Those who expected a huge long update: sorry. Those who expected more SasuSaku action, or even more Sasuke: sorry. Those who expected more Sakura: sorry. Those who expected more Hinata: sorry. Those who expected more NaruHina: sorry. SORRY OKAY?

It's just that I have ridiculous writer's block. I basically had to force myself to write this chapter. You can probably tell because it's much much shorter than usual. Sorry. :( But I figured I needed to do SOMETHING for my lovely readers, after basically abandoning this story for a few months! Sorry about that, too. It's just that I have so much AP homework it's not even funny. I barely have time to sleep, let alone write. In fact, because of this update I have a feeling I will be up all night doing my homework. Grr.

Anyways, I know that this chapter is probably not what you wanted! BUT it reveals some plot points! Yay? And it gets the plot going even more. And it reveals some stuff you'd like to know about Naruto. And I promise next chapter I will try to include as much SasuSaku as possible! ...Just not this chapter, sorry. xD Please understand though, lately it's been very difficult for me, so you guys are lucky you're even getting an update. ;D

I realized I said sorry a lot in this note. Sorry.

The Gate Amidst the Ivy

Chapter Sixteen

Sakura, aged twelve

(I WAS TRYING TO MAKE SURE THEY'D NEVER HURT YOU AGAIN, SAKURA! And you—and you—you're telling them to take me away?

You were going to kill them, Naruto! You can't control the—thing—inside of you! You need help! And Lord Tomoya told me he could give it to you!

So what if I was going to kill them? Don't you know what they were going to try to do to you, Sakura-chan!

I do know! But—but—I never wanted you to kill, Naruto—you scared me, Naruto!

I would never hurt you, Sakura-chan!

You know what, sometimes I'm not so sure! Please, Naruto, trust me, Lord Tomoya will help you—

All because some fancy little noble told you a few sweet words, you offer me up to him on a silver platter. And you expect me to trust you now, Sakura, after all this? A long pause between the two, and then there was a look in his blue eyes that someone as inherently good as him should never have had.

And gods help me, Sakura, I do… I still do…

Naruto, Lord Tomoya will help you. Please, just trust me!)

A few weeks after the event, after she'd told, Sakura overheard a conversation while passing by the orange vendor.

"Did you hear what happened to those nice young men?" muttered a woman to her partner, as she speculatively sniffed at the fresh oranges.

(I say it's time we taught the little bitch a lesson—)

"Yes, it was terrible, wasn't it? Weren't they found nearly mauled to death? Kind young Arata, who helped me with the groceries just last week!"

(And do you really think they'd defend the demon brat's bitch over us?)

"And Akihiko, that upstanding young man my dear daughter Tomoe is engaged to—" added another woman as she was passing by, overhearing their conversation.

(It's a shame you're not a little older though… perhaps then we could have had some real fun with you…)

Sakura shivered and pressed her soft hand to her bruised, blackened eye, still not fully faded away.

"And those fine friends of his! How terrible," sighed the first woman.

The second woman, a portly but dignified matron, lowered her voice. "It's a good thing that demon brat was arrested for assaulting them."

"But he's so young!"

"Demons are all the same," muttered the third darkly. "I say it's much better to have any assaulter off the streets, no matter how young it might be—makes me feel more comfortable letting my dear Tomoe go off on her own to the market, you know."

The two other women nodded. "Yes, it's better for all of us that the nobles took him away," decided one.

(S-Sakura-chan… why weren't you there? I needed you…)

"Did you notice that Haruno girl walking around with bruises?" gossiped the first.

The second woman nodded wisely. "Yes, I bet that's why she reported him. I think that despicable creature was hitting her as well! Well, I applaud the girl for standing up to him, for reporting his crimes finally—"

The third woman shuddered. "And she's only twelve, that poor girl! How scared of him she must have been!"

Sakura had been scared—he'd come to her, covered in their blood, his eyes red and dazed and unseeing, smiling that he'd gotten revenge for her, that he'd given those bastards what they deserved for hurting her, and for the first time she'd realized that Naruto was someone dangerous. Someone as dangerous as him needed to be put away. Now she understood the other villagers. After all, all those people must have hated him for a reason, right? And there she had been, staring at that reason.

But because he was her friend she'd get help for him instead—and soon, the demon would be gone, she'd decided. Soon, she'd thought with the bright clear innocence of a child, they'd be together as they always had been, only without the dark shadow of the demon over them, tainting them as it always had, and the villagers would accept them for who they were. But ever since Lord Tomoya had taken him away a few weeks ago, terrible rumors had spread, rumors of execution, and even Sakura realized somewhere inside that there was no way Naruto would come back now.

(Oh, Naruto, I'm so sorry, so very, very sorry—

Sakura-chan, I trusted you! And you—

She couldn't look at him, because she'd done the one thing she'd promised never to do to him. She'd betrayed him. But hadn't it been the right thing to do? She wasn't so sure now, watching him as he was dragged away—)

"Do you think that demon had bewitched her, somehow? That'd be the only way he would actually manage to make someone befriend him!" added the first lady.

Sakura had been young and scared and an absolute fool. She had been bewitched—not by Naruto, but by an overzealous noble's pretty words, seeking as he was to gain favor with the royal court all the way in distant Castle Konoha by imprisoning the demon. And she had made a mistake, a terrible one, one that could never be fixed, one she was forever damned for. She made a promise to herself then, hearing the cruel gossip of those carelessly callous women, for Naruto's sake, though she could not help him now, that if she ever made another friend again, she'd follow that friend to the ends of the earth, no matter what—

(You're right, Ino. You could make me leave, you could choose someone else to accompany you, but I—I couldn't ever leave you. I'd do whatever you told me to do, because…

Because I don't want to betray another friend. But I could never tell you that, Ino.)

She realized that she had been too naïve, trusting Lord Tomoya as she had. And because of that naiveté, she had hurt Naruto. She had hurt her best friend, her brother, one of the few people she loved. She couldn't trust anyone who offered to help her ever again. Not without knowing their intentions, not without knowing each thought that passed through their cruel little minds—

OhgodsohgodsohgodsNaruto—

Apologizing was useless now. Now that he had been killed, because of her.

Present Day, in Castle Konoha

When Ayame got the summons from Isabi to report to her lady's quarters, she went as slowly as she could without seeming disrespectful. Ayame had no wish to get involved in Isabi's schemes, but it would be in her best interests to curry her mistress's favor. She was a mere handmaiden after all, and though that gave her a certain status amongst commoners, it was nothing compared to the power of a noble. And, well, should Isabi favor her enough—that could be her way into the court. Isabi might put in a good word for Ayame to Orochimaru; and Orochimaru had hinted that a sponsorship to the royal court might be in the works if Ayame pleased him…

(But sometimes she wondered if the costs were worth it. And then she remembered what her father would do to her if she returned, his black ugly rage. The castle was the only place where she could escape him, after all.)

The girl that seemed to perpetually guard the entrance to Isabi's chambers—Noiko, was it? It was something like that—bowed lowly toward Ayame, recognizing her. Ayame noticed with vague interest that Noiko looked almost hunted. Perhaps life at court was proving too stressful for the girl, but she would soon learn—and she would either flounder and drown or learn to swim with the best of them. Ayame had had to go through much the same learning process in her younger years, and obviously had come out as one of the better ones.

Looking around the lush room, Ayame found Isabi reclined on a couch near the entrance of the parlor, spread out like a feast for the eyes.

"Oh, Ayame," declared Isabi. "How wonderful to see you!"

Ayame barely refrained from rolling her eyes at the redundancy of the statement. Isabi hardly had to act so surprised—she had been the one who called for her, after all.

"Do sit down, please," insisted Isabi, smiling invitingly. Ayame did so, placing herself stiffly in one of the overstuffed chairs facing the couch. Isabi pushed herself up from the couch, stretching her back leisurely. There was some utterly sensual undertone in Isabi's voice, a ripple of seduction present in her words that did not change whether she was speaking to a man or to a woman, to a child or to a grandparent. It grated Ayame's nerves.

"I do declare, I must have slept on the wrong side of the bed last night!" trilled Isabi. "My body feels so sore. And what a ball I must have had last night—I can barely remember climbing into bed!"

"How odd," declared Ayame coolly, perfunctorily. She had no interest whatsoever in whatever inane, banal small talk Isabi chose to make. "Did you need me for anything?"

Gaze sharpening, Isabi said, "My darling handmaiden, what a hurry you seem to be in today!"

Properly chastised, Ayame dipped her head placatingly. The only reason Isabi ever used her official status was to remind her of her place in the order of things, and clearly Isabi felt that this was one rudeness too much to tolerate.

Satisfied, Isabi continued, "Our dearest duke paid me a visit last night, Ayame."

Ayame nodded. "And what did he say, my lady?"

"Oh, he only chastised me for bringing Ino back," she said airily.

Ayame asked curiously, "Where had Ino been, after all? I was never quite sure."

"You silly girl, I had killed her, of course."

Ayame mentally recoiled. "Wha—"

"Don't act so shocked, dear Ayame. You know my gift, and you know as well as I that Ino's death was part of the plan. Poison the sugar with strychnine, replace the blueberries with belladonna just to be safe."

"But, Sakura had—"

"Yes, that was annoying. But I strangled that annoying little chit later, and Orochimaru will take care of Sakura." Isabi's eyes sharpened on something Ayame had tried to hide—that same quality was why Isabi had flourished amongst the cutthroat nobles rather than faltered. She smiled mockingly. "Oh, poor child, don't tell me you were glad that Ino had survived!"

But Ayame had been. She had tried, in her own roundabout way, to warn Sakura. A secret part of her that she refused to acknowledge had rejoiced when she'd found out that Sakura was one of the most fearsome healers in the land. Even though she knew it was not part of the plan…

(There have been rumors that you… that you know magic… Have you—have you ever healed others before?)

Isabi sighed. "Dear Ayame! You naïve girl, full as you are of the milk of kindness—I sometimes wonder how you've survived in Castle Konoha." She laughed, once again mocking her.

Ayame couldn't remember a single instance when someone had called her kind and truly meant it. She wondered if that should worry her.

"And," continued Isabi, "you knew that Ino's death is necessary to Orochimaru's plans. If he's not successful—why, he might even send you back to your father. Doesn't everyone think you're the daughter of a rich merchant, that dear daddy's money is the only way a girl as common as you was let in? No one would expect you to be the daughter of a drunkard and a thief, would they? And if Orochimaru tires of your usefulness, well, back to that thieving drunkard you go. And wouldn't it just be such a shame if you had to go back to someone as disgusting as he?"

Ayame stood up, ice rushing through her veins, making everything infinitely clearer. In a cool voice, she said, "My lady, I don't believe I like the way you're talking about my father."

Superbly amused, Isabi let out a champagne-glass laugh. "Oh, really? Do tell me what part of what I said wasn't the truth. And who are you to order me? Oh, and sit down, child. You're taking this far more personally than you ought to."

Ayame sat down in a way that was as slow and regal as any lady's. "And I wonder what will happen to you if Orochimaru tires of your services?" she jabbed calmly in return, phrasing her question so suggestively on purpose. She watched with satisfaction as a glint of fury lit in Isabi's eyes at the implication. "Will he ruin your father? I expect so. What will you do then, once your father's money has all but dried up? Will you turn to the streets like your mother and her mother before her? Everyone knows that you're damaged goods already. No gentleman would keep you as his mistress."

"Oh, how cheap of you," dismissed Isabi, but Ayame, satisfied, noted the tightening of her jaw. "Only the most credulous children would believe those disgustingly vile rumors. And only the most uncouth would say them to my face."

Smiling coldly, Ayame asked, "Well, my lady, I believe I have made my point. And once again, I ask, what did you call me here for?"

"Sakura Haruno is becoming far more trouble than she is worth," said Isabi. "We'll need to get her out of the way."

"Yes?" Ayame asked implacably. "And what does that have to do with me?"

"Unfortunately, it's much more difficult to put away the future Bonded of dear Prince Sasuke than it is to imprison a Hyuuga. We'll need an actual basis to convince Sasuke."

Ayame watched Isabi carefully.

"Thankfully for us, it is rather convenient how Sakura was carrying the bowl of belladonna berries that poisoned Ino and me, isn't it? You'll have to testify to Prince Sasuke that you saw her switching the berries. Attempted murder of a member of the royal court is enough to get anyone a nice few years in the dungeon, and either way Sakura's reputation would be terribly damaged by the whole scandal. She'd never be able to show her face in respectable society, even if dear Sasuke decides not to imprison her. And with the word of Duke Orochimaru behind you, he'd naturally be much more inclined to believe you," smiled Isabi in victory.

Again, Ayame felt the bile rising in her throat. The Lady Ino, the Lady Hinata… and now, finally, Sakura? All sacrificed for the ambitions of a man who had enough power already. When would it stop? Would it ever stop? And who was to say that eventually Orochimaru wouldn't sacrifice Ayame herself—

Something of her disgust must have shown on her face. "Oh, don't act so high and mighty," Isabi said sneeringly. "And you know what will happen to you if you fail, don't you, dear girl?"

Ayame couldn't stand to look at someone as disgusting as Isabi anymore. She glanced down, to her side, to the table beside her… the table that looked rather empty. Hadn't there been a vase there before? A magnificent sapphire vase made of porcelain imported from who-knew-where, halfway across the world?

"You'll do it, won't you?" prodded Isabi.

Ayame looked away from the curiously empty table. "Do I have a choice?" she asked bitterly, ironically.

Lady Hideki smiled in triumph. "Well, as long as you know your place."

There was a loathing, hating silence, a silence that spoke quite clearly of Ayame's inferiority. It was a silence that Ayame would do anything to escape. "Wasn't there a vase here?" asked Ayame suddenly.

Isabi's brow furrowed, and then she said vaguely, "You know… I can't quite… remember. That's… curious. Well, it's beside the point. You're dismissed now. I'll inform you when Duke Orochimaru wishes you to confess to Prince Sasuke. You had better be ready and convincing."

Ayame noticed a sudden pain in her palms and realized that she had been clenching her fists. She took a deep breath and forcibly relaxed her hands. "Very well, then, my lady. I am at your service."

"And please don't forget it. I would hate to have a repeat of today. It was rather inconvenient to show you your place once again."

Ayame shot her a look so empty and void of any emotion that it couldn't even have been called cool.

"Very good, dear. Do keep that absolutely wonderful look," advised Isabi delightedly. "It will serve you well in the royal court—should you ever make it there."

Ayame left the chambers without another word.

But before she went back to her rooms, she stopped in front of the servant girl Noiko and asked her a question.

"Did anyone besides the Lady Hideki come here recently?" she asked.

"No," said the servant girl confidently, competently.

Ayame raised an eyebrow challengingly. That phrase had been far too confident. Nothing about Noiko was confident. It was clear she was lying.

"Don't lie to me, dear. I'm merciful, and I'll give you this one chance to make up for your sin, before I have you expelled from the castle."

Noiko started in fright. "O-oh! I'm so sorry!" She looked down. "It's just that—she told me I wasn't to tell anyone—"

She? Who had told her not to tell? Isabi or her mysterious visitor?

"Well, you'll tell me," demanded Ayame. "I'm her personal handmaiden. That gives me the right to know."

"I—I don't know her name," admitted Noiko. "But she had—it looked to me like—like she had pink hair. Even though I know that people don't really have pink hair." She frowned in realization. "And I didn't notice her come in either, actually. All I saw was her coming out." She dared to meet Ayame's glance timidly. "Did I—did I do anything wrong?"

"No," said Ayame distractedly. "Forget I asked." And she wandered off.

Sakura—but what was Sakura doing in Isabi's chambers? That meant Sakura had to know at least a little about Isabi's schemes—she really would have to be taken care of, then. But Ayame didn't know if she could handle another lie, another sin. There had to be a way, a way without damning them both…

A plan began developing in Ayame's head. She could play the game as well as any of those nobles too, after all.

Anyone catch the Macbeth reference? :) Oh, and for those wondering about ATF, my other story: absolutely no inspiration for that. I think I'll continue working on it AFTER I finish TGATI, sorry.

Unless you review, I'm going to hunt you down and hit you over the head with a red truncheon! Grr!

published 9.29.10