Pompeii
Chapter 14
jaylene

"What happens at night?" Sakura asked, turning to Ino.

Ino's smile was wide and secretive as she gestured to the changing colors of the sky. "You'll find out soon enough."

Sakura snorted, half-heartedly pushing Ino's shoulder before laying back down in her lap. "To make up for your cryptic attitude, you may play with my hair."

Ino laughed but obliged her friend's silliness. Her fingers carded deep in Sakura's hair and began braiding different sections of the waves. "Did you bring a coat? It's going to get rather cold."

"I...I didn't," Sakura said, glancing down at her jeans and flowery red blouse. "I thought the celebration lasted until sundown."

Sasuke and Naruto exchanged looks and immediately fell to bickering. Sakura wasn't sure what it was about but she sighed regardless.

Something fell on her face, obscuring her view of the sunset. She sat up sputtering.

"There," Menma said, refusing to look at her as heat suffused his cheeks. "That'll keep you warm."

Sakura glanced down at the large leather jacket. It was lined on the inside with what appeared to be some type of soft, downy faux-fur. She bit her lip, looking up at Menma shyly. She was honestly a bit surprised he'd even offered. "Thank you Menma," she said, placing her hand on his. "Are you sure though? I could always run home. I don't want you to be cold."

Menma snorted, fangs flashing as he gave her a smile. "Please, have a little bit of faith. I'm kitsune; I'm made of fur, better than that jacket too. Besides," What looked to be black fire appeared in his hand, "I always have foxfire."

Sakura nodded, shifting around as she slid into his jacket. It was incredibly warm and smelled of ash and cedar. Sakura laid back into Ino's lap.

Both Sasuke and Naruto stopped fighting, turning angry gazes onto Menma who looked entirely too smug.

Ino shook her head, returning to braiding Sakura's hair and ignoring the boys' pissing contest.

"We probably need to get going," Naruto said reluctantly, scratching a hand through his hair. "We need to get prepared for tonight."

"And I'm guessing you won't be telling me what all is happening tonight, will you?" Sakura asked sweetly.

Naruto glanced between her and Ino before wisely shaking his head. "I'll leave that to Ino. Make sure you watch for the foxfire! Mine's the best!"

Menma scoffed, shoving his brother as all the fire users stood.

"Menma!" Sakura called. Menma paused and turned back to her. "Thanks again!"

Menma nodded, smile soft as he gave her a lazy wave and headed off.

"So what do we do now?" Sakura asked, looking up at Ino from her spot in her lap.

"Well," Ino said, "with everyone preparing for their parts tonight, the line for food is probably pretty short."

Sakura grinned, leaping to her feet and wrapping the leather jacket closer around herself. "You had me at food."

The duo weaved arm in arm through the chattering crowd, making their way to the open pavilion laden with food.

"Choji!" Ino exclaimed, throwing her arms around him. "I should have known you'd be over here!"

Choji nodded, glancing between the two women and then down at the pie he was holding. He flushed.

"What are you up to?" Ino asked gleefully, beginning to fill a plate with the smattering of different types of barbeque.

"Trying to figure out if any of the Fae have used ingredients from their realm," Choji replied, scrutinizing the pie with a closer eye.

Ino froze. "What?"

"We have a few outsider Fae visiting us this year," Choji explained with a sigh. "Hashirama only just informed us that a group of Fae from Ireland was joining his Ring for Founder's Day. You know how forgetful the Fae can be; live a couple of millenia and the human rules become much less important."

"Don't let Tobirama hear you talking like that," Ino said. "He prides himself on his Fae heritage a bit much."

"Well, Pompeii's Fae have always been rather attentive," Choji replied. "They deign to live among other creatures, unlike most of the Folk."

"The Folk are generally isolated, then?" Sakura asked, puzzled.

Ino shrugged. "Isolated, elitist, xenophobic, whatever you want to call it."

"As the food specialist, I'm the one tasked with examining everything."

Sakura frowned, trying to scrounge up her little knowledge about the Fair Folk. There was a problem with their food, but what?

Her eyes went wide as she figured it out.

Consumption of anything of the Fae realm trapped the consumer there.

"How exactly does that work?" Sakura asked. "I mean, logistically." Ino and Choji turned toward her. "If the food is brought here is it still in the Fae realm? Will it affect the consumer the same way?"

"Unfortunately, the rule is still in place," Choji said. "There have been some unintentional trappings in the past. We've had to petition the Unseelie and Seelie courts to get the pact broken. It is a long, arduous legal process."

"A hell of a lot of paperwork," Ino said sagely.

"Found anything?" Sakura asked.

"A couple of individual tarts and a tray of boxty," Choji said. "Thankfully they hadn't been eaten yet. Everything on this table is clean."

"Thank you Choji," Sakura said, grabbing a plate and utensils. "Will you get a chance to enjoy the fair?"

"Oh undoubtedly!" Choji replied, a smile transforming his face. "Everyone participates in the-"

Ino covered his mouth with both of her hands. "No spoiling the surprise! We haven't had new visitors in a couple of decades!"

Choji nodded, smiling apologetically at Sakura.

Sakura sighed, but quickly moved on as she began sampling the different items on the table. She was enchanted by the different types of food on the table, culinary goods from lands and cultures that Sakura had never visited. She couldn't recognize half of the things.

She grabbed a bit of each.

"What is this?" Sakura asked of Choji.

"This is aloo gosht," Choji said. "It's a dish that originated in Pakistan and Northern India. I believe one of the djinn brought it…"

And so on it went as Sakura made her way down the line, asking Choji about the different dishes and receiving detailed answers about their history. By the end of it, both were grinning and Sakura's plate was piled high.

"Thank you," Sakura said, squeezing his hand.

"No problem," Choji replied, looking away shyly.

Sakura followed Ino as they made their way to one of the picnic tables, taking a seat and digging into her food. She groaned.

"Is Founder's Day an annual thing? Can it be every day?" she asked.

Ino laughed, patting her shoulder in consolidation. "Unfortunately. This sort of work takes years in the making."

"What do you mean?" Sakura asked.

"Well, the Council scouts out the Maiden for each year's ceremony a couple of years in advance. They generally spend two or so years on each one."

"And do the Maidens know they are being scouted?"

"No," Ino replied. "It's all very secretive. This year's Maiden will be announced after the fireworks tonight. Then the fun really begins."

"Sounds intense," Sakura said mildly, more focused on her food than anything else.

"Understatement of the year," Ino said. "I was the Maiden six years ago. I wore a wonderful gauzy dress weaved by the chief Drider in town." At Sakura's blank look, she continued, "More PC term for Arachne?"

Sakura shrugged.

"Part-spider, part-human. She's technically yokai, but you know the Greeks' mythology depicted a Drider in that story of Arachne and Athena that just stuck as representative of the race." Ino flapped her hand. "Anyway, fantastic spinner, she creates the dresses every year and each is unique. We hang them in the town's museum."

"There's a museum?" Sakura asked eagerly. "How am I only just hearing about this now?"

"Are people generally concerned with local history? Not particularly," a new voice said.

Sakura glanced up to see a man in a large overcoat and dark sunglasses standing by their table with a plate. He looked a bit familiar…

"Take a seat, Shino!" Ino said. "Sakura, you met Shino briefly at the party a few days ago."

"Hi Shino," Sakura greeted with a smile. "What was it you were saying about the museum?"

"Not many people are all that interested in local history," Shino replied. "You grow up in it and it gets old pretty quickly."

"Not to mention all the field trips we took there in school," Ino groaned. "It's basically our one historic site in town."

Shino shook his head like he disagreed but he didn't say anything.

"Are you enjoying the activities?" Sakura asked.

"I am," Shino said.

"Don't you need to get prepared for the fire show?" Ino asked. "It's coming up pretty soon."

Shino snorted. "Unlike the others, my supplies are always with me."

Sakura looked at him, puzzled.

Shino held out a hand to her and something crawled along it, flashing.

Sakura gasped.

It appeared to be some type of beetle and it glowed. It wasn't a firefly, Sakura was sure of that, but it acted in a similar manner.

"Glowing click beetle," Shino said, offering it to Sakura. She took it gently, cupping her hand to create a perch. "That, along with some other bioluminescent insects will be part of the entertainment tonight." He leaned forward eagerly. "I've bred a few brand new species that have never been seen before. This is sure to impress."

Ino pulled a face at Sakura but Sakura found herself smiling. "That sounds wonderful Shino," she said sincerely, offering him back the beetle. "I look forward to seeing your part of the show."

She felt the intensity of his gaze even through his sunglasses.

"Let me know what you think of it," he said quietly.

Ino grabbed Sakura's hand, squeezing slightly. "Sakura! We have to try out the Ferris wheel before the fire show! It'll be too late after that!"

Sakura smiled apologetically at Shino, saying goodbye as Ino pulled her along through the throng of people to the side of the fair where the games and rides stood. Sakura wondered if the games here were rigged like the ones back at Coney Island, but didn't have too much time to contemplate as Ino stopped before the Ferris wheel. It was unlike any Ferris wheel Sakura had ever seen.

For one thing, there were two wheels on top of each other, spinning concurrently upon an unseeable fulcrum.

For another thing, it was entirely powered by a pair of witches.

These witches were male ("warlocks" was the preferred term according to Ino but they had the same powers as witches. Some were starting to push for a more gender neutral term). One wore his dark hair over his eye and the other wore his long and untamed.

"Kotetsu," said the one with a bandage across his nose.

"Izumo," said the other.

"At your service," they said in unison, bowing to Sakura and Ino.

Sakura heard Ino murmur something about "showoffs" but she couldn't help but smile at their showmanship. They were extravagant and over the top but it fit the vibe of Founder's Day perfectly.

"How does this work?" Sakura asked, looking up at the spinning carts. They were not attached to anything yet they moved in perfect tandem.

"A simple matter of levitation spells," Kotetsu said.

"A smattering of motion spells," Izumo said.

"And a hell of a lot of legal release forms," Kotetsu said.

They looked at the duo expectantly.

"That last one was a joke," Izumo prompted.

"Well, somewhat," Kotetsu said. "Tsunade had to vet everything first."

"It's completely safe," Izumo assured.

"Just don't ask the stick-up-their-ass Uchiha or Senju and you'll be good to go," Kotetsu said with a wink, opening up a cart and letting people off before ushering Sakura and Ino on. "Have fun."

"Don't die!" Izumo said cheerfully.

"Hate to have a lawsuit on our hands."

"Then we'd have to work with the Nara and everyone knows how hard that is."

Sakura blinked as the door to the cart was shut and they began to move. She could, strangely enough, feel the effects of the spell around her, raising the hairs on her arms with the crackle of power.

"You get used to them," Ino said comfortingly. "Well, you learn to ignore them," she amended with a smile.

"So they're part of Tsunade's coven?" Sakura asked.

"Yep!" Ino replied. "Despite their unconventional manner, they tend to be part of her entourage when she has political dealings with places like Pompeii."

"Where are they from?" Sakura asked. "The coven I mean."

"Well, the coven is nomadic. I know they have a few steady locations that they stay for months at a time to get in more intensive training with the apprentices, Pompeii among them. I think they have a holding in Japan and another in Morocco. There are others but they tend to be tight-lipped about their travels. You could ask Shizune about it."

"Why Shizune?" Sakura asked.

Ino shook her head. "That's her story to tell."

Sakura nodded, lapsing into silence. She stared over the side of the cart. They were at the apex of the Ferris wheel, on the top of the second wheel. The town was sprawled out beneath them, lit with twinkling lights and a warm revelry that invited Sakura in. She didn't feel like an outsider anymore. She was a part of this. Lake Icarus was viewable from the distance, looking like an emerald jewel lit from within.

Sakura frowned. "Are there bioluminescent organisms in Lake Icarus?"

Ino shrugged. "How the hell would I know something like that? The lake's been like that for decades at the very least. You should ask Shino that question."

Sakura filed that piece of information away, returning her gaze to the scenery. They were above the pine trees and Sakura was glad in that moment that she did not fear heights in the least.

"It's amazing up here," Sakura said softly, smiling at Ino. "I'm glad I had a chance to share it with you."

Ino flushed, glancing away, hands fidgeting.

Sakura grabbed one of her hands, leaning her head against Ino's shoulder as the thrum of magic lulled her into a state of near unconsciousness. Beneath her half shut eyelids, the world became a meld of incredible colors and the ancient beat of magic.

"C'mon," Ino said sometime later, voice soft as she jostled Sakura back to awareness.

Sakura's eyes flew open and she laughed as she scrambled out of the Ferris wheel. "Didn't mean to fall asleep on you."

Ino shook her head, grin wide and wild. "No worries. Let's head back to the blanket; the show is about to begin."

Sakura stumbled after Ino, a bit surprised to find that no one had disturbed the blanket that they'd left hours ago. She had to remind herself that this was a small town and not New York.

It was fully dark out now and the stars and moon blazed brightly above.

"Just in time," Ino said, patting Sakura's shoulder as they took a seat.

A woman moved into the flat grassy area that the earlier fights had taken place. She wore a red and white hat with some sort of kanji inscribed upon it. Her robe was green and laid over a rather simple pairing of a white top and pants. She grinned as she placed a hand against her neck.

"Good evening ladies, gentlemen, monsters!" she announced, voice amplified.

"Magic?" Sakura asked as chuckles rippled through the large crowd.

"Magic," Ino confirmed.

"It is time for the main event. The Konoha coven is proud to inaugurate the night with a show. But first," she said with a flick of her wrist, "we must dim the lighting."

Sakura watched as fog and clouds rolled in, obscuring the moon and stars from view. In but a few moments, the clear night sky was gone.

"First up are the apprentices!' Tsunade said. "Give a warm welcome to Tayuya Uzumaki, Omoi, and Matsuri!"

Three individuals stepped forward, dressed in what Sakura would consider the traditional garb of a witch. Pointed hat, robes, the whole affair. Except for the fact that the garments were snow white.

"Apprentices start out in a white robe," Ino explained as the three witches got ready. "As they progress in their rank, they get to wear a different color. The final rank is black. Coven leaders wear something completely different as you can see with Tsunade."

"What's that symbol mean?"

"Fire," Ino replied. "Tsunade's received the title of Hokage which means Fire Shadow. There are very few witches who earn a Shadow-title and fewer still that do it while coven leader. Tsunade is extraordinary."

Sakura nodded, distracted as the three apprentices stepped forward.

"Oh, I love this part," Ino sighed, leaning forward eagerly.

The boy and girl, Omoi and Matsuri, took front and center, speaking an incantation. The gourd began to glow and grow, eventually getting so big that neither apprentice could hold it any longer. They dropped it but it did not fall. Instead it levitated.

Sakura watched with wide eyes and rapt attention as the gourd continued to grow until it was the size of a movie theatre screen. Sakura could now see that it depicted a large whale chasing after some type of...beast.

"Leviathan and Behemoth," Ino whispered.

Tayuya brought a flute to her lips, blowing a few test notes.

Then, the gourd came to life.

The two creatures unpeeled themselves from the gourd, seeming to shake off their confines. Omoi controlled Behemoth as Matsuri took charge of Leviathan, guiding them in a merry chase of each other. All the while, Tayuya played, tugging upon Sakura's heartstrings as the rest of the gourd shaped itself into different battlegrounds beneath her will. Her music perfectly matched the beasts' movements, loud and frightening at some moments and soft and solemn at others.

The beasts seemed somehow more substantial than their two dimensional form suggested, perhaps because of the apprentices' magic. They were equally matched, the fight only ending as Omoi and Matsuri drove the beasts to charge each other as Tayuya's music whipped into a crescendo.

The beasts met with an explosion of fireworks as the gourd flew up into the sky, exploding into a multitude of lights.

This seemed to be the signal to the rest of the coven as witches dressed in robes of all colors stepped forward with individual gourds in hand. They threw them up into the air, making them explode with a whistle reminiscent of actual fireworks.

These fireworks created different scenes that hovered in the air for long moments. Sakura saw castles and shoguns, airships and pirates, skylines and crowds. She clapped hard and long, voice rising among the rest of the wild crowd. She'd never seen anything quite like this.

As the last of the fireworks faded away, Tsunade stepped forward once more. For a moment, Sakura could understand the reason she'd earned the title of Shadow; she hadn't even seen the woman disappear. She held a small gourd in her hands.

"If you would oblige me by lying back on your backs," Tsunade said, amplified voice travelling easily. Sakura and Ino flopped down on their backs. "We have one last present for you. Thank you Pompeii."

The gourd flew up into the air, exploding with nary a sound.

Sakura gasped silently.

Above her, clearer than the stars, was a sprawling scene so large she could barely take it all on. It was Pompeii. She recognized the streets filled with cheerful people, the eclectic shops, among which was Ino's. The mountain range was clearly defined, broken up by imposingly tall trees. Lake Icarus was depicted as well, unseen wind moving the water in soft waves.

The town was alive and captured in the best possible way.

The living image conveyed everything Sakura felt about Pompeii, the love she felt for this small, quirky town and its inhabitants.

Then, she remembered who made the gourd.

"Sai," she said in a soft voice.

He might have been rude but if he was able to encapsulate this much love, this fondness for the town, he might not be as bad as Sakura initially thought. She wanted to thank him for sharing this with her.

Sakura wiped at the corners of her eyes as the last vestiges of Pompeii faded away. As she sat up, she caught Ino and other audience members doing the same. There was something magical, beyond the normal magic in what Tsunade had done and it seemed that others felt the same way.

"Thank you for your attention," Tsunade said. "I will now turn this over to Mayor Namikaze for the fire show."

Everyone applauded Tsunade fiercely as she stepped out of view.

"Hello girls," Shizune greeted.

Ino yelped, leaping toward Sakura.

Sakura, a bit more used to Shizune's abrupt comings and goings, just smiled and patted the spot beside her. "Hi Shizune."

"Did you enjoy the show?" Shizune asked knowingly as she took the proffered seat.

"It was even better than last year's," Ino said. "I have no idea how they are going to manage to top it."

"I'm sure they'll think of a way," Shizune replied with the slightest furrowing of her brows. "They always do."

Sakura wanted to ask about Shizune's relationship with the coven but thought better of it. After Founder's Day, once the craziness settled to more normal levels, she would ask.

"Thank you all for joining us this evening!" Minato said, utilizing a megaphone to speak loudly. "It is time to present the fire show! First up, we have the Uchiha!"

Sakura clapped along with the rest of the crowd, eyes lingering on each Uchiha in turn. Obito was not present among them. All had their wings on display, preened and flawless as they moved to take center stage. Their feet were in talon shape and Sakura could see the murderously long claws that tipped each toe. Sakura could barely see them with the overcast sky, but she supposed that was the point.

Madara started it off by releasing a thunderous caw, chest puffed, accompanied by a fireball that flew from his mouth.

Sakura blinked, surprised. She hadn't realized that tengu could breathe fire. Maybe it was specifically a Uchiha thing.

Izuna caught the fireball against a fan made of dark material clutched between the talons of his right foot. He balanced easily, looking elegant with his wings outstretched as he lobbed the fireball on to Shisui.

Sakura glanced askance at Shizune who caught her look. "The fans that they use are made from their feathers. They are impervious to fire."

Sakura nodded, turning back to the show.

Izuna was the next to spit a fireball, adding it to the circle as they whirled about wildly, always catching the fire on their fans. Itachi added fire, then Shisui, and on until the circle was a mass of streaming light as the family performed their dangerous dance.

On some unspoken cue, all of the Uchiha threw their fire up into the air at the center of the circle, breathing more fire into that spot. Sakura's eyes streamed from the brightness as a column of fire wrought the night sky.

Finally, they stopped, darting forward with outstretched wings to put out and contain the fire. Sakura watched with fascination as Itachi swallowed the lingering flames.

They turned to the crowd and bowed.

Sakura cheered, whistling and clapping her hands as the Uchiha exited the impromptu stage and beelining toward Sakura.

"What'd you think?" Shisui asked, slinging a hand over her shoulders

"Impressed?" Sasuke said, fidgeting slightly beneath her gaze.

"Did you enjoy that Sakura? It was for you," Madara said, grinning with spinning red eyes.

"I hope you enjoyed it Sakura," Izuna said in a quiet voice.

Their voices were a loud clamor, competing with each other to be heard.

"Hush!" Shizune said, eyes flashing green. "There are other contestants!"

The Uchiha fell silent, chastised.

"Yes you all did very well," Sakura said quietly. She looked at Itachi. "I had no idea you could eat fire."

"Not every Uchiha can," Itachi replied. "It's a gift for select few."

Sakura smiled in a puzzled sort of way, getting the feeling that he was trying to win some sort of competition but she wasn't sure of the rules or the prizes. Instead she shrugged, allowing them space on the blanket as they watched the other contestants. Sakura was eternally grateful that Shizune was present to keep the Uchiha in line.

They watched as different individuals and families presented their own fire shows.

"And now we have Shino representing the Aburame family," Minato announced.

Shino moved to center stage, looking unassuming in comparison to all the flash shown by prior participants. He still wore his sunglasses. He stood there for several long moments before shedding his long trench coat. Beneath it he wore a tank top and loose fitting pants.

Shino stretched his arms out and Sakura's breath caught in her throat as his skin began to glow. Like, actually glow . Lights moved around beneath his skin and a muted buzz wrent the air as thousands of glowing lights began to appear in the treeline.

For a moment, Sakura was reminded of Christmas trees.

Then the lights, bugs Sakura realized, flew to Shino. They surrounded him, making him the eye of a bug tornado.

She watched with breathless anticipation as the bugs began to play out a story, one that Sakura had learned since arriving here.

Ino whistled. "The story of the Maiden. That's a pretty ballsy move on his part."

Madara grumbled something, frustrated by Sakura's enthrallment with the story.

Sakura didn't even notice, watching as the band of five, for the Maiden was a hero as much as the others, moved up to the volcano. The Maiden made a selfless sacrifice unto the volcano. The volcano, moved by her decision and the prayers of her people, returned her to Pompeii unscathed by the magma that surrounded her.

Shino took a bow as the Maiden embraced the heroes, settling in as the newly appointed leader of the town. When he stood, his coat was firmly in place once more.

Sakura couldn't stop grinning as she applauded his performance.

"Our last show for the night is the Uzumaki clan!" Minato said.

Sakura could make out Naruto, Menma, Karin, and Kushina among the group of ten or so Uzumaki. Her eyebrows went up as, with a snap of their fingers, their hands became coated in green light. Naruto's fire was a blazing white, Menma's was black.

With the lithe ease of the foxes they truly were, the Uzumaki threw their fire into the air, somersaulting and flipping into a different place in the lineup. When they stood once more, they caught the previous person's fire. This went on for some time, as they added in more fantastic stunts.

Kushina ended it with a slash of her hand, the fire evaporating away.

"Get ready," Ino said in Sakura's ear.

Sakura glanced at her, only to be bombarded by someone.

"So what'd ya think? We were the best right?" Naruto asked, embracing her.

Sakura laughed, doing her best to untangle herself from him.

"Get off her, dumbass," Karin said, getting Menma's assistance in pulling Naruto off of Sakura. "Sorry about him. We keep saying he's adopted but, well, he has Minato's looks."

"That's not the side of the family he gets it from," Izuna groused, eyes bright and red.

"Quiet," Shizune chastised, eyes fixed on the field. "It's about to start."

Everyone immediately fell silent and stared down at the field. Sakura was startled, knowing that the fire show was over. What were they waiting for?

Apparently they were waiting for three older people to hobble into the field.

They didn't use magic to enhance their voices but Sakura could hear them perfectly. No one else dared to speak.

"We've come to a decision about the Maiden," the sole woman of the group said. "This is not a decision made lightly."

"We have been following this individual for three years. They are the perfect candidate," one of the men said.

"Our Maiden this year will be Haku!" the woman said.

A murmur arose from the crowd, the overall tone one of confusion. A squawk of anger and disbelief came from Haku, only for it to be silenced quickly and efficiently by Zabuza.

"What's wrong?" Sakura asked, looking around.

"We've never had a Maiden in the winning team of the competition," Itachi said, face pale and red eyes alert. "Certainly, we've had men act as the Maiden but this puts us in a quandary."

"Why?" Sakura asked.

"The competition gives us four winners," Karin said, "four heroes. Then the Maiden is announced. This year though…who's going to be the fourth hero?"

"Silence," the man in the eyepatch said in a soft voice. Everyone immediately fell quiet. "This is an unusual circumstance to be sure but it is nothing we cannot handle. This year's game of Lambs and Tigers will have higher stakes. The winner will be named the fourth hero. Everyone pack up your goods; the game will begin in thirty minutes."

"What is Lambs and Tigers?" Sakura asked as they stood up and began folding up the blanket and throwing away their trash.

"It was supposed to be a surprise," Ino sighed. "It's the final game of the night. Usually, we play it so that the Maiden can have time to get ready. The winners of the contest play as the Tigers while everyone else are the Lambs. The Tigers hunt the Lambs. If they catch a Lamb then the Lamb is 'dead' and out of the game. The last person standing wins."

"So some variation of tag, then?" Sakura asked.

Ino just gave her a blank look.

"Don't worry about it," Sakura said, grabbing the blanket and heading to Ino's car. She placed it in the trunk. "What usually happens for the winner?"

Ino shrugged. "Nothing much. Bragging rights I suppose."

"That's a pretty big deal," Sakura replied with a light grin. "What are the boundaries?"

"The witches tend to set up the boundaries," Ino replied. "It always depends on how many people play. There are going to be a lot more this year, that's for sure. The boundaries are always marked in red and send a buzzing sound to your ears. Trust me, you'll know if you are about to go out of bounds." Sakura nodded. "You go ahead and head back, I need to talk to my dad," Ino said, looking at Inoichi.

Sakura made her way back, ambling along and stopping to talk to people she'd met.

"Congrats, Kisame!" Sakura said, moving up to the group of Kiri men. "I always knew you were a hero."

Kisame turned to her, flushing deeply. "Hi Sakura."

"Congratulations to all of you," Sakura said, looking at Zabuza, Suigetsu, and Haku. "You guys really deserve it." She looked at Suigetsu. "I'm Sakura, by the way."

"Suigetsu," he replied, shaking her hand. Sakura felt the chill and webbing on his hand. "Heard a lot about ya."

Haku huffed, looking away. There was color high in his cheeks.

"What's wrong?" Sakura asked.

"He's just bitching about being the Maiden," Suigetsu said, smile revealing his sharp teeth. "The moron should've known that using his looks all the time would land him in this situation. Karma and all." Suigetsu nodded sagely.

"It's an honor though," Sakura said. "The Maiden saved everyone here!"

"I am not a maiden !" Haku said, eyes smouldering as he looked at Sakura. "I'm not a girl and I'm not doing this again!"

"You are doing this," Zabuza said, voice calm as he crossed his arms. He would not be swayed. "You are not the first man to be chosen for the honor. While the role is called Maiden, we all know it means True Hero. The Maiden saved the town from the volcano. Start acting like a man, not a boy."

Haku's lips pouted out, making him look all the more adorable.

Sakura was not moved. Now she understood what exactly was going on.

A temper tantrum.

She didn't say anymore on the matter, knowing that Zabuza had said it all.

"But...but…" Haku was scrabbling for an excuse. "I have to wear a dress !"

"So?" Kisame asked. "Dresses aren't necessarily for women alone."

"Well, you're not the one wearing it," Haku said.

Kisame glared down at Haku. "Who's to say I haven't been chosen as the Maiden in the past, whelp?"

Haku blinked up at him, speechless.

Zabuza snorted, shaking his head. "Swim along, Sakura. You should get prepared for the game." His smile, obscured as it was by his mask, was still terrifying. "I'm sure we'll see you soon."

"Don't count on it," Sakura replied cheekily, waving at them and heading back over to Shizune.

She was talking to another woman that Sakura recognized as Tsunade. Sakura didn't know where the Uzumaki or Uchiha had gotten off to.

"Sakura!" Shizune greeted, smile strained. "This is my former mentor Tsunade."

Sakura felt terribly scrutinized as Tsunade's hazel eyes sized her up. Tsunade scoffed and Sakura knew she'd failed whatever test she'd been put to.

"You're the town doctor?" Tsunade asked.

Sakura nodded, tucking her hands into the pockets of the leather jacket. "That I am. Is there something I could do for you?"

Tsunade's lips curled, no matter how she tried to stifle it. "Shizune is much more qualified to be the head doctor of the clinic."

"Tsunade!" Shizune snapped. Her eyes were acid green and not fading back to brown. She was really angry. "That is uncalled for!"

Sakura did not get to hear Tsunade's reply as Councilman Danzo reentered the field. Everyone fell silent, waiting to hear what he'd say.

"The game begins. All participants go to the edge of the forest."

Sakura looked around, realizing that none of her friends were near.

"Go," Shizune urged when she saw Sakura's hesitation. "I'm not participating this year."

Sakura nodded, touching Shizune's shoulder in support before making her way to the dark thicket of trees. Tsunade had dismissed the clouds that obscured the night sky and Sakura could see clearly with the guidance of the moon. Lanterns were suspended in the air around the clearing, filled with the green fire that was a mark of the Uzumaki clan.

Sakura looked around the surging crowd, knowing that there were more than four hundred other contestants. She had no chance of finding her friends before the start. Maybe it was for the best, after all this was basically a game of tag.

"Now we will start the game of Aadu puli aatam ," Danzo announced. "Participants have a twenty minute head start. They will be pursued by Kisame, Zabuza, and Suigetsu. Begin."

Sakura swallowed her concerns, moving off into the forest alongside the rest of the Lambs. She noticed some people were using their special abilities to assist in hiding themselves, invisibility spells and the like. Sakura knew she had to do something to level the playing field.

She took off at an easy trot toward the west, knowing that she'd come across the river if she kept heading in that direction. Once she was out of the way of jostling elbows and loud whispers, Sakura began to run, pumping her arms hard as she tried to put as much distance between herself and the Tigers.

Around the nineteen minute mark, Sakura slowed down to a cautious walk, moving forward as silently as she could. The branches of the trees obfuscated the light of the moon, making it difficult to keep to a path.

There were no other participants nearby but Sakura also hadn't encountered any red light marking the boundary of the game. So she forged on, hoping that she was making the right decision.

After about thirty minutes, Sakura started to worry. She still hadn't encountered the river which was less than a mile from where the fairgrounds were located. She was at the very least two and half miles out and still nothing. There were only fir trees and the sounds of wildlife surrounding her.

Sakura huffed, pausing and looking up at the sky. She knew she was heading west and the position of the constellations confirmed it, but the lay of the land just wasn't matching up. Sakura looked out ahead of her and startled.

A hundred yards ahead she could make out some type of light amidst the darkness.

She started forward, heading for it, heedless of the little part of her that cautioned that this might be a trap. It didn't seem to be any of the Tigers' style.

She crouched in the roots of a tree, examining the green glowing light.

She giggled.

The light was emanating from fungi that grew along the roots.

True foxfire.

Sakura shook her head at her own silliness and paranoia, leaning against the cool, rough bark of the tree. She could stay here and rest, just wait to be found…

Sakura shook herself, standing up and pulling Menma's jacket tighter around her. She inhaled the spicy scent, allowing it to clear her head.

She was going to play this game until the very end.

Sakura shook out her legs, stretching her limbs. She looked up at the sky to get her bearings once more, deciding to head north.

Sakura took off at an easy clip, stopping only when she heard a yell fill the air. It seemed someone had been found.

As she continued on, she heard more and more shouts and exclamations though they seemed quieter, as if she were heading away from the Tigers which was a very good thing. Why did she feel like something was wrong?

Forty-five minutes passed this way before Sakura realized what was bothering her. The wildlife was utterly silent. There were no squeaks from the bats, no hoots from predatory owls, no chirping from the cicadas. Absolutely nothing.

Certainly, the abundant human presence in the forest could partially explain the silence, but there was noise of any animal movement. This part of the forest seemed…dead almost.

Sakura swallowed, deciding to head back toward the fairgrounds. She turned to the east and stopped dead.

A little ways ahead of her there was an opening among the copse of trees. That was strange in and of itself, as the trees grew thick and tall out here. It was what was in the clearing that left Sakura speechless.

There was a staircase.

It was a perfectly normal staircase, carpeted in a dark pattern.

The problem was its location.

There was nothing around the staircase, nothing that implied that there had once been a house here.

The staircase looked like it belonged in any of the houses of Pompeii. For a giddy, hysterical moment, Sakura thought that the staircase had been Photoshopped; just transposed on the wrong background.

But this was reality.

The hairs on her arms and neck stood on end, revolted by the peculiar image. Her brain just couldn't compute what was before her.

The staircase was well-lit and Sakura noticed that no branches grew overtop of it. The moon was perfectly clear and shone down directly upon the staircase.

She was drawn to the staircase inexplicably. There was something that screamed inside of her to go near the staircase; to feel it; to stand upon it. That part of her was the same part touched by the Fogglet's scarf, by the insatiable mystery that Pompeii offered her.

She felt her feet begin to move without permission, drawing her toward the staircase.

If she could touch it, feel it beneath her hands and feet, she would know. She would have all of the secrets of Pompeii laid out before her, she knew.

Sakura forced herself to stop, knowing that the pull of the staircase was unnatural. She'd felt this type of magical influence before, muddling everything in her head and giving her a buzzing blissful feeling of ease.

It was wrong.

Yet Sakura couldn't force her feet to move away.

"Sakura!" a voice called.

Sakura jolted out of her trance-like state, turning to the call.

Kisame was running up to her, face pale.

"What's wrong?" Sakura asked.

"Where have you been?" he demanded. "The game's over. You're the winner."

"The game's over?" Sakura asked.

Kisame nodded, still looking haggard. "Tsunade announced it hours ago. You're within the boundaries, you had to have heard it. You are the last person standing. You win. You're the fourth hero. When you didn't show up…" He scrubbed a hand over his face. "Are you alright?"

"Don't you see…?" Sakura began, whirling back to the clearing.

She blinked.

There was nothing there. The clearing was gone, filled in by trees.

Sakura rubbed her eyes, shivering. She leaned into Kisame, wrapping an arm around his waist to anchor herself.

Kisame flushed. "W-well, I'm glad you are alright. We need to get you back. The ceremony is beginning soon."

Sakura nodded, keeping herself in contact with Kisame as he turned them toward the fairgrounds.

Her knees buckled and she nearly fell. Kisame caught her.

He frowned, looking her over with eyes full of concern. "You aren't alright." He swore under his breath, feeling the chill of her skin. He knelt, flush bright against his skin as he looked anywhere but at her. "I-if it's alright with you, I-I'll carry you."

Sakura nodded, looping her arms around Kisame's neck as he lifted her into his arms easily. She ducked her head against his side, willing her limbs to stop trembling.

Kisame held her with a firm, confident grip as he headed back to the fairgrounds.

Sakura looked back one more time, unable to help herself.

The staircase was back, taunting her, drawing her in.

She knew if she mentioned it that the staircase would disappear again.

So Sakura did nothing, watching the staircase until it was no longer viewable.