Tangled Affairs

- By DarkPhoenix484

Disclaimer: I do not and will never own any characters from Naruto. They are the possessions of the creator of the series, Kishimoto-sensei and, Jump magazines. I am merely borrowing them for the sake of having something to write on and because I love the characters very much.

Summary: Uncharted meetings, misleading princesses, confused romances and tangled affairs. The princess of Konoha has come of age and suitors are coming to woo her - or being made to come anyway. And she doesn't want to meet them. Problems? Too many to count.

Warnings: AU. Fluff. Kissing. Adult language and violence. Drag. Shounen-ai. Which is boy x boy and if you don't like it then reading this would probably not be a good idea. Don't flame me later if you decide to continue anyway. Choice was yours. But nothing in the first chapter.

Spoilers: None.

Rating: PG-13

Pairings: Don't know yet. Main pairing could be either ShinoNaru or KibaNaru. Sub pairing is ShikaIno.

Timing: 17 or 18.

Author's notes: Err. This is my attempt at working on an epic story. I am not sure if I should continue or not. I have a bad tendency to hit on snags and blocks as I work long term. But I really want to. Anyway, I won't know until you guys tell me. What do you think should I?

I can't promise quick updates if I decide to continue. My final year of undergraduate collage will be starting tomorrow and I might get very busy with my projects and work. I sure hope I will get this story done but there maybe be long pauses in between updates. So I apologize ahead of time.

I might still be posting one-shot fics in between, or at least try to. If you guys are interested in seeing any ShinoNaru and KibaNaru pictures go to my yahoo group, Shinobi Fantasy. You can go there by clicking the homepage on my profile.

Yuen-chan - Thank you, for telling me my mistake. I have this habit of thinking sigh as a part of speech when I read stuff. So when I'm writing fics, I automatically put it insides quote. :p You are very right. It is better not to do that.

Well, get on with the story and tell me what you think. Review, please.


Chapter 1: Prologue to the Mess

"You have to do this, Shino."

"…"

"It's for the good of the kingdom."

"…"

"The Princess is a renowned beauty in all the kingdoms."

"…"

"She's rumored to be the envy of all eligible princesses."

"…"

"Many want to ask her hand in marriage from the King."

"…"

"If you get her to be your wife, we could expand our kingdom, since she's their only daughter. We can also extend friendly relationships with many of Konoha's allies. Wouldn't that be great?"

"…"

Sigh, " I won't be able to convince you like this, would I?"

"…"

"Okay, okay, alright. I give up. I won't tell you to marry her. But, please, at least go and see her. You can decide after that, whether you want to marry her or not."

"…"

"Well?"

"…When do I leave?"


"What's in it for me?" The sound of an apple being bitten and then chewed messily was profound in the neat chamber.

"What are you talking about? You'll be getting a very beautiful wife. What more could you want?" a growl accompanied the reply, displaying the clear frustration on a handsome face.

"Hey, if I want to marry anyone, I will do it on my own violation. Right, Akamaru?" A tan hand reached beside the young man to pet a handsome white dog.

"Bark, bark." Tail wagging furiously, the dog agreed with its master.

"See, even Akamaru agrees with me." A smirk now graced the young features as slit like eyes stared at the man behind the desk in front of him.

"Akamaru is a dog." Exasperation could be plainly heard in the voice that replied back.

"Hey, don't you dare put Akamaru down." The brown-haired boy retorted angrily from his seat before the desk.

"This is getting us no where." There was tiredness written all over the features of the young man.

"Why don't you go? You are eligible too, aren't you?" Rough lips pulled themselves back in a leer as sharp canines made their appearance.

"I am going north. I have to present myself as a suitor to the princess of Sand." The other sighed.

"Pussy." A snort.

"Look whatever, if you don't go, then Prince Aburame would get her." A sneer.

"What? Shino's going?" Shock was displayed unappealingly on the young man's face.

"Yes. And he's going with the intent of marrying this princess. If you don't go then he would have one over you." An evil glint could be seen in the other's eyes as he surveyed the temperamental man through the similar slit like eyes.

"That bastard. No way is he going to beat me, Inuzuka Kiba, Prince of the Canines." The young man got up angrily and stalked towards the chamber entrance. He opened the door and turned back towards the room.

"And don't you think I will loose." Kiba shot at his older brother before he slammed the huge door with much force.

A sigh was followed by a small laugh. "He is so gullible."

"Bark, bark." The agreement in the tone was hard to miss.


The chamber was very dark. The high ceiling stretched as if the roof was trying to touch the heaven but failed due to the tainted darkness that lay within. A soft hiss echoed within the hall as slithering noises were heard. The doors opened and a faint light from the torches hanging outside illuminated the man sitting on the dark throne.

"Have you found the child yet, Kabuto?" an icy voice reverberated within the dark chamber.

"Not yet, my lord. But we are close." A grey haired knight in black armor reported coming to kneel in front of the sinister voice.

"It has been ten years already, Kabuto. I don't have the patience to wait anymore." The owner of the voice snarled.

"Please be just a little more patient my lord. I am sure that we will find him very soon." The knight's calm voice contrasted starkly with his master's anger filled one.

"You know what would happen if you fail, don't you?" The dark head leaned back against the throne, golden eyes surveying the knight kneeling in front of him.

"Yes, your Highness." The knight replied. There was no hint of fear or uneasiness in the voice.

"Good. See that you don't." A hand reached out to pet the large green snake that came to rest beside the throne. The serpent let out a stream of low hisses and coiled its body next to the throne and laid its head on top, enjoying the attention.

"Yes, Orochimaru-sama. I won't disappoint you." The knight lifted his head and his eyes locked on with his King's determinedly for a moment, before he stood up and left the chamber.

"Yes, I know you won't." The dark voice hissed out as the King of Sonoria watched his servant retreat.

The door closed once again and the chamber dissolved back into the darkness from whence it came forth.


"Why are you always like this?" A tired voice asked the teen laying down on the grass next to a herd of sheep.

The sky was a brilliant blue. There were no signs on rain. The field of wheat on the other side of the field gently swayed in the wind. Thick, white puffs of cottony clouds were drifting aimlessly overhead watched by half-lidded dark eyes.

"…What are you talking about pops?" A lazy voice drawled out.

An old man came into view as he trudged up the grassy hill and sat beside the teen, looking over at the sheep. "All other young men in the village have left to make something of themselves. To attain riches, become more powerful, gain a some sort of standing in society and I get stuck here with a no good son who only wants to watch clouds." The man ranted.

Sigh, "They are idiots. Why waste your life trying to find riches when you know that they will be returning here in a few months? They give up and take over their father's jobs. I'm just doing that before rather than after." The teen spoke up.

"Yes, but they will be learning something out there, instead of just lazing here all day watching over sheep and clouds." His father huffed.

"That would be very troublesome." The other spoke up.

"Grr, I don't care if it's troublesome or not. I have decided that you will be going out of the village as well. And you better not return for at least two months or you will be talking to my boot next." The old man stated angrily, looking disgusted at his son's reply.

"What? But I don't want to." The teen was surprised by the sudden decision.

"I don't care. You're going, Shikamaru." His father said adamantly.

Shikamaru sighed and got up stretching. "Arguing with you is so troublesome. Alright, I'll go."


"I don't want this." A very distraught princess could be seen pacing her room violently, occasionally destroying any flowers that she happen to come across, unable to get her hands on any breakables due to the intervening of her butler.

"You don't have to want it. You have to do it. It's your duty." A voice answered her, removing another priceless vase from the table before the princess could reach it.

"Why do they want to sell me off to a bunch of no-name princes? I am their only daughter; don't they love me enough to let me marry someone I like?" She sat down on her bed, her head falling onto her hands. A perfect picture of someone struck with a disaster.

"You mean Prince Uchiha?" Snort. "You know he won't come here, don't you?" Another voice, a more cheerful one, said. It had a hint of disgust accompanying its tone.

"But I love Sasuke."

"He doesn't love you back." The first voice answered.

"I don't care. I will make him love me." The princess got off her bed and sat in front of her vanity. She started removing various items from her flowing mane of long blond hair.

"And how are you going to do that? That bastard is colder than a block of ice. You won't be able to melt him." A face looked over her shoulder into the mirror; nimble hands started helping the lady with straightening her hair.

Thwap.

"Ouch." The second voice had hurt in his voice as the owner held the back of his head, bowing down his head in pain.

"Don't you dare talk about Sasuke-kun like that." An angry reply was larded on him.

"Why not? It's not like he will hear me anyway. And, besides, what I say is true." A furious retort was made, as blue eyes looked up to meet blue eyes in the mirror. Hands removed themselves from blond hair and went back to fixing the princess' blonde one.

"He's not anything you say. He's just quite. And mysterious. And very handsome." A sigh, and the princess of all Konoha, the one who is thought to excel above all women, went of into the dream world that all females, regardless of their status, succumb to once they become of age.

There she goes again. The thought seemed to pass through the minds of both the persons present.

"Whatever, how did we get on this topic anyway? Weren't we trying to find a solution to your problem, Princess Ino?" The first voice asked.

"Oh, I already know what to do." Ino replied nonchalantly, waving her hand at her butler and her attendant. "I'll run away." She said flippantly and started removing her jewelry, ignoring her servants shocked expressions.

"What? You can't seriously be thinking of doing something so abominable?" the butler asked.

"And why not? I'll escape the tediousness of meeting all those low class princes and be able to go and charm Sasuke-kun with my infinite good looks." The princess answered sounding very proud and happy.

"Yeah, and good luck with that." Her attendant muttered sarcastically under his breath.

The butler quickly covered his co-worker's slip by trying to talk his princess out of this madness that has taken over her.

"Please, reconsider this, your highness. You can't live alone outside, in this dangerous world. Also, you won't be able to get very far, your parents will know of your absence soon."

"Not if you both keep you mouths sealed, Chouji." Ino shot back.

"But even if we don't tell them, they are bound to notice something when you don't meet your visitors, or attend dinners and balls." Chouji, her butler, was now desperately trying to persuade his princess out of her mindset, but as everyone knew in Konoha, that was a task harder that trying to move a mountain or draining an ocean.

"You have a point there, Chouji. I need a decoy, someone who could keep both my parents and the suitors at bay for sometime before I can make a clean getaway." The princess looked thoughtful as she slowly ran the comb through her yellow strands.

"Come on, princess, you know there isn't another in all of Konoha who would go against the King. Also, there isn't anyone who looks remotely like you or know anything about you to imitate you successfully. Your plan would go to dumps within a few hours." A snort could be heard from Ino's attendant.

She looked up angrily into the mirror to give her servant a piece of her mind when something stopped her. Short, bright blonde hair, slightly darker than her own, shown in the light of the sun poring down from the wide windows. Bright blue eyes looked suspiciously into her own, due to her pause, through the mirror; a thin face as pale as her own twisted into a scowl at her stare. She got up from her chair and started revolving around her attendant with the focus of a predator who inspects it's pray and contemplates on how to kill it.

Her attendant shifted nervously under her gaze. He gave a slight squeak of surprise when his princess stood right next to him in front of the mirror and looked at their reflections. They were of the same height.

"Hm, slightly on the thin side, but it's the right figure and height. Hair is short, but we can't do anything about it. We'll just have to cover it."

He did not like where this was going.

"You know all about me so you would know what to do. You know how to act ladylike, heck, you came to the classes with me. You know how to talk, act and be like me. This is perfect." The princess gave a squeal of joy and clapped her hands, coming in front of a sweating and now nearly fearful attendant.

"What are you talking about, your highness?" He inquired, dreading the answer, which he hoped was not what he thought it was.

"What I mean, my dear Naruto, is that for the next few weeks you are going to be the Princess of Konoha."

Oh yeah, he did not like this at all.

----To be continued----