Tainted Hearts

Prelude

It was one fine day at Kurogakure, a village nestled in a secluded valley surrounded by dense forests and steep cliffs. It was located just at the south of the Land of Fire, making it relatively unknown to most shinobi. Despite their lesser-known status though, the young Uchiha Sasuke was told to never underestimate them as the village produced the most talented and great shinobis.

He had always wondered what the village looked like and what kind of people inhabited it but now, he stood at its borders with his parents and brother and some of their clan's leaders for a joint mission. The youngest Uchiha did not bother knowing about it. He was just glad that he was not left at the house this time. He clung to his older brother, Uchiha Itachi, as his innocent eyes looked around the area.

"So many trees." The boy murmured, clutching his dinosaur stuffed toy.

Itachi could not help but chuckle at his little brother's innocence. Sasuke gave him a toothy smile before biting his toy. Itachi raised a brow as he watched him climbed on his back. The older among the Uchiha siblings crouched down to help his little brother.

"What are you doing?" Itachi asked.

The young Sasuke wrapped his little arms around his older brother's neck and leaned his head on shoulder. Itachi's heart fluttered at the unabashed affection. If there was one thing in this world he'd laid his life for, it would be his little brother. He's the only good thing in this life and he hoped to see him grow up into such a fine man in the future.

"Brother, what if there are snakes in here?" The little boy whispered. "Mommy said that there are beasts in here too. What if they show up?"

Itachi looked down at his brother. There was a glint of amusement on his face.

"If that happens, older brother got you. I'll never let the beasts or snakes hurt you." He assured the boy on his back.

Unbeknownst to them, a young girl was listening to their conversation.

She had just arrived at the borders of the village to welcome their guests. She was amongst the high-ranking diplomats of their village but it was her who stepped forward and bowed her head politely.

"Greetings, our dear guests. It is a pleasure to meet your acquaintance. My name is Yugūre Kagehana and I will be escorting you to your manor." She straightened her back. "The Shogun is currently tied up with some internal affairs but rest assured he will be on his way as soon as everything gets settled."

Everyone looked at her with deep interest including the brothers who were behind their parents. Her two-toned long hair and bright pink eyes were a standout but it was her quiet confidence that captured their attention. Fugaku raised an impressed brow while his wife, Mikoto flashed a fond smile towards the young girl.

"Yugūre Kagehana, it has been a while since I have last seen you." Fugaku commented. "You've grown quite well. Has your father started training you?"

Yugūre Kagehana, the village's one and only princess, smiled politely.

She was far too young to remember the man in front of her but he is said to be one of the strongest shinobis of Konoha. Despite their clan's status, the Uchihas were outcasts among their village and it was due to the fact that they pose potential threats with their abilities. However, they were one of the few clans who stood for their clan despite the dark history that has stained their reputation.

This is the reason why the Shogun entrusted them with this mission.

"Father has assigned the best mentors to train me as soon as I learned how to crawl." The princess replied curtly.

The Uchiha leaders were not surprised to hear that. While they were strict with the new generation of Uchiha members, the head of the Yugūre clan has a much uptight reputation and expects nothing but perfection in every member. Not even his only child and heiress was spared from this.

In fact, as his daughter, the princess was regarded to a much higher pedestal than the rest.

Itachi stared at the girl who seems to be the same age as his little brother. He could not help but empathize with her. The eldest among the siblings knew just how heavy of a burden it is to carry their family's legacy at such a young age.

"Pretty."

Itachi's gaze snapped to the little boy on his back, whose eyes stared intensely at the girl. The sides of his lips quirked up and he gave a teasing look towards his younger brother. Little Sasuke's eyes widened before he hid his face in the crook of his older brother's neck.

"Someone's got a little crush, I see." Itachi muttered.

Sasuke's little fists thundered on his back, which caused him to bellow out a laugh. Everyone around them turned to stare at them, including the princess.

There were teasing smirks on the faces of the elders and while this caused the youngest Uchiha to flush in embarrassment, this was nothing new for the princess. She was used to boys expressing their adoration for her but unfortunately, romance was not in her cards.

Yugūre Kagehana is more focused on becoming the strongest among her peers. She would rather confine herself in the library or the training room than to spend time dilly-dallying with boys, which was quite the relief for her father.

"If you would please follow us, the servants have prepared some refreshments for all of you. It must be a long journey to get here so we prepared things to ensure your comfortable stay in our village." Kagehana said. "We also would like to express our gratitude for responding favorably to our village's request."

Mikoto shook her head.

"Oh, the pleasure is ours, princess." She said with great humility. "And please drop the formalities. Our families have kept a close tie with each other throughout the years that you aren't any different to us. You can refer to us as your aunties and uncles."

Mikoto halted and glanced at her youngest who seemed to be genuinely taken by the princess' entire being. She hid a smile with her husband.

"Maybe you can even call us Mother and Father in the future." She added with a knowing smile.

The young princess could not help but flush at her words.

Her bright pink eyes met with the dark eyes of the youngest Uchiha and she noticed how his whole face was tinted red but he still gave her a small, shy smile before hiding behind his older brother.

Cute.

Kagehana bit the inside of her cheek before leading their guest to the inside of the village. She discreetly clutched her chest when she felt something fluttered inside it for the first time.