Hello, friends! Welcome to another story!
So, I know I have other stuff to update, but this have been sitting in my files for a while. This is halfway done, and I hope I can finish it soon.
Rest assured that this story won't be abandoned. I usually take a long time update. I also would like you to keep in mind that English is not my first language.
More at the bottom.
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.
His Queen
Chapter One
A previous arrangement
"Your Highness," the maid said, her voice timid. "Our Majesty requires your presence in the main meeting room." And with that, the girl was gone.
Prince Naruto Uzumaki of the Land of Fire made his way to the place his grandmother called him. He passed his hand through his messy, sunny hair to try and tame it, and proceeded to look at a mirror to see if he looked presentable. It was unusual for the queen to call him on such formal manners, so whatever she had to say must be really important.
The main meeting room was an impressive salon, with a large rectangular table and twenty one chairs. One for the Queen, and the others for the important figures of the country: himself, the city elders and the other Lords. The floor to ceiling windows were covered with dark red curtains, and the walls adorned with many paintings. An enormous chandelier hanged above the table, the many crystals shining softly in the afternoon light.
"Naruto, my dear," Tsunade said, greeting her only grandson and heir warmly. Whatever reason she had to call him, didn't seem to worry her. Her beautiful features and her soft brown eyes were calm. He let out a breath he didn't knew he was holding.
"Naruto, have a seat, son", Jiraiya said, warmly. After Naruto's parents died, the big man took him in, and raised him like a son. Only after Naruto was fifteen that he came back to Konoha, and was declared successor to the throne. Jiraiya married the queen, of whom he has been in love since his youth, becoming her consort.
That made the young prince very pleased, as the two most precious people in his life were very much happy with each other. They were the parents Naruto had lost when he was born.
"Your twentieth birthday is coming soon, Naruto," Tsunade started, pulling him out of his thoughts. "And you know the tradition. You are to be married, or at least engaged, before you turn twenty-one."
"Yes, I know that." He answered, annoyed by the subject. Even though he was well aware of the traditions, he wasn't fine with them. The reason for that was he wanted certain pink haired girl to reciprocate his feelings, and for that, he needed time.
"Good," She smiled at him, and the prince knew by the look in her eyes that that was not a good sign. "You have until the end of this year to find an adequate bride. If you are not able to do that, Jiraiya and I are going to make the decision for you.
The young prince made and annoyed frown.
"Look, Naruto," Jiraiya started, looking at him warmly, "You are a fine young man, and there are many beautiful and accomplished young ladies here, who would be more than happy to marry you. It won't be too hard of a task."
Right at that moment, someone knocked on the heavy doors, interrupting the uncomfortable conversation.
"Lord Sasuke Uchiha, My Queen." The servant announced.
Sasuke entered the room, a solemn look on his face. He was dressed in all black, with the white and red fan of the Uchiha crest contrasting strongly with his attire. His black hair was properly combed, Naruto noted, and he looked very much the noble he was.
He greeted Tsunade and Jiraiya respectfully, and then seated next to Naruto, as instructed.
"Sasuke", the queen smiled at her grandson's best friend. "I have news from your brother."
Sasuke's dark eyes widened, slightly surprised but at the same time worried.
Itachi Uchiha was the greatest warrior Konoha (and Land of Fire) has ever seen. His strength and intelligence were known around every nation and many men feared him. He was also very polite and gentle, not to say handsome, making most ladies, old and young, fall for him in moments.
The man was a living legend, and Naruto knew Sasuke's only wish was to be like him.
"Your brother sent us a letter, informing that all the battles in Land of Sound were won." The queen continued, and the dark haired young man hung on to every word. His brother, with all of his warrior clansmen, had decided to conquer the Land of Sound that was under control of the very vile Lord Orochimaru, a Land of Fire exile. The man was as mysterious as he was powerful, and it was a great relief that his brother had made it through intact.
"There were very few losses on his side, but..." her voice died with a pang of sadness. She offered Sasuke a piece of paper, and he immediately recognized his brother's elegant handwriting.
Little brother,
I am very sorry it took me so long to send to you, but many things had happened, and are still happening, and I have been immensely busy. This letter is a very bittersweet one, for as great as the good news are, so are the bad ones.
The battles were won, and Orochimaru, as well as all of his subordinates, are dead. He no more is a threat for Land of Fire.
As settled, we, the Uchiha, are to rule this land, and the populace seemed so grateful to be free of the perfidious man that they took no time on supporting me as their new king.
The people here are as generous and hardworking as the lands are beautiful and fruitful, and for that I'm glad.
The lords of this land support me as well.
However, great accomplishments come with great sacrifices. And it is with immense regret and sorrow that I inform you that our father is dead.
He fought bravely in battle, but was gravely injured by Orochimaru, and our mother had been tending to him since. After an entire month of agony, he finally found his rest the night before this letter started being written.
I shall honor his sacrifice by being a good leader to this land.
Little brother, I also write this to request that you come, as early as possible, with the rest of our people. The men miss their relatives, and there is still much work to be done here, and I need your assistance.
Together with you, if Queen Tsunade agrees of course, shall come some people from Konoha, whom have agreed to follow me if I won this enterprise. They are few, but are good friends that I can trust. If any of your personal friends wish to come, to stay or to visit, they are more than welcome to do so.
Mother misses you tremendously, as do I.
See you soon, little brother.
Itachi Uchiha,
King of Land of Sound, Ruler of Otogakure
Sasuke looked at the woman, truly confused. He didn't know what to say, or think for that matter. His father was dead, and that brought him great sadness. But the news of Itachi being... a king... that was unexpected. Sasuke went through the letter again, and reread the part where his brother told the news... settled...
"Your majesty," he started, "My brother says things were settled for him to rule. What was that about?"
Tsunade looked at her husband; he nodded, as if telling her to proceed. Naruto was quiet, paying attention to every detail. The prince knew this was a major deal, and wanted to know everything about it.
"In the beginning of the year your brother came to me, with sensitive information. His spies had told him that Orochimaru of the Land of Sound had called his men and were preparing a major assault on Konoha, with the purpose to annihilate my small family, subdue the lords and rule over it. And, for such, he needed assistance, of not only his own men, but from someone from the inside."
She made a pause, and took a sip of her drink. Then, as if talking about the weather, she continued.
"This someone was Lord Fukagu Uchiha, your father."
Sasuke was too shocked to speak, so Naruto made the golden question.
"Why would he do that?"
"You know our history, right, Naruto? About the founding clans of these lands?" The prince nodded, and the queen proceeded. "So, part of it is counted differently, and I am sure you will understand why when I finish telling you this. Actually, when Konoha was founded by our ancestors, both clans – the Senju and the Uchiha - were supposed to unite through marriage. But, my ancestor, Hashirama Senju did not want to marry the Uchiha girl chosen, and married Mito Uzumaki instead, incorporating her lands into our territory. It was a smart, but dangerous move on his part, but he had success in it. The Uchiha Clan, of course, was furious. My ancestor had basically spat on their faces. Hashirama's brother, Tobirama, married the girl instead, to try to appease the Uchiha. But that was not the same thing. Tobirama was not he king, nor would ever be, and all the Uchiha chances to rule were ruined. There was much resentment on the Uchiha's part, but they could not leave anymore because the Land had been prospering, and many other clan Lords had joined with the Senju, effectively forming the Land of Fire. Even as the time passed, the feeling of betrayal and resentment did not go away completely."
"Lord Fugaku Uchiha," Jiraiya intervened, "Felt very strongly about all of this. And after the Hyuga Clan gained importance in the past years, this feeling became even stronger. He was ready to prepare a coup, and that was when Orochimaru contacted him."
The men continued:
"Your brother found about all of this, and quickly came up with a plan. He would take the Uchiha Clan to take Orochimaru's country, and if he succeeded, the Uchihas could have all the power they wanted ruling over the new land. If he was defeated, he just asked us to keep you safe. Your father was thrilled when we talked about this, as the Land of Sound is very rich and prosperous, and promptly agreed."
"It was just the best for all of us." Tsunade concluded. "I knew your brother would come out the victor, I always trusted him on this. He is a great strategist, and knows how to make the best of every situation, and how to make the most of every resource. Now, the Uchiha not only have their own country to rule, but our eternal gratitude for saving Land of Fire from a potential very destructive attack."
Both Sasuke and Naruto were... without words. They did not know what to say, or how to react to this story. If that was true then... Itachi not only had saved the Land of Fire, but the all of the Uchihas too.
When prince Naruto came to live in Konoha, the queen thought it was best if he had someone to teach him the basics of courtesy. Knowing his explosive personality, having a teacher would only make things worse. So she decided that having a young lady of his age would be good enough for the task. Not only would she help him, but it would also easy his way with making connections.
She had put some though onto it, and decided to call Miss Hinata Hyuga for the task. Not only was she very polite, but she also was kind and patient. And she had a cousin about her age, which could easily make friends with Naruto, and introduce him to the other boys his age, mostly the other Lords' heirs. The queen thought this was important, because as future king not only would Naruto need to know his subjects, but he would also need them to like him.
Naruto had no problems making friends with any of the lords' sons, and for that Tsunade was glad. But in terms of manners, Naruto still needed some improvement. That was the reason they still had their tea dates, but after some time more people would come.
Sasuke Uchiha would always come, as he soon became Naruto best friend. Hinata's cousin, Neji Hyuga, would usually accompany her. Miss Sakura Haruno, and Miss Ino Yamanaka were also frequent. Sir Rock Lee, the youngest member of the Royal Guard would come too. And also Miss Tenten, and Chouji Akimichi, Shikamaru Nara, Kiba Inuzuka and Shino Aburame, the last two being Miss Hinata's best friends.
These tea parties were amazing for both Hinata and Naruto, but for very different reasons. For Hinata, they helped a lot with her shyness, and made her a little more confident. It had helped Naruto make friends that he could really trust, and he became a much more polite person.
They made Hinata fall for Naruto but also made Naruto fall for Sakura.
And that was it. Miss Hinata Hyuga was shy, gentle and terribly in love.
And right now, she was extremely nervous. She was waiting, as always, in the sitting room, waiting for him to come for their weekly tea date. The prince. The one she was madly in love with.
Today the others would not come, she knew, and so she decided to confess her feelings for him. She knew her time was wearing thin, for soon the prince would be twenty, and everyone was aware that he was supposed to marry before his twenty-first birthday.
She was pacing the room nervously when he entered, followed by the Uchiha. They both had serious expressions and Hinata knew something important had happened. But she would not give up now. She would do what she had come for.
"M-my prince," she bowed politely, her cheeks gaining in color, "May... May I talk to you for a moment, please?"
Naruto looked at Hinata's nervous self, and nodded. Sasuke, understanding that it was a private conversation, left the room. He then motioned for Hinata to sit, and sat on a chair in front of her.
"M-my prince," she started, but was immediately interrupted by Naruto.
"Please, Hinata, I have a name. You're one of my precious people, and you're allowed to use it."
"N-Naruto... I... need to tell you something..." she trailed off, looking at the area around his feet. Hinata was blushing furiously, and poking her fingers together in that nervous habit of hers.
"I'm listening." Naruto encouraged her. "You can tell me anything."
"I... Naruto I..." Hinata did that thing where she covered her eyes with her bangs, and took a deep breath. And then she looked at him and smiled a sad and sweet smile. "I love you."
Naruto only looked at her, eyes wide and surprised.
"I have loved you for some time now, and I am sorry I am such a coward and it took me so long to come and tell you this. I am aware that you do not reciprocate my feelings, but I needed to let you know."
Naruto did not know how to answer, so he said nothing for a long time. Hinata was his friend, and he loved her in that kind of way. But love, he did not feel that. Still, the knowledge warmed him, made him feel strange but good things. Hinata was such a wonderful person that being loved by her was a blessing he did not deserve.
Hinata made a sound, and he looked at her again. Her eyes were full of tears, and she held her handkerchief as if her life depended on it. The prince knew that she was a very timid person, and coming here to say that required a lot of courage from her.
"I... I don't know what to say, Hinata..." He stated, looking at her trembling hands. "I am very thankful that I have a person like you in my life. You are precious to me. But..."
"I understand." She said abruptly, cutting him off. She did not need to hear Naruto saying that he didn't love her. She already knew that. "It's fine."
Hinata left the room in a haste leaving the door open; Naruto could hear her sobs, along with her steps echoing down the hall. He tried to go after her, but was stopped at the door by Sasuke.
"Let her go. It will be better this way."
Naruto made a displeased face, not enjoying being restrained. "But... she is sad. I need to fix that."
"Dobe. Will going after her make you love her back? Will it, perhaps, change your feelings towards Sakura? No. It will only make Hinata feel more miserable. More than she is now, anyway."
Sometimes, Naruto hated his best friend. Sasuke was so cold and analytical; he always looked at everything from a logical perspective. He would never think about it in that light. He would run after her and try to explain himself. Even if it only made her sadder. He was impulsive like that.
"You're right. I'll give her some time. I can talk to her on other occasion. Or I can send her a letter."
Sasuke nodded. They both entered the room, and the blond noticed something on the chair previously occupied by the timid girl. Hinata had left her handkerchief. It was made of lilac silk, with a white lacy bar. Her initials were embroiled in it. Naruto pocketed it, and seated.
"Naruto." Sasuke called after a moment.
"What?"
"Stop thinking about her. It won't help. You'll only get more confused. You may end up hurting her more."
Suddenly, something came into place.
"You knew about this, did you not?" Naruto asked, somewhat irritated.
"I imagined something like this could happen, yes." Sasuke answered, nonchalant. "She asked me if you had any plans for today. I said no."
"Teme. Now Hinata's hurting. How can I amend this?"
"You can't." Sasuke said, indifferently. "She knows you don't love her, so if suddenly you decide to come to her, she will know you're doing this out of pity or a sense of obligation. She will know that you feel guilty for her hurt feelings, and it would only make her more miserable."
"You are probably right." The prince admitted, defeated. He contemplated that for some more time, until Sasuke interrupted his thoughts.
"Naruto," the dark haired young man said, a grin growing on his refined face, "Would you like to come with me to the Land of Sound?"
Of course he wanted to go. He was very curious to know what would probably be Sasuke's new home. He wanted to know what made Fugaku Uchiha deviate from his original plan of conquering Konoha, and fight for a country of their own. He wanted to know Itachi Uchiha better, to see what kind of king he was.
The prince smirked.
"Of course I would!"
So, obviously this is AU. I have never read an ItaxHina story in a setting like these, and the idea was too good to just let it sit around. And, as you may or may not know, I love stories where Naruto loses Hinata because he's just plain stupid ( if you like this kind of soty please check my GaaHina one, Night of Consenquences). Don't get me wrong... I do love Naruto, but his ignoring Hinata's feeling really gets in my nerves.
Also, because this is a "setting the scene" chapter, it's a little longer than my usual chapters.
It may take a lot of time to post chapters (as usual) but pleeeeaase keep in mind that I am a very busy person (I am a teacher that works 12+ hours a day) and I'm constantly dealing with adult situations ( responsabilities, bills, depression, etc.) I do this for fun in my own free time.
Please, review. There's no other way to know if you're liking this story, and if I'm doing a good job.
Love, Dani
