And the road of flowers is so long

Soon, they arrived in the city. It greeted them with a bustling crowd of people on the streets, rushing about their business, and bright signs advertising shops and cafes. The street vendors were boasting about their diverse offerings. Akina looked around in admiration. She loved the friendly faces of the citizens and the playful children running around. After a while, they reached the gates of the feudal lord's residence, which was lavishly decorated and surrounded by lush parks with towering fountains. The feudal lord, a young man of about twenty-seven, a tall, long-haired brunette with piercing blue eyes, welcomed them warmly in the reception hall. Behind him, a young girl a couple of years older than Akin appeared during the conversation. From her straight black hair and blue eyes, it was clear that she and the feudal lord were related. "So you're Tsunade's secretary. Aren't you a little young for the position?" the feudal lord remarked. "Skill is not valued by the age of its owner. If you have recognized it, it is only to my teacher's credit," Akina replied. The man was amazed by the wisdom of such a young girl. "When can I start my duties?" Tibo asked cautiously. "Not today. Make yourselves comfortable and rest. I will explain the matter to you tomorrow. It is a pity that my secretary is ill at the moment, and he is hardly qualified to deal with such matters," he replied. The guests had no choice but to comply. The palace was enormous. Akina's room was located between Itachi's and Neji's rooms, which suited both of them. They were personally invited to dinner by the feudal lord, and they couldn't refuse. During dinner, they were joined by the lord's younger brother, a blond-haired man with blue eyes who couldn't take his eyes off Akin, who was sitting across from him next to a dark-haired girl. The girl turned out to be the lord's younger sister. "Did you like the palace?" she asked Akin. "I haven't had a chance to see it yet," Tibo admitted. "Oh, that's not a problem. After lunch, I'll show you both the palace and the surrounding area," the girl said with a smile. "It wouldn't hurt," Akina agreed. After lunch, the princess, as promised, gave the guests a tour of the palace. Then they went out into the park. The blonde refused to walk under the scorching sun, fearing that her perfect skin would be damaged by the tan. The park was filled with blooming fruit trees and flower beds. The air was filled with the scents of spring flowers and herbs. The feudal lord's sister told them about the castle and the history of her family. The young people pretended to listen, but they were actually carefully observing their surroundings. The tour was just in time. The next day, Akina received a task. She was to correspond on his behalf between him and a girl from a noble family, in whom he was hopelessly in love. "The problem is that she's not even my fiancée. We've only met a couple of times and talked. It was so exciting. But I don't know how she feels about me. What if she already has a boyfriend?" The man said anxiously, pacing around his office. "I understand the situation and will do my best... "Akina said. Her only request was to see her letters, if any, and to tell her the details of their meetings. Her request was granted. "My future depends on you," he said before the girl left his office. "So, I'll have to write on behalf of a man. On behalf of a man in love. And what do men in love think? They don't think at all. Their brains shut down completely. It won't be easy..." she mused as she walked down the hallway. "Where is your library?" Akina asked a passing maid. "Come, I'll show you the way," she replied with a bow. The feudal lord's book kingdom made an indelible impression on her. The library was quite large. The girl walked along the shelves and up the stairs for a long time. However, she did not stay alone for long. Soon her bodyguards and the feudal lord's sister arrived there. "I see you've settled in quickly," the girl remarked. "I'm used to it here," Akina smiled. "I hope I'm not interrupting," the princess continued. "Not at all," Akina replied, taking a few books of love poetry from the shelves. She sat down at the table and began to browse through them. Meanwhile, the feudal lord's sister pulled Neji aside and spoke to him quietly. Itachi walked around the library and sat on a wide windowsill near Akina, gazing out the large window. Akina slowly flipped through the book of poetry, occasionally glancing at the young man. "Itachi-san. What would you write to a girl if you decided to confess your feelings to her?" She asked an unexpected question. Itachi slowly turned around and looked at the girl. His face showed a range of emotions, although he remained completely calm on the outside. Akina realized that the question was inappropriate. "I'm sorry, I won't ask any more silly questions," she said, taking his silence in her own way. "To answer your question, you have to be in love with someone. I suppose so," Itachi finally replied. "That makes sense," the girl agreed, flipping through the book. She found something that suited her. Every day, Akina had to write one letter until the feudal lord's beloved responded to his feelings. The mission was delayed indefinitely. On the evening of the same day, the princess invited Akina to a sauna. The girl's sad gaze and heavy sighs indicated that she had done this for a reason. "It must be difficult to restrain yourself when you have two such handsome and strong men by your side," she said sadly. Akina almost asked what she should restrain, but she stopped herself in time and shrugged instead, smiling. "No, it's beyond comprehension. How do they do it? As soon as they show up, women are practically falling over themselves. It's clear that they don't give a damn. Maybe that's the key. The less a woman is, the more... well, make a poker face, and all the women are yours," Akina thought in frustration. It was only now that she realized that she had completely overlooked how attractive and charismatic her bodyguards were. "I'm sorry if this question seems insensitive, but do you happen to know if Neji-kun's heart is free? The princess asked quietly, blushing. Akina was a little confused. "You'd better ask him yourself," Tibo replied evasively. She realized how lonely the feudal lord's sister was. She was served exclusively by women, even as her guards. Men were strictly prohibited from approaching her. Each aristocratic family had its own method of preserving the chastity of their female members. The feudal lord's approach was not the most severe. Therefore, the Konoha shinobi may have been the first men the girl had interacted with in a long time. Her interest in them was understandable. As soon as the next day dawned, Akina slipped past the dozing gatekeeper as she left the feudal lord's residence, and managed to turn the corner just in time to avoid being seen by Itachi, who was patrolling the area. She quickly made her way into the city. The street vendors were already setting up their wares. Akina decided to go shopping in the morning and make some purchases. Without any prying eyes or surveillance. An hour later, Neji knocked on the door of her room, and when there was no answer, he entered Akin's bedroom. He turned pale when he didn't find her there. The worried boys searched the entire palace, the garden, and the surrounding area. "Kidnapped, murdered," Itachi thought grimly. Neji noticed the worry on his partner's face. "It's too early to give up. Maybe she just went somewhere," Hyuga tried to reassure Uchiha. "Where can a secretary, a librarian go in the early morning?" Itachi mused. Akina slowly walked between the shelves of the bookstore, feeling as if she had entered paradise. Her head was spinning from the variety of products on offer. There were so many things she wanted to buy. She had already selected three books, but it was still not enough. Suddenly, she saw the book she had been searching for, but it was on the highest shelf, and she could barely reach the spine. Looking around, she didn't see a salesperson nearby, so she took a deep breath and tried to reach the book herself. But then another hand reached out over hers, clearly belonging to a man wearing a black half-gloved hand. With a smile, Akina turned to the man who had helped her, intending to thank him, only to be met with a cold gaze from light purple eyes devoid of pupils. Her face paled, and her smile vanished. She slowly took the book from his hand. "They're going to beat me," she thought involuntarily. "They'll beat you long and hard," was the next thought, as she saw another figure standing behind him. He was leaning against the entrance, arms crossed over his chest, and his stern black eyes did not bode well. "Are you going shopping, boys?" was all Akina could say. "Do you even understand what you've done? Itachi asked dryly. "What could happen to me in the busy city center?" she began to justify herself, realizing that she had been reckless in not warning them. "Anything," Uchida interrupted. "Who needs me," the girl began, but she stopped when she met Itachi's piercing gaze. She stole a glance at Neji and realized that he shared the leader's opinion. "If you haven't realized yet, I'm the one giving the orders as the leader of the group: where to go, what to do, and so on. If I say go, you'll go; if I say crawl, you'll crawl. Fulfill your mission and don't interfere with ours!" Itachi responded sharply. In the girl's amber eyes, he saw stubbornness and defiance. "Pedant," Akina replied quietly, not afraid of being overheard. "Why didn't they send Haku and my brother with me?" she said in frustration as she entered her room. Her joy at purchasing the books was quickly overshadowed by another argument with Itachi, although she acknowledged that she had been in the wrong in this situation. After a while, Neji knocked on the door and entered her room. The girl was sitting at her desk, surrounded by a pile of crumpled paper. It seemed that her creative process was not going well. "I haven't left the prison. Neji-san," she replied without looking at the newcomer. "You shouldn't say that," replied Hyuga, sensing her obvious aggression. "No one said you couldn't leave the residence. You could have just told us where you were going. You wouldn't have even noticed our presence," Neji continued. "I'm sorry I did such an unforgivable stupid thing. Are you satisfied?" the girl replied sarcastically, glaring at him. If he wanted to make her feel guilty again, he had succeeded. Realizing that it was pointless to talk to her, he left. She spent the next three days in her room, working hard. Every time she opened the door to her room, she saw the broad back of one of her guards, which made her boil with rage. Her correspondence with the feudal lord's lover continued smoothly. The girl was clearly interested in the young man, but for some reason, she was hesitant to express her feelings. As she flipped through another collection of love poems, she found herself growing tired of this mission. After a couple more days, the ice finally broke. The girl that Akina had written to on behalf of the feudal lord confessed that she liked him very much and agreed to become his bride. Akina was overjoyed that her mission was coming to an end. "My bride is coming tomorrow. There will be a celebration. I think our wedding is just around the corner. And all thanks to you. I hope you will stay for the celebration of her arrival, as representatives of Konoha, "said the feudal lord, inviting the entire Konoha team to his office. Itachi agreed. "I have the impression that this was the plan. Or maybe someone else had a brilliant idea," Akina said as they left the office. There was no response. The feudal lord's sister suggested a walk around the city, and Akina was genuinely happy to have the opportunity to relax. The marketplaces were bustling with activity. Merchants were eager to offer their wares, especially when they spotted the esteemed figure. Akina was clearly well-liked by the citizens, which caused her guards to feel a bit uneasy. This time, Akina was interested in souvenir shops and perfumery and jewelry stores. There were all sorts of things: figurines, decorative figurines, wind catchers, scented lamps, bottles of oil perfume, and all sorts of hairpins and clips. Each of these items was a work of art. However, this time, Akinu was interested in the figurines in the glass ball. These were not ordinary figurines. After considering two of the store's many offerings for a long time, she found herself unable to choose between the two. Ultimately, she decided to purchase both. She quickly selected gifts for her friends, as she was familiar with their preferences. I even picked out a gift for Naboo. "You must be dressed up for tomorrow evening's celebration," the feudal lord's sister declared firmly. "No, thank you," Itachi said coldly. "Don't worry about the money. It's a gift from me and my brother," the girl quickly assured them. Itachi was about to refuse again, but Akina beat him to it. "That's just wonderful. Please accept our gratitude," she added, meeting Itachi's displeased gaze. "You could at least make it easier," he said with a frown as the feudal lord's sister dragged Neji into an expensive men's clothing store. "I'm the one who's making things complicated?! And anyway, what could possibly go wrong with you?" Akina exclaimed, unaware that she had started addressing him informally. "I don't like feeling obligated," Uchiha replied. "You've never received a gift, have you?" the girl guessed, looking at him carefully. "I just think it's unnecessary," Itachi found an excuse. Akina looked at him with a critical squint. "It's time to rectify the situation. You don't want to offend our customer, do you?" the girl said firmly, taking his hand and leading him to the same store. They were treated to the first class. The feudal lord's sister was happy to dress the boys. The clothes she chose were made of expensive material, which highlighted their well-trained athletic figures and allowed them to move freely, which was very convenient. For Aki, she chose a peach-colored outfit from another store, which perfectly suited the girl. That evening, the princess and Akina were sitting in a gazebo. The feudal lord's sister was sad, and Akina believed it was due to their impending departure. "It must be a great happiness to belong to someone you love, she said sadly. Akina thought that the girl was a little jealous of her older brother in this regard. "Maybe," Akina replied. The next day was full of commotion. The palace was being actively decorated for the arrival of the future lady. Akina was interested in sorting through and examining the things she had bought in the city. Taking a box made of thin sheets of beautifully painted wood in her hands, she opened it and shook the glass ball with water on the stand. The tree inside the ball was enveloped in a whirlwind of pink petals and glitter. An idea came to her mind that she wanted to pursue. Closer to lunch, amid the cheering of the crowd, explosions of firecrackers and the sounds of loud music, the guest of honor arrived. The girl turned out to be quite nice and quickly endeared herself to her future husband's sister. After getting dressed, we agreed to meet on the ground floor, and the guys, of course, came first. After a while, the girls came down the stairs to them. The feudal lord's sister was full of rich decorations, but the guys looked at Akina more often. Peach silk flowed like a waterfall. Even the shapeless gown couldn't hide the beauty of her well-proportioned figure. The peach blossoms in her hair made her even more attractive. They made their way to the garden, which was filled with guests by that time. Akina didn't want to draw attention to herself, but the presence of the feudal lord's sister in their company made it impossible. Almost every guest who arrived wanted to pay their respects to the girl. The abundance of people around them made the boys look around cautiously. The feudal lord's younger brother also joined them in all the joys of life. "Akina, you look like a goddess," he complimented her. "Thank you, sir," Tibo smiled. "Would you like to walk with me?" he asked. "I'd love to, she agreed." And they headed deeper into the park. Soon, Itachi took his leave and left. He had to check the perimeter. Neji stayed with the princess. It was easier to keep an eye on the center and Akin's whereabouts. The girl and her companion reached a small artificial lake with lotus plants. She tried to keep an eye on Hyuga so that he wouldn't have to search for her, but it wasn't always successful. "I think my sister showed you this part of the garden. Did you like it?" asked her companion. "Yes, we often walked with her. Here by the lake," Akina replied. "And your bodyguards were with you?" was the next question, which smelled of suspicion. "Sometimes. They don't always show their presence," Akina replied, realizing that the blond man was concerned about his sister. She walked to the edge of the water and lowered her hand, touching the surface. The tips of her long fingers sank into the cool water. Suddenly, Akina noticed several glowing sparks shooting from her fingertips and disappearing into the depths of the lake. Within a minute, the three flowers closest to her began to bloom. The girl was taken aback by the unexpected sight. "What was that?" she thought anxiously, pulling her hand back. A slight panic gripped her. She also felt someone staring at her. Looking across the river, she saw Neji and the feudal lord's sister. The lord was watching her intently. Itachi quickly moved along the stone fence of the residence until he reached the building and climbed onto the roof. He felt a bit unsettled in his new clothes, but the red and black tones of his attire made him almost invisible. On one of the rooftops, he noticed a dark silhouette. He approached silently and began to observe. The stranger was also hesitant to reveal himself. He was dressed like a shinobi, but without any identifying marks that would reveal his affiliation with a hidden village. Suddenly, a shuriken flashed in his hand, prompting Itachi to act. With a lightning-fast kunai, Uchiha silenced the man forever. He decided to continue patrolling for a while longer, but did not detect anything suspicious. "If they're here, they're already in the park... or even in the house..." he thought. Akina and her date sat down on a bench by the lake. He was telling her something, maybe even complimenting her, but she was lost in thought: "What if what happened in the forest wasn't a dream at all... it can't be true. It's crazy," she reassured herself. Suddenly, the girl heard a muffled whistle. A kunai flew past her face and embedded itself in the tree behind her. Instinctively, the girl froze. "An attempt on my life!!! — shouted the blond man and began to run around the area, like a madman, actively gesturing. Akina turned around, and there was a man in a black shinobi robe with a kunai in his hand standing right in front of her. She slowly took a step back, but the attacker was unable to do anything as Neji's powerful strike sent him flying. Neji continued to fend off the attacks of the unknown opponents. Behind her, Akina heard the sound of steel clashing. Turning around, she saw Itachi deflecting a barrage of shuriken that were flying towards them. "We need to get out of here," said Itachi. Meanwhile, chaos was breaking out. Guests were running around the park in a panic, and the palace guards were trying to find the troublemakers. The feudal lord and his bride were taken away to the palace. Akina looked across the lake. The feudal lord's sister was still standing there, frozen in fear or admiration, watching the boys' actions until she was taken away by the vigilant guards. Itachi and Neji were successfully fending off the attack. "You must go to a safe place," Itachi said in an orderly tone. "The safest place is behind you," the girl replied. Uchiha gave her a displeased look. "Neji," he looked at his partner. The man understood him without words, picked up Akina in his arms and rushed to the palace. He lowered himself onto one of the balconies and easily set her on her feet. And immediately sent one of the attackers into a low-level flight. Itachi, covering their retreat, took down several opponents. The absence of the girl gave him complete freedom of action, and in a few minutes it was all over. Few managed to escape. "I hope Huyga is all right," he thought anxiously, and headed towards the palace. He was greeted by the buzz of worried guests. Uchiba was only looking for Aki, and after a while he found her in the company of Neji and the feudal lord's sister. He headed towards them. "It was so exciting. I've never seen anything like it," the princess replied, blushing. "Are you hurt?" Akina asked Itachi. "No," he replied. Then he went over to Neji and pulled him aside, speaking to him quietly. "They were gorgeous. He was gorgeous. He was perfect," the princess said enthusiastically. "Oh, I've heard that somewhere before," Akina recalled Yuki's enthusiastic ramblings in the library. "Who?" asked Akina. "Neji. I've been thinking about it for a long time, and I've made up my mind. I want to belong to the person who stole my heart, at least once," the girl replied with a gleam of excitement in her eyes. Akina looked at her doubtfully, assuming that she was under stress. After about an hour, the excitement subsided, and the guests went to their rooms. Akina and Neji did the same. Itachi went on patrol. Akina was getting ready for bed, wearing a nightgown, but the strange command from the feudal lord's sister kept running through her mind. "I want to belong to the one who stole my heart, too," she remembered her saying. "What does it mean to belong? Is she..." Suddenly, she was overcome with fear at the thought that had crossed her mind. "This is bad. If this is what I think it is, then Nega is in big trouble. No, we're all in big trouble. We need to stop her. But how?" she thought frantically as she paced around the room in her nightgown. "What should we do... we need to do something, and quickly, or we're all done for. What can stop a girl who's determined to... Oh, I guess we'll have to improvise." Akina put on her robe and left her room. Neji was already in bed when Akina barged into his room. "Don't say anything, don't think anything, and don't interfere," she said. Then she took off her robe and slipped under the covers with him. Talk? He didn't blink for a couple of minutes, and she thought he couldn't breathe. "You're afraid to stay alone in your room," Hyuga suggested, finally coming out of his stupor. "I'm saving your skin. You can draw your own conclusions later," she replied. Neji looked at her with a mixture of surprise and concern. Akina felt uneasy, worried about what the boy might think of her. However, she had no other choice. She just hoped her intuition was correct. "Maybe you could explain what kind of terrible danger I'm in," Neji said. He didn't get an answer. Suddenly, there was a knock on the door, and Akina jumped in surprise. "There she is," Tibo thought. "I'm sorry to disturb you at such a late hour. Neji-kun," the princess said quietly as she entered his room, and she froze on the threshold, her eyes filled with pain and despair. "I'm sorry," she said, and quickly left his room. Akina breathed a sigh of relief. She had been expecting the worst. The girl encountered the bewildered look of the guy. "What's going on?" he could only say. Akina silently got up from his bed and left his room. When she entered her room, she took a water balloon box out of her hiking bag and opened it. After returning from patrol, Itachi was worried about something. Something was wrong. Someone had touched his backpack. It wasn't tied the way he usually did. Uchiha activated his Sharingan, but didn't find anything suspicious. He took a deep breath, but there were no suspicious odors coming from the bag. Carefully, he untied the lash, making sure there were no explosive seals inside. On top was a beautifully painted box. Itachi took it with caution, but then he remembered that he had seen something similar in Aki's hands at the souvenir shop, and he opened the box without hesitation. Inside, there was a water ball with a blooming peach tree and a leaf with only one word on it: "gift." A slight smile touched his sensual lips. On the box, he found a small lever that he pressed. The ball filled with a faint glow and began to spin, creating a whirlwind of pink petals and glitter. Beautiful music began to play. Akin gave the same gift to Neji in the same way. The only difference was that Neji's ball had a cherry blossom in it. In the morning, she was awakened by a sharp knock on the door. After permission, Neji entered. "I'm not leaving until I hear an explanation," he said firmly. "I thought you'd say, "Thank you, Akina, for saving my stupid head," the girl quipped. The young man's expression didn't change, and Akina had no choice but to briefly explain the reason for her behavior. Neji listened to her calmly. "I could have sent her away," said Hyuga, making it clear that she didn't have to do that. "And to learn firsthand what it means to be the target of a rejected girl's revenge. With her position and resources, she would have made your life "beautiful and amazing" for a long time. The only way to make her change her mind is to let her know that you're already taken," Akina continued, getting out of bed. "Does Itachi know about this?" he asked. "No," she replied, putting on her robe. "He'd better not know," Neji said. "All right," Akina agreed. The guy headed for the exit, but as he reached the door handle, he turned around and asked: "Would you like to…" Akina frowned, looking at him angrily with her dark amber eyes. "I'm saving his life, and he's making fun of me," she thought, slightly offended. According to the unspoken opinion, a child with shinobi abilities is only born in a family where both parents have an improved genome. If one of the parents is a civilian, the chances of having a strong shinobi child decrease. Therefore, if children with such abilities were born in ordinary families, it was considered almost a blessing from heaven. As a result, strong shinobi preferred to marry strong kunoichi. These kunoichi later became the security reserve of Konoha. However, in the case of Akina, the situation was much more complicated. She comes from a family of fairly strong warriors with an improved rare genome. This means that she has some kind of developmental anomaly or genetic defect that repels not only shinobi, but also most ordinary guys, no matter how interested they may be in her. Therefore, her chances of becoming the girlfriend of a Hyuga clan genius are zero. This is why Akina mistook his words for a mockery. "I appreciate your sense of humor," she said coldly, giving him the signal to get out. During breakfast, it was noticeable that the feudal lord's sister had absolutely no appetite, and she looked haggard. She was diligently avoiding eye contact with Neji. The sister-in-law frequently inquired if she was ill. The girl replied that she wasn't feeling well and retreated to her room. Akina felt a bit uneasy. Perhaps Neji was her first love, but she couldn't allow herself to indulge in her desires. If the feudal lord discovered his sister's relationship with an ordinary shinobi, an international scandal would ensue. There was no guarantee that he wouldn't demand Neji's head as moral compensation, along with Itachi's, as they were the only men his sister had interacted with. Alternatively, they would have to flee the village and live in hiding for the rest of their lives. The thought made Akina shudder inwardly. She could be proud of her actions. However, she felt genuinely sorry for the princess. The feudal lord and his bride came out to see them off with words of sincere gratitude. They stood on the covered track, watching them go. The young people left the feudal lord's residence and headed towards the city. None of them noticed how, a short while later, a dark-haired girl with blue eyes filled with tears ran out of the gates of the residence. She watched them go with a longing gaze until they disappeared into the crowd of people hurrying about their business. "First time's a flop," thought Akina as she followed the boys, hoping that this would be her first and last mission. They say that the way home is twice as short. And Akina felt that her legs were literally carrying her to Konoha, completely without feeling tired. As she passed the edge of the forest, she saw an island of bluish-purple flowers and sat down near them, looking at them with interest. She had seen them in the Botanical Encyclopedia, but she had never seen them in real life. " What is it?" asked Itachi, noticing the girl's interest in the plant. "Platycodon grandiflorus… The large-flowered bellflower is the only species of its kind, and its meaning is symbolic — the return of a friend," she explained more clearly. "Is it poisonous?" was the next question. "No. The root is even edible," the girl explained. "Okay, let's take a break," Itachi ordered. Akina watched him with a dazed expression. "Is it because of the flowers?" she thought, puzzled by his behavior, but she didn't say anything out loud.