Primal Scars (SasuNaru)

Chapter 8

His cell rang loudly in the room startling both him and Tenten, the calm tones of John Lennon's 'Imagine' filling the room with an optimistic splurge. Naruto snorted at the positivity, though he hoped for such a worldview to come to fruition; he knew that the labour to birth such a world would be more then he could accomplish in his lifetime.

Looking down at the caller ID, he did feel a warmth in his chest away from the melancholy dancing within; he could forge a start at least, should he prove successful. However, before he could answer the much-needed and anticipated call Tenten knocked and came in without preamble, shaking her head at the sight and sound of the phone in his hand, indicating the immediate need for discussion. An irritating fact considering how he had been awaiting news, nonetheless his lady-in-waiting rarely wore such a tight-fitted expression. With that in mind he pressed the decline button and pushed his phone into his pocket.

"Naruto a press conference is being held at the Forward Hall in the city this morning, with his majesty in Fireleaf; and as we can only assume you were the target of the attack yesterday, you will be expected to make a statement. Now, I've prepared a marginal opening for you to read, following with the minimal information we have about the perpetrators and their intent within the footnotes. The press will be asking questions so you may have to 'wing' some of it, I trust you will adhere to your lessons in proper conduct when dealing with the media, right?"

The brunette woman said it stoically, as if she expected him to merely nod and acquiesce with her sudden announcement. In fact Naruto found himself choking on air for the simple premise. It wasn't as if he had never dealt with the media, certainly not, he was a princess of the empire after all, he was frequently mentioned in gossip collems. However, those simple articles in teenage-fueled magazines and gossip blogs were filled with speculation of his personal life- such common stipulations were often dismissed and criticized by his grandfather -and on rare occasions his mother, he did not deal with it directly. Indeed when he faced the press in the past it was often over the mystery of his disappearance, or for a brief statement at the anniversary of his parent's deaths.

Never was it over a relevant and serious issue, and never had he been the main one addressing the assorted press. They weren't simple bloggers either, they would be true acclimated journalists writing for verifiable newspapers and news programs. He had been trained for such instances of course, by both his grandfather and Kakashi's unwavering gaze; which managed to be heavy, judgmental and impartial all at once.

This was a critical moment for him and his credibility, indeed his entire image, an opening into society.

Not the one he had envisioned for himself, addressing an assassination attempt, upon his own life no less.

He could vividly remember his cousin's debut into society as a royal figure. Benign by comparison to an assassination attempt, and though serious it had not heaved the same weight; hers had been a supposed social media influencer claiming to have taken her virginity on her sixteenth birthday while she had been quote: "out drinking with her friends at the club." Ignoring the fact that Princess Sakura would never be caught dead at any type of club, let alone intoxicated enough to give over her maidenhood to a stranger -such an implication nigh blasphemy within the higher class. The man propagating such news was from an entirely different country inside the empire when she had reached womanhood. The entire affair had naturally been a desperate grab for attention from the troubled man, and swiftly dispelled.

Naruto had sincerely admired how his cousin had handled the consequential social outcry. With complete poise and a disciplinary demeanour befitting a future empress, wearing in public both her calm and collected side, whilst appearing far older then her years. Yet, while he had admired her serious visage and calm handling, he also knew the woman well enough to know that that same presentation hardly accumulated to one-tenth of her complete personality, it had been a drastic repression of herself which Naruto had occasionally glaring at the television during the proceedings.