日向導 - A Hyūga's Guide

Chapter Two: Defiance From Below

His long dark hair obscured any visibility of his face as he allowed his servant to brush through the unruly strands. His hands were resting gently on his knees, his gaze long and far off as he waited for them to be finished.

"Do you need any help with the cloth, Lord Sasuke?" The voice of his maid cut through the static sounds in his ears. She placed her hand on his shoulder so as to not startle him.

"I am alright, thank you." He nodded, "you are dismissed."

"Lord Naruto is waiting outside once you are ready. He has requested to see you in a state of panic, but I'm sure that it is nothing." She stood up and bowed. "I will be off."

He listened for the sounds of her geta and his shōji doors opening and closing before he sat down in a more comfortable position. Twirling a strand of his hair between his fingers, he couldn't help but smirk once the door opened again. Heavy footsteps caused vibrations to run through the floor — the new arrival was easily identifiable.

"You couldn't wait until I fetched for you?" Sasuke reached for the silk cloth in front of him. At first, he had some difficulty navigating the familiar surface but eventually he managed to pick it up. He noted that it was a few centimetres away from where it was usually placed for his convenience and made note to reprimand the servants about their carelessness when arranging his things.

"You're going to be late and your father will no doubt be angry at me."

"I'll inform him of my mistakes so you can rest easy, Naruto." He carefully tied the cloth around his eyes and turned to the direction he heard the blond's voice. "I quite frankly don't have any appetite, but I know what father is like so I must be present although I am not hungry."

Naruto picked up the bamboo walker and held Sasuke's wrist to guide his hand. Once he held it, he aided him in standing up and gave him a quick look over. "Are these new robes?"

Gently tapping the floorboards as he walked towards his door, Sasuke shook his head at the odd question. "Are you clueless today?"

"I've never seen these ones." Naruto opened the door for him and walked by his side to make sure that he was going the right way. Sasuke was always going the right way since he knew the layout of the palace like the back of his hand but that didn't stop Naruto from acting like a guide for him.

"What do they look like? The fabric feels the exact same as my other clothing." His feet tapped the steps as he counted them.

"This one is black and blue. There are some gold accents and the Uchiha Clan symbol is on the left sleeve." He waited for Sasuke to get up the stairs, albeit at a slower pace but he made it without much trouble.

"Does it look good on me?"

"Everything looks good on you." Naruto rolled his eyes and opened the larger doors leading into the grand hall of the palace. "You're going the wrong way."

"I know." Sasuke dismissed him as he took a turn in the opposite direction as opposed to the hall leading to where his father was undoubtedly inside waiting for his arrival.

"Do you want to get in even bigger trouble?" He whispered harshly as he followed the man unwillingly. He didn't have much of a choice, it would look extremely bad if he showed up without the Crown Prince at his side.

"I just want to be in his room for a moment." Sasuke mumbled as he led the way to the more closed off section of the compound. He could tell from the shift in the air that the man accompanying had silently accepted his request. "It will be quick."

"Take as long as you need."

"What happened to being scared that you'd get in trouble?" He tried hiding an amused smirk but failed. Receiving a soft nudge from his companion, Sasuke came to a complete stop in front of a set of wooden doors.