I first heard about the celebration when I overheard a couple of servants discussing what a shame it was Naruto couldn't dance this year. I was formally informed a short while later.

The Festival was a yearly celebration. During the day there would be dancing, feasting, and socializing. Then, at night there would be a formal assembly in which Naruto would give short speech before a few special performances and a ceremony to celebrate the coming year. I was expected to attend. It was a little while later that I Learned why Naruto couldn't dance. Since most of the dances were performed in pairs he would need a partner, and for formality and traditions sake that partner would need to be me. Of course, no one ever said I had to learn how to dance, but I began to wonder if learning how would be such a hard thing. Especially when, as far as I had gathered, Naruto enjoyed the pastime of dance.

I learned through observation because I was not going to lower myself so far as to ask for help. It was not very difficult. Dancing has similarities to the elaborate steps you'd learn in training to fight. By modifying the movements and memorizing new poses, I learned all the basic dances by the festival and had even managed to get a few of the more complicated ones under my belt.

When we entered the scene, it wasn't long before someone asked if we would join the dance on the floor. Naruto made to decline the offer, but I beat him to the words.

"We'd love to."

I saw his raised eyebrow as we walked onto the floor at the end of one dance, but as I took up the pose for the next dance as the music began, a real smile graced his features and he laughed lightly before we began.

The joy lasted into the night. Anyone could see that he was happy even as he began to give his little speech full of formal rhetoric that I knew he'd never really use in any other form of conversation. It was during this time that I began to feel uneasy. Some instinct told me something was wrong and then, as Naruto's mother yanked me up from my seat, I knew exactly what was amiss. Some one had snuck a bow into the assembly and had taken aim and fired, straight at me. The arrow went through my waist and out my back hitting his mother behind me as well. I quickly identified the now familiar sting of poison before things began to blur. I remember the weight of his mother on my back, being dragged out of the room and laid on the floor. I remember someone telling me everything would be okay. Then everything goes black.

I woke up with just the tiniest feeling of déjà vu. I mean it wasn't like waking up with Neji leaning against a dark wall and I unable to move due to intense feelings of nausea due to poison had ever occurred before.

Unlike me, who would rather have still been asleep than dealing with a massive headache, Neji seemed rather pleased with the fact that I was awake. He walked over to the side of the bed and said quite simply," You nearly died you know."

I would have sighed, but I couldn't draw a deep enough breathe to do so effectively so I just glared. It wasn't like I had been planning on getting killed. "How is—"I stopped to take another cautious breath, but Neji didn't need me to finish.

"In all, the past few days have been a bit of a mess. Naruto's mother's condition has not improved and he isn't looking too good himself. The shooter remains unknown, but it is hard to even begin to narrow down the pool when the arrow used was our own and the bow had to have been Uzamakian to put so much force behind it. Our bows are designed more for accuracy than force, as you know."

I would have nodded, but it seemed like a bad plan to nod an already swimming head. Then, an earlier sentence processed. "Days?"

"2 to be exact. Now, are you hungry?"

I wasn't really, but I figured having a full stomach might make it easier to sleep, so I took the food offered even laced as it was with who knows what medication and soon found myself asleep again.

The next few days passed in a blur of troubled sleep, waking at odd hours and eating whatever I was told to. Therefore, I did not know what day it was when I woke up with Naruto sitting beside me. He did not look well. Usually bright and cheerful, he now seemed somber and deep in thought. I didn't have to wait long to find out why.

"My mother is dead. She died last night."

"She saved me." I stated the only thing I could think of, even though I knew it wouldn't help with is pain.

He nodded. "If she hadn't stood and made you stand, you both would be dead, but," and I could tell by his tone that this was what worried him the most, "I forgot about her. There was so much blood on you. I didn't even look at her until after."

"You were scared." What else could I say? It was the truth. It was a feeling I could recognize all to well.

"I forgot about her."

"I felt her fall. She was unconscious almost instantly. Here was nothing that could be done."

He nodded softly, and probably would have spoken again if the door hadn't been opened that instant by a young nurse carrying a tray of food. "Would you care for some lunch?" she asked softly.

I would have declined, but Naruto insisted that food was one of the most important things in the world and made me eat more than I would ever normally. After I ate I began to feel drowsy again. As I felt the familiar tugging at my eyelids I also recognized a light hand squeezing my own. I fell asleep squeezing back.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Clothed in the rich dark hues of mourning, Naruto was beautiful as ever, but there was a frailty in his eyes that could be seen if you studied him hard enough. I watched the well constructed mask rise and fall over the next few days whenever anyone else entered the room. The game seemed hard for him to keep up.

I marveled at the perfection in which he carried out the act though. He managed to fool just about everyone who knew him. It was fairly impressive, but then, even the most carefully constructed walls will sometimes fail.

I awoke one night to an unfamiliar sound. Then it hit me fast. Naruto was crying. He was leaning against the wall, trying to be a silent as possible. I pushed myself up out of the bed. He heard the movement.

"I didn't mean to wake you," he said softly, trying to brush away some tears.

I leaned heavily against the wall and moved slowly towards him, motioning for him to be quiet with a small wave of my hand. When I reached him I slowly reached up to his face, touching it and gently wiping off the tears. He leaned into the touch and closed his eyes still trembling slightly. As I was struck with the urge to do something I had never thought I would ever have the desire to do. Kiss him. So I did just that. In that touch there were so many things. It was almost desperate, but as I pulled back I realized it was exactly what I had wanted.

I studied his tired face before slowly pulling him towards the bed and laying down, forcing him to lie down besides me. He draped one arm carefully around me and I fell asleep listening to the pattern of his still slightly ragged breathing.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

It was many days and nights later that we found ourselves once again browsing the marketplace. I was finally allowed to walk more often, but I would eventually find myself unable to continue which would lead to me having to deal with Naruto carrying me back. Surprisingly, this didn't bug me as much as it once would have.

It was on one of the escapades that Hamaya came up to us and asked softly if she could speak to me, alone. Naruto was hesitant to leave, but I told him to with a slight nod, interested in what she had to say.

"I'm sorry."

I was caught off guard. That wasn't what I had expected.

"It's not appropriate anymore. You make him happy."

I was not following this disjointed thought well, and maybe she realized that because she gave a bow and left quickly.

It was later that night that we found ourselves again lying besides each other. Naruto was slowly trailing his hand down my side and I seemed to be deep in thought when a knock came from the door.

We increased the distance between us and called for the person to enter.

"They wish to see you in the main hall."

I looked at Naruto and he returned my puzzled look. It was really late at night for something like this.

We greeted Neji outside the hall door. Our looks must have asked our questions because he answered them quickly. "We've found the two. One is the one who attacked those many weeks ago. The other is the one who took the shot that night. Naruto, it's Hamaya."

His stiffening was barely visible even to my trained eye.

"The other?" he asked cautiously.

"Sakura."

It was my turn to be calculatedly surprised, but I didn't have long because the doors were opened and the traitors revealed.

Hamaya and Sakura were side by side, wrists tied behind them.

Naruto let out a sigh before speaking.

"Hamaya, you tried to kill my mate and in the process killed my mother?"

"The arrow wasn't supposed to be so heavily poisoned. It was only supposed to look like someone was trying to kill her."

"And you weren't supposed to kill my prince," Sakura shot back.

"I wanted too. I saw my king trying to love another when my sister already loved him. Why shouldn't I want him dead?"

"I should have known better than to trust you."

"I should have killed you the minute I found you lost in the castle."

"Sakura, you cut Sasuke?"

"Trying to kill you."

"I still can't believe I was so—"Naruto cut Hamaya off.

"Please just answer the question Hamaya."

"Yes, and I know the punishment is death. I just wanted her to receive the same."

Naruto nodded slowly and then looked up to Hinata who stood behind her sister unfazed and ready to continue in her duty. "Hinata, you do not have to be involved in this."

The girl shook her head stiffly. "It is my choice."

Naruto nodded. "Remove these two. We'll deal with the arrangements later."

Hinata nodded and the drug her sister and Sakura up from the floor directing the out of the room. Everyone else followed.

The second they left Naruto fell against the wall. "How could I have been so blind? She could have--"

His voice stopped as I laid a hand on his shoulder and he grasped it tightly, yanking me foreword into a meeting of lips that was at once desperate and full of tenderness.

It was the need to feel someone else. The need to love someone else. The word entered my thoughts unbidden, but he second it did, I knew it to be true. I wasn't sure when it had happened, maybe when he sat besides me for days on end, maybe when he'd carry me back every day after our walks, or maybe when I'd first seen him cry and all I'd wanted was to make him smile again. I didn't know how, but somehow I knew I loved him

He pulled back slowly studying my face slightly. "I think I love you." He said softly.

Such simple words from someone who could make long eloquent speeches should have seemed very simple, but they were anything but. However, somehow, I realized I had already known that.

"I love you too." His face said the same thing as mine. I already knew.

The End

So yeah, the end. Really, that's it. Sorry if it's a bit rushed. Also, it's unedited because I didn't want to go through the pain of rereading it so if you feel so inclined tell me about the typos who do find and I might find the time to fix them. I'm not sure if I like this thing or not anymore, but at least it's over now. I'll be back soon though. Till then, later! .

I would also like to thank the few who took the time to review this story seeing as while 21 of you have this on alert I only have 37 total reviews. (Not that I can say anything really because I don't always review either.)