Confessions of an Uchiha

Declaration I

Combining one male singer and a female singer, both popular for their talents and special voices, get them under one roof, you hear wedding bells and poof! Out comes a first born son who is a prodigy and a gifted singer. Add in a drunken night from the daddy and he comes home to a worried mommy, hormones start acting up and out comes another son – but…

"What do you mean he can't sing?!"

She sighed when her husband had started pacing around the living room.

"Fugaku, you can't expect our youngest son to be a great singer just because we, plus Itachi, are good."

"But Mikoto, this is-" he turned red a bit. "It's…" he couldn't finish his sentence, knowing that his youngest son, only eight years old, can be so sensitive. Heck, all children can be sensitive. But why oh why didn't Sasuke become like them and his older brother, Itachi?

Mikoto sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Dear, listen to me, Sasuke's teacher said that he just doesn't want to sing, and also, he plays the guitar, at such a young age, pretty good enough. Also, he said that Sasuke should improve his skills on that."

"But we're a family of singers!"

The matriarch twitched and grabbed Fugaku's collar, shaking him furiously. "Listen to me Uchiha Fugaku! I will not let you force or pressure my baby into a singing career! He can do what he wants with his life! It is up to us to support and guide him in the right path! And by right path, I meant away from drugs, alcohol and gang activities!"

Sasuke blinked and tilted his head. His mommy can be scary at times, yet he never seems to be the victim of her mood swings, and he'd love to always be on her good side.

"Now then," Mikoto smiled when she faced Sasuke. "Your teacher said that you were fond of musical instruments, what would you like to play?"

The child knew that they were rich, but he wasn't as spoiled as some other kids, even if his mother did spoil him a lot. However, if there was one thing he would really, really like, it would have to be playing different kinds of instruments of his choice. So, he smiled at his mother. "I want to play a lot of instruments, ka-chan."

"Really? That's nice, I'll do my best to make sure you get to professionally play your preferred instruments. So, what are they?"

"But, they're so many…" he murmured, looking down with a frown.

"It's okay Sasuke, just name it and I'll get to it."

"Um… well, I can learn to play the guitar by myself…" he thought for a while and grinned. "I want to play the piano and violin! Even the flute!"

Fugaku gaped at his youngest child. Sure he wasn't a singer, yet, but he sure had so many dreams at such a young age already. Okay, so what if Sasuke wasn't interested in singing? His wife did have a point, Sasuke is Sasuke and Itachi is Itachi. He may as well accept the fact that they are not destined to be a family of singers, but at least they were all interested in music. He sighed and gave a small smile.

"Alright, starting tomorrow, you will have piano lessons. Once you've mastered that, we can go to the violin, and then the flute."

It was the first time Sasuke ever hugged his dad with such force.

"So, why so interested in playing instruments?" Fugaku grinned. "Are you planning to form a band when you grow up?" he could at least hope his youngest son was aiming for the stars.

"Nope. I just want to." He replied with a grin.

Itachi sighed and plopped down on his bed. He loves to sing, yet the life of a famous singer can be so tiring. He hated interviews and being chased by the public and media whenever he's out for a stroll. Hell, he hated having to wear disguises, only to have it foiled whenever he'd trip or bump into someone. He sure envied his brother's life.

…

"…Not."

On second thought, he'd rather have this life than Sasuke's. Why? For one thing, Sasuke hates attention from annoying people, yet he always gets it whenever they see him about to play an instrument. At least being a singer meant that you can go wherever you want and do your thing. "Poor little brother." He murmured, smirking slightly. "I pity you, at the same time; enjoy how you're so irritated."

He got up when he heard the strumming of an electric guitar from the other room. Itachi was never one to play an instrument. He didn't enjoy pressing piano keys, strumming guitars or blowing onto flutes. He'd rather hold a microphone and let his voice do the job. He and his brother were so different, yet they were alike in terms of loving music and composing songs. Actually, he owed his brother for the tunes he made for the songs he sang. Indeed, they were a good team – yet he was saddened by the fact that his little brother does not get a little credit. But then, Sasuke always refused it, saying that he enjoys being in the dark than being in the spotlight.

"Come to think of it," Itachi murmured to himself. "I've never even heard him sing…" he decided to make it his duty to get his little brother to sing, even just one song. Besides, how in the world can Sasuke even compose tunes when he is a bad singer? "Actually, it's possible, but still…" and so, Uchiha Itachi had decided that he will get to the bottom of this.

He got out of his room and headed for his brother's, knocking before entering. "Yo, you're gonna be late for school."

Sasuke stopped strumming his guitar and looked up at Itachi.

"It's your first day as a college student, better make a good impression."

"Tch. Whatever."

Itachi waited for his brother to fix his things before they both headed down for breakfast, where their parents were patiently waiting for them to join. Fugaku was, as usual, reading the newspaper – specifically the entertainment section – grinning and nodding at every word he read. Mikoto greeted her two sons and picked up her eating utensils when both brothers have seated themselves.

"So, are you excited for today, Sasu-chan?"

"No."

Fugaku lowered his paper to look at Sasuke who had his head lowered, silently eating his plate of bacon and eggs. He turned to Mikoto who gave a sympathetic look at her youngest son, knowing his life as a student. "College isn't the same with pre-school, elementary or High School dear, maybe this time, you'll have fun." She assured, smiling slightly. She knew that it was hard to please the teen nowadays. That's why she made sure that he'll be left alone to what he wants to do, as long as it doesn't involve trouble.

"…Hn."

"Sasuke." Fugaku called in a stern voice, causing the boy to look up to meet his father's gaze. "I-" he stopped when he sensed his wife's glare and dangerous aura, making him shudder involuntarily and sigh. "I hope you enjoy…" he muttered, hiding behind the newspaper again. He can never really discipline or be strict with Sasuke because Mikoto tends to spoil the boy too much and the fact that he does not want to feel his wife's wrath. "At least he doesn't cause trouble…" he added in his thoughts.

"I'm going." Sasuke announced, getting up from his seat, giving a respectful bow before picking up his things to leave.

"Have fun in school today!" Mikoto called out.

"Hn." A frown was etched onto his face. "I don't know the meaning of fun anymore…"

He walked towards the tall gates as soon as he got out, confusing the guard in charge of the entrance.

"Sir, isn't the chauffer driving you to school today?"

"No." he replied. "Open the gates, I'm walking there."

"B-but sir, your father-"

"…Won't know." Sasuke deadpanned, eyeing the guard lazily. The help here in the Uchiha mansion were all nice, friendly and what-not, but sometimes, they can be too annoying, with how they treat him like a kid. "Tch. This is all mom's fault…" he thought in an embarrassed way as he recalled how his mother would always hire special agents to follow him around, even in school, until he reached eighteen. Now at nineteen, and still a heartthrob, his mom had finally stopped all her babying for him. Yet she still did, from time to time, treat him like a child. Not to mention, had been demanding that he get himself a girlfriend.

"Alright then." And the guard opened the gates as Sasuke stepped out, carrying his backpack on one shoulder, his guitar's case strapped onto his left.

He took in the fresh air, smelling and tasting freedom and a new life as a college student.

"That's him right?"

"Yeah, the prodigy…"

He could hear all these whispers about him, yet he chose not to care and just took a seat in class. It was his first day in college, taking up a course in music, obviously, and already, people recognized him for his talent. Yet only a few believed that he could play the guitar, – electric or acoustic – piano, violin and flute. No one even seemed to believe that he can actually play a few beats from the drums, since he didn't really like playing that certain instrument. The only reason he took it up when he was in Junior High was because he wanted to play something that was loud and didn't need much rhythm. However, he didn't exactly enjoy it.

But it did help him drown out the scolding voices of his father and relieve his stress.

"Why..?" he thought, clenching his fists. He thought his father was over the fact that he didn't want to sing, yet Fugaku seemed to just pick on him about the topic. He hated it when his father brings it up. A normal parent would be so proud to have a son or daughter know how to play so many different instruments, yet his father seemed only interested with singing.

"Hey, you're Sasuke, right?"

He blinked, finding it odd that someone knew him for his name and not his family name. So, despite knowing that it was a girl talking to him, he decided to raise his head and take a good look at this girl who knew his first name.

"…Is that natural?" he asked, bewildered at the color of her hair.

She frowned and looked away. "Yeah," she muttered in an embarrassed tone. "Looks like you're going to think of me as a weirdo too…"

He snorted and smirked at her, to which she blushed.

"What made you say that?"

"Everyone always says I'm a freak because of my hair."

"Well, I'm not everyone." He muttered with his arms crossed. "What do you want?"

"Huh?"

He raised a brow. "You came to me for what?" he clarified.

"Oh," she gave a sheepish smile. "I haven't heard you play an instrument since fifth grade, when we were thirteen."

Sasuke blinked, staring at her as she smiled and gave a tilt of her head, making her long pink hair sway with her movements.

"Wait," he said. "Sakura..?"

"Bingo!" she grinned. "I thought you forgot who I was! It's not everyday you see a pink-haired girl, Sasuke."

No wonder she knew him. She was one of those girls who admired him so much due to his talent. But unlike the others, she admired him from afar, quietly at that, and she was the only one who ever called him by his first name, never his last.

"You've… changed a lot." He commented, still not believing this was the same girl he always looked at whenever she was unaware. It's not because he liked her, it was more of an observation.

She made him wonder why she was so different, why she was always quiet, why she calls him Sasuke and not Uchiha, why she never ever talks or squeals so much like the other girls he's seen. Yes, seen, not met. He never bothered to remember their names, but Sakura, she was different. And despite them not even talking to each other, until now, her name was forever stuck in his head, one was because he likes cherry blossoms – their beauty and fragrance that is, not in a gay way of course. Another is because she was like a needle in a haystack – sticking out from the rest and hard to find when you want to see her. Lastly, it was because of the very fact that she remembered him because of his talent and skills, not because of him being an Uchiha.

"How can you tell?" she asked with a giggle. "We weren't even close or friends back then, just classmates, until you moved to another school."

"I don't know, but I can." He answered truthfully. "I can't even believe I'm talking to you right now."

She took it the wrong way, and he noticed, since her eyes easily lost their glow.

"Hey, no, I didn't mean it like that." He said. "It's just that, you weren't… well," he didn't know how to put it in words, but she smiled, and he knew that she understood.

"Well, I was really shy then. Now, well, if I ever want to pursue my dream, I need to get a back bone, right?"

Sasuke nodded, still looking at her. "And… what may that be?"

Her eyes softened. "I want to sing…" she whispered. "It's not because of the fame or fortune, but… it's more on…" she closed her eyes. "I just enjoy opening my mouth to let my feelings and thoughts out through a song, it's my way of communicating to others openly."

For someone he wasn't well-acquainted with, she sure opened up a lot to him. And it made Sasuke wonder, during their pass hour of talking, why their teacher hasn't arrived yet.

"So, here I am, pursuing my dream! What about you?"

His eyes narrowed slightly. "I don't know. I just enjoy playing an instrument; I'm not much of a signer."

"So I've been told, but I still haven't heard you sing you know." She paused. "Actually, I can't believe someone who composes tunes for Crow's songs doesn't know how to sing. It's… weird."

"Crow" was the stage name of Uchiha Itachi. Being a fan of his music, Sakura made a thorough search on who was responsible for the tunes.

"Wait," he turned to her. "How did you know that I'm in charge of putting the rhythm and beat to my brother's songs?"

When your last name is "Uchiha", there's no use hiding the relationship you have with them.

Sakura smiled. "I'm not a fan of Crow but of his music - your music. Ever since you played back in grade school, even if it was just old songs, and where I first saw you, I've always wanted to listen to the strumming of your guitar, the notes you play on the piano and the way you would blow onto your flute with fluent fingers moving about."

He involuntarily blushed at what she said. He didn't even know why he did. Just the mere fact that there was someone, a girl at that, who knew him for who he is, who liked his music, not because Itachi sings to it, but because he plays it; all these are just…

"…Too good to be true." He muttered under his breath as he sighed and ran a hand through his hair. Sakura only smiled in amusement. "What is, Sasuke?"

"This." He answered. "It's a little too much for me to hope that this isn't a dream." He leaned back. "Meeting someone who actually likes my music not because Itachi sings to it – it's just too… unbelievable."

"Well, as Naruto would say back then, believe it!"

He smirked at how she perfectly imitated the dead last's voice. Come to think of it, he hasn't seen his best friend for a long time now.

"By the way," she spoke, her face turning red. "I know that this may be too sudden and all, but… do you have any plans on the fourteenth?"

Sasuke raised a brow. Well, obviously he doesn't do dates or anything, since his parents go out to sing to the public, and his brother usually goes with them. So, yeah, he's free most of the time. But was Sakura planning on asking him out?

"I guess I'm free… I'd probably be coming up with new tunes again." He said, scratching the back of his spiky locks. He noted how Sakura's eyes lit up, and he had a feeling that she was indeed planning on asking him out. "Cool. Can you do me a favor and help me with a song?"

Sasuke blinked. So she didn't ask him out, and he didn't know whether he'd be relieved, or a bit disappointed that someone he actually feels attracted to did not show any interest in asking him for a date.

"Sure." He replied. It was, in a way, still a date anyway. "Where do you live?"

"Ah, no. I'll go to your place instead so that you wouldn't be horded by your fans." She grinned and he smirked, shaking his head slightly but nodding none the less. By fans, she meant the girls who are after him for his looks.

"You know, we can even start with it later." He said with a shrug. Sakura blushed slightly and looked at him as he stared back at her. "What?" he asked.

"Are you… serious?"

"Do I look like I'm kidding?"

"No, I mean. It's… weird." She smiled. "But okay. It's not everyday I get an offer from an Uchiha, especially from you."

"Hn." He got up and took his bag when the bell rang. Apparently, their teacher didn't really show up. "I'll meet you at the entrance gate after school." And he left for his next class. Sakura only smiled and inwardly cheered, hoping that somehow, their new found friendship may lead to what she has always hoped for ever since the day she heard him play the guitar.

He looked up when he heard running footsteps. It was about time. He was getting bored waiting for her.

"Sorry, the teacher didn't dismiss us until someone admitted who threw the crumpled paper at his head."

"Hn. Let's get going. My mom would throw a fit when I don't get back soon." He stopped at that. "Unless she's not home."

"Ah, sorry, my bad." She said with a sheepish grin. Sasuke only smirked and led the way back to his home – or rather, mansion.

"Holy sh-sh…" he looked at her weirdly when she didn't finish the cursed word.

"What? Not allowed to curse?"

"Eh? Well, I'm not in my turf; it might offend your parents or something…"

He snorted in response. "They hear the same shit every damn day." He smirked when she gave a disbelieved look. "Come on, even my brother sings a few songs with cursed words."

"Eh he, I don't really listen to the lyrics, just the tone." She blushed at that confession. He too, turned a bit red and looked away, clearing his throat to get rid of the uneasiness. "Let's go." He turned to the guard who noticed him and opened the gates, greeting Sakura as well who smiled in return.

They entered the place; finding the inside of the mansion empty, as always, save for the butler and maids who were doing their daily tasks.

"My, who is this beautiful lady, young master?" Wei, an old man in his late forties, asked.

Sakura smiled shyly at the comment as Sasuke introduced her to him. Wei bowed down, saying that it was a pleasure to meet a friend of Sasuke's before leaving the two alone. "Wei, could you ask some of the maids to bring some snacks and drinks in the music room?" Sasuke asked before he and Sakura climbed the stairs. The butler nodded and Sasuke led Sakura upstairs, touring her around at the same time.

"And here is where my brother and I finish his songs." He opened the room, earning a gasp from Sakura as she looked around in awe. The area was very spacious and had a keyboard, a drum set, etc. She really felt like she was in a recording studio. There were even microphones and amplifiers present.

"Just put your stuff down and we can start."

Sakura nodded and did as she was told before following him over to the keyboard area.

"So, what's your song about?" he asked, pulling a piano chair as he sat down and gestured her to take a seat next to him.

"Well…" she looked at the paper in her hands, her face red as she browsed through the lyrics. Sasuke raised a brow at her sudden silence and made a move to grab the paper, but she kept it away from him and laughed nervously. "It's about… err… dedication, what if's and stuff."

"Wow," he rolled his eyes. "That helps." He said sarcastically.

"WHAT?"

"I'm asking about the genre. Is it in the romantic way or friend type or family?"

"Oh…" her face turned a deeper shade of crimson, looking away from him.

"Romance, got it." He murmured, noticing her expression. "Give it to me."

"Eh?"

Sasuke eyed her. "How can I make a tone for your song without seeing the lyrics?"

"Er… just come up with something and I'll sing to it."

"No." Sasuke grabbed the paper, causing her to yell. "Sakura," he twitched, narrowing his eyes at her. "You're going to end my possible career before I even graduate from college if you scream like that again."

"…Beethoven didn't need to hear to compose."

"Hn. I'm not Beethoven." He read the lyrics and gave a whistle. "Who's this for?" he asked with a smirk, keeping his eyes on the words.

Sakura panicked and twiddled her thumbs, trying to come up with an alibi.

"Well?"

"It's for my friend." She quickly answered. "She asked me to compose a song for her that speaks about her feelings for someone."

"Hn. Aright then." He asked her to hold onto the paper. "I'm gonna need some time to match the lyrics first, so I'll ask you to sing once in a while to the tune, okay?"

She nodded, and he switched on the keyboard. "Let's start with Do Re Mi's first."

Mikoto wondered briefly why the household maids were all giggling in a giddy manner. She watched as they prepared two glasses, a bottle of soda, and a plate of cheese pizza. She checked her watch, seeing the time, concluding that Sasuke was home, but her husband or Itachi can't be here yet, knowing that her husband had an interview, and Itachi had a photo shoot for his new album. "May I ask who our guest is?" she asked Wei who entered the kitchen to hand over Mikoto's mails.

"Oh, the young master brought home a guest. They're in the recording room."

Mikoto looked up at Wei. "Girl or boy?"

Wei smiled. "What do you think, milady?"

Mikoto, knowing that Wei would only use that tone when amused, already knew that Sasuke had brought home a girl. So, she quickly rushed to the recording room, followed closely behind by the maids who brought with them the prepared refreshments, and peeked inside the room, smiling from ear to ear at the sight.

"Alright, let's try it again." He said, playing the keys.

Sakura nodded and sang to the music.

Tatoeba ne namida ga koboreru hi ni wa
Sono senaka wo hitorijime shitai kedo
Yasashisa wa tokidoki zankoku dakara
Motomeru hodo kotae wo miushinau

(Even if there are days when the tears roll down my cheeks
I want to have your back all for myself, but
because kindness is also cruel sometimes
I lose sight of the answer the more I search for it)

He fluently moved his fingers to the rightful keys, satisfied with how it turned out.

A squeal made them stop and turn to the door where Mikoto was, along with the maids who were carrying the trays with their afternoon snacks.

"…ka-chan?"

"You two are so cute!" Mikoto giggled and rushed inside, sitting next to Sakura. "What's your name dear?"

Sakura stared wide-eyed at Mikoto, not believing that her hands were being held by the famous singer. "S-Sakura," she managed to say. "H-Haruno S-Sakura…"

"Aww, you're so cute." Mikoto gushed, pinching both sides of Sakura's cheeks.

"Ka-chan, you're hurting her." Sasuke grabbed his mother's wrists and made her stop. "What are you doing home so early?"

Sakura felt awkward in her position. She was in the middle after all, and it didn't help with Sasuke's arms around her since he had to keep his mother's hands away.

"Well, my meeting with Itachi's manager was cancelled, due to an accident that occurred on his way, so he got caught on traffic and called it off." She looked back at Sakura. "Sakura-chan, not only are you cute, but beautiful as well." She paused. "You don't mind me calling you Sakura-chan now, right?"

"Ah, no, it's alright, Uchiha-san."

"Well then, call me 'Mikoto' instead. I'm not really fond with formalities you know." She snapped her fingers. "Speaking of formalities, Sasu-chan, you do remember about the party we will be attending?"

"Yeah."

"Why not ask Sakura-chan to accompany you? You don't have someone to escort yet."

Sakura blushed. "B-but Mikoto-san, I wouldn't want to intrude and-"

"Nonsense!" she exclaimed. "You can keep Sasu-chan some company. He isn't fond with these formal gatherings."

Sakura turned to Sasuke who sighed and gave a nod, so Sakura also accepted Mikoto's invitation as the famous female singer smiled brightly and got up, motioning the maids to enter. "I'll leave you two alone now. I'm sorry for interrupting, and it was nice meeting you Sakura. You should join us for dinner."

She blushed and laughed nervously, shaking her head to reject but Mikoto had already left, her last words being: "Haruno is your last name, hmm… I'll phone your parents. Sasu-chan can take you home later."

"But-"

"Trust me, you wouldn't want to get on her bad side." Sasuke muttered, turning to face his keyboard and nodding his thanks to the maids who brought in their afternoon snacks. "My brother and father learned that the hard way."

"And you..?"

He smirked smugly. "I'm her favorite."

"Whew. I'm home!" she announced, entering her house and closing the door behind her. Dinner over at the Uchihas was pretty amusing. She always believed that families who are that rich would be silent when eating, but for Sasuke's family, it was a fun time. Everytime Fugaku would make a serious comment or attempt to talk to Sasuke in a strict manner, Mikoto would already send her glare at her husband, which would end up in Fugaku complimenting Sasuke instead. Itachi seemed to be the typical brother, who cares for his siblings yet annoys them to hell, as well as embarrasses them. Luckily for Sasuke, he always gets his mother's defense and protection from Fugaku and Itachi.

"Hi dear, how was your day?"

"It was great mom." Sakura answered, spotting Kasumi, her mother, in the kitchen, washing the dishes and other utensils. "Where's dad?"

"He's taking a shower."

"Oh, okay." She took a seat in one of the dining chairs and smiled. "Guess who I met!"

"Yes, yes, I know. Mikoto-san called. She insisted on being called by her first name." Kasumi giggled. "So, how did… Fugaku-san really look..?"

Sakura giggled. Her father was a big fan of Uchiha Mikoto, and her mother was one of the worshippers of Fugaku. It was funny. Her best friend Ino, on the other hand, was a big, big fan of Crow, aka Uchiha Itachi. And she was one of Sasuke's many fans, except she likes him for his music and not for his status or looks; although, the looks can be an exception.

"Well, he looks okay." Sakura said. "I can't believe that he and that guy on one of your old magazines are the same."

"Age makes a big difference, indeed." Kasumi said. "Although, you could've gotten me an autograph…"

"Don't worry mom, I'm going back there tomorrow."

Kasumi stopped and turned to her daughter.

"Well, I asked Sasuke's help with one of my composed songs." She grinned sheepishly. "He doesn't seem as bad as what reporters say in TV or in the magazine. He's pretty friendly, nice, and sarcastic but in a cute way, he's a really…" Kasumi noted the look on her daughter's face, and she couldn't help but smile. She then finished up and turned back to her daughter.

"You like him, don't you?"

Sakura blushed and turned to Kasumi.

"Just be careful dear, having a relationship with these people, it can be tough."

"Mom, that's unlikely to happen. And besides, if it does, Sasuke isn't a famous singer, so it would be different."

Kasumi smiled. "Just be careful."

Sakura nodded and excused herself as she went up to her room and lay down on her bed. Her mom was right, she does like him, and not just due to his music and for her admiration on him. She does like him due to his looks too, but after getting to know a few things about him, especially with Naruto who constantly spills a few things about Sasuke to her, she keeps finding herself drawn to him. Like opposite charges.

"But you can't know." She whispered, looking at her desk where she had to buy Naruto fifteen bowls of ramen to get that solo picture of Sasuke. It was candid, but his smile on that photo was worth the ramen Naruto ate. "You'll never know." She added, getting up and approaching the photo as she took it and stared at his picture for a long time. "How much I actually want to be with you, more than a friend, but that's the closest relationship I can get from you."

To be continued…

Sneak Peek on Part 2:

"You've got something on your face." He said, leaning over to wipe the dirt with a tissue paper. While he was doing so, Sakura couldn't help but stare at him, wishing that she could just get the courage to lean over so that her lips would brush his. She can always say that it was just an accident, but she knew he was not one to be easily fooled, so she stayed glued to her seat and laughed sheepishly when he was done. "Sorry, and thanks." She said, earning a small smile and shrug from him. "You'll never know…" she thought. "Ever…"