1 YEAR AGO
Sara felt weak, her breaths were small rattling things. Her strength was sapped away from her body.
She was sitting in her palanquin on a hill, overlooking the Rōran Caravan as it celebrated the annual Watcher's Festival.
Her friends had noticed that every year she spent a day honoring someone, once she explained that it was a man named Osamu and his, now her, god, who helped her save Rōran, they had started doing so too.
Eventually, more and more people joined in, and now almost 16 years after it started, the whole caravan did as well.
It had brought her a lot of joy to see everyone celebrating her new god and Osamu's sacrifice, she still didn't understand what happened to him and Naruto, and the years later were too turbulent to leave her people. Now she was too weak to attempt the trip to Konoha, the Fourth Hokage was long dead anyway, he was the only one in that chamber besides her and the two that disappeared.
"Mom!" A young girl yelled as she ran up the hill. "Look what I made!"
She showed off a little paper star covered with gold paint.
Sara smiled at her daughter as she sat down next to her and started babbling about the festival.
Himiko was 12 years old already, where did the time go? She knew her daughter was putting up a strong face almost constantly, knowing that Sara herself would be gone soon.
Sara relaxed in her seat as Himiko rambled on about the festival, she might feel bitter about her weakening body, but she can't say she regrets the life she has lived.
***
PRESENT DAY
Sara's eyes could barely stay open, she could barely move her limbs, every breath was harder than the last one.
Days were passing her by at this point, she blinked, and the room changed.
Himiko was there a lot of the time, her voice slowly droning on as she talked to Sara, trying to keep her awake as much as possible.
Sometimes she spoke of the caravan, sometimes it was just things that happened during her day.
"Ah, I suppose I should apologize, It seems that the Blessing caused you alot of suffering."
A spike of adrenaline shot through Sara's body. A man stood beside her bed.
Osamu...
Just like she remembered, the burns she last saw on him gone, wearing the same outfit he had on when they met.
He looked at Sara with a sad smile.
"No..." She said weakly, she wanted to say much, but her weakened state and failing voice betrayed her.
Osamu took a seat next to her bed, gently taking her hand in his own.
"I... don't regret... it." Every word was exhausting, she struggled to push them out.
"I know, I'm sorry for your suffering all the same." He responded softly, squeezing her hand slightly. "But, why are you acting like you are about to die? You still have alot of time left."
"W-what?" She whispered confused.
Osamu grinned as he clasped his hands together.
"O' Watcher Behind The Stars." He intoned solemnly, a pressure descending on the room.
"Please grant this faithful follower her reward."
His eyes started glowing golden as the room shook from the power surging inside it.
In a split second, the bed disappeared, the room disappeared, Sara's body was floating in the void.
Before her, The Watcher Beyond The Stars watched over her silently. Golden eyes peering into her soul.
No longer the sleeping giant she had met all those years ago, now fully awake and focused on her.
His hand reached out, a single finger poking her in the chest.
BE HEALED
The pain and weakness fled, leaving her as strong as she had been before falling sick.
And then she found herself back in her bed. Her body brimming with strength, even more so than when she was young.
"You're only, what? 36? 37?" Osamu questioned. "Way too young to die."
He turned to face Sara and bowed.
"Thank you." He said simply. "You've done far more for us than anyone could have expected, you can relax now."
Sara looked at him, confusion coloring her expression.
Osamu straightened up again and walked to the door leading out of her bedroom.
"Wait!" She called out, scrambling off the bed to run after him, but her legs gave out. She forgot how long it had been since she last stood up, even if her body was healed, it would take a bit longer to get used to walking again.
As she got up and stumbled out of her room, Osamu was gone.
***
That left a bad taste in my mouth, not the running away part, I did not know how to deal with reunions.
I meant Sara's life, it was full of hardship, she had earned a peaceful retirement many times over, I was expecting a few hundred worshipers, she had converted thousands of people.
From what little I saw, the people lived a happy life, even if they never had the wealth or manpower to resettle Rōran, at least it didn't look like their life was particularly miserable either.
But Sara got fucker over, her blessing only served to extend her suffering.
The world was unfair, it was uncaring of efforts and morals. You could be the hardest-working person in the world, only for some asshole to murder you on the street, and then they turn around and win the lottery.
But I was a god, fuck the world being unfair, as long as I had the power, people would be rewarded for their efforts.
She deserved a happy life with her daughter and people, so that's what she will get, no more weakness or pain, she will have all the time in the world to enjoy life now.
So I fixed everything, rejuvenated body and healed up to tip top shape.
I hope she takes a seat back and relaxes for now, I'll send one of the Star-Eaters to watch over the people of Rōran from now on.
And Wave will be sending a group of laborers and raw materials, for fellow faithful they would be happy too.
They deserve some help after all the shit that happened to them.
It hammered home the point that being a god means you can't afford to half-ass caring for your people, everything needs to be handled with the proper amount of attention and care.
Still, besides that little hiccup, this whole adventure was a success, I got some Jutsu, a scan of the arguably most talented Shinobi that didn't have a bloodline, about a 20% increase in my worshiper count, and another community of worshipers outside of Wave.
And all it cost me was alot of DP.
And potentially killing the Protagonist, I still wasn't sure what that was about.
I really should check on that.