Pairings: (Past) Yoshino/Shikaku, Shikaku/Kiba. (There will most probably be others eventually. Still don't know who, though.)
Warnings: Arranged (hence forced) marriage between a sixteen year old and a thirty six year old. Domestic abuse, in a way. Language. Angst. Feelings of betrayal. So the usual when it comes to my stories. Oh! And huge rare pairing. If none of these are your usual cup o' tea, the back button is usually placed on the upper left corner of one's screen. If, even with this information, you choose to read, you cannot blame me for you not liking the story. I gave warnings.
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"But ma! I don't want to-"
The boy's cry of desperation was cut off immediately by a loud growl from his mother. The woman's snarl was almost feral, paired with an angered and bordering on frenzied glare.
"There's nothing I can do about this, child! The Clan Elders have decided! And once the Elders decide on something- no matter how unfair or heartbreaking their decision may be- it cannot be changed!"
Even with the finality in the woman's voice, the boy was still her son. And this meant that he had the same fire burning within his eyes, the same defiance bursting its way through his very essence.
"I don't want to leave my home!" He yelled back, the shaking of his head making the wild mane he called hair begin to snap out as if to portray his anger, "I don't wanna be forced to move away and marry some old-"
"Bite your tongue before you insult the head of the Nara Clan and his family, Kiba!" His mother interrupted with yet another snarl, dark eyes burning in a manner similar to her son's.
The Inuzuka had always been rather passionate individuals. The clan was filled with hot headed and brash members that had an innate sense inside of themselves to be loyal yet demanding of those that belonged to their clan. Even though they had managed to create quite the cohesive unit of clan members, having so many hotheads in the same place wasn't necessarily a good thing. Especially when it came down to the Clan Head and her family.
Even though Hana Inuzuka was one of the quietest members of her Clan, she was still outspoken and sure of her actions. Even with a slight streak of stubbornness, she managed to follow her mother's word without too much hassle and barely ever spoke back. Kiba Inuzuka, on the other hand, was a carbon copy of his mother. Same wild hair, same feral eyes, and same indomitable spirit. He was a bit more reserved than his mother and didn't give in to his anger as quickly, but he still allowed his emotions to overwhelm him easily. He was still a teenager, after all.
"I don't care if I insult that old geezer, ma!" The sixteen year old shouted back at his mother, right hand swiping at the air, "He's twice my age! There's no way in hell I'm going to marry him!"
Tsume Inuzuka sneered at her son's actions, then kicked the chair she had previously sat in- she had gotten up the very minute Kiba had- right at her son's face. "Insolent brat!" She growled as she balled her hands up into fists, the claws of a headache beginning to wrap around her. "Once the Elders decide on something, no matter how much you bitch and moan about it, it will not change!"
Her son, of course, dodged the makeshift projectile without much difficulty and crouched down into his fighting stance, prepared for the fight that would undoubtedly break out between both brash individuals.
Tsume had always known her son was too much like her to have a proper argument with. They were too alike to ever come together on opposing views. The only foreseeable outcome to them disagreeing was a fight.
"But why does it have to be me?" The teen snarled, hands flexing. "I am not a female! I am not supposed to marry the male Clan Head!"
"Do you think I gain any joy from seeing my youngest taken away by clan politics?" Tsume shouted back, shaking her head wildly. "You are my son, Kiba! But when a Clan we owe a debt to asks to be repaid, our Council of Elders has to think in the best interest of the clan!"
Kiba's growls became even more vicious upon listening to his mother's response, "Why should my life be taken away to repay a debt that was made years before I was even born? This ain't my price to pay! Why should I lose my life to-"
The boy's impassioned speech was cut off by a sudden slam, effectively surprising both him and his mother enough to make them jump and forget about their argument. The two angered Inuzuka turned to the source of the noise, only to find Tsume's daughter, Hana, glaring at her younger brother.
The Inuzuka Clan Head's kitchen had never been orderly. It was built for efficiency, not style. The wooden walls weren't decorated and only served the purpose of holding a roof over the family's heads. And the appliances found within were, for normal civilians, rather high end and had cost quite some money. But for a normal Clan's income, the appliances had cost almost nothing. Just like the furniture, such as the chair that had sailed over the table and across the room to shatter against the wall.
Now Hana stood in the doorway into the rest of the home, glaring at both of her family members. The wall had splintered beneath her fist.
"You are not being sentenced to death, little brother." The young woman spoke calmly, face stern and eyes grim. "You will not be alone for you are friends with the Clan Head's son, Shikamaru. You will not be stripped of your Shinobi rank. And you will be allowed to visit your home whenever you wish. You have to stop being so over dramatic."
Her words were spoken with full severity and did not hold a single ounce of sympathy.
Kiba was not surprised by this. While he and his mother were overly passionate, his sister had always been able to keep calm in every stressful situation she had ever been placed in. Heck, she was sometimes even able to detach herself emotionally from what was happening... Maybe that's why she seemed so calm now. Because she had decided to keep herself at arm's length from the mortifying situation Kiba found himself in.
But that didn't matter. As his sister, Hana was supposed to be backing him up!
"But sis! I'm being forced to marry a man that is older than me by two decades!" Kiba yelled at his sister, straightening up slightly even though his body was still tensed and prepared to launch in case of any attack. "Can't you two see the two things that are wrong with that sentence?" He growled, frustration building up within him as the women continued to glare at him. "If you don't, then I'll make it clear!" He shouted, sneering at them both, "Forced to marry an old man! Do you see now-"
He would have continued shouting if not for Tsume suddenly launching herself at him and punching him clear across the jaw, effectively shutting him up.
"We are not blind, you young fool! Now go to your room and stay there until I don't feel like ripping you apart limb from limb!" The woman roared in pure rage, eyes inflamed and face twisted into a horrid sneer.
Neither Kiba nor Hana had ever seen their mother so angered.
But the boy was much too hurt and taken aback by the sudden hit to be in awe of it... Or scared of it. Instead he was more hurt by the hit to his face and the threat to his life.
And in a very uncharacteristic move for an Inuzuka, instead of yelling back at Tsume and continuing the argument, Kiba turned around and bolted from the kitchen and straight to his room, trying to ignore the frustrated tears that began to spring up in his eyes.
In his escape, he missed the tears that filled his own mother's enraged eyes. But even if he had seen them... He would have ignored them.
For the first time in his whole life, Kiba actually found himself despising his Inuzuka roots. And hating his mother.
"This isn't right. This is a child."
Shikaku Nara's face was grim as he looked at the Council of Elders sat before him. He was not a fan of the most recent choice taken without him having been consulted. And he wanted his Elders to know this. "When I told you I wished to marry a man, to try and find love in my life, I did not mean for you to force a male to marry me. Especially not the Inuzuka Clan's heir."
His anger was expertly restrained, but it still bubbled up violently within him. Normally, he was a rather relaxed individual that chose to look at the logical, if a tiny bit optimistic, side of things whenever possible. But he couldn't just go with the flow on this issue. He couldn't force a chunin into a loveless marriage. And he wouldn't stand for clan politics to force a teenager to bend over backwards. And just because of someone else's sick whims.
"Shikaku, please," One of the female elders tried to speak up, but the man only glared at her.
"The loss of Yoshino was a devastating blow for all of us. I understand the need for the Clan Head to have a significant other, but you cannot possibly believe that there is a need to replace her so soon. Especially with an Inuzuka." He spoke calmly, yet his words were thick with emotion, "It is not right to force a child into marriage. And you are abusing of your power as clan elders by even thinking of doing this."
"It was the Inuzuka's fault that we lost Yoshino!" One of the male elders spoke up haughtily, "And their clan has owed us a debt for years now. By giving the eldest son's hand in marriage to you, Shikaku, they are repaying both these debts."
"Besides, Shikaku, you admitted to us in confidence that you were of an alternate sexual persuasion. Instead of asking you take another wife, we are merely asking you to take a husband. We thought you would be proud you would not be forced into another marriage where there would be no possibility of you ever falling in love." A kinder woman spoke, dark eyes soft as she hoped to quell his rising anger. "This boy, Kiba, was the best for the agreement that was being made."
"You should be happy you're not being forced into marriage with Tsume or her daughter." A crude, male voice spoke up then, causing Shikaku to scoff and just barely restrain an eye roll. "At least we know that the boy has a marginally more restrained temperament than either of those two."
"That is far beyond the point, elders." Shikaku shook his head, "This boy was my son's classmate in the academy. I have known him since he could barely even throw a kunai. It is not right."
"We need a partner for you. The Inuzuka clan owed us a deep debt. And the Inuzuka clan elders have already agreed with our plans." The last of the female elders spoke with a voice of finality, "Through this marriage not only do we kill two birds with one stone, but we also form a deeper alliance with their clan. No fight shall break out between a Nara and an Inuzuka while the Clan Head is married to the Clan Heir."
Then, the last male, the oldest of all the people in the room, looked at Shikaku with a heavy frown. "You know how difficult clan politics are and how heart wrenching decisions can sometimes be. Of all the different outcomes to be made, this was the one that would cause the least amount of strife."
Sighing heavily, Shikaku closed his eyes and rubbed at the lids. "What other sadistic and twisted plans did you come up with when around the Inuzuka elders?" He asked tiredly, body suddenly feeling extremely heavy.
The six elders looked at one another for a moment, then the eldest woman cleared her throat to grab his attention. "Let us just say that by accepting this fate, you have allowed young Shikamaru to marry whoever he should choose."
Immediately alarmed at the mention of his son, Shikaku pried, "You mean to tell me you would have dragged my son through your political mud? You would have sunk so low as to take away two children's freedom?"
Once more the eldest man spoke up, "Unlike you, your son has shown, no matter how reluctant, interest in the other sex. He would have been promised to Hana Inuzuka... And that was the initial plan, if I may tell you the truth. But this would not have been extremely beneficial in uniting our clans. Even though Shikamaru is your heir, Hana is not the heir to the Inuzuka's. And she has made her reluctance to ever be the head more than clear. While powerful, this union would not have been as impacting as the one between you and Kiba Inuzuka."
With a frown, Shikaku growled, "You just wanted to have the satisfaction that comes from having two Clan Heads married to each other. Isn't it enough to have the run of one clan? Must you butt your head into another?"
"That has nothing to do with this, Shikaku! Tsume shall remain the Clan Head until she relinquishes her duties or dies in the battlefield. And, by the way things are going, we shall never see the day come."
"Have you even thought of the sense of danger this could cause among the village? The Inuzuka and Nara are powerful clans. Seeing them unite in this manner might cause unrest and displeasure among the civilians." Shikaku continued to argue, wishing to fight until the very end to see if there was any way to change the elders' minds.
"Not if we give this partnership the correct twist." The woman that had first spoken up smiled at the distraught man, "A union of love and peace... One that would promise prosperity for the village... Sounds rather beautiful, doesn't it?"
"But there is no love!" He finally shouted out, exasperated with the circles he was being forced into.
"And the village does not need to know!" The youngest of the males countered, then shook his head. "Shikaku, please, stop trying to argue. We have already made our choice. You shall marry Kiba Inuzuka. There is no point to any further discussions."
Even with the words that spoke of no room for arguments, Shikaku still wanted to contest. He still wanted to argue. If not for his sake, then for Kiba's.
He could not, knowing the pain of being forced into marriage, oblige a teenager to take part in such a thing. His marriage with Yoshino had not been picturesque, nor had it been filled with romantic love, but after years, they had managed to find an amicable partnership while living in the same home. But they had not been afforded the right to love another human being. And while he was old and had lived long enough, he didn't want to make someone so young live through what he had.
"But, elders, please-" He was down to pleading, something Shikaku Nara never did.
But if logic didn't work, then maybe pleading would.
"But nothing, Shikaku!" The six elder's voices rang out, voices echoing throughout the room and stopping Shikaku's words. "We have decided. Leave the council room!"
There was no further room to argue. They were clear on their choice. Nothing Shikaku could say would ever change their minds.
He and Kiba would be forced to marry. There was no more he could do.
With a desolate frown pulling at his face and shoulders weighed down heavily, Shikaku walked out of the council room without saying another word. He would have to accept these terms given to him... No matter how little he actually wished to.
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Guess who's still alive and creating random, rare ships!? That's right, this girl!
This idea came to me a while ago. I've had this story floating in my files for quite a few months now, actually... But I decided to begin and post it because if I didn't do so now, it'd never see the light of day.
I hope you all liked it! And hope you're also ready for an extremely slow burn story with a bunch of twists, turns, dashes of angst and happiness, and a huge amount of awkwardness. Oh, and Clan politics I'm coming up with on the fly. And Clan behavior I am also creating for all of the clans. Oh! And a major AU. Like, freaking major AU. A lot of things are different. Although a lot of things are the same. You'll be able to see the full scale of the changes created by the time the story's been completed. So, just bear with me, yeah?
Please remember to review! And for anybody waiting on any of my other stories: I'm working on those too!