Crossing Stars
Yugao
Author's Note: The third chapter's here, and I'm glad you guys are still reading and reviewing! In this chapter, Tenten and Sasuke meet, as do Neji and Sakura. The question is, what are their first impressions of each other? Will these last long enough to be proven right? Does Sasuke really like tomatoes? For all the questions except the latter (or not), I suggest you read on.
Disclaimer: There's nothing in Naruto I own.
Chapter 3… So Near, So Far
Neji stood at the front door; his placid eyes were expressionless save for an almost unnoticeable narrowing of them that meant he was borderline-frustrated. As his uncle requested him to, he wore a formal black robe and had tied his hair back in the traditional style he wasn't quite used to. He wanted nothing more than to be alone at that moment, but it was what the daimyo – and what the city-state of Higure – wanted and expected him to do.
A quick glance towards the outer gates told him a carriage had just paused in front of the estate. He closed his eyes for a moment to listen, to discern the sounds of the city hustle and bustle from a carriage door being opened, delicate footfalls towards the manor… but reaching the moon would have been an easier task.
He turned instead to the other people in the room with him. Standing at the other side of the door was Hinata. She, too, was dressed in her formal garb – a black kimono with snow-laden branches of setsuka reaching out from the hem, and a silk white obi belt cinching her waist. Her dark hair had also been tied in a tight but not severe bun, held in place with a black crown-like hair ornament, away from her pale face. She caught his gaze, nodded timidly, and peered out to the gates once more.
Farther away was his uncle, the daimyo, who nodded to him when they locked eyes. The man seemed more regal, more commanding, than ever; he was dressed simply, in a black robe similar to yet not as intricate as Neji's – but still he seemed the most intimidating figure in the room.
"Neji! Are you excited to finally meet your future bride?" a loud voice interrupted his train of thought. He turned to see Lee, his childhood friend as well as the daimyo's official messenger. He was one of the few in the court who didn't address him as master – he refused to, and so no one forced him. His dark eyes closed and crinkled with his wide smile. "I've never seen Sakura-san, but I hear she's very beautiful. You are extremely fortunate, Neji, to have her as your soon-to-be wife!"
Higure's future daimyo let out an exasperated sigh, the most emotion he had dared betray that day. "I thought the daimyo sent you out to send a message this morning. Shouldn't you still be out delivering it?"
"Ah, my rival underestimates my speed and efficiency!" the young man laughed. "While it is true that Hiashi-sama sent me out on a mission today, I have already delivered it and made it back to Higure. How can I possibly miss the opportunity to meet the famed Sakura-san?"
Neji ignored him, because Hinata had gasped, "She's coming, Neji-nii-san!"
He stiffened as the voices he had only vaguely noticed before became more audible with each passing moment. Beside him, Lee seemed to only barely contain his excitement; the boy seemed to panic and fidgeted silently as he stood there beside him. The door slid open in a sort of painstaking slow motion.
Standing there in the doorway was a young woman, Neji's age or perhaps younger, with her pink hair tied in a formal bun and her vivid green eyes sparkling with childlike wisdom. Her kimono, though slightly rumpled, was intricately designed; it seemed a piece of art that had taken years to complete.
She struck him as a porcelain doll, one better kept high up on the shelf lest it fall down and break. She seemed so fragile, so delicate, to him. Already they seemed several worlds apart – she who had been sheltered and pampered all her life, and he who had already seen bloodshed and war alongside his uncle.
He gave her a courteous bow, but didn't bother to feign a smile. "Ohayo, Sakura-san. I am pleased to finally be able to meet you," he told her stiffly.
Her eyes seemed to widen slightly at his manners, but she bowed back to him, this time deeper and more respectful. She coupled the gesture with a tight-lipped smile. "And I you, Neji-san. I pray we will get to know each other more closely through this."
As Lee and Hinata took their turns greeting the newly arrived guest, Neji's pearl-white eyes gazed off at his future bride. He watched as she talked to Hinata, giving a slight bow of respect to her before they spoke – her manners were refined and elegant, as would be expected from a daimyo's daughter. She even cordially endured Lee's constant questions and compliments – she seemed to have infinite patience. Yet, for the first time, he wondered if, like him, she thought everything awkward and uncomfortable; he gathered, despite her easy smile and friendly manner, that she did.
Tenten tugged self-consciously at the lacquered comb in her hair for reassurance. Realizing that she had been doing just that over and over the past few hours, she forced her hand back to her lap. Being the newest of the maidservants in the Kiritsubo (or, at least, pretending to be so), she was tasked with letting the guests in and showing them to their rooms. The day was a lull one, and she had amused herself with playing with the smooth pale blue satin on her kimono.
She sighed. A few hours before she had actually thought the mission to Higure would be fascinating, exciting beyond all measure. She expected adventure, espionage, and thrills at every corner. And where was she now? Sitting at the doorway of the Kiritsubo Inn, sometimes drifting into a fitful half-sleep.
Though she was sternly instructed to wait at least two days before she carried out her mission, the assassination seemed the only thing on her mind. Surely she wasn't looking forward to killing an innocent young woman, but the mere thought of it saving her comrades strengthened her will. Mayuri, a mere inn matron who knew nothing of the mission details, had guessed at it.
"This has something to do with the young daimyo-to-be and his marriage with the Akegata daimyo's daughter, no doubt," Mayuri huffed, more of a declaration than a statement seeking confirmation. She pulled at the obi on Tenten's waist, cinching it tighter and making the girl give out a small squeak. The woman brushed it off absently. "The union will obviously be a perilous one on our side."
Tenten nodded as she eased the woman's grip slightly. "I am sure it will be, if it takes place. The master has made it clear that we must not take any such chances."
"To be sure, to be sure," the older woman replied as she picked up a small phial of clear liquid, and dabbed some onto the younger woman's pulse points. It smelled of jasmine and vanilla mixed into one. "But child, I pray you are quite capable of doing this. I know I have no right to doubt your skill, since the mere fact you are with them means you are more than able to do what others cannot. Still, you are only a child, are you not? It does not matter, though, if your heart is set on it, you can very well do the task."
"I pray I will be able to," she answered, bowing courteously before turning to take her leave.
She lifted a hand to a hidden pocket inside her kimono sleeve; it hid the pouch that held most of her weapons. There was another, on the opposite sleeve, and another, attached to her leg under the under-robe. She touched two fingers to each of those pouches warily, as if to make sure they were still there. It was her first most important mission, and she wanted to make sure she did it well. So she tended to be a little over-cautious, but it was better to be prepared than otherwise.
The sound of the paper-paneled balsa wood door sliding open woke her from her reverie. She was rather surprised; she had been listening for footsteps all day and she had heard none, most especially not in the past few moments. Tenten, having lived the past few years in a rebel camp, had trained to heighten her senses, but she hadn't expected anyone at all.
Without looking up, she stood, gave her slightly rumpled kimono a quick brush of the hand, and raised her eyes to the guest. It was an effort to stay passive as she stood there in front of him. He was a tall, pale-skinned young man, dressed simply in traveler's garb. A sword scabbard was strapped to a baldric on his back, and his robes were dark blue. His hair was dark, mirroring his deep, intense dark gray eyes.
She stood there for a moment, staring into his eyes and he into hers. Finally, she remembered both her task and her manners, and gave a courteous bow, as Mayuri had instructed her. "Good morning, sir, welcome to the Kiritsubo Inn," she said, coupling her greeting with a sincere smile.
He looked on indifferently. "You are new here," he observed. His voice, deep but not gravelly, low but not harsh, sent chills down her spine. There was something extraordinary about him, but she dared not guess what it was exactly.
"Yes," she stammered. Realizing she did, she cleared her throat and tried again. "Yes, yes I am. Would you like to speak with Mayuri-san? I'll bring her here as soon as I can, at your word."
He shook his head. "I know my way around," he answered. For a moment his dark eyes took in all of her, from her dark brown hair to her woven straw sandals. His eyes rested on her feet for a while, making her more than a little uncomfortable. Then, he looked back into her eyes, something more of curiosity now in his gaze. "You?" he asked uncertainly.
"Excuse me?" she asked. What was he talking about?
His eyes narrowed. "Don't lie to me," his tone took on a sort of growl at the impertinence she didn't know she was showing. "You were at the side route to Higure just this morning, were you not? Your sandals are marked with red earth, the kind only found on that road. But tell me, why did you need to pass that way, when you could have just as easily passed through the gates? Do you, who appears to be a simple serving-girl at an inn, have something to hide from the world?"
She didn't dare speak.
"Sasuke-san!" luckily, Mayuri saved her just in time. The rather plump woman walked over to the young man, whom she had addressed as Sasuke, and looped her arm around his. She tittered slightly at him, while he turned red. She talked to him as a mother would to an infant, cooing and giggling. "I see you've met our new serving-girl, Tenten. Be kind to her, all right, Sasuke-san?" she said with a lilting laugh.
He gave her a final begrudging look before he finally let himself be led away. She turned away and shuddered. Already, this Sasuke had frightened her like no one else had before. Something was different about him – but she was afraid to figure out what that was.
Lee hummed a tune to himself as he wandered the great halls of the daimyo's palace. Whenever he had nothing to do, no mission to undertake, he took to discovering the little secrets the great house still withheld from him. He was sure that, despite the fact he'd learned to walk in these corridors, there were still places he'd never seen and rooms he'd never entered. Still, that day, adventure was the farthest from his mind.
His thoughts wandered back to the morning, to the very moment the door slid open to let the daughter of Akegata's daimyo enter. Certainly he had been to Akegata before – it was he who delivered the correspondences between the two for the arranged marriage, after all – but he had never before laid eyes on Sakura, neither had he expected to find her so stunning.
Inwardly, he scolded himself. He knew that despite their wishes, Neji and Sakura were fated for each other – otherwise the marriage would never have been settled at all. And Neji was his best, dearest friend – how could he possibly even think of his future wife? He heaved a deep sigh as he turned the corner. The next corridor, he knew, was a veranda that overlooked all of Higure. Maybe, just maybe, he'd be able to clear his mind there.
He froze, because the moment he entered the veranda, he saw the very person he was trying to forget.
Sakura was no longer wearing her formal red kimono. Instead she had donned a russet robe with snowflakes climbing from the top to the hem of the skirt. Beneath it was what looked to be an under-robe of white silk. She had traded in her ceremonious zori for a less formal pair of wooden sandals. Her pink hair fell just past her shoulders, and her pale green eyes seemed to shimmer in the soft sunlight.
Lee took a breath, realizing he had held it when he caught sight of her.
He made to turn away and leave her in her quiet contemplation, but he heard her call out, "Excuse me… Lee-san, isn't it?" her voice was soft and gentle, and he could do nothing but turn around and oblige her with a smile.
"Just… Lee, Sakura-sama," he answered respectfully, not moving from where he was, adding, "Was there something you needed?"
Her eyes widened slightly, but she kept the smile on her face. "No, but there was something I would've wanted to ask you. Would you please stay?" she asked, gesturing him to come closer.
He wanted to make up an excuse, to say that the daimyo summoned him for a mission, but his legs had already taken him to her, so that he stood a few feet beside her, with his eyes set to the horizon she had been watching only a few moments ago. Finally, he asked, "What was it you needed to ask, Sakura-sama?"
She sighed slightly. "Would you please… tell me what Neji-san is like?"
He stiffened for a split-second, but recovered just as quickly. Of course she would want to know more about her future husband. He looked out at the distance and wondered where to begin. She seemed to take his silence for hesitation, and so she added, "I'm sorry. I knew him once, from our childhood, when my father first brought me here. But I know nothing of who he is now."
"I can't imagine he's changed all that much, but, all right," he said with a grin. He shifted his gaze from the sky to her eyes – her beautiful, beautiful eyes. "Neji, as the heir to the position of daimyo in Higure, is first and foremost concerned about everyone, especially his people. Everything he does is to protect them. He knows that sacrifices sometimes have to be made for the greater good. Besides that, he's also proficient in battle, and is Higure's strategist."
She gave a small, light giggle. "Your account of him seems entirely to his favor," she answered, "Tell me then, why does he seem so cold and standoffish?"
"He is only that way to people he doesn't know well," he replied in defense of his close friend. "But once you get to know him, Neji is very concerned for his friends, though he doesn't always show it."
She paled a little. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to insult him. I am only… afraid. I'm hesitant to push through with the arranged marriage, because I know him very little. At times I wonder if I will learn to love him as my husband, or if it will always be strictly business between us."
Lee smiled sadly. "Neji would trust such things to fate."
She mirrored his smile. "Should I?"
He was silent, looking instead to the far blue-gray mountains. She followed his gaze, and not another word was spoken between them.
Sasuke lifted the teacup to his lips, while his dark eyes scanned the inn – or at least the little he saw from the small opening in the sliding paper-paneled doors. Serving-girls moved from the individual rooms to the kitchens, moving fast so as not to keep the customers waiting, but slowly so as not to spill the tea or the food. He watched passively as one of these girls accidentally tripped, sending the clay plate she was holding crashing to the floor.
The tea was too bitter for his taste, but it warmed him from the inside. His mind, he cleared from everything. He tried to hear nothing but the silence, taste nothing but the bitterness of tea in his mouth, see nothing but the darkness as he closed his eyes, smell nothing but the scents incense and hot tea mingling in the air, and feel nothing but an evanescent moment of peace.
The door suddenly slid open, waking him from his reverie. He opened his eyes, already set in a glare to whoever had opened the door. The girl from that morning stood there with a tray of sliced fish and tomatoes in her hands, a little surprised but a little reluctant to enter. Her hair was neatly tied into that single bun, and her face was slightly flushed for a reason he didn't care to know. "I… I'm sorry if I disturbed you," she began, "If you want, I can come back later."
He shook his head and gave a noncommittal grunt as he did. She came in, set the tray on the mat before him, and stood up again. There seemed to be twinge of doubt in her warm brown eyes. "Was there anything else you needed? Mayuri-san instructed me to see to anything you might want." Her voice seemed almost grudgingly gentle, but he decided to make nothing of it. He instead gestured to the closed thatched windows at the side of the room.
"Open the windows," he said in reply. She complied.
As she slid open the windows, he remembered the threat in his tone when he spoke to her before. He knew she couldn't have possibly just taken a walk; the side road was too well concealed to have been a route for an idle stroll. He knew, too, that there was something in her defensive, self-protective manner that told him she held a secret from the world.
She bowed respectfully before she left, but his eyes never left her. He knew he had to find out what it was she was hiding, if only to sate his curiosity.
Author's Note: Why is Sasuke's part so small? Because he doesn't deserve more, that's why. Haha, kidding aside, there was nothing more I could say. I don't think there's anything to clarify… unless you count "setsuka" – it's Japanese for "snow flower" or something like that. Anyway, how was it? I know I haven't updated in a while, so I'm sory, but please tell me what you thought.