-Lady of the Fifth House-

By: Applesofwrath

Chapter Seven


A few days past since the celebration of the alliance of Konoha and Haruno and the main members of each royal house decided to stay a few days at the royal palace to take care of some matters. So far a meeting has been called for the lords of each house to discuss future matters with the queen, while the rest of the royal house members were enjoying their stay at the palace. Uzumaki Naruto groaned as he waited in his temporary quarters. It was possible he paced the room a thousand times; he was impatient and antsy for his godfather to be done with the meeting with the queen and share any insight into his chances of becoming the regent for the country.

The blond scratched his head out of nervousness, surely, the queen found him qualified! He had the strength and abilities of a great leader and protector of the country. He felt so close to his dream of becoming the sovereign ruler Konoha. He had to have been destined for it for royal blood ran through his veins. Sure, he has some tough competition between King Sarutobi's grandson, Konohamaru and some other relatives of the royal family, but still. He was the son of the Konoha's yellow flash, Namikaze Minato—Surely, that gives him some advantage.

Naruto shook his head, if the Gods are willing, they will put him on the throne. If not, they will not. He will have to just leave it in their hands. The young man sighed; it's been over three hours and nothing from Jiraiya yet. Maybe he should step out of his quarters and see what Sasuke-teme was up to. Seeing his best friend for a bit isn't a bad idea for distraction. Naruto threw on a simple haori over his kimono and was ready to leave his quarters for a while when a knock alerted him. A familiar voice spoke,

"Naruto, the meeting is over now," the blond could hear Jiraiya's sigh from behind the door, "can I come in?"

"Naruto walked over to the door and ushered his godfather inside. The tall elderly man with a long white mane entered and made himself comfortable in Naruto's quarters. He sat down on the floor mat near the tea table and motioned Naruto to join him. The blond sat down,

"Hmm… Ero-Sensei, do you want me to ask the servants to get us some tea?" The Lord-Steward shook his head,

"No, that is alright. We were supplied with plenty of tea while we were in that meeting for hours," Jiraiya groaned before scolding his godson, "And will you quit calling me that? I have a reputation to keep as a temporary Lord until you inherit the house! I don't need you to stain my image by calling me that in public or in private!" Naruto laughed devilishly,

"You write erotic literature and have them published. Reputation shouldn't have been much of a concern to you when you decided to take that up as a hobby…" Jiraiya scolded,

"I use a pen-name, dummy," Jiraiya stuck out his tongue at the blond. Naruto just picked at his ear with his pinky finger muttering,

"Hehhh, if only Sasuke-teme's servant, Kakashi knew that the writer of his beloved book series was actually head of a royal house…" Jiraiya sighed in annoyance before changing his tone to a more serious one,

"Tsunade did mention a bit of you during the meeting…" At this, the blond threw his hands on the tea table in uncontained excitement,

"REALLY? WHAT EXACTLY DID SHE SAY? TELL ME!"

"CALM YOURSELF DOWN!" The elderly man raised his voice, "there is nothing definite from what she said… However, she said that you are a very strong contender. She finds other relatives unfit for the position. And as much as she adores Konohamaru, she finds him too young in age to be king and believes the country would be uncomfortable with a young boy as king. Now, If Prince Asuma was still alive, he would definitely be in line in front of you, but alas, he is not…" Jiraiya explained.

"There are some rumors in the streets that Prince Asuma married some common woman in secret and she is holding his baby," Naruto shared. The white haired man rolled his eyes,

"Don't give those rumors any credence unless there is evidence. Anyway, if Konohamaru was older than you, then surely he would be ahead in royal succession. In my opinion, I believe you are in the lead—."

"REALLY? YOU THINK SO?!" Naruto boomed, throwing up his fists in victory.

"It's just my own personal opinion and observation, but there is nothing definite! I just think there is no one else more qualified to be king than you." Jiraiya chuckled, and Naruto became silent and composed himself before his godfather,

"...Thank you…Father."


Uchiha Sasuke spent his early afternoon wandering the royal palace's vast gardens. After seeing a glimpse of the gardens with Shikamaru a few nights ago, he decided to finally wander into them. He has heard many speak of the beauty of the Queen's gardens, and those words rang true. Sasuke was sure he has seen so many different flowers to anyone a lifetime. The stoic young heir to Uchiha decided to stand by a particular pond he found quite lovely and tranquil. The sound of water was relaxing and he watched as the gentle wind blew pink petals from a nearby tree and onto the pond's surface. His obsidian eyes turned to see a sakura tree not too far from him. Hearing some footsteps approach him, the dark haired boy turned his attention to his visitor.

Hatake Kakashi approached the youngest Uchiha and bowed in respect before speaking. He was Sasuke's most loyal servant and has served the Uchiha family for many years as Sasuke's tutor, bodyguard, and confidante. The tall, gray haired man wore a simple cotton kimono with a haori over it. On his waist, he was equipped with a sheathed wakizashi. An eyepatch covered his left eye, hiding the adopted Sharingan ability. Sasuke never smiled at his subjects, but instead he always gave a polite nod to them back.

"Has father returned from the meeting?" Kakashi met his gaze,

"Yes, he has," Kakashi confirmed, "Her highness spoke highly of Naruto during the meeting and your father believes there is some unspoken agreement between the queen and the council members that Naruto is in the lead for the position of regent. Now, that is good news for you, according to your father—being best of friends with a man of such potential power." Sasuke responded with a hint of annoyance in his baritone voice,

"If it wasn't for Naruto's status, father would have told me a long time ago to ditch that goofy idiot," at this, Kakashi nodded disappointedly. Kakashi has known the Uchiha a long time to know that Lord Fugaku is a very ambitious man when it comes to the clan.

"…But, I am happy for Naruto. Knowing that dobe, he'll dance at hearing such news… He's wanted this his whole life," Sasuke grinned.

"And of course, the usual talk of taxes and future projects with the new royal house. Ahh, yes… The Haruno heiress! Fugaku-sama stresses to you and Itachi to pursue her and as much as Hanabi-sama from the Hyuuga House would bring great power to you or Itachi. Fugaku-sama has always had distaste towards the Hyuugas," Kakashi informed.

Sasuke grimly nodded. The two clans have been rivals for years and as ambitious as they both were, a possible union between them was a joke. Growing up, Sasuke never quite understood his family's rivalry towards the Hyuugas until he was a bit older. When he met Hyuuga Neji, Sasuke finally understood why his family didn't like them.

"I would never admit this to anyone, but to you, I think I have never met a more arrogant clan…" Sasuke frowned. Kakashi smiled in amusement before continuing to inform Sasuke of recent information,

"The Queen also plans to send you and a bunch of representatives from each house to visit Suna. I haven't been informed as to why, but later in the evening, the Queen will summon the younger generation to a meeting. So as always, your father wants you to be well prepared and represent the family well."

Sasuke nodded before letting out a sigh, "Kakashi… I have never been good with women, how am supposed to win over that Haruno Sakura? From the looks of it at the party, she seemed to bond better with Naruto or my brother…" Sasuke let out an exasperated groan.

Kakashi looked confused, "But… I see you, and you carry yourself with such confidence and—."

Sasuke stopped him, "Uchihas can be good actors... I know it would make father the most proud of me if I can win over Haruno Sakura. Other women seem to throw themselves at me for whatever reason, and I treat them apathy and that somehow works, but I can't treat Sakura with apathy. She's different from the kind of women I usually meet. I don't know how to handle her." Kakashi smiled at Sasuke,

"I think you just need to be yourself and be sincere with your feelings." At this, Sasuke looked confused and defeated, "I'm not sure what you mean…" Kakashi just chuckled,

"You'll figure it out. And I know your father is a hard man but I'm sure he'll be proud of you no matter who you end up marrying," the gray haired confidante tried to be optimistic.

"I guess…" Sasuke muttered.

"And you have many options, young master! Even if you don't marry the Haruno heiress," Kakashi pressed,

"The women in Konoha are disappointing…"

"What about the Suna princess? I hear she is still unmarried and imagine wedding The Princess Temari of Suna. I heard she was quite taken with you when you met her years ago."

"I rather not. I find her annoying. A woman like her needs a more submissive man."

"What about that daughter from the wealthy family that resides in Iwa? The House of Mori, was it?

"I've seen pigs that look better."

"Oh don't say that! She seemed like a nice young lady…What about that woman who kept flirting with you during the autumn banquet last year at the Uchiha Estate? What's her name? Matsui Karin of that lesser noble family of east Uchiha?" At this, Sasuke scoffed.

"Hah. I'd rather not… I don't know what sort of diseases lay between her legs…"

"Ohhh it's just a rumor that she lives a promiscuous lifestyle. Maybe she's just misunderstood?"

"Rumor or not, I can't take her seriously… Or bear the thought of being stuck with her for life!"


In the same meeting room where the meeting was held for the royal council, another meeting was to take place that evening right after dinner with the younger generation of the royal houses. Queen Tsunade walked down the hall towards the familiar double doors and entered the room. At the large table sat Uchiha Itachi, Uchiha Sasuke, and Hyuuga Neji who simply sat quietly and paid no attention to each other. When they saw the queen enter the meeting room, they all stood up to greet her before she sat down. Shortly after, Nara Shikamaru appeared gave a quick bow to the queen before sitting down. Naruto and Sakura appeared last and bowed politely at the queen before finding a seat. As Sakura sat down, she realized that she was sitting right across from the pearl eyed Hyuuga prodigy. Not willing to seem intimidated by his intense gaze, Sakura gave him a quick but not too warm of a smile at Neji and gazed back at him. Sasuke who sat next to Neji, noticed this exchange and wondered what exactly made Sakura and Neji seem cold to each other. Oblivious, Tsunade cleared her throat to start the discussions. All eyes and ears at the table turned to the blond haired ruler.

"We have much to discuss," Tsunade announced, "I hope you all have been diligent in being dutiful children to such esteemed and powerful houses. I know each house has its own issues to overcome within their land, but I hope that you grow into great leaders like your fathers. Your fathers have each done exceptional efforts to support the royal family and to the people of Konoha. As you probably are aware, the poverty rate has significantly decreased, and crops in the north seem to be doing much better since that small famine two years earlier. Advancements in medicine are coming along well, and with the help of Haruno's resources in their advanced sciences, I am hoping to see great improvement for the healthcare of our people. Our military defenses are growing nicely too thanks to both Uchiha and Hyuuga Houses." Tsunade faced Naruto and Shikamaru,

"The alliance with Suna is now official," At this Tsunade gave a big smile, "And I want to thank both Naruto and Shikamaru for being greatly involved with the Suna alliance. When you two went to deliver the alliance proposal, the two of you made quite an impression on King Gaara. His letters to me hold the two of you in great esteem."

Naruto scratched his head nervously while Shikamaru smirked. Sakura winked at Naruto, congratulating his achievement. Unknownst to the people at the table, Sasuke saw this and couldn't help but frown.

"As you have heard, King Gaara will be celebrating the first birthday of his son, crown prince Kankurou. I want you and some of your best subjects for travel to go to Suna bearing gifts to the King and for his son, congratulating him on his heir and to thank him for agreeing to the alliance. This will be a great opportunity for the future generation of Konoha to be acquainted with his majesty and mark the first chapter of this friendly alliance. Do your best to represent this country well!" Tsunade commanded,

"Yes, your highness," the six of them said in unison.

"Good! I want you all to meet in three days time at the royal city's southern gate at dawn to journey to Suna. You have three days to buy a personal gift for the King and his son. It will be four day journey: three days by land and one day by sea. Be prepared!"


"Sakura-chan! How nice of you to visit!" Ino beamed.

"Ino-chan, I hope you've been doing well. I was hoping to have some tea with you, since I'm here in the royal city for house matters. I hope I'm not being an inconvenience," Sakura said as she hugged her old friend.

They pulled away and Ino ushered her into her house. Sakura's old friend Ino lived in the eastern side of the royal city in a lovely house near the theatre. Since Sakura was in the market, looking for a fitting gift for her mission, she decided to pay Ino a visit. Only a day has passed since Tsunade's meeting, but Sakura wanted to go ahead and start early with the Queen's assignment.

Her friend Ino was a beautiful, light blond haired woman with icy blue eyes. She wore her long mane in a half-do with ornaments in her hair and in a simple purple kimono. Ino lived as a well-known tutor of the arts. She taught young girls how to dance, play instruments, taught them proper etiquette, flower-arranging, and helped them find husbands as a matchmaker. Last time Sakura visited her, she learned that Ino became engaged to her lover, Sai who was a becoming a well-known painter.

As the blond woman led Sakura into her fine house, she excitedly proposed that instead of just tea, Sakura should join her and Sai for dinner for tonight.

"Are you sure it's not inconvenient? I know I showed up out of the blue, but I guess I wanted to surprise you," Sakura laughed. Ino shook her head,

"Absolutely! I would love it if you would join me and Sai tonight. But come, I'll have some tea ready for us, I want to hear everything and catch up," Ino grinned.

The two women sat down on Ino's delicate tea table and were eager to exchange stories. Ino poured Sakura some tea,

"It's been months since I last saw you. I'm sure things must have been crazy for you and your parents since the Queen first proposed your family to join the royal houses," Ino said in awe.

"Yes, it has been. I was beginning to wonder if I had to quit my secret job as a traveling healer. I was able to do both, thankfully. Hinata is such a great companion to have around," Sakura nodded.

"How is she doing? I'm guessing she's at Haruno?"

"Yes, for safety reasons, she is… I'm afraid we might have more enemies to face this time," Sakura frowned. Ino scoffed,

"Her family is ridiculous," Ino shook her head as she sipped her tea. Sakura nodded,

"I agree. I find it extreme as well for her family to exile her because they think she doesn't match up to Hanabi. And also that Hinata wanted to reform some Hyuuga traditions," Sakura sighed.

"Times have changed and it's about time they do away with that old rule…" Ino commented.

"I agree, the whole division in the house is just too oppressive. I met a branch house member, his name is Hyuuga Neji. Even though I don't like him much, I do feel bad for him for being under that branch house rule," Sakura sighed.

"Oh, I heard of him. And I heard he's quite handsome too," Ino chuckled. Sakura chuckled along,

"He is handsome, I won't deny it. I just can't tell right now if he's an enemy or friend to Hinata. I have to cautious around him until I find out his true intentions," at this, Ino nodded.

"I know I said this last time, but congratulations on your engagement. I am so excited for you," Sakura smiled.

"Thank you," Ino said as she poured Sakura more tea, "I hope you find yourself a man too. I bet those noblemen are already courting you." Sakura shrugged,

"They plan on it, but I won't say yes to any of them just for the sake of status," Sakura paused, "Although, I am… Intrigued with someone."

"Who is it?" Ino asked, very curiously.

"His name is Uchiha Sasuke, of the Uchiha House," Sakura looked contemplative, "I don't know him well yet, but… For whatever reason, he's interesting."


Author's Note: I hope you liked the chapter :] Read & Review!