Let the Music Do the Talking, a Naruto fanfiction
A/N: So after much consideration and loads of positive feedback (seriously I can't thank everyone enough) I've decided to turn this into a full-blown story! Hope you enjoy reading this next chapter!
Update 29th April: Minor tweaks and sentences fixed.
Chapter 2: Constant Motion
The following week had been an interesting one for Ino, to say the least; after the eventful Friday she had spent with Naruto (which included a trip to the local deli to buy some katsu on her way home), she had enjoyed a relaxing weekend, managed to get all her homework finished in one day and taught herself three new songs on Sunday which she now had free. Now normally, she wouldn't be as organised as this, but it seemed time spent with the blonde boy had done something to her; it was like an imaginary force saying to her if she did everything she could correctly, she would be able to see him again
Wait what? That's what she was thinking!? But why? Surely one meeting couldn't have changed her perspective, could it? Then again, he had promised to keep her secret.
The lunch bell rang as the last of the morning classes ended and everyone headed into the cafeteria for lunch. Sat at her usual spot with Sakura and Karin, Ino unpacked her lunch. Today was one of the few days her mom had actually prepared her something; a chicken-mayo baguette with lettuce and tomato. She groaned slightly at the appearance. Damn it, I keep saying to her…no tomatoes! She shook her head as she had to open the baguette and pulled out the offending red fruit to put in a small napkin.
Her vision crossed the opposite side of the room, where Naruto was sitting with his friends, Kiba Inuzuka and Shikamaru Nara. The former was as loud and boisterous as always, and the latter sat there with an unamused expression, taking in everything that was being said around him.
"Please tell me that you're not looking at him are you?" A voice interrupted her train of thought. Ino turned her head slightly to see Karin tuck into a plate of pasta salad.
"Looking at who?" She questioned her friend, taking a small bite of her lunch.
"That Naruto guy," Karin replied. "What's the appeal of him? Annoying that's for sure…"
Ino rolled her eyes. "No, of course not! What gave you that impression?"
"Then it's dog-boy Kiba then?"
"No way! He's too loud!"
"Oh? Then it's the nerd then?"
"I wouldn't go as far as calling Shikamaru a nerd," Sakura added. "He's just lazy, but it looks like he just wants a challenge."
"The guy goofs off nine times out of ten, yet when I hear back from tests, he's always in the top five per cent! Does that not strike you as nerdy!?"
As much as Ino didn't want to give it away, she had been gazing upon the blonde boy. It was already Wednesday and the two had barely made contact with each other aside from a glance in the hallway. It had been awkward, to say the least, but she did want to have another impromptu jam session with him.
"So, the new Billie Eilish song…thoughts?" The redhead posed the question to her friends.
"Enjoyable I can say," Sakura replied.
"Um…it's okay I guess," Ino added biting her lip. Damn, she did NOT like a lot of modern music, especially Billie Eilish! If only that girl would stop the whole 'mumble-rap', she'd be a lot more interested.
"Just okay?" Karin retorted as she took another mouthful of food. "I swear you're never satisfied, Ino…"
On the opposite table, the trio of boys were chatting about their weekend plans.
"I'd say we'd go try the outdoor kickboxing class they have in the park in town," Kiba suggested. "I've heard word that it's free and if you like what the instructor gives you, he'll give you a discount on lessons!"
"The whole thing sounds like a drag," Shikamaru commented as he sipped his water. "But the outdoor gym itself would be nice."
"Are you afraid of getting your arse kicked?" Kiba teased
"No, I just don't want to treat bruises for weeks on end."
"That's not an excuse," Naruto said. "Just give it a shot y'know? And speaking of trying things…" He turned to Kiba. "Do you wanna swing by the music room later and practice some songs? Feels like forever since we did some together."
"Whatcha got in mind?"
"Couple of progressive tracks along with some classic rock; there are a few solos I want to try as well."
The lazy genius rubbed his forehead in frustration. "More music again? I swear you guys should just drop out and become rockstars…"
"Who says that's not on the cards?" Naruto smirked.
"Your grades, that's for one thing."
The blonde boy looked over to where Ino was sitting, casually chatting with her friends. She had impressed him but was wondering if she was feeling better about herself after the conversation they had had. Naruto could clearly see that she was talented, so what was stopping her from taking her skills any further?
The day went on seemingly as normal for the teens. Half-past three came, the bell rang and everyone began departing.
"Remember class, this week's assignment is about how the impact of the War of the Roses had on the British monarchy; make sure you get all the citations correct and remember to verify where your sources came. Class dismissed and I'll see you Friday." Asuma Sarutobi, the history teacher with a 'school of hard knocks attitude', ended his class for the day.
"Jeez," Karin muttered, stretching out of her seat. "I thought this day would never end."
"Tell me about it," Sakura added. "It's bad enough we got to take care of this assignment."
As the trio of girls packed away their books, Ino looked up to see Naruto shooting her a wink and gesturing to meet her outside the classroom. She blinked and wondered what the heck he could be wanting to say to her. She hoisted her backpack on her shoulder and headed out to find him.
"Hey, I've got to take care of some stuff, I'll catch you later."
"Again?" Karin huffed, noticing this was the second time Ino had left them. "What's so important this time?"
"Don't worry." Ino turned back with a small smile. "Just, don't wait up okay?"
Karin and Sakura looked at each other, both feeling inquisitive to what had led their friend away again.
"What do you think is up?" Sakura questioned. "Do you think there's a guy involved?"
"Exactly!" The red-haired cried. "This is the only explanation; ditching us like this!? There has to be a guy, but who?"
"I thought she said she wasn't interested in anyone?" Replied the pink-haired girl as she zipped her backpack shut.
Karin pursed her lips, adding an expression of doubt. "That's an obvious lie. She's just embarrassed." Her lips curved into a smirk. "Maybe we should follow her, see what she's up to?"
"Or perhaps we could just ask her y'know? Like a good friend who's concerned about her well-being?"
The red-haired scrunched her face up in disgust. Ino had literally been one of her closest friends for years and now it felt like she was keeping secrets from her?
"Fine. We'll ask her later on. However, if I don't like the answer, we're following her!"
Sakura lowered her head and pinched the bridge of her nose between her eyes. Why is she so hot-headed all the time? It probably really is nothing...
Outside in the hallway, Ino followed Naruto until they were downstairs in the music department again. At the bottom of the stairs, she stopped him.
"Naruto, what's up?" She asked.
"Hey, Ino. Look in case you're wondering, I haven't been avoiding you or anything, I just wanted to ask you if you wanted to have another jam session on Friday afternoon?"
"It's okay." She replied softly. "I know you haven't on purpose, and I've trusted you not to say anything. I've thought about what you said as well, and yes, I could do with a boost of confidence. So yeah, I'd love to play again with you. What songs do you have in mind?"
"I was going to go through some early 2000s bands and some nu-metal stuff like Linkin Park, Sevendust, Disturbed, Static-X, System of a Down." He sighed. "As much as that genre gets a bad rep from people, I personally think that a lot of people didn't really get what was going on. I like some of the experimental stuff that came with albums like Hybrid Theory, Toxicity, Down with the Sickness etcetera. It's like the grunge era; people didn't like it at first, but I think it just aged with the times."
She chuckled. "I heard some of that stuff. Pearl Jam and Alice in Chains are in my dad's collection and I enjoyed both; not sure about the whole nu thing though. It's kind of whiny and some of the lyrics don't add up."
"Who says it has too? I personally just enjoyed what bands did make it in that era. Unless you got something else in mind?"
She shrugged. "I wouldn't mind another Metallica practice, or better yet some Sabbath or Zeppelin."
"You know your stuff then huh?" He replied amusingly. "Not just a pretty face are ya?"
Flushing red, she responded, "Are you flirting with me now?"
"Ma-aybe." He smiled, shooting her a wink.
Ino couldn't help but pout in response as the blush seemed to stay glued to her face. "Flattery will get you nowhere buddy!" She responded with a huff. "Just…" She hesitated before continuing. "...just meet me after school Friday in the room again, and make sure you're not followed."
"Scouts honour." He held up his hand in defence. "See you then." As he watched the blonde girl head back upstairs, he couldn't help but wonder, was she always this cute when she was flustered?
Naruto entered the music room, grabbed his guitar and began practising a few chords and riffs. He was then joined by Kiba, who entered a mere ten minutes after he started.
"What kept ya?" He asked as he stopped to fix the tuning keys on his guitar.
Kiba grumbled. "Miss Kurenai. That damn woman and her calculus! I swear she does it just to pick on me."
"Don't worry about it. I'm more concerned about the algebra she's throwing us lately."
The brown-haired boy frowned. "Easy for you to say; you haven't got your mother coming down on you for getting a 'D'.
The blonde raised an eyebrow. "That bad huh?"
"Uh-huh." Kiba sat behind the drum kit, adjusting his snare and floor toms. "I keep saying to my mum that maths isn't my strongest subject and then she blames it on me playing the drums too much. I'm trying my best here but then she seems to forget that playing music requires some deal of mathematics; we're dealing with time signatures, being able to play in key with other people...ugh, she just doesn't get it!" He picked up the sticks and struck two of his cymbals simultaneously.
Naruto sighed, acknowledging his friend's frustration. "I hear you. Parents can be frustrating, but I guess they're just looking out for us at the end of the day. Fancy trying some Dream Theater?"
Kiba smirked. "Yeah, I'm up for a challenge. What are you thinking?"
"Constant Motion or Panic Attack."
The brown-haired boy's face went stale at Naruto's choices. "Two of the most difficult songs eh? Fine, give me Constant Motion."
Naruto finished tuning and began playing the opening riffs, to which Kiba began playing along accordingly. Kiba himself was a confident drummer and had been Naruto's friend for a good few years. They had accidentally bonded over the music when they discovered the other one practising one weekend and decided to turn it into a regular session. Kiba was a fan of eighties thrash music like Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer and Anthrax but also had a soft spot for playing Iron Maiden, Judas Priest and Motorhead too. Lately, though, Naruto had shown him a lot of modern music, which he enjoyed, but had more fun trying to master playing than listening.
The song finished after six minutes, with Kiba letting out a satisfactory breath of relief from the intense playing.
"Nice job, especially with the backing vocals," Naruto noted as he took a sip of water from his bottle.
"Cheers." Kiba acknowledged. "I thought if you're going to do a song like that, why not try to sing along as well?"
"Ever thought of trying a death growl or two?"
He sniggered. "Maybe, but I'll stick to sounding like a discount James Hetfield for now." He stretched his arms over his head and positioned himself properly on his seat. "What's next?"
It had been over an hour since Ino had left school and made a pit stop at the Bear Brew Coffee shop to grab herself an iced tea. Sitting at a booth, she was noting down in her journal until she was interrupted by a familiar voice.
"Hey Ino, how's it going?"
She looked up to see Tenten, a classmate of hers with a cup of coffee in her hand.
"Is this seat taken?"
Ino shook her head. The brunette sat down opposite her, placing her satchel down next to her. Ino put down her pen and smiled softly.
"Hey, Tenten. I'm well thanks, what brings you here?"
"Oh, I'm a regular here." She commented as she took a sip of her drink. "Ooo..nice and bitter, just how I like it…" She licked her lips in satisfaction. "What's up? I normally see you with those other two friends of yours, how come you're by yourself?"
"Journaling really." The blonde replied with a melancholic look. "Gives me some time to unwind and clear my head for a bit."
Tenten peered over slightly and saw a neat list of bullet points and a couple of smaller notes scribbled within an outlined box. She blinked, as she was sure those were song title that Ino had written down.
"I see…" She commented, having observed what she had written. "Well, I'm here because Neji's at piano practice today."
Ino pondered for a moment at the boy's name. "Oh yeah, Neji.." She remembered the Hyuuga prodigy was a gifted piano player. "How's that going with him?"
"Pretty good," Tenten replied. "He's quite compassionate but at the same time he's been pretty good at helping me with my studies too."
"You sure it hasn't been more than just studying?" She winked with a Cheshire cat grin.
The brunette blushed red and raised her hands in defence. "No, nothing like that!" She cried. "Although, he is pretty handsome I'll admit...but I'm not ready for that level of commitment! It's only been three months!"
Ino laughed amusingly. "I'm messing with you, relax. I'm sure you two will hit it off quite well."
Tenten was a friend of Ino's that she could depend on. Not best friends by any means, but she was the sort of girl who if you needed a favour, she'd do her utmost best to help you out. She was an easy-going sort of person and had a love of workshop classes (especially metal shop) and technology. However, her grades in other subjects hadn't been that great so she had asked Neji to help tutor her.
"What about you then?" The brunette asked curiously. "Any guys take your eye as of late?"
The blonde felt her cheeks tingle slightly pink as the thought of Naruto Uzumaki entered her thoughts again. He had practically flirted with her earlier on in the day and now she wasn't sure what to think of him. Did she like him, or was it just a silly crush brought on by admiration and compliments? She rested her face in her hand and slowly tapped the table with the other. She didn't have an answer to be quite honest, and she didn't want to have to lie to Tenten either.
"It's...complicated." She replied halfheartedly. "I mean, I'm not sure if I like him just yet...Maybe I just need some more time to figure it out."
Tenten couldn't help but grin herself. "Aww, that is so cute! You have a crush and you're not even sure!"
"Hey, hey keep it down!" Ino hissed. "Like I said it's complicated and I don't want it to blow up in my face is all."
She nodded. "Okay, well you know if you want to chat about it, y'know where to find me."
"Let me guess, in the metal shop or by the cafeteria with a latte in one hand?" She replied playfully.
Tenten pouted furiously, arms folded. "You know me too well…"
To be continued...
A/N: And welcome to the bottom again! Apologies if this chapter is short, but I'm slowly planning a few character moments between everyone and yes, there will be a Naruto & Ino date shortly!
Character-wise, I'm trying to avoid turning Karin into Regina George from Mean Girls so hopefully with the later part in mind; I can keep her slightly bitchy without going completely off the deep end. As for Sakura? I have an idea what to do with her, I'm just mapping out character arcs right now.
Tenten (and to some degree Neji) are going to play an important part later down the line you'll just have to wait and see! Oh and Tenten drinking coffee is pretty much becoming a gag in my fics (check my V-Day Brunch fic and you'll know why)
Hope you liked what you read and I'm planning to update this every Friday, so I'll see you next time.