The Viscount had indeed managed to take his sister's mind off her troubles, as brothers do all the time, but neither of the fair-headed siblings could have known that it would make matters worse. They had headed out to Conduit Street and could now be seen standing a little way across the street from Limmers. The two seemed to be having an interesting conversation with the way their eyes were shining and were conversing in low tones, but some people would have eyed them with disapproval for Limmers was known to contain a few choice spirits who'd linger there for the better part of a day.

'It had better work, Kyūbi,' Naru said, fastening her gloves tighter. 'For I have never heard a plan so absurd escaping your mouth.'

'Nonsense, Kit,' he responded taking the air of a wisdom-filled man. 'Sometimes the most basic of things have a great effect. Besides, who says its all?'

Naru sent him a look of surprise. 'You are not telling me all of your plan, are you?'

'If I did, you'll have one of them henning fits, I don't want you hovering over me,' he stepped away and said. 'You smell like a sour-pop, disturbs Tabi.'

Naru vengefully growled after him, receiving a satisfied laugh in return when her voice cracked and it came out as something octaves away from a growl. The lady turned around with a huff, thinking of ways to get back to her brother and the closest quincaillerie.

She came back to the road an hour later and was happy to find that the road was surely void of people, as Kurama had foretold. That meant there was no one to see her go up the steps of Limmers' Housing lugging a huge package behind her. Laughter resonating into her ears from Limmers, across the road, gave her more courage, surely, Kurama had never failed her in anything; he was certainly not going to begin now.

She had some places to visit.

/Our New Lady/

/Uchiha/

Meanwhile with Kurama

'Wasn't sure of myself until now,' he spoke up.

He said it so suddenly, gaining several people's attention, his gaze on a man drinking a shot of Irish whiskey. The man stared back, equally as rude.

'You're the one who was calling my sister names, weren't you?' He said, approaching the wary man. He need not make sure, because he already knew his target, but he wanted this to seem like a regular bar fight (an added bonus would be that Naru would have more time to rig up pranks in their building).

'S'wot if I were?'

'I'll tell you what, one ; you shall regret it, two: I shall make you regret it... no one gets to call Kit names but me.'

He let out a boasting laugh: 'Ye, kid? I recommend giving up while yer can still stand up straight

Thus begun the month's most notorious bar fight. Which inexplicably led to the men stumbling home with bruises, only to gain more with traps rigged all around their home.

It was after these unfortunately fun events that the bewhiskered siblings rode to Mr Kurama's temporary housing.

'I am nearly sure I should fall over with impatience, Kyū!'

The tall man halted his movements and stood there, watching her expectantly. Naruto's confused gaze switched from Kurama to Mutatabi, who merely watched calculatingly, and back to her brother once more.

'Why have you stopped?' she demanded.

He merely watched her cooly.

'Well, what is it?' she impatiently exclaimed, huffing at the end of her sentence.

Kurama gazed at her for another full four seconds, before saying: 'Well, when are you going to fall over?'

'Wh-?-!' Naru glared at him. 'Oh, I should wrench that cane out of your grasp and knock your curls flat! You keep me a-waiting longer for no reason at all; playing such a-'

'Well, you said you were going to fall over were you not?' said the Viscount. 'I wished to see you fall over nothing and make a fool of yourself.'

'Oh, how mean you are, Kyū!'

He laughed and flamboyantly opened the door to his book-room. 'Always a great pleasure, madame.'

'Yes! My kitten!'

'Who told you 'twas a cat?'

'It's not?'

Kurama merely laughed and said: 'No, it's a fox.'

/Our New Lady/

/Uchiha/

It was almost with relief that Naru, a few days later, bade her husband a polite farewell. For the last couple days had been a great deal tasking for her.

There was now nothing she wanted less than to be in his company, for the sense of guilt, which already weighed heavily on her spirits, almost crushed her when he was with her. If he smiled at her (which he did plentifully) she felt herself to be a deceiving wretch; and if there was ever a coolness in his manner when he was in her presence she fancied he had found her out, and was ready to sink. Or reverse summon herself to the Realm of Toads she dreams about several times when there is nothing to amuse her.

It did not occur to her, in this disordered state of mind, that the scruples which forbade her to allow him to see her heart and true feelings were prompting her to pursue a course that might have been expressly designed to confirm him in his suspicion that she cared for nothing but wealth, fashion, and frivolity. The Earl was nearly constantly in a bitter state of mind during the last couple of days, for Naru's attention was always preoccupied by another matter.

There was no lack of parties, at the height of the London season, to fill her days; and most certainly no lack of eager escorts for the beautiful young Contess, if the Earl had engagements of his own and couldn't accompany her. It wasn't wonderful that it seemed to him that he never saw her except on her way to a review, or a ball; and he could scarcely doubt that she preferred the company of even her most callow of her admirers to his.

'You know, Naru,' he said to her once, 'I think fate must have thrown me in your way to depress my pretensions! Would you believe it? - I used to think myself the devil of a fellow! I now perceive that I'm no such thing - almost a dead bore, in fact!'

She hadn't answered him but the colour had fled to her cheeks, and as her eyes flew to his for a brief moment he thought he caught glimpse of something loving and vital as he had once believed her to be. A moment later it was gone, and she was saying, with a nervous laugh, that he was absurd and went, informing him to the intelligence that she had promised faithfully to attend Lady Brixworth's alfresco party out at Richmond.

But then his brows would set even deeper when she would disappear, not to a review, not to a ball, not to a personal engagement, simply missing from the Main Uchiha House, and if he interrogated the household, he would get negative responses to if they knew of her whereabouts. She would always return later, a secret smile on her face, sometimes with that dammed Namikaze (may the heavens strike him with thunder!) and the shiny furball in tow. Never was he informed of what they did (though knowing the Uzumaki, he had a notion on what it may be), or where they went. Never did the Countess smile at him, save for a few strained and clay-fake smiles, in the last days... nor was she ever as relaxed with him as she were with Kurama (accursed Kirin! strike him down) and Sakura (a nice chop to the neck would do).

It was almost as though she were hiding something from him. Sasuke was no fool of a man, eons far from that in fact, he knew that some dreadful secret was bothering his wife; and his mind was not favouring him with pleasant conclusions.

Deciding not to temporarily descend without a fight he decided to try his luck once more; he asked her (over a dinner that lacked his cousin's presence), once more if she would like to accompany him out to Merion. He thought maybe the antidote would be time away from restless London.

She declined.

When he had asked her to accompany him to Merion, she wanted very much to do so (not even with Sakura in her train); but from the moment that Madame Lavalle's bill had arrived to blacken her life she had dreaded that he might renew his persuasions.

Subjected to such treatment as this, it was hardly surprising that Uchiha, far too proud to betray his hurt, retired behind a barrier of cool civility, which effectually slew at birth all of Naru's impulse to fling caution to the winds, and lay all her doubts and difficulties at his feet.

To make matters worse, no word about a solution to her fix came from Kurama, and dear Sakura, bent on achieving her own ends, wore her brother's temper thin by renewing her arguments (planned attacks) every time she saw him. And as she had been pledging his credit all over town for several weeks past he was soon provoked into addressing a few shattering truths to her, from which an unhappy Naru, who was an unwilling third party at this encounter, concludingly gathering in her thoughts that debt and dishonesty were, in Sasuke's austere view, synonymous terms.

Certainly no moment for the disclosure of her own embarrassments could be more unpropitous.

Sasuke had managed to cool Sakura's temper on the day of his departure with the threatening promise to no longer allow her the luxury of handling the reins; for (he said) it was regarded as a sport not meant for the ladies.

Naru's eyes had widened, recalling her newest ward (whom she named Kurama) with mortification. Surely, she (now more than ever) could never manage to tell him about any of her matters.

It was therefore with a half-hearted relief that she bade him farewell. A hug (which had pleasantly shocked him, leaving his face a bit warm) before he left the door steps and a deep curtsey accompanying him into his travelling equipage from the blonde. A glare and a stiff curtsy (which made him smirk) from his female cousin. He expected to be away for a se'enight, within which time she thought it not unreasonable to suppose that Kurama must have discovered a means of discharging her debt to Madame Lavalle.

By way of inquiring after the matter, she sent round a note to his temporary lodging in Duke Street, inviting him to dine in Uchiha Grounds on the night of the masquerade he was to accompany them to. Well aware of the fatality of falling to the temptation to ask him what progress he had made towards settling her affairs, she resisted the temptation and was soon rewarded for her restraint.

The Viscount not only sent back a note accepting her invitation, but added, in a postscript, that she need not trouble herself more over That Other Matter. This cryptic message sent her spirits up immediately. It would have been more satisfactory, perhaps, if Kurama had told her what expedient he had hit upon. But she knew him to be no letter-writer, and was content to trust that his third attempt at solving her difficulties would be more acceptable to her than his two previous suggestions. Except for one encounter in the Park, when it was impossible to hold private conversation with him, she did not meet him: a circumstance which led her to suppose that whatever plan he had evolved needed a good deal of preparation. This had made her feel a trifle uneasy, but he had nodded to her so reassuringly at the end of their one chance meeting that her misgivings were soothed.

'I shall see you on Thursday,' he said; and that (she thought), was his way of informing her that on Thursday (the masquerade night) he would be able to tell her just what she must do to rid herself of her intolerable debt.

And then, on Thursday evening, when both the fair-faced hostesses awaited his arrival in Uchiha Manor, he did not come.

Neither was surprised that he should be late in keeping his engagement, for his habits were known to be erratic; and for a full half-hour only the wizard belowstairs saw any cause for agitation, he was having quite some work keeping the food ready. Sakura, who had been in low spirits for days past, was wearing a new and extremely dashing ball dress of white crape so profusely embroidered with silver spangles that when she stood in the light of the great chandelier in the drawing-room, the effect was quite dazzling.

Naru, less strikingly attired in light grey satin and baby blue lace, knew that if Lady Chudleigh should be at the masquerade she would unhesitatingly condemn this toilette as being totally unsuited to a young lady in her first season, for it was cut scandalously low, besides being worn over the most diaphanous of petticoats. Uchiha would probably have insisted on its being changed for something more demure. He might have even considered that in his absence his wife should have done so, but Naru was feeling to be unequal to an almost certainly losing battle; and assuaged her conscience with the reflection that the dress would be largely hidden by the domino of shimmering rose silk, which Sakura had tossed across the back of a chair.

Besides, Sakura was so pleased with her appearance that it put her into the sunniest of humours, which Naru, having endured a week of brooding sulks and repinings, would not willingly upset. She liked seeing everyone in pleasant humour.

'The worst of brothers (and cousins) is that they never think it is of the least consequence to keep one waiting,' remarked Sakura, spreading open an Asian fan spangled to match her gown. 'I only hope he may not be foxed when he does arrive!' she struck a pose. 'Look, do you think this is pretty?'

Naru would have answered her question with affirmation had she not have said anything about Kurama. 'Foxed! Why should he be?' She demanded rather indignantly.

'Oh! You know how men are, when they go off to watch a cock-fight!' said the worldly wise Sakura. 'There was one at Epsom today, I fancy.'

'Good heavens, did he tell you he meant to go there?'

'No, but I heard Hardwick talking to Mr Bottisham about it, saying something about Kurama taking him up in his curricle.'

Dismay filled Naruto at this most unwelcome intelligence, oh how she did hope that Kurama didn't dump them or drink anything.

'Oh, dear!' said Naru. 'I do hope he may not have forgotten that he is to take us to Chiswick tonight!'

Sakura snapped her face around so fast that Naruto winced. 'What! you don't mean to say that you think he might?' she exclaimed, allowing her fan to drop out of her hand and into her lap. 'Oh, it would be too infamous!'

Certain sinister memories flitted through Naruto's mind, Kurama at the centre of them all. 'Well, I most certainly trust he has not... but he does sometimes forget his engagements -particularly when he doesn't like them. I recall that he hadn't wanted to escort us to the masquerade to-night.'

Sakura controlled herself with a strong effort (her gloved fist clenching momentarily when she remembered that day, the Viscount had sniggered [most ungentlemanly] at her new smart crop achieved for her dark pink hair by the most fashionable coiffeur in London), but when another ten minutes flew by and there was not any sign of the Viscount, she could contain herself no longer, and said bitterly: 'Even if he is your brother, Naru, I don't believe he ever meant to go with us! I believe he simply said he would so that you shouldn't tease him!'

'No, no, he did mean to, for he said he would. I own, he is shockingly careless, but he surely would never serve me such an unhandsome trick as to dump me! I was wondering whether-'

Sakura smoothly interrupted. 'For my part, I don't care a button whether he comes or not, for I am persuaded we shall do very well without him!'

Naruto opened her mouth to protest against that, but Sakura wouldn't let her; she was already regarding Naru with a sharp suspicion. 'You are not going to tell me that we are not to go shall Kurama not make appearance? Oh, Naru, you couldn't be so shabby!'

'No - I don't - but I cannot like it! I wish you were not so set on it, and I can't think why you should be! Unless you have cajoled Mr Lee Maito to go, and-'

She was interrupted once again, making her smoothly set brow twitch a moment wrinkle with impatience.

'I did try to make him go,' admitted Sakura, quite unabashed. 'But he wouldn't consider it, so you need not be in a fidget! The thing is I have never attended a masquerade, and probably wouldn't for another couple years, for there's no saying that they have them in Brazil, after all.'

Naru looked at her with concern. 'No, but- Dearest Sakura, don't indulge your fancy with that thought! Uchiha won't give his consent: it is useless to think that he might!'

For Naruto was sure that Sasuke wouldn't budge, what with her imagination creating fascinating images of an unstoppable and un-consenting Sasuke beating Sir Rock Lee Maito into the ground for proposing for Sakura's hand. He even summoned a gigantic snake to smear him for good measure. Naruto blinked, back to reality.

'I shall compel him!' Sakura said, looking mulish.

'How could you possibly do that?'

His eye spits inextinguishable black flames, for Sakura's sake! in her thoughts; but Naru wouldn't be surprised if Uchiha really did so.

'Well, I don't know that yet, but you may depend upon it that I shall do it! Recollect that he says I shouldn't do - oh, a hundred things! I can always get Sasuke to let me have my own way, in the end!'

Naru couldn't help the little smile that appeared on her face at the naïveté with which Sakura classed those trivialities with such a matter as her marriage, but before she could make any attempt to speak, Farley, her butler, entered the room, bearing on a salver a sealed billet. His countenance bore the expression of one who not only brought evil tidings but had foreseen from the outset that this was precisely how it would be. Naru's smile dropped from her face like a drip of water sliding down a frozen icicle chunk.

'My Lord Kurama's groom, my lady, has desired me to give this instantly into your ladyship's hands,' he announced, proffering the salver.

'Only wait until I next see that Viscount!' Sakura uttered direfully.

Naruto broke the wafer that sealed his note, feeling as though she were the culprit and not Kurama, and hastily unfolded the scrawled message. A deflating sigh of relief escaped her, for although the message bore unpleasant news, it was not as bad as it could have been. Surely! our dear lady had been picturing Mr Uzumaki-Namikaze laying unconscious in the pouring rain bearing a bloody hole through his chest, clothed in their favourite childhood outfit of blinding orange and blues. So you may understand her reasonable relief before she let out a sigh of annoyance.

In the message, Kurama informed her that he had most certainly not forgotten that he was to escort her to a masquerade, but he had lingered overlong at Epsom. He also 'beg your pardon' for having been unable to dine with her earlier during the day, but he promised faithfully to pick her and 'that rose-hackled chipper' up in the Uchiha Compounds not a moment later than ten o'clock, unless 'I am unavoidably and urgently detained,' in which case they were 'to go on along to the blerry masquerade at Chiswick, for you may be sure that I would meet you there with my own mask in my hand.'

Naruto handed the message to a fidgety Sakura and watched as she read her brother's writing with a set brow. Naru smiled when her cousin's eyes widened with wrath.

'Rose-hackled?!' she exclaimed setting her emerald eyes upon the blonde. 'Kurama is most ungentlemanly! even in his messages. Never have I met a man such as Namikaze!'

Few seconds later she dropped the paper and said wrathfully. 'Ten o'clock! And we are invited for half-past nine!'

The young Countess could see with her mind's eye an enraged Sakura punching Kurama in the jaw (then again, that is not proper manner for a lady, even though Naruto would surely do so just for the fun of it), a second before her blue eyes gleamed with that trademark Uzumaki mischief. 'My dear, surely you wouldn't be so gothic as to arrive at the very start of the party?'

'I daresay he won't even come here at all!' said Sakura crossly.

Exactly my thoughts, Naruto thought with an inner sigh. But her loyalties with Kurama were deep, she didn't want to leave in case he should show up in the end, but the disinclination to drive out to Chiswick without any male escort added to harden her resolution. So she sent Farley away with the gentle command to not have her landau come round to the Main House any moment earlier than ten o'clock. Fortunately the hour was very advanced so they had no need to wait for very long.

They exchanged idle talk during the time they were waiting for Kurama to make an appearance at the front steps. Very few seconds after the clock struck ten in the night, Farley, ever faithful, opened the door and stepped in announcing that the carriage was waiting for their ladyships. Naruto hesitated, a hand reaching up to help stall the words she wanted to say. A kindling glance from an impatient Sakura squashed the will she had to tell Farley to have the coachman wait a few moments longer, she dared not; she was pretty certain that her cousin-in-law would punch poor Farley into the door shall he grant her wish.

Instead she stood up elegantly, absolutely no wrinkles on her gown from having seated herself, and said amiably. 'Please inform the footmen that we should presently be with them.'

His 45 degree bow was handsomely delivered. 'Immediately, my Lady.'

Sakura stood up, a giddy look taking her features, and said: 'Finally! I couldn't have possibly waited any longer!'

They donned their dominoes, Sakura's shimmering rose coloured and Naru's richly coloured a sapphire that nearly matched her eyes, before evening mantles were carefully worn over the silken dominoes. Sakura pulled on her white, shiny, long French kid gloves with a satisfied sigh, waiting as Naruto pulled on her slightly shorter light gray gloves that ended in a baby blue lace pattern that matched that of her dress; matching loo-masks tucked into reticules.

They glanced once more into the gilded looking-glass over the mantelpiece (on tiptoes; for all they could see was their fair brows and hooded heads), before finally being ready to be escorted down the staircase. They were easily handed up into the waiting carriage by a footman, their respective women attending to them one last time.

Their delicate skirts were arranged, shawls spread over their knees and the rare stray strand of hair put back into place. Here Sakura's Martha warned her against adding any more Bloom of Ninon to her already perfect complexion; for any more might stick the powder cosmetic to anything that came in contact with m'lady's visage. Naru's lofty dresser simply warned her to pay mind when she alighted from the landau that her gown may not brush the "dusty" steps.

The steps were at last let up, and the door firmly shut; the footmen nimbly took up the outer seating arrangement behind; and the coachman set the horses in motion. At last! the landau swayed forward across the cobble-paved path that led one away from the Uchiha grounds, they were off to the much awaited masquerade.

'It seems so very magical!' Sakura exclaimed in gentle tones, making Naru look to her with an agreeing smile.

Indeed, their drive out of the Grounds seemed magical under the twilight, the foliage and flowers were so bright and lively during the day made setting one's sight on them that moonlit night love their view even more. Everything looked glazed over with cool silver, it surely made them fancy it was a magical night.

Naru had at first been worried about driving out to Chiswick without a male escort; but as they drove into the village all those worried thoughts were forgotten. There was hardly any traffic beyond the first pike off their Grounds. Kensington village seemed to her to be peacefully sleeping in the bright moonlight; the only other carriages they encountered were a post-chaise and an Accommodation coach in Hammersmith. The ladies admired the landscape with shining thoughts, Naru enjoying the stars in particular.

'Doesn't it seem as though every creature this night is a-waiting something, sis?'

Naru blinked slowly, having been pulled out of a half-daze, and turned her face to her cousin. Sakura continued, her face soft with a smile. 'It seemed almost as though this night was especially planned for us. Just fancy pulling up at the masquerade, being escorted to the entrance by a young man and announced as the new masquées to the hosts,' said Sakura.

Naru smiled, that image was a nice one.

'All eyes would turn to us, and we should be the centre of attention,' she sighed dreamily. 'Oh, that is a sweet wonder, I should be la belle de la soirée..'

The young Countess kept a smile down; an image of a shimmering and shining Sakura had invaded her attic, and she had thought Sakura may have said "la dame la plus désaxante du soirée" for her fit for the night was surely beautifully put-together.

Sakura seemed to remember something for her dreamy eyes had cleared up. 'Though entering with you might put me at a slight disadvantage, you Namikazes just seem to have this effect on everything around you.'

'I am not so sure,' said Naru thinking it over. 'But then Papa was the same. . .'

'Your fit shall dim the effect though,' Sakura predicted. 'You should have taken the dress I offered you for the night, it would have brought out your eyes more than your current dress. The patterns weaved into it were most clever too! they would have looked very smart under those long curls of yours.'

Naruto had nearly let her jaw drop in mortification. 'It was unpropriete, apart from being made to expose an impressive amount of cleavage, and being so form fitting, it so nearly matches my complexion! A scandal I should be in such a dress.'

'Ugh, I had never expected you to put up such a fight upon donning it; when I was having it tailored for you, dear Naru!' she said with a grin. 'It would have been absolutely fabulous.'

'I daresay Sasuke would have never permitted it.'

'Only because he has no fashion sense at all! I say we should be the most pretty picture at the entrance.'

'Oh, but Uchiha is fashionable, I fancy we would have been even more dazzling with him as our escort,' argued Naru.

Sakura looked as if she might roll her eyes up to the ceiling. 'You are always wondering about him! A quiz we should have been had that utterly gothic Uchiha escorted us! oh, I can perfectly fancy it: him socializing at the very least and spending the rest of the night staring like a schoolgirl at you; and you trying and failing to seem as though everything is perfectly normal!'

Naruto was tempted to pinch Sakura's arm, heat creeping up her neck, or just bury herself in her cape; how people could talk so casually about such things!

Sakura giggled and wiggled her eyebrows mischievously. 'You are worse than all those chippers that are his admirers! you should try flirting with Sasuke, I'd give away my favourite gloves to see that!' she added. 'Now that I wonder at it, cuz, I have never seen you flirt at all; even old Lady Dryten still flirts with her old peers!'

'Well, I just don't know exactly how to flirt.'

Sakura laughed. 'Oh, with Kurama as a brother, I'd have expected you to be an ultimate veteran at this!'

'Well, Kurama isn't a rake, he just looks the part; I find it unjust that people set opinion on him just by his appearance,' said Naru. 'It is just that the girls swoon after him, he also doesn't mind, so he does not turn them down.'

'Why, Naru, you sound jealous,' Sakura noted.

'Which sister wouldn't be?' she asked. 'I hate it when the girls hog him, and he seems to forget about me.'

'I don't have a brother, so I cannot be knowledgeable about it; but I can't care if it were Sasuke!'

'Oh, I wish he may have been capable of being our escort.'

'How I am glad that he had to go off to Merrion to accompany the family back!' scoffed Sakura. 'He would have born us to the ground!'

Naru halted the question she was about to ask, saying instead (with amusement). 'Born?'

Sakura tossed her head. 'Yes, you know, like when one says "she was worn to the bone" but now I say, Uchiha shall bore us dead, he really would have born us to the ground!'

'Neat, but I am particularly certain not,' she said. 'Uchiha is never boring to be about.'

'Not? Cousin is, all that's good about him are his looks.'

Naruto was about to retort but was distracted from speech when a mail (carriage) swept past the Uchihas noisily, its four horses galloping along at a spanking pace and their guard blowing a very loud blast of warning on his yard of tin. She wondered instead at what had them so harried.

'Well,' Sakura remarked. 'At all events it hasn't been nearly as tedious a drive as if we had been obliged to dawdle behind some rumbling co-'

Sakura cut her speech in half to scream, Naru merely gasping with unpleasant startle.

For a sudden pistol-shot had been fired! It's sharp crack cutting into the peaceful night. A medley of alarming noises followed, the squealing neigh of a frightened horse and trampling of hooves, various rough voices upraised with either command or expostulation followed. Naru's heart skipped a beat, this was the reason! the reason why that carriage had sped past them with warning. Never, had it ever occurred to her that this could happen! why hadn't she ever thought of taking precautions and providing their equipage with outriders to protect them? Why would they have needed outriders?! It was so very clear to her now..

Highwaymen!

Naru looked to Sakura, who had uttered a whimper of fright and transferred herself to her side of the carriage and clutched her left arm, saying on a rising note of panic. 'What must we do! What will happen to us?'

She said nothing to respond her frightened cousin, her mind miles away from conjuring an appropriate answer. This was the first time she had ever encountered real highwaymen, the road that led to Chiswick Mall was rumoured to be a dangerous area to travel during twilight, oh, Naru wasn't feeling very brave. As a child, she had wondered what it would be like to be caught up in an exciting adventure such as this (she still did), but she hadn't accounted the danger that could come along with it. But then again, came she alive out of this, she would surely have something to tell Papa and their younger brother Tenshi.

'Oh, Naru! we are being held up!'

Sakura's panicked voice said, Naruto looked out the window, nothing was in view; but she could hear sounds of a scruffle going on out front. They were being held up and she didn't know what to do, this was something that only happened in novels she read and games she had played as a child.

'Keep yer'sef still!' A deep, rough voice growled ferociously, outside. ' 'nless ye wan'a hole in yer attic!'

'Will they murder us? Why don't those cowards of footmen do something?'

A second voice, softer than the first, said: 'Now, that'sa good feller! Stay put if yer do'wan'a corpse in yer pretty lil' golden carriage.'

The voices shook Naru, they sounded nearly familiar; but she knew a grand number of people (several who might even sound almost identical!), and she couldn't seem to concentrate on placing it on someone. It may be someone she heard on passing, after all.

'This is all Kurama's fault! Oh, I wish we hadn't come!'

Naru replied to Sakura's endless panicked tirade with very creditable command over her voice: 'Nonsense! Of course they will not murder us, though I am afraid they will take our jewels.' She added, more to herself. 'Thank God I am not wearing the Second Uchiha necklace, or my precious sapphires! Oh, how lucky I am not to have worn Mama's pearls! as I had sorely been tempted to.'

'Give them everything!' begged Sakura, her teeth chattering. 'I feel sick with apprehension, I am sure I shall faint! What is the use of taking footmen, when they do nothing to protect us? I shall tell Sasuke, he will turn them off directly! He ought to be here: he had no urgent need to go off to Merion, when he might have known-'

Exasperated, Naru interrupted. 'Oh, do, pray, hold your tongue, Sakura. I wonder at you should not have more pride than to let those wretches see you are afraid. And for the footmen, what could the poor men do against against those armed ruffians? They are not carrying pistols! I don't suppose they ever dreamed we should be held up on the ride to the masquerade. I do hope they will be satisfied with taking our jewels!'

The horrid thought of meeting the highwayman made Sakura shake with terror.

That was when the couple noticed that everything outdoor the carriage was silent. Naru involuntarily held her breath, her heart hammering quite startlingly with anticipated fright and excitement.

That was when a hideous figure, enveloped in a dark cloak, loomed up the side of the carriage. Sakura screamed shrilly and wilted into her silken cloaks with fright, Naru merely stared in amazement, wondering at how such a heavy-looking figure could ascend the steps without a sound. The door was wrenched open with a snap, presenting a tall man with a dark mask covering his face from beneath the eyes down, his dark evening cloak covered another dark cloak, his dress of dark shades of blue excluding the white pants. Shadows were everywhere, Naru's eyes widening slightly as she stared, époustouflée, at the figure.

A deep throaty chuckle resonated around the carriage, making a faint Sakura attempt to melt into Naru's side, the blonde stared up at him, fright crawling up from the bottom of her spine when she gazed into angry, glowing, crimson eyes, 'Oh, my, ladies of the first class, my favourite.'

He then seated himself across from them, in the seat Sakura had just recently vacated. 'Now, I want you to hand over the gewgaws.'

Naruto furrowed her brow at him and placed her left hand on Sakura's knee comfortingly.

He merely laughed with dry amusement. Then, suddenly, in one swift snap of a movement; he was up, hovering above them, the large barrel a horse-pistol in his hands. 'Be quick about it!'

The moonlight glinted on the threatening pistol, the hand that held it washed with silver. Sakura cried: 'Don't, don't!' and tried with feverish haste to unclasp the single row of pearls (that so complemented her spangled gown) from round her throat.

'Not you!' said the highwayman. He paused a second, his eyes on Naru's neck, which was heavy with jewels, the pistol was jerked to Naru's face, pointing straight at her. His deep voice took even more ferocious an accent. 'You!'

The sudden movement had made the expensive ring on his finger shimmer, involuntarily catching Naruto's eyes. And instead of shrinking away, or making haste (as Sakura quaveringly implored her to do) to strip off her earrings and rings and the flashing necklace upon her chest, she brought her hand up to her chest with a soft gasp. Her back was bolt upright, her incredulous gaze staying fixed at first on the hand that grasped the pistol, and then slowly dragging up to stare at the masked face.

'Don't push me to having that necklace taken off a corpse! Quick!' commanded the highwayman harshly.

'Kyūbi!'

'Hell and the devil confound it!' cussed the man, adding, however, in a hasty attempt to cover this lapse. 'None o' that! Hand over 'em gewgaws! If yer won't I'll do it m'self!'

Sakura promptly fainted when his free hand approached towards Naru's neck.

'Take the pistol away!' ordered Naru, her eyes flashing. 'How dare you try to frighten me like this? Of all the outrageous things to do-! It is a great deal too bad of you!'

His lordship pulled of his mask and sighed, only to yelp when Naru suddenly jumped up to wrap her hands best she could around his neck and wring with all her might.

'I was worried sick half of the time, thinking that you probably got yourself killed! yet you, you! had the guts to pull a prank such as this on me- ! Grrrrr!'

He managed to pry her off and rub his neck with irritation.

'What in the world possessed you?'

'Well, if you can't tell that you must be a bigger sapskull than I knew!' said his lordship disgustedly and called over his shoulder: 'Bubbled, Corny!'

'There, what did I tell you?' said Mr Shukaku, putting away the weapons, with which he had used to cover the coachman and footmen, and riding up to bow politely to the occupants of the carraige. 'You ought to have let me do the trick, dear boy; I said her ladyship would recognize you!'

'Well, I don't know how the devil she should!' said the fair-haired Viscount, he sounded considerably put-out.

Sakura stirred from her slumber, slowly.

'Oh, Kyū! how absurd you are!' Naru exclaimed trying her best not to laugh. 'The moonlight was shining on the ring Mama gave you when you came of age! And then I remembered you, so when you spoke once more; there was no doubt about it! Of course I recognized you! Oh, your eyes are blue once more, I would have sworn they were red!'

He growled slightly. 'Then you might have had the wit to pretend you didn't recognize me!' said the Viscount, with asperity. 'Totty-headed, that's what you are, my girl!'

With that, he turned and called out to someone. 'Hi, Jūbi! No need to keep those fellows covered any longer! I've lost the bet.'

'Kurama, how abominable of you!' Naru said indignantly. 'To bring your groom into this! it is utterly beyond the-'

'Fiddle!' interrupted Mr Uzumaki-Namikaze. 'You might as well say it was beyond the line to bring Corny in! I've known Jū all my life! Besides, I told him it was for a wager.'

She looked apologetically at the sandy-haired man. 'I do say it was beyond the line to bring Ichibi in. And I should have supposed that he thought so too! You two have only know one another since Harrow!' added Naru, with some severity.

'No, no! I assure you ma'am! Always happy to be of service,' said Mr Kazesuna, gallantly. 'Pleasure!'

Sakura (who was fully awakened and had understood the situation), to whom relief had brought its inevitable sequel, said in a furious undervoice: 'Idoit!'

The Viscount who's sharp ears had caught this mutter, came to his comrade's defence all too eagerly. 'Nothing of the sort!' said he, adding with a calculating gaze at the pretty lady. 'In fact, if we are to talk about idiots-'

Sakura wasn't having it. 'I think you are detestable! You broke your engagement with dear Naru in the most rudest way! just so you must play this odious trick on her! and frightened us to death! for sport! Sport!'

Naruto watched with amusement.

'What a hen-hearted girl you are!' remarked his lordship scornfully. 'Frightened you to death, indeed! Lord, Naru's worth a dozen of you! Not but what she's got more hair than wit! Of course I didn't do it for sport!' he said, his angelic blue eyes alighting. 'I had a devilish good reason, but one might as well try to milk a pigeon as set about helping a female out of a fix!' he muttered.

Sakura was so much intrugued by this cryptic utterance that her wrath gave place to the liveliest curiosity. Naruto nearly groaned, no not this, Sakura should not be aware of such a matter.

'What can you mean?' she cried, her gloved hand setting eagerly on the Viscount's arm (as though she were going to pry his arm off and find answers beneath it). 'Who is in a fix? Is it Naru? But how- Oh, do tell me! I'm sorry I was cross, but how could I have guessed it was a plot, when no one told me?'

'Ask Kit!' recommended Kurama. 'You'd best be on your way, if you don't wish to be late. I'll follow you presently.'

With despair, Naru exclaimed: 'Kyūbi! It must be nearly eleven o'clock already! How can you possibly follow us? You cannot attend a masquerade in your riding-dress, and by the time you have returned to town, and-'

She had grasped his arm, pulling him back towards her, as though she didn't wish him to leave, and his lordship's eyes were widening with a knowing terror; ugh, sisters were the worst!

'Now don't fly into a fidget!' begged Kurama. 'I'm not going all the way back to London! You must think I'm a gudgeon!'

'Oh, I do!' she interpolated, a relieved quiver of laughter escaping her.

'Well, that's where you're fair and far off,' he told her severely. 'I've got all my toggery waiting for me at the Golden Lion here, and a chaise hired to bring me to Brent House. When I think that I never planned anything so carefully in my life, only to have it overset because nothing would do for you but to show how clever you are by screeching that you knew me. I have a dashed good mind to wash my hands of the whole business!'

With that he had shaken her off and descended the carriage at last.

'Good God, dear boy, mustn't say things like that!' intervened Mr Kazesuna, considerably shocked. 'I know you don't mean it, but if anyone else heard you-'

'Well, there isn't anyone else to hear me,' said the Viscount snappishly, walking away to where his groom was holding his horse.

Mr Kazesuna, who felt that it behoved him to make his excuses to the ladies for him, pressed up to the carriage, and bowed again to its dimly visible occupants, saying confidentially: 'He don't mean what he says when he gets into a miff - no need to tell you so, though! I know Kyū, you know Kyū! He won't buckle!'

'Ichibi,' said Naru, almost overcome with a realizing mortification. 'I am persuaded I have no need to beg you to tell anyone why Kyūbi tried to hold me up tonight!'

'I shouldn't dream of it!' He assured her earnestly, then added; as though remembering something important. 'Wild horses couldn't drag it out of me! Well it stands to reason they couldn't, because, now that I come to think of it, I don't know.'

Naruto blinked, Sakura merely scoffing and muttering most disagreeably at the folly of the grey-blue eyed man.

'You don't know?' she repeated incredulously.

He raised one shrugging shoulder, obligingly explaining it to her. 'Forgot to ask him.. Well, I mean to say - no business of mine! Kyū said, "Come and help me hold up m'sister's carriage!" and I said, "Done!" or some such thing of sort. Nothing else I could say. Dashed inquisitive to be asking him why, you know!'

'Corny! Stop with the lingering! before I come snap off your head with my jaws!'

At Kurama's impatient call, he made his bow, and went off. Naruto sank back into her corner of the carriage exclaiming: 'Thank heavens! I was nearly ready to sink!'

Then she sat back up as though nothing had happened and spoke to the footman (who had been awaiting orders) and said hastily: 'Tell James to drive on, if you please! His lordship was.. - was just funning!'

'I should think he must believe his lordship to be out of his mind,' observed Sakura, as their equipage moved forward. 'Why did he do it, Naru?'

'Oh, for a nonsensical reason!'

'Very likely!' she said too happy to degrade the Viscount. 'But what nonsensical reason?'

'I wish you will take a leaf out of Shukaku's book, and not ask inquisitive questions!'

'Oh, you do,' she laughed. 'But I shan't! Come, now, you sly thing!'

'No, don't tease me!'

'Oh, very well! I wonder what Sasuke will say to it?' said Sakura, all sprightly innocence.

'Sakura! You wouldn't-'

'Not if I were in your confidence, of course!' replied Sakura piously.

'Really, you are the most unscrupulous girl!' declared Naru.

Sakura giggled. 'No I'm not, for I never betray secrets! I shan't rest till I know this one, I warn you, for I cannot conceive what was in your brother's head, unless he was just knocking up a lark, which I know he was not.'

'Well, pray don't think too badly of him!' Naru said, capitulating.

But Sakura, listening entranced to Naru's story, did not think badly of the dashing Kurama. Instead, she said handsomely that he had by far more wit than she ever guessed. She was even very much inclined to join him in blaming Naru for not having held her peace.

'For if only you had pretended not to recognize him everything would now be in fair way to being settled.'

/Our New Lady/

/Uchiha/

With the young Earl

Many kilometres away from Naruto and Sakura.

'Cousin Shinichi said that I shall find you here...'

A cool, deep voice spoke up from a formally cloaked figure standing beneath the canopy of trees up to the branches of the tree right above him, his head tilted back to gaze at the man seated calmy on a branch.

'... Aniki.'

'Little Brother,' the dark-haired man said, gazing down at the Earl.

'I wish you wouldn't call me that, I'm nearly as tall as you are, Itachi.'

Itachi chuckled and jumped to the ground, landing softly on the earth. He turned and lifted his cane to touch his chin, as though thinking. Then, gesturing to his brother to "come here," he tilted his head.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes suspiciously and didn't step forward, recalling a unlikeable habit of his sibling, in stead, he crossed his arms and firmly planted his feet to the ground.

Itachi merely used the distraction to step forward and flick his head back with a well-placed poke to his brow.

'Gah!' the Earl scowled, rubbing his sore brow.

'The day I stop doing that shall be the last day I call you little, Otouto.'

'You are not fair, Aniki!'

He shrugged, before the ends of his mouth turned up into a smirk eerily resembling a smile. 'How is sweet Naru, Little Brother?'

The young ex double agent was sorely surprised when his sibling's face straightened out into calm countenance, it made him think of those head statues in the Uchiha Archives; smooth, cold marble. He couldn't fathom why his brother would have such a reaction to so simple a question; last time he saw the couple, they were so enamoured with one another that it made him want to paint it down. Last time he saw them was at their marriage, which he had been obliged (but nevertheless happy) to attend, his sister-in-law was the perfect match for him. So why, now, was Little Brother brooding over the mention of his wife?

'Whatever is it? Has Naru taken ill?'

Sasuke merely spared him a glance before answering mulishly. 'Hn.'.

'That was negative a response..' the gentleman thought for a while. 'Do not tell me that you quarrelled.'

'Hn.'

Itachi sighed exasperatedly, his tired eyes drooping even lowere. 'You are not very cooperative, are you not?'

Sasuke's brow snapped together. 'I'm losing her, Aniki, I thought I almost had her, and to top it all off, that thrice-damned, bloody Kurama is rubbing it in my face!'