REVERBERATING DOOM

By Hitokiri Midori

Disclaimer: Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.

Rating: PG for some swearing

Genre: General [AU = alternate universe]

Started: August 4, 2004 [12:28AM]

Summary: [AU] The Sound-nins form a band. Naturally, all hell ensues. Kin's under pressure to get the prestigious Top Female Student Award. The two raggedy members of her band will help her in a way no award could ever do.

Author's Notes: They rock, and so needed a fic for them. Being the kind, compassionate person that I am, I decided to- cough I'm honored to try to write a fanfic about three of the most interesting genin at the Chuunin Exams. I don't plan for this to be very long, so please enjoy, and reviews make my day! No flames, please. I'm always open to constructive criticism.

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PART ONE

"She's late."

"Chill."

"She's late!" Dosu screeched, just to annoy his band mate.

"Argh! I swear! Sometimes, your voice is even shriller than Kin's." Zaku groaned, covering his ears. "If she doesn't show, we could use you for the lead vocalist in this song."

Dosu rolled his eyes, but you could only see one eye. It was the only one that mattered anyway.

Speaking of one eye, Zaku opened one, so he wouldn't have to go through the trouble of opening both and disturbing his left eye from his pseudo nap. "Don't you think you're overdoing the whole 'bondage' look? Besides, you look like you're wearing white, which his totally out of fashion. In case you don't keep up with trends, pink is the new black." Zaku informed Dosu, nodding every once in a while to accentuate.

Dosu paused. "Zaku… what the hell are you talking about?" He shook his head. "No, never mind. Just shut up."

Zaku looked away. "I'm just reporting what I hear," He grumbled, when the door was nearly knocked over.

Kin, looking very stressed out, rushed in carrying a messenger bag along with a backpack, which was open. Books and papers were falling everywhere, and she had amassed a large amount already in her hands. Dumping the contents onto the ground of Dosu's apartment, she collapsed on her knees. Her long dark hair, which was pin-straight and hung down limply, was sticking in several directions due to some nasty disagreements with her leopard-print headband. Dark bags hung under her eyes, which she rubbed once in a while just to make sure she was still alive.

"I am still alive, right? Is this a dream? Oh, god, please don't let this be a dream… Is it truly… peaceful here?" She looked so hopeful; anyone with a heart would assure her everything was true.

"No. This is just a dream, Kin." Zaku smirked, leaning forward on his beanbag, electric guitar in his lap. "You'll wake up any second now, and you'll be in the middle of your classroom, naked and missing your report… then Morino-sensei's gonna eat you alive!"

Kin paled. "This… this is a dream?"

Just then, Zaku fell forward with a sudden lurch, he nearly fell on Kin. If it weren't from reflexes from studying martial arts together when they were younger, the two were able to evade what would be a most awkward situation.

"Dosu! What was that for?" Zaku grumbled, massaging the back of his head. "That kick was cruel."

"That joke was cruel." He pointed out. "She's obviously stressed." He jabbed a bandaged thumb towards Kin.

True, she was stressed out. Besides the varying state of disarray her school uniform and hair was, her binders had all opened and papers were strewn over Dosu's meticulously cleaned and polished hardwood floor. Shreds from pencil sharpening poured onto his leopard skin rugs, and it was all the boy could do to restrain himself from attacking his band mate. He loved order, and currently, Kin was the epitome of disorder.

"What's up?" Zaku asked, leaning back casually, a look of concern crossing his face. A look of concern on Zaku's face could easily be mistaken for twisted malice, so Kin was not reassured at all by this act of compassion. "You've lost your cool. Suddenly, it's like you're all, 'Whooo!'" He made a few face motions to accentuate his precise language.

Dosu rolled his eyes. "Now I know why you failed English."

Zaku narrowed his eyes and glared at Dosu. "Well, you… you… yo' mamma!" He spat after a few failed attempts to make a retort. Dosu was pretty sure his eyes would fall out if he rolled them anymore.

"Er, guys? Back to my crisis?" Kin reminded them.

"What is your crisis?"

Kin stood up, and shook her head, groaning. Plopping on the couch next to Zaku, she took in a deep breath and then relaxed.

"You guys know how I'm trying to get the Top Female Student Award, right?" The other two nodded.

"It's all you talked about all summer." Zaku grumbled, remembering how often their band practice was interrupted by Kin's occasional fiery spirit announcing her determination for the award. "How's that going?"

"I'm doing really well, academically." Kin began, ticking it off on her fingers. "I'm able to keep up, even if I have all advanced classes. I play lacrosse and I also do volleyball. My flute lessons earned me Best Female Flutist Award at the last performance, and my art lessons aren't going too bad either."

Dosu coughed, but it suspiciously sounded like, "Your stick figures are a work of art," but he adopted a mysterious cold following the suspicious cough and Kin couldn't make out what he said.

"So what's the problem? It sounds like everything's working great for you." Zaku grinned widely, managing to make himself look utterly frightening, and leaned forward. Putting his elbows on his knees and looking to his left, where Kin was sitting very demurely, he added, "You've even got this great band thing going."

"Yes, yes, that's all great, but my problem isn't related to anything like that." Kin waved his comment away.

"Do you not have enough time for anything?" Dosu asked. "We can schedule our appearance into the scene to a later time. We could even wait until after finals."

"No, that's too far away! My problem is… when the award is picked, they look at something else besides academics, sports, and extra curricular activities." Kin swallowed, blanching. "Sensei only told me about it today. I have major competition for the award… apparently, the top female student also has to be very social."

"So, basically what you're saying is the top girl has to be popular?" Dosu asked, stretching out on the top of the sofa back. His knee kept hiding Zaku's head, so Zaku was too busy fussing to notice what Dosu just suggested.

"Yes." Kin looked down sadly. "I'm not a people person. The other students are absolute morons. I wouldn't get to know them if you tied me up and cut me a thousand times-"

"We get the picture." Dosu interrupted. "But it's not that hard to befriend some of the people here. You don't have to know everybody, just the ones that count. Get to know the most popular girl and boy, and everything else will follow."

"Who are the most popular girl and boy in our grade?" Kin looked puzzled. "I never noticed them. I don't notice trivial people."

"They're in class C. You're in A, right? You probably wouldn't know them. It's a bunch of snooty little pricks and bimbos, that group." Zaku shook his head. "But we know 'em. There's this dark-haired guy who everybody thinks is some sort of knockout… I forget his name… and this freaky girly girl with pink hair…"

"Uchiha Sasuke and Haruno Sakura," Dosu filled in for Zaku, who was currently still attempting to remember their names. "I wouldn't suggest befriending Uchiha." Dosu warned. "He's a moody guy."

Kin huffed. "I can handle him! You know as well as I do, Dosu-chan, that I used to whoop your ass all the time in karate…"

"When we were six." Dosu finished, smirking. "I'd like to see you lay a finger on me now-"

"THINK FAST!" Kin let loose a mighty battle cry, and shoved Zaku, who was too distracted with recalling the names of the most popular boy and girl in school to notice Kin approaching him. She pushed Zaku into Dosu, and the two boys immediately began their childish ritual and tried to separate themselves. After the confusion, Dosu took a deep breath and opened his eyes…

To see Kin's fist right in front of his face. She held it exactly in front, just a hair widths away from his face. Dosu narrowed his eyes.

"Fine. You win." He admitted, eyeing her fist warily. "That was cheap." He muttered. Zaku, who had been pushed off the sofa and onto the floor, agreed fervently with a violent bobbing of his head.

"You play dirty, Kin!" He protested, rubbing his inured backside and nursing his pride. Kin pushed Dosu around like a rag doll when it came to these situations, but she was always one to cave under pressure. But what did that make him? He was the one Dosu pushed around like unwanted vegetables on a dinner plate. Did he ever have a say in anything?

Zaku looked towards his two friends. They were probably his only friends. Kin had a triumphant look on her face, while Dosu was sore from the soiling of his dignity and having to admit victory to his long-time sparring partner, up until Kin had to quit karate from a heavy schedule.

Suddenly, his worries were appeased and he let loose a laugh. "You guys are… just too much…" He shook his head, tears dabbing the corners of his eyes from the laughter.

"What are you laughing at?" Kin demanded, pouting.

"Nothing, nothing…"

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END NOTES:

1) The reference about pink being the new black is to mock what Hot Topic preaches.

2) Kin's voice REALLY is too high-pitched in the anime. I wish Paku Romi (who did Temari's voice) did Kin. Maybe I'm just being biased since Paku-san also did Heimdall.

3) I made Zaku the loud, boisterous type of guy in the team. His equivalent in Team 7 would be Naruto, and Kiba for Team… eight, was it? I don't remember.