A Maiden's Tale || NaruHina COMPLETED

Chapter 16

Naruto heard the queen's cackles as he ascended the staircase. He twirled around the narrow hall, climbing farther up until the sound of her footsteps halted. Charging forward, sword donned and ready, he burst through the entrance and was met with the heavy clash of metal. His sword blocked Shion's blow, but in a moment, she was swinging at him again.

The two danced around the space, blades battling in rapid succession; an energetic fight for dominance. Naruto grit his teeth as he kicked Shion back by the stomach, and she fell back into the wall. The knight raised his sword, but the queen met his strike. The two pressed on their blades with their mustered strength, each trying to win. Naruto caged Shion between his sword and the wall. "This seems familiar, hm?" She teased him with a wink.

Naruto pressed harder. "Shut up and surrender."

"Not in my nature," she hummed, then with a guttural cry, kneed Naruto in the stomach.

It was enough to make him stumble back, and Shion kicked his feet so that Naruto fell to the floor.

She laughed, towering over him. "This is the knight they send to kill me? The boy who could probably barely pass his training." Shion kicked Naruto in the gut, and he lost his breath. "It is a pity I have to kill you. You were an excellent fuck."

Naruto chuckled. "Wish I could say the same for you." And removing a hidden dagger from his collar, he slashed at the queen's ankles.

Crying wildly, Shion fell to the ground, clutching her bleeding foot.

Naruto climbed to his feet, flipping the blade. "You're right, I was a horrible swordsmen; but I was wonderful with a knife." With lethal precision, Naruto sent his dagger flying into the queen's gut.

Shion screamed. Naruto watched as she squirmed, but was unprepared for the dagger that dug into his calf. The queen's hand reached out and slashed at Naruto's leg, missing his tendon but cutting a nice gash into the meat of his lower leg.

Naruto stumbled, groaning in pain and clutching at his knee. As he hit the stone wall, he heard a bubbling laughter from the fallen woman. "To think," she gurgled, "you would do all this for a servant girl."

Naruto winced, and limped forward, blood oozing from his leg. "I would do anything for Hinata," he said, unsheathing his sword. He pointed it toward Shion's heart as she lay on her back.

"She is a petty maid," Shion choked, spitting blood toward Naruto as he hovered over her, sword tipped to her breast. "You would really overthrow me just for her sake?"

"Of course not," Naruto said languidly. "I am overthrowing you because you are a tyrant who doesn't deserve the respect or the submission of her people. You are a cruel and evil queen, and I cannot stand by and let you continue your despotism."

Shion grinned wickedly. "So then, what would you say if I could make you a deal? I can offer you-"

"I said, I would overthrow you for Fire Nation. But this," Naruto interrupted, and savagely plunged his sword into the queen's chest, sticking his blade into the wooden tower floor at her back. "This is for that petty maid, bitch."

The queen's mouth twisted from a smug smile to an inhuman contortion of pain and shock. Her mouth turned black with the blood gushing from her pierced lungs.
With a wince of effort, Naruto yanked his sword back, creating an arc of deep red that followed the blade from the dying queen's ribcage back to his side. Naruto watched as Shion clutched at her chest, as if trying to piece the gaping hole back together. But soon, her hands fell slack to her sides, and she crumpled into a heaping corpse on the floor.

For a moment, Naruto could only hear his breathing. His heart pounded in his ears, colliding with the sound of his labored gasps. He stumbled back, his body finally unclenching from the adrenaline, and returned his sword to its scabbard. Then, the dull ringing of clashing blades returned, and he could once again feel the frigid air on his cheeks, the strands of sweat-drenched hair that stuck to his eyes, his forehead. He turned to the side, and saw streaks of bright orange slashing through the cold, blue morning.

"Well then," Naruto gasped, his voice strangely light. "I guess it's over."

______

The fighting had slowed significantly when Sasuke, Sakura and I passed through the secret exit and met Yamato there. We could faintly hear the sound of clashing metal, but it was distant and inconsistent, the crackling of flames consuming what was left of the fight. Sasuke ran to find his brother and checked to clear the path for us.

"I could hardly call this a war," Yamato brooded. "However, the brevity of this conflict should prove to be quite a positive outcome for Konoha. Perhaps now, we can rebuild your country."

Sakura stepped in front of Yamato, blocking his view of the battlefield yard. Her face stretched with disbelief. "Rebuild? Is Fire Nation is going to help us?"

"Of course," Yamato said, sounding astonished that she would even question. "Fire Nation's mission was to overthrow Shion and return Konoha to its former state. We shall start with reparations in the cities and farmlands, relief efforts of food and supplies. Once the towns appear to be running well and trade has resumed, then King Kakashi will decide to elect a new ruler to oversee Konoha."

Sakura stared up at Captain Yamato with teary eyes. As Sasuke returned from, she yanked and wrapped her arms around his neck to a warmly hug.

Sasuke barely had time to be shocked before she let him go. I shook my head. "Sakura! Don't-" Then, just as Sasuke's face darkened into a deep burgundy, Sakura smashed her lips on to mine as well.

"Did you hear that, Hinata!" Sakura shrieked with glee as she held my shoulders. "They're going to make us new again! Starting anew from the ashes, remember? Oh!" She slapped another kiss onto me- my cheek, this time- and then twirled away from us, happy tears spilling down her grinning face.

Sasuke cleared his throat. "Sh-she certainly is s-spirited," he said shaking, staring after her with big eyes.

I chuckled, crossing my arms. "She's a terror," I replied, but my voice was only full of love.

Across the field, soldiers began raising their swords proudly, shouting in triumph as they realized they had one. Kakashi found his way across the destruction to where we stood. Sakura stopped her happy spinning and bowed deeply in respect. "King Kakashi, I can't find the words to thank you enough for what you did."

Kakashi smiled, patting Sakura on the shoulder and beckoning her to rise. "No need for thanks. As King of Fire Nation, it is my duty to uphold justice and peace between the nations. As myself, however," he said, looking to me, "I did what was needed for my family."

As I smiled warmly back at Kakashi, he glanced beyond my shoulder toward the palace. I turned to his line of vision, and Naruto was standing at the servant's entrance.

I grinned, heart swollen within my chest, and burst toward him. Limping slightly, Naruto met me nearly halfway, and dropped his bloody sword to open his arms and wrap me against his body. I closed my eyes, letting him rock me in his embrace as I inhaled against his neck.

Naruto pulled away just enough to kiss me. Against my lips, he whispered, "It's over."

I smiled, and tugged him back into a hug. "No more battles, then?"

Naruto laughed, separating himself enough to cradle my hands in his. "I can't promise that, Hinata. But," he said, raising my hands to his lips, "I swear that no matter what comes, I will never leave your side again."

Tears welled in my eyes. "I'll keep you to that."

Naruto grinned playfully, his eyes sparkling as brightly as the day we met folding the laundry. In that moment I knew no matter what our future brought, Naruto would always be there, bringing a smile and a blush back to my face. As we walked back to the others, both the Uchihas having returned from the fight and shaking Kakashi's hand, Naruto squeezed my shoulders beneath his arm. Staring up at the sky, bright and fiery with the new day, I closed my eyes and breathed in the cold air. Finally, all was well.

A/N

Who will be the next ruler of Konoha?

Will it be Sasuke, the former knight captain, Itachi, the former king's adviser or Naruto, the prince of Fire Nation?

And the end is near ~