Frühling (Spring)

Sasuke stared down at his steaming cup of earl grey tea and sighed. That was the first time he had ever crashed and burned with a woman. He was quite used to getting whatever he wanted with a lady and it was like a slap across the face, a wake-up call, when Hinata rejected him. So the great Uchiha Sasuke could only do the deed with easy, rich whores. Oh goody.

He groaned and rolled his eyes as he heard loud, tumbling footsteps enter the dining room. "Yes, Naruto?"

Naruto yawned widely and slumped down in the chair next to Sasuke. "What are you doing up so early? You must've had an exhausting night last night." A grin spread across his tired face. "So, tell me: how was it?"

Sasuke rested his elbows on the table and grimaced. "How was what?"

Naruto's mouth fell open. "You-you mean that you didn't…"

Sasuke moaned and banged his head on the table. "Damn, I thought I had her in the bag for sure."

The other man shook his head in disbelief and let out a low whistle. "That's tough, but it's not as if you haven't had your fair share of…erm…passion, shall I say?"

Sasuke raised his head, which was now developing numerous bruises due to his hitting it quite frequently. "I've never, ever been denied. I mean…" He sighed wistfully. "I'm talented, I'm good-looking, my genitals are-"

Naruto cringed. "Geeze, I can see why Hinata didn't want to stay with you all night."

Sasuke frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Naruto threw his arms up. "Good god, man! If you were a woman, would you ever give yourself to a man who is pompous and absolutely full of himself! I, sir, would not!"

Sasuke pounded his fists on the table, causing his cup of earl grey tea to shatter on the floor with a delicate tinkling sound. "Naruto, how dare you speak to your master like that!"

Naruto set his hands on his hips. "Sasuke, the truth hurts, but you needed to hear that."

Sasuke stared at him incredulously before taking a deep breath and trying to slow down his quickened heartbeat and pulse. So what his assistant said had a bit of truth in it: Sasuke always received compliments and had never once in his life had gotten criticism more than "It's okay, just try harder next time". Of course, the maids and servants in his father's house didn't dare say anything demoting to the youngest Uchiha son and the women in town now always flattered him for sex, but…did that mean he had never been told the truth? Was his music actually miserable, but no one had the nerve to tell him so?

Sasuke buried his face in his hands. "Naruto, what can I do to get her to love me?"

Naruto shrugged. "Why ask me? I've never even kissed someone."

"But you have a bit of a feminine charm!"

"…Was that supposed to be a compliment?"

Sasuke sighed. "See? I don't know what to say."

Naruto scratched his chin and squeezed his eyes shut as though in deep thought. The other man bit on his lower lip and tried his best not to laugh at him; Naruto looked as though he had some bladder troubles.

"Well…" Naruto finally opened his eyes. "What do you think about Hinata? What sets her apart from the other women here? Why is it that you desperately want her?"

Sasuke grinned for the first time that morning. "That's simple: she's gorgeous and witty, her soul is as pure as freshly fallen snow, her singing is amazing…" He stopped. "And you know, she could probably get a better man than me."

Naruto rolled his eyes. "Oh please, enough with the self-pity. You're going to go after her anyway even if you aren't right for her."

Sasuke leaned back and nodded. "That's true."

"How about…" Naruto glanced out the large dining room window. "When spring comes, you have a walk together and just…talk. Tell her all the things you just told me."

Sasuke followed his assistance's gaze. The sky was stone grey and was releasing its load of snow onto the already powered ground. Spring was quite a ways away, so he'd have plenty of time to come up with a sappy speech for Hinata.

"I just don't know if I can do it," Sasuke muttered, still staring at the falling snow. "I've never given a woman so many heartfelt compliments that I actually meant."

Naruto glared at Sasuke." You mean…when you told Miss Haruno that she was beautiful and angelic, you were lying?"

"Well…what's wrong with that? You always lie to me when I ask what happens to my expensive Belgium chocolate."

Naruto flushed. "I-I wasn't lying!"

Sasuke turned to him, arms crossed and brows raised. "Naruto, did you honestly think I believed you when you said the brown stain on your vest was dog waste?"

Naruto twiddled with his fingers. "Fine, I lied," he grumbled. He suddenly brightened up again, which Sasuke was accustomed to by now (he had originally thought that Naruto had some sort of mental disorder). "Hey, how about I repent by helping you practice your speech for Hinata?"

Sasuke leaned forward. "How?"

"Just…pretend I'm Hinata!"

"What?"

"Come on, just try it! Pretend I'm the lovely opera star Miss Hyuuga."

Sasuke squinted, trying to make Naruto's blue eyes turn milky white, his short blonde hair long and dark, and his chest elevated about five or six inches. He grimaced and shook his head. Naruto and Hinata being the same person was just…against the laws of human nature.

"Naruto…I am NOT telling that you're beautiful and how firm and voluptuous your non-existent breasts are."

Naruto pouted. "Fine, but I'll just laugh when Hinata slaps you across your egotistical face."

Months passed. The snow was quickly melting off the ground and spring was engulfing the town. Blossoms were popping up on bare tree branches and the children were once again playing in the streets.

And Sasuke still wasn't prepared to talk to Hinata.

The composer was sitting on the balcony outside his studio, a quill and an inkpot sitting on the iron wrought café table and a sheet of parchment in his hands, which was almost entirely blank except for the title written in big, loopy letters: "Frühling". The sun was high in the sky; the wind was warm and gentle like an infant's breath; the nearly intoxicating scent of the new season was in the air. Yet, since Sasuke was the self-proclaimed "craziest composer", neither inspiration nor motivation came upon him.

Sasuke leaned over the balcony and grinned. "Oh god, it would be so funny to dump some ink on those little laughing bastards down there."

"But you, sir, have a song to compose."

Sasuke ran his hand through his hair and sighed exasperatedly, contemplating whether or not he should spray his assistant with ink and not the kids playing on the street. "Naruto, you have two extremely annoying habits that you must get rid of: sneaking up on people and ruining everyone's fun."

Naruto stepped next to the table and bounced on the balls of his feet. "Oh, so you must consider me telling you very important news is ruining your fun?"

Sasuke laced his fingers together and rested his hands under his stomach. "So what is this important piece of news I must hear? Did you finally figure out what I meant when I called you a 'nincompoop'?"

Naruto pointed down from the balcony. "Well, no, not yet, but Hinata is coming up the street right now."

Sasuke slammed down the parchment on the table so hard that the table toppled over and leaned over the balcony. Sure enough, the woman with the hypnotic, white eyes, flowing hair, and gorgeously pale skin was walking up the side of the street with a basket of flowers in her arms. Sasuke gulped and turned to Naruto.

"Wh-what should I do?" He hissed.

"Yell, yell!"

Sasuke hesitated before clearing his throat and yelling, "Miss Hyuuga!"

The children on the street immediately became quiet and stared up at the insane composer and his jumpy, animated assistant that their parents always warned them about. To Sasuke's relief, Hinata looked up as well, shielding her eyes against the sun. She smiled and gave him a small curtsey.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Uchiha and good afternoon…" She looked at Naruto and cocked her head. "Umm…good afternoon…you."

Naruto frowned. "She doesn't even know my name," he whispered.

Sasuke ignored him, paying his complete and utter attention to the woman below him. "Are-are you busy tomorrow, my dear?" For a split second, he looked away from Hinata glared at the children, who were still staring open-mouthed at him. "What are you looking at?" He snapped.

The children quickly returned to playing with their small rubber ball but not before sticking their tongues out at the infamous musician. Hinata giggled and it seemed as though the entire street became even livelier.

"Ah, Mr. Uchiha, you're not too great with the younger generation, are you?"

"Women like guys who are good with kids," Naruto muttered to Sasuke. "Just make up an excuse as to why you were mean to them."

Sasuke laughed nervously. "Well, I'm usually quite nice to children, aren't I Naruto?"

Naruto nodded. "Oh yes, he'll make a wonderful father for your future children-" He stopped in mid sentence when Sasuke elbowed him sharply in the ribs. "A-anyways, yes, Sasuke is like a god to those children."

The kids on the street once again stopped playing and gave Sasuke a disbelieving look but turned back around when he glared at them and made a rude hand gesture. Thankfully, Hinata didn't see any of this.

"So…so you think that maybe…you'd like to take a stroll with me tomorrow?" Sasuke asked hopefully.

Hinata brushed her bangs away from her face and smiled. "I think that can be arranged." She bowed and started to make her way down the street. "Meet me at the rose gardens tomorrow around sunset. Auf wiedersehn!"

Sasuke and Naruto waited until she had turned the corner before slapping hands and congratulating one another.

"Sasuke! Hinata didn't hit you!"

"Of course not, nincompoop, not only was I suave but it would've been physically impossible for Hinata to fly up here and strike me."

"Why won't you just tell me what that word means?"

"What, nincom-" Sasuke was interrupted by a high-pitched scream coming from below the balcony.

"We don't like you!" Screamed a brown, spiky-haired boy, who was pointing a wavering finger at Sasuke. "You're not even close to a god!"

Sasuke gritted his teeth. "Konohamaru, shut up you little son of a-"

Naruto slowly walked back inside the house and shook his head. "Thank god Hinata wasn't here to see the un-suave Sasuke."

The next day, Sasuke reluctantly accepted Naruto's offer and practiced what he was going to say to Hinata. He almost vomited when Naruto would reply in a high-pitched, squeaky voice that was no doubt supposed to be an impression of the Prima Donna, but nonetheless he managed to get through his lovey-dovey speech perfectly. By the time the sun was sitting on the horizon, Sasuke was waving goodbye to Naruto and strutting down the street with his renewed confidence.

In less than fifteen minutes, Sasuke had made it to the Weiss Rose gardens and, as always, was enchanted by the collage of red, white, and yellow roses that surrounded expensive marble fountains and benches. He sighed contentedly and slumped down on one of the benches sitting next to a life size statue of Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love.

'Remember,' Naruto had told him just hours earlier. 'Try to get next to anything that reflects love. Girls like that stuff.'

Sasuke chuckled; his assistant was rather woman-like.

'Ah, Naruto, if tonight goes well you can have as much of my expensive chocolate as you want.'

Sasuke quickly stood up as he heard the unmistakable soft, graceful footsteps. He smirked and bowed as Hinata came into view, who returned the smile and curtsied. He was pleased to see that the neck of her midnight blue dress was very low cut, but held back his approval of her outfit. Tonight, everything had to be perfect.

Sasuke gently tugged on Hinata's wrist and brushed his lips gently against her soft skin. "I'm very glad that you could join me tonight, Miss Hyuuga."

"I'm very glad that I could join you, Sasuke."

Sasuke smiled. "So you remember that I liked being called by my first name."

Hinata laughed nervously. "I think that people remember a lot about you."

Silence hung over the two before Sasuke cleared his throat loudly and offered his arm to Hinata, who slowly took it. They began walking around the bushels of roses, arm-in-arm and quiet.

"So…" Sasuke finally said. "It's been a while, yes?"

"Since winter," Hinata agreed.

Sasuke grimaced. "I suppose you haven't forgotten about that night."

Hinata shook her head. "I can't say I didn't."

As they passed by a bush of white roses, Sasuke caressed the petals of one of the flowers and quickly jerked the entire thing off, causing his hands to bleed from the many sharp thorns. He handed the rose to Hinata.

"This is going to sound cliché, my dear, but you are like a rose."

Hinata sniffed into the flower deeply. "I'm beautiful but dangerous?"

Sasuke squeezed her arm tightly. "Well said."

Hinata set the rose in her corset, which made the man beside her flush. "My cousin once told me that I had a certain…virginity about me."

"Oh?"

Hinata glanced at Sasuke. "He says I'm afraid to get close to people."

Sasuke raised his brow. "You seem comfortable with me."

Hinata gave a small shrug. "You never know, I may just be putting on an act. I'm very good at acting." She touched the rose in her corset lightly. "It was my cousin who suggested I come to Germany. He said that Miss Haruno would be a much better supporter for me than my pervious one."

"And who was that?"

"It was Ita-" She stopped in mid-sentence as a bush to the couple's left started to quake. A few seconds later, a man only a year or two older than Sasuke, with the same milky white eyes and dark hair as Hinata emerged from the bush, his emerald green waistcoat now covered with twigs and rose petals.

The man cleared his throat. "Miss Hinata, what are you doing out at this hour?"

Hinata gasped. "Oh-oh Neji! I'm sorry I-" She gestured from Sasuke to her cousin. "Sasuke, this is my cousin, Neji."

Sasuke clicked his fingers together and gave Neji his signature cocky smirk. "Hyuuga Neji, eh? I haven't seen you for years!"

Hinata cocked her head. "You two know each other?"

Neji sniffled. "We were both apprentices under Kakashi," he said stiffly.

Sasuke scoffed. "Such good times! I dipped your hair in the inkpot, spilled tea in your boots, tripped you down the stairs…" He sighed wistfully. "And yet, I was Mr. Hatake's favorite, though I was a trouble-making little bastard."

"You see, Kakashi didn't care about the talent of his pupils as much as he did the amount of money their daddies were willing to spend," Neji said coolly.

Sasuke's cool demeanor melted away and a low growl rose in his throat. "I think he favored the ones who didn't have quills half way up their asses."

Hinata stepped between the men, both of whom looked like they could rip out the other's throat. "Please, you two. You're acting like children." She turned to Neji and gave him a hard, piercing look. "And Neji, why are you even here? I'm not a little girl; I can take care of myself just fine."

Neji looked over his cousin's shoulder and sneered at Sasuke. "Miss Hinata, I'd rather not see you get broken by this wretched little rich-boy."

Hinata's shoulders drooped in annoyance. "Neji, really, you worry too much."

"Hmph, it's better than worrying too little." He pushed Hinata away and beckoned to her. "Come on now. It's time for the little date to end here. We only have a week left."

Sasuke frowned. "A week until what?"

Neji waved his hand carelessly. "It doesn't pertain to you." He once again gestured to Hinata. "Let's go, Miss Hinata."

Hinata moaned and stamped her foot. "Neji! You don't know how much I hate you right now!" She turned to Sasuke and patted his hand. "Excuse me, Sasuke, but I better be off now."

She snatched the rose out of her corset and threw it on the marble pathway before stomping off, leaving the two rivals in her wake. Neji smirked grimly.

"She'll thank me for this."

"I'm sure she will," Sasuke muttered sarcastically.

Neji turned on his heel and followed his cousin out of the rose garden. Sasuke waited until he was out of sight and cursed, kicking the nearest bench.

"Goddamn, Neji. I would've thought you had gotten that quill out of your rear-end by now."

A few days after the interrupted date in the rose garden, the warm spring weather suddenly became rainy and wet. The forget-me-not blue sky was now shrouded under billowy gray clouds and the streets became slick and slippery.

"The only ones who are enjoying this weather are the plants," Sasuke said, bored out of his mind on a Thursday afternoon. "It's raining, Naruto is nowhere to be seen, 'Frühling' isn't even halfway complete, and Hinata still doesn't love me."

Sasuke rose from the small kitchen table and stretched his arms over his head. He reached out for the metal teapot and a porcelain tea cup and proceeded to pour himself his sixth cup of tea that day. Anything that distracted him was fine, and seeing that tea was the only thing in reach…

Sasuke drained his cup of tea and leaned against the wall of the kitchen. Why didn't he just give up on everything? It seemed as though he and Hinata would never be together, his music was trash, his assistant had the mental capacity of a four-year-old…

"That's what he told me to do," Sasuke said to himself. "He told me to just give up on life, that he'd always be better than me anyway."

His pessimistic thoughts were interrupted by a loud knock on the front door that resonated through the deserted house. He set down his teacup on the table and walked through the kitchen into the front hall and, making sure he looked presentable, unbolted and opened the maple front door. A dark-cloaked figure was standing on the porch steps, the rain drenching his pale face and dark hair that Sasuke had inherited…

"Good afternoon, dearest brother," said the cloaked figure silkily.

Sasuke grinded his teeth together and his grip on the door handle tightened. "So nice to see you, Itachi," he said through his clenched teeth.

Itachi whipped off the cloak and took a step forward. "Aren't you going to invite me in, Sasuke? Or did you leave behind your manners that our dear mother and father taught you back in Switzerland?"

Sasuke curled his upper lip. "Seems like it's going to be the latter, isn't it?"

He started to shut the door on his brother, but Itachi quickly slipped in with unbelievable speed. Itachi smiled, which sent shivers down his brother's spine, and dropped his cloak carelessly on the polished wooden floor.

"My, my, Sasuke," he said, pretending to be offended. "Such animosity. I'm just here to ask you a question."

Sasuke formed his hands into tight fists. "You came all the way from Austria to ask me a question? Oh yes, Itachi, that's using your common sense."

Itachi chuckled. "I could say the same about you: moving all the way to Germany on the incentive of a dream and still writing the garbage you call 'music'."

Sasuke's lower jaw hung loose and, though it wasn't clever, said the only thing that came to his emotionally hurt mind. "Well…your operas aren't that good either."

Itachi waved his finger at him. "Don't be jealous, Sasuke. You know that 'Figaro' is a masterpiece."

"I was bored out of my mind when I read it."

"That's because you're as dumb as a mule and you don't appreciate true art."

Sasuke poked his brother in the chest. "Okay, you said you came here to ask a question, not flatter yourself. So ask the goddamn question and get out of here."

Itachi gave his younger brother a mock bow. "Of course, I don't want to take time away from your hormone-driven daydreams on which ugly hen you're going to bring back home tonight."

Sasuke's nails dug into his palms so hard that blood trickled down his wrist. "I'll have you know, I've slept with some of the most beautiful women in Germany."

"Really?" Itachi asked lightly. "How many?"

"Ten," Sasuke answered proudly.

"Tch, pathetic. I've already been with thirty women…" Itachi smiled again. "And I hope to make it thirty-one with Miss Hyuuga."

Sasuke's jaw dropped another inch or so and anger flamed up inside him. "What-what the hell are you talking about!" He yelled.

"Before I answer that…" Itachi raised his forefinger. "I will ask my question: will you be going to my performance of 'Marriage of Figaro' in Austria?"

"I'd rather kiss Naruto than see that opera again," Sasuke seethed.

Itachi raised an elegantly curved brow. "I'm sure you'll change your mind when you find out who's playing the part of Rosine."

Sasuke crinkled his nose. "It isn't…"

Itachi nodded. "Yes, Miss Hyuuga. I am her original supporter. She owes me for discovering her talent, don't you think?"

'So that's what Neji meant in the garden,' Sasuke thought, wishing he could wring his brother's neck. 'Hinata had only one week until she had to leave for Austria.'

Itachi sighed heavily. "I guess you're not interested But don't worry…I will take exceptional care of Miss Hyuuga."

"If…if you do anything to her…" Sasuke breathed, the anger in his body threatening to break lose.

"Don't worry," Itachi said nonchalantly. "I won't be too rough with her."

Before Sasuke could lunge at him, he gave one last cocky smirk, opened the front door, and disappeared into the rain.

The rain continued throughout the night, though Sasuke hadn't really noticed. He had gone up to his bedroom and stayed there all afternoon, thinking of some way to make sure that Itachi wouldn't lay his grubby hands on Hinata. Like inspiration, no plans had come to him and he crashed down on his mattress.

It was already well past midnight, yet Sasuke still lay awake, staring at the ceiling. That was it. He couldn't go after Hinata anymore. She would swoon over Itachi, like almost every woman who came in contact with him, and not have anything to do with Sasuke anymore.

Sasuke rolled over on his bare stomach and bit on his lip until the metallic taste of blood seeped into his mouth. "I don't get it," he whispered to the pillows. "Why is Itachi so superior to me in everything? His operas are boring as hell, though I did laugh and enjoy myself for only a few minutes-"

"Talking to yourself again?" Said a familiar voice in the doorway.

"Sneaking up on people again, Naruto?"

Naruto walked into the dark bedroom and sat on the mattress. "Itachi and Hinata left this afternoon."

"Thanks, I really needed to hear that!" Sasuke snapped.

Naruto rolled his eyes and tugged on Sasuke's arm. "Come on, we have to get going."

Sasuke shook Naruto off, anynoyed. "Go where, Naruto? It's after midnight, for god's sake."

"Where do think we're going, idiot?" Naruto asked, as though it was the most obvious thing in the world. "We're going to Austria to get your brother away from Hinata!"

"Naruto, there's no point to it," Sasuke mumbled.

Naruto was starting to get angry. "Are you kidding me? The great Uchiha Sasuke, the best composer in all of Germany, is going to stand aside and let his bastard brother get the woman he wants! Come on, Sasuke! If you really, and I mean really, care about Hinata, you'll do this!"

Sasuke raised his head and looked at his assistance with new respect. "Naruto…damn it, you're right!" He jumped off the bed and pulled his boots on (he didn't bother to take off his day clothes). "Let's go!"

Naruto laughed loudly. "I knew you needed me!"

They were about to depart from the bedroom before Sasuke stopped, remembering something he needed for the journey.

"Wait, I need 'Frühling'-"

Naruto dug into his pocket and pulled out the piece of parchment filled with music. "I have it right here."

Sasuke snatched the parchment and pointed outside the bedroom door. "To Austria, my dearest assistant!"

A/N: Okay, I'm once again twisting history. Uchiha Itachi DID NOT actually right "The Marriage of Figaro". All the credit goes to Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

Frühling: "Spring" in German

Auf Wiedersehn: "Goodbye" in German