Dreaming in Pink

By Chemicalisation

Summary: They were not supposed to meet, not really. He was an obnoxious businessman and Sakura, well Sakura hadn't quite figured herself out yet. In which Sakura is running away from tiresome responsibilities, persistent parents and an intrusive coworker and, for some odd reason, finds herself chasing matters of the heart.

"Well, Your Highness, it appears you do not have the mutation." The voice of the Dr Kajima was chirpy and grating to my ears. "The test came out negative."

"Thank you, doctor. For taking your time out for this." Even to my own ears, my voice sounded at best disinterested. I knew I should be more grateful and even if I didn't feel it, then I should at the very least emulate it for the sake of the Doctor and his team. They had been working around the clock for quick results at Grandmother's insistence.

I got up from my chair and walked out of the room assigned to the medical staff, moving silently towards Mother's study where everyone was waiting. The past twenty four hours had been a blur. Mother was slowly going to disappear from my eyes. An inch by inch. Hysteria choked me, but I swallowed it back down. I could not panic. Royals do not panic. They lead where the rest fail. Although, I didn't feel like one now. I hadn't for years. I didn't even have to think about it. Mother had always been there, leading me by hand into the world I had wanted to be part of since I was a child, and then shielding me when I was unable to. Or unwilling to.

As I entered the room, Grandmother, Mother, and Father looked up, worry etched upon them as if the lines had appeared overnight. It might as well have for all I know. "I don't have it," I said blankly. What else could I say?

Mother's shoulders sagged with relief. "Thank God." She closed her eyes and put her head on Grandmother's shoulder who sat beside her. Grandmother gave me a firm nod as if I had come back alive from a mission that she had expected me to fail. In a way, I suppose she was right.

Father left his place at the fireplace and pulled me into a hard grip. "Thank God," he whispered.

For a minute silence filled the room. It was as if time had come to a standstill to give us a little reprieve. But then again, time waited for no man. And it didn't wait for us either.

"Mebuki," said Grandmother softly, "its only a matter of time before your diagnosis is leaked to the press. Have you given some thought as to what to do?"

"Why do we have to think about this right now." My voice cracked and tears fell. "Why does it matter?"

Mother looked at me with a weariness which made her look older than she was. "It matters, Sakura. Because the minute the rumors start flying, the stock market will take a hit. Foreign investments will be rolled back."

"Exactly." Grandmother rose from her seat to her full height. "You will stand disqualified in the line of succession. The First in line in Succession will then be-"

"Me," I said, frozen in place.

"Yes," Grandmother nodded. "This means that the power of the Land of Fire is in the hands of an old hag destined to croak off any minute and a young naive girl, who other than fighting in the Fourth Shinobi War, has no knowledge of the running of the state."

"Sakura does," Mother said indignantly. "She has been learning statesmanship since the age of four with the finest teachers and tutors."

Grandmother snorted. "As if anyone knows that. Or for that reason will believe it. They will just think we are trying to avert a disaster."

"All the enemies of the Royal family," said Father quietly, "they will all come out of the woodwork."

"Not to mention," said Grandmother, her face grim, "all the clans will be racing to have the Imperial Family beholden to them. I can practically see the Uchiha and the Hyuga salivating!"

"Don't talk about it," I snapped as Mother became more and more pale.

Grandmother noticed as well. She walked over to Mother and smoothed her hair back. "I'm sorry, dear. Of course we can deal with this. You will cut back on your hours slowly. I will reenter public life. After a year or two, we will announce it."

"But right now everyone will suspect, will they not?" said Father with a weary sigh as he paced the length of the room. "Before this, there were rumors flying of your retirement, and now if you do reenter public life while at the same time Mebuki exits it, it will opens the Imperial Family to questions we won't want asked."

"It won't," I said. I looked at Mother. She looked so drained and tired. She had worked so hard. And now everything she had worked for, fought for, all of it could just potentially disappear. "They wouldn't say such things," I said as numbness took hold of me, "if they believe the reason that Mother is pulling back is because I am willing to be more active."

Silence pervaded in the room. For once, I had shocked everyone into silence.

"Sakura, you don't have-" Mother's eyes were wide.

Grandmother cut her off. "Are you willing to?" Her blue eyes flashed at me as if warning me. My next words would be instrumental to our political strategy. There would be no going back.

I looked at Mother. I thought about the war. How she had held me when I had come back. How she had slept next to me for over a year so that when I woke up from my nightmares someone would be there. How easily she allowed me to drop out from school and be homeschooled, despite the criticism from Grandmother and the public. This wasn't a choice, not really. It was something I had to do for her.

"Yes." I raised my chin. "I'll do it."

It wasn't easy. But then again, nobody had said it would be easy. Mother started me off small. I would sit in all of her meetings with the Ministers and the Clansmen. No public events yet, until I was presented first. Normally, that would mean a ball with all the foreign dignitaries, the clans, and other esteemed individuals present. But I had put my foot down. Grandmother hadn't even been presented before she sat on the throne. There just had been an invasion and great grandfather had been assassinated. Somebody had to take the reigns and there was no time for a grand ball. It was enough of a precedent for me.

Father helped and Grandmother would insist that I shadow her throughout the day. I resigned from my job at Uchiha Enterprise, and started covertly eyeing members for my advisory council.

"You better get a head start on that one," Kakashi had warned when I had called him up to tell him I was resigning. "You will need a security team and an advisory team. As per usual, the Uchiha and Hyuga will be clamoring for both. So give them a say but not too much. Otherwise, you'll start confusing your interest with theirs."

It was this and other bits and pieces of advise that nearly everyone threw my way, as I trudged through the day. It was difficult but it worth it seeing the relief on Mother's face. If she could bring me up to par in the next a few years, then she could leave the succession easily. But even then, the restlessness got to me. No matter how much I learned, it never seemed to be enough. No matter how well I articulated my thought, my naivety inevitably shone through.

I missed Madara terribly, but I knew I couldn't see him. Rumors had begin to swirl, and now that I was possibly the unofficial First in Line in Succession, I could not leave the Imperial Palace without full security. And I hadn't even told Madara yet. He called me multiple times a day and always asked to see me. I had held him off by telling him I had to spend time with Mother. He had been understanding but now after the passage of three weeks, I could hear the impatience in his voice.

"I visited your home today," he said one night.

"Oh," I said, not knowing what to say. My grip on my cellphone tightened.

"Yes, oh." His voice mocked me. "You don't live there, do you? You never lived there. Just when were you going to tell me that?" He sounded furious.

"I'm sorry," My voice sounded small.

"Sakura," He sounded tired. "You can't say sorry and expect me to let it go without explaining such things. Where are you right now?"

I thought about the grim atmosphere at home, the paparazzi huddled outside the gates, and the last year's phone hacking scandal. I winced. "Its not something I can say over the phone."

Madara misunderstood. "Fine. Then we can talk face to face. Where?"

"I can't meet you right now," I whispered.

Madara didn't respond. After what felt like hours, he took a deep breath. "Is this your way of breaking up with me?"

"No!" I nearly shouted. I took a deep breathe to calm myself down. "This is just a difficult time right now."

"But you won't tell me what it is," he said flatly.

Tears welled up into my eyes. "I can't"

Madara hung up on me.

I called him back multiple times that day, but ultimately he didn't pick up. I wanted to visit him, but Itachi, my newly appointed head of security, vetoed it. When I refused to listen to him, he complained to Father who then proceeded to give me lecture on the art of diplomacy with a side order of importance of personal security. God knows there has never been a bigger tattletale than a Uchiha. The only secrets they keep are their own.

"Did you meet with Aburame Shino?" Mother asked as both of us sat down for lunch.

I squirmed restlessly on my seat, trying to ignore my cell phone in my purse which had the temerity of staying silent despite the countless messages that I had sent. "He's smart and perfectly capable. Actually, reminds of Uchiha Itachi without all the haranguing ."

"That's good, isn't it?" Mother smiled at me. "So why do I feel that is actually bad thing?"

"Uchiha san is right now probably the smartest person in the Land of Fire," I said, leaning back into my chair. "Even so, being brilliant is different from earning a person's trust. But I am willing to keep him close. The Uchiha clan has engaged in seditious activities before."

"Keep your friends close," Mother murmured, "but your enemies closer."

"Exactly," I nodded my head. "For this reason, I am going to transfer Uchiha san to my advisory council within the next a few months. He won't be able to complain. Its a more prestigious position anyway. Aburame san will move up to his position in my security council."

"Leaving you to fill your security council with people you actually trust," Mother concluded. She paused. "The Uchiha clan will not like it. They may see it as an insult. A Uchiha has always been in charge of the security of Empress. It's tradition."

I raised my chin. "I am aware of that. That's why Uchiha Sasuke shall become part of my security team. He will, of course, not be its leader. Even if this is not in accordance with the plan of the Uchiha clan, they will be unable to say anything since their clan, on the face of it, has been highly honored with these two positions."

"Uchiha Sasuke," Mother murmured. She then frowned. "I don't remember him at all. He is Itachi san's little brother?"

"Yes," I nodded. "He is quite forgettable compared to Itachi. But he is strong and not nearly as clever. He is one of those men who are made to swing a sword and shoot a gun."

Realization filtered through Mother's expression. "Hence, easier to control."

I smiled, trying to ignore the fact that my cell phone still had not buzzed. "Not to mention, Itachi loves his little brother. It will give him a perspective whenever the Uchiha clan orders him act adversely to interests of the Imperial Family. I will hold his brother's life in my hands. Figuratively, of course." I shrugged and then my smile became wider. "But in all the ways it matters."

"Ah." Mother leaned back into her chair.

I grinned. "Are you alarmed at my cold-bloodedness?"

"I suppose a little bit," Mother admitted, "but also, how to tell you that Uchiha Fugaku has presented to me a proposal of marriage for you on behalf of Itachi san."

My grin slipped away. "I see," I said as I looked contemplatively into my bowl of salad.

"You won't consider it?" Mother asked gently. "He is rather brilliant and it would tie the Uchiha clan firmly to the Land of Fire. Their interests will be tied in with ours. Not a bad position to be in."

I remained quiet. It would be easier if I got married to Itachi. Pretty much everything would calm down. With the military prowess of the Uchiha clan firmly on my side, the dissent from the other clans would lessen. Both Grandmother and Mother married civilians, and although both of them have been accorded much honor and respect, it doesn't change the fact that marrying into one of the four major clans would have solidified their rule earlier and with much less bloodshed.

"Uchiha Madara," Mother said gently as if she could read my thoughts, "won't be able to help you like Itachi san can."

I swallowed. "You don't know that."

"Sakura, I want you to be happy." Mother paused. "But more than that, I wish to see you safe. When I leave-" Her voice cracked.

I clutched her hand. "You have plenty of time," I vowed to her. "Before then, I will be secure. The Imperial Family will not die under me."

Mother gripped my hand. "Then marry Uchiha itachi." She looked at me with tears shinning in her eyes, her expression desperate. I had never seen her like this and it twisted something inside of me. "You don't have to marry him if you don't want to. If you like, you can marry Aburame Shino, Nara Shikamaru, or Hyuga Hinata. Any one of them will do."

"Mother," I said desperately, as tears threatened to fall, "you can't use your situation like this to get your own way."

Mother's gripe tightened. "You are my daughter. The person I love more than anyone else in this world and the next. I will do whatever is necessary to protect you."

"I love you." Words choked out of me. "But don't ask of me this."

"But I am asking you."

After that, I didn't call Madara. Nor did I text him. After a few days, when I suspect his anger lessened, he called me. But I didn't pick up his calls. It didn't matter, I told myself as my heart shredded itself into pieces. Every breath seemed like a chore, as if shards of glass were being shoved down my throat. I threw myself into work, but when the night came, sleep seemed so far away no matter how exhausted I was, and the only person I could think about was Madara.

Nevertheless, the days emerged until I could no longer distinguish one from the other. From dawn to midnight, I studied, learned, observed, practiced, and opined. It wasn't until the night of my debut that I realized that I realized this was the last step. Nothing would ever be the same.

"You look beautiful!" I could hear the awe in Ino's voice.

"Thank you," I said quietly. Tonight was the ball given by the Uzumaki clan. Not one of the most powerful clans but certainly one of the oldest and the most prestigious. It was there I would be making my first public appearance in years. My floor length green gown matched by my green eyes perfectly while my short pink hair was arranged carefully into an elegant chignon. Simple pearl earrings and a diamond bracelet borrowed from Mother. The Atrocious Glasses had been left behind and thrown in a trashcan (where they belonged).

"You look, you know, exactly like a ruler," Ino stared. "Like in those portraits. Like you are destined for it or something."

I smiled but there was no humor in it. "Uzumaki Mito, the matriarch of the Uzumaki clan, will be there. I can't give her any cause for complaint."

"You better not," Ino grinned at me. "She is a horrendous old cow."

I tried to smile back but even then I don't think it was up to par because Ino's grin faded. "Uh." She straightened my skirts. "Uchiha san approached me yesterday."

"Itachi? What for?"

"No, not Itachi." Ino shook her head. "Uchiha Madara."

I stiffened.

Ino felt it. "Don't worry. I didn't tell anyone else about it. But he was worried about you. He seemed to have these wild ideas that you were in some sort of trouble. He offered to give me money. He wanted to help you in any way that he possibly could. I assured him that you were safe. But then he insisted that I tell him where you were. I did manage to get away. Although, I don't think he will let me go the next time he sees me."

Tears threatened to spill over. Some did.

"Sakura," Ino said with a rush. "your make-up." She grabbed tissue from the nearby table. "Stay still and don't move."

Just then, there was a knock on the door. It was time to leave. Father was escorting me tonight but even then, because of security concerns, we traveled in different cars. Which was fine by me. There was some things I had to do before I reintroduced myself to the world. I had put it off long enough.

"Is this the correct residence, Haruno sama?" asked Yamato as he held the car door open for me. Ino leaned against the hood of the car as she eyed the house suspiciously. Another car with Kiba and Shino was parked behind us. Another three police cars at standby.

"Yes," I said as I climbed out of the car. "Please inform my father that I will be delayed. And all of you may remain here."

"Haruno sama," Yamato spluttered. "You cannot be serious."

Ino raised an eyebrow at me.

"I am. Now please do as I say," I said as I walked to the front porch and rung the bell. I had to tell Madara before it was announced to the rest of the world. I owed him that much.

The front door opened and suddenly I found myself facing the man who for the last three weeks had haunted my every step. Those three weeks hadn't treated him well either. He looked more gaunt and the dark circles beneath his eyes were deeper than I had ever seen.

"You're here," he murmured. He reached to touch me but I shook my head, motioning to the cars behind me.

"May I come in?" I looked up at him.

Madara looked at me and then behind me where Yamato and Ino were watching our every move. He nodded and I walked past him into the entrance hallway. Madara followed me, closing the door behind him.

"How did you know that I wasn't in the office?" he asked, crossing his arms.

I nearly smiled, the sight of him had warmed something inside of me. Trust him to get stuck on something so irrelevant. "I asked Kakashi."

Madara raised his eyebrows. "I didn't know you were close to him."

"Marginally, I suppose," I shrugged. "He used to be my tutor."

Madara blinked. "Alright." He motioned towards my dress. "Why are you dressed up?"

"I have to be at the Uzumaki ball in half an hour," I said, tilting my head up at him.

"I thought you didn't enjoy parties."

"This isn't for enjoyment. Its for work."

Madara frowned. "What kind of work requires you to dress-up like this?"

I squared my shoulders. "I am the Second in Line to the Throne of Land of Fire." When we feel the most fear, it is when the Royal must be the bravest. I needed to say it even if it had to be choked out of me. "In a year, it will be announced that I am no longer the Second but the First in Line."

Madara simply stared at me. I held my ground and met his gaze. He was probably thinking I was a crazy person. In a minute or two, he will start adding things up. He wasn't wearing the mantle of an overworked sleep deprived genius for nothing.

"You-." He broke off abruptly and turned away from me.

I reached out and touched his arm. "I'm sorry."

He shrugged my hand off. He walked away from me, pacing the length of the room. "The Second in Line's name is… Haruno Sakura. Your last name in the HR files is Fujioka Sakura."

"A lie," I said softly, "to make it difficult for anyone to connect me with the Royal Family."

"How is that possible?" Madara snapped. "The HR office would have required identification!"

"Kakashi got around that."

Madara ran his hand through his long prickly hair in agitation. "That's why you wore those heavy glasses." He stiffened as realization dawned upon him. "That's why... the elevators. You fought in the war. Captured. Until you managed to escape."

"Yes," I said simply. What else could I say?

He looked at me disbelief. "That's why you won't go with me to the Hyuga ball. They would have recognized you."

"Possibly," I said cautiously.

"You lied to me." Madara closed his eyes as if he couldn't bear to see me. "For what? For some sort of persecuted poor rich girl syndrome?"

"Yes." I had run from my responsibilities for five years now, allowing Mother and Father to provide me with cover. I couldn't do that anymore. "I'm sorry."

"Stop apologizing," he growled. He let out a sigh. "I thought you were ill or mixed up in some terrible business. Do you have any idea how terrifying it was for me? Not knowing where you were and having no notion as to how to reach you?"

"I know."

"Do you really?" Madara said tiredly. His anger seemed to be draining out of him. "Sakura, I missed you."

Lump formed at my throat. Of all the things he could have chosen to say.

He walked closer to me until there was hardly any space between us. "Did you know that?"

A tear slipped down my cheek. "I didn't."

"Sakura," he groaned. He bent his head down towards me, but I placed a hand on his chest to stop him midway.

"I'm getting married."

Madara stilled. "Who?" he whispered finally, his expression a twist of confusion and rage.

"Uchiha Itachi or Hyuga Hinata." I tried to keep my voice apathetic, but my whole self was shaking. "It depends upon which clan offers the best terms."

"Arranged marriage at this day and age," Madara snarled, his face white and his eyes flashing red. "Its archaic."

"They will probably sell it as a love marriage or something." I shrugged. I turned away from Madara. I wanted to get away from here. His anger, his rage was suffocating. My heart was breaking. I couldn't bear his pain as well.

"You have to fight this!" He grabbed me by my shoulders and turned me towards him. I winced, not because the grip was painful but because of his terrifying red eyes. A Uchiha trait which triggered due to overwhelming emotion. A storm of rage reeled me in, his fury overpowering. It was too much. He glowered down at me. "I won't allow this."

"You will have to," I choked out. Madara stilled. I straightened myself. "I will be the First in Line in a year. And Empress in a few more. Nobody makes me do anything which I do not wish to do."

Madara's grip on my shoulders tightened, horror looming in his expression as realization set in. "What do you mean to say?"

"That this is what I mean to do." I let out a breath that I didn't know I was holding. It was done. "I will not be a failure to my family. I will solidify my rule. I will marry." I raised my gaze to his pulsating raging one, hoping praying that he didn't notice the cracks in my voice. "To whomever it is necessary. Our story ends here."

A/N: Well, this happened. I have no idea why this chapter took so long. This wasn't easy writing to be sure but I am glad that I stuck with it and managed to get it all out.

As per usual, I would like to hear from you guys :). Remember to review!