Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Romeo and Juliet.

Author's Note: Yahoo! That chapter's done! And I'm actually updating early! I've just been on a roll of writing for awhile; I even have the next chapter about halfway done already. I would have gotten this chapter up but I didn't have time to transfer what I'd written in my notebook onto the computer. But I sat myself down and made myself type it up so I could get it up this weekend for you all. Anyway, this chapter's kinda more like 'part two' of the last chapter. It's only ten pages, which is shorter than my chapters have been lately, but I just wanted to get it out there.

In this chapter we've got Neji making the moves again, Gaara thinking things over, Sasuke getting a job as a…dun, dun, dun, and Naruto getting jealous. The blonde's coming to realize his true feelings soon!

Sadly, this story is coming to a close within about two or three chapters. I've got sort of a timeline all set out, so we'll see how it goes.

Anyway, some replies to reviews since I haven't done that for awhile.

To anonymous: First, thanks so much for reading my story! Now, you're answers: No, Sasuke and Itachi don't have the Sharingan, Neji doesn't have his Byakugan, and I really didn't describe much about Kakashi did I? Uhh, we'll just say he does have his mask because, you're right, he's not Kakashi without it. Thanks so much for reading and reviewing! Enjoy chapter 23!

To TheCagedBird: You had a hard time giving Gaara so many points, didn't ya? Hehe, the redhead made a big comeback in that chapter. Anyway, you said the chapter was a little different in tone…how? Maybe I'm just dense, but I didn't really see it. I'd like to know. Well, thanks again for reading and reviewing and assigning points! A tough job, I'm sure!

To Yumiko Minamono: Heheh, sorry for not continuing with the kiss right away! I was just in a 'let's throw off my readers' mood, so that's what I did. And, yeah, the story will probably end within a few chapters. I'll be sad when it ends too! Thanks so much for your review!

To SouriMaxwellYuy068: You're going to worship everything that I touch along with my story? That is the best compliment I have EVER received! I love you! Thanks so much! And thanks for reading my story and reviewing! Hope you enjoy chapter 23!

And now thanks to EVERY ONE OF YOU for reading and reviewing! I love you guys so much!

Anyway, onward to the next chapter! Enjoy!

Chapter Twenty-Three

"O Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo? Deny thy father and refuse thy name; or if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love, and I'll no longer be a Capulet," Sasuke recited.

"Shall I hear more, or shall I speak at this?" Naruto replied, looking up at the makeshift balcony in the auditorium.

"Tis but thy name that is my enemy: Thou art thy self though not a Montague. O be some other name! What's Montague? It is nor hand, nor foot, nor arm, nor face, nor any part belonging to man. What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would spell as sweet. So Romeo would, were he not Romeo called, retain that dear perfection which he owes, without that title,. Romeo, doff thy name; and for thy name, which is no part of thee, take all myself." Sasuke said, trying not to fidget so much in the dress Kakashi and Jiraiya forced him into.

"I take thee at thy word. Call me but love, and I'll be new baptized: henceforth I never will be Romeo."

"All right, good job you two. I can definitely feel the connection between Romeo and Juliet now. I can tell you're been practicing," Iruka said. "Sasuke, you can come down from there now. "

"Hey, good job Sasuke!" Naruto exclaimed as the two walked off the stage. "You didn't rip your dress off! I thought you would seeing how you kept squirming in it."

"You noticed? Damn, and I thought I hid it better than last time," Sasuke said.

"Why does it make you so annoyed anyway?" Naruto asked. "I told you before that the dress looks good on you."

Sasuke fought off a blush. "It's still a dress, dobe."

Naruto just shook his head. "Well, you'd better get used to it, Sasuke."

"Boys, you did a marvelous job! I could practically taste the passion between you two!" Kakashi exclaimed as they walked by.

The two froze and turned to their teachers. Kakashi and Jiraiya were grinning at him like the usual perverted morons they were.

"P-Pas-Passion?" Naruto repeated, his words stammering in his throat, his face slowly turning red.

Sasuke eyed Kakashi maliciously, but the silver-haired man wasn't fazed.

"Yes, passion. You two were completely in-synch," Kakashi said.

"It seemed like you actually meant what you were reciting. Aww, young declaration of love, how darling," Jiraiya chimed in.

By now Naruto had taken the appearance of a tomato, while Sasuke had turned into the devil himself; his glare shot flames at the two old and perverted men.

"Shut up. Don't you have better things to do than tease us? Like, I dunno, teach the class?" Sasuke said with annoyance, keeping his embarrassment locked up in a cage in the back of his mind. Was he that obvious about his feelings? Did it show or his face or were Kakashi and Jiraiya just way to perceptive for their own good?

The teachers grinned and replied, "Nah, we enjoy teasing you better than teaching."

Groaning, Sasuke dragged Naruto away, mumbling to the blonde, "Stop blushing so much, you look so stupid."

"Sorry," the blonde apologized. "Uh, Sasuke, where'd they get that idea from? That stuff about young love?"

Gritting his teeth with anger towards his teachers, he replied, "Beats the hell out of me. They're morons, all right? Just ignore them."

As they sat down in the audience with the rest of the class, Iruka called for attention and they turned as the brown-haired man jumped up on stage. "All right, we need some volunteers to work on stage props. You know, painting sets and things like that. Anyone interested?"

"Oh, fun!" Naruto exclaimed, thrusting his hand up.

"Naruto, thanks for volunteering. Anyone else?"

Three hands shot into the air simultaneously.

Neji, Sasuke, and Gaara all glared at the other threateningly as Iruka jotted down their names. Naruto looked around at the three of them with confusion, while Jiraiya and Kakashi gave the other a knowing look, grinning mischievously.

After Iruka wrote down the names of the others, which ended up being almost the rest of the class with the exception of Temari, TenTen, Kankuro, and Shino, the class was dismissed to go change before the bell rang.

Humming enthusiastically, Naruto led Sasuke, Neji and Gaara to the bathrooms.

"This'll be fun! We're all working on the sets together!" the blonde exclaimed.

The three rivals had a rather different view of things, but they kept their mouths shut and glared at the other. On the good side, the three realized, it would be easier to monitor what the others were planning and doing with the blonde. And therefore, there would never be any time for just one of them to weasel in with Naruto.

"Why'd you all sign up anyway? I never thought you'd be interested in set design," Naruto asked.

"I just wanted to spend time with you," the three said at once.

Naruto froze and turned to the look at them, a blush painted his cheeks. "W-What?" he stammered.

The boys, glaring at each other with vengeance, replied simultaneously yet again, "You heard me. I just want to spend some more time with you."

The blonde blushed even more and said uncertainly, "O-Okay then…" He turned and walked into the bathrooms, leaving the three rivals staring lividly at each other.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" the three shouted at once.

"How dare you two join the set team with Naruto?" Neji demanded.

"How dare you?" Gaara retorted.

"Naruto is off limits. It would be wise to stay away from him," Sasuke said, his Uchiha death glare working overtime. "If you don't leave him alone, I swear I will not regret my actions."

"Do you believe that we'll heed the warning of a guy in a dress?" Neji and Gaara said at the same time, raising eyebrows questioningly as they appraised the Uchiha's appearance.

Sasuke snarled under his breath. "Shut up," he snapped. "Just stay the hell away from Naruto."

"The same goes for you, Uchiha," Gaara said.

"But don't believe we'll be actually acknowledging your warning," Neji added.

"Don't believe I will either," Sasuke replied with a last glare before entering the bathroom after the blonde.

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"Hey, Naruto, you're really early today," Neji said as the blonde walked into the restaurant.

"Yeah, well it was raining kinda hard so I ran all the way here," the blonde explained.

"Come here, you're soaking wet and boss'll have a fit at the wet floor." Neji led the blonde into the employee's room in the back, letting another worker take over the registers. He grabbed a towel and tossed it to the blonde. "Naruto, I told you I can give you rides after school."

"I know," Naruto replied as he dried his hair.

Neji watched him closely. "You're avoiding me, aren't you?"

It was more a statement than a question and the blonde hid his face with the towel so Neji wouldn't see his guilt. "N-No," he replied. "Why do you say that?"

"Because you act differently at work than you do at school. Towards me at least." Neji continued to watch the blonde closely, noticing how he wouldn't meet his eyes. It hadn't been immediately obvious, but after awhile the Hyuuga had begun to notice the subtle differences in the way the blonde acted at school and how he acted at work. At school, he put on his usual cheerful face and greeted Neji like any other day. At work, however, Naruto would distant himself a bit, working in the back when Neji was up front or vice versa. Neji had wanted to ask about it for awhile, but had never quite gotten the chance. Naruto would always leave work immediately after his shift, giving the Hyuuga no time to talk to him. He wasn't sure what good talking to him would do since Neji already knew what it was about, but still he did need to know if Naruto had come to any sort of conclusion.

"Is it about what happened Valentine's Day?" Neji asked finally, noticing the blonde cringe slightly.

Swearing under his breath, Naruto pulled the towel off his head and finally met the Hyuuga's gaze. "Yeah, it is about Valentine's Day."

Neji nodded and took a step closer to him. "I wanted to talk to you about that too, Naruto. You've never given me the chance to really explain."

"Uh, I'm sorry about avoiding you like that Neji, but I've just been busy sorting things out about that weekend and about that, uh, kiss…" Naruto said quietly. Yeah, and Sasuke's kiss, and Gaara's kiss too…I've never had so many headaches at once before.

Taking yet another step closer to the blonde, Neji asked, "And, have you sorted everything out yet? Have you gotten any closer to a conclusion?"

"No, not-not really, but--"

"Because I have. I want to go on another date with you, Naruto," Neji said calmly, his pale eyes taking a strong hold over the blonde's azure ones.

A blush claimed the blonde's cheeks as his eyes grew wide. "Ne-Neji, I-I, uh, can't do that."

The Hyuuga blinked and for once in his life, his cool slipped off his face and broke in half. Sounding a bit panicked and surprised, he stammered, "W-W-What?"

Standing his ground, the blonde answered firmly, "I'm sorry, Neji, but I can't go out with you again. I like you and all but--"

"You're just too confused?" the Hyuuga finished. Or you're already rejecting me? Damn it, I hope not…

Naruto looked surprised. "Yeah, exactly. This is all just too fast for me."

Neji sighed in relief, then slowly smiled which was the last thing the blonde expected him to do. Leaning close to Naruto, Neji said, slowly smirking as the blonde shuddered against the head of his breath, "Don't worry, Naruto. Before long you'll know exactly who you want. And I promise it'll be me."

Neji grinned at the surprised look on the blonde's face before walking out to the registers. Naruto stared after him with confusion and shock, feeling as though someone had smacked him in the face with a ton of bricks. Damn it, he just asked me out again. Then he really does like me, right? Why else would he ask me out another time? God, shoot me now. This is too complicated.

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Gaara waited patiently in the corner of the restaurant for the blonde to appear from the back room. He watched with slight amusement at the other customers in the restaurant, stifling a laugh at a girl who accidentally dropped hot soup on her boyfriend's lap and at an elderly couple that fell asleep at their table. He seethed with revulsion at the squeaking exclamations of Sakura and Ino, who were sitting a few tables away, muttering about Sasuke.

Gaara blocked that particular conversation out of his hearing range, not in the mood to hear a word about the Uchiha. Just thinking of that bastard made his skin crawl with anger, and despite himself, jealously. He couldn't help but be jealous of the Uchiha. He wasn't sure how the Uchiha did it, but each time he and Naruto were together, they seemed closer than the last time. It was sickening and highly frustrating. It seemed as though no matter what happened between them, the two only grew closer as friends and that helped the Uchiha out tremendously and put a dent in for the redhead. Gaara hated the Uchiha. No, he despised the Uchiha.

He had known Naruto far longer than Sasuke, he had been Naruto's best friend for years, he loved Naruto much more than Sasuke could ever dream, but yet, Naruto and Sasuke seemed to be getting closer and closer and closer every damn day. What was it that Sasuke did that made him score so many points with the blonde? What was it that Sasuke did that made Naruto still act normally about him even after major events? Gaara had easily noticed how after Valentine's Day, Naruto had acted a bit distant towards him and it hurt Gaara to realize it. He wasn't going to apologize for the kiss; he had no reason to because h had wanted to do it and was willing to suffer the consequences. If Naruto confronted him on it, then maybe he'd apologize for the abruptness of it all, but not on the kiss itself. He wasn't taking back what he'd done. But, Naruto hadn't yet confronted him. The only thing the blonde had done was subtly ignore him. And Gaara couldn't stand it.

It had been easy to realize that the Uchiha and Hyuuga had done the same thing he had over Valentine's weekend. Gaara knew that in some way, shape, or form the other two had confessed their feelings or had taken advantage of the situation. Because he knew what had happened, it was easy to notice that Naruto acted with Neji the same way he acted with him. But, when it came to Sasuke, the blonde behaved as he usually did, as he had before Valentine's weekend. Why was that? Why did Naruto act the same with Sasuke and not with him?

Gaara sat up straight as a thought occurred to him. Was it because Naruto already knew about his feelings? Did the blonde already like the Uchiha? The crimson-haired boy shook his head. No. He refused to believe that. Naruto did not know who he liked. He couldn't know who yet. Not before he had a chance to truly confess his feelings and have Naruto return them.

"Gaara?" an all too familiar voice startled the redhead out his thoughts.

Looking up, Gaara was met with concerned azure eyes. "Are you okay?" the blonde asked.

Getting to his feet, Gaara nodded and replied, "I'm fine, Naruto. Just thinking about some things. …Anyway, are you ready to go?"

"Yup!" the blonde exclaimed.

"I'm surprised you agreed to rehearse with me," Gaara said as they drove to the redhead's house.

"How come?" Naruto inquired.

"Because you've been avoiding me like the plague for more than a week," Gaara replied.

The blonde flushed guiltily. "A-About that…"

"I understand why, Naruto, so you don't have to explain, but I wish you wouldn't do that."

"I'm sorry."

"It's all right. You at least came with me today."

"Purely to rehearse. You did say you'd help me with my monologues."

"And given that the play's in two months, you need all the help you can get," Gaara said, making the blonde stick his tongue out at him.

"Still, thanks Gaara," Naruto said.

"No problem," the redhead replied with a smile.

xxxxxxx

"We can call for pizza if you're hungry," Gaara suggested.

"If I'm hungry? I'm always hungry, Gaara! Call for pizza!" Naruto exclaimed.

"And you can go over your lines while I call," Gaara said, chucking the script at the blonde.

Naruto whined theatrically and Gaara just shook head. "What scene do you want to start on?" the blonde asked.

"You pick. Which one's do you have the most trouble with?" Gaara replied as he looked up the phone number of the pizza restaurant.

"All right. We'll start on…Scene 2, Act 2. Romeo's monologue at the very beginning." Naruto looked up from the script at Gaara, a mischievous smirk on his face. "Want to play Juliet?"

Gaara glared at him. "I think I'll pass. Besides, we're not rehearsing the entire scene; we're working on your monologues. Meaning, you rehearse and when you mess up, I'll help you." After placing the order, Gaara sat down on his bed and held his script out, flipping to the correct page to follow along.

"All right then, let's start," Naruto said. He then cleared his throat, glanced at the script and began, "He jests at scars that never felt a wound." Then pretending as though Juliet had appeared on the balcony above, he continued, "But soft! What light through yonder window breaks? It is the east, and Juliet is the sun. Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon, who is already sick and pale with grief that thou, her maid, art far more fair than she."

"How was that?" Naruto asked Gaara.

The redhead nodded and replied, "Good. Let's see you do it without the script."

"Uh…do we have to?" Naruto asked. "I know I can't."

"But that's how you learn it. Go on, try it without the script and then we'll move to a different scene," Gaara said.

Naruto grumbled under his breath but complied, scanning the script before setting it down on the bed. "Let's just get this over with." he said.

xxxxx

Just as they were through with about a half hour's worth of rehearsing, the doorbell rang, indicating that the pizza had arrived.

"Thank god! I'm so hungry!" Naruto exclaimed, leading the way downstairs. "We're splitting the price right?"

"Yes, Naruto. Just as usual," Gaara replied, following behind him.

"Good, because I don't have a lot of money on me."

"Spent it all on ramen again, eh, Naruto?" Gaara said, making the blonde laugh guiltily.

"Get the door and I'll grab my money. I left my wallet in the kitchen," the redhead said, heading down the hall, only to freeze suddenly when the door opened and he heard Naruto exclaimed, "Sasuke!"

"Naruto?" the Uchiha exclaimed.

"What are you doing here?" both yelled at once.

Sasuke shifted the boxes of pizzas and Naruto's eyes grew wide.

"You're a pizza boy? Since when?" the blonde exclaimed.

"Since today. It's my first day, but that's not important," Sasuke dismissed quickly. "What are you doing here? This isn't your house."

"No, it's mine," Gaara said walking up from behind the blonde, making Naruto groan, knowing something bad was going to happen, and Sasuke tense tot eh hardness of a rock.

"Gaara," Sasuke acknowledged edgily, glaring at the redhead with undiluted malice.

"Uchiha," the redhead replied, glaring just as maliciously back.

"Well, it'll be sixteen dollars. And don't forget to tip," Sasuke said with a smirk, breaking the momentary silence.

Naruto pulled out his wallet, but Gaara stepped in front of him, handing Sasuke seventeen dollars. "It's on me, Naruto," Gaara said, surprising the blonde and successfully angering the Uchiha.

Gaara grabbed the pizzas and said, "Come on, let's eat." He glared at Sasuke and walked into the kitchen.

Naruto turned to Sasuke and said, "Where do you work?"

"At Chidori's," the Uchiha replied, finally meeting his gaze.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Forgot," he answered honestly. "Anyway, what are you doing here?"

"Gaara's helping me learn my long monologues. We're just taking a break for pizza," Naruto explained.

"Why didn't you ask me? I could have helped you," Sasuke said, keeping his hurt and anger well shielded.

Surprised, Naruto shrugged and said, "Gaara offered to help, so I took him up on it. Sorry, Sasuke."

"No, forget it," Sasuke said with a shake of his head. "I've got to go."

"Have fun! Hey, when do you get off?"

Sasuke checked his watch. "In two hours."

"Think you could give me a ride home afterwards if I'm done rehearsing by then?" Naruto asked quickly and impulsively. He then wanted to bite his tongue. Why had he asked that?

"Why don't you have Gaara take you home?" Sasuke asked, bitterness covering up his surprise. Why was he asking him?

Naruto shrugged, feeling a bit embarrassed. "Well, Gaara's already at home, so it'd be pointless for him to drive all the way to my house just to drop me off."

"I'm sure he wouldn't mind."

"Yeah, I know, but…I want you to…" Naruto said quietly looking down at his feet. Then, he quickly looked up and said, "But it's not a big deal. I can ask Gaara, or I'll just walk. I would just walk, but it's so cold out I'd probably freeze."

Sasuke, who'd been staring with open surprise at the blonde for admitting he wanted him to take him home, now pictured an image of the blonde walking through the freezing bitter cold. "I'll take you," he said instantly. "Be ready."

"I knew I could count on you! Thanks Sasuke!" Naruto grinned.

The Uchiha blushed and said, "I've got to go. Later dobe."

"Bye, bastard!" Naruto called after him. He shut the door after watching Sasuke drive off, laughing slightly at the thought of the cold Uchiha as a pizza delivery boy.

Naruto then joined Gaara in the kitchen, taking a seat beside the redhead as Gaara asked, "What were you talking to Uchiha about?"
"Oh, nothing much. Sasuke's gonna come pick me up when he's done from work, okay? That way you won't have to go all the way to my apartment," Naruto said, taking a bite out of a cheese pizza.

Gaara looked at him closely. "But I don't mind taking you."

"I know, but it's okay. It's out of your way to take me, and Sasuke didn't mind either."

I bet not. Gaara thought bitterly.

"Anyway, he doesn't get off for another two hours, so we still have a while to work," Naruto said.

Two hours? Gaara thought. Hmm, I could make that work…

"All right. Then we better eat quickly and get back to rehearsing," the redhead said.

Naruto groaned. "Man, why'd I sign up for drama class in the first place? It's so hard!"

"Why did you sign up?" Gaara inquired.

"Why did you?" Naruto asked.

Gaara bit his tongue from replying the truth. He didn't think the blonde would like it very much if he said it was because he knew Naruto had signed up for it first. "Because I thought it would be easy," the redhead answered instead.

"Me too!" Naruto exclaimed. "But it's harder than I thought it was going to be."

"Just to you, apparently. I think it's an easy class."

"Well you don't have the part of Romeo!"

"That's your own fault remember?" Gaara said. "You got Iruka-sensei angry by falling asleep and being tardy."

"Oh…yeah…" Naruto said, having obviously forgotten.

"And, anyway, I think you make a great Romeo, Naruto," Gaara said softly, staring at the blonde intently with passionate jade eyes.

Naruto blushed and felt that same uncertainty feeling like he'd gotten that night when the two of them had had dinner. "Uh, t-thanks, Gaara," he said carefully. "Anyway, do you want to get back to rehearsing?"

The redhead nodded. "Yeah, sure," he replied.

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"You're finally here, Sasuke-bastard!" Naruto exclaimed as he opened the door. "I've been waiting for like a half-hour!"

Sasuke frowned. "You finished early? Why didn't you call? I could have come to get you."

"But it was your first day at work. It wouldn't look good if you left early just to pick up a friend," Naruto said.

"You're more important than work, Naruto," Sasuke said, staring directly at the blonde.

Naruto blushed and gave a nervous laugh while behind him Gaara seethed angrily, glaring malevolently at Sasuke.

"Anyway, ready to go?"

"Yep!" Naruto turned to Gaara and said brightly, "Thanks for helping me rehearse, Gaara! It was fun!"

"My pleasure, Naruto. We have to rehearse together again," the redhead said with a slight smile.

"Definitely. And thanks for pizza! Next time I'll pay," Naruto said.

"If you don't spend all your money on ramen before that, you mean," Gaara said.

Naruto laughed guiltily. "Heh, heh. Well, see ya, Gaara!"

"Bye, Naruto," Gaara replied. He then glared once again at the Uchiha, turned and smiled at Naruto before shutting the door.

"So, how was rehearsing?" Sasuke asked as they drove down to the blonde's house.

"It was fun!" Naruto said grinning. "How was your first day working as a pizza delivery boy?" the blonde asked with a smirk.

Sasuke groaned, noticing the sly smile. "You're never going to let me live this down, are you?"

"Of course not!" Naruto exclaimed, slapping the Uchiha on the back. "You are a pizza delivery boy. You! 'Mr. Cold-Dark- I-hate-the-world- leave-me-alone- bastard'. I can just imagine people answering the door and seeing your scowl. How'd you get hired anyway? Don't tell me you own the pizza restaurant."

"Very funny," Sasuke said sarcastically. "No. I just wanted a job, so I applied at some places."

"Why didn't you apply where I work? It would have been fun to work with you!" Naruto said.

"I would have, but the place where you work isn't hiring," Sasuke said. "That was the first place I checked. I wanted to work with you too, Naruto." Not to mention keep an eye on the Hyuuga while I'm at it…Unfortunately that didn't work out.

"Y-You did?" Naruto asked, blushing slightly. When Sasuke nodded, he blushed even more and looked away. "O-Okay…" he mumbled, wondering why he felt so disappointed about not being able to work with Sasuke.

Gathering his bearings, Naruto turned back to the Uchiha and asked, "Anyway, how was your first day?"

"Annoying. I don't know why I even took that job. I guess because the pay is good. I'm just glad to be over for the night."

"Yeah, that's how I felt on my first day too," Naruto said. "But it gets better."

"I hope it does."

"Well, I know I'll be ordering pizza all the time now. Just to have you deliver it," Naruto said excitedly.

Sasuke groaned, but let a smile escape his lips. That wouldn't be too bad, he mused as they pulled up into the blonde's parking lot. Having a job that'll let me see Naruto can't be bad at all.

"Well, here you are, dobe," Sasuke said after clearing his head.

"Don't call me dobe, bastard!" Naruto said indignantly. "Anyway, thanks for driving me home, Sasuke."

"Not a problem," the Uchiha replied with a smile. "I'll see you at school tomorrow."

"Uh-huh. Later Sasuke!" Naruto waved and walked into the building.

Sasuke continued to sit in the car, watching until he saw the light flick on in the blonde's apartment window four stories up. Smiling to himself, he started the engine and drove off.

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"That is no slander, sir, which is a truth; and what I spake, I spake it to me face," Sasuke recited during drama class on Tuesday the following week.
"Thy face is mine, and thou hast slandered it," Neji replied.

"It may be so, for it is not mine own. Are you at leisure, holy father, now, or shall I come to you at evening mass?"

Choji, as the Friar, replied, " y leisure serves me, pensive daughter, now. My lord, we must entreat the time alone."

"God shield should I disturb devotion! Juliet, on Thursday early I will rouse ye; till then adieu, and keep this holy kiss," Neji said, turning to look at Sasuke. Both had a mutual expression of disgust as they prepared for the kiss in the scene.

However, saving them, Iruka called out, "All right, that's enough. You three can step down."

"Heeeey, Sasuke-kun! You were so great up there!" Sakura exclaimed the instant the Uchiha stepped off the stage.

Sasuke visibly stiffened and glared at the pink-haired girl.

"You're such a good actor, Sasuke-kun! If only you'd played Romeo!" Sakura continued gushing.

Sasuke ignored her and looked around for Naruto. He narrowed his eyes as he saw the blonde, his blonde, talking to the Hyuuga.

"Neji, you did an awesome job! You didn't seem so annoyed about rehearsing with Sasuke like you did last time," Naruto said.

"That's because I was trying to impress you, Naruto," Neji said, staring avidly at the blonde. "And I guess it worked."

Naruto blushed and opened his mouth to reply when a high girly exclamation interrupted him. He turned to find Sakura chasing after Sasuke who was desperately trying to get away. To his surprise, this scene suddenly caused him to boil up with anger.

"Ah, Sasuke-kun! Where are you going?" Sakura exclaimed as Sasuke briskly made his way towards the blonde.

"Away from you," Sasuke snarled at the same moment that Sakura latched herself onto Sasuke's arm and leaned close against the Uchiha's chest.

Naruto turned quickly and clenched a fist at his side. Neji glanced at the blonde and back at Sasuke, slowly narrowing his eyes and glaring spitefully at the Uchiha.

"Sasuke-kun, why don't you like me? You're always with Naruto! I'm better than him," Sakura said.

Sasuke let out a bitter laugh. "Hah, I doubt that."

Sakura pouted angrily. "You're so mean, Sasuke-kun. But that's all right, I still love you!"

"There's a slight problem with that, Sakura," Sasuke said, trying to pry her arms off of him.

"What's that, Sasuke-kun?" the pink-haired girl asked sweetly.

"I don't like you!" Sasuke snapped. "Now let me go!"

"Never, Sasuke-kun!" she exclaimed. "I can make you love me back!"

Sasuke faced her directly, sending her a chilling glare. "Listen, all right? I already like someone and it is not, and never will be you. Got it?" He glared at her again and said, "Now, get the hell off of me!"

"But-But, Sasuke-kun!" Sakura exclaimed pleading.

"Get the hell away from him; can't you see he doesn't like you?" Naruto exclaimed suddenly, pulling Sakura off of the Uchiha fiercely.

A bout of silence followed the blonde's statement in which Sasuke stared with surprise at Naruto; Sakura gaped at the blonde; and Neji growled angrily under his breath.

Naruto felt the boiling anger within him start to subside and he looked between Sasuke and Sakura and felt himself flush. "Uh, um…" the blonde mumbled incoherently, his heart pounding like a million drums in his ears. What the hell had he just done? "I-I, uh, gotta go…"

And with that Naruto quickly exited the auditorium, heading outside for some fresh air.

Sasuke made to go after him, but a pull on his arm caused him to turn and face Sakura.

"Let him be, Sasuke-kun," she said. "I can't believe Naruto. Telling me what to do. Anyway, Sasuke-kun, let's go and rehearse our lines together--"

"Sakura, for once listen to Naruto," Sasuke said.

"What?" she said.

"Because I'm telling you the same thing. Stay the hell away from me, got it?" Sasuke said, pulling his arm out of her grasp.

He turned and walked out of the auditorium doors, leaving a stunned Sakura in his wake. The pink-haired girl then blinked back tears and ran off to find Ino, rushing past a pissed off Hyuuga in the process who was staring dangerously at the doors Naruto and the Uchiha had just walked through.

xxxxxx

Sasuke had given up looking for the blonde. He wasn't in the bathrooms nor back in the classroom; he wasn't anywhere to be found. Slowly to a walk, Sasuke headed back to the auditorium reluctantly, silently wondering what had caused Naruto's unexpected outburst.

No, it can't be… Sasuke thought, shaking his head. It just didn't make any sense for that to be the blonde's reason for lashing out at Sakura like that. Sasuke knew that Naruto would never yell at a girl, especially his former crush, so then why had he just now? What could have triggered the blonde's anger?

It just can't be that. He knows how much I hate Sakura, so why would he--? Was Naruto really jealous?

xxxxxx

Naruto breathed deeply from his lungs and sagged against a tree.

What the hell happened to me back there? I-I just saw Sakura all over Sasuke and I snapped. That's never happened before…No, wait, it has…On New Year's with Sasuke's insane fan club…I got that same feeling…Anger, annoyance, possession. Hold up, possession? Possessive of what? Sasuke? Th-That can't be, I-I don't own Sasuke so I can't be jealous about stupid girls who were hanging all over him! Wait. Did I just say jealous

Naruto covered his mouth with a hand and shut his eyes tight, the j-word ringing over and over again in his head as he thought over what had happened. It just didn't make any sense. How could this happen to him so suddenly? How was it possible? How could he be jealous over Sasuke?

W-What the hell's going on with me?