Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto and am making no money from this work. This applies to the entire story.
Chapter 4: Seven Funerals and a Wedding
By Piplop
Autumn
Despite the thousand other administrative matters that had to be attended to and considered to keep the Stone Kingdom running, Sasuke's thoughts kept jumping back to his new bride. With a sigh, he leaned back on Amaterasu as her hooves clopped to the leisurely pace of the party traveling back to the Stone Kingdom capital.
He had rushed to the outpost after his exhausting meeting with the elders yesterday afternoon, pushing Amaterasu hard to try and make it before the Leaf Kingdom party arrived. It was common courtesy for the groom to at least be present and greet his betrothed, and although the entourage's unforeseen delay probably excused him from that task, Sasuke didn't want to give those foreigners any ammunition for complaints…
If Sasuke was to be completely honest with himself, another reason that he had rushed to the border was to see the princess. He had been a little anxious since, out of all the prospective marriage partners the elders had proposed, this was the only one that he had never met face-to-face. Although the Stone and the Leaf had their non-aggression pact, the two countries were still naturally untrusting of each other after decades of bloodshed. Without a formal, binding connection, traveling into either party's territory could prove to be dangerous. Most of the other women that had been picked by the council over the past year had been terrible, causing Sasuke to be more than a little worried about his bride…
The elders first brought him Lady Chiyo… Why would I marry someone from a lordship famed for eating contests and nothing else?! Are the elders trying to make the Uchiha clan into a joke?
Shion was even worse. He knew that people sometimes considered him bratty and selfish, but the spoiled priestess took it to another level.
And sure, Princess Koyuki of the Tide had been generally quiet and not bad to look at, but she treated everyone with the same cold indifference. The royal family was already viewed as pompous and uncaring. He didn't need his queen to further that impression.
Temari had been fine… Why aren't more noblewomen like her? Sasuke had actually gotten along with the tough Sand Kingdom princess, but it didn't work out for obvious reasons.
And this one… This one appeared to be…
Sasuke ground his teeth in frustration.
He had heard that Princess Hinata Hyuuga was a delicate beauty, greatly beloved and treasured by the people of the Leaf Kingdom. She had apparently been too precious to marry off before, as every single offer of marriage had been straight-up rejected without the Leaf King and Queen even giving the suitors a chance at a meeting. Sasuke had thought that she would be a radiant, precious jewel. However, the girl that he saw in the silver carriage last night had been a sore disappointment.
She was delicate looking, that's for sure—but with her pasty skin and bloodshot eyes, it looked more like she was about to pass out from exhaustion at any second! At this rate, he would lose Red Fox Castle to the Leaf Kingdom without even touching a single hair on her head.
I should've fought harder to take that clause out of the contract…
The girl had seemed to shrink in her chair when she saw him. She had already been swimming in her overly ornate robes and her impression of a frozen deer in the headlamps made her look even smaller.
Instead of the regal princess that Sasuke had expected, he got a stammering field mouse.
Sasuke's frowned at the memory of her pathetic stutter. His grip on Amaterasu's reigns tightened, wrapping pale, callused skin tightly around the boney outlines of his knuckles.
I should've known… They probably wanted someone weak like her that they could easily manipulate. It's all about control with them. Power. Those old farts were lying to get me married off!
He could feel a headache growing. On top of all the drama with cleaning out the corrupt members of the council of elders, he had to deal with his impending marriage to the girl. He had to get her on his side, under his control, and away from the clutches of the people seeking to topple his reign and take the throne. As a royal from the Leaf Kingdom and the future Queen of the Stone Kingdom, she would be able to exert significant influence in the coming years. Not to mention that, as his wife, she would have unlimited access to his personal chambers…
Sasuke winced. It wouldn't do to have the girl leaking his documents or poisoning him in his sleep.
At least she doesn't seem like the loud, blabber-mouthy type or the power-hungry type.
This was a political marriage anyway. The princess didn't need to be beautiful, smart, or have any special talents. All he needed was her heritage and the connections that came with it.
Before he saw the girl, Sasuke had wondered if Hyuuga eyes were really as pale as rumored. That was the one thing that hadn't disappointed him. When she had first looked at him with her wide, moonlit orbs, his heart had fluttered for a brief second in surprise. Anyone could see that she was a Hyuuga, and that was essentially all that mattered. Now, all she needed to do was to keep her mouth shut, not embarrass him in public, and pop out some kids in a few years. Sasuke shuddered and shook his head to clear his thoughts.
No need to think about that for a while.
His musings were interrupted by Amaterasu's quiet nicker. She turned her head in a playful toss and pricked her ears towards Sasuke.
"There, there," Sasuke leaned down to whisper into her ear as he stroked her white mane, tinted yellow with the dust of travel. Amaterasu was the fastest steed in the land, but she was always hungry for attention.
"You've worked hard these two days. I'll be sure to reward you with a nice bath and some sugar cubes when we get back." Amaterasu whinnied in pleasure.
Sasuke took a breath of the fresh mountain air and tried to wish away the throbbing headache at his temples. They had set out north from the outpost towards the Stone Kingdom capital early this morning and were currently following the thin stretch of grassland near the wall. Unfortunately, the line of bulky carts prevented their party from taking the direct route to the city through the mountains. Sasuke had only needed two hours last night to get from the capital to the outpost, but it looked like the slow entourage would need nearly a whole day.
He scowled at the lost time.
They better not release that bastard Mizuki while I'm away…
Sasuke shifted in his saddle with impatience. The swells of mountains and blades of grass were passing by with painstaking slowness. He itched to bring Amaterasu to a gallop and race back to the capital, but that would be viewed as an insult to the Leaf Princess.
His pounding headache intensified as he worried about the traitorous elder rotting in his prison cell and the ones who were still running free. He sighed and brought a hand up to massage his throbbing temple.
There's nothing I can do about any of that right now when I'm not even there…
Sasuke pushed the whispers of concern to the back of his head and took in his surroundings once again to try and calm his mind. The soldiers of the Leaf and Stone marched monotonously forward. The carriages and carts were far behind him and he could see the younger Hyuuga princess several horses ahead, leading the party alongside Asuma.
It was a wonder how different the two Hyuuga siblings were. Sasuke hadn't exchanged a single word with the younger princess, but she reminded him more of that diplomat Neji Hyuuga with her stiff posture and intense glare. Sasuke could tell that she was a fierce warrior and would be a strong ally someday—or a troublesome enemy, if things go sour with her sister…
Sasuke sighed, his headache returning with a vengeance.
It'll do me no good to think myself into a migraine.
His eyes fell upon the great wall to their left.
His wall was magnificent. Impenetrable. The pride of his (admittedly short) time as king. Sasuke's lips turned up slightly in a proud smirk. When the terrible internal strife had ended with Itachi murdering their parents and fleeing the country, Sasuke had immediately commissioned the barrier to quash any further rumors of the Stone Kingdom declaring war. It had taken weeks of arm-twisting to get the project approved by the council of elders. He even had to bribe Tenten with hefty new funds for her workshop to get the talented stoneworker turned blacksmith to agree to design and oversee the ambitious project.
It was both a defensive masterpiece and a symbol: With their borders physically and metaphorically set in stone, the people would no longer feed the bloodthirsty rallies for expansion. The barrier was only possible due to the powerful innovations of the past few years, secret technologies kept hidden to even the Stone Kingdom's own citizens. It was immovable, unscalable, and indestructible—at least with the weapons that other kingdoms had at their disposal…
Clip-clop. Clop-clip-clop—
Sasuke turned to glance behind him when he heard the approaching trot of a horse.
"Hey Sasuke, sleep well last night?"
"Yeah, better than I've gotten in the past week at least."
Shikamaru nodded in agreement, pulling his brown steed up to keep pace with Sasuke. This week had been a bureaucratic nightmare for everyone with all the hectic work that had gone into proving Mizuki's betrayal after they finally caught him red-handed. While the fruits of their entire year of surveillance were achingly sweet, they had spent the past few nights pouring over hundreds of scrolls of laws to make sure that the prosecutors came to the right ruling. Chouza, head of the Akimichi clan, had even set up soldiers to catch anyone who attempted to bribe the judge or jurors.
"By the way," Sasuke leaned towards Shikamaru, lowering his voice to an angry whisper, "you should treat me with more respect! Call me Your Majesty or something. I don't want the Leaf Kingdom to think that I'm someone they can just badmouth and get away with!"
Shikamaru raised a brow. Sasuke schooled his expression into a scowl. It had always been just "Sasuke" or "Brat Prince" with Shikamaru, and the people in the royal palace were used to it after twenty years of their friendship and bickering. Even after his unforeseen ascension to the throne and Shikamaru's promotion to General, their long-forged dynamic had stayed the same.
"As you wish, my King." Shikamaru replied, his monotone voice tinged with the slightest hint of sarcasm that others wouldn't have been able to catch. Sasuke's eyebrow twitched in annoyance. It sounded more like a mockery than an expression of fealty coming from his old friend.
Sasuke sighed. He could always count on the lazy Nara with his lack of respect for authority to bring him back to earth when he got a bit too full of himself.
"On the topic of the Leaf Kingdom…" Shikamaru scratched his head. He always did that when he felt awkward. "Don't you think you were a bit harsh towards the princess last night?"
Sasuke seethed. "The elders set me up!"
He looked around, noticing the mixed company of Leaf soldiers they were in, and started hissing through his teeth. It wouldn't do for the Hyuugas to hear this.
"They tricked me into marrying that pushover of a princess because they knew she'd be a complete and utter liability!"
He knew there must have been a reason they had twisted his arm into rushing the contract. Sure, the fall of the Leaf Kingdom's despots had probably been a trying time for the Hyuuga clan and it was a good opportunity for the Stone Kingdom to snap up those connections, but they must've had enough time to allow a face-to-face visit at least? Even if it wasn't secure for the princess to travel to the capital to see him, they could've met at the border, where both sides could more-or-less count on their safety.
Shikamaru sighed. "I'm sure I don't have to explain this to you but… You know, she's probably in the same boat as you. She has nothing to do with those guys." Shikamaru paused to let his words sink in.
Sasuke's frown only deepened. Shikamaru sighed and ran his hand through his hair.
"…You're not usually like this—letting your work and your emotions influence your judgment."
Sasuke looked down at Amaterasu's muscular neck and fell quiet, sorting out his thoughts. He had felt a tiny twinge of guilt at his harsh treatment of the princess last night. While he hadn't been that rude per se…
Itachi would never have treated her like that.
His older brother would've been the perfect portrait of a chivalrous gentleman; smiling, making small talk, and effortlessly charming his way into her heart. Sasuke tightened his jaw. He was no good at all that frivolity—never had been and still isn't. He would always be a step beneath his superior older brother.
After a minute of heavy silence, Shikamaru sighed again. Sasuke could almost hear the implied "how troublesome".
"You were tired, I was tired—we were all tired and angry after all that ruckus with Elder Mizuki. The Leaf princess got attacked two nights ago so she probably wasn't in top shape either… Besides, you've only said a few sentences to her. From what I've heard, she's actually supposed to be a nice girl." Shikamaru shot a glance behind them. "…Nothing like her cousin."
"Yeah… I know," Sasuke grudgingly ceded.
Shikamaru was right. He had let his rage at the elders' trickery and his displeasure at the forced marriage get to him. He had signed the contract with the honor of the Uchiha clan on the line, and now he needed to accept the consequences.
"Try to get along… Your life may depend on it, ya know…"
Sasuke dipped his chin in a short, curt nod.
If I want her support, I'll have to try and make amends later.
But no matter how unfair he may have been to her last night or how nice the Hyuuga may be, having someone so timid by his side would not do…
"…So, ahem," Shikamaru coughed into his fist. "Regarding the stand allocation for the New Year's festival…"
Sasuke's head snapped up and his eyes immediately shot to Shikamaru. They exchanged a quick glance. That was the code word for their private investigation into the elders.
Itachi's betrayal had revealed the shockingly deep reaches of corruption in the Stone Kingdom and, more than a year later, they were still digging for the root of it all. Although Sasuke didn't know if he would ever be able to forgive his banished brother, he had come to terms with the evils that had been unveiled and the arduous task of cleaning up the rot that had been handed down to him.
"You have an update for me?"
"Yessir. Got a hawk from Elder Chouza earlier this morning." Shikamaru visibly relaxed on his horse, careful to look nonchalant and bored to the outside observer. "All of the budgeting and the requested inventory accounting is essentially complete. We'll only be expecting minor changes from the vendors in the next three months until the festival."
Good, I was counting on Inoichi to finish compiling the profiles on the elders by the end of next month. I'll have to visit him to thank him in person for wrapping it up this quickly…
"Since we sorted out all the logistics for the face painting stand last month, I'll only talk about the three still-problematic vendors that are left."
Sasuke nodded. They had stripped Elder Yomi of his position, title, and lands after they had gathered enough evidence over the past year to prove that his religious cult was traitorous to the kingdom.
Trying to summon a demon to take over the world? That man was insane!
Every citizen of the Stone Kingdom now knew him as a fraud and a traitor, so he and his cult shouldn't be an issue anymore. However, they still had no idea where Yomi's funds came from. The goateed man insisted that they were blessings from his demonic god Moryo until the end, but Sasuke knew better than to trust him—there were no such things as gods or demons. The ridiculous amounts of gold that the initially penniless religious fanatic had somehow accumulated over the past decade had to have come from traceable human sources. It was such a shame that they had to release the man from prison before Ibiki could get the truth out of him…
"We decided to switch the locations of the fortune-telling stand and the gold fish stand due to how popular the fortune-tellers' was last year." Interesting… So they now suspected Elder Mui, lord of Hozuki Castle. In Sasuke's memory, the man had always been strict and a stickler for the rules.
"Did the gold fish stand vendors mind?"
"We cleared it with the owners without any ruckus."
Hmm… I was sure that Shinno was acting suspicious. That two-faced doctor must be better at covering his tracks than I thought.
"I also hear that the sign-maker's work is going steady with the dango stand. He hasn't gotten to painting the menu yet, though." Sasuke's lips tilted downward.
Not fast enough… Ibiki needs to crack Mizuki before his execution.
"When do you think he'll finish? He needs to wrap things up with the festival by next week so he can lacquer and gild the nameplates for the visiting dignitaries as soon as possible."
"I'll check in with him when we get back, but I know that the dango stand will have an updated sign and picture from last year at the very least." Sasuke glanced at Shikamaru with a lift of his brow. Should I go see Ibiki?
Shikamaru brought his hand up to stroke his scruffy chin, barely tilting his head to the left. No, nothing that big. I'll give you a quick update later.
"However, we should note that from recent surveys, people aren't pleased with this year's spread of stands." Shikamaru gave an unconcerned shrug that Sasuke knew to be anything but. "Apparently, the vendors have been spreading rumors about how the shops who got better locations bribed the organizers."
"Those morons…" Sasuke gritted his teeth. With the defamation of Yomi and the arrest of Mizuki, someone was starting to notice the investigations and was trying to do something about it—which means that someone out there was most definitely guilty.
It's probably Mui or Shinno. Mizuki isn't cunning enough to pull this off.
Sasuke knew that it wasn't hard to spread negative rumors about him. Unlike Itachi and his parents, he had never been interested in cultivating a positive public image—didn't have to. He never expected to have much to do with the greasy workings of politics as the second prince. All that mattered in the military was that you were strong, obedient, and delivered results.
But now that the series of unforeseen events had landed Sasuke on the throne, his opposition was doing all they can to portray him as an out-of-touch, corrupt dictator who offed anyone who disagreed with him.
The rest of those treacherous rats are getting nervous…
They want to discredit me, turn public opinion against me. But for what purpose? There's no clan strong enough to stage a coup. As long as I am still alive and have the support of the Yamanaka, Nara, and Akimichi clans, nobody can take the throne.
"I'll talk to my old man to see if there's anything we can do to find the ones responsible for the smears on the organizers. We don't want the Akimichi clan's reputation to suffer."
"Thanks for your hard work, Shikamaru." Sasuke nodded at his friend, who only scratched his head.
"It's nothing much."
Sasuke was honestly grateful for his friend's support. The lazy general had initially been dragged into volunteering for the festival planning committee by his friend Choji, the heir to the Akimichi clan, but their usage of the festival as a cover-up to discuss their inspection of the elders had added a lot of trivial assignments to Shikamaru's plate. He actually had to make sure the items they discussed happened in real life to keep up the pretenses.
The festival also had the added benefit of making Sasuke seem like he was more in-touch with civilian affairs, a small point in his favor in the eyes of the people. Of course, it wasn't quite enough to counterbalance the carefully designed slew of rumors that were being leaked around…
Sasuke scowled as he thought about the spores of nasty propaganda being dispersed throughout his kingdom and how little he was able to do to salvage his reputation.
I'm really not cut out for this…
He had spent his entire life assuming that Itachi would take the throne—everyone had thought it to be a sure thing. The Stone Kingdom was strong and prosperous and all of the noble clans had existed in stability under the rule of the Uchiha. Itachi himself had been a perfect Crown Prince.
…Probably from the day he was born, Sasuke thought resentfuly.
The late King Fugaku had poured all of his energy and attention into his firstborn son to prime him to be the perfect successor. While Sasuke wasn't exactly neglected, he never had any real expectations placed on him and spent his days training and sneaking out into the city with his friends. Calm, patient, and composed, Itachi had the ideal personality for a ruler. Sasuke was the more irrational, spoiled prince who was doted upon by his mother. He had always hoped that he would end up a general like Shikamaru once they were older, acting as the king's sword and helping to maintain the peace of the Stone Kingdom at Itachi's side.
No one had been able to predict the chaos that had ensued last year.
Sure, there were hints that something was brewing. It had started when their weapons-masters had developed Orochimaru's final invention enough for use, prompting King Fugaku and Queen Mikoto to start actively recruiting for the military. Even Sasuke, who used to try and avoid political nuances, had heard the whispers of war: they wanted to spread the glory of the Uchiha kingdom far and wide across the land.
Few noted Itachi's objections and his slow withdrawal. Those who did passed it off as a young man's anxiety for battle, as unlikely as it was for someone with Itachi's personality and background as an excellent fighter.
Sasuke swallowed the lump in his throat. Whenever memories of that night resurfaced—the night he found Itachi standing over the bloodied corpses of his parents, the images still nauseated him with despair and fear…
Sasuke couldn't sleep. His senses were screaming at him that there was something very wrong in the castle. But how could that be? They were living in a time of peace and the Anbu royal guards were the strongest in the land.
With an agitated glare at the bright moon, he threw off his covers and plunged out of bed. His room was lit up with the shivery gloss of night, the black silk sheets of his four-poster bed pooling like waves of tar in their rumpled form on the cold, oakwood floor. Everything was meticulously arranged in his room. His desk was clear except for a dappled gray whetstone and not a single katana was out of place hanging on the walls.
Sasuke perked his ears and listened. All was quiet in the castle.
I might as well take a stroll…
Sasuke grabbed his trusty chokuto, Chidori, in a last minute decision before striding out of his room.
The prince wandered around the empty corridors of the Uchiha clan's personal quarters on the top floor of the royal castle with no particular destination in mind. He didn't see or hear a single servant. It was awfully quiet for the night before what was sure to be a monumental war council meeting…
He approached the western wing of the floor, where the King and Queen slept.
The putrid stink of entrails and blood hit his nose. Sasuke's heart raced in alarm and his hand fell to his chokuto. He could recognize the stench of death anywhere. But this smell belonged on the battlefield, not in his home.
Sasuke hunched into a crouch and lightened his steps as he approached the King and Queen's quarters, deliberately placing one heel in front of the other. His cloth shoes barely made a whisper on the cold, wooden floors.
He saw the angry blood splatters on the walls before he saw the four royal guards' prone forms on the floor.
No, no…
Sasuke bent down. Their stomachs were sliced open in single, clean strokes, probably with a long sword. Only a professional could've murdered four Anbu without giving them enough time to even sound the alarm. Sasuke's heart raced in dread.
Who? How? Was that man back?
He saw a tuft of brown hair under one mask.
No… Please, don't be…
With eyes stretched wide open in horror, Sasuke tore off the mask and put two fingers at the man's neck.
There was no pulse. Even Yamato, Sasuke's former teacher, was dead.
The door to the King and Queen's rooms was open just a sliver, casting a cold, white triangle of moonlight onto the floors. Sasuke's heart drummed in his ears.
Every single one of his instincts were telling him to run away, to hide, to call for help, but even as his gut tugged him away from the alluring sliver of light, some morbid, fearful curiosity dragged his feet closer and closer to the door. He had a feeling that there was something he needed to see behind that door. Right now.
Sasuke rested his hand on the wooden frame, pushing it open halfway without a single squeak from the well-oiled hinges. The regents' tall room looked as it always did. A marble writing desk and chair was at the left corner under a closed window, scrolls neatly piled on the desk next to wooden brushes and bottles of ink. The mahogany vanity with its large mirror sat across from the doorway. Sasuke saw his own face peering back at him, framed by the half-opened door.
He blinked slowly. Once. Twice.
The large, maroon four-poster bed at the right side of the room was neat and unrumpled, but Fugaku and Mikoto were nowhere to be seen.
Sasuke's attention was suddenly drawn back to the mirror. He thought he saw a small movement across the room.
He squinted and peered more closely. Just a foot away behind the door, a dark form was hunched over something in the shadows. Sasuke drew a sharp intake of breath and immediately moved to unsheathe Chidori.
The shadow shifted again, meeting Sasuke's focused stare through the reflection in the mirror.
Sasuke immediately recognized the sunken coal eyes of his brother.
"Itachi!" With a shiiing, he sheathed Chidori and relaxed his stance. Sasuke took a deep breath and forced his heart to slow down. "You surprised me."
Relieved to find his brother, Sasuke stepped further into the room and walked behind the door towards him. The Crown Prince wore tight, black armor and long gloves, his long hair tied back in a low ponytail. His sword was sheathed at his side. Had he just been training?
Then, Sasuke glanced down and noticed that the Crown Prince was kneeling over the two bodies of their parents. The King and Queen's black kimonos were waterlogged and slick with a dark liquid.
Seeing their injured state, Sasuke panicked.
"Itachi! We need to get them to Tsunade before it's too late!" Sasuke's thoughts raced through his head. What happened? Who? What could they do to stop the bleeding? Where was Tsunade right now? What if she's not in her chambers? How long would it take to find Sakura? Should they move them somewhere else? Bring them to the healers?
"It's too late." Itachi's eyes had never left Sasuke. The young prince tore his eyes away from the pooling blood to look back at his brother.
"That's not possible," he spat out, glaring at Itachi in fury. How could he say something that heartless? "They are not dead! We can still save them!"
"I could kill you too, little brother."
Those words froze Sasuke in place, his brain slowly grinding to a halt.
No… It wasn't.
Itachi wouldn't… Couldn't.
The brother that he knew could never have done such a terrible thing. Their parents had given them love, kindness, and everything else the riches of an entire kingdom could buy.
But Sasuke didn't recognize the cold, stony stare of the man in front of him.
"Itachi?" Sasuke whispered, his voice low in disbelief.
There was only silence. Sasuke's eyes widened with a slow, dawning realization.
What could have prompted Itachi to do something like this?
Sasuke's throat felt drier than the deserts of the Sand Kingdom. A monster this cruel would do the same to him.
Sasuke registered Itachi slowly getting up from his hunched-over kneel in front of their parents' prone forms, his gloved hands glistening and dripping with a dark, viscous fluid. The man slowly stalked towards Sasuke. It was as if time were slowing down with each quiet step he took.
Sasuke screamed at his arms and legs to move, to carry him out of the suffocating chambers or to draw his chokuto and fight. Just… Do something!
But his fingers only twitched. Itachi's overwhelming aura pinned him in place as the stranger that he used to know crept towards him with a cold look in his eyes.
Itachi stopped a breath away.
Sasuke's heart threatened to jump out of his chest. He knew that he was no match for the man—he had never bested him in anything. He could foresee his death: that blade would pierce through him, the silver metal still sticky with their parents' blood, ending his life as it had ended hundreds before him.
His vision blurred and everything throbbed crimson when Itachi reached up in a smooth motion.
Sasuke felt a hard tap on his forehead. His heart stopped.
"Take care of the kingdom, little brother."
An hour later, the royal guards found him on his knees surrounded by six dead bodies, seemingly in a trance. A large black bag filled with scrolls was collapsed and torn open on the floor next to him, their thick, cloth wrappings soaked in the sticky, drying pool of blood.
The next day, when all the intelligence had been gathered, they had reached the conclusion that Itachi Uchiha had committed the crimes of murder, high treason, and regicide willingly and without an accomplice. It was easy to collect the evidence. It almost seemed like Itachi purposely laid out everything perfectly for them to find.
"We have to tell the people," Sasuke heard Inoichi cry out. "But this is disastrous news for the kingdom. The betrayal of the Crown Pr—Itachi, will destroy any stability that we have built! We don't even know his motivations…"
"—And someone of his abilities on the loose will strike terror into every citizen!" Shinno added. "It'll incite riots in the streets! The Stone Kingdom will collapse!"
The rest of the elders murmured in fearful agreement.
"…No." Sasuke's voice was raw, cutting through the buzz of the large war room. He looked up and surveyed the expansive room with its long mahogany table. The King and Queen were supposed to be having a much different discussion here today… "Itachi Uchiha is dead."
"What?!" Chouza sputtered and jumped up. "He disappeared without a trace! Everyone is in grave danger unless we catch him as soon—"
"Quiet!" Sasuke's eyes flashed in rage, silencing the room once again. He continued in a deeper, lower voice. "The people… They are safe from him."
In the silence of anticipation that followed, Sasuke looked around the room at the faces of surprise and disbelief. He took a deep breath, thinking of the contents of those damning scrolls.
I will be King now. I have to take responsibility.
"I killed him with my own hands. That is the end of this conversation. Tell that to the people."
"No matter who you are, we can't just accept that explanation without any pr—!"
Shikaku interrupted Chouza with a raised hand. He stared into Sasuke's eyes calculatingly, the Nara clan leader's eyes glinting with intelligence. Sasuke could almost see the gears in that genius brain churning as he was taken apart and judged.
Shikaku closed his eyes and frowned. When he opened them again, he swept his gaze across the room and continued in a cautious voice, "Perhaps that would be for the best…"
Sasuke stood at the bottom of the gray stone steps leading up to the red gate of the shrine, all of the noble clans of the Stone Kingdom waiting behind him. The midday sun shone bright in the clear sky. Sasuke breathed and took in the earthy scent of decomposing earth and leaves. The astronomers had predicted today to be a fortuitous day for a wedding. It seemed that they had been right about the weather at least.
Sasuke blew out a small huff of breath in annoyance. It was an unusually warm autumn day and the thick, black layers of his kimono were starting to make him sweat. He could hear the beginnings of hushed whispers rustling behind him. He ignored the murmurs of his subjects and instead stared intently across the gray stone plaza at the bamboo forest. The emerald green stalks languorously swished back and forth with the gentle wind, not experiencing any of the anxiety that Sasuke was currently feeling.
What is taking them so long? Let's hurry and get this tedious ceremony over with!
He was debating whether to send Ino or some other lady to check on the Leaf Kingdom party when he saw figures exit the thick covering of stalks and leaves.
Finally…
Sasuke breathed a sigh of relief that he didn't realize he had been holding.
His bride wore a white, silk cape over her ornate purple robes, the traditional bleached uchikake hood draping over her head. She was accompanied by the rest of the Leaf Kingdom entourage. All of their soldiers had donned traditional wedding kimonos of black and silver in favor of their armor and weapons. A man walking behind his bride held a wide bamboo umbrella over her head, its lilac silks shielding her from the strong rays of the sun. The shadows cast by the cloth of the umbrella bathed the girl in a dull, purple glow.
As they approached, Sasuke could make out Neji Hyuuga and the younger Hyuuga sister walking at his bride's left and right. They wore matching black kimonos with silver obis. A large flame inside a circle was boldly embroidered in silver at the base of their kimonos—the Hyuuga clan crest. Sasuke glanced down at the too-big Uchiha fan embroidered in red and white at the bottom of his kimono. It looked just as pretentious.
Sasuke looked up again and spotted the ambassador from the Yuhi clan walking a little ways behind Neji. She wore a simple black kimono with a silver obi decorated in the thorn pattern of her clan.
When his bride finally stopped three meters in front of him, Sasuke could see that her breath was a little rushed and her cheeks were flushed pink with warmth. Sasuke felt a small pang of sympathy for the girl.
It must be a lot hotter for her under all those layers than it is for anybody else here…
The Hyuuga princess bowed slowly and elegantly at the waist, the white hood of her cape draping fluidly against the silver headdress that she was wearing.
"The Hyuuga clan of the Leaf Kingdom is honored to present itself here today in marriage." Neji's voice rang strong and clear across the plaza as the rest of the Leaf's entourage followed in the princess's bow.
Sasuke thought that the dark bowed heads of the seventy or so people present made an interesting sight, like a bed of bent nails.
When they rose, Sasuke returned the bow, the nobles behind him following suit. Unlike the Hyuuga princess, he had no relatives to announce for him, so he cleared his throat and spoke for himself.
"The Uchiha clan of the Stone Kingdom is honored to present itself here today in marriage."
With the introductory formalities done, it was now time for the ceremonial exchange of gifts.
Sasuke turned to look at Asuma behind him. The bearded captain nodded his head and stepped forwards, leading a large gray stallion by lengthy silver reigns reinforced with iron. The dappled beast was bridled and saddled with the finest leather harnesses that money could buy. His headstall was gilded in silver and his saddle was decorated with gleaming metal armor that draped down his flank. His mane and tail had been braided into neat, thick pleats with ribbons of maroon velvet woven in.
With a deep grunt, the stallion was led to a stop between the two parties. Sasuke quietly cleared his throat again.
"The groom would like to present the bride with this prized stallion, Tsukuyomi, symbolizing the Stone Kingdom's promise of strength and loyal companionship through this union with the Leaf." Tsukuyomi was a younger sibling to Amaterasu, born of the same excellent pedigree. He was strong, easy to handle, and swift—though not as swift as Sasuke's steed, of course!—a worthy wedding gift to a royal. Sasuke thought that it was a shame to gift him to the princess. She would probably have little use for the magnificent beast of war. Tsukuyomi would probably just waste away in the royal stables until the end of his days…
His bride dipped her head in a polite show of thanks as a man stepped up to take the reigns from Asuma. With no resistance from the obedient steed, the soldier led Tsukuyomi towards the back of the Leaf Kingdom party.
Once the horse was settled, the younger Hyuuga princess—Sasuke now recalled that her name was Hanabi—stepped forward. With her two arms, she held out a sleek black box with a gold clasp and did a small bow at her waist. She unlocked the long box with a practiced motion, revealing a simple sword with a worn leather hilt lying on a bed of black silk. Neji stepped forwards and prepared to speak.
"The bride would like to present the groom with the legendary Sword of Kusanagi."
A wave of surprised gasps came from the Stone Kingdom nobles. Sasuke raised an eyebrow at the declaration. This was the sword said to have been wielded by the first great emperor of the land. It was a priceless treasure!
He squinted slightly at the weapon to inspect it further. Although its hilt was old and spotty with age, the elegant edge of the blade still gleamed, untarnished by rust or wear. He had no doubt that the metal still had bite.
"The union of the Leaf and the Stone brings forth a new era for both kingdoms. We pledge to you the loyal support of our army and our men whenever the need calls."
Sasuke could hear the pleased whispers of the nobles behind him. While the Sword of Kusanagi was surely impressive, Sasuke was certain that those men and women were more enthralled with the alliance to the mighty Leaf Kingdom's military and the potential that their combined forces had for destruction and domination.
Those warmongering bastards… Will they never give it a rest?
Asuma stepped forward to take the wooden box. Sasuke bowed upon receiving the gift and stepped towards his bride. He noticed that she looked much better today than when he had first laid eyes on her two nights ago. Sasuke had been pulled into official matters of the court ever since they returned to the capital from escorting the Leaf princess and hadn't visited the girl.
Shikamaru had passed along Ibiki's discovery that very night: Mizuki had been trying to transport the stolen scroll to a contact in the Cloud Kingdom. This was extremely disconcerting news. Their northwestern neighbor mostly kept to itself, not often getting involved in border skirmishes. They even had a strict policy of not allowing foreigners entry except for the occasional merchant or trade ship. As a result, the land was shrouded in mystery and few outside of its borders knew of its geography.
With the attempt on the Leaf Princess's life and now this, what's going on? What are they planning? It doesn't make sense for them to want to attack now. The wall is complete and the Stone is stronger than ever…
Sasuke was extremely thankful that he didn't need to take care of any preparations for the wedding ceremony amidst the hectic happenings of the past two days. He looked up and down at the woman standing in front of him and nodded in approval. It seemed that the servants had done a perfectly good job of welcoming his new bride and preparing her for the wedding.
Hinata Hyuuga stood with elegant poise, her head tilted up just high enough to assert nobility but not overly so to imply pride. Her skin glowed like fine china under the purple shade of the umbrella and her small lips were painted a luscious red. Sasuke brought his gaze upwards and found himself staring into expressive, wide eyes framed by a bed of dark lashes. With a smidgeon of surprise, he realized that they were not the pure white that he had originally thought, but had a slight tint of lilac.
Sasuke breathed in a delicate, alluring whiff of honeysuckle, probably from the baths that the maids had drawn for the princess. Even without the makeup, the one day of rest after her arrival seemed to have worked wonders for her looks. With her current graceful demeanor, she could be considered quite beautiful.
However, Sasuke could see through her mask of confidence quite easily up close. Her eyes were a bit too wide and she kept glancing away, as if she were afraid to meet his gaze. She also seemed to be nibbling on the inside of her mouth, perhaps trying to control the small trembles of trepidation that he could see flitter across the petals of her lips every few moments. The quiet ruffling sounds of fabric at her sides hinted at trembling hands.
The princess was nervous.
Ah… She's probably still scared of me or something.
Sasuke pressed his lips together in annoyance, recalling Shikamaru's advice.
I have to get her on my side… Be nice…
Sasuke schooled his expression into a small smile—he hoped it didn't look too forced—and offered the Hyuuga princess his arm. Her eyebrows lifted in surprise. She frantically glanced down at the Uchiha crest embroidered on his sleeve and then back up again at his face.
"Shall we?" Sasuke prodded quietly, pointing his chin towards the tall steps to the top of the shrine.
"Ah yes, thank you." The princess took his arm in an elegant, smooth motion as they turned to face the stone stairs. Although her small voice had wavered a bit, Sasuke noticed that there was no stuttering this time.
Perhaps she's not as weak as I'd originally thought.
Her hand was a gentle press on the crook of his elbow, as if she were afraid to intrude. Sasuke frowned.
This won't do… It looks as if she's afraid to touch me. The nobles will laugh.
With his free arm, Sasuke took her hand and tucked it more securely against his side. He noticed that her palms were cold and slightly clammy.
"This is better," he whispered under his breath just low enough that only she could hear him.
When he glanced down at his bride, he saw that a violent red blush had flushed her face where it wasn't covered by the hood of her white cape.
Sasuke smirked. So she was shy.
As they proceeded up the hill with the nobles of both kingdoms in tow, Sasuke noticed that each step of the shrine was worn down in the middle. The hard gray rock that was otherwise mottled brown and green with moss had been polished with shiny, step-sized grooves, attesting to the rich history of this place of worship. This was where generations of Stone Kingdom citizens hosted weddings, conducted funerals, or simply came to pray. Tall maple trees stood guard over the path to the red gate, their crimson and gold leaves creating a warm patchwork of light. The autumn winds playfully blew up the hill, tugging at dried leaves and tossing them around across the ground.
As they neared the top of the stairs, Sasuke noticed the Hyuuga's breath coming out in more ragged gasps. She didn't try to slow their pace or motion to stop for a break, but her hand pushed harder on the crook of his arm for support.
She's actually as fragile as she looks, huh? Well, at least I won't have to worry about getting strangled in my sleep.
They finally reached the top of the hill after a few minutes. The tall crimson gate of the Shinto shrine framed a small stone clearing in the maple thicket. An elegant wooden temple sat in front of them, its roof a freshly painted black and its beams bright red. An elderly monk stood waiting on the porch in front of an aging bronze bell twice his height. He stepped forwards to reveal a cast iron cauldron filled with white sand behind him.
Sasuke thought that the monk looked like a shriveled prune with his leathery skin and small stature. His wispy white beard contrasted rather humorously with the shiny dome of his bald head. He wore the traditional black and gold kesa robes of the monastery and carried a long string of wooden beads in his left hand and a candle in his right.
He gave them a nod to indicate that they should approach.
Ding! Din-dong…donk!
Strings of smaller bronze bells hung from the cross-beams of the temple's ceiling in front of them, clanking together in dull, muted peals with occasional caresses of the breeze.
The Hyuuga gently disentangled her arm from his as they walked towards the temple in unison. Sasuke dropped his arm back to his side, almost missing the light warmth that lingered.
They stopped just in front of the steps to the temple porch and bowed in tandem to the monk.
"Rise…" The monk's voice was gravelly and deep, contrasting with his frail image. He gestured towards a slender vase filled with sticks of incense on the first step of the temple.
"Pay your respects to your ancestors."
They bent forwards and each pulled out three sticks of incense from the black pot. Sasuke noticed that while he just grabbed three random sticks from the side of the vase, his bride carefully picked them out one-by-one with her dainty hands.
She's graceful…
Sasuke stepped onto the porch and approached the monk, arms outstretched with the thin sticks of incense. He dipped the tips into the flame of the monk's candle until they started smoldering, glowing with dull orange embers. Sasuke withdrew from the flame and waved the sticks around in front of him, trailing a thin ribbon of opaque, white smoke that curled and unfurled into itself before slowly dissipating. He could smell the light, enticing aroma of burning aloeswood wafting through the air, hued by a refreshing trace of bitterness. As Sasuke stepped towards the cauldron of sand to complete the incense ceremony, he saw the Hyuuga girl doing the same out of his peripheral vision. They both bowed low three times and firmly planted the sticks of incense into the sand of the cauldron.
The monk hmmed in satisfaction, his eyes crinkling into a smile. He took each of their hands and led them past the cauldron deeper into the temple. The skin of his hand felt both dry and smooth, like crinkled wax paper. Sasuke and Hinata stopped in front of the large bronze bell hanging from the crossbeams of the temple ceiling. The monk motioned for them to turn and face one another about two feet away. He then stepped back and cleared his throat.
"Sasuke Uchiha, you wish to marry this woman and become her partner," he stated, his strong voice ringing across the clearing.
My wish? More like the elders' wish…
"Will you, in peaceful times and during sickness, love, respect, comfort, and help this woman? Until death do you promise to fulfill?"
"Yes, I promise." Sasuke stared down at his bride as he said those words loud enough for everyone gathered in the clearing to hear. The Hyuuga princess was staring a hole into the floor. The quick rise and falls of her chest indicated that she was breathing a bit too rapidly. A crystalline droplet of sweat oozed a misty track down the side of her blushing cheek, pooling at the tip of her chin. He could see the cartilage of her long, pale neck bobbing up and down as she swallowed every few seconds.
No doubt that she was nervous. Her throat was probably dry from that trek up to the temple.
"Hinata Hyuuga, you wish to marry this man and become his partner." All of a sudden, the girl lifted her chin and stared straight at Sasuke. He blinked. She nibbled her bottom lip.
Sasuke could see the trapped desperation broiling just beneath the surface of her large, pale eyes.
"Will you, in peaceful times and during sickness, love, respect, comfort, and help this man? Until death do you promise to fulfill?"
The girl expanded her chest and drew her spine upwards in a deep breath. She closed her eyes and breathed out slowly, parting her lips. When she opened her eyes again, looking at the monk, her hands were shaking, her lips were trembling, and she looked as if she were about to cry. Sasuke frowned.
Is she going to say no…?
"Yes, I promise." She spoke her vows in a voice like the ringing of silver, high and clear like a birdsong. Sasuke could hear none of the hesitance and fear that he saw in her body.
"Then, I am pleased to announce the union of Sasuke Uchiha and Hinata Hyuuga. In the eyes of the gods and in the books of men, you are now wed."
As the crowd below them cheered their congratulations, the deep, clanging tolls of the grand bell of the temple thundered throughout the Stone Kingdom capital.
Author's Note: First chapter from Sasuke's perspective! This was a bit of a challenge. Not sure how it came out and the scene transitions also felt a little iffy… Please leave me a review to let me know your thoughts! Constructive criticism is always appreciated. Should I do more Sasuke POVs or just have Hinata?
I did a little extra research for the wedding scene in this chapter. I looked up several of the traditions from ancient Japanese or Chinese weddings (they were usually Buddhist and done at Shinto shrines) and tried to describe them as best as I can. I skimped out on some things and added some other things, but I think the general gist is there. My impressions were that traditional weddings are pretty ceremonial and formal. If any of you have more knowledge on this topic, leave me a note!
By the way, since break is now over, I may not be able to do weekly updates anymore, but we'll see. :)
To the Sasuke Guest reviewer from Chapter 3: Not sure if you're reading this, but thank you very much for taking the time to write a thoughtful critique. (I would PM you, but, alas, you're anonymous) I did take your comments into consideration for this chapter since I do think you make a point, and I think that the more in-depth exploration of Sasuke this chapter (this time not from Hinata's perspective!) paints a fuller picture of his personality and his motivations. Even if you choose to not continue to read my fic, I would appreciate it if you left me another review or PM to let me know your thoughts.