Summary: She had given up on the idea of being anything more than a friend to him, concentrating more on her training than him. During the course of her training, he had begun to realize that what he felt about her was past peripheral vision. Sasuke/Sakura.
Pairings: Sasuke/Sakura
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, at all. All the characters belong to Kishimoto Masashi-sensei. The only thing in this story that is mine will be the OCs and the plot itself.
Past Peripheral Vision
Chapter Twelve – The Visit of a Daimyo
The village was busy with animated chatter as citizens, mostly women, were busy going in and out of their households either holding things they were about to dust or throw away or decoration to hang outside of their houses. The village had never looked cleaner than it was ages ago. Of course, they were all doing this for a reason. The day before, the Godaime had announced that a daimyo would be visiting Konoha, their talks about this spanning up to five months, coincidentally the same length of time the pink haired Chuunin had started her training. Everyone was grateful towards her for her help during the time of the food poisoning epidemic. And since then, almost everyone in the village had taken to doing little favors for her.
To her annoyance, flattery and downright irritation, there were even the occasional few males, most of which were around her age, a little older or in their early twenties at the oldest, who had taken up the hobby of stalking her. Everywhere she looked, she had caught sight of no less than twenty different men hiding behind different things. Even her Jounin instructor, Aya, had been getting irritated and the two of them had to suppress all urges to scream bloody murder and just mutilate, mangle and maim all of their bodies. Surprisingly, even with their wraths combined, there was still one other who was even more annoyed than them both. And he had resigned to the duty of simply training, as he had been only sent out on a brief three-day mission just two days after the food poisoning epidemic. And Sakura would have fainted on the spot if she found out what he was doing.
The Godaime had been getting reports that there were men in the village who were suffering shock or spasms of sheer terror. Although no physical harm had been done, the Godaime herself inspecting the victims who had looked perfectly healthy, she had assumed that all this abuse was mental, all mental. She had managed to extract limited information about what they were up to, some time before the mental scarring, and there was one thing in common. They were all muttering 'Medical Specialist', 'Chuunin', and 'Training'. Of course every Medical Specialist, be it Chuunin or not, was undergoing training but the simple dazed look in their eyes were familiar to her. It was his doing and she knew it. But, she couldn't press charges against him or anything. He wasn't doing anything against the laws of Konoha. He was just being too overprotective when he had firmly declared that he held no such feelings towards her. But, everyone knew better, except the two of them.
This morning, the two of them were in her office. She had seated herself on a chair, drumming her fingers idly on the armrest, as she waited what the Godaime was about to tell her. He was standing, his back against the wall, and his eyes looking up at the white, slightly dusty ceiling. The vein in her temple was pulsating horribly, unsure of how he would take the news, considering the recent behavioral habits he had taken up. She, on the other hand, would probably be honored at this opportunity and act properly. She, not being the male's instructor and knowing very little about him personally, did not know how he would react. He was initially on the list for this particular job, being one of the most gifted Chuunin, if not the most gifted, but because of his unstable emotional behaviors, she had been paired off along with him. Making a coughing sound, she attracted their attention.
"As you both know, Sakura, Sasuke, a newly installed Daimyo is coming to visit us. In fact, as we speak, Shizune and Kakashi are waiting for his arrival and will escort him to this office the minute he arrives," began Tsunade, her face devoid of all emotions except seriousness. The two named Chuunin nodded, the male opening his mouth and asking why them afterwards. "Why you indeed," she repeated absentmindedly, "Well, as much as I would have preferred, we have a rather… eccentric group of Jounin and I don't want to scar the poor man this early between the relationship of Konohagakure and the land he is in charge of as Daimyo." The pair nodded. It was true. Who would have thought that a pervert Sennin, a perverted Copy Ninja, an extremely immature Jounin, a cancer-stick loving Jounin and all the rest of them were part of Konoha's elite force? "Thus we selected two Chuunin and you both happened to be the most qualified," she finished.
"And you're sure there's no other reason beyond that?" asked Sasuke, narrowing his eyes. The Godaime coughed slightly as she averted her gaze from the sole Uchiha left in Konoha. Well, there was that too. What she had seen in the hospital a month back was still deeply imprinted in her mind. In fact, deep in her heart, she knew Sakura would never forget her feelings for him, even now that it was five months after she had begun her training. In Tsunade's mind, the training was more to help her focus her mind on what was realistic and what was not. Catching his eye was certainly realistic, but that would take mountains of effort. "Sure," he replied almost blandly, "Any specific measures or conditions you would like to tell us now?" Just as Tsunade was about to speak, the door swung open and in came two Jounin and a man Sasuke assumed was the Daimyo.
"Ah, Kouji-sama," said Tsunade as she rose from her seat, signaling for Sakura and Sasuke to do the same. The young man behind a somewhat irritable Kakashi and a lightly blushing Shizune smiled widely, bowing formally. "Come now, there's no need for that," Tsunade said as she motioned for him to stand up straight. Again, the Daimyo smiled widely as he stood up straight, a cool, impassive expression taking over his visage once the smile dissipated. "Kouji-sama, these are your two escorts here in Konoha, Haruno Sakura and Uchiha Sasuke," introduced Tsunade, pointing to the Chuunin as their name was mentioned. Sakura smiled slightly as she bowed slightly in acknowledgement of his power and presence. Sasuke merely nodded, a cool look on his face, matching the same one that the Daimyo had. Tsunade masked her irritation with a smile. Sasuke was never one to really respect those with power and authority. "They will be your guides here in Konoha as well," added Tsunade, to take her mind off Sasuke's attitude.
"It would be an honor to have you as my guide here in Konohagakure, Sakura-san," said the Daimyo smoothly, his hazel colored hair landing softly on his boyish face. A slight blush found its way to Sakura's face as she stammered her reply. Behind him, Sasuke was burning with rage. How dare he talk to his teammate in that manner! It's not like he was supposed to care at all but for some reason, he found himself doing so very much. "If I may take my leave from you now, honorable Godaime, I would like to look around the village already," said the young Daimyo with a flourish. Tsunade nodded and smiled, addressing him formally. "It's alright, you can call me Kouji," corrected the Daimyo as a charming smile found its way to his face, "I can hardly merit that much respect from the strongest shinobi in our land. I was just newly installed, after all."
"Would you like us to bring you to where you will stay?" asked Sasuke through gritted teeth, his hands clenched into fists. Kakashi had idly noticed that fact and was filled to the brim with mirth and amusement, though had purposely stopped himself from showing any signs of it. Kouji had looked over towards Sasuke, hardly noticing his presence and threw him a questioning look. "I'm supposing your travel to Konoha has been tiring," explained Sasuke, trying his hardest to suppress the rage he had immediately felt towards the flashy Daimyo. Realization dawned upon the Daimyo as his face lit up slightly. A nod expressed that he would like to go where he would be able to rest, for even a few moments. "Very well, I will be waiting outside," muttered Sasuke as he shoved his hands in his pockets. Not even bothering to look over his shoulder, Sasuke spoke once more. "You coming, Sakura?" The pink haired Chuunin nodded wordlessly, tailing after her partner for this somewhat mission.
"I'm sorry, he is always like that," said Tsunade with an apologetic tone in her voice. Kouji merely shrugged it off with another smile adorning his face. "Well, I do hope you enjoy your stay here in Konoha. I'm sorry to be unable to personally tour you around here in Konoha, as I have many matters to attend to, but I'm sure being toured around by two of our more… illustrious ninja would suffice," said Tsunade as she scratched the back of her head. Again, Kouji nodded. A somewhat irritated thought passed through Tsunade's head as she kept the smile on her face. Does this man do anything more than smiling and nodding? Sheesh! "Tonight, however, there will be a dinner in your honor. Sakura and Sasuke have already been instructed to bring you back here by six in the evening," informed Tsunade as she stretched out her hand. Kouji took it and when they let go, he turned around and left the room.
Outside of the Hokage Tower
"And that's how I came to be the Daimyo of my land," said Kouji dramatically, earning another glare from the somewhat brooding Uchiha, "Although by what I've seen and what I know of the ninja here and in the other countries, if I weren't born into my family, I would have preferred to be born into a family in one of the Hidden Villages! I'm sure that each and every single mission proves very exciting and challenging for all of you." A bitter laugh escaped the lips of Sasuke as they continued walking. A reprimanding look was thrown towards his direction by his former teammate which was equally matched by a withering glare. "You, Sakura-san, you've told me so far that your family members are merely civilian. Why did you become a ninja?" asked Kouji, blissfully unaware of Sasuke's increasing disdain for the Daimyo.
"I don't know really," replied Sakura almost too casually for the Uchiha's tastes. Kouji was soaking up everything she was saying like a sponge would water. "At the beginning, it was mostly because it intrigued me, then I drifted off to shallower reasons," she continued, looking sideways at Sasuke. He understood what she meant by shallower reasons. "Then, this incident happened," she added without missing a beat, "Which caused me to have a nervous breakdown. When I had recovered my senses, I had undergone training under Tsunade-shishou, took the Chuunin exam, passed, and am now currently preparing for next year's Jounin exams." A low, impressed whistle escaped Kouji's lips as they continued walking around. A few passersby stopped when they had seen Kouji, chattering excitedly amongst themselves. "Such a celebrity already and you've only been here for roughly an hour," she said with an amused tone.
The day continued with very few exchanges between the Daimyo and the Uchiha, the conversations centering more between Kouji and Sakura. Sasuke had only spoken his usual 'Aa' or his gruff insults, but that was to be expected to begin with. Sasuke was never a social person. They had met a few familiar faces, one of them being the shy Hinata. Kouji had heard of her family, his own father owing a debt of gratitude to Hinata's, though he himself had never personally met a Hyuuga. What he found intimidating was the cool, impassive glare from the Hyuuga Jounin, Neji, who had taken upon himself to play the role of the overprotective 'brother'. They had also passed by the Yamanaka flower shop, the Daimyo hoping to get some locally grown flora to give to his younger sister. Ino had been manning the cashier and had been very amiable with the two Chuunin assigned to escort Kouji. Rumor had it Ino had a crush on the visiting Daimyo.
"That's very sweet of you, Kouji-sama," said Sakura as she admired the bouquet that Ino was currently wrapping. The Daimyo gave a muffled laugh and a light blush stained his cheeks. A snort came from Sasuke as he turned around and pretended to look at the different flowers. However, Sakura knew better. Sasuke was never one to admire anything around them. He would simply pass them by and move forward to trying to achieve his goals. She would talk to him about it later but for now, entertaining the Daimyo was her current mission. "And your little sister, what's her name? You're very close to her, I assume, since you're taking time to buy her some flowers. You'll be going home tomorrow and it's such a nice souvenir, freshly cut flowers from Fire Country's strongest Hidden Village," commented Sakura as she continued talking to the Daimyo.
"My sister's name is Umi, a kind soul. She's about five years younger than me, as old as you. I'm assuming you're sixteen, after all," informed Kouji as he drummed his fingers rhythmically against the table. Ino had slowed down slightly to try and listen in on Sakura and Kouji's conversation. Getting a wrapped bouquet of flowers from the Yamanakas took a while, as their process of doing so was slow and methodical. "Umi was incredibly worried when she found out I was to be named the next Daimyo. My father, of course, had his choice among his sons, making it four choices in all, including myself. My older brothers were all married but my father found them to be too attached to themselves whereas I, I had always been captivated by the business of the state. I suppose that's why I became the Daimyo. Umi was frightened for my sake, me being the brother closest to her." Ino had already handed out the bouquet to the Daimyo. "Thank you," he said kindly, that charming smile gracing his features, setting down ryo on the table, "Keep the change."
"You're both so lucky," said Ino dreamily, her cerulean eyes focused on the exiting figures of Kouji and Sasuke. The blonde had held Sakura's arm, a silent call for her to stay back for a few moments. A bewildered look found its way to Sakura's face. "You and Sasuke-kun are on better terms, at least I hope you both are and you both get to escort probably the best looking of all the Daimyo in this country! Of course, knowing the other Daimyo are all old enough to be either our fathers or grandfathers of our children when we are of age but they were quite the lookers when they were younger," explained Ino, the same dreamy tone in her voice. A cheerful comment about how Shikamaru would fret, worry and be indifferent towards Ino escaped Sakura's lips. "You fiend! Why are you talking about that!" she screeched, trying to claw at her best friend. Another giggle escaped Sakura's lips as she exited to meet up with the other two.
Later that Evening, at the Dinner
Everyone important in the village, the Elders, the Godaime, even Jiraiya was assembled in a hall prepared especially for the evening. A select group of Jounin was there, some familiar to both Sasuke and Sakura, others simply familiar by face. Not too surprisingly, Kakashi had been invited, the named Jounin being famous for his archive of techniques, after all. Shizune, being the foremost Jounin Medical Specialist had been seated at the Godaime's left, a cheerful grin on her face. To the Godaime's right was the Daimyo, Fujisaki Kouji. Sakura was seated beside him then Sasuke at the very last seat on the table. They were the only two Chuunin who had been allowed to the dinner. The rumble of excitement rushed through who were present at the visit of a Daimyo. It had been at the last Chuunin Exams held in Konoha when various Daimyo came. The said exams were a painful memory for the two Chuunin present. Clinking of metal against glass managed to silence those who were there.
"Everyone, on behalf of the villagers of Konoha, I hope to extend our deepest gratitude for taking time to visit us here," began Tsunade, a signal for a speech. Kouji colored slightly, not expecting this but he managed to start to suppress the red that was already on his cheeks. "With your visit, I hope that we can strengthen the bonds that keep Konoha secured to the rest of the lands controlled by the various Daimyo. Although we are a Hidden Village, independent of the common rule of Daimyo all around and self-preserving, we dedicate our forces to helping the common good of the nation we are apart of. Our allies, I assure you, do the same for their own country. With that, we would like you, Fujisaki Kouji, seventh Daimyo of the land known as Enkou, to have this sword," continued Tsunade, finishing her speech. Shizune had lifted a sheathed sword from beneath the table and set it down in front of the Daimyo. Kouji was speechless.
"I am honored to receive this token from Konoha," spoke Kouji when he had regained his voice. His hands trembled slightly as he removed the sword from its sheath. He had heard of the wondrous talents of the Konoha forgers, much more skilled and gifted than their own, considering they had more use for war weapons than they did. The silver metal gleamed in the artificial light. "With all the power and strength in my hands, I will promise that the land of Enkou will continue to ally itself with Konoha, as a land ruled by this country's central government," finished Kouji, his voice growing softer. A thunderous rumble of applause resounded throughout the room; the Daimyo slumping down into his seat, his hand still clutching the sword he had just been given. The dinner had ended soon after and in an hour; the only people who were left were Sasuke and Sakura. The Godaime had personally escorted the Daimyo to where he would spend the night.
"You were too harsh on Kouji-sama," said Sakura softly as the pair began making their way out. The clock struck midnight the minute they stepped out of the dining hall. "I mean, he was just being friendly and all. Is it a crime to be friendly?" she continued as she walked in step with the boy she had always adored. Sasuke made no effort to comment on her statement. "With the way you were acting, it's as if you owned me or something! Sasuke-kun, really, what is it with you and unknown men who are trying to get to know me? Ever since you've returned you were always like that! I never quite understood your mannerisms and even until now I don't," spoke Sakura, a somewhat scathing tone to her voice. With a yelp, Sakura had been pulled towards the Uchiha, a blazing fire burning strongly in the onyx depths he called his eyes.
"You are the only person, the only existence in this world, who has confused me since the day I had become an avenger," he began, his voice so cold that Sakura swore it almost froze the air between them, little as it may be. "You're the only one who dares to know more about me, even with the risk of burning in the fires of hell that I live in," he continued, the fire in his eyes burning stronger and stronger, "And I want to understand all your reasons, your manner of thinking, even if you annoy me to a point that I want to kill you." Sakura flinched at his words but said nothing. "And I will allow no one to go between me and my goal of understanding you," he finished, letting go of his hold on her. With that, he moved on without her. Sakura's jade eyes followed his fleeting figure until he disappeared.
Tsuzuku…
A rather unexpected end, don't you think? Well, regardless, I hope you enjoyed the chapter.
And as started, I will now take some time off to answer your reviews!
Only Secret: A Daimyo is a feudal lord in ancient Japan, usually taking hold of a fair amount of land.
TriGemini: I was fiddling around with the psychological aspect of being a Medical Specialist in that chapter. And yes, it was nice of Sasuke but I doubt you'll be seeing any more of that now, seeing as what had just happened in this chapter.
Cherri-chan: One would typically have a feeling that there might be a food poisoning epidemic because of the scent of food. Rotten food usually means poisoned food due to natural degradation.
Potato Llama: Yes, dear Sasuke-kun is definitely not used to this new Sakura. He's still used to the old one, the one he considered weak and annoying. Though she definitely grew since then, it's only been a year and five months since he's been back at Konoha and this new Sakura has only sprung up starting five months prior, or simply put it, the beginning of this fanfic.
Far-Fetched Imagineer: Thank you for reading CotHaS! I am mighty proud of that story, considering I don't usually write fanfics like that and it turned out pretty well.
Phoe-chan: Yup! You got it! It was simply bad seafood and not an attempt at bringing down Konoha. With my writing style, I would have set up some sort of background if I were to write that plot twist. Though, for some people's disappointment, that will not happen, at least not for this fanfic. Maybe in PPV: Act Two.
And that's all the time I have for this week. Again, I hope you enjoyed this chapter.
Sorry for being around a day late from my usual weekend updates. It's been busy and I've been doing so many things (mostly reading HP6 and watching Saiyuki Reload Gunlock).
Stay tuned for next week's update, which will hopefully not be late!
Next Chapter: Chapter Thirteen – Remembering the Past
Chapter Preview: His mind throbbed painfully as he slumped down to the floor. His head was reeling. Thoughts were being pushed into his mind as he unconsciously bit his lower lip so hard that it almost bled. His fists were clenched tightly that his knuckles started to turn white because of the strain. It was that day nine years ago and he could remember the pulsating pain he had felt as clearly as the day itself. He could remember seeing their bloodied, battered bodies, his towering figure with an impassive and indifferent expression on his face. He could remember the fear that was pounding in his body, the immense physical, emotional and mental pain that had surged through his body nine years ago. A soft, almost timid knocking sound resounded throughout the room, causing him to bolt upright, breaking in a cold sweat. In a panicked frenzy, he fixated his gaze on the slowly opening door. A face he never wanted to see again popped up as his voice let out a bloodcurdling scream.