Crossing Stars

Yugao

Author's Note: Oh, dear Lord. I know I haven't continued this in forever, but I'm planning to change that now. I'm planning to finish the stories I started (for a change). So I've been rereading and rereading so I could get a feel for the story again, so here's the fifth chapter of Crossing Stars, for old readers (if you're still out there) and new readers (thanks for dropping by). In this chapter, old friends arrive and new friends are made… but which are real, and which aren't?

Disclaimer: There's nothing in Naruto I own.

Chapter 5… It Had To Be You

The sky was clear and cloudless, and the sun was shining down on everything in sight as brightly as ever, but after last night's events the day's beauty felt fake, almost superfluous and insincere. The thought was ridiculous, that was true, but Sakura had been entertaining more ridiculous thoughts lately. Like the thought of going home to Akegata for the time being, since it didn't seem at all safe here as it was. She sighed as she stood up from where she had been sitting, in what was meant to be her room in this house that would someday be called her own. The thought was ridiculous, and as such deserved no more than to remain just a thought.

For the first time in a long while, she felt scared. Not the butterflies-in-your-stomach sort of afraid, mind you – that, she felt enough of just thinking of her arranged marriage. This fear was, as of last night, perfectly justified: it was the fear for her life. It was clear that someone despised the idea of a marriage that unified Akegata and Higure – enough to have either one of them (or, she feared, even both of them) – killed. Once again she thought that maybe it would have been better if they'd called it off altogether. Sure that would be playing right into the assassin's plans, and giving them what they – whoever they were – want on a silver platter. But stubborn as she was, she didn't want to die!

Bringing her out of her thoughts, at least for the moment, the door slid open to reveal Lee standing on her doorstep. He seemed to be frowning, and that was something odd, especially since he had struck her as the perennially smiling type. "Sakura-sama," he began tentatively, as if he wanted to say something but didn't know exactly how to put words together in the best possible way. Then, as if he'd decided on just the right ones, he continued: "There are people here, claiming to know you, and they've – well, one of them anyway – caused a bit of trouble and knocked out one of the patrolling guards for no reason."

Her pallid green eyes widened. What if this was another attempt on her life? Before she could even finish the thought, though, the door slid open again, spilling light into the room – enough light to show that two people stood at the doorway this time. One of them was a tall, dark-and-spiky-haired young man with a bored, almost disinterested look in his dark eyes. He wore a dark green robe and hakama, with the seal of Akegata stitched into the sleeve. The other was a woman – ash-blond, blue-eyed, and beautiful, in a kimono of stunning amethyst, with yugao climbing from the hem to her knee as if on a trellis, and a silvery white obi that cinched her small waist.

A smile was on the latter's face as she said, with a teasing smile, "You know, forehead girl, if I'd known we'd be treated this badly on our arrival I probably wouldn't have even bothered coming. You should be thankful I was able to pull some strings and get another carriage from Akegata to Higure." She crossed her arms and sighed as if she was on the verge of utter exasperation, but the mischievous smile in her strange blue-green eyes betrayed the fact that she was merely happy to be there.

"You didn't have to come, Ino-pig," Sakura answered with less decorum than was probably expected from a daimyo's daughter, but such liberties could be taken between the best of friends anyway. And although her words didn't show it, it took a lot of effort to restrain herself from running to the door and hugging the blonde – after all, Lee was there, and though she was sure he wouldn't mind, she had to maintain some formality around people who weren't quite old friends just yet.

The man who was with her groaned and answered, "No, she didn't have to come, and neither did I – but she insisted on getting the next possible carriage to Higure once she found out you were gone. And, I'm afraid, the strings she pulled were mine – she wouldn't stop pestering me until I agreed to accompany her and make it sound, to the daimyo, that we were leaving on official business." In reply to the Akegata tactician's comment, the blonde only glared at him and mumbled something that sounded suspiciously like "You know you wanted to come anyway", but Sakura couldn't be quite sure.

"You… know these people, Sakura-sama?" Lee asked with a hint of apprehension. Obviously Ino had done something to give him doubts, which was only to be expected from someone so loud-mouthed and rash. Sakura smiled and nodded, and he excused himself to leave the room. Once he was gone the daimyo's daughter saw no need to restrain herself anymore, and she enveloped two of her childhood friends in a hug (that threatened to rumple the pale green kimono she was wearing). When she decided that they needed to come up for air she pulled away and smiled.

"There's no need to be so sentimental," Ino chided, pushing a few stray strands of the blond hair that had fallen from her chignon away from her face. With a grin, she went on: "Besides, I'm sure you would've done the same for me if I suddenly disappeared to get married, and my only companion was a rather perverted guardian who left me shortly after the deal was finalized." Ino knew as well as Sakura did, though, that the reason why Kakashi was called back to Akegata was because of her father's quickly deteriorating health. The blonde bit her lip, hoping she hadn't said too much.

If she was offended, Sakura did a good job of hiding it. She merely smiled and said, "Thank you. Ino. Shikamaru. It means a lot to me that you decided to come."

The voice was familiar. Not only was it familiar; it was also anxious, afraid, even. Coming from someone he thought had long ago dulled her ability to fear, it was something of a surprise. She sighed, quite audibly, before she commented, "He knows, Mayuri-san, he knows. Maybe I should just tell Gaara-sama I failed and have him send someone else. Someone worthier of doing a job like this. It's only been two nights and already someone saw right through me. I'm not cut out to do things like this. I'm a failure."

Sasuke's hand, poised in midair to knock on Mayuri's door, froze. He had come to ask something, anything about that strange new serving-girl she had hired, to see if indeed Mayuri was as innocent as Tenten – if that was her real name – had claimed she was. Although he wasn't usually one for eavesdropping, it seemed like his questions were going to be answered by just standing there and pressing his ear against the balsa wood-and-paper door, and he couldn't bring himself to move away. Casually he leaned against the wall next to the door, his head surreptitiously leaning against the doorpost.

A childish giggle, from someone whose voice was too old to sound characteristically giggly – he supposed this was Mayuri laughing, and this was confirmed when it was her voice that answered, "I know that Sasuke-san is handsome and intelligent, Tenten, but that's hardly proof that he knows. You're letting your emotions get in the way of your mission, and that's something unacceptable by their standards."

Their standards? But who were "they"? Sasuke hardly reacted to Mayuri's compliment his way; he was more concerned with the fact that the woman obviously knew a lot more than Tenten had let on the night before. He crossed his arms over his chest and listened intently, all the while pretending not to. It was early in the morning, after all – maybe not even dawn just yet. He knew that Mayuri woke up at daybreak to supervise the goings-on in the kitchen and would be back in her room around this time. The other guests would still be fast asleep, and the serving-girls would've been busy in the kitchen. (This was probably why they were so confident talking about it like this, as well.) There was little, if any, chance of his being caught listening in on a conversation he obviously wasn't supposed to hear.

"He saw me coming back from last night's mission," a younger voice, hushed and slightly muffled, but there was no mistaking who it was. It was Tenten, he was sure of it. So it was true: Mayuri knew everything, and more – though he understood her lying to him about the woman's involvement. If he had found out earlier he would use the information against both of them to find out exactly what was going on. He smirked at the irony. He had to admit that this was a much easier way for him to uncover what was happening. He heard her continue, in a less harshly muted voice, "He saw me, and then he demanded that I tell him what's going on. He's not just an ordinary traveler, Mayuri-san, and I knew that from the start. I should have been more careful."

There was a pause, presumably of stunned silence. And then: "Well, child, it's not like Sasuke-kun is going to tell the daimyo of what you're out to do. He's not a friend of Akegata's, that's for certain. Years ago, his brother massacred their entire clan – all of them, except Sasuke-kun – and then he left to join a rebel army not unlike the one Gaara-sama leads. Sasuke-kun was only a little boy back then – but when he was old enough, he left the village to look for his brother. Presumably, to exact revenge."

The self-satisfied smirk that had, moments ago, been on Sasuke's face was replaced with a scowl. His displeasure wasn't insomuch as the recollection of his past – he had long ago discarded any bitterness with which he regarded what had happened and put indifference in its place. He wondered, however, how it was that Mayuri, the owner of a small inn of a village far from Akegata, knew all of this – though it was clear that appearances were no longer to be trusted when it came to people like Mayuri and Tenten – or even people like him.

Apparently he wasn't the only one wondering as to the source of this information, because Tenten asked, "And how did you learn of this, Mayuri-san?" Her voice was quiet, strained, as if she was still trying to comprehend everything that she was told. If he was one to work with the imagination he would have tried to see, in his mind's eye, the look on her face as she was taking everything in. But he wasn't, and his scowl remained as he stood there listening.

"If I didn't have my ways, child," the older woman mused with a smile, "I wouldn't be very good at this, now would I? Now come, you'll be needed in the kitchen in a while." Footsteps, and the door slid open, but there was no one in the hallway – not that they expected anyone to be. But back in his room, a certain avenger knew that the game had only just started, now that they both knew exactly who the other was.

No secrets. A fair fight was on its way.

"I still think it's a bad idea, especially with what happened yesterday, Lee," the pale-eyed young man told his childhood friend. It was common for Lee to come up with something that the pale-eyed heir disagreed with, but this time his apprehension was well-founded. Last night there was an attempt on Neji's life, and whoever had tried to kill him before was probably still lurking around the village somewhere, waiting for the cover of night and the opportunity to strike. This wasn't a game where going along with his more carefree friend would have no repercussions; this was a matter of life and death, if you would please pardon the cliché.

As expected, however, Neji's wide-eyed companion paid no attention to him and happily walked on. He had somehow gotten it into his head that making Neji wear less finery and trading his lacquered black sandals for straw ones would fool the villagers into thinking he was anyone other than who he was. Albeit it might work, taking into consideration the fact that the younger generation of their family was too sheltered to ever see the world outside the mansion. But if his eyes – pale, almost pearly gray, a dominant trait in their clan – weren't a dead giveaway as to his identity, then Neji had no idea what was.

"You need to breathe, Neji," he answered, though it wasn't exactly the answer he had expected. Neji's hard gaze softened a little (just a little). Lee knew that he was the type to keep to traditions and customs and rules with a passion, and here he was, asking him to have a chance to come up for air. He couldn't say that he was unable to sympathize; he had always felt the same way around the mansion, though being the heir to the seat of the daimyo of Higure he was not in a position to do anything about it. Neji said nothing more about this, and he was left to his thoughts.

What did that mean, exactly? What did Lee think was suffocating him? And why did Neji feel suffocated, as well? Was he more anxious about the arranged marriage than he dared let on?

Lee smiled. "I know just what you need, Neji!" he announced as he led the way. The Hyuuga had heard this from his friend several, several times before, as he proposed things that were not, contrary to his line of thought, just what he needed – from full-body acupuncture treatments to a trip to Lee's hairdresser; he only hoped that this time it would be something even mildly enjoyable. As if able to read his friend's mind, Lee explained, "There's this inn – the Kiritsubo – where I make sure to stop by before and after every trip. They have the best tea and onigiri in Higure, and the proprietress, Mayuri-san, is a very agreeable woman. You'll like it, Neji, trust me… oh, here we are!"

Neji looked up to the 'here' where they were. They stood before an inn, one that he probably would not have noticed if not for Lee's pointing it out to him. It looked like every other building on that street: built from balsa wood with paper-paneled doors on which hung rice-paper signs that announced the building to be Kiritsubo Inn and that they were very welcome to enter. He would not have surmised that such an inconspicuous inn would be home to the best, as Lee had claimed; but then again, the young man tended to exaggerate, and it was going to be up to Neji to decide for himself if the Kiritsubo matched up with Lee's sterling recommendation. The latter slid the door open and ushered Neji into the hallway, where a young woman was sitting to greet incoming guests.

"Ohayo, welcome to… oh!"

The serving-girl who greeted them turned wide-eyed with surprise as she laid eyes on Neji, and he could guess as to why. "I knew this was a bad idea," he muttered to Lee. Everywhere he went, he risked being recognized by anyone who knew anything about the Hyuuga clan, the family in the seat of power in the state. He had no idea how Lee had convinced the daimyo that this was a good idea. Maybe it was a temporary lapse of good judgment on his uncle's part. He just didn't see what good this would do him at all, especially since the first person they encountered recognized him immediately.

She must have heard him, because she stood up, gave him a deep and respectful bow, before saying, "No, I'm sorry; it's just that I didn't recognize Hyuuga-sama at first. Forgive my absence of mind. Shall I call Mayuri-san for you?" At this she slowly, almost awkwardly, straightened from her bow, though she didn't seem to dare to look Neji in the eyes. The girl was dark-haired and dark-eyed, features common to the people of Higure, though there was something that felt rather different about her. There was something in her brown eyes, he realized, that was beyond what the average young woman's eyes would have held in a safe, peaceful village like this one, though he couldn't say exactly what it was.

"No, it's fine," Lee answered, when he realized that Neji wasn't going to say anything. Perhaps he thought that his friend wouldn't deign to speak to someone who was both a commoner and a stranger. He smiled obligingly and explained, "I'd rather surprise her."

Tenten watched as the pair walked away from the entrance hallway towards the tearoom of the Kiritsubo, thinking on the other young man's last words to her. I'd rather surprise her. She had to offer a smile at that thought. Bringing one of the rebel army's targets straight to their doorstep was a surprise – that was for certain. The wound he had given her last night still stung, especially now that she was seeing him walking across the room perfectly fine, as if he, unlike her, did not feel the aftershocks of her attack last night. She clenched a fist, though the gesture of bitterness was veiled by her kimono sleeve. Here was her target, not even a foot away from her, and she could do nothing but bow to him and lie as to why she was so surprised to see him. She could have so easily killed him. There were three pouches of weapons that were within her reach, and all she said was "Shall I call Mayuri-san for you?"

She felt helplessly defeated, although she knew the fight had not yet begun. What absurd twist of fate had brought this on?

She watched Mayuri greet the two, the white-eyed Hyuuga with respect and the dark-haired companion with fondness. The latter most likely had no idea what he had done: he had brought the heir close enough for her to kill him. But, all things considered, it was not like she could have assassinated him then and there anyway. Not in broad daylight, and certainly not inside the inn, where it would draw too much suspicion to Mayuri. Perhaps the other one was not as foolish as he seemed; he knew that any attempt at an assassination had to be carried out at night if the killer did not want to be caught.

She sighed. This had sounded relatively easy when Gaara had explained it to her days ago.

From the corner of her eye she saw Mayuri excuse herself and leave the two in the care of Ayame, one of the other serving-girls. At the end of the hallway the woman nodded discreetly to her, which was, Tenten knew, a signal that meant "See me in my room". She waited for a moment before she stood and followed Mayuri back to her chambers, sliding the door shut behind her. Then she turned around, knowing that she was in for another speech. However, Mayuri said nothing as she sat there in the middle of the room – it was as if she was waiting for Tenten to talk.

"Fate is cruel. Here they bring him right into the inn, unaccompanied by the daimyo's guards, and I could do nothing but ask them if they wanted to see you!" she said, her tone harsh with her own agitation. She ran a hand through her dark brown hair, which she had kept loosely tied behind her back – she had not been in the mood to put it up in a tight bun. She had gotten little, if any, sleep last night, especially after the encounter with Sasuke. Everything was piling up, little by little, and she did not know how much more she could take.

Surprisingly, Mayuri laughed in response. The slightly heavy woman stood from where she had been seated, and walked towards her. "Oh, Tenten, Tenten, Tenten," she said, in the fond way one speaks to silly children. She smiled, remnants of her previous laughter, and told her, "Don't you see? This is your chance. Fate is not cruel to you. In doing this it has been nothing but kind. This is your chance," she repeated for emphasis. She cupped the younger woman's cheek in her hand. "This is your chance to be invaluable to Gaara-sama and the others. This is your chance to protect them. To protect us."

"What are you talking about, Mayuri-san?" she asked, not understanding any of this at all.

"Befriend him, my child. Gain his trust. Be that little serving-girl who makes him laugh, the one who makes his life of imprisonment to the daimyo freer. Disillusion him into thinking that you are no more than who you appear to be: a simple young woman who knows not the life beyond serving tea and onigiri to guests in the evenings," she explained, and all at once it made sense to her. Tenten knew, though, that such a deception was going to be the most difficult thing she would ever attempt. Then, Mayuri began, "You know what they say. Keep your friends close…"

"… and your enemies closer," Tenten finished, newly resolute once again.

Author's Note: MUHA. This felt good. Anyway, clarifications: yugao is literally "evening faces" in Japanese, the local name for the moonflower.