Confessions: A Tale of Ten Lovers

Overall Season Two Theme: Stand Up by J-Min

Overall Season Two End Theme: Slow Dance by Suneohair

Chapter Theme: Love and War by Tamar Braxton

Make sure you check out the new Season Two END THEME!

KAI'S theme: MAMA by EXO-K

Song One: Love Doesn't Come Alone (Ai Bu Dan Xing) by Show Luo

Stab the heart and it heals. But injure the heart and the wound lasts a lifetime. —Mineko Iwasaki

"What a way to start a Wednesday, huh?" Ino smiled weakly, trying to lighten the dreary mood that had set in the limo early afternoon.

The lot looked up to her, most at least.

Ino looked back down and slightly sighed.

All ten members of Alpha and Omega sat in the limo as they had done many times before. Only now, it was towards a dark destination.

Last Monday, the Konoha police department had called the Alpha household to inform them that Kai had decided to plead not guilty after he had been taken away when they were in Furyoka. The girls had assumed there was enough evidence against him, but it seemed like he had every right to prove he had done nothing wrong.

Megami had lost it, demanding why they needed a trial when they knew—or at least she knew—what he had done and had the marks to prove it.

Nonetheless, they were going to be by her side during the trial, skipping school in order to attend.

Nearing the courthouse, the ten of them sat cold and solemn.

"We still have to go to school…afterwards for rehearsal…" Sakura mumbled hesitantly, knowing the mood.

No one said a thing, even as the driver pulled up to the courthouse.

All ten stood in varied shades of blue and black pant suits. Ino, Megami, and Hinata stood in knee length pencil skirts.

"This way, princess." a bailiff said blankly the moment they stepped through the glass doors after walking up the twenty wide white stone steps.

As he led Megami ahead she turned her head back as they followed closely behind. She looked at the nine of them as if pleading for help.

Hinata sighed as they followed.

"This may be a long day…" she whispered.

Sakura looked around, as did most of them. But what she was looking for was a glimpse of the person in question before they would enter the courtroom.

When she had said 'see you in court' she didn't hope to mean it literally.

She wasn't sure if she would see his face at all during the first trial. She wanted to know what he was thinking and how he felt knowing he would be going to prison.

At least, they hoped.

(^A.H^)

"All rise for Judge Ay."

The residents of the court stood as the judge took his seat gruffly then slammed the gavel on the shiny wood bench.

"Be seated." He said in a deep tone without looking to them.

"This court is called to order. Case 2688197: Prince Kai Mayonaka verses the people on account of the rape in the first degree acted onto Princess Megami Uzumaki."

The judge cleared his throat as his glasses hung while his eyes remained on the papers before him.

On an unusually chilly day in Konoha, the ten stood in the court house along with a quiet jury, a select amount of people, and Kai released from his cuffs with a lawyer by his side.

Next to him, Megami sat with her head down with a district attorney by her side.

The others sat behind Megami, waiting, anticipating with seats filled with collections of other people. On the judge's left sat the jury as they waited patiently as well.

"How does the defendant plead?"

"Not guilty, your honor." His tall, broad lawyer spoke.

The redhead shot her head up, looking Kai's way, as did the other members of Alpha and Omega.

On his lawyer's left Kai sat, his face blank as he stood in tan dress pants and an ironed white dress shirt, his hands clasped together.

His once black slick hair that went down to his mid-neck was now boy short and spiked up in a fohawk. They also noticed a black line, peeking out of his shoulder from his shirt upwards to his neck.

"Your opening statements." The middle-aged judge spoke without looking up from the papers before him.

"Your honor." Kai's lawyer began. "Lord Kai is the prince of the Sendai kingdom in the Shinrai district. Since he was a child he has known his place and has been under oaths that prevent him from even thinking of such heinous acts. Never has there been an event like this and there is no previous record that shows him of doing anything near the sort. This sort of accusation against a prince for starters is highly unlikely." He said confidently.

"It doesn't matter what he is!" Ino whispered, only for Tenten to shush her.

The judge nodded then turned to Megami's attorney. His pale blue hair was slicked back as he stood in a dark blue suit, two cups of water in front of him.

"Mr. Hoshigaki." Judge Ay urged.

The attorney, one of Itachi's close friends, Kisame was more than willing to come to Megami's defense when Itachi asked him after the girls had called Monday night.

"Your honor, I don't believe Mr. Mayonaka's background ensures that he will follow the laws of the country. You could take a king, a prime minister, or anyone for that matter and they would still be under the same regulations of the law as anyone else. The fact that prince Kai is of royal descent does not make him any different than anyone in this room, especially when it comes to rape or murder. The fact that prince Kai is even being tried when there is sole evidence against him is mind-boggling."

He nodded for them to be seated as he looked down to the papers before him once again.

"Mr. Hoshigaki, you may proceed." he spoke gruffly, his eyes directed to him and Megami.

Kisame stood, Megami looked up to him as he walked forward.

"Ladies and gentlemen," he began. "We are called here today not because of the conflict between two kingdoms, not because of some sort of feud. We are called here because the night before her wedding, a wedding forced upon her, Miss. Uzumaki was taken advantage of and beaten to excruciating lengths. The bruises have not healed and are still very visible, though you may not see them now. We are in this trial today because this country is upholding to the fact that lord Kai had no record that would enable he would ever attempt something so reckless, so horrible, so demeaning for both countries, but you cannot judge someone simply for their background, good or bad. There are eye witnesses that state they had seen Lord Kai on his way towards lady Megami's room on the night in question, now, before and after the mysterious fire…."

(^A.H^)

Ino yawned, kicking her foot back into her heel as she stepped out of the court room with the other nine.

"I wish we could have just gotten it done and over today. No matter what the evidence is against him, he's going to go to jail," Sakura said, annoyed. After over an hour of sitting and listening to both lawyers speak, judge Ay had ordered it to resume on Saturday for witnesses and testimonies.

Hinata pulled out her phone and glanced at the time. "We should be going home to get ready for rehearsal."

The girls groaned together.

"Why don't you guys just cancel, just for today? I don't think any of you are in any mind set to go rehearsal or work," Naruto frowned.

Megami turned away, "I can be happy as long as I know he's going to jail…"

As long as they weren't near him, there would be no trouble.

Before anyone else could retort and loud crash alerted the nine of them.

"Fuck!" a loud growl came from where they stood a few steps to the ground.

Neji stumbled on his feet and kicked the trash can out of his way, cursing again as he practically stomped to the limo.

"What's his problem?" Gaara asked, narrowing his eyes at the Hyuga who slammed the limo door back without waiting for the driver to open and close it.

Tenten laughed heartily as they continued walking, "he's been like this for a few days. Doc. Hana says for now we should stop having sex until she says otherwise. Just for the health of the baby. He's been 'sober' for five days and has been on edge since."

The girls and Naruto laughed as Sasuke and Shikamaru rolled their eyes.

"Come on!" he yelled angrily from the limo window.

"Geez, what a pansy-ass. Can't even go a week without getting off." Megami stuck her tongue out.

"We'd better get home and chaa…" Sakura let out, not able to finish her sentence as she lost her breath. Her throat quickly went dry when a familiar face stepped out of the courthouse with their stiff lawyer.

The others turned around, staring in silence as they made their way down the steps.

Tenten pushed Megami behind her as Kai stepped closer to them, but turned to make his way towards his own ride.

"Get in," Sasuke ordered to the girls. Ino was the first to step inside, followed by Megami who Tenten led in, then Hinata.

Gaara helped Sakura inside, but, she navigated her eyes to him without them noticing.

Together, she and Kai shared eye contact.

She shivered lightly at the smirk and wink he sent off to her.

He hadn't forgotten about what also happened the night he raped Megami.

Neither had she.

She turned away and quickly entered the limo with the rest of them, hoping something like that wouldn't stress the already uncomfortable trial.

(^A.H^)

"Awesome you guys! Good job, I think we've almost got this down!" Sakura called as they finished the final scene once again.

After going over the second half of the musical (with a few bumps and slipups here and there) they'd finally reached the end scene and would be able to start from the beginning once again.

Since Tsubaki's departure the week before, Hinata had taken over as head stage manager, while Megami had gone back to being co-cast director.

The musical was coming along swimmingly, and with the show a week from Friday, everyone was busying themselves with final steps.

"Are we starting from the beginning now?" Megami asked as Sakura closed her script booklet. She nodded and stood up.

"Alright everyone, places! We're starting from the beginning now!"

"Everything's going great!" Ino sighed happily as Shikamaru sat up from the casket and yawned.

"I guess, as long as I get to lay here and sleep for the last ten minutes I'm fine," he shrugged.

She rolled her eyes and nudged him as he stood up and stepped out of the open casket.

"We should get to our places," she smiled as she quickly kissed him on the cheek. He nodded to her as he stepped towards the other side of the stage where he would be for the very first scene, which he and Ino shared.

Ino headed backstage, which is where she would begin before walking on stage after Shikamaru's—Arthur's—opening monologue.

Stepping backstage, Ino grunted and stumbled back when she ran into a tough figure.

"Sorry!" she mumbled, looking up as Sasuke remained in a stand still, his arms crossed.

His blank expression did not change as he leaned against the curtain.

She cleared her throat as she turned away from him, "Sasuke…"

"Watch where you're going." He said simply as he lifted himself up and brushed past her.

She twisted her head to the side to look back at him, letting her hair fly. She narrowed her eyes, he'd been cold to her for a week now and it was starting to get under her skin.

She sighed and faced the stage as everyone prepped to start over.

"Ino…"

She gulped as a chill went down her spine at the sound of the familiar voice behind her.

She remained with her back facing Sai as she listened to Sakura call action.

"Ino…we have to talk."

"Quiet on and off stage Sai." She whispered. "You know the rules. If you aren't then Sakura will have our asses."

"Ino…" he said, his voice slightly pleading.

She said nothing more as she stood for a few more moments listening to Shikamaru's short monologue before she finally stepped out, letting her breath go as her lines came forward.

It had been a week since she'd had a decent conversation with Sai (that was just him trying to get her attention and her making some pathetic excuse to not talk to him.)

During their personal rehearsals she had tried her best to make it strictly just rehearsal, nothing in between, even as Sai tried his best to get more than her lines out of her, to no avail.

Sai leaned on the curtain as Sasuke had done and peeked out to her, his hands in pockets as he sighed and watched.

(^A.H^)

"Alright girls. Next Saturday is the showcase so we all have to put everything we've got into this!" Sakura chanted as she walked up and down the large dance studio half the girls were using, trying to build their confidence. Each girl was busy practicing their group parts while in a different studio room; Megami and Ino worked with girls who would be doing solos while Ino and Tenten worked with groups in another studio room.

A couple weeks prior, the girls had decided it would be fun to showcase the dance studio and all their hard work, as the dance classes would be over just a week or so before graduation so the girls could have summer to themselves.

The middle school and below girls had been excited (some nervous and anxious) about having their own show and performing. Sakura had carefully selected those who did not want to have solo dances and put them into groups, letting them decide what dance they wanted to do. A couple weeks into rehearsing, the girls (mostly Sakura and Hinata) were busy organizing, choosing music, clothing, and location in preparation for the showcase just the day after the musical next week.

"Are we doing good Miss. Sakura?" one girl asked as Sakura paced back and forth while the girls danced and the music went. She smiled and nodded firmly.

"Yo Haruno!"

Sakura turned around to where Tenten and Hinata stood by the door of the dance studio room.

"Hey, shouldn't you guys be practicing?" Sakura frowned as she stepped up to them.

"The girls are getting tired. They haven't had a descent break since Saturday." Tenten sighed, crossing her arms.

"With the musical and now the showcase, everything seems to be running so smoothly. You're so practical, Sakura," Hinata smiled.

Sakura smirked and crossed her arms, "damn right. I could never leave Megami to work on the musical alone, and I think this whole show would be hell if Ino took over like she wanted too and thought she could."

"I heard that!"

The girls looked up to a fierce Ino, leaning over with her hands on her hips as Megami stuck her tongue out, rocking back and forth on the heels of her feet.

"I can't believe you would say that Sakura! I'm head-cheerleader! The squad would be absolute crap if I wasn't running it." Ino huffed

Sakura narrowed her eyes, "actually, I'm the one who's technically running it. I have to keep everyone's schedules intact, including ours. Make sure the girls are hydrated, schedule out the gym so we know who we'd have to work with and if we can even work in there and jot down your painstaking routines. So basically, you're just there to look pretty."

Ino burned red as Tenten and Megami burst out laughing and Hinata giggled.

Ino lifted her chin as Sakura smiled at her, "whatever. You still said I'm pretty."

"I think we should call it a day soon. The girls seem petty exhausted." Megami called.

"Yeah, it's past the end of class anyway." Sakura sighed as she glanced at the girls. "Go round up the girls, I'll go open the doors for their parents."

The girls nodded as Sakura began jogging towards the entrance of the new Miki Kuwaii dance studio.

As she slowed down, walking towards the entrance she whipped out her phone to check any calls or messages she had missed in the last three hours of working the girls to the bone.

She smiled warmly at a text from Gaara:

What page was the bookwork in trig? I forgot to copy

How's dance practice going?

Love you—Gaara

Quickly, she texted him back, hearts and all, then turned to check the rest of her misses. She raised a brow at a missed call from an unfamiliar number. She shrugged a bit and decided to call back which she always promised herself she always would, seeing at it could be anyone and quite possibly important.

Translation: colleges

She opened the door, smiling and greeting the parents and siblings who entered, greeting her back as she passed to step in and collect their child.

When the last parent stepped in Sakura took a couple more steps into the darkness of the outside as she tapped: call back.

She patiently waited, standing alone in the night sky as the phone rang.

On the third ring a voice finally came about.

A voice that sent her bones to dust and her throat down her stomach.

"It's about time you called back sweetheart."

She didn't know what to do. She simply stared into the night sky of Konoha covered in street lights and city lights in the distance.

She began to sweat, clenching the phone as she stood unblinking.

"What? No hello? How rude." The voice came again.

It had been weeks since she'd heard his voice. He hadn't even spoken a word in the trial that morning.

After a few moments of shock-silence, she finally managed to open her mouth and croak out a word.

"Kai…"

"Evening babe."

"What do you want…how did you get my number!" she slightly yelled, but then quickly settled down, not wanting anyone to hear from inside.

"I'm a prince darling, I have my sources."

"You were a prince! I'm hanging up!" she spat coldly, her finger about to graze the end sign.

"Now you wouldn't do that, would you? Not after the night we had to together…"

She froze again. Then, slowly she put the phone by her ear again and held it with both hands.

"Shut up! That meant nothing and you know it! Especially now! There isn't anything you can say that will change the fact that you're going to pris—"

"They don't know about us. Do they." He said tonelessly.

She fumed, "There is no us! There's never been an us! I only did that so you would—!"

"Alright, that's enough horse play, now I just want you to just shut up and listen."

Her eyes widened as she shook a bit and kept her hands on her phone.

"The two of us are going to have a little fun for a while. Unless you want me to tell those bitch friends of yours what you were doing the night that fucking redhead ran off, then I would do what I say."

Sakura bit her lip as her eyes glistened.

As Kai spoke, she leaned on the wall of the studio and bit back tears.

(^A.H^)

"You will be assigned to the west wing. There you will sweep and dust the workout room, lounge room, and studio. You are forbidden to touch anything in the studio or move anything out of place. If the masters come to me that something is out of place or missing you will be immediately fired. You will be supervised by Tsude," Head maid Ama spoke as she walked up and down the short isle of about fifteen brand new maids and servants that would be working from this point on at the Omega mansion. All other twenty-five experienced maids and twenty experienced servants stood at a distance across from them.

The young boy nodded firmly, standing in a stiff military stance, taking his orders seriously, "Yes madam Ama!"

Madam Ama nodded, brushing down her tan yukata as she moved to the next person, a girl standing firmly, slightly nervously even, looking to be in her mid-twenties with thick glasses.

"You. You will be assigned to master Itachi's room and four guest rooms in the western wing. You will clean them from top to bottom every other day and you will only enter when Itachi-sama allows so. You must check with me before you enter to clean master Itachi's room every time when he is not available. When it is not cleaning period you will cut the grass in the backyard with others. Your supervisor will be Maka." Ama stated.

"Yes madam Ama." she said firmly.

"She sounds like she's gonna be a tyrant." One girl at the end with dark blond hair whispered to another with medium auburn. In turn, she giggled a bit.

"Something amusing ladies?"

They looked up, where madam Ama looked down at them with strict dull eyes, her hands clasped together in front of her in the sleeves of her yukata.

"No madam Ama!" the auburn girl stated, suppressing a laugh along with the other as she mocked the military stance.

Madam Ama narrowed her eyes at her, "you…you look familiar…what is your name, girl."

"Renge Isanara, ma'am." She smiled a bit.

"You were twenty minutes late for registration on Monday. I would watch yourself child, it's very easy to make a mistake and lose your job here." She said firmly, harshly.

"I understand madam Ama, thank you." She said slightly sarcastically. Thankfully only the girls beside her noticed.

"You. Renge. You are assigned to master Sasuke's room and will clean it from top to bottom every other day as well as four of the guest rooms in the north wing. When you are not in cleaning period you will help in the east wing kitchen. Yumi will be your supervisor. You will not enter until given permission to master Sasuke's room and will check with me before hand when he is not in his room."

Renge nodded as madam Ama moved to the blond next to her who smiled sickingly sweetly.

"The same goes for you miss.—"

"Park Su-Young," the dark blond-haired Korean girl smiled.

Madam Ama nodded, "you are assigned to master Neji's room. You will clean it from top to bottom every other day. Along with that you will clean the east and west wing living rooms. You will ask permission before you enter master Neji's room and contact me before you enter when he is not available. When you are not in your cleaning period you will help in the east wing kitchen. Takara will be your supervisor."

"Yes madam Ama," she cooed and Renge giggled a bit again.

She narrowed her eyes once again, but before she could scold them, the workers heard the large golden double doors open.

"Good evening young masters." Geevs spoke softly as Naruto moon-walked into the large entrance room while the boys stepped in behind him one by one, all in their rehearsal clothing.

"Can we order takeout at the studio?! I'm starving dattebayo!" he whined as he turned around.

"Not a lot. We'll eat dinner when we get home." Gaara stated as he sent a quick text to Sakura asking about their Trigonometry homework he had forgotten.

"Good evening young masters." Madam Ama said, quickly turning around and bowing with the rest of the workers.

The new comers looked around, then, realizing they were the only ones with their heads raised, bowed along with everyone else.

"What's going on here?" Naruto asked sweetly as he jogged up to madam Ama and stuck his hands in his cargo pant pockets as everyone lifted their heads.

She snuck her left hand out of her clasped sleeves and waved it nonchalantly, "nothing you would be interested in, young master Naruto. We are simply recruiting new workers for you. If it is alright, Hoshimi will no longer be your personal maid." She turned to her side boredly and Naruto followed her hand with bright interested eyes.

"Giovanna will be your personal maid as of now." She directed her hand to a short, faint freckled Italian girl. She smiled shyly and quickly bowed again.

"Ciao maestro."

"She said 'hello master'." Madam Ama sighed, "She is from Italy. She speaks Japanese and English but they aren't the best. If you need help understanding her please let me know."

"No problem! Nice to meet yeah!" Naruto beamed, taking his left hand out and holding it out to her.

She stared at it in confusion, looking back and forth from his to her.

Madam Ama sighed, exasperated, "Stringergli la mano ragazza."

Shake his hand, girl.

Quickly she grasped his hand and shook it, "great thanks for opportunity, sir. I do good." She said with her deep accent.

Naruto smiled warmly, "Va bene. Conosco un po `di italiano. Lieto di vederla."

She blushed and looked down.

It's okay. I know a little Italian. Nice to meet you.

The boys and madam Ama looked at him in shock.

He laughed nervously and scratched the back of his head. "I took Italian in the ninth grade. Plus there was the European tour…"

He cleared his throat as madam Ama smiled and turned back to the boys.

"Master Gaara, Koyuki here will be your new personal maid," she spoke, pointing to each girl. "Master Shikamaru, Matsuyo here will be your new maid. Master Neji, Park Su-Young will be your new maid. And Master Sasuke, Renge will be yours." As she finished motioning to the girls she clasped her hands together again.

"Does she speak English?" Neji asked bitterly, still edgy.

Park Su-Young huffed and crossed her arms. Before madam Ama could answer she opened up, "I speak perfect English. And you could ask me I'm right here."

Some maids gasped and most others gave her looks. Madam Ama looked infuriated while Neji raised a brow.

Before anyone could say anything Naruto yawned and stretched obnoxiously. "Alright, we have to go get changed for the studio! Come on Giovanna I'll show you my room!" Naruto beamed as he offered his hand.

Blushing again, she looked to madam Ama. She sighed and nodded simply.

She took his hand, squeaking a bit as Naruto rushed her upstairs.

Sasuke, who had not been paying attention very well, looked up from his phone to who Madam Ama had motioned to as his new maid.

Though he did not show it, he froze in place in shock. When the eyes of Renge caught his, as she had been whispering to Park Su-Young, she froze as well, though she gaped visibly in shock.

He closed his eyes and slipped his phone and his hands into his pant pocket as he followed the guys upstairs.

"S…" her voice trailed off as she watched him go upstairs.

When the boys were out of sight madam Ama turned to Park Su-Young with a furious expression. "That is your first warning child. Watch how you speak to the young masters. You have two chances left. Two more, and you are free to mark yourself unemployed."

Park Su-Young put her hand on her hip as madam Ama turned her back to her.

"Now that all we have covered today's meeting everyone is dismissed. Return to your posts. All rookie workers meet with your supervisors and presume to your assigned jobs!"

At madam Ama's final words, the twenty-five maids and twenty servants dispersed.

A few maids giggled as they passed by a Park Su-Young who huffed and a Renge who still stood in shock.

Both their supervisors stepped up to them.

"Word of advice. Try not to get firedin the first few seconds of your day." Takara, Park Su-Young's supervisor spoke.

"It isn't wise to get on madam Ama's bad side either. She'll be watching from now on." Yumi, Renge's supervisor, said.

Park Su-Young huffed, "whatever…"

(^A.H^)

"Good job boys, next Wednesday the album finally drops. Kabuto and the others have already released the promotional ads and teaser videos. There are just a few final touches that we have to do, other than that the album is almost ready. You boys have worked hard. Now all there is to focus on is the Battle of the Bands." Orochimaru spoke as the boys sat in one of the recording studios with him and Kabuto.

"Finally," Shikamaru sighed. "It feels like we've been at this forever. From the mini albums to the song writing, the music videos and the recording and etcetera, we can take some kind of a break, at least until the Battle of the Bands."

Gaara looked at the cover of the album case: The Misconceptions of Everybody

It would be there seventh full length album and in honor of Omega's nearly six year anniversary, bonus tracks would be included, the first one hundred thousand would be autographed by the boys, and all would contain a poster version of the album cover and another poster of all previous album covers combined, mini albums included.

The album consisted of the boys in a black and white checkered scenery background with steps looping out of the walls. All boys either stood in white or black with only one piece of clothing containing a color.

Shikamaru sat on the sideways steps in all white, except for the green sweatband on his right hand. Neji stood next to him in all black, excluding the dark purple beanie he wore. Across from him Naruto crouched with his elbows on his knees and his hands clasped in front of him, the only color on him lay his orange fingerless gloves. Next to him, with his back slightly facing stood Gaara in all black, with the only color on him being red Nike shoes. Finally, Sasuke stood slightly in the middle, turned to his side with his head facing front as he stood in all black, the only color on him being a dark blue chain necklace.

Under the title of the album it also read in medium lettering: Featuring Stara, Exo-K & much more

On the back sat the list of songs along with a special background photo of the boys in the studio along with the girls. Naruto, who was closest to the camera beamed with his arm around a blushing Hinata. In the close background was Neji who sat in front of the recording, grumbling with Tenten's hands on his shoulders while it seemed as if she were giggling. Sasuke stood behind him with his arms crossed while Megami piggy-backed him, watching in awe as Neji worked with the equipment with Mr. Bear on her head.

On the couch sat Ino who sat on Shikamaru's lap filing her nails while he seemed to be sleeping, as well as Sakura who sat in between Gaara's legs with his hands wrapped around her waist. She laughed while his chin rested on her shoulder, watching whatever it is that was going on with Neji and Tenten.

Naruto smiled when he picked up the case from Gaara who passed it to him as Orochimaru continued to talk.

The girls looked happy and…normal.

The entire trial situation that had begun today had been twisting them all week and they still had much to go through.

But, he knew for a fact he would take care of them. All the boys would. At the moment the girls were trying to keep a hold of themselves and he was going to make sure he would, at the best of his ability, keep them happy and safe.

Just the thought of it had his mind returning to the times Hinata had been sick, hospital and not and what he'd tried to do to make life a little easier on her.

Sure some had ended in a horrendous disaster but he'd made up for it.

Sort of.

Like cleaning the house. Not everything had gone well but he'd managed to get things done.

Naruto blinked and settled the album case down.

'That reminds me…' he thought to himself.

'I never did ask the girls about that 'comfort room' thing.'

(^A.H^)

"What are these?"

"Clothes."

"I can see that. But maybe I should be a little more specific since it seems like you're a little slow." Neji spat coldly.

Su-Young narrowed her eyes at him and crossed her arms, biting her tongue to keep from saying something that would have her kicked out.

"Whose clothes do you think these are?" he demanded as he motioned to the black laundry basket sitting on his bed behind him. "Let me answer that for you: Not mine." He said, standing at the foot of his room while she stood at the door.

It was six-thirty in the morning, and Su-Young (who was supposed to be up at promptly four thirty a.m. but woke at six) was late collecting Neji's clothes from the dryer. She rushed from the maids corridors (where some maids who did not live outside the mansion stayed) collected the first clothes she saw and rushed to his room where Neji was already up, leaving her no time to hang them up and put them in the proper place. Neji stood, all ready too pissed off and annoyed to deal with anything, soaking wet in nothing but an off white towel wrapped around his waist.

"These are Gaara's clothes. The next time you wanna be late for duty, at least try and grab the right fucking clothes next time."

Su-Young visibly twitched and smiled a crooked and twisted smile as she forced herself to bow in her uniform.

"I'm sorry Neji-sama. It won't happen again." She said, not trying to hide the cold bitterness behind her voice.

When she lifted her head he held the basket of Gaara's clothes in front of her. She took a hold of them. Just as she did he slammed the door in her face.

Su-Young mentally screamed as she stood, staring at the door.

"Please…don't mind him. He isn't usually like this. He only gets this way when he's sex starved."

Quickly, she turned to her left to find Gaara leaning against the wall, dressed for school.

"Good to know," she rolled her eyes, not caring if he saw as well.

"He's a really nice guy once you get to know him."

"I'm only here to do my job," she shrugged. "I'm not interested in his personal problems."

Gaara smirked a bit, "I'll take that."

"If it's all the same to you, I had better let Koyuki bring these up to you. She must be freaking out over not being able to find your laundry." She smiled.

He nodded, and with that, she turned and began walking down the opposite hall.

(^A.H^)

"You know, you're kinda scary when your sex starved." Naruto chuckled as the boys stepped out of the limo a little over half an hour later.

"Shut the hell up."

"You're really making yourself seem like a sex addict here. It's been a week. A week." Shikamaru sighed, his hands behind his head.

"I sad shut up!" he growled. "It's not about the fucking sex!"

He grinded his teeth as he stopped, forcing the boys to stop behind him.

"It's not about…that…entirely anyway…" he grumbled.

Sasuke raised a brow, "oh yeah? Then what."

"Ever since…" he sighed. "Ever since the whole cheating incident…I don't…I don't want her to slip through my fingers…then I might…"

"What does that have to with sex?" Gaara asked.

Neji narrowed his eyes at the concrete below him.

"Forget it."

Before the boys could respond he began walking on his own. Moreover he fast walked past girls and into the building.

Quickly pacing inside, he didn't realize his error until he bumped into someone.

He and the person stumbled back a few feet.

"Hey! Watch it Hyuga!" Megami whined, rubbing her forehead.

Neji looked up to her as she frowned and stuck her tongue out at him, "what are you in such a rush for? Ten's right there." She motioned her thumb towards Tenten who stood on the other side of her talking to Sakura.

"Sorry…" he grumbled, turning his head from her.

"Huh? You okay Hyuga?"

He trailed his eyes to her as she blinked in confusion, rocking back and forth on her Mary Janes. "You'd never apologize to me!"

When he made eye contact with her, memories flashed through his mind.

"You there Neji?" she asked, waving her hand in front of his face.

"Ahh….Neji…N-Neji…"

"Neji!" Tenten smiled as she stepped next to Megami who shrugged and poked at Mr. Bear on her head.

The tightness in his chest settled as Tenten raised a brow at him.

"I'm fine…" he said quickly.

"I'm fine..."

(^A.H^)

"It's about time! Now we can finally have you guys to ourselves again!" Ino cooed as she swayed her salad fork back and forth at lunch time.

"There's going to be a lot of hype when the album gets released next Wednesday." Sakura smiled as she poked Gaara's cheek.

"We still have some work to get done this week but after that we have to start packing for the Battle of the Bands." Shikamaru explained.

Megami sniffled, "you guys are gonna be gone for the whole weekend. You'll win big award things, and meet Paris girls, and fall in love, and forget about us!"

"Whose meeting Paris girls?!" Tenten demanded.

The rest of the girls laughed together and the boys smiled.

"Don't worry girls! I'll call you every hour! And I'll make sure these jerks only have their eyes on the competition!" Naruto said proudly.

The girls giggled together. "Thank you Naruto-kun," Hinata said.

Naruto's smile dropped a bit as he watched the girls giggle.

"Hey uh…girls?"

All five, either sitting across or on his side next to the boys, looked up to him.

"I've been uh…meaning to ask you something…" he mumbled, scratched the back of his head.

"Shoot blondie," Tenten smiled.

"Well, uh. Remember when I had to take care of Hinata that day she was sick?"

The girls nodded together, smiling.

"Remember how I…tries to clean the house?" he laughed nervously.

All except for Hinata narrowed their eyes at him and nodded slowly.

"Well," he breathed. "…So I was sweeping the hallway to the basement, right? And at the end of the hall I stumbled by this door next to the basement door. It said it was marked 'Comfort Room'. I didn't get a chance to go in but I was wondering—"

"It's nothing." Sakura mumbled, catching his attention.

They looked to the girls who either had their heads down or glared at nothing.

Hinata was the only one with her head up, smiling sadly at him.

"Please, leave it alone Naruto-kun, it's nothing important. I'm sorry but—"

"It doesn't concern you guys." Tenten barked.

Naruto frowned, "But I—"

"We said forget it! It's nothing! It's in the past! Just mind your own business!" she yelled.

Silence consumed their table.

"I'm sorry…" she sighed.

"It's nothing important," Hinata reassured as the rest of the girls directed their attention to something else. "Please."

"I'm…sorry I brought it up." Naruto mumbled.

The boys looked at each other while Naruto kept his head down.

This situation made him uncomfortable.

He, like the other guys, had assumed the girls had made them aware of something.

It seemed there were some secrets that had yet to be unveiled.

(^A.H^)

"I think it's for the best for the both of us that we don't talk to each other or hang out anymore."

Sai raised a brow as he lifted his head from War and Peace. He slowly closed the book and set it on his lap.

"Might I ask the reason why?"

Ino let out a raged breath as she stood by the door of the empty English room they were supposed to be rehearsing in during sixth period.

She clutched her large dark purple handbag with her left hand as her right leaned on the wall of the door.

"You know why, Sai. I don't need to explain anything…" she mumbled.

"Actually, you have a lot to explain." He bit coldly, looking out the bare window.

"What's that supposed to mean?" she demanded.

He turned back to her with a dull expression.

"If you really expect me to just up and forget about what happened between us and stop talking to you then you must be out of your mind."

Ino sighed, stepping into the room and slowly closing the door behind her.

"Sai, I'm trying to make this easy on the both of us." She bit. "We both know we can't ever bring up what happened at the club!"

"Why?" he demanded, slamming his book on the table, forcing her to jump.

"No offense to you Ino, but I'm not the one who cheated. You made your decision. You can't just blow me off and expect me to forget the entire thing."

"Look," she sighed. "We both know what'll happen if anyone finds out about this. Can't we just leave it alone—!"

"So you can keep your happy relationship with Nara." He spat coldly. "Then what about me? You think you can use me and just expect me to throw it away."

She looked at him in shock, "Sai! I didn't use you! I just—"

She bit her lip and turned away as he hopped off the desk, sticking his hands in his pockets as he stepped over to her.

She faced him with her head down, avoiding eye contact.

"This isn't something you can run away from, and this isn't something you can just ignore, Ino. You can't hide from this forever."

"Sai, I'm begging you." She whimpered. "I know what I did was wrong, and I know I'm being selfish with you, but this is something that's going to have to wait. Right now, I think it's best we just avoid each other because I know things are uncomfortable right now."

"But I can't just ignore what happened." He pleaded this time. "Look at me."

She turned away from him.

"Look at me." He demanded, cupping her cheeks in his hands and forcing her face up at him.

Tears streamed down her eyes as he slightly smiled.

"I have leverage over you know. To me, this means I'm just one step closer to winning your heart back."

"Don't do this to me…" she whispered. "I don't know what to think anymore…"

"Don't think about it then." He whispered, leaning in. "Just think about me…here…"

He clasped his lips with hers, and as tears ran down her cheeks, she returned the kiss, clutching his shirt. He leaned in further, licking her bottom lip.

She opened her mouth, allowing his tongue in as she lifted her hands up and clutched his hair.

A few moments into lip-locking, he slid his hands down her body, pulling her closer to him.

Neither cared that they stood in a dangerous situation, what with the door open. Any sort of person could pass by and see the state they were in.

It took a good couple minutes for a thought to finally run through Ino's head.

Ino! Think about what you're doing!

Just a few moments after it, she nudged him off, looking up to him in shock.

He raised a brow at her, "you can't blame me every time you do something you know is wrong. I'm not forcing you to do anything."

"But you're messing up my emotions." She whimpered, back up.

"You…you're going to make me lose my mind. I can't be near you, Sai." She murmured. Quickly, she stepped back and ran down the hall.

He slightly turned his head and looked after her as she ran off.

(^A.H^)

"It looks like we finally have this entire thing down everyone! The costumes are ready and the set looks great! Although we're still going to have our regularly scheduled rehearsals, I think it's safe to say we're just about ready for the show!" Sakura said proudly, standing on stage with Megami by her side while everyone else, cast and crew alike, sat in the audience.

"We still have to select crew members to work at the box office and as ushers, so we'll take care of that tomorrow." Megami continued after her, reading off her clipboard. "We ask that no one touch the costumes until dress rehearsal. This is a repeat for show day: All working crew members must wear black and selected box office and ushers, sound and lighting members as well, must dress formally. According to Kakashi-sensei anyone who fails to do so will be dropped one letter grade."

"The cast and crew after party will be the following Sunday." Sakura said after. "And that concludes today's announcements. Great job today everyone. You're dismissed."

Chattering quickly began as the lot of everyone began getting up to head home for the day.

Tenten stood up and stretched. "We have an hour to kill before work, let's go get something to eat I'm starving!" she whined as Sakura and Megami stepped down.

Before anyone could respond, Florence and the Machine's 'Seven Devils' blared.

Sakura visibly froze for a moment, then quickly whipped out her hot pink new GalaxyS4.

"Sorry, I have to take this!" she said quickly, smiling as she jogged back up the stage.

The nine looked after her as she rushed backstage, trying to make it look as causal as possible as she finally answered.

"What's that all about?" Naruto asked.

"Probably a college or something," Shikamaru answered, shrugging.

"What the hell do you want?" she bit coldly. "I gave you specific times not to call me."

"And I said if I choose to I'll call you when I damn well please. I only gave you the option of certain times I should call. Besides, it's after five." Kai's bored voice said through the other line.

Sakura looked around, making sure no one was backstage with her, she leaned into her phone and whispered. "Like a minute! What do you want?!"

"Watch how you're talking to me sweetheart." He said equally as icily.

She quieted, waiting for him to explain himself.

"I'm bored, I want you to come and pay me a…visit. Plus, we need to talk."

"I can't." she mumbled, slightly shivering. "I have work."

"Then come right after. I'll text you my address."

Without another word, or even giving her an opportunity to protest, he hung up.

Sakura dangled the phone from her hand as she dropped her arm.

"Sakura! Everything alright?!" she heard the sound of Ino's voice from the audience.

"Coming!" she called, hoping no one noticed the crack in her voice as she called back.

(^A.H^)

At early night time in Konoha, a knock came upon Sasuke's door as he sat at his desk doing physics homework in nothing but gray pajama pants. The light from his lamp shined onto it, the only source of light on in his room.

"Come in." he called blankly without so much as looking up from his work.

The door slowly opened. Nervously and cautiously, she took a couple steps inside.

"S…S-Sasuke?" Renge whispered.

He dropped his pencil and visibly clenched. But, retaining his calm manner, he picked his pencil back up and continued working.

"Is there something you need? This isn't your cleaning period and I'm not in the mood to be bothered."

"Sasuke…" Renge whimpered as she took a couple more steps inside. "Is it…is it really you?"

He annoyingly trailed his eyes over to her, slightly glaring, forcing her to take a step back in fear.

"You're out of your area…Renge. It isn't right for a maid to be out of place."

"Sasuke!" she breathed. "It is you!"

Without hesitation she closed the door behind her and rushed over to him. Before she could clasp him in a hug he stood up, glaring at her.

She stopped and stared wide-eyed, taking a couple steps back.

"Sasuke…?"

"Renge. Now isn't the time. I have a lot on my mind and you being here isn't making that any easier."

"What are you talking about?" she demanded. "I thought me being here would finally me a chance…give us a chance to talk about what happened in Furyoka—"

"Renge." He snapped, forcing her to step back again. She gave him a grave and confused expression.

"If you don't get out right now so help me god I'll have you dragged out of this place."

She turned pale.

"We'll talk." He said as if the very words and the very idea of it disgusted him. "But right now, you need to leave."

She stood for a few more moments, simply staring at him before she slowly began to back up. After a few steps she whipped around and rushed out, slamming the door behind her.

As Renge ran down the hall she whipped past Shikamaru who casually walked down the hall in black and white cotton striped pajama pants, brushing his teeth.

He raised a brow and watched Renge run, whimpering, then looked to Sasuke's room.

He stepped over and opened the door, there to find Sasuke casually working at his desk again.

"Did a maid come and confess her love for you again or something?"

Sasuke said nothing as he continued to work on his homework.

(^A.H^)

"On Saturday, during the period for witnesses and testimonies, I want you to testify against Megami."

Sakura whitened as she clutched the pillow under her head, wet with the silent tears that fell.

Though Konoha continued to fall into its late spring heat, her naked body felt cold under the thin blanket as she lay next Kai who equally sat bare in clothing in the night. The only light came from the moonlight, shining in from the bedroom window on the other side of them.

The room reminded her of his room back in the mansion in Furyoka, along with the memories that lay similar to the current situation now.

He casually sat up against the backboard as he lit a cigarette then tossed the lighter onto the dresser beside him. On the right side of his chest a new, tribal tattoo that stopped at his hand, down to his hip, and extended to the right side of his neck, sat. He blew out a thin layer of grey smoke as Sakura sat up, clutching the blanket to her chest as she stared at him wide-eyed.

"Never!"

"Oh, I think you'd want to. There isn't a thing on this planet that would let you make that fucking boyfriend of yours aware of your current misdeeds."

"Megami would never forgive me if I testified against her! And she would know something is going on! I'd never do that to her!" she yelled.

He sighed as he blew out another air of smoke as he rested his left arm on the backboard. "Then just say you don't know anything. Since most of them know you were with me that night, they'll expect you to know where I was."

"But the girls know I know…" she murmured.

"Well, you'll just have to deal with that after the trial." He said through another drag.

She clutched the blanket against her chest at the disturbing awareness of her own heartbeat and the palpitations it was going through.

"…oh…okay…" she mumbled.

Kai smirked and closed his eyes for a moment. "Good girl. You, this is why I always liked you best, Sakura." He killed the cigarette on the ash tray beside him.

She froze as he slid over, forcing her to slid down into the bed as he slid on top of her.

She silently screamed as he slid his hand down her shivering body.

Kai was handsome, well built, and wealthy. Everything about this situation would be grand, had it not been for the nicotine in the air, the fact that he was technically no longer a prince, the fact that he beat and raped her best friend, the fact that he was coercing her into doing his dirty work and have sex with him,

And the fact that her heart belonged to Gaara.

(^A.H^)

"Do you mind running that by me again? I'm not sure I heard you right," Neji said dully, sitting upright in his bed late at night.

Tenten rolled her eyes on the other line then sighed deeply.

"I'm only going to say this one more time you ass…I want you to sleep with another girl. JUST. ONCE."

Neji stood up and closed his book, running a hand through his loose hair for the fifth time in the last ten minutes. "So let meget this straight. You want me to have sex with another girl, so we can be even about the whole 'I cheated on you and broke up with you because you deserved it' thing."

"YES." Tenten groaned, exasperated. "Even though I still think you deserved everything I did, I think it was unfair and unjustified that I did it through sleeping with another guy and I feel guilty. So, since we're banned from having sex for the time being—and you've been pissed about it over the last week like a little bitch—I think this is the perfect opportunity for us to be equal again. But just one time! And by one time I mean as in one round too!"

If only she knew, he thought. If only she knew that he'd technically equaled them a long time ago in the worst of ways.

But at least his wasn't cheating on her, even though the consequences for revealing it would be dire.

"Okay."

"Okay?! That's it? You're cool with this?" she demanded.

"Don't do that to me, you put it on the table."

"Yeah but I expected like a good little boyfriend you would say something like 'Oh Tenten its okay, I love you too much to do something like that! It's unnecessary!'"

"It's not like I'm enthusiastic about it. But you did say it would take the guilt away, right? No one deserves to be cheated on, no matter how much I might have hurt you with the way I used to be." He said coldly.

"B-but…" she mumbled over the phone.

He sighed, "Look, Ten. I love you, and if you really want me to do this and think it's for the best then I'll do it. But if you don't want me to then just say the words and I won't. It's your decision and I'll follow by anything you want."

The other line stood silent for a few moments before she finally spoke again.

"It's just simple, platonic sex."

"Of course. If that's what you want. It's kind of hard to have platonic sex though…"

"Neji!"

"I'm kidding."

"I'm not asking you to have passionate butt sex with some random slut."

He grimaced and rubbed the bridge of his nose, "Ten. Yes or no?"

"Do it. And tell me when you have and who you did it with too." She said firmly.

He sighed and sat back down on his bed.

"As you wish…but let me just say this is the strangest thing a girl has ever asked me to do. Ever."

"Well, you've got yourself a special girl, don't you?" Tenten said cheerily.

He smirked and chuckled a bit, "You got that right."

"I'll see you tomorrow then. Night, love you."

"I love you too. Goodnight."

With that, they both hung up and Neji clutched his phone.

He hated it.

He hated it so much.

He hated the fact that there was only one person he was itching to touch again.

(^A.H^)

"Mr. Hoshigaki, please call your next witness." Judge Ay spoke as a witness of Kai's lawyer, Ken Shichiro took their seat.

Kisame stood as the lot sat in trial for the second time that week, Saturday morning. The girls looked dead inside again as the boys carefully watched.

"The court calls Sakura Haruno to the stand."

The girls looked up to Sakura as she slowly stood. From the outside point of view, she looked calm and casual, but inside her heart was pounding furiously against her chest to the point where she feared it would break through.

Though she neatly walked to the stand her mind was dizzy and her vision felt hazy, feeling as if she were walking in circles.

She couldn't believe she was actually going to do it. She couldn't believe she was actually going to go up and claim she knew absolutely nothing when she was very much aware that Kai left the room at the time of the fire and around the same time Megami claimed she was raped. Evidence that would further them in winning the case. A week ago she was ready and willing to spill the beans and send Kai where he belonged. But now she didn't know where her words were going to come from.

But, if she stated she knew where he wandered off too, she would have to state what she had been doing in his room in the first place.

And she couldn't handle lying about that.

"Do you swear to tell the truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth so help you god?" the bailiff ordered.

"I do."

She screamed internally as she sat down and straightened down her suit skirt.

For a moment, she made eye contact with Kai who managed to give her a small smirk before she turned away. She as well made eye contact with Megami who smiled at her with hope in her glistening blue eyes.

She didn't know how she was going to get out of this one.

"Miss. Haruno." Kisame began, standing in front of the courtroom as he walking back and forth a bit. "Can you tell the court where you were at the time before Miss. Uzumaki's assault?"

"I was…in Kai's room." She said as confidently as her weak heart could muster.

"Yes, and what had you been doing there?" he questioned.

"He called me to his room…" she said quickly, fighting back the tears that were threatening to pour out at the memory of the events that led after that.

"During that time I was working as a maid. He said he…he um..wanted me to help him with something."

At the corner of her eye she noticed Kai raise a brow.

"And what was that 'something', Miss. Haruno?"

"To assort his clothes." She said quickly. "A maid who delivered them earlier in the day hadn't set them away. So, he asked me too."

"So, Mr. Mayonaka called you to his room at just about midnight…to put his clothing away?"

She nodded firmly.

"What happened after that?"

"That was it." She said simply. "I did as I was told then went to my room to rest for the night."

There was a pregnant silence in the courtroom. Sakura clawed her bare knees, though no one could see.

She avoided Megami's gaping mouth and the triumphant smirk on Kai and Mr. Shichiro's face.

"So, what you're saying is that you had not actually seen Mr. Mayonaka leave his room at the time in question?" Kisame questioned, unbelieving.

She nodded slowly, "I'm not sure whether he left his room or not or what time he did. So I cannot say. I simply did my job and left."

"I believe earlier you had stated to the police that you had in fact seen Mr. Mayonaka exit at the time of the fire."

Sakura gulped.

She'd forgotten about that.

She was trying her best to make her statements plausible enough to where Kai could still be found guilty without saying enough to the point where there wouldn't be evidence of him leaving his room that would leave him to be innocent so he could continue to taunt them.

"I'd passed him sometime later when I stopped by the kitchen, but that was all." She said.

"So you did see Mr. Mayonaka outside of his room?"

"I don't recall if it was anywhere near the time in question or the time of the fire, but for a moment yes."

She was starting to have a time believing herself.

"You were nowhere near a clock of some sort that you might have seen the time when you were supposedly in the kitchen? And for whatever reason were you in the kitchen in the first place, Miss. Haruno?"

"Objection!" Mr. Shichiro said, standing up. "He's badgering the witness."

"Sustained." Judge Ay said, turning back to Kisame. "Mr. Hoshigaki."

Kisame turned to Sakura with a confused expression that rivaled the shock and confusion the girls gave her.

"I put away prince Kai's clothes, left, stopped by the kitchen to check if any maids were still there, saw him walk towards the hallway only for a moment, then went to bed. That is all."

Another few moments of silence fell into the courtroom again before Kisame stood up firmly and nodded.

"Nothing further then…"

If they weren't bothered about the fact that almost the entire story she'd given them changed, then they were certainly bothered by the fact that she'd actually just called him Prince Kai.

"Mr. Shichiro, have you any more witnesses?" Judge Ay questioned.

"Just a statement your honor." He spoke as he stood while Sakura crept past to take her seat.

"Seeing as there are no witnesses to uphold to the statements that lord Kai was in my lady's room during the time she'd given the court, should that not alone explain to the jury that prince Kai was where he stated he had been at the time of the fire? Many witnesses stated that they had passed by lord Kai many times and had seen him in his room during the night, yet no witnesses have stated that had seen him anywhere near princes Megami's room."

Megami looked up in shock and fear.

"With nothing behind her, should we not safely understand that princess Megami may have pulled together this entire elaboration so she would have better leverage to step out of the marriage she often stated she wanted nothing to do with?"

Megami shot her distraught expression to the jury who looked at each other, contemplating the statement.

She shot her head back to Kai who sat confidently, relaxed and calm.

"I can't believe you people!" she yelled, storming up.

"Miss. Uzumaki please be seated." Judge Ay ordered.

"How can you sit there and even think about something as insane as that?! He raped me god damn it! What sort of fucked up notion would tell you that I would make the entire thing up!"

"Miss. Uzumaki! If you are not seated we will be forced to remove you from the premises."

"Megami, please calm down." Kisame said.

"You wanna give me another explain the fucking bruises! Give me another explanation for the fucking scars! I'm not gonna let that sick bastard get away with this!" she screamed.

"Bailiff," judge Ay ordered.

Sakura whitened and looked to the floor as Megami screamed and struggled all the while as they practically had to drag her out.

Judge Ay sighed when the court was silenced again.

"This court will resume Tuesday afternoon."

(^A.H^)

"Didn't you say you were with Kai when he left his room?" Hinata frowned as the girls faced Sakura the moment they collected a Megami who looked like she was on the brink of insanity.

Sakura lightly shook her head a bit. Tenten and Ino were frowning at her with their hands on their hips as Shikamaru and Neji stood behind them. Hinata gave her a sad and confused expression while Naruto stood behind her. Megami gave a distraught and hurt expression as Sasuke stood behind her.

Gaara stood next to her as Sakura's heart broke for lying to them.

"I must not have phrased it right. I can't really say, I was uh, a little too tired to remember exactly what happened that night."

"If what you'd told us earlier had happened then we really could have moved up in this. It kind of feels like we're back to square one on this.

Sakura's heart crushed when Megami bit her lip and her eyes glistened.

"I'm sorry, Megami."

"It's not your fault. You saw what you saw." She said bitterly. "Thank you for going up there anyway Sakura." She sniffled as she wrapped her in a hug.

"You're a great sister…"

If they didn't get home soon, she would fall apart right in the courtroom.

"Why don't we spend the night with you girls tonight?" Naruto offered as they stepped out of the courtroom moments later. "It seems like you could all use the comfort."

"That sounds like a good idea." Hinata smiled. "It's been some time since you guys last stayed at our house or since we stayed at the mansion. Everyone's been so busy."

Ino shrugged, "Sounds good to me. We could use a break I guess."

"We still have dance practice today remember," Sakura reminded them.

Ino and Tenten groaned and slumped.

"We need all the practice we can get if we're going to be ready for the showcase next Saturday."

Hinata giggled, "Well then, we'll call you boys when we're finished, unless you want to come and help us out with the girls."

"I could probably throw some stuff in for the girls!" Naruto beamed. The girls nodded in agreement.

The boys shrugged and offered their agreements to help them with practice in turn.

Sakura smiled a bit as she walking with Gaara hand in hand in the back of the group while she held her phone in another.

"Are you sure you're alright." He questioned coldly. "You didn't seem yourself back there."

"I haven't been in the best spirits lately." She smiled sadly. "But with you here, and the girls, somehow I can manage all the insanity in my life."

He smirked a bit as he leaned down and kissed her. "Everyone could use a little insanity."

Wasn't that the truth, she thought to herself. But too much, in her case, was stressful.

She clutched her phone when she glanced at her latest text message.

Decent job sweetheart. Come by and see me tomorrow night.

There's some things I want you to do for me.

(^A.H^)

"You know the theme to Legend of Ashitaka, right?"

Neji looked up from his book and raised a brow.

In front of him, Megami stood, slightly bending over as she stood in a t-shirt and parachute pants. Behind her, girls who would be doing solos in the showcase worked on their routines while random music played. Her eyes were red and she looked like she was ready to pass out at any moment.

"Yeah."

"And you know the whole dance to it right? I saw you rehearse it with Tennie during dance in fifth period a few weeks ago."

"I know the entire dance by heart." He said proudly smirking.

She rolled her eyes and stood up straight, her hands on her hips.

"Would you be my partner for my dance in the showcase? Sasuke has two tests coming up so he's too busy to learn the dance with me. Naruto kind of knows it but he's already doing a dance with Hinata. Shikamaru and Gaara don't know it and they'll be working the show with Sakura and Ino anyway so, since you already know the whole thing front to back and we only need to rehearse it once and Tennie is doing a solo anyway, would you do it with me?"

Neji sighed and looked back down to his book.

"Sure."

"Great, thanks Neji, I owe you one." she smiled weakly, turning back around.

He felt an unpleasant headache coming on.

(^A.H^)

After dinner and watching a movie, the ten members of Alpha and Omega decided to turn in early for the night.

With the musical, the showcase, and the unveiling of the album soon, everyone was beginning to tire out quicker in the night.

Though, at just about one in the morning, there was one member of Omega that sat upright, having stared at a ceiling in thought and anticipation and anxiety for the last couple hours.

While everyone lay fast asleep, excluding that of Gaara, Naruto lay on the floor in a black t-shirt with black pajama pants, his hands behind his head as he listened to Hinata's slow breathing as she rested.

When he was positive that she was completely under slumber he slowly crept upright.

He looked at her. She lay with her back to him, facing towards the moonlight.

He smiled sadly.

He knew he was being selfish, only suggesting for them to spend the night so he could do what he felt he needed to do, but he knew he had to know.

He stood up and tip-toed to the door, carefully opening it and letting himself out, leaving the door open just a crack so there wouldn't be any sort of a situation when he came back.

When he was at enough distance from Hinata's room, he walked a bit faster down the short hall until he was heading down the stairs. He slowed down when he was sure he was near Tenten's room, as he didn't want Neko to wake.

It was pitch black, and he didn't want to turn on any light that might wake anyone until he reached the kitchen, so he was forced to only feel around for where he was going.

He stumbled a bit on the stairs but managed to get down and find his way to the kitchen. Relieved, he turned on the kitchen light and examined it.

It was chillingly silent. The stars illuminated from the window that revealed the night time darkness. Wasting no time, he stepped to the door that led to the basement door and stepped in.

He became weak in the knees at the familiar hallway he'd only stepped in once.

He turned on the light where he once again faced a very short hallway with two doors. The known basement door at the end, and the 'comfort room' door next to it.

This was it. He would finally be able to see what was in the room that had been bothering him so much.

He loved the girls and he loved Hinata with all his heart, but they already had too many secrets about their past that hurt them, and he felt that this had something to do with that.

In silence, he stepped to the door and clutching the handle.

He gulped, his hand sweaty as he shook a bit.

After a few short breaths he finally, painfully slowly twisted the door knob.

Silently, he pushed the door back and took a couple steps into the darkness of the room.

He felt around on the sides for a light, for it seemed there was no window that let it any light.

Finally, he found a light switch on the side of the wall.

Flickering it on, the room was finally revealed to him.

(^A.H^)

"Let's throw a party."

Any conversation that had been going on completely silenced as the nine sat at the table in the earliness of the morning, eating a breakfast made up of eggs and hash browns.

They looked up to Megami who stood in her white flannel pajamas with apples danced all around them and a wrinkled grey tank top. Her red hair was elevated, tangled and all over the place. Her eyes were blood red and dark marks sat under her eyes.

She looked as if she hadn't slept a wink the entire night. Or as if she'd slept on the roof.

"Come again?" Sakura questioned.

"Let's throw a fucking party." She repeated, a crazed smile on her face as she threw her hands up. "Let's just throw a random fucking party at the mansion. Call a shit ton of people and go crazy."

"Megami, as much fun as that sounds, it's Sunday. It's lazy day too." Tenten explained. "Are you feeling alright?"

"No, you know what I'm not fucking all right. To be honest with you I feel like complete shit. I've been feeling like complete shit for as long as I can remember," she said, exasperated. "And I need a break from life if you don't mind. In five weeks we're going to graduate high school. In three and a half months we're going to college. Every single day I spend thinking about the trial, about exams, routines, schedules, and everything, I'm cracking and I can't take it anymore!" she chanted with glistened eyes.

"So I say let's throw. A fucking. Party. Let's blast music. Let's destroy some shit. Let's get fucking wasted, I don't care. Let's just have some fun today."

Neji shrugged a bit as the girls looked at each other.

"We just need to make one phone call and the entire school and some will be swarming the mansion."

The girls smiled. For some, they knew that a break from reality would do them some good.

They had to remind themselves that through everything they'd been through, they would only be teenagers for a little while longer.

They'd already past they're limits.

They decided to see just how far they could push themselves.

(^A.H^)

The girls discovered that night that Neji's words were true. All it took was one phone call to hell knows where to but at just about eight at night, the population of Konoha high school was swarming the mansion.

It didn't matter that it was last minute. It didn't matter that there was no point to it. Everyone was just happy to be at a party Omega was throwing.

GD's 'One of a Kind' blasted from inside the mansion, to the front yard, to the backyard and everywhere in between as people covered every square inch of it.

By nine, red solo cups lay everywhere. The lot of people danced and walked around, eating and talking.

In the large back yard sat the outdoor pool and lounge where many also sat as well as swam. Inside the mansion the maids had been ordered away or sent home early so many crowed the inside, including the rooms inside.

Every member of Alpha and Omega lay in their own comfortable area in various areas of the house as the teenagers of Konoha partied to their hearts content.

Ino lay in a lounge chair by the pool in her favorite black and yellow bikini. After taking a dip in the pool to take off some of the heat, she lay down, wet and cooled down. Shikamaru had wandered off to heaven knows where and everyone else was scattered around. She was happily relaxed with the surrounding people (including the admiring fanboys) that engulfed the backyard pool.

Shivering a bit and a little uncomfortable, she decided it would be in her best interest to put on something dry. So, after a few moments of sitting, she stood up and began heading to Shikamaru's room to find something to wear.

Just as she did, a familiar face arrived to the party.

(^A.H^)

"Are you sure it's okay for us to be doing this Su-Young? We weren't exactly invited to this." Renge mumbled as they girls stood getting dressed outside the maid quarters.

Su-Young scoffed, "No one was invited! I heard people just show up to these things! Is doesn't matter if we work for them or not! I wanna have some fun too." She said firmly. "Besides, we go to Konoha's night school, so technically we're Konoha high students."

Both girls, though working at the mansion, stood at seventeen years old and took night classes at Konoha to work through high school.

Renge looked around as the girls dressed in clothing that rivaled club attire. They stood getting dressed in an open, though barren, area so the maids sleeping inside wouldn't question as to why they were dressing up.

"It sounds like so much fun! I can hear it from here!" Su-Young said excitingly. "What are you so nervous about?"

In the short time that they'd worked together, Renge had liked to think of Su-Young as her friend. If only she had the confidence to tell her why she was afraid of running into certain people at the party.

"I'm not," she said half-heartedly as she slipped her royal purple heel on.

"Good! Then let's head out! I'm itching for a little vodka."

"Go to party?"

The girls whipped around at the sound of the familiar voice.

They looked at Giovanna, one year older than them, stood by the side of the maids corridors. She still stood in her uniform as her jet black hair shined in the moonlight.

"Giovanna, hey." Su-Young said casually, her hand on her hip.

"I join? I like party." She smiled. "I overhear."

Su-Young shrugged, "no one's stopping you. But hurry up and get changed I don't want to miss anything big."

Giovanna nodded eagerly as she turned back and crept into the maid's corridors to get ready.

"Alright!" Su-Young whispered excitingly. "Let's go have some fun."

(^A.H^)

Hinata was one of many who cheered Naruto on as he did a little performance in the middle of a crowd, showing off his dance moves as he moved through the current song.

Naruto happily attenuated to the guests, moving to the beat of the song. When he caught Hinata's eye he winked at her and she giggled as she continued to clap for him.

A silent chill clouded his mind, and for a moment it seemed as if all the music had stopped and he was the only person on the planet.

What he'd seen in the room had chilled him down to the bone, and he demanded to understand the meaning behind it.

Dirt and blotchy dried blood covered the white walls. The wall paper was torn down in various area and there were dark pits in the corners of the walls that looked charred, as if they'd caught fire.

There were what looked like to be burnt photos scattered across the floor, so charred he couldn't make them out.

There was various spray painted writing all around one side of the room containing pleas, curse words, and other forms of writing.

He didn't know what to make of it, and he didn't know how to ask Hinata about it.

All he knew was that it chilled him to the bone and needed to know why it was there.

(^A.H^)

Sakura and Gaara sat in the east wing kitchen with various others, talking and kissing with couples alike.

"You still seem a little distracted." Gaara said. Though the music blasted he spoke comfortably. Sakura sat on the green granite kitchen island while he stood with his arms on each side of her. She smiled weakly as she ran her hands through his hair.

"I'm always distracted."

"Hm." He mumbled as he leaned in and kissed her softly. "You were moving and sweating a lot in your sleep."

She raised a brow and smirked, "You watch me in my sleep?"

"You give me a sense of peace and reality. It's hard not to when the moment you close your eyes all you see is fear and darkness."

Little did he know, that was what she was starting to see herself.

"Gaara…"

"Hm…?"

"You know…I love you right?...I love you so much."

"I love you too." He said stonily.

"And no matter what, you'd love me…right? Even if I did something—"

She jumped a bit at the faint sound of her phone timer going off.

She quickly pulled out her phone and glanced at the time: 9:30 p.m.

"Sakura, is something going on." He demanded.

Quickly, she leaned in and kissed him chastely.

"I have to go see a friend." She muttered. "I'll be back in a bit."

"Sak—"

Before he could question her, she hopped off the kitchen island and was rushing out.

Sakura jogged out of the kitchen and towards the side door where she had parked her Porsche outside.

Her heart raced as she glanced back to the crowded mansion, where various lights flashed and music blasted.

She pulled out her keys from the pocket of her leather mini jacket as she rushed to her car in hopes of sneaking out.

(^A.H^)

"A couple of them may be first class assholes but at least these guys know how to throw a party." Su-Young said as she whistled and looked around.

Renge walked in a tight royal blue mid-thigh strapless dress with black pumps. Su-Young led them in black skinny jeans with made-in tears and a white tank top with a black jacket. While Giovanna followed in tight blue skinny jeans and a dark yellow ruffle shirt.

The girls nodded in agreement as they walked, passing various people drinking and playing games with their liquor.

Su-Young smiled and waved flirtingly to a few boys whose eye they'd caught.

"Let's mingle."

"Who still says mingle?" Renge laughed as she took a couple steps, following her.

Su-Young shrugged as Renge stopped, "I'm gonna go get us some drinks." She announced.

Su-Young said nothing as she turned around and began making her way to the mansion.

Just as she turned around she knocked into someone, forcing the both of them to stumble back.

"Ow…" Renge whined, rubbing her forehead as she tried to keep her balance.

"Sorry, I should have watched where I was going."

"No, it's my fault." Renge smiled as she dropped her hand and faced the girl in front of her. She stumbled a bit at the face that came before her.

Megami smiled slightly as she held a red solo cup with both hands, dangling at the tips of her fingers. Her eyes were slightly foggy as she stood in light blue cut off jean shorts and a dark red sports bra with a light blue mini jean jacket over it.

Renge's smile dropped.

Megami raised a brow, "I don't think we've met. Are you new?"

"Uh, yes and no." Renge laughed. "I only do night classes at Konoha high then I work at the mansion. I'm a maid here. I'm Renge, nice to meet you."

"Megami, same." She said, holding her hand out smiling.

Renge hesitated before she took it in her hand and shook gently.

"Megami…Uzumaki, right?" she raised a brow.

"That's my name, don't wear it out." Megami said laughing.

So this is her!

"You wouldn't happen to be going out with—"

"Gami."

Renge put her head down and shivered at the sound of the familiar voice.

At the corner of her eyes she could see Sasuke step up and put his arm around Megami's shoulder.

"Sasuke, hey." Megami smiled and slurred a bit as they leaned in and kissed a bit as Renge stood not looking as they released.

This is Renge! I was just talking to her."

"Nice to meet you." Renge smiled weakly, lifting her head a bit.

Sasuke eyed her, but his bored expression did not waver. He simply stared at her for a few more moments before he turned to Megami with an annoyed expression.

"I told you not to drink."

Megami rolled her eyes, "And I said I would only have a couple cups."

"You know what a couple cups turns into."

Megami scoffed, "Oh my gosh, I'm just trying to have some fun dad"

"Mega—"

"Here," Megami nudged him forward a bit, "you stay here and associate with Renge! I'm going to go change then get into the pool."

Before he could protest she had turned around and was fast walking back to the mansion to change into her swimsuit waiting in his room.

Sasuke turned his head back to Renge when Megami was out of sight.

"That's your girlfriend?" She mumbled, her head down again.

Sasuke said nothing.

"Does she know…about…about…us."

"Again. There is no us. And she doesn't know for one thing, and it's going to stay that way."

His tone was ice cold as he side stepped her and walked away, leaving her standing there as party goers passed by.

(^A.H^)

Sasuke:

Megami's upstairs, make sure she doesn't do anything stupid.

I'm not your girlfriend's babysitter. I have my own problems.

Sasuke:

Just fucking do it. I know you aren't doing anything worth your time right now. Just check on her and make sure she isn't too fucked up.

Neji clicked his tongue as he looked to the latest message from Sasuke on his phone. He walked the empty hall boredly as he had put an exhausted Tenten to bed. She was becoming more and more tired lately. Dr. Hana simply said she was feeling fatigue and that it was natural.

He didn't feel like going down to the hustle and bustle of the large party and blasting music that he knew would give him a headache. He had too much on his mind.

At this point he was tired himself and only felt like collapsing next to Tenten and sleeping the night away, unusual as he was normally part of the life of the party.

He stepped past Sasuke's door, ignoring his demands to check on Megami. But, when he found the door to be open just a crack, he sighed and pushed it further open.

He stilled in place when Megami stood at the foot of Sasuke's bed, balancing a red solo cup in her hand as she pulled her shorts down, revealing her dark orange bikini bottom.

Three more red solo cups lay scattered on the floor below her as she tried to tie her bikini top, stumbling while she balanced the cup in her mouth.

He recalled her previously saying something about drinking her feelings. He knew what she was doing was stupid and wrong as she was trying to bypass the thoughts of the trial and Kai and general.

"Megami."

She whipped around, her eyes foggy as she stumbled on her feet.

"Ey Negi." She sang as her lose top dangled, exposing most of her breasts.

"Couldja help me out wit this?"

"You've been drinking again." He sighed.

"Who?" she frowned, swaying her head a bit. "I wanna go swim." She said distractedly as she downed the last of the hard liquor. She scrunched her face up as she tossed the cup back onto Sasuke's floor. "Swim swim swimmie swim." She sang.

He hated the irony and familiarity of the situation. He knew what he had to do.

But he also knew what he wanted to do.

He stepped inside Sasuke's room and closed the door behind him.

"This whole trial thing but be really eating away at you if you went against Sasuke's orders."

"Trial shimial, dial, bial. I jus wanna play marco polo!" she clapped, laughing and jumping a bit.

"You sound more like you have brain damage than you are drunk…although with you I'm sure there's not a difference…" he grumbled as he turned her around.

He pulled her straps back and began typing her bathing suit top as she swayed a bit and hummed.

Slowly, he tied firm knots on it until it was completely secure. He sighed and sub-consciously slid his hands down her sides.

She giggled as she lifted her arms and rested them on his neck.

"Come on. I'll take you to Sasuke."

Suddenly she began whimpered. He stood in silence as he whimpering soon turned into slow crying.

She released from his neck and bend over onto Sasuke's bed.

"I don wanna goo," She said through tears. "I'm tiredd." She whined.

He did all he could think to do at the moment. He picked up the half empty bottle of vodka and a cup from the floor and sat down on Sasuke's bed.

"Here, it'll take your mind off everything." He mumbled, too tired himself to drag her out of the room and expose her drunk status to Sasuke.

Aware she was barely catching anything he was saying, he pulled her arm and she stumbled over until she plopped onto Sasuke's bed.

He poured another cup of Devil Springs Vodka.

He raised a brow. No wonder she was hopped up so quickly.

He drowned the cup then poured another and offered her a cup before pouring him.

"You think…Kai will go away…?" she mumbled as she held the cup.

He shrugged a bit as she downed the cup and scrunched her eyes, biting her tongue as she handed him the cup and he poured another.

"I'm sure he will. You don't have to drink yourself stupid every time something goes wrong in your life."

He knew his words were falling on deaf ears as she took the cup from his hand and drank down half of it before he took it back from her and drank the other half, then proceeded to pour another.

He drank it himself as she flopped back into Sasuke's mattress, whistling.

He tossed the empty cup and bottle into Sasuke's dresser side garbage as he rubbed the bridge of his nose and sighed.

He looked at her over his shoulder as she lay sprawled, dazed and lost in her subconscious.

In silence, he turned over and crept on top of her with dulled eyes.

She looked at him with reddened cheeks and blood shot eyes and smiled, giggling as she lifted her head up a bit.

"Hi Neji."

In that moment, he leaned into her and captured her lips into his.

She hummed in the back of her throat as he deepened the kiss while he moved further and began to straddle her, slipping his tongue in as she moaned in the back of her throat.

He pressed his member against her stomach as she grinded into him a bit while their lips locked.

This is so wrong.

Everything about this is so wrong.

This is Megami.

This is Sasuke's girlfriend.

This is Tenten's best friend.

This is Sasuke's bed…

But god… he spoke in his head.

It feels so fucking right.

(^A.H^)

"Ciao."

Naruto looked up and raised a brow as he pulled his shirt over his head and held it midway, preparing himself to go for a swim with Hinata.

Giovanna smiled a bit, unfazed by his half dressed manner as she had stumbled upon him plenty of times in the last couple days.

"Oh hey Giovanna," he smiled kindly. "I didn't know you were here."

"Is okay I join party?" she asked hopefully, leaning on the wall.

"of course, your no different just because you work here dattebayo!" he laughed. "I hope you're having fun."

She nodded a bit as she took a couple steps inside. "What doing?"

"I was just about to go swimming with my girlfriend. You wanna come with us?"

"No swimsuit," she frowned. "A volte non indosso uno quando nuoto torna a casa

Sometimes I didn't wear one when I swam back home.

His eyes widened a bit and he slightly blushed, "Uh. Not sure that's okay here. Se vuoi posso avere qualcuno che compra uno. Non e` un problema."

If you want I can have someone buy you one. It's no problem.

"Master is so kind." Giovanna spoke kindly. "In hometown, kindness e` fortemente premiato."

Is greatly awarded.

"Excuse me?" he frowned as she took a couple more steps.

He laughed a bit and raised his hands up, "I'm sorry Giovanna but now really isn't the time for things like that. I have a lot on my mind and I could use my space. Excuse me." He nodded to her as he grabbed his towel and maneuvered past her.

Giovanna gave him a confused expression as he stepped out of his room.

"Quello che ho ditto?"

What did I say?

(^A.H^)

"There's always something fascinating about being able to throw a party in a couple hours."

"Well," Ino laughed nervously as a cold cup of vodka hung from her hand. "You know the guys. Naruto says we're their princesses. When someone wants something, they won't hesitate to make it happen."

"Hey Miss. Ino!" some members of the Konoha cheer-squad called and waved as they passed by the mid west upstairs hallway.

She smiled weakly as Sai glanced to them with his hands in his pockets then looked to Ino. "Are you going to avoid me forever?"

"Avoid you? What do you mean?"

She glanced around to the people, then quickly grabbed his hand and rushed into the first room she saw.

Closing the door behind her, she sighed. "I'm not avoiding you…I'm just trying to figure this entire thing out. I know I can't ignore the fact that we had sex…I know that. But being around you reminds me of too much…Sai." She took a shaky breath as he blankly stared at her.

She looked up at him.

"I'm so confused. Every time I look at you, or I'm near you, I think about everything back in Ame." She said. "We were so good together. We were so in love. We were able to talk about anything with each other. We always had each other's back. We did everything together. We made love, not sex. What happened?"

"It seems we just sort of fell apart didn't we?" he asked. "It was a mutual break up. At that time I didn't realize I was still so much in love with you."

"You want to break up?" he raised a brow as he casually sipped his coffee.

"Don't tell me you haven't been thinking about it," Ino shrugged as she set her latte down while the both of them sat in the café in the early September heat.

He shrugged a bit, "I suppose I've considered it from time to time."

"Yeah," Ino said. "We're been going out for three years now. And I love you, I still do. But I just don't feel that spark anymore."

Sai laughed a bit, "I see what you mean. It is our senior year, and it seems that we have drifted apart a bit. Maybe it's time for us to move on."

He took her hand in his and smiled, "the last few years have been great Ino and I'll always remember the time we had together. I hope for the best for both of us." He leaned in and kissed her hand.

Ino giggled and smiled sweetly. "You'll always be such a romantic Sai. I'm glad we're both feeling the same way."

When all was said and done, she leaned in and kissed his cheek.

"I don't know how I feel about you anymore. I don't know how I feel about anything anymore…" she bit her bottom lip. "But there is one thing I'm sure of. I love Shikamaru with all my heart…but then there's you…"

"Tell me you love me," he pleaded, stepping forward and wrapping his arms around her waist. "You keep avoiding the words but I know you want to say it."

She shook her head and turned away from him.

"I have to tell Shikamaru soon…"

"You never have to say anything as long as you're with me…choose me…Ino…" he pleaded, his lips lingering over hers.

She slightly pushed him off as she held the door knob.

She sniffled back a sob at the last words he spoke when she opened the door and closed it behind herself.

"You have to make a choice Ino. Eventually, you have to make a choice."

(^A.H^)

As Ino rushed out of the room she rushed down the west wing steps and towards the backyard where many were lounging and parying by the pool.

"Have fun? I'm sure you would, rushing into a room with him like that."

She whipped around and narrowed her eyes at the person who leaned on the wall, examining the party.

"Let's get one thing straight here Sasuke," she said firmly. "The moment I tell Shikamaru is the moment you tell Megami. So help me god if you hold this thing off any longer than I do I will castrate you before she can, and I'm telling you right now, it's going to happen."

"We all have our demons." He said firmly as he stood up straight and stuck his hands in his pockets. "I'll just leave it at that."

She rolled her eyes as he stepped away, while she in turn turned back and watched the party.

Never in the past had she had a problem with Sasuke. They were all friends, it didn't matter who they were dating, they were all best friends, including her and Sasuke. But now they seemed like enemies ready to out each other.

She smiled weakly when she finally noticed Shikamaru laying fast asleep in a lounge chair by a couple.

(^A.H^)

There was something almost chilling about laying under Sasuke's dark blue blankets. He knew it was wrong. He knew it was nearly sickening. But at the moment he didn't have a care in the world.

It wasn't as if he had feelings for Megami. He just enjoyed what she was able to do. The guilt overtook him quickly.

This time he really did mess up. It was just the fact that he had slept with Megami anymore, and encouraged her to drink to make her more suseptible to it, he had officially cheated on Tenten.

Tenten.

His pregnant girlfriend.

He pulled himself out of the blankets and grabbed his jeans from the floor below, slipping them on as he crept into Sasuke's bathroom.

As he stepped in he stumbled over and leaned on the sparkling white sink. He looked at himself, his dark hair stringy and his eyes bloodshot as he could feel the bile stringing at his throat.

He let out the contents of his stomach into the sink.

He was betraying so many people. The thought consumed him and made him hate himself.

(^A.H^)

"Are you ever going to speak to me about this?"

In the dead of night, as the party continued to go underway, Sasuke stood in a empty corner away from the party.

"You know, you're really stressing me out."

"Then pay attention to me damn it!" Renge yelled, demanding. "How can you just stand there and pretend that absolutely nothing happened between us?! You just up and left Furyoka before we could even talk! How can you be so cold-hearted?!"

"I came and I told you that what happened didn't mean a thing to me, and I already had enough problems." He said bitterly as her eyes glistened. "I still have too much on my plate. I can't deal with you right now Renge, as much as I would love too, you don't mean a damn thing."

Little to her knowledge, everything he spoke, every word that left his mouth came from the fear deep inside him.

Even for him, he knew how cruel his words must be. But he had to do what he could.

Tears ran down Renge's eyes as she turned away from him.

"I wish you would just listen to me! Talk to me! But you're a cold bastard Sasuke Uchiha! You don't deserve anyone!"

He listened to her storm off, just as he listened to another set of footsteps come his way.

"Shikamaru says you've been having some problems with confessions lately."

Sasuke trailed his eyes up to Neji who stood neat and firm.

He knew damn well he was having issues in the department.

"You're girlfriend drank herself stupid again. She stripped and passed out in your bed."

Sasuke rolled his eyes and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Great…" he sighed, "just what I need tonight."

"Thanks for looking out for her, Hyuga." He mumbled as he passed him.

Neji stood in place for a few more moments, simply staring into nothingness.

(^A.H^)

Forty-five minutes after her departure, Sakura finally stepped back into the late party Omega had decided to host. She crept back inside, greeting people here and there and walking casually as if she'd been at the party the entire time.

Even in the warmness of spring, she hugged herself in her leather jacket. Although, this act was not to keep herself warm, but to hide a special object from the eyes of others that Kai had given to her with strict orders.

The cold metal brushed against her tank top as she searched around for a familiar person. When she heard the cheers and cries of a familiar voice she quickly jogged to the location of it: the backyard

Sakura's heart raced as she stepped into the shadows of the side of the mansion that would lead her into the backyard. From where she stood she could see Megami, who had woken and escaped Sasuke's room before he could get to her, clad in only her bathing suit bottom as a few boys made ready to dounce her with a keg full of beer.

She pulled out the object and held it up to her face, silent tears falling as she sniffled back the pain and realization of what she was about to do and the effects in the long run.

Her fingers grazed the record button, just as the poured the keg over her head and she screamed cheerfully. The recording continued to follow the redhead's various acts as she continued what she had been ordered to do.

(^A.H^)

"What's up?" Gaara said stonily and he pushed the door open.

Neji nodded to him as he slipped on his pajama pants after stepping out of his studio clothes.

Monday evening, the boys had slithered into their own domains after another session at the studio. They were officially and completely done with all that needed to be done for the album. Tomorrow it would be shipped out and would officially be released Wednesday morning.

Now the boys (who were already exhausted from the party the night before that did not end until just about two a.m. as well as they still had to go to school) skipped dinner and were individually heading to sleep.

"You called?" Gaara asked as he stood by Neji's desk.

"Can we talk?" he asked tiredly as he sat on the edge of his bed.

"About?" Gaara asked cautiously.

"What I'm about to say is going to sound insane. But you have to swear you won't say anything, alright? I'm only telling you this because I need to get this off my chest…" he grumbled.

"Why not tell all of us then?"

"There's a precise reason why I'm only confiding in you." He said exhaustedly, running his hands through his hair.

Gaara leaned on his wall and crossed his arms. His expression stood stoic as per usual.

Su-Young grumbled to herself as she walked down the hall towards her master's room. It was cleaning day and period. Coming to his room every other day over the last few days had been a pain in her hide.

For one thing, there was never that much to do. Neji was a clean freak, and though maids were available to him, most often everything was neat and tidy. So when she finished his room in five minutes, madam Ama scolded her for not working around the clock.

There was also the little factor that he was quite rude to her. Seeing as she wanted and needed to keep her job, she couldn't bite back and tell him off like she wanted too.

Another little thing that bothered her as well.

He always seemed to lack clothing during cleaning periods.

She would hate him more if he wasn't so damn attractive.

She sighed and held the knob, not bothering to knock as she did not care and there was no one around to notice. But, she seized when she heard voices behind the door.

Not caring that this was an act that could have her fired, she leaned on the door and listened in.

"I had sex with Megami…twice."

Silence overtook the room as Gaara simply continued to stare at him, not giving anything away.

"And?"

"And?" Neji asked.

"Well I'm sure you have some sort of explanation. You can be an ass sometimes but I don't think you would just abruptly decide to sleep with Megami out of the blue. Or she with you."

"I guess my head wasn't in the right place…" he mumbled as he held his head in his hands. "The first time was when I asked her to pick out girls with me at a club, when Ten and I weren't together? Some assholes made her drink…during that I was still really pissed off with Ten and I just kind of…she came on to me…I know how to gets when she's drunk and I know I should have just taken her home but…"

"What about the second time?"

"That was last night." He sighed. "Last night...was all me…Sasuke told me to check on her because she was trying to drink…but…I…I wasn't thinking straight and I saw an opportunity…I made her drink more, then we just sort of…fuck…"

"Does she remember?"

"She doesn't remember anything. I should have stopped when I could. I should have taken her home. But…"

"Are you into her?"

"Hell no of course not!" he said bitterly. "It just felt...good...at the time…it's gonna haunt me if I don't say anything…what do you think I should do? Wouldn't it be easier on everyone if we just forgot about this?"

Su-Young gasped and took a couple steps back. She stood in silence for a few moments before she slowly and as silently as possible, walked back down the hallway.

"To be honest, I don't know what to tell you exactly. I think you owe it to Megami to explain to her what happened. As much as you and Sasuke don't always agree, we're still close friends and we look out for each other. And now, you definitely owe it to Tenten. She has to know."

"I thought you said you didn't know what to say…" he grumbled.

Gaara sighed a bit and stood up straight.

"Do whatever you think you should do. But do what's right at the same time. Goodnight." He nodded to him as he turned and made his way to the door.

Neji, silently, watched him go and as the door closed behind him, he laid back in his bed and sighed.

(^A.H^)

Su-Young rushed down the stairs and towards the maids corridors in search of the few maids she'd spent her time with over the last few days so she could tell them the information she'd obtained.

She wasn't always one for gossip, but this felt like something they should be aware of.

Suddenly, she stopped in place.

Was this something they should be aware of? When she stopped to think about it didn't feel that way to her.

But she knew there were some people who should be made aware.

She growled to herself. She knew Neji was a jerk but she never thought he'd go as far as to do something this low.

Was it really her place to say anything?

She sighed to herself. Unsure of what to do next.

(^A.H^)

"How goes it for you girls?" Sakura questioned as she took a seat, backwards in front of the girls with her clipboard.

"I think the girls are just about ready. We still have to go make sure everything is set up though." Tenten explained as the girls sat in a circle in the studio, each tired in their work clothes.

They'd opened the door for parents a couple minutes prior and the girls were busy readying themselves to head home with their parents in the hallway.

Sakura nodded as she checked off her list. "I can't wait until this week is over. The trial, the showcase, and the musical. I hope by next week things are back to normal."

"I here yah," Ino sighed.

"The costumes are coming in Saturday morning." Sakura continued. "It sucks that it doesn't give us a good enough time to do fitting but I think—"

The girls seized at the sound of a knock on the door.

"I've got it, maybe one of the girls forgot something." Sakura sighed as she stood up from the chair, clipboard and all.

The girls continued to talk about final touches as she stepped over and opened the door.

"Ye—"

Her eyes bulged as Kai casually stood in front of the door in dark pants, a black t-shirt and a white unbuttoned vest. Part of his tattoo stood visible on his right arm while his hands sat in his pockets. The blue highlights in his hair shined as he stood in the barren hallway.

Quickly, she opened the door a crack more and stepped out.

"Who is it Sakura?!" Hinata called.

"Just a minute!" she called as she closed the door.

Without a word she grabbed Kai's hand and dragged him into the studio across the hallway.

She opened the door, slightly thrust him into the darkness and closed the door behind her.

Using the moonlight from the large windows at the top of the studio, she turned to him in shock and anger.

"What the hell are you doing here?!" she whisper-yelled.

He smirked and chuckled a bit, "I can't give my girl a visit?"

"Who the fuck is your girl?!" she demanded, disgusted at the idea. "What if someone else had opened the door?!"

He shrugged a bit as she looked at him in utter shock.

He sighed and turned to her with a bored expression.

"I came for the video camera."

"I said I would bring it to you after work!" she whispered. "You can just show up here like thi—!" the rest of her sentence turned into incoherent mumbles when he practically forced her into a kiss.

It was demanding and demeaning to her, and she knew she had to return it.

As he governed her body she ran her hands through his hair. Without releasing from her lips he lifted her up and she wrapped her legs around his waist.

She moaned as he held her hips and pressed against her. She sighed and rested her hands on his shoulders as he kissed and licked down her bare neck.

"Sakura?! Hey! Sakuraaa! Where'd you go?!" the sound of Megami's voice came from just behind the door she was pressed up against. She bit her bottom lip as he kissed her neck and trailed his left hand inside her shorts.

"Where did she go?" Ino's voice came.

"What the hell, her cell's still in the studio." Tenten's voice came.

She bit back a moan as Kai bit down on her neck and played with her inside her panties.

"This is why you're mine…this is why you do what I tell you too do…you love what I do for you…you want me…" he growled in a whisper as she squeaked out a moan.

"Let's see if she's in the entrance room." Hinata's voice faded off as the girls walked down the hallway.

She shook against him as she came and felt Kai smile against her neck.

"You always had a choice you know…" his deep voice came after she caught her breath after a few moments. "You could have just let then in about the one time. Now, you're just digging a deeper hole for yourself. You always could have walked away from this…but, there's a part of you that wants this. That wants me, and you know it."

Pain stung at her chest at his words.

You always had a choice.

(^A.H^)

"I expect proper behavior this time, Miss. Uzumaki."

Megami took a deep breath and sat with her eyes closed as everyone in the court room settled into their seats.

Kisame put a hand on her shoulder. She turned to him as he smiled comforting at her. She returned with a sad and dejected smile.

They both knew it was her turn to come forward.

"We will proceed from Saturday's events." Judge Ay said when everyone was settled in.

"The people call to the stand, Megami Uzumaki." One of the jury members said.

In a bitter silence, Megami stood and stepped forward.

As she did, Kai's lawyer, Mr. Shichiro stood.

He cleared his throat and stepped forward, his loafers clacking as he faced the court.

"Ladies and gentlemen. You all know Miss. Uzumaki well enough. The kind princess whose story of out running her arranged marriage for love touched many. But, was faced with a tragic event that has led us here today." He began.

He turned to Megami, "you have stated the events of your rape to the jury Miss. Uzumaki, you have managed to allow everyone to sympathize with you."

"I'm not trying to have anyone sympathize with me," she said in an unrecognizably cold voice. "I'm trying to get justice for myself."

Ken nodded but it seemed he ignored what she had said.

The crowd whispered in confusion as the side door by Megami opened and a man dragged in a smart board screen. Megami looked at it in confusion.

"As I stated, we all know the princess well enough. But do we know her like this?"

The room darkened as the man pressed a button on the smart-board. For a couple moments, it flickered until finally an image came about.

Most members of Alpha and Omega sat alert as they recognized the party they had thrown on Sunday.

But, the silence in the room at the first thing that came about was so thick it could be cut with a knife.

Megami screamed in excitement when the boys poured the keg on her. The camera zoomed in on her in her bathing suit, drenched as she laughed and wobbily stood up with the help of a few boys.

The camera moved forward as she took a drink from one boys hand and downed it. She stumbled back and wiped her feet as the crowd around the pool cheered and clapped.

When she noticed the camera she dazily lifted her middle finger and laughed a sinister laugh. She look unrecognizable with her stringy, wet, red hair, darkened by the beer and her blood red eyes. Her suit straps hung off her shoulder as she half-mindedly tried to pull them up.

"Hey! H-Hey!" she laughed, looking to the camera. "You wanna know somethin?" she asked the camera, shaking her head. "Fuck everything! Fuck that damn trial! And fuck you Kai!" she screamed excitingly. "I bet—hope, I…uh…"

She shrugged as the camera followed her as she jumped, screaming into the pool.

The footage cut off at that. At that moment, whispers and discussions came forward. Various members of the jury looked to Megami with different kinds of expressions, mostly different forms of distaste.

Sakura looked to Megami who visibly shook as she stared down to her lap, quivering. Tears stung her eyes, but she bit them back so not to reveal anything.

"That, is the true princess. I go back on my word that Miss. Uzumaki could have easily forged this plan to have better leverage so not to get married. The evidence is against her, your honor."

"Who the hell was videotaping?!" Tenten demanded angrily. She, as well as Ino and Sasuke looked infuriated.

"Objection! Your honor!" Kisame yelled, standing up. "That footage had absolutely nothing to do with—!"

"So that's it then." A distant voice said.

The court fell into silence again as they all looked to Megami who sat with her head down, who they had just barely heard. She lifted her head, where a sadistic smile sat while her face sat blotched in hot tears.

"That's how it is. You sit there and judge me for what has absolutely nothing to do with what happened to me that night." She spat.

She sat up straight as more tears fell down.

"He raped me." She began. "That's what happened that night. He came into my room, when I was vulnerable. He took advantage of the fact that as my fiancée. As a prince, he could do whatever he wanted to and with me. He beat me, mentally and physically and I have the scars to prove it. I'll have these scars forever. Whether they go away, I'll have them forever." She continued.

" You don't know what it's like to lose your innocence…so you can sit there and judge me for who I am as a person and who I choose to be, but ignoring the fact that he hurt me in the most sadistic way and trying to make me out to be a liar…? You people are sick. You people disgust me." She bit. "So go ahead and make your damn verdict. After what he did. Because of what he did, I'll never be the same person."

Silently, she stood up and let out a shaky breath. Silent tears fell as she stepped down.

With her head held high, she walked down the court isle and left the room, delicately closing the door behind her.

It was a full two minutes before judge Ay spoke again.

"We will complete this case on Thursday, where a verdict will be given."

(^A.H^)

Naruto sat sprawled onto the grass, letting the sun shine on his face as he sighed. A soft breeze blew forward and he closed his eyes in thought.

Something in his mind told him that everything he saw in that room had a little something to do with the girls troubled past and their general issues. It had been bothering him for a week now and haunting him in his dreams.

The blood.

The writing.

The bitterness of whatever was behind the room.

He was afraid to ask, but he knew it was important he did.

He looked to the girls (four out of five of them) who sat on a blanket with the guys at lunch time. After the mornings trial they had gone ahead and gone to school, as they decided it wouldn't be best they skip another day.

Megami had decided to stay home, and the girls respected the wish. They arrived to school near the end of fourth period.

"Who was videotaping anyway?" Tenten demanded.

"My best guess is Kai probably hired someone to record." Shikamaru said.

"But, how would he know about the party in the first place?" Ino frowned.

"We only sent the information out to Konoha high students. It must be someone who goes to the school." Neji explained.

Sakura was calm. That was one thing that she was actually confused about. She didn't say anything to Kai about the party whatsoever until he brought it up when she came to his hotel.

So, there was someone else under his midst.

"Videotaping…videotaping…" she mumbled to herself.

"Did you say something Sakura?" Hinata asked, forcing everyone else to turn their attention to her.

Determined to redeem herself, Sakura had been thinking since the moment they left the court room.

Finally.

A thought occurred to her.

She slapped her forehead and gasped, "What the hell! Why the hell didn't I think of this before?!"

"Sakura?" Gaara asked as she stood up and looked down to tell.

"Do you guys remember when we were in Furyoka? How it was hard to get around and find the documents because there was a camera in every room in the mansion!"

"Every single room that watched everyone's every move and captured footage of every single room," Ino said wide-eyed as she slowly stood up.

Tenten gasped, "Every room including-!"

"Kai's room!" Hinata said abruptly, jumping up.

Naruto sat up as the boys looked at each other in surprise, wondering how no one had thought of it up until now.

"The video cameras were bound to have captured Kai's assault and his navigating around the mansion!" Hinata said.

"If we could just get our hands on that footage we can end this trial for good!" Sakura yelled, bouncing.

"Don't mean to be the bearer of bad news, but how are we exactly going to get our hands on it?" Gaara asked.

"Grandpa's on a business trip in South Africa until next weekend." Naruto said.

"There has to be someone we can get to that worked at the mansion." Ino whined.

The girls looked at each other questionably and Naruto shrugged.

"Of course…" Sasuke grumbled. He openly sighed, letting the eight of them turn their attention to him.

He annoyingly trailed his eyes up to them.

"I know someone who can help…"

(^A.H^)

"Hinata-chan. We need to talk." Naruto spoke seriously.

Hinata looked at him in confusion as the both of them stood in the hallway outside of gym class in their uniforms.

Moments after class had started, Naruto had called her into the hallway, to Hinata's confusion.

"Is something wrong Naruto-kun…?" she questioned fearfully.

He slightly shook his head a bit as he stuck his hands into his pockets and looked down.

"Do you remember last week when I asked you girls about that room I saw when I took care of you when you were sick?"

Hinata stared at him for a few moments, her face straight. He looked up to her as she stood silently for a few moments.

"Yes." She finally said. "Naruto-kun, I asked you not to bring it up again."

"Well," he blew out a breath. "I…I couldn't let it go. The night we spent the night at your house, I was still up, and I was curious. I got up and went ahead to the room."

The shocked expression on her face bit at him, but he continued.

"I saw whatever was in that room and I think we need to talk about it." He said firmly.

"Naruto…after I told you…" she whispered. "Naruto-kun," she lifted her head. "That room is very important and personal to the girls and I and I find it very disrespectful that you would go in there after we directly asked you too—g"

"I saw blood stains in there Hinata!" he continued. "It was covered in dirt and writing! Some of what was on those walls was your handwriting! I don't understand! What is that room for?!" he demanded to know.

"Naruto!" she frowned, shaking her head. "There are some things that you can't know! I'll I can tell you is that is a room from darker times! But like I told you it has nothing to do with you!"

"It has everything to do with me!" he yelled angrily, forcing her to take a step back. "What I saw in there looked like an insane asylum! How can you tell me that this is something we shouldn't know…? I thought we told each other everything…?"

"We thought about telling you, but now…" she sighed, turning away. "Naruto-kun please…leave. It. Alone." She pleaded, turning away.

She stopped in her step when he took her hand.

"Why are you shutting me out? Why won't you tell me about this room?"

"Maybe I would have! I'd thought about it plenty of times but we were always afraid to…" she whispered. "It doesn't matter anymore, you know about it now."

"Hina—"

"I trusted you to stay away Naruto-kun," she said distantly, pulling her hand out of his grasp. "Please, leave me alone for now."

He watched in utter shock as she stepped away and back into the gymnasium, leaving him in the hallway, alone.

(^A.H^)

"Oh, so you're actually speaking to me this time?" Renge said monotonously as she dusted Sasuke's desk and lamp.

"Renge, I need to ask a favor of you."

She glanced at him, a firm glare on her face as she continued to dust as if she were the only person in the room.

"You seem to need a lot of things…and every time I oblige you shut me out and cast me off like I don't exist."

"Renge, I understand that your upset about what happened, but you have to let me deal with a few things first."

"Deal with your girlfriend, I'm guessing."

"Renge—"

"Sasuke, I'm not asking you to break up with her or something and come rushing to me! All I want you to do is listen to me about what happened in Furyoka—"

She silenced when he stepped forward and help her face in his hands, gently looking into her eyes.

"Renge. I swear on my life I will listen to everything you have to say. I just need you to do this one thing for me."

She stared into his eyes, hers watering in the midst.

"What is it you want me to do…?"

Neji's hand hovered over Sasuke's door, shivering a bit. In shock he took a couple steps back, blinking a few times.

"So…that's the girl…"

(^A.H^)

Wednesday was a dangerous day.

Finally, after weeks upon weeks of waiting the album was finally released. Seconds after its release fangirls all across had stormed various music stores. Minutes after it was blasting across the nation, and within the hour it was topping the charts.

The boys were grazed with the cheers of fangirls and the sound of their own music blasting throughout.

"Hm, new record." Neji smirked as they stepped out of the limo. The one hundred-thousand special addition anniversary discs had virtually disappeared the moment the album came out, so they were met with crowds upon crowds of girls offering up the shiny new albums, demanding autographs.

"Actually makes you ignore the fact the Battle of the Bands are just next week...I hear DELTA's paying a visit to Japan too..."

The boys nodded in agreement as they tried to force their way through the commotion.

"Morning!" Naruto called sweetly as he did any morning to the girls who stood by the school steps, away from the uproar.

"I woke up this morning and you were the only thing on the radio," Sakura laughed as they stepped up to them, each giving their individual greetings.

"Hi Hinata-chan!" Naruto smiled, holding his arms out as the lot conversed about the album.

She looked to him with a distant expression. Sighing, she turned away and stepped towards the girls.

Naruto frowned and dropped his arms.

There are some things we can't talk to you about.

He looked to the girls.

He assumed that after the situation with Sasori, Hidan, Deidara, Tobi, and Pein so long ago, that they'd known everything about them.

It burned that even now. Even after all they had been through.

There were still so many secrets.

(^A.H^)

Over the course of the rest of the day it seemed like the boys were having their own holiday: Omega Day. The album was all they heard about throughout the day.

As much as the girls loved them, it had started to get annoying, what with all the fangirls ignoring their usual distance and swarming them. But, they managed to keep things mellow.

It was the last day of rehearsal as well, at least until dress rehearsal on Friday before the show. Sakura had decided not to have a final rehearsal on Friday so the girls could use the afternoon to practice the showcase that would be Saturday night.

They ran over the entire musical twice and did a costume check and fitting. Sakura and Megami walked all around the stage, making sure every piece of the set was perfect and set in place.

After all was said and done the cast and crew indulged in cupcakes made by Hinata for a job well done and were finally dismissed.

"I can't wait for the show!" Ino bounced excitingly.

"Which one?" Tenten smirked.

"Who's staring in what?" Ino scoffed as they stepped out of the school.

"I think we're finally getting control of things again." Sakura sighed in relief as she walked with Gaara hand in hand.

"You seem to be a lot calmer lately." He smirked.

"Just knowing that we're finally getting a handle on things is finally taking the stress out of my life. And I know we haven't had the best time to really spend time together in the last couple weeks, what with our schedules and all, but I promise after this weekend we can go back to normal," she smiled sweetly as she stepped onto her tiptoes and kissed his softly.

"Are you ready to have your mind blown Friday?" Ino smirked as she sashayed to her car in her shiny black platforms, blue shorts and loose silk shirt.

"You do remember I'm in the musical too right?" Shikamaru smirked.

"Point being?" she raised a brow as she turned to him, smiling sweetly.

He stopped and wrapped his hands around her waist, "you blow my mind every day."

"Shika…"

"You seem in better spirits lately," he sighed.

"I'm feeling a little better." She smiled sweetly.

"What was wrong before?" he asked as he took her hand and led them.

She shrugged, "what wasn't…"

"So have you picked someone?" Tenten asked as she and Neji stepped out of the building hand in hand.

"Someone for…?" he trailed distantly.

"For the thing!" she whined, "don't pretend like you don't know what I'm talking about!"

He stopped, forcing her to stop as he looked down and smiled at her.

He bent forward a bit and kissed her forehead.

"I've decided against it."

"You have?" she said, shocked, but he could see the relief behind her eyes.

He nodded a bit, "we don't need to make ourselves even. I forgive you, that's all we need, right?"

"Are you absolutely sure?" she frowned as he began walking with her again.

She sighed and held face with one hand.

"I'm absolutely sure." He sighed.

Tenten took a deep breath and let it out, "You're too good to me, Neji. Sometimes you're a major dick. But you're good to me."

He said nothing as he continued on.

"How are you feeling?" Sasuke murmured, sitting on her bike as he toyed with her hair while she sat in front, facing him.

"I just want this to be over and done with…I wanna get back to my life." She smiled sadly.

"I promise, Kai is going to get what he deserves. I swear you can finally say goodbye to him come Thursday." He said tonelessly as he twirled a strand of her hair in a finger.

"How do you know?"

Flashes of Renge went through his mind.

The resemblance was staggering between the two. Red hair, though Megami's was much lighter, blue eyes, though Renge's were much darker, and pale skin.

Both were kind. Loving. And so full of life.

Maybe that's why he did what he did…

"I know. I just know."

"Sasuke…" her voice cracked as she rested her forehead against his chest.

He wrapped his arms around her and looked up, resting his chin on the top of her head.

"I'll never let anyone hurt you again…"

(^A.H^)

"Where is the passenger seat?"

"Where. Is. The. Passenger seat."

"Good, now: How do I get to the Philippines?"

"How. Do. I. Get. To. The. Philippines?" Giovanna stated slowly.

"Awesome!" Naruto smiled. She laughed and bounced, clapping her hands a couple times.

"Grazie per—"

"Ah ah, English." Naruto smiled, halting her Italian.

She cleared her throat and sat up straight. "Thank you for help." She smiled confidently.

"Thank you for helping. Me!" she smiled confidently.

Giovanna sat at Naruto's table Wednesday night, changed out of her uniform and instead sitting in gray cut off shorts and a dark purple crop top.

Monday, Naruto had agreed to help Giovanna perfect her English so she could go out for a better job. Since he did well in Italian, Japanese, and English, he thought he would be of good use.

"No problem Gio," he smiled a bit as he looked down to his book, facing her while she in turn leaned back in her chair with her legs propped onto his desk.

She tilted her head to the side and frowned a bit, "Cosa c'e` di sbagliato? Hai sembrata giu` da quando abbiamo iniziato."

What's wrong? You've seemed down since we started.

He didn't bother to ask her to speak in English like he'd asked her too when she wanted to say something to him. "Sto avendo un po `di conflitto con, Hinata. Questo e` tutto."

I'm having a little conflict with Hinata. That's all.

"Conflict?" she asked, her deep accent blaring.

"Do you think it's okay to keep secrets in a relationship?" he said abruptly. "I mean. If you've been in the relationship for a long time, and you've made it clear that you won't keep anything from each other. Is it good or bad if one party still has skeletons in the closet?"

"Skeleton?" she frowned.

"It's an expression," he smiled. "It means having secrets."

"Well," Giovanna started. "Even married couple still have secrets. But, shouldn't. If going to be in relationship that means well and that last forever, you must trust other with everything, that is true relationship."

"That's what I'm saying! I don't feel comfortable with her keeping things from me!" he said, distraught. "It seems like something really important and I feel like, as her boyfriend, I have the right to know…"

"As just boyfriend?" Giovanna raised a brow a brow as she dropped her legs and sat up straight.

"Hinata…Hinata and the girls…mean the world to me…I don't want to think that they're hiding more painful things from me…from us." He said bitterly.

Giovanna frowned and moved her chair a bit so she was closer to him. She rested her hand on his shoulder and smiled.

"I think best you let her tell you on own. If it too much, she not say, if she truly, really care, she…she will tell you."

He snorted and smiled weakly, "We promised…we promised that through everything we would have each other…now I feel like our relationship isn't as deep as I thought it was…"

Giovanna shifted uncomfortably, trying to figure out a way to comfort him or at least change the subject so he wasn't upset anymore.

She brightened a bit, "Hey! Hey!"

He looked up at her with a raised brow.

"I never give thank you for kindness from party!"

He chuckled nervously a bit, "Giovanna we were just talking about Hinata. I told you I can't—g"

She giggled, "It not…it's not as if I after you. Simple thank you," she said, waving her hands to reassure him.

"Okay," he said, slightly relieved. "What's the thank you?"

She giggled a bit as she bounced forward, leaning in, she chastely kissed him on the cheek.

He blushed a bit when she pulled back and smiled, "See? That all! Grazie, simplice, grazie."

He laughed as she giggled cutely.

When they both settled she gave him a small smile as he looked at her, smiling a bit.

She leaned in and kissed his cheek again, holding it for a moment more this time.

"What was that for?" he asked tonelessly.

"For teaching." She smiled as she pulled back, only to lean in and kiss his cheek again.

"…and that?" he said slowly.

She shrugged a bit, "Just for…sake of…"

He looked at her with a distant expression as she looked down and blushed.

Her heart skipped a beat when she felt his warm hands on her cheeks. Her breathing hitched when he lifted her face up, forcing her to look him in the eye.

In that moment, both of them slowly leaned in closer and closer, closing their eyes until their lips touched.

He licked her bottom lip as she shifted a bit, opening her mouth and letting him slip his tongue in. She moaned a bit as they danced together, resting her hands on his shoulders as he ran his hands down her hair.

She slid her right hand down his chest and pushed his shirt up while he thoughtlessly began lifting her up.

She sighed as they continued to kiss and only broke apart when he dropped her on the bed.

In a second he was on top of her, kissing her neck as she sighed shakily, pushing his shirt up with one hand.

"Naruto…sama…cosa stiamo facendo…"

(^A.H^)

"Ladies and gentlemen, it is with my most esteemed happiness that we will finally be able to put this preposterous case to rest today." Kisame said as he paced back and forth a bit. "After today, there will no longer be a question towards whether royalty or background defines who a person is." He continued.

Thursday morning, the final day of the trial, the ten sat once again in their usual spot. Kai sat back in his seat, watching blankly as he had done the other three sessions while his lawyer watched carefully.

Megami sat with her head held high as they listened to Kisame who was about to question the final witness: Renge Isanara.

Only Megami and Ino had recognized her from the party. All were confused as to how she would have access to the footage as Sasuke had not yet given them an explanation. Megami on the other hand, had no idea why she was up there in the first place.

"Miss. Isanara, you were a former maid at the Uzumaki mansion in Furyoka, were you not?"

"Yes I was," she nodded firmly.

"And as a working member of the mansion staff you had the ability and access to various items in the mansion, correct?"

"Yes," Renge spoke.

"Items such as video footage, am I right?"

"Yes." She said once again.

Megami raised a brow as Kisame turned to the jury.

"There is a camera in every single room in the Uzumaki mansion, a necessary asset for a mansion that large, everything must be watched."

Kai, noticeably sat up quickly.

He turned back to Renge, "all Miss. Isanara had to do was make a few calls and were able to collect the information necessary to prove Mr. Mayonaka's guilt. Ladies and gentlemen, if you please." He motioned to the smart-board that was once again being moved in.

At this point Megami and Kai sat in the same position, upright with shock crossing their faces.

Kisame sighed as the lights dimmed down and the man by the smart-board pressed a button once again.

It flickered for a moment, until finally, the images came.

The camera sat in a corner in the ceiling, just above Megami's large window.

It began with her, sitting on her bed, tears fall down her eyes as she faintly whimpered Sasuke's name.

Her head rung as the door slammed open. Her heart skipped a beat as her head shot up, hoping Naruto had returned with good news.

But he did not stand at her door.

Kai stood with an emotionless mask cast across his face.

She dropped her head, crying in disappointment.

"Leave! I don't have time for you! Just get out! Now!" she yelled, her voice cracking as she clung onto the sheets.

He said nothing, which only made her angrier.

"GET OUT!" she let out a piercing scream.

"You know, when I was thirteen, I used to think your rebelliousness was the most attractive thing." He said monotonously, picking at his nails.

She answered with painful tears.

"But nowadays, it just pisses me off." He said coldly, putting his hand down as he grabbed the door, closing it mostly but leaving it ajar.

"You just don't ever listen do you? Your grandfather tells you to stay home and be a princess, when you refuse your parents die and you become a street rat. Your best friends tell you that the guy you're dating is cheating on you, you ignore them and go ahead with him, so one gets raped and the others are almost killed, including me. Your grandfather tells you not to see some guy ever again but still you try and run away with him, which gets him killed."

She gasped, looking up at him through red eyes.

"H-he's not dead…" she whispered.

"Oh yes he is. I did and will make sure of that." He mumbled the last words smoothly, striding up to her.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes.

He started the fire.

He was the one. Who started the fire that almost cost him his life had it not been for…

"No…he's not, stop." She said, shaking.

He rolled his eyes, "you're so pathetic. You saw it for yourself didn't you-?"

"YOU'RE LYING! He's not! I know he's not! How the hell would you know?!" she cried.

"Shut up…" he whispered coldly.

"Sasuke's strong! He'd get through!" she cried.

"I said shut up…"

"He'd never leave! He'd fight through! For us! He loves me—!"

"I SAID SHUT UP!" he yelled, punching her across the face.

She fell back onto the sheets, her red cheek slightly throbbing.

"I am so SICK and TIRED of you thinking he'd the greatest fucking thing in the world!" he yelled, climbing on top of her as she tried to hold her cheek.

"Why didn't you ever think about me like this?! HUH?! It was always Sasori this or Sasori that! Now even after I killed your precious Sasuke you still won't shut the fuck up!"

"You what…?" she slightly whispered, trying to look up at him.

"I hate you." He spat. "I hate you for never looking twice at me. I hate you for loving them instead. I hate you for having those kinds of friends. I hate you for ruining all my plans. I hate you for making me love you…once. Now all I want to do is watch you suffer, you don't deserve to live, you don't deserve anything!" he growled.

She cried out of he held her neck with one hand, choking her as he used the other to hold her struggling hands.

"You wanna hear a funny story Mega?" he smirked wickedly. She couldn't answer as she shot her head around, trying to breath.

"Sasori never wanted to hurt you. He knew who I was and he knew what I wanted from you. So he tried to get to you first, so I wouldn't be able to take you. He tried to get you away from all this so you wouldn't be unhappy, but you weren't willing, so you drove him crazy, making him do things to you that would drive you away from me. The reason he hit you? When you disobeyed him he went furious because all he wanted to do was help you, so the two of you could be together and happy eventually. He made his lovestruck friends do horrible things to the girls, and eventually, they all came to like what they did to them. But maybe,just maybe if you have cooperated, he wouldn't have died. The girls would have lived happily ever after, and no one would have gotten hurt."

"That…that's not true," she choked out.

"Oh but it is sweet Mega. He killed all those people, all because he loved you. Because he wanted you so. Damn. Badly. But you just seemed to keep fucking up everything, so you ended up hurting everyone. It's all. Your. Fault."

She cried harder, her face going blue as she kicked around, her wails flying across her room.

"I could kill you. But that would be too easy. I want you to suffer as much as I did. I want you to take the pain you gave everyone else…I want you to hate yourself forever."

He let go of her neck, she coughed out, but only for a moment as she tossed around, crying.

She did not notice as he used the released hand to unzip her dress, pulling it down with the single hand until it reached her feet, where he then pushed it to the floor with a thud.

She laid there, left in her lingerie it the dark, the only sanctuary of light coming from the moon.

He looked down at her, his face expressionless as she cried painfully.

He used the hand to rub her continuously wet cheek, he smirked.

"Sweet tears…"

He let go of the hand restricted her hands. Her reddened wrists remained in place as her face did not change.

He slightly pulled back, with both hands on her underwear, sliding it down slowly.

He stopped when it reached her knees, leaving it there as he pulled back up to her.

He used both hands to undo the belt around his waist, pulling it out then tossing it across the room.

He pulled down his dress pants, letting his boxers come with it as he bent down to her ear.

"W-what are you doing?" she sniffled, tears still falling as she began to notice his actions.

"Something that should have happened to you years ago…" he whispered seductively.

She screamed as he penetrated her, but he made no move to make it easier on her.

She continued to scream as she forcibly rang back and forth, using her arms to push on his chest as he forcibly thrust into her.

"STOP IT!" she screamed.

He used one hand to tighten her hair, she screamed aloud as he pulled her, forcing himself in further, she wailed in pain.

He used another to slap her across the face.

"Remember that!" he yelled.

"Remember how much you made Sasori hate you?!"

She lost her voice.

He slapped her again across the other cheek.

"THIS is what you did to Tenten! THIS is what you did to Sakura!"

He forced himself deeper inside of her, she cried aloud.

"No one's going to help you." He breathed.

Her head slammed against the bed's backboard repeatedly.

After a few more times he finished inside of her.

He leaned down, breathing heavily as he pulled out.

She laid there, silent tears falling down her face as her breathing raced past.

He pulled off of her, pulling his pants back up, then pushing her off the bed, letting her fall to the floor face first with a slam.

She did not move, she laid there with heavy breathing, shielding her face in the floor.

He got off the bed, walking to where the belt had landed. In silence he bent forward and picked it up, tightening it in his hand as he walked walk to her.

"It's time someone taught you a lesson." He whispered.

He bent forward, turning her over.

He lifted the belt up as she stared up at him with pleading eyes.

She screamed when it made contact with her.

"Shut it off."

When the lights came back on there were gasps in the hair.

Megami sat, holding her head and rocking back and forth a bit as aggressive tears stained her face.

"We had to do it Megami…" Sakura whispered as tears fell from not only her eyes but the rest of the girls as well. "We had to do it…we're so sorry…"

Kisame began to speak over Megami's aggressive crying and shaking as it seemed she was losing her mind.

Kai on the other hand sat in his seat, seething as if the questioning how they dare show it.

"Mr. Mayonaka continued to beat and take advantage of Miss. Uzumaki for the next couple hours, as we saw on the rest of the footage. I believe now, the jury will be able to make their verdict." He said stonily as Megami wailed.

Judge Ay said nothing of her loud, bitter crying. No one said a thing as she stood up and rushed out. Who wouldn't have after having to repeat something like what they had seen again.

"Thank you Miss. Isanara."

Renge nodded blankly as she stepped down.

Silently, she made her way down the court isle, ready to leave. But, not without sharing eye contact with Sasuke for a few moments as she walked.

The jury left after a few more words from Kisame, then came back ten minutes later with a solid verdict.

"Has the jury reached a verdict?" Judge Ay asked.

An elderly woman daintily stood up with a paper in hand as the court sat in silence again.

Kai practically scratched the wood off his table and his lawyer took a deep breath and let it out shakily.

"Yes we have your honor. We the jury find the defendant, former prince Kai Mayonaka—"

His eyes bulged at the bitter words of former.

"Guilty, of the rape of princess Megami Uzumaki."

Instantly, the majority of courtroom cheered (cheering mostly coming from Ino and Tenten) and clapped.

"Right then, Mr. Mayonaka, I sentence you to fifty years in a federal state prison. You will be evaluated for parole in twenty. This court is adjourned. Bailiff, take him away." Judge Ay said with a pound of his gavel.

The cheering continued as a furious Kai was lifted by two policemen, struggling all the way.

Angrily, he shot his head towards Sakura who looked at him as they handcuffed him from behind. She looked at him with a blank expression but he could see the triumph in her eyes.

"You," he said bitterly over the clapping and conversing as they began to pull him past. "I bet this was your idea. After everything I did for you."

Ino looked over, beaming as she stepped over to Sakura while Tenten, and Hinata went off to find Megami.

"You had the gauze to do this to me, even after everything. You can never deny to yourself that you loved everything I did, Sakura." He smirked wickedly.

Ino raised a brow.

He grunted as they began to push him along while she dropped her head.

"You think this is over?! Not by a long shot! I'll always be the best you ever had Haruno!" he called as they pushed him along and out the doors.

"Sakura?"

She shot her head up and turned to Ino who looked at her in shock and confusion.

"What is he talking about? What does he mean by that?"

"Ino…I…" she mumbled, dropping her glistening eyes.

"Sakura." She demanded. "What did he mean by that?"

Sakura hung her head.

Now.

Now was as good a time to tell someone as any.

(A.H^)

Love.

Lust.

Betrayal.

Heartbreak.

Deception.

Choices.

These are the key words. These are the key words that carry the tale of the famous love triangle that took the life of England's greatest king. The power love can have over people, the power emotions and desire can have over people is staggering.

So ends the story of Arthur, Guinevere, and Lancelot, and how love and lies can have the utmost power.

As Ino (Guinevere) lay weeping over Shikamaru's (Arthur's) casket while he lay silent, Sai (Lancelot) stood distraught with his hand on her shoulder, the scenery darkened and the curtain fell.

As soon as it was down all in the large auditorium stood in a standing ovation of claps and cheers.

Friday night.

It was finally Friday night. After weeks of preparation and nonstop hardcore rehearsals, fitting, rearranging, yelling, drama, and sweat, the musical was finally presented and complete.

Ino did a squealed and bounced in her dress as every character stepped on stage to give their final bow.

"Hold your energy Ino, we're almost done." Shikamaru sighed as he stepped out of the casket, dressed to the nine in medieval royal uniform. Sai stood near Ino dressed in Arthurian knights costume, his black hair slicked back and slightly disheveled to complete Lancelot.

Naruto continued, with a long white beard and long white hair in a starry cloak, harassed many with his costume wand, Sasuke (a current person he harassed) dawned black and blue Arthurian royal clothing as he smacked Naruto away.

Moments later, the curtain reopened and the cast joined hands and bowed as the audience of family, friends, teachers, students, and ect. Continued to stand and cheer.

Sakura and Megami stepped on the front of the stage, Sakura in a sparkly pink mid-thigh strapless dress and hot pink heels and Megami in a tight white mid-thigh tight-long-sleeved off the shoulder dress with black stilettos, to say a few words about the show. After speaking they motioned for Hinata and Tenten to come forward as stage manager and assistant stage manager.

Hinata stood in a midnight blue loose mini strapless ruffle dress and dark blue pumps, while Tenten walked in a dark green peplum dress with matching platforms.

After all was said and done they all gave one final bow, allowing the crowd to cheer once more. The curtain closed before them as they listed their heads.

"Congratulations everyone!" a cheery, familiar voice said.

Most turned their attention to the woman who stepped backstage as they all crept back, dawning a sparkly short, tight, and black one long sleeved loose shoulder dress.

"Tsubaki!" Ino squealed, rushing over in her final Guinevere gown.

Tsubaki laughed as her baby sister jumped her.

"I'm so glad you made it," Ino sighed.

"You were amazing Ino." Tsubaki smiled as they stepped apart. "The show turned out amazing!"

"You can thank Sakura for that." Tenten said as she stepped over to the two of them with Hinata.

"Eh em," Megami, who had been doing a bit better since yesterday mornings events, cleared her throat.

Tenten rolled her eyes, "Megami tried on every costume there was."

"That helped!"

"I'm sure somewhere deep in the recesses of that hollow skull of yours that was useful."

Megami stuck her tongue out as Sakura smiled and stepped over.

"Tsubaki! Hey!"

"Hello again!" she smiled sweetly, "I missed you girls, and I really do wish I could have stuck around to do more." She sighed.

"Don't worry, Hinata and I had it handled." Tenten smirked.

"I can tell, the sets looked fantastic," Tsubaki sighed. She then shrugged a bit, "Well, at least the movie is finally done so I have some free time. I'm flying to London to visit my dad tomorrow so I'm afraid I'll have to figure out a time we can hang out again girls!"

"Take me with you! I've always wanted to go to London!" Ino squealed.

"Too bad, showcase tomorrow." Sakura reminded her.

Ino frowned and slumped as Tsubaki giggled. "I hope the guys are treating you well,"

"Things have never been better," Tenten said smiling.

At those words, Ino managed to catch Sai's eye as he was speaking to his brother who stood with his hand on his shoulder as he congratulated him.

He tilted his head a bit, smiling warmly at her.

She turned away before her expression could waver. Though the musical had been a large success, it didn't take away from the fact that things between them were more confusing than they had ever been.

But, she owned it to Shikamaru to make a choice in her life.

At some point, he would have to know.

Just Megami would have to know…

And now…just as Gaara would have to know.

Her eyes glistened. Things were truly not in the right place for them. It seemed that some of them had dug a hole so deep for themselves that now it was just impossible to get out and they would have to face reality.

They may never get out.

(^A.H^)

After all was said and done with the musical, the girls finally found themselves with their complete focus on the showcase.

Saturday they woke up early to head to the location and witness the preparations.

In reality it was more that Sakura had to drag all four of them out of bed at eight a.m. on Saturday so they could witness the preparations.

Few by few the young members of Alpha's dance class had made their way to the finished center a little just after noon.

While Sakura walked around checking off and organizing, making sure every girl and every group knew when they would on, when, and where they would be and where they were supposed to be, Hinata and Ino worked on getting the girls in their first costume and make up.

The show would begin at six, but to save time and have the girls eat lunch (and give them enough time to get into their costumes for the piece they were to do with most of the boys) they decided to get the girls in their costumes and ready the moment they arrived.

Tenten and Megami worked with a few of the younger girls, helping them make sure they knew where they were supposed to be and assisting them in any move they weren't completely confident of.

When Sakura was sure everything was completely ready she made Gaara and Neji order everyone Chinese.

They didn't take to kindly to ordering Chinese for thirty plus people.

At a quarter to six, parents, family, guardians and friends alike were piling into the showroom, chattering among themselves as they waited for the show to begin.

"Feels like the musical all over again," Ino said as she peeked through the curtain.

"Is that better?" Tenten sighed, crossing her arms.

"Much better," Neji smirked as he looked down to his skinny jeans.

She and the girls rolled her eyes. Neji, Naruto, Gaara, and Shikamaru, who would be participating in the show had demanded and refused to wear tights, so at last minute the girls had to change the costume to appeal to their 'to manly to care' boyfriends.

"When's Sasuke coming?" Megami frowned, looking around. "The show is starting."

"He said he had some work to get done," Gaara explained as Sakura motioned for the lights to begin dimming so they could get the show started. "He said he'll get here when he can but it won't be long."

"Well he'd better hurry. Can you text him and ask him to use the back door? I don't want him to disrupt the show trying to get in here." Sakura explained as she held the curtain so she step onto the stage to do introductions.

Gaara nodded as she took a deep breath and let it out, smiling.

(^A.H^)

"You know I thought about you every day after you left Furyoka. I knew it was wrong but I kept telling myself that you were going to come back. That you were going to explain why you did what you did." Renge spoke as she rocked her feet back and forth, seated on Sasuke's desk as he sat in a chair by her, listening.

It was a quarter to eight, meaning he'd missed the first hour and forty-five minutes of the show as he'd decided to catch up with the boys. Not only did he want to speak to Renge, but he also wanted to finish a few assignments he'd been behind in over the last week.

With those completed, he sat and patiently listened to Renge.

"I never meant to lead you on to anything Renge." He began as she looked down and smiled sadly. "I admit, I was scared and confused when you pulled me out of that wreckage, because I'd actually convinced myself I was going to die."

"I know…you have a strange thought process." She mumbled.

"Things have been insane the last couple weeks. I did something I shouldn't have done and I'm paying for it with it on my mind every day."

"And I don't want to put any more stress on you Sasuke, really I don't. After lord hogake ordered that the weddings were no more, a lot of the maids and servants he'd hired specifically for it were sent away. I've been trying to look for work since because I told you, I have to take care of my grandmother. Somehow I ended up here and I just thought to myself…maybe I'm supposed to be here…maybe I should be here because I'm supposed to tell you…I have to tell you…" she sighed shakily.

"Sasuke…I never wanted to bring this on you…but…I…I'm…I'm pregna—"

A knock interrupted her.

"Come in." Sasuke called, still staring at Renge.

He knew.

He knew full well the words that were about to leave her mouth.

It was what he'd been afraid of this whole time.

"Um…Sasuke-sama?"

They both looked to the door where a distraught Su-Young stood.

Renge looked at her, confused. For the last few days she had been avoiding everyone and keeping to herself, seemingly lost in thought. Today was the first time in the last few days that she'd seen her speak to someone.

"Yeah?"

She took a deep, shaky breath as she stepped in.

"I…I…there's…um…" she stumbled, trying to collect herself. "There's something that's been on my chest for a few days now, but I just haven't found the right time to speak out." She said, supposedly ignoring Renge's presence.

Sasuke raised a brow as Su-Young looked away.

"But now is as good a time as any…I think you deserve to know…Sasuke-sama."

He narrowed his eyes a bit as she looked to him with a lost expression.

"Sasuke-sama. I think you deserve to know what's been going on lately."

(^A.H^)

"How's it looking?"

"They're doing great, after this we can do the closing ceremonies." Sakura whispered as the seven watched Megami and Neji's piece while ' Princess Mononoke's: Legend of Ashitaka' played. In turn the girls stood on the other wing with supervisors, changing. It was a slight ballet piece with a story behind it. A girl in the forest being hunted, meeting her hunter, and the both discovering they are meant for one another.

It was Ino's idea to put a story behind it, so both Megami and Neji simply went along with it.

"I'm so proud of everyone. The musical. The showcase. Everything turned out to be a huge success," Sakura beamed.

"And it's finally almost over," Shikamaru sighed, relieved.

"I think they're almost done." Gaara pointed as Neji began to bring Megami down as the music slowed down.

When she seized with her leg propped out as he slowly dipped her, looking into each other's eyes as the lights dimmed. And at the final ding of the song, a single star sparkled.

Claps and cheers went around as they stood in the dark for a moment longer before finally standing up straight and rushing back.

The girls squealed and hugged each other as Neji stepped over the rest of the boys, calm and a bit tired as were they all.

Megami frowned as she let go and stepped back a bit. "He's still not here? Sasuke missed the entire show!"

"Oh forget about it we'll deal with that later! Come on! We have to do the closing ceremony!" Ino called excitingly as she took Hinata's hand, who in turn took Sakura's, who took Tenten's.

Megami smiled sadly a bit as they all glanced to the boys before she took Tenten's hand and they stepped out into the light to be met with claps, as well as did the young performers who stood in position so Sakura could close off the show.

Another success. Now they felt they could finally move on with their lives.

(^A.H^)

"Did you see Kurenai-sensei and Asuma-sensei in the front row? They looked so cute together!" Ino squealed as the nine stepped out of the back door of the nearly empty building some half an hour later where only janitors remained.

They had parked their cars in the back where the only light came from the two street lights that shined on their rides and the yellow light above the back door exit sign to which they stopped to stand under.

Sakura let out a deep sigh, "I'm so glad Kurenai liked the show. I was so nervous about showing her how the girls were doing and how the class was going."

"Kind of makes me sad you know?" Tenten mused, "I know we've only been teaching the girls for a few weeks, but I'm sure gonna miss it when we leave for the summer."

The girls gave their individual agreements as the lot barely noticed the hard screeching of a car nearby.

"Who's up for dinner on Neji?!" Naruto chanted, beaming. Neji narrowed his eyes at him as the lot gave their agreements and Megami and Tenten laughed.

"But first we have to stop by the mansion and drag Sasuke ou—"

They finally noticed the screeching as a familiar dark blue Ferrari rushed into the parking lot.

The nine stood and stared as the car came to a halt right in the middle of the parking lot. They watched as Sasuke quickly climbed out and slammed the door behind him.

They couldn't see his expression as he stormed over.

"There you are!" Megami yelled. "Where the hell have you been Sasuke?! You missed the whole damn sh—"

The girls all gasped when the moment he came into the light, his right fist knocked Neji to the ground.

I couldn't find someone to tell them the loneliness in my heart.
I couldn't find someone to understand being afraid of darkness is a torture.
I couldn't find the one I am destined to be with.
A lot of people is like me, living all alone by themselves.

"What the fuck are you doing?!" Tenten's shocked voice yelled. He ignored her as he stood over Neji who groaned a bit on the floor. He bent down and began repeatedly punching him in the face.

"Stop it!" Tenten yelled desperately as she began pulled at his shirt in a futile attempt to stop him. " Sasuke Stop it!"

"Sasuke what are you doing?!" Megami cried as now both girls pulled at him.

He aggressively pushed them aside, forcing Megami to stumble back onto Sakura and Tenten onto Ino as the whole group was now yelling various things at him.

Naruto and Gaara quickly stepped forward and pulled Sasuke up and off him, only for Sasuke to immedietly shrug out of both their grasps before they could react, then went back to pull Neji up with his now bloody hands.

He slammed Neji-who bled from his forehead, nose, and lips, with both eyes heavily bruised-against the back door, his hands fisted into his collar shirt and Neji's blood dripping from his knuckles.

"You sick son of a bitch! How could you do something like this?! Who the hell do you think you are?!" he yelled at him, Neji breathing heavily.

"Sasuke! Man what is going on?" Shikamaru demanded.

"Sasuke, dude! You gotta calm down!" Naruto urged, putting his hand on Sasuke's shoulder, just for him to shrug him off.

"I'm gonna fucking kill you!" Sasuke angrily yelled in Neji's face, ignoring everyone's demands.

"Sasuke!" Megami pleaded.

He turned to her suddenly with an infuriated expression, shocking her and forcing her to stumble back.

"How could you?!"

"How could I what?!" she yelled back in fear.

"Sasuke! you aren't making any sense!" Ino yelled.

Love only has simple strokes yet it's still more complex than you imagined.
Steadily love changes.
I have loved a few people and
have been loved so many times
yet I still can't keep hold of the happiness.

He twisted back around to Neji, "Why don't I have him explain?! Hm?!" he yelled. "Why don't you tell everyone that you've been fucking Megami?!"

The ten stood in silence. The only sound coming from Sasuke and Neji's heavy breathing.

"Are you out of your fucking mind?!" Megami yelled angrily, stepping up. "We've never had sex! Neji! Tell him! Tell him he's gone insane!"

Neji looked up her for a few moments. Their eyes locked as he looked at her with a mixed looked of guilt and shame. She gave him a shocked and confused expression as as he looked down, Sasuke still fisting his shirt.

"We've never had sex! What's wrong with you?!" she said, disgusted.

"That's not…entirely true…" he finally spoke with a crack in his voice.

Everyone except Sasuke, and especially Tenten's, eyes widened.

"Two times…" he said, spitting out blood as Tenten and Megami went pale.

"The first time was when Ten and I were broken up…when you were with me at the club…you were drunk and…you came onto me…things just sort of…happened."

Megami took a couple steps back.

"The second time…" he breathed out, "The second time was the party last Sunday…when I went to go check on you like Sasuke asked…it happened again…"

"You…you didn't try and stop me…?" she choked out. "You could have stopped…you could have pushed me away! Why didn't you?!"

"I tried the first time...but the second time I just...I couldn't help myself."

A silence fell over the group again.

"W-what do you mean...?" Megami said slowly, "you couldn't...help yourself? So you...you made me drink...?"

Neji nodded slowly.

"I took advantage of you, Megami. For that, I am truly sorry."

Love cannot be counted ?
But why do I still believe that it's not a lonesome knight.
I am waiting for one person,
waiting for my eternity,
to tell me that 'love is not a lone walk; don't be afraid. '

Her eyes glistened as he turned to Tenten who stood completely still.

"I lied about making us even, Ten…"

She did not respond as Sasuke slammed him back against the door.

Neji looked up to him, glaring. "I'll tell you one thing Uchiha," he whispered, "she's done more for me than you could ever imagine."

Sasuke's eyes bulged as he aimed to punch him again.

"But since we're having a little confessional here!" he said out loud, forcing Sasuke's hand to stop, "Why don't you tell everyone the real reason you survived the fire in Furyoka?! Huh? Or should I?"

Sasuke stared stone faced at Neji as his fisted arm came back down. Megami, who had tears in her eyes, turned to him.

"Tell everyone how you knew about Renge! How you knew where to get the footage!" Neji challened. "Renge was the girl who pulled you out of the fire! Wasn't she?! She was the girl you were fucking when you could have been saving Megami!" he yelled as he pushed Sasuke off of him.

Megami's eyes turned to saucers as she turned to Sasuke.

"What…?"

Neji turned to her, "Right at the time Kai came into your room, Renge was working in the garden. She was near the woods and saw Sasuke in the fire so she pulled him out. He can give you any excuse that he wants but he had sex with her that night! It's fucked up isn't it?!" Neji spat, "At the same time Kai was raping you he was having sex with some girl he'd just met!"

Megami stumbled back and fell to the floor. It felt as if her heart had burst and fallen into the pit of her stomach.

"Guys," Ino pleaded. "That's enough! You need to stop—!"

"Tell him, Ino." Sasuke said coldly, his head hung.

She took a couple steps back as Shikamaru raised a brow.

"My shit is out now. We had a deal…tell. Him."

Ino shot her head towards where Shikamaru stood by Gaara. He turned to look at her with a curious expression.

I can't use up all the freedom around me.
I am starting to be scared that being alone is a curse.
Everybody envies me flying freely
but how come in the end they would rather return to the shackles called love ?

"Ino…" Sasuke demanded.

"No…no…I-I'm not ready," she shook her head, "Sasuke Please! Don't make me do this—!"

"She slept with Sai the night we went to the club a few weeks ago. We made a deal that when one of us was outed, so would the other," He said darkly.

More tears spilled from her eyes as she let out a cry. Some of the group reacted in surprise. Shikamaru looked to the ground and clenched his fists.

"I knew it." he mumbled, "I knew there was something going on between you two. I knew you would do this."

"Shikamaru please!" she pleaded through painful tears as she walked up to him and took his fisted hand in hers, "please just let me explain!"

"I knew I would never be able to trust you with him…" he scoffed a bit.

"Please!" she cried. "I can—"

He ripped his hand from hers and looked at tear soaked face.

"You made your choice. You chose him. That's fine. You can have each other."

He turned his back on her.

"It's over, Ino."

Love only has simple strokes
yet it's still more complex than you imagined.
Steadily love changes.
I have loved a few people
and have been loved so many times
yet I still can't keep hold of the happiness.

She dropped to her knees beside a still sitting and in shock Megami, tears engulfing her face as he walked away and out of sight.

"Ino..." Sakura said as she began to step towards her.

"Don't you dare say anything Sakura! You're no better than me!" she spat between tears.

Sakura stood up straight, her face white as Gaara shot his head towards her.

She'd seen this coming.

She knew, eventually, it would be her turn to confess.

"You can't be serious." Gaara said, his voice so cold it send chills down her spine.

Her eyes watered as she turned away from his eyes.

"Yes...I have some confessions to make…"

They stood in silence as silent tears poured from her eyes while she looked down to nothing.

"On the night Kai left his room to see Megami I was in his room. He'd called me in that night…to do...things with him...he'd said that he would make arrangements if I did what he said...I foolishly believed him…but…that wasn't all…during the trials, he made me lie about knowing where he was…he made me videotape Megami at the pool…all because…all because I was afraid of him telling you all that I'd been sleeping with him…" she mumbled as released everything she'd been holding onto the last few weeks.

Silence overtook them again as the nine of them stood under the light. The only sound coming from Ino's whimpering. Megami merely blinked at the words Sakura spoke, but her eyes did not shift from looking at nothing.

Gaara's eyes did not shift away from looking at Sakura. Despite everything he had heard, his expression was unreadable while Naruto stood by him, looking to all of them, shaking in fear.

"I'd thought he was forcing me into it…but near the end I realized I always knew I had a choice…there will never be enough apologies…Gaara…"

Love cannot be counted ?
But why do I still believe that it's not a lonesome knight.
I am waiting for one person,
waiting for my eternity,
to tell me that 'love is not a lone walk; don't be afraid. '

"Well well, looks like the innocent ones win again." Neji said coldly, leaned on the back door with his arms crossed as he bled, looking towards Naruto and Hinata as Sasuke still stood in front of him with his head down.

"Congratulations, you're not among all the fucked up relationships."

"Leave them alone Neji!" Sakura spat among her falling tears.

"Actually…this might be the best time for me to say something too…"

Hinata nearly gave herself whiplash when she whipped her head to look at Naruto.

"Not you too!" she gasped. "Naruto—?!"

"I didn't sleep with her…" he began. "We didn't have sex…but…" he bit back, his voice cracking. "But we did some stuff."

"Son of a bitcb…" Neji scoffed, "Who would have thought."

Hinata took a couple steps back in shock and fear.

"You…you…."

"Hinata…I never thought…" he breathed. "I never thought I would have the will to do something like this…I wasn't thinking…I was being an idiot…and I don't expect any sort of forgive—"

His words silenced at the sound of a furious slap across his face.

Tears stained her face as she glared at him and held her chest with her right hand.

"Don't you dare say that to me!"

A handful of them, including Naruto, stood shocked.

"Don't stand there and tell me what was going on in your head! Clearly it didn't stop you from doing what you did! You did it and whatever you did is done. This isn't something that will go away!" She spat.

"It doesn't matter to me if you kissed her on the cheek, forehead, neck or anywhere…" she said, her confidence slipping as more tears fell and she became weak.

"You betrayed me. You really betrayed me, Naruto…" she cried, trying to hold herself together, "I don't want to hear anything you have to say! I never want to speak to you again!"

Love only has simple strokes
yet it's still more complex than you imagined.
Steadily love changes.
I have loved a few people
and have been loved so many times
yet I still can't keep hold of the happiness.

She weakly held her head, passing him as he hung his, knowing it would do nothing for him if he ran after her.

She, like Shikamaru, walked into the darkness. After a few silent moments, Naruto turned on his heels and walked another way.

"Well, isn't this turning out to be a fun night," Neji said nonchalantly.

"You're such a piece of shit..." Tenten mumbled, shaking her head as laughing sinfully as she clenched her fists at her sides.

"Drop it Ten, you aren't such a saint yourself." He said icily. "May I remind you of the whole 'I think cheating on him will teach him a lesson' incident?"

"But my best friend...?" she whispered as her glazed eyes looked at him. His eyes shifted from her.

"Of all people," she chuckled painfully, "Of all people you chose to hurt me by using my best friend? Did you ever even care about me at all?"

He said nothing.

"I know now I don't regret what I did," she bit. "I may have stooped low, but you went so low there's no way you'll never be able to come back."

Tenten took a deep shaky breath, "I've tried so hard to change you, but there's no point in having a relationship when this is the kind of person you are."

Neji's hands fisted in his crossed arms, "Well then, maybe it's better this way."

She looked to him and their eyes met.

"I'm going to decide whether or not I want this baby or not, without you. I guess that's the positive about us not being together," she smiled wickedly.

"I'll have this baby around. And you…you'll have no one. You're alone Neji, do you hear me?" she said coldly as he stared at her.

"You're alone."

Love cannot be counted ?
But why do I still believe that it's not a lonesome knight.
I am waiting for one person,
waiting for my eternity,
to tell me that 'love is not a lone walk; don't be afraid. '

She turned away, she herself heading into the dark of night as she kept her head high.

Neji stood on the door for a few more moments before he finally lifted himself up and pushed past Sasuke, walking off as he began to call himself a ride.

"Even after everything I went through so we could be together…this is how it ends…?" Gaara finally spoke up.

"I'll never try and make excuses for what I did because I know I knew what I was doing…" Sakura spoke through a choked breath. "I understand if you never want anything to do with me…"

He clenched something in his fisted hands that sat in his pockets.

"So then…you're just completely giving up. On us"

She looked at him, smiling warmly while tears fell down her eyes as she bent down and helped Ino up.

"Gaara, in the end, I don't deserve you. We always knew that. It was always in the back of our minds…I'm doing you a favor…I'm doing something you should have done and I know you want to do…I'm freeing you…"

He looked away from her as she held Ino who looked as if her entire body had shut down.

"Goodbye Gaara…I love you…and I'll always love you…" she whispered as more tears fell. She quickly turned away and began her descent into the darkness with Ino, before she too could lose her composure.

When she was out of his vision he pulled a boxed item out of his pocket.

He clenched the small, velvet black box in his hand as for the first time since he was eight years old tears stung at his eyes.

Love cannot be counted ?
But why do I still believe that it's not a lonesome knight.
I am waiting for one person,
waiting for my eternity,
to tell me that 'love is not a lone walk; don't be afraid. '

He turned away, walking off to get his own transportation home

Leaving two.

"Say something…" Sasuke whispered once they were alone.

Megami simply continued to stare at him as if she couldn't figure out what was in front of her.

She cracked a crazed smile, to his confusion, she began laughing a bit as she stood up straight and dusted herself off.

"Oh my gosh…" she whispered. "You're all the same…all of you…you're all the same…"

"Megami…" he stood up straight, his eyed pleading a bit

He'd dreaded this moment.

He knew it would come. But he dreaded it.

"Every last one of you…you're exactly the same…" she whispered, laughing sadistically. "You don't care…you don't care…because you don't know what it's like…to have your heart shattered into a million pieces…you have Sasori…and Kai in you…"

"Mega—"

She pushed him with all her might, in his shocked state she was able to knock him to the ground. The moment he was on the ground she sent blows to his stomach.

"HOW COULD YOU?! How could you do this to me?!" she screamed through hot uncontrollable tears.

"He raped me! He beat me! Over and over and over again! And all I could think about was YOU!" she poured her emotions out as she yelled.

"YOU let him do those things to me! Then you had the audacity to act like you were my hero?! I was crying for you while you were fucking her! You asshole! I HATE YOU!" she continued to scream as she repeatedly kicked him in the stomach and face.

She released all her anger and all her pain into the blows she sent to him ribs. Hot, salty tears ran down her blood red face as she screamed in insanity.

"YOU'RE JUST LIKE HIM! YOU'RE JUST LIKE ALL OF THEM!" she wailed.

"I HOPE YOU DIE LIKE SASORI!" she cried in utter pain. "I HOPE YOU ROT LIKE KAI!"

"Megami…" he pleaded in a raspy, barely audible voice as she didn't stop sending blows to him, and he made no move to stop her himself.

Blood splattered from his mouth and onto the concrete as she screamed in pain.

She grasped her necklace and tore it off with all her might, breaking it into pieces, and letting them fall on onto his head as he weakly grasped her ankle.

She pulled away and took a couple steps back, breathing heavily, dazed and on the brink of insanity.

Finally she broke, spilling all her pain into her horrendous cries.

"Everything! Our past! Future! Everything we had is nothing now!" she cried as she jogged past him. She stopped and looked back at him with a tear stained face.

"We'll never be anything again Sasuke Uchiha! You've made your choice..." she whimpered.

"...and you've lost me forever."

Crying heavily, she ran into the dark of the night as Sasuke lay, slightly sitting upright.

Though no one could hear. Though no one could witness it. Painful tears ran down his eyes. His small whimpers and tears falling into the unusually cold spring night.

I am waiting for one person,
waiting for my eternity,
to tell me that love is not a lonley walk so believe in it.

Alpha and Omega are no more.

T-B-C

Check out the NEW POLL

KAI's tattoo in profile!

WHO IS YOUR CURRENT FAVORITE CHARACTER?

Mine is Kai, I've been so obsessed with him lately I get excited whenever I have to bring him up. I even decided on a theme for him:

Kai's theme: MAMA by EXO-K

(go check it out!)

And make sure you check out the new A.H END THEME

Happy living!

*Konoha to the stars*