A/N: I do not own Naruto, or any of the songs referenced at the end of this story, nor am I being endorsed by these musicians to promote their music.
The Bassist
Tenten was in the crowd, a speck in the mass. Though the venue was small, the floor was open, and bodies were writhing, sweat pouring, screams raging and excitement pulsating—the lights flashed and the music was deafening.
Tenten had never felt more alive.
She danced and screamed and looked on with wonder at the Konoha Leaves, this small, nondescript band from Portland—her favorite band—and they were alive, too. It was as if their music was meat, and their audience starving beggars with the way they inhaled and absorbed and relished the pounding drums, the moaning vocals, and the sonic guitars—and if the audience were starving beggars, then Tenten was the slenderest and scrawniest runt of them all.
Even Sakura, cheering and screaming next to her, took notice of the way Tenten moved—the way she was entranced, ensnared. She grinned, elbowing Tenten in the ribs. She snapped to attention at once, slightly annoyed at being disturbed—she had been waiting for this concert for months, and she didn't want to miss anything.
"You like what you see?" Sakura yelled, her voice was barely distinguishable from the screams of the crowd. "I know I do—Sasuke is looking fine tonight!"
Tenten laughed, though it was inaudible. "Neji is the finest of all—I can't believe I'm even looking at him in person now! What I wouldn't give to be with him…"
Sakura abruptly grabbed her arm, pulling her toward the stage. "Wait," Tenten squeaked, "What are you doing?!"
"I'm making our dreams come true," Sakura yelled back, and continued to drag Tenten, pushing and squeezing and clawing her way to the stage. And suddenly they were there—at the foot of the stage, the band they loved mere feet away. Sakura had acclimated to their new proximity easily, throwing her hands on stage and flashing her bra, trying to get Sasuke to notice her as he sang.
But Tenten froze. She knew this would probably be the only chance she had to catch the eye of Neji Hyuuga, the bassist. She should be screaming wildly and waving her hands frantically and flashing everything she had, but she didn't want to—that wasn't the type of attention she wanted from him.
So she decided to just dance the way she felt. She moved in rhythm, heartily mouthed the words to their songs, and smiled and laughed and cheered. After a song or two she mustered the courage to coyly look up.
And she locked eyes with the bassist.
His eyes were far whiter than they appeared in pictures, but maybe that was because of the lights. His hair, long and free, had come loose from its band, spilling black ink across his shoulders and back. He was beautiful, like some ethereal prince from the pages of a novel. And he smiled at her—just her. Somewhere in the distance the music stopped, and Sasuke announced their last song of the evening—but it was eons away. She smiled back up at him, and suddenly felt self-conscious of how sweaty and winded she was from dancing. He looked away at last, prepping his instrument. She abruptly whirled on Sakura, taking advantage of the momentary lapse while the band prepared for the final song.
"Sakura," she hissed. "Neji Hyuuga looked at me—at me—and he smiled. He actually smiled! What do I do?"
Sakura clapped her friend on the back. "Girl," she said. "You've got your hook in him now—he's interested. All you gotta do is reel him in. Nice and easy." She winked.
"Okay," Tenten said impatiently, "but how?"
"Give him an eyeful," she said, gesturing to her breasts. Tenten punched her. "Alright, alright! But in my defense—they've certainly helped me catch Sasuke's attention." She winked again. "But for you… just do what you do, girl. Keep smiling, keep giving him the 'shy eyes.' Be familiar, yet mysterious… I don't know, this is all crap I've read in Cosmo. Follow your heart."
Before Tenten could ask for more Cosmo tips, the lights suddenly dimmed. Sakura squeezed her arm, and then proceeded to adjust and tweak her bra to make her breasts look bigger. Tenten didn't even spare it a thought—her attention had been riveted completely.
Sasuke stepped up to the mic, and his eyes went straight to Sakura, who was smiling boldly up at him. The two, it seemed, made nonverbal plans. But Tenten wasn't concerned about that—her eyes found Neji's again as the Konoha Leaves began their last song. She recognized it immediately—it was her favorite—and she suddenly felt a rush of power. She didn't know if it was the song or the lights or his eyes but she felt daring, like refined gold. She was determined to be more than a spectator—a speck in the mass. Tonight, she was a goddess, fierce and free.
So she danced and sang, smiling and laughing, trying to be as familiar-yet-mysterious as she could be for now—because she had made her own plans for later. The music continued to fuel the crowd, who were rowdier and sweater and hungrier than ever—Tenten the most ravenous of all. But all too quickly the drums slowed, the vocals staggered, and the guitars faded.
The setlist was over, but Tenten's night had only begun.
The band had slipped backstage, taking their instruments with them (save Naruto, who had to single-handedly tackle his drums), and the crowd slouched and droned reluctantly toward the exit. Sakura frantically turned to her friend. "Tenten. I hope you're thinking what I'm thinking."
"Not only that," she grinned. "But I've already got a plan."
"I'm so glad you're my best friend," she said, nearly squealing. "Now tell me or die."
Tenten smirked at her.
"We're going backstage."
Now it was Sakura's turn to gasp in nervous protest while Tenten grabbed her arm and dragged her up the stage, pushing past Naruto (who fell into his drums), and into the folds of the curtains, pawing to find the opening. The curtains suddenly burst apart, but it wasn't because of Tenten.
"Naruto, what in the hell—" Sasuke froze abruptly, face-to-face with Tenten and Sakura. He smirked. "I knew I'd see you again," he said, staring directly at Sakura, who blushed madly. He opened the curtain wider, inviting them backstage. Sakura squeezed Tenten's arm fiercely at they stepped through.
"Hey!" Naruto protested. "I think those hot chicks should help me with my drum-set first!"
Sasuke closed the curtain, ignoring him. And they were in—just like that. Tenten marveled at her luck, but rephrased her thoughts immediately. This wasn't because of luck—it was because of her courage. So she stood with confidence, taking in her surroundings. In one corner, she saw Shikamaru—the band's keyboardist—making out passionately with some chick who had four ponytails. Tenten cringed, her eyes continuing to scan until—there. There he was, leaning against the wall and conversing deeply with Kiba, the lead guitarist. Kiba gestured, smirking, in Tenten and Sakura's direction, and whispered something to Neji, who looked up immediately. Tenten's breath hitched, and she tried to look normal.
Sasuke turned to both girls, and Tenten snapped to attention. She forgot Sasuke existed, for a moment.
"I'm Sas—"
"We know," Sakura said, smiling. "We're huge fans. I'm Sakura, by the way. And this is Tenten."
In her peripheral, Tenten could see Neji peeling himself from the wall and walking their way. She tried to keep her head up confidently—tried to remember her courage—but her façade was beginning to crumble. Suddenly, he was beside her, his bass strapped across his back.
"Tenten," he murmured. "That's a lovely name."
"And you're Neji Hyuuga," she blurted. Any hope of retaining confidence vanished instantly, and she mentally dug a hole and buried herself in it. "I, uh… I always pay respect to bassits—they're too unappreciated," she added, trying to brush off her first outburst. "You're the true life of the song—and deserve more recognition."
Sasuke snorted, but Neji stared at her intently. "Not many people understand the role of the bassist," he said. "But you do."
Tenten felt somewhat relieved—though she was sure she blew it, overall. Sasuke leaned over to Sakura and whispered something in her ear. She giggled, and let herself be whisked away—not even bothering to glance back at Tenten. But Tenten didn't blame her at all—in fact, she was happy that at least one of them got to fulfill a fantasy.
"Sorry about your friend," Neji sighed. "Sasuke is insatiable."
Tenten squirmed. "Well, it's what she wanted, I guess."
He turned towards her. She was startled by how silver his eyes were up close—and she tried not to stare too deeply into them, lest they swallow her whole.
"What do you want?" He asked. She blushed and shrugged.
"I don't know," she replied. "A coffee, maybe. That usually helps me with post-concert ear-ringing."
He smiled. "Then, Tenten, would you care to join me for coffee?"
She blanched. "Are you sure?" She stammered. "I mean, don't you have other preparations to make—and don't you need to hit the road for your next gig—?"
"No," Neji said, half smiling, "I'm free. This was our last stop of the tour. We don't start up again until next summer—once our college semester is over. So… coffee?"
In the distance she heard Kiba laughing.
"Yeah, um… that would be awesome," she said, ignoring Kiba. She suddenly felt light, and relaxed—it must have been something about those eyes. They were like cream, soft and sweet. Pale and pure.
Neji unstrapped his bass and leaned it carefully against a wall, before stuffing his hands in his pockets and walking away, Tenten at his heels. She was still in shock—was this happening? She furtively pinched herself. Yes, it was. She peeked at Neji, striding strongly next to her, and she stopped abruptly, flustered. He stopped, too, quirking a brow.
"Do you, um…" She cleared her throat and tried again, gathering confidence this time. "Do you ask out every girl who waltzes backstage after a show?"
She hated herself for ruining such a perfect moment, but this had to be too good to be true. If Sasuke was a pig, what could make Neji any different? He was about to reply when, to her astonishment, Kiba approached them with a stern expression.
"No, he doesn't," he said, looking pointedly at her. "In fact, a few nights ago at a gig we did in Seattle, he literally pushed off some chick that threw herself at him—and she was hot. Well, it was lucky for me, 'cause I got the rebound." He grinned, winking at her. "But trust me, Neji's not your typical guy. I actually thought he was gay when I first met him—that's how often he goes out with women. But I'm sure his hair had something to do with that, too…"
"That's enough, Kiba," Neji sighed, turning back to Tenten. "But I get it, especially after seeing Sasuke and this dog over here, why you would be so hesitant."
"I just thought that there was some catch to this," Tenten said softly. "It seemed too good to be true."
He smiled, and offered her his hand. She blushed, taking it, and marveled at how large and firm it was compared to hers, which was enveloped completely. She was also surprised at how gentle his hand was, too, given the rough callous on his fingers. She wondered vaguely what those fingers would feel like on her lips, trailing down her bare skin…
"Let's get some coffee," he said, and she smiled, keeping her thoughts to herself.
So they walked away, hand in hand. Tenten stole one last glance at the bass, lonely on the wall. It glinted under the lights, as if it were winking at her.
And maybe it was.
Miscellaneous Fun:
Here is the setlist I imagined for the Konoha Leaves—in this exact order.
Sadly, the links to the songs wouldn't go through. But give them a listen—I picked each one thoughtfully and carefully because they all emphasize the ever unappreciated bassist:
1. "Silver Tongue" – Zulu Winter
2. "Heart It Races" – Dr. Dog
3. "Nature of the Experiment" – Tokyo Police Club
4. "In a Cave" – Tokyo Police Club
5. "Lousy Reputation" – We Are Scientists
6. "All Those Friendly People" – Funeral Suits
7. "Ivy Covered House" – Ducktails
8. "Protein and Poison" – Maritime
9. "I Saw You" – Beach Vacation
10. "Bloom" – Gypsy and the Cat