Normal

Thought

"Speech"

Kyuubi

Warning: I don't own it… Blah blah blah… Rated "M" for language and Adult situations.

Chapter 53: New Beginnings

It had been almost a week since the triumphant return of the Uchiha, and he had been locked away from everyone, with the exception of a select few people. Myra had gotten a very long lecture from Tsunade, the council, Edgar, Poe and her father. Her punishment was something she didn't like, but she agreed to it. She was being supervised constantly by ANBU, she wasn't allowed out of the village until she had performed as many "D" missions as she could over the next week. "SLAVE DRIVER!" Myra screamed at Tsunade as Rai and Naruto dragged her out of Tsunade's office.

Sasuke hadn't been so lucky. He had been taken somewhere Tsunade couldn't say for debriefing. He was gone for three days. The council, though ecstatic to have the true heir of the Uchiha back in the village, couldn't look past the problems he had caused. He would be confined to the village for the next few weeks. After that, he couldn't go on a mission higher than a "B" and he would be supervised for a period of one year.

The highly publicized Ravenheart vs. Hyuuga match at the Chunin Exams had been canceled. The council had intervened and decided that Hiashi had no claim or need to continue with the match. Since the match had been a political ploy to seize control of the Uchiha council seat, Sasuke's return made the match unnecessary. At Sasuke's installment as part of the council and head of the Uchiha clan, Sasuke glared at the Hyuuga lord the entire time. Myra stood at Rai's side with an arrogant smirk on her face. Myra came out of the council meeting ready to burst at the seams. Sasuke was bored stiff and thought it was a waist of his time.

The finals of the Chunin Exams were right around the corner and Konoha was brimming with activity. Myra was lounging on the couch with her leg over the back of the couch. It was the first day where she actually didn't have anything to do. Naruto was off with Sasuke doing god only knows what, probably training or something like that, she thought as she tapped her toe to a particularly catchy tune on her MP3 player.

She really hadn't gotten to see anyone in the last week. Myra had been busy with her own training, the stupid official stuff, and the "D" missions. There was a knock at her door and she didn't have to really do much to know who it was. Myra hopped off the couch and went to answer the door. The Ravenheart girl sighed. "What can I do for you Miss. Haruno?"

Sakura smiled brightly. "I thought you could use some company."

"Come on in." Myra took her head phones out and put her MP3 player on a table in the living room. "Would you like some tea, coffee, or water?"

Sakura shut the door behind her and slipped off her sandals. "Tea would be nice."

Myra headed for the kitchen. She could tell Sakura was pensive about something. Myra would be gentle and let Sakura bring it up.

The pink one followed Myra into the kitchen. "So… How have you been?"

"Good I guess… Your boss is a slave monger, but who am I to complain, I got myself into the mess in the first place." Myra smirked while she turned on the water for tea.

"I know what you mean. Lady Tsunade can be a bit of a grouch at times." Sakura giggled.

There was an awkward silence between them for a few moments before Myra couldn't take it anymore. "Ok Sakura… What's on your mind?"

Sakura looked out to the balcony and just sighed. "Lots of things, but mostly Sasuke."

"Is he being a cold fish?" Myra crossed her arms.

Sakura turned as pink as her hair. "No it isn't that. There are times…"

Myra held up her hand to stop Sakura from going any further. "I don't want to know. I would rather leave it to my imagination, and even then I have no want to know what my dear cousin is like in bed. He's more like my brother so it makes it even MORE creepy."

"He's still having nightmares." Sakura turned to Myra with a sad look.

"You're worried about him aren't you?" Myra tilted her head.

"I want to know what I can do to help."

Myra closed her eyes and sighed. "There are a thousand reasons he should be having them, and a thousand more why he shouldn't be." Myra opened her eyes. "Sasuke is an arrogant fucktard and wouldn't ask for help if his life depended on it, so I am going to be the sneaky, crazy bitch that I am and tell you what you need to do. Be his tether."

"A tether?"

"If he should have a nightmare and wake you up, put one hand on his chest over his heart and the other on his forehead. Concentrate a small amount of your chakra into him and remind him very gently that you are there and it's just a dream. His dream should change for the better and the nightmare will go away. But understand that the nightmares won't go away until Sasuke forgives himself for not stopping the murder of his family." Myra put a comforting hand on Sakura's shoulder.

"I wish I could understand the guilt he carries." Sakura choked back the tears that were welling behind her eyes.

The teapot sounded and Myra set out three glasses. "I understand it and I even feel a little of that guilt sometimes, but I don't beat myself up over it. Sasuke does and lets it fuel his actions at times. He's just now learning to let it go. Don't be so down about it. We have other things to think about."

Sakura counted the glass and blinked at Myra. "Like what?"

"Like what the three of us are going to do tonight." Myra poured the tea into the mugs, handed one to Sakura, grabbed the other two and headed for the door.

Sakura followed Myra curiously to the door. "The three of us?"

Myra turned and smiled wickedly. "Yep… The three of us…" Myra set one of the mugs down on the table next to the door and opened the door. She just stood there for a moment holding the mug of tea.

Sephie came into view and grabbed the mug of tea. "I hope you have some time off finally, cause I need some serious girl time."

"Nice to see you too Sephie." Myra smiled and picked up her mug off the table.

Sephie sipped at her tea and then smiled happily at Sakura. "Good day to you Sakura. How are you today?"

Sakura smiled back. "I see your language skills are improving."

"I'm a quick study and I have an awesome teacher." Sephie flopped on the couch. "Hey, do you want to go with us tonight?"

Sakura blinked. "Go where?"

"I found this cool little night club while exploring Konoha with Gaara. It's actually pretty happening with the locals. And here I thought there was no night life Konoha." Sephie sipped on her tea.

"But the finals start tomorrow morning. I can't be out late." Sakura protested.

Myra grinned. "Come on Sakura… Live a little. Life is a banquet and most poor suckers are starving to death. We're watching the Chunin exams tomorrow, not participating in them. There are only two matches I want to see anyway. I want to see Konohamaru's match and Moegi's match and that's about it. Other than that, I don't care."

Sephie just shrugged. "I'm with Myra on this one."

"Wait, won't Gaara want you with him when the Suna team takes the field?" Myra questioned Sephie.

"There isn't a team from Suna this year. Gaara and company have other reasons besides the Chunin exams to be in Konoha." Sephie grinned behind her mug. Sakura giggled.

"Ok… So then it's settled. A girl's night out it is." Myra smiled wide.

"What about the guys?" Sakura blinked at Myra.

Myra smiled devilishly. "What about them?"

0 – 0 – 0 – 0

A few hours past and the girls were ready. Myra fiddled with her cell phone while she was putting on her pair of evil boots. She slipped the phone into the space between her breasts. It was the only place to keep anything in the outfit she was wearing. Part of her hair had been braided and twisted into a bun, while there were other smaller braids that hung at the back of her head and off her face.

She had done her makeup so her face looked a little paler with purple eye shadow, very little cheek color and dark red lipstick. Myra had on a purple corset, black mini skirt, fishnet stocking and fishnet gloves. "We're going to be late if you don't hurry!" Myra called from her living room.

Sephie poked her head out of the bed room. Her hair was in classic pigtails, but more black and pink strands of yarn and other fabrics had been added to make it more suitable for a club. Her makeup matched Myra's with the exception of the pink eye shadow and brighter red lipstick. "I can't get her to come out."

Myra walked back to the bedroom. "Sakura, if you don't want to go, please say so now."

Sakura turned around to look at Myra. "I want to go… I just don't know about this." The pink one looked at her reflection in the mirror. Myra and Sephie had worked tirelessly over the last hour on Sakura. They had rifled through Myra's closet to find something for Sakura to wear. Luckily they had found something that DIDN'T clash with Sakura's hair. Sephie had commented earlier that "Sakura's hair was the perfect color for any club and we won't have to do much to it."

Myra and Sephie had pulled Sakura's hair off her face at the sides and given it an interesting spiked fan look. They left Sakura some bangs to cover the massive forehead. Sakura's makeup was subtle, because she really didn't need much. Sephie had used a little bit of green eye shadow and black eyeliner to bring out her sea green eyes. Then Sephie had found the perfect shade of pink lipstick to match Sakura's hair. They toped off everything with a mid thigh green cheongsam dress the same color of Sakura's eyes. Myra pulled out a pair of white gogo boots that worked well with the dress and fit Sakura.

"I don't say this about a woman often. But DAMN you look HOT." Myra teased.

"Thank you, but I don't…"

"Sakura, it will be fun. But I'm not going to push you into anything you don't want to do. If nothing else, go back to your apartment and wait for Sasuke on the couch. I guarantee you won't be in that dress for long." Myra grinned. Then Myra frowned. "But if you do that, and he rips that dress getting it off you… I won't be happy."

Sakura chuckled. "I'll remember that." She took a deep breath. "I'm ready."

"GOOD!" Sephie yelled. "Let's shake a leg."