Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto in any form shape or fashion. If I did, I would have already killed him and taken Hinata for myself…
Chapter 6. The Arts.
"This is an awfully strange schedule." Naruto said looking down at their list of classes.
"The guidance counselor said that classes are set up a little differently here. We have three classes during the day; each lasting two hours. We have a half hour break between each class, and a half hour for lunch." Sakura said handing out copies of the class schedules.
"So what's our first class?" Sasuke said in his usual monotone.
"'The Arts'. Sakura said glancing at the schedule. According to the guidance counselor, this class deals with dancing, singing, etiquette, and nearly everything else that a young girl needs to fit into polite society." Sakura said as she looked over the course description.
"Joy." Naruto and Sasuke said blandly.
The four young ninjas proceeded to the music building in order to find the drill hall they were assigned too. The eventually found the room where they discovered a withered old crone standing at the door with a long cane that came up to her chest. She had on a long black dress that looked like it belonged in an antique store, and from the look of her it was probably new when she bought it.
"Into the dressing room girls. Don't dawdle." She commanded.
"Good morning class, my name is Madame Furucho Marise. I will be your teacher in etiquette and the arts." Madame Furucho said, surveying the class. For the most part they were the typical lot of brainless young girls that needed to be transformed into brilliant young ladies.
The class lined up around the dance hall that served as their classroom in their ballet outfits and stood at attention. Madame Furucho walked around them observing them and taking notes on their appearance and their posture.
"Great. Now I'm in a tutu." Said one particularly pretty raven-haired girl to herself as she passed by.
"Is there something you would like to share with the rest of the class, Ms. Uchiha?" Madame Furucho said swatting the girl across the rump with the long cane that would come to be known by Naruto as the Sasuke-be-good stick.
"No ma'am."
"I prefer to always be addressed as Madame Furucho."
"No Madame Furucho."
Madame Furucho snorted and continued to examine the class. "Some of you have potential, some of you look to be hopeless. During the course of this year, I will be trying to make young ladies out of you by teaching you grace, poise, and artistic ability. However talented some of you may be, it will not serve as a substitute for proper training in dance, voice, or etiquette. Some of you obviously have no talent." Madame Furucho said swatting a blonde girl who had gone to sleep standing up. "But it will be overcome with proper training. It is my intention to display your skills at this year's ball that will be held at the end of the semester. There you will be displaying your new social graces as well as your artistic ability in the manner of your choosing. Likewise, the young gentlemen from Lakeview will be there to display what passes for polite behavior from the grunting half of the species."
Most of the girls laughed. Madame Furucho did not think it was very funny. "If you remember nothing else from this class, remember this." Madame Furucho said as music began to filter through the dance hall.
You… must…walk feminine,
Talk feminine,
Smile and beguile feminine,
Utilize your femininity,
That's what every girl should know,
If she wants to catch a beau,
Dance feminine,
Glance feminine,
Act shy and sigh feminine,
Compliment his masculinity,
That's what every girl should know,
If she wants to catch a beau,
Let him do the talking,
Men adore good listeners,
Laugh, but not loudly ha-ha,
If he should chose to tell a joke,
Be radiant, but delicate,
Memorize the rules of etiquette,
Be demure,
Sweet and pure,
HIDE the real you,
You must look feminine,
Dress feminine,
You're at your BEST feminine,
Emphasize your femininity,
That's what every girl should know,
Femininity, FEMININITY,
THAT'S the way to catch a beau.
(A/N: The song Femininity is from the 1963 Disney film Summer Magic, and should you wish to listen to it, it's on Classic Disney Volume 5, Track 15. Not that I listen to that stuff or anything, cough)
Sasuke watched as Madame Furucho launched into the la-de-da portion of her song as she danced gracefully around the room. She was a withered old gray haired woman who looked like she had a permanent scowl etched on her face, but she sang quite beautifully. He stood there for a moment before turning to Naruto. "What just happened?"
Naruto had a vacant expression on his face. "I think they call it a musical number."
"I didn't realize we signed on for a musical." Sasuke said sadly.
"This place just keeps getting weirder and weirder. I don't know if we're going to make it through this one or not." Naruto said seriously.
Sasuke looked over at Hinata and Sakura who were looking at he and Naruto thoughtfully. Oh, crap…
Madame Furucho finally seemed to come to her senses and ended her song as the music died straightening her dress ad putting stray locks back in place on her tightly woven bun.
"So, do any of you girls play an instrument?" She asked.
No one raised their hand until slowly Sakura raised hers uncertainly. "Yes, Madame Furucho. I play the piano." Sakura then noticed the others staring at her. "What? My mom made me take lessons!"
"That's wonderful dear. You can work on your piano skills for the rest of the hour and I'll look forward to hearing you play at the ball. So does anyone else play an instrument?" Madame Furucho asked looking over the rest of the girls. "Very well then, we'll see what kind of voices you have."
Madame Furucho went down the line of girls testing their voices and having them sing small parts or nursery rhymes and occasionally singing a scale. Finally she came to the last three, which were Hinata, Naruto and Sasuke. "Alright child." Madame Furucho said as she walked behind Hinata. "Let's hear something."
Sasuke strained to hear what Hinata was singing, but couldn't hear her even though he was just a few feet away. Madame Furucho slammed her cane into the floor behind Hinata and the volume picked up considerably. Sasuke listened as Hinata sang the most beautiful lullaby he had ever heard.
Next to him, Naruto was ready to cry. "I wish I could have grown up with MY mother singing me to sleep like that. That was really beautiful Hinata-chan."
Madame Furucho had walked around to look at Hinata as she blushed and lowered her eyes. Madame Furucho reached out and lifted Hinata's chin so she could look down into her eyes. It almost looked like the woman was trying to smile under all the wrinkles.
"Yes, it was quite lovely child. You have a gift. Your voice is exceptional, with my training you can learn to be great." Madame Furucho said beaming. "I would like for you to work with Sakura. I think the two of you could combine your talents to make a superb performance at the ball."
Hinata looked ready to faint. "Do think I can?"
"Of course child. After all, it is often said that it is the wilting flowers that have the softest, and sweetest, fragrance." Madame Furucho said warmly.
She then turned to Naruto. "Alright Naniko. Let's hear your voice."
What followed afterward was absolutely stunning. Not in the sense that Hinata had been stunning, but in the sense that Sasuke was stunned from Naruto's attempt to sing. It sounded something like a brakes squealing on a runaway car slamming into a cat that was being strangled with an electric fence. Sasuke grabbed his ears, as did the rest of the class as one of the windows shattered, a dog howled, and somewhere a band of Benedictine monks was dispatched for the sole purpose of finding Uzumaki Naruto and baptizing him so they could put him under an oath of silence.
For her part, Madame Furucho didn't flinch, much. She merely shook herself for a moment and said, "We'll work on it."
Finally it was Sasuke's turn. He had no idea what they thought they were going to get out of him, but one thing was certain. Uchiha Sasuke was NOT going to sing.
"Let's hear you Shiori." Madame Furucho said primly.
"I don't sing." Sasuke said softly with a dangerous hint to his voice. It usually worked on Kakashi.
Sasuke felt the rap of the cane on the back of his head as Madame Furucho brought wrapped her cane around and then brought it up under Sasuke's chin. "When I'm done with you," Madame Furucho said in an even MORE dangerous tone, "you will."