Five. Six. Seven. Eight. Nine. Ten. One. Two. Three…
With every passing second, the numbers grew louder in her empty mind, the sound of the water drops somewhere in the dingy prison echoing her count.
It had felt like ages since she had been imprisoned. Her consciousness had been fading in and out much more frequently, even when she tried to force her eyelids open. She had no idea exactly how many days had passed, both day and night felt the same to her. Her routine in the prison had been the same, her torture constant, and they aimed to break her mentally as well. Her meal only consisted of a small bowl of plain, stale rice which was sometimes purposely kicked and spilt onto the cement ground.
Sakura had grown to learn that there were only a few ways how the prisoners here ended up; they either met with death early or became unhinged before they could, and she could slowly understand why. She wanted nothing more than to give in to the darkness that was creeping into the corners of her mind, but she fought it. Numbers were the only things that were keeping her grounded, and the memories of better days to keep her hoping to see the sky again soon.
She lay on her back on the rough straw mattress provided, ignoring the screaming pain of her broken, bleeding skin. She blinked her emerald eyes, vision adjusting to the night sky. There were no stars in sight that night, all hidden behind dark clouds. She let out a breath, watching the air above her condense into wisps smoke that escaped from her lips before fading. Ah, winter was approaching.
Her tolerance had reached the point where it was much bearable as it was merely numb when she wasn't moving, but the instance she shifted an arm or a shoulder, the action would send thousands of pins through her nerves and through her entire body. So, she chose not to move anymore, not really. Everything had hurt even more when she shifted her body, and so the guards would proceed to drag her out from and toss her back into her cell like a rag doll.
Coughing, she felt the action send jolts of pain throughout her lungs and up her spine. She hissed and wanted to cry out as a release, but realised that her throat was parched and no voice could escape her lips without scratching her throat raw than it already was.
Sighing, she gritted her teeth to endure the pain and rolled herself over, wheezing helplessly. Dark spots were creeping into her vision, and she could feel herself slipping from the world again. The ringing sound in her ears slowly faded away only to be replaced by low voices talking nearby. Shifting her glance, she managed to see the shadow cast by a tall, lean silhouette standing near the bars of the cell next to hers.
"But… How..."
"No… save..."
Whoever they were, they spoke in hushed voices, yet her ears managed to pick up one last muffled sentence before she succumbed to the darkness that had enveloped itself around her mind once more.
"We'll have to leave her. Save ourselves."
.
The winter that horrible year had been much more bitter than usual, the cold had mercilessly bit at her skin. They had nothing, all their wealth and fortune gone in an instant, swallowed by a blazing fire.
"Where are we going, sister?" a young girl panted as she tried her best to keep up with her older sister's larger strides. Her dusty-rose coloured hair was secured tightly under a wool cap, one of the few remaining luxuries they had left. Her emerald green eyes shifted up to fix upon her sister's anxious face, a cloud of breath visible with every exhale.
They had been on the run for about a few hours now. The sky had been dark when they had fled their burning home and it was starting to grow lighter by the minute, the sun rising in the horizon. They had reached a remote area, only a white blanket of snow filled their vision except for the hidden dirt path and a forest of half-barren trees.
Her older sister, who was much the opposite of her in terms of looks, arched her neck to look behind them once more, amber eyes tired but still vigilant. When she perceived no immediate threat at the moment, she allowed their footsteps to slow down to a halt and both slumped to the ground, resting their aching feet.
"Hush," she said gently, fixing her younger sibling's scarf. "We have to go far away from here."
"Why?"
The young child could not comprehend the sudden turn of events. Just less than two days ago, they were living happily in their warm home, watching the first snowfall; now they had barely escaped the fire that engulfed their home with their lives, separated from their parents. Her childish mind could not understand, and her older sister did not expect nor wanted her to. She didn't want to expose the younger girl to the horrors of the world of politics, that would shatter the world the 10-year-old had grown to know and love.
Pressing her lips tightly together, she answered gently, "Because we've lost our house in the fire, Saki. We need to find a new place to live."
There was an echo of voices in a distance which sent the older girl into a sudden panic and she was immediately on her feet, pulling the child up with her. Gripping her younger sibling's wrist tightly, she tugged her up onto her back, amber eyes wide as she ordered, "Remember, be quiet."
She swiftly made her way through the piled snow, derailing from the main path and choosing to slink into the cover of the trees instead.
The whole scene after that passed in a blur. The young rosette only distinctly remembered the warm back of her older sister, the safety she felt in her firm grip and a vibrant shade of blue comparable to the ocean in contrast to their soot-covered plain clothes. Screams, shouts, and a blackout later, she groggily opened her eyes to see a familiar hill in a distance.
"S-Sister…?" she called weakly.
"I'm here."
The young child lifted her head to see a pair of tear-filled amber eyes looking down at her. She was currently lying in the older girl's warm embrace, and could see a trickle of blood running down the latter's pale forehead along with a few bruises peppering her porcelain skin.
"You're bleeding!" she said, horrified.
The teenager shook her head. "This is nothing. Are you feeling better?" she pressed a hand to her younger sister's forehead that was coated by a sheen of cold sweat. "Your fever seems to have subsided a little. I'm really sorry," she wheezed, desperation written all over her beautiful face. "But we have to keep going."
"I... Let's go." The young girl sniffed. While she was a mere child, she could sense her older sister's distress. Never once had she seen her older sister not composed, and she wasn't about to add herself to the older girl's worries.
Her emerald eyes shifted to the currently barren tree that stood atop the tall hill, its wide branches void of the familiar pink petals since she last saw it. An image of a young boy flashed across her mind, their promise of meeting again every spring under the tree. The hill, the tree... which means that they were near the place where she had sent him off the last time.
"Are we near the borders?" she muttered, her mind only half-awake.
"Yes." She could hear the surprise in her sister's tone when she recognised their surroundings, and the underlying amusement even in their dire situation. "But we won't be crossing it," came the reply before she felt herself being carried once more. She snuggled her cheek against the warm back. "They'll expect us to, so..."
The last part of the older sister's words meant to be for herself, as the 10-year-old child didn't and wouldn't understand who 'they' were. The teenager took a sharp turn at a fork in the path just before the road to the top of the hill, and after going down the winding path, the siblings reaching a small town that was bustling with life.
"We'll be safe soon."
If she were older, more perceptive and not in her blurry state, she probably would've caught onto her sister's panic-laced tone. Instead, she merely mumbled happily at the prospect of finally returning to a home, one that she didn't know no longer existed.
"Shit. They're here."
And with a last game of hide-and-seek, 9-and-almost-10-year-old Sakura was left all alone, without the knowledge of the entire ordeal or if her family managed to survive the aftermath. When the weather warmed and the snow melted into spring that year, her coherence brought tears to her emerald green eyes. The period of her life would remain a blur, only containing a myriad of colours and hushed words, as she had lived through it in a traumatic fever-induced state. She no longer knew who her family was, who her sister was.
Spring, where the last time was still warm with everyone by my side.
.
Sasuke was making his way towards the prison, the gears of his mind haven't stopped turning since the trial. Naruto had barged into his quarters uninvited one too many times, demanding he stop brooding and instead just stride in and rescue her. He had merely growled and kicked the blond out, striding in wouldn't save her permanently.
Her and Ino's execution were to be handed down that weekend, which was two days away, after almost a week of pestering from the Uzumaki and other clans. Live or die, once it was decided in two days, there was no escaping that fate. If they lived, they would probably be demoted to hard labour in the palace and if they were sentenced to death, then it was the end.
"To prevent further danger from occurring once more, they must die." The redheads of the Uzumaki had demanded relentlessly, giving the Emperor such a headache that he agreed to give his verdict by the weekend.
Karin had woken up a day after Sakura and Ino had been thrown into prison, and Sasuke had been there to see her crimson eyes flutter open. He had reached over to her side to prevent her from falling off her bed when she tried to reach out to him upon laying her ruby eyes on him. He was somewhat responsible for the incident, and thus had been visiting in the afternoons following the incident. The redheaded woman had wrapped her arms around him when she first woke up, sobbing in his embrace.
"I was afraid I'd never see you again," she had whispered. "I'm so glad you're here."
The raven-haired prince could only pat her back in attempt to soothe her distress. After all, she was still his childhood friend, and one that had just slipped past death's fingertips. He had sent men to summon Nagato Uzumaki and left the quarters after the older man arrived, closing the doors behind him to give the father and daughter some privacy. He was guessing that she'd probably already heard about the possible execution of the two young women from her father, although she didn't mention anything about it after.
Upon reaching the prison, he heard the usual cries, but there was one unusual one that caught his attention immediately. It was a woman's voice, and the hurt laced in her pleas were raw. They weren't from physical pain, in fact, it was one that sent daggers to his heart with every renewed sob.
Frowning, he rounded the corner and hid behind the wall before descending the last few steps, enabling him to see Sakura and Ino's cell but they couldn't spot him from their angle. He was surprised to see his rose-haired companion awake, since she hadn't been whenever he visited. But that was not it.
The most surprising part of the sight that greeted him was Shikamaru standing outside their cells, Ino tucked in his arms with him as her support. The blonde wasn't in a good condition as well, her legs weak and trembling from the lack of meals and torturous sessions the guards would put them through. Her lip was split and pale, the red a stark contrast. Her blonde hair a tangled mess, dirt matting her fair skin. She looked like she had been through hell, and considering their situation, that was most probably it.
They stood outside Sakura's cell and she was currently looking up at them from her sprawled figure on the floor, bleeding fingers curled around the bars. It looked to Sasuke as if she exerted a lot of effort with that small action, the pants that escaped her lips were staggered and her hands were trembling.
"Ino, just... just why…?" Sakura rasped, eyes wide in hurt.
"I'm sorry," Ino said, not explaining further. Her ice-blue eyes met Sakura's emerald ones but she was masking her expression well, both women separated by a set of iron bars. Her voice came out coarse and choked, none of her usual pride in it. "Shikamaru can't get involved any more than he already is. He can't be."
"Involved?"
"He can't save you too, or he'll be too deeply tangled in this," Ino merely stated, looking at the Prince beside her who had averted his gaze guiltily. "I'm sorry."
"I'm sorry, Sakura," Shikamaru echoed in a quiet murmur. "You were just unlucky to be in the wrong place at the wrong time." Ino swayed on her feet right then, vision slowly turning black and he noticed at once, wrapping his arms around her shoulders firmly but careful not to harm any of her wounds.
"Wait!" Sakura shouted and had a violent coughing fit after. She was close to tears, her voice shaky. "Y-you… You said we would leave together..."
From Sasuke's angle, he could see the blonde's brows furrowing under the dim light, face angled away from the rosette's view. "I'm sorry, Sakura. Kindness would cost you, like it costed me to help you. I told you, you're too kind to be here."
"Ino, please… help me..."
"Be the good girl you are, would you?" Ino gritted out. Shikamaru's grip on her arms tightened, worried that she might fall any moment. She patted his arm reassuringly, not wanting to worry him further. She nudged for him to lead them out, which he complied. She shut her eyes, apologising to Sakura repeatedly in her mind.
Shikamaru's seat was her top priority. She had to make sure that he didn't get into further trouble than he already was in for saving her. As much as she wanted to save her friend, she had promised to aid her childhood friend. Regret plagued her as she did her best to avoid the Sakura's eye contact and she knew she was being as much of a hypocrite as the Emperor.
Sakura, on the other hand, had visibly flinched at her former friend's words. She was silent as her emerald eyes watched, thoughts racing through her mind. As if she had lost the fight in her, she deflated and retreated silently, sinking back into the shadows of her cell. She didn't think that such drastic changes would happen to them when it seemed like they were chatting animatedly about everything not too long ago. Was this what everyone meant by the palace being a dangerous and selfish place? The petal-haired woman didn't know. Honestly, she was just feeling very tired.
Ino and Shikamaru took it as their cue to leave, leaving behind a last quiet whisper of an apology. When the pair rounded the corner of the stairs, they encountered Sasuke who met their gaze emotionlessly.
Ino's ice-blue eyes widened as she was about to say something, but she darted a quick gaze at the Prince beside her and decided not to. She merely bowed stiffly and allowed the brown-haired prince to escort her out, both sparing no glance backwards at the Fourth Prince.
Sasuke stood fixed in place even after they had long gone. He didn't know why, but he didn't go visit Sakura after that like he intended to. Shikamaru had somehow managed to prove Ino innocent, probably by meeting with the Emperor personally and justifying the pouch. However, by doing so he had probably settled a few terms with the Emperor in exchange and even put himself in jeopardy of being accused, displaying a weak spot for the wolves that were currently visiting and lurking.
The raven-haired man understood Ino's spot. Like the Emperor, she had sacrificed her friendship with Sakura for her loyalty – a life for the so-called bigger picture. Clenching his fist, he turned around and left the prison, expression hard. Sakura was currently his only means of support; and he had to do something as well. But, there was nothing he could offer as an exchange as he was.
Judgement day arrived soon enough, two daybreaks after Sakura truly basked in the solitary of the cell, gone was her support from the other side of the wall, with only the faint light and the pattering of rats' feet to keep her senses going. For two days, she breathed and blinked, never really moving, fading in and out of consciousness.
Emerald eyes blinked as she stared at the moulding bricks, hoping to see the night sky beyond them, the day before she was to hear her sentence. If there is a God, she prayed feebly, the words barely forming a mutter on her lips. Let me live to see those stars tomorrow night. If her head didn't roll tomorrow and she was cast back into the prison, she was sure it wouldn't take long for her mind to break from the isolation and the pain.
Emperor Jiraiya sat in his seat, dark eyes scanning the maid that was kneeling in the middle of the Grand Hall, right in front of him and under the scrutiny of the others in the Hall. He could only refrain from gritting his teeth, and resorted to pressing his lips tightly together. There wasn't much that could be said about the prison's torture sessions, he had tried all he could to enforce rules but there had been no change. He observed the young woman carefully, and saw that she was different from her trial before.
She was battered and bruised, her bloodied legs could barely support her weight when she was brought in. The prison guards clearly did not even bother to control their strength. Her cheeks were hollow, her skin a ghastly, sickly pale. She looked more jaded, he noted, as her emerald eyes merely stared emptily.
He turned to the raven-haired prince that was standing at a side, observing the scene with a nonchalant look plastered on his face. Sasuke had met with him the day before to plead him to not kill off Sakura, although his pleas were masked behind strong and cold-hearted facts. He had expressed his regrets at his lack of ability in watching over his own maid, and had made valid points in the presence of other ministers. He argued about how being alive would be more torturous than killing her off and that as long as she was alive, they could make her repent her sins.
Albeit heartless words, Jiraiya could see clearly that Sasuke's intention was mainly to save her from the clutches of death.
Shikamaru had met with him as well upon his rushed return. He began defending Ino fiercely, and saying how the pouches were provided by him to her. He had protested her arrest, and proved her innocence by tangling himself into the matters. Indeed though, there were conditions for Shikamaru to abide to if Ino were to be spared and the brown-haired prince had begrudgingly agreed. After a meeting and upon mutual agreement of all parties involved including his Grand Council, Jiraiya had allowed the blonde woman to be freed.
"Sakura." The Emperor cleared his throat, silencing the chatter in the hall. The young woman lifted her head, meeting his eyes. "While your punishment for your crimes is to be sentenced to death, I have decided to be kind."
Murmurs erupted as Nagato stood forward, prepared to protest, only to be silenced by a raise of the Emperor's hand.
"You are lucky that Lady Karin of the Uzumaki is now awake. Death is an easy punishment, over within a blink of an eye. Since a life was not loss, I have decided to allow you a chance to repent and let you live. However, from this day forth, you are no longer Prince Sasuke's personal maid, but a maid in the Back Palace for the consorts."
Sakura's emerald eyes were filled with sorrow. She bowed, her gaze not wavering. "I thank you for your benevolence, Your Majesty," she whispered. "Thank you for your kindness." If there is a God, perhaps it is now I thank you. For letting me see the stars of tonight.
Sasuke let out a small sigh of relief, unnoticeable to others. As long it wasn't a death sentence, her life could still be changed. He had felt the guilt gnaw at him the moment she entered the Hall. There was none of her usual exuberance and shine, in her place was a woman so haggard and broken she was hardly recognisable.
"Dismissed." The Emperor announced as he stood up from the throne. He left the Grand Hall immediately, his dress robes billowing behind him.
As Sakura was carried out and sent to pack her things to move to the area of the Back Palace, two people were conversing nearby that area as well. From an outsider's point of view, they merely looked like they crossed paths and were exchanging pleasantries. However, if one had edged nearer to pay attention, the contents of their conversation were rather scandalous from beginning to end.
"I didn't think you would work so well."
A woman entered the shadow of the trees, a parasol in her hands, shielding her fair skin from the harsh sunlight. In front of her, a man sat by the foot of a large tree facing the slow river, leisurely tossing a stone in his hand. He inclined his head towards her and gave her a wry smile. Both had dismissed their servants prior to the 'coincidental' meeting, giving an excuse about wanting to be alone with their own thoughts.
"You did well too," he replied blandly. There was a tick in his jaw which she didn't notice.
"Of course," the woman replied haughtily, taking no note of his less than excited tone. "It's expected of me."
She took a lace handkerchief with an embroidered symbol of a whirl in the corner – her family crest, and covered her mouth with it as she coughed. When she placed it back into the sleeves of her dress, the man noticed there were small specks of red stained on it. He frowned, but said nothing.
"I am slightly curious, how did you get the pouch?" she asked, clearing her throat.
"That woman passed it to me before a few times, asked me to help pass it to Shikamaru for her," he said, his tight smile slightly unnerving. "It wasn't hard to nick one at all."
"Foolish woman landed herself in that situation then." The woman wrinkled her nose distastefully, an action that would surely get her reprimanded by her father for being 'unladylike'.
The man didn't respond and instead just threw the stone, watching it skid across the surface of the lake before disappearing beneath the calm waters, creating ripples. "How long will it take to see results?" he asked.
"Not too long now. At most, a month or two if everything goes well," the woman said carefully. "We'll see. Depends, really."
"You have other ways planned, I presume?"
"Of course," she replied. "That wench presented me – us, the opportunities herself."
"How confident are you?" he questioned.
"Very. I know him well," the woman said confidently, giving him an equally tight smile. "Just give me one week and it'll be as good as done."
The man shook his head. He noticed that there had been nothing gloating in her tone, rather it was cautious, as if she expected something to go wrong at any moment. She was smarter than the rest, that's for sure. And she was right, it was certainly expected of her.
"It's too late to regret now that I have already gotten rid of one for you," he murmured. "I hope you abide to your agreement."
The woman bowed curtly and turned away, preparing to leave. "Of course. With my power and my family's influence, you'll be sitting there in no time. And he'll be mine."
.
"Lady Hinata, good morning!" Naruto greeted with a warm smile as he came across Hinata exploring the palace grounds.
"Good morning, Your Highness," the dark-haired beauty bowed politely, a bashful smile playing on her lips. She hesitated, afraid that the incident was still too fresh to be asked about, before deciding to voice her concerns. "Is Lady Karin all well now?"
Naruto frowned slightly and sighed. "Yeah, she seems to have fully recovered. She's always with Sasuke nowadays."
Ever since Karin had woken up, Sasuke's presence was the only one she requested. Besides her father, she would make a huge fuss every time one of her clansmen was assigned to watch over her. She would constantly ask for the fourth prince, sobbing and crying when denied. The ministers siding with Lord Nagato had defended her from slander from other households, citing that separation anxiety in which the poisoning case further traumatised her. Under the Lord Uzumaki's nonstop nagging, Sasuke had no choice but to comply, sticking by her with every step of her recovery ever since then.
"I would like to visit her, is that alright, Your Highness?" Hinata asked softly.
"Of course," the blond nodded. "This way, my Lady."
The pair chattered along the way, although their dynamics worked in a way that one listened to the other's endless rambling, giving inputs here and there. Upon the first glance, most would think they were mismatched but as one observed closely, they would notice that the pair were well suited for each other. They made their way towards Sasuke's quarters, where Naruto mentioned that Karin most likely would be at. Ever since she was strong enough to go around her own again, she would seek Sasuke out if he wasn't free to drop by.
"We're here," he announced upon arrival.
As compared to the others, Sasuke's quarter was situated a distance away from the major buildings of the palace, situated atop a small hill and accessible through a small path derailing from the main courtyards. It was one of the reasons Naruto enjoyed frequenting the raven-haired man's quarters, the location was far from the daily bustling of the palace, providing him a certain quietness.
Turning to the guards standing outside the doors, he asked, "Is Sasuke in?"
One of them replied, head bowing, "Yes, Your Highness."
"With Karin?"
"Yes, Your Highness." The guard repeated. He looked weary much to Naruto's amusement, but he didn't comment on that. He took the Hyuuga heiress by the hand politely, leading her up the stairs towards the main doors of the quarters. He noticed that the foyer and guest hall was empty, and he heard faint voices coming from Sasuke's study.
"Oi, we're coming in!" he announced as he barged through the doors, giving no time for the two occupants in the room to prepare themselves for their sudden intrusion.
The couple entered the bright, sun-lit room to see the Fourth Prince lounging in his seat with a book in his hand, looking rather tired, while the redheaded Uzumaki Lady was sitting beside him with her chin in her palm, her lips parted mid-sentence.
"Your Highness," Karin greeted with a tight smile, ruby eyes narrowed. "What are you doing here?"
"Lady Hinata wanted to visit you. She wanted to know if you are feeling better," Naruto shrugged and motioned to the raven-haired prince who was staring at him with a raised brow. "And it has been quite some time since I got to talk to the bastard here."
"Thank you for your concern, Lady Hyuuga. I'm feeling much better now," Karin thanked Hinata with a slight upturn at the corner of her lips, to which the Hyuuga heiress responded with a kind nod. The redheaded beauty turned back to her blond cousin. "I'm sorry, Your Highness, but Prince Sasuke and I were in the middle of a conversation. Please, excuse us."
Sasuke grunted and lowered his book, standing up from his seat. "My apologies, Karin, but I have something to do." He said smoothly, easily meeting the eyes of the three guests standing around in his study. "I have been rather behind on my tasks. You'll have to excuse me today."
It was more of a statement than a request, and Karin knew better than to argue. "Yes, Your Highness." She murmured. Straightening her back, she walked out of the study with her head held high, her air of poise never lost.
Naruto chuckled, to which Hinata looked at in him in confusion. He shook his head at her unvoiced question and took the woman gently by the crook of her arm. "Come, Lady Hinata. We should take our leave as well," he nodded to Sasuke. "I'll see you later."
"Hn."
As the doors clicked shut behind his three guests, Sasuke waited until he was sure the they were far away from his quarters. Then, he quietly rose from his seat and took his coat off from the rack. Putting it on, he prepared to leave his quarters discreetly, his onyx eyes alert, aiming to search for and perhaps speak to a friend of his.