Cataclysm

Chapter One

-Mission-

Sakura stared up at the cloudy sky, humming softly to herself. Her short pink locks were dancing in the breeze, as were the white feathers on her wings. She absolutely loved it in Heaven, it was always so pretty. At the moment she was sitting on the roof of her small house, dangling her bare feet off the edge of her roof, simply basking in the sunlight. She stopped humming and looked over as a messenger joined her on the roof.

"Yes? Can I help you?" she asked politely.

The man nodded. "Your presence is needed. Neji wishes to speak to you." He informed her.

She rose and smoothed out her long white tunic. A golden rope tied around her waist, and at her sleeves, which stopped at the edge of her shoulders. "Very well, please lead the way." She wondered what it could be that Neji would summon her this way. It must be something pretty important, judging by the business-like way it was being handled.

They took to the sky then, and landed when they were in front of one of the main buildings in the center of town. It was similar to all the other ones, large and white, with columns in the front. Only this one had a long set of stairs in the front, showing that it was a building of importance. The messenger led her through the large double doors and down a few hallways, stopping in front of another large door. He knocked politely, and when he was given permission to enter, did just that.

"Sir, I have brought her." He announced, bowing to his superior. Sakura walked in and bowed as well.

"You wished to see me Neji?" she asked, straightening.

There were two brunettes lounging on long cushioned chairs. The man stood as they entered, and held his hand out for the woman to remain seated. They were surrounded by papers and scrolls and quills, since they were the ones who kept account of everything that happened on earth. "Thank you for coming Sakura," he said, stepping forward. His long brown hair was down to his waist and he was wearing a white tunic with a green sash tied around his waist. His wings flared a bit, the feathers ruffling due to the breeze that was just let in.

The messenger left then and closed the doors behind him. Neji stopped and focused his pale, milky eyes on her. "Sakura, we have a serious problem."

Concern entered her deep emerald eyes. "What is it?"

"It's the dragons." He stated.

"Weren't they taken care of?" she asked. "I thought they were no longer of much concern."

"They weren't. We killed off most of them and then the humans thinned them out as well. But…" he stopped, sighing, glancing back at the woman behind him. She got up and walked towards them, stopping beside Neji. Her long brown hair stopped just after shoulders and her tunic tied around her chest, it had no sleeves and she had a dark green sash tied around her waist as well.

"We thought we did, but the one we thought was the leader, or the king, turns out to just be an alpha male. There are only two left." Tenten said, sighing.

Neji nodded. "We have already sent a group to kill the other. But I need you to take on the last one. It doesn't matter, because the last two are males, but still, this dragon has the capability of leveling an entire city in one breath."

Her eyes widened. "Wow. I'm honored that you want me to be the one to take care of it. Do we know the current location of the dragon?" she asked, looking between the two.

"Unfortunately, we cannot pinpoint its location, but we think it's somewhere near Troy. That's where the most havoc has been erupting. Plus there are many caves around the beaches and mountains where the dragon could hide." He explained. "Now, I want you to take two others along with you. It is never wise to be alone, and this one is very dangerous."

She nodded. "Of course. I think I will take Hinata, if that's okay with you?" she asked, knowing that he was protective of his younger cousin.

Neji grimaced. "Well…I suppose. Just be careful, she's very delicate. Though I do agree she would be a good one to bring along on this journey."

"Thank you Neji." She said, smiling at him. "As for who else to take, it might as well be Naruto. If he finds out I went to Earth without him I'll never hear the end of it. And he can be very reliable." She reasoned.

Tenten laughed as Neji just smirked. "Whatever you say Sakura, just be careful. And I know that only few angels have ever returned, but I have faith in you." He smiled and then gave her a nod. "You are to leave as soon as possible, ready yourself and I will send messages to my cousin and Naruto."

"Alright. Tell them to meet me at the gates in an hour." She said, bowing to them before leaving.

She flew back to her home and thought about what she would need for her mission. Since she was an angel, she didn't require food or drink. Although she would have to actually wear her shoes. You didn't need them in Heaven, because the streets were never dirty and for the most part she flew everywhere. But on Earth she would have to blend in, and since it was dirty, shoes were a must. Those thoughts in mind, she went into her bedroom and pulled a pair a golden sandals out from under her bed. After slipping them on, she grabbed her sword and tied it to the rope around her waist.

Nodding as she looked at herself in the mirror, she left a note for anyone who would come by looking for her while she was gone on her mission, and headed for the large golden gates that allowed entry in Heaven. Shortly after she arrived, Hinata and Naruto showed up.

"Are you two ready?" she asked, looking at them. Hinata nodded shyly. She was wearing a tunic similar to Sakura's only it was looser and more modest. Over her shoulder she had a quiver of arrows, and a bow, her chosen weapon. Her eyes were the same as Neji's, and her hair just as long, only it was a black with hints of blue when the sun hit it right, not brown.

"Yes Sakura. Thank you for requesting me to come with you, I am most honored." She said, bowing her head.

Naruto stepped forward then. "Of course Sakura! I am so excited!" the blonde yelled, pumping his fist into the air. His tunic was short, as with most men's, and his sandals tied up his legs, stopping beneath his knees. It had one sleeve on his left shoulder, showing off his tanned muscle, and his sword was strapped to his side. His bright cerulean eyes were alight with mischief and energy, which was practically bursting from his body.

Sakura smiled at them. "Then let's get going. I want to finish this mission as soon as possible."

The large golden, wrought-iron gates opened then, and the three angels took to the sky, flying down to the earth towards Troy. The journey took them a while, but they eventually landed on a beach near the entrance of the city. Well, Hinata and Sakura landed, Naruto crashed right into the sand.

"Ow." The blonde man groaned, standing and brushing the grains off of him.

"Okay, hide your wings, we have to blend in as well as possible." Sakura instructed. Hinata and Naruto nodded, and soon all three looked like regular humans, minus the fact that they seemed to glow slightly, a sign of what they actually were. But it didn't concern them, since humans couldn't see as well as an otherworldly creature could.

Sakura looked around where they had landed, making sure that nobody could have possibly seen them arrive. It would not bode well if they were suspected by the humans. The only building in immediate sight was a large temple on the bluffs near the beach.

Naruto placed his hands on his hips and looked around. "Is this Troy? I always thought it would be bigger." He laughed, his shoulders shaking. Sakura hit him over the back of the head.

"It's not Troy you idiot. This seems to be a temple of some sort." She said. A loud yell could be heard, and everyone directed their gazes on the entrance to the temple. A man was there, wearing robes that showed he was a priest of the temple. He ran down the bluff towards the trio, breathing excitedly.

"Oh my Zeus!" he declared, stopping before them. He looked at Naruto and began to bow profusely. "Apollo, it does this humble servant of yours a great honor to be in your presence." He said, continuing to bow.

"Apollo?" Sakura asked, becoming confused. These people thought that Naruto was one of their gods?

The balding man straightened and looked at her. "Oh goodness! The gods favor me today! Come, come!" He said, gesturing for them to follow him to the temple.

They looked at each other in confusion, but followed him anyways. He seemed nice enough, and having a guide for the city would be useful, since they didn't know their way around the area. Upon entering the temple, they saw a large statue of a man, who, coincidentally, looked a lot like Naruto. "This is awesome!" Naruto exclaimed, examining the statue. "Nice work, nice work." He said, rubbing his chin.

The priest came back out, a timid smile on his face. "I am glad you like your statue. This is your temple." He told them.

Sakura rolled her eyes. Great. The last thing they needed was for Naruto's head to get any bigger because humans were worshipping him, thinking he was their great god Apollo. But it wouldn't do well to burst their bubble that their silly gods didn't really exist.

Once they were inside the beautiful marble halls of the temple, they were surrounded by temple maidens and other holy figures. They were all whispering to one another, amazed that their god had come to earth to visit them. The high priest came forth then, dressed much more elegantly than the rest of the people. His robes were made of fine silk, and he wore nothing but white and gold. "My great Lord Apollo! We humbly send our thanks to you, anything you desire we shall fetch for you. Please," he bowed as did the rest of them.

"Oh, it's not necessary right now, your thanks is enough" Naruto said, waving his hands in front of him in a placating manner. Sakura elbowed him, causing him to wince at the pain.

"If you could, we would like an escort to be shown around the land." She said.

The high priest finally looked to her and nodded, "Oh, you must be the consorts of Lord Apollo."

The pink haired woman chuckled, while Hinata blushed. "I believe you are seriously mistaken if you think I would ever degrade myself in such a manner with him." She said, looking at the blonde in slight loathing.

"That hurts you know." The blonde man mumbled, crossing his arms.

He blinked and examined her closely and then Hinata as well. "Oh I see! My Goddesses forgive me, I did not mean to invoke you in such a displeasing way." They all bowed once more. A boy kneeled before her and took her hand.

"You must be the great Goddess Athena. You radiate wisdom and you carry a sword." He kissed her skin, relishing the smooth feel.

A woman studied Hinata and nodded. "And you must be Artemis, your glow is soft and you wear the bow and arrow."

Hinata looked to their leader in a questioning manner, unsure as to how she should react. Sakura just studied the group, and a thought entered her mind. If they pretended to be the gods of these humans, they would not only receive special privileges, but their actions would not be questioned, therefore making it easier in their search for the dragon. "You are forgiven. But next time I will not be so lenient." She said, her voice full of authority. Hinata, picking up on where Sakura was going with this, nodded and smiled kindly.

"Oh the gods incarnate! Please forgive our ignorance! Is there anything that we can do for you?" he asked, stepping forward and smiling.

"Take us to your leader, for we wish to speak to him." She instructed, trying to sound like the goddess they thought she was, although she didn't know how a goddess talked, so this was all just a guess. He nodded and started ordering a few of the lesser hands to help them to the city and take them to the palace.

"I will go with you, and I shall introduce to our king, Priam. He is a very good king, he has two sons, although I assume you already know this." He said, grabbing an offered cloak and wrapping it around his shoulders. They started off and left the temple traveling towards the massive walls of Troy.

As they entered the gates of the city, the three angels looked around in awe. "Wow, this place is a lot like Heaven." Naruto said softly.

"Only dirtier." Sakura said.

"And sadder." Hinata murmured, seeing a few orphaned children begging for food. They were covered in filth, but the wealthier, cleaner people of the city ignored them.

The priest led them through the streets and up the slopes towards the enormous palace at the top of the massive hill. They walked up the steps and past the many columns, entering through an enormous archway. The first thing they saw upon entering the palace was a long pool littered with flower petals. There were statues along the walls of Apollo, and the entire throne room was decorated with gold. Three large thrones sat at the end of the hall before a balcony that looked over the entire city. Only one of the thrones was occupied, by an elderly man, who looked close to death.

"My Lord, I have brought you some visitors." The priest said, bowing to the man when they reached the end of the carpet. Naruto, Sakura, and Hinata remained standing, since the only person they ever bowed to was their own lord, or their superiors, and a human was neither. Plus, since they were pretending to be gods, there was no reason to bow.

The old man glanced up and studied the group, going a bit wide eyed. He stood and stepped forward. "My Lord Apollo," he gasped.

"And Athena and Artemis sire." The priest said.

"I see." He nodded and walked up to them. "The gods incarnate. Tell me, why is it you have descended upon us?"

Sakura stepped forward. "We are on a quest. There is an evil beast somewhere among your lands, and we are here to get rid of it." She said.

"Oh, the last dragon?" he presumed, making all three go wide eyed.

"Yes. Has he been causing you any strife?" She asked.

He shook his head, "Not us, we are safe in these walls. But my son, Hector, has just returned from slaying the dragon that just made the last dragon the last one. Why do you think it is here? Near Troy?"

"Not only are there many mountains and beaches with caves in which the dragon can hide, but there has been a lot of havoc in this area as of late, and so we have come to investigate." Sakura said.

Priam just laughed and shook his head, "My lovely Goddess, you may stay in the palace as long as you wish. But the havoc is nothing to worry about, it is just the Greeks. See my youngest has…acquired a woman, and they are not too pleased with this."

Sakura smiled. "Ah, young love." She said, and then nodded to the king. "My siblings and I appreciate your hospitality, Your Highness. Though I do not know how long we will stay."

He bowed to them and smiled, "But please make yourselves at home, as if this was your own Olympus, and enjoy our beautiful Troy."

"We shall." She said. They were shown their quarters then, each being given their own set of chambers right next to each other. Once they were left alone, Naruto and Hinata entered Sakura's room.

"Okay, this is the plan, in case you haven't figured it out by now." She said, giving Naruto a pointed look. "We will pretend to be their gods while we stay here and look for the dragon. This way our authority isn't questioned, and neither are our actions. But don't let it go to your heads." She instructed.

"Yes Sakura, I understand." Hinata nodded.

Naruto smiled widely. "Oh come on, this is awesome! They worship mostly me!" he declared, throwing his arms in the air. Sakura rolled her eyes.

"Just don't draw any more attention to yourselves than necessary. Now go and get some rest." She said. The other two angels nodded and left, going to their own chambers.

Sakura finally took in her surroundings once she was alone. Her room was very large and open, with a massive bed on the far wall. It had a soft mattress and silky sheets, and was on a raised platform with a canopy and curtains that could shut it out from the rest of the room. There was a balcony to the left of the bed, and on the other side was the doorway that led to the bathing chambers. In front of the bed was a large furry rug, and a couch for her to recline on that was next to a fireplace.

She walked out onto the balcony and leaned on the railing, looking out over the city. Yes, she thought, nodding to herself, staying here for a while wouldn't be too bad. After all, how hard could it be to find a dragon?