Chapter 1

Sakura bowed respectfully before her dying king. He had summoned her urgently to his private room which had only ever meant that he had a personal request to ask of her. A request for the sake of his kingdom.

She was being summoned for a mission.

He was seated behind his desk when she entered the room. He looked at her with the usual disciplined expression but she noticed that there was an edge of hardness in his gaze. His hair that had been a glorious shade of the darkest brown had completely faded into a washed out shade of gray. His skin tone, normally tan from his earlier years of war, was now pale from illness and had wrinkled in areas where countless battle scars decorated his face and body. However, although there were dark circles under his green eyes that made him appear deathly fatigued, they still shone with the brilliance of power, authority, and so much love.

Sakura smiled at him fondly, "Yes, Father?"

Her father smiled back at her but it didn't quite reach his eyes, "That smile of yours has the potential to rule this kingdom on its own."

She chuckled, "You flatter me, Father, but I prefer to use my ruthless behavior to rule your kingdom."

"Not mine. Yours."

Sakura's smile vanished. There was always a subtle sadness in her father's voice when he mentioned her inheritance of the kingdom. She had always ignored it because she knew that his sadness was not from the fact that it was finally his time to give up his precious kingdom. She ignored it because she didn't want to acknowledge the reality that his time was almost at an end.

Her father was going to die. And everyone expected her to be her father.

"Father.. I wish I was a man.."

This time, he smiled at the absurdity of her words, "I've never once wished that for you. I bless the very day that you were born and every day after that. I taught you everything that I know and more, and you have exceeded at making me a proud father. Sakura, you are my daughter, my pride and joy. You will handle this kingdom better than any man. My only regret is not being able to see you married off to some good for nothing fellow and not being able to see my beautiful, trouble making grandchildren cause havoc around this very househould the same way you did."

His words etched themselves painfully into her very soul. Her heart swelled with happiness but was overpowered by an ache that tore up her insides every time she breathed. She wanted to cry but she didn't want her father to remember her tears. She wanted her strength to relieve all of his worries.

After a short pause, the look in his eyes intensified and he adopted a more serious expression. His voice had lost all prior emotion, "But before that, I have one last request for you."

Ah, it was time to get down to business.

"Your request, Father?"

"You must kill the heir of the Kingdom of Rain. Resources have informed me that for years the late king has been planning to invade our kingdom the moment of my death, which will place our people into a vulnerable state, making it the perfect chance to launch an attack. Fortunately, their king is too weak o even shift around in his own death bed but I'm quite certain that his heir shares the same ambition with his uncle."

"His uncle?"

"Yes. Their king could not produce any sons and he refused to allow one of his daughters to follow in his footsteps. He was left with an orphaned newphew whom he fostered when his sister died. I've been told, however, that this mysterious prince has been kept hidden away in the king's palace all his life so no one knows what he looks like. Because of this, you won't be able to locate him anywhere. You'll have to infiltrate their palace, find him, and kill him."

Sakura nodded but her father seemed to detect the slightest uneasiness in her, "I know that this mission may seem impossible not knowing what the target looks like nor how to find him in a palace you do not know your way around, but I know you will not fail me. Sometimes I think that you might even be better than me."

"I can never be as great as you, Father."

"Sakura, you underestimate yourself. But if this rumored prince turns out to be imaginary, and you do not find him, the invasion will be inevitable."

"How can I lead anyone when they're deep to the neck in grief?"

His smile returned, "You must smile for them, and they will all fall to your knees in worship and do your bidding."

"How can I even smile when-"

"My blood runs rampage in your veins. With my blood, my strength becomes yours. With strength as great as ours comes an even greater responsibility. When my time comes, you must not shed a tear for the sake of your people. Your weakness will become theirs. I've trained you myself purposely to show them that my daughter - a woman - has the potential to protect this kingdom as I've done and they've undoubtedly put all of their faith in you, as I have."

"Father, you have always known the right things to say."

"Above all else, I am your father. You will be a fine Lady War Lord, and an even better Lady King."

Lady War Lord.. she liked the sound of that.

"But.. this prince will probably be my biggest challenge."

"Wait till you have children. Ah, but I know one thing about him."

"What is it?"

"His name is Sasuke Uchiha."