Chapter 1


Aim for a love

that reminds you

of the devotion

the sun has to the moon.

Whether she is in fractions

or she is whole,

he still shrouds his intense light

in the darkness of the night.


Heian-kyo

Present-day Kyoto, Japan

Year 960


The sun and the moon were visible in the heavens that day. It was as though the rising embers formed a halo around the moon, a dark and burning coal in a dying fire, swallowing the land in obscured darkness for an ephemeral period of time. The galloping horses halted atop the hill, not too far ahead was the Capital, Konoha, where the proud Imperial Palace stood at the heart of the land. The palace that he used to call home, until it all but threw him out like a dog that has gone wild. He watched the Capital from atop the peak, shrouded in darkness momentarily before the light bathed it once more and the horses were galloping again.

He rode a black stallion like death, hurtling down the hill as it left dust in its wake, steam from its noses. His face concealed from condemnatory eyes, the mask he wore to hide his past. And in his eyes held a certain glint, too frightening to even look at yet too mesmerising. A glint that can burn the whole world down to its last cinders.

As they reached the Capital, the galloping horses slowed down, like a man leisurely walking during a peaceful afternoon. But the men who rode the stallions were frightening, although not as frightening as the man who rode in front, as if a wolf that is leading its pack towards the Palace to slaughter everyone. And as the people around the Capital noticed the group of men, they first saw the man wearing the mask as they all hurried to hide, clearing the path and not too long after that the road left no souls ahead, saved from some things that fell from merchants who ran for their lives, too afraid to face him.

He watched with narrowed eyes, how the people cowered in fear before him even before he could unsheathe his sword. He has always debated what to feel whenever he witness the fear he unconsciously instilled in those people who hid at the mere sight of his mask. As his stallion made deliberate steps towards the wooden gates of the palace, he heard the words being spoken, not in fear but simply in curiosity.

"Wolf…dog?"

The fourth Prince, Uchiha Sasuke, is back.


Words about the fourth Prince's return reached the Hana no Tsuki Palace, a place located south of the Imperial Palace where court ladies reside to attend to the Imperial Families. Most of the Imperial Princes often stay at their relaxation, the Palace provided a sense of comfort and a relaxing smell of flowers that court ladies brought from the garden to scatter around the bath. The water looked temptingly good, there are two separate ponds, one of which has steam rising up the surface while the other is more at a lull with flower petals dispersed about.

It is known throughout the land that the Emperor had united the warring households, different clans fighting each other to get their different ideologies across. But the Emperor is a wise man, and he was able to unite the clans during the first few years of his reign. However, the cost will prove to be greater than anyone could have imagined.

Eight Imperial Princes were born from different wombs, their mothers from different clans. Yet as oddly as it seems, or perhaps not that odd, those Imperial Princes bond with one another like friends, enjoying each other's companies with laughter and stories to tell to one another. They, after all, possess the same blood running through their veins from their father, the Emperor.

Two lower court ladies seem to be bashful at the mere sight of the Imperial Princes bathing in front, although they were told to keep their heads low and inclined, their eyes would dart up once in a while. One of the court ladies poured a drink, her eyes kept on the Imperial Princes as the tea poured down, not on the cup but on the finger of one of the Imperial Princes.

The third Prince, Uchiha Obito.

Second in line to the thrown, a cunning man who can stab his brothers at the back at any given opportunity. His mother came from the powerful Uchiha clan that control the Imperial Court.

When he felt the lukewarm liquid run down his finger, he turned to the court lady. His eyes were narrowed into a glare, lifting his hand ready to slap the girl when he was all but momentarily stopped when a voice called him.

"Ani-ue,"

The voice who spoke belonged to the eight Prince, Uzumaki Naruto. A young and humble Prince who came from the Uzumaki clan. A clan that used to be as powerful as the Uchiha had it not been for the false accusation that caused his mother, the third Empress, to be banished from stepping foot inside the Imperial Palace way back when he was young. It was the third Prince's mother, the second Empress, who made such accusation. But because the third Prince is someone who easily forgives, there is no malice held in that tone when he called his older brother.

The two court ladies noticed the signal the ninth Prince gave them, to get out of sight as they scurry away. The ninth Prince, Inuzuka Kiba. His cunning eyes may not be as terrifying as the third Prince, and perhaps it was because he always stays close by Obito's side that he takes after those scheming eyes.

The third Prince's attention turned to his younger brother who approached him, a slight raise of his eyebrow signified that he is listening to whatever Naruto is about to say.

"I have heard our fourth brother is back. Should he not join us for a bath before the Tsukuyomi ritual?"

A ritual to pay respect to the moon god, Tsukuyomi, which happens every year to mark the start of the Lunar New Year. A time when the pale celestial orb can be seen visibly almost each night, to shine upon the land that worships the embers of the sun's flame. The ritual when the Imperial Princes perform in front of the Emperor, an enactment of how the moon god fought the spirits and drove them far to the land over yonder, never to come back and wreak havoc to the land of the mortal.

"Our fourth brother," Obito muttered, pouring the tea himself before he took the bronze cup. "Since when has he ever done things our way?"

The smirk did not pass unnoticed as Naruto averted his gaze. It was no secret that even among the brothers, the fourth Prince had always been the black sheep.

"Sasuke and I were born in the same year," he said, walking towards the bathing pool. "I should at least take care of him."

"Naruto, are you not being too kind to our fourth brother? He does not seem to enjoy our company so why do you always bother?" Kiba said before he turned back to his older brother that he looked up to. "But then again, our eight brother has always been that kind, right ani-ue?" Kiba looked at his older brother, but Obito's eyes linger longer on the eight Prince. A man who seem too kind for his own good, for some reason he knew a man like Naruto can hold the strongest hatred for he has held the strongest love for his brothers. And he could not wait to witness it all.

The conversation from a while ago was briefly forgotten when two of the Imperial Princes came running towards the bath but despite making a mad dash from the outer bathing pool, they slowly soak down the bath for they know their older brothers are watching them. The inner pool, compared from the other one, was cold yet as they adjusted to the temperature, the two sighed in relief.

Another Imperial Prince came from the stairs up ahead. He was leisurely sleeping earlier when he heard the topic of their conversation and it prompted him to come down as he took his robe and handed it to the court ladies with a reminder to wrinkle it straight.

"Is it not the first time Sasuke is going to join us for the ritual?" he asked languidly bringing back the conversation that was left earlier. "I wonder if the Emperor has a specific reason why he decided to call him back for the ritual when he has not done so in years. But then again, I do not know what is going on inside the Emperor's head."

The thirteenth Prince, Nara Shikamaru. His mother came from the Nara clan that used to be a Royal Household until they all but submitted their powers to the current Imperial family. His statement brought the two Princes to look at their brothers. One is the tenth Prince, Akasuna Sasori, who is considered the youngest among the Imperial Princes. And the fourteenth Prince, Uchiha Shisui.

"Older Brothers, have you heard?" The tenth Prince started, taking his brothers' attention as they all looked at him. "Our fourth brother was said to have massacred his family in Kumo. It was said to be so brutal and people started to compare him to a wolf slaughtering people." The young Imperial Prince proceeds to make a mockery out of it by howling like a wolf.

"You easily believe in such rumours?" Shikamaru asked, shaking his head. "Younger brother, do not believe each words you hear."

"But our visitors from Kumo all said the same thing." Sasori went back to the side, to join the fourteenth Prince.

His words may seem to have come from baseless hearsays but Naruto knew there is a possibility of that happening since he knew their fourth brother more than anyone. He could not help but look down, staring at his reflection down the water. He wonders what he would do if that turned out to be true, but he could not simply believe such hearsays either.

"Sasori, think about it. How can that be true?" Shisui asked, turning to his brother as if to talk some sense out of what he just claimed about their fourth brother. "Kumo possess strong local army. What about the local government? Do you think they would just let him do something like that?"

Sasori was about to speak, he had opened his mouth to retort but Shisui was not quite done.

"Not to mention, Sasuke has never had a master to teach him martial arts in Kumo. So there is no way he knows how to fight, let alone get past the military."

Sasori looked at him for a brief moment before he can finally speak. Sometimes the young ones do not know how a statement may have led until they have spoken it, and the tenth Prince is not much aware of the gravity of what he is about to say.

"Shisui, you and our fourth brother have the same mother, right? There is no telling when you will turn into a wolf like him." Sasori made the mocking wolf howl again and in response so does Shisui.

It is true enough that they have the same mother, but it was not just the fourteenth Prince who possesses the same kind of kinship with the fourth Prince.

A loud slam was suddenly heard, the metal plates clanking as the third Prince put the teacup down quite too harshly as his eyes narrowed into slits. "Shut your mouths!"

He looked at Sasori, he did not bother to hide his displeased expression before he continued. "I am born from the same womb as our fourth brother as well. Then am I not a person?"

Silence engulfed them, the heavy stillness linger in the atmosphere. The second Empress had taken the position of the Emperor's wife soon after the first Empress passed on. She had given birth to four sons, one of which died in battle. The three remaining ones were her only way to make her the Empress mother. However, the third Prince had always made it clear that he has nothing to do with his fourth brother that he loathed for a reason that is yet to be revealed. The silence accompanied by the heavy atmosphere was broken when Naruto spoke.

"Ani-eu, he is only jesting. There is no need to take such pleasantry with bitter words."

Obito averted his gaze from Sasori who let out a breath he did not remember he was holding. He decided to leave the inner pool for a while, until his third brother had calmed down from a provocation that was not aimed at him in the first place. He proceeded to the outer pool and run towards the water, jumping like the young, carefree Imperial Prince that he is. It seems he had already forgotten the way his third brother glared at him as he floated up the surface of the water. Until he all but felt something hit the back of his head.

When Sasori stopped and turn around to see what could it be that he hit, his gaze slowly travelled up.

A young lady stood in the middle of the bathing pool, her hair and dress dripping as she rubbed her eyes to clear her hazy vision before it sought the unfamiliar place. Then as she turned around, her eyes travelled up ahead, towards the half-naked Imperial Princes. It was then she realised –

"Sakura, you're so dead."


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A/n: Ani-ue* (honoured older brother)

Characters introduced in Chapter 1:

Haruhi/Haruno Sakura

Third Prince: Uchiha Obito

Fourth Prince: Uchiha Sasuke

Eight Prince: Uzumaki Naruto

Ninth Prince: Inuzuka Kiba

Tenth Prince: Akasuna Sasori

Thirteenth Prince: Nara Shikamaru

Fourteenth Prince: Uchiha Shisui

Characters to be introduced soon:

Crown Prince: -

Eight Prince's younger sister/second Princess: -

Eight Prince's wife: -

Second Empress: -

Third Empress: -

Thank you for all the reviews! I hope you are enjoying the progress of the story so far. A lot of things will be cleared soon. I do not have a beta reader so there will be some slight spelling errors here and there. If you have watched the Korean Historical Series this story is loosely based on then you might already know what will happen but I will try to add twist and turns to the story so it would be more exciting to read! Thanks for reading!