Chapter 1 - Building Alliances
"In the midst of chaos, there is also opportunity"
The soft sound of wooden sandals rang against the outside corridor, and, like a delicate bird settling on a branch, halted. At this early hour, the gardens were even quieter than usual. Fog was still underneath the trees and in between the soft leaves of the carefully-trimmed bushes, like a mantle of wonder. The wind was blowing enough to create a sense of anticipation, but the woman standing on the platform was silent. She was breathing slowly, small puffs of warm air turning into subtle swirls in the cold morning.
Her heavy jūnihitoe, or twelve-layer robe was shielding her body from the chilly atmosphere, and while the red on her cheeks matched the rich crimson of one of the warily-put coats; her large green eyes, desperately fixated on the horizon above the red tiles of the courtyard found echoes in the delicate patterns on one of the folds of her sleeves. Her slender, pale hands barely escaped from the lush seams of fabric, and were tightly holding each other in a controlled display of worry.
She closed her eyes for an instant, tilting her head forward and enjoying the quiet peace of the estate. Her introspection didn't prevent her from noticing faint steps echoing on the wooden platform, stopping a mere meter away from her. The presence was soothing, strong, and she picked a delicate mix of musk, soap and vetiver grass. She allowed a small smile to grace her crimson lips, and, without looking at the man beside her, opened her eyes once more to gaze at the waking dawn.
"I couldn't sleep", she whispered.
The man allowed himself to let his glance linger on her noble façade one second too long, before turning his steel eyes away, fixated on the small pond at the centre of the garden. The water was ice cold, and a fine coating of ice laid on top of the still waters.
"Me neither", he answered, matching her restraint.
She let out a shaky breath, before unclasping her hands and turning her face fully to him. She was stunning, a mixture of royalty and raw beauty, and her big, green eyes were as deep as the pond alongside them, a careful balance of worry and eagerness. She was so young, he thought, way too young for what was coming.
"Do you think anyone will answer?" she inquired in a trembling voice, refusing to break eye contact.
"You still have allies, Sakura-sama", the man answered. "Your father had many friends and brothers of arms."
"But amongst the brothers and the friends, are there any brave men left?" she wondered aloud.
The man didn't answer, his gaze trailing on her delicate features, noticing a beauty spot on her jaw concealed under the white powder, the way her long lashes were barely brushing the top of her red cheeks. He barely suppressed a shiver, that he knew wasn't due to the icy air sweeping through his grey hair and the top of his ears. His mask, covering half of his face and his neck, provided plenty of protection against the wind, and his body was trained to ignore the cold. Unaware – or ignoring- his looks, Sakura let her eyes trail in the garden again.
"Everyone is afraid of Danzo", she whispered. "And after what he did … Even I am scared, I'll admit it."
Her smooth voice died in her tightened throat.
"I called out the best. Have faith. What Danzo did to your father and brother was appalling, but it was also careless. Kizashi was respected, and admired. If nothing, it strengthened our pleas against his regime."
She nodded slowly, the metal ornaments of her hairdo ringing like bells in the empty air.
"They didn't even return the bodies", she murmured. "Will my brother and father be able to cross the Sanzu River with no guidance? He has no respect for anything, even honour is unknown to the man."
He could see her tiny fists clenched under the layers of fabric, and, on a whim, took one in his callous hands. She looked at him, surprised, but did not pull away.
"I am sure they heard your prayers. They were great men, and warriors. They will find a path, straight to your mother", he murmured softly.
Sakura smiled a little bit at this thought.
"I can picture her, staring at them and scolding them. "Idiots!" she would call them. "You could have waited a little longer before coming back to me!"".
They both laughed lightly, and it was like the sun was rising all of a sudden. The cold air was warmer, and the sun shone a bit brighter as her melodious chuckles conquered the morning. She pulled her hand away, slowly, before carrying on, resolute.
"I am alone where I should have never been, but I'll do them honour. I'll carry on with their fight, even if I have to do it from here."
"Tsunade-hime would be very proud of you", the man added with what she guessed was a small smile on his masked lips.
"She will come back to us soon", she stated without a waver.
They fell into a peaceful, lighter silence as the rays of the sun were stroking the garden and the morning was truly settling. Their contemplation was interrupted after long minutes when hasty steps joined them on the outside porch. A servant, still in the opening of the sliding doors leading to the main body of the house, bowed quickly before uttering:
"Sakura-dono, the guests have started to arrive. The panel is set and they are waiting for you in the golden salon."
Sakura thanked the woman and turned to her companion. No more hesitation in her eyes, he noticed, nothing, but the will of fire burning everything on its path.
"It's time we know what mighty warriors stand in this room", she declared.
"Only the best, I am sure. Our fight is just."
"I hope some of these foolish men don't just want to marry", she uttered bleakly. "The estate is immense, and with a woman at its head … It's one of the reasons Tsunade-hime was ousted. They think we are weak, fragile little things. No matter what we do, in the eyes of men, we are dolls at the best, expendable at the least."
"You are nothing like that, Sakura", the man advanced in a more informal way.
"But, Kakashi", she answered in a whisper, "am I not where I am because men chose to lend me power? Because I've trusted men like you to offer me guidance? Am I not the rare product of a privileged upbringing and the will of men?"
The man stared at her without saying a word, and lifted a hand to barely graze her temple from the tip of his fingers. She held his gaze, and, as he pulled away, she heard him repeat:
"Nothing like that."
He went back a few steps, bowed deeply, and without another word, went in the direction of the golden salon, through the sliding door. He halted for an instant, throwing a last look at her, all crimson and white and pink, but she was staring at the tiles of the roof again, in the direction of the main road. Swiftly, he went back inside, bringing the cold morning with him in the hallway.
The heavy panel was settled in-between Sakura and the Samurai lords in order for them to only see glimpses of her pale fingers and layers of her rich jūnihitoe. She could barely see the figures through the pieces of decorated rice paper, and could only hear their voices and titles, as they were bowing in front of her in a sign of respect. Most of them were faithful friends of her father, and she made sure to grace some of the most important men a few, well-picked words to thank them personally of their loyalty.
Kakashi, in the corner of the room, on his knees, was able to see all the lords as they moved forward, and was favoured enough to see almost of Sakura's figure, as one of her most trusted advisors. He could see behind the panel the soft shaking of her head, the locks of long, flowing pink hair caressing the silk of her dress, and the tilt of her hand she was sure to display for some honoured guests.
The lords were following each other and, to his contempt, he realised that over twenty samurai families had answered to their call for protection. Some were more powerful than others, and, to the eager looks on their faces, some were motivated by the tales of the legendary beauty of former Tsunade-hime's apprentice and only daughter of the very wealthy Haruno estate. Servants were hidden behind rice paper panels, and sometimes an old woman with a strict face would trot behind Sakura to arrange a millimetre of fabric, the inclination of her hair or slightly correct her posture. It was, after all, her first outing as heir, and she had to make an impression.
Sakura was uncomfortable in the many layers of her heavy dress, and terribly hot, and it took every ounce of her control to not either faint or run outside, in the much more welcoming fresh air of the gardens.
There was only one man left to introduce himself, and, as he bowed so that his forehead nearly touched the floor, she almost gasped. A flash of bright yellow and the sensation as if the sun himself had come in, plus the incredulous hush that invaded the room confirmed her initial thoughts, and a large smile was barring her concealed face even before the young man introduced himself.
"I am Naruto Uzumaki, heir of the Uzumaki family, son of General Minato Namikaze, and I pledge my sword to you, Haruno-hime", he said with a loud, confident voice that made the panel vibrate with his shining energy.
After all, the Uzumaki were known for their incredulous abilities, that, according to the legend, they were drawing directly from the sun. Such a pledge, by such a powerful family, was an honour, and, even if Sakura expected it with apprehension – the General Namikaze and his wife were currently in hiding from Danzo and collaborating with Tsunade-hime herself- she drew an ecstatic breath. The fact that he used the honorific "hime" and not the traditional "dono" mirrored Tsunade's title, and was a clear sign to where his loyalty lied. She was beaming from seeing a young man she hadn't faced in years, answering to her call from a far-away land.
"The honour is mine", she replied softly to Naruto under gasps from the audience.
Kakashi smiled, despite knowing that Naruto would have had come for Sakura at any time. Only the best, he said. Especially old friends.
The night was nearly settling and Sakura was in her private office alongside Naruto and Kakashi, laughing softly and catching up on old times while drinking rice wine – Sakura pouring herself some when her maids were not looking. The sliding doors were open to the garden, the air warm thanks to an iron wood-burning stove in the middle of the room. Heavy rain was pouring, and the sound of droplets falling in the pond rhythmed their talks.
She had changed into a more comfortable, but still highly elaborated three-layered kimono and had let her long hair down, only held by a small crimson bow in the crook of her back, some lock flowing freely against her peach, makeup-free cheeks.
"So, your training with Jiraya-sama has finished", she said wile looking at Naruto, who nodded eagerly.
"He returned to Tsunade-hime's. Three years away from her was a long time", he snickered. "By the end, he was insufferable."
"You saying this sure puts things in perspective", Kakashi replied with a small laugh before emptying another glass of rice wine.
Sakura laughed lightly at the sight of Naruto loosing all his cool, blood away from his face as he started wailing at Kakashi, outraged. They carried on talking about old days, when all of them were just children and the war seemed far away.
Later during the evening, while they were talking about more serious matters, one of her servants approached her discreetly, and she scooted closer to her to listen to what she had to say.
Taking advantage of her distraction, Naruto leaned on Kakashi and whispered:
"Didn't you call him as well? I though he'd have answered."
"I have no idea where he is now, and if he is alive. With everything that happened, and his brother … Maybe he just didn't want to come", Kakashi murmured looking longingly at Sakura who was busy with her maid.
Naruto followed his gazed and frowned.
"I don't want to believe that. He is way too strong. Even if he is a Ronin, I would've heard if he was dead."
"Maybe he sided with Danzo. Last time I heard he was seen with the Akatuski, and you know how dangerous they are", Kakashi uttered darkly.
"Don't say things like that!" Naruto exclaimed as discreetly as possible.
Kakashi didn't answer, still meditative. Naruto looked at him, then at Sakura, who was whispering with her servant while she was arranging her hair and clothes.
"And don't wish for what you can't reach", he carried on quietly. "I've renounced a long time ago, and so should you."
Kakashi glared at Naruto for a second too long.
"I have no idea what you are talking about."
"Come on", the blond chuckled while pouring them another glass of rice wine. "We don't stand a chance."
"He has been gone over ten years", Kakashi said before emptying his glass in one swift movement.
"Sometimes, you have been in love with someone for so long, you don't remember who you used to be before that", the blond sighed in a soft voice, looking at his glass.
Kakashi was about to answer, when a second servant barged in, haggard and panting. After excusing herself and bowing, she whispered something to Sakura in a hurry, who immediately got up and towards the main door.
"Sakura-dono!" her servants yelled after her, but the sound of her wooden shoes echoed through the hallways as she was sprinting as fast as she could towards the entrance of the mansion.
Kakashi and Naruto followed promptly, grabbing their katanas in their wake. They followed her until they reached the open sliding door to the main courtyard. The rain was pouring down and the earth had turned into mud, small puddles of water starting to appear. Some lanterns light up the courtyard and some of the road ahead, the door kept open. Sakura, followed by her maids and the two samurais, sprinted in front of the astounded guards. Her delicate dress was covered in mud and her shoes were slipping in the rain, but she didn't care, and, when they saw her wet, pink flowing locks stopping a few meters in front of the main gates, facing a silhouette, Kakashi, Naruto and the maids halted in unison.
The silhouette, clad in a black travel cape, a long black katana visible in the folds of his kimono, stopped in front of the young woman, as the rain was trailing down her face and her neck, her chest lifting erratically as she stood here, all glory, grace, beauty and porcelain.
A single hand lifted from under the dark cloak, and placed a wet lock behind her white ear as she stared at the man. They said nothing for what seemed forever, the rain starting to reach the skin under the layers of her dress, looking at each other. He let his hand fall at his side, barely touching her. She looked at him as if he was a ghost, and dumfounded, all she could do was utter his name in a soft whisper:
"Sasuke …"