AN: Here is the newest chapter. Let me know what you think.

Chapter 5: The Red Carpet

"Naruto, stop looking so nervous. Everything will go alright," Shikamaru said as he gently gave her shoulders a rub.

Naruto rolled her eyes. Her heart was beating 100 miles per hour, and it felt like it would pop right out of her chest cavity and fall into the floor. It was almost time for the party. Rin and Kakashi had arrived a little earlier with their daughter, who was not officially one year old. As suspected, her mother had thrown an impromptu birthday celebration breakfast at their house this morning. The entire living room and kitchens at the Namikaze were decorated in pink, lavender, and gold.

"Stop tapping. Your leg is going to fall off!"

Naruto glared at Shikamaru. She couldn't help but feel nervous. She has checked the ballroom at the Namikaze hotel to ensure all the decor was done to perfection. Yumi's five-tiered cake had arrived a few hours ago and was being safely guarded in the kitchen. Honestly, some people didn't even have such elaborate cakes for their wedding, much less a child's first birthday – however, her mother wouldn't accept anything less even if Rin was happy with a simple five-tire with the requested décor. The ballroom looked stunning; Ino had definitely outdone herself. The entire ballroom was decorated in black and silver, with pops of lavender. Ino had replaced the simple chandelier, which usually hung in the middle of the room, to a much more elaborate one that was grander and had more lustrous sparkling crystals and diamonds to reflect the light. The chandelier was burning seventy-two lights, with its enormous size; Naruto wondered how much damage it would do if it were to fall and crash on the dance floor below. She had made sure to have the workers check and recheck the concealed crossbeams hidden by the ceiling multiple times when they were instilling it. Call her paranoid, but tonight had to be perfect. One mishap and her mother would never let her hear its end.

"Honestly, Naruto, if you're going to be like this the rest of the night, go have a quickie in the bathroom. Orgasms really help a person relax." Shikamaru stated as he kept massaging her shoulder blades.

Chorting, Naruto turned to face her pineapple-haired best friend. "Oh, are you offering Shika?" she said amorously.

Shikamaru glared at her as he did a quick look around to make sure no one of her family members was near enough to hear. "I don't have a death wish. However, I hear one's hands are quite the mechanism if used correctly. Perhaps a vibrator? I could send someone out to grab one for you. Or you could use the one you have disguised as lipstick in your makeup bag?"

Flabbergasted Naruto chocked on her own salvia. This time she looked around to make sure no one overheard them. "How the hell do you know that?" Naruto half whispered as she smacked Shikamaru on the chest.

Smirking, Shikamaru took a step backward. "Watch it; you're going to put wrinkles on my tuxedo."

Naruto scowled at him as she tried to stomp on his foot with her heel. "Sweetie, I am going to put a wrinkle on your face," she said sweetly, as her eyes kept glaring at him.

Shikamaru sniggered in amusement as he checked his watch. "Looks like the press is here. Its time to let the guests inside. So, if you're going to put that lipstick to use, you'd better do it now." Shikamaru winched as Naruto managed to dig the heels of her high heels into his shoes. "Watch it, women!" he muttered as she tried to smash his other foot as well.

Naruto continued to glare at him as he put his arm on her back, guiding her toward the hotel's side entrance. They had laid out a red carpet for guests to walk through and take pictures before entering the party. The hotel's side entrance was decorated and decked in a stripe of crimson carpet which led all the way outside where the limousine and cars could drop off the guest. Outside there were dozens of decorous securities to ensure the safety of everyone, as well as press from a couple of different media outlets. Karuma had really outdone herself. There were another dozen paparazzi outside the hired press crowding outside, taking pictures of the guests who had started to arrive.

Naruto walked over to the security stationed by the side entrance doors. "You can start to let them enter now. We're ready."

He nodded as he gestured to the other guards to prepare while informing the others via walkie-talkies. Naruto turned on her earpiece, "Tenten, Karuma, they're about to let everyone in now."

"Roger, that boss!" "Everything's a go, sis!" came back the replies.

Naruto glanced at Shikamaru, "do I really have to do this?" she asked.

Shikamaru rolled his eyes as he guided his friend opposite of the entrance, towards the elevators which would take them a few levels below the hotel and onto the waiting limo which would drive back up and stop at the end of the red carpet outside so that Naruto could make her grand entrance.

(Twenty minutes later)

"Are you sure you want me to escort you up?" Shikamaru asked as Naruto peered outside the tinted glass of the limo.

"Shika," Naruto glared, "If you dare leave me hanging, I promise you that I will sneak into your home and cover every inch of your clothing in itching powder. Trust me. I will also get it inside that toner you use for your balls."

Shikamaru grimaced; he knew his best friend to know that this wasn't an ideal threat. How troublesome. He knew it was time when he heard the two taps on the limo. "Ready?" he asked her. Naruto nodded. Just before Shikamaru stepped out, Naruto shouted, "WAIT!"

"What's wrong?"

Naruto opened her clutch, took out a pair of threader diamond earrings, and put them on. "How do I look?" she asked.

Shikamaru took a good look at her; Naruto looked stunning. Her long blond hair was pulled into tight tousled curls, which framed her round face perfectly. The smokey eye paired with a deep burgundy lip made her look jaw-dropping. Smiling, Shikamaru gave her a small peck on her cheeks, "you look stunning, straight out of a fairy-tale. Itachi Uchiha may be the devil, but he knows how to gift a girl a dress. Now stop being nervous; you got this. Remember, this day isn't about you. It's about making a statement and helping people get into stable homes."

Naruto nodded. Shikamaru stepped outside the limo, into the flashing lights of the paparazzi. Oh, the troublesome things he did for his best friend. Shikamaru smiled at the camera as he walked around and opened the limo door for Naruto to step into the limelight.

As Naruto stepped out, gently placing her arm around Shikamaru's biceps, a swarm of reporters and paparazzi stepped in front of them, blinding them with their cameras.

"Ms. Namikaze, you're the first of your family to arrive. Where is the girl of the hour?"

"Ms. Namikaze, is it true that you'll be holding a surprise auction tonight in tribute to the homeless?"

"Ms. Namikaze, you look stunning tonight. Please look this way for a picture."

"Ms. Namikaze, are you and Mr. Nara finally dating?"

"Mr. Nara, were you recently named one of the most eligible bachelors? How do you feel?"

As they both got near the hotel entrance, Naruto paused to smile at the reporters. "We've decided to hold off on Yumi walking through the red carpet, she is still too young, and we didn't want to scare her with all noise and flash photography, so the girl of the hour will be making her grand entrance with her parents and grandparents inside the hall."

Many paparazzi frowned, knowing they wouldn't be the first to publish 'exclusive' pictures of tonight's party. Only a select few photographers were going to be allowed inside. With Shikamaru's nudge, Naruto continued, "thank you for coming tonight –"

"OMG!"

"He's sooo dreamy!"

"Can we get a picture?"

"Aaaaak!"

Many paparazzi left Naruto and Shikamaru to whoever had arrived and grasped all the attention. The remaining photographers kept looking back and forth, hesitant to leave them and wanting to go.

Naruto gave Shikamaru a slight nudge, "Is it who I think it is?"

Shikamaru indulged in his deep chuckle, "Who else usually gathers this much attention?" Their suspicion alleviated as Naruto watched Fagaku Uchiha's stern face make his way through the crowd, his arm around his ever so wonderful wife, Mikoto Uchiha.

Naruto grinned at the familiar faces, watching Mikoto grin back, urging her husband to walk faster so she could reach her and Shikamaru. Naruto's eyes narrowed as the screaming got louder.

"Wonder if Lucifer decided to cross-dress here, it's much louder than usual," Shikamaru muttered, causing Naruto to stifle a laugh. It was true, and the commotion was more extensive than usual.

"Sweetheart, it's good to see you," Mikoto said as she gave Naruto a quick hug and pecked her cheeks. "You too, Shikamaru. I saw your mother at the salon earlier. Have your parents arrived yet?"

Shikamaru finished shaking Fagaku's hands and bent down to kiss Mikoto's cheeks. "Not yet, soon, though. I told my father to enter through the underground parking lot. He finds the paparazzi to be too troublesome."

Fagaku rolled his eyes – he might be good friends with Shikaku Nara. However, he still couldn't convince his friend of the importance of using the media to help promote one's brand. Not that Shikaku needed much of his, much like his older son. Shikaku was a well-known genius. It seemed his son was also following in similar footsteps.

Naruto leaned out of the hug from Fagaku when she froze, her blue eyes meeting a familiar pair of onyx-coloured eyes, which she many times thought were more obsidian than onyx.

"I see you look stunning as always, my little Blue Jay. The dress looks perfect."

Naruto blinked, looking away towards Itachi, her heart beating a hundred miles a minute. Stepping away from Fagaku and Shikamaru, Naruto advanced towards Itachi Uchiha, who was looking as handsome as always. "I see you're still breaking heart left and right," she retorted as she tiptoed to kiss his cheeks. The paparazzi went wild, blinding them with pictures and questions.

"Thank you for the dress again," Naruto said with a soft smile. Itachi smirked as he leaned down to whisper into her ear, "And how do you like my surprise?"

Naruto ignored the Uchiha heir as she finally acknowledged the reason for her sudden heart palpitations, "Good to see you again, Sasuke." Then, looking at the rest of the Uchiha family and her best friend, Naruto gestured towards the double doors leading to the inside of the hotel. "Shall we all go in?"

Fagaku nodded, leading his wife inside. Shikamaru reached out his arm as Naruto gently grasped his biceps again and walked towards to hotel entrance. She could feel the heat of the gaze from a specific pair of obsidian eyes pierce her back. Or perhaps it was just a fragment of her imagination. One thing for sure, she had to grip Shikamaru's arm harder as they walked inside so that she wouldn't trip, ignoring the amusing glances sent her way by Shikamaru and Itachi.

AN: Soo? Whatcha think? How was it? Any ideas as to what happens next or how the ball should pan out? Let me know, and leave a comment below! :D