Amaryllis
Chapter 13
A few weeks later, they entered Whiteriver Keep to strange looks from the guards on patrol. And then disapproving stares from the nobles and officials who walked the halls of the castle. Mercenaries weren't an unfamiliar sight in the city of Whiteriver. It was just that they were never invited into the walls of the castle proper. The people who came and went through these gates were often traveling entertainers or diplomats from far-off lands.
"Oh. A triumphant return, then, General?" a smarmy voice came from behind.
Sakura didn't even need to turn to know that it was Duke Hyuuga. Scoffing at her. His silken hair gleaming in the torchlight, while muck still covered her boots and cloak. He wrinkled his nose as he saw the state of her travel-weary companions as well.
"I wasn't aware that His Majesty had sent you on some sort of journey with your friends. What a lively group," he went on.
Sasuke opened his mouth to rebuke the man. After all, he had failed to even recognize and greet the princes of the neighboring nation. But he took a step back when his brother tugged the back of his cloak.
Because Itachi was watching Sakura's face, not the duke's.
"Majesty?" she repeated.
When she turned to finally face him, Sakura was still smiling.
"How sad. In your… advanced age… you must have forgotten. There is no 'Majesty' at the moment. Just the Regent," Sakura corrected him. The duke's expression hardened as she added: "Do take care of yourself. It would be a tragedy to see such a sharp mind lost to senility."
"Good day to you, Duke," Sakura then greeted him as she brushed past. The rest of the group trailed along after her. Including the mercenaries. Kisame glanced back to smirk at the incensed duke, who trembled with rage as he hurried along in the opposite direction.
With a weary look around the group, it was Sasuke who suggested that they retire to their rooms to wash up and rest before supper. Sakura sent Haku up to her chambers with her things before she headed off into the city on foot. Kaze she sent off to the stables to be pampered for the first time in several weeks.
The way to the Academy was busy, as always. She stepped through the gates. No one dared intercept her when they spotted her bright hair.
Sakura found a pot of geraniums on her desk upon her return. She stood in the doorway of her office as she stared at the bright purple flowers. Mud was painted onto the bottoms of her boots and she could feel the grime caked under her nails. But there were flowers waiting for her anyway.
Purple was the color of the Yamanaka family so it was easy to guess who they had come from.
"You there," Sakura called as she heard footsteps in the hall. They abruptly stopped before the soldier ran up to her. She heard the creak of his starched uniform as he saluted, fist over his heart.
"Bring me Colonel Hyuuga at once," she ordered.
Geraniums stood for true friendship. And Sakura was aware of few friends she had in this city. And only one of them would send a message to her in this manner. If Ino was sending her flowers to affirm her friendship, there had to be a reason.
Sakura moved into her office, her eyes scanning the area for any hidden presences. The windows were closed. But she still moved closer to check the locks. They seemed to be in perfect working order.
There was a set of knocks: three in a row.
"General."
For a moment, as Sakura turned, she thought she saw Neji walking over a mountain of dead bodies. The smell of decay and burnt flesh was thick in the air. But she blinked and he was simply entering her office. Seeing the odd look on her face, he hesitated in the doorway for a moment. And then he entered, bowing, right fist over his heart.
"Colonel," she acknowledged him. Only then did he raise his head.
"Your Uncle found me as soon as I entered the city. As if he were waiting for me," she said. No point in skirting around formalities. They were both too busy for that.
"He's been spending a great deal of time in the castle lately. It could be coincidence," Neji replied. Sakura's nose wrinkled at the last part. She hated that word. Coincidence.
Neji hesitated. And then he asked anyway: "Do you doubt my loyalty, General?"
The corner of her mouth lifted. "Wouldn't it be nice if we could live in a world where we don't have to doubt anyone, Colonel?" she queried in return. Which was an answer in itself.
"Don't take it to heart," Sakura then added. Her pointer finger touching her cheek as she leaned against her desk.
As Sakura moved her finger to point to the flowers sitting next to her, there was a sudden clatter. Both of them turned to look as a knife jiggled in the lock of the window directly behind the desk. After a moment, the lock clicked and two hands pushed the window open before grasping the inside sill. With a grunt and a swing of his skinny legs, Suigetsu pulled himself up into the office on the third story.
Neji's hand flew to his sword while Sakura simply let out a tired noise.
"Is a door not good enough for you?" Sakura demanded. Smirking, Suigetsu sat on the windowsill while looking supremely proud of himself. Then again, Suigetsu appeared to have few other expressions besides that one.
"Your security is beyond bad, woman," Suigetsu informed her with glee.
"You will address the General with respect," Neji hissed as he drew his sword and pointed it at the strange intruder.
"Watch yourself, young lord. They don't call me the Second Coming of the Demon for fun," leered Suigetsu in response. He reached back to pat the large sword on his back. Glowering, Neji looked back to Sakura who seemed unconcerned.
"You should know, Colonel. I've hired some interesting men since the last time we've spoken. You may see them around the city until I leave for Plumeria," Sakura informed him. Neji's eyebrow twitched as Suigetsu just grinned at him. Still, he slowly sheathed his weapon.
And then she called Neji's attention back to the flowers on her desk. "Who allowed these to be brought here?" she then questioned.
"Lieutenant General Nara, Ma'am," he responded.
"And who brought them inside my office? It should be one of us. Simple couriers shouldn't be permitted access to this room," Sakura pressed.
"A soldier. Shall I identify him and bring him here?" Neji offered.
"Do so."
"What's the problem? I thought women liked flowers?" demanded Suigetsu.
Sakura stared at him. Then at the flowers. She reached into her pocket to pull out a glove. She slipped it over her fingers. And then she reached among the purple petals to pluck something out. A needle glinted in her grasp.
"Poisoned, I'm assuming," she murmured.
Neji blanched. "I'll see to this matter immediately, General," he whispered.
Suigetsu knocked his knuckles against the window, drawing their stares. "Easy to pick the locks. Any rat could have crawled in to plant the poison," he pointed out. And then he leaned out the open window. He called out: "Hey. Come look at this."
There was a pause. And then fingers appeared over the sill. Mangetsu pulled himself through the window in one graceful motion. Neji stared as the intruder landed noiselessly on his feet.
Mangetsu stared at his little brother, who grinned. "Lady thinks there's poison. What do you think?" Suigetsu asked, pointing toward Sakura. Neji bristled at the casual way the man referred to his commanding officer. Mangetsu hesitated, and then strode across the room to glance over the flowers. He took a few deep breaths near the petals. Wrinkled his nose.
"Flowers overpower everything. Not even a dog could sniff that out," Mangetsu complained, pinching his nose.
Sakura nodded. She plucked a handkerchief from her other pocket. She wrapped up the needle in a neat bundle.
Mangetsu turned to his brother. He knocked the back of his hand against Suigetsu's shoulder.
"This wasn't what Big Boss meant by keeping watch," he scolded. "You're supposed to observe from a distance."
"But that's boring," Suigetsu sighed, giving a dismissive wave of his hand.
Mangetsu glanced back at Sakura. He rubbed the back of his head for a bit, thinking. And then he held his hand out to her. Neji reached for his weapon again.
"I have contacts who can look into it," offered Mangetsu.
"So do I," Sakura replied.
She held his gaze. Searching. He didn't flinch away.
"Boss says to keep you alive. We don't get paid otherwise," Mangetsu told her. The corner of her mouth pulled up in a smirk.
"Keep it quiet," she ordered. He clenched his fist around the handkerchief she placed in his hand. He jerked his head in a short nod. He climbed back out the window, dropping quietly to the ground below. Suigetsu followed, but not before sending a wink her way. Neji stared after them.
"General, you can't be serious," he said.
"More serious than you'd know," Sakura replied.
Clawing hands filled Sakura's eyes. She jolted upright, a gasp leaking from her mouth. Blinked. And then the hands were gone.
There was silence before her door opened. And then Sasori's face appeared, followed by the glint of his sword. His eyes scanned the room before they rested on Sakura. The disarray of her bed and the sweat beading down the back of her neck screamed of more nightmares.
"Just… a dream," she tried to explain.
Sasori stepped into the room. Sakura thought she saw another silhouette moving behind him. She tensed before he could see that it was Kisame. Ever since the mercenaries had joined them, Sasori refused to leave her with alone. He slept in front of her door, his sword gripped in his hand.
Kisame's eye met hers. He stared for a long moment. And then he was gone.
"I told you to let me know if they got worse," Sasori admonished.
"You're overreacting," she tried to laugh it off.
Her hands clenched into the sheets as she sucked in a deep breath. Her eyes darted from him to the window and back. And then she deflated, letting the fake smile slide from her mouth. "It's alright. I might as well be sleepless in exchange for all the damage that I've done," she remarked.
Sasori ran a hand through his hair. He took a step toward her.
"Darling," he sighed.
"There's nothing darling about me. I'm a murderer. It's simple," she retorted as she rubbed at her eyes with the backs of her hands. And then, when she looked at him again, the smile was back. "You should go back to your room and actually rest. I'll be fine," she added.
Sasori stared at her. Unsmiling. He seemed to consider something before he opened the door.
"No maids in sight," he grumbled as he ducked back inside.
"There rarely are. In this wing, at least," answered Sakura with a smirk. The servants had made it clear who they supported during her many years staying here. Sasori appeared not to hear her as he slipped out of the room. He returned a few minutes later to find Sakura curled up on her side, her back to the door. She didn't particularly want to see his face. And she thought she had won when she heard him leave. A moment later, she heard the faucets squeak and water began pouring in the bathroom. Sakura rolled onto her other side to glare at him when he returned, shirt rolled up to his elbows, hands on his hips.
"You'll never fall back asleep like that, you know," he said from above her. She didn't answer him.
"Come on. Up," he then ordered as he stepped over to her and pulled her until she sat upright. Glaring at him. He cupped his face in his hands, pressing a kiss to her forehead.
"A warm bath does wonders for the soul, you know," he reminded her.
Sasori retrieved her robe and placed it in her lap. He slipped out of the room. She could hear him speaking with someone on the other side of the door as she slowly undressed.
The mystery of who Sasori was speaking with ended when Haku stepped into the room. Sakura threw her hands up in exasperation.
"Honestly. Waking you up," Sakura complained. And before the hurt could settle into Haku's face, she added, "A growing boy needs his sleep. What is that man thinking disturbing your rest?"
A shy smile brightened Haku's face.
"It's alright, My Lady. I would be remiss if I slept without seeing to the needs of my mistress," he replied. He tucked his hair behind his ear before he began moving around the room, pulling clean clothes from the armoire and placing them in a neat pile.
And because Haku had woken specifically to help her, Sakura went to take a bath without much more complaint. When she returned, he had changed the sheets and held a basket of the dirty laundry on his hip. Haku moved to set the basket down.
"Shall I dry your hair, My Lady?" he suggested. Sakura pulled on her robe over her cotton nightgown in sharp tugs. Tied the belt just a little too tight.
"No need," Sasori interrupted, holding the door open.
Haku hesitated. He eyed the expression on Sasori's face. And then Sakura's.
"…Tea, My Lady?" he offered.
Sakura shook her head, gave him a wan smile.
"Go to bed once you've taken care of those. I've given you enough trouble for one night," ordered Sakura.
Haku gave Sasori one last look before he bowed and stepped out of the room.
Sakura sank into the seat in front of the small vanity. The mirrors were a little dusty. The servants at home would have fallen ill at the sight of such lazy cleaning. She reached out with her sleeve to rub the mirror clean.
"Refreshed?" asked Sasori, shutting the door.
"I suppose," she answered, leaning her elbow on the vanity.
"Honestly, Sakura, must I do everything? Calling for your servant. Will you ever stop being a child?" he questioned with joking exasperation in his voice.
"Apparently not," replied Sakura. His laughter died in his throat before he turned toward her.
"That's not what I…" Sasori trailed off.
He pulled a clean towel from the pile that the Haku had left behind. Unfolded it. When he began patting her hair dry, Sakura's tense shoulders relaxed. In fact, she outright slumped. Wordlessly, he picked up her brush to begin working the tangles out of her short hair. The rhythm of the bristles through her locks and across her scalp made Sakura's eyelids grow a little heavy. When he was finished, Sasori tousled her hair again with the towel. It was still damp, but not dripping at least.
"Was it that bad?" he finally asked as he tossed the wet towel in the basket to be collected in the morning.
"It's not just the nightmare. It's just… all of this that's exhausting." Sakura closed her eyes for a moment, exhaling heavily through her nose.
"This?"
"This," Sakura repeated with a vague sweeping gesture.
"Explain," he said. It took Sakura a moment to compose her thoughts. And she opened and closed her mouth a few times before she could settle on what to say.
"My mother was always calm and composed. She was never emotional. She never woke screaming from nightmares like a child," Sakura admitted with a grimace. Sasori put his hand on her cheek to tilt her head towards him. Her eyes opened.
"Aunt Tsunade did not fight in a war. May she rest in peace, but your mother was a researcher and a princess. What great adversity did she ever face that couldn't be warded off with an almanac?" Sasori said. The gentleness in his words pierced softly into her chest. He sounded so much like his own mother.
"What of my father then?" she challenged him.
"Uncle, may he also rest in peace, was a great warrior. He feared nothing. Bowed to no one but your mother. But in private, who knows? I'm sure you can remember at least one time when your father wasn't perfect," assured Sasori.
Sakura immediately thought of the times when Father was too busy to practice sword fighting with her. There were days when he would retire to his chambers, too tired for visitors. And Mother would summon her instead, have her sit in on a day in court and follow her to her meetings. She had never thought anything of it. And trailing after those golden skirts and tapping high heels, Sakura hadn't had time to worry. Only of thought of when she would be old enough to wear such splendid gowns.
But she knew Sasori had seen the look in her eyes as she thought. Because he gave her a knowing look as he touched the back of his hand to her cheek.
"Tell me. Are you planning to concede defeat?" questioned Sasori.
"Of course not. What kind of question is that?" she answered in a question of her own. Sasori didn't smile. Instead, he knelt on the floor in front of her. Clasped her hands between his.
She knew why he did that. He lowered himself. The pride of the Haruno's ran hottest in his blood, but he still lowered himself to his younger cousin. It was surrender. And she could never ignore him when he did that.
"I am your sword and your shield. I am your hands and feet. I will move as you move. And as long as you do not give in to the Aristocratic Faction, neither will I," he reminded her. The sincerity poured from each syllable. Like blood from an open wound.
And then he pressed a kiss to her palm. "Oh, dear cousin, if only you could pluck these eyes from my head. To see yourself as I see you. Without the titles. Without all these dirty hands pulling you in different directions."
"Sasori," she huffed, "I'm… nothing… without titles. I'm just titles."
"How wrong you are. Titles just lie on the surface," he insisted.
Sakura glared at him for a long moment. "Sasori," she said, letting out a hard laugh, "I am all surface."
Sasori let out a frustrated noise as he ran his hands over his face. He thought for a long moment before he reached out toward her and then pulled his hands back. Instead he sat back on his haunches, hands clasping behind his neck as he articulate the words inside his head. When he decided on what to say, he claimed her hands again.
"Your blood is the blood of a queen. Your soul is the soul of a queen. It's not a title. Others can wear a crown, but you have always been a queen," Sasori declared. When she didn't say anything, he turned her to look at the mirror.
She had pink hair that curled when it was wet. She looked more and more like her mother with each year. These were all things she knew about herself. But as she watched, Sasori touched his pinkies together. Then his thumbs together. Forming a circle with his hands. He stretched his other fingers up until they stood like the jeweled edges of a crown. Slowly, he placed his hands on top of her head.
"This face was made to rule us all," he whispered. The reverence in his voice made it tremble. Their eyes met in the mirror. His glimmered like polished gold.
"Never forget this, my love. You will have that throne. And I will work until my dying breath to see it so," he swore in a low voice. With a sad smile, Sakura turned in her seat to face him. She touched his cheek.
"Sasori, you…" She didn't know how to word how she felt. How safe she felt when she draped her arms over his shoulders. Resting her head against his chest. Just to be held. To be still.
"What would I do without you?" she sighed.
Sasori chuckled. She could feel him stroking her hair.
He didn't say anything.
When Sakura went back to sleep, it was with her head resting in his lap, half-mumbling questions for his patient responses until she finally fell silent.
It reminded Sasori of sweeter times- days when they wrestled together in the sand and fell asleep with the sounds of pounding waves outside their windows. She snuck out of her room, climbing into his bed with a secret stash of dried fruits she had stolen from the kitchen.
Sometimes they gossiped. Sometimes they recalled the day's events with a sense of satisfaction. Sometimes Sakura cried because her mother and father were always so busy and she felt selfish if she asked for anything.
It didn't matter.
Happy or sad, they curled together, whispers tangling into whispers that Sasori always imagined drifting out between the wrinkles in the blanket and drifting out on the sea breeze. And maybe they would carry out all the way to a man sitting in his fishing boat at night with his sunburned head nodding. And those tangled wishes would slip into his ears and he might shed a tear too for the sweet girl who loved her parents too much.
Looking down at the grown woman resting so peacefully in his lap now, Sasori almost felt like shedding a tear for her too. He pushed a lock of her hair out of her face.
"Your Majesty," he sighed into the night. His breaths soft and calm, even as his mind raced with all the things he needed to do in the morning.
They would have stayed in Whiteriver Keep for the rest of the season. It was nearly August- the seas were usually rough around this time of year. Even some of the most experienced sailors and merchants were reluctant to go out very far into the waves. Storms were known to brew up suddenly, capsizing ships and dashing them against rocky shores.
But one morning Kushina asked Sakura if she would like to become part of her usual garden parties where noble ladies sat around fanning themselves and gossiping.
"It's an opportunity for you to get acquainted with some ladies your age. You're always surrounded with dour-looking men. It could be a nice change of pace, don't you think?" she suggested.
Itachi and Sasuke eyed Sakura's expression. Sasuke's gaze then darted to his brother. He opened his mouth to intervene. But then Itachi's hand shot out to grab Sasuke's wrist. When Sasuke shot him a look, Itachi just shook his head.
They both looked when Sakura spoke.
"Surely Your Grace must know that the peace and prosperity of your kingdom is thanks to these 'dour-looking men'. They are the soldiers who have bled for this country. I myself would not be alive if not for their support," answered Sakura.
Kushina's smile faded a bit. "I was actually referring to those… guards… you brought back from the south." She gave a pointed look to one of the mercenaries, who stood behind Sakura.
Sakura hadn't been clued in on all the details, but apparently they had decided that one of them would be at her side at all times. They seemed to have come up with their own shifts. They didn't interfere in her day-to-day life at all.
The one standing by her now was called Chojuro. His glasses glinted in the sunlight as he pushed them up the bridge of his nose. For a moment, their eyes met. And then Sakura smirked.
"Well, Your Grace, I wouldn't need mercenaries if I had been provided with a retainer by my guardians during my coming-of-age ceremony," scoffed Sakura. "So you'll have to bear with it for the time being."
Sakura and her traveling party were gone the following morning. No message left behind. No provisions taken from the kitchens. Just silence in the spaces she and her companions had occupied.
"Is it alright not to say anything? What if they think you've been kidnapped?" Itachi wondered.
"They won't. And even if they do, they wouldn't send anyone after me," Sakura responded. Her hands tightening on the reins.
The trip up to Whitewave was much easier. They stopped at inns and traded tales over warm meals and sweet alcohol. When they arrived at the port city, Sasori's ship sat waiting in the dock. The scrubbed hull gleaming in the afternoon sunlight.
"We'll leave tomorrow morning. The tides aren't right to leave the port tonight," Sasori had decided with one look at the water.
The small Haruno manor was ready for them with clean rooms and fresh supplies. Supper was filling. The wine was fruity and sweet, just the way Sakura preferred.
Sasuke went to bed soon after their meal. As did Sasori, who she knew would be up before anyone else, preparing the ship for their journey on the waters.
"Sweet dreams, love," Sasori murmured as he kissed her cheek. And then turned her head to kiss the other one. He bid Itachi a good night as well before he left the salon.
It was quiet with just the two of them. Not in an uncomfortable way. But in the way where there was so much that they could discuss that they ended up saying nothing at all.
"… It's a bit warm in here. Shall we move to the balcony?" Itachi suggested.
Her glass of wine resting in her left palm. Itachi's hand resting in her right. Sakura stood in the muggy sea breeze.
"You seem troubled," he observed.
"I am," she admitted.
"I wish I knew how to help."
Smiling, she laid her head on his shoulder. "You don't have to," she assured him.
In the morning, Sasori's ship set sail from the port.
Even though the crew of the ship should have been worried about the weather, they covered any hint of fear with the usual laughter. They traded stories with the Seven Swordsmen and immediately seemed to take a liking to one another. Rather than join them after supper for their jokes and stories, Sakura excused herself, sitting on top of crates with Itachi and wondering if the odd shapes in the distance were dolphins or whales. But when he retired for the night, she slipped under the deck to see if she could find a decent bottle of wine.
The ship was made of wood. And it rocked on the waves, creaking and groaning without cease. But for Sakura, who had grown up on the water, she knew what was to be expected and what was strange.
And Sakura heard a strange thump from inside the cargo hold.
She turned back on her heel, her sword pulling quietly from the scabbard.
Exhaling slowly through her nose, she waited for a few more heartbeats. There was the noise again. She took a few steps toward it, waiting. There was the thump one more time, a little louder.
Standing in front of a barrel, Sakura considered her options. But after deciding that it wasn't worth alerting everyone above, she tapped the barrel with the hilt of her sword. It didn't sound hollow but it didn't sound like it was full of liquid either. She tapped the barrel one more time before she took a deep breath and sliced through the rope holding the lid in place. When she ripped the top off, she saw a pale face with huge violet eyes staring up at her.
"Ino," Sakura sighed. She lowered her sword to her side, glowering at her friend.
"Hi," Ino replied with a silly little wave. The boat rocked on a particularly big set of waves and the barrel tipped over. Ino's barrel rolled across the floor, spinning back and forth until Sakura finally planted her foot on it, stopping it in its tracks.
"I should throw you overboard," Sakura remarked. Ino craned her neck to glare up at her.
"You don't have enough friends to do that. Help me out," Ino retorted. Sakura considered this for a moment before she bent over to offer her hand to Ino.
"What are you doing here, Ino?" Sakura sighed.
"Father's been talking about marrying me off to Colonel Hyuuga. So I'm here to give him time to reconsider that awful plan," griped Ino without hesitation. Sakura pulled her to her feet, giving a sympathetic grimace.
"Running away from home won't solve anything. Your father is a negotiator. If he wants it, he makes it happen," Sakura reminded her. But Ino just gave her a smug look.
"And what will he negotiate with when that dear, marriageable daughter of his nowhere to be found?" challenged Ino.
Sakura leveled her with a stare. Thinking.
"This is temporary. You need to solve this another way," Sakura finally relented. Ino threw her arms around Sakura in a hug.
"Thank you! I will!" Ino squealed. And then she pulled away, arms still looped around Sakura's neck. "Now, introduce me to these mercenaries everyone is talking about. Are they handsome?"
"…Oh, Ino," Sakura sighed.
Sakura and her party returned to the Southern Tea Isle just before the beginning of the second planting season of the year.
After summer monsoons, fallen trees and debris washed in with storms made for good fertilizer for the new set of crops. Though everyone wanted to throw the usual feast to welcome the travelers back, Sakura waved their suggestions aside with the upcoming planting season as an excuse. There were fields to be tilled, seeds to be planted, and ditches to be dug for irrigation.
The latest batch of silkworms had also just been harvested. Bolts of silk were sent out to the various workshops where workers dyed the precious fabric in a rainbow of colors. The stains from the dye lingered on their hands for weeks at a time. Window ledges and door frames often sported pigmented handprints.
The port was thick with merchants shipping off the finished silk as well as barrels of tea leaves. And as more products went out, more merchants came back with ships heavy with imported goods. The market became an even livelier place than normal.
Kankuro was even more cheerful than usual upon their arrival.
"Happy? Of course I am. This year's profits are even greater than last year's," chortled Kankuro when Itachi commented on his good mood. Gaara's expression was contrastingly grim as he pressed a light kiss to Sakura's cheek in greeting. Sakura's gaze flitted to Temari standing in the archway, her spear gripped tightly in her white-knuckled hand. Their eyes met. Temari slowly shook her head, gold earrings tinkling with each swaying movement.
When everyone else had exchanged hellos, and Sasuke and Haku went off to unpack, and Kankuro escorted Ino on a tour of the palace, Sakura grasped Gaara's arm, pulling him to sit beside her on the bench in the middle of the room. Itachi lingered for a moment, gaze sweeping from his brother's retreating back and then to Sakura. His foot rose and then fell. Itachi walked back over to their side, dark eyes tight with worry. Sakura met his look with a slight smile before she turned her attention back to Gaara.
"Speak to me," she said, her hands covering his. His thin shoulders sagged.
"Father," spat Temari in response. Itachi's eyes widened.
"Isn't he gone?" he wondered.
"Father disowned Temari. And me. Our names have been removed from the family register," Gaara reported.
"…Does Kankuro know?" questioned Sakura.
Gaara shook his head. His shoulders sagged.
From an archway, Sasori suddenly spoke up: "I will have him removed from the surface of this planet, then. I tire of that man."
Sakura said nothing as she cupped Gaara's cheek in her hand. He turned toward the touch though his eyes refused to meet hers.
"You mustn't. The elders would never approve. And you yourself always speak of how vital our ties to them are…especially now," he insisted. He squared his jaw. But that only made him look smaller- somehow frailer.
"He's sending a message. That he has power over me. Even from so far away," whispered Gaara. He clenched his hands. Unclenched them.
"Without Father, we have no inheritance. No income. No place in the family crypt…" He seemed to lose himself in the consequences. Fell silent.
She tilted her head to look at him. The dark shadows of sleeplessness under his eyes seemed darker than before. But there was a glint of something fierce in his expression as he thought. It was small and so frail at the moment. Even in his battered shame, the calculations whirring in his eyes was undoubtedly Haruno.
"You're my family. You have nothing to fear," Sakura assured him. Sakura put her arm around him and pulled him close to her chest. "You can inherit something small from me. Maybe that villa in the Caldera that you like so much. I'll take care of you. As you've always cared for me." She noted, with a twinge of pride, that Gaara did not weep. He trembled, the thrum of delicate hummingbirds' wings in her embrace. But his eyes remained stubbornly dry.
Soon, it was time for the group to dissolve.
Sakura took a step back when she felt Itachi looking at her. "What?" she asked.
"It's just…" Itachi hesitated. He met her eyes. "I feel like I should say something. But it doesn't seem to be my place."
She squinted at him. "Then why not make it your place?" she suggested. And then she looked toward her cousins' retreating backs. She watched Temari put her arm around her youngest brother's shoulders.
"Temari. Gaara."
They stopped. Looking back at her. She looked to Itachi.
"You should talk to your brother. He should know what's going on," advised Itachi.
Temari and Gaara exchanged looks.
Sasori cleared his throat. "Being forthright isn't one of our family's strengths, Your Highness," Sasori pointed out.
"Then you can make it one," Itachi answered, unflinching, "One of my biggest regrets is that I assumed my brother would understand me even if I didn't speak to him. But silence only breeds misgivings."
The smile had disappeared from Sasori's face. "Yes, but there are times when silence is kinder."
"Sasori is right. If Kankuro knows, he'll only feel guilt over something unchangeable. What point is there in making him suffer?" Sakura wondered.
Itachi looked directly into her eyes as he countered. "Shouldn't he be allowed to decide how he should or shouldn't feel?"
As Sakura considered this, she tilted her head a little. And then she turned her attention back to her cousins. "It's your decision. I think the prince just wanted to offer some options," she assured them. Temari nodded. She nudged Gaara and they continued walking down the path.
"Did I overstep?" she could hear Itachi worry, probably to himself. It was a soft interruption to her own stewing thoughts.
She held her hand out to him. "How about we take a walk?" she offered.
It was strange how easy it was to smile at him. And how easily he smiled back. How he slipped his hand into hers without any hesitation.
"I'd like that," he replied.
That night, long after everyone had gone to bed, Sakura found herself sitting in the Lavender Pavilion. Nothing had kept her up in particular. Her bed was soft. Her room was clean. Sleep just seemed to be somewhere far from her.
She wasn't surprised when she heard footsteps.
"For someone so rich, you spend an awful lot of time brooding."
As she lifted her chin, she spotted Kisame crossing the mosaic.
"For the money I pay you, you spend an awful lot of time spouting nonsense," she retorted. The mercenary smirked. He held up an envelope.
"A message for you."
Sakura accepted it. She appraised Kisame. His easy posture.
"It's been quiet lately. Perhaps I employed you for nothing," she commented.
Kisame ran his tongue over his teeth. And then he chuckled. "Being in your service has kept us… on our toes," he remarked. And then he glanced at her. "Maybe you should consider being nicer, General."
"I'm always nice," answered Sakura.
He laughed again at that.
Kisame had obviously not taken her seriously when she had explained that his duty was to keep her alive. But within the first week of entering her service, he had fended off so many assassins and discovered so many poison plots that he wondered how she even slept at night. ("Fitfully," she had answered when he had thought to ask.) Things had improved since they had arrived on the island, but even then, she kept them busy.
Because when there weren't active threats against her life, she made good use of the Swordsmen of the Mist's connections. They had contacts in many cities and countries. She tested how much their names were worth and found herself more than satisfied.
Mangetsu determined that the poison discovered in the geraniums in her office was powdered belladonna. Tasteless and odorless. Not a plant that grew in abundance in the kingdom. It did, however, grow in the territories governed by Baron Aburame.
As Sakura pondered over this, Ino, sitting next to Sakura, filing her nails, clicked her tongue. "Honestly, such an obtuse plan. Obviously, everyone would point at the Aburame family first. And then Father could accuse the Baron of trying to ruin our family."
"It's a good thing I warned you in my letter. Aren't you thankful for a friend like me?" she went on. And then, answered by silence, Ino looked up.
"A letter?" Sakura repeated.
"Yes. A letter."
Narrowing her eyes, Ino pointed her file at her. "You didn't read it," she accused.
Laughing, Sakura waved a hand. "Of course I did."
Lips puckering to one side, Ino glanced around.
"And I can't believe that we've been friends all these years and you haven't invited me home with you once!" Ino exclaimed as she spun around in a circle. Sakura shot her a sideways glance as she signed at the bottom of the page.
"I can't believe that you stowed away. What were you even thinking?" Sakura admonished in return. Ino rolled her eyes, flicking her fan open with an unnecessarily loud noise.
"Your parents are going to be worried sick. Write home to them at once. I'm sending you back once the seas calm. This is no time for you to be wandering about," Sakura continued. Ino's eyes narrowed. She fanned herself too hard before snapping it shut.
"So you did read my letter," Ino mused. She took big steps over. She sank into the chair just in front of the desk. Ignoring the look Sakura gave her, Ino put her elbows up on the table. Sakura said nothing as she handed off a stack of papers to Gaara. Only when her pen was back in its proper stand did Sakura turn to look Ino full in the face.
"Ino, I fully appreciate you trying to warn me. And I know that there are few friends such as you in the world. But you putting yourself in danger does nothing for either of us," Sakura said as sternly as she could without yelling. Ino looked unimpressed.
"…If you're hurt in any way because you didn't listen to me…I'll be very upset with you," relented Sakura as she looked back to her old friend.
"Oh please, Sakura. When have I ever been obedient?" Ino retorted with a fierce smile.
Trying very hard not to roll her eyes, Sakura gestured for her to carry on.
"Just… cause minimal chaos, please," was all Sakura asked.
Filled with glee at the prospect of not being shipped home, Ino fluttered around peppering Sakura with gossip and distractions until Sakura threw her hands up in defeat. Her hired mercenaries, who had taken to lazing around her office or hiding up in the rafters, snickered at the spectacle.
"Why not break for an early lunch?" sighed Sakura with a pointed glare for Ino. Ino only giggled. Sakura sent a servant to inform the rest of her guests before she stamped a few last forms. Itachi and Sasuke soon joined them, Sasori on their heels. Kankuro would join soon, Sasori quietly informed her in her ear. Sakura nodded.
"Goodness, that's right. I recently received a new lady's maid and she's been an absolute delight. She's a darling one," Ino laughed with a wave of her fan as they moved together to one of the bigger pavilions that could accommodate them for a meal.
"Really? Either she's either extremely patient or extremely deaf in order to tolerate you," retorted Sakura. Ino didn't bother to pout in response to the jab, even as the rest of the group chuckled at her expense. Instead, Ino smacked Sakura on the arm with her fan.
"For your information, I am an absolute gem when I want to be. But truly, Sakura, I think you would like her. Her name's Moegi. She's young but she's really quite capable," insisted Ino with another smack for emphasis.
Sakura's steps stilled for a moment. And the entire procession stopped as they turned to see what had happened. Sakura's mouth was frozen in the same easy smile. Inside her mind, however, floodgates burst open.
The probability that a young, unmarried girl named Moegi, who was also equipped with the knowledge and manners to serve a noble lady, existing in two neighboring countries was not zero. However, the easiest explanation would be that it was in fact the same girl. Sakura's thoughts whirled to the mercenaries still strolling on ahead of her without any idea that she had stopped walking.
Her mind rifled through their faces like pages in a book. On Suigetsu, however, she found herself unable to flip past. A tiny seedling of suspicion that had been growing in her gut since the day they had first met burst into full bloom. She sucked in a breath through her teeth.
"The soldier from the tavern," she hissed.
'Well, if rumors are right, I don't think you have much need for us. Word gets around, you know, General.'
'Well… they say not to make an enemy of you, General.'
The same, easy smirk.
Sakura's hands clenched into fists as she called out Kisame's name. It was only then that the mercenaries stopped walking.
"General?" replied Kisame with his usual pleasant ease.
"Tell me. You're not soldiers. Desertion in the military affords arrest. What are your thoughts?"
Sakura could feel Sasori's eyes drilling into the side of her face as he tried to see what was going on inside her head. Kisame scratched at the stubble on his chin.
"Well…if any of these lot betrayed us... we'd kill him without question. But they're free to take on other contracts as long as they don't conflict with ones we already hold. Oh and if one of them goes off on his own for a bit, we expect him to bring back a little something for the rest of us," Kisame thought out loud as he considered the question.
Sakura didn't say anything as she began walking again. Her brain was bursting with information now. In fact, she had all the pieces she needed. She laughed.
"You make yourselves sound like an overbearing wife," she commented. She elicited chuckles from the rest of the group as they also continued alongside her.
In the middle of the laughter, Sakura whirled. Her forearm connected hard with Suigetsu's throat, slamming him against the wall. Eyes narrowed, she ignored his scratching against her arm. She only lifted him higher, until his toes barely skimmed the floor.
"Suigetsu…hmm… I've been thinking for the past few weeks why your name seemed so familiar to me," she began in a low voice, silky and sweet. Suigetsu's face began to turn red. He clawed harder against her sleeve, gasping for breath. He gasped for help but Kisame's sharp eyes darted from his panicked look to the cold steel of anger in Sakura's glare before he folded his arms over his chest. Waiting.
"And then, it struck me as odd that I'd met a young man with just the same name in Ispolin earlier this summer," Sakura went on.
Sasuke let out a hissing noise as the pieces clicked together for him as well.
Sakura dropped Suigetsu. He slid down the wall, crumpling to his knees. Wheezing and grasping his neck, he glared up at her with watering eyes. His gaze snapped to Sasori as a sword scraped out of the scabbard. The Admiral pressed the point of his blade to the soft flesh of his throat.
"So tell me, Suigetsu," Sakura said with a smile, "Who the hell are you?"
He bared his teeth at her in a shaking sneer.
"You wouldn't believe me even if I told you," he coughed. Blood pooled at the tip of Sasori's sword.
"I do love a good story," Sasori whispered with eyes full of flame.
When Suigetsu glanced up at him, Mangetsu moved to take a step forward. Kisame's arm across his chest blocked his path forward.
"Your brother's made his choices. The pretty lady's bought us with her coin. You can't interfere," Kisame grunted. Grinding his teeth together, Mangetsu shot him a venomous look before he folded his arms across his chest. Seeing that no one would come to his aid, Suigetsu hissed out a long sigh.
When Sasori dug the sword in a little harder, Suigetsu only scowled. Sakura read the defiance in his expression. The bangles on her arm jangled together as she waved a hand at Sasori. Though Sasori made a face like he had a sour taste in his mouth, he reluctantly lowered his weapon.
"Thank you," Suigetsu sniffed. Rubbing at his neck, he glared around at the gathered group. Droplets of blood wetted his palm.
"Well…since I've got such a rapt audience…" he mused. The sharp look Sakura gave him wiped the smirk right off his face.
"Big Boss lets us take independent contracts from time to time. I was gambling in a pub while we were passing through the Forest Kingdom. A man joined our table, wanted to play a round of cards with me. Asked if I wanted to make a lot of money fast," Suigetsu recalled knuckles rubbing at his chin as he spoke. He jabbed a thumb in Kisame's direction when he saw Sasuke raising his eyebrows.
"I'm no fool. I asked some questions. He said all I had to do was play soldier for a few months in the Mountain Kingdom's castle. He gave me 500 gold pieces up front. 500 for after I'd finished the job."
"And?" Sakura prompted.
"'And' nothing. I did the job. Took some notes and left them in various points in the city. At the end of the summer, I was a richer man," shrugged Suigetsu.
"He brought home his earnings. Gave us 100 pieces and we split the profits," Kisame interjected. Sakura nodded at him once. Then, she slowly tilted her head back towards Suigetsu. Arms folding across her chest, she observed him slouched on the ground.
"What sort of notes?" she queried in a soft voice. Suigetsu swallowed thickly. Suddenly it seemed like Sakura's irises were twin suns blazing down on him.
"Just- just little observations on where you were going with the prince here. Nothing treacherous!" Suigetsu spat, his shoulders rising high to his ears. At this, Sakura's gaze flitted to Sasuke. The prince's jaw was set in a firm line as he took in the interrogation. His palm rested flat on the hilt of his sword, not quite curling around it.
"Espionage, then," Sakura translated. Sasori's cheek twitched a little, as did his sword.
A gull screeched once before Sakura shifted her weight to her left leg. The toe of her boot scuffed against the wooden walkway. As she lifted her face, she met Itachi's stare. Very slowly, Itachi moved his head to the left and then to the right.
"Who was your client?" she questioned. Her voice, to its credit, was steady. It expressed a calm that she certainly didn't feel inside her churning gut. Sasori seethed. He had the look of a man who had swallowed a hundred needles. Something sinister glittered in his gaze as he looked from the young man to Sakura.
At the ensuing silence, Sasori slowly lifted his blade. The tip skimmed Suigetsu's chin before coming to rest as light as a butterfly on his upper lip.
"It was a masked man in a cloak. I never saw his face," Suigetsu admitted. He grimaced at the cold touch of metal on his mouth.
"What sort of mask?" pressed Sasori. Suigetsu's eyes flickered down to the sword still balanced delicately under his nose.
"I don't know much more," insisted Suigetsu. Gritting his teeth, Sasori jerked his blade up. The point caught the edge of Suigetsu's nostril, drawing blood. Suigetsu jerked his head back.
"Argh- a white mask! Just eyeholes and some kind of stripe on the chin! That's all I saw, I swear!" Suigetsu exclaimed.
"Sasori," Sakura called in a sharp reprimand.
Clicking his tongue, Sasori sheathed his sword. Suigetsu fell forward. His palms slapped down on the floor to stop his face from crashing down first. He heaved a huge breath. Blood still dripping from his nose as he stole a glance at Sakura. She stood as still as a statue. The only that moved about her was her short hair swaying in the salty breeze.
A bead of sweat traveled down the side of Suigetsu's face. As he fixed his hair, his hands shook so hard that he could barely sweep his bangs out of his eyes. He rubbed his sleeve across his nose, smearing blood across his face.
"What should we do with him?" Sasori demanded. Suigetsu froze. His eyes flickered hard from Sasori, to his brother, and then to Kisame. Mangetsu's mashed lips contorted into a strange shape. The glint of his canine between his lips said enough about his thoughts.
There was an agonizingly long pause. Sakura took her time considering.
Her pride screamed loudest. To be caught unaware of such a scheme was embarrassing. Next, her sense of self-preservation. The prickly desperation to shield herself from all harm nagged at her tongue.
Execute him. That's what a queen does, the voice in her head whispered. As if he could hear that voice too, Sasori gave her a nod.
Her eyes found Itachi again. And as if she had called him, he took a step toward her. Softly, his hand came to rest on her forearm. As his fingers curled around her, she felt the warmth. The piercing sadness in his eyes said it all.
Sakura let out a long sigh before she turned her attention to Kisame. Arms folded across his chest, he cocked an eyebrow at her.
"You can't kill him. I need him," he simply said.
A small smile quirked at Sakura's lips. She let out a soft huff of laughter.
"Then that is all," declared Sakura.
"Base treachery," Temari hissed under her breath. She gripped her spear a little more tightly, skin creaking against the wooden shaft.
"No reason to worry, Temari," Sakura assured her. She knelt down, knees pressing against her chest. With one finger, she reached out to lift Suigetsu's trembling chin.
"This is already my dog. I've bought him," she declared. Her stare bored into Suigetsu until he slowly jerked his head up and down in a nod.
The rest of the day passed too quickly. Suddenly, it was night again.
Sakura fell back onto the bed as she organized her thoughts. Sasori, of course, was investigating the identity of the masked man. They both suspected that he had something to do with Moegi's position both in the palace in Ispolin and as Ino's lady's maid.
Kisame had sent Suigetsu to go gather information on the masked man on his end.
At first, Suigetsu had balked at the idea. But Kisame's fingers closing around his throat and slamming him to the ground had quickly silenced his protest.
"Client's not happy. You shut it and do as the lady says," snarled Kisame. Which had ended the argument at once.
Sakura closed her eyes. Kneading her knuckles into her temples. Even a deep breath in through her nose and out through her mouth didn't help the strange knot that had twisted her stomach. The frustration mounted higher and higher until she felt like her heart was about to explode out of her ribcage.
She sat up and moved to the window, staring up at the clear night sky. As the countless stars swirled together in dizzying circles, she imagined falling upwards into the vast expanse of the cosmos, twisting and drifting with the heartbeats of life too. Normally, the stars filled her with a numbness that made it easier to calm herself. But even that wasn't enough on this night.
Sakura slipped out of her room. The guards acted like they didn't see her. She walked and she walked. Wandering. Aimlessly. Until she found herself curled up on the floor of her aunt's favorite room. Her head resting on the older woman's lap. Blue smoke leaking from the tip of Kurenai's pipe as she stroked her free hand through Sakura's hair.
"It's rare for you to act so spoiled," Kurenai remarked.
"Do you hate it?" Sakura heard herself asking. Her own voice sounded far away.
"No, child. Rest. I'll watch over you," murmured Kurenai, pressing a kiss to her temple.
At the end of the summer, the Southern Tea Isle gave thanks to the goddess for the harvests. It was different from the harvest festivals that would take place on the mainland in a couple months.
The islanders lit shrines of flowers and palm trees as offering pyres, adding fuel and oil until the tides came in and swept the altars into the ocean. The elders would pick through the wet debris in the morning, divining fortunes from cracks in the scorched wood. They drew their findings into the damp sand with wrinkled fingers, children crowding around their skinny legs to peek at the mysterious drawings. The adults were seldom there for the last part of the ritual. Most were busy rising for the start of another busy day.
Sakura sat in the throne room.
The servants had long ago finished their chores and gone to the beach on the northern side of the island to join in the celebration. Normally she would partake in the celebrations, throwing palm fronds into the flames and listening to the oily leaves crackle. She would drink and eat and mingle with the people she so loved from the bottom of her heart.
But there was unease in her chest, a tight knot that almost made her feel sick. It had moved in there ever since she had returned to the island. Settling in like an unwelcome houseguest.
Her palm smoothed over the carved arm of the throne. Sasori rose from his seat on the floor beside her. He leaned his elbow on the throne, hovering over her as he took in her expression.
"At the very least I should make an appearance," he declared.
"Go," was all she said. She frowned as she stared back out at the rolling waves.
Sakura knew that her absence wouldn't upset anyone. No one would scold her or gossip. They would worry about her in the morning. Ask whether she had felt unwell. She would say that she did. And the servants would brew her teas for her health. Bring her her favorite foods. Their kindness was as dependable and as unchanging as the sound of waves that filled her every breath.
Sometimes, she almost wanted to hate them for how good they were to her.
"Are you alright?"
How did he always find her like that?
With that gentle smile that asked for nothing. That plotted nothing.
A necklace of flowers hung from Itachi's neck. The smell of woodsmoke clung faintly to his shirt as he smiled down at her.
"Will you go somewhere with me?" Sakura asked.
"Of course," he replied.
When she took his hand, he followed her pull without complaint. She grasped one of the lanterns by the metal ring on top. They drifted like ghosts through the doorless palace.
They walked down a long corridor that Itachi had never seen before. The white curtains blew in toward them, skimming against their hands as they pushed past.
Before long, they were in the center of the complex maze of rooms and walkways. There was a rare door that Sakura pushed open with one hand. The soft light of her lantern illuminated a long hallway without windows. Their hands pulled apart. Her bare feet slapped against the cool stone as she turned, looking for something. It took a moment for Itachi's eyes to adjust but then he realized that the walls were covered in frames. He followed the warm orange glow until he found her hand again and grasped it. She was standing directly in front of one of the frames, her eyes somehow sad as she studied it.
The portrait was of Sakura, her long hair in elegant waves across her shoulders. In her outstretched right hand were seeds. In the left was a slender silver scepter. Itachi's gaze trailed over the wide eyes and the hint of baby fat in her cheeks. There was something sparkling and clear in her stare that belied her age.
"How old were you?" he questioned.
"Eight. I became Duchess. This was the day of my ceremony," answered Sakura almost in a nostalgic sigh. After a while, she pulled them back further into the room to a portrait of a beautiful woman with long blonde hair. Itachi immediately saw it in the curl of her smile and the round shape of her golden eyes.
"Your mother," he whispered, somehow afraid to speak in a louder voice.
"Queen Tsunade, twelfth generation of the Haruno dynasty of the Forest Kingdom. She was the ruler who introduced clinics within the districts of the nation to promote better health. These clinics are now largely defunct due to a lack of funding," Sakura said. Itachi felt her hand begin to shake. Not knowing what to say, he pulled her on toward the next picture.
"Queen Chiyo, eleventh generation of the Haruno dynasty of the Forest Kingdom. She was originally the consort but ascended in her own right after the death of my Grandfather. People say she was as sharp-witted as she was beautiful. She died long before I was born." There was an impish curl to this queen's mouth. Her eyes glittered, as if she was laughing from inside the portrait. Her inky hair hung in glossy curls all the way down to her waist. But the longer he looked, the more he could pick out the little fragments of Sakura. The point of her chin, the darker skin the color of warmed caramel that echoed vaguely in Sakura.
They went on, walking down the line of portraits as if in a museum. There were kings, as well as queens. Some were dark-skinned with hair the color of the midnight sky. Others were fairer with hair the color of pomegranate seeds. They were all young and all beautiful in different ways. At the very end of the darkened hallway, when there was no way to go back any further, Sakura hesitated. This frame was covered in a shroud of dusty black silk. Taking a deep breath, she dragged the fabric down to reveal a woman with a shock of silver hair that fell to her waist.
Her burning eyes were the same color as Sakura's. Though the rest of the Haruno women had been attractive to say the least, there was an edge of cruelty to this woman's beauty. Even the curve of her smile seemed frigid somehow. Her cheekbones were sharp, neck slender and long.
The fingers of her right hand held onto a red rose while her right hand was curled around a gauzy white bride's veil. The glimmer of her golden wedding band seemed somehow sinister.
"Queen Kaguya, first generation of the Haruno dynasty. The mother to us all," Sakura uttered with a slight shake of her head.
"She captivated the then king of the Forest Kingdom- wrapped him around her finger until he offered her everything in his coffers, every piece of land he owned. She married him and began slowly introducing members of her family into court until there wasn't a minister who didn't have the whispers of a Haruno in his ear. He died mysteriously in his sleep one night. But no one in court was able to point a finger at her either," recalled Sakura. She had grown up on stories of the infamous Shadow Queen.
"There wasn't even a hearing? A tribunal?" Itachi questioned.
"No. The nobles were all either too enamored with her to care or too terrified to speak up. There have certainly been bloodier beginnings to dynasties but I still can't call her blameless," sighed Sakura.
"Then Mother, should I be like Queen Kaguya or is it wrong to be like her?" Sakura remembered asking as she sat in her mother's lap. Time had blurred the shapes of her mother's face. All Sakura could make out was the shape of her mother's hand as it descended to stroke the top of her head.
"Women need to be strong in order to survive," she parroted her mother's words from then.
Itachi silently observed her face for a while before he lifted their joined hands to kiss her knuckles. Sakura turned toward him with a questioning look.
"You're not like her, if that's what's making you look so worried," he assured her before she even asked.
Before the painted eyes of her ancestors, Sakura pressed herself close to Itachi's side and allowed herself, just for a moment, to believe those words.