"We will leave this place tomorrow," my father stated, leading me towards my temporary lodgings. "We have the support of the hidden village of the mist. We can continue with the ceremony and strengthen our alliance." With the edict out in the open, I inwardly bristled. Even though it was my father's right to marry me off to another noble, I resented his choice. Saito was an arrogant, useless pig, and I hated him. The more time spent in his presence made me want to force him to commit seppuku and do the world of favor.
"Yes father," I agreed demurely. My ladies in waiting were beside of me, and I had no intention of letting them know of my plan. I must appear to accept this marriage at all costs, consequences be damned.
"You agree to Saito?" Agree? Hardly. The pig ate whenever he wasn't raping his maids, and when he wasn't doing that, he was letting his sniveling, greedy second-in-command run his affairs. The guy had been embezzeling Saito's funds since day one, and if Saito couldn't see that, he deserved to go broke and hopefully get eaten by ravenous wolves.
"Yes father. I will marry him." Lies, all lies. I was going to spring out of this golden cage around me, and my fool of a father wasn't going to stop me. He had two other daughters, they could marry Saito for all I cared. My bitch of a sister Kin deserved Saito, and she would have to marry him once I was "dead". For all the bruises, snide remarks, and most of all, for treating my little baby sister as if she was an abhorration, she would pay.
"Good night, daughter. Tomorrow, our escort from Konoha will arrive, and we will leave for our own land." My father opened and shut his door, leaving me alone with my two maids. I kept my bearing regal, containing the joy bounding within my body. Only a day. One more day and Yumi and I could spring free of this place, never looking back. I made it to my own room, where my maids undressed me, undoing the hard work they had put into my dress and hair. I let them pamper me, and I knew I would miss them. They were kind souls, and would probably suffer at the hands of my sister. Yet to take them would mean that Yumi and I would be hunted not only for escaping, but for kidnapping, a penalty deserving death.
"We will be outside of your door, Motoko-hime." I nodded once, regally inclining my head. The maids bowed and left me, letting me climb into bed. Even though my body hummed with excitement and adrenaline, I knew I must sleep. It took a few minutes of steady breathing to put myself to sleep.
*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*
"So she's really a princess?" Uzumaki Naruto asked, amazed.
"Yes, moron!" Sakura cried. "She IS a princess." Sai, the last teamate, looked between the arguing boy and girl, not putting his opinion into the situation. The new book he was reading didn't cover this situation, and he didn't know exactly how to handle it.
"Neh, neh, Sakura," Kakashi, the squad leader pacified. The four shinobi were jumping from tree to tree, each trying to get to the rendevous on time. With the quick pace the shinobi had set, tension was sure to erupt between Sakura and Naruto.
"But sensei, he keeps asking!" The comeback was so childlike, it made the silver haired Jounin smile slightly. Naruto and Sakura had always fought from the second they had been placed on the same team. Fortunately for Kakashi, the hidden village in the mist peered through the trees above them, drawing Sakura's attention from the excited orange haired ninja beside of her.
*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*
I was patiently waiting outside of my carriage when I felt the arrival of three...no, four ninja. The fourth, and the strongest, was trying to mask his chakra. The third was shielding his chakra, not really bothering to hide it, while the other two seemed to not care that they were giving their postion away. Morons. The first thing I had learned as a shinobi was to always mask my presence. My father stirred beside of me as the four shinobi landed in front of us.
"Are you our escort from Konoha?" my father asked, cutting to the chase.
"Yes," the cute silver haired one said. "I am Hatake Kakashi." I inhaled slightly. Him? He was the infamous copy ninja? "This is Haruno Sakura," The girl in pink waved at us. "Sai," The pale ninja smiled slightly, but I could tell it was fake. He wasn't happy. "And Naruto." The boy with the orange and black jumpsuit scratched the back of his head sheepishly and grinned, making eye contact with me. Instantly, I knew I liked him. Maybe this could work. I could take Yumi to Konoha, instead of Suna.
"I am Batou, and this is my daughter Motoko." Once the attention was solely on me, I steeled my eyes and became cold and distant. I inclined my head just like I had been taught to do, and the ninjas bowed slightly in response. "We are ready to leave." The ninjas fanned out around my carriage without the leader, Kakashi, barking out any orders. My father escorted me up the stairs and into the carriage, letting my maids lift my dress up with me. I climbed to the top stair, my whole body tense, tingling with anticipation. Was I strong enough to fight the ninjas and get away? Could I pull off the shadow clones as I had been taught? I had no room for failure. I must get away.
"Father!" The snide voice of Kin broke through the silent courtyard. I turned, and I felt the first spark of rage ignite within my stomach. My bitch of a sister was smiling, vengeance evident in her features. My little baby sister was behind her, roughly being dragged by two guards. My hand fisted and I let the sleeves on my robe drop over my hand, hiding my distress. "I have some...grave news for you." Ever the one for melodramatics, Kin drew her fan and covered her mouth. I knew the vindictive bitch was smiling and I kept my eyes frosty.
"What is it?" my father asked, turning back to Kin. I knew this was bad. My father was legendary for his ruthlessness. He showed no mercy to enemies or incompetence. Even his own family wasn't safe. The two dead wives he had beaten gave proof to my claim, though the magistrate ruled them "accidental".
"Your daughter had to audacity to entertain a...man...in her bedroom!" My father's gaze slid over to my daughter; his movements portrayed no emotion whatsoever, and I knew. She was a dead woman walking. Even if Kin's claim was unfounded, the accusation would ruin Yumi for all time. Kin's eyes locked onto mine and I saw the truth. This attack was meant for me. She knew Yumi mattered and knew that I would save her, letting her take my place as the eldest. Feh. Take my position.
"Daughter?" The loaded question shook Yumi and she glared at him defiantly. "So it's true. You've betrayed us all and disgraced our family name." The next words make me sick to my stomach. "Kill her." The command galvanized me into action and I jumped at the two guards holding my sister. With a roundhouse kick to the left, I took him down. Yumi felled the other with a swift elbow to the groin. I took a moment to look at the father I had known all of my life.
"Goodbye," I said. It was the least I could say for him giving me the necesities in my life.
"So you will betray us as well? After I gave you everything?"
"You didn't give me anything that I needed, father. I never wanted the title or the position."
"I will hunt you down. You'll never be safe."
"We know," Yumi answered. "We're prepared to run for the rest of our life." With that, she reached into her pocket and pulled out the small sphere. "Goodbye, father." She threw it onto the ground and used her wind to spread the smokescreen towards the forest. Yumi and I jumped, landing on a branch overlooking our village. We both looked back once, for sentiment's sake. I breathed in once, and released, turning away from the only home I ever knew. Yumi, however, surprised me by drawing a kunai.
"Yumi?"
"This is worth it." She threw the kunai and I heard Kin scream in pain. "Don't worry," Yumi said. "It was only her right arm." With matching grins, we both jumped away at the same time, away from the ninja chasing us. Our own village ninja had no real desire to bring us back; the ANBU had even less. It wasn't the ninja of the hidden rock village we feared. It was the Konoha ninja. My father had paid money for their compliance, and failure to bring us back could potentially strain the relationship between the two hidden villages.
"Yumi, the Konoha ninja have just joined the chase." She nodded once, her chakra control not as controlled as mine was. Her training had begun later, years after I secretly enlisted the ANBU for help.
"I feel Ishikawa ahead." I spared a smile at her and her cheeks flushed with pride.
"Then lead on, my little Yumi." Happy to prove her new found skill, she jumped left, and I followed her, sensing the Konoha ninja. They were gaining rapidly; Yumi and I couldn't hope to possibly match them for speed. It was a race to Ishikawa, who would protect us as much as he possibly could. Fortunately, karma was with us, and we jumped into the clearing with Ishikawa, both of us skidding to a halt. Both of us were panting with exersion. We hadn't trained for long runs because people would have become suspicious.
"The Konoha ninja are too close," Ishikawa said, tossing us twin backpacks. "I'll create a diversion and you must run."
"Yes," Yumi and I chorused. We waited a few moments, then saw the ninja land before the three of us.
"What do you want?" Ishikawa asked, standing in front of us in a deceptively relaxed stance. Kakashi stepped forward, his hands up in a surrender.
"We wish to speak to princess Yumi." I quirked an eyebrow. No demands to bring me back immediately? I watched Kakashi for any hidden motives, but he lacked any malevolence.
"I am princess Yumi." I watched my sister out of the corners of my eyes. She stood straight, pride in her form.
"The hokage has recieved your letter."
"Letter?" I asked, peeved. Yumi rolled her eyes and kept her gaze trained on Kakashi. Every minute counted, and this was no time for discussion.
"She has agreed to allow sanctuary for you and your sister. However, you must aquire your own lodgings and work for your own money." We blankly stared at the Copy Ninja.
"We expected to do so," I said, overcoming the slight offense I took to his insinuation.
"We agree," Yumi cut in quickly, glaring me into silence before I would say something I regretted. "Please, help us escape." Ishikawa stepped towards Kakashi and gave him a small enevelope.
"This is for the princesses. This should be enough to buy a home." Our eyes widened. Ishikawa had stashed his money for us all along?
"Thank you, Ishikawa," I said, bowing to him. Beneath his ANBU mask, his eyes softened.
"The best of luck to you both," he stated before dissapearing into rose petals. Naruto's eyes widened, but Kakashi held up a hand, effectvely silencing him before he could ask any questions.
"Naruto, carry Yumi-hime. Sai, carry Motoko-hime." The pale boy appeared next to me and I flinched slightly. However, I grabbed a kunai from my ankle and cut my dress from midthigh down, giving me freedom to wrap my kness around Sai's hips. I hopped on his back and the rip I heard alerted me to the fat that Yumi was copying my idea. Our dresses were valuable, but not as much as a failed escape would cost us. "Move out." With Kakashi's command, the ninja jumped away and I gripped Sai tightly, not used to moving at this speed. Yet I knew that this was essential, so I closed my eyes and prayed for it to be over.
*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*
"This is our new home?" Yumi asked. It was a modest two story house, a drastic step down from the mansion we had lived in days before. Yet, for some odd reason, I was happier than I ever had been in my entire life. This moderate house was ours. OURS. We owned a house and the furniture inside. We had bought clothing and food, and stocked our house to the brink. We had a bit of Ishikawa's money left, but I was to be evaluated by Tsunade, the hokage, to assess my skills as a ninja. I knew that I could never be happy with a normal job such as cooking or waitressing, and being a ninja paid well. Yumi was to undergo the test as well, though she - and I, if I was honest - wanted to become a medic ninja. That way, she'd be away from the main part of the fighting, and wouldn't leave the village.
"Yes," I replied, a joyful smile on my face. "It is."
"Hey, Motoko," she began, chewing her lower lip. "Can we practice?" I quirked an eyebrow at her. "I don't know if I'm ready for tomorrow, and...since Father isn't here...I want to train." I shrugged, an unladylike gesture.
"That sounds agreeable. There was a small field not too far from the bath house." Yumi beamed at me and I smiled at her. She was my little one to spoil, and she deserved a break.
"Can you...also...um...cut my hair?" I turned a grave look on her and realized that her long hair would identify her as a princess immediately. A ninja would cut her hair to decrease the chance of her own appendage being used against her, but it was a shame. The women of my family prided ourselves for our glorious hair.
"Of course."
*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*
"Damn!" My eyes widened and my gaze flew to Yumi. The blush was high on her cheeks, but she didn't look repentant for the word usage. "I can't get this!" From my reclined position against the tree, the dead fish on the paper hadn't moved an inch. Yumi's chakra encased the dead animal, but she seemed to not be able to restart its heart. "What am I doing wrong?" More than a little weary, I closed my eyes again.
"Wrong person to ask, Yumi." She growled, and I smiled slightly. Without father's care, she was blossoming into a normal girl. It was what I had hoped to accomplish; the one gift I could give Yumi instead of her sheltered, pampered life.
"You need to focus more on the heart, instead of the whole fish." I jumped slightly, the voice unusual. I turned slightly to see a girl dressed in pink with short pink hair. She held her arms behind her back and smiled at Yumi, not giving off any threat. I stood and stretched, letting the new girl teach her a few pointers. Of course, I couldn't fight my own instincts and stayed within calling distance. I relaxed into a fighting stance and slowly exhaled my breath, closing my eyes. I slowly flowed through my karate forms, concentrating on muscle control. Inhale - switch to horse stance. Exhale, punch. Inhale - withdraw. Exhale -
"Your punch needs more turn." I jumped, not sensing the chakra, and saw the cute ninja from before. Hatake Kakashi. He was crouched on a tree branch, reading a novel. On closer inspection, I realized that it was one of the Icha Icha series, a book series that I could hypothetically have in my possession.
"What do you mean?" I asked playing along. Normally, I don't like to be corrected as if I'm an errant child, but his status in the bingo book meant he outranked my far lesser skills.
"When you punch, keep your back hand facing upward, and twist when you punch," he instructed, continuing to read. "You'll get more power that way." I exhaled and leashed my annoyance, doing what he instructed. As I punched, I felt the difference in my body and my arm. I felt the kinetic energy travel from my legs, hips, and finally to my fist, and I noted that this was indeed a better method.
"You're right." With this, Kakashi closed his eyes and gave me a thumbs up. I burst out into laughter, something my father tried to erase from my habits, and gave a broad smile to the ninja. "Thanks, Kakashi." With that, he jumped down and pocketed the book. He stood about ten feet away and slid into tiger stance. His eyes locked onto mine and the mixture of playfullness and determination made my heart trip. To cover my newfound discomfort, I crouched into crane.
"Begin."
*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*
"I'm a ninja, it's my birthday. I'm a ninja, it's my birthday." I watched Yumi out of the corner of my eyes. Her new hairstyle only served to enhance her joyful features, and she looked more the normal girl than she ever had before. Even now, as she was dancing joyfully down the street, drawing stares and smiles, she was forgetting about Father's hold on her. I had done what I set out to do. She was free of his rein. Me, well, it would take longer to undo what he had forced on me.
"Hey Sakura!" I looked up to see the pink haired girl from before. Yumi bounded over to her and began speaking excitedly, moving her hands to accent the words she was saying, another habit father had forbid. I smiled at the two kunoichi before moving on to the training ground we had used last night. As I reached it, I inhaled and smiled, remembering the fun spar I had last night.
"Come on, Kakashi. You can't be that bad." He punched at me, and I deftly twirled out of the way and snapped a roundhouse kick at his face. He caught my leg and threw me away from him. I twisted in the air and landed vertical on a nearby tree. I used my position to launch three kunai, each spiraling toward the silver haired ninja. Kakashi jumped, as I thought he would, and I jumped off the tree and managed to swipe the side of his vest, the closest I had come to landing a punch all night.
"Oh? That was close, Motoko-hime."
"Motoko," I corrected as I formed hand symbols for my next jutsu. "Earth Style: Earth Missiles!" Kakashi was pummeled by my attack, but his body transformed into a log. I blocked his attack from behind with my vambraces and smiled at him. "I'm a princess no longer." He then pinned me against a tree, a kunai to my stomach.
"You'll always be a princess to me." With those cryptic words, he whipped out his perverted book again and walked off, leaving me alone with my fluttering heart. I had to admit, I hadn't thought of the fight with his body pressed up against mine. I was thinking of another matter entirely.
"Are you ready, Motoko-hime?" Kakashi asked. I turned to see him leaning against the tree, his book in his hand.
"Of course, Kakashi. Would I be here if I wasn't?" With a snap, the book shut, and I crouched, ready to attack.
*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*
"You win again, Kakashi." Like all of our other spars, it ended with me pinned up against a tree, a kunai to my stomach. And like always, my heart was fluttering. I couldn't deny that I had a yen for Kakashi, but he seemed too distant for me to approach romantically. Outwardly, he was my friend and mentor, almost as a brother to me. Almost. Lately he had been keeping his distance from me, and I think he picked up on the fact that I saw him as a romantic interest. I spoke nothing of it to him, but yet he continued to drift away from me. Now, I only saw him in our daily spars.
"You're getting better, Motoko-hime." He withdrew from me quickly and began to walk away, waving as he did so. Even so, I couldn't stand it.
"Kakashi?" He turned, watching me warily. I had never spoken to him after our spars before, and he knew what was coming. "Would you like to have dinner at my place?" His eye closed and he turned away from me.
"No, sorry, Motoko-hime. A peasant and princess don't mix." With that, he bounded away, and left me feeling alone and rejected. However, I managed to scrap what little dignity I had left and stop the floodgate of tears begging to be released. If that was his pathetic excuse, fine. I had other offers to choose from, and he damn well wasn't going to ruin my night. I'd go out and have the time of my life, if only to prove that the rejection didn't strike as deep as it did. I started to stalk away from what had happened, anger keeping my sorrow in check.
As I neared the edge of the forest, I slowed, then stopped. Who was I kidding? I couldn't have the time of my life with any of the other ninja; Kakashi was the only one who intrigued me. I flopped onto my back and threw my arms out to the side. As I laid and watched the stars, I realized how childish I was acting. Even though I was hurting, I was going to storm off in a huff to hold my emotions in check. Yet that was the beauty of life. To cry made me human; to cry meant I was finally free. I had held part of myself back because of the invisible hold Father had created. Well, no more. I would harden my heart around Kakashi and try not to let my hurt show. I would be like Yumi, showing the joy and living life as a normal girl. Even though I couldn't get Kakashi, I could have a life. I would live.
*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*
"He's here!" A ninja cried, running toward Yumi and I. We were outside of the Hokage's office, standing with Kakashi and Tsunade herself.
"Who's here?" Tsunade demanded. Somehow, I inevitably knew.
"My father," I said, squaring my shoulders. "Yumi, stand back."
"But-" I whirled on her.
"No! Don't go near him!" My burst of anger caused Tsunade and Kakashi to flinch and worst of all, it caused tears to pool in Yumi's eyes. I gently touched her nose. "You are my only family, Yumi. I won't let him touch you anymore."
"But what about you? Who will protect you?" I smiled sadly at Yumi.
"Sometimes even a princess must protect herself and those she loves. Let me protect you, Yumi." She nodded her assent. I felt the chakra of my father's ANBU first and I turned away from Yumi, letting my body block her from the view of my father. Even though I wanted her to leave this place, I knew that this was the most safest. She had three of her friends here to protect her and I knew the other ninja would no doubt step in if things got out of hand.
I saw Father's carriage coming down the street and watched as people automatically moved to the side to let him through. Finally, the carriage dropped and my father stepped out. He looked around and I saw the disdain in his eyes as he condemned the village. Next, Kin stepped out, wearing my most prized robes. However, I didn't mind. I was done with that life; I no longer wanted anything to do with being a princess. Kin snapped her fan open and fanned her face, hiding her smirking mouth.
"I thought I would find you here, daughter. You've been quite the inconvenience." I said nothing and he continued as if I hadn't disrespected him. "However, I will overlook your impetuousness this once. Saito will not have Kin for a wife. He desires you, my daughter." Still, I said nothing as I tried to hold onto my composure. I couldn't kill him. That would make things hard for Yumi. "You will come with me now and abandon this farce of a life."
"This is no farce, Father." He quirked an eyebrow at me. "And I will not go back. I'm not a princess now. I'm a peasant."
"You would choose this life of...poverty-" he spat out, "over the life of luxury I could give you?" I lifted my chin a notch.
"Just because you have no concept of true life doesn't cheapen my experiences here."
"You've found a man." I jumped, surprised at the voice, and my gaze quickly connected with Saito, who stood on the top step of the carriage. "Who is he? I'll kill him."
"Hah!" I barked out. "He'd kick your pathetic ass."
"Motoko!" I glared at my father, who was glaring at me. "Ladies don't use that language."
"I won't be fighting him," Saito said, waving off the suggestion. "My ninjas will." At once, the "servants" under the carriage ripped off their clothes, showing their ANBU clothing.
"You've always been spineless, Saito. But this stupid?"
"No one will fight for you once I tell them the truth." I watched him warily.
"The...truth?"
"That you're my errant mistress. That you left your child in my care." He pulled out a bedraggled girl from the carriage and held her by the end of her hair. I had to give him credit. The girl looked like a split image of me. Yet what Saito didn't realize was that was my estranged half sister; the one sign of Father's weakness many years ago. He finally got rid of her when he ascended into full power and I was happy to see she still lived.
"You bastard. Let my half sister go or I will...kill you." He flinched under my gaze, my eyes bellying my statement.I felt Yumi move behind me and I swore. Yumi appeared next to Saito, grabbing the girl as she jumped away. At once, Saito's ANBU jumped at Yumi. I quickly formed hand signs. "Earth Style: Rock Wall." A wall sprung up behind Yumi, temporarily delaying the ninas. Yumi landed behind me.
"I've got her. Kick their ass."
"You bet I will." As the ninjas leapt, I jumped into the fray. It was a mass of bodies, but I was on a rampage. How dare Saito attack Yumi! I felt numerous kunai and shuriken pierce my body, but I kept fighting. I would protect her! Two out of the eight ninja were down when I felt the entrance of another chakra. Yet this chakra was massive, and the ANBU knew it. I flipped backward and watched as the scene unfold. Shikamaru and Ino held the six ANBU. Lee and TenTen were in the air, about to weark havoc on the stationary ninjas. Sakura was on the ground, about to punch one ninja. Naruto held his Rasengan in his hand as he ran towards a ninja. Neji was using his clan's technique, Jyuuken, to seal off one ninja's chakra nodes. And finally, Yumi was unleashing a jutsu on the last ninja. In a few mere seconds, the rest of the ninjas were incapacitated.
"Father!" Kin cried, worried. Yumi smiled wickedly at her.
"How's the arm?" she asked in a demonic voice. I snorted as I recognized the genjutsu, but let the joke go on. Kin squealed and ran towards the carriage. Father simply stood, his gaze dissaproving.
"I gave you a chance to come back into the family as a princess. Yet you would choose this life, this man, over your own family." I felt the joy in me, knowing I had made the right choice. The excitement flowed through me, giving me a new burst of energy.
"Yes!" I said, nearly yelling. "I love this land, I love this village, I love this people, and I love him! You can't even compare it. Your riches, wealth, and prestige mean nothing to me," i continued picking up steam. Yumi was smiling at me, furthering my rant. "I would chose life with him over you any day. These people have done more than you ever have." With that, Father walked over to me. He stared deep into my eyes, gaging my resolve. What he saw must have troubled him because he lifted his hand and slapped me. The sound echoed through the quiet street, and I felt the tension rise within my friends. I lifted my hand and brushed my hair from my face. I smiled at him, triumphant.
"At one time, that would have hurt me, Father. But you can't touch me anymore." He grabbed my hair and whirled me around, so I was facing my friends. He put his lips near my ear as he spoke harshly,
"You are a fool. Who is he? Who stole your heart from me?" I let my eyes wander over to Kakashi and my father saw my answer. "I will never allow you back in my family. Never. You won't get anything from me."
"And I don't give a damn." The grip on my hair tightened, but strangely, it didn't hurt.
"You've made your choice." He threw me to the ground, and my body, too weak to support me anymore, fell to the ground. "You will be my witnesses, all of you! I no longer claim Motoko as my daughter. She is dead to me." With that, Father walked back to the carriage wth the gaping Saito. In a sudden move, he began to run over to me. I watched him, unable to move. Strangely, I saw two feet appear in front of me. I looked up to see none other than Kakashi.
"Kakashi?" I lightly whispered. I knew he heard, but he made no mention of it.
"Leave her alone or I'LL kill you." I felt the waves of anger rolling from Kakashi and it stopped Saito in his tracks. He assessed the situation and finally deemed me unreachable. He backed up a few steps, then turned and high tailed it back toward the carriage. Once Saito leapt inside, the ANBU from before pulled themselves up and staggered over toward the carriage. They barely managed to lift it and I began laughing hysterically. I heard Yumi join in and I felt the relief from everyone around me. Of course, that didn't stop Sakura from running over to me.
"Motoko! You need to go to the hospital!" She began to pull the kunai and shuriken from my arms and back.
"That would require moving," I retorted. "And I can't seem to manage that now." Sakura smiled at me before leaning over to lift me up. However, she was beaten by Kakashi. He gently cradled me to his chest and jumped after Sakura. I closed my eyes and felt the weariness start to kick in.
"A princess doesn't always marry a prince, Kakashi," I whispered. "Sometimes the prince is an ass." And of course, he didn't reply, but didn't reject me outright either. I counted that as an achievement.
*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*
Two days later, I was deemed well enough to walk outside. I immediately went to the hospital roof to watch the moon, as I had done in my days as a princess. I laid on my back, using the pillow I had snuck out of the hospital. It was a slightly breezy night, givng me a better chance to relax from the stress of today. All in all, I was happy. When Father had formally disowned me, it was as my last emotional tie to him was broken. I was free, just like my little Yumi. We had close to no money in our funds, but we had a home and each other, which was enough for me.
"You should be resting." I tensed. Kakashi? What was he doing here? He never socialized with me unless he had to. Well, he probably wanted to confront what I said to Father today. Understandable. I had never told him I actually loved him before.
"I'm allowed to take walks."
"With a nurse," he contradicted. My cheeks warmed; he caught me.
"I must have missed that rule," I hedged. "And I'm only resting here where I can see the stars. I'm not even walking." I heard Kakashi sigh and a smile slid onto my face. I missed talking with him...before I screwed things up between us.
"Why did you do that?" Kakashi asked suddenly. I realized my decision to stay here, in Konoha, must have bothered him enough to come and talk to me. No matter. Even though I admit I felt a little dissapointed, he was still beside me, conversing with me. It was enough. "Why would you stay here?"
"Because it's better here."
"But you had everything you wanted." I grew sober as the conversation began to grow serious.
"No," I replied. "I had the materials a princess needed. I had no friends, like I have here. I had no family. I had no love." I closed my eyes. "My father beat us when he was displeased. It was so controlled; he always hit where it could be covered. When he broke Yumi's arm, it was time for us to leave. Just because I could have the world on a silver platter doesn't mean it was the best choice. Not everything is black and white, Kakashi. That's why I chose this place. I may not be rich, but I have a new life where I have friends, and possibly a husband in the future. I can have pets and train as a kunoichi. Everything I wanted to do as myself conflicted with how a princess should behave." I lifted my hand and stared at it.
"I never wanted to be a princess. I don't feel like a princess. I always felt like the peasant in the family. I was the one beaten most of the time. I was the one screwing up. I could never handle diplomacy with grace. I hated everyone and it showed. Father couldn't beat the right personality into me, so I was to marry Saito to get out of the way for Kin to step up." I let my hand drop to my side and stood, cradling the pillow to my chest. "So you see, Kakashi? You don't deserve me. Princes shouldn't mix with peasants, no matter how much the peasant loves the prince." I spared a look at Kakashi. He seemed not to be listening, but i knew he heard every word. "I'm sorry that I made things difficult between us, but I'm not sorry. Loving you brought me the strength to deal with my Father, and I'll be grateful for that much. I won't take back the words, Kakashi, but I am truly sorry for making you uncomfortable." I bowed to him, as respect demanded. "Good night."
"You don't need to bow to me."
"Common courtesy, Kakashi. Common courtesy." I turned to walk away, but Kakashi stoped me.
"I can't be happy." The words were laced with anguish and pain and it pierced my heart. "I killed my best friend. In return, he gave me an eye to replace the one I had lost. If I can't protect Obito, how the hell am I supposed to protect a princess?" I felt hope rise within me and I contained the smile. I walked over to Kakashi, mainting my sober expression. I saw the torment on his face and knew that he in fact, returned my feelings the entire time. I leaned down and kissed him lightly through his mask.
"You and the village will protect me. All I want from you is for you to care about me, even though I may not deserve it. For once, I want to be seen as Motoko, not as a princess. And Obito would want you to be happy. If he gave you his eye, treasure the gift between friends. Pay your respects and show him happiness through your life. He has to be watching you, so share your laughter and joy with him." Kakashi's eye closed and I knew I had gone to far. "I'm sorry, Kakashi. Forgive me."
"No." He stood and I backed away, putting room between us. Surprisingly he closed it and placed his forehead on mine. "You're...right." I gently touched Kakashi's cheek and he closed his eyes, savoring the contact. He had deprived himself from true female companionship for so long...But this let me respect him even more. He was stepping out of his comfort zone for Obito and me. He was allowing himself to possibly love and in that moment, I felt a princess. The gift was more treasured than any I had ever aquired, and I would keep it close to me.
"I love you, Hatake Kakashi." He shuddered. "I...love...you," I enunciated, sensing he needed to hear the words again. "I loved you from the moment I saw you. I love how you look. I love the fact you read the Icha Icha series. I love your personality, the mysteriousness. I love how you fight and I love to watch you laugh and play." I put my palm on his cheek and Kakashi leaned his head into it. "I love the fact that you would gladly die to save a friend and I love the fact that you quit the ANBU to teach Genin. And most of all, I love you for being you." I couldn't help myself and leaned forward, touching my lips to his once again. He didn't move at first, but as I pulled away, he placed his hand on my back, keeping my body close to his. "I love you."
"And...I...you." My eyes widened as he repeated the words back to me. Almost to reinforce it, he pulled down his mask and I gasped. He was absolutely goregeous! With the mask gone, he lowered his head to mine and kissed me once again, this time harder and with more emotion behind it. "And I always will."