Secrets of the Heart

Authors' Note: Thanks for the reviews. We hope that you enjoy this chapter.

Chapter 10

Shisui pulls his scarf up over his face and tightens his cloak around him. He moves silently down an alley, his armor, weapons, and horse already stashed somewhere safe just outside the city. He knew that wandering around with those on his person would draw all the wrong sorts of attention to him. This mission was for infiltration, not for making a scene.

Still, he had never seen the streets so dirty and abandoned. Few people walked them, and there were no hanging baskets filled with vines and flowers lining the streets, only dirty cobblestones of grey and brown and black. Even the air was still and stale. It felt so…dead in this place, merely a shadow of the glory that was once his home. His fist clenches on the front of his cloak. Danzo would pay for what he had done to the kingdom. To HIS kingdom.

Few of the nobles houses had withstood the revolution, and even then, only those of lowest standing and least power or influence still stood. For the most part anyway. But Shisui knew better than to judge a book by its cover, or a family by their obvious wealth and influence. Or, in this case, by their seeming disregard and lack of any sort of power. If only Danzo knew…

He hoists himself up an iron ladder and onto some rickety old scaffolding that allows him access to the rooftops. The city was large, holding nearly a hundred thousand citizens when at its most prosperous. But even through the dirt and silence, Shisui could see some of the few crests that remained emblazoned into the roofs of noble estates. Most were gone, but some few did still remain. And it was the blue crest of a stag's head that he sought out, racing along the rooftops and leaping more than a few gaps.

He lands with a thud on the highest roof and rolls down onto the fourth floor balcony, where he brushes some of the dirt from his cloak and turns towards the open window. He smirks and slips inside, into the vacant bedchambers that were properly prepared for a guest, but clearly unused. He shuts the window behind him and removes his cloak, recognizing the room for what it was. It was just as Kakashi said it would be. The room set aside for the spies and secret envoys protect by the Nara.

His eyes scan the walls, and he notes the string protruding from the wall right next to the bed, just as Kakashi had said. He pulls on it once, twice, three times, then releases it and sits down on the bed. He had made it, and no one but the head of the household would be the wiser.

Minutes later, there's a knock on the door. Shisui smiles tiredly. "Come in."

"There you are." The head of the Nara Clan smiles at him. "It brings my heart great joy to see you made the journey safely. Do you come baring good news?" Shikaku could only hope that would indeed be the case.

"Shikaku." Shisui nods slowly. "My cousins live are both now safely housed in the royal palace in Marisea. We have worked to gather allies, and though our core alliance remains small, each member is talented and excels in their respective crafts. We have also gained the friendship of the Marisean king, and he supports our cause. Though to what extent is yet to be seen." But it wasn't as though they needed an entire army, anyway. Not yet. And hopefully not ever.

"That is indeed fantastic news and more than I could have ever hoped for." He nods at the other man as he pours them both a glass of wine. "Is there anything more I can do for the cause?"

Shisui sighs and swirls the wine around in the glass, watching the liquid turn that looked far too much like blood. "Tell me what's been happening here. How are the people, and are there tensions that can be used to turn them against Danzo in preparation for when we move to assassinate him?" He would rather not see blood run in the streets again, so all that had to be done was rally the people into accepting Itachi as king when Danzo's head was mounted on a pike.

"Danzo's taxes may not be as high as the ones to pay for the war, but they are continuous and most people are either living as beggars or only a few steps removed from doing so." He pauses for a moment. "Save for those who are fortunate enough to be close to Danzo, of course. He has an army that is well trained, but the rumors of the prince and princess being alive are beginning to gain more traction. So much so that I convinced him to have a feast as a gesture of goodwill and to bury a 'traitor' to his rule as a peace offering. Forgive me, but I must play the part of a loyal adviser to him."

"I understand. It is good to have a sympathizer of our own so close to the usurper." It wasn't that Shisui liked that Shikaku had to play that part, but he knew where the man's true loyalties lay. "It will take years to reverse all of the damage that monster has done, and I'm sure that His Highness will be relying on your expertise greatly when it comes time to begin healing this kingdom."

"Yes, of course. I shall do my best to assist the crown in whatever way I can." Shikaku nods at the other man.

Shisui takes a sip of his wine, finding the sweet liquid bitter on his tongue. "I will stay to gather all of the information that I can before returning to His Highness. But you should know that he will soon come with the greatest warriors we could gather for the task of putting that traitor's head on a spike. We plan to be done with this campaign before winter comes in five months' time."

He sighs in relief. There were few times that Shikaku could truly recall being this happy and one of them was the day he found out his wife was expecting. "I shall be certain to do so. It seems our torment is almost at an end."

"Yes, and then Itachi will be king, and we will likely solidify an alliance through marriage with Marisea." And if he survived all of this then Shisui would be the king's hand, reaching out to where Itachi could not or should not.

"Did you manage to save any of the royal portraits?" Shisui expected that the first things Danzo would burn would be the portraits of the past kings and queens, along with all of the books he could find. Centuries of history might have been lost.

"I managed to save a dozen or so and a couple copies of the Uchiha family line." It was the best that Shikaku could do really. "I hope that provides some comfort and makes the lines of succession easier to follow. As for the potential marriage, that would indeed be a great boon."

"Yes." Shisui downs the rest of the wine and places the glass on the bedside table. "I can only hope that your family still has sticky fingers when it comes to pilfering books from the royal library." Shisui smiles wryly, remembering more than a few Nara sneaking into the castle to filch a book or two to read.

"I imagine that we could fetch you whatever book you like." He tilts his head at Shisui." What did you have in mind."

"Nothing in particular." Shisui did like reading at times, but he honestly preferred riding out into the world to experience it, rather than reading about it in books. "I just want to be sure that at least some of the tomes of history are safe, otherwise my cousin will be livid when he returns."

"We tried our best, but Danzo prefers to hide away the more…important books in his bedchambers." Shikaku sighs.

Shisui wrinkles his nose at the thought of entering whatever passed for that cretin's bedchambers in search of books. "Of course he does. Yet another crime to add to the list. Theft of tomes from the royal library. I do hope that he hasn't taken some poor woman as his mistress and tried to sire a child by shoving that shriveled manhood of his in places it should never go."

"Shisui, can you please refrain from speculating about such things in my presence?" Shikaku shivers at the unpleasant thought. "I'd rather not vomit in the presence of a member of the royal family."

"I will take that as a no." And for that, Shisui was thankful. It would make things far less complicated if Danzo had no legitimate heir of his own blood. "Has he yet planned for who would take the throne when he dies?"

"I suggested someone when he sought my counsel on the matter." He wasn't happy about it, but Shikaku had had no choice. "As of yet, he hasn't met with Haku. So for now, we needn't worry about that as an immediate threat."

"Haku…" The name sounded familiar to Shisui, but he couldn't yet place it. No matter, he would simply seek this potential heir out and see for himself what needed to be done or could be…arranged. He glances up at his host with a weary smile. "Thank you for your hospitality, Shikaku. I'm certain that my cousin will not forget the part you've played in our campaign, and in looking after the kingdom as best you can."

"I won't lie and say that it has been easy." Shikaku eyes the other man with no small sense of wariness. "It is what is right though. I cannot abide the thought of Danzo's reign and what has become of our home."

Shisui nods, an acknowledgment of the silent sacrifices made by the man before him. "Then I will see to it that your efforts are not in vain." There was much to be done, and not nearly enough time to do it in.

Meanwhile back in Marisea, Suki quickly strides towards the room that she knew the princess's ladies in waiting would be at this time of day. After all, Princess Hinata would be in the middle of her art lessons. There was no need for them to attend such things. Which could mean one of two things. They were either making Hinata's bedchambers as comfortable as possible or practicing their gossiping, ahem, Suki meant their embroidery.

Figuring it was more likely to be the latter as the princess's room had always been immaculate the few times she had glimpsed it as she walked by, Suki decides it was likely the embroidery option. So she heads to the sewing room and knocks on the door.

"Please let me in. I need to speak with Lady Karin at once. It is most urgent." Suki knocks again, figuring it wasn't technically a lie yet and well, it'd serve its purpose well enough. She wanted to see Karin quickly, after all.

The door swings open to reveal a slightly irritated, and utterly bemused redhead. "Who is is causing all that…" She blinks, then her eyes immediately begin to sparkle as the frown is replaced by an eager smile. "Oh, Sasuke!" Her hips lean off to the side as she leans against the door. "I wasn't expecting you to come looking for me today. I there…anything that you need?"

"It's your father, Lady Karin." Suki bows her head politely at her. "He's fallen ill and requested that I escort you to him. Your mother and he believe that seeing you will raise his spirits." That was a lie, but it was a believable one and one that wouldn't cause too much gossip to flutter about. "Do not fear though. I'm quite certain he'll beat it. It is a bad chill though, I'm afraid."

"Oh…" Karin sighs with disappointment. "Very well, you may escort me home." And here she had held out the hope that Sasuke had finally looked past the princess and taken notice of her. Though, if her father was sick, then maybe Sasuke would be willing to…comfort her.

"You needn't worry. He's strong." Suki smiles as she gestures for the red head to follow her. "As are you. He'll recover in time."

"Yes, I'm sure that he will." Karin clasps her hands within the folds of her dress, holding up her skirts slightly for ease of movement as she strides forward beside the young court heartthrob. "That fool Suigetsu isn't hiding anywhere around, is he? He's such a bother."

"He's not to my knowledge." Suki smiles at her as he leads her towards her family's house which was on the castle grounds. "Usually, Suigetsu is assisting Ser Kisame at this hour, if my memory serves."

"Hmph, I still don't understand how that idiot became a squire. He's utterly useless at everything but swinging a sword. He even gets himself tangled up in his own armor!" And then he'd forced Karin to help him get out of it, again. "His antics are going to make my hands all rough."

"Karin, your hands are perfectly soft. You don't have to fret over that." Suki shakes her head as they head inside the house. To the princess's relief, it appeared that the red head's parents weren't actually there. "I do have...two confessions two make though. There are only a handful of people that I would ever dream of telling them to at this moment in time and you're one of them."

Suki did feel a bit guilty at wandering to her private bedchambers. Karin might very well be expecting a love confession, but still her friend was entitled to know the truth. "I need you to promise me, that you will tell no one what i tell you on this day though. Can you promise me that?"

Karin frowns, then several things come together at once. "My father isn't truly ill, is he?" Slowly, an eager smile lights her face and she steps towards her prey. "Sasuke…did you say that just to get me alone without giving gossip to the other ladies? If that's it, then I can certainly keep it our little secret."

"You're right. That was the first confession." Suki nods as her heart pounding in her chest so hard that the princess truly wonders if it might actually burst. "But can you keep the second secret, Karin? It's something that…I should probably show you. It's easier to understand that way."

"You can show me whatever you like, Sasuke." Karin moves a little closer, a soft blush dusting her cheeks. "I'll keep whatever secrets you want me to."

"Okay. Forgive me…this will be easier if I take off my armor." Suki mentally slaps herself for how that sounded. "I assure you that I do have my regular attire on underneath though and please understand, I wanted to tell you. I did, but it was too dangerous."

"Mhm. You know you don't have to stop with your armor." Karin smirks in triumph. Suigetsu could eat his heart out, because she was getting Sasuke to take off his clothes!

She had taken this the wrong way, but Karin would understand soon enough. "You're aware that King Itachi has returned and that that Uchiha Princess also survived? That she's been hiding in Marisea for some time?" Suki bites her lower lip as she slides out of the top of her armor, revealing only her undershirt below. She hadn't bothered with chest bindings.

Karin blinks bemusedly, not quite registering what she was seeing. "You're…a woman?" But that wasn't possible. That couldn't be possible. "Sasuke…?"

"Well, my confession is my name isn't Sasuke. I'm Princess Suki Uchiha of Valadris." Suki stops masking her voice to drive the point home. No longer did she sound like a man, but a woman. "I'm sorry, Karin. It was just too dangerous. Things are different now though. We're going to take back our kingdom and I'd like for you and the others to come with me."

"You want me to come…with you?" Karin was still in shock, trying to process the sudden change that Sasuke had made from man into woman. Sasuke…no, Suki was… "But how…?" The image that she'd held in her mind of the handsome young swordsman was crumbling to the ground.

"It's a very long story and I know that it's a lot to take in." She casts a sympathetic look at her friend. "I've been living this life since that damn viper took over my homeland. It was easy to disguise myself as a boy when I was younger, but it has grown increasingly complicated." It was awkward, but Suki places Karin's hand on her ample chest. "See?"

Karin blinks once, twice, then the reality of the situation dawns on her and her cheeks flush bright pink. "W-what do you think you're doing!?" She snatches her hand away and her eyes drop to Suki's chest, almost disbelieving, and yet not. "I-If you're a princess, then why on earth would you have me touch your breasts?"

Suki blushes as Karin removes her hand."I just wanted to prove it to you. I know it's a lot to take in and it's not as if I were completely disrobed."

"B-But you're a princess! You're…" Damn it! Karin groans with anguish. "Ugh, now where am I supposed to find a handsome noble to woo and bear beautiful babies for?"

Suki rubs the back of her head sheepishly. "That's what you got out of this?" Well, Suki supposed she should count her blessings really. "Never mind. Perhaps you can find someone to your liking in my kingdom."

That ought to cheer Karin up, even if Suki wanted to suggest someone else. How Suigetsu and the red head had managed to dance around each other for this long, she'd never know. There was clearly a lot of passion there and…hmm perhaps this was how Itachi felt about her and Shisui.

"I suppose…" Karin sighs wistfully, then her eyes light with excitement. "Oh, that's right, that knight in the black armor, he's…a cousin of yours, isn't he? Is he married?"

"You're right. Shisui is my distant cousin and no, he's not married." Suki pauses as she considers the implications of what she was about to do. "I'd rather not have you attempt to charm him though. It's really nothing personal. You'd make a fine wife for anyone, but I…" Should she say it or not? Suki wasn't sure. Karin knew she was a woman now. So there was a bond of sisterhood. Karin wouldn't judge her, but voicing the words out loud would make it more real in a way it hadn't been before.

Karin searches Suki's face, recognizing exactly what was there in an instant. "But…he's not available because you've already staked a claim on him." Damn it. She couldn't have Sasuke because Sasuke was actually Suki, and she couldn't have Shisui, because Suki already wanted him. "It's not fair. Why is it that all of the handsome men are either taken, or secretly women?"

"Karin, I promise you that when this is all settled, I'll do all I can to help you find a suitable husband." Suki was quite certain the red head had already found one, but she wouldn't say so and risk alienating her friend even more. "I'm a princess. I imagine that being friends with a princess will improve your prospects dramatically."

"I suppose that's true." Karin crosses her arms, her brow creasing in thought. "Wait…are we bringing that idiot as well?"

"Well, yes. He's an idiot, but he's good with a sword." Suki attempts to pacify her. "Something that will prove useful while we're trying to take back the kingdom."

"Hmph, if that idiot can even figure out where we're supposed to be going. I'll be more help than he'll ever be." Which did remind Karin of a few things. "Does this mean that you're going to start dressing as a woman again?" She eyes Suki carefully, because if that was the case, then it meant she wouldn't have much free time to discipline Suigetsu. She would be too busy taking care of this princess.

"Once everything is as it should be, yes." Suki sighs in relief at that. "It will be so good not to have to hide any longer. Changing my voice has become second nature, but I've always had to be so careful about everything else."

"Of course." Her emotions were still rolling over and confused, but Karin could at least recognize how hard it must have been to pretend to be a man for ten years. "Then what's your plan?"

"Well, I'm going to go to the camp with Itachi. I've decided that Sasuke will 'die' a noble death fighting on behalf of Princess Suki, the woman he loves." Suki smiles slyly at her. "Of course, I'll go into mourning and wear a veil until I've grown my hair out more, but my brother did give me a wig to wear during the process just in case. After I've mourned for awhile, if all goes well…Itachi will be king." And she would be married to Shisui, but best to not say that directly. Karin already knew how she felt.

Karin nods slowly because that was…a great plan, actually. "So you're starting to grow you hair out now so that you'll be ready to transition quickly?" She kind of wondered what the princess would look like with her hair long. For as long as Karin had known her, she'd seen Suki only with short hair an thought her to be a man.

"I'll likely have to cut it soon. Itachi hopes we'll have the kingdom back by winter and if I grow it out much longer, it'll become too noticeable." Suki sighs, but shrugs. "It will grow back. "I'm trying not to let that fact irritate me too much. I cannot wait until I can look like myself again."

"Oh, I see." Karin frowns slightly, then allows a sly smile to curl her lips. "Well, short or not, I've always been jealous of how soft it looks. I always thought that it wasn't fair that a man should have such pretty hair."

"Thank you and I've always admired your hair's coloration." She smiles at Karin. "Though I don't believe it would flatter me nearly as well as it does you."

"And you wouldn't want it to, believe me." Karin rolls her eyes. "The color of my hair seems to make strange old men who come to visit court think that I am exotic. It makes them…touchy." And she did not like touchy old men. "And Suigetsu likes pulling on it whenever it pleases him. The idiot."

"If you point them out to me, I can make it so they cease their overtures easily enough and in our kingdom, I will ensure they are suitably punished." She pauses. "As for Suigetsu, he's never outgrown that phase where a little boy picks on the girl that he likes."

Karin blinks, then her cheeks flush with an brilliant scarlet. "That idiot does NOT fancy me! He's just an idiot who doesn't know how to treat a proper lady!" She snorts defiantly and crosses her arms, her gaze drifting to the ground. "That idiot wouldn't know how to treat a lady if someone were to throw a manual on it at his head."

Oh boy. This was going to take awhile. "If you say so." She couldn't believe she was doing this, but in the interest of calming the feisty woman down Suki would make the ultimate sacrifice. "I'm fortunate that Shisui has always treated me very gallantly…" A distraction.

"Lucky you…" Karin scoffs quietly. If Suigetsu would just stop being an idiot, then maybe… Whatever, Karin had juicy gossip to tackle. The moron could wait unless he didn't. "So has it been arranged, then? Or are you still in the courting stage? Has he tried to kiss you even when you're dressed like a man?"

"The topic hasn't been officially broached by my brother to him yet." Suki feels heat bloom in her cheeks. "Shisui isn't entirely aware of my intentions, but we did kiss."

"So…the princess is getting married." Karin sighs wistfully. "I'm sure that the wedding will be grand. It will be held in a palace and you'll be wearing the loveliest of dresses…"

"Most likely and you will be able to wear a lovely dress as well." Suki smiles at her. "I'd like for you to attend me during the ceremony."

Karin's eyes widen at the thought of attending a princess during her wedding ceremony. "Of course. But are you certain?" Royal weddings were attended by the highest of nobility and foreign royalty. She would be more than a little out of place there. And with her fiery hair she might also accidentally outshine the bride.

"I'm sure, Karin. If you do not feel comfortable, I will not press the issue." She smiles at her. "There's no one that I would trust more and you are a lady in waiting. You know what is expected."

"Of course." Karin takes the armor that the princess had shed and carefully sidles around her, working the leather and plated piece back on. "Now let's get you primped up and returned to that handsome brother of yours."

Suki smiles and nods. "Yes, let's." Well, that had felt better than expected and it was nice to speak as a woman to another woman. "Just remember you cannot breathe a word of this to anyone. It will be our secret between my brother, Shisui, you, Jugo, me, Kakashi, and Suigetsu." Which was frankly more people than she was comfortable with knowing, but she trusted them all with her life.

Karin nods, understanding all too well the gravity of this secret. "On my life, Princess Suki." She smirks wryly as the name and title roll off her tongue. "It's going to be difficult to get used to calling you that instead of Sasuke." The latter was a name she'd been repeating over and over for a decade now. And now…

"If it helps, you will be calling me Sasuke for awhile yet." She nods at her friend. "In time, it will grow less foreign though."

"Maybe, but I fear it will grow at less foreign at the same rate as your hair." Speaking of which. "Come on." Karin ushers Suki towards her own bedroom. "We can go find the idiot once you look a bit less like a girl and his big mouth is less likely to announce your secret to the whole world."

"Of course." Suki grins at Karin. "We'll have to tell him away from the castle or gag him. Suigetsu can be quite loud."

"Gladly." Karin would take any reason she could find to gag that idiot. The fool likely never stopped talking, even when taking a woman to bed. …Oh no…that was NOT something that Karin wanted to think about right now. That idiot, invading her thoughts even when she didn't want him there.