"Yes?" Kakashi diverted his attention from the papers lying on his desk, and looked at his office's door. Much to his displeasure his guest was Danzo, even though it was Kakashi himself who summoned him. Out of the three elders that he had to constantly interact with, he disliked him the most.
"Your Majesty." He bowed. "Yuhi-san informed me upon my arrival that you need to speak with me." Kakashi discarded the pen he was holding, leaning back in his chair.
"Yes, please have a seat, Shimura-san." He gestured towards the plush chair in front of his desk. He waited for the older man to sit down, before speaking. "How was your journey?"
"Very pleasant I would say. The springs in Yugakure are just what my ailed body needs to recuperate."
"Is that so? I'll be sure to consider visiting that place." He drawled, not really meaning any of it. Deciding that he had enough of a small talk, he brought up the real subject he wanted to discuss. "Shimura-san, I was wondering about some things recently." Kakashi rested his elbows against the armrests of his seat, lacing his fingers on his stomach. "I've had a discussion with my wife the other day, and she brought something really unusual to my attention."
"What would that be, Your Majesty?"
Amongst many other things that Sakura has said to him during their argument, there was one, which really stuck, nagging at him every moment he spent contemplating on what has transpired between them. He could somewhat accept the fact that she believed him to be an awful man, even though it wounded him deeply. What he could not admit though, was the statement that he threatened the wellbeing of her people if she wouldn't marry him. It was true that he offered marriage in order to end the war and create peace between the two warring kingdoms. But he never made the kind of threats she claimed he had.
"She told me that we made her marry me by threatening the lives of her people. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I've never made such kind of a statement." He saw the older man stiffen in his seat, his knuckles tightening around the cane he was holding onto. "Is there anything you'd like to tell me, Shimura-san?"
"It is true that the crown made such offers towards queen Tsunade, during negotiations." Danzo stated after some hesitation, though the tone he was using showed the fact that he had no qualms.
"What crown exactly?" Anger boiled inside of Kakashi, threatening to slip out of his control. Its sudden appearance surprised him; he usually wasn't the kind to be enraged this quickly.
"During our negotiations with Whirlpool, it was compulsory to make empty threats in order to reach viable conclusions faster. I thought that the threat of taking the heirs of clans as hostages would be imperative for us to succeed in gaining princess Sakura's hand."
Suddenly everything made so much sense to him. Sakura's contempt towards him, the ever present distance she kept from him, no matter how much he tried to shorten that gap. The way she sometimes reminded him of a trapped bird, resigned but somehow still defying against her loss of freedom. As if she was forced to be his wife for the rest of her life. How could he be so oblivious to all of this?
"I never made such kind of commands to you. I thought that my intentions back then were clear: offering marriage to princess Sakura in order to eliminate the possibility of another war, but not forcing her to do so." Kakashi's breathing was becoming harsher by the second, the need to lash out growing stronger with each statement of the older man.
"Given the fact that you barely attended the negotiations, I thought that it meant as your blessing for me to do what is needed to reach our ultimate goals." Danzo was completely nonchalant about the whole thing; he truly thought that there was nothing wrong with what he did.
"What you did could be considered felony, punishable by death." His voice was raised by a few octaves.
"I do know that. But in the end, does it really matter? You married princess Sakura, and now there's peace between the two kingdoms. Our goals were met."
Kakashi slammed his palms against the top of his desk, standing up. The chair he was sitting on previously got knocked backwards, toppling over with a loud noise that echoed around his office. He couldn't take Danzo's blasé attitude anymore. It was because of the older man that Sakura was so hurt; his actions were the ones that truly strained their marriage before it even started.
Kakashi's vision got fogged by a red mist, his fingers itched to reach over the desk and harm the man sitting nonchalantly before him. He wanted to hurt him, to cause the same kind of anguish to him as he did to Sakura.
As if sensing Kakashi's intent towards him, Danzo straightened in his seat even more, his piercing gaze challenging the silver haired man. "Your Majesty, you shouldn't forget that it is because of your lack of presence at the peace talks that forced me to do all of this."
Kakashi's jaw locked painfully as Danzo shed light to how his ignorance contributed to the mess at hand. Kakashi knew after the older man's confession that he was also responsible for how things have turned out, but he would never acknowledge this to him. Instead he focused on the kind of punishment he wanted to give to him.
While he still had the urge to physically harm Danzo, that just wouldn't cut it. His punishment needed to be something more painful, and seeing how holding power was what mattered the most to the older man, Kakashi easily found the most suitable option.
"I'm going to relieve you of your position, effective immediately." He bit out.
"Impossible!" Danzo's stoic façade finally crumbled. "The other council members would never allow that to happen."
"They will if they find out the circumstances of your dismissal."
"But it would also shed light on your incompetence." He sneered, firmly believing that he had the upper hand.
"Then so be it." The indifference that Kakashi showed was not a bluff; he never really cared about being king. He was sick of the responsibilities and all of the politics. "I never said that I was the most skilled candidate to be king, this position was bestowed upon me out of necessity." He shrugged. "Now, I have other matters to attend to, so please leave."
Danzo let out a harsh breath as he stood up, barely limping on his way towards the door. He stopped only when his wrinkly fingers wrapped around the doorknob, looking at Kakashi with his lone eye.
"You are making a mistake." The door slammed shut behind him, rattling the frame around it.
Kakashi peeled down the mask he was wearing, its presence suddenly too suffocating. His left hand came up from the desk, removing the eye patch and rubbing the irritated organ underneath.
It was his fault entirely. Even though he did everything in his power to not hurt her, he failed wonderfully. Sakura was right when she said that he was a vile man. By unwittingly giving power to someone he shouldn't have, he caused her anguish. She was right to completely sever whatever ties that weren't formalities between the two of them. He deserved to be completely disregarded by her for the rest of his life.
Yet, Kakashi couldn't bare even imagining that happening. The days he spent with Sakura before their fight was probably his most cherished ones. Was it too selfish of him to want them back? Did he even have the chance?
He hastily grabbed a pen and a piece of paper, hoping that his words will be sincere enough.
She couldn't sleep. Even though she was looking forward to finally be back home in her own bed, surrounded by everything that reminded her of her previous life, she couldn't rest. At least not after her impromptu heart-to-heart with Tsunade. Everything that had transpired in the night between Sakura and her surrogate mother was so uncharacteristic of their relationship, that the mere fact of it happening made her restless. And then there was the motive behind all of it... Sakura understood Tsunade's worry, but she was pretty sure that it stemmed from the blonde's own bitter experiences that defined her for the rest of her life. Her relationship was unlike of what Tsunade had with Dan. Sakura's feelings didn't run that deep, and concerning the circumstances of their fight, Kakashi was on the same page.
And despite all of this, she often found herself pondering on their reconciliation. Of her returning back to Konoha, and actually trying to talk things over with Kakashi. Despite of the fact that he was the most arrogant, insufferable person she ever had the displeasure of meeting.
She turned her gaze over to the enormous windows of her room, noting that it wasn't long before the sun would rise. Sakura threw the covers off of herself, dressed in some casual clothes and left. She desperately needed something that would distract her ridiculous thoughts.
Sakura walked out to the palace gardens, taking a peaceful stroll along the lush vegetation. She ran her fingers along the petals and leaves of some flowers, their soft touch calming her frayed nerves. And then her stomach sunk. Somehow she ended up on the same path that lead towards the now bloomless magnolia tree. The same tree where he gave her the engagement ring she was still wearing. She raised her left hand, admiring the white opal stone encased in a filigree platinum band. Sakura was still enchanted by its beauty, despite the fact that she never liked jewellery that much. Even though she loathed everything that reminded her of Kakashi even a bit, she felt unable to remove the ring and throw it away.
Huffing, she turned on her heels and stormed back inside the palace, walking aimlessly along the empty corridors. She was just about to turn at a corner, when she ran into someone. The person grabbed her shoulders, stopping her from stumbling backwards.
"Sakura-chan?"
"Naruto? Why are you up so early?" She cocked her head to the side, still not believing that the blonde was actually standing in front of her. Naruto was notoriously not a morning person, and she highly doubted that his tendencies have changed.
"Actually, I couldn't sleep." He scratched the back of his neck.
"Me neither." Sakura smiled up at him. "How about a walk?'
"Sure." He flashed the wide grin that was so characteristic of him. "To the gardens then?"
She stiffened, earning a confused look from him. "Can we maybe go somewhere else?"
"The beach maybe?"
Smiling, she looped her arm around his, practically dragging him towards their destination.
The small bay next to the palace was empty, sans the few seagulls that circled above. Her bare feet sunk into the slightly damp sand, earning a contended sigh from her. Sakura closed her eyes for a few seconds, inhaling the salty air and enjoying the rumbling of the waves.
"It's been so long." She murmured, a soft smile appearing on her face.
"You must be missing this back in Konoha."
She looked up at Naruto, contemplating on telling him the actual truth, or leaving it unspoken. "Actually, I've never visited the beach after you left." It took Sakura a few steps to realize that he wasn't walking beside her. She turned around, meeting his surprised gaze.
"Why?"
"I don't know." She shrugged. "I mean…" She shifted her gaze from his, looking at her sand covered feet. "We spent so much time here when we were little…when I came here I felt lonelier than anywhere else." It also didn't help that it was a favourite picnic place of their parents before their deaths.
Naruto stepped forward with much hesitation, enveloping her in a hug. She didn't know how long they stood like that, with his hands wrapped around her waist, and her face buried in his chest. They only let go of each other, when the first rays of the sun slowly peeked over the horizon, making the water glow.
Sakura sat down on the sand, propping herself up with her arms. "It's beautiful."
"It sure is." He sat down beside her. It didn't take her too much time to notice his sideways glances at her.
"What?"
"I have… I have a few things that I need to tell you." His solemn mood alarmed her.
"Okay."
"Well… it's not official yet, but Tsunade is making me her successor."
"That's wonderful, Naruto!" She wasn't surprised at all. After she became betrothed to Kakashi, it was evident that Naruto would be the new heir apparent to Whirlpool's throne. Even more so because Naruto's claim to the throne could be considered stronger than hers, since his mother, Kushina was the heir before her untimely death.
What hurt her though was the fact that he was so reluctant to tell this to her. Sakura was sure that this wasn't fresh news, so it baffled her that he didn't mention it yesterday, when they practically spent most of their afternoon together. Was he afraid that she would be angry at him? That she would make some kind of scene in order to protest against the surrogate mother's decision? She'd never do something like that to Naruto of all people. She was itching to ask him these questions. Still, the words just wouldn't come to her, her fear of being misunderstood by him overpowering everything else.
"Yeah, I still can't believe it." He rubbed the back of his head with a bashful smile.
"You'll be a good king, I'm sure of it." She patted his shoulder.
"Thank you, Sakura."
"Is there a timeline for your coronation?"
"About that… there's something else I need to tell you. I-" Naruto's mouth opened and closed a few times, unable to utter a single word. His hesitation made her wary of his next announcement. Then, he finally mustered enough courage to finish his sentence. "I proposed to the Hyuuga heiress."
She gaped at him, the weight of the news making it awfully long for her to process it completely. Naruto…was getting married. The same boy who six months ago tried to persuade her of running away from her wedding with him was about to tie the knot himself.
The nervous look on his face was begging for some kind of reaction from her. She scrambled to find the right words to say without being misunderstood, or just making a fool of herself.
"Congratulations." Sakura's voice was so high pitched that it could probably shatter glass.
"Thank you." He whispered, gaze set straight at the waves.
They both anticipated the other one to break the silence that was rapidly becoming uncomfortable. Sakura was unable to come up with anything remotely acceptable. Should she ask him about how they met? When did he propose? The date of their wedding? These were all acceptable questions, normal questions that anyone in their right mind would ask after receiving such kind of news. She should be asking these; after all he was one of her dearest friends.
The only problem was that for many, many years…probably for the most of her life Naruto wasn't just a friend to Sakura. He was so much more. He was the man she imagined to marry in her preteen days, and sometimes even during her teenaged years. (At least when she let his memory crawl back out from underneath all the hurt and disappointment he caused her by leaving her behind.) She should've been the one he proposed to, here on the same beach where he promised to do so when they were six.
But they were too young to comprehend how fragile their idyllic world was. How they could both be orphaned in the span of a night, their psyche burdened with the events for the rest of their lives. The pain driving them apart both physically and mentally. Their home being invaded by a foreign power, snatching her away from her people before she could even realise what was happening. And now he was getting married to the heiress of the island's second most influential clan. They both had to tie their lives to people because of politics.
Things should never have ended this way.
Sakura wanted to voice this thought, but one good look at him made her shut up instantly. Naruto was still nervous, the way his fingers twitched in the sand spoke volumes about it, but underneath all of that it was clear that he was happy.
Her breath caught in her throat as realization dawned upon her. Could it be?
"How-" She cleared her throat. "How did you meet?"
"Two months after your wedding, I guess." Naruto looked at her tentatively. "Tsunade organized a ball in honour of my return, all the major clans attended. She was there as well." A fond smile graced his lips. "She was breathtaking…I think I fell in love with her instantly."
She's such an idiot. She tried to project her own misery onto him…she thought that he was just as unhappy with his situation as her, but the cheerful demeanour he started to show her wasn't a mask, it was genuine.
The wave of jealousy that hit her made Sakura disgusted with herself. Was she really that embittered, that she wanted to subject Naruto to the same misery? She's a truly awful person.
"There will be a ball held this weekend, where we'll officially announce our engagement." Naruto's words were hesitant. "It would mean a lot to me if you attended, you are the only family I've got left."
"Sure." She croaked out, eyes prickling and vision becoming blurry. His ever present kindness made her previous thoughts that much more unbearable.
It took Sakura quite some time to regain her composure after her morning stroll with Naruto. She never expected to be this bitter and jealous about someone else's happiness for this long…and this deeply. But what made her truly sick was that she directed all of it towards Naruto of all people. To sweet, caring Naruto, who meant so much to her, to whom she was like family.
Once again she found herself fleeing her room, but this time around neither the gardens, nor the beach would be her destination. Instead she left the palace gates, with half a dozen of guards trailing behind her, and headed towards the best known flower shop of the capital.
Sakura sought out her best friend not long after the city started to bustle with life. The small sign in the shop's window stated that it was closed, and the interior was dark as well, with no one in sight. She started knocking on the glass door relentlessly, and in a few seconds her blonde friend emerged from one of the back rooms, the initial frown on her face softening once she caught sight of Sakura.
Ino opened the door, and enveloped her in a bone crushing hug.
"After two days Her Majesty finally decides to visits me." The blonde dragged Sakura inside, slamming the door shut in front of her guards.
"I only arrived yesterday."
"Whatever." Ino waved a hand at that, sitting down beside a small table in the back corner of the shop.
Sakura stood in the middle of the space, admiring the exotic flowers that covered each and every available surface around her. The morning sun filtered in through the two floor-to-ceiling windows, encasing everything with its warm glow. "It never fails to amaze me how beautiful this shop is."
The Yamanaka Flower Shop was the best of its kind in Whirlpool, and even though the family suffered great losses during the war with Fire, the quality and variety of their flowers didn't diminish even a bit. It was mostly thanks to the fact that despite of its popularity, it still remained a family run business. Inoichi, the head of the family, strongly believed that every member should partake in some kind of task. Albeit their noble status, the Yamanaka family tended to everything in relation with the shop, hence the reason why Sakura found Ino here.
It didn't take long for the two friends to start with their banter, but Sakura's ever perceptive friend saw right through her mask, and after much nagging the pink haired woman finally gave in, sharing the true reason why she visited the shop. She told her about Naruto's engagement, and was about to share her argument with Kakashi too, but was interrupted by the blonde.
"I knew it! There's a reason why the Hyuuga clan head has been visiting the palace so frequently." Ino grinned triumphantly.
"They'll announce the engagement officially this weekend, during the ball."
"You'll be there too, right?"
"Well…Naruto insisted." She sighed.
"Why are you so upset?" Ino frowned, her eyes widening only a fraction of a second later, as if something dawned upon her. "Don't tell me that you still like him."
"No!" Her reply was far too loud for her liking, but she needed to convince her friend. "I'm just…" Sakura chewed on her lower lip, trying to find the right words to say, but eventually decided not to sugar-coat her feelings. "I'm jealous of him. I mean… he found someone that he truly loves, and he'll marry that person, while I'm stuck in this… in this mess of a marriage."
"Oh, please. He just got lucky; he could've ended up in an arranged marriage too eventually if it weren't for Hinata." Sighing, Ino stood up from her seat and disappeared behind the back room's door. She emerged a few minutes later, with two steaming cups of coffee. Her friend handed her one of them, but not before giving Sakura an expectant look.
"You are leaving something really important out, aren't you?"
"We had an awful fight with Kakashi." Sakura crumbled instantly, as if Ino wouldn't find it out one way or another. Besides, she already wanted to tell it to the blonde.
"Is that the reason why you are here?" Her friend cocked a brow, the lack of excitement on her face annoying Sakura. As if she expected such an outcome from the get-go.
"Yeah…"
"And now that Naruto met the love of his life you started reflecting on your own relationship."
"Wouldn't you?"
"Probably." Ino shrugged, taking a sip from her mug. "How bad is the situation with you and His Majesty?"
And Sakura told her friend what happened between her and Kakashi ever since their wedding. She told Ino about the lunches and dinners they had together, about the bits of their past they shared sitting under her desk, of their midnight stroll to the palace kitchen and of the venomous words they said to each other a few nights ago.
By the time she finished, their coffees have grown cold and the morning sun was blazing in through the huge windows. Several people tried to enter the shop, but were turned away by the closed sign displayed on the door, since Ino didn't bother to open while Sakura was here.
"Well, your life is more interesting than mine, that's for sure." Sakura only frowned at her friend's statement; this was not the kind of response she was waiting for. "What?"
"Is that all you'd like to add?" She gritted, already contemplating about just leaving.
Ino rolled her eyes at that, before responding with much indignation. "Of course not! I have a bunch of things to say, I just don't know where to start!"
Well, that was a first. During their almost two decade long friendship, Ino was never afraid to speak her mind about anything.
"There is something between the two of you…I mean you did tell him things that you never told me." Ino gave her a pointed look, earning a sheepish smile from Sakura. "However, the way he behaved to you the last time makes me seriously doubt his character."
"Me too." Sakura sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. While it certainly felt good to finally tell all of this to someone, her still conflicting emotions were a nuisance.
Even after she recalled all those special moments they had together, she couldn't help warmth spreading all over her body. Sakura longed for those times, when even his smallest, most minute of gestures were heartfelt. But then she'd remind herself of Kakashi's ignorance towards certain things considering her and their situation, and anger started to boil inside of her. She couldn't imagine herself spending any more time back in Konoha, with the possibility of running into him constantly looming over her.
She could certainly buy some time with the engagement party, since the future king of Whirlpool was insisting for her to attend, but after that? How long can she stay here before she's forced to go back?
So, what do you think?
I hope that this chapter clears some confusion...
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