"There are not many women with chivalrous spirits matching those of men…"
-Chiyo to Sakura Chapter 279 page 10 of "Naruto"
A/N: You guys' oughtta know me by now. No canon for this fanfic author. Oh and if you don't like lots of blood, fighting, decapitation ect, then this IS NOT the fic for you… The backspace button is in the upper left hand corner of the screen.
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of the characters there in. I just borrow them to torture them for my own amusement from time to time.
Summery: There once was a pink haired woman who was nothing more than a simple blacksmith's daughter. Yet none could match the ferocity of her spirit once the hilt of a blade was held within her grasp. An arrogant, cocky, self-assured dragon prince was certainly no exception.
- Sakura/Neji - -AU –
Rated -M- Because there will be lots of blood, violence, gore, and swearing. Ect. Ect. And possibly some erotic scenes here and there.
Chapter 6:
The prince glanced at the quiet woman more than once. He wouldn't ever admit it out loud but he rather was impressed with her stoic demeanor. Especially after comments like, 'Maybe the king wants advice on his map's color schemes.' The little warrior woman's viridian eyes showed nothing other than obedience. There was not even a speck of angry color on the bridge of her cheekbones.
If Sakura was able to read the prince's thoughts she might have laughed out loud. Truth be told, she was too busy listening to the king's voice as he explained the situation in the small village to the north. The more he talked, the more she actually wanted to interrupt. Something didn't seem quite right about the explanation of the facts presented. She came from a country that had often dealt with roving bands of bandits, or small tribes wanting to establish themselves. She couldn't help but frown.
"It's obviously the work of bandits, or perhaps a roaming band of savage yokai," The king explained to the nodding generals, "I've sent several of my personal elite along with some of the Assassin's Guild to examine the situation further. We found this symbol burnt into the ground at the exact center of the village…"
Sakura's viridian eyes widened and her breath caught in her throat as the king held up the sketch. It was a drawing of a large black circle, the center a smaller gray circle. Her breath caught in her throat. She recognized it for what it was.
The woman knew she'd be punished for interrupting, however if she kept silent with what she knew, she'd be failing in her duty to her liege. Shaking her head struggling to make a decision, she could feel her master's gaze fall upon her as she suddenly spoke with the authority befitting a captain interrupting the proceedings with more bravado then she felt, "Forgive my interruption, but I have to disagree with your analysis your majesty."
A couple of the generals made noises of outrage. One said, "How dare that woman interrupt his majesty?"
The king was about to speak admonishment to the young woman who was meeting his eyes in a direct and cool manner. The prince who had been watching her nearly the entire time they'd entered the room had seen the gradual changes in her body language and the instant recognition in her eyes when the king had showed the entire war room the sketch of circles.
Prince Neji held up his hand, "Please… I'd like to hear what she has to say. After all she is from the Grassland's. Before we took over, it was a common occurrence for their defenses to deal with roving bandits…"
Sakura gaped for a moment surprised that the prince had immediately taken defense of her actions. What amazed her further was there was no reproach in his eyes for her interruption, just curiosity.
King Hiashi sighed taking in his nephew's thoughtful expression. The king nodded to the young woman now curious himself, "Very well. I am interested in hearing what you have to say. If your explanation is nonsense… the prince will be required to see to your punishment."
Her pink head bobbed in understanding. She was in a servant's position and held no rank. The fact that she wasn't being punished already for interrupting was amazing in itself. Sakura's voice was steady as she began to explain coolly, "I'm quite certain that you are aware of the skirmishes that we had with other countries desiring the Grassland's rich resources before Konohagakure declared war on the Independent Tribes."
The prince met her eyes levelly and he nodded coolly ignoring the whispering going between the generals and the advisors, "Yes Haruno, we are well aware of this… continue."
"The Suna Empire had their eyes set on the Grassland's and so they decided to test the waters," she couldn't help the darkening of her visage as the memories surfaced in her mind, "They sent out some of their militia under the Suna banners. Of course my home country didn't have a truly strong military to begin with so they had no reason to hide their identity…"
A general, decorated with many medals stood to his feet and interrupted, his icy cold onyx eyes bore into the young woman's angrily, "Ridiculous… are you suggesting that Sunagakure is behind this attack… we are under treaty with them… I doubt Emperor Gaara would dare to pick a fight with our far superior troops."
Sakura watched silently as Prince Neji's eyes hardened. He bit out frostily to the middle aged man, "I would appreciate it General Fugiko Uchiha if you wouldn't interrupt."
The king watched the proceedings with boredom in his eyes, "I'm losing my patience. I would like you to hurry up and get to the point…"
Her lips thinned as she met the king's eyes. Sakura couldn't help the nearly staccato clip to her voice as she continued to explain, "That symbol you showed your generals your majesty. I recognize it well… It's the mark of General Zabuza." She strode to the map eyeing it objectively for a moment, "He was solely responsible for burning down several villages in my country and this symbol was always present in the exact center of the village…"
"If what you say is true then we may be looking at a broken treaty. Your words carry much treachery in them if they are false," the king eyed the young woman sternly. Hiashi was somewhat taken aback by the ferocity in which she met his gaze.
Sakura pointed to the map, "This is the village that was attacked… correct?"
The king bent his head slightly; curious as to where the young human woman was taking her explanation.
"Do you honestly believe that a roaming band of savages would dare attack this close to the capital? For any without a true military this is nothing short of suicide. It would take a true strategist to initiate such a thorough attack without a trace of identity… Was not the village completely burned to the ground?" the pinkette inquired coolly.
"Yes…" the king nodded curtly, mulling over the woman's logic. It certainly had merit.
"This is but a day away from Konoha's capital on foot," she met the prince's eyes, "I wouldn't be surprised if this was retaliation on Suna's behalf. You see… General Zabuza has a tendency to make it seem as if his attacks are random. This diagram he leaves behind causes his enemy to believe that the attack was done by a fanatic faction. Then he attacks inland, drawing the troops to that location. Then once he has the focus of his enemy's where he wants them to be, he attacks the helpless villages along the border… because this is the most efficient way to cut off trade routes and supplies and takes the resources for himself. By the time you realize it, it's too late… he marches his army inwards on the capital as he has no one to stop him from advancing on the rear."
"If what you say is true… then how did the Grassland's stop them?" Prince Neji caught her furtive gaze with his.
Her next set of words were softly spoken, "We didn't… Konoha did. You see… your country was far more honorable and officially declared war on the Grassland territories. As soon as you did so… they pulled out immediately thereafter without a trace."
Prince Neji's eyes narrowed on the young woman's thoughtful face, "Retaliation."
Meeting the eyes of her master, Sakura nodded, "I believe so. If you honestly want my opinion… we all know that Konoha was at war with the Grassland's for a good solid six months. The territories of the Grassland's are large and taxing to foreigners. Despite the grand power behind your army… the war had to have drained your resources. If Suna picked away at your borders, while distracting you with skirmishes here and there. They would be able to easily march on Konohagakure… especially if they gained an ally."
Murmurs between the generals and advisors began to swell. The king surprised them all by asking the young woman curiously, "Where do you believe they'd attack again?"
Sakura gazed at the map. The map held facts such as its distance from the castle, population, establish date, and more. It also showed only the immediate surrounding territory in crimson, while the villages were covered in exact land positions and formations. The surrounding bodies of water were also clearly marked.
After several moments of intense thought she quickly found what she was looking for, "Right here." She placed an index finger on the small blue dot, at the edge of map's eastern border.
"Why there?" Prince Neji was intrigued despite himself. He knew she wasn't lying. The look on her face when King Hiashi had shown everyone the sketch, the expression was so instantaneous it could not be faked.
"Simple… if there's going to be an attack. Why not do it where your troops will be most comfortable? Besides across the river here along the border, this shows there is an increase in elevation. This makes this area very advantageous to your enemies…" she took a deep breath and then pointed at the green trail leading into their country, "besides… this looks like an important trade route to Konohagakure. This is where you transport your precious metals and ore correct? This would be a very good point to start."
Prince Neji Hyuuga met his uncle's gaze, his eyes expressing his concern, "What do you think? What she says most certainly has merit… too much to be ignored in fact. We were completely unaware of the fact that Sunagakure had made a move on the Grassland's. I do not believe Emperor Gaara would hesitate to break treaty in such a case. He is infamous about holding grudges…"
The prince and the king were both startled as General Uchiha stood to his feet once more. He ground out fiercely, his hawkish features full of distaste, "My lieges, I mean no disrespect… but… this woman is a Grasslander… It is obvious that she could lie about something like this… I cannot see the wisdom of taking her advice."
Before Neji could reply, one of the elite captains of the guard with intense blue eyes and spiky blond hair stood to his feet, "I disagree with General Uchiha. I was there when Prince Neji fought Miss Haruno and won their duel. I was also there when zealots on the return to Konoha attacked us. She had ample time to betray the prince and yet she did not back down on her oath. She defended the prince with the rest of us without hesitation in the slightest."
"Thank you for your opinions General Uchiha," the king nodded at the fuming red-faced general, "Captain Uzumaki. They have both been noted, please be seated."
Both men sat down stiffly. The prince shocked everyone in the room by saying, "This is something that cannot be ignored. We should not be so arrogant as to believe that we are untouchable because of our country's size. We have already sent troops to the ruins… it will take too long to assemble another to head out to the village… so I request permission to gather my elite legion…"
"I agree that would be the best course of action nephew," the king nodded his head in agreement.
Two sets of silvery eyes assessed her for a moment making her distinctively uncomfortable. One set of those nearly colorless eyes was intense enough. Two sets was nearly an overload on the senses. However, Sakura's training aided her in allowing none of her emotions to show on her face.
The prince ignored the audible gasps of outrage when he said, "You will be coming with me Haruno. If this is indeed General Zabuza's doings, I would like you nearby for further information."
Sakura dipped her head obediently, not allowing the triumphant smile to show on her features, "As you desire my liege."
The king tilted his head in dismissal of them both. Sakura followed her master out into the hall. Prince Neji's voice was coolly clipped as he spoke as he walked, "I appreciate your resolve to speak up when it was necessary. It is even more admirable that you ignored the fact that if we did not agree with your words and found it a true interruption you would have been punished severely."
The pinkette stopped mid stride, disbelief etched on her delicate features. Was he actually complimenting her?
Aware that the young woman was no longer following him, he halted and pivoted sharply on his heel to face her. He could see her emotions written plainly on her face and his lip twitched with amusement, "You've got one hour Haruno. My troops will be leaving the stables not one minute after. Do not be late…"
Swallowing, Sakura nodded meeting his cool visage squarely, "Yes my liege."
Satisfied, the prince strode away, leaving her standing in the hall.
-o-
Sakura busily readied her sword, and polished her black leather armor and blade until they shown. She had acquired the symbol of Konoha and quickly sewed it into the top shoulder of her armor. Placing an onyx cloak about her shoulders, as they would be traveling through a higher elevation, it would likely be colder than Konoha's capital. She packed her warpaint and quickly braided her hair into a mass of pink braids. How ironic was it that she was now in the service of a man who once was a deadly enemy? Life was like that, she supposed wryly. At least this was something she understood, unlike court life.
A brisk knock alerted her, and she gave the affirmative to enter. Tenten stepped the room, her face devoid of emotion as she informed her, "The prince says that they are ready and waiting for you Miss Haruno. He also mentioned that they have a warhorse for your use…"
Sakura nodded and thanked the young woman before she left.
Rising to her feet, she cursed under her breath. They were fifteen minutes ahead of schedule. She should have expected as much and been down there earlier. The prince was efficient, she mused. For him to get his elite ready to go in under an hour spoke volumes of his capability.
Her knee high military boots squeaked as she strode down the hall. Halfway to the stables the blond captain that took up for her in the war room came into view. He was also heading in the direction and she found herself pleased that he was apart of Neji's personal elite guardsmen.
When he saw her he inclined his head politely in her direction. She couldn't help but say to the taller male as they began to walk side by side, "Thank you… Captain Uzumaki is it? I appreciate the words spoken in the war room on my behalf."
The cheerful smile that twisted his lips was not something she expected from an elite captain of the guard. His whiskered cheeks quivered with mirth as he barked a loud laugh, "No thanks needed. I should thank you…"
"What? Why?" Sakura was startled into asking.
"I always enjoy the chance to oppose any of those stick in the mud Uchiha's. The whole lot of them is like that. The look on old man Fugako's face was more than enough payment for me," the male let out another snort of amusement.
"Um… okay," Sakura was confused with his logic but she didn't falter in the brisk pace they walked, "Well… anyways. I would be honored if you would call me Sakura…" She added at the end with an engaging smile of her own. It was traditional for warriors of the Grassland's to give their first name to a person that had earned their respect or to a person who did them a favor, intentional or otherwise.
The captain gazed at the diminutive woman, taking in the cool friendliness in her eyes. When she had offered her name so casually, he had thought at first she might be flirting with him. He could see by the stern way she held herself that she probably was the type of woman that avoided such things. His blue eyes crinkled as he smiled once more, "Of course. I'd also be honored if you would call me Naruto… when we're not on the battlefield that is or active duty."
Inclining her head in understanding, they exited through the double doors into the militia corridor together. Immediately she felt the impact of the prince's eyes upon her. Lifting her head she met his cool visage and nodded her head. He was already mounted along with the rest of the troops. Next to him, a black warhorse devoid of any other color stood, already saddled and ready to go. The troops were already in formation.
Quickly she strode towards the mount and quickly pulled herself up, her hand fisting on the saddle horn. Once Naruto was situated on his horse as well, Prince Neji lifted his hand and they hauled out at his command.
Once they left through the back entrance to avoid behind held up in the city. The pinkette was forced to grab the saddle horn as her horse took off at speeds she herself had never experienced. They traveled at the ground eating pace for hours. Sakura was impressed by the stamina of these animals. Her sable mare would never have made it this far. She would be miles behind these troops.
Her braids snapped in the wind away from her eyes. She was grateful she had taken the time on her hair. She hated the stinging sensation of her own hair whipping her face.
Dusk was soon upon them and camp was setup. These had to be the infamous elite troops led by the prince himself for their movements and actions indicated the rigorous training that they had to endure. A few elves and yokai were scattered in there but as she suspected she was the only human among them. She could feel their eyes following her as she kept respectfully close to her master.
They had constructed a palette for her inside the prince's tent. She couldn't help but be grateful. She'd feel uncomfortable sharing with any of the other males. Dinner of dried fish and rice cakes was served. Sakura quickly took her rations to the prince's tent, away from the many draconic eyes that followed her eerily throughout the camp. Stealthily she went out back to relieve herself before settling down for the evening.
Up before dawn, they were packed and ready to go before the tip of the sun had even touched the sky. The trip by normal means from what she had gathered would take six days. They would reach the village by the morrow's eve. That was half the time. She prayed they made it before it was too late.
That day pretty much went like the first. However, she hadn't traveled so hard in quite some time and her muscles protested unused to the abuse. The prince glanced back at the young woman every so often and found himself amused by the serious manner in which she continued to carry herself. She had kept her distance from him respectfully when they stopped for the evenings, not butting in when he made his plans with his captains. In the end he couldn't help but feel a grudging respect for her stamina. For her to keep up with his elite troops without any formal training was almost unbelievable.
They arrived late afternoon at the small town on the outskirts of the hills. They didn't want to alert their enemies who were yokai and who would easily catch the scent of the enemy troops as the wind was heading south, if they were indeed nearby.
They set up an inconspicuous camp to the west of the village, hidden in the forestry. Even the town's guard weren't aware of them being there. Prince Neji sent out a few spies for reconnaissance to scout out anything that could be amiss. Sakura waited with trepidation. She didn't like the feel of things one bit. It was far too quiet for her liking, not even the birds were singing that afternoon.
Sakura glanced up when Prince Neji approached her, his cool eyes meeting her curious viridian orbs. He halted directly in front of her and gazed down into her face, "You are to stay out of this battle… if something does actually transpire."
Immediately she protested, "But…"
His countenance darkened at her disobedience, "You are here to provide information. Nothing more."
Sakura stiffened and was about to protest further when Captain Naruto approached them both. He spoke without preamble, "It seems Miss Haruno's suspicions were correct and her foresight irreproachable. The reconnaissance found troops assembled and readying for an attack just on around the bend of the Yellow River. It seems like they plan on attacking by nightfall."
Even though his face gave none of it away, Sakura could see the anger coloring her master's eyes, "Were they under the banners of Suna?"
"No… but the spy recognized General Zabuza immediately. Apparently the General that Suna contracted from the land of the mists is hard to miss with that big sword of his," Captain Naruto continued with a smirk playing about his lips, his fangs glinting in the late afternoon sun.
The young blond dragon took a step back, his eyes narrowing as he felt the sudden murderous intent rolling off the prince in waves. Prince Neji's voice however gave none of his emotion away as he ordered, "I want you to go into town and discreetly speak to the city guard… the townsfolk will be evacuated to our camp right beneath our enemy's nose. We will be ready for them…"
His troops were tired from travel but he knew that with proper planning he'd have General Zabuza's head before dawn. Bowing Naruto strode away his stride full of purpose as he went to make preparations.
Prince Neji turned to the slender young woman, "Do you know the usual formations that he likes to take?"
"I'm sorry my liege I do not… I've never had the chance to personally fight his troops. However several of the captains of my homeland discussed that he seemed to favor dirty tactics," Sakura shook her head, shrugging her shoulders at her liege.
The Hyuuga prince bared his fangs, "He's going to die before dawn…"
His coldly delivered words left her in no doubt of his oath. He left her standing there to gather his men and have them ready themselves, no doubt.
She followed the prince obediently and listened actively as he issued the orders. They would wait for them to discover the town was empty and then they would swoop down on all sides cutting them off and quickly taking them out. Brutal, yet effective.
-o-
Sakura watched silently as the townsfolk entered the clearing. Immediately Neji's elite forces moved into their assigned positions, overlooking the now empty village. The pinkette discreetly followed her master; she could care less what his orders were. She would enter the battle if she were needed. She knew that she would bear the brunt of his anger and displeasure but it wasn't in her to follow orders all the time.
Just as the prince predicted General Zabuza's forces came barreling in bearing torches, ready to set the village ablaze. The prince waited until it was evident that the enemy forces were confused and that their discipline was beginning to loosen as they scattered looking for the villagers who had just been there earlier that day.
General Zabuza, a tall lithe, wolf yokai with braided black hair and yellow eyes searched the surrounding hills, almost as if sensing the trap. Golden orbs widened with instant recognition when he met the Crown Prince of Konoha's cold detached eyes on the hillside just as the sun dipped out of view. The elite guard came forward at Neji's command and before Suna's forces could react Konoha's elite charged on their large, powerful war horses.
Sparks flew when they met. The powers of the yokai and dragons lit the darkened sky with mystical energy and vibrant color. Sakura watched the battle with trepidation. She could make out General Zabuza form ruthlessly cutting his way through the elite guard to get to the prince, who was doing the same to get at the opposing General. Several of the enemy soldiers, captains and normal foot soldiers alike tried getting at the prince, for obvious glory and honor.
Pulling on the reigns of her warhorse, she gave a feral shout as the horse reared, her own battle paint glistening in the moonlight as she charged. With her sword she sliced through several unsuspecting enemy soldiers. The hooves of her mount cutting down anyone else that got in his path. Leaping off the horse as she cut her way to the prince, she kicked aside a yokai that was coming up from the side to attack her master.
"What the hell are you doing?" the prince grated as he seen the flash of her telltale pink hair.
"Disobeying your orders… and saving your ass…" Sakura grilled back. Her sword sparked against a tall brutish enemy as she moved her back to the prince's.
"You will not escape punishment for this," Prince Neji's terse voice hissed as he effectively removed the head of an over zealous enemy.
"I understand. I took the risk with full assumption that would be the case," Sakura returned coolly, completely unmoved by his threat as her sword went through the brutish yokai's throat.
Prince Neji growled with irritation at her obstinacy. He had never really noticed the true strength of her stubborn streak in her before.
Sakura's attention was diverted as an enemy charged her, assuming her to be easy prey. She ducked avoiding the spray of magic he sent in her direction. Her sword went cleanly through his chest, the sound of bone snapping as her sword point went through his spine and the tip came out the other side. The warrioress pulled the blade from his chest and whirled on her heel, easily taking off the head of an unaware soldier.
The prince turned his head and looked about him ignoring his trouble-making servant for the moment. His troops were easily gaining advantage over their enemies. It was obvious that General Zabuza had no contingency plan in place. He could already taste victory on his lips. A half snarl half smile curved his chiseled lips in a vicious and cruel manner as he struck down any who got near him.
Soon the prince found himself face to face with his enemy, they glared at each other several moments wordlessly. General Zabuza's eyes narrowed as caught sight of the pink haired human female with her back to the crown prince, cutting through his troops with movements like liquid quicksilver and immediately from her fighting style he realized that she was a Grasslander.
She had to be behind his failure because there could be no other way Konohagakure could have figured out his plans so quickly, he quickly concluded. With a feral growl of anger he charged past the prince using his yokai speed to get past him without trouble. If he were going to go down, he'd take the bitch down with him. He couldn't even call a proper retreat at this point, they were surrounded on all sides and it was obvious that the prince meant to wipe them out completely.
"Sakura…" Prince Neji growled loudly in warning, his inner beast roaring viciously inside of him when he realized the General's deadly intentions.
Hearing her name, Sakura turned and met the rage filled eyes of General Zabuza. She sneered and met him head on, "Bastard!"
He snarled as their blades met. The strength behind his huge sword was massive and she couldn't help but skid back several feet. General Zabuza was amazed that the thin sword of hers held up beneath the attack and that she managed to keep her footing with hardly any trouble. In a flash he was in front of her swiping a clawed hand at her midriff with full intentions to mortally wound her. She ducked aside and kicked at his knee. General Zabuza stumbled awkwardly and before he realized it, the prince had slammed into him full force, knocking the yokai male aside viciously.
Sakura's eyes widened as she realized that the prince was angry. His lithe body stalked the bigger general like the deadly predator that he was, closing the gap between them. The pinkette surged forward as one of the enemy's captains tried getting at the prince from behind. She met the attacker in the middle shoving him aside with her blade as she sliced his sword arm off and disemboweling him before he hit the ground. She was glad she didn't have the heightened senses of those around her. The stench of the metallic smelling blood caused her nostrils to flare. She could only imagine the intensity for the others.
The pinkette kept those coming forward to protect the enemy general off of the prince's back as he fought a one on one battle with General Zabuza. After realizing that the elite had effectively corralled the remaining Suna troops she turned her eyes to the prince. Already General Zabuza had been driven to his knees ruthlessly. Her eyes widened when Prince Neji didn't even allow him to speak before removing him brutally of his head.
The body pitched forward hitting the ground and immediately the crown prince lifted up the dead leader's head, his silvery eyes glistening beneath the moon, the only indication of emotion was the slight quivering of his shoulders. He strode past the elite troops whom had the remaining Suna forces completely surrounded. They had long ago surrendered. He bellowed curtly, "Who is the next in command?"
Even though they were the enemy Sakura felt bad for whoever would step forward. She'd never seen the prince so volatile before. She realized he was probably angry that anyone had dared to make him look like a fool, which Zabuza would have possibly done had she not been around to inform the king of it. Probably a case of wounded pride, she mused.
Immediately a captain came forward out of the enemy guard and knelt before the prince respectfully. His frame was held firmly erect and there was no fear in his face as he dipped his head, his long black hair spilling over his shoulders. Sakura watched with trepidation as the prince threw the head of General Zabuza at the new general's feet, "Take this back to the emperor as a warning. He is to meet with my uncle by the end of this month… and discuss negotiations. If he does not show up, we will take that as a sign of war. And next time, we will not show the mercy we are showing you now by allowing your remaining soldier's to live…"
The young male took in the feral toothed scowl of the blood soaked prince and flinched visibly, "Yes… I will relay your message…"
Sakura watched as the elite walked the remaining soldiers and their wounded to the border and set guards there to assure that they were indeed leaving. The villagers were led back down into the destroyed town and the bodies of the dead were burned. Enemy and ally alike. Sakura instantly began to look around for Naruto and was relieved to see the black clad blond emerge from a group of soldiers, completely unscathed.
The young woman shuddered, for the first time inwardly glad that the Grasslands had surrendered. Sakura doubted she would have challenged him had she seen the more brutal side of him. She followed the prince in complete silence, she was also soaked in the blood of his enemies. Her cloak was tattered and shredded. They had hardly lost any of his elite. That was probably the most one-sided vicious battle she had ever witnessed or had been apart of. The zealots had been bad enough but the fact remained that they had known they were going to die and had foolishly attacked elite dragon troops was one thing. Sunagakure's army had no clue that they were coming to wipe them out was completely another.
The mounts had returned to the camp without their masters, their reigns dragging across the ground as they grazed. Her eyes picked out her mount and quickly led him back to the prince's tent, tying his reign loosely to a tree branch so the animal could freely graze as she worked to clean him up. She fetched a bucket of water and let him drink the lukewarm liquid. Removing the saddle, she brushed him out and then did the same to the prince's horse.
The prince watched wordlessly as she took care of their mounts before she even gave thought to herself. His lips pursed irony of her telltale actions. She had thrown herself headlong into danger and yet she was avoiding his wrath. He smirked darkly as he watched her complete her tasks much more slowly than she should have.
Finally Sakura turned to face him but strode passed him silently into the tent, quickly gathering fresh clothing while keeping her head down. He came in behind her and Sakura cursed inwardly at being intimidated by his presence. She was a warrior for kami's sake.
She didn't duck her head as his cold eyes met her own seemingly calm orbs, "You blatantly disregarded my orders."
The prince quirked a brow in the direction of the deceptively fragile looking woman. Usually that tone of voice and look made even his most stalwart captains give away their nervousness. He could smell the pungent odor of her anxiety overriding the usual scent of apples and vanilla that gave away her emotions but visually he couldn't tell.
"Yes I did," the female replied softly, not allowing herself to flinch at the cold lash of his words. She was a warrior, not a weakling she berated herself mentally.
The prince's eyes were cool as he assessed her. He didn't necessarily want to punish her in the usual method of lashings the way he would a disobedient captain although he was well within in his rights to do so. She had disobeyed but had done it out of a show of loyalty to him. An idea came to him and his eyes narrowed as he stated curtly, "I have decided that I would like you to attend this masquerade my family's throwing… the one that commemorates and celebrates the defeat of the Grassland's Independent Tribes. And… you will wear a proper dress for once…"
Sakura forgot for the moment she should be happy to be ordered to go to that dance. It would align itself with Kakashi's plans after all. But the dreaded word dress echoed loudly in her ears. Her lips turned into a thin, unhappy line, "Yes of course my liege."
He lifted his head his chin turning to the side. He could hear the troops returning for the evening, "Now… let's go to the hot spring and clean up…"
"Hot spring?" her eyes widened.
"There's one not too far away from here," the prince replied coolly.
And so they gathered their clothing and she followed the prince wordlessly through the camp. Several of the soldiers who were not on watch had already bedded down for the night exhausted by the intense battle. Prince Neji ordered the guard to create an area for the townsfolk to rest that night as well. They would end up leaving part of the troops here to help them rebuild the ruined town.
Sakura was silent through all of this, her shoulders erect as the elite guard watched her follow the prince through the clearing. It was obvious they were not thinking savory thoughts. Although this time there was a little respect in their eyes having seen her in amidst the battle with the rest of them. She had the sudden longing to raise her middle finger in their direction but refrained from doing so.
Finally they arrived at the hot spring and Sakura immediately turned away the moment the prince began to disrobe. She heard him step into the water. Sakura kept her hand on the hilt of her sword, which was also in the need of a cleaning. She winced at the thought of the stained blade in the sheathe. Once it dried it was going to be a bitch to clean out, she couldn't help but grimace.
"You might as well go ahead an join me Haruno. It's not like you haven't… seen me before," the prince's arrogant voice made her twitch with embarrassment.
Her vow to break Kakashi's arm during a practice was renewed in her mind. Red-faced she choked out, "Tis not right my liege. I will wait until you are done."
The prince grinned coldly behind her back. He was well aware that she had done no such thing and knew that she had been acting out some cock-eyed plan of Kakashi's. His chest rumbled, "Don't make me get out and drag you in here Haruno."
If possible Sakura threw her hands up in the air irritably, "I really have to protest such an order liege."
"You need not worry that I will assault you. It's not like I haven't seen the female form before. Besides you hardly have the figure of a woman. I have no intention of waiting for you once I'm done. I would also prefer that you return to the tent without stinking of Suna blood," the prince grit out from behind her.
Sighing, the girl moved closer to the pool of hot water and quickly began to disrobe. The prince respectfully turned his head away from her, and in moments, she was in the water, the warmth soaking into her sore muscles.
The pinkette met the prince's eyes with a tinge of rebelliousness in them, "Satisfied?"
The prince only grinned wolfishly at her. Sakura crossed her arms doing her best to keep her eyes trained on the branches of the tree above them. Sighing when doing such a thing would get her nowhere she began to let down her braids. The pinkette decided she would not blush and give the smug bastard something to feel victorious about. She sensed he was getting back at her for something but for what she was uncertain and she wasn't about to let him win whatever it was. And so she began to scrub her entire body with the herb soap she brought with her thoroughly removing any traces of blood on her form.
Ducking her head beneath the hot water, ignoring the stinging sensations on her face she came up out of the water slicking her hair away from her face. She lifted her chin when she felt his eyes on her. Sakura tilted her head to the side but met his heated silvery gaze head on. She was a bit confused by the way his eyes were trained upon her collarbone before tracing their way down. Hadn't he just told her that he didn't think much of her figure to begin with?
Sakura felt her voice come out in a choked whisper when she inquired, "Is there something that you need assistance with my liege?"
The reply she got was a soft, hoarse snarl. That was her only warning before his hands shot out and grabbed her upper arms. His grip was firm but gentle against her slick skin. She only had the time to gasp as he pulled her flush against him. Her face flushed as she felt her puckering nipples coming in contact with his hard chest.
Before she could even form the thought in her bewildered mind to struggle he brought his head down slanted capturing her lips with his own. If he had been aggressive she probably would have fought to get out of the embrace. However the touch of his mouth on hers was nothing short of a sensual invasion of the senses. His tongue began to trace the outline of her full pink lips.
Sakura's hand went to steady herself against him, the small callused appendage went to his torso her fingernails scraping against his flesh. She felt his tongue against her teeth and instinctively she opened her mouth. One of his hands went to rest languidly against her hipbone while the other went to cradle the back of her neck as his tongue plunged into the surprisingly responsive cavern of her mouth.
The sensible side of the prince was kicking himself for playing with fire. He knew that his inner beast was attracted to the female. The prince had been too arrogant in assuming he could control the more carnal hunger of his inner beast. He had never felt that part of himself respond to any of his lovers but even now as his tongue rasped against the woman's in his arms, he could feel the beast within him rumble with desire for the female. The moment he had caught a good glimpse of her body he had reacted without thinking. It hurt his pride to realize that he had so little control over his inner beast when it decided to get serious.
His eyes widened when she partially broke the kiss and bit the corner of his mouth drawing just the tiniest amount of blood. When her small pink tongue flicked out to rasp over the red droplet, the prince suddenly broke the embrace, putting her at an arm's length. The prince would have never guessed that such a dangerously passionate nature lay hidden so deep inside the innocent young woman.
The ardent haze that lay like a blanket over her befuddled brain began to clear. Viridian eyes widened with mortification at the realization of her actions. Her mouth worked a moment, she wanted to apologize but no sound would come out. When it finally did she was appalled at the sensual almost purr-like tone that left her lips, "I'm… sorry…"
Sakura swallowed at the molten gaze she suddenly found herself pinned under. After several moments of this, unblinkingly the prince stood up out of the water and Sakura felt her entire body blush as she came face to face with it. It was thrust out proudly nose level with her eyes and the pinkette was completely mortified with embarrassment.
She was out of the water like a shot, quickly dressing in the clean tunic and pants waiting for her not even bothering to dry off. However it was not fast enough for the prince's sharp eyes as he got a really good visual of her body. Her skin displayed the bruises and small cuts she received in battle. His eyes went from neck to foot, the silvery orbs tracing over her small but well shaped breasts and down to the generous flare of her hips and well toned backside and thighs. His mouth went dry when his eyes caught a small flash of pink curls and he realized that the hair was the same color as the hair on her head.
Sakura didn't even bother to look back at him as she flashed back to the encampment. Before the prince returned to the tent, she was under the covers of her palette, her whole body still burning like she had a fever. What in the hell was that all about? His physique was beautiful and perfect, her mind reminded her, picture slide show and all. With a mortified groan she buried her face underneath the pillow wanting to bash her head against the floor. She didn't dare peek out as he returned and stepped passed her to his own cot. He was the prince. He was her master. He was definitely off limits to someone like her. Besides if that bout of passion was his definition of not assaulting her, she didn't want to know what his idea of assaulting was.
Pride was about the only thing that had the prince from going over to the woman's palette and resuming where they had left off. The prince finally admitted to himself that he was attracted to the young woman for some strange and unknown reason. She was hardly the type that he had usually pursued when he had felt the need of sharing his bed with a female. He also knew that the pinkette was not the kind of woman who would lay with a male just for a bout of passion. She was far too honorable and innocent of men to be treated in such a manner. The prince knew that he had every right to her as she was his personal servant but that sort of brutish behavior was completely below him.
Even still with that thought in mind his inner beast raged within him and it was hours before either of them got any sleep.
-o-
A/N: Well that wraps up another chapter. It was fun. After a little over two months of trying to ignore/avoid her… The inner beast would be quiet no more. Thanks again. Remember review if you likey, I have two other stories going and have been updating in order of interest.