Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto!

Special thanks for reviewing (and for also saying happy birthday to me!) to: Ellyrox598, Yami Getsuei, diggydawg, Tobi-luvs-itachi, yeji301, Tsebe Uchiha and Jake-is-my-guy. (Omgg! I didn't even know that many people reviewed until I did this. Damn, now I feel really really bad for not updating sooner! D:
BUT I am really grateful for the encouraging reviews, you kept me going when I felt like giving up! ^-^)

AN: I decided to cut this chapter into half so I could post something up now and then the rest of it later! I want to keep everyone happy, as well as getting a heavy load off my shoulders! :D
P.s. Sorry for the really really later update! Year 11 now, lots and lots of crapp hw! D':

Enjoy!

Chapter 18: Lies!

"Why! Our daughter getting married!" The King boasted in pride.

"Congratulations!" Naruto forcibly smiled.

Ha, poor sod who has to marry her!

Sakura looked at Kumo with joy from such an occasion – even though she still didn't like her. "Who's the lucky guy?"

I smirked from her hidden meaning.

"Why," the King cut in, over the top of his daughter, "your team member Uchiha Sasuke, of course!"

...

...

"WHAT?"

I blinked a few times as my body started to turn numb. What...?

"You've got to be kidding me! What the hell Sasuke?" Naruto screeched.

Sasuke looked scornfully at the King; dark hatred radiated off him.

...Oh fuck, he was mad! My fingers twitched slightly. My face felt like it was tremendously losing colour. So so numb. Everything looked like it was moving in slow motion.

"When? What? How?" Sakura yelled, anger flaring in her eyes.

"Now, calm down everyone," Kakashi said calmly, "there must be a misunderstanding."

"Who else would be better than a famous full-blooded Uchiha to marry my beautiful daughter?" The King bristled from us not respecting his decision. My heart was constricting harshly.

The Princess was slyly smirking at me. I believe our plan had backfired... My mouth was softy agape from the shock. I thought back to last night, how I thought I heard someone gasp after Naruto said that Sasuke and I were faking the relationship. I didn't have to put two and two together to figure out who our eavesdropper was.

"You," I pointed an accusing finger at her with a disgusted look on my face, "you were the person I heard last night! You were listening in on us, and probably spying!" You bloody little stalker!

She put a fake surprised look on her face; it looked so forged. "Why, how could you make such a deceleration?" She looked at her father like she was mortified. "Daddy!" She whined. "How dare she say that to me!"

The King snapped his fingers. "Guards! Take this—"

This was not the time for me to get kicked out of here for some liar! I lowly bowed before them, harshly gritting my teeth. "Please, my apologies," I said, trying to be earnest. Thank god for that short training with putting on fake voices that actually sound realistic.

"Why should we?" He accused.

I breathed deeply. "I truly am sorry. This has just all came as a shock... Again, my apologies," I bowed lower, trying to convince my charade. The Princess was enjoying the sight of me because her staining smirk grew.
I could feel everyone's eyes on me. They bored holes into my hunched figure. I could see Sasuke looking at me shocked for going to such a low. Well, for me it's low.

You owe me! I thought as my eyes connected with his ominous black ones. My team needed me for this, he needed me... I was born here; I know how to get around and how this place works. Well I used to...

"Jade, stop that," Naruto lowly growled to me.

I mouthed shut up to him, and he did. The team needed to be a team for once.

"Stand girl."

I did.

"What is your name?" The King asked. Looks like I've made a new 'friend'...

"Jade."

"Last?"

I frowned at this. "...I don't know it, Sir." I never did. My clan, only some people took on its name, and I never knew why to this.

Ear splitting silence came to the room. I concentrated on breathing evenly, trying to calm my nerves as my eyes penetrated his; his eyes were the same as his daughters, ugly.

"Accepted, but remember your place!" He then dismissed his guards. I let out a soft sigh; Thank god my mum taught me what and what not to say and do in those sorts of situations... "Now, back to the matters at hand," he said getting things along, "the wedding will be held within two months so my precious little angel can have it exactly the way she wants it."

Naruto frantically looked between Sasuke's darkening face and the Kings high esteemed face; the power that the King controls and holds over his country, thinking he can do anything just like his daughter. "Wait! Doesn't tem— Sasuke have any say in this?" Naruto screeched in utter confusion.

"Yes, of course he does..." The Queen shot out sweetly (flaky) before the King could have any say. "What do you wish for, dear? Would you like to marry my beautiful daughter and have all the riches and power you desire?"

My heart stopped beating after she said that. ...Power? My head snapped to Sasuke's direction, wanting to see his face from her offer. A stoic mask was in place now. Power is what he's been after his whole life, he's craved it, done anything to get it... left us for it...

This was a different sort of power though —he wanted strength— but to marry her, he could get anything he wanted, including the strength he's gone to the devil for...

The Queen smirked. "Just think of your children, how strong they would be if you married into our clan!"

She was manipulating him! I looked at her critically, her sly eyes connected with mine. I gritted my teeth, willing myself to shut up before I said another 'stupid' thing to these people. I looked back at him. Would he... accept?

"No," came Sasuke's cold, hard voice, and he started walking out of the room, "I do not accept."
The princess's smirk was finally whipped off her face from his icy answer.

The King hollowly chuckled, making Sasuke stop. "Boy, even though my wife said that, you have no say! You will be marrying my daughter!"

And now she started smirking again...

-XXXXXXX-

We all rented some rooms at an Inn after what the Princess did.

"Kakashi! You've gotta tell us there's some way to get him out of this!" Sakura said while cracking her knuckles from pent up frustration.

He sighed and Sasuke stiffened from his teacher's lack of worry. "I really don't know how this place works..."

"What the hell do you mean?" Naruto growled as he grabbed our sensei's collar, roughly pulling him close to his face, dangerously provoking him to say something wrong.

"Naruto," I said lowly, "stop that. It's not going to help." He slowly settled down.

Kakashi's head tilted upwards in a bored manner. "Every County is different, Naruto. I don't know what the rules and regulations are here..."

Sakura went over to Sasuke on the bed and went to put her hand on his arm in a comforting way, but he flicked it away. She frowned from how he was isolating himself from us while rubbing her now sore wrist.

"But..." Kakashi went on, "I've already sent message of this to Tsunade..."

Us three, apart from Sasuke and Kakashi, visually relaxed – slightly.

-XXXXXXX-

It had been awhile without any word from Tsunade, and we had been going around town trying to find leads that could stop this arrangement just in case Tsunade's reply was of no use.

Mochidzuki, Mochidzuki, Mochidzuki... Damn it! Why did that name sound familiar? Every day I went to the library, trying to find any sort of information on this. For some reason I knew if I found this clan's information it could stop this catastrophe from happening. Huh, funny how I'm just going by my gut feeling, especially if it was wrong...

Every day I've read book after book without finding a single thing on this so called 'famous' clan; ha, and you'd think Kakashi would be the one doing this instead of me, by how much he reads. But no, he wasn't! He along with the rest of the team, were out in the streets and in various places trying to get a lead from the locals. But so far, every local Team Seven came across quickly changed the subject just as it seemed like they were actually going to talk to us.

I've also heard that the guards have blocked every entrance, stopping anyone from escaping – well, probably stopping Sasuke from escaping... I think he did try once though, but Kakashi told him that he couldn't kill them; it could lead our county into war.

And so this is where I was right now, in a nice secluded part of the local library, trying to gain knowledge on this 'Mochidzuki' clan. I was through the third book of the day when I heard someone sit next to me. "Sasuke," I briefly said without looking up. This marriage won't happen! It won't happen! It won't! I kept trying to convince myself. Every time I was around him I just had to for some weird reason...

"Hn."

I frowned and looked at him. He was glaring at anything that came into view. I softly rested my hand on his shoulder, trying to comport him. I felt so bad for him; I couldn't believe how such a mission could turn out like this. He slightly flinched from my touch and I went to move my hand away so he could have some space.

"Don't."

I tilted my head to the side, confused. He unexpectedly grabbed my wrist and pulled me onto him. I was sitting on his lap, facing him with my hands on his hard chest from the fast, precise motion. His eyes were blank as they looked into mine, instead of being harsh for once.

My eyes drifted to the floor, confused about his actions, before I looked back up to his now indifferent, detached stare. I just didn't know what to do in these sorts of situations, so in the end I did what my mind kept telling me to; I slipped my arms around him and let my face rest in the cranny of his pale neck, giving him a caring embrace.

He was tense so I gave him a little squeeze before I was about to untangle myself from him, but my eyes winded from what he did, making my heart ache; slowly, he wrapped his arms around my waist as his nose nuzzled my dark hair. I squeezed my eyes tight from his small sign of affection, telling myself he was only doing this because he needed the comfort I was giving him. "It will be ok," I whispered into his neck; my lips accidently brushing his velvety skin.

My heart sunk lower into my chest when I did not believe my own words...

-XXXXXXX-

It had been a month, just one more month left, and we were already losing hope...

Sakura, Naruto, Kakashi and I were depressed from the thought of losing him again. It's funny how much of an impact he had on all of our lives without even trying – with just his stoic persona...

The town was packed with bustling people. They seemed skittish when I walked pass, and they made me frown more from this; I had no idea why they were like this. I felt a tug on my leg and looked. A little girl with big, chocolate brown eyes gazed up to me.

"Miss," she said quietly, like it was a secret she was sharing with me, and I bent down to make her feel more at ease, "are you going to take over and save us?"

I looked at her confused. Why would she think this? I went to open my mouth to reply but someone cut me off, "darling! Don't talk to stranger-rs— Jade...? Is that you?"

I looked up to meet the same set of chocolate brown eyes staring at me. I stood up, straightening my black skinny jeans to make them more comfortable, and met a face that looked very familiar. The women before me had wavy, dark brown hair, light skin with some cute freckles on her face, and fine lips with lip-gloss coating them.

She was average looking but she had something elegant about her that drew you in, thinking that she could be very beautiful on the inside.

I tiled my head to the side, confused. "Suki...?" I asked unsure.

She nodded with a bright smile on her face and gave me tight hug.

"C-can't-t b-breath-h!" I gasped out. Shit, she had gotten strong.

She laughed and realised me. "Sorry, darling, it's just been so long..." She frowned after she said this, remembering about my clan. Another bright smile came to her face. "You've grown! And darling, you're gorgeous! Just look at you!" She moved my ebony side-fringe away from my eye. "Stunning!"

My lips twitched downwards. "I don't think so..."

She waved me off. "Nonsense, nonsense!"

"So who's this little cutie?" I said changing the subject, and ruffled the little girl's hair, which was still next to me. She gave me a nervous, yet cute, smile.

Suki adoringly smiled to the little girl —she must really treasure her— before looking back at me. "Aijou, my daughter." She then looked at Aijou again, "It's ok hunny, this is my old childhood friend," she smirked, "I used to babysit Jade whenever her mother and father were out of town. Jade was such a little handful, bouncing with endless energy..."

I smirked back at her. She was my only friend I had on this side of the country.

"So, how are you these days?" Suki asked me. We were both walking around town, catching up. She had dropped Aijou off at a friend's house.

My gaze drifted downward as my lip pulled sadly.

She took in my sight and kept opening her mouth, trying to find the right words to say to me.
"What's wrong?" She asked concerned, just trying to get to the point instead of beating around the bush.

I looked up to her through my dark lashes. "You know the princess right?" She nodded. "Well... I have this... friend... that has to do something for her..."

"He has to marry her and you like him?"

"How do you know about the marriage?" I asked avoiding her other statement/question.

She smiled. "Little Jadie has a crushie!" She said teasingly.

I pouted and the crossed my arms over my chest as I looked at her grumpily for her avoiding my question.

She rolled her eyes at me and then shrugged, getting on with what I wanted to know. "The whole town knows. With something as extreme as that, everyone would find out."

I nodded, agreeing with her reasonable answer. I needed to get to the point with what team seven has been trying to find out this whole time, though. "You know how the royals are from the clan 'Mochidzuki'?" I asked. She hesitated before nodding. I eyed her from doing that and how her mood turned gloomy. "Who exactly are they? What can they do? ...Tell me everything you know on them!"

She stopped walking, making me stop shortly after, and fidgeted with the material of her warm coloured dress.
She turned to me to answer but her eyes looked pass my shoulder and widened slightly. She briefly hugged me and quickly said she had to go and that we had to catch up again while I'm in town.

I watched, as she trotted away, in a confused daze before I snapped out of it and looked behind me with a harsh glare.

"Hello, Kumo. What brings you here?" She had a lot of escorts keeping her safe. I rolled my eyes; if her clan was so strong, why all the security?

She glared nastily at me. "I live here; belong here, unlike some people."

My jaw clenched as I crossed my arms over my chest and gave her a hard stare. "Why do you even want to marry Sasuke, Kumo? We might as well get this out in the open. I'm tired... And I don't think you really deserve him."

She didn't like my bluntness because she snapped at me, tried to attack me; but I calmly threw her weapon away, making a small clang noise when it hit against the old pavement.

"Who do you think you are talking to me like that, huh peasant? You're just jealous because you do not deserve him with your disgusting scum blood! Your ugly blood would taint his if you were to breed a hair unlike my royal, powerful blood! Answer me now, you vial thing! Who do you think he truly deserves more?"

There was silence between us as she heavily breathed. Her words travelled through my mind, sluggishly processing, before I finally figured out my answer, the truth, to her question. I gave her one last look before I walked away with it lingering in my mind: someone that loves him for who he is...

It was the next day and, for once, I was questioning people in town with Sakura.

"I don't see why he let you be his fake girlfriend."

Ehh? I looked at her astounded. Well so much for our understanding for the last couple of months... I didn't want to fight with her, especially with the wedding not so far away. "Look, Sakura, we all saw how annoying she was, right? Especially how she was hanging all over him? I think he was just on the verge to do almost anything to get rid of her, and that was when I stupidly came along... Do you get what I mean? He just jumped at an opportunity that was thrown in-front of him, uh, dumbly... Heh..." Hey? What's wrong with putting yourself down when it's true?

She was still angry, though. "Yeah, but— Hey! Look, its Konoha's messaging bird!"

I looked up and saw a black eagle with a certain pattern on it that our country was only familiar with. I looked at her with a small smirk on my face. Finally! She smiled back before we quickly rushed off to meet up with Kakashi and them.

-XXXXXXXX-

Don't you hate it when your life is in despair, when you feel hollow, empty? My head was lying on my arm as I twiddled a shot glass between my fingers. I felt like breaking down into tears, and for such a stupid reason too: I still liked him. Fucken. Hell. Still! Even after all the pain he's caused me, a part of me still clung to him helplessly.
What the hell was wrong with me?

I knew I was sometimes foreign with some of my emotions but I thought I had finally got my head fixed on not liking him in that area! I bitterly smiled. What a strange relationship we could have if we didn't sort out some of our past ruffle ups. Pity that a 'relationship' could never happen now.

Shit! Don't you hate it when you realise something and it's too late to change it? And this is one of the things that had brought me here in the first place; all of our hope was finally burnt up into flames with Tsunade's letter. Some great help she was! Psh, great hokage she is for not even being able to get one of her own shinobi out of a marriage! A little, damn, bloody marriage!

Ok, well maybe I'm being a little too harsh oh her because Team Seven couldn't even find a way to get him out of this as well! Ha, but the funny thing is, Tsunade said basically the same thing as Kakashi: I'm sorry. I don't know what the rules and regulations are over there. That country has been keeping quiet; no information has leaked out from them in over eight years.
~Tsunade

Eight years? A year after my clan's (and Rose clan's) almost extinction. I frowned. I wonder why was that? I was so confused right now:

At the library, the librarian said stuff about the books that I was looking for were destroyed; People always being on edge when we were in town asking them information on the Royals; Why information stopped leaking out soon after the massacres; And lastly, the most important one of all, why I only heard about my old country being actually ruled by a throne now (maybe I just wasn't informed of that when I was younger)?

WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH THIS PLACE? I tugged at my hair in frustration, trying to make sense of all this stuff. Nothing fits! The only thing that seemed to have a connection was the Royals, and I didn't even see the meaning nor purpose there except that they might want to keep something top secret (but then didn't all "Royal" people, and normal people, have secrets kept within their walls?). And that's when my brain started to go haywire when I thought about normal people, but I shut the thoughts tightly into the back of my mind before I jumped into some sort of jeopardizing conclusions.

I could hear the slight clicking of glass starting to crack under my grip. I quickly released the shot glass before it shattered into my skin. It toppled onto the table from the quick motion. As it slowly settled down I could see fine, jagged lines in the small cup, showing that it was under pressure and close to the point of breaking.

I frowned at the useless object. Really, what was the point in people drinking their sorrows away? Because in all reality it really doesn't do that, instead it does the opposite, you actually stay in that same constant emotional state, never being able to get past the tragic thing that happened to the person. So what was the point of drinking for that stupid reason? Oh that's right, people aren't always in their right of mind when their sad!
So, what was the point of me being here if I wasn't going to get waisted out of my mind? Maybe to be somewhere dark and watch other people drown in their sorrows instead of my own...

My piercing eyes moved away from the small cup and looked around the room, swallowing in its smoky surroundings.

"—Hahaa! Yeeahh! They probably aree –hic– From what I remember in myy 'ol days is 'em –hic– not looking like thaaat! –Hic–" An old guy with white, wispy hair said.

All the men his age that were surrounding him, laughed drunkenly at his last comment.

One of the men that had light grey eyes bent closer to them, trying to say something quietly, "psst! They're probabblyyy fakee! –Hic–" He got a delighted smiled on his face before he collapsed hard against the countertop.

All the men laughed and gave him slaps on the back, not noticing that he was passed out.

My eyebrows pulled together. Who are they talking about?

One of the guys seemed to calm down and started to look slightly depressed. "They took my wife away from me!" All the other guys settled then, his heavy statement was hanging in the air. "I love her soo muchh!" He slurred. "Just because they claimed to be the surrvvivvorrss of the –hic– old Mitsuki clan doesn't mean they can over take our livesss! I hate their stupid rules over this country noww!" He broke down into tears, hitting his fist against the countertop.

My eyes widened.

…What?

My veins turned cold as I tensed. Survivors? Mitsuki clan? My eyes hardened.

Lies!

I glared harshly into the darkness before making the right hand motions and disappeared into a puff of dark smoke.

-XXXXXXX-

I jumped through my window silently. My hand was clenched at my side angrily as my teeth gritted together when I thought back to what I just found out not too long ago.

.:Flashback:.
It was late evening and I needed answers, something to prove that those drunks weren't just talking rubbish. I saw her on the streets, but with her body guards…

I briskly walked up to her and bowed before her respectively. Might as well suck up to her to get her defences down, a bit. She sniggered at me before I straightened out.

"What, slut?"

I clenched my jaw, stopping myself from replying nastily back. I eyed her clothes.

"Eh you lesbian," she snide, snapping me out of my thoughts.

My nose twitched. "Why do you wear clothes that colour?"

She fingered her dress as a spiteful smile came to her face. "The white and green are my clans colours, of course, you stupid thing! The white symbolises the moon while the green symbolises vegetation." My eye twinkled. Heh, my first clue... She then gave a nasty look to my clothes. "Eh, then look at your ugly emo clothes! Black, evil and cold. Red, blood for the people you've killed…"

I raised an eyebrow. "Well, I think differently with my clothes colour meaning. Black is for the night and red is for passion and love…" My clans colours…

She gave me a sharp glare.
.:End of flashback:.

Why? Why didn't anyone tell me of this? I shook my head and frowned as I paused before my backpack. It still didn't make any sense! Even if the 'Royals' were impostors, why would they be able to take over so easily, anyway?

I sighed frustrated and ran my fingers through my side fringe. I started to hastily pack.

My hand was resting on the window, leaving a foggy handprint in its place. "Sasuke." I said quietly as my back faced him.

I felt arms wrap around my waist, preventing me from leaving the Inn. I almost chocked on a painful sob. I was not going to cry! His breath tickled the shell of my ear, making my body tingle. I swallowed a shaky breath. Why is he doing this to me! I turned my head slightly to the side to see him. His dark eyes stared blankly into mine before he closed them. "Where are you going?" He quietly demanded as he unintentionally tightened his grip around me.

His intoxicating smell was invading my senses, dazing me. I lightly shook my head, trying to get out of his grasp. I do not want to be hurt again if he cannot stay! I need those answers! "Please…" I begged, trying to pry his arms from me.

He growled at me as he stared coldly. "Where are you going?" He repeated lowly.

I felt like I was being torn in two. It felt like cold needles were prickling my skin, trying to warn me. I knew could trust him, but I couldn't trust this country! I turned around in his hold and gripped his shoulders, trying to tell him that he was being tense for nothing. I looked back into his eyes as his muscles started to loosen slightly.

The pale moonlight washed over his pale face making him seem to glow. He looked almost unearthly; something too beautiful for this world… Now I could clearly see why everyone followed him like a love sick puppy. His long lashes brushed his high cheekbones whenever he blinked; they gorgeously framed his dangerously dark eyes. I frowned as I looked at him.

I would miss him if this only bit of information I had was not true. I brought my head to his ear to whisper what he needed to hear. "My home…" I felt a tear brush my cheek…

AN: Mk, mk I have a link to a photo of Jade (edited by me) and the where-a-bouts of her clan on my profile! You should check it out! ;)
I have also started a High School/AU fic with the main paring being JadexSasuke, called Unpredictable! Check it out if ya like! :D

Summary to Unpredictable: You see, me and Sasuke are supposedly "twins", and pretty damn good ones for people to believe us! But, that's the thing, we really aren't, and we're teens now, in a big playing field, with hormones…
We've got ourselves in quite a sticky situation. SasukexOC