Oh I was so happy to read everyone's amazing reviews, it truly warmed my heart. I hope to continue entertaining everyone with all the mishaps and misunderstandings Naruto is bound to get in. And yes there might be a few Gaara/Naruto moments, but this is still a SasuNaru fic!
I know I changed the title but 'the play' just sounded to plain, I wanted it to be more intersting.
Beta read by the wonderful Kiya-chan
Enjoy!
Chapter two: Rehearsal
He really must have been born under some unlucky star, Naruto thought as he was surrounded by a bunch of girls, touching him all over. Now that situation might have not been so bad if it weren't for the fact that they were measuring him for a dress. He hated how they commented about his lithe figure, that next to Sasuke he would look perfect, just because a few inches smaller then that bastard. They talked about his hair, that he already had the right hair colour which would make it easier when they got a wig. They talked about material, what would accentuate his skin tone, match his eyes, cooing at all the different types of make-up they wanted to try out on him.
What was it with girls and wanting to dress boys up? What was this obsession with the whole cross-dressing deal? The thought of him being in a dress brought back bad memories.
Sasuke was getting measured right next to him, and Naruto barely managed to suppress the scowl on his face. Sakura was with him, blushing cutely as she warped her arms around his chest to measure his upper body. He hated how close she was to him, with that uneasy smile and embarrassed blush that stained her cheeks. His jealousy was only made worse when Sasuke turned around to give him a look that Naruto could only describe as being smug. If he wasn't being measured by a bunch of girls then he would have already jumped over and punched that smug face.
When the girls disappeared the actual rehearsal began. Kakashi handed them their scripts and he was more than happy when he realised for the beginning parts he would be acting with Gaara as the court sorcerer, and his 'parents'. Hyuuga Neji would be acting as his father, he was Hinata's cousin; he had long black hair and those same silvery white eyes that seemed to be a Hyuuga trait. He was a stuck up guy, always one to follow the rules, him and Sasuke were very much alike, but he also had this regal attitude about him that Naruto guessed made him perfect for the role of the Emperor.
Although Naruto thought he would make a better princess.
His 'mother' would be acted by Nara Shikamaru, another one of his friends. He was an easy going guy, or maybe it could be called lazyness, who knew. The guy never studied but always got a 100% in every test score, a true genius. He was a bit smaller then Neji but like most guys, taller than him. His long dark brown hair was tied up in a high pony-tail that caused the ends to spike up and reminded Naruto of a pineapple. How Shikamaru was going to act as his 'mother', he didn't even know.
Right now the teen looked like he was going to fall asleep standing up.
Gaara looked bored reading his part of the script. "Great Emperor, I have come here with only one wish, I want to marry your daughter," he said with a monotones voice.
"No, no, Gaara you have to put more emotion in there!" Ten Ten, a tomeboyish girl, who had her long brown hair tied up in two buns on top of her head, shouted waving her script around. She was given the role of director because she took drama, with Hinata who actually knew the story. "You're asking the Emperor to marry his precious daughter you can't sound like a robot when you do that! It's gotta be full of emotion and sincerity! Try being humble, sweet talk him."
Gaara just gave a deadly glare that would have most people cowering but Ten Ten took it in her stride. He sighed and turned back to Neji, his mouth twitching uncontrollably, and Naruto realised that he was actually trying to smile. He looked like a bloody serial killer!
"Gaara don't pull that face you're gonna scare everyone," Naruto tried to joke, but he felt the laughter die in his throat when he realised that the death glare was now aimed at him.
Hinata, not wanting to make the situation any worse urged them to move on. "J-just read t-the part ho-how you're com-comfortable with for now G-Gaara-s-san. We'll w-work on the r-rest later."
The red-head nodded towards her and started again. "Great Emperor, I have come here with only one wish, I want to marry your daughter."
"Sorcerer I know of your great exploits and if you had asked for anything else at all I would have given it to you sincerely, but my daughter's hand is the one thing I cannot give…" Neji replied.
"But with all I had done for your Kingdome, all the conquests, all the curses I had lifted… does that mean I'm not deserving of your daughters hand?" he asked.
Neji took a step back, "I have given you everything, the title of Hakushaku (Earl/Count) is not something every commoner can archive, it is the highest honour I can bestow upon you."
The glare that Gaara directed at him was murderous, even Naruto had to flinch away from it. The red-head gave a low bow towards Neji and Shikamaru before turning around and strode away from them. Ten Ten clapped happily giving a high pitched squeal , even the normally shy Hinata had a small smile on her face. Naruto was astonished how; for someone who was so impassive like Gaara; could show such emotion with such few gestures. It was a surprise.
"Okay then next part!" Ten Ten urged.
Now this scene was about Naruto sleeping where Gaara would sneak into the princess's bedroom and spirit her away from her room to his own home. Where she awoke the next day in an ornate room with only a window overlooking a field of Sakura trees, and no door leading out of the room. The blonde started out laying on the table with his eyes closed he was nervous when he felt a shadow looming over him, not really knowing what would happen next.
"Hey how are we meant to show that the Princess is spirited away?"Ten Ten turned to ask Hinata.
"Should I just carry him?" Gaara asked. Wait what? Naruto didn't want to be carried around.
"I-It pro-probab-ly is -f-for t-the best," Hinata answered. The blonde couldn't believe it, how could Hinata agree on this?!
There was a familiar grunt in agreement that came from Gaara and Naruto felt himself freeze up as two strong arms moved underneath him. Cradling his head and neck securely before moving under his knees to finally lift him effortlessly. The blonde tried not to grimace or show how uncomfortable he was, being in the red-heads arms and pressed firmly against his broad chest. This felt so incredibly wrong, he should not be Gaara's arms, a girl should be in his arms dammit!
"So where do I move him?" he heard Gaara murmur, almost too softly that he didn't catch it.
"Well on stage you'll move off behind the curtain and then come back out and lay Naruto back down in his new room," TenTen replied.
"…So do I just put him back down again," Gaara asked.
Naruto felt such amazing relief, 'Yes Gaara put me down, down goddamnit!'
"Yeah, yeah go for it, we have to practice all of this anyway," she said offhandedly.
With a sigh that for some reason sounded almost dejected Gaara put him back down on the table, then took a step back.
"Okay now Naruto, you'll wake up. Look confused around you," Naruto opened his eyes and gave a her quizzical look. "Yes just like that!" she exclaimed.
The blonde grumbled and closed his eyes again, he took a deep breath and 'woke up'. Sitting up on the table and he looked around the quiet room his blue eyes widening in surprise. Slowly he grabbed his script and said his lines.
"This isn't my room, where am I?" he asked.
"No, Naruto make your voice soft and light, you're a girl remember?" TenTen said.
"That's the one thing true about the dobe…" he heard the bastard mutter. He threw the Uchiha the worst glare he could muster which only made him look like he was pouting childishly.
"Bastard," he whispered under his breath, he picked up his script again and started reading his lines again. His voice softening and slightly higher so that he sounded more feminine. "This isn't my room, where am I?" he repeated again.
"You're in my home Taiyo-hime," came Gaara's smooth voice.
He turned to Gaara, his face full of bewilderment. "Sorcerer! Why am I here?"
"Taiyo-hime," the red-head said going down on his knees. "Do not be scared my precious jewel, I have not brought you here to hurt you my hime."
Naruto flinched, not liking the unusual soft voice his friend was using on him. "Why am I here?" he askld again.
"I wish to ask for your hand my hime."
"M-my h-hand?!" he shouted, his voice coming out more shrill than expected.
Gaara quickly stood up, resting his arms on the table so that he could lean forward, his deep teal eyes staring right at him unblinkingly. It was unnerving. "I wish to marry you my hime," he whispered.
Naruto's blue eyes were wide in shock he had never heard or seen Gaara like this ever before, he was oddly sensual. The blonde had always known that Gaara was a good looking guy, intimidating but really handsome. Naruto felt a blush blooming on his face, his heart beating a mile a minute, he had never seen his friend like this before. It was so distracting, to the point he couldn't even remember his next line, or the fact he even taking part in a rehearsal. For what seemed like forever they just continued to stare at each other.
"Ahem… I think we should stop there for now," came Kakashi's voice from somewhere in the background, finally breaking them not only them but the whole room out of their gaping.
Naruto gasped and looked away, quickly scrambling off the desk and away from the red-head, the blush still very much evident on his face. But he wasn't the only one, Hinata and Ten Ten, not to mention half of the girls in class were also sporting the same blush. Some of the guys too surprisingly.
Kakashi smiled down at his students. "Alright then everyone, good practice! We'll pick up on the rest of this tomorrow, oh Naruto I need to talk to you."
The blonde arched an eyebrow and walked towards his teacher wondering what the older man wanted to talk to him about. "Yes, sensei?"
"Naruto you know that as the Taiyo-hime there will be a lot of singing parts I wanted to know if you had enough experience in that field?"
The blonde looked slightly embarrassed and looked away from the older man, "Expect for in the shower no," god why did he even say something like that? Just no, a simple no would have been enough!
Kakashi chuckled mirthfully, "Right… well, Iruka-sensei who is part of the music department said he'll be happy to help out, so tomorrow you'll meet him after school for an hour or so with Sasuke."
"With Sasuke?!" Naruto asked.
"Well yes, the scene will be with you two together, so we'll have to work on your interactions," he said matter-of-factly.
This was the last thing Naruto wanted, he had been dreading this moment from the start. To be honest a part him had been blocking out the fact he would have to act together with Sasuke, as in a team, actually cooperate, which was impossible to ask of them. . Especially all the lovey-dovey stuff, he didn't know how they were going to do that. It wasn't as if they were ever nice to each other. God he wanted the earth to split open and swallow him, or any kind of natural disaster just so he could avoid having to go through this.
"I already told Sasuke about it, so don't worry about telling him," Kakashi finished, not noticing the dejected air hanging over his students head.
"Yes sensei, I have to go now…"
"Of course, of course, see you tomorrow Naruto, and again good job today."
Naruto nodded to him and walked out of the room, following the long corridor and out of the school. It was already late, school had ended an hour ago and their class had stayed behind for practice, meaning that the school was practically empty expect for a few members of staff still milling around. The blonde walked out into the deserted grounds and was surprised to see Sasuke standing outside the gate. To be honest Naruto didn't even know how Sasuke got home, he thought the guy walked it like most of his classmates did.
He jumped when he heard the high sound of a car horn, the blonde's blue eyes widened when he saw a sleek black alpha romeo 8c pull in right in front of Sasuke, its smooth carbon fibre sleeked into an aerodynamic shape, the paint job polished to a glinting shine. He saw what could have been a carbon copy of the bastard stepping out of the beautiful car. He was taller than Sasuke, at least a few inches, his hair long and dark and tied into a lose pony-tail, skin just as paper-pale, although because of the deep bags under his eyes made him look almost sickly. He was saying something but Naruto was too far to hear him, but then his dark gaze landed on him which caused him to falter in his step.
Sasuke also then turned to look at him, he gave Naruto his typical sneer and Naruto felt his face heating up in anger. Yet before he could give that teme a piece of his mind he and the other guy stepped inside the car and drove off leaving the blonde in the dust.
He snorted in disgust not at all believing that he would have to act out a romantic scene with that bastard.
Heavy heartedly, and making sure that he didn't fall into one of those bullmastiffs ingenious traps, before trudging back home. He opened the door and stepped inside, his stomach grumbling happily when he smelled his mother's delicious cooking.
"Tadaima!" he called out, toeing off his shoes.
"Naruto, you're home late!" he heard his mother call.
"I know I'm sorry, I was helping out with the culture festival…" he replied dumping his things in the living room before going inside the kitchen.
"Culture festival? I thought you had about a month for that?" his mother would know, parents were sent papers about important dates like parent-teacher conferences, sports festivals, culture festival, etc.
"Yeah, but our class is doing a play…" he grumbled and sat down at the dining table.
"Oh a play, what is it about?"
"Some old fairytale called 'The Sun and The Moon'," he finished and simply let his head drop hard on the table.
" 'The Sun and The Moon'?" she said to herself before turning to give him an excited grin. "I remember that story, I used to read it a lot when I was younger, such a tragic beautiful story. What role are you playing?"
Now Kushina thought that knowing her son, who liked to avoid any extracurricular activity unless sports based, might have only gotten a small part. Not even an acting role, maybe a stage hand, a runner, so imagine her surprise when instead of saying something like set-design he instead said something that truly confused her.
"Er…Naruto could you say that again dear?"
"I play Taiyo-hime…" he repeated again, his voice slightly muffled by the desk.
"The Princess?"
"Yeah, Kakashi wanted to act it out traditionally-" before he could even say that his volunteering was completely accidental his mother gathered him up into a tight hug.
"Oh my baby!" she squealed, pressing his head hard against her bosom.
"Mum, what are yo-"
"You will look so precious!"
"Mum~!" he whined out not understanding how happy she could be.
But Kushina wasn't listening; she sighed happily and released her son from her suffocating grip. "Oh honey I remember when you were younger and I used to dress you up. You always looked so pretty in a dress…" she trailed off.
Naruto couldn't help but scowl at the memory. When before he was born, the doctors first told his parents he would be born a girl, so imagine the surprise when instead he came out a guy. Minato was delighted, his mother was too of course, but she always wanted a girl, and when he was younger she used to occasionally dress him up. There was still one embarrassing picture of him in the living room of him modelling one his cousins birthday dresses, when he was six. His mother simply taken the quick snap-shot of his grumpy face before he could protest, and there were even more of him looking all 'dolled-up' in a bunch of photo albums his mother hid somewhere.
His little brother Kurama was luckily spared the embarrassment.
While his mother continued to daydream, Naruto's hunger had completely disappeared. He gathered his things and went upstairs to his room, feeling suddenly very exhausted. As soon as he went inside his room, collapsed into bed and fell asleep.
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