The story of Us
"Whoever wishes to sign in for the talent hunt can send their names before the end of the day." Kakashi explained with his only visible eye running through the pages of his favorite orange book. A huge chatter broke out among the students. Everyone discussed their talents loudly. They knew their sensei was too busy to spare them even a glance. The new edition of the orange book had just come out.
"So I'm gonna bring Akamaru" spoke Kiba excitedly "He can perform all sorts of tricks."
"Do you think there will be food?" Chouji asked with a concerned face.
Kiba mentally face palmed. Who was he talking to?
On the other side of the room, Ino was explaining her new floral decoration ideas to her best friend Sakura who was too busy sighing dejectedly.
"What's wrong, billboard head?"
"Nothing. What do you think I should do?"
"That's pretty obvious, isn't it? You're going to sing!"
Sakura didn't reply. She just stayed quiet. She didn't feel like singing.
Don't get her wrong. She loved singing with all her heart but the only person she wanted to sing for didn't even care for her. She wasn't 13 anymore. She was 16 and turning 17 soon. She had learnt the bitter reality.
Sasuke Uchiha didn't bother to acknowledge her existence.
She had always taken a great care of her looks. She was beautiful and she knew it. She had waist length pink hair and sea green eyes. Her name matched her physical features. The only thing she had ever hated about herself was her forehead but she had come to like it thanks to Ino.
She wanted to let go. He was her first love but one sided love hurt. It hurt like hell. Your own heart revolts against your mind even though it's just trying to protect the heart.
"Sakura-chan!" the voice of her blonde ray of sunshine BFF broke her mental tirade. Her bright blue eyes were gleaming like they always did. A huge grin adorned her pretty features. It was hard to tell that Naruto was even a girl. She was a tomboy through and through. She kept her knee length blonde hair in a tight bun and wore baggy clothes that hid her feminine figure. She had a beautifully tan skin with gorgeous ocean blue eyes. But her most striking features were the three whisker like markings on each cheek.
"Sakura-chan?"She asked in a concerned voice.
Sakura snapped out of her thoughts and gave an apologetic smile. Naruto took a seat next to her.
"So what are you going to sing at the talent hunt?"
"I don't want to sing." She replied in a sad tone. She shared everything with Naruto although she had known her only 2 years and they didn't exactly have the best beginning. She had disliked Naruto with a vengeance since on the very first day of middle school she had taken Sasuke's first kiss. It was an accident but she was too much of a fan girl to accept the little fact.
Sasuke and Naruto loathed each other but she was also the only one he responded to; albeit unwillingly. She made him lose his cool and collected mask. The only time he showed any emotion was in her presence. This made Sakura jealous but she knew Naruto didn't have any feelings for him. She was the only girl in the entire Fire country or maybe the world resistant to his out of the world handsome face and Greek God like body.
Sometimes she wondered if Naruto ever hit puberty.
"Sakura-chan? This is too much. Where do you keep drifting off to, dattebayo?"
"Huh?"
Naruto shook her head in exasperation.
"I asked you why you didn't want to sing."
Sakura gazed at Naruto thoughtfully.
"I want to sing for him but I know it won't matter."
Naruto didn't speak. From the past few weeks she went silent whenever Sasuke came into their conversations. After a brief period of quiet she spoke finally.
"It will matter to those who really care. And if he matters so much you should pick a song in which you can pour all your feelings… a song which acts like a cupid's arrow to his heart… a song which creates that special bond… you know."
How did the childish, reckless Naruto be so mature when someone really needed her? Sakura thought. Naruto had grown up then why hadn't she?
"What are you going to do?" she asked.
"Sing."
"You can sing?!"
"We'll see."
Naruto had a distant look in her eyes. Her blue eyes were a clear window to her soul. At the moment they reflected the turbulence in her mind.
Sakura knew the expression quite nicely.
"You are in love." She deadpanned.
Naruto sputtered at her observation. She glanced around herself fast to make sure no one else had heard.
"What the hell, Sakura-chan? Don't say things like that… in public."
Sakura laughed.
"I just cleared your confusion." She stated as a matter of fact. "And no one is listening."
"I'm not confused, dattebayo." Naruto defended.
"You are and don't you dare deny it. I know that expression way too nicely."
Naruto groaned and Sakura smirked in victory.
"So who is the poor guy?" she asked
"You have to trust me, dattebayo."
Sakura rolled her eyes in clear distrust.
"I'm going to get it out of you sooner or later anyway, Naru-chan." She spoke in a sickly sweet tone and then added seriously "Better be prepared."
Naruto flinched and prayed to every single God she knew.
