Naruto: Chosen

If I had been born a man, everything might have been different. There would be a national team for me too. Thirty-four girls, two from each province, would be there because of me.

And I wouldn't be a fool like my brother. I, Karin, am made of a different material, iron, unbreakable and blunt. I would choose the most suitable girl for the task; if love came along, that would be a bonus. What I needed was a well-educated girl with a beauty that would inspire the crowds.

Of the remaining girls, three stood out: Karui Uzumaki, with the stamina of a queen; Ino Yamanaka, who had won a legion of admirers; and, lastly, Tenten Mitsashi, a Three, but with contacts in the Land of Earth, which would be excellent for establishing relationships. But my brother, that fool, wasn't looking at the best options for his country. He was more interested in the stupid little girl with pink hair and green eyes.

Sakura Haruno... She was pretty, there was no denying that. Hailing from the small Tea Village in the middle of the Fire Country map, some people shouted her name, but this would probably die down over the years, thanks to her temperament. She was a Four, brought up on a farm, with no connection to any neighboring nation. And, worst of all, she didn't even seem to want to be queen. Sakura seemed more interested in the bacon for breakfast than in having a crown.

- "You look like a lioness watching her prey," said Suigetsu next to me, dressed in a dark blue suit and a white dress shirt, without a tie. He cut off a piece of his pancake and smiled at me. - By the way, my princess looks stunning this morning.

My cheeks blushed slightly. He always knew how to make me blush, with his compliments, with his kisses on the cheek, when he showed up at my bedroom door late at night. He made me blush with anger, embarrassment and even desire, and he seemed pleased with the effect he had on me.

- Who would you choose? - he asked, as his turquoise eyes roamed over the table of Selectees.

- Mei Terumi is popular.

My red wine-colored eyes fixed on Mei, who was laughing at something her colleague next to her was saying. She was a Five, a professional dancer, if I'm not mistaken. But the answer didn't convince me, and I looked again at Suigetsu, who was looking across the table.

- Fuu is a Six. She may be the one most loved by the lower castes.

His reasoning was right, but incomplete. It wasn't the lower castes who financed the economy.

- Ino is famous in her own right.

Ino was beautiful, popular, famous and, above all, rich.

- But we both know who he'll choose - the groom smiled.

- Not if I can help it - I pursed my lips.

- It's not up to you, my love.

And I hated that. I hated the idea of not being in control, and the feeling had been consuming me lately. The Selection was Naruto's. Only he could send them away, only he could say what they could and couldn't do. As prince and princess, we had the same powers, but one day he would be king, and I would die a princess of an unknown country.

***

It was six o'clock in the afternoon when Karui Uzumaki presented herself in the throne room, with tears in her eyes and someone's five fingers marked on her cheek.

- Majesties - she whimpered, falling to her knees. - She attacked me, Your Majesty.

Naruto was horrified and came down from his throne to help Karui up.

- Who did this to you, my dear? - he asked, as she threw herself into his arms, crying loudly.

- The girl Fuu, from the Village of Wings... She... She slapped me as if I were a Six like her.

- Miss, I... I'll talk to Miss Fuu to find out what the situation is.

Weak. Weak, that's all, I thought, crossing my legs on the throne that once belonged to my mother.

- The contest rules are crystal clear. No conflicts between the Selected. Fuu was aware of the rules.

- But we need to investigate - Naruto said, starting to walk with Karui in his arms.

- You're not prince enough to protect a maiden, but you say your worthy of being king to protect a country? - I spoke audibly, loud enough for the whole hall to hear, which hurt Naruto's ego. The guards glared at him, and before dinner, Fuu from the Village of Wings was sent back home.

The women's hall had always been our rightful place, imposing like everything else in the castle, but there, sitting next to Ino and Mei, the satin curtains didn't matter, and the high walls, far from making me feel small, seemed more like a distant backdrop.

- "I've always been a fan of hers," commented Mei, her emerald green eyes fixed on Karui. Even at that hour of the afternoon, she was walking around the room with a glass of red wine in her hand. - Coming from a grand province, with the world at her feet... Who wouldn't want to be her?

All the girls were present in that cool afternoon hall. Queen Tsunade had decided to spend the day riding around the estate with Orochimaru and Jiraya, leaving the responsibility of ruling to Naruto, who was sitting on the throne. His absence was felt, and every eye in the hall turned to the door, as if expecting him to enter at any moment, take us in his arms and break the loneliness of the place.

A few minutes later, cameras and reporters entered, bringing a wave of questions that would soon be on the pages of the next official newspaper. At the center of the attention was Fuu, the only one from Caste Six. She, coming from the lowest caste, had become the first choice of the "rude one" the prince had spoken about. When the interviewers had finished half an hour of questions for Fuu, they began to give us their gaze, and all the girls, relieved, posed for the camera, their faces shining in the light.

- I'd like some cookies," I said, mouthing the words, and Ino, laughing, called a waitress over with a gesture. The woman quickly understood and ran off to get my order.

- "I'd like a date with the prince," Mei commented, her long enameled nails touching her chin with a mischievous smile. - I'd do everything right... And since I would, he would only have eyes for me. This game would be over once and for all.