A/N: Just a warning, this is a female Naruto story. First attempt at writing fanfiction, so expect amateurism but I'll try my best.

Some basic grounds the story will cover:

The setting is some one hundred years ago before present canon time with almost all Naruto characters, both dead and alive, in the same time and space.

It explores the idea of a female Naruto but for the most part of a non-Jinchuuriki and non-ninja Naruto in this period. Her way of upbringing would certainly cause a deviation from canon Naruto's personality, although I'll salvage as much of it as I can to not be completely OOC (mainly the stubbornness).

Sasuke is the current head of the Uchiha clan, and there's a reason for that instead of using Madara.

The main characters are Naruto and Sasuke. They are the main pairing but that doesn't necessarily equate to love and ending together. I'm opting of doing it the opposite of how relationships begin and end. You'll know that when I get there.

This will be a multi-chaptered AU fic.

Prologue

A few feet from Naruto stood the towering Uchiha clan head. He was wearing his monotonous poker face and wearing the same standard Uchiha high-collared shirt everyone else seems to be wearing. She bent her back and greeted him unenthusiastically despite knowing he'd ignore her as usual.

To her absolute surprise, she heard his smooth, masculine voice directed towards her.

"How are you?"

Naruto blinked and straightened her back.

She stared back at the young man piercing her with his dark stare.

They had been living under the same roof nearly a month now and he's never spoken to her before, much less acknowledge her presence. It's not that she was displeased by this, just baffled. He, after meeting her in a chance encounter and whose insane decision brought her with him to his home turf like some souvenir, paid her as much attention as a fly on the wall.

He was still patiently waiting for her answer.

"I'm fine, Uchiha-sama," she said rather belatedly.

"Come, have some tea with me," he said.

He disappeared into a room Naruto had never been to before, not giving her a chance to respond. As if she had any choice. The man sounds just as authoritative as he looks.

Naruto followed inside, sliding the shoji door shut behind her and still feeling disoriented.

It was a spacious room, one of the most spacious she had ever seen. There was a long brown desk to the far left, neatly lined with unopened scrolls, fine quills and a tiny box containing several ink bottles and stamps. Behind the desk were burnished files of tall cabinets, hanging proudly above it was an enormous banner of the Uchiha insignia. On the other side of the room was a broad futon sewn in luxurious silk. Other than a few wooden crates and a wardrobe trunk, the room was unnecessarily roomy.

Uchiha Sasuke sat in the middle of his sparsely furnished room, pouring steaming tea into two tall cups. He looked over to her, back still pressed against the wall, looking as if the room might gobble her up any second. A single eyebrow rose.

Naruto awkwardly pushed herself from the door. She sat herself opposite him and muttered a quiet thanks when he handed her tea.

"So have you been enjoying your stay so far, little miss?" the man asked as he blew air into his tea.

Naruto was tempted to shoot him a look so he would question his sanity. But instead she looked down at her tea, swirling it in one hand, pretending as if the thin vapor was the most fascinating thing in the world.

What does it feel like for a mere servant to be the one served and provided good comfort she's never had in her life?

The unspoken question permeated the already uncomfortable air surrounding them. His tone wasn't mocking but her impression of him was far from flattering.

How could he expect her to enjoy the situation he practically forced her into? She was a prisoner albeit a pampered and sheltered one but still a prisoner.

She preferred washing dishes, doing laundry, and polishing floors and staircases back at the Uzumaki castle she grew up to call her home than living the constant discomfort of a foreigner in a territory of Uchiha ninjas who always look like they were out for blood.

Her servant girl life isn't as dismal as it sounds. She served meals but she never starved. She cleans up the dirt but her clothes are neat and she gets a bath twice a day. She was orphaned from birth but she had Iruka as her father figure, kids like her who were her playmates, and the fellow servants and Uzumaki clan members alike were her good to her.

As if forgetting he had asked, the Uchiha switched subjects.

"I've had one of my diplomats dispatched. Of course we had to arrange our disputes sooner or later. Any war that arises from that incident is needless. We want to fight our wars paid, not on personal disagreements."

"What are you talking about?" Naruto asked quickly although she had a gut feeling what this was all about.

The corners of the shinobi's mouth lifted slightly, clearly sensing she was catching up. He uncrossed his legs from the floor, bringing one up and resting an elbow on his knee and peering at her with arrogant eyes.

"What do you think?" he asked darkly.

Naruto swore she saw his eyes flash red for a moment. She shuddered involuntarily, one hand flying to her throat her throat, recalling the last time his hand was there and the last time she saw his eyes turn into the color of blood.

Judging by the smirk on his face, his ego was basking from his complete awareness of the effect he had on her. She quickly forced herself into composure, putting both hands on her lap.

"I hate to be mistaken, Uchiha-sama," she replied, turning her gaze to one side of the floor.

"I see. Allow me to enlighten you then. I thought I'd just let you know that she's still alive, your friend, the pink-haired one—"

"Sakura? But.. I thought…" Naruto snapped, not believing her ears.

"That I had her killed? We're still undecided about her innocence but—"

"I told you she didn't do anything—"

"—I thought you wouldn't be pleased to find her dead."

Naruto closed her mouth abruptly. She set her tea at the table and crossed her arms in indignation, dropping all veneers of politeness.

"Why would you care about what does or doesn't please me?" Naruto sneered uncharacteristically. She wasn't a resentful person, she never had serious enemies but… but this man! Ever since the day she had the complete misfortune of meeting him, she's harbored such negative feelings for this man she never knew she was capable of.

Apparently, Sasuke wasn't amused either.

"If you would refrain from interrupting me, I could've been done explaining by now," the Uchiha replied coolly.

She bit her lip and settled on glowering at him.

"So far the Uzumaki clan is neutral in our book," he continued, "and I'd like to keep it that way. But that doesn't take away our right to justify any shameless threats against one of our own."

Sasuke sent her a cold glare when she looked like she was ready to burst again.

"I'm sure the Uzumaki clan would do the same thing if it was done by one of ours. It's just standard ninja procedure, an eye for an eye as they say. Be thankful I decided to spare both of you on a whim as I am hardly ever this merciful."

It was Naruto's turn to glare.

Ooh that bastard!

"But I'm not one to do something drastic without remuneration. That is why one of my diplomats has talked his way to the Uzumaki clan head in my stead. He told them that in exchange for Sakura's life, I get to have yours."

Naruto paled. "Wait, he didn't tell them I'm dead, right?"

He shook his head. She looked visibly relieved.

"But," he continued with emphasis, "this is where your own problem arises."

Naruto scrunched her brows together.

"What do you mean?"

"You've been serving the Uzumaki clan since when?"

"Since I was born. But what does this got to…?" Naruto paused, her mind suddenly reeling. Sasuke was watching her in anticipation. Then it dawned on her.

"They can't be suspecting me of treason," she declared loudly. That was such a blatant suggestion. She's obviously a prisoner, not some spy.

"They didn't say that. But if it were me, as clan head, I would certainly think of that."

"I'm not even a ninja!"

"But you know the people and their fortress intimately."

"And I've got no intention of revealing anything to—"

"Please," he cut her off, sounding haughty and irritated at the same time. "We're ninjas. We extract information entirely on stealth and force. The fact that you're not one makes it easier."

Naruto appraised him with a wary look with that statement. His features were still and icy, not showing even the tiniest hint of yielding.

He talked like a ninja too so it was difficult for her to fathom the motive behind his words. Of course, he must have a reason for starting what sounded like a suspiciously contrived conversation. The onslaught of questions in her mind was giving her a headache. What was it shinobis call it… psychological tactics?

"Do you want go home?" the Uchiha asked suddenly, making her jump out of her musings.

"I—what?"

"Are you still intending to go home?"

She swallowed and slowly gathered her bearings.

She was young so her grasp of time was underdeveloped but she understood it perfectly well. She can't stay here forever. He can't let her stay here forever.

"O-of course. You have no use for me. If you wanted real information about the Uzumakis in the first place you would've taken Sakura not a servant girl."

Sasuke made a clucking sound with his tongue. "You're much cleverer than I've given you credit for. But you still haven't answered my question."

"I did, I told you I will," Naruto pointed out, getting tired of their conversation repeatedly going around circles.

"Will you still return knowing those ninjas will suspect you of leaking information, of possibly being sent back as a double agent and kill you for it? What is your life compared to risking their safety?"

Naruto's mouth gaped in horror. Sasuke watched her, face blank as ever, as her features slowly relaxed and then she turned her head to the floor with a crestfallen face.

She wasn't so sure if she's supposed to agree this man's, her captor's, words but it made sense no matter which way she thought about her situation. She didn't grow up around a ninja clan for nothing and know how they guarded their secrets in extremes. They will welcome her back with a knife behind their backs.

She was insignificant and replaceable like the Uchiha suggested.

"Hn, pity that. I suppose this is where my proposal comes in."

"What proposal?" she asked numbly, barely registering what he said.

"My marriage proposal."

A/N: I decided to use an excerpt from the future as my prologue, so don't worry if you're confused I'll get around to that in a few chapters.

One more thing, you will notice that I filed this under the Uzumaki Naruto character not the new Naruko character option. My character is not born from the Sexy Technique and she is not named Naruko. I suppose, FFN should make way for a genderbender genre like other fanfiction sites. I feel that is more appropriate than "Naruko."

I'll leave it that for the moment. Grammar mistakes, confusing parts, suggestions, request for spoilers (I can be generous), etc., do care to tell me, I'd love to hear from you.