Here's how it works with our stories. Redd gets an idea, Monster says 'Why not?', and then what I've written goes through editing and then I type up a finished project. Thank you, Monster, for your help.
I've finally decided to throw my SasuNaru fic in with the big collection of them. I am hoping to develop a good plot and to be able to keep at writing this fic. If I dont get tired of this fic, it will update at least once every week. Your reviews help encourage us a bunch, though I don't really expect them.
Disclaimer: I do NOT own Naruto, it is the wonderful creation of Masashi Kishimoto. However, the plot and full story idea belongs to Redd(me) and Monster.
'Rejection is Real' by closet-monsters
The weather was NOT great in Konoha; it was raining. Not the kind of rain you'd go out and dance in, but the kind of rain that could put dents in thin metals. Every shop had a couple sensible people in it that had sought for shelter when the sky dropped its load.
Hatake Kakashi was not a sensible person.
The Jhounin now had his underlings -ahem- 'students' on clean-up duty in the village. When the rain came, Kakashi had just quickly put away his book, folded his arms, and said "Carry on."
Sakura was squealing about being bruised from the rain, Sasuke was giving his teacher a hateful glare, and Naruto was running his mouth.
"Sensei, why cant we just have the rain wash away the litter? The river would carry it off somewhere else then!" The blonde whined as he draped his orange jacket around Sakura's shoulders.
"Idiot!" Sakura scolded him, drawing the coat around herself, though not giving one word of thanks. "The little in the river would cause the death of lots of wild life. Right, Sasuke?"
Sasuke didn't respond, either because the rain smothered his teammate's voice or he just didn't want to. Naruto assumed it was the latter. Sakura was obviously in love with Sasuke, but the jerk wouldn't acknowledge her presence most of the time, much less answer a question.
Naruto didnt understand. He himself loved Sakura, would have done anything for her, and yet she was fawning over a guy that treated her like dirt. That jerk. The irony was tearing up from the inside.
Sasuke bent over and casually picked up a stray aluminum can, glancing over his shoulder to connect vision with a pair of glaring blue eyes.
"What do you want, dobe?" He asked, tone ringing out a challenge. Naruto's glare grew impossibly harsher at the name; Sasuke knew just how to piss him off.
"I'm going to pick up more trash than you." The blonde stated, snatching up a peice of paper and shoving it into his trash bag for emphasis. He earned a snort and acknowledging smirk in return, as well as a 'Yeah, right' comment. Sakura sighed and just sat to the side as the boys zoomed about the area, collecting trash.
Kakashi liked it when the rivals fought, as it got work done much faster and he himself did not have to get his hamds dirty. Sakura had this advantage as well, he observed.
Soon, two equally wet boys shoved two over-stuffed trash bags rudely under the silver-haired man's nose.
"Sensei, which one weighs more? Bastard Sasuke thinks he collected more trash than me, peh!" Naruto spoke for the both of them. Kakashi's one eye blinked lazily at them. The two boys were soaked to the bone from both rain and sweat; dark hair plastered to a pale face as well as blonde hair to a tan one. Both looked like drowned rats about to pass out from exhaustion.
"They both weigh the same," their teacher informed them after picking both trash bags up. "But at least our mission is complete. Class dismissed."
Naruto's jaw was hanging, but then he finally perked up when Kakashi dismissed the team.
"Anou, Sakura-Chan!" Naruto grinned towards Sakura, making the girl with bubble-gum colored hair groan inwardly. "Want to go to lunch with me and get out of this rain?"
"Please, Naruto, I'd rather gag on a spoon. Here, take your jacket." She shoved the coat into the boy's hands. The blonde frowned dejectedly, shuffling his feet. "But what about you, Sasuke-kun? Are you free?"
"No." He grumbled in reply, making Sakura's face screw up much like Naruto's.
"Okay, well, see you." Sakura began walking.
"Bye, Sakura, be safe." Naruto called, sighing before he slipped on his jacket.
".... Come on, dead last; let's get out of this rain. I'll buy you a bowl of ramen." The stoic boy finally mumbled. Naruto had half the mind to tell him off, but just nodded and put on a grin at the mention of ramen.
And it wasn't just one bowl either. Naruto had just finished his second bowl of miso ramen before he acknowledged Sasuke.
"How come you told Sakura you weren't free to take her to lunch?" He asked.
"Because I wasn't; I was taking you to lunch." The other replied, as if it were obvious.
"Sakura might have said 'yes' to my offer."
"Let's not kid ourselves."
"Look," Naruto growled, ignoring his next bowl of ramen for the moment. "She might just like me if it wasn't for you. She really likes you, man."
"Her and every other girl in Konoha," Sasuke retorted.
"Don't be so sure of yourself, Sasuke. Not every girl can be under the major mind-fuck you pull on them." The fox boy grumbled, though he knew it was probably true and tried to drown out the thought with ramen broth. Sasuke said nothing in return. Instead, he stared intently at the blonde shinobi occupied by gulping down his ramen. After moments of cold silence, he finally did speak.
"Look, Naruto. I dont hate Sakura, but she's just going through a phase and I'm not going to go along with it." He sighed. "She barely knows about me, and even if I told her she wouldn't understand or would just shun me straight off. Do you see what I'm saying? I'm just her little childhood crush she'll talk about when she's older."
"Yeah, whatever. Thanks for lunch, Sasuke." Naruto mumbled, getting up to leave. And Sasuke let him go, though he was clenching his fists tightly and his lower lip was bleeding from the fact he had bitten it as a sort of punishment.
"Baka," He commented to himself. He had meant to talk about other things, but he had ended up arguing about Sakura. Always Sakura. Why did he have to always play the role of the bad guy? He paid for Naruto's meal then left.
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As soon as Naruto got home, he stripped himself of his wet clothes and took a hot shower; no sense in him getting a cold. In fact, he hadn't had a cold in years for some reason. His first thought was Kyuubi, but then again, he'd never been near any sort of disease-ridden body or stayed out in the rain without having a warm shower afterwards.
The words from earlier raced through his head as well as images. First, there was Sakura telling him off and then there was Sasuke taking him in and buying him lunch. He never had thought of Sasuke as a very nice person, yet his rival had bought him lunch. A pity thing, he supposed. The thought made him tense up and growl; he didn't want pity or sympathy, he wanted Sakura.
It made him so mad, how Sasuke could just shrug the girl off like nothing. He listened to Sasuke's bitter words play across his mind.
She's just going through a phase I'm not going to support. I'm just her childhood crush she'll talk about when she's older.
Something like that, yeah. Was Sakura just some childhood crush of his? No, that couldn't be true; he loved this girl more than that...didn't he? Hold that thought, the water's getting cold! Naruto turned off the water and stepped out of the shower, running a towel through his hair before wrapping it around his waste. He made his way towards his room lazily, itching spots that needed scratching on the way and kicking empty ramen cups out of his way. After slipping into pajamas, he lay on his bed and passed out as soon as his head hit the pillow.
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Sasuke could not sleep even if he'd wanted to. Unlike Naruto, when the Uchiha had mixed emotions he did not sleep well, he wrote in a journal. Ha ha, so funny, the thirteen year-old prodigy wrote in a journal. Really, writing things down was not only a good stress reliever, but it was also interesting to look back at your entries when you got older. Sasuke now drew out a pen and began to scribble.
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Yamanaka Ino not only took pleasure in watching her rival being turned down by the village heart-throb, but she also felt it in her duty to inform Sakura as to just who Sasuke had decided to take to lunch instead.
"Naruto?" Sakura clenched her fists. "Oh, I bet he had Sasuke in on it." Just what she was suggesting, not even the author of this story is sure, but she somehow had the idea Naruto was conspirisizing against her because she wouldn't go on a date with him. "Thanks for telling me, Ino-pig. I'll 'talk' with Naruto."
Ino smiled slightly, knowing her old friend meant she was going to clobber the boy. "No problem, big-forehead Sakura." The blonde nodded and walked off. It was Ino that saw the three shapes of people walking towards the village too. Only lingering for a moment, she made out the forms of three people that absolutely terrified her. There was that one blonde chick, toting the large fan. Next to her came the twit with the face paint that played with dolls. And then there was Gaara of the desert. As soon as she was sure it was them, she went sprinting off towards Hokage Tsunade's dwelling... and smacked into a pole, knocking her out.
TBC
I finished up the first chapter and am waiting for feedback. Thanks for your time and spoiler warning for thoughs who have not kept up to date with the manga all the way up to 238 probably in the next chapter.