Being a woman !

It was late afternoon when the long meeting between the leaders of Ta No Kuni, Madara Uchiha and Sakura Haruno ended. The two shinobi were walking through the corridors of the Daimyo's residence guided by a servant. Their weapons had been returned once the meeting was over and Madara decided to place a light Genjutsu on his face so as not to be recognized. He would be seen as he was but no one would be able to put a name to his face. As they walked out of the Daimyô's meeting room, people they passed would step aside and bow to them, for they could only be important people for having had the privilege of talking to the Lord himself.

After five minutes of walking through the corridors, the woman in front of them turned towards the two protagonists. Her head was slightly lowered as she looked down at the floor so as never to meet their eyes. It was an act of submission, to show that she was nothing less than a servant. Both her arms were raised to her sides indicating two rooms with open doors.

— "These are your chambers my lords," began the dark-haired woman. "Two people have been placed at your disposal by Daimyô-sama to prepare you for tonight's meal. Do you have any special requirements ?"

— "You may go," Madara said automatically, he was used to this kind of protocol. This simple gesture shocked Sakura inwardly, he had never acted like this with her, or rather... he didn't act like this anymore. He had been an obnoxious character the first few days, but she had put that down to pain. On hearing this answer the maid bowed low

— "Have a pleasant evening, my lords," the maid added, before continuing on her way.

— "I don't like the idea of having to leave you alone," Sakura said softly once the maid was out of sight.

— "Everything will be fine Sakura-san," Madara said and turned to face her. "I want you to know that you've been exceptional during this meeting."

At the words Sakura felt herself blush and looked away.

— "Thank you, but I still have the right to dislike the idea. Your physical condition doesn't allow you to be alone," Sakura insisted, worrying greatly about Madara. Sure he could stand again, fight, but he was still easy prey for well trained ninjas. After a few seconds Sakura felt a hand touch her chin to draw her gaze to Madara's. He had a slight smile on his face, but there was something else in his gaze and it disturbed Sakura so much that she didn't know how to react.

— "Thank you for your concern Sakura-san, but I'm not weak," Madara replied, gently stroking the young woman's chin with his thumb. God she had soft skin. "Enjoy Daimyô-dono's offer and relax, you deserve it more than anyone."

Even though he wasn't standing next to the Daimyô, Madara used the honorific suffix when referring to him since there were maids nearby. It was out of the question to create a diplomatic incident over such trifles, as gossip and rumours were rife in such places.

— "Well, don't dip your left arm in the water," Sakura finally relented, still confused. "If anything happens, just throw a chakra spike and I'll come running."

At these words Madara let go of the young woman's chin before entering the room dedicated to him, then closed the door behind him. Sakura found herself alone in the hallway, staring at the door.

All the while, two women had been watching the scene in silence. They were dressed in unusual robes. They might have been servants, but they were in the service of a Daimyô and his guests, so it was normal that they were well dressed.

Nevertheless, both women were completely shocked by what they had just seen. The mere knowledge that this woman had attended a meeting with the entire council was extraordinary. Then, she seemed to be a fighter since she had a katana on her back. Then, she had dared to stand up to a man and had even answered him ! For a moment the two women thought she was going to get killed or at least backhanded for daring to answer... but it was not so.

Either this woman was special, or the man in front of her was very flexible. They didn't know who he was, but his build, his charisma and his presence, everything about him embodied greatness.

In any case, they could not continue their theory as the young woman with pink hair entered the room and closed the door behind her.

— "Ohayô Sakura-sama !" Both women said at the same time, bowing low. They had been briefed that this woman was someone important and that she needed to be taken care of. Moreover, this person had a family name, so she was the daughter of an influential father, a nobleman at least. However, they were once again very surprised when she bowed low as well.

— "Ohayô ladies," Sakura said before unhooking her weapon from her back. She had no use for such a weapon, but she had to carry it in order to play her part. She placed it on the rack just to her left before turning to see the two maids waiting to be given orders.

— "How can we please you Sakura-sama ?" Asked the one who seemed to be the older of the two.

— "Ah... that's not necessary, I assure you," Sakura replied uncomfortably at the situation. She wasn't used to being taken care of and didn't like seeing women in this situation.

— "Yes, she did ! A woman should be shown off, especially when a man is interested in her," the brunette added with a smile on her lips. Because of her slightly older age, she knew the signs.

— "Yes, except that no man has set his sights on me," Sakura retorted firmly. "And I don't belong to any man."

— "Yet we saw," the younger of the two maids tried to say, her blonde hair reminding her of Ino Yamanaka, her former best friend.

— "It's not what you think," Sakura interrupted once more. "I'm a free and independent woman."

Glancing around the room, Sakura saw that there was a beautiful kimono ready to be worn and a silver basin in the corner from which a slight steam was emanating. She began to undo her mittens around her hands as they talked. This gesture did not go unnoticed by the two maids who immediately came over to help her.

— "Let us help you Sakura-sama," the brunette said.

— "No... I assure you I don't need your help," Sakura insisted as she set her things down near her weapon.

— "Please Sakura-sama," the blonde implored with a pleading look. "If Daimyô-sama is ever unhappy with us he..."

— "Hana shut up !" The brunette abruptly interjected before the aforementioned Hana could say something she regretted.

— "Forgive me Sakura-sama !" Hana said before prostrating herself on the ground. She seemed to only want to do her job in order to satisfy her lord.

— "We have been ordered to satisfy you as well as prepare you Sakura-sama," added the brunette who now understood why she had been given the task of preparing this lady. She was one of a kind and many would consider her actions a dishonor.

— "Well...," Sakura finally relented with a sigh. It was pure compassion that caused Sakura to agree to have the two women take care of her. "Straighten up Hana-san."

The young blonde sat up carefully, the beginnings of tears were in her eyes, but a smile was on her features. She looked much prettier with a smile on her lips.

— "Arigato Sakura-sama," Hana said before approaching to undress her.

— "I do have one requirement though ladies," Sakura announced as she felt expert hands remove the top of her clothes.

— "Anything you like."

— "Stop with the -sama and talk to me without barriers," Sakura demanded, she wanted to be around other women, not machines that would laugh at her every sentence and nod at her every remark. "Talk to me as if I were... a comrade, a friend."

Sakura received a smile in return from the blonde and a nod from the brunette as she stood bare-chested in front of these two women. She was embarrassed to show her body to two complete strangers.

— "What's that ?" Hana asked as she saw a lot of symbols drawn on various parts of her body, especially on her forearms.

— "They're called Fûinjutsu seals," Sakura answered as the blonde ran her delicate fingers over the symbols on her wrist.

— "Does it hurt ?" Hana asked, she had no idea what Fûinjutsu was. She had been taught to read as women were taught, but all these symbols made no sense to her.

— "No," Sakura replied as the second maid removed her trousers. "What is your name ?"

— "Amaya," the brunette answered automatically as she scrutinized Sakura's body. Sakura was quickly embarrassed and a hand went to cover her chest, but Amaya stopped her. "Don't be ashamed of your body Madam."

— "It's always been a complex for me," Sakura said as she could see that the two maids were much larger than her.

— "It's true that men like busty women," Amaya said as she took Sakura's hand and led her to the bathtub. "Don't forget what you've been taught, Madam, if a woman can make her husband come in all the right ways, he won't see her flaws."

This angered Sakura to no end. Not because of her, but because of what women were forced to do : they were taught values that made them sex slaves, nothing more, nothing less.

— "I never received those teachings... and I think they are a disgrace to us women," Sakura said forcefully to the dismay of the other two.

— "Madam should not say such things... Madam would get beaten, worse, killed if a man heard her say such things," Amaya retorted, her face showing fear. Fear that a man had heard Sakura's words through the door.

— "Always presentable you shall be ! Always helpful you shall be ! A good wife to your husband you shall be ! Remember that, my daughter, for they will make you a woman who lives !" Hana said as if she were reciting poetry. "If you find a husband one day, make him happy and get children !"

— "But that's not fair !" Sakura protested as she stepped into the bath prepared by the two maids. The water was warm and quickly relaxed Sakura.

A maid sat on either side of her before taking sponges and beginning her bath. They were delicate, soft, tender and looked as if they had been doing this all their lives.

— "But we're only women, Madam," Amaya retorted as she rubbed Sakura's legs. "Our purpose in life is to care for our men, to assist them, to relieve them and to perpetuate their descendants."

— "So to stand out from the crowd and find a suitable husband, we have to be talented. We practice dance, learn music, perfect the art of sewing and above all, we learn to be beautiful and desirable," Hana added with a small smile.

— "I don't agree, you are not just meant to obey men. We are living beings, we have our emotions, we are capable of feeling as well as men, we are capable of rising as much as they do, we are capable of fighting as they do !"

— "What for ?" Asked the blonde who was massaging Sakura's shoulders, who couldn't help but relax at such competence.

— "Are you girls happy in your current life ?" Sakura finally asked, unable to understand how they couldn't see that the men were exploiting them.

— "Yes," both women said at the same time. "There is nothing in the world that could make a woman happier than this kind of life."

Hearing that last sentence, Sakura understood that most women of that time had a kind of Stockholm syndrome. They had been taught all their lives that this life was the best life a woman could dream of having... even if it was a lie. If you told yourself every morning that you were ugly when it wasn't true, you would end up thinking you were ugly yourself. Sakura felt like crying when she saw what men did to the female gender.

— "Hush, a woman shouldn't cry at the thought of being happy," Hana whispered in Sakura's ear.

— "I'm so sorry for you," Sakura whispered and let a tear roll down her cheek. The understanding of the female situation in the Sengoku era plus the stress of the afternoon made Sakura cry softly.

— "Don't cry Sakura-sama," Hana said before wiping the tears from her cheeks. She then smiled brightly. "You're so much more beautiful when you smile."

— "I...," Sakura tried to say, but Hana put her index finger to her lips and politely told her to be quiet.

— "Close your eyes and let us do this," Hana whispered and Sakura couldn't find the strength to say no, so she closed her eyes.

She reluctantly enjoyed the moment, their expert hands roaming over her body. Sakura wondered if Madara was getting the same treatment. She felt herself blush at such thoughts and a twinge of jealousy seized her at the thought of another woman touching him.

After about twenty minutes of being washed and massaged Sakura finally got out of the water and was dressed in some sort of dressing gown from that time. Amaya grabbed her hand and directed it to a piece of furniture stuck against the wall. There was a mirror and a lot of hair and make-up tools, this piece of furniture was what was called in the old days : a dressing table. Less used in Sakura's time, it was mostly present in brothels.

This time, Amaya brushed her hair while the blonde applied a cream to her body.

— "Why are you doing all this ?" Sakura asked.

— "The sword-wielding Madame has soft skin, but not enough," Amaya replied as she gently ran the brush through Sakura's hair. "If Madam wishes to seduce her lord, she must be flawless."

— "I have no suitor," Sakura repeated.

— "Does Madam allow me to speak without restraint ?" Amaya asked as she put down the hairbrush and started a bun of sorts.

— "Hai," Sakura replied as she looked at the brunette woman through the mirror in front of her.

— "Why does Madame act dishonourably, behaving like a man, with a weapon in her back ?" When she has a good friend who seems to have eyes only for her ?" Amaya asked, only to receive an answer about thirty seconds later.

— "Because there is no dishonour in wanting to protect the people you love. Unlike you who see it as a dishonour, I am capable of defending my family against an enemy. I will not cower in the face of adversity and I will be strong for the man I love so I can support and protect him," Sakura said passionately ignoring the second part the brunette stated. Sakura was very different from the women of that time, but that was only because she came from a time when attitudes had changed. Where she had been able to stand out by sheer force of will. Thanks to Tsunade and all those around her who believed in her.

Amaya stopped styling Sakura's hair and stood beside her before looking into her eyes.

— "Except that this is useless to you. I don't know who the man is that you were talking to earlier... but I know that I would kill for that kind of attention from a man," Amaya explained, who at the age of thirty had experience with men. "He respects you... I've never seen a man be so delicate and kind to a woman and I can't imagine you acting so inappropriately towards him."

Sakura couldn't help the blush that appeared on her cheeks at such a revelation.

— "Ayama-chan is right Sakura-sama," Hana confirmed as she was filing Sakura's nails. "His Lordship who was with you earlier is a very handsome man. By his build, charisma and presence he must be someone very important."

— "Hai... he is... very important," Sakura said and looked away from Amaya. "He's important to me."

Yes, he was someone important to her and she didn't want to lose him. But to love him ? Those were two completely different things. Sakura had spent her life chasing a boy, so she didn't know when a man was interested in the opposite sex.

While she was deep in thought, Sakura saw the brunette walk to the door. She opened it and looked left, then right before clapping her hands twice.

— "Ayama-sama ?" Said a female voice.

— "Bring me some cherry blossoms from the garden... quickly, quickly !" Amaya urged, then Sakura heard hurried footsteps going away down the hallway. The door was closed and the brunette returned to Sakura's side.

— "Believe me Madam, after you've been taken care of, he'll be completely under your spell," said the brunette who, while waiting for the cherry blossoms for her hair, started the make-up.

— "But it's not like that between us," Sakura refuted as the thirty-year-old dusted her forehead and cheekbones with a little powder. Suddenly, Hana and Amaya both stopped what they were doing and looked at each other. After a few seconds of silence they both began to laugh. "Why are you laughing ?"

— "Your innocence Sakura-sama," Hana said as she massaged the young woman's hands once more. She laughed more and more and a pleasant atmosphere settled in the room where two women were teasing a third who wouldn't admit how she felt about the man in the other room.

After about ten minutes someone knocked gently on the door and the brunette hurriedly got up to open it.

— "Amaya-sama, here," a small voice said.

— "Arigato !" The brunette replied before closing the door once more. She returned to the dressing table, a basket full of cherry blossoms in her hands. She put the basket down before going over to the kimono lying next to it.

It was a beautiful piece of cloth made of silk. It was a very pale pink, close to white, to remind her of the pure side of the woman. The paleness of the pink matched perfectly with Sakura's hair which only accentuated her femininity and the softness of her features. A wide pinkish-red belt at the waist was placed to remind the passionate side of the woman. The necklines of the kimono were pure white with very fine embroidery to add a complex side to the wearer.

Hana took Sakura's hand and forced her to get up from her chair and follow her to the kimono. She removed her dressing gown so that she was in her underwear only. And with the help of the two women, Sakura found herself dressed in a sumptuous kimono that she had to admit made her look beautiful.

As she looked at her reflection in the mirror, she could hardly recognize herself. Her whole outfit, her make-up, her hands, her eyes, the colour of her hair, all worked together perfectly to make her a princess.

Once the outfit was on, Amaya accompanied the young woman once more to the chair to do her hair with the help of Hana. Looking at the two women beside her Sakura couldn't help but see that they both looked very happy doing what they were doing. Sakura resented their situation, but it was only because she had lived a completely different life.

Sakura had come from a time when women had almost the same rights as men. She wondered as she saw this happiness, who was she to judge these women and more importantly how could she consider these values wrong when both women claimed to be happy ? After all, poor children could be happy by playing ball, while others could not have fun if they did not have the latest game console. Was it not the same in this situation ? Who was she to take that happiness away from women who were content with their situation ? So, out of tolerance, Sakura accepted for the moment that these women were happy in what she, Sakura... considered unhappiness. She would take as long as it took, but she would open the eyes of all these women and show them what the pleasure of freedom was.

— "You look beautiful Sakura-sama," Hana said looking at her in the mirror. Sakura was so deep in thought that she didn't realize they had finished preparing her. She put her hand to her mouth not recognizing herself at all. With the cherry blossoms in her hair used as a support to make a bun, her face was clear. Everything showed her off, and she thought she was so beautiful that a tear was forming in the corner of her eye.

— "Don't cry, Madame ! You're not allowed to cry from now on," Amaya said.

— "Arigato Hana-san, Amaya-san," Sakura thanked, still speechless at what the two women had done to her.

— "If you want to thank us Madam...," Amaya began as she looked at her in the mirror. "Leave behind, at least for this evening, your status as a warrior. Let the beautiful woman you are deep inside express herself. Shine as you really are Madame, for a beauty like you must be revealed to all. Yes, do that and you will bring honour to us and satisfy our Daimyô at the same time."

Sakura didn't answer and grabbed the small fan the brunette held out to her. Sakura stood up and headed for the door just as the sound of a bell was heard throughout the estate, announcing that it was almost time for dinner.

— "One last thing, the Lord I'm with really doesn't appreciate having to cut his own meat," Sakura said turning to the two maids. She knew that Madara could only use one of his arms and he would refuse to look weak in front of everyone. "Could you please inform the cooks ?"

— "It will be done Sakura-sama," the blonde said with a very big smile.

The door was opened and Sakura could see that Madara was already in the hallway waiting for her. He was dressed in a black kimono with blood red necklines that matched his black hair perfectly. His black hair was tied in a high ponytail with a blood red ribbon. A large lock of his hair fell down the right side of his face, hiding his blind eye in the process. He exuded so much power that it was disturbing and Sakura couldn't help but find him truly beautiful.

— "My dear...," Madara greeted and found Sakura most beautiful tonight. "I don't think there are enough words to describe your beauty right now."

Sakura blushed softly at this most direct compliment from Madara. Usually he was always an extremely discreet and subtle person in his compliments about her beauty. But this time, he had given her a praise that no man had ever given her before

— "Arigato," Sakura thanked with a thin smile on her lips. "I don't think I've ever met a man with as much presence as you."

As was the tradition, Madara held out his arm to Sakura so that she could place her arm on it as well and accompany him to the guest room. They walked for about ten minutes. Each person who passed them would step aside before bowing to their presence. It didn't matter who the two people were, they had a royal attitude.

So it was with their heads held high that Madara and Sakura arrived in a vast room where a long, wide rectangular table was placed in its centre. This table could easily accommodate thirty people.

Many people were already in the room, chatting quietly while waiting for the meal to begin. The kimonos of the people went through all the colours and the presence of all these women proved that it was a friendly meal and not a professional one. If it had been, then Sakura would have been the only woman there.

However, even though it was a festive meal of joy and fun, the placement of the guests was something very important. And if it was done incorrectly, it could create diplomatic incidents. Many turned their heads when they saw them, whether it was the men who were captivated by Sakura's splendour, or the women who were envious of such a specimen.

— "You leave no one indifferent my dear," Madara whispered as he walked towards the Daimyo.

— "I'll return the comment my lord," Sakura replied, making sure not to say her name in front of so many people.

— "Ah, Lord-dono, it pleases me to see you with us tonight," the Daimyô began with a broad smile before turning his gaze to Sakura. "I must admit that the woman who accompanies you is so beautiful that I am almost jealous."

— "Almost Daimyô-dono," Madara retorted gently, looking at his wife beside him. "You're not without your rest when you see the delightful creature at your side."

— "Ah, but I am failing in all my commitments. Lord-dono, Sakura-dono, allow me to introduce you to my wife, Yumi Shota," the Daimyô introduced, holding the hand of a woman who, at forty years old, was still very beautiful. Her hair was as red as blood, and Madara wondered if she was affiliated with the Uzumaki clan. The two of them gently bowed their heads at Yumi's introduction and she bowed hers in respect.

After a few minutes of talking, introducing himself and complimenting most of the council members, the Daimyô finally clapped his hands, drawing everyone's attention.

— "Let's eat !" Hashuba ordered and everyone sat down. The Daimyô was at the end of the table with Madara, Sakura, his wife Yumi and his main son, Daiki, on his right. And to his left were Suzuki, Rômaji, Taisho, Riku and their respective wives. The rest of the table was occupied by various nobles or important people of Ta No Kuni.

The dishes were brought by numerous servants who remained in the shadows watching the guests every move. A hand raised, and a waiter appeared to fill a cup.

As soon as the first dishes were served Sakura noticed that Madara was gently placing her left arm on the table. Luckily the chopsticks for eating were one of a kind and didn't need to be cut up. Unless that was only invented in her time.

— "Tell me, how long do you expect to stay with us ?" Hashuba asked in Madara's direction before taking a bite of his appetizer.

— "We'll probably leave early tomorrow afternoon while we fill your treasury," Madara replied, enjoying his plate full of red tuna sashimi. After all, he had been eating nothing but soup, rice and cooked fish for almost three months. Sure, it was still fish, but this one was red, fatty and mixed with a little soy, it melted in his mouth to make a flavor explosion in his taste buds.

— "How long before I see you again ?"

— "No idea, I'll probably contact you like I did the first time," Madara replied, glancing over at Sakura who was having a conversation with the Daimyô's wife.

— "And if we ever need to contact you ?" Rômaji asked this time from across the street.

— "You'd better not contact us, Rômaji-sama, I have no doubt that you are all capable of carrying out our project," Madara reassured him as he finished his plate.

— "Good," Hashuba concluded before turning to Suzuki to discuss something else.

Madara took his cup and raised it to his shoulder. Barely a second later, a servant was there filling it. When the servant was the right weight, Madara straightened two of his fingers to make the servant stop.

— "Daimyô-dono," Madara began before taking a sip of his drink. The taste was relatively sweet for a rice alcohol. The strength of it was very low, probably to get the guests through the meal.

— "Yes Lord-dono ?" Hashuba asked as his plate was cleared away.

— "For our company I think it would be wise to rename your capital," Madara announced before taking a second sip. It wasn't too bad, though he preferred the spirits made in the land of fire.

— "Why is that ? Rômaji asked this time, dusting his mouth with a napkin.

— "I must admit that I am puzzled by your advice, Lord-dono."

— "You are going to be a neutral country, and for that we will make the world understand," Madara said in a low voice after looking around slightly. His words were overlaid by the din of the meal. "Renaming your town would support this even more."

— "Do you have a particular name ?" Suzuki asked before being interrupted by the arrival of the next dishes. A myriad of hot dishes were served all along the table for the diners to help themselves. Fish, shellfish, rice, vegetables and even kobe were laid out on the table. Madara noticed that all the dishes near him were either already pre-cut or the portions were small. He turned his gaze to Sakura and saw that she had a small, knowing smile on her face.

— "Arigato," Madara said in Sakura's direction as the waiters set down the rest of the dishes.

— "I don't know what you're talking about my lord," Sakura replied with a mischievous smile, then returned to her conversation with the Daimyô's wife.

After the servants had set up everything, Madara spoke again.

— "Yes, I've already thought about it : Heiwa," Madara said before taking a plate of kobe set before him.

— "Heiwa, literally meaning : peace," Hashuba repeated, grabbing a few already opened shellfish. "Let's see..."

— "Of course, it's not for now, but I think it would be a good thing for the future," Madara insisted, grabbing a tender piece of meat.

The evening continued quietly in good spirits. Madara and the Daimyô exchanged a few words from time to time, but it was nothing of great importance. As dessert approached Sakura gently placed her hand on Madara's, who had been silent for nearly two minutes.

— "Are you alright ?" Sakura asked in a soft voice.

— "Hai," Madara replied gently, turning his gaze to the assembly.

— "You seem slightly distracted," Sakura insisted worriedly.

Maybe it was the fact that she was relaxed, or maybe it was because Sakura had asked her to, but Madara leaned into her ear.

— "I'm not very fond of this kind of event, I prefer our meals when we were together than when we were at your place," the dark-haired man whispered, not without taking a breath from Sakura's scent. It made the young woman blush a little to know that Madara enjoyed their one-on-one meal so much.

— "Tell you what, it's almost over," Sakura whispered as the desserts finished being placed on the table. Then one of the guests stood up from the table with a glass in his hand. It was Daiki, the son of the Daimyô, who seemed to want to make an announcement.

— "My dear fellow members, ladies, my lords, mother, Daimyô-dono," greeted Daiki before bowing his head as he turned to his father. He received a small nod from her, a sign that he accepted the announcement he had to make. "It is a pleasure to see you all here together thanks to our honourable Daimyô...""

A round of applause filled the room as all the guests approved of the young lord's words.

— ""But I would like to pay special tribute to a person who, without her, would not have made this evening such a success," said Daiki with a huge smile, his cheeks slightly pink, a sign that he had been drinking during the meal. "I would like to honor a creature like I've never seen in my life who made me understand what it means to love."

Hearing these words, Sakura had a very bad feeling as she watched the young man make a spectacle of himself. Then her fears were confirmed when she saw Daiki turn to her and raise a toast to her.

— "Sakura-dono ? You are a sight for sore eyes and I would like to toast our meeting," Daiki continued before raising his glass, followed by many at the table. The Daimyô, Madara and the council were the last to raise their glasses as they all feared he would cause a diplomatic incident.

— "I thank you Daiki-sama," Sakura replied using the proper politeness and a forced smile. She really didn't like this situation.

— "May I ask that you allow me a walk in the gardens after dinner ?" Daiki tried to say, unintentionally chilling the atmosphere in the room, especially on Madara Uchiha's side. He felt jealousy creep over him : he was about to get up when he felt Sakura's hand holding him back in his seat.

The young woman turned her gaze to Madara and gave him a tender smile, meaning that she was handling the situation. Of course this did not go unnoticed by the council and the Daimyo who thought he should have a little chat with his son.

Sakura moved her chair back and stood up, showing everyone her beautiful outfit. She flashed a bright smile before addressing Daiki in a melodious voice. At that moment Sakura couldn't help but think that she hated politics.

— "Daiki-sama, your words fill my heart with warmth to know that I was able to make you understand the meaning of the word love," Sakura began as the guests looked on in admiration. "However, I'm sorry, but I'm already promised to a suitor."

These words surprised the entire assembly, especially Madara who didn't know she had a suitor. After all, she had always said that all suitors had shunned her and now she was saying the opposite... was she lying to her ?

— "Who is he ? I will go and challenge him to win the shore of your heart," Daiki said immediately, feeling himself grow wings from the audience and especially from the alcohol in his system.

— "Far be it from me to disappoint you Daiki-sama, but my suitor is a shinobi and I unfortunately know that this is not your field of choice," Sakura said delicately as her sentence was a sort of insult about the fact that he didn't even know how to fight. "But, if you feel capable of taking on someone of the calibre of the shinobi gods... please, feel free to arrange whatever you think is right."

This last sentence disturbed Daiki, but also Madara who was confused for other reasons. Was she referring to him as a shinobi god ? Did she see him as a potential suitor ? Or was he just an excuse to get out of the situation brilliantly ?

— "I think you've put yourself forward enough for tonight, son," Hashuba said, looking at her son, who wasn't doing so well.

— "Ah... you're right, Daimyo-dono," Daiki bowed before sitting back down followed by Sakura. Then the Daimyô clapped his hands again so that the meal could resume and the atmosphere around the table could relax.

— "Dessert !" Said Hashuba.

— "I apologize, Sakura-sama," Yumi, Daiki's mother, whispered. I don't know what possessed my son to make such a statement.

— "Don't worry Yumi-sama, it's not serious," Sakura replied with a smile before eating some grapes. "I have no doubt that your son will one day find the woman who will fulfill him."

— "Like any self-respecting mother," the red-haired woman added. "I must say that the suitor you are destined for is very lucky."

— "I don't know," Sakura laughed, imagining the man who would have the courage to conquer her heart. He'd better hold on tight to support her. The mother laughed with her, gently warming up the mood of the evening.

Then, after a while, the Daimyô finally announced the end of the meal, freeing all the guests for the evening.

— "Daimyô-dono," Sakura and Madara said at the same time.

— "Good night to you both," the Daimyô replied before leaving with his wife.

The two shinobi walked quietly towards their flat. The corridors were silent as the night was already well underway and the majority of the residents of the Daimyô's home were already asleep. After a few minutes they finally arrived at their two rooms.

— "Have a good night Sakura-san," Madara said as he opened the door to his room.

— "Who said you'd be sleeping alone in this room Madara-san ?" Sakura whispered before entering. "Don't forget you haven't had your day's care."

Madara followed the young woman into his room. From the outside it looked like a couple about to spend the evening together. The young woman approached the dark-haired man to help him remove his kimono. After a few moments, he found himself shirtless.

— "Lie down," Sakura said pointing to the bed which was quite large. This was a lord's room, so it was only natural that the furniture was substantial.

Once Madara was settled on the bed, Sakura joined him to begin their medical ritual under his watchful eye.

— "Stop staring at me like that," Sakura whispered, feeling Madara's intense gaze on her for the past few minutes.

— "Why ?" Madara whispered back as she found Sakura most beautiful tonight. It wasn't the same beauty as usual. She was always beautiful, but tonight she was overflowing with grace, with femininity that was mesmerizing to Madara.

— "Because I'm embarrassed by it," Sakura said with a blush as she applied her Iryô Ninjutsu to the dark-haired man's arms.

— "You shouldn't be ashamed of being a beautiful woman Sakura-san," Madara persisted as he loved to see the young woman blush in the candlelight. "I didn't know you had a suitor."

— "I lied and you know it," Sakura retorted as she finished her treatments. When she was done she stood up and walked to the screen in the room. She took off her kimono before making a pouf of smoke appear in more comfortable clothes to spend the night.

So it was in a pair of black silk pajamas that Sakura lay down beside Madara, exhausted.

— "This day has drained me..."

— "Is it true what you told the Daimyô ?" Madara asked as the room was pitch black from the moment Sakura blew out the candle.

— "What was that ?" Sakura asked not knowing what he was talking about.

— "About women being more competent than a man in this medical art ?" Madara rephrased very curiously.

— "Hai, you yourself could do what I do, but not at my level. Why not ? Because you have huge reserves of chakra inside you, and to do Iryo Ninjutsu you must have extraordinary chakra control... control that is much easier to acquire by starting with little chakra. Also, this type of manipulation requires calmness and many men are prone to anger," Sakura explained.

— "I understand better..."

Madara heard the young woman next to him yawn, a sign that she was really tired. Madara didn't know what was wrong with her, but he put his arm under the back of her neck to pull her closer to him. Without understanding what was happening to her Sakura found herself against Madara's chest in confusion.

— "Good night... Sakura-san...," Madara whispered before slowly falling asleep.

Sakura didn't know what to do.

She was in Madara's arms, her heart was racing as this was the first time she had been in this situation. But she couldn't deny the fact that she felt good in his arms... safe. So she didn't struggle, she just made herself more comfortable and let Morpheus take her away.

— "Good night."