The Ultimate Weapon (Naruto Fanfic)

28-Rainy Days

Thunder ripped across the sky, the heavy, dark clouds lighting up briefly as lightning followed soon after. The sky had yet to spill a single drop of rain, but from the look of it that wouldn't take long to happen. Despite the continued haste, Murasaki and his group were continually growing worried. They weren't close enough to be able to sense the princess, and if it began pouring rain like the sky threatened, the scent would be gone.

Looking over his shoulder, Murasaki could easily note the worry on Hinata's face, and even though he couldn't see Shino's face, the tense set of his shoulders said that he was worried as well. Murasaki looked back forward. Kiba was dutifully running, him and Akamaru focused almost solely on the scent of the princess.

"Kiba," from the slight twitch of his ear, Murasaki knew that Kiba had heard him, "do you think we could pick up the pace a little?"

"I can't guarantee the accuracy I'll follow the trail with, but it shouldn't be too much of a problem."

The gears turned in Murasaki's head as he heard this. It was the middle of the day after they had found the trail, and they had traveled through the night in an attempt to catch the princess faster. By Kiba's estimate, Princess Kou had passed through as recently as two days before, which meant they were gaining fast.

"Let's speed up then. We know the general direction they're headed, and if we get close enough Hinata and I should be able to sense them." Kiba looked over his shoulder briefly, then nodded.

They sped up, just as the first fat drops of rain started to spill from the clouds.

_+_

Aoi was trapped, not by any physical entity, but by the etiquette that seemed to bind any movements he made. Rain was falling heavily outside, the pattering sound more like a rush of water spilling onto and off of the rooftops. Because of this rain, Aoi was forced to interact with the other nobles trapped in the palace as well. The current entertainment was a performance by a trio of men, one playing the fiddle while the other two sang. For the most part they were ignored, more than anything just background noise.

Disguised as Princess Kou, Aoi was standing slightly behind the lord of the palace as different topics were flying through the room. Right now a relatively plainly dressed, compared to the other royals, man was speaking to them, the topic being none other than the unrelenting rain. A servant stepped into the room, quickly closing the door that led outside behind him. The water was practically a wall, promising to drench any who took even a step into it.

The servant walked quickly over, bowing low before Aoi and his 'father.' The man that had been speaking with them wandered off, quickly jumping into conversation with another group. "My Lord, I have a message for you." With a quick gesture, the messenger was urged on. "Princess Kou's fiancee has arrived."

"In this rain?" Shock was plain on his face at the news.

"It appears that they set out early this morning, and were caught in the rain. As they were already so close to the palace, the decided to continue on instead of waiting to see if it would clear." The servant bowed again. "They have already been shown to their rooms, and I came immediately to inform you of the situation."

"I see. Make sure they are properly taken care of. Once they are settled in, I shall meet with them. Keep me informed on the subject."

"Of course, my lord." The man backed away, exiting the room as he had entered. The lord turned to Aoi, lowering his head slightly so he was whispering in Aoi's ear. "Go to your room for now, I would like you to avoid my daughter's fiancee for as long as possible. Don't leave that room unless it is absolutely necessary."

Aoi nodded his head, leaving the room through a door that would take him to an indoor hall. As he walked down the hallway he was joined on both sides by Kodomo and Ryo. Neither said a word as the trio wound their way through the seemingly endless hallways.