Some two hours later...

"And this is the hall of mirrors," Sasuke presented, faking a proud smile. "It's quite entertaining in here."

Ino paid no attention to his words whatsoever. She was busy looking at his face and firm movements. "Uh-huh..." she hummed and held her flushed face, "Yeah, you sure are."

"Excuse me?" Sasuke asked, a bit uncomfortable.

"Nothing!" Ino giggled. "Is it okay if we go inside? I'd really like to see what it's like inside."

"Sure," Sasuke shrugged and they both entered the narrow hallway.

Sakura, who was hiding behind a large pillar, took a small peek and watched them fade into the distant darkness. "On three..." she muttered. "THREE!" She dashed after the two.

Ino looked at herself in a curved mirror and it reflected her in a massive size. "I'm fat!" she yelped, but then laughed at her silliness. "That was quite amusing!"

"Hehehe..." Sasuke laughed disingenuinely and frowned, putting his hands in his pockets. It'd be more fun if I had Sakura here to tease.

"Ooh!" Ino exclaimed, modelling before a normal mirror. "I look fantastic!"

Sasuke groaned to himself quietly. She's so conceited... He then heard a small tap from behind and turned around. Nothing. "Hmmm..."

Sakura hid behind a small stand, panting. Whoa, he almost saw me! Phew.

"Sakura," Sasuke stated, appearing beside her.

"Eep!" Sakura squeaked and looked up at him, eyes wide in horror. Darn! "Uhh... Hey there, Sasuke!" She smiled her best smile and looked around nervously.

"Sakura!" Ino acknowledged when she went over to the commotion. "What are you doing here?"

"That's what I'D like to know," Sasuke added, folding his arms and smirking triumphantly. Did my plan work? Is she stirred up?

"Uh...I..." Sakura pretended to pick up something from the floor and laughed. "Haha! I found it! I lost a diamond from one of my jewels and...yeah! I found it now! So I'd best be on my way-" She started standing up.

"Not so fast!" Ino cut her off furiously and pushed her back down. "Sakura, you were following us, weren't you?!"

Sakura played with her index fingers, blushing a bit. "Well...no..."

Ino looked at the pink-haired Princess in disbelief. "Oh!" she cried, "You WERE following us! I can't believe you! Couldn't you just leave Prince Sasuke and I alone?!"

"I was just trying to make sure you were okay!" Sakura lied.

"Suuure you were," Sasuke said sarcastically. "If I'm not mistaken, I'd say you were just jealous of Ino here. You preferred she didn't get anywhere between us, right, my honey-bunny?" He snickered.

Sakura stood up sharply, glaring at him. Her emerald orbs were full of scorn and rage. "I was NOT jealous!" she screamed in the Uchiha's face, blushing madly, "I was just making sure she'd be okay! Telling from the kind of jerk you can be!" She huffed and folded her arms. "I would NEVER be jealous. EVER!"

Ino looked at Sakura, guilt growing inside her. "Sakura..." she started.

"Then I am certain that you won't mind," Sasuke stated, starting to brood that his plan was faltering. If she's not going to confess on her own, then I'll MAKE her! "There's a ball tonight."

"Yeah, I know that!" Sakura spat. Where's he getting at?

"And I've decided to take Ino with me," Sasuke finished, taking Ino's hands. "She'll be the one I'll be dancing with." Ha! Now she HAS to confess that she's jealous! But for some strange reason, he felt something bad inside him. That something was about to go wrong and that he'd rue it forever.

Ino gasped, blushing and looking up at the Prince. "Really?!"

Sakura looked at Sasuke, shocked. She felt as though someone had just dropped her from a building and then burned her into ashes once she had hit the ground. Why...why do I feel this way? Sasuke can go with whoever he wants. I shouldn't care! She frowned. But my heart is telling me something different. She fought back upcoming tears and walked past the pair silently, heading back to her room.

Sasuke stared after her, his expression troubled. What just happened? I thought she'd say something!

"Prince Sasuke," Ino purred, "Shall I go get ready? It's almost sunset."

Sasuke paused for a moment and replied weakly, "Sure..."

Ino squealed in excitement and ran off in a hurry, failing to notice Sakura's absence and the heavy atmosphere. "This is so awesome!!"

Sasuke waited for a bit and then followed Sakura, since her room was close to his. Once reaching his room, he locked the door and went over to his balcony, gazing up at the fiery orange sky. I am so lost. I should've laughed like crazy at her miserable reaction! But instead I felt...regret. He sighed and tuned softly, "There's someone out there for me. I know she's waiting so patiently." He took a small pebble from the surface of the balcony and threw it down at the pond below. "Can you tell me her name? This life-long search has gone drive me insane!"

Itachi, who noticed the pebble since he was still in the garden, looked up to see his younger brother. "Curiouser?" he mumbled.

"How does she laugh? How does she cry?" Sasuke began asking himself. "What's the color of her eyes? Does she even realize I'm here?" He walked around and sang, "Where is she? Where is she?Where is she? Where is this beautiful girl? Who is she? Who is she? Who's gonna complete my world? Where-"

"KEEP IT DOWN, DAYDREAMER!" Itachi shouted from below, "I'm trying to sleep!"

Sasuke popped a vein and shouted back, "I'll be as loud as I want to be, you bastard!"

In her room, Sakura sat on her Queen-sized bed, sadly looking at her reflection in the mirror. "Look at me," she spoke to herself, "I always think I'm so perfect. But now I just can't figure out why...why I feel this way towards Sasuke's decision. If he wants to take Ino, then fine!"

"Princess," a maid knocked, "The ball will start soon. Queen Mikoto wishes for you to be ready!"

"Alright!" Sakura approved and heard the woman's footsteps leave. She rolled her eyes and laid down on her soft bed, not bothering to brush away some strands of her silky hair from her face.

"Yo."

Sakura jumped at the voice and looked straight at her window. Standing in front of it was...Sasuke. "What are you doing here?!" she asked angrily.

"I was bored," Sasuke grumbled, looking up at the ceiling, "So I decided to drop by."

Sakura took a shuriken from her desk and threw it at him, almost touching his fine hair. "GET OUT!" she demanded. "I DON'T WANT YOU HERE! YOU'RE ANNOYING!"

Sasuke took the shuriken and examined it. It was stained dark red. "Have you used this before?"

"Don't go changing the subject, you moron!"

"Just admit that you were jealous and I'll cut off my date with Ino tonight," Sasuke told her.

Sakura's face turned red with fury and she stood up, fists clenched. "Was this...what it was all about?! To have me admit that I was JEALOUS?!" She went over to Sasuke and jabbed a finger into his shoulder. "I'll have you know that I am and was NOT jealous!"

"Then why were you following us?"

"Do I have to say it again?! I was worried about Ino!"

"Sure you were."

"I was!"

"Uh-huh."

"Oh, just shut up, Sasuke!"

Itachi appeared in a puff of smoke inside the Princess's room and sighed. "Your argument is really...rambunctious," he muttered. "Sasuke, you're not taking Sakura to the dance?"

"Well...I sorta arranged something with Ino..." Sasuke whispered. "And it's called a BALL you dumba-"

"Then I will take her." Itachi went over to Sakura and held out his hand. "Will you go with me, Princess?"

Sakura nodded eagerly. "Yes!" she said, "Yes, I will!"

Sasuke glared at Itachi. Damn you!

"Then I'm sorry," Itachi broke in, smiling. "I cannot take you. But I'm sure...NARUTO would love to."

"NARUTO?!" Sasuke and Sakura shouted in unison.

"I would never go with him!" Sakura cried, "He's a jerk like Sasuke! And he has a bottomless stomach for RAMEN, too! He'd be such a snobby pig! NO!!! I won't have it!"

Outside, Queen Mikoto and Takeshi listened to the trio's conversation intensely. "What are they saying?!" Mikoto asked, whispering.

"I have not an inuuendo," Takeshi mumbled, "Wait, I hear something, my Queen!"

"Wait!" came Sakura's small squeaks, "You shouldn't touch that! It's very delicate and- Ah! Sasuke!" A huge sound of bedsheets ruffling was heard, along with a bit of struggling.

"Oh, brother." Itachi joined in and the noises got louder and much more aggressive.

Mikoto and Takeshi's faces reddened in intensity as they listened, their hearts pounding against their chests wildly. "Hmmmffffff..."

"NO!" Sakura screamed, "Don't put that in there! It won't fit, can't you see?!"

The butler and queen gulped. "!!!"

"Shut up, forehead!" Sasuke grunted, "I need to put this in! Here I go...THERE!"

Silence. Mikoto blinked, a drop of sweat running down her cheek. "What just hap-" A small ca-cling was heard and then...

"AHHHHHHHHHH!" Sakura shrieked.

"That does it!" Takeshi announced, "A man should not force himself onto a woman who dislikes him!" He charged at the door and yelled, "Stop it at once, Prince!"

Sasuke, Sakura, and Itachi looked up at the man, each holding a broken fragment of a once-whole lotus flowervase. "Ummm..." Sakura uttered, "I can explain..."

"Then please do so!" Mikoto teared, "Did my son steal your...you know... woman's gift?"

The three turned crimson red in embarassment and the males turned away. Sakura laughed to ease her throbbing chest. "WHAT?!" she laughed again, "Of course not, Queen Mikoto! Sasuke and I were simply in another argument and we ended up breaking the vase. It wasn't exactly broken then, a mere piece just came off. Sasuke tried to put it back in but..."

"He ended up shattering it into a million pieces," Itachi finished stoically, "Nice job."

"Grrrrrr..." Sasuke grumbled. "Shut it, Itachi."

The adults sweatdropped and then sighed in relief. "Thank goodness," they groaned.

Lolz. Hope u enjoyed this chappy! Pls review! -smiley-