Author's Notes:
Thanks for the reviews guys! It totally made my day. Anyway, I'm sorry for the delay of chapter 2. Quarter exams came in the way. And let me tell you, it was hell. So, I hope you enjoy it!
Disclaimer:
I don't own Naruto or any of the characters you notice here.
"Can I see father?" asked Sakura as she stood in front of a large oak door. The guard beside her bowed his head and Sakura turned to look at him expectantly.
"I'm sorry, your highness...But, the King is busy right now, negotiating with the Hyuuga Clan." said the guard. Sakura nodded slowly, and with a sigh, she turned to leave.
The Hyuuga Clan...Why do they want to affiliate with that Kingdom so much?...
Deep in thought, she suddenly bumped into someone and she gasped in surprise.
"I am so sor-
She looked up, only to find herself staring at her big brother, who still remained passive with his Sharingan eyes. Sakura wrinkled her nose a little bit. She still wanted to know why she didn't have Sharingan. Everyone who belonged to the Uchiha Family did, except for her.
"Oh, right...Sorry Itachi-san, I didn't watch where I was going." She said apologetically. The man named Itachi just gave her a pat on the head, before continuing his walk.
But as Sakura began to walk towards the other side, the sound of her brother's voice stopped her.
"Sakura-chan...Are you or are you not our sister?" she heard him ask. Sakura stiffened as she gave off a nervous laugh, turning to look at her brother.
"Uh...I think so, Ita-
"Then why do you still address me with such formality?" he asked, bemused. Sakura then thought about it, before it struck her. She didn't know either. Why was it that she always felt she should call him Itachi-san?
With a slight frown on her beautiful face, she looked up at her brother, who was looking back at her blankly.
"Honestly, Itachi-san...I really don't know. I just have this gut feeling that- no...never mind." said Sakura slowly, before turning to walk the opposite direction.
Her brother stared at her retreating back.
A woman with long dark hair sat on the bed, as she stared at the picture on her bedside table, with a worried look in her eyes. She traced the sides of the frame, her eyes not wandering from the picture.
It was a photograph of her family. The royal family of the Uchiha. Yet as she stared, she can't take her eyes off a certain pink-haired girl, who was wearing one of the most beautiful gowns imaginable, a sweet smile adorning her pretty face.
She didn't think it was fair, to keep something from her for that long. But she had agreed with her husband that they would tell her when she reached the age of eighteen, which was the age of maturity.
Only three more years...
She was snapped out of her thoughts as a soft knock was heard. She stood up from the bed and dusted her clothes.
"Come in."
The door opened and in came a servant, carrying a scroll of parchment. The queen bit her lip, knowing that she was in for a surprise.
"A message from the King, your highness. He had to go to the Hyuuga Kingdom as of the last minute, and has asked me to send you this." said the servant respectfully. Mikoto nodded with a smile on her face, before taking the scroll from the servant.
The servant then bowed before turning to leave the room.
The queen sat down on the bed again, before opening the parchment.
Silence enveloped the room for a few seconds, before Mikoto dropped the parchment she was holding.
"Oh no..."
Two important looking men walked in the hall in complete silence. Fugaku felt like he wanted the ground to swallow him whole, right now. He was a strong king, everyone knew that. But right now, as he stood next to the ruler of the Hyuuga Kingdom...he has never felt as low as this before.
"I believe that having second thoughts is too late now." Hiashi said sternly as they continued to walk. Fugaku was taken aback, before he nodded slowly.
"Yes...I suppose. But, I would still like to discuss it with my wife personally." He said, suddenly gaining much more confidence as he remembered that he was just as high as Hiashi was.
Hiashi turned to look at him with his white eyes as he raised an eyebrow.
"In that case, after meeting with the Queen of the Uchiha Clan, I would like both of you to meet my nephew." He said. They passed by a group of guards who bowed down in front of both of them, and Fugaku waved a hand.
"Being the groom, I assume it would be better for him to know first about the arrangement." Hiashi nodded as they turned a corner. Fugaku agreed as they stopped in front of a huge oak door. The guards in front of the door bowed as they prepared to open it.
"She's waiting inside. Let me break the news first."
As the door opened, the first thing they heard was the scream of the Queen. She stood up immediately and went straight to her husband.
Fugaku, knowing that he was in for a lot, closed the door immediately before inviting Hiashi inside the conference room. Then, he turned to his wife, who was still clutching the piece of parchment in her right hand.
Hiashi made himself comfortable and stared at the scene before him with a blank look.
"You made a decision...without me! How could you?" asked Mikoto angrily as she shoved the parchment in front of his face. Fugaku opened his mouth, but she cut him.
"No, you listen! I-I get this piece of paper telling me about my daughter's sudden engagement to a man she barely knows. And all you can advise me to do is to go straight to the conference room? Oh my-
"It was necessary. I'm sure she would understand." Fugaku said defensively. Mikoto glared daggers at her husband, before she turned to Hiashi.
"I'm sorry for the scene...but at times like these, it is appropriate. Please, do pretend like we don't exist." said Mikoto gently, before she turned to Fugaku again.
A few seconds of silence engulfed the room, before Mikoto decided to say something.
"I'm not agreeing to this proposal." She said flatly. Fugaku's eyes widened. Hiashi raised his eyebrows.
"I don't think you understand, that this is the only way we could affiliate with the Hyuuga Clan, so as to restore peace and harmony among both kingdoms. Our whole kingdom is at stake!" said Fugaku impatiently. His wife was beginning to get on his nerves.
Mikoto shook her head rapidly, before she took a deep breath. She looked up, tears starting to flow from her eyes.
"We have made a lot of sacrifices for the kingdom, Fugaku. And you know that I would do anything just to be at peace with the other Clans. But, I think we've hurt her enough, Fugaku." She whispered. Fugaku gulped. He was beginning to lose yet another battle.
"There are a lot of things to tell her, and we don't want to add another one. She's a person too! She missed a lot of things in life, yet we're about to take another opportunity from her. She would be sacrificing a lot. Marriage? Do you think you would have liked it if I have married your brother instead, because our parents forced us to?" she continued.
Fugaku sighed as he rubbed his temples. He turned to look at Hiashi, who began to stand up from the chair he was sitting on.
"I'm sorry, but I remember that I still have to go to a meeting with the Hyuuga Elders. If I must say so, I would be awaiting an answer until tomorrow." said Hiashi as he walked towards the door. Mikoto turned to him.
"Just to not get your hopes high, it would probably be a no." she said. Fugaku glared at her. Hiashi smirked at both of them, before opening the door.
"Like I said...tomorrow."
Hiashi left the room.
The guards in front of the oak door watched as Hiashi walked away from them, before they turned to each other. Oh yes, the reward of being the guard of the conference room. You would know a lot of things.
Suddenly, a maid walked towards them, smiling.
"So...What's the news?" she asked, obviously gathering some more information to gossip around the castle.
"We heard their plans on making affiliations." said the first guard. The maid in front of him smiled.
"Really? Did you hear what it was?" she asked.
"Yeah...Something about the Princess being engaged to someone belonging from the Hyuuga Clan."
The maid gasped in surprise. She squealed in delight.
"Oh my! Shamei was telling the truth! She told me that while serving coffee in the King's Office a while ago, she heard something about Princess Sakura marrying King Hiashi's nephew, or something like that. Oh, this is big!"
The second guard looked at him warningly.
"You better not spill the beans...Imagine what would happen if Prince Sasuke finds out."
But then again, whoever said that rumors don't fly fast? It has only been an hour since the conference, and yet...
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
"Hey! Did you hear the buzz?"
"Enlighten me..."
"Someone told me that in order to affiliate with the Hyuuga Clan, our Princess must marry the other clan's king's nephew! Isn't that something?"
"You're like...confusing me."
>>>>>>>>>>>>
"Did you know?"
"Know what?"
"The Princess is getting married to that handsome nephew of King Hiashi!"
"Wha-really? Wait...How do you know he's handsome?"
"I don't know...Good vibe, really."
"Oh right..."
>>>>>>>>>>>
"Pst...Did you hear?"
"Yeah! Shamei told Akane, who told Akiko, who told Setsuko, who passed it on to-
"Yeah whatever...So you heard. I was wondering...She's still too young."
"Are you really that stupid? Of course they would set up the date until they're older. But the engagement is done just for assurance."
"I knew that. Who said I didn't know that?"
>>>>>>>>>>>
"Wow, the Queen and King are fighting because of it? Imagine that."
"Yeah...And a reliable bird told me that the Queen refuses to approve."
"Well, it is kind of harsh...I mean-
"Shh, keep your voice down. If one of the princes would hear, I wonder what would happen."
"Ooh, pity."
>>>>>>>>>>>>
Unfortunately for them, Sasuke did hear something about the "spreading news", and it was enough for him to smoke.
Sasuke then raised an eyebrow at the two maids who were walking by, before he stared up at the stairs. He'd have to find out if it was true. But first things first. He'd have to tell Sakura.
She would kill him if he did not tell her the moment he knew.
