For SasuSaku Month 2019, Day 10: Fox's Wedding

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The Maiden and the Fox

Chapter 1

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In the times of peace, Konoha became a prosperous village filled with joy and laughter. Walking down a street you'd encounter many happy inhabitants. Just an hour ago, Haruno Sakura had been one of them.

Not anymore.

When she headed off to meet with Sasuke, she was almost skipping. She was going to confess her feelings to him. On the return, her gait turned into an unsteady shuffle, her shoulders slumped forward and head bent down as she stared at the ground through the pink hair covering her blotchy, wet face.

There's no reason for me to love you and surely there's no reason for you to love me. It's impossible for anything to happen between us.

Sakura shuddered and sobbed, thinking about those cruel, damning words coming from his perfect lips. The rejection burned her so badly, it was rendering her soul apart. She really thought they were getting closer, that he was showing her interest that wasn't a mere courtesy, but came from a place of affection. Did she really imagine those covert glances he gave her when he thought she wasn't looking?

Stupid! Sasuke could never love her. She was so ashamed of herself for presuming that he would that she wished for the ground to swallow her up, never to be seen again.

And despite all the shame, the humiliation, the heartbreak, she still loved him with every fiber of her being, with every shard of her broken heart.

Sakura wiped her eyes and let out a choked laugh. She must be crazy. Or a masochist.

There was no hope in sight for her. The love for Sasuke was in her blood and she had no way to free herself from it. This pain was going to stay with her for the rest of her life and she couldn't even fathom how she'd be able to withstand it in the days to come.

Weeks turned into months, spring gave way to a summer, and Sakura still suffered. She didn't see Sasuke much, but every time she glimpsed his regal profile on the other side of the street, even his proud silhouette in the distance, a fresh torrent of pain took her breath away. Her heart throbbed and bled, while she gritted her teeth and carried on with her day, as if pretending she wasn't hurting would make it better somehow. She had nothing else.

There was no cure for unrequited love.

The worst blow came unexpectedly from the mouth of her best friend.

"Did you hear? Sasuke-kun is getting married!" Ino exclaimed with excitement when they saw each other one morning.

That was the final nail in the coffin. Sakura felt as if a poisoned arrow pierced straight through her chest. She was dealt a mortal wound. She smiled and nodded mechanically as Ino narrated the story of the upcoming Uchiha wedding, but on the inside she was completely numb.

For days after, Sakura contemplated what she should do. The last vestiges of hope she'd unknowingly harboured were now gone. Countless times she fantasized about dramatically stopping the wedding. "If anyone has cause to object to the forming of this union, speak now or forever hold your peace," the pries would say and she'd swoop in, declare her undying love and make Sasuke realize that he loved her back after all. Of course, in reality interrupting the ceremony would be inexcusable. Instead, she thought about a thousand times about going to him, then confessing again like a madwoman, as if repeating the same thing to him would somehow change his mind.

In the end, she did nothing.

Until something happened, a catastrophe so monumental that it shook the fundaments of the village's existence, threatening the peace and happiness of its inhabitants.

The Nine-Tailed Fox attacked Konoha.

The distant rumble was the first warning; then the quakes; then, bringing a storm like nothing the village elders had seen before, the raging beast came, burning down anything in its path—crops, cattle, and people.

Their leader, the Hokage, had gone to stop the monster before it entered the village walls. Whatever he'd said or done had been successful because the Demon Fox halted his rampage.

The Hokage returned with a grim look on his face and gathered the village assembly in the central square.

"I talked to the Nine-Tailed Fox," he announced.

"What did he say? Is he going to leave?" called the impatient voices from the crowd.

The Hokage raised his hand. "Let me speak." When they quieted, he continued. "The Fox agreed to leave Konoha in peace and without further damage, but on one condition."

"Well, what is it?!" someone shouted.

The Hokage took in a deep breath. "The Fox demands a human sacrifice. A virgin bride."

The crowd exploded into shouts of disbelief and fear, followed by loud protests. No young woman wanted to be picked, no one wanted to sacrifice their daughter, sister, niece, or friend.

"Before any of you ask if anyone else would do, the answer is no. I offered myself as a sacrifice, but the Fox didn't want me," the Hokage told them wryly. "I hate to do this, I really do. I swore to protect you all from harm. I can't in a good conscience pick one of the girls to do this, but we have until the dawn or the Fox will destroy Konoha. So I can only ask you to look at your friends and families, at the village we all love. Look into your hearts and make a decision that you feel is right."

A hand rose into the air, surprising everyone. It belonged to a long-haired, immaculately dressed stern man. He was one of the clan leaders—Hyuuga Hiashi. "I volunteer my daughter Hinata. Her sacrifice for the sake of Konoha will bring a great honour to the Hyuuga clan."

"Are you sure about this? This is your daughter you're talking about. You will never get her back," the Hokage warned.

Hiashi nodded. "I am certain," he said solemnly. "It is also a duty of the Hyuuga clan to protect Konoha."

"Very well."

Sakura watched as Hiashi pulled his daughter to come along with him to the Hokage. She looked deathly pale and her body was trembling, but no one was paying attention to her. Some people were already leading a relieved and cheery conversation, convinced that the danger was as good as gone. Sakura didn't know Hinata, she'd spoken to the girl less than a handful of times, but she had seen her around the village, shy and quiet and modest, always falling into the background. Now Hinata's pale lips quivered as she cast around pleading, wild looks. This was not how a willing sacrifice looked like. Sakura also knew from Ino's gossip about the strained relationship between Hinata and her father. It wasn't hard to infer that Hiashi jumped at the chance to honourably get rid of a daughter he considered unworthy of the Hyuuga name.

A spark of rage ignited in Sakura's chest and grew into a raging inferno. Before thinking of the consequences, she yelled out on the top of her lungs, "Wait!"

People turned to look at her in surprise. She stepped forward, eyes solely on the Hokage. "You don't have to take Hinata. Take me! I volunteer!"

"It's already decided. Hinata volunteered first," Hiashi interjected with a frown.

"I didn't hear her saying that. You volunteered her, Hyuuga-san. Hinata didn't say anything at all," Sakura rebuffed, an icy calm overtaking her, then she turned to the Hokage. "Surely I'm a better option? I made this choice on my own, without any coercion. And I guarantee that I am untouched. If someone has to be sacrificed, then pick me, not her."

Hiashi glared at her with his unsettling milky white eyes. "You dare to rob my clan of the honour-"

"Enough," the Hokage cut him off. "Are you certain? You have a whole life ahead of you," he told Sakura gently.

She gave a sharp, decisive nod. "I will do this."

The Hokage turned to address the assembly again, when she spotted Sasuke standing next to his father. Sakura averted her gaze almost instantly and put a hand over her twisting, tearing heart. "I have nothing to live for anyway," she whispered to herself with a pained little smile.

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AN: Thanks for reading! I had this amazing AU idea for this prompt, but I couldn't finish it in a oneshot, so here is the first chapter. Please let me know how you like it :) Until next time!