Two Loves, One Fate (Itachi & Sasuke Uchiha)

№.39 :: Forgotten Encounter

REMINDER: PREQUEL CHAPTER

Chapter Thirty- Nine

            ⱷSeven Years Ago…ⱷ

Being a ten year-old kunoichi princess was definitely an accomplishment I was proud of; however, that didn’t stop the feeling of entrapment I felt. I was trapped inside a Palace with an over-protective father and nosy servants who were told to never leave my side. It was a rare occasion if I was ever alone, such as now, but I knew Master Kado would be showing up any minute for our afternoon training session. I was extremely excited for my training because Kado was sure I had multiple chakra elements, and I was anxious to find out which ones.

It was slightly past noon, and I found myself leaning against the railing on my balcony, my eyes blankly staring at the closed gates. ANBU were scattered along the grounds — most likely on patrol — but it wasn’t long until a majority of them headed toward the inner gates. The sudden change in their movement caught my attention, and I was immediately interested by their actions. The inner gates surprisingly opened, allowing a single, lone carriage to travel through and my eyes narrowed on our unexpected guests.

‘I wasn’t aware that we were going to have visitors.’ The thought was rude, but this brought an abrupt change in plans. My father would obviously want me to greet our guests, and that interaction would merely take time away from my training. My gaze lingered on the carriage for a moment longer before a knock at my door tore my attention away.

“Enter,” the word solemnly slipped past my lips. I glanced over my shoulder as the door closed with a soft click. Master Kado stood there, a serious expression over his features — disappointment hit me when I realized he was dressed in formal wear instead of his ANBU uniform.

“Princess Serenity, the King requests your presence down in the Grand Hall. He wants you by his side to greet your guests.” Kado’s lips were pressed into a thin, grim line; I knew he wasn’t happy about the change in our plans as well. I was annoyed, but I gave him a curt nod of my head before my gaze returned to the carriage. I watched as three figures climbed out, but from this distance, I couldn’t make out who they were.

Releasing a dreary sigh, I pulled away from the balcony and made my way across the bedroom toward Kado. From the corner of my eye, I spotted my appearance in the three way mirror, hating the sparkle in the crimson gown I wore. My training outfit had been spread out over my bed by Raile and I was upset that I wouldn’t get to wear it today.

Master Kado offered me his arm, and I reluctantly grabbed a hold of it before he led me out of the room. We walked in silence, which I was extremely grateful for — the last thing I wanted to put up with was forced conversation. I stared up at my Master, taking in his youthful expression. His blonde curls barely skimmed the top of his shoulders, his sculpted jaw was chiseled with hair, and his eyes were the lightest of greys. He noticed my stare and grinned down at me; my cheeks burned with embarrassment and I quickly forced my gaze away from his.

Kado was eight years older than me, but he was a talented shinobi, thus while my father had agreed for him to train me. He was always kind to me, and maybe that was why I had grown to like him.

“Don’t frown so much, Princess. I’ll make sure to find some time to train you today, even if it means we have to do it during nightfall. The King probably won’t be too happy with me, but as long as you’re happy, than it doesn’t really matter, now does it?” Kado’s words were surprising, but hearing them definitely brought a smile to my face. Besides Raile, Kado was the only other person I could rely on in this Palace.

“Your words are reassuring, but I don’t want you to get in trouble for my sake.” I whispered, grabbing a hold of his hand and intertwining our fingers. I appreciated his willingness to do whatever to make me happy, but not if it meant losing his companionship. Throughout the years, I’ve seen my father fire and exile people from our country for disobeying him… I wasn’t going to let Kado become another.