Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of its characters, Kishimoto-sama does.
Team Kakashi approached the village gates after a two-week mission in Suna. Naruto's pack hung loosely off his shoulder. "I'm beat. Sakura-chan, Kakashi-sensei let's all go to Ichiraku Ramen." He gave the other member of his team a sidelong glance. "You can come too, teme, if you insist."
"Tempting," Sasuke said dryly. "But I'll have to pass. Clan meeting." Since they delayed it for weeks because of his mission, Sasuke was under strict orders to go straight to the compound.
Naruto scoffed. "What do they need a guy like you for anyway? It's not like you're the next clan head!"
That was what Sasuke wanted to know as well. His father usually wouldn't entertain the thought of holding a meeting for anyone - well anyone but Itachi, but he was an obvious exception.
Sakura promptly kicked the blond into a tree. "Don't be so rude Naruto!" she scolded. The tree snapped in half and Naruto sat in front of it, grumbling indignantly and rubbing his head.
Kakashi looked up from his copy of Icha Icha Paradise briefly. "The Uchiha have been meeting a lot lately," he said. The jounin's words were tinted with qualified suspicion.
Sasuke shrugged. "Hn. I'm going now."
Sakura's lips formed a minuscule pout. She didn't want him to go quite so soon. "See you soon?"
"Aa." He bent down to kiss her cheek. "Tonight," he whispered to her before pulling away. Then he was off.
The most prominent members of the Uchiha clan sat in their underground meeting place. A large map of the Land of Fire was spread across the long table at its center. As soon as Sasuke entered the room all but his father at the head of the table rose.
Sasuke, confused, glanced back to see if his brother was lurking behind him again. This was the usual response to the future clan head.
Uchiha Fugaku nodded at his son in acknowledgement. "Sasuke, welcome." The imposing man gestured to the cushion on his right.
"Doesn't Itachi-"
"If this meeting were a priority to Itachi, he would be here right now." The man gave a rare smile. "He hasn't even been gone for two weeks."
Sasuke nodded, deciding to contend with the strangeness for now, and took a seat at the place of honor.
"Now," Fugaku said, clearly pleased. "We can begin. The topic today, as always, is power. Since its conception, we Uchiha have built up the Leaf. The sharingan is the sole reason Konoha is the strongest and most feared of the shinobi villages. Yet instead of reaping the benefits of our work, we are ostracized from government and we all know why that is."
There was a strong murmur of consensus among the older clan members who remembered the days of Madara.
"Three out of five Hokages have been directly of the Senju line and another was loosely connected to them through marital ties. If the village is to be a monarchy, then it should be we, the Uchiha, on the throne!"
Sasuke had to try his hardest not to make a smart remark. His father's 'screw the Senju' rants could go on for days, but nothing ever came of them. If he'd known this was all they wanted to say, he would've just gone to Ichiraku with the others.
"The time to act is at hand!" One of the elders exclaimed.
This is new, the young heir thought with mild interest.
Fugaku nodded. "I agree completely, uncle. We have held our own against the Senju once and we can do it again. The plan is already in motion. We will seize control in a matter of months."
"So we're talking about war here?" Sasuke asked, wondering how long they'd been planning this usurpation.
His mother, Mikoto, smiled warmly. "Oh, darling, I doubt it will escalate to that point."
"But if it does," Fugaku amended, "who can stop us?"
Just then, Itachi entered the room with a displeased scowl marring his features. "It does no good to tempt the gods, father." The ANBU captain stared down the patriarch. "Sorry I'm late."
"What kept you, son?"
Itachi's face remained neutral under his father's scrutiny. "Danzo-sama required my assistance on a certain matter."
"And what would that be?"
Itachi looked around the room. "Nothing worth repeating in this place. If that is all, I will be going." With that, he disappeared fast as an apparition.
"We will all discuss this matter more in the coming weeks." The meeting was called to a close and everyone began to exit. "Sasuke, stay behind a minute."
When everyone was else was gone, save for Mikoto, Fugaku turned to his younger son. "Sasuke, I have decided that you will inherit my title of leader of the Uchiha clan."
"What about Itachi?" he asked.
"Itachi is no longer with us. He has fallen under Danzo's sway and the good of the clan is no longer his priority. You, on the other hand, are someone I can trust with our family's future. You must put the clan before your own needs and desires. Do you understand what that means, Sasuke?"
He deduced that something like this was bound to happen. The rift between his father and brother grew deeper by the day. Sasuke suspected that this was only a ploy to teach Itachi a lesson. Things would be back to normal in a matter of days. "I understand."
"Good. Now, on to a topic that your mother would prefer to facilitate."
Mikoto nodded, feeling only a bit uncomfortable. She didn't expect to have this conversation with her younger son until much later. "Sasuke, would you favor a match between yourself and the older Hyuga daughter? We can arrange an omai-"
"I'm already… seeing someone." His thoughts capriciously drifted to her soft pink hair, her shiny jade eyes, her sweet smile. The scholarly kunoichi was the only woman he'd consider pursuing romantically.
Fugaku raised an eyebrow - this was news to him, but Mikoto only smiled. "Sakura-chan…" A mother always knew when someone loved her son almost as much as she did. "Such a sweet, intelligent girl."
Disappointing creases formed in the patriarch's forehead. "What clan does she belong to?" The Hyuga fit best with the plan, but for his son he would try to be flexible.
Sasuke tensed visibly. He knew his father's attempted leniency would be wasted. "None."
This made the situation even worse. "Are her parents at least jounin?"
"Civilians," Sasuke sighed. There was no use in lying because he would find out eventually.
"So she's common."
Sasuke tried not to let his irritation show. He would not let anyone badmouth Sakura. "She's an elite kunoichi. Godaime's apprentice."
"A Senju supporter, then."
Sasuke sighed. He shouldn't have said anything. "Apparently not," he said with a hint of sarcasm.
"A child of the Uchiha and the Hyuga will likely posses rinnegan," Mikoto pressed. "Plus an alliance with them will undoubtedly strengthen us politically. Of course, it's always your choice, Sasuke. We'll never force you to do anything you're uncomfortable with but-"
"Sacrifices must be made," her husband cut in. "This will be the first of many." He considered adding on that he could keep this current companion as a mistress, but thought better of it with his wife standing next to him. "Try and get to know the Hyuga girl. I've heard that she is quite agreeable."
Sasuke looked away. Sure, when she wasn't passed out over Naruto. That was another issue within itself since he was fairly sure that his best friend reciprocated the feelings.
"Aa. I'm going now."
Early that morning, Sasuke was at the training grounds trying to clear his head. Just as the sun began to peak its head over the horizon, a certain pink haired kunoichi arrived. Her expression was a slightly irritated one.
"You didn't meet me last night." She sounded as passive as someone talking about the weather.
Sasuke had been hoping not to see her so soon. He was not looking forward to explaining this to her. "Meeting ran long."
Sakura bit her lip - he was lying. No matter how late he was, he always came."Alright." She propelled herself off the tree she was leaning on. "Let me know when you're done avoiding me."
He grabbed her wrist when she started to walk away. "Sakura. Don't."
Their eyes were locked in a duel for what felt like hours but the kunoichi eventually caved. "Fine."
Sakura seated herself at the base of the tree. She pulled the Uchiha down next to her using just a bit of her chakra enhanced strength. "What's on your mind, Sasuke-kun?" She ran her fingers over his palm in an affectionate way.
He couldn't bring himself to retract his hand from her tender hold. "They…my parents want to name me as the next clan leader."
Sakura looked puzzled. "But Itachi-san-"
"I don't know." The older Uchiha brother had been distant from everyone for some time now. He only confided in Shisui as of late.
"Well, do you want to be clan head?" She didn't quite understand how these things worked.
He gazed at her through half-lidded eyes. "There are things I want more."
Sakura crawled on top of him and put a hand on his cheek. The medic loathed to see him so stressed out. She kissed his lips. "Sasuke," again, "-kun." Her fingers trailed up and down his partially exposed chest. "Aishiteru," she whispered.
"Aa." Then she was pressed under him, hair and clothes grinding down into the grass. He kissed her neck and flicked the sensitive spot near her pulse with his tongue.
Sakura's body convulsed. "S-stop that!" she giggled. Their lips locked together as if magnetized and they didn't stop kissing until someone cleared their throat behind them. Sasuke tensed. Had his family seen them?
Kakashi sighed, eyeing his students wearily. This was something he would never get used to. Sakura was blushing like mad and Sasuke's ears had a slight red tint to them.
"Sasuke. Sakura. Report to Hokage-sama as soon as you're…unoccupied. Mission."
Kakashi was gone before either of them could think to form a response.
"We should go," Sakura said.
Sasuke pulled a blade of grass out of her hair. "No need to rush."
Sakura raised a questioning eyebrow. "Alright. Who are you, and what have you done with Sasuke-kun?" The Uchiha she knew was sinfully punctual.
He smirked at her. "You should be more concerned with what I'm going to do to you." This could be the last time, after all.
When they arrived in Tsunade's office twenty minutes later, Naruto was already present, as were the members of team eight.
"Oi, Sakura-chan, teme! What took you so long?" Naruto raged. "We could have been on our mission already!" His energy level was amazing. They just got back from a mission!
Sasuke cleared his throat. "Training."
Sakura nodded, smoothing down her skirt. "Very rigorous training."
"Right," Kiba said. "I bet I know exactly what kind of workout you two were up to." Akamaru barked his agreement.
"At any rate," Tsunade began. "The six of you must leave at once for the Land of Iron. An ally of the village will brief you upon your arrival.
Hinata shot Sasuke a nervous glance before she left the room. The Hyugas must have broken the news to her as well.
Sasuke sighed as he left with his now illicit girlfriend. Life was about to get so much more complicated.
Author's Notes: Hi everyone. I hope you enjoyed the chapter. This is a concept I've been thinking about for a while, so I finally decided to write about it.
Please, please, please let me know what you think and thanks everyone for reading.
