Mesa no own Naruto and Song
Seito: Okay this is a side story to 'Kagau waku wa hana no shita ni te'. You don't have to read the story to understand this one cause I pretty much restate the things you need to know. But if you want to know how Naruto and Sasuke got together and how Naruto, Sasuke, and Itachi know Seika and who the hell Seika is then you better start there first.
There isn't any pairing so don' t worry about Itachi/OC pairing. There's some light Sasunaru 'cause I don't seem to write anything but that pairing. Surprisingly this contains absolutely no spoilers for Kagau waku wa hana no shita ni te. Well maybe a little for chapter 7 but That's already been posted so yeah.
This is supposed to be an Itachi' s birthday gift thingy but it has nothing to do with Itachi' s birthday and I' m not completely sure that today is even his birthday. Oh well. Other than the fact that involves Itachi, it has nothing to do with his birthday but never the less; it's my birthday present to him. (Seika: Why does he get a birthday fic? Seito: Cause I wanted to write one.)
Yeah. Well just enjoy then.
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Kuro to Shiro no Kagi
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Loner and Popular. Genius and Failure. Black and White. Two complete opposites and yet the same. Never getting along, now for first time without fighting, they'll talk with words of anger. Music will be their connection.
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Soft music danced in the air. Lean pale fingers moved gracefully over the white and black keys. An escape; his escape. To leave reality and into fantasy. Fingers moved again, changing keys. Notes changed and the music continued to flow. Each note was a word, forming a message. Not a single word was said yet one could hear what the song was saying.
Somewhere in the midst of the larger Uchiha mansion, sat a teenager in front of a piano. His black hair was limp; the air in the room was dry and dead. Black onyx eyes were closed. There was no need to look at the sheet of music. He knew it by heart. Nearby on a chair laid a black cloak with red clouds. He wore a black shirt and black pants. The darkness of his clothes greatly contrasted with his pale skin.
The music sounded hauntingly. Perfect for such a setting. Everything here seemed dull and lifeless. Thousands of rooms were empty, collecting dust. Memories either buried in the mind or buried underneath the white sheets that covered countless furniture. No light seemed to shine and birds didn't sing. Everything here was dead. Trapped in time. Nothing moved nor did it change. Glasses didn't sparkle, the colors of flowers weren't vivid and bright, and it was almost a ghost town at night. There was nothing comforting or homey here. After all, money can't buy everything.
=Across Town=
More music was heard. This tune was different from the other. Brighter, happier. Small, pale fingers move quickly over the chords of strings. Some was strumming, the others fingering. An escape, her escape. From reality to illusion. A new chord was strummed, before returning to an old chord. Each note was different. Some created messages, and others did not. The beauty was this music was unrestrained and unheard of.
Sitting on a swing, next to a lake in the middle of the park sat another teenager with a guitar in her lap. Her white hair flew in the gentle wind. Her sapphire eyes were closed. She needed no music. Every note came from the heart. She wore a long sleeved white shirt with a knee high, white skirt. They blended well with her pale skin.
The music was lively. It worked well with this surrounding. Everything was alive here. The grass was green, and the water was crystal clear. Birds sang cheerfully and fishes swam happily. The sun shined brightly as big, white, fluffy clouds rolled by and nothing seemed to matter. Eventually changing, especially with the seasons, everything was happy. Memories didn't matter. Who she was didn't matter. The only thing that matter was the song she could play. Happiness is something earned, not given to.
=====
They were two completely different people...
Uchiha Itachi was the eldest of the last Uchiha.
Usuyuki Seika was eldest and only grandchild of the Usuyuki clan.
He was everything her family had hope she was
She had the freedom he always wanted
Yet they insisted on not getting along
=====
Music is a flow of words and/or notes. They often say it is easier to play something then to speak it. Music is the reflection of the feelings. When the song is sad and haunting, the person is mostly feeling sad. When the song is happy and upbeat, the person is full of energy and smiles. It takes a real master to make the music flow like it should. Anyone can make notes. Only a few can make the person listening feel what their feeling.
Uchiha Itachi quietly covered his dusty piano. As usual the house was quiet. Sasuke was mostly likely with Naruto again. His little brother had found a friend. He soon left the room.
====
The Uchiha mansion was big house. Actually big is a loose term. It was bigger than big. But bigger never means better. Actually, the largeness of the mansion made it lonely and sad. Itachi could wander through the empty halls for hours and never once run across his brother if Sasuke was doing the same thing. To him, home was never home. It was just an empty house he came to at the end of everyday. Other than fond memories, this house held little importance to Itachi. True his stuff was in his room but that could always be replaced.
Yet the only thing he cared about in this house, aside from his brother and a picture of his family when he was younger, the only thing Itachi always returned to was the old grand piano in one of the larger living rooms in this mansion. For one reason or another, Itachi was always loved playing on that piano. He enjoyed it. It almost exceeds his love for martial arts. Almost.
His wanderings brought him to the front of his house. Just as he passed the front door, the doorbell rang. It was times like these; Itachi wished he actually had servants to answer the door. Maybe he'll look into one day. Itachi opened the front door to reveal the last person he would see at his doorstep: Usuyuki Seika.
Seika's long, white hair and sapphire blue eyes often made it easy to spot her in large crowds. Her long white bangs always fell in way that it seemed to frame her face, no matter how many times she tied them back or pushed them behind her ear. Her sapphire eyes were always flashing different emotions. She's almost a head shorter than Itachi, petite, small, and light. The dragon necklace around her neck stood out against Seika's white outfit. In her small, pale hands was a textbook.
Usuyuki Seika is an easily angered and annoyed type of girl. She often jumps to conclusion before getting all the facts when angered or annoyed. There were many times when her temper gets the better of her judgment. She doesn't talk much and preferred to be alone. Stubborn when she wants to be, she's actually a nice girl if you don't get on her bad side like Itachi normally does. Seika was Itachi' s classmate and Naruto' s roommate. (See Kagau waku wa hana no shita ni te for more info. Chapters 1 and 4 are a good start about the roommate thing) Seika is the loner of the school. She never talked to people and Itachi didn't even know of her existence a few months ago. Due to some current events, for some reason, Itachi has been annoying her since he met her.
She handed him the textbook in her hands. "Here. You left this at my house when you came to pick up Sasuke yesterday." Itachi took the book. How on earth did she know where he lived? Wait don't answer that. Everyone and anyone know where the Uchiha Mansion is. The only problem was actually finding it. It's so secluded it' s hard to find. (Ignore the fact that it's just the biggest house in the town, surrounded by smaller houses). With that, Seika turn and began to leave.
"Seika, wait. Do you wanna come in," asked Itachi. Seika stopped and look back, her eyebrow raised. If Seika belong to the Uchiha Itachi's Fan Group (UIFG not to be confused with USFG [Uchiha Sasuke's Fan Group]) she would have been screaming excitedly and hugging the older Uchiha. The thing is, Seika wasn't a part of such a group so her reaction was dull, blunt and straight to the point as it always has been. "Why?"
Since the day they met, the relationship between the older Uchiha and Seika had been quite strange. The Monday after White Day, the older Uchiha had made it a habit to annoy the white hair girl. From there the process continued. There were rare times where they actually agreed on things. Other than that, they were either arguing with one another or Seika was losing her cool. It was cute in a sort odd, twisted, I-hate-you-but-I-love- you sort of relationship. So while Itachi was trying to make it to first base as friends, Seika just wanted some peace and quiet. Where Itachi was trying to include her in his life, she wanted no part of it. It was very strange indeed.
As one of the most popular boys in the high school area and on the list of most wanted to date, Itachi had no real friends. He considered Kisame as a bodyguard and anyone else in the school either hated/envied him or wanted to date/fight over him. It was very'85 annoying. But perhaps that was the reason why Itachi was so intrigued by Seika. She was the first girl he'd met that wasn't "lovey dovey" about him. But then again, Itachi wasn't too sure why he wanted to know Seika better.
On the other hand, Seika would rather not be friends with Itachi. As a loner, she enjoys her peace and quiet, something she hasn't had since Itachi became determined to find out more about her. In fact her life was even more chaotic after Sasuke and Naruto got together and Itachi wanted to become friends with her. So far she had nearly been trampled by fan girls more then once, had false rumors floating around about her and Itachi, had her grades drop because of Itachi, and the list goes on and on. It could be the fact that she never had any playmates her age when growing up, since socializing with people is something she never really knew how to do.
Another thing was the fact that everyone in the whole damn school insisted on comparing her to him. It was mostly about grades. Seika really didn't understand that. The older Uchiha was genius; she was struggling to just get an A in her classes. Did everyone have to point that out? It was annoying to Seika. They were two different people. If they were related like how Sasuke is to Itachi, then she was okay with it. After all it was like the same genes but that didn't matter. They weren't related. So why compare them?
Itachi didn't really say why he offered Seika to come in. It could be that he was lonely. Sasuke was out with Naruto. He had no parents and friends. Aside from Kisame, Seika was only person Itachi attempted to talk to. "Talk," he randomly and casually said. Seika stared at him. Her sapphire eyes glimmer with confusion. Surely this was one of Itachi's plots to annoy her. Then again it wasn't like she had anything to do. Sure she could train but hey she was looking at losing anyways, so a day off wouldn't kill her (actually it could).
Debating whether she had just sealed her doom or not, she said, "I guess."
====
The beauty of music is a rather an unusual thing. Some understand it, some don't. Music is an art that can be expressed with or without words. To create a musical masterpiece, it must come from the heart. Music reflects the soul like any other art such as drawing and writing. Some people can create beautiful musical masterpieces with ease. Other prefer different ways.
Music isn't just notes played together as one. It' s also the ability to string words together to craft a magnificent song. Music comes from the heart and not from the head...
===
Whether it was intentional or not, Itachi had led Seika into the very room he was just in. Itachi had left Seika alone for a minute while the telephone rang. Seika scanned the room. This was the first time she had been here and frankly she didn't like it. It reminded her of the main house. That was the last place she wanted to be. It was so empty here. There was no life, no color. It was blank almost.
Her hand ran across the white sheet that covered the piano. No dust. 'He played recently,' she mused to herself. It was hard for the older Uchiha (even Sasuke) to keep things from people. Sooner or later, their stalkers discovered their hobbies and such. It was only a miracle that no one had found about Sasuke and Naruto's relationship yet. So like everyone else, Seika knew Itachi enjoyed playing the piano.
She moved from the piano to the small picture frame that lay on a nearby table. A family picture of the Uchiha. There was a tall man with black hair and eyes and woman with black hair and eyes holding a baby. At their feet stood a small Itachi. He must have been about 5. While she subconsciously noted that Itachi and Sasuke held more of their mother's features, Seika wasn't looking at Sasuke or his parents. Rather she was looking at the expression on Itachi's face. He was smiling.
It wasn't a smirk and it wasn't a cold smile either. A true, genuine smile. When was the last time she had seen her classmate smile like that? She remembered seeing it at the Sakura Matsuri. But other than that, Seika didn't remember when. Itachi doesn't smile like that in school.
"They were great parents when they were alive and when they had time to spend with us."
Seika turned around. Itachi had come back. She set the picture back down, only for Itachi to pick it back up. "When they were alive," she questioned. His parents were dead? Seika didn't know that. Itachi looked at her. "You didn't know?" She shook her head. Was she supposed to? "Funny I thought everyone in town knew about it. They made it the talk of the town for months. They've been dead for 5 years. Someone poisoned them. Never found the culprit."
Seika blinked. 'How can he say that like he doesn't even care?' When Itachi told her that, his voice was his normal, withdrawn, cold voice but it was almost as if he didn't care that his parents were dead. Itachi set the picture down on table. "What about you? What are your parents like?"
In a normal case Seika would have yelled at Itachi for asking such a question. But he told her about his parents, it's only fair she do the same. Her eyes looked up at the high wooden ceiling above her. "I can't say," was all she said.
"They dead too?"
"You could say that."
Silence fell. Itachi didn't understand what Seika meant by that last sentence. Did that mean she was adopted and her real parents were somewhere out there? Seika was a completely mystery. Definably living up to her name as a loner. Itachi then noticed that the air in the room seemed sadder. He decided to change the subject.
He grabbed Seika before she could object and proceed to dragged her out of the house. "Wha-? Where are we going," she asked.
His only response was, "Ice cream."
====
Music doesn't have to be notes played or sung. To some the art of conversation is music. For those who live in complete silence, music and words are blessing to hear. Some never hear words and notes in their life. It's funny how when the small things are gone, it is then when we realize how important they are to us.
The gift of conversation is another art in itself. Anyone can play notes; anyone can string words together to form a sentence. However, there are too many times when we stumble over the right words to say and express ourselves. To be able to talk freely and without trouble is a blessing that many do not possess.
Music can be a conversation. It takes practice to play notes and form an exquisite song. It' s the same for speaking. It becomes easier to converse with people when you start talking more. To someone who is shy, they will always stumble over their words. But when that shy person finally begins to speak, then their confidence begins to grow as well. After a while they're comfortable with speaking with people.
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Seika normally didn't treat herself to one of life's simple pleasures, ice cream. She normally didn't have the money to spend to buy ice cream. Don' t get me wrong. Seika loves ice cream. It was her "sweet snow". But she had a tight budget so eating ice cream was never on her list of things to buy. Therefore, to anyone who knew of Seika and her tight budget would go and get their eyes checked if they walked by to see Seika buying ice cream.
Seika stared at the vanilla ice cream in front of her. On those extremely rare days when she does treat herself to ice cream, it' s usually gone by now. Something was wrong. It could be the fact that she was feeling guilty. Guilty that someone else was buying her ice cream. Guilty at the fact that she' s been treating Itachi so poorly and now she was eating ice cream with him. Guilty at the fact that she isn't paying for this. Just downright guilty. She propped her elbows onto the table, folded her hands and rested her forehead on her hands as she said, "I don't deserve this."
Itachi looked up from his chocolate ice cream cone. It had taken him 30 minutes to get Seika down here and order. She so stubborn and too generous too. "Huh," he asked. Seika lightly glared at him. "I don't deserve this ice cream."
"Why not?"
Seika nearly fell out of her chair. Was he blind? Over the pass months hadn't she, one, punched him, two, falsely accused him of a rumor that was never his fault to begin with, three, thrown water at him, four, hit him countless times, five, well... this list was getting too long so Seika stopped herself from continuing. And he's telling her to eat ice cream?! Something was wrong with this picture here. "You're treating me to ice cream and I've treating you like trash so to speak."
"So?"
Seika really did fall out of her chair that time. Someone tell her that she was hearing things. "You mean after all I've done to you over the past couple of months, you forgive me for it?" Itachi shrugged. "Well I was kinda just jumping unexpectedly into your life. I can't really blame you for most of the things you've done. I probably would have done the same thing to if I was in your shoes." Seika stared into Itachi's eyes, her hand feeling his forehead. Nope he wasn't sick. Was this really the same Itachi she saw at school every day? Didn't seem like it.
The Itachi she saw at school was cold and distant. He was more a loner then Seika herself. He was icier then her and could charm a girl within seconds so that she was nothing more then putty in his hand. The Itachi she knew was annoying and always trying to talk to her. So who was the dummy that replaced the real Itachi and where was the real Itachi?
Seika never noticed that she lean so closed that the tip of her nose got chocolate on it from Itachi's ice cream cone. She sat back down; her cup of vanilla ice cream was starting to melt. It was then Itachi noticed the spot of chocolate ice cream. He chuckled lightly. Seika looked at him confused. (Seito: You get confused a lot don't you. Seika: That' s 'cause you made me that way.)
Itachi lean over with a napkin and wiped her nose. "You've got chocolate ice cream on you," he teased. Seika's nose scrunch up a bit as a lightly and very faint blush appeared on her face. Itachi leaned back into his seat and chuckled lightly. Seika, who finally figured out what Itachi was doing, also began to chuckle.
====
You know, it's a funny thing, the way humans think. We' re always quick to judge others before we get to know them completely. Yet we can relate to each other when we share a common bond. The saying, 'Never judge a book by its cover,' is true. They don' t know it but it's the loneliness in their life, their interest in music, the masks they wear, the people they care for, and many other things that tied the two here together. They may never be more then classmates or people who happen to know each other because of their friends and brothers. But for now... let them just enjoy the moment. It isn't everyday that these two laugh and it almost never that these two manage to get along.
It's actually quite picturesque. Two classmates who never got along sitting there, actually talking for once. Two teenagers just trying to be the best they can be without hurting anyone in the process, eating ice cream together, laughing as well.
=Outside=
Naruto and Sasuke were passing by outside. As usual they were spending time alone. Today they went to Crystal Lake, the lake located in the center of the park. After getting each other wet, they were heading home to dry off. They were passing the ice cream shop when the two of them spotted something very strange. Seika and Itachi were eating ice cream.
"Quick!! Sasuke, the camera," urged Naruto. Sasuke found the camera and snapped photos. This was perfect blackmail on the older siblings. (Although Seika wasn't Naruto's blood relative. Just someone he considered to be an older sister) Sasuke chuckled lightly. Oh the possibilities.
"We can get those developed," cheered Naruto. Now he had something over Seika for the videotape she had tape of him and Sasuke's first kiss. Sasuke gave Naruto a sloppy wet kiss on the forehead. "Let's get home first," he said, offering his hand to Naruto. Naruto smiled at took Sasuke's hand. Revenge on Seika and Itachi could always wait. It wasn't like Naruto could always have a day with no interruption with his boyfriend. Yup. He was just going to spend some time with Sasuke first. Who wouldn't want to spend the whole day with their boyfriend without interruption?
Naruto sighed and leaned against Sasuke's shoulder. Finally, some peace and quiet. The two boys made it towards the Uchiha mansion. Their hands were intertwined. It had been an eventful day to them.
=A Year Later=
Again pale fingers flew across the black and white keys. This melody was different from the first that was heard. Where the first one was sad and haunting, this seems to be cheerful and soft. Familiar words could almost be heard as the tune continues to dance and play in the room. He was so absorbed in the music he never heard the door open. The music continues to flow through the room, swirling around the room.
The room seemed brighter somehow. It wasn't as lifeless and dull as it was before. Things that never had a shine seem to sparkle a bit. There wasn't much different but one could tell. The air wasn't dead and dry. It just seem lighter, happier, some how different. It was... almost comforting for once.
The music continued, picking up a slightly faster beat. It was still a soft tone, still slow, just slightly faster. "...Together that's you
Forever with me
We'll always be good company
You and me
Yes together we'll be..."
Itachi stopped and looked towards the source of the voice. Seika was leaning against the doorframe with a gentle smile on her face. Absentmindedly she pushed back her bangs as Itachi stood up from the piano seat and headed towards her. "Hurry up," she said. "We're going to keep your brother and Naruto waiting. We're already late."
Itachi chuckled lightly. He didn't bother to cover the piano anymore. He played on it everyday now. Itachi followed Seika out of the room. The room returned back to its original state. Time stopped again, waiting for its master to return. The room reminded lifeless once more. The air became heavy, dry and dead. In spite what had happened just moments before, the room was still the same as it was a year ago as it was the same 10 years ago. But there was something different in the room aside from the missing piano cover.
On the piano right above the black and white keys, was a picture. It was the same one Naruto and Sasuke took. It was the picture of Seika and Itachi at the ice cream shop. Seika was sitting, pushing her bangs out of her face with a big smile on her face as she was laughing. Itachi held a napkin in his hand that had a brown spot on it as he laughed as well. The breeze suddenly blew the picture onto the black and white keys where it stayed there.
-----------Owari----------
Seito: This is lacking so much in fluff, it's making me twitch. I know I wanted to write a story without turning it into fluff but this ridicule. This should be fluffy. This isn't fluffy. ARGH!!!
Seika: Calm down. (She happy cause this story didn't turn out fluffy)
Seito: This should be fluffy. This story is anything BUT fluffy. I'm repeating myself aren't I?
Seika: Yes you are, now calm down.
Seito: Well I hope you enjoy. Maybe you'll check out 'Kagau waku wa hana no shita ni te' ? =hint, hint= If not that's okay.
To The La/=/er
Did you get my emails? I haven't heard from you lately.
Special thanks to my beta readers who proofread this story!!
Now...
PLEASE REVIEW!!!
Seito: Okay this is a side story to 'Kagau waku wa hana no shita ni te'. You don't have to read the story to understand this one cause I pretty much restate the things you need to know. But if you want to know how Naruto and Sasuke got together and how Naruto, Sasuke, and Itachi know Seika and who the hell Seika is then you better start there first.
There isn't any pairing so don' t worry about Itachi/OC pairing. There's some light Sasunaru 'cause I don't seem to write anything but that pairing. Surprisingly this contains absolutely no spoilers for Kagau waku wa hana no shita ni te. Well maybe a little for chapter 7 but That's already been posted so yeah.
This is supposed to be an Itachi' s birthday gift thingy but it has nothing to do with Itachi' s birthday and I' m not completely sure that today is even his birthday. Oh well. Other than the fact that involves Itachi, it has nothing to do with his birthday but never the less; it's my birthday present to him. (Seika: Why does he get a birthday fic? Seito: Cause I wanted to write one.)
Yeah. Well just enjoy then.
--------
Kuro to Shiro no Kagi
---------
Loner and Popular. Genius and Failure. Black and White. Two complete opposites and yet the same. Never getting along, now for first time without fighting, they'll talk with words of anger. Music will be their connection.
--------
Soft music danced in the air. Lean pale fingers moved gracefully over the white and black keys. An escape; his escape. To leave reality and into fantasy. Fingers moved again, changing keys. Notes changed and the music continued to flow. Each note was a word, forming a message. Not a single word was said yet one could hear what the song was saying.
Somewhere in the midst of the larger Uchiha mansion, sat a teenager in front of a piano. His black hair was limp; the air in the room was dry and dead. Black onyx eyes were closed. There was no need to look at the sheet of music. He knew it by heart. Nearby on a chair laid a black cloak with red clouds. He wore a black shirt and black pants. The darkness of his clothes greatly contrasted with his pale skin.
The music sounded hauntingly. Perfect for such a setting. Everything here seemed dull and lifeless. Thousands of rooms were empty, collecting dust. Memories either buried in the mind or buried underneath the white sheets that covered countless furniture. No light seemed to shine and birds didn't sing. Everything here was dead. Trapped in time. Nothing moved nor did it change. Glasses didn't sparkle, the colors of flowers weren't vivid and bright, and it was almost a ghost town at night. There was nothing comforting or homey here. After all, money can't buy everything.
=Across Town=
More music was heard. This tune was different from the other. Brighter, happier. Small, pale fingers move quickly over the chords of strings. Some was strumming, the others fingering. An escape, her escape. From reality to illusion. A new chord was strummed, before returning to an old chord. Each note was different. Some created messages, and others did not. The beauty was this music was unrestrained and unheard of.
Sitting on a swing, next to a lake in the middle of the park sat another teenager with a guitar in her lap. Her white hair flew in the gentle wind. Her sapphire eyes were closed. She needed no music. Every note came from the heart. She wore a long sleeved white shirt with a knee high, white skirt. They blended well with her pale skin.
The music was lively. It worked well with this surrounding. Everything was alive here. The grass was green, and the water was crystal clear. Birds sang cheerfully and fishes swam happily. The sun shined brightly as big, white, fluffy clouds rolled by and nothing seemed to matter. Eventually changing, especially with the seasons, everything was happy. Memories didn't matter. Who she was didn't matter. The only thing that matter was the song she could play. Happiness is something earned, not given to.
=====
They were two completely different people...
Uchiha Itachi was the eldest of the last Uchiha.
Usuyuki Seika was eldest and only grandchild of the Usuyuki clan.
He was everything her family had hope she was
She had the freedom he always wanted
Yet they insisted on not getting along
=====
Music is a flow of words and/or notes. They often say it is easier to play something then to speak it. Music is the reflection of the feelings. When the song is sad and haunting, the person is mostly feeling sad. When the song is happy and upbeat, the person is full of energy and smiles. It takes a real master to make the music flow like it should. Anyone can make notes. Only a few can make the person listening feel what their feeling.
Uchiha Itachi quietly covered his dusty piano. As usual the house was quiet. Sasuke was mostly likely with Naruto again. His little brother had found a friend. He soon left the room.
====
The Uchiha mansion was big house. Actually big is a loose term. It was bigger than big. But bigger never means better. Actually, the largeness of the mansion made it lonely and sad. Itachi could wander through the empty halls for hours and never once run across his brother if Sasuke was doing the same thing. To him, home was never home. It was just an empty house he came to at the end of everyday. Other than fond memories, this house held little importance to Itachi. True his stuff was in his room but that could always be replaced.
Yet the only thing he cared about in this house, aside from his brother and a picture of his family when he was younger, the only thing Itachi always returned to was the old grand piano in one of the larger living rooms in this mansion. For one reason or another, Itachi was always loved playing on that piano. He enjoyed it. It almost exceeds his love for martial arts. Almost.
His wanderings brought him to the front of his house. Just as he passed the front door, the doorbell rang. It was times like these; Itachi wished he actually had servants to answer the door. Maybe he'll look into one day. Itachi opened the front door to reveal the last person he would see at his doorstep: Usuyuki Seika.
Seika's long, white hair and sapphire blue eyes often made it easy to spot her in large crowds. Her long white bangs always fell in way that it seemed to frame her face, no matter how many times she tied them back or pushed them behind her ear. Her sapphire eyes were always flashing different emotions. She's almost a head shorter than Itachi, petite, small, and light. The dragon necklace around her neck stood out against Seika's white outfit. In her small, pale hands was a textbook.
Usuyuki Seika is an easily angered and annoyed type of girl. She often jumps to conclusion before getting all the facts when angered or annoyed. There were many times when her temper gets the better of her judgment. She doesn't talk much and preferred to be alone. Stubborn when she wants to be, she's actually a nice girl if you don't get on her bad side like Itachi normally does. Seika was Itachi' s classmate and Naruto' s roommate. (See Kagau waku wa hana no shita ni te for more info. Chapters 1 and 4 are a good start about the roommate thing) Seika is the loner of the school. She never talked to people and Itachi didn't even know of her existence a few months ago. Due to some current events, for some reason, Itachi has been annoying her since he met her.
She handed him the textbook in her hands. "Here. You left this at my house when you came to pick up Sasuke yesterday." Itachi took the book. How on earth did she know where he lived? Wait don't answer that. Everyone and anyone know where the Uchiha Mansion is. The only problem was actually finding it. It's so secluded it' s hard to find. (Ignore the fact that it's just the biggest house in the town, surrounded by smaller houses). With that, Seika turn and began to leave.
"Seika, wait. Do you wanna come in," asked Itachi. Seika stopped and look back, her eyebrow raised. If Seika belong to the Uchiha Itachi's Fan Group (UIFG not to be confused with USFG [Uchiha Sasuke's Fan Group]) she would have been screaming excitedly and hugging the older Uchiha. The thing is, Seika wasn't a part of such a group so her reaction was dull, blunt and straight to the point as it always has been. "Why?"
Since the day they met, the relationship between the older Uchiha and Seika had been quite strange. The Monday after White Day, the older Uchiha had made it a habit to annoy the white hair girl. From there the process continued. There were rare times where they actually agreed on things. Other than that, they were either arguing with one another or Seika was losing her cool. It was cute in a sort odd, twisted, I-hate-you-but-I-love- you sort of relationship. So while Itachi was trying to make it to first base as friends, Seika just wanted some peace and quiet. Where Itachi was trying to include her in his life, she wanted no part of it. It was very strange indeed.
As one of the most popular boys in the high school area and on the list of most wanted to date, Itachi had no real friends. He considered Kisame as a bodyguard and anyone else in the school either hated/envied him or wanted to date/fight over him. It was very'85 annoying. But perhaps that was the reason why Itachi was so intrigued by Seika. She was the first girl he'd met that wasn't "lovey dovey" about him. But then again, Itachi wasn't too sure why he wanted to know Seika better.
On the other hand, Seika would rather not be friends with Itachi. As a loner, she enjoys her peace and quiet, something she hasn't had since Itachi became determined to find out more about her. In fact her life was even more chaotic after Sasuke and Naruto got together and Itachi wanted to become friends with her. So far she had nearly been trampled by fan girls more then once, had false rumors floating around about her and Itachi, had her grades drop because of Itachi, and the list goes on and on. It could be the fact that she never had any playmates her age when growing up, since socializing with people is something she never really knew how to do.
Another thing was the fact that everyone in the whole damn school insisted on comparing her to him. It was mostly about grades. Seika really didn't understand that. The older Uchiha was genius; she was struggling to just get an A in her classes. Did everyone have to point that out? It was annoying to Seika. They were two different people. If they were related like how Sasuke is to Itachi, then she was okay with it. After all it was like the same genes but that didn't matter. They weren't related. So why compare them?
Itachi didn't really say why he offered Seika to come in. It could be that he was lonely. Sasuke was out with Naruto. He had no parents and friends. Aside from Kisame, Seika was only person Itachi attempted to talk to. "Talk," he randomly and casually said. Seika stared at him. Her sapphire eyes glimmer with confusion. Surely this was one of Itachi's plots to annoy her. Then again it wasn't like she had anything to do. Sure she could train but hey she was looking at losing anyways, so a day off wouldn't kill her (actually it could).
Debating whether she had just sealed her doom or not, she said, "I guess."
====
The beauty of music is a rather an unusual thing. Some understand it, some don't. Music is an art that can be expressed with or without words. To create a musical masterpiece, it must come from the heart. Music reflects the soul like any other art such as drawing and writing. Some people can create beautiful musical masterpieces with ease. Other prefer different ways.
Music isn't just notes played together as one. It' s also the ability to string words together to craft a magnificent song. Music comes from the heart and not from the head...
===
Whether it was intentional or not, Itachi had led Seika into the very room he was just in. Itachi had left Seika alone for a minute while the telephone rang. Seika scanned the room. This was the first time she had been here and frankly she didn't like it. It reminded her of the main house. That was the last place she wanted to be. It was so empty here. There was no life, no color. It was blank almost.
Her hand ran across the white sheet that covered the piano. No dust. 'He played recently,' she mused to herself. It was hard for the older Uchiha (even Sasuke) to keep things from people. Sooner or later, their stalkers discovered their hobbies and such. It was only a miracle that no one had found about Sasuke and Naruto's relationship yet. So like everyone else, Seika knew Itachi enjoyed playing the piano.
She moved from the piano to the small picture frame that lay on a nearby table. A family picture of the Uchiha. There was a tall man with black hair and eyes and woman with black hair and eyes holding a baby. At their feet stood a small Itachi. He must have been about 5. While she subconsciously noted that Itachi and Sasuke held more of their mother's features, Seika wasn't looking at Sasuke or his parents. Rather she was looking at the expression on Itachi's face. He was smiling.
It wasn't a smirk and it wasn't a cold smile either. A true, genuine smile. When was the last time she had seen her classmate smile like that? She remembered seeing it at the Sakura Matsuri. But other than that, Seika didn't remember when. Itachi doesn't smile like that in school.
"They were great parents when they were alive and when they had time to spend with us."
Seika turned around. Itachi had come back. She set the picture back down, only for Itachi to pick it back up. "When they were alive," she questioned. His parents were dead? Seika didn't know that. Itachi looked at her. "You didn't know?" She shook her head. Was she supposed to? "Funny I thought everyone in town knew about it. They made it the talk of the town for months. They've been dead for 5 years. Someone poisoned them. Never found the culprit."
Seika blinked. 'How can he say that like he doesn't even care?' When Itachi told her that, his voice was his normal, withdrawn, cold voice but it was almost as if he didn't care that his parents were dead. Itachi set the picture down on table. "What about you? What are your parents like?"
In a normal case Seika would have yelled at Itachi for asking such a question. But he told her about his parents, it's only fair she do the same. Her eyes looked up at the high wooden ceiling above her. "I can't say," was all she said.
"They dead too?"
"You could say that."
Silence fell. Itachi didn't understand what Seika meant by that last sentence. Did that mean she was adopted and her real parents were somewhere out there? Seika was a completely mystery. Definably living up to her name as a loner. Itachi then noticed that the air in the room seemed sadder. He decided to change the subject.
He grabbed Seika before she could object and proceed to dragged her out of the house. "Wha-? Where are we going," she asked.
His only response was, "Ice cream."
====
Music doesn't have to be notes played or sung. To some the art of conversation is music. For those who live in complete silence, music and words are blessing to hear. Some never hear words and notes in their life. It's funny how when the small things are gone, it is then when we realize how important they are to us.
The gift of conversation is another art in itself. Anyone can play notes; anyone can string words together to form a sentence. However, there are too many times when we stumble over the right words to say and express ourselves. To be able to talk freely and without trouble is a blessing that many do not possess.
Music can be a conversation. It takes practice to play notes and form an exquisite song. It' s the same for speaking. It becomes easier to converse with people when you start talking more. To someone who is shy, they will always stumble over their words. But when that shy person finally begins to speak, then their confidence begins to grow as well. After a while they're comfortable with speaking with people.
====
Seika normally didn't treat herself to one of life's simple pleasures, ice cream. She normally didn't have the money to spend to buy ice cream. Don' t get me wrong. Seika loves ice cream. It was her "sweet snow". But she had a tight budget so eating ice cream was never on her list of things to buy. Therefore, to anyone who knew of Seika and her tight budget would go and get their eyes checked if they walked by to see Seika buying ice cream.
Seika stared at the vanilla ice cream in front of her. On those extremely rare days when she does treat herself to ice cream, it' s usually gone by now. Something was wrong. It could be the fact that she was feeling guilty. Guilty that someone else was buying her ice cream. Guilty at the fact that she' s been treating Itachi so poorly and now she was eating ice cream with him. Guilty at the fact that she isn't paying for this. Just downright guilty. She propped her elbows onto the table, folded her hands and rested her forehead on her hands as she said, "I don't deserve this."
Itachi looked up from his chocolate ice cream cone. It had taken him 30 minutes to get Seika down here and order. She so stubborn and too generous too. "Huh," he asked. Seika lightly glared at him. "I don't deserve this ice cream."
"Why not?"
Seika nearly fell out of her chair. Was he blind? Over the pass months hadn't she, one, punched him, two, falsely accused him of a rumor that was never his fault to begin with, three, thrown water at him, four, hit him countless times, five, well... this list was getting too long so Seika stopped herself from continuing. And he's telling her to eat ice cream?! Something was wrong with this picture here. "You're treating me to ice cream and I've treating you like trash so to speak."
"So?"
Seika really did fall out of her chair that time. Someone tell her that she was hearing things. "You mean after all I've done to you over the past couple of months, you forgive me for it?" Itachi shrugged. "Well I was kinda just jumping unexpectedly into your life. I can't really blame you for most of the things you've done. I probably would have done the same thing to if I was in your shoes." Seika stared into Itachi's eyes, her hand feeling his forehead. Nope he wasn't sick. Was this really the same Itachi she saw at school every day? Didn't seem like it.
The Itachi she saw at school was cold and distant. He was more a loner then Seika herself. He was icier then her and could charm a girl within seconds so that she was nothing more then putty in his hand. The Itachi she knew was annoying and always trying to talk to her. So who was the dummy that replaced the real Itachi and where was the real Itachi?
Seika never noticed that she lean so closed that the tip of her nose got chocolate on it from Itachi's ice cream cone. She sat back down; her cup of vanilla ice cream was starting to melt. It was then Itachi noticed the spot of chocolate ice cream. He chuckled lightly. Seika looked at him confused. (Seito: You get confused a lot don't you. Seika: That' s 'cause you made me that way.)
Itachi lean over with a napkin and wiped her nose. "You've got chocolate ice cream on you," he teased. Seika's nose scrunch up a bit as a lightly and very faint blush appeared on her face. Itachi leaned back into his seat and chuckled lightly. Seika, who finally figured out what Itachi was doing, also began to chuckle.
====
You know, it's a funny thing, the way humans think. We' re always quick to judge others before we get to know them completely. Yet we can relate to each other when we share a common bond. The saying, 'Never judge a book by its cover,' is true. They don' t know it but it's the loneliness in their life, their interest in music, the masks they wear, the people they care for, and many other things that tied the two here together. They may never be more then classmates or people who happen to know each other because of their friends and brothers. But for now... let them just enjoy the moment. It isn't everyday that these two laugh and it almost never that these two manage to get along.
It's actually quite picturesque. Two classmates who never got along sitting there, actually talking for once. Two teenagers just trying to be the best they can be without hurting anyone in the process, eating ice cream together, laughing as well.
=Outside=
Naruto and Sasuke were passing by outside. As usual they were spending time alone. Today they went to Crystal Lake, the lake located in the center of the park. After getting each other wet, they were heading home to dry off. They were passing the ice cream shop when the two of them spotted something very strange. Seika and Itachi were eating ice cream.
"Quick!! Sasuke, the camera," urged Naruto. Sasuke found the camera and snapped photos. This was perfect blackmail on the older siblings. (Although Seika wasn't Naruto's blood relative. Just someone he considered to be an older sister) Sasuke chuckled lightly. Oh the possibilities.
"We can get those developed," cheered Naruto. Now he had something over Seika for the videotape she had tape of him and Sasuke's first kiss. Sasuke gave Naruto a sloppy wet kiss on the forehead. "Let's get home first," he said, offering his hand to Naruto. Naruto smiled at took Sasuke's hand. Revenge on Seika and Itachi could always wait. It wasn't like Naruto could always have a day with no interruption with his boyfriend. Yup. He was just going to spend some time with Sasuke first. Who wouldn't want to spend the whole day with their boyfriend without interruption?
Naruto sighed and leaned against Sasuke's shoulder. Finally, some peace and quiet. The two boys made it towards the Uchiha mansion. Their hands were intertwined. It had been an eventful day to them.
=A Year Later=
Again pale fingers flew across the black and white keys. This melody was different from the first that was heard. Where the first one was sad and haunting, this seems to be cheerful and soft. Familiar words could almost be heard as the tune continues to dance and play in the room. He was so absorbed in the music he never heard the door open. The music continues to flow through the room, swirling around the room.
The room seemed brighter somehow. It wasn't as lifeless and dull as it was before. Things that never had a shine seem to sparkle a bit. There wasn't much different but one could tell. The air wasn't dead and dry. It just seem lighter, happier, some how different. It was... almost comforting for once.
The music continued, picking up a slightly faster beat. It was still a soft tone, still slow, just slightly faster. "...Together that's you
Forever with me
We'll always be good company
You and me
Yes together we'll be..."
Itachi stopped and looked towards the source of the voice. Seika was leaning against the doorframe with a gentle smile on her face. Absentmindedly she pushed back her bangs as Itachi stood up from the piano seat and headed towards her. "Hurry up," she said. "We're going to keep your brother and Naruto waiting. We're already late."
Itachi chuckled lightly. He didn't bother to cover the piano anymore. He played on it everyday now. Itachi followed Seika out of the room. The room returned back to its original state. Time stopped again, waiting for its master to return. The room reminded lifeless once more. The air became heavy, dry and dead. In spite what had happened just moments before, the room was still the same as it was a year ago as it was the same 10 years ago. But there was something different in the room aside from the missing piano cover.
On the piano right above the black and white keys, was a picture. It was the same one Naruto and Sasuke took. It was the picture of Seika and Itachi at the ice cream shop. Seika was sitting, pushing her bangs out of her face with a big smile on her face as she was laughing. Itachi held a napkin in his hand that had a brown spot on it as he laughed as well. The breeze suddenly blew the picture onto the black and white keys where it stayed there.
-----------Owari----------
Seito: This is lacking so much in fluff, it's making me twitch. I know I wanted to write a story without turning it into fluff but this ridicule. This should be fluffy. This isn't fluffy. ARGH!!!
Seika: Calm down. (She happy cause this story didn't turn out fluffy)
Seito: This should be fluffy. This story is anything BUT fluffy. I'm repeating myself aren't I?
Seika: Yes you are, now calm down.
Seito: Well I hope you enjoy. Maybe you'll check out 'Kagau waku wa hana no shita ni te' ? =hint, hint= If not that's okay.
To The La/=/er
Did you get my emails? I haven't heard from you lately.
Special thanks to my beta readers who proofread this story!!
Now...
PLEASE REVIEW!!!