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Sakura's eyes widened in surprise, the boy's reaction was mean and cruel, just as hers was. She crossed her arms over her chest, her face getting hot as kids looked on in awe, no one confronting the girl like that before. Sakura, unlike most girls, was able to hold her own. She was powerful and known to throw a punch when least expected. Though, her facade was merely part of an image; one she hasn't let falter thus far. Without it, she felt she wouldn't be able to withstand competition.

It was her shield.

Glaring at the retreating back of the spiky haired teen, she grunted, her fists clenching in frustration as her eyes met with her friend's pale ones.

"Sakura-chan, are you alright?" Hinata asked, concerned. Sakura sighed as her agitation fell a bit, her eyes softening at the girl.

"Yeah, Hinata. I'll be fine." The bell rung loudly in the ears of the students, signaling the end of the period. Grabbing her books, Sakura waved goodbye to the Hyuuga girl.

"Ja ne, Hinata. I'll see you around!" The girl smiled and nodded in return, her back turning as they separated down different ends of the hallway. When left alone, Sakura walked in a daze, her head pointed downwards as her mind was sent into an inner turmoil.

"That boy…Sasuke. He stood up to me, of all people. I've never heard of him before! For him to suddenly appear from no where must mean he has some major talent…Or he's a rich boy with no where else to go." The girl smirked at the thought as her emerald eyes rose, her head held high as she walked into her piano lesson. So far, the two had no classes together. She breathed a sigh of relief as she made it on time, sitting in her respected seat as a tall woman confronted her, eyes bent towards her. Pushing up her glasses from the rim, she glared down at her. Sakura looked up, returning the gaze as the red haired girl smirked.

"I hope you're not thinking of taking Sasuke-kun from me, Haruno."

Karin.

The pink haired girl scoffed, her eyes turning cold as they grew darker in disgust for the girl before her. Karin and Sakura had been in the same class for ages, competing against one another since entering the musical high school. Purposely, Karin transferred into the pinkette's piano class, her goal to destroy Sakura's reputation as one of the best pianists in Konoha. It was far fetched, but the girl was stubborn and naïve. Sakura scoffed as she rolled her eyes.

"Oh please. I have no interest in whatever his name is." Sakura stated boringly, her eyes drifting from the girl to the board as she tried to ignore her. Karin slammed her hand on Sakura's desk, her red eyes glaring at her through her dark rimmed glasses.

"I'll make you a bet, Haruno. You think you're up for it?" Sakura growled, the woman getting on her nerves. At the mention of a bet, her ears perked. Anything to beat down Karin's reputation was worth the trouble.

"Alright…Shoot, Fugly." Karin grunted, ignoring the comment as she flicked her hair behind her, ruffling her hair to make seem bigger as she pursed her lips, a conniving smile gracing her lips as she continued.

"I bet I can get Sasuke-kun to join my band. With him, we'll surely win the Konoha Music Festival in the spring!" She chimed, her eyes going into a dreamy state as she thought of the mysterious black haired man. Sakura smirked, standing as she met eye to eye with the red head.

"You're on! I bet I can get Sasuke to partner with me for the Festival. With him, I'll make sure to put your band's name in the dirt." Sakura smirked as Karin put her hand out, her smile never leaving her darkened lips. Eyeing it, Sakura shook it in contempt.

The bet was sealed.

"Sasuke! Where the hell did you go?" Naruto yelled at his friend as the last bell rang, letting school out for the day. Sasuke merely shoved his hands in his pockets as he kept his eyes on the road before him, his bag hanging off a strap on his shoulder.

"Hn" Naruto grunted, unsatisfied with the response as he shrugged it off.

"Fine, be that way. But hey! I saw Hinata-chan today! I didn't get the chance to talk to her, though." He pushed his fist into the air, his laughter filling the open space as he ranted about winning the heart of the Hyuuga girl. It fell on deaf ears as Sasuke was caught in his own thoughts.

"I could of sworn that was the girl in the auditorium. Her hair…It was definitely her. But, she doesn't seem…Gah, stupid woman making me think about unnecessary things!" Sasuke pulled black locks in front of his face with his pointer finger and thumb, shadowing his eyes as he watched his feet in annoyance. It went unnoticed by Naruto as he continued talking loudly about his future plans.

Across the street, emerald eyes evaluated the two men, her orbs showing her thought process as she contemplated whether to approach them or not. Sighing, she sucked up her pride, gulping loudly as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. Looking both ways, she crossed quickly, her heart beating out of her chest as she glared at the Uchiha who didn't seem to notice her.

"U-Uchiha! Wait up!" the girl yelled, running to the two men as they stopped at her voice, Sasuke's black eyes widened slightly but quickly turned to a glare as he scoffed and kept walking. Naruto eyed Sasuke as he watched the girl, a small blush rising to his face. The girl ignored the blonde as he stared, the pinkette's hand reaching out to grab the obsidian eyed Uchiha's wrist. "W-wait! Sasuke…"

Sasuke turned at the mention of his name, his eyes peering down at the girl's innocent looking features. It had been the first time he had seen her this close, a bit of pink rising to his cheeks as he pulled away from her grasp. Her eyes were large compared to the rest of her features, a mix of light and dark green looking up at him as they shined. Her lips were soft looking, a bit plump as they were slightly parted. Her hair was long, reaching her mid back as it waved in the right spots, darkened pink low lighting her hair. Her bangs swept across her face as other strands framed the sides of her thin face. Overall, she was a lot more attractive then he had previously thought.

"What the hell do you want?" He asked stoically, his eyes betraying his demeanor as Sakura moved closer to him, much to his discomfort. She looked down and forced herself to blush a bit, admitting to herself he was a bit handsome. But, she pushed it aside.

"I was wondering…If maybe you wou-" She was interrupted as Naruto pushed Sasuke aside, a thumb pointing to his chest as he smiled brightly at the blushing girl.

"My name is Naruto Uzumaki! I'm the best drummer around! We should go on a date sometime!" He yelled as she chuckled softly, eyeing him in annoyance as she waved it off.

"I can't Naruto-kun. I have to preoccupy myself with practicing…" She stated, a soft smile following as Naruto looked down, crestfallen. Sasuke grunted from the side, brushing the hem of his uniform as he turned his back to them. "Sasuke!"

He stopped, refusing to look at the girl he had been previously addressed. She approached him slowly, keeping a fair distance as she shuffled her feet in her spot.

"I was wondering if maybe you would…Want to be my partner in the Spring Festival in two months. I heard you were a singer and I thought that may-"

"No." Sakura's eyes widened, her eyes gazing at his back as he remained still, his eyes downcast as they hardened.

"B-but w-"

"I have no interest in wasting my time with you…Besides, I have no interest in performing in some festival." He shifted his bag on his shoulder as he growled, the thought of his father appearing in his head. "I was forced to attend here anyway. Once I graduate I'm out of Konoha and off to do my own shit away from my father." Sasuke finished, knowing he had said too much. Sakura looked away, her hands moving to rub her arm as she pulled at the sleeve of her uniform.

"Sasuke, I-"

"Save it. I don't want to hear your comments." Sasuke trudged forwards, a headache forming as he rubbed his temples. Naruto waved, a sad look adorning his face as he jogged after his friend, leaving Sakura on the sidewalk alone.

He never even gave her a chance.

"S-so he denied you completely?" A soft voice over the phone sounded a bit shaky as the girl spoke. Sakura pulled the towel from her long locks, rubbing the white garment over her hair to dry it.

"Yeah! He's a total asshole! Then his friend tried hitting on me and it was just horrible, Hinata." Sakura huffed as she sat on her bed, eyeing herself in the mirror annoyingly. Though she received a decent amount of attention from the opposite sex, she was never able to see what they did. It annoyed her greatly. She heard a small breath come from the over the phone and figured it was her friend thinking to herself.

"Oh! W-well what if you befriend him? Maybe take him to Karaoke night on Friday? I'm sure he would like it considering he sings and all." Sakura made a small face of contemplation before nodding, a small smile forming on her porcelain skin.

"Yeah, good idea Hinata! Alright, my next mission is to befriend Uchiha Sasuke!"

Sasuke sighed, his shoulders drooping as he walked into the large mansion; his personal hell. He walked in silently, shutting the door and locking it behind him as he sent his hand through his hair, making it askew. He refused to announce his presence, knowing no one was around to hear it. His mother had died when he was eight from a heart attack while his brother, Itachi, was spending his time in America dealing with stocks and commercial trade; his father's work.

Trudging towards his room, he threw his bag in the corner, shutting the door before falling onto his large mattress, welcomed into comfort as he shut his heavy lids.

"I…Shut her out completely. Even though I wanted to get to know her. I know she's the girl that was playing the piano but…She's so different from when she sings. She's more extravagant and mysterious. We're similar…" Sasuke thought as he let his throbbing head rest on the white pillow under him.

"There's a wall in front of your heart, Sakura. You refuse to let anyone in"

We're one in the same.

The next day at school had been a hassle. Groups of musically gifted students filled the halls as they scurried to their classes. Sasuke walked slowly towards chorus, a group of love-stricken girls following behind him, calling out his name in desperation. He growled underneath his breath, his blonde haired friend missing from school today for whatever reason. He figured he had gotten drunk and was currently in a severe hangover.

Figures.

Opening the door to the classroom, an assortment of beady eyes went to him, eyeing him as they all stood, ready to sing.

"Welcome. Please make yourself useful by sitting in the tenor section, Sasuke." A black haired woman with bright red eyes proclaimed as she eyed him annoyingly.

"hn." Sasuke walked to a group of men as stood at the end, arms crossign over his chest as he grabbed a booklet from the chair in front of him, scanning the music in confusion.

"I have no idea what this means…" He looked around the room, black eyes watching in curiosity as the teens sang their hearts out, each synchronizing and harmonizing with one another. Their blend was perfect as they matched the pitches appropriately. Sasuke sat in silence, his ears listening as they sang. If he wasn't able to read music, he could at least learn it from his musical ear. It was one of his many raw talents.

"This is going to be a long year…"

Sakura let out an exasperated sigh as she sat next to Hinata, whom was rubbing her back affectionately while smiling at the brooding girl.

"It's okay, Sakura-chan! You can do it!" encouraged the girl. Hinata wasn't the most enthused person, though she tried to show it to the best of her ability especially since her best friend's feelings hung in the balance. Sakura looked up from her arms as she blew a strand of pink from her eyes.

"I can't do this, Hinata! It's way too difficult to befriend and asshole!" She grunted, sitting back in her chair as she started picking at the table in thought. Hinata giggled softly, her eyes moving behind her as she searched for the black haired ice cube. Grabbing hold of her friend's shirt, she tugged, causing Sakura to look up from her sudden fascination in picking at the table.

"He's over there, Sakura-chan! Go talk to h-him!" She stated, her eyes showing a bit of excitement as she tried to move the gloomy rosette girl. She grunted as a response, standing and brushing off her skirt as a way to hopefully delay her one fear.

Rejection.

She silently motivated herself, telling her mind and body to stay put and hold your ground; don't let what he says hurt you in anyway. It was all for a bet anyway.

Tugging at the sweater of the Uchiha, she put on a false smile; appearing genuine as Sasuke turned, his eyes glowering at her.

"What do you want?" an icy voice clung in the air, piercing her like a knife as she felt her breath hitch, her face becoming hot as she thought of what to say. After a quick second, she chuckled softly, sitting beside him as he rose an eyebrow at her antics.

"I was wondering if you wanted to go to Karaoke Night at a teen bar this Friday! I've gone before and it's a lot of fun!" The girl giggled as she played with a strand of her long hair to appeal to her "innocent" act. She thought it was working quite well. Sasuke eyed her suspiciously, his hand pulling towards his bangs as he tried to hide the small smirk forming on his lips.

"Damn it…She's cute"

Sasuke merely sighed, his face returning to his normal, unemotional gaze as he watched her.

"Fine. But, on one condition." He paused, making sure she was listening as she leaned closer, Sasuke looking away as a response. "You have to sing…With me."

Words escaped her at first, her eyes never leaving the black eyes of the man before her. It seemed like forever before she broke away; her mind seemingly blank.

"Thank you, S-Sasuke. I'll meet you there." Standing, the girl left without another word, her feet moving back towards her friend who sat silently, watching. Upon arriving at the table, Sakura looked down, her side swept bangs making a curtain over her jade eyes.

"Ne, Sakura-chan, what's w-wrong? What did he say?" Hinata asked longingly, her curiosity getting the better of her.

"I have to sing…With him."

Silence.

"Uh..oh…"