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Chapter 10

She adjusted the semi-too-tight obi positioned around her waist; it had been a long time since she had to wear imperial clothing. She found that she liked it no better then she had before. The long robes prohibited free movement, the long sleeves heavy and too decorative. Her hair put up nicely with several ornery senbon made to look like high class jewelry made her head pound, and the hair extensions made all of it that much more painful. She didn't like the weight that they gave her, she never had, but alas it was just another one of those requirements no one was allowed to go in without, as a lady of the highest class you always looked your best.

She looked over at an at-ease standing Itachi, his robes falling over his frame in a free and easy fashion, she had to envy the lightness of those clothes, and the lack of complication that made hers so damn suffocating. It was one of those things that made her wish she weren't a girl. He looked at her and smirked, it made her flame up. As if he knew what it was like! She knew he was making fun of her, dressing in all of this useless finery while he merely wore a noble's suit with his emblem sewn on the back with the finest thread. Men luckily didn't have to wear jewelry and she was envious for it. He held out his arm in almost mock respect, as she also affixed the veil that hid her face-it was not time for them to know her true face yet, there were many options she would have to exploit before that happened. That was beside the point, oh how she wanted to stuff him in a dress like this and then have him tell her that it was fine!

"Uncomfortable Ma-Cherie?" he asked in an almost too caring voice that made her knew he felt no sympathy for her. It seemed that Weasel dear was getting back at her for all the times she brought up his past. Well she would show him. "Of course that is if"-she stamped on his foot as hard as she could, causing a sound grunt to issue from him. "You are. Weasel dear" She finished sweetly. She watched in happy amusement as he shot her a glare in her direction before it smoothed out. Turning to the people behind her who couldn't help but gawk at the scene she told them. "Ok, remember your roles, you're my acquaintances on my lands where I've supposedly been at for the last couple of months, if you have any questions I'll introduce you to my elite team of ANBU here."

Properly closing their jaws they nodded in reassurance. She turned and put a delicate hand on Itachis outstretched arm, they were going to walk down the hallway to the court room antechamber where they would be formally received by the Fire Lord. She wondered how much it had changed. She looked down at her kimono closing her eyes for a moment fully donning the mask of Lady Haruno. On cue the tatami doors were opened just on time by the servants of the palace. At that moment she looked up ahead ready to face anything.

Itachi walked in pace with her as they followed the fan bearers who led the way for them even though she already knew the way. Formal greetings were bedecked with extravagance even thought the Fire Lord knew very well that she didn't like such frippery. They were led to grand doors that indicated the court room. "Announcing Lady Haruno and Company." She heard slightly muffled through the door, she squared her shoulders even more, and held her head high, ready for anything, ready to throw herself into the potential political shredder, for her beliefs, and for herself.

They walked forward into the ante chamber the veil slightly obstructing her view but she could see well enough to distinguish faces, none could see hers unless at a very close range, even so they gasped in amazement. The effect she wanted she needed to remind them who exactly pulls the country together. She made her way down the aisle past the nobles that sat on either side of her their fans blocking all but their fans, but she knew that they were awed.

She was the Lady Haruno they had wanted to see and here she was, despite the covered face her freely hanging hair at the back was a big clue to who she was. She knelt at the altar before her sovereign and semi-friend Itachi, and her little group of nin behind her. She gave enough of a bow to match his station, and sort of as if she was bowing to someone akin to a son. She considered him her child of sorts, since she was the one who directed many of his doings. "It has been a while Lady Haruno, how are your lands?" She waited for the appropriate time before responding, "Very well My Lord, however certain circumstances have made me come here before I could finish a big project." She saw him slightly stiffen. Like a child caught taking something he shouldn't have.

"I have heard that Lady Sururi has passed away and your new consort is Lady Kumu… That was rather fast wasn't it?" she asked offhandedly as if a mother were scolding a child. It was a low blow but it was necessary for the break down between the two of them, the more time he spent with the little harpy the harder it would be to separate them without mentally damaging him further. She knew that no one would dare to speak against her here. She knew that here they were too afraid to speak out against her. More than one person has disappeared because they had spoken out against her. She looked up at him, beside him sat Kumu, not shaking even once, as if she really the Fire Lord's wife. Sakura would show this little country hick what it was like to really politically fight.

Sakura stood before them, "Lady, Kumu-if that is what you still are, and I've heard many rumors about your loose behavior. I do not accept you as the Fire Lord's consort as the Head Advisor, and one who has been approved by his parents in the country to take care of him, I will not accept you unless you prove yourself worthy. Do you accept? Or will you decline?" She watched, as the younger girl turned red, "How dare you! You lowly peasant girl! I shoul-" Sakura snapped her fan so loudly that the girl visibly flinched. "A Lady should never shout, she should always keep her calm in tense matters for she is the neck that turns the husbands head in the right direction. A test you have just failed, Kumu. What ungraceful conduct." The girl turned white then silenced wisely choosing to shut up.

She should have known that even when insulted a lady would never speak up, merely using quiet words to tear the enemy apart. Something that Kumu was not, Kumu was a young country hick who had walked into the imperial palace thinking she could take it over without any problems. Had she been wrong, Sakura had cut off every exit for the girl to progress any further the moment she spoke against Sakura, and like anyone who valued her position she held a grudge that was almost impossible to dissuade.

She eyed the Fire Lord who had a shocked expression on his face. It seems that he too had forgotten what it was like to have her watching over him, a lesson he wouldn't soon forget. After a moment of shock she continued. "We have much to speak about my Lord. I have heard many things of the happenings of the court. It seems that you have underestimated my network you were foolish to ever think that I don't know anything inside of these walls that are happening, or have you forgotten the reason why you and your parents had recruited me?" It was a silent message to all those here that she was always watching no matter how far away she knew what was happening. The Fire Lord looked at her with steady eyes, before she saw them see through reason, he was beginning to break.

"Did I do anything wrong that you had to exclude me from your life my Lord? Why was I not notified of Sururi's death?" She said it with barely any emotion, but she knew he understood the emotions that she held in. although she regretted her friend's death, she knew it was a casualty of war. He knew that Sururi was her friend as well, and she was playing on that sympathy. "I am sorry Lady Haruno." He said his voice raw and choking. "She was my friend as well, my Lord I wanted to at least know from you the person she loved the most. Yet, I hear it from one of my servants as a passing rumor." She watched as his face came close to crumpling.

He was beginning to feel the guilt and he was putty in her hands. She watched as Kumu realized the ground she was losing, the ground she had built up after many months were being torn down within moments. The stupid girl didn't know how to even keep him from grieving, and Kumu was beginning to see that to the Fire Lord she was nothing but a comfort tissue ready to discard at any time. It was cruel, but it was justified. To Sakura Sururi was the one companion she could count on in anything, and she would do her damndest that the love of her life would at least get with the right woman. The likes of Kumu could never replace such a brave-hearted magnificent woman such as Sururi.

"My Lord?" the girl asked leaning in closer to him. Sakura watched in satisfaction as he took one look at her and crumpled. The revulsion and regret that played in his eyes, made her want to take back that move, but she knew that this was for the best; a clean cut meant a clean heal. She gestured to the servants and nobles directing them hurrying them out before he cried in front of them, "No one is allowed back in here without my permission." She told them she also nodded to Itachi and the others. Here they were not welcome to see one of their Lord's more weak moments. It was something as one of his last standing friends in the court could do.

When they left she showered him with comfort, she came up to him to hug him and whispered reassuringly like a mother that, men didn't cry in front of others. Together they mourned together. She dried his tears with her kimono sleeves. "Don't worry I am here." She told him as a friend could only. "She's dead, I can't believe she's gone!" he held onto her as if she were his last life line. It hadn't been the last time she had seen him cry and she knew that it would not be the last. She was like his mother, although she was roughly around two years younger than him. She took off his hat and ran her fingers through his hair as he cried on her shoulder.

"I'm sorry I wasn't here to be your strength my Lord. She meant so much to us both." Sururi really did, his tears reminded her of why she had set off to Konoha in the first place. She had gotten side tracked hadn't she? How could she forget how fragile he had been without Sururi to be his steel will? "As I have said my Lord I have heard many things in the court room. Is it true that the Bakufu and the Shinsengumi are moving? Are the Akatsuki apart of their plan?" After taking a few moments to compose himself, he sighed, and nodded. "Is it true that the court also wants me to marry?" he flinched, "I am sorry I had wanted to stop them but…" he had been taken advantage of. "Don't worry. I already have someone in mind for that position."

Sadness gone, he turned to her. "It seems that even someone like me can find love My Lord." He lifted the veil to see her genuine smile. He smiled at her, it was a bit of a broken smile, but a Fire Lord was made of tougher stuff. Circumstances made it so you had to move on quickly through things, especially in court. "So the Celestial maiden has finally touched down has she?" he asked in a joking voice, mentioning one of her names in the court, as someone who was detached and inhuman. "I brought him with me if you would like to meet him." She told him, business could wait later, right now the best thing to do for her Lord was to make everything as gay as possible.

"Yes! It is a joyous occasion! Show him to me!" She smiled at him before pulling down her veil and then placing his hat back atop his head. She knew that inside he was still grieving, but now it was manageable. "Lady Haruno?" he said to her as she went to open the doors. She turned to him in slight question keeping her regal bearing as if she were a queen. "Welcome home." Sakura bowed and then turned to open the double doors to call everyone in. they had been kept long enough.

~(Itachi)~

He leaned against a pillar right outside of the antechamber in the waiting room, where many other nobles mingle mixed and gossiped about their little group. Kakashi leaned against the pillar as well in finery a rogue and careless manner that suited him reading a book, Itachi knew the cover was a fake, and Kakashi was reading his poor excuse of literature. Naruto was shifting subtly from side to side, nervous of his surroundings, while his brother stood there looking out the window ignoring any longing glances sent his way, like every girl there did at the moment gossiping among themselves.

Itachi snubbed them deciding that none of them were not worthy of his glances, only one woman was worthy of that. He turned his head to the door as he felt her chakra approach. It felt considerably lighter than before when she was grilling Kumu, along with him, the group looked to the doors the moment Sakura began to open them. He made his move, in three strides he was before her. "The Fire Lord says you may enter now." Her voice was mellow and soothing as if talking to a panicked horse and the verge of getting loose-much how the nobles were at the moment.

One by one, they entered their curious glances in their direction, as Sakura stayed behind, "He will meet with you now." She took his arm, and he knew that the other three would follow. She brought them up to the altar as if it were déjà vu as if the scene were repeating itself. "I apologize to the court and my Lord for upsetting you. Another reason why I wanted to come back was to surprise you all with m engagement." Many gasped an explosion of sound and shocked gossip rang through the hall, Itachi stepped forward.

"This is him my Lord." Sakura said to the man on the dais proudly. "Meet, Uchiha Itachi, my intended." Itachi executed a perfect bow. "I am honored to finally meet the Lord my beloved had been talking about." "Rise." The man said in a considerably stronger voice than before, Itachi stood before the man measuring him, the way Sakura had treated him, made Itachi feel a bit of rivalry between the man and himself, and emotion he had never been used to feeling. He knew that the Fire Lord would occupy her time, leaving less for him. It was jealousy, but it was human and true. It worried him that Sakura might fall for him, for all of the affection she held for the lord.

In his mind it looked more like a parent child relationship, even so… "You must be quite the man to have Lady Haruno dragon of the court fall for you Lord Itachi." Itachi inclined his head slightly. He saw a small flash of teasing rivalry in the other mans eyes. It seemed that the Fire Lord was extremely possessive as well. Itachi began to wonder how Sakura seemed to find the craziest people aside from himself. Then again that was the sort of person she was, not only that but she was ten other people, and it obscured her true form. Itachi had long made it his mission to find out who she was.

Before Itachi could reply, Sakura cut in, "Now! I wouldn't want to interrupt your little standoff, between my intended, but, my Lord must meet my other acquaintances. Uchiha, Sasuke. Uzumaki, Naruto and Hatake, Kakashi." They looked at each other for a moment longer before the Fire Lord broke his gaze and looked at the three who bowed and introduced themselves. Itachi felt the prickly touch of lightning cross between the two of them. He had a distinct feeling that they wouldn't get along with each other. He wanted to sigh, wondering when he had been this accepting of things that weren't on his terms.

Introductions over, Sakura asked them to mingle with the crowd. Itachi watched longingly as she climbed up the dais to talk to the Fire Lord. He saw a glint in the other man's eyes that he didn't like. Sighing inwardly he led the other men into the waiting and curious crowd of nobles. After introduction after introduction, Itachi found himself face to face with the Kumu woman. He looked her over wondering what was so special about her for the Fire Lord to fall for her charms. True she had a pretty face, her big brown eyes, and sensual lips said a lot. To Itachi however it didn't make up for the fact that this woman's head was filled with next to nothing except for ambition, and no means to carry it out.

He could see it in those slow calculating eyes. He could see himself falling for her triacks, if he had been dumber then a rock, and extremely inebriated. Even when she was trying to charm him he felt the crawling sensation of something creeping on his skin. Disgust ran through him in waves, he flashed a quick look at their companions who were for the most part making their way through their conversations. It seemed that Itachi had no escape from this particular encounter. Oh, well since this woman wasn't smart enough she had to have someone pulling the strings behind her and would have to figure out eventually. He turned back to her, as she smiled up at him through her fan.

"Lady Kumu. I believe. " He stated to her, in that instant he saw the moment most woman like her did when he said their name. It was the instantaneous reaction of falling in love with him. As conceited as it was it was true. "A pleasure to meet you Uchiha-sama. It honors me for you to know my name."

Mwahahaha evil cliff hanger! New update! XD sigh why is this story the only one coming in a relative roll? XD!

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To my anonymous reviewers!

To angel897:
Will do thanks! XD

To Bassoongirl:
Lol thanks! I'm glad I've made a Sakura no one hates. After all who doesn't like a self assured kick ass heroine? XD thanks for reading!