Through the Flames

When the noble lord, Uchiha Sasuke lays eyes upon Haruno Sakura, all bets are off. He is consumed by her beauty and innocence so much that he must have her, even if it means disrupting the peace. Meanwhile, around the Seven Kingdoms, others are battling among themselves in a twisted game, naïve to the evil dangers that lurk beyond the icy cold wall. Brother turns on brother, rich nobles getting blood on their hands and greed circulating around the lords and ladies of the Seven Kingdoms. A dark tale of betrayal, lust and how things are not always as they seem. ASOIAF-universe. SasuSaku & others.

A/N: I thought it would be a spectacular idea to add ASOIAF into a Naruto story, and thus we have Through the Flames! : I'm really excited to show you all this because I love ASOIAF and I love Naruto, and I couldn't not put them together. I'm going to try to make this work as best I can; I'm putting my chapters in the format of GRRM because it's simple and easy.

You should also be aware of the fact that you don't even have to know what A Song of Ice and Fire is (if you don't, go read it/watch it!) to read this story. It's going to be very much in the atmosphere of ASOIAF, much to George's distaste xD.

I should probably tell you that the focus is going to be mainly on Sasuke and Sakura (and when I say that I mean plenty of lemons and smut to come lol) but there will be other lives that we look into. I'm not going to bash on other characters too much, or make them out to be Mary Sues/Gary Stu's, so character development is a must.

You all remember Kimimaro Kaguya? I sure hope so, because he's just a beautifully made character ya know. Anyways, for the sake of the story, Kimimaro is alive and well. In fact he is from a noble clan, and he is going to be a supporting character! Watch, you'll love me.

With one final word, please REVIEW. I bid you farewell and enjoy c:

"The evil that men do lives after them; the good is oft interred with their bones."

William Shakespeare

KONAN

The courtroom was filled with many people, more than she had ever seen. There were stone cold men from the dangerous and vile place of the Stormlands, other beautiful and saintly men from the beautiful region of the Reach. Some she even recognized to be the banners of many Northman, which was a very rare occasion as there wasn't a large number of Northerners in the capital city of all the Seven Kingdoms.

As the men started to pile into the courtroom, it started to become messy and disorganized, the men were being very loud and obnoxious, disturbing any who were either inside or out of the Red Keep. This was important, she could tell. The Emperor wouldn't exactly let the courtroom become untidy on a regular day, he would have caused havoc and someone's head would be on a stake within the first few minutes of them arriving.

From the balcony, Konan watched the men. The Stormland men were very stern-looking, a face that matched the dread-black of their clothing and the disarray tangles of their beard. They kept a secure hand fastened at their waistline, brushing against their katana's in case someone decided to cause any funny business towards their lord. The men of the Reach, however, were mostly beautiful men, with white armor around their hakama's and a dreamy look about their faces. They had no worries, which could be a terrible mistake when standing alongside someone from the Stormlands.

Upon the Iron Throne sat a grim-looking man with light-brown hair that was slicked back and a large golden pendant on the fold of his sharp, blue hakama. He looked angry, as he always did, whether he was pleased or not didn't matter, the expression of the Emperor never withered away. He rested his chin on his ring-hand, and watched as the various men before him started to settle down.

Beside the Emperor on a much shorter, stool-like chair was a beautiful well-kept woman. The usual thick, seven-layered kimono she wore with elegance and pride to her married clan. This woman was born to be royalty. The Empress consort of her reigning husband was much opposite as Konan had come to know, serving her for many years. She was kind and fair to all whom she spoke to, even if they had committed high treason. Though she had been known to order an execution, it wasn't without good reason.

On the opposite side of the emperor was a man with long, silky hair who had just recently turned twenty-three. A single man, the oldest son of the Emperor and Empress; he moved in a very gracious way, but was always strict and severe in battle. The heir wasn't known to show mercy, and was constantly asked the question of marriage whenever he had given a chance to be spoken to. A well-sought after man, of course.

A man who was shorter than the other by a few hairs stood beside his brother. The youngest of the clan, and another handsome man, at that; he was only eighteen years old. Konan always felt a blush whenever walking passed the young man, though in reality, he had never once acknowledged her existence. She knew that he was rebellious and had a crude attitude towards his father and brother, but he was also one of the greatest fighters of the Seven Kingdoms after his brother.

The family looked too much alike. Both boys inheriting their father's bone and face structure, while the oldest having his father's eyes and the youngest having his mothers. The two offspring of the royal clan looked too similar for Konan to even believe. Raven-black hair, and glossy black pupils that absorbed so much evil and prosperity. Most men were known to become very intimidated even at their presence from a distance.

"I assume you are aware of why our clans have come to you, Your Grace?" a tall, sturdy man with a mass of starched hair on top of his head had said. He had bowed when he had first started talking. When the man looked up to the Emperor, Konan could see his facial expression held uncertainty, which was common for a lot of people. The towering man kept his bow at the front of his line, and even turned his head towards the ground, once he had heard the Emperor clear his throat.

"Yes, I am aware of this matter." the Emperor said, with no kindness in his voice. Uchiha Fugaku was his name, living up to his clan's reputation of being a heartless man and a strong swordsman on the battlefield. He was a fire master, and had learned to tame even the blackest of all fires, like his ancestors before him, hence why their sigil has always been a deep red phoenix upon a navy-blue banner with the truest and fiercest words of Through the Flames.

In front of the now-organized rows of men, were their great lords. The white-haired man was in front of his lower, yet loyal, clans that were inferior compared to his clan which ruled over the Stormlands. From the exceptional education Konan had received as a child, she knew that the ruling clan of the Stormlands was none other than the Kaguya clan. They were probably as rigid as the royal Uchiha clan, and probably much more intimidating. It was easy to distinguish between who was a Kaguya, versus another from the Stormlands, that was for sure.

The Kaguya clan, as Konan knew, had a history of fighting with the Uchiha for the Iron Throne. Though it has been generations and generations ago, Konan suspected that the never ending hatred towards the Uchiha from the Kaguya wouldn't die down anytime soon, even though they did bend the knee several hundreds of years ago. White, snowy hair was their trademark, and though it was a paradoxical statement, it looked good on them. All of the Kaguya's that Konan had heard of were austere and unforgiving.

On the opposite side of the room, between the dark blue carpet that separated themselves from the men of the Stormlands was the men from the Reach, and in front of all of them all was the great, noble clan. The Haruno clan was at the same noble level as the Kaguya, being the superior clan of all the lesser clans in their region. The Haruno clan was dreamy and wise. They were known for being intelligent, romantic and very beautiful. All of the Haruno men and woman have been sought after for this trait.

Konan wished to meet a handsome man from the Haruno clan at least once in her life. To look into their famed eyes that were said to be as striking and deep as an emerald. It was said to be a curse or a blessing to fall in love with a Haruno of the Reach, because they were so captivating. Haruno-sama was a gracious man with long platinum blonde hair that reached his waist. Along with armor that looked as if he was wearing silver with his hakama.

But the question Konan seemed to ask herself, as she was idly overlooking the courtroom from the balcony, was why both clans were present in the Red Keep at the same time. The two regions were polar opposites, one being cold and envious while the other was desirable and patient. The Stormlands bred very wrathful men, teaching them to be strong and repugnant and the Reach bred men of aspiration, teaching them to be perfect knights.

Haruno-sama bowed his body down to the Emperor now; it didn't look right to Konan. The Haruno lord looked as if he should be the emperor, and the Uchiha man should be the one bowing. The lord looked like a saint, or an angel. But nevertheless, he was bowing towards his emperor. "You Grace, we wish to settle matters. We want to claim peace and everlasting between our two clans, if at all possible."

"Is that right?" the royal Uchiha man looked towards the superior, yet rival clan. He was really looking towards Kaguya-sama, who as of the moment was unbowed. Moments later he slowly nodded his head in approval to Uchiha Fugaku. The two eyed each other for a long second in something that Konan thought was probably lack of respect, or untrustworthiness.

"After months of secrets, whispers and small battles between your clans, you want to put a stop to it, do you?" the Emperor asked as a sort of rhetorical question. Of course they wanted to put a stop to it, the men of the Stormlands wouldn't be here otherwise. They already had a strong enough shell as it was, and it was a wonder they came on their own free will to arrive at the Red Keep.

"Of course, Your Grace, that it our intention." the Haruno lord said, causing the Emperor to look at the charismatic man before him. "Is there any possible way to receive your blessing, Your Grace? The Haruno and the Kaguya clan are both at fault for making the Seven Kingdoms tremble at our unnecessary devotions. But we have come to an absolute agreement, and we are hoping that you will give us means of peace."

Konan realized that the great Haruno lord sounded nothing short of judicious in his tone of voice and the language chosen. He was willing to admit, in front of the royal clan, that his clan was at fault; something that many men, noble and meagre, failed to do. But he was also a lord, and he admired tranquility over conflict. She still wondered about the Kaguya clan though, they were made to start wars, why were they so easily persuaded to come to an agreement? Was the Haruno clan responsible for causing an unnatural disturbance in the Kaguya clan?

Even if war did end up breaking out between the two respective clans, the Uchiha would obviously side with the Haruno's because of the questionable reliance with the Kaguya clan, and the Haruno clan had many friends, including the lords of the Westerlands and Dorne. The North has always been unreliable of the Iron Throne, so they would align themselves with the Kaguya clan, as well as the lords of the Iron Islands. Konan shook her head of all the possibilities; it was starting to get confusing.

"By means of peace and blessings, I am sure you mean a contract of some sorts? A royal contract at that." the royal Uchiha looked at his wife as she whispered something in his ear, too quiet for anyone else to hear what she was saying. She finished it with a smile and looked at all of the men in the room with gentleness. Emperor Fugaku thought upon her words for a moment, causing an intense silence and suspense to go throughout the room.

"Of course, Your Grace. Though we are both indecisive about what this royal contract could be." the Haruno pressed on. The Emperor looked at the opposite corners of the room, which Konan had come to perceive as his thinking face. Konan had watched many royal court sessions, being one of the trusting hands of the Empress, and had almost determined when the Emperor was thinking hard about something.

The room trembled at the awkwardness the Emperor was sustaining. The answer wouldn't be simple; Konan knew that for a fact. She was a smart girl who didn't expect anything ripe to come out of the Uchiha's mouths. They were usually obscenely fair with their congregations concerning matters of war, but Konan always anticipated that the Uchiha would finally create the realm to be a tidy and nurtured place that it deserved to be.

"Hmm..." the Emperor murmured. His eyes lazily shot open and looked at each of the lords. "Are there any in your main family tree that are unwedded and unpledged as of this very moment?" the royal Uchiha blinked his eyes in a lengthened motion, signalling his test of patience. So that was what Uchiha Fugaku was getting at. It wasn't simple, but it seemed as though he knew exactly the means to achieve the peace the two clans seemed to be longing for.

The Kaguya lord was the first to speak, with his rough-toned voice. "We have yet to arrange a marriage for my oldest son, Kimimaro." Out of habit, Kaguya-sama pressed his hand against the fine top of his katana. It looked as if the lord was beginning to feel betrayed when asked about the concept of marriage for his son. Konan undoubtedly smirked.

"Yes, my daughter." the Haruno lord vaguely told the Emperor. Judging by the unfortunate look on the Haruno's face, it seemed he knew exactly what was going to happen; and he wouldn't like it one bit. Konan was grateful she didn't have to undergo what the daughter of this Haruno-sama will most likely have to. The whole idea of being forced to marry someone that you can't even tolerate was like the chiming of a very loud, very annoying bell.

"The status of your daughter, then?" questioned the Emperor, who seemed eager to end the meeting as soon as possible. Patience was a virtue, but it gleamed within his beady eyes that he lacked just that. The Uchiha wanted to get the meeting between the two good lords over and done with, and the way he was speaking confirmed that.

"My wife has told me Sakura is flowered and pure." as the Emperor said this, he tapped his ring hand repeatedly on the arm holds of the uncomfortable Iron Throne. The Empress whispered in his ear again, but this time it was only for a brief few seconds. She then postured herself in front of the crowd of men and finally noticed Konan. The Empress gave a momentary, yet innocent smile at her right-hand maid before focusing on the crowd once more.

"It's settled then." concluded Uchiha Fugaku. "A betrothal will be put forth between Kaguya Kimimaro and Haruno Sakura, to ensure peace between the two regions of the Stormlands and the Reach, and before our Godly Ancestors, this is witnessed. Do you fully agree with the conditions of this betrothal, great lords?"

The Kaguya lord sighed. "I consciously agree, Your Grace." The Emperor looked hastily at the Kaguya counterpart. The Haruno lord hesitated, he was rendered speechless. It seemed that these terms of peace were unnerving and unexpected. Konan perceived that the great lord didn't want to give away his daughter to the beastly frightening lord's oldest son. Konan was excellent at observing people as well as her books; it was part of her everyday activities.

Minutes passed by before the lord of the Reach finally cleared his throat, ready to speak. The entire time the Emperor had conducted the preparation of the betrothal, his eyes had been opened wide, and he may have been trembling. Konan couldn't blame him, a tribe as evil as the Kaguya, and his daughter was likely to be tied up with chains, never to see the living light of day for as long as she remained with them. It frightened Konan and she didn't even know the poor girl.

"If it is the will of both our Godly Ancestors and Your Excellency, then I will consciously agree." the Haruno lord gulped. It was apparent that all of the others could tell exactly what the Haruno lord was feeling. Worried. Unsettled. Protective. It was right to be distrustful of the Kaguya clan. They have always been deceiving and betraying, but it was already too late for Haruno-sama. There wasn't much anyone could have done, courtesy of the royal Uchiha Emperor.

For the first time since the starting of the royal court session, the beautiful Uchiha Empress spoke. "It would also be our greatest wishes to provide your clans with a tournament held here in Kings Landing, in honor of your newfound peace, of course Let us say in the time range of a month." Uchiha Mikoto sounded sweet as dumplings when she spoke, and it took her husband by surprise. He obviously had no idea that she would outright call for a tournament without his permission.

Fugaku looked towards his wife with a sort of bittersweet confusion. The Empress gladly smiled at him with her ink-coloured eyes. "It will be done." Uchiha Fugaku gave in. "See to it that both of your clans make a strict appearance. Make sure you inform many samurai and shinobi of this action. It will be in one month, as she says. You have my leave."

The Emperor sat up from the Iron Throne and strolled out of the courtroom without looking back. Surely he would be angry, the crown was plenty of gold in debt, but Mikoto was always anxious about tournaments, even though they were expensive. Konan watched the Empress momentarily smile at each of her boys and she walked out of the throne room, heading down a different direction than her husband.

One-by-one, the men ambled out of the humongous throne room and out of the Red Keep. Now Konan had to find the Empress and see to her needs. She stepped down the grand hallway of the Red Keep, her geta sandals clapping intently behind her. Konan was in the Empress' favor always, and had to rush to her side unless she was ordered not to. It wasn't a bad thing, she had grown fond of the lovely empress, but there were some days where she wished she could see everything outside of the rotten and filthy Kings Landing.

It took Konan awhile to catch up to the Empress, but she finally found her and it seemed like Mikoto was heading towards her personal room, away from the room she shared with the Emperor. It had many private belongings of the empress,' she was the only one who was allowed to enter the room with Mikoto, the other handmaidens she thought to be untrustworthy, as they were poor and greedy at times.

The room was filled endlessly with jewels and precious gems in rosewood containers and glass boxes. Kimonos and selective obis were carelessly hung up, a row of zori and geta sandals close to the window. Different fabrics and beads tossed on the floor, with a workers desk and a couple chairs on either side. The Empress' room was a wealthy styled pig sty. She had quite the affection over the room; she said that she could be herself in it; that it expressed herself.

Mikoto shut the door behind her, telling Konan to have a seat on the chair beside the workers desk. Once Konan did so, the Empress made her way towards the desk and sat down on the opposite side of Konan. Mikoto sighed. "At times I wish I wasn't an empress." she put her palm over her sweaty forehead like she was tuckered out.

"Your Grace?" Konan worried about the dark-haired woman at times. She said things that were almost nonsense. There wasn't a person alive who didn't want to be an emperor or empress. Which why it shocked Konan, Uchiha Mikoto was thought to be the perfect empress, the best one the Seven Kingdoms had ever saw. It wasn't plainly from her perspective, either. Many people loved the Empress, and thought she was an angel sent down by the Godly Ancestors. She was the only Uchiha that the people of the Seven Kingdoms had ever truly admired.

"You know, Konan, I was the same age as you when I was sent here to the Red Keep." Mikoto said. Konan gulped, and Mikoto continued. "I wasn't from a noble family, same as you. I was a farmer girl who grew up in the Riverlands. I was chosen to become a handmaiden for the Emperors daughter, which was how Fugaku had met me. So I probably know how you feel about serving the Uchiha clan."

Konan had known that Mikoto was young when she had come to the Crownlands, but she wasn't aware that Mikoto was born from a merchant's family. Konan had always suspected that she was a noble's daughter that had been betrothed like the many Empresses before her. Konan's orange eyes were peeled wide open at the story.

"The Empress before me, Fugaku's mother, didn't approve of me marrying her son, she had it in her mind that some Haruno girl would be best suited to wed for Fugaku. Of course, that didn't happen because I am here now, but sometimes I just wish I could have gotten out of this place. I haven't left here since I first came here.

"I know how horrible and uncanny this place is, but I have one request for you. You're the only one I could ever hope to trust in this place." Konan knew that the Empress held high regards for her. She had been proud to live with that fact, but somehow, she knew that what the Empress would want, Konan wouldn't like. Of course Konan would have to succumb to it, because Mikoto was like a sister to her.

"It seems like it's almost our time to pass up the crown, and though I know how unsettling the Red Keep is, I want you to be the one to rule it… alongside my son, Itachi." Bright orange-eyes, stared into the never ending abyss that was the Empress' eyes. Konan could hardly believe her ears, she had to shake her head a little bit to make sure she wasn't dreaming or having a nightmare.

"Your Grace…" Konan could hardly find the right words to say. "I… Why?"

Uchiha Mikoto took a long breath in, and exhaled. "I know this is unfair, and it is very selfish of me, I want you to be the Empress of the Seven Kingdoms." she paused for a moment. "Konan, you're brave and beautiful and fair, and though it won't be a marriage full of love, I want you to rule with my son."

The request would have been unfair and selfish if Konan hadn't been promised to serve the females of the Uchiha. She could marry Uchiha Itachi, like the great Empress said, or she could spend her life being a slave to the royal court. Both ideas weren't in favor of Konan. She had barely spoken any words to the oldest son at all.

"I can see so much of me inside of your eyes. You would be the perfect empress, and I fear that Itachi may not be a very deserving Emperor. It is the same with Sasuke, unfortunately." Mikoto looked shamefully at the ground of her personal chambers. "All I see when I look at Itachi is war and strife. But if you were to be his bride, you would have some say in how orders go around the kingdoms. I know I'm asking a lot… But…"

"Your Grace, how will this marriage consummate if I were to agree?" Konan bluntly asked the Empress. She was still in shock that the Empress would ask her to do such a large duty as this one. It seemed near impossible. Would Konan truly make a good empress? Did Uchiha Mikoto really think that highly of her? Konan was young, only twenty four, she should still be labeled as naïve and irresponsible.

"Betrothals are only between noble families, negotiated by the royal family. Since you are not of noble blood it will be much more complicated as it was in my case. But, if I were to arrange the marriage in a sort of contract fashion that would get Itachi to willingly agree to it and sign for it. We must make him see that he has no other options but to marry you."

"I see." So basically, Konan had to either seduce Uchiha Itachi in a way that made her intriguing to him. If it wasn't a request from the Empress herself, Konan would be very rigid about it. If she failed, she had nothing to lose. The only worry she had was Itachi himself. Nobody ever knew what he was thinking or feeling, he seemed to be very uptight and unsympathetic about everything. His younger brother wasn't any different.

"So, will you do it?" the Empress asked. Konan bit her lip weighing out her options, as if there were any options for her. There was nothing more she could do, once she was chosen to serve for the Empress. She was already a slave to the Red Keep, but to stay here for an eternity? It would never work out, Konan was sure of it. But for her Empress, she had to try.

"Yes." though she hesitated for a moment. "I will do it." The Empress cheerfully smiled, and Konan was plagued with the thoughts of him again. Though she wished they would be gone already, it had been too long for the feelings to resurface, but he was already gone and she would never see him again.

How she missed her beloved Yahiko ever so much.