A/N: Here's the next one! I've been having a spark of creativity lately, so I've been trying to write as much as I can.


Chapter 19: Growing Shadows


The heat of the day had dwindled as the sun set, bathing the desolate place in hues of gold. The shadows grew, as did the exhaustion.

Fugaku stared in a haze out the grand floor-length windows in the throne room at the sunset. While beautiful, it only served to increase the dread in his veins.

"'Gaku," Mikoto's sweet voice came from behind as she wrapped her arms around him, resting her forehead on his shoulder. "Dinner is ready. Won't you come and eat?"

"Sure, in a minute," he replied dazedly, hardly noticing when she pressed a kiss to the top of his spine. As her feather-light footsteps faded from the great hall, his thoughts returned.


"Fugaku, I trust that your spies have found the hideaway of those damned rebels, correct?" The man's growling voice had sent a shiver down his back, one that made his heart clench in fear.

"Y- yes, we have. We have reason to believe that they're hiding near Morino."

"Excellent. I want the entire town to be destroyed. No survivors. Am I understood?"

"... Yes, sir."


His heart ached when he thought of Morino. The once beautiful town had been reduced to nothing but splinters and ash. Morino had been the town he'd met Mikoto in, it'd been the vacation spot they'd always visited each summer. Hell, Sasuke was meant to inherit a sizely townhouse in Morino for him and his wife once he became king.

But of course, nothing could be simple anymore. Not since the attack. Not since Sasuke had been kidnapped. Not since his young friends had been a casualty.

Tch. His eyebrows dipped low into a frown when he thought about Akio and his wife. The filthy traitor had it coming, although a wave of dull hurt came back at the thought of having to kill a dear friend and his family.

"It was duty," he'd tried to argue with himself for weeks after. "Had I not killed him, he would've tried to get revenge for the death of his sons. Killing him was a mercy."

Sasuke had been so desolate about his childhood friends dying, especially Sakura - he just didn't have the heart to touch Morino any more than he needed to.

But then, he came to them. He trapped Fugaku and his family underneath his thumb, claiming to know the future and offering to make their kingdom greater. It was he who had forced him to act, to grow hasty against Riot in the months afterward. He didn't like it, of course, but he couldn't brush away the glimmer of satisfaction whenever they caught a rebel, or when they wiped out a troop.

Troop Nine had been the tip of the iceberg. Now that they'd been wiped out, the rest of the group had been falling steadily. Not as quickly as he'd like, but hey, progress was progress.

"Speaking of progress," he mused to himself as he turned to exit the throne room. He made a note to thank Kakashi and his soldiers soon. Had it not been for them, they probably wouldn't have actually come into contact with the rebel leader Tsunade.

He paused upon opening one of the doors when he saw Mikoto standing by.

She looked up at him with a bright smile. "Took you long enough to stop daydreaming," she teased as she took his arm, leaning against him. "If you stalled even a few moments more, I think Naruto would just start eating our portions too."

Fugaku melted at his wife's warmth, chuckling softly at the mention of the irate blond. "He's always had an appetite for Mido's food, hasn't he? We'd better hurry, then."


"Aah, now that hit the spot!" Karin sighed in content, pushing her bowl away. "You never told me you were so good at roasting fish, Yamanaka."

Said blonde giggled modestly, looking away. "Well, what can I say? Fish was probably lesson number three, coming behind rice and tea."

"Speaking of, how's your mother?" Sakura asked. "Is she doing well?"

"Oh, she's fine." Ino paused for a moment. "Well, she was fine when I left her, anyway. I can only imagine what she's doing now."

The pinkette nodded her head slowly. "People are going missing from their home towns so much anymore. At least she'd have a bit of solace in the fact that you're just missing."

Ino gave her a grim look.

Silence sat between them for a few moments before Hinata appeared around the side of the building with a serene smile.

"Good evening, may I join you?" She asked.

"Of course, milady- I mean, Hinata." Sakura patted the spot beside her with a smile. "We were just about to get some tea."

"Oh, is that so?" The lady turned to go. "I can get that for you-"

"No, no, please, I insist." Sakura interrupted, hopping to her feet. She ushered the girl to a seat. "I'll go get it."

Hinata was slightly confused, yet she nodded in agreement as Sakura rushed off.

Karin chuckled to herself. "She's stubborn when she wants to be, I think you'll find."

"I'm already seeing it," Hinata agreed, though with no malice in her voice. She smiled softly to herself. "She... she reminds me of Naruto. The way he used to be."

The redhead nodded absently to herself. "When I was in the palace, he... didn't really smile much. At least, not that I've seen. He seems older than his years."

"He has to be," Ino agreed solemnly, folding her hands in her lap. "His parents both died when he was eleven, and he had to deal with Sasuke getting kidnapped and Sakura's false death."

Looking to Hinata, she continued, "And when you faked your own death, I visited him and Sasuke soon afterward. He was absolutely devastated."

The Hyuuga blinked in stunned silence. Her mouth opened for a moment, then shut. Then she opened it again. "He- he mourned... o- over me?"

"Are you kidding?" She stared at the girl as if she were crazed. "You really don't know just how much he cared about you, do you? When I went to see him, you know what he told me? He said he wished he could've found a way to save you. He really liked you."

Her cheeks heated up as she mulled it over. While she'd pined from a distance ever since she'd first met him when they were children, she never actually thought he'd noticed her. While a great part of her heart was pleased that he noticed her enough to be saddened about her death, but... but a greater part knew that he mourned her as a future queen whose life was tragically 'cut short' because of a tempestuous political standoff.

She tried her best not to show the conflicted hurt she felt deep inside. With a sigh, she nodded. "I suppose I don't know him as well as I thought I did."

Ino shrugged. "He wears his heart on his sleeve, or at least he used to. He's a good kid with a good heart; just got dragged into bloody business against his wishes."

The group found themselves grateful that Sakura chose that moment to appear with a crude tray of teacups in her hands.

"Fresh from the reserve pack!" She chirped, handing each girl her cup of steaming tea.

"Thanks, Forehead." Ino gave her a wink as she sat back down, her own cup in hand.

Sakura groaned dramatically. "You're still gonna call me that? I'll have you know I've grown into my fivehead, thank you very much!"

The blonde chuckled as the girl nudged her playfully. "C'mon, Sak, can't I rib my best friend a little? It's been six years, after all."

"Yes, I suppose it has." The pinkette mused into her cup as she took a tentative sip. She gave a quiet groan of satisfaction as she swallowed the hot liquid. "Aw man, now that hits it just right."


Hinata yawned into her sleeve as she ducked into her shared space with Sakura. Said girl was already stripped of most of her clothing, and the young woman caught only a glimpse of her wrapped chest and a flash of a red tattoo on her right bicep before she squeaked in surprise, turning away.

"My apologies, I didn't realize you were still changing." She said, fidgeting with her shirt.

"Hm?" Sakura turned to look over, pausing in pulling on her camoflauge pants. "Oh, nah, that's okay. It's only patrol gear. I mean, if it helps, the longer you stay the more you get used to it. Not much in terms of 'privacy' when you're on the run, heh."

Said girl nodded quickly. She almost wanted to look again, to see what those red markings were, but she firmly decided not to, for fear of how she'd react.

Sakura shook her head with an amused smile. As soon as she pulled her shirt on, she stood from the bedroll. "I'm done, if you wanna turn around."

As soon as Hinata did, her face was an embarrassed, fiery red, and her pale eyes looked just about everywhere that Sakura wasn't. She was nervous, her reflexes screaming at her to get out before the girl regarded her with disgust at her quick stare.

The girl walked past her, pausing to pat the top of her head softly.

"Don't worry so much, my lady," Sakura said, voice soft. Her eyes were gentle, sympathetic, almost as if she understood. "Nobody's gonna lynch you for seeing things you shouldn't here."

With an angel-soft peck on Hinata's cheek, the pinkette was gone, leaving behind a confused young woman, her hand holding the side she'd kissed.


The night was black, the absence of the moonlight making it all the more ominous. Normally, Sakura wasn't afraid to patrol, but tonight... tonight, something uneasy settled in the pit of her stomach, and it wasn't nausea from the callbacks of the last time they'd been caught - and almost captured - in this kind of darkness.

Her sharp eyes darted around the tiny lookout spot, listening intently. So far, the only sounds she heard were the common chirping of the crickets, the soft rustling of the leaves in the trees, and the faint gush of the river nearby.

"The same river I sealed my fate forever in..." she thought to herself, a shiver going up her spine. It had taken her a long, long time to get over the sick feeling that rivers gave her, but she prided herself on being tougher than some water. Unfortunately, sometimes, the feeling crept back - the helpless terror of having to listen to your childhood best friend - and crush - react to your 'death' in such a raw, heart-wrenching way.

She sighed soundlessly, rubbing her eyes. The night was still young, she reasoned, and she couldn't risk growing careless. They may have made a daring escape only a week before, but she just couldn't shake the feeling that the king wasn't done with them yet.

"He's been toying with us," she thought with a frown. "Luring us into a false sense of security, and then, just when we least expect it, he'll strike. I'd expect no less from Sasuke's father."

She startled then, at the sudden rustling of the bushes nearby. She whirled around, fingers darting to her hidden kunai knife, silently daring whoever it was to move.

Thankfully, she deflated only a few moments later at the sight of a squirrel rushing along the forest floor, and she momentarily chided herself for being so jumpy.

"C'mon, Sakura, get a grip with yourself." She scolded herself. "It's just lookout. You've done this nearly every night without fail for the last four, five years."

She breathed a small chuckle to herself, watching the trees. Thankfully, she hood she wore concealed the bright pink of her hair, and from her position in the shadows, even some of the king's troops couldn't see her. Unfortunately, for the skilled ones, such as Hatake Kakashi, the infamous Copy Nin...

... well, she'd do well not to get caught by his squadron. Especially concerning that eye of his.


A/N: Just a little bit of a hint at Sakura's feelings. Personally, I've always thought that she's kinda bi and ready to try, but that's just me. ;3

Anyway, please tell me what you thought! See you next week.