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The soft flickering light produced by the candles that lined the walls of the East Wing revealed a tall burly figure. Despite their towering and broad frame, they were doing a remarkable job of not being noticed. They counted the remaining number of doorways as they continued down the hallway. As they came upon the second to last door, they lightly knocked once.
A light shifting and shuffling were heard from within, and an audible breath was softly taken and exhaled to extinguish the light. The door opened. The tall figure had to duck under the head of the doorway but once they were in, the candle was lit once again.
As they became visible to each other, the tall man dropped to one knee slowly. "My princess." He raised his face to her, and she simply looked at him. He was not beautiful like many of the court men she was accustomed to seeing.
His face was broad and defined; his jawline seemed sharp enough to cut through armor, his cheekbones jutted out angrily, and his pale yellow eyes eerily tracked her every movement. However, it was the pale grey-blue tone of his skin and his gill markings that set him apart from others. The princess's favorite thing about him though was the look in his eyes; dangerous and willing to do whatever it took to get the job done.
The man had not yet risen from his knelt position, waiting for a command from the slight princess. While she had taken the time to examine him, he returned the favor. Her frame was delicate and looked as though a mere touch could shatter her. Her wide green eyes were hard despite their beauty and her pale skin was luminescent. Her hair was her most distinctive feature, a soft pink waterfall that reached just above the slender curve of her hips.
"Rise warrior," Her eyes remained hard as her lips curved upward slightly, "You are Kisame of Mist, wielder of the mighty Samehada, one of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist." He stood up, towering over her. "We have been introduced before on several occasions."
"Yes, your highness." His simple acceptance was enough for the Princess. She turned on her heel and retreated further into her chambers.
"Come Kisame," She spoke as she walked, "We have much to discuss tonight." His eyes followed the gentle sway of her hips and his feet followed her near-silent footsteps. "You must be curious as to why I requested your presence here tonight."
It was a statement, a fact; in no way a question. Kisame narrowed his eyes slightly, "Yes, your highness." She gestured for him to sit on the loveseat across from her. A simple teapot and its companions sat on a small table between the furniture.
She turned to smile at him, "Please, Kisame, call me Sakura," This slight and crooked smile was real; her eyes had softened and a dimple in her right cheek appeared. "I come to you as an ally, who requires assistance. Please hear me out before making any judgments or accusations."
Kisame relaxed a bit and picked up his cup of tea, "Of course, Princess. I am willing to listen freely to your concerns and needs." His pale eyes widened a bit at her frown.
"Stop being so formal. It is alright," She frowned gently at him, "I am trusting you and coming to you as a friend, not as a Princess. Please, Kisame."
"Alright," He paused, thinking for a moment, "Sakura."
Her response was an instant return of her crooked smile. Kisame took several sips of the herbal tea as he waited for her to gather her bearings. She seemed to become nervous as she pondered how she was going to begin. "Kisame, I understand that you are a part of the mercenary group, Akatsuki. Am I correct in assuming this?"
Kisame was blank for a moment; his eyes remained cautious and considering though. "Yes," He paused, clearly unsure whether to continue. At her nod, he continued, "I have been a loyal member of it for the past five years despite its unpleasant reputation due to the jobs we take."
Sakura smiled at him again, reaching across to place her hand upon his, "It is alright, I have no problem with you or your organization;" She conspicuously leaned in closer to him, "in fact," Her smile was all teeth. "I require the services of the Akatsuki."
His shock was visible, "Sakura," He sputtered for a moment, "I don't know what you expect us to do. We stay out of royal affairs." He eyed her suspiciously. "You know this, Princess. My organization will have no part in this." He moved to get up but found that his limbs felt lethargic and slow. "What did you do to my tea." His tone was scorching and his eyes were full of rage and fear.
"Don't worry, it is an all-natural blend. It will not permanently injure you, or harm you. I just needed you to sit down and listen to me. I give you my solemn word that I will not harm you or do anything untoward to your person," Her eyes searched his desperately, "Please just hear what I have to say."
"I'll listen. But only because I cannot physically leave this room or discussion." His words were final. His eyes struggled to focus, but that could not hide the anger that he felt because of his helplessness.
Sakura looked at him sadly, "I see, thank you for your time and thoughts regardless, Kisame." She sighed heavily and reclined. "The kingdom I am going to inherit is being torn apart; not by the people or the economy, but by its rulers. People no longer enjoy life; there are no more parades or festivals because there is no money. And there is no money due to the rulers' excessive spending on their own wants."
She stood abruptly, "My father is oblivious, my mother is drinking my kingdom into irreparable debt, my idiotic sister is obsessed with importing foreign fabrics, the members of our court are more focused on impressing the crown that they forget about the people," SHe inhaled angrily, "and the Captain and General. They're the worst. Running amuck without consequences because they are the consequences. Raping, stealing, and other unsaintly deeds." Her anger melted some, as she was too upset to be furious.
"There's nothing anyone can do." Her countenance had changed. "I've accepted that I am the only one who truly wishes to see our kingdom thrive and prosper. And so, I have vowed to do what it takes to make sure I am in the position to do so," Her lip curled menacingly. "and I will do whatever it takes." Sakura whirled around, "Do you see, Kisame Hoshigaki," Her eyes gleamed, "I need the help of the Akatsuki to restore peace and justice. To restore what has fallen into ruin. I will give you all that you all desire most, all I ask is that you all stand by me, my loyal soldiers, until we have completed our mission."
She gestured sharply to an ignored sack of gold pieces sitting on the small table. "The cost matters little to me, all that matters is the restoration of my kingdom." Her face was flushed, and her brows furrowed.
Kisame sat there in a hazy shock. "Princess," His eyes refused to leave the bursting satchel, "This is far too much. I do not know if we can even accept this." He finally tore his eyes away from the coins, to see Sakura much closer than she had been.
She grabbed his chin, pulling him towards her until they were mere inches apart, "Kisame, I am willing to pay whatever it takes to receive the assistance of the Akatsuki." Her breath was warm and sweet as it wafted over his face. "Whatever it takes."
Kisame was tense as she pulled away, patting his cheek. She stood up and offered him her hand. "The drugs should have worn off by now, you are free to go." Her eyes were sad as he rose, "Please consider my proposal, Kisame."
He turned to leave without grabbing the bag of coins. "Kisame, wait," Her tone was pleading, "please take the money. Even if the Akatsuki do not accept my offer, I would still like to offer it to your group."
He placed his hand out, and Sakura gently placed the small silk sack into his hand. "Thank you, Princess. I must take my leave now." His words were final, and Sakura could feel her hope deflating.
Kisame stopped at the door, mildly conflicted. He chanced a glance over his shoulder. Sakura stood defeated, watching him leave after trampling the hopes and dreams she held for herself and her kingdom. A pang of guilt flashed through him.
He hesitated before speaking, "Sakura," Doubt flickered in his eyes, "I will see what we can do." The blue man turned and fled silently, as fast as he could; by doing this, he missed the sparkle in Sakura's eye.
She crept to the door and poked her head out, checking for any sign of the blue-skinned man that had left quite quickly. There was no sign of him anywhere; so Sakura smiled and felt that it was the appropriate moment for a fist-pump of success, "Shannaro!" She quietly closed the door again, happiness taking over her expression.
Kisame had not yet left and had witnessed her celebratory dance from his position behind a conveniently placed statue. He chuckled to himself, "She's a good kid, sucks that she's caught up in all of this." He turned around and continued to make his way out of the castle, finally leaving.
His light footsteps echoed down the hallway for a short time, and the princess waited until she could no longer hear them.
Sakura removed herself from where she had been leaning against the door. "Did you get all of that, Shika." Her gaze was flinty and her mouth hard as she watched the young viscount slide out from his small hiding spot behind Sakura's large vanity.
"Yes," He looked immensely bored, "Princess Sakura."
Her lips tilted upwards, as she slumped onto the loveseat where the blue mercenary had been sitting only a few minutes earlier. "How did I do?" Her oldest friend and confidant plopped himself down next to her. "I felt like he was going to rip my throat out the minute the drugs wore off."
The man sighed heavily, "He looked like he wanted to, and he probably could've," A faint smirk tugged at his lips, "The gold was a good idea, and laying it on thick helped. Hoshigaki is a true patriot at heart, and you played him like a fiddle." He let his head drop onto Sakura's shoulder.
Sakura lounged gracefully as she began to tremble. Shikamaru turned his head to look at her and to see if she was alright but found her to be holding back laughter and tears. "What is wrong with you now?" His words were insensitive, but his tone was fondly exasperated.
She turned to him, jade eyes watering and lips quivering, "Are we really going to do this? Are we going to be able to pull this off?" A mild panic entered her face, and she stood up and began to pace. "What if they actually agree to help us? This is treason."
Shikamaru reached his hands out to her, pulling her back down to his level as she opened her mouth, "Shika, I'm just the spare," Sakura looked at him searchingly. "Shizune is the firstborn and my mother dotes upon her." She slammed her mouth shut, but her unspoken words were startlingly clear, 'Unlike me.'
Shikamaru went to disprove her words, but the more he thought about it, the more he realized he couldn't. There had never once been a time when Shizune was not chosen over Sakura. From marriage proposals to birthday gifts, or public recognition to the selection of the royal heir.
His eyes softened as they landed upon Sakura's face. He watched her heart break as she realized that her oldest and truest friend had no witty remark or exact example to refute her worries.
Sakura blinked back tears, "I'm so scared that if we get caught that we'll be executed," She swallowed hard, "because she has Shizune. I'm just the extra and you have so much going for you. I just don't want to tangle you up in this any more than I already have to."
The Nara pressed his forehead to hers softly, "There's no way you could've hidden this from me anyway, besides," He wrapped his pinky finger around hers. "We're in this together. Like always."
Sakura squeezed his pinky back. "Like always"