Icewater
Chapter 12: Arrival
Disclaimer: Refer to chapt. 5.
Enjoy!
Review please!
EDIT: I BELIEVE I fixed the issues going on, but please tell me if you spot any others! Thanks!
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Sakura sat up to the sound of the fire crackling to life. She peered into it carefully, wiping the sleep from her eyes. There had been no flames when she had gone to sleep...
Sakura slid out of bed and padded silently to her window, pulling the curtains open a hair. The sun was not yet up; the sky was a dull blue, and the stars were beginning to fade away while the moon positioned itself to sprint away from the soon-to-rise sun.
Sakura whipped around to face the fire. It slowly began to burn to life, and the orange flames began to turn green and red. Chiyo's face appeared, looking ten times more tired than the last time they'd communicated in this manner.
"You can speak while I'm here, Sakura," said the old seawitch. Sakura nodded.
"What's the matter?" she asked the older woman. Sakura sat on the edge of her bed, letting her legs hang as she reclined on her arms, looking pointedly at the fire.
"It's late. I was sleeping."
Chiyo's eyes crinkled in amusement.
"Your sleep can wait, child," said Chiyo. "But I have not yet warned you of whom you must be wary."
Sakura immediately sat up straight, her hands now placed firmly in her lap.
This is serious business, she realized, not a midnight chitchat.She should have expected as much from Chiyo. The woman was dying, if she remembered correctly. But why? Sakura furrowed her brow. There were so many loose ends. Nothing seemed to add up or make sense.
"His name is Madara."
The name was like a trigger. Sakura felt the fire turn cold, and shivered as she leaned forward. The flames began to sputter, the red and green fighting against a yellow and grey that had suddenly appeared within it. The colors fought for dominance.
"Remember, Sakura," said Chiyo's wavering image, "If Naruto sees you before the end of the day, you will revert to being a mermaid. I've found a spell to return your voice to you should you succeed in avoiding him." The fire became a golden and grey mass, and then it spluttered, and Chiyo's face disappeared for a moment. Then it sprang forth again, the last attempt at keeping the fire alive. "Be careful, Sakura! The ocean and land are in danger! Remember your d-"
The fire died. Sakura sat on her bed, motionless, hands clenched so tightly that her knuckles began to turn white. Gradually, the room became as cool as it had been when Sakura had drifted off to sleep. The excess smoke from the fire dissipated into the surrounding air, and then there was no trace of what had transpired. Sakura took a deep breath and then exhaled.
Easy, she thought, calming her rapidly beating heart. I don't know what's going on, but I can figure it out. I'm sure of it.
If you would just listen to me,I could tell you-
I have to do this myself, Sakura told her Inner. I rely on others too much. Even you,she thought softly. Sakura slid off her bed and let her bare feet touch the cold stone floor. She spread her legs out a bit, wiggling her toes, and simply stood there for a time in this sturdy stance, thinking of nothing and everything at once.
My time with these feet is limited,she thought. She had known that from the start, that there was only a certain amount of time she could have to be human. But in the deepest parts of her consciousness, she had still wanted to follow in her Mother's footsteps, wanted to know and experience the very things her Mother had at her age.
And she had.She had seen the villagers of Konoha, had seen it's sights, heard it's sounds. She had traipsed through it's great protecting forests, had swam and splashed along it's banks and beaches. She had walked through the very halls of the very castle her Mother had inhabited for a limited amount of time, too. She had fallen in love with a successor of Konoha's throne, just as her Mother had long ago.
Maybe we're destined to be tied to Konoha like this,she thought.
" Mother, do you think I have fire in me?"
Her Mother smiled down lovingly at her.
" Without a shadow of a doubt," she told her child. "It burns that brightly inside you."
...Maybe that's why, Sakura figured. Maybe it's because we know of Konoha, that we've seen it and know it's real... Maybe that's why we're drawn back to it. Because we know about it, we've caught a little bit of it's fire.
Sakura closed the curtains of her window and returned to her bed.
Madara, she thought. The name itself seemed to instill fear inside her. I must be careful of this man, whomever he is.
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For a number of days now, she had been haunted by a terrible dream. In it, she swam as if her life depended upon it, frantic, for so long that she forgot her reason for fleeing in the first place. She had but one goal: She had to reach him. No matter the cost.
Kushina Uzumaki awoke with a start, gasping, floating away from her bed.
Again... Why did she keep having this dream? She shook her head; her son and husband had not been in contact with her for a number of days. It only made sense that she should be worried for them.
Still...
Yawning, the Queen of Atlantica fell into her usual morning schedule. She fretted over her dazzlingly-red flipper that matched her hair, picked out some coral accessories to wear, and adjusted her orange shells (courtesy of her son, who had found the shells in some random part of the reef and decided to give them to his mother to use as she pleased) before heading out of her bed chambers.
She greeted the servants and maids with a contagious grin that they all returned.
"Good morning, Queen Kushina!" said one particularly bubbly server girl, bringing a tray of kale and the rare delicacy seacress. Upon pouncing on the plants, Kushina chose to nod her head in response as opposed to opening her food-filled mouth.
Kushina wandered through the castle, munching on food samples here and there, before settling down on her throne. It was of red coral painstakingly wound together with eelweed, Atlantica's representative plant. The Queen sighed, resting her head on her hands, and waited.
Soon enough, a flood of citizens began pouring in. Most were simply concerned about Kushina herself, having been left behind by her male family members to see to the kingdom's benefit on her own. They were all sincere and meant well, so Kushina put on a bright facade of overconfidence and spunky energy, waving away their concerns and putting them at ease. A number of the merfolk had shown up to discuss recent - veryrecent - skirmishes breaking out between Oceanicans and Atlanticans. Kushina insisted to these that the matter was being handled by her husband and King Jiraiya; inwardly, though, she worried. Jiraiya was a King who ruled his people kindly but firmly. Should skirmishes break out along borders, his people would immediately feel political pressure - and a sudden tightening of Oceanican funding - for it within hours. Jiraiya, she knew, had been the one to show her own husband, Minato, the ropes of government when Minato was still young. If there was anyone she would have expected to handle border tensions well and rapidly, it would be him.
And yet reports of disputes had not only continued over the past few days, but dramatically increased. What had started as one isolated incident had spread at an alarming rate to nearly every major border city.
Kushina could barely keep composed when the afternoon meal was announced. She practically flew from the throne room, away from the people bearing bad news, into the dining area. The court had already assembled, and Kushina couldn't help but feel the hairs on the back of her neck prickle at the hush that engulfed the room as she entered it. She feigned ignorance of it, throwing her chin up high and giving what she figured looked like a nonchalant appearance. She sat through her meal feeling the nearly suffocating pressure of the eyes of her court, and finally snapped just before a seaweeberry dessert dish was placed in front of her.
"What's the big idea?" she asked, eyeing the royals suspiciously. "Why are you whispering in secret? Are you plotting something? Has something happened here that I'm missing?"
She knew she was on the right track when a good half of the nobles shifted uncomfortably in their seats, throwing warning glances at each other.
Well, Kushina figured, this is a good time to use my influence.Straightening her back, Kushina allowed herself to float upwards so she could look down at her royal subjects.
"I am not a patient woman, as you all know," she said in as clear a voice as she could manage. "As your Queen, I demand for the matter to be brought to my attention."
A pause. No one moved.
"Immediately." she added.
An older man cleared his throat, and Kushina turned expectantly to him.
"It is troubling to us, your Highness," he began slowly, "that our friendly neighboring Kingdoms seem to be having... Issuesregarding their political stability."
"I know Oceanica is having lots of trouble concerning their borderlying lands," began Kushina, "But that's hardly a-"
"It's not only Oceanica, my Lady," interrupted a young Duke. "There are rumors about Pacifica's ruler..." the youth took a breath. "King Gaara may have been assassinated."
Silence.
"And why," began Kushina, her tone like ice, "have I not heard of this?"
The Duke looked around at the other court members.
"You've been troubled about the safety of your son and husband," said a middle-aged mermaid. "I believe I speak for all of us when I say we did not wish to verify your worries."
Kushina felt as if she had suddenly swam into the Ice Ridges. "You think they may be in danger in Oceanica," she clarified.
A stiff silence, and then the woman nodded slowly.
In an instant, Kushina was swimming away from the table. She caught the eye of a guard and tipped her head; he approached her hurriedly.
"Tell Captain Iruka that the troops are to be readied immediately." The guard nodded, wide-eyed, and swam off. Kushina continued on her way, heading once again towards her and Minato's bed chambers.
The recent skirmishes... Gaara's assassination... The lack of contact she had with her family in Oceanica right now... It was all a bit too convenient, occurring too closely together, for her comfort. She opened the door and swam to the bed, throwing the covers off and roughly tossing the seaweed bedding to the side. She grabbed at a large pile of moss and yanked it away, revealing a chest. She snapped it open; the top creaked as she moved it, and then she reached in and pulled out a trident. It was nearly as tall as she was, made of a material made only in Arcticia, bewitched with power and an ability to repel rust. The methods to make such a magnificent tool had been lost long before the destruction of Arcticia, and the trident itself was an artifact passed down from Atlantican ruler to ascending ruler for centuries. It shone brilliantly in Kushina's hands, despite the fact that there was little sunlight streaming into her room at the moment. She held it tightly, closing her eyes to send out a prayer.
Please, she begged, let Minato and Naruto be safe!
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Sasuke was up early. He couldn't seem to sleep last night, after his outing with the girl. He simply lay in bed until he couldn't bare it anymore; after that, he just got up. There was no reason for him to continue to try sleeping when it was evidently so futile, so he did not bother. Instead, he stood by his window, opening the curtains ever so slightly. The sun was beginning to creep over the eastern portion of the castle, and Sasuke's eyes wandered to the living quarters on the west side, directly opposite the eastern lookout post. His eyes settled onto a window on the second floor.
The curtains were pulled closed.
He glanced back to the lookout tower, eyes narrowing when he took notice of two guards positioned strategically: one facing westward, the other towards the south.
Towards him.
He pulled his curtain back.
So he doesn't trust me, huh,he mused. He changed into some court garb and opened his door, shooeing away the somewhat-concerned looks on the guards posted outside his room.
"I'm fine," he said by way of greeting, and proceeded to stomp down the stairs.
I wonder if he has people watching Itachi, too, Sasuke brooded, none too bitterly. Probably not... Itachi has no problem following his orders.
The hallways were still relatively empty, but it only took a quick glance around to see that they were nonetheless very much in use. The walls were lined with sticks recently lit on fire; it was still dark outside, and so there was no light pouring in through the windows. Sasuke wandered until he was in a corridor without windows. After a quick glance around to make sure he was alone, the young Uchiha silently entered through a doorway, closing the door softly. Then he looked around again.
The servants corridors, which ran alongside the main hallways but were hidden behind walls to separate the workers from the nobility, were deserted. Not many people needed others doting on them at four in the morning, after all.
Sasuke wasted no time. He walked purposefully, winding through the corridors towards his destination: the eastern lookout towers. He went up by way of the winding servant's corridors, which seemed to twist impossibly within the confines of such a small tower. Finally, Sasuke reached the end of the hallway, and roughly opened the plain wooden door at the end of it.
It slammed against stone, and the guards posted there started, leaping around, hands instinctively placed on their sword holsters. But Sasuke was already upon them, slicing a dagger (usually hidden within his belt or shoes) upwards. It easily sliced through the leather wrapped around their waists, and the attached swords and holsters clattered to the ground. Sasuke wasted no time in leaping forwards, dropping his dagger on the ground while he simultaneously grabbed the men and kicked their swords away. His force slammed the men onto the edge of the tower; they were pushed backwards, their upper body's arced over the edge, their heads dangling over air.
"I have some questions for you," said Sasuke simply. His eyes flashed red, and he immediately felt the men begin to tremble. He suppressed a triumphant smirk.
"Whose orders are you following?" he asked.
The men shot nervous glances at each other. Sasuke frowned and snarled, yanking the men up and slamming them back down. "Don't try lying!" he snapped. "You're in no position to make me angry!"
Sasuke felt something cool touch his throat.
"Prince Sasuke," said a low voice. "I do believe the same goes for you."
Slowly, Sasuke's hands released the men. They slumped forward and scrambled to grab their weapons.
"Now, now, men," said the voice behind Sasuke. It made his skin crawl to hear it. "There will be no running to your King to tell him of my little visit."
The pressure at Sasuke's throat disappeared. Sasuke wheeled around in time to see his dagger imbed itself in one man's back. He toppled with a yell; the other man had his sword drawn and began to back up slowly, eyes warily eyeing the new arrival.
"What do you want?" asked Sasuke, crossing his arms.
"Just something you've got hidden," replied the cloaked figure before him. Sasuke let his eyes betray no emotion as the hooded figure shot forward at lightning speed, taking the lookout's weapon and shoving it through his heart. But Sasuke looked away before the life left the man's eyes.
"I have no intention of joining you again," Sasuke said. "I've learned all I can from you."
"Oh, believe me, Sasuke," the man said, reaching for his hood. He yanked it back, revealing long, black hair and cracked, pale skin; his eyes were sunken in, yellow and bloodshot. "You still know very little about my secrets."
"Orochimaru." Sasuke extended his hand expectantly. Orochimaru opened his mouth and his tongue shot out, retrieving the dagger from one of the men's backs, and placed it in the Uchiha's palm. Sasuke wiped the blood from it, but did not return it to its hiding spot.
"I don't want to fight," said Orochimaru, stepping forward. "I just want to talk."
"Then you can speak with the King," said Sasuke, shouldering Orochimaru aside.
Suddenly a katana slammed into the closed (Orochimaru must have shut it when he came up, Sasuke realized) wooden door, and Sasuke yanked his outstretched hand back, turning and slipping into a fighting stance, dagger at the ready. As he shifted, his shoes splashed; it wasn't hard to figure out why. The men's bodies were pretty close to him.
"Sasuke, Sasuke, Sasuke," said Orochimaru, snickering. "I only want to have something back."
"What?" asked the Uchiha, his glare darkening. "I already toldyou, I-"
"Don't rush to conclusions," interrupted Orochimaru. "I though I had taught you better than that. No," he continued, slowly stepping forward until he was directly in front of Sasuke. "While I would be delightedfor you to return to me, I am here strictly for business."
Sasuke tensed.
"Then why don't you discuss it with the King?" he asked.
Orochimaru's grin disappeared.
"Our interests clash," he said curtly. "Besides, who better to deliver the prize to me than the one with the strongest hold of it?"
Sasuke hesitantly moved out of his battle stance.
"I want the mermaid with the pink hair."
Sasuke's eyes turned red.
"Mermaids are just sailor legends," he said. Orochimaru laughed.
"You have no clue, my dear boy. But your crew from your last sea voyage are not as inclined to keep her existence a secret as you are."
Sasuke turned to face the east. The sun was rising, and it blinded him to look at it.
"She is a human now. She used witchcraft and traded her fin for feet." Orochimaru ruffled Sasuke's hair; the boy knocked the older man's hand away. "If you see a girl with pink hair, take her into the ocean and drop her."
Sasuke kept perfectly still.
"Why?" he asked. Orochimaru chuckled.
"Blood dissipates quickly in the water." It was a simple statement, but it made Sasuke want to slap Orochimaru. "She needs to return to her people... She should join the rest of her family in the water, where she rightly belongs."
"If the mermaid were here, I would know." Sasuke said.
"Are you sure?" asked Orochimaru. "No... Recent refugees? Sudden shipwreck survivors?"
" You're different... From everyone -" Sasuke caught himself. "... From any human on Earth that I've ever met."
"No," Sasuke said again. "No one that stayed."
Orochimaru stared into Sasuke's eyes before sighing.
"Now, Sasuke," he said softly, "I really would rath-"
"I do hope you plan on cleaning this up."
Sasuke looked up, as did Orochimaru, who seemed to pale considerably despite his already pallid appearance.
"Itachi," said Orochimaru, voice strained. "I hadn't thought you would still be here, what with your underground business spreading abroad."
"I am in charge of Akatsuki's national affairs, not international," replied Itachi. He nodded at Sasuke. "Awake early, little brother?"
Sasuke glared back.
"He sent you, didn't he?"
Itachi said nothing, instead leaning down to check the pulse of the man nearest him. He sighed, then closed the man's eyelids.
"You certainly did a number on these poor men," he said, looking up. "And in vain, too. The King will replace them twofold. Never mind about taking care of this; I'll see to it."
Orochimaru glanced at Sasuke, licked his lips, and turned back to Itachi.
"I shall take my leave, then," he said. Again, Itachi gave no response, choosing to yank the sword out of the wood of the door. He pulled the door open and turned to face Orochimaru, handing the older man the weapon.
"Sasuke," said Orochimaru in a low voice, "The mermaid would be better off in the ocean than within these walls. What I would do is nothing compared to what your Father would notdo to her."
Sasuke stared, for once without a snide reply, as Orochimaru retreated, leaving the brothers alone. Itachi waited until the echo of Orochimaru's feet descending the staircase was ended by the slamming sound of a closing door before shutting the one to the watchtower. He whirled around in time to catch Sasuke looking out towards the west wing of the castle.
"Sasuke-" Itachi began.
"I haven't forgiven you yet," snapped Sasuke. The sun had somehow begun to creep up over the eastern part of the castle, and now streams of sunlight glittered across the sky, their gold color adding a fiery depth to Sasuke's eyes. "You're on hisside."
"I am with Akatsuki, not our Father," replied Itachi.
Sasuke laughed.
"We're not in the court right now, older brother," he said. "No need for that pretense here."
"Sasuke," replied Itachi, "The situation is beyond delicate at this point. You know as well as I do that the King, our Father-"
"Is dead," interrupted Sasuke, "And to call that man Konoha's ruler is to degrade our realfather."
A thick silence fell upon the two siblings. Sasuke was unmoving but clearly seething, body tensed as if in preparation of an attack. Itachi stood still as well, intelligent eyes boring into the matching red eyes of his younger brother. Finally, the older of the two bowed.
"We each do as we see fit for the better of the kingdom," said Itachi. "I know what I'm doing, Sasuke. I will see you later."
After Itachi had closed the door behind him, Sasuke turned back to the west, eyes returning to black when they alighted on the window on the second floor.
"I don't care much about Konoha anymore," he said. "I'mthe one tied down by duty, but I'll do what I please."
" What I would do is nothing compared to what your FATHER WOULDN'T do to her."
"He won't win this game," he muttered to himself. "Not this time."
Sasuke's hands went to her shoulders, and he rested his head on top of hers.
" Your hair looks nice in moonlight, too."
There was too much at stake to lose again.
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Sakura noticed quickly that Ino's mind was far away from where they were now, sorting through dresses and shoes. Ino had pleaded with Sakura until the girl had begrudgingly nodded her assent to actually try on her wardrobe's worth of noble's clothing. They had started with the most formal wear, deciding which dresses flattered Sakura's body type and which did not. They theoretically should have moved on to the semi-casual dresses by now, but the task of wearing the dresses was very time-consuming. Sakura had to slip into and out of each article of clothing, and Ino had to make adjustments and mark where to lift hemlines and the like.
It also didn't help that the blonde girl was in something akin to a stupor, taking a long time to come to conclusions about dresses and continually dozing off or losing track of what she had intended to say.
After Sakura tapped the blonde girl, Ino responded with a flinch and looked up, a bit taken aback.
Sakura quirked her head to the side, concern spreading across her features. Ino took note of it and sighed, handing Sakura a green dress to try on. Sakura began slipping out of the purple one she had previously donned (and which Ino had nixed), and Ino began to explain herself.
"There's... This thing," she said cautiously. "I just... I have this bad feeling..."
Sakura nodded understandingly. All morning - or perhaps earlier than then, when the fire had blown itself out in the wee hours before dawn - Sakura had felt an unnerving sense of... Something. It was not dread; nor was it the sickening feeling of the deja vu she had experienced before her Father's death. But it was unsettling nonetheless.
Her Father. Sakura had been avoiding thinking about him. But now everything about him flew back to the forefront of her mind.
He always had the most brilliant of smiles. For as long as she could remember, her Mother had always lovingly enshrouded her in fantasies and tales and childhood, and her Father had been her pillar of comfort, the one whom she would run to if upset or hurt. He never failed to envelope her in his arms when possible, and he always told her she was his Pearl of the Sea.
" My little pink pearl," he would so often say as they would sit on a large piece of the coral gates encircling the castle. " My little Sakura flower."
Sakura knew of flowers from her Mother, and there were in fact blooms underwater. But they paled in comparison to those Mother spoke of.
" They blossom in the spring above-water, when the fish begin to proliferate," her Mother said. Sakura was in her arms, lying back contentedly against her Mother's chest.
" They blossom when mermaids are born," said her Father, settling down beside them. He wove his tail around the end of her Mother's, and the Queen smiled softly, returning the gesture. " They say that every flower represents a mermaid. Its color is the same as that of her fin." The King poked Sakura on her belly; she recoiled, giggling. " So yours would be a green flower," he said.
" It probably includes hair color, too, Jiraiya," said Tsunade, stroking her daughter's locks.
The King nodded.
" Ah, yes," he said. He turned to his daughter excitedly. " Sakura, you're a special mermaid," he said, " So instead of getting a flower on the surface, a whole tree grew for you. Isn't that cool?"
"Yeah!" yelled Sakura, her eyes bugging happily. " It must be really pretty!"
" It's flowers are as pink as your hair," her Father agreed. Tsunade nodded as well. Jiraiya reached over and scooped Sakura into his arms, flinging her this way and that as she squirmed and squealed. Finally, he settled her down in his lap.
" I think I should probably be getting back," he said after some time.
" Probably," agreed the Queen. Sakura was half-asleep in her Father's arms when he passed her back to her Mother. He ruffled her hair, and she closed her eyes.
" Goodbye, my pink pearl," he said softly.
"Goodbye, Daddy," she whispered.
"Hey, why are you crying?" Ino asked in concern. Tears streamed down Sakura's face; she wiped them away with the back of her hand, but it was futile; more simply poured out to replace the ones she removed.
His death had been so sudden. With a pang of guilt, Sakura realized that their last real conversation had ended badly, with her storming away against his wishes to swim into the Outwaters. He had only meant to protect her from the danger he knew lurked beyond the safety of the castle.
But he wasn't looking inside enough, she thought sadly. He was so concerned about what lay in wait beyond our coral walls that he didn't notice what was within them.
And neither did we.
I know, Sakura told her other self. But we should have known! We should've... Should've been a better daughter!
If we hadn't left, Inner said, we might have been killed before Father!
But he died! she screamed to herself. He's dead, and I didn't - HAVEN'T- done anything about it! He would be so afraid for me, up here, alone! How is that fair? It should have... Should have been me! With the breath of a moan, Sakura sank to the floor, sobbing silently into her hands. She faintly felt Ino's hand softly rubbing circles on her back.
I should have gone to Suna to get reinforcements, she thought. I should have done something to protect the kingdom Daddy treasured so much! Maybe, if we had gotten there quickly enough... Maybe we could've saved Father...
He was dead before we left, said Inner. Don't deny that.
Sakura took a deep breath.
I'm a fool, for running away like I have. Look at the mess we're in now! Nothing makes any sense!
Well, yeah, agreed her other half hesitantly. But this is all part...Her other half cut off, as if it had said too much.
It's okay, said Inner Sakura slowly. He's gone, but he's still here.
"Are you gonna be okay?" Ino's ringing voice brought Sakura back from her internal thoughts.
" Swim," he whispered back to her.
Sakura nodded, once again wiping her tears away.
Then for Daddy, she decided, let's make him proud, even in a human's court!
Yes, replied Inner. If we're meant to play this part, then let's make it one heck of a show!
Sakura laughed inwardly.
I never know what nonsense you babble on about,she admitted to herself.
You do, remarked her Inner, you're just too stubborn to realize it.
Ino clicked her tongue playfully.
"Well, this dress is ruined now," she told Sakura, pointing at a dripping, green sleeve which was bleeding into the cream skirt. "It's ugly anyways," she continued. "Let's just toss it!"
Sakura changed out of the dress, sniffling every now and again, and then slid into a leaf-colored dress Ino had approved earlier.
The blonde looked over Sakura, nodding to herself.
"Let's get a nice necklace for that," she said. "Wear the brown slippers, and I'll see if I can get ahold of some hair pins and such. Wait here for me!"
Ino left the room; Sakura heard the clicking of her shoes against the stone of the castle floor before the wooden door closed. For a few moments, she sat alone in silence. But then she stood. Sakura went over to the window. The curtains were pulled back slightly, to provide light but prevent indecency, and Sakura flung them open fully. The sunlight heated her skin almost immediately, and she allowed her eyes to close for a moment to enjoy the bliss. Then, she began to scan the surroundings below her.
Being on the second floor, escaping from the window would be difficult if she ever needed to. It was a long fall down, and her window easily visible from the lookout tower.
Sakura's eyes narrowed.
Someone was up there now. Looking in her direction, if her eyes did not deceive her.
She looked down.
There were thick, large clumps of ivy climbing the walls, spreading out around her window and continuing upwards.
Satisfied she had seen what she needed to, Sakura pulled the curtains back to their previous near-closed state.
They're watching me, she realized. Then, thoughtfully, she began wondering why.
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The tension in court was very nearly tangible. Itachi met Sasuke's glare with an unreadable expression; the noblemen stood in little tight circles, speaking in hushed voices amongst themselves; the ladies ruffled their skirts and wagged their fans exaggeratedly, their voices unusually loud and high-pitched; Sakura stood nervously a few feet behind the younger of the Uchiha brothers, eyes snapping back and forth in order to analyze the situation; and Sai sat on a windowsill, capturing the scene in splotches of gold and black, red and blue, white and yellow, green and pink.
The King was going to come to court today.
It had been announced only moments before that the King of Konoha would be making his appearance shortly, and since that announcement all of the royalty had fallen into a nervous frenzy.
It was as if these people weren't eager to see their sovereign,Sakura thought. Her Inner agreed.
I wonder... Inner Sakura began.
"I hate him."
The words hung in the air, stuck in the tangled web of apprehension felt by the gathered people. Sasuke did not acknowledge the shocked faces of the court surrounding him; his icy gaze was firmly settled upon his older brother. "And I hate you," he added.
"Words should be well thought-out before spoken, Sasuke," replied Itachi, eyes confirming no emotions as they locked onto Sasuke's. "If-"
"I'm tired of this power struggle," interrupted Sasuke. "You know as well as I do what's at stake."
Sakura shivered involuntarily when both brother's glanced at her.
Alarm shells going off in your head yet? asked Inner Sakura. This place is anything but safe!
I'm well aware of that, replied Sakura. But it's a lost cause, trying to leave now. She gestured around herself mentally. If we try to escape, we'll be suspicious. They may even chase us. And thenwhere would we be? Naruto's nowhere near us right now; even if I wanted to go home now, it would only bring more danger to him... And Oceanica.
Her Inner sighed frustratedly, unable to rebuff Sakura's claims.
Let's stay on guard, she finally advised. Sakura mentally nodded.
Already am,she said.
Sakura let her eyes wander around again. The nobles were listening intently to the conversation between the brothers. Even Sai had stopped painting in order to eavesdrop, though he was more subtle than the nobles.
"Sasuke," Itachi began, "Sh-"
"I wonder what would happen," Sasuke cut in, "If I gave up any claim to the thr-"
The doors slammed, men holding them open. The court members immediately retreated to the walls; Sakura followed suit. Sasuke glanced over his shoulder at her, nodded upon seeing her lining the walls, and then turned forward again, bowing stiffly. Beside him, Itachi bowed deeply, acing his hand to his heart. The people of the court lowered themselves to their knees, the women spreading their skirts and sitting on both legs; Sakura followed suit, letting her light green dress flow about her, and ducked her head.
"The King," announced someone; Sakura could not see who said it. "His Majesty, Fugaku Uchiha."
Sakura heard the tapping of shoes entering the room; as desperately as she wanted to, she knew better than to look up. To do so would be a breach of courtesy as well as court protocol. But she listened intently while the feet continued towards the throne, and she heard the rustle of heavy fabric as someone sat in it. Then there were three raps, and Sakura rose with the rest of the court, her head still bowed, unsure of when she should look up. Her eyes darted to the woman beside her. She was staring straight ahead, and Sakura hastily copied her.
There, sitting in the golden throne, donning vibrant clothing of gold and purple with tasteful embroidery, wearing a ring with a dazzlingly bright red jewel upon it, was a man with dark hair and red eyes.
Red eyes focused directly on her.
She mentally corrected herself.
No, not me, she said. The person in front of me.
About halfway across the room, nearly in the way of her vision of the King, Sasuke stood, looking for all the world as if he would gladly enjoy flinging something expensive at his father.
I gather that he and his father are on strained terms,she thought.
It wouldn't be the first time in history, replied her Inner. Sakura agreed silently, recalling her own rocky relationship with her Father near the end of his life.
"It is an honor to join you today, my friends and loyal subjects." The man in the throne spoke in a deep voice with a slightly raspy and most definitely dark timbre. "There are matters of utmost importance that must be discussed and addressed." He rapped his hand twice on the throne, and it echoed about the room. The people darted nervous looks at one another before an old man stepped forward. He had black hair, an eyeglass, and a hat with fabric hanging loosely around that produced a shimmering effect; his eyes were barely visible, and they were so scrunched up it was impossible to see what eye color he had. His cane was a bright, flamboyant scarlet, and it struck Sakura immediately that the way it glinted in the sunlight made it appear almost like Sasuke's red eyes.
"You mean the matter of the Hyuuga, your majesty," he said loudly and clearly. His voice was aged and experienced, but Sakura couldn't help but feel nervous and distrustful of this man.
"Perceptive as always, Danzo," replied King Fugaku. His eyes raked over the crowd again, landing for a moment on her green eyes before passing on.
And during that moment, Sakura knew.
Those were not the eyes of Sasuke's father.
They were cold, all-seeing and unfeeling.
They were the eyes of a schemer, a killer.
An usurper.
Dear God, she thought, barely able to keep herself from taking a step back in fear and sudden realization. This man... Is...
"But I have not yet warned you of whom you must be wary."
"I hate him."
" It was on Father's command," said Itachi, raising his hands. "I would not have done it otherwise."
" I only know that he has already taken the land; he will not wait long before he guns for the sea."
" Our Fathersays a great deal of things."
" Not all of us are at liberty to do as we please, little brother."
" His name is-"
"Madara," Sakura breathed.
Her eyes went wide as his gaze swung back towards her, his red eyes narrowing. She couldn't force herself to look away. She was paralyzed, frozen by a fear she couldn't check, a fear coursing through her veins, a fear that numbed her body.
And then Sasuke stepped forward, blocking her from Madara's red eyes.
"Father," he began, "What of the Hyuuga?" Sakura saw his shoulders rise, almost as if he were shrugging. "We have resolved the matter. You yourself signed the treaty."
"Prince Sasuke," Madara said, "It is as you say." Sakura could imagine him straightening even more in his chair, looking around the room once more.
"However, the most integral aspect of the treaty requires that-"
And suddenly someone stumbled in, followed by guards who had unsuccessfully tried to hold the man back. He panted a great deal, his face unnaturally pale and muscles visibly straining; his face was contorted in pain.
"Your... Your majesty," he managed to gasp, "The Hyuuga have... been attacked... a-along the border."
Sasuke and Itachi immediately stiffened, and the sudden rustling of fabric alerted Sakura to the fact that Madara must have just stood up.
"Sasuke," he said, "Ready the troops. Itachi," he barked at the older of the two brothers, "Take a squad out immediately and-"
"The attacker is dead," gasped the man who had run to the castle. He looked up and Sakura was startled to see eyes as white as pearls. "The one who killed him... He was a demon."
Sakura felt her body chill.
"He's on the rampage."
Sakura didn't think.
Before she heard anyone shout at her, she had shoved past the man and the guards, and was barreling down the hallway. She heard people call her, but none called her by name – none aside from Madara knewher name – so she did not listen.
She had to get outside. Everything she'd worked for, everything she'd sworn to do, went flying out of her mind. She remembered her Father's lifeless face and knew she had to act quickly. She had to prevent another death.
In moments, she was dashing outside past startled guards by open gates. She did not stop to marvel at how quickly feet could move a person when adrenaline coursed through their veins; she could only think of that man's words.
Naruto!
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The world was red, as if someone had put a jellyfish in front of his face, making his vision blurry and his surroundings opaque and vague.
He fleetingly realized the Kyuubi was taking over, but he could not muster the strength to force it back. He didn't wantto. He had seen Hinata struck down before him, and something within him had snapped. She had been completely innocent and unaware. It wasn't fair.
So he had defended her the only way he knew how: by giving in.
He had defeated Pein. The man had reverted to his fish state after Naruto had run him through with a Rasengan, flopping futilely on the ground before growing still.
Naruto had thought it would be over.
But when he turned around, the Hyuuga were horrified. He supposed it was a shock, seeing his body partially morphed into that of a terrifying sea monsters, but Naruto had assumed they would have at least thankedhim for saving their lives and defeating the enemy.
Instead, they had charged him, intent on killing him.
And so Naruto ran. He did so on all fours, like an animal, alerting him initially of the fact that Kyuubi was beginning to take his body. The Kyuubi's amazing power and speed was all that kept him ahead of the mob, which had increased in numbers as they had approached Sasuke's castle. Naruto grimaced at the irony; he had set out to peacefully meet with the prince, but now he couldn't even do that.
In the setting light of the sun, the castle's silhouette seemed to cast dark shadows all around it. Naruto spotted the glitter of the ocean faintly in the distance, and sped up with renewed vigor. Never mind that he hadn't found Sakura; he needed to get away from the mob before it would be safe to retrieve her. In the back of his mind, he realized he didn't have another day, that today was his last, that returning to the ocean without Sakura might mean never seeing her again. But these thoughts were far from his mind as more of the Kyuubi took over to continue his flight.
Unfortunately, Naruto had no idea how to navigate Konoha. He ran through the forest and frequently got turned around, and the mob would get closer to him; whenever he wandered into the city at all, the mob chasing him simply grew. The sun was almost hidden over the horizon when he finally found himself on the beach. He splashed in, wading out as far as he could while keeping his head above-water, and turned around.
The mob was gathering on the shore, warily eyeing him.
The last ray of the sun set.
Naruto heard his name screamed out and his eyes met Sakura's green ones. He saw the fear in her eyes, as well as the shock.
She's worried about me, he realized. All at once, the Kyuubi was pushed back from his mind as Naruto's mind cleared. Did I make it in time?he wondered.
And then Naruto was sucked under by a swirling whirlpool that gently replaced the scales of his fin.
Naruto realized two things as he swam reluctantly further out: First, and the most obvious, that he had failed.
And second, that Chiyo must be dead, and Gaara must be alive.
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AN: Hope you enjoyed! Exams are looming for all of us, eh? Good luck on yours! I'll be back to updating more frequently once my big tests are out of the way with.
Thanks for reading, everyone! I love your feedback, it helps motivate and inspire me! Review please!
