Chapter 19: Royal Consort, Part IV: Mission Failed

"I choose you." The Prince said aloud, he stepped closer to Sakura with intent.

"Naruto, I know you're angry, but don't act too quickly." Shikamaru hastily ordered. "We'll figure it out, don't overeac-"

Static cut off Shikamaru's voice from Naruto's ear. The prince moved closer to Sakura, raising his hand to take hers. She stood still, shocked and speechless.

Naruto stepped in front of her and pushed his arm away.

"You don't get to choose her." Naruto said in a deep voice. His eyes stared into the Prince's with grim determination. "I won't let you." The Prince raised his eyebrow and smiled smugly at the blonde haired peasant that stood before him.

"Does she belong to you?" he asked sarcastically.

"She doesn't belong to anyone. She chooses who she wants to be with." Naruto replied.

Sakura placed her hand on Naruto's shoulder and moved to his side.

"I've already chosen who I want to be with." She added.

Without warning, she felt the back of his hand strike her face.

"YOU ONLY SPEAK WHEN I SAY YOU CAN!"

Immediately, Naruto's fist struck him, sending him flying back and crashing into the ground. The entire populace gasped at the impact.

Not good. Shikamaru thought.

Instantly, the two columns of guards descended upon Naruto and Sakura; both had their arms restrained in handcuffs, laying face down on the ground. The guards tightly gripped their necks with metal gauntlets. The Prince regained his footing and walked back towards them.

A/N: "gripped their necks" in this case "necks" is the Trapezius muscle which sends out a crippling pain when it's being crushed.

"Pick them up." He ordered. The guards brought them to their knees. A blue glow began to emit from the guard that held Naruto's neck; Sakura could see the life being sucked out of him as his eyes unfocused.

…

"Shikamaru, what do we do?" Ino asked.

"I'm working on it." Shikamaru replied.

…

The Prince delivered a swift kick to Naruto's ribs. He spat out blood at the impact; he felt a stinging pain ripping through every muscle. The guards released his arms and he fell to the ground, shivering with agony. Sakura looked over at him with worry. Naruto's lips were stained in scarlet as he took in quick, shallow breaths.

The Prince raised his foot and kicked Naruto's face, whose head quickly snapped back. Sakura could see that his eyes had closed when his face came back into view.

"STOP! PLEASE STOP!" Sakura yelled "YOU'LL KILL HIM!" she begged in desperation. "I'll do anything, just…just stop hurting him."

"Stop! My son, what are you doing?! Stop this savagery!" The Daimyo shouted "This is not the way I had envisioned this ceremony!" The Prince turned towards his father with a look of scorn. Sakura glanced over at Shikamaru and Ino. She noticed that Ino was unconscious in Shikamaru's arms.

"Stop this madness! As your father, I command that this end!" He pointed at the guards. "Release them this instant!" the guards eased their grip and let Sakura free. "Undo their bonds!" A click was heard and the handcuffs fell to the ground. "Now, step away and let them walk free! Your Daimyo commands it!" The guards in black did as he ordered.

Sakura slowly made her way to Naruto. She gently turned him onto his back, opened his robe and placed her hand on his wound. She stared at his lifeless expression as her hands began to glow.

"Sakura, listen to me." Shikamaru's voice echoed through the audio of the headset. "This mission is over, we've been compromised. They still don't know anything about us. They don't know we're shinobi. They don't know we're from Konoha. Let's get out of here."

The Prince began to walk towards his father. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a Kunai.

"What the hell…Shit! Ino, get out of there!" Shikamaru shouted.

Ino's eyes shot open just as the Prince slashed the Daimyo's throat with the kunai. Blood squirted out and stained his face. A grim smile formed across his lips. Turning around, he took the microphone from the podium.

"His orders no longer matter to you men! I am now the Daimyo! KILL THIS PEASANT!" his voice boomed with madness. The entire crowd was shocked at the sight of their former Daimyo's lifeless body twitching before the feet of this tyrant. More guards flooded out of the palace and began to form a barricade, striking down any person who would try to intervene in any way.

Sakura froze at what she had just seen. The Prince approached her with intent in his eyes. She shook her head and regained her wits. She took her footing and stood by Naruto.

"You will die trying to get to him!" She readied herself as the guards began to charge. One tried to grab her arm; she turned and delivered a downward fist that planted his face directly on the ground. Focusing her chakra into her feet, she kicked him and sent him flying into the crowd.

Yet another tried to restrain her by grabbing her arm, she took hold of his, straightened it, and delivered a forceful upward blow to his elbow, which broke with a loud crack. She carried her momentum and tossed him into the crowd as his broken arm flailed with the wind.

Another two charged towards her, she ducked under the first's assault, and delivered a blow into his stomach that dropped him to the ground; following through with her movements, she tackled the second man behind the first, took hold of his jaw, and with a green glow, began to tighten her hand around it. His eyes widened in panic; blood stained her bare hand as his jaw gave in to her strength and broke into fragments.

She stood again and looked at the Prince with resolve in her eyes. Another guard advanced towards her. In his right hand he wore the same metallic gauntlet that was used on Naruto. He ran towards her and tried to take a hold of her.

Sakura side-stepped him and took hold of the gauntlet. She delivered a chakra-assisted knee to his midsection, and a bone-crushing punch to the side of his face. As he fell, the gauntlet smoothly slipped off of his arm. She looked at it, and slipped it onto her right hand. The tyrannical Prince motioned for them to attack again, another two jumped at her, she took hold of one by his neck with her right hand, she tightened her grip around his neck, he began to panic as his neck was being crushed by her immense strength.

The gauntlet began to glow blue. And Sakura could feel even more power being pumped into her being. She dropped his corpse and turned towards the other guard.

Her eyes began to glow with brilliance, tinted in a strong sapphire. The lone guard stood before her, shaking in fear. She slowly advanced towards him, walking over the bodies that she left in her wake. He slowly began to back away, but then charged towards her.

She delivered a strike to his midsection with her left leg; he fell to the ground, only supported by his knees. She lifted her leg and forced her heel down upon his neck. His head fell to the floor, causing a dust cloud to sprout from the stone tiles. Sakura slowly advanced towards the new tyrant.

"Kill her!" he commanded, no one moved at his command. Sakura glanced over at Shikamaru and saw that he had his hands clasped together, with a small string of shadow attaching every guard's shadow together.

She smiled when she realized what he had done. The tyrant began to back away as Sakura advanced towards him. He fell over and began to crawl. Before he could react, he sat in Sakura's shadow; she stared at him with contempt, and noticed that his eyes were beginning to water, his mouth hung wide open, and he trembled with fear.

…

"It's time to wake up, Naruto."

…

"Everyone! Leave now!" Shikamaru shouted while releasing his shadow "Get out of here!"

The crowd gasped as they heard a bubbling sound; the populace, and the guards ran for their lives. Soon, there were only five people standing in front of the royal palace.

Sakura turned to witness Naruto floating back onto his feet; a red aura engulfed his entire body. His nails began to sharpen, his teeth began to extend into fangs, his deep blue eyes transformed into a dark scarlet, and the red aura took the shape of a fox.

Naruto let out a fierce roar, and charged towards Sakura, seemingly in flight, he struck her midsection, and sent her flying with a crash into the palace. She felt a burning sensation where she was struck and fell to the ground.

Sakura turned up to see Naruto holding the tyrant by his throat; listening closely, she heard his screams of pain and agony. Naruto's fingers were slowly digging into his larynx, her expression changed when she saw a bloody explosion from Naruto's hand.

The tyrant's corpse fell from Naruto's grasp; he then slowly turned his fierce eyes towards Sakura.

...and took off in a vicious charge.