Author's Notes: Thanks to all of y'all who put this on a favorites/ alerts list. Special thanks to my reviewers:

RozenMaiden14:Thankyou. I couldn't help but make Jiryaa a philosopher.

Takara Mokoto: Thank you. *nod* I'll try.

Hayhayhiltz: Lol a lot of people seem to like it, and I'm glad you enjoy it.

Now... on to the tale...

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The emerald eyes met the coal colored eyes coldly, staring at him blatantly behind her mask of elegant black satin. Her hands tightened slightly in Itachi's grip, holding herself in time with the older male as they continued to dance. Sakura would never need justification to go after him; she could read in his eyes that he believed himself above all others. Some one who did not belong in a position of power.

Itachi's hand on her waist tightened warningly. As her gaze swept to him, Itachi said quietly, "Leave my younger brother for me… He has yet to learn his place." There was such an intense flicker of anger in his eyes that she merely nodded before casting her eyes down.

As the songs closing cord rang out, they stepped simultaneously from the dance floor and began mingling within the crowd. Sakura could feel eyes at her back as she carefully kept close to Itachi's stoic prescience. Her back remained ramrod strait beneath the flowing frill of her dress, her steps small despite her hidden bare feet. It was as though she could not escape its scrutiny. With a pleading glance at Itachi, she slowly moved away and set her back against a wall where she could see the members of the room more clearly.

The lighthearted music irritated her tensed mind as her eyes swept over each figure conversing within the room. There were two figures that caught her eye, each watching her closely. The first was the man she had noticed on the dance floor; he seemed to be watching her with interest. The second was that of the young man she had seen in the church; Naruto, if her mind recalled the name correctly. But she could still sense that she was missing someone.

As she turned, Sakura slowly found herself staring into a pair of lilac eyes. The young man's scrutiny was like ice from beneath the proud eagle mask he wore. She held it levelly as she wove through the crowd toward him. "It is impolite to stare at a Lady," Sakura said quietly.

"My apologies, Lady…?" the nearly white gray eyes flickered with interest, scanning down her form.

"Cherie." Sakura replied icily before turning her back to him. As she was about to step back into the chattering crowd, he caught her wrist. His voice was like the winter breeze, sending chills up and down her spine as it ghosted across the back of her neck.

"Forgive me, then Lady Cherie…. But though it is a masquerade, there is no need to give a false name," the white eyed Hyuuga returned coolly.

Her green eyes hardened to the darkest emeralds as she twisted her wrist from his grip. Without thought, she squared her shoulders, meeting him eye to eye as the stared him down coldly. The air around her seemed to take on frigid qualities as she quietly whispered, "Please do not touch me. I don't know what you are talking about Lord Hyuuga, but reframe from putting your hands on me or I will do something about it."

He met the challenge in her gaze with ease. The eyes behind the eagles face were like blizzards that threatened to consume her. "You obviously have forgotten your past, Lady Haruno. And for that I pity you. Did the attack on your father so grieve your mind that you have forgotten what you really are?" he questioned, the scorn in his voice like knives, digging at her emotional armor. "Or are you so easily bent before a man with your father gone that you simply have no will to return."

There were few insults that could anger Sakura beyond her ability to think. But she would never tolerate being called a whore. With every ounce of her strength, she drew back her hand and slapped him across the face. "How dare you," she snarled her voice venomously soft. "You knew nothing of me in the past, and you never will. Tell me Neji, have you walked outside the precious manner into the city that you are responsible for? This city is rotting from the inside out while you sit in here and drink!"

Rubbing the red imprint on his cheek, the Hyuuga met her gaze with the same cold expression behind his mask. The lilac eyes darkened in what could only have been a confirmation as he stared. The tension in the air seemed to crackle between them as the music faded from within the small conversation. Sneering at her contemptuously, he turned on his heel to peer at her over his shoulder. "A Haruno mingling with the poor… how pathetic. You can be certain that the Hyuuga will never be caught doing such."

"And for that reason you will be the first to fall," she breathed under her breath as he strode off. Fury made her form shake as she settled slowly down, taking deep breaths.

Cool hands slid to take hers from her side and draw them up as Itachi kissed them gently. "You should not be so flustered on the arrogance of others.." he cautioned lowly.

She merely nodded in reply not trusting her words at the moment. "Let's leave…." She said quietly. "Before something more happens and I burn this place to the ground."

"I had assumed that you were already going after them," Itachi mused in her ear before leading her out the door. The eyes that watched narrowed, but the party resumed as the pair slipped into the comfort of the night.

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The church's tolling bells sang the sun above the horizon. From atop the belfry, she merely sat and watched the growing light. The green eyes, however, remained dark despite the sun's smiling gaze. Tucking tighter into a ball, Sakura watched the city stir to life.

She watched as the lower life city slowly stirred and made its way to work, noticing as the curtains of the manors were opened by the maids. Her green eyes saw the gardener's walking out the door to begin tending the massive estates, noted the cook lighting his ovens. The small bubbles of conversation threaded through the cool morning air to the unseen figure as she watched them.

Rising as the breeze swept her hair up around her like a halo, Sakura closed her eyes to enjoy the moment of purity as she breathed in the scent of a storm. Her arms spread as the wind swirled around her form. Opening her eyes as the wind slowly died, she slowly came down from her moment of peace to stare at the storm clouds that rolled over the eastern horizon. They promised a wild, longer night of weather.

"Itachi," she called lightly into the bell tower, her voice ringing off the dark stones as it echoed.

There was a pause and then the stoic figure was beside her, staring out over the city to note the large thunder clouds that churned. "It is going to be a heavy storm…" he observed as flickers of light became apparent in the rolling black masses.

She nodded in agreement. "It is ideal for a thieving mission to the Hyuuga manor. The storm will cover all traces of our prescience," she added softly. "There will not be a more opportune moment."

"Think carefully before you act, Sakura," Itachi cautioned, his eyes darkening with slight disapproval. "The Hyuuga will be expecting some event to occur, especially because of last night's event. Underestimating them would be a serious error in their favor."

Accepting the criticism, she turned her gaze once more to the city. Her eyes swept over its inhabitants before pausing as she noted that there was something wrong. "There is something strange about the Hyuuga's manor," she stated with a pensive frown. "Something is not right."

Itachi followed her gaze, studying the building. Her words were true, the building lacked an attribute that he could not place. As he studied its vast form meticulously, the steel gaze finally noticed the difference. "The blinds are still drawn," he identified as he felt his mind process the lack of movement around the general area of the manor. "That is unusual; the Hyuuga always open the eastern windows at dawn. Why would that change?"

Sakura's gaze studied the estate carefully. But her eyes were drawn else where as she noted abnormalities spreading throughout the normal city life. The street rats were retreating back into their alleys, the townsmen were ill at ease within the crowded market. And then as she traced the abnormalities, she saw a subtle flash of gray flicker and disappear among the people as horror overtook her surprise. "They've sent the Kitsune after us…" she whispered in shock as she traced the movements that were steadily moving towards them from all sides. "Neji knows! He must have had me followed last night."

"Then we need to disappear," Itachi said, as he turned sharply to disappear down the winding steps.

Pivoting, Sakura followed at a run. Her pink hair trailed behind her like a banner as she sprinted to grab the small sack of belongings that she carried. Slipping her knife belt over her head, she mentally counted the blades as she quickly destroyed everything that could incriminate Kakashi or leave a trace of their prescience. That which she could not destroy she took with her, leaving only a small scroll that held an illumination of a dove. No one would question its place in the church. But Kakashi would know what it meant.

Dropping silently down to the choir loft, she saw Itachi waiting impatiently by the red stain glass that would give them sanctuary beneath the ground. But as she moved for the rafters that would take her there, the mighty cathedral doors swung open with a boom to reveal four ghost like figures.

They were dressed in gray, black, and mottled silver, hoods covering their faces. Blackwood bows rested at each's shoulder, a full quiver of black fletched arrows visible. Heavy knives like wise rested at their hips, barely visible beneath their swirling cloaks. The upper part of their face was entirely concealed, yet their eyes seemed to pierce through the area as though they were endowed with the ability to see one's soul.

Stilling instantly, Sakura stared at Itachi. Her eyes pleaded with him nervously as he ever so slightly shook his head, ordering her to stay still. Beneath them on the floor, the four figures each entered slowly, drawing the wicked blades. Sakura could see the wicked eyes sweeping the church as they divided, each moving to take an area individually as they scoured each crevice.

Painfully slow, she edged her way out onto the first beam. Each movement was timed, made when she knew their backs were turned. But every time as they turned once more, Sakura felt her breath catch in her throat as she remained perfectly still. Itachi aided her with small motions of his hands. It was as though she were trapped in a dangerous game of ghost in the graveyard with stakes beyond reason.

Edging forward, she found herself at the edge of the first beam. She would have to jump to reach the second. And the guards were directly below her. Itachi's eyes warned her to stay as they noted her position telling her not to do it. Shaking her head in reply, she glanced downwards to time the movement carefully. Three of the four where directly below her, facing the direction she had come from. The other was in a farther corner of the church, seeming to study the harp.

As they seemed to become preoccupied, Sakura took a deep breath once more. And then she sprinted forward before leaping the gap. As her hands reached out to seize the beam, she realized with horror that she had not jumped far enough. Her legs would not make it onto the beam and if her hands did not connect, the fall would kill her. Seizing the beam, Sakura cringed as her shoulders were jolted with the weight of her body, but she did not cry out. Swallowing it as she hung on, she hauled upwards slowly to drag her body farther onto the beam. But her arms were not strong enough on the slick surface.

Sliding back as she began to loose grip, Sakura attempted to swing her legs up without luck as she likewise kept a wary eye on the Kitsune below. If any of them looked up, they would be caught. From his position against the wall, she noticed Itachi slowly creeping forward along the beam on his stomach. Pausing as he reached her, he grabbed her forearms before easing her up onto the beam. Slowly, inch by inch, she followed him to the red glass. But as they were about to open the glass, four sets of eyes glanced upwards to notice the pair of silhouettes against the chrisom background of the Passion.

Knowing that there was no time, Sakura watched the four as they sprinted for the stairs to the choir loft. Throwing open her secret window, she quickly shut and locked it behind her as she sprinted off down the passageways. The shriek of shattering glass was grim foreshadowing to her pursuer's entrance into the secret passages that had once been their sanctuary, and were now to become their prison. The game had turned to a sick version of cat and mouse; there was no doubt in her mind that she was the mouse.

Her steps were light, timed as she used the shadows to conceal herself down each twisting turn of the labyrinth like halls. The soft pants of her breath seemed to be magnified to her ears as she skillfully evaded the malicious foes who sought her blood. Slipping within the walls, she wove through the area like a silent breeze.

It was as though eternity passed within those small, tight corridors, but she never stopped running, evading or moving until she was certain that there was no longer anyone behind her. It was then, and only then that she dashed for the exit. Her blades were in her hands by instinct as she felt the hair on the back of her neck stand up. Two flashed out to strike the shadows that rested ahead of her, thudding dully in the flesh of a man instead of the stone clang.

She paused only to wrench her blades from their throats as she ran. Her feet pattered against the stone like a silence that could not be broken. Her eyes located the brilliant red tile that she sought and then she was hurtling down into the darkness, the ever friendly darkness which would conceal her.

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"It was nothing more than a masquerade, and we all wore our masks without question, though we never saw our own faces. Until one dares look in the mirror, they are under an illusion. And then their reality will be shattered," – Jiryaa.

R&R