Chapter 1

The Welcome Home Party

Naruto's POV

I look high up the sky. I wonder what would the feeling be like, having a wife and my own family. I wonder how it is for Sakura; to live in a house where she is welcomed by her husband's family but not her own husband.

In a few hours I will meet a childhood friend whom I have not seen for a decade. The childhood friend I am to marry. I wonder how she looks like now, will she be the same shy cry-baby girl I met, or will she be different?

I'm dressing up for her welcome party. Sasuke said we'll fetch her at the airport at exactly two in the afternoon. It's already half past one and still he hasn't arrived. Maybe he'd show up late. But he seldom does.

"Namikaze-sama, I don't think it is a good idea for you to still continue attending school."

That was Hatake-san, he has been with me since I was twelve. But before him, Iruka was the one who took care of me. Ever since the death of my father, I was taken care of by the Uchiha family, they had hired Iruka to educate me and be my guardian for a while.

The first Crowned Prince was from the Hyuuga Clan. It was passed unto sons who have the direct male relation to the first Hyuuga Prince. If only Neji's father married according to his grandfather's wishes, Neji should have been the Crowned Prince today. The Uchiha's are not in line because it is Sasuke's mother who is linked to a female cousin of the first Hyuuga Prince. And I, I am directly related to the first Hyuuga Prince, which makes me the Crown Prince today.

"I can manage Hatake-san. I'm perfectly okay at school. Besides, Sasuke is playing Crown Prince for me. I just want to—"

"---see Lady Uchiha. Pardon me Namikaze-sama for asking this but, do you still have self-respect?!"

I looked blankly at my own reflection. Do I? Do I still have some left for myself? "I don't know, Kakashi-san. I honestly don't know."

"Naruto, you are aware aren't you?" he asked me.

Aware of what? My upcoming marriage? That Sakura is already married? Yes, I am fully aware. But I often cover my eyes to the truth. I've always done this, and I'm fully capable of blocking bad memories. Sometimes I forget that Sakura is married and I forget that I'm the Crown Prince. I pretend that we're two free persons who have the freedom to choose who to love. But most of the time I am forced to open my eyes to the truth, and I just hurt myself in the process of forgetting.

"Yes, I am aware. Sakura is not a free woman anymore. She is already married," To a man she loves but doesn't love her back. "She is already tied to a marriage I hope her husband will cherish; which they should both cherish."

"Oi Naruto! How long are you going to stay there?"

Sasuke. I thought he wouldn't come. I hate Kakashi's interrogation, and I always find my appointments with Sasuke an excuse. Even though sometimes I hate appointments with him, I'd rather choose Sasuke's company than Kakashi's questions.

"I won't be long; I'm just fixing this darned stupid tie."

"If you're not out here in five seconds, I'm leaving you behind."

The two men scurried out of the Uchiha Mansion. They rode the black Sedan waiting for them. The car ran a hundred-mile per hour, its royal flags waving in the air. Naruto found the ride very uncomfortable, while Sasuke found it very slow. They arrived at the airport a few minutes passed two.

As the two men jogged to the waiting area, Naruto scrambled in writing a name on a poster. A plane has just arrived and its passengers filled the entire room. Naruto stood on a chair frantically waving the poster he had just made. Sasuke searched the room for a familiar face but found no one. One by one, the passengers and their family left the area leaving the two men behind.

Naruto sat down on the chair and Sasuke paced the room back and forth. The poster is no longer held up high as earlier for the two men had been waiting for almost an hour. Sasuke ordered Naruto to hold the poster properly and went to find airport personnel.

A sophisticated woman stood afar. Her long purple hair was curled, her lips painted a pale pink. She wore a mini violet dress and adorned herself with a matching pearl necklace and earrings and two silver cuffs. She also wore dark tinted shades. She ate a chocolate chip ice cream as she held her stroller with her free hand. She walked up to the blonde haired young man. "Long time no see, Naruto-kun."

Naruto looked up to the woman and gaped. Sasuke walked towards them and analyzed who the woman was. He loathingly mutters, "Hinata."

"Sasuke-kun, don't look at me like that. You make me feel like I'm an ugly duckling." Hinata whined.

The three sat on the chairs waiting for the time to pass by.

"You are an ugly duckling." Sasuke said bluntly.

"Aw come on Sasuke! She looks pretty nice, very much different from what she looks like before," Naruto uttered.

"I just—wanted a little change. This is how women looked like in New York," Hinata proudly says.

"You're not a New Yorker." Sasuke grunts.

"You've been to New York?!" Naruto asks simultaneously.

"Yes, I've been to New York and many other places." Hinata beamed. "I'm going to change in a little bit. I'm just savoring Naruto-kun's compliments." She giggled.

"Do it now, we're leaving in ten minutes." Sasuke ordered.

Hinata pouted, stood and stomped to the comfort room. After five minutes she came back, wearing a white mini dress, pearl earrings and doll shoes.

"Now, are you happy?" Hinata asked Sasuke.

For passers-by, the two would look like two teenagers having a lovers' quarrel.

"Better." Sasuke muttered. He stood and walked towards the exit the two a few steps behind him.

Just when the three left the waiting area, a bunch of reporters and cameramen crowded them. Flashes blinded the three and they tried to fight their way through. Numerous questions were asked but nobody answered.

Hinata was sandwiched in between Naruto and Sasuke and the two young men tried to clear their path. Soon, five men in dark suits approached the crowd and pushed the reporters away. The three scurried towards the garage. Five black Sedans with the same plate number waited for them and they took the third. The cars left the building taking different routes but all going towards the Palace.

Sakura's POV

I looked at myself at the mirror and wondered how Sasuke's childhood friend looks like. In a few minutes I will meet her and I thought of the many expressions she will have of me. I wondered how I will look next to her.

I brushed my crimson hair and adorned it with a cute little pin I bought. I colored my lips with a cherry red lipstick and brushed a little amount of mascara on my eyelids.

"You will look nice, Sakura-sama, don't you worry."

I only smiled at my handmaid, Maya. She was always so kind to me. I know it is part of her job but still I can't help to be grateful. She was one of the few who welcomed me as a person and not just as Lady Uchiha, their Master Sasuke's wife. Maya is my most favored handmaid. She is very loyal unlike my two new servants, who can't resist gossips during their working hours. I often reprimand them but after I turn my back they only make faces. I frequently asked Sasuke to dismiss the two servants but he always say it is not his duty to send servants away.

Maya has a beautiful face. I always find myself wondering how come she ended up as a servant. I asked her once about this and she said she is only paying her parents' debt to the Uchiha Family. To this I find us both related.

My parents were also indebted to the Uchiha Family. When I was six, my father once suffered a cardiac arrest, and my mother had no money to pay the hospital. She turned to everyone she knew to borrow some cash but almost everyone was in crisis too. Since the Uchiha Family was the richest in our compound, my mother turned to Fugaku-sama and he was very kind and willing to help. I can still remember how pale she was when she fetched me at school to visit father. Her eyes were very swollen but still she smiled for me. After that incident, she always reminded me to greet and thank the Uchihas whenever I meet them and I always did so.

I met Sasuke during High School and I was glad to be his classmate. I thanked him as often as I could but as he grew famous, I grew farther away. Even though he's my classmate I just catch a few glimpses of him for he is often surrounded by his fan girls. But I never stopped admiring him.

And then one day, I just woke up and was told that I'd be married to an Uchiha. My mother explained to me how we became indebt to the Uchiha Family, and I calmly accepted my fate. After all, I am thankful for it drew me close to Sasuke. And now here I am, Uchiha-Haruno Sakura, Uchiha Sasuke's wife.

Maya handed me a navy blue mini dress which has the Uchiha fan printed on its left chest. It had embroidered gold laces on its skirt which emphasizes the color of the dress. I liked this dress because it has a matching purse with the same embroidery. And I look pretty chic with it on.

I walked towards the receiving room where I will meet Sasuke's and Naruto's childhood friend. It was filled with the Uchiha Family and their guests. Many turned their glances towards me when I entered the room and I smiled.

Sasuke's POV

As I looked at her as she comfortably sat between Naruto and I, I try my hardest to restrain the cramped emotions I have kept inside for so long. I longed to put my arms around her and keep her locked inside my embrace. I desire to spend the whole afternoon with her and maybe just stare at her as she comically shares her experiences in her travels. It has been ten long years since the last time I saw her, and I finally accept how much I missed her.

When I saw her wearing the lilac dress she wore earlier with ornaments hanging in her ears and arms, I was enraged. I didn't like her to imitate the lowly women she encountered during her travel; I just want her to be who she really is: the same sweet shy girl I grew up with.

Fifteen years ago, as Naruto and I sparred with our wooden swords, a little cute three-year-old girl in a violet kimono entered the dojo. She just stared at us with her peculiar colored eyes. A man with his hair reaching to his hips held unto one of her tiny little hands and guided her into the room towards us. That man asked us to have some space for the little girl and I clearly remember my reply: "Girls are not welcomed here." She looked at me with her clear eyes and I felt like she saw through me. Being the child she was, she hit me with the little teddy bear she hugged and then ran towards her father. He laughed at that and Naruto tried his best to tell me to keep my cool, and I did.

When we were five, I remembered being called into the Conference Hall, which was 'Doom Hall' for Naruto and me because it was where most voices were raised. My father told us to sit right in front of him and listen very carefully to everything he said. That day, he told us of Hinata's condition and asked us to treat her with special care. There were three little boys in there during that time: I, Naruto and my "now" juvenile delinquent brother Sai. He wasn't a delinquent before; he was a good natured little boy. But our parents' affections were mostly given to Itachi and me; Itachi having Father's favor and I having Mother's. Sai was not mistreated but wasn't given the same affections as Itachi and I got. But Sai was the one who did most of the 'special care' part. He treated Hinata as his little Goddess who deserves all of his affections.

He only turned as who he is today when we were twelve. We were again called to the Conference Hall and Father told us who our future wives would be. Mine was an unknown Haruno-girl, Sai's was another unknown girl and Naruto, being the Crowned Prince, got Hinata as his future wife. Sai who got his hopes too high up, thought that he'll be able to marry Hinata someday, was disappointed. He started rebelling against Father and then he was sent away to a distant relative, stripped off of his rights as an Uchiha. Mother cried over this but she cannot change Father's decision, because Sai tried burning Naruto in his sleep. After that incident he begged me to take care of 'his' Hinata for him, and then we never saw him again.

The five black Sedans stopped right in front of the Uchiha Mansion. It was already four in the afternoon and time for tea. The three passengers of the third car went down the vehicle into the manor where they were welcomed by servants lined up at the sides of a red carpet lain properly for them to walk on.

Numerous greetings rung in the air most were for Hinata. They were equally answered with 'thanks' and smiles from the beautiful heiress. The two men walked behind her, and when they reached the huge Oak doors that separates the hallways and the receiving room, Naruto and Sasuke opened the doors and ushered Hinata in. They were greeted by numerous flamboyant guests, wearing different colors that probably will hurt one's eyes if one is not used to parties.

Hinata greeted those who reintroduced themselves to her with her best smiles and then walked towards the Uchiha Family. She gave Mikoto and Itachi a hug and Fugaku a kiss on his cheek.

Sasuke walked up to her together with his wife, who was a nervous wreck.

"Hinata, this is Uchiha-Haruno Sakura." Almost spitefully he added, "My wife."

Sakura did not hear the spite in his words for she was nervous of what Hinata would say about her. She managed to whisper a 'Hi' towards Hinata and Hinata smiled back at her.

The lilac-haired woman put her arms around Sakura. "It's very nice to meet you, Sakura-chan."

"It's nice to meet you too, Hinata-sama."

Hinata looked at the pink haired woman. She is very pretty. "I'm sorry I was not able to attend your wedding. But did you like my wedding gift?"

The love birds. The ones I tried to set free but Sasuke told me not to. The ones Sasuke cared for very much. "Yes, I loved the cute little birds," Sakura smiled.

She's exceptionally beautifully when she smiles. "I loved to hear that from you." Hinata kissed Sakura's cheeks. "Welcome to the Family."

Sakura only smiled. The whole family gathered around Hinata, Fugaku holding a string. He pulled it and confetti started falling all over Hinata. And then, they all said a warm and happy, "Welcome Home!"

A/N: This not actually my first Naruto fanfic. My first is not yet launched, but I will really love to post it up. I am a fanatic of Princess Hours and when I watched it I happened to be imagining Naruto characters in the Princess Hours' characters' shoes. So here goes a pretty little story I wove, and I hope you like it. Please follow the next chapters I'm weaving and please R&R!

I would like to thank muffle-kun for the editing and being such a fan as I write this. I certainly wish her all the best, especially for her fanfics too. I love yah sistah!

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of its characters or any part of it.