The Pride of the Clan

Who is better?

.
. .
. . .
. . . .

One hour and a half later, Sasuke found himself knocking on Naruko's door. He had wandered around, thought about his new life, and then visited Itachi. His brother had promised to be at the dinner table to meet with his bride.

Something different was going to happen, Sasuke could feel it. Naruko had brought a strange wind with her and it was promising to blow Sasuke away with its beauty.

"Naruko?" Sasuke called out. "Are you awake?"

"Yes," Came her muffled reply after a while. "A moment please."

Sasuke stepped away from the door and folded his arms over his chest as he waited.

Soon, Naruko stepped out. She had changed into a blood-red kimono and her hair seemed damp.

"How do you feel?" Sasuke asked as he offered his arm to Naruko.

Naruko linked her arm with Sasuke's and let him lead the way. "Better," Naruko smiled. "Nap was really good. And I took a shower," Naruko said as she touched her slightly damp hair.

"That's good, but we'll have dinner in the garden," Sasuke said as they walked down the corridor. "You might catch a cold."

"It's fine," Naruko smiled. "I never get ill."

"Oh," Sasuke smiled softly. "That's really good."

"Yes," Naruko giggled. "It comes in handy."

Sasuke nodded with a slight smile. "This way."

They were soon out in the gardens. It was the first days of the March, so the weather was still cold. Tree leaves were moving with a soft wind and their sight and noise were helping to calm Naruko's fast beating heart.

S

he had had time to think over things in the shower and decided that the situation she was in was better than she could have hoped for. She had no idea what kind of man Sasuke was when the marriage was decided by her family. At first, she was scared. For all she knew, Sasuke could have been an old man with a huge stomach with smelly feet and mouth. He could have been a man who looked for a personal maid and would force Naruko to wash his feet.

Naruko took a sigh of relief as she gazed up at Sasuke's young and flawless face. He wasn't old or smelly. He didn't look for a maid. He actually wanted only one thing from Naruko... a son.

Mikoto had reassured them over and over that there was nothing wrong with Sasuke. For some reason, God didn't bless his union with his first wife, so he was depraved of the joy of fatherhood. Uzumakis were a blessed clan, and Naruko could only be the spouse Sasuke needed in the first place.

Besides, Sasuke was of fire nature while Naruko was wind. With Naruko's help, Sasuke would get stronger and greater. Sakura was of water, so she caused Sasuke to lose his strength. To top it all, Sasuke was a Yin, while Naruko was a Yang, they were naturally compatible. Sakura was also a Yin, so there was no way for her to be the one Sasuke needed.

Naruko leaned into Sasuke's warm body unconsciously. Whatever happened in the past didn't matter. This was a new story and Naruko was going to take the lead along with Sasuke.

"Are you cold?" Sasuke asked as he looked down at Naruko.

Naruko looked up and smiled. Everything was going to work out just fine.