Bread Crumbs

Disclaimer: No characters belong to me, boo :,(

A/N:'Ello! :D I'm back and with a new chapter! Though this one focuses on what happened between Hinata and Sakura during chapter4 and 4 (cont.).

Thanks to Nominatosay, Chibi-Baka-Kitsune, My-Fair-Lady45, Lolliepop476, PriestessHeiressDeity91, and Solitare1 for following!

Thank you to Tenebreyami, LunarMay, DeciverOfTheNight, Lolliepop476, Devilish Rook, Randomidea, and PrincessHeiressDeity91 for the favorite!

Review replies at the end, enjoy!

Sakura hummed a soft tune as she brushed her mid-back length hair, she sat on the green canopy bed in a frilly white underdress. Her father had mentioned not too long ago about the famous marketplace in Naruto's kingdom, the town's businesses would gather in the center of the town and sell the products of their hobbies as well as their professions. The pinkette was excited to try the sweet bread that Naruto would brag about all the time. She was never in town when King Jiraiya thought their income would be plentiful, but more travelers had been in the town those days she was there. Her private teacher had been recently teaching her about the many trade goods between all the local nations, sparking her interest in attending the popular market. Her mouth stretched as she released a large yawn, she took a moment and tried to rub the drowsiness out of her eyes. Thoughts about the night before bewildered her, "I should have gotten more sleep…" Sakura scolded herself. Flashes of her window drenched in shadows ran through her mind, dark figures running on the roof opposite to her window. The pinkette paused her brushing and thought about what she had saw and the fears that kept her awake during the night. A couple of knocks at the door brought Sakura out of her trance, "Yes?" She called.

"Sakura?" Her father's familiar voice asked, wanting to come in without interrupting anything.

"Father, shouldn't you be getting ready?" Sakura rose from the soft sheets she sat on and opened the door for her father, "We are going, right?" Her emerald eyes looked up into his dusty blue orbs.

"Of course!" He reassured his daughter while placing a gloved hand on her small shoulder. Sakura smiled, the excitement evident on her face. The king cupped her cheek, "You look beautiful today." He softly said. "Just like your mother when she was your age." The king gently took a portion of her rosy hair and brushed it over her free shoulder.

"But mother has blond hair." Sakura corrected her father.

"Your spirit and inner fire are just like your mother." He paused. "You both share that valuable trait, responsibility. My dear, you're going to make a wonderful queen in two years…"

The pinkette stared at her father speechless, Kizashi sniffled as she struggled to find words. "MY BABY GIRL!" He dramatically cried out while forcefully embracing his sixteen daughter. Green eyes looked up to the ceiling as Sakura rolled her eyes. "Really? Again?" She dully asked herself.

The pinkette lightly and uninterestedly patted her father while muttering a "There, there

"Miss?" A meek voice called as the chamber door was open slightly and a pale hand wrapped around the edge. "May I come in?"

Kizashi quickly readjusted himself and cleared his throat before replying. "Hinata, you may enter."

"Your highness, I didn't realize you were here as well." The maid fully opened the door and bowed to the visiting king. "I a-apologize for i-intruding!" She stumbled over her words.

"There is no need to apologize, rise child." The pink king kindly said. "I was just leaving to prepare for the ride into the market. Ladies," He turned to his daughter as well. "If you'll excuse me." Kizashi bowed his head to his only child and exited the room.

"Miss, is there anything can do for you?" Hinata asked the princess, curtsying, after the bedroom door closed again.

"Could you help with my hair?" Sakura politely asked.

"As you wish." The ebony maid smiled and motioned to the vanity.

Sakura sat in the wooden chair and faced the mirrored vanity, glancing through the mirror at the maid standing behind her. Hinata daintily picked up half of the princess' luscious hair and brought the decorated brush to it. The raveness relished in the touch of the pink locks, each touch and pull done as gingerly as possible. "Hinata?" The pinkette asked.

"Yes?"

"I've been watching your actions for a while" She started, lightly touching her index finger to her cheek.

Hinata blushed slightly, "Oh?"

"And, I was wondering if you had feeling for Naruto. You are his personal maid after all." A mischievous smile graced Sakura's lips.

A small giggle came from the maid, surprising the princess. "I feel nothing like that for Sir Naruto. I have known him since I came to the castle to live with my uncle and cousin, which would be…" She paused what she was doing to calculate. "Eleven or twelve years now. Having romantic feelings for him would be like having romantic feelings for a brother." She sneered in slight disgust.

"I see…" Sakura tapped her finger on her chin as she thought. "Well then, is there someone you do have romantic feelings for?" The maid blushed a bright red, a vibrant color the pinkette noticed through the mirror's reflection. She smiled brightly, "So there is!"

"N-no, o-of course not!" The ebony girl poorly defended herself.

"Who is it? If it's not Naruto… Sasuke?" Sakura asked as if she hit a break through.

"No! I will not say!" Hinata childishly huffed, her cheeks plump as she scowled. "Your hair is finished Miss, shall we leave?" The maid asked, the blush slowly fading from her features.

"Fine…" Sakura frowned. "First, I need to put on my dress. Will you help me?" She turned to Hinata.

"I-I'll go get Maria!" The raveness desperately exclaimed, panic swirling her pale eyes as the deep color rose back to her cheeks.

Kizashi strode beside his daughter, the ebony maid lead in front. Hinata turned to the two royal guests and verbally mapped out the sellers. "We have the Simmons family selling their handcrafted tools. There is Mr. and Mrs. Tirank with their floral arrangements." She pointed to the elderly couple sitting behind a large wheelbarrow filled with vibrant flowers.

"Flowers?" Kizashi's ears perked as his gaze turned to the lovely couple. He waved discreetly as he told the two girls, "I'm going to pick out a beautiful set for your mother. Sakura, stay close to Hinata and don't leave the square." The pinket forcefully told his sixteen year old daughter before almost skipping to the bouquets.

"Where would you like to visit, Miss?" Hinata turned her attention to the princess.

"Where is the baker?" Sakura energetically asked. "I have to try the sweet bread that Naruto talks about!" She swung her head around looking for the stand.

"That would be the Madams, they aren't actually bakers but like to sell Madam Kait's family bread." The raveness explained. "Now, their stand should be around here… They always seem to be near the winery's product…" She squinted her eyes as she scanned the array of venders, her index finger lightly tapping on her pointed chin.

"Let's go find it then!" Sakura exclaimed as she grabbed the maid's hand and started running in a random direction.

"Oh!" Hinata gasped with surprise, grabbing her white maid's cap so it wouldn't fly off. "T-There is the local baker." She pointed and stuttered as she nearly tripped on a loose cobblestone. "That is the dairy provider for the village over." A plump man stood behind piles of cheese and containers of milk, laughing joyously with a young family. "Oh, oh!" Hinata yelled, pulling the rushing princess to a stop. The abrupt halt caused the pinkette to topple over, the maid throwing out her arms to catch her. The two girls landed on the stone ground, Sakura on her hands and knees with Hinata's legs underneath her. The princess stared down at the pale legs under her, the maid's slender legs called for a caress. "M-Miss?" The raveness meekly asked.

"I-I apologize!" Sakura pushed herself up into a kneeling position.

The maid stood, brushed off her dirtied gown, and kneeled to offered a hand to the fallen maiden. Emerald orbs looked up into ashen, a small thought emerging in the princess' mind. "She looks so… chivalrous." Taking her hand, Sakura remembered what caused her to trip. "Why did you stop suddenly stop me?"

The two girls rose from the ground, Hinata turned to look behind her. "The Madams' stand is right there."

Two women stood behind a light brown wooden table covered in bread rolls. The taller woman grinned widely, her straight brown hair flowing over her shoulders. "Madam Meg!" Hinata waved to the woman with excitement.

"Hinata, want some bread?" Meg held up an armful of rolls, "You know they are the best!"

The maid giggled before correcting the vendor. "I would just like to buy two, please."

"Did you make these?" Sakura asked, pointing to the golden-brown food.

"Not a single one!" The brunette happily chuckled. "All baked by my lovely Kait." She turned a gentle face to the fuller woman beside her.

Kait smiled shyly. "Family's specialty." She meekly added while twirling the ends of her black wavy hair, which was lifted into a high ponytail and rested below her collarbone. "Here are your two rolls, that'll be two crowns." Kait passed the pieces of bread to Hinata, Sakura noticed instead the gold band around the older woman's ring finger.

"You're married?" The princess tilted her head at a slight angle, some loose strands of hair swaying down.

"Happily, for 8 years now." Meg smiled widely as she took interlaced her fingers with Kait's, making the smaller woman blush.

Sakura's eyes widened as she watched the two share loving gazes, "I didn't realize..." She whispered to Hinata.

The maid nodded her head in understanding and motioned for Sakura to lead the way to a seat. "Where would you like to eat Miss?"

The two teenage girls sat together on a roughly carved stone bench, the pinkette was restraining from bouncing as Hinata handed one of the sweet rolls to her. Sakura closed her eyes and savored the first bite of the candied bread, humming a soft tune of happiness. The raven maid giggled as she watched the princess enjoy the food before taking a bite herself. "So…" Sakura started. "Is he a noble?"

Hinata furrowed her brow in confusion. "Is who a noble?"

"The person you like!" The pinkette exclaimed, crumbs falling from the bread as she threw her arms in the air. "So, is he?"

"N-No!" Hinata stuttered.

"Then who are they? Royalty?"

The maid hesitated before denying again. Sakura squinted her green eyes, "So they are royal… You already said no to Naruto… Have you met other royal people without me?" She feigned attitude.

"Sakura…" Hinata quietly said, "Are you really in love with Sir Sasuke? I-I mean, you don't have to tell me… but what do you like about him?" She lowered the bread roll into her lap.

The pinkette took a moment to think about the answer. "Sure, he's sexy… But… What do I actually like about him?"

"You don't have to answer if you don't want to." Hinata said in response to Sakura's silence, her face showing her disappointment.

"I guess it would be…" The princess looked up to the cloudless sky and tapped a finger on the remaining half of her sweet roll. "His gorgeously dark hair and how it contrasts against his pale skin. His quiet nature is adorable and I feel that type of personality would balance out my loudness." She smiled widely.

"I-I see." Hinata blushed madly.

"Wha-?" Sakura started to ask what was wrong with her friend before realizing the similarities. She watched Hinata's dark bangs ruffle from the wind and settle back on her pale forehead. Memories of all the maid's shy and quiet moments played through the princess' mind, all categorized as 'cute' in her mind.

While Sakura stared at Hinata, the maid gasped when she looked back into the pinkette's face. "Miss, you have some crumbs on your face."

"Where ar-" Sakura was interrupted by a pale thumb lightly touching her lower lip. Hinata leaned forward and gently brushed off the bread crumbs from the princess' mouth. The pinkette's mind swirled, an impulse to kiss the soft finger arose. Sakura tenderly touched her palm to the maid's wrist and stared into the ashen eyes focused on her.

"I found the most beautiful tulip for your equally beautiful mother!" Kizashi bellowed as he approached the two teens. He paused for a moment as he noticed they were engrossed in the gazes of each other. "Ladies?"

"Yes?!" Sakura hastily lowered her hand and turned to her father. Hinata lowered her head and stared into her lap, though Kizashi could still see her bright red ears.

"Have you finished exploring the market?" The king smiled as he noticed the mostly eaten bread rolls. "Jiraiya and Tsunade are holding an elegant dinner for our and the Uchiha's departure."

"I should be back to help prepare!" Hinata announced, unexpectedly standing from the bench with a worried look.

"Then why don't we head back to the carriage now?" Kizashi asked as he turned in the direction of the parked coach.

The two teenagers walked beside each other, lagging a god distance behind Sakura's father. "Sakura, you are sixteen right?" Hinata broke the silence between the two.

"Yes, I will be turning seventeen in two seasons." Sakura happily announced.

"You are close to eighteen, have you decided whom you are choosing?" The maid asked, still not looking up from the moving ground.

"Choose? What are you talking about Hinata?" The pinkette glanced at the raveness from the corner of her jade eyes.

"You don't know about the arrangement?" Hinata questioned, explaining further after receiving a head shake. "I was bringing Sir Naruto his late night snack when I overheard her highness Tsunade and his highness Jiraiya taking in the hall about a deal made between the three families. Something about an allegiance with your kingdom based on whether you choose to marry Sasuke or Naruto when you turn eighteen. Whomever you marry will have protection and help given by your father."

"What?" Sakura stopped in her tracks, he jaw dropped.

"Sakura? What are you doing?" Kizashi turned to see his daughter farther away for his comfort.

"N-nothing father." The pinkette muttered as she resumed walking to the carriage.

"We have time to spare, why not wander about the garden to pass the time? I have a flower to give." The pink king suggested before walking away to find his wife.

Sakura picked at the petals of a lone daisy and settled onto the group on her knees.

"Miss?" Hinata called, holing up a tray of snacks.

"Hinata…" Sakura replied. "What should I do?"

"About what? The arrangement?" The maid set the tray onto the grass and seated herself beside the worrying teen.

"I have to choose between my closest friends… What if I lose one because of idiotic adult matters?" Sniffles interrupted her words, tears pooling in the princess' eyes. "I-I-I have known N-Naruto and Sasuke since we were children! If I were to lose one of them, I-I don't know what I'd do…" She started to break down and sob. Hiccups causing her to stutter and stumble with her words.

Hinata pulled the pinkette into an embrace, gently hushing her sobs by softly combing her slender fingers through the rose colored hair. Sakura buried her face into the raveness' neck and took solace in her scent. Once the maid determined the princess was calm enough, she pulled away and lightly wiped remaining tears from Sakura's flushed cheeks. "Here," Hinata quietly said, handing the pinkette a small puff ball dandelion. "You are like this flower at the moment."

"How so?" Sakura inquired, completely confused.

"The wind may be directing you and forcing you where to go, but you have the sole choice where you release the seed." The maid demonstrated by blowing a gust of air at the flower causing its fluffy white seeds to scatter in the air, going in various directions. A tender smile graced Hinata's lips as she finished her analogy.

Sakura's emotions took hold of the princess and the bubbling impulses erupted. The pinkette closed the distance between their lips, forcefully placing one hand on Hinata's hip and the other cupping the back of her neck. The kiss was light but warm, Sakura's head swirled with the overwhelming feelings going through her body. Hinata sat wide eyed and startled, eventually relaxing into the kiss. The maid gently caressed the princess' cheek, running a thumb over the drying tear trails. When an unexpected wetness pooled between Hinata's index finger and thumb, pale eyes opened to see newly falling tears running from Sakura's closed eyes. Slowly, the raveness broke the kiss and brought the pinkette back into a comforting hug. The princess lightly cried in Hinata's arms until all her energy left her body. The maid lightly placed Sakura's head on her lap, brushing pink strands of hair out of her slumbering face. Pasty eyes watched the sleeping princess' eyes twitch and move under dreaming eyelids, a loving smile adorned the maid's face as she used the back of her hand to caress Sakura's jawline. "I won't leave you…"

Review Replies:

KH Freak 813: Thanks for understanding! :D Yep, the couples are coming together and I can't wait to write more intimate scenes. :)

EnRei: Thanks for understanding too! :D Sir Klaus von Jeaggermeister is such an awesome name! I was originally going to name Odin "Fury" after Nick Fury from Marvel because he is missing his left eye, but he seemed to cuddly to be a commander of S.H.I.E.L.D. haha xD

"uhhh eww": Making Sasuke gay makes everything better, it's what starts all the fun! :P Don't bother clicking on a story listed as SasuNaru if you want a heterosexual story… c: