Fic: Stand Out
Fandom: Naruto
Written for: KakaSaku Disney Challenge
Inspired by: A Goofy Movie
Setting: Season 2, post-episode 50 The Fifth Gate: A Splinded Ninja is Born. And before the final test.
Summary:"He looked right through me, and who could blame him? I need a new me."
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters nor the song. The song "Stand Out" performed by Tevin Campbell belongs to him, Disney and A Goofy Movie. I didn't write the song and just borrowed some of the lyrics because they relate to Sakura's situation.
Thanks a bunch to lusciousspikefor the quick beta!
Chapter One:
It was always cold on top of the Hokage Monument, especially in the early hours of the day when the sun hadn't risen yet. The wind blew through Sakura's short hair, her headband keeping it from falling across her face. The last time she'd been on top of the mountain, her hair was long and luster, dancing at her shoulders. Her long, beautiful hair, a women's crown as they'd say, had been chopped into a mess of short and uneven strands.
Her mother had almost fainted when she saw her hair after she came back from the tournament and demanded a trip to the salon to fix the damage. Sakura couldn't grant her that wish. She locked herself in her room, not answering her mother's frantic banging on her door, too emotionally and physically beaten down to deal with her mother, too depressed to even cry – her usual pathetic release. She couldn't save Sasuke, Naruto, and Lee on her own, couldn't win against Ino, couldn't do a damn thing right.
Sakura narrowed her eyes in determination at the monster meditating on the edge of the third Hokage's head. There was no time for salons. No time to clean her wounds. No time to change into clean clothes. That peppy, waste of time girl had died in the forest. But, only she knew that, because she never showed them.
Naruto and Sasuke, winning champions, had gone to the next level, the final test. Kakashi Sensie couldn't be any prouder. That look. That glint in his eye. That look that twisted her insides.
Sakura drew in a deep breath, keeping her emotions in control. "There," she whispered, turning her gaze to the shadow approaching from down the mountain, fogged by the haze.
Open up your eyes, take a look at me
Get the picture fixed in your memory
I'm driven by the rhythm like the beat of a heart
And I won't stop until I start
To stand out
To stand out
Another shadow appeared in the mist; shorter, leaner, and a most certainly unwanted presence. She felt a pang of irritation when the haze cleared off to reveal Naruto's face. He was most probably here to interfere and steal her thunder. She wasn't going to let that happen. Not now.
For a silly idiot, one should admire Naruto's determination. He had stumbled so many times, but then he'd gotten up and carried on. He had big dreams and ambitions and he showed how committed he was to achieving them. Kakashi Sensei obviously admired that, and who could blame him, really?
Working hard to be the next Hokage and have his face carved in this monument… couldn't compare to a shallow girl's dream to attract her crush's attention. Most of her choices depended on Sasuke's approval; her long hair, befriending Naruto, and most importantly, ending her long friendship with Ino. What the hell was she thinking?
No more. No more. She glared at Garaa of the Sand and clutched the stone in her hand tightly.
Some people settle for the typical thing
Livin' all their lives waiting in the wings
It ain't a question of "if", just a matter of time
Before I move to the front of the line
Sakura threw the stone with all her strength at Garaa and watched as a wall of sand formed behind him in protection. The stone pounced back after hitting the wall and dropped to the ground.
The sand fell down and vanished into a mist, revealing Garaa's creepy passive face, looking back at her over his shoulder.
"Sakura-chan!" Naruto's high-pitched voice rang in her ear. "Don't worry! I'm coming to help you!"
Sakura shot him her best glare. "Stay the hell out of this!"
Naruto gaped in shock. Kakashi Sensei stared at her passively. The lack of emotion in his lonely eye stung, but Sakura tried not to dwell on it. She stared Garaa right in the eye and braced herself.
Once you're watching every move that I make
You gotta believe that I got what it takes
Fist clenched, heart hardened, Sakura yelled and launched her attack.
To stand out, above the crowd
Even if I gotta shout out loud
'Til mine is the only face you'll see
Gonna stand out ...
'Til ya notice me
It all happened in a second. Sakura striding toward Garaa and going for a kick while Garaa sat in his place like a sculpture. Body flying in the air, foot aimed at Garaa's forehead, and then like a time freeze, Sakura's breath caught in her throat as her gaze locked with Garaa's. Her foot barely touched the word on his forehead when a sudden, unbearable pain shot through her.
She let out an agonized scream, dropping roughly to the ground. Garaa stood on his feet and loomed over her – a sight that would give her nightmares for the next couple of weeks. Still, she didn't cave in, getting up on her feet with difficulty and assuming an attack stance.
If the squeaky wheel's always gettin' the grease
I'm totally devoted to disturbing the peace
And I'll do it all again, when I get done
Until I become your number one
No method to the madness, and no means of escape
Gonna break every rule or bend them all outta shape
It ain't a question of "how", just a matter of when
You get the message that I'm tryin' to send
Pain and blood, knives tearing into her flesh, no matter how hard she tried, she always ended up on the ground. Short of breath, bleeding everywhere, still he could never bring her down. On her feet again, bracing herself for the next blow.
"Sakura, are you crazy?" Naruto yelled from down the mountain, already rushing toward her. Ever the champion. Damn him!
With a swift glance, she noticed Kakashi Sensie observing her silently, arms crossed over his chest, finally getting his attention.
I'm under a spell, I'm in over my head
And you know I'm going all the way to the end
That was it. Garaa was going too far. If she was lucky, she'd be free by the release of death, other than that, she'd probably end up damaged goods, useful for nothing. All her attempts to break out of his web miserably failed, and now she couldn't see a thing, everything inside her was in so much pain. She was about to faint.
Suddenly, the attack stopped. But, she saw nothing, just felt strong arms holding her, snatching her away. Her head rested against a solid chest and her throat locked, unable to imprison the whimper when she realized she had failed…
To stand out, above the crowd
Even if I gotta shout out loud
'Til mine is the only face you see
Gonna stand out ...
'Til ya notice me
The warmth of the air lolled her into a slothful state, her eyelids heavy. Sakura would have fallen into a deep tired sleep had it not been for the throbbing pain in her body. The sounds of insects too loud, the ruffling of the leaves deafening in her ears, even the lake seemed like a bright colorless void, the sun bouncing off its surface.
"Pulling a stunt like that? It's too dangerous."
She winced, feeling Kakashi Sensie's hands on her injured leg. The slight harshness in his voice that under other circumstances would have gone unnoticed made her welcome the plopping sound from the lake as a fish broke the surface. She focused on the ripples widening out, the pain inside her more unbearable than the aches all over her body.
"It usually works for Naruto."
"Naruto is a special case."
"And I'm not," she muttered, inhaling the smell of water and the leaves. She could feel his gaze on her, boring into her soul.
"What were you trying to prove, Sakura?"
Throat locked, tears gathering, she bit down a whimper of shame. "I'm a weak, pathetic annoyance. No wonder Sasuke doesn't like me."
He put the final touches on the leg and patted it gently. "You've got a long way ahead of you."
"I'm sorry. God, I'm pathetic." She brushed her eyes roughly and got on her feet with a bit of difficulty. The serenity of the lake, the stillness of the atmosphere clashed with her raging heartbeat and emotions. "Thanks for saving my butt. I'll get out of your face."
A couple of steps away and then she heard his calm voice, "You wear your heart on your sleeve, Sakura. Because of your affections, you're easily fooled."
She bit on the inside of her cheek, her mind taking her back to the bells exam, Sasuke's battered and bleeding body, so real she had fainted. Weak. Pathetic. Stupid. Fooled by an allusion.
"To be a Ninja you have to control your feelings. Do you think you can manage that?"