- It was nothing - I replied, trying to keep up appearances as much as possible. - And what exactly do you do in Caste Two?
- I'm a model - she said, with a tone that suggested I should already know that. - You've never seen me in an ad?
- I've never had the pleasure.
- Oh yes, you're from Caste Four. I don't think magazines are very accessible to you.
Those words hit me deeper than I'd like to admit. It was true. Konan loved to look at the magazines when we went to the market, but had never felt the need to buy them.
- Girls, please, Tayuyu and Mei are going to start. Let's get closer," said Yugito, visibly embarrassed by the situation. She took my hands and pulled me towards the center, where the girls were.
- For you! - exclaimed Mei, looking at Hinata.
Tayuyu brought the flute to her lips. For a moment, all the chaos around us disappeared. There was no Karui with his malice, no Sasuke lurking in the corridors, no rebels trying to break into the Palace. There was only the music, flowing like a perfect sound that stretched through time, and a voice that brought incomparable beauty to life. I closed my eyes and smiled, imagining a field covered in those homely flowers, with Naruto in the middle of it, smiling at me. I would let him call me anything - "my darling", "beautiful, cruel thing", or even "wife" - as long as he looked at me with that smile.
An exclamation of surprise interrupted the moment, and the music stopped. When I opened my eyes, there was the prince. The girls blushed and quickly stood up to greet him. Almost everyone was around him, when...
- Ah, Hinata, I'm so sorry!
Some of the girls looked startled in the same direction. Hinata's immaculate white dress was stained with wine. It looked like she had been stabbed.
- I'm sorry, I turned around too quickly... Ah... Hinata, please let me help you.
That performance by an actress might have seemed sincere to many, but I knew Karui. Hinata, who until that moment had been holding back tears of happiness, burst into sobs and ran outside, with Karui and the prince following her.
***
- But I'm serious, can you please believe me? Naruto, it wasn't an accident.
Kyubi brought the ball to me, and I gave it to him to play again. We were just passing the time until the official newspaper.
- She looked so sad and apologized so much... - said Naruto, throwing the little red ball over a bush. The orange dog quickly disappeared among the leaves. - How could it not be an accident?
I snorted, already annoyed.
- She wanted to end Hinata's fifteen minutes of fame, isn't it obvious?
- No, it's not obvious. Did you hear Karui say anything?
- No, but... what about Fuu? Karui provoked her, and you sent her away.
- Sakura... - Naruto put his hands on his waist and sighed heavily. - I don't want to talk about Karui, Hinata or Fuu. I want to be calm...
- Why don't you believe me when I say that Karui did it on purpose?
- Sakura, I don't think you're lying. You believe it was on purpose, I don't agree, period. Can we change the subject?
Kyubi came out from behind the bush with the little ball in her mouth and walked over to me. I crouched down.
- She's a dangerous snake... - I whispered, stroking Kyubi's ears.
- That's enough," said Naruto, sighing like he couldn't take it anymore. - I don't want to talk about it anymore.
I was silent for a moment.
- It must be those breasts of hers... - I muttered softly.
- I told you; I don't want to talk about her! - Naruto replied, anger evident in his voice.
That was all I could manage. I snorted, trying to put Kyubi's collar back on. I was so frustrated that I wanted to scream.
- If you're going to act like this, then I'm going to find someone who really wants my company! - I shouted, turning my back on him and starting to walk away.
- Hey!
- No!" Naruto turned and shouted with an intensity I would never have imagined coming from him. - You forget your situation, Miss Sakura. It would do you good to remember that I am the crown prince of the Land of Fire. To all intents and purposes, I'm the lord and master of this place, and I'd be a fool to let you treat me like this in my own home. You don't have to agree with my decisions, but you do have to submit to them.
He turned and left, not noticing or ignoring the tears forming in my eyes.
I didn't look at him during dinner, but it was impossible to ignore him at the official newspaper. I saw him watching me twice, but I didn't want to talk to him or pay any attention to him.
I went straight to my room as soon as the program ended. I saw him try to follow me, but Pakura and Yugaõ pulled him into a conversation.
Why wouldn't he listen to me? Worse, did he really believe that Karui would never lie? Maybe Naruto was just another normal guy, and Karui just a pretty girl. In the end, her beauty would prevail. After all that stuff about true love, the prince was just another guy attracted to breasts, guys.
And if he was that kind of guy, what was the problem? Why did it bother me so much? Dumb! Dumb! Dumb! I kissed him, I wanted to believe that I was in love with him and... was I? No! No! I wasn't.
I turned down the corridor from my room and found Sasuke staring at me. According to the regulations, guards were supposed to look straight ahead and stand at attention. But Sasuke was watching me.
I entered the room and slammed the door as hard as I could, the sound echoing in the solitude of the room. There was no point in trying to sleep or picking up a book. The urge to run to the stables was overwhelming, to mount Dancer and ride until exhaustion overtook me, making me fall asleep in my cell. I wanted to punch the prince, I wanted to shout at him, I wanted to..."
Just then, the door opened and Sasuke walked in.
- Sasuke, what are you doing? - I asked, stepping back as he approached, but he didn't say a word. - Get out of here immediately. - My voice was shaking, but he ignored it. He continued to advance in silence. - Sasuke...
He stopped, standing an inch away from me, his gaze fixed and intense. Without a sound, he lowered his spear to the ground with one smooth movement. His hand, cold as the wind, lightly touched the ends of my hair, and the silence between us seemed denser than ever.