Somewhere I will find you

Chapter 11

The soft sounds of silk trailing upon the wooden floor and the soft murmurs of noblewomen humming in the air signaled the arrival of Lady Shijimi and her entourage as they approached the cliffside courtyard garden which divided the outer and inner palace from each other. They slowly and softly settled in the sitting rooms on the veranda with the bamboo curtain partly let down for decorum's sake. This way, they could say that the women were celebrating within the confines of the inner palace while the men stayed in the outer palace side and the garden itself. This way, not taking into account the mingling in the garden, it could be said they could be said to have observed the old palace tradition regardless of how loosely done the attempt was.

The cliffside garden, as the name suggested, was situated on the highest part of the castle ground, overlooking the city areas below and granted a clear view of the mountainous horizon for as far as mortal eyes could see. It was the perfect place to enjoy the final celebration of the night. Sixty sets of the most elaborately designed fireworks were planned as the finale to this evening party. The spectacle was meant to be seen by all throughout the Fire Capital and the nearby areas, as it was intended to display the wealth and opulence of the Fire Court to all.

Thus, every guest of the Daimyo, male and female, were now congregated for the final entertainment of the night. As soon as Lady Shijimi was greeted by the court, many of her entourage began to make their way into the garden to mingle with the rest of the crowd, and cliques were formed almost immediately. While the noblemen took the opportunity to converse and exchange information with their fellow peers and the ninja representatives from powerful clans to consolidate their connections for future political gain, the noble matrons were mostly interested in either clamoring for the Fire Lady's attention or whispering among themselves while observing the interactions of others in this gathering for any sliver of information that might be useful for their family. As for those younger of marriageable age, while not directly mingling for the sake of decorum and reputation, often shared glances as they scanned the room for potential suitors or encounters to be had.

Even though some of the more traditional-minded nobles might have previously felt it a breach of decorum to let the women of the inner palace join the celebration, most nobles were rather glad that their presence might lend a cheer that help lighten the wary mood and lessen the tension between them and the ninja clans that were present tonight.

Seeing that all the representatives of the prominent ninja clans had occasions to cross swords to varying degrees of frequency, it was impossible not to expect and notice the palpable tension rising in the air. Aside from the Senju and the Uchiha clan, representatives from other major clans were all in attendance. The reclusive and withdrawn Hyuga with their often-understated power could be absolutely ferocious should the situation warrant, while the Sarutobi clan were always a staunch ally of the mighty Senju and the fallen Uzumaki clan. The Nara, Yamanaka and Akimichi clan, who banded together to form a triumvirate not too far from the Fire Capital, were in good standing with many nobles despite their clans being relatively smaller than their peers. While clans such as the Inuzuka and Aburame were more reclusive than most, they still sent a representative to ensure they remained in the Daimyo's good grace. Other small clans who were fortunate enough to secure an invitation would certainly not miss an opportunity to come and demonstrate their loyalty to the Daimyo and, in the process of strengthening their position, hope to form connections to the elite of the Fire Court and expand their influence in the future.

The only clan that seemed to be missing from this picturesque gathering was the now infamous Shimura clan.

That the Shimura clan was one of the most powerful clans in the south was a well-known fact to most, however, their ambition and ruthlessness only came to light when the news of the fall of the Uzumaki clan spread. The shockwaves that this produced reverberated throughout the Land of Fire, and every single ninja clan was on edge. All eyes were immediately casted towards the man who sat atop the Fire Throne, waiting with baited breath on how he would proceed. What action would he take against the Shimura for such atrocities committed, they all wondered. Barred the illustrious Senju clan, the Uzumaki was one of the most loyal ninja clans to the Fire Daimyo, while the Shimura clan could only be described as a reclusive subject who occasionally showed respect at best. So, they all thought sooner or later the Daimyo would take an umbrage against the Shimura and help restore the Uzumaki to their rightful place.

However, years had passed, and so far, nothing had been done. At first, with persistent bandit problems on various fronts, it made sense that the Daimyo would prioritize and focus his efforts on that first. But as time went on, everyone began to feel as if the Daimyo had no intention of intervening in this matter, to the horror of some and the satisfaction of others.

Regardless, the inaction of the Daimyo, whether intentional or not, had such a far-reaching implication than he could ever comprehend. If the Daimyo was willing to let the Shimura clan off without consequences, then it set a dangerous precedent for other ninja clans to follow. If the Daimyo chose or could be forced to look the other way when one clan invaded another, then perhaps they could get away with it too. Perhaps even the noble clans might not be beyond reach either, as some of them did not even have the strength or manpower to withstand the might of the stronger ninja clans, especially further away from the Fire Capital.

This would send the entire land into utter chaos, and the upheaval could light the entire nation up in the flames of war once again.

Thus, everyone on all side was on edge. It would only take a careless misspoken word to ignite the enmity between these ninjas, and the Head Councilor did not wish to find out what the consequences of that would be. So, for him, it was a great relief that the Fire Lady and her female guests were present as a buffer. As violent and volatile as the ninja clans could be, they still had enough decency to refrain from displaying acts of violence in front of the noble members of the gentler sex who were assumed as being unused to physical violence and rough manners.

This did not imply that the kunoichi present were less capable of destruction, of course. Still, from his own experience in dealing with the notable Senju Tsunade, the most renowned of all kunoichi present, she was not prone to acts of violence despite her sharp tongue and fiery temper. Provided that she was left unprovoked of course, and he fervently prayed to the gods that there would be no cause for her to lose her renowned temper here tonight.

Knowing how important the Senju Princess was within the clan hierarchy; the Fire courtiers wasted no opportunity in scurrying to garner her favor. There were no other ninja clans, saved for the Uchiha, who could rival the Senju in strength, wealth and influence, which even half the noble houses in the Fire Capital dared not compare. Their influence on the stability of the Fire Country was such that if they were of a mind to demand entry into the noble peerage, the Fire Daimyo would not have been able to deny them, for their military strength was unrivalled in the east.

Meanwhile, the Uchiha themselves were suffering the same predicament as the Senju Princess. The other half of the Fire courtiers swarmed around the Uchiha's second heir, who had the most unexpectedly beautiful visage, like bees around a fragrant flower. Amusedly, the Head Councilor noted that the young man barely made an attempt to conceal his indifference and, to his old yet still keen eyes, contempt, but otherwise said nothing. Meanwhile his companion, Uchiha Shisui, did most of the talking to fill the silence and keep the conversation as lively as possible.

He stole a glance at Kakashi who was silently shadowing the Uchiha and felt he could breathe a little easier. If nothing else, he trusted in his ability to keep calm and control the situation should the worst come to pass.

He casted his glance back to the other side of the room again, and this time, he surreptitiously looked at the young survivor from the Uzumaki clan who was practically ignored by the Fire Court. Had he not been here with the Senju, he would have been completely avoided by all. He noted that such blatant disregard from the shallow and self-centered courtiers did not at all faze the young man, who did not seem to pay much attention to the crowd around him, and felt a little bit of admiration for the young man for keeping his composure.

It was not difficult to guess the purpose to which the young man found himself visiting the Fire Court. The attack on the Uzumaki Clan and the consequent destruction were much talked of topics among the court for a long while when the news first arrived. There were several heated debates among the councilmen as to whether the Shimura clan would attack the Fire Capital. The speculation died down a few months later when the Shimura seemed content to simply take the Uzumaki Stronghold and no further action was taken since then.

While the Fire Daimyo had been content to take no action, the Head Councilor knew that he was bound as their Fire Lord to help the Uzumaki retake their land. Before their destruction, the Uzumaki clan was among the most loyal subjects of the Fire Country and had kept peace and prosperity within their land. Not once had they failed their duty as a faithful subject, so logically, the Daimyo was bound by both honor and duty to lend his strength to help the Uzumaki clan retake their rightful land and punish the Shimura for their transgression.

Originally, he thought the Fire Daimyo, even as weak and cowardly as he was, would have taken offence at the Shimura's blatant disregard of the Daimyo's authority by attacking his loyal subject and thought his initial inaction was due to the pressure of bandit attacks and the unrest demanding their attention and forces, rendering them unable to send any aid. However, after those matters were dealt with, the Fire Daimyo seemed to have forgotten about the Uzumaki completely. The messages and communication from the Uzumaki were ignored or brushed off with empty future promises that everyone realized he had no intention of keeping.

The Head Councilor did advise the Daimyo that this kind of inaction could seriously undermine his authority as the Fire Lord and potentially become an example which others could follow. If this happened, it would ultimately result in countrywide civil wars that would be nearly impossible to quell, yet his words fell on deaf ears. The man simply nodded and said he would consider it, and yet no action had since been taken toward fulfilling this duty.

He was not alone in advising the Daimyo to aid the Uzumaki either, for in the beginning, their allies were quite vocal in asking for help from their liege. Of course, once they understood that the Daimyo had no intention of helping the Uzumaki, their pleas faded as if they had never existed. Saved for a scant few who remained steadfast in their friendship, one by one the others gave up. Some readily took the opportunity to forsake their once great ally while others did it a little more reluctantly for the sake of appearance. In the end, it was quite natural for them to remain silent, not willing to risk the wrath of the Daimyo, and let the Uzumaki be forgotten with the passage of time.

Until now.

Now that one of the heirs of the Uzumaki clan finally showed up in person, under the wings of the Senju no less, the Head Councilor could already foresee a problematic situation. Despite the Daimyo's reluctance on the matter, he truly felt the Fire Court owed it to the Uzumaki to give them aid, and should the young man here have the opportunity to speak, he was bound by honor to comply with his request. But knowing the Daimyo, he would not suffer being forced to do something he did not wish to, and if the young man persisted in bringing this issue to court...

His forehead creased into wizened lines at the thought. This situation had so much potential to end badly, and it would put them all in a perilous position. At best, the Daimyo would reluctantly help the Uzumaki, thereby preserving his reputation but would surely hold a grudge against the clan for forcing his hands. At worst, well, there were so many scenarios of 'worst' that could happen that he dared not think of them all. Civil war being the one he dreaded the most followed closely by assassination attempts on multiple targets and more.

It seemed a discreet meeting with the young man and the Senju clan was in order.

While the Elder Councilor was so embroiled in his own thoughts, Naruto was blessedly unaware of the fact that his presence was causing the older man so much turmoil and was happy enough to be left to his own devices. Truthfully, he was too delirious from the excitement of the earlier reunion to pay much attention to what was going on around him. His gaze kept wandering to where the members of Team Seven were. Even Sasuke's threatening glare or Kakashi's warning stare couldn't really faze him, and if he had been permitted to go over to the women's side, he would have flown to Sakura's side by now. He tried craning his neck to see where she was. While his ninja senses could tell him exactly where she was, it was not as comforting as seeing her with his own eyes.

She had become even more beautiful than he remembered, if such a thing was even possible. He recalled how he almost stopped breathing when he saw her underneath the wisteria. He could still see in his mind how her kimono sleeves spread like butterfly wings as she ran up to him. It was a vision he knew he would never forget. And now he never wanted to take his eyes off her for fear that she might disappear once again.

Unfortunately, he was recalled back to the present by a stern whisper beside him.

"Naruto," Jiraiya frowned as Naruto gradually became aware of his name being called. "Pay attention, boy. This is no place for daydreaming."

"I wasn't daydreaming." The retort left Naruto's mouth naturally as he scratched his head. "And what was I supposed to do anyway? It's not like anybody is dying to talk to me or anything…"

The white-haired guardian sighed at his charge and started to feel sorry for himself for having to coach the thick-headed godson through their stay at the Fire Court. Kushina really expected too much from him in asking him to show Naruto the way of the Fire Court. As if she didn't know her own son! He would be surprised if the boy remembered anything or anyone from this night at all.

Or maybe this was why she asked him and Tsunade for this, because she didn't want to do this herself.

Jiraiya wished Minato would haul his behind here and do this himself. He was the boy's father, for goodness' sake, not to mention the fact that he was such a smooth talker and over all so much better-suited to teaching things like this than his old, simple self.

Just as he was about to begin to lecture the boy, Tsunade abruptly reached for his hands. She silently shook her head at him before turning back to greet another noble who approached her from the other side.

Jiraiya was puzzled by her action. Normally, she would jump at the first chance to lecture the boy to become more proactive in such tasks, with varying degrees of success. But his curiosity would have to wait until the night ended. Then he was distracted by a nobleman striking up a conversation with him, which took an annoying long while for him to be able to politely send him on his way.

Once he turned back to see his young charge, the seat where he should have been sitting was already empty.

Sakura took a deep breath as she found herself walking along the deserted veranda in a more secluded part of the cliffside garden. This veranda particular section was shielded from the garden view by artfully designed flower curtains and each room was covered by bamboo curtains hanging down from the ceiling to the floor to ensure privacy for the women in the Ooku. So, this was a perfect spot for her to have some time to herself and gather her thoughts from all that had happened today.

She truly needed a moment for herself as she hadn't had enough time to process what had happened earlier this afternoon. The meeting had felt so surreal that she wondered if she hadn't been dreaming after all, and it had to be cut short since all of them needed to go back before anyone noticed they were missing.

Yet, there were so many things left unsaid between all of them. From what she could see they were both doing well physically. They seemed so much taller, so much more mature than their young faces living in her mind, but that did not tell her much of what was in their mind. She wondered how much they had changed and wanted to know how much they endured.

Still, this was the light at the end of the tunnel. The countless nights she dreamt of them, her thoughts filled with fear and longing for them had now come to an end. Tomorrow, for certain, she would finally be able to see them and talk to them and…

Unable to properly focus on her surroundings, she made an excuse that Tora was missing and came out looking for him. It was perfect, since as soon as Tora was mentioned, everyone was perfectly happy to let her go on by herself, unwilling to risk the sharp claws of the little monster. Thus, Sakura was afforded some moments to herself.

Sakura took another deep breath to compose herself. She breathed in deeply as she continued strolling almost mindlessly. If she had paid more attention, she would have noticed a hand slipping through the bamboo curtain, lying in wait for her, and as soon as she went past, that hand tugged her long sleeve while the other swung the rigid bamboo curtain up. In an instant, before she could make a sound, she was pulled inside and the curtain fell back down and shielded them from sight. She herself also fell backward onto the Tatami floor, but her fall was cushioned by her assailant, who caught her steadily in his arms.

"Sakura-chan…"

While she couldn't see her assailant from behind, that voice needed no spun around immediately to see his smile beaming at her like a beacon. Even in the darkness of the night, his pure, blue eyes sparkled as brightly as his smile.

"Naruto!" Sakura pouted at Naruto. "You scared me half to death!"

"Sorry, sorry!" He said, but with a smile that wide and a pair of eyes filled with such mischief, there wasn't even a trace of guilt to be seen.

"How did you get here, Naruto?" Despite her blooming elation at seeing him, Sakura fought to keep her voice as low as possible. "Did anyone see you coming here?"

"Of course not!" He replied happily, his smile never wavered and not an ounce of worry appeared on his face. His voice was mellow as his eyes never once left her face. "I really wanted to see you."

The words of warning for him to go back and avoid getting in trouble died as they began to form on her lips and her resolve melted. She did not really want him to leave, truth be told. Instead, she wanted to keep watching, so that she could finally be certain this was no dream. She took in the sight of him, and felt a little startled that he was so much taller than she remembered. He was impeccably dressed, as the occasion demanded, and cut a rather dashing figure that she hadn't noticed before during their previous encounter.

But the best of all was his smile, which was as bright and beautiful as she was the one thing that had never, and, she prayed, would never, ever change.

Still, she felt a gentle reminder was necessary. After all, she did not want Naruto to get in trouble during his first visit here.

"You really shouldn't be here…" Arms crossed, she tried to sound a little stern, but her voice simply lacked the conviction needed to dissuade him. "This is the women's side; the men's side only ends at the garden…"

"Then let's stay right here, where nobody can see us." Naruto smiled almost innocently, but did not even attempt to hide the naughty twinkle in his eyes as he planted himself, refusing to move. "If we're not caught, then we're not breaking any rules, right?"

Exasperated as she was, she still couldn't help but let her smile slipped. As soon as he saw this, his smile grew even wider, and before she knew it, his hands gingerly reached down and took hers into his own.

"You don't know how long I've wanted to see you like this." His voice turned solemn as he firmly squeezed her hands, as if to ascertain that her presence was in fact real. "I've dreamt of this moment for so long, to see you again."

"Me too." Sakura squeezed his hands back firmly yet gently as she unconsciously leaned closer to him. "After that night, I could not stop thinking of you. I wanted to see you, or know if you were alright. I was so afraid…"

"I'm perfectly fine, see? As strong and healthy as ever!" Seeing her smile dimmed as the unhappy memory intruded, he urgently tried to reassure and distract her from those thoughts, all the while almost fumbling with his words. "Not even a single scratch, see?"

Then, struck by a thought he almost forgot, he perked up.

"By the way, I need to give you something." His hands fumbled inside his crested haori for a short moment before producing a simple, unadorned pouch, which he opened to reveal a chain…

A necklace, with gemstone carved in the shape of cherry blossom dangled before her eyes.

"Here," he picked up the delicate chain as he presented it to her. "I'm here to return this to the rightful owner. I'm sure it looks much prettier on you than me."

The precious gem felt cool to the touch as Naruto laid it gently in the palm of her hand. It was her necklace, the one which she put around his neck with her own hands to make sure he knew that their encounter was not a dream. This was a gift from her father, one that she cherished dearly, and to see it returned with the one she cherished most of all, well…

There was nothing that could have made her happier in this moment.

"Here, let me put it on you!" He volunteered enthusiastically and took the necklace from her palm. He took the end of the chain in each hand before trying to put them around her neck.

However, the hook of the necklace chain was small and delicate, and he found them to be a little too fiddly for his liking. So, he pulled himself closer to Sakura and leaned over her shoulder as his brows knitted together in concentration.

Suddenly, Sakura became very conscious of the proximity between them. His shoulders had broadened so much he could cover her entire frame without an effort. His face was leaner and seemed to have lost a childlike quality that she was used to. He was her Naruto, but somehow seemed to sport the silhouette of a stranger at the same time. And he was so, so close, way too close. He was so close to her that she could smell his scent and felt the heat emanating from his body. And if she turned her face toward him, her lips could accidentally brush against his cheek.

Her face burned red at the thought, and she dared not move a muscle as intrusive thoughts played itself repeatedly in the back of her mind. She could only wait as he kept trying to put the hook together for what seemed like an eternity.

Finally, even as clumsy as he was, Naruto finally completed his task. He turned to her with his usual bright smile, only to find her reddened face inches away from his own. The unusual proximity that was lost on him previously finally registered in his mind in full force.

His face and ears burned even redder than her own in an instant as he audibly swallowed the breath that was caught in his throat. The small noise sounded almost like a choke, and she thought he would splutter and pull away hurriedly, just as embarrassed as she was.

But he did not.

For a brief moment, he simply stared at her. The intensity of his gaze flared like the glittering cherry blossom pendant resting around her neck. Both held their breath, their body stilled as if frozen in time. The moment, fleeting as it was, would unknowingly burn itself into their memory. An ember in the forest, hidden in the leaves, waiting to catch aflame.

Waiting to burn…

Shisui was preoccupied with having to greet many nobles, and when the throngs of people finally disappeared, he realized Sasuke had managed to disappear with them, somehow.

He inwardly grimaced at the younger man's lack of social aptitude. Trust Sasuke to avoid social gathering like it was some kind of disease, a plague even. But then again, neither Fugaku or Itachi was exactly an outgoing, made-everybody-at-ease-with-a-joke material either, he supposed. More like a stern, silently glaring at you with varying degrees of intensity material that raised the tension of the room tenfold, more like. The apple really did not fall far from the tree; a very, very silent tree. Maybe more like a stone statue…

So, passing off the duty to train Sasuke in the arts of negotiation and social etiquettes to him was quite unfair, Shisui lamented. In fact, when he got back to the Uchiha clan he would demand a raise. He would definitely demand a bonus, at the very least. That was, if Sasuke ever decided to cooperate with him anytime soon. As things stood, his only conversation only included 'yes' and 'no', and on a particularly good day, a stray 'is that so?' might appear if he was lucky. Maybe conversational skills in that branch of the Uchiha family had to somehow fall short to make room for more combat capabilities…

After all, not everyone could be as perfect as himself.

Still, better go see what Sasuke was up to and bring him back on display.

Just as he was about to make good on his intention, he realized his error too late. The famed warrior, Uchiha Shisui, had been waylaid by a noble matron who had three daughters with glittering sparks in their eyes, all turned on him like a target being locked on.

In that moment, Shisui started to understand Sasuke's need to escape.

When Sasuke saw that Naruto was missing, he knew at once where the blonde would have gone to. The dumbass might have been an unpredictable fighter, but when it came to Sakura, he didn't even need to guess. He always flew to her side like a moth to the flames, as if it was in his very nature to be next to her.

Despite considering himself above such foolishness, his feet already moved on their own, and he was already out the door before he realized what he was doing. And a few moments later he already found himself surreptitiously wandering into the space where he shouldn't be. His feet seemed to know a way without his mind even putting in the effort.

"Sasuke, already wandering off, I see."

Sasuke's browed knitted together at hearing the voice of his sensei, former sensei drawling behind him. He let out a tch as an answer without even looking back at the silver haired man trailing after him.

"Aww, don't be like that, Sasuke." He sounded annoyingly happy than he had a right to be, and Sasuke's brow twitched again.

"Stop following me."

"Sorry, no can do." Kakashi smiled through the mask. "Orders from up top, you see. Not to let you out of sight, being Uchiha VIP and all."

The young Uchiha halted abruptly at that. He turned his darkened gaze back toward his erstwhile teacher and faced him squarely.

"What is the Daimyo's intention?" He asked quietly. "What do you know, Kakashi?"

"Aw, not even a sensei? How disappointing…" Kakashi smirked, amused by another annoyed tch from his former student.

"Anyway, this is hardly an appropriate place for such a discussion, no?" Kakashi proceeded to hand him a scroll, to which Sasuke accepted with a questioning stare, asking what it was without voicing a word.

"An invitation to my home, tomorrow." He smiled with his eyes once again. "Don't be late!"

Then he turned back, leaving Sasuke alone with his own thoughts as he silently tucked the scroll into his sleeve.

AUTHOR'S NOTE

Short chapter surprise update! Hopefully someone's still reading this! Let me know if there's still people reading haha. It's been so long that I doubt anyone's still reading, but I don't really know. Just tell me if you still want to read something like this yeah?

Also, pardon the errors and such, it has been a long time since I write creatively. Need to rebuild the skills, so I will be needing a lot of feedback for improvement. Constructive criticism needed.

Otherwise, enjoy! Hope you have a great day!