Thank you for being patient with me! I might make this into a comic sometime soon. Of course it's gonna be a little different but it would be cool!~POG
Shin-Ten walked around the grounds with the Desert Prince beside him. Their cloaks trailed behind them as they passed a group of noble ladies. They had just been dismissed from a meeting with the Nara family and the King. It was not a pleasant discussion. Not only did the Nara family encourage enforcement action on the Cloud Kingdom, but the involvement of the Hyuga family was supposed to be "crucial" in order to be victorious.
Nonsense; It was all nonsense.
It was a big slap in the face toward the Desert Prince, since his army was just as skilled as the Hyuga. The Golden prince didn't bother objecting, his ideas were never really acknowledged anyway when it came to war time. He was there for observation.
"Absolutely atrocious..." The redhead grunted.
"Agreed, there has to be something we can do." Shin-Ten mused.
"Doubtful. I am nothing but a mere messenger of my father when it comes to actives such as these." The Desert Prince replied flatly.
The two young men heard hurried footsteps along the passage ways. The two Royals stopped the group of Uchiha guards in their tracks.
"Her majesty is missing." One explained.
"Oh?" Shin raised an eyebrow.
Gaara remained emotionless.
"The Assassin is gone too." another announced.
"He is with Lord Hyuga." Shin informed them. "He has permission to leave the walls. He will be back in the morning."
The Uchihas blinked, unsure of how to reply.
"As for my sister, do not worry. She is around; I know where she is." The brunette said.
The Uchihas nodded and shuffled off returning to their posts. Shin-Ten turned to Gaara and gave a small smile.
"Would you accompany me to the tower?" He asked.
Gaara nodded and followed the older Prince toward the tallest tower in the castle.
Sasuke looked up. The moon was out...as were the stars. He glanced at the princess, who was looking through a giant telescope.
"Hmm...Venus is out tonight." The bun head hummed as she jotted down some notes.
The Raven haired guard tilted his head to the side slightly. He had found her making her way across the garden an hour before, clutching onto their white fur cloak while trekking through the snow. She led him up here; her own little observatory that was built a few generations prior. She loved looking up at the night sky ever since she was a baby. The moon was that big rock that was forever glowing; even when she couldn't see it. Her perception of the stars was very large, she had spent a lot of time sticking her nose into books and old records; teaching herself how to read the signs and the patterns of the moon. Some may say it was a form of fortune telling when she spoke of the star lines. It was an ancient calendar, she had explained to him. For if one was born under a certain star line, they shared similar traits with those under that same line. Sasuke never really understood the trait part, but everything else made sense.
"What is the date?" he asked.
Tenten hummed before answering.
"It is the fourteenth day of Sagittarius."
Sasuke sighed. He was to return to training on the first day of Capricorn and he wasn't looking forward to it.
"Why do you ask?" she called to him.
"No reason." He replied poking a metal sphere of some sort on the desk next to him.
The bunhead shrugged, dismissing the thought.
"What are you looking for anyway?" the guard asked after a moment.
"He is a Cancer…" the princess murmured.
She wrote down some notes and sighed. That explained a lot. She had thought he was a Virgo at first, but that arrogance did not fit the typical description. Scribbling down some other thoughts she came across and interesting thought. They're compatibility was a bit shocking to her. Shaking her head vigorously, she erased that thought from her mind. No, she was not about to start paring herself with this arrogant, this impolite, this inconsiderate, this narrow-minded, this superficial, this this this…
This Hyuga.
She will have none that tonight which she was in her haven. NONE OF THA- those eyes though. The princess shuddered as she glanced back up at the moon. His eyes were like the moon, they shined and were pure. Fuck me, she thought as she frowned. I am to be wed soon. I have no time for stupid crushes. Then her thoughts when to when she saw him in that towel. That damn towel and that damn sculpted body. The gods cursed him with good looks to mock her probably…
"When the time comes, I believe fate will begin to charge head first like the goddess' carriage into us."
Fate. That was a key word he would always seem to mumble under his breath whenever she was around him. It was also probably what the Hyugas went by when it came to an explanation for everything. Fate, she pondered. It's the same as 'Destiny'…isn't it?
"What's wrong, Tenten?" Sasuke asked.
She looked at him, a bit taken back. He hardly addressed her by her title…or gave her that emotionless stare.
"Er, nothing. But I think I should ask you the same question." The brunette replied.
The Uchiha pulled up a seat closer to her. Taking her hands into his, he sighed. He told her about his absence, and about his discussion with Naruto. He watched her face for a reaction. She just looked at his face; a face that held little emotion. To the fact of what Naruto told him? No, that's not it…It was the separation.
"Oh…No, I wasn't informed you were leav-uh…" her brown eyes widened as he squeezed her hands.
Sasuke stayed silent and just looked at her. His coal eyes taking in all of her features.
"Well, there is a chance I will not be back for years." He whispered after a moment.
Tenten blinked, now fully aware that he had no intention of letting go of her hands.
"You are worried?" she asked.
The guard let out a breath. "Worried" wasn't really the word he was looking for. He knew what the Lord was capable of; he witnessed it when he went for checkups with his brother. The raven haired teen guessed that he just wasn't ready for it. He wasn't ready for the training, just like he had been told many times before. It was starting to get to his head. Maybe he has spent too much time playing solider, instead of actually being one. Or perhaps, he wasn't cut out to be one. He was no killer, not like his brother. He surpassed that instinct due to his morals. But that kept him from seeing what is actually out there. What's worse; that Hyuga knew that about him. And that was his weakness. That false sense of reality he had pushed into his mind while training to be a royal guard. He was never sent out like his brother…outside the walls of the palace, or the Uchiha compound. He didn't see how bad it actually was outside of the Golden Kingdom…He didn't want to. Understanding it was one thing he did very well. But Tenten did not. She didn't know what happens outside of the palace walls, all the things her father has done to make the kingdom how it is currently. Her brother, her father, and himself, shielded her from that. But now that the prince is maturing, the King is issuing an attack on the Cloud kingdom, and he is leaving her; Sasuke fears that no one will shield her like he has. Granted, Lee and Naruto will be part of the army and Shikamaru will be attending to the attack plans. So that left whoever won this competition to look after her. And by the looks of it, it's the worse person who has seen the world for what it truly is; Hyuga Neji.
"Tenten," Sasuke spoke after a minute.
She nodded at him.
"I want you to promise me something," he announced.
Cocking her head to the side, she hummed.
"When I am gone, and when you have wed Prince Gaara, I want to continue to protect you. To accept me as your personal Golden General." He said.
Tenten blinked.
"Your request has some conflict. Whoever wins becomes my protector."
He shook his head.
"They are your spears. To pierce those who sand before you in threat and spill blood." He put a hand on her shoulder. "I will be your shield. I will be the one who covers your eyes when they do it."
Tenten looked him in the face. For some reason, her chest began to swell. It was a weird sensation, almost as if she was sad, but not quite there yet. When she thought about it, she always saw Sasuke by her side, even as children. It was always her and Sasuke. After a moment of realization, she frowned which caused the Uchiha to look at her curiously.
"It will be unpleasant not having you around." She said softly.
"I will write." He stated.
Tenten sighed.
"You know, you never realize how much someone means to you until they are gone."
It was Sasuke's turn to blink. Tenten breathed in and looked him in the eye.
"Uchiha Sasuke, I promise you by my title that you will return to my side and remain there until the day I die."
Sasuke broke out into a smile.
"Til fate tears us apart." She stated.
"Til death do us part." he whispered before pressing his lips against hers, sealing the promise.
Til fate tears up apart.
Til death do us part.
That Vow tasted Salty.
There was a knock on the door a moment later. Saske hastily removed himself from the princess and opened the door. A swift bow was performed and the two princes stepped into the room. Tenten looked between Gaara and Shin-Ten.
"So this is where you have gone." her brother mused.
"Of course." she replied lifting her chin.
Gaara looked around taking in the room. Star maps and note books cluttered everywhere.
"What is it you need of me?" Tenten asked watching as the redhead looked around the room.
Shin-Ten shrugged.
"We thought you'd be a bit lonely up here, Tenten. So we decided to join you."
Tenten made eye contact with Sasuke before turning back to her telescope.
Hyugas sure had a stick up their ass.
Neji sat in the common room in the corner. He had finished some training with his uncle not too long ago, which lasted hours. Apparently, he was a disgrace to the Gentle fist. Ha: he was a disgrace. It made him laugh. It was today, he had held back most of his power to prevent the Hyuga Lord from falling to his knees. There are some things he didn't want to show, things that would surely create a swirl of excitement for the wrong reasons. Sure, the incident years ago with the Royal family were long past, but the threat that was held against the Hyugas was the Uchihas. They were the new generation of Hyuga, the "version two" of them. However, the Hyugas still out ranked them in almost everything. Or, that was just Neji. He had met his cousins for dinner a bit before with an indifferent look as a greeting. Lady Hinata hasn't changed, still very kind hearted and timid. However she stopped studdering, which was the only thing he appreciated. Hanabi, her younger sister, was quiet, and just greeted him with a swift bow before being on her way. The Assassin was greeted with the stares and murmurs of the Main family relatives. To each he shot a dreadful look which silenced them instantly.
"Just because you have that look upon your face does not mean you will be excused from this, nephew." Hiashi stated from a cushioned seat across the room.
Neji grunted in response. He wanted to go home…no, he was home. The correction to that sentence goes as such; he wanted to go back to the palace. He'd rather see the princess' face then be around the pompous, upstanding main family members. It was like a slap in the face, bringing him to the main house. His old room was at the far cottage of the compound, where he lived with his other not-main branch relatives. And his mother. His chest squeezed. He didn't want to see his parent's room, all the memories of his past, his life, were there.
"I left for a reason. You bringing me here isn't going to change my mind about moving back in, Uncle." He announced flatly.
Lord Hiashi sipped his tea.
"I was not planning on it." the older Hyuga replied.
"So why drag me back to this place? I refuse to work under you." He groaned.
"You'd rather work under his majesty, the one your kind work against, then your own family?"
"I have no family." The teenager spat. "They disappeared with the rest of my past."
Hiashi sighed and shook his head.
"Nephew, stop this foolish-"
"Foolish? You're calling me foolish?! You're not the one whose magic has been sealed. You're not the one who has lost everything because of a dishonorable main branch decision." Neji hissed.
Hiashi took another sip of his tea, unfazed by the comments.
"You of all people should not be talking about honor. Your reputation has left a mark on this clan." The Lord shot.
"I was damned with this wretched name due to fate. Ever since I became of the guild, my fate had been and will always be nothing more than to remain behind the steel bars that hold me back." The assassin roared.
"You'd rather be some brat's protector then-"
"Shut your fucking mouth before I rip out your tongue."
The Lord became silent. Neji glared at his uncle, and took a breath in order to prevent himself from doing anything that would cause him to lose his head. Sitting back into his seat, he closed his eyes.
"My fate had me tied up since I was sealed away. You act as if I am some item that is broken,"
Neji stood and walked to the doors of the common room. Before making his leave, he turned to his uncle and left him with a thought.
You act as is I am some item that is broken. But it is impossible to piece together what was never whole in the first place.
He brushed passed is younger cousin as he walked out of the compound, not bothering to acknowledge her existence. The assassin wrapped himself in his black cloak as he walked down the snowy streets back to the palace. Like hell he'd live with that family again. He'd rather be back in the cells then there. But for a moment, he stopped walking. He could make a break for it. There were no guards around, the streets are silent. The only issue he'd have was leaving the boarder. But even that was a good start. Then held the question, where would he go? Surely if he didn't return he'd be hunted. He had plenty of safe havens that would hide him. But not for long. Being nomadic did get tiring. Especially since all he'd be doing was back tracking to square one; running. He glanced at the palace. It was home at the moment. No one was trying to kill him…yet. And he was given a place to leave his thoughts and emotions. Then, there was the princess. She was the reason he was doing all of this in the first place. His freedom was a reward for putting up with her. However, within these months with her he noticed a change within himself, one that he was uneasy about. Perhaps it was because she had power that was more forceful than his. No, he thought. He had found that out only recently. This feeling occurred a little while after they had met. Whenever he saw her, his attention would immediately be put upon her, nothing else mattered. Whenever they teased each other, his chest was light and his mind was at piece. It was as if they have known each other forever. Each insult had meaning, but they were never fully meant to crack each other. Rather, they were placed to see how far it will go until one of them forfeits and surrenders to the other. And that night, when he came to her room, she had given that hint that she was beginning to surrender. And that caused his stomach to become hallow. It was unsettling to him for some reason. If he was truly hateful of her, he would not even acknowledge her. But he did acknowledge her, and that alone shocked himself.
"Which path shall fate push me in now?" The Hyuga mused to himself.
Looking up at the sky, he noted the Stars. He would watch her sometimes. Whenever he couldn't sleep, he would walk in her gardens. At times, he would see her sitting at a fountain looking up at the night sky. He never knew what she was searching for, but whatever it was, it gave her great pleasure. His feet began to move forward. Ivory eyes looked ahead at the direction he was about to go;
Back to the palace.