Chapter 5:

Marriage and War

Danzo was an ugly old man. He had greasy black hair and a disgusting scar on his chin. He only had one eye; the other side of his face completely covered by bandages. On the same side of the lost eye he was missing an arm, all wounds from wars against the Uchiha. Just as his body was hardened and destroyed by war, as was his mind. He had no kindness left in him. He was a cruel, arrogant, ambitious man and he was an awful dinner guest.

He just kept going on and on and on about how great he was and how many "amazing things" he was going to do for Konoha, but I knew he was full of it, and that everything he said was just going to hurt the people of Konoha. I knew that. I could tell that he had just won a battle. Danzo always forced me to eat with him when he won a battle. I never ate a bite from his table afraid of being drugged and convinced to marry him far sooner than planned, another thing Danzo never shut up about.

Most of the time, I shut myself in my chambers only allowing my maids, Ten-ten and Ino, who thank goodness had gone unharmed, and my mother's former secretary Shizune. Ten-ten always kept her brown hair in two even buns on the top of her head, Ino was a blonde girl with very long hair and blue eyes, and Shizune was an older woman only a little younger than my mother had been, she always wore a black kimono and carried her pet pig Ton-ton.

They fussed over me, asking what I had been doing all this time, and I gave descriptions of all of the Akatsuki members from Deidara, who I joked could be Ino's twin, to Tobi, who perpetually acted like he was five, and Hindan, a silver haired man who cursed like a sailor. But I told them the most about Itachi, my beautiful, kind Itachi. Itachi who had red, loving eyes, his raven black hair, his strong protective embrace, his soft gentle lips.

"Oooooo, you are head over heels, Sakura!" Ino squealed.

"Saku and Ita sitting in a tree K-I -S-S-I-N-G" Ten-ten sung teasing.

I blushed like mad. "Shut up you two!" I pushed Ten-ten, "Maybe I am in love."

I had been wondering how he would fare at war. Knowing him he would lead his own forces into battle rather than hiding behind his men in some tent. That fact, no matter how noble, only made me worry more. Would he be injured in the next battle? Would he die the tomorrow? My vision blurred with tears at the thought that he might not survive. No, I shook my head. I couldn't think like that. I would drive myself mad.

However with each day that passed I worried more and more of the war's events, wondering if Itachi was well, if they were winning, and if my brother had gathered the numbers he needed, then worrying even more thinking of how my brother could be. But Ino reminded me that no matter how much of a fool my brother was, he had always been a leader people would die for.

War was a cruel thing in which survival was no matter of skill, strength nor intelligence, but rather a test of how lucky you were. So every night I prayed to whatever Powers may be that Naruto and Itachi would, at the very least, have the luck to survive if not to win. Standing on my balcony, allowing my tears to fall, I looked out into the darkness,

"Koganemushi nageutsu yami no hukasa kana"

I recited,

"Koganemushi

I hurled it against the night

How deep the darkness"

Another favorite of mine, this one a haiku by Takahama Kyoshi, and for the first time these past months I could truly mourn my mother. She was always a just woman. Sure, she was known to send people out of her office screaming and throwing things at them but especially toward the end, her council had been ignoring her commands and she wasn't a woman to put up with such things quietly. That's probably why Danzo decided to kill her in the end, she couldn't keep her mouth shut. That was one of the reasons I had decided never to speak in front of Danzo.

This also brought back everything I had felt when my father had died. Jiraiya hadn't been perfect. He was an infamous drinker, just like my mother and he had been known for infidelity. My mother's sin was gambling she could never turn down a bet nor could my father turn away from a pretty woman. Despite that they had always loved each other ever since they were children, as my grandfather had told me. They were always kind and good-humored. They didn't deserve what Danzo did to them. For that matter Konoha didn't deserve what Danzo did to her. My country was destroyed in shambles because of Danzo… I cried all night, all week, all month long.

…

Danzo's personal guard entered my room with the arrogant Lord himself following behind. "The war is won, my dearest princess." I hated that word. With Itachi it was an insult of the highest sort, but on Danzo's lips it was so sickeningly sweet that just hearing it made me want to puke. But I just smiled knowing that in the night Danzo would be killed, and I would never have to hear him say that word again. This allowed me to smile and curtsy like a proper lady and nod politely until he left.

I told the girls not to bother preparing my dress, that I would have no use for it and that they should go to bed early that night with the knowledge that their sleep would be interrupted. I sat at my vanity pretending to read my book of Western poetry, but really I was listening, waiting, knowing with every second that I would hear men running up the stairs, guards running around, screaming orders at each other, the clashing of swords against armor, the sounds of battle. I waited to hear these things, and waited and waited, but sunrise came and not a single sign of battle. No sign that I would be rescued. Dawn came and my heart sunk, no one came.

The girls came in giggling hours later, doing my hair and makeup, but when they brought the dress against my orders, I began to cry and refused to let them fix my mascara. Soon I threw a fit of temper worthy of my mother commanding them to burn the dress, immediately reminding them that I was in mourning and that I would wear a dress that suit my feelings, that they were to bring me the first black dress they could find and that was what I would wear.

…

I was a perfect symbol of mourning, my face covered in mascara from my tears, my dress black as was my veil. I refused to allow Ten-ten to give me my bouquet. The chapel was perfectly decorated with cherry blossoms and trims of gold, but I started crying again and could no longer see anything. I was no longer free, no longer my own person but rather Danzo's glorified slave. If he even decided that it was worth keeping me alive.

I walked down the aisle as I continued to cry, my sobs slowly getting louder with each step until I tripped on the small step up leading to the podium, just barely catching myself before I hit the ground. I sat down, and all I wanted to do was sit there and cry, but a guard took my arm all too harshly and forced me up. Danzo was plainly furious. I didn't care anymore, and if he killed me then so be it. He only wanted me for the crown anyway.

Suddenly, there was a loud crash up the aisle and there on horseback in a pool of light was Itachi adorned in gleaming armor. The entirety of his army awaited the order to take the palace. I felt one last tear drop from my eye and I smiled as I hadn't, couldn't until I saw him again. My Itachi, the man I loved.

…

Once again I heard the trumpets sound cueing me to walk down the chapel aisle. This time I wore a more proper dress, something light pink the same color as my hair. The pink lace combined with silver. It was nothing too special; there was no poufy bell skirt that some quiet princess would wear but a straight dress with a small belt at the middle. That same day I was crowned Queen of Uchiha, and Itachi named me his co-ruler, not only his wife the queen but a queen regent, his partner in all things. Lady Hinata caught my bouquet of roses and cherry blossom branches. Her wedding was to be in only two months. My life was filled with joy. There was much to fix in both Konoha and Uchiha but I knew the five of us would do everything we possibly can to reverse the suffering Danzo and Itachi's father had inflicted on the countries even if there will always be a scar on the land from their tyranny.