日向導 - A Hyūga's Guide

Chapter Forty Five: New Objective

He held her in his arms as they swayed to and fro in the middle of their room. There wasn't any music that could be heard, nor was the situation exactly ideal for them to be so relaxed in the confines of their room. Yet, neither of them pulled away from the other as she rested her head on his chest, and his chin was placed on her head. Just for a moment, they wished that the world would come to a stop so that they could bask in each other's warmth, but alas, such a wish was impossible considering their circumstances.

"What do we do now?" Hinata whispered as she looked up at him. Her arms were secured around his waist, her stomach pressed to his own as her cheeks blossomed like a rose on the first spring day.

Itachi was alive, the previous guards of the Palace were presumed to be dead, and there was a social reform taking place. When his older brother said that he would change the standings of the Royal Family the moment he resumes his lead at the throne, he was not making lite remarks. Therefore, it should not have been a shock that a week after his inauguration, the Royal Council consisting of the Uzumaki Clan amongst others was dissolved as there was no need for it. It was one of the many changes that happened in the few short days.

Outside of the Palace, the guards spanned miles and infiltrated surrounding villages. Fortunately for the young Uchiha and his small group, they did not have to worry for the moment seeing as the village they frequented for updates about the reform had not been included. That did not mean that it wouldn't happen, but they did have time to figure out their next move. That one goal was met with conflicted reviews, and it was then that Sasuke realized that the abolition of the Royal Council was so that Itachi, or whoever, would not be bound by the opinions of others were he to change anything beyond the Palace walls.

"Naruto has an idea." He mumbled.

It had been a constant back and forth, a trading of plans between the three men who surrounded the dinner table every night with the occasional input of Hinata and Jūgo. No one had managed to convince the other that their plan was the better option. Constantly back at the drawing board brewed frustration and slight resentment for each other the more times a fight broke out than not. One would think that the future Emperor would have more of a say and the final judgement, but Sasuke hated treating everything like a dictatorship when he trusted Naruto — and to an extent, Neji — to use his knowledge to forage a strong plan. The man was next in line as the Head Royal Guard if Hatake Kakashi were to die after all.

"Do you have an idea?" She asked and brought her hands up to cup his cheek. "You've been silent at every discussion for a while."

He shook his head. Sasuke's idea has always been the same; he wanted to face Itachi alone and show him that he should not be underestimated simply because he was the youngest. Both Naruto and Hinata — more so his wife — disagreed and made their dissatisfaction known as best as they could. Naruto had shouted and shook him into oblivion, and Hinata stared at him with her eyes narrowed and a pout on her lips. They could not stop him, however, no matter how many cons they came up with against his idea of a plan, his mind did not change. Storming the Palace and attacking Itachi whilst knowing that Toneri, Orochimaru, and a third man roamed the halls freely was a fool's errand — and Sasuke was a fool.

The possibility of the third man being Itachi himself had crossed their minds multiple times, but such a notion didn't feel right. Nothing felt right. Not as they woke up every night feeling as though they were being watched, or when they made the long trek to the resting place of Sakura only to feel as though she was not dead. Nothing made sense.

"I suppose this is the last time we'll be having this discussion. It would do us no good to keep fighting about the matter when the problem stays the same. I hope that Naruto's plan will be the final product of these arguments." She muttered before pulling away from him. "You mustn't provoke him or Neji no more, they are trying to help, and perhaps, their ideas are better than your brash one."