~Konoha High School Art Club~
10
Support
A Look of surprise over took Sasuke's dark eyes as they widened. Naruto had done a perfect guard against his swing. Glaring back at him with a sharp glare. Saseme and Gaara were both rather surprised by this, as Itachi simply remained neutral watching for the next scene to play out.
"...I'm more used to fighting with iron pipes or crobars..." Naruto said firmly as he pushed back, "...But this should work fine!" He smirked and spun with another loud smack of sword against let out a dusgruntled growl and each jumped back a step before charging it for the next swin again.
Crack after crack...it was like a conversation that was being had...one only understood with each impact of a wooden sword.
"I see..." Sasuke grumbled as he used his strength to push his sword against Naruto's, "...So you're upset about the way I handle my sister...?" he growled.
"You put...too much pressure on her!" Naruto huffed as he swiped his sword back and swung it forward against Sasuke's once again, "You show NO support for her passion!" he growled as he took another swing that landed with another loud crack, "You're her damn brother-" he growled, "And yet you're the first one to shoot her down." he grunted as their swings landed and pressed against each other, "And...quite frankly..." he huffed, "That REALLY pisses me off!"
"Ha!" Sasuke laughed, "You talk as though you actually care about that dying club!" Sasuke huffed,"I'm looking outfor her!"
"Yeah? Well I happen to be a MEMBER of that dying club!" huffed Naruto, "Is that why it bothers you so much!? HUH!?" he took another brutal swing which landed hard against Sasuke's wooden sword, the loud clap sending painful vibrations through his grip and he whinced.
Sasuke growled. "It's none of your damn bussiness!" he huffed, " I told you to stay the hell AWAY from her!"
"You're TOO OVER PROTECTIVE!" said Naruto.
The male twin let out a roaring cry as he took a long swipe swing toward Naruto's torso, startling the blonde back a few steps before being frozen by Itachi's sharp tone.
"SASUKE!" called Itachi, "That was a Body swing!" he called, "Foul...Repeat stance!"
"Repeat stance?" Naruto blinked.
"Sasuke got rung for a foul!" said Gaara, "In other words he has to step back into his original stance."
"It's sort of like getting a free throw in a ball game." said Saseme, "You get a free swing while Sasuke has to stay in place. He's not allowed to move or dodge, only block with his sword..." she explained, "That's the rules on our field."
"Auuurgh WHATEVER!" naruto growled as he ruffled his own hair, "I don't give a damn about that!" he huffed and did a quick thrust forward against Sasuke's sword, being unable to move the power of it took him by surprise as he was pushed back closer to the boundary line. "There!" huffed Naruto, "There's your stupid free swing!" he stated, "I didn't come here to fight you anyway- I came to make a point!"
Sasuke growled.
"Oh yeah? And what point is that!?" he asked as he charged forward.
"The point that-even if you DON'T care if I care about Art club or not-" he grunted as the swing landed against his sword, "...You SHOULD care that your sister Does!" He huffed, "...Shouldn't THAT be reason enough for you!?" he asked as he kept blocking Sasuke's barrage of swings, "You're her damn brother-" he grunted with each swing, "...Her twin brother to boot!" he huffed, "That means you're closer to Saseme than anyone else could ever HOPE to be!" Naruto growled as he finally managed to make a swing against Sasuke's, "Above all else- YOUR support to her means more than ANYONE'S!"
Sasuke gasped as he froze in place just before his sword made contact with Naruto's. Eyes widening in the realization of Naruto's words.
"You're...right..."he said softly.
"OUT!" Called Itachi, startling them both, "Naruto Uzumaki, you have stepped out of the boundary line." said Itachi, "Round 1 goes to Sasuke Uchiha."
This seemed to snap Sasuke back in reality and flashed a grin. But for once...it didn't seem to be a smug one. At least not as far as Naruto could notice.
"Yes!" Sasuke cheered, he looked, if only for a second, like a cheeky child. A smile he similarly saw upon Saseme's face when she was freeing herself in Art Club.
"Now to claim my prize!" he beamed.
"Prize!?" Naruto huffed, "You just won the round- not the match!"
But Sasuke wasn't paying any mind to his protests. He had already run inside and quickly back out with a fluffy towel that he playfully plopped onto his sister's head and began ruffling her hair to dry it.
"Eek! Hey! What are you doing- Sasuke!?" she squealed as she tried to figh against him. But he seemed to be enjoying it much to much to surrender.
"Drying your hair!" he said to her, "You never do it right!"
"Ugh, I can dry my own hair, Sasu!" she pouted as she peeked up stubbornly at his cheeky playful face that glanced back down at hers.
"I know you can" he said softly, "You just do it badly."
He grinned with fresh new motivation, "There, next round I win- I get to brush it next!"
"Seriously!?" Saseme blushed as Itachi couldn't help but let out a light hearted chuckle.
These were the younger sibling twins that he knew.
" Is this guy for real?" Naruto blinked and sighed, "Talk about a sister complex..."
"Heh...that's the Uchiha siblings for you..." Gaara chuckled softly as he approached Naruto during the break, "Believe it or not...this is normal for them." he stated, "Sasuke just doesn't show this part of himself at school." he said, "He adores Saseme...even if he seems to show it a little harshly." he blinked, "Itachi is the same way about both of them..." he blinked, "In fact...spoiling Saseme-chan is probably the one thing those two brothers fight over."
"All right, Naruto!" said Sasuke after he had finished indulging himself into the role of big brother, "Round two-"
"Who cares." said Naruto as he stood and tossed the sword back into Sasuke's hand, "I came to say what I needed to say...so there's no more reason to fight anymore, right?"
"Huh?" Sasuke blinked.
Naruto shrugged, "...I forfeit." he stated, "Come on, Gaara, let's go."
"...Very well..." Itachi blinked, "By Forfeit, Sasuke Uchiha is the winner."
Naruto stopped after Gaara followed in close and both bowed politely to Itachi, "Thank you for having us in your home this eveing." he said before returning upright and started walking out.
Sasuke blinked as he stared at the backs of the two intruding guests. Gaara continued to hold his gaze down, apologeticly for having intruded in the first place, but the Uchiha twin's eyes rested hard on Naruto before he called out to him.
"...Hey!" he called, stopping the blonde in his tracks.
"Yeah, what is it?" Naruto called back as he glanced back over his shoulder.
"You know...you're not too bad with a wooden sword." he said as he tossed back the red one, "Keep it." he stated, "...Maybe when your club dies...you can consider joining the Kendo club...and I'll be able to teach you a real lesson."
"...Hmph." Naruto snorted and reversed himself back into walking out with Gaara.
Sasuke stood alone in the center of the field, silently approached by the elder brother Itachi as they stood side by side.
"...He's not wrong you know..." said Itachi.
"But Itachi..." Sasuke said softly, "The Art Club...is dying." he stated.
"And yet..." said Itachi, "Saseme is still fighting to save it." he blinked, "Shouldn't that say it all?" he asked. After a long silence, Itachi gave a tender smile, "...You go to that school too, Sasuke..." said Itachi, "Perhaps there's something you could do to help her? Just a little? Hm?" he smiled and gently patted his brother's head before leavin, "Hurry in for supper."
XXXXX
It was late enough in the night, all bellies were full from Itachi's gourmet meal. Saseme sat with her canopy drawn, facng the moon through her drawn curtain as she gently ran a brush through the front part of her hair. She could hear Sasuke enter softly, making his way toward her bed and crawling into it before carefully taking the brush from her hand and softly running it through the back. There was silence between them, she could sense his inner struggle.
"...I'm not upset with you Sasuke." she said softly, "I never was..."
"...You never are." he responded back in a gentle tone, "And that just makes me all the more upset with myself..." he sighed and rested his frehead against the back of hers as he hugged her warmly from behind.
"...I'm so sorry...Sausy..."
With a teary eyed smile, Saseme needed no words to express her understanding of her brother's plea for forgiveness. She simply slid her hand in his, and he returned the squeeze and held it tight.
"I promise...I'll support you." he said to her, "...No matter what."
The night grew darker and the twins slept soundly cuddled up together in Saseme's canopy bed. Hand in hand, foreheads pressed to each other as they snuggled in close. Itachi released a gentle sigh as he finished his rounds checking through the house. More often than not he usually found one twin in their room with the other. It alternated eversince they were given separate rooms at a younger age...but they still prefferred each other's company.
Sasuke can feel the separation growing between them...
Itachi thought to himself.
He doesn't like that change...
Not one bit...
He sighed as he walked in and carefully covered them both without waking them and softly tip toed out. He rested his back against the wall just outside her bedroom door and pondered.
In the mean time...
I think maybe I should look a bit more into who this Naruto Uzumaki actually is...
XXXXX
"Come on guys, let's hurry!' said Saseme, "Or we might miss it."
"Kind of strange that Sasuke would insist we show up to his Kendo match, wouldn't you agree?" asked Naruto.
"Not really." Gaara blinked, "I mean it's normal that he'd want Saseme there..."
"Yes but to request the entire Art Club to show up..." added Sai, "Admittedly that is a little odd.
They were a bit late upon arriving...but not too late to see Sasuke kick TenTen's butt in a Kendo match, as she too, was part of the Kendo Club.
"And there you have it~" said Moegi, a younger student of the Konoha Middle School Division in a mic as she, along with the Principal's grandson Konohamaru, were part of the Konoha School News Association with the school. They often take video of any of the high school tournaments and events and interview the winners and club members for the School News Paper.
"Another win for the Unbeatable Sasuke~" she squealed.
"Tell us Sasuke~" said Konohamaru as he approached Sasuke, "As the winner of the match AND the Kendo Club Master...do you have anything to say to your peers?" he asked as he handed the mic over to Sasuke who took it from him and cleared his throat to speak. The squeals of the girls could be heard from the stands while the Art Club stood near the stage upon his request.
"As matter of fact...I have this to say." he said into the mic, silencing the crowd around him as he took a deep breath and made his declaration, "The Konoha High School Kendo Club..." he said with a pause to make sure everyone was paying attention before he finished his sentence, "...SUPPORTS...The Konoha High School Art Club!"
Silence fell upon the crowd. Criskets sounded, but Sasuke didn't waver as he had an Awkward looking TenTen take one end of what appeared to be a rolled up banner as they pulled it apart together to show the news crew,
"Save Our Art Club!"
The Art Club members fell silent. Shock having over taken them.
"Welp...you heard here first on Konoha School news folks!" said Konohamaru, "The Kendo Club Master and his club members are in full support of saving the Konoha High School Art Club!" he said as their cameraman Oodon panned the camera toward the waiting members on the sidelines. Not knowing what to say or do they exchanged glances with each other and simply smiled and waved.
XXXXX
After the crowd had settled down Sasuke made his way from the field dabbing at himself with a damp towel before he was greeted with a full on body tackle hug from his sister and the hardy laugh of Naruto Uzumaki.
"Wow, guess my words got through to you after all~ huh?" the blonde snickered.
"I guess confronting him worked all too well..." Gaara blinked, "You're amazing Naruto."
"Don't get full of yourself...Loser."
Naruto twitched and let out an annoyed growl.
Sasuke scoffed, blushing as he placed a large palm on his sisters head that nuzzled against his chest and his smile softened, "I only did it... for her." he said with a gentle smile to his warm tone.
"You're the best...Sasu-Sasu~!" she giggled as her head came up, revealing to him a smile brighter than any other she had exposed to anyone before- sending both Naruto and Gaara back in a light headed daze. It was so dazzling, they had to look away to re-align themselves while Sai chuckled softly as Sasuke's blush only became more vibrant. Butter in his sister's clutches. He was defeated.
"Well...regardless of why you did it...We, of the Konoha High School Art Club Thank You ...Uchiha Sasuke." Sai smiled.
To Be Continued