Chapter Text
A young porter boy carried the letter on a chilly Thursday evening. Its way lead through the inner streets of Konoha, under blossoming almond trees, passed by the Yamanaka flower garden, turned right at the corner of the Academy and finally reached its final destination. The porter knocked on the dark, refined door that guarded a noble looking mansion (that was rather a humble city villa according to their owners), and a butler opened the door to receive the letter. It did not travel much in there: a rather short corridor, a drawing room and then a small office, not lit too well, with a man sitting by a large desk, focusing on a stack of papers. He looked up at the fresh arrival.
“From the Haruno family, sir,” the butler said and handed over the parchment.
The man behind the desk, a tall, tired man with long black hair opened the envelope, read the message – or rather just glanced at it, because he immediately put it back into its envelope, handed it to the butler and returned to his work.
“Give it to my brother,” he said, and the butler bowed lightly, followed by a sir-yes-sir.
The letter went upstairs to a room, where the butler knocked on the door twice, alas with no answer. He fidgeted a bit, looked at the envelope himself, he saw the address and the date: Clan Uchiha, 18 April, 18xx.
“Uchiha-san,” the butler entered the room, slowly, in order not to interrupt any private business that might go on in there. He looked around from the doorway. The younger brother was nowhere to be seen.
The letter left the room, still in the unstable hands of the butler. Now it left the villa through a wooden arch that led to the house’s garden. It was rather small, which is no wonder, there were too many estates in the city with not enough space to spare. A younger man was sitting on a bench, reading a book, it looked like he still wanted to catch the last rays of sunshine.
“Uchiha-san,” the butler handed over the letter, and the young man, seemingly annoyed that he was interrupted in his reading, opened it.
He certainly took more time to read it. He waved to the butler to leave, and then put the letter in his book to use it as a makeshift bookmark.
And the letter would never be moved from there.
He looked up at the sky, felt the light wind breeze through his hair, caress his face, he felt the heavy book on his lap, heard the birds singing in the oak trees; it was as if he was in the countryside, the place he missed the most. They moved back to the city a few weeks ago for the season and it was not until autumn they would return to the country again. He felt uncomfortable in the city, uneasy by the many people here, he loathed most social events, the noise on the streets, the smell of industry, and the memories from that night, all these things made him feel repulsion towards the city, towards the season. The small garden and his books, these were his anchors and he grabbed onto them as if they were Ariadne’s thread.
He put the book down on the bench and forgot it there for the night. He read it many times. Symposium by Plato.
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“So, you were invited to the Haruno’s spring ball,” Itachi said as he finished the last bite of fish on his plate.
“We have been invited,” Sasuke corrected him and put his own fork down as well. Whenever his older brother stopped eating, he did too, though no one asked him to. It was almost like a family tradition, a show of respect towards the leader of the clan.
“I have other matters to attend to,” this was Itachi’s excuse to almost every social event where the Uchiha clan was invited.
Sasuke looked at their butler and requested a glass of wine for both of them. He himself hated going to balls, promenades, soirées, or any other social events that required small talk and fake smiles. Unfortunately, ever since his older brother became the leader of the clan, he had no other choice. Itachi insisted on shouldering every economical or financial business their family had, and that entailed having no time or affinity for socialising. That was Sasuke’s role.
A responsibility Sasuke hated to his very core. He knew Itachi was taking too much pressure on himself and he asked him many times to include him in any small business but Itachi always shut him off. He said it was for Sasuke’s own good, he wanted to protect his younger brother from worrying too much and insisted on spending his free time doing things that make him content. To Itachi, Sasuke’s happiness was top priority. When they were at home, in their mansion in the country, Sasuke loved riding his horses, wandering his forests, travelling around his estates, he practiced shooting, he went hunting, or he tried fencing occasionally.
However, during the season, from spring to early autumn, they were always expected to come back to Konoha to their city villa. It was easier for Itachi to handle business from here and for Sasuke to build the family’s reputation by representing the clan in social events. This is what every clan did and Sasuke’s only refuge in the city was the gentlemen’s club. His friends would gather there most nights to smoke cigars, play games, talk about horse races and most importantly, to avoid women who tried to marry every season.
“What do we know about the Harunos? They are not from the old clans, that’s for sure,” Itachi sipped the dark red wine and looked a little less tired.
“They are new money. Made their fortune a few years ago around the time when…” Sasuke hated thinking about the night his whole family, including his parents, cousins, even distant relatives were brutally murdered. A tragedy they had no chance to take revenge on.
“I see. Well, the Hokage must like their new money if she entrusted them with organising the spring ball.”
Sasuke despised social climbers. There were a handful of old clans in Konoha who represented the elegant and wealthy elite in the city and in the whole country. People used to look up to these clans and it was nearly impossible to raise to their ranks. Some families, however, managed to make their fortune by investing their money in different industries. The Harunos were one of the most successful ones among them. This was the first time the Hokage asked a family to host the annual spring ball that was not from among the old clans.
The world was turning into a direction Sasuke did not agree with.
He took a cigarette out of his vest and asked their butler to light it for him.
“They have only one daughter, Haruno Sakura. She is the heir to all their assets.”
“Is she now?” Itachi raised his eyebrows to the tone of his younger brother.
Sasuke blew the smoke of the cigarette to the opposite direction of Itachi.
“She is beautiful,” Sasuke continued. “One of the best parties, actually. She is an accomplished young lady: she is tall, plays instruments, speaks languages, she is very elegant, and again, the heir to all assets. Two estates in the country and a mansion in Konoha.”
“Accomplished indeed,” Itachi smirked. “And you are an Uchiha, one of the most eligible bachelors.” Sasuke kept looking away, focusing on his cigarette and the smoke. Itachi continued. “You would get the fortune you cannot have because I am the family heir. The Harunos would gain the political position they cannot have because they are not an old clan. My-my otouto, it’s a match made in heaven.”
Sasuke said nothing, just rolled his cigarette between his fingers. Itachi looked at him curiously. He could tell there was something in Sasuke he did not say.
“I hate this,” Sasuke said finally and put his cigarette out.
“You hate what exactly?”
“Doing… this. Speculating. The Uchihas always married second cousins. We never had to worry about relationship building. Courting at balls. You knew you would marry Izumi since you were a child…”
“Izumi is dead, just like everyone else,” Itachi’s eyes looked strict. He did not want his younger brother to reminisce about the past. “You should attend the ball, but I do not ask you to marry the first lady you consider accomplished. There is no rush. Besides, there is someone interesting who I think will be there.”
Sasuke sipped his wine and raised his eyebrow.
“Hyuuga Neji. And he is bringing his cousin, Hinata.”
The Hyuugas were the oldest and most prominent clans not only in Konoha but also in the country. They were the only ones from Konoha who were invited to the monarch’s private soirées and they were direct advisors to her beside the Hokage. They were exceptionally rich, had the most estates and they were very similar to the Uchihas in a sense that they always married relatives. In the past decade, however, a disease seemed to be running in their family, a rare blood disease, most probably caused by marrying close relatives.
“Hinata’s parents died last year and Neji became her guardian,” Itachi continued. “And she is at the age to marry.”
“Isn’t Neji marrying her then?”
“No, Neji is afraid of the disease, and rightly so. But… Neji does not have an heir, not yet at least. And he does not seem to hurry towards marriage. If Hinata had a child, he would be the Hyuuga heir in Konoha.”
Sasuke drank all his wine. This is the speculating I hate, he thought.
“You just said there is no rush.”
“I said, attend the ball. See if you like her. You don’t have to make a commitment.”
“Why don’t you court her then? You are the Uchiha heir, you inherit everything,” Itachi’s eyes darkened and Sasuke felt a clinch in his stomach. He regretted reminding Itachi how he is the eldest in the family. He decided to quickly change topic. “Besides, I can’t stand Neji. He is vain, he looks down on every other people.”
“Just like you do,” Itachi sighed. “You are actually pretty similar, maybe you would get along if you got closer to Hinata. But again, no pressure Sasuke.”
The way he said ‘Sasuke’, his younger brother knew he wished to talk about it no more, and frankly, the whole idea of courting ladies made Sasuke uneasy. He was not the type to sweet talk around women, he valued solitude, simplicity, silence. Three things women could never guarantee.
_____________________________________________________________________
And as Itachi was working behind his desk all evening, sorting through property papers, Sasuke arrived at the Haruno estate, already feeling repulse in his bones. There was a proper crowd of families lining up at the entrance, unmarried daughters wearing the shiniest of jewels, desperate mothers observing the bachelors through their emerald glasses, serious fathers looking for their business associates and Uchiha Sasuke, an alien among the elite. When he arrived, everybody bowed to him and expressed their happiness at his attendance to which Sasuke responded in a reserved, cautious way. He was not interested in engaging in a conversation where he knew mothers would try to force their daughters onto him, fathers would try to encourage him to invest into a failing business, he instead strictly went ahead without a smile on his face to greet the host, the Haruno family.
“Uchiha-san, we are pleased to welcome you in our home and at the annual spring ball,” The Harunos bowed deeply to Sasuke and he answered with a short nod (as they were below him in rank).
“My brother sends his regrets but he has matters to attend to,” he said. A sentence everybody knew by heart.
“I am pleased to see you here, Your Grace,” Sakura was standing next to her parents and Sasuke observed her carefully. She was beaming. She wore a light peach dress that suited her body shape and her eyes; the jewellery she was wearing seemed to be pure emerald, and her smile was radiating as she looked at Sasuke. She was a pleasant sight and Sasuke was satisfied.
“I am happy to be here,” he said, bowing to Sakura lightly.
The girl was holding her dance card close to her breast, and as Sasuke made no remark about it, she took it up on herself to nudge the bachelor a bit.
“I hope you are dancing more than last year, Uchiha-san,” she said, smiling, slightly raising the dance card in the eyesight of Sasuke. Of course he noticed it.
It is a must to dance with the daughter of the host and Sasuke had no intention of offending the family. Sasuke was raised and taught to live by the manners of upper society and he always despised those who did not adhere to these unspoken etiquette rules. One of his problems with families rising in rank quickly was that they tended to come from a culture where these rules were not known. An Uchiha lady would never wave her dance card about to invite a man to dance.
“Sakura-san, I hope you have some free space on your dance card for me.”
Sakura blushed when she heard Sasuke calling her by her first name and glanced at her card. Sasuke really would not have minded if it was already full. He hated dancing or any form of movement that required human touch.
“Let’s see… Well, my card is pretty full as I am the host… maybe… I am free for the mazurka,” She said, looking up into Sasuke’s eyes hopingly.
It was one of those female tricks. The mazurka was usually danced by sweethearts, the couples who danced mazurka were expected to have developed feelings for each other and marry soon. It was an intimate dance and it was very risky as people would gossip about the couples who danced it together. However, refusing the dance with the daughter of the host would be plainly rude and offensive. Combating his instinct to just go home and ride his horse back to his country estate, he nodded lightly and said:
“Then I hope you are dancing the mazurka with me.”
Sakura became red as a tomato and handed her card to Sasuke with shaking hands. Why do women have to be such manipulative players? he thought to himself as he signed his name and left the Haruno family to greet the new guests.
Couples were already dancing in the middle of the ball room which was one of the biggest Sasuke has seen. It was decorated with white tulips and roses; with cherry and almond blossoms scattered around the floor; cherry-coloured ribbons were hung on the staircase and the tables; white satin curtains on the enormous glass windows and doors. Fruit, champagne and wine were offered on the long tables set by the wall and waiters were going around the room offering drinks or cigar to people. Sasuke scanned the ball room to find any friendly faces. He noticed Nara Shikamaru with Inuzuka Kiba, Akamichi Choji and Aburame Shino. Shikamaru was one of his best friends so he quickly made his way to the group.
“What news, Uchiha?” Kiba asked when Sasuke arrived, handing him a thin glass of champagne.
“You tell me, I’ve just arrived,” Sasuke sipped the champagne and it was rather surprising how cheap and sour it tasted. Everything seemed expensive and exquisite so far, but the champagne was clearly not quality. He quickly put the glass down on the table behind him.
“No scandal, no fighting, nothing interesting,” Kiba said, looking at the couples dancing in the middle.
“The Harunos invited everyone in Konoha. I’ve never seen this many people in the spring ball, ever,” Choji was munching a chocolate cake that was also offered on the tables.
“I hope not everyone,” Sasuke said, noticing how some people were not from the old clans. The spring ball used to be the season opening eve for the members of the old clans, returning from the countryside, making successful matches for marriage and business. Now it seemed to be a city celebration. “Maybe next year the workers from the docks will be invited, too,” he reached back for his glass of champagne and decided to drink it. He would need some drink to bear the evening, he realised.
“The Sabakus are also here,” Shikamaru nodded toward the other corner of the ball room.
Indeed, the leader of the clan, Sabaku no Gaara was standing there with a man and a woman, most probably his siblings, but they all looked grim as they observed the ball room. Sasuke never liked Gaara, he was a fearsome man who was just as close to the monarch as Hyuuga Neji, and he was surprised to see they accepted an invitation in Konoha. Most probably they were surprised to be invited. The spring ball used to be for the old clans of Konoha only.
He sighed and reached for another glass of champagne. It was a bit more tolerable than the first one.
“Are you dancing the mazurka with Ino, Shikamaru?” Kiba asked.
Now it was Shikamaru’s turn to sigh and look at Ino from the corner of his eyes. Ino was one of the most beautiful ladies here. The Nara and Yamanaka clan were old friends and they often married each other. Neither Shikamaru nor Ino had any siblings so they seemed to be a perfect match that both of their parents encouraged. Sasuke was envious. Shikamaru did not need to court anyone else, a perfect wife was basically handed to him on a silver platter.
“I wanted to dance with Hyuuga Hinata,” Kiba changed topic as Shikamaru did not seem to bother to answer the obvious question. “She is the most beautiful here. But Neji… that man would slice up anyone with his eyes if they walked five feet close to Hinata.”
“You didn’t ask her then?” Sasuke drank the second glass.
“Of course not. No one dares to go close to them.”
Sasuke looked around to find the Hyuugas and he soon spotted them. Neji really did seem like he was about the shoot everyone in the ball room. Most probably he felt the same way as Sasuke. Next to him Hinata indeed looked heavenly. She seemed to be the complete opposite of Sakura, she dressed modestly, she wore no jewels except for a hairpin, and she looked shy. Neji must be intimidating to her as well.
He decided to give it a chance as Itachi’s words were echoing in his ear. There is no Hyuuga heir. And after all, the Uchihas were the second wealthiest and most powerful clan in Konoha after the Hyuugas. There would be no better match for Hinata if Neji is really thinking about marrying her off.
He approached the cousins, feeling the eyes of his friends locked on his back. As he got closer, Neji did seem rather unfriendly but showed no sign of it once Sasuke bowed to them. They both greeted him and Neji introduced his cousin to Sasuke.
“I r-r-re-remember you, U-Uchiha-san,” Hinata said quietly and blushing. “How do you do?”
I didn’t remember you to be this shy, he thought.
“I am admiring the number of people here,” he implied, looking at Neji who also glanced at Sasuke. He thinks the same, Sasuke was glad to notice.
Hinata did not seem to understand what Sasuke really meant by saying that.
“Indeed, I-I have never s-seen such a great ball,” she muttered.
“I hope you are free for a dance, Hyuuga-san.”
Hinata looked as if she did not expect anyone to invite her for a dance in a ball. She quickly looked at her dance card, then at Neji who gave his silent approval with a short nod. Sasuke nearly lost his will to dance anymore. Hinata is a grown woman, if she wanted to dance, she should not need Neji’s approval.
“I’m actually f-f-free all night, e-except for… for the mazurka,” she said.
Who are you dancing the mazurka with? Sasuke wanted to ask but he quickly bowed and asked for the dance card.
“Then I hope you will dance the next waltz with me.”
While they were waiting for the current round of waltz to end, all three of them looking at the crowd, Neji asked about Itachi.
“Unfortunately, he has family matters to attend to,” Sasuke said automatically, not even looking at Hyuuga. He was bored of saying the same thing over and over again.
“He is a busy man,” Neji replied. “I would have my own affairs to deal with, too, yet I am still here.”
Sasuke was not sure if Neji was complaining about being forced to attend the ball, or was mocking his brother for not bothering to turn up to an event where everyone who counts was there. He suspected it was the latter. Deep down he felt the same but made no remark.
When the waltz ended, Sasuke led Hinata to the middle of the room. Sasuke hated dancing and Hinata was both shy and nervous; they barely touched hands. At least two people could have filled the distance between them. When the music started and the couples started the waltz, everyone was chatting, except for them. Sasuke hated small talk and Hinata did not seem to know what to say. Sasuke was trying to think about compliments but nothing came to his mind. Nothing that was honest.
“I’m glad the Harunos decorated the room with white tulips. They are my favourites,” Hinata decided to break the silence.
Is that a hint?
“Yes, beautiful indeed,” Sasuke could not think of a reply or another question, his brain seemed to malfunction whenever it came to small talk, especially with women.
“I really adore Ino’s hairstyle. She looks modern,” she continued after a longer pause.
“Hn,” was Sasuke’s natural response. What was he supposed to reply to that? “Indeed.”
Hinata seemed a bit more at ease now that Neji was not in the proximity but she was struggling with coming up conversation topics. Sasuke figured it was not his fault, women were supposed to be natural at small talks.
They kept dancing, Sasuke heard the couples around them and he wished the song ended soon.
“Neji told me about your family, about what happened to them,” Hinata said suddenly and Sasuke looked deeply in her lilac eyes. His hands tensed. “I’m sorry, Sasuke-kun. I know how you feel.”
No, you don’t. Talking about the Uchiha family was taboo for everyone. Sasuke and Itachi both acted as if this was a natural state to them, and they made a lot of effort to show how strong they became from the losses they suffered. Most of the Uchihas might have been murdered, but the two strongest brothers were still alive and well, keeping control.
“Thank you,” he said and looked away.
They kept dancing in silence. Hinata did not try to initiate conversation again and Sasuke did not even try to think about any compliment. A few years ago, dozens of Uchihas would have attended this ball, all having a good time, not being forced to dance with or engage in a conversation with anyone outside the clan. The Uchihas understood each other. There was no need for small talk, for useless dance cards, for fake compliments, they could be themselves, they would be the crown of the society. Now, he was forced to do what society expected from everyone else and it felt terrible. Among the many people in there, he felt lonely.
When the music stopped, he asked Hinata if he should walk her back to her cousin, to which she quickly nodded. He took her hand and looked around, but Neji was nowhere to be seen. He decided to walk her back to the spot where they were standing before as Hinata did not seem to be friendly with anyone here.
And at this moment began the absolute downfall of all of Sasuke’s beliefs.
It all started with a bright yellow flash, just as a thunderstruck. As Sasuke was walking Hinata back, hand in hand, a blond man appeared, a man Sasuke has never seen before, he stepped to Hinata, grabbed the lady’s hand from Sasuke’s, gave a gentle peck on the back of her hand, and exclaimed loudly as a child:
“Hinata-san, you are as beautiful as the moon on the sky!” to which, everyone around them in the ball room glanced at Hinata and the unknown blond “Please, you have to let me dance the next waltz with you, I will even duel this guy if I have to,” he continued, now looking behind his shoulders, directly into Sasuke’s eyes. “He looks like a good shot, though,” the blond man concluded.
The spring balls used to be easy to predict. Sasuke knew the people who would attend, knew the music that would play, the dress code everyone would follow, the manners everyone would adhere to.
This man, however, clearly did not belong in the spring ball he used to know. He failed to wear a coat, which was a must in a grandiose ball like this, he simply wore a white shirt as if he was in a common pub. He was tan like a field worker, his hair was messy, his face had strange bruises that looked like whiskers and he did not even try to conceal them. Everything about this man screamed that he did not belong here.
But worse than his appearance were his manners. He had none. He was loud, obnoxious and common.
The blonde’s simple presence triggered something in Sasuke. He felt tension rise in him. He always followed the strict etiquette rules and he expected everyone else to do the same around him. If someone failed to do so, he labelled them as unworthy of his attention.
“Uchiha-san,” Hinata blushed slightly and her weak voice got Sasuke’s attention. “I’m sorry… Naruto, please let me introduce you to Uchiha Sasuke.”
Naruto bowed to Sasuke, not deep enough, he thought.
“It’s an honour to meet you, Uchiha-san,” said the blond, smiling widely.
Sasuke was standing still, trying to comprehend why the Harunos would invite someone like him to their exclusive ball or why Hyuuga Hinata would know a man like him.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t catch your name,” Sasuke finally said after realising how impolite he was by not responding to the introduction. He still had his manners, no matter the partner.
“Oh, it’s Naruto, good sir” Good sir.
“Naruto…?”
Naruto looked puzzled. His wide smile started to disappear from his face.
“Yes, Naruto, I can confirm.”
“Of which clan I mean?” Every inch of Sasuke’s body wanted to leave the presence of this man, possibly the ball as well, but he remembered he promised the mazurka to Sakura, and he was also standing in front of Hinata, the Hyuuga duch*ess. Itachi would never forgive him if he ruined the Uchiha name by not abiding by the rules Sasuke so dearly practiced.
Naruto thought about the answer for a minute. Hinata was now looking around nervously.
“Of clan Namikaze,” the blond finally said.
“Namikaze? I’ve never heard that name,” which meant Naruto was non-existent in Sasuke’s eyes. “Are you from Konoha?”
“I sure am,” Naruto looked suspiciously at Sasuke. He probably sensed the young Uchiha was not someone he would befriend here. “And are you from Konoha?”
Sasuke snorted mockingly.
“Did I say something funny?” Naruto asked.
“Everybody knows the Uchihas are from Konoha.”
“Well, clearly I don’t.”
“That says more about you than everybody else.”
“Maybe next time you should write a resume where you introduce yourself and hand it out to people before they meet you so we can prepare.”
What a stupid bastard, Sasuke wanted to say, but restrained himself from doing so.
“Maybe I should, were I sure certain people could read.”
Naruto no longer looked friendly but rather like an ember that is ready to go up in flames, while Sasuke managed to maintain his cold and stoic figure. Hinata intervened before Naruto would say something he would regret later.
“I think we should let the new couples occupy the dance floor, they are eager to start,” she said, looking for an excuse to separate the two men.
“Hn,” was Sasuke’s natural response, with an elegant low huff. “Thank you for the waltz, Hyuuga-san.”
He bowed to Hinata and turned around to go back to his friends. Leaving the blond behind gave him a bit of fresh air as he was sure he would sooner or later lose his manners. He really did not understand why Hyuuga Hinata would know a man like him. He is probably a distant cousin of the Hyuuga family, he thought, maybe from a poor branch of the family tree. He found it strange how Neji was nowhere to be seen, but after all, it was not his business to chaperon a young unmarried lady.
His friends were all dancing with someone and Sasuke retorted to being a wallflower with a glass of wine in his hand, which also tasted a bit cheap. He observed the dancers: Sakura was the partner of Kiba, and to his surprise, Neji appeared again and he was dancing with his cousin. He probably noticed the blond and being a gentleman, escorted him out of this ball.
But, to his surprise again, he noticed that particular Naruto, dancing with Yamanaka Ino. How did he manage to ask the Yamanaka girl for a dance was a wonder to him. Shikamaru was nowhere to be seen.
Naruto and Ino danced well. He even noticed the girl smiling from time to time and engaging in a conversation with the blond man. Sasuke was sure Naruto was way lower in rank than anyone else here and he admired how the ladies tolerated his presence. He was thinking about raising the issue to the host family, but he did not want to bother causing a scene.
Naruto somehow sensed that Sasuke was observing him because he found the gaze of the young Uchiha while dancing with Ino and held his head high, as if trying to look down on the man standing by the wall, drinking wine. Sasuke arched one of his eyebrows in return. There is no way someone like the blond can look down on him. Nonsense.
Naruto broke the eye contact that seemed to last several seconds and Sasuke decided to avert his eyes and his mind.
He walked around the room but was constantly stopped by desperate mothers and their unmarried daughters. Sasuke did not even try to force a smile at them. He hated people who were desperate for attention. One or two women even asked him to dance, directly, and while there was just a little admiration towards the bravery of these ladies, he was sure he never wanted to do anything with someone as desperate as them.
Mazurka was announced as the next dance and Sakura was by his side in a moment. He did not even have to look around to find her, Sakura was already there, like a bird hunting for a mouse.
Men and women gathered in a line in the middle of the ballroom. Sasuke knew too well what people might be thinking. They are observing the couples, closely, forming rumours for tomorrow’s morning promenade as to what marriages can be expected this year. Sakura was standing in a line with all the other ladies and Sasuke really just hoped to get it over with. The pink haired girl was smiling confidently, unable to hide her excitement, while next to her Hinata was blushing, looking at the floor, not even at her partner.
Speaking of a partner.
Sasuke looked to his right to see who might be Hyuuga Hinata’s mazurka partner, expecting to see Neji.
It was Naruto.
His eyes widened. There was no way Hyuuga Hinata was dancing a romantic dance with the blond commoner. Neji would never let this happen. No one in a normal society would let this happen.
Naruto noticed how Sasuke was, basically, staring at him and looked at the black-haired man.
“You look like you are seeing a ghost.”
Sasuke just noticed how shamelessly he was observing the blond man and pretended to remove some invisible wrinkles from his coat.
“Hn. I’m just surprised to see you are dancing the mazurka with Hyuuga-san.”
Naruto looked at Hinata who was talking to Sakura. Or more like, Sakura was talking to her, with Hinata nodding weakly to her every word.
“Well, she asked me if I wanted to dance with her. I wouldn’t be a gentleman if I refused.”
Sasuke produced a low, sarcastic laugh. “A gentleman? Oh, please.”
“Aren’t you in a funny mood tonight, Uchiha-san.”
“I can’t help it, you keep entertaining me with nonsense. Say… How do you know Hyuuga-san?”
Naruto looked at his partner and his eyes became gentle. He even smiled a bit.
“We’ve known each other with Hinata for some time now. You could even say we are friends,” Naruto said boldly.
“Sure you are,” Sasuke did not believe a word.
“Is that so surprising?”
“I’m sorry but it’s hard to imagine Hyuuga-san to be friends with anyone,” Especially the likes of you, he thought.
“Looking at you, I’m sure it’s unimaginable.”
“Beg your pardon?” Sasuke raised his eyebrows.
“I’m just saying,” Naruto looked amused and the song of mazurka finally started playing. “You are the most boring person I’ve ever seen at a party. Standing by the wall and judging people.”
Who the hell does this guy think he is?
They all started dancing and Sasuke was forced to let go of the conversation without having a witty reply. Naruto looked pleased with himself and that made him angrier. He was an Uchiha. No one fooled with the Uchihas. No one called them boring. He was always respected by the clans, adored by the ladies, admired by the common folk.
He kept glaring at Naruto dancing beside him, but the young blond seemed to be taken by Hinata. He was trying to come up with ideas on how to belittle, embarrass or mock the man.
“You are a wonderful dancepartner, Uchiha-san.”
Sakura’s voice stopped his trail of thoughts and he looked at his smiling partner. Their eyes locked and Sakura seemed to move an inch closer to Sasuke. He suddenly realised what childish thoughts were racing in his mind, how very uncharacteristic it would be to react to a low-class man’s simple words. The daughter of the host, possible the most remarkable and beautiful woman was dancing with him, a lady he might be welcoming in his Uchiha family soon and the sudden thought of responsibility was like an ice bucket to his head.
“How do you enjoy the evening?” Sakura asked as Sasuke did not seem to want to reply.
“Lovely night,” he said. “Is this your first spring ball?”
“No, I’ve attended it last year at the Yamanaka’s as well,” Sakura was beaming. “Though I believe this year my family might have invited a bit too many people. It’s hard to keep up with all the names I’ve been introduced to.”
Sasuke was glad Sakura noticed it was not normal how every riff-raff seemed to be present. He glanced at Naruto and Hinata over the girl’s shoulders. The blond guy laughed at something, loudly. He was sure it was not Hyuuga Hinata, cracking a joke. This guy is a player, too.
“Do you know this man Hyuuga-san is dancing with?”
Sakura glanced at them and rolled her eyes. Sasuke noticed the gesture.
“No, I don’t.”
He really did not want to pry and Sakura, for some reason, did not want to talk about it. He kept hearing the laugh of Naruto, though, and that seemed to trigger something in him.
“But you are the hosts, surely you do not invite anyone.”
Sakura looked at them again, the beaming and friendliness shown on her face disappeared while looking at the couple. She turned back to Sasuke and moved closer to him, and almost instinctively, Sasuke moved a bit away. He did not like being close to someone, being touched more intimately than necessary.
“He arrived with Hyuuga Hinata, I don’t remember his name. My mother nearly shrieked when she realised he had not dressed according to the dress code but she didn’t want to turn him away as he was with Hinata-san,” She inspected Sasuke’s face closely who was still looking at Hinata and her match. She decided to turn to a more pleasant topic. “I’m just happy that I’m dancing the mazurka with you here, in my own home.”
But Sasuke no longer paid attention to Sakura. He was not sure the volume of the music was lower, or Naruto spoke louder (he suspected the latter), but he could not help but overhear their conversation. The two couples kept dancing closer to each other, making Sasuke’s discreet eavesdropping easier.
“There will be hunting this Saturday at the Yamanakas,” Naruto seemed enthusiastic. “I was wondering if you’d like to accompany me, Hinata-chan. It would make me happy.”
Hinata did not reply immediately, she was naturally shy, quiet and rather indecisive.
“If my cousin goes, I will go. I’m not sure you would like it, though, Naruto-kun.”
“Bullsh*t,” The way he talks is outrageous, especially in the company of a lady. Sasuke was just as shocked as, he noticed, curious. “I don’t care about the hunt. We could just go horse riding.”
Hinata stumbled but Naruto grabbed her quickly and no one noticed the temporary fall. No one, except Sasuke, who was rather interested where this conversation might lead to. He was wondering when Hinata would say she had enough of this disrespect and leave the dance floor. He was eager to see that Naruto guy get humiliated, just a bit.
“Oh Naruto-kun… I don’t think other hunters would appreciate that. And I don’t like hunting, nor riding.”
“Who cares about the hunters. I would be so happy to get lost with you in the forest.”
That was plain stupid and inappropriate. A gentleman never talks to a woman, especially one far above his station, so intimately. Sasuke knew a gentleman would now warn Naruto to stop all this nonsense and leave the presence of the lady, but he was far too intrigued (and entertained), and no one seemed to hear the inappropriate proposal of the blond. Instead, he kept dancing, kept listening to them, which was getting harder as Sakura also kept chatting louder to get his attention.
“I-I would love that too, Naruto-kun.”
“What” Sasuke snapped and missed the beat of the music, stepping onto the skirt of Sakura. Naruto and Hinata both looked at Sasuke, noticing his stare. Hinata blushed while Naruto did not seem to care. He smirked instead, in a challenging way, as if showing the Uchiha how easy it was for him to win the most eligible woman in Konoha.
“I’m sorry Uchiha-san, I’m so clumsy,” Sakura said, referring to the slight mis-step of Sasuke.
Sasuke looked at Sakura, as if he just noticed he was dancing with a lady, and not eavesdropping on other’s conversations. He had no idea what Sakura was talking about while he was focusing on Hinata and Naruto. He said a weak “it’s alright” and decided to focus on the lady in his hands, though he could still hear Naruto’s faint giggle saying bullsh*t.
Sasuke considered himself a gentleman and was contemplating whether to abandon the dance and walk up to Hinata to tell her she should not tolerate such behaviour and indiscreet proposal. However, he did not want to abruptly stop the mazurka for every couple, and he also knew that Hinata saw no issue with the ungallant suggestion, so he decided not to act up on his feelings towards injustice.
At the end of the mazurka, every couple received loud claps from the other guests. Sasuke led Sakura to her mother and quickly hurried away before her mother could use her ways to force Sasuke into a private visit to her daughter. It’s not that he did not want to do that, considering that was the way to court a woman, but it was still the beginning of the season and he did not wish to hurry with things women seemed to be hurrying toward.
“Nice dance, Uchiha,” Kiba said as he walked up to him with a glass in his hand. “Did you see Shikamaru, though?”
“No, why?”
“Well, well, well… just look,” He raised his glass toward the point where Sasuke should focus and he soon noticed. Shikamaru was talking to an unknown blond woman, in fact, he seemed to be engaged in the conversation. The woman was holding a huge fan in her hand and looked strict. Almost scary. Then Shikamaru asked for her hand and gave it a gentle kiss.
“Who is that?” Sasuke asked.
“Sabaku no Temari. Shikamaru danced the mazurka with her, instead of Ino.”
“What,” Sasuke snapped again. He was not being elegant tonight, he noted to himself.
“Sakura really mesmerized you with her eyes, huh? Everybody else was watching Shikamaru, though. He danced a bit with that Temari and then asked her for the mazurka. Ino simply walked out of the room and hasn’t been seen since.”
How did he not notice anything? And why would Shikamaru do that to Ino? They seemed like a perfectly okay couple, Shikamaru never said he didn’t like Ino, but refusing to dance the mazurka with her when they have been betrothed basically since their birth… And this Temari was not prettier than Ino, not a bit.
“Sabaku, you said?” He turned to Kiba.
“Yes, she is the sister of the Sabaku clan leader, Sabaku no Gaara. You have to talk to him, Uchiha.”
“Why exactly?” He started to feel like he had enough of the ball. First, there are manipulative daughters. Then there are low class people at the ball. And then he is being entrusted with talking to one of his friends about… women. He was longing for the silence and comfort of his own home.
“Because Shikamaru looks up to you. You should talk him out of this nonsense that he is pursuing with Sabaku. He will turn the Yamanakas against them but he will listen to you.”
Sasuke took pride in that. Most people in Konoha looked up to him as he was an Uchiha and they often asked for advice. Warning friends about mistakes they may commit, however, was not something he enjoyed. He only interfered if he saw serious reason for it and he did not see any problem in a few dances. The Sabakus will go back to the south, anyway.
“I will see what I can do,” he said and started walking out of the hall. He needed a bit of fresh air and he noticed the huge glass doors to the garden wide open, as if they were calling out to him.
As he walked out, he noticed the blond man standing at the bottom of the terrace stairs, leaning against the wall of the house. Sasuke decided to return to the ball , not wanting to engage in a conversation with him, when he noticed that Naruto pushed himself from the wall, walking towards the exit of the garden. Why is he leaving so soon?
“Naruto, right?” He started walking down the stairs, his hands in his pocket. He was not sure why he addressed the man. He should just leave.
The blond man turned around with a cigarette hanging from his mouth. He looked annoyed to see Sasuke there.
“Your memory is quite sharp considering I told you my name about seven times.”
Sasuke decided to let it pass.
“Heading somewhere? The ball has barely just started.”
“I’m afraid I have other matters to attend to,” he simply said.
“The mysterious ‘other matters’,” Sasuke reached Naruto by the bottom of the stairs. He was really curious about what this man might do when he is not attending parties he should not be in.
Naruto reached into his pocket and got a pack of cigarettes out, offering them to Sasuke. It was a surprising gesture and Sasuke accepted one.
“Why are you keeping your cigarettes in your trousers?” He asked while Naruto took out matches from his other pocket. “And matches?” People never brought cigarettes to evenings like this as the hosts were expected to keep cigars available for guests. When in town, they usually held their tobacco in their coat pockets. Never in trousers.
“Where else should I keep them?” Fair enough, Naruto wore no coat.
Sasuke put the cigarette in his mouth and Naruto lit the match quickly. He covered the fire from the wind and waited until Sasuke blew the first smoke out. He then put the matches away.
“May I ask you something?”
“If you must.”
“How do you know Hyuuga-san?”
Naruto rolled his eyes.
“You’ve been thinking about that the whole night, haven’t you?”
“I’m just curious. Considering your position.”
“My position?” Naruto looked annoyed and he put his cigarette out on the pebbles of the garden.
Sasuke was sure Naruto understood what he meant, yet he would feel like a fool if he explained himself. He saw Itachi’s gaze, being disappointed for belittling someone who was clearly from a lower class, probably someone from the working class. Itachi always warned Sasuke not to be elitist but it was something Sasuke could never learn. The rules were rules, and he despised rule breakers.
“I overheard what you said to Hyuuga-san,” Sasuke said. “I heard your improper proposition during the mazurka.”
Naruto did not look a bit surprised.
“Uchiha-san, you were eavesdropping!” Naruto faked his surprise. “A real gentleman would never do that.”
“I didn’t intervene exactly because I am a gentleman. I did not want to cause a scene. But be glad I did not tell Hyuuga Neji what I heard.”
Naruto kept his eye contact with Sasuke. He did not look ashamed or afraid.
“I am forever thankful for that,” Naruto said in a low voice that was so strange to Sasuke he quickly broke the eye contact and put his own cigarette out as well.
“So, the Yamanaka family invited you to their hunt on Saturday?” Sasuke did not know why he asked that. He did not know why he carried on with the conversation.
“Yes. And before you ask how I know the Yamanaka-clan, I met them today. Yamanaka Ino-san was kind enough to extend an invitation to me. Will you be joining, too?”
Sasuke was not planning to go because he only liked hunting by himself. Other hunters distracted him.
“I was invited among the first,” he said.
“Good. Then I will meet you there,” Naruto said, and bowed awkwardly to Sasuke, ready to leave the ball.
“Going so early?” He really did not understand why he kept talking to Naruto. “You surely do not want to miss out on the menu.”
Naruto turned his back to Sasuke, and walked towards the exit of the garden, with his hands in his pocket.
“I do not like the menu”, he claimed while walking away.
It was the most expensive menu of the season.
There was something fresh in Namikaze Naruto. The way he talked, the way he looked was rather raw, something that is usually shunned among his ton. And for some reason, he felt a kind of attraction to this abnormality.
Sasuke turned around to walk back to the ball and noticed Sakura standing on the balcony, looking at him. She probably was watching them while they were talking. She seemed concerned.
“I asked my parents about him,” she motioned towards Naruto with her fan who was now in a safe distance.
She had Sasuke’s curiosity who now was standing by her side.
“They know little about him. He is an orphan, poor boy. He arrived as the friend of a guest so they could not just send him away.”
“Hn.”
“He is nothing remarkable… though I noticed Hinata-san took a liking to him.”
“I noticed, too,” Sasuke agreed.
Sakura grimaced. Why would Sasuke pay any mind to who Hinata likes.
“Sakura-san, the Yamanaka family is organising a hunting party next Saturday. If you happen to be free…”
“Yes,” interrupted Sakura, visibly glowing at the proposition. “I would gladly go with you.”
Sasuke frowned upon bowing. He hated to be interrupted but he felt like he needed to extend his thanks to Sakura for getting some information for him, however little they meant.
