Deeper into the Woods
It was a brilliant day in spring. The clouds stayed motionlessly in the sky. The cherry blossom trees stood silently in the Nara Gardens.
Inside the garden, Temari stood there. She was holding Shikadai's hand; the boy reached his hand up to sky and down to the ground. He just learnt to walk and was trying to experience the world around him.
"Mommy, dirt." He grabbed a full hand of mud. Temari frowned and patted his head with an affectionate smile.
"Look at you, you are all dirty." She crouched down and kissed him on the cheek.
She stood back and up and turned to servants. "Take the young master to bath. Both of you."
The servants nodded and took Shikadai away.
Temari knew where she should be heading. She treaded along the corridors of the mansion. She looked around, and made sure that there was no one. She then entered the study.
In it she saw piles of paper, She searched around, opening cupboards and chests.
Beneath a pile of reports she found the treasure she was looking for.
'Suna Military Report – Confidential' it read. She saw the Konoha military seal on the report. She pondered for a moment, and decided to break the seal anyway.
She decided to look at it.
'Suna City in ruins, not many in sight. Suna Royalty remains unfound; assumed dead or missing. Council decide to move most men back to Konoha, leaving 300 men as patrol, camp at 15 miles Northeast of Suna Capital.'
Temari smiled to herself. This is the information she needed. She grabbed a candle and tried to mend the seal. She managed and tried to put it where she found it. Suddenly, she heard footsteps outside the doors. "Shikamaru-sama is back," she heard. Immediately she hid behind the door and waited until the footsteps subsided. Then she left and sneaked back into her room.
Shikamaru headed towards his study, and he entered. The room was ransacked.
"Find the guards," he demanded. "I want to know who entered my study."
The servants rushed around.
Temari heard footsteps here and there; she took another sip from her porcelain cup. Then she saw him, entering the room with his eyebrows furrowed.
"What is the matter?"
"Someone ransacked my study."
"Oh really? Has anyone got in today?"
"Not sure," he replied, taking a cup of tea and sipped. "It appears that nothing is lost."
"I am glad that nothing is lost."
At least you think nothing is lost, she thought.
Hinata headed to the small country house located at the outskirts of the city. She has received a message from her cousin. Neji does not usually ask to see her, so she was surprised.
She rubbed her temples. She loved the silence of her sedan chair; everyone has been congratulating her lately about the imminent wedding. She was elated, she would not lie; yet she felt empty.
She felt that she had nothing, despite the fact that she have everything.
She is the heiress of one of the greatest clans of Konoha, the daughter of one of the most powerful warlords, and she is the future queen of Konoha.
Yet all of these would not have come if she was a nobody, she only got all these because she is a Hyuga. Nothing more. Even the Prince, if it was not for her name, he would not have agreed to marry her.
She has heard of rumours that the Prince actually loves Sakura Haruno, a Royal Physician and the assistant to Queen Regent Tsunade.
She may have his name, but she would never have his heart.
She sighed as the sedan chair arrived.
She walked in and sat down in the meeting room. Tenten walked in, and nodded at her. "Hinata-san, Neji would be back soon." She placed a cup of tea in front of her. "He went with the servants to get supplies from the market. How stubborn he is, he would not let me go." Hinata noticed that Tenten was carrying something with a strap behind her back.
"Is that your child, Tenten-san?"
"Yes!" Tenten untied and held the child in her arms.
Hinata stood up and took a look at the child. She had short dark hair, her eyes milky like Neji's; she looked at Hinata and smiled.
"She is most adorable," she smiled.
Neji walked into the room. "Hinata-sama," he nodded. Then he walked towards Tenten, and touched the child's face. He looked at the two of them affectionately.
Tenten nodded and left the room with the baby.
"Nii-san, you wish to see me?" Hinata smiled.
Neji nodded. "It was gracious of you to come and see me," he replied.
"You have a lovely child, what is her name?"
"Neiko, Tenten insisted naming her after me."
"I see." She smiled again.
She would not deny the fact that the picture she just saw made her feel jealous.
The way Neji looked at Tenten and their child, she has never seen him act in this way.
"Hinata-sama, there is something I must inform you."
"Yes?" She snapped out of her thoughts and looked at him.
He stared at her sternly with his white eyes.
"You must protect the Prince from your father."
"Excuse me? But my father is the general of the Kingdom-"
"You must listen to me, Hinata-sama. Hizashi-sama is plotting to seize more power. I have no proof, but he intended to overthrow the Prince if he would not allow him to. Naruto-sama would never allow him to, your father would kill him.
As a daughter you have to be loyal to the family, but more importantly you must be loyal to your Kingdom."
"Nii-san, with all due respect," she replied, her lips trembling. "All these allegations are quite monstrous to believe."
"I understand," Neji nodded. "But please, do everything you can to assist the Prince and warn him if you must."
Hinata stood up and nodded at him. "I would need to digest what you have told me. Thank you for the meeting Nii-san."
"It has been nice talking to you, Hinata-sama."
She walked slowly, each step she took was heavy as stone.
Sakura Haruno was staring out of her window in the Royal Medical Towers.
She had treated several patients today and she was just waiting for him to pass by.
And then she saw him, Sasuke Uchiha. He led a group of Royal Guards, and patrolled the palace. She tried to wave at him as he looked up, but he replied with a cold stare and a smug-looking face.
She sighed. It was her desire to marry him, she had been waiting quietly for a proposal with the red-fan seal of the Uchiha.
That day had yet to come.
On the other hand, Sasuke headed to the Drunken Moon Manor.
"I am looking for Mina." He told the women standing at the door.
"But sir, Mina does not-" He stared at them coldly.
"I know what she does not do," he replied. "Just find her for me, I shall wait in the rooms." He shoved a piece of gold in both of their hands.
He then headed to his usual room. He poured himself a cup of sake as he waited.
Cup after cup, the lady he was waiting for finally arrived.
Mina looked at him with her phoenix-like dark eyes. She smiled and sat down.
He looked at her and soothed her sleek black hair.
"What is it today,sir?"
She had this peculiar relationship with him. He came here and visit her, drinking with her. He never touched her overly. It is as if he seeked her companionship.
She knew who he was, that he was orphaned at a young age and was raised with the Prince.
"Drink with me, Mina." He poured her a cup of sake. He started to look tipsy.
She obliged and empty the cup. "You have had one too many today, Sasuke."
He looked at her, with his eyes now red. He had told her of this godly mutation of his, that his eyes would turn red when they are in battle or in rage.
He uttered no sound, and seized her by her waist. She gasped and shook him, but he was bewildered. He threw her onto the bed and began to tore off her kimono. She was in shock, but she stared coldly into his red eyes.
Then suddenly he stopped.
In front of him was the sleek body of a woman, that was slashed twice with a katana at the back. The scar made a cross on her back.
He stopped, sitting beside her. She laid facedown, emotionless.
"Who did this to you?" He whispered and soothed her scar.
The cold tip of his fingers met her scarred skin. She shivered.
"May I be dressed first?" She asked. Sasuke placed his cloak upon her, drawing her closer to him.
"I was about nine," she began, her eyelids fluttered like the wing of the butterfly.
"My father owned money to the Akatsuki, they came one day, and set our house on fire. One of them, just like you, with fiery red eyes. He came and slashed my father, then my mother, then my siblings. I was the last one."
She remembered that day.
It was an inferno everywhere, everything she saw was bright and hot.
He approached her, he looked her in the eye.
She saw a slight glint of hesitant. His face was gashed at both side of his nose. He stared at her, she was frightened and turned her back at him.
"I will come for you," she saw he mouthed, before he slashed her with his katana.
Then he left her outside the house, after he shoved a pill into her mouth.
"That was all I remember," she said. "You remind me of him."
Sasuke's face turned cold. "I know him all too well."
"Why is that?"
"He was my brother," he gritted his teeth. "Before he killed my entire family."
Gaara stood in front of his men, dressed in the best clothes he could find. Yukihanu stood by his side, she changed her furs into the traditional Suna bridal gown the Suna women sewn for her. The crowd stood in front of them, anticipating. The priest took a breath and held their hands together.
"In the name of gods and ancestors, I bound you, Gaara of the Sand and Yukihanu, Snow Lily of Tensen to be man and wife."
Gaara and Yukihanu held their hands together and the priest tied their hands together. The man cheered them on as they headed into Gaara's tent.
"My lady," he said, and lied down on the goatskins he laid down on the floor. The feast outside was continuing, the fact that his people are having fun was satisfying.
"Why do you not lay with me, husband?" Yukihanu removed her gowns, her naked body flashed in front of Gaara.
Then she moved towards Gaara; he froze. "I had not sleep for a long while. I hope to."
"This is our wedding night," Yukihanu smiled. "I have scryed for you today. We would have children, lots of them. That is if, we do the deed."
She slowly removed his garments.
"You would not want to, I am a monster."
"We all are monsters." She silenced him with her lips on his.
Temari was reading with Shikadai one day in the mansion.
"Horse, cow."
Shikadai replied.
"Now say it this way: horse, cow." She spoke in Sunanian.
He replied accordingly. She knew that he was an intelligent boy.
She smiled and patted his head.
"Temari." Shikamaru entered the room and was embraced by his son. "Papa!"
"You are early." She smiled and kissed him.
"I have brought you a gift. You shall see it later, but first, we want to you to meet someone."
Temari looked at him suspiciously as he held her hand and led her to the main living room.
"Ah Temari, you are here." Shikaku said. "There is someone we would like you to meet."
"Temari-san, it is a pleasure." She whimpered, and nodded.
Temari thought she saw a glint behind her swirly glasses.
"Oh yes, what a pleasure would it be, Shiho-san." She smiled.
There is no way out of the woods now, she must go deeper.
Author's note:
This is the new chapter! More plot lines coming.
Stay tuned!
V.S.V