The Monarchy
Author's Note: Thanks for all the reviews. ;) I have some very good detectives for readers. I guess I wasn't being nearly as clever as I thought. Anyway, on with the next chapter. I hope you all enjoy it.
Chapter Four
"What are your orders, my King?" Shisui asks as he gets out a piece of parchment and prepares to send a coded letter to their troops.
"There will be a wagon. It will be heavily guarded. It is carrying the pay of Danzo's soldiers. If you can intercept that, that means they won't get paid. That should make life rather difficult for him indeed." Itachi replies.
Shisui chuckles. Yes, he imagined having a few hundred loyal guards who hadn't received their salary would make things very difficult for the tyrannical king indeed. He wondered how loyal they would be to the despot once they were no longer receiving their gold.
"I shall send word at once. Should I send for Sasuke?" He inquires.
"No, not yet. We need to cripple Danzo first. I don't want Sasuke to be in any more dangerous than he absolutely has to be. He's already suffered so much and for nothing." Itachi sighs heavily as he thinks of his brother and Shisui pens the letter.
Dearest Blacksmith,
I am well. I thought that I would perish in a storm on the high seas. But a kindly merchant crew saved me at the last minute. I am safely docked.
While enjoying their company, they spoke to me of pirates. These pirates are sometimes operating on their own and sometimes paid by nobles or royalty. It's amazing the type of damage they can do to a nation's economy when they sink merchant ships.
There is a grand ship, covered in all its finery that is filled with gold. I do hope that no one attacks it. His majesty would be most displeased. Oh well, I can only pray to God for the safety of that crew and the protection of our Kingdom's assets.
Yours Faithfully, the Shepherd
Itachi chuckles at the name. That was actually quite clever. So Shisui was the shepherd tending to his flock of rebels. It was subtle enough that it shouldn't be an issue if it was intercepted, which was always a risk.
"Who is the blacksmith?" Itachi asks Shisui.
"His name is Sasori. He is the finest smith that I have ever met. He does like to dip his weapons in poison. The man is an unholy terror on the battlefield, even Deidara is more than a little scared of him." Shisui answers his cousin's question.
Shisui shivers as he remembers seeing the other man fight. His poisons were the stuff of legend. Never before had he seen grown men felled so quickly by a single drop of poison before. He was utterly lethal. Sometimes he was known as the Plague.
His poisons were so swift and brutal, just like the Plague. The young noble was very glad that Sasori was on their side. If he wasn't, Shisui would truly fear for his life and those of his kin.
"Ah yes, I remember Sasori. He's far from the friendliest man, but he does certainly get the job done." Itachi muses and his cousin could only nod in agreement.
"Can Sasuke wield a sword?" Shisui asks suddenly, worried for the youngest prince's safety.
Itachi nods. Yes, his baby brother could handle a sword. He had actually done quite well in the tournaments he entered. Still a tournament was a far cry from actual combat.
"From what I hear, he can wield one quite well." The eldest prince responds.
"That's always good, especially in a war. What about you? You've been living here as a holy man for years. When was the last time you fought?" The leader of the revolt inquires seriously.
"If you have concerns about my skill with a blade, I can reassure you right now that they are unfounded. Shall we have a friendly match?" Itachi asks with a gleam in his eye.
Shisui gulps. Itachi was a very even tempered man. But he was extremely competitive. He knew what that gleam meant. No thank you. He had learned his lesson as a child, never to accept a challenge from Itachi when he gave you that look.
"No. No. I'll gladly take your word for it." He assures the true King of the Sharingan Kingdom.
"Good. What news do you have of your efforts in general? How fare the people's spirit?" Itachi asks.
Shisui sighs. Well the revolt had been successful enough for Danzo to decide his execution was necessary. They had had won a few skirmishes here and there but nothing decisive. Most of the time, they were lucky to get away with their lives.
"The people are suffering greatly under that tyrant's rule. Some of them still cling to the hope that you or Sasuke are alive. But for the most part, they are beginning to believe you are never returning. One can hardly blame them. It has been ten years. We have won a few small battles, but nothing of particular consequence." He answers truthfully.
Itachi nods. To be honest, that was slightly better than expected. He could only imagine how the people had suffered under Danzo's rule. He was a man who cared about nothing but power. People were mere pawns to him, as they were to many rulers. But Danzo took it to such an extreme that was considered horrific even by the standards of the day.
"Very well. Let us make sure to give them something to lift their spirits then. I'm sure by now word of your escape has spread. That should be a very fine start." Itachi says with a smile.
Meanwhile back in the Byakugan Kingdom, Sasuke was in the midst of telling King Hiashi everything. He knew that it was a fantastic tale. But his eyes were the proof that he was at least who he said he was.
"It does not surprise me that Danzo would use the Regency as an excuse to claim power. Your brother was quite clever to get you away when you did. It truly astounds me that he had the foresight to separate himself from you in such a fashion and was able to acquire you a new home so quickly." Hiashi muses.
"I'm so sorry for your loss and for what happened to your kingdom." Hinata whispers to Sasuke and he smiles, lacing his fingers with hers.
Hiashi could scarcely believe his ears. The Sharingan Princes were both ALIVE. Even more astonishing was the fact that one had lived under his roof for newly ten years and he hadn't noticed.
"It is not your fault. It is not one's fault but that tyrant's." Sasuke says to Hinata and she nods.
"Do you wish to reclaim your throne?" The Byakugan Monarch asks.
Sasuke could only nod. He and Itachi wanted that more than anything. It was their birthright. Their parents would never be able to truly rest in peace until their kingdom was restored to it's former glory. He knew that.
"Father, we must help him." Hinata says.
"It is his birthright, along with Itachi. Danzo is trifling with the will of the Gods when he disrespects the Monarchy in this fashion. Still if we went to war, it would mean the loss of many lives and much treasure. We can not even be assured of victory. Assassination would be our best bet or if we could get some of the people in your kingdom on our side, our numbers would be larger. We could win a war in that fashion." Hiashi muses.
Sasuke considers it. Yes, assassination would be the best option. But how could they go about it? Danzo was so paranoid. Poisoning him would be impossible. They could hire someone, but that person would have to get close enough to do the deed. And Danzo only allowed his ROOT members that close to him.
The ROOT members were trained from early childhood. They were completely ruthless and had had any sense of mercy beaten out of them long ago. Most children did not survive the training. Anyone who did, well by the time they completed their training they were little more than mindless killing machines.
"I'll speak to my brother on this matter and see what he says. I did not mean to deceive any of you. I just did not wish to drag you into any of my quarrels. This is not your fight, but ours." Sasuke says.
"My dear boy, it is our fight. We can not allow people to believe they can trifle with the Monarchy. It is the very fabric of our society. Without us, chaos would rule. By stealing your birthright, Danzo has unwittingly attacked every Monarch in the Five Nations. If he could do it to you, anyone could do it to any of us. This betrayal and blasphemy must not be allowed to go unpunished." The King of the Byakugan Kingdom states.
Sasuke smiles. Hiashi might be a strict man. But he was a fair man. At his core, he was a good man. The youngest Sharingan prince felt that he could trust him to keep his word and help them reclaim the their throne.
"Thank you, King Hiashi. You are most kind and honorable." Sasuke says and bows his head respectfully.
"You are welcome. Perhaps when this is all done, our kingdoms may very well end up being united." He states and Hiashi waves his hand.
Sasuke knew what that wave meant. He was being dismissed for the time being. He swiftly leaves the room and lets out the breath that he had been holding. That had gone far better than he expected.
He had expected Hiashi to be angry that he had kept his true identity a secret from him. Honestly, he wouldn't have been surprised if the man ordered his execution for such deception. Instead, he seemed willing to help the brothers reclaim their kingdom.
"Sasuke?" Hinata calls out softly, following him into the hall.
"Princess." Sasuke replies, uncertain of what he could possibly say to her at this moment.
He had deceived her, just as surely as he had everyone else. She would have every right to loathe him now. How could Hinata ever trust him when he hadn't even given her his true name before he kissed her? She must hate him now, he thought mournfully.
Hinata reaches out her hand to him and drags him into one of the nearby rooms. She shuts the door behind them. Then the princess looks at him and seems to be at a loss for words.
"Should I call you Eli or Sasuke?" She asks awkwardly after a few agonizing minutes pass by in silence.
"Eli would be best for consistency. If you were to slip and call me Sasuke in public, too many questions would be raised." He answers.
Hinata nods. She couldn't argue with his logic. So this was the reason. This was why he really avoided her. He was afraid of what would happen if his real identity was revealed. It all made sense now.
"Did you mean it when you said you had feelings for me or was that just another…layer to your charade?" The princess whispers.
"That part was real. It will always be real. I may have taken a false name and lived a false life for these past few years, but never doubt for one moment that my feelings for you are sincere." Sasuke tells her.
Hinata smiles at him. She summons up all her courage and kisses his cheek. Sasuke smiles back at her and wraps his arms around her.
"Good. I would have been very cross with you if that were not the case." She murmurs and Sasuke chuckles.
"I am very fortunate that you are not cross with me. Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned or so I am told. I try to avoid scorning them." He replies with no small degree of amusement.
Hinata nods very seriously. She leans into his hold. It didn't matter to her whether he was known as Lord Eli or Prince Sasuke. He was just the man she loved. Who cared what a rose wanted to call itself? It would still be the same flower, whether someone called it a tulip or not.
She giggles. It struck her that she was being rather silly. Hinata had just compared Sasuke to a flower. But perhaps his masculine pride would be soothed that she had selected one with thorns?
"My Lady, what amuses you so?" Sasuke asks in confusion.
"Oh it's nothing. Just an idle notion. A foolish one." She mumbles with a blush.
"Nothing that you think could ever be foolish to me." Sasuke tells her.
"I was just thinking that it doesn't matter to me which name you go by. A rose is still a rose, even if someone decides to call it a tulip." She says.
Sasuke raises an eyebrow. He wasn't sure how he felt about being compared to a flower. But he supposed that the princess had meant it a compliment.
"I suppose that is so. Mostly, I am just relieved that you do not hold my charade against me. You are endlessly forgiving. I am not sure what I would have done if I were standing in your stead and you in mine." He replies.
"I am sure you would be just as forgiving. What are you planning to do now?" She asks curiously.
"I will speak to my brother and see what he believes is the best course of action. He is the true King, not that usurper. It infuriates me to know that vile viper is sitting on my father's throne, more than I will ever be able to express." He mutters.
Hinata caresses his cheek. Sasuke leans into the gentle touch and kisses the palm of her hand. She smiles, noting his eyes had turned back to their normal midnight black color. As far as she knew the Sharingan only activated during battle or when an Uchiha was enraged. He was slowly calming down and that was a good thing in her mind.
"Perhaps one day you will both be wonderful kings. If you were to marry me, we would rule the Byakugan Kingdom and Itachi would rule the Sharingan Kingdom." She says.
"I like the sound of that." He says and kisses her forehead with a gentle smile.
"Of ruling the Byakugan Kingdom?" She asks.
"Well that does sound appealing. But I liked the we part better. I would still love you, no matter what your station was. I don't love you for your crown." Sasuke tells her.
Hinata smiles. If anyone else told her that, she would accuse them of lying. Alright, she would THINK they were lying. She didn't believe in being rude to anyone. But there was a certain sincerity in his eyes. The princess believed her prince whole heartedly when he made that declaration.
"I feel the same about you." She says.
"Good. Let's get you back to your room. Someone tried to have you killed and I don't feel very good about having you wander around unescorted knowing that." He replies and offers her his arm.
Hinata takes his hand. She allows him to escort her back to her room. Still the princess didn't want him to think she was completely helpless.
"I appreciate your chivalry, but I can protect myself." She says and Sasuke raises an eyebrow.
"I never said that you could not. You just do not need to." He tells her.
"You don't believe me. I can see it written all over your face, as clear as day." She accuses him and Sasuke thought the pouting was adorable.
"Of course I believe you, my princess. You would never lie to me or anyon-E!" He suddenly finds himself laying on the ground and clutching his stomach.
He blinks. Sasuke couldn't believe that had just happen. Hinata had attacked him! She had hit his stomach and caused him to fall onto his back. His little swan had talons?
"I told you that I would prove it. I used to watch the guards train as a small child. They never noticed me because I was so quiet." The bluenette tells him with a sweet smile.
"You most certainly did prove it." Sasuke says with a chuckle and takes the hand she offered him to help him up.
Hinata smiles. She was pleased that she had proved herself to her love in a way. Sasuke shakes his head in amusement and opens the door to her bedchamber for her.
"Good night, my princess." He says.
"Good night, my prince." She says with a wink and darts inside before he could correct her.
Meanwhile in the Sharingan Kingdom, Danzo curses. One of his guards came in and informed him of the horrible news. It seemed that the wagon carrying the gold that he would use to pay his ROOT members was captured. And he knew who was behind it.
"Damn Shisui! I should have killed him long ago." He snarls and sends his wine cup flying straight into the wall, nearly hitting the maid with it.
She runs off. Her eyes were wide with fright. His Majesty was in an especially foul mood today, it seemed. (Not that he was ever in a good one.)
"It seems the rebels somehow attacked the wagon and were successfully able to steal it. What shall we do now?" The guard asks his king.
"You will inform them that it was the rebels who stole their pay. That should give them ample reason to want to slit the throat of these vial traitors." Danzo hisses.
The guard nods. He bows. The ROOT member was secretly very relieved when he was dismissed. He heads off to inform the other Royal Guards of ROOT.
"We will not be getting paid this month. The wagon carrying our gold was stolen by the rebels." He says.
There were cries of outrage from the Royal Guard. Most of whom tended to spend their pay rather quickly on women, alcohol, or gambling. It was going to be a long month.
"Yes, believe me…I am just as upset as you are. We'll have to put an end to this rebellion quickly." He says and the other members agree.
Elsewhere in the Sharingan Kingdom, word continued to spread of Shisui's rescue. This gave hope to the rebels and they were growing far bolder. Currently, they were setting fire to some of the homes of the ROOT members.
"Torch them. Make sure to get their armor and weapons before you do!" Izumi cries out.
Despite being a woman, she had taken over when Shisui was captured. She was after all an Uchiha. She couldn't rule without a husband and she was unmarried. That was why Danzo made it his personal mission to always sabotage any offers she had received.
Shisui hadn't been able to rule because it had never been confirmed that Itachi and Sasuke were dead. Thus he could not rightfully take their place. And thus, Danzo was able to have it both ways. Most of the kingdom believed that the brothers were dead, but no one could actually prove that without bodies. So the natural line of succession had completely been stalled.
"We got the armor and weapons out, My Lady!" Came the cry of one of the peasants who had joined their rebellion.
"Excellent. Burn it to the ground." She orders.
Soon the houses were lit on fire. All across the Sharingan Kingdom, the fires burned so brightly, that one could be forgiven for thinking it was the middle of the day. Hundreds of fires were blazing across the countryside.
As soon as one was put out, two more would take their place. Izumi smiles at this knowledge. She didn't know where Shisui was, but she hoped word got to him. She wondered who had rescued him.
"Are you sure this was a good idea?" One of the rebels said.
"A rebellion is not for the faint of heart. It was a good idea. This will drastically hurt them. Danzo has more weapons and armor surely, but it will be expensive to rearm all of ROOT. He'll have to dig into the royal coffers or more than likely beg for aid from other countries." She says.
The peasant tilts his head. King Danzo would almost never dig into the royal coffers. He liked to horde the Kingdom's wealth as surely as a dragon would horde their gold. So he would have to ask for help from other kingdoms.
"But he'll never dig into the coffers?" He asks in confusion.
"Exactly. I can not wait to see what excuse he gives to whichever Kingdom he asks for help. I want him to be utterly humiliated. But he is a crafty bastard. I'm sure he will come up with some sort of excuse. This is just the beginning soon. Before long, we will mount that traitor's head on a pike and display it for all to see." She says.
The peasant gulps. He made a mental note never to upset Lady Izumi. Hell truly had no fury like a woman scored, he decided. He would have almost felt sorry for Danzo if he wasn't such a cruel tyrant.
"Do you think they are alive?" A woman who cooked for their fighters asked and had come to watch the fires burn.
"I don't know. I hope they are. Even if they are not, we know that Shisui is. He's next in line to the throne." She murmurs.
The other rebels nod. Their mission in the end was to kill Danzo. Then either Shisui or one of the princes could rule. They all held out hope that somehow, somewhere out there…they might still be alive. After all, they had never found the bodies. It was possible, wasn't it?
Back at his castle, Danzo is informed of the news. Fires were burning all across the Kingdom! Damn them. This had to be the work of the rebels. They were taunting him.
"When I get my hands on them, they will wish that I was merciful enough to draw and quarter them. Their deaths shall be gloriously agonizing. They shall pay for this act of defiance." He mutters to himself.
The fact that Shisui had escaped execution had emboldened them. Yes, that must be what had caused this sudden surge in rebel activity. He had to find Shisui. Once he killed them, that should demoralize them.
"A serpent is nothing without its head." He chuckles darkly and ponders the matter.
Where could Shisui possibly have gone? Was he hiding out somewhere in the Sharingan Kingdom? Perhaps he had done the smart thing and fled to a life of exile somewhere else.
"It doesn't matter where's he's gone. I shall chase that boy to the ends of the earth, if I must. But he can not be allowed to live." He says to himself.
Yes, he would find Shisui. He would make his public execution quite the spectacle. That would tamp down this rebellion quite nicely. For ten years, he had ruled. He would not allow anyone to take the crown from him. He would make the streets red with blood long before he allowed such a thing to come to pass.