Author's note:
Woah thanks for the great feedback guys, your encouraging helped me to continue this story. I hope you enjoy this chapter too.
Tell me what do you think about it in a review please.
Geishas cannot walk at a normal pace. They wear geta -wooden sandals- and so their steps have to be small. Sakura mastered the art of walking during five months when she was thirteen. Now she moves gracefully, almost like she is levitating. Walking is not the only thing she had to learn. Becoming a geisha was indeed one of the hardest jobs to do. She remembers watching her onee-san Konan playing the shamisen and serving tea to her danna. Her dream finally came true when Konan told her she was ready and led her to her first solo performance.
The streets are not that crowded. Konoha is still a young city and people tend to stay at home. They take the most peaceful streets to the temple, Sakura does not want to meet anyone. That would make her even more late. The maikos hurry behind her. Chiyo and Izumi have the task to accompany her to the meeting with the rest of the geishas. Sakura can hear their excited talk, her full lips curve in a sweet smile.
"S-sakura-sama?" Izumi asks shyly. It's a great honor to walk behind the Nightingale.
"Yes, Izumi-chan?"
"Could y-you tell us what are you going to do tonight?"
"Izumi! Don't ask her so directly!" Chiyo's highpitched voice makes Sakura laugh softly.
"S-sorry Sakura-sama!" Izumi hurries to apologize. "I didn't m-mean too-"
"It is fine, Izumi-chan." Sakura ruffles her hair delicately. "I am going to meet some very important men, and I will try to make a great deal for the okiya."
"Are they business men?" Chiyo asks curiously. "Or are they from the royalty?"
"Don't be so nosy, Chiyo-chan." Sakura's eyes spark at the sight of the temple. "Geishas must know when to stop asking."
Chiyo blushes but frowns, and Izumi lets out a playful laugh. Sakura likes to teach her favorite maikos. Maybe one day she will get to be one of the girl's onee-san. "But that time is still far away from the present."
Tonight she has her first mission, but she obviously cannot tell the girls about it. It is a secret between Tsunade-sama and her. The Senju woman has put his trust on Sakura, and she cannot fail her. It is not her first party as a geisha, but it actually is her first event as a kunoichi.
Sakura is nervous though. Her legs tremble a bit whenever she feels the cold steel of her hidden weapons. She keeps thinking about how to perform medical jutsu and the seals for her Suuiton ninjutsu. All her training will be a waste of if she does not succeed at the party.
When they finally arrive to the shintoist temple, the two little girls say goodbye to Sakura and wish her luck, their childlike eyes still amazed at the pinkette's beautiful crimson kimono. An old man greets her at the entrance, sitting on a wooden chair. His red and orange uniform shows his monk status, his wrinkles stretch when he grins at the girl.
"Sakura-sama." The old man bows his head.
"Hiruzen-san." Sakura nods and smiles softly. "I guess the rest are already inside?"
"They have been waiting for a few minutes. Ino-sama might be a little anxious already."
When Uchiha Sasuke enters his rooms, he notices the deep blue kimono on his futon. It is a simple outfit, with dark grey, wave-like patterns. As plain as it might seem, it suddenly looks beautiful when he sees the Uchiha fan sewn on it's back. He throws it on and steps in his geta. The mirror shows him a tall, dark haired young man. His onyx eyes stare at him through the crystal, his hands try to fix his hair up. He then remembers what her mother used to say. "She would ruffle it because she likes it messy." The ghost of a small smile crosses his mouth, but it disappears when he hears the door knock.
"Sasuke, are you ready?" Itachi's voice is soft. "We have to go now."
"Hai, nii-san."
Sasuke frowns at the mirror one more time. "I am Uchiha Sasuke. I am a shinobi. I will honor my parents."
Itachi is waiting for him outside the main house, his ponytail well braided and the same kimono as Sasuke. He smiles softly at his little brother and they walk together to the entrance of the Uchiha compound in a comfortable silence. The weight of his katana -the mighty Kusanagi- reassures him on his duty. He wears it hooked on his obi, his hand reaches often for it, almost with reverence. It is his most precious possession.
Madara greets them at the main door of the Uchiha compound. He's wearing the same black kimono as the brothers, but his has leaf-like crimson pattern. The wind moves gracefully his long, wild hair.
"Itachi, Sasuke." He nods, his eyes narrow at Sasuke. "I guess you are wondering why I required you to wear a kimono."
"Hn." Sasuke answers. Of course he is wondering, but he totally not a nosy little boy.
"Well." Madara starts walking, his nephews follow him closely. "We are attending an event."
Sasuke's eyes widen a little. It's been ages since the last time he had been to an event. He was seven years old when their parents died, so after that he went 'full hermit mode', only leaving the compound if it was an order from his uncle. "Itachi already knew about this. That's why he is still so quiet."
"We all know that the Uchiha signed a peaceful agreement with the Senju clan to stop the war." Madara's voice is serious, always strict. "But this peace is fragile. I am meeting the Uzumaki clan head tonight to get to know the ones that are allied with Hashirama."
"And what is my job, Uncle?" Sasuke asks losing his patientce.
"Not so fast, Sasuke." Madara orders scowling. "You might be the head of the clan one day, and you need to know how politics actually are. Tonight's meeting is supposed to be calm, an oportunity to enjoy ourselves since we even paid some geishas to entertain us."
Sasuke narrows his eyes at that. The word geisha remembers him of something that he really doesn't want to think about right now. However, he's never actually seen one of those 'entertainers', and he can't help but to grow curious about them.
"The thing is..." Madara's voice gets even deeper. "We recently received some information from our spies. The Senju clan does not trust us -just as we do not trust them- and there might be a Senju infiltrator to gather information aswell as to try something on us."
They arrive to a simple carriage with the Uchiha fan painted on it. Obito and Shisui -Madara's personal guard- greet them with a nod. Madara turns his head to Sasuke, a dangerous scowl on his face.
"Your job is to discover the spy, and kill him."
"I cannot wait anymore!" Ino's voice is a pain for the rest of the group. "I have been told that those Uchihas are pretty damn handsome. Which one of them should I ask to become my danna?"
"Ino you just cannot ask a man to be your danna." Sakura sighs. "Your okaa-san is the one that has to make the deal."
"But I do not want to be with a random man." Ino scowls. "I want a tall, strong Uchiha who can kiss me properly and will not oogle me while drinking sake."
Sakura decides not to answer them. They are minutes away from the ryoriten and Ino is being too obnoxious for her. Not like Sakura is calmer. She is constantly trying not to shiver, Tsunade's voice echoes in her mind like a prayer. "Do not even dare to screw it up Sakura." Ino wears an outrageously beautiful blue kimono just like the color of her eyes, his blonde hair braided the same way as Sakura's. The pinkette does not really know how they became friends. She supposes that it happened because both of them are young and alone in a city full of dangerous people.
"Alright, it is time to go in, Sakura." Ino says grinning. "I can almost smell the handsomeness!"
The ryoriten is half empty and the owner leads the young geishas to a private room. They wait behind the bamboo door, smoothing their kimonos. Sakura takes a deep breath and nods. "I will succeed."
"You are so lucky that your okaa-san brought you here to find your danna." Ino whispers to her friend. "Even if they are as evil as people says, they are still the hottest men alive! I also want to have an Uchiha danna!"
The hallway is lighted softly and Sakura can see her own shadow. She is too little, her skin too pale, her hands too delicate. "What if I cannot-"
Ino suddenly slides the bamboo door and gently pushes Sakura in.
"Ohayo!" Ino greets sweetly. "I hope we didn't make you wait too much for us!"
Sakura knows she should say something but her body is frozen. She can't say a single thing when she sees his face and his eyes. He sure has grown up, but his dark hair remains the same, his bangs framing his pale, aristocratic features. And she can tell by his widen eyes that he remembers her too.
"Remember your mission, Sakura. Let an Uchiha be your danna and kill the youngest heir."