Kakashi leaned back in his chair, watching with amusement the scene that was being played out before him; Naruto was in a one-sided staring contest with Sai, who merely smiled up at him. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Sasuke leaning back against the wall, covertly watching Sai from a distance instead of being in his personal space like Naruto was. He understood their suspicions about the boy; after all, they hadn't had a chance to listen to his backstory yet, unlike Kakashi.

"How come you got to watch Sakura," Naruto grumbled, breaking Kakashi out of his thoughts. Sai cocked his head to the side, looking at him questioningly.

"I'm one of Ino's trusted acquaintances, so she thought it was best for me to help her out."

"But you tried to kill her," Naruto exclaimed, pointing his finger accusingly at him. "How the hell is that trustworthy?!"

"As I recall, I never laid a hand on her," Sai countered, "I was merely following orders."

"Right, so you facilitated it all!" Naruto pointed out, "How come you get to watch over her vulnerable sleeping form and not me?!"

Understanding dawned on Sai's face after Naruto's question. "Ah, this is what they call jealousy, isn't it? So that means you are Sakura's lover then?"

Naruto's face flushed at the thought, eyes directed to look down at his twiddling thumbs instead of Sai's inquisitive face. "Ah…well…n-not exactly. I mean, we're friends, and we're close, but we're not that close."

Sai nodded. "So, neither Naruto nor Sasuke are Sakura's lovers…" He murmured thoughtfully, stroking his chin. He suddenly snapped his head up, looking over at Kakashi. "So does that mean then that…?"

Kakashi held up his hands in effort to deflect the two slightly murderous auras that were directed towards him. "No no, I'm nothing more than a mentor and a guide to her."

Sai frowned, chin resting in his hand as he thought. "So all three of you are just…comrades?" He asked; each of them nodded. "That's strange; all the literature says that when there is a female in a group of men, one of them has to be her lover."

Naruto grinned cockily, arms crossed behind his head as he leaned back in his chair. "Well, if we really need to decide, I think that the most likely candidate would be-"

"Most certainly not you," Sakura's voice came from the doorway; Naruto pouted, turning around in his chair to face her.

"A guy can…" Naruto began, but trailed off as he took in Sakura's appearance. "…Dream…" He finished breathily; his expression seemed to mirror the expressions of the other men of the room.

Sakura stood in the doorway, smirking slightly with her hands on her hips; the hair that usually hung limply in her face was now gently framing it, highlighting her feminine features. The dress already accentuated her curves, but with her hands on her hips pulling the fabric more closely to her body, the slight swell of her hips could be better appreciated when compared to when she would wear her armor and dwarven clothes. Paired with her pale skin glowing from a prolonged and much needed bath, Sakura appeared to be a porcelain doll; dainty, fragile, and a sight to behold.

"Well, what do you boys think," Ino said, appearing behind her, "A real beauty isn't she?"

"She's certainly less hideous than when I first met her," Sai said, examining her appearance. The silence in the room that followed was deafening as each occupant processed his words. All of a sudden, Naruto leapt up and pointed a finger accusingly at Sai, the speed of the act sending his chair toppling to the floor.

"What the hell is wrong with you," Naruto shouted, "Sakura has never been hideous, nor shall she ever be hideous! You've got a lot of nerve saying that to someone you've just met! Why I oughta,"

"Enough, Naruto!" Sakura exclaimed, yanking him away from Sai. Naruto yelped loudly before crossing his arms over his chest, pouting like a child.

"It's not my fault," Naruto grumbled, "I was just defending your honor. No creepy bastard is going to insult you, especially when it's nothing but a pack of lies."

"So you're saying I wasn't hideous after being tortured and held in a cell for two weeks," Sakura questioned, dropping him onto the floor. He landed harshly, rubbing his bottom as he glanced up at her.

"Well I mean, you didn't look your best," He admitted, "But no matter what happens you're pretty!"

Sakura blushed slightly, looking away from him, grumbling unintelligibly under her breath. Ino smirked, sneaking up behind her, glancing over her shoulder as she looked down at Naruto.

"But you must admit, she looks much better now, right," Ino asked him; Naruto blushed, looking down at the floor, rubbing the back of his neck.

"W-Well, she looks more like the girls from home, s-so if you think they're beautiful or breathtaking or such, then y-yeah, I guess so," Naruto stammered out, keeping his gaze trained on the floor. Sakura flushed a darker shade of red, keeping her gaze averted from Naruto's form as Ino smirked.

"I must say, you do look more like a princess than a warrior," Kakashi added; Sakura looked up at him, a scowl on her face despite her cheeks still being dusted pink.

"H-Haven't you idiots ever heard of the term warrior-princess?" Sakura said, arms crossed over her chest as she stuck her nose up into the air. "Dwarven royalty must be ready to fight at a moment's notice in order to protect their clans; we don't have time to be dainty little girls."

"They're not insulting you," Ino sighed, rolling her eyes, "They're just saying it's a nice change of pace; unless of course, you're embarrassed and just putting on a front." She said, flashing a toothy grin at her; Sakura felt the color return to her cheeks, glaring at Ino.

"I am not," She protested; Ino swore she saw a hint of a pout on her lips. "I'm just saying that I shouldn't be reduced to an object of beauty just because I'm in a dress!"

Ino waved her hand dismissively, a grin still dancing on her lips. "Well, if that's your attitude, then surely you won't mind what your final companion would think."

Sakura stiffened at the mention of Sasuke; she had forgotten that he was the only one who hadn't said a word. She turned slowly, noticing that he was staring intently at her, eyes seemingly drinking in her form. She fidgeted with her sleeves under his intense gaze, refusing to meet his eyes as he finally reached her face. The whole room seemed to be holding its breath as they waited for him to voice his opinion over her attire.

"It's impractical," He finally spoke after a tense silence. Sakura felt her entire body slump slightly at his remark; she heard Ino let out an involuntary gasp.

"You bastard," Naruto shouted, pointing at Sasuke, "How the hell can you just call her impractical?"

"The dress is too long," Sasuke shrugged, "If she were to get into a battle, she would be dead in a minute. Also, the fabric is too thin to wear armor, meaning that she wouldn't be able to defend herself."

"That's because this isn't made for battle," Naruto countered, gesturing wildly. "It's made for relaxing, or for parties! How the hell can't you see that you anal, dense bas-"

"Naruto," Sakura growled out; immediately he stopped his rant, pouting slightly. She put on her best smile, turning to face Ino who still seemed shocked into silence. "Ino," She said, snapping her out of it, "Thank you for your hospitality, but Sasuke is right; this dress isn't good for the journey. So, if you don't mind, I would like my other clothes back."

"But you're not ready for travel yet," Ino protested, hating to see the hard work she had done go to waste. "At least wait until it's time to travel to change back; we promise no one will attack you while you're here!"

"Yeah," Naruto added, grinning, "If anybody even thinks of coming after us, they'll have another thing coming!"

Sakura looked back over at Sasuke; she couldn't read his thoughts on the matter since he kept his expression neutral, though with the way his body was tensed it seemed he was uncomfortable with the idea. She glanced back over at Naruto and Ino, both looking at her expectantly with a shine of hope in their eyes.

"Well, I guess I can't fight you two on this matter; I'll do it." She said, causing Ino and Naruto to cheer; Sasuke grunted at their childish behavior. Sakura smiled, looking over at Kakashi and Sai, ignoring Ino's ecstatic planning with Naruto.

"Any chance there would be some food," Sakura asked, grinning despite herself, "I'm hungry enough to eat a horse!"

"What is his status," Kaguya asked, staring at the man kneeled before her throne. He kept his head down, the lighting to the room seeming to cast a sickly blue glow to his skin.

"He grows stronger," He said, "But he's not ready yet to go against Son Goku. While his specialties are with illusions, he lacks the prowess with fire that his ancestors possessed."

"Meaning he isn't an asset in combat," Kaguya murmured stroking Gedou's head. She looked down thoughtfully at the great dragon, feeling a slight ache in her heart as she realized what she would have to do to help him grow.

"If it will bring us together once more, I will help the boy," Gedou said, pushing his massive head into her hands. She smiled, leaning down to place a gentle kiss on the bridge of his nose, a small sigh of contentment leaving the beast.

"I entrust Itachi's training into your capable hands my dear," She murmured, caressing him gently.

Kakashi sighed, leaning back against a tree as he pulled out his favorite book; Rin was perched on his hat, eyes shut in a peaceful sleep. He smiled as he thought back over the past three days of an impromptu vacation. Everyone seemed to be getting along with everyone, and with each passing day it seemed that Sakura was growing stronger than before. He mused that she would perhaps be ready for travel in the near future; for now though, he would enjoy the quiet moments as much as everyone else.

"Bastard!"

"Or well, almost everyone," Kakashi thought, closing his book shut. He looked up to watch Naruto and Sasuke spar, swords creating sparks as they continuously clashed. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Ino and Sakura watching, having halted their collection of medicinal herbs from Ino's personal garden at Naruto's exclamation. Despite not seeing Sai, he could sense the boy perched in a tree, painting away at the landscape set out before him.

Sasuke smirked at Naruto's outcry, his sword being held casually in his hands. "Hn, resorting to name calling," Sasuke asked, lunging forward; Naruto dodged, immediately going in for a strike to disarm. Sasuke fluidly parried the blow, stepping aside as Naruto lurched forward, stumbling a few steps before regaining his balance. He turned around, glaring pointedly at Sasuke; the elf merely smirked at his frustrations.

"No," He said, pointing at him with his sword, "Just thought I should remind you that you're not all that great!"

"What exactly started this," Ino asked, looking over at Sakura. Sakura tapped her chin, eyebrows drawn in concentration as she tried to remember the beginning.

"I think Naruto wanted to train some," She murmured, watching as the boys began again, "And Sasuke said he shouldn't waste his energy. Then Naruto began insulting him, and before you know it, instead of trading insults they were trading blows."

Ino nodded, muttering something about men being prideful, not expecting a response. Sakura hadn't bothered listening though, as she thought over the past days while watching the fight. Truth be told, the time she had spent awake she had noticed changes in the elf; he had seemed more irritable, quicker to snap at everyone for the slightest wrong. She frowned, telling herself that it was only because they had been cooped up in Ino's shop for so longer, waiting for her to fully recover so that they could continue the journey. A part of her though couldn't help but wonder though if he was being influenced by that dark force she had seen in Danzou's castle to act this way; the thought that never again could he enjoy peace worried her, deepening her frown.

The sound of a body and sword hitting the ground snapped her out of her thoughts. When she focused back onto the match, her eyes widened slightly at the sight; Sasuke was straddling Naruto, his sword pressed to the blond's neck. Both were panting heavily, although Naruto looked more worn out than Sasuke. What caught her attention though was the way Sasuke's eyes stared into Naruto's; she could swear that she could see bloodlust dancing in his eyes, begging him to slice open Naruto's throat. After a few tense moments of the two of them staring into each other's eyes, Kakashi cleared his throat; Sasuke immediately leapt off of Naruto, almost as if he were shocked.

"Well, that was quite…invigorating," Kakashi said, looking between the two. "But we shouldn't be giving Ino more work to do while we're here, right?"

Sasuke looked down at the hand holding the sword, grip tightening slightly. "Aa." He grunted, feeling almost ashamed of his behavior; where had that murderous intent come from? Naruto nodded as well, dusting his clothes off as he got up from the ground, eyes warily watching Sasuke. Naruto had been in some serious practice sessions with Iruka before, but his spar with Sasuke…well, after seeing the look in Sasuke's eye when he was pinned to the ground, he felt it wasn't a spar at the end.

Kakashi clapped his hands together, attracting their attention again. "I think we can all agree that we should have a rest after that, correct?" He asked, though he didn't expect an answer, "Perhaps I should reward your efforts with a tale…" He said, stroking his chin; Naruto's eyes lit up at the words.

"Really," He asked excitedly, "What kind of story? Is it going to be the dragons? Or, or maybe about Kaguya," He rambled, mind running a mile a minute with ideas for the type of story. Kakashi merely chuckled, turning around to head inside.

"If you hurry in, you might find out," He called behind him, glancing over his shoulder. Naruto immediately grabbed his sword off the ground, running inside of the store. Ino and Sai trailed behind him, Ino talking animatedly about the fight while Sai nodded accordingly. He noticed that Sasuke hadn't moved from his spot, seemingly frozen to the spot; however, he saw Sakura heading towards him. He sighed, directing his attention back to the front, heading inside and leaving the two of them alone.

Sakura cautiously approached him, unsure of what to say after having witnessed the spar. She cleared her throat as she tried to find the words; Sasuke's head snapped up, eyes immediately meeting hers. She stopped in her tracks, keeping a small bit of distance between them. "Are you…are you alright," She asked tentatively, eyes glimmering with worry.

"I'm fine," He replied as he sheathed his sword. He walked past her, heading inside when she decided to speak again.

"It's that thing again, isn't it," She asked; he stopped, allowing her to continue. "That…whatever it was that took over at Danzou's castle, right? It's affecting you isn't it?"

"It's none of your concern," He said, back still turned to her. She glared at his back, hands balling into fists at her sides.

"None of my concern," She reiterated, "I'm pretty sure it's my damn concern when I'm traveling with you for months on end and have to trust that you won't kill me in my sleep!" She took a step towards him, her voice raising in pitch the longer she spoke. She noticed the way his shoulders tensed at her words; she glanced at the ground, ashamed of her fears getting the best of her.

"I'm sorry," She said, "But…I don't want to see any of comrades suffering. Even if they are stubborn elves," She said jokingly, trying to lighten the mood. "So please…if something is bothering you, tell us. We can try to help…I know at least Kakashi can do something."

"How can you help, when even I don't know what's wrong," Sasuke asked, refusing to look at her. He didn't want her to see him like this: unsure of himself, not knowing what was happening or why. A part of him in the back of his mind wished for the earlier days of the journey, when he could at least pretend he knew everything, even if he didn't; now though…well, it's hard to pretend when you don't even have a basic understanding.

"Then we'll figure it out together." Sakura said reassuringly, walking towards him. Slowly, as if treating a wounded animal, she reached out to him, hand gently laying on his shoulder. "I promise," She said, giving him a comforting squeeze. He merely shrugged her hand off his shoulder, continuing his walk to where Naruto and Kakashi had gone.

"It would do well to listen," He merely said, disappearing inside. Sakura blinked; heaving a sigh, she followed after him, the air still heavy with their talk. As she entered the building, she didn't have to wonder which direction they went, as she could hear Naruto's voice from down the hall as clear as a bell. A smile formed on her lips as she spotted a room with the door open, quickly walking towards it; as she entered, she noticed Naruto sitting cross-legged on the floor, staring up at Kakashi eagerly, while Sasuke merely leaned against a wall with his arms crossed over his chest. She entered, closing the door behind her and opting to have a seat on one of the chairs in the room.

"So, now that we're all here," Kakashi began, grasping his staff, "I would like to tell you three a rather…relevant story."

Naruto's impossibly wide eyes seemed to grow bigger, legs bouncing with excitement. "What kind of story is it," He asked, hands on his knees. Kakashi smiled, waving his staff; wisps of different colored smoke began to fill the air, setting a mystical mood to the room.

"I would like to tell you the story…of creation."

Long ago, there was nothing; the earth was bare, and the only light that shone was from the stars hanging in the skies. The stars were vain, always competing with each other over who shone the most beautifully, or who provided the most light. But there was one star who grew tired of their pettiness, and wished to true beauty; this star's name…was Shinju.

Shinju traveled far throughout the cosmos, looking for a suitable place to call his new home. He talked with many stars on his travels, finding others who wanted the same things as he. After many years, their travels led them to our world, and while other stars mocked the rock for being dull and barren, to them they say potential for something beautiful.

And so the stars rained down from heaven, taking on new forms; they came to call themselves the Edhel. Their power to produce light manifested itself into the power to create, and with this they created the world in their own image of beauty. After creating the world for many days, the Edhel decided to rest in what they considered their most beautiful creation: the forests.

After many centuries though, Shinju grew tired of the sole company of the Edhel. They never left the forests, content to stay forever in their greenery; he wished to travel the new world, see it shaped even more. So he traveled by himself, leaving behind his home, and headed deep into the mountains. From there, he took the sturdiest pieces of the mountain and sewed them together with his power; these new creatures he decided to call the Naugrim.

The Edhel were outraged at having been abandoned, and waged war on the Naugrim for centuries to come; to this day even, there is rivalries between the groups. Shinju watched his brothers and children destroy themselves, deciding that it must end. He stepped in the middle of a great battle between the clans, halting the flow of battle with his presence.

'Stop,' He shouted, hands raised. 'Do you not see what you are doing? Even if you are different, I have brought you together! You are meant to create beauty, not bloodshed!'

'It does not matter,' One of the Edhel claimed. 'You have betrayed us brother! This world was meant to be ours, and no one else's; you tarnished that by creating these monstrosities!'

'The only monstrosities I see are your ugly selves,' A Naugrim spoke, earning laughter from his companions. Shinju saw that despite their different form, the stars were still vain; they believed themselves to be superior, forgetting that they had all come together to create a beautiful world. And so he weeped, falling to his knees as his tears mixed with the clay. In the middle of the battle, to the astonishment of them all, he formed a new race of beings; the Edan.

'They shall be the rulers of the lands,' He said, looking at his creations. 'They are a mix of what I valued most in both of you; the light of the stars, and the beauty of the earth. But now I see…that the brighter a star shines, the larger its shadow that it casts...and that this shadow is powerful enough to transform anything beautiful into something hideous.'

He stood up, towering above the races, causing the more weak-willed ones to cower in fear. 'Do not fear me,' He said, looking down at them all. 'For I am merely going to take on all the shadows that you have, so that you may never feel the need to fight again.'

And with those words he seemed to disappear into dust that scattered in the winds; each of the races mourned, for they had lost a dear family member that day over their pettiness. The Edhel retreated to the forests, vowing to never using the light until its most dire moment. The Naugrim retreated to the mountains, diving deep into its dark depths to find jewels that mimicked Shinju's heavenly glow. The Edan, as Shinju had decreed, ruled the rest of the lands, setting up small towns and kingdoms around the lands.

Far in a distant land, away from his beloved family, Shinju's dust settled. As millennia passed, a mighty tree grew there, bearing fruit once every hundred years. While legends were told of the tree and its fruit, no one dared to go for it, knowing that with its harvest, the shadows of the stars would be released again.

However, things never go according to plan, do they?

Naruto blinked, mind slowly processing the entire story. "Wait…so you're saying…" He began, with Sakura following up.

"That the fruit Kaguya ate…."

"Came from the creator of the world," They shouted together in unison. Kakashi rubbed the back of his neck, eye crinkling in slight amusement.

"Well, when you put it like that…"

"Now hold on a second," Naruto said, raising his hand. "So where are these 'naugrim' and everything now? Maybe we can ask them for some help!"

"You can always try," Kakashi said, "They are sitting in this room after all."

Naruto's looked around frantically, eyes wide. "Wait really? But I don't see anyone…" He frowned, chin resting on the palm of his hand in concentration. "Could they be invisible…?"

"Idiot, he's talking about us," Sasuke said; Naruto and Sakura immediately looked over at him, waiting for an explanation. "In Elvish, the terms for 'dwarf', 'human', and 'elf' are 'naugrim', 'edan', and 'edhel."

"Well geez, you could've just said so Kakashi," Naruto said, pouting at the old man. "I mean, would have really been that hard to translate for us non-elves here?"

"I thought it added a mysterious touch to the story," Kakashi said, eye staring directly into Sasuke's. "Don't you agree, Sasuke?"

Sasuke merely grunted, adjusting his position against the wall. He knew from Kakashi's look what he was discreetly telling him; that he hadn't wanted to alarm the group that, for all intents and purposes, Sasuke had given himself over to dark magic. And from the sounds of Naruto's constant questions of 'wait, was that power magic then' and 'can I use it', it sounded as if at least one person in the group wouldn't know for a very long time. Sakura, on the other hand…well, judging by her silence, he could only assume that she was putting the pieces together already.

"Hn, annoying," He thought, closing his eyes as Naruto continued to jabber. He would deal with it later.

"Oh, I'm going to miss you so much," Ino cried out, hugging Sakura tightly. Sakura awkwardly returned the hug, not used to having to be careful around people while wearing her armor.

It had been two days after Kakashi's story, and Ino had decided to clear Sakura for travel. Naruto practically jumped back onto the saddle, sighing as he hugged Gama's neck, mumbling about how much he missed him. Gama rolled his eyes at the action, seemingly used to his master's overt displays of affection after having been parted for very long.

"Now stay safe," Ino said, grasping Sakura by the shoulders, "And when this is done, you better come visit me again!"

"Ino…"

"I mean it!" Ino snapped playfully, hands on her hips. She then smiled slightly, pulling out the red ribbon that Sakura had worn during her time at the shop. "Take it."

Sakura blushed slightly, pushing Ino's offering hands away. "O-Oh no, I could never…"

"Yes you could, and you shall."

"B-But it will get dirty!"

"Oh, what's a bit of dirty anyway," Ino said, waving her hand dismissively. "Besides, I would hope it gets dirty; that means you're using it!"

"But it's so pretty…"

"Which is why it's our symbol of friendship," She said, pushing the piece of cloth into her hands. She then closed Sakura's hands around it, covering them with her own. "Think of it like…like a red string of fate that ties us together!"

Sakura felt her cheeks flush again, unable to fight back the surprise on her face. Slowly though, it changed into a smile; she grasped Ino's hands with her own. "I will," She said, "Thank you!"

"Come on Sakura," Kakashi called out, already straddling his horse. "We can't wait forever you know."

"Ah," She exclaimed, rushing over to Varak; she clambered into the saddle, tying the ribbon around the reins since she already had her helmet on. She checked her bags, making sure that they were securely fastened, before giving a final wave to Ino and following after the group. She caught up to the rear, slowing Varak's pace so that she rode alongside Sasuke. He glanced over at her, noticing the red ribbon on the reins before directing his attention back to the front.

"You should wear it," He said; she jumped slightly, looking at him in confusion.

"Huh?"

"The ribbon," He said, gesturing towards it, "You should wear it since it keeps your hair out of your face. It's…practical."

She blinked, a slight blush spreading on her cheeks as she fingered the ribbon. "A-Ah…I'll keep that in mind."

"Oi lover boy, are you putting the moves on Sakura back there," Naruto shouted out, loud enough for some of the townspeople to hear. Sakura cocked her head to the side as Sasuke felt his neck burn, hoping that she didn't notice.

"Lover boy?"

"Ignore him, he's an idiot."

She shrugged, going back to playing with the ribbon, not noticing how Sasuke tried to glare holes into the back of a smirking Naruto's head.

Perhaps some things were better left unnoticed.

A/N: This arc took longer than expected. And you know what else was unexpected? ALL MY SHIPS SAILED. EVERY. SINGLE. LAST. ONE. *is still in shock* Also, if anyone wonders why I made the elves stars, it's because there's a lot of reference to stars in Quenyan phrases.