Icewater
Chapter 10: Water and Earth
Disclaimer: See ch. 5.
Enjoy...
And review please!
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Naruto rubbed his eyes, yawning. The Hyuga servants had woken him up early (no easy feat) and they were on the move now, despite the fact that the sun was barely creeping out from the horizon.
"Like sleep," he mumbled to no one in particular. The nearly-rocking movement of the horse (as Hyuga Neji had called it; he wondered how it was possible sea-horses had gotten their name from these creatures when they were hardly alike) he sat upon was lulling him back to sleep, and he honestly didn't feel like fighting against it.
And so it was that Naruto Uzumaki fell asleep.
He was carefully watched over by a pair of white-lavender eyes.
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Sakura woke again to sunlight streaming on to her face; she looked and saw Ino standing there, smoking down at her, having just pulled the curtains open.
"Good morning, sleepy-face," she said teasingly. Sakura tried laughing but settled for a grin when it didn't come out right.
Three days, she told herself, and I'll be able to talk. She frowned inwardly. Or was it two? No, wait... Uhm...
"What's wrong?" Ino reached out and touched Sakura's forehead with the back of her hand. "Not a fever... Oh my goodness!" The blonde maid practically screeched the last part, jerking her hand away and staring wide-eyed. Sakura snapped back to the present, pushing her jumbled memories to the back of her mind.
At Sakura's equally surprised expression, Ino laughed heartily.
"It's just... Your forehead!" She laughed, coming forward to help Sakura out of bed. "It's so HUGE! I've never seen anything like it!"
Sakura tried not to roll her eyes; as a matter of fact, the forehead came from her Father's side of the family (her non-Arctician side, she realized now) and was a rare and coveted thing among merfolk. Apparently, although probably just as rare above land, if not more so, it was not as precious here.
"I'm glad we tied your hair back yesterday," she continued, "Because that made it look perfectly normal! Well, let's see, what to do today then...?" Ino brushed Sakura's short hair while another servant brought in breakfast for the (currently blonde) pinkette. Sakura looked carefully at the servant's eyes; they were green, a duller one than her own. Ino had blue eyes; but something in the back of her mind was telling her to look for red ones. She couldn't remember where, but she had a feeling she wasn't connecting an important piece of the puzzle.
"Oh, where did you get the bracelet?" squealed Ino. Then the blonde frowned. "Don't tell me you slept with it on! Oh, dear!" She pulled it off Sakura's wrist and put it on the bedside table. "Don't sleep with something so nice, you never know what might happen to it while you sleep," she admonished. Sakura huffed in mock annoyance and Ino laughed, hurrying back over. "We'll do something scandalous, I think," said Ino, winking at her (seemingly) blonde-haired and green-eyed companion.
Sakura raised an eyebrow.
Scandalous is trading legs for a chance to seduce a human boy, thought Sakura. Top that, Ino.
The servant girl pulled a drawer open, scouring through its contents before grinning and yanking a piece of fabric out.
"Aha!" she cried. "I knew there was one in here!" She took the fabric and carefully tied it around Sakura's hair, knotting it below at the nape of her neck.
"And now a bodice, and then some rather gaudy earrings..." Ino paused, tilting her head. "Oh, never mind," she said, putting away the large hooped metal pieces she had procured. "Your ears aren't pierced." Ino's eyes brightened. "Then I know just what to use!" She ran from the room and returned after a few minutes, during which Sakura had finished her breakfast.
"Here!" cried Ino, holding dangling objects on looped strings. "These were made - along with hundreds of others of the same kind - as a gift for the last princess who visited, but she didn't want them, so Sasuke let us have them." Sakura eyes the objects with renewed interest. "I have no use for these, so you can have them!"
She placed the strings around Sakura's neck. She heard a click and realized they were necklaces. Her minds eye flashed to the one Naruto would wear, and Sakura realized that the gift to her blonde merfriend must have been given to her Mother by someone from Konoha.
"Let's get you out of here now!" squealed the blonde servant. She led Sakura down to the court, where people were socializing. Sakura received a number of odd looks as soon as she walked in; she tried to focus on the wide-eyed surprise on Sasuke's face instead.
That's new, she thought, grinning. He usually tried to hide his emotions.
Almost as soon as she thought it, Sasuke concealed his face again, place his convenient poker face on as he strolled over to greet her.
"I thought I told you my Father doesn't enjoy the company of commoners," he murmured. "You're in clothing resembling that of a gypsy's."
Sakura tilted his head, not understanding what he meant by that.
"Thieves and witches," he said dismissively, running a hand through his hair. Sakura frowned; thieves she understood, but what was wrong with witches?
Chiyo wasn't so bad, after all.
Sasuke took her arm and whispered to her.
"Change of plans; we're leaving in five minutes."
Sakura's startled green eyes met his dark ones.
Why? she thought.
He saw the question in her eyes.
"Visitors in the evening," he said. "The Hyuga sent a courier ahead to tell us they've come to see Father to talk about something."
The way his face darkened when he said Father showed he really didn't really like his 'Father' much. At all, actually.
He took her arm and casually led her to the gardens.
Then he started running, dragging her past the floral arrangements (Sakura was a bit disappointed she wasn't going to be able to admire the plants Ino's family grew and nurtured for the royal family here) and to a wall. He threw his fancy suit-jacket off, revealing a rather plain-looking white shirt underneath. He rolled his trousers up and then kneeled, motioning her over.
"I'm gonna push you up; go over it, don't break anything, and don't be seen," he told her. She nodded. He used his hands to help push her shoe so she could grab the edge of the wall; Sakura mused that the tree growing slightly over the gate would block the guards' view of them, which was probably why Sasuke had chosen this location. She pulled herself up, feeling a last helpful push from Sasuke, and then she swung her legs over, offering her hand. Sasuke took it, pulling slightly for support as he swung his leg up and over the wall. Then he dropped and held his arms out to help (catch; Sakura wasn't nearly as experienced with leg movement as he was) her as she got down. Just when they were beginning to stare at each other, he relinquished her waist from his grip, turning and taking her hand before sprinting; Sakura followed silently, heart pounding.
Surely this is what it feels like to be truly free, she thought, slippers tapping lightly on the dirt as she dashed along behind Sasuke. This is what it feels like to be normal, to not be royal, to be human, to not be bound by anything except your heart.
They ran on. There was a little dirt path they were traveling on; Sasuke was not taking her back to the city, she realized. They were headed for the green things called the forest. Sasuke had pointed them out on their tour of Konoha.
"Those are the trees of the Konohagakure forest," he said, pointing at the tall plants peeking out from behind the walls bordering Sasuke's kingdom.
'Both out worlds aren't so different,' she thought. 'He lives stuck in the air and a gate; I lived stuck in the water and a gate. The only difference is that I can swim; he can't fly.'
"Konoha was founded long ago, and the trees planted and cared for by our first ruler. The common folk say that as long as the trees stand tall, Konoha will be safe from all outside threats. They believe the trees are spirits that protect them and bring them stability and prosperity in their lives."
Sakura nodded in understanding; there were similar tales undersea in regards to mosses hanging on the coral gates of ones house.
"I believe it, too." His murmur caught her off guard. He, a Prince, who surely knew that trees hardly had little effect on political relations, believed in spirits?
He must have seen the question in her eyes, because he shrugged.
"Many civilizations have fallen as the centuries passed." he said. "Ours hasn't. Even dumb luck doesn't hold out forever. Only magic can."
Sakura smiled to herself at his last statement.
'Yeah, magic,' she thought. 'Something so utterly powerful it can't even last a month.'
It was only when the trees towered over her that Sakura realized why Sasuke might believe the trees were alive.
Some were only slightly taller than her, but up close, the vast majority of them were humongous and tall, reaching far higher than Sakura could ever possibly hope to climb. The green leaves cast shadows on the ground, glittering and shifting as sunlight filtered through them and shone on the dirt floor of the forest, the wind ruffling the leaves ever so slightly, making patterns of sunshine fade and morph. Sakura reached out and was surprised to find solid bark under her hand, as opposed to the fluidly flexible stems of most underwater shrubs.
This is the wood they make their ships from, she thought. This is the substance that yields only to ice and conquers even those who shape it.
All she could do was stare in wonder.
"You'd think you'd never seen a tree before," chuckled Sasuke's baritone voice. Sakura looked up. He stood a few feet away, motioning to her. They began to traipse through the forest, feet crunching on the leaves and grass on the forests ground. Sakura heard chirping sounds; she caught the glimpses of colorful birds (unlike the plain seagulls and pelicans that occasionally stole their dinner from Oceanica's waters) and their fluttering wings as they flitted about among the foliage. She heard the light pitter-patter of forest animals running and hopping around, and the rabbits didn't even try to conceal themselves from her and Sasuke.
The deeper in they went, the taller the trees became. Smaller and smaller sprinkles of sunlight dotted the floor, but Sasuke continued going further in, so Sakura followed silently.
Gradually, after what had to have been about an hour, Sakura realized suddenly that the light was growing brighter; she squinted beyond Sasuke and saw that the trees were becoming scarce and shorter, matching the height the trees had been upon entering the vegetation. Sakura became aware of a constant rustling sound; but there was no wind. She put the thought aside; it was getting louder, but it must have been the leaves rustling together.
She did not notice that there was no wind to do such a thing.
Sasuke had taken her on the shortest route through the forest. She wondered where he had brought her, curious now.
She caught up to him at the edge of the foliage and gasped.
Not just because he smirked and took her hand.
But because she had never before seen water cascading down land, water and ground combined and in harmony together.
I thought our worlds never mixed, Sakura thought. We can't walk on land, and they can't breathe underwater. They can't constrict us, and we can't control them. That was the point of the Prophecy, after all. It took a battle and a broken heart to keep our worlds apart.
Her Mother's last words returned to her mind suddenly.
"D-Don't... Lose... Him..."
Maybe there was still a chance. Maybe what had happened in the past was a mistake- maybe their worlds could mix still.
"I thought you might like it."
Sasuke's voice brought her back to reality.
She turned.
There he stood, sunlight dripping off his hair, a grin on his face and the rushing of the falling water connection him forever to her life.
"This is an old waterfall," he said. "It's in legends, but my brother and I are - were - the only ones who knew about it. Now there are three of us." He led her by the hand - the contact was almost searing her, making her heart pound and her fingers tingle with an unidentifiable energy - to the edge of the water, spray from the hard splashes hitting their clothes and faces.
Sakura closed her eyes, the moments here already burning themselves into her consciousness. She opened them and looked at the falling water - a waterfall, a practical and literal name for something that stood for so much more to her - and watched the water hurtle downwards, slamming into the rocks and water below. The water reflected the sunlight and formed a little rainbow stretching out from where it collided with the bottom and arced forwards to the rippling surface water just a few inches away from where she and Sasuke stood.
Her eyes watered.
She fell to her knees, soft, rich grass comfortingly embracing her legs. She let her hands fall to her sides and looked up at the waterfall and cried, tears leaking from her eyes and falling to the dirt and grass, mixing with the water droplets from the waterfall.
"Hey, what...?" Sasuke didn't finish, just kneeled beside her and watched her cry, his hand slowly letting go of hers to rub circles on her back. It was a tentative gesture on his part, a nervous attempt at soothing her, but she was grateful for it.
All this time, she realized. All this time, merfolk have avoided the surface because of humans, and humans need boats to keep themselves distanced from us. But all along, we could have been living together, could have lived cascading down the land and floating in the oceans together, side by side.
Mother's love didn't last.
Sakura looked at Sasuke, his eyebrows being the only giveaway that he was concerned; they furrowed a little, slanted downwards slightly, and immediately his dark eyes locked onto hers.
She was in love with him.
But maybe we can cascade together... Just maybe.
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Sakura had finished crying after some time, and Sasuke and she simply sat there, staring at the waterfall and stealing sideways glances at each other, a contented silence (except for the trees and water and occasional bird) reigning.
Sasuke broke it finally.
"I thought you would like this place because you like water a lot." Sakura nodded, smiling at him, green eyes flecked with the rainbow from the waterfall. "I know you've got more to do with it than you let on."
Sakura ignored the sinking of her stomach.
If he knew, if he had figured it out, then she would not deny it. Sasuke was intelligent and wise, and Sakura would be stupid to try to hide that from him once he already knew.
But maybe he didn't.
"I don't know what it is, exactly," he continued. "Maybe you're some princess from across the sea." He laughed at that; Sakura smiled, inwardly amused. Something like that, she thought back. But he couldn't read minds, so he did not hear that.
"But I don't really care. You're different... From everyone -" Sasuke caught himself. "... From any human on Earth that being I've ever met."
Sakura's heart raced.
He had specified human. He only saw her as a human right now. It didn't surprise her - her blonde locks and lack of a flipper made it difficult for even she herself to specifically see the things that DID make her the mermaid from three days ago.
But he had decided to amend his statement to say human.
Did that mean that she was something special to him even when she was a mermaid? Of course it does, she realized. He wouldn't talk about Naruto like this, even if they got along well. He means other women, not just other people.
A thought struck her: Is he trying to tell me he likes me...?
No, she reasoned. I haven't spent enough time with him for that; he barely recognizes me as a friend; I've still got four more days before he should be falling for me.
But I fell for him in less than that, she thought also. Maybe he fell for me, too...?
"I want you to stay in the castle."
Sakura's heart raced like crazy. This is it, she thought. If he HAS fallen for me, he would tell me tonight or tomorrow.
No, he wouldn't.
Sakura mentally lurched backwards.
What? she thought. I-Inner...? What-
Don't lock yourself behind a door, Sakura. As long as you're still outside of it, I can and will always be able to let myself out. Inner Sakura narrowed her eyes a her perplexed other self. But let me tell you, it was not easy. Don't make me do it again.
But-you-I-
Sakura, listen to me. Her alter ego cut her off, its voice serious and hurried, eyes filled with concern. The Hyuga aren't coming for a social call, she said. There's a reason we saw the shooting stars that night. You've already fallen in love with him, stupid! We have to leave, NOW, before the Hyuga come, or else everything will end horribly for us.
Why? Sakura asked her Inner, skeptical. What's so wrong with Sasuke's family having guests over?
THINK, you idiot! hissed her Inner. What color were Sasuke's eyes when we first locked eyes with him?
Black, she answered without hesitation. Black eyes...
She trailed off as the realization hit her.
That swirled red, finished her Inner. The Uchiha all have red eyes. The eyes from the fire - they belong to someone in Sasuke's family. It's not just Orochimaru who wants to take control of Oceanica, Sakura. Chiyo said land was more dangerous for our kingdom than water. We need to go home. Now. It's not just the Uchiha we need to fear. Sasuke-
"Will you stay?"
Sakura blinked, the inner war raging in her mind coming to a halt before scurrying forward full-throttle.
No! screamed her Inner. We have to leave! If you stay, then tonight, we'll be b-
If I don't stay, Sakura explained to her counterpart, I'll regret it for the rest of my life.
Sakura looked into Sasuke's eyes now.
They did not turn red. They stayed as solid as her decision did.
She nodded with conviction.
You're gonna regret it much more later, replied her Inner in a defeated tone. I tried. I really did. It's not over; tonight, when the Hyuga arrive, we're going to cry for a different reason. Our worlds cannot mix.
We'll see, Sakura replied mentally as she smiled at Sasuke. He returned it with equal enthusiasm, and she detected a hint of relief in it as well. We'll see.
Sakura was not going to worry about the man with the red eyes right now. She was still with Sasuke; she was going to etch these moments into her memory forever, so she would not forget them.
And by tomorrow, I might know if he loves me back.
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AN: Although you probably don't think this chapter counts, it's leading up to the next ones. Inner's return is crucial.
Naruto and Hinata will be back next chapter! Are they going to arrive at Sasuke's castle before the end of the night, or is something going to throw them completely behind schedule? (The latter, of course! XD)
Thanks for all the reviews. More, please! The feedback and insight and questions are so stimulating and interesting, it just makes me really happy! Please keep them coming - I always need feedback, and reviews help encourage me to write!
So yeah. Hope you enjoyed.
Review!