The Maiden and the Fox

Chapter 4

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At the bottom of the front steps to the Hokage Tower, a ceremonial palanquin stood prepared for Sakura. Crafted from expensive dark wood, gold-incrusted and bedecked with rich fabrics, colourful silk ribbons and fresh flowers, it made for a beautiful vessel for any blushing bride on a way to her wedding. However, for a sacrificial maiden heading to her own death sentence disguised under marriage vows, it looked too ostentatious, if morbidly suitable.

Theatrics, Sakura thought, wrinkling her nose in disgust, but she took a seat in the litter without a comment. The heavy air of resignation hung around her as she accepted the part she was to play in this farce. The bearers smoothly lifted the palanquin onto their shoulders and set off with a trained, synchronized gait.

The wedding procession, consisting of the palanquin, guards surrounding it and female attendants carrying lanterns, traveled through the quiet streets of Konoha. Despite the early hour, the village was already wide awake. With the Fox's unsettling presence so close nearby, it had been a sleepless night for everyone in Konoha. Many pairs of eyes, scared, tired, relieved, indifferent, and the worst of them—eyes that pitied her—followed Sakura as the palanquin passed them by, but none of them were the familiar dark shade of a moonless night, the eyes that she could stare into for all eternity. None of them belonged to Uchiha Sasuke.

Some villagers joined the procession and steadily it grew until it became a veritable crowd when it reached the shrine hill. The palanquin was gently lowered before the steps leading to the shrine itself.

One of the guards helped Sakura to her feet. She left the litter and looked up the high stairs that stood before her dauntingly. Her face became truly colourless under the thick white pain when she noticed the crimson, malevolent aura over the summit. She clenched her fists under the long sleeves, nails biting sharply into her skin, then she began the climb.

Under normal circumstances, Sakura was not an often visitor to the shrine. She only went when it was customary, but she'd never had so much difficulty going up these stairs. The heavy, multi-layered kimono dragged her down and her head was itching under the traditional head cover. When she was distracted by the itch, the bulky material tangled around her feet and, in one unlucky instant, she stepped onto the hem and lost her balance.

Sakura gasped, certain that she was going to fall and crack her skull at the bottom of the stairs, then someone behind her caught her waist and steadied her. She craned her head frantically to find Hinata securing her back.

"Thank you," Sakura whispered, at once embarrassed and glad for the girl's assistance.

Hinata nodded solemnly and looked up at the sky. "Let's keep going. The dawn is nigh."

With Hinata's support Sakura was climbing much faster, but she couldn't help but resent and dread what this meant for her. Near the top, the Fox's presence was even more palpable, causing her skin to break out into goosebumps.

"It's the last ten steps. You need to go up there alone, Sakura-san," Hinata instructed lowly.

Sakura regarded the short distance, then closed her eyes and nodded. Hinata took her hand into a warm grip. "You can do it. Good luck," she said and briefly squeezed Sakura's knuckles before letting go.

Leaving behind her silent entourage, Sakura walked up the rest of the way completely alone, one step at a time. And in the exact same moment she reached the tori gate at the top of the stairs, the first sliver of the sun peeked above the horizon and fell upon her white-shrouded silhouette, painting her in gold hues before the eyes of the masses down below. The dawn had arrived.

Sakura cast one last look behind, her green eyes searching for a man in the crowd. When she didn't find him, it was as if shutters closed over her face. She turned back to the shrine and the foreboding aura inside of it. Then she steeled her spine and marched forward.

A shrine maiden came out to meet her halfway. A wave of disbelief slammed into Sakura and almost knocked her over when she recognized the woman as Sasuke's fiancée. On the second thought, she should have expected her to be here, the woman's identity wasn't exactly a state secret. Her name and occupation had been all over the gossip for months since the engagement.

The pretty brunette—Seiko, Sakura recalled the woman's name—jogged the last few meters to her side. "Are you okay? Do you need help?" she asked, reaching out to steady her. Sakura evaded her gesture and brushed herself down, wrestling her churning emotions under control as she faced the last person she wanted to see on this nightmarish morning.

"I'm fine," she snapped and immediately winced at her sharp tone. "Sorry, it's just… nerves."

Seiko nodded. "Understandable." She took a breath, like she was going to say something, but then thought better of it.

"What is it?" Sakura asked warily, put on edge by the odd look the woman gave her.

Seiko slowly shook her head. "Nothing. It's just… Did you know you're wearing my wedding kimono?"

…What?

She took Sakura's gaping silence as a prompt to continue. "It was almost ready, so I told the dressmaker she could use it for you. There wasn't enough time for her to tailor a new one. I'm glad it fits you, though you're a bit shorter than me," she commented, glancing over Sakura critically.

"I… see," Sakura said flatly when she found her voice again. She'd suspected that the kimono had to be borrowed, but to learn that it belonged to the woman who in the few short days was going to marry Sasuke felt like a slap in the face.

Seiko gave her a sad smile and tentatively put a hand on her upper arm. "Sakura-san, I just want you to know that I'm very grateful for what you're doing for us. I can't imagine what it's like. So thank you, from the bottom of my heart," she said with a low bow.

Bitterness spilled over Sakura's palate and overfilled her tightly closed mouth and she had to bite her tongue to keep certain choice words from bursting forward. Of course you can't imagine what it's like. You're the one marrying the love of my life while I marry a monster. But sure, it's all fine and dandy because you're grateful. Instead, she pasted on a fake smile which uncomfortably stretched her bloodless lips. "You're welcome," she managed to get out of her clenched throat.

Seiko looked at her, startled by such a response, brows knitted as she tried to make sense of it. Sakura herself held back a hysterical laughter at the absurdity of this conversation. Here she was, laying down her life for this woman along the rest of the village and they sounded as if they bumped into each other in a grocery store. She could picture it in her head. Oh my, there's only one sweet bread roll left and we both love them. Please, you can have it, Seiko-san. Let me pay for you. Even better, why don't you just take all my money? I won't be needing it, anyway. In fact, take Sasuke-kun too, while you're at it. Thank you, Sakura-san, I'm so grateful. You're welcome.

The shrine maiden cleared her throat, ending the awkward moment, and nodded towards the shrine. "Everything's ready for the ceremony. Shall we?" she asked in a businesslike manner. She was much more preferable that way.

Sakura swallowed through her rising apprehension. She didn't trust her voice not to shake, so she nodded wordlessly and proceeded forward.

Let it end quickly, she prayed in the privacy of her thoughts.

Seiko escorted her to the main door, sticking close at her side. Sakura figured that the shrine maiden was probably ensuring that she wouldn't change her mind at the last second and attempt to bolt. Frankly, she was rankled by the constant suspicion aimed at her. She had volunteered, so why couldn't they all just believe in her? With a bitter scowl on her lips, she entered the shrine.

Sakura stopped in the shadowed entryway and gagged. A strange, nauseating combination of smells assaulted her nostrils and made her eyes water. The strong scent of incense clashed with a pungent, animal-like stench that didn't belong in there. It was a smell of something unholy.

The shrine maiden gently pushed Sakura towards the main hall and the small gathering before the altar. The oppressive aura she had felt on the stairs was much thicker inside and slammed into her chest with the strength of a sledgehammer, taking her breath away.

"Ah, my bride. Come closer," a deep, sinister voice spoke, echoing through the shrine eerily. She heard in it the sound of gravel hitting the lid of a coffin; the roar of fire burning a family alive inside their house; the howl of a wild beast hungering for human flesh at midnight.

A full-body shudder came over her in a momentary burst of hair-raising terror before the crushing despair settled in. There was no way out, only forward. Going against her every instinct, Sakura approached in a trance, her wide eyes glued to the inhuman figure against the backdrop of the candle-lit altar.

The Demon Fox was enormous, taller than any human could ever be. It was sitting on its haunches like a beast and she still didn't reach its shoulders. Instead of wearing clothes, a fiery red coat covered its body. The Fox had two arms and two legs, opposite thumbs and a deceptively human-like musculature, but the proportions were slightly off, the limbs too long, the torso too stretched. It looked utterly unnatural. Only the nine swishing tails, majestically arranged behind it, didn't look out of place.

Disturbed, Sakura averted her gaze. She felt ill just from looking at the foul creature. She glanced at its crotch, trying to determine if the Fox was indeed a male, but the thick fur covered everything. Not that it mattered anyway, as she was going to be eaten by the monster soon.

"Let me see your face." A long, razor-sharp claw hooked under her chin, lifting it up. Sakura's whole body became locked in place as her terrified green eyes met the creature's amused red gaze. The Fox sized her up like a big, juicy piece of steak, as if it—he, she decided it was a "he" after all—was debating whether to wait for after the wedding or gobble her up right now.

The Fox snorted and retracted the claw. "Pretty. She will do," he said to someone among the few guests of the ceremony. She realized that it was the Hokage.

Outside of the demon's immediate focus, Sakura could beat back her terror and think again. She curiously swept her gaze around and something heavy dropped in her stomach. Aside from the Hokage and the few shrine workers necessary for the ceremony, the only people present were her parents. They both looked pale and stiff and they absolutely refused to look at her.

There was not a single friendly face around. No hope for the last minute rescue.

While Sakura marveled at herself for still harbouring something as foolish as hope, the flutes began to play, signaling the start of the ceremony. Other instruments joined in to play the traditional wedding music and she was ushered by Seiko to take place by the monster's side. The head priest, Seiko's own father, called on the names of the gods for their blessing. If the gods were real, they clearly weren't watching.

Sakura passed the ceremony in a bubble of numbness and dull fear. She took the sake cups Seiko handed to her and drank mechanically. She stood by as the Fox mockingly read out the marriage vows "to protect and cherish her until death". The shrine maiden had to nudge her in the back and whisper the words so that Sakura would give her assent in the right place. Everything seemed so surreal to her, like she was trapped in a never-ending nightmare she couldn't wake up from.

Even with the official rites out of the way, her torment continued. She was taken to a reception hall and whisked off to change into a white kimono with a pink flower pattern. Then she was made to attend the stilted celebration that appropriately felt more like a wake. Her stomach rolled with disgust as she had to listen to the sweating guests nervously mutter their fake congratulations on her marriage, all the while giving fearful glances to the Fox. The beast only grinned at them and licked his chops.

Sakura raised her head hopefully when she heard the familiar sound of heels clicking on the floor. She would recognize these footsteps anywhere. They belonged to someone she had longed to see one last time.

"Shishou," she greeted the village's formidable doctor and her own mentor, fighting back the tears of relief as she drank in her sight

"Nine-Tailed Demon Fox," Tsunade briskly acknowledged the monster, showing no fear, then rounded up on her. "Sakura, you stupid girl. What have you gotten yourself into?"

Sakura flinched, wilting on the inside. Earning her master's disapproval always hurt and made her ashamed of herself, but this time was different. Tsunade's fighting spirit sparked her own back to life.

"Someone had to do it and you know it," she replied defiantly.

Tsunade's sharp glare softened and she drew Sakura into a hug. "You stupid, stupid, brave girl," she murmured into Sakura's pink hair, stroking her back. "What did I teach you? Do you remember?"

"Shishou?" Sakura's brow furrowed at the odd insistence in the question. Tsunade was perfectly aware of her excellent memory. It was an invaluable tool during her medical studies.

Tsunade pulled back and swiftly wiped at her eyes, which were still a little shiny. "Never mind," she said with a headshake. "I'll miss you. I've never told you but… you are like a daughter to me," she told her softly.

Sakura gasped, hot tears stinging her eyes. "And you are like a mother to me," she replied.

The nature of their bond was never something they had discussed, comfortable in their roles as teacher and student, but it had always gone beyond just that. Ever since Sakura's estrangement from her parents, Tsunade took her under her wings. She might have been demanding, sharp-tongued and irritable, but beneath all that was a genuine care and affection. In her youth Tsunade had lost her loved ones to an epidemic and instead dedicated her life to medicine, so it was hard for her to admit any feelings out loud. Only now, before Sakura's inevitable death, Tsunade opened up to her.

"How touching. But if you keep it up, wife, I'm going to get hungry," the Fox interrupted, speaking to Sakura for the first time since her arrival at the shrine. "I wonder what kind of a delightful face this woman would make if I rip you to shreds and devour before her eyes? What will her screams and crying sound like?"

A wave of horror chilled Sakura to the bone and she abruptly jerked away from him. The Fox growled, baring his fangs at her like an animal on a hunt. Tsunade stepped in front of him without hesitation.

"No doubt you would find my pain and grief amusing, demon, but I came here for another reason. I brought you a wedding gift."

"A gift? I don't have a need for any of your human trinkets," the Fox scoffed.

"You will like this one." Tsunade raised her hand and a waiter came up with a bottle of sake on a tray. Tsunade poured a drink into a cup and offered it to the demon. "Enjoy."

The red, inhuman gaze pierced into her, unblinking. "Hmph." The Fox took the cup between his claws gently and poured the sake into his maw. He hummed, tasting the liquid, and swallowed it with a squelch. Then he became very still.

For one insane moment Sakura dared to think that this was it, her shishou killed the Fox. Please, make him die! Please, make him keel over and die! she prayed to the gods fervently.

Then the Fox erupted into a deep, rumbling laughter. "Foolish woman doctor, you realize you can't kill a demon with a mere poison?"

"Has anyone ever tested it?" Tsunade retorted drily. "But no, I didn't give you any other poison than alcohol itself."

The Fox leaned down so suddenly that Sakura flinched, convinced that he was going to chomp off Tsunade's head. Instead, he sniffed around her as she stayed perfectly still.

"Very well, I smell no lies on you. Pour me more of your sake, amusing woman," he commanded.

Soon, the Fox drank the entire bottle, then belched mightily. The smell of sulphur fouled the air around them.

"I should kill you for bringing just these few meagre drops," he drawled, lazily flicking his tails.

Tsunade shook her head. "This was just a sample. My gift to you is twelve large barrels of this sake. I left them outside."

The demon chuckled. "Smart move, woman. You may leave with your life intact."

Tsunade sent Sakura one last look and wisely retreated into the crowd of anxious-looking guests. The "well-wishing" part of reception was winding down and they were uncertain what would happen next. No one quite imagined that the Fox would cut the wedding cake for them.

A blood-curdling current of evil miasma flooded the hall, cutting the mutters as people's throats closed up in a primal fear. They could only stare at the Fox like rabbits cornered in their nest by a large predator.

"Villagers of Konoha," the demon spoke, "you have bought your peace from me. Every night before you go to sleep, you should all think of this girl's agony as I will rip her to shreds, drink her blood and crack her bones to suck out the marrow. This is the price for your pathetic, cowardly lives!" The Fox let them comprehend the enormity of what they had allowed to happen, then burst into a mocking laughter at their guilt-stricken expressions. "Humans are such degenerate creatures. You sell out one of your own to save your skins, then feel bad afterwards! So hilarious! Especially you, Minato!" he pointed a claw at the sickly pale Hokage. "Even I didn't expect you'd give up on fighting me so quickly! She would be disappointed in you."

The Hokage staggered back as if struck by a powerful blow. "No…" he whispered.

"You're wrong, Nine-Tails," Sakura cut in, bold and defiant. "They didn't make me do this. I volunteered to save everyone."

The Fox chortled. "You think this makes any difference? If they were actually good people, they wouldn't ask you to sacrifice yourself for them. I may eat your body, but their souls shall be tortured and devoured by my brethren in hell! The only one you saved is yourself, naïve girl!"

The demon laughed cruelly, basking in the devastation he brought to the humans, then wrapped a tail around reeling Sakura and lifted her up. Still laughing, he bounded outside the reception hall, grabbed the sake barrels with his other tails and streaked out of the village, heading north to disappear into the deep woods.

Inside the hall, the Hokage fell onto his knees. "What have I done?" he asked in horror. "Forgive me, Kushina…" And he put his face in his hands and wept.

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Sasuke looked at the strip of the sky visible in the narrow window of his cell. He was shackled to the cot he sat on. When the reddish hue faded away from the normal blue and the terrifying pressure in the air lessened and disappeared from the village completely, he bowed his back low, hair falling into his eyes.

"Sakura…" he rasped out in a deadened voice. She was gone.

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AN: Thank you all for your patience! I had a terrible writer's block but I was finally able to write again and continue this story. I finally got to describe the title of the prompt for this fic - Fox's Wedding. Please, let me know what you think about this chapter ;)

Until next time!