the sacrifice
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. (Do I have to repeat this every chapter?... 'coz my heart is breaking every time I remind myself that...)
ANNOUNCEMENT: I need your opinion badly. It's about the title of this fiction. I just thought that I should replace the title by something 'catchier'… I admit that 'the sacrifice' is not well thought of. It is just now that I've realized that it is common and very vague… and I'm not even sure now that there'll be a huge sacrifice later on… What I'm sure of is that this story happens at summer. And so, I kind of like to make the title 'summer solstice'… What do you think? Furthermore, if you have better titles in mind, that is appropriate with how this story is going on so far, your suggestions are very much welcomed. Then, I'll tally the nominations and afterwards, we can all practice our right of suffrage. Thanks! :D
Pyr00tie – I'll think about the Naruto/Rekka idea… But for now, here's another chapter…
jimmy – I'm keeping this up because of readers like you who review tirelessly the chapters. Thanks for that.
duochang97 – Wow! The longest review comes from you so far! I appreciate your suggestions and I am fascinated with your comments. Thank you for giving this fiction a chance. Hmm. You know, your guess about Sasuke-you-know-what is… You'll find out soon! Promise. But I'm giving out a helpful hint in this chapie. So read if you'd like to know J
:D – I also like the water fights scene last chapter :D… Anyway, no water fights this time… Sry… But as far as I know, this chapie is interesting…
M-Naruto-Fic – Yay! The author of the fiction I am hooked into had reviewed mine! Thanks a lot, sir/ma'am! Well, my decisions about the pairings depends on your reactions… So keep reacting! J
Wormkaizer – Thanks for coming back once again!
poofspoon – Thanks for reading the first chapter. Umm, since I am somewhat playing by the plot in the real Naruto wherein Sasuke is the last descendant of the Uchiha clan, Sasuke and Rekka aren't related by blood. I hope you'll read this chapter because there is a clue on what their relationship might be… Enjoy!
Babog – I'm also not sure where this story leads to… Heh heh! Joke! There's this whole plot involving all the Naruto characters – original and those I've created. Just be patient with me and my slow-paced story, okay? And lastly, thank you for reviewing!
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Chapter
2: SURPRISES PART 1
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It was Kakashi, Asuma, Kurenai, and Iruka who thought of the surprise birthday party for the Third Hokage. One day, the four colleagues had an afternoon talk at one of the bars and suddenly the topic went to the Third Hokage, saying that they hadn't known the age of him (Third Hokage).
"Well, come to think of it, he hadn't celebrated his birthdays for as long as I know him," Asuma commented, scratching his head.
"So why don't we throw him a surprise birthday party?" Kakashi asked.
"And when is it going to be?" Iruka asked.
"How about the day two weeks from now?" Kurenai suggested. "Since the line up activities for the next two weeks aren't that difficult anyway, we might as well include the Hokage's surprise birthday party as an added bonus to our mission… What do you think?"
"That's okay with me," Asuma agreed.
"Yeah," Kakashi said. "Then we should organize it quickly and silently…"
Then, they immediately dispersed the information about the plan to other teachers and then to their team members…
"A surprise birthday party for the Third Hokage? That would be great!" Naruto said excitedly when Kakashi-sensei told them about it.
"What shall we do?" Sakura asked.
"Actually," sensei-Kakashi began, "the very first task is to raise enough money… You know, for buying stuff like the decors and the food…"
Sasuke sighed. /*What kind of mission is this?*/ He thought bitterly.
"How much?" Sakura asked.
"Nothing in particular, but I think each team would like their team to be the greatest contributor to it," Kakashi said.
"We will raise money more than all the teams combined!" Naruto announced loudly.
Kakashi smiled.
"Would you please shut your mouth?" Sasuke said.
Naruto ignored him and said, "We should get an extra job aside from doing our daily missions…"
"Now, you don't have to do that," Kakashi said.
"But how are we going to get the money?" Naruto asked.
"In every mission we'll do, we can ask them to donate something for the surprise birthday party," Kakashi said. "Besides, there are other teams doing the same thing, so you don't have to worry about the expenses Naruto."
=====
Meanwhile, Kurenai also told her team about the plan.
"There will be performances during the party," Kurenai informed them. "But not focusing on your abilities, know what I mean? It's more of showing your hidden talents – like dancing, singing, etc."
Kiba's and Shino's face fell. Both of them didn't know any talents besides fighting.
"Sensei, can we just raise more money in exchange of performing?" Kiba asked.
"No," Kurenai answered.
Kiba and Shino sweatdropped.
"Well, the best you can do is to group yourselves with someone who can do something… Which means, group performance is allowed. You can work with the other teams like Asuma's, Gai's, or Kakashi's…"
Hinata's cheeks went pink upon thinking of working with Naruto… even though she wasn't sure if Naruto has a talent of some kind.
=====
(A/N: This happened the day after the 'announcement', specifically after Team 7's mission for that day.)
"You guys did a good job today," Kakashi praised. "You are free to go now."
Sasuke walked away.
Sakura was hesitating to approach or say something to Sasuke.
Naruto walked away opposite of Sasuke's direction. "See you tomorrow, sensei, Sakura-chan, Rekka-chan…" he said as he waved his hands on them.
Kakashi disappeared.
"WAIT!" Sakura and Rekka shouted in unison.
Both boys stopped on their tracks.
/*Did Sakura-chan just told me to stop?*/ Naruto asked himself. /*Wow! I can't believe this!*/
/*Is Rekka finally walking home with me?*/ thought Sasuke. His face soften as he turned around and wait for her to catch up… But then, it wasn't Rekka who was running towards him. It was Sakura.
"Umm, Sasuke, what are you going to do now?" Sakura asked breathlessly.
"Going home to practice," Sasuke answered. His eyes searched for where Rekka was and found her talking to Naruto. /*I can't believe this.*/ He thought as he eyed them.
"… So Sasuke, can we, umm… do something together?" Sakura asked.
Sasuke stared at Sakura. "No," was Sasuke's cold answer. Then, he walked out on her.
=====
"Hey Naruto, where are you going?" Rekka asked as she neared Naruto.
Naruto was a little bit disappointed to see that Sakura wasn't the person who called him. /*Oh well, that's life!*/ He sighed and put another huge grin on his face. "I'm going to earn extra money!" Naruto answered lively.
"Where?"
"That I don't know yet," Naruto said scratching his head.
"Well, can I come with you?"
"C-Come with me?" Naruto repeated slowly.
"Yes, if you allow me," Rekka said.
Naruto stared at Rekka for a moment. /*Why is Rekka always want to hang out with me? Hmm… */ He thought as his memory went back to their previous missions wherein Rekka has always defended him (from Sasuke) or when Rekka has always sat with him during their lunch… /*Wait a minute! Does this black-haired and black-eyed girl have a crush on me?*/ He asked himself, feeling somewhat flushed and proud at the same time.
"Naruto?"
"Gomen, Rekka-chan," Naruto said. "You certainly can come with me…"
"Thanks Naruto!" Rekka replied. Then, she and Naruto started to walk.
Naruto glanced sideways at his companion, thinking she didn't look bad after all. /*Actually, she's cute.*/ He admitted to himself. /*With a very long hair that's basically nearing her knees… and that innocent pair of black eyes that never fails to twinkle in a charming way… and I bet beneath that loose t-shirt and pants hides her body, sexily curved…*/
Naruto shook hard his head. /*No, don't think like a pervert!*/ He scolded himself. /*She's always nice to me and she should be respected as much as possible…*/
"Hey Naruto, are you okay?" Rekka asked, looking at Naruto's scarlet face.
"Yeah, I'm fine," Naruto said.
"I thought you had a fever or something because your face is as red as a tomato," Rekka said, grinning.
"He-he-he," Naruto uttered.
"Anyway, can I ask you something?"
Naruto choked. /*What the…?! Is Rekka going to ask me out???*/ Once again, he blushed. "Sure!" he answered happily.
"Have you ever been in love?"
"In love?"
"Yes, in love," Rekka repeated.
"I don't know…" Naruto muttered, asking himself if he has been in love before. Sure he likes Sakura-chan, but he wasn't much sure if he's in love with her.
"But, you like to marry the girl you love, don't you?"
"Uh-uh."
"What if the girl, the girl you love, decided to marry you even though she doesn't feel the same way?"
"Then why would she allow herself to get married to me?" Naruto asked.
"Because of some inevitable circumstances…"
"Like?"
"Like having no other better options… or getting old unnoticeably and the need and want for a good companionship… or …" Rekka's voice trailed of for she couldn't continue saying the next circumstance she had in mind.
"Whatever the situation is, I'll marry the girl whom I love and who loves me back," Naruto decided.
Rekka looked up to him.
"There's this idea that somewhere out there, there is a specific person intended to be yours. All you have to do is search and find that person," Naruto said, sounding like a philosopher.
"And how are you going to know if that person is the person intended for you?"
"You must feel something – happiness, contentment, security, etc. – when the person touches you."
=====
Sasuke glanced at the antique clock in his living room. /*9 pm*/ He read. Then he went to the dining room, where the table was still set and the supper hadn't been touched.
Surely, something was really bugging him. He didn't exactly know if it was because: 1) Rekka wasn't home yet… or 2) Rekka went with Naruto somewhere…
At first, he cared neither of the two choices. /*What do I care if she wasn't home yet? And it's none of my business if she went with that Naruto. Remember, she's a ninja and she's already old enough to decide for herself.*/ So he went back to his bedroom with an empty stomach.
He lay on his bed, forcing himself to fell asleep. He closed his eyes and tried very hard not to think of anything. But then, his mind seemed to wander off to some old and blurred memories he had with her…
They were very, very young, but he knew it was her since he couldn't forget her vibrant and innocent eyes... Her family had once stopped and stayed at their mansion for a couple of years during the time when Sasuke's great grandfather (who had been very ill) died. It was a perfect timing for her to come for Sasuke was very sad… And Sasuke could remember that she tried hard, very hard, to console his lowly spirits… After a while, they became friends, if not best friends… And one couldn't be seen without the presence of the other…
Sasuke suddenly stood up. Then, he quickly went to the living room and saw the clock read 10:30 pm. /*Where the heck did Naruto take her? That PERVERT! What if he tricked her into going to his house and then have s… ARRGGH! I'll kill him if he does that! I'll kill him even if he just thinks about that!*/
He sprinted hurriedly, determined to find where Rekka was. He went over to Naruto's house but no one was there. Then, he went to Naruto's favorite place, the Ichiraku Ramen, hoping to see Naruto and Rekka eating there.
"What can I do for you?" asked the old man behind the counter.
"Have you seen a blond boy with a girl having a long black hair?"
"You mean, Naruto and his girlfriend?"
"G-Girlfriend?"
"Yes," the old man said, smiling, "they went here, looking for a job, but I couldn't give them any… I told them to look somewhere else –…"
Sasuke didn't wait for the old man to finish. He went out of the Ichiraku and looked somewhere else. /*At least they're just looking for a job… But that Naruto!*/ Sasuke clenched his fist.
And on he went to another place and found no trace of the two persons he was looking for… This he repeated to every establishment in Hidden Leaf Village. Then he came to the last establishment, frowning. /*They did not try to apply here, did they?*/ He asked himself as he read the name of the place: Men's Haven. He knew this place is just for adult customers only and that the manager usually hires young ladies as hostess.
He went to the guard and asked, "Are there any open positions for hiring today?"
"Nah," the guard grunted.
"Did you hire somebody today?" Sasuke asked.
The guard thought for a moment, then nodded slowly.
"How many?"
"I could I know? I'm only a guard here. Ask the manager if you want," the guard told him with a smirk, "But you must be over 18 years old to get pass this door. Ha ha ha!"
Sasuke gave him a fierce glare before walking away. Then, he went to a dark alley and…
An older version of Sasuke emerged from the same alley.
"Good evening, sir," the guard he was talking to earlier greeted him.
"Hn," Sasuke said as he went inside the club.
Inside the club, he quickly scanned the crowd full of drunken men. He found Naruto, who was wearing what a waiter usually wears, talking to another customer. /*So, they're here… But where is Rekka?*/ For the second time, he scanned the crowd but she wasn't there.
A waiter interrupted him by saying, "What can I do for you sir?"
"Tell that new waiter, the blond one," Sasuke said as he pointed Naruto, "to go to the bathroom to meet me there…"
So Sasuke went to the bathroom. And fortunately, no one there…
=====
"Rekka-chan?" Naruto said, poking his head inside the kitchen.
"Huh?"
Naruto placed another pile of dishes for Rekka to wash. "Sorry about this…"
Rekka yawned, so she placed one of her hands (with bubbles) to cover her mouth… She slowly nodded, not really understanding what Naruto was saying to her. /*Oh my… I'm so sleepy… Very, very sleepy…*/
"Naruto, pinch me," Rekka requested with another yawn. "And make it hurt…"
Naruto pinched Rekka, but not that hard.
"Thanks," Rekka said.
"No problem," Naruto replied. "I'll pinch you again when I come back here, okay? So tell yourself not to sleep on the dishes…"
Naruto went out to the kitchen and walked towards the bathroom. /*What does the man want with me? And why in the bathroom of all places?*/ He cringed at the thought of a gay old man wanting him to … /*NO! I'll kick his ass if he touches any part of me!*/
He went inside the bathroom.
"Hello? Anyone in here?" Naruto asked. Then he sensed someone's presence behind him.
Sasuke, the present version, was leaning on the wall beside the bathroom's door.
"Sasuke?"
"Yes, no one else," Sasuke said. "Where's Rekka?"
"What are you doing here?" Naruto asked, ignoring to answer Sasuke's question.
"I'm seeing some girls here," Sasuke replied sarcastically. "Now, where's Rekka?" he asked again.
"What do you want her for?"
"None of your business, baka!"
"It's past her curfew, isn't it? Well don't worry, she can stay at my place tonight…"
"In your dreams baka! Now, where is she?"
"Hey calm down! Rekka's perfectly fine… She's in the kitchen…"
Sasuke disappeared from Naruto's sight.
"… washing the dishes…" Naruto finished. "What's the matter with him? And since when was he concerned of other people?" He asked aloud, exiting the bathroom, too.
=====
Sasuke went to the kitchen and found one person facing the faucet, wearing a white kimono with a pink apron…
"Naruto?" asked the person… "When are we going to leave? I'm really sleepy now…"
Sasuke didn't say anything. He just slowly walked towards her, for he was a hundred percent certain that this was Rekka.
"Naruto?" Rekka called softly. Then, she let out a yawn. She put down the plate she was soaping, and just stand there for a few seconds… Then, she slowly and unconsciously fell backwards.
Good thing Sasuke was there to catch her.
"S-Sor-ry ab-about t-that…" Rekka mumbled with her eyes closed. Then, she turned into sleep.
Sasuke put Rekka in one of the seats near the table, slowly and carefully because he didn't want to disturb the girl's sleep. Then, he transformed himself as Rekka and did all her chores.
Naruto went into the kitchen and delivered another set of unclean dishes for Rekka to wash.
"Here you go Rekka-cha—…" Naruto stopped short, noticing 'Rekka' was doing the chores in a very fast way.
"When is this place going to close down?" Sasuke as Rekka asked vehemently.
"S-Sasuke?" Then, Naruto laughed out loud.
Sasuke glared at him. "Be quiet!" he hissed, nodding at where Rekka was sleeping.
Naruto ceased laughing and scratched his head. He didn't really know what was going on…
"So you don't know until what time are you going to slave yourselves here, huh?" Sasuke asked.
"Ourselves," Naruto corrected.
"Fine, ourselves," Sasuke snapped.
Naruto suppressed a giggle. "Actually, the club's closed now. You should just finish these and we can now go, Rekka-chan!" Naruto said with a grin.
"You're finish with your work?"
"Ah ha… And I already got my pay! You can get Rekka's afterwards…"
"How about helping me here?"
"If you were Rekka, I'd help you even if you don't ask… But since you're actually the Ice Man Sasuke, no way!"
"I was being sarcastic, you moron!"
Then, they threw each other electric hateful glares.
=====
After getting Rekka's salary for the day, Sasuke went back to the kitchen, where Naruto was waiting beside the sleeping Rekka. (A/N: Sasuke turned back as his own self…)
Naruto opened his mouth to wake up Rekka but Sasuke was very quick to cover Naruto's mouth.
"Be quiet," Sasuke told Naruto strictly.
Naruto nodded as his response, and Sasuke let go of him.
Then, Sasuke did a hand seal and instantly one more Sasuke appeared in the kitchen. This replica swiftly carried Rekka's upper torso (Rekka was leaning on the table) from her back and the real Sasuke appeared at Rekka's feet. Then, the replica placed Rekka's body on Sasuke's back, with Rekka's arms hanging on his shoulders.
The replica disappeared.
Sasuke slowly stood up and adjusted the burden he was carrying on his back. Then, his hands held each of Rekka's legs.
"Whooow Uchiha! Be careful what you touch there."
"Baka."
Naruto laughed noiselessly as he saw a faint blush that crept into Sasuke's face.
Then, Naruto and Sasuke (with Rekka on his back) left the Men's Haven Club.
TBC
Okay, thanks for the persons who review the first chapter. If you want shout outs, just review this chapter and I'll make sure you'll get a response from me in the next chapter… entitled: Chapter 3: SURPRISES PART 2… Hah hah hah! I'm not yet finish in giving out surprises. There'll be more to come, so if you just want to know what those surprises are… then, all you have to do is review this chapie. Again, no reviews, no Chapter 3. (Notice the 's' in reviews… ^_^) So make it a habit to review always!
Bye and good day!
Poprice
8 April 2004
10:55pm