Chapter 19: Festive Spirit

"There is no

greater agony

than bearing

an untold story

inside you."

-Maya Angelou

Sakura quietly cursed as she hastily tugged on her nin pants. She had spent the entire night tossing and turning, unable to shut down her brain, only to oversleep come morning. And while she doubted that Kakashi-sensei would actually arrive on time to note her extreme tardiness, she hated feeling rushed all the same.

And to make matters worse, Sakura could detect two chakra signatures, along with her own in the house. One was bright and thriving- it belonged to her mother who was still tucked away in her bedroom. The other (more unfortunate) one belonged to her grandmother. And it was parked in the living room, directly across from the front door. No doubt on purpose.

Sakura cast a calculating glance at her bedroom window, but immediately dismissed the thought. Even without her injury it would be risky, as there was only solid earth to cushion her landing. Quickly grabbing her weapons pouch, Sakura straightened her spine and headed downstairs. She couldn't afford to waste any more time.

The scene in the living room was exactly as she expected. Her father was no doubt opening his shop by now, leaving Grandmother Satomi without anyone to gripe at or complain to. The woman's frail body was perched atop a chair, delicately sipping tea.

The moment Sakura entered the room, Satomi's eyes narrowed to slits, watching her approach the front door. And Sakura couldn't help her surprise as the woman's normally venomous lips remained closed. No insult, no hissed warning, no degrading remark… She almost felt more wary at the elderly woman's silence.

But as she slipped through the door, Sakura allowed herself to consider what her father might have said to her grandmother while her and her mother had been upstairs. Did he agree to kick her and her mother out of the house? Did he decide to go to the Hokage after all?

Her heart rate picked up, and Sakura cast a furtive look at her surrounding, almost waiting for ANBU nin to swoop in and take her.

She shook her head- there was no way he would have gone to the Hokage. Because despite how meek and fragile her mother seemed to be, Sakura had glimpsed real fear in her father's eyes when he considered her mother's threat.

But the problem still remained… Grandmother Satomi was not going to be satisfied until her and her mother were stripped of the Haruno name. And though Sakura had no doubt that her mother's death threat had frightened the woman, her stubborn pride would only allow her to be more infuriated. Which could only lead to problems- potentially public problems. The kind of problems that would rouse the interests of neighbors and gossipmongers. The kind of problems that the Hokage could hear about...

She let out a long sigh- what was she going to do?

"Sakura-chan, you're late! I was so worried about you!"

Sakura looked up, startled to see that her musings had taken her to the meeting bridge. She inwardly cursed her lack of awareness as she took in Naruto's worried face.

"I overslept."

"Tch."

Sakura and Naruto both turned to look at their other teammate as the distinctly sarcastic note left his lips.

Sakura was unsurprised to see that her dark haired teammate was seemingly holding a grudge against her. Part of her couldn't even blame him because his accusations had been right after all. She had done something to him the other day in the forest. But the other, much more dominate part wanted to smack Sasuke's uppity face in for being so childish.

Naruto just looked slightly bewildered. Normally any derogatory or less than kind words or actions of Sasuke's were directed towards him.

"Never mind the teme. How are you feeling?" Naruto said, turning his back on the dark haired male.

Sakura watched out of the corner of her eye as Sasuke grit his teeth at his easy dismissal.

"I'm fine. A bit tender, but that's to be expected."

Naruto's eyes darted down to the spot on her shirt that concealed her bandage. "Maybe Kakashi-sensei will go easy on you today..."

Sakura highly doubted it, but she refrained from saying so. She then patiently listened as Naruto prattled on for the next twenty minutes about how he went straight to Ichirakus once they were dismissed yesterday and ate fifteen bowls of ramen. He looked so smugly proud that she couldn't help but grin at him.

Sasuke on the other hand, remained perched on the railing like a hawk. He never once tried engaging the two in conversation. And for probably the first time, Naruto wasn't taking his stony silence as a direct insult against him.

Finally, half an hour later Kakashi deigned to show up in his usual manner of a puff of grey smoke.

"Good morning, my cute students."

"Kakashi-sensei, you're late again!" Naruto groaned.

"Well, I would have been on time, but this little old lady needed help getting to her grandson's house, and being the chivalrous nin I am, I had to escort her there."

"You're full of it!" Naruto huffed.

Kakashi just hummed innocently, tucking his hands in his pockets.

"It seems that I'mnot the only one to arrive late today though…" their sensei stated, with a side-eyed look at her.

Sakura cocked her head and considered her sensei. What were the chances that the man had never been truly late at all? That all along he had simply been masking his chakra and watching the three of them? It was something she was inclined to disbelieve giving the lazy nature of the nin, and yet it was something that Sakura could also see him doing…

"How did you know Sakura-chan was late?" Naruto asked, eyes wide with disbelief.

"I have eyes everywhere," Kakashi whispered, and Naruto gave a thoroughly horrified look at his mask.

Sakura snorted. He probably had his nin dogs trailing them…

"I apologize sensei. I overslept."

Kakashi offered a lazy eyed glance, but Sakura could see his careful consideration beneath the laidback guise. "That's okay Sakura-chan. As long as you make it up by doing twenty laps around the village once you are fully recovered."

Naruto shouted in outrage on her behalf, but Sakura simply nodded her head in acceptance.

"Alright, lets head to the training ground and start with some warm up crunches. I'd say, about, hm … five hundred will do…"

Sakura internally winced at the thought and then externally winced as Sasuke slide off the railing and brushed passed her, intentionally bumping himself against her injured side.

"How dare you teme! You should apologize right now…" Naruto shouted, running after the dark haired boy.

Kakashi lifted his brow at her, a silent demand for an explanation of Sasuke's odd behavior.

Sakura decided to fake ignorance though, and simply shrugged in response. She didn't need him poking around her affairs any more than he already was.

But throughout the entire training session little incident like that kept happening. Sasuke would bump into her, or miss while practicing his aim, sending an assortment of weapons a little too close to her neck for comfort.

And after each time, Naruto would retaliate on her behalf in a much less subtle way by either tackling Sasuke or throwing whatever was in his hand at the boy's head.

These annoying incidents, coupled with the intense training had Sakura's entire body throbbing in pain. Her wounded side felt itchy and irritated, and her bandage was soaked through with sweat.

By the time their training session was finished night had long since fallen and Sakura was tempted to collapse on the training grounds and spend the night passed out there. She felt so exhausted that the prospect of walking home- where Grandmother Satomi currently was, was thoroughly unappealing.

"Now before you three go, I have to tell you that our training session for tomorrow is cancelled," Kakashi-sensei announced. "As I'm sure you are aware, tomorrow is the Spring Festival, and I have a solo mission due to it. I still hope you will do a little training. We will meet again at our usual time the day after the festival."

Sakura slumped further into the ground and was tempted to scream. Not only would Grandmother Satomi be waiting for her at home, but the rest of her extended family probably would be too. Uncle Akio, Aunts Kaori and Ran, even her cousin Takumi would probably be there…

"Are you excited for the festival?" Naruto asked, a bright grin pulling at his whiskered cheeks.

Sakura grimaced, "No."

Both Sasuke and Naruto stared at her in surprise as they left the training grounds.

"No! But Sakura-chan, festivals are so much fun! There are all sorts of games and prizes! And the food…" a dreamy look crossed his face.

"I'm not very fond of large crowds," Sakura diplomatically answered. The crowd currently residing in her house to be specific…

"Oh, well maybe we can meet up at the festival, and that will make it better." A light flush rose on Naruto's cheeks.

"Maybe," Sakura agreed, knowing her family would never allow it. But than again, with the way her mother was standing up to them, perhaps she could flout their rules as well…

She carried this hopeful thought with her the entire way home. As she approached the door she sensed the various different chakras humming directly on the other side of it. Her face fell- apparently they were all congregated in the living room. She idly wondered if her grandmother had been sitting there all day.

Bracing herself for whatever the Harunos would throw at her, Sakura opened the door, and meet the dark glares with an unperturbed look.

Her nonchalance almost faltered when she made it all the way across the room without a single comment being made. Her aunt's upturned nose was the only direct slight made against her.

The stony silence seemed to echo as she trudged her tired feet upstairs. But her mind felt wide- awake. They had to be plotting something. And the hushed whispers that picked up the second Sakura's head disappeared from her sight only confirmed her theory.

She rested her head on her pillow, but her eyes remained wide open. Every time that her lids drooped shut, they would fly open again, a new and more horrifying scenario of what the Harunos would do to her and her mother flashing through her brain.

Sleep was a luxury that she wasn't sure she could afford if it meant waking up to one of the kitchen knives slitting your throat…

Somehow she managed to make it through the night unscathed though. But it was a fitful sleep. Every creak of a floorboard, or hushed sigh would have her body jolting to action.

When Sakura finally managed to drag herself out of bed, the sun was high in the sky and most of her family had migrated from the living room to the dining room for breakfast. Sakura bypassed that room all together, and headed straight into the garden. It had been ages since she had properly practiced some yoga or meditated. Misa-sensei would be so disappointed.

She meandered through the bamboo until she reached her usual spot by the koi pond.

Inhaling deeply, Sakura stretched and manipulated her body into her first pose. After a moment, a door inside slammed shut- her eye twitched… Sighing, she moved into standing bow pose, trying to find an inner harmony to keep her balance. The sound of a plates being moved caused her footing to falter…

Green eyes cast a dark look towards the dining room. And Sakura was only slightly startled to see various sets of dark eyes peering back at her. But once they realized that they had caught her attention, her aunts and cousins immediately looked away. Her stomach clenched as she sat down and maneuvered into camel pose. But her uncle's booming voice made her flop down to her stomach…

This was useless.

And even attempting to meditate would be pointless as well. Her family was even more distracting than Naruto on a sugar high. Especially when she was half convinced that one of them would rush out of the house, ready to club her to death.

If she hadn't trained as much as she had, and if she weren't absolutely sure that her mother had a spine of steel under her meek demeanor, she would be truly alarmed at the sly way her extended family members were acting.

Thankfully, by lunchtime most of her relatives had left for the market. No doubt to buy more trinkets for their festival attire and to flaunt their collective wealth. She half hoped that they would get pick pocketed.

Taking advantage of their absence, Sakura enjoyed some sweet tea in the kitchen before returning to her room to study the newest scroll she had discovered about ice jutsus. The information was fascinating.

Every nin that had an elemental affinity, developed it based on their inner personality. Some clans, like the Uchiha were particularly inclined towards a certain affinity, and thus had developed their own secret jutsus based on it. It both intrigued and bit at her pride that her inner personality was apparently as icy as the frost the elemental paper had produced when she touched it.

But as intriguing as the book was, as secretive as the Harunos were being, and even as sore as her aching side was, Sakura's mind was never far from her mother's revelation.

Her bloodlimit.

The seemingly harmless cluster of chakra that was thrumming with vitality at the base of her throat. The chakra that when properly manipulated could enchant people, bending them to her will…

It sounded frightening…

It sounded intoxicating.

Sakura had never thought herself to be one easily lured by power. She knew that the world was run by it, and those with the most power were in charge. But she had never truly desired to be sitting in that place of power. Titles like Daimyo or Hokage had never been ones she coveted.

But being placed on Team Seven and recognizing the power within her two teammates- especially when it surpassed her own, harvested a dark and deep-seated envy within her. She didn't want to fall behind and end up on the sidelines as Naruto and Sasuke got stronger and stronger…

And then to learn that she had this strange, and wonderful, and dangerous bloodlimit that she was forbidden from telling anyone about… it was both fascinating and frustrating. Sakura's personality would never allow her to peacock her peculiar powers like others would be inclined to- but she longed to test them out all the same…

"Flower?"

Sakura's eyes shot to the door, startled at her mother's entrance.

"Yes?"

"It's time to get ready for the festival. Take a quick shower, and then I will help get you dressed."

She nodded and slipped into the hallway, unsurprised to see Aunt Kaori standing just outside her door. Normally the stern woman would present Sakura her kimono with a snide remark about how the precious silk was being wasted on her unworthy hide. Sakura hovered at the bathroom door for a minute, half expecting something, but the woman just pursed her thin lips.

Slipping into the shower, she tried to shake off the ominous feeling that something bad was about to happen... Because too many bad things had happened lately, and surely she had dealt with enough?

Body cleansed, but soul still in turmoil, Sakura returned to her room and found her mother straightening out an exquisite silver kimono. Her mother helped her into the garment, making Sakura feel more like a princess than the nin she was.

Once the kimono was on, she perched on her bed, letting her eyes close as her mother ran a brush through her thick pink locks.

"Mother?"

"Yes, Flower?"

"Is Grandmother Satomi plotting something?"

The brush paused in its stroking. Sakura cracked open her eyes, but before the she got the chance to turn around and catch her mother's expression, it was moving again.

"No, darling. I think she is just trying her best to make us feel uncomfortable in our home."

"It's working," Sakura grumbled.

Paranoia at her extended family's uncharacteristic behavior had her on edge.

"Just ignore them and don't let it bother you. I had a discussion with your father last night. He doesn't seem concerned, so I wouldn't worry yourself," Mebuki said, voice intentionally carefree.

Sakura bit her lip to refrain from pointing out that her father was definitely on their side. That if a fight broke out, he would surely side with the rest of the Harunos and not the two females that had turned his life into a nightmare…

But her mother looked and seemed happier than she had been for a long while. So she silenced her mistrustful tongue, and let herself enjoy the feeling of her mother's fingers intricately braiding her hair.

She once again closed her eyes when she detected the soft sound of her mother humming as she worked her magic. And once the last braid was secured into place, she observed as her mother donned her own formal kimono.

And despite her mother's earlier words of reassurance, or even her untroubled demeanor, Sakura privately thought that she must have been affected by then tension in the air too. Otherwise she would be changing in the privacy of her own bedroom.

Instead her eyes took in her mother's form as she slipped into vibrant fuchsia silk. She was both proud and intrigued that the brief flashes of her mother's bare skin revealed her own array of scars, in various shapes and sizes. And yet, despite their somewhat gruesome appearance they did nothing to retract from her mother's considerable beauty.

"Help me tie my obi," Mebuki instructed.

"For someone who didn't grow up in a wealthy or noble family, you're very knowledgeable about all of this," Sakura said, gesturing to the elaborate outfit and intricate knot her mother's golden hair was tied in.

"A kunoichi must obtain a variety of skills. You never know when you will find yourself in a situation where they will be useful."

Sakura's mouth tugged into a grimace. That sounded like a line Suzume-sensei would feed them during kunoichi classes.

Her mother had either guessed at her train of thought, or grew curious at her delay, as she turned to face her. Rich blue eyes clashed with vibrant green.

"I know the lessons at the Academy are terribly unfair to the girls, but consider it an advantage. All information is valuable information. The art of learning how to blend into any situation or scenery is invaluable."

And not for the first time, Sakura pondered what sort of life and missions her mother had completed as an infiltration specialist. From the small snippets her mother and older shinobi provided, it all sounded very glamorous and exciting.

"You cannot seriously be telling me that the 'art of flower arranging' is a necessary skill for a nin," Sakura gently argued. Learning how to blend in with nobility was one thing- but learning how to weave a wreathe that confessed eternal devotion was another…

Mebuki straightened the nonexistent wrinkles out of her kimono, "You never know what the future has in store. Cultivate as many skills as possible, no matter how embarrassing or pointless they may seem." She rose to her feet, "we should head downstairs now, or else they will probably send one of your all to eager cousins to fetch us…"

Sakura sighed, but also rose to her feet and followed her mother out of the room and down the stairs. And just like the night before, the chatter in the living room died off the instant her and her mother stepped inside the room.

"Now that we are all here," Grandmother Satomi said, her gaze pointedly fixed in the opposite direction to them, "let us do our best to represent our clan as we enjoy the festivities."

Sakura was half tempted to sneer as she caught the small side- eyed glare her grandmother sent, but when she caught sight of her older cousin Takumi gazing fearfully at her, she allowed her lips to curl into a smirk instead.

It went completely against every rule of shinobi conduct. Nin were supposed to help, support, and protect weaker civilians- never intimidate, or harass them. But Sakura couldn't help the satisfaction that bloomed in her heart at seeing his slightly stricken face… After all the years of being barked at like a dog from him, it was nice to know that he was finally afraid of her bite.

But her moment of revel ended all to soon as he quickly joined his mother.

"Do you think I will be able to meet up with my teammates?" Sakura quietly asked her mother, her mind on Naruto's request from the previous day.

"I don't think anyone will try and stop you," her mother answered, eyes also on the figure of her older cousin. A distinctly sly grin that was so completely foreign sat on her mother's lips as she uttered this.

Sakura smiled, and practically skipped as she followed behind the Haruno's to the main road.

Her relatives all walked in nearly single file lines, their backs straight, heads held high, and hands stiff by their sides. The only reason Sakura mirrored their posture was because it had been drilled into her since she was able to walk.

But even though everything about her gait reflected her Haruno upbringing, her and her mother still stuck out like sore thumbs at the back of the group. It was a sea of rich red kimonos, and dark heads, with two contrasting colors at the back. Sakura could only feel grateful.

The smell of the various vendors' festival foods was tantalizing as the neared the city centre. With every step closer, Sakura's senses became equally more delighted and wary at the vibrant sights and sounds. The mass amounts of people, the games, and the colorful banners made her heart pick up in excitement, especially know that she knew she was allowed to enjoy it. But at the same time, she recognized that this was the perfect setting for an attack.

As per the Haruno's usual custom, they made their way to the edge of the festival's main square. Sakura knew that her grandmother did this for dramatic affect- so everyone could see them coming and be in awe of their fancy silk outfits and obvious wealth.

And as per usual, Sakura ignored the feeling of being gawked at like a particularly rare and exotic creature as the crowds parted to let her haughty grandmother through. At the centre of the crowd the Hokage stood, greeting people. And Sakura knew that her grandmother would approach him, offer him the barest of nods and wait for him to acknowledge her- as if she was some sort of deity that was granting him a favor by standing before him.

After this bizarre tradition was done, the Harunos would network the crowd and make small talk with other wealthy families who they could barely tolerate. Sakura wondered if it would be appropriate to leave them already. And then her lips curved as she remembered that it didn't really matter.

Her green eyes scanned through the crowds of civilians as her grandmother approached the Hokage. But her eyes paused as they landed on a familiar figure that was staring right back at her.

Sasuke.

Amongst the crowd of civilian children with their bright outfits and sunny faces, he stood out like a sore thumb.

Sakura debated on whether or not to approach him, seeing as he had still been holding onto his grudge yesterday. But a grumpy Sasuke was still better company than the Haruno clan.

"I'm going to join my teammate," she quietly informed her mother.

Mebuki nodded and Sakura saw her eyes grow slightly sad as they took in the lone Uchiha.

Uttering a quiet 'thank you' to her mom, Sakura slipped through the sea of people until she was facing her teammate.

Sasuke didn't smile at her (which was to be expected), but he didn't scowl either. And Sakura got the distinct feeling that her teammate was feeling slightly down. After all festival days were usually about family, and he no longer had any.

"You aren't going to stay with your clan?" Sasuke finally asked, his eyes focused on her mother.

Sakura fought to keep her expression neutral. "No. They don't mind me leaving anyhow."

His dark eyes discretely scanned her, and Sakura remained silent, letting him observe. He would find nothing noteworthy.

"Hn. You don't have a clan symbol on your kimono."

She had never been allowed to wear one. But thankfully her excuse was an easy one, "The silk speaks for itself."

Sasuke remained silent and Sakura inwardly sighed. He may be a huge pain in the ass, but she didn't want him feeling miserable.

"Lets go get something to eat," she said before tugging on the sleeve of his dark haori. She wasn't giving him any chance to say no.

Sasuke grunted, but that was as far as his protesting went.

"Do you want sweets? Or tempura, or maybe-"

"Sakura-chan! Sasuke-teme!"

Sakura's head whipped around at the very familiar voice.

Naruto was pushing his way through the crowd, his orange jumpsuit still managing to stand out despite the colorful atmosphere.

"I'm glad I found you! I'm starving, lets go get Ichirakus."

Sasuke sighed, but Sakura was relieved to note that his face had morphed back into its normal pinched expression once he was facing the blonde.

"Ramen again dobe?"

"There is no such thing as too much ramen," Naruto insisted, as he lead the way to the noodle stand.

"Forget to change into formal wear?" Sasuke snarked.

Naruto's whiskered cheeks flushed, but he kept quiet and lead them to three empty stools. Sakura strongly suspected that the only reason Naruto wasn't wearing the formal version of his orange jumpsuit was due to lack of funds. So she kept her mouth shut.

"I can buy your bowl Sakura-chan," Naruto offered, his flush growing even deeper.

Sasuke scoffed from the other side of her.

"Thank you, but that's not necessary. My parents gave me some pocket money," Sakura instantly replied. They hadn't, but Sakura figured it was a safer bet to pay for herself.

Naruto's shoulders drooped from a moment, but he instantly perked up when he placed his order with Ayame.

"How long do you think Kaka-sensei is going to keep us in Konoha?" Naruto asked as the first of many bowls was placed in front of him.

"Not too long if you continue pestering the Hokage," Sasuke replied.

Sakura smirked as she tucked into her own bowl. For someone as universally hated as Naruto, the Hokage seemed to have a particular soft spot for the troublemaker. Maybe their missions wouldn't be delayed for too long after all…

"Sakura-chan?" Naruto asked, wiping his mouth on the sleeve of his jacket.

"Yes?" she asked, not so subtly sliding a napkin over.

He ignored it, and his blue eyes focused on her, "How come you wear a different colored kimono ever year? Don't most clans usually stick with the same color?"

Sakura's eyes widened, slightly surprised that Naruto would have noticed. "My family makes a large portion of their profits selling their silks to specialty dress makers. It's essentially free advertising if we showcase the different dyed silks through out own kimonos."

"Oh… well you look really pretty," Naruto said, face flushed again.

But before Sakura could utter an uncomfortable thank you, another voice from behind them piped up.

"N-Nar-Naruto-kun, its ni-nice to see you."

Sakura turned her head to see Hinata, dressed in a lovely lilac kimono staring at Naruto, her face pale.

"Oh, hey Hinata-chan, how're you?" Naruto asked, oblivious to the way the young girl started hyperventilating.

"I- I- I'm good," Hinata stuttered.

Naruto simply smiled, and refocused on his fourth bowl of ramen.

Hinata's smile fell a bit, before she turned her attention to her to Sakura. "How are you Sakura-chan?"

Sakura offered the other girl a small grin. She had always had a soft spot for the shy girl. "I'm good Hinata-chan. How are things in Team Eight?"

"Oh, th-things are-"

"Hinata," a stern voice called.

The four of them watched as a tall man with dark hair, and the same pale eyes moved towards Hinata. He paused when he reached them, and scanned each of their faces with his somewhat eerie eyes.

The man offered a slight bow towards Sasuke, a nod towards her, and flat out sneered at Naruto. "Come Hinata, we must be going."

"O-oh, okay, goodby-" but the girl was tugged away by the man before she finished her farewells.

Sakura glanced at Naruto to see his fists clenched so hard that the skin was strained white over the bone. Her brows pinched- she knew Naruto had a bad reputation as a troublemaker, but people were entirely too harsh on him. He was just an orphan after all, and what better ways were there to get attention than cause trouble? Surely they could see that…

The rest of lunch was considerably quieter, but Naruto perked up once again when Sakura offered to buy them dango. Sasuke practically sneered at the sweet treats once they arrived, and Sakura didn't bother to hide her eye roll.

The three of them walked through the festival grounds, her and Naruto munching on their sweets.

Small children were running through the sea of adults, their high-pitched giggles echoing through the air. Young couples held hands and shared food in slightly obnoxious displays. And then there were people that hailed from obviously wealthy or important clans- civilian and shinobi alike. They held themselves with an air of great importance as they strutted around the festival.

As they neared a vendor's cart with a ring toss game, Naruto raced over.

"Lets play!" he insisted, eyes bright.

Sakura hesitated. She had already used up all of the money she had brought with her.

Sasuke didn't bother to hide his sneer, "No way dobe. That games is for children, it's so pathetically easy."

Naruto's eyes narrowed, "I bet you can't beat me teme!"

Sakura let out a long sigh as Sasuke immediately stiffened and glared at the blonde.

"Stupid dobe," he muttered under his breathe, before shoving coins at the vendor.

Sakura watched with mild interest for the first two rounds, but by the fifth one she was bored out of her mind. She was one hundred percent sure that neither of them would notice if she simply left. There were some interesting looking book carts that she wanted to look at, even if she couldn't buy anything…

"There you are mongrel!" and all too familiar voice called.

Sakura slowly turned around, anxiety clawing its way up her throat as she noticed Sasuke and Naruto had both also turned around to see the elderly woman wrapped in a beautiful silk kimono storm towards her.

"Its time to leave! How dare you make us-" Grandmother Satomi started, but her very public rant was cut off by her father rushing over.

"Mother, Sakura, there you are! Its getting late, we should retire home now," her father hurriedly said.

Sakura instantly nodded, but her grandmother simply narrowed her eyes at her father before stomping off.

And before she followed suit in a much calmer manner, Sakura chanced a glance at her teammates, praying that by some slim chance they hadn't managed to hear the woman's less than polite words. Dread pooled at the bottom of her stomach though when she noticed Naruto gaping at the spot where her had grandmother stood. He looked purely astounded. Sasuke's eyes on the other hand were focused on her. The dark orbs were unreadable, and that was dangerous.

"I'll see you tomorrow," she softly said before following her father out of the festival grounds.

A/N: Hi everyone, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I know things may seem a bit slow, but many things need to be set up before bigger things come into motion.

A reader asked how long do I intend this story to be… The short answer is I don't know. The long answer is I have a grand story outline and then chapter outlines. Sometimes certain aspects of my outline take longer than expected, so I have to split them. I still have quite a few major things set to happen before Part 2 of the trilogy : )

Thank you to everyone who has been reviewing. I truly appreciate your comments and feedback! And please continue to do so!

-Nyx