~Konoha High School Art Club~

5

The Things We Give Up...

"Eeeew...Look at me!" Saseme laughed as she walked down the road lookig like a rainbow colored spotted dalmation,"...This is gonna take forever to get out of my hair..."

"Oh, Waaaah~" Naruto whined mockingly as he laughed. They wound up having to clean the art room twice, because Naruto felt left out that he didn't get to be part of the paint war...

So he started a new one.

"Well...at least the paint is water soluable." said Sai as he chuckled. Someone had paited a perfect black circle around his eye as revege for falling asleep while they cleaned, but he had no way of knowing who,"And in other news, I have been meaning to get some new materials for the club..." he stated,"Now I have a reason to do so!"

"I'm really sorry we wound up wasting the current materials, Sai-Senpai." Saseme bowed apologetically,"Here...take this, you can use it to replace them." she had pulled an adorably sewn white tiger pocket purse and unfolded a large wad of cash. At least more so than Naruto was used to seeing. To people like Gaara and Sai this was a normal thing.

"Oh no, there's no need to go through all the trouble." said Sai,"We have club funds for this very purpose-"

"But our funds are deminshing..." she said softly,"Besides this is the least I can do after all the damage." she chuckled,"Just take it. Get some new materials, whatever the club needs and then just donate the rest of it into the funds for later use."

Sai stared at her silently as he humbly accepted the cash she offered and smiled warmly.

"You truly are God Send for our club..." Sai said softly,"Thank you, Saseme..." he smiled,"Well then, I guess I'll be making my way to the Art Supply shop." he smiled. To be honest, the Art Supply shop belonged to Sai's family anyway, so this was Saseme's way of helping not only the club but keeping his family in bussiness so that art didn't die. "I'll see you at the next meeting." he bowed politely and was soon off with a wave.

"What gives?" Naruto blinked,"Where on earth does Saseme get the kind of money to sport around?"

"...You really don't know much, do you?" asked Gaara.

"Huh?" Naruto blinked and tilted his head in confusion.

"Figures..." Gaara sighed,"It's because she's an Uchiha." he stated.

"Okay, and?" Naruto blinked,"So her family name is Uchiha, so what?" he asked,"What's that got to do with anything? Are they super wealthy or something?"

"Yes, actually." Gaara blinked, "Incredibly wealthy." he stated, "And my own family is no slouch in that department either." he explained, "Neither is Ms. Hinatas...Heck, Even Sai-Senpai's family is pretty well off."

"Wooooooah." Naruto gaped as he tried to take i this total Beverly Hills vibe,"So you mean to tell me that Saseme is acually Rich!?"

"My parents are rich." she stated with a light huff,"Not me."

Saseme nodded her appreciation to Sai and then rested just outside the school gate.

"Same difference." Naruto snorted,"I'd give ANYTHING to be that blessed!" he stated, "I mean, after all, It will eventually be your money some day, yeah?"

Saseme's eyes narrowed as her gaze cast to the side. Suddenly, her entre demeanor changed, as it so oftenly did...whenever the topic of her family is brought up.

"Not exactly..." she stated,"It will go to my older brother first..."

"Huh?" Naruto blinked,"You mean Sasuke?"

"Oh...no, haha, sorry..." she chuckled,"Sasuke is my older brother too, that's true, but we are twins." she blinked," You see, Sasuke and I have another older brother, before us." she explained,"His name is Itachi, and eventually my parents will pass their assets to him." she said,"And then...if anything happens to Itachi...THEN it will be split between Sasuke and me...or...something like that..." she groaned,"I don't really know how all that works..."

"Technically...it will go to Sasuke, and your dowry is supposed to go to me." Gaara corrected, "Well...once we're married that is."

"Pff, hold on!" Naruto laughed, "Are you guys like...boyfriend and girlfriend or something?" he asked, "I mean don't get me wrong, Ride or Die with your girl, man! That's how it SHOULD be!" he stated, "But there's no need to talk about marriage and all that right now, is there?" he asked, "I mean, we're like...sixteen. You still have plenty of time before you need to think about planning your future-"

Saseme and Gaara stared blankly at him. Not seeming to find the joke.

"Boy friend and girlfriend?" Gaara blinked, "Hardly..." he stated, "Saseme and I...we're engaged."

Naruto froze in place which stopped Gaara and Saseme in their tracks, glancing back to the pale faced blonde.

"WHAAAAAAAAAAAAT!?"

XXXXX

"Wait, wait, wait..." Naruto stammered as he tried to process this new information, "Let me get this straight...you two are engaged...to be MARRIED!?"

"Well...yes." said Gaara, while Saseme silently kept to herself.

"A Piece of paper for a contract marriage, says we're engaged..." she said softly, "...But nothing is signed...yet." she blinked.

"...Her father wants us to be." said Gaara, "He's the head of Uchiha Industries, owned quite obviously by the Uchiha family." he stated, "A contract marriage between us will tie together Uchiha Industries and the Tsunkagakure Wind Valleys, a power move for both of our families." he sighed, "Though...Saseme and I...aren't exactly interested in that sort of thing." he chuckled awkwardly, "However, we're both the youngest heirs in our families...as such...we don't really have power or say...Saseme more so."he sighed, "As a woman born into this ind of life...this sort of thing is kind of her duty...and it's expected of her."

"You...said contract marriage..." Naruto blinked as he shifted his gaze and held it heavily on Saseme, "You mean to tell me...that you don't even get a choice in whoyou can date?"

Saseme sighed and gave a broken smile.

"Being born in this high class society type of life style..." she said softly, "People on the other side of the gated community see it as a luxury. " she stated, "They say "we're so lucky" just because we're rich and high class." she sighed, "They say...they wish they were in our shoes...but they fail to take into account all the pressures that come into this life style on the other side."

Gaara's jade eyes narroed sadly as he watched the dread shade over Saseme's distant eyes.

"It's not all it's cracked up to be..." she chuckled awkwardly, "...Things like this...contract marriages...your life pre-planned and layed out before you...No choices of your own." she sighed, "This kind of thing is common in our world..." she said as she glanced back at Naruto, wearing a complicted expression that even Gaara couldn't read.

"Before you claim envy on our way of life...think about all of the things that are sacrificed...in order to have it." she stated and looked up with a saddened smile, "People like us...Gaa-chan and me..." she blinked, "...Don't get to have the freedom of choice..."

She turned in a way that hit Naruto's quivering eyes as though she were moving in slow motion. The wind of Konoha City took hold of her think hair and blew it back behind her, and her naturally dark eyes seemed even darker, showing no light...a hit of sadness over her face, soon covered by her hair in motion.

No Freedom...

No...Choice?

He thought to himself as he watched Saseme slowly appraoch her twin who had just left for practice and they walked together, Gaara soon in tow.

He sighed.

That...sucks...

To Be Continued