Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Memories of Hawk Manor ❯ The Arrival ( Chapter 2 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

MEMORIES OF HAWK MANOR
A Naruto AU Fanfic

Written by Miyu, Vampire Princess

AUTHOR'S NOTES: Not sure what sparked this idea anymore, but it now has a life of its own. Hang on to something folks, this will be a long one (well, long for me anyway). Alternate Universe. Itachi x Naruto and Sasuke x Naruto. YAOI CONTENT in specific chapters. Sorry, this is a NON-LEMON chapter. A Standard Disclaimer follows the chapter.


Chapter 2 - The Arrival


"My Lord?"

With a sigh, Sasuke Uchiha sat up in his chair. As the Lord of Hawk Manor, he graced the main room – his self proclaimed throne room – with his presence. Sitting on a throne-like chair, he looked the part, too. Dressed in regal blue and white, his dark hair and stunning, red eyes were as commanding as his demeanor. He was a young Lord, only eighteen years of age, but he had been the head of the Manor for almost eight years. It was unusual for someone so young to take charge, but he had been a boy with goals – one of which was ruling the manor.

The other, was supreme ruler of Faan.

"What is it?"

The messenger bowed deeply, cowering before the Lord of the Manor. He couldn't have been any older than fifteen, his garb defining him as a squire of the court. He remained in his lowly posture as he announced, "Lord Orochimaru is here per your request."

Hefting a large glass of wine to his lips, he told the squire. "Send him in."

"Yes, sir."

Sasuke didn't watch the young man run off. Instead, he gulped down the wine that had been brought to him. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hands as he sat the glass aside. It was refilled without asking before he hefted it to his lips once more.

As a large wooden door creaked open, two guards entered the room, followed by two young squires. There was a brief trumpet to harold their arrival. Behind them, dressed in his usual luxurious garb, was the Lord's most trusted advisor. He walked with a certain air, his pale skin in great contrast to his ebony hair. The locks flowed freely behind him as he walked, falling to cover his face as the man gave a short bow to Lord sitting before him.

"Good morn, my Lord."

Orochimaru, the Uchiha family executor, was a formidable figure and feared by many at court, Lords and servants alike. He was the advisor to the previous Lord of Hawk Manor, Sasuke's father, and revered as one of the most knowledgeable and intelligent scholars in the province.

"Good morn, Orochimaru." Sasuke sat his glass aside again to greet his guest. "I trust you slept well."

The man stood with a devilish smile on his face. "Because of your gift, my Lord. I am grateful."

A corner of Sasuke's mouth ticked upward. "They were to your liking then, the little whores?"

Orochimaru nodded. "Very much so." He had very particular tastes and was graced with gifts from the Lord once in a while. His newest toys were young, no more than twelve years old, and more than willing to please. The Lord had chosen wisely given the good humor of his advisor.

"Good." Sasuke waved for the guards to depart. He waited until all but one had left the room. Certain that the door had been closed, he beckoned his advisor closer. He waved again, this time indicting a table laden with fruits. "A snack?"

"No, thank you, my Lord." His smile grew more impish. "I've had my fill."

"And what is our first order of business today, Orochimaru?"

Pulling a tablet from his robes, Orochimaru searched for the day's activities. His eyebrows furrowed in thought as he reviewed the list. "Do you still want a hunt this afternoon, my Lord?"

"The plans were set into motion last eve, were they not?"

"Yes, sir." The older man nodded. "But there is a potential...problem."

Sasuke's red eyes caught fire. He despised problems. That's what the hunts were supposed to prevent. Although they did provide good sport. There was just something about a fox begging for its life before it was destroyed. Sasuke loved the thrill of the hunt. The pain and agony. The empowerment of it.

But he would not tolerate a problem. Even if it was only "potential".

"And that is?"

"The Lady Sakura arrives today," Orochimaru replied.

Sasuke waved a dismissive hand, turning his attention again to the food on the table beside him. Picking up a group of grapes, he responded, "And?"

"Don't you feel it would be bad form to have a hunt during her arrival?"

"Not at all," Sasuke replied, eating the grapes one by one. "As my betrothed, she will have to accept such things."

Orochimaru detected the Lord's disgruntlement by the disgusted tone in his voice. It was true that it was his father's wish for Sasuke to marry a Lady of Konoha. Their marriage would mean a contract with the nearby province. Bigger lands. Bigger army. And many more riches. But though the young Lord saw the wealth of political gain in the union, he still loathed it.

"The hunt will go on as planned."

"As you wish." The advisor nodded. "Shall I extend an invitation to the Lady and her party to witness the hunt?"

"No. Not at this time." Tossing the empty vine aside, Sasuke picked up another fruit, an apple. As he munched on the fruit, Sasuke's mind took him to another subject. "Tell me, that stable boy, has he caused any more trouble?"

Orochimaru raised an eyebrow in question. "No, sir. The Captain has said nothing since the boy returned to the stables. However, I'm sure he'll do something rash eventually." The advisor gave he Lord a worried look. "You wish to have him as your fox today?"

"No. Not him." Sasuke waved his hand in the air. Orochimaru continued to stare at him in question. It was a look he was suddenly uncomfortable with. Grabbing his glass of wine, he quickly added, "The fox must be injured and broken before being hunted."

"You've taken a liking to him, then?"

Sasuke sighed. So the subject wasn't going to be dropped so easily. Fine. "His loyalty to that old man astounds and confuses me," the Lord admitted. "But his strength, his determination...it fascinates me."

"Like a new toy?"

Sasuke nodded, happy that his advisor wasn't digging deeper. He wasn't sure he could explain his...feelings. The boy – a young man only a year younger than himself - got his blood boiling. Sure, he'd had urges before, but never like this. It intrigued and frightened the young Lord.

Raising his glass, he smiled at Orochimaru, "Precisely."

The smile his advisor gave him was knowing, but he didn't push the subject. Instead he turned to his personal notes, scribbling down a reminder on paper. "I will have Captain Kakashi inform you if he causes any more trouble."

"Fine." Finishing off yet another glass of wine, Sasuke asked, "What else needs to be done today?"

"Your hunt, sir? It still needs a fox."

Again, the Lord waved a dismissive hand. "Choose one for me, Orochimaru. Someone fun, this time." He picked up another apple from the table, giving his advisor a disinterested look. "Your last pick hardly put up a fight."

Orochimaru bowed. "You can count on me, Lord Sasuke."

"Now that that's settled...." Sasuke sat back in his chair, his posture straight and regal. "What's next?"

*===*===*

The horses were worked up in the stables. One by one, they huffed and whinnied. A few trotted in their pads as other bounced and kicked. It was unusual for all the horses to act up at the same time. Unusual for them to get antsy and anxious.

"Hey, Kiba!"

"What?" SPLAT! "Hey!"

But when Naruto was around, anything was possible.

"Dude, you're supposed to be feeding the horses. Not making a mess!"

"Loser," Naruto laughed openly. "You're no fun today, Kiba."

"Oh, really?"

"Yeah." SPLAT! "Hey!"

Kiba laughed to himself, shoveling more hay into a stall. "That's what you get for calling me a loser."

Naruto, his shirt splattered with horse dung, gawked at his best friend. They'd known each other since they were young children. Jiraiya practically raised them both. Kiba's parents died when he was a babe. His father had been soldier. But his name was rubbed in dirt and he was accused of treason. Another victim of the hunt. His mother, a lady in waiting at court, died of a broken heart shortly after. With his family's name disgraced, Kiba was given into the care of the grounds man.

The boy loved the stables. Kiba had a keen instinct with animals. But his duties, lately, included working around the Manor, particularly the gardens. Now that Old Man Ji was gone, it had become the young man's primary responsibility.

Naruto sobered at thoughts of Jiraiya. He really did miss the old man. He'd gained a lot from the old man. Confidence. Self-discipline. A sense of adventure.

And the old man's stash of porn.

"Why all the hype today, anyway," Naruto asked. "I've seen more guards today than I've seen in the last few weeks."

"An envoy's arriving today. From Konoha," Kiba answered. He paused, propping himself up on his shovel. His smile was boyish, lighting up his dark brown eyes. "Don't you listen to the Manor gossip? Having spent a month inside, I'd have thought you'd learn something."

Naruto had learned a lot during his tenure in the Manor. However, he couldn't share his experience with his friend. He had promised Itachi he would not reveal their friendship, not even to Kiba. But if anyone else were to learn of his late night sneaking into the dungeons, he'd end up there himself.

That didn't mean that Naruto had stopped visiting his new friend. No, the young man had snuck inside several times in the three weeks he had been absolved of his wrong doing and returned to the stables. They continued to talk about life, about the Manor.

Well, Naruto still did most of the talking.

Itachi was uncomfortable talking about his hunts, the "job" the Lord of the Manor bestowed upon him, and his punishment. But he spoke happily of his memories of the Manor he knew and they could discuss the stables at length, as Itachi had loved horses as a boy. He was content to hear Naruto's stories, see how happy the boy was being free. Although the boy saw the heartache in the other man's eyes. It was one of the reasons he kept returning to the dank dungeon to visit.

But it had been a several days since he last saw Itachi, and he'd heard no talk of visitors.

"From Konoha, you say," Naruto asked. "Another military envoy?"

"Nope." Kiba shook his head, his disheveled chocolate locks becoming more unruly. "They say it's the Lady Sakura."

The blond boy looked confused. "Who?"

"Lady Sakura." Rolling his eyes at his friend's blank stare, Kiba sighed. "Lord Sasuke's betrothed."

"Oh." It still didn't ring a bell. Naruto shrugged. "I didn't know the grump was engaged."

"Don't let anyone hear you say that," Kiba warned with a frown. "Geez, you really are an idiot."

"Sorry," Naruto replied, returning to his task. "I'm not paid to be informed."

"You're not really paid at all."

"Exactly."

The young men returned to their chores, feeding the horses and cleaning the stables. One would occasionally throw something at the other, but they managed to get their jobs done in good time. They reported to the Captain's squire, Sai, and were ready to return to the manor for their midday meal -- already an hour late -- when they heard trumpets in the distance.

"Race you to the gate, Kiba!"

"Wait up!"

The two had made it to the main thorough fare of the town when the gates opened wide. The trumpets sounded again, louder this time, as several trumpeters marched through the opening doors. Behind them marched several other minstrels, acrobats, and dancers. Streamers flew everywhere as the trumpets played again, followed by the melody of the minstrels.

Naruto pushed his way through the crowd to get an up close look at the Konoha parade. Kneeling on the street, Kiba joined him as several riders passed by. It seemed an extraordinary exhibition from the moment the gates opened. The crowds cheered at each passing horse and carriage. Even when the militia marched past, their swords shining in the gleam of the afternoon sun.

Several shots caught Naruto's attention and he leaned forward n hopes of getting a better look as a large carriage came through the gate.

"There she is!"

"She's really here!"

An open carriage slowly made it's way down the main street. Surrounded by two older women on the main seat was a younger woman. Dressed in the pomp and circumstance of her station, Lady Sakura looked like a princess. Her pink hair was tied up in a formal style, green eyes sparkling like precious gems. Her smile was small as she dared a few waves to the crowd. They cheered happily at her arrival. Some even throwing flowers at her carriage as it passed.

"That her?" Naruto asked.

"Must be," Kiba commented. "Wow. She's really pretty."

"Maybe she'll melt that stone heart of Lord's," Naruto added with a happy sigh. "She's melting mine."

Kiba chuckled. "You really are an idiot." SLAP! "OW!"

"Shut up."

The parade continued with a show of Konoha's military power. Several riders on horseback followed the Lady's carriage. Leading them was Konoha's hero, Lord Iruka, dressed in full regal garb atop a pure white stallion. Beside him, on a light brown mare, was his squire, Shikamaru. Following them were some of the provinces' greatest generals.

"Not a military envoy, eh?" Naruto teased.

"It's an impressive show," Kiba agreed. "But I suppose it's a safety measure."

"For what?"

Kiba sighed. "You need to pay more attention to the gossip, you fool." He lowered his voice as he continue, "There has been tension between White Mountain and Konoha for years. "

"I knew that," Naruto replied indignantly.

"But did you know that the two were close to war only a year ago?"

Naruto frowned. That he hadn't known.

"They're probably here to protect Lady Sakura as you suggest," Kiba acquiesced. "But it still seems like an extreme measure."

"Maybe there's still a threat of war," Naruto commented without thinking.

His friend shrugged. "Possibly."

After the military heads swept through, the parade seemed to wane. Several monuments tailed the parade of people, along with a cart of what appeared to be jewels and money. A show of wealth that many at Hawk Manor longed to have. It was all to honor Lord Sasuke and his matrimonial promise to Konoha's princess.

As the last of the horses strode by, Naruto suddenly perked up. The chimes of the tower bell tolled the hour of two. He still needed to eat and then get ready for the dinner to be held in honor of the Konoha party.

He'd forgotten all about it!

Asuma was going to kill him...if Kurenai didn't get him first. He never showed to help peel potatoes that morning as he had promised either. The boy flinched to himself.

"Oh crap!"

"What?" Kiba looked to his left, yet there was no one there. Not any more. "Naruto!"

But the young man was already running up the hill toward the Manor. He turned and waved eagerly to his friend before sprinting past the rocks and over the hill crest.

"I promised to help with dinner!"

"But...!"

"Sorry!"

Kiba shook his head. Turning away from the now retreating parade, the young man trotted after his friend. Apparently, he had forgotten that Kiba also volunteered to help with dinner. It wasn't everyday the boys got to mingle with the upper crust, even if it was as servants.

And they still hadn't eaten their mid-day meal. Surely Naruto hadn't forgotten that!

"Idiot."


~TO BE CONTINUED~

DISCLAIMER:
Naruto, all characters and likenesses used in this story are the property of Masashi Kishimoto, Studio Pierrot, TV Tokyo and Viz, LLC. They are used here without permission to serve my own twisted purposes. I own nothing. NADA. Thanks for reading. ^^