Several hours later, Sasuke had changed his clothes before leaving with the group, and was now wearing the white button down shirt from his one fancy outfit, but had left the uncomfortable starched pants behind, substituting them for a tighter pair of black jeans that hugged his butt and were easy to move in. He hadn't originally planned on packing the pants, but had thrown them in at the last minute when his mother had complained about him not having enough clothes. Now, though, he was glad he had, even though he felt a little exposed in them, because just the looks he was getting was enough to make his chest swell with pride. Sasuke was hot; he knew it, and everyone else did, too.

Ino and Sakura had both changed their clothes as well. Sakura had gone for the big hair - though it didn't quite work with her straight pink locks - of the eighties, coupled with an old fashioned prom dress that looked like it had come out of her mother's closet, mothballs and all. Ino had opted for a simpler, more casual, look, wearing cutoff denim shorts, a tank top with thick straps, and a denim jacket over it, and Sasuke had to admit that she looked quite the part of the teenage heroin in a high school drama movie set in the eighties.

When he was walking out the door, Sasuke felt something that felt suspiciously like a hand traveling cheekily across his firm backside, and he spun around to confront the culprit. Behind him, Naruto was standing there with his hands shoved into his pockets, the too-innocent expression of a child trying to divert attention from being caught with his hand in the cookie jar on his face.

"Want?" He asked, trying not to look too pleased with himself.

Well, two could play at that game. Letting a mysterious smirk decorate his face, Sasuke cocked his hip at a jaunty angle - no matter that it was a girly move - and raised an eyebrow at Naruto in what he hoped was a seductive manner. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Sasuke caught one last look of the expression on Naruto's face, his jaw dropping, as he turned back around and started after the group a few paces ahead of him. The smirk on his face grew wider, enough so that Sakura noticed and asked about it.

"What's up, Sasuke?"

"Oh, nothing," he said, feeling extremely self satisfied, causing Sakura and Ino to clap him on the shoulders, one on either side, and Hinata to give a stuttering giggle.

Neji had allowed his cousin to attend the event with them on the grounds that Sasuke was her chaperone, but had refused to attend himself, instead retreating sullenly into his room. Sasuke couldn't find fault with that, though, since he and expended a lot of energy using his Byakugan. The least Sasuke could do in return was look after his cousin for the evening.

The building they were heading to wasn't far away, so it didn't take long for them them to get there. Sakura had told Sasuke that the event was popular, but he had no idea exactly how popular until he walked through the door and was presented with the veritable wall of people.

The building was a restaurant of sorts, but filled only with round tables that seated four people each. There were no larger tables or booths that Sasuke could see, only the round ones that were packed with people ordering food and waiters delivering it. He did notice on the far end that there was a small stage that had yet to set up, and Sasuke assumed that they would be performing in that space.

Sakura turned around and appeared to be trying to tell them something, but laughter, shouting and the clatter of dishes overpowered the sound of whatever she was trying to tell say, so both she and Ino tugged on his and Hinata's arms, bring them to a quieter area, back in another room whose walls were covered, surprisingly, in bookshelves. It was there that they found Choji messing with a tangle of wires attached to a stereo system that looked like it was at least ten years old, and Sasuke had to stifle a laugh at the ancient looking technology. When the group entered the room, Choji looked up, and his face brightened upon recognizing them.

"Sakura! There you are! You're late; I thought that we'd have to do this without you, and you're the one with the karaoke app!"

Sakura gave a disdainful sniff. "When have I ever missed one of these?"

"Never," Choji admitted. "But you're always late!"

Both Ino and Sakura broke into chuckles at that, and even Hinata gave a giggle.

"That's because she takes so long to get dressed!" Ino teased good naturedly, poking Sakura in the ribs, who rolled her eyes.

"You started an hour before me, and I was still waiting in the lobby for you for over ten minutes!"

Choji shook his head. "You always worry about your outfits too much."

"Of course we worry!" Ino placed her hands on her hips and mock glared at the heavyset boy. "This is a themed cabaret exhibition; it would be silly if we couldn't dress for the theme." Then she turned to Sasuke, appealing to him. "See, even Sasuke's dressed up!"

Raising his hands in the air in a gesture of innocence, Sasuke protested, "Hey, I only wore this so I wouldn't look like a complete fool when I get up there."

"You're singing too?" Choji's eyes lit up. "Thank god - everyone else is hyperactive girls, and I'm always the only boy who participates. Now I won't be alone in my misery!"

"I wouldn't count on that," Sasuke warned, jerking his head towards the innocent-faced girls. "Just wait and see what they want me to sing."

"Why?" A frown replaced the lighted joy in Choji's eyes. "What do they want you to sing?"

But Sakura stepped in before Sasuke could open his mouth, cutting him off. "We don't want to ruin the surprise, but it'll be good, I promise."

"Just know that you and I won't be the only ones performing something from Footloose tonight," Ino said slyly, sidling up to Choji.

"Oh yeah?" Sasuke perked up at that tidbit of information. "What are you two singing?"

"Almost Paradise," Choji said with much grandeur, making Ino giggle.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow in surprise. "The love song?"

"Ino and Choji are are resident duo," Sakura explained. "They both can sing - like, actually sing, not just belt along with the radio - and at every one of these cabarets, they sing a duet. Just wait until you hear it; they're fantastic."

Choji blushed at the praise, but Ino just brushed it off. "Oh, we're not that good. We just know what we're doing. We picked Almost Paradise because it has some fantastic harmony."

"I'm so jealous of all of you!"

The sound was so loud, everyone in the room had to look twice to be sure it was Hinata that had said it. The quiet girl blushed heavily under all the scrutiny, drawing back into herself as if she wished she hadn't spoken. But she had, and now Sakura was patting her shoulder gently, trying to get her to open up.

"Why? What's making you jealous?"

Hinata's cheeks were as red as a bottle of sriracha hot sauce, but she still answered in a quiet stutter. "I'm j-jealous because you're all go-going to go out th-there and sing, and it d-doesn't even b-bother you! I c-couldn't even say a s-sentence in front of so many people!"

"Oh, Hinata," Sakura clucked in a motherly tone. "We'll get you over your stage fright, don't worry. All it takes is a little bit of Konoha magic!"

"Really?" Hope practically glowed from Hinata's eyes.

"Sure. We have one of these every month, and I swear that before the summer's over, we'll have you up singing with the rest of us!"

Hinata visibly blanched at the thought, obviously not having seen where Sakura was going and not liking where they had ended up. She looked like she was about to give a stuttering protest, but Kakashi brought a whirlwind through the door again, throwing their lives into a brief chaos.

"Hello again! Glad you're here; we thought you were going to be late, Sakura!"

Throwing her hands into the air, Sakura asked of no one in particular, "Why am I the one who always gets blamed for being late?"

"Because you're always late," Kakashi interjected smoothly, then continued with his rundown. "Alright, show starts in fifteen, so Choji, start lugging those things out there. As soon as he's done, get out there and set the mic and the input from the phone up, Sakura, and please don't forget to plug them in this time."

"Why are you only picking on me? You gave the final check on that, and it was over a year ago anyways!"

"Because it's fun, Sakura." Kakashi's single eye twinkled as Sakura gave of groan of resignation. "Now, after that's done, everyone go sit down at the first few tables; they've been reserved for us again. Sakura, don't sit in the wrong section again." This time, Sakura rolled her eyes and refused to respond, leaving Kakashi to sigh, bereft of his amusement. "Back to business, I guess. Everyone else who's performing is already waiting in the wings, so set up as fast as possible, then just get out there and have some fun!"

The door slammed shut before Sasuke could even register that Kakashi had gone again, and he shook his head disbelievingly. "He's not always like that and I just haven't noticed, right?"

Giggling at him, Sakura picked up some mic stands and unceremoniously dumped them in Sasuke's arms. "No, he only gets excited like that during cabarets. Come on, help me schlup these."

She led him out the door, Ino following them with the tangled wires and Choji with the speakers. Slipping along close behind them, Hinata inquired, "Who else is performing?"

"Just some of the other people who work at the Hokage," Sakura said with an offhand wave, guiding the group to a small door that led directly onto the stage Sasuke had noticed earlier.

When the door was opened, Hinata leapt back with a squeak, not wanting to be seen by the people, so Sakura grabbed the wires from Ino's hands and pushed both her and Hinata down the hall, away from the door to the stage.

"Take her to the seats," she instructed. "We can do it ourselves."

Hinata threw Sakura a grateful look as Ino pulled her down the hall and around a corner, out of sight. When they were gone, Sakura grabbed Sasuke and hauled him onto the stage where Choji was already setting up the speakers.

Setting down his heavy burden, Sasuke tried to set up the mic stands while Sakura started plugging wires into the speaker, but only succeeded in getting confused and pinching his finger. With an annoyed look, Sakura dismissed him and grabbed the stands herself, putting them up with practiced ease. Feeling a little silly, Sasuke jumped off the edge of the stage and landed next to Ino and Hinata, who had just arrived through the crowd.

Pointing at a row of mostly empty seats, Ino said, "This is where we wait our turns. You can sit with us even though you're not performing, Hinata, because you're our special guest."

Hinata's cheeks, which had paled after her earlier blush, pinkened again. "Thanks."

All of a sudden, both Sasuke and Hinata were startled as Sakura jumped down next them. The pink haired girl laughed before moving over to give Choji room to slide down next to her. "Hurry and sit down; Kakashi's ready, and you don't want to be caught standing when he gets onstage."

Sasuke frowned, remembering the outfit Kakashi had been wearing, and was not entirely sure if he wanted to see what he had planned, but he sat down anyway, and just in time, too. Almost immediately after Sasuke had taken his seat, Kakashi jumped onto the stage from the door that led into the hallway, and grappled one of the microphones, making it screech painfully.

"Hello, everyone!" He shouted into the mic, sending static through the system and making everyone wince. Drawing back from the mic, Kakashi's apologized from a more reasonable distance. "Sorry 'bout that. You'd think I'd have figured out how to use this thing by now, but it still confounds me. Anyway, welcome to the ANBU's Friday night cabaret, hosted by members of the staff of the Hokage!"

ANBU? Sasuke perked up at that. He hadn't looked at the sign above the door of the restaurant, so this was the first time he had heard the name of the place. Hadn't Kakashi once mentioned it to him, telling him it was a cafe and bookshop? If so, it explained the room they had been in.

Suddenly, Naruto came up behind Sasuke and wrapped his arms around his neck, gently nuzzling his cheek. Relaxing into this hold, Sasuke murmured, "Where'd you disappear to?"

"Ran into an old friend," he remarked casually. "And that little Hyuuga girl gives me the creeps. She stares at me all the time, and I don't like it."

"She likes you," Sasuke muttered darkly, allowing a scowl to creep across his face.

Naruto poked Sasuke teasingly. "Aw, is someone jealous?"

"Maybe a little."

At the admission, Naruto darted in and kissed Sasuke cheek, and his frown could help but fly away. "You've got nothing to worry about. I'm staying right here."

Another screech from the mic diverted their attention back to Kakashi's speech. "And so, to start off tonight's performance, I would like to sing a song for you."

There was a collective, horrified gasp from the audience, and some of the people closer to the exit looked like they were planning a daring escape. Sasuke looked around, both amused and a little worried; was Kakashi really that bad of a singer?

With a sigh of defeat, Kakashi held up a hand. "I would like to sing for you," he reiterated, "but unfortunately, I've been banned from singing in public by a few of my overzealous employees."

A sigh of relief was released then, so large it almost shook the room, and Sasuke caught Ino, Choji, and Sakura giving each other a three way high five, solving the mystery of who those 'overzealous employees' were.

"Well, you don't have to be so happy about it," Kakashi grouched, but audience just laughed at him.

"Get off the stage, Kakashi!" Drawled a man from the back of the room, presumably a local.

Glaring at the man, Kakashi gave a final sniff and introduced the first performer before leaving the stage with his nose in the air. When he jumped down off the stage to sit in the row with the others, he muttered to Sasuke as he passed, "Unrecognized talent, that's what I am."

Sasuke couldn't help but smile, especially when Naruto laughed in his ear. "Kakashi, you could beat a cat in a 'feline death impressions' contest!"

Kakashi jumped at the sound of the voice that didn't belong to anyone alive, and he leaned closer to Sasuke. "Who's here?"

" Naruto, and he's here with me," Sasuke answered, making it clear that he wouldn't allow Kakashi to try and eject Naruto from the premises.

But it appeared that there no need for the caution, since Kakashi just nodded slowly. "Just keep an eye on him, alright?"

"I'll try, but no promises," Sasuke said as Naruto, offended, stuck out his tongue silently at Kakashi so the man wouldn't hear. "He is his own person."

Looking only slightly reassured by that, Kakashi sat down in his spot, and Sasuke settled back to enjoy whatever the night had in store.

He didn't recognize the first girl who got up to sing, but that wasn't surprising, considering that he had made a point not to interact with any of the staff when he had first arrived, unless they were named Sakura and had forced their presence on him anyways. He hadn't even known that Choji and Tenten, who had been avoiding them since Sasuke's pronouncement, which he could tell was hurting the other teens, though they refused to let it show, had worked for Kakashi until they had showed up to work at the events of Konoha Spiritual Week.

The song was one he Sasuke didn't recognize either, something about love and heartbreak, but then again, all the songs from that time period were about love or heartbreak. Hell, that was true about the songs written now as well.

Throughout the first half of the karaoke, Sasuke ended up paying very little attention to the performers, instead putting his attention into Naruto's antics as the ghost reverted to a much younger age and plopped himself down in Sasuke's lap. The songs passed in a blur, overshadowed by Naruto's amusing commentary. The host was over a hundred years old, after all, and had been around when these songs had been popular on the radio, so he know lots of inside jokes he was only too glad to share with the enraptured Sasuke.

It was only during the second half of the cabaret that Sasuke started to actually pay attention to what was being sung up on the stage. The first performers, while not "bad" per say, were certainly not very good, and while Sasuke was no expert himself, growing up with money had the side effect of giving one a healthy appreciation of the more refined side of the arts.

But the second half of the performance was when they broke out the big guns. The first one Sasuke recognized was Sakura, and despite her earlier comment that Ino and Choji were their "resident singers," she was actually quite good. The song she was singing was one Sasuke didn't recognize, but Naruto said was from "The Breakfast Club," a popular movie from the eighties, and had been repopularized by a recent movie about an acapella group. Sasuke recalled the movie, but not its name or the song; he had not been much impressed with it for its musical inaccuracies, despite its commercial success.

Sasuke clapped loudly at the end of the song, almost dislodging Naruto from his perch on his lap, which the ghost was not pleased about but simply clung more tightly to Sasuke's collar without complaint to avoid being dumped on the floor. Winking slyly at Sasuke, Sakura took several extra bows before Ino came up beside her and gave her a shove.

"My turn," she said with a grin, cracking her fingers as the music started, then jumped up and landed with a smart heel click as she started to sing.

The song was peppy and dark at the same time, smoothly enticing, and Sasuke found himself jiving along with the beat in spite of himself. This was one he did recognize; it was a Heart song, and his mother was a big fan of Heart to this day. It wasn't one of their most famous songs, but it still caught people's attention, and Ino made it come alive with her stunning voice.

When she finished, Sasuke gave a sharp whistle in addition to his clapping, and so did most of the audience. It was clear that Ino was a crowd favorite, and the locals even knew her name, shouting it aloud. Ino took a bow, then spoke into the microphone.

"And you know what happens next! Choji, you gonna come up here with me?"

"Am I ever?" Choji shouted from the audience, jumping up and running to the side of the stage.

Ino reached a hand down for Choji, pulling him up on the stage next to her. Their hands lingered together for a little longer than necessary, and Sasuke saw something that he had missed before. Perhaps it was the setting, and perhaps it was the glow on Ino's face after finishing her own song, but they looked like they belonged together up on that stage. The light in Ino's eyes was kinder, and the ruddy glow of Choji's cheeks made him seem a little less heavy, and a little more light on his feet.

The music started without them saying anything else, and they stared into each other's eyes for a few more seconds as Ino handed Choji the microphone. Her fingers lingered against the skin of his hand, and, almost unconsciously, her bottom lip was sucked in between her teeth to be gently massaged between the peaks of white sharpness. She still watched him as he turned toward the audience, and, raising the microphone, began to sing.

The voice that came from the speakers was not the voice Sasuke had come to identify with Choji, a little hoarse and perpetually out of breath. Instead, it was smooth and silky, brightly piercing and yet pleasing to the ear. It absolutely took Sasuke's breath away, leaving him gasping for air in a room that suddenly seemed too stifled.

And then Ino stepped up beside him, holding another mic that Sasuke hadn't noticed before. Choji stepped aside to allow her to take center stage, and somehow, her voice grew richer than before, to match the tenor of the song and Choji's voice.

The song, this time, was very familiar to Sasuke. Almost Paradise, love theme from Footloose, was something he had listened to over and over his junior year in high school, and the music from that movie held a special place in his heart. Each word, each melting note, rang in his ears, anticipated and yet better than anticipated. It only proved true the belief Sasuke held that someone got the most out of a performance if they were intimately familiar with the material.

And then Choji joined her, and the two sang together in tight harmony, never wavering in their pitches. This song, Sasuke knew, required a high level of control in a very high register for the boy, and Choji was nailing it perfectly, with Ino floating on the top of his controlled sound for a perfect blend. The stepped closer and closer, close enough to reach out and touch each other, then close enough that if they leaned forward, their microphones would bump in an almost kiss.

Abruptly, they separated, and Ino sang by herself. The move surprised Sasuke, even though he knew it was coming, because the pair was staring into each other's eyes with such abandon, they looked like they were never going to look away. She stepped back, and Choji got his moment in the spotlight before she joined him and they sang together again.

This time when they drew closer, they didn't stop when their microphones touched. Choji placed his microphone back in the stand and grasped Ino's, and they sang together into the same microphone, at first turned toward the audience, then slowly shifting until they were looking directly into each other's eyes, completely ignoring the audience. Higher and higher, the music spiraled until it burst, sending waves of sound around the hall, then it drifted slower and slower towards its conclusion, lazily forming lyrics and phrases. At the last word, both Ino and Choji hesitated a little, then they sang together.

"Paradise."

The ending music trailed off as the audience held its breath, waiting, spellbound, to clap. Just as the last note was fading away, Choji, who looked like he was steeling himself for something, darted forward and gave Ino a quick kiss.

At that, the audience went wild, jumping to their feet as both teens looked equally shocked at Choji's daring. Ino looked completely stunned, reaching up to touch her lips with her free hand as Choji rescued the mic from her loosening grasp, and Choji didn't look much better, cheeks glowing as red as a beat and eyes slightly glazed. Since Sasuke was in the front row, he could see Choji's lips move as he asked Ino a question, but couldn't hear what he said due to the roar of the crowd. Still shellshocked, Ino gave a slight nod to whatever he had asked, and Choji's cheeks turned an even darker shade of red, if possible.

When the crowd had mostly quieted down and sat back in their seats, Choji brought up the microphone to address the audience. "So, it's time for my song now, and seeing as she hasn't hit me yet," the crowd laughed a little at that one, "I'm going to try something." Locking gazes with Ino, who turned almost the same color as his own cheeks, Choji asked, "Ino, would you mind staying up here when I sing?"

Ino didn't say anything, but she nodded a few times, and Choji took a deep breath as if to prepare himself.

Then the music started, and Sasuke looked up in surprise. Choji must have had a thing for eighties dance movies, because it was the opening chords to She's Like the Wind, from "Dirty Dancing." Nervously fidgeting, Choji waited for the intro to end, but as soon as it did and he started singing, all the uncertainty and nervousness dropped away from him, and he was one with the song.

The song was a perfect fit for them, and the way Choji sang it made it come alive. It was a love song, yes, but it was a song of desperation, of hopeless longing, perfectly personifying the relationship between Ino and Choji. He, a heavyset youth with no traditional beauty and little self confidence, had no place to be caring for a girl like Ino, with her fashion and her looks and her perfect poise. And yet, he did, and he was baring it for all the world to see, right in that stage, with that song.

Sasuke knew the song well, and he knew all the key phrases to it, and noticed the slight winces in Ino's eyes as Choji sang them. Just a fool to believe I have anything she needs, and can't look in her eyes; she's out of my league each brought about their own minute tics, which told Sasuke that Ino cared for Choji, too, and didn't care that he thought he wasn't good enough for her; no, she was worried that she wouldn't be able to look past others thinking he wasn't good enough for her, and that would cause her to hurt him.

Near the end of the song, Choji grabbed Ino's hand and sank to the floor, kneeling in front of her on one knee and looking up into her shocked face. His composure cracked a bit, but he still finished the song, ending like that, staring up at her. The audience held its breath as the last notes of the song ended, but Choji kept the microphone to his face.

"Well, Ino," he said, almost instantly reverting to his more nervous persona as the music faded, "I went and sang to you in front of all of these people, so d-do you think you w-would w-want to go out w-with m-me?" The last part ended on a high pitched stutter, as if Choji was losing his confidence like a train running out of fuel.

Ino just stared at him for a few seconds, absolutely shocked, until a heckler from the back of the audience shouted, "Are you gonna give the boy an answer or not?"

That jumped her enough that she nearly left the stage, and her hand slipped out of Choji's. Looking disheartened but like he had been expecting it, Choji started to stand up, but was knocked back down by Ino jumping on him. He landed on his butt and Ino somehow managed to land in his lap and she hugged him tightly around the neck.

"Of course, you dummy!" Ino grabbed his collar, shaking him a little roughly. "Do you know how long I've been waiting for you to ask?"

Now it was Choji's turn for his eyes to widen in shock. "You- you're not joking?"

"Of course not!" Ino's hair was a little messy from her fall, but her eyes shone brightly.

Slowly, as if he couldn't believe this was really happening to him, a grin stole across Choji's face. Apparently deciding that the gambles he had already made had paid off, Choji made another and gently tugged on Ino's chin to pull her in for a kiss.

Wrapping her arms about Choji's neck, she returned the kiss with enthusiasm as the audience started the cheer. A few catcalls were issued by the more rowdy members of the crowd, but the only reaction either of them gave to the heckling was Ino sticking her middle finger up to the audience at large as she kept her lips firmly attached to Choji's.

It was while watching them that Sasuke was struck by an epiphany. People often think that love only happens to beautiful people, but it is love itself that it beautiful. Choji may not have been the most handsome of man, and Ino not the most understanding or intelligent of women, but together, they shone like a pair of bright, glittery paper stars on a backdrop that had suddenly been caught in the spotlight. Perhaps they weren't the biggest stars on the backdrop, or the glitteriest, but they caught the eye and refused to let go when illuminated in that spotlight of love. It just goes to show that, given the right circumstances, those who stay unnoticed in the background may be the ones who can shine most exuberantly.

Naruto had left Sasuke's lap and was standing next to him, no longer a child, but a man Sasuke's own age. As if feeling Sasuke's eyes on him, he glanced down at him. "What?"

"Nothing," Sasuke said, but his smile told otherwise, and he reached out to take Naruto's hand in the darkness between the seats. Naruto's gaze softened, and he twined their fingers together.

Alone, two people are almost worthless. It is our interactions that define us, that make us who we are and shape our worlds, and when our worlds collide, it produces the intimacy known as love. But neither Sasuke nor Naruto needed that said aloud to understand it.

It took Sakura jumping up onto the stage and forcibly ejecting Ino and Choji from their spotlight for them to break apart, but they didn't look like they cared. Grinning like idiots, they retook their seats, keeping their hands intertwined.

With a grin rivaling the size of the new couple's on her face, Sakura grabbed the mic. "Finally, am I right?"

The audience roared, and Ino and Choji turned an even darker shade of pink, but didn't let go of each other's hands.

When the audience quieted down, Sakura brought the mic back up to her face. "And that's how we would normally end it, folks, but tonight, we have something else for you, something special."

Sasuke felt his heart start to beat faster; now it was his turn, and he was starting to feel a familiar nervousness coil in the bottom of his stomach. He gripped the strap of his satchel, which he had thrown over his shoulder, like always, a little tighter.

"Usually this is something those of us who work at the Hokage do, but tonight, through means mostly fair but a little foul, we've managed to gain one extra performer. Sasuke, would you please join me up here?" Sakura extended a hand to Sasuke, and the audience quieted a little, not quite sure what Sakura was up to.

Choji leaned forward and slapped Sasuke on the back, propelling him out of his chair. "Go get 'em!"

The world began to blur a little before Sasuke as he asked himself if he was really going to do this. It had been several years, after all, and he hadn't prepared for it. But then he caught sight of Naruto, and his world snapped into sharp clarity. Yes, he could do this. There was no judgment in this place, only acceptance, and he felt something disappear from his heart, but it wasn't something he recognized or would miss.

The last thing he did before jumping up onto the stage was grab Naruto's arm and haul the ghost forward to whisper quickly in his ear. "Whatever happens up there, know I'm singing to you."

Then he released Naruto just as quickly as he'd grabbed him, and jumped up next to Sakura, who tried to pass him the mic and leave, but he caught her arm, preventing any hope of escape.

"Oh, no," he said, eyes glittering with an excitement that bordered on malice, and her own grew wide with fear. "You're not going anywhere. You want me to do this, you're going to have to give a little too."

Sakura made a choked sound as Sasuke expertly plucked the microphone out of her hands and turned to address the audience himself. "Hey, out there. As Sakura said, I'm Sasuke, and through means mostly foul, including attempted blackmail and bribery, a few of the craziest people I've ever met have managed to get me up on this stage."

"Thanks," Sakura quipped, leaning in so the mic caught the word. The audience laughed, especially when Sasuke shouldered her off to the side.

"Anyway, from the moment I learned the title of the song they intended me to sing, I knew they were in it with a single objective: they wanted me to make a fool of myself. And if I'm going down, I have to get in a little revenge of my own." Grinning, Sasuke held aloft the arm of the captured Sakura. "And so, she's going to stay up here with me."

At this, the audience roared again. Tonight was probably the liveliest show they'd ever gotten.

Getting into it, Sakura shouted, "Somebody better be videoing this!"

"Don't worry," Ino shouted back from the front row, camera held aloft. "I'm already recording!"

"Hm." A smirk crept across Sasuke's face. "Well, while I was brought up here for mere comedy - and a little bit of fair minded teasing, I'm sure - I decided that I could get a little revenge of my own. I was told by Ino and Sakura to sing Let's Hear It for the Boy, from Footloose."

Laughter rang out through the room, but Sasuke held up his hand to quiet them. "They wanted me to sing it for a laugh, but what they didn't know is that I was a dancer in a production of Footloose, the musical, a few years back at my high school in Chicago, so I actually know what I'm doing."

Surprised laughter filled the room at that, and Sasuke took advantage of the moment to clip the mic back into the stand and set his satchel down, rescuing the needed prop, his blazer, from its confines. By the time the audience had calmed down again, he had shrugged on the jacket and pushed the satchel out of the way with his feet.

Glancing at Sakura, Sasuke found that her mouth was hanging open slightly from shock, and he smirked at her. "You wanted a shoe, Sakura. Next time, you should be more careful what you wish for, or it may come back to bite you again."

"What exactly am I doing up here?" Sakura asked, still a little shellshocked.

"You're my dance partner," Sasuke informed her with an even wider smirk.

Now it was panic that caused Sakura's eyes to widen. "You don't want me! I - I can't dance!"

"You won't need to," Sasuke assured her. "I'll do everything; you just have to follow me."

"Alright," Sakura said dubiously. "I'll try."

Shrugging his shoulders to make the blazer bang more comfortable, Sasuke asked, "Can you start the music for me?"

"Sure. That's easier than dancing, at least!"

With a nod to her, Sasuke turned back to the audience. "Well, then, enjoy or whatever! I haven't done this in a while, so no promises, but have fun watching!"

Then Sasuke stepped back from the mic, turning his back to the audience. When the music started, he started moving along to the beat, swaying his hips a little, then he snapped around just in time to catch the opening phrase.

He watched jaws drop in amazement at the first note, including Sakura's, who was right next to him. While Sasuke was certainly no professional, his had picked up some things from being in Footloose, so the sounds rolling out of him were almost as smooth as Choji's. But it was his dancing that really caught the eye.

The song had simple enough choreography to start, so Sasuke embellished it a little, flipping the collar of his blazer back as he swayed his hips and moved his shiny shoes along the surface of the stage, causing them to squeak in time to his movements. The first verse was mostly comprised of dancing that lended to acting, bringing the focus of the song to the attitude with which it was portrayed, and it was only when he got to the second verse that the moves got difficult.

It was hot in the room with so many people, and Sasuke felt himself start to sweat under his jacket, and the sensation reminded him of the time when he had performed in Footloose, sweating under the heavy costume and bright stage lights. Sasuke's father had insisted he take dance lessons for most his early life for a reason he didn't comprehend then and still didn't understand, but those lessons had stopped abruptly after Itachi's incarceration into the madhouse. It wasn't the only thing that had stopped, but Sasuke had found that it stung less than he had anticipated. Itachi was always the one who had gone to his recitals anyway, and he couldn't remember a single one where his father had willingly come and kept his phone off the whole time.

Still, those lessons had helped him in Footloose, and he became the male dance caption, always in the front and dancing with the female dance caption, though he couldn't remember her name now. It was funny how a single sour memory could ruin a whole experience. While the other theater students hadn't been exuberantly welcoming, they had been unconditionally accepting, and since they had been doing shows together for years, they were a tight knit family that he felt uncomfortable intruding on as a junior, but he had found happiness with them for a time. Sasuke's father didn't come to any of the performances, but that was fine with him; he wouldn't have appreciated it anyway.

Except Sasuke's father had surprised him by coming to the very last show, and it had been a disaster. He hadn't known what the show was about, and had been scandalized by the covert innuendos and what he had referred to as "raunchy, tasteless costuming designed to draw the eye of audience away from the terrible quality of the acting," even going so far as to march backstage during intermission and try to pull Sasuke from the show. Sasuke had refused, and his father had finally relented when Sasuke had made the argument that a show was a commitment that he had to see through, but only on the grounds that Sasuke never did another show again.

Sasuke could tell that the other actors felts sorry for him, but they still refused to meet his gaze for the rest of the year, and even though he normally kept to himself anyway, the rejection stung. Many times, he had wanted to tell them that it wasn't his fault, that he wanted to do more acting with them, but he hadn't, and it had slipped by for so long that Sasuke had eventually let it go. Those bad memories had overshadowed his good memories of the production, but now they were all coming back to him, the good and the bad, and Sasuke felt himself start to grin in spite of himself. He had forgotten how much fun performing was.

The dance break arrived with a spurt of loud sound, and Sasuke cast a look at Sakura with an eyebrow raised, silently asking, You ready? The nod she sent back sent him into action, and the blur of movement that was his arms was the only warning she got before Sasuke grabbed her hands and spun her into a whirl. Surprised, Sakura stumbled into his arms, but he kept the pressure of his leading steady, and she soon got her feet under her and allowed him control of her movements. Sasuke was careful not to hold her too close, but when he glanced up, he still noticed the stark jealousy on Naruto's face, and he felt a little guilty. If Naruto was alive, Sasuke would have offered him the chance to dance with him, but since he was invisible, they couldn't dance together in front of this many people without arousing suspicion, which could lead to fear and danger for the ghost.

Sasuke let go of Sakura as soon as the dance break ended, going back to singing in front of the mic, a little out of breath from exertion. The move that went with the last part of the song was a simple box step, over and over, with hand motions that went with the song, and Sakura quickly picked up on it, dancing next to him with excited motions, the grin on her face at odds with the doubt she had possessed before the song. Performing was like that, Sasuke had found; once you started, you tended to forget what was on your mind.

The music started to crank up in volume and excitement as the ending drew near, and Sasuke reached further and further into himself for the energy that was slowly draining out of him. Even though he hadn't danced since Footloose, he had kept in good shape by all the exercises with ghosts he had been made to do by his father, but it had been a while since he had done something so strenuous, and it was taking its toll on his body. The pants and gasps were coming more harshly now, and Sasuke dug inside himself for the final push required for the finale.

Sasuke didn't bother singing the last part; it was far too high, and he knew that he wouldn't be able to make it anyway. Instead, he grabbed Sakura again, ignoring her surprised gasp, and abrupt dipped her to the last chord of the song. In the original choreography, he had had to lean down and give his partner a kiss - a stage kiss, but still a kiss, and now that Sakura knew he was gay, Sasuke wasn't comfortable doing even that. So he kept his face upwards and looked straight on front of him, expecting to see the audience, but his vision was blocked by Naruto's face, who had floated close without Sasuke noticing. Without warning, the ghost grabbed Sasuke's face with both of his hands and leaned forward, pressing their lips together.

No one in the audience would have noticed the action; not even Sakura, whose face was a mere foot from Sasuke's, caught the difference in Sasuke's face, the minute change in his expression. Sasuke forced himself to remain impassive, to let the sudden roar of the audience as the song ended roll over him without a fracture in his composure, but on the inside, he melted as Naruto pulled away and gave him a lingering smile. They had kissed before, but this was different, this was something more; he could feel it in his soul, and he smiled.

The roar of the audience got louder, thinking the smile was for them, and Sasuke leaned back and stood up straight, pulling Sakura after him. The pink haired girl gave him a hug which he barely registered, all his attention focused on the ghost floating a few feet away with a wide smile. Shaking himself back to reality, Sasuke jumped down from the stage and was engulfed by the people he had come to call friends. As they gathered around him and clapped him on the back, a warmth spread through Sasuke, making him forget the things that were weighing on his mind, the problems he had to solve.

Tomorrow, he would have to tell Kakashi about the Akatsuki. Tomorrow, he would have to make a plan to stop them before they figured out how to steal the Kyuubi, whatever it may be, and take away the hub of spiritual energy that gave the ghosts in Konoha their abnormally long lifespans. Tomorrow, he would have to deal with the fallout of his discovery, but now, with the brilliant laugh of Sakura and the quiet stutter of Hinata surrounding him, with the breathless nervousness of Ino and Choji as they looked at each other, with the harsh lights on his face and Naruto's simple smile warming him to the core, Sasuke felt not only a sense of belonging, but a sense of finally coming home.