NARUTO

All I Need To Know

CHAPTER FOUR

Konoha Idols Take To The Stage!

Emma, Kankurou, Mari, Neji, Sakura, Garaa and Sasuke were due to start their performances and rehearsals the very next day, as the boat sailed from A to B (in other words, I dunno where to yet). They were all a little bit nervous, except for Garaa who's maybe never apprehensive, so they gathered in the Uzumaki's room that night to practice (it was the biggest, for some reason, and Naruto and Hinata had taken Chou-Chou up to the top deck to 'view the stars' with the others, so the contestants had the whole room to themselves).

"What's everyone singing tomorrow?" Mari asked immediately, sitting down on Temari's bed and smoothing out her long pink and yellow tie-died skirt. "I," She added quickly. "Am going to be singing C'est La Vie."

"Which one?" Sakura asked her.

"Bwitched." Mari replied confidently.

"Good for you," Sakura told her with a smile. "Because I am going to be singing the Shania Twain version tomorrow."

"Ooh, luckeeee!" Emma trilled from her spot on the floor in Kankurou's lap. "I'm singing Promises, by Ruki Makino."

"Huh?" Kankurou spoke up. "Emi-Chan, weren't you saying yesterday how you were going to sing Goodmorning Sunshine by AQUA?"



"I can change my mind, can't I?" Emma replied, and Mari laughed.



"Well," Neji spoke up calmly. "I'm singing Savin' Me, by Nickelback."

"Had me worried, thought you were gonna say Someday." Emma told him, and they exchanged a grin. Kankurou felt an unexpected and old but familiar pang of jealousy. He had to remind himself about Tenten, and how Emma and Neji were just friends.

"What about you, Garaa-Chan?" Emma spoke over to Kankurou's silent red-haired brother, and Kankurou felt another pang of envy. He wasn't sure he liked his girlfriend and his brother calling each other Chan like they did (yes, Garaa calls one person Chan).

Garaa replied: "The Killer In Me, by Smashing-Pumpkins."

"Typical." Sasuke rolled his eyes, and leaned back against the surprisingly comfortable cane-wicker chair he was lounging in.

Garaa gave him an even Look (the removal of his inner-demon had done wonders for his personality, although he was still a mild bit temperamental, but at least he'd stopped killing every second person he met) and said: "Okay then, Uchiha-Kun, what are you going to be singing?"

"The theme song from Titanic."

"SASUKE-KUN!!" They all yelled, especially Mari because she hated to be lied to by anyone.

Sasuke grinned. "Just kidding," He told them, unnecessarily. "Actually..." He added, more uncertainly now. "Ino wanted me to try something...new...so...I'm going to be singing Say A Prayer...by Belinda Carlisle..."

"WHAT!?" Everyone screamed out the question this 

time, and Sasuke looked annoyed.



"What!?" He cried, and jumped up from his chair. "It's just an experiment, to see if I can sing a woman's song!" He turned to go, but Sakura cried: "WAIT! Sasuke-Chan, please, don't take it like that! We all know that you can sing it, none of us is brave enough to try that out!" She added, glaring silently at the others.

But, Kankurou surprised them all, except for Emma because she'd known.

"I'm singing Breakaway, by Kelly Clarkson." He announced, and Mari and Sakura nearly fell off of the bed.

"Well...good luck..." Sasuke stammered in shock. (He was also jealous that he wasn't the only brave on in their group of singers.)

"Good luck to everyone." Mari said firmly, and then they all took it in turns to practice to each other.

All you could hear on that deck was snippets and shards of:

"Gotta let me in, hey-yeah-yeah..."

"Don't let it get to you, C'est La Vie...wait, can I try that again?"

"Promise that we'll stay for the sunset..."

"Isn't it supposed to be 'stay til' the sunset'?"

"O-nay."

"At-whay?"

"Teach me wrong from right, I'll show you what I can be...hey, just what can I be?"

"How should I know!?"

"Because you..."

"Do. Not. Say. It."

"Sorry, Emma-Chan..."



"The killer in me is the killer in you, my love...I send this smile over to you..."

"AURGH! Garaa just smiled at me!"

"Sand..."

"NO!!"

"Sorry, Mari-San..."

"Every child deserves love...except for my brother..."



"Sasuke-Chan, stick to the script/lyrics/real-words!"

"Sorry, Sakura-Chan..."

"I'll spread my wings and I'll learn how to fly..."

"AWOOOOR!!"

"MARI-CHAN!!"

"Soz, Em-Chan! Actually, it was okay...a safe performance..." Mari said thoughtfully, and Emma leapt at her with a pillow, and Sakura joined in.

The men just stood back, wary.

Hoshi frowned at herself in the mirror, and then held up the hairbrush. "Do you feel like I feel?" She sung softly. "Do you...do..." She coughed. "Do you feel like I feel, or am I all alone?" There, that was perfect. It wasn't the song she was singing tomorrow, but it sure fit her current mood.

Hoshi smiled at her reflection, which smiled back at her.

The real Larry Findmans was currently spending some time as a pillar on the Great Naruto Bridge. Who knew when he, Dean Martin and Faye Smiles would be found again, if ever?

Until that time, Hoshi knew, she was contestant number eight in Konoha Idol. She had actually auditioned for the real Larry Findmans, and then she'd 'stolen' his DNA sequence, and overpowered him before turning him into a pylon. Two people or other were contestants number nine and ten, she knew, and had been auditioned by some other person. But, no matter. Hoshi wasn't really in it to win it.

Well, she was. She'd win something alright, no matter what the final votes stood for...

First, Emma would go. And then...Kankurou would be 

free for the taking...