura smiled faintly before she turned back to the map once again. "Next, I would like to address the positioning of the rear guard..."

There were two different reactions to Sakura's sudden interference with plans.

Kiba could hear comments and whispers of annoyance and even anger the moment the Goddess left with Sasuke in tow, but he could also hear words of awe and even respect.

Kiba himself was unsure of how he felt, and from the troubled expression on his mother's face, she felt the same. Tsume seemed to notice his gaze and grinned. "She sure was something."

He nodded in agreement.

The woman sighed and slumped in her chair. He saw several other clan heads, namely Fugaku and Hisashi, looking at her with disapproval in their eyes but his mother ignored them.

"What did you think of her?" He asked curiously. His mother was a strong woman, and he was curious about how the Goddess had appeared in her eyes.

"She definitely knows what she's doing," Tsume said immediately. "And she seems to know how to do things to get it. Still, I worry that her methods are the methods of the Gods, and I don't know if we humans will be able to keep up with them."

Kiba glanced down at his hands. The praises and complaints from those around him seemed to grow louder.

They had finally found a breakthrough, but why had any of them expected for things to go just as they had wanted them to? Had they thought that they could control the Goddess and make her act how they wanted her to through prayers?

Desperate actions were almost never thought through, and great power came at a great cost. He wondered what the payment for trying to recruit a Goddess would be.

He wondered if it was too late to be wondering about it at all.

Chapter ELEVEN>

<Chapter NINE

Chapter List

[anoceaninthesun]

Sakura Week

Day 5: Mythology

Sakura asa goddess. I played around with layers and a muted color palette. I at first thought she’d be Konohanasakuya-Hime (the obvious choice) or even Kaguya-Hime (notthealienrabbitchick) but now, I think she’s Haru no Sakura-hime. ☺️