#LIKE DO YOU GET IT! SHE BECAME THE GENERAL AND A SERVANT OF THE SHOGUN

[oathofkaslana]

I can not stress enough how much the duel with kazuha’s friend is integral to au verse sara’s guilt bc that duel carries the death of someone! tht duel carried a grieving witness! I think sara saw something when kazuha leapt forward and grasped that dying vision. I think she knew tht in another world that would’ve been her vision. and no one would leap forward to catch it. I think she stayed up late that night haunted by the slaughter she believes is on her hand. I think she has this stark realization (even if she always knew) that she could’ve died that day. and no one would’ve cared. the shogun would’ve struck her general down. and then later in the aq when miko reveals the crimes of the kujou clan i know it ran through her mind again.

[love-archon]

A Poem For You

Fleeting romances in the court of the Raiden Shogun, whose reign stands eternally still...

Spring - 春

"In Naniwa Bay, now the flowers are blossoming. After lying dormant all winter, now the spring has come..."

-Wani of Baekje

• The old tales warn of kitsune: yokai that take on forms of handsome men and beautiful women to play tricks on the unsuspecting humans. When they are careless, however, their disguises slip, and one can see a tail or two poking out from under their robes.

• Or, in the case of your soldiers' archery instructor, Gorou, a pair of large, fluffy ears emerging from his hair.

• There are whispers of a general in the rebel army far in the mountains, who has the features of a fox spirit and the slyness to match. Thankfully, the army lacks valuable intel to proceed, and cannot move forward without the use of spies.

• You blink and, in a shimmer like dust on sun-baked earth, the ears are gone. The gentle afternoon breeze rustles the leaves, and he nocks his arrow and lets it fly.

• Perhaps you were simply imagining things?

• Gorou, who guides his trainees with a strong, reliable hand, steady as stone,

• Gorou, who splits arrows in half as they fly, vowing to protect you always,

• Gorou, who smiles fondly at you as you walk through the gardens of your estate, holding your parasol to veil you from the sun, would never betray you or the great shogun. Would he?

• One warm spring night, where the dew still drips from the sakura flowers, he sits with you on the rooftops. His round lazuli eyes meet yours, and he tells you, truthfully, that he'll be leaving soon. Won't you join him?

• Your heart stirs to agree, but you respond that you cannot abandon your duties to your family, or to the shogun. He looks disappointed, but gets up from his seat, telling you that he accepts your decision. “If you ever change your mind,” he begins, but stops when the look in your eyes makes it clear you can’t.

• But you didn't know that "soon" meant now.

• Papers stolen from your family's most secret rooms are rolled up in his hands. His plain clothes melt away to reveal the uniform of the rebel army. The foxlike ears you thought were a dream now rest on his head, clear as day. 

• Most striking of all, however, are the nine tails shimmering behind him- the mark of a fox spirit that’s accumulated centuries of magic.

• Your eyes can’t quite catch the way he leaves, and you’re not sure exactly when you became alone in the night with the flowers.

• Or if you’d imagined the saddened way he said goodbye.

Summer - 夏

"The spring has passed, and the summer comes again;

For the white robes are spread to dry on the Mount of Kaguyama."

-Empress Jitoh

• You do not know who keeps sending these letters, despite your best efforts. Only that they must be a refined noble of high status and excellent taste.

• Each cut of paper, beautifully bound, is dyed the right color to match the season. They are appropriately adorned with fresh sprigs of plants from the sender's garden, or tied with a luxurious ribbon of patterned silk. Lavish scents drift off the pages in a perfume that's sweet and light.

• Oh, and the words.

• The appearance of these gifts pale in comparison to the contents. The mysterious admirer has learned the alphabet borrowed from Liyue, and the complex brush strokes are applied with just the right deftness that each kanji character shines.

• Your beauty is eternal, they proclaim, like unmelting snow on summer mountains, and strikes the heart like a bolt of lightning. In your luminous eyes, the ideal of your god has been met- a thousand times over...

• As dizzyingly romantic as it is, one thing gives you pause, as you lift your own brush to write your reply.

• "Your god," it says. Not mine.

• Who would know the secret etiquette of the court so intimately, to the point that other suitors' letters paled in comparison... and not worship the immaculate Raiden Shogun, much less take an interest in you?

• Then you are sent in your clan head's place to deal with the troublesome Fatui that have slipped past your nation's defenses, and you find your answer then. Their leader wears the traditional attire of a traveling nobleman, and wields his weapon with aristocratic grace.

• His underlings fall rather quickly under your hand, but he himself is annoyingly persistent. He darts out of the way of your attacks, but it takes all your power to stop his from striking true.

• You do not get his name, only his face- fair and clean and luminous, with delicate features twisted in cruel amusement. 

• It’s a shame that you must marr it with your blade, but what can be done?

• Then, he glides past you, close enough to whisper in your ear, and completes the poem no one has seen but you. 

Autumn - 秋

"Even in the age of almighty gods unheard of;

The waters of Tatsuta are dyed in crimson red."

-Lord Ariwara-no-Narihira

• It is time for the great procession- an event of fanfare and decadence, where you and your family must travel from your ancestral home to the domain of the immortal shogun to display your wealth.

• Despite the excitement surrounding the occasion, you know quite well it is nothing more than a way to maintain control over the lords of Inazuma.

• But no expense must be spared if it means preserving your reputation. If it means that no other family dares question your wealth. Not in travel, not in housing arrangements, not in entertainment, not in the hired guards to protect you on your long and arduous journey.

• And so, after you pay the Kaedehara clan the exorbitant sum they demand, they give you twenty able-bodied samurai under their command... including Kazuha, their youngest son.

• The servant girls- and some of the boys- traveling with you blush when he passes, observing his lithe form and gentle eyes and striking, pale blond hair. One streak of red is visible there, calling to mind a sole maple leaf in autumn.

• Kazuha does not join in the other samurai's revelry. While they cheerfully indulge in the food and drink provided to them on the journey, and boast of their prowess when the time comes to fight bandits hiding on the path, he remains silent and alone, his eyes only on his collection of handwritten poems.

• (And, when you aren’t looking, they shyly flit to you before looking away.)

• In the end, however, Kazuha is the only one who actually bests a bandit in combat.

• Late at night, when the others are sleeping off the wine, large shadows flit past the trees. The bandit clans in the area thrive during this time, like hunters when beasts migrate in droves. They're confident that this traveling party will be easy prey.

• But one thief approaches too rashly, too quickly, and one crimson eye opens to meet him.

• Kazuha drifts from one opponent to another like a leaf falling from its branch, carried by strong winds. And yet, none of them can touch him. One after another, each man collapses with a sharp cry, only their silhouettes visible in the darkness. 

• In the morning, the traveling party awakens to see fifty-some criminals tied up and piled up in a heap, and bursts into laughter. As the other samurai are still hung over, it’s clear who was responsible for this.

• Yes, Kaedehara-kun is a wonderful samurai. Skillful, composed, brave. And an excellent companion to have by one’s side, if one is lucky enough to have met him.

• It was quite the shock to learn that he would later flee the islands, sailing onward to the Land of Contracts aboard the ship of a pirate lord.

• But if anyone had the strength of mind to defy the gods- wouldn’t it be him?

Winter - 冬

"In winter, the early mornings. It is beautiful indeed when snow has fallen during the night, but splendid too when the ground is white with frost..."

-Sei Shonagon

• Lady Ayaka is one of your closest friends, with your families being in a partnership for centuries. You have fond memories of playing together in the snow, with cranes flying overhead in the white sky.

• You know her secrets, and she knows yours. Nothing is kept between you- this is how you survive in a court of treachery and lies.

• So when she passes by in a sunlit hallway, you hear a whisper that shocks you to the core. Smooth silver hair floats past your sight, quiet as snow, and just as fleeting. But you must collect yourself quickly, for spies may lurk behind any silken screen.

• You will be betrothed to Kamisato Ayato, your dear friend's older brother, in ten day's time.

• As close as you are to Ayaka, Ayato has always been a shadow flitting in the corner of your sight, being too busy with his duties to see you. So his visage- to you- is as featureless as a field of snow.

• After all the romance novels you've read, it's difficult to accept marrying a man you've never spoken with, but... what can be done? You can only hope that Lord Ayato is kind and treats you well.

• But... what if he isn’t?

• Lady Ayaka would never speak ill of her brother. In fact, no noblewoman would even consider such a notion, even if it were true. Good appearances, on every level, are more important to nobles than gold. 

• But all the same, you’ve seen the ladies of the court who are trapped in loveless homes like birds in cages. How their smiles are painted on, how their laughs ring hollow and empty, how they glance longingly to the world outside, beyond the lavish court that hides them here.

• Your gaze drifts towards the harbor, where the water shimmers with light. You could run away, too. To the eastern mountains, where your former archery teacher hides with his fellow rebels- although to do that would invoke the shogun's wrath. Or, riskier still, follow Kazuha's path to the harbor, and chase him on to Liyue...

• “Young Lord Kamisato is waiting for you,” a servant says, breaking you from your thoughts, and bowing hastily before you can meet her eyes. The servant across from her does the same as the paper doors slide open, and they do not rise as you walk through.

• This room is airy and spacious, of course. Wind from opened windows seems to sigh as it passes over you and beyond, and you can smell flowers from the garden carried in from the breeze. How strange... even a garden that you played in countless times seems completely new and unfamiliar.

• Gracefully, soundlessly, Ayato emerges from behind his ornate screen. Power and elegance flows from his every movement. And at last, you dare to look at what you have never seen before.

• You look at his face, finally revealed before you, like translucent ice giving way to the land beneath the white...

• And gasp.

_______

Author's Notes

Wani of Baekje: Each opening quote is a poem by a famous Japanese author, but Wani was a scholar visiting from Ancient Korea!

Great procession: Known in Japan as sankin kotai. Powerful lords were forced to spend massive amounts of money to travel from their homes to the shogun's castle and back; in this way, the shogun was able to keep them on an efficiently tight leash.

[stick2strokes]

To the traveler and Paimon, a mere puppet had fallen during the battle.

But to the resistance and the Shogun's army, they could only comprehend one thing as light consumed her body.

The Raiden Shogun was dead.

Everything became as still as water, and everyone barely escaped the explosion that came after. Needless to say, only a handful were injured once the blinding light settled, leaving no trace of the Raiden Shogun's body. What remained of her, however, was her sword, which miraculously survived.

All stared at the young vision wielder who once stood before the Raiden Shogun.

Once he stood up, Kaedehara Kazuha became as still as stone, unable to fully absorb the fact that he had killed the Electro Archon. But once it did, the sword in his grasp slipped and fell to the ground. He trembled, visible to everyone around him.

The Raiden Shogun was dead.

And it was all because Kazuha could not bear to see another friend die.

"Kazuha..." Paimon muttered, speechless.

Kujou Sara screamed, disbelieving of the fact that the Almighty Shogun was gone. A deity of such rank, of such power, should not and could not be that easy to kill.

But perhaps it was because of sheer luck because she had seen how the Shogun was a little too late to dodge.

The Raiden Shogun was dead.

She was gone.

Sangonomiya Kokomi feared that the general of the opposing side would kill Kazuha in her fury, and made haste to the young man's side. But she was only halfway to reaching him when suddenly, lightning of great size hit the ground before her. She yelped and stumbled back, landing with a *Thud!*

Everyone looked up and watched as everything darkened, clouds drawing nearer to where the sword laid. Thunder boomed through the heavy sky as lightning grew rampant in the area. The sudden change of environment moved the opposing sides to one united goal: to avoid the dancing lightning.

The only one who had yet to move was Kazuha, who was yet to be hit by the purple sky.

Seeing this, the traveler looked up, and dread blossomed from within as the center began to glow a dangerous white.

"KAZUHA, MOVE!"

In a flash, a giant ball of pinks, whites, and reds appeared before Kazuha, causing everyone to jump and fall as if they landed on a flexible bed.

Regaining their composer, Paimon and the traveler gasped. They were so focused on avoiding the lightning---ears overwhelmed by hearing the sound of thunder---that they had forgotten how the earth began to shake.

At least Kazuha was thrown out of the lightning's way.

Kazuha groaned, getting up for the second time, and looked up, startled by the big red paw in front of him. The color immediately drained from his face as red eyes met purple ones.

What stood before him was a giant nine-tailed fox. Its body was dominated by light pink, but the tips of its ears and tails were white. Its legs grew redder in color as the traveler gazed downwards. Something about the ethereal being felt familiar, but once the traveler and Paimon noticed the earrings clipped on its ears, the feeling of familiarity made sense.

As if pulled back to recent memory, the voice of a certain fox lady rang in their heads.

"Hehe, it sounds like you'd be more persuaded if you saw me in my fox form?"

"In your dreams."

"Since we've embarked on two very different paths to eternity, I can either continue to maintain the status quo or do whatever it takes to bring her back on track, regardless of the cost...

I have chosen the latter because... if stubbornly isolating herself in the Plane of Euthymia is her idea of eternity...

Then my duty as her eternal servant is to drag her out of her own head and into the real world."

As the fox's familiar earrings glowed and emitted electricity, the sword before her paws rose and glowed as well, spewing out lightning around itself.

And it was at that moment the traveling dup knew there was no room for guessing.

Yae Miko had come for the sword.

Yae Miko had come for Ei.

But what else compelled her to come? And in her fox form? Was there a much larger threat nearby?

Those questions would be temporarily left unsolved. As the light grew in intensity, the traveler and Paimon snapped out of their trances and quickly headed to Kazuha, screaming at him to get out of the way.

Just as Kazuha was successfully shoved away, the light blinded their vision, leaving them in a brief daze.

Once they composed themselves, the traveler noticed that all three were in the Plane of Euthymia.

And in the center was real Raiden Shogun, who was looking at them with piercing purple eyes.

[gintokissilverbells]

The First Time

Pairing: Kawakami Bansai x Female Reader

Warning: A little angsty and a bit of fluffy/semi-romantic?? moments. A bit of a sad past, but I promise it gets better! I think...

TRIGGER WARNING: Mention of family death and grieving (break down??).

Summary: When misfortune befell on you; you were given a chance to seek revenge against those who wronged you, but you got a bit more than what you bargained.

Word Count: 2.3k

A/N: AAAHHH!! My first request!! I’m not gonna lie, I panicked a little when I got this request. (I deleted it by accident, but hey I got a screenshot of it). Sorry that I took a bit of time. I got carried away when writing this request. It was supposed to be short but I ended up getting into it, and I ended up editing some things out because this WASN’T MEANT TO BE SAD WTF... Anyhow, my writing is still improving and my grammar isn’t the best, but I will definitely edit this out for any grammar mistakes on a later date.

To the Anony: Thank you sweet pea for your well wishes!!! It makes me happy knowing someone out there is looking forward to this request. I hope this lived up to your expectations, or at least grazed your expectations a little. I hope to hear more of your asks if you wish to send some more.

- Mrs. Sakata

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Life has a funny way of turning sour things to sweet, and vice-versa. You never know when the wrong side of the coin will land on top, or when misfortune befalls on you.

You lived a comfortable life as the daughter of the shogun’s top general. Your upbringing and education were of the best quality, and your family were loving and supportive. As your family tradition dictated, every direct descendent of the family’s main branch were required to learn the art of the sword and martial arts.

You excelled at whatever given tasks, and even advanced to learning strategy and war tactics from your father himself. You were the perfect only daughter of the (y/l/n) clan, and the one who was given the hope of surpassing your father’s intellect and strategy. Your growing connections with the wealthy, the politicians, and influential people were making you a reliable future head of the family.

Until the day misfortune befell on your family, and ultimately on you.

The greatest and exemplarily man of your life had slipped up, and he and all of your family paid for it. The man who you called your father was found guilty of treason against the Bakufu by aiding various Jouishi extremist groups with supplies, investments, and most importantly, weapons. The most notable extremists of them all, the Kiheitai. The Army of the Demon Soldiers. By aiding these extremists, your father was taken and executed along with most of your family and servants.

Escaping with only your father’s precious sword, the (y/l/n) clan’s former glory and status had all but plummeted. You were all alone and being persecuted, with only a sword to really call your own.

Then you stumbled on the very people your father was helping with overthrowing the Bakufu. You don’t know what really happened, or how you became to join the Kiheitai officially. It was all a blur, a lot of noise, and a lot to process. Yet, you found yourself sitting amongst the dangerous leaders of the group instead of being forced to death by your family’s killers.

You found yourself quickly introduced into the ranks before you had completely assimilated the absence of your family. It was too much all at once, and to add to it, the mastermind behind her rescue was no other than the Kiheitai’s leader: Takasugi Shinsuke.

It was no secret to you—or to anyone—for the reason of your recruitment. He knew he had lost a valuable backer and spy with the death of your father—and he made it known that even if this setback their plans slightly—he still intended on using you and your connections amongst those who are willing to back the Kiheitai. And you willingly allowed it to happen. After all, the Bakufu were the reason for you losing everything that was dear to you, and you were not going to rest until you saw the corrupt organization burned to the ground.

Of course, ideals are all good and pure up until the dirty work came around. It wasn’t all sunshine and daisies, nor was it easy to work with experienced soldiers, tacticians, and assassins. Being second-guessed, fighting for your position, and defending yourself against the toughness of ral life; you were quickly maturing to a level you never imagined you will reach. Where once you were amongst the rich, now you were there amongst real people, real suffering, and real pain. You weren’t the spoiled brat that was able to defeat your father in a game of war anymore. You were someone else now, and you weren’t quite sure what that meant beyond the revenge you seek for your family, and for your father.

Amongst everything that happened; there was a silent supporter amongst some of the opposition you faced. He was quiet, always hearing his music and seemingly ignoring his surroundings. When listening to something he particularly liked, he will bob his head to the beat and make his teal green hair flutter with the movement. When you first arrived at their main base of operation, he was the one who silently guided you through the Kiheitai ranks and guided you to a new beginning for a new you. Your first impression of him did not go beyond that of a good-looking man and wondering what type music he was listening to. Now, he was a mentor of sorts, and you often accompany him in negotiations and transactions made between the extremists and Amanto mercenaries.

Now, in your current present, you were sitting by yourself in one of the observatory rooms of the ship. You saw the stars pass by you as the ship sailed into the black void. As you looked on, you held the last memento of your family close to you. Scattered around you were products that you needed to clean your father’s sword, and you ceremonially cleaned it with respect and care.

You hadn’t noticed there was someone else in the room.

Going on about your business, the man you thought about lately stood next to you. Looking up in surprise, you saw him keep his gaze on the sparkling stars. There was silence between you two, not awkward, but pure and simple silence. As you were about to go back to your cleaning and maintenance, you saw him settle down next to you after taking off his shamisen from his back and holding the instrument on his lap. At first, there was a pregnant pause before he spoke,

“Have you’ve gotten used to life here?”

It was a random question and so very out of the ordinary for him. He wasn’t a shy man, and he had no trouble speaking, but often enough he just chose not to. You knew him as being quiet and usually did not initiate any conversation unless he found some interest on what he saw or heard. Most of the time, when it was just you two, you will be the one to start the conversation. It was always work related though.

“You can say that… It is better than what fate and the Bakufu had in store for me back then,” You answered as you ran a soft rag over the long blade of your father’s katana.

“­­Are you comfortable?”

You looked at him quizzically, but you indulged him with an answer,

“Yes…”

“…You sound unsure.”

Bansai looked at you through his maroon rimmed shades. His light brown eyes staring right at your soul and maybe your inner thoughts. You sighed, looking away from him in hopes he took the hint and dropped the future topic. You really did not want to talk about your state of comfort to him with his weird interrogation/caring questioning. Instead, you decided to busy yourself looking at the stars and questioning him,

“Bansai-sama, with all due respect, what brings you here? I doubt you came to question me about trivial things as the state of my comfort.”

You didn’t mean to be rude or trying to get rid of his presence. You were merely questioning his motives. After all, this was extremely out of his character.

Without missing a beat, the man ignored your question and repeated his statement,

“You sound unsure.”

You sighed and turned to look at him. He seemed to have not moved at all from the position you last saw him in. His staring became a bit more intense, and finally you gave in after having a small staring match with him. With a sigh, you looked down at your sword and found your face being reflected on it.

“It’s not that I’m unsure. I am comfortable. I have food, a place to sleep, and a roof above my head. There is no need to worry about that. It’s just… I guess I just miss what I had…”

You paused. This is the first time you had ever talked to him about a personal matter… or to anyone to begin with. You were always busy with something else or making meetings with potential backers and the such. There was no real time to worry about comfort, or to remember. To remember what you took for granted, and how much you missed it. 

Clearing your throat, you smiled forcefully and looked towards the man next you,

“Do not worry about me, Bansai-sama. I will be alright. You don’t have to worry about my performance or my ability to complete my duties. I will follow through our goal to my very end.”

Bansai stared back, and for a few moments the emotions in his eyes shifted into something soft before going back to being passive. Observing her as if she was something hard to understand.

Looking away with an embarrassed soft blush, you returned to cleaning your sword. At this point, you were just trying to make yourself busy rather than cleaning the sword. It was already clean to begin with.

A soft sigh came out from the man next to you before he spoke up,

“I had passed by to see if the room was empty. I was wrong, obviously… When I saw it was you… You held a sad expression.”

You almost didn’t catch the last part of his sentence, but for some reason it still rang in your ears loud and clear. A little stunned, you stared at him with a slightly confused face; mouth slightly agape. 

This was the first time he had expressed any concern for you. Ever.

He looked down on his instrument and prepared himself to play it. Ignoring your existence for a moment, he started to play a tune. This was also the first time you heard the instrument being played in such proximity. Almost like a private concert. You were entranced by it at first, the movement of his skilled calloused hands and the concentrated expression he held on his face made him look different to you.

This was different from his usual demeanor.

Finishing up, he finally opened his eyes and looked at you. A little mesmerized you complimented him,

“That was amazing... so beautiful.” 

He widen his eyes and his cheeks only so slightly turned pink, but he didn’t turn away from you. 

“Thank you.”

You smiled a little before looking at the glass window, the black nothingness outside peppered with stars. The silence that transpired between you two stayed liked that for a few moments, and you decided to speak again, 

“Father would’ve thrown a fit if he saw me following his footsteps. He would’ve for sure locked me in my room and tell me to study instead of playing with fire.”

She smiled down on your sword with a wistful expression. Raising it up, you let the light gleam on it’s sharp edge, “He often told me stories of the Joui wars, the amanto invasion, and how he served the Bakufu despite everything... The look on his eyes... they were those of a guilty man in a nightmare. I should’ve guessed his intentions from the very beginning.”

Your eyes started to water, and you let the sword rest on your lap. Biting your lips, you hid from the gaze of Bansai as you spoke again, “He wanted a different future for me... Ah dang it, I’m sorry... it’s been a few months and it still hurts so much... I don't even know what I am saying anymore. Forget-”

His voice interrupted you, “Instead of forgetting... and pretending to be strong in front of a man who also has known lose, you should remember the good and the bad times and let the tears flow. Do not pretend that it did not happen, it will only hurt more and for a longer time than what you will wish for. Instead, take it as the driving force to what makes you now, and what drives you to move forward. As twisted the path is, it is still forward. That is what (Y/Father’s/N)-dono would’ve said, I daresay.”

You were biting your lips so hard, you were sure to draw blood from them if you kept on trying to hold back the tears. A few traitor ones slipped by and finally a gasp for air was heard from you. Then there it was, you felt the few awkward comforting taps on your shoulder. You slowly turned your head to the only other person in the room, your eyes meeting slowly, a small hiccup leaving your lips before...

“... Bansai-sama? Are you alright?... You look... constipated.”

The man’s expression looked like it was in that sort of pain when you know it’s there but you can’t push it out because you think your whole existence will go with it. You know, THAT pain? Well that’s the look he had. 

Bansai looked at you with a dangerous glare as you mentioned it to him. Removing his hand quickly, you couldn’t help but snort before starting to laugh even with the snot clogging your nose.

The tears you tried to hide became those of laughter, and the look that Bansai gave you was enough for you to die down a little. Cleaning a tear away, you sighed when you finally completely stopped.

“I needed that. Thank you Bansai-sama.” You gave him the brightest smile you could and he returned a semi-soft one in return.

“This is the first time I see you smile like that...” You gave him a surprised look, cheeks flushed, but nevertheless you gave him another one. You felt lax, and a little lighter. The hurt was still there, but the pain was easier to bear today than yesterday.

He held a smile as well, not as expressive, but definitely reached his passive eyes. This was the first time you saw him show so much emotions to you, and you felt a different connection to him from the one that had transpired earlier.

There was always a first time for everything, and that time in the observatory was the first time to a blooming relationship.

[daraanna]

“Arranged Love”- Part One „Porcelain doll”

Rating: T

It’s my first fic which I translated to english so please be gentle to me >.<

The life of the successor to the imperial throne has never been easy. Every day he was awakened before twelve and dressed by his servants. Then he had to go to the audience with the father-emperor and drink tea with the mother-empress. A conversation with his sister and boring meeting with advisers. While he have to make decisions which he didn’t understand. Then he has training and finally free time. In the evening he would normally go on a sparring with Mitsuki but since his friend got married two months ago, he rarely visited the castle. In addition, he was preparing to take over the title of Lord Otokagure after his father. Still he didn’t miss him very much... His friend was very eccentric and now since he get married he always talk about his very intimate experiences with his wife and Kami both of them had really sick ideas ... Now he spent time with Shikadai-the son of the emperor's adviser and Inojin- son of the Lord  from the east who was practice to become court painter. Unfortunately, both the beloved by Nara clan shogi game and drawing didn’t interest him very much. And now he couldn’t even afford to see the dance show of beautiful dancers because the entire country was mourning after the death of the Great Shogun from the Uchiha clan - a longtime friend of the emperor. Boruto have  seen him several times in his life but the man made a great impression on him. It's hard to believe that someone like him died in battle. However, the month of national mourning is a huge exaggeration! He was bored with flirting with servants. They were pretty but ordinary also they often wanted something more than have a little bit fun He couldn’t afford to have an illegitimate child. His mother would be devastated . He didn’t want to get married so early too... No matter what Mitsuki said about pleasures of love making. The whole concept of marriage seemed to him very troublesome. Maybe he started to talk like Shikadai, but he really don’t want to change his life. Unfortunately, fate have completely different plans for him.

Next morning at audience with his father, he heard something terrible.

“I found a wife for you “the Emperor's words were as warm as always, but it did not make him feel any better” your wedding will be held in a castle temple in two weeks.”

"What?!" - after a long moment of shock, he said, " With who? I don’t even know her!”

"Your wife will be the daughter of the last Shogun. You know her. You spent a lot of time together as a children, when that bastard still visited me with the whole family ..."

At these words he recalled a silhouette of a little girl with short hair, dressed in a simple Yukata and pants, who for some reason chasing him with a stick everywhere... He still remembered his shock, when his mother told him that this strange boy is a girl and shouldn’t beat her. The vision of spending the rest of his life with this freak was too tragic. However, despite his insistent requests, his father didn’t change his mind. Furious, he left the emperor's chamber without waiting for permission.

                                       ...........................................

Two weeks passed too fast and there was no hope that he would be rescued from this situation. Mitsuki's advice for the wedding night definitely didn’t help. He had no intention to touch this ugly samurai-wannabe woman. The constant reminders of Shikadai how troublesome will be his duty  as a married successor to the throne, they pissed him off even more. When his mother came to wake him instead of the servants on the wedding day, he began to consider whether there will be more honorable to finish himself. Despite it, he allowed for all the preparations. Both the empress and his sister supervised his dressing from time to time discussing whether the given part of the outfit fits or they can improve something. To his surprise at the end of all this, even his father came to visit him. After a moment of silence, he uttered one sentence.

“Boruto ... Please, be good to her, she has really gone through a lot lately.”

And as if nothing happened, he come out.

Shortly after, he was in front of the temple door, moments later his bride joined him. She was dressed in multi-layered richly decorated kimono and her hair was carefully collected in a complicated hairstyle. He began to wonder how long it took to prepare all this, since he was dressed for three hours. Then his eyes fell on her face and for a moment he ran out of breath. Despite all his prejudices and childhood memories, he undoubtedly had a young woman in front of him and she was extremely beautiful. She has black shiny hair and onyx eyes, gentle facial features. Her skin was covered with white paint and lips with dark red lipstick.  It makes her looks like porcelain doll not living human. Her face showed no emotion, and her movements were stiff and slow. When she was at his height, she bowed and greeted him with some polite phrase, but her voice was too quiet to understand the meaning of her words. In addition, the noises coming from the temple made it even more difficult.

The ceremony seemed to last indefinitely. His thoughts rattled like crazy. Twice he forgot what he should say and almost choked with ritual sake. He had thousands of questions that could not be answered, and worse, his eyes were not able to peel off from her, but she never looked at him. Her attention was always blinded before her, which increasingly convinced him that he was not dealing with a human being. All the time the expression on her face remained unchanged until they were alone in his bedroom, when at the sight of a single futon, for a moment he could see something between disgust and fear on her face. She went to sit on the edge of the bed and her movements became even stiffer if  it possible. When he approached her, he could see her hands shaking as she tried to solve her obi.

“You don’t have to ... “ he finally said to her and she froze” I mean ... We do not have to do it.  We barely got to know each other.”

For the first time, he felt her eyes on her and immediately fear to look her way.

“That is tradition.” It was hard to tell if her voice was calm or sad.

“Yes, but you know, nobody can check it out ... They can’t make us to do it too... So maybe let's talk instead? "he looked in her direction, meeting with her curious look.

“You know, find out something about each other and stuff'tebassa...”

“What would you like to know? Dear husband...?” she replied but her voice collapsed at the end.

“I do not know ... Maybe what is your hobby”

Silence.

The situation got embarrassing, but it’s not like he ask about  anything difficult ...

“Embroider?” why it sounded like she was not sure?

“Sounds terribly boring. “ He looked at her to meet only the back of her head. So he avoids him again. “I like horse riding and fighting with swords ... And Geisha's performances and flirt with the servan...” Before he could bite his tongue, he felt her angry look. Well, it is not wise to tell his wife about others girls. Her eyes filled with a strong disgust for a moment, but then she looked away again. It's amazing how many emotions can be expressed through the look itself. He felt shivers on his back.

“Excuse me, but I'm tired ... Can I go to get ready to sleep ...?”

“Yes ... The bath should be ready” he answered, getting up from the floor.

He turned to the food table next the door. He realized that he hadn’t eaten anything since breakfast, so he quickly absorbed the treats prepared by the service. When he ate, he began to consider the strange situation in which he was. Once again, recalling childhood memories, he came to the conclusion that maybe they had swapped his fiancée? After all, people don’t change that much. Although this woman wasn’t at all the perfect plan to spend the rest of his life. He didn’t know how to get along with her, and her aura reminded him about her father. He was shivering again ... At least she was pretty ... When he finished eating dessert, he went to the lower floor to take a bath in hot springs.

                                      .........................................

After returning to the room, he found his wife sleeping on the left bedside and for a moment remembered the of Inojins’ story about time, when he saw how his mother could change nasty women to beauty one with make-up. As quietly as he could, he slipped into his place and laid on his back, feeling some fear to look left. Maybe it was the answer to all of this? Perhaps the beauty of his bride was made by careful make-up artist's work? Turning to his wife, he closed one eye as if it would protect it from something. However, the picture in front of him surprised him again. Of course her skin was not porcelain-white, but it was very pale, certainly brighter than his. The shape of the face did not change, however, after removing many layers of wedding clothes, it seemed more slender. Her ebony hair, now bound together in a loose ponytail, wrapped her figure. Few strands shaded her forehead. Her eyelashes were long and thick and her lips, without red lipstick was pastel pink and full.  They looked very kissable...

He swallowed.

"I will get crazy with her," he sighed, extending his hand toward her. Gently, he brushed her hair back behind her ear, looking at her again. Her body language was completely different than it was when she was awake. Her muscles were relaxed. He could even see the shadow of a smile on her lips.  She looked charming and innocent, so much younger than in make-up... Now he remembered that in fact, he was a year older than her. Talking to her earlier had the impression of dealing with someone from the generation his parents. He felt a strange feeling in his chest. He didn’t know what she was dreaming about at the moment, but she certainly took it better than reality.

The reality she will spend by his side. Wanting to free himself from these thoughts, he turned to the other side and try to fall asleep.

When he woke up the next morning, he found only an empty space next to him...

 So.... Uh.... I hope I translate it a little bit better than google tlanslator... or at least not worse than it...

These fic was inspired by great  fanfic Sunrise written by  Amraklove

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