I don't own Naruto. If everybody knows that, then why in the world do I still have to do disclaimers?

Oh, and since I forgot last time….

Mihana Yuri © ChocoKitten

Mihana Yuri © ChocoKitten

Sorry!

A/N: You guys remember the colors of Ino's dress right? It's the colors that are important…the brilliant sky blue and cool jade green. Should remind you of something, right?

You know how I said the ball was supposed to be in this chapter…? Well, it's going to be in the next (I'm really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, sorry, so please, don't kill me!) I was going to add it, but it just wouldn't flow. . But there is a bit with Sasuke and Ino…

But for now, it's story time!


Back at the Uchiha Castle, in Hana's room…

I had requested – wait, no, ordered – everybody to bring all of their accessories into her room so we could all choose and borrow the ones that fit us the most. Before we choose the garnishing, we had to do our hair!

"No…!" Tenten wailed pitifully. "You guys can't do this to me…!"

I smirked, "As we explained to Yuri before, 'can' is having the ability to do something. So we can do this to you, whether you like it or not."

"I shall not allow it!" Tenten protested.

A grin formed on Sakura's face. "Too bad."

Temari continued on, "We are so not going to let you leave your hair in your customary buns! That will not do!"

"But then everybody will know that it's me!" reasoned Tenten.

Hana's left hand connected with her face and she dragged it down. "Tenten…! You're the hopeless one now! The whole point of you not putting up your hair into the two buns is so that people won't recognize you! Think of this – "

Hinata cut in, effectively stopping Hana from launching onto her ultimate rant mode, "It's so you can go into the ball and just be someone entirely different, Tenten. You won't be Tenten, the lady-in-waiting of Princess Ino – you'll just be Tenten, a woman for tonight. Okay?"

"Besides, think of all the fun you'll have! You look like a real lady – even a princess – and nobody will suspect that you're actually sort of part of the servant world!" Yuri added on.

Tenten gazed into all of our pleading eyes before giving in, "…Fine…I won't put my hair into my buns…have your way."

I was expecting more of a fight from her. She totally blew up on me the other time I asked her if I could do something different with her hair. It took nearly two hours to convince her! But now…

"Come on Tenten!" Yuri whined, bringing me out of my thoughts. "You said that you would consent to our desires…!"

While resisting Yuri's attempts to drag her to the mirror, Tenten grumbled, "I never said that I would consent to your desires. I just said that I wouldn't put my hair in buns. There's a huge difference, okay?"

"Not to me!"

"Tenten," Temari stated as calmly as she could, "Just go along with it, okay? Besides, you already agreed to it."

Tenten glared half-heartedly at our teal-eyed friend. "But only leaving my hair down, okay? No more then that."

My hand connected with my face, just as Hana's did earlier. "Tenten! This is exactly what happened five minutes ago! You really want me to endure this…?"

She glanced at me before responding, "Yes. Yes I do."

Hana, being the smart one, and Hinata, being the sensible one, realized that this was extremely hopeless, so they whisked into Hana's gigantic dressing room to touch up on their appearances, leaving us to deal with Tenten. Curse those two, leaving me with the wrath of my best friend.

Because of the fact that the people who were left – Temari, Sakura, and Yuri – were not making any progress in making Tenten do as they wish, I decided to take over. I glared heavily at Tenten, with my hands resting at my hips. "Tenten."

She gazed back at me innocently. "Yes?"

My sky-blue eyes narrowed. "The rest of us are going to finish our outfits, okay? We're going to leave you here to work on your hair. By the time the first person gets back, you will have your hair in a completely different style. Understand?"

Tenten's eyes darkened. "No."

"Ugh, Tenten!" Yuri exclaimed. "We've wasted so much time on you! We only have an hour! One hour! One! So will you please –"

Tenten cut her off. "I'll do it, I'll do it. Just leave me alone and do not make any comments or suggestions when you see it!"

The rest of us agreed to her terms – like Yuri pointed out, we already wasted so much time on her.


"Oh, you got Tenten to agree?" Hana inquired as we entered her dressing room.

Yuri shook her head as Sakura answered, "Got her to compromise…"

"She's too stubborn for her own good," I muttered darkly under my breath.

"Come on; cheer up," Hinata advised with a soft smile on her face. "At least she did part of what you wanted, right?"

Temari rolled her eyes good-naturedly. "Leave it to our innocent Hinata to be optimistic like that."

"Our hair, our hair!" I suddenly wailed. "We still haven't done a thing with our hair!"

"Like we haven't noticed that," Sakura commented mildly.

"Be quiet," I retorted lamely as I searched around for a hairbrush.

"Now…how should I do my hair…?" I mused quietly to myself while being accidentally pushed and shoved by my friends who shifted around to make themselves' comfortable or hunt for an item that they desired. Hana's dressing room/closet may be big, but with the five of us in here, it was a little crowded. Especially if I consider that fact that about half of us are attempting to do something with our hair…that results in getting jabbed by intimidating elbows when the owner of the elbows moved when she was currently in the process of working with her hair. In simpler terms, it was a bit…stuffy.

And I, Yamanaka Ino, did not like stuffy or crowded places.

"I'm relocating; it's a bit squished in here…" I announced to my fellow Princesses and Ladies.

Temari stifled a yawn before asking, "Where are you going to relocate to, though? Tenten's outside in front of the vanity mirror, and I'm pretty sure she doesn't want any company."

"Then where do I go?" I whined in a very unprincess-y way.

"Stay here?" Yuri suggested brightly.

"It's stuffy!"

While Yuri continued to ramble random places of where I could go, I turned to Hana and asked, "Well? Is there any place I can go that's in your room?"

She stared at me oddly before responding, "Why?"

"It's stuffy!"

"Just deal with it!" Sakura snapped. Well, it seems as if I finally got her to lose her patience…

"But it's stuffy!"

Hinata finally decided to help her distressed blonde friend; me. She turned to Hana and asked, "You have one of those dressing screens, right?"

"Yeah, I do," Hana replied absentmindedly as she combed her brown tresses. "But I'm not exactly sure where they're located…ask one of the servants or maids. They should know."

I stared at Hinata. She didn't seem to be the type to do something suspicious or evil like me (yes, I admit it!), Sakura, Temari, Hana, and Yuri – pretty much the rest of us! – so I don't think I should be doubting her actions…

Hinata seemed to notice my questioning look and answered, "It's to put a barricade between you and Tenten…"

Ah. Clever idea.


We finally managed got our hands onto a good number of dressing screens to use as a wall between Tenten and I. She threw a few fits before agreeing with the idea. On one condition – that the dressing screens were thick enough so that I couldn't see her silhouette from my side…

"Haah," I sighed as I seated myself upon a stool. What in the world should I put my hair into…?


Once we were done with our hair, we took down the dressing screens and compared what we did. We approved of Tenten's (she sighed a great sigh of relief) and got our accessories. We were in the middle of admiring Temari's new fan (she found a new one; she didn't like the almost-black-purple one. The one that she currently held was creamy, yet ivory colored with three purple circles spaced equally across it) when I suddenly remembered that I still had to talk to my betrothed about something.

"I'm going to tell ask my fiancé something, okay?"

"Sure," Hana replied. "Be back as soon as you can though!"

"Don't worry; I will."

"See you then!"


"Sasuke, we need to talk," I said as soon as I entered his chambers,

He stared at me before replying, "If you didn't want to talk, then why did you come here?"

"Oh, be quiet."

"Well?"

My eyes narrowed as I looked at my betrothed. "'Well?' what?" I asked irritably.

"What do you want to talk about?"

"Oh, that!" I exclaimed when I suddenly remembered why I was currently in the presence of my fiancé. "I wanted to ask you something."

Sasuke stared at me.

"What?"

His sigh was an annoyed one. "It meant for you to continue."

"I knew that."

"…"

"Right! Going on!"

"…"

"…"

"…"

"I'm not going to survive another second with you if you remain this unresponsive," I grumbled under my breath.

Sadly, Sasuke's sharp ears heard my complaint. "If that's the case, I might as well remain silent after finishing this statement so you do die, freeing me from this arranged marriage."

I glared at him. "I hate you."

Once again, Sasuke sighed. "Just ask your question."

"Don't announce the guests."

Yes, I know that wasn't a question, but bear with me!

Choke. "What?"

"I said, 'Don't announce the guests.' Did I happen to speak in a language that you don't happen to understand? If that's that case, then I'm very sorry. Because I only have the ability to speak English."

This time, Sasuke shot a dirty look at me before answering, "I perfectly comprehended what you said a few seconds ago."

"Well, that's great," I got up from the armchair and started to make my way to the door.

Just as my hand was about to touch the doorknob, the word, "Wait," left Sasuke's mouth and met my ears. I turned around to face him. "What?" I still needed to get back to the girls to make sure nothing went wrong. Hopefully, Sakura has it all under control.

"Why?"

"'Why?' what?"

"Why," Sasuke started, his voice tense (probably from attempting to keep his anger from unleashing, courtesy of me not getting straight to the point when I knew what he wanted answered.) "do you not want us to announce the guests?"

"Is there a reason that we should?"

A one-word answer. "Danger."

"Is your brain functioning properly, Sasuke?" I questioned as I resisted the urge to reach over and feel his forehead to see if he suddenly caught a fever or something. "Why in the world would there be danger?"

"We won't know who the guests are – assassins and such could sneak in easily."

I just barely managed to refrain myself from calling the Uchiha with the odd hairdo an idiot and the need to thwack him on the head. "How in the world (yes, I know I am partially repeating myself, but deal with it!) are murderers and all that going to get in the castle in the first place?"

"By slipping in via disguises?"

My hands was itching to grab the innocent book that rested on his nightstand so I could use it as a weapon to inflict harm upon my beloved and absolutely brilliant husband-to-be. "Are the defenses and security of the Uchiha Castle really that low?" I continued on even though I noticed that he opened his mouth to speak. "Besides, I was thinking that we could've had a person waiting at the door of the ballroom to 'check people in' with a guest list. You go in, tell them your name, and they check it off. Can't really get in if your name isn't on the list." When I met Sasuke's doubtful stare, I asked, "You guys did make a guest list, right?"

"…"

"Oh my dear lord, if you did not make a guest list, I'm going to…to…!"

"You're going to what?" Sasuke inquired with a slightly, slightly, amused expression on his face.

"I'm going to kill you!"

A dark eyebrow was raised. "Really?"

I hate that bastard. "Ugh, not literally! But if you didn – "

"When did I ever say I didn't make one?"

"If you were actually paying attention and listening to what I was saying, you would've realized I was using, 'if'!"

"…"

"So," Tap. Went my foot. "Did you make one or not? I really dislike wasting minutes of life, you know."

It certainly seems as if my fiancé is smart enough to not dawdle any longer, for that would unleash my already-about-to-burst temper. And that would not be good for anybody within five miles of me.

"I didn't make one."

That piece of…! "Hm. Really."

"…Itachi did."

"…"

"…"

"YOU HAD YOUR BROTHER MAKE THE GUEST LIST EVEN THOUGH THE BALL WAS NOT THROWN FOR HIM AND/OR HANA? ARE YOU INSANE? WHAT KIND OF A YOUNGER BROTHER ARE YOU? EVEN I WOULDN'T DO THAT TO DEIDARA (not that he'd do it anyway…), AND I'M PRETTY SURE THAT ITACHI IS INFINITY TIMES MORE BETTER THAN HIM! BUT NO, YOU HAVE TO GO AND MAKE YOUR WONDERFUL (I think) OLDER BROTHER DO IT EVEN THOUGH THIS IS BECAUSE OF OUR ENGAGEMENT! I DON'T CARE AT ALL IF I'M JUST REPEATING MYSELF A BUNCH OF TIMES! THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE COMING, SCRATCH THAT, THERE'S MORE THAN A LOT! AND YOU STILL HAVE ITACHI DO IT HIMSELF! BY HAND! WHAT KIND OF A HEARTLESS HUMAN ARE YOU? WAIT, SCRATCH THAT AGAIN! I DON'T EVEN THINK YOU ARE HUMAN, UCHIHA SASUKE! JUST SAYING YOUR NAME FEELS WRONG! AND CALLING YOU A BEAST WOULD BE WAY TO NICE FOR YOU!YOU EVIL… EVIL… WICKED… MONSTROUS… VILLAINOUS… MALICIOUS… VICIOUS… DESPICABLE… TERRIBLE… HORRIBLE… EBIL THING! ONCE AGAIN, EVEN THING IS MUCH TO PLEASANT TO USE AS A SUBSTITUTE FOR YOU! I DON'T SEE A SINGLE THING THAT SAKURA AND ALL THE MAIDS SEE IN YOU! OH MY DEAR GODS UP THERE, WHY AM I ENGAGED TO THAT…! TO TELL THE TRUTH, I HAVE COMPLETELY NO IDEA WHATSOEVER TO BACK UP MY REASON FOR STILL BEING IN THE PRESENCE OF THIS…! "

From the looks of it, I've just deafened my darling future husband. Sniff. Good for him. He freakin' deserved it. (I know, I shouldn't be using such language, but blame Deidara and his influence on my and blame the thing – still too nice – for pushing me to go this far.) I spun around and pretty much pirouetted out his door. Good riddance! Well, I do hope he got the message to not announce the guests…if he does happen to announce them…oh, may the lords and gods up there help him for I will not be the only one killing him.


"Back already?"

I shot a glare at the man I had previously deafened. "I forgot to ask you something."

"…"

"I hate you. Anyways, how in the world are we supposed to act?"

"What do you mean?"

"During the ball! How are we supposed to act as a couple during the ball?" I asked, waving my hands around in frenzy. "It's already bad enough that your mother pops into my room or appear at the places I happen to be at to ask about my relationship with you so far? Questions like, 'Hold hands yet?' and even, 'What is the longest time you guys have kissed for?' come from her mouth, and creeps the heck out of me!"

"Is the really my problem?"

"It will be!"

Sigh. "Since the ball is thrown for us – "But you still made Itachi make the guest list!" – we're doing the opening dance. You do realize that, right?"

"This isn't my first time going to a ball, you know."

"Whatever."

"…"

Sasuke took my silence as a cue for him to continue, and he did. "Considering the fact that my dear mother as been harping about that things that do not exist between us, I think we're going to have to put on a little show for her."

I interjected before he could explain his scheme to me. "As if I didn't know that already."

Glare. "Anyways, because it seems that my mother wants 'action' between the two of us, we'll hold hands, act smitten with each other, and you'll have to kiss me."

"…"

"…"

"ARE YOU FREAKIN' INSANE? WHY IN THE WORLD DO I HAVE TO KISS YOU – THE (INSERT WORD) THAT CAN'T EVEN BE DESCRIBED WITH WORDS! IF I DO KISS YOU, I'LL PROBABLY END UP GETTING MAULED/MURDERED BY YOUR OBSESSIVE FANGIRLS CONSISTED OF THE MAJORITY OF ALL THE MAIDS IN THE WORLD EVEN THOUGH I HAPPEN TO BE A PRINCESS, AND THEY WOULD GET KILLED BY MY BROTHER FOR KILLING ME! AND I DON'T REALLY CARE IF THAT HAPPENED TO BE A RUN-ON SENTENCE, OKAY! (That was directed at my friends who probably heard my screeching, even though the walls are supposed to be pretty sound proof.) AND WHY IN THE WORLD DO I HAVE TO DO WHAT YOU SAY, HUH? IS IT BECAUSE YOU'RE THE UCHIHA SASUKE, WITH OVER A MILLION – I TAKE THAT BACK – A BILLION GIRLS SMITTEN WITH YOU? WELL, MY DEAR FIANCÉ, I AM (now) NOT ONE OF THOSE BILLION GIRLS! DO YOU THINK I EVEN WANT TO BE IN THE PRESENCE OF YOU, CONSIDERING WHAT HAPPENED IN THE PAST NOT EVEN TEN MINUTES AGO? DO YOU – "

"YAMANAKA INO!"

Whoops.

"WHAT BUSINESS DO YOU HAVE IN THERE THAT ALLOWED YOU TO DEAFEN ALL THE PEOPLE IN THE UCHIHA CASTLE WHO ARE NOT INTELLIGENT ENOUGH TO BRING EAR-PLUGS?"

"Sorry, Deidara," I apologized in a very sarcastic voice when I opened the door to semi-glare at him. He had stopped my second tirade and the process of (once again) rendering my darling future husband deaf. Screw him.

He just rolled his eyes and stated, "Keep your voice down, okay?"

Slam.

"Now, where were we?" I asked the younger Uchiha sweetly.

He winced as his hands reached up to touch his now damaged ears. "You jumped to conclusions."

WHAT? I managed to keep my calm composure and questioned, just as sweetly as before, "What do you mean by that?"

"I never told you where you would be kissing me."

Gawk.

The man in front of me rolled his obsidian eyes (what in the world is with people and rolling their eyes at me?) and went on, "I was going to tell you to kiss me on the cheek, and I would kiss on the forehead. Is that really that bad?"

"…"

"…"

"I hate you."

"I take that as a yes."

"Oh, just be quiet."

"So, you're going along with it, right?"

"…I hate you."

"…I get the point."

"…"

"…"

"…I'm leaving."

"Hn."

I hate him.


A/N: Oh, poor Sasuke…XD He should be extremely grateful that Ino is a princess and only curses in her mind…