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Sainte-Verre Noir Church
10:10 A.M.

"Where did you hide the body?" an archdeacon whispers frantically.

"It is an honor to welcome you…"

"Hm?" comes a calm response.

"To a morning of love and music…

"The body," the voice repeats nervously. "The pope's body."

"We pray our Holy Father will richly bless…"

A devious smirk. "I don't know what you're talking about, Archdeacon Sasuke."

"The hymns our choir will sing today…"

"You didn't actually kill him, did you?"

"Let us lift high our songs and our voices…"

"Frankly, I don't remember." An exaggerated sigh. "It occurred so very long ago."

"As we all join as one in worship and praise…"

"Neji, you met up with him last night."

"With Archbishop Hyuuga Neji's harmonious choir!"

"Oh, duty calls. Shouldn't you be attending to your group of nomads, Uchiha?"

"Wait, Neji—"

The music begins.

Sasuke clucks his tongue with vexation and makes his way back to the transept, where a small assembly of Roman travelers wordlessly waits for his return. He takes a seat by one of them, and sighs tiredly.

A pair of cerulean eyes glances sideways. "Thank you for guiding us all here, Archdeacon."

Slightly taken aback, Sasuke looks to his left and slowly nods. "You're welcome."

"God bless you."

The deacon begins to return the politeness, but a light grumble squeezes into the conversation first.

"Pardon me, Archdeacon," the blonde murmurs.

Sasuke blinks. "The breakfast hour passed just a moment ago. Did you not have time to eat?"

The man shakes his head.

"Did you eat last night?"

Another shake.

"How about the night before?"

Another.

Sasuke narrows his eyes. "You haven't eaten in two days?"

"Three," is the hushed answer. "Archdeacon," he quickly adds.

The dark-haired man stands. "Wait here." He steps toward the church's narthex, exchanges a few words with a man adorned in white and gold, and then returns shortly with two pieces of bread hidden in his robe's sleeves.

"Welcome back, Arch—"

"Eat these subtly." He hands the food over. "And sanitarily."

"Thank…" Stomach grumble. "Thank you, Archdeacon."

"Naruto," a soft voice murmurs from behind. "Is that what I think it is?"

The blonde freezes mid-bite and rotates his head around. Sasuke unconsciously follows suit. A brunette young woman with exotic features and frail shoulders, stares at the two males with a chilling glint of amusement, and curved lips.

"Archdeacon Uchiha Sasuke," she calls, "did you happen to forget to prepare breakfast for the equally unfortunate, starving lady seated directly behind you?"

The female's increasingly arrogant smirk deprives him of the ability to produce a witty retort. He clears his throat, reminding himself that he's a gracious, elegant deacon. "I don't recall ever telling you my full name."

She brushes a few loose strands of burnt auburn from her distinguishing cheekbones and tucks them neatly behind a pierced ear. "I do." Her smug gaze lingers on the man's face for a second more before shifting toward the blonde. "Share."

Sasuke watches with mild disbelief as the hungry lad obeys with not the slightest hesitation, bringing one untouched loaf of wheat toward the woman's outstretched arm. "Yes, Tenten."

A hand cuts the exchange.

"What do you think you're doing, Archdeacon?"

"I vaguely recall passing food to only one Roman," he whispers with a low volume, beginning to notice the hostile glances from other rows, "Tenten."

She makes no effort to keep her voice down. "Maybe you should get that memory of yours fixed up then, you damn—"

"The Lord is watching," Sasuke intercepts, scowling at the woman's disrespect.

Tenten pays no heed. "I'm an atheist."

"So am I," he almost replies, but rediscovers his saintly composure. "Then why are you here?"

"You brought me here."

"You know what I mean." He narrows his eyes. "Why did you join—"

"We heard you guys give out free food during flashy events." Her eyes briefly scan across the church's nave. "Is it about time you bring them out?"

Sasuke presses his lips together in irritation. It's this type of woman that never fails to butcher his mood. "Speak for yourself. It doesn't seem like anybody else within this group is as gluttonous as you."

"Oh, you'd be surprised," Tenten answers. "They're just either too timid or hungry to admit it. Besides—"

"Kindly lower your voice," a nearby priest murmurs. "The choir's lovely music is—"

"I will if you shut up, lovely," the vulgar lady counters with a sweet smile.

"I apologize, Father," Sasuke immediately counters, displaying a sympathetic look. "She's currently…mentally unstable."

"Clearly," the priest remarks bluntly, harrumphs, and whips his head around.

There's an impatient shuffle of clothing. "I don't know about you," the woman directs at Naruto with an opaque glint in her eye, "but I'm gonna get some free food."

Before Sasuke could restrain her, Tenten slips off toward the church's area of crossing, crouching and crawling amidst the dull music solos and snoring parishioners. From afar, she spots a freshly prepared buffet of pastries hidden by the rood screen separating the choir from the rest, and subtly sneaks toward it.

"Strawberry tarts, cinnamon rolls," she murmurs to herself in delight, "and even cheesecake?" Tenten shoves all three into her mouth, stuffs a few more into her rucksack, shakes the bag's contents to fit it all, and accidentally drops a shiny, spherical object in the process.

"Shit." She helplessly watches it fall to the floor, continue its path past the rood screen and roll near the foot of a choir singer. "Don't you dare step on it, you screeching rodent," the woman hisses through her teeth as she mentally aims spears at the vocalist.

Miserere mei, Deus, secundum magnam misericordiam tuam.

Tenten scoffs as she tiptoes toward the choir. "What a lifeless choir."

Et secundum multitudinem miserationum tuarum, dele iniquitatem mean.

She's able to conceal a few more steps, thanks to the relatively large screen blocking the vision of all seated worshippers. Plus, all vocalists are facing the opposite direction, some even singing with their eyes closed.

Amplius lava me ab iniquitate mea: et a peccato meo munda me.

With a snicker, Tenten bends down to retrieve the shiny earring from the marmoreal floor. "That was way too easy," she mumbles. Nevertheless, being the slightly paranoid type of woman, she sneaks a quick glance upward just to double-check.

Quoniam iniquitatem mean ego cognosco: et peccatum meum contra me est simper.

To find the choir's silver-eyed conductor staring right at her.

She blinks.

"Shit."