Silk and Wire Binds
Chapter 9 – Dressed to Kill Break Your Heart.
Two days passed in a quirt daze as the family got ready for the coming masquerade ball, Kyuubi locked himself away in his room and refused to come out. Itachi was busy desperately searching the house for thing he needed or so he said, Mikoto and Kushina were also spending a lot of time searching the house. Looking or so they said for decorations for the ball, they were after all two of the leading organiser.
Sasuke also seemed very preoccupied of late spending a lot of time alone at the small shire the family had built for Minato and Fugaku, it was at the bottom of the garden in a small forest of trees. It was a quirt spot were Sasuke came to think the shire was well-tended often by the family, surprisingly Vulpes was the one who tended it most.
Vulpes had survived his head on ordeal with the car with minor injuries, he broken four ribs, creaked his skull and received a permanent scar over his eye. On top of this he was now no walking with a slight limp due to his left knee been broken, doctors had assured Mikoto and Kushina that he would heal as long as he didn't try to run or put too much pressure on his leg. When he'd been ordered to walk with a stick by doctors he'd thrown a fit, only after he'd been ordered by his mothers did he agree to walk with a cane. Vulpes seemed to be avoiding the family, going out for long walks and spending a lot of time away from home.
Naruto was as lost as the rest of the family, spending his time watching pointless television shows or playing mind dissolving games in his room. After two days he was frustrated and mostly bored...
This all changed the day of the Masquerade, as the house became alive with activity as Kushina and Mikoto sprang to life to make sure their boys were ready for the biggest night of the year.
"Where is Itachi ?"Mikoto asked as she looked in the kitchen mirror for the twentieth time, straighten a stubborn rogue hair again only for it to refuse to stay put.
"He and Vulpes are meeting us there. Apparently they had something to pick up before the ball." Kushina said as she looked at her watch seeing that since she'd last looked at it ten seconds had already passed.
"Naruto, Sasuke, Kyuubi hurry up were going to be late." She called her children for the tenth time in the space of five minuets.
Kyuubi was the first to appear at the door, dressed in a way that Kushina tutted at. The largest event of the year for the family and the best Kyuubi could do was a simple pair of black pants and a plain red shirt, his mask was also pathetic. It was made of paper and a stick...Kushina looked over her shoulder at her partner Mikoto wearing an elegant silk gown with all the trimmings, including a pair of long black silk gloves and highly detailed mask made of porcelain. It depicted a black cat in great detail, that was a Masquerade outfit not a last minuet throw on.
Kushina was wearing an exact copy of the out fit Mikoto was wearing only in a different shade and her mask was made to look like a foxes, she had insisted it looking a cute as possible.
"What?" Kyuubi murmured as his mother glared at him, she didn't say anything to him simply left the matter alone. The pair had not spoke about what had happened and Kyuubi didn't seem to be looking for a talk with his mother, simply wanting to let the matter drop.
Naruto was getting ready in his mother bathroom as Sasuke had taken their rooms one to get ready, as he desperately fiddled with his buttons he gave himself a look over in the mirror. Sakura had delivered his outfit the day before and now that he saw it on himself he was slightly speechless, it looked good, very good. When he'd picked the colours of dark red and black he wasn't sure they'd go together but Sakura had work some sort of magic and made it work, his coat had a pattern to it as though a black fire was burning its way up his back. As he looked at it he could see the detailed stitching that had been put into it, it truly was a master piece, his waistcoat was made with a similar pattern and his shirt was a deep red along with a black bow-tie. His pants had been pressed and were soft the black material having a silk lining for comfort against his skin.
His mask was the simple one the store gave away with each outfit, it was a simple fox mask that looked ok but nothing special like his mothers.
As he came down the stair Kushina gave him an approving smile as she looked him over, Kyuubi gave a small snort of annoyance.
"I'm ready." Naruto turned to look up the stairs as he heard Sasuke voice, as he did so he had to stop himself from drooling at the sight.
Sasuke was wearing a slim fitting outfit with a raven coloured tail coat that had silver trimmings, his pure white shirt that was ruffled and around his throat he wore a collar like strip of silk that had a small necklace on it. It depicted the Uchiha clan symbol in sliver with rubies and diamonds set in the silver, the gems seemed to twinkle as they caught the light.
His waistcoat matched his tail coat and had similar trimmings of silver along with a silver chain that was attached to one of the buttons and hung down to his pocket, the fabric of the waistcoat had painstakingly been hand stitched with a small feathery pattern. Sasuke pants were like breeches and the colour matched with his other clothes, he wore a pair of black polished jackboots that ran to a point just below his knees. Naruto's heart skipped several beats as he looked at the raven in that outfit, a twisted mass of thought ran through his mind as he watched the raven descend the stairs.
"Do you like it?"Naruto didn't answer and felt glad when he realised the question had been directed to Kushina at the bottom of the stairs.
"Yes, you look wonderful."She smiled and nodded her approval.
As the group left for the ball Naruto tried not to look at Sasuke, he was starting to feel slightly uncomfortable from his tight pants.
The Masquerade was held in the old opera house because it not only had a beautiful inertia but also was the largest public building in Konoha, Mikoto and Kushina had with a group of other wealthy citizens bought and repaired the building before giving it over to the city for public use. Every year it would be filled with light and sound as Konoha dance the night away in the huge halls, the Masquerade lasting to the early hours of the next morning.
As the group arrived at the huge door to the opera house several hired footmen opened the doors for them, as soon as the doors were open Naruto was hit with a wave of sound. The Masquerade was in full swing and the halls and large rooms were filled with a mass of masked people, as the group moved through the slightly crowded corridors Naruto looked around at the odd-looking mask some people were wearing.
As they came to the main hall were the music of a large orchestra was playing Mikoto and Kushina disappeared into the crowds of people, leaving Naruto and Sasuke alone with a bored looking Kyuubi.
"So you didn't get a date?" Kyuubi asked out of sheer boredom as he lent up against a wall. Naruto and Sasuke shook their heads as they watched Kyuubi smirk as he folded his arms.
"I hate Masquerade...Nothing to do but watch others dance." Kyuubi said to himself as he glanced around.
"You could always as Vulpes to dance." Sasuke's grin fell as he saw the glare Kyuubi gave him, it wasn't his normal glare it was a look that said in a few second he was going to kill you.
"Shut the fuck up."Kyuubi growled as he went back to leaning up against the wall with his eyes closed, wishing the night would just end.
After several minuets of watching the dancing couples Naruto looked over to see Mikoto and Kushina heading in their direction, the pair carrying several drinks in their hands.
"Any sign of Itachi and Vulpes?" Mikoto said as she gave Naruto a glass she was carrying, as Naruto took a sip he could taste the alcohol underneath the fruity drink.
"No, I wish he was here. At least I wouldn't have to be the only fucker not dancing."Kyuubi said as he took the drink Kushina offered him, he downed it in one gulp and set the glass down on a nearby table which had a vast array of foods set on it.
"Isn't that him over there." Sasuke pointed to the dance floor,, Naruto followed his finger and scanned the face or mask.
"No way Vulpes doesn't dance, he refuses to dance prefers to stand and watch."Kyuubi said as he yawned and went back to his wall.
"No, that is Vulpes dancing with a woman." Kushina said slightly surprised as she watched Vulpes wiped passed as he danced slightly unsteadily passed them, the pale woman he was with looked slightly familiar.
"Huh..." Kyuubi turned his attention to the dance floor.
Naruto could tell Vulpes out in the crowd he was easy to spot, his outfit was a one of a kind... Vulpes always dressed in elegant suits and clothes, always dressing to impress. Tonight he had over done it, the easiest way to describe what he was wearing would to be to say he was dressed as though he was an officer in the army. His outfit was black with silver and gold trims and his jack boots were polished to a mirror shine, making loud thudding sounds as they crossed the wooden floor.
As the pair of dancer came to a stop Vulpes looked over in their direction and brought his dancing partner over, as he came close he smiled at Mikoto who was looking at his partner. She just couldn't shake the feeling that she was familiar, Kushina smiled asked Vulpes where Itachi was.
Vulpes smirked.
"Mum! I'm right here."
Kushina looked at the woman Vulpes had danced with, after several seconds she saw it was Itachi. Itachi in a dress and make-up but still her son Itachi...
"I told you, you make a convincing women." Vulpes said as he gave Itachi a smirk, receiving a glare from the raven.
TBC
