Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.
Chapter I: And... ACTION!
"Ohayou, Naruto! Ohayou, Sasuke-kun! Ohayou, Sai!" Sakura greeted them all as she saw the three fifteen year old boys at the bridge where Team 7 usually met.
"Ohayou, Sakura-chan!" Naruto greeted with a grin. Sasuke mumbled a merely audible 'hn', and Sai smiled his oh-so-unemotional smile as he said 'hey, ugly', but Sakura's attention was elsewhere. She frowned at the sight of the object in Naruto's hands.
"Naruto... what is that?" she asked in disbelief.
"Oh, this?" Naruto shrugged. "Tsunade-obaa-san said that we'd need it. Don't ask me why."
Sakura put on a disgusted face expression. "A donkey's severed head? Why would we need it?"
"It's not a donkey's severed head. It's a donkey's head mask, can't you see?" Naruto grinned sheepishly.
Sakura rolled her eyes. "Whatever. I still don't get why we've to assemble here when there's nothing going on."
"Yeah, I wonder that too... ero-sennin said that there's nothing special going on this week, but still Tsunade-obaa-san said it was important." Naruto shrugged again. "Sakura-chan, have you seen Hinata-chan?"
"Hinata?" Sakura smiled warmly. Ever since Naruto and Hinata had gotten together, Naruto had been more protective of the shy heir of the Hyuuga clan than ever. Sakura herself was slightly envious of their relationship, since it was like a dream coming true, but she was highly supportive of it.
"Yeah. We were going to meet this morning at Ichiraku's but we had hardly even sat down to eat when ero-sennin came around and told us to go to different places because our teams were waiting for us there." Naruto scratched his head. "And I was just about to eat ramen..."
"Don't you ever get tired of ramen, dobe?" said Sasuke, rolling his eyes. "And I thought you had gotten better since I left."
"He hasn't gotten a bit better," Sakura sighed. "Sometimes I wonder when you'll grow up, Naruto. I thought you would when Hinata and you got together... and I thought love could do wonders with people."
Naruto laughed apologetically, but Sasuke glanced at Sakura from the corner of his eye, even though it was hardly visible. He was waiting for a familiar 'Right, Sasuke-kun?' but when nothing came, he 'hn'ed again and closed his eyes, leaning towards the fence of the bridge with his arm crossed.
"What's wrong, Uchiha? Got something in your throat? Or should I say, hands?" he heard that annoying voice say.
No, not Sakura.
That goddamned Sai.
Ever since he had come back, the goddamned artist had to torture him with sarcastic comments, and even though Sasuke knew it was his fault that Sakura's medical skills were now cut to half because of the damage he had caused to her hands, but the goddamned artist didn't have to nag him about it twenty-four hours a day.
"Sai...," Sakura said hesitantly.
"Whatever, Sakura," Sai replied, but Sasuke could hear a bit of reluctantness in his voice. Sakura blinked a couple of times, Sasuke saw as he opened his eyes very little. The immediate reaction was unbelievable; he felt annoyed, and... it just felt so weird. He wished he was in Sai's place. Or that Sakura didn't blink at all or wear that innocent, surprised face.
Jealousy?
Uchiha Sasuke and jealousy? Nah, that's like oil and water. It didn't go together.
Right?
"Did you just call me 'Sakura', Sai?" Sakura wanted to know, tilting her head to one side. The weird feeling in Sasuke's chest just increased.
"No, I didn't," Sai protested, but a faint red tint had appeared on his cheeks.
"Ooooh, he's blushing! He's bluuuushing! Sai and Sakura in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G!" Naruto teased. Both Sakura and Sai's faces turned a deep shade of crimson.
"Shut up, Naruto!" they said in unison. Sasuke himself felt the urge to SHUT Naruto up... a punch would do... or two? Or three... or...
Just then, Kakashi appeared out of nowhere.
"Yo," he said, but his face was buried in the newest volume of Icha Icha Paradise, 'Come Come Moonlight Nights'.
"You are LATE!" Naruto and Sakura exclaimed in chorus.
"I got lost... on the Road of Death...," Kakashi said dreamily.
Total silence.
"I mean the Road of Life...," Kakashi apologetically grinned.
"LIAR!" Naruto and Sakura screamed again.
"Anyhow, I've some important news for you... it's a mission," Kakashi explained as he didn't look up from his book.
"Do you mean us or the book?" Sasuke asked irritably.
"Actually I was talking about you," Kakashi replied.
"I guess you're referring to the book," Sasuke commented sarcastically.
Kakashi tore his gaze reluctantly from the red pocket book. "I've an S-rank mission for you today."
"S-rank! Wahooo! Finally something fun to do," Naruto exclaimed.
"Your mission is..."
Kakashi told them. And they didn't look happy. At all.
"Hello everyone, my name is Haruno Tsukiko and I'm going to help you with the play today!" a girl in her early teenage years said with a bright smile.
"You're younger than us," Naruto stated, raising an eyebrow.
"Well, yes, but I happen to be a good actress," Tsukiko shrugged. (A/N: IRL, I'm not. XD)
"Hn," was Sasuke's response.
"Tsukiko...," Sakura sighed. "What're you doing here anyway? Aren't you supposed to be in the Academy?"
The young girl with the dark-brown hair (A/N: Whether it's my real hair color or not is up to you to decide, I'm not telling you XD) and hazel eyes frowned. "Sakura-onee-chan, I've already graduated! I'm a genin now. Parttime actress, as well."
Sakura rolled her eyes. "Whatever."
"Is everyone here?" The girl looked around, pushing her rectangular glasses further up her nose.
"Probably," Sai muttered. Naruto gave him a teasing grin.
"Hey, don't worry, mate, it's gonna be easy. All you've to do is pretend you're a donkey, right?" he laughed. Sai gave him an irritated glance.
"I'm not going to act a donkey, I'm going to act a person with a donkey head," said Sai, a vein popping on his head.
"Sounds like you, then," Naruto replied teasingly.
"Anyhow..." Tsukiko cleared her throat. "I'm going to tell everyone who's gonna act whom."
"Or rather who's gonna act what," Naruto whispered.
"Naruto, shut up," Sai told him with a warning smile.
"Um... anyway..." Tsukiko sweatdropped. "Firstly we've Theseus, the Duke of Athens... and the one playing him is going to be Uzumaki Naruto. His wife, Hippolyta, the Queen of Amazons who's betrothed to him, is played by Hyuuga Hinata."
Hinata's cheeks turned bright pink as Naruto shouted "BANZAI!", but still smiled. Sakura gave her a cheerful grin and a thumbs-up.
"Then we have Egeus, father of our main character Hermia... and he's played by Rock Lee. Philostrate, the Master of Revels to Theseus, will be acted by Inuzuka Kiba..." Kiba swore under his breath, even though it was quite audible. "... Quince, a carpenter, will be Maito Gai, Snug, a joiner, will be Sabaku no Gaara, Flute, a bellows-mender, will be Sabaku no Kankorou, Snout, a tinker, will be Hatake Kakashi and Starveling, a tailor, will be Sarutobi Asuma."
"Wait. The senseis are in this play, too?" Sakura asked, looking confused.
"Yes, they've been ordered to do so by Hokage-sama," Tsukiko grinned. "Oberon, the King of Fairies, is played by Uchiha Sasuke, and Titania, the Queen of Fairies, is played by you, Sakura-onee-chan. Puck, or Robin Goodfellow, is played by Hyuuga Neji, and then we've the four fairies Peaseblossom, played by Yuhi Kurenai, Cobweb, played by Tenten, Moth, played by Mitarashi Anko and Mustardseed, played by Aburame Shino."
Silence. Then...
"AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA, SHINO THE FAIRY? AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
"Naruto-kun! D-d-don't laugh at Shino-kun!"
"..."
"Naruto, stop doing it, it's rude!"
"AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
"Shut up, dobe, you're too noisy."
"AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
"Naruto-san, will you please be quiet?"
"AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
"Naruto, will you shut up?"
"AHAHAHAHA - OW!"
Tsukiko stood suddenly behind him with a dangerous sparkle in her eyes, holding something that looked like a pink kunai. "I warned you... be quiet..."
"Ehehehehe... gomen nasai!" Naruto grinned nervously. Tsukiko backed away and put her kunai back in her pocket.
"Anyway... Bottom, the weaver, is played by Sai."
Naruto opened his mouth to laugh again, but this time both Tsukiko and Sai appeared behind him.
"Laugh and die...," they said with equally dangerous voices, their eyes glimmering murderously.
"Eheheh...," Naruto laughed nervously.
"And last but not least, our main characters!" Tsukiko continued cheerfully. "Akimichi Chouji as Lysander, who's in love with Hermia; and Nara Shikamaru as Demetrius, in love with Hermia as well; Helena, who's in love with Demetrius, is played by Sabaku no Temari -" Temari hissed menacingly here - "- and Hermia, our main character, who's daughter to Egeus and who's in love with Lysander, is Yamanaka Ino."
"What! I'm in love with Chouji!" Ino pointed at the chips-eating, fat boy with light brown hair who cheerfully munched on a mouthful of sourcream and onion flavored chips.
"Yes, in the play," Tsukiko sighed. "Now, can we get started? Here's the play itself." She handed a paper to each of them. "For today, I just want you to read and sound convincing. Let's try it out. Act one, scene one. ACTION!"
"Now, fair Hippolyta, our nuptial hour/Draws on apace: four happy days bring in/Another moon: but oh, methinks how slow -"
"Naruto-san, please don't sound as though you're reading! Please say it as though it's what you'd say yourself!" Tsukiko interrupted him. Naruto scratched his head.
"But I am reading and that's what I was saying, so I said it myself, didn't I?" Naruto replied in confusion. Tsukiko sighed.
"Fine. Just continue."
"This old Moon wanes; she lingers my desires/Like to a stepdame, or a dowager/Long withering out a young man's revenue. What's a revenue anyway?"
Tsukiko sighed. "Never mind. Hinata-san?"
"A-a-ah? H-hai! Uh... F-f-f-four days will q-quickly s... s..."
"Steep."
"S-s-step -"
"It's steep, not step."
"S-s-sleep -"
"Steep."
"S-s-sheep -"
"Stee -"
"Stop bullying Hinata-chan, Tsukiko-chan!" Naruto cut across her, looking angry. Tsukiko blinked a couple of times at him and then shrugged.
"Okay."
"F-f-f-four days -"
"Please stop stammering, Hinata-san."
"A-a-ah? H-hai! Uh, four d-days will quickly s-s-s-s..."
"Ssss?"
"S-s-s-st-st-steep..."
"Good."
"... themselves in night/F-f-four nights will quickly dream a-away the time /And th-then the Moon, like to a silver bow/New bent in h-heaven, shall behold the night/Of our s-s-solemnities."
"Very well, Hinata-san."
"A-a-arigatou."
"Go Philostrate/ Stir up the Athenian youth to Merry Christmas -"
Tsukiko groaned. "Naruto-san!"
"But it says Merry Christmas!"
"It's 'merriments'."
"Merriments? But in mine it says Merry Christmas!"
"It says merriments, dobe."
"Aah? Ah, there... oh, okay, stir up the Athenian youth to Merry Christmas -"
"You said Merry Christmas again!" Sakura groaned.
"Oh? I mean, stir up the Athenian youth to merri-Merry Christmas!"
"Naruto, can you LOOK at the text instead of the blackboard?" Kiba complained.
"But the blackboard has a text!"
"Yes, and it says 'Merry Christmas' but that hasn't been erased SINCE Christmas!"
"Oh." Naruto blinked. "Uh... stir up the Athenian youth to merri-merri-merri..."
"Merriments," Tsukiko helped him.
"Okay. Merriments."
"..."
"Well?" Kiba said impatiently.
"Well what?" Naruto answered just as impatiently.
"It's still your turn!"
"It is? I think I've lost myself in the text... where am I?"
Tsukiko sighed. This was going to be a long day...
"I give him curses, yet he gives me love."
"O that my prayers could such affection move."
"Good." Tsukiko smiled exhaustingly. "It's getting better, Temari-san, Ino-san."
Temari smiled back through gritted teeth. Ino just fluffed up her hair.
"Yes, am I not great?" she said and stuck out her tongue. "I'm an awesome actress, am I not?"
Tsukiko sighed. "Yes, yes, Ino-san."
Ino smiled delightfully as she twirled around, babbling on about her skills and talents. Temari herself felt for puking. If she had to hear the word 'love' one more time...
"Good job, minna-san," Tsukiko shouted. "Tomorrow we'll be going to the Water Country."
The kunoichis and shinobis flinched.
"Tsukiko-san... the Water Country? Why?" Ino wanted to know.
"Because we're going to perform the play there," Tsukiko explained impatiently. "The same day we arrive there we'll perform it. So you better hurry up and practice, because we've very little time to make the play perfect!"
Everybody just groaned.
Tsukiko: I hope this wasn't as lame as I think it is. o.x; Next chapter is coming up sometime soon... I think. XD
Reviews Corner
dontconfuseme: Thanks :D
Darklord4ever: I will ;)
Aori Kenji: I'll check it out as soon as I've got the time (right now, my mom is nagging me about using the computer right after breakfast without brushing my teeth or anything x.x; ), and thank you, I'm glad you like it ;D
Sneak Preview of Next Chapter: She Calls Out To The Man On The Bus
"He's soooo cool!"
"Yes, I know, I love his spiky horsetail!"
"Spiky, spiky!"
Temari just glared at the fangirls. One day, she'd kill them all with her fan...
Tsukiko: More jealousy, more SasuSakuSai, and last but not least, more InoShikaTema! Don't forget to read the next chapter "She Calls Out To The Man On The Bus"!
Fanfiction News
My own laptop is having major problems with its screen, so therefore I've pretty serious issues with writing. The only fanfics I can continue with here are this fanfic and My Catastrophic Birthday, so for the This Is (Not) My First Time readers, I'm having SOME problems with finishing the KakaKure chapter... x.x;