A/N: I used to watch Inuyasha as a kid and, while I initially never really like Sesshomaru, I eventually became interested in how Rin came to be under his care while he continued to say he hated humans. So, I wanted to do a version of their meeting with Sakura and Byakuya. So, this is wholly set in the Inuyasha universe but with Naruto and Bleach characters. Hope you enjoy! Leave a review!

XXI - Saviour or Captor

She gasped for air as she ran, branches snatching at her skin and yukata. She could hear the men laughing behind her as they chased her. Her temple stung from the rocks they had thrown at her head, blood making her squeeze her left eye shut. They called to her, telling her to let them beat her up a bit more for even daring to step foot in their store house and looking at their surplus of rations.

She'd been hungry. There was no one to take care of her, no one to feed her. Her mother, the village's medic, had been the only one to care for her as she grew. And the others made them live outside of the village walls, saying they were too dangerous, that they were witches because of her unnatural white hair and her daughter's pink. Yet, they always called for her mother when a babe was to be born or someone was ill or injured. The moment her mother had passed, she had become even more of a pariah to the village. They merely tolerated her presence within the village walls. But, if she lingered too long, they would kick her out, throwing rocks and sticks at her.

"Come on, witch child. All witches need a good beating to learn their place," one of the men called.

She looked back to see how close they were. But looking back had cost her as her foot caught on a tree root and she fell on her face, skinning up her arms and elbow. Before she could push herself up to run away, the five men were upon her, grabbing her thin arms and pink hair, yanking her head back to expose her throat. "No, no," she screamed, emerald orbs wild. "Let go."

One of the men shoved a piece of cloth in her mouth, silencing her while the tears feel in rivulets down her cheek and neck.

"Shut up and accept your punishment."

"Hey, ever wondered what it's like to lay with a witch spawn?" another smirked, dragging his spear down the front of her yukata and tearing the belt that kept it closed. She tried to yank her arms free to protect her modesty but her clothing fell open, bearing her unbound and small breasts and the cloth underwear she had fashioned for herself. "Her breasts started budding quickly for being only twelve summers."

"You should be grateful that we would even grace you with the ability to even lay with us." The one behind her yanked her head back further as one of the men slipped the edge of his spear along her cheek. Then he pressed the tip against the hollow of her throat. She could feel it pierce her skin and a dribble of blood trailed down between her breasts. "Prepare to take our seed and let's hope you don't end up with a bastard child."

She squeezed her eyes closed, daring not to breathe as she sent a prayer above, begging the kami, any kami, to spare her pitiful life.

Suddenly, something wet splattered across her face and chest. And she briefly wondered if one of the men had already spilled his seed on her. She had seen it once before while passing an open brothel window from the next village over, the way the man stood before a kneeling woman.

A heavy and tense air hung around them and more wetness splattered on her, the men behind suddenly releasing her. One of them screamed, his cries ending in a gurgle. Another kicked her forward to the ground, pressing his foot against her skull. "You fucking witch, summoning a demon to save-"

His words were cut off as his foot disappeared. Only then did she risk a peek.

The creature who stood above her was too handsome for words. He had long black hair that tumbled both over his shoulders and down his back. He had a sky blue mark that ran across his nose and cheeks. His clothing was made of the finest white, black, and gold silk, a pale blue scarf wrapped around his neck.

His eyes were completely black, including the whites of his eyes.

Quickly, she pulled closed her yukata, still staring at the creature before her. It wasn't until he looked at her that she realized that he had killed the men around her. She didn't flinch at the realization that their blood was on her or feel fear of the creature which saved her. He watched her with his fathomless obsidian black eyes as she stood.

"A... Arigato... gozaimasu, kami-sama..." she said softly. She remembered her mother telling her to always bare her throat to any powerful being who came before her and turn down her eyes.

The male's brows furrowed and he approached her, wrapping his long fingers around her throat. She had no fear. If the cost of saving her life from those men was her own, then she would gladly allow him.

But his hold wasn't tight. His thumb stroked the column of her throat before he leaned in, pressing his nose into her skin. He inhaled deeply skimming his nose across her collarbone. She whimpered and he rumbled in his chest before straightening. As he released her, he started to walk away.

What was that about? Was she supposed to do something?

"Wait."

But he didn't stop. She looked at the ground, finding the broken tie of her yukata. Snatching it up, she tied her yukata closed and ran after him. "Onegai... wait."

She caught up to him, though he paid her no mind as he continued on. Blood dripped from his right hand and had been splattered across his clothing. She wished he would say something to her. But kami operated on their own laws and rules. He didn't have to say anything to her if he so chose.

But the kami didn't move very far from where he killed the men. In fact, he stopped suddenly and dropped to his knees before falling back against the tree. She moved to check him over, calling out to him. But he snarled at her, baring his pointed canines at her. She bared her throat and cast her eyes down. As he relaxed against the tree, a barrier erected around him, shielding him. His eyes fell closed and she watched as his body seemed to relax.

She only waited a couple beats before reaching forward. Her hand passed through the barrier without problem and he didn't stir from his rest.

Well, she couldn't return to the village now. They would never accept her back especially when they all knew those men had chased her in the woods.

Oh god, those men...

She looked back in the direction from which they had traveled. Hopefully, the kami would stay asleep for some time while she handled the bodies. She really didn't want to but they would come looking for the men soon enough and it would turn into a hunt for her if they found the bodies.

"Father," the younger version of himself shouted, running through the palace. Soon, the older demon would be leaving for a battle with an equally strong and powerful demon. He'd seen how his mother paced out in the gardens when she thought she was alone. He understood that the pride of a demon compelled them to accept challenges, even if it was clear that they would be outmatched.

But he didn't agree with his father's reasons for accepting this challenge.

His father stood out at the front of the gardens, two guards by the massive doors. He had already transformed into his large canine form, black fur gleaming with a blue undertone in the moonlight. He looked back at his son with dark eyes that matched the night sky, the universe alight in his pupiless eyes.

"Why protect those humans?" he demanded. "They are weak and have offered nothing to these lands but disease and war. They're animals incapable of thinking of anything else beyond their own destruction."

The Northern Head regarded his son quietly, his tail flowing in the breeze. A storm was brewing in the distance, no doubt bringing an omen with it. He leaned down close to the younger demon and rumbled in his chest. But his questions was clear: Consider with great thought what the humans bring to our lands and the larger land of Japan. Not all humans wage war, my son. I protect the humans who occupy the Northern Shores for a reason. When I eventually pass on, you must find your own reason for protecting these humans. What will it be?

"I will never protect those filthy creatures."

\/\/\/

His eyes popped open, jostled from his unconscious by the sound of a voice, crying out sharply.

Where was he?

His slate grey eyes roamed around his surroundings. The branches of trees swayed above him, sunlight filtered through the bright green leaves shining down on him. Between him and the trees, he could identify a violet-colored barrier, weak at it was, around him. Good. At least he'd had enough wherewithal in his unconscious and heavily wounded state to put a barrier around himself. His inner beast must have felt it was safe enough to stop here and recuperate.

A gasp sounded followed by a strained grunt and he looked, rolling his head to the right with great effort. A slip of a woman, a human woman at that, struggled to get out from beneath a large male body. Her face was covered in dirt and smeared with dried blood. Her clothing was tattered and stained, though her cherry blossom pink hair stood out against the landscape. He scoffed internally at how a human girl managed to survive thus far with such obnoxious colored hair.

As she finally got herself free, he was surprised to see her grab the male by the arms and drag him towards a hole in the ground, dumping it unceremoniously. Had she fought them off by herself? She reached to begin tossing dirt over the hole. From his vantage point, he couldn't see exactly what she had tossed in the hole. but it was more than just one man. If his sight was correct, it seemed like there were multiple limbs and weapons being buried.

If he could, he would have used his voice to demand to know who this woman was, what her intentions were. If she planned to attack him next, it would be her own demise.

However, he didn't remember making a noise, but he must have as her head swiveled around, emerald green orbs connecting with his own slate grey. A wide smile bloomed on her face and she rushed over, dropping down to her knees next to the barrier around him. "Kami-sama," she said breathily, her smile turning warm.

Him? Was she referring to him as a god? His brows furrowed. What had happened while he was unconscious, while his beast had been in control?

The young human held her hands out, palms towards him, gesturing for him to stay there. Was she simple? Clearly he could not move. She stood and ran into the bushes on the other side of him, rustling around. How long had he been there?

Days, his beast whispered to him from within, stirring from his own slumber. The woman has been watching over you.

Foolish, he thought to himself. He was more than capable of healing himself.

Our body stopped breathing. The woman breathed life into us and pressed healing herbs to our wounds.

He paused. Now that he thought about it, he was laying completely on his back, his haori was parted, revealing is bare torso, and his scarf was missing.

This woman cried tears over us when she saw the hole in our body. She speaks few words.

Where is our scarf?

His beast rolled its eyes. Wait.

He hated that his beast seemed smitten with this woman. Why had his beast allowed her to touch his being in such an intimate manner?

The woman returned both with his scarf and a bowl. She knelt next to him, still outside the barrier, and pushed her hair back to expose her throat to him, lowering her eyes. His own eyes widened, surprised by her offering of submission. He couldn't move though, or even rumble to accept her submission, not that he wanted to. And she managed to keep her eyes cast down long enough before she finally peeked at him.

He merely stared.

He expected her to fidget or be upset but her smile remained in place. She placed a large, dry leaf before her knees and laid his scarf on it, sliding it within the barrier. "I keep clean," she said, her words again soft and breathy.

She stood and moved to his other side with the bowl, reaching through the barrier towards his torso. He wanted to reject her touch, snarl at her, detach her hand from her body to teach her the lesson of touching him. But, still, despite his distaste and anger at her actions, he could do nothing.

His eyes widened, nonetheless, at her gentle touch. Humans were rough and aggressive, even between mates. Men were rough and harsh with their wives and playthings, women rough and quick tongued with each other and their children. Even the offspring they bore learned nothing of decorum and grace. Yet this woman touched and handled his wounds and unresponsive body like one might stroke the petals of a flower.

"So hurt," she said, her voice a little stronger. "Hole... deep..."

Ah, yes, that's right. He had been fatally wounded in a battle against the Eastern Lord. It was bad enough that he hadn't even made it back to his lands before needing to rest. Anybody passing who saw the demonic Lord of the Northern Shores unconscious and vulnerable would surely behead him in his state of extreme weakness and claim his lands for themselves. Especially when his only forms of protection were a weak barrier and a human woman.

And heaven forbid the Lord of the Western Lands find him in a such a sorry state. He would come and talk his ear off with incessant questions rather than actually helping him.

He snarled suddenly, finding his voice as he felt a sharp sting in his torso. She gasped, yanking her hand back. Her fingers were covered in a green paste, the smell pungent and disgusting. She exposed her throat again but it did nothing to keep him from snarling at her. How dare she cause him pain?

She remained still, her breathing shallow. So, she wasn't as simple as she seemed. Even if he didn't think he could move, reactions based on instinct might actually give him strength. Once he settled, she waited before peeking again. She did not exude the pungent smell of fear like other humans might after being in his presence. She remained calm, her scent unwavering, and she reached forward to tend to his wound again.

Who was she?

Once the male had fallen back asleep, she rushed to the nearby stream to catch fish. Beyond healing, this was one of the few things her mother had taught her that she was good at. She had taught her to walk calmly and quietly into the water, tying her yukata above her knees. Then, slip her hands into the water, like a tunnel, and then keep still. She had to wait patiently and, when a fish swam between her palms, she had to act quickly, flinging her hands up out of the water.

A fish landed on the banks of the water, flopping around. She grinned to herself and dipped her hands in the water once again. She would catch two - one for each of them - and cook them over the fire. She didn't have any seasonings. She just hoped the kami accepted her meager offerings without anger. She was not an expert cook like her mother, but she got by.

"You have to learn the way food reacts just as you have to learn the way bodies react to medicine."

She squeezed her eyes shut. Her mother had tried mercilessly to teach her daughter words, to get her to recite words and phrases. But words had been hard for her, for her lips and tongue to form. Eventually, her mother gave up trying to teach and merely tried to make sure her daughter understood the words spoken to her, which Sakura did with immense clarity. She learned the words necessary enough to keep her alive in their day to day.

But not enough to keep her mother alive, not enough to pray hard enough to the gods to save her mother's life.

Another fish on the banks flopped next to its clone and she trudged out of the water. Why had the kami saved her but not her mother? Why did they respond now but not before?

\/\/\/

The kami had not been appeased by her offering of the cooked fish.

When he awoke and she presented it to him, he had turned his nose away. She could not find or articulate the words needed to express her confusion. And he merely ignored her when she tried to present the fish to him again. Only soft, keening sounds of protest sounded while her heart thundered in her ears.

She could feel him watching her as she stood and dumped the fish and large leaf in the fire, a hot anger burning inside her. Why had her mother not told her that the kami were fickle? Why had she not properly explained how to make sacrifices? Why did the kami try her abilities at every turn?

She snatched up the spear she had kept from the men before burying their bodies and walked into the trees. She knew of only one other way to make a sacrifice. The other option was not one that she could ever consider.

"Sometimes, in order for women to make proper sacrifices to the gods and appease them, they may require women to lay with them."

He was more than confused when the girl returned hours later with two rabbits, holding them by their ears. He was sure that females, particularly human females, found rabbits quite cute and difficult to kill. While he was not interested in however she would choose to cook this meat, he was surprised by the fact that she waltzed back into the clearing with blood staining her hands and yukata.

She skinned and cut the meat with precision and carefulness. However, he was even more surprised when she carved out the hearts with careful fingers and spear, coming over to present them to him. What was she thinking?

She thinks us kami. Hearts of fresh kills are often the choice of sacrifice.

I refuse to allow her such freedom as to feed me.

If you won't, then I will.

Sakura was ready to scream in frustration when it seemed as if the kami would reject her offers in this way too. She didn't care if the kami was a kami or not. If she refused to allow the men from her village to touch her, she surely would not let a kami touch her.

But his eyes changed. He grunted with exertion as his slate grey eyes became engulfed in blackness, his blue markings becoming jagged. His aura had shifted, becoming more wild, and, suddenly, he gripped her left wrist tightly. His pointed claws bit into the tender skin of her inner wrist. Slowly, he leaned forward and plucked the small heart from her bloody palm with his teeth. She didn't even realize that her lips had formed a small 'o' as he leaned over and devoured the other heart.

"Kami-sama..." she whispered softly.

His eyes shifted up to look into hers and she gasped, exposing her throat quickly. He rumbled softly in his throat and yanked her closer to him. He pressed his nose against her throat, rubbing and sniffing.

Her eyes widened when she felt his tongue lap at her skin before his hold slackened. She looked down to see his eyes fall closed and his head loll forward against her body. She grabbed him quickly in her arms, settling him back down. "Kami-sama."

He was still breathing. She blew out a breath before checking his wound in his abdomen. It had begun to bleed again, heavily, though the muscles had mended themselves together for the most part. Her plan in rubbing crushed herbs on his wounds was to keep them from paining him in his sleep. Sometimes, he would make soft, painful noises in his sleep when the numbing effects worse off.

But he needed to keep still if his wounds were to heal completely.

She bathed in the stream, her clothes had been soiled with the blood and dirt, and her own skin just as ruddy and dirty. Thankfully, she always kept the magical bar her mother had made on her person. The bar could get out any stain on her yukata. She honestly hadn't even realized her state until she considered the clothing the male wore back in their clearing.

She dunked her head beneath the water.

Once he was able to regain his strength without issue, what would that mean for her? Would he allow her to travel with him? Where would she even go if he didn't?

She draped her clothes on a rock to dry, ringing her pink locks out before laying back in the sun. Her nudity had never been an issue since it was only ever her and her mother, and then her alone. And they never bathed or washed what few yukata they had in the same river as the other villagers. She could just rest her eyes for a little bit before going to check on her kami.

After a while, feeling her skin getting sensitive from the heat of the sun, she put on her slightly damp yukata, checked on the male kami, and then crept into the woods. It had been a while since the men had chased her into the woods and out of the village. She knew she couldn't go back now, not that she had anything to retrieve from her small shack. Her mother believed in living with few worldly possessions and, after her passing, Sakura had no interest in toys or things to keep herself occupied. She spent so much time making tonics and other concoctions for the villagers that she never had time for anything else.

"Are you sure they went this way?"

"I'm sure of it. I watched them as they ran after her."

She ducked behind a tree, slapping her hands over her mouth and tilting her head back to mask her breathing. Her heart hammered in her chest, her eyes wide and unfocused. A group of villagers, some women included, marched through the trees with fashioned spears and clubs. Tears welled up in her eyes. Were they really that hellbent on killing her? What had she done to deserve this?

"Everyone keep their eyes open. Demons could be lurking anywhere. Especially if that bitch is still alive."

Demons? Her eyes widened. The kami. She dashed through the trees and bushes, trying to keep quiet while getting back to her companion as quickly as she could. She couldn't let them find him while he was still hurt.

She burst into the clearing, panting. He was still unconscious, his wound healed. She snatched up her spear, gripping it in her hand. She could scare them off. She just had to be brave and strong like her kami. Turning, she charged back into the trees. It was her turn to protect the kami who had saved her.

The villagers gasped as they found her standing with her feet apart and spear at her side. But the men in front, who wore sparse armor and brandished their own spears, pointed their weapons at her. "So, you're alive, witch. Where are our fellow men? What did you do to them?"

She furrowed her brows and gripped her weapon tighter. A woman threw a rock at her from behind the men. It struck her in the face, making her drop her head to the side because of the impact. But she didn't make a sound or move from her spot. But blood trickled down over her nose as she lifted her face to them again, defiant.

"Where's my husband, you bitch?"

Her lips pursed.

More rocks came flying at her and she shielded her face, gasping at one of them hit her in the shin and the stomach.

"Capture her. We need to burn her alive."

\/\/\/

His eyes snapped open at the sound of her screams. His body moved of its own accord, his beast driving his actions. She wasn't far. She was in danger.

What he happened upon made something inside of him snap.

It seemed that some of her villagers had come after her, planning to end her life. And while she had managed to get two or three, the others were kicking her, punching her, and clubbing her. Her right arm was already broken at an odd angle. His soul-quaking snarl caused them to stop and snap their eyes to him.

"It's her demon," a woman cried, clutching her club in both hands.

"Kill it."

They had only taken a mere step before heads had rolled to the grass. It didn't matter to him whether it had been men or women that he killed. They had dared to beat her, break her. His aura lashed out at those who remained, warning them that if they dared to attack, they would meet the same fate as their companions. Little did they know, as they turned tail and ran, their village was already under attack by another set of demons, these more like wild wolves.

"Kami-sama..."

He looked down at the pink-haired girl, who smiled gently up at him. His black orbs faded back to their usual slate grey and he knelt next to her.

"Kami-sama... healed?"

He looked down at himself. Yes, it seemed that his body had finally mended itself.

"I... protect... kami-sama..." Her eyes rolled back into her head, her body going limp.

His inner beast whined and demanded that he do something to save the girl. She had risked her own life to protect him, thinking him injured. But he tried to argue that she risked her life to her own detriment. Whether she lived or not was not any of his concern. As he turned to leave her body where it lay, he stopped, his fists clenching.

The demonic wolves ran into the woods, immediately surrounding him and the human bodies. The alpha female led this smaller attack pack, growling at him, while the rest of her larger pack finished off those left in the village, no doubt taking bodies to feast on. But he would not stoop to their level of communication. He could understand them, but he refused to speak with such lowly beings.

The other wolves began to sniff and eat the bodies that laid behind him, including that of the girl. One of them grabbed her with his teeth sinking into her shoulder and thrashing her from side to side.

He beat them off within a second and hoisted the girl up in his arms. From where he laid against the tree before, he hadn't realized how small she actually was. She whimpered softly in his arms, though she didn't wake.

The human girl is ours to feast on, the alpha growled, widening her stance in an effort to intimidate him. But no female, demonic or otherwise, had ever intimidated him. His aura lashed out at her, whipping her into her rightful place beneath him in status. The other wolves, who had taken up an attack circle around him also backed away slowly, teeth still bared. He strode through their pack without a word or another look.

We must get her to the witch in the mountains, his beast demanded. She will not last for many more sunrises.

He didn't want to save this human girl, especially not for his beast. But when he considered her final words before she fell unconscious, he was perplexed. Humans only cared for their own. They were selfish creatures, only aiding others to get something in return. What had this girl wanted from him?

In his musings, he didn't realize he was walking in the direction of the witch's mountain until night had fallen and he considered the area around him. He did not save humans; it was not his way. Countless humans had begged him for help along his travels through his lands and he spared none of them a glance, much less a second one. So, why was he going out of his way to save her?

She is an outcast of her own village.

Then she should have merely moved onto another one where they would not know her.

Consider her unnatural hair and eyes.

It was true. They had called her a witch, though the girl possessed no extraordinary skills or aura. If his few bouts of consciousness were anything to go by, she had been trained in the way of a healer. Perhaps with her physical attributes and the combination of her medical skills, they thought her a witch.

Of course foolish humans were too simple to see beyond their own noses.

A pot calling the kettle black.

Hold your tongue.

She healed us.

That was her own folly.

She thinks us kami.

Her own foolish thinking.

He stopped in a clearing and leapt into a tree to sit for the night. The girl's body would not be able to handle traveling continuously at the rate he was moving. Her breathing was shallow and labored, her lungs rattling with each inhale. He had tried to fix her broken arm, but she screamed in pain. His heart clenched uncomfortably when he took in the bruising, scratches, and blood. Her own villagers...

Her eyes cracked open. Well, one eye did. The other was swollen shut. Despite the pain she must have been in, her eye glittered with an unnameable emotion. Her good hand loosely gripped the front of his haori, shaking. "Kami-sama..."

His brows furrowed. "Why did you attempt to protect me?"

Her eye widened before creasing with a smile. "Kami-sama... speak..."

"Answer my question."

"Kami-sama hurt... I protect... kami-sama protected me."

We saved her from the men who first chased her from the village… I saved her.

Ah, now things made sense as to why she had been continuously by his side.

"What do you want from me, child? In return for you healing me?"

She shook her head slowly, trying not to grimace. "I no need... favor... only offer help..."

"You must want something. Humans always want something."

Her eye began to flutter, her hand attempting to grip tighter but loosening instead. "No..." she barely inhaled before her body fell limp and the air wooshed out of her lungs. She did not inhale again and her heartbeat began to quickly slow.

No? No? What kind of human...

We must save her, his beast snarled, rattling at its shackles within him. We must get her to the witch now before her soul is lost.

He hesitated and, in his hesitation, his beast managed to slip from his control and fight him for dominance. He grunted in effort, gritting his teeth to reel his beast back in. But it was no use. His eyes turned jet black once again, his markings jagged. With quick hands, he fashioned a sling out of what remained of his haori and nagajuban to carry her. Her heart stuttered in her chest, reaching the point of stillness. He roared into the air and transformed, grasping the material of the sling in his teeth and taking off into the sky.

The blonde witch stood at the entrance of her cave in the mountains, waiting. Her pot had been boiling over the fire. Yes, tonight was the night the Northern Lord would bring his possession for her to work her magic over. Her honey eyes watched the night sky, her teeth gently nibbling on her thumb nail. Not enough to break it but enough to remind her that she had to be patient.

"Ah, there you are."

He came speeding across the sky, using the winds to guide his massive black paws. She stepped back as he landed within her dwelling, slowly lowering his cargo to the ground with an ease and gentleness he had never displayed before. "My lord," she crooned, bowing her head deeply with her hands touched to her torso.

He transformed, slate grey regarding her. "Witch."

"I didn't realize you were one to bring gifts."

He rumbled lowly in his throat.

She chuckled. "I only jest, milord. You know that I have seen you would bring this girl to me to save her small life." She crouched next to the sling, pulling her long sleeves back to peel back the cloth. The girl's skin had already begun to pale, her lips turning cold first, followed by her fingers. He had never pushed himself so hard to reach his destination.

"You have come just in time, milord. Her soul has not departed as of yet. But we must work quickly. Bring her closer to my fire."

He lifted her up and did as the witch said. He was careful with her neck, to make sure he supported it, and laid her on the mat next to the fire. The witch stirred her pot. "Do not be alarmed by the darkness, milord. But in the darkness, you must make a choice. This girl's life has been placed in your hands."

His brows furrowed and, before he could look to her, she had doused the flames with the liquid. The smoke turned a crimson red color, visible even in the darkened cave. The smoke wafted over the girl's body and around his torso, brushing up against the large scar on his torso. His eyes widened when he saw small, impish like creatures wrapping chains around her body.

"Will you stop these servants of Hell? Or allow them to complete their task?"

This time, his beast didn't need to tell him anything. In this moment, they had been more in tune than they had ever been. Brandishing his claws, he swiped at them, tearing their bodies to shreds. Though they merely disappeared into thin air.

"Wise choice, milord," the witch said as the fire suddenly lit once again, boiling her pot. "Open her mouth and tilt her head back. This concoction will bind her soul once again to her body. Her wounds and broken arm will heal by the morn."

He did as she told, watching as she massaged the liquid down the girl's throat. A few tense moments passed and then he finally heard her heartbeat. She took a deep breath in and her eye fluttered open. "Kami-sama?"

"You said no."

She blinked once, twice, and then smiled. "I wish... follow Kami-sama."

His eyes widened. "To follow me?"

She nodded and pushed herself to sit up. He didn't touch her, wanting to see how much determination she had. He was surprised when her first action was to push her hair back and expose her throat to him, submission. Her eyes were downcast, waiting.

"If you accept her submission," the witch said from behind him, "know that I cannot restore her life again. This will be the last time she is given such a chance. If you reject her submission, the spell will be broken and her soul will be lost."

He reached forward, slowly, and wrapped his long fingers around her throat loosely. Emerald met grey and he leaned in close, his markings jagged. "My name is Byakuya."

"Bya-kuya-sama," she whispered, trying to form his name was wonderfully as he said it. The kami had finally given her his name. A single tear fell from her eye and she whispered, "My name is... Sakura."

Thanks for reading! Another chapter may be coming. I'm on a roll with this fanfic.