Author Note: I was going to wait untill Sunday to post the next chapter, but I really appreciate the engagement and reviews. It put me in a really good mood. So here is another early chapter. I hope you all enjoy.
Chapter 17
Knock, knock, knock.
"Empress, dinner is ready."
The voice spoke from the other side of the door.
"I'm not hungry."
The bedroom door opened to reveal Sasuke holding a tray full of food. Sasuke didn't even bother asking for permission to enter. He knew they were close enough.
Sasuke moved over to the nightstand to see the previous tray of food had gotten cold. He sighed and looked over to Hinata's gloomy visage.
She sat in a chair looking out through the balcony window, at the snowy night sky.
"Hinata-chan, This won't solve anything," Sasuke pointed out.
Now that they were in private, Sasuke spoke to her less formally.
"I know that."
Sasuke replaced the old tray of food with the warmer version.
"If you explain what happened, maybe we can help you. You have friends for a reason."
A single tear trickled down Hinata's eye. She still refused to look at him. She did her best to stifle her sniffles.
"Thank you Sasuke-kun but…I have to handle this myself. I'm sorry if our behavior has made everyone uncomfortable the past few days."
Sasuke shook his head and kneeled down next to Hinata. He took out a handkerchief to wipe her tears. She turned her head away in shame but otherwise didn't stop him.
Sasuke watched her in frustration, the wheels turning in his head. He clenched his fist and nodded inwardly as he formed an idea. Sasuke placed a hand along her thigh, finally drawing her attention.
"You shouldn't be alone right now. How long has it been since you've been without company?"
Hinata looked down at Sasuke in confusion.
"What do you mean?"
Sasuke squeezed the girl's thigh gently, making her eyes go wide.
"For me, there is one thing that always helps clear my mind."
As he ended that sentence, he raised up to move his lips closer to hers. Hinata gasped in shock.
A few seconds later, a loud crash was heard through the villa.
Samurai guards ran down the hall to see Sasuke's body's sprawn out against the hallway wall. The man sat on his butt with his head hung low, a large hole in the wall behind him.
"Stand down. There is no cause for alarm. We will send a check for the damage."
The guards turned around to see Hanabi striding forward confidently. They looked at each other and nodded before returning to their posts.
Hanabi moved in front of Sasuke, crossing her arms and staring down at him incredulously.
"What did you do?" Hinata questioned in annoyance.
Sasuke raised his head, flashing an amused smirk. Hanabi noted the trail of blood leaking down the side of his lips. Hanabi shook her head with a smile and raised a hand to help him up. Sasuke took her hand and rose up without a struggle, dusting off his kimono.
"I figured anger is better than depression. At least for a little while."
Hanabi sighed.
"I guess anything is better than her hanging around like a beaten dog constantly, but did you really have to go that far?"
"Understanding a woman's heart has never been his strength."
Hanabi and Sasuke both turned their attention to an approaching, mature feminine figure. The dark eyes of Haku focused on the blood staining Sasuke's chin.
Haku stopped in front of Sasuke and began to wipe Sasuke's mouth with a sleeve. Sasuke wrapped both arms around Haku's waist, tugging their bodies closer.
"I never claimed to be perfect," Sasuke retorted.
Hanabi stifled her laughter before focusing on the door which Hinata had slammed shut earlier.
"I probably wouldn't have much luck either. She's my sister but I've never been good with…feelings."
"Allow me. Sasuke was right about one thing. She has spent far too much time in isolation."
Haku had almost finished cleaning Sasuke, rising up to deliver a lick to the remaining drop of blood on the side of his lip before turning around and placing a hand on Hinata's door. Haku stopped just before entering.
"Oh and Sasuke-kun, if I catch you with anyone else, I will kill you both in your sleep."
Haku maintained a sweet smile despite the threat. Sasuke smirked.
"I love you too."
Later that night…
Knock, knock, knock
"Enter."
Naruto looked up from his paperwork to see the Princess standing in his bedroom doorway.
"I hope I am not disturbing you, Emperor Naruto."
She bowed deep at the waist.
"I suppose I can make time for the Princess, assuming you make your presence worth my time."
While maintaining his seat at the desk, Naruto rested his cheek on his knuckles and watched her in mild interest.
After closing the door behind her, Princess Mizu slowly strode forward to close the distance between them.
"I would never dream of wasting your time, Your Majesty."
Naruto noted the graceful way she moved. It would be easy to tell that she was royalty just by watching her silhouette. She stopped in front of him, resting her hands gently against her pelvis.
Despite Naruto's emphasis on time, Mizu allowed silence to linger between them, giving Naruto ample time to soak in her beauty, and he did just that.
Her beauty was exceptional, a thing bards sung about, and poets wrote about. Naruto had only been in the city for a week and even he had heard the stories.
Princess Miku, The Arctic fox. A name she'd acquired from a very young age, likening her beauty to the majesty of a fox's pelt.
Naruto's eyes scanned her unashamed. He noted her perfect, youthful figure, generous bust and hips, silky, flowing white hair, model-like face, and finally, the piercing gaze of her snow-white pupils. Naruto was so focused on the politics of the place before, that he honestly didn't pay much attention to her. Now that they were alone, he could see the truth. She was gorgeous and she knew it.
"No wonder Hinata-chan was freaking out," he thought.
"Are you going to tell me why you are here?"
Mizu grew an enchanting smile.
"I've come to serve, Your Majesty."
Naruto chuckled in amusement.
"Serve huh? You are bold. I guess it's pretty obvious that Hinata and I aren't sleeping in the same room anymore. I'm actually surprised it took you this long to make your move."
Naruto suddenly rose up and quickly closed the distance between them, until their faces were inches apart. He swept a few strands of hair from her face.
"Strike while the iron is hot, right?"
To Naruto's surprise, Miku turned her head away, rejecting him in the most elegant way possible.
"The Land of Earth, Lightning, Water, Wind, Fire, and soon, the Land of Iron. These countries make up your empire. I assume you intend to continue expanding?"
Naruto was thrown off by her sudden tangent. He nodded silently, curious about the point she was trying to make.
"In that gigantic territory, there must be hundreds of thousands, possibly millions of women. I suspect you've seen countless beauties in your conquest. You have power, status, wealth, and this face. How many of them are ready to throw themselves at you?"
Mizu ran a tentative touch of her manicured fingers down Naruto's cheek.
"Being just another whore sounds boring. What I desire is far more interesting."
Naruto raised a brow before turning around and returning to his chair by the desk. He let his gaze linger on her confident expression.
"I have to admit, you've surprised me."
"I hope that is a good thing, Your Majesty."
"That depends on what you say next."
Mizu nodded and followed Naruto. When he sat down, Mizu kneeled down at his feet, bowing her head humbly.
"I said early that I came to serve, and I meant it. Emperor Naruto, I will try to be as straight-foward as possible. I'm…in awe of you."
Something stirred in Naruto's pants when she suddenly looked up at him. Her cheeks were stained red. The infatuated look in her eyes was alarming.
"I've never met or heard of anyone like you. I've read all about your conquests, listened to all the songs, read every news article. I was there on the day you attacked the Sand. You dominated them in a way I didn't think was possible. You are going to take over the world and no one can stop you."
Of course Naruto knew this already, but he never tired of hearing it. She seemed to be the only person in the country who truly knew what he was.
"I also know how firm you are in delivering justice. You have no qualms with destroying entire family lines to bring people to heel. I heard what you did to the noble families of the Mist."
Naruto's eyes wandered in fond memory of the blood he spilled that day.
"I want to do everything I can to ensure my family has a future in your empire. I know you don't value bloodlines, you value competency. That is why I have dedicated my life recently to how myself and my future family can serve you best. That is why I knew of your doctrine. I have been doing my best to prepare for your arrival."
"So what do you want?"
Naruto spoke with a hint of impatience. Mizu knew that she would have to get down to specifics, and fast.
"I have three requests. First, I would like to be placed in a special advisory role of the Doctrinal Council you will establish."
That request piqued his interest.
"An advisory rule? Very interesting. I assume you know that that position does not exist in my empire."
She nodded with a determined look.
"Yes, Your Majesty. That is why I am asking you to create it specifically for me."
Naruto scratched his chin in thought.
"Why not request a spot on the council directly? You would be more than qualified once it is established."
Mizu shook her head.
"Because of the amount of power they wield, being the final say in the creation of new laws and the modification of existing laws, each member of the doctrinal council must take a vow of poverty. They must be pure and incorruptable. They forgo a comfortable and lavish life to devote their lives to the fair interpretation and execution of your doctrine. Quite frankly, I don't want to be poor. I enjoy my lavish lifestyle."
Naruto burst into laughter upon hearing her confession.
"You want the wealth of a princess, and the power and influence of a council member."
"Yes!"
Naruto found it cute how childishly excited she was at the idea.
"Secondly, I would like to ensure that at least one of my future sons gains a spot on the council, if they so desire. I will make sure to raise them with a deep knowledge of your doctrine, unwavering loyalty to you and your beliefs, and the morals to embody the virtue and character of a council member," Mizu continued.
Naruto scratched his chin in thought.
"If your son is worthy, he won't need my help to attain that position."
"It never hurts to know someone important," Mizu hinted.
"Interesting, but only your sons? What if you have daughters?"
Mizu waved her hand dismissively.
"The life of poverty is no life for a lady. Such things are much better suited for men. My daughters will enjoy peaceful and comfortable lives, just like their mother."
"You seem rather sure of that. There is no guarantee that your father remains in power when we integrate the country into the empire. You must know that we redistribute the wealth of the population based on a very specific criteria. Royalty means nothing in my empire, except for me, of course. Do you plan on starting a wildly successful business, or marrying into wealth?"
"Actually, that brings us to my last request."
Before Naruto could point out the audacity of having three requests, Mizu rose up from her kneeling position. She bent over at the waist, placing her delicate hands along Naruto's thighs and peering at him with a haughty gaze.
"Who better to sit on the doctrinal council than one of the sons of the great Emperor Naruto himself. As for his mother, I trust that the emperor would take very good care of her."
Naruto went wide eyed.
"I underestimate her."
"I hope these requests have made me a tad more interesting than a common whore," Mizu cooed.
She leaned down to kiss the growing bulge hidden in Naruto's pants.
"I've got to admit, I'm impressed."
A bright grin grew along Naruto's face. He leaned down to whisper into Mizu's ear. The closeness made her shiver.
"How about this? If you survive with all your limbs intact, I'll consider it."
A look of confusion and panic grew along Mizu's face.
"Did...did I offend you, Your Highness?"
Naruto shook his head.
"Not me."
Naruto sat up straight, looking past Mizu.
"Good evening, Hinata-chan."
Mizu's heart sank. She slowly turned her head to the side to look in terror at the hellish visage of the empress, standing in the doorway with her Byakugan flared.
Naruto looked down at Mizu in amusement.
"Good luck."
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