There are not many women with chivalrous spirits matching those of men…"
-Chiyo to Sakura Chapter 279 page 10 of "Naruto"
A/N: Well I finally got this out to you all. It took me awhile because I wasn't quite certain about where I wanted this chapter to go. Enjoy!
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 15
"I'm sorry Sakura-san. I can't let you pass," Captain Naruto crossed his muscular arms across the front of his chest, "The prince said you would attempt to go and question the half giant yourself but..."
Sighing the pinkette begged, raising a hand and splaying her fingers, "Five minutes... is all I ask..."
A firm shake of a spiky blond head was her response, "No."
Apparantly her mate knew her all too well. He had forbidden her to question the giant but he had realized that she'd disobey. Naruto was the insurance he was using to make certain she comply with the order. Neji knew that she wouldn't want to get another person in trouble on her account, but there was something bothering her about the giants that she couldn't let go.
"Has he spoken? Answered any questions?" Sakura asked softly, changing tactics.
Wary of the change of subject. Naruto knew she was up to something but he answered anyways, seeing no harm in the truth, "No. He hasn't spoken to anyone. They've even sent down Ibiki Morino, who's supposed to be the best interrogator in Konoha... but he hasn't gotten one word out of the brute."
An irritated hand went to her bangs, "Two minutes Captain..."
"Sakura-san," he whined plaintively, "The prince would have my neck. Don't ask this of me..."
"Captain," Sakura leveled an eye at him, "What's more important? Avoiding punishment or the safety of the crown prince?"
"You don't fight fair Haruno-san," The male in front of her sighed and then his shoulders drooped. He flashed a pair of fangs at her, "You've got two minutes. Two! If you're any longer than that I'm going in after you..."
The young woman didn't reply as she stepped past him and strode into the darkened doorway and descended the stairs that led to the holding cells. It was dark, dank, and dim. Green eyes narrowed when she made out the large, shadowy bulk tucked into the corner of one of the cells. As she approached she put her hands on her hips eyeing the male surreptitiously. He looked up, a sigh shuddering his large frame. His bulk stiffened when he lifted his head and saw who was standing there outside of his cell.
His lower lip stiffened and he crossed his arms mulishly, indicating to her that he would refuse to speak.
Sakura took the chance of threatening him. A threat, that if he was apart of one of the tribes, of the lands west of the Grasslands that it would possibly get through to him. It was something the dragons would have no knowledge of, being so far from the Giant's tribes, it was more than likely they knew little of their culture or language. She linked her arms together while raising a brow at the half-giant, "Don't you recognize a Grasslander when you see one?"
The male's eyes widened and he stood up and lumbered fairly close to the bars to get a better look at her, "Grassland..."
"Yes," she hid her smile of triumph. Getting him to speak was the first part, and she had little time to do it in.
"Evil... lady," he harrumphed fixing her with a glare, "Not Grassland..."
Sakura suddenly leapt up, grabbing the lapels of the giant's stained gray shirt and planted her feet on the bars. The warrior used the momentum to cause the male in her grasp to stumble, and she used the force to make half-giants face hit the bars in an obviously painful slam. She released her hold landing on her feet, and fixed the oaf with a glare.
The pink haired woman bit out, "I am a Grasslander... and you know what... I'm going to speak with Chief Jiro," she continued even when the imprisoned male gasped, "That's right... you attacked a Grasslander.... I will tell him to stop trade..." Not that she knew exactly which tribe he came from but the half-giant didn't need to know that, "It is wolf and bear hunting season. The Great Snow is in only a few months... I'll tell him you broke treaty... we won't trade furs..."
She made sure she was out of the half giant's reach before pivoting on her heel and crossing her arms, giving the impression she was angry. The prince's eyes widened when the lumbering oaf started to blubber like a toddler that had his toy taken away. He howled, "No lady, no... me good. Me come to help black cloak man. He promise..."
At this the male stopped, realizing that he was about to reveal something he shouldn't. Sakura turned and fixed him with a glare but the half-giant turned his face away. He roared, "Lady lie. Bad lady lie. You not Grasslander..."
Her eyes narrowed. So they were back to this again were they? She smirked at the brute and said, "Omriggor val'kem."
Yellow orbs widened in shock, "You..."
Sakura commandeered in her best Captain's voice, "If you will tell me what you know. Then... I will make good talk with Chief Jiro."
Finally the half-giants shoulders slumped, "You Grasslander. You know Giant Tribe war with Ogre Tribe. But..." his fatty chin slumped against his neck folding against the weight, "We agreed peace. Good for while. But then Ogre Tribe get big help. They start war again. Man in black cloak came and make deal with Chief to give big power. Chief agree. He want no more death. He sent me and brothers to do deal for man in black cloak."
"But," Sakura rubbed her chin thoughtfully at this sudden, "How did you get past the guards? How did you get in?"
"Sewer. Black cloak man help us in. He use great magic," the giant replied.
Sakura's tilted her head to the side, her eyes going into slits contemplating his words. If he was telling the truth, which she was certain he was, giants were definitely not good liars. She knew that the tension between the two tribes was thick. The giant's and ogre's loathing for each other was common knowledge. She remembered when she'd heard they'd finally decided on a peace agreement. It wasn't long after that the Grassland's had trouble with Suna, and then Konoha.
The half giant grasped the bars, rattling the cell with his weight, "You not tell Chief Jiro then?" and at her nod he then he slumped to the floor.
Quickly she exited the premises as she promised Naruto she would. She glanced at the blue-eyed male. With his acute hearing she knew he had heard what was said. Sakura murmured more to herself than to him, "I don't like this. I don't like it at all. There's got to be more to this than Suna's treachery."
Naruto nodded, his chin dipping against his chest as he started to mull over the half-giant's words, "A man in a black cloak... that's odd. I don't even think anyone checked the sewers after the incident either. I was wondering how those three big guys got in with no one stopping them."
"Big magic," the pinkette added to that and after several moments she shocked the blond dragon by saying, "I suppose I will have to go check it out myself..."
"What?" the male stiffened and covered his face with his hand, "You can't be serious. The prince will kill me..."
"I'm just a servant," Sakura put her hands on her waist, blatantly lying to the captain, "Besides... you'll definitely get into trouble if I go to him and tell him what was said, especially since I wasn't supposed to go down there in the first place."
Naruto glared irritably at the young woman, "Just a servant my ass... Do I look like an idiot? I don't care what's being said about you. I know it's not true. If you're a courtesan then I have an endless supply of patience," he huffed a sigh, "Besides... it's not a good idea to just run off after bits of broken information from a half-giant."
"It is a bad idea," the warrior nodded her head in agreement ignoring the male's declaration, "But... it's the best information I have."
"You're going to go anyway aren't you?" the captain's eyes narrowed on the woman.
"Yes," she replied immediately.
"I should stop you," the blond started watching as apprehension bled into her bright green orbs. He folded his arms against his chest, "... but I won't. You've been right about things before."
Sakura nodded her thanks and reached up to clasp the male's upper arm in the warrior's way. He returned the gesture and watched as the young woman pivoted on a booted heel and left the chamber.
The pinkette's brain immediately went into thinking about getting out of the castle with little fuss. Right now would be the best time. Her mate was in a meeting and she would need all the time she could, just to get out of the city. Once she was out, she could travel through the forests. It would make it that much harder to get to her, even with his ability to track her. The only problem was that, she could possibly run into bandits. Immediately she went to her room to pick up her weapons. Sakura had left them behind when she had gone to interrogate the half-giant, she didn't think it would be wise to take her sword down to the cells.
Gathering her things and some money she had stashed away, she quickly changed into her old green hued Grassland leathers. She could sense her mate's impatience and she knew that the meeting would soon finish. Once the king and his nephew began to get irritated, they wrapped up things pretty quickly. Sakura immediately went to the practice yard. She would have preferred to ride her sable mare out the gates, but it was possible that the guards wouldn't let her exit the premises, and if that happened it would certainly get back to the prince, and after that she was certain that getting out of the city would be impossible for her.
She strode over to an old oak whose branches extended to the rooftops. The pink haired warrior waited until the servants had passed by. Grabbing the lowest branch, she lifted herself into the tree and shimmied over to the rooftop. Running over the tiles, ducking low to stay out of sight she quickly made her way to the castle walls. Sakura waited, placing her back to the wall and hiding in the cover of the morning shadows. She watched as a pair of guards walked past making their daily rounds. She was thankful she was downwind, otherwise her scent might have drawn suspicion. Once they were well out of sight, she clambered over the stone, and then peered down to the other side. She could see the people milling through the streets. It looked like this side was near a shopping district. Which would work perfectly for her needs.
Vaulting over the side, she landed on a wooden ledge jutting out from a window. She landed her knees bending beneath the pressure. A sigh left her, the drop was pretty far down. Her legs would be sore after this. Straightening up she moved to the edge and jumped down, her booted feet kicking up dust. Quickly she melted into the crowds, and upon finding a vendor stand that sold cloth, she bought a peach shawl and pulled it over her pink hair knotting the material under her chin to hold it in place.
Sakura didn't want to take a chance that the guards at the city gates would recognize her and stop her. Certainly she was one person among many, but her pink hair was too odd not to be noticed. Outside a tavern several horses from traveling merchants were tethered to a wooden pole. She was no expert on equines but from having ridden so many into battle, Sakura quickly noted which would be best for her needs. Hurriedly she unraveled the reigns from the pole. She climbed onto the horse bareback, after pulling off the merchant saddle bags. She gave the reigns slack and quickly urged the sorrel into a fierce ground eating gallop which the animal was more than ready to comply since apparently he'd been tied up for quite awhile and had grown bored.
The pink haired woman felt bad for stealing, she'd been raised better than that but she felt that her goal was more important than such a trivial matter. She let out a breath when she passed through the city gates, just realizing that she was holding it. Sakura knew that her mate was going to be livid with her but she didn't trust anyone else to investigate the information she'd learned from the half-giant. She knew that everything somehow connected together. The assassin, Suna's treachery, and the attack of the giants on the children. The man in the black cloak possibly tied it all together. The need to find the piece to complete the puzzle was overwhelming.
Once the reality of where she was heading hit her, the sudden desire to look upon the face of her homeland blossomed fully in her heart.
-o-
Impatience to end the meeting gnawed at the edges of the prince's brain. He glanced to the side gauging his uncle's expression. Even though King Hiashi's face was blank, the prince could tell that he was beginning to reach his limit as well. Only the prince's tightly ingrained discipline kept him from squirming like an eel in the padded seat. The myriad of emotions he was recieving from his mate was setting him on edge. He could sense the sudden firm resolve and he knew immediately she was up to something. His inner beast began to roll within him in agitation. The prince was beginning to understand why most mated dragons chose not to use the mark.
Neji knew that since Sakura was human and unused to magic that she didn't sense his feelings as strongly as he did hers. Shock coiled through him when he sensed her leaving the city. Shortly after the shock faded anger followed. His fingers curled, his claws digging trenches into the wooden handles of the seat. His inner beast howled when he realized his mate was putting distance between them. His eyes narrowed into slits when he realized she was heading in the direction of the Grasslands. Was she running from him? He had to suppress a growl.
King Hiashi glanced to the side eyeing his agitated nephew in concern. He could see the gold starting to bleed over the silvery hue of his eyes. A smirk touched the corner of his lips, he knew without a shadow of a doubt it had something to do with his nephew's mate. Neji had never been one to get riled up over anything. He had always been a cool headed and calm individual, at least until he'd found the pink haired female. The king interjected into the meeting, interrupting two arguing lords, "That's enough for today. We'll resume this at a later time."
Everyone glanced at the king wide eyed but then after grumbling at the abrupt dismissal, the lords filed out of the room. Once everyone had left, leaving him, his nephew, and the Uchiha alone in the room the King told the prince, "Go take care of it."
The prince didn't react to his words, he only rose to his feet and strode out of the room his hands curling into fists. The king was startled when he glimpsed the scales forming on the younger dragon's face. The king ordered his champion, "Follow him. Make sure he doesn't do anything rash."
Wordlessly Itachi followed in the wake of the angry prince.
Neji weaved his way through the corridors and out into the privacy of the gardens. He sensed the Uchiha's presence behind him. His voice was partially rough with a growl as he announced, "She left."
If Itachi was startled by this news he didn't show it. He stepped forward to stand beside the prince, his eyebrows knitting together at this statement, "She is an honorable woman my liege. I'm certain she will return."
The Uchiha suddenly found himself under the scrutiny of gold eyes. The black haired dragon realized that the prince's inner beast was starting to fight for control. The prince replied tersely, "She left the city. She'd heading towards the Grasslands."
"You desire to retrieve her," he stated frankly. Itachi was mentally cursing Sakura up and down. He knew that since she was human she would not understand the effect that moving out of a male dragon's protective zone would have on the male in question. Females were more trouble than they were worth, the champion decided wryly.
"Why would she leave so suddenly?" Neji was doing his best to beat down the nearly overwhelming instincts of his inner beast.
"I'm certain it is probably for a noble reason to her way of thinking," Itachi replied immediately, thinking of the woman in question, "She is not a female that would act on an ignoble purpose."
The rational side of the prince had already come to that conclusion. He just couldn't come to terms with the fact that she hadn't come to him to speak with him about it. Did she have so little trust in him and his abilities? The prince's hands curled into fists, his claws drawing blood from his palms, "I will wait until night fall. Then I will go after her."
-o-
The sudden burning throb against her neck almost sent her falling off of her mount. Sakura could sense the prince's rage. The pull to return to him was strong. The pain for a moment was almost debilitating. It was only her iron clad will that kept her from curling over against the mane of the sorrel horse beneath her. As soon as she felt the animal beneath her begin to slow down, she stopped by a stream to allow the horse a break. She drank water to fill the hungry hole in her belly. It was an oversight on her part not to bring food with her, but she did have enough money to buy some if she happened across a village.
Cutting through the forest, and on horseback she estimated that she could make it to the border of the Grasslands in three days. Her home town in about four, if she pushed it. Clambering back onto the horse she sent the animal into a gallop. When darkness fell, her heart twisted with emotion the moment she felt Neji coming for her. She had expected that he eventually would, but not so soon. Sakura rode the animal hard, relief filling her when she spotted the lights of a village in the distance. Dawn was approaching, and the villagers would be getting up for the day.
She bought some food and went to the town stables to exchange her horse for a fresh mount. She removed her reigns from the sorrel and transferred them to the speckled stocky gray mare now in her possession. Sakura didn't linger. The young woman choked down the bit of food she bought and shortly after made her way back to the forest. The pinkette prayed to any deity that might be listening that there would be no bandits around, which would force her to detour and lose precious time. The animal sensing the urgency in the rider above her, galloped through the dense forestry, leaping over sage brush and fallen logs.
Sakura did stop once in awhile to give the horse a break. There was no sense in pushing the animal beyond it's limits. She finally stopped to sleep a few hours when she could no longer will herself to stay awake. The sunlight speckling through the canopy had her eyes snapping open. She rose to her feet and again mounted the animal, ignoring the soreness in her limbs. Sakura could taste the change in the air, and she knew she was fairly close to her homeland.
The warrior was nearly startled off of her horse when she sensed that her mate was somewhere circling above her. Sakura was grateful for the dense canopy that shielded her from him. She pushed down the nibble of fear in her heart. When she came upon the last village before the border, she was vastly relieved. Tentatively she entered the village, the dusk signaling the nearing of the end of the second day. She was grateful when the stable master recognized her and traded her exhausted mount for a leggy black gelding who looked like he was built for speed. He also gave her a bit of cheese and bread.
The pink haired woman was hungry and exhausted. The sensible part of her told her that it would be wiser to let the prince catch her like a good little mate but she was so close to her homeland, the desire to look out over the rugged landscape nearly suffocated out any other emotion. She also didn't want to give up investigating the information she'd been given. The foreboding she felt for the situation would not leave her and it would go against everything she believed in to ignore it. Mate or not, it was her duty to assure the safety of her liege. Riding along the edge of the road, just beneath the leaves of the trees, out of the sight of the sky.
She rode all through the night. The adrenaline behind her emotions was the only thing that kept her upright on the beast beneath her. When the sun began to rise in the distance she drew her mount to a halt. She made it to the border. Her eyes teared up at the heartrending sight of the open grassy plains that she had called home for the majority of her life. The clouds were rolling lazily against the azure sky. The crisp, fresh clean scent brought back a plethora of memories.
The woman tugged the peach colored shawl off her head. She winced at the smell she gave off. A mixture of her own sweat mixed with that of her mounts. Taking in a deep breath Sakura lifted her chin and said under her breath, "Well Blackie… it's now or never…"
The horse beneath her pawed at the dirt path beneath its hoofed feet more than ready to spring into a ground-eating gallop. With a click of her tongue and with a gentle dig of her booted feet, the animal sprung into action. His speed rivaled that of the elite mounts that Neji's elites favored making her wonder absently if he was a retired racehorse.
Dashing across the plains in reckless abandon, Sakura felt her heart beat fast when a massive shadow passed overhead. Tilting her head to the heavens, her green eyes widened as a massive dragon with blinding platinum hued scales glinting beneath the sun. His wingspan was far more massive wingspan than she would have ever imagined. Her heart plummeted to her stomach the moment she realized he was flying straight for her.
The horse beneath her sensing the massive predator overhead began to buck wildly and it threw her off before galloping away rider less. Sakura cursed under her breath as she hit the ground hard, her already sore body protesting at the abuse it had taken the past thirty-six hours.
Sakura rose to her feet just as Neji landed in front of her, the force of the wind beneath his wings forced her to cover her eyes with her arms. Her ponytail loosened from its bindings and fell in a tangled curly swathe down her back. He was huge, she backed away partially out of fear, her eyes betraying her desire to head back into the 'safer' canopy of the forest.
Just as she made a quick dash for it, Neji's tail came slamming down in front of her effectively blocking her path. With a side-glance she found an opening and tried for it. Neji snarled angrily at her and with a swipe of his massive claws he pinned her to the ground with his foot.
Sakura glared up past his triangular muzzle into fierce gold eyes. The dragon tattoo around her neck began to burn and she knew that he was displeased with her attempts to run from him. For a moment, curiosity won out, and lifting her hand she touched the front of his mandible amazed at how smooth his scales felt beneath her touch. She had to admit he was amazing to look at. Seeing him in his bestial form, she could easily see why he was apart of the lineage of the ruling dragons. From claw to head he probably stood at least at thirty feet tall, the length from nose to tail, a good fifty feet give or take a foot or two.
From the top of his proud triangular head two pristine horns jutted up and out. When he opened his mouth to snarl down at her, Sakura realized that one of his fangs was at least the length of her body. She snatched her hand back, sensing his ire. A smile twisted her lips as she broke the silence between them, "Eating me was not in our contract..."
Sakura let out a soft laugh despite her situation when she could see the disgust in his eyes. His chest rumbled in response. She had the feeling he was saying something to her but she'd be damned if she understood it. Feeling a bit nervous at being pinned beneath a clawed foot, she asked him softly, "Mind letting me up?" at his snort she added, "I won't run. I swear."
She sensed his hesitance but finally he removed his foot from her body and she made sure to move extra slow while getting to her feet. She had no wish to repeat the experience. Brushing off her clothing, although it was more than likely a wasted effort on her part, she crossed her arms and turned away from the male, "I'm certain you're wondering why I... left..." she could feel his hot breath on her body as he drew nearer to her. He lowered his belly against the ground, making himself comfortable.
At his silence she began to explain, "I... I went against your orders and interrogated the half-giant. According to Captain Naruto, he'd held his silence even when questioned," she paused when she felt his irritation. Swallowing she went on, "I decided to threaten him to get him to talk. Giants are very loyal to their tribes. As you probably well know, the lands of the giant kin lay directly east of the Grasslands. My people do direct trade with them. What he said disturbed me and..."
The female stiffened when she felt warm hands on her shoulders. Her mate whispered against the shell of her ear, "Why didn't you come to me?"
"I didn't want you to stop me," she admitted openly and then a sigh, "Then once I was out of the city I realized I longed to see my homeland again."
Turning she faced him amazed by how quietly and he easily he shifted between forms. Shuffling uncomfortably beneath the intensity of his eyes she ducked her head. Expecting a torrent of angry words she steeled herself but she was taken off guard when his arms wrapped around her and pulled her tightly against him, his nose buried itself in her pink hair. He breathed against her, "Next time, come to me."
Guilt welled up in her and she felt her throat constrict. She was suddenly ashamed of her selfish behavior. Sakura murmured softly tamping down her pride, "I'm sorry."
He surprised her when he asked, "How far is your home from here?"
It took her a second to understand what he was asking, "It's outside of Iknaat west of here. It's about a days ride. Why?"
Sakura glanced up surprised when she heard a soft curious nicker. The black horse that had thrown her was coming back to the two of them. She backed away when the prince finally released her. She placed her hands on her hips and glared at the animal, "You've got a lot of nerve coming back after throwing me off..."
The horse ducked his head and snorted before burying his muzzle into the knee high grass. Neji chuckled at the sour look on his mate's face, "A beast can call a beast."
"Oh so it was you who told him to throw me off," Sakura cast a glare at the dragon.
He only smirked at her but the look faded when he realized how exhausted she was. Before she could protest he helped her onto the horse and followed behind her, straddling her between his legs, taking up the reigns in his hands. It wasn't long before the young woman fell asleep. He listened to the soft hum of her breathing and the rest of the agitation he felt for the young woman melted away. He allowed the animal beneath him to take his time to Iknaat.
-o-
Bubble gum hued eyelashes fluttered open to reveal dazed malachite orbs. At first she believed she was dreaming. The familiar scent of old coal permeated her senses. She half expected to see her father to come around the corner of the hall to demand she stop being so lazy and help him hitch up the horses to haul the iron. Instead her eyes found themselves fastened to the shirtless form of Neji leaning against the wooden frame of her old room, his silvery eyes on her heart shaped face.
Slowly she sat up into a sitting position and looked around. It was an almost surreal sensation to look around her old room. The old knotty oak dresser with her swords and sword belt leaning against it, her bed, the single blue rug. She'd been away for nearly a year but now that she'd look back on it, it had felt longer than she'd like to think about. Shakily she got out of the bed, and she went to Neji wrapping her arms around him, "I'm sorry about all the trouble I've caused. Thank you for bringing me home."
"You pushed yourself too hard," he admonished her and placing a warm hand on the small of her back he walked her out to the small family room.
Sakura cursed the burning tears that began to pool in her eyes. Just the smell was enough to send the emotions within her rolling. A sudden realization came to her and she covered her hand with her mouth. Neji watched curiously as his mate's eyes widened with emotion. She turned to him, "They..." she swallowed a lump around her throat, "They kept it clean..."
Neji glanced around, just noticing the truth of her words. He was a prince. He'd been raised in a castle that was always kept spotless. It wasn't something that he would look for. When he caught the scent of her tears he glanced sideways, catching the look on her face. She was distracted when her stomach rumbled hungrily.
She looked at him and laughed, "I need to go take a bath, and then I could head into town to get us something to eat. I know if I can smell me, you can smell me. It's probably unpleasant."
"You will feel better after one," he replied coolly.
She went to her room and retrieved some clothes from her old dresser, surprised to see them still folded neatly. They smelled a bit musty but it was better than how the sweaty musky scent she carried at the moment. When she went to the bathroom stopping beside the rusty old tub, she pulled the handles and listened to the squealing whine of the piping but was relieved when the water ran clean. She was amazed to find a fairly fresh bar of farm soap. She breathed in its homey scent with pleasure. The flowery fancy stuff that they had in the castle in Konoha made her nose twitch every time she used it. She hadn't realized before that daisies or sunflowers had an actual scent. At least not the ones she'd ever come across had any to her knowledge.
Slipping into the bath water with a sigh she enjoyed the warmth that seeped into her sore abused muscles. If it weren't for the grueling training that came with being in an army, she probably wouldn't even be able to walk straight. She washed her hair and sighed at the luxurious feeling that was soap sliding down dirty skin. She probably scrubbed her body three times over before she finally got out, her fingers and toes pruny from being in the water too long. Sakura quickly dried off her skin and slipped into the dark gray tunic and matching pants she left out.
When she exited the bathroom, her nostrils quirked at the smell of freshly cooked food. The prince said, "I knew you'd be awhile so I went to town and bought some food."
She looked down at the green containers and a smile spread across her face in recognition, "I see that you found Chiharu's stand. Her venison stew is great on a cool autumn day."
Sakura went to the kitchen and grabbed a couple large spoons and rinsed them off in the sink before going back to the table. She handed her mate a utensil and sitting down, she quickly dug in, the warm food comforting. Neji watched with amusement as her pale toes curled into the carpet as she ate. He sat down in the chair opposite her and he began to eat his portion. He was surprised at how good the simple, cheap food was. The spices curled his tongue and being the dragon he was he enjoyed the meat despite it being fully cooked.
When the prince could see that she had relaxed some, and the pinched lines around her face had relaxed he asked her, "Would you mind discussing the details you got from the half-giant?"
Lifting her chin, she met his silvery eyes before giving a short nod. She quickly repeated the conversation word for word and then finally she voiced her worries and her suspicions concerning everything that had transpired over the months and how she believed it was all interconnected somehow.
"So you came out here alone to investigate?" He quickly surmised, his gaze upon her growing stern.
"Yes," she replied immediately. There was no point in lying to him about it.
"And if you found an answer... What would you have done?" the prince asked her coolly.
Her lower lip worked and then she replied honestly, "I would have done what I could to take care of it."
He set his spoon down and sighed, "That's what I was afraid of," the prince looked down a moment, "I have people that are specifically hired to be in charge of such matters. It wasn't your job as my servant, and it certainly shouldn't be a matter that concerns a mate."
Sakura sighed softly, "So you say. But in my eyes, they've failed you when it's mattered most. What would have happened if I had not been around? Kakashi-sensei suspected something would happen at the masquerade and it did. Despite the concern, you were not protected as you should have been... then there's the matter with the children... it was only by chance I had happened to walk by at that moment... they are getting into a place that should be safest for you and for all who live there... I just do not trust leaving the responsiblity to others any longer."
Despite his pride the prince was touched by her genuine concern for him. In the end he had to concede she had a point, but that didn't mean he wanted her to run off all the time either. He reached across the table and lay a hand over her smaller one, "Even so, I do not want you going alone. Especially when the news of our mating becomes common knowledge. We are both vulnerable to enemies because of it."
She buried her free hand in her still damp bangs, "I realize this. I swear to you I'll never do this again. Not without speaking to you first."
"Well since we are here," he changed the subject, studying the way her lips thinned, "it wouldn't hurt to investigate the situation."
Her eyes widened, "Are you certain? I..."
Neji smirked at the surprise on her face, "I agree that the results of any investigation that has been done has been unsatisfactory. I suppose if I want it done right, I will have to do it myself."
Suddenly she rose from the table, clearing away the food containers and taking them to the trash. Sakura ambled to the small family room, laying a hand on the old brown beaten up chair that still carried the scent of her father's favorite pipe tobacco. Running her hand along the grainy surface of the material she silently beseeched the wisdom of her father. Her green eyes roamed over the room and then latched onto the old fireplace. The twin sword that her father made her later to match the black mithril blade still sat untouched. It wasn't made of the expensive and fine material of the original but it was still a wonderfully made blade. Anything her father had created was nothing short of an amazing piece of art. She sensed the presence of the prince behind her but she didn't turn her head.
Slowly she made her way to the fireplace and bending at the waist her fingers wrapped around the scabbard. Lifting it, letting the familiar weight rest in her hands. She started to speak, her head bent over the sword, "That day, when we dueled I imagine you recall I fought you only with one sword."
"Of course. That is a day I'll never forget," the prince responded gruffly, watching her curiously, his eyes going to rest on the weapon cradled in her hands.
"Normally I went to battle with two swords. However for some reason, I left this one behind that day. My people believe that once you accept a blood oath, if you lose, you are to give up something in compliance in a display of true humility. So... even though I came home that day, I left this sword behind. I'll never wield this sword again even though it is the true half to the whole. But my people also believes everything happens for a reason," she finally turned to face him and holding the sword against her chest she went to him and held the weapon out, "I would like you to have this."
He contemplated the look in her eyes and the weight of her words hit him. He was touched by the simple gesture and he knew that in her own way she was showing him exactly how she felt about him. The prince could also sense her uncertainty and his hand curled over the fine, black leather scabbard and he took it from her hands. His other hand went to the back of her neck, pulling her tightly against him before slanting a kiss over her mouth, breathing in her heady scent.
Sakura's hands splayed against his hard chest, kissing him back. The young woman came to the startling realization that for the first time ever in the entirety her life, she was truly glad that she had lost a duel.
A/N: On a side note, the gibberish Sakura spoke to the giant was really just a greeting that the Grasslanders use in their dealings with the giant's in the giant's language.