#volatge

“Sasuke-kun!”

“Hiya, Sayuri!” Sasuke gave a wide, toothy grin and said, “Can I have more of your dango today?”

“Of course, you can.”

“Don’t eat too much, Sasuke,” a broad shoulder man standing behind him said. He looked like an older version of the little boy. The woman standing next to him gently chided the man.”

“Ryo,” she said gently, “it’s his birthday. Let him have what he wants.”

The man, Ryo, sighed, but gave a weary smile. He looked down at Sasuke and patted his head. “Alright, go ahead. Order what you want.” The boy practically bounced off the walls in excitement.

“Thanks mom and dad!”

Sayuri laughed as Sasuke bounded towards a table. He was always like this. His parents spoiled him, but Sasuke never let it get to his head. He was sweet and playful and he adored his parents as much as they loved him. It warmed Sayuri’s heart.

“Oi, Sasuke!” Yukimura was looking over at him, stern expression on his face. “Why are you ignoring me?”

“Oh, hey Yukimura-san,” he responded happily.

“That’s better,” Yukimura nodded in approval. “How’s your martial arts classes going?”

“I’m at the top of my class,” Sasuke said proudly, chest puffed out. “No one even comes close. I even have to hold back so I don’t hurt the other kids.”

“Nice! You’re a true warrior! You sure you weren’t a ninja in your past life?”

  “If he was, he would have been quite the troublemaker, I’m sure,” Takeda-san offered up with amusement. The entire restaurant, familiar with Sasuke and his antics, nodded in agreement before bursting into fits of laughter.

Late evening came and Sayuri closed up shop. She smiled to herself as she started walking down the street.

It’s always nice to see everyone. I’m glad my food plays a part in bringing people together.

She opened this restaurant because her father encouraged her to pursue the culinary arts.

“You have talent,” he had said. “You might even be better than me,” he laughed. “Your food makes people smile. That’s the best reward you could ask for in life.”

She carried those words even now, but something tugged at her heart.

I want to share that smile with him.

The ache grew stronger as she walked down the street toward home and it didn’t go away even in the morning.

Sayuri woke before dawn, as was her routine. After dressing for the day, she made her way to the kitchen and made a batch of fresh, warm dango, placing them carefully in a box. She headed out, wrapped in a light jacket, seeing as though spring had come it was still a bit chilly. Even so, the cherry blossom trees were in full bloom, an array of pink and white petals gently swaying in the breeze.

She made her away along the sidewalk for a while before reaching a park. An expanse of green was spread out before her, with small hills pattering the scenery. On one of those hills stood a sakura tree of grandeur size. Its branches spread out like a canopy, its trunk was three times the width of Sayuri’s arms if she spread them out to her sides. The petals were a vibrant pink that even in the still-just barely-dawn glowed brightly.

Sayuri sat at its base with practiced ease, box of dango sitting in her lap. She looked up at the sky—

And waited.

Time passed like that until the sun started to peak over the horizon in a blaze of fire and gold. It was a stunning view, but from a distance all anyone would be able to see on her face were tears that streamed like rivers down her cheeks. There was a sadness so deep, it would take a boat to cross the chasm left in her heart. Sayuri stayed like that until the sun was now out in full bloom, until the sound of footsteps jostled her from reverie. She looked up.

There was no one there.

She glanced around her, but there were not many places to hide in this large, open space.

“I guess I just imagined it,” she muttered to herself. With that, she pulled herself up, pushed her long, black hair out of her face, and walked away—dango in hand.

Saizo gazed longingly at Sayuri’s back as she walked away. From his perch in the cherry blossom tree, he was able to see everything that happened below—the melancholy of her back as she leaned against the trunk, the whites of her knuckles from gripping the box of dango too hard, the tears that reminded him of rain with no chance of sunshine. Saizo saw it all. He nearly leapt from the tree to present himself to her, to ease her pain if only a little, but just as he reached a hand towards that silky black hair he stopped himself.

Once Sayuri was out of sight, Saizo jumped from the tree to the ground, never taking his eyes off where he had last seen her. Behind him, he felt a presence, but this time he didn’t tense.

“Why didn’t you talk to her?” Ichthys asked, complained really. “She was right there!”

Saizo didn’t reply.

“Maybe he’s nervous,” Dui offered, kindly. “He doesn’t have a lot of time. Once his wish is granted he has to go back to his own time.”

“Why are you guys here, anyway? You’re not Wishes gods.” Ichthys looked at Punishment gods next to him. Dui fidgeted, but Scorpio only glared.

“Neither are you, problem child, but Zyglavis gave you permission to help the Wishes gods and I have to keep an eye on you.” He crossed his arms in irritation. “Freakin’ stupid if you ask me. This human is gonna die when he gets back.”

“Scorpio!” Dui interjected, but Scorpio wasn’t having it.

Hey you,” Scorpio called out to Saizo who was uncharacteristically silent during all of this. Saizo barely spared him a glance.

“What.”

“Don’t ‘what,’ me,” he yelled. “Answer the problem child. Why didn’t you talk to her and eat the damn food? We can’t babysit you forever.”

Still, Saizo gave no answer. Scorpio lost his patience.

“Hey! I’m talkin’ to y—,” Scorpio had reached out to grab the ninja’s shoulder and in doing so brushed the skin peeking between the ripped fabric.

I don’t deserve her.

Saizo thought about all the lives he had taken, whether for survival or money. He couldn’t even remember all their faces, most didn’t even have names. Everyone called him the Lord Assassin because he was the best at killing. That was all he was good at. The little lady had come into his life suddenly and without warning—as a child when he grieved and blamed himself for his friend’s death and when they had both grown, her into a beautiful, kind woman. And him into a monster.

So when he saw her now, Saizo could not bear the thought of hurting her—of leaving her. He had already done so. He had heard Scorpio and the other gods: When all is said and done, he’ll die ninja’s death—as had been his fate from birth. He would never make it to the cherry blossom tree to eat dango with Sayuri. She would hurt for lifetimes after.

You deserve better than me, don’t you, little lady. It wasn’t a question. He would not be with her in this lifetime either so why put her through more pain?

“It doesn’t matter what you think she deserves.”

Saizo jolted from his thoughts and looked up to see Scorpio glaring scornfully at him.

“Not minding our own business, are we?” Saizo stared coldly back. God or no god, he’d be damned if he let this guy read his thoughts again. He stepped lithely out of the god’s reach. He knew what this one could do. Ichthys had told him. Scorpio didn’t back down, though.

“It is my business because these two idiots,” he pointed at Teorus and Ichthys, “are busting their asses off to make sure the first and last wish of your life gets granted. And I have to babysit one of them while they do it.”

Neither Saizo or the gods said anything to this. Scorpio continued.

“You might not have made it in your current, her past life, but you can keep your promise in the life she’s living now. Obviously, that stupid woman is waiting for somebody. How ‘bout you grow some balls and stop making her wait!”

Everyone stared in shock, the gods especially. Scorpio was the last person to involve himself in other people’s affairs, but Saizo’s thoughts and his own ire set the Punishment god off. After a long, awkward silence, Teorus finally spoke up, having been silent the entire conversation.

“You know,” Teorus added, “we may be gods, but on earth our power is finite.”

“What do you mean?” Saizo asked.

“It means,” Ichthys interrupted, “that we’re starting to tire out. Earth makes our powers weaker so we can’t use them forever like we can in the Heavens. Aren’t you starting to feel a little achy,” he looked Saizo up and down in scrutiny, examining the wounds that, at the moment, were not bleeding.

“A bit,” Saizo said nonchalantly. He could feel the wounds starting to itch and burn and ache. Luckily, the poison’s effects were still being held in check by Teorus and Ichthys.

“How much longer do I have?”

“A couple of days at most,” Teorus said cautiously. “But we’d really be pushing it.”

“That’s all it’ll take,” Saizo said.

“Man,” Ichthys cried out, “I’m going to need a long vacation after this.”

“Like hell you will! This is the most you’ve done your entire career as a Punishments god!”

“Guys, let’s just all calm down.”

As the gods argued back and forth, Saizo stared up at the sky now a soft, beautiful blue, with the sun’s light casting a kaleidoscope of hues through the air.

So different from the night I’ll die.

Saizo stood on the corner across from Sakura Dango staring through the glass at the little lady smiling jovially at customers. He had never had reason to be nervous, but for some reason his heart was pounding loudly in his ears and threatening to rip through his chest and sprint towards Sayuri. With a deep breath, the ninja stepped forward.

“Wait!”

Saizo looked back in annoyance. “What problem do the gods have now?”

Teorus and Ichthys stared in horror at him.

“You can’t go looking like that,” Teorus said, aghast at Saizo’s attire.

“Sorry, seems they didn’t give me enough time to change before dying,” Saizo said blithely.

“No worries,” a god with pink hair spoke up beside Teorus. “Gods can make miracles. And I’m pretty good in the fashion department.”

“And who might we be, hmm?”

The god held out a hand. “Partheno, god of beauty.”

Saizo looked bored out of his mind and showed no sign of reciprocating Partheno’s greeting. Partheno dropped his hand, unperturbed.

How many of them are there? Saizo wondered.

“Let’s make you so handsome that cutie falls head over heels in love with you all over again!” Snapping his fingers, Partheno transformed Saizo’s clothing so now he was dressed head to toe in urban fashion. A white T-shirt was overlapped by a gray vest and checkered scarf. His pants hung off his hips in a provocative way and his shoes were shiny and clearly expensive. Saizo looked down at himself before glancing back at the god.

“Interesting clothes this time has.” Not very good for assassinating.

“You look great,” Partheno said. “Now go in there and get your wish.”

The gods watched as Saizo made his way to the door of the restaurant, holding their breath in anticipation.

Saizo hesitated only briefly before pulling the door open; the bell chimed. Sayuri looked up, locking eyes with the ninja. Saizo felt his heart stop, starting again at a faster pace. She was beautiful as she smiled at him, though it seemed to falter before regaining its proper form.

Do you remember me, little lady?

She walked towards him with hurried steps.

Do you remember me, Sayuri?

They were now face-to-face.

Will you forgive me?

Sayuri opened her mouth.

“Saizo.”