Quick Note; This took much more effort than I would have wished to both write and submit- a few technocalities popped up, and I had to resort to alternate means to get this submitted-but all in all, I hope you enjoy this chapter! Personally, a lot could have been expanded on my behalf, I think, but I hope you all find it enjoyable. I'll keep it short, this quick note, so I shan't delay your wait, which I'm terriably sorry for, any longer. Please enjoy!

Disclaimer- no, thank you...

Yellow

His head, and clothes for that matter, were soaked to the bone. His scruffy, brown hair had become several shades darker as each tiny strand clung to his head, dripping wet like a dog's fur. His face was both tired and worn, and dark circles closed around his eyes. They themselves were blood-shot, the veins showing, making him a truly fearful sight. His mouth, usually curved in a large grin, lacked the smile this morning. Mist and rain covered the sky, leaving the entire scenery to be just a blended mass of gray. The grass clung heavily to the dirt with dew holding it down. Mud sloshed at his feet as slowly he dragged along, set affront as he lead, along with the other three knight companions of his, hundreds of citizens, all dressed in their finest despite the weather. The occasion was more important as mud soaked itself into their black clothing.

It was the king of Konoha's funeral.


The cling of a fork sounded through the, otherwise, silent hall. A hand quickly found itself over the mouth of a quivering lip. Hinata's eyes were wide and glistening as a thin layer of water quickly covered them, the shock leaving her mouth gaped slightly, though covered by her pale hand. Hanabi was also frantically twitching her eyes from the messenger to her father, then to Hinata and finally back to her father. Hiashi held no emotion other than his usual sternness which always remained present on his face. He slowly put down his breakfast fork, nodding to let the servant know they could leave and report further throughout the castle the disturbing news.

Hinata, suddenly flushed by emotion, lifted herself quickly, her chair screeching backwards. The table's eyes focused on her. Hinata, keeping her eyes to the ground as they searched frantically, merely muttered out an apology as she then turned and fled down the hallway. She raced up the stairs, but the flight was so large she collapsed halfway to the top, falling to her knees as tears sprang from her eyes.

She felt strange, a deep pang of regret despite not knowing the king personally. She had never met the man, but suddenly felt overwhelming grief for the man and, most of all, his country which would now grieve over the great loss. From all she had learned, he was a great king and led the country to the best of his extent. But now…he was gone.

Hours later, when the sun had gone down, Hinata had gathered up her feeble strength and managed to make her way slowly to her room, only to resume her collapsed crying on her soft bed. Tears streamed down her face, but no over-emotional wails were sounded. Instead, she merely sang out a few subtle sniffs. Finally, her clear tears sent her drifting off to a dreamless sleep as her worries faded, leaving only a strand of pity for the devastated country.


Kiba watched with pity as Naruto moped at the side of his bed. A maid had joined the two, commanding Naruto to dress for the day. Naruto had managed to hoist himself into a sitting position, but could do no more than that. Kiba, too delved into pity for the boy, didn't bother leaving his station, the guard post of the bed, as Naruto stared blankly at the poorly lit floor. The dim room with only a fading candlelight didn't help matters much, Kiba then concluded.

After a few minutes, Kiba couldn't take the pathetic sight any longer, and walked over to lift Naruto up by his arm. He shoved the boy forward, who merely stumbled a bit before remaining completely still and leaning dangerously to one side, towards the dresser. Kiba quickly raced over and caught him before he collapsed.

"C'mon, Naruto. You got to recover. Today's the banquet in your dad's name. Just…attend it, alright?"

Naruto's brows furrowed slightly, but otherwise he showed no movement. He managed to straighten himself up, but remained still otherwise. Kiba, sighing, left Naruto and caught two maids in the hall, commanding them to help Naruto out. As the days had passed, many maids found themselves fearful of the blonde boy; the fact his eyes had permanently formed rings that declared his inner anger for the world scared many. Most avoided him now.

However, these maids simply nodded and rushed off to obey their command. Kiba, meanwhile, sighed and continued walking off. His feet carried him to the extensive and elaborate shrine of the kings. Further on, past the temple where he courteously prayed and lit a small candle, he found himself in the royal gardened cemetery. There, he easily made his way to the most recent grave. All formality was washed away as he sat down beside the grave, pulled some grass to fiddle with, and turned to face the grass.

"Why'd you leave," he whined, sounding much like a little boy complaining to his mother about unfair bullies at a park. "Because of you, I have to deal with your kid now…"

Silence filled the graveyard, and soon only bird's chirps were heard in the village.


"Hold that position."

Hinata squirmed slightly, wishing greatly to scratch an itch on her torso's side. However, she remained perfectly postured as the painter continued to paint. He was very slow, but Hinata respected him greatly. Many times he had been called upon by her father to paint portraits of the royal family, which she found extraordinary because he was the same age as her. He had been painting since a small child and was well known around the royal family. However, he wasn't as greatly respected for his personality as his art, for he was quite blunt and frequently got in trouble for his mouth. Had her father ever met him in person rather than call upon him to paint simply to update the halls with portraits, Hiashi might not have taken such a liking to the painter.

"Um, S-Sai-kun…I-I need t-to"

"Please, Miss Hyuuga, stay still."

Hinata quickly silenced herself, blushing as she felt rude now for interrupting the artist. Silence filled the chamber and Hinata lifted her chest. The dress she wore was an odd kimono. White, as expected since her father (or so she had been told) picked it out himself, but the obi had been tied much too tight, feeling like a corset (an odd fashion of the northern countries that Hyuuga's rarely mingled with. Hinata had had the pleasure, or punishment, of trying on one of their dresses. She found them near impossible to breathe in). Her hair, neatly pulled back into many intricate accessories ranging from flowers to pins, thanks to Tenten, started to loosen at the back of her neck, causing heat to build up as well as sweat.

Hinata held back a sigh, rolling her eyes to the window to peer outside. However, Sai caught this, obviously working on that very detail, and quickly snapped, in his monotonous voice, "Please return your eyes to their original position."

Hinata quickly conformed. She silently thanked the heavens when the door burst open and Neji walked in, snatching Sai's attention away. She took this quick second to scratch the abominable itch. Neji turned to Sai.

"Are you almost done, Sir Sai?"

Sai smiled, his eyes squinting shut as he did so.

"Yes, just a final detail and it shall be complete."

Neji continued to give Sai a cold, ruthless stare. Hinata, frankly, couldn't blame him. She had warmed up to Sai enough to know he meant well, though his intentions never seemed it. He was odd in the seemingly had no emotions, but she wasn't bothered by this much. However, his smile… It always seemed fake. No matter how hard he tried or how sincere he meant it to feel, it never looked that way. Something about it always left a mistrustful air floating about him. As Sai returned to the painting, Hinata quickly gathered back into the original pose. A minute later and Sai declared he was done. Neji strolled over to Hinata, smiled and bowing as he greeted her. Hinata did the same in return, and then turned to Sai.

"Thank you, Sir Sai, for abiding to my father's request and enduring my presence for your portrait."

Once more, Sai smiled.

"It was no trouble at all. I enjoy painting Miss Hyuuga; a certain charm about you is very pleasant."

Turning, he bowed to Neji.

"And good day to you, over-protective knight."

And with that, he turned to leave, while Neji threatened to explode.

"Over-protective- the nerve!"

Hinata giggled.

"Neji-kun, he means well. He simply…calls people by what they are. If I were you, I'd take it as a compliment."

Neji, grumbling under his breath, turned away from Sai's fleeting direction.

"Is there anything in particular you wished me for, Sir Neji?"

Hinata said, returning to her formal tongue. Neji, still looking off in another direction, shrugged his shoulders.

"Not generally."

He turned to face her.

"Though Tenten beckons for you; the feast to be held in honor of Konoha's suffering is to be held tonight."

Hinata's smile vanished.

"Ah, of course."

A small spin-off, it was traditional for, the week from the late king's death, for there to be held a feast to accommodate his passing. Many other countries also held smaller feasts to mourn alongside their neighboring country. Hyuuga was one to uphold such a tradition, naturally.

"Very well then; I'll be there shortly."


Anger grew in Kiba. It had been a month since the death of their king, and his son still wept. Not so much as weeping as a silent moping that left him a zombie, dragging his feet through the hallways occasionally when he felt like moving from his bed. He ate less and bathed even fewer times. Kiba rolled his eyes in disgust as once more Naruto poked his early morning meal with his fork, uninterested in the food. Kiba, being the only one present beside a chamber maiden who was simply refreshing the candles along the wall, strode over to his future king and, as swift as his knight skills trained him to be, swung Naruto onto the floor. The two both fell over, Kiba pressing Naruto to the ground with his arms pinned down. Naruto showed no interest or expression in the sudden change. That is, until Kiba punched him.

Naruto's eyes then widened, showing the red veins that resulted from his lack of sleep. His teeth snapped into a snarl, a quick reaction showing his irritation.

"What the hell are you doing? Have you lost your mind, Kiba?"

"No, but you damn well have, Naruto!"

Naruto cursed, thrashing wildly to release himself from Kiba's grip.

"Address your superiors…" He grunted, and then raised his head to head-butt Kiba, which sent him flying off him. "…properly!"

Kiba, using once hand to rub his head and the other to throw punches at the now advancing Naruto, spat back his reply, his own growl threatening Naruto's snarl.

"Superiors? I wasn't aware we weren't alone!"

Naruto, angered further, sent a kick to Kiba's head, which sent him flipping to the ground. As he advanced, however, Kiba threw his own kick to Naruto's knees, sending Naruto to the ground as well. The two then set out with their hands, pushing each other to gain the advantage, all the while spitting insults at each other.

"You've got a lot of nerve, dog-breath!"

"Well, on normal situations I'd take that as a compliment. But, seeing as how it's coming from a whiny boy like you, it's very degrading!"

A punch was thrown, and now Naruto had a bloody nose and Kiba had a cut lip. Kiba grabbed at Naruto's collar, throwing Naruto off him until his head banged into a nearby pillar. Kiba, panting, attempted to stand, but found the effort too straining and instead remained still. Panting, Naruto didn't even attempt to raise himself.

"Wh…what are you thinking…Kiba…" Naruto mumbled between breaths.

Kiba, catching his breath before speaking, turned to face the defeated Naruto.

"I'm thinking…that if I'm going to follow…this new king…in place of the old, he better…grow a pair and get over…this obstacle in his path…to glory. Naruto… We all are sad from the loss, but you, especially, have to overcome it. If you don't pull yourself together…this country will go down with you."

There was a long, silent pause. Finally, Kiba sighed, lifted himself up, and handed a hand to Naruto. Naruto looked up, stared, and then took the offered help, raising himself up.

"Well, Kiba. I appreciate your helpful words, but I gotta say…wasn't there an easier way to get the point across?"

Kiba chuckled, looked at his friend, and gave him a wicked grin.

"There probably was, but I felt like punching you for the hell of it."


The halls of Konoha were clean. They remained clean thanks to the servants, a numerous amount, and also because of the care the maidens of the house put into keeping the halls clean. The maidens, who take residence in the courters provided for them, come from wealthy families. Suitable for knights, dukes, and even princes not entitled to the throne, the maidens are known as simply that; the maidens.

Despite taking up residence in the castle, they are only a few steps above knights and common folk, simply richer and socially more powerful. Most are raised proper with the best education. Many marry off to be simple trophy wives, beautiful brides of esteemed men who wish for handsome heirs, though a few do follow their own paths of their choice. Though difficult, if one can get a pardon from the king himself, they can enter any field of career they wish.

This was such the case for Sakura, a friendly and respectable maiden of Konoha. She was among the most well known of the maidens, and easily the one most offered proposals, only rivaled by the also infamous Ino. Sakura, known for many things, one being her short, cherry blossom pink hair, was recently strolling down one of these clean halls. She had been doing so recently quite often, hoping by miraculous chance she would stroll into someone of importance, and interest, that would occupy her boring days. A simple conversation was all she was hoping for, in order to escape her drawn out days in the library as she studied the field of medical aid. Luckily, today seemed formidable in her favor as, turning down one hall, she managed to run into none other than the new king himself. Smiling to herself, she adjusted a strand hair, pinning it behind her ear along with the rest which was loose, and strolled over to the unsuspecting king.

The fabrics on her red dress were silent, only making the smallest noise as they swished around her feet. Her slippers, tiny beads embedded into the toes, also made little noise. The corset, along with her holding her breath, easily kept her breathing light and inaudible. Her stealth skills matched that of a knight, or so she awarded herself as such, and she felt very proud the moment her tap sent the king shivering up his spine.

Naruto quickly turned around, fear glistening in his eyes for a split second before he recognized the smiling face.

"Sakura-chan!"

Sakura, laughing, let out a small squeal when Naruto raised her in the air, twirling her around him.

"You, sir, seem absolutely blissful this morning! I wonder what caused such a change to your downfall attitude upon recent."

Naruto chuckled, his eyes shifting to the side.

"Well, you know; pick a good enough fight and the senses get knocked right back into you!"

Sakura lifted a hand to cover her mouth as she giggled further. Calming down, she then proceeded to a proper bow, which Naruto returned with a mock bow. Sakura, still smiling, lifted to her hand to further examine the cuts and scars.

"You must have gotten yourself in one hell of a brawl, Naruto. These look awfully fresh, too. Like…this morning, almost." Her quiet demeanor turned into fear as she exclaimed quickly, "Were you attacked? An assassination, perhaps? Is the killer or attacker still loose? Should we alert the guards? I'll go right a-"

Naruto's hand grabbed her wrist, pulling her back. Chuckling lightly, he looked her straight in the eye. "Sakura, I'm fine. No, it wasn't an assassination. Just a, uh, good ol' sparring, that's all."

Kiba, hidden behind a corner, held his hand to his mouth to muffle his chuckles. He watched as Sakura, calmed now, took the offered arm that Naruto presented to her and together they strolled further down the hall, laughing as they did. Kiba smiled to himself, knowing full well Naruto's recovery would speed several times faster with help, especially hers.


Hinata sighed. Another dress-fitting. Once a year, dresses were order, all in the traditional white fabrics, but recently her father had told her to pick out something…colorful. This had shocked her, even more so than the fact that dress-fittings didn't occur until further into the year. It had been, she would admit, exciting to try on the large selection of colorful dresses brought to her. Hanabi and Tenten also accompanied her, and the three easily picked out between the most elaborate and beautiful from the trashy and cheap ones. Neji stood outside, watching guard, but all could tell he grew jealous of their fun and the fact they wouldn't allow him in.

Tenten was tugging at a green kimono's fabric, observing its dexterity. Hanabi pulled on dangling ribbons that hung from an odd shoe, a pointed style most likely from the north. Hinata, reaching for an intricate obi, was interrupted when a servant, holding a pillow which upon it laid a letter, entered the room. She lifted her hand, gracefully accepting the letter as the servant left. Hanabi giggled as the ribbon came apart, while Tenten sighed in boredom of the fabric, until they noticed the letter in Hinata's hands.

"What's that, nee-san?"

Hinata quickly ripped the seal off the envelope, after observing the stamp to be from Konoha.

"It's from the royal family of Konoha. But…what could they possibly want from me?"

She unfolded the letter, reading it to herself. Hanabi and Tenten quickly rose, scurrying over to Hinata like two excited children interested in what their mother had just received, even if it did not pertain to them.

Hinata's eyes grew wide.

"I-it's an invitation…to spend the summer in Konoha!"


Two weeks prior

Kiba watched as Naruto and Sakura continued to laugh. They sat under a blossom tree, on a stone bench, in one of the many courtyards. Kiba was well hidden in the shadows, his body leaning against the wall with his arms crossed across his chest. He rolled his eyes when Naruto lifted his hand, plucking a 

blossom, and stroking it into Sakura's hair. He found the move…cheesy. Akamaru, lazily sleeping beside him, grunted a low growl to show that he, too, agreed that the move was practically outdated.

Kiba, sighing as he felt this had gone on long enough, decided to intervene. He casually strolled into the sun's rays, immediately causing attention to turn to him. Akamaru lifted himself, following his master.

"Well, what do you know? I come out for a stroll, and instead, I find…you two."

Kiba did little to hide his annoyance. Being the personal body guard of Naruto not only meant following him, but also watching his every move, or most of them at least. This proved to be problematic, for Kiba not only felt sick but also slightly disturbed when he was, by duty, forced to witness Naruto's flirtatious moves on Sakura of the maidens.

The two, surprised by Kiba's sudden presence, quickly put distance between the two of them as they scooted backwards, Naruto coughing to clear his throat as he greeted Kiba with a quick head bow.

"So, uh, wh-what brings you here, Ki-Sir Kiba?"

Kiba raised an eyebrow, looking between the two of them, the nervous couple trying desperately to look normal, which backfired and left them more suspicious than before. Kiba leaned against the tree, waiting to see what petty excuses the two could come up with. However, his fun was stopped when, from the opposite shadows of Kiba's own, Sasuke came forth.

The black knight, his crisp presence sending Akamaru back and Kiba as well, also left Sakura's eyes fleeing to the floor to avoid his gaze. Sasuke noticed this, but ignored it. He, instead, turned to Naruto, ignoring Kiba completely, which made Kiba mumble unpleasant insults that were meant for Sasuke.

"It is the council's decision that you are to wed within the season, if not by winter then at least."

"Within the-wed? Those stuck up bastards want me to marry? My father just-"

"I am aware, as is the council, of the late king's departure," Sasuke said, his cold voice somewhat forceful as he silently challenged Naruto's uproar.

"But, it is the council's wish that you wed within the time frame. They ask that you yourself send out cordial invitations for certain maidens within the standards to accompany you and stay the summer in Konoha. There, I am entitled to inform you of these plans. Therefore," Sasuke continued, the sharpness in his voice that clearly spoke his irritation growing by the minute. "You are to start on these invitations immediately so they may be sent forth by tomorrow, noon-high."

"Noon-high!" Naruto took in a deep breath, his nostrils flaring. He rose suddenly, startling both Sakura and Kiba.

"Fine, I'll get to them at once."

With that, Naruto took his leave. Once he had disappeared, Sasuke's semi-glare landed on Sakura, who was breathing rather quickly.

"I, um, must return to my studies." With that, she frantically left, her dress swishing as she fled from the eyes of Sasuke. The only ones left were Kiba, Akamaru, and Sasuke.

A moment passed and neither moved. Finally, Sasuke turned to leave. But, Kiba's words caught him.

"How long did you wait there, until the right moment for you to intervene and ruin the moment? Perhaps I had beaten you to it, so you felt now would be as good as any time, seeing as how your chance to disturb the moment was ruined by my own intervening."

Kiba smirked when he saw Sasuke's shoulders puff up, showing his annoyance. Sasuke turned the side of his head, only a slither of it visible to Kiba.

"If you're inferring that I hid within the shadows like some mutt waiting for my chance to-"

"-That's exactly what I'm inferring."

Kiba took a step forward, Akamaru beside him in an instant with a snarl plastered on his snout.

"I'm warning you now, Sasuke. Whatever plans you have to mess with Naruto, I can't just sit back and allow them."

"Coming from the supposed protector of Naruto, it's only expected," Sasuke snarled in return. "However, I can't help but notice you yourself watch from the shadows when you know very well what is going on is not at all allowed. Whatever you benefit from this affair, I could care less. Simply keep to your business, and I'll keep to mine."

Sasuke waited for no further reply as he then strolled off, leaving a confused Akamaru who looked between his master and the spot where the black knight had recently occupied. Kiba's fists tightened, his brows dropping to give his face a more menacing look, expressing his anger.

"Keep to your business and I'll keep to mine? What's that jerk plotting?"

Kiba then turned to follow Naruto, seeing as the man would need someone to complain this to. He also needed to clear his mind of whatever treachery Sasuke was plotting. Knowing that man, he probably said all those things just to rouse up Kiba's suspicion, which was perfectly logical. Kiba shook his head, sending Sasuke to the back of his mind. As he strolled from corridor to corridor, he couldn't help but think of the upcoming hell of a summer he was about to receive in place of Sasuke.

"An entire summer of nothing but snotty-nosed rich girls all trying to scheme their way into the heart of Naruto. Where exactly is the fun in that?"

Akamaru barked in reply, as though to retort, well, you said that last time, but look what happened?

Kiba stopped, his eyes wandering into his imagination as he recalled the magical night of the ball. His memory was slightly fuzzy, but not nearly enough for him to forget any detail of his angels face. Something about her presence demanded to never be forgotten.

"Come to think of it…she's the Hyuuga Heiress, isn't she? That makes her a prime candidate for Naruto's future wife!"

His exclamation of joy faltered, and his face switched to a look of horror.

"That makes her a prime candidate for Naruto's future wife!"

He collapsed to his knees, his head settled between them and his chest. Akamaru, whining, licked his elbow as a sign of comfort. Suddenly, Kiba' head perked up.

"But…what about Sakura? It's plain as day to see their affair! Naruto loves her, and the council surely knows that! If, by some off chance, I could somehow convince the council to accept Sakura as Naruto's wife, the future Konoha queen…I mean, she's more than qualified. She's smart as hell, pretty enough, and her family certainly isn't a bunch of peddlers."

Kiba's head fell back to its earlier position.

"But that's insane. Not only would the council not listen to me, but there's no way I could convince them. And you can just forget about trying to get Lady Hinata to fall for me, let alone marry. Even if I could convince the council, I highly doubt I could convince Lord Hiashi to let me take her as a wife, let alone become king of the Hyuuga kingdom! And she doesn't even love me! Ah, I'm a fool; fantasizing over a girl I've barely known. And what for? Because she showed kindness like no other? I have no reason to pledge love to that girl…no reason except my fool-heartedness. "

Kiba began to laugh hysterically at the thought, Akamaru whining sympathetically beside him. Kiba turned, placing a hand on his pet's head. He stroked the white dog's fur, smiling sadly to himself.

"Oh well. At any case, we'll get to see her again. Doubt she'll remember me like I remember her. I'll be lucky if she remembers to address me as a knight! Still, as long as I get to see her again…I'll be fine. We'll be fine, right boy?"

Akamaru gave a reply in a lick to Kiba's face, which he took as a yes.


Hinata placed her slipper foot firmly on the ground, feeling the rough rocks through the thin layer of cloth that separated the two. The ground in Konoha was much more different than the smooth sands of Suna. She gazed around her, amazed at the scenery of tall trees, ranging from pines to birches to simple oaks. Hinata, her mouth gaped, fell even more in love with the giant stone castle before her, plagued with flowers and colors and decorations galore.

Left breathless, Hinata didn't know where to begin as she strolled from her carriage, entering the main courtyard of the castle grounds. As her eyes fluttered around her, she took in the sight, smiling to herself.

She knew she'd enjoy her stay in Konoha.

A/N; It's finally submitted! I hope you all aren't too mad at the wait, and possibly displeasing chapter, but hopefully at least some of you enjoyed it! I do say, I'm not as pleased with it as a few others-I felt I rushed Naruto's angst. I had originally meant his gradual getting-over of his father's death to be slower and more realistic, but due to shortness and the story's need to move along plot-wise much faster, I had to quicken the pase. Im' also dispelased at Sakura's introduction-I do like the idea of the 'maidens' and prefer it to an older design of explanation I had in mind, but it's still a bit rough. More development on the character's behalfs is caleld for. My original planning mgiht be thrown off schedule, and I'll probably add more than originally planned, which will be good in some cases (Easier understanding) as well as bad (side-tracking of the plot; I have a tendacy to do this...)

On a lgihter note, the Sai scene-this was not in my original plans, but after a few chapters, I thoguh up the idea. To be honest, Sai wasn't to come in until much later, but my original rough draft of the chapter had very minimal appearance of Hinata (You can tell, too, that her part in this chapter was small sicne I had to resort to near filler moments that she appeared.) Sai will probably return much later on, because I barely scratched his character in this chapter and I'd like to have more of his crude humor and such better portrayed, rather than rushedly entered in merely to help space out Kiba's parts.

For, indeed, Hinata was originally only to have the beginning scene (Where she learns of the death) and an original scene where she recieves the letter, which I alternately got rid of because it seemed to cheesy. I also had her final two paragraphs, but this did no justice because Kiba had too many parts (msotly to make up for his alck in earleir chapters) and I needed somethnig between them, hence Hinata's fillers.

Oh dear, I've typed too much! I doubt anyone will read this, but it feels good to submit it all! Anyway, hope some of you enjoyed, pelase R&R!! Thank you! (Sorry!)