For these to boys life has been hard. Ever since they were little they've had no one. That was the only thing they had in common, the loneliness with in their hearts. They were polar opposites no one could have possibly known what their relationship would advance to.
Hate. Is the only word that could be used to describe the air between the two. Since the kindergarten, the two boys were bitter rivals. Well Sasuke was Naruto's rival, Sasuke couldn't have cared less about Naruto.
Sasuke was on the football team, the soccer team, the tennis team, the lacrosse team; you name it he was on it. Naruto failed at all these sports, so he resorted to the one thing Sasuke couldn't do, Drama Club.
Naruto and Sasuke competed in grades. Every year since the first grade they were in all of the same classes. Naruto was only beating Sasuke in two classes, Art and English, and the only reason he was beating him in English was due to the fact they were studying poetry.
"Parted lips, she watches
Breathing erratic, she stares
Only wishing, wings snap
That she could be there
The angel falls to the ground
Staring up at the boy she loved
Then the life drains from the floor
He grows wings, floats above….
Out of the reach of his one true love."
Naruto glanced around the class room as he finished reading the poem. His group of friends in the corner gave him a thumbs up. He looked to the teacher, who smiled back at him.
"That was very good Naruto, I expect no less from my start pupil" Mr. Kamizuki said, Naruto glanced toward Sasuke who sat unhappily in the back corner.
"Well Izumo I was trying to capture the essence of young teen love, I know from experience that when we get so close to what we finally want, we miss the chance to grab it and then with in a split second it's out of reach" Naruto says.
"Explain it better Naruto" Kankuro shouted "The people who aren't poetic don't understand the concepts of such deep thoughts" he mused
"Well it starts out 'Part lips, she watched' that one line symbolizes the want, same as the next line, but the only thing this girl can do is sit back and watch this guy, she's not allowed to touch. I'll make it easier for the girls in the class, I know you have all wanted your best friend's boy friend before. It's sort of like that, only aloud to look but not touch. 'Only wishing, wings snap. That she could be there' the girl is floating on cloud nine thinking about this guy, when she's snapped out of reality. 'The angel' is obviously the girl, and she's falling off of cloud nine. Then the boy is right in front of her for the taking, say he became available because he broke up with your friend" Naruto's explanation was interrupted by the one and only Sakura Haruno
"But a girl would never go out with a boy he friend dated, it goes against our code" she states, the other girls nod in agreement. Naruto points a finger at her.
"Exactly that's why it was the guys turn to grow wings and float to cloud nine, because of his stupid mistake he asked the wrong girl out when it was the angel he loved all along" Naruto said before walking back to his seat.
"Very good Naruto," Izumo looked down at his list "Sasuke you're next" Sasuke had a satisfied smirk on his face as he made his way to the front of the room. Naruto eyed him suspiciously, he had never been this confident while read his 'piece of shit' poems. Sasuke cleared his throat and read from the paper.
"If I whisper love enough
The future I will live doesn't seem so terrible
I'll say plenty 'It's all right' to you
If everything has gone astray
If you can't survive on your own
You can rely on me
Because I will become the girl who can make you believe it
And so, I always want to listen
To these love songs with you"
Naruto stared in disbelief at the Uchiha. That was HIS poem from HIS journal. "WHAT THE FUCK" Naruto shouted standing to his feet. He ripped his bag off the back of his chair and rummaged through it searching for his journal.
"What wrong Naruto" Izumo said making his way to the teen in distress.
"THAT BASTARD STOLE MY POEM I'LL PROVE IT, IT'S RIGHT HERE IN MY JOURNAL" Naruto emptied the contents of his bag onto his desk, the people in the room glanced skeptically at each other. He looked over the contents, it wasn't in his bag, his journal was no where to be found.
"Come on Naruto, just because Sasuke wrote one good poem for once doesn't mean he stole it from you" Izumo looked disappointed in him.
"No way I can even tell you the feelings that led he to write that poem, and its not really a poem but an excerpt of a song I was writing for this girl last year, you see I met her in the hospital and we were in the same room when I was recovering from the car crash and she was dying of I think it was some type of cancer but that doesn't matter, I was always at her side whispering 'its alright' in her ear and she died before I could finish the song and tell her my feelings." Naruto growled "It's not the fact that he stole the song, it was the fact that if he got it from my journal he knew what it meant and that's why he chose it" Naruto snarled, he was beyond pissed off. He could understand having someone else write the poem, Naruto had gotten Shikamaru to write his Biology paper for him before, but choosing it because of the sentimental story behind it was sickening.
"Shut up dobe, we all know you're a great story teller, not to mention actor" Naruto wanted to beat that smirk off of Sasuke's face. He clenched his fists and sat back down.
"Sasuke you can take a seat" Izumo ushered Sasuke towards his seat, the girls giggled as he walked past.
"I'll listen to love songs with you any day Sasuke" Sakura winked at him. He rolled his eyes and took his seat.
"Can you believe the bastard" Kiba whispered into Naruto's ear, he turned to face his friends.
"He stole my journal, that's total blackmail in itself. Either I have to dig up dirt on him, or hopefully Itachi loves me enough to get it back for me" Naruto sighed looking over at the younger Uchiha who still had that grotesque smirk plastered on his face.
"Want me to get Zabi to beat him up" Haku smiled at his blonde friend. Naruto smiled, he had a few friends who would do anything for him.
"No this time I'm going to be the one to punch him in the face" Naruto growled, the bell sounded. He was the first one out the door, leaning on some lockers waiting for the Uchiha bastard to reveal himself.
One by one students filed out of the class room, his friends were the last ones out, they patted him on the shoulder before continuing to their next class. The Uchiha stalked out of the room, he shoved the notebook into Naruto's hands.
"Don't leave your bag lying around you moron, any one can go through it" Sasuke said before continuing to his next class. Naruto stood there dumbfounded like an idiot. He hadn't expected him to give it back so easily. Did he read through it all…? Naruto had his deepest thoughts in that journal.
He stuffed it into a compartment of his bag and went down to the art room. Sasuke was obviously ditching due to the fact that he was headed toward the wrong wing. Naruto walked slowly down the hallway towards the Art room.
When he arrived Itachi, Kankuro, Deidara, Kiba, and Shino were waiting at the table for him. Itachi and Deidara were scrambling around to get credits so they could graduate. Stupid seniors took Chefs for three years instead of trying to get other electives.
Naruto took a seat across from Itachi and next to Deidara. "You brother stole my journal" Naruto said plainly, still dazed at the fact he got it back so easily.
"He still didn't give it back" Kiba said, Naruto picked up his bag and removed the journal waving it in the air before returning it to its former hiding place. "But you had to beat him up for it right" Kiba grinned, he always loved the thought of a good fight.
"No. He just gave it to me and walked away. I didn't even have to ask for it. Damn! I hate that kid so much, I just want to wipe that smug look off his face. One of these days I am going to hit him so hard, his grand children will be recovering from it" Naruto growled
"I don't understand you two, all you do is obsess over each other. You know Sasuke tried to make me give him one of my poems just to beat yours." Itachi released a small laugh. Itachi and Sasuke –though they're brothers- are polar opposites. Itachi is a drama geek, Sasuke is a jock, Sasuke where's normal clothes, Itachi wears tight jeans and skin tight graphic-tees, but they both get good grades because nothing less is expected of the Uchiha's.
"I've got him beat out in two subjects, English and Art, so he goes and steals my poems, what next is he going to trace my sketches." Naruto scoffed "The nerve of some people I mean come on, he chose an excerpt from a song I wrote just because of the reason I wrote it. The sick twisted bastard probably just wanted to see my reaction" A low growl emitted from Naruto's throat.
"Now, now" Itachi began "He may be a self-centered, egotistical bastard but so are you for having such a pitiful rivalry, you didn't even like acting till you got lead role in Greece and Sasuke got a support character" Itachi shakes his head
"Yes but I am poetry in motion" Naruto makes a fist in front of his face and pulls it down slowly for dramatic effect, he jumped from his seat "I am the essence of beauty, I define individual" Naruto glared at Zabuza who was sitting with the jocks, he had called him a stupid freshman. Though Zabuza was a drama geek he still had a tough image to uphold. How are the other teams suppose to be afraid if Kohona High's star line backer wears tights and prances around on stage?
Haku hurried into the room just as the bell rang and took a seat next to Zabuza. They had been dating since their freshman year. Haku was on the cheerleading squad, he was the only guy. Haku cheered for Zabuza on the sidelines, so there relationship was more than apparent. Any team who thought Kohona's lineman was weak because he was gay, obviously hasn't faced them yet.
"Ok class for who ever is working on the replication paintings please go get them and continue working, I expect the best from all of you" Shizune smiled, half the class stood up and went to get their paintings. "And for those of you who are creative enough to think of your own idea please go get yours and make your way to the back room"
Everyone at Naruto's table stood up and made there way to the canvases. Naruto looked over his painting, it was of a small red fox sticking its head out of its den in the dead of winter. Its eyes looked so real and cold, staring back at the observer.
"I really hate how good you are at artsy stuff" Itachi grumbled, grabbing his cartoon-like drawing of a bunch of people in front of a theater and making his way to the back room. Naruto ignored the comment and the fox's cold onyx eyes and took his painting to the back room, where all his friends had already begun their paintings.
Naruto dipped the brush onto the paint that lay on the pallet and aloud his brush to dance across the canvas. He worked on the fox's eyes the most, layer after layer of paint, nothing seemed to rid the fox of his cold, menacing eyes. With each brush stroke the eyes became darker, Naruto eventually gave up and with out much thought went to work on the rest of the painting. His mind was constantly wandering off in other directions.
"Dude what the hell did you do to the adorable little fox" Haku said as he glanced at Naruto's painting. Naruto snapped out of his daze and looked down at his completely changed painting. The fox was now growling, bearing fangs, as its angry eyes bore into the deepest recesses of your soul. Naruto stared shocked at his new painting.
"I guess artists do really put their emotions into their paintings, do you really have that much hatred for my little brother" Itachi mused, looking at the short blond.
"I didn't even know I was doing it, I sort of just let the paint brush slide across the paper" He says, the painting held so much anger, the fox's claws were sharp and ready to attack anything that approached its den. "I'm done for now you guys" Naruto picked up his painting and brought it back into the main room.
He gently sat it on the rack to dry. Shizune approached him from behind. "What are you so mad at" She asked, Naruto hadn't heard her approach, he jumped at the sound of her voice slightly startled.
"Just got a lot on my mind, I didn't even know I was painting" Naruto shook his head, was it supposed to mean something. He wasn't that pissed about the journal thing, but his thoughts were still swirling.
"That takes talent my angry friend" Haku giggles, placing his paining on the rack next to Naruto's. A small snow white rabbit hopped through the flakes of snow that were coating the forest floor. Haku was good at drawing rabbits, he's been obsessed with them since he was little.
"Painting with out knowing it and still making beautiful art, it is simple extraordinary, a truly precious talent" Haku grinned before walking back into the back room with some of his friends.
"Naruto" Shizune pulled Naruto off to the side of the class room "Some of your art lately has been…… troubling. Is something going on at home" She asked, Naruto's jaw practically hit the floor.
"What are you talking about, my art hasn't been troubling. And everything is fine at home, Iruka treats me perfectly." Naruto began to protest, Shizune pulled a sketch from behind her back. It was a room laced in shadows, the only sign of light was from the full moon in the window. A little boy sat huddled in a corner as two red eyes and fangs were visible from the open closet door. His signature was scribbled in the corner.
"I don't even remember drawing this" Naruto said staring in disbelief at the picture in front of him.
"That's also what I'm worried about, you've been zoning out lately. I signed you up for peer counseling, it should help you get your head back on your shoulders. Though depression is a good motive for art and poetry, I would hate to see your other grades begin to drop" She said worriedly
"My grades are fine Shizune." Naruto said rather harshly "I'm the second in my class in almost every class" Naruto pleas, though he didn't really mind the peer counseling because most of his friends were the peer counselors, but knowing his luck he'd end up with one of the counselors that hated him.
"I already signed you up, your peer consular will be assigned when you get there, and your first meeting is next block, which is in" She glanced toward the wall clock, ignoring the small grumbles of protest that cam from Naruto "15 minutes" she smiled
Naruto grumbled before slowly walking back to the back room, ignoring the petty comments from the less talented.