Author's Notes: Just to cover myself, I think I should mention that while this story does crossover certain events of "West Side Story" it will not follow the plot perfectly. Perhaps I should say that it is "loosely based", that might be better. I just don't want anyone disappointed when things start to deviate.

That being said, enjoy the second Act! It is dedicated to AmazinGSensatiOn for boundless and very kind support. Thank you.

Scene I

The dance was more than she had hoped for.

The entire gym of the local high school had been decorated with rolls of colored paper and handfuls of balloons that bobbed along the ceilings. Glittered stars twirled on strings and loud music played over the speakers, jarring her eardrums with each beat. Everywhere she looked she saw bright dresses and neatly combed hair and shoes that clicked against the floor.

Sakura loved it.

She didn't even mind that no one was really dancing, the room seemingly divided by an invisible line that kept Falcons on one side and Lions on the other. Though she had only just recently moved to the City, she understood the implications of both groups being in the same room but it could not dim the wonderful feeling in the pit of her stomach. She had never attended a big social gathering, having lived in the country for most of her life, and she was determined to make the most of it.

Standing beside her, Lee seemed to also be in good spirits. Then again, he almost always was. Rock Lee was almost impossible to offend and his determination made him a solid optimist. That alone caused him to be a good companion at such a volatile meeting but he was also an accomplished fighter, another reason Neji had ordered her to stay close to him. Of course, neither of them had mentioned the subject of marriage but she knew Lee was aware of Neji's intentions.

From birth, Sakura had been adopted into the Hyuuga family, her mother having died in labor, her father having abandoned her when he learned his girlfriend was pregnant. Neji was her legal guardian and she had grown up under the protection of the Falcon's wings, always sheltered, always protected. She had been different, though, and she had known from a very small age that she was not like Neji and Hinata. So, when they had moved to the City in search of something better, she had stayed behind. Now that she had followed them, she knew she had made the right choice.

Smiling to herself, she looked over at her adopted brother and his lover, Tenten looking absolutely stunning in a red dress that whirled around her knees every time she turned. Neji wore a dark jacket over a white dress shirt, the collar unbuttoned as to give him a sort of rebellious look. His long hair fell unrestrained and the tattoo on his forehead was obvious, marking him for who he was. He was speaking quietly with Tenten, his hand on her back, a sign that for all of their pretenses, he knew exactly where he was. He did seem relaxed though, and Sakura thought she saw his lips twitch into an almost smile when Tenten leaned in and whispered something by his ear.

"Alright, girls and boys, it's time to get things moving!" A weary looking public official said into a microphone, shifting nervously on his feet as everyone's attention suddenly fell on him. "We're at a dance, aren't we? Let's see who's the best dancer."

Lee raised a determined fist. "Let's go, Sakura! We must uphold the honor of the legendary dancing Falcons!"

Sakura raised an eyebrow and looked at her partner oddly. "Dancing Falcons?"

He flashed her a blinding white smile. "Anything the Lions can do, we can do twice as well!"

Sakura smiled but she suddenly felt downhearted. Even dancing had become another piece in Neji and Naruto's endless chess game.

A game Neji seemed intent on winning as he watched Tenten cross the floor to come toe-to-toe with what had to have been Naruto's date, an auburn-haired girl by the name of Sasame. The two girls smiled at each other but it was clear there wasn't anything sweet about it and, as a new song started, Sakura found she was right.

There was a flash of red skirts and then Tenten was dancing, a wild intense dance that made use of her long, graceful lines and acrobatic tendencies. It was a sultry type of movement she showed and Sakura felt herself blushing as the other girl sent Neji a smoky look and a quick smile. The Falcons whistled and cheered and couldn't take their eyes off her. Surprisingly, neither could the other side and Sakura heard Naruto grumble loudly about his men "ogling the enemy".

Sasame, however, danced just as vibrantly, if a bit more reserved, as if she were concentrating too much. The music ended with her breathing heavily as if she had just run a marathon while Tenten simply curtsied prettily to Naruto and laughed when his face turned as red as her dress.

"Alright, quiet down, people," the same tired official commented, "We're going to try something fun now. Everyone make two circles, girls on the inside, guys on the outside. Girls, you'll move to the left, boys to the right and when you hear the whistle, stop and dance with whoever's in front of you. Are we clear?"

There were a number of groans and dark looks but Sakura smiled excitedly at Lee who flashed her a thumbs up.

And then the music started.

Sakura danced with a boy named Chouji who kept eating potato chips one-handed, Lee, Shino, and Neji, who turned out to be a smooth if somewhat too efficient dancer. She saw Hinata get paired with Naruto, the two of them dancing clumsily until the circles shifted, sending them away from each other and she got sent to Shikamaru, a reluctant dancer to be sure. Tenten danced with Lee and Kiba, who kept growling, prompting Tenten to tell him to "keep his paws to himself".

Trying to keep from laughing at her friend's predicament, Sakura didn't notice her newest partner until she felt someone take her hand and something hot raced up her palm and down her spine. She turned quickly to find herself in the arms of a darkly handsome man she hadn't seen before, his raven-wing eyes going from bored to suddenly intense as if he had felt what she had.

Stricken, Sakura found herself moving to the music on reflex, her whole being focused on the boy whose steady hands were cold but incredibly strong.

She really couldn't breathe properly with him looking at her like that.

"Who are you?" she blurted out, immediately embarrassed at her lack of self-control. It was just… she had never seen anyone like him. His eyes were like caverns, holding secrets that she knew must be both dark and dangerous. What frightened her was that she actually wanted to know them.

"Sasuke," he said, his low voice reflecting his own surprise at answering so readily, "Uchiha Sasuke."

The name was ringing a bell somewhere but she couldn't place it, her mind was so foggy.

"I'm Sakura," she told him, "Nice to meet you."

It was a full minute before he answered, "Nice to meet you," as if he had never said it before. She smiled and he inhaled suddenly as Sakura felt another electric shock shoot through their connected hands. Her breath hitched in her chest and she made a small sound in her throat.

"What the hell are you doing, Uchiha?"

Sakura jumped as Neji's voice sounded close to her ear, his hand on her elbow as he pulled her back a pace and away from Sasuke. The Hyuuga's face was as hard as a rock and his silver eyes flashed steel. Around them, the dancers milled uncertainly, oblivious to the continuing music.

"Hyuuga," Sasuke said, somehow making the name an insult. Neji's expression tightened.

"I told you long ago to stay away from my family. Do you need another lesson in manners?"

Sasuke's look flattened but he was interrupted by Naruto scrambling to his friend's side.

"This is neutral territory, Hyuuga. The rules don't apply here."

"Then perhaps we should take this outside."

"We were only talking," Sasuke said suddenly, dangerously. "Something I thought you wanted to do this evening?"

Without turning his head, Neji spoke, his words carefully calm. "Lee, take Sakura home."

Sakura blinked, "But-"

"Now, Sakura." Neji's voice was like a cold icicle through her heart and she knew he was furious. She nodded once.

"Yes, Neji."

She allowed Lee to lead her from the building, looking back only once to find Sasuke's eyes on her, fathomless and yet full of something that made her warm from head to toe. She smiled privately to herself all the way back to her apartment.

Lee never noticed.

Scene II

"You overreacted," Tenten told him later that night as they stood on the roof of their loft. He glared at her but she only arched an eyebrow, hands on her hips. "She was only dancing-"

"With a Lion," he interjected.

"-with a man," she finished, emphasizing the last word. She walked a few steps away from him, skirts swishing in agitation. "Sasuke's not even in the Lions anymore. You know Naruto just brought him to intimidate you."

Neji snorted.

She turned her head to look at him. "He wouldn't have harmed her, and now Naruto is using this incident to start a fight." Her expression turned solemn. "Where are you to meet him?"

"At Kakashi's store at midnight." At her look, he added more forcefully, "It's time we put a stop to all this, Tenten."

"Do you actually think that's what will happen? That it'll stop?" Her shoulders suddenly slumped and she turned away, looking out over the sparkling city. "Because I don't." He took a step towards her but halted when she spoke again. "I like this place, Neji. It's free, it's wild, it's like the edge of one of my knives. You never know what will happen."

He was quiet for a moment. "And the fighting?"

"I hate it," she said adamantly, turning again to face him. "But I don't think it will ever end."

There was another silence, and then…

"I want to go back," he said softly.

She answered just as quietly. " But I'm here."

He shifted on his feet and she came to him, unable to stay away any longer. He folded her into his arms and held her silently, conflicted and not knowing what to say. He had never been the type of man who said what he felt, relying on Tenten's great understanding of him to make their relationship work. She knew him inside and out and most of the time they were in perfect harmony, but this… This they would never agree on.

Just because she loved those streets didn't mean they would ever be safe.

"Stay with me tonight," she said into his shoulder, her body flush against his. "You don't have to go. Let them think they've won for now, there'll be another battle tomorrow and the day after. You don't have to go."

He put his hands on her arms and moved her back gently. She closed her eyes briefly in pained and weary acknowledgement.

"So you would choose him over me?" Her smile was lopsided and hard to watch. He turned from it and started for the fire escape, swallowing his own disappointment.

"No, I would choose everyone over myself."

Scene III

He really couldn't say what he was doing outside her apartment. He was on the wrong side of town, standing in the dark, hands in his pockets as he waited for a glimpse of her over the railing of the fire escape. Something told him he was being a fool but it wasn't enough to make him turn and leave. Even the prospect of being found by her brother - he sneered at that title - didn't make him reconsider. After the dance, he hadn't been able to think about anything else but her face.

And it was damn annoying.

Uchiha Sasuke was not the kind of man who chased girls, girls chased him. He was aloof. A pillar of restraint.

A flash of pink in the window made him tense.

He was a fool.

He had come with the idea that maybe if he saw her, that odd feeling in his stomach would leave and he could go back to normal. Naruto was getting ready to start a war with the Hyuuga, Sasuke didn't have time to get involved with a woman, much less one that flew with the Falcons.

It was simply unfortunate that none of these thoughts could make him look away as she came to the window, green eyes flashing down until they connected with his. A look of surprise crossed her face and she lifted the glass in order to step through the window and out onto the fire escape. She was dressed only in a thin nightgown, unadorned and simple in the moonlight, unafraid of him as she leaned over the railing.

"Sasuke."

He had expected her to ask why he was there but she did not. She simply said his name softly and watched him with a small smile, as if she knew all along he would come. He almost wished she had told him that's what he'd be doing. It would have saved him a lot of trouble.

"If Neji knew…" she whispered.

"He never has to know," he replied and, instantly, it was as if they didn't have to speak of what they were doing. It was all perfectly clear. They were going to do this, walk that forbidden line, dance over it. He didn't have to explain what he was doing there. She already knew.

"I'm not a Lion," he said, after a moment. She smiled again and something in his chest tightened. It was a sad smile.

"But you are not a Falcon, either."

He didn't move. "Does it matter?"

"No. Yes. Lee is downstairs. If he were to find you here, he would kill you." She said it matter-of-factly and Sasuke had no reason not to believe her. "But I…" a pale blush rose in her cheeks, "I… liked dancing with you, Sasuke."

A shiver ran down his spine at the way she said his name, as if it were new and polished and beautiful. He had never thought of it that way.

"Then I will come to you tomorrow."

Her eyes widened. "I have work."

"After that." His gaze was intense and she nodded after a second.

"Tomorrow then," she said and took a step back, the wind ruffling her night gown as she went back inside, throwing one last look at him before disappearing from view. It was several more minutes before Sasuke left, finding it difficult and not understanding why. He made his way back to the Lions' territory carefully, avoiding watchful eyes. By the time he made it to Kakashi's store it was nearing midnight and his energy from earlier was wearing down. At the moment, he wanted nothing more than to sleep and wake and have it be tomorrow night.

So it was a complete surprise to find Hyuuga Neji and Naruto standing in the front room of the store, barely a yard of distance between them and neither of them trying to kill the other.

"What are your terms, Hyuuga?"

"Tomorrow after dark, under the old highway."

Naruto nodded. "Weapons?"

Neji opened his mouth but Sasuke overrode him, barely realizing what it was he was doing. "Fists."

Naruto's jaw dropped. "WHAT?" Neji simply looked irritated at being interrupted.

Sasuke crossed his arms over his chest and tried not to wonder what the hell had gotten into him. "It's going to be a fair fight. Best man from each side slugs it out."

"Best man, mmm?" Neji murmured. The Hyuuga looked pleased though, and as well he should be. Neji in close combat was like an avalanche. There was a long held superstition in the Lions that if you were close enough to see your reflection in Neji's silver eyes, that would be the last thing you ever saw. "Going to fight me yourself, Uchiha?"

Naruto grinned and punched a fist into his hand. "Nah, it's going to be me, Hyuuga. Sorry to disappoint."

Neji only shrugged, as if it didn't matter one way or the other. Sasuke knew it did, though. Naruto was much better at fighting toe-to-toe than he himself was. He'd have a much better chance of withstanding the Hyuuga's intensity.

"Tomorrow then," the Falcon said, and Naruto echoed him.

"Tomorrow, and don't be late, Neji."

Neji smiled the barest of smiles and left without a word, walking from the store as if he weren't alone within Lion territory. Sasuke watched him go before turning to find Naruto glaring at him.

"What the heck was that? A fist fight? With Neji? Are you trying to get me killed?" Naruto grumbled, pouting. Sasuke arched an eyebrow.

"Actually, I just saved your life."

Naruto was immediately confused. "Eh?"

"Think about it, idiot. If you had let him choose the weapons, that woman of his would have outfitted him with his own personal arsenal." An arrogantly pleased look crossed his face. "You should be thanking me for saving your ass instead of complaining."

Naruto gave him a look that clearly said he would do no such thing and Sasuke could only smirk in answer.

Tomorrow was certainly going to be interesting.

End Act II.