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depressedhatakekakashi · 3 years

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For @cryptic-summons Prompt: Bonfire. Aka, the day Kakashi's soul left his body.

Pairing: Kakagai:

Words: 1137

The sound of crackling fire filled the air, flames illuminating the small area where they sat. Allowing Kakashi and Gai to watch over their students as they huddled into a small group chattering amongst themselves, glancing back at the two Sensei’s every once in a while.

“What do you think they’re planning?” Kakashi questioned his best friend, turning the stick he was holding so that his marshmallow didn’t burn.

“It could be almost anything,” pulling his own marshmallow out, Gai frowned when he noticed it wasn’t cooked enough. Only a slight ting of browning on the edges is evidence from all of his hard work. “Perhaps they’re coming up with the perfect way to roast a marshmallow. Or they could be discussing their plans for tomorrow’s training. It will be the first time our two teams have ever trained together after all. There’s no doubt they’re excited about all of the things they could do.”

A possible scenario, though not one Kakashi really believed was happening. If all they wanted to talk about was training and marshmallows, they wouldn’t be so secretive about it. Especially Lee and Naruto. Those two would be chatting Kakashi and Gai’s ears off with endless ideas.

No, this was a far more nefarious gathering.

“You need to keep it in longer,” he commented, not taking his eyes off of the kids for even a second. “The marshmallow needs time to cook properly.”

“It should be cooked already. I’ve had it in there for five minutes,” sticking it back into the fire, Gai huffed. “why must these things take so long? I could be doing push-ups while I wait.”

Rather than arguing against such a ridiculous idea, Kakashi held out his free hand towards Gai. “Hand it over,” he clarified when Gai’s face warped into a look of confusion. “You do those push-ups. If you don’t you’ll be all kicks in the tent tonight and I want some actual sleep.”

A bright smile cracked across Gai’s face, and as he handed his stick over to the cop ninja he leaned in and pressed a quick kiss to his cheek. “You really are the best rival out there” he whispered, excitement evident in his voice as he got up from his seat and moved a safe distance away from the fire and got down onto the ground. “I’ll do one thousand push-ups before our students finish their little chat, just you watch, Rival!”

“I said I wanted you to spend some energy, not over-extend yourself,” Kakashi grumbled to himself, watching as Gai started on his new task while he worked on cooking the marshmallows. “Seriously Gai, we’re supposed to be relaxing tonight.”

As expected his words went unheeded. Gai’s focus solely on the goal he had set out for himself, there was nothing short of catastrophe that would distract him now. A fact that would concern Kakashi more if he didn’t know that man would be just as charged and energetic in the morning when they started training their students.

Returning his attention to the kids, he turned the sticks in his hand and watched as Naruto finally extracted himself from the small group. A sure-fire sign that something horrible was about to happen.

“Sensei, I have a question for you,” the worst words Kakashi had ever heard in his life. There was no way this could end well for him. “Well, it’s actually kind of a question from us all…”

“Stop stalling!” Tenten called out from their little group. “Just ask!”

Now he was really worried. If Tenten was in on whatever they had a plane, it couldn’t possibly end well. Still, he had a reputation to keep up. Letting on that he was actually concerned about whatever they were about to ask was simply out of the question.

“Well,” he turned the marshmallows once again, pulling them back for a quick check before placing them back over the fire. “What is it you would like to ask me? I’m sure it’s not for pointers on how to improve yourself as a shinobi since you seem to think you don’t need my help with that.”

Was he still bitter that Naruto had charged headfirst into their last mission without listening to him? Yes, and he would be for another week at least.

“That’s not it!” Naruto stomped his feet. “I am the best shinobi you’ll ever see, old man!”

Oh, now those were fighting words.

“If you’re such a great shinobi, why can’t you ask a simple question?” he shot back, a smirk hiding under his mask when Naruto’s face turned a deep shade of red. “Come on, spit it out. Sensei is waiting.”

“Just ask, Naruto,” Sakura called out to him. “You offered to ask, so it’s your job.”

Taking the marshmallows off of the fire, Kakashi hummed with satisfaction, holding them both out towards Gai to grab when he was done with his push-ups.

“Alright,” a triumphant smile appeared on Naruto’s face. “Well, Sensei, we were all just wondering…When do you think the wedding is going to be? Surely you and bushy-brows Sensei have talked about it.”

Closing his eyes, Kakashi tried to keep his emotions under control, but judging by the warmth rising in his neck he was failing miserably. “I don’t- why would you-“ of all the things for them to ask.

“Ha! I told you!” Tenten called out, grunting when Sakura punched her in the arm.

“It is rather sad,” Neji added, giving his head a shake. “They have been together for a few years now. Surely they’re at a point where marriage has been discussed.”

“I’m not sure I understand,” sliding out of his hiding spot, Sai landed by Sakura’s side. “Why would the two of them get married? Is it customary for rivals to marry when they have no romantic partner?”

Clearly, there was a conversation that needed to happen with Sai still. One that he would let Tenzo take care of since he was officially out of commission thanks to all of the others.

“Rival, you should have told me you wanted to marry,” he knew Gai was joking. Using that rare opportunity where Kakashi was already embarrassed to make things even worse for him. “It will be a grand event! With all of our friends present, the best caterers that can be found in the land of Fire-“

The sound of crackling fire filled the air. The only thing that Kakashi could safely focus on now that his brain had decided to check out of the conversation now happening around him. Plans for a wedding he didn’t expect now being made between his boyfriend and all of their students while he sat there staring at the flickering fire wondering just how mad his father would be if he dropped dead from sheer embarrassment.

#KakaGai #Hatake Kakashi #Maito Gai #Bonfire #Uzumaki Naruto #Tenten #Kakashi is not doing ok #XD

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kakashiswilloffire · 3 years

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Shino's Strategy

ao3

words: 2.0k

fluff, shinoten, mention of akamaru biting, established relationship

@narutorarepairjune day 14: melody

shino comes home to find tenten singing in the shower

***

It was 3:17 in the afternoon, and Tenten would be training with Neji, Rock Lee, and Gai-sensei until past 6 in the afternoon, likely close to 6:38 based on her arrival time during the past six days. She always entered the apartment sweaty, though never out of breath, and removed her sandals at the door, though she frequently left them sideways and askew and came back hours later to sit them upright next to his own shoes.

Shino himself would ordinarily be training as well, but Kiba and Akamaru had mis-timed their new formation by .3 seconds, resulting in Akamaru biting deeply into Kiba’s leg. He and Hinata had agreed to part and resume training in the morning, when Kiba would presumably have been healed by the capable medical team of Konoha Hospital.

He set out for his apartment, the one he and Tenten had chosen together nearly eight months ago and moved into just over five months ago. Their relationship was progressing well, and he looked forward to her arriving home later this evening.

On the way, he passed by the dango shop frequented by the jonin of the previous generation. Their first date had been here, and they returned together relatively often. Shino was not particularly a fan of sweets, but Tenten’s recommendations had been pleasing and muted enough in flavor and texture that he was content to order them again and again. On a whim, he stopped inside and ordered four skewers of the hanami dango, her favorite in this season, knowing it would pair well with the green tea she had brought back last week from her latest mission. He allowed his gaze to travel to their usual table, remembering how she had giggled the first time he made the joke that she liked the sweet treats so much she even wore her hair to match. It wasn’t a far stretch, dango to odango, and the dumplings were how the hairstyle’s name originated, but she didn’t mind. She thought it was clever and even cute that he had made the joke in the first place.

Fresh dessert in hand, he thanked the shopkeeper and continued to the apartment they shared. It was four flights of stairs from the ground, which Kiba complained about each time he visited, but it gave them adequate privacy for his bugs and her weapons to be on display without concerning civilians. The noise level was also lessened given their height above the street.

He placed the key into the lock, feeling it notch into place, then turned it. The deadbolt was never locked and the handle only locked for formality; they used chakra wards to truly secure their home. Tenten astonished him when she had first applied it all—he was highly familiar with her work in fuinjutsu, and had no doubt about her skill in sealing, barriers, and wards—but to see the level of fun and pride she took in each layer of protection had warmed him to his core.

Entering the apartment, he was startled to see his partner’s sandals thrown off on either side of the entryway. What could have happened that she was home so early?

Setting the parcel down on the end table in the small living room, he sent two handfuls of beetles to scout: one group toward the kitchen, and the other group to the bedroom. In nearly forty-nine seconds, both sentry groups had returned with their updates. Tenten was indeed home, in the bathroom, and there were no signs of injury they could detect. They had not entered the bathroom itself, disliking the humidity of the small space. Shino thanked and dismissed them.

He made his way into the bedroom after removing the green outer coat and hanging it by the front door and setting both his and her shoes right side up and paired along the wall. Once inside the bedroom, he removed his headband and shuriken pouch, along with his leg wrappings. He lowered the collar of the black shirt, revealing his face in the comfort of his home. Tenten’s dress lay thrown across the top of their hamper, marked with grass stains from the training session cut short. His mouth formed a small smile when he saw her hair bindings tossed on the bed—he loved seeing her with her hair down, as cute as her odango buns were. It was their trade off for her seeing him without goggles.

Speaking of such, as soon as he slid the bathroom door open, the steam hit him so suddenly he was forced to remove them in order to continue seeing. Tenten appeared to be in the shower, and was running the water as hot as she liked, which was nearly 12 degrees higher than his maximum preference. What was more important than that however, was the one thing she had not done and the one thing she had:

First, she had not noticed him entering.

Second, she was singing.

She had brought her shower speaker, a black round rubber thing that suction-cupped to the tile wall, from her own place to theirs and frequently listened to music while showering. He had, of course, heard her sometimes mumble along with the words or hum the tune as she washed her hair, but she had never sung like this before while he was around.

She had sung at karaoke nights various bars, she sang absent-minded songs about what she was doing at times, and loved to hum while cleaning various weapons. She had a lovely voice, undeniably. He always reveled in hearing it, closing his eyes behind his goggles and drinking it in. This time, however, she was not singing gently.

Shino recognized the song, though vaguely. It had originally been popular when they were twelve years old. Girls had gathered in the academy during lunch, sat in groups and sang popular love songs. This was definitely one of those songs, but he couldn’t recall the words well. He also couldn’t recall seeing her in any of the groups of girls who sang these love songs when they were children, but she knew every word and every beat the way she knew her scrolls.

She sang loudly, her voice cracking on higher notes and hitting more dramatic phrases in the lyrics with emphasis that contrasted with the typical lilting voice she had. She must have punched at the volume button because the music swelled, and she began nearly shouting. It was a love song, but it seemed to be about a love lost, maybe a break-up. For a moment, he was concerned for the sake of his relationship with the passion she threw into the lyrics, but when the song changed to a much sappier melody, her tone shifted along with it.

Shino relaxed, quietly sitting down just inside the door to continue basking in the impromptu concert. She was evidently in a good mood, and he looked forward to surprising her with the dango later. In the meantime, he slowly slid the door shut, once again trapping the steam and the echoes of her song over the professional recording. He could make out her outline as she let the water stream through her hair, hands at her head, presumably massaging her scalp and working shampoo either in to or out of the silky brown strands.

With every song changed, her whole body shifted, swaying or snapping or reenacting the scenes to some imaginary boy who had wronged her. Some particularly powerful lyrics earned genuine shouts, and others got the same delicate treatment she would ordinarily use in public settings, with light vibration on notes that were drawn out. He realized she was singing the way a teenager would, with all the passion of raw emotion they had yet to feel and all the artistic skill they had yet to learn, and only periodically did she restrain herself into the more reserved style of singing. When she began singing the opening to a song several measures before the artist did, not once, but twice, she swore and began the line over. Despite how well she knew the music, the seven times she sang the lyrics incorrectly, she sang the entire line wrong before jumping back to what the recording played, regardless of the narrative. At one point, she mumbled an entire verse at full volume before the song reached its chorus again, where she joined back in with renewed confidence. He watched idly as she danced, scrubbing and rinsing the day’s work off her body.

Bathing in the gentle steam with his head leaned back against the wall, his eyes drooped shut and he melted into the sound of her voice, jumping in octaves without any care. He began to drift off, then snapped forward when he heard his name. After a beat, he realized that she had replaced the name of the boy in the particularly sweet song with his own name. His heart began to melt softly in his chest, reassured that she loved him even when he was not there.

He was disappointed when the song ended, though only for a moment. The next song that played after the second of silence was one of the most popular from the album, he remembered. It had played in shops for months after its released and still sometimes came on the radio, though usually just for a laugh.

However, due to its popularity, he did know the lyrics to this one.

He wasn’t confident in all of the lines, but he was sure he knew at least sixty percent of them. And he definitely had the chorus down solidly. Knowing his love’s shower was wrapping up, he sat up and began strategizing the correct moment for his plan. Tenten jumped in with the artist, and he took a deep breath. Singing was by no means his specialty, but in the moment…

When the chorus broke out, so did he.

Tenten’s voice cut out immediately, startled by the additional presence. She popped her head out from behind the two layered shower curtains to see her boyfriend lounging on the bath mat, which he had pulled closer to the door. He grinned at her, continuing to sing along to the best of his ability, and she continued as well through laughter, ducking back behind the curtain.

He stood up, crossing over to the shower as they scream-serenaded each other to the silly song about wanting to be with someone who couldn’t see you. On an impulse, he reached out for her form through the plastic and vinyl hanging between them, wrapping her up in his arms. She yelped, pooling a little chakra in her feet to prevent slipping, then continued laughing, turning around to face him.

They sang the whole song through, then she pulled the curtain aside again and placed her tanned hands on either side of his pale face to pull him in for a lingering kiss. He felt water from the showerhead splash from her skin on to his and could not find it in himself to mind. He loved the sight of her like this, this life they had built together, full of fun and laughter. He slipped his hand into her hair, weighed down by the water, and pulled her closer.

She responded in kind by giving him a single swift yank towards her, pulling half his body into the shower.

He yelped, shocked by the sudden spray and his loss of balance, though he couldn’t be angry when he saw her wicked grin.

“Gonna do something about it, Aburame?” she teased.

He mirrored her facial expression as he quickly removed the rest of his clothing and climbed properly into the shower.

“Not as long as you turn the water down and the music up!”

#shinoten #shino aburame #tenten #fluff #naruto fluff #shinoten fluff #shino fluff #tenten fluff #narutorarepairjune2021 #nrpj2021

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kaweeella · 3 years

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DAngAnronpA

Chapter 3- I Gave Up On Traditional Danganronpa Chaptering

Warnings for death and depictions of a dead body.

~~~

Izumi sits at the table. She isn’t keeping an exact count of how long it’s been, but she knows it’s been too long.

“So,” Banri says entering the room. “We got anyone missin’ us yet?”

“Save it.”

“Come on, Banny,” Kazunari enters as well, “It’ll be alright.”

“Whatever. It doesn’t matter to me.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means I’ve got no horse in this race. Even if that bitch was telling the truth I’m fine. I don’t got a lot of reasons to get out.”

“I’m sure there’s someone who cares about you, Banri.”

“Doesn’t matter. Life was boring. Every day was on repeat. Shit gets boring.”

“... Banri I don’t think this is the answer to your problem.”

“Yeah, there’s a lot you can do to make things fun!”

“Why are you even telling me this? Do you two want me to kill someone?”

“No, Banri, but you’re clearly depressed so we’re trying to help you.”

“Damn, that’s a first.”

“Banny…”

Before he can continue Banri gets up and leaves.

“You think he’ll be alright?” Izumi asks him.

“Hopefully.”

“Okay.” She’ll talk to him later.

One by one everyone gets up. Omi makes breakfast, Hisoka sleeps at the table, Azuma and Homare drink tea and talk. Tenma huffs.

“What’s wrong, Tenma?”

“Didja lose something in the halls?” Kazunari asks.

“No. How much longer do we have to wait? I’m trapped in this place full of strangers, and those stupid winding hallways. Why wouldn’t I be upset?”

“We can’t think like that. If we do we might make irrational decisions.”

“What, so I shouldn’t be upset?”

“No, you have every right to be upset but-”

“Yeah. Okay.” He gets up and leaves.

After breakfast, Izumi finds Banri in the library. Her little book stack is still there, though one of the books is missing, she presumes Banri’s reading it. She can’t quite see the book in his hands.

“Hey, Banri, wanna talk or-”

“No.”

“It’s just that you were-”

“I don’t want to hang out with you, leave me alone you old hag.” He says that as if it’s a line he’s tired of repeating.

Izumi tries to hide her anger. She fails, but she tries. “Alright. See you then.”

“Whatever.”

Izumi walks down the halls. She finds Kazunari and Yuki, but she doesn’t find Tenma. She’s concerned about him too so she wants to try and cheer him up.

“Well, I guess some things are better off left alone.” She mutters.

“Hey, Izumi.” She turns to see Itaru.

“Hello.” She smiles. “Would you like to hang out?”

“Sure.”

They talk in the room she met Sakyo Banri and Tasuku in. She can get a better look now, it has a round couch and a pinball machine.

“Oh hell yeah.” Itaru says under his breath before going to the machine.

“So you like pinball?”

“Yeah. It’s fun.”

Izumi hums. “I was never really good at it. I just liked pushing the buttons.”

Izumi watches him play, the dinging of the machine and the clicking of the buttons the only sounds filling the room for a while.

“Good job.”

“Thanks.” He rubs the back of his neck.

“So what other games do you play?”

“Not that many. Just some card games and other older games.”

“What else do you enjoy doing?”

He laughs nervously. “Well, I like friendly competition with others and group bonding activities. What do you like?”

“I like cooking.”

“That’s a pretty useful hobby. What do you cook?”

“Curry. You wanna try some?”

“Sure.”

Izumi excitedly grabs his arm and the head to the kitchen. Though they’re stopped in their tracks when they see Tenma on the floor.

“Oh, Tenma. I don’t think that’s…” Itaru puts his hand on her shoulder. He cautiously steps towards Tenma. “You don’t think…”

Itaru leans in to listen for breathing. He sits up and looks back to her, shaking his head. Before she’s aware she’s doing it she’s screaming, tears rolling down her face.

“Wh-what’s wrong?” Muku and Yuki run from where they were in the hall before pausing.

“Oh my god…”

Suddenly the speaker turns on, Izumi can hear Banri cussing them out from another room.

“A body has been discovered. Please meet in the hallway and I will continue the explanation.”

Izumi covers Muku’s and Yuki’s eyes. They hear the library door open and Banri comes down the hall. He pauses when he sees them.

“Oh fuck…”

Slowly everyone arrives, all staring down at the former child star.

“Tenten…”

“Now that you’ve all gathered, let me explain the rules. You will be given time to investigate and look for clues. When time is up, you will be taken to the trial.”

“Trial?” She hears someone whisper.

“Then you will discuss the evidence and find the blackened. If you can’t, then the blackened goes free and everyone will be punished. If you do, only the blackened will be punished.”

“Hey asshole, what do you mean by that?!”

They don’t elaborate. They’re just left to figure things out themselves.

“So we have to… look over his body?” Sakuya says in tears.

“No, the adults will investigate, you kids can go wait in the lounge.”

“Oh yeah that’s a great idea.” Banri says. “Keep people out of the loop.”

“What are you implying?”

“Information is our greatest weapon right now, so we should all be a part of the investigation. Unless there’s something you don’t want everyone knowing.”

“Izumi couldn’t have done it. She was with me.”

“Christ, again?” Yuki asks.

“We were playing pinball.”

“Fine then, you’re right. But this is a lot to subject kids to.”

“Yeah, and I’m sure it’s gonna get a hell of a lot worse.”

“So how do we go about this?” Omi asks.

“We should have at least two people watching the body to keep people from tampering.”

“I can do it.” Juza says.

“Yeah, I will too.” Omi says.

Izumi nods and moves towards the body before they all hear something. A little robot rolls down the hallway and stops by them. It has little tablets.

“These are the files. They have the autopsy on them. You might wanna look at them.”

They each grab a tablet and read through it.

The victim is Tenma Sumeragi. He’s 16 years old and 178 centimeters. Cause of death was blunt force trauma. He was killed in the hallway.

Izumi lowers the tablet and looks at him. Only 16… she looks around him. She finds a large book, looking at it, it’s 1001 nights. She looks around at everyone. She sees Azuma and she can’t quite read the look on his face.

“Azuma,” She walks over to him. “Is there something on your mind?”

“Yeah… I asked Tenma to grab something for me earlier. I think it might be my fault he…”

“Did you kill him?”

“What?”

“Were you the one who bashed him over the head until he wasn’t breathing?”

“No…”

“Then it’s not your fault. No one could have seen it coming.”

“But I-”

“Izoom’s right, Azu. It’s not your fault. All we can do now is figure out who’s fault it really is.”

He nods. “Okay then.”

“So now we know why he was over here.” She walks over to Banri. “Banri what book were you reading?”

“Hmm?”

“In the library. You were reading a book, what was it?”

“I don’t know, I was hardly paying attention. It was some collection of weird stories.”

Izumi nods and looks back at the book on the floor. It’s red and blue with a golden lining around the cover with a pretty design.

“Is that it?”

“Were you in the library from when I first saw you there to when the announcement was made?”

“Yeah.”

She thinks. “Okay. That’s all.” She walks over to the library. In it, she finds her book stack, only missing 1001 nights. She looks around. There are books piled on the floor. Percy Jackson, Pillage, Classic Fantasy Stories, and some others. The cover on Pillage is a blue gradient with a moon in the background and a dragon in the foreground. The cover on the classic fantasy stories is black and blue with gold, and has a moon, city, and what looks like a dragon flying over them. The fantasy book has silver on the pages, sticking them together a little. Opening it up she can guess that he didn’t read that far, as after some point she has to get them unstuck herself.

“What’re you looking at?” Itaru asks in the doorway.

“Banri was reading in here so I wanted to look at what he was reading.”

“Right. We should get other alibis.”

The two of them look around. “Yuki, Muku, what were you two doing?”

“I found this supply room and I was looking at what was in there.” Yuki says.

“I came over about 30 minutes ago and started looking with Rurikawa.”

“Okay. Anything else?”

“I saw you going by and I saw Kazunari looking around. Kazunari left before Muku showed up. Don’t know where he went.”

“Okay, thank you.”

“So you have any ideas?”

“No, we just need to collect more information.” She walks over to Juza and Omi. “What were you two doing?”

“Omi was baking…”

“And what were you doing?”

“...”

“He was helping.” Omi smiles.

“Alright, good to know. Thank you.”

They ask around a little longer. The kid and Hisoka were sleeping, Homare was writing, Kazunari was hanging out in Tsuzuru’s room, Azuma was in the dining room, it was mostly like that. A lot of people were just hanging out in their rooms.

“Hey Azuma,” She walks back over to him. “What did you ask Tenma to get?”

“There’s a storage room and the other day I found some tea there, and I thought it’d help ease his nerves.”

She nods and looks in the storage room. There are some different types of tea. Green, oolong, matcha, black, hibiscus, white, herbal. She also sees fabrics, parchment, weights, other stuff she can’t quite get a look at.

“What tea do you think he liked?”

“I don’t know.” She wishes she could have gotten to know him better.

Walking back, she notices something blocking the door to the women's restroom. A cardboard roll. She can see the crime scene from inside.

“Do you think this is where the culprit was hiding?” Itaru asks.

“Well I didn’t put it there, so probably.”

“Right.”

“Time is up, everyone. Please head to the end of the hall.”

Everyone cautiously walks to the designated area. Muku and Sakuya hold Izumi’s hands. They stand there for a second, not sure what’s supposed to happen, when the wall seems to open. Inside is what appears to be an elevator. They hesitate for a moment.

“Go on, get in.”

After a second, Banri steps on, and everyone follows suit. She waits in the back, the boy joining them.

“Izumi?” He says.

“Yes?”

“My name is Masumi Usui. I trust you.”

The four of them sit in the back, the elevator as it descends.

#a3!#a3! itaru #a3! yuki #a3! kazunari #a3! banri #a3! act! addict! actors!#act addict actors #act addict actors au #a3! fanfic

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yahboobeh · 4 years

Text

Matters of State UPDATE

Renamed In the Palace of Fire

Here’s the first chapter I promised! All tagged parings will eventually happen but this is mainly a NejiTen fic.

“Different roads sometimes lead to the same castle.” - Jon Snow, A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin

Chapter One

December 1510

Candlelight flickered. In the hearth, a fire cracked and popped as flames licked at the logs and spread warmth into the room.

Thick, lush fabrics and carpets decorated the room and dampened the chill, which seeped in from the stone walls and single-pane windows. Each piece was intricate, painstakingly woven, and boasted the wealth of the man who owned them.

The owner sat in an elegantly carved chair close to the fire, a goblet of wine in his hand. He drank deeply from the cup and relaxed further into the chair. Hiashi Hyuga, the Duke of Moon, had endured an eventful day.

Next to him sat his brother - his twin, born just minutes after him, rolling a grape between his fingers.

Between them on a small table was a platter of fresh fruits, cheeses, and a half-drunk pitcher of wine.

The two chatted absentmindedly, chuckling as they discussed the events of the day.

"Lady Hinata had quite a busy day," the younger brother mused, "It was certainly a birthday fit for Your Grace's daughter."

The Duke polished off his goblet and placed it down on the table. His brother refilled it.

"Ah, it was quite an event for a child of nine. I was happy to have her received by the King. When she is older, I would like her to become a lady-in-waiting to her majesty."

"The queen should be lucky to have someone so kind-hearted as Hinata in her service, my lord."

"Yes…" Hiashi trailed off and turned his attention to the fire, nursing his cup of wine before speaking again. "Hizashi, how is your son?"

"He is in good spirits, quite happy to have been in the presence of Your Grace's family for the Lady's birthday today."

Hiashi downed his wine and sat in silence, watching as Hizashi chewed on the grape he had been toying with absentmindedly. Realizing his brother's cup was empty, Hizashi reached for the pitcher to refill it. Hiashi held up his hand, and his brother halted, placing the pitcher back on the table.

"You are lucky, brother," Hiashi finally admitted.

"May I inquire as to how so, my lord?" Hizashi popped another grape into his mouth and chased it down with the last of his wine.

"You have a son."

Hizashi frowned. Yes, he did have a son, someone to pass his titles and lands to, someone to keep the Hyuuga name alive. But it had cost him his wife who had died days later, stricken with childbed fever.

"Hiashi, you and the Duchess are still young, there is plenty of time to have a son."

"Perhaps."

"There is. If the Father is willing, then the Mother will grant you a son."

"Yes," Hiashi tapped his fingers on the table. "I am just overthinking. Neji came so easily to you; I must admit I am envious."

"Surely-"Hizashi halted, mid-sentence, and looked across the apartment.

"You heard it too?"

Both men abruptly rose from their chairs, wood scraping across the stone. They rushed out of the room and towards Hinata's bed-chamber.

The door slammed open, and they met a cloaked figure halfway towards Hinata's bed, knife gripped in hand.

"Halt!" Hiashi's voice was stern and commanding. He drew his sword and held it out to the cloaked figure.

Hizashi drew his sword as well, pointing it at the intruder. The man spun around and backed up, growing closer to Hinata.

The twins advanced on him, but the intruder had anticipated this and used their advance to create enough space between the two men and the door.

The intruder dashed across the room and avoided slashes before slipping out the door. Hiashi ran after him. Hizashi turned and called out to a servant.

A young boy, no older than fourteen, appeared at his side, bowing low.

"Yes, my lord?"

"Keep guard over Lady Hinata, do not let anyone near her, understood, Kō?"

Kō bowed again.

"With my life, my lord."

Hizashi ran out of the room, following in his brother's footsteps. His elegant slippers scraped softly against the stone of the palace halls as he chased after his brother.

He heard the clash of metal and the grunt and groan of a man meeting his mortality. He ran further down the hall and found his brother standing over the dead intruder.

"Who was it?" Hizashi panted, coming to rest at his brother's side.

Hiashi bent over and pulled the hood off of the cloaked man.

The stocky jet black hair and strong jawline were that of an Uchiha.

Hizashi cursed and drew a cross across his chest. Tensions between the Hyuga and Uchiha had always existed. It was no secret that many Uchiha thought the King a pretender. However, much to everyone's relief, the Uchiha family lacked the resources needed to plot against the King successfully.

Without support to overthrow the King, his second-best option was marriage. And while Hiashi pined for a son, the Duke of Ryuchi wanted a daughter. One to marry the prince, and reclaim their place near the crown.

But Hiashi was a stern supporter and more senior advisor to the King than Fugaku Uchiha. The eventuality that Hiashi's daughter could become Queen was a genuine threat to the Uchiha family.

Whether the boy acted on his own or under the order of his uncle, Hizashi did not know.

He did know that his brother had killed the boy, and the Duke would demand justice.

And with no evidence besides their word, Hizashi realized the King would be inclined to side with the Uchiha family.

If the boy had died in their chambers, there would be no question, but in the dimly lit hall with no witnesses, the cards were not stacked in their favor.

"Your Grace," Hizashi whispered. When Hiashi did not respond, Hizashi repeated himself louder. The sounds of guards approaching reminded them of the urgency of their situation.

"Your Grace!" Said Hizashi, "Take my sword."

Hizashi pressed the sword into his brother's hand. The Duke's face was pale, and his fingers trembled as they wrapped around the pommel. Hizashi then pulled his brother's sword out of the boy's stomach. The thick blood clung eerily to the steel and glowed ominously in the candlelight.

The guards approached.

"Halt! In the name of the King!"

The twins looked up and found themselves quickly surrounded.

"Your Grace," said the captain, "what has happened here?"

Hiashi flicked his glance over to Hizashi. Whether it was to give his brother permission to speak or seek guidance, Hizashi wasn't sure, but he spoke up anyway.

"I killed the boy."

Hizashi was grabbed roughly by two guards, and he dropped the sword. It clattered loudly off of the stone floor.

"Sir," the captain's voice quivered, "that is a serious confession. What reason do you have to commit such a crime?"

"I heard an intruder in his grace's apartment. I should have just detained the boy, but I chased him out here and stabbed him. He was by the Lady Hinata's bed with a dagger drawn."

"And what proof do you have?"

Hizashi looked to his brother as if to say goodbye before glancing back at his interrogator.

"I have none but my word."

Hizashi was yanked backward by the guards as he said a silent goodbye to his brother for the last time.

January 1511

Kakashi clenched his fists. The cathedral was packed, but he suspected only a handful of mourners were genuinely affected by Obito's loss.

Murdered in cold blood, they said, but his killer was captured and locked away in the dungeon. The trial had been intense, two dukes demanding their version of justice. In the end, the judges had sided with Uchiha, and the next time Hizashi Hyuga would see the light of day would be on his march to the scaffold.

But Kakashi knew the truth, Obito would never have acted on his own. The Duke of Ryuchi had sent his kin on a suicide mission. Kakashi hated him.

Beside Kakashi sat Rin, his intended. She rested her hand gently on his forearm. The warmth of her skin on his softened his anger, and he relaxed his clenched fists.

Obito had been so excited to be invited to court and attend on his uncle. Kakashi had been skeptical and had no desire to see his friend leave.

But his engagement to Rin had left Obito sore and jealous. Kakashi couldn't blame him for wanting to go.

But none of them expected Obito would only return home to attend his funeral.

Kakashi laced his fingers into Rin's, and together they listened to the priest presiding over the funeral mass.

---

February 1511

"Sweetheart," the man's voice was slick with concern. "You should return to your mother. I do not know what possessed me to bring you here, but I have decided you should not stay."

His voice was barely audible over the crowds that had gathered on the prison grounds. A scaffold stood before them with a telltale block front and center.

The girl tightened her cloak around her and kept her eyes on the scaffold.

"But father," she said, "you promised to teach me the realities of our world."

"This, though..." He placed his hand on her shoulder and squeezed tightly, and she winced. "This is too much."

"I don't want to be sheltered."

"You are not ready for this sweet Tenten."

Tenten frowned. She didn't understand the appeal of public executions, especially on such a frigid day, but she wanted to learn. Her parents had gone through great lengths to make sure she was educated just as well as any boy, and their efforts had given rise to her curious nature. She no longer felt content with books; she wanted to learn first hand.

While she understood the concept of execution, Tenten had yet to grasp the grim finality of death.

She pushed up onto her toes and peered through the crowds of people wondering if the Duke of Moon would be present to witness his brother's execution.

She found the rigid body of the Duke about fifteen feet away. Standing at his side was a boy who appeared to be her age. She couldn't see his face but felt an aura of sadness radiate off of him. Her stomach dropped with the realization that Hizashi's son was standing tall, waiting for his father to die.

The crowd erupted, and Tenten suspected that the prisoner had arrived. She craned her neck to see over the adults' shoulders and found the haggard features of Hizashi Hyuuga as the guards pushed him forward. He stumbled up the steps of the scaffolding. He stood behind the block and addressed the crowd when he regained his composure (though one could argue that he'd barely lost it at all).

"Good people of the Fire Kingdom!" His voice rose above the crowds, ringing brightly and subduing those who had gathered to watch. "I have come here today to die, as I have been rightfully judged to by His Majesty and the law. May the Father protect the King, as he is a kind and just ruler. I beseech you to offer your prayers unto me, as I am afraid in my hour of death. O Reconciler have mercy on me, for it is to you I commend my soul."

Hizashi blessed himself, and the crowd prayed with him, a handful offering their blessing to the man.

Hizashi then knelt behind the block.

"Tenten, we should leave."

"Father, please. I am fine."

Hizashi looked up at the executioner.

"Do you forgive me?" Asked the executioner.

"Yes."

Gently, Hizashi laid his head down upon the block.

The last thing Tenten saw was how Hizashi closed his eyes, face pale, and stretched out his arms, which shook with anxiety.

Tenten felt her arm yanked back as her father pulled her through the crowd. She could no longer see the scaffold or the boy. She heard the sickening sound of metal slicing through flesh and the heavy thunk as the ax sunk into the wood. The softer thunk his body falling away was swallowed up in the gasps and cheers and wails of the crowd.

Tenten tripped over her skirts as her father pulled her through the throngs of people. He gripped the fabric and pulled it up in her tiny fist, revealing mud-stained shoes. Her tights were stained as well. The maids would scold her, but she didn't care.

—

July 1512

Kakashi felt sick. His head throbbed, his chest ached, and his eyes watered.

"You should request that a priest attends to her."

Kakashi could not meet the eye of the physician without risking coming completely undone. He kept his fists clenched tightly to ground himself.

"Why can you not cure her?"

"I have done what I can. The Lady's fate is in the hands of the Father."

Kakashi slammed his fist on the table next to him.

"Fuck the Father!"

The doctor's mouth hung open as he quickly blessed himself.

"Cure her!"

"I am sorry, we still don't understand this sickness well enough. I have done what I can."

"Then, get out!"

"Yes, my lord."

The man bowed quickly and scurried out of the room, out of the house and into the street to make his way to his next patient.

Kakashi dropped back into the chair he'd been waiting in while the doctor attended to Rin.

The physician immediately instructed everyone in the household to stay as far away from Rin as possible, as the disease was extremely deadly and contagious. Kakashi had done his best to keep his distance while the doctor was there. But, if she was going to die, what did it matter if he did too?

The room was quiet around him, and a whimper came from behind the door to their bed-chamber.

He slammed his fists into the table again and screamed at the top of his lungs.

"Would someone find me a fucking priest?!"

A maid, who had come to check on him trembled in shock. She squeaked out a response, turned, and ran to appease his request.

Kakashi pushed himself up and made his way to the bed-chamber.

Rin was sickeningly pale. Splotches of blood bloomed across the sheets, a testament to the clumsy bleeding the doctor had administered.

She had been radiant and full of life only two days ago, a smile full on her lips and a twinkle in her eye.

Now a thin sheen of sweat covered her entire body. The sound of her struggling to breathe made him anxious. When she did look up at him, her eyes were dull and lifeless.

He sat on the edge of the bed and held her hand in his own, stroking it comfortingly. She seemed to relax under his touch and closed her eyes.

He didn't look when the priest entered the room to administer her last rights.

The familiar prayer to the Reconciler sat oddly in his ears, and he felt dizzy as he struggled to comprehend his reality.

Kakashi blessed himself and curled over his wife's hand, still grasped tightly in his own. The only sound he allowed to escape was the heavy sniffle as he relinquished himself into his tears and vowed that no woman would ever replace her.

—-

February 1516

"There was only one survivor."

"His own family!"

"The Duke's son!"

Naruto strained his ears to listen to the whisperings in the hall.

"Your Highness," Irkua scolded.

"Yes, yes, I know. Pay attention."

Naruto looked back down at his studies; a map of the world lay before him. The two sat at a spacious table in one of the royal libraries. Books and a blank sheet surrounded them. Iruka had hidden all of the other maps from Naruto's prying eyes, knowing he would try and cheat.

Sunlight filtered through the thick glass of the windows, and Iruka was grateful that they didn't need to burn any candles.

Today's lesson was geography, and Naruto was to label the great Kingdoms and their Kings' names on the map.

He knew his own King and his own country, why he needed to know more he didn't know or care.

He tapped his quill against the paper and listened to the light way the tip scratched the parchment. He wrote the word "fire" and the name "Hiruzen Sarutobi" inside the outline of their country and abandoned the rest when he heard the whispering of court gossip. He'd heard the rumors, but he wasn't sure if any of them were right.

"Sir," he asked his professor, "What happened to the Duke of Ryuchi and his family?"

Iruka sighed. It was clear that Naruto would not finish his lesson today.

"If Your Grace had focused more on his history lessons, you might remember when I told you how our first king, King Hashirama, came to power. After many years of war and unrest, the King helped bring peace to our young country with the aid of his friend and closest advisor, His Grace Mandra, Duke of Ryuchi, and Lord High Steward to His Majesty."

Naruto's eyes began to glaze over, and Iruka snapped his fingers at the child, regaining his attention. It was a risky move; however, the little prince loved Iruka, and he was not concerned about the boy tattling on him.

"However, the Duke became resentful, and their friendship dissolved. There was a plot to overtake the throne. The Duke and his supporters were all arrested and convicted of high treason before being executed. There have been whisperings that some of his descendants still hold on to that same resentment. Last night, the Duke's son, Itachi, is said to have slain his entire family except for his younger brother, Sasuke."

Naruto gasped.

"Where is Itachi now?"

"Missing," said Iruka.

"Why did he do it?"

"No one knows."

"Does this mean that Sasuke will become the new Duke of Ryuchi?"

"Yes, your highness. And we shall address Sasuke as such."

"And how do you address a duke again?" Naruto scratched his head as if trying to recall a memory.

"You are to address him as your grace, highness."

"But aren't I sometimes called your grace?"

"Yes, but a Duke is also referred to the same way."

"But, I am a prince!"

"Which is why we also call you Your Highness."

"Is anyone allowed to call Sasuke your highness?"

"No, your grace, they are not."

"Good."

"Highness, we need to refocus on your studies."

"But you were technically teaching me history, Sir."

"Technically is quite the vocabulary for you, dear prince. Perhaps you have been listening."

"Do you think Sasuke would want to join my household?" Naruto mused. "As a gentleman of my bedchamber?"

"I am not sure, highness, but I do not see why he should oppose your most generous offer."

"Good. Now that Sasuke is alone, he will need companionship."

"Another big word, your grace."

Naruto grinned and laughed.

"Invite Sasuke to visit, and I shall offer him a position."

Iruka chuckled.

"As you wish."

—

March 16, 1516

Tenten grunted as she was yanked and jostled around the dressing room by her maid. The woman was dressing her, albeit rather roughly. Tenten's maid yanked her stockings up and helped her step into her shoes before securing her petticoats in place. A sapphire blue skirt was pulled over her head and synched at the waist.

Tenten instinctively fisted her arms in front of her for the maid to put on her kirtle. It was the same blue as her skirts. The piece was laced up the back and pulled tight, causing Tenten to gasp. The low cut square neckline allowed her cleavage to show, and the tightening of the laces pulled the piece closer to her, flattening her silhouette and pushing her breasts up. With each breath, they rose prominently, swelling over the collar.

Sleeves were tied on. They pressed tight against Tenten's biceps and fanned out at the elbow, dripping low to the floor.

Satisfied with the way the dress sat against Tenten's body, the maid began to brush her hair.

Tenten looked at her reflection in the mirror and marveled at the outfit she now wore. It was a birthday present from her parents, and she needed to look her best, as she was to be presented to the Queen today.

"May I wear my hair as I usually do?" She asked.

"No, my lady, her grace has requested you wear your hair more elegantly today."

Tenten frowned. "But I like my buns."

"It is not appropriate for a maiden, let alone one meeting the Queen, my lady."

Tenten sighed. At home, she could wear whatever she wanted. The only exception was when they entertained guests, and even then, Tenten was allowed more freedom.

She chose not to protest and allowed the woman to smooth her loose curls and weave a few small braids into her hair. A rounded hood of matching blue and trimmed with gold lace was pinned to her head, as was the fashion.

Next, she reached for a heavily jeweled necklace and fastened it around Tenten's neck. Matching earrings dangled from her earlobes. Lastly, a red rouge was spread across her lips and onto her cheeks.

On the morning of her sixteenth birthday, Tenten's mother had sat her down and explained that now she was old enough to start attracting men at court. Tenten knew this, but hearing the words from her mother's mouth made her anxious.

The door opened, and a man entered the room. Tenten turned and curtsied along with her maids. The man approached, and Tenten rose from her curtsy and smiled up at him.

"Father!" She spun around, showing off her dress. "How do I look?"

Her father smiled down at her, laughing lightly.

"All the ladies at court are sure to envy you."

Tenten bit back a self-deprecating comment and smiled.

"Thank you."

Her father held out his arm, and Tenten slipped her hand into the crook of her father's elbow.

"Now," he said, "your mother tells me you two need a moment alone before we head out."

Tenten wasn't sure what her mother wanted, but the vagueness her father used suggested it was something he would not approve of, which was not unusual. Her mother was bold, unabashed, and unashamed of her ideals and practices, protected only by her husband's love for her. Tenten's father was Marquess of Storms and Lord High Constable to the King. Those who wielded any power to force the Marchioness to remember her supposed standing in this life were few.

She was guided out of her room and to the main chamber of their palace apartment. Tenten's mother sat at the table, waiting.

"You look as beautiful as ever," she said as Tenten detached herself from her father's arm and sat down.

"Thank you, mother."

"I need to gather my notes for the council meeting," interrupted her father. Tenten felt his disapproving gaze on her mother, who met his gaze without so much as a flinch. "Keep it quick."

"Of course, my lord," she said with a smile and just a hint of sarcasm. The Marchioness tended to slip into a more formal speech when she disagreed with her husband.

He mumbled something about watching her tongue, laced with frustration and concern before retreating to their bedroom.

With her husband gone, the Marchioness of Storms softened her gaze, which Tenten met with an excited smile.

"What is today's lesson?"

"There is no lesson today, Tenten, just a decision."

Tenten furrowed her brows.

"A decision?"

"Yes."

"On what?"

"Your future."

Tenten looked down at the small box of carved wood that sat on the table between them.

"I'm not sure I-"

"Open it."

Her mother pushed it towards her, and Tenten lifted the lid. Glints of silver and pewter flashed before her. It was a pile of charms and trinkets. Tenten knew it well.

"Will we cast the charms today?" She asked.

"In a way," her mother's calm demeanor was tinged with excitement. "You will pick just one, though. This charm will be the most important one you ever cast, as today it will set the course of your future."

Tenten thought about what kind of future she wanted but try as she might, she couldn't envision what life on her own would look like as she peered into the box of charms. There were nearly 30 possibilities with endless possibilities.

"What do I need to know?"

"When you're ready, close the box and give it a good shake. Then, close your eyes, whisper a prayer to the Dreamer, and pick a charm."

Tenten nodded and followed her mother's instructions. The ring of metal on wood pinched her ears and rattled away at her confidence. The future always felt so final.

She set the box down and closed her eyes as she flipped up the lid and pressed her fingers into the mess of charms. Some were rough, some smooth, all cool to the touch. Something sleek and rounded fell between her fingers, and she pulled it out. She heard a snap and opened her eyes. Tenten's mother had closed the lid and withdrew the box. There was no turning back, no second picks, and no looking to see what she had missed.

The charm rolled into her palm, where the weight was light but sturdy, and she looked down as her fingers stretched out.

"A heart?" She was disappointed and knew that if her mother hadn't snatched away the box, she would have dug back in looking for a sign of adventure - like the little sword charm, that one was her favorite.

"A heart." She agreed.

"But," Tenten frowned, "love is so… cliche…"

"It was your choice, Tenten."

"But, I wanted something exciting!" She put the charm down on the table. "An adventure, a new way of life, not the same thing every other woman pines for!"

"Love is an adventure, Tenten."

"Another cliche."

"Only because you've not yet experienced it yourself." She felt her mother's gaze on her and looked up to meet it. "Tenten, most love is not a story from a fairy tale where a daring prince swoops in to rescue a maiden from a tower; it's so much more complicated than that. I had hoped that you would know that from seeing your father and me."

"But to have this on the day, I'm to be presented to the Queen? I know that father arranged this to secure a good marriage and-"

"Marriage and love are not the same, Tenten, not in our positions anyway. You should be happy to know that you will experience love in place of politics."

"As if you'd let father agree to a marriage of political convenience anyway."

"My influence only goes so far. I have a hand in decisions with your father, yes, but if the decision is up to the King…"

"I know."

Tenten felt the warmth of her mother's hand on her own in a gesture of comfort and strength before taking the small silver heart and inspected it.

The charm was old and tarnished. Tenten's mother polished it with a napkin that had been left on the table and strung it on a long silver chain.

"Wear it on you like a protection charm. Always." She handed it back, and Tenten draped it over her head and tucked it into her dress. It was cold against her sternum, and when they rose from their chairs to leave, Tenten could feel it tap against her with an even and steady rhythm.

Some subjects seldom crossed Tenten's mind, and love was at the bottom of that list. Tenten swallowed her displeasure and let her father lead them from their apartment and through the twists and turns of the palace. Down these stairs, and then up those. Go down the hall, take a left, and then a right. Double back again. Her head spun. How was she supposed to navigate this maze on her own?

Eventually, they arrived at a set of ornate double doors that stretched to the ceiling. They towered over the guards, and as they swung open, even the hinges seemed to hiss an impending finality at her.

——

Hiashi hated waiting. It was the worst part of the council meetings. As President of the Council, and practical man, Hiashi expected the meetings to start on time, maybe even a little early. But councils were often made-up of self-inflated lords used to being in charge. And while this council was better, but not perfect, and Hiashi resisted the urge to drum his fingers on the table as the last members drifted into the King's privy chamber.

King Hiruzen was punctual, at least, a trait that came with age. Nara and Inuzuka were the worst. But Danzo Shimura was a runner up. As Lord Steward, the only man who outranked him was the King himself. Danzo was not late so often as to be considered generally tardy. When he was late, there was a reason inflated with his sense of superiority. The King never questioned his steward.

But today, the last person to take their seat was the Lord High Constable, Hiroto Moriyama. Hiashi liked Moriyama. He was practical, quiet, and punctual.

"My apologies, Lords," he sighed as he sat in his chair, "I was presenting the Marchioness and my daughter to Her Majesty."

"No apology needed," said Hiruzen, "My dear wife enjoys conversation. It is quite easy to lose an afternoon in her presence."

"Thank you, majesty."

Hiashi cleared his throat.

"Now, my lords, with your majesty's permission, I would like to begin."

"Granted."

"Thank you, sir. Now, what news have we to report?"

"The faith recently appointed a new high priest," said Shikaku. "As we lack one here, I have begun preparations to bring him to court."

"Good." Hiashi then addressed each Lord, starting with Danzo and ending with Shibi Aburame, the Lord High Admiral.

The news of the kingdom changed little these days. While there were some happenings, nothing compared to the aftermath still surrounding the death of Fugaku Uchiha and his wife.

Uchiha's seat sat empty on the other side of the table. Moiyama and Yamanaka had sat on either side of the Lord Privy Seal and had offered a calm balance to the often argumentative man. How he had managed to have a title of such honor disgusted Hiashi.

"What news do we have of his son?"

Hiroto cleared his throat.

"Nothing much yet, sir. We have a few leads, but the boy seems to have vanished."

"Keep looking then,"

"Of course."

Hiashi had only as much interest in bringing Fugaku's son to justice, as was required by his title.

"Now, I presume we will be granting his son the title of Duke?"

"It is his title to inherit," said Shikaku, the Lord High Chancellor.

"Of course," Hiashi paused. It was the right time for his proposition. And while he had carefully planned out what he'd wanted to say and how he'd go about saying it, he found himself running through his speech one last time. "Would his majesty prefer a ceremony or a private appointment?"

The King pondered for a moment, stroking his beard.

"The Uchiha family has been shaken to its very core. Sasuke is young, and others may try to stake a claim on his title. To avoid strife, as those Uchihas always seem to attract, he should have a proper ceremony. If not for his reassurance, then to show the realm that the crown has his back."

The council murmured their approval, and Hiashi made his move.

"I would be honored if his majesty would consider my nephew worthy of a title."

Hiashi heard Danzo scoff.

"You seek to use your position to so blatantly elevate your family? At least Uchiha had tact."

"Uchiha," Hiashi grit his teeth, "ordered the kidnapping of my daughter. And my brother died for it."

"That is quite the accusation. What proof do you have?" Danzo sneered at him.

Hiroto spoke up.

"It was the Duke's nephew who attempted. And with the Duke gone, I think we can speak plainly. Each family had a loss and-"

"Now is not the time to pretend at justice, Moriyama," Hiashi hissed. "You know as well as I did that my brother died to prevent more violence. While he was to inherit my title, I now have my children, and Neji should not have to suffer-"

"You would let a daughter take your name?" Quipped Danzo.

"I have yet to decide, my Lord. And there is still the chance that the duchess will bear me a son. Neji is getting too old to be my ward. He deserves more than this."

"And when your wife leaves you with two daughters, he can snatch up a second title?"

"Enough, Shimura," said the King. "I would hear more from the duke."

"Your grace is too kind," said Hiashi. "There is a small plot of land, east of the Storms. The Earl died with no heir two years ago, and his assets were returned to the crown, as your Lord Treasurer can confirm."

"I will need to look back through your majesty's accounts, but that sounds correct," said Inoichi.

"If your majesty's accounts reflect this," said Hiashi, "he will need to appoint a new Earl of Birds."

#naruto #nejiten #naruhina #sasusaku #saiino #shikatema #my fic #my writing #fanfic #naruto fanfiction #booh writes

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depressedkakashihatake · 5 years

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28. Stargazing on a cool night + nejiten

On those rare nights that they weren’t off on a mission, or protecting the village, Neji could guarantee that he would find Tenten sitting on one of the many roofs in Konoha, gazing up at the stars.

Tonight was no different, apparently. “You didn’t have to check up on me, Neji…” she hadn’t bothered to drag her eyes away from the stars up above as she spoke.

“Am I not allowed to spend time with my friend?” He could see her rolling her eyes, but Ignored it in favor of taking a seat next to her. “You’re missing them.”

“It’s hard to miss people you never even met.” Finally, her eyes moved down to meet his. The sadness was evident, but it was also something she obviously didn’t want to talk about at the moment, so he wouldn’t force the issue. “I thought you were going to spend your night training?”

“I was,” he gave his shoulder’s a shrug. He had been planning on a long night of training for himself, honing his skills a little more, becoming stronger. Those plans went out the window almost instantly when he noticed how upset Tenten was after their mission.

It had been a relatively easy missing. Find a young boy who had gone and gotten himself lost playing in the forest outside of Konoha. It hadn’t taken long at all for them to find him huddles away in some bushes, scared and crying, and re-unit him with his worried parents.

The scene that followed had been what had done a number on Tenten. Well, it had done a number on the whole team actually, seeing the worried parents gather up their son in a strong hug, but Lee had shown his hurt a lot less and Neji had gotten used to that emptiness a long time ago. Tenten had been visibly upset however, and Neji could understand why.

He was sure his team and him all felt the same emptiness, knowing they could no longer hug their own parents as the little boy had, though it must have been worse for Lee and Tenten.

They had never had parents to hug as far as they told him, always living in the village orphanage until they had graduated from the academy and been given their own accommodations.

Moving in a bit closer, he reached out and carefully placed a hand on her knee “you don’t have to pretend to be alright.” He said softly, reiterating the words Gai-Sensei had told him whenever he had been upset or sad. “Sometimes, thing’s aren’t alright.”

Giving her head a shake, Tenten leaned in close and allowed her head to rest against Neji’s shoulder “sometimes I wonder what it would be like, to come home and have someone waiting for me.”

“It’s an amazing feeling.” He admitted “for even just a short moment, you’re surrounded by love. A love that nothing can break.”

It hurt to talk about. Neji hadn’t felt his father’s love in years. The warm arm’s surrounding him with a cheerful smile on the older man’s face.

“I wonder if we’ll ever have that feeling.” Her voice was weak, full of a sadness that she refused to show.

“We will.” A soft promise he made as he pulled her closer and turned his eyes up towards the stars.

#Nejiten #neji hyuga #Tenten

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365daysofsasuhina · 5 years

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[ 365 Days of SasuHina || Day Eighty-Nine: A Sudden Chill ] [ Uchiha Sasuke, Hyūga Hinata ] [ SasuHina, pregnancy ] [ Verse: A Light Amongst Shadows ] [ AO3 Link ]

...it’s been getting worse.

Like everything that snowballs, it started small. People sneering, glowering, muttering just within earshot. Sasuke had hoped that it would end there. He’d been accustomed to being whispered about. Ever since his clan was wiped out, he’d been a subject of gossip.

Of course...this was different.

Dangerous.

And part of him knew when it began...it wouldn’t stop there.

The growth in bravery was slight. People knocking shoulders with him where he walked. Throwing things...though he was never hit. It took far more than that to even begin to scratch one like Uchiha Sasuke. Sometimes people would dare to yell insults. He wouldn’t even glance their way.

None of them were worth his time.

It wasn’t until it started affecting others that Sasuke began to feel real dread.

The first, oddly enough, was Hinata. The pair of them had become friends relatively quickly. Partly due to their clan alliance, but also due to Sasuke’s avoiding his teammates...which led to them dating. And left both him and the Hyūga as third and fourth wheels. She was one of the few who accepted his changes without bias or hard feelings. She, more than most...could understand what he was going through.

But he hadn’t expected a budding friendship to be enough to warrant her becoming a target. Suddenly she was getting dirty looks and coarse words thrown at her...and even tangible things.

That...made him angry.

And it also made him second guess branching out. He didn’t want his reputation - his clan’s reputation - soiling anyone else. It was bad enough Itachi’s family too received criticism.

Sins of the father.

But Hinata was quietly stubborn. She insisted they work together on the new police force...and they ended up partners. And eventually, they ended up dating.

After a long while, and a lengthy talk discussing the risks - irreparable risks - they agreed to get married.

And as they both knew it would, it continued: the harassment, the judgment, the hatred from those the most against the remaining Uchiha and their reputations.

With both wives now pregnant, Sasuke can’t help but feel even more paranoid than usual. Evidence has been mounting of an organized effort against them. And something in his gut tells him that they won’t stop to consider repercussions of attacking pregnant women.

Sadly...he’s right.

The first true strike against them comes against their supposed weakest point: Itachi’s wife and children. In broad daylight. In a crowded village thoroughfare. Thankfully she’s not nearly as weak as they assumed, and manages to stop the lone would-be assassin. A Hyūga officer detains them...but not before Sasuke himself gets to land a satisfying blow of his elbow to their temple.

He’s rarely been so furious.

Hinata, thankfully, is safe within the Hyūga compound at the time, still an active participant in her clan’s politics even with Hanabi as the upcoming clan head. But news travels quickly, and she wastes no time reuniting with her husband.

“What happened?”

“Someone attacked Itachi’s family. They’re safe - she stopped them. We’re waiting for T&I to come assist with the interrogation. Ino will be here soon.”

Looking only partly relieved, Hinata gives a soft sound of distress before collapsing into her husband’s arms. He accepts her gladly, one arm vice-like around her back as his rebuilt hand cradles the rear of her head.

But, to everyone’s shock...the interrogation goes horribly awry.

As Ino prepares to enter the assailant’s mind...they begin to convulse. Another medic is brought in, but it’s too late.

A cyanide capsule built into a false tooth.

Even Sasuke can hardly believe it. To think someone could be that desperate to remain silent.

Whatever they’re dealing with...it’s far more grave than he ever wanted to believe.

With the mind gone, all they have left to glean from is the body, and it tells them almost nothing. Whoever this was...they took all they could with them.

The brothers convene after, Shisui joining them and looking oddly grave. They stretch their intellects to the brink...but they just don’t have enough evidence to begin pointing fingers. Whoever is behind this attack - and likely others, like the threats carved into Itachi’s door weeks prior - is nothing to mess with.

The family enters a crisis mode. No one travels alone. No one leaves the compound unless absolutely necessary. Itachi gathers his most trusted ANBU officers to patrol their land and look for possible intruders. Itachi’s wife is escorted as she walks her children the Academy.

None of them can relax.

The tension nearly drives Sasuke mad. He isn’t a man of patience and lying in wait like his brother or his cousin. If something is wrong, he wants to confront it now. Get it over with! He doesn’t care how dangerous it is. Just let him tear the people threatening his family in half, and be done with it!

Having to just sit and wait is akin to torture.

Coming home after a shift (which, for the time being, is the manor as they all converge together to feel safe), Sasuke finds it unoccupied. Shisui, he knows, is out of the village with Kakashi. Itachi is working around the clock to hunt down their assailants.

...where are the women?

Panic.

At the very least, he can hope they’re together. But that doesn’t stop Sasuke from sprinting out of the house and onto rooftops in search of them. The twins - are the children with them? If Itachi’s ANBU aren’t watching them, he’s gonna -

There they are.

They’re stopped along the roadside, just the pair of them. But neither look panicked - the twins must be with someone else. The Hyūga, most likely. But that doesn’t explain what they’re doing.

They almost appear to be lightly bickering - the elder looks scolding, and Hinata stubborn as she keeps walking.

He’s almost upon them when Sasuke gets a sudden chill, like a cold finger run up his spine. While he’s not a sensor like Itachi’s wife, he almost seems to notice it the same moment she does. Like slow-motion, she turns to face the alleyway they’re passing. One arm reaches to shove Hinata behind her, the other lifting and summoning chakra.

It’s too slow…!

He’s too slow!

The barrier is only half-erected when the explosive tag goes off. Most of the blast is redirected back down the alley, some of it reaching up over the top of the chakra wall. Smoke and debris quickly fills the air alongside screams.

Sasuke’s blood runs cold. A simple fūton blows aside the curling black and grey plumes. Both buildings have suffered damage, a few people within them hurt...but none appear dead. Those on the street were mostly protected, Hinata fallen back on her rear from the concussion. Nearby, unconscious, is her sister-in-law.

Quickly assessing that Hinata’s gravest injuries are skinned palms, Sasuke can’t help a wary glance to her companion.

Itachi’s going to lose it.

Already ANBU begin looking her over before hauling her toward the hospital.

“...she…”

Looking back to his wife, Sasuke takes her hands, seeing her flinch at her wounds. “...are you all right?”

“...fine.” Her tone is light and airy, clearly shocked. “...she sensed the chakra of the tag when it triggered. Pushed...p-pushed me back. I, I couldn’t -”

“She’s going to be fine. Looks like she just got thrown back.”

“But she’s -?”

“They’ll take care of it. For now, I need to get you home.”

“Someone should be with her!”

“I’m sure Itachi’s already on his way. For right now, top priority is getting you someplace safe. Where are the twins?”

“With...with Neji and Tenten…”

“What were you doing out here, Hinata?”

There’s a long pause as she looks to her hands. “...I just...w-wanted to go shopping. Just for a bit. I’m so t-tired of being cooped up. I thought it would be fine. She told me, and I...I didn’t…”

“...it doesn’t matter now. What’s done is done. Come on...let’s get you home. I’ll clean and wrap your hands.” He’s no medinin, but he can do that much. “And promise me: don’t go anywhere unless it’s with me. She saved you this time, but -”

Guilt pulls at Hinata’s features. “...this is my fault…!”

“No. The only ones at fault here are the bastards doing this to us. And it’s not just us: they put civilians in harm’s way. Not you, not me...them.” Sasuke scowls, simply scooping her up as more ANBU and UHPF officers flood the scene. “...Kakashi won’t be able to avoid helping us now. Not when it’s affecting his villagers.”

“...we’re villagers, too…”

“...I know.”

...for now...

Late, tired, blegh. More progression in the ALAS verse of how the Uchiha (including those born and married in) are being affected by the overall clan reputation. And it only gets worse from here :D This isn't necessarily a canon event (the last bit, at least - the rest IS). Just more of a random possible happening at some point. Idk, I'm tired and had a very long day, so...this isn't the best. I had to wing a lot of it. But hey, a day done is a day done, right? Hope you enjoyed, and thanks for reading~

#sasuhina #uchiha sasuke #hyūga hinata #pregnancy //#a light amongst shadows [ canon verse ]#365daysofsasuhina

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heytherebluesky · 6 years

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Shikaneji Fisrt Fic.

The situation was delicate. Shikamaru was commanding a team whose objective was to investigate a suspected case of possible political corruption in the nearby town of Shikouza. It was one of the closest towns to Konoha, only a few kilometers separated them. And although it was much smaller and quiet, it was believed that some of its leaders were having secret dialogues with enemy cities. At least that was Tsunade's justification when she ordered Shikamaru to gather a team and go out to look for evidence. The Nara summoned his most trusted shinobis, that is, those who had been his academy companions, and whom he knew will most probably carry out his orders. Being a very young captain, many older shinobis did not feel comfortable taking orders from him.

His team was made up of his best friends Choji and Ino, and he had included Sakura, Kiba, Shino, Hinata, Naruto, Tenten and Neji. They were many for a mission of espionage, but Shikamaru needed all of them, according to the plan he had carefully plotted in his head. The suspects were many too, and they should seize time investigating them simultaneously. But knowing that the primary objective of the mission was not to be discovered, he had filled his backpack with protective and camouflage seals, which he himself had prepared, after learning about them in the Konoha’s library.

With Shikamaru’s instructions, the team had managed to collect a lot of useful information. Separated into small groups and guided by their captain through the wireless microphones, they separated into small groups and managed to identify several of the suspects. After the observation confirmed several times the place and time of meeting of the enemies that night, Shikamaru gave the order to return to the clearing where they were camping to prepare the next plan. He would have preferred them to settle inside the town, where they could have continued to make inquiries talking to the villagers, but being so many, they would have attracted too much attention.

Shikamaru distributed personal seals that were placed on the chest among the members of his team. When activated, the chakra marks of those who carried them diminished. He knew that there were probabilities that they had sensory ninjas distributed around the meeting place, so they needed to kept that covered.

Once prepared and knowing the roles of each one, they left.

The meeting place was an old training center that was currently used as a bureaucratic building. There it was assumed that monetary management was carried out, and land was assigned to the citizens to work for them. As a loan, of course, because the land always belonged to the feudal lord. Shikamaru did not like politics at all, because he found it unfair and stupid. That is why he had rejected so many times the proposal of big landowners to join his team of consultants. But those were the laws of the world in which he lived, and he had to endure them.

Shikamaru had got a map of the old place sniffing around in the village library. It would have been suspicious to start making a copy by hand in front of other users, but he did not need it. Shikamaru’s memory reached an incredible level of detail, so much that sometimes it was overwhelming. He needed only to look once at any graphic or text to remember it exactly. In fact, he considered that maybe 85% of his intelligence came from his eidetic memory. Most people did not know this quality though, and he preferred that they didn’t. People tended to uplift some mechanisms of his mind too much, and that did not please him at all.

They entered the compound through a crack in the ground dug by Kiba. Akamaru must have stayed to wait in the forest, since its penetrating smell could have given them away. Once inside, they found themselves, as Shikamaru predicted, in an old gutter through which waterways passed previously. Now the rivers had been diverted, and the distribution of water was through another circuit. But this had left a very useful earth tunnel that surrounded much of the halls of the old construction.

The team began to walk, trusting the eyes of the two Bakugan users to know where there were people. When they found someone, they stopped and put small amplifying microphones on the walls that they transmitted to their hearing aids. The sound was poor and with a lot of interference, but they could hear most of the dialogues.

Shikamaru was concentrating on analyzing each of the words that came to his mind from the conversation of two sullen-looking adult men, when a muffled explanation of surprise came from behind him. He turned to see who had made the sound. It was Hinata, who was staring at a point behind the wall with wide eyes and an expression of surprise.

He approached her and questioned her by moving his lips as if he were talking, but not doing so. "What?", he modulated.

Hinata used the lowest voice her body allowed her to emit.

-A member of my clan has just arrived.

That he didn’t expected. At first Shikamaru thought she was confused, but a quick glance at Neji confirmed the sentence. The Hyūga had a frown and was observing the same place as his cousin.

-Who?- Shikamaru asked again without sound.

-His name is Hisao, is a very important main house member -Hinata whispered .

This was weird. Very weird. Not only was he a Konoha person, he was someone from one of the oldest and most prestigious clans in the city. That a Hyūga was involved in a case of corruption could be complicated, because even having evidence against him, they had so much power in the village that it would be very difficult to thoroughly investigate one of their members. Shikamaru decided not to draw conclusions in advance. But that was not the only reason why the Hyūga’s presence in that place did not please him at all. Luckily he had taken the precaution of decreasing their chakra emissions, but if the man decided for some reason to light his Bakugan, they were lost. This put them in a situation of extreme vulnerability. He shook those thoughts off and concentrated on the conversation that had just begun.

-Very punctual, Hisao. Did you bring the documents?

Shikamaru listened as someone waved a bunch of papers.

-Of course, I have them here. Can we start now?

-The ambassador has not arrived yet, but we can pass to the room.

Ambassador? This reunion was filling up with interesting characters. Shikamaru did not know what the guy would be ambassador of, but what he had no doubt was that a person with that type of charge should not frequent secret and suspicious meetings.

-They're moving, -Neji whispered, beginning to walk slowly next to the men. The rest of the team moved with him, following the same path as the suspects.

After about 50 meters, the Huga cousins stopped.

-What's going on? -Shikamaru asked Neji.

-They entered a room. They have sat down and now they are just waiting.

In the gloom of the tunnel, illuminated only by a lantern light held by Tenten, Shikamaru could see the features of the Hyūga boy. His frown was still puckered, and there was a certain air of threat in his eyes, which remained nailed to the wall. The Nara had no doubt that his eyes were fixed on the other Hyūga. His face was calm, however, demonstrating Neji's abilities to control his emotions.

Shikamaru lowered his head to listen more intently to the shallow, halting talk that the men on the other side of the wall were holding while they waited. As he did so, he caught sight of Neji's tight, clenched fists in the shadows. There was no doubt he hated the guy.

Suddenly the sound of a door opening was heard, and someone else entered the room. Shikamaru moved closer to the wall and closed his eyes to concentrate on the conversation that was finally beginning. As far as he could tell from the words, it was the ambassador, although they had not yet clarified who he represented. Apparently, the man in question had managed to remove some important documents on the distribution of land in the province, and had the intention of replacing them with an altered version of the same, to be able to introduce changes in the disposition. Apparently, Hisao's role had been to use his bakugan to identify a random document in Konoha that possessed the signature of the feudal lord, and to steal it, in order to copy the personal mark. In addition, he managed to get someone to create a false stamp identical to the one on the paper that represented the officiality of the document.

The situation was undoubtedly murky. From the coming and going of the talk, Shikamaru understood that the objective of the operation was to allocate more land to some villages considered allies under surveillance, due to previous situations where they showed their disloyalty to the union of districts to which Konoha belonged. In exchange for this modification behind the fief back, the Ambassador and the Hyuga involved would receive economic incentives. Shikamaru considered the situation for a moment. It was probably an individual action from Hisao , since he had no evidence that the rest of his clan was involved. That was good, but it was still very likely that his family would use his influence to cover it. No doubt going back to Konoha with this information would end up being very troublesome for him.

Shikamaru concluded that they had sufficient data, and that staying in the area would only increase the chances that they would be discovered by Hisao. He gestured to his team to have the microphones removed and set off, to go back the way they had come. Neji took a few seconds to follow them. He seemed to be trying to kill his superior with his eyes, but finally gave up and walked back to the group.

When they reached the clearing where they had camped, the debate began.

-Well, it looks like we have them! -Naruto spoke with confidence.

-Not so fast. We really have no proof of anything. -Shikamaru replied.

-What??? We just heard all their plan!

-So what? Recording them was impossible because of interference. Even if we go back to Konoha and tell all this to the Hokague, she will need us to confirm it in some way.

-How ridiculous. She trusts our word.

-It's not a matter of trust, Naruto. It is a matter of procedure. No testimony is unbeatable if it can not be proven.

-But we know what we saw, right? -Tenten interjected. -We know the truth, we just have to find a way to show it.

-Of course! -Kiba added. -Let's go back to Konoha and accuse that idiot Hyūga. It will be easy to show that he is involved.

-Do not count on it. -it was the voice of Neji, who came calm as always, but a little dry and resentful.

-And why not, your highness? It's very simple. We just follow him around a little ‘till he do something incriminatory. -Kiba replied with a mocking tone.

-You do not know the Hyuga clan. They will do the impossible to protect any member of the main house. It does not matter how dirty the accusation is. Hisao is among the cruelest of them, and he is an aspirant to the central Hyūga council. They have covered him before, and they will do it now.

-But this does not make sense. If we get evidence, however powerful they may not prevent us from exposing them, right? -Ino said.

-I'm sorry, but I do not think any of you really understand what levels the influence of the Hyūga clan reaches.

Shikamaru did. Hell sure he did. He had read several books in the library about the formation of the city, and about the arrival of the first allied clans. The Hyuga were among the first, and in their eagerness to protect their prized ocular jutsu, they had committed many atrocities. Among which could be mentioned the creation of the secondary branch and the cursed seal, which in Shikamaru's opinion was one of the most twisted things he had ever heard about in his life.

While the discussion continued, Shikamaru stood in silence, his gaze fixed on an invisible point, analyzing the information he had. He would cling to the idea that these acts were the individual will of the greater Hyūga. He had no concrete indications to affirm the opposite, and the scenario that this would imply would be much more troublesome. On the way back, he would ask Neji and Hinata if they thought Hiashi was aware of the situation. If they said no, he would inform the Hokage of the events and propose that their uncle be summoned to a private reunion to discuss it with him. And if Tsunade-sama did not order him to investigate further, she would take the matter into her hands and the problem would be over for him.

-What should we do, Shikamaru? -Choji's reassuring and appeasing voice came between the discussion. Everyone were silent and looked at him.

He opened his mouth to talk but was silenced by Neji.

-Wait. Somebody is approaching.

-What? -Sakura asked.

-I feel chakras coming towards us. -He said this while activating his Bakugan. Seconds later his already livid skin got even more paler.

-It's Hisao and two other men. One was in the meeting, the other has his face covered by a hood.

-They are going to pass directly in front of us. -Hinata had activated her Bakugan too.

-How far are they? -Shikamaru asked as his mind accelerated.

-About seventy meters. -Neji answered.

-If we try to run away now they can hear us. And if we stay, they will see us. -Ino panicked.

It was true. The vegetation was not very coarse in that area, and they were too many. They still had the seals that decreased their chakra emissions, but that would not work if the enemy saw them directly.

Shikamaru took out his backpack, opened it and pulled out a roll of paper, a brush and an ink jar. He walk a few steps and place the roll on the floor, unwrapping about 90 centimeters. He hastened to write some words with the brush, and when he finished he put his hands together and spoke a few words.

The air around them seemed to tremble as if it were a gelatinous mass.

-What the hell was that? -Naruto asked.

-It will keep us invisible in a range of 4 meters for 20 minutes, as long as no one crosses the seal. That's why you should stay behind it. We will keep silence until they pass.

But they did not pass. They reached the clearing where the group was concentrated at one end, and they stopped.

-Let's stop here for a moment. -said Hisao.

They did not seem to have noticed their presence. A space of approximately three meters separated them. They could see and hear them perfectly. If everything went well, they would have gone away in less than 20 minutes without discovering them, and maybe they would even get a little more information. But they could not make any sound.

-Why have you brought this kid, Hisao? -asked the man who was at the meeting.

-I needed help to bring the money. You know that an operation like this presupposes convincing many supervisors. And a lot of money means a lot of weight.

- So you had to put a lot of your money?

-Take it as an investment. In short time it will return multiplied.

Both men smiled with satisfaction.

-And why do we stop to rest? You are not carrying anything now.

Hisao laughed at the thought that he might be tired.

-We are not going to rest. Come here, boy.

He gestured to the hooded person to come closer. The figure hesitated long before taking the first fearful steps towards the man.

-Hurry, we do not have all day.

When the stranger reached him, Hisao pulled out his hood, discovering the terrified face of another Hyūga. He shouldn’t be more than 20 years old.

Shikamaru turned his face slightly to look at Neji and Hinata. By their expressions they seemed to know him. They both watched the scene with their eyes wide open.

-Take off your Hitai-ate.

-Mister please. I will not say anything.

-Come one, Haru, let's not make a scene.

-No, sir, I swear, I will not tell it. I swear. -the young man began to cry. He watched as if the temperature had turned polar.

A chill ran down Shikamaru's spine and his stomach contracted. That boy had the cursed seal. And Hisao was going to use it to kill him.

Some of his teammates had not yet got to this conclusion, but Shikamaru's mind was already analyzing his possibilities. If they tried to save the boy, they would have to face the two men. They could probably win, but if this guy was willing to kill a branch house member, nothing would stop him from trying to killing Neji too. And since the weapon to do it was graven directly on the boy's forehead, the chances of the older Hyūga for getting it activated were too high. Or they let one person die, or two probably would .

Hisao had taken out the young man’s Hitai-tie and thrown it unceremoniously aside. Then he put one of his hands on the kid’s forehead.

-Shhh -he whispered. -You did a good job.

-No, please, don’t. -Hiro cried inconsolably. Shikamaru did not ask himself why he wasn’t running, because he knew that many seals could be activated at certain distances. The boy knew he had no chance against the spell tattooed on his forehead.

Shikamaru noticed a movement to his left, and saw the startled face of Naruto, who had just understood the situation.The Nara knew that he would try to intervene. He couldn’t allow it, he couldn’t put Neji's life in danger too.

With no need to use his hands, he extended two shadows tentacles and grabbed Naruto before he could move. The blond young boy was about to throw an insult to him, but when he looked at Shikamaru to do so, the Nara shook his head vehemently and pointed at Neji, who was a few steps behind him. When Naruto looked at him, he seemed to understand. He relaxed his body and closed his eyes, still unable to believe that they were going to let an innocent man die. But he would have felt worse if he had to bear the guilt of the death of a friend.

A cry of panic caught Shikamaru's attention, and he turned his head to the scene in front of them. Hisao had begun to utter the words that would activate the cursed seal.

Shikamaru turned his face again, this time to look at Neji. What he saw filled him with grief, and at the same time put him on alert. The young Hyuga's eyes were fixed on Hiro's forehead, more open than ever. He trembled from head to toe, already totally unaware that his teammates could see him. There was no way someone could hide a fear like the one he should be feeling.

When the cries of pain began to fill the clearing, Neji closed his eyes and lowered his head. His fists were clenched on the sides of his body. Shikamaru could still see his face, and it looked like he was about to scream too.

He had to do something, or Neji would discover them, digging his own grave. He started walking toward the boy, as slow as he could to make no sound on the grass. He stopped right in front of Neji, covering his vision. He placed himself only a few centimeters away.

Neji slowly raised his head and looked at him, perhaps hoping he would offer some solution. Shikamaru did not have it, but he had to try that, despite the terrible situation, Neji did not lose sense of where they were and understood that he should keep silent.

Shikamaru raised a hand and placed his index finger on his lips. Neji nodded, but when a new round of shouting broke the silence of the forest, tears began to flow from his eyes, and he seemed about to sob. Shikamaru quickly turned his hand and covered Neji's mouth with his palm. But the poor boy still seemed about to collapse.

Around them, their friends looked at each other in anguish at the impotence. No one was watching the scene anymore, it was too strong. Hinata started crying silently and covered her ears. Many of them closed their eyes, as if not seeing help not to listen.

Shikamaru felt Neji shaking violently, and put his other hand on his back to bring them closer together. He placed his lips over the boy's ear and inside of it he whispered:

-Shhh...

He felt Neji's tears wet the palm of his hand. Never in his life had he seen him cry. In fact, he was sure that none of those present had. It was really disturbing.

A longer, heartbreaking scream erupted, and Neji's fingers dug into the sides of Shikamaru's thighs. The Nara clenched his teeth to contain the sudden pain. Now he would also have to worry about not shouting himself. Hoping it would cushion the sound a little, Shikamaru turned Neji's head to placed one of his ears against his chest, while still covering his mouth. With the other hand he covered his other ear.

Neji dug his fingers deeper and pressed hard against Shikamaru's chest. He could not help the thought that this young man, who was dying ahead of him, could easily be him. And that made him feel like he was.

The screams ceased slowly. Shikamaru turned his head a little to see, and saw. He saw Hiro's body lying on the ground with a hole in his empty head, spread over a pool of blood. Shikamaru knew how the cursed seal worked. To protect the Bakugan, the seal not only melted the eyes, but also most of the brain, so that its remains could not be studied.

-Ok, let's go. -Hisao said when finishing his task.

-You will not have problems if we leave the body here?

-Nobody will recognize it. It’s another of the advantages of the seal. Not only does it protect the Bakugan, it also prevents a Hyūga from being identified from a corpse with the naked eye. Today it will rain and all this area will flood, as always happens. The flood of the river will take the body and no one will never find it. Trust me.

Hearing him speak like that of the cursed seal, as if it were the best invention of mankind instead of an unjust and sadistic weapon, made Shikamaru's blood boil in his veins. On his chest, Neji still shivered and held back his crying as much as he could.

After Hisao changed his coat for another one, since the one he was wearing had been spattered with blood, the two men left. When he was sure they had gotten far enough away, Shikamaru pulled his hands from Neji's head and placed them immediately on the fingers digging into his thighs. He separated the Hyūga's hands from his legs and held them for a moment, stepping back a little to see his face. His eyes were still closed and he was crying silently.

-Oh, Kami. That was horrible. -Sakura exclaimed, drying some of the tears she had also shed.

As soon as those words broke the silence, Neji fell to his knees on the grass. He closed his fists tightly on the lawn and lowered his head, breathing hard. He was very disturbed.

-Neji! -Tenten shouted as she ran to his side. She put an arm around him and tried to comfort him.

Hinata approached to them and knelt too, just crying with her hands joined.

Shikamaru turned once more and looked at the body again. There were different things in his mind: a feeling of hatred for the older Hyuga, frustration for not being able to intervene, a heartbreaking guilt for letting the boy die, the uncertainty about how to handle things next. And the salty smell of Neji's tears through his hand.

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Well, this was my first Fic. Sorry if it's not very well written, English is not my first language. If anyone is interested in being my beta, I will appreciate it very much! I accept any correction. You will also see that I use the metric system, I hope it is not too confusing.

I tried to add a drawing to illustrate but I'm bad at drawing. So I took the base of this image www.zerochan.net/2007184 . Sorry author. I also just realized that Neji should have his Hitai-ate, but I'm not able to draw it, so I'll leave it like that.

All the characters belong to the Naruto series.

#shikamaru #neji #shijaneki #fanfiction

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