Sasuke was not lying. They left the house almost as soon as the clock struck twelve and they still didn't arrive until the party started at 7. It had also been a very long ride in he sense that there was an awkward silence between servant and master the whole time. Sasuke was too busy staring at the window and thinking about what he had seen of Naruto that morning and Naruto was too busy worrying about what Sasuke would think of him.
"We have arrived sir," Naruto finally disturbed the silence as he slipped out of the coach just after it stopped. He held the door open dutifully for Sasuke.
"Sasuke!" Sakura squealed. It wasn't exactly polite for her to be ignoring her guests in favor of waiting outside for Sasuke, but most of the people just chose to ignore her annoying behavior unless she was talking directly to them in order to enjoy the lavish parties that her respectable father often threw. The only person who didn't ignore her was her best friend, and total rival, Ino.
"We've been waiting for you," Ino said too.
Sasuke rolled his eyes, but walked up to him. Even though the two of them were not doing the respectable thing, he had been brought up with proper manners so he had to greet the lady of the house that he was visiting as was expected. "Sakura," Sasuke bowed to the two, "Ino." Naruto bowed in the background as well, because it was proper of a servant, but he hardly thought they even noticed him.
The two women immediately latched onto each of Sasuke's arms and forced him to escort them inside the ballroom. Naruto followed at a respectable pace behind them.
When they entered the room, Naruto couldn't help but to look around. He had never actually been to a ball. He wasn't even allowed near the ones that his masters threw. Usually he was off getting punished for something again while the balls were being thrown. It was beautiful, but he soon lost sight of Sasuke in all of the madness. He couldn't allow himself to admire the décor anymore until he found his master.
"Ooh," a woman stopped him. "You are handsome."
"I'm sorry ma'am," Naruto bowed politely, "but I must find my master."
"I want you to dance with me," she demanded.
"I'm sorry ma'am," Naruto repeated, "but I hardly think that I would be a worthy partner for you."
"I said dance with me," she scowled and raised her voice. Some people looked over at her, but they made no move towards the two of them.
"Please excuse me ma'am," Naruto bowed once more before turning to head in the other way.
"You creep!" the woman screamed. Naruto's eyes widened and he turned to face her as she continued to make a scene. "How dare you touch a respectable woman in that way!"
"I did not lay a hand on you," Naruto denied. He was not going to sit there and let some ugly old woman accuse him of molesting her when he was just trying to be polite and find his master.
"How dare you speak to a lady that way," she hissed again. "I should have you thrown in jail."
"I hardly think that the way I speak to you is a reason for me to be thrown in jail," Naruto growled. "At most it would be a reason to fire me, but that isn't really your decision. That decision lies with my master and now, if you'll excuse me, I really must find him." He had to get away from this woman before she made anymore of a scene. He was just a servant boy and he didn't need all of the attention focused on him. He didn't want it. In fact, he really hated that attention.
"I can have you thrown in jail for touching me," she accused.
"I never did such a thing," Naruto growled in return. He couldn't let this go on so he was about to turn and walk away when she leaned just a little bit closer to him. He scowled as he smelled her foul tasting breath wash over his face.
"And who do you think they'll believe?" she hissed low enough that only he could hear her. "A little servant boy like you or a proper lady like me."
"That is quite enough ma'am," Sasuke growled from beside them. Naruto immediately sighed in relief as he moved to stand behind his master who was now free of the two annoying girls.
"He touched me," she pointed an accusing finger at Naruto.
"None of my staff would do any such thing," Sasuke said calmly. "Especially not him."
The woman's eyes widened and she visibly deflated. It was clear that Sasuke was in a much higher status than she was and it was not a good idea to get on his bad side. Once she realized that he would not believe her outrageous story, she knew that she had to back down. The only problem was that she had already called attention to herself by declaring the heinous crime. She couldn't back down now without seeming to be a liar or a cheap woman who didn't care who touched her.
"He did," she tried weakly.
"I suggest that you leave us now ma'am," Sasuke said. He was of the higher status and he was proving it by telling her to leave them when he had clearly come into it after she had. The woman made no more complaints as she slipped back into the crowd where she would hopefully disappear in the thick of everything. Sasuke turned to Naruto. "Are you okay?"
"I am fine," Naruto responded.
"You really should keep a better eye on the man that you're supposed to be serving."
"I've never been to a ball," Naruto admitted. "I wasn't expecting it to be quite so lavish."
"The Harunos throw some of the best balls," Sasuke agreed. "Now if only they didn't have such an annoying daughter, they would be perfect."
Naruto couldn't help the snicker that erupted from his throat, but he quickly squashed it when said woman appeared before him.
"Sasuke," Sakura whined. "Where did you go?"
"I had to help my servant out of a mess he got himself into," Sasuke responded.
"It wasn't my fault," Naruto denied before he could catch himself.
Sakura glared at his impudent behavior, but Sasuke just shrugged it off and started making his way to the crowd in the opposite direction from where Sakura was standing. This time Naruto made sure not to lose him.
"Ah Sasuke!" came another voice that Naruto didn't recognize.
"Haruno-san," Sasuke smiled as he made his way over to the man who was apparently throwing this party.
"I heard about what happened," Haruno-san said in a low voice. "Are you okay?"
"I am perfectly fine," Sasuke nodded. "The only injury to me was that I lost such a great butler. This one's filling in rather nicely, though."
"Ah," Haruno-san smiled when he saw whom Sasuke was referring to. "I saw that he met Beatrice. Don't worry son. That woman does that often enough to no one believes her now."
"Thank you sir," Naruto bowed easily.
"This is a great party," Sasuke changed the subject before there could be any sort of awkward silence. "Just like always."
"Well you know how the misses love their parties," Haruno-san laughed. "I have enough experience now that I think that it is the thing that I am best at. When are you going to throw a party of your own?"
"I'm afraid that I'm no good at these sorts of things," Sasuke responded.
"Nonsense," Haruno-san said good-naturedly. "You need a party to brighten up that house of yours."
"Very well," Sasuke sighed. "I will see what I can do and then I will be sure to send you an invitation."
"You had better," Haruno-san answered.