It's a few days after I said I was posting this but its days and not weeks so I'll count it as progress.
Chapter 7: Rooms
"You spend an awful lot of time here for someone who is not obligated to" he heard his voice behind him.
"I find it easier to think of strategies when the map is laid out in front of me." he explained, not that he had to. Shikamaru made his way to the table and looked at the map.
"I trust you already figured out what they are trying to do." Shikamaru knew just how smart Itachi was; he was sure he could have been the head strategist if he wanted to. That meant Itachi didn't want to, Shikamaru didn't particularly care for Itachi's reasons but he had taken note of that.
"Yes. It's a very bold move" Itachi grinned
"We need to stop them as soon as possible if they succeed they will gain the upper hand, but if we succeed we could inflict major damage" whether it looked like it or not Shikamaru was taking his job seriously, he didn't want the job but it still was his responsibility. He had spent the last couple of days thinking about the best way to stop the Hyugas.
"That depends, how many troops do you think they are using? There are also reports they have been separating into smaller fractions"
"Yeah, I wonder about that too. By separating surely they must know they are weaker and more vulnerable to attacks unless this is a front for something else, or they could literally be throwing everything they have, but that sounds too reckless for the Hyuga"
"Don't forget they have some of their members in other countries, so far other countries how promised to stay out of our politics but there is always a possibility"
"I doubt other countries would get involved and if they did, I do believe we have an ally in Suna"
"Correct. Don't mind me, I just like to supervise our strategies but know that you do have my full faith and support, head strategist"
"What a drag. You should have been the head strategist instead" Shikamaru sighed
"Come on Shikamaru, you should be happy in such a prestigious position in helping the rightful king get the throne" Shikamaru knew that tone, Itachi was warning him not to get too comfortable. Itachi was still above him and Shikamaru knew that, but then again it was all such a drag.
"Hn. I'll take a nap to freshen me up, they help me think better" the man yawned as he walked out of the room. Itachi smiled, he had everything in place, all he needed was to go through with it. He was married, he had his head strategist, as well as the favor of the court and soon he would weed out those barbarians who profited out of the war and who he could not sway. Those who did not want to put an end to the war, not truly. He wasn't happy about it, no of course he wasn't. Who would be happy while taking a life? His father was flawed but he was still his father nonetheless, those people had no care for human life but they were still people themselves. This all could have been prevented, it all could have been, but they didn't want to. It wasn't enough for them to win.
"Father, I insist for you to rethink your plan" was it his fourth or fifth time going down this pointless conversation? He had lost track, all he knew was that his father was probably already angry.
"Who is in charge here?" Fugaku asked his temperament thinner than usual, when no response was given he decided to ask a final time.
"Itachi, answer me.Who is in charge here?"
"You are" Itachi finally answered.
"I have the last say and whatever I say goes. Are you against me, Itachi?" of course he was, no sane man would stand behind genocide. But was Itachi truly sane?"No of course not" he lied
"You are not special Itachi, I could easily disown you and have your brother take your place. Do you understand?" theoretical speaking it was true, Itachi was replaceable but he knew his father good enough to know that was not an option.
"Yes of course father"
"After we win this war those lowlifes Hyugas will be executed every single one of them. There will be no traitors in my country. The main branch of those houses that opposed us will be executed and replaced with one that favors us." a twisted grinned appeared on his face
"You plan to kill an entire house?" he asked already knowing the answer but maybe just maybe if his father heard it outloud once more he would realize how insane it all was.
"Those colorless fucking eyes will cease to exist. As for your future wife after the executions take place you can get rid of her if you please"
"The children-"
"Are a threat to us" Fugaku cut him off
"I understand. I have one last question, don't you think this will bring outrage to the people?"
"Who will win the war?" His father looks at him with no emotion present.
"We will"
"The strong should not care what the weak think" that was the one thing his father always said. Remember Itachi we are Uchiha we are strong. Ever since he was a kid those were some of the few positive things his father would say.
"Yes of course" he was strong and he would be strong so others didn't have to be. So his loved one didn't have to be, so the world didn't suffer. For peace.
How could he stop him? How could he tell his father genocide was not the answer? All the killings would enrage the public, it was too much to ignore. Not to mention the many villages who lived in Hyuga soil who had contracts with them, had their protection, traded with them, had relationships with them, they would certainly not be happy about that. Killing the main branches of all the other powerful houses would also be bad, it would plant the seed of hatred which would eventually grow into another war. When they took the throne they would be known as killers, heartless monsters, and soon knights would be bound to rise up to defeat the monsters. Revolt, war, more suffering it was all bound to happen if they kept killing. He had to make it stop and to prevent a great massacre, he had to carry out a smaller one. He let out a painful chuckle, the irony of it all. He was given a scape though, with Hinata he could start something. He wasn't as naive as to think he could strike a peace deal, although that possibility always lingered in his mind, but he could certainly win the war and have the Hyugas surrender all in good terms. With Hinata as his wife, their children would be both Hyuga and Uchiha, they would be more likely to be supported by both sides. He could do all this, he could bring peace to all the people in his country if he just succeeded. That was all he needed.
It was all about connections, Hinata needed connections. She had been hiding in her room for months only talking to Kurenai, Itachi and Naruto when he was present but that would not work if she planned to get valuable information. As she walked through the library, she saw a certain masked man. She had been hoping to meet someone and get some useful information. She didn't know much about the man other than his name and the rumors or his personal life which she honestly did not care for. He was Kakashi Hatake, an important man, but just how important was he? She lost nothing in trying to find out. So she decided to walk towards him.
"What are you reading?" she asked
"A book" he answered not taking his eyes off it
"Well I can see that much" she mumbled
"Here take a look" he handed it to her. She skimmed through the pages and felt her cheeks heat up. She hadn't encountered a book like that before, she instantly gave it back. She heard him laugh at her reaction and she bit her cheek.
"What is it you want Hinata?" He asked. Well at least he's direct.
"To know more about you. Perhaps I'll take you up in your offer and be friends, even if it's a lie." She said with a smile
"Well ask away," he said while he kept reading. She couldn't ask outright about his position and relationships with the Uchiha so she decided to ask personal questions. Her father always getting personal with someone was like handing them the leash to your emotions. She was taught not to hand that leash over but always reach for that of others, like any good Hyuga would. She wasn't particularly good at it but then again neither of her siblings were. Hinata was too "emotional", Neji too "rigid", and Hanabi too "impulsive". They all lacked something according to the House elders. Part of her was proud of her performance under Uchiha capture, the elders would probably be impressed.
"How old are you?"
"36" he answered. Maybe it was because most of his face was hidden but his age did not show. He was fourteen years her senior but she would not have guessed more than seven.
"what do you do here?"
"General, of course. I am in charge of my troops,you do know who I am?" although he was still reading he sounded a bit baffled by the fact she did not know about him.
"I-I know your name," she said with a slight blush.
"I am usually on the battlefield but there are so many things going on they need me here" he explained. She had heard that about him.
"You don't like it" she stated
"It's no my preference" he shook his head
"Do you have a wife?" it was an innocent question, following the pattern of personal questions she was asking.
"Why? You know somebody?" his eyes left the book and locked with hers. She knew he was grinning under his face covering.
"N-no I was just wondering because of y-your age" she quickly defended herself.
"Yes I am quite old" he said with a nod
"I-I didn't say that! You are n-not"
"Calm down, I'm just teasing. Many people ask that" he chuckled.
"W-what did you do before the war?" she switched the topic
"Head of my House" he sighed
"really? You are really young" most of the men who were placed as heads usually were in their 40s or 50s and had families. Kakashi did not look the part.
"My father died when I was young so they trained me as fast as they could so I could take it" he explained
"I'm sorry" she say biting her lip, she always hated when people told her things like that she never knew how to react.
"It's okay, now if you will excuse me there is a place I have to be," He said, finally closing his book and putting it in under his arm as he stood up.
"Thank you, Kakashi" she smiled
"No, thank you. It has been a while since I talked to someone just because" he said giving her a wave before leaving. She smiled and returned the wave. She didn't get any information about the Uchihas and their relationship with the Hatakes but she could get some later on. What she needed is for people to see her as a loyal ally to the Uchihas, as an Uchiha. As she made her way through the halls a hand grabbed her, when she turned around and saw who it was she smiled.
"hello Kurenai" she smiled
"Hinata, I've been looking for you. Itachi wanted to talk to you" she said
"Where is he now?" she asked
"Your room" Kurenai replied. Kurenai and Hinata began to walk to the room together. "He placed me as your handmaiden" Kurenai said with a smile
"He did?" Hinata was a bit surprised, she didn't think she needed one but Kurenai was still a perfect choice.
"Yes not long ago he called and told me"
"That's great news Kurena- unless you rather be doing something else I-"
"Of course I'm fine with it Hinata. I enjoy my time with you and honestly it beats working the kitchens" she said with a laugh
"I'm happy I could be of help in any way"
"Hinata I don't want you to think I'm just being your friend be-"
"It's okay Kurenai, I do not think badly of you. Even if that was the case I trust you have your reasons"
"You wanted to see me?" she asked as she entered the room. He was sitting on a chair drinking what she guessed was tea.
"Yes, I wanted to talk to you about what will happen in the following weeks" He answered
"W-what will happen?" she sat across from him
"There are several celebrations and military parades that-"
"What will be celebrated?" her question came out too eager and too quick, she bit her tongue instantly. She did what to know though, why? Had they won a battle? Perhaps made some progress? Had they killed an important person?
"Nothing more than a show of power. Really a waste of time in my opinion, however, we have to attend. After my father, I am set to take charge" he explained
"I know my role Itachi," she said
"I am sorry." he looked down at his cup of tea. Perhaps she had been too harsh in tone.
"Your apology is not needed. You have been kind and have helped me in the transition, thank you" she gave him a reassuring smile
"It still hurts though," he said before taking a sip of tea. "Some of the celebrations will require us to leave the castle. We aren't going too far that would be dangerous, but we will be traveling. We will be visiting some cities, all allies of the Uchiha of course"
"Thank you for letting me know Itachi. You placed Kurenai as my handmaiden"
"I saw you liked her company so, I thought it would be best"
"Thank you" she felt her cheeks heat up a bit. It was nice what Itachi did but it also showed how much he did keep an eye on her.
"You're welcome"
"Is she coming with us?"
"If you want her to I don't see why she wouldn't"
"I'll ask her," she said with a nod. She bit her lip, there was one last question she had for him. It had been plaguing her thoughts and she had decided it was best to know than to keep worrying. "I-if you don't mind I have one question for you"
"I'll answer it the best I can"
"N-Naruto… he wasn't at the wedding and he hasn't returned since he last left. I was just w-wondering if he is okay?" she carefully watched his face as he answered.
"From what I've heard there was a minor dispute down there, it should only hold him up one more week at most. Unfortunately, we leave this Thursday so I doubt you will be here when he comes"
"I don't want to see him necessarily, I just wanted to know that he was alive," she said not wanting Itachi to think anything wrong
"No need to explain yourself Hinata, I understand he is your friend"
"Thank you" she seemed genuinely happy. Part of him was sad he lied to her. "If it's okay with you I'll go find Kurenai''
"You're free to go" he smiled, when she was gone he walked out to the balcony and closed his eyes. He didn't want to see anything at that moment. All he wanted was the darkness. In the dark, he was left alone with his thoughts. He first heard of Hyugas spies from Katu before he was stripped of his titles. It was all speculation and nobody believed him given his major miscalculation. Itachi wondered what Hyuga spies would be doing so close to Uchiha ground, they could have been there to kill his father, or Itachi and Sasuke, maybe they were there to retrieve their princess. It didn't matter he would find out why. He couldn't run the risk of tasking anyone already in their army with finding out if the speculation was correct which is why he hired someone. Kisame, that was the man's name. He ended up confirming that it was true. He knew how he would use it, he knew exactly what was going to happen. He had been tracking the Hyuga spies for a while and had managed to send Kisame with Naruto posing as a guard to a village where he knew the spies were. Nobody knew this, of course, he had been very careful with everything. As he stood there and thought about what would happen in the coming weeks he began to laugh without realizing it. He tried to stop but he couldn't, he tried to suppress it but it proved impossible. His cheeks were damp, he was crying? Why? That's when he heard the door opening, horrible timing that's what it was.
"She was busy finishing-" Hinata stopped when she heard something, "Itachi?" Her voice sounded so similar to… to… stop it get a grip of yourself! He felt and heard her walking up to him so he decided to shorten the process and turned to see her. Suddenly her hair and eyes were brown and a mole was on her cheek. He watched as her eyes widened before going back to normal. She didn't say anything as she got closer to him and dried his cheeks with her thumb and wrapped her arms around his torso. He began patting her head and he wondered why? He wanted to stop feeling conflicted, to just carry out his plan. It was for the better. It would mean giving up a part of his soul and conscience but it was for the better. He knew it led to a better outcome but it still hurt.
"Sakura what are you doing?" He asked. He had been dragged by her and was currently sitting down in front of her.
"I'm glad you asked. I wanted to talk to you Sasuke." She said with a smile. "I was made aware we will be traveling and well I thought it would be a great opportunity to know each other better, maybe we could ask to-"
"We are not going there for sightseeing, we are in the middle of a war. The purpose of the trip is purely to show our strength" he said slightly annoyed at her request.
"Oh... Then we can just talk, I've noticed you are very distant. It's okay to be vulnerable with people you know, especially me I will be your wife I will always back you up" why did she keep trying, all she had to do was exist as his wife. There was no need for her to understand him or love him, all she needed to do was coexist.
"I am not vulnerable" he mumbled. He felt her hands on his legs and saw her getting closer to him. Her eyes were closed and her lips were slightly parted. When he realized what was going on he instantly stopped. "What are you doing?"
Her eyes widened and soon her entire face was red. "You don't want-"
"No" he didn't even let her finish.
"Why?" she whispered her eyes looking down in embarrassment. "You are acting so cold towards me! Is there another girl?"
"No of course not" there was no other girl. If he was honest he never had a romantic relationship before. He had acknowledged the attractiveness of women but as soon as they opened their mouths they did nothing but pester him. A lot of women knew Itachi to be open to relationships and they instantly assumed Sasuke was the same. Many times he had found women pestering him, sometimes even found them naked in front of him. He was only a man so of course he had slept with some of them but he never felt anything towards them.
"That has to be it… because if not why don't you want me? E-everyone else does" she looked confused as if she could not process Sasuke's words, or rather the implication of his words.
"Sakura there is NO other girl. I am just not comfortable with-"
"Of course! How could I be so dense? I'm sorry Sasuke, I didn't mean to pressure. You can open up to me whenever you feel comfortable" he was puzzled at her change of tone.
"Hn. I will" he nodded, she smiled brightly before standing up and leaving like nothing ever happened. He got up and left the room. As he walked he kept thinking about Sakura, he had to make their marriage work, or least be tolerable but so far he had no idea how. A bump into someone broke him from his thoughts and when he looked down he saw the little pester carrying a small wooden chest with a floral design carved on it.
"Watch where you are going?"
"I'm sorry, I will'' she instantly apologized and hugged the wooden chest tighter. He looked at the chest and then at her.
"What is that you have?" he snatched it from her. He examined it, a closer look and he could tell it wasn't anything valuable. It was made from cheap wood and the design was poorly carved.
"Hey! S-stop that's not mine!" her first instinct was to try to take it back from him but Sasuke pushed her off him
"Thief! Why do you have it?" he said holding the chest behind him.
"I'm carrying it for someone, I'm taking it to their room" she explained and put her hand out silently asking for it back
"Hmph. who could possibly want you touching their belongings" he said ignoring her hands
"It belongs to my handmaiden. I am helping her settle in her new room" she explained further.
"Pathetic even the servants don't respect you" he sneered at her
"T-there is such a thing as mutual respect" she mumbled
"My, we are a little talkative today? Are you forgetting your place?" he raised his brow. She was talking back? She didn't do that, so why now? Why do it over a stupid box?
"Of course not. I know I am not at your level but please give me that back it has no value to you"
"Why don't catch it?" he said dangling it high over her head
"No! Please stop! It can break" her eyes widen and she reached up to try to grab it. She failed miserably as her arms were nowhere close to it. Why did she seem so concerned. It was a stupid cheap box that belonged to a servant. She wasn't only a filthy traitor but she was also rather odd.
"Why should I care? It has no value to me" he smirked
"Do you want me to beg? Is that it?" she said with a pout. He did in fact, he wanted her to get down and beg. But he couldn't make her do it, they were in the open if anyone walked by and saw him he would be fucking done. He didn't care what people thought, everyone knew he was an asshole but having Itachi's wife on her knees in front of him was a bit too far, even for him.
"Watch where you are going Hyuga" he shoved the chest in her arms and left. She wanted to scream she was Hinata Uchiha now, not because she was proud of that but because it would go against him.
"Wow t-this room is nice," Hinata smiled as she looked around.
"Yes is quite the upgrade, thank you so much Hinata." she said setting down a box on the floor.
"Of course, it made no sense for you to sleep so far if you would be primarily with me"
"I heard this room used to belong to an Uchiha," Kurenai said while walking around.
"Really?" she hadn't heard that but she wondered who it belonged to and why that person left.
"Yes, she was the niece of a general. I can't believe they gave it to me" Kurenai said. Kurenai smiled, she never had the opportunity to meet Hinata but when she found her in the castle she was surprised. The more she talked to the girl the more she grew close to her, she felt bad for her but she knew how she could help her. Kurenai had been stuck in the castle for so long no news from her home but now she saw a way to get back.