Anything goes in war. Only the strong survive.
Pirate Sasuke and Siren Sakura AU snippet. (Possibly the final installment of "Death Song"; told in both perspectives. I hope you've enjoyed this three-part series!)
*WARNING: HAS DARK THEMES/SCENES, BLOOD, & GORE WITH PROBABLY CURSING. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.*
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Sasuke
"STEADY AS SHE GOES...," he screamed above the roar of the storm as his trusted Kusanagi sliced into the flesh of yet another creature who dared to get too close. The howl of pain that followed fueled his eagerness, and he brought it back up quickly to swipe across the siren's chest as she jerked away from him... the move completely severing one of her nipples from her breast. Sasuke could care less for the gender of these foul creatures; they were all vermin in his eyes and completely disposable.
Revenge saw no distinction.
Noone was safe.
No life was spared.
His second in command, a young pirate with spiky blonde hair and blue eyes, looked over his shoulders at him with a crinkled smirk spread across his lips. 'Naruto seems to be enjoying this as well,' the Captain thought to himself as he brought his sword down upon another victim. He watched as his best friend took down an unkempt looking siren with wild, ruby-red eyes who shrieked in agony before plopping onto their deck; lifeless. "This isn't so bad, eh Captain."
"Aye. Watch your booty, idiot."
The blonde jerked out of the way of another knife as it was thrown directly at his head and laughed in merriment as he turned his attention back to the battle.
The war raged on.
Men and women alike fell before a sudden and sharp stab of pain shot straight through his gut, indicating that he had let his guard down, just enough, to be impaled by a sword. He turned his head around to witness the wide smirk of an older siren as she twisted the weapon deeper into his back and straight through to the other side. He grimaced in pain as she jerked it back, before he fell to his knees.
"Gotcha," she chimed, almost purring the word as if it was spoken to a lover, rather than an enemy of war...before an evil cackling laugh spilled from her lips. Sasuke gasped for air and looked up as his hands cupped his wound from the front as his first hand charged forward towards them; eyes brimming with a fear that Sasuke had never been witness to.
"SASUKE!!! NO! ARGH!!!" The loud battle cry was fueled by his emotional turmoil and Naruto's sword came down; with a swiftness he had never seen before, but not swiftly enough. The siren easily dodged before disappearing over the side of their ship, while Naruto scrambled to Sasuke's side where the Uchiha had just collapsed onto the wooden deck seconds prior due to exhaustion from blood loss... a puddle of which was quickly forming beneath him.
Naruto's hands flew to the wound and he pressed down on it, fear crippling him at his best friend's dire state. However, he refused to believe that all hope was completely lost and began to search around them frantically to see if there was any way of saving him; anything to stop the gaping wound. Any way to prevent Sasuke from bleeding out on the deck of his very own ship.
The Captain on the other hand had grown numb... and the sensations of Naruto's hands pressing down on his wound felt like nothing more than a small pressure on his torso. It felt as if he was almost floating out of his own body and his vision began to distort and blur; so much so, that he began to hallucinate that the siren from before... the one with the striking pink hair and green eyes... was on deck with them now; her soft hands glowing an iridescent green, while her hands had suddenly replaced his best friends.
Warm.
Soft.
The last thing he saw in the depths of her eyes was worry and concern, before everything went black.
"Beautiful."
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Sakura
"Beautiful."
'What did he say?'
Then his eyes rolled, and his body went limp beneath her. It took the pinkette a few seconds to breathe again herself when she thought she lost him, but the steady (somewhat even) rise and fall of his chest beneath her palms gave her comfort that he was still fighting... that he was still holding on; for now, anyway.
"How's he?"
Her focus turned briefly to the disgruntled blonde, who had placed the tip of a sword at the back of her neck when she had shoved him roughly to the side; his intent on killing her evident... until he witnessed the wound on his companion closing, due to her unusual healing abilities. From then on, he kept a close eye on the pair as he continued to fight off her enraged kin; suffering only minor cuts here and there when his focus was elsewhere.
Sakura would be shunned she knew for disobeying orders and aiding their enemy... but when she saw her matriarch stab the young Captain, she couldn't help but feel a jolt of anguish... especially after witnessing the emotional turmoil pass across his features...until they settled into a reluctant acceptance of his fate.
She couldn't simply sit back and allow him to die.
She couldn't.
"Alive. For now, at least. We need to make it to shore. Can you take the helm?" The blonde's head jerked towards her and a look of pure astonishment passed over his features before he settled for looking at her as if she had grown two heads. She rolled her eyes in frustration. "Well? Can you?"
"Aye. But—"
"We don't have time for the code. Your Captain's life may depend upon it. You can deal with his wrath later. Take the helm and find land. Now!" Seeming to shake from his daze the blonde-haired pirate nodded, before racing over to the starboard side of the vessel.
A sharp jolt rocked the ship seconds later, before it began to move at a hurried pace towards the Northeast. Shouting could be heard from all around her but the pinkette refused to acknowledge it when she decided instead to focus all of her energy on saving this unknown man. So much so that she failed to notice the danger approaching before it was too late.
She felt a tugging on her hair, jerking her off balance and onto her back, before something hovered above her. Her hands came up swiftly to grasp onto the pointed end of her matriarch's sword... right before it would have impaled her between the eyes. "Betraying... little snake...," the old siren snarled as she pressed all of her weight onto the hilt of her blade. "Deceitful. (grunt) Manipulative. (grunt) Witch."
"Ugh...," Sakura grunted as she used her strength to hold the sword at bay; but how much longer she could last, she did not know. Their matriarch had not gained her "position" fairly or by popular vote, but from being a manipulative and conniving creature; cunning and cruel most would say and while she may have been smarter and stronger than most, Sakura still lacked the "true power" that came with being a ruler of their kind. She closed her eyes briefly.
She was going to lose.
She could feel it.
Until—
Thump. Thump. Thump.
Sakura could feel her heart practically beating right out of her chest at the sight she was met with after opening her eyes again. Her matriarch, skewered on a sword rammed right between her eyes; which held her gaze with a lifeless intensity that caused a cold shudder of revulsion to slither its way down her spine. Behind her was—
'The Captain.'
His large sword was embedded in the old siren's skull, and an unknown look...which she couldn't quite decipher...was plaster across his face. Her body trembled in fear when he pulled the thick blade backwards with ease from its resting place, before using his boot to push the dead corpse away while his dark eyes never left hers.
Sakura tried to scramble back, but her back hit the side of the ship and she cowards as he took long strides towards her; his blade lifted. She clinched her eyes tightly closed, waiting for the impact, the pain, but it never came. When she cracked them open—
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Sasuke
Kusanagi sliced open another siren as the being launched herself at the side of his ship and though his wound wasn't completely healed just yet, he had enough pain relief to be able to wield the weapon with relative ease. He assumed a wide position that situated him directly in front of the siren cowering beneath him and turned his attention to the helm. His eyes locked with Naruto's and a single, albeit curt, nod was all it took for them to understand one another. Sasuke would allow his first-hand man to steer the vessel to safety while he dealt with their enemies on deck.
Another siren attempted to board, but he maneuvered his weapon to the right and sliced open her left hand where it rested on the railing. She howled in pain and released her grip, only to fall back in the murky depths. His lips twisted into a scowl, and his gaze shifted down to the pink-haired, wide eyed one who was adamantly avoiding his gaze. "How many are there?"
"Th-thirteen."
He hadn't really expected her to respond, but was honestly glad that she did. Counting in his head, Sasuke could only guess that there were maybe a handful of them left now. A quick glance to his right gave way to relief that they would be close to reaching the shore now.
They just might make it.
He brought the sword down, pointing it at the pinkette who intentionally ignored him, and seemed as if she was trying to simply distance herself from the entire situation as if that would make it all just... disappear. Sasuke Uchiha loathed these foul beasts; these creatures who had stolen his family from him so cruelly, those many years ago... and yet—
He found himself unable to strike the final blow to this one.
There was something about her that he couldn't quite put a finger on, and this slight hesitation was all it took for her to act upon his weakness. The female struck out with her tailfin, knocking him off balance just enough for her to hoist herself over the side of his ship before... disappearing just like the other one had done.
"Fuck...," Sasuke cursed under his breath as he held onto the side to glance over the ledge; only seeing a cluster of bubbles forming and slight rippling where she had landed a few seconds prior. Otherwise, there was no sign of her. "Fuck, fuck, FUCK!!!"
"C-Captain, t-they are retreating!"
"We did it, lads!"
"Blow me down! I can't believe it!"
"Aye! Let's celebrate with some rum!"
"And women!"
"Women and rum!"
"Aye!!!"
He turned to see some of his crew in tatters, but blissfully unaware of the tumbling thoughts waging a war inside of his mind as they jumped or clapped (fist pounding the air) in utter satisfaction, while the tails of several sirens could be seen swimming in the opposite direction. He however didn't let out a sigh of relief... until they had finally reached the shore. Naruto was by his side instantly, draping his left arm over his own shoulder to help his friend off of the ship. "How's the wound, Captain?"
"Fine."
"Shall I fetch a doctor?"
"... no," he huffed as his hand felt for the broken, shredded flesh; but finding nothing, his brows creased in confusion. "I don't feel a thing."
"That wonderful news."
"Aye...," he said distractedly as he pushed away from the blonde's grasp. Naruto was reluctant to allow him to move too far away and stayed close by... just in case he needed any further assistance. Sasuke's brows creased further. "I have a question and you must be honest."
"Aye, what be it?"
"What did that... thing... do to me?"
A long pause followed, in which he began to grow uneasy. Sasuke didn't get any ill feelings from the creature, but he had never known one to be kind either. It was an unusual circumstance; one which caused an unknown and foreign feeling to grow in the pit of his stomach. Sasuke didn't like it and shifted on his feet uncomfortably while he continued to rub at his abdomen absentmindedly... the warmth of her power still flowing through his system as if it was somehow continuing to stretch his disfigured, mangled flesh back to its previous position.
"I'm unsure." Naruto swallowed and ran a hand through his hair, before resting it on the back of his neck. "All I know is that she pushed me away from you. Then... I was ready to cut her down when her hands began to glow brightly... she put them above your wound and your body— well it began to heal itself... somehow."
Sasuke's lips pierced in frustration as he turned to face the ocean; his thoughts scattered and unraveled quickly by the second. He closed his eyes, before turning to Naruto. "Tell no one of this. Understand?"
"Aye, aye, Captain."
Nodding, he slowly turned away from the water's edge and began to make his way further up the beach; just when the sun began to rise on the horizon.
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Sakura
Sakura swam as if her life depended on it, and in her eyes it did; although she had no idea of the repercussions of her own actions at the time.
Little did she know—
'Swift. I have to be swift.'
Something was gaining on the siren (very quickly) and her movements had become frantic as she weaved in and out of schools of fish and dodged large mounds of rock mixed with clumps of sand... attempting to outrun her clan for as long as she could; until she came up with a proper plan of action at least. Something akin to regret filled the pit of her stomach briefly, before Sakura shook the thought from her mind completely.
She couldn't regret her actions.
She wouldn't.
Not now, not ever.
She was reminded in that moment how her aunt taught her that caring for others was the most important thing in life... even if they are different from their kind...and above all we should protect those weak and innocent from the snares of evil. She had considered her matriarch 'evil' for a long time and strove to protect those who she deemed as innocent; that had included the young pirate (Sasuke was it?).
Even if she was to die, in her final moments she would not regret her decision to save his life. Sakura wouldn't regret her decision to protect those who had needed it most. She would not—
"SAKURA! SAKURA WAIT! STOP PLEASE!"
She hesitated to stop. 'Hinata? Would she betray me?' But in the end, she did, turning swiftly to face the incoming clan members who had given chase moments ago; prepared to face the consequences of her actions. She faced the dark- haired siren, whose eyes were wide with fright as she took a cautious move forward. Sakura's tail twitched... ready to flee at any moment and the siren stopped, lifting her hands in a gesture of surrender. "Please don't run again."
"What are you doing here? Why did you follow me?"
"W-we...," Hinata indicated while waving her hands around her... as several other sirens moved forward on either side of her. She counted eight total. But how many of them had survived, she wondered? "We want to follow you."
"You can't. I've betrayed you all. I deserve nothing."
"You don't get it," one of them sighed, while shaking her head. A small smile made its way to her lips as she tilted her head to the side. "We didn't like ma'am. She was evil and cruel. You are kind. You've always been kind. When you saved that man... that pirate... we all decided it was time we stood up for ourselves. We revolted. Ma'am grew angry at us. So, she attacked you. Then... he killed her; to save you."
"He didn't—"
"But he did...," Hinata interrupted, "I saw it. One of his men needed help, but he saw you in distress and he acted. The other man didn't make it. He saved you, Sakura. He let his own man perish to protect you."
"B-but...," Sakura began to stutter; unable to come up with an explanation or excuse as to his actions. How could she, when she had no way of knowing what he was thinking.
"We don't get it either, miss," a black-haired siren chimed in, her hand lifting to indicate her own confusion. "But multi of us saw it and can validate the claims you wish to deny."
Sakura blushed. "I— well, it's just hard to believe when he looked at me a-as if he wanted to... t-to—"
"Eat you...," another supplied before the group behind the dark-haired began to giggle girlishly amongst themselves; as if they were teenagers anew. Sakura's blush deepened as Hinata tried to quiet the cackling group down. But once calm was restored... she turned to give her a sympathetic smile. This meeting was going far differently than Sakura had originally expected, but she kept her guard up... as a precaution. She trusted Hinata, truly, but the other sirens, she was still unsure. They had never been vindictive or ill towards her, yet she had a hard time believing that all of them had willingly followed her.
As if they saw her as their—
'No,' she thought firmly. 'I am NOT cut out for that. I hope that they don't ask me to—'
"Sakura, p-please allow us the opportunity to follow you," Hinata continued... as if somehow sensing the pinkette's growing unease and discomfort. "... as our matriarch."
"W-what!?!"
"We do not like disorder. We do not like war. We do not like conflicts amongst the clan...," the blonde one said.
"You are kind, compassionate, giving, encouraging," the black-haired chimed in.
"You are the perfect choice," Hinata concluded. "Please. I know that you will not lead us astray. You are good. Pure. Loving. Loyal. What any clan would strive for and what any clan would rightfully want as their leader's traits."
"So?"
"What say you...," the last, smallest siren said cheekily, as she mimicked the pirate's slang. The others chuckled at her antics, but grew serious when the pinkette took a deep breath. How could she refuse? She rolled her eyes, shook her head, before a tiny smile twisted her lips as she placed her hands on her hips.
Then, with a gentle nod, she gave them her answer.
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Notes:
Will Sasusaku ever meet again?
If they do, what would happen?
Would it be love at first sight?
Would another war break out?
To be continued...???