Author's Note: Inspired by Chinese Wu Xia films.

Disclaimer: Naruto characters belong to Kishimoto Masashi...

Genre: Romance, Fantasy, Drama, Hurt/Comfort and Friendship.

Rating: M for later, due to violence and sexual references.

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Destined Love

Minori Baby Presents

Prologue

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Fire Country

It was spring, a season for new beginnings but he was someone who dwelled in the past.

He sat himself under the cool shade of a cherry blossom tree and sighed.

He wished his wife and daughter were alive to see the beautiful cherry petals flutter and cover the earth like a pink field of snow.

He glanced at the two dolls his wife had made for their daughter Yuki, his daughter would be three years old and running around if she had survived.

He stared at the tombstones in front of him and cried.

Prince Naruto used to be a cheerful man but all that has changed; he now relied on his bottles of sake to give him his small dose of happiness. He drank the liquor in one continuous motion; he didn't want to be sober.

He didn't want to accept the fact his wife was no longer beside him. He had once thought that having a family would be the happiest event of his life, he was wrong.

Naruto tried to force himself to smile; he had promised her to continue smiling.

He couldn't.

He started laughing hysterically like a mad man. He took another long swig at his endless supply of alcohol spread across the floor; he had lost count upon the number of bottles he had consumed.

His eyes became heavy so he decided to close them and free his mind to drift off to his sanctuary, a place where he could be together with his family.

.

.

Hinata crept softly towards the young blonde haired man; it was love at first sight and she had been in love with him for many years. She knew he would never look at her in the same way she had for him.

She would always and only be classified as his friend.

She wanted more, much more. She was jealous of his happiness. She envied that he would start his own family and whatever existence she had in his life would cease. She had thought that if his wife could disappear from this world then she would have a chance.

She was wrong.

She had committed a cardinal sin and the guilt of her crime would consume her pure conscious. Her felony was beyond redemption, she would keep it a secret for as long as she lived.

She struggled for his love over a dead person.

Hinata stared at his beautiful sleeping features and her eyes rested upon his luscious lips. How she wished that he would give her a kiss but since the passing of his wife, Naruto had rarely spoken a word to her.

Perhaps he knew? He couldn't have, she had been so careful...

Her gaze continued to stay on his lips which were so vulnerable and inviting. She wanted to kiss him despite the consequences that may follow; she had never wanted something so badly in her life.

She bent down to bring her head closer to his, her lips were centimeters near his and she could feel his shallow breathing.

"Saki," he whispered in his sleep.

Hinata stopped, his words had angered her and she was unable to hide her emotions. Jealousy consumed her once again because he would never call out her name in the same gentle and loving manner.

.

.

Naruto had sensed a dark and uncomfortable presence gazing at him; a small shiver ran along his spine. He suddenly woke up to the image of a very upset and scary looking Hinata in front of him.

Her hollow white eyes really scared him; he could see her veins bulging near the temple of her eyes.

"Hinata-chan." Naruto spoke softly to break the silence, "you scared me there."

"Sorry. I have come to remind you that our wedding is tomorrow." Hinata stated.

"Why do you insist Hinata? I can only ever see us as being friends. I will never be able to give you the happiness you truly desire."

"I don't care." Hinata responded sharply and assertively for the first time in her life.

"I only have one love, Hinata-chan, and that person will never be you," he said cruelly.

Never be you.

Never be you.

His words continued to echo in her ears and her hand moved upwards spontaneously out of her control. She was about to swing her hand but stopped.

It wasn't in her nature to hit anyone, especially Naruto, she was deeply hurt but rational at the same time.

"The wedding will continue whether you like it or not." Hinata responded coldly.

Hinata acknowledged the memory and love Naruto had for his wife. His words were also very clear to her but she was too stubborn to let go of her chance to be with him.

She wanted him no matter what.

She stormed off not wanting Naruto to see the tears sliding down past her cheeks.

TBC


A/N: The Japanese name Saki may be written with the characters for "blossom; bloom" (sa) and "hope; beg; request; rare" (ki). Yuki means snow. Naruto is forced to marry Hinata (General Hyuuga's daughter) as he is the only heir to his country. He must continue his lineage and set a good example to the people his country governs.