Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. I do not own any of the characters from the franchise. I do not own the series, even though the thought is nice. The original idea of this story belongs to BluBooThalassophile.
Oh my goodness! I'm alive! (*Grumbles about college and boy issues*) And with another new piece? Wait, something doesn't seem quite right…
So, you're all probably sitting there wondering why this piece looks so familiar. I have adopted it from the amazing Blu, who I would like to give another thanks to for allowing me to adopt this piece and continue Sasuke and Sakura's journey together! The first two chapters were both written by Blu, and I'm using them to start the story before I continue it from there.
I present to you the first two original chapters of "Hold Onto Me", by BluBooThalassophile, where I will then pick up the story at chapter three.
Enjoy!
There were four great houses residing in Hi no Kuni; two were descendants of Ōtsutsuki Asura:
The Uzumaki, with their skills in the arts of fūinjutsu they were both loved and respected through Hi no Kuni. Strong, rich and powerful they ruled their claimed lands with a firm but fair hand. At the head of the Uzumaki Clan was Uzumaki Ashina, he had a daughter, Uzumaki Mito, married to a Senju, brokering a peace and alliance between the two Clans.
The Senju, with their powerful life forces and unique abilities were esteemed and worshipped throughout Hi no Kuni. Loving, kind, and protectors of their claimed lands which prospered under their watch. At the head of the Senju Clan was Senju Hashriama, married to Uzumaki Mito, and siring two children to bring a firm alliance to the Uzumaki clan.
The third great house of Hi no Kuni was a descendant of Ōtsutsuki Hamura:
The Hyūga, gifted with the Byakugan as a kekkei genkei, they were revered and awed for their prowess and fame through Hi no Kuni. Strong, rigid, and notoriously neutral, many sought refuge in the Hyūga's claimed lands from the war. At the head of the Hyūga Clan was Hyūga Takeshi, who had two sons in his elderly age, and refused to be brought into the fold of alliances.
The fourth great house of Hi no Kuni was descendant of Ōtsutsuki Indra:
The Uchiha, blessed with the Sharingan they were an extremely spiritual clan. Reputed to be the strongest of the four great houses, the Uchiha stood alone, bred for fighting. Their lands were well guarded, but flourished in secret, rarely was it known what the Uchiha did to their claimed lands. At the head of the Uchiha Clan stood Uchiha Madara who bowed to no will of outsiders and formed no alliances.
Now, the Senju and the Uchiha had had a strenuous and fragile peace; for a brief moment in life, but it had shattered the night Uchiha Madara's bride was poisoned with their first child in her. The war which had ripped through Hi no Kuni had ravaged the lands, torn smaller clans apart with their quick scrambling for alliances and safety. The Uchiha sought retribution, claiming the killer to be Senju Tobriama, Senju Hashirama's younger brother, the Senju refused to stand idly by and closed ranks around their clansman. And what strenuous peace; the peace Hashirama and Madara had been building in the form of Konohagakura, was withered and died before it could even flourishing.
However, there was fifty years of war which had decimated Hi no Kuni and the people outside the Clans were suffering.
In order to bring about a permanent peace a proposal was made, by the Hyūga; who were trusted by both houses because of their neutral nature.
The eldest Senju boy would marry the eldest Uchiha girl, while youngest Senju girl would marry the youngest Uchiha boy.
Now, it had taken Hashirama many years to sire his two children, the first; and heir to the Senju Clan was Senju Tsunade who had married a Katō Dan, Tsunade had two daughters, the first was Shizune and the second daughter was Mebuki. Katō Mebuki had married; while her elder sister had not. Hashirama's second daughter, and heir to the Uzumaki Clan, was Senju Tōka, who had married Uzumaki Nagato. they had had a single daughter; Kushina. Uzumaki Kushina had married.
As to Madara, he had married again years later, and had sired three sons; the eldest was Uchiha Kagami, the second son, Uchiha Fugaku, and the third, Uchiha Obito. Uchiha Kagami had never married, and refused to do so. Uchiha Fugaku had married a distant cousin in the Uchiha clan. And Uchiha Obito had married a civilian medic.
The proposal of the Hyūga was simple, the eldest Senju marry the eldest Uchiha, the youngest Uchiha boy marry the youngest Senju girl
The problem was the youngest members of both clans; while roughly the same age, were children and it infuriated both the Senju and the Uchiha that this was even proposed. However, both clans conceded that they were slaughtering not just Senju and Uchiah anymore, but rather were killing their beloved Hi no Kuni and the civilians which lived under their protection. Thus, the peace was brokered; the youngest of the two clans would marry.
The Uchiha Clan had prospered but they had only sired one female heir, and she was a bastard by birth and blood with an unnamed mother. Uchiha Kagami's beautiful daughter; Uchiha Naori. Their three heirs for the head of the Clan were the three prodigal sons of Uchiha Fugaku: Uchiha Shisui, Uchiha Itachi, and Uchiha Sasuke.
The Senju Clan had flourished, and their heir to the head of the clan was the eldest son of Senju Tobirama; Senju Kawarama, a young lad considered a prodigy of the Senju. Now, the youngest member of the clan was the daughter Haruno Kizashi and Mebuki, a young girl named Haruno Sakura who had no other siblings and was the center of her family's love and affections.
With the Hyūga's decree the arrangement was set which was why the four great houses of Hi no Kuni, and the all lesser houses; like the Akimichi, the Nara, the Yamanaka, the Sarutobi, the Inuzuka, the Aburame, the Shimura, the Hatake, the Namikaze, the Kohaku, and the Kurama clans all sat present as the Hyūga and the Uzumaki sat with the heads of the Uchiha and the Senju to sigh a binding document sealing the peace between the two clans.
Until such a time the pact was broke, both clans bound themselves with their honor to treat the exchanged daughters as if they were their own and to seal the deal with marriage at the appropriate age; fifteen summers. And for this peace; however strenuous, to be sealed in blood upon the births of the children of these promised couples.
Neither clan was happy as Uchiha Madara sold his granddaughter and youngest grandson into marriage for peace, and as Senju Hashirama sold his grandnephew and great-granddaughter to the peace of Hi no Kuni. The exchange of the daughters would happen in neutral territory within the moon, or the wrath of the Hyūga would rain upon both clans, along with all the lesser houses.
The Uchiha did not care, but their lands had been ripped apart by the Senju war.
The Senju feared being overrun if the Uzumaki came to be involved with the breaking of this peace.
So, the two clans parted mutually and the peace was brokered.
At the expense of the children.
Which was why today the Uchiha and the Senju stood before the Hyūga and the other clans of Hi no Kuni to exchange the daughters of treaty.
Madara stood with his sons; Kagami and Fugaku, who had their children present. Naori stood strong, her long flowing black hair and onyx eyes displayed her Uchiha heritage while her softer features revealed her bastard nature. However, Uchiha Naori was very beautiful as she stood there with her handmaids. The younger child, a boy of eight or seven, stood beside his grandfather rather than his father, he was a handsome child with sharp features and a mask of indifference. His name was Uchiha Sasuke, and his onyx eyes glared at his intended with a look of cold indifference.
Hashirama was standing with his daughter, his brother, his grandnephew, his granddaughter, grandson-in-law, and great-granddaughter. Senju Kawarama stood tall and proud with his father's sharp eyes, strong jaw and sandy hair with a huge X shaped scar on his face. He was a handsome young man, but there was an air around him which had everyone uneasy. The youngest child there was a girl, not a beautiful girl, but one which held promise later in her life, her pink hair was short and as she pressed closer to her father her young age all the more apparent with scared green eyes watching every move everyone made. That was Haruno Sakura.
"The terms are set, may each daughter come forth," the heir of the Hyūga; Hyūga Hiashi, spoke.
Sakura glanced up to her father, who smiled kindly before coming to her level, kissing her brow, whispering for her to be strong and sending her forth. Sakura stumbled a bit, she stared though as the older girl walked with poise and grace, slowly Sakura walked towards the Uchiha biting her lip as fear filled her and she stared at their glares. She reached the center of the meeting and looked up at the older girl who smiled slightly before they passed one another, Sakura chanced a glance over her shoulder at her family again to see her mother being held tightly by her father, and her grandmother crying quiet tears.
Rough hands scooped her up, she squeaked and found herself staring into the black eyes of Uchiha Madara, Sakura tried not to cry, she did. But every horrible story she had been told about the Uchiha by her great-uncle Tobirama filled her mind and she felt the silent tears slip as she trembled in the hold of Uchiha Madara.
"The peace is agreed upon," she heard her great-grandfather shout as she was set down beside Uchiha Sasuke, a boy around her age.
"Aa," Madara answered. "Come girl, we are leaving now. Do not look back, you are no longer a Senju."
"Yes sire," she whispered as she reluctantly followed the Uchiha. She fell into step with Sasuke, or rather Sasuke fell into step with her as she walked behind Madara. The pain hurting her had her wanting to cry so she bowed her head as she walked, her tears would not be seen by anyone as her short pink hair ruffled in the wind and she watched the passing ground as she was lifted up onto a horse.
Sasuke glanced at her and she quickly looked away not wanting to break down into hysterical sobs as she felt them coming on her. She was a Senju, she was not weak, she was not helpless and she was not going to break from this as they rode into the forest.
"Girl, what is your name?" Madara demanded.
"Haruno Sakura," she answered softly.
"A Haruno, not a Senju?" the son of Madara demanded as he rode up beside her. She flinched at the look he was giving her as she bit her lip.
"Senju Hashirama has only sired daughters, and only one male heir of his line has been produced for the Uzumaki Clan, you are surprised to learn that she is not a Senju by name?" the other son of Madara snapped. Sakura winced at the tone again and stared at her hands which were holding the reigns of her horse. She could bolt; but where would she go.
"You are no longer a Haruno or a Senju, understand Sakura?" Madara demanded.
"Yes sire," she whispered softly.
"You will be taught, raised, and fight as an Uchiha shinobi, you will marry my grandson Sasuke, and you will do this for your family," Madara said sharply.
"Yes sire," she replied meekly.
"Do you find this displeasing?" the first son of Madara snapped at her, she jumped a bit at his disdain.
"N-No," she squeaked.
"Leave her be," was the quiet, cold voice of a child which had her glancing at the boy. Sasuke was looking ahead as he rode beside his grandfather. "She is no longer a Senju."
"Spoken like a future head of the Clan, a pity my own sons could not have been more like my grandsons," Madara said icily and she watched as the other two men fell behind her again and she rode in silence.
Sakura missed the curious, cold glares the boy snuck in her direction as he inspected her. She missed the pleased look on Madara's face at her quiet nature. She missed the disdainful glares of Fugaku and Kagami. And she missed the meaningful look Madara gave Sasuke as they rode for the Uchiha compound which was neatly tucked into a mountain side on the high ground overlooking their mountains and forest and valley.
Sakura did not miss the banners of the Yamanaka, and the Nara lining the road they rode upon when she entered the Uchiha territory, she did not miss the way that these clans appeared and bowed before the Uchiha envoy as they rode by and she did not miss the pride of the lesser clans or the awe in their eyes.
Sakura felt like an out of place toy or a misworn scarf, she no more belonged here than a sakura blossom in a winter's snow.
Still, her green eyes looked on as she tried to hide her face behind her floating pink hair and tried not to cry; like she so wanted to do as she continued riding through the province towards the Uchiha compound.