So many other projects needed my attention aside from this one, but we might be halfway done. :) Under ten chapters this story will be. Aside from that, life, well, everyone knows that story.

This time around, episodes 2 and 8 of "Chouyaku Hyakuninisshu: Uta Koi" and "Genji Monogatari Sennenki 6".

Doing Heian-era culture tends to be a bit...easy yet difficult. Because of women's lives at the time, compared to our modern ways. I wrote it just fine in "Moonlight, Rain and Sakura", but this time seems different because of the historical context. The Heian era doesn't have too much documentation as to what happened in day-to-day life.

Chapter Four

Melody's End

"Your aim has gotten sloppy."

She lowered the yumi and ya, the arrow itself on the verge of snapping in her grasp as she whirled around to glare at Tobi who folded his arms across his chest, regarding her with a stern look not much different from when her father showed his displeasure. She did her best not to flinch. "Excuse me?" Sadako demanded.

"You heard me," Tobi answered coolly. "Your thoughts are elsewhere. I've seen it enough in the last five nights. I seldom see you, as well. Call it intuition, but does this have to do with a boy?"

Sadako's heart froze, the sensation traveling to her arms and all the way down to her toes. Thank the gods she was schooled with hiding her emotions on her face. "What makes you think -" she started only for him to cut her off when he was soon before her, towering over her imposingly like an ancient statue.

"You and that prince of yours, I can only imagine. I don't need to spy to know. I have instincts, you know."

He knew, and there was no denying it now. She swallowed. "And what's the matter with that? We're to be married. Isn't it only natural to be inevitable?"

She didn't see his response coming at all, nor did she spot his body language, too caught up in trying to figure out if there could be a way to make everything work, because Naruto promised - and the feelings they shared -

"Sadako." Tobi's voice was cold as the harshest winter. "You can't fall in love with that child. No matter what you might be feeling. Besides that, passion inevitably cools, and what it truly comes down to is a marriage of political reasons; it always has been and always will be. Put in all the effort you can, but it's not like you can peer into his mind and heart. I know the kind, child. Pretty words? No doubt he's said them, but how often do you know if they are truthful?"

How do you know if they are truthful...?

The question never left her, no matter how hard she tried to squander it during her activities in the day. If only Sadako could peer into Naruto's mind and soul just as easily as the divine beings, then it would put her paranoia at ease. Unfortunately, life didn't work that way, and solidification happened in the form of actions coming to fruition. She intended to ask her wise older brother later that night, but would it do the job?

And call upon Itachi she did when the day ended. However, she omitted the secret night meetings, yet she could have sworn she saw the twinkle because it was like her brother to read between the lines. It made her throat dry.

"My little sister in love. I never thought I'd hear it from you. Makes it worthwhile, doesn't it?" He chuckled and returned to the scroll he was writing on, dipping the pen into the ink. She wondered if it was a poem or an important document for the court.

She sputtered before clearing her throat and huffing. "What are you talking about?" No, what are YOU talking about, Princess? He can see right through you.

Itachi went on with that smile of his, keeping his attention on his work while attentively paying her heed. "Sadako, it was high time you weren't so proud and negative. If you think there's something wrong with these feelings, you're wrong. We never know when life ends for us, and what would you do if he went before his time? You'd spend your days regretting it when you had the chance. Yes, the human heart changes, but while it's ongoing as yours is at the moment...you get the picture?

"It's perfectly normal to put the walls up around your heart if you don't wish to be burdened by your loved one changing their heart for another, or if they die untimely, or just question the validity of love's strength. On the other hand, pain doesn't exist without happiness. Like two sides of the same coin -"

"- like Naruto and I," she whispered, bringing his smile to her face again.

Itachi laughed lightly, putting his pen back into its bottle. "Yes, it's wonderful to come alive with this silly feeling. But no one can help it. It's absolute."

Absolute.

So, what Itachi and Tobi were both saying was true, if this was love and she couldn't stop it once it started, then...

But why would Tobi, her secret friend who encouraged her dreams and need for a purpose outside what society expected of her - why would he be so cold and harsh to her over this? Maybe he's just being overprotective. Kinda like a father would to his daughter...like my father does too much of and also too little.

"The lessons are at an end for the time being." Tobi sighed, turning his back to her. "I will see you in a few days once you've improved your aim."

~o~

His betrothed's birthday was near, and he wanted to give her a gift. Something she would love and never would have expected, but what?

Minato suggested a new love poem of his choosing, anything that would come to mind in terms of Sadako's birthday, and his friends just jokingly told him in secret to slip to her place and ravish her unexpectedly - he didn't tell them a word in case they'd start gossiping and spread the word like wildfire - while Itachi Uchiha suggested something far simpler than just a poem alone.

"My little sister would prefer her favorite hydrangea blossoms if you could kindly be discreet, Master Naruto. They have some time left before the blooming period ends."

That was perfect, and yes, another pairing of those magnificent balls of blue light, along with the perfect poem Naruto had in mind. He got to work right away on the latter that night: "The walls by day permit no contact between flowers. At night, the petals break free. On this day to mark the birth of one such flower, the fireflies dance upon the hydrangeas and the crickets sing." Why should he waste time on something longer and result in poor writing choices? This was perfect.

However, the night was disturbed by Konohamaru, his younger servant who was the grandson of his father's late minister of state, who arrived and told him that there was a young girl here to see him at this time of night. "Odd," he said when he walked out to the veranda, seeing the kneeling form in autumn hues. "Odd that a young lady would visit a man alone, knowing how dangerous it must be."

"Your Highness, I am Moegi, attendant of the Lady Sadako."

The moment she revealed the name of his intended, Naruto's insides soared, only for the feeling to take a dreadful turn. He recalled the previous night's events...

"Have you truly taken a liking to me in return, my lady?"

"...so much that I'm astonished."

She had run to HIM this time, saying she had been unable to stop thinking about him that her pride was no longer intact, and she thought she would die. So overcome with bliss that all she wanted in the world was to be in his arms, thinking it really was destiny they were together...he never thought he would hear those words, stunned she had broken protocol and ventured out to him in the late hours of the night. His heart had never felt such joy, and he never thought this would happen. Little by little, each time he'd go to her room, she'd regale him with the desire to show the men she was an excellent archer and he encouraged her because it excited him she was more unconventional than he'd thought. He thought maybe she was requesting him this time through her servant so she could show him when it was just them -

"She is in grave trouble, I fear," Moegi cried, eyes wide as the full moon. "I had to see you at once, sir! You could help her and prevent a scandal!"

Just like that, horror seized every aspect of his body and soul.

"Where is she?" Naruto demanded, then shouting for Konohamaru to fetch Kiba. "What danger do you know of?" He then went about to fetch his sword he kept in his rooms. No way in the deepest pits of hell would he let something happen to the girl he'd fallen in love with.

The plan was this: arm themselves in case it turned out to be a worst-case scenario if it wasn't solely Sadako taking someone else into her arms who wasn't him - no, after everything we've done? After she told me about her dreams and being different from other women? I thought we were starting to do well! Naruto was gonna do exactly as he was taught by his father more than his friends. He was setting the example for the rest who didn't have a wife yet or who had multiple women without taking responsibility.

They rode past the shrine where the hydrangeas blossomed lushly, bright blue as the moonlight shone down, peeking out through the clouds which were dark and foreshadowed rain. Naruto, Kiba, Konohamaru, and Moegi - who rode behind the Sarutobi boy - made it just in time to hear the sounds of shouting in the distant trees, never to be heard by the palace or noble residences. The four got off the horses and rushed towards the source -

- in time for a great booming voice to pierce their eardrums, rattle the tree branches and carry the tune off into the wind away from the capital, and startle the horses into knocking off their riders but not running away.

"I knew you were coming, but I'm afraid you're all too late. She's now mine."

Naruto was the first to stand up on his knees and then on one foot before the other, drawing his sword. "Who are you and what have you done with Sadako?!" he demanded, the blade glinting in the moonlight, and Kiba snarled as he leaped to the prince's side, their shared steels' lights going out when the moon was soon obscured by the clouds.

The voice chuckled deeply. "Nothing that involves keeping her confined within palace walls, encouraged to feel ashamed of her true self...what's to say you won't go back on your pretty words and gifts, Prince Naruto?" Before he could respond in dismay, something flew his way and landed at his feet just as the rain poured as if sobbing and crying as he felt the beginning of, the dam freed.

A stick with a single ball of hydrangea...and the abalone he gave her along with that very first poem ages ago.

And so the real fun begins. Hope the wait was worth it and I get to update faster now that the story is becoming clearer. Reviews are appreciated as usual.