Part 2:
Chapter 19: Konoha Palace! Intrigue! He has returned!
A hooded figure stopped in the doorway of the Grand Hall as one of the guards thrust out an arm. A few of the seated people turned to look. The person drew back his hood. The guard froze, then his arm jumped back to his side as if burned.
Straight blue-black hair framed a delicate, unmistakable face. Piercing dark eyes looked through at the crowd of nobles. By now almost of all of them were silent and staring at the doorway. The first footfall echoed softly off the high ceiling and walls. A few steps in, he had the attention of all.
The nobles and courtiers of the Uchiren Empire froze over their breakfast, no-one ate, nobody spoke, only their eyes moved. As the attention of all was still on the waiting heir, not one noticed three other cloaked people walk into the hall and keep to the shadows. Sasuke walked slowly, his back and neck straight with his eyes focused on the platform at the far end of the hall. On the raised surface was the Imperial table – carved marble with the Uchiha family's emblem etched into the stone in red and silver – the seats were empty.
Expression left Sasuke's face as he walked passed chair after chair, until he came to the emperor's high-backed seat. He paused before reaching it, and undid the clasp that held his long cloak together. There was almost a collective intake of breath as the boy draped the cloak over the arm of the seat. He sat down with a flourish, his lips forming the words, 'Coffee, please.'
A shocked serving man was impaled by Sasuke's gaze and seemed to turn to stone. 'With my breakfast,' the heir continued, 'I'll have coffee.'
The serving man's lips moved. Then he seemed to decide speaking was not called for, or not possible, because he nodded and walked to the kitchens.
It was then that Princess Haruno Sakura fainted.
xXx
News spread. Like wildfire. By the time the heir had a perfectly brewed, steaming cup of coffee to his lips, the entire palace knew of his sudden arrival. A whisper blew through the halls: "The Grand Prince has returned."
And some dared, in softer, barely audible whispers, to say "The Grand High Prince." (1)
xXx
Sasuke swept black hair out of eyes and looked at each of the people in the Red Room with him. "Take seats,' he said and turned to the only woman. "Karin, is anyone listening?"
The woman shook her head, red hair moving over her shoulders.
The boy turned to the eldest there. 'Has everyone been contacted?' he asked. 'We know the loyalties of the families are split. Have you discovered any more information about the massacre?'
The three at the table searched Sasuke's face as he asked the last question. His features betrayed no emotion.
The tall orange-haired man turned to the bird on his shoulder, 'The culprit has not been apprehended yet. But as you know, we have our suspicions.' He spoke in a deep, gentle voice. 'Nothing more, I'm afraid. Just that it happened at night, when the family was in the Imperial Quarters. And that no one saw the attacker,' he made a noise of disbelief. 'Not even one of the guards heard a sound.'
At this an expression did appear - the slightest of frowns. After what seemed to be much thought, Sasuke continued: 'And the opinion at court of' - barely a pause - 'Itachi?' Sasuke looked at Juugo steadily as he waited for a response.
Juugo gathered his resolve. 'Some find his situation questionable. But some see him as a victim and a survivor and as the one who . . . who was here to lead the empire in mourning and to begin the search for the traitors.'
Sasuke's eyes narrowed. 'He went after me.'
Suigestu leaned forward, his eyes hard. 'Yes he did, and he let the court make of that what they wanted.'
Changing track, Sasuke said, 'My brother' – all gazes swung to him – 'will be back in three days.'
Karin sat up straight. 'We have a lot of work ahead of us.'
Suigetsu shrugged. 'We'll just work quickly, then.'
'First,' Juugo began, 'you should speak to-'
Sasuke cut him off, '-The Regent, of course.'
xXx
'His Imperial Highness, Grand Prince Uchiha Sasuke.'
The doors swung open in front of the young prince, who walked straight up to the high-backed chair to the left of the throne.
'Why have you come here only now, Sasuke? It was not a secret, what happened a month ago. The entire empire knew.'
The black-haired boy stiffened, but his voice was level. 'Not even a greeting?' Sasuke lifted an elegant eyebrow.
'Not when I've been doing your work for you for the last four months,' the regent said in a languid voice, sitting back in his chair, long dark hair over his shoulder.
'My work?' Sasuke asked quietly. 'Not . . . Itachi's? Could your loyalties have changed?'
'Once I favoured your brother, but no longer, Sasuke-chan.'
Do I need any more proof than this of Itachi's guilt?
Sasuke inclined his head, 'Is that so, Orochimaru-sensei?'
xXx
Hustle. And bustle. Sasuke disliked both of these things. They intruded on his calm. His expression, as he stood against one of the courtyard pillars, was not a pleased one. From his vantage point he could see virtually the whole of the circular courtyard. He had managed to walk this far unnoticed because he had come alone – he was observing his courtiers.
First Lieutenant Rock Lee, head bodyguard to Princess Haruno Sakura of the Country of Grass, was bouncing around fawning over the pink-haired girl as usual. Sasuke raised an eyebrow. Energy should not be that visible.
When he saw Sakura's head turning, Sasuke ducked around the pillar behind him, only to come face-to-face with Second Lieutenant Yamanaka Ino. Her blue eyes were narrowed.
'Hiding from her, still?' the blond asked archly.
The Grand Prince shrugged a shoulder. 'So you got my message?'
The handmaiden nodded.
'Have you prepared the report yet?'
The blond whipped out a scroll and handed it over to the Prince. 'As you presumed, the changes of alliance between houses coincide with the specific information that I gathered for that report.' She inclined her head toward it solemnly, but then gave a wry grin. 'You'll find it interesting, as a lot has happened since you left.' With that, she stepped out and crossed the courtyard to Princess Sakura, her charge and Lady.
The Prince glanced at the first line of the scroll, it's title:
'Gossip'
He unravelled it. One or two of the changes of alliance had puzzled him to a large degree, and he hoped this could shed some light on such things as why the Sand and Earth houses were suddenly on speaking terms.
His eyes scanned down the page of the scroll before his attention was caught by the sound of footsteps. Sasuke raised an eyebrow again as Neji and Gaara emerged from a side hallway. Dishevelled clothing, flushed cheeks. Hyuuga Neji, Prince of the Country of Earth, and Sabaku no Gaara, Prince of the Country of Sand.
Sasuke's eyes slid further down Ino's report and, sure enough, there they were recorded by the best and most up-to-date gossiper in Konoha.
He got down to some serious reading.
xXx
(1) (Author's note: the title of Grand High Prince is given to the Emperor's child chosen to be the Heir. As no official statement was made before the emperor's death,
the assumptions tend to be that the eldest child is the heir.
However, before Sasuke's departure, the court had a fairly well-formed idea of
the emperor's intentions. As little, very little indeed, is missed by the courtiers of the Uchiren Palace.)
xXx
hehehehe! Welcome back to the land of sky pirates :) now in the capital, konoha! (in all of its smexy, courtier-filled glory :P)
And look, wlkwos – I promised a chappie by the end of the year, and here it is !!!! Woot! (from the pirate of larger size :P)
Merry Christmas to all and sundry – we hope your Christmases were as sun and sand and seafood-filled as ours were – beach wind almost blew us off our feet, but that's just part of it, hey :P and what's Christmas without foraging and tucking into a whole bucket of fresh sea-nails (technically whelks, but anyway) (our family's a little strange on the tradition side, but we won't say too much about that . . .)
Anyway . . . ja mata!
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