Chapter 33 - Kiss me [3]

- A princess? - Sakura looked puzzled.

- Yes, Princess Temari, now Queen. She's from the Land of the Winds. When she was seven, an entourage from the Land of the Winds passed through Konoha. They wanted an arrangement between Prince Kankuro and Karin and used the excuse of attending my parents' wake to do so. Princess Temari was 13 at the time, and we immediately became friends. While Kankuro and Karin seemed to hate each other, I helped her climb to the top of an observatory. On the fourth day, I brought her up to my room and kissed her. The next day, the entourage from the Land of the Winds left and I never saw her again. I wrote a hundred letters until my godfather told me that she couldn't answer any of them.

Sakura frowned and leaned against the parapet. I leaned against her side and looked up at the sky.

- Why?

- The Land of the Winds has a different royal culture. There, the king chooses his heir from among his sons, it doesn't matter if he's the youngest or the oldest, nor does it matter what gender he is, what matters is that he's worthy. King Kaze chose Temari, dispensing with the two male children he had. Isn't that amazing? - I missed Temari, I always did. She seemed to understand me. But now I had Sakura. I never felt comfortable talking about Temari with anyone, but Sakura was different, my Sakura.

- Incredible, really.

- The truth is, if she was to be Queen of Wind, I'm destined to be King of Fire. King Kaze couldn't lose his chosen heir and took her away from me.

She looked back as she left, carried by two maids, with her brothers following. But before she was out of sight, she looked back and smiled at me.

- In the end, I think I should even say thank you. If we had this culture in the Land of Fire, Karin would be the chosen one, she would be queen. Everyone chooses her. She's intelligent, perceptive and...

Sakura placed a finger gently on my lips and faced me. Our fingers intertwined and I felt an electric current run through my body.

- I'm going to tell you something, but don't tell the prince. - Sakura smiled, with a playful look on her face. - He's kind, very kind, and he's also intelligent. Did you know he can read Swedish?

- I did! - I laughed, amused by the way she spoke.

- Who the hell can read Swedish?

- The prince does. - I replied, laughing.

- Yes, he does. And he also knows how to understand people. He knows how to love, how to make everyone feel special and essential. A country doesn't just need wit and coolness. The Land of Fire needs love, it needs a gentle ruler. The Land of Fire needs you, Naruto. - She ran her hands gently over my cheeks and held my face. I loved the way she stood on her tiptoes to match my height. - If the Land of Fire had the same custom as the Kingdom of Temari, I would choose you. You will be my king.

I didn't realize when our noses touched. She smelled like an exotic fruit, something that left me completely spellbound.

- Sakura...

- Naruto, don't tell the prince anything, but... I'm in love with him too.

And she kissed me, the best kiss of my life. Something about her hesitation made me feel special. I held her tightly around the waist, making sure it was real, that she was mine, only mine. The bright sky of the capital stretched above us and, to the west, a beautiful city seemed to shout our name. But nothing, absolutely nothing, was as beautiful and irresistible as her.

***

I had just laughed at something Rin had said when Shizune came into the bathroom, pale as paper. I was up to my chest in foam and flavored water when I heard the news that the princess was in my chambers. I jumped out of the bath and, with trembling hands, Samui quickly dressed me in a robe.

- Your Majesty, Miss Haruno Sakura. - Samui announced with unnecessary formality.

Princess Karin looked stunning in a black strapless dress that was very tight to her body, revealing her delicate curves. She wore a silver crown that reflected the light and a necklace with a ruby as big as an egg. And there I was, in my white robe, soft and simple.

- Your Majesty. - I said hello, fiddling lightly with the bars of my robe as if it were a skirt.

The princess's ruby-colored eyes watched me closely, but I kept my gaze steady, promising myself that she wouldn't intimidate me.

- Get out! - Samui, Shizune and Rin nodded nervously and hurried out. Through the door, I could see the shadows of two guards watching my room.

The princess walked through the room with disdain and settled down on the divan near the window.

- To what do I owe the honor, Your Majesty?

- I want you to pack your bags and tell Naruto you want to go home. I'll make sure that excellent compensation arrives in your hands, and everyone in your family will be elevated to Caste Two.

I remained silent for a few seconds, my thoughts traveling through my mind. The proposal seemed so absurd that I just tilted my head to one side.

- What?

- Do you know the rebels, miss? - The princess began, her expression hardened and her eyes melancholy. She spoke like someone who had been through the war and come back, with the pain of losing friends and the need to move on as if nothing had happened.

- There are two groups: Akatsuki and Taka. The Akatsuki are more peaceful, appearing from time to time, breaking windows, damaging furniture and making small revolutions in the provinces, but in the end, they don't cause much damage. The Taka... are the real danger. They kill civilians and it was they who murdered my parents.

There was a silent pain in the princess's eyes, a sadness that mixed with the red of her eyes, as present in her as her own hands. The loss of her parents, so brutally, still seemed to weigh heavily on her. The country went into mourning for a month after the death of the king and queen, but Karin still seemed to be in mourning.

- Do you know what these two groups have in common? - She asked, her voice lower. I nodded. - They want to destroy the monarchy. They want to destroy the royal family. Me, Naruto, my grandmother... anyone who has a direct link to us. Orochimaru lives in a house with three security systems. Jiraya doesn't leave the house without the escort of the Queen's Guard.