DISCLAIMER: I do not own Naruto
Inexplicable Bond
"Aaarrrrgh!"
The smug Uchiha teen couldn't help but smirk.
"Damn it, Sasuke!"
Naruto growled as the orange basketball hit the ground and rolled away in quick succession. Why did he have to be so perfect in everything?
Seated comfortably on a bench outside the basketball court, Sakura sighed. Those two are at it again.
Naruto had challenged Sasuke to a basketball match, being the feisty, hotheaded kid he was. And most unfortunately, he had lost to his raven-haired rival, who now stood before him like a bear staring down at an ant.
Sakura stretched a bit and continued to watch the boys with an expression that conveyed her ennui. Now Naruto was yelling crazily and desperately trying to attack Sasuke with the basketball. He picked the ball up and flung it at Sasuke repeatedly, but the latter seemed to dodge the blows with ease every single time. Until one of the blows made contact.
It all went downhill from there.
Sasuke got knocked off his balance and hit the ground with an (uncool) thud, thereby shattering his cool act and his Uchiha pride when he saw several fellow schoolmates staring and pointing. " HAHA! YES!" The blond was shrieking gleefully. Much to his rival's displeasure.
In the midst of Naruto's ecstatic, spastic-looking celebratory dance, he'd completely let down his guard and slammed into the ground unceremoniously (read: face-first) as Sasuke literally pounced onto him in revenge.
Thus began the fight between the two, in the basketball court located in Konoha Academy. It was a disgrace, really. Two sixteen-year-olds pushing and shoving and tackling each other like temperamental kiddies? Complete with shouts of "DOBE" and "IDIOT" punctuating almost every other punch or kick? Total humiliation. No wonder students always thought Sasuke and Naruto hated each other's guts.
But of course, Sakura knew better than that. Her two closest childhood friends were rivals indeed, yet they were also the other's best friend. It was precisely these daily fights and quarrels that drew them closer together, and made them understand each other.
The pink-haired girl leaned back and recalled the fond memories she had kept over the years. She couldn't help but smile to herself as she remembered the time when Sasuke ate Naruto's ramen on purpose, which had ended in a fight, or that time when Naruto poured ice-cubes down Sasuke's back, eliciting satisfying yelps from the latter. There were so many more of such memories, Sakura realised.
They were like the moon and the star. Always trying to outshine the other against the night sky, but would never be complete without the other. And all this bickering, rivalry… It was like a secret language that only the two boys knew about. It was their bond, the superglue that… stuck their butts together. Or something.
Sakura dismissed the thought hurriedly, grossed out by the unflattering analogy of some sort she had just made. Well, whatever.
She turned her head and caught sight of Naruto taunting a blowing-his-top Sasuke. And just like that, a mischievous idea materialized in her head.
Sakura had to admit; it had been a while since she'd participated in a play-fight.
Without further hesitation, the cheery girl had leapt off the bench and dashed straight for the basketball court, mirth dancing on her lips that had been pulled into a bright smile.
Then there was no stopping Sakura as she dived headfirst into the fight.