I wanna say thank you to all those who have been keeping up with this story so far, and I promise you'll see through it to the end. :) But be prepared for the worst to come for our happy couple...
A mention of ritualistic suicide only.
Chapter title translation: "abandonment; desperation; despair".
Chapter Five
Jibō
He and Sakura had a few blissful months of marriage without regrets so far. She proved to be the best wife that a man would ask for. She took care of the assets, and the household and even sparred with him on the grounds, especially when summer came. She is the best fighter to have by my side.
Hanaru, slowly getting over losing her brother and having built a shrine in the house for him, was faring well with her pregnancy which was nearing its end, and she was confined to bed towards the final term for the safety of the child. Sakura was often by her side more than any of the servants attending to her every need, and Sasuke would watch from the doorway. His wife would be getting their sister-in-law her favorite tea, satiate the insane cravings with her master hand, and massage the woman's shoulders when her muscles would become tense.
She went into labor at the time of the Ohisama Summer Festival which occurred around the middle of the season; when the day had been humid and raining as it would happen in three to four weeks a year during the season, the child was born. Itachi and Hanaru welcomed a son whom they named after the lotus flower - Ren. Befitting and symbolic. He was a precious cherub, bearing his father's face, raven hair, and his mother's broad blue eyes.
If only Naruto could see his nephew - correction: the nephew they shared.
Sakura was shedding tears of her own when she held the newborn in her arms while his mother was resting, then let the proud father take him and start talking about how he was going to teach him to ride the horse, to be a mighty warrior, but would love him so much more than as just his heir - that he believed in him with every aspect of his being.
"You know, to hold that little angel - it made me wish we could hold our own," Sakura said, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. "Sasuke, do you want to have one of our own very soon before you are sent out again?"
He smirked at her. She was so irresistible and subtle; how could he refuse, especially in this weather?
When the Ohisama came, it was a festive six days of barely twelve thousand bursts of color into the black canvas, some bigger than all the rest and lighting up the entire land. Food stands in the streets consisted of meats on skewer sticks, and sumptuous noodles...but that made him think too much about Naruto, and how he would no longer be here to enjoy these events. Just as he wasn't there on the wedding day.
One of those days where the heat doesn't prevent us from enjoying ourselves. At least with heat and rain, life thrived on. Just like humanity suffered, most dying and others living. Life had a sense of purpose in many forms.
During the day, there would be trips to watch the farmers plant rice paddies in the fields. These consisted of other activities like walks to the various, colorful flower gardens that weren't noteworthy as those of Hokkaido, but content. Unfortunately, Hanaru didn't get to enjoy the rest of the days of the festival, being confined to recover from childbirth, doing extremely well thus far as her newborn son. And Itachi stayed beside her, not wanting to leave them for all the festivities in the world. Just like Itachi to be this amazing. Sasuke thought this with a smile as he considered his own wife's words.
He could never take his eyes off of her in the pale green silk covered with pink lotus blossoms, waving that fan before herself to bat away most of the heat going down on them. And if the gods above would only be witnesses, there was someone else who could make her hotter than she was now - later if they weren't exhausted by the end of the day.
Starting with always combing his fingers through her long, sweet hair which always got them on the right track.
~o~
Ren was a handsome little boy, just like his father and bright like his mother. The more she and her husband spent with their nephew, the more she wanted a child between them, but they hadn't been lucky yet. Consulting with the physician, the old man assured them both they were fertile, but it would happen whenever it would want to. Sadly, the couple accepted it.
Though Sasuke didn't seem to be too concerned, unlike her. "I'll just enjoy the time with you while we still have it, as often as we can spare," he purred. Oh, Sasuke, you really know how to worm yourself into my heart like the poet you are.
Though little did Sakura know that would all eventually change - beginning far too soon with his own master.
Lord Orochimaru was considered one of the finest in his day, having risen from nothing and earned his position. His squad of samurai consisted of nothing but the best of every respected clan, and now it had all come to an end when it came to the rumors that Kiri Village warriors were on the verge of attacking, and Konoha was going to wage against them as long as it was outside the village, but it would always turn into a new battle. The emperor decreed that all feudal lords send the best to kill the general of the Kiri samurai...and he went out with his men, because he missed wielding a sword and the adrenaline of battle, only to fail miserably.
You would think that Orochimaru would commit harakiri himself for his actions, but he chose life because it was too precious to give up. Although he did swear to his samurai they would have their revenge in any form of their choosing, as long as they remember that no matter the failure he always warned them was not an option, they were still samurai at heart.
However, despite the promise, his samurai still lost all of the prestige and power they previously bore.
Sasuke flew into a rage when he and his brother were both informed of this wreckage of their entire lives. Sakura had to bear witness and held herself when she watched her husband raise his voice and sit while holding his sword in his grasp, clenching so tightly his knuckles turned white. "After everything we've done for this village and those outside, this is what we get!"
"Now, Sasuke," Itachi chided as if he were a young boy again, "what did I use to tell you when you were a child?" The younger Uchiha glared at him.
"That there is more to life than just privilege and prestige? I believe I am too old a man for that lecture, brother!" he snapped, making Sakura wince before forcing the tightness of stoic.
Itachi wasn't fazed, at least not in the face. "That behavior is reserved for the boy that my son will not grow into if you make such an impression on him," he warned, gesturing to the baby in his wife's arms; Hanaru herself was regarding Sasuke with eyes glittering like icicles, and that wasn't good. "And I should want better for him than this, but he will learn a far better principle: he'll love the simple life far better than the way we have grown. Someday he'll not have to know bloodshed - unless life pulls him away, which is out of our hands. Above all, it's love that is more important. End of story, foolish brother. So, are you going to throw a tantrum as we clear out this house and find someplace smaller but sufficient to raise and provide for our families?"
Sasuke said nothing to that, just grumbled in his throat and bitterly said, "Fine."
Within the week, the servants were released, the Uchiha compound emptied, and the family was out to look for a smaller, cheaper place that they would manage on their own. Many of their belongings were sold off to make enough money to save, therefore keeping some important items they had no heart to part with. The weapons were among them.
For Sakura, she kept that simple pink kimono and her summery green yukata with the lotus blossoms, as well as her favorite comb which had been her mother's heirloom.
Sasuke's smile was forced, but she was determined to make their days a joy, just like Hanaru. At least the women are going to enjoy this more than the men - well, one man. But I think I can get Sasuke to see that we still have each other.
The peasantry was looked down upon, so it must have been terrible for Sasuke to be one of them. But she didn't mind at all: hadn't she always wanted a life of peace, so that they could live and start a family? She found a job as a weaver, finding clothes-making soothing if tiresome at the end of the day. And she helped Hanaru with the baby and the house, while their men went out to do the work. Itachi got a spot in the trading business; in some more years to come, he could rise to be a wealthy merchant if nothing respectable as a warrior. But he's going to chop down tail who crosses him, and he's good at covering his tracks - but I don't know about Sasuke, she thought worriedly.
Her husband continued life as if it were close enough to what it used to be, but not stable to remain in one place too long. It got them all that they needed, but not enough of what it used to be. He took to running errands for different feudal lords when chances came; as far as he was concerned, he was a samurai by blood and right, he said, disapproved of by his brother and sister-in-law.
By this time, Ren was one year old, and they still didn't have enough to go to the Ohisama Festival he'd been born during. But the joy was seeing the fireworks from the house and fields. The boy was starting to stand upright because his mother and aunt were helping him, and his father would come home some days later to drop his shell and fawn over how proud he was of his son.
Although his uncle Sasuke concurred, the distance was there. His nephew's growth was the last thing on his mind which was starting to make even Sakura angry and impatient with him. She went as far as to slap him behind the sliding doors of the room they shared.
The look he gave her was so indifferent that it made her snap inside, releasing the flood, and threw herself at his feet to beg for his forgiveness - and afterward a round in the bed, rare nowadays as that was. But somehow it didn't feel as...meaningful, which made her feel used.
At night, she tried holding him and assuring him this would take time to get better, but it seemed he didn't want to have any of it. She did her best to try and hold onto a warmth that she tried to pretend was not slipping away, when she was sure it was. He's like this because of his status. Itachi said this happens all the time to samurai who lose their prestige. But he isn't like that at all.
Today, when the harvest season was approaching, Sakura found herself commissioned to weave a lavish new kimono that was going to pay a good amount of silver coins for the daughter of a feudal lord - black splashing with gold and endless color - and the night was falling when she was approached by her husband; Hanaru and Ren went for some errands and Itachi doing business as usual along the village borders. She was at her spinning wheel equipment when the sky was dark.
What he told her that night tore her heart down from its pedestal, and he HAD to tell her when she was just finishing up with her masterpiece that she would take the day after tomorrow to her client.
"I'm leaving tonight. I'm going to seek a better position elsewhere, Sakura. I can't stay here anymore and bury my future because of you."
"B-but, Sasuke, how could you think to do this? We're husband and wife..."
He turned his back to her. "Don't try and stop me, Sakura. And if Hanaru or Itachi try to stop me, I'll be as far away as possible from Konoha," he said, hauling his weapons and pack on his back, then walking away from the area. She bowed herself forward and let loose a few tears. She'd been rendered weak to the heart in less than a few moments by the words of her own husband, the man she'd loved all her life and had been under the same roof with for the last year.
She stood up in a flurry, gathering up her kimono, and rushed after him just as he was off the outdoor steps and slipping on his sandals. "STOP IT, SASUKE!" she shouted. "Why should you leave Konoha, your family - ME?!" Her shrill voice caused him to stop where he was, but he didn't turn to her. "I can make life better if you would just wait a little longer! I can weave day and night more than I used to; I'll slave for the better living you want! Would you just stay with me?!"
Desperation caused her to lose her dignity if only to make him see he was making a mistake in seeking fortune elsewhere - where in heaven's name would he be going? - and to see that he had all the joy in the world, people who loved him, but he wasn't having it. Even when she once more threw herself at his feet.
His voice was emotionless, his face looking ahead at nothing in particular. Anything but her. "If I lose this chance, I'll be finished. Whatever the new position is, it will bring me new fortune, and if you can remarry a man of distinction yourself, you'll have great wealth, too. There's nothing more to say."
"But, darling -!" She hadn't expected him to actually shove her off of him, and she went into the steps, but nothing hurt her face or parts of her body - except her heart.
"I'm done with poverty. For men, advancement is more important than love alone," were the last words he said to her, before leaving her in the dark, out in the open. Vulnerable and without protection, despite the fact she could take care of herself if she was stronger than she was now.
Sakura remained as she was for a long time, having lost her will to move - until she heard footsteps and bolted to awareness. Sasuke, have you come back?! But when she sat up and then stood to dust herself, the person who came from the dark, lantern and young child in hand, food behind her back, was none other than her sister-in-law.
"Sakura, by the gods!" Hanaru cried, shocked, her son whimpering a little and clutching onto her. "What's happened to you? And where is that husband of yours - my foolish brother-in-law?" She narrowed her eyes, having an idea that was all too true.
It was a miracle she even managed to talk, but she once more collapsed onto the grass when she was finished, sobbing so loudly the Kami above heard but couldn't do anything to console her. Hanaru knelt beside her, setting the paper lantern carefully and wrapping her free arm around the rosette, cooing softly and also cursing Sasuke who left them all.
"But it's not like we can't take care of each other."
~o~
When Lord Orochimaru was still alive, he couldn't have changed a master without permission. Even now when he ran errands or killed a low-status bandit who robbed a lord, it wasn't enough to sustain him and his wife while his brother had his own family to take care of. That alone made him jealous now of Itachi. He could have joined the elder in the trade, but he wanted independence instead of relying on or even helping his blood relations.
These impoverished conditions were what he'd dreaded all his life, what Itachi warned him about if the terrible fate became of Orochimaru. Kakashi was now working as a tradesman himself, as were Yamato and Gai, but who knew about the others. Sasuke was glad Naruto didn't have to be here to endure these hardships with them.
How could his wife be so happy with all of this? She made an honest living by sewing kimonos for the nobility while he was stuck doing errands for those people. His brother was often away, excelling as a businessman while monitoring the shady characters. He could sell just about anything at the right bargain, and his word of wisdom was what the people needed after being above them all his life. His wife helped him by taking care of the finances, as well as their infant son who was growing every day. How can anyone manage caring for a child at the bottom of the food chain?
Which was why he chose to leave before the autumn solstice would come, while Itachi and his wife and son were gone, shoving aside his devoted wife who screamed for him to stay - "We're husband and wife!" - and swore she would work hard for them both from then on, but that was too long in the making for even a small wealthy status.
She seldom gave in and bowed at his feet, and this was the second time ever since they were reduced to living as peasants. For a moment, he'd faltered, but his new future lay elsewhere. He didn't want to spend his old age devoid of comfort.
Sasuke started in the night while it was still young. He would pause at an inn before he would take off. Perhaps if he spotted any kind of trouble regarding a noble alone or his family, they would see his skills and employ him as a bodyguard. He didn't make his plans completely solid yet, but he could marry into the family to further his position.
However, he had to make sure his new wife would be able to keep up with him now that they were of elevated status. She couldn't be some spoiled wallflower, but little did he know...
However, today, little did he know that his opportunity presented itself sooner than he thought.
As soon as Sasuke was leaving, he heard the ruckus outside. Voices were shouted: "You can give us the girl so she can pour our drinks for us!"
"It was YOU who bumped me, you cretin!" another shouted back, and that was a threat of retaliation unless he did something. He didn't even know these people, but he had to act fast, drawing forth his sword, the sound of slicing metal getting all's attention just as the girl was being manhandled by one mean-looking samurai.
"Get away from the girl. That is more than enough," Sasuke growled, his face savage but his insides twisting when he found himself looking at the young woman who was unusual just like his now ex-wife, but she looked nothing like Sakura. Red hair piled atop her head and held by a small black hat which matched her kimono lined with red and gold; her inquisitive and stricken eyes matched.
"Who are you, rogue, to stick your nose and your sword into business that doesn't concern you?" the leader snarled, drawing forth his own blade - but he soon found his abdomen pierced and his corpse facedown on the ground, horrifying his followers who were reduced to whimpering children and running for the hills to pick their trouble elsewhere.
"Oh, you got us out of a tight spot!" the man with the same red hair and eyes exclaimed, going up to him and bowing his thanks. "How can I repay you for this?"
Sasuke put away his sword which he would clean later. "I don't need anything," he lied, wishing otherwise. He looked off to the girl as well as the older woman who had to be her mother, thereby making this man her father. Accompanied were an elderly woman who had to be the maid, and a few manservants in brown. "But who have I had the pleasure of saving this morning?"
The man laughed, waving both his hands as if to say he shouldn't accept this formality. "My good man, I am Taro of the House of Ando. This here is my wife Hanako and our daughter Karin, as well as our maid Maki. Your name?"
"I am Sasuke Uchiha. I currently have no position due to the death of my last master, but I am still a samurai."
The summer festival Ohisama (which is one word for "sun") was based again, once more, on existing Japanese events: the Kanagawa Shinbun Fireworks (well over 15,000 rockets fired into the night sky, but the number changed), Gion Matsuri (all those delicious foods, the wearing of yukata, and carrying of fans), Otaue Rice Planting Festival (which is one of several where farmers plant in the paddy fields), and the Nakafurano in Hokkaido which is famous for its lavender and other flower gardens. Hokkaido itself is famous for its many attractions. :D
Damn...I honestly don't know what to say. Sasuke royally screwed up; if Itachi ever saw him again, he won't let him live it down, and neither will his wife. But Sakura is something else...
I remember the first time I saw "The Black Hair" in Kwaidan. Staged performances, artistic backgrounds, but the moments you really get the feeling of. Especially when the samurai's first wife pleads with him to stay, on the promise to work harder than before - only to still be rejected. :'(
Now Sasuke just met Karin's family. The interactions were based on one moment in "Tokaido Yotsuya Kaidan" (1959) and another in a retelling of the same story in the anime "Ayakashi: Japanese Classic Horror".
Review, please. :'O
