OMG, I feel so sorry for not updating this! Stupid threat, stupid, stupid, STUPID! I APOLOGIZE TO THOSE WHO HAVE REVIEWED AND HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR AN UPDATE! I HAD HALF A MIND TO SEND YOU THIS CHAPTER EARLIER! XD Anyways, I'll make the replies short so you can continue on your merry little way!
gaarafaves: I'm so sorry you had a migraine! And I'm also sorry that I didn't update earlier for you. You were my first reviewer for the last chapter, were you not:)
anna: Well, I was kind of aiming for humor with Gai, Lee, and Sakura. XD Thanks for reviewing all the time! You really made my day, although it took like, a month for everyone to reach my ten review limit… And sorry, no Sasuke in this chapter. But he's in the next! Although he doesn't see Sakura again until after they fight. Don't worry, I have everything planned out! (Hopefully…)
Sakura Angel 4eva: Sorry. Although updating soon was your only request, I couldn't fulfill it… T.T I feel so ashamed!
Gin-Tono: (Squeal!) You're back! I bet you're not swelling with joy now that I'm not updating as much as I used to. XD I hope to hear from you soon, and about Ino: CHICKEN LITTLE! Okay, now back to the point: she'll be in the next chapter, so… I'm sorry you don't like her. You'll just have to bear with me until her role passes. But hey! I'm going along with your feelings of Kaoru, so that HAS to count for something! (Hint, hint…) And no, Ino is not an elf or a witch, as you guessed. You'll just have to wait and see. :D
Shinobi of life: Haha, this is Killer .of. Snakes Version 1.1 here! I'm loving my new codename! (Insert evil cackle here.) And yes… I, unfortunately, sense Orochimaru with pink and purple colors, too. Maybe Kabuto is purple and grey? Wouldn't those two make an ugly color if they are mixed? (Sigh.) I guess no world is a utopia.
angel2559: Thanks for always showing me support! You're so sweet! XD Unlike me, I'm a little monster… making you guys wait so long! I'm truly guilt ridden. Thank you very much for reviewing. Hope to hear from you soon!
9NightDragon: You know, I think your new name really works for you… It sounds more dark… More mysterious… I LIKE IT! (Nice guy pose.) Thanks for reviewing!
harunoxuchihasxangel93: Is that you, Nara? WHAT'S UP WITH THE REALLY LONG NAME? Well, it's okay… Since you've come to join me on the dark side. (Insert evil cackle here.)
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stfuSPARKS: I seriously have to thank you for reviewing. You are officially the BEST author there is! I was waiting for someone to review… I only needed one more! It was driving me insaaaaane! But... (Squeal.) I feel so honored to have such a wonderful author such as yourself reviewing my story! And you went so far as to compliment it! My only problem: WHY AREN'T YOU UPDATING YOUR STORY? GEEZ, WOMAN, I'VE BEEN WAITING FOREVER FOR AN UPDATE! Haha, just kidding. Well, hope to hear from you again:P
Note- This chapter might be kind of confusing, but I don't blame you because I wrote stuff about the ozone layer and science and whatnot, which isn't my best subject. I know you'll find mistakes in my explanations, but please bear with me! I'm trying to write a story here! DX
"Kaoru! I order you to step down immediately!" Sakura shouted from the top of the watch tower. She was waiting for the right opportunity to jump onto her dragon, who wasn't listening to a word she said.
Strangely, Tenten wasn't saying a single word and Neji was nowhere to be seen.
"Tenten! Where's Neji? Tell him to stop his dragon!" Sakura screeched frantically. Her head snapped back to the battle when another explosion resounded through the air. "Kaoru! Stop!"
An excited gleam entered Tenten's eyes as she watched the two dragons clash. She gave Sakura a swift side-glance and returned to the battle. "Sakura," she finally said after analyzing the battle carefully.
"What?" Sakura shouted exasperatedly. The anxiety was getting to her already.
Not affected by her attitude, Tenten turned to the younger girl and said firmly, "Let's battle."
Sakura was flabbergasted. "Eh?"
"My dragon against your dragon. Let's see whose is more fitted for the Dragon Throne."
"What do you mean your dragon?" Sakura asked with narrowed eyes.
"Didn't Hinata tell you? Genji has chosen me as his second Rider."
Sakura's eyes widened in disbelief. Her mouth opened and closed like a fish, but she just couldn't stop gaping at Tenten. "What did you just say?"
"Genji has chosen me to be his second Dragon Rider," Tenten repeated seriously. "It's been fifty years since the last Head Dragon was chosen, so this year should be the beginning. Sakura, you, as a dragon breeder, know, don't you?"
"How can I not?" Sakura retorted. "Every fifty years, a new Head Dragon is chosen through a series of one-on-one battles with the dragons and their riders. This'll be my first battle this year."
The two were staring each other down as their dragons clashed in the sky.
"In that case," Tenten said with a rueful smile, "I challenge you and your dragon. I know our battle will be the first of many to come."
"I hope you know that if you lose now, you're subject to serving me until the King is appointed?"
"Like the back of my hand. Once a Rider loses, he/she is a slave to the winner, thus rendering the dragon a slave as well. Basics, Sakura, basics," she explained amusedly. "But enough small talk."
Sakura watched determinedly as Tenten's hand flew to her mouth for a piercing whistle. Her dragon, unlike hers, obeyed her every beck and command. She was perched comfortably on his back before she knew it.
Seeing his opponent retreating to its master, Kaoru's excitement at meeting another of its kind bubbled down. This time, he listened to Sakura when she called out to him, and she mounted his back.
The two rose into the air above the Hyuuga garden and faced each other to pay their respects before fighting.
"What's your challenge?" Sakura called out from her perch. Kaoru was steadily flapping his wings to keep them airborne.
"Your dragon has an element, does it not?"
A nod confirmed Tenten's observations. "Well, mine has one as well. It'll be the battle of elements. Whose ever is stronger wins the battle."
"Fine with me," Sakura agreed dismissively. She was confident in her dragon's abilities, even if his element was quite matched against Genji's, which was the polar opposite.
"This'll be over in a flash," Tenten assured. They both urged their dragon apart from each other before they climbed in altitude once again.
When they were sure people of the castle below them wouldn't get hurt, they faced each other again and prepared to face down.
"We'll start from our weakest attacks, Sakura. Three levels!" she exclaimed dramatically, holding up three fingers for emphasis.
"Fine," Sakura replied. Her eyes and body language told Tenten she was bored and indifferent, but her voice told her otherwise -she was anxious inside.
Tenten grinned before shouting, "Genji, Snow Cones and Ice Cream!"
Her dragon seemed to have understood her perfectly, but Sakura almost fell off her dragon at the strange attack name. Um… I didn't think that I'd ever need a name for Kaoru's weakest attack. Here goes nothing…
"Uh, Kaoru, give them your weakest attack," she told the creature while leaning forward to his ear. It grunted with arrogance before breathing a mocking ball of fire towards the two opponents.
The small ball of flame lasted only long enough to evaporate the ice and snow from Genji's attack. It created an opening in the oncoming wall of freezing cold water just big enough for his main body to miss; his wings and his rider, however, were soaked.
Wiping her face free of snow and water, Sakura narrowed her eyes and whispered some incoherent things to herself.
"That's the way it's going to be, huh, Tenten? Fine then," she muttered to herself, "We'll play rough as well."
The next level was coming up. "Kaoru, Roast 'em!"
Her dragon couldn't believe how much she was upping the attack, but complied after a couple of seconds. His eyes gleamed while he inwardly smirked mischievously and took a big breath. He instantly gathered energy at the opening of his mouth and held it there to collect. Then, with a blast of energy, he snapped his head sideways so that the sphere flew rapidly towards the unsuspecting duo. He felt Sakura's hands dig into his scales in anticipation.
Tenten's eyes widened at the size of the fireball. She quickly told Genji to execute another attack. "Genji, Let It Snow, now!"
The obedient dragon was quick to follow through, and they avoided the most fatal injuries. Tenten, however, was coughing from the steam that formed when the two elements met. The tiny water droplets collected on her face and matted down her hair, making her feel sticky and sweaty above all else.
She scowled and glared at Sakura, who was smirking triumphantly. She wiped her forehead and shouted, "Enough fooling around! You're going down, Sakura!"
The girl's smirk disappeared at this. The nerve! "You're the one who wanted a battle, Tenten! Don't blame me if we burn you to a crisp!"
Huffing indignantly, the two girls called out their last attack.
"Genji, Heavenly Frost!"
"Kaoru, Hell's Fire!"
With a great intake of breath, the dragons started their ultimate attacks. A steady stream of below-freezing-temperature ice left the throat of Genji, smashing into the roaring hot fire of Kaoru's flames.
The two riders couldn't help but cover their faces at the blinding explosions that followed the attacks. Thick, white steam covered the general area of the clash, disabling any of them from seeing who was winning.
From the garden, the three Hyuuga onlookers had activated their Byakuugans and were trying to see what was happening so far up in the air.
"Come on, Genji! I know you can do better than this!" Tenten pushed. Her dragon growled and opened his jaws wider, putting more strength into his attack.
Seeing the steam drifting closer to their side, Sakura frantically pushed Kaoru to the edge. "If you lose here, Kaoru, you'll never become the Dragon King! Put your back into it!"
He snorted in response and did his best to amplify his attack. His eyes started fading into the same color of his thick hide, shifting from red to jet black as the seconds ticked by; a sign that his energy was being used up rapidly. The steam was increasing in area.
Sakura gritted her teeth in anticipation and licked a drop of sweat that fell onto her lips. Tenten wasn't faring any better, but it was only the stress that was pushing them to exhaustion.
Neji's eyes widened as he saw what was happening through the thick cloud of water vapor. "The ice… It's evaporating as soon as it touches Kaoru's attack!" he shouted in shock and disbelief.
"Really?" Hinata asked with a hint of joy in her tone.
Her father shot her a stern look and she hastened to fix her mistake. "I-I mean, really?" she amended, her voice taking an interested pitch. Her Byakuugan wasn't strong enough to see what was happening more than 500 meters above them, and she could only guess that Neji was having a hard time as well. Her father had given up after the first try, not wanting to waste chakra, and was now taking Neji's word for it.
Neji, too, deactivated his Byakuugan and closed his eyes in disappointment. "It's obvious now that Sakura is going to win."
Hinata was puzzled. "Neji-nii-san… Don't you have any faith in your dragon's abilities?"
He frowned. "Genji and Tenten have done their best, but it's just too much for them. We're talking about an element that is the complete opposite, and the pupil of the Godaime of Konohagakure. Tenten just needs more practice, as well as Genji."
Hinata's eyebrows furrowed in deep thought. "But since Genji's element has a more solid state, shouldn't Tenten be winning?"
"It doesn't work like that," Hiashi interrupted, sending Hinata a look which clearly stated that he was disappointed with her lack of knowledge. "Genji may be in a colder atmosphere that better accommodates his attacks, but they are also closer to the sun. With the dragon's natural black color, he is able to absorb more sun than would be if they were closer to the surface. In this case, since the two elements are equal, it's a battle on whose element is more suited to the surrounding environment."
Hinata's discouraged smile was overlooked by her disapproving father, but Neji found it in his heart to comfort his younger cousin.
"Your reason of thinking is logical, Hinata-sama," he commented, sending her a gentle look, "but the factors are against Genji this time."
"Why doesn't Genji use his wings to weaken the fire, then?"
Neji thought critically before replying, "The cold air is probably working against his energy and wings. Since Kaoru is obtaining more heat than Genji, no matter how little it may be in comparison, he isn't affected by the cold air. He's probably having enough trouble staying that high up as it is."
The two dragons were finally out of breath, and with a sudden burst of energy, Sakura's dragon pushed Genji back, sending him toppling through the air. Neji watched all this with a sense of serenity, while Hinata gasped and covered her eyes with dread.
"Relax, Hinata-sama. They're fine," he comforted, placing an awkward hand on her head as a petting gesture. His uncle watched this through satisfied and discreet eyes, further hardening his resolve to wed the two Hyuugas. What he missed through his contented state, however, were Neji's eyes flickering towards Genji in an effort to make sure Tenten was truly okay.
The three made their way to the clearing the dragons were landing at and automatically tended to Tenten's welfare first. Sakura watched impassively as they fretted over the girl who was perfectly fine and waving off their help. She supposed they weren't concerned about physical injuries, but were trying to let her know that they were there for her when she lost the battle. It made sense and she wasn't really complaining, considering the fact that she was soaked –not the least pleasant to the eye- and smelled heavily of sweat and improperly washed clothes.
She stroked her dragon's smooth neck and complimented him on a job well done. She made sure to groom, pamper, and basically spoil him later sometime during the afternoon as a small reward. She new how much the first battle meant to a dragon who was hoping to find their place on the throne. Plus, it was the very first battle of the new era, and Genji was already out of the picture.
Dinner was silent that afternoon.
"What's going on in here?" Sakura asked curiously as she stepped into what looked like a meeting with the king and her closest friends. Hinata motioned her over to her side of the table while Tenten pointed to a map spread out on the table top.
The large map was very detailed, filled with colorful geography marks and borders of powerful nations. The shadowing was done perfectly -for the rolling hills near the Hyuuga kingdom looked as if they really jumped out of the picture- and Sakura could only guess that the scale fell just one hair short of perfect. It really looked like the creator took a great deal of time to draw out the unpredictable terrains of their world.
"You came at the right time, Sakura," Tenten commented. "Look." Her finger was lying on a large region in the northwest.
"As you may already know, we're right here, in the Hyuuga Kingdom." Dragging her finger around in a smooth circle, she outlined the rough area of the kingdom for Sakura to see visually.
"The Uchiha kingdom is here, farther south and to the east," Hinata added, pointing it out for Sakura herself since it was closer to their side of the table.
Sakura nodded, not understanding why they were showing her this.
Neji, who was seated in a seat next to Tenten, straightened up and leaned forward, resting his head on interlaced fingers. He looked at the map thoughtfully before saying, "The Nara Kingdom has decided to side with the Uchiha Kingdom, you know. It's been a few months now."
Sakura had heard of this during one of her travels on the border of the Uchiha Kingdom. The fact that the cunning elves were on the Uchiha's side meant that there was a pretty good chance of the Akimichi and Yamanaka kingdoms joining as well. The three kingdoms, known for their respected animals and unique characteristics of citizens, were interlaced in a complicated trail of history, starting from their ancestors. Many say that it was their main animal gods that founded their families in the first place.
She narrowed her eyes. Nara Kingdom: the ingenious, enchanted elves who were known for herding deer, their main animal, and having superb medical knowledge. Akimichi Kingdom: the big-boned, loyal warriors who were known for their determination and strength; ironically, their main symbol was the fragile looking butterfly. Yamanaka Kingdom: the nation full of handsome men and beautiful women, both equally deceiving and well known in the area of psychology; even more ironically, their country's animal was the boar.
The kingdoms' descriptions that ran through her head did not suit well with her at all. Two dragons wouldn't be enough for this job.
As if reading her mind, Neji continued, "But not to worry. Even if they might have the Ino-Shika-Chou nation, we have our own allies."
Sakura remained quiet, for she didn't have anything to say. She turned her head to the side and watched as Hinata tilted her head cutely and inquired, "Would you like to meet them?"
Sakura was taken aback. Meet the allies of the Hyuuga Kingdom? She didn't know how to respond at first, but after rolling the idea over in her head, answered with a firm, "Of course, Hinata."
The Hyuuga King, who had said nothing to his point, rose from his throne at the head of the long table and called for a servant.
"Bring them in, Yuri."
The girl bowed and left the room quietly. She had been caught gossiping with her coworkers in the hall earlier, and she was not about to mess everything up now. She left the room and reentered with two teens and two adults.
Hinata walked over to them and greeted them before turning back around to face Sakura. She waited to be introduced.
"Sakura-chan, this is Aburame Shino-san and his father from the Aburame Kingdom," she started, gesturing towards the two males with glasses and large cloaks, "and this is Inuzuka Kiba and his sister from the Inuzuka Kingdom."
Sakura bowed stiffly and greeted, "Pleased to make your acquaintance. My name is Haruno Sakura."
The Aburame father-son nodded in acknowledgment, but the Inuzukas were loud in voicing their displeasure.
"You're Haruno Sakura?" sneered the older sister.
"You're the Dragon Rider?" questioned her younger brother.
"You're the student of the legendary Tsunade-sama?"
"You're our new ally?"
Sakura didn't retort with a smart-alecky comment and opted to count to ten in her head instead. Tsunade was always telling her to keep her temper under control, especially when it came to royals.
Tenten was quick to defend the girl. "Pardon me for interrupting, but Sakura here happens to be a very talented Dragon Rider." Sakura assumed that they had hurt her pride as well, for she was a slave and servant to the girl that was the receiving end of the Inuzukas' sarcasm.
Hinata joined Tenten's attempts at swaying the siblings' minds. "She's also quite strong, is kind, and is a great Genjutsu-user!" she pointed out in hopes of aiding Sakura's dignity in its time of need.
"She also happens to be super smart and really pretty. You don't know how many boys are after her!" Tenten tried again, fueled by Hinata's cooperation.
The older sibling scoffed before muttering, "Peasant boys."
Sakura could only stare in wonder at the two Inuzukas. They had just judged her solely on her social status. It was to be expected.
She interrupted her friends' flattering compliments with a firm, "Enough!" The descendents of famous clans gathered in the room –with the exception of Tenten- stared at her with shock. Shock at having a peasant girl shouting at a Hyuuga Princess. Shock at being spoken to in such a manner by a mere orphan. Shock at being told to stop when she was only pointing out her good features.
"I apologize for losing my temper like that," she amended, albeit a little bitterly. "I'm sure you'd hate to spend time with a mere commoner like me, so I shall excuse myself. I'll contact Tenten later for meeting details, so please start without me." Her tone was crisp and full of spite, as she stomped across the room to an open window.
"Now look here, Haruno," the ever strict Hyuuga King commanded in a firm voice.
He was ignored.
"Now then," Sakura stated when she was fully sitting on top of the window, "I shall take my leave." She summoned her dragon and rode off in a fury, disregarding the scandalized looks she was receiving. She'd deal with them when she was calm and more level-headed. A nice ride would do her good.
Turning back to his guests, he apologized gruffly for the girl's behavior and proceeded to showing them around the castle personally. Neji, Tenten, and Hinata were dismissed and had agreed to return to their rooms for the day.
"I wonder when Sakura will return…" mumbled a concerned Tenten. She was sprawled out on her queen sized bed, gazing peacefully at the stars through her glass ceiling. It was a privilege she was given when she first came to the castle, having loved astrology her whole life.
Her chocolate brown eyes traced all the constellations visible before noticing something different. A new star had entered her line of vision without her knowing. She focused solely on the stray star for a while before sitting up in a hurry.
"Another battle," she concluded, summing up the stars' new positions. "Got to make a reading…"
She trotted over to her table, seating herself on a cushioned chair and reaching for a deck of cards. She expertly shuffled the pieces of paper and tossed them onto the table with precise accuracy. She put the remaining deck aside and prayed to the gods before slipping the cards over one-by-one.
Her eyes widened when she reached the last one. 'This one,' she thought to herself, 'will determine whether things will be okay or not.'
She flipped the card in the blink of an eye before she lost the nerve, and proceeded to decoding the cards' innuendos.
The Past: a Loss.
The Present: a Mage.
The Future: a Hardship.
The Past was the easiest one to her. Simple: she lost a battle to Sakura. The Past didn't matter anyway, because it already happened. What she was concerned about was the Present and the Future.
"A Mage?" Tenten said to herself. She stared inquiringly at the piece of paper, absent-mindedly tracing the image a beautiful female mage in her mind. Her eyes shifted to the card that was in her other hand; the card that made her worry all-the-more. "A Hardship?" She frowned before diving into her own train of thought. I wonder…
She reflected on her past life to search for some clues as to what these two predictions may have been. She couldn't find any until she fell fast asleep on her bed, but by then, she had forgotten all about her prediction.
I wonder.
"Tenten!" shouted a voice from within the girl's room. "Tenten, damn it, wake up!"
The girl's eyes fluttered open and squinted back shut when she noticed how bright it was. The figure shook her shoulders even harder when he saw what she did.
"Tenten, I order you to wake up!"
"God damn it, Hyuuga Neji, what the hell do you want?!" she yelled, shooting straight up and glaring the prince in the eye.
He wasted no time on chastising her on her lack of respect and hurriedly explained, "One of our messenger birds arrived this morning and reported that there's an army headed this way. We need to get ready for battle as soon as possible."
At the mention of a battle, Tenten's eyes lit up in recognition. "My prediction!" she gasped.
"Another one?" Neji asked exasperatedly. He watched impatiently as Tenten stumbled over to her small round table and shuffled her cards hurriedly. He got up and leisurely strolled over to her side as she began flipping the cards over.
His sharp eyes caught her parting of the mouth as she stared at the cards in her hand. She slowly looked up and met his questioning gaze.
"Neji…" she whispered, eyebrows arching down with worry. "Something bad is coming."
"How bad?" he whispered back cautiously, too drawn in to the tense atmosphere to raise his voice.
"Bad," she replied firmly. She dove into her walk-in closet and proceeded to dressing herself in her casual attire. By the time she exited the small cubicle, Neji had already summoned Genji and was waiting for her on an opening through her glass ceiling. She ignored the stains she'd be leaving behind if she stepped on the glass with her dirty strap-on sandals, and made haste to jump up and climb aboard Genji as well.
The two silently rode across one wall of the giant castle and turned the corner to land in a clearing where their own army was waiting for them. They hopped off as soon as they landed and started barking orders for the men to fulfill.
"Men!" Neji shouted, looking into the numerous white eyes that were staring back at him. "Today is a special day, for we have yet another dragon joining our forces for this battle!"
Sakura had just landed next to them and was dismounting her dragon.
"She has honorably beaten Tenten and Genji in a Dragon's Match, and hence, shall fulfill her role as a commander in the Hyuuga Kingdom." His deep, masculine voice was easily carried across the tentative ears, being heard just as well by the men standing at the very back of the row. It didn't matter whether they were muttering amongst themselves about Tenten's defeat; they heard him nonetheless. "You will respect her as you do me, Tenten, and Lee, and you will not hesitate to protect her and her dragon if need be."
This sentence was a blow to Sakura's pride. She had a dragon. She wouldn't be needing protection no matter the circumstances.
"You will fight bravely and honorably for the sake of our kingdom, and we will win the war against those blasted Uchihas!"
A roar of enthusiastic agreement ripped through the crowd as they held up their weapons and shouted encouragement.
"The enemy is making their way to through our kingdom, and for that, we shall show no mercy! I want absolutely no captives, with the exception of their prince! I want you to slaughter them, beat them down, and trample over them in all our Kingdom's glory! Understood?"
Another roar of approval raced through the excited army, and Sakura concluded that it was Neji's speech which enabled them to forget the fears they should've had. They would be putting up one hell of a fight.
At the end of the genius's speech, Tenten decided to intervene. "All right, boys, we leave in half an hour, so until then, make sure you say your good-byes and get your necessities. We'll be gone for more than a month so pack accordingly! Dismissed!"
Sakura couldn't help but think that Neji had an entirely different personality when it came to his army. She smiled politely at the soldiers who greeted her as they made their way back into the castle, then left to pack her own bag as well. She'd also have to say good-bye to Hinata and Hanabi, who were forbidden to fight in the war. She just hoped this battle wouldn't take as long as the others had. She was once told that Neji and Tenten had to spend four grueling months in a desolate forest, trying to survive with the use of their severely depleted chakra and a dozen ANBU squads on their tail. Oh the horror.
Her nimble hands got to work on her small pile of clothes (courtesy of Tsunade, her awesome teacher) and she soon found herself left with a bag of neatly folded necessities and twenty-five minutes of free time. She left her bag with Kaoru and swiftly made her way through the castle halls, trying to locate Hinata's room once more.
It had taken her a good ten minutes to find the princess's suite when she first came to the kingdom a few weeks ago, and that was with Kaoru's help from outside the castle walls. Now that she was left to fend for herself inside the confusing mazes of a corridor, she found that she had to waste some chakra on looking for Hinata's room.
She knocked swiftly on the giant double doors and waited patiently for her to open the door. The girl peeked through a small sliver of the opening and smiled while holding the door open for the pink-haired girl to enter.
"Sakura-chan," she acknowledged quietly. "I heard that you guys were heading out soon."
"Yeah," Sakura confirmed, not knowing what to say.
The heiress smiled softly and motioned for her to take a seat at her tea table. "It's already been a few weeks since you came here, huh?"
She nodded in reply.
"I'm sorry I couldn't spend enough time with you," she said regrettably.
Sakura studied her features for a while and finally decided to comfort the troubled girl. "It's okay, Hinata. I'm sure we'll be back soon."
Hinata grinned at her and agreed. "Yes. You'll be back soon."
Feeling the excitement finally brewing beneath her skin, Sakura leaped up from her seat and threw her hands into the air, surprising Hinata. "And then, I'll take you to the village for the festival that's coming up, and we'll have fun like we used to when we first met!"
Hinata shot her a small smile and lowered her gaze, reminiscing upon those times. "Yes. That would be wonderful."
"And then, we'll buy yummy food like we used to!"
"Yes, that would be wonderful."
"And we can find you a suitable boyfriend and leave your cousin alone!"
"Yes, that would be won-…? H-… HORRIBLE!" Her soft voice just wasn't used to her yelling, and the shout came out weaker than she could've hoped for.
"Why?" Sakura inquired with a confused blink of her owlish eyes.
"Because!" Hinata shrieked with a lack of better words. Picking up her composure, she stood up straight and exclaimed hurriedly, "It would be against Father's wishes for the future of the Hyuuga Clan…"
"But Neji doesn't want it. Don't you want what's best for Neji?"
"It is the best for Neji-nii-san, and don't try to make me the bad guy here, Sakura-chan. You know as well as I do that he's always dreamed of ruling the Hyuuga Kingdom," Hinata admonished sternly, her quiet voice coming out unevenly after her short outburst.
"Yeah, yeah," the peasant shrugged off. She took a sip of Hinata's tea and jumped back up. "By the way, where's Hanabi?"
Hinata's eyes narrowed slightly as her head shifted towards the ground. "She's training with Father. It's best if you don't bother her."
Sakura nodded in understanding. "Of course. Are you jealous, Hinata?"
The girl didn't show shock from Sakura's harsh words. "No… Why would I be jealous of a little brat who is spoiled by my Father, of all people?" Her words were bitter and ashamed as she said them, causing Sakura to gaze at her sadly.
"I'm sure she's not like that."
"You are too optimistic, Sakura-chan."
Her eyes hardened as she continued speaking. "You don't know how harsh the world of nobles can be. We can't trust anybody and even then, when we're all alone, we can be deceiving ourselves. Especially noble girls; I'm not allowed to travel until I'm older, and when I do get older, I'm going to have to marry Neji-nii-san. I'm trapped in this dreadful place for the rest of my life by myself, Sakura-chan; you don't know how scary it is!"
Sakura's eyes glossed over as she heard the pain in Hinata's voice.
"Sometimes, I think that it should've been you who was born in my place. I'm nothing but a timid, useless princess who can't do anything to bring her family honor."
Sakura sighed when she saw Hinata hunch her shoulders. She was crying.
"Just because I was born in your place doesn't mean that things would be different, Hinata. You know that it's your family, friends, environment, and lifestyle that change people's attitudes. If I was born in your place, I'd be wishing I was born as someone else, as well."
Hinata struggled to fight back her tears as Sakura plopped down on a seat next to her on her bed.
"Cheer up, Hinata," Sakura commanded softly, rubbing the girl's kimono-clad back. She mulled over a thought before saying, "If you're good, I'll take you on a journey."
Hinata's eyes snapped up at the mention of freedom. "A journey?" she asked cautiously. This could be a trick…
"I'll take you along on my dragon for this battle. There's really no need for me to get off Kaoru's back for the battle. We fight from the air, and when Kaoru gets tired, it won't be enough to disable him from flying. If that point actually arrives, I'll be fighting by myself on the land and you'll be safe in the sky. I'm sure everything will be fine."
"What about my father?"
"A simple Kage Bunshin should do the trick."
Hinata hesitated. "He has the Byakuugan…"
"Who said anything about not getting caught? Of course we'll eventually receive punishment, but you want freedom, don't you, Hinata? I promise that we'll be together until the end."
The girl was taken aback by the sudden oath. She let the words sink into her mind before smiling widely and attaching herself to Sakura's upper torso. "Thank you so much, Sakura-chan. You're such a nice friend!"
"Enough talking. You need to pack your clothes and meet Kaoru so he'll accept you on his back."
The Hyuuga Princess nodded eagerly and did exactly as Sakura instructed for the next few minutes.
