The Royal Adversity (Nejiten Fanfic)

1

Togukawa Tenten was hiding behind a wide pillar at the throne room. Her hands were clamped shut against her mouth- afraid of what will happen if they found her.

"Princess. You can't hide forever." A creepy voice spoke, the sound of his sword being dragged against the expensive marble floors screeched about eerily. "I won't harm you IF you follow me willingly."

Tenten was afraid-deathly afraid. Half of her wanted to surrender. She was exhausted, out of strength and just afraid of the pain that might come if she resisted. But the other side of her wanted to fight on. Her late father saw this coming in one of his prophecy. He made her swore that she would never give in to them.

Tenten gasped when her assailant started to break a huge expensive vase in the throne room and laughed maniacally.

"COME OUT AND PLAY WITH ME!" He shrieked in glee.

As her assailant broke several other vases, she heard a gentle creak from the wall that was adjacent towards her, hidden under the shadows, she could have sworn that the wall opened up slowly. She didn't think much of it, the scared princess quickly ran towards the wall which envelopes her in and closed shut as quickly as it opened. Tenten had entered a secret passageway. A narrow and dark passageway that led to god knows where. The person who had opened up the door was a boy, about her age.

Tenten could barely see the boy's face in the dark but she could see hear him shushing her and gesturing her to follow him. Tenten did so without questioning him. He led her to an underground dimly lit room it looked like quarters used by servants. The boy nudged her to follow him across the room, before showing her a camouflaged exit that she had never seen before. If one were not attentive enough, they might think that the door made out of fake bricks was a dead end. Right at the exit was horse and a man draped in a dark cloak waiting for her. Tenten turned to look at the boy, his pale face was covered in soot, pale coloured eyes stared back at her chestnut coloured eyes ; the most prominent feature of his face was a mark on his forehead. It looked like the letter x.

"This is where I leave you, your highness." The boy spoke quickly. He took out an envelope from his shirt pocket and handed it to her. "This was the last thing the king gave my father when he was serving your family. I was entrusted to give it to you on this exact date at this exact time. He said read it when you have reached your destination. Now you must go." The boy shooed her to the horse.

Tenten wanted to know his name, she wanted to repay him for his bravery and loyalty towards her father; the rightful king of Kamakura.

"Tell me your name kind sir." Tenten spoke to him.

He looked at her in surprise, his eyes widened when he heard her say those words to him. Before he could answer, they heard a distant rumbling from the depths of the castle.

"GO." the boy ordered as he helped her to the horse and shut the exit.

Tenten was brought to a different city, a foreign village. The horsemen brought her to a little hut which seemed to be awaiting her timely arrival. The hut consists of a quaint bedroom, bathroom and kitchen. The small wooden dining table had dinner prepared for her. Tenten swallowed her saliva and held onto her rumbling tummy. She had not been eating for two days ever since the invasion. Instead of running towards the food, she looked at the horsemen and asked, "Have you eaten?"

Taken aback by her question, he pulled down his cloak and looked at her with a questionable look. He knew of her predicament, he could tell that she was starving from the rumbling of her tummy, but she did not seem to mind all that. Instead, she worried about HIM.

"I am FINE Princess Tenten. YOU need to eat. We need you to rightfully claim the country again and you can't do it if you are not fed and alive. Please, eat." The horseman replied.

The horseman was a young adult, he could not be anything above 17. His messy fissured silver hair was drenched in sweat, his lazy obsidian eyes were filled with worry. He might be good looking, Tenten would not know, his nose and mouth were covered in a mask.

"What's your name, my good man?" Tenten asked him.

The horseman knelt down before her as he introduced himself to her, "Hatake Kakashi, my princess, at your service."

Tenten nodded and spoke, "Rise, Hatake-San. Now as your Princess you will do as I say won't you?"

Kakashi rose and nodded uncertainly.

Tenten smiled and exclaimed with a tinge of authority. "Now I order you to eat with me. Let's have our dinner together."

Kakashi looked at her in bewilderment, the only other person who was this gentle and kind despite being a royalty was-

"Your father." Kakashi spoke as Tenten halted in her track. "Your kindness reflects that of the late king's. I will sacrifice my life for you, Princess."

Tenten nodded and motioned him to follow her to the dining table. As soon as she sat on the chair, she felt the crumpling of paper and realised she had placed something in her pocket. She took it out to find the envelope that the mysterious boy gave her.

"To Tenten" was the writing that was on the envelope, it was her father's handwriting.