Chapter 1.
This is my new little ficlet! Had the unfinished chappie on my puter forever. I won't spoil the coupling tho' :P
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, just this fanfic!
The Clans.
The Uchiha residence was one of the largest in Konoha. Even though the head family only had four members, the family tree's branches seemed to stretch out into eternity. The vast number of people that belonged to the Uchiha Clan lived in what was almost a city inside the city. The largest clans of Konoha each had their own "corner" of the city to rule in. Those clans where: the Hyuuga, the Aburame, the Inuzuka, the Akimichi, the Naara and the Uchiha. What those clans had in common was that each of them had an heir of the same age. Now, as these heirs would turn 16 it was expected that they would start wedding arrangements. Konoha's smaller clans would be allowed to present what they would believed was a good match for the heirs. It wasn't impossible that the five main clans would arrange marriage between themselves either, even if this was more uncommon.
The streets of Konoha were filled with people, as everybody was busy preparing for the presentation of their young, hopeful ones. Two women was standing under a tree, discussing the latest news.
"Have you heard, the Inuzuka's has entered negotiations with the Hyuuga's?" The young woman leaned closer to the older looking one. "No really?" She covered her mouth with a wrinkled hand. "That would mean more competition among us smaller clans, wouldn't it?" The young one nodded, but she smiled. "The main "prize" is still available though; Uchiha Sasuke." The old woman smiled too, while leaning even closer. "Yes, we got our Sakura thought out for him. Now that would make a handsome couple and a powerful one as well. Even if the Haruno clan is small, we are still strong!"
Sasuke stood on the balcony of his room, where he couldn't help but hear the two women talking. "They should know better than stand around gossiping, at least right outside the Uchiha's mansion." He decided he'd give them a bit of a fright, and coughed loudly, turning his back to them. When he looked over his shoulder a moment later, he could see the two of them hurrying away from the spot where they were just standing, huddled together. He leaned on the rail of the balcony and sighed. He didn't want a wife, nor did he need one. He could lead the clan alone, it would be better that way. He'd seen it before, that this marriage thing could cause feuds between clans and rip them apart. He knew that he Uchiha clan was full of conspiracy. His older brother had left the clan because of it; he couldn't take this honour thing anymore. Sasuke didn't blame him. His eyes darkened when he thought of his brother.
Itachi… Where are you now…?
The wind made his hair dance in the wind, and he closed his eyes.
If only I could be far away from here…
He envied Itachi in a way. He was free and nothing could bind him. But the consequence was that he always had a tail of the clans assassins after him. The reason they wanted him dead was that he had left, left them with shame. They could never rid themselves of this shame, unless he was dead. The wind caressed his skin, making him think of where his brother could be now.
"Sasuke-sama, please come inside. You could catch a cold if you stay out there too long."
Sasuke sighed. "Please don't treat me like a frail child, Mizuki-kun." The young maid had to take several steps backwards as Sasuke entered the room. She clutched the black skirt of her dress. Even if she was very grateful for this opportunity to work, she couldn't help being a little afraid of this dark-haired boy. His aura was so sinister… and somewhat smothering. She felt as if every time she took a breath, she would unconsciously be consuming a bit of him, like smoke from a fire. Only the thought of that made her body feel heavier. She had never before met anyone with such melancholy over them.
The sound of his voice startled her; "Was there something you wanted?" He was looking at her quizzically.
"Y-yes, your father wishes to speak with you." She bowed and hurried towards the door.
Sasuke rubbed his temples. The talks with his father always made his head hurt, and now it started even before he'd seen him. He left is large bedroom, walking down a broad hallway with dark and polished wooden floors.
Mizuki was walking hurriedly in front of him, to open the doors, even if she knew that it annoyed him. One could tell by looking closely at his tightly furrowed brows, even if he wasn't that easy to read. When Sasuke stepped into the large room where his father spent most of his time, he was a bit surprised to see that there were several other clan members there. He bowed to them to pay them his respect, since they were all elders of the clan. Whenever his father was making a decision, he would ask the elders for advice, because they had lived the longest and had the most experience in life. Even his mother was there, sitting next to her husband's seat with her fingers laced and gently placed in her lap. She smiled at him, as he seated himself at the corner of the table next to her. He wondered how she could keep such a serene exterior, even when his harsh father was around. Maybe it was the powers of yin and yang. The elders didn't look at his mother, and he had just recently learned why. She wasn't good enough, even if she had given them two male heirs. She came from a very small clan, which had nothing extraordinary about them. They had never done a brave deed, nor did they excel in battle. Why they had let his father marry her was still a mystery.
His father entered the room, with his usual stone-faced expression. He bowed to the elders as Sasuke had done before him, though not as deep. "I apologize for being late; there has been some trouble with the help lately. And it appeared it wouldn't be solved unless I took care of it personally." He bowed again and took his seat. "Well, on with today's meeting. As you all know, it is time Sasuke found himself a wife to carry the clan's inheritance on." There was nodding and mumbling amongst the elders. "And so it has been decided that we will start welcoming the girls next weekend. We'll decide on three girls that will be staying here for a longer amount of time, and then at last we'll decide upon who we see fit to the position." Sasuke pressed his lips together. Maybe he could send her away, make her live in one of their other mansions. Then he wouldn't have to see her or anything. It wasn't that he didn't like girls, he just wanted to choose for himself.
Sasuke sighed. He was sitting in one of the mansions larger rooms to welcome the girls, and he didn't feel comfortable at all. His lips were pursed and he was even paler than usual. Mizuki was standing behind him, waiting for any order he might have for her. The elders of the clan were sitting on the other side of the table, and Sasuke felt like he was on display, and time went by much slower than usual. Finally, the wide doors opened, letting the sun in. the opening could easily fit six people standing shoulder to shoulder, and now it was filled with five girls. Sasuke figured he had to fix his eyes upon them, but he had no interest in them at all, so it wandered off into the distance. His father's voice brought him back to reality, and he tried harder to concentrate on what was happening in front of him. The room was now filled with twenty girls, all dressed in very exquisite kimono's. Sasuke thought all of them looked like dolls; so much sparkly and shining stuff on them. He weren't used to this kind of dress-up, since his mother was very modest in the way she dressed. He figured he liked it simpler, without all the decoration.
Suddenly, an old woman with her hair in a tight bun strode out on the floor. "Now, all the candidates would like to show the young master a dance." She clapped her hands, and all the girls took their position. One of the girls tried to catch Sasuke's eye, but he just studied the patterns on his hakama. This would definitely take a while…
(A/N) Hey, hope you liked the first chapter! Please review!