Balance of Power
By Aoluas Anminti
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Authors' Note:
Finally, Chapter One. Are you as excited as I am? pauses and hears crickets chirp Okay, guess not. Well, I'm excited, and I'm going to have fun with this, no matter what. I don't like to beg for reviews, but it really is great incentive to keep going. Without reviews, stories tend to get stuck in limbo.
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ICHAPTER I
The Meeting at the Hyuuga EstateIt was a very warm day for early spring. In the sky there were scattered clouds that occasionally blocked the sun, and a light breeze blew through the Hyuuga gardens, producing the relaxing sound of lightly ruffling leaves and the calming scent of cherry blossoms. Every so often the koi in a large pond would dart up to the surface, the sunlight glinting off of calico scales before they descended back into darker water. Illiatha was sitting on a bench in the garden taking in the scenery and thinking that it was, all in all, a good day.
If only I could enjoy it, Illiatha thought.
She couldn't enjoy it because of one Haruno Sakura, nowhere near as pleasant as her namesake (in Illiatha's opinion), who was always either staring at the dark girl or talking – usually talking.
"I've heard that the summers are very hot where you're from. Is that true? I always love summer; it's the most beautiful time of the year to me. We have some hot days here, but…"
"The summers," Illiatha began irritably, "are so hot that the plains turn to dust and sand, and the grasses blow away. They are so hot that a man caught without water in the plains will die of heat-fatigue and thirst before he has gone even a kilometer. The sun is so blistering that the corpse of that man will be fried to become special cooked meat for the night jackals, or if left long enough will dry until the skin is like leather and the eyes are sunken in and staring. Then the sandstorms will come and rip the flesh from the corpse, leaving the bones to be bleached white by the day. Is that what you wanted to know, Hana-chan 1?"
Sakura stared at her, horrified, for a moment before hanging her head and focusing her gaze on her lap. Illiatha frowned slightly – she didn't particularly enjoy being unpleasant, but the girl had deserved it for her pestering – and tried to relax and enjoy the day.
She hadn't been at the Hyuuga estate long, but she had been there long enough to hate it. It was an unnerving place, with dark corridors and strange dark shoji, and white eyes everywhere. She'd decided early on, the day upon her arrival, that all of the stories she'd heard as a child were true; these northern fighters weren't human. What kind of human being had white eyes – white – and not even a discernible pupil unless you got very, very close? What kind of being could see all around them, as Hyuuga-sama had when she'd tried to assassinate him in his sleep the night she'd been caught? That had been an unnerving experience – she had been sure that he'd only heard her until he took it upon himself to note the color and arrangement of her clothes and her changed hair.
And there was part of what most bothered her. The moment she'd been caught, she'd been stripped of her practical, traditional tribal clothing and shoved into a restrictive dark green kimono – "to accent her eyes," the handmaid had said – and taught how to act. She couldn't speak to a man unless bidden to, not even then if her owner – owner, for Gobi's 2 sake! – had told her to be silent. She could speak to most women – most, not all, because apparently she had to be addressed by the Hokage's concubine before being allowed to speak to her – and she had to sit before opening or closing any door, even her own, at night, when no one was around to observe her. Most importantly, as all of her tutors had stressed, she was to obey men. That was paramount.
Well, screw that, Illiatha thought rebelliously.
"What was that?" Sakura queried.
Illiatha frowned to herself again. I must have said it out loud. "Nothing," she murmured, "I just hate it here."
"Why?" Sakura asked, genuinely puzzled. "I've heard that Hyuuga-sama is a good man."
Illiatha stared at her incredulously. "What would you know about it?" she snapped, then, before Sakura could reply, she continued. "And what would it matter anyway, if he was? I am a slave, and so are you! That does not bother you?"
Sakura smiled suddenly in a way that was slightly patronizing. "Oh, no, you don't understand. Slaves and concubines are entirely different. We have much better lives, you and I. We have the highest honor women could have, as primary concubines to two of the most powerful men in Hokoku. They have money and power and we can relax in it without having to do much. We're much freer than slaves, free to socialize, if not with the whole world than at least with the household, and…"
"You can be sold," Illiatha hissed. "Sold at a whim, and that makes you a slave no matter what you say. It makes you cattle."
"That's not true," Sakura said firmly. "You're just new. You'll get used to it."
Illiatha realized that she was never going to get through to the pastel-haired woman, and knew already that her mind was not going to change about her situation. She sighed and watched the sun glint off of the koi in the pond, for the moment depressed and resigned to her fate.
After a long silence, Sakura asked, "How old are you?"
"I was born when the waters start flowing again and I have lived sixteen summers."
"'When the waters start flowing again?'"
"Up in the north – here, instead of rain after the dry season, leaves fall from the trees. I think you call it autumn."
"Oh, alright. And if you count by summers, than this one will kind of be like your seventeenth birthday, won't it? I'm only fifteen." Sakura frowned a little as Illiatha just shrugged slightly – this strange dark girl's mood swings were unnerving. "Well, I think you'll like the summers here. They aren't as…um…dangerous. Oh! Is that why your skin is dark? Because it's burnt?"
Illiatha looked up sharply, the shock in her eyes too blatant for Sakura to notice the offense. "What?"
"Does it hurt?"
"There is nothing wrong with my skin! I was born this way; everyone in my tribe is and always has been. The only thing the sun does to me is make my hair light. How rude! I could ask you why you are so pale and sickly looking, but I choose not to!"
"Sickly looking?" Sakura gasped. They quickly fell into a petty, vain spat.
Inside, Neji and Sasuke sat opposite each other, a small table between them, upon which were arrayed several scrolls. Sasuke was perched over the table, scanning and quite possibly memorizing the reports that were set before him. Neji's eyes were focused on Illiatha, and he watched with a slight smirk as she and the Haruno girl got into a little fight. Almost to himself, he said,
"What do you think of her, Uchiha-san?"
Sasuke glanced up from his perusal of the scrolls and looked searchingly at Neji for a moment before replying in his customary monotone, "With all respect, Hyuuga-san, I have no patience for another concubine in my house."
"With all respect, Uchiha-san, I wasn't offering her to you."
Sasuke grunted and straightened, turning slightly to look the new girl over more carefully. "She is exotic, just as they said."
"'They?'"
"You weren't exactly secretive, were you, carting her back up here? I doubt that even Uzumaki is unaware of her. Talk of this 'energetic, exotic dark girl' is everywhere." Sasuke paused and frowned. "It's actually annoying. I wish that you'd kept her a better secret."
"Maybe I should have, but no one's bothered me about it. I'm especially glad that she's already over fifteen; I don't have to present her this way."
Sasuke made a noncommittal sound in the back of his throat.
"You're presenting Haruno soon, aren't you?"
"Yeah," Sasuke closed his eyes, as if he had a sudden headache, "in late shigatsu 3." He watched as Illiatha slammed her palm down next to her seat in an angry but noncombative gesture, and frowned as Sakura cowered from it. "I can see why they call her energetic. She obviously hasn't had the slightest bit of training."
"She's had some," Neji said casually, "but I can't do much more or the tenketsu around her mouth may be permanently damaged."
Sasuke raised one eyebrow but didn't question him. Instead, he directed them both back to the reason for his presence. "These reports," he began.
"Yes," Neji said. "You're probably thinking that there's nothing to worry about, according to these."
"According to these," Sasuke said, slightly irritated, "there isn't." He pulled out a map of Hokoku and pointed out the obvious. "Here I am," he said, pointing to his expansive lands in the most northwestern corner of Hokoku, "my northwest territories, and here," he pulled over another map showing the lines of expansion, "my conquered territories to the north and east of me, pressing on the southeastern border of Dokoku, and into the disputed territories between Dokoku and Hokoku, and the northern disputed territory between Kazekoku and Hokoku." He paused, frowning. "I've got very little opposition there, and none from Uzumaki.
"Then there's you, Hyuuga-san," he murmured, pointing to the land directly south of his. "Your Hokoku territory on the west border, and your expansion into the disputed territory to the west of that, between Kazekoku and Hokoku. As I understand it, you've had insubstantial opposition there, as well. Am I right?" He paused and looked up to register Hyuuga's nod. "Well, then here.
"Uzumaki in the far east, separated from me by Hatake Kakashi-san's lands, not bordering yours at all. He's expanding into the south, into other Hokoku lords' lands, that idiot, and almost has had his army get to the gates of the Hokoku capital. He's nowhere near either of us, and not moving towards either of us, so why call me here as if he's a threat?"
"As I said, Uchiha-san," Neji muttered, "It doesn't look that way from these. Even so, my spies in his household report that these scrolls are false." He paused to give Sasuke the opportunity to comment, and when the younger man didn't, he continued. "Apparently Uzumaki has been sending decoy armies into the south, and begun expanding into the disputed land between Raikoku and Hokoku."
"Why?" Sasuke asked. "I know he wouldn't change his mind from the sudden revelation that his previous actions were borderline treason."
"It's probably on Akiyoshi's advisement. Either way, that's not of much consequence compared to this: Uzumaki is moving west. My spies have spotted small groups of Uzumaki ninja here," he placed his fingertip on the southernmost tip of Hatake Kakashi's land, "and here." He moved his finger to put it a small distance west of the capital. "He's going to try to sneak into our lands, Uchiha, and catch us off-guard."
Sasuke frowned thoughtfully at the map, then sighed. "I don't pretend to know why, but I understand what you say he's doing. What do you plan to do about it?"
"Both of our forces are already spread thinly, but if we call in ninja from the closest outposts, we should be able to defend our borders long enough to get word to the Hokage." Neji scowled slightly. "I don't like the sensation of running to Hokage for help, but if not it would probably look like civil war."
Sasuke hummed in agreement, then fell silent for a while. "I don't think he's coming for our lands, Hyuuga."
"What would he risk coming here for, then?"
"Revenge." Sasuke glared at the map as if it were Uzumaki Naruto himself. "A petty, childish kind of revenge, but revenge nonetheless. It is no secret that he's still angry about us defeating him in the Arena."
"So he's coming for us," Neji said thoughtfully. "I don't fear Uzumaki," he began.
"I understand." Sasuke said. He bowed slightly in a purely ceremonial gesture before he continued. "I would be very grateful if I were allowed to stay longer, Hyuuga-sama," he said dryly, "to assist you in defending your lands."
Neji smiled slightly and bowed in return, ceremoniously. "I would be honored if you consented to stay loner than you meant to, Uchiha-sama," he murmured wryly, "to come to my aid in my time of need."
Sasuke bowed very slightly, then stood and stretched. "I hate formal meetings."
Neji stood as well. "It would have looked suspicious to invite you for a social call, and then have you stay for another month."
"It will take him a month to get here?"
"They're moving very slowly – not to get noticed, I suppose." Neji shrugged. "Are you hungry?"
"A little," Sasuke admitted.
The meal was a mostly silent affair. Neji and Sasuke were served as they sat across from each other over the same table that the plans had been on. Sakura and Illiatha served themselves and sat down off to one side. Neither Neji nor Sasuke made the usual small talk about how their respective lands were doing, or what town wasn't so faring well where, but spoke in low tones about what small reinforcements Sasuke could send for from the border, if maybe they should stay one of Uzumaki's military groups before they arrived and how much trouble would they get in, really, if they killed him? Illiatha picked at her food – strange raw fish and brown soup that, if left alone long enough, settled into brown coral patterns in the brown broth – and Sakura only drank her miso, leaving her sushi and sashimi be, tittering something about watching her figure for Uchiha-sama.
"He doesn't even pay the slightest bit of attention to you, why should you bother?" Illiatha muttered, idly nibbling on the edge of a piece of – something – white, red, and chewy. She frowned, dipped in the strange, salty dark brown sauce, tried it again, and immediately liked it better.
"Uchiha-sama sees me," Sakura said defensively. "He just doesn't show it." She looked down at her lap, depressed jus for a moment, then looked at Illiatha again, her expression firm. "And even if maybe he doesn't, I love him."
"Of course you do,"
"You're so unpleasant, burnt girl."
"Only as much as you are, you pasty-white tart."
"You're unbearable. I wish Hinata was still here. The fist year I was with the Uchiha family, we always visited here, but then Hyuuga-sama sold Hinata and I haven't seen her ever since. I'd visit her but she lives with that horrible Uzumaki Naruto…"
Illiatha considered saying, "why do you keep talking when no one cares," but decided that she was curious. "Was Hinata a handmaid?"
"Huh? Oh, no, she was – is – Hyuuga-sama's cousin, the daughter of Hyuuga Hizashi-sama." Sakura sighed. "I was five when I met her and I was so scared to be somewhere new and unfamiliar, but she befriended me immediately." Sakura smiled. "She was seven then, but I always thought of her as being my age because she was so timid. Hyuuga-sama sold her when she was eight, he'd taken over the clan by then."
"Hyuuga Hiashi had?"
"Hyuuga Hiashi-sama, and no, I'm talking about Hyuuga Neji-sama."
"Hetook over the clan? How old was he? He wasn't the heir?"
"He was ten, and the Hyuuga clan has never had an heir."
"What? Do you mean to tell me that he sold his on cousin when he was ten?" Illiatha only just remembered to keep her voice down.
"I don't see why I should tell you anything," Sakura sniffed, "since you've been so rude."
Illiatha sighed. "If I say sorry, will you answer my questions?"
"You won't mean it," Sakura pointed out.
"Of course not," Illiatha said, "but I'm being honest, and in all fairness you insulted me first, by asking if my skin was unnaturally this color."
"Well, excuse me! I've just never seen anyone so dark before."
"Fine, whatever," Illiatha sighed. "Truce?"
"Okay, truce." Sakura smiled. "It would e nice to have someone I can talk to close by, anyway."
"Right. Now…"
"Oh! Right, so, the Hyuuga. It's really all very dramatic."
Illiatha rolled her eyes.
Sakura took a deep breath. "For centuries the Hyuuga family in general has had a strange split system. They divide it into the branch and main houses by which male Hyuuga shinobi is strongest. Only one family line at any one time can be called the main house, and this usually is a very small group, as the main house consists only of the strongest male shinobi, his concubine, and immediate family – his siblings, parents, and children." Sakura paused. "Are you following me so far?"
Illiatha nodded.
"Okay. Well, the main house was in the hands of Hyuuga Hiashi-sama until Hyuuga Hizashi-sama, who was Hyuuga Hiashi-sama's twin, sired Hyuuga Neji-sama. It was known that Hyuuga Neji-sama had potential, and for all that his uncle tried to deny this, it came to pass that Hyuuga Neji-sama was accepted as the obvious successor to the Hyuuga lands, especially since Hyuuga Hiashi-sama had only had two girls, and obviously women can't rule. Still with me here?"
Illiatha nodded again, impatiently. "I can't promise to have the names kept straight, but I understand. I'll stop you if I don't so just keep going."
Sakura frowned, but continued. "Anyways, in retaliation for having lost the main house to his younger twin – did I mention that Hyuuga Hizashi-sama was the younger twin? – Hyuuga Hiashi-sama murdered Hyuuga Neji-sama's parents. Knowing…"
"Chotto matte!3" Illiatha gasped. "He murdered his own twin?"
"Well, not exactly," Sakura said, frowning, "but pretty much. He convinced Hyuuga Hizashi-sama to go on a suicide mission, and then when Hyuuga Hizashi-sama died, his bound concubine – Hyuuga Neji-sama's mother – killed herself out of grief. As I was…"
"Wait. Mission? Bound concubine?"
Sakura sighed. "You really don't know anything, do you?" Before Illiatha's offended look could turn into offensive words and ruin their truce, Sakura continued. "Ninja go on missions to make money."
Sakura didn't seem to feel that this needed any more detailed of an explanation, so Illiatha dropped it. "You are not making much sense, Hana-chan, but move on anyway."
Sakura harrumphed. "Fine. Oh, and bound concubines are women that a master chooses to bear his children. Those can't be sold. Uma, as I was saying, knowing that he couldn't kill his uncle, as punishment Hyuuga Neji-sama sold his cousin Hyuuga Hinata – his uncle's firstborn daughter – to the Uzumaki family instead. It well known that Hyuuga Hiashi-sama hated Uzumaki Naruto with a passion, so…. Anyway, Hyuuga Hiashi-sama was allowed to keep his younger daughter Hyuuga Hanabi, but only on the grounds that he not attempt to assassinate another main house member ever again. Hyuuga Hiashi-sama agreed, of course, but there are rumors that he still hires assassins every year to try to take Hyuuga Neji-sama's life. I told you it was dramatic."
Illiatha hummed thoughtfully as she looked down at her food. The rumors might not be true, but the rest of it was probably accurate. Maybe the Hyuuga lord had a reason for being an ass. "Why was Hyuuga Hiashi so desperate to hold n to the main house?"
Sakura shrugged. "Power, maybe. Men like power – and you should really say Hyuuga Hiashi-sama. Oh, power, and it probably galled him that his younger twin's nine year old child had already surpassed him in ninja skill."
"Ninja," Illiatha murmured, rolling the word around on her tongue, examining it. "Is that your word for the sorcerers here?"
"Sorcerers?" Sakura repeated, confused. "Ninja are just men who have been taught to use their chakra to fight – and their bodies, too, but the chakra use is what makes them ninja."
"Chakra is...?"
"A person's life force. Everyone has it – some more than others."
"Is it like the aura of a demon? I am familiar with that,"
Sakura was wide-eyed. "You—familiar with—demons?"
Illiatha nodded. "In my tribe, I was a priestess. I have spoken many times with Tori no Gobi, the Red Phoenix, queen of my class of familiars, flying birds. I was taught that in order to call the Red Phoenix, I had give a large part of that aspect of myself that is like the aura of a demon. It was always very tiring, but… is that it? Was that my cha-kra?"
Sakura nodded. "You've… called a demon? Like… like Kyuubi?"
"Just Gobi. Gobi has five tails. I can call her, because she is female. Kyuubi is the fox, yes? Is it not male? I was taught that I can not communicate with male demons." Illiatha paused. "I suppose it does not matter. Demons do not have gender the way we think of it, anyways. You are looking at me strangely. Is something wrong?" Illiatha was suddenly irritated. "Are you staring at my 'burnt' skin again?"
"Wha—no!" Sakura shook herself. "No, no, I … sorry. I've just… I've never heard of a woman ever interacting with demons. Sorry."
Illiatha shrugged. "Tell me more about ninja?"
Sakura nodded. "I'll start with taijutsu,"
Sasuke set his chopsticks down on his miso bowl and gazed out at the sun setting on the garden. "We should probably send a group of ninja to attack and stall the northernmost pack of Uzumaki invaders." He shrugged. "You might want to run that by your advisor. I've heard that Nara is an excellent tactician."
"He is," Neji said, "but lazy. I'll run it by him, though." He sipped silently at his tea, then set it down again. "I'm told that you still have no advisor, Sasuke-kun."
Sasuke glanced at him at the uncommon familiarity, then looked away again and shrugged. "Hatake Kakashi is something of a part-time advisor to me. Recently I've had an offer from a man named Orochimaru – he gave no surname, which is suspicious. I have yet to answer him, but I am strongly inclined to refuse."
"Orochimaru…" Neji murmured. "I've heard that name before, I'm sure of it, but I can't place it. It's annoying."
"Isn't it?" Sasuke asked rhetorically. "I have the same sensation. It's unsettling."
Neji hummed thoughtfully and joined Sasuke in looking out at the garden. On a whim, he began, "You know, I am in an unusually gay mood right now. I have never been so happy to be home from the field – usually just the opposite. I'm feeling companionable."
Sasuke looked at him as if to say "so what?"
"Since you'll be staying," Neji began, "and helping me by doing so, I thought I would share something with you."
Sasuke frowned. "As much as we are allies, Hyuuga-san," he said, stressing the minor formality, "I am in no way interested in having that sort of relationship with you."
Neji frowned as well. "That is not what I meant." He said. "What I was going to say is this: because I am feeling companionable, and because I owe you for helping me, you may have the dark girl."
Sasuke sighed. "Neji…kun," he said, hesitating on the honorific, "I told you before, I have no patience for another concubine, and no need for another maid…"
Neji interrupted him. "I know, Sasuke-kun. But I thought that you might enjoy having her while you're here. She isn't what anyone could call trained yet, and she's resisting it with a passion, so I couldn't give her to you permanently anyway, as unruly as she is. She is a refreshing change from other women, though, and she hasn't been touched in all the time that I've had her – it's possible that she's never been touched at all – so I thought you might enjoy her. I won't be offended if you refuse," he added, almost as an afterthought, "since it was just a casual suggestion."
Sasuke was silent for a while, then he asked,
"Was this a late lunch or an early dinner?"
Neji smiled slightly. "An early dinner, I think." He stood slowly, and maids immediately and silently rushed to clear the table. "Hanabi will guide you to your room when you're ready."
Sasuke nodded and stood as well, bowing. "Thank you for your offer, Neji-kun."
Neji also bowed slightly. "You're welcome. The room across the hall from yours is also ready, for Haruno."
Sasuke nodded again as Neji bowed to him and left.
Sakura wasn't even halfway through her explanation of taijutsu when Sasuke came up behind her and set his hand on her shoulder. She jumped and turned towards him, bowing. "Uchiha-sama!" she gasped. "You startled me,"
"We're leaving, Haruno." He wasn't looking at her again, he was looking at Illiatha. "Come with me, Ahana."
Illiatha looked at him suspiciously and stood, frowning. "Sasuke, right?" Sakura winced – the girl had no manners!
"Uchiha-sama to you, Ahana." Sasuke narrowed his eyes at her.
"My name is Illiatha, Sasuke." Illiatha sneered.
Neither woman even saw him move before Illiatha was gasping in pain, her left arm twisted at an odd, painful angle behind her back, and Sasuke's breath on her ear. "You will call me Uchiha-sama, or seme, woman, and nothing less. I will not tolerate you pretending that you are equal to me in any way. Is that clear?"
Sakura, who had sat up reluctantly from her bow, shivered involuntarily. His voice was like ice, and she was scared. She was timid around him, but she had never been scared of him before. He was just as fierce as her romantic fantasies made him, and she was quite suddenly glad that she wasn't the one his anger was directed at – and she never wanted to be.
"You egotistical, chauvinistic bastard," Illiatha breathed, then cried out as her other arm was bent behind her, forcing her into the undignified position of having her chest thrust out. Her neck was arched in pain, and the back of her head rested on his shoulder. She was tempted to struggle, but knew that any move she made would dislocate one or both of her shoulders.
"I said," Sasuke whispered, cheek against hers, "Is that clear?"
"Yes," Illiatha hissed. She sighed in relief as her arms were freed, and rubbed her shoulders, trying to ease the residual pain.
Sasuke smirked just slightly – a smug expression that she hated – and nodded at Sakura. "Come on,"
A young girl that neither Sakura nor Illiatha had registered as more than a shadow by the shoji stood upa nd bowed to Sasuke as he approached, then led them through the house, towards what Sakura remembered as being the west side, and stopped in the hall, a door on either side of her. "This is Uchiha-sama's room," she whispered, gesturing to the door on her left. "This other is Haruno-san's room." She said. "Will Uchiha-sama be requiring anything else?"
"No." Sasuke said. The girl bowed to him and he bowed just slightly in return. Once she had left, he put his hand on the small of Illiatha's back and said, "Come with me."
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1 – Hana-chan means flower girl. Sort of.
2 – Gobi is as described, a red phoenix demon. This isn't slapping canon in the face, I think, because as of yet no five-tailed demon has been mentioned in the manga. At least to my knowledge.
3 – Chotto matte means "hey wait" basically.
End Author's Notes
I hoe that was long enough for the first actual chapter. The M-rated version is actually a bit longer, but I don't want to risk the wrath of FFnet admins. Hope none of the explanations were too convoluted, I revised them and revised them and revised them again, trying to get them to be easy-to-understand. Review and let me know, eh? hint!