Title: Wishes Are Free

Author: Cheza-chan

Rating: R

Pairing: KakaIru, SasuNaru

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto—oh, I wish I did—but I own Kan'you, all the characters of the Hidden Wave Village. I own the Hidden Wave Village because I created it! I own the Hidden Wave Village's special jutsus, etc.

A/N: I throw myself at the mercy of my readers! .:sobs as she grovels:. I have no idea what happened to me—actually, I think I have somewhat of an idea. I tried to put a KakaIru lemon in here, and it totally killed my muse. The poor thing's comatose… .:visits her muse, Yanashi, in the hospital:.

Anyway… There's an assumption that a couple of days have passed since the last chapter. That's all I can think of to tell you.


Chapter Nineteen – Deception, Death, and Christmas

With just about everyone off on a mission he had given them and May lecturing a class, Iruka was left with little to do. Because of the Hidden Village's new status, paperwork was plenty, but not enough to keep him occupied—especially after he did it all that night trying to run from Kakashi—so he wandered the town aimlessly. In his loose black bodysuit with the customary blue Chuunin vest, he was greeted with the title of "sensei" by whomever he passed.

"Iruka-sensei!"

The young man stopped and glanced over his shoulder to see a young girl run up. "Risa-chan," he smiled, kneeling. Risa held out a dirty hand, asking to see his own. Iruka complied, smiling sheepishly as she checked to see if he was wearing his ring.

"Hai."

He blinked as she thrust a bouquet of just-picked flowers into his face. "Thank you," he laughed, taking the flowers. The child shook her dark head, her smile never failing. She reached up and patted the man's cheek, giggling. A broken handprint of dirt was left as a remainder of her appearance before she vanished into the candy store. Iruka stood, dusting off his face and held the flowers tightly. He couldn't help but feel envious of childhood at times; wishing to be around the table for dinner and listening to his parents' day once more; to get scolded for antics.

The Chuunin wiped a hand hastily across his eyes with a soft chuckle, staring at the flowers.

"For me?"

Dark brown eyes regarded the masked figure. "Kakashi-sensei." Iruka held out the flowers. "Risa-chan gave them to me. I'm giving them to you, and I'll even treat you to ramen."

Kakashi tilted his head, wondering if he'd somehow became hearing-impaired, because he swore Iruka had just willingly offered him flowers and free ramen. He grinned under his mask. "How about another bath?"

The dolphin dropped his head with a sigh, "Ramen or bust."

"Ramen, it is!" Kakashi wrapped an arm around the brunet's shoulder, taking the flowers with his other hand. "Who gave these to you again?"

"Risa-chan. You don't remember her? You bought... the rings from her."

"Oh." The scarecrow reached up to his neck, showing the ring that dangled from the chain around his neck. "I couldn't wear my glove and the ring at the same time, but I still treasure it." His eye curved as he grinned, leaning his head atop the other's shoulder as they weaved through the villagers and passing carts.

Iruka leaned his head away with a sigh. "Kakashi-sensei, please. I don't want to be reprimanded by Shuku-san about my behavior in public."

"Demo, Iruka... we're married."

The Chuunin jumped slightly as Kakashi's arms encircled his waist and pulled him close. "Sensei!"

The silver-haired shinobi sulked with a hand to his bruised cheek, sighing intermittently. His idle hand picked up the fork, ready to poke the centerpiece when a foreboding air made him shiver and he caught the dolphin's dark look.

"You still owe me for the last one," Iruka muttered. Kan'you's waitress came over to take their orders and, out of habit, he asked for a miso ramen. "And you?" she asked the Jounin sweetly.

Kakashi looked up from the bread fortress he was building and glanced at the girl, then his companion. "The same," he replied, smiling behind his mask.

Iruka's eyes widened in surprise and he couldn't help but stare at the unruly silver hair as the man bent back over his work. "Kakashi-sensei."

"Hm?" The scarecrow had brandished his fork once more—and also the knife—to carve intricate designs in the baked product that was taken on a shape.

Iruka shook his head, imagining a protruding pink tongue locked between white teeth and soft lips as Kakashi poured all attention into the bread structure, and decided not to interrupt him. He settled on watching him with a content smile, curious to see the outcome. Several minutes later, the older man set down his utensils with a soft laugh and raised his head to blink his one visible eye at the applauding Chuunin. "It's cute." Iruka smiled, reaching for his chopsticks. He froze as Kakashi's hand covered his, meeting the one-eyed gaze.

"Can we take the bath tomorrow?"

'Why'd you have to ruin it?'

The waitress's return prevented any form of bloodshed and Kakashi took his hand away to grasp his own chopsticks. He snapped them apart, holding them properly in his right hand, and reached up to the mask with the other. He paused and glanced at the dumbfounded brunet. "It's not polite to stare," he reprimanded.

Iruka snapped his mouth shut, blushing, and lowered his eyes to his own bowl. He clenched his free hand atop the table as he heard the other inhale then began eating. 'His privacy means so much to him, but he's... eating right... across from me!' The Chuunin ate with a stiff hand; assuming the table ended up eating more than he had, he gave up, setting the sticks aside, and lowered his head to the table, the hitai-ate metal thudding against the hard wood.

"Gouchisousama," Kakashi sighed a few minutes later, slipping his mask back into place. He poked Iruka with the clean end of his chopsticks. "Can we go now? I'd like to put the flowers in water and my bread in the toaster... or maybe the freezer."

"Hai, hai." Reaching into his pocket without raising his head, the dolphin removed the money for the food, plus tip, and dumped it on the table. He was going hungry because of morals. Kakashi looked toward the door as it opened and his eyebrow rose.

"Tenko-sensei, sugei! This is the first time you've ever taken us out for ramen."

Iruka shivered as though ice was being slid up and down his spine. "Is that really Naruto?"

Hearing his name, the blonde looked around until he spotted the scarecrow's unruly, gravity-defying hair and the brown ponytail of his "father". "Iruka-sensei! Ka—"

The Jounin was shaking his head slowly, cutting off the boy. Iruka straightened himself and turned mechanically to greet the boy, smile forced due to what the young man was made to endure; not only did he spend money on food he hadn't eaten, but he also missed an opportunity to see Kakashi in all his glory. 'That's right. They never did come in for a mission.' His expression relaxed, becoming more curious. "Why didn't you report in?"

"We had some complications," Tenko sighed. "Sadly, I'm not at liberty to discuss with... civilians around." She smiled politely at the Copy-nin who simply shrugged.

While his normal self, the silver-haired shinobi wore a simple black headband folded over his Sharingan eye, no metal slate or anything other decoration.

"Is it alright if we join you?" the female Jounin asked. "We can pull up another table or just a chair."

"Iya, iya," Kakashi sighed, standing. "I have to go anyway." He picked up his flowers, dusting off the table, then bowed courteously. "See you later, Iruka-sensei. Take care of my fort." Iruka nodded, standing as Tenko pulled out her chair to sit. He watched his Konoha comrade leave then smiled at Team 5, everyone else taking a seat.

Haka folded her arms over her chest, slouching back in her chair. "Can't I go home, Tenko-sensei? There's here nothing for me."

The redhead sighed, running her fingers through her short hair, and shook her head. Iruka gave a small grin; he'd noticed the change instantly, but it hadn't been the right moment to comment. "It's cute. Can I assume it was Naruto's influence?"

"My influence?" Naruto mumbled around the ramen that had been brought for him.

"Hai," the bright-eyed young woman laughed, tousling the blond hair of the boy beside her. Naruto shook his head to rid himself of the touch and resumed eating. He went to her a while back and asked if she had any problem with people playing with her hair, he hadn't expected her to cut it. The boy slurped his ramen.

Haka scoffed, closing her eyes. Her mind was so preoccupied that she didn't even notice the bread she so loved was missing. What held her concern was the fact that Shikyo no longer joined them for practice or missions. She pushed away from the table, chair scraping harshly and drawing everyone's stares except Naruto's. Haka muttered a quick apology and turned away, rushing toward the door.

"Haka!" He wasn't going to let her just leave, though. "Haka!" Naruto repeated as he swallowed the remainder of his ramen, slamming the bowl down on the table. He stumbled after his teammate.

Iruka returned his gaze to the sullen Tenko. Her emerald eyes had lost their sparkle and shine. "My friend's gone," he stated. "What couldn't you discuss with him here?"

The redhead's hand trembled atop the table. "Shikyo-chan's brother was found dead two days ago."

The Chuunin's eyes widened, mouth falling open. "Sendo-kun was? That's horrible."

Tenko nodded. "The family's holding a private funeral, as always with deaths in that family. But what puzzled us the most was that the body wasn't disposed of immediately." She shook her head, chest tightening.

Iruka reached across the table and took the young woman's hand, squeezing consolingly. She laughed brokenly, wiping her tears away before they fell. "You'd think I was used to this sort of thing. I didn't even know him that well, but... he was only a child."

"What you're feeling is perfectly fine. Everyone's life is important," Iruka reminded, caressing the palm of Tenko's hand with his thumb. "How about a gift?" He indicated to the bread structure with a nod of his head and a smile. "One of a kind."

The redhead laughed, "I'll sprinkle it with water then put it in the freezer."

"I'll tell the creator." 'Hopefully, Kakashi won't mind that I gave it away.'

The adult shinobis shared another laugh, hands still clasped.

There were still more complications outside.

"Haka!"

The girl grunted as Naruto snatched her wrist after he'd finally caught up. She spun to glare at him, trying to free her hand. "Stop it. Let go... Naruto!" Her free hand came up, cracking him across the face.

Naruto laughed softly, features shadowed. "Wakata, wakata." He released the girl and stepped back.

"Don't you even care?" the cherry-haired Genin cried, fists clenched at her sides. "Something is happening in this village. Tenko-sensei won't even tell us what's going on with Shikyo."

"Because... she doesn't want us worrying more than we already are," the blonde murmured, still staring at the ground. He knew of countless things that had been kept from him—like the fact that in him was the demon that killed hundreds—but only because it had been the right thing to do at that time.

Naruto clenched his teeth in frustration and returned Haka's glare with the same amount of ferocity. "But if finding out means that much to you..." A slow grin spread across his face and the girl's eyebrow rose. "We'll visit her ourselves."

"Naru... to..."

"Hai, hai!" the boy laughed despite the dull throbbing in his face. "You can thank me later. Come on!" Haka shook her head and leapt onto the nearest roof, leading the way to the Hitsu house.


For the third time that week, Sakura had gone out on another date with her teammate, leaving the Jounin alone with himself, which was never a good thing. He'd meander his way over to the house across from his every time, now spending more time there than normal. December was just about over with—the town was being decorated more and more for Christmas as the days went on, but theirs remained the same.

The young man was now slipping into a soap-filled tub, settling against the silver-haired shinobi. He tilted his head back, allowing it to get wet and shampooed. "Are you worried?" Iruka sighed as Kakashi massaged his scalp. "Sakura seems to be growing close with her team."

"She went on another date today," the scarecrow murmured. "I just hope she has fun."

"You don't sound like you want her to have fun..."

"I am worried," he admitted.

The brunet laughed softly as the other splashed him, retaliating with his own water assault. They were in the privacy of the Chuunin's own home, sharing a bath that the younger man had been coerced into. This was why he loved Kakashi so much. Only this one man could make him feel like a child and stir up other emotions he never knew existed inside himself. Sure, there were times when Iruka desired the man's death, but then the strong arms were also there to comfort him at times where the entire world seemed to fall apart.

The scarecrow's eyebrows arched. "You're thinking about me."

"Iya!" The dolphin blushed fiercely, soap trailing down his scarred nose. He lowered his head to stare at the bubble-covered water.

"You wear your heart on your sleeve," Kakashi stated, both eyes curving. He thought it pointless to wear his hitai-ate in such a private bath.

"So then my heart's on the floor?" Iruka quipped. "Because that's where my shirt is, along with its sleeve."

"Baka, baka." Kakashi gave the man a few moments to prepare—brown eyes slid shut—before pushing the dark head under the sudsy water. "Baka, baka," he repeated, moving his hand around.

The Chuunin went willingly wherever pushed, but felt around and grabbed the scarecrow's most precious package. The older shinobi yelped, thrashing about lightly in the tub. Iruka's head broke the surface, the brunet gasping for air. He grinned, brushing his soaked locks aside.

The Jounin sighed, "You know what this means, right? Payback."

So engrossed in their time together that neither man heard or felt the front door open and close. Sasuke's scowl once again stayed etched onto his face as he tossed his keys on the dining room table. What the ebony-haired Genin needed for this project Miyako had him working on with the Nago twins could only be obtained by questioning a certain chocolate-haired middle-level shinobi. He took his time climbing the stairs and knocked lightly on the man's door once standing before it.

Iruka gasped and shoved the older man under the water without warning.

Kakashi came back up swiftly, choking and sputtering. He glared at the brunet; there had been no reason for him to wear his hitai-ate but he sure hadn't seen that coming. "That was… not nice."

"Sasuke's outside my door," Iruka whimpered, panicking.

"Iruka-sensei?"

"Hai!"

"Why'd you answer?" the scarecrow growled, grounding his fist into the dark head. He scoffed and smoothed back down the brown strands even though he'd been their cause of their disarrayed state.

"Iruka-sensei, can I come in?" Sasuke didn't want to spend his time talking to a door and pushed it open, stepping in. "I already did," he said more for himself than the young man, looking around. "Where are you?"

"Just tell me what you want," Iruka half-snapped.

"It's actually… a series of questions…" The already frustrated Uchiha slowly followed the voice. There was no running water in the direction he walked so his "father" was obviously taking a bath; he should be somewhat safe. If Miyako hadn't become such an interesting associate—a less polite way of saying she had become his "friend"—he'd be in his room at this very moment, sulking.

"Kakashi, please. I'll send him away as quickly as possible."

"You owe me," the Jounin grumbled, stretching out in the tub.

"I'll make love to you," the dolphin whispered, gracing the older man with a quick smile before pushing his head under. He straddled the hidden body, facing the young boy who'd entered, with an extremely nervous smile. "Hai…?"

Sasuke stared down at the Chuunin, a hand on his hip. "That annoying little girl that considers herself a shinobi—"

"Ah-ha…" the brown-haired man laughed nervously, pinching the skin of the other male. "You must mean Miyako-san. Go ahead." He smiled nervously, scratching the bridge of his nose.

Sasuke shook his head, sighing. "Yes, it's Miyako. She's trying to put together a demonstration for a few of the children too young to go to the Academy and made this list…"

Kakashi could barely hear the conversation now that a few minutes had passed. He was sure his face was red from lack of oxygen. The man would have groaned if he could. He absentmindedly trailed a hand along Iruka's inner thigh, grinning to himself as the dolphin above him jumped. 'Sasuke probably thinks he's touching himself.' Kakashi needed to laugh before he exploded; Iruka would owe him big time.

Immediately after the boy closed the bedroom door, Iruka rescued the scarecrow. The waterlogged Jounin gurgled, head lolling limply to the side. "Kakashi, I am so sorry. He wouldn't leave. He had a list. Kakashi."

The silver-haired shinobi allowed the water he accidentally took in to be filtered by his mask and dribble down his chin as his mismatched eyes rolled further back into his head.

"I'm not sure how to do CPR… I do know I'd have to take off your mask." Iruka smiled as the man in his arms recovered and allowed himself to be pushed to the other side of the tub.

"I could've drowned," the Jounin mumbled.

"You would've been pathetic if you had," the brunet muttered, standing from the tepid water. He stepped out carefully, reaching for a towel to wrap around his waist. Kakashi followed, shaking out his hair. A soft sneeze passed through his mask followed by a sigh. He stared at the scarred back of the Chuunin and had the strong urge to embrace him and never let go.

Iruka smiled warmly at the arms encircling him and leaned his head back onto the older man's shoulder. "Will this be your first time?" he whispered, taking the mask material between his teeth. The Copy-nin nodded slowly. "I'll be gentle." Both males smiled—Kakashi's curving eyes proof of his—and headed out of the bathroom back into the bedroom.

§§§

Iruka had no idea how he'd gotten under the scarecrow, but he was pushing off the heavy body to figure out what all the commotion outside was about. He inhaled sharply as his bare feet touched the freezing floor, and hurried to the window, rubbing his eyes along the way. A soft laugh escaped his lips as he registered the sight before him.

Kakashi pushed himself up, sitting back on his heels. He gave a slight wince, then sighed. "What is it?"

"Hidden Wave's first snow," the dolphin whispered. He looked back and stepped aside for the other to see better.

The silver-haired shinobi scratched his head, eyes curving with his smile. "And we saw it together. If we go out in it as is, we'll freeze. Come back to bed."

The Chuunin sighed and quickly made his way back to the bed, hopping in. Kakashi pulled him close, wrapping the sheet around them both as they lay back down. "Merry Christmas," he whispered.


Kakashi sat up first this time, staring down at the younger man. His eye curved slightly and he reached down to brush back chocolate-colored hair.

The Chuunin sighed and shifted, turning his head in the other direction. "Kakashi…"

"Hai. I'm right here." Iruka's eyes slowly fluttered open and he turned his head back to smile up at the silver-haired shinobi. "Ohayou," he whispered.

"Merry Christmas," Kakashi repeated, sitting up much straighter on the bed. He stretched, groaning softly, then sighed.

"Stop saying that," the brunet mumbled, closing his eyes. He'd spent countless Christmases alone and was slightly shocked to have the holiday roll around and find him in the company of another. He scoffed slowly and rubbed his eyes, sitting up.

The bandages he wore around both arms drew the other's dark-eyed gaze—there were other things on their minds last night—but Kakashi would only be thinking happy thoughts. He found Iruka's towel from the bath before and wrapped it around his waist as he headed for the door. Pulling it open, he stared down at the three bags set before the doorway.

"Iruka-sensei," the scarecrow called out, picking up all three and moving back into the bedroom. He flopped back onto the bed with a grunt, turning the bags onto their sides. Several gift-wrapped packages tumbled out. "Ara…"

The dolphin stepped from the bathroom, towel wrapped around his waist also, and his eyes widened at the sight of so many presents on his bed; he finished returning his hair to its ponytail state. "Kakashi, what's all this?"

"Found them outside the door," the scarecrow stated truthfully, picking up a box. "To Iruka-sensei, from Yun Miyako," he read.

The Chuunin slowly fell onto the bed with a soft gasp, taking a present into his hands. "To Kentan-sensei, from Chigiri and Yoku." He looked over to the see the other's raised eyebrow. "These… are for… us?" he mumbled, a small smile tugging at his lips. It seems each bag came from the individual members of Hidden Leaf's Team 7 after the presents had been given to them.

Kakashi smiled under his mask and fully emptied the bags, dumping them on the floor once finished. "Can I say it now?" he questioned, searching through the presents and still glancing at the silent young man.

Iruka kept his head lowered as he nodded slowly.

"Merry Christmas," Kakashi sighed, taking the dolphin's arm to pull him across the gifts so he lay in his lap. He wiped the obvious tears the man shed away, eye curved.


Oyasa was merely another tool. The boy laughing with friends and his teammates was no longer in full control of his actions and emotions he displayed.

Team 5 bid farewell to the others, then stood around facing each other. Sakura smiled at both boys and slid the bag from her shoulder, reaching in and pulling two presents. "Hai." She handed one to each of them. "Merry Christmas."

Takai blinked, holding the wrapped package at a distance to stare at it curiously.

Oyasa shook his head at his friend then stepped forward to wrap an arm around the girl. "Thank you," he sighed, his former self shining through in that short moment. He pulled away with a bright smile. "I know. I can invite you both to my family's Christmas party."

"I have to pick up those mini-monsters," Takai scoffed, waving the present around absently. "Sorry."

"Same here," Sakura smiled apologetically. "I haven't seen my guardian in days." She offered Oyasa a quick hug, wishing him a "Merry Christmas" in a whisper, then departed.

Takai went in the opposite direction after giving a wave.

Oyasa sighed and clasped his hands behind his back. He turned jubilantly on his heel and also headed to the house where the dinner he'd mentioned was going to be held. The only thing that really puzzled him was why the couple hadn't exchanged their own goodbyes.

"Isn't it obvious, Oyasa-kun?"

"Atsuko-sama," the boy gasped, spinning.

The man smiled, but there was no warmth. They stood to the back of the four village benches that surrounded a small tree and faced the cardinal directions.

The Genin shifted uneasily from foot to foot. "What's obvious now?" he murmured.

"They're going to see each other later," Atsuko stated. He smirked as the boy's eyes slowly became dull. "They don't want to be around you," he continued.

"They don't…"

"Continue hating them."

"I will… Atsuko-sama."

"Good boy."

Hizaku watched the conversation continue from where he stood at the far street corner. 'Atsuko…' He gritted his teeth, hand clenched tightly into a fist. Telling May was pointless because she would hurt him a split second after the name passed by his lips. Intervening would solve nothing, either. The Jounin turned sharply and disappeared.

Atsuko's smirk widened as he glanced in the direction where the other man had been. 'There's nothing you or that woman can do to stop me.' He wrapped an arm around Oyasa's shoulder, the boy now excitedly inviting him to his Christmas dinner. They walked off together.

§§§

Oyasa's Christmas hadn't been torn apart too harshly, but another's was unfixable.

Where the Hitsu household was concerned, the holiday no longer existed. Shikyo had just finished covering her bun with a black cloth and tying the strings that would hold it in place when a soft rap came to her door. 'It is my brother's funeral...' "What is it?" she snapped.

"There's a guest here to see you, Shikyo-sama."

"Send them away."

"Your mother has already allowed him in."

"What did she do that for! This isn't a time for strangers... Sendo-kun... Sendo-kun...!"

The servant on the other side of the door let her tears fall silently as her young mistress's resolve broke. The door opened and the two tearful young women shared a hug. "I miss Sendo-sama's laughter the most," she whispered, rubbing the Genin's back.

Shikyo shook her head, pulling away with a sniffle, and stood, placing a hand to the other's head. "I'll see how quickly I can get this over with." She wiped the tears from her face, nodded firmly, and started down the decorated hall.

The stranger stood once she entered the room and he smiled to himself at how regal she carried herself even in the midst of all that was happening. 'Perfect.'

The funeral-garbed shinobi that had been keeping him company bowed at the Hitsu heir's presence and left. Shikyo crossed into the room and took her seat on the embroidered pillows meant for any Hitsu member entertaining guests. "First off, what's your name?" the girl inquired, willing herself to stay strong.

"Atsuko," the man stated, raising his head. He had turned down his other pupil's dinner invitation because this meeting would have been his last chance.

There was something hidden behind his smile—Shikyo always knew. His was a crooked smile and she wanted him out of her house immediately. Before she could take action, he made a comment.

"You look just like him."

"Who?" the girl sighed; she was growing impatient and emotionally fatigued with each passing moment. His next words drove Kaoru's katana straight through her heart.

"You look just like... Sendo-kun."

Shikyo reached out to stable herself as the beating organ in her chest was ripped asunder. The double-edged blade spun throughout her ribcage, tearing at her lungs; she found it very difficult to breathe. Tears streamed down her face, yet the man stayed put, offering no assistance. He merely wore a devilish smirk. Shikyo's hands continued trembling.

"You knew... you knew Sendo-kun...?" Hearing her own voice speak his name broke her and she fell forward, releasing sobbing shrieks.

The guard ninja that had been sent out turned sharply, rushing toward the doors where his mistress was seated. He never reached them. Blood gushed from the gaping gash to his throat and the body fell, twitching several times before finally stilling. There was a soft scoff and rustling of cloth.

Atsuko finally scooted next to the girl, wrapping an arm around the shuddering body. Shikyo jumped slightly, sniffling and gasping. "He was an extraordinary pupil," he commented. "And the only non-shinobi I made an exception for. You'll take his place."

"What...?" The girl wiped at her eyes, then froze as her bun was fiercely grabbed.

"You will be my new pupil."

"Let go... of me..."

"No."

"Okaa-sama..." Shikyo couldn't scream; she didn't have the energy left to do so. She turned wide golden eyes on her guest to see a twisted smirk plastered on his face. His pupil-less white eyes stared deep into her very soul. The orbs slowly began changing color as she continued staring. Golden irises similar to her own formed around dark pupils, and the young Genin gasped as she was roughly released. She raised her head and a smile tugged at her lips; a smile brought on by an illusion and a temporary release from great distraught.

"Onee-chan!" Sendo laughed, skipping backwards. "We don't have much time. I came back to get you."

"For what?" the girl whispered, eyes tearing up once more.

"You have to join us. Atsuko-sama is amazing."

Shikyo nodded and held out her hand. "I'll go with you, only if it means you'll never leave me."

"Never," Sendo said with a broad grin, hugging his big sister. Drained, the Genin's eyes slid shut and a laughing Atsuko lifted her into his arms, quickly taking his leave. The man shot the dead body a nonchalant glance, then disappeared.

Shikyo's servant chewed nervously on her bottom lip then turned away from the crowd, hurrying down the halls where her mistress had walked moments ago. She threw open the double doors with a grunt and blue eyes widened. "Shikyo-sama?" She noticed the disturbed pillows and knew the heir had sat there, but she was there no more. "Iya..." The young woman fell to her knees, covering her face. "Shikyo-sama!"


A/N: Ugh… I am so really sorry… really… Personally, I hate this chapter. .:chews on her bottom lip:. I was told by ff-net author, Lennith, that I made some people mysteriously disappear without writing them off. So… I took what I had and tried to add more to fix it, and got stuck, with the help of the lemon that was supposed to be here… does the chapter seem a little long? .:can't keep a single thought in her head:.

No, Sasuke and Naruto haven't made up.

Please, I want you to throw all horrible criticism my way… please!