Sakura calls Rock Lee Pierre sometimes cause Rock is Pierre in French and many people were bilingual during the past. I also fixed the last chapter! Thank you for commenting.

/Our New Lady/

/Uchiha/

Previously

'Kyūbi!'

'Hell and the devil confound it!'

'You must be a bigger sapskull than I knew!'

/Our New Lady/

/Uchiha/

Presently

'For if only you had pretended to not notice him everything would now be in a fair way to being settled. I suppose you might have guessed how it was, especially when he should bring you the money, but that wouldn't have signified!'

'How can you say so? My peace would have been utterly cut up! I might have even told Uchiha - yet how might I have done so.. oh, it would have been worse than anything! He already thinks dear Kyū too - too rackety?'

'I declare that you are the most oddest creature!' Sakura exclaimed. 'For my part, I think you should have sold some of your jewels, I don't wonder at why Kurama is out of all patience with you!'

They continued conversing on this strain until Brent House was reached; where Kurama was to meet them once more. When the Viscount presently joined his sister, he looked to be having a fit of the sullens, and eagerly ignored his sibling in favour to Mutatabi, who was perched on his shoulder. Sakura managed to restore his good-humour by applauding his ingenuity and commiserating him on the mischance which had brought his wonderful scheme to nothing. They (for once) found themselves much in sympathy, both on the thoughts of Naru having such stupid crotchets.

'If you won't sell any of your jewellery,' Sakura spoke up. 'Why not sell any of those paintings you had purchased from that most ingenious artist? I saw Cousin and you hanging it up with the help of young Simon, during the lengths your very first weeks with us.'

'It is of no use, Sakura,' said Kurama. 'Kit won't do so, she informed me most enthusiastically last week; when I happened to visit, that selling anything she has purchased with Uchiha's money was one of the worse notions anyone had ever had!'

'I wouldn't care a button for it, if I were you,' she said.

'Oh, but even if I didn't care and should sell something other than my jewels,' Naru cried. 'Uchiha would most certainly notice! I don't think anyone should not miss a painted canvas done by Michelangelo or John Constable. . they are quite pricey, and the only ones Sasuke let me purchase.'

'No, but you can tell Uchiha that you got bored of it, and gave it away! He wouldn't mind or pay least heed to it! You might tell him that you wanted a photograph, in stead.'

'I say,' Kurama said to Sakura. 'That if Kit made such a piece of work over a little necessary deception, she had better screw up her courage and tell Uchiha she is under the hatches again.'

Their marvellous agreement came at end, Sakura strongly opposed this suggestion.

For in her experience, Uchiha, in general so indulgent, became abominably severe if he considered one had been extravagant.

'And if you ever confronted him with a debt (however inescapable),' she told him. 'He becomes positively brutal!'

She spoke with feeling, one of her last encounters with her exasperated cousin was still vivid in her mind. 'Only because I purchased a dressing-case, which every lady must have, and desired him in the most civillest way to pay for it,' said Sakura, adding. 'For how could I do so myself on the paltry sum he allows me for pin money, and can you guess what he did?'

Kurama stared at her, Naru recalling the memory she spoke of.

'He sent it back to the shop!' she exclaimed. 'I was never so mortified! And, would you credit it, Kurama? - he promised me that if I again ran into debt he would send me down to Merion in the charge of a strict governess! A governess-!'

The Viscount was not much impressed - and, indeed, he would have been even less impressed had he been privileged to set his eyes on the necessary adjunct to a lady's comfort in question.

A handsome piece of baggage, that dressing case was; with every one of its numerous cut-glass bottles fitted with gold caps, embellished with a tasteful in diamond chips. It had made the second footman, who was a very stout youth, sweat only to carry it up one pair of stairs; and when it was flung open it had quite dazzled Sasuke's eyes so much that he had closed them, an expression of real anguish on his face.

'That has nothing to say to anything. I daresay he thought it not the thing for you,' said the Viscount, with an unconscious shrewdness. 'But everyone knows court dresses cost the deuce of a lot of money, and I shouldn't wonder at it if-'

'When Sasuke discovered that Naru was so

monstrously in the wind he said such things as cast her into the greatest affliction!'

The Viscount eyed her suspiciously. 'Were you there?' he demanded in accents of suspicion.

'No, I was not there, but I saw her directly afterwards. She cried in the most affecting way, and has been subject to fits of sad dejection ever since. If you abandon her, it will be the most abominable thing I ever heard of!'

'Who said I meant to do so?' retorted his lordship. 'It's a pity tonight's affair came to nothing, but I shall come about. And I'll thank you not to start meddling!' he added, in a very ungallant way.

'I have not the remotest intention of meddling!' said Sakura, her back rigid with wrath.

'Well, see you don't!' recommended Kurama. 'And don't go blabbing either!'

These ungentlemanly words brought an abrupt end the excellent understanding which had seemed to be flourishing between them. Sakura, in freezing accents, requested his lordship to restore her to her chaperon, and his lordship did so with unflattering alacrity and went his own way to amuse himself.

In spite of the absence from it of Mr Maito, Sakura had much enjoyed the masquerade. She indulged in a deal of flirtation (as was common practice at such gatherings), allowing her vivacity to carry her to lengths only possible under the disguise of a mask and domino. She received a great many amounts of compliments; and her spangled gown had been very much admired by the party. Her giddiness added nothing to Naru's comfort, but Naruto was powerless to try and check the liveliness that several times put her to the blush. A gentle admonition was merely met with a laugh, and a toss of the head.

When Naru finally ventured to say: 'Sakura, if you won't keep, then, do so for my sake, I beg of you!'

'Oh, that's fudge! There's no harm in romping a trifle at a masquerade: everyone does so! It's all just fun and gig!'

'It is unbecoming,' Naru said. 'Bath miss manners! I fancy you wouldn't indulge so much flirting if Mr Lee Maito were here!'

'Dear Pierre! No indeed! I should flirt with him instead. But he is not here, and I've no notion of being moped and die-away at such an agreeable party, I can tell you. I think we are having a splendid night's raking, don't you?'

It was useless to persist. And when midnight finally came she hoped that Sakura was hopefully not recognised; for midnight was the moment when everyone removed their masks, thus; the unmasking of the masquerade gathering. But that hope was for nothing, when the unmasking took place; Naru recognised Lady Uchiha Chudleigh among the gathering of unmasked chaperons, her lungs sank to her stomach.

Lady Chudleigh's eyes were on the next masquée (as was everyone's), who was to remove her mask, everyone wishing to see who the fast girl in the shimmering domino and the spangled gown was. Naru watched with dismay as her ladyship's eye darkened with disapproval, and braced herself to meet the inevitable strictures which she didn't doubt her husband's formidable aunt would feel it her duty to adress her. In the event, however, Lady Chudleigh was surprisingly gracious.

She certainly did condemn the spangled dress, and said she was thankful she had no cause to blush for her own daughter, and added that she did not blame Naru for Sakura's want of conduct.

'It is much to be regretted that Sakura does not take a lesson from you, my dear Naruto,' she said majestically. 'I shall not deny that I used to think that young Uchiha made a great mistake when he chose to offer for you. I always speak my mind, and I told him at the time that he would do better to ally himself to a female nearer in rank to himself. But I must own, and do not hesitate to do so, that I have been agreeably surprised in you. It is a sad pity that Haruno has neither your discretion nor your good taste.'

With these measured words of approval she made her curtsey and moved on.

Which was just well, since Naru could think of nothing whatsoever to say in reply to them. The brief monologue left her quite époustouflée, both pleased and angry at the knowledge that she had been approved of by yet another Uchiha and angry at how she had spoken of dear Sakura. Naru huffed (watching as another masqué removed his mask and revealed himself to be stout Mr Parkin), she owned that Sakura's manners had been quite over the line for a young lady; but -! it didn't signify! Cousin Sakura was merely a lively girl who was a lot of fun, stiff, old Lady Chudleigh couldn't possibly understand, with her gothic notions of propiety. Didn't the movement to revive the Gothic styles of the Middle Ages fail? Naru wondered, quite vexed by the Uchiha lady... but then weren't all Uchihas more than formal?

Naru nearly sighed, that was why Mama had insisted upon bringing her already proper manners up by a notch those harried last moments at the Namikaze Estates.

'Only fancy Mama's saying that to you! She does not often praise people, I can tell you, Cousin Naruto!'

Naru turned her head to face the new company, it was Lady Chudleigh's child. Her daughter, a rather angular girl, had lingered behind her mother. Naru suddenly remembered her cousin Obito Uchiha Tobi (in those early days when she hadn't been acquainted to the whole of the Uchiha clan) unkindly describing her as an antidote.

But then the congratulary tone in which her words had been uttered was a little too much for Naru. She said tartly: 'I am sure I ought to be very much obliged to her!'

'I knew you must feel it so. Did you know she said to me yesterday that you were a very pretty-behaved young woman? There!'

'Did she indeed? Well, don't repeat any more of her compliments, for they might puff me up too much in my own conceit!'

Miss Chudleigh tittered. 'That is precisely what Mama said! At least, I mean she said that it was a wonder your head was not turned by all the amounts of compliments you receive.'

Naru smiled easily, a good humour filling her. They were seemingly getting along perfectly, that was until the silly chipper had to ruin it by mentioning the matter that had Naru's mind in a whirl earlier.

'But I quite expected her to censure you for permitting Sakura to wear such an improper gown. I can't even think how she can do so without blushing. I could not!'

Naru's mood plummeted, her displeasure at the Chudleighs augmenting. Her piercing blue eyes snapped to the Miss' unmasked visage.

The "pretty behaved" Lady Uchiha instantly retorted. 'No, and I own that I think you would be very unwise to attempt anything in the same style.'

She smiled, thinking that Naru was talking about the impropriety of the gown.

'But Sakura, you know, has so perfect and lithe a figure that she can carry off anything! For my part, I never saw her in greater beauty!'

Her smile dropped off her face immediately, the twenty-year-old girl glared at her cousin and stalked off without excusing herself or curtseying. Naru merely watched her go with a well placed contented sniff.

'And you call me ungentlemanly.'

Naru whirled around in surprise to see her brother, standing with his arms crossed and a smirk on his face, his mask was still about his face.

'Kyūbi! Oh, how you surprised me, and, dear, you still have Tabi's tail about your face.'

He shrugged. 'Well, I realised too late that I had nothing to conseal the marks on my cheeks, Tabi was perfect a replacement, and I haven't been called forward to unmask.'

'I daresay it is formidable,' she gushed at the statue-like wildcat. 'Had I only had that idea! We would have had matching masks!'

'Really?' said the Viscount, considerably amused. 'Last I was informed, the only words your fox cub knew was, "it's time to eat."'

Naru's nose crinkled. 'Just you wait, Kyū, I shall have Kurama understanding the whole of English language!'

'I wish you wouldn't call it that.'

Naruto sorely wished she could stick her tongue out at him and mock him, but then she was in presence of huge a party.

'Also, never have I seen you look so queer, Kit,' he remarked. 'Your marks are concealed (wondrously, I declare) perfectly, I almost thought you were dear, old Mama with dyed hair when I held you up.'

'Wicked, is it not?' she said mischievously. 'It was my dear dresser who came up with the concealing solution.'

'You should have offered me some, Tabi's bloody tail has me itching to not giggle unbecomingly!'

'Oh, dear Tabi,' she cooed. 'You are no longer obliged to stay on my detestable brother's shoulder, come to Auntiee.'

Kurama scoffed and gestured, Tabi descended and sat primly beside him. 'She doesn't listen to scatterbrained creatures as you. Only fancy that boot-faced Grundis thinking it was a special sort of handmade mask, plenty others thought so too.'

Naru followed his satisfied gaze to Mr Grundis' face which looked to be most scandalized at the moving "mask."

'How dimwitted these people are,' his lordship owned. 'Haven't they heard of the Princes in the Indias keeping ferocious Bengal Tigers as their right-hand partners? I say, it is the best notion anybody has ever had! Only some people seem to think I dumped a housecat in a chemist's solution!'

Naru laughed.

'I am ready to leave, Kit,' he announced, his mood slightly dampened. 'I suggest you collect your cousin if you want an escort back home.'

That was not necessary, for, Sakura was already heading towards them with a curious shine in her eyes.

'Oh, Naru!' she exclaimed in gentle tones. 'Cousin Chudleigh has been sending me scathing looks, not that I care a button, but, it is most quizzing. When she happened to send you one, too, I concluded it was something you must have said.'

'I shall tell you presently.'

She recounted their exchange to Sakura on the beginnings of their ride back home, ending it with; 'And I hope she tells her detestable mother!'

'Well!' said Sakura, giggling pleasantly. 'What a bouncer! When you took one look at my fit, and said you had never seen anything so improper!'

'Yes, but I did not say that it was not becoming! And in any event, it was a great piece of impertinence for Cousin Miriam to criticize you. Or for Lady Chudleigh to most rudely do so either, for now I come to think of it she is not your aunt, but really only Sasuke's!'

'Dear Naru!'

Naru submitted to an enthusiastic embrace, Kurama and Mutatabi gazing at them with matching faces of disgust.

'Well, I'd rather not look at a pair of silly chippers squealing and hugging each other..' he informed. 'How about a song?'

Naru clapped her at this suggestion, Sakura nodding, and so the ladies were entertained during the drive back to town with snatches of song, delivered in a fine, male baritone.

/Our New Lady/

/Uchiha/

Next Day

'Oh, Naru,' Sakura said when she witnessed Naruto's face falling at the appearance of another of Madame Lavalle's polite letters from the penny post. 'The memory of Sasuke sending back my dressing-case, has put a notion in my head!'

Hopefully, the Countess looked up from the letter that said that Madame Lavalle was trusting that "my lady" would find it convenient for both of them to defray the bill within the immediate future.

'There is nothing for it but to order another dress from the horrid creature,' solved Sakura, unconsciously echoing Kurama. 'That is what my aunt (from my father's side) does when her dressmaker duns her. And if you keep sending back saying it does not fit, or that you prefer a floss trimming instead of lace, or some such thing, it won't be finished until the quarter, and then you can pay for both the gowns! Why, in less than two months it will be quarter-day, and you will find yourself in funds again! I see no difficulty.'

This suggestion found no favour with Naru, glancing once more at the letter, she felt her case to be desperate. She had been dismally surprised to receive Madame's letter, and shrewd enough to perceive (underlying its smooth civility), a threat.

So she decided that she would pay Madame Lavalle a visit, not to bespeak another expensive dress, but to try explain to the lady with all the dignity she could muster that although it was convenient to pay the account in the immediate future, she would faithfully do so at the end of the following month.

'I was wondering when you were planning to set about fixing the ballroom,' said the green-eyed girl.

Naru looked up, 'Oh, in the near future, of course, don't pay mind to it.'

'For I am impatiently waiting to see if you get anything better than my famous notion. Only Sasuke refused, when I think about it, he shall regret it, oh, Naru, how can he not want this most fashionable mode.'

Naru recalled those weeks past...

It had all begun when they had attended a ball, one of the first balls of the season; the novel form of decoration had instantly hit Sakura's fancy. Hundreds of ells of calico had been gathered to form the likeness of a huge tent to the ballroom. Everyone had exclaimed at it (except Sasuke and Kurama), pleasantly awed at the spectacular effect; the hostess was showered with compliments over and over upon having such a charming notion.

She had informed her cousin-in-law (Naru) of her desire to hang their ballroom with pink calico.

Shortly after, Mrs Wilby had hung her ballroom with crimson calico; for her dress-code gala, Lord Stretton had similarly decorated his own ballroom; in deep shades of blues, for his costumed gathering. Sakura, convinced that it would shortly become all the crack, had been alternately hectoring and cajoling Uchiha for weeks past to have his own ballroom turned into a pink tent for the grand dress-code party to be held there by the main Uchihas, at the end of the month. Unfortunately, Sasuke had not admired the effect of pink calico.

Naru could clearly remember one of such a meeting.

'Well, I agree,' Sakura had said.

The Earl had looked at her with faint surprise, Sakura usually never gave up until she was certain she was getting what she desired, Naru was, too, surprised.

'Calico is shabby,' she shrugged.

'There,' Sasuke said, in his own calm way of ending the conversation.

'It would be far more elegant (besides going one better than Lady Weldon) to use silk.'

Sasuke, his mind boggled by shiny, pink silk, of course, refused; he had expressed himself so unequivocally on the subject that, it confirmed her belief that his taste was as old-fashioned as his disposition was mean. She had not scrupled to tell him so (delivering her words with the air of a scientist who reached conclusion), and his way of receiving this terrible indictment did him no honour at all.

'I know it,' he had said, sympathetically. 'I assure you, Sakura, it astonishes even me that I could be such a hog-grubber as to grudge the expenditure of I daresay not much above a few hundred pounds on the suitable decoration of the ballroom to set off your charms.'

Then, casting a laughing glance towards Naru, he had added provocatively: 'Now, had you asked me for blue hangings-!'

She had been perfectly willing to compound for blue, but had met no support from Naru. For Naru, quite as desirous as she was to cut a dash, wasn't willing to imitate Lady Weldon, or any other fashionable hostess. And had said that if Uchiha approved, she would make the ton exclaim even more loudly ; and make the other Ladies gnash their teeth and turn green with envy at the result of an Uzumaki's (now Uchiha) taste.

'Don't tell me you're getting a bunch of clovers to decorate your ballroom!'

'Eh?' Naru had gasped, slightly amused and surprised. 'No, but I was thinking of getting some clovers, how ever did you know?'

'The Uzumaki are Irish, and the people of Éire are notoriously known for their love of clovers!'

Sasuke had smirked and said, elegantly: ' Et bien, I hereby promptly give you carte blanche, Naru.'

It was one of the spare things that Naruto felt content on doing, these days (apart from visiting a feisty cub fox).

'I assure you, dear Saku, I am going to brainstorm something that shall set all the crack for decades to come, 'ttebayo.'

Sakura giggled at the pose Naruto had assumed, Naru joining not long after.

/Our New Lady/

/Uchiha/

With the Viscount Uzumaki-Namikaze

'I heard things.'

Kurama, who had been peacefully whistling and watching Mutatabi chase some butterflies, seated beneath a great oak tree, looked up to see two men, formally dressed. He glanced to the side, at Shukaku, his eyes scanning the gentlemen assessingly. He didn't like the look of them, they eerily resembled that man (from the bar), who's skeletal system he had given a good bruising.

'Hearing things? Surely, you have got more wit than to believe rumours. . . Messrs Sickleham.'

'Ye've put brother in St George.'

'Is that so?' the Viscount was considerably amused. 'Good for him, should teach him a lesson.'

' 'tis wot we'eve come to see yer for.'

Kurama stood up, slowly, his cane in his left hand.

'Ye see, when sum'un harms one o' ours..' began the one on the left.

'An' as good Chrishens we foller thee pol'cy, an eye for an eye,' continued the other, their accents thick and rogue.

Kurama smirked, his smirk cold and heartless this time. 'I have never been too fond of your clan a-wash with thieving rascals, but I never held a grudge for any ill-will directed at my family. You should see that your dear brother crossed the line when he started calling Kit unhandsome titles.'

'I don't care a farthing wot ye think was crossin' the line, me's here to settl' sum affairs.'

' 'sides, that court-card ye call yer sis deserves 'em tatles, too good fer the folish chit 'nyways.'

'Your kind is just sore over the fact that my father turned down your lordship Sickleham's offer for Kit, and I was just reminding that good-for-nothing sibling of yours his manners, there's nothing to be settled,' said Kurama, giving the avengers a chance to back down.

Shukaku stared at them warily, he didn't want to be caught in the middle of a mill between a tall Namikaze and two of the notorious Sickleham sons. But doesn't mean anything, he was also angry at their brother for having called Naru the most unpleasant names, in public too, and commencing an unhandsome wave of rumours, based on half-truths, on Naru.

'Ye keep yer trap shut, bas'ard!'

Shukaku shook his head at the folly of the men; they were, no doubts, incredibly foolish for picking a fight with his companion. The sandy-haired man leaned back and set his dark grey-blue eyes on the fight; vocally applauding the tall Viscount for his skills at disposing of his foes. Few minutes later, the Viscount bent to retrieve his hat from the grass, straightening up and dusting a couple of wrinkles on his waistcoat flat.

He sent his eyes upon the young men groaning on the ground, they stiffened, gasping at the sight of the deadly, slitted, crimson eyes. 'The Bible does say an eye for an eye, but not in the way you fools were thinking, but I guess you haven't committed any bad act; your clan offered other of theirs.. tch, idiots. Tell your father and your uncle that anymore of this, and I'll pay a little visit to their place. Should I hear anyone talking about my sister Uchiha rudely, I'll send them to the morgue.'

He called to Tabi, saying : 'Let's leave, Corny, these fools have ruined the atmosphere.'

/Our New Lady/

/Uchiha/

With Naru

Naruto had come back home from her visit to the dressmaker with a dejected heart; the visit to the Madame had made it clear why she was persistent in getting the bill cleared.

She had arrived at Bruton Street, earlier, James descending from the front to help her ladyship down the carriage, her gloved hands and arms drawing her cloak snugger about her, for the looming building gave her a spell of chills.

'Is everything al-right, milady?' James asked, concernedly. 'We may return to the Grounds if you do not feel in the right spirits.'

She firmed her spine and smiled at the coachman. 'No, no, everything is well, I thank you for the concern.'

He bowed. 'As you wish.'

Naru walked forward on the cobbles, her eyes on the sign that was elaborately set on the front of the building, the shoppe windows displaying mannequins donning fashionable dress; Chez Madame Lavalle. She entered, James having opened the door for her, before closing it after her and returning to the carriage, the well-lit boutique warm and smelling of fabrics.

'Bonjour, Madame Uchiwa,' a brunette with her curly hair open and held back with flower pins said. A pleasant smile was about her face and her warm dark brown eyes shone with enthusiasm.

Naruto smiled at the girl a few months older than her and a friendly acquaintance. 'Hallo, Marie, how do you do?'

'Très bien, the most wonderful news have been delivered to me, ma chére,' she said excitedly, her English dropping a bit at her excitement. 'I would say much very good.'

Forgetting about her worries Naru leaned forward and smiled. 'Oh, if you may pardon me to ask, why?'

She laughed, her nose turning slightly pink with mirth. 'You thee English, you are very silly-amusing with your politess, you may ask, it does not disturb me. I am soon going to be chief styliste, modiste and maker!'

Naruto's eyes shone, from the two previous times she had met with the Mademoiselle Lavalle, she had taken a great liking to her, she was so very friendly and amicàle. 'Oh, that is pleasantly wonderful!'

'Et, I couldn't think of anyone else I wanted to tell, Madame Uchiwa, you are "mon amie le plus chère d'Angleterre"!'

That reminded her of her of Madame Lavalle, because if the modiste was retiring, it made sense that her daughter takes place; thus why she was to be the chief designer.

'Ah, what a belle surprise,' a voice with the the faintest of a foreign accent said. 'The new Contess Uchiwa.'

They curtseyed, formally, Marie's eyes widening with mortification when she remembered that she hadn't curtseyed, earlier.

'I am sure that you know why I am here, Madame.'

'Of course, my child,' she said, her inflexible lips forming something similar to a smile. 'Let us take this upstairs, if you please.'

It was during this encounter that Naru discovered that the Madame was retiring from business; after a long and lucrative career in that building, leaving it behind in her daughters hands. She was henceforward to be out of the way of collecting debts, before leaving for her native land. On the ride back home Naruto wondered how Madame Lavalle would return to France in time of war. It was possible, if one had money and time to spend on such a journey, influential connections to assist one over the obstacles in the path, and, most importantly above all, relations well placed in Paris. One might travel from England to Denmark, and after that, the matter arranged itself!

Madame Lavalle had curtseyed her away from the premises with a great deference, then rubbed her hands together, saying in French; 'She will contrive, that one!'

Naruto had sailed away, granting a departing wave to Mademoiselle Lavalle in the store, who had been waving an enthused farewell; her head high, and her heart cowering down to her feet.

/Our New Lady/

/Uchiha/

Mr Tobi, strolling away from Uchiha Street, perceived his new cousin's carriage coming up the thinly occupied street and prepared himself to salute her with a tip of his hat. Only, he was completely ignored, another carriage had turned into the road from an intersection, and Naru's attention was immediately wrathfully fastened on its occupant; he had no possible chance of getting her attention. So he had glanced at the carriage and seen Lady Orsett, he was no longer surprised at the usually soft spoken Lady's sudden wrath; rumours had it that Lady Orsett was vying for Uchiha's attention.

He shook his head and made his way to Piccadilly, his cousin shouldn't waste her time on any of those chippers who wanted Sasuke's attention; his younger cousin had thoughts only for her. But then, thinking it over, it occured to him that the couple were not as often in company together as might have been expected. It was not, of course, in good ton for a man to live in his wife's pocket; but the cynicism which had prompted the higher ranks of the previous generations to regard marriages as mean of advancement or convenience was going out of fashion. Obito knew of more than one man who could never be sure how many of his lady's offspring had been his; while the number of middle-aged couples (of the first stare) who never willingly spent as much as half an hour together was way past counting.

But (as he said) that sort of thing was going out of fashion, he thought, his inner monologue momentarily halting. Mr Tobi's fastidiousness was offended by the sight of a (most certainly) newly married pair seated side by side on a small crate in front of a store with their heads together; he was inclined to think that the pendulum was swinging too far, and he surely did not expect Uchiha to behave with such a want of breeding.

Anyways.

Love-matches were being indulged by persons of consequence; and public signs of affection, instead of being intolerably bourgeois, were even smiled upon. So he did sometimes wonder that Naru, married to a man who had not only chosen her among several dozens of more eligible ladies, but was also possessed of a charm which generally made him fascinating to everyone, should so frequently appear in public either unescorted, or with some (inferior gallant) man at her side. Perhaps there had been a disagreement, and Obito (knowing just how formidable his young cousin could be when he was angered) could readily understand if Naru was tiffed with him.

What to do?

Obito Uchiha Tobi tipped his hat at the elegant Madame Tenten and got a fancy notion to pay George Burnley a visit.

/Our New Lady/

/Uchiha/

A/N

Short chapter; I know! I'm sorry! I took ill Thursday (Wednesday night) which is when I usually begin typing the next chapter for this most formal story, and I had to go perform the pre-examination testing today (that I missed Thursday). Here is where you expect me too say that I was too busy studying, but I'm guilty of being one who rarely preps for examinatories. Instead I lazed around the house and played games. Since I felt better (and guilty for not spending some time on the story) today, I typed this out for my wonderful readers! I really wanted to not disappoint the one chapter per week schedule, so I furiously (super flash speed) typed this out.

If you're wondering why I mentioned Mr Tobi at the end; you'll have to wait for the next chapter.