Warning: Clichéness. OOCness. SasuNaru, bashing of Sasuke's character, possibly tasteless humor, and LEMONZZ BWAHAHAAHAHA-okay, probably not but... Let's hope!! *crosses fingers*
Disclaimer: Me no own, you no sue. Masashi Kishimoto and his assistants rawk, yo.
Chapter Revised: 2/5/04
~~~Chapter Three: And Mary Sue comes in THE NIIIGHT!!!
"...You sure about this, Kaeru-baba?"
The old woman sighed, bringing down her dark hood to reveal her whitening hair. This must've been the sixth time within the last five minutes she had been asked that tedious question. You sure about this and you sure about that-- That was approximately one question every 50 seconds. How many times did she have to go over this?
"Yes, Rasuke, I'm sure about this."
"But how can you be? I mean, a bell?"
A sigh. Rasuke's mother-in-law had been sent to deliver the bell to the hidden leaf village, and everyone had agreed that the bell would be the most effective way to pick a marriage partner, but Rasuke still doubted the validity of what seemed to be such a useless trinket. There wasn't anything inside the hollow metal of the bell. How could anyone hear it unless daft or mad with horrid illnesses such as mad cow disease, rabies, and many other animal transferred diseases which the authoress is unable to recall or identify?
The old woman sighed. Now there needed to be a semi-long and mysterious explanation of what the bell could do. Another sigh.
"It can't be wrong. It's the bell of..."
The old woman paused as she racked her brain for a mysterious, yet mystical title-- essential for any seemingly useless trinket that played a part in a mystic feudalistic plot.
"...time rain..."
Hell yeah. Progress.
"The Bell of Time Rain has been passed down as an ancient relic from your ancestors."-- not mentioning who those ancestors might be-- "It only rings when it finds someone suitable to be married to someone of your clan."-- not mentioning which clan that might be...
"But, Kaeru-baba..." Rasuke pondered, pouting as the old woman whipped a pink bow from the rough linen her back apron pocket. Pink against black was such a blinding contrast, Kaeru was happy to get it out of her pocket and into Rasuke's hair. "I thought the bell didn't work or something... Isn't that why they stopped using it?"
"You are the last of your clan, Rasuke," she replied with a knowing smile, tying the silken bow in the shorter child's shiny black hair. "I don't think there will be any mix-ups this time around."
The final knot was tied. The pink bow glowed like a flower among weeds.
"In fact, I'm sure of it. Get up, Rasuke, and look at your reflection!" she chided.
Excitedly, the dark-haired Rasuke jumped up from the pink stool, which skidded halfway across the room in a deafening screech, and Rasuke ran towards the mirror, glowing with pride as the dress spun and spun around the delicate feminine legs. With a final wink to the mirror, Rasuke ran back to Kaeru-baba and gave a happy nod.
He was ready to meet his fiancé.
~~~
"Yooooshi!" the blond boy shouted, rotating his arms around him as he took his first step into this Valence Village. Taking extra care not to hit any of the villagers, he ran with an exuberant cry across the road of upturned dust.
Slowly rotating his own shoulders, Kakashi calmly walked after the boy, promptly followed by Sakura and Sasuke. The team received many menacing glares and stares from the people of the village. The butcher's eyes went red, the women held their children close, and several hooded men gathered in defense. It was as though the village knew not the meaning of shinobi, or hated shinobi to the point of changes in eyecolor.
"Maa... You'd think they'd never seen shinobi before..." mused Sakura as she nervously looked back and forth between the villagers.
She neglected to avoid running into a large hooded man.
"Ah! S-sorry..." she spurted, looking up at the man she had bumped into. Her eyes widened to the size of saucers as she saw the blood red eyes burning down at her.
His size was enormous, imposing, and as intimidating as a bear protecting its children. His silver hair shimmered in the sunlight, and his eyes glittered with confidence and vanity. He was, to say the least, pretty. Sakura probably would have mistook the man for a woman had it not been for the flat chest.
The man smiled kindly at her, his eyes glittering with a happy and delighted air. It seemed no hard was done. Sakura smiled back in confirmation, and the longhaired man attained a serious expression, lifting his head to look at Kakashi.
"Are you the hidden leaf shinobi for whom we sent?" he asked, his voice low and soft.
The jounin was speechless for a moment. He blinked at the other man as though that action were confirmation enough that they were in fact the shinobi had been sent for. But the other man made no move or reply, still waiting for one from the scarecrow.
"Yes," Sasuke finally interjected, warily eyeing the longhaired man. "...And you are?"
"...Joel," was his simple reply, returning Sasuke's glare with a smug look of his own. "I am the brother of the one whose fiancé you sought." He relayed a hand.
Kakashi seemed to snap out of his daze as he reached out to shake Joel's hand, fake grins instantly gracing both men's faces. All seemed well and good. Everything was going to plan. There had been no surprises... until Joel bent down and closed his eyes, softly pressing his lips against Kakashi's hand.
All three shinobi blushed.
Even Sasuke.
Especially Sasuke.
"Eh..." Kakashi began, bringing his free hand to scratch the nape of his neck in embarrassment. "That really isn't necessary..."
"Sasuke-kun..." Sakura whispered, gently grasping her companion's sleeve. "What's that guy doing to Kakashi...?"
Pausing, Sasuke replied, "I think he's kissing his hand..."
"...Oh, okay..." Sakura nodded. "Just checking..."
After a few moments, the silver-haired man lifted his head and gave a broad smile.
"...Welcome to Valence Village."
His eyes wandered down to Sasuke, grinning as he saw the little boy squirm in discomfort.
He reached for Sasuke's hand.
"Are you the boy who will marry my brother?"
"No," Sasuke spat out, jerking his hand away from Joel and pointing at the blond boy dancing down the street. He hesitated for a moment, wondering if it was right to let anyone know that Naruto was the fiancé. After all, it wasn't his place, and something inside him was reluctant to let Naruto go...
"I'm not the one..."
He swallowed, steadying his finger.
"He is."
"Ah."
Joel sounded disappointed.
"The princess has arrived!" one of the villagers shouted.
They turned.
Naruto's face lit up in joy.
Something clenched in Sasuke's chest.
From behind the door peered two shining black eyes, like shining black coals, and the princess walked out. Her dress was a pale pink, and a pink bow was tied in her shining, shoulder-length, black hair. A bell dangled loosely from her neck, jingling in the silence that had taken over them. A light smile graced her lips, for she was actually a he, and he knew he had captivated all who set eyes upon him. His eyes focused on the blond boy in front of him.
This one has something about him. I cannot put my finger upon it. Probably something about his demonic chakra, but I don't notice it.
"Rasuke."
He turned to Joel.
"Brother..." the girly boy muttered, narrowing his eyes.
"The shinobi have arrived."
"Is it by chance the blond one?"
Joel lowered his head in a nod.
"Yes. He is the one for whom you searched."
"Hi!" Naruto greeted noisily, one hand waving frantically in the air. "My name is Naruto!"
Kakashi slapped his forehead in embarrassment.
Rasuke felt himself smile. He felt his feet move below him without his consent as though compelled to draw closer to Naruto. He reached his hand out.
"My name is Rasuke."
Naruto took his hand graciously. And Rasuke brought the delicate fingers of the fox up to his face, gazing at them, mesmerized. Something was drawing him desperately to this boy, and, for a moment, he laughed at the thought that the bells were right in their fortune telling.
"Please..." he whispered, closing his eyes and parting his lips...
He brushed his lips against Naruto's hand.
A blush.
"The pleasure is all mine..."
Naruto blushed even further. He wanted to look around. He wanted to stop. This was embarrassing! But he wanted to watch. The feeling was so foreign. It wasn't unpleasant. It was strange. It felt different. It felt...
Hot.
Meanwhile, black eyes quickly turned red with sharingan.
What's he doing?!
He's touching my Naruto!
Kill! Kill!
"DON'T TOUCH H-"
"Rasuke, that's enough," Joel interrupted.
Naruto and Rasuke pulled away immediately, both of their faces glowing red.
"I-I'm sorry..." Rasuke muttered, turning away. Kuso! I almost lost control! Stupid brother! Damn demon! If only the kage of my village hadn't sealed a demon inside me when I was but a toddler! "I-I have to go now..." he whispered, turning away.
A hand stopped him.
"Na-Naruto-kun...?"
The blue eyes bore into his black ones.
"Will you marry me?"
A tear rolled down Rasuke's flawless cheek. His life's dream was to be loved by someone, for he had always been hated by the members of his village as the demon, and not as Rasuke. It seemed as though Naruto knew his never-ending pain. His dark lips curled up into a smile, finally finding bliss in love, and he threw himself into the fox's arms.
"Yes, Naruto..." He sniffled. "I will..."
Warm arms wrapped around his back, and he began to sob.
--What's left of the audience begins to blink rapidly.--
"I'm leaving," was Sasuke's bland remark. And with that, the dark-haired shinobi turned on his heel and walked away. He was pulled back by Kakashi, though, and he began to growl in frustration. He didn't want to see this progress any further. He had no idea why. Goodness, he was just a well of jumbled and confused thoughts. And what was with that mental interjection back there? Had he just called Naruto his?
"So when's the wedding gonna be?" Sakura asked, happy that Naruto could finally be happy with someone who was happy to be with him. Now she wouldn't be bothered with Naruto's wooing antics, and she also wouldn't have to feel guilty for turning the blond boy down.
Joel and his brother exchanged quick glances.
"This evening," Joel finally replied with a smile.
Sasuke whipped around. "What?!"
"The wedding will be this evening. If that is okay with Rasuke and the boy."
"Of course!" the two lovers shouted gleefully.
That meant Sasuke really had to leave. Now. Not later. Not earlier. And not this evening! It wasn't fair! He wasn't sure what wasn't fair, but...
Whatever. It didn't matter. As long as he didn't have to attend the wedding, he was fine with it.
"And the shinobi should want to attend the wedding as well?"
"Sure," Kakashi replied.
Fuck.
And suddenly, a hooded figure stepped out of the house. Her blue eyes glowed from beneath the black cloth as she spoke.
"Allow me to apologize."
The woman from last night...
She pulled down the hood just a bit, allowing a tuft of white hair to show itself.
"I had told you that the boy's mother and aunt would be here. Unfortunately, there is no blood family here."
A nod of understanding.
"Blatantly asking for a fiancé is too suspicious, so..."
"Right. We made it up."
"Your intentions seem clear, though."
"Thank you for your understanding." The woman bowed. "I am Kaeru. And I would be happy to be Naruto's mother."
"In law."
"The wedding will be the evening, as Joel has told you." Kaeru smiled. "In the meantime, feel free to look around the village. We will prepare for the wedding until then. Should you need a guide, ask any of the villagers for help." And with a bow, she grabbed the boys by the shoulders and pulled them back into the building. Joel took one look back and followed them.
...Silence.
~~~
"You IDIOT!" the genius genin shrieked, the smoke exploding from his ears in atomic mushroom clouds of frustration.
Sasuke said nothing.
"I take my eyes off you for one second...One effin' second!"
Sasuke felt himself being grabbed by the collar of his shirt.
"And now Naruto is going to be marrying a boy from another village! Do you realize the magnitude of your idiotic and utterly ignorant acts?! There are consequences to letting the boy of your dreams get away, Uchiha! Dire ones! And there are worse consequences to letting the boy of your friend's dreams elope in another village! You imbecile!"
The other boy shot Neji a dark glare before shoving their bodies apart. Scornfully, he exhaled, bringing his shoulders to hug his neck in a defensive stance against Neji.
"We are not friends, Hyuuga. We merely occupy the same village. Do not put the blame on me for letting the idiot you loved find his love."
A prick to both their hearts.
"I seem to recall that you loved him as well, Uchiha."
"...You remember incorrectly."
And the avenger cringed in the bloody pool of his own bitter denial.
"I cannot love. I am an avenger. Love does nothing but hinder my revenge. I cannot waste my time with an idiot like Naruto. I-"
"Bullshit!" Neji cried, turning sharply towards the younger shinobi, spitting poison from his cold, dry lips. He was tired of Sasuke's ignorance and incompetence, but Sasuke continued the charade nonetheless. He gritted his teeth.
"I hate him..."
Both of them could hear Neji's ragged breathing.
A chuckle.
"...Who do you hate, Uchiha?"
Neji was testing the certainty of his emotions.
"I hate Na..."
Neji stepped back.
"Naruto-"
A fist slammed against the flawless pale face.
It's not true...
"Your stupidity disgusts me, Uchiha."
The genius was barely able to block a kick aimed at his face(1). Thick pulsing veins surged from his byakugan eyes, and he almost gasped in surprise.
Sharingan?!
"...Take that back, Hyuuga."
Another kick, and Neji blocked, quickly rolling his arms around the fragile legs and shoving his hands into Uchiha's chest. Sasuke was sent falling backwards, landing his palms on the sidewalk, and flipping his body to regain control of his feet. Neji jumped away before Sasuke could kick him in the face.
"I hate Naruto. I always have. I always will," Sasuke slowly said, jumping to his feet.
"Liar," Neji hissed, stepping backwards as the other boy approached.
He jumped at the other boy with a crescent kick. Sasuke ducked, barely blocking Neji's follow-through kick. When he was out of Neji's range, he turned back around and found himself backed to a tree. Neji was running towards him with hands ready.
Sasuke blocked Neji's first hit, gripping the genius' arm and bringing his right leg around for a spinning back kick. To his disappointment, his leg came in contact with the back of Neji's forearm. He narrowed his eyes scornfully.
"...Why are you so angry, anyway? Don't you want the idiot for yourself?"
"Shut up."
Neji turned full circle with an aim to elbow Sasuke's back, but Sasuke's leg swept below him, sending him stumbling backwards in an effort to keep his balance. He was just barely able to stop another set of kicks from the Uchiha with his forearms.
"I want him to be happy."
A swift chop hit the air.
"Well, he seemed happy with his fiancé. Is that good enough?"
A kick. A flip. Chop. Block. Sweep. Flip. Punch. Flip.
His loose black ponytail followed him, and he found the will to smirk.
"I think the question is, Uchiha: Is it good enough for you?"
A drumbeat rang out, almost like a hearbeat.
Furiously, Sasuke ground his teeth together, holding back the scream that threatened to pour out of his mouth.
"What are you implying?"
"You know exactly what I'm implying! Do you really think he's going to be happy with a brat he just met today? I don't believe in love at first sight-"
"Despite all the destiny crap?"
"-And I'm sure you don't believe in love at first sight either."
There was a silence.
Sasuke hesitated-- self-admittance and the will to contradict whatever Neji said... Both options would leave another to bite away at his pride. His fists tightened. Does one believe in love at first sight?
"...I do believe in love at first sight."
Neji rolled his eyes.
"Puh-lease."
...Okay. Let's ignore that strangely girlish comment and move on.
And Sasuke merely glared in malice, having experienced Cupid's arrow for himself. He knew what it was like to be love struck, for he was in love with a certain blond loudmouth ninja, and it was the worst, not to mention uncontrollable, decision of his life. It wasn't Neji's place to question the validity of his feelings.
Luckily, Neji seemed to understand, though disbelief was painted in his pale white eyes. All memories of the fight had been wiped from his brain, and he seemed all but aware of what was going on.
"...Y-you...?"
Sasuke was silent.
Defeat showered over the older boy's expression.
"...I see."
If Naruto was truly in love with the foreign boy named Rasuke, then all his efforts, all his mocking of Sasuke, all their quarrels, and all the money he spent on buying Naruto ramen-- it would be useless, wasted-- thrown down the toilet and bred with the goldfish. He had always thought about what would happen in the future if Naruto would return his feelings and they should get married, make love, somehow have children, and torture Sasuke with the fact for the rest of eternity.
But something in the back of Neji's mind told him that he and Naruto weren't destined to be. Naruto seemed to have no intention of getting close him. What was done was done. It was so long ago that he had fought against Naruto and met his match, met his savior. And it seemed that he was not going to be a significant part of Naruto's life. He was merely thrown to the side like some rag doll in a cast of supporting side characters.
He would watch Sasuke from afar. He would relish in the poor boy's struggle with his own feelings. He knew how lost Sasuke was-- He had been lost himself when Naruto came along, but he had also been found the moment Naruto crashed through the earth and sent the fist sailing into his chin. Sasuke had been with Naruto for so long, and yet the sharingan user was still confused.
And Neji realized that Sasuke needed Naruto much more than he did.
"...Sasuke," he finally whispered, almost smiling at the other boy's startled expression. With an exasperated sigh, he walked back over to the bench, the bench where he would always bother Sasuke about his feelings, and he plopped himself on his butt, lifting his head to look at the sky.
If Rasuke and Naruto loved one another, then all would be lost.
But this is fanfiction, so, obviously, that isn't going to happen.
"Sasuke, where is this village again?"
Sasuke lifted an inquisitive brow. "It's just south of here. Why do you ask?"
Sasuke was stupider than he thought.
"We're going to crash the wedding."
A pause.
"Duh."
~~~
THEENDTHEENDTHEEEEEEEEND of the chapter.
I really don't like this chapter. Too many mood swings. Like the story is PMSing or something to that purpose. And the fighting scene was too short. Aw. Sorry I took so long to get this chapter out! I tried to make it... not... suck... But ALAS... I need to characterize Neji better. His character is all over the place.
(1) I really don't know anything about fighting. I take wushu, which is more like dancing than fighting, but I really like the old Chinese martial arts movies (especially Drunken Master-- Jackie Chan is my favorite!), so I wanted to include a fighting scene. Forgive the suckage...^^:
Next chapter: What's this?! Sasuke and Neji plan to crash the wedding, but Naruto has some objections of his own!!! Probably. I dunno. Crap. I really am the worst authoress ever.
Disclaimer: Me no own, you no sue. Masashi Kishimoto and his assistants rawk, yo.
Chapter Revised: 2/5/04
~~~Chapter Three: And Mary Sue comes in THE NIIIGHT!!!
"...You sure about this, Kaeru-baba?"
The old woman sighed, bringing down her dark hood to reveal her whitening hair. This must've been the sixth time within the last five minutes she had been asked that tedious question. You sure about this and you sure about that-- That was approximately one question every 50 seconds. How many times did she have to go over this?
"Yes, Rasuke, I'm sure about this."
"But how can you be? I mean, a bell?"
A sigh. Rasuke's mother-in-law had been sent to deliver the bell to the hidden leaf village, and everyone had agreed that the bell would be the most effective way to pick a marriage partner, but Rasuke still doubted the validity of what seemed to be such a useless trinket. There wasn't anything inside the hollow metal of the bell. How could anyone hear it unless daft or mad with horrid illnesses such as mad cow disease, rabies, and many other animal transferred diseases which the authoress is unable to recall or identify?
The old woman sighed. Now there needed to be a semi-long and mysterious explanation of what the bell could do. Another sigh.
"It can't be wrong. It's the bell of..."
The old woman paused as she racked her brain for a mysterious, yet mystical title-- essential for any seemingly useless trinket that played a part in a mystic feudalistic plot.
"...time rain..."
Hell yeah. Progress.
"The Bell of Time Rain has been passed down as an ancient relic from your ancestors."-- not mentioning who those ancestors might be-- "It only rings when it finds someone suitable to be married to someone of your clan."-- not mentioning which clan that might be...
"But, Kaeru-baba..." Rasuke pondered, pouting as the old woman whipped a pink bow from the rough linen her back apron pocket. Pink against black was such a blinding contrast, Kaeru was happy to get it out of her pocket and into Rasuke's hair. "I thought the bell didn't work or something... Isn't that why they stopped using it?"
"You are the last of your clan, Rasuke," she replied with a knowing smile, tying the silken bow in the shorter child's shiny black hair. "I don't think there will be any mix-ups this time around."
The final knot was tied. The pink bow glowed like a flower among weeds.
"In fact, I'm sure of it. Get up, Rasuke, and look at your reflection!" she chided.
Excitedly, the dark-haired Rasuke jumped up from the pink stool, which skidded halfway across the room in a deafening screech, and Rasuke ran towards the mirror, glowing with pride as the dress spun and spun around the delicate feminine legs. With a final wink to the mirror, Rasuke ran back to Kaeru-baba and gave a happy nod.
He was ready to meet his fiancé.
~~~
"Yooooshi!" the blond boy shouted, rotating his arms around him as he took his first step into this Valence Village. Taking extra care not to hit any of the villagers, he ran with an exuberant cry across the road of upturned dust.
Slowly rotating his own shoulders, Kakashi calmly walked after the boy, promptly followed by Sakura and Sasuke. The team received many menacing glares and stares from the people of the village. The butcher's eyes went red, the women held their children close, and several hooded men gathered in defense. It was as though the village knew not the meaning of shinobi, or hated shinobi to the point of changes in eyecolor.
"Maa... You'd think they'd never seen shinobi before..." mused Sakura as she nervously looked back and forth between the villagers.
She neglected to avoid running into a large hooded man.
"Ah! S-sorry..." she spurted, looking up at the man she had bumped into. Her eyes widened to the size of saucers as she saw the blood red eyes burning down at her.
His size was enormous, imposing, and as intimidating as a bear protecting its children. His silver hair shimmered in the sunlight, and his eyes glittered with confidence and vanity. He was, to say the least, pretty. Sakura probably would have mistook the man for a woman had it not been for the flat chest.
The man smiled kindly at her, his eyes glittering with a happy and delighted air. It seemed no hard was done. Sakura smiled back in confirmation, and the longhaired man attained a serious expression, lifting his head to look at Kakashi.
"Are you the hidden leaf shinobi for whom we sent?" he asked, his voice low and soft.
The jounin was speechless for a moment. He blinked at the other man as though that action were confirmation enough that they were in fact the shinobi had been sent for. But the other man made no move or reply, still waiting for one from the scarecrow.
"Yes," Sasuke finally interjected, warily eyeing the longhaired man. "...And you are?"
"...Joel," was his simple reply, returning Sasuke's glare with a smug look of his own. "I am the brother of the one whose fiancé you sought." He relayed a hand.
Kakashi seemed to snap out of his daze as he reached out to shake Joel's hand, fake grins instantly gracing both men's faces. All seemed well and good. Everything was going to plan. There had been no surprises... until Joel bent down and closed his eyes, softly pressing his lips against Kakashi's hand.
All three shinobi blushed.
Even Sasuke.
Especially Sasuke.
"Eh..." Kakashi began, bringing his free hand to scratch the nape of his neck in embarrassment. "That really isn't necessary..."
"Sasuke-kun..." Sakura whispered, gently grasping her companion's sleeve. "What's that guy doing to Kakashi...?"
Pausing, Sasuke replied, "I think he's kissing his hand..."
"...Oh, okay..." Sakura nodded. "Just checking..."
After a few moments, the silver-haired man lifted his head and gave a broad smile.
"...Welcome to Valence Village."
His eyes wandered down to Sasuke, grinning as he saw the little boy squirm in discomfort.
He reached for Sasuke's hand.
"Are you the boy who will marry my brother?"
"No," Sasuke spat out, jerking his hand away from Joel and pointing at the blond boy dancing down the street. He hesitated for a moment, wondering if it was right to let anyone know that Naruto was the fiancé. After all, it wasn't his place, and something inside him was reluctant to let Naruto go...
"I'm not the one..."
He swallowed, steadying his finger.
"He is."
"Ah."
Joel sounded disappointed.
"The princess has arrived!" one of the villagers shouted.
They turned.
Naruto's face lit up in joy.
Something clenched in Sasuke's chest.
From behind the door peered two shining black eyes, like shining black coals, and the princess walked out. Her dress was a pale pink, and a pink bow was tied in her shining, shoulder-length, black hair. A bell dangled loosely from her neck, jingling in the silence that had taken over them. A light smile graced her lips, for she was actually a he, and he knew he had captivated all who set eyes upon him. His eyes focused on the blond boy in front of him.
This one has something about him. I cannot put my finger upon it. Probably something about his demonic chakra, but I don't notice it.
"Rasuke."
He turned to Joel.
"Brother..." the girly boy muttered, narrowing his eyes.
"The shinobi have arrived."
"Is it by chance the blond one?"
Joel lowered his head in a nod.
"Yes. He is the one for whom you searched."
"Hi!" Naruto greeted noisily, one hand waving frantically in the air. "My name is Naruto!"
Kakashi slapped his forehead in embarrassment.
Rasuke felt himself smile. He felt his feet move below him without his consent as though compelled to draw closer to Naruto. He reached his hand out.
"My name is Rasuke."
Naruto took his hand graciously. And Rasuke brought the delicate fingers of the fox up to his face, gazing at them, mesmerized. Something was drawing him desperately to this boy, and, for a moment, he laughed at the thought that the bells were right in their fortune telling.
"Please..." he whispered, closing his eyes and parting his lips...
He brushed his lips against Naruto's hand.
A blush.
"The pleasure is all mine..."
Naruto blushed even further. He wanted to look around. He wanted to stop. This was embarrassing! But he wanted to watch. The feeling was so foreign. It wasn't unpleasant. It was strange. It felt different. It felt...
Hot.
Meanwhile, black eyes quickly turned red with sharingan.
What's he doing?!
He's touching my Naruto!
Kill! Kill!
"DON'T TOUCH H-"
"Rasuke, that's enough," Joel interrupted.
Naruto and Rasuke pulled away immediately, both of their faces glowing red.
"I-I'm sorry..." Rasuke muttered, turning away. Kuso! I almost lost control! Stupid brother! Damn demon! If only the kage of my village hadn't sealed a demon inside me when I was but a toddler! "I-I have to go now..." he whispered, turning away.
A hand stopped him.
"Na-Naruto-kun...?"
The blue eyes bore into his black ones.
"Will you marry me?"
A tear rolled down Rasuke's flawless cheek. His life's dream was to be loved by someone, for he had always been hated by the members of his village as the demon, and not as Rasuke. It seemed as though Naruto knew his never-ending pain. His dark lips curled up into a smile, finally finding bliss in love, and he threw himself into the fox's arms.
"Yes, Naruto..." He sniffled. "I will..."
Warm arms wrapped around his back, and he began to sob.
--What's left of the audience begins to blink rapidly.--
"I'm leaving," was Sasuke's bland remark. And with that, the dark-haired shinobi turned on his heel and walked away. He was pulled back by Kakashi, though, and he began to growl in frustration. He didn't want to see this progress any further. He had no idea why. Goodness, he was just a well of jumbled and confused thoughts. And what was with that mental interjection back there? Had he just called Naruto his?
"So when's the wedding gonna be?" Sakura asked, happy that Naruto could finally be happy with someone who was happy to be with him. Now she wouldn't be bothered with Naruto's wooing antics, and she also wouldn't have to feel guilty for turning the blond boy down.
Joel and his brother exchanged quick glances.
"This evening," Joel finally replied with a smile.
Sasuke whipped around. "What?!"
"The wedding will be this evening. If that is okay with Rasuke and the boy."
"Of course!" the two lovers shouted gleefully.
That meant Sasuke really had to leave. Now. Not later. Not earlier. And not this evening! It wasn't fair! He wasn't sure what wasn't fair, but...
Whatever. It didn't matter. As long as he didn't have to attend the wedding, he was fine with it.
"And the shinobi should want to attend the wedding as well?"
"Sure," Kakashi replied.
Fuck.
And suddenly, a hooded figure stepped out of the house. Her blue eyes glowed from beneath the black cloth as she spoke.
"Allow me to apologize."
The woman from last night...
She pulled down the hood just a bit, allowing a tuft of white hair to show itself.
"I had told you that the boy's mother and aunt would be here. Unfortunately, there is no blood family here."
A nod of understanding.
"Blatantly asking for a fiancé is too suspicious, so..."
"Right. We made it up."
"Your intentions seem clear, though."
"Thank you for your understanding." The woman bowed. "I am Kaeru. And I would be happy to be Naruto's mother."
"In law."
"The wedding will be the evening, as Joel has told you." Kaeru smiled. "In the meantime, feel free to look around the village. We will prepare for the wedding until then. Should you need a guide, ask any of the villagers for help." And with a bow, she grabbed the boys by the shoulders and pulled them back into the building. Joel took one look back and followed them.
...Silence.
~~~
"You IDIOT!" the genius genin shrieked, the smoke exploding from his ears in atomic mushroom clouds of frustration.
Sasuke said nothing.
"I take my eyes off you for one second...One effin' second!"
Sasuke felt himself being grabbed by the collar of his shirt.
"And now Naruto is going to be marrying a boy from another village! Do you realize the magnitude of your idiotic and utterly ignorant acts?! There are consequences to letting the boy of your dreams get away, Uchiha! Dire ones! And there are worse consequences to letting the boy of your friend's dreams elope in another village! You imbecile!"
The other boy shot Neji a dark glare before shoving their bodies apart. Scornfully, he exhaled, bringing his shoulders to hug his neck in a defensive stance against Neji.
"We are not friends, Hyuuga. We merely occupy the same village. Do not put the blame on me for letting the idiot you loved find his love."
A prick to both their hearts.
"I seem to recall that you loved him as well, Uchiha."
"...You remember incorrectly."
And the avenger cringed in the bloody pool of his own bitter denial.
"I cannot love. I am an avenger. Love does nothing but hinder my revenge. I cannot waste my time with an idiot like Naruto. I-"
"Bullshit!" Neji cried, turning sharply towards the younger shinobi, spitting poison from his cold, dry lips. He was tired of Sasuke's ignorance and incompetence, but Sasuke continued the charade nonetheless. He gritted his teeth.
"I hate him..."
Both of them could hear Neji's ragged breathing.
A chuckle.
"...Who do you hate, Uchiha?"
Neji was testing the certainty of his emotions.
"I hate Na..."
Neji stepped back.
"Naruto-"
A fist slammed against the flawless pale face.
It's not true...
"Your stupidity disgusts me, Uchiha."
The genius was barely able to block a kick aimed at his face(1). Thick pulsing veins surged from his byakugan eyes, and he almost gasped in surprise.
Sharingan?!
"...Take that back, Hyuuga."
Another kick, and Neji blocked, quickly rolling his arms around the fragile legs and shoving his hands into Uchiha's chest. Sasuke was sent falling backwards, landing his palms on the sidewalk, and flipping his body to regain control of his feet. Neji jumped away before Sasuke could kick him in the face.
"I hate Naruto. I always have. I always will," Sasuke slowly said, jumping to his feet.
"Liar," Neji hissed, stepping backwards as the other boy approached.
He jumped at the other boy with a crescent kick. Sasuke ducked, barely blocking Neji's follow-through kick. When he was out of Neji's range, he turned back around and found himself backed to a tree. Neji was running towards him with hands ready.
Sasuke blocked Neji's first hit, gripping the genius' arm and bringing his right leg around for a spinning back kick. To his disappointment, his leg came in contact with the back of Neji's forearm. He narrowed his eyes scornfully.
"...Why are you so angry, anyway? Don't you want the idiot for yourself?"
"Shut up."
Neji turned full circle with an aim to elbow Sasuke's back, but Sasuke's leg swept below him, sending him stumbling backwards in an effort to keep his balance. He was just barely able to stop another set of kicks from the Uchiha with his forearms.
"I want him to be happy."
A swift chop hit the air.
"Well, he seemed happy with his fiancé. Is that good enough?"
A kick. A flip. Chop. Block. Sweep. Flip. Punch. Flip.
His loose black ponytail followed him, and he found the will to smirk.
"I think the question is, Uchiha: Is it good enough for you?"
A drumbeat rang out, almost like a hearbeat.
Furiously, Sasuke ground his teeth together, holding back the scream that threatened to pour out of his mouth.
"What are you implying?"
"You know exactly what I'm implying! Do you really think he's going to be happy with a brat he just met today? I don't believe in love at first sight-"
"Despite all the destiny crap?"
"-And I'm sure you don't believe in love at first sight either."
There was a silence.
Sasuke hesitated-- self-admittance and the will to contradict whatever Neji said... Both options would leave another to bite away at his pride. His fists tightened. Does one believe in love at first sight?
"...I do believe in love at first sight."
Neji rolled his eyes.
"Puh-lease."
...Okay. Let's ignore that strangely girlish comment and move on.
And Sasuke merely glared in malice, having experienced Cupid's arrow for himself. He knew what it was like to be love struck, for he was in love with a certain blond loudmouth ninja, and it was the worst, not to mention uncontrollable, decision of his life. It wasn't Neji's place to question the validity of his feelings.
Luckily, Neji seemed to understand, though disbelief was painted in his pale white eyes. All memories of the fight had been wiped from his brain, and he seemed all but aware of what was going on.
"...Y-you...?"
Sasuke was silent.
Defeat showered over the older boy's expression.
"...I see."
If Naruto was truly in love with the foreign boy named Rasuke, then all his efforts, all his mocking of Sasuke, all their quarrels, and all the money he spent on buying Naruto ramen-- it would be useless, wasted-- thrown down the toilet and bred with the goldfish. He had always thought about what would happen in the future if Naruto would return his feelings and they should get married, make love, somehow have children, and torture Sasuke with the fact for the rest of eternity.
But something in the back of Neji's mind told him that he and Naruto weren't destined to be. Naruto seemed to have no intention of getting close him. What was done was done. It was so long ago that he had fought against Naruto and met his match, met his savior. And it seemed that he was not going to be a significant part of Naruto's life. He was merely thrown to the side like some rag doll in a cast of supporting side characters.
He would watch Sasuke from afar. He would relish in the poor boy's struggle with his own feelings. He knew how lost Sasuke was-- He had been lost himself when Naruto came along, but he had also been found the moment Naruto crashed through the earth and sent the fist sailing into his chin. Sasuke had been with Naruto for so long, and yet the sharingan user was still confused.
And Neji realized that Sasuke needed Naruto much more than he did.
"...Sasuke," he finally whispered, almost smiling at the other boy's startled expression. With an exasperated sigh, he walked back over to the bench, the bench where he would always bother Sasuke about his feelings, and he plopped himself on his butt, lifting his head to look at the sky.
If Rasuke and Naruto loved one another, then all would be lost.
But this is fanfiction, so, obviously, that isn't going to happen.
"Sasuke, where is this village again?"
Sasuke lifted an inquisitive brow. "It's just south of here. Why do you ask?"
Sasuke was stupider than he thought.
"We're going to crash the wedding."
A pause.
"Duh."
~~~
THEENDTHEENDTHEEEEEEEEND of the chapter.
I really don't like this chapter. Too many mood swings. Like the story is PMSing or something to that purpose. And the fighting scene was too short. Aw. Sorry I took so long to get this chapter out! I tried to make it... not... suck... But ALAS... I need to characterize Neji better. His character is all over the place.
(1) I really don't know anything about fighting. I take wushu, which is more like dancing than fighting, but I really like the old Chinese martial arts movies (especially Drunken Master-- Jackie Chan is my favorite!), so I wanted to include a fighting scene. Forgive the suckage...^^:
Next chapter: What's this?! Sasuke and Neji plan to crash the wedding, but Naruto has some objections of his own!!! Probably. I dunno. Crap. I really am the worst authoress ever.