Still Worth Fighting For(Someday)

The Festival

Chapter Thirty-Six:

Izami sighed, relaxing slightly as the woman began doing her hair. She had already been fitted into the kimono, now her hair was being done up in the traditional style. When her hair was done, another hour was spent doing her make-up, and when that was done, it was near the festival time.

Izami was lead out to the main room, where everyone else already was waiting for her. Hikaru was dressed in a blue and white robe shirt that fell half way down his thighs, black pants underneath those. His hair was in a top-knot. Sasuke dressed in a black and red type of robe outfit. Sakura had a red one with white patterns on it. Wabisuke chose to wear a green one like hers with a grey sash tying the center together. Sakura's hair was left down, a small flower decorating the side. Sasuke's hair was left to its normal state, and Wabisuke's hair was pulled into a top-knot very similar to how her brother's hair was done.

"You look beautiful. For once, you actually look good." Her brother complimented in his own way, bringing a scowl to Izami's face.

"Can we just go?" Izami mumbled in complaint.

"Why do you sound so insulted? You actually do look pretty nice." Sakura whispered as they headed out. Izami narrowed her eyes at her brother who was leading them. Wabisuke was behind him. Sasuke was on the other side of Izami, his dark eyes taking in the new surrounding.

"You don't know my brother. He's being nice, and that's nothing like him." Sakura shrugged slightly, and then looked over at Hikaru.

"If you don't mind, I'm going up there to see what Wabisuke-san is doing." Izami couldn't help the little pang of jealously settle in her at Sakura's sudden interest in Wabisuke, but said nothing as she turned her attention to Sasuke.

"She's right. You really don't look that bad."

"You're just saying that so I won't get mad at you."

"You're going to be mad either way. I'm damned if I do, and damned if I don't."

"Damned worse if you say I look bad." Izami teased, throwing him a slight smirk. Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"Women." He muttered under his breath, causing Izami to raise an eyebrow, but said nothing as she grabbed his wrist, and lead him away from the direction the Hikaru, Wabisuke, and Sakura were walking in."What are you doing?" He questioned. Izami shrugged.

"Hikaru-san gave me some money to spend however I want this evening. It's more than enough for the both of us this evening to do whatever we want like three times. I want to take advantage of his new found kindness." Izami spoke fast, as if she were trying not to chicken out herself.

"So what are you planning on doing?" Izami paused, just to make sure the others couldn't see them, and then shrugged as she faced him, her hands patting her money pouch. She smirked in a rebellious way.

"You tell me, Sasuke. What do you want to do?"

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"This festival is pretty energetic. People from all over the world come here to celebrate this holiday. Really cool in my opinion." Hikaru glanced back at Sakura, and Wabisuke. Izami and Sasuke's departure had not been lost on him when Izami lead him away nearly twenty minutes ago. It was for that specific reason, he was leading the other two remaining foreign ninja through the crowd. He was trying to distract them while at the same fanning through the crowds looking for the pair that had run off. He had yet to fully catch up them.

"Seems rather nice." Wabisuke said through a yawn. Sakura nodded.

"You seems to just everything. It's pretty cool."

"I wouldn't be a genius if I didn't know everything." Sakura just smiled, and looked around. Both her and Wabisuke were not idiots. They had known quiet some time ago that Izami and Sasuke had disappeared, and they knew what Hikaru was up to, but neither had the real courage to say anything to Hikaru. All they could do was look around for either one of them...

Izami laughed, her face pulling up into a smirk as she beat out Sasuke at a target shooting game. For the sixth time. And each time, Sasuke would want another round. Izami knew his pride wouldn't allow him to admit that he had been beaten by a girl. Or maybe he just didn't want to wear the stupid mask he knew Izami would make him wear. He hated masks. He always had. Ever since his cousin Shisui thought it would be hilarious to scare him with a blue mask when he was a very small child.

"Come on! It's not even that bad!" Izami laughed as she held up the red colored mask. The bottom half was cut out of it. Sharp, fang teeth hung out of it, and the top teeth were in it. Horns were on the top as well. White feathering was on the side. Round holes surrounded by gold were the eye pieces. The whole thing looked angry." It's a dragon. Or supposed to be. I think it'll look fine on you!"

"Fine." He finally gave in." But you have to buy one too, and I get to chose it." Izami rolled her eyes.

"Ok. Fine. You can chose the mask, ya big baby." Sasuke ignored the comment as he put on the mask, tying the straps. They walked back to the mask stand.

Sasuke took a good five minutes choosing from the masks before choosing a full facial one. It was rounded, completely white expect for the red around the small, rounded cut out, and then smile on the face for the mouth. Izami smiled, and put it on her face. Sasuke tied the ends of it.

"You look nice." Sasuke commented, a teasing tone in his voice.

"It comes my face." Izami complained. Sasuke could all but see her doubtful expression with her lips pursed, and eyebrow raised.

"Exactly."

"...Jerk!" She loudly exclaimed after a moment, punching his arm. Sasuke merely smirked, and took her hand as they continued walking through the crowds." I'm thirsty. Let's get something to drink."

"What do you want to drink?" Sasuke asked, looking around at the stands.

"I'm feeling like some saki." Sasuke looked at her, and then gave a disapproving sigh.

"Ok."

"What? You don't want me to drink? I'm under alot of stress. I deserve to get drunk."

"It's not my place to lecture you." Izami rolled her eyes, and moved closer to Sasuke's arm as they continued walking towards the stand that was selling alcohol. Sasuke smirked under his mask, holding up two cups, one for him, and the other for Izami. Izami laughed, and took one cup, raising it in some kind of mock toast.

"To bad decisions." Izami laughed.

"Hmm. Sure." Sasuke nodded, taking a drink of his saki. Izami drank at hers.

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Almost two hours since they had tried keeping up with them, Hikaru eventually gave up. He told Wabisuke and Sakura that they could go have fun on their own, which they both did. Sakura challenged Wabisuke to a game of shooting darts, and Hikaru went to look for Izami, but gave up after another thirty minutes.

Three hours later, after the festival had ended, they all went back to Hikaru's home, still no site of Izami or Sasuke, but Hikaru had told the other two not to worry. Izami and Sasuke were grown, and could very well handle themselves. They wouldn't do anything stupid. He knew that much...