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.Heaven's Gate: Princess.

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Seven: Starry Night Festival.

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Tonight the festival would start. Everyone across the country was so busy checking all the decoration and the activities, in case something was missed or was not done right.

For the princess, however, today was the day she was at peace. Unlike the last few days where she was so busy checking up on stuff for the festival. She sat on her secret garden, accompanied by Sasuke, away from the noises and party mood.

She sat in front of her mother's grave. Her eyes were on the tombstone.

"Do you want to go celebrate, Sasuke-kun?" she asked all of a sudden.

He froze. First reason, she just broke the silence with her bell-like voice. Second, did she just call him Sasuke-kun?

He looked at her, eyes questioning. She turned to him and smiled.

"Do you want to?" she asked again.

"Well, I actually prefer to sit away from the crowd actually," he responded, feeling dumb. Maybe he should've said yes?

She smiled again and nodded.

"I prefer the same," she said.

He looked at her, impossibly confused by whatever trick she might be doing on him… Or maybe she wasn't playing. Maybe she was just always so confusing to everyone around her as well.

They sat in silent for a long time, she staring at the tombstone, him thinking about her. And the finally the sky turned red and the birds started to made their way home to their nests.

"Sasuke-kun," she broke the silence again. He looked at her. "Let's go."

"Excuse me?" he looked at her. "To where?"

"The celebration of course," she smiled at him, incredulous at his question. "Where else?"

"Oh," he said. I thought you would want to stay here for the rest of the day.

"I think you should go ahead and wait for me outside," she said.

"I should never be away from you," his eyes narrowed. She sighed and snapped her fingers. Ino came out from behind the wall of the small garden. She landed next to them and, automatically, his hand was on his katana. Ino looked at him and sighed. He looked at them and knew at once that she would be safe, and that he was dismissed. So he went outside and waited for her.

"He's pretty troublesome, isn't he, Sakura?" Ino looked at the black hall going into the room.

Sakura shrugged and Ino sighed again.

"Please don't tell me you're in love with him," she sounded distressed. Sakura turned around and looked at her best-friend with her clear emerald eyes. Ino let out a small gasp and rolled her eyes.

"Sarcasm isn't always your thing, Ino-pig," Sakura teased.

"And I remember it has always been yours, Forehead," Ino grinned.

"He's just different," Sakura said. "I hope you'd understand."

"I understand too much already," Ino muttered. "When Itachi came and you said the same thing…" she said under her breathe, not wanting Sakura to hear. Unfortunately, she did.

"Itachi is the past," Sakura answered after a while. "He and Itachi are not the same, even though their outward appearance is almost similar but they are two different people."

"I get it," Ino said, and then she muttered "I think". She looked at the tombstone and jumped away, landing on the wall. "You'd want me to leave you?"

"You know me best, don't you?" Sakura was still smiling. Ino smiled back and was gone.

Sakura faced the tombstone again and smiled.

"Mom, you heard the conversation," she said. "I think I'm in love with Sasuke-kun. That's okay isn't it?"

"Jeez Sakura," Tsunade came out from behind the tombstone, her figure was almost transparent but Sakura could still see her face clearly. "You always fall in love."

"Well I believe he's the right one for me, though," Sakura replied. "It felt different."

"Than how you felt about Itachi?" Tsunade looked at her daughter, eyes narrowed.

Sakura winced slightly and nodded.

"Yes," she said. "It hurt to think about him but yes."

"You know I only want what's best for you, don't you Sakura?" Tsunade looked at the sky.

Sakura nodded.

"You're always like that, mom," she smiled.

"And you believe he won't leave you?" Tsunade asked.

Sakura shook her head.

"I have the feeling that he's a wanderer, he will wander the world until the end of his life, or until he found what he's looking for," Sakura replied. "But I believe for the meantime he won't leave."

Tsunade nodded. She walked forward and kissed her daughter's forehead lovingly.

"You will always know that if anything goes wrong you will be hurt again, right?" she asked.

Sakura nodded and she smiled.

"Good," she said. "Then I can now leave in peace."

"I'll see you next year mom," Sakura smiled.

Tsunade nodded.

"Go enjoy the festival," she said. "And don't forget to wish for something precious this year."

Sakura giggled and walked into her room.

"You better take care of her," Tsunade turned to the tree. Jiraiya came out from his disguise and grinned.

"Of course I will," he said. "I believe in the boy, even though he got something about him that scares me even more than Itachi, but there's good in him."

"If you say so," Tsunade shrugged. She kissed him and was gone. Jiraiya sighed and he leaped off, back to the Frog Village.

"Come on, Sasuke-kun," Sakura smiled. "We're enjoying the festival now."

Sasuke looked at her, confused, but then shrugged. He smiled and took the hand she was offering.

Deep inside, another voice was screaming.

This is wrong. You're her bodyguard, guard her; not get intimate.

This is wrong. You're supposed to kill her, not love her.

But for the meantime, he tried to ignore the two voices screaming in his head. Because what he did now felt just right.

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Hi. It took forever didn't it? The new chapter, I mean. I'm so sorry but I'm afraid the next chapter might take longer.

Personal Project is due next week and I promise I'll update as fast as lightning once the deadline past. Even though I still have my Math assignment… (--;)

Another reason is just I can't think of anything to write right now, I am so sorry.

Anyways and anyhow,

I am forever thankful for all of you loyal readers and loyal reviewers. I love reviews and they just make me write more.

Reviews are appreciated.

ButterCan'tFly.