Chapter Ten Part I: "Castle Games and Hints of War"

"Love and War are the eternal drivers of mankind,
Yet I am always lost as to why.
Eternity and Life are fathomless —
May I be like fish in sea swimming by."
—The Games We Play Never End, But I Still Wish To Be With You—

….

….

Sakura blinked a few times before she adjusted to the new scenery. Once again, she was transported to the castle lounge except instead of her usual enchanted lingerie, her attire consisted of a royal purple high-slit dress that hugged her curves. She caressed the texture — light yet perfectly smooth and she could see it was made of a light, yet strong material that was cut up and brought together like gemstones interlinked tightly so it seemed as fabric. Did her wardrobe level up along with her powers? She shook her head. Of course, who knew the mind behind the magic? No matter how many times she 'woke up' to arriving in the castle with new clothes, she was still amazed by the fact that although she barely slept, she never felt tired or weak. Magic was simply amazing.

"Sakura, are you well?" A smooth baritone voice danced in her ear and she looked up to see obsidian eyes. His warm breath kissed her cheek, any further and they'd touch lips. It seems the men showed up in the split second when she studied her dress. The craziest part was the fact that she was getting used to this level of power. Her kingdom's loving court would have gone to war to seize such levels of strength. If they knew — Ha! Like she would ever. Who needed frivolous titles or land when she had this world with just her and these enchanting men. No magic could compare.

With a slight blush, Sakura said, "I am fine, Itachi. Miss me?" She joked, but even though she grew more confident about herself, Itachi always managed to send her into an innocent girlish state with only a smile. She attributed it to the fact that he was her first as she tried to look poised like a mature lady and hide the fact that she felt like butterflies were dancing wildly inside of her.

Itachi chuckled as he stepped back, but not before giving her a kiss on her cheek. "Always, dearest." He took a strand of her long pink hair and slid it between his fingers in one graceful movement before letting go. "Since you are well, don't forget your promise."

"My promise?"

Kakashi interjected from the couch like a rebellious lover, one leg crossed against the other lazily, "You promised to stay in this castle for a while before running off to kill more dark gods, woman. No take-backs!" For a sinfully handsome mercenary, the scarred warrior acted like a petulant child, the contrast making him unbearingly cute. This time, she noticed his attire changed as well — a sleeveless black outfit with select pieces of leather and armor, complete with high boots, barely hidden daggers and a lone gold earring. A small skull adorned the hilt of one of the short swords that hung on his side. If she didn't know his occupation, he could also have been a pirate from the tales she loved to read as a young girl. Which would have made her wonder if the spell knew her secret fantasies, ahem!

Kakashi smirked at her gaze, "Like what you see?"

This time, she boldly replied, "Definitely." While Itachi had that sinfully dominating gentleman aura, Kakashi pulled out her rebellious side. She stood up and gazed around the room. Slowly, she took in the others' outfits and noticed each one was customized. While Gaara had a sand warrior's long tan cloak and who knew how many daggers underneath, Sasori had on the dark robes of a mage, adorned with dark purple and silver markings. Deidara, Kisame and Hidan had similar outfits as Kakashi with a bit more armor and the Uchiha brothers dressed like lords with swords in hues of obsidian and deep blood red. For some reason, Hidan barely had clothes except a few strapped on weapons across his muscled chest and some large open coat that made him seem a mix between a beserker and a dark mage. Neji was the only one in white, wearing a long robe split on the sides and edged in silver, covering black leggings.

In short, everyone was dressed for the court and war except her. While her dress alone was luxurious enough for dalliances with lords and easy to move in in the field, she didn't even have a single dagger! No wait…Sakura looked down at her usually much more revealing outfit with curiosity as she studied the material more. Although the outfit was still sexy with its deep cleavage and clingy fabric, lined with tiny fragments of rich metallic purple, there were faint signs of magical engravings on each tiny fragment and the whole 'cloth' felt smooth as silk. Looking closer, it kind of looked like it was made of scales…

Sasori seemed to read her mind and he gave it a quick glance over then said, slightly touching her hem, "Your dress is made of dragon scales. Purple means royalty so it'd be impossible to procure. It's not only worth an entire country, but it is the hardest substance known with the exception of certain legendary relics. The scales of a royal dragon made from the purest bloodline is invaluable. My dear Sakura, it seems the spell is preparing us for a grand finale."

Deidara added, "At least the Fae has taste. Damn, I look good. Hey, check out my outfit! It's lightweight and tailored to my perfect body." The silly artist flexed his arms before Sakura with a tongue out. Although his blonde hair was still tied up the same, seeing the mad artist in leather and armor versus his usual garb made her heart beat. He was already beautiful, but now he had a manly, roguish charm that contrasted well with his usual delicate appearance. Noticing her stare, he grinned slyly before whipping out a longsword from his hip and twirling it in one hand expertly. His blue eyes twinkled at her as he drawled, "Had to pay for the art studio with this sword. Hated it. But now I can use this for someone important instead. I'll slay anyone who gets in your way, love." He winked.

Sasori cut in his one-man show with a frown, whipping a dark sleeve in the artist's face as he mocked, "Narcissist. What are you showing off with your twig self? Do you not see the warriors surrounding you? We have mercenaries, warriors, lords and mages…then there's you. All you do is paint and throw bombs."

"If I'm a narcissist, then you're a psychopath," Deidara rebutted as he put his sword away. "And I am unique so of course I stand out! I…I look better than them! Beauty is more than who has the largest biceps or flashiest magic, but in who has the most…elegance and charisma." He flicked his blonde ponytail. "Every prince charming needs, well, charm. Something you don't have, ya stiff bookworm. Right, Princess?"

Sasori snorted, "If she's the princess then you're the pauper. If I recall, you're the poorest of us here."

"Hey! Money isn't everything. And Gaara — "

Gaara held up his hand. "I was entitled to many pots of winnings if they didn't enslave me."

"Er, then Kaka—"

Kakashi rolled his eyes. "Just because I work doesn't mean I can't save. I'm not a rambling artist who only goes for short missions to go home and play with clay like children." To add salt to the wound, he pointed one long finger to his gold earring. "Besides, I keep a lot of hideaways."

The poor artist's shoulder slumped. "…Damn pirate."

"Mercenary. It's legal." He gave the artist a bored look. "If you were smart, you'd do more with your bombs and do the same."

"Hey! My bombs are an ART not some disposable thing you use for your calculations!"

"This is why you're poor, sentimental romantic." Kakashi scoffed.

"Kekekeh! See? Told you." Sasori's lips parted into a conceited grin in front of Deidara's face and before long they started to fight as per usual. In the meantime, the others walked closer to Sakura.

Hidan knelt on the ground in front of her and kissed her hand, "My goddess, if we shall go to war, I will tear down even Jashin himself in your honor even if it costs me my life."

"Um," Sakura was caught off-guard by the pure sincerity behind the muscular dark warrior's eyes. While she appreciated it, she knew fanaticism over her would be a bloody mess so she replied softly, "Your life is worth more than any god's so I hope it doesn't have to come to that. And I am not nor ever will be a real goddess, but I am always by your side." For Hidan, she had to make sure the expectations were clear. While she assumed the others called her goddess as a nickname, this man just escaped a dark god whose apparently trying to wage war against the fae. The dreams seemed to have a lot of run-ins with the powers of darkness. She had to make sure he didn't stray back.

"Merciful lady, you —"

"Stop hogging the lady!" Deidara broke off from his fight and pouted as he hugged the lady from behind. He wrapped his arms around her waist, "I almost got distracted by the pompous jerk. I missed you so, so, soooo much!" He squeezed her tighter.

Belatedly, like a lonely warrior in a different sense, Neji bowed and said, "I will also do my best in combat." He raised a hand before letting it down again. Deidara was distracting Sakura so she missed it, but Sasuke saw.

The newly avenged Uchiha clenched his fists as he stared at his future rivals and partners. Tch. He had to take the initiative or he'd end up as the sleeping virgin over there. He tapped a finger on his pants as his thoughts raced. At least he had one less rival. No way the silent one would interfere with his plans to dominate the harem.

As if by instinct, Neji glanced at Sasuke and frowned. Why did he feel annoyed? The usually calm man of the moon clan marked his first enemy in this new land. The rest was fine, so why did this…Uchiha?…piss him off?

While rivalries were being formed, Sakura gently smacked Deidara's roaming hands as she looked at both Neji and Hidan, the most serious ones of the group, and said, "No, really, I would prefer you are safe. Neji, I hope you feel comfortable with us. Our time together may not be long here, but who knows in the future, right?" In any case, she couldn't leave this man alone. He lost his entire clan from hundreds of years ago!

As soon as she finished speaking, she held Neji's hand and gave him a smile. He returned it happily — and Sasuke gritted his teeth. Tch. He spoke too soon.

Oblivious, Sakura continued speaking, "Now, before we try to guess the Fae's intentions and head off to war, shall we eat breakfast? Trust me, Neji, food outside of here just isn't the same. There's this magical thing called sy-rup!" And just like that, the men got together and escorted her to the dining hall where a feast was laid out.

"You're right, you need to stay healthy." Gaara worried as he held out his arm for her to hold and acted as escort.
"If the others bother your meal, I'll kick their ass," threatened Kisame as he towered them all from behind along with Itachi, Hidan and Neji. Kakashi walked ahead with a careless gait, but glanced back a few times.
"Do…you not feel hungry? You didn't eat much in the dream with me either…" Sasuke mumbled as he took her other side, effectively blocking off Deidara's attempt to latch onto her body. She swore he had a 180 personality change. It was like the dark avenger became tamed in front of his brother.

Sakura laughed at the overlapping voices and waved her hands lightly, "Honestly, you gentlemen worry too much! This is a magical realm made by the Fae, of course I'm not hungry. But thank you for your concerns. The food is just too delicious not to try here!" Sakura soaked up their words with a warmth in her heart, but deep down she had a selfish thought. Once the dreams were over, it would have been nice to stay together. But if they wanted to leave…

She shook her head. Nonsense! That was reality, but it wasn't her present. She should live in the moment and appreciate them while they were here. She needed to stop thinking of this! With these thoughts, she made small talk as they walked along the way down the hall, and she asked the men about themselves as they began to discuss favorite foods and morning habits. By the time they sat around the breakfast table, Sakura's worries were forgotten as she laughed with them.

And so, the peaceful morning passed…

Until a letter floated down to the table.

The spell's voice sounded:

[IMPORTANT LETTER! Take your time to train before the next dream. Unlocked Hidden Quest: Dragon Queen's Trial has Activated. Prepare thyself!]

With those shocking words, Sakura immediately lifted the letter and read aloud,

"The Dragon Queen sends her greetings.

To the Young Candidate, Congratulations.

You have made it thus far and met the minimum requirements to take my challenge. The next dream will test your abilities and your heart. Pass and great things will come with will and strength. Fail and the dreams end here — you may return to your regular mortal life. Risk your life, fight for the cause and you will have the power to bring balance to the realms.

But with great rewards comes great risks. I have but one warning, child. Your life is not guaranteed. The Enemy wants your blood.

Do you accept this Trial?"

The spell's voice thundered throughout the castle:
[Please answer the question: Yes or No? One minute in counting…]

The men furrowed their brows at the threat, but Sakura's heart beat faster. Normally, a lady should be afraid, her lips should quiver and cheeks pale. That was the lesson taught to all noblewomen to look in front of crisis. Otherwise the noblemen would be put off by an aggressive woman. That lady was dead and no more. This was her chance! Once invoked, no one could go against a dragon. Let alone a dragon queen! This was exactly the opportunity she was seeking — a way to do something with her life and insurance that no one could get in her way, not even the king himself. Something that involved the balance of the realms? Never in a million dreams did she think Godmother Ella had this waiting.

She took in a deep breath before stating, "Yes, I accept! No matter what, I accept!" She had come a long way from the helpless lady in the castle. Now she was a full mage in her own right whose spoken to the moon goddess herself! What couldn't she face?

[Accepted. Prepare thyself and may the Fae favor you. We shall see if you are worthy of the Dragon's expectations]

After that, the voice faded away and silence loomed over the hearty breakfast. Sakura faced the table of grim, elite warriors, "So. Dragons, hm. I really need to train."

The brooding Sasuke stared at her, "That's an understatement. I knew you'd go on to great things, but to think even the dragons would come out of their way to test you. I'll come with you in the next dream."

Immediately after the Uchiha said so, the rest of the men stood up. Itachi wasn't indifferent, "Now, little brother, don't you think there are better qualified people to go instead?"

Surprisingly, Sasuke's previous feisty temper rose against his precious brother as he scoffed up at him, "Aren't you getting cocky, Older Brother? I'm not the same young Sasuke you fought years ago."

"Ha. Neither will I be holding back, little Sasuke." His smile exuded a chilly air as the two lords clashed.

Deidara and Sasori said at the same time, "Don't leave me out!"

Kakashi, Hidan and Gaara all crossed their arms in defiance while Neji looked confused.

Neji asked, "Dragons are real? Aren't they folktales for children?"

Suddenly, everyone looked at the hundreds of years old warrior with wide gazes. Kakashi asked, "You mean to tell me your sister's a moon goddess and you have troubles believing in dragons?" He jabbed his thumb up at the regal man. "We got a little vision before you guys showed up from the last dream. It's incredible to see a goddess, but this guy is shocking. He must be made of stone to not react to you —"

Sakura interrupted him like a protective older sister in front of the 'pure' Neji, "Mhm!"

Neji frowned and slapped his thumb away. His back held straight as his long black hair flowed down behind him like a gentle waterfall and Sakura couldn't help but notice the funny contrast between the humble warrior with a noble bearing clad in white and the rough, silver-haired mercenary who acted as a king. What a pair! If they were jesters… A giggle almost erupted out of her, but she managed to keep her composure lest they pout if they knew her thoughts.

First, Sasori and Deidara became rivals. Then suddenly Sasuke and Itachi. Now Kakashi and Neji? Whose next?

The supposedly once-innocent lady had the urge to snack on Fae snacks while she watched the drama unfold. She should stop them, but…to be fair, this was too interesting to watch. There was something about angry, handsome men that no lady could ignore…

Standing beside her, Kisame chuckled softly as he leaned down to whisper in her ear, "Like the show, milady?" He laughed some more when Sakura blushed at getting caught and he tucked a loose pink hair behind her ear. Ironically, the fiercest-looking one here was the most unperturbed.

Sakura pouted, "How are you so calm? I thought you'd be itching for a fight, Kisame." She leaned against his thick arm as he steadied her.

"Hm. I can guess who will go. Itachi, Gaara, Kakashi, me all went too many times. The dreams don't leave a lot to chance I believe. It needs to balance. Hidan just came and Neji is still settling in. I bet Sasuke will go. The spell…leaves hints of what it wants from whom." He played a small water spell between his fingers before it dropped. "As you can see. Like the flower I gave you. I happened to find that rare flower by chance, but then it turned out to be what you needed to survive the next dream. Battling a cursed man at the bottom of a lake was outside anyone's expectations. Not that this whole dream world isn't."

Sakura said, "Good point. But why Sasuke? Hidan could be the one. The difference arrival time isn't very large considering it's only been days."

"And much we did in those days, eh?" Kisame teased while he rubbed her arm. "Simple. Itachi told me something interesting years ago. This dream's about dragons, yeah? The Uchiha were the original Dragon Slayers when they raided frequently generations ago. No one's seen them since and no one knows why. We're supposed to be on the dragon's side now, but…that can't be a coincidence."

Sakura mulled over it a bit. "If that's true then…I don't think this trial is a simple battle between mages or knights. Why would a dragon be on the same side as a dragon slayer? From old stories, they'd rather die than side with an enemy."

Itachi cut short his face-off with Sasuke and answered for Kisame, "Unless there was a greater enemy. The true dragons were hidden away, but I think I know what you'll face next — the Dead Dragons. Those were seen very recently in comparison."

Sasori grew solemn. "Impossible! Those are long gone. You sure they aren't just demonic beasts leftover from stray summons?"

"Not anymore. A curious noble had one specimen in hiding. I killed it years ago during a past war, but could find no traces of their origins bec —"

Sasori finished, "Because they were the pawns of the demons. The greatest threat to dragons when they weren't locked away. No mage could control a dragon for long, even in death. They aren't true dragons, but just as fearsome. I may not have gone out much, but mages have their own networks and I've heard nothing of this."

Itachi shrugged. "We weren't normal mercenaries." Kisame chuckled from behind him. "However, that little detail couldn't go public for obvious reasons so we made sure no one knew. The only ones there were all quite enthused by the crudest of the unholiest arts so I believe even you would have came to the same conclusion." A glint flickered in his eyes.

Sasori nodded. "Hm. I do not care about the others, but those types are just mold on our shoes. No tact, always bloody and the spells are just offerings to the worst of devils. I'd say you should have tortured them for information before you got rid of them."

Itachi just replied flippantly, "We did what we had to."

"Good." Then he turned to Sakura, his passion as fiery as his hair was red, and held her shoulders tightly, "This isn't just a fight. This is an annihilation. After the disappearance of the true dragons, the Dead Dragons and demons once tore down human civilization to its bare bones before most were expelled to the dark gods' realms. Only the fiercest of warriors stood a chance!"

Sasori's eyes turned crazed as his grip tightened and chaotic black magic swirled around him, "That Dragon Royal, whichever bitch they are…They're sending you a death wish!"

At that, Deidara lost it more than usual and shouted while hugging Sakura tight, "That's it! I am DEFINITELY going! None of ya bastards are good enough! Except maybe Gaara because sand is everywhere…and ok, fine, Sasori with that black light bullshit —"

Sasori pinched his nose in aggravation and sighed out, "It's called dark magic, bumbling idiot."

Kisame crossed his arms, his thick biceps bulging, "Something to say about me?" He snarled down at the blonde bomb artist, showcasing his sharp teeth.

Deidara managed to hold his glare, but pursed his lips in defiance, "…I'm still going!"

Hidan watched the men curiously and asked out loud, "Why don't we just fight for the spot? It's what is usually done for the gods no?" As a local expert on gods' rituals, he didn't see the problem. Of course they had to fight to be near the goddess in battle.

"Eh?" Sakura waved her hands. "No, no! I think I know who will go —"

"Great idea!" Gaara smiled with evil intent.
"I've been itching to get some energy out!" Kisame laughed heartily as he stretched his arms out.
"FINALLY! I can kick this shit's face in!" Deidara cheered.
Hidan roared, "I will be on top!"

And so, the men agreed on something long overdue.

For the first time, Sakura rolled her eyes. "Men! You don't need to do this Neji. You've just arrived." And woken up from being a zombie for hundreds of years. "So please don't worry on my account or let them threaten you." She caught Neji's arm and tapped his hand familiarly without thought. Something about him felt so safe.

Neji simply looked away with a slight blush, "I…will participate."
…..

….

…

Later on…

In the middle of the enormous castle training room, a beauty with flowing pink hair found herself sitting at a dragged-over tea table, sipping tea delicately, as half-naked men stretched in front of her. Sakura sighed. "This is unnecessary."

Deidara shouted from afar as he did lunges, "No it is! I will bomb away all of your enemies, my angel! It's not fair only one of us can come and they expect you to face an entire dragon's trial!"

Sakura giggled, "I thought heroes in fairy tales faced their trials alone?"

All of them shouted as one, "No!"

Sasuke growled as he clenched his fist and fire burst from his palm. "That is not an option, Sakura. Hm. I have gotten stronger. Is it because of this realm having an effect on us?"

Itachi took out a sword and swung in a perfect stroke, shrugging as he said, "I feel about the same."

"…You were always a cocky genius, now that I think of it."

"It is the natural order of things, little brother." Itachi laughed as he flicked Sasuke's forehead. "Too bad."

Sakura smiled at the warm moment, but tried to say, "Look, I really think I —"

Kakashi punched the air, his abs gleaming with sweat. "You are not going alone."

Gaara agreed as he formed a giant fist with a sand and punched it towards Kakashi, who dodged and glared fiercely back. "The elder is right. I feel my wide attack range is best suited for this mission."

"Who the fuck is an elder?" Kakashi leaped to his feet and took out a short sword.

"Why else do you have silver hair?" Gaara blinked 'innocently' at the enraged mercenary and instigated him.

"Why I oughta kill —"He paused briefly and snuck a look at Sakura before sighing. His anger diminished as he played nice with his team members, or so he convinced himself, and instead leaned back to run his fingers through his hair. "Women like this color. Gives me a mature charm, ne, Sakura?" He winked at Sakura.

Gaara frowned at his foiled plans and gritted his teeth. He was hoping to make the rogue bastard look hot-tempered and violent in front of the lady, but it seems he was found out.

Deidara shouted, "I'm ready! So how are we gonna do this? Just go all-in? I want to spend some alone time with Sakura already so hurry up."

Sasori sneered, "You'll also finish the fastest. In bed and in battle, nothing about you stands out."

"THAT'S IT!" Deidara lunged at Sasori with arms full of clay birds - BOOM!

The brawl/melee/disaster of a tournament began.

…

Ten minutes later…

Bombs ran out, magic was deflected, swords kicked away. No one aimed to kill but that instead their faces were full of broken noses and cracked bones. Thankfully, there were rules set at the door of the training room that stated that all who enter shall be healed when they leave — proven by Deidara's many visits and accidental explosions — and they didn't fear that no one would be able to actually fight after this. And so, the battleground was filled with roars as the men figured out the pecking order while Sakura studied their movements. Silly tournament or not, she had a lot to learn from the battle-born warriors.

As Sakura watched the battles progress, her blood pumped and she felt her fingers twitch. Her green eyes glowed as she took in their methods of attack, their footwork, even their gaits and quick reflexes. Itachi preferred to overpower by outwitting the enemy while Sasuke liked direct confrontation. Kisame followed Sasuke's style but he focused on heavy attacks with his mighty sword. Hidan just brawled like in a bar, but he had the might to do so — seemed he refrained from using Jashin's power out of respect to her? Even so, he was still a mighty force if the cracked ground had enough proof. Deidara seemed silly throwing bombs in a random manner, but after a while she found that he always aimed for when the others were distracted by other incoming attacks to swoop in. Sasori and Gaara's powers took over the field, but couldn't move around as much as they soon ended up having to defend against each other's widespread attacks. Neji was silent, but swift as he simply dodged everything and everyone, aiming to attack their weak points, moving as the wind. And thanks to his sister's influence and his new body, even the weight of the sand pulling at his feet did nothing just as the water pressure didn't back in the last dream. But while Neji was fast, even he had to watch for Kakashi who acted more as an assassin than a mercenary. Someday, she'll have to ask about that. He truly had a rich history.

She had never felt so excited watching knights fight in tournaments, but now she also wanted to see what she could do. Heart beating, she got up from her comfortable chair, put down the dainty tea cup and felt power dance through her veins. She announced as she walked over, "I am joining you."

At this, the men all stopped moving and something seemed to capture them as they didn't move for a while longer. A rush filled her as she walked, her every step like a queen leading a charge as strategies and ideas spun in her mind. Her aura changed from the kind princess to a fierce dragon herself as the scaled dress shone against her pale skin, the white of her magic reflected upon the vibrant green of her eyes. When Sakura finally reached the center of the arena, she brought up a hand and light magic crackled around her fingertips.

Deidara had to say, "My goddess, that is the sexiest thing I've seen."

Sasori agreed for once, "Do it again."

Sakura's hair started to flow around her as power exuded from her very being, her long pink locks whipping around and shimmering, framing her face. Her whole body just felt alive!

Surprisingly, Sasuke was the first to step up as he bowed his head slightly and said, "I want to see how you've grown since our last fight." He grinned.

Itachi chuckled, "The tournament has changed style. Come, angel, this will be our first fight against each other. I will hold nothing back."

"As you shouldn't because I will neither." Yellow and white flame crackled against her skin. "Shall we?"

And like that, Sakura got to let herself loose as she wielded all her power against the men. The fae's magic held strong as the training room refused to stay scorched, cut or soaked. Even so, it didn't take long before the taste of Sakura's powers were enough to convince them, again, who they were facing.

Deidara acqueised first, "Darling, I can't wait to see the enemy's faces turn to horror." Sweat fell dripped down his face as he kneeled. "Haa…Haaa…I love you. Please never get mad at me, explosive beauty."

Of course, Sasori had to shout as he held out a dark barrier, "Ha! I told you you'd finish first!"

"SHUT UP WALKING NIGHTMARE!"

"That's a compliment!"

Leaving them to it, Sakura smirked as she stood by while Sasuke and Itachi faced her with proud looks. "It's decided. I choose Sasuke to come with me to the next dream I love you, Itachi, but as I was trying to say in the beginning, I have a feeling. Kisame held a good point and my intuition says it's right. Although it may be more than intuition saying that, so shall it be." As she fought in each dream, she became more accustomed to her powers and now they were as natural to her as breathing. With that power, came command and presence — the same type of presence she yearned for in her youth and naivety was now hers to do as she pleased. So she announced with a warm smile as she looked each man in the eyes, "I'll see each of you before I leave as promised so don't look so sad."

The men didn't know how long it had been due to the nature of this realm and could only guess. While they could go for longer, they were impatient watching Sakura fight. Hidan purposefully called it quits while Neji seemed distracted. In short, it was the lady's decision anyway.

Sakura, on the other hand, was still excited. No one was dying and they could go all out — no wonder lords liked to sneak out to underground fights. Maybe she was getting too used to fighting…

Hidan pounded his fist on the ground and laughed, "Ah! You are a war goddess indeed!"

"Hmm…I say she's a goddess of light magic." Sasori hummed.

Kakashi laid out on the ground, "Nah. She's a love goddess. Her stamina is much higher. Heh. Heheheh." A naughty smile filled his face as his eyes curved up and Sakura's brow twitched in annoyance at the sight. She already knew what he thought of. She swore. One minute he was serious, the next minute he was as horny as Deidara in front of clay!

Neji got up and said respectfully, "The battle will be huge, but I also wish to speak with you so please don't forget me." He had to make sure she would remember him even if she said she'd visit. His heart was messed up before, but now a foreign feeling kept springing forth. And he had yet to explain the dreams…He needed to ask her what it meant…His ears turned red.

"Of course." Sakura smiled. "I will come, Neji."

"Thank you." His palm laid over his heart as he bowed again.

"Don't be so stiff." Gaara commented as he slapped the man's back lightly. "She's not gonna bite if you loosen up. Right, my lady?"

Sasori sneered from the side. "Says you. Weren't you acting all innocent before?"

"At least I went on a real date with her."

"Why you —"

Sakura laughed as she swung her arms around both Neji and Sasori's shoulders. The heat of battle still high, she felt a lot more relaxed then she did acting as a true lady. Feeling like the adventuress she pretended to be in Hidan's dreams, she said foxily, "Aren't there more important things to get heated over?" She gave a wink.

Kakashi whistled, "Damn. The naive princess I met was bold, but now you are just a little fireball. Do it to me." He got up, eyes gleaming with anticipation.

Sakura gave him a sultry side glance and said flippantly, "Later. If you're good. Now here's how our long day of innumerable length shall go. I'll visit, you surprise, we chat and we'll be that much closer to seeing the grand finale of this spell world. Deal?"

Sakura let go of their shoulders and raised a brow with head held high like the queen she was meant to be. Not the political role her parents assigned to her, but the true character she was inside. "Any objections?"

All of them replied at once with grins, "None."

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For the next few 'days', if the time in the spell world was even separated by nights, Sakura kept true to promise. And she felt more spent then when she was in any battle. She took a break in the garden as she remembered the times…Even now, her face flushed as she fanned herself under the sun.

Starting with Deidara. Of course, the artist was the first to attack — erm, come forward — when she was deciding on who to visit first. They all agreed to private one-on-ones, but she underestimated the mens'…impatience. Since the dreams were almost ending, she also wanted to spend time together before…reality returned. She shook her head as she lightly slapped her cheeks. Forget that for now! She went back to thinking of her, ahem, cherished memories…

"Oh dear, if Fairy Godmother knew…" She blushed, still under the misconception that her godmother was nothing but kind and mature like a mother she wished she had. And so, like any daughter towards a mother, she didn't even think that her godmother had a love life and she stayed blushing as she went through her memories of the past time…

To Be Continued in Part Two…

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AUTHOR NOTE:

Heyo!

It's been a while, ne?

Ok, ok. You're probably screaming where the f the sexy at — and it's coming! I promise! I just ran out of brain and energy so yeahhhhhh. But it's there!

This is the end of part one with you seeing the dynamics play out and the end is coming so watch out! Part two will have each visit pretty straightforwardly separated so if you have a fav, you can skip to your section. No real plot hints in them (unless I change my mind ha. Like I may hint about Naruto idk), but you get to know each one more and of course, finally get back to reading the spicy stuff.

Also, major hint to Naruto's chap in chap 11, I love his positive attitude but if he's a biiit OOC like Kakashi is…well, you know what happened. IDK how much tho. Hint given to who he is kinda given in this chapter (like, Neji is a half-divine creature, Itachi is human, Sasori is a dark mage and Naruto is…! *CENSORED*)! I mean, it's kinda obvious but I shan't say more spoilers lest I get angry people! (My fam already hates me for certain tv shows being ruined. Ahem).

I want to get it out within the next two weeks so forgive me if I am late a bit. Currently picking up work projects (unpaid) hahaha — I call it work, but it's outside my job. Resume-building is brutal yo.

ANYWAY! So far we have Naruto, Minato and Pein left! And a mysterious grand finale afterwards! So almost there! (Remember when I said this was a short series? I really do not limit myself. Seriously, I should stop saying that. Only one series managed to stay short LOL)

I do hope you enjoyed this chapter and see you in the next one! Please review and eat father's days chocolates (every holiday needs choco) and ciao ciao meow! Thank you for reading this far, loves and romance webtoons! No? That's not a saying? How about kisses and yaoi? Er, hugs and hentai — Oh come on, you saw that coming! Hahaha ok, fr bye! MWAH! XOXO

Here's to another year,

WitchySkies