For Sakura's first Clan Meeting since the announcement of her Imperial status and impending coronation she intended to remind everyone that she was no longer just Sakura, Head of the Haruno Clan and a jounin. She was now the Princess Imperial of Konohagakure and would soon be the Empress.

In the realm of politics the display of wealth and power was a more effective weapon than a kunai on bloody battlefield. It was with careful reflection that Sakura had picked her outfit for the Clan Meeting.

The outfit was a foreign style dress, indicating that Sakura had the wealth to import expensive goods from foreign countries. The inner layer was Senju green silk while the outer layer was crimson, a colour that honoured the Haruno Clan and was also the colour of Konohagakure. The outer layer was embroidered with sakura flowers. A black obi highlighted her slim waist and black embroidered sleeves fell off her shoulders revealing the creamy expanse of skin.

In the mirror Sakura rimmed her eyes with kohl imported from Sunagakure, and covered her lips with rouge made from pigments imported from Iwagakure. Last but not least was a bottled fragrance of irises brought in from Kirigakure. The clothing and makeup helped present the image of a young but confident Empress. Still even with her display of wealth and power she knew that some of the Clans would think of her as a child playing at Empress.


Sakura paused to take a deep breath before the ornate double doors that opened to the Hall of Clans. The Hall of Clans was a central aspect of the Empire of Konohagakure. It hosted the Fifteen Clans and the reigning Emperor or Empress as they discussed laws and issues concerning the future of the Empire.

Since the Emperor Regent's official announcement of abdicating in favour of Sakura, this was the first time she would sit in the Hall of Clans. No longer was she merely the Head of the decimated Haruno Clan, now she was the future Empress.

As Sakura entered the herald announced her titles. "Her Imperial Highness Senju Haruno Sakura, Princess Senju Sakura, Head of the Haruno Clan, and Jounin of Konohagakure." Everywhere eyes turned as if to evaluate her.

"I'm sorry for the delay, clansmen and clanswomen." Sakura apologised. She was the last to arrive and the other Clan Heads had clearly been waiting for her.

As she took her seat Sakura admired the grandiose room. It had been constructed during the time of the First Emperor and every care had been taken in the construction of the room in which the Emperor and the Fifteen Clans would create the Empire of Konohagakure. Immense pillars of wood created by the First Emperor himself support the arched ceilings. High above each Clan Seat, expertly woven tapestries depicted the crest and motto of each clan. The Hall of Clans was one of the best-known symbols of the Empire and displayed the history and wealth of Konohagakure for all to admire.

The room was organised in a semicircle facing the Throne. There were fifteen Clan Seats, one for each of the clans. Each Clan Seat held three chairs, one for the Head of the Clan, one for the consort and one for the heir. Not since the First Emperor's reign had there been an occasion where all three chairs for every Clan Seat had been filled.

The Throne was centrally located and served as a reminder of the Imperial authority. Traditionally the Emperor sat upon the Throne to preside over the meeting of the Fifteen Clans. However, the Emperor Regent preferred to govern the Clans from the Namikaze Clan Seat.

The Emperor stood to call the Fifteen Clans to order. "On the first of April in the year 164 during the fourth year of the reign of His Imperial Majesty Namikaze Minato The Fourth Emperor Regent of Konohagakure, we reconvene to represent our Clans, our Empire, and the laws of the land. We may not proceed until all Fifteen Clans are present. Who will confirm the presence of the Clans?"

In alphabetical order, each Head of Clan rose and confirmed his or her presence. The roll call was a time-consuming practice but without all Fifteen Clans represented the meeting could not proceed. Turn by turn the Aburame and Akimichi Clans confirmed their presence.

At last, the Haruno were called and Sakura rose. "I confirm that Senju Haruno Sakura, Head of the Haruno Clan is present on this day." The Emperor continued on with the Hatake, Hyuuga, Inuzuka, Mitokado, Namikaze, Nara, and Sarutobi Clans before reaching the Senju.

"Who will confirm the presence of the Senju Clan?" The Emperor asked.

Once more Sakura rose. "I confirm that Senju Haruno Sakura, the proxy of the Senju Clan is present on this day." It was a well-known fact that Princess Tsunade never attended the Clan Meetings unless forced to. She had named Sakura as her proxy as soon as Sakura had turned fifteen and gained access to the Haruno Clan Seat.

After the Senju, the Shimura, Uchiha, Uzumaki, and Yamanaka Clans were confirmed present. As the Emperor began to read the minutes from the last Clan Meeting held in December Sakura began to let her mind wander.

Looking past the Imperial Couple Sakura focused on her main opponents. Sakura's least favourite Clan Heads were Uchiha Fugaku, Mitokado Homura, and Shimura Danzo. Two of them were crotchety old men trying to regain the power they'd held during the Third Emperor's reign. Fugaku, like most Uchiha, was power hungry. He'd been among the chief contenders for the Imperial Throne before her appearance. Combined with Hyuuga Hiashi, these four men represented the conservative bloc in the Hall of Clans.

Sakura would have continued to observe her fellow Clan Heads but the Emperor's voice asked for a motion to approve the minutes of the last meeting. Once the minutes had been approved and seconded the Emperor opened the table for discussion.

Silence reigned as Sakura waited for the conservative bloc to make their case against her.

Fugaku stood to address the clans. "If it would please my fellow clansmen, I, Uchiha Fugaku, Head of the Uchiha Clan would speak."

"We recognise the Head of the Uchiha Clan." Minato intoned solemnly.

"On behalf of the Uchiha Clan, I wish to extend my congratulations for the impending investiture of Princess Senju Haruno Sakura as our beloved Empress." Sakura was stunned; this was not what she had been expecting from the Head of the Uchiha Clan. She blinked carefully and pinched her thigh in case she might be under a genjutsu. The sharp bite of pain revealed that this was not the case.

"I thank you for your kind words, Uchiha-sama," Sakura replied politely. "I will continue to represent our Empire and the Fifteen Clans to the best of my ability."

As if Fugaku had planned it the other clans also began to extend their congratulations and best wishes, even to her great surprise Mitokado Homura. Homura was an ancient man who had been teammates with the late Emperor Sarutobi. Homura was known for extremely conservative tendencies and even the thought of having female Heads of Clan had nearly been enough to give him a heart attack. The Rookie Nine had bet on whether or not he'd keel over during Sakura's coronation in protest of a female ruler.

Sakura began to relax as the congratulations continued. Perhaps the conservative bloc was not as opposed to a female ruler as they had predicted.

"If I may speak once more?" Fugaku inquired as the echoes of Sakura's last polite words of thanks died in the hall.

Sakura closed her eyes; she'd known it was too easy. It had probably been intended to make her feel complacent in her position while they worked in the background to undermine her. She stiffened her resolve; it would take more than flowery words to convince her it was sincere.

The Emperor nodded in acknowledgement.

"I wish to motion for a short recess of fifteen minutes."

Sakura's eyes narrowed at the unexpected request. This was not what she had expected.

"I second that motion," the gruff voice of Shimura Danzo called.

"The motion is put to vote." The Emperor announced and as he counted the hands raised he added. "Motion is passed. We will reconvene in fifteen minutes."

The recess made Sakura anxious. Uchiha Fugaku was a calculating man, and he did nothing without purpose. Every action and word were carefully selected to benefit him. Sakura could not decipher his ultimate goal, but the chill located near the base of her spine warned her to be on guard for the dagger aimed at her back.

Choosing to escape the hall rather than remaining to observe and imagine the plots Fugaku was creating; Sakura was relieved when a breath of fresh air filled her lungs. The Hall of Clans had always been rather stuffy and it was a great relief to escape the overbearing weight of expectations. The Hall of Clans had always made her duty to the Haruno Clan heavy, but now her duty to the Empire felt like a mountain.

All too soon fifteen minutes was gone and Sakura resumed her seat among the other Heads of Clan. The jittery feeling of anxiety made it difficult to focus on the words coming from the Emperor Regent's mouth, reconfirming that every clan was represented and that everyone had returned from the recess.

"Now that we are reconvened and all are present I open the floor to new business."

"I would speak," came the harsh voice of Shimura Danzo. He would have cut a distinguished figure with his silvery grey hair, were it not for his missing limbs and eye.

"We recognise the Head of the Shimura Clan."

"I wish to update the Imperial Succession Laws to bar adopted children from inheriting the Imperial Throne in accordance with Emperor Senju Hashirama's wording. I also desire to change the succession to absolute primogeniture to match the Clan Succession Laws." Danzo gazed out at the other Clan Heads fiercely as if daring them to defy him.

Sakura eyed the old man. She was certain he was not responsible for the original proposal. In fact, she would likely place the responsibility at the feet of the Uchiha. Overall, it addressed two major concepts: absolute primogeniture and the exclusion of adopted children from the line of Imperial Succession. Absolute Primogeniture was a peace offering, a distraction to hide the law that the Uchiha and conservative truly bloc intended. They wanted to prevent her from adopting an heir.

Sakura wore a grim smile when she realised that the conservative bloc had deliberately waited until a meeting where Princess Tsunade would be absent. Her former teacher and distant cousin was renowned for her short temper and mountain-crushing strength. Tsunade would have considered it the gravest insult that her adopted daughter Shizune was blocked from inheriting the Imperial Throne. This clever little political manoeuvre would surely have brought down the wrath of Tsunade.

"I second that motion," came the voice of the Mitokado Clan Head. Homura had never supported the Adoption Law, even though his old teammate had been the creator of it. In an odd coincidence, Homura was the leader of a Clan that would most benefit from the Adoption Law as he had no heir and his wife was too elderly to carry a child.

"If you would address the Clans, Shimura-sama?" The Emperor looked perturbed by this sudden turn of events and Sakura recalled that he himself had been adopted into the Namikaze Clan.

"If we reflect on the wording and intent of our great first Emperor's Imperial Succession Laws we must acknowledge that he intended the Imperial Throne to remain within the Senju bloodline. If you will look at the papers my heir has passed around you will see the wording Senju-sama has used. On the following page, you will see my proposed amendment."

Sakura watched with trepidation as Shimura Sai handed out papers. The tall, pale youth was not someone Sakura interacted with often, but when she did so she was always left with the taste of ash in her mouth. When he spoke, he spoke as if he had memorised lines. When others might laugh, smile or cry Sai remained eerily blank-faced. She often wondered if Danzo had trained Sai to be the ideal servant-son because of the disaster his other son had caused.

When Sai finally handed her a copy of the paper, Sakura smiled weakly but her mind was already on the words and not social niceties.

The Imperial Succession Laws as laid out by Emperor Senju Hashirama:

1.1 The Imperial Throne of Konohagakure shall be succeeded to by descendants in the bloodline of Imperial Ancestors by male-preference cognatic primogeniture. [1] The order of succession is as follows:

1. The eldest son of the Emperor and his descendants

2. Other sons of the Emperor in order of birth and their descendants

3. Brothers of the Emperor in order of birth and their descendants

1.2 In the failure of the Imperial Clan, the Head of the Royal Uzumaki Clan may serve as Emperor Regent for a period of five years or until an heir of the Imperial bloodline is found.

1.3 In the absolute failure of the Imperial bloodline the Fifteen Clans will select the next Imperial dynasty.

Her eyes skimmed over the words, they were already familiar to her. In the weeks before she was announced as the successor to the Imperial Throne, she and the Fourth Emperor and Empress alongside Princess Tsunade had examined these laws to determine if they excluded illegitimate children. After all, none of them wanted any contenders who could legally dispute that Sakura could not inherit.

Tsunade had prevented any future legal disputes by adding her to the Clan register and legally recognising her as a descendant of the First Emperor. Tsunade had officially relinquished her and her heirs and descendants' rights to the Imperial Throne in favour of Sakura and her descendants in the same speech.

Warily Sakura turned to the proposed amendments. Within the carefully worded phrases, the conservative bloc had created a way to increase their chances of controlling her heir. They would likely pressure the father of her future heir into controlling Sakura and her heir. She knew without a doubt that Fugaku would push for the decision to be made today. This seemingly innocent law would limit Sakura's choices and power.

The Proposed Amendment to the Imperial Succession Law:

1.1 The Imperial Throne of Konohagakure shall be succeeded to by descendants in the bloodline of Imperial Ancestors by absolute primogeniture. The order of succession is as follows:

1. The eldest child of the Emperor and his/her descendants

2. Other children of the Emperor in order of birth and their descendants

3. Siblings of the Emperor in order of birth and their descendants

1.11 Children added to the Imperial Clan under the Adoption Law (3.1) may not inherit the Imperial Throne.

1.2 In the failure of the Imperial Clan, the Head of the Royal Uzumaki Clan may serve as Emperor Regent for a period of five years or until an heir of the Imperial bloodline is found.

1.3 In the absolute failure of the Imperial bloodline the Fifteen Clans will select the next Imperial dynasty.

Once most of the clan members had time to examine the succession laws Danzo stood to address them once more. "I wish to honour the traditions of our founder while changing our laws to reflect the growth our society has endured. Our Clan Succession Laws now favour absolute primogeniture, but our Imperial Succession Laws remain unchanged favouring instead the male descendants. I wish to honour the words of Senju Hashirama when he proclaimed that only descendants of the Imperial Bloodline may inherit the throne."

If nothing else, Danzo was a skilled orator and knew how to sway a crowd. He appealed to their sense of tradition while still acknowledging the development of their society. Clearly, the conservative bloc had planned this out during the long months before the Season began. They had appealed to her desire for absolute primogeniture but simultaneously aimed to limit her options for an heir. It was a masterful move and Sakura found herself impressed.

Kushina had been watching the proceedings with a careful eye and when Danzo was seated once more she stood. As a member of the Uzumaki Clan, Kushina felt it her duty to represent the interests of her Imperial cousins. "While I wish no harm to befall our future Empress and her line, we must think of a situation where she may fall and only Princess Tsunade and her heirs remain to inherit. Do you wish to prevent her daughter Shizune, Heir of the Senju Clan from inheriting the throne?"

The Emperor cast his wife a look. But few were watching the Emperor, as most had turned to face Danzo to see how he would respond. "I wish to honour the First Emperor's words. It is true that these words would bar Shizune from inheriting any Imperial titles, but even if Princess Tsunade were to become our Empress I would continue to support these amendments. If we allow our rulers to adopt heirs, at any point in time that heir may betray the teachings of their new Clan and the Empire leading our beautiful Konoha into ruin." While Danzo did not name his traitorous son, he clearly spoke from his own experience.

"Are there any who wish to further question the Head of the Shimura Clan on his proposed motion?" The Emperor inquired, but all the Clan Heads remained seated. "Will any motion to vote on the proposed changes?"

"I will." Surprisingly the Head of the Aburame Clan stood up, pushing his glasses further up his nose while he spoke. While Shibi often sided with the conservative bloc, he was not truly considered a part of it.

"Those in favour of the motion please raise your hands." Minato took in the room and silently counted the hands while Sakura also did the same. The vote passed with twelve of the Clans in favour. Only Sakura, as a representative of both the Haruno and the Senju Clans, and surprisingly Nara Shikaku had voted against.

As the meeting drew to a close and the Clan Heads mingled freely to talk with old friends and catch up on the happenings, Sakura remained away from the fray. Feeling remorseful for her attitude earlier, Sakura went in search of Kushina to apologise. It was easy to spot the red hair, but as she approached she caught the whispered argument of the Imperial couple.

"I understand that as a member of the Uzumaki you must support the Imperial Family, but Sakura has many enemies at the moment. You do not need to draw their attention to you."

"Minato, you're not a member of my clan!" Kushina's face was a furious red that matched her hair. "You do not understand the history between us; the honour and duty of serving the Senju. Without the support of the Uzumaki, without my support, not one person will sit upon the Imperial Throne. Do recall that you only sit upon the throne because I conceded." Her voice dropped even lower as she hissed that final threat.

"Kushina—" Minato uttered despairingly as she stomped off. He had reached out as if to grab her arm before reflecting on the sanity of that idea. Kushina was truly upset and if he touched her she may just toss him about. Better to have the Clans merely suspect they were fighting than to prove it.

Sakura grimaced at the Emperor's situation. She could understand his desire to protect his wife and keep her away from harm. But Kushina was already involved in this situation and would continue to be. The Uzumaki were the guard dogs of the Senju and the Imperial Throne. They were powerful politically and physically, and while the Clan may be reduced in numbers the other Clans feared their power.

Sakura caught up with Kushina fairly quickly as the woman had stopped to chat with her old friend Tsume, the Head of the Inuzuka Clan. As Sakura approached the two older women, their conversation stilled. "Sakura, Tsume was just about to approach you to ask for a private meeting." Kushina began by way of conversation.

"I should be available this evening after dinner, if that works for you Tsume-sama," Sakura offered. She had wanted to curry favour with the Head of the Inuzuka. As one of the few powerful women in Konoha, she would be a valuable ally.

Tsume quickly gave her assent and then sensing that Sakura and Kushina needed some privacy went in search of someone else.

Awkwardly Sakura started, "Kushina-sama, I wish to apologise for my rude behaviour this past week, but I refuse to take back my words."

"Sakura, I just wanted you to know that I will support you no matter what, both as a member of the Uzumaki and as your friend." Her motherly words put Sakura at ease, and she smiled when Kushina grasped her hands. "I understand your position, Sakura, but I want you to think very carefully about this decision. It would please me if you would come visit me tonight, perhaps after your meeting with Tsume-san?"

"I will be there, Kushina-sama." Sakura inclined her own head.


Nara Shikamaru gazed at the Shoji board his hands steepled in deep thought. Playing against the Uchiha heir was always a challenge. It had begun as a test of intelligence between the two heirs and had quickly become a weekly commitment; one of the very few Shikamaru enjoyed keeping.

On the other side of the board, Itachi was also pensively reflecting on his next move. Traditionally he would have accompanied his father to the Meeting of the Fifteen Clans, but he enjoyed too much the contest of wills between him and the Nara Heir. There were very few people he considered his equal intellectually, and Shikamaru was one.

A door slammed nearby, startling both men from their game momentarily. However, it seemed their game was not meant to finish when a feminine voice exclaimed in frustration. "Shikamaru! I need your help and so help me Senju-sama if you refuse…" from around the corner Shikamaru's female assailant emerged and Itachi was surprised at Shikamaru's distinguished visitor.

Princess Sakura stood still with wide green eyes taking in the picture of the two men playing shoji. Itachi was familiar with the newest Imperial Princess, after all, there were very few who did not know her. His status as heir of the Uchiha Clan had mandated that he be familiar with all members of the Fifteen Clans, especially the heirs and leaders.

To be honest, he had taken little note of her until five years ago. Distantly he had been aware of the Haruno heir as his brother's teammate. Sasuke had described the girl as annoying, but it had been amusing to watch as his brother slowly came to respect her talents as a kunoichi and regarded her as a teammate, not just an annoyance.

Itachi could remember vividly the first time he had truly noticed her. It had shortly after Sasuke's arrest for treason and the Clan had elected to do nothing until Sasuke was declared innocent or guilty. They would not waste their strength on a child who was most likely guilty.

Sakura had stormed into the Uchiha Compound in the capital, completely destroying the gate with but a punch. Standing in the middle of the complex the vivid pink stood out amongst the dark haired Uchiha. She'd smacked the ground which produced a deafening sound that caused all the nearby Uchiha slide into a defensive pose. They would protect their compound from this deranged stranger who dared to invade them.

Then this petite woman had the audacity to begin to lecture them. Accusing them of not caring for Sasuke, of abandoning a Clan member because it suited their needs. "Everywhere you Uchiha proclaim your superiority, your talent and proficiency in reading people. Yet you have abandoned one of your own, and you have not even taken the effort to see if he is guilty of the crimes he is accused of!"

Itachi was aware of his clansmen shifting in the background, their hidden guilt brought forward by the girl's passionate words. Many had lowered their weapons.

"It is a damn shame that Naruto and I have better eyes than the Clan that possess the vaunted Sharingan!" With these words Sakura exited the compound calmly as if she had not just nearly started a blood feud between the Haruno and the Uchiha.

Suddenly recollecting his duty, Itachi rose smoothly from his kneeling position to standing beside the princess. "Your Imperial Highness," he bowed. While personally, the Uchiha Clan might not support Sakura's claim to the throne, it could never be argued that they did not have impeccable manners.

His movement seemed to have recalled Sakura to the present. "Uchiha-san, please forgive me and my rudeness. I was not aware that Shikamaru had any guests."

Itachi watched from the corner of his eye as Shikamaru grudgingly rose from his seat to greet his guest. He suspected that frequently Shikamaru never bothered to stand before Princess Sakura as custom might demand, but that he felt ashamed of remaining seated while the Uchiha heir paid his respects to their future Empress.

"All is forgiven, Haruno-sama. I was just about to take my leave. Surely you and Nara-kun have important matters to discuss." Itachi turned to face the door, bowing once more.

Sakura reached out to touch Itachi's forearm and the touch was startling. Her calloused fingers belied her dainty hands. The touch stalled his movement to depart. "There's no need to leave, Uchiha-san. I am the one intruding."

Sakura repressed a gasp as the Uchiha turned to face her as if to study her intent. Awkwardly she suddenly remembered her childhood crush on him. She'd always favoured the Uchiha looks: the dark hair, pale skin, and dark eyes. The touch of danger in their crimson Sharingan gaze only fueled it.

"No Haruno-sama. Our game is done; Shikamaru was only delaying my inevitable victory." A cruel smile directed at his opponent made Sakura swallow sharply. She nearly missed Shikamaru's snort of disbelief. "By your leave, hime-sama."

Sakura felt uncomfortable like she was an interesting specimen of bug pinned to a sheet while an Aburame examined her. Shikamaru had clearly seen something that interesting him and he was trying to discern exactly what had happened in the interaction between the future Empress and the Uchiha heir.

"How long have the two of you been opponents?" Sakura asked, intrigued by the strange relationships between the two men.

Shikamaru lifted his eyes to examine Sakura's intent. With a troubled sigh, Shikamaru muttered, "Nearly eight years." Sakura was too much like his cousin Ino, she would torment him until she found the information she desired. "Apparently Asuma-sensei was bragging and it caught Itachi's attention. He began showing up weekly for matches; eventually, it just became a habit."

That seemed to appease Sakura as she asked no further questions. Instead, she passed him a sheet of paper and watched him carefully as he read.

The dark haired man was one of the most intelligent people Sakura knew. He was also one of the laziest. Still, she'd approached him before to get his opinion on possible moves by the conservative bloc and those who'd oppose her claim to the Imperial Throne. He'd made solid recommendations that she had been happy to implement and had guessed at possible reactions and laws.

"The conservative bloc's latest law?" Shikamaru queried after he finished reading the document.

"Yes. It was passed with twelve in favour. Your father was the only other one who opposed it." Shikamaru nodded at this. His father was quick at reading between the lines. "I know the immediate intention is to limit my choice for an heir and to appease me by changing to absolute primogeniture."

His hands steepled once more and Sakura remained quiet as she watched one of her most intelligent advisors reflect on the new law. "It is not entirely to appease you," Shikamaru advised. "They have forced you to either leave the throne without an heir or to have a biological child. As you cannot possibly do the latter they hope to have sway over your heir. The easiest method is by fathering the child that will one day be the future ruler of our Empire, no matter their gender."

"But they cannot lay claim to the child," Sakura's brows furrowed. "By virtue of my rank as Empress, a member of the Imperial Clan, and the Head of the Haruno Clan they cannot hope to supersede my claim."

"They could still duel you. Technically your primary Clan is Haruno and it will be your heir's and their descendants.'"

Clan Laws dictated that any member of the bloodline could be added to the clan register and fall under internal Clan Laws. However, it had long ago been decided that the Imperial Clan's claim to a member superseded all other claims.

While seemingly simple, it became inherently complicated when more than one clan was involved and had claim to a member. In such a situation where the opposing clans could not agree on primary membership, a duel occurred between two representatives of the rival Clans. The potential member would become a member of the winning clan and would fall under the jurisdiction of that clan and indicate it as their primary clan.

Sakura herself was a primary member of the Haruno Clan and a secondary member of the Senju Clan. She had only recently been added to the Senju Clan Register. With Sakura as the only remaining Haruno, it was impossible to make the Senju her primary Clan.

"I think I'll take my chances Shikamaru. There are very few people who want to duel 'the Second Tsunade.'" Sakura's replied with a vicious expression. She cracked her knuckles sharply and her eerie grin only made Shikamaru very glad he was not on her bad side.

"I recommend only caution," Shikamaru finally spoke when he dared possibly directing Sakura's wrath towards himself. "Like jan-ken-pon [2], the Sannin could be bested. Even you have your match."


The darkened halls of the Uchiha Clan seemed eerie without the usual activity of the clan. It was late evening and nearly all Uchiha were at home with their families, resting at the end of a hard day's work. Uchiha Itachi walked the dimly lit hallways to the Uchiha Clan Room. He'd just returned from a short mission to find that he'd been summoned before the Uchiha Council.

It was not unusual for him to be summoned by the Council, as he was the heir but he had a feeling that this was not one of the usual meetings. He'd heard the rumours of his father's great victory in blocking the Empress's choices for an heir. He was unsure what game his father was playing in doing so, but knew that it was most likely done for the ambitions of the Uchiha Clan.

The Uchiha Clan Room was empty except for three men, the Head of the Clan and the two Elders. Their faces were encased in shadow as the only source of light, a wall of flames, blazed at their backs. On the wall, a giant carved uchiwa wavered in the flames as if it were being fanned.

Itachi approached the middle of the room. He bowed deeply to each man in turn. "Father, Elders. I came as soon as I was able." There was silence as each of the men exchanged a look. Inwardly they were pleased with the loyalty exhibited by the heir of the Clan.

"Uchiha Itachi, your Clan has need of you. Will you serve your Clan faithfully over all your other vows?" Fugaku questioned, his words imposing in the darkness.

"As a son of the Uchiha, I live to serve the Will of the Clan." Itachi gave the response expected of him. Inwardly, he worried over the words that stepped dangerously close to treason.

"As you well know Haruno Sakura is to become Empress, ruining our claim to the Imperial Throne. It would be foolish to sabotage her as the eyes of suspicion are already upon us." Teyaki began to explain, his voice harsh with suppressed anger at the loss of the Imperial Throne. "However, there is another way…"

His father continued where the Elder left off. "It is the command of your Clan that you seduce Haruno, beget her with child, and if possible become the Prince Consort. After all, he who rules the Empress rules Konohagakure. If you fail to persuade her to name you Prince Consort then at least your child… a child of the Uchiha will one day rule Konohagakure."

The hall was silent as Itachi reflected on the orders of his Clan. He dare not breathe a sigh of release where the skillfully trained ears of his father might hear. It might be indecorous to follow the command of the Uchiha Clan but at least it was not treason. The very thought of treason had made his lungs feel tight though he gave no outward indication of such.

The blood red eyes of his father's Sharingan watched trying to examine the micro-expressions on his face as if to determine the loyalty of his heir. "What if Haruno-sama is not amenable to take me as her lover?" Itachi asked at last.

Yashiro supplied the answer. "Another Uchiha will attempt to woo her. Ideally, it would be your brother Sasuke, but given his loyalty to the Empress we cannot be sure if he would support his Clan in this endeavour."

"At least Kami-sama has given me one loyal son," Fugaku's eyes rested on his firstborn who, in his opinion, was the ideal Uchiha.

"If it is the desire of the Uchiha Clan, I will do it," Itachi knelt, accepting their order.

"May the blood of your enemies pale before your Sharingan," Fugaku gave his son the old Uchiha blessing.

With one last bow to the Uchiha Council, Itachi left the room. As the door closed he whispered the Konoha blessing. "May your Will of Fire burn brightly."


1 A style of succession which allows both men and women to inherit (though they may be treated unequally), with preference to males.

2 Japanese game similar to rock-paper-scissors