-Lady of the Fifth House-
By: Applesofwrath
Chapter Four
About two months have passed since Sakura and Hinata encountered Naruto, Sasuke, Shikamaru, and Kiba. For the most part, Sakura had forgotten about Sasuke, due to being increasingly busy. However, at the end of their day and the two women would crawl into their beds, Sakura's mind couldn't help but to wander off to the mysterious successor of Uchiha. Her mind would echo the last words he uttered to her for a few minutes before her exhaustion overtook her and caused her to fall into deep sleep. The women have decided to extend their stay at Hana—staying at a friendly little inn in the center of the town. Normally, they would stay less than a month for each town or village but Hana was in such a poor condition, they decided to devote another month for the village. A good number of people were getting ill from some illness that had been spreading around. The problem was controlled when the locals realized that the well that had been their water source that been contaminated. Their workload increased when a nearby mine experienced a collapse and all healers were called to help heal the injured.
One afternoon after a long day, Sakura walked back to the inn. When she opened the door to their hotel room, she noticed a falcon sitting on the windowsill. She took off her bandana and approached the waiting bird too see that the falcon was actually a messenger bird. Her eyes caught the scroll attached to the falcon's body and the words "Sakura" inscribed on it. She gently removed the scroll from the bird and began pacing around the room as she read it.
Sakura,
There will be a gathering in four weeks at the Queen's Palace in the royal city and all nobles are to attend. We have been informed by the Queen that this gathering will be the night of our official debut. I hate to cut your healing journey short, but we knew this day had to come eventually where you will have to present yourself as a noble. Please attend, for your father and I would like the others to formally meet our successor. We know these sorts of gatherings are not your favorite, but I promise you can disappear after an hour or so. As much as we would love to see Hinata there, your father wanted me to warn you that the Hyuugas will definitely be in attendance there and we recommend her not to attend. Instead tell her that we recommend her to come stay at Haruno for a bit. We can arrange for her to meet up with some of our most trusted servants and some soldiers at the nearby harbor where she can aboard a ship heading for Haruno. Tell her to think over this suggestion. We would love to have Hinata stay at Haruno court again.
The two of you please take care,
-Mother
As soon as she was done memorizing her parent's message, Sakura walked over to the fireplace and tossed the scroll into the fire. She watched the parchment darken and curl until the scroll was nothing but ashes. She turned to the falcon, which waited patiently for her next move. She grabbed a slice of cheese and some raw venison and left it in a bowl nearby the falcon, which soon walked over to it and began eating. She would have to wait for Hinata to come home to tell her the news—and a change of plans.
Around sunset, Hyuuga Hinata walked into her hotel room to find her companion sitting at the table near the fireplace. Sakura looked up and gave her friend a warm smile before getting up. Hinata's eyes went to the dinner placed on the table,
"Did you order our dinner? It seems I made it in time."
"Yeah, I got your usual. I didn't feel like eating bar food today, I hope you don't mind," Sakura shrugged.
"No no, I don't mind. I'm so tired, I don't care right now what I eat," Hinata said as she took off her vest and took down her hair. Her long indigo mane fell down her back.
"Come sit. Let's eat. I have something important to tell you," Sakura ushered. At this, Hinata walked over and sat at the chair across the table from Sakura. She sliced some venison and rice into her bowl and as she ate silently she looked at Sakura, waiting for Sakura to begin talking. Having Hinata's attention, Sakura began to speak,
"A messenger bird came in. The scroll was from my parents. They said there will be a ball at the royal palace in four weeks and I need to attend," Hinata nodded, listening intently.
"I'm going to have to put healing on hold since this ball will be Haruno's official debut and from that point on, I will be busy with all that political stuff that comes with it," Hinata kept nodding.
"My parents suggest that you stay in Haruno, while the three of us are attending the ball and staying the royal city for a few days. You will be safe there in Haruno Court, no one will suspect that you will be living there. The Hyuuga house will definitely be at the ball and in the royal city and taking you with us will only endanger you…" Sakura paused at observed Hinata. The heiress looked a bit disappointed but sighed as she swallowed her bite of food,
"We both knew this day was coming. Yes, I'll go and stay in Haruno for as long as needed. As soon as you are done and the coast is clear again, we'll resume our healing journey," Hinata nodded in agreement. There was a moment of silence, before Sakura decided to break it.
"I won't let you be taken back to Hyuuga," Sakura nodded fiercely.
"Thank you," Hinata smiled. The rest of their dinner went silent as the women focused on eating. Sakura made a mental note to herself to write back to her parents, to tell them of their answer.
A few days went by until the two women were well ready to leave Hana. They hired a carriage that would take them to the sea port where they would meet up with a ship from Haruno. The women silently sat in their carriage, listening to the sounds of horseshoes hitting the road. They wore hooded cloaks over their simple cotton kimonos—the typical attire they wore when traveling in a discrete manner. Sakura's mind began to wander off from the passing landscape to a particular dark haired man. The royal ball was summoning all the high nobles of the country, meaning it is very probable that the Uchiha successor will be there too. Sakura sighed; she will have to run into Sasuke at the ball who will finally confirm his theory: Kaori is really in fact a noble. He probably will still feel some shock after he finds she isn't just a mere noble. The only plan Sakura had at the moment for dealing with Sasuke was to avoid him at the ball and play dumb—not the best plan Sakura has ever come up with, but it will do for now. Something told Sakura that there is an air of danger surrounding that Uchiha man, it made her wary, and yet drawn to it.
Her mind wandered next to Naruto—the heir of Uzumaki and possible regent. Though more approachable and friendly, Sakura had to keep her distance. Hopefully, Naruto wasn't too serious with flirting with Hinata. If not, Sakura could imagine it—him pestering her at the ball where a certain violet haired woman was. There was no way she can give out any leads to where Hinata was. Sakura's train of thought was cut short when Hinata's voice broke through,
"Are you worrying about running into Sasuke?" Sakura shook her head,
"I'm not exactly worried, more like I'm not looking forward to it," Sakura sighed, Hinata looked out the window and turned to Sakura,
"I think we are here."
"Good, I need to stretch my legs from the long ride," Sakura said as she pulled her hood over her head and Hinata did the same.
The carriage owner stepped out from his seat and opened the door for the two women. Hinata stepped out first and then Sakura. Sakura turned to pay the carriage owner who accepted her money and turned to leave. The two women approached the hazy dock and could see a large ship with a familiar flag hanging on the main topmast. The flag held the symbol of Haruno, a large empty circle. Sakura looked towards the dock to see a group of people approaching land. As they drew closer, Sakura recognized familiar faces, a man and woman, followed by dozens of servants and soldiers. Sakura and Hinata approached the group and as soon as the two sides where within talking distance, the servants and soldiers of Haruno lightly bowed to their lady and her companion. The man and woman leading the group lifted their heads,
"My lady… Arrangements have been made for Lady Hinata to be safely escorted to Haruno," the man spoke, Sakura nodded,
"Thank you, Hiroyuki," Sakura smiled. She turned to the servant woman next to him,
"Megumi, I would like to see Hinata off before we head towards the royal city," Sakura ordered. Megumi just nodded while Hinata and Sakura faced each other.
"Remember, you can help yourself to everything at Haruno Court. I'll send you a message updating you about the ball. I don't know when but wait for my message telling you it is safe to come back to the mainland," Sakura said as she hugged her friend.
"Don't worry about me, I'll be perfectly safe. Have fun at the ball, and keep your wits about you," Hinata hugged back. They pulled apart and Sakura nodded. She then turned to Hiroyuki who ushered Hinata towards the ship. Sakura, Megumi, and the remaining of their handful of servants and soldiers watched as the large ship set sail for her homeland. Sakura turned to Megumi,
"Let us go to the royal city."
A week had passed since Sakura parted with Hinata. The pink-haired woman spent her week exploring the royal city; there she did some shopping at the markets, did some free healing work on the poor who couldn't afford it, and simply took the time to relax. After the week had gone by, she decided it was time to pay the Royal Palace a visit. Sakura and Megumi approached the large palace surrounded by beautiful gardens and a high wall. They past the gate and began to approach the main exterior court. After passing the guard and informing the Queen's main servant of her arrival, Sakura was lead through the well decorated corridors of the palace and finally arrived in front of the Queen's study. The servants ushered her in and closed the double doors after her, leaving Sakura and the Queen in privacy. Sakura gazed around the room. It was a well lit room with plenty of sunlight from large windows. There were many bookshelves lining the walls of the study. She looked over at the center to see a large desk with a beautiful older woman sitting behind it.
She had long blond hair which was tied into simple pigtails—her usual hairstyle. Her honey colored eyes were fierce, her skin pale, and her breasts formed a large cleavage that peeked out of her expensive silk purple furisode. The Queen looked up from her desk and gave Sakura a very warm smile. She arose from her seat and walked over to the young heiress. Sakura bowed lightly and soon she was engulfed in a large hug from the Queen,
"It is so good to see you, Sakura! I know you've been traveling all over Konoha, healing the sick, but you really should visit me more often!" They pulled apart and Sakura returned a smile,
"It is so good to see you too, sensei. I have so much to tell you about my travels with Hinata."
"Speaking of her, where is she?" Tsunade looked concerned,
"She's in Haruno. She is safe there," Sakura assured. Tsunade nodded and then ushered her over to the low table. The two women sat down and Tsunade summoned a servant to bring them some tea. Once the servant poured the two ladies tea, she left the room leaving the two women alone to talk in private.
A few days before the ball, Sakura's parents finally arrived at the palace. Tsunade's servants worked to take their luggage and make accommodations for their stay in one of the guest rooms. As soon as Sakura was informed of their arrival, she paused her reading and went out to go greet them. She ran into the arms of her mother and father who looked like they were glad to finally arrive at their destination. Sakura looked at her parents. Her father and mother were both had light blond hair and faded green eyes. It was a mystery how Sakura inherited her pink hair and vibrant green eyes, but according to their family history, some of their ancestors had these features as well.
"Sakura darling, I hope you have taking good care of yourself during your long journey. You really should come home more often," Sakura's mother frowned as she kissed her daughter on the cheek.
"Ohh stop it, Nadeshiko," Sakura's father chuckled, "You know Sakura has an adventurous soul."
"Mother, father you should come inside the palace. The Queen is expecting to see you. Come," Sakura suggested.
"Lead the way," Sakura's father responded.
The Harunos spent the next remaining days at the palace. The three of them did various activities with the Queen. They would have dinners together talking over a vast array of topics from politics to conversations for good laughs. During the daytime, Sakura's mother would drink tea with the Queen while Sakura's father joined some of Tsunade's guards in the palace woods hunting. Time went by fast, and as soon as they knew it, it was the morning of the ball. The palace workers have been in rushing around the palace like busy drones preparing decorations, food, drinks, and helping the guests settle into their guest rooms. Word was spreading through the corridors that the houses of Nara, Uzumaki, Hyuuga, and Uchiha have arrived, and servants quickly worked to make sure their guests were satisfied and comfortable.
Haruno Sakura exited Tsunade's study. The pink haired woman couldn't hear herself think with all this noise and bustling going on in the palace. She was fully aware that the ball was tonight, and this chaos among the servants was to be expected. She thought she could still find peace in quiet, staying in Tsunade's study, reading the many books in her library but she was proven wrong. She held the two books that interested her against her chest and began to walk down the corridor to the guest room she was staying in. She knew Tsunade wouldn't mind her borrowing her two of her books.
Sakura carefully walked around passing servants from the opposite direction of the hallways, being mindful of the things they were carrying and the pressing time they were under. She reached the balcony hanging over the large ballroom. A gasp escaped her lips as the spectacle before her astounded her. Hundreds of servants working in the ballroom, putting up decorations like candles and flowers while some other servants were setting tables and chairs and wiping down the large windows. She couldn't wait to see the final look of the ballroom once the party began. It occurred to her that this will be the first royal party she will attending. This sudden realization of truth only made her more excited about the party. Before she could begin walking towards the right wing of the palace, she spotted a familiar man walking up the stairs towards the balcony where she stood. Not wanting to deal with him at the moment, Sakura went to the doorway leading to the right wing of the palace. She leaned against the wall and watched the man from a good distance.
Uchiha Sasuke reached the top of the stairs with some of his servants and guards behind him. It didn't seem as if he saw her, which made Sakura breathe a sigh of relief. After watching him for a few more seconds, it was likely that the guest room that Sasuke was staying in was in the left wing. Once he was out of sight, she peeled herself away from the wall she was leaning against and headed deeper into the right wing. Once she reached her guest room, she greeted her guards who were standing by the door and entered her room.
Megumi was seen placing several different colored kimonos on the bed. Once she saw her lady, she rushed over to her, and as Sakura expected, Megumi began fussing,
"My lady, where have you been? The ball will officially start in two hours and you haven't even taken a bath!" Sakura gave her a carefree shrug, which unintentionally annoyed Megumi more,
"Sorry, Megumi-san. I was reading a really interesting book—." She was silenced by the unmerciful servant.
"Enough, we must get you ready. Oh, you always do this to me! You give me so little time to get you fully ready. You have leaves in your hair! Did you go into the woods again? I'm going to have to ask Rumi and Makino to help me… Hopefully one of them won't be too busy helping Nadeshiko-sama…"
As Megumi was left to her own concerns and thoughts, Sakura walked over to the selection of kimonos that Megumi had picked out for her. They were made of the finest silk and the details on them were flawless. They were all really fine quality furisodes and it was just a matter of picking a color and then matching hair accessories.
Sakura eyed through all of them and then turned to Megumi,
"I think I would like to wear aqua for tonight."
A/N: I have good news! I have a clear idea how the story will end. I wrote out the full outline and all. I can't wait to hear what you guys think of this chapter.
