I don't own Naruto
"This is the third time in as many as two months that those rebels have raided the palace supplies," Fugaku Uchiha said in a sharp clip tone. He was seated at the ruby embezzled throne in the throne room of the Konohagakure kingdom. The Uchihas were a powerful force of Ryuu that had fought ruthlessly in a battle against Kitsune, Tora, Shika and even Neko demons to gain leadership over the kingdom of Konohagakure more than three hundred years ago.
They had ruled the lands equally ruthless enslaving ningen to do their biddings for them. The women had become palace maids while training their girl children to take their place as they grew older. The men were put to work as blacksmiths creating weaponries that were needed to fight previous wars against Sunagakure, Amegakure but mostly against Otogakure.
The Uchihas had kept the ningen under tight control instilling so much fear in them that they hadn't even want to look at the royal family as well as other demons occupying the palace the wrong way.
It was only recently that the ningen has seemingly raise up against them, thieving food supplies that weren't available to them while killing the armed guards that were assigned to each carriage. Fugaku frowned in contemplation. All the guards that had been killed had either been ryuu or a demon of some kind and it had to take an exceptionally strong ningen to kill them.
What he didn't understand was how the ningen got the upper hand over those ryuu. How could mere insignificant ningen best them? Fugaku raised his head and his black eyes collided with that of his two sons. "I want you to bring this-this travesty to an end. Kill them if you have to but bring order back to this kingdom." He ordered the men kneeled before him in submission.
As it was the leaders of the other kingdoms had already begun speculating on the control that he had over his people and this uproar caused by those rebels who in this world had no power whatsoever had caused uproar in his kingdom as well as others, by inciting crimes by ningen in other kingdoms.
They had found multiple notes in the raided carriages declaring that the ningen where not going to settle for the treatment that they were facing from the very beginning. But it wasn't something that could be helped ningen were a weak bunch that were meant to serve demons since the beginning and it was sure to last through to the end of time if there was an end to time.
It was only because of his gentle wife that he had let the first raid go but now this had to stop. The leadership of his ancestors before him had never been questioned and he was not –would not- be the exception to that. He had shown the humans enough compassion and his patient was wearing thin with them.
"Gather up as many men as you think you'll need and cure this palace of its problems." The king said in a cold as ice tone. Nodding their heads with the faint acknowledgement of "Hai outo-san" the two men got to their feet. The faint sunlight streaming through the high windows illuminated the throne room and the two young men as they made their way to the huge double doors.
"Naruto gather up the rest of the team and about two hundred soldiers and enough food supplies for the soldiers and the rebels." Uchiha Itachi commanded as the oak doors behind him slammed shut. The glare of the sun hit the men squarely in their faces but it didn't affect them. The hallway that led to the throne room was a concrete structure with arcs, beams, posts and roofing leaving the sun to shine full-fledge into every dark corner of the hallway.
"Why would we need food for the rebels?" Naruto a blonde hair, cerulean eyed Kitsune asked puzzled. Naruto a full-fledged knucklehead had been part of Sasuke's team of body guards from the very beginning. As first glance the Kitsune was just that a Kitsune; playful, loyal and extremely wary of ningen. But this Kitsune was down right weird he was not wary of ningen and his playfulness extended to way too playful. But even after that Naruto was an exceptional Kitsune.
His powers extended to tracking easily, using pouncing techniques practiced from an early age with which he usually killed his prey very quickly. Sasuke had learned that the hard way but even though he was a very powerful Kitsune he was a kid stuck in a man's body who didn't have his head screwed on right.
"Because we need bait Baka." Sasuke growled at the man in front of him and watched his mouth formed an 'O' shape in understanding. Sasuke shook his head and turned back to his brother.
"Are you sure we'll need that much. If its mere ningen I'm sure you and I could get the job done in little less than a day." Sasuke said to his older brother. He wasn't bragging, it was true; they could wipe out the rebels between the two of them. But judging from the type of rebels they were going up against it was safe to say that they couldn't take any chances. They didn't know the amount of rebels they were going up against and judging from the rebels previous actions it was highly likely that they wouldn't make it out without scratches of even worst a fatality. And as it was Uchiha Itachi was not about to face the wrath of his mother nor father. It was his job to protect his younger brother.
"We could otouto-san but that would be a recipe for disaster. I'm sure the rebels that we're going up against are expecting us. But what I'm not sure about is the amount of rebels that we're going after." Itachi related his views and Sasuke nodded in agreement at his words.
~0~
"But the Princes themselves are coming, how do we have any hopes of defeating the Ryuu Princes even if we can take on their army?" Aito, an elderly man with graying sideburns spoke up from where he sat around the round table where the twelve other council members sat.
A murmur of agreement snaked around the table. As it was the council members were trying to keep the rebellion alive; raids, killings, you name they did in order to survive. It was the way that they had had to adopt in order to survive.
The Dragons of Konohagkure might think that it was their God given right to rule the lands but that was as far as their ruling extended as far as the humans were concerned. They could have lived in peace and that was what they were thriving for when the Dragons had won the war but that was not how things had turn out.
As it was the Ryuu Royals had want none of that they had enslaved all humans through out Konoha then once the word had got out that humans were the new live-in slaves all the other hidden villages had taken to the same ruling. It was as if the humans had fallen to the bottom of the food chain.
"We fight to out last breath. I've not spent all of my life fighting to protect my family to then have them slaughtered by the Ryuu Royals!" Namito Hokami said in a sudden burst of anger. A general murmur of agreement ran through out the table.
"This does not have to go as far as war." Sachio Haruno said in a commanding voice. "Think of the amount of fatalities that we'll suffer if we take on that army. Our women and children will be enslaved and if we do decide to strike against the arm y we will all be put to death. As it is our sons already suffer from the fact that they have to live a covered live scurrying like cockroaches just so that they could live a free life and our daughters have it worst…" Sachio said in a pleading tone.
"But you know that the Ryuu Royals will not accept a peace treaty between us, all they want is to work our men into the grounds and use of women as fucking whores." Namito's younger son shouted and the room erupted in a choir of agreements.
"I say we prepare for battle and fight for our freedom!" Namito's son roared with pride.
~0~
Sakura Haruno stared at the wooden dummy in front of her then assumed a fighting position. She went at the dummy head on punching and kicking in multiple openings then ducking and sweeping the floor with a wide leg kick. She was so lost in her training that she did not hear her father enter the training grounds.
"Hime." He called in a loud voice. Sachio Haruno was a well worn war general that had seen many and lived through many wars it was in his blood to fight for what was right and to protect the weak. As it was he was content with life, he wanted nothing but to live in peace and not have to fear for the life of his only living relative. Sakura was the reason he had joined the council in the first place.
It was for her that he had fought so many battles but there was one thing that he had not been satisfied with. He had been blessed with a beautiful daughter but the Gods had seen to it that he had not produced a son to carry his name one. Sakura was a blessing but when it came to the reality of the world she was a woman and women were not as easily pardoned as men.
That was what had motivated his little girl into the woman that she was today. And though he was totally against her fighting alongside men she had made it clear that she was not going to sit around and do things that women were so supposed to do. His once calling her bluff had led to her participating in a war against the Tora guards that could have almost cost her, her life.
All he asked of her was to be like any other girl in the village, marry and produce him with a grandchild but she had refused just as she had refused every marriage proposal that had came her way. Sakura had refused to be treated as a girl and no amount of pleading could have gotten her to change her mind. The only compromise she had made was that she would let her hair grow out as a significant of the woman that she had became.
Sachio sighed as he watched her now flowing knee length hair twirl in perfect rhythms with her movements. He watched as she completed her advance set of katas then turned to face him with bright apple green eyes.
"Otou-san," Sakura greeted happily as she turned to face her aging father. But as she got closer to the man sitting on the tree stomp the smile on her face fell.
"What's wrong otou-san?" Sakura demanded as she kneeled in front of her father. He looked like he had aged fifty years since she had last seen him his morning. Sakura frowned as she realized that that could only mean that something was horribly wrong. What had happened at that council meeting that he had attended this morning?
"Sumimasen." Sachio said to the young woman as he cupped her face with wrinkled age-spot hands. "I couldn't protect you or your mother when you were young and now I won't be able to do it again." The man said in a sad voice.
"Papa, what's wrong?" Sakura asked with a pleading look in her eyes, she wish he would just tell her what was wrong she didn't like the helpless look that he had in his eyes or his voice. And what was he talking about she could protect herself she wasn't three anymore with her frightened mother. She could protect herself and him if the need arose.
"The Ryuu Royals and an army are coming up this way. Apparently they are coming to kill the rebellion. I tried to coax the council into offering some form of peace treaty with them but as always Namito's pigheaded son had to stick his mouth in and declare war." The older man shook his head in defeat.
"Papa there's nothing you could have done if none of them listened to you. But I'll tell you what," she paused then gathered his hands in hers, "if we have to fight then we will and I'll make you proud." She said with much pride in her voice.
"That is what I'm afraid of." The man said with a sigh of defeat. "Why can't you just be like the other girls in the village?" The man asked with a regretful look in his eyes and Sakura smiled at him then she rose and kissed his papery cheeks.
"Papa…" she chided the old man then made her way into the house. Sachio got up and followed her into the house.
"When are the R&R coming anyways?" Sakura joked as she moved about the kitchen getting lunch ready. Of course she would love to offer her father everything he wanted but Sakura had made a promise to herself the day she had watched her mother being dragged from the house by vial demons and ripped to shreds that promise that she had made had been that she would never be that helpless again. She would fight for what was right and being a slave to demons was something that she hated with every living cell in her body.
Sachio sighed there was no point in lying she was bound to find out anyway either at the market or at the town house where all the soldiers where to assembled this afternoon for a briefing on the on coming war.
"They'll arrive at noon tomorrow armed and ready for battle there's a town meeting at the townhouse this afternoon." Sachio said in defeat.
~0~
Sakura stared at the carnage that was taking place around her but couldn't quite let the grimness of the situation get to her. Stepping to one side she sliced the arm of a demon and shoved his body to one side taking on the other. As expected the army had sneaked into their village in the dead of night and commenced the battle. Sakura drove the blade of her sword deep into her next opponent chest as she tried to block the image of her father the peacemaker being strike down as he tried to negotiate peace between them.
The rage that had filled Sakura was so chilling that she had been momentarily stunned, the weight of her armor forgotten and her already mounting hatred peaked. A single tear escaped her eye as she cut through yet another demon.
As it was the odds were not in their favor because their numbers were quickly dwindling Sakura powered through two more men screaming as she went then ducked at the huge blade that could have taken her head clean off. Sliding to one side Sakura took a swing at the demon in front of her then kicked out her feet bring him to the ground. She sliced his arm with her sword and heard him roar of pain. His huge hand collided with her head and the helmet that protected her head rattled.
He reached out to grab her but she slide through the opening of his feet losing her sword as she went. Sakura took a little tumbled with another demon as she came to a halt. The black haired demon that stared down at her was stunningly handsome but Sakura barely had time to appreciate his good looks because he was driving a sword straight for her heart.
Rolling to one side Sakura stumbled to her feet only to be shoved back down by a harsh shoulder. She heard the clutter of her helmet as she hit the floor rolling then her hair escaped the metal confinement.
"What you're a woman?" The demon above demanded in a harsh voice his red eyes bleeding red fury down at her. Sakura twisted away from his hold and rolled to her feet.
"What does it matter?" She demanded as she picked up the fallen sword of a dead comrade and charged. The black haired demon simply stepped out of her path but Sakura was smarter than that she swung the sword around expecting it to take the demons head clean off but it didn't he was too fast.
In a split second the demon had the sword and her back pinned to the ground. His eyes roaming shamelessly across her face, almost breathless and tried from fatigue Sakura tried to push away from the demon but he just forced her back to the ground with the weight of his body.
Totally oblivious to the battle that was going on around her Sakura stared at the demon-man above her with hatred pulsing throughout her entire being. If he was going to kill her why did he have to drag it out? Was it because she was a female?
"Just kill me and get it over with." She told him in a cold voice. If she was going to die then she wanted to die with respect. The man above her was breathtaking and Sakura might have appreciated his good looks if he were a human but as it was he wasn't and she didn't appreciate them.
"Who said anything about killing you?" The man asked in a soft velvety voice that was made out to sound persuasive but failed on her. Frowning at his choice of words and the sudden release of her hand Sakura made short work of his mistake and reached for her weapon then brought the handle of her sword hard down on her assailant's neck.
Shoving his body to one side Sakura rolled to her feet and assumed a fighting stance rushing towards him before he had the opportunity to regain his balance. Just when she thought she had the upper hand on him his red eyes met hers and the last thing she saw were swirling commas…
TBC…