#consort itachi

[shisui-uchiha-anon]

a rp starter for @kiigan

Amaterasu stands in a beaming pool of light at the cliff near the edge of her kingdom. Watching the endless meadows of heaven, seas of time. She closed her eyes, and all light died--her eyes reopened with the Sharingan glow. A fire, blood, and the burning flesh--those are the first things she sees through her son's eyes. Her beloved child, his hands are bloody red as he clutches at his chest, his vision is blurry, and he is stumbling. Amaterasu stumbles too as her child. She screams as the thunder strikes in the distance, and only the strong arms of her consort keep her from falling.

She felt him fall, she felt the pain , she struggled till she came back to her senses. Till she realized who is holding her. Each clan believe in certain God. But not each clan have the Chosen one. His eternal fire is extinguished. Amateraus could feel it. All that she gave to him was back in her veins. Well almost all.

The Uchiha clan prays to the Goddess Amaterasu. She is the daughter of creator deities Izanagi and Izanami. Amaterasu when translated, her name, it means Shines from Heaven. She holds answers--but who will give her the answers? Who will tell her how is this fair? Is her son's life just one gasp for the air? Is his life just one blink of the stars, before he sinks into the ground?

Why must that man who screamed her son's name, suffer and fall apart? A tragedy .....

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was not like him, not at all to question himself this much. Usually, his impulsive nature would determine the outcome. But the last outcome was decided by the others. The last thing Shisui remembers is the cold embrace of the river and the endless dark. After that, it was just nothing, a void. No pain no regret - not even selfishness for leaving the way he did. That lasted for five minutes, or at least that is how it looked to Shisui.

He gasped for air, his lungs struggling to breathe. The breath of life returned to him. What looked like five minutes is actually years. Soon Shisui found out the painful truth, or at least he thought he knew. One thing was certain ….

A loud crack of fire brought Shisui back from his own mind. He was no longer a child, he postponed this meeting for too long. He hides the signal of his own chakra so that Itachi cannot find it. That has to stop. Last time it was a tight getaway. But this time Shisui will allow himself to be found.

There, approaching so fast, like lightning, the familiar chakra signal, so familiar to Shisui's own. It trembles like the pulse of a bowstring - just a second before it crashes on Shisui like an arrow hitting a target.

Itachi....

How am I alive? Resurection? Or something else. Some people did believed in resurection. For those people death is inconsequential. It's not an ending, but a new beggining. Is this then a second chance? An reunion? The very idea of recurection was so seductive to Shisui. Before he rose from the dead did he spent a few years in hell? Is it that simple? Those who were dead live --and those who live believe, they shall never die?

[smallangstdemon]

My submission for the prompt "royalty" in the maze!

The royalty part is not very obvious, but they are sketching for an old idea of mine of a KakaIru Royalty AU. I don't have the notes on me, so I don't remember well, but Kakashi is the king and Iruka is one of the possible future consort, and he'll have to "compete" with others to win Kakashi's heart. I remember tons of side plotlines, around Itachi and Temari and of course, as featured here, Naruto.

[animeomegas]

do you... think you could give us a taster of the consort itachi medical exam, love your work so much!!

Hmm.... I did sort of write that for myself, not really for posting haha, but I guess I can paste in a bit of it :D I'm not comfortable with posting it all though.

This is dub con with a fairly mean reader, btw. I don't feel like giving specific warnings for a piece that was written for myself, so read at your own risk.

"His heartbeat is strong," your head medic said, moving the stethoscope away from Itachi's bare chest. "There's no issue I can hear."

"Excellent news," you said idly, not even slightly surprised. As the son of such an important family, he would have gone through these sorts of medical exams before they put him up to compete to marry you.

The doctor left the examination table and went to note down the results of this test. Itachi's parents were standing stoically in the corner of the room, chaperoning the exam personally to ensure their son was treated fairly and his innocence kept in tact until you had signed the marriage contracts. You paid them no mind; there were better things to be looking at, mainly the beauty on the examination table, who looked like he was doing everything in his power to refrain from fidgeting.

His robe was still tied at the waist of course, but his chest was completely bare, having removed his arms from the sleeves at your instruction. Unsurprisingly, his nipples were pebbled. You had to suppress a smirk; you set up this examination in a room without a fireplace for a reason. You weren't allowed to touch him, not yet, but you could still have your fun.

The doctor returned to the examination table, crouching down so that his face was level with Itachi's chest. Itachi stiffened imperceptibly before attempting to at least appear relaxed. The poor thing was clearly uncomfortable.

"It is not ideal for your nipples to be hard at this moment," the doctor said, exactly as you'd told him to. "It will interfere with my examination."

Itachi jolted, looking over to his parents for a moment, before swallowing nervously.

"I'm sorry," he whispered in a soft voice. He cleared his throat awkwardly and the next words came out a little stronger. "It is very cold in this room."

"Perhaps we can-" Fugaku started, but you cut him off with a hand, standing from your chair.

"I have a solution, don't worry," you said, heading over to the door. You pulled it open widely, and while you couldn't see him, you could hear the little gasp from the sweet man on the examination table at the thought of his body being on display for whoever happened to walk past. You addressed the servant waiting outside in a low voice.

When you were done, you went back in, leaving the door open.

"My servant will be back shortly, but he is not allowed to knock on doors like these, lest he interrupt something important, so the door will remain open until his return."

This time you got to watch Itachi react. The little bit of panic in his eyes, the way his breathing was increasing at the thought of being seen. You watched him subtly lean forward, attempting to hide his bare chest with his hair. How adorable. He would have to get over such compulsions once you were married though; you had a bad habit of flaunting your beautiful lovers for everyone to see, and you had no intention of stopping even if this lover would be your husband.

"Your majesty," the servant said, announcing himself as he walked back in with a bowl of hot water and some cloths. He had been extraordinarily rapid, but of course, you had instructed him to be prepared in advance.

"Thank you, you are excused, please shut the door on your way out."

"This will help," the doctor said, taking on the the cloths and dipping it into the warm water. He made a show of draining the excess water, but you had explicitly asked him to leave the cloth far too damp.

With the cloth in hand, the doctor walked over to Itachi and pressed it firmly against his left nipple. Itachi sucked in a breath at the temperature change, but your favourite part came a few moments later. Droplets of warm water started to run down his chest, finding their way down to his stomach before soaking into the robe tied around his waist. Itachi's stomach jumped at the ticklish feeling of the water but both you and the doctor pretended not to notice.

A minute later, the doctor removed the cloth, revealing the glistening, soft nipple to the air. Quickly, before the cold air pebbled it once more, the doctor instructed Itachi to put his left arm up and began prodding, poking and squeezing at him.

Itachi's breath quickened and his eyes closed. You wondered if he was feeling good or embarrassed, perhaps both. The little squeaks he was letting out were music to your ears, though, regardless of their cause.

Over in the corner, his parents shuffled uncomfortably and his father averted his eyes.

The doctor repeated the process with the other nipple before speaking.

"Everything feels in order," he said, moving away to wipe his hands on a towel before jotting down his findings. "No abnormalities nor anything that would suggest he will have trouble providing milk for any children in the case that you decide against a wet nurse."

"That is wonderful," you demurred, eyes fixed on Itachi even as he wouldn't look at you. "I've always wanted my husband to feed our children himself. It is uncommon in high society, but I think there are many... benefits... to that sort of arrangement."

No one in the room responded, so you carried on.

"However, my dearest doctor, you seem to have neglected to drain the cloths enough, you've left poor Itachi soaking."

"Ah," the doctor said, as if he'd just noticed. "My apologies. On the bright side, I was just about to ask you to remove your robe, anyway."

"Of course," Itachi said quietly. He looked to his parents for support, and at their encouraging nods he slipped off the table and tentatively untied the robe from his waist, revealing everything to your eager eyes. The doctor quietly took the robe while you busied yourself taking in the sights.

His thighs were very delicate looking, and pale in a way that suggested they had never seen the sun. You wouldn't be surprised if that were in fact the case. The divots in his hips drew your eyes next; they looked like perfect places to grab. But of course, the star of the show was the little, soft cock sitting between his legs.

Itachi could see where you were staring and immediately flushed bright red, his thighs and arms twitching as though he were having to consciously refrain from hiding himself from your admittedly predatory gaze.

You couldn't bring yourself to feel bad though... It was in the nature of a tiger to prey on the little lambs.

The doctor wasted no time in grabbing the tape measure from earlier and getting to work measuring around his hips, thighs and waist, adding to the previous measurements from his top half. It would be great to finally have his exact measurements to send off to your seamstress. You had a frankly impressive collection of sketches and ideas of outfits you were going to fill your husbands new wardrobe with. The Uchiha were such a modest clan, and so you couldn't imagine any of his current wardrobe would be suitable.

The first outfit that came to mind was the one you'd been sketching last night. The base of the outfit was similar to a purple bikini, although the fabric designed to run between the legs was actually two pieces of fabric held together with a couple of tiny buttons that could be undone at any time. On top, you designed a silver body chain, although looking at Itachi naked here in front of you, you made a note to change it to gold; it would suit him better. Finally, on top would be a dress made of gauze. It would give the illusion of a proper outfit, a classy silhouette, while of course being entirely see through.

It was not your most creative idea, but still one of your favourites. Perhaps you would get him to wear that to the birthday party you were throwing for him a few weeks after your marriage date.

"Just under 3 inches soft," the doctor announced, delicately measuring Itachi's limp penis.

Ah, that was another measurement you needed. You wouldn't want his first chastity cage to be ill fitting.

You looked up to Itachi's face to see that he was no longer attempting to close his eyes, but had now seemingly picked a random spot on the wall to focus on instead.

"Right," the doctor said, standing up and jolting Itachi's attention to him. "There's only one more thing we need to do before we get you up onto the table and into the stirrups."

Itachi visibly gulped, but your stomach lurched. This was one of your favourite parts.

The doctor pulled out an unassuming container, about five cm deep and 10 cm wide, and placed it on the floor in front of Itachi.

"We need a urine sample."

There was silence in the room before Mikoto spoke up.

"Is there a private room for him provide it?"

"Unfortunately not," the doctor said with fake sadness. "We had issues last year with a man who managed to fake the sample once he was alone, so it is pertinent that the sample be collected with witnesses."

The dark haired beauty in front of you was almost shaking. How cute.

His parents did not look happy, but ultimately this wouldn't be worth fighting the reigning monarch over, so they backed down.

"I know this can be difficult, but we have other tests to proceed with, so please try to be as fast as you can," the doctor said.

...

Aaand, I'll cut it there haha. This isn't edited, because it wasn't meant for posting but there we go 😅 I hope you enjoyed it anyway, I guess haha.

[electrasev5nwrites]

Ninja Daily: Clarity 23

Five shinobi left from lush Konoha before the sun had risen. The air became cold and dry on the route north they traveled towards Iron. Aiko's eyes watered the entire first day, but they only prickled with pain when their route was just northeast enough for the rising sun to be a nuisance. Iron loomed in the distance after two hard days of travel.

As soon as they had crossed the border, Aiko wanted to turn back around and hide at the bottom of a bottle. Or under her bed. She wasn't feeling picky, really.

'There's no way at all for this to end well. If Konan gets off, it'll normalize international tensions, but most people in Konoha will be out for blood.'

The trial was somehow less interesting than her personal relationships. That probably made her a shitty shinobi, but Aiko's thoughts kept coming back to the fact that she would probably have to look Gaara in the eye in Iron. What had those bijuu done after she'd released them in his country? People had to have died.

All the while, the rush of blood in her ears sounded like a reminder that this would be a very attractive opportunity for Obito. He was dramatic. It would be more surprising if he didn't attempt to capitulate on a gathering of the five kage, especially one with so many jinchuuriki in attendance.

He would be there. Aiko was sure of it. The only question was how he would infiltrate the gathering. A subtle shinobi might replace some minor government official, a civilian if possible, and hide in the audience watching the proceedings. Another shinobi might rely on total stealth- somehow watching the proceedings from the shadows. Obito was capable of that, but it was a risk. There were going to be so many high-level shinobi there. It would probably be less risky to break in mid-way through the proceedings and take off with jinchuuriki, but then he would miss out on subtle political shifts that he could manipulate.

She didn't know how he was going to do it, but odds were good that whatever Obito had in mind was completely unnecessary and overly difficult.

'Goddamn drama queen,' Aiko thought darkly. She did not let the hypocrisy inherent in that accusation bother her.

As always, thinking of the danger Obito meant for jinchuuriki led her thoughts right back to Naruto. Something angry coiled in her gut at the reminder that Obito would have used her as a weapon against her twin, but nausea was her overwhelming reaction. What would Naruto- what would her family think when they saw her again? What would they say? She kept worrying at the thought, unable to let it go.

What could she possibly say to them? Sorry I fucked off for a year to go run drugs, kill jinchuuriki, and consort with terrorists. Let's pretend that never happened and I'll go back to being a reclusive control freak, kthanksbai.

She'd never actually heard of a more thorough case behavior worth bringing shame upon the family name. She'd pretty well hit all the high notes of moral decay and personal betrayal.

"As puerile as it is, remember that we are utilizing the buddy system," Tsunade drawled. The words sounded distasteful, picked out with hard consonants.

The others present exchanged an involuntary, assessing round-table sort of stare. Shizune took a quick step towards Tsunade, as if to call dibs.

Aiko looked at Yamato and Itachi. Itachi looked at Aiko and Yamato. Yamato looked at his toes, uncomfortable with the unspoken expectation that someone make a decision that would leave someone out.

Aiko reached out and wrapped her fingers around the cuff of Yamato's shirt, and avoided eye contact with Itachi. Being clique-y seemed so bitchy and immature…

'But something about that man scares the absolute fucking crap out of me.'

Aiko stiffened her muscles, but a shiver still ran up her spine. She couldn't sleep when he was on watch, but she didn't want to be awake in the dark with him either.

Tsunade made an unimpressed sound. "As the sole civilian in our group, Itachi-san will of course never be unaccompanied," she said with a hint of censure.

Aiko didn't quite manage to suppress a snort.

'It was nice of Tsunade to retire Itachi-san instead of killing him, but that doesn't really make him a civilian. That guy is one pointy edge short of a weapon.'

Metaphorically speaking, that was. He was basically one big weapon. He was scary.

Aiko rubbed the back of her grubby, dusty hand against her eyes and immediately regretted it. She didn't feel the repercussions for a while, however. The group traveled the last miles to Iron's capital and were at the end of a depressingly long line by the time the slight of sting of strained eye muscles turned into a prickly burning and a swell of tears. Merchants, travelers, and diplomats were all lined up together in a mass of unwashed human and susurrus of conversations. The noise began to hurt, and her poor mood was exacerbated by just how cold standing still was. Aiko buried her face in her hands, but she couldn't block out enough sound to cease the pounding.

Eventually, it became miserable enough that she tugged at the closest sleeve in hoped of gaining attention. Aiko sniffled,"Hey, Shizune-san? Do you think you could do the thing where you relax muscle tension?" Aiko indicated her face, making a loose hand motion with her free hand. Her fingers were numb with cold, stiff and prickling. It felt like she was waving a block of tofu.

'Someone should suggest a uniform change. I'm thinking fluffy hats and long scarves and big coats with fur linings.'

Yamato disentangled her hand from his sleeve, put his hands on her shoulders, and gently oriented her to face the dark blur that was probably Shizune.

Shizune sighed heavily.

Aiko attempted to make an appropriately endearing expression, but her face was probably blotchy and she couldn't entirely keep her eyes open.

She recognized the quick, soft steps towards her front as the med-nin's pace."I'll take a look when we stop for the night. We'll be at the head of the line soon." Shizune reached into Aiko's pack to pull out the redhead's pass papers. Her face was a pale smear in Aiko's vision, but her voice was slightly amused. "Stop touching your face."

"I figured that out," Aiko lied resentfully. She'd known. She'd just forgotten. No matter what Sasuke said, it was habit to rub at her eyes and face when it hurt. She couldn't completely drop that in a week. She'd had migraines for a long time.

"I have hers right here," Shizune called out from a few feet ahead. The murmur of someone else checking Tsunade's identification continued off to the left, but Aiko wasn't even trying to look. In the pinks and oranges of twilight, her head was throbbing. She creased her eyes nearly shut and tried to look as though it was a deliberant, nonchalant choice.

'This is embarrassing.'

The tall blur checking their papers at the city gate made a whistling sound when Aiko shuffled forward. "What happened to you?"

Aiko shrugged, sullen. She did not attempt to pry open her eyes. "I'm sad because I broke a fingernail."

There was a pause where the security officer might have been glancing down at her perfectly manicured and evenly short, blunt nails. "I see. You can go. Your party leader has already met your guide."

She tilted her head up high and strode forward. Her left foot connected into something metal and cold with a 'doink' sound. She stopped. She took a step to the right, and then started walking again.

Yamato cleared his throat and wrapped an arm around her waist. He steered her like that a few steps behind the fluttering green figure that had to be Tsunade. The Hokage's politely interested tones floated back, but Aiko couldn't quite pick out where words started and stopped in the outpour of sounds.

'Iron is terrible and I want to go home. It's cold here.'

Feeling ill, she leaned a little bit more into Yamato's side, choked down bile, and thought about just what she would like to shove into Obito's eye sockets. See how he'd like it.

Aiko walked a mostly straight line for what was probably only minutes, but felt like hours. A few moments after she heard the sound of a door opening, Tsunade made some polite comment about the accommodations. Aiko forced her eyes to crack open despite the piercing sunlight to step inside, wiggling out of Yamato's grip. He let his arm fall without comment. She toed off her shoes in the genkan of their suite before uncertainly picking her way up into the suite proper. Aiko stood a moment, then came the sound of a bag being set down. Shizune's perfume wafted up, as close as the older woman's breathing.

"I hope that repeated treatment cuts down on this kind of thing," Shizune muttered. Cool fingers probed at swollen, sensitive flesh. "Sasuke did a lot of internal work to repair degeneration and correct an exceptionally poor job of connecting optic nerves, but of course there's some trauma. I'll see what I can do."

It only took Shizune about fifteen minutes to soothe the strain on Aiko's eyes, and a short time spent laying in the dark with a cold cloth on her eyes helped the swelling and soreness. It was almost an hour after they had been shown to their quarters that Aiko finally got to look around.

Yamato was dozing with his feet tucked under his body on a chair, but nobody else was visible.

''He is way too big for a nap in that chair. Why not go to his room to sleep?'

She sat up on the couch, blearily noting that the first room was in a modern style. Tsunade slid open a door and stepped into the room. Over the hokage's shoulder, Aiko caught a glimpse of what appeared to be a traditional seating area.

"Oh good, you're up." Tsunade trailed her fingers along the back of the couch and leaned over to look down at Aiko. "Be a dear and run an errand for me." It was not a question. "I wouldn't be surprised if some kind-hearted soul would allow you access to your brother."

Aiko inhaled sharply, turning her attention to Tsunade so fast that her neck cracked. There was a snuffling sound as Yamato stirred, blinking tired eyes open.

Tsunade made a face and tilted her neck to scorch the ceiling with a glare. "The recent harassment of Naruto by Akatsuki is worrying. It might benefit him to know that Tobi was in Konoha recently." She rested her elbows on the back of the couch and curled over the furniture, looking more catlike than regal. "But it would of course be phenomenally inappropriate for me to attempt to give my operatives new orders, after having released them to the guidance of our esteemed allies for the duration."

"But sisterly advice and worry…" Aiko trailed off. She reluctantly moved her feet off the cushions, giving a stretch.

"Aa," Tsunade hummed. "Hopefully, your uncanny ability to find Naruto will pay off."

That was a little oblique.

'Hiraishin reference? Maybe she's concerned we're being listened to. But Tsunade knows I don't have anything on Naruto now- is she telling me to tag him again, so I can get him in an emergency?'

No duh. He'd apparently destroyed the tagged kunai she'd given him, or somehow lost it. The next one was going on his skin. Maybe she'd get Sai to help her find a tattoo gun and make a big ol' seal right on his ass, where he couldn't possibly misplace it.

'I'll have to tattoo a lot of butts if I want to recreate the seal network I used to have.'

Depressing.

"I'll do what I can." Aiko tried to steer her thoughts away from butts and reflexively checked the sky outside the window, despite knowing that evening was approaching. Sunsets in Iron country were drab. Dark blues swallowed up the horizon before any vivid pinks could bleed into the skyline.

"I've been here before," Yamato offered. When the kunoichi looked at him, he was fidgeting, rubbing his thumbs against the side of fisted hands. "Konan-san will likely be held in chambers above the deliberation hall, and her guards lodged nearby."

Tsunade nodded acquiescence, so Aiko pulled her gloves on and held open the door for her companion. Wind slapped her face.

'This place is a tinderbox and I'm going to burn it to the ground.'

Aiko glared at the neat line of lawns leading up to a series of suites just like the one they had left. They all looked the same.

At least Yamato knew where he was going. She had zero interest in a pleasure walk.

They had to show their passports, stamped travel papers, and work orders, but a grim-faced woman in full samurai armor eventually had them walk in front of her down a gleaming hallway on the fourth floor. Aiko glanced down to verify that yes, she could see her reflection in the floor, and then winced away from the sight of her scuffed sandals. Yamato plodded along at her side, completely untroubled by being underdressed.

Feeling green, Aiko examined their guide in her peripheral vision. The red-tinted armor over blue cloth looked neat, professional, and weather appropriate.

By contrast, her Jounin vest and weirdly fitting pants just felt frumpy. Aiko bit her tongue and reminded herself that even Shizune had been stuffed into the uniform. Nobody else cared, probably. It was sort of vaguely important to be easily identifiable when in a foreign country filled with paranoid military personnel.

"Konohagakure has the second to last room. The door will remain open, and you have ten minutes." The samurai woman seemed unimpressed, blue eyes flinty and cold as she gestured with her whole hand. "I will remain at the door, ninja-san." She rapped on the door before Aiko could respond.

"Coming," Karin called, apparently on automatic, because there was a long moment of silence. There was a sudden oofing grunt sound. A click. The sound of small metal bits falling.

The samurai shifted her weight from one foot to the other, neck and shoulders stiff with disapproval.

Someone yelped.

That quiet sigh had to have come from the samurai, but her expression still gave nothing away.

The door slid open. Hinata stood there, pale and prim in her own Jounin uniform. She bowed. "Thank you, samurai-san." It was impossible to tell where she was looking since she had no pupils, but Aiko had the sense of being under a stare. "Aiko-san, Yamato-senpai," Hinata greeted. "It is good to see you. Please, come in."

Aiko gave Hinata a smile but she was already stepping forward and craning her head to survey the room. It looked something like an ANBU bunkroom after a localized tornado, with three futon pushed together on the floor. They were covered in a riot of blankets that made it impossible to see where one mattress ended and the next began. Karin leaned over the edge of the dresser she was perched on, toes dangling a good three feet off the ground as she stared. Her glasses slid down to the tip of her nose and she fiddled with a long, slim braid that trailed over her shoulder.

Naruto was ankle-deep in blanket, with cow-licked bedhead and his hands clasped behind his back. He seemed more politely wary than anything.

Of course he was. She hadn't recognized him the last time they'd met. Why would he set himself up for a miserably awkward encounter?

'I can't believe how tall they are. They're not kids.'

Why had she always acted like she was so much older and better than they were? Try as she might, Aiko couldn't think of a reason. That must have grated.

"Aiko-san." Naruto bounced on his heels, not quite making eye contact. "You're looking well." He extracted the foot that was caught in rumpled fabric and used it to rub at his calf.

Aiko winced. That distance sounded so odd from his mouth. "Hi, otouto."

Karin hooted and shot her arm up in a victory sign. Aiko could see Hinata crack a smile, but her focus was on Naruto.

He didn't move.

Her fingers trembled. Her feet were heavy.

She didn't know what to do. Usually, he was the first to leap for physical affection or gush. But Naruto was standing still and tall, blue eyes serious and broad jaw clenched. He didn't look like her baby brother. He was a man. He didn't need her the way he used to.

But she needed him.

Aiko forced her shaking fingers to still and lifted her arms slightly, indicating that she could really use a hug right now. That was all Naruto needed- he crossed the rest of the distance and wrapped his arms around her. He smelled like tonkatsu and amphibians. Aiko tucked her nose into his collarbone and closed her eyes.

She registered quiet steps as a sign that Yamato was stepping out into the hallways to give them space, but she didn't much care at the moment. Her little brother was bigger than her, warm and breathing fast and he needed to do his laundry. She hugged a little tighter.

"You okay?" her brother rasped into her hair.

She breathed in through her nose to fix his scent in her memory. "I will be."

"I feel so left out," Karin muttered. The sound that followed was probably Hinata smacking the redhead.

"You know," Naruto started, voice hoarse. He dug his fingers into her back. He had to be leaving marks. "I think we're going to have to put a bell on you."

"Right after I put a seal on your ass," Aiko murmured into his neck. Naruto pulled his head back to give her a disturbed look, mouth slightly open.

A cold hand on Aiko's shoulder pulled the twins just far enough apart that Karin could sling her arms around each of their waists. Her horrible talons curled into Aiko's side, but Aiko managed a watery smile up her cousin. "That weirdness aside, I was thinking maybe a weekly bulletin," Karin said thoughtfully. "About the relative likeliness of you ending up dead in a ditch."

"I could probably manage that," Aiko choked out. She licked her lips. "There's some back issues we could probably talk about when we get home." Like why she hadn't come home for so long, and how Obito'd brainwashed her into being a total jerk. She still owed that one Konoha nin an apology. Raidou, was it? Oh, and she should probably say something to her family about her itchy eyeballs before Sasuke dragged her in for another healing session.

Hinata wrung her hands, but she cleared her throat and stepped forward to make eye contact. "We're glad to have you back safely."

"For shit's sake." Karin pawed through Aiko and Naruto, forcing them to step apart. "Hinata, get in here. We're hugging it out."

Hinata took a step back. "No, thank you."

Before the situation could degenerate, Aiko took a few steps back and plopped down in seiza onto the mess of futon. Karin heaved a sigh and followed, pulling at the tie on Aiko's long braid and unworking the twists. "Let me do something," she commanded after she'd already started.

Pliant but puzzled, Aiko let her cousin do what she wanted.

Karin put in another braid, a small twist of locks that curled under the left side of Aiko's jaw. Aiko tilted her head when it was tied off with her elastic and twisted to raise an eyebrow at Karin. "So this is a thing now?" She jerked her head forward at the similar braid in Karin's hair.

Karin sniffed. "Team ten all have earrings." She sounded miffed about that, as if Ino-Shika-Cho had stake a claim on the best group 'thing'.

"I can't have piercings," Naruto said patiently, as if he'd said that many times before. "It heals up as soon as the metal comes out."

"That's hardly my fault." Karin tugged her fingers through the rest of Aiko's hair, fingers catching on a knot. "Sorry," she muttered into Aiko's ear.

"It's going to be all knots by the time I get back to where I'm staying." Aiko shrugged one shoulder.

"I could cut it," Karin said practically.

Aiko jerked her torso forward and rolled away, flipping over her right shoulder and popping up to her feet. "Nope, nope, nope."

Karin sighed heavily, but Hinata was already passing over an elastic from her wrist. Aiko gathered up the loose hair and secured it in a high, messy ponytail that mostly didn't interfere with the hanging braid.

It probably looked stupid. Aiko swiveled around and impulsively caught Karin's hand, giving it a squeeze. After a moment, Karin's expression softened and she squeezed back.

Aiko loosened her jaw and left her lower lip slip free of her teeth (when had she started biting at it?). How much time did she have? A quick look over at the samurai woman told her nothing, so Aiko decided to rush. "I actually wanted to talk to you guys really quick." She rubbed her tongue along her teeth. "Akatsuki. I wanted to make sure you're being careful."

Naruto let out a pffft sound, rolling his eyes. "Of course we're careful. Don't worry so much, nee-chan. We've kicked tons of Akatsuki ass before."

"This ass is beyond you," Aiko snapped back. She shoved at her brother with an open palm, sending him stumbling back. "Let me handle him, okay? He's seriously- he's… persuasive," she settled, anger filtering out for shame. "And really strong."

But mostly persuasive. She'd stayed with Obito and worked for him on the basis of personality alone, not fear or force. The realization was bitter on her tongue.

'That family talk is not going to be fun. Sitting down for a nice chat about my criminal career might strain their benevolence.'

There was an awkward silence, wherein Hinata's eyebrows slowly traveled up her forehead.

"What is with you and ass today?" Karin grumbled to change the subject, gathering all her hair above her head before letting is collapse. "Fiiiiine," she drew out. "If we see black and red, we'll go hide under the bed or something."

"Good," Aiko managed, lacing her fingers together. "That's… that's good. If you see Akatsuki, or something is weird, get out. Don't ask questions, just go."

Naruto exhaled slowly, mouth pursed. "You worry too much, big sister," he said, and it sounded like a promise.

The samurai woman rapped her knuckles on the doorway. Her mouth was in a hard line, but her attention was poorly concealed in her eyes. "It's late," she said.

"You should return to Tsunade-sama." Hinata's eyes crinkled in a smile. "We'll see you tomorrow, I am certain."

Aiko nodded. It was like her mouth was full of cotton and her hands three sizes too big, useless lumps that she didn't know what to do with. Should she hug her family goodbye, or wave, or-

Or put Hiraishin seals on them, actually. She grabbed at Naruto's arm and ignored his questioning wheeze to plant a seal on the back of his hand. He jerked away from her fussing as soon as he caught on, pouting.

"Stay safe," Aiko blurted, over the disgruntled noise he whuffed out his nose.

"Yeah, yeah. You too." Naruto waved her off with a hand, the other tucked protectively behind his neck where she couldn't get at it again. He watched as Hinata delicately held out a hand in offer for Aiko to give her a seal as well, and huffed when she leaned forward to playfully pop the last hiraishin seal on the point of Karin's nose. The redhead's eyes crossed to follow the motion. Naruto shook his head. "Stay out of trouble, try not to get taken captive until we see you tomorrow morning."

Hinata made a sound of polite disbelief that Aiko couldn't read into, carefully examining the back of her hand.

"That's not true," Karin said practically, apparently to whatever Hinata had implied. She finally readjusted her falling glasses, pushing them up the bridge of her nose. She twitched her nose, as if trying to see the chakra seal. "I have the utmost faith in Aiko. There's gotta be someone out there who hasn't kidnapped her yet, and she'll find them."

Wasn't family meant to be loyal?

Aiko stalked out with her head high and cheeks burning. Yamato caught up with her and kept a very polite poker face. She still wanted to hit him with a pillow on sheer principle.

"I can hear what you're thinking," she warned when they finally stepped away from the samurai.

"Are you the happiness police?" Yamato asked mildly. "Show me your badge, officer, and I'll stop." He shot a wide, white-toothed grin at her for emphasis.

Goddamnit.

Yamato huffed out a laugh.

Aiko jerked her head to look up at him, raising an eyebrow in question. "What?"

He shook his head, smiling slightly and looking away. "Later. I don't want to squander the grumpy look on your face."

Tsunade went inside the state building early the next morning, ready to rub shoulders with the other kage and the samurai lord Mifune.

Everyone else was left to mill around outside in a faux-friendly mob of shinobi and politicians who weren't quite important enough to be admitted early, but couldn't afford to be late when the doors opened.

The Konoha delegation didn't quiiite huddle, but they were using some tall people from Kumo as a windbreak.

"Someone is staring," Uchiha Itachi said in a dispassionate undertone. She wasn't certain if he was more discomfited by the cold or the crowd, but either way, it was kinda funny. His arms were wrapped around his body, holding his coat shut. His hands appeared to have disappeared under his armpits. "A man, not fifteen feet away."

Aiko glanced up and around. "Oh," she agreed quietly. Then she raised her voice in greeting. "Yo, Utakata-san."

The Mizu-nin scowled and turned away.

"Don't you want to want to meet my friend?" Aiko called, indicating Itachi. The Uchiha lurched backwards from the implication of socialization, eyes narrow and suspicious.

'That man is unreasonably bitter. You'd think he'd let it go eventually. So I brought him back to Mizu in a bag. Big deal. I saved his skin from Akatsuki, didn't I? I really don't think I deserve that level of grumpiness from him. I mean, from other people yeah, but not him.'

Well, petty people weren't her problem.

'Hey. I should talk to Mitsuo and Hoseki,' Aiko realized. 'They're…. not going to be happy with me.'

She winced away from that thought, shoulders creeping up as if to protect her ears. There was going to be barking.

"Behave," Shizune said out the side of her mouth, lips hardly moving. A few seconds later she let out a peal of false laughter at whatever some important person had said. "Oh Choko-san," she smiled, waving down a stranger. The smile didn't reach Shizune's eyes. "How lovely to see you. Have you met Aiko-san here?"

Oh. Right. They were supposed to be schmoozing now.

"No, I haven't!" Choko-san leaned forward, looming over her. "Lovely to meet you, dear."

She plastered a smile on her face. Choko-san, a heavily muscled person with a wide mouth, reached out for a handshake that threatened to send Aiko's palm into spasms of pain.

'What are you trying to prove?'

Aiko didn't let pain show on her face, but she didn't try to crush Choko-san's hand in return either. She couldn't deal out the same kind of pain. But…

"A pleasure," Aiko bit out. Her smile widened to something toothy and dangerous. "Have you met Itachi-chan here? Shake his hand." The suggestion came out as more of a dare than anything.

Choko-san looked at Itachi-san. Itachi-san's expression promised pain for anyone who attempted conversation. Choko-san gave a strained laugh and whipped their hand away, wiping it against the front of their pants. "I think I hear someone calling my name." With a nod to Shizune, Choko-san was gone.

Shizune made a disgusted sound and rolled her eyes before picking out a new target. Yamato snickered.

Itachi-san turned to Aiko. "I am not a punishment to be inflicted on people who you do not like." His pale face was hard, but his ears were scarlet with cold.

"I just wanted to help you make friends," Aiko muttered rebelliously into her collar.

"Hmm."

Fine. She'd stop. Aiko sulked, wrapping her arms around her body.

"I think it's time to go." Yamato nodded his head at the building.

"Really?" Aiko frowned. "How can you tell?"

His lips twitched. "I can see over the crowd," Yamato said, carefully nonchalant.

She scowled anyway, but he was right. Within a few minutes the crowd funneled inside, passing through the enormous entryhall with the winding staircase that led to the upper floor where Konan and her jailors were housed. The conference room they moved to was a high-ceilinged half-circle affair with seating curling up and around the room for spectators to look at the central pavilion. Ame no Konan already sat against the flat wall, prim and silent in seiza on a cushion. The kage had their back to the audience, split between two tables on either side of a desk where Mifune-san sat. Tsunade, Oonoki, and the Raikage sat to Lord Mifune's left, Mei and Gaara on his right. The last position was an unoccupied cushion not far from Konan's position.

The audience was disciplined and quiet enough that hearing the proceedings was easy. Mifune gave an opening statement. Some legal expert stalked in on his cane and discussed the treaty that Konan was accused of breaking. Aiko didn't really pay attention until the kage began to confront the accused.

"I am curious. Is there precedent for blaming someone else for your war crimes?"

Annoyance sparked in Ame no Konan's eyes, but her tone was cool. She kept her gaze focused on the panel as a whole and not the Raikage, whose arms were crossed. "I do not believe that an accusation of malfeasance is equivalent to a war crime." The deflection was unnecessary, when addressed to a court that had just endured a lengthy legal analysis.

"But that's a no," A pressed. He was perfectly still, aloof and unimpressed. "There is no such precedent, even if you were blaming a real person. I don't believe it is necessary or appropriate for the miraculously reformed Uchiha Itachi to provide character witness. We are not putting the organization Akatsuki on trial, nor this fictional leader Uchiha Madara. Ame no Konan's actions are her own, and passing blame to an existing criminal organization is a cheap scapegoat tactic."

Lord Mifune was hard to read from behind, but he seemed to nod once in agreement.

'Well, damn. A character testimony could have helped, if Itachi lied well.'

Aiko paused to contemplate that.

'Actually, if he gives everyone the creeps the way I feel around him, it might be better for Konan if Itachi doesn't try to help her.'

"Uchiha Madara was very much a real person," Mei interjected. Ame No Konan shut her open mouth, politely letting the kages bicker. "Someone using his name attempted to interfere with today's proceedings through disrupting the transport of the accused. Surely a fictional person does no such thing."

'A fictional person doesn't kidnap girls and put stolen body parts in their heads. Obviously, he is not fictional, nor is he Madara.'

Not that she was going to try explaining that again. Definitely not to an international audience. If there was any way to make it happen, Obito deserved psychiatric treatment and not execution. That would be a lot easier to make happen if 'Obito' wasn't an infamous criminal. Madara could take that slack.

She had the sudden impression that the Konoha delegation was very deliberately not looking at her. Aiko ran her tongue along the inside of her teeth, forcing her face to remain calm. She did not rub at her head to relieve pressure and pain.

She was being watched, after all. With Shizune on her right and Uchiha Itachi on her left, Aiko would be in quite a few people's peripherals, if only because her seatmates were being watched for telling reactions or sudden bouts of genocidal violence.

"I do not claim to know how Uchiha Madara could have survived to this day. But equally unimaginable is the audacity to use his name," the Tsuchikage confirmed. He looked decidedly unhappy. "Uchiha Madara was a man of great power and purpose."

Tsunade-sama herself appeared pleasant and perhaps a bit bored at the return to previously-argued ground. "As I have previously stated, Konoha does have evidence that suggests Uchiha Madara was active considerably longer than we assumed, and may be yet today."

The Tsuchikage's nose twitched, but he did not offer another opinion. His eyes, though… They were sharply considering.

'He's one of the only people in the world left who could possibly remember Madara in his heyday. If he's taking this seriously, others will follow.'

"Perhaps we should cleave to the schedule." The samurai lord Mifune suggested in a completely reasonable tone. His words punctured the rapidly devolving situation, sending postures and aggression to deflate. "Ame no Konan will make her statement."

Unsurprisingly, Konan entered a plea of 'not guilty'. Not long after that, court recessed for the evening. It seemed to take hours to cross the entry hall and escape onto the street.

"You don't actually have to glare at everyone else, you know," Shizune said out of the side of her mouth.

Aiko shrugged, hugging her arms to her body and breathing a little easier when she wasn't surrounded on all sides by strangers. Any one of whom could possibly be Obito.

Shizune rolled her eyes and peeled away from the group to find the Hokage. She and Tsunade returned to the suite several hours after everyone else.

In the meantime, the three leftovers had wandered around the suite awkwardly. Itachi and Yamato ended up in the bedroom Tsunade had decreed they would share for the trip.

That was a thing too awkward for Aiko to contemplate. So she flopped down on the couch, closed her eyes, and tried to sort out the jumble in her head to remember how to summon her ninken instead of monstrous animals from an alternate dimension.

'I think I have it.'

"Boss!" Hōseki warbled and leapt up from the smoke, sticking her paw into Aiko's mouth and wagging her tail with such force that her entire body shook from side to side. Bemused, Aiko put a hand on either side of the dog and lifted with some effort. Then Hōseki strained to lick her face and wiggled so fiercely that her hands slipped. The dog fell sideways onto her chest with an oof and flipped off to the floor.

There was a ponderous sigh. Aiko wheezed and sat up enough to see that Mitsuo's tail was slowly swishing across the floor. He blinked at her.

Then Hōseki was up on her lap again, sticking her nose under Aiko's shirt and burrowing underneath. Her head popped out Aiko's collar. She grinned bad breath into Aiko's face. "Pakkun told us you were back. Why take so long boss?" She didn't wait for an answer, giving one hot lick up the underside of Aiko's throat. "It been good. I took Pakkun's shampoo. I met a rabbit! Oh, oh, oh, and I train Naruto to give me many barbeque bones. And Mitsuo has boyfriend!" The little dog readjusted, front paws still down, but her back end pushed up in excitement.

"Oh really?" Aiko asked, not sure what part she was questioning. The boyfriend bit, probably.

From the floor, Mitsuo made a huffing noise and put his paws on the couch. When Aiko held out a hand, he climbed up to lie on Aiko's legs with quiet dignity.

"That's good," Aiko decided, running a hand down Hōseki's spine through her shirt. "Congrats, Mitsuo."

The smaller dog made a smug rolling sound from the back of her throat. "I have three," Hōseki pronounced smugly.

"Of course you do." Aiko stretched her neck to kiss the wet tip of Hōseki's nose and contorted to rub at Mitsuo's tummy with her foot. That was the scene that Tsunade and Shizune opened the door to, stumbling in with pink cheeks and the drifting scent of liquor.

Tsunade stopped in the doorway and shook her head. "I want those off the couch."

Mitsuo let his ears flop down and whined from the back of his throat. Hōseki was still rubbing her nose into Aiko's neck, but Aiko managed puppy eyes.

"Down," Tsunade enunciated.

"It not your couch," Hōseki pronounced without lifting her head.

'Is she actually turning purple?'

Slowly, carefully, Aiko wrapped her arms around Hōseki and scooted bodily to the ground. Mitsuo followed with a reluctant clattering of nails against the wood.

"I am going to go write some letters," Tsunade said, deathly quiet. "You are going to go put on something with less hair on it. And then you are going to deliver my letters."

When the Hokage left the room, Aiko slunk off to the bathroom, wet her hands, and half-assedly wiped at the dog hair on her clothes. She hadn't brought a ton of spares, and she hadn't seen a washer-dryer combo in the suite.

"The dogs have to go!" Tsunade called out from the adjoining room, with a bite of temper to her words. "It looks hostile to have summons hanging about."

Aiko twisted to give a skeptical look to her ninken. Hōseki was scrabbling in the bathtub, attempting to get enough reach to knock down and investigate the shampoos and bodywashes. Mitsuo was slurping water out of the toilet, sending droplets flying against the seat and floor.

But she dismissed the ninken anyway, because the alternative was arguing that her summons were totally harmless, 'ttebane, and why are you laughing, that's not funny, my summons are cuddlier than yours and that's what counts.

It was a road better left untraveled.

She made a pot of tea while she waited, drunk the whole thing, and then ended up shifting through the cupboards out of boredom. She turned when Shizune cleared her throat from the doorway.

"The envelopes are labeled," she said. Shizune held out vanilla-colored envelopes for Aiko to take. Aiko hastily scooted off the counter, shutting the cupboard door on the way over. The older kunoichi was all brisk professionalism, a familiar, determined set to her mouth. "Take one of the boys out with you. Oh, wait." She wrinkled her nose. "It has to be Yamato-san. Uchiha-san is a civilian." She shook her head and murmured, "I keep forgetting that."

"It is weird," Aiko agreed. Without arguing, she tucked the papers under her arm. "I'll wash up and head out." She moved away from the other kunoichi as hastily as she could while appearing casual and went to push open the door on the room Yamato and Uchiha were sharing.

Yamato was sitting on his bed, staring intently at the window curtain. Uchiha Itachi was leaning against an end table and fidgeting with something that appeared to be putty.

'I'm not going to ask.'

"I'm heading out," Aiko said.

Yamato stood quickly and nodded. "Of course." He gave Uchiha an uncertain kind of half-salute. "Thank you for the talk, Uchiha-san."

'I am definitely not going to ask. No. Not doing it.'

They went to the Mizukage first. She was too busy to see them, but Aiko's very best friend Utakata came out to scowl and accept the package.

"It's you," Utakata said flatly. He extended his arm at a distance instead of stepping closer to Aiko. When she bemusedly placed the envelope in his grip, Utakata whipped it away and backstepped. "Is that all you came for?"

'He really doesn't like me. I don't get it. I'm likeable.'

"Sorry, do I know you?" Aiko asked. She tilted her head to the side and let her forehead crease in confusion. "Hi, I'm Aiko." She smiled winningly.

Utakata turned a thunderous purple and shut the door in her face.

'That went well.'

Aiko let out a little snort, feeling her eyes crinkle. When she turned around, Aiko nearly walked right into Yamato's disapproving form.

"You know," he started. "I'd expected you to show a little more diplomacy."

Aiko blinked up at him. "I can't be responsible for living up to your expectations. That sounds like your problem." She whapped the front of his vest with her remaining documents. "Come on, let's go. I don't want to be here when he remembers that I greeted him by name earlier today."

Yamato inhaled a quick breath. He shook his head, but started down the semi-enclosed hall at a clip. "That's terrible." He was smiling. "Senpai would be proud."

"Morality is relative and life is cruel," Aiko shot back. She was smiling too. At least, until she remembered that she was supposed to go see Gaara now. At the fork in the hall, she purposefully turned left.

'Maybe he'll be too busy to receive us too.'

"Aiko?" Yamato nudged her. "Aren't we… heading the wrong way?" When she didn't answer, he pressed, "I thought that the rest of the suites were all that way." He pointed in the opposite direction.

She took a deep breath and spun around, making the action look deliberate. "I was shaking off possible pursuit," Aiko lied.

Yamato made a polite sound of comprehension.

'He could be out. I'm sure he's busy. Gaara seems like a man with a full social calendar.'

Unfortunately, a mousy-haired Chuunin opened the door to Suna's suite and flushed red to the tips of her ears. "I'll get the Kazekage!" she squeaked. Aiko held up a finger, ready to say no no that's not necessary. Then the door slammed shut.

Aiko frowned at the door. Yamato shuffled around. She could just hear him thinking that people slammed doors on her an awful lot. She sent him a preemptory scowl. He was holding his hands up in a gesture of innocence when Sabaku no Kankuro opened the door again. Unimpressed, the Suna Jounin gestured them in.

"He'll be here in a minute," Kankuro said. He flopped down on the windowseat and watched the Konoha Jounin with lidded eyes. He didn't ask them to sit. They waited in silence for nearly a minute before soft footsteps sounded in the hall.

"Uzumaki-san," Gaara greeted. He looked over at his brother. "You may go, Kankuro." The older Sabaku didn't waste time, clattering directly out of the building.

For a moment, all three stood and did not quite look at each other. Then Gaara extended a hand.

"Come, sit." Gaara took a single seat, leaving Aiko the chair across the table from him and Yamato to waver before taking Kankuro's old perch. Aiko crossed her legs, rubbing her thumb over the papers in her hand.

"Thank you, Kazekage-sama," she prevaricated. She used to call him Gaara. But he didn't seem to be interested in that lack of formality. "I have some papers for you, from Shizune-san." When she put them on the table, he didn't move for them. He was watching, waiting for something.

And hell, she knew what.

Aiko slumped in her seat. "And I need to apologize," she admitted. She met his eyes, felt uncomfortable, and moved her focus down to his chin. It was less piercing. It was kind of pointy, but it definitely wasn't staring into her soul. "I'm sure Temari told you I was with Akatsuki that day. When that four man team drew off three of the Akatsuki, only one was left with me. I attacked him and tried to sabotage things by breaking the container they were using for the bijuu." She steeled herself and managed to meet his eyes again. "I didn't understand what would happen," Aiko admitted. She rubbed her hands against the top of her legs. "I am sorry."

"And Fuu-san?" Gaara seemed disinterested.

She wilted a bit. That had been hard, and he didn't even seem interested. Not that she deserved forgiveness, exactly, an apology didn't make things okay. "What about her? I helped get her moving, slapped Utakata-san into consciousness, and sent them running before I tried to break the statue."

"Yes, but how," Gaara asked sharply.

Aiko gave him a surprised look. "Does it matter?" She very deliberately did not rub at her prickling eyes.

Gaara leaned back in his chair, muscles relaxing. "Fuu-san says a very curious thing," he mused. "She claims that she was taken directly from her village to a location where her bijuu was extracted. Yet there is a significant period of time-"

"Between when she was taken and when she escaped, yes," Aiko interrupted, eager to not think about what had been done to Fuu. "She's right."

Gaara stared. "That's not possible," he said after a pause. "It aligns with Fuu's recollection, yet it remains impossible."

Aiko shrugged. "We do impossible things every day," she hedged. Her mind wandered back to what Gaara had just said. It was… strange.

'He said that she went straight from her village to the extraction. So Fuu doesn't remember going to Akatsuki's base with me? Or is she just not implicating me to do me a favor?'

"I hear that Pein did many such impossible things," Gaara said levelly. He very deliberately made eye contact.

It took a moment for her mind to catch up. Gaara was referencing what had happened in Konoha.

'He tricked me into walking right into that,' Aiko realized, a little cross that she'd been predictable. She paused, conflicted. 'How good is his memory? Does he remember that I used to have blue-green eyes?'

If it was anyone else, she would have spat out something irreverent or literally shrugged the comment off.

But…

Words froze, heavy on her tongue and so bitter that her mouth watered. Her lips were slightly apart, but she just honestly had nothing to say.

'He knows I have the Rinnegan. He's probably guessed that I was in Akatsuki's custody. He's probably guessed that I was captured the whole time I was missing. I should just say so. Do it. Do it. Do it. He isn't going to judge me or tell me I'm stupid for trusting Obito and being used.'

It didn't come out, though. Her heartbeat sped up and her face felt hot and she felt her shoulders drifting up defensively.

She didn't want to tell him. She didn't want him to know. No one needed to know how she'd been weak. Aiko wished she didn't remember. If she didn't talk about it, it was like it never happened.

"You don't have to say." Gaara looked downright uncomfortable, with a wide stare and a slight line by his mouth. "I am sorry. I should not have inquired."

"No, you have a point," Aiko acknowledged. She waved a hand uselessly. She didn't have anything more to say. She should tell him. She didn't feel up to it. "I think we should go. Please excuse us."

Yamato closed the distance to stand be the arm of her chair. His hand hovered for a moment as if he wanted to touch her shoulder, but Yamato didn't touch her.

"I agree." Gaara stood, pushing his chair back. "We can finish this another time." He paused. "Aiko-san. I am sorry that I distressed you. You may talk to me if you change your mind." He stiffly moved his weight to his left foot, as visibly uncomfortable as she had ever seen him.

"We're on first name terms?" Aiko asked, because that seemed important at the time. "You called me Uzumaki earlier."

Gaara might actually have looked amused for a moment, before seriousness set back in. "Do not further enrich my country with loose bijuu, and we have an agreement." Internal conflict flickered over his face, registering as wrinkles on his forehead. "You are lucky you survived exposure to them," Gaara said carefully. "You have no bijuu to protect you."

Maybe that was as close as he could get to telling her to be careful. Aiko managed a smile.

"It wasn't so bad. Hurt," she admitted. Unthinking, she rubbed at the skin of her arms. It was smooth under her fingers, but it had bubbled up, warping and boiling and peeling… "But they… the bijuu aren't blindly violent. We talked."

The Kazekage didn't try to smile, but something softened in his face. "I am glad you agree." He took a careful step around the furniture, directing her attention to the door. "Be safe, Aiko-san." Gaara nodded to Yamato as well. "I apologize. I should have asked for your name."

Yamato ducked into a quick bow, but his heart was clearly not into it. "Yamato, Kazekage-sama."

"A pleasure," Gaara returned gravely. He ushered them out to the street. Aiko blinked and held a hand up against the setting sun, settling on a squint with one eye entirely closed.

"It's getting late," Yamato observed. He watched the door on the nearest building open, two well-dressed women spilling out and setting a brisk pace for the edge of the diplomatic complex. "Are you ready for tomorrow? It'll be a long day."

Aiko tilted her head back and groaned at the sky. "I don't want to give testimony."

The second day in court promised to be more interesting than the first, as the floor opened up to people other than kage.

Lord Mifune opened the proceedings with no sign of humor or emotion. "I believe that several character witnesses have been summoned, as well as witnesses to the alleged incident in question. Let us hear from witnesses first, so that we may assess actions before our opinions are further colored." He scanned a paper and smoothly continued, "I believe that no less than five kunoichi have testimony directly relating to the night in question?"

Tsunade-sama leaned forward, but Gaara spoke first. "Sabaku no Temari is unavailable for testimony, as she is required in Sunagakure at this time." Aiko winced at his rough tones. He continued, "The shinobi known as Fuu will give no testimony as well, owing to her current designation as absent without leave from the village hidden in the Waterfall, pending reclassification as a missing nin."

'Does that mean she's still in Suna? Is Gaara giving her sanctuary?'

It took iron willpower not to sink under her seat to hide her face. Fuu would be in good standing with Waterfall if she hadn't been kidnapped. And Temari would probably be at her brother's side if some jackass hadn't released bijuu on their country.

Tsunade-sama nodded and took over from there. "I do not request the stand, as my participation was minor and my testimony cannot provide any new information."

That wasn't strictly true, since Temari wasn't speaking, but Mifune did not seem surprised in the slightest. "That leaves Nii Yugito of Kumogakure and Uzumaki Aiko of Konohagakure. Nii Yugito, please give your remarks." He nodded to the Kumogakure delegation.

It took a moment to search Nii out, camouflaged in a sea of similarly clad Kumogakure shinobi. The blonde head bowed as soon as Aiko had managed to identify her. "Hai, Mifune-dono," she enunciated. The Kumo nin made her way to the seating that had been arranged for the witness. She somehow managed to look more dangerous than demurring in seiza. "I first encountered Ame no Konan at a conference function. She was not directly involved in my incapacitation and kidnap."

Aiko glanced over at the kages. A seemed sour that his shinobi had to admit that, wide mouth pressed into a colorless line.

But Nii went on confidently. "The person who attacked me was later identified as Zetsu of the Akatsuki, a known associate of Ame no Konan. While in custody of the Akatsuki, I encountered the jinchuuriki Fuu, then of Waterfall, the missing nin Hidan, formerly of Hot Springs, and Uzumaki no Aiko of Fire."

One of Mifune's advisors had leaned forward to hear better, but the arbiter himself was impassive. "Aa. Do you have any direct evidence linking Ame no Konan to this crime?"

"Conjecture," Nii responded without stalling. "Mine and others. Uzumaki no Aiko had expressed suspicion of Ame no Konan to the jinchuuriki Fuu, which was shared with me in our mutual incarceration."

Wait? She had? She did not remember that. She did remember talking to Temari about that… Aiko did not let her forehead crease, tense with the rusty effort of facial ambiguity. Obito had not been terribly strict about hiding her thoughts, but it was important now. Was Nii lying, or had Aiko forgotten something? Shit.

It kind of mattered. A lot.

"Our kidnapping was clearly aided by inside information and resources," Nii continued. "The noted association between Ame no Konan and the criminal organization Akatsuki, combined with her suspicious behavior at the conference support the theory that she was the security failure."

"Suspicious behavior?" Mifune did frown, just slightly. The expression made him look like someone's kindly grandfather. "What suspicious behavior are you talking about?"

Nii had clearly been hoping for an opening of that sort, since her actual testimony was limited. Her response was prompt. "It is my belief that Ame no Konan was attempting to spread dissonance at the conference in question, sabotaging international relations and encouraging misinformation. She demonstrated overt interest in jinchuuriki upon one occasion, attempting to convince certain villages that Konohagakure had designs upon the bijuu." Left unsaid, of course, her village had been eager to lap up that trash.

Aiko closed her eyes and willed her headache away, letting Nii's voice become background noise.

'I honestly can't tell if this is going well for Konan or not. The actual evidence isn't showing that Konan broke the law. But circumstantial evidence and rhetoric are not working in her favor.'

Aiko managed to dredge her way back up to full attention after Nii had been thanked for providing her interpretation of events. The other woman was sitting down, smoothing out the material of her blues.

She took a quick look around the open, circular room. The shinobi present were artfully distracted, a sea of blank or pleasant faces. The five kage were patiently awaiting Mifune's next suggestion, as placidly expectant as if they genuinely had no idea who he would next ask to speak.

A samurai lord was already peering over at Aiko. If anything, he seemed vexed that she was not immediately leaping to the table to speak her piece. It was an interesting contrast.

Her lips twitched.

Apparently samurai didn't uphold the same pretenses that shinobi did.

Lord Mifune didn't even try to search her out in the crowd, though he had turned to Nii earlier.

'He probably didn't receive a dossier on me.' Aiko's smile cracked like dry plaster. 'Since international opinion held that I was probably dead until very recently.'

"Konoha no Aiko, is it?" Lord Mifune was staring over the tips of his folded hands. "Is this shinobi present?"

'Yepp. Awkward.' She did not let herself wince as she stood to make her way to the cushion at the apex of the room. "I am here, Mifune-sama."

Cool grey eyes weighed her worth and withheld judgment in the space of a heartbeat. Mifune only nodded. His attention shifted over to the dais. When Aiko's gaze followed, the Tsuchikage was gesturing for attention. Unsurprising. She slid down into a seiza position, hands neatly on her lap.

"Yes, Tsuchikage-dono?" The old samurai's head tilted in invitation.

Without standing, the Tsuchikage nodded at Aiko. "I would like to express trepidation," he began with a little wheeze. His back straightened. "and no small amount of confusion. Perhaps I am mistaken, but it was my understanding that this kunoichi was recategorized as missing in action not four months back. Hokage-dono, by what fortuitous circumstance did you recover your soldier in time for this event?"

Tsunade gave a seeping, catlike smile.

After a moment without a response, Mifune gave a ponderous nod before the Tsuchikage turned too purple. "You fear that this individual may not be the shinobi in question?" He managed to make that sound completely reasonable, but still Naruto's spine stiffened.

'Calm down,' Aiko willed. 'It's a fair concern.'

So her tone was mild. "I am she, but I will take any test you offer, Tsuchikage-sama."

It wouldn't hurt to verify her identity. She wouldn't be taking questions about what she'd actually been doing, but soothing suspicions that Konoha had sent a fraud to testify was more than fair. Konoha could claim that Aiko had been taken on internal business and refuse to answer anything sensitive.

She half expected to be asked to demonstrate Hiraishin, or perhaps chakra chains. That would be a good proof, as well as provide a rare chance for others to scrutinize a rare technique without the distracting hazard of facing it in combat.

But the Tsuchikage turned toward her and mildly asked, "How many Iwagakure shinobi did you encounter and kill in Rice country?"

What.

In the silence that followed, he pleasantly clarified, "In a deserted base belonging to the village styled as Sound."

'He just aired a covert operation that Tsunade didn't even order. This is not good.'

Suddenly, the room was far too hot. No one knew about that. Sai was the only person alive who knew most of her sins. How had that been traced back to her?

Well. If the Tsuchikage had been aiming to negatively impact how she was perceived by the audience, the damage had already been done. No amount of denials would take the words back.

'Wait. I did tell Tsunade about that, didn't I?' Aiko strained to remember. 'I think I did, though not in detail. She'll be pissed that the Tsuchikage knows, but that might not be my fault.'

Aiko plastered a pleasant expression on her face and leaned forward, eyebrows raised in polite interest. "That sounds like an interesting mission. You'll have to tell me about it sometime." She tilted her head slightly and blinked sweetly.

Yeah, no one would believe she was innocent, but that was no excuse to make things easy for him.

Titters floated around the room, but it was impossible to see which straight-faced military personnel the sounds were coming from.

"Yes, most amusing." Tsunade seemed to stretch somehow, without doing anything so gauche. "May I suggest we find a more reputable method of identifying Uzumaki-san?"

"Yes," the Raikage butted in seamlessly, coming to the conclusion Tsunade had hoped he would. "I would trust that only Uzumaki-san could perform either chakra chains or the Hiraishin for us."

Aiko winced, just on principle. They had expected that and planned for it, but publically demonstrating a technique for others to scrutinize and attempt to replicate was absolutely unspeakable.

"Lord Mifune?" She tilted her chin down, deferring to the overseer.

"I agree." The samurai lord folded his arms. "Would the five kage agree to accept a demonstration of chakra chains as proof positive of Uzumaki-san's identity?" When they concurred, he nodded. "Please be kind to the décor," he said dryly, leaning back slightly. "Perhaps Hiraishin would be less damaging, but I would not trust my eyes to distinguish it from a shunshin."

Aiko's lips twitched. "I will do what I can," she replied, tone professional. She took a deep breath, arched her back like a cat, and popped a few links of chain out. The first two were an effort, but the rest slid out like they'd been oiled. She curled the chakra chain up over her head like a scorpion's stinger and let it sway slightly. "Are you satisfied, Tsuchikage-sama?" She didn't try to make eye contact.

There was a long period of silence- perhaps forty painful seconds where there was no response. She glanced up. The Tsuchikage was wearing an odd grimace, a muscle ticking fiercely in his eye. His breath was coming fast. But when his response came- "Yes, I am satisfied," the Tsuchikage acknowledged smoothly. In the audience behind him, his granddaughter leaned forward to stare.

"Then we may proceed." Lord Mifune gifted her with a nod. "Uzumaki-san. Would you give your accounting of events?"

Aiko let the chakra dissipate. "Hai." She caught Tsunade's eye, but whatever the Hokage hoped to communicate was lost. She looked at the other kage instead. It was not an openly friendly audience, and making eye contact with Gaara was supremely uncomfortable. But Mei, at least, should be willing to listen. So that was where Aiko looked. "Nii-san mentioned that I found Ame no Konan suspicious," Aiko started cautiously. She didn't remember talking to Fuu about that, so she didn't want to confirm or deny that. It sounded like a damn lie, but it was hard to trust her own memory. Events had to be spun so that things didn't sound so awful for Konan. "I disliked her on a personal level. We met in the crowd and clashed. On the night of the alleged incident in question, I became aware that she was out and about in the hotel," Aiko picked her words primly.

In the distance, she could see Nii mouth the word 'alleged' with a bit of indignation.

Mei seemed to sigh, her chest rising and falling heavily. Her face turned away. Aiko jerked her gaze up and tried not to analyze that. "I followed her," Aiko explained, ducking her head just a bit, just enough to indicate youthful sheepishness, to look embarrassed by her impulsive action. "I encountered her in the room of Sabaku no Temari. We fought, Temari and I against the defendant. Ame no Konan and I ended up fighting on the water, leaving Sabaku no Temari at the hotel." It took supreme effort to keep authentic sourness out of her tone when she admitted, "I lost the fight and consciousness. The next I knew, I was in the custody of Akatsuki in an unnamed location that I later ascertained to be in the country of Rain. I did not encounter Ame no Konan there."

There. She'd hardly twisted the truth at all. And clever Mifune caught on to what she wanted him to. His eyebrows were raised. "So, that is to say that you cannot testify that Ame no Konan was directly responsible for your abduction?" he asked, honestly curious.

"I cannot."

'I can think it really loudly, though. Of course it was Konan.'

"What stretch of time did this encounter last?" Mifune pushed.

Good question. That was a long time ago, but-

"Approximately thirty minutes," Aiko replied, keeping uncertainty out of her tone. Giving a high end guess might help Konan's case.

Lord Mifune had turned back to the gathered kage. "Hokage-sama, do you recall the time of this incident?"

Tsunade didn't hesitate to answer. "Uzumaki-san left our rooms to follow Ame no Konan at two ten."

Next he looked at Mei. "And in what stretch of time were Fuu of Waterfall and Nii of Kumogakure spirited away from the premises?"

The Mizukage almost seemed amused by the proceedings. "Nii was last seen by my staff at eleven pm and noted missing at three fifteen am. Fuu was last seen at two am, however, and reported missing at three ten."

Lord Mifune did not seem to realize he was stroking at his mustache. "I find it difficult to understand how Konan-san might have engineered either or both of the disappearances of Fuu of Waterfall and Nii of Kumogakure in such a time frame. It appears that she was occupied at the time."

"She could very well have arranged the security breaches beforehand and delegated."

Surprised, Aiko jerked just a little too fast to look at Tsunade. It was hard to see how pointing that out served her agenda.

'Maybe that's the point? She's playing devil's advocate so that her impartiality can't be challenged?'

"That is true, but we are discussing the alleged violation of a ceasefire on hostilities at an internationally sanctioned event, not the possibility of condoning or contributing to subversion of security," Lord Mifune ruled. "Abduction is a clear indication of hostile intent and direct harm. If we wish to prosecute Ame no Konan for a lesser charge, the appropriate venue would be at the discretion of the Mizukage."

Most of the audience was either blank-faced or betraying outright surprise that someone was interested in the letter of the law, rather than whether or not parties felt wronged.

Everyone in that room knew Konan was guilty as hell. Aiko choked down a surprised laugh, but some shocked amusement broke onto her face.

'This is such a civilian approach to the problem. Kage pay a lot less attention to applying the law and justifying their perspectives. We'd rather fight it out. If this was kept internal, we'd argue, and then whoever lost the argument would probably try to subvert the ruling.'

"I must disagree."

Her stomach hit the floor.

'I've never heard Gaara sound so cold.'

Maybe that was all perception. Just in her head, on account of how he had liked her in the past and at the moment he knew she had done him and his serious harm through careless negligence. You know. No big. Just perception.

In her peripheral, Aiko noticed figures leaning and fidgeting in anticipation or confusion. Gaara was sort of notoriously reticent.

But at this moment, his hands were folded and his kohl-lined eyes were burning a black hole into her flesh. "I agree that the testimony to date does not support incarceration on the charges of abduction. However, the armed conflict between Sabaku no Temari and Uzumaki no Aiko against Ame no Konan meets reasonable standards for hostility and harm."

Yeah, he was definitely displeased.

The Raikage's body language had opened up toward Gaara, receptive to what he was saying.

"I… see." Lord Mifune rubbed at his temple. "Perhaps you are correct. Uzumaki no Aiko, would you recount the particulars of that encounter?"

She did, with a sinking feeling. Konan's lips were pressed together to the point of being purple, eyes in a thousand yard stare. The shinobi audience was too disciplined to display open excitement, but bloodthirst and energy were rising along with whispered speculation.

Shinobi didn't care about a brawl, which was all that Aiko's testimony could prove had happened. Shinobi were notorious for that nonchalance- careless violence was why civilians feared them and why samurai thought shinobi undisciplined and uncouth. Shinobi fought each other for fun- they'd had a tournament establishing that very precedent even at the conference in question. Lord Mifune must know this as well, from the way he had glossed over the information earlier.

It was an excuse to crucify Konan, with just enough veneer of legitimacy that Lord Mifune couldn't dismiss it.

Words were seeming to pass her by, only registering on occasion. Precedent-treaty-coercion-

It was all just such a damn pity. Konan had fucked up, yes. But… Aiko couldn't blame Konan for it. Obito had sold her the same poison that he'd sold Konan, and hadn't she drunk it too?

Aiko sighed loudly and stretched her neck. Very deliberately and very rudely, she leaned on a palm and readjusted from seiza to a cross-legged position. Her movement caught Lord Mifune's attention, a hard grey stare that bored into her soul. She looked back and made eye contact, flouting common decency.

"Uzumaki-san?" Disapproval warred with curiousity in Lord Mifune's tone. "Do you have something to say?"

The room quieted gradually, people turning from their small conversations to watch.

"I believe I do," Aiko drawled. She didn't look at Tsunade, because the Hokage would definitely know that Aiko was ripping off her cocky routine. "This trial is a farce. No one here cares about Ame no Konan's guilt."

There was a choked sound from the longer kage table, but she didn't try to discover if it came from Tsunade, Oonoki, or the Raikage.

Aiko tilted her head, chin jutting. "Those few of you who aren't attempting to manipulate the outcome for personal gain are here for revenge, never mind that it's on the wrong party." She let her face twist into a sneer.

Her gaze drifted over the crowd to gauge reactions, landing on her fellows. Shizune was stiff and pale with disapproval.

'Oh, poop. She does not look happy. Maybe I should have kept my mouth shut.'

"Thank you for that analysis," Lord Mifune said dryly. "Would you like to return to your seat, or do you have more wisdom for us?"

Hopefully, her hair was covering the burning blush on her ears. "I'm good."

"How kind of you." Lord Mifune settled back to his desk. "I suggest-"

There was a small, shocked noise some distance away. It roused Aiko enough to twist her head, arrested in the motion of getting up.

The Tsuchikage was frowning, holding a hand to his nose to collect a trickling sludge of dark blood. "This is nothing. Please, carry on."

"Tsuchikage-sama, I would be honored to give you a medical examination," Tsunade offered.

The look the Tsuchikage shot her was scathing. "I do not require your assistance, Senju-san."

The Mizukage rapped her fingers on the table, cutting off any protest that Tsunade might have made. "Indeed, Tsuchikage-dono," Mei soothed. "It is merely the burdens of station. The same ailment troubled my predecessor."

Oonoki narrowed his eyes but nodded warily, still pinching his nose. His malcontent was not hard to guess.

'I'm sure he loves being compared to the monster behind the bloody mist, even in this.'

The Tsuchikage was likely embarrassed by his bodily infirmity. Truthfully, the only surprise was that that was the least he suffered at his age. The Tsuchikage was literally older than some dirt and the air in the room was dry. Just a nosebleed and too much excitement.

Except that didn't seem right, but Aiko didn't want to contemplate the Tsuchikage's problems. She had her own.

Lord Mifune took a steadying breath that she could hear from across the room, mustache trembling. "Perhaps a cessation would be wise. We will reconvene tomorrow."

People got up. Crowds moved, conversation started. A medic nin was trailing at Oonoki's shoulder, face pleasant, but fingers tense. Aiko remained sitting, ankles crossed underneath her chair. She didn't feel like getting up. She'd have to talk to people who would want to speculate and gossip. And probably scold her for criticizing every international power present.

'Boo. Shizune is going to harp on that, I just know it.'

It was harder to predict Tsunade. She might come down on Aiko like the fist of an angry god, or she might make a 'pffft' sound and ask for a cup of tea.

'Sometimes, I think I might be braver than I am smart.'

Aiko sat and meditated on that for a long moment.

Nails rapped against the witness table. The aroma of weapons polish and sulfur drifted into her personal space, along with a personal scent. She glanced up to see a dark-haired woman leaning over her. Yamato's chakra signature jolted at the sudden intrusion from his position a few dozen feet away.

"I think," said Kurotsuchi, "That you were my favorite witness." She tilted her head, giving the departing form of her grandfather a cold, intense stare. "I know a place where we could get a drink and design the overdue downfall of several heads of state."

Was that a bad joke?

Aiko shrugged one shoulder and imitated the other woman's flippancy. "There is no possible way that tea could make this day worse. Sure."

So she followed.

When they reached the suggested location, it became clear that the Tsuchikage's granddaughter was disinterested in pleasantries. She started out bluntly.

"Iwagakure has made enough use of Akatsuki in past that I, personally, do not want to see the precedent of a country being sanctioned for the actions of a past leader." Primly, Kurotsuchi poured out tea. It could have been Aiko's imagination, but there seemed to be much more steam than usual. The older girl looked like a dragon, wreathed in tendrils of fog.

"Past leader?" Aiko made a considering face and curled her toes. "That's a bold statement." She reached out to take her cup and schooled her face to hide her surprise. The cup was hot, much too hot for comfort. Her fingertips scorched, but she kept her grip.

"It is time for my grandfather to retire. As his heir, should I not take interest in such affairs?" Kurotsuchi tilted her head, letting dry, piecey hair fall over her eyes.

Aiko paused, honestly a little taken aback. "Okay." She put a hand up for a disclaimer. "Before we go any further, I would like to make sure no one is under the impression that I am interested in subverting the rule of kage foreign or domestic."

'I don't do that anymore. It's my new years resolution.'

"Noted." Kurotsuchi waved that away carelessly. Or rather, with a precision designed to look careless. "I don't need your help for that. I am the only legitimate candidate, after all. I only lack the international reputation and respect that would comfort Tsuchikage-sama, so that he might ensure Iwa is in good standing. He might enjoy his retirement better with such assurance." She looked at Aiko through her eyelashes.

'That sounds uncannily like what she might have been trying to accomplish by crushing the competition at the kunoichi conference. It might have worked, if it hadn't been overshadowed by the affair it all turned into.'

"I am flattered by being your confidant," Aiko trailed, feeling that she was beginning to catch on.

Kurotsuchi gave a thin smile, like a knife between third and fourth ribs. "As the eldest child of one of Konoha's kage, you are a figure of international interest. It seems clear to me that you are a driven individual. Perhaps we might help each other." When Kurotsuchi took a sip of tea, Aiko mirrored her. The liquid that slid down her chest was still boiling. "It seems fitting that we should be friends."

'She thinks I'm going to be the next Hokage. She's talking about re-aligning alliances,' Aiko realized with a shock. 'She's saying that it's clear I don't act like I intend to take Tsunade's direction. Like I'm trying to emerge as an independent power, like she is.'

Hysterical laughter was bubbling up in her gut, but she kept it down somehow.

"I can be a very good friend," Aiko said. Lied. She was a terrible friend. But she was trying to be better, wasn't she? Was she?

'I killed the last one. It shouldn't be hard to be better than that.'

"Well, don't be crude," Kurotsuchi murmured. Her expression was wicked. "Someone might think we were up to something, if we go about making declarations of how friendship might benefit all involved." She sighed, casting her gaze up. "It is a pity. No one nurses similar suspicions about family." She tossed back her entire cup of tea, destroying the illusion of delicacy.

[cuteconsortboys]

Consort Itachi x Empress Reader - Family is formed both by blood and by choice

Word count: 10.5k

THIS IS SET IN A MATRIARCHY WORLD

Summary: On the day Sasuke was born, Itachi promised to always be his protector. When he was young, it was easy, cuddles after nightmare, kisses on his grazes, help with his reading... but his parents are trying to arrange Sasuke’s marriage and protecting Sasuke is suddenly a whole lot harder. Itachi needs his wife on side for this.  Empress!Fem!Reader x consort Itachi (minor Sasuke x reader, Shino x reader, Neji x reader)

This is based on @dommyqueenwrites​ ’s idea about Itachi trying to get his brother into the royal harem with him to avoid Sasuke’s marriage to someone horrible. Thank you for letting me use the prompt!!! 

Warnings: Discussions of domestic abuse, mentions of sex, mentions of alcohol, panic attacks, character is locked in a room against their will, unhealthy parent child relationships. 

The echo of Itachi’s footsteps against the stone floor felt both far too loud in the empty corridors and far too quiet against the pounding of his heart.

He knew he was walking too fast; he was only half an extra step away from running really. If his mother could see him now, running through the halls of the Empress’s palace, hair dishevelled, outfit askew, make up being slowly eroded by sweat, well, she’d likely succumb to a heart attack.

Itachi himself wasn’t far off that either. If you’d told him yesterday that he’d be doing such a thing, Itachi would have been horrified and denied any such claims. This sort of uncivilised and childish behaviour reflected poorly on his wife, and as a husband, that was the last thing he should be doing.

But he couldn’t help himself. He needed to find you now.

Distracted by the constant bombardment of thoughts and anxiety, Itachi failed to hear the second set of footsteps coming from around the corner until it was too late.

Itachi slammed head on with a servant that was rounding the corner, knocking both of them backwards but thankfully not to the floor. He felt all the air leave his lungs at the impact, but the shame hit him harder.

“Wha-! Prince consort?! Are you alright?”

“Yes, I’m so sorry,” Itachi said breathlessly, already backing away. He didn’t have time for this. “I’m really sorry but I have to go.”

As much as it pained him to do it, Itachi turned from the servant and continued his search, his pace slightly reduced by the throbbing pain in his chest from the collision.

“Prince consort!” the servant called from behind. “Your hair piece!”

Itachi didn’t hear him over the thoughts knocking around in his head. He couldn’t stop repeating the lines he’d been forced to memorise in his childhood over and over again.

“A good husband’s hair should always be presentable and only worn down in the presence of family or his wife.”

Itachi didn’t want to imagine the state of his hair, but he knew that at least half of the strands had fallen out of place.

“A good husband should not sweat in front of others. If he is hot, he should move more slowly or relocate to the shade.”

Itachi could feel the loose strands sticking to his face.

“A good husband is modest and wears his clothes correctly at all times.”

Itachi was holding up the hem of his kimono to make running easier, and he knew that a sizeable part of his lower legs were on display for anyone who happened to see.

Shame burned like a sun inside Itachi’s chest, crawling its way up his throat until he felt like being sick.

He was being a bad husband.

Bad husband. Bad husband. Bad husband.

No. He pushed those thoughts down to deal with later. He couldn’t let himself get caught up in that now. He had to find his wife. He didn’t know what else to do after what had happened earlier at his parents’ estate.

…

“Itachi!” his mother called out as he entered the tearoom escorted by his father. “You’re here! It’s been so long since you came to visit, I thought you’d forgotten about us.”

She stood up and hugged him to her chest while his father sat down at the table she had just vacated.

“I could never mother,” Itachi denied lightly. “I have been busy at the palace recently, but I am glad to finally get the chance to return home, even if only for a brief time.”

“Oh, just look at you,” she sighed happily, cupping his face in her hands gently enough to avoid smudging his light make up. “My beautiful boy, you look stunning. Oh? And what’s this?”

She used the grip she had on his face to tilt his head to the side so that she could see the hair ornament he was currently wearing. It was a hair pin with the design of a dove made solely out of jewels and pearls, with emerald eyes as its centrepiece. It was Itachi’s favourite and he’d yet to see a hair pin so beautiful.

“It was a gift from my wife, mother.” Itachi answered, a little smile creeping up onto his face automatically. “Isn’t it lovely?”

“Lovely? It’s looks positively ethereal! Are they real emeralds?”

“Yes, mother.”

“Oh, I just knew the Empress would favour you the most! How could anyone resist? Does she give her other consorts gifts as expensive as this?”

Itachi hesitated. He didn’t like to brag about such things, but he knew what his mother wanted to hear and he was eager for this visit to go as smoothly as possible.

“No, mother. None as expensive as this.”

“That’s good to hear. You need to remain her favourite for as long as possible, you understand? Have you been using the anti-aging creams I’ve been sending you?”

“Of course, mother.”

“Good. I’m proud of you, Itachi,” she grinned at him for a moment before her face dropped. “I just wish I could say the same about your brother.”

Suddenly, the room was filled with tension. Had Itachi been any less proficient at hiding his emotions he would have sighed. He knew that this visit had been going suspiciously well.

“Where is Sasuke?” Itachi asked, trying to cut through the tension. “I’d like to see him before I leave because it is the Empress’s birthday next month and I will be very busy with the preparations.”

If anything, the tension only increased as his father and mother made eye contact with each other, an unspoken conversation clearly passing between them. Itachi felt the beginning of some nerves crawling under his skin. His parents had never been the kindest to Sasuke who they seemed to think was too brash, too outspoken, and too focused on ‘women’s skills’ like martial art training, but the hostility Itachi could sense here was still abnormal.

“Mother, father, where is Sasuke?” Itachi asked again.

“Sasuke is being confined to his room for the time being as punishment for causing a scene at an important dinner the other day,” his father eventually answered, avoiding Itachi’s eyes.

The words were innocent enough. Sasuke often acted out in front of others, and being confined to his room seemed, at the very least, not a cruel punishment. Sasuke would likely complain about being unable to train but that would be the worst of it.

So why didn’t Itachi find his father’s answer comforting at all?

There was just something… off about the whole situation.

“Then, would it be okay for me to see him in his room before I leave?”

His mother and father made significant eye contact with each other again, until eventually his mother nodded.

“Only for a short while, he’s still being punished, but it might do him some good to be reminded of what a good man and husband is supposed to be.”

Although unnecessary, because Itachi had grown up in this house, his mother led him upstairs to Sasuke’s room. It quickly became clear why when she pulled a key on a chain out from under her shirt and used it to unlock the door.

The door was being locked. Red flag number one.

“I thought I told you to leave me the fuck alone.”

Sasuke’s voice came from behind the door before it was even opened, but his aggression and vulgar language quickly triggered anger in his mother, who, without missing a beat, slammed the door open and marched in.

“I’ve told you before, you little brat, if you use language like that again, there will be no dinner for you!”

“Fuck if I care.”

Itachi walked into the surprisingly dim room, feeling nervous from all the conflict and saw that Sasuke was laying completely still in bed, a blanket over his head. Red flag number two.

Looking around a little more, Itachi noticed that there were large scratch mark all around the window as though someone had been using something sharp to get the window open. Red flag number three.

Said window was bordered shut, hence why the room was so dim. Red flag number four.

And to top it all off, along the edge of the room there were piles of broken furniture, ripped books and smashed porcelain, like someone had destroyed the whole room in a fit of anger. If Itachi squinted, he could see what looked like some bloodstains here and there as well. Red flag number five.

By this point, Itachi’s mother was in the middle of a tirade like he’d never seen, but Itachi knew that something wasn’t right, and he needed a chance to speak to Sasuke alone.

“Mother,” Itachi interrupted, careful to keep his voice gentle and delicate so she wouldn’t turn on him for interrupting her. “Would you be able to bring Sasuke and I some tea? I haven’t much time left before I need to leave.”

She blinked at him for a moment and Itachi held his breath to see how she would respond. To his relief she smiled and walked away from Sasuke’s bed.

“Of course, dear,” she agreed, putting a soft hand on his cheek. “You’re a busy man, of course, I understand. The work you do for our family is invaluable, so the least I can do is get you some tea. Oh… but I’m afraid there isn’t anywhere to sit because Sasuke decided to throw a tantrum and ruin his own bedroom, but I’ll bring a chair up too.”

“Thank you, mother, that’s very kind of you.”

“Of course. I’ll be back in a moment.”

The second the door shut behind her, Sasuke ripped the covers off of his head, shot out of bed and grabbed Itachi by the arms before he could react. Sasuke looked thin and haggard. He was dressed in pyjamas and his hair had clearly gone unbrushed for days. But the worst part about his appearance was his eyes. They looked manic, desperate even, something Itachi never wanted to see in his baby brother.

“Saskue, what’s happening? What’s going on?” Itachi implored Sasuke to answer him, gripping his arms back. His words were hushed and rushed to keep them from being overheard by his mother returning or one of the servants.

“Brother, you’re here,” Sasuke breathed out like he couldn’t believe that Itachi was standing in front of him.

“Sasuke, we don’t have much time, you have to tell me what’s going on,” Itachi tried to keep his voice firm but the sense of dread that had been hanging over him since entering the house was just getting stronger and stronger.

“They-“ Sasuke’s lip wobbled a little and he cut himself off. This wasn’t typical behaviour for him at all. Itachi couldn’t help but pull Sasuke into his arms, uncaring whether his expensive clothes were being ruined by Sasuke’s unclean pyjamas.

“Shh, what happened, Sasuke, please tell me.”

“They’re going to marry me off!” Sasuke blurted out into Itachi’s shoulder before he pulled away, angrily wiping at his watery eyes. Those were angry tears, Itachi had seen Sasuke cry them thousands of times in his life and recognised them instantly.

Itachi supressed a frustrated sigh. Of course, his parents wouldn’t be content with his marriage, even if it was to the Empress. No, of course they’d try to arrange Sasuke’s as well, just to try and get a little bit more power and a little bit more money. It was always power and money with them. Nothing would ever be enough.

“To whom?” Itachi hesitantly asked. Because that was the question, wasn’t it? The answer had the power to turn this from a bad situation to the worst situation in an instant. Was Sasuke upset about being married? Or was he upset about who he was being married to?

A second cursory glance at the broken furniture around his room didn’t make Itachi feel optimistic about Sasuke’s answer. Names and faces flew in and out of his mind as he tried to figure out who his parents had chosen, but Sasuke killed all those thoughts dead when he said the name.

“Himari Yamagawa.”

Itachi took in a sharp breath. No. They couldn’t have.

Himari Yamagawa. Itachi knew her. Or, well, he perhaps it’d be more accurate to say that he knew of her, because they only really spoken once at an event at the palace last year. And even that was a bit of a stretch because she’d never actually addressed him directly, always speaking about him to his wife, even though he was standing right next to her.

When you had brought that up, he remembered her making a crude joke about how mens’ mouths were only good for one thing.

But her ‘charming’ personality was only the surface of the problem. There were much darker parts to her personality that were bubbling underneath the surface.

She had a reputation for collecting husbands with ‘attitude problems’. Itachi remembered his wife telling him that she had been bragging that she’d never had a wedding where the other party wasn’t handcuffed and blindfolded. She was known for ‘training’ her husbands out of their bad behaviour with some horrific methods. Itachi had overheard some of his servants talking about some of those methods before, and it had put him off his dinner that night.

Of course, his wife, upon hearing about the evil woman, had introduced a new set of laws about marital abuse, but unfortunately, Himari was rich enough that she had simply moved just across the border to escape.

She wasn’t exactly a fan of the Empress, but she didn’t cause any direct problems, seemingly content with loopholes and bribes that allowed her to do as she pleased. But, while she wasn’t especially dangerous to the imperial family, she was deadly to any man unfortunate enough to end up married to her.

And apparently Sasuke was the one she currently had her beady eyes on. Itachi wasn’t surprised now that he thought about it. Sasuke had two things that made him perfect for her: he was cheap due to the fact that he’d already had five marriage offers fall through, and he was rebellious and stubborn, the exact type of man she loved to ‘break’.

His parents weren’t going to give up on this easily, but as Itachi stared into Sasuke’s desperate gaze, he knew he had to do whatever he could to get his brother out of this situation, one way or another. Itachi felt a level of fury that he’d never felt before burning beneath his skin.

How dare they.

“You have to help me escape,” Sasuke said, grabbing Itachi by the shoulders, eyes wide. “I’ve been trying but they’ve bordered up the window and locked the door. You have to help me. You said you loved me, that you’d do anything to help me. This is what I need. Help me now and I’ll never ask for anything again. Please! Big brother, please.”

“Sasuke-“

“That bitch is sending guards on Wednesday to watch me 24/7 until the wedding and I think mother has been slipping something into my food to make me tired and weak. Brother, please.”

“Sasuke,” Itachi felt tears pooling in his eyes. This was like a nightmare. “I’ll try-“

Footsteps started approaching the door. They had run out of time.

“I’ll do something, okay, I’ll talk to my wife, we’ll do something!” Itachi whispered urgently.

“Brother, please don’t leave me here,” Sasuke begged, bottom lip wobbling again.

The door opened and their mother walked in carrying a chair in one arm and a tray with a tea pot and some cups balanced on the other. She stopped abruptly when she saw the way Sasuke was grabbing Itachi.

“You better not be harassing your brother, Sasuke,” she growled.

Sasuke just glared at her before collapsing back into bed and covering himself with his blanket the same way he’d been before.

The next hour was tense. Itachi was distracted and stressed behind his calm mask. He stayed only as long as politeness dictated, making some awkward small talk with his mother while Sasuke refused to speak a single word.

…

After that disastrous visit, Itachi felt like he had a good reason to be ruffled, despite the shame he was feeling at his lack of control. And now that he had checked your office, the main hall, the gardens, the music room and all the drawing rooms without success, his stress was only continuing to mount.

He’d been running around for so long by now, it was late enough that you might have already retired to you room. Itachi just hoped that you hadn’t gone to spend the night in any of the other consort’s rooms. This couldn’t wait until morning.

The door to your room came into view and Itachi, seeing no one else in the corridor, abandoned the final dregs of his composure and ran the last few metres, his feet slapping against the marble floors.

Please be in there, please be in there, Itachi begged every deity he’d ever heard of.

Itachi pushed open the doors, almost slamming his face into them in his haste.

And there you were. Thank goodness. Itachi took a deep shuddering breath of relief.

You had clearly been reading by the roaring fire before he’d burst in. You were wearing your pyjamas, with a glass of something Itachi couldn’t identify on the side table next to you. You would look relaxed if not for the way you stared at him with your mouth hanging open.

Itachi hadn’t looked at himself in a mirror since before he left to visit his parents this morning, but he knew he must look like quite a sight. But for once in his life, that wasn’t important.

“Itachi?” you sputtered, having recovered enough from the shock to finally push some words out. “What on earth-?”

Itachi knew it was wrong for him to interrupt you. It was one of the very first lessons drilled into his head as a child: when your wife is talking, you stay quiet and listen. But this time he didn’t. Instead, Itachi threw himself at your feet, bowed so low the loose pieces of hair that had fallen out while he ran rested almost entirely on the floor. With a desperate hand, he gripped tightly onto the fabric of your dressing gown.

He could feel the heat from the fire licking uncomfortably at his back, but he didn’t flinch at the discomfort; he was too focused. Or, as focused as he could be with such a fuzzy head.

Itachi had had all that time while he was travelling back from his parents’ and running around the castle trying to find you to get his thoughts in order and figure out what he was going to say, but now he was here, the words were stuck. The only thing escaping his mouth were the gasping breaths he couldn’t keep at bay.

He needed to talk.

He needed to help Sasuke.

His baby brother needed him to protect him, so why wouldn’t the words come out?!

The feeling of your hand on his head cut through his panic and jolted him from his thoughts.

“Please sit up, Itachi, you know you don’t have to do this sort of thing for me,” your voice was ever so soft, like you were coaxing a scared and cornered animal. Itachi noticed the way his hands were shaking and realised that he wasn’t far off. “Here, move away from the fire, I don’t want you to burn yourself, my love.”

Itachi allowed you to pull him from the floor and away from the fire. You abandoned your armchair in favour of sitting with him on the loveseat. You kept a hold of his hand the entire time, and Itachi was so grateful that you were there with him.

“Now, Itachi,” you looked at him with concerned eyes, softly rubbing the back of his hand with your thumb as you spoke. “Please tell me what’s wrong. This isn’t like you; did something happen while you were visiting your family today?”

This was it. All he had to do was tell you what had happened.

Itachi opened his mouth to do so, but to his utter mortification, a sob was the only thing to come out.

Mortified, Itachi wrenched his hand from yours and used it to cover his mouth. He couldn’t be doing this right now. He needed to be the older brother, he needed to keep it together for Sasuke. He needed to ask and bargain and plead, not cry like the useless boy his mother used to call him whenever he’d let tears escape as a child. Crying wasn’t going to solve anything.

“Hey, hey, it’s alright, Itachi,” you whispered, carefully pulling the hand away from his mouth and back into yours. “Whatever happened, we can sort it out together, okay?”

With those words, Itachi’s traitorous body obviously assumed it had permission, so the floodgates burst open, more and more sobs pushing out with frightening speed. All the anxiety, the stress, the panic, the dread, the exhaustion, all of it just crashed on top of Itachi all at once and soon, tears joined the sobbing and then refused to stop.

You had barely held your arms open for more than a second when Itachi accepted your embrace with enthusiasm that might have embarrassed him on any other day, and he was soon breaking down loudly on your shoulder.

…

You pressed Itachi’s face firmly into your shoulder, using your other hand to keep a solid grasp around his waist, hoping that the strong embrace would do something to calm him down. You were more than a little alarmed by his behaviour, and while you knew better than to bombard Itachi with questions while he was so upset, it didn’t stop you from theorising while you comforted him.

You had spent the night together yesterday and there had been nothing drastic amiss with him other than a few extra nerves about the visit to his parents, but Itachi was always nervous to go and see them and those nerves had never escalated into something like this.

No, you were sure that something had happened during his visit to his parents’ estate. But what? You knew full well that his relationship with his parents wasn’t the best, and you knew how much their conditional love hurt him, but it still felt like there was something more sinister going on.

And the way he had bowed at your feet earlier… he had wanted to ask you for something, no, beg you for something… but what?

Itachi suddenly let out a particularly loud sob that made your ear ring painfully and abruptly brought you back to reality. Those questions weren’t important right at this moment, you had something infinitely more important in your arms.

“Shh, it’s alright, I’ve got you,” you murmured. You shushed Itachi periodically, whispering nonsense comforting words into his ears, reassuring him that you were there for him. There wasn’t much else you could do to help soothe him without knowing what the problem was.

You smoothed down the flyaway strands of hair on his head absentmindedly. You’d seen him this morning with his hair styled with elaborate plaits and pins, eager to appear as put together as possible for his parents to prove to them that he was still as perfect as they’d always demanded he be.

But when he’d burst in a few minutes ago, falling through the heavy oak doors like he’d run into them headfirst, his hair had looked very different. Loose strands were everywhere, and not in an artful, purposeful way that you’d seen him do before, but chaotically, frizzy, with random pieces stuck to his face with sweat. The elaborate and frightfully expensive hair pin he’d used was nowhere to be seen.

His hair did give you an idea about how to calm him down though. Itachi loved when you played with his hair. You still remembered his face while you brushed his hair for him for the first time, shortly after you were married. He had basically melted into the bed, letting his guard down around you properly for the first time. You had half expected him to start purring.

But now, that weakness was a weapon in your comforting arsenal.

Gently and methodically, while Itachi continued to cry onto your shoulder in a way that was sure to leave a sizeable wet patch, you started undoing the plaits that were still intact.

You eased off the hair bands, gently unravelled the hair, and then ran your fingers through his newly wavy strands, pausing every couple of beats to massage his scalp to drive away any soreness cause by the hair style.

You took your time, repeating the sequence again and again for each plait, Itachi’s cries slowly but steadily quieting as you went, until there were no more plaits remaining and you were left lightly scratching at his scalp.

The room was a lot quieter now. The crackling of the fire and Itachi’s uneven, but much improved, breathing were the only things you could hear. You let out a relieved sigh and pressed a kiss to Itachi’s forehead.

“There,” you said cautiously, hoping that your next words wouldn’t upset him again. You just couldn’t let the cause of the breakdown pass unacknowledged anymore. If someone had hurt him, you needed to know. “Can you please tell me what happened, Itachi? No matter what or who it was that upset you, you know I’ll support and help you in any way I can, I promise.”

Itachi, thankfully, was receptive to your words and pulled his face away from your shoulder. However, he still didn’t look at you in the eye, hanging his head firmly down towards his lap, the curtain of newly released black hair hiding his face from your view. You tried to lift his face with you fingers, but he resisted and turned away from your touch. Maybe he wasn’t as ready to speak as you’d though.

“Itachi-“

“It’s messy,” he whispered in response to your unasked question.

Oh.

Oh. He was embarrassed by the mess left after his crying.

You opened a drawer in the end table by the love seat and pulled out a handkerchief before silently handing it to him. You wished he would trust you, trust your love, enough to let you help him clean up, or even just let you see him like this, but you understood that his childhood conditioning to always look perfect and pretty for his wife was hard to overcome.

It felt like everything was on pause as you watched Itachi delicately wipe at his face.

After about a minute and a half, Itachi clearly deemed himself presentable enough because he finally looked at you, soiled handkerchief gripped in his clenched fist.

His face really pulled at your heart strings. His eyes were puffy and red, his makeup was smudged more than you’d ever seen, leaving black streaks around his eyes, and red lipstick on his chin, and his nose was as red as his eyes from all the rubbing.

You said nothing, allowing him to collect himself a little without your interruption.

“It’s my brother,” Itachi whispered, eyes closing as though he were in pain.

His brother? Oh dear. You’d gathered very quickly into your relationship that Itachi had a weak spot the size of your entire empire in his brother.

“Sasuke?” you prompted gently, earning a nod and a hum from Itachi.

“I found out today that my parents have arranged for him to be married against his wishes. To Himari Yamagawa.”

Your face automatically twisted into a sneer before you could stop it. That slippery snake was becoming a rather persistent thorn in your side. She wasn’t a venomous snake, she never struck out at you with her fangs, no, she was a cowardly snake who slipped between any and every attempt you made to control her.

“That evil bitch.”

Itachi hummed in agreement. He was staring listlessly into the fire now. His face looked drained, like he’d used up all the emotions he had and was now too exhausted to show any more.

“My parents are desperate to get rid of Sasuke. They have been for a while, but since he turned eighteen two years ago, their desperation has only increased. But Sasuke has scared away five suitors now, and new ones are no longer coming now that word has spread,” Itachi’s voice was detached but you knew how much this hurt him to see his younger brother treated in such a way. “So, they’ve decided to marry him to someone who won’t be scared away by his behaviour.”

“I see.”

With that, Itachi took a deep breath and slid off of the loveseat until he was kneeling at your feet in the same way he had when he’d entered your bedroom.

“My wife, Empress, please. Please help me save my brother. I know he can be difficult, but he’s my little brother and I-“ silent tears started to run down your husband’s face once more. “I will do anything. Please, I beg of you.”

You couldn’t stand to watch him be so defeated and desperate.

“Itachi, my dearest husband, my prince consort, please stand.”

He immediately did as you asked. His lips were quivering, but he kept them pressed firmly together. He was determined to make sure he didn’t break down again.

“You never have to beg me for anything,” you promised firmly. “You need only ask, and I will do my best to deliver, first I want you to understand that.

“Next, I will say this: My happiness is your happiness. So, if Sasuke’s happiness is your happiness, then my happiness is also Sasuke’s happiness. I will get him out of there, I promise.”

“Thank you, thank you, thank you so much,” Itachi’s voice was shaking, and you could tell it was only your order that he stand that was stopping him from embracing you once more. You opened your arms to make sure he knew he was welcome.

He took the offer straight away.

“Now, tell me everything. We need to make a plan.”

…

It had taken three hours holed up in your small, private study for you and Itachi to come up with a detailed plan to get Sasuke out of his situation. You were relying on the fact that Himari had given Sasuke a seemingly arbitrary date on which she would be placing her own bodyguards on Sasuke, something which suggested that the engagement contract would also be coming into effect on that day. Otherwise, why wouldn’t she have bodyguards on him already if she knew he was a flight risk?

No, you trusted your intuition here, which had meant that you and Itachi only had four days to execute your plan to bring Sasuke into the palace as part of your harem.

Itachi had been the first one to suggest that solution and despite a couple of other solutions being considered, that one was the most likely to succeed. No family hoping to retain a powerful standing among the nobles would turn down an invitation for their son to join the Empress’s personal harem, whether they wanted to or not.

Not that the Uchiha had been against it though. When you had proposed the engagement, Itachi and Sasuke’s parents had both been thrilled and agreed immediately. In fact, that evening, Itachi had shown you a letter his parents had slipped him during the meeting that was filled with praises about doing such a good job as head consort that the Empress had also taken an interest in his younger brother.

You had paid handsomely for the marriage to be rushed. As he was only going to be a normal consort, you had no social obligation to make the wedding a particularly big affair and so had quietly signed the papers and completed the ceremony as soon as possible.

In fact, the ceremony had only concluded about three hours ago. And in the name of efficiency, you were now about to start the traditional meeting require for him to officially join your harem.

You checked over your outfit one final time before pushing open the doors to the main drawing room in the harem. The harem was comprised of a living quarter for each member, including Itachi although he spent most nights in your bedroom as was his right as head consort, and a couple of communal living spaces and baths. It seemed fitting to introduce Sasuke to the harem in the room that you knew most of your consorts spent a good deal of time in.

This first official meeting only required the attendance of the head consort and two side consorts, as well as yourself of course, so it only took a few moments for you to let your gaze wander to each person in the room in turn.

Itachi was sitting at the front of the room next to an empty chair reserved for you. He was looking as poised and calm as always, but you had a suspicion that if he were any less in control of himself, he’d be fidgeting nervously in his chair.

A little further down, sharing one of the sofas were your two side consorts. Neji was somehow making his frustration look dignified as his bored lavender eyes landed on you as if to say ‘what took you so long?’. You hid your smile. He had likely had to be retrieved from the depths of the library where he had been holing himself up for the past two weeks in an effort to read all the books he’d never been allowed to read while growing up. Neji rarely spoke about his childhood, but you knew enough about the Hyuuga family to assume he’d likely only been allowed to read etiquette guides and traditional poetry. He likely wouldn’t be happy when you reminded him that his presence would also be required for the group dinner in Sasuke’s honour tonight.

Shino on the other hand seemed to be waiting patiently and passing the time with some embroidery. He’d taken a shine to the art form over the last year after you’d given him some insect designs that you’d commissioned an artist for, for his birthday. However, the white knuckled grip he had on the handkerchief revealed the nerves underneath his calm façade. Shino was always nervous when you added new people to the harem. Quite a few of your consorts were more solitary by nature, but Shino’s side consort status meant he had to interact with the new members more than you knew he was comfortable with sometimes.

Your general consorts would be meeting Sasuke at the dinner this evening.

You cleared your throat and suddenly three sets of eyes settled on you.

“Are you ready?” you asked, taking your seat next to Itachi and placing what you hoped was a comforting hand on his. His hand was warm in yours as you squeezed it tightly. When you received a nod from each man, you signalled towards the servant to escort Sasuke in.

The room was filled with tension. Your own nerves adding to it. Despite having married the man only hours ago, you had yet to have a chance to talk to Sasuke one on one. Your engagement had been in the company of his parents who he hardly acknowledged, your marriage was in front of multiple witnesses, and the second it was over he had been whisked away by a team of servants to prepare him to enter the harem. Goodness knows what they’d been doing to him for three hours, but any attempt to meet him had been met with an angry servant chasing you away and explaining that you didn’t understand how long it takes for a man to be his most beautiful.

And despite being the Empress, you could still absolutely be scared away by an angry servant.

What? They were scary.

“Please allow me to introduce Sasuke Uchiha,” the servant had returned, and the moment was here. “Newest consort of the sixteenth Empress of our empire.”

Sasuke strode in through the doors, head held high, steps graceful but in a different way to his brother. There was a raw power behind his grace, like he was challenging all of you to deny him something he wanted.

The servants had obviously made the most of those three hours as well. Sasuke was dressed in a striking red colour and made up in make up that accentuated his strong features that added to his dominating presence. It suited him so much more than the virginal white wedding outfit you’d seen him in this morning.

“Bow to the side consorts and greet them,” you ordered, tone firm but not unwelcoming. Sasuke did as you’d asked, methodically bowing to both Neji and Shino, only as deeply as politeness dictated, not an inch more or less.

“Greetings, consort Hyuuga, consort Aburame. I hope we can live peacefully together moving forward.”

Sasuke’s voice carried the message that he didn’t much care if that was true or not. Neji picked up on the disinterest and dismissed Sasuke with his eyes, something you could tell bothered Sasuke in return. There was animosity when they made eye contact.

You sighed. Itachi was going to have his work cut out for him to keep the peace between those two, you could already tell.

“Kneel in front of myself and head consort Itachi Uchiha,” this was your next instruction. Sasuke followed it dutifully, but you caught a very subtle rolling of his eyes as he bowed. You hid an amused grin and pretended not to notice. Itachi also noticed if the subtle glare that carried a ‘don’t mess this up’ message was any indication.

Oh yes, Sasuke was definitely going to be a handful. But hopefully he’d also be an asset to your family.

You let Sasuke kneel for a few more moments before standing from your seat and holding out a hand for him to take and rise. He took your hand after a moments hesitation and allowed you to support him to his feet.

You were momentarily surprised to feel that his hands were so rough against yours. He had the callouses of a soldier under the artificial softness of someone who’d been forced by the servants to douse his hands in moisturiser. It wasn’t a problem for you, but he would certainly have the roughest hands in harem.

“Welcome to the family,” you said genuinely. “Itachi will show you to your quarters and explain the basics about your role and duties here in the palace. After that, he will escort you to dinner where you will meet the rest of my consorts and have a chance to meet and mingle with them in an informal setting. Once dinner has concluded, some servants will escort you to my bedroom for our wedding night.”

“Understood,” Sasuke nodded. You search his face for any emotion that tip you off about how he was handling this big transition, but there was nothing but professional indifference. Oh well, you would have Itachi catch you up on everything later.

“Excellent. Itachi, I’ll pass Sasuke into your capable hands. Make sure he is comfortable and fill him in on the details for tonight that I have missed.”

“Yes, my wife,” Itachi smiled, rising from his chair and grasping Sasuke by the arm before escorting him out of the room.

Silence fell as you, Neji and Shino listened to the pair of footsteps fade.

“Can we leave now?” Neji asked, standing up abruptly. “I was in the middle of something important before I was called here.”

“Was that something perhaps in the library?” you chuckled, watching a faint blush crawl up onto Neji’s face. “Go ahead, I’ll see you later at dinner.”

Neji nodded and left, leaving you with Shino who was still sitting on the sofa, his embroidery forgotten on his lap.

“Hey,” you greeted, sitting down next to him. “Can I see what you’re working on?”

Shino fiddled nervously with the edge of the handkerchief he was embroidering, but he did slowly turn it towards you, avoiding your eye contact while he awaited your judgement.

The handkerchief was an off-white colour with a beautiful, giant stag beetle embroidered in the corner with delicate silver thread. There was also a half finished grass pattern along the bottom that he’d clearly just been working on.

“It’s beautiful, Shino,” you breathed gently, tracing the pattern with your finger. “You’re really amazing at these designs, do you know that?”

“Thank you,” Shino smiled more comfortably now that you were alone. “I have especially enjoyed making this one. Why? Because I like the design and also it is for my father for his birthday.”

“Hmm, he’s going to love it. If you need any more designs, please let me know. I can call the artist to work out some with you whenever you want.”

“Thank you,” Shino said. “I will keep that in mind.”

A comfortable silence fell over the room while Shino continued working on his embroidery while you watched. You needed to get on with your work for the day but spending time with Shino was so relaxing that it was difficult to force yourself to move.

And then Shino leant his head on your shoulder, so you couldn’t possibly justify moving, no matter how much work you had to do.

Oh well, you thought, slipping an arm around his shoulders, you could finish your work later.

…

In the end, you didn’t have the heart to tell Shino that you had work to do, especially because you’d been so caught up with getting Sasuke into the harem for the past week that you hadn’t spent any time with him.

You had only managed to cram in a couple of hours of work before it was time for you to introduce Sasuke to the rest of your harem at dinner.

He was in yet another outfit now, the third completely different look in one day, although he looked much more comfortable in this more informal dark blue kimono than he had in any of the other outfits. Although, judging by the glares he was ending at some of the servants that were milling around in the room behind the dining hall where you were waiting, Sasuke had reached his limit on being manhandled into different outfits and make up by the staff.

You stifled a laugh. He’d get used to it.

“It’s almost time,” you said, pulling Sasuke’s attention from glaring at the servants onto you. “This is just an informal dinner; you don’t have to be nervous.”

“I’m not nervous,” he said immediately, frowning at you.

You dropped the issue, having a feeling that you weren’t going to get him to admit something like that.

“Let’s just get this over with,” Sasuke grumbled, striding over to the door without you. You chuckled at his behaviour. He may have already had a little disagreement with Neji, but they really did have a lot in common. Although… you turned your gaze to Sasuke where he was audibly tapping his foot against the stone floor to show his displeasure at your slowness, Neji wasn’t quite so open about his attitude on his first day.

“You’ll be sitting at the head of the table next to me for today,” you explained, walking up to him and cutting off his impatient foot tapping. “Normally, that seat would be for Itachi, but for today, it’s yours.”

You offered up your arm for Sasuke to take as the servants got ready to open the doors for your arrival.

“You’ll have about half an hour to eat and then I’ll take you around the table and individually introduce you to the rest of the consorts in the harem. After dinner, we’ll retire together to my bedroom. Understand?”

Sasuke nodded.

“Then, let’s go.”

The faint sound of chatter ceased the moment the heavy door was pulled open by a servant. All the eyes in the room settled on you and Sasuke as you led him to the table and helped him to his chair.

Normally, tradition dictated that Sasuke would sit between you and Neji, while Itachi sat on your other side, but you figured Sasuke would feel more comfortable sitting next to his brother and with a little bit more distance between him and Neji given their budding rivalry. So, you sat at the head of the table, Sasuke on your left, with Itachi on his left, and Neji sat on your right.

“Good evening, everyone,” you said, raising your voice so that everyone could hear you. You received a smattering of returned greetings before you continued. “This dinner is in celebration of our newest family member, Sasuke Uchiha. Let’s all make sure he feels welcome. Now, let’s eat!”

The second the words left your mouth a stream of servants flooded into the room holding a seemingly endless number of silver platters filled to the brim with the most expensive and delicious food money could buy. The aroma in the room was mouth watering and you were suddenly reminded that between the wedding, the meetings and the work, you hadn’t had a chance to eat yet.

You immediately started piling up your plat with food, mentally thanking the chefs for a perfect spread, as always. You’d learnt with all your previous consorts that food was an excellent way to get them to feel more comfortable.

Speaking of your new consort, you glanced over at Sasuke to make sure he was handling things well and you were greeted with the sight of Itachi and Sasuke talking in low tones while Itachi loaded up Sasuke’s plate with an array of different dishes. Sasuke didn’t look like he appreciated Itachi treating him like a child, but Itachi had a determined glint in his eye that you knew from experience was impossible to combat. You smiled at the cute scene. Bringing Sasuke into the harem was worth it just to see Itachi play the doting older brother. Currently, there were no children in the harem, but you’d always thought that Itachi would make an excellent father and watching him interact with Sasuke proved that your hunch was absolutely correct.

As cute as it was, you turned away to give them a little privacy and instead turned right towards Neji. He was focused intensely on his food, eating it as fast as he could while maintaining his table manners. It looked like you weren’t the only one who’d been skipping meals. You made a mental note to have the servants bring Neji food while he was hidden away in the library.

You couldn’t stop your fond grin as you watched. Despite being so strait laced, Neji always inspired such a playfulness in you. On a whim, you hooked your ankle around his leg under the table.

Neji jolted, immediately raising his head with a glare in place, looking like he was about to reprimand whoever had the audacity to interrupt him while he was eating before he realised whose foot it was as you sent him a teasing grin. A light pink flush settled on his cheeks as his glare melted away.

“How’s your reading going?” you asked, rubbing his leg a little with your foot. Neji face lit up at your question and he immediately launched into a speech about a collection of scary fairy tales he’d been ready while you looked at him like the lovestruck fool you knew you were.

“The collection is organised by region and then by date, and there’s a companion book that discusses regional variances and themes across all the fairy tales. I remember a person in my family had both books, she used to be obsessed with these stories but I wasn’t…” Neji trailed off for a moment before his smile became a little more forced. “I didn’t have time in between my classes.”

You understood what he meant by that. He wasn’t allowed to read those stories.

“I’m so glad that you’re enjoying it. I’ve noticed you’ve taken quite a shine to mythology and fairy tales recently and I know you’ve been stuck on what to put on the back wall of your bedroom, so I was thinking I could send some people out searching for more books on these topics and have some large bookshelves fitted on the back wall. It would be like a little, specialist library if that’s something you’d want?”

Neji’s smile became genuine again and your chest felt warm as you watched him bashfully agree.

Your conversation was interrupted as a servant brought in a new platter of food to replace the empty plates. Ah yes, the tomato pasta you’d requested specifically for Sasuke after Itachi had informed you about Sasuke’s favourite foods. Neji’s attention had already been taken by Gaara who was sitting on his other side, so you took a spare fork and swirled it in the spaghetti until you had a good mouthful on the fork.

“Sasuke,” you said, interrupting his and Itachi’s gentle conversation. “I asked the chef to prepare this specially for you. You like tomatoes, right?”

Sasuke sent his brother a look for sharing his personal information without his permission, but he still nodded affirmatively at your question. Perfect.

“Here,” you grinned, holding the fork up to his lips. “Try some.”

Sasuke blinked at you, an incredulous look on his face like he couldn’t believe your audacity. You only smiled, holding the food steadily. Itachi subtly nudged Sasuke from the side, encouraging him to play along and eat the food you were teasingly offering him. Sasuke sent you an embarrassed glare and you weren’t sure if he was going to take the food or punch you in the throat.

But right as your confidence was wavering and you were considering lowering the fork and apologising, Sasuke gingerly took the mouthful of food, avoiding your eyes the entire time with a bright red face.

Itachi was both right and wrong about him, you realised. He definitely had an attitude that even Neji couldn’t match, and he was cute, just as Itachi had told you. But his cuteness wasn’t in spite of his attitude, it was definitely because of it.

“Do you like it?”

“…Yes,” Sasuke grumbled, playing with the food on his plate to avoid looking at you in the eyes. You made eye contact with Itachi over his head and shared a smile, he really was cute.

“I’ll ask the chefs to make it again, then,” you promised. “They use the tomatoes that we grow in the palace greenhouses, you know? If you want, we can increase the tomato crop. Shino oversees the greenhouses along with the head gardener, and it’s tradition for the consorts to have a small section of the greenhouses for themselves if they want one.”

“I have one,” Itachi chimed in. “I’ve filled mine with honeysuckle because I love the smell of them. I always keep a fresh vase of them in my room. But you don’t have to plant flowers, vegetables, fruits or herbs work too.”

“We can sort all that out later, for now, eat, because we don’t have much time before I’ll be taking you around to meet everyone.”

…

You enjoyed the food for another twenty minutes or so before it was time to make the personal introductions.

“It’s time, come on.”

Normally, you’d introduce a new consort to Itachi first, but in this particular case, you didn’t bother, instead moving to Itachi’s other side and starting with Shino.

“This is Shino Aburame,” you introduced, gesturing to the man who had turned in his seat to look at you both. Shino was dressed in a very unusual style, with extra layers underneath his kimono to cover most of his skin. Shino always dressed modestly so you weren’t surprised, but you imagined it was the first time that Sasuke would have seen that kind of dress as it had never been in style. “He is one of my side consorts, along with Neji, so if you need help with anything and you can’t find myself or Itachi, Shino will be happy to help you.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Uchiha,” Shino said, his voice calm and measured. “I happened to overhear you talking about tomato plants earlier, so if you are interested in that, please let me know. Why? Because I will ask the gardener to assign you your plot.”

“Thank you,” Sasuke said, a little, surprised smile on his face. “It is nice to meet you too, Aburame.”

“Call me Shino.”

“Then, call me Sasuke.”

You smiled. Perhaps they would form an unlikely friendship.

“Please return to your dinner, Shino, Sasuke and I will move on,” you politely excused yourself and brought Sasuke to the next person down the table who was already grinning at you both. Naruto.

“Sasuke, this is-“

“Naruto Uzumaki!” Naruto interrupted you, sending Sasuke one of his famous blinding grins. “Nice to meet you, Sasuke.”

Sasuke seemed unsure how to react to such aggressive friendliness, so you did him a favour and took over the conversation.

“Naruto spent a lot of time in the palace as a child, we were actually childhood friends, because his mother and father were good friends of my mother you see, the previous empress. So, if you have any questions about the palace, directions or about past times, Naruto is the one to ask.”

Naruto laughed a little at your introduction.

“Usually, I invite all the newbies for games in the harem drawing room on the night after their dinner, but seeing as it’s your wedding night, you need to be there tomorrow, ‘kay?” Naruto’s grin turned a little more teasing over a few beats of silence. “As long as you have enough energy after tonight, of course.”

Sasuke sputtered and choked at the innuendo as you rolled your eyes at Naruto’s teasing.

“Don’t say things like that, idiot!”

Naruto snorted and let the insult roll off of his back before he turned to you.

“I like him! Good choice!”

That only seemed to piss Sasuke off more, so you quickly ushered him towards the next person on the table, Shikamaru, before anything escalated.

“Sasuke, this is Shikamaru Nara,” you introduced the lackadaisical man who had finished eating and was now just sipping wine. “Shikamaru is technically a part of my harem but he primarily acts as the main strategist for our military. Shikamaru is the best of the best, but the laws are outdated and difficult to change without me facing some serious pushback from some key nobles, so this was a loophole that allowed him to work as he pleased.”

Shikamaru waved a lazy hello before shifting his attention back to his wine, not that Sasuke noticed because his head had snapped to you, eyes searching your face like he was trying to figure out if you were lying.

“That’s possible?” he demanded. “We can work with the military?”

“Yes, of course,” you answered, knowing full well why he was shocked. It wasn’t common for men to work in or with the military. “If you’re interested in an arrangement like that, then we can discuss it this evening, but you mustn’t talk about it outside of the harem. If the information leaks, Shikamaru and myself could both receive major backlash. Shikamaru still has harem duties he must complete to keep up the façade, you would have to do the same if you decided to go for that route. But we’ll discuss that later, you still have more people to meet.”

Sasuke’s face made it clear that he wasn’t too thrilled to be having to wait to discuss that particular topic but you were grateful when he held his tongue. You had other things that needed doing first, and the hall wasn’t the best place for private discussions.

You moved onto the other side of the table to introduce Iruka to Sasuke.

“Sasuke,” Iruka greeted. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’ve heard a lot about you from your brother.”

You laughed at the face Sasuke pulled at the thought that his brother had been talking about him.

“Iruka is like the harem’s father,” you whispered to Sasuke. “Everyone respects him, so he’s a good person to go to if you have any problems.”

“I hope you’re only whispering nice things about me?” Iruka said with a raised eyebrow.

“Of course, my love,” you easily agree, pressing a kiss to his forehead. “Iruka is currently training with some royal tutors a couple of days a week. We don’t have any children in the harem yet, but when we do, Iruka will be in charge of the early years education and possibly later education too depending on what these hypothetical children decide to specialise in.”

Sasuke nodded at Iruka.

“It’s nice to meet you.”

“We’ve taken up enough of your time, Iruka, please return to your dinner while we move on.”

Next up was Haku.

“Sasuke, it’s lovely to meet you. My name is Haku,” Haku introduced himself, a gentle smile on his face. “I understand that entering the harem can be rather overwhelming, so I hope you are handling everything well.”

Sasuke made the face that everyone made whilst they were trying to figure out Haku’s gender. Haku just smiled serenely at him. You were convinced that he derived joy from confusing people.

“Just Haku, no last name?” Sasuke asked, apparently choosing to change the topic into what he considered to be safer territory.

“I have our wife’s name,” Haku laughed. “My parents abandoned me on the streets when I was young because they couldn’t afford to feed me, so I don’t have a last name of my own.”

Sasuke now looked even more uncomfortable.

“I’m… sorry… I didn’t know,” Sasuke apologised awkwardly, giving a little bow.

“Don’t worry,” Haku waved him off. “That was a long time ago. I have a much better family now, and I’m happy to welcome you into it, Sasuke.”

“I met Haku while on a diplomatic trip a few years ago. He was a dancer at a bar and I’d become so enamoured with him in only a few nights that I couldn’t bare to leave him and instead invited him to come back with me.”

“It was the most impulsive decision I’ve ever made to say yes,” Haku added, with a smile. “But I’m thankful every day that I took that chance. I’m sure you will as well, Sasuke.”

Sensing the finality of that statement, Sasuke went over to the next person without you, perhaps to escape the disastrous topic choices he’d just made as fast as possible. You chuckled, brushing a hand over Haku’s head to make sure he was okay before following after Sasuke who was already talking to Gaara.

“Yes, you might have heard of me, that wouldn’t be strange,” you heard the end of Gaara’s statement.

“Gaara’s the second prince of Suna,” you said, joining the conversation. “He has the highest personal ranking out of the harem.”

“I see.”

“His training makes him very useful,” you stage whispered to Sasuke. “Because he can handle all the foreign guests that are too difficult for grumpy Neji and too loud for reserved Shino.”

Gaara smiled faintly at the praise, hiding it behind a sip of his drink.

“And of course,” you leant over to the final person. “You’ve already met Neji.”

The tension rose as Sasuke and Neji made eye contact. They hadn’t even had a proper conversation yet and they were already being so dramatic. They were going to be quite the pair, you were sure. But the tension couldn’t last. You didn’t like drama within the harem, so you broke it with the first idea that came to mind.

You ruffled Neji’s hair.

And just like magic, his ire was now directed at you.

He squawked in protest and batted your hand away, sparking laughter all down the table.

Naruto, unsurprisingly couldn’t let the teasing chance pass him by.

“Aww, Neji can’t handle a little hair ruffling!”

Neji didn’t have enough eyes to glare at everyone but he gave it his best shot.

“You shouldn’t be surprised that he doesn’t like surprise affection, Naruto,” Shikamaru drawled, his wine now replaced by a cigarette. “Have you forgotten what happened when you tried to hug him from behind during his first week?”

“He almost broke your nose punching you in the face,” Haku added. “I had to tend to it while we waited for the physician.”

Neji’s face twisted in embarrassed displeasure at the fact that that particular story was being told. Again. Unfortunately for him, his face just sent everyone back into peals of laughter while Itachi and Iruka tried to quiet the bickering down.

You loved your family.

…

The castle was very different at night.

It looked different. It smelt different. It felt different.

And you couldn’t help but think that Sasuke looked so much more comfortable in the darkness.

You were both walking back to your room now, full and maybe a little bit tipsy from dinner. Sasuke arm was linked with yours and you noticed that he was very warm to the touch, even through his sleeve. Itachi was the same. Perhaps their entire family ran hot? You made a mental note to get him a nice fan as a welcoming gift because you knew Itachi couldn’t live without his, especially during the summer.

It was silent as you walked, but the silence was surprisingly comfortable. At least until the bedroom door closed behind you and you were truly alone for the first time. Suddenly the silence was oppressive.

“Nothing needs to happen tonight,” you said, slowly removing your outer layers in a way you hoped wasn’t suggestive. “If you wish for it, we will simply sleep here tonight, and then I will not call for you at night unless you decide that you wish for that kind of relationship with me.”

It was uncomfortable to talk about these things so candidly, but you held the power here and it was your responsibility to make sure Sasuke understood that he had the final say.

“I-“ Sasuke looked shocked. You waited for his response while committing his facial features to memory. Here, under the candlelight, was when his differences to Itachi felt the most obvious. He was sharp where Itachi was soft, and the shadows from the candlelight accentuated that.

“I’m tired,” Sasuke said eventually. He spoke around the issue, but his answer was clear.

“Of course, but are you too tired to talk more about Shikamaru’s situation and how you might want something similar?”

“No,” he protested immediately. “Tell me.”

You laughed at his disrespectful tone. He was part of your harem alright.

He’d do just fine here, you were sure of it.

[everythingsakura]

Imperial MultiSaku AU

Okay I know I said I was gonna save itachi and sasori for last but I can't help but want to post them first 😩😩😩 so here's consort sasori, commander itachi and crown princess sakura y'all.

(this AU was inspired by a manhua titled 'Queen's Palace' which is rather popular. It's a reverse harem that takes place in a world where gender roles are reversed: women are the ones in power while men have little to no autonomy over their lives. I love the characters and the plot is really good too~)

Icb I did all these in a week lmaooo usually it takes me forever to finish a single drawing and now wham I have three, with another one in the works 😂😂 wish I had the same dedication for my assignments 🙃

my drawing style is still inconsistent af, I'm still experimenting with everything 😌

I originally wanted to draw armor on itachi but i got lazy so let's just imagine he's off duty or training so there's no armor okayyy

Also also!!! I managed to draw a decent sword!!! Yeay meee

Initially, i wanted to have sasori more blinged out but to no one's suprise, i got lazy again. I apologise sasori-sama, i will deck you out with more diamonds and gold next time 🙇‍♀️

I put in a lot of effort on drawing that fan y'all, im so proud of myself *wipes away tears*

Sakura is a warrior princess, which explains the less ostentatious and more practical clothes. Don't worry, I'll probably dress her up to max impracticality soon enough lol

Next week: sasuke and naruto~

[narutobent]

Kurenai~

Godtier: Witch of Mind

Age: 16

Text color is #bf305b

Server to Itachi, served by Asuma.

Land of Vines and Tunnels:

-We have so little info about Kurenai as a person, it was really hard creating a land that would do her justice. I got vines from one of the first genjutsu we see from her and thought it would be a fitting theme for her land, branching paths and stems. The tunnels represent Mind, forming intricate networks of choices and destinations.

The surface of her world is somewhat plain. It's nice and pretty but nothing spectacular. She has to watch her steps though because there's multitudes of caves and pitfalls to fall into, many covered and matted over with vines. Her consorts rarely venture out from the underground but every now and then she catches one out of the corner of her eye. As she ventures further and further into the peculiar tunnels, lit dimly with glowing moss of some sort and marked with unfamiliar indents and protrusions, she realizes that she still can't reach any of the inhabitants; every time she approaches one, it scampers away down paths it clearly knows better than her. Kurenai must figure out how to either change the consorts' minds towards her, change the consorts' escape routes, or change the tunnels themselves- any choice will lead her to new rooms in this subterraneous structure and, eventually, to her denizen.

[adelinevw7]

good night, sweet prince

No one breathes a word of the story, but everyone knew: it was the upstart Lord Danzo who engineered the downfall of the Uchiha.

The old snake bided his time, brewing intrigue and animosity, poisoning the hearts of the Konoha nobles against their ruling family. When he was certain of their sympathies, it was only too easy to sway them towards violence.  

So it passed, that Fugaku Uchiha and his consort Mikoto died under the treacherous weapons of their own trusted kinsmen and retainers. And though a peerless warrior, their heir Itachi was also slain defending them.  

Being abroad, only Sasuke escaped that grim fate.  

But not for long, it would seem. At Sasuke’s hastened homecoming, Danzo wove a conspiracy around him, readily supported by the old schemer’s accomplices to murder. The prince himself had to bear the heavy accusation—of causing the same deaths he had come to mourn.

Danzo, jealous of his freedom and covetous of the throne, longed to speedily eliminate him. Through his contrivances, poison finds its way to the prince’s lips.

Sasuke dies, in the arms of his lover, his waning tenderness shielded from all eyes by a curtain of rose-coloured hair.  

Sakura swallows her sorrow, letting slip only the softest of farewells.

“Good night, oh, good night, sweet prince.”    

[silverfootstepswrites]

Amaryllis | Chapter 12

<Chapter 11 | Chapter 12 | Chapter 13>

+++

"Sister."

Kurenai held the fan up to hide her mouth. Her eyes darted nervously in the direction of the men on the other side of the room.

The corset around her waist felt too tight. The lovely gown mother had had made just for today was white lace and silk that trailed behind her looking like sea foam. She could smell the blood-red roses in her hair, twisted into the curls and pinned in place. All the pins and ties jabbed at her head and her body.

Huffing with frustration, Kurenai turned her head to look at her older sister. Tsunade's back was turned to her. Her long, wheat-colored hair spilled across her back, intertwined with strands of pearls.

She always looked so beautiful.

Kurenai placed her hand on Tsunade's shoulder, feeling the softness of the silk under her fingers. Tsunade was still engrossed in her conversation but she reached up to put her hand over her sister’s and squeezed. A little comforted, Kurenai waited. And after a moment, Tsunade excused herself and took Kurenai's arm. Turning to her, she smiled, her golden eyes sparkling more than the jewels in her hair and ears.

"What is it, my dear?" asked Tsunade in a low voice. She reached out and rubbed her thumb on the bottom corner of Kurenai's mouth where her red lipstick had smeared.

"There's a man over there who's staring at you," Kurenai whispered. Tsunade frowned.

"There are many men staring at me, little sister," Tsunade responded with a hint of a smile. But Kurenai shook her head. She turned her older sister in the direction of the man with piercing grey eyes standing on the other side of the room.

He had the swagger and the build of a military man. Despite his youth, he had a proud mane of silver hair. Broad shoulders and perfect posture told Tsunade all she needed to know before she even saw the medals on his uniform.

"That is the Count Namikaze’s eldest son, Lord Jiraiya. I hear that he's doing quite well in the army. Lieutenant General by 20 is no easy feat," murmured Tsunade.

Kurenai's eyes widened. How she wished she had her sister's perfect memory at times like these. Their mother always had them study the lists and portraits of their guests, but only Tsunade ever remembered all of them.

"Will you speak with him?" asked Kurenai, breathless with excitement.

This was her first royal ball where she was no longer being treated as a child. Now that she was 14, it was time for her to begin catching the eye of suitors. And though it was too early in the night for anyone to have asked her to dance, the very idea of her sister with such a handsome man was almost enough exhilaration for the night.

"Perhaps. Perhaps not. I'm 18 now. Mother says that it's time I sank my claws into one of these men. He doesn't seem like one that would be easy to control," said Tsunade with a shrug before she pulled her along to speak with the other guests.

Across the room, Jiraiya felt a tug on his elbow.

"Was that-?" Minato breathed.

"Yes, the two princesses. Lovely, aren’t they? It's rare to see the older one out of her research facility," replied Jiraiya.

"They were looking at us, brother!" Minato said with wonder in his voice. Minato looked down at his kid brother and laughed.

"No, Minato, they were both looking at me. I doubt they even noticed a short thing like you. Maybe next year," chortled Jiraiya as he rubbed a hand through Minato's golden hair. Minato pretended to scowl at the treatment before he beamed up at the brother who always towered over him.

+++

"Your Grace?"

Minato blinked. Chin propped up by his hand, he looked over to find his advisors staring at him.

"Your Grace, we'd like to begin the meeting now," Danzo said with a pointed look.

"Ah. Yes," he answered. He looked down at the gold ring on his thumb. It had once fit perfectly on his brother's middle finger. The chunky sapphire glinted in the candlelight. Minato rubbed at his face. He hadn't dreamt of his brother in years. But as of late, he saw scenes from their youth every night.

Jiraiya, the King Consort, General of the Armies of the Great Forest Kingdom. All of those titles had been used for him. No one ever seemed to use the one that mattered most.

Brother.

Minato always felt like a child again as he looked down on that ring. It had only been one of many things that his brother had left to him. As a young man, he had once believed that as he grew older, somehow he would grow to fit those rings.

Minato looked over to his right where his son sat sulking.

Sakura had left the capital city several days ago and Naruto was still upset. He didn't dare tell the boy that he was grateful that she had refused to take him along. The wilderness was no place for a prince. And though Marquess Shimura had insisted, it was one of the rare times that Minato was opposed the old man’s counsel.

"Our first order of business concerns taxes, Your Grace."

Naruto let out a huge sigh. Minato almost wanted to agree as he gestured for them to begin.

+++

Weeks of travel were taking their toll on Itachi. Everyone seemed to acknowledge the fact with glances out of the corners of their eyes and sympathetic grimaces. And at each inn they stopped at along the road, the party urged Itachi to stay and recuperate.

"We would only be a few weeks at most, Prince. And it would ease Sakura's worries to know that you were resting safely," Sasori quietly said one night as he took Itachi aside in the corridor. When Itachi politely declined, looking paler than usual as he went, Sasuke peered out from around the corner. Arms crossed over his chest, he glanced over at Sakura. Her stony expression gave away nothing. In fact, she calmly picked at a healing scab on the back of her hand without comment.

"Why don't you force him? You made Prince Naruto stay in Whiteriver for his own safety," Sasuke asked.

"A man's resolve is nothing to sneer at. Whatever decision he makes, I will respect it," replied Sakura before she pushed off the wall and headed downstairs. The stiffness of her gait stood out to him. And he knew after months with her that she was lying. But about what he wasn't sure.

"Sakura," Sasuke called after her as he began to take a step. A light tug on the back of his vest stopped him. The prince turned to see Haku peering up at him with nervous brown eyes.

"Please… I think some time alone would be good for the General, Your Highness," said the boy. Sasuke's eyes narrowed. He had long ago realized that this was one of the servants from his home. Why he (or she) had come to join them was a mystery that he had never quite been able to solve. But now he began to think again.

"What do you know?" questioned Sasuke. But Haku quickly shook his head.

"There are things that this lowly servant knows that are not even for your ears, Your Highness," Haku replied. Sasuke stared at him for another long moment before his mouth curled up into a smirk.

"You're quite clever," Sasuke said as he walked off too.

Because not even Sasori knew the reason why the older prince was allowed to remain in their traveling party. Only Haku, who brushed Sakura's hair and tidied Sakura's room, could piece together the past that Sakura seemed so determined to leave behind her. And as the past became clear, Haku began to understand what moved this fierce woman.

And Haku hadn't survived for years in an unfamiliar palace by blundering about asking the wrong questions. His queries always came in bits and pieces, harmless fragments that created a whole picture.

One night, he asked, “Your- My Lady?”

"Hm?" responded Sakura in a light hum. Her eyes were heavy with sleep and the droop of her shoulders told the story of a long day. He always rubbed the calluses on her hands with special ointments before bed. She laughed that a soldier needn't have soft hands. He gently countered that a princess did. Her smile faded a bit but she didn't protest afterwards.

"Why did you really tell Prince Naruto not to come with us?" he questioned as he finished massaging the white cream into her palms.

There was a pause.

Then Sakura lifted her right hand. She pointed until Haku squinted and saw a thin line slanting diagonally from her pinky to the base of her thumb.

"When we were nine, Naruto climbed up a tree trying to catch a squirrel. I was nearly impaled by a branch while I was trying to save him," recounted Sakura. She then pointed to another scar on her forearm.

"Later that same year, he tried to play with one of the hunting hounds. This wound festered. I nearly lost this arm," she said. Haku's eyes widened with horror as he began to notice the tiny scars flecked over parts of her body. Her skin was rather fair and the scars were so light that they were invisible until she pointed them out.

"When I was 12, I came home for the holidays during my first year at the military academy. Someone tried to assassinate him at the winter festival. I grabbed the knife with my bare hand," Sakura said as she opened her palm to show Haku the thin line that almost could have been part of the natural lines on her hand.

That was the year she had stopped calling Whiteriver Keep her home.

"We'll be your parents from now on."

Those had been Kushina's first words to her. And yet each time her stupid son fell out of a tree or tumbled down a hill, Sakura was the one to break his fall. She had been the one to grab hold of him, shielding him tightly in her arms so that her back would be covered in scrapes and deep bruises that would turn the color of sour wine while Naruto would be a little shaken up but unharmed all the same. 

She found him when he wandered into the forests and lost his way just before nightfall. Sniffling pitifully, Naruto held onto the back of her shirt as Sakura navigated them back through the darkened woods.

She was good to him.

And yet each time she saved her cousin, the good Count and Countess Namikaze only ever ran to Naruto first. It didn't matter that they then turned to her thanking her for being so brave. It didn't matter that they gasped over her wounds so lovingly that the servants marveled at such tenderness for weeks afterwards.

They ran to their son first. Even if she bled and gritted her teeth against the pain, they never saw her first.

Sakura quickly learned that people were liars. Those who pretended to care were the worst. As she watched the nobles sink their claws into these oblivious people, Sakura closed her heart to them.

Because their hearts had never been open to her in the first place.

"I didn't bring him because there is no room for mistakes out here, Haku," Sakura declared as she stared at the boy's reflection in the mirror.

Another time, Haku asked about what the King Regent and the Queen Regent were like. The bitterness in Sakura's smile began to piece together a story. It didn't take long for Haku to come to understand.

It wasn't hatred that made Sakura so cold to these people.

It was pain.

Sakura felt the change in Haku's hands as he brushed her hair during the weeks of travel as he learned more and more about her. She couldn't stand pity. And sympathy she liked even less.

But their gazes met in the mirror. There was pain in his expression too.

She supposed that it made sense. They were both orphans, though he had certainly suffered in a much different way from her. Their fear was different. Their hurts were different as well. And yet they had both lost the people who would run to them first.

"I've noticed that you call me ‘My Lady' now. Any particular reason for the change?" questioned Sakura one night as she rubbed her calloused hands together after she pulled off her leather gloves. Haku took the gloves from her and folded them to put them away. His dark eyes flitted to her briefly before he went to retrieve her nightgown. He set the white garment on the bed and then he folded his hands together across his stomach.

"Well," he began with one nervous look in her direction, "You once told me that being called ‘General’ is like armor for you. But for me, My Lady, you're the strongest person I know. So I feel that there’s no need for you to wear armor around me."

Haku then bowed.

"I beg your pardon if I've caused offense," he quickly added.

He jolted with surprise when Sakura threw her head back and laughed.

"You just might be smarter than half the nobles running the kingdoms," she chuckled. Giving her a small smile, Haku glowed with pride as he suddenly moved to organize her luggage and vigorously fluff the pillows.

In the tavern downstairs, Sasuke glared at his brother over his drink. Itachi looked into his mead with a look of curiosity before he took a sip. The rich, yeasty flavor was apparently to his liking because he lifted the tankard to his mouth again. Only when he had quenched some of his thirst did Itachi meet his young brother's accusing stare.

“Your health won’t improve if you push yourself like this," Sasuke said as soon as he saw that he had Itachi's attention. Itachi seemed rather at ease as he looked around the dim room. There was a group of men playing some sort of card game in the corner. A pair of burly men with scars and with animal pelts stacked on the empty stools beside them sat at the bar, trading stories with frequent laughter. The bartender was balding and stern-faced with a bristly beard, glowering out at anyone. As if daring anyone to cause a ruckus.

Itachi had never seen such people before the start of this long journey. Sasuke had seen similar characters on his visits into Ispolin and also when he followed their father on his visits to different parts of the kingdom. Itachi, confined to his bed, had rarely even seen the castle grounds outside before Sakura's arrival.

"Sasuke. Look at me. Do I look any worse than when we were home?" challenged Itachi.

Sasuke frowned.

"I suppose not. But you looked much livelier in Plumeria," Sasuke relented after a long moment.

Itachi smiled knowingly as he glanced down at his hands. He had even tanned a little in the warm island sun.

"I thought I was going to die in that castle, stuck in that awful room. I've read thousands of books, Sasuke. I've 'seen' hundreds of places and hundreds of people. But when will I ever have another chance to truly see the world?" he uttered softly.

"Is it so worth seeing if it lands you in an early grave?" growled Sasuke in response. Itachi chuckled.

“I won’t die from being a little tired. I’ve been told that moderate exercise will actually improve my condition,” Itachi assured him.

Before Sakura's arrival, he had seldom spoken to his younger brother. Now it amused Itachi to no end to see how determined Sasuke was to protect him. It seemed like just yesterday that Sasuke was a baby with stubby arms and legs that cried to be carried everywhere. Before his illness, he had frequently escaped form his tutors to take his little brother around the castle, showing him the secrets that came with his place as firstborn.

Sasuke was grown up now. He was taller and stronger and living in ways that Itachi never could.

"That's called envy," Sakura pointed out the next day as she leaned over to feed Kaze a lump of sugar during a short break. Sasuke was up ahead with Sasori letting their horses drink from the nearby stream. Itachi sat on a boulder, his hands clasped together as he looked up at her with exasperation. She was always too good at coming up with simple answers to his tangled web of concerns. He analyzed and reanalyzed without end, in circles that tangled together. She barged in with a rope to connect the two points without fuss.

At every stop, he dismounted and walked around to stretch his legs before nearly collapsing to sit wherever he could. No one had ever told him that riding a horse for such long periods of time could be so painful. After a few weeks, it was much easier to endure. And yet it amazed him that Sakura could travel, eat, and sleep on her stallion's back with no trouble.

Seeing Itachi grimace as he stretched his legs, Sakura smiled.

"I've been riding Kaze since he was big enough to support my weight. And I've been riding horses since before I could walk. That is also a form of envy, Itachi. And a foolish one at that," she added.

"How so? I thought you, of all people, would admire ambition," he challenged. He grimaced as he rotated his right ankle once before he turned his head away to cough into his fist.

"If we could do anything in this world, we would be gods. Our limitations only serve to highlight our strengths," Sakura responded so simply. It was a question she had asked herself many times before. Maybe it wasn’t the right answer. But it was the answer that helped her sleep at night.

Her forehead wrinkled as Itachi coughed again. He did it far less than he used to. But the sound bordered somewhat on a wheeze. It was a painful sound. But she composed her expression again as Itachi turned back to look at her.

"More grains of wisdom from your father?" Itachi guessed. Smiling, Sakura extended her hand to him.

"My mother," she corrected him.

"Sakura, shall we go?" Sasori called out to them. They both glanced at him and saw him waving from further down the path.

Itachi grasped her hand, letting her pull him up into the saddle. She slid up to make room for him. And though his weary body felt heavy and all he wanted to do was to make it to the next inn to be able to sleep, Sakura tilted her head back to look at him. He stared into her bright eyes, mesmerized for a brief moment by the intensity of the blue-green color. Then he leaned forward to kiss her and she laughed even as her lips parted against his.

Then their moment ended.

Sakura took up the reins in her hands. She barely clicked her tongue before Kaze moved forward to catch up to their companions further down the road.

"This will be the last meal we won't have to make for ourselves for a while," Sasori announced over dinner that night. They were gathered around one table in the corner in the tavern. Exhausted from the long day of travel, they slouched a little as they waited for their food to arrive.

"Why is that?" asked Sasuke.

"Because we will be approaching the southern border soon. And it is to our advantage that characters from Wave Country remain uninformed of our arrival for as long as possible,” replied Sakura.

Sasuke glanced over at his brother before he locked gazes with Sasori.

"No inns. No shelter?" Sasuke questioned.

“If possible,” Sasori declared. Sasuke's eyes narrowed.

"If I am not mistaken…and I rarely am about such matters," there was an edge to his voice, "your country currently has neither an alliance nor a quarrel with Wave Country."

"It's difficult to have a quarrel with a country that has no government, yes," retorted Sasori. “We do, in fact, have a quarrel. Which is only made worse by the idiots who have been making all the decisions up until now.”

Haku touched Sakura’s arm. She barely looked down as Haku pushed a drink into her hand. Sakura raised the drink to her lips. Paused.

“Governed or ungoverned, people are all the same…. awful,” she sighed. And then she downed her drink. Which happened to be a refreshing mead.

+++

"It's a dreary day."

Bored out of her mind, Ino peered up from her latest novel with a vaguely sympathetic grimace. But then she noticed that it was Naruto approaching her and she grudgingly folded her page over before closing the book. Her lady's maid scrambled out of her seat to curtsey to the prince. Ino took her time also rising and curtseying. But her head did not dip nearly as low and her eyes did not fall demurely to the floor. Instead, she stared brazenly into Naruto's face.

Not that he would know enough to be insulted.

"To what do I owe this high honor?" Ino drawled as she snapped her fan open. The gentle waving motion made her hair flutter around. The light perspiration that gathered around her hairline and on the back of her neck made the normally smooth strands frizz and curl.

Ladies did not sweat, Ino heard her mother scold in her head.

So Ino fanned herself harder.

It was another lazy summer day in the capital. Trees spread their lush branches proudly up toward the blazing sun. Bright clusters of flowers and berries dotted the forests. Any travelers descending into the valley where Leaves sat could see a vast carpet of dark green blanketing the earth before the stone walls of the city came into view. Despite all this beauty with the birds singing and the wind whistling through branches, summer, in Ino's opinion, was by far the worst season to be in the city. The air was sticky and heavy. Humid would be a gross understatement of the weather.

Ino sucked in grudging breaths between the pinches of her corset and wished merry hells upon her mother for making her even wear the monstrosity. Her skin felt sticky under the layers of her dress. Her arm stuck to the cover of her book and to the arms of her chair. She also wished hell upon the demon who had invented the corset. While she was at it, she wished hell on her father too for dragging her to the capital in the first place.

There wasn't much to do in the capital. Spring Port wasn't much better. In fact, Ino rarely even visited the city. She mostly stayed with her mother at the manor located further inland.

Admittedly, the capital had all the nice garden parties and social events. And yet Ino found herself longing for her secret adventures out on town in disguise with her lady's maid. It was impossible to get into any sort of mischief at Whiteriver Keep. Well, impossible without Sakura there, rolling her eyes as she dismissed the guards who had discovered her trying to climb a wall.

Naruto blinked. He clasped his hands behind him. Ino always smiled with too much tooth in front of him. She coated her venomous words in extra honey. It made the other nobles gasp and whisper. But whether he was really that foolishly kind or he honestly believed that she bore him no ill will, the young man was never less than polite to her.

Ino had to give him that. He was always polite.

"I'm not really that much higher than you. Our families were both once stewards to the king. I'm only a prince because my uncle married a queen," he pointed out with a light shrug.

There was dead silence.

It was Ino's turn to be at a loss for words. She only remembered to shut her gaping mouth when her lady's maid cleared her throat.

Ino fixed a scowl on her face.

"Then why allow yourself to be called a prince knowing that?" she demanded, not caring that she would be scolded later for sounding pushy.

The way Naruto shrugged made her upper lip twinge in an expression between a sneer and a grimace before she could compose herself again.

"Well, that's what they say I am…so I suppose I've never really questioned the real reason behind it," he flippantly responded.

Ino forced herself to take a deep breath. She stole a glance at her lady's maid out of the corner of her eye. And rather than look concerned with propriety as usual, the young woman's normally neutral expression also seemed somewhat brittle, as if she were struggling to hide the irritation. When she met Ino's eye for the briefest moment, she quickly pretended to be checking her needlework.

"Anyway, titles and all that- it doesn't matter so much between old acquaintances. Isn't that right, Lady Ino?" Naruto went on with an easy laugh.

"…Of course, My Lord," she ground out past clenched back teeth. She fanned herself harder, only staring until Naruto awkwardly cleared his throat and excused himself. Her icy scowl followed him until he disappeared down the garden path and back toward the castle. Ino continued fanning herself furiously until her lady's maid put her hand on her arm to stop her. Ino blinked a few times as she set the accessory down.

Blood still boiling, Ino waited for Naruto's steps to fade completely before she turned to her lady's maid. The other woman's eyes were big as she waited.

"Moegi, my stationary, please. I need to tell someone about this," Ino ground out.

She scribbled too quickly. Her letters slanting one way. Her mother would have a fit if she could see such slovenly handwriting. She sealed it with extra care before handing it over. As the other woman accepted it, Ino clasped both her hands between hers. Staring her directly in the eyes, Ino spoke in soft, measured words.

"I may lose my head if this falls into the wrong hands."

Moegi looked insulted as she pulled away.

"If your head rolls, so does mine. Worry not, My Lady.”

+++

On their fourth day of travel along the Forest Kingdom's southern border, there was a distant noise that made Sasori yank his reins in a sharp motion. His horse snorted in protest as it jolted to a halt. Sakura and Itachi's heads turned back toward the noise while Sasuke and Haku also pulled their reins. The party stopped on the packed dirt road. The only other sounds to greet them were the dry rustles of grass on the plains.

They hadn’t received any reports of strange activity of the scouting party up ahead,

Sasuke cocked his eyebrows. Sakura pressed her pointer finger to her parted lips as she strained to listen over the silence. She locked gazes with Sasori who frowned as he concentrated. After a long minute, he pulled his sword from the scabbard with the grating noise of metal on metal.

Itachi's hands tightened on Sakura's waist as he felt her shift. Her hand moved to rest on the hilt of her falchion.

"Who?" she whispered.

“Unshoed horses,” was all Sasori could make out. He adjusted his grip on his sword.

He tapped his ear. Slowly, the faint rumble of hooves pounding against the ground began to thrum through the ground. Over the distant horizon, a faint cloud of dust rose.

Several riders.

Sasuke stole a glance at him before turning his attention back to the men riding up toward them.

"What are we dealing with?" Sasuke demanded. He squinted toward the dust. The closer they came, the clearer their bared teeth and painted faces became.

Wave Country had collapsed a little under 10 years ago. The people had risen up against the corrupt king and beheaded him. Most of the king’s former vassals had broken up the land into territories. Any attempts at an alliance had shattered as negotiations had dissolved into violence. Now, warlords were the ones who ruled over the territories. And the most powerful warlords were the ones who had the money to employ the strongest warriors.

Itachi's shaking fingers grazed her stomach. When she grabbed his hand, she turned her head toward him. The color had drained completely from his face. And yet his dark eyes were clear as he stared at her, waiting.

“The warlords and their mercenaries aren’t very reasonable. You should close your eyes,” she warned him in a soft voice. She held his gaze until Itachi nodded a little. Turning her head back to the approaching threat, Sakura slipped out of Kaze’s saddle.

The first warrior who arrived gripped a head in his hand. Sakura recognized it as the captain of the forward group that she had sent ahead to scout. Blood still dripped from the stump of his severed neck.

Sasori swore under his breath.

The man grinned. He was clearly the leader. He tossed the head toward Sakura’s feet.

The rest of his men rode up to join them. Horses painted in swirls of white mud to look like skeletons thundering across the plains. The men themselves were wrapped in furs, necklaces of teeth and bones glittering across their collarbones and up their wrists. Itachi eyed one of the men's axes, an ugly thing crusted black with unspeakable remnants of past battles.

“Look at this. A little tea party from up north,” he leered at her. White mud caked his face in war stripes. His yellowing teeth were too sharp.

“I don’t suppose you’d be open to negotiation?” Sakura offered. Just to be polite.

She could already see their bloodshot eyes roving over their healthy horses and to the bags strapped to the backs of their saddles. They were looking at the shining buttons on their uniforms and at wide-eyed Haku clinging to his reins.

"How's about you give us your gold, lady, and then you show me your tits?" he leered.

As the man began to guffaw, Sasori lunged. He leapt from his saddle, drawing a dagger from somewhere up his sleeve. But before he could attack, Sakura had already raised her weapon. The point of her falchion dug into the leader’s throat. As she pulled her blade free, blood dribbled from the incision. He gurgled, hands clutching at his neck. Blood began to leak from his mouth too, spilling into his beard.

Sasori looked down at his dagger. And then he spotted one of the warriors lurching forward. He flung his knife with a snap of his wrist. The triangular blade soared, burying itself into the man’s eye socket. An agonized scream gurgled through the air.

As the rest of the foes attacked, Sakura shifted her weight. Her shoulders relaxed, her grip just loose enough on her falchion. Sparks flew as a sword connected with hers. She pushed back, sending the attacker stumbling.

“Oh, this won’t be fun at all,” she complained. At her back was Sasori, whose hooded gold eyes sparkled. His lips parted in a smile as he glanced all around.

A little ways away from them, Itachi sat on Kaze's back, dumbfounded as he watched Sakura's feet glide across the rough terrain. The toes of her black boots were dusted over and speckled with mud but they never stopped moving all the same. Her back straight and her mouth set in a line, Sakura blocked a spear jabbing toward her head before she twisted her wrist and gouged her opponent through the throat. Blood spurted from his mouth and spattered a few flecks on the side of her face.

There was clean elegance in the way she dispensed of each of her enemies. The tip of her sword made perfect cuts- geometric shapes and jabs that left tidy sprays of red across the packed mud and shriveled grass.

He could see now, what had inspired an entire army to move for her.

Sasuke moved in front of Itachi and Haku. He had received training, as any prince did, but he had never actually shed blood before. There had never been a reason to. While Sakura and Sasori had done an otherwise perfect job of keeping enemies at bay, one rogue had managed to come close to them. Sasuke raised his weapon, trying to keep his hands from shaking.

“Sasori!” Sakura yelled.

Sasuke blinked. And then the man who had been charging at him was falling. Twin daggers buried into his back. Sasori didn’t even have the time to look at Sasuke again as he threw himself back into the battle.

"How dreadful," Itachi heard Haku whisper in a hoarse voice. He watched Sakura plunge her sword into a man, gouging upward between his ribs. Her leather gloves strained as she twisted. Planting her foot against his leg, she wrenched the blade free and he collapsed in a writhing pile on the ground. Sakura flicked her wrist and blood spattered the grass in an arc.

It didn’t take long for the group traveling behind them to catch up. The addition of the soldiers shortened the battle considerably. They made quick work of the remaining attackers.

As the dust settled, one of the soldiers knelt before Sakura. Her eyes flickered around, searching until she saw Itachi and Haku still sitting atop their horses. Haku was a faint shade of green, but both seemed uninjured.

“We should have moved more quickly, General. Then you wouldn’t have suffered any injuries,” the soldier apologized.

“Don’t be ridiculous. You followed orders and guarded the rear,” she sighed. Pressing her fingers to her temple, she glanced over at Sasori, who shrugged.

“On your feet, soldier. Scout the area for any stragglers,” she ordered. She could read the look on his face. See how the guilt had settled into his eyes. But the pull of his instincts was stronger. What soldier didn’t move when his general commanded him?

“Yes, General. Right away,” he uttered. He rose to his feet and bowed deeply before he hurried off. Yelling orders to his subordinates as he moved.

Sakura wiped the sweat from her brow. Peeling her gloves off, she made her way over to the horses. But as she moved, Sasori took her by the wrist. He kept his voice low, moved his lips as little as possible.

“I say we search the bodies. They might have orders on them. This might not be a random encounter,” he warned her.

“Fine, fine,” she snapped, pulling away from him. Sasori gave her a dumbfounded look as he watched her stalk off. And when he realized where she was headed, he let out a sigh.

“You’re alright?” she asked Haku. Haku nodded. Sakura nodded in return.

And then Sakura reached up to take Itachi’s hand. It was trembling. But he smiled for her as he squeezed her hand back. She studied his expression for a moment, tried to peek beneath that brave front.

“Sasori,” Sakura called without tearing her eyes from Itachi.

“Yes?”

“I’ll leave this to you. Let me take our friends somewhere a little less… unsettling,” Sakura ordered.

There was a pause. Another sigh. And then: “Of course. I’ll join you shortly.” And then she could hear him directing some of the soldiers to accompany them to set up camp.

They found a rocky cliff that rose above the moist soil. The horses had little trouble navigating the terrain. Under the shelter of the cliff, they started a fire. Soldiers began digging up stones and smoothing over the dirt before they set up tents. Others went to secure firewood. Sakura almost went to help find kindling. But the look on Itachi’s face told her it was a better idea to stay. Although Sasuke looked less shaken, he was also a little too pale for her liking. Sakura sat with the brothers, chatting with them to keep their minds occupied.

Soon, the soldiers returned. They started a fire in no time, stoking it to life. The flames grew brighter and brighter as they fed it with bits of brittle bark and then broken branches.

By the time they had put together a stew for dinner, Sasori and the rest of the party joined them. They sat with them around the fire. Sakura’s gaze met Sasori’s through the flickering flames. He shook his head. Sakura let out a little sigh before she turned back to the conversation around her.

As the sun set, yawns began to pass back and forth between people. Haku sagged against Sakura’s shoulder. He jolted upright, murmuring an apology.

“You silly child. A growing boy needs rest,” she replied. And she applied gentle pressure to his arm until he leaned over to rest his head in her lap. Her hand stroked through his hair just a few times before he was asleep. Some of the soldiers eyed the interaction. Exchanged wary glances. Before they pretended not to have seen anything at all.

Soon, it was time for the first shift of guards to switch. Some of the men lingering by the fire excused themselves, bowing. Sakura nodded in return.

“You should get some rest,” Sakura then suggested, looking toward Itachi first, and then Sasuke.

“…You’re right, I suppose. Early to bed, early to rise, as they say,” Sasuke agreed. He paused. And then he gave his brother an awkward pat on the shoulder before he got to his feet. They watched his silhouette head in the direction of his tent. Silent. Sakura stroked Haku’s hair a few more times. Drawn by the movement, Itachi watched her hand.

“I… somehow imagined it would be worse,” he suddenly commented.

“What would be?”

“You. In combat.”

Itachi’s eyes held hers. For a long time. She liked how he didn’t look away.

“Not so heartless?” she teased. Itachi’s mouth curved up for the first time that night.

“Not at all,” he replied. “After all, you have to be scared of losing something to fight that hard. Right?”

Her free hand found his in the dark. She pressed her lips to his forehead, listening to his trembling sigh. When her lips found his, they were both smiling.

After Itachi had gone to bed, Sakura woke Haku. He slurred an apology. But Sakura simply sent him along to sleep, too. She watched to make sure that he made it inside the flap of his tent before she surveyed the rest of their makeshift campsite.

Sasori conversed with a few soldiers. She watched him angling his hands, miming a slicing motion. He was probably giving feedback on their sword techniques. There were occasional flickers of movement in the darkness as others patrolled in the darkness. She stood up.

Sasori stopped mid-sentence. He held her stare. And then he smiled, giving her a single nod before he resumed his conversation.

+++

Silence had two different faces.

There was a silence that settled over the night like a well-worn cloak. Familiar and comforting.

There was a silence that stifled. Too sharp in its stillness.

Sakura’s eyes flew open when the wrong kind of silence entered her ears.

She sat just in front of Itachi’s tent. Only her eyelids moved. The rest of her body frozen in the same light slouch she had fallen asleep in. As she searched the darkness, she met a pair of unfamiliar eyes.

“They said not to underestimate you,” a deep, gravelly voice crawled through the darkness. His massive, hulking body was faintly visible in the glow of the dying fire.

“Are my soldiers dead?” she demanded.

“A few. The rest are unconscious, I’d say,” he replied.

"How disappointing. We've been tracking these idiots for close to a week. Snatched the prey from right under our noses,” another man commented from far too close to her.

Sakura whirled on the voice, the tip of her bloodied sword unwavering. The pointed edge came to rest just on the throat of an unknown man. His hair obscured one of his eyes but the other sparkled with mirth. He held his hands up but somehow conveyed the sense that he was by no means surrendering.

"Easy there, lass. Wouldn't want to make any big mistakes," he sneered.

They waited, muscles tensed and weapons raised, for the other riders to reach them. Sakura stared the stranger in his pale eyes. He didn't seem to be an actual threat. But he had the air of a trained killer. And with Itachi fast asleep just behind her, there was no way she was relaxing.

“Now, we’re here to talk. No need for such hostility,” the first man said.

“You sneak up on me. Kill my men. And then instruct me to be less hostile?” spat Sakura.

Everyone started when they heard the whisk of blades leaving a sheath.

“How right you are, cousin. With these lack of manners, they’ll only ever be ill-bred mercenaries,” Sasori spoke up. She couldn’t see him, but he seemed to be standing closer to the first man.

There was a pause.

And then the first man chuckled. It was a booming sound, like it was moving through the earth and not the air. “Well. How stealthy,” he commented. And then he seemed to think before he suggested: “How about we stoke this fire and have a conversation? Like civilized folk.”

Sakura didn’t move. Her glare still trained on the man closest to her.

There was movement in the dark. Rustling and footsteps. She tried to separate the different noises. To count how many there were. She could hear someone’s puffing breaths as they blew on the embers to stoke them back to life.

Several minutes later, when tongues of flame began rising from the flame, Sakura began to count the heads.

Six altogether. The man who had spoken first sat on a stone by the fire. He was a massive creature with blue skin and pointed teeth that almost reminded her of the barracudas that swam the shallows near the island.

The other men were scattered around. Some were shirtless, others wore little more than an open jacket lined with fur over bare torsos. One had on some sort of mask that covered his mouth. He carried a bloodied knife in one hand. But all wielded swords, fierce blades glinting in the firelight.

Sasori took slow, measured steps to join Sakura. His eyes never leaving the men. His sword gripped tightly in his hand.

The man who stood closest to Sakura had silver hair. He grinned, hands still held up in a taunting way. He took a few steps away from her as Sasori approached. Sakura didn’t move her weapon.

The blue-skinned man, clearly at the head of the group, got to his feet. He towered over her, muscles bulging as he crossed his arms over his chest. Sakura could hear Sasori's feet shift against the ground. She held her hand out, freezing him in place. Instead she turned to this massive man and fixed him with her coldest look.

To her surprise, the man in front of her smiled.

"We are the Swordsmen of the Mist," the man announced with a bow. Sasori's lip curled.

"Mercenaries," he confirmed with a scoff. Sakura wasn't surprised by his reaction. For a man like Sasori, his blood moved for blood. It moved for beauty and sacrifice and love. Hired men's blood stirred only for coin. There could be no greater dishonor than that.

But they had not announced that they were mercenaries. Sakura's eyes narrowed as she stored away that information for later.

"General Haruno of the Forest Kingdom. What business do you have with me?" she demanded.

"We've got a deal for you, Princess Sakura," the silver-haired man chimed in.

Sakura clicked her tongue. Her hair had always been a dead giveaway.

“You want money,” she translated.

“Well, we don’t hate money. That’s sort of a given,” the blue man agreed. But then he took a seat again, leaning back with a sort of ease that irritated her. Like he was in charge of the situation. And he was.

“How much do you know about the situation here, General?” he queried.

“In this camp or in this territory?” she bit back.

He chuckled. His hand landed on his knee. “Apologies. Us uneducated brutes might not speak as clearly as you. The territory.” His smile wasn’t particularly threatening. Neither was it so friendly that she let her guard down.

Sakura cast a look Sasori’s way. He opened his mouth and cracked his jaw. Adjusting his grip on his weapon.

“No king. No unified government. And warlords are crossing over to ambush our caravans. It’s not some grand mystery,” retorted Sakura.

“They wouldn’t be crossing over if they were properly paid their tribute. It’s been months.”

At this, Sasori narrowed his eyes. “What are you talking about?” he demanded.

“Our employer waited several months for the tribute to arrive.  Pleasant relations will resume once he is paid his tribute,” the blue man informed them with a polite smile.

Sakura raised an eyebrow. “Employer. Not lord. Interesting.”

“Of course. The only loyalty these sort have is to money,” spat Sasori.

There was a tense pause before one of the nearest men slowly raised his sword.

"You'd better watch your tone there," he slowly growled out. Sasori's eyes narrowed. Before he could draw blood, the leader sent a sharp look at the man who had spoken. The blade wavered before it slowly fell back.

The smile returned to the leader’s face. “Who, on this planet, has the luxury of disliking money?”

“Impossible,” Sasori retorted. “I was there at the meeting. Duke Hyuuga had it in his ledger. Tribute was paid. In fact, they agreed to increase the amount that was sent.”

The mercenary just went on smiling. He tapped his fingers against his knee. Looking from Sasori, then to Sakura.

“This warlord could be lying,” Sakura mused.

“Yes. I would advise against putting faith in such… people,” Sasori trailed off, his gaze flitting to the mercenaries. His upper lip curled.

“And even if they are telling the truth, this employer could be lying to them,” Sakura agreed.

“Oh. King Yagura may be bloody, but he does not lie,” the mercenary interrupted with a cheerful shake of his head.

“Yagura? That child? And what is he king of? Ashes?” answered Sasori with a dismissive wave of his hand. The corner of the mercenary’s mouth twitched. His stare bore into Sasori.

“Of course, plenty of men crowning themselves king these days. But just because there’s no nation doesn’t mean that the people don’t exist,” he corrected.

“Until I see evidence of Whiteriver Keep sending a carriage down this way, there is no proof that tribute was actually sent,” Sakura cut through the tense moment. She shot Sasori a look. He glared, like he might snap at her too. But then he closed his mouth, returning his gaze to the mercenaries, who were glaring back just as fiercely.

“And if this is true, then King Yagura has essentially hired you to throw a tantrum in his stead,” Sakura summarized. The mercenary gaped at her for a moment. And then he threw his head back and roared with laughter, his gut heaving. He put his fists on his hips as he chortled for a good moment. When he quieted, the way he studied Sakura changed, somehow. Unintimidated, she threw his calculating look right back at him.

“What is this King Yagura like?” she inquired.

“Bloody. But he has rules and he follows them,” he answered.

Sakura touched her chin with her free hand. She sheathed her sword. The sound startled Sasori.

“Hm. Not the worst neighbor to have,” she then said, mostly to herself. She looked down at herself now. Squinted down at her cloak. It had been a gift from her Aunt Kurenai. Handcrafted by the most skilled weavers. The clasps and the buckles accented by pearls and tourmaline. Sakura unbuckled it, letting it whisper off her shoulders. She then reached for the dagger strapped to the inside of her thigh. Shoulders tensed as she drew the weapon. But rather than draw it on any else, she brought it up to her throat.

“If I’m not mistaken, oaths are often sealed with part of the body in this land. Unfortunately, I happen to require all my fingers and toes. So this will have to do,” she explained.

Sakura grasped the end of her ponytail. She sliced through her hair, just above where a find band of gold and silk held it in place. She placed it in the center of the cloak and folded it into a small bundle.

“Inform King Yagura that the Haruno family will see that he is compensated for his troubles. In the meantime, a peace offering,” she instructed.

The mercenary stared at the bundle. He turned over some thought in his head, nodding to himself. Then he glanced at one of his men. The one wearing the mask. He jerked his chin. As he stepped closer, Sasori raised his sword a little higher. Sakura rolled her eyes, but chose to ignore him as she handed off her gift.

“And now,” Sakura went on. All eyes flew to her again. “I have an offer for you.”

And like he had been expecting that, the mercenary shook his head.

"We don't break contracts, General. It's no fun having an angry warlord's hoard chasing you down," the man countered. Sakura felt her expression relax slightly.

"Is that the weight of obligation I hear?" she commented with a hint of a smile. The man countered with a sharp-toothed grin. They stared at each other before the tall man extended his hand to her.

"Kisame Hoshigaki, handsome marauder and outlaw," he introduced himself. She grasped his cool palm in hers, giving it a firm shake.

“I’m not asking you to break it. I’m asking you to tell King Yagura that I will take you and your merry band. As a gesture of good will between the two of us,” Sakura suggested instead.

Kisame made a face. “Between your two countries?”

“Between him and I,” Sakura corrected.

She could tell when it clicked because Kisame snickered. “And what makes you think we’d be willing to transfer employment to you, General? Rumor is that you don’t even have a guarantee of a throne behind all that bragging.”

Sakura didn’t flinch. Although her smile cooled somewhat.

“So what? Are your words nonsense simply because you’re not a king?” she challenged. She saw several pairs of eyes hone in on her, greed shining bright. But Kisame remained pleasantly unreadable as he shrugged.

"Gold?" the silver-haired man suggested.

"Only gold? What a simple request," mocked Sakura. Rather than bristle at the jab, Kisame leveled her with a searching gaze.

"What are you offering here, General?"

"You'll end your contract here, cut ties with these warlords. Enter a more permanent contract with me and you will never need to take another job again. It will largely be security and intelligence work but with all the gold and the lands you could ever want," she said. She could hear the question in Sasori's stare on her back.

What the hell are you doing?

“And if we refuse?” Kisame questioned.

Sakura’s smile grew even colder. “Will you refuse?” she wondered in response. Eyes narrowed, she added, “Who, on this planet, has the luxury of disliking money?” She borrowed his words from earlier.

Kisame exhaled a huge breath through his nostrils.

“The little king won’t be easy to convince,” he grumbled.

“Then it’s a good thing that I only use the best. I’m sure that’s something you can handle,” Sakura replied. She got to her feet. And then she smirked at him.

“Be back by sundown tomorrow. If not, I’ll assume that you’re satisfied with living as a child’s messenger for the rest of your lives,” she added.

Her eyes locked with Kisame’s as  he rose to his full height as well. He held her stare for a long time before he simply turned and stalked off. The rest of his band disappeared into the darkness after him.

Sasori spat into the dirt as they melded into the night.

Sakura nudged the flap of Haku’s tent. He lay curled up on his side, his back to the entrance.

“Haku,” she called.

He jolted. And then jerked up right. Face white and eyes too bright in the darkness as he turned to look at her.

“Are they gone?” he whispered.

“Yes, little one,” replied Sakura. She crouched in the entrance of the tent, forearms resting on her thighs. She offered him a reassuring smile.

“Go back to sleep. We’ll keep watch until morning,” she assured him. And then Haku’s eyes grew as huge as plates.

“Oh. My Lady. Your hair,” he gasped.

“In the morning, Haku. Rest,” Sakura said. She let the flap fall back into place. When she got to her feet, Sasuke stood speaking to Sasori.

“Are you alright? I woke up in the middle, but I didn’t want to cause alarm by barging in,” the prince apologized as he approached. Sakura shook her head.

“A wise decision,” she said. But it was a little distracted. Because while she was glad that her friend was unharmed, there was one last person she needed to check on.

Itachi sat up in his bedroll when she slipped into his tent.

She didn’t bother asking him if he was alright. Such a stupid question. Though he certainly looked pale and a bit worn out, he hardly looked to be on the edge of collapse. He tried to smile at her. She pretended not to see the worry etched into his expression as she took a seat beside him. The layers of blankets and furs still clung to the heat from his body.

As she looked straight ahead, she realized that she could see the shadows of Sasori and Sasuke’s legs as they stood by the fire. Realized that Itachi would have seen her silhouette, too. Blocking the entrance to his tent.

“That could have gone very poorly. I’m glad it didn’t come to blows,” she mused as she put her hand over Itachi’s. Even though it was shaking, he laced their fingers together. He did that often, she noticed. When she turned her head toward him, he regarded her with equal curiosity.

"Why do you always do that? With my hands, I mean," inquired Sakura. His thumb stroked the back of her hand. He tilted his head to one side, bringing their joined hands up.

"I suppose that I just…enjoy holding your hands? I like the way they feel," he wondered out loud. She scoffed.

Her hands were scarred and rough from years of training and labor. There were calluses on her palm that fit the handle of her sword. There were marks from blades and injuries that made knotted scars on her pale skin. Even the tips of her fingers weren't soft like a lady's hands. And she had never really paid much attention to that sort of thing. Not until Itachi started to hold her hand all the time.

He watched her expression. Thoughtful.

"Do you…not like your hands?" Itachi questioned.

She didn't say anything. And to her surprise, he didn't push the subject. He asked another question, instead. One that she disliked even more.

“Weren’t you scared?” Itachi murmured.

Sakura leaned against his side. He was warm.

“Of course not,” she lied. She squeezed his hand. Just for another moment, before she pulled away.

“No need to cause a scandal, I suppose. Try to get some rest,” she whispered as she got to her feet. She was careful not to meet his gaze as she left the tent.

+++

The mercenaries were back precisely at sundown. Sakura sat on a log, one leg crossed over the other as Kisame knelt and set down a boar at her feet. The flesh was still warm as black blood bubbled from the arrow wound in its throat

"A meager offering for you. Long live General Haruno, true heir to the Forest Kingdom," he declared. And with some visible grumbling, his underlings lowered to their knees and bent their heads.

Haku grabbed Sakura’s arm. And when one of the mercenaries’ eyes fell on him, he flinched, burying his face in the back of Sakura’s shirt.

Kisame's head jerked up when Sakura let out an audible snort.

“They won’t hurt you, Haku. There’s no need to be afraid,” she told the boy. And then Sakura looked at the warriors.

"I am not taking you in as knights. I do not expect chivalry and manners. I know precisely what I've hired," she said as she leaned forward and lifted Kisame's chin.

"Mercenaries. Rogue, coarse, money-seeking, whore-loving mercenaries," Sakura added. She thought for a moment before she smiled.

"I'll expect you to be bawdy and to ruffle some feathers. But when I require your swords, when I ask you to wag your tails and beg…" she trailed off for a moment as she saw the outrage burning in some of their eyes.

But then one of the men, younger with his rounder face and his grin raised his chin to stare defiantly at her. It was the one with the silver hair who could never seem to keep his mouth shut for long.

"Woof," he simply declared.

Everyone froze. Sasuke held his breath as he looked over at Sakura, who folded her arms across her chest. She regarded for a moment before her eyebrows rose.

"What is your name?" she finally questioned.

"Suigetsu, M'Lady. An honor," he said with a mocking bow.

Finally Sakura smirked.

"You're cheeky. I've decided that you'll slaughter the pig," she said. Suigetsu blinked before his mouth spread into a grin. He pulled his sword out of the harness on his back.

"With pleasure," he responded.

Tensions died down somewhat after this exchange. The remaining soldiers regarded the mercenaries with disgust, but none would dare go against their commanding officer. Some moved in to start preparing the boar for cooking.

As Sakura took a seat near the fire, Sasori ran his hand over her back.

“Still sore?” he wondered.

“They ache a little,” she admitted.

He sat beside her. Sakura patted his knee a couple times.

“What?” demanded Sasori. She offered him a little smile.

“I’m glad you’re here,” was all she said. Sasori didn’t reply to that. He just reached over and kneaded her shoulder a couple times before he let his hand fall into his lap. His eyes moved to Sasuke, who exited his brother’s tent with a grim expression.

“Sasuke,” Sakura called out. But the prince was already walking toward her.

"How is he?"

"Tired," Sasuke declared as he plopped onto the rock too. Sakura scooted over to one side to make room for him.

"You or your brother?" queried Sasori.

"Both," Sasuke grunted. He put his elbows on his knees to eye the men across the fire.

"Are you sure this is wise? Even I've heard stories of these men like these and their atrocities," he then said in a low voice.

"For the time being, they'll do more good than harm. But I wouldn't keep my wine unguarded around them," she answered just as quietly before she fixed an easy smile back on her face and got to her feet.

Their oddly assorted party traveled back up the borderlands, toward the Forest Kingdom. Kisame's easy banter with Sakura made it impossible for either sides of the group to really keep their weapons held at each other's throats. But at the same time, Sasori seemed to largely be occupying himself giving dirty looks and everyone seemed happy to reciprocate.

The swordsmen led their caravan, taking the place of the soldiers they had slain. The remaining soldiers, along with Sasuke and Sakura's horses brought up the rear. At night they set up camp. Sasori insisted upon sleeping outside with his sword gripped tightly in his hand. Sakura couldn't help but shake her head at him planted by the entrance of her tent like an angry guard dog.

As time went on, Sakura slowly began to learn some of the names of her newly hired swords. There was, of course, Kisame, who bore the most peculiar scars on his wrists that Sakura couldn't help but look at whenever he walked past with his sleeves rolled up. Sasori's eyes narrowed whenever he saw them too but he never seemed willing to tell Sakura why. There was hot-headed Suigetsu with his cheeky tongue. But then there was his older brother, Mangetsu. One of the swordsmen kept his mask on at all times. The man with the obscenely large sword strapped to his back was Zabuza, and he was by far one of the most interesting characters in the group.

One night after dinner, Sakura glanced at Zabuza through the flickering flames. His black eyes were fixated on Haku, who in turn was trying his best to look busy sewing up the tear in Sakura's jacket. But she saw the way his white fingers fumbled and she chuckled. It seemed that Zabuza had taken somewhat of an interest in her companion.

"He's intimidating," she said in a low voice.

"Very," agreed Haku with a nervous glance in the muscled man's direction. Though the lower half of his face was covered in linen bandages, Sakura examined what little she could discern. A strong jaw and cropped black hair- he wouldn't be an ugly man. And his muscles weren't lacking. Strong. Healthy. Sakura saw Haku's eyes also lingering on Zabuza's flexed biceps.

"Handsome, perhaps," added Sakura, carefully monitoring Haku's expression. The boy's cheeks exploded bright red as he whipped his head around to stare at her.

“My Lady!" he squeaked.

"Such relations are not uncommon back on the isle. Yashamaru kept company with a wonderful soldier for many years," continued Sakura with an expression of feigned disinterest. As Haku continued to grow more and more flushed, Sasori wandered over and crouched down beside them to knock his forehead into hers.

"Can I help you?" Sakura asked, fixing her mussed hair. Sasori then wrapped his arm around her waist and hauled her to her feet.

"Take a walk with me, darling. Leave the poor child to his work," he said. There was a muffled sputter from across the fire.

"HIS? As in- a boy?" Suigetsu exclaimed, spilling out most of his drink. Beside him, his brother chortled behind his fist. Sasuke's face contorted with disgust at the ruckus before he glanced over at Haku to make sure that everything was alright. The boy's face was absolutely crimson as he bent over his work in furious concentration.

As the sounds of laughter muted, Sakura glanced over at her cousin. His glanced her way too before his eyes crinkled in a soft smile.

"I saw you tormenting Haku. Have you no shame?" Sasori pretended to scold her as he dropped his arm and instead let it swing freely at his side. Sakura put her hands in her back pockets. They headed into the trees, away from prying eyes.

The moon was bright that night. Silver light scattered in through the leaves, turning them odd shades of white and bleached blue. They were back in the Forest Kingdom's territories, back to the familiar cover of thick forests. It was a welcome relief from the endless, muddy plains.

"That isn't what you dragged me into the dark to talk about. What is it, Sasori?"

“Your hair looks lovely like that, you know.”

As Sakura rolled her eyes, Sasori chuckled. They both ducked to avoid a sagging branch. The moss softened their footfalls, muffling it until the symphony of bugs and nocturnal creatures drowned out the sounds of their movement. They stopped in a clearing dotted with fireflies.

After a long time, Sasori finally spoke again.

“I meant what I said. Your face looks wonderful no matter what length your hair is," he said.

Sakura gave him a look.

“Alright. Fine. I wanted to say that I think we need to consider the possibility that this was a setup,” he warned her.

“These mercenaries?”

“No, the earlier band of rogues. They found us rather soon after we entered the territory. Don’t you find that a little suspicious? Almost as if…” Sasori trailed off, as if was beneath him to spell it out so obviously.

“As if they knew we’d be there,” mused Sakura instead. And then she scrutinized his expression. “And they sent me down here to investigate. Not anyone else.”

“I suspect that someone might have been hoping that we’d run into a band of mercenaries much like this one. Only I suppose they didn’t anticipate you to have such a silver tongue,” he went on.

“This isn’t the first time sometimes tried to dispose of me. I can’t say your theory is unlikely,” she decided.

Sasori suddenly sounded exhausted as he whispered, “I’m so tired of this. I just want you to be happy. I wish all those awful people would just die.”

Sakura stared at Sasori for a long time. In the wavering moonlight, his eyes glimmered, almost as if they were filled with tears. Letting out a sigh, she placed her hand over his heart.

“Oh, Sasori,” was all she could think to say.

+++

<Chapter 11 | Chapter 12 | Chapter 13>

[animeomegas]

hi, amy. i was just remembering a fic, and i think you wrote on either this blog or the consort blog (i sent you an ask to your consort blog), anyway, it's a fic about itachi and alpha!reader and he's getting checked out for him to be his consort and all that jazz. i'm sorry i didn't enough info for this. :)

I think I know which one you're talking about :D @disneyprincessbuffyannesummers

Was it this one?

And yeah, I saw the message on the other blog, I've been meaning to revamp that blog for a while, but I haven't got round to it yet haha 😅

[caveadministration]

Gladius

Chapter 7: Bread and Circuses

Shikamaru sighed in boredom and disappointment as his friend cheered along with the roaring crowd. Down below, two minor gladiators started off the show. They had skill, all of the fighters did, but they didn't have any talent. There was no strategy, just the equivalent of two boys whacking sticks together, except these sticks were pointed and busy causing significant injury. Not so deep down, Shikamaru knew that he enjoyed the fights, especially if there was strategy. It was fun to predict the outcome and thrilling if he was wrong.

Shikamaru also knew that it was all a distraction; a way to appease the crowds and draw their attention away from the crumbling social and economic structure that the Emperor had built. He had thought about talking to his friends about it but had stopped himself before he could. It was slightly treasonous, and he was intelligent enough not to take the risk and, if he was being honest, they would probably disagree with him as most families in Rome were brainwashed to agree with The Emperor’s ideals.

Ino hadn't shown up today which was odd for her blatant love of violence, and Choji, Shino, and Hinata had joined their families in their boxes. Considering their status, it was a wonder that they ever joined Shikamaru in the stands. Yes, all of Shikamaru’s friends were clan children, but the Akimichi, Aburame, and Hyuuga were noble clans and they didn't, under principle, frequently consort with the lesser patricians. It was only the clan names that kept their parents from driving them apart. Shikamaru turned to look at the noble clans’ boxes. If he squinted just right, he could see Hinata next to her cousin and her sister, her father behind them.

Next to the Hyuuga box, the Akimichi and Aburame flanked it either side. Shino sat stoically next to his father while Shikamaru could see Choji laughing with his parents. Out of the bunch, the Akimichi were the least stuck up. Above them, the Emperor’s throne was surrounded by Uchihas. As the opening match staggered to an end, his esteemed holiness entered the box and reclined on the throne. Ah, so that was why the royal families kept their children close. They wanted to please the Emperor.

The announcer boomed from his place in the stand, his voice magnified to be heard over the crowd. “All rise for His Imperial Majesty, Emperor of Rome, and Lord of the known World: Madara Uchiha, the first of his name.” The people in the stands rose to their feet and roared their approval. Shikamaru did the same but with much less enthusiasm; it was best to keep up appearances.

It wasn’t unheard of for the Emperor to visit the arena and its gladiators, in fact he came quite often, but not to a small-scale event such as this. The roster did not hold much appeal with none of the heavy-hitters present, only fodder until the main event later in the afternoon. Shikamaru narrowed his eyes. Either it was a random appearance - unlikely - or there was an announcement to come, one important or personal enough for him to appear in public himself rather than simply send out a missive.

“People of Rome.” The Emperor’s voice echoed throughout the stadium. “I have grand news for the arena. Soon we will house another champion, the likes of which has never been seen in a gladiator fight before. Next week, the tournament will host Rome's first gladiatrix, a female gladiator!”

Once again, noise exploded from the spectators, but this time confusion and disapproval dominated the applause. Shikamaru could hear people talking around him about how a female gladiator in the arena was a disgrace to the sport, that a woman wouldn't last long in such a violent environment.

But between the outrage, Shikamaru could hear whispers of intrigue. He did have to agree, it was a new element - and therefore more interesting - but it could also be unpredictable. For this idea to succeed… this gladiatrix would not only have to defeat her competitors, but also make a spectacle, otherwise she would never be recognised.

And if she did fail, it certainly wouldn’t make the Emperor any more popular.

Beside him, Kiba nudged him in the ribs. “A chick, huh? Well I can’t wait to tell Ino, I’m sure she’ll be a fan.”

Shikamaru nodded in agreement and threw a quick glance up at the royal families. “Ino might be a fan, but I can’t say the same for the Hyuugas.”

Hiashi Hyuuga, Hinata’s father, wasn’t sneering, but he certainly looked displeased. Hinata was sharing excited words with her sister, but one look from her father sealed their lips. The Hyuuga had a history of misogyny, and it was delightfully ironic that both the heirs were female, but clearly that wasn’t enough to convince Hiashi on how proficient a woman would be in the arena.

“Yeah, but they’re stuck up,” said Kiba. “Besides, Choji, Shino, and their families seem plenty excited.” Or as excited as the Aburame could get considering their covered faces, but the Akimichi family were just as enthusiastic about the news as they were about everything else.

Shikamaru nudged him back. “And we don’t even have to wait until next week to know more.”

Kiba grinned. “We just have to ask Lee and Tenten.”

Sakura did not sleep well that night. A hay mattress on a stone slab might not be the most uncomfortable surface, but it was every noise that startled her awake, and each shadow that passed between her cell bars that sent her heart racing. She may have won the fight, but it was clear that some gladiators were more… vexed by her than impressed, and she couldn't rule out Hidan. If he decided to take revenge, then being in the same barracks wouldn't exactly be in her favour. Secure walls and doors lay between them, but Sakura had lived through enough to know those wouldn’t stop revenge.

Her injuries didn’t help either. Between those still healing since the attack on Suna, the brand smarting on her hand, and the stab wound in her leg, every movement was wrought with pain. Yes, Moegi had once again bandaged her up, but that wasn’t enough to dull the… discomfort of being impaled.

She was happy to have missed dinner. She was too tired to deal with the other gladiators and the meal she had with Moegi was sufficient enough, but would they see this as a sign of weakness?

Yet, there was nothing to be afraid of. No spectre came in the night to assassinate her and the most she heard of other people were the midnight murmurings of her cell-mates. When morning drew close and the witching hour had long since passed, Sakura finally closed her eyes and stole a little sleep before a bell clanged throughout the compound. A guard strolled into the barracks, rapping on the cell doors, others following him in.

“Rise and shine. You don’t get paid to laze around in bed all day.”

Wincing slightly as she rose from her bed, Sakura quickly pulled on a clean tunic and her sandals. She stood near the door and stretched her joints before the guard came into view.

“Out you get,” he said, opening the door. Sakura walked out to join the other gladiators who had been released from their cells. Her leg still throbbed in pain, but she wouldn’t give anyone the satisfaction of seeing her limp.

She passed Itachi and Kisame, eyeing the blindfolded Uchiha. Sakura still couldn't quite comprehend how he could be such a dangerous opponent, but even as the thought crossed her mind, Itachi’s face turned in her direction. Sakura felt a chill crawl up her spine and quickly looked the other way; it was almost as if he knew exactly where her eyes were.

The other two gladiators from Kiri stood silently near Kisame, and Sakura joined them with the other guards. Kisame gave her a wide, toothy grin, but otherwise she was completely ignored. Fair enough. She could understand wanting to keep to yourself.

Kakuzu followed her as he was let out of his cell, but the calm morning was disturbed as Hidan joined them.

“God fucking dammit. My neck hurt like a bitch last night and now I get this shit ass wake up call. What a great start to a great fucking day!”

“Shut up, Hidan. Nobody wants to listen to your whining,” Kakuzu growled.

“Fuck you, Kaku-fucker. You're not my fucking boss. And you!” At this Hidan turned towards Sakura and she tensed at his tone. Another fight was not what she was looking forward to towards before breakfast.

“You've got some big ass balls if you think I've forgotten about yesterday. And,” at this Hidan’s gaze turned less vengeful and more sleazy. “If you wanna go again, I'm not saying no, but the outcome is gonna be a lot different.”

Was he serious? Sakura still couldn’t comprehend how he could still be so horny, especially after she cut off his actual gods-damned head.

Sure, there were some in the world who took pleasure from pain, but there was a difference between a sharp, searing tug of the hair and decapitation. And although it was rare to see a man understanding of a loss handed to him by a woman, this wasn’t exactly the outcome she had anticipated.

“Yeah?” Said the guard. “Well I think it's time for you to shut your traps and head off to breakfast. And if you don’t, then it's only fair for you to go hungry. That clear?”

Hidan grumbled in discontent but it was obvious that he knew when to shut up when it counted.

Finally, Deidara and Sasori joined them, arguing quietly amongst themselves, and the guards escorted them towards the dining hall.

The hall was mostly empty when they arrived, only a few other barracks had woken up earlier and although she drew a few stares, Sakura was ignored in favour of enjoying breakfast. Perhaps her addition was not as much of an upset as she had previously thought?

She joined the rest of her barrack at their table, sitting as far away as possible from Hidan who took the opportunity of their guards leaving to once again run his mouth.

Sakura listened half-heartedly as he droned on and on about how unfair life was before she tuned out completely. Slowly chewing her breakfast, Sakura could hear more men enter the hall; gladiators claiming tables and guards taking their places along the wall, light murmuring following them.

She tensed a little every time someone walked behind her but slowly began to relax. That was until a group of men talking loudly at another table got up and strode towards her. Or to be more precise, Hidan.

“Well Hidan, who knew you’re such a shitty fighter. I mean I knew you were bad, but not enough to get absolutely fucked up by a girl.”

Slowly, the entire table turned to face the speaker.

Two men now stood in front of the table, followed by others behind them. They were similar enough in features that they were most likely brothers. Both with wild black hair, sharp eyes, and strange masks covering their mouths.

“Or was it all a show to get Pinky here a bit of a rep. What’d she pay you for it? Something worthwhile I hope.”

Sakura grimaced. As if the innuendo was bad enough, he couldn’t even think of an original nickname. From the corner of her eye she could see Hidan’s face as a grin started to stretch across it. Ah, this might not end peacefully.

“Now, now,” said Kisame. “You don’t have to start a fight, Meizu. In fact, why don’t you and your brother just turn around and finish breakfast.”

Hidan stood up. “Oh no no no, if they wanna fight, I’m more than happy to give it to them. Let’s see if the so-called ‘Demon Brothers’ hold up to their name.”

Meizu laughed. “But Hidan, you don’t understand. Gozu and I don’t want to fight you. We want to fight her.”

“Ohhhhhhhh, rejected.”

“Shut up Deidara,” Hidan sneered. “What? Too pussy-footed to fight me?” He began to step over the bench. “Well why don’t we just-”

Sakura stood up. Hidan stopped talking. She walked around the table and faced the two men. Gozu opened his mouth to speak. Before he could, Sakura punched him in the face.

Yes, a slap would have been more effective, but a punch sent through a bit more of a message, and a broken nose. Gozu doubled over in pain while his brother - Meizu was it? - snarled and rose his own fist, ready to swing.

Quickly, Sakura dropped into a crouch and whipped her leg around to catch his at it moved forward. She winced as her thigh smarted at the sudden movement, but now was not the time to stop moving.

“You fucking bitch!”

As Meizu tripped and fell, crashing into a nearby table, Gozu retaliated, blood streaming down his face and she used the moment of her sweep to rise into a high-kick and smack her foot into the side of his face. He went down again. Sakura took the opportunity to slam her heel into the small of his back and then spun back around to face Meizu who was coming at her with what seemed like a knife.

Sakura raised her elbow and blocked his attack before thrusting her fist into his stomach. He let out a gasping breath and fell to the ground. By now, the rest of their lackeys were cheering them on, but to her surprise not engaging in the fight. A previously arranged agreement? Or maybe not confident enough. As her attention drifted, she almost missed the blade moving to stab her leg. It nicked her calf as she moved to stomp down on Meizu’s face and he motionless, passed out.

Movement behind her and she ducked under Gozu’s arm and landed a cupped hand on his ear. He screeched and collapsed in front of her and suddenly everything was still. Sakura dusted off her hands and wiped a streak of blood off her cheek before walking back to her table to finish her breakfast. Nobody spoke as she sat down until Hidan let out a crowing cheer.

“How was that fuckers? And if you want round two I’m available to kick your asses too!”

As Sakura spooned more grain into her mouth, Deidara nudged her with his shoulder.

“Nice one, yeah. Maybe later we can go one-on-one.”

“Unfortunately, you won’t be training with the others today,” Genma said as he stood before the table. “You have appointments for your weapons and armour. And good work by the way, it was a good show to watch. Very clean and efficient and it’s nice to see those two get put in their place.”

“What a pity,” said Kisame, still grinning despite the early hour. “I was looking forward to crossing swords with you this afternoon. Maybe we can give that a shot tomorrow.”

Sakura looked at the men around the table, more interest in their eyes than yesterday, and by the sounds of the rest of the gladiators in the hall with their cheers for her and jeers for the brothers, more respect.

“Yes, maybe later.”

Sakura washed her breakfast down with a gulp of water and walked behind Genma out the building with faint calls of praise following her. She might have a better chance here than she thought.

“You know, Lee, I thought that you’d have better things to do than hang around in the forge all day.”

“But Tenten! It is the springtime of our youths! And! You have not left here to experience it!”

A hammer fell onto the blade, hot and malleable as each strike shaped a dangerous edge. Tenten set down the hammer and lifted the blade eyeing it before placing it back down and continuing with her strikes. “But I have a very important order to finish and as much as I’d like to leave I can’t. Also, I just don’t want to.”

Lee’s eyes trembled as they filled up with tears and Tenten braced herself for the onslaught.

“Tenten! You cannot mean what you say! You must be passionate about y\Youth and embrace it!” Lee sobbed it all out, as water and snot poured down.

Tenten sighed. This time as she lifted up the blade, she plunged it into water; it hissed as the water evaporated into the air. This time she was satisfied with its shape. “Maybe later Lee, but not now.” She walked towards the grinder and set to work sharpening the would-be sword as Lee remained blubbering on the floor. “And I have an appointment soon, so either you should leave or make yourself useful. There’s a cloth on the bench, hand it to me if you could, and there’s another one there for you to blow your nose.”

Lee did as she asked and soon the blade was sharp and polished, almost ready for the rest of the engravings, handle, and pommel. But first, she glanced at the clock, her appointment. As she put away her tools a knock sounded at the entrance and a guard poked his head around the frame. It was Genma.

“Ah, Tenten. I’ve brought you your new fitting.”

He walked in and behind him followed a girl, no a woman. Tenten had heard the news but it was still strange to see. However, it was clear that Lee hadn’t heard anything for as soon as he set eyes on her he froze. If Tenten didn’t know any better, she’d think he was petrified, perhaps in fear, but no. It was simply the calm before the… Lee.

Lee jumped into motion. “To see such a beautiful blossom in such a place is a miracle! I declare my love for you!” He ran towards her, but just before contact the woman dodged and Lee went straight into the wall.

There was silence as they all stared at Lee, at one with the stone.

“Apologies,” said the woman. “He startled me.”

Tenten smiled. “No worries, he’s like that. Why don’t you tell me what armour you prefer and then I can get to work.”

Not really anything to add at the end of this one, it was mostly just a bit of a fun filler chapter. There is the fact that gladiators generally slept on a stone slab and a straw mattress and as they fought in the Colosseum, they could buy better decorations/furniture for their rooms.

Hmu if I’ve missed something, and maybe, if we’re lucky, there’ll be a new chapter out in the near future.

I have edited all the chapters up to this one as of 2/2/19. Nothing major to the plot but it might be worth re-reading.

[cuteconsortboys]

Naruto please !

Okay, so a ranking from loudest to quietest in bed for the Naruto boys, I can do that! <3 I don't know if I like how this turned out but 🤷🏻‍♀️

QUIETEST

Shikamaru - Heavy breathing is the most you can normally get out of Shikamaru. Even when he's close to cumming, he holds his breath and becomes even quieter. He just closes his eyes and enjoys the experience like the pillow prince that he is lol.

Kakashi - You can get him to sort of growl and swear, but that's normally it. He reacts physically more than verbally.

Gaara - He's also super quiet. He talks quietly here and there, but that's normally it. Interestingly, in Suna, men are sort of encouraged to be quiet and still in bed so not to irritate their wives. Konoha men are taught to be enthusiastic about whatever their wife does. Gaara is still fairly quiet by nature though.

Sasuke - He keeps quiet on principle. He can be pushed into babbling if you overstimulate and punish him enough, but on the daily, he's very quiet. He's not about to let anyone make him make those embarrassing noises 😤

Shino - Shino hides his face in bed, which quiets him. He's always pushing his face into the Empress's shoulder or burying it in a pillow. All the little moans and whimpers are silenced. Of course, if you make it so he can't bury his face, those little noises escape hehe. He whimpers a lot.

Haku - I would say Haku is the start of the 'average' noise level boys. When he first joins the harem, he fake moans and overexaggerates a little because he's nervous about underperforming because he's a commoner. The Empress kindly explains that he can just react the way he's actually feeling and he eventually becomes comfortable just moaning like normal. He's a "feels good! Keep going!" kind of man.

Itachi - He's also fairly average on a normal night, but he can get louder if you push him. I think though, Itachi is prone to losing his breath in bed, and that makes him more quiet than he might normally be. He's much louder on nights with slow, gentle sex.

Iruka - This is where people start to get loud haha. Iruka thinks he's about average, but really he is not only loud, he's also very skilled at getting the Empress to be loud with him. His sex drive is high, so the longer the rounds go on, the louder he gets.

Neji - He is convinced that he's capable of being almost silent. He is not. He makes these super loud Ah! Ah! noises. He's also a hentai girl with his constant 'n-no, st-stop, I'm too s-sensitive...".

Naruto - He's very loud. He just gets too into it and moans constantly and just slightly too loudly. And his stamina is so good, so the moaning lasts a long damn time.

Kiba - Kiba doesn't understand why he would try to hide that his wife is making him feel really good. He wants everyone in the palace to know how much fun he's having with his wife. He has also been known to make his moaning extremely dramatic on purpose to wind up the Empress lol. Kiba sounds like a porn star on a quiet day.

LOUDEST

[everythingsakura]

Imperial Harem MultiSaku

Working on an imperial AU where Sakura is the crown princess of her kingdom, and is passively looking for a prince consort~ me being me will not let her settle with only one mwahahaha it's going to rain men in her palace, hallelujah

Since i just found out shisaku week is coming up, I'm considering adding him to the lineup of suitors. The guys i already have in mind are Naruto, Sasuke, Itachi and Sasori. Though I kinda wanna take Sasuke out and replace him with Shisui instead... Hmm decisions decisions.

This is a result of watching way too many imperial palace dramas TT now i have a pressing urge to write an imperial reverse harem MultiSaku TT

Anyway, I've finished drawing consort!Sasori and plan on drawing commander!Itachi next huehuehue I'll reserve them for last, and post the crown princes naruto and sasuke first (once im done anyway)

Look forward to it sometime this week~

[aubretia23]

Disobedience

This is a submit to BoruSara Fanfiction Week for Day 4's prompt : disobedience.

Disclaimer : I don't own Naruto or Boruto or anything related to it.

Rating : K+/G

Indian mythology AU

Destiny has a strange habit of disobeying your wishes.

If Sarada could have torn her hair off - or better, thrown the wedding garland on his face rather than around his neck - she would have. At least it would wipe off the smug smirk on his face.

She could have avoided this situation entirely. Really. But no, she had to tempt fate.

She should have really listened to her naga grandparents when they told her to do tapasya to their lord - Lord Vishnu - to whom her ancestor Adishesha - the kings of the nagas - is one of his two vahanas. But she had to remember the entire Skanda episode and the fiasco with his two wives (and the latter's reincarnations) and deny their suggestion. Her uncle Itachi pointed out that she can devote the tapasya to Lord Shiva. The man was easier to please and more lackadaisical with his boons. Then she pointed out why and how Draupadi landed up in a polyandrous marriage which in turn led to the war at Kurukshetra.

Yeah.

Once tapasya was out of the way, how would King Fugaku - the current ruler of Nagaloka - marry off his immensely precious and beloved only grandchild? How would he find a man of merit, virtue and valour? His Sarada had demanded that the final choice of her husband should remain with her. It wasn't an extravagant demand. His granddaughter was highly educated in philosophy and scriptures, trained in warfare, delightful to sight and priceless to behold. Surely there must be someone out there, one who can be at her side unconditionally.

The only solution landed up being, with Sarada's approval, a swayamavara. Dozens of invitations to eligible bachelors were sent out. Princes, kings, warriors, sages and scholars of each and every realm and race were invited.

“Why did grandfather have to invite him?” Sarada muttered sullenly.

“Well, he is the prince of the garudas. It would have looked incredibly rude if your grandfather didn't.” Chocho answered back, her voluptuous figure, so typical of a yakshi, moved gracefully through the heap of fabric and ornaments which were to be a part of Sarada's bridal trousseau.

Sarada closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose, willing herself to forget the man in question. She and Boruto grew up together since infancy. Their fathers were the ones who managed to bury the long standing rivalry between their races - the nagas and the garudas. Their mothers, his an apsara and hers a human who was a rishika, were also close. Somewhere, when and how she didn't remember, she and him became fierce rivals.

She rarely wanted to acknowledge back in their gurukula days under Guru Shino that she was mesmerised by his brilliantly blue eyes, found his golden plumage in his bird form and hair in his human form beautiful and his wit and charm disarming. She balmed her throbbing heart with denial. Of course, his grin was so annoying. But by the time their education ended a few months ago and she finally buckled up courage to confess what was in her heart, she heard that Sumire was already doing tapasya to gain the husband she desired. It had been no secret that the beautiful mermaid had been smitten with the young garuda since long. So with a heavy heart, she turned her back on her intentions and requested to be married off as soon as possible.

It wasn't easy. The conditions she had laid down for her swayamavara were not acceptable to many. She had demanded unquestionable fidelity on part of her husband along with their willingness to become her consort as well instead of just the other way around. A mighty proposition for many who expect polygyny to be the norm and had expected the throne of Nagaloka to be passed onto a distant male cousin of hers.

So, many long-winded, polite and bush-beating refusals arrived at her grandfather's court. The pain was dulled somewhat when she realised among the few acceptances of her conditions was one from Queen Kushina, the queen of garudas.

“Chillax. You should be happy that he didn't accept the invitation like Inojin or Shikadai or Metal or Mitsuki.”

Sarada smiled. She had sent an addition of a choice of rakhi to those men whom she held close to her heart. It heartened her to learn that they all had accepted the rakhi along with the invitation and swore to be at her side as her “brothers” through everything.

She can't help but overthink about how Boruto’s letter didn't mention anything about accepting her rakhi and instead sent her a set of the most beautiful anklets she had ever laid her eyes on. Rubies - the same stone as her nagamani - shone brightly alongside sapphires, emeralds and diamonds on solid gold. The design was exquisite and the craftsmanship impeccable and intricate.

She couldn't explain why but she had worn them to her swayamavara. She shouldn't have, ethically speaking. She wasn't going to interfere with Sumire's desire to marry Boruto, especially when Boruto had never given her any indication that he saw her as anything more than the oldest friend he had.

But here she was, decked in gorgeous bridal red and heavy temple gold, waiting for the tournament to end, in her chambers in the royal palace in netherworld. She glanced back at the large full-bodied mirror, standing proudly in a corner. It was crafted by Lord Vishwakarma, allowing passageway to the ones who will be able to complete each and everyone of the tasks set by her grandfather. They were not easy and she really doubted whether anyone could actually be declared a victor.

“Princess!” A servant called out to her, pointing towards the mirror. Her heart skipped a beat. She could see a faint glow from the mirror. There must be a victor. And now, she could set up a final test. If this person could see through her illusionary powers, she might consider marrying him. Whether to actually marry him or not depended on her. If he didn't, well, she could have a hearty laugh about it later on.

The mirror shone blindingly brightly, as though the sun itself had descended in the chamber. She shut her eyes tightly. There's no way she could see anything. A pause followed followed by an outburst of giggles from her handmaidens.

“Oh my! Sarada, you are going to get some sexy times tonight!” Her face burnt up red. She could hear the giggles of her entourage as they left the chambers. She could smell a familiar scent of Himalayan pinewood and fresh earth she could recognise anywhere in the world.

Her heartbeat sped up. No way. There's no way this is real.

She wanted to open her eyes but she couldn't immediately after being caught by such a strong flash of light. Nagas had excellent sight and smell but sensitive eyes. Casting illusion required immense amount of magical power and that also affected her speed of recovery. She could hear the man approach the balcony where she was waiting with the wedding garland in her hands.

He should not be able to see her. Her illusions were immensely powerful and his weakness had always been seeing through it.

“You know, I should have just jumped in through the balcony. The journey through the mirror was terrible. I feel a bit squeamish. I think you should move out of the way in case I end up puking.”

Sarada's eyes flew open. A blurry mop of golden hair slowly refocused itself back into the face of her oldest friend.

“You can see me?!” She sputtered. Until and unless the moron was just taking a lucky guess, she would rather die of humiliation at her illusion being seen through by the idiot.

“Duh.”

“How’s that possible?” Boruto nodded towards her feet, ignoring her incredulity.

The anklets.

Boruto smirked, rapidly closing in the distance between the two of them. “Our Lord was the one who gave me the gold which was used to make those. He said that they were “pure” and had anti-illusionary powers. Came in handy since I knew you would be setting up illusions.”

Sarada stared at him. This guy. This brat. This imbecile. Not only did he have an upper hand even before the swayamavara began, he was now giving her that absolutely annoying grin. How could she forget that his ancestor - Garudadeva - was the other of Lord Vishnu's two vahanas? And that he had always been teasing the two of them together.

“So?” Boruto raised a brow.

“So what?” Sarada glared at him viciously.

“Aren't you going to put that garland on me?”

“Whatever made you think that I am going to marry you?!”

Boruto waggled his eyebrows towards her ankles. Sarada flushed even more.

“I have a right to refuse you.”

“Hey!”

“Hey yourself. What about Sumire?”

“What about her?” Boruto blinked in confusion.

“She is doing tapasya to have you as her husband.”

“Ah that, I don't want her. I never saw her as more than a friend. And...she is not doing that tapasya anymore. It's a, um, well, it's a long story.”

“....”

“Listen, I know that-”

The chamber doors banged open. At least half of their families flooded in. Chattering, giggles and congratulations flooded the air while Boruto and Sarada looked on in bemusement. Sakura hugged Sarada tightly while Hinata nearly choked Boruto out of joy. Their parents, grandparents, his sister, everyone was there.

“Big Brother, why don't you have the garland around your neck?” Himawari was the first to notice that Boruto and Sarada are yet to choose each other as their significant other.

Sarada stiffened visibly. Boruto recovered from his previous bemusement immediately.

"You see, Sarada was just curious about how I actually saw through her illusion. And she was so curious that she forgot that we are having a swayamavara out here. Even about the garland. But that's a good thing too. Now that everyone is here, why not do it in front of everyone. Nice idea, right Sarada?” Smugness oozed out of his grin. Sarada gritted her teeth and viciously pushed the other garland she was carrying into his hands.

“Hey!”

Sarada looked up to find gentleness in those brilliantly blue eyes. Sigh. She's hopeless.

Utterly. Absolutely. Completely. Hopeless.

The weight of a garland pressed around her neck. Boruto had chosen her as bride. Smirk melted off into a smile before blooming into a grin. Blush spread across her cheeks and she practically threw the garland around his neck, accepting him as her groom.

It is the beginning of a really long journey together.

“I think I still need to puke. I am still squeamish.”

“Argh! Don't you dare do it on me.”

Tagging @uzumakiani @koppiehart @smartchocobear who I believe are from Indonesia (I may be wrong) and might get a lot of the references in this fic.

[grandma-wolf]

New Fic!!

“And now!” A voice called out, their voice sharing the same feverish excitement that had an entire auditorium's worth of teens and adults in a frenzy, “Please, let's hear it for our Prom King!!”

He watched the crowds all around the stage: clapping, whooping, cheering.

Sure, a minute portion of it was for his boyfriend, who had been voted Prom Consort (in replacement of 'queen'). But the real cause of the applause... Oh, it was all for him.

How Itachi Uchiha had strived, worked, and bled for this day!

“Whoa-oh~Oh!

Down on your knees

Before the King~!”’

In honor of the Halloween season, I’m back with a quaint little horror fic for you guys! The Ballad of Itachi Uchiha is now available on AO3!

[choji-akimichi1]

Hagoromo Ōtsutsuki Trivia: 🔥 Hagoromo (羽衣) literally means feather mantle and is a reference to The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter, in which Princess Kaguya is given a hagoromo to wear upon her return to the moon. The surname 'Ōtsutsuki' (大筒木) roughly means 'big bamboo tree' and is derived from an obscure passage in the second volume of the Kojiki about the genealogies of Emperor Suinin, eleventh emperor of Japan, which states that he had a consort named Kaguyahime no Mikoto (迦具夜比売命), the daughter of a king named Ōtsutsukitarine no Miko (大筒木垂根王); tradition holds that these individuals served as the basis for Princess Kaguya and the old bamboo cutter in the aforementioned tale. . Quote: (To Naruto) "Not ninjutsu, Ninshū! My Ninshū was created to inspire hope. Do not confuse it with ninjutsu, which was made to create war!" . Like and follow for more 😊 . · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · (Ignore tags anime lovers 😁) #naruto #anime #narutoshippuden #narutouzumaki #sasuke #boruto #manga #itachi #kakashi #narutoamv #narutoedits #uchiha #sakura #narutomemes #narutoanime #sasukeuchiha #narutofan #narutogaiden #naruto_shippuden #otaku #narutocosplay #hinata #narutoxsasuke #narutoedit #narutoshippuuden #madara #narutothelast #narutomanga #uzumaki (at Thank you)