Chapter 2: Cruel Queens

"He greets me with kisses when good days deceive him
And sometimes with scorn and sometimes I believe him
Sometimes I'm convinced my friends think I'm crazy
Get scared and call him, but he's usually hazy
I don't believe him. . ."

-My Manic and I by Laura Marling

Sakura

Queens throughout times have had obstacles to overcome as they ascend to the thrones of their birthright, something no one, no matter what, can take from them. I've read stories and heard about such queens. They stand tall and composed; sometimes fashioning themselves fancily in diamonds, and others in men's clothing to appear more masculine and to settle petty arguments of not wearing traditional royal robes. . .Why are men the more dominate sex? It's because they have a penis isn't it? Really whose bright idea was that when all women have to do it kick it just right and the man goes down while the woman stays standing? If you hit a girl in the breast it'll do nothing but piss her off at worst.

I really, just really, wanted to slam my head into something. Hard.

Something that would knock all these thoughts from my head as I sit in my room/office slaving over my boring paperwork while Madara whistles a tune –being annoying as hell- and twirls a kunai around his finger, giving me simple answers to every question I dare to ask him. I hated to say that I actually asked him to join me in sorting through this. . .mess of things that needed to be done. I was half tempted to throw them all in the fire and claim –with my divine rite- that our country is starting anew and will be reborn.

Trade routes and 'peace' treats from the Mizukage. Debt from all surrounding countries. Damage reports. Repair reports. Trespassing reports. Farming reports. Mission reports. Mission requests. Lists of dead villagers. Lists of villagers who didn't pay rent. Lists villagers who didn't pay their bills. Lists of villagers in jail. Lists of people who claim I owe them money. Lists of enemies. Lists of supplies we needed. Lists of medic-in who want a new hospital. Lists of elders who were unhappy. Lists of people who'd moved out of the village. Lists of people wanting to move it. Lists of possible treasonous. Lists of dead possible treasonous. Lists of rove nin. Lists of death threats from jackasses who won't leave me the hell alone –Deidara. And to top it all off. . .

Tweet. Twe-et. Twe-et.

. . .Madara was whistling.

"Do you have nothing better to do than bother me?" I asked dryly, breaking the constricting silence between us. I read the same line of a document for the fifth time and signed it. No, Lord What's-Your-Face I don't mind if you decided to plant this 'new' brand of rice. It's still rice and no you may not sell it for more. Really, I could be working on my new hospital project and Madara locked me away in my room for the day?

"I'm not bothering you."

I twitched.

"You kind of are."

"Just the fact that I'm in your presence bothers you, Sakura–hime. That's not my problem; it's another one of your great pet peeves. Besides," His pale red eyes glanced at me daringly. "You know you need me."

I turned back in my chair. "Shut up."

"You know I meant for paperwork."

"Just be quiet. . ." I sighed, defeated once again. Silence fell, but I had already kicked up the dust out of sheer boredom and was about to pay the consequences. Madara was staring at me. I felt his gaze on me, tracing the curve of my neck and the length of my hair; studying every detail of my back, from the fabric of my shirt to Itachi's hair tie. I wiggled uneasily and tried to focus, but Madara's voice popped the bubble of silence yet again.

"You're depressed?"

My pen froze.

Did he seriously have to ask?

"I am."

"Should I be worried?"

". . .I don't think so. I'm too committed our deal to commit suicide and I see no reason to leave Amegakure now."

"'Now'?" He enquired. I could almost see him raising an eyebrow in my mind's eye. Like he didn't know exactly what I was thinking when I was thinking it.

"I wanted to leave." I put the pen down and ran my fingers through my hair. My headaches weren't getting any better and I knew I should be talking to Madara of all people on my personal thoughts. The last thing I needed was him having a map of the inside of my head. "Itachi and I wanted to leave. . ."

Madara

It was a simple kick to the back leg of the chair and Sakura tumbled backward with it.

I, myself, stood too, kicking the chair I had been leaning in away. My eyes locked with hers, wide with shock, once again. The genjutsu blue she'd carefully painted them resembled the shade Saku had dyed her melted gold once she'd taken possession of my kunoichi's body. I wasn't fooled. This little kunoichi with the every changing eyes was trying to be normal in a world where she could be a queen if she so wished to. The powerful technique, the Rinnegan silver lay beneath her transparent disguise and that was her true nature. Up till now, she denies it.

Hates and screams and scratches and denies herself every happiness because she believes she does not deserve it. She blames herself for Itachi's death. She may think she's being oh so secretive about it. Think she's safe in her mind? I own her mind. I know my way through the maze of regret right down to the longing of the man in her arms. So human. So petty. So disgusting.

"What does it take with you?" I growled.

"E-Excuse me! ?"

"Your father left you something great and you wanted to throw it away? What a spoiled child you are."

". . ."

She made no move to stand.

"You wanted to leave with your beloved? Fine. Let your people die? Fine. Destroy everything, Sakura–hime. Destroy me. You know you can. If you truly hate everything about yourself why do you not do us all a favor and jump out that window? I'd gladly throw you. If you want to be gone, I'll banish you. You are contradicting ever bothersome childish word that comes out of your pretty little mouth. You stay for your people, you're rebuilding the village, you're becoming a queen, yet you are disrespectful to me. I pulled you out of your rut hime, and don't you forget it."

"Like you would ever."

I glared. "If you claim to know I have something up my sleeve; why do you stay to observe?"

"You'll come after me, I know that." She answered somberly.

I would.

"I won't."

"May I get that in writing? You've never been a man of you word, Madara."

I rolled my eyes. I strongly disliked losing my temper; it made me more like her -that beastly demon. Beautiful and strong as my kunoichi was, she was obviously still in deeper woe of her lover then I'd thought. "What would you know? You're a sixteen-years-old rove kunoichi with a bad temper and untapped potential."

Her eyes narrowed at the comment. Her true nature shining through. She wanted the last word. She wanted to defy me. That was the kunoichi I wanted. "I know my potential."

"And you're Rinnegan?"

". . .I know what it can do."

"Then why not test it? That's how one masters something, ne?" I grinned impishly, still only showing her my mouth from my mask. "Show me the all famous Push and Pull, show me a rain storm, something. This depression of yours is suffocating."

"Why do you care! ?" She screamed.

The defiance was broken and I was suddenly very tired.

"You're worth more to me alive, than you are dead, Sakura–hime. And I intend to keep you alive for as long as I can in this dangerous game." I paused. "Do you remember it? Your game of lies? Have you grown too weak to remember it?" She stared at me confused. "Thicken your skin. You won't last long otherwise."

I kicked the chair again and she flew upwards, back into her position. Shoulder stiff, fingers curled around the bottom of the chair, nails drawing smooth indents into the wood. Sakura stayed frozen like that for a few long minutes. Staring at her desk for a long moment, saying nothing, analyzing, but not seeing, the various items on her desk. After another few minutes of this 'broken Sakura' I turned on my heel, fixing the mask back over my face and heading towards the door.

She was being a waste of my time. Perhaps a few days of separation would do hime some good. Days she could think about how I was right and she was wrong, then finally come to her senses about my half of our deal.

"Madara. . ." It came out at a whisper so faint I could barely hear it, but from the small sliver of strength in her voice I knew she wouldn't start crying –that would only make me increase our time apart from each other. And who wanted that?

"Yes?"

"You're an ass."

"I know." I rolled my eyes and left without a good-bye, once clearing past the archway, I caught sight of hime sitting in her chair. Her shoulders tensed and the door slammed shut automatically behind me. Slowly, I turned and started down the hall with a small smirk on my face. The fire had not left her yet. It was rising from my careful stroking of the flames.

Then again maybe I could just take a quick nap, call it a night and see her in the morning?

That worked too.

Naruto

"I don't think anyone real understands the magnitude of what happened here. . ." Shikamaru grumbled, ignoring the pain of the tugging bandages. Ino and Choji sat around his cot, Ino tending to his broken leg. Kiba and Shino sat off in a farther corner and Team Guy were murmuring to themselves. I sat on a crate alone in the center of the room –the lone member of Team 7.

In our burlap infirmary tent, we'd illuminated the darkest of the shadows with few weak candles and we kept our voices low for fear of the people, our people, outside. "Sakura was one of Konoha's finest shinobi, we made Chuunin together, now that she'd gone. . .she's dangerous."

Everyone was at war now. It was an unofficial civil war in Konoha; Grandma Tsunade's supporters against Danzo's supporters. Though it was easy to pick off who was on whose side. Even in the time of tragedy, it was tearing families further apart –right down the middle. Tensions were running high and everyone was pointing the blame at one person: Sakura.

"Don't speak that way. . .please."

Everyone glanced at me then looked away again.

I knew perfectly well that everyone wanted to hunt and kill Sakura for 'causing' this despair. They just didn't want to say it.

Kiba was the first one to speak. From his cot with a broken arm and a sprained ankle –Akumaru laying, obviously, right on top of him- turned to Neji with a parody of his usual wolfish smile. "Ne, Neji-san, did you get any word from Hinata yet? We haven't heard from her and we figured–"

"I haven't spoken with my cousin." Neji's clipped voice was harsh and cold, said barley above a whisper, but the sound of it was defining. Kiba was clipped silent and Ino narrowed her eyes a little, then returned to her mending of Shikamaru's leg.

"The Leaf hasn't heard from all of Suna. . ." Ino muttered.

"Yes, that is because we were attacked a week ago. The message birds must be all out of sorts." Neji grumbled again.

"What's your problem, dude?" asked Choji.

"It's nothing–!" Neji caught and composed himself with a breath. "This is just all very aggravating. . ."

Tenten smiled encouragingly, whispering an: "It's okay." before turning halfway to kill the melancholy Lee. He'd been rolled into a green ball, arms around knees for ten minutes now. After a hard day of work he all needed rest, but his position was so ridicules I didn't understand why until he asked the question on everyone's mind.

"Do you think they'll go after Sakura–chan?"

Tenten and Neji swatted at Lee and Shikamaru sent me a look that I could only decode as sympathy. "There's no telling what Danzo will do, Naruto, Lee. All we can do is wait until Lady Tsunade wakes up."

"She's our only hope. . ." Ino added softly.

The flap of the tent that acted as a door opened wide, we all wheeled around when the sudden gust of wind blew out the candles and met Yamato's frightened face. "Aren't you supposed to be patrolling! ? There's a fire at the Hokage's mansion!"

I jumped to my feet.

"Konohamaru and Lady Nala are still in there. . ."

Much much better, no?

-*Song* Listen to it, it's amazing. If Madara and Sakura somehow fell in love this would be there song. But it's not. So it's just their song as whatever they are.

It's been a long month. My town is trying to kill me, I swear. First HotTopic closes, then WaldenBooks closes (only damn bookstore in town), now Blockbuster! Damnit, I don't have Netflix. . .anymore. . .long story. Sigh, I spent nearly half of my Christmas money on the largest stack of movies I'd ever seen and when I went back today the guys recognized me as the girl who went there several days early and checked out all the good movies ( Repo! The Genetic Opera, ah~! Hard to find, even near Chicago) and a bunch of royalty movies. I'm fitting Sakura a bit around Queen Victoria.

Also, I've been working on my family trees and I found my family came here during the Prohibition in America (a few decades of no alcohol. My uncle laughed and said: "well, you know that didn't matter because our family was never big drinkers". ((he kept a straight face for two seconds when my mom walked in with a wine glass))), from Slovania. My grandpa gave me a half-translated newspaper from there, I love it. Anyone know anything, PM me~!

Reveiw me, ciao,

~QueenVamp