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The girl stood looking over the balcony, her hair, as soft and dark as the midnight sky, flowing like a river down her back. Her pale green eyes shone like polished sea glass in the rays of evening sun as she scanned the verdant gardens below. She wore a formal kimono of the deepest blue, adorned with delicate white cranes flying across it's woven sky. The fabric, silken and smooth, billowed lightly around her slender form as if it were alive. She sighed, the soft sound of her breath mingling with the rustle of leaves and the trickle of water from the stone fountain in the center of the garden. A grey heron that had been resting along the water's edge suddenly made it's ascent to the air, quickly becoming nothing more than a tiny dot in her vision as it left the grounds of the palace behind. The sun was painting the sky brilliant shades of reds and oranges, but she felt no joy in the beauty before her.

How nice it must be, to fly away so freely… Could you teach me little bird, how to spread my wings and reach for the sky?

"Lady Haruka!" The sound of an approaching voice snapped the young girl out of her trance. "Lady Haruka, there you are, I'd been searching all over for you." Misaki had been Haruka's handmaiden since the day she was born, caring for the future Empress as if she were her own. She was hardly more than 12 years old when she took on her duties, but handled herself with the grace and poise of someone much older and wiser. As Haruka turned to face the woman, her melancholy was instantly washed away. She always felt great comfort in the presence of Misaki, viewing her not as a servant but as a member of her family, closer to her even more than her own mother.

Misaki, to have you by my side has been life's greatest gift. Would you too, take to the skies with me, if given the chance?

"I should have known I would find you here. It's such a lovely evening, the gardens really are so enchanting in the summertime." Misaki joined the princess on the balcony, taking in a deep breath to savor the bright floral scents wafting up on the breeze.

"I'm sorry I put you through such trouble. I just needed a moment to collect my thoughts." Haruka moved in to rest her head on the handmaiden's shoulder. "So much has happened recently, I've hardly had a second to catch my breath…" she trailed off.

"I understand. Don't worry, I told the council you had just finished up your archery practice and needed a bit to freshen up!" Misaki smiled down warmly at the girl. "I think I bought us a few extra moments before they all get their undergarments in a twist."

Haruka let out a chuckle, "Thank you. They might call themselves regents, but I think they're more like a pack of wild dogs." she said. "I guess we should make our way to dinner now. I'd hate to leave our guests alone for too long with those animals."

Ōujisama, the Imperial City, was a place of contrasts. On one hand, it was a thriving modern metropolis filled with bustling markets, teeming with life and commerce. On the other, it was also a city of ancient tradition and unyielding protocol, where every step taken and every word spoken carried weight and meaning. The inner ring of the city where the palace resided took up almost a quarter of its land, and it was here that the Empress herself, along with many other high ranking court officials, made their home. The council of regents took up residence here as well, leaving behind their respective provinces, after her disappearance. The palace complex was a marvel of traditional architecture and artistry, standing out sharply amidst the more casual setting of the outer city in the foreground, its towering spires and ornate gates casting long shadows across the cobblestone streets as they caught the light of the setting sun.

In the center of the main palace was the throne room, a large hall with steep ceilings decorated with the finest tapestries in the Land of Fire, and it was here that dinner was being held. Haruka scoffed internally at the sickeningly grandiose sight before her. The magnificent carved oak doors were opened wide to reveal what seemed like much too extravagant a spread of dishes and fine desserts for the small group that would be dining tonight. The air was thick with the scent of roasted meats, baked bread, and the sweet and sharp aromas of tea and hot sake. Servants in livery scurried about, refilling glasses and plates, their every move a practiced dance of efficiency and grace.

Did we really need to do all this just to welcome a couple of ninja for hire? One of them has been here half a dozen times already. Seems like a bit much.

As Haruka made her way inside to join the feast, Misaki close behind, she stopped for a moment to regard the empty dais at the rear of the room, the brilliant sheer gold and white curtains drawn around the raised structure seemed to make it's lack of occupancy even more glaring. She made her way around to the head of the ornate low table where the dinner party sat, the guests all bowing to the floor in respect of the young princess as she took her seat. She counted seven feast goers total. Three of the five regents were present, two of which brought their wives, and two young shinobi who were looking slightly overwhelmed by the situation they'd found themselves in.

Better get used to it boys, the court of dogs love nothing more than to flaunt their status to anyone who will bear witness.

"How kind of you to finally join us Lady Haruka." Isamu, the eldest of the regents seethed as he sat upright. He never did try much to hide his contempt for the girl. She was well aware of the fact that he found her ill-suited to her title. She was too unrefined or indelicate or crass or whatever other excuse he could come up with to rationalize his disappointment in her existence. Haruka knew what he really meant was that she was nothing like her mother, a strong and righteous woman beloved by all. The fact that she was the only possible heir to the throne drove him nearly mad, now more than ever with the absence of the Empress.

Just smile through it. This will all be over soon enough and then you can go back to avoiding all of these horrible old men.

"Oh my, I do apologize for the wait Lord Isamu. My archery studies ran a bit long today, and as I'm sure you're aware it can take quite some time for a lady such as myself to ready herself for such a grand event. A princess must always look her best." Haruka quipped back in a sardonic tone. This act of subtle defiance elicited a loud snicker from the shinobi she recognized as Genma Shiranui. She nearly broke out in a fit herself as she watched him bring his hand to his mouth in horror at the unintentional reaction. She had gotten to know the boy well in these last few months, and found his jovial personality a welcome change from the stiff and humorless guards that were normally stationed around the palace.

Another regent, Lord Shuji, cleared his throat in a feeble attempt to break the awkward tension now hanging in the air. "My Lady, please allow me to introduce our guests tonight. Returning yet again to aid us during these trying times is Mr. Shiranui. Here with him is Mr. Kakashi Hatake. The Hokage of The Hidden Leaf gave mention that he is a shinobi of the highest caliber, despite his young age. As such, we have decided that he will be assigned as your personal guard detail during their stay, and Mr. Shiranui will take up position as a grounds patrol officer."

"It's a pleasure to meet you Lady Haruka." The princess shifted her gaze from her plate and onto the unfamiliar ninja before her. From what she could tell, he looked to be around the same age as herself and Genma. His silver hair was shimmering faintly in the warm glow of light from the chandelier above. Only his right eye was visible, the left obscured by a headband, and most of his face hidden behind a dark blue mask. Even with all of the coverings she could still make out the delicate features underneath. His taut posture and the air of boredom exuding from his body had Haruka staring at him curiously. It wasn't often that she met someone who seemed to dislike these superfluous gatherings as much as she did.

What a strange boy. I wonder, Kakashi Hatake, will you be able to keep up with me?

The evening concluded without any more fuss, much to Haruka's delight, the participants all returning to their respective lodgings for the night. Misaki decided to make her way to the palace's kitchen to help with cleanup. Genma said his goodbyes, and headed out to the guard station to receive his patrol details for the next day. "Go easy on my friend Princess, he's not as tough as he look." he laughed before exiting the hall.

"Well, now that all that's over," Haruka smiled at the silver haired teen, "why don't I give you a tour of our home?"

Authors note:

thats a wrap on chapter 2!

hope you liked meeting princess haruka! i'm really excited to start fleshing her character out more i've got some fun stuff planned :P

next chapter is back to kakashi's POV