Chapter 7: Found
Disclaimer: Naruto and all its characters belong to Masashi Kishimoto. The story is based on the fairytale Cap O' Rushes by Joseph Jacobs.
Author's Note: Thank you to all those who followed, reviewed or favorited.
Sasuke glanced warily at the basket filled to the brim with his favourite food—onigiri. Should he eat them? They could well be poisoned. He gingerly picked one up as he examined it thoroughly, and after deciding to trust that girl, he bit into it. It was delicious, he decided. Before long, he had already finished it and was reaching for a second one.
It was only when he was halfway through the fifth when he noticed a streak of pink amongst the white rice. It was a strand of hair, he realised, as he managed to pick it out.
Is it from the wig that Karin wore the other day? He wondered. But why would she wear a wig to make onigiri?
Sasuke was snapped out of his bewilderment by the sound of the opening door.
"Ah! There you are Sasuke! I was wond—"
Itachi stopped short as he took in his surroundings.
"Why do you have a basket of onigiri on the table?" Itachi asked accusingly.
Sasuke shrugged, "The imposter from the ball gave it to me as an apology."
Itachi opened his mouth to reply, but Sasuke interrupted.
"I was hoping you would help me identify whose this is." Sasuke opened his palm to show Itachi the strand of hair. "I found it in one of the onigiri."
Itachi took it from him and inspected it closely. "Unless it is from a pink wig, this should belong to your mystery girl." At this Itachi gave Sasuke a sly look which he ignored. "So, we just need to trace this back to whoever made that onigiri and we should find the girl as well."
"That's the thing," Sasuke sighed, running a hand through his hair, "Karin said that she was the one who made it. And she was red hair, not pink. She said that she made them with one of her c—"
Sasuke suddenly straightened. "That's it! She said that she made it with one of her cooks. That cook must be the pink-haired girl."
Itachi nodded, "And I think I know where she lives. You said her name was Karin, right? There is a mansion not far from here that belongs to a noble couple. If my memory serves me correctly, they have a daughter with the name of Karin."
Sasuke seemed to perk up at this piece of information. "Bring me there Itachi. Meet me by the castle gates." And he left.
Itachi shook his head and smirked slightly at his little brother's behaviour.
"Here we are."
Sasuke took a deep breath before taking a step forward, and proceeded to knock on the door.
"Ah, welcome to…" Karin, who had answered the door, slowly trailed off. When the realisation sank in, she couldn't help but give a surprised gasp at her visitors.
"Prince Sasuke? Prince Itachi too? W-was the onigiri not to your liking?" Karin asked, slightly fearful.
"There was nothing wrong with the onigiri. We just want to meet the cook who you said helped you made it."
"But why?" Karin was confused.
"It's nothing serious," Itachi replied, "We just suspect that she may be someone that we have been looking for."
Karin nodded, dumbfounded, but nonetheless opened the door wider to allow them entrance into the house. She quietly led the way towards the kitchen.
On the way there, Sasuke starting having doubts. What if she wasn't the girl that he was looking for? What if she didn't want him to find her?
It wasn't long before they reached their destination. Karin opened the large double doors that led to the kitchen and called out a name, "Sakura!"
Sasuke froze. Sakura means cherry blossoms. And cherry blossoms are pink. It couldn't have been a coincidence right?
A girl wearing a large cape with a hood that hid her face entirely came forward.
"You called for me, ma'am?"
"Yes, Sakura. These two said that they have been looking for you." She gestured to Sasuke and Itachi.
Underneath the hood, Sakura's eyes widened. But no one was able to see it.
"Your majesties," she bowed, "How may I help you?"
Itachi nudged Sasuke to speak.
"Uh… Karin said that you helped her make the onigiris. Is that true?"
She nodded.
"I found this inside one of them," he showed her the strand of hair, "and we think that it may belong to the girl that I danced with at the ball. If you don't mind, can you please reveal yourself?"
Sasuke could tell that she was hesitating. But eventually, she seemed to have given in when she replied, "As you wish, your majesty."
Sasuke could feel his heart thumping against his chest as the anticipation in the room rose. He watched as the girl's fingers curled around the fabric of the cape, before giving it a slight tug.
The first thing he saw was a mop of pink hair. As she slowly raised her head to look at them, he could see a pair of familiar green eyes. He smiled. It was a small one, but nonetheless genuine. I've found her.
He took a step towards the girl, only to be surprised and shocked as she took a step backwards. He took another step, and another. Each time he moved forward, she moved backward. He was confused.
"Why?"
The girl responded by shaking her head.
"Why?" he repeated.
This time, the girl bowed her head. "I am just a mere servant girl, your highness. I am not at all who you expected. We walk different paths. We are not meant for each other."
"How would you know who I expected you to be?" he countered. All the while, the gears of his mind were turning 100 miles per hour, making him even more confused. Why was she acting like this? It was as if she was a completely different person to the one he met at the ball. But he knew that they were one and the same. He just needed to find out why she was doing this.
She looked a bit startled at his comeback. "You were expecting a noblewoman, weren't you?" Now it was her turn to be confused.
"I wasn't expecting anything," he replied. "Whether you were a princess, or a beggar who lives off the sewers, it still doesn't change the fact that I…" he trailed off, cheeks flushing, "…that I… I like you. A lot."
The girl looked up in surprise. Her cheeks were tinged in pink. For a moment, Sasuke could see that she looked almost happy. That moment didn't last long though. Almost immediately, her features saddened once more as she shook her head again.
"You shouldn't like me." Tears were flowing from her eyes now. "I can't give you anything. I am worthless. A highly respected prince like yourself shouldn't set your sights so low. You should find someone else. Someone who is much more deserving of you. You will lose the respect you have among your subjects for being with someone like me."
So this is what it was about.
Sasuke closed the gap between them so quickly that the girl had no time to react. He placed a hand against her cheek. She gasped slightly at the sudden contact.
"You may just be a servant girl, but you act more like a proper lady than any noblewoman that I have ever met. You didn't jump at me like they do, just because I am good looking and am from a wealthy royal family. In fact, right now, you are putting your own interests aside for my sake. You are also much more beautiful than any other women I have met. Don't worry, you are more than worthy. If anything, it is probably me who doesn't deserve such a selfless, pretty girl like yourself."
Tears were flowing freely from her eyes now, as she showed him a genuine smile. "Thank you."
"No, thank you. Now, what do you say we go back to my palace, Sakura?
"Of course, Sasuke."
Someone cleared his throat from behind. The couple whirled around, only to see Itachi with a teasing smirk on his face.
"Sorry to interrupt you two lovebirds, but we really must be going. Father and mother are going to get worried."
Damn. Forgot he was still there.
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