Chapter 37: Turning Point
Amadare raised her head upward as she and Nara sat atop Ame, pale gaze wandering over the features of the large home before them.
"Is..is this the place?" Nara asked, chocking for what seemed the hundreth time on fear.
The young woman nodded, directing Ame to follow the trail that lead to the large manor. She noted the build and structure of the house, seemingly made of stone, with white paint outlining the windows and doors. The tops were peaked, making the house on the estate seem like a minature castle, and giving it an old enlgish feel. "Least if he is ugly, he's got nice taste."
Nara's eyes widened at the prospect of that thought. "Amadare!!"
"Whaaaaaat?" She whined sweetly. "I'm just kidding...your parents wouldn't give you off to some old ugly thing, now would they?"
Sweatdropping, Nara's shoulders slumped as he lost his erect posture atop Ame's back. "...Eh.."
"Hold it." At the sound of Amadare's order, Ame came to an obedient halt. Slidding off the side of her pet, she dropped to the ground, gripping Nara's hand to tug him downward. "Nara, come on, its late enough! It is ill-mannered for us to be intruding on them at this hour, don't make it worse...Hey, I just used 'ill-mannered'...weird..."
He gripped Ame's fur between his slender fingers tightly. "Damn you," he whispered sharply. "I will not go! I will escape, dammit! Ame! Ride! Let us ride off into the moonlight and together, we may explore the sweets of the lands without the horrors of forced love and..." By the time he stopped his ranting, he found himself being carried to the front door, Amadare having thrown the eccentric young man over her shoulders. "What the - DAMMIT! That ALWAYS happens when I try to escape..."
Ame trailed slowly behind, keeping a good distance from the door. Sitting to the ground, she curled her tail around her hind paws, doing her best to look as harmless as possible.
After setting Nara down, Amadare glared uncharacteristically at him. "Don't try anything, got it?"
He pouted. "I've nothing to try. I wouldn't have made it far anyway, I've lived most of my damn life in my village, do I look like I could survive alone out there with god knows what?"
"I'm glad you now notice." Looking upward, she nodded lightly. "Some lights are still on the higher floors...perhaps, someone is still awake. Now, knock."
He shifted slightly, tapping one foot along the stone beneath them. Raising one arm upward, he gripped the silver, U shapped knocked, and slammed it down once, as light as possible. Waiting two seconds for a reply, he tried to walk away. "Oops, no one is home, wrong house perhaps, come on lets g - OW!"
Reaching out, she gripping him in a sleep hold, dragging him back to the door. "I said KNOCK."
"Fine, fine! No need to go old school crazy..." With a depressed sigh, he knocked, twice, as hard as he could. The fluttering feeling in his stomach wouldn't let up, no matter how hard he tried to fight it. Trying to calm himself, he looked around the area. The front yard was cut in half by the cobblestone walkway leading to the front door, the grass on either side thick and green. Bushes of flowers and shrubby grew alongside the house, and two old willow trees grew on either side of the yard. This would have been a place he'd love to visit if he didn't want so badly to get away. Turning his gaze back to the door, he froze. The slow, constant sound of footsteps ascending to the door could be heard though the eerie quiet of the night. 'Stay calm,' he thought. 'You can do this...you can do this...' He shut his eyes, coaching himself in his mind. A second later, the owner of the dragging steps undid the locks and pulled open the door. Nara could still see the bright glow from the heavily lit front room through his closed lids as the heavy white door of oak creeked open. From the sound of awe that passed Amadare's lips, he assumed the house must have looked even better inside. Slowly raising his lids, he looked at the man standing before the threshold and shrieked. With a soft squeak as her eyes adjusted to the light, Amadare's eyes widened. The man standing before them was...well...
"...You're so old.." Amadare whispered, before clasping her hand over her mouth. "Oi! Sorry..." He may have been a dirty looking old man, but he was still her elder.
The old man stood before them in robes fit for a king. A much younger one, Nara added in his mind. The old mans face, naught from age, broke into a lewd smile as he looked at the two.
Nara's eyes widened at the balding man, what little hair he had left now an ageing grey. "Um...is this...the..the home of..um...of.."
"Is this the home of Zephyr..?" Amadare spoke up.
"I'm Zephry!" The old man said. "Come here, baby!"
"WHAAAAAAAAT?!!!!!" The two of them shouted.
"NO!! GAH! AHHHH!" After going slightly insane for the next few moments, and shouting "NEVEEEEEEEEERRRRRRR!" Nara collasped to the ground, in a twitching mass.
Amadare blinked. "...I...eh...oh...damn..." Catching Nara before he hit the ground, she looked to the old man. "...Poor Nara..." Just when she thought to hightail it as far away from this place as she could, a soft voice could be heard.
"Grandfather? Grandfather what is all that noise?" The owner of the voice, slowly stepped into view, standing behind the old man. He was tall, a bit over six feet from what she could tell. The light green of his hair shimmered in the light of the house, some of it pulled back in a long ponytail which was thrown before his shoulder, streaking down his silk clad chest. The color of his eyes were almost as light as his hair, if not a shade of two brighter, which went nicely with the paleness of his skin. He raised a hand, using a finger to push his small framed glasses up further onto his narrow nose.
Turning to look at the younger man, the 'grandfather' chuckled. "Sorry, my son, just eh...eh..."
Looking at Amadare and Nara, the younger male moved forward. "Nara?!"
"Huh?" Amadara blinked. "Who are you?"
Turning to her, he took a moment to place on kiss on Nara's forehead ( Yes, he is still foaming at the mouth ). "My name is Zephyr...now what just happened..?"
Sitting at her dinner table, Kaie looked at her guards with watchful eyes. The men stood on the other side of the table, under her gaze, straight backed and shirtless. "You all know what I'm thinking...don't you?"
Niobe's right eye twitched, and with a deadly glare sent in her sisters direction, she spoke. "...I already told you.."
"...Niobe, you can't expect the sorcerer courts to welcome in a ninja from one of the lower countries so openly. Let alone, allow a marriage, or a child. Naruto, by our standards is ripe for marriage, and he needs a heir...and soon.."
"He will do these things when and IF he is ready, and he will do them with who he chooses." Slamming her balled fist to the table, she growled. "And you will let it be this way."
"...I am a queen as well, remember that..and with that comes power, and knowledge. Knowledge of the laws, and our ways to say the least. I may not be full blooded like you, but I know all there is to know of our kind..."
"You will not contradict what I have said."
"...Your kingdom deserves better than the offspring of an Uchiha...he needs to set an example for his people, OUR people."
"The ways of the nobles have changed, you seem to remain the same.."
"They have not changed as much as you think...it is human nature, sorcerer nature, it is the nature of anything that breaths and thinks to reject those not like them in enough ways, not understanding enough, and not prized enough! The Ninja Sorcerer Wars? The near elimination of our kind? Naruto's treatment in Konoha! These all spawn from the same thing!" She was standing now, palms pressed heavily on her table as she leaned forward to her sister, shouting.
Niobe rose as well, hands clenched into tight fist as she scowled. "This is not your decision."
"As the ruler of a country, yes, it is. One of these guards you see WILL give the boy a child. And you will have no say so in it. Naruto will let it be."
"Naruto would NEVER."
"Dearest sister...you may be queen to one of the most renowed lands, yet you fail to understand certain basics of the crown. To manipulate, is to win." She smiled sweetly. "Naruto...does whatever it takes...to keep others from suffering, even if it means he suffers for them...such a selfless young boy...a great ruler he'll make, if only you give him an equally acceptable mate...but at least I'll be sure he gets a damn good heir.."
"Kaie...I'm warning you...don't you dare - DON'T YOU DARE- try anything foolish..."
"You're in my land name...this is my game..and you can't win here..."
Niobe shuddered, glaring into the dark eyes of her sister, she knew only one thing for sure.
Kaie was right..
Niobe sat back down in her seat, crossing one leg slowly over the other. Whatever Kaie was up to..she'd need to get one step ahead of her...somehow..somehow..
Naruto groaned in his sleep, hair tossled and sheets thrown every which way. With a wide yawn, he moved to turn over onto his back, a thin trail of drool slidding down the side of his mouth.
"Naruto?"
Blue eyes snapped open suddenly at the sound of his name being called in the silence of the still darkened room. "Wh-wha?!" He sat upward quickly, now wide awake, and was more than a little suprised to see Kaie's guards standing around his bed. He looked at the men that formed a semi circle around the canopy bed, noting that they seemed dress for a full out battle. Leather seemed to be the cloth of the day, seeing as all of them were clad in it. Their blades were carefully seathed into solid gold cases, hanging gracefully from their sides. Had Naruto not known who they were, he'd have thought them warriors from some magnificent dream. As the last traces of sleep left him, and reality set in, he asked the only reasonable question.
"...What the hell are you all doing here..?"
With a quiet laugh, Phoenix winked at him. "We were sent here by Kaie and Niobe to keep a good eye on you while you're away. Neither trust the old wench." Removing his hand from the hilt of his blade when Naruto raised a brow slightly, he ran his slender fingers through his hair, the bright red locks; seemingly silver due to the soft light of the greenish blue sky, where brushed back. The sun, Naruto noted, was just about to rise. Rubbing his eyes with balled fist, he yawned quietly.
"How did you all get into my room..?" He looked at each of the seven men respectively, finally realizing that one was missing... "Where is Hyacinth?"
"I'm touched, you remember me!" The voice was as light and cheerful as always.
Naruto turned his head to the right, looking at the handsome man sitting on the window sill. Hyacinth smiled brightly, one leg crossed over the other as his hair shifted lightly in the early morning breeze. "We got in through the windows. You left them wide open. Expecting us, were you?" He added teasingly.
"Hyacinth," Lysander snapped. "Careful how you speak to him." His multicolored eyes narrowed into slits.
The lavender eyed man jumped down from the sill, walking closer to Naruto and the group. "Lighten up, Ly. Naruto isn't some stick up the rump royal, if you haven't noticed. You do remember he saved us, don't you?"
"Of course I remember." His voice remained stern, and hard. Naruto had come to notice that Lysander was the strict rule bearer of the group. He wondered if the man ever smiled. Doubtful.
Sitting up in his bed, Naruto tucked his legs beneath himself, finally fully awake. "Don't get me wrong. I'm glad to see you all. But what the hell am I supposed to tell that old wench?"
"Something will be worked out, do not worry," Carden reassured him quietly. He tucked the deep purple locks of his hair behind one pierced ear, looking to Naruto.
The young blonde wondered what lie they can possibly come up with. "Well, I hope she's as dumb as Sakura is ugly." Flopping back down onto the bed, he sighed, taking another moment to stretch his taut muscles.
"Hurry, or we will be late," Brice tapped his fingers along the hilt of his sword, his long raven braid, as always, wrapped around his waist and hanging down to his calves. The amber eyes were bright with impatience and slight annoyance.
Sitting up again, Naruto's eyes widened. "Late? Late for what?"
"...You do know you're going to see the Tsuichikage this day, don't you?"
"..." He blinked. "...I do now...I guess.." He had forgotten, seeing as the date set had been changed once before. They arrived so late last night, and there was no way they could have traveled any further in that storm. Especially not with Sakura nagging on top of all that.
Gallagher gave him a charming smile. "Don't worry, being a bit late wouldn't hurt, I suppose. The Procession won't be arriving this moment."
"Procession..?" Naruto asked. They seemed not to hear him. Cyric simply looked on, saying nothing.
"I disagree," Lysander started, looking to his companion. "A time was set, and we must meet it."
Plopping onto the bed beside Naruto, Hyacinth tucked his hands behind his head. "He can take all the time he needs, ain't that right, Phoenix? Besides, he must look his best, not saying that those pajamas on him don't look mighty flattering."
The red head nodded carefully, and his eyes shifted to Lysander's way, as if to be sure the man wasn't looking at him as he agreed with Hyacinth.
"Get out of that bed right this minute, Hyacinth." Lysander gripped the handle of his blade tightly.
"Awwww," he whined. "What is it? Jealous cause I'm laying beside the beautiful prince, and you're not? Hehehehe."
A vein grew on the side of Naruto's head at being described as 'beautiful', but as he watched Lysander unsheath his blade; the deadly metal shimmering in the first rays of sunlight, anger quickly turned to panic. "Lysander, enough."
Pausing in his actions, his red and golden gaze moved to rest on Naruto. Nodding to the boy, he sheathed his weapon. "As you wish."
The other five men seemed a bit on edge about his display. Yet, Hyacinth remained laid back, even humming a tune slightly. "Well," he said. "Better get ready before he snaps again, Naruto.
Slowly sliding out of bed, the blonde nodded. "Eh...yeah, yeah good idea."
"Niobe wishes for you to wear any color that...as she says 'Brings out your...features' more..I suppose..." Lysander seemed to blush, just slightly as he said those words.
Naruto nodded. "Alright then..eh..thanks." Pausing momentarily, he looked to back to the man. "Is uh..grandmother coming too?"
He nodded curtly.
Sasuke found himself sitting at the kitchen table with Agnes sitting in front of him, and Sakura beside him. He could hardly bring himself to eat anything. Five minutes after breakfast had begun. Sasuke poked moodily at his food, the ever nagging voice of Sakura and her grandmother deciding on where they would be going and what they were to do.
"I've already started sending things for the child to your home in Konoha, Sasuke," Anges stated cheerfully. "I hear its a lovely estate you have. Large, spacious, extra rooms and so forth, empty houses all around, all under your possession."
He simply nodded.
"Your family left it to you, I presume, after the...tragedy, yes?"
Lifting his gaze on her for a moment, his left brow rose involuntarily. So, Sakura had told Agnes about his past too? He shrugged, gave her a faint nod, and continued poking at his food.
Sakura looked over to the ninja, knowing this was not one of his best moods.
"We're going to do some more shopping for the child, I do believe things such as cribs and bottles are of course, a necessity."
For a short time, Agnes tried to engage Sasuke in small talk, while wondering all the while where Kanaye was. "The boy ought to be up by now...where did he get off to this day..?" She huffed.
Setting her fork down, Sakura raised his head, a faint jingling noise easing in through the opened windows of the dining room. "...What is that..?"
The sound of heavy and hurried footsteps rushing down the living room staircase prompted Agnes to rise out her seat and rush away form her breakfast, intent on discerning what was going on.
Stopping abruptly, she looked at the seven strange men standing on either side of the stairs, Naruto quietly stepping down the final step, face to face with the old woman.
"...What is this?" she snapped suddenly. "Who are these men?! What are they doing in my house?" She looked at Naruto's choice of dress. Pale green robes, close fighting, matching accessories, even a coronet encircling the messy blonde locks.
Naruto chewed on the corner of his mouth. He knew this was going to happen, and that a lie needed to be made and quick.
Sasuke and Sakura rushed from the kitchen at her shouting, the pink haired girl holding tightly to the Uchiha. With an irritated growl, he pushed her aside, a slightly retarded look overtaking his features as he looked to Naruto. Snapping back to reality at a fresh wave of shouts from the eldest Haruno.
"Who are these men?!"
The seven guards stood stony faced, passive and handsome all the same.
Sasuke looked to Naruto, knowing who these men were, of course, but not knowing what to answer. The blonde shifted his eyes for a quick moment, and flicked his wrist very carefully. The brunette was sure only he had seen this. And he knew what it meant. It was a simple, easily decoded command to lie, and he followed through with it skillfully, like any well breed Uchiha.
"These are the men that I hired from...a distant clan in Konoha to go with Naruto in order to keep a close eye on his movements and actions to ensure that...all goes well in this village.." He hoped she had taken his moment of hesistation for something other than what it was; confusion in deception. It was the best he could manage.
Agnes looked from Sasuke, to Naruto, then to Sakura. The pink haired kunoichi looked at Sasuke, as if trying to search his expression for something. But he didn't have one. He face remained completely stoic as he nodded to Agnes when her cold eyes turned back to face him.
"..I see," she said carefully. "And where exactly are you going off to?"
"I have a meeting with the TsuchiKage today.." Naruto answered quietly, looking at her with slightly narrowed eyes.
"Hmph.." She frowned distastefully. Suddenly, she turned, the sound of the bells much louder than before. Lifting a brow, she bit down on her lower lip.
"Come.." Cyric grabbed Naruto by his upper arm, pulling the boy away to the front door. "We are running late...you will return here as soon as possible."
Naruto barely had a chance to even throw another look in Sasuke's direction before he was whisked away by the taller men. Stepping out of the house, the young kitsune stopped short, looking at what awaited them. Blinking, his mouth dropped. "...So...I'm...guessing this is...what you call a procession...thingy...right..?...holy shit..."
The soft ringing of bells intensified in volume as he stepped out of the house, faced by a seemingly endless trail of men, women, his acute gaze spotted a few children even. Each one dressed in robes similar to Naruto's own, yet they were woven of the finest, purest white lace and silk. The large procession of followers contrasted heavily with the surrounding area, looking somewhat out of place. Naruto's nose twitched, and the area's of his cheek marked by the black whiskers tingled a bit. It wasn't any Chakra at all he was sensing, and it was then it hit him. "Oui! These are all Sorce - "
Hyacinth slapped a hand over his mouth. "Uhh...yeah, not so loud, kay? Kaie and Niobe decieded on one thing for a change, and it was that you travelled with safety, security, and of course, like any Sorce- you know what, style." Hyacinth looked to the crowd, then pursed his lips to let out a high pitched whistle. Four men rushed forward from the mid-section of the snaking line of Sorcerer's, each young man holding the side of a silk - shaded litter.
"Oh hell.." Naruto blinked. Looking past the four men for a moment, he let his gaze move over the faces of some of those closest to the front of the line. He wondered if he would be the only one to sense what they were. They looked human, to a point. There were mild traits he could notice instantly, that he was sure others would as well. The oldly colored eyes for one. One little girl clinging to the hand of a woman Naruto assumed to be her mother, smiled at him. Her gaze was sweet, and innocent. As innocent as a set of bloodred eyes could seem to someone who wasn't used to it. The gaze of her mother was equally sweet, yet the same crimson tone.
Some of them had hair the texture of the very silk they wore, or even hair that held of color he could only describe as unheard of. One of the young men holding the front end of the litter off the ground owned hair the color of complete, and utter darkness. Naruto swore that if he looked at the young sorcerer from the corner of his eye, he could make out little specks of shimmering light, as if each strand were hiding a tiny star, or jewel perhaps. And they were deathly handsome.
He didn't need eyes to see that. He could feel Sasuke's threatening gaze on his back. Yes, this wasn't going to be very pretty for him when he returned. Sasuke wanted to go, but a deal had been struck, and he had no choice but to tag along with Agnes and Sakura. A fate so much worse than death, it made hell look like DisneyLand. Lysander moved forward, his sheathed brushing along Naruto's side as he did so. Standing to the left side of the litter, he pulled back the white, silken curtains, faced the blonde, and bowed slightly. Not getting the point right away, he felt one of the remaining guards behind him nudge him in his lower back, pushing him forward. Taking that as his que, he follower Lysander's path to the side of the ornate litter. Phoenix moved behind him, pulling back the second half of the curtains, and gripping the kitsune's right to offer him enough leverage to climb up. The carriers lowered their postures enough so that it would be easy for the short boy to board. He hardly needed any help at all, but with these people, saying no was out of the question. The curtains closed around him, and it seemed oddly quiet to him inside the expansive litter. With his knees tucked beneath him, he sat back on his heels, piles of emerald silk pooling around him. How uncomfortable it all seemed most of the time. How did his people ever get used to such, the only word he could think to use, shit?
With a sigh, he looked down, playing with a corner of his robes boredly. "Hmph?" His ears perked up, the sound of a low confrontation issueing close by on the outside. Lysander and Phoenix were both talking animatedly in hushed tones, eyes narrowed, and somewhat weary. With an exasperated sigh, Phoenix turned away, and Lysander entered the inside of the litter, sitting before Naruto. Even on his knees, he was taller than the boy.
"What was that about?" Naruto asked, tilting his head to the side.
Lysander said nothing, somewhere off in the distance, bells chimed, and they were moving forward.
They moved slowly, and Naruto could feel himself zoning out from sheer boredom. Every now and then, a loud exclamation from a passing villager would prompt him to look to his left or right, to meet the gaze of some shocked or awed person. The closer they got to the village square, the more villagers they came in contact with. Lysander was little, if any, entertainment. He simply sat in his place, stony, arms folded over his chest and eyes closed in such a way that signified deep meditation. The only joy one could get from him; so it seemed, was eye pleasure. He was a sight to look at, but this was something Naruto could get whenever he desired from Sasuke. With the more welcoming of the warriors keeping guard around the the moving litter, it was either talk to himself, or talk to Lysander. He had no other choice but to opt for the latter,.
With a soft sigh, he raised his gaze from the hem of his robes and looked at Lysander. "Do you ever wonder how you...bare through with it?"
For a moment, it seemed as though the man hadn't heard him at all. Then, without opening his eyes, he responded, voice sounding even deeper in its whisper. "With what?"
"With...Kaie. How do you manage? And why is she...like that? I mean, I know some people are just born insane, but..."
"Well, she may just be one of those people." His voice rose, only slightly. The tone, not one that was threatening, but malice instead, made Naruto wince as if he had nearly been struck. Seeing this, Lysander lowered his baritone voice one more. "She...is not sane, not even a small fraction. I believe, if not for the memory of my homeland, and of my family, I'd have grown up thinking that was normal..thinking the way she treated us was normal. I know its not." His face remained stony, passive. But his eyes were soft, and clear.
Naruto nodded, saying the only thing he could to think to say. "You're right.."
"Rumor has it...you're planning to fight her. Are you really thinking such a foolish thing?"
"Foolish? You calling me stupid or something?"
"No, no, not what I meant." He sighed, his bangs rising upward slightly from the air he exhaled. "What I mean is...she is...very powerful, Naruto-hime - "
"Dude, chill with the Naruto-hime." Naruto sweetdropped.
"Forgive me, but Niobe seems to think it fits you, seeing as..."
"Seeing as what?"
He shrugged, then brushed off the subject. "Kaie is was trained to be an efficient killer, much more so than what any land teachers their ninja. Relinse are born killer, and from the time she could walk, she was trained to do just that."
"You are Relinsian as well, aren't you? Do you think you're a born killer?"
He paused for a moment, as if thinking on what exactly to say. With a nod, he replied, "I know I am."
"I don't think so."
"You've no idea what I've done in my past...I'm not proud of it...nor do I wish to share it."
Naruto raised a brow, looking at Lysander; the multicolored eyes clouding over with regret and anger. Nodding once more, he looked away from out, glancing at the crowd of people standing so close, they could have reached out and grabbed him. "That's fine by me. Besides, we're here..." His stomach clamped down, churned, and butterflies took flight.
Sunlight filtered in through the room, easing through the cracks of the windows and onto the slender frame lying atop the mattress. Nara groaned in his sleep, turning to one side and hiding his head under the pillows to escape the morning.
"Are you not ready to awaken yet?"
"Hhn..." The gentle voice made him raise his head upward and look around the room as he groaned. It wasn't long before his gaze came to rest on the tall man standing by his bedside, a wooden tray of morning edibles in his hand. Nara blinked once, then twice, to be sure he wasn't dreaming.
Setting the tray down on the bedside stand, the handsome man parted the sheer curtains surrounding the bed.
Yelping, Nara gripped the sheets of the bed, and scurried off to the far end of the mattress. "Who are you?! And where is Amadare! I am not staying here to marry that old pervert, I am NOT!"
The handsome man's eyes widened for a moment, and even the long, green bangs falling before his face could hardly hide the shock and amusment in his gaze. With a small smirk to his red lips, he smiled. "Nara, you really are a fiery one, aren't you?"
"How do you know my name?!" He spat, shifting with the thick white blanket still wrapped around his form. He could feel the smooth material of his sleepwear rubbing against his skin, and it brought him some peace that at least he hadn't woken up in the strange bed naked. That would have definately drove him to homocide. "Answer my questions! And where is Amadare!"
"Calm down, don't worry yourself so. If I remember correctly, you are at the Yoshimitsu residence. Amadare is downstairs eating breakfast, and you were brought here to your room when you passed out after meeting my grandfather." He smiled warmly.
"Your grandfather?! My parents traded me off to your freaking Grandfather?!"
He laughed. "No, no, you have it all wrong. I...my name is..Zephyr." He turned a soft red color in the face as he spoke, small beads of sweat forming on his brows.
"Oh?...Oh!" So THIS was Zephyr? He blinked slowly, eyeing the man suspicisouly.
The older man smiled. "Sorry for the um...scare my grandfather gave you." He pushed his small framed glasses further up on his nose.
Nara forced himself to take deep, even breaths. For if he didn't, he was sure to pass out from the circumstances of it all. "...Well..." What was he to say? He was looking into the face of the man he been informed that he would marry since before he even hit puberty. Did Zephyr think anything of him right now? Why was he red? And what was with the lack of eye contact? Was he not content with his bride to be? Thoughts like these swirled around in Nara's head as he chewed lightly on his bottom lip, teeth digging into the soft flesh. He was jerked from his thoughts as Zephyr slowly rose from the bed, his long locks dragging upward with him.
"I...should head downstairs, and give you time to prepare yourself. My grandfather has an apology waiting for you, and the rest of the family awaits your arrival...breakfast will officially begin in thirty minutes..." His cheeks were still burning, and his gaze remained on the ground as if it were the most interesting thing in all the world. Without another word, he moved toward the door, leaving the room in such a hurry, he neglected to close the door behind himself.
Crawling out of bed; the silk of his nightwear rubbing against his overheated skin, he moved to the door and shut it gently.
So that was his mate to be?
Resting his back against the door, he sighed, raising his eyes to the ceiling. "Chi...I trust my parents knew what they were doing..."
"Gaara..." The voice called out to the sand ninja in an almost pleading tone, gentle, yet demanding. "Gaara..."
The Kage groaned, lithe arms wrapping around his shoulders, oval cut nails digging into his back leaving crescent moon shapped indentions behind. He leaned down, brushing his face against a smooth, whisker marked cheek, listening to the shuddering sound of another light moan.
"For the last time, GAARA, Come on, breakfast is ready!"
The red head, jerked from his day dream, snapped his gaze over to the angry girl in front of him. Zyra stood in place, arms akimbo and mouth twisted with impatience. Giving her a few moments of his attention, he turned himself back to the window, resting his elbow on the ledge.
"I'm not hungry," he stated simply.
"Well, I didn't ask that, I told you food is done. That means you eat. It has nothing to do with being hungry."
"Normally...people eat when they are hungry." His voice maintained its flatness, though it hardened slightly.
"Temari said we need to make sure you eat at least three meals a day. One in the morning, one in the afternoon, one at night. You can eat what you want, but you need at least three solid meals."
"...I'm not a child. I will eat when I choose."
"I never said you were, I'm going by what she told me."
He sighed, his patience wearing thin. This morning was one of the few moments where the rest of the gang had dispersed into diffrent areas, and he was happily left to his own dark thoughts, or in this case, sensual. "Go. Away."
Her own patience melting, she nodded. "Alright then. But when you are hungry, I hope you've got enough attitude to make you a hearty sandwhich or two." She turned on a heel, her long braid lashing outward as she did so. As she headed to the door, Gaara's voice stoped her.
"...Has Naruto sent any word yet?"
Raising a brow, she turned to face him. "It's only been one day, what reaons would he have to do so?"
Turning his face back towards the window, he looked out at the sun drenched woodlands. Reaching a pale hand down the side of the window, he plucked the single petal of blue rose growing nearby. "...None."
As the curtains of the littered parted, Naruto got his first glimsp of the crowd of villagers that had followed them this far. They were all dumbstruck, with faces frozen in various degress of awe, question, and worry. Lysander stepped out first, and carefully helped Naruto out. Looking to his right, he watched a small group of teenage girls look over to the warrior, hearts in their eyes as they swooned. 'Oh grow up,' Naruto thought. His ears felt as if they tingled slightly as his acute hearing picked up some of the questions of the villages.
'Look at him, who is he? And look at all that? Where ARE they from?'
'Wow...they must be royalty! But from where?'
'Hey, he's pretty! Thats strange...should boys be pretty? Mommy, should boys be pretty?'
Trying to keep himself together, he willed himself not to look up and catch the gaze of any of the curious visitors. He felt as if he were on display...all his life he had been on display, he had been looked at, glared at, singled out because of his diffrences. This was no diffrent, no better.
"Raise your head, Naruto."
"You shut up..." His voice came out in a deadly whisper. "You shut up, and keep walking.."
It was the first real command Naruto had given so far. "...As you wish."
Naruto clutched the inside of his billowing sleeves. Everything seemed so quiet now that the procession had come to a rest right outside the main gates of the Kage's home. The quite rustle of silk and lace could be heard as each one of the elegantly clothed individuals dropped down to the ground gracefully, in time, and sat on knees, heads bowed and hands clasped together. They were to remain in this kneeled stance until he returned, at least, he assumed as much. The guards formed a barrier around him, two walking on either side of him.
"A little late, aren't we?" Phoenix questioned.
Carden, raising his eyes heavenward, shook his head. "No, it does not seem so."
"Where is she?" Naruto's head remained down as he asked.
"Niobe? She must be inside already."
Naruto nodded lightly, still following the guards closely. He was thankful that the crowd of villagers didn't hinder them; easily parting to allow the small group to walk up to the gates. Two Jounin standing before the gates looked at the two men leading the group; Lysander and Phoenix.
"State what business you have here," The first ninja ordered, holding one palm outward to halt their forward momentum.
Lysander looked into the narrowed green eyes of the jounin. "We have a meeting with your TsuchiKage today. That is why we are here." His voice, stern and deep as always, took on a scornful tone with the men, as if he were mentally cursing the man for be so stupid as to not already know why they were here. The two jounin looked at each other, then nodded curtly. The first turned to Cyric, his short blue hair jelled up into a spikey look, making him look even younger than he was. "Alright."
He turned to face the front of the gates, cupping his hands over his mouth, and shouted, 'Open it up.' Slowly, the heavy gates were slowly dragged open. The gate was operated by a rotating handle, which another guard on the inside of the gates pushed round and round. Naruto listened, the terrible grinding of metal on metal gears making his ears ache heavily, his keen ears picking up every single groan and turn. He lifted his hands to his ears, using his palms to block out a small fraction of the noise. When it finally ended, Cyric looked down at the boy, raising a brow upward. "Hime, Are you - "
"What did I say about Hime, hm?" He nearly growled out the remark, his ears still ringing.
"Are you alright?" He repeated, quietly.
"..I'm fine...lets just hurry up.."
With a curt nod, Cyric hurring forward, he and Phoenix leading the small group through the gates and onto the main grounds of the Kage's estates. The grass was lush, and green, and the home of the man was centered atop a moutain, almost like Konoha. There were no past TsuchiKage's carved into this moutain though, only one large Kanji, that Naruto read as 'Strength.' This moutain was higher than the one from his home in Konoha, and decorated here and there with jagged pieces of rock and sharp, steep edges. Climbing up the moutain would be a bitch. Falling down would be an even bigger bitch.
Cyric made a short motion with his hand, like a wave to the moutain, in order to get the groups attention. "Carden, you carry the Prince, Phoenix and I will continue to lead the way. Lets go."
"Hey, wait, I can - " Naruto attempted to protest, but Carden had already stepped forward and scooped him off his feet. The hem of his robes lifted slightly, leaving the middle of his legs on down visible. Carden's eyes shifted, discreetly and for a brief moment, watching the unintentional display of flesh. Naruto noticed it, but refused to say anything. The last thing he needed was for Cyric to go at anyone's throat again.
Cyric looked off at the moutain. "Ready?"
Naruto sighed heavily. "Oh just get on with it..." Bad enough he couldn't even be allowed to climb the moutain himself. He was not some fragile little piece of porcelain. All his life, he had taken care of himself, fended for himself. What gave these men the impression that they could just step him and make him do as THEY say? Even though it was for his own 'Protection' it didn't matter. For over 16 years, he had been his ONLY protection.
Each of the guards nodded, shouting as one, "Ready!"
Cyric was the first to run toward the moutain, the rest of them following closely behind. Naruto watched him, slightly awed at how effortlessly and easily they moved, much like ninja, but with more grace and glide than any shinobi could manage, more like Gazelles. Naruto clung to Carden's neck, the Relinse male moving as swiftly as his companions, hardly slowed down by the extra weight. He blinked slowly, focusing his gaze on the drawn up hem of his robes.
"Something wrong?" Carden asked in a whisper.
The young blonde shrugged. "..No, not really. I mean...it isn't anything major..."
"It seems to have you very upset." He spoke to the boy, but kept his eyes on the rock and cliffs before him.
"Nothing. I just don't like the fact that you all think you can make decisions for me that I can make myself. I can't take it all out on you, Sasuke and Iruka can be just as bad. Iruka used to always..." He trailed off a bit. They still hadn't found the chuunin, and no new leads had even been found. No consolation came from knowing that he was with no one other than Grendel. Grendel...
Naruto shuddered lightly. No one had bothered to mention him, or his mother... In fact he had completely forgot about it. As if, duty were finally taking over, and his sense of love, compassion, all the things that made him were slowly being eaten away by the demand of everything going on. He gasped, thinking quietly. Maybe that was truly becoming a ninja...forgetting all that made you, and living off nothing but the goal of accomplishing each mission...
It was almost like they were trying to go through this mission, without dwelling on the fact that the reason they were in this mess, was because of Grendel. The reason Iruka was gone, was because of Grendel. The reason he had no parents, was because of Grendel. Everything equaled up to the wicked, ex-kage, and they did all they could to not mention him. As if his name was fear in itself. "Feh.." he whispered to himself. "When I'm Hokage, bastards like him won't be around, I'll take 'em all out...yeah!"
Carden blinked. "Huh?" He hadn't heard anything the boy had mentioned, except for his elated 'Yeah!'
Naruto smiled, looking up at him. "Nothing." Things are only as bad as you make them...make believe its all going to be alright...and it will be...everyone has a mask to where and a part to play. The show doesn't end until your life does. Play along. Life is just one big show, thats all it is. And no matter what...the show must go on..
Mage: oO' Yay, done with the chappy ;;