MisoHime

Author's Note:

Original Note:
Hello, hello. I know it's been awhile since I've uploaded. I appreciate all of the reviews that I've gotten for my 1st 1xshot and for "Guilty & Innocent". It's really my fault that I haven't updated in awhile. My mind's having a bit of a block. Anyway, I got the idea for this story after going through my bookshelf - and one of the books gave me a outline for the plot. I hope you enjoy it and please review.

PS. It's 1:10 a.m. here in my time zone. This means that it's 9th of June and therefore, it is Itachi-kun's birthday! Happy Birthday, Itachi-kun~ forever will you be my handsome bishie.

Updated 2016 Note:
Hello. This chapter was revised on 12th April 2016.

... There's something about going back to a story that you wrote six years ago and re-reading both the story and your 'author's note'. Safe to say, part of me really couldn't believe the hideousness of my own words. I'm still cringing at certain parts.

Anyway, I just uploaded my thirteenth chapter yesterday, but as a fellow reader of Fanfiction, I know how frustrating it is to read a story, and the first few chapters are so difficult to get through because it's the one that's supposed to hold your attention, but if it's a story whereby the first chapter was written eons ago, the writing style is so different from the later chapters, and it makes things so agonizing to plough through.

I'm aware that there are still plenty of flaws in my writing. I'm not a writer, I'm not even very talented in it. I'm a reader, but I'm making an effort now to get back into things, which also include cleaning up these old chapters.

I've re-read this chapter, reviewed the errors in my grammar, tenses and spelling. I've also changed some parts and added some too. Here's to hoping that you readers (both old and new) enjoy it. I plan on slowly going through the rest of the chapters to edit them accordingly, too.

Disclaimer: Naruto is Masashi Kishimoto's. And the inspired book for this story isn't mine either.

◊▫ 星の十字 ▫◊

Hoshina no Kurosu

Ichi

機会

Kikai

Pink hair shuffled as slim fingers combed through it lightly. A pale, petite figure slowly yawned, one hand raised to cover her mouth as she lightly slipped into a nap, small ear buds drowned out the noisy English class with music.

Haruno Sakura didn't think she could be more bored than she already was. English Literature had always been one of those terribly dull classes.

Her teacher – Mrs. Kurenai – never bothered showing up on time due to her "risqué meetings" with her new husband. That left the job of keeping the restless class quiet to the Class President, Hyugga Hinata.

Short, small, timid Hinata had to be one of the sweetest girls on campus. The only problem with being that polite was that her demeanor also made her extremely shy.

Sakura's green eyes glazed over with disinterest as she leaned back further into her chair, watching from her seat near the back of the room as the Hyuuga heiress frantically waved her hands up in the air, trying to catch the attention of the class. Her face was contorted with anxiety as her long bangs fell to the front of her face. Her cheeks flushed bright as she continued to attempt to reign control over the rowdy classroom. Predictably, nobody stopped talking.

"P-p-please! Keep y-your v-voices d-own!" Hinata stammered in a tiny voice.

Sakura sighed as she observed the girl. She was smart, which was to be expected of someone coming from one of the well-known families of Konoha, but she with her passive character, Hinata would never be able to settle the raucous noises of the class.

Glancing slightly to the right, Sakura saw the numbers 10:15 a.m. on the classroom's digital clock. She suppressed another yawn and pulled out her headphones, shoving them into her bag along with her unused books. The session was almost over.

In a large institute like theirs, there were merely too many students to control. Being the only main campus in Konoha, almost every youth attended the facility and the teachers themselves struggled to keep them all in line. Some classes were bound to pass by without any real lesson, and Sakura didn't feel that this one would prove differently.

Just as the last bell of the hour was about to strike, the young Mrs. Kurenai decided to make an appearance. Her hair fell into thick, black waves, a bit too tumbled-looking than natural and red lipstick was slightly smeared on her swollen lips.

'No doubt what happened' Sakura thought.

Her red and white wrap dress fit snugly to her tall figure, a Literature book and a couple of loose papers in her left hand. Her heels clicked loud and commanding on the lecture room's floors.

Realizing her task was now relieved with the arrival of the teacher, Hinata's features relaxed with relief. Their teacher had finally arrived.

"Class, just before you go, I would like to announce some news" She said, her voice mature, "I'm very pleased to inform you of a play that the English department has decided to do."

She placed her belongings on the desk and turned to face the now-settled class. Sakura's eyes flickered to the front of the class, who were now all murmuring instead of chattering. Her own back straightened with attention and she awaited the rest of Kurenai's announcement.

'This is what I'm talking about! Finally, something that's interesting.' The young pinkette thought.

With a knowing smile, Kurenai turned back around and wrote out something on the board. "This year's play will be about 'Romeo & Juliet' '' Kurenai continued, "I hope to be able to see you all there for auditions."

One of the boys two desks away from Sakura's turned to mutter to his friend, mentioning something along the lines of: "That is, if you even show up yourself, Ms. Kurenai."

"Mr. Suigetsu Hozuki" Kurenai voiced loudly from the head of the room, "care to repeat?"

"No ma'am…" pale skin flushed with embarrassment. Suigetsu's eyes looked away to avoid meeting the teacher's maroon ones.

Sakura rolled her eyes at his antics. There was always one troublemaker in class who tended to bite off more than he could chew.

Her focus shifted back onto the older woman in the front, a satisfied smile curling at her lips. Excitement and anticipation tingled around the edges of her consciousness - something that she hadn't felt in a long while.

'A play… a play of Romeo & Juliet!'

Ever since she was but a toddler, Sakura knew she was born to be on stage. Being a performer was one of those impossible dreams that many scoffed at. The art form itself was known to be cut-throat and merciless, but there was something that Haruno Sakura loved about acting. The feeling of engrossing yourself into a character's persona and losing herself in someone else's words.

Perhaps one day she would be able to stand next to all her favorite actors and actresses. All of those possibilities had to stem from somewhere, why not from a play? Theater was one of the most thriving forms of the performing industry.

The production of 'Romeo & Juliet' was one of those timeless love stories that everyone knew about. Being one of Shakespeare's most famous productions, the play itself called for dedicated cast members with enough talent to pull of the dramatic storyline.

It was also one of Sakura's secret obsessions. A younger Sakura had a copy of Shakespeare's works among her bookshelf before she could even understand what the language meant. Despite that, the descriptions of the poet's words had managed to capture her childish heart. By the age of 6, she had been able to recite nearly every verse from memory.

"Ms. Anko and I will be hosting auditions for the roles next Tuesday in the Auditorium" Kurenai finished. Her face displayed the excitement of her announcement. Clearly the production was something she was more dedicated to than her educational responsibilities.

Just seconds later, the bell rang, the shrill call releasing the less than interested lot of students.

With most of the crowd moving in a rush to get through the door, Sakura didn't bother with joining the exodus of the student body. She took her time, slinging her bag over her shoulder and shrugging into her coat. The rose-haired girl stood up slowly. With most of the class already gone, the room felt larger than before. Her sneakers shuffled to to the front of the room and her face settled into a confident smile as she approached the exit.

Before leaving, she glanced to her teacher and nodded once. "I'll be there."

Red-chapped lip tilted slightly to give a small smile before replying. "Excellent! I wish you the best of luck."

Without another word, Sakura strode out of the classroom, blinking at the nearly empty hallway and at the sight of her long-time best friend, Sai. He gave her one of his "fake" smiles as Sakura sauntered up to him, tattered jeans lightly touching the ground and black coat floating behind her movements. She snuggled deeper into the high collar as the opened door a small distance down allowed the morning air to chill the hall.

"Talking to teachers? I thought that was illegal?" He asked as they walked down the corridor. His fair complexion contrasted sharply against the dark colour of his hair and eyes. With his sketchbook and painting bag in one hand, Sai reached over to hold an adjoining door open for them to pass through.

The rosette shrugged and moved through the door, "Rules were meant to be broken."

"Even your rules, Ugly?"

Pink lips twitched the slightest, after all these years, Sai still remained the same – secretively witty, artistic, easy-going and unreadable. Back when they were kids, both of them would always spend their time watching movies, hanging out by scenic places while Sai sketched, eating anko dumplings or momen tofu and drinking cold lemonade until they were sick with stomach aches. However, that was before the hormones started to kick in and Sakura realized that Sai was a boy, and that girls liked boys. That was also the time when Sai realized that he liked boys too. Which seemed like a pity to Sakura as he was definitely good looking. In spite of his good looks, nothing could change the fact that Sai was, indeed, gay.

"So what's the occasion?" Sai questioned, his hands distractedly rearranging his paintbrushes as he sorted through his bag. "Or did you want to ask Mrs. Sarutobi which kind of condoms she would recommend for your first time?"

A muscle ticked near her eyebrow as Sakura's mouth twisted to a light scowl. Her rubber soles squeaked against the floor as she stopped moving. Sai continued to move ahead without noticing her pause. Clearly his frank attitude needed to be taught a lesson.

He realized she had stopped moving and turned back around only to narrowly dodge a fist aimed for his face. His didn't even seem shocked and another smile graced his face as Sakura gave him a playful punch on the shoulder instead with her "super-human strength".

"There's a play," she replied back, "A real good one. And I'm looking forward to showing some real talent."

Following behind her once more, the artist nodded and they moved together down the next hallway in silence.

He stopped in front of a door and gave her one last wave before ducking into the door and into his next class, "Let's hope they won't notice your ugly-ness, then."

Another scowl threatened to pull at her lips, but Sakura just shook her head at his joke before she readjusted her bag strap and moved to continue down to the cafeteria.

Reflecting back to Kurenai's announcement, Sakura's heart filled with happiness at the prospect of the upcoming play. Her happy mood lasted throughout her stroll to the vending machines. Maybe she would go get something to drink before heading to Calculus.

A sudden thought popped into her mind, causing her to almost misstep 'There are a few others who could get the part as Juliet too… There's Karin and Ami – ugh – drama queens… Tayuya... Tsuchi Kin.'

"You look deep in thought, my Blossom." A husky voice interrupted her mental analysis, "Thinking about what you'll wear when you go out with me this Friday?"

The nerve in her eyebrow twitched again and Sakura mentally sighed. She didn't have to turn around to notice who it was. That voice was unmistakable. That was the voice of Uchiha Itachi.

She didn't bother to move her entire form as she turned around to look over her shoulder to look at the man who was labelled as a notorious playboy. Itachi was famed to have slept with every female in the school, and even though the school's population might have suggested it as just an improbable hoax, it was still pretty believable since he had the looks of Adonis, charms to swoon for and the smarts of the World's Biggest Encyclopedia.

Undoubtedly handsome features reflected a lightly amused expression as he watched her watch him. His skin was fair and clear, devoid of any flaws except for the two light indentations of strain around his eyes. His hair was thick and black - a trait shared by nearly all of those who carried the Uchiha name - flowing straight down to the small of his back. His bangs fell on the sides of his face, gently swaying with his movements. The hard lines of his face were symmetrical and cut to perfection. Long lashes framed his deep set, dark coloured eyes. His lips, when not upturned into a confident smirk, were smooth and thin. Even his posture was nothing short of self-assured - broad shoulders and lean waist, long legs and tall figure. Nearly all of the Uchiha's were blessed with terribly good looks, but Itachi in person was truly a work of art.

Sakura wouldn't deny the truth. The elder Uchiha has one of the most gorgeous men she had ever seen. If she were just any other girl who was blinded by those good looks, she would've done more than entertain his interests by now.

But she wasn't.

Sadly, that also meant that he wasn't going to give up on the one female who refused his affections.

If his impeccable grades and mannerisms were any clue, he was extremely persistent. He never stopped chasing his target until he could hook em' and reel em' in. There was no such thing as giving up in his rule book, a quality that made him fit for being the heir to the Uchiha family business. No other man would have been able to handle the pressure in his life. The only other of such caliber was perhaps his younger brother - Uchiha Sasuke.

That one name set her nerves on the complete edge. She could feel the resentment bubble up like a pit of vipers in her gut. Even the hairs on the back of her neck would raise like hackles of a cat.

Uchiha Sasuke... Itachi's younger brother and the bane of her existence.

The mere sight of him could set Sakura's anger blazing like a torch. She hated the younger Uchiha as if he were a deadly nightshade.

'That man – no, boy – is pure toxic' Sakura thought bitterly 'and his brother is a stalker.'

But more on that later.

She broke contact with Itachi and turned back around. Her pleasant mood from the morning dissipating like fog.

Sakura picked up her pace, trying to get away from the elder Uchiha as fast as possible, but his long, muscular legs managed to match her strides without difficulty.

"Actually, I was thinking about what I'm going to be wearing when I stay home this Friday… without you." She commented dry, not meeting his dark gaze, "I think you get the picture by now, I'm not interested, Itachi."

"Sakura, just by hearing you say my name proves there's something between us," Itachi smoothly replied, ignoring her bland message. "You may not agree not, but eventually, you will."

Sakura mentally scoffed and continued to walk in a brisk pace. Remaining traces of her morning mood soured and she increased the speed of her strides in hopes to evade the rest of the conversation.

The Uchiha prodigy didn't even seem to break a sweat at her fast pace. His eyes flickered down to hers and a wicked smirk appeared on his lips. While she refused to look, she could feel it.

With a sudden movement, his long fingers stretched out and caught her around the upper arm. The force of his grip caused her to jerk to a stop and her eyes snapped up, shocked at his physical touch.

He appeared unfazed by her discomfort. His night-coloured eyes met her's in a heated gaze. His fingers remained on hers and just as she was wondering what had compelled him to halt her mid-stride. He reached down and pressed his lips to her cheek, causing her to flinch back as if she had been burned.

"Until next time, Blossom." He released her arm and stepped away without concern. She was left staring at him as Itachi swiveled on his heel and walked off to the senior block of the building, catching various lustful looks from the rest of the females still littering the halls.

Her face flushed hot and her jaw was clenched in both anger and astonishment. She was flabbergasted at the nerve of the older male. Had he actually dared to initiate such an intimate act without her consent?

Sakura quietly walked her way, raging silently in fury. She had half a mind to run after Itachi and punch him right in his beautifully sculpted nose.

She continued onwards to her class, long forgoing her initial plan of retrieving a beverage. After that exchange, she would have just crushed the aluminium can in frustration.

Sakura caught a few strange looks from those in the area and she shoved her hands into the pockets of her coat, forcing her shoulders to relax. As violated as she may have felt, there was no reason to embarrass herself by stomping around like a hot-head.

She took a generous inhale and released it. She prided herself as an inspiring actress, and an actress would've been able to contain her composure. There was no way she was going to let the flirtatious attacks from Uchiha Itachi rain on her parade. She wasn't going to allow the Uchiha's any satisfaction at all.

They were all annoyingly perfect, infuriating, too-good looking little grievances.

'Especially Uchiha Sasuke'

End Note:

Original Note:
So, how is it? By the way, I know that Itachi (-Insert Fangirlish scream-) is OC and he does make an appearance before Sasuke but Sasuke is and will be the main male protagonist of this story. You'll just have to wait till he shows up.

Updated Note:
That actually took a lot more work than I expected. I guess I underestimated my skill of writing.
I actually thought it was pretty good back when I wrote it, but to be honest, my standards must have been pretty low because after reading the original, I don't even think it could count as a 'first chapter' (more like a prologue)

Fun fact: I reviewed and re-typed this chapter while I was in the middle of my lecture.

I'll be moving on to fixing Chapter 2... maybe even trying to get Chapter 14 up soon.

Do review, if you feel like it.
And thank you to all for reading, favouriting, following.
I've already gotten some reviews for Chapter 13, with you guys telling me how happy you are that I'm back to writing. It really warms my heart.