Cello - wooden instrument with 4 strings, played by holding side between knees and with the "neck" of the instrument supported by the chest. The bow is a stick holding fine horse-hairs that is drawn against the strings to create sounds while holding the left-hand fingers down on the strings.

Violin - wooden instrument with 4 strings, played by holding the bottom part by the chin and the top by the left, extended into the air. The bow is a stick holding fine horse-hairs that is drawn against the strings to create sounds while holding the left-hand fingers down on the strings.

In a basic orchestra, their are 4 sections, the violin section, the 2nd violin section (which is a secondary section of violins consisting of lesser-skill-level players), the viola section, and the cello section. The "Principle" of the section is the player in the first row, first chair, and the best player of their own section.

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Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, its storyline, or characters. However, this fanfiction is based on Naruto, and is my creation.

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Of Highschool: Music, War, and Crushes

Chapter One: Hated Duets of Love

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"Beautiful!" Ms. Azuki cried, clapping enthusiastically. "You two...oh, what a conductor's dream!"

Haruno Sakura, eighteen years old, Konoha High Schooler, beautiful popularity-queen, and named "Who Most Girls Want To Be, of the Year." Cellist. From a shadow of pastel locks, she sneaked a look at the boy beside her.

Uchiha Sasuke, eighteen years old, Konoha High Schooler, handsome popularity-king, and named "Who Most Guys Want To Be, of the Year." Violinist. Catching Sakura's swift glance, he returned a pointed glare.

A match in heaven, a perfect couple...and...They. Loathed. Each. Other to Hell.

And yet, here the two were sitting side by side, holding their instruments and patiently bearing their orchestra teacher's gusto-laiden speech of musical passion.

Ms. Azuki continued, unaware that her favorite pupils were totally ignoring her until some sentences caught their attention at once.

"--that's it! Oh, the others will be so jealous, amazed! Prodigies like you two are very rare you know...I must assign you a duet, yes that's it! A duet for Konoha High's End-of-the-Year Festival!"

Both of their jaws dropped.

She can't be serious. A duet with the ENEMY., they thought at the same time. For you see, Haruno Sakura and Uchiha Sasuke were musical prodigies, cellist and violinist, and musical rivals to boot. They attended the same schools all their lives and were assigned to the same, top orchestras the schools had. It wasn't that bad at first, but they saw each other rise in skill of playing and jealousy obviously grew. Music was such a passion that whenever they saw each other, equal skill and technique, their friends swore that they had green parasital mushrooms of envy growing on their heads.

That's why, in the orchestra studio, the musicians sitting next to the Principles of their instrument sections, tried so hard to restrain the laughter building up in their throats. Everyone in the whole school knew that the best-of-the-best hated eachother. Seeing them having internal fights consisting of glares, thrown pencils, and obvious competitions of whoever played their instrument better, was a very comical and "normal" scene.

"NO!" Sasuke and Sakura shouted at once at the poor woman. "ARE YOU MAD?!"

Ms. Azuki recovered herself hastily (which was hard because she fell of her chair) and snapped, "No, but I believe that you two are very good players and I believe that you are compatible in playing for the festival, most namely a duet."

The two groaned and didn't answer for awhile. Then, Sakura mumbled unhappily, "What's the song?"

Their cheery, middle-aged orchestra conductor piped up, "Either Claire De Lune, Vocalise, or Salut D' Amour."

The three were very well-known, very difficult songs. However, they were also known for their beauty and sensuality...meaning that they hinted "love." Originally, they were solos, but...

"I took them into my own hands and translated them in a way so that a violinist and a cellist can play them as a duet," Ms. Azuki continued, taking their silence as astonishment. Not hearing their inward cry of despair, she trailed on. "Not only that, but I don't think one duet would suffice...no, the School District Musical Board would probably appreciate it more if you played all three of them at the festival in front of everyone."

Sakura sighed. Ino's gonna kill me. Everyone knows she likes Sasuke, and no matter how much I tell her, she can't believe that I haaate him. Gosh, what an egotistical jerk he is! He doesn't deserve her anyways. Lord knew how many times Ino, Sakura's friend, wailed in complaint when she found out the School Band wasn't playing with the Orchestra that year. Ino played the flute, a Band instrument, and wasn't in the Orchestra. Sakura merely sighed again.

Well, there goes my happily-dreamed senior life. Sakura thought, not knowing that Sasuke was thinking the same thing.

To be continued…