DISLAIMER: ((death glare)) Yes? Is there anything you'd like to sue me for? The characters and the songs don't belong to me!
'Imaginary' is owned by Evanescence.
'Me Against The World' is owned by Simple Plan.
A/N: Hello again my lovelies! It's reached 30 reviews! It's not that many but it means so much to me! Thank you once again to my reviewers! MWAH! The last chapter wasn't any good, so decided to update and make up for it by writing a NejiSaku moment at the end of this chappy!
REVIEW REPLIES:joann – thanx for reviewing! And yeah, Tenten has a thing for Neji, so… she's crossed out of the list… oh well…
krista – thanks! Here's the next update!
Bevy-chan – oh my, someone by the name of Bevy-chan is threatening me… gotta hide… hehe… thanks for supporting me all the way! Aya-chan is SO HAPPY!
Aprentice of Tanooki and Wolf – Thanks! I really needed warm encouragement… and no, Anko and Kurenai will be… teachers of their school, so they're automatically crossed out of the list…rie-chan – Yes, I know the last chapter isn't any good… I wasn't really inspired, that's all… and no, I'm too lazy to delete any chapter… It'll be a miracle if I do that… well, I don't mind if a reviewer is asking me 'musta?' and besides, Pinoys are really like that… warm and friendly… anyway, THANKS!
El3ments – I don't think your former pseudonym is weird… You know, I don't have any problems with any pen names… hehe… anyway, thanks for the support!
waterfox96 – THANKS FOR REVIEWING! I'm not sure if it'll end up as GaaSaku. I also love that pairing, but I'm just not sure… hope you comprehend… and sorry, there's no yaoi here… I'm not a supporter of it… It's just that… it leads me to the phrase 'hotdog fencing' when added to lemon… sorry… no offense to yaoi fans!
And the other reviewers of the previous chapters!
Chapter 4
Under The Full Moon
"At last! They're out! They're out! They're OUT! LOOK!"
"YES THEY ARE! I SEE THEM!"
"Get your head outta my sight! I wanna see Haruno-san!"
"OH! Look, look, LOOK! Neji-kun is SO kawaiiiiiii!"
"Whoa dude, the girl looks hot tonight!"
"Come on now! I wanna do some head banging so I wouldn't hear the crowd's noise!"
"I can't see Naruto-kun! Hey, move a little over there! I can't see him!"
"Gaara-kun's hair is so spiked up tonight! AAAHHHH!"
Temari rolled her eyes. The crowd was really noisy. All of them are. The majority of the chattering crowd was expected to be from the girls' squealing and shrieking, but the boys joined in as well, and it was amazing that they can beat the fan-girls' volume.
Ino, Tenten, Hinata and Temari sat at the far end of the concert hall. Ino had her left leg crossed over the right one, with the left foot swinging back and forth, while looking at the band on the stage. Tenten had her head on her hand and was looking dreamily at the band's long-haired male vocalist. Hinata drank from her soda cup. She was occasionally glancing at Uzumaki Naruto, and everytime she looks away, a shade of red is seen on her cheeks. Temari had her arms and legs crossed. She was pissed off at the fan-girl-crowd's unbearable shrieks.
"Ne, Sakura-chan sure has found her life, don't you think so?" Tenten started to converse, "She's become confident nowadays, and seems to forget her problems."
Hinata nodded, "C-Come to think of it, I th-think she has no problems t-to worry about… she-she's r-really…'
"Confident, yeah," Temari piped up, "And someone here needs to be so, too," she eyed Hinata slyly, while Hinata looked away, blushing.
Ino grinned, "Hey, I wouldn't mind hooking Hinata with Naruto up, you know."
Hinata looked at Ino, "W-What?"
"OK, people! Get ready! This song is dedicated for all of YOU!" Sakura spoke up at the mike. She was wearing a simple black shirt with a silver print that says "ROCK RULEZ!" matched with olive green ¾ pants. She wore a black bandana over her head that was tied behind her neck (A/N: Just like how she usually wears her Konoha forehead protector). All the other band members wore black shirts too. (A/N: Imagine what the three other guys are wearing in any clothing you like, I'm kinda lazy to describe their clothes now… there, you can use your imagination…)
The crowd roared, as if telling Zenith to "Bring it on!" and some guys were whistling and cat-calling.
"This," Sakura's eyes were shining, "is 'Imaginary'." (A/N: Yeah, I really like this song!)
Then the first song's intro starts.
"I linger in the doorwayOf alarm clocks screaming
Monsters calling my name
Let me stay
Where the wind will whisper to me
Where the raindropsAs they're falling tell a story…"
"In my field of paper flowers
And candy clouds of lullaby
I lie inside myself for hours
And watch my purple sky fly over me…"
"Don't say I'm out of touch
With this rampant chaos – your reality
I know well what lies beyond my sleeping refuge
The nightmare I built my own world to escape…"
"In my field of paper flowers
And candy clouds of lullaby
I lie inside myself for hours
And watch my purple sky fly over me…"
"Swallowed up in the sound of my screaming
Cannot cease for the fear of silent nights
Oh how I long for the deep sleep dreaming
The goddess of imaginary light…"
(A/N: Then in this part after the bridge the heavy guitars play again with a few good strums from the electric guitar… I dunno why I'm telling you this… ehem, please excuse me… I'm just in love with guitars… that's all…)
"In my field of paper flowers
And candy clouds of lullaby
I lie inside myself for hours
And watch my purple sky fly over me…"
To tell you the truth, Sakura's voice in the song sounded strangely eerie yet angelic and mesmerizing. Just like Sakura herself.
As the song ended, the crowd resumed their somewhat earsplitting and deafening roar.
At the far corner of the hall, Sakura's female friends can't help but feel proud at how much Sakura has changed.
Yes, changed.
She was only a simple nerd of a schoolgirl who was once head-over-heels in love with a school heartthrob; now, she is a jamming rock star with a name she's proud to carry around along with her friends, not to mention a resident hottie in the city.
And that was all thanks to her current bandmates.
The female crowd's screams and yells of joy and admiration then filled the whole concert hall when Neji stepped up to the mike and spoke, "Here's a song for those who think their lives suck and would want to say: 'It's Me Against The World'."
The girls all bellowed louder, but Neji wasn't looking at them.
Neji hasn't been looking at any of his fan girls.
Even Gaara hasn't been looking at any of his fan girls.
Naruto was grinning at the whole crowd childishly, though.
The song finally started.
"We're not gonna be just a part of their gameWe're not gonna be just the victims
They're taking our dreams and they tear them apart
'Til everyone's the same…"
"I've got no place to go
I've got nowhere to run
They love to watch me fall
They think they know it all…"
"I'm a nightmare, a disaster
That's what they always say
I'm a lost cause, not a hero
But I'll make it on my own
I've gotta prove them wrong
Me against the world…
It's me against the world…"
"We won't let them change how we feel in our hearts
We're not gonna let them control us
We won't let them shove all their thoughts in our heads
And we'll never be like them…"
"I've got no place to go
I've got nowhere to run
They love to watch me fall
They think they know it all…"
"I'm a nightmare, a disaster
That's what they always say
I'm a lost cause, not a hero
But I'll make it on my own
I've gotta prove them wrong
Me against the world…"
"It's me against the world…"
(A/N: I love the bridge because the angst is really expressed. It's one of my favorite SP songs. And the mood it implies is so heavy… I like it… I've also learned the chords of the song, so I sometimes sing along with my guitz when I have nothing else to do… yeah, sorry for the interruption…)
"Now I'm sick of this waiting So come on and take your shotYou can spit all your insults
But nothing you say's gonna change us
You can sit there and judge me
Say what you want to
We'll never let you in…"
"I'm a nightmare, a disaster
That's what they always say
I'm a lost cause, not a hero
But I'll make it on my own
I've gotta prove them wrong…"
"I'm a nightmare, a disaster
That's what they always say
I'm a lost cause, not a hero
But I'll make it on my own
I've gotta prove them wrong
They'll never bring us down
We'll never fall in line
I'll make it on my own
Me against the world."
The expected shouts and screams once again filled the whole place. Sakura smiled to herself. She was happy that their band is able to carry a whole crowd. Yeah, they were all rockers, but even girls, who weren't much interested in rock music, turned up for their show. Maybe just to see and cheer for the guys they'd like to see and daydream that they were the ones being sung at. Sakura was still glad at the thought, though.
The night went on smoothly, much smoothly than what they had expected. It seems to be a natural thing to them now. They continued to sing their meaningful songs under the shine of the night's full moon.
The concert has been over thirty minutes ago. The hall was already empty except for a few people who were in charge of the place and the janitors cleaning up. Naruto, Gaara, Neji and Sakura were at a grassy field at a nearby park. Hinata, Ino, Temari and Tenten decided to go home and take a rest, for they'll hang out tomorrow morning, which was a Sunday.
Gaara was sitting on the grass, with his back leaning against an old tree. Neji was sitting Indian-style on the grass a few feet away from Naruto and Sakura, who were lying on their backs beside each other and were watching the perfect spherical shape of the moon.
"Ne, Sakura-chan?" Naruto spoke up, not taking his eyes off the full moon.
Sakura was too tired to give an appropriate response, so her voice was somewhat muffled, "Hm?"
"Do you remember the time we became best friends?"
They were still staring intently on the full moon, but Naruto knew by heart that Sakura smiled.
"Yeah. And it wasn't anything ordinary." She chuckled.
Naruto chuckled as well, "Yep. We were stuck together in finding your lost cat; then you stumbled upon a rock and got yourself a bruise on the left knee; you hit my head real hard; and when nighttime has come, we found your kitten while we were in the middle of the street and a truck was beeping at us to get away. We ran swiftly and stopped at the old cherry blossom tree."
"Yeah," Sakura closed her eyes, "We made the best-friends' pact under the tree, under the coincidentally full moon… with Jennabelle as our witness."
"Your cat was the only witness, but she died five years ago," Naruto smiled at the moon sadly, "You were crying a waterfall back there."
"Don't forget, you were with me. And your jacket was soaking wet because of me."
"That's nothing Sakura-chan. Besides, I am your best friend. And it's my shoulder you first cry on whenever you burst into tears."
"And for that, thanks Naruto."
"Thanks too, Sakura-chan."
"Gee, you don't even mind me whacking your head a million times."
"And you don't even mind me acting foolish and crazy a million times."
Then they both laughed.
Gaara, who was closing his eyes and had his head down, looked up at Sakura and Naruto, who were now talking about their childhood memories. They were clearly having their 'Best Friends' Moment' of strengthening their friendship. He watched them and slightly smiled. Yes, he was happy to be with them, because Sakura and Naruto were two of the few people who truly considered him a friend and trusted him. The two didn't mind his loner attitude and accepted him as the person he is. In turn, Gaara trusted them.
Neji was smiling a little at the best friends too. Like Gaara, he somehow became glad that there were two buddies who truly cared for him, although he doesn't show this. And even if he didn't, the two still accepted him as a real friend. Not as a famous school heartthrob, but as Hyuuga Neji.
By the way, Neji also knows that his cousin Hinata has a HUGE crush on Naruto.
So… back to the best friends.
"I don't know, Naruto… but I think the full moon loves us."
"Why?"
"It's always there at the times when something special happens during the night. That involves the two of us… but now… it's the four of us."
Naruto nodded in agreement, "Yep," He sat up and turned to the other two, "Hey, Neji, Gaara! Would you mind joining us here?"
The two silent guys wordlessly approached Sakura and Naruto. Neji sat beside Naruto, while Gaara sat beside Sakura, who was still lying on the grass facing the moon.
"Ne… guys… I think we could make a pact… as a band that can last forever… and the full moon can witness it… you know, just to imprint something memorable in our minds."
She slowly stood up and felt the gentle night wind carry her pink hair, making it sway with the breeze. She then turned to the others. They also stood up.
Naruto held his fist, shoulder-level. He looked at Neji, then Sakura, then at Gaara, "Zenith forever?"
Sakura smiled and held her fist close to Naruto's, "Zenith forever."
Neji soon followed, doing the same thing. He nodded at them.
Gaara held his fist up last and nodded too.
Then they all chorused, "Zenith forever."
It has been a few minutes since they went home in separate ways when Neji tapped Sakura's shoulder and asked her to let him walk her home.
Now, they're on their way to the Haruno residence.
After a few moments of silence, Sakura spoke up, "Ne… Neji-san?"
"Hn?"
"Thank you."
"For what?"
"For walking me home."
Neji blinked, "I wouldn't like the idea of letting a girl walk alone late at night."
Sakura smiled her now-famous charming smile at him, "That's why, thanks."
There was a faint blush on Neji's cheeks at the sight of her smile. He quickly looked back at the road to hide his blush. Sakura wasn't smiling at a crowd or at her other friends… she was smiling at him. Only him.
And to anybody's point of view, her smile is like a Chicken Soup For The Soul already. So it's healthy for your… heart? Whatever.
Still, Neji couldn't help but think ever so deeply as to why her smiles mean so much to him. When she laughs, he feels better. When she grins, he smirks. Really, there was something… It must be a disease… an epidemic, perhaps? Or an acute emotional syndrome?
He watched her from the corner of his white eyes. There she is again, smiling peacefully at the road. And there Neji is again, feeling stupid. He continued watching how her rare pink hair swayed with the wind in a steady rhythm; how she smiled that smile that would seem to hypnotize his senses; how her emerald eyes shone brightly against the darkness of the night; how wonderfully enticing her soft pink lips seemed like; how everything about her makes Haruno Sakura special…
Neji knew all too well what had happened to him ever since the day he met this pink-haired rocker.
Somehow, he still wouldn't admit it. Hey, it's not like it's a sin… right?
They stopped in front of the house gates. Sakura faced Neji and did that Smile again, which made his heartbeat stop and his body grow numb. Oh my, the Hyuuga Neji is freezing?
Thankfully, Sakura looked at the ground afterwards, so he was able to gain control of himself again. Wow, looks like Sakura can control the Hyuuga genius with only one smile! Amazing!
Neji snapped back to reality when Sakura spoke softly, "Anou… thank you Neji-san… for walking me home… and… for…"
Neji raised an eyebrow. And for what?
"… for helping me… you know, thanks for joining the band and… accepting me… and for the friendship."
For the friendship.
For the friendship.
For the friendship.
Somewhere deep inside his chest, Neji felt a pang of hurt by hearing those three last words. But he wouldn't show it, of course.
He sighed quietly before answering, "No problem."
"Well, I'm going inside now… bye."
With one last smile, she turned and headed towards their front door. Neji was, again, out of his normal self because of… what else… her smile. He watched her as her hair floated in the air and… he watched her… sexy figure.
Wow, Hyuuga Neji's a pervert!
Neji shrugged any dirty thoughts about Sakura out of his head.
Damn it! I am DISEASED! Neji grudgingly thought, although he hasn't got a grudge against anybody… except for himself and his hormones which were strangely reacting when he watched Sakura's hourglass figure.
And yes, he was diseased. It isn't a sin, but Neji knew he's under that spell.
Neji cursed one last time before walking towards the Hyuuga Manor, Sakura still in his mind.
Anyone can tell; he was under the spell of love.
Oh yeah!
A/N: How'd you like it? Was it okay? Well? Tell me! I know Neji's pretty OOC here, but it isn't a good reason for you to skin me alive. Yeah, I know it isn't the best, but… well… I tried! So I need a reward! And the best reward you could give me is…A REVIEW! AND YOU DON'T NEED MONEY FOR IT!
NO FLAMES!
THANX FOR READING!
Oh yeah, and please check out my other fic and tell me what you think!
Dr. Meowzie
