Hey guys! Here's the next chapter! hope you guys like it!

Oh, a few questions for you guys: Do you guys like the story so far? Do I try to hard to make things funny? Is Hikari a solid character? MarySue-ish?

Please review and maybe answer those questions, I'd really appreciate it!
:D

Chapter 7

I breathed a sigh of relief when we stepped into the warm ballroom, and I looked around in wonder at the extravagance that met us as we arrived.

The ceiling was large and arced to form an almost cathedral-like structure, breathtaking and hopelessly ancient. The walls were covered with glass windows that glittered with the light of the fading sun, and with the brightly lit chandelier that hung in the center of the room, shedding light everywhere. The floor was made of smooth wood that was seamlessly melded together to form a floor of many kinds of wood. There was a long table that was set up on the far wall, piled with food and drink for the guests. Official looking men were at the front where we were currently waiting, checking off names and leading guests to their seats.

I glanced at Sasuke, who was waiting silently beside me, staring out the window with his usual bored expression, and I couldn't help feel a little smug at the way that girls were staring at him with wide eyes and blushing faces.

Why would I feel smug about that?

I shifted to a more comfortable position, cursing myself for choosing these ridiculous shoes. Even without a heel, they hurt like a bitch, the tight straps nearly cutting into my ankles, and I desperately hoped that I didn't look like how I felt.

I looked up at the guard who was currently checking Sasuke out with nervous eyes, his hand twitching toward his pocket. I wondered if he had a knife in there or something. I glanced at Sasuke with a raised eyebrow, and got a glare in response.

Oh yeah, I was the one who was doing the talking. That kind of thing doesn't really appeal to Sasuke, if you haven't figured it out already.

"Yuki Hidaka and Kyoto Osaki, please."

The guard tore his eyes away from Sasuke's face to glance down at his list. He found our names, but looked up nervously again, his eyes locked on Sasuke's onyx eyes.

"Um, I'm sorry, but we have strict orders not to allow any of Orochimaru's ninja here tonight. So he," the man gestured at Sasuke, whose eyes narrowed. "will have to go. That boy is working for Orochimaru, and is a threat to us all. I'm sorry."

They knew that Orochimaru wanted Jiro dead.

I was silent for a moment, and sighed dramatically, patting Sasuke's arm, glaring at the guard, trying to seem as insulted as possible. I could see Sasuke getting ready to stop me, so I just went ahead and did it.

If its one thing I've learned from the boy beside me, it's that you have to act before he does, because he'll act without warning. You have to beat him at his own game.

"Excuse me?! Are you suggesting that Kyoto is one of…his men? I am appalled at you, sir! My boyfriend may look like that Uchiha bastard," I felt Sasuke shift next to me, and I went on without looking at him. "but I assure you that he has been discriminated before because of that! But fine, we'll leave, but I'll be sure to relay back to Jiro how unbelievably rude the guard was for refusing to let his own cousin come and see him! God, I can see him now!"

I could see Sasuke closing his eyes slowly beside me, and I took his hand, spinning around to walk toward the door. I felt myself smiling, but Sasuke cleared his throat to keep me focused.

"N-No, ma'am, come back!" The guard said quickly, and I turned, trying to keep the smile off my face. "I'm sorry, but we have to be this cautious, it's our job. It's just that that Uchiha boy was said to always be alone, and you two don't look like a couple…" The guard looked mortified, and I struggled to keep myself from blushing. I glared at him.

"What, you want some proof that we're together?"

He choked, face bright red. I could see that this was killing him, and I swallowed hard. Uh…what was I supposed to do? I looked over at Sasuke, who was still emotionless.

I sighed, trying to keep my cool as I faced Sasuke. "Fine."

Sasuke stared at me with cold eyes that dared me to take a step closer. I cringed inwardly, and leaned forward. Hey, it's not my fault they recognized you, so don't you dare blame me for this!

Why was I so nervous? It wasn't like I hadn't kissed any guys before! Get a grip, Lily!

I knew that my name was technically Hikari at the base, but I couldn't seem to pick it up. I still called myself Lily, in my thoughts, and since no one ever regularly addressed me by my new name, I had to think to remember what the name was.

I suddenly felt Sasuke move away from me, and the man in front of us was blushing so red that I was afraid he was going to turn into a tomato. I blinked, staring at Sasuke, whose eyes were slowly fading into their usual black.

A genjutsu.

I was just a bit disappointed, but I didn't dare let it show on my face.

The guard quickly checked out names off and led us to our table, his face still red. I wonder what Sasuke had shown him…wait…on second thought; I think I'll pass. I might get a little too wishful, which was the complete opposite of what I wanted to be.

Sasuke and I sat down, and I sipped at my water, waiting impatiently.

The meal was long and leisurely, though I only managed a few bites of beef and a single slice of orange. My stomach was in knots, and I kept tucking my hair behind my ears, a habit that I had been unable to break since it started in middle school. I glanced around, but couldn't seem to find Jiro anywhere. He wouldn't not show up to his own party, why else would he have it in the first place?

When it was finally time to start dancing, I nearly jumped out of my seat, and Sasuke glared at me.

"You're attracting too much attention." He muttered as we headed toward the dance floor, and I caught the suspicious glance of that guard from earlier, and took Sasuke's hand, sending the guard a suggestive smile. The guard's cheeks flooded with color, and he hurriedly looked away.

I faced forward again just as I saw the other couples starting to dance in perfect harmony.

Oh dear.

Oh dear.

I felt Sasuke stiffly take my other hand, and I was left gazing awkwardly at my feet.

"Um, Uch–" Sasuke cleared his throat, and I quickly corrected myself. "I mean, Kyoto, I don't know how to dance. Like really, really don't know how to dance. You have no idea h–"

Sasuke sighed a great sigh, and roughly shoved my arm on his shoulder, and grasped his hand in mine. I winced as his glare reached me. "I'm sorry, I just…"

"Shut up, and follow my lead." He hissed, and slowly began to dance.

It was a simple, square shaped dance that required his hand on my waist and our other hands touching lightly together, him twirling me under his arm every once in a while.

I won't lie…for the first few minutes, I was terrible. I must've stepped on Sasuke's toes at least ten times, and I always ended up twisting my arm in an awkward angle every time I twirled.

I was thoroughly irritated by the time the song was over, and quickly stepped away from Sasuke, whose eyes were still cold, yet gleamed with a strange and infuriating sense of arrogance that made me want to kick something.

Which of course, I couldn't. I was supposed to be a regular girl, at a regular birthday party, and with her gorgeous date.

Oh, if only I could be something remotely close to that…if only I was a normal girl again.

I glanced around as another dance started up, but couldn't pick him out. I had never actually seen him in person, and pictures were sometimes misleading. I stood on my tiptoes, and when I turned to ask Sasuke if he could see Jiro, I found that he was gone.

I had only danced once, and I was already freaking out that I didn't have time to find Jiro. Why was that?

Maybe it was because every time I thought about finding him, my stomach flipped uncomfortably, and I felt like curling up on the ground and waiting until the party was over. Only…Orochimaru's face came into my mind, and I shuddered at the memory of his sallow hands crushing the air from my throat.

I was a coward.

But I knew better than to try to rebel openly against him. I wasn't that stupid…yet, anyway.

There's always a yet with me, isn't there?

I frowned sullenly as I rejoined the dancers, immediately finding Sasuke, who was reluctantly dancing with a blushing girl who was trying to create conversation.

Good luck with that. I've lived with him for the past three months, and he hasn't even called me by my name yet. In fact, he only talks to me when telling me what I'm doing wrong, and though I can tell he's dying to call me an idiot, he somehow restrains himself. I wonder why.

I was asked to dance by a young man who looked kind and friendly, and I found that dancing with him was much more enjoyable than it had been with Sasuke. He laughed at my mistakes, and we chatted as he slowly showed me the right steps for the dance, and I found that I was actually having fun by the time the song was over.

The next few dances were just as fun as the first; the party was mainly full of young teenagers who were Jiro's friends, and I couldn't help but feel a little flattered when I was asked by numerous guys to come and dance. It was only Sasuke's constant glare that reminded me of my mission. I slowly stepped away from the boy who I was dancing with, and he stepped with me.

"Are you alright?"

I looked at him, and smiled. "U-Uh, no. I'm just a little hot, I'm going to get some air." I moved away from him, and he waved, smiling good-naturedly. I sighed as I reached the doors that led to the porch that overlooked the gentle bay that glowed beautifully in the dusky light. I ran my hands through my hair, and took a deep breath, leaning my forehead against my hands.

A deep voice suddenly sounded from behind me.

"So, you are real."

I glanced over my shoulder to see a tall, lean young man who had bright green eyes and dark brown hair that fell in loose spikes around his ears and eyes. He didn't smile when I turned to face him, but his eyes were drinking me in, taking in every detail of my appearance.

I frowned, and felt the blood drain from my face when I recognized him.

Can you guess who it is? Do you really have to guess? So cliché that it's sickening, so terrifying because it was the one person I had hoped wouldn't come to the party.

Jiro Itoshi stared at me, his eyes dark in the fading light, his face blank and emotionless. It was so unsettling, the almost hungry look in his eye. The man who I had seen smiling in that picture only hours before was so different, like a different person.

But it was him. The man I had been assigned to kill.

I struggled to smile at him, while my mind was screaming at me. For once in your life, try to be somewhat seductive!

"Yeah, I'm real. What's it to you?"

Well, there goes that plan. Why did I have to sound so smart in my head, and then open my mouth and sound like a complete moron? I could've have acted like a normal girl who was pretty, untroubled, and enjoying herself. But instead I ended up being myself, a fighter that took every strange phrase as some kind of hidden threat and who didn't have a seductive bone in her body.

I'm just great, aren't I? Makes me wonder why I don't get more admirers.

Jiro smiled slightly, though I could tell that his heart wasn't into it. "I was just curious to see if you were really here. They told me that you had died, but I didn't believe them. I was right, wasn't I, Hana?"

I frowned. Who was Hana? Died…what was he saying?

"Wait, what are you talking about?"

His eyes lowered to his hands, and the old woman's words suddenly whispered in my mind.

"His fiancée, Hana, who died three years ago. Jiro loved her more than anyone in the world…"

I swallowed hard, and looked up at him. He had held his hand out, eyes full of love and tenderness, so strong that I felt my eyes well up with unshed tears.

He was so broken without her, and I wanted nothing more than to tell him that I wasn't Hana, that I was Lily, and I was so, so very sorry that he had lost his love. I had lost my mother, and there were times I felt the same way. I felt that this was all a dream, and my mother would soon be waking me up for school, her affectionate smile in place despite her scolding.

But as I opened my mouth, I spotted a dark shape perched on the roof, and saw gleaming onyx eyes, spiky black hair waving in the breeze. His pale hands were loosely supporting him, and his figure was casual and untroubled. But I saw his eyes that were watching me, and I swallowed hard, forcing a smile on my face as I moved forward to take Jiro's hand.

It was my mission to kill him.

Well, that was the mission, anyway. But…if it would help me to convince Jiro to stop importing illegal goods by posing as his dead love…then I would do it.

For his sake.

I felt tears escape my control as his cool thumb rubbed circles into the back of my hand, his other hand coming to tuck strands of hair behind my ear, his lips touching my forehead in such a gentle way that I felt a sob escape my throat. He pulled away, and peered into my face, his green eyes too happy to see past the face, too far gone to see that I was not his love.

"Hana, are you alright? Do you need to lie down?"

I moved forward so I was hugging him, and let myself cry into his shirt. I felt his arms embrace me. I choked out.

"I'm f-fine…Jiro. I'm just a bit tired."

I felt his arms reach down, and he scooped me up as easily as if I had been a rag-doll. I locked my arms around his neck, and felt tears continue to fall as I saw his overjoyed expression. I buried my head into his shoulder, but not before I saw the figure on the roof lightly jump down onto the porch, his dark eyes staring after us, just as the last of the sun's rays faded from the now midnight blue sky.

The figure was gone with the night, and I hugged Jiro tighter, the air cool against my bare arms. We were heading up some stairs, Jiro muttering soothing words, stroking my hair lovingly. Before the door that led inside behind the curtains closed, I chanced a glance up once more, staring at the night sky for a moment.

The only light came from the glittering stars, so far above the town, blissfully pure and ignorant of all the pain and suffering in the world.

I envied them.

The door shut with a click, and the light of the stars was gone, leaving me to bury my head in my arms, trying to come up with a plan.