The Bittersweet Cliché

by ScarecrowDt

I don't own Naruto. Also every title or scene is completely made up from my own mind.

Not one is directed to a particular story or scene of some sort, bear that in mind please.


'You know what I don't get?'

'Hm?' Kakashi responded as he looked up from his new novel. Now Jiraiya had passed away he needed to find a new addiction, and his outlet for that feeling at this moment was a book with a way to sappy title from some old-geezer.

'The amount of clichés and unrealistic things in that book.' Sakura sighed. She let herself fall flat on the grassy ground. Their team had been doing some rigorous training session that Kakashi had created to test their abilities. Needless to say, it almost killed them. Naruto and Sai had immediately left for an appointment with their beds. Sakur hadn't found the strength to even stand on her feet, so she decided the soft fresh grass below her had to do it.

To be honest, Sakura didn't expect a reply from the man. He'd joined their training and should be a little dead too right now. She only wanted him to talk, so she could unravel if his own training had taken a toll on him too. It was only a coincidence that she had read the same book as him last week.

'That hospital scene was completely ridiculous.' Kakashi snorted. His breathing was still a little quick and rough. 'I mean, what realistic medic would just jump on her patient without even knowing the guy personally?'

Sakura was a little surprised. He not only responded, but he also shared his opinion. Not only that, but his breathing was just as bad as hers. This brought an evil satisfying feeling and a small smirk which Sakura wasn't able to get from her face.

'What did you think of the massage scene?' Kakashi questioned, whilst watching Sakura.

'Way too much if you ask me. What realistic people would give a full body massage to your worst enemy? Plus, of course he has to be well endowed, and he has too be way too charming for a bad guy.' Sakura snorted.

'Is the whole book going to be like this?' Kakashi sighed as he lowered the novel in his lap,stretching his legs on the ground, his feet aligned with Sakura's in reverse.

'Yep. There's not one single realistic thing in it.' Sakura spoke in reply as she watched his face lower in disappointment.

'I've only read the first 100 pages but I'm sick of it already.' Kakashi replied. 'How does the ending go?'

'Oh, you know the drill. Handsome boy doesn't want to feel anything for her, so he ignores her. Then she gets angry with him, and then he goes all whiny and gloomy on life and whether he made the right choice. Of course there are some horrible steamy scenes on which she tries to go out with different guys. Then of course there's person C who knows what Handsome boy really feels and of course C tells her about his feelings. Then she goes back to Handsome and they all live happily ever after.' Sakura summed up.

'Aha. The ultimate cliche.'

'Indeed.' Sakura sat up in front of him. 'Why would you even read such a horrible novel? I thought your heart only lay with Icha-Icha?'

'I did, but after reading them so many times I got bored. Now I'm trying to find something that at least comes remotely close to Jiraiya's level.'

Sakura stood up and sat beside him, using the tree-branches for shadow against the hot sun rays.

'Have you ever read "The Duty of man"?' She asked as she lifted the pocket novel out of her pouch.

Kakashi nodded. 'A month ago perhaps.'

'Was it any good? I borrowed it from Ino but I couldn't find the time to start with it.'

'Perhaps even worse than mine.' Kakashi chuckled. Sakura's face sighed in annoyance. Good novels were hard to find these days.

'Tell me.'

'Almost the same, Girl fell in love years ago with her teammate. But of course he's not the kind guy so he brushes her off. Only when he needs medical attention and gets the girl assigned to him, she finds his weak spot and turns his heart soft. Of course he's got a horrible past and he's one of the mysterious kind.'

Sakura looked utterly disappointing. 'Another one of those?'

'Yes, and you know what the worst part was? The girl's change in everything is probably the most delusive thing in life. She turns from the ugly duck into the fairy princess. She 'grows into her forehead' and has 'killer legs', 'no scars' stuff like that. Plus she has jumped from cup A to cup D within a year...when she's already 23. It's really a deluding fairytale.' Kakashi signed again.

'Sounds ugly.' Sakura responded. 'Was there any good hot, steamy scene in it?'

'Well, there was this one scene in which the man is taking her in an alley,..and they're doing some roleplay which is really..uhm..interesting.'

Sakura looked up curiously.

'..What roles?' She quietly spoke, as if she asked a forbidden question.

'Difference in status.' Kakashi quickly rattled. Sakura swore she saw the tips of his ears taking on a more crimson color.

Although he had reformed the sentence nicely, Sakura had read enough books to pick up a clue. However, asking Kakashi for the truth would be pointless, since he deliberately mystified the answer.

An awkward momentum of silence followed.

'Haven't you read anything I could try?' Kakashi tried, hoping to shake the awkwardness off.

'Mwa..there was this one novel, it's about a girl that gets sword fighting lessons from some guy she's known all her life. But only then she realizes how smexy he is.. It doesn't sound all to well, but it quite the feelgood story.'

'Sounds just as ugly, but if you say so. What's the title?'

'Uhm...I believe it was something with 'Between Iron and Violets', but I'm not sure.'

'Any 'good' scenes?' Kakashi grinned, knowing Sakura would be embarrassed.

'Well...yeah...there's this time that their training gets a bit out of hand and they end up all sweaty and angry at each other. One thing leads to another and well...there they are, in bed together.'

'I'll try that one then..' Kakashi pondered. 'I do believe I've read something that was quite entertaining a while ago. It was about a guy who left his village, because the girl he wanted was already in a relationship and it was killing him. It was a quite romantic and dramatic story. Little bit shallow, but still negative point was that the guy was covering up his face and when the girl saw his face she just fell in love all over again, while in real-life a person would seem so different to you it would be nearly impossible to create such strong feelings in one split-second.'

'Mmm..sounds actually interesting, not like a major total cliché or so...' Sakura questioned.

'Ah well, that's the problem. Their feelings are quite cliché. The whole soulmate thing is actually very annoying in that book. Also their characters are the most standard ones you can find. The boy is quiet, shy, nice, innocent, and the girl is experienced, loudmouthed, beautiful, and arrogant.'

'But it was still a good read?' Sakura asked surprised.

'Yes. Actually, the cliché was worth reading. It's still stays interesting in the end. You probably already know but..have you noticed that once you read the first character inside monologue in a book, you're hooked and no matter how cliché, you will finish the story?'

'Now you state it like that..yeah, I guess.'

Kakashi chuckled. 'I guess we're just some pair of horrible hopeless romantics that have read too much and are now questioning even the best stories after Icha Icha.'

'Yeah, but Icha Icha is so much more.' Sakura defended. 'It's about betrayal and one-sided love, it's about taking responsibility, daring to come out for your true feelings, it's about a journey through heart and mind. It's about making choices, and letting go. About the fear of moving on, and the monster inside of us. Plus, of course the smexy scenes, in hot-tubs, shops, alleys, offices, at the hospital, in the woods, on the trainingfields...mm..-'

'You just made Icha Icha a bittersweet cliché.'

'...It is..isn't it?'

'...I guess...'

'Damn...'

'You know what's also very cliché?'

'What?'

'That you're my student and I'm discussion sexscenes with you.'

'Yeah, now you say so...that's not really appropriate, is it?'

'Nope, it isn't.'

.

.

'..Say Kakashi, how about we finish our training, and afterwards we'll hold a good old drinking contest?' Sakura grinned.

'Perhaps adding a small massage for our sore muscles in between?' Kakashi chuckled.

They were a bittersweet cliché after all.