If I Could Fly

Chapter One

"Be as a bird, who, halting in her flight on a limb too slight,

feels it give way beneath her yet sings, sings…

knowing she has wings."

-Victor hugo

"A boy!"

"Glorious, we I'll finally have a true heir again."

I gritted my teeth and tried to focus on the needlework sitting in my lap trying to block of the voices. My father's family had no qualms about voicing their unwelcome and often time unwarranted opinions. The birth of my younger brother had everyone in a frenzy for the past month. The the sounds of my cousins milling about the large receiving room were enough to put me in a foul mood. I disliked the family members I saw on the day to day basis, but I especially despised them on days of special occasions. They never ceased to throw a wrench into even the most joyous events.

It was a well known fact that my own birth had been a mistake. Being honor-bound people in their own personal lives my parents decided to give marriage their best try. However, when I was ten, the love my mother and father shared turned sour. The two split, causing ripples of shock and outrage throughout our clan, and my mother was sent back to her home in a distant land. 7 years later my father would take another wife, and conceive another child.

Mother had never been looked on with approval from the elders. She was a shinobi and an outsider at that. I was simply tolerated because I had been an only child. By all accounts I should have been considered an illegitimate heir and tossed out with her. If that had happened, then maybe things would have better for everyone.

"You haven't heard a single word I've said, have you?" The old woman sitting in front of me chuckled. Of all the members of my family, my grandmother was the only one who truly cared for me. "You've been stuck in another one of your day dreams again haven't you?" She mused, taking a look at my sloppy stitching. With a deep breath I managed to calm myself down enough not to tear the entire thing apart. An heiress is never supposed to let her feelings show. She never gets angry, and is always in a state of poised, subtle amusement.

"I'm sorry oba-san there's a lot on my mind these days." I bowed my head in apology before lifting the teacup to my lips. The drink was a tart citrus and herbal blend, but the soothing mixture did nothing to calm my nerves.

She chuckled, a throaty and hoarse sound. Her health had been declining for many months now. Some kind of respiratory infection she just couldn't shake. "So serious all the time. You'll have a hard time making friends with that attitude Sayuri-chan."

"If there is anyone worth having as a friend in this compound by all means name them." I said with no small amount of cynicism. The needle accidentally pricked my finger causing a small bead of blood to look at the tip. I stuck the wound in my mouth on instinct before quickly grabbing some kind of tissue for it.

"Hmm, I think Junko-San would be quite put out to hear you say that. That woman practically loves you as her own."

"She's my guard, its her job to keep me safe and oversee my training." I winced at the cold tone of my voice. Was that really the truth? Or was that my 17 year strong defensive mechanism screaming Danger Danger Beware!

My grandmother hummed under her breath and turned her attention to her sewing, if she had any more qualms about my chilly outlook she wisely kept it to herself. "What's troubling you child? Your brother is far too small and young to be causing you this much grief yet."

I shifted uncomfortably in my seat. "It's not him I worry about, its his mother. Lady Kiyo hates me, we both know this. With his birth there is no reason to keep me around."

Setting aside her project, my grandmother fixed me with a knowing look. "You think she will attempt to send you away?"

I stifled the urge to snort. An heiress never allows her demeanor to be vulgar or uncouth. "I think I'd be disappointed at this juncture if she didn't. Maybe even a touch insulted."

"Your father has never been a smart man, kami help him, he was entirely too spoiled by your grandfather, but he has undoubtedly grown even more stupid with that vapid woman twisting his mind." Grandmother shook her head disapprovingly at the thought. I nodded my head in agreement. A light tapping sound on the door broke my attention.

Junko, my personal guard, slide the door open. Her long, dark hair was put up into a tight bun. Her brown eyes were cool and confident as she gave a low bow. "Sayuri-hime, your father wishes to see you."

"Best not keep him waiting." I sighed. I gave my grandmother a short bow before exiting the room. As we walked down the hall with a brisk pace many of the servants would nod their head in respect at my approach. The clansmen I passed barely paid me any mind. Excluding the occasional sneer or rude comment no one tried to engage me in conversation. It suited me just fine since they hardly had any kind of wise dom I'd be interested in hearing.

One of the maids slid the door to the drawing room open for me. My father was seated on a chaise lounge surrounded by attendants. He was a portly, ruddy faced man with all the steel and backbone of a worm. We've never held a serious conversation in my whole life. Outside of polite pleasantries the only thing we ever exchanged equally was grief in my mother's departure. How ever short lived that was on his end.

To his right sat Lady Kiyo. She was still a young woman. Her long, steel colored hair was pulled into an intricate knot at the top of her head and secured with golden hair pins. Her expensive kimono was made of navy silk and embellished with detailed stitch work of white cranes. Her face was all angles and sharp turns, but there was no denying her beauty. But her eyes...her eyes while a stunning pearl color, gave no light...no emotion.

"You requested me?" I said in a tone of mock politeness. Offering a a nod of my head in respect.

"You're stepmother and I will be taking a trip with your brother to visit her family in the west . We'll be leaving within the next day or so and shouldn't be gone more than a few weeks." He slurred, taking another sip from the sake cup in hand. Lady Kiyo gave a tight smile, her eyes narrowed on me.

"We expect you to take run of the compound until we return. Do not leave the grounds for any reason." She said in a soft even tone; even tacking on a tight lipped smile. "Now that Hitomi-sensei has retired we expect you to use her teachings and conduct yourself properly in her absence."

The harpy she mentioned had indeed left several months ago. After years of drilling her logic into my mind, hers was a face I never hoped to see again. The beady eyes woman was as strict and conservative as they come. Her only individualistic mindset came about in the harsh and often cruel punishments she'd give me for disobeying her teachings. Things like forcing me into tubs of ice water in the winter time, or rapping my hands with a wooden stick until they bled and cracked weren't exactly text book material.

I nodded in polite understanding before being dismissed. As I walked down the corridor to my room I felt a cold chill run down my spin. Something about my step-mother's almost pleasant demeanor was enough to set my teeth on edge. Whatever she had in mind it couldn't bode well, not in the slightest.

"What do you know of the Otsetsuki clan?"

I contemplated where I'd heard that name before. My grandmother seemed oddly serious today. Maybe it was the rain affecting her rheumatism. I know I'd heard the name before somewhere….oh!

"That's your family's name, isn't it?"

My grandmother's eyes shone with pride as she held up her necklace: the oval shaped opal gleamed in the lamplight. She had access to many fine jewels, but she never parted from the silver necklace.

"This pendant was my great-grandmother's. Otetsuki was founded many years ago in the warring states era by a woman with no clan. They say her powers were enough to quell the storm of hatred that griped this land." She drones on sagely.

"I thought that was the Uchiha and the Senju?"My brow furrowed in confusion. Grandmother's sudden hearty laugh caused me nearly to jump out of my skin.

"Who do you think implanted the seed of peace that they would eventually cultivate? My family are descendants of Izayoi Otetsuki, she is known by few but all feel the effects of her deeds." I hummed in understanding. Sometimes it was best to indulge my grandmother's fantastical stories. She had little else to do after grandfather had passed. Father thought it was in her best interest to stay out of clan duties in her old age. No doubt acting on the idea his new wife had so graciously suggested to him.

"Why, her very essence has been preserved in this crystal and has remained in my care for the past 50 years." I gave the old woman an incredulous look. At the sight of my eyes going wide she burst into another loud cackle. My grandmother's laugh soon turned into a serious of hacking that caused her body to convulse. I gently laid her back in bed and lifted a cup of water to her mouth. She managed a few swallows before her coughing calmed down. Her eyes crinkled with a smile as she relaxed into the pillows.

"That's enough history for tonight." I teased. I smoothed a fallen strand of hair away from her face admiring how soft her wrinkle skin felt behind my hands. Her fever was running a bit high and I knew sleep would be the best course of action.

"I'm sorry Sayuri-chan." She wheezed.

"Don't be sorry. How many times have you stayed by my bedside caring for me when I was ill? Or the time I fell from that tree and broke my wrist?" I folded the covers up to her chin and smiled.

"You were such a spritely thing as a child. You told your mother you jumped from that tree branch to see if you'd sprout wings." She mused. I flushed at the memory with embarrassment. "You remember what she said in response? Lady Akane declared to the man setting your wrist: my daughter has a hard enough time not slipping on the polished floor. And yet she wants wings?"

I let out a stream of laughter at the memory. Those were happier times for all of us. I sat with my grandmother that night until she drifted into a fitful sleep. The, after shutting off the lights and setting her morning medicine aside I slipped away to retire myself.

"Focus on the feeling in your fingertips, then push the sensation out with your mind."

It was a nice, mid spring day. Land of Moon experience rather mild weather compared to other places. But it also varies depending on where you were on the island. The trees were bright green and plush and the birds fondly made their homes in them. The sound of them twittering around was distracting sometimes.

"I can't do it, my chakra control is poor at best." I ground out through clenched teeth. We were sitting cross legged on the grassy knoll of the training ground. Sweat had begun beading my forehead with exertion. Everyday, Junko would start me off with a light workout to build my stamina. It wasn't proper to teach me for combat given I was a noble woman, but it was important to be able to defend myself. Enemies were everywhere these days. A simple vacation into the nearby countries could easily take a deadly tone at any time.

"Yes, you can." Junko growled in frustration. " Think of your chakra as water. Let it cover your hands as if you placed them in a clear pool."

I bit my lip and tried to focus on the tingling sensation in my hands. Slowly, I began to feel the energy wrap around my fingers like a glove. I opened my eyes and saw the lilac hue emitted from my skin, glowing in the dwindling sunlight.

"I-I did it… I really did it!" I cried happily. It had taken me nearly a month but I'd finally done it. Junko smiled and patted me on the head.

"See I told you. Let's call it a day and head inside for something to eat."

We made our way to the compounds kitchen in amicable silence. The set of houses had been peaceful for two wonderful days. My father left for his trip nearly a week ago when suddenly other clansmen began slowly to leave for journeys as well. At first it was unnerving, I'd grown used to the constant negative presences of my relatives, but the weather in the Land of Moon had been unseasonably fine and I figured, with no one to stop them, they were taking advantage of the good conditions and decided to travel. Only the servants, Junko, Grandmother, and myself remained.

"Sayuri-hime," Our cook Sojiro greeted me as I walked through the door. He'd prepared a meal of beef curry and rice set up on the table. I had always preferred eating down in the kitchens by the fireplace. It was so much better than the cool, impersonal dinners in the main dining hall. Most of the scullery servants had been here before I was born, and as such were not under Lady Kiyo's influence.

"Has oba-San eaten yet?" I asked him. The plump man frowned and shook his head.

"Afraid not Sayuri-hime . She isn't doing so well today. I gave it my all trying to get her to stomach some porridge this afternoon."

Frowning I took one of the bowls and filled it with a small bit of rice before topping it with the curry, " I'll bring this to her. Junko" I nodded at the dark haired woman as she began taking off her armor. "I'll be back in a bit, feel free to go in ahead."

I hurried up the stairs and into the main building and headed toward the hall containing the bedrooms. I scowled when I opened the door to see my grandmother was not abed. She was too weak to be walking on her own. If she fell she might break something in her condition.

"Oba-San!" I called and heard a muffled reply coming from the library. I opened the wooden door and found her sitting in a chair at the large oak desk, her head bent over to ready something.

I breathed out a sigh of relief and shut the door behind me, "You really should be in bed. Sojiro-San says your not eating?"

She acted as if she hadn't heard me. Her hands, bent and twisted from arthritis beckoned me toward her. "Come take a look at this child."

I walked over to take the paper from her and inspected it. My brow furrowed in confusion. It was a money order receipt for quite a large sum. Paid to the order of a clan by the name of Ryuma. I turned to look over at my grandmother who was exceptionally white in the face.

"Is something the matter, who are these Ryuma people?" Our gaze met and she looked away before waving her hand.

"It's nothing for you to worry about. Mm, is that beef curry I smell? Or has old age robbed me of scent as well as mobility?"

I smiled and lead her slowly by the arm back to her bed. When she was properly seated I spoon fed her until she'd eaten most of the generous portion. She might have eaten more if the toll of her mini excursion hadn't worn her out. I stretched my arms up to pop the sockets and relieve the tension in my shoulders, then I grabbed the dishes to bring back downstairs. Normally servants would be tasked to care for my grandmother, but I preferred to watch over her myself.

Returning to the kitchen I noticed most of the staff had retired for the night, including the cook. The older man was kind enough to leave some food out for me. Junko had appeared to turn in for the night as well. I eagerly dug into the meal and once I had my fill I drowsily made my way to the baths. I washed away the grime from the day before walking through the quiet halls to my bedroom, collapsing onto my futon and fell into a peaceful rest.

Lady Akane clutched the paper in her hand. The message scrawled I'm familiar script caused her heart to beat erratically in her chest. The dark haired woman quickly slinked through the halls of her home. It was the middle of the night but she gave no thought to the time as she hurried to the spiraling tower in the epicenter of town.

Her personal guards, her shadows as it were, flirted behind her at breakneck pace. The poor underpaid desk clerk nearly hit the roof when she burst through the double door entrance. Her features, common regarded as tranquil and stern, were contorted in a mix of fury and fear. Her robes, red,dense, and swirling around her gave her the complete image of a enraged banshee.

"Ma'm you can't-" squeaked the deskclerk. One look from the woman's face turned the boy to stone.

Hustling up the steps as fast as she could, Lady Akane prayed to every god that she could think of that she wouldn't be too late.

"Lord Hokage!" She called breathlessly as she finally reached the top office. The aged man was sitting with a mountain of paperwork before him. A steady stream of smoke curling out of his pipe with a sweet, heady scent.

To say he was more than a little surprised to see Lady Akane in his office so late would be an understatement. She wasn't one known to cause him unwarranted concern or attention. But the look on her face had his attention instantly.

"It's a matter of great urgency. My daughter is is danger. I need one of your best teams to recover her as soon as possible."

Hiruzen Sarutobi raises a brow at that. Lady Akane had lived in the billiard most her life. But he recalled vaguely she being on an extended travel visa for about 12 years. He never heard of her taking a husband and had never heard of such a child being registered in the Konoha census.

"I had no idea you had a daughter, Ito-San. What is the nature of your concern?"

"I promise I will explain it all to you in great detail. But for now I need you to send a team to these coordinates and bring her here as soon as possible." She pleaded.

Normally such demands would instantly be rejected. But the wild, desperate look in her eyes gave Hiruzen enough confidence to overlook this impudence once. He could tell this was no prank or trap set to ensure his forces in a wild goose chase.

"I will trust your words Ito-San. I know the details will have to wait but what can you tell me? The more information I have the better I can help you."

Lady Akane took a shuddering breath, " I hoped it would never come to this. I hoped she could have a good life even if I wasn't a part of it. To think, he would allow this to happen-"

"Who is he?" Hiruzen presser, standing to move in front of the frazzled woman.

Lady Akane grimaced, "Lord Daichi of the Yamato clan. My daughters father. Please, Lord Hokage she's my only child!"

Hiruzen scowled. He had heard of the Yamato clan once before. They were a predominantly civilian clan supposedly distant relatives of the Land of Moons royalty.

"I'll do what I can with what I have. What is the nature of this danger you speak of?" If Lady Akane was speaking the truth and had a daughter in Moon, then why were the coordinates given to him in the land of tea?

Shaking with anger, Lady Akane relinquished the letter sent to her. Even unmarked the senders identity wasn't unknown to her. Hiruzen's eyes widened in concern as he took in the words before him.

Akane,

Kiyo has made her move. They're coming for her. I told Junko to follow the red road. They'll be waiting there.

"Lady Kiyo is the lord's new wife. Her family name is Ryuma. If we don't act now...If they get to her." Lady Akane struggles to keep her composure. Hiruzen met her gaze and with a nod of understanding he finished her thought for her.

"They'll kill her."

Greetings!

I promise, author's notes are not going to appear in every single chapter. I'd rather just give you guys the content and save you the agony of experiencing my awkwardness on repeat. But I feel like I have a lot of things to say regarding this story. I'll do my best to keep it short.

1.)I have written this chapter 11 times and I'm still not happy with it. That's just life I guess.

2.) This is the first part in (hopefully) two or three part series.

3.) I am in desperate need of a beta to help me tackle this absolute monster of a plotline I've got planned. If you think this is a simple romance story you are wrong. Just looking ahead to the next chapter...well, let's just stay we've got some dark theme's going on underneath it all.

I hope I was able to get your interest with this first chapter and I would love to hear your thoughts. I will be uploading a new chapter every two weeks. I'll be able to update even more frequently if I have a good beta to help me.

For those of you from LOF I'm sorry, but that storyline was heading nowhere fast. Don't worry, our favorite Sanin is still going to be a big part of this story. So don't give up on me just yet haha.

Alright that's enough from me.

Sincerely, Moon