A/N: Hi readers! As a warning: it is going to be dark for a while but there is a happy ending. Remember, it is always darkest before the dawn.
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Iruka was a man of reason but when it came to Naruto, people knew he was soft and damned him as a fool for it.
Too young to be a father figure, too old and too cautious to be a peer, he never knew where he stood when it came to the roles he was expected to play. Affection had blurred the boundaries long ago except one: that of an adviser.
As the sun set and the crowds at the Pavilion began to disperse, Iruka decided to act on a hunch. Taking a lesser-known pathway, he exited the village and went straight into the forest, guided only by sight and recognition of familiar trees. Every once in awhile, he had to stop and take a break before continuing onward, his knees not being as young as they once were.
When the tree trunks began to thin at last and gave way to a vast expanse of meadowland, he clopped his way through the maidengrass, getting his shoes slick with residual dew. The wind was breezy and untainted by human smells, enveloping him with a sense of calm. As he scanned the horizon, he brushed his hand along the the vegetation, letting his mind wander over the last eight years.
No one could have been happier than him the day Naruto gained his first victory and won wide acclaim. That esteem had risen to greater heights the moment Naruto triumphed in the war. But there were others whose fortunes became ascendant in the aftermath.
Iruka looked to the skies, failing to discern the stratosphere with a naked eye. He knew there was a limit there, somewhere, but could not see it. Just like the Hyuuga family, he thought. They were rising but to what point?
He had watched with measured trepidation as they quietly centralised their power in the wake of Tsunade's departure through a series of charitable, albeit calculated, gestures to support Konoha's economy. But their popularity had dipped by the time Kakashi retired because of their aggrandising. He thought they would go away then and diminish into the background as they always had in the past but he was mistaken. Rebuilding the Pavilion and giving up some of their lands for agrarian production had reclaimed some allowance of respect from the village. The clan's latest attempt in marrying their heiress to the popular Seventh seemed to have revitalised their public image. At least, the reception at the Pavilion's hall confirmed as much.
Yet Iruka knew that public adoration was tempered with conditionalities and often subject to whims. He had noted everything at the official announcement—Naruto's fury, Hanzei's coldness, Hinata's bewilderment, the look of devastation on Ayame's face.
In the back of his mind, Iruka had always known that Naruto was not quite as ardent as he should have been towards Hinata. At first, he had attributed it to grief and assumed time would smooth things over. Then he thought it was because Naruto was just too busy as he moved through the ANBU ranks. When the engagement had been announced, instead of being thrilled, he was puzzled as to why Naruto had taken such a serious step forward when it appeared his attentions were waning.
After seeing Ayame, it all seemed to come together. He had heard the rumours of course but he knew what the living dead looked like and the girl was nothing of the sort. Still, any man with his wits about him could see the dangerous attraction between her and Naruto. He had looked for her after the wedding proclamation but she fled the Pavilion courtyard as if on wings and practically flew into her waiting carriage. He barely had a chance to catch a glimpse of her when the driver had flicked the reins and rushed her out of the streets.
He felt sorry for her, even worse for the Seventh.
Throwing one last look at the green edge of the forest, Iruka turned around to the meadowland when he caught sight of Shikamaru sitting cross-legged in the grass and absent-mindedly flicking his fingers against a stray piece of nutsedge. He didn't even look up as Iruka approached.
"Hey, Sensei."
"I'm surprised you're here." Iruka commented.
"Yeah, well, after what happened, I knew Naruto was going to do something stupid. I reckoned it'd be in all our interests to stop him before then." Shikamaru shrugged. In lazy abandon, he stretched out his arms behind him to meet the back of his head as he lay down and turned his face toward the autumn sky.
"You've….seen Naruto?" Iruka looked around expectantly.
"He's down there." Shikamaru jabbed a thumb to a low-lying valley below them. "I wouldn't get close to him just yet if I were you. He's angsting pretty hard."
As though to confirm Shikamaru's observation, Iruka suddenly felt a powerful invisible wave ripple through him. His heart sank, recognising the chakra signature. A sound like thunder rumbled in the distance and an overwhelming surge of energy erupted from the horizon. Lightning flashed and in their wake, searing hot flames lit the heavens. They roared into life, twisting and lashing out at the clouds like serpents hell-bent on devouring its prey. Ash and smoke flew up into the air.
A scream rose up, clamouring against the deafening explosions. The indigo in the sky had vanished. Flaming embers tumbled out of nowhere and haphazardly landed on a corner here, a tree there. They burst into a blaze, scorching everything in their path.
"How long has he been like this?" Iruka turned to Shikamaru in alarm.
"A couple hours." Came the indifferent reply.
"You've been here for that long?" Iruka sharply reproached.
"I'm keeping a safe distance, Sensei," answered Shikamaru. "I'd prefer to talk to him when he's calm, not when he's trying to destroy the planet."
The sky seemed to roar in assent.
Reluctantly, Iruka shifted his gaze to the inferno and tried to peer through the flames in the hope of catching a glimpse of Naruto but there was nothing to be seen.
Only red.
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"Pathetic!"
Kyuubi spat in disgust as he bashed his paw against his prison gates. The bars rattled but remained in position, alive with the golden light that emitted from the Fourth's seal. An ever familiar, frustrated rage pervaded the chasm of Naruto's mind as Kyuubi paced around in his old prison. The emptiness was almost unbearable.
Deep within, Kyuubi had always known about the void. It had grown for some time, nursed by grief and desolation. There, a miserable darkness had thrived and when the barriers of self-restraint wore thin, the demon felt inspired to awake from its dormancy.
An inhuman howl arose from the silence, filling every corner of this imagined world with an unholy sense of terror. Through Naruto's eyes, Kyuubi could see the sky blacken. Acrid smoke floated towards the heavens in slow moving trails of white and all the fire that remained in the burnt grasslands suddenly lost their light.
"You're a fool…" snarled Kyuubi. "You should have taken that old sack of bones when you had the chance."
A whirlwind of chakra ringed in flames lashed out in all directions before collapsing away as Naruto slammed his fists into the scorched earth. The ground violently shook in the wake of the impact, creating a deep fissure almost a mile long.
He stared at the destruction before him and yet could hardly register the damage done. It was as if his senses had dulled. Slowly, he withdrew his hands. Flesh and metal came up together, mingled with blood and sweat. His forehead felt like it was on fire as a fever raged on. His joints were inflamed and all but screaming for respite.
The pain was punishing, cutting, but not enough. It would never be enough.
"Naruto….?"
Slowly, he raised his head.
Looking wary, Iruka and Shikamaru hesitatingly approached him, unsure whether or not he would flail out again in a deadly tempest of uncontained energy.
"I don't want to talk." Naruto dismissed them before they could say anything. "Just go."
"I am sorry but we can't do that." Iruka firmly refused.
Naruto felt a rush of unbidden anger towards him. "I'm not going to ask you again."
Shikamaru rolled his eyes, impatient at what he considered to be an overreaction. "Look man, we get it. I'd let you emo yourself out all night if it was productive but it's not. We need to figure out a solution."
Naruto shifted his gaze to the horizon, watching the last of the day's blue fade away. A rosy streak emerged in the distance, announcing the sun's descent. His head was splitting from pain; he could feel the blood pounding through his veins as the pressure rose.
"I know what's been happening around me. I'm not blind."
"No one said you were." Iruka said in a conciliatory voice. "But surely you can agree that you've placed yourself into a situation that doesn't put you in the best light."
"And that's why we need to discuss how you can get out of it." Shikamaru added. "You may be talented in the battlefield but you suck at statecraft. That's the major reason why you're in the mess you're in now."
"Let me deal with the Hyuugas in my way." Naruto shifted his attention to Shikamaru.
"I know this didn't start with you." Shikamaru said. "Kakashi-sensei had problems with them during his reign too. He wanted a new government for Konoha run by self-made nin who weren't bound by bloodline ties because they would be more loyal to the village itself rather than their own clan. He hoped that you could help him with that. He once told me that you believed in that vision too."
"I still do." Naruto ground out. "For the last two years, I've tried everything—legally and socially—to keep the clan at bay." He turned away in frustration. "I just thought...I thought if I married Hinata, I could manage this by being their new head. But it's only been getting worse since our engagement and now…." His hands clenched into fists.
"You were not the only person who thought the marriage would solve everything." Iruka gently reminded him.
"You don't understand. Before Hanzei made the announcement….I was going to break the betrothal."
A stunned silence followed in the wake of this.
"And why would you do that?" Iruka asked after a long while had passed.
"Because I was marrying Hinata for all the wrong reasons and it wouldn't solve anything in the way that Kakashi-sensei had hoped." Naruto replied. "And most importantly, this whole thing is unfair to her and I'm the one who dragged her into it."
"I see." Iruka did. He did see and could tell right away that he was not being told the entire truth. "And was your healer involved in this decision?"
Naruto did not reply yet Iruka found that he did not need one. The expression he saw on his former student's face was enough of an answer. He sighed.
Shikamaru shook his head. "Seriously? You're dealing with all this shit and for what? A girl?" His dismay could not be made more plain.
"It doesn't matter now." Naruto's voice took on an unnatural coldness. "Because I have to marry Hinata regardless. Hanzei threatened to kill her and Ayame if I don't."
Both Iruka and Shikamaru were appalled by Hanzei's ruthless response.
"He is willing to kill his own relation to get his way?" Iruka looked disgusted.
"He's a Hyuuga." Shikamaru flatly appraised. "They've done this before. Doesn't surprise me that they'd pull this kind of move again."
"Which is why I can do nothing because I know he intends to go through with it."
"Naruto, this isn't a time to hesitate. You're being attacked at all angles, you have to strike back!" Iruka disagreed.
"Which is all the more reason why I have to be patient." Naruto said. "Look, the two of you know about the countermeasures I've been taking against Hanzei. He was already suspicious of me and I can't give him any more reasons to doubt me ever again, especially after today. So I'm going to wait. Plan again. Marshal my resources again. Then when I finally get an opportunity..." his eyes seemed to gleam with a kind of blue fire. "...I strike."
"But by waiting," Iruka observed in a heavy voice, "you'll go through with the marriage then?"
"If I don't, I'm going to waste the last two years of work that Sasuke and I've been doing. I'd also be endangering two people. I can't risk that."
"Eliminating him would be a lot easier." Shikamaru pointed out.
"It would," admitted Naruto. "I would've gotten away with it if I had done that eight years ago. But that isn't a viable option anymore in the world we live in now or the one I fought for. The kages and I vowed to resolve our differences and internal conflicts diplomatically without resorting to violence. And Hanzei's not a typical enemy….I have to fight him in the council hall, not the battlefield. He's not the strongest man but he's rich, has a clan at his beck and call, and even some credibility with our village. Even Lightning, of all people. I have to dismantle all of that before I do anything else. If I just kill him, it's going to look like I axed someone without justifiable cause. I'd be no better than a dictator and that's not what a Hokage is. At least….that's not the Hokage I want to be."
"But you're more powerful than he'll ever be. What's stopping you?"
"Because I learned a long time ago that I can't wield power without understanding its limits. If I ignore them, it'll start off a cycle where it'll just be easier for me to overstep and do whatever I wanted without caring about the consequences over time. Is that the kind of person you want? For a kage and a jinchuriki too?"
Shikamaru merely gazed at Naruto. After a while, he scoffed, "You're such an idealist." He dug his hands into his pockets and thoughtfully brushed his toe on the burnt grass. "But I guess that's why we chose you, right?"
He grinned at him.
"Well, at the very least, marrying Hinata would buy you some time to thwart Hanzei for good. But there's another thing you have to do in the meanwhile. You have to build your credibility up again."
"Why?" Naruto was genuinely surprised. "Is my standing that bad around the village?"
"No, not yet," answered Shikamaru." But you've made some decisions that have left a lot of people questioning whether or not you're really on Konoha's side."
"Like what?"
"Letting Sasuke live as a free man amongst the very people he tried to kill." Shikamaru listed. "On top of that, your continued support for the refugees aren't garnering a whole lot of traction because most of the villagers don't want them in Konoha. And you've been spending more time with another woman than your own betrothed. How do you think that makes you look?"
"I know I've made mistakes." Naruto answered, moved to anger again. "But saving my best friend wasn't one of them."
"Fine, if you see that way." It was clear from Shikamaru's tone that he had expected this kind of reply. "But sooner or later, you're going to have make sacrifices for Konoha's sake, regardless of how you feel about it. Hanzei's views are currently in alignment with the village's on the refugees. If you disagree with him on it, it's going to look like you don't support the people so don't publically challenge him on that. Dismantle the camps at the Annex if you have to."
Naruto said nothing.
"As for Ayame…."
Unconsciously, Naruto clenched his fists.
"...you realise, you can never see her again, right? It's not just for your sake but for hers too."
"I know."
A flash of sympathy came over Shikamaru's face but just as it came, it quickly went and was replaced by a stoic look. "I'm sorry it had to come to this."
"Yeah." Naruto turned away from him to see a scarlet horizon in the distance.
Iruka gazed at his former student with mixed feelings. How terrible, he thought, to give up so much for so little at such a young age. When Naruto looked in his direction, their eyes met, causing Naruto to suddenly look away as though he had been struck in the face. For a moment, Iruka could not understand it then at last it dawned on him: Naruto had seen the pity in his eyes.
And for Naruto, that was the last thing he wanted or needed.
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As Ayame looked towards the setting sun, she turned away from its dying rays and shut herself in the temple. Nature seemed to mock her.
In the last few days since her return, she felt as though gravity had been compromised in her private universe. Her core had been shaken, her purpose ripped into shreds. Yet the world around her continued on as though nothing had happened.
When her carriage had finally arrived, she was not greeted by her sisters or Namiko but the dour house mother, Mimi.
"You're in for it now, sweetling." Mimi sourly grinned at Ayame as she stepped out. "Mistress wants to see you."
"Why?" Ayame asked even though she knew the answer already.
"Her ladyship came back two weeks ago. Saw that you ran off to Konoha." Mimi's grin grew wider, relishing at the prospect of Ayame getting punished at last. She had unceasingly complained about the girl's antics to Lady Asagao for years without getting anywhere and now a golden opportunity had finally arrived. She had never liked Ayame and couldn't understand why people found her charming when she was nothing more than an insolent novice who regularly stole from the kitchens. "She told me to take you directly to her office."
But Ayame refused to move. "Why wasn't I told of her arrival? No one wrote to me."
"Oh please," scoffed Mimi. "Don't give yourself any airs. Why should her ladyship answer to you?"
"Where's Namiko?"
"There are more pressing concerns than that, my child." Asagao's voice came from behind Ayame.
Ayame allowed herself a moment before turning around. It had been a long six months since the last time she had seen her mentor. The mission had not been kind to Lady Asagao, who looked tired and defeated. Whatever sad stories she had encountered on the road seemed to have physically affected her. She no longer had the self-possessed air as she once did but her dress was still immaculate and her wimple was impeccably draped as usual. A cloud of reproach and sadness was cast over her eyes.
"Thank you Mimi." Asagao addressed the house mother. "You may return to the main house. Ayame and I will join you shortly."
Satisfied, Mimi turned on her heel and walked off, leaving Ayame alone with Lady Asagao.
"Well." Asagao mildly began. "I would have asked how your journey fared but it seems it has been troubling for you as mine was."
Ayame said nothing.
"Why did you disobey my command?" Asagao asked in a lower voice. "You know you are not allowed to leave the temple grounds."
"You've never given me a reason why I have to adhere to that rule whilst the others don't." Ayame was moved to respond.
Asagao regarded her carefully. "You are not," she admitted at last, "like the others."
"Why?"
"You ask dangerous questions and seek answers that would only imperil you." Asagao was disturbed. "It was foolish of Namiko to have sent you away in her place. I realise that she had done so out of affection for you but she acted without reason. When she had told me where you were, I had a mind to fetch you myself . Had we not received your letter last week, I would have come for you." She paused. "And now that you are here, it is apparent to me that you have changed a great deal since we last saw each other. What has happened to you?"
"Nothing, my lady." Ayame stiffly said.
"Nothing?" Asagao repeated. "Rumours of your time in Konoha have reached us even here. I was reliably informed that you had honourably served the Seventh and that he took an especial interest in you. You even held a medical clinic for the refugee camp there."
"I did only my duty."
"And how did you find the Hokage?" Asagao watched her closely.
"He was no different than any other kage, I suppose." Ayame gave a thin smile, all the while wishing Asagao would stop talking about Naruto. "His arm was troubling him. I unlocked his chakras."
"Only five out of seven, I am told." Asagao replied knowingly. "Why did you leave the village before completing the treatment? You of all people understand that to leave chakras unlocked and unattended for a period of time has grave health consequences."
"The Seventh's staff arranged a different physician for him. I'm sure he'll be well looked after. Besides, I thought you wanted me to return to the temple." Incisive frustration creeped into Ayame's voice. She was angry at Asagao's inconsistencies and evasive answers. "How can you expect me to prepare for a danger that I don't even know?"
Asagao held up her hand to stem the rising tide of questions. "There is truth to what you say." The sorrow in her voice caught Ayame off guard. "Please try to understand. When you first came to us, I swore to keep you safe. Which is why you cannot leave the temple again. " She paused. "Because you did not complete the unlocking of the chakras, can you assure me that the Hokage has someone who can resume it for him? If he were to summon you…."
"He won't. He should have a new doctor by now."
"Very well." Asagao seemed satisfied but continued to look at her charge. "Your past is something that we have discussed many times, my child. But I fear that you have not put into practice what you have learned. You must let go of all earthly attachments. What does it matter where you came from or what name you once had? Accept who you are now. You and your sisters are all equal in the eyes of the gods. The work that you do now is meaningful and filled with purpose."
"But what if the life I had and the people in it were just as meaningful to me?" asked Ayame, suddenly feeling the shadow of Kyuubi's ruby-red eyes on her. "How can I accept myself if I don't even know who I am?"
"You focus too much on your own affairs. Has your time in Konoha and amongst the refugees taught you nothing of selflessness?"
"Well then why do you do it? Explain to me why you've dedicated your life to this kind of service and if I should follow your example." Ayame sharply asked, unable to handle this moral thrashing. Her consciousness pricked her at the memory of Naruto's hands on her body, the brush of his lips on her skin. "Was it for love of the people who've suffered in the war?"
"Of course not." Asagao answered evenly. "Do you think it easy for a person to love such ignorant, brutish masses living in squalor who have no personal connexions to you? Who refuse your help or take it for granted? Humans may not be capable of many things but we have the capacity to believe. We can be inspired through our faith in the gods and it is through their divine grace that we are able to serve and care for those in need as though they were our own."
She laid a hand on Ayame's shoulder.
"This is your calling." Asagao said. "This is what the gods have chosen for you."
"Maybe." Ayame stepped away. "But it's not what I wanted."
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As punishment for their disobedience, Asagao tasked Namiko and Ayame with much of the drudgery work. For an added measure, she separated the two, ensuring that neither of them could meet or speak to each other for long periods of time.
This was a particularly grievous blow to Ayame, as now more than ever, she craved her friend's companionship and advice. Instead, she was forced to limit herself to formal courtesies and rarely saw Namiko except at mealtimes.
The other novices initially avoided Ayame but their curiosity quickly overwhelmed their fear of stigma and they started asking her questions about Konoha as they themselves hadn't ventured out of the temple grounds before. What was the famous Hokage's Pavilion like? How was the refugee situation there compared to here? Was the Seventh really as handsome as people said? Did you see his betrothed? Is she beautiful?
It took every amount of self-restraint Ayame had to answer their questions with utmost courtesy. After all, they didn't know what a sorry mess she had left behind.
She was desperate to reclaim the contemplative quiet that she once had when carrying out her tasks but found it eluding her. Whether it was gathering herbs for the medicine kits or sewing blanket squares for quilts, everything seemed so dull and pointless. After she finished organising all the books in the temple library, she tried reading through an old favourite, only to absent-mindedly flip through the pages then slam it shut in frustration.
The world was less vibrant, apathy having leeched the colours from it. If there had been a purpose to her life, she lost sense of it and somehow, it seemed to her that the sun itself had dimmed. Persuasive excuses of temporary depressions and fatigue from her job were becoming harder to accept.
After she had finished her mandated chores, Ayame was ordered to spend the rest of the evenings in prayer at the temple shrine. This was, ironically, the worst penalty that Asagao could have devised. Instead of finding solace in the holy silence, Ayame was assailed by anguishing thoughts of a man whom she wanted to forget. She sat in front of the wooden statues of the gods, memorising their features as she begged them to rid her of his face from her dreams: a man with hair as blond as the finest wheat and eyes bluer than any sky she had seen. Whose laughter had once ignited her heart and sent it soaring into unknown but wonderful heights.
Kyuubi said I was lost, nameless, and cursed. Ayame told the gods in her prayers. Am I? If I am...can you help me forget? I was so much happier when I didn't know any better.
It wasn't real, Ayame tried to keep telling herself.
She did not fall in love with the Seventh Hokage. She did not hear him say he would break his engagement for her. She did not witness him reneging on that promise or see his face when the announcement of his wedding came. In his eyes, she had thought she had seen regret but it all sounded too ludicrous and horrible to be true, an all too convenient lie to make herself feel better.
When Saturday finally came and she rose to meet the dawn, she felt a terrible grief that she could not understand nor accept. Gathering up her sleeves, she grabbed spare clean rags and hauled water from the well to wash the temple floors. She carried on, ruthlessly swirling the cloth against the polished wood with little pause until the panels shone.
She thought she could make it through the day until she sat down with the other girls for breakfast.
"...do wonder what the village must be doing for the wedding…." Someone said at the table.
"Why we couldn't see it? Konoha's only a few hours away! Couldn't we ask Lady Asagao if we can go? We could be with the shaman and help with the purification ceremonies." Another eagerly suggested.
"I heard the Lady Hinata's gown costed a fortune to make." A novice knowingly remarked, drawing attention to herself. "It's cloth of silver and made from the finest moon-silk. They had it especially ordered from the main village! One of our patients was talking about it…."
Ayame rose from her chair and excused herself.
Exiting out of the temple, her pace quickly went from a brisk walk to a full-speed run into the nearby woods. The wind seemed to streak past her and tugged at the ends of her veil, threatening to pull it off. Leaves slapped her face as she tore through the thickets and pushed away young branches from her path until she found it completely blocked by a close clutch of oak trees.
Defeated, she collapsed against the trunk.
"It's okay." She whispered. "I am going to be okay. This is nothing."
Her vision was blurring.
"I'm happy for him." She lied to the clouds. "Truly, I am."
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"It's nothing."
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On the morning of his wedding day, Naruto awoke to a fever and a silvery grey sky that threatened rain.
However the weather remained stable as he went through his breakfast and blearily looked through his meeting agenda for next week. His throat felt dry and hot. The honeyed tea he was served did very little to relieve it. His joints pained him considerably but he made no fuss, attributing the discomfort to overdoing his exercises.
He was not filled with the nervous, excited energy that so often accompanied grooms on their wedding nor did he feel any dread. In the rare moments of free time he had, he went over to his garden and simply sat by the lily pond, smiling to himself as he thought of the playful girl who had tossed him into its waters. That memory seemed so far now.
A few days before, four messages from Water, Lightning, Wind, and Earth had arrived at Naruto's desk containing florid apologies that the kages would not be able to attend his wedding as they were too preoccupied with the refugee crisis. Hanzei was furious as their absence would decrease the prestige of the wedding and made his displeasure known in a variety of ways.
Personally, Naruto did not care so much about the other three kages as he had not forgotten their reception at the disastrous summit. But he did regret at not having Gaara at the event. He ruefully looked at the Kazekage's letter, brushing his fingertips along Gaara's spidery penmanship.
I wish you and Hinata every happiness, the Kazekage had written. My siblings and I send you warmest wishes and high hopes for your prosperous marriage. I know you will make her very happy.
At the last sentiment, Naruto could only hope that Gaara was right. When he put away his papers at last, he looked up to see Takemaru.
"Are you ready, Hokage-sama?" Takemaru gently asked.
For a long moment, they looked at each other, knowing the answer.
Wordlessly, Naruto rose from his chair.
This strange quietness continued as his valet and Takemaru assisted him in getting dressed for the ceremony. Layer by layer, he felt his shoulders carry on the weight of finery as they tidied the kage robes on him. His eye caught an occasional flash of snow-white silk followed by a cut of the deepest scarlet. A wink of gold embroidery here, a glimpse of black from his shoes. When he felt the headdress crown his head and his peripheral vision obscured by the white cloth, he stepped away, knowing he was now prepared.
At least, on the outside.
As Naruto stepped out of his palace, he walked with eyes unseeing. He took no notice of the people following him nor the Pavilion household who had gathered outside to pay their respects. He did not hear their murmurs and worried expressions as they wondered why he looked so dazed.
He felt as though he was gliding across the grounds, almost in a dream-like state, half-aware of his surroundings or the vast entourage behind him or the crowds that had come to watch the wedding. When he reached the Palace of Earthly Tranquility, he met a figure clothed in dazzling silver.
Walking towards him in a stately procession was Hinata, dressed in costly robes of silver-grey and white silk. Intricate patterns of peonies and bellflowers had been woven into the fabric. Even her inner sleeves were lined with a regal shade of purple. Her throat and wrists glittered with diamonds. In an unusual and divergent choice, she wore a tiara fashioned of amethysts and pearls instead of the traditional diadem. A long, flowing sheer veil fell over her face and gracefully trailed behind her in a long train carried by a set of handmaidens.
Seeing Naruto, Hinata smiled.
They walked in good time, watched by thousands of eyes as they made their way to the Pavilion shrine where the daimyo awaited them.
When they reached the shrine, they were greeted by long ivory gallery. Banners with the Hyuuga and Konoha sigils languidly flapped in the misty breeze. An impluvium inlaid with the purest blocks of marble was set before the compound, creating a watery mirror to reflect the grey sky. A white bridgeway led to a magnificent limestone plinth, where a small circle of the councilmen stood.
Straw rope hung with prayers written upon pieces of parchment had been tied above the area to mark its inviolability. Hundreds of lit candles had been set on the stacked steps.
Reaching for his hand, Hinata slid her cool fingers into Naruto's hot palm. Together, they stepped onto the bridgeway, leaving behind their respective entourages, and walked towards the daimyo.
"Hokage-sama." Hanzei was the first to greet the imperial couple when they arrived. His unsmiling eyes went from him to Hinata. "My dear niece."
Gesturing them toward the centre of the shrine, Hanzei led them to a shaman garbed in stark black robes. Remembering the etiquette, both Naruto and Hinata knelt down as they faced him. As he did, he winced, feeling a sharp pain jab at his chest.
Biting down on his lip, he forced himself to concentrate on something else and found himself staring at the flickering flames. He watched the wisps dance before his eyes in bright shades of orange and blue. They seemed to blur before him as he blinked hard. His head was spinning.
"...ready to say your vows before the gods…." He heard a voice say above him.
Clenching Hinata's hand, Naruto opened his mouth and hearing Hinata's own voice join his, they recited:
"My illustrious lady Amaterasu and my magnanimous lord Tsukuyomi, we stand before you to make our marriage vow and ask for your eternal blessings upon us. We swear before you to love and respect each other. To pledge fealty to one another in the long years to come. To always strive in bringing prosperity to our family. To never veer from the true path of matrimony. To share the gods' divine grace by helping others."
The shaman peered at Naruto. "Do you vow to take the Lady Hinata of the Hyuuga clan as your right and trusty consort?"
"I swear." He answered. The pain in his chest was growing.
"Do you swear to protect her as you would to your village?"
"I swear."
"Do you swear to honour her as the mother of your children and ancestress to your descendants hereafter?"
But there was no answer.
Instead, only a sudden and still silence.
Naruto opened his mouth to consent but there were no words. He took another breath and instead of air, he drew blood. It sputtered out of his lips, staining the shrine and the front of Hinata's robes as he started to fall backwards. The candles were dancing above him and he could hear the crowds cry out in shock. The horizon turned against him and he found himself on the ground, eyes wide. His hand shook as it rose to reach for something to stabilise himself as he fell but he grasped nothing.
"Naruto!"
He turned his head and there was Hinata, a vision of silver and diamonds, all glittering around her like stars. Then the light flashed and winked, blinding him momentarily. His sight cleared and for one perfect, swift moment, he saw Sakura standing before him in heavenly robes of crimson-white silk. No longer a girl of sixteen, she had grown into a woman's form, one that had been denied to her in life. Her rosy hair becomingly framed her face as she leaned towards him, her sparkling green eyes coming ever so close to meet his gaze.
A smile as radiant as the summer sun broke across her lips.
He knew this was an illusion but he pushed the thought back and let himself immerse in this strange but wonderful dream. It wasn't real but why did that have to stop him from feeling this way? Dazed, he stretched out his fingers, willing them to go further, just a bit more so he could hold her for one moment.
For a mirage, she seemed remarkably tangible. But what was this? She was fading right before his eyes, disappearing into the light, leaving only a blank space behind. Gradually, he felt a chill return, swathing him in icy reassurance that he would never see her again.
One by one, his fingers lowered in defeat.
A part of him seemed to tighten around his chest, grasping at what was left of his heart in fervent desperation. It tugged and pulled, fighting wildly within until at last, with a sigh of what could have been resignation, Naruto's body fell to the ground, lifeless.
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Clunk. Clunk.
Ayame dug the spade into soil, removing the fat potato from its earthy grave. Brushing the black dust off with the hem of her apron, she dropped it in her basket to add to her small but growing collection.
When she was finished, she walked over to the bed of carrots and pulled at their feathery tops. This was the last of bushel to do and as she walked back to the kitchens, she counted out her remaining tasks. She had to sweep out the ashes from all the fireplaces, mend some of the girls' robes, scrub the steps, and help with the baking.
"Here, Mimi." Ayame set the heavy basket down on a wooden table.
The house mother turned from the stove from where she had been minding a stew and cast a careless glance at Ayame's yield. "Is that all?" she asked.
"It's the last of it." Ayame answered.
Mimi said nothing and returned her attention to the stew. Since Ayame's return, the house mother had taken pains to make things much more difficult. She would deliberately cook sloppily, spilling as much grease onto the kitchen floor for Ayame to clean and often had her fetching things back and forth with misleading instructions. It was not her gruff attitude so much as her coldness that made Ayame feel even more isolated than ever before.
By the time Ayame had returned to the main temple, to her confusion, she saw a gaggle of her veiled sisters roaming about and talking animatedly with each other.
When one of the girls, a fellow novice called Teishi, noticed her, she ran up.
"Where've you been all morning?" Teishi asked.
"Harvesting." Ayame gestured to her dirty apron with her spade. "Why isn't everyone at meditation?"
"Oh we haven't been able to, not after what we heard." Teishi's eyes were wide. "A messenger delivered the news to Lady Asagao just now. From Konoha. The Hokage is dead."
It was as though a sudden winter had descended upon the world, blowing bitter white snow all across the fields. Ice frosted the autumn grass, choking the last bit of life out of them. The sun had vanished as a terrible fear sent a sharp chilling stab into Ayame's heart.
She didn't even realise that the spade's blade was cutting deep into her palm. She wasn't aware of the pain until she asked in a trembling voice: "What do you mean he's dead?"
"No, no, Teishi's telling it all wrong!" Another novice interjected. "The Hokage isn't dead, he's dying. He collapsed the other day in the middle of his own wedding."
"Why? What happened to him?" Ayame demanded, feeling a rush of gladness go right through her. Still, she was dreadfully afraid and wasn't sure if she was prepared to hear more.
"Lady Asagao knows." The other novice nodded in the direction of Asagao's office. "She's with the messenger now. Apparently, he was sent by Lady Hinata, asking for one of us to come back with him to treat the Hokage."
Those were the last words that Ayame was able to register. After that, everything else was insensible. Without warning, she flung her spade down and ripped off her apron as she turned away and headed off to the temple entrance, leaving her sisters bewildered.
Wasting no time, she searched for the messenger's horse or a carriage. She knew he would not have come without a means of transportation, not if he was expecting to bring someone back with him. With a pang of regret, she realised that she would be stealing and disobeying Asagao but when she thought of Naruto, her resolve only grew.
It wasn't long before she found a chestnut mare standing quietly at the gate, her reins having been securely tied to a post. Without hesitation, she reached over and unfastened the stays. Soothingly patting the horse, she struggled to climb up to the saddle but managed to do so after the second try. Taking the reins in her hands, she unsteadily wheeled the mare around.
She was accustomed to horses as the temple kept one on the grounds for medical emergencies in case a helpless villager was unable to come for treatment. But she had not ridden in the last six months and was slow now, clumsy even.
"Easy girl, easy." Ayame murmured as she persuaded the mare to go eastward and set the pace. The horse hesitated, unsure of its new mistress at first but slowly, surely, as Ayame firmly pressed her calves against its flanks, it started off into a brisk trot then sped up to a full gallop.
The wind was cutting as Ayame rode hard, galloping across the meadow lands to reach the distant but visible green line of forest. She took the main road, not knowing of any other shortcuts, and unable to waste any time for fear of thieves or wandering nin.
Don't die. Ayame prayed as she and her horse sped through the afternoon. Don't you dare die.
She could almost see Naruto, tall and fair, flashing a smile that almost bordered arrogance.
I'm so sorry for leaving you. She apologised helplessly, feeling wracked with guilt. I didn't think I had a choice. Please, please, be alive when I get there.
It was nearly evening when she was finally able to pull up to Konoha's gates. As expected, a pair of sentries were stationed there.
Immediately without preamble, she called out to them. "I'm here for the Seventh. I was sent for by Lady Hinata. I'm a healer from the Tsukiyomi Temple. Let me inside!"
The name worked almost like magic. Recognising it at once, the guards lowered their heads and before Ayame knew it, she was passing through the village without any issue or interference. It was as though Konoha was under a spell; everything was shuttered away. Not even the market square was open and the peddler carts were all empty. The lack of people and sound disturbed her.
It wasn't until she reached the Pavilion that she dismounted. Scarcely bothering to tidy her disheveled wimple, she ripped through the outer courtyard. It had been a long while since she had last set foot on the palace grounds but memory served her well. She traversed the long galleries and went right into the inner court then up the steps to Heavenly Tranquility.
It was there that she encountered the last but far more formidable barrier.
A legion of Pavilion guards had been stationed around the Hokage's residence. In unison, their heads all turned to her and and in one swift motion, she was stopped by a linkage of heavy arms.
"Let me through." Ayame's eyes blazed. "Lady Hinata sent for me."
"She does not wish to be disturbed whilst she is with the Seventh." A guard answered in an non-negotiable tone.
"I am the Hokage's personal physician!" She snapped furiously.
"The Hokage already has a treatment team. They are with him now."
"Let me through!"
"Ayame-san?"
Startled, she looked up to see Takemaru standing right outside. The screen door behind him was open. He stared at her, equally surprised to see her. "What are you doing here?"
"Hinata-sama sent a messenger to my temple. She said Naruto was sick." She addressed to him desperately. "I came as soon as I could."
"She sent for you?" Takemaru could hardly believe what he was hearing.
"Is Naruto alright?" She asked, fervently hoping she wasn't too late.
Recovering from the initial shock, Takemaru diverted his attention to the guards. "Let her pass." He ordered. "Ayame-san, come with me."
The arms fell away and Ayame strode into the Hokage's chamber, ragged with anxiety and feverish with fear, as she was brought to Naruto's bedside.
There was Sai, standing in the corner, his pale face reduced to a mere mask. A pair of healers was stationed at the north and south ends of the rooms , generating an integrated circle of light where Naruto lay at the very centre. A steady stream of chakra flowed from their hands through a series of line delineating seals. He looked so perfectly still and at peace that for a split second, she thought her worst nightmare had come true. But then she heard the sound of hoarse breathing and realised with profound gratification that here was definitive proof: he was still alive.
At his nearest side was Hinata, still in what must have been her wedding clothes, looking exhausted and depressed. Her hair was in a complete disarray with loose purple strands falling around her except for the crown, still held together by her weighty tiara. The front of her robes were stained by a spray of blood. Naruto's blood.
Hinata watched the slow and uneventful progress, never taking her eyes away from Naruto as though he was the only thing in the world worthy of her sight. After a while, she finally looked up to see Ayame standing before her.
For a fleeting moment, Hinata's face went rigid and her eyes took on an even more wintry expression. Ayame remained where she was, afraid to speak or come close. The fearlessness that had blitzed her through the forest to get to Konoha had suddenly been sapped away. After all, she was here only by pretence. Hinata had sent for a Tsukiyomi healer but had not requested her specifically. She felt terribly guilty; there had been a few moments when she had wished that this wedding would never happen. The gods had answered her prayers but not in the way she had imagined.
Unable to smile, Hinata opted instead for a low yet courteous voice.
"Thank you for coming." She murmured, still playing the part of the gracious lady. "Do you think you can save him?"
"I want to." Ayame said. Immediately, she went over and knelt at the edge then turned to the healers. "I'm Minamoto Ayame. I was the Hokage's personal physician. What has happened to him since my absence?"
When the healers hesitated to answer, Hinata spoke up: "Do as she asks. I want her to help."
"His last two chakras completely blocked themselves up. It impacted his entire chakra flow causing hypertension. His heart almost gave out." The healer at the north said at last, maintaining his concentration on the chakra encircling Naruto.
"You haven't been able to unlock them?" Ayame was confused. This was not that difficult of a task. Why hadn't it been done sooner?
"The demon won't let us." The other healer replied.
"What?"
"We've tried to unlock the chakras but we keep getting pushed out. We can't enter into the Seventh's mind. We think the beast is responsible. It doesn't want us anywhere near him."
Kyuubi.
How could she have forgotten….
Ayame paused. "Do you think it might let someone in that Naruto knows? Someone Kyuubi is familiar with? Perhaps we can try unlocking the chakras together whilst the demon is engaged with that person."
"We tried with Hinata-sama." The second healer glanced at her. "It didn't work."
"Anyone else?" Ayame pressed on. "Maybe a close friend or a family member?"
"He doesn't have any family." Hinata softly reminded, her whitened eyes looking elsewhere.
It was then that Sai spoke. "Kyuubi knows you."
Ayame turned to face him.
"I've seen you at your sessions, remember?" Sai pointed out. "You've communicated with the beast. Why don't you try facing it?"
"I don't know if I'll be able to make it through if the others haven't been successful." Ayame admitted.
"What other choices do we have?" Sai bore his dark eyes on her. "It's worth a try."
Only after receiving an approving nod from Hinata did Ayame step into the light, careful not to tread on any of the seal imprints on the floor. When she reached the centre, she knelt beside Naruto and was awash with glowing green light.
She looked upon his face then without another word, she placed her hands on his forehead and chest.
Almost at once, she felt herself plunging through what felt like a deep, cold ocean. The sensation was so real that when she opened her mouth to breathe, she felt a gush of salty water bursting through her lips and choking out the air from her lungs.
She was floating, weightless, and struggling. There was no light. Only darkness and heavy building pressure that threatened to push her out.
That was when she heard the voice.
"You've come to me..."
Frantically, she turned towards the sound. She was losing her breath fast.
"I told you, didn't I?" Kyuubi's sly words reverberated across the blackness around her. "You're on your own. Naruto can't save you."
As if in response, the pressure swiftly died down. The cold receded and Ayame felt her feet touch what seemed like solid ground. She could even breathe again. Slowly, she looked up to find a pair of great eyes watching her through the bars of a golden prison. It had been months since she had last seen the beast this close but his taunts had remained with her all this time.
She willed herself to face him.
"I haven't come here for myself." Ayame said. "I came here to save Naruto. And you."
"You're wasting your time." Kyuubi leered. "Naruto isn't dying. He's stuck, as you humans would say. He can neither go forward or back. But it doesn't mean he's dead."
"He's not alive either. Not the way that he should be." Ayame glared at the monster. "You've been blocking out the healers. Let us through to unlock the chakras."
But Kyuubi only smiled. "You'll have to go through her first."
"Her?" Ayame turned.
A slim figure about her height was standing before her, clothed in white funerary robes. Its head was entirely covered by a thick veil, removing all features from view. More tangible than a spectre but less corporeal than an actual being, it moved in startlingly lifelike fashion as it encircled Ayame like a vulture surveying carrion to tear at.
Ayame steeled herself to remain calm in the face of this unknown threat and thought back to her books. The sixth and seventh chakras had always been something of a mystery to her for they were not as connected to earthly matters like the others. Insight blocked by illusion. Purpose blighted by despair. The image she beheld must have been a phantom from Naruto's past or his present even. Was it an enemy?
"What are you doing here?" The figure's voice rang out.
"My name is Ayame." Ayame answered. "I'm Naruto's—"
"I know who you are." The figure cut her off. "But what are you doing here?"
"I'm here for Naruto. I have to get his chakras unlocked. Please, let me and the others in."
"And why would I do that when Naruto is perfectly safe? He doesn't need to return to your world." The figure approached her. "Go back."
"I can't." Ayame said. "Not without him. I'm just trying to understand. Who are you and why do you not want me here? Why are you keeping him?"
"Do you really not know?" The veiled phantom went around her and reached out a gloved hand to trace the curve of Ayame's shoulder in an almost loving fashion. "Then again, you really have no idea what Naruto is. You're so unlike him. Cold. Dutiful. You care more for rules than what truly matters."
The figure leaned in close to whisper in her ear. "Naruto doesn't want to wake. He wants to stay just where he is…with me."
"His friends miss him." Ayame tried to reason with the phantom. "So does Hinata...and it's not like Naruto to upset the people whom he loves."
"He doesn't love her!" The figure broke into a shout, infuriated by the mention of Hinata's name. It shoved Ayame back. "He loves me! He has always loved me! He promised that he would for as long as he lived! He swore at my grave that he would never forget me! That he would protect Sasuke for me!"
That was when the realisation hit Ayame. Profoundly shocked, she stared after the phantom.
"...are you Sakura?"
But the figure did not respond.
Slowly, with trembling fingers, Ayame stepped forward and lifted the veil away from its face. The cloth dropped to the insubstantial floor.
A splintering silence followed as the two looked at one another, face to face at last. Ayame could not understand it. She could see….or at least she believed she saw….herself. Only the face seemed more whole, complete even, with a long mane of rose-coloured hair. The exact shade of her own, even as she had been forced to cut away at it for years. Her twin was gazing at her with such sadness that it was hard not to look away.
"Don't take him from me."
"I'm sorry." Ayame whispered, knowing better than that. "But he doesn't belong here with you."
Sakura's eyes narrowed and raised her hand as though to strike but Ayame was quicker and caught her wrist first. Seizing Sakura by the appendage, she threw her body against her and clasped her arms around.
"He said we'd be together!" The phantom screamed as it struggled in Ayame's hold.
"Let—Naruto—go!" Ayame fought back. "You're only hurting him by keeping him here."
"NO!"
And all at once, Ayame felt the ghost break free then without warning she felt a sudden sharp pain in her back. Disoriented, she fell to the ground, only to see the phantom Sakura towering over her with a knife in her hand.
Get up….get up, you have to get up! Ayame frantically thought as she struggled to rise. She raised her arms in defence but the ghost was merciless as it slashed at her hands with the blade. Crying out in pain, Ayame pushed herself to her feet and grabbed at the ghost, trying to wrestle the weapon away.
"He needs to keep his promise!"
The last word rang in Ayame's ears and somewhere in her mind, it triggered a wholly new and unfamiliar memory. It was hazy but she remembered a boy, no more than twelve, smiling at her as he flashed a confident thumbs-up. I promise, Sakura-chan! The boy's vow was as sound and clear as a bell.
The sixth chakra deals with insight and is blocked by illusion, Lady Asagao's voice flittered through Ayame's conscience, and the greatest illusion is that of separation. All things are connected. All things are mere pieces of a greater whole.
Suddenly Ayame let go. The ghost itself seemed taken aback by her reaction then just as it rose to strike again, Ayame threw her arms around Sakura, right when she felt the death blow cut deep into the back of her chest.
"You don't have to be afraid." Ayame whispered, cradling the back of Sakura's head. "It's okay." She tasted iron from the blood running from the corner of her mouth. "Naruto won't forget you….but you can't keep him to his promise anymore. Sasuke is safe, the war is done, it's all over now. You have to let him go and move on from you."
"He's already forgotten."
"No….he never has." Ayame hugged Sakura close. "I've been with him all this time. I know he didn't forget you." She swallowed hard and shut her eyes as the weighty truth fell from her lips. "Because we are the one in the same. You are me….and I am you."
And no sooner had she spoken, Ayame felt the phantom vanish from her arms and the ground fall below her, sending her headfirst into a black unknown. Kyuubi disappeared. The beast's cell and everything with it was fading before her.
That was when she heard a strange, wonderful sound of a heart beating.
It reverberated throughout the darkness; it's dependable chords striking a note of familiarity. She knew this heart….she had saved it once….held it in very her hands. Even now, she could remember the thickness of the muscle and its pulsating warmth against her palm.
I've heard this before…
Ayame reached out for it but there was nothing to pull her back, nothing to stop her fall as she went deeper into shadow, traveling farther and farther away from all things, space, and time…
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"Get up! Get up!"
A pair of hands roughly shook Ayame awake and practically dragged her away from Naruto by the front her robes.
Startled, she opened her eyes to find a Pavilion guard looming over her and just behind him was Hanzei with a full complement of his own men. His flat, expressionless face turned to her in recognition."What are you doing here?"
"Uncle," Ayame heard Hinata speak, "I sent for her. I asked the Tsukiyomi Temple to give me one of their healers."
"You did not have permission to do so." Hanzei coldly remarked. He glanced at Naruto's unconscious form. "It is dangerous to have outsiders near the Hokage, especially in his state."
"She's not an outsider, she was Naruto's doctor—"
"I know who she is." Hanzei interrupted as his eyes cast over to the healer. They flickered over to Takemaru. "Why did you let her through?"
"Hanzei-sama, the girl was once the Hokage's physician and Lady Hinata wanted the best of care." Takemaru responded although not without a faint note of apprehension in his voice.
Hanzei said nothing. It was not the silence that was disturbing but how he regarded Takemaru with a calculating look. Then in one swift gesture of his hands, he motioned to the Pavilion guard.
It seemed then that time slowed and yet Ayame found herself unable to move. She could see the silver gleam of the dagger's blade, the guard unsheathing it so expertly and flinging it without a care to its intended target then hear it impale Takemaru's chest. Eyes wide, Takemaru could only gaze after his wound before he fell to his knees then collapsed. Hinata started screaming.
No…no...
"NO!" Instinctively, without knowing how, Ayame felt her left hand pull back to cock a fist and push forward, sending a powerful blast of energy.
The room shook and thundered as the blow catapulted across the floor, violently knocking the guard against the wall across from where he had stood. A deep fissure ripped through the panels from the impact then before Ayame could realise what she had done and see the damage, she felt a terrible pain burn at the crown of her head. She fell forward, clutching her forehead with her hands, gritting down on her teeth at the agony.
She could hear shouting all around her. A pair of burly sentinels seized her by the arms and when she tried to resist, she could feel her circlet slip off as the veil tumbled after it. Insensate with pain, she barely registered Hanzei striding over to where she was. He knelt down and teased away her wimple, exposing her entire head. His eyes remained affixed to the seal.
Something like a gleam of recognition was in his gaze.
"Take her."
The guards started to drag Ayame out, forcibly wresting her away from Naruto.
Hinata watched on in horror. Distressed, she looked towards Hanzei for help but was shot down by his steely countenance. Realisation jolted her. He had no intention of merely banishing the healer. There was something else, far darker, that he intended for her. Feeling sick, she turned away, unable to look at him anymore.
"No—you—you can't do this!" Ayame tried to protest. Tearing herself away from the guards, she managed to wrench her right arm free to try to reach Naruto and Takemaru when she felt a crashing pain against the back of her knees. Staggering, she fell to the floor. In the midst of the melee, her necklace was tugged from her neck and flung away from her, landing at Sai's feet.
The crystal darkly glittered in the light and when he picked it up, before anyone else he could see, he pocketed it away. He glanced at Takemaru but to his regret, he saw that the man had already passed away. He was beyond help now.
"Remove her from our sight." Hanzei ordered.
"Let me stay with Naruto until he wakes!" But Ayame's pleas fell on deaf ears.
"Until we ascertain your true identity and purpose," Hanzei towered over her, "you will never see him again. But don't worry, my dear." His grey eyes were full of malevolent promise. "We have many….many ways to extract truth from someone."
"PLEASE!" Ayame yelled as she was dragged across the gallery by a swarm of guards. "NARUTO—NARUTO!"
She screamed the name so loudly that it echoed against the hall. Then in the same brusque manner as she appeared, she vanished through the double doors.
Hanzei turned away in disdain as Ayame's strangled cries reverberated throughout Heavenly Purity.
"Uncle…." Hinata whispered. She could not bear to look at Takemaru's bleeding corpse. "Uncle, please don't hurt her. She doesn't mean any harm."
" 'Doesn't mean any harm'?" Hanzei turned his wrath on her. He seemed to consider her for a moment then without warning, his hand struck across her cheek.
Sai sprang forward as Hinata collapsed to the floor. Taking her by the arms, he tried to guide her to stand upright but she was shaking so badly that her legs kept giving away against the polished floor.
"I do not know which I despise more." Hanzei glared at her. "Your weakness as a warrior or your lack of resolve as a woman."
Hinata looked up to him from the ground, her face streaked with tears.
"I dedicated my life in ensuring stability and continuity for our family long before you were born." Hanzei's grey eyes were becoming opaque. "Our house has stood as long as it has, in spite of all the Hokages waging war with every nation, because we guarded our own interests first. Now that we are finally at the edge of having our own government and when I have made you queen regnant in all but name….you want to throw it all away for the sake of some lowly girl." He angrily gestured to the doors where Ayame had disappeared to. "A girl who threatened your very position and almost cost you of your betrothal to Naruto."
"You can't force either Naruto or me to marry each other." There was a strain of defiance in her trembling voice.
"As you can see for yourself, the Hokage is in no position to object." Hanzei countered. "I can have you both married in the eyes of the gods, his mind doesn't have to be in it to consent."
"I won't do it." Hinata shook her head. "I won't."
"Then your sister will take your place."
"I am my father's heir!" She vehemently protested. "You swore to him before he died that you would recognise me as that."
"A birthright that can be easily revoked by your death." He icily pointed out. "Now what's it to be: shall we celebrate your funeral or wedding? Tell me, dear niece, which would be preferable?" When Hinata failed to answer, he ruthlessly went on: "When the marriage is done, one way or the other, you will bear an heir. If Naruto doesn't recover by that point, I serve as regent. Our clan can guide your child in becoming a kage who shall always place his family's interests before his own and not be misled by ridiculous ideals of war."
"You can't be regent, there's no precedent." Hinata dared to risk herself further. "And how can you even guarantee that my child would be chosen as kage? That's not it works, Uncle."
"Two of our Hokages had children who inherited their positions." Hanzei dismissed. "This is no different."
"But—"
"Be silent, at once, you stupid girl!" snapped Hanzei. "You have no notion of how dangerously close you came to losing your ascendancy. If you wish to remain the leading lady of the land, stay out of my way and never speak of the healer again." Furious, he then diverted his attention to Sai. "Post the guards outside the perimeter. No one is to enter the Hokage's residence without my express orders and that includes the Ladies Hinata and Hanabi. Is that understood?"
Wordlessly, Sai bowed his head in acknowledgement. Hinata remained on the floor, speechless. A fine pool of crimson blood from Takemaru's fallen form stained the ground, its colour and grime making a deadly contrast to the polished surroundings.
With one final look of disgust, Hanzei stormed out of the room, slamming the screens shut behind him.