The party was already in full swing by the time they arrived. As the car pulled up, several curious revelers turned their heads to look as the doors opened and the four girls stepped out, each seeming to sparkle in the moonlight.

Several boys found their breath taken away as they strode past them, the redhead beaming widely when she saw a certain ravenette ahead.

"Remember, Sakura, act like a lady and you won't get caught." Ino spoke lowly, and Sakura rolled her eyes as she nodded as they neared two boys talking.

"Itachi-san!" The redhead caught their attention as she walked up to them. "Deidara-san! So nice to see you."

Itachi smiled and leaned in close. "Sakura-san?"

"Yeah, it's me." She whispered.

"What should I call you?" Deidara asked quietly, looking at her in confusion. "And why are you with them?"

"I'm Akane." Sakura replied, giving him a look. "And the reason I lied is because you sounded pretty damn suspicious on the phone."

Deidara nodded and leaned back.

"Nice to see you ladies. Please, right this way." Itachi held out his arm, and Sakura took it, leading the other four to the party room.

"So Sakura won't get to kick anyone's ass if they bother her?" Tenten whispered to Ino, who furiously shook her head with a glare. Tenten groaned in response.

"The point is to not get her caught, Tenten." Hinata reminded, and Tenten reluctantly nodded.

"Oh." Tenten straightened and fixed a smile on her face as people began to stare.

Several girls began to whisper as they saw Sakura holding Itachi's arm, the two caught in pleasant conversation.

Naruto, one of the boys staring, nudged Sasuke in surprise, pointing. "Teme! Look!"

Sasuke grumbled in annoyance and looked over to where he pointed, and froze. A heat came over his cheeks as he and the girl on his brother's arm locked eyes for but a moment, looking away when she smiled at him.

As much as she disliked him, she forced herself to be kind. She saw him look away with a blush on his face, crossing his arms over his chest and trying to look stoic like usual.

A sense of victory came over her, and she looked back to Itachi. "Looks like your bro-bro's jealous~"

"Really?" Itachi looked over at him and smirked. "It would seem so. Did you wish to give him a show?"

"It's seriously tempting me, but I think I'll pass." Sakura rolled her eyes with a smile. "The plan is not to piss him off, although I really wish I could."

"As you wish." Itachi found the room and stopped in the middle of the dance floor before he allowed her to let go of his arm, bowing to her as she curtsied. He disappeared into the crowd, and the girls stood together in a huddle.

"Alright, Ino," Sakura looked to Ino. "Go ahead and find Shikamaru. Hinata, you know you wanna find Naruto. Tenten..."

"Yeah, I know." Tenten blushed and looked away.

"Remember, we need to get outta here by midnight." Sakura rubbed her forehead. "It's eight by now, so we have at least four hours."

"Why midnight?" Tenten rose an eyebrow.

"Because we wanna have at least some time to have fun, right?" Ino reasoned. "Besides, I doubt most of these guys will be out by two o'clock."

"The punch has alcohol?" Hinata asked.

"The punch has alcohol." Sakura fought the urge to wrinkle her nose in distaste when an already-drunken junior walked past, the smell of beer evident. "Be careful, and good luck."

Each girl split up, and it didn't take long for them to get occupied.

--

With Sakura-

--

Sakura looked around the buffet table, sipping her glass of water.

"Hello there, mind if I join you?" A male voice came from her left, and she turned to see Sasuke walking up to her.

She smiled politely to him. "Not at all, Uchiha-san. I rather like the party your brother's put on for us."

"Yeah, it is pretty nice." Sasuke glanced briefly around the room before his eyes returned to hers. "Call me Sasuke."

"If you want me to, Sasuke-san." Sakura shrugged. "My name's Akane."

"Akane..." He tried out the name and frowned. "You don't happen to know Haruno Sakura, do you?"

"Sakura?" Sakura pretended to think. "Hmm...no, but I do know Karin Haruno."

"That's her sister." Sasuke shoved his hands in his pockets.

"Oh, really?" Sakura looked down at her water. "I wouldn't know...the last time I hung out with Karin was in middle school."

"You go to school here, don't you?" Sasuke asked, eyes showing suspicion.

"Yes." Sakura replied, feeling a bit nervous. Does...does he know? Aah...it's like he sees right through me!

"How come I've never seen you before?" He questioned, taking her hand and pulling her away from the crowded room She quickly gulped down her water and threw the cup away in the trash can.

"I'm not that known. People don't really pay attention to me." Sakura made sure her lips were set in a pout as he pulled her out a door into the chilly night air of the garden.

He blushed when he saw her lips, but his frown stayed put.

He finally let her go, allowing her to straighten her dress and let out her breath.

--

With Ino-

--

"Hey, Shika!" Ino called out to the lazy teen as she speedwalked over.

Shikamaru opened an eye and gazed back at her boredly.

"Hey, you lazy ass!" Ino rolled her eyes at him, yet grinned. "Aren'tcha happy to see me?"

"Troublesome women..." He mumbled and yawned, sitting straighter. "Yes, of course."

"Aw, c'mon! Act more excited!" Ino gestured to herself. "I dressed up just for you!"

Shikamaru looked away with a blush, frowning lightly. "You look...nice."

"What's wrong, Shika?" Ino asked, frowning.

Shikamaru looked at her seriously, making her frown deepen. "Ino...I have something important to tell you."

Ino studied him for a moment before grabbing his hand. She noticed him flinch, and her eyebrows narrowed. "Let's talk about this somewhere private."

--

With Tenten-

--

"Heya, Neji." Tenten waved lazily to the Hyuuga as she held a cup of water.

"Tenten?" He asked incredulously, eyebrows raising higher when she nodded.

"Yep, it's me." She gave him a grim smile. "They actually managed to get me in a dress."

"So I see." He cleared his throat, blushing a light pink. "Shall we take this somewhere else?"

"Yeah, we can." Tenten grinned as she gulped down the rest of her water in one go, threw the cup away, and followed him into one of the more private rooms in the Uchiha mansion.

--

With Hinata-

--

Hinata walked timidly through the halls, glancing from reveler to drunken reveler.

She sighed. "Oh, Naruto..."

"You called?" Naruto popped out of nowhere and she yelped, jumping in the air. He caught her with a chuckle. "Careful, Hinata!"

She put a hand on her heart. "Y-you scared me, Naruto-kun!"

"Sorry, sorry!" He grinned at her and took her hand, letting her down. "Shall we go, milady?"

She giggled, her face heating up in a blush. "Y-yes, that would be grand."

As they walked off, they began to talk, laughing and having a good time.

Hinata could feel the same feelings of love she'd held for this boy, this time strengthening. She desperately hoped he felt the same way.

--

With Tenten-

--

"Are we sure we want to do this here?" She whispered to him as they walked back into the main party room.

"We agreed to keep it a secret until Friday night." Neji smiled at her and took her hands. "I simply cannot wait any longer."

As he climbed up onto a platform, he cleared his throat and picked up the microphone. "Attention, everyone. I have an announcement I'd like to make."

All at once the music was paused and everyone's eyes were on them.

Tenten grimaced a bit at the attention, but he continued on.

"As you all know, I am Hyuuga Neji." He started, making Tenten snicker with a whispered 'You don't say.' "I have been keeping a secret from you all that I must come forward and bring to truth. I have said all year that I have been single." He paused for dramatic effect. "That was a lie."

Most of the girls began to whisper excitedly to one another as he held up a hand for silence. "I have come forward to announce that I am in a relationship...with Ama Tenten."

He gently grabbed her hand and pulled her up with him and pulled her into a kiss.

People began to applaud, Itachi leading the charge, and cheering began to sound in the ballroom. Hidan was yelling proudly, happy for his best female friend. Some girls grumbled to themselves about how lucky she was and how they would give their right hand to be his girlfriend, but most people were pretty ecstatic for the couple.

Tenten felt her face flush with both excitement and embarrassment at being brought up before all these people, but once they both pulled away and she gazed into Neji's eyes, it seemed as if the crowd had melted away and that they were the only ones in the room.

"I love you." He whispered to her, pulling her into an embrace.

"I love you too." She felt like she could cry as she hugged him back, relieved to have finally come out to the public. No more hiding, no more secrets. She could finally be in an open relationship with the man she loved.

...Suddenly, her eyes spotted a figure with long blonde hair that looked suspiciously like Ino's run by, sounding like they were trying to muffle their crying.

She frowned, then whispered in Neji's ear...

--

With Sakura-

--

"So, why did you drag me here, Sasuke-san?" She asked him with curious eyes as he led her through the garden.

"I feel like I know you, somehow." He confessed, gazing into her eyes.

"You do?" She asked, blushing as they sat down on a stone bench, the moon reflected in the quiet river.

Both sat stiffly apart until she sighed, gazing up at the moon.

"You know," she began. "I never thought I'd ever experience this."

"What do you mean?" He asked with an eyebrow raised.

"This. You know, sitting here, looking at the moon, sitting with the one and only Sasuke Uchiha."

"Well, now you're experiencing it." Sasuke allowed himself to relax somewhat, one arm on the back of the bench.

Sakura gave him a soft smile. "I'm glad I decided to come tonight."

"So am I."

She leaned against him, breathing in the scent of his cologne. "If only things could be like they used to. We could be..."

He looked over to her, eyes half-lidded, and she returned his gaze, both slowly leaning in. Sakura felt her heart beating in her head, palms going sweaty as she tightened them to fists...

Just before their lips touched, her phone rang, the church bells booming in her pocket.

Both jumped away, Sakura's face going red as she laughed nervously. "Ahaha...I'm sorry, please, give me a minute."

She stood up and answered the call, walking a ways away so he couldn't hear. "Yeah?"

"Red, we need to go." Hinata's urgent voice made her face drop. "I'm waiting by the entrance. Hurry."

"Alright, I'll be right there." She ended the call and pocketed the phone, turning to an impatient ravenette. "I'm terribly sorry, but I have to go."

"Why?" He insisted, grabbing her wrist as she turned. "Why can't you stay?"

"Please, let me go!" She pleaded, struggling. "I have to go!"

"Why? Ah-" He stumbled backwards in surprise as she quickly shoved her lips to his in an impromptu kiss, the taste of her cherry lip gloss stunning him for a moment as he watched her hurry away. "Hey, wait!"

She raced through the garden, slipping off her heels as she cursed herself. "Why, oh why did I wear heels?"

As she kicked them off, she stumbled, managing to grab one of them as she caught herself and raced away, bare feet slapping against the cold stone path.

Sasuke was right on her tail, stooping to grab the other heel as she disappeared through the doorway. "Oi!"

She didn't dare stop for the shoe, yelling a hurried thank-you-and-goodbye to Itachi, who was watching her with a surprised expression. His face quickly turned amused as he watched Sasuke give chase.

She finally jumped out the front door, holding up the skirt so she wouldn't trip as she saw Tenten open her car door.

"Hurry!" She yelled, and Sakura managed to dive inside, the door slamming shut behind her as Tenten screeched away, leaving Sasuke gasping for air at the edge of his driveway. Several still-sober partygoers stared at him curiously as he yelled in anger, gripping the shoe.

--

Sakura panted heavily, gathering her wits as she sat up, quickly buckling herself in.

"What happened?" She asked, looking frantically behind her. "Where's the fire?"

Hinata was cradling an asleep Ino, makeup having run down her cheeks. Hinata looked up with a grim expression. "Shikamaru-san broke up with Ino."

"What? Why?!" Sakura took care not to yell, instead stage-whispering frantically.

"I don't know. Ino couldn't tell me." Hinata looked serious as her hand stroked the back of Ino's hair.

"Apparently, Shikamaru had been getting flirted with by a new transfer student," Tenten suddenly piped up, hands gripping the steering wheel so hard her fingernails were white. "And instead of telling her to back off, he broke up with Ino so he wouldn't be caught 'cheating' on her. He's with that stupid Suna girl."

"Temari?" Sakura rose an eyebrow. "She seemed nice enough in class."

"Yeah, well, she's a boyfriend stealer." Tenten glared out the window. "And to think I hung out with her."

Sakura felt guilt course through her body. She bit her lip and looked away, staring out the window.

"Sakura, what's wrong?" Tenten noticed her mood and then looked down at her feet. "And why do you have only one shoe?"

"It's...it's a long story." Sakura muttered.

"I'm listening."

"Well..." She glanced back at Hinata, who was also listening intently, stroking Ino's hair. "Friday afternoon, just before lunch...I got into an argument with Sasuke like usual, and I saw Shikamaru."

"And?" Tenten kept her eyes on the road, but every so often would glance in her direction.

"I saw...I saw him with a blonde girl with four pigtails." She sighed, massaging her temples. "She hugged him. Was that really...?"

"Temari. That's her." Tenten hissed.

"Dammit, I can't believe it." Sakura carefully undid her bun and slipped off her other shoe. "I should've said something. I knew I should've said something."

"Oh, it wasn't your fault, Sak." Tenten put a comforting hand on her shoulder, squeezing it. "I get it. You didn't want to ruin her excitement for prom."

Hinata looked down, her eyes hardening in a rare show of anger. "She will pay for hurting Ino-chan for this. I promise."

"I can't have her hurt too."

--

A/N: Don't worry, Temari isn't evil. I wouldn't do my girl like that.