DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO. MASASHI KISHIMOTO DOES.
At this point, Sasori walks towards them then handed out a hand at Sasuke. "Good game. You're hard to beat. You're an Uchiha, I highly doubt that I can beat you."
Being a sport Sasuke handed out a hand as well as shaking each other's hand and silently agree at something.
'I'll beat you someday, Uchiha.'
'Try me, Akaningyo.'
"You're Mine, Only Mine"
Chapter 8: "Revelation"
A week have passed since the encounter of Sasuke and Sasori inside the court and since then their daily training had begun with Sasuke as the captain of the team, his team members need to comply to his expectations and follow his orders, not that this is how he leads but the grand slam that every resident of Konoha wants, relies on Sasuke and his team plus Sasori of course.
They can win it without a doubt, with the aces of the team plus the newly recruit Sasori, it would be easy, if only they work together as a team but there is one thing that they needed to win also, the heart of the one and only Sakura and that… that might be a problem.
You see, ever since the match between Sasuke and Sasori, they never seemed to stop fighting, not a battle of fists and blood, of course. It is a silent match between them, Sasuke would never admit it to anyone anyways. He just needs to make Sasori stop in his actions to finally get to move to Sakura a little bit more. Fine. He wants her to be his, and that how he puts it. Everyone knows that Uchihas don't want to share, especially when we are talking about "someone" here.
Sasuke Uchiha. The most perfect man you'll ever meet, almost every girl fawn over him, not that he wants it but they are always there to keep him reminded that he is so perfect.
And yet, he still has his weaknesses. That's right, the ever-perfect Sasuke Uchiha has his weakness and that is to lose, oh how he hates it, he cannot lose in any way, on anything and the fact that him losing to someone that is interested in his Sakura—
'Mine?'
"Sasuke-kun?"
Sasuke looked up from his desk and saw Sakura standing before him. "Hn."
"Did you brought the art materials that Shin-sensei asked us?" Sakura smiled sheepishly at Sasuke.
Knowing Sakura, he grabbed one of his sketch pad and a graphite pencil, giving it to her. "Here" Sakura was taken aback but took the materials afterwards, "I'm sorry, I forgot to bring mine so—"
"It's fine, just take it." Sasuke nodded at her and gestured towards her seat, "He's here"
Understanding what he meant, Sakura bowed in gratitude to Sasuke and went to her seat, right after that their teacher went inside their classroom, carrying his own set of the sketch pad and graphite pencils, charcoal pencils, eraser shield and brushes. Ah, the Art class.
"I am aware that I asked you to bring materials?" Their art teacher Shin Kurohana asked as he gestured for his students to bring it out.
"Yes, sir!" The class said in unison. Nodding in response, Shin proceeded to the class "Since we've finished our lessons sooner than I expected and that I am not allowed to give you your project, I think I'm just going to give you an output activity."
He heard some disapproving groan and excited remarks from the class, uttering him to continue his words, "I need you to sketch anything, anything that you like but obviously it had to be related to arts, in short, show me your art style." He handled his own sketch pad and showed it to the class.
"Whoah!"
"That's for real?"
"Sensei did that?"
"Sugoiii!"
"I want to have that art style too!"
It wasn't exactly as shocking but it is indeed breathtaking, it was just like a picture of someone and printed it black and white. It is traditional art, a portrait to be exact, A portrait of a young woman, if you looked at it you will mistake it as a black and white photo, it seems so alive, her eyes portray a thousand words, her smile enlightens her whole being as if she was glowing, but still it is traditional art, a drawing, a charcoal painting.
"This is my art style." Shin looked at them and smirks to himself, satisfied that his students were awed at his masterpiece. "Charcoal painting."
Putting back his sketch pad unto the teacher's desk he clasps his hand together. "Now, do any of you have questions?"
The class was filled with silence but someone raised a hand. Looking at the back of the class, Shin saw Sasori, "Yes, Sasori?"
This time they all turned into Sasori. Just like Sasuke, Sasori do not interact with people that much, he just do what he was told so and seeing that he has to ask something, perked up the curiosity of his classmates.
"I was wondering… What if my art style isn't about sketching? Or anything that doesn't have to do with pencils and charcoals?"
Shin thought for a moment and nodded at Sasori, "It's okay, I said earlier that I wanted to see your own art style and if sketching is not a part of it, then it would be okay…"
"You told us to bring a sketch pad and pencils only." Sasuke retorted this time with a scoff.
Shin widened his eyes and smiled sheepishly, "Oh…yeah. I forgot about that."
The whole class resisted to facepalm hearing that their Arts teacher didn't realize his actions. "What now?" Another student voice out in a frustrated manner.
Shin sighed inwardly, "Since, I haven't thought about that and some of you have a different art style than I expected, for now, I need you to create a blueprint or a plan for your art. Present your masterpiece to me 3 days from now, that'll be Thursday for you all."
"YOSH! I'LL START DRAWING HINATA!"
Naruto loudly stated causing the said girl went into a deep hue of red "N-naruto-kun!"
The whole class laughed at them, everyone knew that something is happening between the two. "WHAT!?" Naruto barked back at them and start sketching the reddened girl.
Seeing that Naruto started his masterpiece, everyone got into their work as well that the challenging looks of a certain someone to a person that is equally on the same state, went unnoticed.
Three days. Three days is more than enough for him, he can definitely win to the Akaningyo again, and this time, he swears he'll fall hard. And the pride of the one and only Sasuke Uchiha will be on top again.
Three days, he said and yet here he is, sitting inside his room with his sketch pad at front of him, with only a couple of hours to go to pass their Art output, tomorrow is the deadline and still, he hasn't started yet! He hated this, he hated arts, he may be good at it but takes time to create a masterpiece and this is frustrating for him.
He tried sketching something, first, it was a simple sketch of an animal then he threw it on the trash can, then he began doing landscapes, beautiful sceneries then threw it away when he thought it would be so simple.
'What the hell am I going to do, now?'
Sasuke paced back and forth inside his room, thinking about what he would do for his art output. Not only this but a certain redhead person is in his head making him more annoyed and frustrated as he paced into his room.
He is so busy in his thoughts that he didn't notice Itachi standing on the door frame, looking at him as if Sasuke's growing another head.
Well, it's pretty surprising that the ever famous Sasuke Uchiha is having this moment. It is priceless. Itachi smirked at this, 'I wonder if this is about what Sasori told me…'
[FLASHBACK]
The Akatsuki fraternity founder, Yahiko made a small gathering inside the Akatsuki mansion, every Akatsuki members are present and are having a pretty good time.
Sasori approached Itachi and gave him a bottle of beer, "Want some?"
Itachi nodded and took the bottle from Sasori, "How's the plan going?" Itachi asked in curiosity, sure he saw Sasuke back at home but he was the same as ever that left him clueless on what's happening and he wanted to know if things are getting better for his little brother and the pink-haired girl.
"Your brother sort it out." Sasori replied nonchalantly, "What do you mean 'sort it out'?" Itachi eyes him carefully, "He likes her. He's just so stubborn to admit it." Sasori sighed inwardly and chug down in his drink.
"That's Sasuke for you." Itachi chuckled at Sasori's remarks, "Then it's done?"
"What's done?" Sasori looked at him with a raised eyebrow, golden eyes show a hint of regret or… sadness?
"Pretending, to make him jealous?" Itachi said looking Sasori sharply, there's something wrong and he knows this has something to do with their plan.
'This isn't going to be great. Don't tell me he—
"What if I'm falling for her?" Sasori interrupts Itachi's thoughts, he is right. This is definitely the wrong thing. Very wrong.
"What do you mean?" Itachi furrowed his eyebrows, Did Sasori really fall for her?
"I mean it Itachi, I'm starting to like her…" Sasori looked at the bottle in his hands, contemplating on how things started to get complicated. "I…"
"Play fair, Sasori." Itachi simply said and shook his head.
The said guy looked at him in disbelief, "Play fair? I thought you're going to be mad."
Itachi scoff at this, "Why would I? If you like her, so be it but I want you to play fair, Sasuke's involve here and if you are right that he likes her just the way you like her, then may the best man wins."
Sasori looked at him and smirked, "Fine by me, now it's going to be a real thing."
Itachi suddenly looked at him with all seriousness, "Just be warned Sasori, I treat her as my little sister and don't forget that I know you, play fair Sasori, If you made a dirty move, I swear… I'll be the one to drag you down to hell."
"I won't mess up."
[END OF FLASHBACK]
Itachi's conversation with Sasori went just like that, he doesn't have an intention to tell Sasuke what Sasori told him, he doesn't know the plan to begin with and now that everything went more complicated, he doesn't want to interfere anymore.
The elder Uchiha shook off his thoughts and looked at the scene before him, Sasuke is still pacing back and forth in his room, and he still didn't notice Itachi all along. Deciding that his younger brother is being out of character he straightened himself up and moves closers at Sasuke.
"Otouto."
Sasuke snapped back from his thoughts and stopped pacing, he looked at his older brother slightly raising one of his eyebrows.
"What's bothering you?" Itachi asked him with a ghost of a smile in his face. "Nothing." Sasuke spat at him and sits on his office chair, eyeing the sketch pad before him, again.
Itachi sighed as he moves at the edge of Sasuke's bed, sitting on to it, he eyed him for a minute before he speaks, "Nothing? Then why are you looking at the sketch pad as if you're threatening to murder it?"
Sasuke cursed under his breath, pinching the bridge of his nose. He leaned his back to on his office hair and rested his head on it, "I don't know what to do."
The other person smirked, "Sakura?"
Sasuke immediately looked at his brother, "Cut it out, Itachi, I'm not talking about Sakura!"
Itachi held his two hands before him, waving it as a sign of defence, "Chill out, Sasuke. If it's not about Sakura, then what is this about?"
For the umpteen time, Sasuke sighed and straightened his posture as he looked at his brother, "Art output" He paused contemplating on how would he put it, 'He'll laugh at me if I said I need to beat his 'friend'.'
'But that's the truth, just admit it.'
'Then what? He'll tease me to no end? Hell no!'
'You little stubborn, prideful prick!'
'Watch it, I'm you, so whatever you tell me, that's what you are.'
"Earth to Sasuke? You're acting weird, are you sure this isn't about Sakura?" Itachi snapped his finger at front Sasuke, his sly grin never fades.
"You wish." Sasuke rolled his eyes on his brother, leaving his thoughts on another place.
"What about Art output?" Itachi crossed his arms before him, slightly slumping as he sits comfortably at Sasuke's bed.
"I need to create art in my own style." Sasuke simply said looking elsewhere, obviously avoiding Itachi's gaze. "I'm assuming that you can't think of something to do?"
Sasuke nods his head quietly, tapping his foot in annoyance and awkwardness.
"Your art style is painting then paint." Itachi simply said, undoing his arms and put it on the mattresses as he leaned on it, eyeing Sasuke with his harp gaze.
The latter snapped at him, "Paint what Itachi! What!"
Itachi looked at him, his face plastered a surprised reaction, then went back into its calm and collected demeanour, "Wait here."
Sasuke rolled his eyes and repositioned himself at his chair, he leaned on it and toppled his feet on the table, not minding the poor sketch pad.
A minute or so, he heard Itachi's footsteps, slowly approaching him. He was about to turn around to see what his brother's up to when a photo shoved right into his field of vision.
Sasuke stared at it for a while, his eyes are clearly surprised and his jaws left a gap in between.
Itachi looked amused at his brother's reaction, this is clearly a priceless scene before him.
"Paint it."
A/N: I'm so sorry! It's been so long since I've updated this. I don't even think that there are still people who are reading this but I'll try to finish this once and for all. I have been so busy with my life and stopped doing fanfictions.
I hope this time I will have the right motivation and inspiration that would push me to do fanfictions again since I have tons of it on my archive.
If you're still reading and following this, I will finish this story.
Thank you! Please R & R!
~Yatsu Narurasuke