Chapter 11

Month 7

Her ladyship, the queen-to-be, Haruno Sakura, had a dilemma—one that kept her tossing and turning at night, her mind racing. It wasn't about palace etiquette, managing the weight of her new responsibilities, or even the impending grand wedding. No, it was something far more personal and utterly exasperating.

She had developed an irrevocable, all-consuming crush on her husband-to-be.

It had started subtly at first, a simple admiration for his quiet strength and unflinching resolve. But somewhere along the way, it had grown into something she couldn't ignore. Now, every time she thought of him, her heart did a little flutter, like a bird trying to take flight inside her chest. Every glance, every word exchanged during their biweekly check-ins had her feeling like she was back in high school, fumbling through a crush that made her giddy and awkward all at once.

And oh, did she fumble. Every interaction left her feeling tongue-tied and flustered. When they sat together in his office or walked side by side through the palace gardens, she found herself stumbling through sentences, tripping over her words, trying desperately to seem composed when all she wanted to do was scream internally. She'd say something she thought was insightful, only to realize it sounded more like nervous rambling.

"Your Majesty—um, Sasuke, I mean! I was just thinking about the upcoming meeting with the elders and how... um, maybe we should consider—oh no, I'm sure you've already thought of that..."

Her words would trail off awkwardly, her cheeks heating with embarrassment as she backtracked for the millionth time, feeling absolutely ridiculous. Sasuke, for his part, always responded with that same calm, composed demeanor. He never made her feel small or foolish. Instead, he'd lift one of those perfect dark brows, watching her stumble with a kind of quiet amusement.

There was something about the way he looked at her in those moments that made her stomach do flips. It wasn't mocking—never mocking—but there was a spark in his eyes that told her he found her endearing. It was maddening how effortlessly he seemed to handle her nerves, his lips occasionally twitching into what could almost be called a smile, though he never quite let it reach full bloom.

Each biweekly check-in left her floating on cloud nine, even if she spent the entire time fumbling like an idiot. She'd walk out of his office with her heart racing and her thoughts in disarray, thinking of all the ways she could have been more poised or articulate. But no matter how clumsy the conversation, each meeting made her like him more.

It was more than just physical attraction now (though she'd be lying if she said she didn't find him devastatingly handsome). It was the way he carried himself, the way he managed to balance a kingdom's worth of responsibility on his shoulders with such quiet authority. It was the way he listened to her, even when she was babbling nervously, always making her feel like her opinions mattered. And it was the small, almost imperceptible moments of warmth he allowed her to see when he let his guard down just a little.

She was completely, utterly smitten. And that terrified her as much as it thrilled her.

What was she supposed to do? How was she supposed to navigate the coming months when her heart was doing backflips every time she saw him? She'd lie in bed at night, staring at the ceiling, replaying every conversation in her head and cringing at her awkwardness. But then she'd think of how kind he was in response, how patient, and her heart would swell all over again.

And the worst part? She wasn't even sure if he felt anything close to the same way. For all she knew, Sasuke might simply see her as another duty to fulfill, another responsibility in the long list of things he had to manage as king. She knew he respected her, appreciated her efforts, but did he feel anything for her beyond that?

Each time they met, her heart would flutter with hope, only for her mind to remind her of how little she knew about his personal emotions. He was always so composed, so unreadable, except for those rare glimmers of amusement or warmth that slipped through the cracks.

And so, Sakura found herself in an emotional conundrum: here she was, about to marry the man of her dreams, but she couldn't stop feeling like a teenage girl with a hopeless crush.

The evening air at her parents' house was filled with the familiar sounds of quiet neighborhood life. Sakura had fought hard for this little reprieve—a night at home each month, away from the palace and its never-ending duties, because she'd so desperately wanted some place to her herself—not the queen-to-be, not royalty—just Sakura.

She had argued with the logistics team for this time off, using burnout as the key reason, and someone must have finally sympathized because here she was, sitting cross-legged on her childhood bed, still trying to wrap her head around the surrealness of her new life. Her parents' house was a strange combination of comfort and tension, with armed guards posted outside, reminding her that nothing was really normal anymore, not even home.

Right now, though, she was enjoying the company of Ino, who sat on the floor beside her, painting her toenails and throwing casual commentary her way. Ino had burst through the door earlier, all dramatic flair and energy.

"You're always in the news, but I can never see you in person, forehead! It's like you've become a ghost. I had to take matters into my own hands," Ino had said, half-joking, half-serious, as she threw her arms around Sakura in greeting.

Now, they were catching up—girl talk, just like old times.

"So," Ino started, her eyes glinting with mischief as she finished painting her last nail, "what's the deal with you and His Majesty?"

Sakura immediately felt her cheeks flush. "W-what do you mean?"

"Oh, don't give me that, Sakura." Ino rolled her eyes, settling into a more comfortable position on the floor. "You're all over the place with him—you and him this, you and him that—but I can't ever get any juicy details from you."

Sakura sighed dramatically, flopping back onto her bed.

"Spill it, Forehead," Ino said, nudging her with a foot. "How deep are you into this crush of yours? Because I'm not going to lie, it looks pretty serious from what I've seen."

"It's not just a crush anymore," Sakura admitted, staring at the ceiling. "I think... I think I really, really like him, okay?."

Ino cackled, tossing her head back in laughter. "You? In a "really-really-like" situationship? I never thought I'd see the day."

Sakura shot her a look. "It's not funny."

"Oh, it's hilarious," Ino retorted, her eyes shining with amusement. "You, the girl who could never care less about a man, and now you're pining after the king of Nippon Koku like some schoolgirl. What's better is that you're already engaged to him! This is awesome."

"Stop teasing me!" Sakura groaned, covering her face with her hands. "I can't help it. He's... uuunghhhh."

"Uuunghhhh what - uuunghhhh how?" Ino's eyebrows waggled as she leaned in, clearly enjoying the teasing far too much.

Sakura peeked at her through her fingers, debating whether to share her thoughts. "He's just... he's so him, you know? He doesn't speak much, but when he does, it's like... every word matters. And I like that he's practical—he shows he cares in these small, thoughtful ways, and it makes me feel... I don't know, seen? And he's... really good-looking."

Ino grinned and threw a pillow at her. "Oh, Sakura. You've got it bad."

Sakura blushed harder. "I know."

"Okay, okay, let's stop this mushy nonsense for a sec." Ino grabbed her phone. "Let's Google him and see what he's up to. There's gotta be something interesting going on."

Sakura blinked. "You want to Google him? He's, like, all over the news anyway."

"Yeah, but you can't see the forest for the trees, babe. Maybe we'll find something scandalous." Ino waggled her phone with a wink, but Sakura knew better.

"His PR team are way too good for that," she said. "They'd never let anything bad slip through."

"Maybe, but a girl can dream." Ino shrugged and started scrolling through articles, her fingers moving swiftly over the screen. Meanwhile, Sakura, intrigued by the idea, pulled out her own phone and started searching too.

Of course, the search results were clean. Nothing out of place. Just articles about Sasuke's political activities, upcoming initiatives, and a few royal events he'd attended.

But then she started reading more about what he'd been up to lately. There were some headlines about his work on diplomatic relations, and it looked like there had been some tense trade negotiations he'd been involved with. Another article detailed his efforts in public welfare programs—a topic she'd been quietly interested in since her lessons began. He'd been attending high-level meetings for the past few weeks, pushing for stronger policies on education reform and mental health care. It was all so... Sasuke. So stoic, so focused, so serious.

But when she pulled up the articles featuring the two of them together, that's when things got interesting. Sakura critically examined every picture, each one showing her and Sasuke side by side—sometimes smiling for the cameras, other times walking in tandem during public events.

Do we look good together? she wondered, clicking on a particularly flattering photo where they were seated at a charity event.

"He's ridiculously photogenic," she muttered, narrowing her eyes at how perfect his jawline looked under the soft lighting.

Ino, who had been scrolling on her phone for the past fifteen minutes, finally glanced up. She rolled her eyes. "Forehead, you need an intervention."

"What?" Sakura looked up, startled.

"You've been Googling your crush for the past twenty minutes. Are you analyzing every picture of you two together?" Ino's voice was filled with amusement, her face contorted in a teasing grin.

"No!" Sakura protested, though she absolutely had been. "I'm just... looking."

"Uh-huh." Ino tossed her phone onto the bed. "You, my friend, are officially whipped. I'm not even kidding. This is some full-blown crush mode. What's next? Going to start scrapbooking his pictures?"

Sakura threw a pillow at her, but she was laughing now, too, unable to deny how far down the rabbit hole she had gone.

Ino wasn't about to let up. "Seriously though, when's the wedding? And how do I make sure I'm seated next to all the cute foreign dignitaries?"

Sakura rolled her eyes but grinned. "I'm still trying to figure that out myself."

"Look," Ino said, crossing her arms with a knowing smile, "you've got this. And if anyone's gonna make that brooding king smile for real, it's you."

Sakura's heart warmed at her friend's words, and for a brief moment, she allowed herself to think that maybe Ino was right.

Late into the night, the palace hummed with a quiet intensity as Sasuke sat in his office, poring over documents and reports. Today had been one of those days—a day filled with complex issues that seemed to have no easy solutions. The fallout from an economic reform bill had been messier than anticipated, with local businesses up in arms over the new taxation measures introduced by the parliament. What was meant to streamline tax collection and strengthen Nippon Koku's revenue had created unrest among the kingdom's merchants, who felt blindsided by the increased financial burden.

To complicate matters further, there had been reports of unrest in one of the outlying provinces—land disputes that had grown volatile over the last week. His ministers had advised sending a diplomatic envoy, but the situation was more delicate than that, and Sasuke had spent hours in discussion with Neji, trying to find a solution that wouldn't escalate tensions.

Sasuke rubbed the back of his neck, his muscles aching from the long hours of sitting and strategizing. Neji stood nearby, tidying up the documents from their latest meeting, his expression impassive as usual but sharp with observation.

"Long day," Neji remarked, his tone neutral but carrying an underlying note of understanding.

Sasuke sighed, his mind still running through the various pieces of the day's problems. "Long month," he muttered.

They sat in silence for a few moments, the weight of their work heavy in the air. Sasuke was still deep in thought, but his exhaustion was beginning to seep through. Neji watched him for a while before speaking again, this time with a slight shift in tone.

"We've closed the day," Neji said, more casually than before. "How about a drink?"

Sasuke glanced up, mildly surprised. "A drink?"

Neji nodded. "You could use one. It's been rough lately, and you need to decompress."

Sasuke considered it for a moment, then nodded, feeling the tension in his shoulders. "Alright."

The two made their way down the quiet palace corridors, their footsteps soft against the marble floors. Neji led them to a small lounge where they could sit in private. The palace was sprawling, but there were few places where Sasuke could truly relax—and even fewer people with whom he could drop the formalities. Neji was one of those rare individuals.

Neji poured two glasses of whisky, handing one to Sasuke before taking a seat across from him. They sipped in silence for a while, the amber liquid warming them both. It was the kind of quiet that didn't need to be filled with words—a rare, comfortable stillness.

"You've been pushing hard lately," Neji observed after a while, his tone even. "Balancing the reforms and the issues in the provinces... it's a lot, even for you."

Sasuke nodded, not denying it. "It comes with the territory."

Neji took another sip before setting his glass down, watching Sasuke carefully. "It's more than just the reforms, though, isn't it?"

Sasuke glanced at him, raising an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

Neji's gaze was sharp, calculating, but his tone remained casual. "Sakura. How are things going with her?"

Sasuke's expression didn't change much, but there was a flicker of thought behind his eyes. He hadn't expected Neji to bring her up, and it took him a second to form a response. "She's... adjusting well."

Neji didn't let up. "And how do you feel about her?"

Sasuke gave him a sideways look, his mind flashing to their recent meetings. Sakura had been more present in his thoughts than he cared to admit. He respected her work ethic, admired her intelligence, and couldn't deny that she was growing more captivating with each passing day. But his own feelings? That was more complicated.

"She's handling her role better than expected," Sasuke said after a pause, his voice carefully neutral.

Neji leaned back in his chair, watching him intently. "That's not what I asked."

Sasuke frowned slightly, swirling the whisky in his glass. "She's... interesting."

Neji's lips twitched into a barely-there smile. "Interesting?"

Sasuke sighed, feeling cornered by Neji's directness. "She's... different. She's not what I expected."

Neji nodded, sensing he was getting closer to the real answer. "You care about her."

It wasn't a question, but Sasuke felt the weight of it all the same. His eyes flickered, his usual composure faltering just a little. "She's important for the kingdom," he replied carefully, though even he knew that wasn't the whole truth.

Neji's gaze softened, the barest hint of understanding in his tone. "Your Majesty, you're allowed to care about her, you know. She's more than just a political tool."

Sasuke didn't answer right away, his mind drifting back to the small, quiet moments they'd shared. The way her nervous energy lit up a room, how she fumbled through their conversations but always managed to catch his attention. And then there was the way she looked at him—as if she were trying to understand him, not just as the king but as a person. It was... unsettling, but not unpleasant.

"She's..." Sasuke trailed off, unsure of how to articulate what he was feeling. "She's - something," he ended up saying, which was shocking , because although he was always curt with words, he was always articulate - never really at a loss for them.

Neji didn't push further, sensing that was as much as Sasuke was willing to admit. But his point had been made. They drank in silence again, the whisky settling between them like a buffer for their unspoken thoughts.

Eventually, Neji broke the quiet again, but this time with something lighter. "You know, if you're not careful, you might actually catch feelings for her."

Sasuke shot him a sharp look, his brow furrowing. "Hyuuga—"

"I'm just saying," Neji interrupted, a rare smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "It wouldn't be the worst thing in the world, would it?"

Sasuke didn't respond, but the question lingered in the air between them as they finished their drinks.

The palace auditorium hummed with a mixture of excitement and tension. The presentation for the royal wedding was about to begin—a meticulously planned event that had been months in the making. This was no ordinary ceremony; it was an affair that would bring the eyes of the entire kingdom, and much of the world, to Nippon Koku. Every aspect had to be perfectly orchestrated, every detail scrutinized. In the front row sat Sasuke and Sakura, both poised but inwardly feeling the enormity of what was to come.

Itachi, frail but determined, was also present. His presence, despite his weakening health, brought an air of quiet strength to the room. Izumi, his ever-supportive wife, sat beside him, offering her calming presence. On the other side of Sakura sat Hinata, diligently taking notes, while Neji stood behind Sasuke, stoically prepared to assist when necessary. In the background, Tenten and her logistics team were gathered, their planning boards and digital screens set up for the presentation.

Naruto had just entered, a lively grin plastered on his face despite the seriousness of the occasion. He gave Sakura a wink, clearly trying to lighten the mood, though even he knew this was no simple affair. He'd been working closely with Shikamaru and Sasuke on this wedding from a political perspective, and while he was Prime Minister, today, he was simply here to support his friend

Tenten, the ever-efficient logistics coordinator, stood tall, a clipboard in hand as she began the meeting. Her no-nonsense demeanor set the tone. The screen behind her displayed diagrams of the ceremonial hall, seating arrangements, and timelines for the day.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we've carefully crafted this ceremony to honor both tradition and the future. The royal wedding will begin with the shiromaku ceremony—a highly symbolic event representing the union of two families," Tenten explained, her voice clear and confident.

"Lady Sakura, you will wear the traditional white kimono, symbolizing new beginnings and purity," she said, gesturing to a rendering of Sakura in the attire. "The ceremony will take place at the oldest shrine in Nippon Koku, where the Uchiha family traditionally holds their sacred rites. It will be a highly publicized event, streamed globally, but we've ensured that the sanctity of the moment remains intact."

Tenten moved to the ceremonial roles. "Your Majesty, you will lead Lady Sakura through the shrine, flanked by both families, with Itachi-sama offering the ceremonial blessing."

During this part, everyone in the room could feel the quiet undercurrent of fear—that Itachi might not make it to the wedding. It was the team's biggest unknown at this point, for Itachi's health was getting more and more poorly each day. A moment of silence passed over the room, and Itachi smiled softly. "I'll be there," he said, his voice weaker than it once was but still filled with gentle warmth. "It wouldn't be right for me to miss it." His words hung in the air, and Sakura's heart squeezed with despair. No one in the room dared voice a rebuttal, but no one could deny that the palace guard that already began practicing his funeral rights.

Tenten continued, "The families will be seated on opposite sides, symbolizing the uniting of two bloodlines. The vows will be exchanged in the traditional format, witnessed by both the royal family and members of government."

As she spoke, Sakura felt a swirl of emotions. The sheer weight of her role was becoming more real with every passing moment. She glanced at Sasuke, who sat quietly, his gaze focused on the presentation. His demeanor gave nothing away, but she sensed he was just as mindful of the gravity of the moment as she was. It made her feel slightly better to think he might be just as nerve wrecked as she was.

Then Tenten moved on to the next part of the plan. "After the vows, there will be a reception—Western-style, to accommodate dignitaries and international guests. We've planned this part to represent the modernity of Nippon Koku, and to showcase its growing prominence on the world stage."

The screen shifted to an opulent ballroom, designed with sleek, minimalist decor but featuring elements of traditional Japanese architecture—an aesthetic fusion of past and future. Tenten listed the guest speakers, entertainment, and key moments in the reception. "There will be speeches by the Prime Minister, international dignitaries, and, of course, a toast by the royal family."

Shikamaru, standing off to the side came forward, taking Tenten's place now, "Remember all - this isn't just about the ceremony itself. This is about making a global statement. His Majesty and Lady Sakura will represent a united, modern, and forward-thinking Nippon Koku - one that isn't afraid to shake things up by having its leader marry someone of ordinary origin." Here, he gave each member of the room a weighted stare. "We have to sell this as the ultimate fairytale moment." He noted, voice laced with gravity as he continued, "Our goal is to control the narrative from start to finish."

He gestured to the screens behind him, showcasing social media trends, news headlines, and footage from previous royal appearances. "To do that, my team will be coaching you, your Majesties, on which emotion needs to be portrayed at which point. You need to follow the script," he emphasized, boring holes into Sasuke and Sakura with his gaze.

Sakura felt a knot tighten in her stomach as she listened. The idea of the entire world watching her every move was intimidating as hell, but she shifted uncomfortably at the idea of scripting emotions. But…if she was honest and did a little soul searching, she knew they kind of needed it - perhaps, His Majesty more than her. She quickly chanced a glance at him from the corner of her eye before looking at the screen again, noting the tiny downward dip of the corner of his lip. She swallowed, noting his displeasure, then forced her mind into the present again. Lately, she'd been fantasizing about biting into that lip, and now was not the best moment to entertain her crush.

"We'll be live-streaming the event globally," Shikamaru continued. "Multiple camera angles, behind-the-scenes coverage, and real-time social media engagement. We're going to make sure this wedding is seen and felt across the world."

Naruto chimed in here, his voice bringing a bit of brightness to the otherwise formal discussion. "People are really excited. The buzz is crazy already, and we're still five months away. This is going to be huge."

Hinata leaned in to Sakura, placing a quiet, reassuring hand onto her arm. "You'll do great," she said gently Sakura felt grateful, because the pressure was really mounting now. Nevertheless, she smiled back, grateful for the encouragement, though the enormity of the situation weighed heavily on her.

Kimimaro then stepped forward to discuss security. "Every member of the royal family and key guests will have their own personal detail. We've accounted for every scenario—security will be layered, from the shrine to the reception. The Sound Four will lead the main security team - His Majesty will be flanked by Team Hebi, and we've assigned additional protection for Lady Sakura's family, considering the public nature of the event."

He went over the routes, the layers of security, and the contingency plans in case of an emergency. Sakura noticed how meticulously every detail had been covered—nothing was left to chance.

As the presentation wrapped up, Mebuki raised her hand, hesitating before asking, "What about Sakura? How will she... handle all this?"

Tenten smiled gently. "She's got a strong support team around her. Hinata will be by her side, and we'll make sure she has moments to rest and regroup during the day. It's a lot, but we're confident in her."

There were nods of agreement, but Sakura felt the knot of anxiety in her stomach slowly morph into a football - she suspected it would be a giant, overwhelming tidal wave that ran through her bloodstream as the months progressed to the actual event. She glanced at Sasuke again, but he was busy looking at his tablet now, browsing through the finer details of the pre-read pack that had been shared before the official presentation and murmuring questions to Neji by his side. Disappointed that he hadn't even shared as much as a glance with her, she looked around the rest of the room - her parents having a quiet conversation in one corner, how Lord and Lady Uchiha were sitting in the back, looking…well, looking conflicted. She understood - here they were, witnessing the finer details of a marriage of convenience of their son, while their eldest withered away under the harrowing arm of an irrefutable illness. She noticed Izumi and Itachi being led out of the room, an aide gently pushing his wheelchair while another one followed with an IV bag tether, Izumi bringing up the rear, looking absolutely wilted. Sakura felt her throat close up at the sight, eyes welling up with tears that she didn't want to shed. She fluttered her eyes in a series of blinks while she looked up, trying to be subtle as she sniffled her nose. Thankfully, Hinata had moved away and was talking with Naruto, and the rest of the room was a careful series of blurred movements as the team wrapped up their tech, unplugging wires and moved the big screens in various directions.

As she finally gathered herself, she noticed Sasuke looking at her - she noted that his eyes were a bit searching as he perused her face, but the rest of him gave nothing away. Over the past months, she had developed a habit of studying his face, trying to decipher the emotions he kept so well hidden. She wasn't particularly good at it yet, but she was getting better at picking up the subtle shifts in his expression—the slight furrow in his brow, the tension in his jaw when something weighed on his mind. Right now, he seemed conflicted, as if he was battling with some inner turmoil regarding her. She raised her brows at him, in response to which, he narrowed his eyes slightly, then looked away again. She cocked her face in his direction, "Your Majesty - is something the matter?"

He waited a beat before replying, not an answer, but a gentle affirmation. "You'll do fine."

It was just three stupid words, and she didn't know why, but they made her chest swell up with emotion - no amount of extensive presentations, memorizing precise movements or facial expressions, or practical advise had feel that way. But there he was, with his stupid three word sentences, making her feel a universe worth of better. "Thank you," then, "I'm sure so will you."

At that, he gave her an amused glance, a not quite sarcastic smirk hiding in the upward twitch of his lips. Yeah, she knew it sounded stupid - he was a master of strategic maneuvers and rehearsed endeavors - of course he'd do fine! She flushed in embarrassment, then blew out some air, trying to calm herself down. He was readying himself to get up now, and she felt the need to make him stay a bit longer. She knew if she let him go now, it would be weeks before she could see him again and the idea weighed her heart down. "Um," she began, making him look her way again with raised brows, scrambling to find something to say and what came out of her mouth surprised even her, "I wish - I wish my best friend could be a closer part of the whole wedding."

It was one of those moments where your mouth spewed out things when the forefront of your brain hadn't even been thinking about it. Wide-eyed, Sakura looked ahead and found her fingers touching her mouth in a surprised gesture, knowing in her bones that she meant every word of it. Although she had never imagined getting married - much less to her King - she'd always known that Ino would be a part of her wedding - not some guest sitting in the distant wings, unable to come to her side and comfort her. When she looked at Sasuke again, he'd settled back in his chair, and this time, his brows were actually furrowed - not in concern, no, but in confusion. Sakura imagined, if he were anyone else, he would would have said, "Huh?" But because he was Sasuke, he just waited for her to blurt more things out - well, Sakura thought wryly, at least he knew that part of her - she couldn't leave things (and thoughts, especially) incomplete.

"Um, yes. Ino - my best friend," she said, then realised that they'd never talked about her. The realisation made her feel weird - here she was, marrying this man, intending to spend the rest of her life with him, being physically attracted to him, and finding him absolutely charming, when he didn't even know basic personal things about her. But neither do you, she thought, surprising herself even more. She really didn't. What other fact, other than he liked tomatoes in his food, did she know about him? She wracked her brains, only coming up with general information - things people could probably find on the internet if they did a thorough enough search. The thought made her feel apprehensive, which made her nervous, which made her mouth run.

"Um, you know, I met her during college, and we've been inseparable since - I even applied to the Queen's Raffle because of her, you know - she was the one who was actually serious about it and I just tagged along because I had nothing better to do…"

Throughout her monologue, his brows had been going higher and higher on his forehead. She squinted at his face, trying to decipher what he was feeling - she was confused between amused and wry. Maybe both?

"Anyway," her mouth continued, independent of her brain now, "I realise I haven't talked about her before, which is weird, because she's such an intrinsic part of my life - you know, she recently went to Paris and hooked up with an artist? They did long distance for a month before calling it quits - right, but you don't care about that -" she finally managed to cut herself off, took a deep breath, forced her mind to focus because Sasuke was looking really, really amused now, as if he was internally poking fun at her, and she found him so, so freaking adorable she had to clench her hands into fists from the sheer emotion of it. "Anyway, my point is - was - that it would have been nice to have her on my family's side during the ceremony," she concluded, feeling a bit wistful again.

Sasuke, didn't say anything, just looked away, pensive and she felt herself compelled to say, "Um, listen, I was just thinking out loud. I don't mean anything by it - so don't worry, okay?"

This time, when he looked at her, he seemed annoyed - a range of indecipherable emotions running over his face before he finally managed that detached stoicism again. She felt like a tiny organism under his microscopic gaze. Finally, he said, "Your thoughts - feelings," he corrected, "are not insignificant. Do not brush them away." He studied her face here, as if wondering why this woman, who was so unafraid to voice her political and practical opinions, was so underconfident when it came to her personal feelings. After a beat, he continued, "Let Tenten know about your friend. I'm sure she can accommodate it," he concluded before gathering his things to get up again.

Thunderstruck, Sakura felt absolutely hollow for a moment, before a rush of emotion just hit her like a ton of bricks, absolutely taking her breath away. She felt like a giant tidal wave had just crashed into her, drenching her very being in swirl of undecipherable, incomprehensible emotions - ones that made her chest feel all warm and fuzzy. When she saw him get up, she instinctively reached out and caught the fingers of his right hand, surprising both of them. When he looked at her from his standing position, their eyes met, and she saw something flash through them, quick and fleeting. Embarrassed, she quickly let go of his hand, fingers tingling. "Um," she began low and shy, "Thank you."

He blinked slowly, then looked away, gathering his tablet, busying himself with the process of preparing to leave. "Aa," was his response, before he stalked away, Neji following him out the door, his security detail adjusting their flank around him as he disappeared out of sight.

Sakura felt wistful as she saw his back, clutching her hand to her chest, before blinking her feels away and getting up herself and turning to go to her parents - she was going to have them over for dinner at her apartments today.

Unbeknownst to her, people had been observing that interaction quite closely - there was Naruto, who was smiling his usual smile - except, this one was quiet and thoughtful instead of brash and confident. Lord Fugaku Uchiha, who sat with his arms akimbo, looked calculating while his wife was gently smiling, shuffling through the hardcopy of the presentation, pretending she hadn't seen a single thing. She'd noticed His Majesty's ears turning a deep shade of pink just before he had left and the thought of her idiot son, so burdened by duty, catching emotions made her feel slightly relieved.

Sasuke had a habit of seeking Itachi's council whenever he was struggling - the fact that he mostly struggled with politics, yet today's council was about (Sakura)…something else entirely, wasn't lost on him. His conversation with Neji the other day had been resonating in the back of his mind often. You're allowed to care about her. Yes, he was. It wouldn't be the worst thing in the world, indeed.

Except.

Except that he was an inexperienced fool. A fool burdened by the weight of an entire kingdom. A fool trying to deal with the potential loss of his brother. A fool who didn't like to show people what he was thinking. A fool who was so out of touch with his feelings, he didn't know what to do with what he had. His hand tingled with the memory of her touch as he stalked towards Itachi's apartments, the steady footsteps of his security team falling in rhythm with his own. As he approached Itachi's suites, a whole other barrage of emotions hit him. He stopped before the doors, closing his eyes for a brief moment, preparing himself to be bid by the harsh, antiseptic smell of his brother's quarters when the door opened (it used to smell like sandalwood and bergamots before - during simpler times).

Itachi was battling an aggressive form of gastric cancer, for which he underwent targeted chemotherapy and immunotherapy treatments every three weeks at a leading oncology hospital. His treatment required frequent hospital visits, supervised by Tsunade Senju, with Orochimaru loosely involved for experimental insight (a situation that had made his mother absolutely bristle). Despite discussions, surgery has been ruled out due to the advanced stage of the cancer and his frailty. A team of oncology nurses managed his care within his private palace suites, which were now equipped with medical equipment to ensure his comfort and stability.

At the palace, Izumi and the palace's medical staff oversaw his day-to-day care. Despite his declining health, Itachi remained a quiet but essential advisor to Sasuke. While his energy was severely limited, and his condition visibly worsening, Itachi continued to fight with quiet dignity, refusing to show weakness to those closest to him, though they all shared the silent understanding that time was running out.

Today, as the door was opened and he stepped in, he found his mother sitting in the lounge with Izumi, both of them looking weighed and wilted. He'd been expecting to find Itachi here - he'd seemed okay enough at the presentation earlier, but the fact that he wasn't sent Sasuke's heart spiraling downward. They both looked up, as he approached. "Sasuke," said Mikoto, putting her cold cup of tea on the table and standing up to greet him. Izumi just gave him a half-hearted smile - she'd developed an aura of perpetual sorrow about her. Once vibrant and teasing, she now seemed downtrodden and glassy-eyed. Sasuke let his mother give him half a hug, then asked, "Itachi?"

His heart raced as he waited for them to answer - "He's fine," Izumi gave him a hollow smile, and he let out a quiet, imperceptable sigh. "Just pushed himself too much today."

Sasuke's throat hitched with the apology stuck halfway out - he felt absolutely wretched that he hadn't noticed. "Can I - "

"Yes, of course," said Izumi, waving him off to their room, always welcoming him despite his visits being slightly onerous.

For a moment, Sasuke hesitated, the words caught in his throat. His mind tightened in its usual sharpness, cutting through the moment with brutal honesty. You can barely handle your own grief—how can you ever be what Sakura needs?

In the end, he couldn't say a single word of comfort to either Izumi or his mother, just stalked in the direction of Itachi's room. He was hit with the now familiar scent of even sharper antiseptic as the room opened - the warm, opulent interior was still the same, but the sight of Itachi, frail, encumbered by his illness, struggling to breathe through his perpetual pain made Sasuke's heart clench painfully.

Itachi opened his eyes slightly as Sasuke entered, a half smile tugging at his lips. His hand raised painfully slow, flicking a dismissal at his attendants, warranting privacy for himself and Sasuke, who took a breath and entered the room fully, sitting in the armchair that had now become a permanent fixture by Itachi's bedside.

"Your Majesty," he intoned, voice thready but warm. "To what - do I owe this pleasure."

Sasuke felt a brief yet intense bout of fury at him, underscored by a rushing of absolute grief - for falling sick like this, for having him swap his life with him, for having him struggle under the burden that was never meant to be his - but mostly and especially, he thought, throat tightening, for having to leave this world so early. His brother was his dearest, closest relation - the reality of having to, preparing to lose him, the days slipping by, of not being able to see him as often as he'd like, of having to hear the palace guard rehearse his funeral, of having to sit stoically through meetings where his Council discussed Operation Black - the possibility of Itachi passing away before the Royal Wedding. It was too much.

Itachi's eyes were half-lidded, but very clear and sharp now - it seemed he understood all that Sasuke left unspoken. The glance they shared was charged, so many unspoken things passing from brother to brother - unspoken apologies, unspoken lamentations, unspoken fear - until Itachi took a deep breath, and broke the connection with a gentle smile.

"Foolish little brother," he said with the same loving undertones as when they were children, and Sasuke used to beg him to stay when he had to leave. "Next time. Next life."

Sasuke glared at him for a quiet, intense moment. "Fuck you," he said finally, bitter.

Itachi scoffed softly. "Language, Your Majesty," he chided, amused.

Sasuke said nothing, letting go of his emotions for a moment and just studying Itachi's face - counting the lines under his eyes, around his mouth. He looked worse than ever. He didn't have the heart to bring up what he'd come to share. But like always, Itachi already seemed aware. "I see," he said most serenely, closing his eyes as he spoke next, "that you've caught some feelings. Perhaps," he noted wisely, "and fortunately" he added, "for the woman you're about to marry."

Caught completely off guard, Sasuke barely suppressed his urge to sputter. The only thing he could do was blink his eyes and swallow, wondering if Itachi was omniscient.

"You're much less conflicted" Itachi noted, opening his eyes again and studying him from the corners of them, "when you come to discuss state affairs."

To that, Sasuke could say nothing - the conundrum of falling in love with a woman while being weighed down by the responsibilities of an entire kingdom, barely having time for himself, much less time for her, and of course the guilt of feeling such feelings while his brother was clearly dying - he didn't know how to articulate all of that. So he didn't.

"Sasuke…" Itachi sighed, doing all the talking this time, knowing him perfectly well to make his voice imploring. "Please - don't be an idiot."

At his side, Sasuke bristled silently. "Idiot?" he asked, almost caustic.

"Yes," Itachi intoned. "If - " he started, now struggling to sit up in bed, swatting Sasuke's hand away as he reached out to help. When he finally managed, he gave Sasuke a tired but knowing look. "If," he started again, "you're lucky enough to have found a woman who will make you the perfect life companion - " here, he paused to wheeze a little, making Sasuke panic and struggle with the jug of water by the bedside. Once again, his hand was swatted away, this time, more angrily. "Don't while it away," Itachi concluded, looking Sasuke in the eyes now with an intensity that had been missing for a while, and in it, Sasuke could understand the undertones, Itachi's own grief at having to leave Izumi behind, who he clearly loved very much.

It hit Sasuke like a sucker punch then - he'd always assumed that Itachi and Izumi's relationship was based on mutual respect, afterall, they'd been arranged to marry since they were very young - almost children. He'd never considered that their relationship might carry more than a mutual camaraderie, might be underscored by love even. But now, as he looked Itachi in the eyes, thought back to Izumi's grief-ridden being, he swallowed, finally understanding that the love that ran between them was deep, had developed much like his own feelings for Sakura were developing, and become concrete and stronger than iron over the course of the years.

"Sasuke," Itachi said, imploring now. "What you feel for Sakura - it's not the worst thing in the world," he concluded, echoing Neji's words from the other night, making Sasuke swallow.

"I - " Sasuke began, not knowing how to voice the turmoil inside of him. He seemed to be testing Itachi's patience today, because his brother was shaking his head now, looking sicker and gaunter than ever before, making Sasuke afraid that he'd pushed him too far, had come for advice too personal.

"Just," Itachi said, "Let it come - naturally. Don't stand in the - in the way of your own - happiness." Then he wheezed, sending Sasuke into a panic-ridden spree where he stood up and yelled for the attendants, who came sprinting into the room, Izumi and Mikoto on their heels. He watched from the sidelines as his brother was hooked to an oxygen mask, as one of the attendants injected a tranqualiser in his IV bag, as Itachi finally settled down and fell asleep - as Izumi, clung to Mikoto's arm, tears streaming down her face, choking on silent sobs as they watched Itachi wither away before their very eyes.

Unbidden, he moved through the halls and found his feet leading him to Sakura's part of the palace. Itachi's worsening condition and words hung in the forefront of his mind, and for the first time in months, he found himself not being able to distract himself with thoughts of new trade strategies and diplomatic ventures. The only thing he could think of was Sakura - the echo of her skin on his own hand today, the way she'd cooked for him a few months ago, the way she stumbled through her thoughts and ideas in front of him - confident one moment, not so much in the other. All of it was layered by Izumi and her grief for his brother.

"Umm.." Suigetsu began, as he finally reached Sakura's door. "Your Majesty - are we sure we're in the right place?" he ventured, breaking Sasuke out of his thoughts.

At the door, Kimimarou, the head of security who had been advised to be Sakura's personal detail at his own behest, bowed dutifully.

"Of course, he is!" barked Karin, and he could hear the growly "Ow!" as his instep was likely stomped on by her.

However, it was a shut up call for him, for a glance at his watch showed that it was half eleven already - there was no light coming in from under the door, and his heart was beating like a quick drumbeat in the center of his chest. Fuck, he thought, fully panicking and intending to turn away. He'd even taken a step back, security gearing up to shadow him, when the door opened, and out stepped - "Sakura."

Silence.

It stretched for eternity in the dimly lit foyer-hallway as both of them looked at each other like deer caught in headlights. "Y-Your Majesty," she said hastily, stepping out in her pajamas after she'd gained her bearings. He swallowed, unsure of what to do. In the background, he could feel the silent, amused exchange between both of their security detail. Like always, she was the first to speak. "I-I was just stepping out for some fresh air - but - um, what - uh, what, I mean - I wasn't expecting you," she concluded.

"Clearly," Suigetsu intoned in the background, as Sasuke rolled his eyes and opened his mouth to say something - anything really; this was painful.

"Would youuu - uhh, like to come in?" Sakura ventured, when the silence stretched on for too long. Her cheeks were flushed now - she was clearly very flustered.

He'd fully intended to say, no, that he was sorry for intruding, that he'd be on his way now, but what came out of his mouth instead was: "Aa."

A moment of silence, as everyone in the hallway, including Kimimaru and Team Hebi, gave him stunned looks.

The silence stretched on for a few more beats, before Sakura caught herself, and still wide-eyed, pushed the door open and held it for him. "Come in."

He just about caught the tail end of a very light wolf-whistle (clearly he needed to reprimand Suigetsu) and a pained cry (and thank Karin), as he stepped in.

This was the first time he'd come in here, and immediately, he felt like he'd been encompassed in the physical iteration of Sakura's mind. The space was a blend of understated luxury and personal comfort - carefully curated to suit her personality. There were large windows in the living area overlooking the meticulously manicured palace gardens. The decor was elegant, but not overly extravagant - a balance of soft neutrals and warm, earthy tones that made the space feel inviting rather than overwhelming.

As he followed her into the living area, he noted the plush couch, which was ladden with soft throws and pillows - there was a huge medical journal opened straight in the middle, post it notes sticking out of the pages she'd been through. There was a bookshelf filled with a smattering of different genres - political science books, fiction, homeopathy, he caught glances as he quickly sifted over the spines. Plants dotted the corners of the room, making it feel absolutely homey. He hovered uncertainly, as she cleared a corner of the couch for him to sit - noting the stark contrast between his own apartments (darkwood, navy blues, elaborate but clean, modern - almost sterile except for the mountain of paperwork he had a habit of bringing home).

In one corner of the apartment, he noted the small desk where he could only assume were her notes and journals - tiny bottles of homemade remedies neatly lined the back edge, while jars of herbs stood tall on the other.

"Um, Your Majesty - Sasuke," she called out nervously, breaking him out of his observation and musings. "Have a seat."

He did, sinking in the unfamiliar cushion, noting the distinct scent of Sakura that had seeped into the very molecules of this room. He liked that smell - he found it clean and comforting; especially after the sterility of the antiseptic he'd just come from. He searched her face as she took a seat beside him - she looked pleasently surprised, and he was glad for it. He didn't know what he would do if she were angry, or recalcitrant or worst of all, afraid to find him in her private suites at such a late hour.

As always, they settled into a silence. This time, she didn't break it - in fact, as he looked at her, she looked right back, a small, pink blush rising to the tips of her cheeks, eyes observant as her gaze bore into his own, clearly trying to discern what dynamic this encounter should take.

To be honest, he didn't know himself - he'd come here involuntarily, as a result of his interaction with Itachi, warring with his emotional confusion, and just - generally craving her presence. It was always too long between their meetings. He swallowed, alarmed that he felt that way about a woman he'd only known a few months. But as he held her gaze, he let his introspection walk him through why it was only logical - she'd been chosen (by himself nonetheless) to be his future life partner. She was intelligent, politically savvy, kind, unafraid to vouch for change, always challenging - clearly very adaptable; and…he thought - didn't seem to flinch away from him in the least. He also found her unconventional appearance to be…quite attractive.

Would it be the worst thing in the world if he fell for her? No. He didn't think it would. But would she feel the same about him? Would she, he thought with a hitch in his chest as she curiously cocked her head at him, stay by his side as he progressively went through the worst time of his life?

He didn't know. He didn't want to know.

Suddenly feeling scared, he stood up, feeling the urge to escape. Coming here was a huge mistake, he concluded. He needed to keep his distance. He couldn't bear to have his feelings and expectations shattered - not right now, when he was already on the brink of losing his brother. The potential of more emotional damage scared the crap out of him.

"I'll take my leave," he told Sakura curtly, who'd stood up as well, searching his face, looking worried. With that, he spun on his heel, fully intending to be out of that door in five seconds.

"Wait," she called out behind him, and there was a desperate edge in her voice that made him stop, turn around. "Wait," she said, softly now, stopping two steps away from him. There was a charged, almost electric moment as their eyes met and he saw her swallow, hesitating with something.

"Um," she started, looking at him apprehensively. "Can I - can I try something?"

The question threw him off, confusing him. Try what, he wondered, but trusting her enough to say, "Aa."

She seemed relieved by his response. She nodded, almost as if giving herself permission to do something, and he saw her expression gather into a resoluteness that confused him even more. He honestly didn't know what she wanted as she took another step forward, almost toe-to-toe with him, but by the time she grabbed the lapel of his coat and stood on the tip of her toes his mind had already connected the dots - still, the moment her lips met his own was a shock - not just a metaphorical one, but an actual one. A series of tiny electric shocks began where her lips connected with his own, zapping all the way to the tips of his fingers. The contact was brief, though, because immediately, Sakura stepped away, gasping with surprise, completely red in the face and looking absolutely mortified as she stumbled back. "Ohmygod," she whispered, unable to look him in the eyes, gently pursing her lips and looking anywhere but his face. "Ohmygod," she whispered again, touching her fingertips to her lips, as if shocked at her own audacity. Then her tongue slipped out and she licked her lips, breathing hard and finally mustering enough courage to look at him again, and every single thought he'd had prior to this one moment flew out the window and he found his body involuntarily reaching for hers, grabbing her around the waist, and slanting his lips on her mouth in a proper kiss, because fuck, that's all he wanted to do now.

For a moment, she went stiff under his hand before suddenly becoming completely pliant and returning his kiss with a fervor that took him by surprise. Eyes closed, she slanted her mouth over his own and he felt a slow fire begin to burn in the pit of his belly. He held her closer, kissing her deeper, hands traveling over her back, tongue entering the seam of her mouth, sucking on hers with a fervor that sent jolt after jolt through his spine. She kissed him back just as hotly, pulling him closer, fisting her hands on his coller one second, putting them on the hollow of his throat the next, moaning into his mouth, as she finally grabbed him by the face and kissed him deeper than ever. He found himself being pushed against the wall and welcomed her hungry advances as she hoisted her leg to his side - in response to which he tried to pull her up without breaking their kiss, trying to bring her closer, closer, closer -

Knock knock. "Everything okay in there, kids?" came a sharp, inquisitive voice from behind the front door, and they both broke apart, as if burned. Suigetsu knocked again, and this time, opened the door a crack - saw them both flushed and heaving, hands still holding each other - he smirked a knowing smirk that Sasuke wanted to smack off his face, winked, and was roughly pulled away by the hair by someone (most probably Karin or Juugo), before the door closed again.

The silence he left behind was deafenening, but not quite - the room was filled with heavy breathing, as both of them pulled fully apart and tried to catch their individual breaths, with Sakura clutching a hand to her chest, red in the face. He closed his eyes, clenching and unclenching his fists, trying to bring his body under control, stifling the urge to grab her again and ram his mouth over hers until everything else blurred away and it was just the two of them. Fuck, he thought, trying to think of a way to extricate himself from the situation.

"Um - Sasuke," Sakura whispered, and he opened his eyes again, looked at her. Her eyes were hooded, and she swallowed as she said the next part - "I still haven't tried - what I really wanted." Here, her eyes dipped to his mouth again and her cheeks flushed even more. "I'm going to…" she stepped forward again and this time, his mouth was ready to receive hers in another tantalizing kiss - but what he wasn't ready for was her pulling away to gently bite his lower lip, pull the entirety of his lower mouth in her own, and gently suck on it. If his breath had hitched before, this time, his entire chest caved in from the simple, uncomplicated pleasure of it. He pulled her closer, letting his hands rest on her lower back, wanting to slip lower but still being reserved. She seemed to be enjoying her slow perusal of his mouth, because she was licking over his upper lip now, leisurely kissing him as if she had all the time in the world. Fuck, fuck, fuck, he thought, as she pressed herself into him, and his erection poked into her. At that, she finally pulled away, met his gaze and he could feel the wanton heat in them as she pushed herself into him, once, then twice, then thrice, gently humping against him at a steady pace, face contorted in pleasure/pain that he echoed. Then she moaned and pressed herself against him fully and he wished he could take her right then and there - if he were anyone else, he might have caved in. But because he was Sasuke, and born with an unimaginable amount of restraint, he finally managed to pull away, breathing hard.

Reluctantly, she pushed herself off him as well. This time, when their gazes locked, they knew exactly what both of them wanted - each other.

Month 8

Sakura was never the kind of person who had wet dreams - she was clinical enough to admit she'd watched her fair share of porn, especially on the lonely nights when she'd been single and unable to mingle. She wasn't a prude, not in the strictest sense, but oh my god, she'd started to have sex dreams about his Lordship, Uchiha Sasuke. She regularly daydreamed about biting into his lip again - that deliciously plump little pout had tantalised her for months, and now that she'd had a taste of it, she really, really wanted more. So much more. She sighed.

Suddenly, a soft but firm clearing of a throat brought her back to reality. Sakura blinked, focusing on the woman in front of her. Konan, her French tutor, sat at her desk, her cool blue eyes fixed on Sakura, one eyebrow raised in amusement. Konan was a striking figure, with a calm presence that commanded attention even without trying. Her long indigo hair was tied neatly back, and she wore an elegant but understated outfit, as she always did. There was something about her that radiated confidence—something that Sakura both admired and found a little intimidating.

"Y a-t-il quelque chose d'intéressant dans les pensées de sa seigneurie ?" Konan asked smoothly, her voice carrying just the faintest hint of teasing. Anything interesting going on in Her Ladyship's mind?

Sakura's face flushed immediately, and she fumbled for a response, her mind scrambling to pull the right words together in French. "Non—non, pas du tout," she stammered, her cheeks burning with embarrassment. No, not at all, she'd meant to say. She was sure her accent sounded terrible, too.

Konan's lips twitched slightly, almost forming a smile as she leaned back in her chair, observing Sakura with that quiet, unreadable expression she always wore. "Bien sûr," she replied, her tone gentle but sharp enough to pull Sakura back into the present. "Mais j'ai l'impression que vos pensées étaient ailleurs. Les conjugaisons peuvent attendre, mais le rêveur royal doit être plus attentif, non ?" Of course. But I have the feeling your thoughts were elsewhere. Conjugations can wait, but the royal daydreamer should be more attentive, no?

She'd almost mastered speaking French at this point, which was a small victory, but the written language—the way the verbs twisted and turned in strange, irregular ways—still eluded her.

Sakura chuckled nervously, running a hand through her hair. "Je suis désolée." She offered an apologetic smile. "Je... trouve encore les conjugaisons difficiles. Surtout à l'écrit." I'm sorry. I still find the conjugations difficult. She really did, and having delicious, steamy daydreams about Sasuke was not helping her focus at all!

"Je le vois," Konan responded, though her tone wasn't critical. It was more of an observation, as if she was simply taking stock of Sakura's progress. "Mais votre discours s'améliore rapidement. Vous vous débrouillez bien." I see. But your speaking is improving quickly. You're doing well.

Sakura couldn't help but feel a small sense of pride at the compliment. Konan wasn't one to offer praise lightly, and despite her serious demeanor, she was a good teacher—patient, insightful, and always able to explain the intricacies of French in a way that made Sakura feel like she was actually getting somewhere.

"Merci," Sakura said, going back to her workbook, forcing herself to reel her focus in and trying not to dwell on the way Sasuke had completely ghosted her after that night.

On the other side of the Nippon Koku, Sasuke found himself barreling through meeting after meeting. Earlier in the week, he'd had to travel to Otogakure for a crucial diplomatic summit focused on regional security and trade agreements. As King, his presence was vital to strengthen alliances with neighboring territories and ensure Nippon Koku's interests were well-represented. The summit was also meant to address the growing concerns over cross-border trade regulations, ensuring stability in agricultural and technological exchanges. There were also underlying tensions with another influential nation that has been pushing for more favorable trade terms, and Sasuke's presence beside Naruto in the capacity of his Prime Minister was required to navigate this delicate situation without compromising Nippon Koku's strategic advantage.

The trip also included a private, closed-door discussion with key political leaders in the region regarding mutual security agreements, ensuring peace and cooperation between territories. It was a high-stakes endeavor, and Sasuke needed all of his focus and political accumen to ensure successful outcomes.

In the end, he did manage it - a full week hurtling from one obstacle to another, his mind and body on autopilot, feeling absolutely exhausted at the end of each day - and yet, just before his body hit the mattress each day, his mind would conjure the image of Sakura, wanton and wanting against him, whimpering her pleasure as he'd kissed her one last time, slowly, gently, before pulling away and saying, "Not yet."

It had taken an immense amount of restraint on his behalf to leave her that night. The only plus side was that he wasn't as conflicted about his feelings for her anymore. In fact, he felt more sure than ever before that he wanted to take it to the next level with her. So now, as he lay in his hotel bed, mind whirring with thoughts about her that almost transitioned into dreams, he was startled awake by a loud knock. It was the kind of obnoxious knock that announced the person behind it without a single word, but of course, Naruto was never just a man of action - "Sasuke, open the fuck up!" - he always had to speak. With a sigh, Sasuke got out of bed and opened the door with a dead expression.

"Dead last," he intoned, ensuring that the familiar endearment would cushion his next dismissal, "I thought I'd dismissed you for the night."

Naruto just waved him off and entered the room anyway, zooming past the entrance before Tayuya could snap him by his blond strands and drag him away (an event that had certainly happened in the past). Sasuke took a deep, calming breath and raised a hand to stop Sakon from entering after him, lest they start a scramble that would alert any hidden media around the corridors.

As he shut the door and turned around, Naruto had already made himself a glass of whisky and was sipping it while lounging on one of the plush chairs overlooking the outdoor vistas of his hotel room. "Nicceee," he intoned, impressed either with the taste or with the view. Sasuke could care less which.

"To what," he said, "do I owe this displeasure?"

Naruto scowled. "Drop the formalities, Bastard," he said, looking him in the eyes, invoking his childhood endearment for him - before, when Sasuke was just the prince in waiting, and Naruto just a bold, brash teenager with a voice louder than his ideas and a father who'd groomed him to take the parliamentary mantle.

Sasuke sighed, pouring himself a finger as well before taking a seat before him. "Are you visiting for pleasure, then?" he asked, as Naruto choked on a sip, wiped his mouth, grinned, and said, "Careful - or they might think you're gay for me."

Sasuke gave him an unimpressed look, remembering Sakura's very awkward introductory question when she'd first met him, and scowled; which only propelled Naruto to keep going. "Imagine the headlines," he said, holding his hands wide in a frame, eyes sparkling with humor as he said, "A Royal Affair of the Homosexual Kind."

"Enough," said Sasuke, feeling more irritated than ever. "Leave," he said, gesturing to the door with his face.

"Relax," said Naruto, who'd noticed the gravitas in Sasuke's demeanor. "What crawled up your ass and died?" he asked, settling down in his chair and giving Sasuke a curious look. Sasuke digressed - normally, he wouldn't have snapped so harshly at Naruto, especially given that their meetings outside of formal settings were already so few and far between, mostly underscored by the presence of others - critical eyes that were always quick to judge, for their friendship in the past had coloured the narrative quite a bit when he'd taken on the throne. In fact, Shikamaru believed that had Naruto not ascended his position during Itachi's reign, the media might have shouted foul play. Sasuke wasn't above admitted (only to himself) that he missed his good friend, but he felt restless today. The need to go back to Nippon Koku was chafing at him. The need to hold Sakura, to push her against a wall, to kiss her until she was writhing with pleasure was giving him nightmares of the steamy variety.

Naruto, who was more observant and emotionally savvy than most gave him credit for had been studying Sasuke's face and scoffed a little laugh with raised brows, as he deduced, "You, my friend, are sexually frustrated."

In the quiet of the room, as the sounds of modern machines and outside voices gave a steady backdrop music, Sasuke found his ears burning, his face furrowing into a scowl, and sheer embarrassment climbing up his throat. "Naruto," he said in a low, warning growl.

But Naruto just shrugged his shoulders, gave him a wide grin, and settled more comfortably in his chair. "Wow," he said. "Never thought I'd see the day." He gave Sasuke a curious look then, and voiced, "I always kind of thought you were asexual, to be honest. When the whole Queen's Raffle happened, that's the thing that bothered me the most."

Sasuke's entire face was flaming now - both in anger and embarrassment - never in his life had he thought he'd be having a conversation about his sexuality with Naruto of all people, who, oblivious as ever, went on to say, "I even talked to Shikamaru about it - just to cover all basis, you know. I was kind of worried it might take Sakura by surprise."

By this point, Sasuke was rubbing the tip of his knuckle over his forehead, the premonition of a headache already building in the middle of head. "Are you done yet?" he asked Naruto, daring him not to be.

"Not really," Naruto grinned, whose one passion in life was ribbing Sasuke for all he was worth, and as someone who'd been deprived of such passion for such long amounts of time, was really having the time of his life. "Tell me Sasuke," he continued in a lightly mocking tone, "are you longing for Sakura? Is your heart beating out the characters of her name? Is your dick - "

"Stop," said Sasuke, both feeling and looking pained now, drowning the entirety of his whisky in one long gulp.

Naruto's eyes narrowed. "Oh wow," he sounded surprised as he answered himself. "You actually are." He sounded impressed as he said, "Thought I'd never see the day."

"Deadlast," said Sasuke, sighing, absolutely miserable with the turn this conversation had taken, "Leave. Please."

As always, Naruto swatted his request away. To be fair, if he'd listened to every time Sasuke had told him to leave, they'd have never made it past the first year of their friendship. But as he saw Sasuke struggle with his emotional turmoil, Naruto decided to take pity on him. "Right," he said, putting his empty glass down and rubbing his hands together. "What do you need? Do you need help wooing her? Do you need support with emoting your confession? To be honest, it would be creepy to help you with that - "

"Then don't," said Sasuke. "Beside, I don't need your help with any of that. If you really want to do something, then leave so I can at least sleep in peace."

"Oooh, I get it," Naruto waggled his eyes, "Wet dreams, huh - is that the kind of peace you have in your sleep?"

And because he was one hundred percent spot on, Sasuke entire face burst into flames and Naruto, ever the perceptive guy, zeroed in on that reaction. "Fuck, Sasuke - you're thinking about fucking her -"

"Don't use such crass words about - "

"Yada, yada - you're dreaming about making love - "

"Shut. the fuck. Up!" intoned Sasuke, teeth gritted, holding his glass with white fingers, almost on the verge of throwing it at Naruto's head, who was grinning in absolute gleeful satisfaction.

"Okay," he said, then rubbed his hands together. "Okay!" he said again, more excited now, then looked at Sasuke mischeivously and said. "I'll let you in on a secret - she wants you too!"

Sasuke just looked at him, deadpan, already knowing that. Naruto picked up on it, looking impressed. "Huh, didn't think you were emotionally mature enough to pick up on that, Bastard."

The truth was, Sasuke wasn't - he'd just stumbled upon the realisation (the absolute physicality of it) when Sakura had just upped and kissed him that night, completely throwing their dynamic and making him want her in a way he hadn't realised you could want someone. Even the memory of it made him flush up.

"Ooo–kay!" said Naruto, a master in Sasuke-esque by now. "Something clearly happened - something that triggered you into unlocking that box you hold all your emotions in." Correct, correct, and correct. "I don't need to know the details," said Naruto, grin become more of a gentle smile now, "but know that I'm glad, Sasuke." He finished off with a satisfied smile, as if the job he'd here to accomplish was finally done.

He did a mocking bow as he stood up to leave. "Your Majesty," he winked, then finally sauntered off, leaving Sasuke more awake and mindful of his thoughts than ever before.

Sasuke and Sakura's biweekly meet was never on the same day each week - their calendars were too static to accommodate that. Instead, they had a dedicated resource who always worked on aligning diaries, ensuring that there was at least a 45 minute touch point every other week for them to appraise each other.

For Sasuke, it was scheduled on the day of his return - late in the afternoon, just after his recon with Orochimaru. It was exactly the kind of meeting that forced him to take his mind off Sakura, making him question the very core of his vision for the kingdom until there was a tight acorn of a headache forming right in the center of his forehead, making his temples ache.

Sasuke's private offices were quiet, save for the soft shuffle of papers on his desk. Orochimaru sat across from him, a rare gleam in his eyes as he discussed the latest developments of his project.

"As you can see," Orochimaru began, tapping a thin folder of documents in front of Sasuke, "the medical technologies we've implemented have been a great success in accelerating the treatment of various degenerative diseases. The potential applications go far beyond mere healthcare now." His lips curled slightly, an unsettling smile forming. "We've begun early-stage trials of enhanced genetic therapies. Imagine—our military, stronger, faster, impervious to certain injuries."

Sasuke's eyes were narrowed, gleaming with an inkling of frustration and anger. He had been reviewing the folder while listening, and his gaze now shifted from the documents to Orochimaru. "The focus was healthcare," he said, his tone even, though there was a clear edge to his words. "You were supposed to develop treatment methods for civilians, not soldiers." In all honesty, Sasuke's main purpose for inducting Orochimaru in the first place had been quite personal - not strategic, like he'd marketed (or had Shikamaru market on his behalf). No - at the time, he'd been searching for ways that could help Itachi. Tsunade Senju was brilliant, but her straight-laced and ethical take on medicine had meant that his brother would pass away in vain. Orochimaru, with his medical cunning and ways of bioengineering unnatural remedies had snaked his way in, not missing a single beat in manipulating his way into Sasuke's confidence.

As Sasuke questioned his entire history with this man, Orochimaru's smile didn't falter one bit. "Healthcare, yes," he admitted silkily, "But the potential to extend this beyond treatment and into enhancement is... limitless. We can elevate our military, create soldiers who recover faster, perform better. Why stop where we are now when the future could be so much more?"

Sasuke's fingers tightened on the paper, though his expression remained impassive. "Because there are lines we won't cross. The project was sanctioned to help people, not turn them into weapons." His voice grew colder. "This isn't about power; it's about protection."

Orochimaru leaned back, clearly unfazed by the reprimand. "Power and protection are two sides of the same coin, Sasuke," he said smoothly, looking him in the eye confidently, knowingly, as he deviated from his royal title. "Surely you can see that."

Sasuke's gaze hardened. "And I can also see when someone is pushing too far. I won't allow this project to cross into something that compromises our ethics—or the people we're meant to protect."

There was a pause. Orochimaru's eyes glittered with intrigue, though he masked it well. "I see," he said softly. "Then perhaps we'll need to adjust our course... for now."

Sasuke leaned forward slightly, his voice firm. "The project remains focused on civilian healthcare. Keep it that way, Orochimaru, or I'll shut it down entirely."

For a moment, the air between them grew tense, but Orochimaru only chuckled lightly. "Very well, Your Majesty. I'll remain... within your guidelines. For now."

Sasuke watched him closely as he stood, feeling the tension of a brewing storm. Orochimaru's ambitions were vast, and Sasuke knew he'd need to keep a close eye on him moving forward.

As he watched him leave, Sasuke grew restless and pensive, questioning his decision to trust this man in the first place. During his youth, Sasuke had defied expectations by immersing himself in the controversial fields of biotechnology and bioengineering, veering far from the traditional path laid out by his father. It was a quiet rebellion, born from a desire to explore the untapped potential of genetic research and its transformative power.

His studies introduced him to Orochimaru, a brilliant yet morally ambiguous figure whose radical ideas fascinated and unnerved Sasuke in equal measure. Their relationship became a tense alliance—driven by intellectual respect but fraught with caution. Fugaku had never endorsed Sasuke's unconventional pursuits, dismissing them as too volatile for a prince, but Itachi had always quietly believed in him, urging Sasuke to follow his own path. It was Itachi's unwavering faith that had given Sasuke the courage to embrace innovation, even when it meant standing alone in a world bound by tradition.

Agitated, he sifted through the documents Orochimaru had left on his desk once more, eyes quickly sifting through the proposition. Although his inner scientist was fascinated by the proposal of biotechnological enhancements for the human body, it was the clause at the end - the one asking for his signed endorsement for human experimentation that gave him a quiet, onerous pause.

He knew it was the weakest ethical dilemma - there was no way in hell he was going to sign this, but his mind creaked like a rusty wheel, refusing to move on from the possibility that indulging just might come up with a cure in time to treat Itachi. He could still hear the painful wheezing sounds his brother had made that night, struggling to catch his breath after speaking just a few passionate words, where once, he'd been so vibrant and full of life, delivering heartfelt speeches to his people.

He was so immersed in his thoughts, he missed the quiet knock on the door, the subtle creak of the hinges as Sakura shuffled in. He was still clutching the papers in a white-knuckled grip when she cleared her throat, finally catching his attention.

He had to blink once, then twice, to clear his mind, and even then, there was a bad aftertaste in his thoughts. He tried to compose his face into a mask of neutrality as he faced her, trying to dissuade the hollow pit in his stomach as she smiled a shy, nervous smile at him and took a seat. He noticed that her hair was pulled back into a bun at the nape of her neck today, where usually she just preferred to leave it open.

He took a quiet but lengthy breath, crushing the non-existent dilemma his mind had conjured out of nothing, and tried to focus on her. "Sakura," he said as a greeting, and something in his tone may have sounded off, because her smile instantly became mechanic. "Sasuke," she replied, nevertheless. "How have you been?"

He bobbed his head in a vague reply, feeling at a loss of how to interact with her anymore. Whereas before, they'd developed a quiet camaraderie, that night in her apartment had unlocked a whole new dimension to their relationship - one that Sasuke was too dumb and inexperienced to explore.

Awkwardly, he ventured, "Are your studies proceeding well?"

There was a beat of silence where her eyes searched his own, but her smile remained absolutely robotic, unnerving him. "I think so…" she said, then blinked and looked away. The air felt charged, sizzling with everything they had left unspoken that night.

Another few beats of silence passed, underscored by by an awkward drumbeat. He wracked his brain for anything else to say, scrambling for conversation starters, trying to remember how they passed this time before, even looking at the papers on his desk to find a conversation starter, when -

"Okay, I don't think I can do this," said Sakura, and the quality of those words make his heart sink because his mind instantly moulded her words to suit his insecurities and dim wit. Of course, she couldn't do this, of course she thought what happened that night was a mistake - after all, he'd disappeared for weeks and wasn't even sure how to talk to her right now. Who would want an unavailable idiot like him?

But it instantly became clear to him that Sakura was on a completely different tangent - one that made his brows raise in a quiet sort of alarm as she spoke - and kept rambling on - her next words. "You must think I'm a complete and total harlot!" she lamented, covering her face with her hands, then promptly letting them fall and looking at him with a desperate sort of despair. "I didn't mean to kiss you like that - oh my god, did I offend you, Your Majesty? Do you think it was too much? Please don't think it was too much. I was just - I was just - " here, she stopped, took a deep, anchoring breath, looking sideways as if searching for some hole to open up in the ground so she could jump in. "I was just - really, really…um - I'm trying to think of a nice, diplomatic word, but all my mind comes up with is - horny?" she concluded, looking at him with furrowed brows and red cheeks.

Through the course of her ramble, Sasuke's insides had finally settled, a heat building up in the pit of his belly, overcoming him with a desperate urge to hold her in his arms and put his lips on her. Quietly, he got up, not even fighting it anymore, slowly sauntering his way around his desk until he was looming over her. "Horny?" he echoed, fingers tingling with the urge to touch her. She stood up as well, eyes pleading as she completely misconstrued his intentions once more, and whispered, "Is that - too inappropriate?"

Fuck, he thought, shaking his head slightly as he grabbed her by the face and slanted his mouth on hers in a deep, passionate kiss, skin alight with tingles, blood rushing to completely inappropriate places. She mewled a muffled sound of surprise before responding in like, instantly bunching her hands in his shirt, keening a satisfied sound as he burrowed his lips in hers, plunging his tongue in her mouth, sucking it in slow, deliberate strokes, feeling his lions stir in approval. Their bodies automatically moved, Sakura's legs hitting the back of his desk and he moved his hands to her waist for better purchase, squeezing her sides, opening her legs with his knee as he adjusted himself for better access to her mouth.

"Fuck" he whispered, as they broke for a few seconds, breathing heavily, looking at each other unsteadily.

"Yes," she whispered, eyes half-lidded as if drunk. "Fuck." that one single word turned him on so much, his dick went fully hard in his slacks, his one hand slowly gliding over her side, over the curve of her breast, over the pale line of her throat before burrowing into the hair at the nape of her neck while his other hand helped support his weight on the desk. He kept their gazes locked as he gently took her lower lip in his mouth, giving it a good, long suck. Her breath caught, her own hands gliding over his chest, trying to find purchase in the collar of his shirt. "Uhmm…" she moaned, breathy and wanton as he sucked on her lip again, releasing it with a wet pop.

"Sasuke…ah," she closed her eyes, head arching back in pleasure as he moved his lips over her throat, languidly exploring with his mouth, holding her waist with both hands now, feeling more turned on than ever as she gently started bucking her hips, humping his knee as if wanting for something more - something fuller and hotter.

When he pulled back to look at her again, her eyes were unfocused, clouded with lust, breathing heavy. He kissed her one more time then, fully intending to stop this madness and talk about this. She seemed to instinctively know his plan, because when he pulled away, she quickly pushed him - not away; no, but in the chair where she'd been sitting moments before. "Not yet," she mimicked his words from that night, completely catching him off guard, as she straddled him and took his mouth in a hot, open-mouthed kiss again, holding his face in both hands. He caught her hips, not putting a fight at all as she bucked against him, feeling the heat in his stomach become a huge, licking flame as she grinded her hips against his crotch, all sense of decorum vanishing from his mind, hand moving up and down her sides as he opened his mouth on hers, for her, feeling a deep-seated need to ravish her then and there when -

Knock, knock - and the door opened up as one Hyuuga Neji entered without having the slightest inkling of what he was walking on on, "Your Majes - uh - "

Several things happened at once - Neji caught them in a highly compromising position, in response to which, Sasuke found his hands involuntarily throwing Sakura off of him, who then lost her balance and fell on the floor with a deafening thud. The sound propelled security to pile in, and fortunately, it was the Sound Four on duty today, but it didn't leach away the awkwardness of the encounter.

There was a brief moment of pure, stunned silence where everyone took in the reality of the moment - His Majesty, slumped wide-eyed and clearly disheaveled (with the stirrings of an erection, if one squinted closely) on the wingback seats in front of his desk, her Ladyship, sprawled on the floor , red-faced, wide-eyed, breathing heavily, and clearly in the middle of being ravished.

Then Neji cleared his throat, announced curtly, "I'll hold off on the next appointment," before busily shuffling out the door. Tayuya and Kidomaru exchanged a silent, amused look, then retreated after him.

In the silence of the room, it took several beats for both of them to calm down and regroup. Sasuke was the first one to gather himself, and he righted his clothes before offering her a hand. He fully expected her to take it and was absolutely thrown when she ignored it, standing up on her own. Her eyes were angry as she looked at him. His hand slowly fell to his side, embarrassment giving way to a feeling of immense foreboding as Sakura said, "Did you just - " here, she had to stop herself and take a deep breath. She, then started again. "Did you just throw me off yourself?"

He had, in fact pushed her off of himself - the fear and embarrassment of being caught in such a compromising position had invoked the fight or flight in him. He'd been sheer instinct as his hands had moved on their own. But he had enough self-preservation to not do an outright admission. Instead, he just swallowed and watched as she gave him a piercing look, looking hurt. "Right," she concluded, nodding to herself.

The moment had hit him so far of the left field that didn't know how to react anymore. He squinted lightly, trying to decipher what she was feeling so he could generate the appropriate response, but once again, she was quick to beat him to the punch. "Right," she said again, gathering herself and almost stomped out. Then she stoped suddenly, whirled around angrily on her heel, and looked him in the eye. She opened her mouth and nothing came out - she then pierced him with a conflicted gaze, inclined her head in a neat and dignified bow, then stormed out.

As the door shut behind her, His Majesty couldn't help but think that he was in deep, deep shit.

When the door closed behind her, Sakura took a deep, calming breath. She kept her gaze lowered as she gathered herself for one, two, three seconds. She then completely ignored the eyes on her (for Kimimarou followed her everywhere and she was sure that by now, Sasuke's security detail had already filled him in of what had been happening inside - especially how it had ended!) and for the first time since she'd entered the palace, completely shirked her responsibilities (lessons for the day, a catch up with Shikamaru, an audience Tenten had requested to discuss Ino's place in the wedding) and hurried back to her quarters.

She kept all her emotions in check as she stalked corridor after corridor, turning left, then right, then right again, legs working on autopilot as her mind created a temporary barrier between what just happened and how she felt about it. The only thing she could look forward to was to flop in her bed and let out the stream of tears that were constricting the back of her throat.

When she finally opened the doors to her quarters, she was surprised, but not-quite to see Hinata sitting on her lounge sofa. There's a moment of loaded silence as Hinata gracefully stood up, but the smile on her lips faltered, then completely vanished as she took Sakura in.

"My Lady, I wasn't expecting…" she started, then trailed away, looking alarmed.

Sakura arranged her features into a robotic smile and tried her best not to let her voice wobble as she swallowed. "Hinata," she croaked. "I'm feeling quite unwell - can we pick up later?"

"Of course," said Hinata, rushing to her side, hovering worriedly. "Is there anything I can do?"

"No," Sakura started, then though to the appointments she was missing and felt a twinge of guilt. "Actually," she said, "Can you please cancel everything in my calendar for the rest of the day?"

Hinata gave her a piercing look, brows furrowed, mouth folded in a frown, looking more worried than Sakura had ever seen her before. Nonetheless, she nodded, took a small bow, and carefully walked away.

Sakura let out a sigh as the door closed behind her, then let all of her emotions rush past that barrier and knock her off her feet. She flopped herself onto the sofa, kicking off her uncomfortable heels as her body first tingled with the echo of Sasuke's touch, then the curt dismissal of his hands as he'd pushed her off of him. Her butt literally hurt from falling to the floor and the sheer, unadulterated humiliation of that moment finally washed over her in full. She closed her eyes against it, burying her face in the multitude of throw pillows her couch was laden with.

Stupid, stupid, stupid, she thought, punching each pillow thoroughly, then screamed a quick, brutal little scream that was muffled by her companions. By now, the humiliation was finally giving way to fury and it was making her mind spark with angry thoughts - thoughts about how his lordship was an assholse - the opposite of a gentleman, a stupid-ass neanderthal, an uncultured swine who didn't know the best way to protect his woman from being absolutely humiliated. The sheer intensity of the anger-humiliation was addling her brain, so she found herself stalking towards the room-service phone that connected her apartments to the palace kitchens. She then ordered herself an expensive wine - there was a beat of stunned silence on the other end as her order was put through, as if the person on the other side of the line wanted to wait and see if she changed her mind. No dice.

When her wine was finally delivered, she opened the door for collection, and thought best not to look at Kimimaru for fear of judgement. Two hours later, fear of any variety had been dumbed down by inebriation - the wine bottle was empty, but her mind was still whirling. She felt caged and cooped up - feeling as if all her feels for Sasuke had suddenly caught fire. She felt so furious at him for pushing her away, for taking the time to right himself before even offering her his hand to get up, for not even asking if she was okay!

"You fucking fucker!" she muttered, then yelled at the top pf her lungs. "YOU FUCKING FUCKER!"

Still unsatisfied because there was no audience and no one to talk to, she thought about what to do. Her mind conjured the idea to call His Majesty - because it was a mess of his making, so he was the one who should be yelled at - but as she pulled out her phone, she remembered she didn't have his number - she didn't even know where he lived in the studpid palace. Suddenly, she swayed, eyes blurring with tears, soul awash with a sudden intense loneliness that had tears springing to her eyes. She sniffled, swaying on her seat, not knowing who to talk to, when -

Knock, knock.

She gasped, going still, mind whirring with the possibility that Sasuke had come to her quarters again, that he was here to have a talk with her. Excited and ready to forgive him, she stumbled her way to the door and was disappointed to see Kimimaru's blank but curious face on the other side. "My lady," he said coolly. "Is everything alright - I heard yelling."

His cool, calm tones made Sakura bristle and the wine, which had already dulled her judgement, was now giving way to unfound bravado. "Do you - can I demand - I mean, I demand to have His Majesty's phone number!"

Silence. Kimimaru blinked, his face impassive. Then, "I'm afraid not, my Lady."

"Why not?" Sakura asked, feeling genuinely hurt, frustration mounting

"You don't have the clearance, my Lady."

Sakura bristled, feeling all the anger now directed towards her security guy. "Listen - I'm about to marry that idiot in a couple of months - and you're saying I don't have the security clearance to have his phone number yet?"

Kimimaru shuffled uncomfortably and looked away. "I'm afraid so, my Lady?"

"When," Sakura demanded angrily, now fully stepping out. "When will I get the stupid clearance?"

"I - uhm," Kimimaru cleared his throat. "I'll initiate the process after getting His Majestry's approval."

Sakura closed her eyes, the comment feeling like a sucker-punch to her gut - she had to get security clearance to get her fiance's phone number. All her emotions peaked, then came tumbling down in a spiral as she settled on numbness. Her sudden calm seemed to make Kimimaru uncomfortable, because he opened his mouth to say something, but Sakura was already done. She knew she'd feel guilty in the morning, but she was too tired, frustrated, and lonely to care as she slammed the door in his face, did her night time routine on auto-pilot and quietly, angrily slipped into bed, feeling lonlier than ever.

Month 9

Month 9 had brought an unsettling shift to Sakura and Sasuke's relationship. For the past few weeks, Sasuke had been engulfed in a whirlwind of state affairs, too busy to meet with Sakura properly. The one time they had met in his private office, it had been an awkward, uncomfortable affair. Sakura had been quieter than usual, her usual warmth absent, and Sasuke had found himself feeling strangely out of place, like an intruder in his own space.

He'd waited, as he always did, for her to initiate the conversation, but she had said nothing, her fingers fiddling with the hem of her dress. He'd pretended to be busy with paperwork, though he hadn't gotten a single thing done. Eventually, the silence had been too much.

"How is everything?" he'd asked trying to emulate his usual calm, low voice, eyes still on the papers in front of him, trying to forget what they'd been doing the last time she'd been there.

"Fine," she'd replied, her voice flat, eyes not meeting his.

It wasn't like her at all. Usually, Sakura would have something to say, some small anecdote or insight, a bumbling response that might even take another tanget, but this time, nothing. His frustration bubbled beneath the surface at her one-word answer. He looked at her, not even pretending to work anymore. She didn't look at him. Finally, unable to take the tension any longer, he'd set his pen down and leaned forward.

"Tell me what's wrong," he asked, the irritation clear in his voice.

Sakura looked up then, her eyes flashing with a hint of hurt, but mostly something else—something like accusation. "You should already know," she'd said softly but sharply, her words striking deeper than she'd likely intended.

Sasuke felt his jaw tighten. "I wouldn't know," he said, "unless you tell me."

Her eyes flashed, "Not everything has to be put in words, your Majesty." Here, she stopped and swallowed, observed his face, noticed his frustration - he wasn't even attempting to mask it anymore.

She sighed, looking disappointed as she shook her head a little and finally decided to be upfront. "Look," she said. "I don't appreciate the way you threw me off that day." Now, she looked him in the eye, cheeks pink, "It was absolutely humiliating! I - I

Sasuke was taken aback at the confession - his mind wenr through a whirlwind of emotions - disbelief, a little contrition, embarrassment, anger, and annoyance - before he finally settled on annoyance. He clasped his hands in front of his face, brows drawn, mouth a straight line as he said, "Is that all?"

To which, Sakura bristled, then looked at him as if he was unrecognizable. "I…It's," she sputtered, narrowing her eyes to peer at him more carefully. "Is that all?" she echoed his words, but from her mouth, they were colored by disbelief. "Is that all?" she repeated, then closed her eyes and pulled her head back, face pinched. He saw right in front of his eyes as her posture deflated, her annoyance giving way to genuine hurt as her lip wobbled. It seemed, he thought, as if his worst fears were coming alive in front of his eyes. They'd been getting along fine up until now - until they'd started to be intimate with one another, and now - now there were expectations. Now that he'd shared that vulnerable part of himself with her, she expected more - and he didn't have much to give her. His very being was weighed under state duties, the huge public spectacle that was his wedding, diplomatic relations, and most importantly - Itachi's pending demise.

He didn't have time for this - whatever this was. Against all odds, it was the worst thing in the world because he'd started to develop feelings for this woman, had started to share a part of himself with her, and obviously, it wasn't enough. Even he wouldn't be satisfied.

"I just…" Sakura started, voice low now, "feel so lonely."

Her admission felt like a bruise to his heart. She continued, "It wasn't that you threw me off - I get it, it was a weird situation to be caught in - especially you. But," here, she looked at him, imploring. "Couldn't you have come to visit me after? Like you did the other day?"

He would never admit to her, but the thought had occurred to him - except, a diplomatic envoy had submitted incorrect paperwork during a crucial trade agreement with an allied nation, causing delays and potential strain on relations. Sasuke had been forced to work through the night to personally oversee revisions, ensuring the correct terms were reinstated and issuing an apology to prevent further diplomatic fallout.

If he were anyone else, he would share it with Sakura, try to work through the miscommunication, maybe even appease her. But because he was Sasuke and had a habit of closing off when things got tough, he braced himself and said, "Unfortunately," here, he deliberately infused his voice with terse, wry, and acerbic tones, "It is the weight of the title you've decided to bear."

He watched, as Sakura, previously looking at him through beseeching eyes, slowly closed off, that pained-looking furrow in the middle of her brow an almost-permanent feature - he wanted to reach out and smoothen it with his fingers and resisted the urge to do so by saying, "It would be best if we avoid further intimacy until absolutely required."

He watched as her face morphed through a plethora of emotions - surprise, embarrassment, pensiveness, and finally - anger. She looked like an absolute spitfire as she replied, "It would seem that we should." Their gazes met and something sparked - something that sent shots of electricity through Sasuke's entire form, piercing through the dark miasma around his heart and hitting him like an arrow - he had the unbidden urge to punish her with a kiss, one that would make her toes curl, make her keen with pleasure as he explored her mouth, battling his tongue with her own - here, he had to subtly take a breath to stop his train of thoughts.

Sakura, who had been observing him with a similar angry heat in her gaze, said, "I guess there's nothing left to say, then."

She stood up, did a little mock bow, and left, leaving him absolutely seething - with both want and fury, a double whammy that had him colder, more distant, and absolutely irate for the rest of the day (week).

The meeting room hummed with the soft whir of technology as Sasuke, Naruto, Neji, and Shikamaru gathered around the glowing screens, reviewing data from the kingdom's latest initiatives. The atmosphere was one of quiet focus, with each man honed in on the real-time dashboards displayed before them.

Shikamaru, always calm and calculating, started by pulling up the first dashboard: trade progress. A series of graphs tracked the kingdom's exports and imports with neighboring countries, highlighting trends and projections.

"The southern territories are stabilizing after the recent tariff negotiations," Shikamaru began, gesturing toward the display. "Exports of steel and textiles are up by 12%, but there's a noticeable drop in agricultural products. We'll need to consider reallocating resources."

Naruto, always quick to jump in, leaned forward, squinting at the numbers. "Agriculture's been struggling because of the droughts last year, right? Can we shore up those numbers without sacrificing too much of the other exports?"

Neji chimed in, his voice calm and measured. "We'll need to divert more support to the agricultural sector—maybe a temporary stimulus package. It'll boost production for the next few quarters, but we need to balance that against other industries. The textile sector, for example, can't be neglected, especially since we've seen an increase in demand from overseas markets."

Sasuke remained quiet, his sharp eyes scanning the data in front of him. His mind was already processing the bigger picture—how the kingdom's economy balanced with international politics, how these moves would influence alliances and agreements down the line. But his thoughts were interrupted when Shikamaru pulled up the next dashboard.

"This is where things get interesting," Shikamaru said, smirking slightly as the screen shifted to focus on education initiatives. "Our reforms are starting to show traction. The recent push to introduce technology in rural schools has increased enrollment by 8%, and literacy rates are up across the board."

Naruto grinned. "That's good news. It's about time we see some results from that program. But what about the pushback from some of the conservative regions? They weren't exactly thrilled with the changes."

Shikamaru nodded. "There's still resistance, but it's minimal. We've managed to win over some key influencers, and the data shows that once the programs are in place, the local communities adapt quickly. The challenge will be maintaining the momentum. We'll need to keep pushing this forward without alienating anyone."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed as he glanced at the screen. "We can't afford to let the momentum stall. The reforms are critical for long-term stability. If we lose the support of those regions, it could create fissures in other areas."

Shikamaru switched to the next screen, displaying a detailed map of international relations. Colored lines connected Nippon Koku to various allied and neutral nations, with markers highlighting recent developments.

"Our diplomatic relations with the eastern nations remain strong," Shikamaru said, his tone even. "But the western alliance is more fragile. There's been some friction over trade policies, especially with the recent changes in export duties. We've seen a slight drop in cooperation from key players."

Naruto's brow furrowed. "That's concerning. Do we have any leverage to get them back on board?"

Neji, always the diplomat, spoke up. "We could explore new trade agreements, perhaps offering them something in the energy sector. There's a possibility of renegotiating the terms to create mutual benefits."

Sasuke, listening intently, finally spoke. "We'll need to tread carefully. If we push too hard, we risk upsetting the balance. Focus on building smaller, more strategic partnerships first. Then we can consider renegotiating the larger trade agreements."

Shikamaru moved to the final dashboard, showing public opinion data. "Speaking of balance, here's where we stand on image." A real-time feed of Sasuke's approval ratings flashed on the screen, followed by data tracking Sakura's popularity as the queen-to-be.

Naruto raised an eyebrow. "Sakura's numbers are holding strong—people love her. But your numbers, Sasuke… they've improved, but there's still work to be done."

Sasuke frowned slightly. "What's the current focus of the discontent?"

Shikamaru clicked a few keys, pulling up more detailed information. "It's primarily tied to the public's perception of your accessibility and the whole queen's raffle ordeal. The narrative's improved, but you still come across as too distant. The public wants to feel more involved in the love story - we need to angle it so that you two seem…in love, I guess."

Naruto shot Sasuke a look. "Yeah - they don't want to see their Cinderella story harkened by the cruel prince." Then he gave Sasuke a pensive look, noticed his incensed expression, and continued, "The public's warming up to the idea of you two as a couple, but they want to see more from you."

"Great," said Sasuke, looking angry and dismissive, signalling the end of the meeting with a wave of his hand. With the official meeting coming to a close, Shikamaru powered down the screens, and Neji began gathering his notes.

Naruto, fidgeting with his watch, had already mentally checked out of the data session. His schedule was packed, but he lingered, sensing something off with Sasuke. He had only five minutes before his next commitment, but he could tell Sasuke's sarcasm had been dialed up to max courtesy of an especially scathing dialogue between them this morning -

("Deadlast, I swear on all that is Holy -

"Whoa, whoa - I've never heard you swear on official -

"Get the damn signatures, it's your only fucking job -

"Fuck you, you asshole bastard!"

To which he'd heard the phone slam and the tell-tale beep, beep one hears once you'd been hung up on.)

"Oi, what's going on with you?" Naruto asked casually now, as Neji and Shikamaru packed up their things, the room emptying. Both of them seemed in quite a hurry to leave the room and Naruto savvily deduced that they probably wanted to get away from Sasuke as quickly as they could.

Sasuke glanced up from the screen, narrowing his eyes at the question. "Nothing," he replied curtly, but his tone was clipped, betraying the irritation simmering beneath the surface.

Naruto rolled his eyes. "Don't 'nothing' me. You've been a real ass lately, and I know when something's eating at you."

Sasuke crossed his arms, leaning back in his chair. "I'm fine."

Naruto snorted, unfazed. "Right. Look, I don't have time to drag this out of you, but I'm betting this has something to do with Sakura."

Sasuke's silence was telling, and Naruto grinned knowingly. "You've probably messed it up, haven't you?"

Sasuke glared, but didn't deny it, his jaw tightening.

Naruto shook his head, standing up with a sigh. "Man, you really are hopeless. Just... talk to her. Or, I dunno, do something that isn't standing here brooding."

As Naruto left, Sasuke sat there, running a hand through his hair, completely disregarding Naruto's advice and reassuring himself that he was absolutely right, he was being an asshole, but it would ultimately cushion all the hurt when this relationship eventually fell off its white horse.

tbc

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