Phew! Okay, I know it's been like freakin' forever since I've updated, but I have reasons:
I got a job, (Boo food lion), my dad lost my iPod so I had no inspirational music, I've been swamped with schoolwork and FFA practices for Parly Law since States is coming up soon, and i've barely been able to see my horse or go to church and youth group! I'm TIRED. Lol. But I got a new iPod (4 gig, but it's okay, my old one was an 8 gig), and I've been forcing myself to sit down and write.
So here it is, the first chapter of the ball. I hope you enjoy it!
Luv much!
Nicola
Sakura twirled around in front of the full body mirror on the back of her closet door, skeptically studying her appearance and smiling. Even she had to admit that the strapless, elegant dress looked good on her. She would have to thank Naruto ten times over (again) for finding such a perfect dress to wear to the ball. It was just amazing the way it fit her bodice, and then ruffled out in a long, poof-y skirt that covered her ankle brace perfectly, and allowed her to wear flats (thank Kami).
Naruto walked up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist and admiring their reflection in the mirror. "Mmm, you look good," he murmured in her ear, and she giggled, all previous feelings from earlier disappearing for that moment. She also had to admit that Naruto looked rather handsome in his black suit, black tie, and white collared shirt. He had already put his black mask on, creating an image of mysteriousness and of the unknown. She picked up her own white mask, and held it to her face, her fingers wrapped around the six-inch stick protruding downwards from the right side of it.
"And you look rather handsome yourself," she said, grinning and stepping away from the mirror. She lowered her mask, headed out of the bedroom, and checked the back door. It was locked. Naruto shook his head as he tried to pull her away from making sure the latches on the windows were shut tight.
"Sakura, come on, sweetie, no one's going to get inside. I promise. Besides, they're all too afraid to anyway," he added, chuckling. She wrinkled her nose good-naturedly, checked the latches anyway, and finally allowed him to haul her towards the front door. "Hold on, shut your eyes."
Hesitantly, Sakura obediently closed her eyes, but only after a suspicious glance at Naruto's mischievous grin. She let him lead her outside, feeling the chilly night air hit her arms and give her goose bumps. Whatever Naruto was planning, it must be good, because he placed his hand over her eyes to make sure she wasn't peeking. She laughed as he told her to stop and began counting down from five.
"Naruto!" she giggled, feeling foolish. "What are you—?"
"Open!"
He took his hand away from her eyes, and she opened them. Her breath caught in her throat and she covered her mouth with her hands, amazed.
Before her, parked in front of their house, was a long, black, shiny limousine complete with a driver waiting with the back door open. The limo looked brand new, and Naruto was grinning like an idiot. Sakura looked at those big blue eyes behind the black mask, squealed, and flew into his arms. He laughed and kissed her passionately. The moment his lips touched hers, a shock went through her body, her eyes popped open, images flashed through her mind. Her, Sasuke, the couch, talking, together, in her and Naruto's house….her letting out all her secrets to him….leaning up against him and breathing in the cologne she knew only he wore.
Quickly, she pulled away from Naruto and hurried to the limo, calling over her shoulder, "Come on! We don't want to be late!" Naruto followed, still laughing, and slid inside next to her. He grabbed her hand and kissed it, while she flushed guiltily in the darkness of the limo. It was around seven thirty, just when the sun went completely down; Itachi's party started at eight.
"Oh," Naruto said when they started off, "I forgot. The ball's not at his house—we're all supposed to meet at the docks and take the yacht to the mansion on his private island, if you can believe that."
Sakura blinked. She was momentarily distracted from her guilt and distress over what happened two nights ago by the fact that Itachi not only had a yacht, but a private island, too. She hadn't known about that, much less known the ball was being held at his private mansion on the island. Wow.
"Okay, sure. Does everyone else know?"
"Actually, the instructions were on the invitation," Naruto said, smiling. "So they all should know."
Sakura nodded and sat back in the seat, focusing on the night ahead and all the possible things that could happen. Mostly, she imagined spending the ball dancing with Naruto, chatting with her friends, eating gourmet food, and relishing the feel of the bound to be extravagantly elegant ballroom in Itachi's island mansion. But in the back of her mind, she couldn't help thinking that something was going to go wrong. It wasn't as if she had the best track record in the world. Every time she or Naruto tried to have a nice night, or whenever there was a major event in the city, something bad always happened. It never failed.
The only thing she could do was pray that it all turned out okay.
By seven-fifty-five, Sakura, Naruto, and the other hundred or so guests were on the boat, on their way to Itachi's island that no one had honestly really known about until the invitations were sent out. The night sky glittered with stars, twinkling brightly down at them. Dark blue, almost black waters lapped at the sides of the boat, sending the yacht rocking back and forth in a motion Sakura found rather soothing. The guests milled about, talking amongst themselves and greeting everyone they knew, and then some. Sakura had smiled and learned so many more names that her head was spinning. She really hoped that the guests didn't expect her to remember who they were in a few hours—she'd always been terrible with names.
Naruto stood firmly by Sakura's side, his hand on her waist as he grinned and greeted those individuals he knew from work. Hinata, Tsunade, Choji, and Kiba were all there, along with multiple members of the ANBU squad, and nearly everyone who worked for Itachi. Sakura saw Tenten and Neji looking deliriously happy together (finally), Hiashi and Hanabi eyeing each other cautiously, as if afraid of confronting their problems, much less each other; Ino was also there, whizzing around like the social butterfly she was, and sending several endearing looks in Shikamaru's direction. Sakura vaguely wondered why Shikamaru was invited anyway.
Shikamaru paid hardly a bit of attention to the other lawyer, though, for he was too busy avoiding any confrontation with his father, who was also not so subtly ignoring him. Kurenai held onto Asuma's arm as he spoke with Kakashi and Ibiki. Gai stalked about, watching Kakashi suspiciously, while Rock Lee bounded after him with question after question. And Sakura couldn't help but notice that there was a rather handsome man giving Hinata interested looks. What was his name…? Oh, yes, Sarugaku Tsuzumi, an old member of ANBU who had quit because of the pressures of the job. Sakura didn't blame him—she wouldn't join ANBU for her life.
"Well, hello, Naruto," Nara Shikaku said, and Sakura turned her gaze back to the man who had just walked up. Naruto held out his hand, and Shikaku grasped it firmly in his own. Sakura smiled politely and bowed her head in recognition, keeping both her hands busy by nonchalantly holding onto Naruto's arm.
"Nice to see you again, Shikaku," the blonde replied, grinning. "How have you been?"
Shikaku shrugged. "Eh, alright. Could be better, though, what with this missing child and all. Yourself?"
Sakura bristled—she'd forgotten completely about that little boy being missing. Maybe she should've asked Sasuke about that…no, now wasn't the time to think about Sasuke. Now was the time to focus on what was going on tonight, with her and Naruto and everyone else going to this ball. Oh yes, and Itachi. Couldn't forget about Itachi.
"…looking out for anyone matching those initials," Shikaku was saying, obviously in a serious investigation conversation with Naruto. Sakura pretended to be only mildly interested, when really she was all ears. "If you see anyone, you'll let us know, right?"
For a moment, Sakura was afraid that Naruto might show some sign of having seen Sasuke a few days ago, but thankfully he just smiled, nodded, and said, "Of course. I can only think that it would be helpful to the ANBU to catch this guy. Hell, it would be helpful to the rest of us!"
Shikaku chuckled, patted Naruto on the shoulder, muttered his thanks and "nice seeing you again" and left. Sakura looked up at Naruto with a confused expression.
"So…you didn't tell anyone else about what happened?"
"Nope," Naruto said, his smile still pasted on his face as another person he knew walked up and greeted him. Sakura tuned out the conversation and went back to staring at the crowds, watching all her friends mill about and talk about the latest gossip. It was actually rather nice and peaceful on the yacht with all these other people, sort of safe and welcoming. She couldn't help but wonder why Itachi wasn't on the ship, too, but then again, he probably needed to be at the house to keep everything organized and to greet guests as they came onto the island.
Suddenly, in the midst of a throng of guests, Sakura thought she saw a flash of white skin, white skin that looked very, very, unpleasantly familiar. Her grip on Naruto's arm tightened, and she scanned the crowds again, trying to find the source of the white strip. But it had seemingly disappeared in the mass of people, there and then gone. Naruto looked down worriedly at her, having realized she was clinging rather tightly to his arm.
"Um, Sakura, are you okay?"
Snapping out of her urgent search, Sakura looked up with a confused frown, then smiled brightly and said, "Yes, I'm fine. Sorry, just got a little knocked off balance there."
The man Naruto was talking to—whom Sakura didn't care to recognize—said, "Yeah, it's always hard to get your sea legs for the first few trips. Don't worry, you'll be a trooper soon enough!"
Sakura looked properly sheepish as she said, "I should hope so!"
Once the man had walked away, Naruto turned to Sakura and gave her a knowing look. "Alright," he said, leading her to the railing so they could pretend to be looking out at the dark water. "What's going on? You've never looked that upset before. So spill it."
Putting on her most serious expression, Sakura leaned towards Naruto and murmured, "I think I just saw someone's face." She scowled when he snorted and kissed her cheek. She turned away so he hit her ear instead, and glared out at the water. In the distance she could see the mansion, looming monstrously over the rocky island it was placed on. They were almost there.
"Are you sure? I mean, could you specify? There are a lot of faces on this ship," Naruto teased, earning a very angry pinch from Sakura. He winced. "Oh, come on, really, what did you see? Or, rather, who did you see?"
She swung back around and glared into his dancing eyes. "I think I saw Orochimaru mixed in with a whole bunch of people, but the second I saw him, he just vanished." With a nervous glance around her, she went on, "I'm not lying, Naruto. I swear that he was there. I saw his white skin."
Everyone who knew about Orochimaru knew of his strange appearance, of his snow white skin and snake eyes. It was a mystery as to why he looked this way, but no one dared ask him. He had a sensitive spot when the subject of his looks came up, and at the slightest comment he would not hesitate to shoot you where you stood. Sakura had been warned many times that if she ever saw the snake mobster she was to run, or to slip away quietly. Never should she try to confront him or even make eye contact. The man was like a predator, hunting his prey, playing sick games with his next target.
The look on Naruto's face was grim, and he held tightly to Sakura's hand. Looking her straight in the eye, he said, "If you did see him, then that means he's on his way to ambush Itachi's party. And that's pretty serious business, hon. I'm going to tell the others, as long as you're sure," he added, and when she nodded firmly, he led her off across the boat, pushing other guests out of the way. They stopped when they reached the front, where Jiraiya stood talking to Anko.
Anko glanced up at Naruto's grimace, and frowned. "What's wrong?" she asked, all business. Jiraiya leaned against the railing and watched, waiting for an answer. Sakura noticed that his eyes strayed over her for a few seconds too long, but not in his usual perverted way. His brow was furrowed, and he almost looked suspicious. She clung tighter to Naruto, if that was possible. What did he know?
"Sakura thinks she saw Oro on the boat," Naruto murmured, and the shocked looks on Anko and Jiraiya's faces said it all—they knew that it was plausible, and that if it were true, everyone was in danger.
Anko shot Sakura quick look, and frowned when she nodded. "Great. That's what we need—a psychopath loose in Itachi's private mansion. Wonderful."
Jiraiya nodded, agreeing. "We'll keep an eye out, Naruto. I'll tell the rest to be on their toes, too. But don't let Deidara, Tenten, or Neji know. It would ruin Tenten and Neji's night, and Deidara can't keep his fat mouth shut for the life of him. Okay?" Naruto murmured his agreement, and led the still nervous Sakura off.
They took their places by the rail again as the boat slowed and began to dock by Itachi's mansion. Sakura refused to let go of Naruto's arm, holding on tight as if for dear life. He looked down at her, amused, and planted a kiss on her forehead. She sighed, wondering if she had just been imagining things or if Orochimaru really was on the boat. Whatever it'd been, she knew that Jiraiya and Anko would take care of it—now that the boat had stopped, and the ramp was being lowered, Jiraiya and Sai had moved forward and were standing at both sides of the exit, glaring ominously at all of the passengers who'd pressed towards the ramp.
If Orochimaru was on this boat, the ball would soon turn dangerous. But the chances of him being passed up were slim. With Jiraiya and Sai checking everyone out, and all the others watching for him, the snake would have a hard time keeping to himself. Besides, there was a reason for everything he did, meaning that he had a reason for being at the ball. So whatever that reason was, it definitely wasn't good. Sakura didn't know what he might have planned, but she knew everyone could and probably would be hurt by it.
"Naruto," she whispered as they walked off the boat amidst the crowds of guests, "I really, really hope I'm wrong."
Patting her arm, Naruto replied, "You and me both, sweetheart. You and me both."
Amongst the elegantly dressed guests of Uchiha Itachi was a man with long black hair and pale skin, slinking past the two thug guards at the end of the boat. He smirked at their stupidity even as he noticed the tall, older man glare suspiciously at him for a moment. Jiraiya, he knew, would let him pass, but keep an eye out for him the rest of the night. Yes, that was how Jiraiya worked. The old man never said anything—just watched, waited, and struck when his prey was at its weakest. But this man, this man with the black hair, was not going to let down his guard.
It was all a game to him, a sick game of Russian roulette, where he had total control throughout. He never lost—he always played his cards right, always won, never came out on the other end. And this time would be no different. Here, in the territory of his greatest enemy—or at least one of the two enemies he had—he would send the message he'd been aching to send. Uchiha Itachi did not know what was coming. There were people on this boat, on this island, that were not as loyal to Itachi as they were to the black haired man.
He strode with the mass of people down the lighted garden walk that led to the mansion looming ominously in front of them. Everyone was dressed in their best attire, women in their white or black dresses, men in formal suits. One man even wore a coat with tails on it. As the black haired man looked around at the people, he licked his lips in anticipation for what he had planned.
Yes, it was going to be a very, very interesting ball.
The big wooden doors with brass knockers swung open to let the guests in, revealing an elegant foyer with a large winding staircase, an antique desk, and a gorgeous chandelier hanging from the ceiling. Sakura took it all in with wide green eyes, having only seen the splendor of the mainland Uchiha manor once before. The elderly butler who had let them in led them all to a grand archway rimmed in gold carvings. They shuffled through, eyes round like saucers, amazed at the beauty of this previously unknown mansion.
Waiting for the guests in the brilliantly lit ballroom was Uchiha Itachi himself, dressed in a jet black jacket with tails, black pants, and black shoes. His cobalt hair hung down in its usual loose pony tail, but the thing that was the strangest was the fact that Itachi stepped forward with an almost-smile on his face. Sakura looked up startled at Naruto, who shrugged and glanced back at his boss, obviously confused. Sakura shook her head as she wondered what and how much Itachi had been drinking before this party started. She'd never seen him act so….happy before. Hell, she'd never imagined using the name "Itachi" in the same sentence as "happy" unless the words "is never" were between them.
"Welcome!" Itachi said in a loud, almost warm voice. Sakura stiffened and gripped onto Naruto's arm tighter. What had happened to the normally stoic, angry, aloof boss? "Thank you all for coming tonight! We have a band present to play wonderful music, and food in the dining hall one room over. I hope you all have a great time! So please, enjoy!"
And then Itachi proceeded to walk into the crowd and greet his guests while the band took their cue and began to play. Naruto merely nodded a greeting to Itachi, taking Sakura's hand and pulling her towards the dance floor. She allowed him to pull her close to him and start leading them in an elegant, careful ballroom step that she really couldn't name right now. Her head was literally spinning from worry, the fear of the damage that could be done if Orochimaru really were here. That, and the fear of Itachi apparently being either drunk or high on something or other.
The strains of music soon lulled her into a sense of security, and she found herself placing her feet quite elegantly in a pattern she hadn't realized she knew. Naruto smiled down at her and spun her in a quick circle. She laughed, not even slightly dizzy, and fell back into step with the music. Sakura held herself close to Naruto, breathing in his familiar scent, and suddenly wished that the dance would not end. The guilt that had plagued her earlier was now gone, evaporated into thin air. She really, really hoped it didn't come back.
All too soon, the band's playing faded and they started up another number. Sakura walked with her arm linked in Naruto's over towards the mingling groups of people. She saw that Tenten and Neji were surrounded by most of their friends, and pointed this out to Naruto, who was also curious. They strode quickly over to them.
"…so excited! I can't believe it!" Tenten was saying when Naruto and Sakura came up. "It's….just wow!"
"What's up, Tenten?" Sakura asked, and the radiant glow surrounding Tenten increased tenfold as she held out her left hand. On her third finger was a gorgeous ring, absolutely sparkling in the light of the chandelier. Sakura gasped. "Oh my goodness! Did he propose? Neji, did you propose! Oh my gosh!" She wrapped Tenten in a hug, and the two girls bounced on the balls of their feet.
"Congrats, Neji," Naruto chuckled, slapping his friend on the back. "You finally got up the balls to ask her to marry you. Oh, yeah," he added, and turned to Kisame, who was trying to look discreet. "Pay up, buddy." Naruto held his hand out expectantly, and Kisame dug around in his pocket with a grimace. He shoved the bills into Naruto's hand reluctantly and attempted at a congratulatory smile at Neji, failing miserably.
"You bet?" Neji muttered, looking shocked. Naruto grinned joyously and nodded.
"Yup. I won. Well, Jiraiya and I won, but hey, everyone else has got to pay up." Naruto chuckled and gave Tenten a quick kiss on the cheek. "Congratulations, Tenten. I'm really, really happy for you."
"Thanks, Naruto!" Tenten replied, and turned to give her fiancé a hug. Sakura smiled at the happy, newly engaged couple.
"That's so great that they're getting married," she said as they walked away from them. "I've been waiting for it to happen."
"We all have, hon." Naruto looked over to where his boss was standing and started tugging Sakura in that direction. She immediately balked.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa," she called out, stopping in her tracks. Naruto nearly yanked her off her feet, but he stopped and steadied her before he could.
"What?"
"I don't think I want to meet your boss just yet," she said, trying to make excuses. Ok, yes, she was brave, but was she really brave enough to face Itachi, especially since he was in such a strange mood tonight? No, she didn't think so. "Can't we dance one more time?"
"I dunno," Naruto mumbled, glancing over at Itachi. The Uchiha man had spotted them and was motioning for them to come over. He looked back at Sakura, who was still stubbornly staying in place, and sighed. "I guess…"
"May I have this dance?"
Sakura's head swiveled to the side to see who had spoken, and saw a tall, black-haired man in a black mask, holding his hand out in a welcoming way. She realized he was asking her to dance with him, and flushed unwillingly. How charming. Then she remembered that, hello, Naruto was her date, and he was still holding onto her arm.
"Umm…" She bit her lip and shot a look out of the corner of her eye to her boyfriend, and was surprised to see him relaxed and with an expression of relief on his playful features.
"Go ahead, I need to talk to Itachi anyway." He smiled warmly at her, and she nodded, happy to oblige. "Be good to her," he added in a dangerous voice to the man, who looked taken aback for a second before nodding his agreement.
"Always."
Sakura allowed the masked man to take her by the hand, and was immediately swept into his arms and onto the dance floor. The man placed one hand on her waist, and held hers in the other. She placed her free hand on his shoulder, and they began to dance a pattern she recognized as the waltz. So close to him, she could smell his cologne, a scent that tweaked at her memories and caused her to widen her eyes. She could feel warmth radiating from him, hear his quiet breathing even over the noise of the band. And still she sucked in the brilliant cologne, relishing the smell. Only one man wore that sort of cologne, at least that she knew of, and she found she wasn't upset to see him here.
Uchiha Sasuke smiled wanly down at her, his black eyes dancing slightly behind his mask. He moved effortlessly across the shimmering dance floor, in between the other dancing couples, always moving. Sakura couldn't help but smile back at him, knowing that her face was probably flushed but that she was too out of it to tell. He pulled her closer to him, so that their bodies were nearly pressing against each other. She gasped at the sudden movement, but never missed a beat, surprisingly.
"You're a very good dancer, sir," she said in a teasingly formal voice. Sasuke's smirk widened.
"As are you, ma'am." He gently twirled her, then brought her back to him. She eagerly entwined her fingers with his, feeling nothing other than bliss. For some reason, her heart sang every time she was near Sasuke, just as it had so many years ago. But this time, it seemed that Sasuke may hold the same feelings for her. The little fluttering in her chest might be shared by him. She certainly hoped so.
The song switched easily into a slow foxtrot, and Sasuke changed their dancing accordingly. As she bounced and twirled and stepped along with him, Sakura was suddenly struck with the thought that she was fraternizing with the enemy in his enemy's territory. Here she was, dancing the foxtrot with an absolutely gorgeous man who killed and worked in the mob for a living. He was Number two for Kami's sake! What kind of person was she? She was letting herself feel something for one of the most dangerous men out there! Damn, she was stupid.
And her worry must have shown on her face, for Sasuke asked in a low voice, "Are you okay, Sakura?"
She jerked back to reality and blinked. "Huh? Oh, yeah, I'm fine. Sorry, I spaced out for a second. Really, I'm sorry." She smiled, but knew it was fake and ill-fated, because Sasuke quickly stopped their dancing and took a step back.
"No, Sakura, I'm sorry. I shouldn't be doing this. Naruto's waiting for you," he added, and when she turned to look, he slipped away into the crowd. She glanced back, blinked in surprise, and shook her head before heading for Naruto. He was still speaking to Itachi, and the fact that she'd been dancing with Itachi's hated little brother only moments before made it all the harder to approach him. But she did it anyway.
Naruto looked down in surprise, grinned, and kissed her on the top of her head. "Hey, Sakura. Have a nice dance?" She nodded as she tried to inconspicuously keep her gaze off of Itachi. "Well, that's good. By the way, Itachi, do you know that guy?"
Itachi's black, slightly less bored than usual eyes slowly raked over the crowd and rested on the man standing with his hands in his pockets, looking up at the chandelier. Then, just as sluggishly, his gaze came back to the blonde in front of him. He shrugged nonchalantly. "He seems vaguely familiar. Probably someone from a long time ago come to pay a visit." Sakura noticed that while speaking, Itachi's eyes darted almost imperceptibly fast over to where Sasuke was.
"Ah, well. Hey, you finally get to meet Sakura!" Naruto exclaimed, new excitement coming over his face. Sakura hid a grimace and smiled politely instead. "Sakura, this is Itachi. Itachi, this is my wonderful Sakura!"
That penetrating almost-glare rested on Sakura, and she fought back the urge to squirm under it. The way he looked at her, like she were some item to be bought or, more fittingly, taken out, made her very, very uneasy. Still, she met his gaze somewhat shakily, but she didn't waver and she didn't look away. It was almost a relief when he nodded in a painstakingly slow manner.
"Ah," he murmured, reaching out his hand for hers. She reluctantly placed it in his, and he brushed his lips against it. They were cold, not warm, like she would have imagined. Ice cold, in fact. "It's nice to finally meet the person I've been spending so much time and effort protecting."
She winced inwardly, catching the snide meaning in his words. He thought of her as baggage, as a nuisance that he shouldn't be worrying over in the first place. Of course, how else would he see her? She was the girlfriend of his overprotective, worrywart, most skilled employee, who required constant attention and protection. Whatever she did was monitored, she was constantly around people with some sort of connection to the Bouryokudan, and it didn't really help that she was so clumsy. As if to remind her of her inane ability to trip over invisible objects, her ankle chose that moment to throb mildly.
Just then, the music changed to a sweet, slow song, and Sakura looked pleadingly up at Naruto. She didn't really care that Itachi probably saw her urgency to get away from him—he'd seen the reaction before, most likely. All she wanted was to dance with her boyfriend (not a certain black-haired man who made her heart jerk oddly) and have a good time. Naruto, noticing the upset look on her face, quickly excused them. He led them onto the dance floor and put his arms around her as they swayed to the music.
"You alright?" he asked, resting his head on top of hers. She sighed.
"Yeah, I think so. I just don't like him." She glanced up at him and gave him a quick kiss on the lips. "He really freaks me out."
Naruto shrugged. "Ah, well, that's Itachi for you. At least you haven't seen anyone else around that'd upset you, right?" Immediately she knew who he was talking about, and scoffed lightly.
"Yes, thank goodness. I don't know what I'd do if he showed up in my face or something," she chuckled, but the seriousness was still audible in her voice.
A few rooms over from the ballroom, in the kitchen, one of the hired waiters was fixing a plate to carry around with him, asking kindly if the guest or guests would like a tiny little finger sandwich or another appetizer. He had cocoa colored hair combed neatly back, and his ear piercing had been taken out for the occasion. He hadn't wanted to, but his boss had forced him.
There wasn't anyone in the kitchen—they were all out already, walking around and serving the dozens of well-dressed people. But this particular waiter wasn't too keen on heading back out there. It was all too busy for him, and the people were way too snotty and stuck-up. The way they held their chins as high as they could made him sick. So he was content to quietly arrange appetizers on huge trays, preparing them for the others to take out.
It was honestly all too quiet, thought, so he dug around in his pocket and took out his iPod. Once the headphones were in he turned the volume up about halfway, bobbing his head along to the song as he settled some funny looking mushroom-egg things beside little cherry patties. He didn't hear the approaching near-silent footsteps over the pounding of his music.
The next thing he knew, a cord was around his throat and someone was yanking back on it, hard. His hands immediately went to the cord, his fingers tried to wrap around it, and his iPod jerked off the table to scrape against his knee. His headphones were still in, music still pouring out of them. Then, he saw the tray and realized what he could do. He grabbed it, and bashed it over his head. The sound of metal hitting bone was quite satisfying.
The cord was dropped, and the waiter snatched it up. He turned around to face his attacker, and was shocked at the man's face. The man took the opportunity and stood up, rubbing his head where the tray had connected. A sadistic expression came over his features as he grabbed a knife off the nearby counter.
Stricken, the waiter backed himself into a corner, banging against the edge of the counter holding trays already finished. His hand sunk into a pastry, but he didn't notice. The strange attacker was in front of him, was licking the blade of the knife with a frighteningly pleased look in his eyes. The waiter stood in shocked silence, wrapped in his world of music, as the attacker stabbed him in the chest.
The waiter gasped for breath, convulsing and falling to the floor, where he laid still, the song switching on his iPod.
Jiraiya didn't feel right. Something in this house wasn't right, was strange and out of place. But he wasn't going to mention it to anyone, especially not Itachi. So instead of focusing on the annoying feeling in his stomach, he watched Sakura and Naruto dance together. It made him smile to see them so happy.
They were good together, he figured, very good together. Sakura and Naruto. Naruto and Sakura. It sounded great all the way around, backwards and forwards. He'd seen it since their childhood. Yes, he'd been around then, too. Kakashi wasn't the only one who had worked with the dream team of three. And that was what they were—the dream team. Of course, he couldn't really call them a dream team anymore, because none of them worked together. So he settled with the dream three.
Watching Naruto, Jiraiya once again marveled at how much the young man resembled his father. They both had the same spiky, uncontrollable blonde hair, the same blue eyes, and the same build. The only thing different was their attitudes—Naruto was more like his mother, exuberant and impulsive. His father had been stoic and strong, the silent but deadly kind.
It was ironic, Jiraiya thought, scratching his elbow. Minato had been one of the smartest and most skilled men in all of Konohagakure, with loads of experience on the streets, how things worked there. Itachi's father had offered a top job to Minato before, but the man had turned him down without missing a beat. Jiraiya knew that Minato had thought it over before being asked, and decided it would be too dangerous for Kushina and their future family to be part of the mob.
And now here Naruto was working for the son of very man his father turned down, taking up the same position that had been offered.
Yes, it was very ironic indeed.
Jiraiya's gaze slid over to Itachi, who was schmoozing as much as Itachi could schmooze. There was the slightest hint of a smile—Jiraiya was only able to tell it existed because he knew Itachi so damn well. They'd worked together for years and years; Jiraiya had known Itachi since birth, as well as his little brother. Speaking of which….
The old man scanned the room, looking for the dark-haired individual that Sakura had been dancing with earlier. He was stuck with the image of her eyes sparkling as they'd danced together, the way she looked, happier than he'd ever seen her. But then something had flashed over her features and the dance soon ended. It made him wonder just exactly what was going on with her. Oh, well. He was still trying to figure out how you could send emails anonymously.
"Jiraiya," a quiet, monotonous voice said from behind him, and Jiraiya turned around to see a bored-face Kakashi (still with his eye patch on, as always) holding a drink in each hand. Kakashi offered one to him, and he gladly took it and sipped from it. "How have you been?"
It had been a long, long, long time since their last conversation. Maybe, what, three years? Since then, the two men only spoke on business basis, whenever their jobs collided with one another. And even during those times it was nothing less that professional. Jiraiya remembered the days before Kakashi became so involved in ANBU, before the gray-haired man began working so hard to get rid of any Uchiha on the opposite side. Yes, those were the wonderful times, when the dream three had been the dream team, along with their amazing team leader, Hatake Kakashi. What nice days.
"Ah, I'm pretty good, how about yourself?" Jiraiya replied, taking another sip of the golden champagne. Hmm, it was pretty good. Itachi sure knew how to throw a party.
Kakashi, his one half-closed eye glancing over at Itachi for a split second, said, "I believe I'm okay. Work's getting a little hectic, though. I swear it takes ten years to get anything done, and with that missing kid my plate's full."
"I know how you feel," Jiraiya murmured, his mind turning over all the things he'd heard so far about the missing boy. Poor thing, being kidnapped by such a dangerous, heartless man. Of course, Sasuke hadn't used to be that way, but now, with the assistance of Orochimaru, the Uchiha was a killing machine. A cold hearted, ruthless killing machine that was not afraid to knock out anything or anyone in its way. Whatever the reason for kidnapping the boy, Jiraiya wouldn't have traded places with the kid for anything. Not since Sasuke had turned to the enemy.
Kakashi slowly nodded. "Yes, I'm sure you do. So, nice party, huh?"
Jiraiya opened his mouth to answer, when there was a loud clap of thunder, the flash of lightning from the front room, and then the lights went out. The hundred or so guests were plunged into darkness, screams and exclamations of surprise and fright coursed through the room, a collective gasp going up the moment after the huge chandelier sputtered out. Jiraiya looked about him, startled. He'd known a storm was coming, but enough to put the power in this entire mansion out? He was unnerved by the very idea of it.
On his left, Kakashi had stiffened with shock and was now turning his head until his eye adjusted to the light. Jiraiya did the same, soon becoming used to the darkness that had so suddenly been thrust upon them. The both saw it at the same time, the pale, disturbing face that disappeared just as quickly once another flash of lighting came through the opening in the doors leading to the front foyer.
The two men slowly looked at each other, both amazed and curious if their eyes were playing tricks on them. But the petrified expression on the others face made true what they'd feared: they had seen him, and that meant he was there, in Itachi's mansion, waiting to strike.
"Itachi!" Jiraiya bellowed, barely able to be heard over the buzzing of the disturbed crowd. He cupped his hands around his mouth and yelled, louder, "Itachi!"
This time, he was able to make out a head whipping around, the trademark black ponytail swinging behind it. Itachi's dark eyes met Jiraiya's in the darkness, and a silent message passed between them. There was something wrong tonight. Jiraiya looked around him until he spotted a small, antique couch perched in the corner for guests to sit on when they weren't dancing or mingling. He made a beeline for it, excused himself to the two women sitting there, and stepped up.
Finally able to see above the crowd, he cleared his throat and said as loudly as he could without having to scream, "If I could have your attention please! Look over here! Hey! HEY!" The guests simultaneously looked at him, their expressions wondering why there was some gray-haired guy up on the couch yelling at them.
"Thank you," Jiraiya said boomingly. "Now, the storm outside seems to have gotten worse, and our power has been cut, but no need to worry. I'll be making some calls and soon enough everything will be back up and running. So continue with the part, we'll have this fixed in no time."
He stepped lightly off the couch and strode over to where his boss had moved, into a remote corner with just Sai standing with him. Itachi was looking rather upset, and Jiraiya knew that was never good. Itachi angry could create catastrophes. So he tried to look as casual as he could as he walked up to him, but it was a failed effort and he knew it.
"We have a problem," Itachi hissed under his breath. He looked murderous. "Someone has cut the wires on the engine of my ship, immobilizing it.. I wonder who would do such a thing."
Naruto walked up to hear the last bit about the boat, and looked stricken. He understood the situation—they were trapped. And with the storm's increasing ferocity, there was little chance anyone would be getting off this island anytime soon. Jiraiya put a hand on Naruto's shoulder to calm him down (he could tell the blonde was getting worked up) and nodded.
"So do you want me to tell the others that we aren't going to be able to leave until the storm calms down?" Jiraiya asked, watching his boss carefully for any signs of an explosion. Of course, Itachi's fits were always subtle, but they were always dangerous, too. When Itachi nodded, Jiraiya went back over to his couch post and allowed Naruto to whistle for attention.
"Okay, everyone, I'm sorry to say this, but the storm has gotten a lot worse. We're not going to be able to leave the island until it calms down probably sometime in the morning. But no need to worry—there are more than enough rooms to accommodate everyone comfortably. We will be providing food and clean changes of clothes for everyone later tonight. Thank you."
Once that little spiel was over, Jiraiya went back to where Itachi, Sai, Naruto, and Neji were conversing. He quickly grabbed the gist of the conversation and joined in the figuring. The whole time, though, his mind kept wandering to what he and Kakashi had seen in the shadows, illuminated suddenly by the moonlight streaming in. His stomach turned over once at the thought, the reconstruction of that man's face. If he was here, then everyone was in danger, grave danger.
There you have it. :D I hope you enjoyed it! And please, people, review. I really really really love it when I get good reviews, especially the longer ones, lol. So review ASAP, whenever you get to reading this.
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Nicola 3
