There are not many women with chivalrous spirits matching those of men…"

-Chiyo to Sakura Chapter 279 page 10 of "Naruto"

A/N: Well for those who survived my probably scary, and mind scarring attempt at a lemon, welcome back. For those who ran the hell away… What can ya do? For those of you worried about things getting too easy for the two new lovebirds… do not fear… they just made it all that much harder on themselves. Some of you are just too damn smart for my own good… btw. –smiles-

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of the characters there in. I just borrow them to torture them for my own amusement from time to time.

Summery: There once was a pink haired woman who was nothing more than a simple blacksmith's daughter. Yet none could match the ferocity of her spirit once the hilt of a blade was held within her grasp. An arrogant, cocky, self-assured dragon prince was certainly no exception.

- Sakura/Neji - -AU –

Rated -M- Because there will be lots of blood, violence, gore, and swearing. Ect. Ect. And possibly some erotic scenes here and there.

Chapter 13

Sakura's head was bowed before the king, while Neji explained the circumstances between them. The King sighed, placing his fingertips on the bridge of his nose. He eyed his nephew, "Although I do not have any problems with your choice of a mate nephew… the timing was not wise…"

The pink haired female lifted her chin, her eyes shadowed, "Your majesty, if I may speak…"

"Of course my dear," King Hiashi waved a ring decorated hand at the young woman, "You are essentially family now…"

"I understand with the superior senses of a dragon," Sakura picked her words wisely, "That the servants will know that I've lain with my liege." She ignored the arch of the prince's brow at her for not using his name, "I think it would be wise if I maintain my status as a servant until after the tournament… I do not believe that it would be prudent if your kingdom's enemies were to learn of the bond or else Lord Lucied will make certain I die in that arena, although I already believe that is his probable intention…"

The king tilted his head at the young girl, "You would withstand the shame of everyone believing you are the courtesan and personal servant of the prince? I do not think…"

"Your majesty, I know it is old news… but I lost to a blood oath. Though the prince has taken me as his mate, I still hold true to that oath until I take my last breath. I do not care what others believe about me… his safety comes first… and I would not be so selfish as to risk his life over a mere few ugly whispers and stares," Sakura shook her head, her voice low.

A light of respect lit the king's eyes and he nodded at his nephew who was glowering at the hardheaded young woman at the moment, "You have chosen well… she is not dragon… but a good choice all the same…"

Sakura felt her cheeks reddening at the around about compliment. The prince finally spoke, his voice was cold as he said, "I don't like it. I almost rather go to war with those bastards and be done with it… I do not like risking the well being of my mate over something as foolish as a tournament…"

The pink haired woman sighed adding thoughtfully, "I think Kakashi-sensei might guess about us… but I think he'd keep quiet about it if he does…"

"Hatake? Why would he…?" King Hiashi raised a brow at the two of them.

"Not much escapes that wily fox," Sakura murmured.

The king seemed to accept that response and nodded, "I will talk to him about it and order his absolute silence on it. I would also request nephew… that you would consider… allowing my champion Itachi Uchiha to know about it as well…"

That pulled a snarl from the prince, his shoulders stiffening, "I do not see the reason why … that the Uchiha should know anything…"

"You know as well as I do… his honor is solid. If you begin to seem overly protective of Sakura, then servants and nobles will talk… and with the time still being as long as it is," the king pinned the two of them with his eyes, "rumors could reach the emperor. I believe that it would serve our purpose if the Uchiha keeps an eye on her your place. For a prince, would be cold to a servant, even an adored courtesan in public… nor should he care if she would seek out other males for favors."

Sakura watched as Neji thought about it. She could see the reason behind the king's words, but she knew that the prince would be uneasy beneath the new bond. Reaching over gently, she touched his forearm, "My liege. I understand how you feel. It would be for the best. It would only be for two months…"

The male's silvery eyes searched hers and then ever so slowly he bent his chin, "It would be probably the wisest course of action… but I do not like it…"

The king nodded and then went to the door and summoned a servant to him whispering a few words to him. Shutting the door he turned to them, "This will be between the four of us, maybe five, depending on Hatake. The fewer who know the better. I will keep it from my mate and daughters…"

Sakura suddenly had a thought and she tilted her chin, "Despite what I've agreed… I will not go about dressing up in gowns and powdering my face. I will continue as I am..."

"If you began to behave differently than you do now. It would definitely draw suspicion," Neji nodded at her in agreement.

A brisk knock echoed and the three of them looked up. The King issued a stern reply and Itachi Uchiha entered the room, shutting the door behind him. His sharp black eyes rested on the three of them and then finally back on her again. Sakura blushed beneath the knowing look. It was embarrassing to her, to realize how strong a dragon's sense of smell really was. It was like an invasion of privacy.

"You summoned me your majesty," Itachi murmured in his normal cold manner.

The king nodded, and Sakura listened silently as he explained the whole ordeal to the black-eyed dragon. Once he finished, Itachi sat, and looked between the two of them. First he said, "My prince, although I understand your haste the timing is most unwise… however," his chin lowered as he pinned the two of them beneath his gaze, "I agree that this would be the best course of action… but my opinion means nothing… I would be honored to protect your mate in your absence… as long as you believe you will be comfortable with me doing so…"

Sakura watched as a silent exchange passed between the two of them. Her eyes flicked to her mate when he finally spoke, his voice was low, and nearly a growl, "I am not comfortable with it at all… but I would not leave my mate without protection…"

"I can protect myself," she muttered under her breath and then blushed when she found three sets of amused male eyes on her. Damn dragons and their superior sense of smell, hearing, and kami only knew what else, she thought irritably to herself.

The Uchiha issued in a smooth, slightly amused tenor, "My lady, think of it… as training…" he paused a moment when she glared at him. Sakura wondered if he realized how much he sounded like Kakashi with that phrase, "I did mention that I would like to test your skill to see where you stand. I have fought Lord Lucied before and I could probably prepare you better than Hatake can… this could prove beneficial in the end..."

She saw Neji's eyes slide in her direction as if to ask; when did the two of you decide this? Sighing she ignored the disgruntled look of her mate and nodded at the king's champion, "I only have two months. I regret to say… that I am lacking and have much to regain… I am replacing my sword's twin… it arrived yesterday from the smith Cathius. Even if I decide not to fight with it, I would like to retrain those muscles and reflexes."

King Hiashi laughed and said to her dismay, "It seems that your mind is often occupied by thoughts of battle… you are a very strange female…"

The Uchiha however was not amused he only nodded at her. She could tell he understood her desire to train. Each second she wasted, was a moment she lost. At this point they were precious and she was eager to get started. The prince seen the silent exchange, and he had to suppress a snarl. He would have to get used to it, or at least learn to tolerate it.

Sakura sensing his mood stood, leaned over to touch his hand, "It is only a short time."

He nodded, his clawed fingertip brushing back a stray bang that had fallen into her eyes, "If you wish to train, I will not stop you. I still have things I need to discuss with my uncle…"

Even though they had an audience Sakura leaned in and left an affectionate kiss on his forehead before straightening and after bowing to the king respectfully, her and Itachi left the room. Once outside she murmured, "I need to stop by my room to pick up my second sword…"

He only nodded and side-by-side they cut through the corridors in haste. The Uchiha stopped to wait outside her door. Inside, she picked up the new sword, once again testing the weight in her hand. Sliding the blade out of the sheathe, a smile touched her lips at the lovely artwork of a black dragon, amazing similar to the one on her neck spiraling up the hilt. She took the scabbard and hooked it on to her sword belt. She took a couple steps and smiled. It was strange to feel a sword brushing against her left leg again. It had been over eight months since she'd dual wielded.

Slipping outside the door, she asked Itachi softly, "Is there a forge within the castle. I need to do a bit of maintenance on my sword before we begin…"

"You know the art of the sword smith?" the male quirked a brow down at the ever surprising female.

"Not really. I mean I can forge a dagger, and a few basic things. My father was a master smith… but I never had the penchant for it. I used to watch him too but… it is as they say… an art… and my art is that of the fighting art…" she smiled at the emergence of memories, "my father was a good swordsman but I quickly surpassed him… so I supposed in the end it balanced itself out. But he did make certain that I did know how to take care of my own swords if necessary…"

He surprised her by asking, "Would you mind teaching me this skill?"

She shot him a look, "What? I know it isn't common for a warrior to but…"

"Sword smiths do not teach outsiders their secrets… It would save me much trouble if I knew how to maintain my own sword," Itachi replied curtly.

"Certainly," she nodded her head; "After all… we will be spending a good amount of time in each other's company in the next two months…" then she let out a soft sigh, "And since you will take the time to help me rework my sword skills it's the very least I could do to repay you…"

"I am the one who offered," the male opened the door to the practice grounds and stepped aside to let her pass, "you owe me nothing. Just as you serve… I am bound by honor to do so as well…"

Nodding, she took to following him, as he took her around to the western side of the grounds. It wasn't long until she could smell the scent of coal and melting iron and steel. When they approached the forge the royal smith glanced up to take in the two of them. He ignored the girl and spoke to the Uchiha instead, "Is there something I can do for you young master?"

"I require the use of your forge," Itachi's voice carried an air of authority that rather impressed Sakura. She thought to herself amused that Neji and Itachi could exchange notes on the art of intimidation. She highly doubted however either of them would appreciate the suggestion.

"But… but my lord… I don't think," the smith began to stutter, shocked that the lord was ordering him out of his own workshop, "I can do any work you need immediately."

"I have no need of you. Just your forge. I am requesting that you relinquish it for a short time," the cold Uchiha was short and to the point. Even though he stated it as a request, if the half curled lip over his fangs was any indication, and having been around Neji for as long as she had, she was certain this was not.

Sighing in exasperation, she pushed forward past the Uchiha ignoring his growl and caught the eyes of the anxious smith. She explained to him, "I apologize for the inconvenience but his lordship has requested that I teach him the basics of maintaining his sword… I know I do not look like it, but I am the daughter of a sword smith and I will not ruin your equipment… if I do happen to do so however… my master will compensate you for your losses…"

"Your master," the smith asked, his eyes darting between the two of them obviously confused.

Sakura lifted her hair aside and showed him the mark on her neck, "Yes…"

The smith swallowed and finally he relented, "I understand. Is half an hour all right? I… I have a lot of work to do and…"

She raised her hand to stem the flow of words, "That is more than generous. Thank you."

He nodded and left them there, throwing a dirty look over his shoulder at the Uchiha as he left. Sakura went around the counter immediately and unsheathed her father's sword and laid it flat against the anvil.

The Uchiha glanced down at her, "That was unnecessary. You didn't have to explain yourself. If he had continued to irritate me… I would have had to bloody my claws… a slight annoyance but…"

Sakura interrupted him with a wave of the hand, "First of all… don't be killing people because they don't obey you within the time limit of ten seconds… Secondly… a smith's shop is his livelihood and," she gestured at him, pointing at his well tailored clothing, "You are a lord. Lords are not supposed to want to do this sort of manual labor. You can't blame the guy for being confused… damn dragons, always impatient," she muttered and he caught the remnants of, "nothing but bullies…"

He smirked down at her, "You are a strange woman…"

"So I've been told," she responded dryly before lifting a small metal rod. She used it to point with as she began instruction, "I know your vision must be excellent so I'm not going to bother pulling out a looking glass…" and then when she caught the superior look on his face she arched a brow at him and then continued, "Do you see the abrasions here?" she slowly ran her finger up the edge and at his nod, she picked up a pair of tongs, "He's already heated them but I will do so again so you know what needs to be done."

Step by step, Sakura took him through the process, of how to hammer the metal property, the temperatures he should look for, and how to properly cool the metal so it wouldn't crack. When she finished she plucked a fine pink hair from her head and let it slide over the blade, showing him the exact sharpness he was looking for, by the hair splitting over the edge cleanly.

"I understand," he nodded and shouldering her aside, ignoring her protest, he mimicked her actions step by step, and effectively repaired his own blade. It wasn't nearly as good of a job as she had done but it was serviceable.

She said once he lifted his sword for inspection, "You pass Uchiha… but… next time let the tool heat a little longer… and depending on the type of the metal of your sword, temperatures vary."

He dipped his chin in acknowledgement, "I realized my mistake… but at the time I didn't think it would be possible to fix it… so I just…"

Sakura lifted her head, noting the smith was returning to his forge. The pink haired female noticed his look of apprehension and felt sorry for the poor guy, never mind the fact that he had snubbed her in the beginning. The pinkette nodded up at the male, "It is time to return this man's facilities to him…"

His response was to stare back at her with those black eyes of his. Sighing Sakura turned and thanked the blacksmith, "I appreciate you letting us use this. I am sorry to have disturbed you…"

"It was no problem miss," the smith ducked his head respectfully at her.

As Sakura walked away, she didn't realize that Itachi had turned his face back to the still apprehensive older dragon, and issued him a flash of fangs as his 'thanks' in a display of dominance, smiling darkly when the other male cowered. She glanced up when he suddenly fell instep beside her, "We will be using a different training ground today than the one you are used to..."

The pink haired woman nodded, and followed him in a direction she'd never been before. As they approached the large flat dusty open area, her eyes widened when she spotted Sasuke and Naruto sparring against each other madly. Itachi explained, his visage expressionless, "My family holds a large military presence in Konoha and the Uchiha clan, is well respected, all of the males of my kin hold at least some rank in the elite ranks, or, like my father's line, we are trained specifically from childhood on to be king's champions. In return for our service we've been given our own training ground within the royal premises."

Wide eyed Sakura listened to his explanation nodding politely to indicate she was listening. She bit her lower lip, it was no wonder his young brother Sasuke was so bent out of shape over this ordeal between her and Lord Lucied. When they halted by the edge both males looked up. Sasuke's eyes narrowed when he spotted her, his eyes roamed over the length of her black leather armor, which had obviously seen better days with distaste.

Naruto however smiled, the breeze ruffling his blond spikes, his cheeks flushed from excercise, "Oh hey Sakura... what brings you here?"

"Training," was the short reply, her eyes flicked between the two young males.

Sasuke turned a frosty gaze towards his brother, "Why did you bring this woman here to our family's practice grounds?"

Before Itachi could think to reply Sakura added with a smirk, "He brought me here to kick your ass lizard breath..."

Naruto guffawed at that cheeky response and put an arm over the now fuming male's shoulder, "This is deja vu all over again... better watch out teme, she means business."

"I would not lower myself to fight a woman... a human one at that," Sasuke turned his head away, his cheeks red.

"And the emperor's champion did not lower himself to fight you... so I suppose that makes us even," Sakura folded her arms, her eyes glimmering with suppressed amusement. She knew it was underhanded to pick a fight with the younger Uchiha but, if she fought him, perhaps the matter would get settled between them.

Sasuke's flush deepened when Itachi let out a sound that suspiciously sounded like a chuckle, "I think it would be an excellent idea brother to spar with her. I had meant to do so myself... but... it seems you've been challenged."

"Fine," he half spat, "Have it your way... Rules?"

"No dragon magic," Sakura nodded at him, "First blood?"

"Agreed," the dragon snarled at her.

The pink haired woman knew she was at a disadvantage for not having worked her skills in so long, her left arm was still somewhat questionable and she hadn't held two swords in her hands for a long time. She hoped she didn't embarrass herself. Sakura had no illusions about winning but she'd show him that she was her own warrior.

Wordlessly Sakura stepped to the center, her pink ponytail dragging in the breeze. Naruto and Itachi stepped back and off to the side to watch. She faced off against Sasuke, standing back a good six feet. Her arms crossed over one another, as she pulled her two blades, and her booted heels slid slightly in the hard dusty ground as she moved into a wide legged stance. She was pleased that her left hand seemed to grip the hilt no problem and the muscles didn't seem to strain yet with the effort.

Sasuke pulled his sword from its scabbard. Sakura noticed immediately that the blade was long, thin, and at least a good four to five foot in length. It had a slight bend, reminding her vaguely of the curve of a crescent moon. She'd have to be cautious of his reach but not overly cautious.

She could tell he was waiting for her to make the first move. Sakura smirked at him, "Let's dance..."

Eyes narrowing, he charged, and Sakura literally danced aside as he blurred past her, turning on the balls of her left heel, catching his sword with hers cross, the point of his blade mere inches from his face. Sakura watched his muscles tensed, and she knew he was about to shove her away, so before he could do so she jumped back, and before he had time to react, she came at him spinning, the two points of her weapons out. He brushed them aside as she knew he would and when he made a swipe for her, she went to the ground sweeping her heel in a low roundhouse kick, meant to knock him off his feet.

He jumped before her blow could connect and put distance between them. Straightening, she charged, her aggression taking him off guard. When they clashed again, Sakura bit out, "Get serious."

This time he smirked at her, and with a ruthless shove loaded with the infamous dragon's strength. Bending slightly at the waist, her blades crossed in front of her, she used the inertia from him to slide backwards so she wouldn't fall. Sakura could see that he was surprised that she was still on her feet. Again, Sakura crouched into a proper stance, the sweat on her arms and forehead glistening in the sun. She waited patiently for his next move. This time when he charged her, Sakura sparked her blades against him, sliding the metal along his, causing sparks to dance. Whirling she rolled around him and facing his unprotected back, she snap kicked him in the center of his back and watched him stumble.

Sakura could have drawn first blood, she knew, and she probably should have, but she wanted a good fight. He wasn't being serious with her yet, she could tell by his hesitation. When he turned to face her again she taunted him, "You do know that I was a Captain of the Fourteenth Division of the Grassland's united army... I can see that you are still quite green. If we were on a real battleground... you would no longer be breathing... If you cannot be serious... Do not waste my time..."

She watched as his entire visage darkened with telltale signs of rage and then within a moment it was gone. His shoulders stiffened, and he dropped in a stance she hadn't seem him use yet. A smile touched her lips, good. Now they could properly begin. Aggressively he began to slowly circle her, just as a predator would its prey. She wasn't in the least intimidated however. The muscles of her arms looked sleek beneath the sweat. The dragon she fought looked nearly pristine. Sakura sighed, being human her fatigue was much more noticeable, but fortunately she was far from tired. The exhilaration of being able to move so freely again felt damned good. She was loving it.

Schooling her face into the expression she'd often worn when she was in the military, she allowed her eyes to follow him, her body making minimal movement, telling him without words that she was watching him. When he finally swooped into attack Sakura swiveled to the left, catching his blade but moving aside. He growled at her in frustration, "Dammit, stand still..."

She had already realized that his strong point was his strength, he was fast, but not nearly as quick on foot as Kakashi-sensei or even Prince Neji. Sakura released a feral war cry that set her whole body vibrating as she went for the obviously startled dragon. Sasuke stumbled a step back surprised by her sudden vehemence as she came at him with several incredibly difficult maneuvers and katas that he did not recognize, her feet moving in an expert dance that kept him on his toes. It was like she had taken the fight to a whole new level, despite the fact that she seemed to be tiring.

Sasuke's lips thinned as he met her blow for blow his own pride pushing him to meet her maneuvers. Her unrelenting focus forced the male to meet her blows, his natural draconian swiftness and agility the only thing from immediate defeat. He realized quickly that she wasn't allowing him time to gather too much strength behind his blows. She was quick, agile, and extremely intelligent. He could see the cunning in the depths of her green eyes, the calculating way she studied every move he made, and in mere moments, she had a counter for everything he could think to throw at her. It wasn't long till he found himself becoming frustrated at the lack of the ability to draw blood from the surprisingly vicious slender woman.

Sakura could see the frustration and confusion on his face. She backed away several steps, and before he could ascertain her intentions she charged him, and she bent and sprung, her blades pointed out heading straight for his unprotected face. Sasuke feinted to the side as she had hoped he would and she landed just on his left side. Without looking she brought up her right elbow nailing him in his unprotected ribcage. The dragon didn't flinch, but let out an expelled breath at the feeling of her pointy elbow being thrust into his ribcage, and defensively swiped at her with a clawed hand. Sakura ducked and with a forceful thrust of the blade in her right hand she caught his unprotected outstretched hand with the tip of her sword, slicing the skin and effectively drawing first blood with a very minor wound.

The silence was deafening, and Sakura glanced to the side, eyeing the stunned dragon. His onyx eyes were eyeing the small slice on his hand, and the blood trailing down his wrist. With a relieved breath, Sakura went to her knees, bending over slightly, her breaths coming in small gasps. Her left arm was shaking she realized. She had pushed herself physically far more than she should have. Her body was already protesting and she knew she'd be achy the next day. Above her he murmured, his tenor a partial growl, "You actually..."

Glancing up, she rose to her feet and sheathed her swords, wiping the sweat from her brow. She surprised him when she reached out and grabbed his wounded hand and glanced at it thoughtfully. He didn't jerk away, only he watched her silently, "I have herbal ointment I talked the doctor out of... that would take care of this..."

"That's not necessary," he jerked his hand from her grasp.

Captain Naruto bounded over to the two of them, his face cheerful, "Just like I remember Sakura..."

Sakura looked up at Itachi's approach. She could sense his calculating stare on her, his eyes were glinting with an emotion she couldn't quite translate. He finally said, "Are you done playing with the boys? You ready to get serious..."

Itachi ignored the venomous glare his younger brother sent his way. He hadn't honestly expected her to win, his brother was good, still green but passable for a dragon. He had thought she was just some human woman that was decent with a sword. For some reason he found himself eager to fight with the enigmatic woman. She was chock full of surprises. When she had announced that she'd been a captain of the once enemy army he'd been shocked. It was no wonder Kakashi had wanted to train her. Her mind was sharp, and she fought with no small skill. He had recognized most of the katas she moved his brother through but not all of them.

Sakura breathed in deeply, "I am ready whenever you wish to begin."

He nodded and then his eyes narrowed when she removed the left scabbard from her sword belt and strode over to the edge where Naruto and Sasuke stood to watch and set it down. Turning she gave him a sheepish look, "My left arm is still healing. It is better if I do not over work it..."

Moving back into position, Sakura drew the sword forged by her father and held it out, watching Itachi's liquid movement as he unsheathed his. Her eyes narrowed, she was definitely playing in the league of the big boys this time around if the ease of the way he moved was any indicator. Sakura didn't dare take the defensive, she moved the moment his heel lifted, charging him. Their swords met and sang. Itachi knew she relied on being swift and light, and so he went at her doggedly, not allowing her the comfort of standing still for a moment.

Immediately Sakura knew he was trying to exhaust her more than wound her. There had been no rules set, and so it made her wary of him. At one point he grabbed her wrist, attempting to wrench her sword from her grasp, but having learned from Kakashi, she twisted around moving herself at such an angle it was to awkward for him to keep a hold of her. The moment he released her, she sent a snap kick to his torso, but he easily dodged it, putting some distance between them. His visage was cool as he quickly ascertained her condition. It was obvious she was tiring, and she was slowing, but her eyes were still sharp and vigilant.

With a smirk he allowed her to charge him, meeting her blow for blow. This time he let her lead him through her various combinations, wanting to see how complicated she could take it. When he could see that she was starting to exhaust herself more than she should at this point of her healing process he put a halt to it.

Sakura lowered her blade, she could feel her hair pasted against her skin, sweat and dust streaked her face and arms. While the dragon in front of her, looked completely unruffled and pratically pristine except for a trace of dirt on his clothes here and there. She wasn't a vain woman by any stretch of the imagination but she still didn't feel that it was all that fair in the end. With a sigh, she sheathed her sword, "I apologize for my lack of endurance..."

Itachi shook his head, "It took you longer to tire than I honestly thought," when she shot him a thoughtful look, his lips quirked, "I haven't had much opportunity to spar with human women... but now that I understand your capacity, I will be able to properly train you for the upcoming event..."

She murmured somewhat dejectedly, "It seemed no matter what I did, I couldn't keep up with you..."

"That's to be expected," he ignored the dirty look she sent his way, "I am a dragon, my physical capability, senses and strength far eclipses your human ones but you have this..." he reached across and poked her in the middle of the forehead, "Your knowledge of maneuvers, katas, and combinations are impressively extensive. Lord Lucied's fighting style is erratic and oftentimes bizarre," when her face scrunched up with thought he let out a cool laugh, "So the best thing that I can do for you is to strengthen your technical skills and combination work... and to help you regain the stamina you feel that you lost. You also seem to understand the basic of taijutsu, your kicks tend to be sloppy but well timed."

She blushed beneath the critisism but took it all in stride and only nodded, "Thank you for your honesty."

He only raised a brow in response. Naruto came forward, and held out her secondary sword to her, "I'd like to spar with you some time, Sakura..."

"I'd like that captain," she murmured taking the sword from his hands, immediately re hooking the scabbard to her sword belt and then flashed him a grateful smile, "Thank you."

The stiff male voice to her right drew her attention, "I would like to accept another challenge at a later time as well..."

The mirth sparkling in her eyes caused Sasuke to stiffen. She dipped her head, "Of course. Except next time I expect you to draw first blood. Don't disappoint me..."

His mouth gaped a moment but then he shut it, he gave her a frigid glare before responding tersely, "I assure you that I will give you no reason to be disappointed..."

Itachi said from behind her, "I will meet with you again tomorrow afternoon Haruno, after my duties. Do not make me wait."

Sakura didn't turn, she only halted, dipped her head and then continued walking. When she entered the interior of the castle, she immediately realized the difference in the servants. They were whispering in front of her, and then eyeing her with bemused smirks and nasty giggles. Easily ignoring them, she sensed that her indifference irked them, and that in itself made her feel a little more cheerful. Halfway to her room, she let out a small noise of surprise when a hand grasped her upper arm and before her tired brain could compute what was happening, she found herself pulled into the shadows. Instinctively her elbow snapped back, and buried itself into the perpetrator's gut, and her booted heel ground into a foot.

A familiar masculine growl caused her to stiffen. When she turned her head, her mouth gaped open, "I'm so sorry. You startled me."

Neji only smirked down at the female before turning her around and pinning her against the wall. She gasped, "My liege, someone will see..."

"There is no one," his nose touched her cheek and then he jerked back, his nostrils flared with agitation, "You carry the scent of other males..."

"Well its kind of hard to avoid such a thing... when you're sparring," Sakura's response was smarmy.

He snarled before greedily taking her lips, and tugging her close his clawed hand gripped the edge of the curve of her waist. She gasped into his lips when she felt his claws prick her skin. His other hand tugged the tie from her hair, running his hands through the damp, sweat laden tresses as the fell in a pink water fall down her back. When he withdrew he looked down into her eyes, saying softly, "The king has decided on throwing another ball to draw attention away from the current situation..."

"Oh. Will I be expected to attend?" Sakura queried seriously, hoping that his answer would be in the negative.

"Yes of course. You are considered court royal courtesan now, and also my personal servant. It is odd to think but your station has elevated, but yet, you will be looked down upon for it. Unfortunately you will be expected to attend," he arched a brow down into her face.

"Dammit," She muttered under her breath, "I'll have to wear a gown won't I?"

"Woman what is your aversion to dressing like the female you are?" he groused at her, "Yes you will. However after your last stunt, I don't trust you to pick something suitable... so I will personally have something made for you."

"So when am I to expected to subject myself to this torture?" she rolled her eyes suggestively.

"The end of this week," he stepped away from her, when he heard voices drawing closer from down the hall. He knew her human ears didn't hear them. He bent in quickly and stole another kiss, "I will wait patiently in my chambers for you tonight."

Sanguine stained the bridge of her nose at the suggestive purr in his voice, "I'm certain that you will be... and..."

He kissed her again to stem the sarcasm spilling from her lips before sauntering away, his cream hued royal clothing swirling with the suddenly swift and smug movement. Childishly she stuck her tongue out at him before pivoting on her heel and stalking away in the opposite direction. Maybe these two months were going to be longer than she thought.

-

A/N: Thank you Shy'Tanith for the quick lesson. I should have studied more on the subject before writing it out the way I did, but it was rather spur of the moment honestly. And thanks for pointing out something I never touched on but should have. Your accurate guesses scare me. Am I that obvious? Also I have no idea how swords are repaired, I looked at diagrams and read what I could on the subject, and so I hope my mini explanation was enough that you all could picture it for entertainment's sake. If there are any inaccuracies I apologize. Overall I hope everyone enjoys it. Sorry Lady Thief fans, I have a clear idea at this time where I'm going with this, so I'm writing it out so I don't lose any of the good details. I think I'm looking as forward to the upcoming tournament as you guys. Thanks as always everyone, reviews are much beloved to me.