The Gate Amidst the Ivy
Chapter Two
(Ugh! Wh-what is that!
A cadaver. If you expect to become a healer, you should not be a stranger to Death.
Bu—but—it's all—
Bring it back to life, Sakura.
What?
Bring him back to life.
N-no! How do you even do that?
Haven't I taught you the reversing spells? So cast it on him, but overload it.
But—
Reversing spells can reverse broken bones, cuts, almost anything; why couldn't they reverse Death?
But—But—Granny Tsunade—the backlash! What about the backlash of the spell!
Do you know this man had a wife? She's young, but they already have two children. Two innocent little children, two babies, completely dependent on their parents for survival. And the mother has no idea what to do. You know how difficult it is for women to support themselves. Don't they deserve their husband, their father, their son, back?
I—why?
So that in case you ever get tempted to play God, to decide who lives and who dies, you will know exactly why you shouldn't. Do you think you can save your father and defy Death?
I will!
Then you must breathe life back into a dead man, first. And perhaps then you might have a chance at saving your father.)
Sakura wonderingly ran her fingers through her hair again. The feeling of the air against the back of her neck was still a strange feeling, and even though she knew her hair had been dyed black, there were moments in which she started and realized she had forgotten her wig.
(Tenten! Is it true that Prince Sasuke is going to be having a ball?
I don't really think he even wants to, Sakura. But it's only polite, I suppose. You know how those nobles get about etiquette…
You're telling me. I wish they'd take us into account though! I'm sick of preparing for balls.
The day they do that, Sakura, is the day Prince Sasuke declares a deep and undying love for all things pink and frilly.)
And Sakura had had to wear the only other pair of shoes she had—dress slippers, delicate little things, flimsy little things. Not nearly as fine as the shoes of the noble ladies, but fine enough and utterly impractical for work.
(Happy birthday, Sakura!
Wait… oh! It's my birthday, isn't it?
Yes! How could you forget? It's your one-year anniversary here at the castle too!
Thanks, Ino.
Look, Tenten and Shikamaru and I even got you a present!
You really didn't have to—
Nonsense! Take them!
Slippers, Ino? And not even that, but dress slippers? What could I do with those?
Honestly, be grateful for once in your life! I saw these in the shop-window, and then I saw those little delicate embroidered cherry blossoms on there, and I knew they were perfect! Now, you'd better go to Shikamaru and Tenten and tell them exactly how much you appreciate our gift, because we've had to save up most of our spare change for the last three months to get this! Anyways, you only have one pair of shoes, and they're those ridiculous outdoor boots.
You guys are just so—stupid! But amazing at the same time!
Hey!)
That stupid prince. Where had he magicked her shoes away, anyways? Visions of alternate dimensions flittered through her head. She was skilled enough in magic, true, but she had never had the sheer brute force of magic to do something like teleport an object with only a snap and sheer will…
Lost in her thoughts, she let her feet lead her to the kitchen, where her next assignment awaited. They had been preparing for the ball for the last two days. Hopefully, during the ball, the prince would be so occupied that he wouldn't notice an unassuming, quiet little servant leaving the castle and making her way to a certain forbidden garden…
(Hey, Ino, have you ever thought of pulling a Cinderella?
A what?
A Cinderella! Haven't you heard the story?
I don't want to hear some ridiculous story. Get back to work! We need to finish soon!)
Immediately Sakura was assaulted with the smell of roasting venison. The kitchen was hot, and the many servants packed into it, did nothing to lower the temperature. The head cook, red-faced and sweating, a matronly woman, waved her over.
(First, Sakura, go to Aiko and ask her what you can do to help. You'll probably need to dust out a few rooms in the East Wing—goodness knows how long it's been since anyone's been there.
Yes, ma'am.
Then go to Kameko. Help her with setting up the table.
Of course, ma'am.
Once you've finished that, go to Izanami, the head cook. You know her, right? Afterwards you may have your break, though you must be back in time for the ball to serve the nobles.
Yes, ma'am.)
"Oh, thank goodness you're here! Come here, come here, watch over the venison for a few minutes—you'd swear Umayo hadn't ever used a knife before, that ridiculous vapid little girl—"
"Yes, most definitely, Miss Izanami," agreed Sakura pleasantly, politely.
(Honestly, Sakura, you ought to be less polite.
Y-yes, ma'am?
Let your guard down a little! Not all of the servants are out to hurt you, you know.
Yes, ma'am, of course. I'll do my best.
I'll do my best, my best at disobeying, ma'am.)
"Sakura!" wailed Umayo from the corner. "I—I cut myself! Won't you heal me?"
The head cook rolled her eyes. "See what I mean, Sakura? Fine, I'll handle the venison for now, but once you've healed the little idiot, come back. I still have some servants to oversee."
Sakura nodded tersely and made her way over to Umayo.
(Ow! Damn!
Are you alright, Tenten?
Yeah, I'm fine. I just cut myself a bit with this knife, accidentally. Stings like crazy, but I'm sure it'll be fine in a few days.
A hesitant pause, wondering whether she should, whether she should not—
Uh—here, Tenten, show me your finger.
Sure, but what are you going to do?
Deep concentration, narrowed eyes, a comforting glow of green around the brunette's finger.
Whoa, Sakura! How'd you do that? How'd she do that, Tenten?—Sayuri, the biggest gossip of the castle—
Search me. Sakura?
It was just a trick an old woman from my village showed me. It's called a reversing spell, so I've heard. Handy, isn't it?
Oh, very handy! I'll come to you next time I feel sick!
I'm flattered, Sayuri—Tenten, is it fine now?
Definitely! Thank you so much, Sakura!)
"Here, Umayo, show me your finger."
"Oh, sure!" The pretty blue-eyed, black-haired girl (who in all honestly was the same age as Sakura but certainly didn't act like it) held out her finger. A small stream of red flowed from a jagged cut on her index finger.
Sakura brushed her own index finger over the cut, and, concentrating her magic, healed it.
"Thanks, Sakura! Oh—before you leave—"
"Yes, Umayo?"
"Have you seen Prince Sasuke yet?"
Sakura wondered which answer would be the safest and decided to go with a blatant lie. "No. I haven't even heard much about him. Is he really as great as everyone says he is?"
Umayo heaved a dreamy sigh. "Oh, yes. Aiko told me to wake him for breakfast, and, can you believe it, he sleeps shirtless—"
"Erm—I don't really want to know—"
"I always assumed lords and kings and princes were just fat old men, you know? All they're every really required to do is sit around and eat whatever they want, but Prince Sasuke was absolutely—"
"I've heard he led many military campaigns," interrupted Sakura hurriedly, before Umayo could get any more graphic. She was sure her blush clashed horribly with her hair—then she remembered with a start that her hair was now black, not its usual light shade of pink.
"And he's already a general in the army too, would you believe it…"
"Uh, right. I'm sure Miss Izanami needs me—"
(S-Sakura-chan… why weren't you there? I needed you…
Oh, Naruto, I'm so sorry, so very, very sorry—)
"Oh, sorry! But one more thing—I've heard the most wonderful rumors about who's coming to the ball!"
"Yes, Umayo?" replied Sakura testily, subtly edging away.
"Like—like—Lady Hinata! She's the heiress to the Hyuugas, you know, and they're one of the richest—"
"Yes, Umayo, I know exactly who the Hyuugas are."
"And Duke Lee! He's a bit eccentric, of course, but that doesn't change the fact that he is absolutely filthy rich—"
"Umayo!"
"And all these other people too! I can't wait to see them all at the ball! Will you be there too, Sakura? Well, you have to be, we all have to be, but…"
"I think I'll probably use the occasion to catch up on my sleep. Miss Shina told me I had to be there, but you know all the servants do it once in a while. I think I'm entitled."
(Hey, Sakura, want to go check out the gardens tomorrow night?
But—Ino, don't we have the ball then?
Well, yeah, but we can skip out.
Didn't Miss Machiko tell us we had to be there?
Sure. And we will. For the first five minutes. Then, when she's distracted, we'll leave. It's not like anyone cares, anyways. Everyone does it once in a while; the overseers understand.
Maybe later, Ino—
Scaredy-cat! Forehead-girl!
Ugh! Ino-pig!)
"Wow," teased Umayo. "Sakura, doing something against the rules! Who'd have thought!"
If only you knew, Umayo… but then you wouldn't understand the allure of a sleeping garden, would you?
"Well, anyways, don't let me keep you. Izanami looks like she's about to collapse. It can't be good for her, getting so stressed out every time we have a ball…"
Sakura nodded, gave Umayo a polite and friendly but not necessarily warm smile, and reported back to Miss Izanami.
"About time!" huffed the much larger woman, once she caught sight of Sakura.
"I'm sorry, ma'am," offered the pinkette-turned-ravenette placatingly.
"Watch the venison for a while," continued Izanami. "Once it looks fairly well-done, take it from the fire and leave it on the table for one of the attendants to set up. I just need you to make sure the castle doesn't burn down in the meantime."
Sakura smiled at Izanami, a genuine, small smile. The woman really was a wonderful person, sensing Sakura's impatience and giving her one of the easiest and quickest jobs available in the kitchen. The one job that Umayo, by all rights, as the newest servant in the kitchen, should have been assigned, but hadn't.
Izanami laughed at the smile. "Don't think I did this out of any favor to you, you know. Umayo was getting on my nerves, and I suppose I got a bit petty."
"Of course, ma'am," replied Sakura dutifully, but she knew the continued smile on her face gave her thoughts away.
Izanami gave a genial, disgusted snort and focused her attentions on another poor, unfortunate servant.
"Be careful with that!" scolded the head cook somewhere in the background. "That knife could cut your fingers off! Don't be so careless!"
(Be careful with that!
Oh, sorry, Granny Tsunade!
That's not just a scalpel—that could cut your off finger if you were careless!
I said I was sorry!
You'd better be!)
Sakura lay in the garden, fingers resting on the newborn blades of grass. It had taken some time to get out from under Aiko's watchful eyes, but eventually she had escaped the ball. A satisfied smirk alighted on her lips when she thought of Sasuke, still stuck in that ridiculous frilly social gathering, quite visibly bored out of his mind—
Sasuke? Where did that come from?
Sakura blushed. Then she rolled her eyes at herself. She was acting like some lovesick teenager—no, worse, she was acting like Umayo. Now there was a sobering thought.
Night had almost fallen. The garden had been thoroughly watered and stood sheltering her, reaching branches around her like it was trying physically to hug her. The sky was the color of burnt gold; the sun was beginning its downward journey beyond the horizon.
She heard laughter from the castle and knew the ball was still going on. At times like these she often felt sorry for the nobility, being forced to sit through such mind-numbingly boring events. But then again, they had hardly a worry in the world, they could eat whatever and whenever they wished, they wore clothes of the finest kind, so a mundane ball was really very little punishment.
(One day I'm going to be a noble, Mama!
Don't say such ridiculous things!
But why?
You're either born a noble or you aren't—you can't become one!
I will! Just watch, I will!)
Her pink—no, her black hair, she reminded herself forcibly—spread out around her head like a halo. Combined with her baggy black dress and pale skin and green eyes, Sakura fancied that perhaps she looked like she was going to a funeral. Or perhaps she looked like an angel of death. What an intriguing thought.
Her poor, abused dress slippers were by her side, quite within arm's reach. She had learned her lesson that other day at the garden. If that prince—or if anyone else, for that matter—sneaked up upon her again, she and her slippers would be skillfully hidden behind a wall of vegetation. She hadn't another pair of shoes, after all. Sakura had even worked on strengthening her notice-me-not spell and hoped the increase in the power of the spell wasn't merely something she had been imagining.
"Hello again," she told the laughing, bubbling fountain. "Well, you saw what that bastard of a prince Sasuke did last time I was in here. He took my wig, and as if that wasn't bad enough, he took my shoes too. I guess you could say I'm tempting fortune a bit, coming here again. But I did miss you. And anyways, Prince Sasuke is at a ball being distracted the flattering attentions of hordes of unmarried—and indeed, some married—women. And men. Yes, I was shocked as well, though I suppose he is almost beautiful if you squint at exactly the right moment…" Sakura trailed off into distracted thoughts.
"Anyways!" she continued. "I hope that soon I'll have enough money saved up to buy a wig. And a new pair of boots. I suppose boots are my first priority; I can keep on dying my hair as long as I need to. Call me vain, though, but I do miss having my pink hair back… but then again, it is very liberating, not having to feel the weight of the wig anymore. I expect it'll be a difficult transition for me."
She lapsed into silence once more, looking up at the darkening sky.
"Interestingly enough, I didn't see the lady Hyuuga at the ball. Well, the few minutes I was there, anyways. Do you suppose she's sick? I've heard she's very shy; I wouldn't be surprised if she were sickly or an invalid as well. That is a rather cruel thought, though, isn't it?" Sakura reflected suddenly. "If I saw her, perhaps I could help make her feel better. I was close to finishing with Granny Tsunade…"
(Am I almost done with all this training, Granny Tsunade?
What, are you getting impatient?
No, not quite, but I still want to know.
A healer never stops learning and training, Sakura. But I know what you mean, and yes, you're almost done. Perhaps a few more months, and you can become an independent healer yourself.
Wow! Really? That close!
A maternal smile. Yes, Sakura, that close.)
Sakura heard a small rustle of leaves outside and jumped up, ready to hide. But there was no telltale creaking of a gate, no sound of steps moving closer, and when Sakura reached out her magic to sense for any auras, there was… nothing.
She concluded that it had only been a rabbit outside, or perhaps some other manner of creature.
"Sakura! What did you do?" hissed Ino, soon after Sakura had smoothly taken her place again as a servant at the ball. The musicians were playing a lively waltz, the crystal chandeliers glistened like dewdrops in the morning sun—
(A bare, empty room—
Granny Tsunade, you never told me you were the daughter of—
Don't say it! Anyways, I didn't want people to react the way you are right now!
But I can't believe it! You're a—)
"What do you mean?" replied back Sakura, keeping her voice low. Nobles seemed to insist that servants were seen and not heard.
Prince Sasuke was roving over every single person in the room, male or female. Sakura knew instinctively that he was searching among the servants for the most likely candidate to have broken into the garden, having concluded that none of the nobles would have had the opportunity nor the motive to bring it back to life.
Though she repeated to herself that he had no possible way of knowing it was her, she could have sworn his eyes had lingered on her for an extra one or two seconds before he had moved on. Regardless, his inspection was making her twitchy.
(Eyes on her—eyes—so many eyes—
Wow, Sakura-chan! You don't look half bad when you actually bother to clean yourself up—OW!
Shut up, would you!
That was supposed to be a compliment, dammit!
Well, keep your compliments to yourself!)
"Lady Hinata asked to see you after the ball was over!" Ino informed Sakura urgently. "What's this about?"
Sakura blinked. "Wait, why?"
"That's what I'm wondering!"
"How does she even know about me, anyways?"
"She asked Aiko about a—and I quote—'a petite servant with black hair and green eyes'. There aren't many servants with green eyes in this castle, and I'm afraid you're the only petite and black-haired one here."
"But why did Aiko tell her!"
"You of all people should know that we can't refuse nobles anything! What if Lady Hinata had found out? It would've been Aiko's job for sure!" retorted Ino.
"Well—yes—but then what? What did she say?"
"She said—very politely, of course—that when you were free, she wished for you to be escorted up to her room, where she desired a private audience with you."
"Do you—think I should go now?"
"Yes! Go! I only wanted to keep you long enough for you to explain yourself, but apparently you have no idea either, do you?"
Sakura shook her head.
"Well, go, go, go! It's the largest room in the East Wing—you know, the one you spent all day cleaning out?"
"How could I forget?" remarked Sakura sardonically. Inwardly, she felt exceedingly nervous—whatever the lady Hyuuga wished to see her for, it couldn't be good.
(S-Sakura, Papa wants to see you.
Mama, your eyes are so red! Have you been crying?
Just go! Listen to what he has to say!
Y-yes, Mama.)
It had taken some time to convince Lady Hinata's countless ladies-in-waiting that the noble was actually expecting her. Frustrated, Sakura had finally told them, "I'm Sakura! The maid she wanted to see!" Like magic, the name had made their eyes widen comically. They gave her a deliberate once-over, sneering at her, sneering at the mere servant.
Sakura was not very bothered by it. Those sneers came as part of the job.
Sighing, what was evidently the leader of the ladies-in-waiting, a devastatingly beautiful brunette with deep tints of red in her hair and hazel eyes flecked with green, escorted her through the East Wing and deposited her in front of the door to Lady Hinata's own private chamber.
"Look," began the woman testily, "I have no idea why she wants to see you, but be respectful or the Hyuugas will have your hide." She sniffed disdainfully, and Sakura opened her mouth for a parting shot. Then she remembered it would be unbecoming and unseemly for a maid to do so, and instead nodded stiffly, her eyes as cold as the hazel ones in front of her.
The other woman knocked sharply on the intricately carved wooden door.
"C-coming!" came a hesitant, barely audible voice from within.
Sakura heard shuffling sounds. Soon the door was thrown open and she drew in her breath sharply at the sight.
The lady Hyuuga was a beautiful woman. Her hair, so black it was almost blue, fell in a straight sheet to her waist. Her delicately embroidered white dress, which would have been unfashionable on another woman, complimented her exceedingly pale complexion (paler even than Sakura's) hugged her chest and then flared, giving a truly ethereal quality to the already angelic woman. But most striking of all were her pale lavender eyes, eyes like that of a blind man—
(A girl—no, a woman with soft tresses of pink hair that reached to her mid-back stared at Sakura. Apple-green eyes sparkled, undimmed by even the cheap mirror. A baby-pink dress made her feel like a princess… and for the night, she was a princess, she was the center of the world—)
Sakura noticed the lady-in-waiting was bowing deeply and hastened to follow. This wasn't the image she had had of Lady Hinata as all. While she looked as delicate as the stories had suggested, she wasn't plain or slow or clubbed or an invalid or…
"Y-you may l-leave, Yoko," muttered the noble.
If only she got rid of the terrible stutter, she could be a very awe-inspiring noble indeed, reflected Sakura, which was more than anyone could say for many of the vapid twits that had been born into such positions.
Sakura could almost taste the disregard Yoko had for Lady Hinata. Her hazel eyes fairly spat fire at the poor delicate woman, and anyone with eyes could see it.
Unless… Lady Hinata was… blind?
The former pinkette inspected the noble intensely. The girl certainly had the eyes of a blind woman. Her eyes were cast to her feet, to the ground. But surely if she were blind, she would have had an attendant, wouldn't she? Yet there was no attendant in sight, save for the personal handmaidens of Lady Hinata in the other room.
Yoko bowed deeply, once more, and then she spun around, leaving Sakura and Lady Hinata with quick, minced, loudly-echoing steps.
As soon as Yoko's steps could no longer be heard, Lady Hinata said quietly, "I—I'm not b-blind, you know."
Sakura's eyes widened. How did she know—? Her mouth opened to ask the question, but the noble beat her to it once more.
"I—I know that's what a—a lot of p-people who don't know much about the Hyuugas think wh-when they first meet me. I—I thought I ought to set the record straight… S-Sakura."
Sakura bowed and said politely, mechanically, "I apologize for any offense I may have cause, Lady Hinata." She kept her eyes locked firmly to the floor.
What would she do if she truly had offended Lady Hinata? The Hyuugas were very powerful, as one of the richest nobles in the land, second only to the ruling family themselves. They were so powerful that they even had their own army and their own bodyguards—often referred to as the branch family of the Hyuugas. Sakura suddenly wondered if there was any such branch member nearby, overseeing their meeting, vigilantly watching over the heiress to make sure that there would be no assassination attempts. She vaguely remembered reading a few attempts on the life of the delicate beautiful girl in front of her.
(I wish I was a noble!
Oh, no, you don't.
Why not? They have everything one could ever wish for in life—
Except for freedom, Sakura.
So what, Granny Tsunade? Why, if I had beautiful gowns and wonderful food to eat and parties and—
Did you hear about that Hyuuga heiress? How could you ever wish to be in her situation, Sakura? With great power comes great burdens.
Well, yes. I don't think I'd ever want to be her. The major nobles have far too much pressure on their shoulders. But to be a lower-ranking noble? One of those rich ones that are powerful but not too powerful? Oh, that would be wonderful…)
"C-come in," continued Lady Hinata, stepping inside and aside in one deft movement.
Sakura nodded, keeping her gaze firmly fixed to the floor as a sign of respect. She had cleaned the luxurious furniture in this room herself—
(Ugh, Ino, help? My back feels like it's breaking!
Are you kidding? Try washing windows for five hours straight!
I already have!
Really?
Yes!
Well, if you have, you ought to know how absolutely miserable it is. So, nope, sorry, I can't help you.
Ugh! What about that Lady Hinata is so great?
Stupid. She's the Hyuuga heiress!)
"S-sit," insisted Hinata. "I—I have some things I wish t-to discuss with you."
Sakura sank into a nearby armchair, overstuffed and soft, and never dreamed that she would have had such an opportunity. She looked up and noticed the Hyuuga heiress was still pacing in front of her, nervously jabbing her fingers together and biting her bottom lip, as though unsure of how to word her remarks.
"D-do you have many hobbies?" she finally asked.
Sakura started at the very ridiculous, very random question.
(Hello, I'm Sakura! Nice to meet you!
I'm Naruto.
Well, I guess we're supposed to start becoming best friends.
Yeah, Mom left me to go talk to that guy over there—
And Mama left me to go talk with some of her girlfriends.
So.
Sooooo…
Have any hobbies?)
"Begging your pardon," began Sakura, "but being a maid hardly allows one any free time during which to develop hobbies."
"Y-yes, of course. But—don't you h-have any interests at all?"
Sakura's voice softened. She could recognize painful shyness when she saw it, having to suffer through it for most of her childhood. Her heart couldn't help but reach out to the poor girl, so different from her on the outside yet so similar to her on the inside.
(Sakura, why don't you try to make some more friends?
B-but, Mama, they're all so scary—
Nonsense! Now, get out there and try to talk with them!
But they always make fun of my forehead and my pink hair and—
Then do your best to make friends with them in spite of all that!)
"I—like to read very much, whenever I get the chance," offered Sakura cautiously at last.
The heiress licked her lips nervously. Her shoulders hunched in and she clasped her hands tightly behind her back. "A-as you've said before, I—I hear that maids g-get very little free time?"
Sakura nodded. "Yes. We have one half-day off during the whole week. My day is Sunday. However, I am still lucky to get that much off."
"And, what do y-you do during those Sundays?"
I go to a forbidden, sleeping garden, and I do my best to wake it up, answered Sakura silently.
"I often go to bazaar where I complete my weekly shopping," answered Sakura out loud.
"N-nothing else?"
"There's not much time for anything else. It takes time to find the cheapest—I mean, the best deals."
"Th-the life you must lead is very interesting. I c-can only speculate," whispered Lady Hinata. She still hadn't sat down.
"I'm glad I could satisfy your curiosity," replied Sakura diplomatically.
Pray tell, dear lady, why must you interrogate me so? thought Sakura to herself, quite diplomatically as well.
"I—I hope you h-haven't been lying to me," continued Lady Hinata, her voice even softer than before, if possible, and even more timid.
Of course I've been lying to you, Sakura thought. But it's just a stupid garden, just a stupid secret. "I—"
Lady Hinata lifted her chin a bit more, even though her eyes remained firmly fixed to the ground. "I was at the ball. But I decided to g-go outside, to see the beautiful g-gardens. And I came across a l-locked garden, the one that we all know a-as that garden, one that I couldn't f-find a way into. Perhaps you don't kn-know, but every Hyuuga has a special a-ability: to see the unseen, as it were, t-to see behind us and through walls a-and into the future—well. I—I knew—I had heard that the locked garden was that g-garden. It was abandoned, a-and so I expected a-an unruly mess, a m-mess of dead plants and vines and—but, instead I saw… you, and instead of a d-dead garden, I saw a beautiful garden, an absolutely b-beautiful g-garden."
Sakura felt cold. She was frozen into her chair. What would the Hyuuga do now? How could the lady ruin her secret so? How could she take such a thing away from her?
(Why, Mama? Why won't you let me play with Naruto?
He's just—not a good acquaintance, Sakura. Stay away from him!
No! He's my friend! Why are you trying to take him away from me!
Stay away from him, Sakura!)
Filled with cold fury, Sakura raised her chin and fixed darkened green eyes on the noble. "Well, if you think you can—"
"N-no!" protested the noble softly. "I—I just wished to warn you about that garden—"
"I know perfectly well that it is forbidden. It was my own risk that I took. I won't pretend ignorance; you may do with me what you wish," interrupted Sakura coldly. If that Hyuuga lady was going to take her down, at least Sakura would go down with pride, on her own terms.
"Pl-please, let me speak, before you cast your judgment on my words," pleaded Lady Hinata. "Do y-you know the history of that garden?"
Puzzled, Sakura shook her head. "No."
"Castle Konoha h-has been in th-the royal family since the beginning of their dynasty, a-at least seven hundred y-years ago, Sakura. And when this c-castle was f-first built, with it was built… th-that garden. It was beautiful, so I have heard. The ladies of the f-family diligently maintained it, and it flourished, as did the country under the rule of the men of the family. But ever since the massacre, nearly ten years a-ago"—yes, Sakura knew exactly what massacre—"there have only been two Uchihas, one the king, and the other too b-busy with war to care much for some forgotten garden. A-and so it was locked up and closed, abandoned by the gardeners, b-because it would be blasphemy for such common h-hands to attend to such a sacred garden, of course.
"B-but, nearly fifty years ago, before the massacre, a powerful wizard and Seer, M-Minato Namikaze, o-one of th-the esteemed heroes of the land, made a pr-prophecy," continued Lady Hinata, "that the one to bring the g-garden back to life would be the Bonded of the second Uchiha."
Sakura's eyes widened as she shot out the comfortable chair.
(Hey, Granny Tsunade, what does Bonded mean?
What?
Bonded! What does that mean?
Well, Sakura, do you know how your Mama and Papa love each other very dearly?
Yes… though sometimes I'm not very sure about that—
Don't be ridiculous, Sakura. Anyways, sometimes two people, who are very magically powerful, know when they've found the other half of their soul, because the Bond between them calls out to them. Apparently there's an unmistakeable Bond between two people who love each other very dearly, though I quite personally don't quite believe in the sort of thing.
It sounds ridiculous.
It happens very rarely. Usually, even mages have to do it the old-fashioned way.
Do you think I might have a Bonded?
Who knows, Sakura? Who knows?)
"You're kidding, right?" demanded Sakura loudly.
Lady Hinata shrunk back from the force of Sakura's anger. "Pl-please—I'm not done yet—"
(Sakura-chan! I'm almost done—
Ugh, go away, Naruto! I'm busy!
But—Sakura-chan!
But Naruto had never had the chance to finish…)
Sakura sat back down.
"Fine," allowed Sakura, feeling for all the world that she was the noble instead of Lady Hinata.
The other girl breathed a sigh of relief. "Y-you are not the Bonded, because Prince Sasuke has already f-found her, so you needn't worry—"
(Hey, Mama, did you hear? Prince Sasuke got a fiancé!
Oh, yes. Lady Karin—wasn't that her name?
Uh-huh! I saw a portrait of her, Mama—she doesn't look much older than me!
She isn't. And Prince Sasuke isn't much older than you either.
Don't they look so perfect together, Mama?)
Her throat was dry. "What happened to Lady Karin, anyways?" Sakura vaguely remembered a scandal, one that the nobles covered up very well. But by its end Prince Sasuke was still unmarried, and Lady Karin had taken a mysterious vacation to one of the southern countries and somehow never quite returned.
Lady Hinata frowned. "Y-yes, his Bonded had been Lady K-Karin, but… certain circumstances made it quite clear that a match with her was c-completely un-unsuitable."
Sakura frowned. Even amongst the commoners, it was known that the alliance between Lady Karin and Prince Sasuke had been a match made in heaven… "What? What were those circumstances, m'lady?" Sakura inquired.
"I—I'm sorry, but it is such a disgraceful thing that we never speak of it. But I thought th-that, nonetheless, you should learn the history of that garden, and per-perhaps reconsider your association w-with it. I won't tell anyone, because it is your secret to tell, bu-but I—I hope you now know why Prince Sasuke is so—so intent on finding you. I—I don't know what he will do once he finds you; perhaps he will be amused, perhaps he will be fu-furious. I hope desperately for your sake that it is the former—"
"He won't find me," insisted Sakura. She left the chair and curtsied deeply at the noble. "I cannot thank you enough for your consideration, and I am deeply grateful for your help. But with all due respect, I mean it when I say that Prince Sasuke will never find me—"
Lady Hinata shook her head, smiling sadly. "You do not know Prince Sasuke as I do, Sakura. But believe me wh-when I say that once he sets his mind to it, he will find you. It—it is only a matter of—of when. You could abandon the garden now and simply become a niggling curiosity in—in the back of his mind, but I sincerely d-doubt that you are the type to do so, yes?"
Sakura nodded curtly once more, taking a few steps towards the door. "I sincerely hope you really won't tell anyone, Lady Hinata. The garden—it means everything to me, I hope you understand. When I first came here, it was what kept me from being homesick. I will keep taking care of it, but I will make sure Prince Sasuke will not find me," she vowed.
(Oh, Mama, Papa… I miss you—Mama, why did you make me leave, why—)
Lady Hinata smiled at her. It was a sad smile, a lonely smile, a smile Sakura had seen far too many times in the mirror—
(Why don't you play with those children, Sakura? Why are you so cold?
Mama…)
"I—I like you very much. I hope you don't find me too pre-presumptuous for saying this, but… I feel we—we could have been g-good friends," whispered Lady Hinata, refusing to meet the pinkette's eyes.
"Thank you," whispered back Sakura, gazing intently at the other girl's bowed black hair, and she left.
(Sakura-chan, weren't you my friend…?
Yes, Naruto, I was, I was.
I was…)
And so, the plot thickens! (dun DUN dun!)
So, I'm curious to know, what do you guys think happened to Naruto? -evil authorial wink of doom-
(Ugh, Hinata was a pain to write. I knew exactly what I wanted her to say, but adding all the stuttering became so TEDIOUS. X_X Sorry if it got in the way of you understanding what she was saying, but I wanted to keep everyone as in character as possible, considering that this story takes place in a major AU.)
Oh! And another side note. I don't like Sakura dyeing her hair either, but it's crucial for the story. XD
If you review you will suddenly find yourself imbued with the superpower of your choice! Take your pick. Invisibility, time control, super-strength...
edited 5.27.09. Decided Hinata's dialogue was too painful and stutter-y so I got rid of most of her stammering. Still included some to retain her character, but now hopefully you won't have to read through her speeches at least five times to get what she's saying. XD