TAKE MY CROWN

The stench of violence and blood permeated their surroundings, and if both of them weren't used to the wreckage of war— mangled bodies on the ground, screams of agony in the far distance, the vicious kiss of steel against skin— they would've puked their insides already.

Sasuke knew this wouldn't be easy. After all, in the eyes of his clansmen and his family, he turned his back on them the moment he fell in love with Sakura. His mission to take her life was turned into making sure she lived it until she created the change needed for revolution. And at the same time, it evolved into wanting to be by her side when that moment comes.

One savage slice of his sword against a Senju warrior's jugular was made and Sasuke quickly scanned the vicinity, his crimson eyes flashing dangerously as he looked for her familiar pink, until he saw her obliterating three Uchiha kinsmen with her monstrous fists at once.

Her rose hair swayed with the blistering heat of the summer wind and her green eyes were ferocious with every swing of her arms he's known to be soft to the touch. Sakura was in her element breaking bones with a flick of a finger and it brought a small smile on his face for he knew she would be mending his after this battle is over.

Sasuke smirked for a brief moment until he felt an overwhelming presence at his back that he immediately turned to see what, or who, it was.

King Madara Uchiha loomed with cruel intent surrounded by charred trees caused by their bloodline limit that Sasuke still had to achieve. He fought the lick of fear that started to fester in his bloodstream upon seeing his grandfather years after he left their country to conduct his mission to execute the Senju princess.

"It's been a while, child," Madara's chilling voice pierced even through the noise of the bloody fray. "I see you're still alive..."

Sasuke had an initial response, born from being raised diligent by his father, to address him respectfully as the King. On the other hand, his self who was raised kind and right by his mother wanted to call him Grandfather.

But this ruthless dictator wanted him dead; wanted Sakura dead. This man didn't deserve any respect or kindness because of that sole reason alone if you ask him. In the end, Sasuke settled with saying, "Madara."

The Uchiha king roared his laughter, clearly amused in some twisted way, and the hair on Sasuke's neck prickled in anticipation.

And he was completely right to brace himself for his attack because Madara abruptly stopped cackling in a split second before declaring, "...but not for long."

One second he was there in front of Sasuke and the next he was gone. He felt him again somewhere south of him and he whirled around to face the most dangerous battle of his life.

And he froze.

Because in front of him a few heartbeats away stood Sakura, impaled with a crackling sword from her back to her now gaping chest, pale as he had ever seen her before.

"S-sasuke..-kun…" she croaked out, the scarlet liquid of her life dripping from her rose lips, and he continued to stand frozen on his spot. He could feel his eyes burning as he watched the love of his life fade away.

"I know how to kill you a different way, boy…" Madara sneered before pushing his weapon deeper. His gaze on Sasuke was mocking and said, "...and it seems like I just did."

There was an inferno boiling inside his chest and Sasuke let it consume him. All he could see was her lifeless body now falling to the ground, and his feet moved faster than his brain could even decide.

He dipped low to land a brutal kick at Madara's legs with the natural speed he was born with. Before Sakura's form could touch the ground, he caught her and he flashed a step away from the older Uchiha.

Sasuke looked down at Sakura. The summer sun was merciless with its heat on his skin and the hellfire of his rage was dangerously running through his veins; even her blood was warm on his hands. But the cold, hard truth came crashing down on him as he stared at her dead green eyes and he could feel the coldness of it just burning his insides.

Reaching down, Sasuke closed her eyes gently. Looking at her, it made him think she's only sleeping. She would make little sounds as she dreamed about her mission, her dream, and her family. She would look peaceful in her slumber while Sasuke would wish she dreams about him; about the two of them together in the future.

He dropped a soft kiss on the corner of her mouth before laying her gently under a shade of an old tree. With one last heartbreaking caress and look on her face, Sasuke steeled his resolve— he would end this once and for all.

The pattern of his powerful eyes morphed into the pinnacle of their bloodline limit and Sasuke watched as Madara laughed maniacally upon seeing everything, "Now you have grown, Sasuke." His own eyes glared dangerously at his grandson, "It won't be enough to defeat me, though."

Sasuke vanished for a second before appearing beside his grandfather, "I'll bring you down with me then."

Their eyes met, red and black swirling in their irises, before drawing their weapons simultaneously. As they pushed against each other, for a brief moment, his gaze went to Sakura's lifeless form a few meters away and felt sorrow at the hollow of his chest.

But eventually, it turned back to the kind of fury that fuels one's desire to simply take and take and take.

And that's what he did— take Madara's life at the cost of hers.

And he would never forgive himself. Those were his last thoughts before the darkness consumed him.

He wakes up with a gasp and a sharp inhale of her name from his lips.

Even with the howling winter outside, Sasuke can feel sweat cascading down his temple, neck, and back. Every time he dreams of that calamitous summer when he and Sakura stood up against their respective clans and he lost her in the end, he always wakes up sweating bullets.

The only love you've ever known doesn't really die at the hands of your grandfather anyway.

Sluggishly, he stands up from the bed and makes his way to the en suite bathroom. This inn that he is currently staying at might be a little worn down, but this is better than he's had in weeks. Months and months of traveling after the war and laying low by sleeping in the forest or just about anywhere inconspicuous are the only things he can do to avoid being seen by any Uchiha or Senju affiliate. The next thing he knew, two years have passed.

News traveled fast after that war between their countries. Since both their families hate each other, no one investigated the real reason why it happened in the first place. The Senju truly believe it was Sasuke who killed Sakura since they learned of Sasuke's original mission; hence the millions of ryo bounty on his head.

Meanwhile, his clan believes that Sakura planned to invade their territory for a long time to secure the wealth of the Uchihas. The Senju was the first to attack back then and it further confirmed their suspicions. That's why the Uchihas are still on guard until now in case the Senju decides to attack again.

Sasuke is exhausted. The constant discomfort of knowing he can be recognized by anyone, the burning rage at himself for not being able to save her and her dreams, the longing desire to see her face again— he is tired from it all. Looking in the mirror right now, he can't fully recognize the man staring back with his too long hair and his too tired eyes.

The muscle in his arm jolts him into focus when the nerves went haywire, and he winces from the slight pain. He looks down to see the stump of what is left of his left arm red and slightly swollen, probably caused by his unpleasant dream earlier. Sasuke sighs before stripping for his hot shower.

Maneuvering with only his one hand is a challenge at first. But he is an Uchiha and has a lot of pride, so he trains every day without fail to get used to it. Now it's as if he didn't lose any limb. Besides, losing his arm is nothing compared to the pain of losing Sakura.

After showering and shaving his 2 week-long facial hair, he moves out of the inn to go to the next village. He can't stay in one place for more than 2 days since the people who want his head on a plate are swarming the entire nation. This is still close to the Senju territory so he has to remain vigilant.

But after getting his lunch from a small village pub, Sasuke feels eyes on him. His lone hand flexes unconsciously as if itching for a fight. He hasn't had anything extreme going on for more than a year now and his natural instincts are starting to kick in.

Sasuke remains relaxed outside but in his brain, he's already calculating the distance from where he is to the village gates, and from him to where his tails are. When he sees a small open alley, he stealthily goes through it to wait with adrenaline pumping through his body.

Blond locks peek through the small gap of where he is and he immediately seizes the person in question. Once Sasuke sees the familiar blue eyes of Naruto, his eyes flash red.

"What the fuck, Naruto?!" he seethes, his short sword drawn and pressed against the blond's neck. "What are you doing here?!"

"Looking for you! What else?!" Naruto replies just as harshly. "Yeah, nice to see you too I guess!"

Sasuke silently pushes the blade harder on his skin and Naruto blanches. "Can you please ease up now, asshole?" The raven-haired looks at him for a few more seconds before releasing him. He hears Naruto exhaling right after, "Geez, you're still as uptight as ever… Kakashi! Help me here, would ya?!"

A shadow above him suddenly descends and Sasuke can recognize that orange book anywhere. The tall man lands gracefully while Sasuke grits his teeth, "If this is a recon, you already lost your touch Hatake."

His ever-masked face shifts and Sasuke knows his former teacher has an annoying grin underneath that goddamn cloth, though he hasn't seen it yet. Kakashi chuckles, "Missed me, Sasuke-chan?"

"Don't call me that," Sasuke counters. "Leave me alone." He moves to leave when Naruto blocks his way. Sasuke counts in his head, "I may have one arm, but I can take you anytime, dobe. Get the fuck out of my way."

"Nope," Naruto carelessly shrugs. "We need to speak with you, teme. It's impor-"

"I don't care. Move."

"We defected," Kakashi suddenly spits out. Sasuke's eyes widen for a fraction and he looks back at Kakashi, seeing the grave look in the older man's usually mischievous eyes. "Not just me and Naruto. There are a few others as well."

Sasuke's voice is incredulous when he asks, "Why?"

"Danzo has taken over your clan, Sasuke." The former second commander of the Uchiha force has this serious tone that Sasuke has only heard when he announced his family's death. Sasuke fights the urge to force his way out of there and silently listens.

"No one has opposed since he currently has the highest position on the council. He's currently building another army but it's to conquer all the neighboring countries, including the Senju territory. He wants another war," Kakashi says. "Then on the other side, Orochimaru attacked the Senjus when they were healing after the battle with us. And since there is no one protecting the throne…"

Sasuke, in his peripheral vision, can see Naruto lowering his head and shaking it in disbelief. He was Sakura's best friend, after all.

"That snake is ruthless," Naruto adds. "I know he's also preparing for something. I'm not sure what it is but it's definitely worse than war… something vile… and sick…" Naruto whispers, running his hands through his unruly blond hair. "People are mysteriously missing every day. There are shady people going in and out of our country. Orochimaru will destroy the Senju in no time and leave it in ruins."

Sasuke takes in all the information and he closes his eyes, "What does any of this have to do with me?" His eyes are cold when he asks Kakashi directly, "Do you think I'll help you out?"

Kakashi's gaze softens, "I know you will."

Angrily, Sasuke pulls the collar of Kakashi's jacket. "Then you didn't know me at all, Kakashi."

The same gaze never wavers on him while his ex-comrade says, "She believes you will help us out, Sasuke."

Sasuke pushes Kakashi against the wall, his eyes fierce and crimson, and he murmurs dangerously. "I don't want to play your games! Leave me al-"

"We have her," Naruto's voice rings in his ears. He swirls around to face the blond, his heart jumping right out his chest, and he waits until Naruto speaks again.

"We have Sakura-chan."

Moments pass and the snow continues to fall around them. He stands frozen, just like that day when he died with her, and Sasuke quivers.

He feels a hand on his shoulder and the next words revive his dead heart—

"Sakura is alive."

Kakashi's words still ring true in his ears as they travel towards the small civilian village where they hid the princess. It's been three days and Sasuke still can't fully wrap his mind around it. Instead, he focuses on the screaming of his tired legs; the panting breaths he keeps on making for the majority of their travel.

"Slow down," Kakashi warns, his voice a little out of breath, too. "She's not going anywhere, Sasuke." He doesn't respond; only pushes harder and faster. He hears Naruto's exhausted curses behind.

That's not his concern at all. Sasuke knows she's waiting for him just as he would if he is on her shoes. But the reason why he's desperate to get there soon is the fear.

He's scared that this isn't real. He's scared that this is all just a dream. He's scared that when he gets there, he will wake up just like every day and learn that he can only be with her in his dreams. Sasuke knows it will break him all over again.

There's no more snow falling around them to hinder their pace and Sasuke can feel the slight breeze of the incoming spring. There are touches of greens and pinks and reds all around him, reminding him of Sakura. A small smile forms on his lips before it falls again.

Because in the far distance, Sasuke can clearly see fire burning the gates of the village. Save for his breathing and their footsteps, he can faintly hear crying and screaming everywhere.

He spares a look back at Naruto and Kakashi who both look alarmed and dumbfounded before they all rush forward despite their aching limbs with Sasuke leading at the vanguard, his heart beating loudly against his chest.

The fear comes back tenfold inside him as they pass by a man with light eyes that can literally see through miles and walls alike. A Hyuuga, Sasuke muses to himself. A Senju ally.

"They knew the princess is still alive and found her here," the brunet says, chest heaving and bloody due to the fighting. "The snake bastard came out of nowhere with the aid of Danzo's force… they're trying to really kill her this time... I'm sorry, Naruto…"

The blond puts a comforting hand on the man's shoulder, "It's okay, Neji. We all know Sakura's capable of fighting by herself… hopefully…"

"What do you mean by that?!" Sasuke interrupts.

Kakashi somberly answers, "She hasn't regained her full strength yet. The last war took a toll on her mind and body. She was in a coma for almost a year when we found her then."

Sasuke seethes inside, "Why didn't you tell me that in the first place?!"

"And what could've you done, huh?!" Naruto shouts, making a closer move towards the Uchiha. "She didn't want you to know in the first place because she knew you would blame yourself! And with the way you look right now…" he trails on, his angry blue eyes roaming around Sasuke's face. "...she was right."

Sasuke grits his teeth in response because Naruto is right— he blames himself for what happened to her. He thinks that he might as well have pierced her chest by himself with his sword that day; the image still burning in his mind.

"We don't need your self-pity here, teme! We need your strength to get her to safety. Now get your shit together!"

The idiot is right. Sakura needs him more than ever now. Adrenaline runs through his veins and he's renewed with determination. Sasuke feels like they didn't run a thousand miles for 3 days with energy bursting through his bloodstream. They can do this. He can.

His mind clears and he faces the men beside him and begins to speak when the ground shakes with huge tremors that probably resonated through the entire country. And then, Kakashi shouts.

"Watch out!"

Several bodies come flying at where they are as if someone has tossed them like ragdolls. The force and intensity of the shaking ground earlier made these soldiers look like toys. Sasuke suddenly feels a prickling heat at the back of his neck as he looks over the direction where these bodies came from.

The dust settles slowly and reveals the cause of it all… and Sasuke's heart stops.

Sakura stands with her emerald eyes blazing like wildfire, his pink hair blowing in the winter breeze, and her forehead glistening with a diamond seal that bleeds those powerful black lines that now adorn her body. The ground she stands on is cracked and Sasuke cracks a smile. She looks like a true Senju warrior and its princess; and soon, a Senju queen.

His queen.

All his, his, his.

Their eyes meet in the middle of the chaos and suddenly it's just them two. Sasuke watches as her sharp gaze softens in a gentle caress; as if saying welcome home.

The dark lines retract to her seal and she sways in exhaustion. In a split second, his feet move and he is there behind her, supporting her body with his own. When he holds her upper arm, pinpricks of desire lick his skin and he pushes his head down towards her pink tresses.

He feels her move so she can face him fully. Sakura looks up at him and he can't help the sting in his eyes when he sees hers water with emotions. Her lips wobble as she speaks to him for the first time in almost two years.

"I've missed you," she whispers as her first tears fall to her dusty cheeks.

Sasuke's afraid his voice might crack so he answers her in the best way he knows how.

His lips slot themselves on hers and suddenly the world is alright again. He kisses her with all the passion and desire he's kept suppressed inside him; with all the frustration and sorrow that he's endured for these past years without her. Sasuke feels her lips trembling against him and he devours her deeper, harder, until the fire inside him consumes them both and keeps them warm. She lets out a muffled moan and Sasuke groans back.

Just like what he said that day— fuck everything else. What matters now is this. She's alive and breathing and she's kissing him back like she's leaving him again.

No way. Not anymore.

He gently detaches his mouth from hers but not before giving her another soft peck. He can see some snowflakes sitting on her long eyelashes and it sparkles in the vivid green of her irises. She's even more beautiful than the last time he saw her.

"Uhh… I don't mean to interrupt the romantic reunion— though I could've gone through without seeing that make-out session you did— but we have a village to save and some men to annihilate."

Naruto's obnoxious voice rings through the clearing and Sasuke gives him a death glare. He can almost imagine the blond spikes on his head deflate in return. Kakashi chuckles while Neji Hyuuga remains stoic.

"Let's go," Sakura declares, her voice strong and her grip on his hand even stronger. Her cheeks are pink with life and her lips red with his passion, and he squeezes her hand back in silent support.

I will follow you to the ends of the world.

As they all join the battle once more, Sasuke throws a final look at his lover and she matches his gaze with her own. In that instant, they know that Sakura will take back her crown from Orochimaru and he's decided to be by her side to fight with her; for her. She will start the revolution no one has ever known and lead the way a leader is supposed to lead. She will be the Senju Queen.

After this, there will be time for Sasuke to take back his family's glory once more after they defeat Danzo. There will be time to go back home and make the same revolution he learned from the love he has for Sakura. And in the end, there will be time to emerge as the new Uchiha King.

And together, they will change the world.

~fin~

a/n: this is a fic commission for my dear kali, and a continuation/sequel of my feudal era au on dancing with our hands tied bridge prompt on my bridges of love series! this is one of the commissions i did and until now, i can't wrap my mind around the fact that people actually trusted me enough to write fics for them huhu thank you so much to all of you!

also i've been kinda in a writer's block these days huhu maybe bc im too tired bc of my new job but no worries! im good and i will be posting new stuff again frequently :) take care everyone!