The Roman soldiers struggled to maintain their discipline, as in front of them waited their home and families. Sakura also waited impatiently in her saddle, shifting anxiously in the face of judgement from the Emperor. The frenzy of activity surrounding her just made her more agitated, until finally, a man came forward to unchain her once more from her horse. Slipping out of the saddle, the soldier instructed her to wait for the commander, and Sakura searched the crowd for the Uchiha. In the sea of people, Sakura finally saw Shisui walking in her direction, talking to another officer.

She shifted her feet in the dust, and glanced side to side at the people around her. What if the Emperor sentenced her to death? Or what of her friends and family? What would they do to her kids? Her mind kept jumping to conclusions and thinking of the worst possibilities. She could only hope that whatever happened, it was quick and with little suffering.

The commander and his officer finished their conversation, and while the other man hurried to comply with his orders, Shisui turned his attention to Sakura. Her panic increased tenfold. This was it; it was time to receive her sentence.

"Ah, Sakura." Shisui said with a smile; it didn't quite reach his eyes. "The Emperor is expecting us. Come with me."

The Emperor sat on his throne and waited for one of his legion commanders. To his knowledge, it had been a short campaign with disappointing results. Most of the company lost in an attack from a group of rebels, minimum expansion across Africa, and a pitiful selection of slaves as compensation. If Shisui could not explain his actions, the consequences would be severe.

Noise outside the throne room alerted him and his men stood at attention, two of whom heaved the doors open at the sound of a knock. Shisui and a couple of his lieutenants entered the hall along with a ragged woman bound in chains. He leaned forward; this peaked his interest. Why bring a woman with him? And one so decrepit at that?

"His Imperial Majesty," announced his court marshal. "Emperor of Rome, and Lord of the known World. Madara Uchiha, the first of his name."

"Your Royal Majesty," said Shisui as he and his companions knelt and bowed their heads. Excluding the woman, of course. The man holding her restraints yanked her down to her knees, and she inclined her head reluctantly. Not a complete fool then. "We have come as commanded and-"

"And I expect justification for your actions." The Emperor's eyes bored into Shisui's. "Explain yourself." His eyes shifted towards the woman. "And explain her. Report, now."

Shisui's gaze flicked nervously between the two of them. "Of course, Your Majesty. When we arrived at Suna, inland Africa, I ordered the town to be searched and the civilians sequestered to the marketplace. Force was to be used if necessary, but undue violence was prohibited. Some of my men believed my orders were not in line with the Empire's interests and began setting fire to the buildings to flush people out. The fire spread uncontained, and as word reached me of my men's actions, I arrived at the marketplace to discover they had already begun to systematically separate and kill the population."

At every word, Madara's expression had steadily transformed from disapproval into a deadly calm facade. "I imagine that, naturally, your first course of action was to deal with the soldiers that you had let out of your control."

Madara did not think that the sweat dripping down from Shisui's temple was part of his imagination.

"Some of the townspeople had retaliated to the actions of my soldiers, and when I reached them, this woman" - Shisui gestured to his side - "had incapacitated or killed many of my insubordinate troops. I detained her before more damage could be wrought, and, once the situation had been contained, I executed those who disobeyed me."

Every man in the room stood in shock, but Madara reclined in his throne, delighting in such a surprising and intriguing outcome.

"What?" Said someone to his right in disbelief. "If that woman did in fact do as you say, you would bring her back here for killing Romans? Your own people?" Murmurs circulated the room, and men began to speak out in anger.

Madara raised his hand.

Instantly, the room fell silent.

"And you're sure it was her."

"Absolutely Your Majesty," replied Shisui.

"Her name?"

"Sakura, Your Majesty."

"Sakura… what? Surely she has a clan name?"

"None that I could determine from her countrymen, Your Majesty."

Madara turned his attention to the woman. "You, what is your name?"

She raised her head. "Sakura, Your Majesty."

Madara sighed in disapproval. "Your family name, peasant."

She looked him, unwavering. "I cannot speak it, Your Majesty."

The Emperor's eyes narrowed, and he hummed. "Not yours to say? I do not know if you are courageous or stupid. But it is unimportant." He returned his scrutiny to Shisui. "Why bring her to me?"

"With the unprovoked attack on her home, I believed her actions to be justified in her people's defence. As such, I did not think that the sentence of slavery or death was mine to pass, especially after her response to the Gallic confrontation."

Madara let out a hollow laugh "Ah yes, the Gauls, how could I forget? Pray tell, how did such a disaster come about?"

Shisui's eyes shifted to the gleaming marble floor. "Yes, Your Majesty. We returned to the coast of Africa and boarded the ships to return to Rome, this time with the remaining captives of Suna. Our path was minorly delayed by storms, and we landed at Ostia. Unfortunately, on our march back to the capital, rebel Gauls initiated a surprise attack and the troops were unprepared for the assault." Shisui gulped nervously. "I did not anticipate it, and due to my negligence, many men were lost in the initial ambush."

"I assume you rectified your mistake."

"Of course, Your Majesty. We quickly assembled our defence and began a counter-attack. The battle was victorious, despite our initial loss, with all rebel forces eliminated."

"And what of her? What does the woman have to do with your… resounding victory?"

"When originally overwhelmed by the Gallic forces, our least priority was the newly acquired slaves. Sakura requested that she be let free to defend the captives, with the agreement that she would neither attempt an escape nor harm anymore of my soldiers. She succeeded in her endeavour, and most of the captives survived the attack. Sakura proceeded to return to custody without argument and remained with us willingly until we returned to Rome."

Madara's eyebrows had almost risen into his hairline by the time Shisui had finished his account. "You not only released her, she was the only reason your positive outcome from Africa made it here safely. Should I reward her for your incompetence?"

"N-no," stammered Shisui. "Not at all Your Majesty. I simply brought forward Sakura's services to the Empire to be considered for her possible punishment."

"Of course, her sentence." Madara leaned on his hand and sighed in contemplation. "I suppose she should be executed for killing my men… and yet, it would be a shame to execute such an intriguing creature. Shisui, how proficient is she in battle?"

"Sakura is quite skilled Your Majesty. She disposed of many of her combatants swiftly and with minimal harm to herself."

"But Your Majesty!" Protested one of his advisors. "She has killed Roman citizens! You can't simply-"

"Can't simply what? Am I not your Emperor? My right to rule is divine, and you question me? No, your punishment is a week in the cells, but as for her" -Madara set his eyes upon the woman- "she will be sent to the arena."

Another round of whispers circulated at the man's imprisonment, but Sakura's fate was even more astonishing, and once again, Madara raised his hand to silence them.

Shisui's surprise was most evident of all. "You wish to make her a gladiator, Your Majesty? A woman has never fought in the stadium before."

"If she dies, well what does it matter? One more peasant dead; hardly a concern. Besides, if what you say is accurate, I have a feeling that she could be quite interesting. Tell the director that I expect him to prepare her accordingly. I want her fighting before the month is ended" Madara smiled cruelly at the woman seemed dumbfounded at her fate unfolding before her. He gestured to Shisui. "Take her to the compound, and make sure she's comfortable. I would hate for Rome's reputable hospitality to be tarnished."

Madara waved Shisui and his officers out of the room and motioned to two guards to take the advisor to the palace dungeons. He then pointedly looked at the other men in the room, who quickly filed out. When the room was finally empty, Madara and his personal guard strode into the hall, the doors slamming shut behind him.

Sakura, to put it plainly, was in shock. The grandeur of the Empire's capital had astounded her at first. The size of the buildings; the number of people filling the streets; the magnificent palace resting on Palatine Hill. Rome was extremely condensed, and all the sounds added together to create a symphony of noise. Never had she seen a city of this size, and every step towards the Emperor's throne room showed her something wondrous, almost distracting her from what lay inside.

Within the palace, high golden walls depicted portraits and art, and expensive pottery and rugs lined the hallways. The lack of people made for a jarring difference compared to the cacophony outside. As Shisui led her through the maze of corridors, they finally arrived at a monstrous pair of doors and, after Shisui knocked, they entered the room.

The Emperor reclined on his throne and Sakura loathed him. For what he had done to her, her family, and her town. The entire time, he spoke as if he were a God, as if he were holier; as if he was worth more than anyone else. He even spoke of her as if she was not there, or perhaps an object to be sold and bartered for. Nevertheless, when she heard that she was to fight in the arena, a rush of feelings assaulted her: relief at not being sentenced to death, anger in being forced to fight, and terror in the face of the unknown.

Now more questions plagued her. Would she be able to survive fighting against seasoned gladiators? What about her kids? Now that they there was no chance that they would all be enslaved together; would she even see them again? Regardless of her internal conflict, she could not voice her concerns to the Emperor. With his demeanour, he would be offended by her, perhaps even making her situation worse than it already was. Instead, she would endeavour to ask Shisui the first chance she could.

So yes, Sakura was in shock. With her fate shifting from the executioner's block to the gladiator ring, she had no control over what would come next. When the Emperor dismissed them from the room, Sakura let the guards yank her outside, lost in her thoughts as she tried to comprehend what had just happened.

As Shisui and his guards made their way through the winding streets of Rome, Sakura finally had the mind to ask him her questions. At all of them, Shisui frowned. He waved his guards to follow behind them for privacy.

"It is not my place to take you from the gladiator ring, so you have only your combat ability and wits to rely on. I'd like to say that you have a fair chance, but I have not seen a gladiator match in quite some time. Who fights, or their skill level, is unknown to me. As for the children, I can make only promises that they will serve in a good home. Unless…" Shisui slowed his walk and glanced at her thoughtfully. "I am sure that my villa is lacking in staff. With my legion in tatters, I will have to rebuild it and may be here for a while."

Sakura's excitement grew at the possibility of safe housing for the kids. "Thank you, Commander. Temari is not a bad cook, and I'm sure Kankuro is proficient enough in most household chores." But then her exhilaration dwindled down. "My only concern is Gaara, he is too young to know any of this."

Shisui shook his head. "Not to worry; I'm sure that with all three together, they will be much more cooperative."

"Thank you," said Sakura. "I hate to ask you for more, but what of my friends from Suna, how will they be treated?"

"I don't think that I can take on anymore servants, least of all the entire group, but I can hope to send them to safe households. From there, I cannot promise much."

Sakura sighed in relief. "It is more than enough, but why do all of this? What do you gain?"

"Because, what happened to you and your people was my fault. I couldn't control my troops, and all the death and destruction that happened in your village was the result. And you, Sakura, you've helped me more than you know." Shisui smiled. "You've gained my respect. I would like to ask you one thing in return."

"Of course," Sakura said in surprise. "For what you've done, anything."

"Then tell me what your clan name is?"

"Ah, I should have expected that. Yet again, I have to say that it is not mine to give.

"Why not?"

"Only once I am worth it, or if there is someone else who knows it, will you hear my family name."

Shisui looked confused. "Worth it? How do you need to be worth it?"

"Exactly that, once I earn it, it is mine. That's all I can tell you."

"I'm surprised that you didn't give a fake name with all the secrecy."

Shaking her head, Sakura said "no. It's that name, or no name. I won't, I can't lie about it."

"I suppose I have to respect your decision, even if I don't understand why. Hopefully that's all you need to say, because our time is almost over." Shisui gestured to his guards again, and they moved back to their original formation. Down the street, the convoy reached a large complex of buildings with a large wall surrounding it and guards posted at the gates. As they reached the entrance, the men noted Shisui's uniform and let them into the compound. A man ran from further in, greeting them and leading them along a path.

Sakura looked around, once again surprised. "Here? But I don't see an arena."

Their guide looked back disapprovingly, at the sound of her speaking out, but Shisui motioned at him to turn back around before answering Sakura.

"You saw the Forum on our way down from Palatine Hill, yes? That's where the gladiators fight, but it's here that you live and train before every match."

"You know a lot for not having watched the gladiators fight in such a long time."

"Yes, but this place and its director was instituted long before I lost interest."

They walked in silence past more buildings, guards, and training yards, until they stopped in front of a structure with more grandeur than the ones around it. The guide entered inside and a couple of minutes later, waved at them to follow him once more. Several rooms beyond the doors sat a man behind his desk.

"Please sit, My Lord," he said as he lifted his eyes from the files lying in front of him. "I believe you have a fighter for me. Is that her behind you?"

Shisui refused the seat and stood in front of the man. "Yes, she was a special request from the Emperor. I hope you treat her well, Danzo."

Notes:

Starting off, the troops would have gathered in the Field of Mars, but this area was converted into part of the city early in the Empire during Augustus's reign (27BC). As such, the troops were in another army area outside Rome.

I made the Emperor's titles Your, His, or the Imperial Majesty. Most Roman Emperors went with their own special title which differentiated them from their predecessors, but Emperors and Monarchs in other parts of the world went by Majesty.

The man who announced titles during Royal functions was the Court Marshal. This was not necessarily a member of the Roman court, but was however, quite common in other countries. Madara's 'divine right to rule' came from Julius Caesar believing one side of his family descended from kings, and the other from Gods, therefore making him more suited to be in charge.

As the Romans were a democratic society with senators with two elected consuls at the top, the wealthy citizens lived in villas, and there was no palace. When Augustus became Emperor, he built the first palace on Palatine Hill (the central of the seven hills of Rome) which was where the term Palace originated.

When most people think of Gladiators, they think of the Colosseum, however it wasn't built until about 80CE, commissioned by Emperor Vespasian but completed by Titus. Before this, there were several other locations a gladiator match would take place, including the Roman Forum. The Roman Forum used to be used for the government or a marketplace, and eventually came to be formed up of many buildings with different functions, such as temples, processions, or official gladiator fights.

As for gladiators themselves, they originated as a one-on-one fight that took place when an important individual died, called munera, sort of in their honour. This gradually grew overtime taking place during ludi (which were generally regular festivals for special occasions - e.g. the harvest festival) until Caesar came into power and held games with 320 gladiator pairs, under the guise that it was a munus for his father, who died about 20 years earlier. It was more like a spectacle rather than a funeral rite. After this, Gladiator games went a little crazy until Augustus got in charge and named it a religious duty, sequestering it to religious festivals, and charging a large amount of money for every munus held. I've sort of made it so Madara rules during the same period as Augustus but decided that the gladiator matches should be a more prominent feature.