a/n: hello everyone! Thanks for sticking with the story so far—this is our very last chapter! Thanks to all of the people to reviewed, favorite and followed this story. No warnings…enjoy!

Chapter Four

Eventually, Itachi was able to find his way back to the ballroom where he rejoined his family.

"Itachi, where have you been? At least a dozen girls from the clans have been looking for you to go dance!" his mother scolded him.

Itachi tried to keep his patience in check. "Sorry…I was looking for the bathrooms and got quite lost."

Hashirama raised an eyebrow. "Did you happen to…meet anyone while you were lost?"

"What?"

His father smirked at him. "Your lips are quite bruised, Itachi. Don't tell me you ran in to a wall."

Itachi went red, but was saved from responding by the opportune appearance of Haruno Sakura. "Itachi! Happy Birthday!" she smiled warmly at him.

At any other time, Itachi would've gone fleeing to the hills but since Sakura had just saved him from his father, he figured that he could at least be civil to her; he disliked her because he found her rather shallow and vain. "Thanks."

"Would you like to dance?"

Itachi did his best not to grimace. "Sure." He pretended not to see Madara and his mother cackling in to their sleeves as he gritted his teeth and led Sakura on to the dance floor.

The rest of the night passed in a similar fashion, and as the hours grew later, Itachi found his patience wearing thin. Even as he danced with all manner of beautiful women, his mind was furiously concocting plots to find Neji and kiss him again. Eventually, people stopped asking him to dance because he was so preoccupied.

Finally, just as Itachi had made up his mind to leave the ballroom and find Neji, he saw him—there, across the room, half-hidden by the curtains, Neji was by a large window. Neji sat in the window seat, his face and hands pressed up against the window as if he were about to walk through the glass and fly freely through the night. His silhouette against the glass was so lonely and so full of longing that Itachi instantly felt a tug at his heartstrings.

Itachi quietly began to make his way over to the window, keeping in mind that Neji had been forbidden to see him. Glancing anxiously around, he seized his chance when Hiashi turned his back and swept in to Neji's alcove, twitching the curtains shut behind him.

Neji gasped and whirled away from the window. "Who—oh!"

"Hey," Itachi said, somewhat uncomfortably. After all, what did you say after sneaking up on the person who'd had their tongue down your throat a few hours prior?

"Hi." Neji's eyes fell guiltily to the platter of champagne that he'd abandoned on the window ledge. "Um…"

Itachi reached out and took a glass of champagne. "Drink with me?"

"I'm supposed to be serving these to dancers," Neji said, a mild note of exasperation in his voice. "I'm not supposed to actually drink them."

"Live a little! Just drink one," Itachi coaxed. "Aren't you breaking the rules anyways?"

Neji flushed at Itachi's gentle reminder. "Well…I guess a sip couldn't hurt," he sighed softly. After all, drinking champagne with Itachi gave him an excuse to stay by the older man's side.

"Don't worry, you can't really get drunk off of this stuff," Itachi said carelessly.

"Have you ever gotten drunk?" Neji asked curiously.

Itachi smiled slightly. "A couple of times…Madara and I got bored decided that we should increase the number of life experiences that we had."

"…You couldn't wait another year for it to be legal for you to drink?"

"Speak for yourself, you're having champagne aren't you?"

"Yes, well I never told you how old I am," Neji said with an air of superiority. "For all you know, I could be twenty-one."

"You're not twenty-one," Itachi scoffed.

"You're right, I'm not," Neji said cheerfully.

"You look…about sixteen," Itachi guessed.

"Close, but wrong."

"…Fifteen?"

"Yes," Neji smiled down in to his champagne flute. "And you…you turned seventeen today, didn't you? You're the talk of the servants hall."

"What business do I have with Hiashi Hyuga's servants?"

"Oh, some of the maids who've seen you around find you terribly dashing and handsome," Neji said as he glanced coyly up at Itachi. "I can't imagine why, though."

Itachi chuckled and set down his drink. "Can't you?"

"No," Neji said, fighting a smile.

Itachi moved forward and plucked Neji's glass out of his hand before pulling him in to an embrace. He put his face as close as he could to Neji's, and a rush of excitement shot through his blood when he felt Neji's warm breath falling on his lips. "Can you now?"

Neji finally smiled at that, and looked down, his forehead brushing Itachi's mouth. "Yes, I can," he said quietly.

He gasped softly when Itachi took his chin between his fingers and tilted his head, nudging their mouths in to a passionate kiss. This time, Itachi took the lead, gently molding Neji's mouth in to submission while Neji clung to Itachi's robes for dear life. They kept kissing, until Itachi took the initiative to tease his fingers along Neji's collar bone.

"No…wait" Neji gasped, tearing his mouth away from Itachi's in a sudden surge of panic.

"What is it?"

"It's just that…after this, I won't be able to see you for another year. I don't want to…to do stuff, and then not be able to see you for a long time," Neji said uncertainly

To his relief, Itachi relaxed his arms around Neji. "It's alright, I understand. I…after I think about it," he chuckled, "I guess I feel the same way. I wouldn't want to just have a one-night stand with you."

"As you so eloquently put it," Neji smirked.

"Fine." Itachi released Neji, and took a step back so that they could compose themselves. "I agree, we probably shouldn't go beyond kissing…but if you really want to make this memorable, for both of us, what would you want to do?"

"Well…" Neji thought for a minute, and then suddenly came up with a thought. "I've broken all the rules for tonight anyways…I'll probably disappoint you with my attempt at rebellion."

"You could never disappoint me," Itachi assured Neji. "After all, our lives are so different…tell me, what do you have in mind?"

"I've never been outside at night before."

Itachi frowned in confusion. "You mean, you've never been allowed to go to the village at night on your own before?"

"No. I mean, Hiashi simply won't allow me to set foot outdoors at night," Neji said seriously. "I want to be under the night sky and feel the cold air on my face and see the stars with clear eyes, not through a pane of glass."

"Well…that is easily accomplished. It can't be too hard to sneak out of here," Itachi blinked. True, he was a little surprised that Neji had been so deprived, but he didn't mind. If anything, it was sweet and ever so slightly romantic. "Do you know a way to go outside?"

"Yes…" Neji suddenly felt a wave of nervousness wash over him; disobeying his instructions for one special event was understandable, but this was a rule that Hiashi had set in stone for him from the day he had entered the household.

"Hey don't get nervous now. This is what you've wanted to do for your entire life, right?"

"I suppose." Neji swallowed nervously. 'We'll have to sneak out of the ballroom though."

"Here, I have an idea. The ball won't end for a while…go serve your drinks, and then I'll meet you outside the grand doors."

"Why would I serve my drinks?"

"Hiashi won't suspect your reason for leaving the ballroom…to get more refreshments, of course."

Neji smiled at the ingenuity of the plan. "Of course. And what will your reason be for leaving?"

"Hiashi won't be watching me."

"I wouldn't be so sure of that," Neji shook his head. "After all, he did warn me to stay away from your family, didn't he?"

"True," Itachi acknowledged, "But I am a master of getting in and out of places unseen."

Neji snickered. "You do know how cheesy that sounds, right?"

Itachi laughed. "Of course I do. Anyways, come on; the sooner we get out of here, the more time you can spend outside."

"Alright," Neji smiled warmly. "I'll see you in a few minutes."

Itachi reached out and pressed a kiss to Neji's hand. "See you."

Neji swept out of the alcove with the tray of drinks perched on on his hands; dancers instantly swooped down upon him left and right, taking up glasses of refreshing liquid.

Neji stiffened when he noticed Itachi's younger brother, Madara, swooping down upon him to seize a glass of champagne.

"You're really pretty." Madara started following him across the ballroom floor as Neji wove through the crowds of party-goers.

"Thank you." Neji grit his teeth; he was willing to go through trouble for Itachi, but not for his annoying younger brother. He caught Hiashi's eye and gave him a pleading look, gesturing subtly towards Madara.

Instantly, a young woman with pink hair appeared from nowhere and approached Madara. "Madara, come dance with me!"

"What?" Madara blinked owlishly before allowing himself to be lead away by the random woman. "Uh…sure…"

Neji sighed in relief and gave his master a grateful look as he approached him. He bowed low, and offered Hiashi the final glass of champagne on his serving platter.

Hiashi nodded his head and accepted the glass.

"Please forgive me my lord; you must've seen, I didn't approach the Senjuu boy, he approached me," Neji pleaded.

"Don't worry, Neji. I understand," Hiashi assured him. "And you've stayed away from the rest of that clan?"

"I try my best, my lord. They do comprise nearly half of the party, after all."

"Good," Hiashi rumbled, pleased at Neji's obedience. "Carry on, boy."

"Thank you, my lord." Neji bowed low and scurried away, grateful to be out of Hiashi's presence. His mind instantly went to the thought of his upcoming escapade with Itachi, and he felt a beat of excitement flood through his body. He hurried through the main doors of the ballroom, and was immediately pulled in to the shadows by Itachi.

'Did Hiashi suspect anything was amiss?"

"No, he thinks I've been following his orders all night," Neji breathed.

Itachi smiled and gave him a chaste kiss. "You sly thing. Now, put down that platter, and let's go."

Neji cast his eyes around and quickly placed his platter on its side in the shadows of the hall before grabbing Itachi's hand and hurrying along the hall. "There are many exits to the outside," Neji murmured. "I'm not really sure where we should go."

"Are there any tower balconies and such?"

"Well…yes," Neji paused. "Why?"

"The closer you get to the night sky, the more breathtaking it is," Itachi informed him. "Just trust me; can you lead us to a tower?"

"Sure." Neji lead them through a maze of corridors and hallways, up stairs, down stairs, through closet passageways and tapestries, when they finally reached a large stone door at the top of a long stairwell.

Itachi let go of Neji's hand and leaned against the wall with his hands on his knees. "Well, that was more of a journey than I expected."

"It is a bit of a work out, keeping the place clean," Neji said absently. "Come on, Itachi, I want to go outside!"

Itachi smiled at Neji's enthusiasm. "Alright, go on…let's make us a memory for the rest of our lives." He reached out and pushed open the door to the lookout tower to Hiashi's castle.

Neji gasped in awe as he stepped through the door. "So many stars," he murmured softly. He turned to Itachi with joy in his eyes. "You were right…this is fantastic!"

Itachi smiled somewhat absently as he gazed up at the moon. "It is, isn't it?" he murmured softly.

Suddenly, there was an explosion of power that knocked Itachi to his knees. He let out a yell, and instantly reached out for Neji to pull him back in to the tower. Had Hiashi found them out? Was he going to die? Itachi had never felt so much divine power in his entire life.

To his shock, Neji was no longer standing beside him. Instead, he was floating several feet off the ground.

"Neji…what…?" Itachi breathed in confusion.

Neji was crying and laughing at the same time; Itachi jolted when Neji floated down towards him and cupped his face in his hands. "Oh Itachi, thank you! Thank you so much!" Neji leaned down and pressed a divine kiss to his forehead.

Itachi's head jerked back and his mind went blank as his an explosion of heavenly power coursed through his body. He opened his eyes, and found himself ensconced in a cocoon of darkness for a few moments before the darkness suddenly vanished, and Itachi found himself reborn as a god.

He was Itachi, god of the moon, and floating several feet away from him was his soul mate, Neji, god of the stars. He opened his arms, and Neji instantly launched himself in to a hug.

"Neji," he breathed in to a cloud of cinnamon hair. "By the moon, I've missed you."

Neji gave him a watery chuckle. "I missed you too."

"I'm sorry it took me this long…how ironic. Before, I always figured it out when it was too late, but this time around, I managed to free you from sheer recklessness."

"It wasn't sheer recklessness." Neji rubbed his face in to Itachi's robes to dry his tears before drawing back slightly to look up in to Itachi's face. "It wasn't sheer recklessness," he repeated. "There was also a lot of love in that decision too."

Itachi smiled and caressed the side of Neji's face. "Yes, there was," he agreed softly.

Suddenly, they were no longer alone; now, Hiashi Hyuga stood before them in all of his immortal glory.

"So, you two finally found each other."

"The fault is mine, Hiashi. I took too long in finding him."

"At least you found him." Hiashi surveyed Neji anxiously. "Are you alright, despite being that witch's captive for so long?"

"I am fine, Uncle," Neji answered softly, his lips tilting upwards in to a smile when Itachi gave him a reassuring squeeze. "I am fine."

"You must go reclaim your thrones at once, then."

"We thank you."

"There is no need to thank me. I would have kept you from each other if I could have," Hiashi said honestly.

"Thousands of millennia have passed, and you still refuse to accept our love for each other?" Neji arched an eyebrow.

"Thousands of millennia have passed, and I still have not forgiven Itachi from stealing you away from our home," Hiashi gently corrected him. "May the blessings of the sun follow you wherever you go."

"May the blessings of the night shield you from your darkest enemies," Itachi responded formally.

"Now go, then. The world will rejoice upon your return."

Neji smiled fondly at his uncle before calling out to his stars. Below, on the castle grounds, festivalgoers looked up and cried out in wonder as a cluster of stars fell from the sky and fashioned themselves in to a horse and an open-top carriage.

Two small figures entered the carriage, hand in hand. The silver stallion kicked off in to the starry summer night, and Neji leaned down and scattered the stardust of his blessings upon the world. Finally, after over a thousand years of separation, the two gods are reunited.

As for Karin, she was found by the heavenly council, and was banished down to Earth as a punishment for her crimes. The world rejoiced, and the heavens were able to find their peace once more, with the night sky safe in the hands of the two lovers."

The storyteller sighed deeply and then looked around at his audience; he was startled to see that everyone had tears in their eyes from the beauty of the gods' struggle to reunite.

There was a breath of silence while the magic of the story held, until the entire camp burst in to wild applause. Women and men alike wiped their tears on their sleeves, and the leader of the encampment informed the bard that he was free to stay as long as he wished, having earned his stay in full.

Eventually, the audience began to scatter as people set about putting out the cooking fire, cleaning up the camp, and heading for bed. One gypsy pulled out his violin and began to improvise a melody for the story; it was a passionate tune that plucked at the gypsies' heartstrings, and soon a circle of dancers began to form around the violinist.

Amidst the fervor of the gypsy camp, the lonely bard was able to slip away unnoticed. At last, the bard pulled his hat off, and a great mane of lustrous, red hair tumbled out down her back.

Karin looked up at the night sky and began to cry, even as her legs began to move of their own accord, stumbling away from the gypsy camp on a never-ending journey to spread the story of her folly to every corner of the earth.

Meanwhile, up in the night palace, Neji sat in front of a large glass window, waiting for his lover to arrive. When Itachi entered the room, Neji got up and greeted him with a loving smile, before willingly stepping in to Itachi's arms. The lovers twirled around in slow circles to the haunting melody of a gypsy violin playing somewhere on the Earth below.

Fin

a/n: Yayz! And that's the end of this story—obviously, lots of fluff as per my style, but I've been wanting to write a reincarnation fic for a while, and so I'm glad that I could finally finish this project, as I've been working on this story for nearly four months. As to other fics—I'm currently working on one, but it's going to take time as I'm working on writing longer chapters and developing my ideas and plot a little more. It does seem to be more than half way finished though, but don't expect anything for a bit save stray one-shots and drabbles.

Anyways, THANK YOU for reading this story, reviewing, favoriting, or just following along for the ride. See you in another story!

-itanejiluver-