For a week, Naruto and Ayame avoided each other.
To Takemaru's astonishment, Naruto ordered him to cancel all the healing sessions until further notice and specifically gave instructions that Ayame was not to go to his rooms anymore.
Ayame responded in kind by throwing herself into a viciously aggressive work schedule at the Annex clinic and returned to the Pavilion at extremely late hours, determined to not run the risk of running into the Hokage. She knew she had offended him but did not know why.
He was angry, there was no doubt about that, but not for the reason she thought. He was furious with Gaara, at how the summit went, at Hanzei, and everything else in between. But the real blame lied within himself and he knew it. It burned and throbbed in his chest as he sat his desk, as he ambled past the gardens, as he listened to the ANBU first-rank captains give him their reports.
You really fucked up this time, Naruto ruefully admonished himself. He grimaced when he remembered the look of hurt on Ayame's face. The last time they had an argument, he had apologised and they had come to an accord. But saying sorry seemed like a paltry way to express his remorse and frankly, he didn't think it was enough for this.
If she hated him, she had every right to.
Now that Naruto no longer had his evenings occupied, under Hanzei's express wishes, he was to have dinner with Hinata every night. For seven consecutive days, she came to Naruto's palace and dined with him. Pronouncing himself delighted with this change, Hanzei had openly remarked he was hopeful that the couple would set a real wedding date at long last.
On the seventh night, Hinata broached the topic with Naruto over dinner.
"I was thinking we could get married this fall." Hinata suggested as she sat across from Naruto at a sumptuously laid out table. Tonight, she was looking very pretty in a lavish kimono dyed in a rich shade of cerulean. Her dark violet hair had been swept up in a bun and dotted with porcelain hydrangea blossoms that cascaded down in a pretty waterfall of pale blue petals.
"Yeah that sounds good." Naruto politely nodded as he took a sip of wine.
"Konoha's trees are very beautiful in the autumn. I thought it would be perfect for us." Hinata gave an encouraging smile. "I was thinking some time in October? Even on your birthday? It falls on a weekend this year."
"It does?"
"Yes, then we could have a joint celebration. You'll turn twenty-six and we'll be married."
"I don't think that's a good idea."
Hinata suppressed a sigh. She had expected this. Tapping into her reserve of patience, she decided to keep her gaze at her own plate. She knew Naruto found it difficult to meet her eyes, particularly when he was stressed, as he was now.
"Why do you not think it's a good idea?" She asked in a rather neutral voice.
"Tsunade-baa-chan always said a wedding was a day for the bride. I don't want anything, including my birthday, to get in the way of that." Naruto reasoned. "October's also looking really busy for me. I have the ANBU recruitment and rank selections to make, I need to go over the harvest counts with the food ministry, then there are the trade talks at Kirigakure."
Unconsciously, Hinata's left hand started to clench. "Would November be better?"
"November's too cold. A lot of the council elders might not like that."
"I thought you didn't want the council elders to come to our wedding."
"I don't but your great-uncle said we had to, remember?"
"Then why not get married this summer?"
"It's already August. Summer's almost over."
"Then when, Naruto?" Hinata finally raised her whitened eyes. "When?"
To her surprise, he did not look away. When he didn't respond immediately, she risked another foray into the discussion.
"You said that we could get married when your arm was better. I've been told your healing sessions have been going well so far."
"Ayame's unlocking all seven chakras. We haven't done the last three yet."
Hinata bit down on her lip at the mention of the healer's name. "When I met her, she told me that she would work as quickly as she could. It's been a few months, why hasn't there been any progress?"
"I don't want to talk about her." The abruptness of his response surprised Hinata. It was no secret that he and Ayame had got on famously together. She did not need Takemaru to make up excuses for Naruto's absences when she knew exactly where he was and who with. Once, she had seen them walking up to the Pavilion together. The way they talked to each other was easy and familiar as though they had been friends for ages instead of several months. His smile was wider and genuine, it seemed. She had noticed the healer too and heard how Ayame's voice brightened when speaking to the Hokage.
An old yet quiet jealousy had awoken in Hinata when she gazed upon the couple.
I thought you had forgotten about that poor, dead girl. Hinata wistfully thought. It's been so long. Do you still think of her after all this time? Is that why you enjoy being with this healer? Because she looks so much like...
Unhappily, she pushed aside her plate.
"Hinata, there's a lot going on right now. I have two thousand migrants at the Annex and there are more coming every day. ANBU already brought a hundred more at the border. The summit didn't go as I expected." Naruto candidly admitted. "I still don't know how to help these people whilst at the same time keeping our citizens happy."
"I don't understand, I thought the meeting had gone well?" Hinata broke away from her circle of troubling thoughts. She looked worried. "The other kages seemed so happy at the welcome banquet and none of them had said anything to me when we saw them off…"
"We couldn't come to an agreement."
"What does that mean for Konoha then?"
"Gaara came up with a temporary solution for now but we still need to figure out what to do in the long run." Naruto dropped down his utensils and placed his elbows on the table, leaning his forehead against the palm of his artificial hand as he did so. He was weary. He rarely discussed politics with Hinata as he thought she was more interested in domestic affairs rather than foreign policy. Today seemed an exception, as were the dinners they recently had. It was the first time in a long while since he had gotten together with her like this.
"Perhaps I can speak to my great-uncle?" Hinata offered. "I'm sure he can do something about this."
"Hanzei's already deported most of the refugees." Naruto pointedly replied as he raised his head. "Against my express orders."
"Naruto, he doesn't mean to undermine you." Hinata tried to explain. "He told me why he and the other council members voted to keep the migrants out. Last winter was difficult and the harvest was not as high as it could have been. My great-uncle was worried that we wouldn't have enough food to last us through this upcoming season."
"I get that, I do, but how can he expect me to do nothing when I'm seeing people getting sick and starving right at our doorstep?"
"My great-uncle is trying to protect our interests, Naruto." Hinata said quietly. "And he is very frustrated with me these days. Everyone is constantly asking me when our wedding is and I can't give them a straight answer. It's tiring."
Naruto's face softened. "I know. I'm sorry."
"Could you please be honest with me?" Hinata asked. Her voice was as thin and whispery as a dried leaf. "Do you want to get married? We've been engaged for two years now, Naruto. I don't want to wait anymore."
As they gazed at one another, Naruto felt a thousand words crashing against his lips and threatening to spill out all at once. He looked beyond her clouded irises that were as white as snow, willing all of his emotions in a kind of wordless exchange, hoping that she could somehow understand and see what he was feeling.
"I need to talk to you about your clan."
Hinata was taken aback, not anticipating this sudden divergence of topic. "What about my clan?"
"I've received a lot of concerns about your family holding so many high-level positions in our government." Naruto was blunt. "Hinata, you're the heiress-apparent. I might be the Hokage but the clan won't answer to me because I'm not one of them. You're the only other person they listen to and they should, who cares what about Hanzei thinks? I never understood why the clan chose him as their de-facto leader when it should've been you after your father died."
"Hanzei is my great-uncle." Hinata shook her head. "He does outrank me. He's older, much more experienced. My relatives take his word over mine."
"They won't forever. He'll die soon and when that happens, you're going to be the one in charge. You can make the changes. Here and now. For our country, our people." Naruto was looking at her intently. "Hinata….I made a promise to Neji that I would dismantle the branch system within your clan. I tried talking to your father, even Hanzei about this but neither of them listened to me. When I became Hokage, I thought I'd be taken more seriously. Well, I'm two years in and there hasn't been anything done about the branch members."
"So what would you have me do?" Hinata betrayed a veneer of frustration. "Do you think I didn't entreat my father and great-uncle over this? My relatives won't accept it, Naruto."
"It's slavery." Naruto countered. "You know it is."
"You don't need to tell me twice. The branch members have always been angry with my side of the family." Hinata looked away, causing her hairpins to sway at the motion. "When Neji died, Hanzei and my father were concerned it would send them over the edge. They said the branch members would try to kill us in revenge."
"If your great-uncle oppresses them any further, they will." Naruto darkly promised. "You have to get Hanzei to give them freedom. Break their seals. Treat them as equal, honoured members of the family."
"But Naruto—"
"If we can't get this resolved, it's going to explode in our faces." Naruto interrupted. He did not mean to be stern or harsh but could not find another way to stress how important this was. "The clan has to stop appointing themselves as ministry heads and councilmembers. We need to allow people who are qualified for those jobs to take the lead. And we can't just push off the refugees onto the other countries whilst not doing anything to improve the situation."
"You are the Hokage." Hinata said softly. "By the laws of our country, you have more authority and power than I do."
"I'm not from the nobility." Naruto replied. "Your clan still sees me as some kind of illegitimate upstart. They vote against me at every opportunity. They take my commands but don't carry them out. I can't have them doing this anymore. I'll have to take forceful action against them if they don't stop."
"You make it sound as though my family is trying to usurp you." Hinata was displeased. "They've supported you in every way. They helped you get elected to your current position."
She knew she had said the wrong thing. Naruto's jaw tightened as he looked away. When he finally spoke, it was in a restrained but even voice.
"I'm not insulting your family, I'm trying to strike an even balance of power here." He said.
"All right, I'll discuss this with my great-uncle." Hinata said in a conciliatory manner although Naruto wasn't sure if she meant it or if she was merely trying to avoid a fight.
"I need you on my side."
"I am." She looked hurt that he entertained doubts on such a thing. "You still didn't answer my question from earlier. Do you still want to get married?"
Her question echoed in Naruto's ears, harkening him back to the last time he had met with Kakashi. It had been winter. The snow had started to fall and had blanketed the entire village in endless white. They had agreed to a luncheon at Ichiraku and over the steaming hot ramen, Kakashi had imparted to him some final words of wisdom.
"If you intend on keeping the Hyuuga in check and prevent them from going after Sasuke, you have to marry Hinata." Kakashi's advice had been as cold as the snow. "You won't be able to weed them out of office or push them out by force without causing a civil war. But when you become Hinata's husband, the Hyuuga will have to listen to you and her. They won't touch Sasuke when you become the clan head. It's the safest way to maintain a balance of power."
"I'm not marrying her just to get some kind of political advantage!" Naruto remembered saying in disgust.
Kakashi had given him a long, hard look. "You're not marrying her for love either."
But she was there for me. Naruto thought as he reflected on Hinata's anxious face. She helped me get back on track. after Sakura died. She was my friend. Still is. She saved me once. I owe her, don't I?
He made a fist.
I can grow to love her. I can. I will. I'll work hard on being a good husband to her. I can start by unlocking all the chakras and getting better, stronger, healthier so I can be the best. For her sake. For Sasuke's sake. Sakura would have wanted that.
He put on a brave smile that cost an enormous amount of effort to maintain.
"Hinata, of course I want to marry you."
"Then let's set a date." Her earnestness was almost too hard to bear. It was like looking directly at the sun.
"Okay." He agreed, still smiling. "How about we go with your idea for an autumn wedding? October, right? Let's do the 28th."
And as he watched her face relax and beam with happiness, somewhere deep within his heart, he felt a stab of pain.
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"Hold on. Just hold on, one more push and that's it, you're finished, and the baby will be here!" Ayame encouraged as she crouched low between a woman's legs.
A pair of women had propped up their pregnant friend with their arms, clucking sympathetically at her as they repeated Ayame's words hold on, hold on.
The mother-to-be screwed up her face and pushed, letting out a yell as Ayame guided out a healthy baby girl into the world. Immediately wrapping the infant in a sterile towel, Ayame clamped the cord, cut it, and after ensuring the wound was sealed, she handed the baby to the exultant mother.
After the afterbirth had come and Ayame had cleaned up, she took off her bloodied gloves. Smiling, she proudly looked on, watching the mother cradle her newborn. The mother's two friends were ecstatic, congratulating her enthusiastically whilst cooing over the baby.
Exiting the tent, Ayame went to greet the father who had been anxiously waiting outside. The ANBU escorts were with him. All three men looked at her expectantly.
"It's a girl." Ayame announced in the language of Water. "You have a beautiful daughter."
The father's face broke into a wide, radiant smile. "Beautiful as her mother, milady?"
"Even more beautiful." Ayame answered as she gestured to the tent. "Come and see her."
Dazed and happy, the father slipped inside to greet his new family. The ANBU guards remained outside and turned their attentions to Ayame.
"What'd you say to him?" One of them asked.
"The baby is a girl." She explained.
"Well I'll be damned." The guard said good-naturedly. "The chap's got himself a little princess now."
"He's going to spoil her rotten." The other replied in a knowing voice. "Little girls make dads go weak at the knees."
At the comment, Ayame's mind flashed into a daydream of Naruto laughing and playing with a tiny girl who had his sunny blond hair. She shook her head, irritated. No, it wasn't any good to think of the Seventh that way. Especially after what he had said and how he treated her the week prior.
That big, fat-headed idiot, Ayame seethed.
This was the second birth that she had attended. Four broken bones that had to be set. A dozen children. A score of elderly migrants who were not faring well in the summer heat. Lacerations. Headaches. Nosebleeds. From sunrise to and well after sunset, she had taken care of it all. Her back was killing her lately and her hands had become chapped from frequent washing.
Still, it was a small price to pay than to spend all day in the Pavilion and brood in her room. It was unbearable to be there. Everywhere she went, she was reminded of Naruto and the thought of him now filled her with rage.
By the time Ayame saw her last patient, it was dark. Adjusting her wimple, she took out her necklace, exposing the pendant as it rested at the hollow of her neck. The guards escorted her back to the village gates and when she bade them farewell, she stepped into the main square where the evening market was in full swing.
Tired, she hardly paid attention to rowdy crowds of nin seated around the vendors who were selling them all sorts of late-night snacks. She did not pay attention to where she was going and when she finally realised she had gone the wrong way, she found herself in one of the village's older quarters. All around her were a series of decayed, dilapidated buildings. Looking worse for wear, they were hauntingly empty.
There was a remnant of a urgent care clinic, its windows having been smashed open and left bare. An abandoned bakery stood in forlorn silence whilst a floral shop and day care centre gathered dust. The largest structure appeared to be a police station and as she took in the full scope of her surroundings, she realised this was once a thriving part of Konoha and that many people had once lived here. Now they were just echoes of a long-forgotten past that had faded from living memory.
Getting nervous, she turned this way and that for an exit when she spotted a crumbling gateway. She thought she had finally found a way out when she stopped at the symbol painted on the cracked wall.
It was a simple, unadorned fan coloured in red and white.
It meant nothing to her and yet, the more she looked at it, she could not help feeling drawn to the image. There was something terribly familiar about it and the host of emotions that rose within her was an awful mix of sadness, anger, and disappointment.
She peered at the fan and reached out to touch it when she saw a shadow cross the wall.
"What are you doing here?"
Whirling around, Ayame found herself face to face with Sasuke. Bearing down on her from his much taller height, he stepped forward, forcing her to retreat.
"I….I got lost." She said, glancing at the sword secured around his waist. "I was on my way to the Pavilion."
"The Pavilion is on the other side." Sasuke looked as though he didn't believe her. She should have been intimidated but his tone flared her up instead.
"I just came back from the Annex doing clinical rotations." Ayame snapped, having had enough of Konoha nin for the day. "I didn't come on purpose. There's nothing here!"
"You're on the Uchiha estate grounds." Sasuke replied with equal enmity. "This is where I live."
Ayame could only gaze at him in unflattering disbelief. This horrid, decrepit place was his home?
"Like I said," she glared at him, "I came here by accident."
His eyes flickered over to her then to the fan symbol at the gateway. He was scrutinising her, she realised. Her chest tightened. Then suddenly, she saw his pitch-black irises narrow.
Before she could stop him, let alone react, he had swung his arm around her shoulders and tightly grasped her to him. She felt his other free hand go to her neck and tug at her necklace.
"Where did you get this?" He hissed, shaking the emerald pendant in front of her.
"Let go of me!" Ayame fought to get away from him but Sasuke was too strong.
"Where did you get this? Where?"
"Let—GO!" She screamed, finally pushing him off with a surprising amount of force. Like a loose cannon, she hurtled down the alleyway and fled as fast as her feet could carry her. She did not stop until she reached the Pavilion gates.
"My lady?" A sentry spotted her running towards him.
"I need to get inside." She gasped, feeling her sides burn. "Please. Quickly."
"Yes, of course." He signalled to another sentry. The oaken doors behind him drew open, revealing a well-lit courtyard. Nothing could have been a more welcome sight to Ayame.
"If Uchiha Sasuke asks for me, don't let him into the Hokage's palace." She commanded as she stepped inside and the gates swung to a resounding, secure close.
"As you wish." The sentry seemed puzzled by the instruction but nonetheless appeared to acquiesce to her demand.
She briskly made her way to the Palace of Heavenly Purity. To her relief, she saw a group of guards stationed all around the perimeter and felt a surge of gratitude towards them just for being there. When she got to her rooms, she nearly collapsed to the floor out of shock and fear. With shaking hands, she reached to touch the necklace around her neck and was glad when she felt the cool, smooth crystal at her fingertips. At least Sasuke hadn't taken it from her.
The memory of his touch sent a chill down her spine. She could feel the ghost of his arm around her back and winced.
Feeling unclean, she nervously smoothed the front of her robes, she unwound them out, letting them fall in a heavy grey puddle at her feet. The veil and circlet joined its descent followed by the wimple as she freed the starched cloth from her head.
Drawing a hot bath, she stepped into the tub and as she immersed herself, she listened to the sound of water rushing out of the faucet. She took a washcloth and rubbing the soap in between the wet folds, she worked up a lather and scrubbed her skin vigorously. She watched as white bubbly circles patterned her arms, all the while thinking of everything that had gone wrong in the last week. Although to be fair, she noted, it was undeniable now that she had caused a stir in Konoha since her arrival.
Ayame could no longer attribute the stares and looks from the villagers as mere curiosity. They had seen something in her—or someone—before she had known it herself.
Then there was Naruto.
She shut her eyes, trying hard not to think of him but that stupid blond head of his kept popping into her mind. She wasn't sure if she could forgive him for this latest row. The insults, how he yelled at her for no good reason. She could not believe less than a week ago, she had been entertaining the idea that they were friends! Friends!
Friends didn't yell at each other over a stupid thing like a dance….
….with the Kazekage….
Why would he care...?
It's not like he was jealous.
Jealous?
Really?
She couldn't imagine why on earth Naruto would've been jealous. There was no reason for it. None at all. But what other explanation was there?
There isn't. He's an idiot, plain and simple! Her brain all but scoffed before returning to the thought of Sasuke. His behaviour was bizarre and worse yet, frightening. She could not fathom why he had taken such a sudden, violent interest in her necklace. She did not see much of the infamous Uchiha scion as he rarely visited the Pavilion and the few times she had crossed paths with him, he had simply ignored her. That he would so quickly and randomly run into her tonight then ask after a simple trinket was baffling to Ayame.
She looked down at the chakra crystal.
Maybe he wanted to steal it? She wondered as she rinsed herself off. She knew it was a rare item and worth some monetary value, at least from Namiko and Lady Asagao's estimations. But it still made no sense why someone like Sasuke would resort to thievery. Then again, considering he lived in a decaying ghost town, perhaps he really did need the money.
It also occurred to her that he could have easily caught up and silenced her if that was what he wanted. So why had he let her go? Why had he chosen to let her run for it?
After pondering the puzzle for some time, she gave up on it, concluding that Sasuke simply must have been upset that she had trespassed into his grounds. But it was an unsatisfactory explanation and she knew the mystery would nag her.
Her bath complete, she quickly changed into her nightdress and got into bed.
But sleep would not come.
She tossed and turned, feeling uncomfortable and restless despite lying in sumptuous covers fit for a princess. Unable to stand it any longer, she sat up and slipping into her shoes, she carelessly wrapped a wimple around her head. Throwing on a light cotton outer-robe, she went outside for a quick walk on the courtyard, hoping the activity would provoke exhaustion followed by somnolence.
The night air was balmy and warm when she stepped out of Heavenly Purity. A quarter moon loomed over the Pavilion's scarlet tiled roofs.
The inner court was empty save for a few guards who silently patrolled the wings. Once or twice, she caught sight of them but aside from a cursory once-over, they ignored her. All the lanterns' lights had been lowered to a dim glow.
Quietly, she strode across the court, pausing every once in a while to admire or look at an architectural feature more closely. She passed the Earthly Tranquility palace, knowing Hinata was sleeping there. Not wanting to cause a disturbance, she went around the Nursery instead.
It was a much smaller palace and had been built directly between Earthly Tranquility and Heavenly Purity. There were no guards and when Ayame went up the stairs, she found that it was unlocked. Curious, she slid the panels back, expecting to be confronted with cribs and children's toys, only to find a lavishly decorated antechamber.
From what she could discern in the moonlight, the walls were padded with crimson damask edged in gold. A series of portraits lined them in what appeared to be in chronological order. Taking a guess, she started at the far left where she looked upon a painting of a man with long dark hair and a jaunty, handsome face. Standing next to him with her hand suggestively on his chest, was a woman of unsurpassing beauty. Her deep red hair was almost burgundy in shade, admirably setting off her luminous complexion and large, dark eyes. She had been painted wearing a golden diadem and an exquisite set of scarlet-and-white robes to match.
Ayame looked down at the portrait's foot to see two names written in elegant calligraphy along with the dates of their reign.
"The First and his wife, Lady Mito." She read aloud.
She contemplated on the legendary couple, particularly at Lady Mito, the progenitor of humans serving as vessels for demonic beasts. She had known about Konoha's infamous history and remembered that it was Lady Mito and her faction who had chosen to pass on Kyuubi into the next generation.
You should have died taking the beast with you, Ayame silently judged her, you could have ended this cycle of war in your time. Instead, you let them prolong it.
When her eyes went downward, she saw a tiny signature of the artist at the bottom right corner: Sai. Amazed that the captain of the Pavilion guard was artistically talented, she walked to the right, eager to see more of his work.
She came across another portrait identified as the Second. Where the First had been dark, the Second was fair with shaggy grey hair and eyes that recalled the colour of a rainy sky. Had it not been for the inscription at the bottom indicating his familial connexion with the First, she would never have guessed that they were brothers.
The portrait of the Third was substantially larger than his predecessors as it appeared he had chosen to be painted with his entire family. The Third was seated with his wife, a haughty and stern-faced woman. Like her husband, she too had the red-and-white robes but was wearing Lady Mito's diadem. Their two sons stood at their parents' sides along with their respective wives and children.
Was this before or after the Uchiha massacre? Ayame wondered as she gazed upon the Third's wizened countenance. That too was another dark part of Konoha's origins she remembered and so did the rest of the world, even if it was only whispered.
When she came to the Fourth and his wife's portrait, she recognised them immediately as Naruto's parents.
The Fourth was almost an identical twin of his son with the exception of a few, subtle differences. His nose was slightly longer and his cheeks were more angular. He seemed as though he had a kind of relaxed, confident air about him whereas Naruto was loud and brash like a burst of rogue flame.
But the two looked very much alike and from resemblance alone, there was no question that they were related.
Ayame paused at the image of Naruto's mother, a lovely young woman with bright red hair. Unlike the other Hokages' wives, she had not been painted with fanciful robes nor was she wearing Lady Mito's crown. Instead, she wore a simple but attractive dress and stood head-to-head with her husband.
Although Kushina had been depicted with a gentle smile and looked every inch a proper lady, Ayame fancied a playful spark behind those startling blue eyes. She had seen the same expression on Naruto's face before, when he rough-housed with the refugee children.
She had mixed feelings towards Kushina. On the one hand, she pitied her for having been the second Kyuubi carrier. On the other, she could not understand why the woman and her husband had allowed their only son to bear the burden of the beast, knowing full well what the consequences would be. Why had they not chosen to eradicate Kyuubi with them into the afterlife? Would that not have been better for everyone?
"Was it worth sacrificing your son's happiness and safety, just to make sure your village had a bijuu?" She sighed after seeing that their death dates matched Naruto's birthday.
She was met with a weighty silence.
"You must be proud of Naruto." She added after a while. "He's one of the best warriors the world has seen. He's the Hokage now, just like you." She glanced pointedly at the Fourth. "Although I have to say, he's been so arrogant lately. I don't know what's gotten into him."
The Fourth seemed to dolefully smile at her.
"I think your son is an idiot." She told him. "He's so quick-tempered….headstrong, immature, rude, and conceited!" She started to rant. "I can't believe he was chosen! I mean, why does he even care that I danced with the Kazekage? He should be worrying about more important things like the migrant crisis or running his village instead of me!"
Perhaps it was really late or Ayame was seeing things but she could have sworn that she saw a glint of understanding and some measure of motherly exasperation in Kushina's face.
Ayame softened a little. "I understand that he has suffered." She conceded. "I know he didn't ask to be what he is and I am sure that he didn't want you both to die for his sake. He wanted to be normal, just like everyone else. It must have been hard for him, as a child, to be exposed to so much enmity."
She stopped, thinking back to when she had unlocked Naruto's fourth chakra and the terrible illusions he had been confronted with. Her mind went back even further, to the time when he had so readily agreed and helped her set up the clinic. When he had carried all those heavy supplies back and forth without complaint any time she asked for them. When he had played with the refugee children, treating them kindly and being surprisingly patient with their questions. When he had continued to feed and protect the refugees at the Annex despite his council's protestations, acting on the moral principle of exercising help for those in need rather than considering the political cost to himself.
When he had joked with her. When they had discussed the village and bounced off suggestions on how it could be run more efficiently.
He was a flawed man, Ayame knew. But he also had a strong, winning personality and was a charismatic leader. He was quick to laugh, possessed boundless energy, and although he had no subtlety, she grudgingly had to admit that he was shrewd in some areas and had proved to be an able tactician.
Of course, none of that could excuse the way he spoke to her. Since they had met, it had always been a form of push-and-pull between them. One step forward, two steps back.
It's always going to be like this with him, Ayame realised as she gazed at the long-dead imperial couple.
She turned away to see the portraits of the Fifth and Sixth Hokages. At the Fifth's portrait, she was gratified that a woman was among the illustrious ranks. Tsunade had an intimidating, fierce kind of beauty and there was oddly very little of her grandparents' looks in her. The Sixth too was also attractive although his face seemed careworn and weary beneath his authoritative stance.
Finally, Ayame arrived at the painting of the Seventh.
It was an unfinished sketch and had not yet been painted in. Sai had drawn Naruto and Hinata in red pencil, standing closely together and splendidly dressed in magnificent robes. They looked more like ghostly impressions on the canvas than a true likeness. The Seventh was not smiling and had been cast with a surprisingly intimate gaze at the viewer. It was a piercing look; he appeared as though he was waiting for something that he didn't think would happen.
As Ayame stood in the gallery, surrounded by an unbroken succession of kages and their families, she felt an acute sense of unbelonging. She stared at Naruto and Hinata, struck by the image. Although she was vaguely aware of his status, often forgetting it at times, seeing him in the trappings of a kage with his betrothed reinforced how different she was to Naruto.
Maybe he had been right at the beginning: they would not be friends. How could they? They led such vastly, incomparable lives. There was little to no middle ground for reconciliation of their world views.
Six months of freedom was all that Namiko had promised and with summer ending, Ayame knew her time was coming to an end. What a waste. She hadn't even unlocked the other three chakras. Besides, there was Sasuke, whose very presence scared her. She was now aware of what a stir she was causing in the village and remembering Sai's warning, her way forward was clear.
She had to leave, and soon.
Ayame returned Naruto's gaze and the longer she looked at the painting, the sadder she felt.
"I guess you don't need me anymore." She resignedly stated but as she said it, she felt a dull blow to her chest as though she had been struck. Pausing before the portrait, she dared to reach over to touch his cheek with her hand then stopped at the sight of Hinata.
Slowly, quietly, her fingers drew away.
She turned to go and when she started to close the screens after her, she watched Naruto's portrait darken as the shaft of moonlight grew narrower and narrower, until at last, the doors closed with a soft thud, sealing away the Seventh's image and along with it, a part of herself.
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The forest was utterly black and noisy.
Sasuke could hear the summer wind rustling through the trees. The rivers that coursed eastward from the mountains. The grasshoppers and cicadas humming their nightly song.
He waited in the shadows, watching for any sign of human movement until at last, he was gratified.
Emerging from the darkness, Naruto appeared, dressed entirely in camouflage black. He had even taken the precaution of hiding his trademark blond hair under a tightly wound cap.
"Did you get it?" Naruto asked without preamble.
Wordlessly, Sasuke slid out two rolls of parchment from his cloak and tossed it to him.
"That's the financial transactions between the Hyuuga ministry heads of food and labour," said Sasuke in a low voice. "It shows they've been colluding and misappropriating funds. The second parchment's for you, one of Hanzei's relatives sold off another bit of land. It's smaller than the last purchase."
"You did it using our system, right?" Naruto asked as he unrolled the first document and scanned it. To his grim satisfaction, he saw that Sasuke was correct. Here was yet another set of irrefutable proof that the Hyuuga ministry heads had rearranged the funding structures within their respective departments in order to fill the clan's coffers.
It had never sat well with Naruto that Hanzei owned a quarter of Konoha's landed wealth and had claimed sizeable chunks in the northern regions. He had always wondered how Hanzei had been able to uphold his land holdings and personal wealth during the war. It was even more suspicious during Konoha's recovery period and before he left the country, Kakashi had made it clear he too felt there was something off but had no evidence to confirm his suspicions.
The Sixth's retirement had come as a surprise as many felt he was still too young to abdicate his lofty seat. To Kakashi's regret, Hanzei maintained a considerable sway on the daimyo and his relations continued to spread within the various ministries like cancer. No matter what the Sixth attempted, he had been unable to procure a shred of proof that the Hyuuga clan was acting against Konoha's interests. Wishing to avoid a repeat of the Uchiha incident and sparing Konoha from a bloody faction war, the Sixth had stepped aside for Naruto.
The succession had seemed a natural choice but there was another reason for it too. Since Naruto had betrothed himself to Hinata, Kakashi thought him to be the perfect candidate to unite and appease the Hyuuga family in further integrating themselves in Konoha.
Unfortunately, it became all too clear after Naruto's inauguration and despite his engagement, Hanzei meant to fully take the reins of power and was determined not to let go.
It had taken Naruto and Sasuke extreme amounts of time and diligence over the years.
They had decided early on that a network of spies could not be used, deeming it too dangerous and likely risky. They tirelessly gathered together every scrap of information they could discover, keeping themselves extraordinarily well-informed on everything that concerned Hanzei and the Hyuuga clan. They pored over every financial document they could get their hands on and kept their ears open for rumours on the street, no matter how far-fetched they sounded.
Together, Naruto and Sasuke had pooled their money then devised a series of third-party entities to persuade lesser members of the Hyuuga clan to sell their properties, never letting anyone least of all Hanzei to discover that they themselves were the buyers. From that point, they had appropriated the income back to Konoha's budget, careful to tilt the flow of money away from the Hyuuga-appointed ministers. It was, admittedly, the same kind of game that Hanzei was playing with Konoha's officials. At the same time, it was oddly satisfying for Naruto to know that he was beating the old man out. Slowly but surely.
Although officially retired, the Sixth continued to work abroad under the guise of traveling, deliberately staying away from Konoha so as to deflect attention although he continued to send covert instructions to his former students. The ultimate goal, he constantly reminded them, was to remove the Hyuuga away from the ministry positions and lessen their influence in the Pavilion by constraining their wealth.
Of course, it had not escaped Sasuke's nor Kakashi's notice that their endgame was complicated by the fact Naruto was to marry the enemy's great-niece. How this would work out was left to Naruto to figure out although neither his friend nor teacher believed he could.
Nodding to himself, Naruto folded the parchments and slipped them securely into his vest pocket.
"You were late." Sasuke flatly observed.
"I had dinner with Hinata."
Sasuke paused. "Are you still planning to marry her even when you're about to publicly discredit her relatives?"
Naruto glared at him.
"I see." Sasuke smirked. "For someone who's inept at genjutsu, your level of disillusionment is impressive."
"Don't you understand? Hanzei is trying to find a way to lock you up."
"I'm already imprisoned." Sasuke's eyes appeared to gleam red. "I can't leave Konoha and I'm not welcome in any of the other four nations. What difference would Hanzei's cell make than the one I'm in now?"
"You're the one who went rogue."
"And you're the one who brought me back when I told you not to."
"I didn't do that for me." Naruto harshly answered. "I did it for her. You know that."
The mention of Sakura neutralised the two for a moment and reminded Sasuke to bring up a certain topic that was bound to piss Naruto off.
"Your healer." Sasuke said. "Be careful of her."
"What does Ayame have to do with this?" Naruto snapped.
"She could be dangerous. She might be Hanzei's spy."
"Yeah, right." Naruto snorted, unable to imagine anyone least likely to meet that description.
"Watch yourself." Sasuke warned. "I've heard the villagers talk about her and you. They seem to think that you're attracted to her instead of your own betrothed."
"I'm not." Naruto was furious. Why wouldn't anyone believe him? Even Sasuke was regarding him with marked scepticism. "So, what? D'you have anything more to say about my doc?"
Sasuke's face was a perfect mask of impassivity.
"No." He decided to lie, knowing Naruto would believe him no matter what. "Nothing at all."
