Hello everyone, I know, I know, I haven't updated in a really long time. I'll also have to inform everyone that my updated wont be as frequent after this either. Deadlines are a bit much, my work seems to be unending, like an avalanche it falls over me and buries me. Really I seem to have no time to relax. All I can say is that I'll try and do better but I make no promises.
Enjoy the chapter!
Chapter 3: Hidden talent
The day did not go well, of course homeroom was once again filled with them practicing for the play. Naruto got told off many during that because he wasn't acting 'properly'. They were simply asking too much of him, he was a guy for god's sake, not a girl, he couldn't make his voice sound feminine without it hurting. Nor move in a certain manner because honestly, he wasn't that bloody graceful! No matter how many times Gaara tried to help him out, he always managed to fall over the long robes they had borrowed temporarily out of the drama department.
Another problem was that Naruto didn't like how all the attention was focused on him. Well under normal circumstances, like when he was pulling some pranks he would love it, but this wasn't the same. For one he had to act like a girl, the second problem was that acting as a girl, and the third problem was that he acting as a bloody girl!
There was only so much humiliation he could take.
Yesterday when his father had come home and his mother had told him about his role in the play his father had laughed! Laughed for a full hour about his predicament before his mother had finally cuffed him over the head, and forced him to help out with dinner. Still Naruto didn't feel any better.
And now here he was, it was after school and he was walking towards the promised music lessons. Naruto didn't even know why they were putting so much effort into the festival. Well he could understand the other teachers, but Kakashi sensei wasn't exactly the most enthusiastic fan of extra-work… or actually of any work, when he thought about it. Last year's culture festival he had simply let the students hash it out amongst themselves, with only minimal input from him, and that mainly about if the stuff the students had planned was legal or not. Other than that he stayed out of it.
Maybe the principal threatened him or something. Which might seem absurd to most people, but knowing his principal it wasn't such an odd thought.
Without even realising it had already reached the music room, Naruto really wished he didn't have to be here. He didn't want to sing in front of everyone. He didn't want to act with that bastard Sasuke, was there even a chance for him to back out? Kiba was about just a little taller than him, he could take his place as the 'princess'. Naruto would gladly act as the dog. Any other role would be better than this.
With a gloomy disposition he slowly turned the door and stepped inside the brightly lit room, everyone was already there. Iruka sensei and Kakashi sensei were talking animatedly near his desk. Iruka sensei had only started working a little over a year ago, he was very dedicated teacher, and looking at Kakashi's body language. The way he leaning so close to Iruka sensei, looming 'friendly' over the smaller man, Naruto couldn't have help but arch his eyebrow at the sight. Ah, that explained some things, the sudden 'interest' Kakashi took in this year's culture festival… he wanted to impress Iruka sensei. That would be sorta cute… if it weren't for the fact that their happiness was destroying his dignity.
Sadly Sasuke was also there, sitting in the corner, reading a book. Ready to suffer with him. They hadn't noticed him yet so gave a quick rap against the door to gain their attention. Iruka sensei looked towards his direction and smiled in greeting. Naruto always like his music teacher, the man was very kind, always there with a smile, and acceptance. Not to mention the patience of a saint. He was a short, with dark brown hair, and warm chocolate brown eyes. There was a slight tan to his skin and small scar ran over his nose, probably from an accident that happened in the past.
Naruto smiled back and greeted his teachers, they broke apart and Iruka came towards him a paper already on hand. "Naruto, you're finally here! We already chose the song that you're going to sing," the brunette said handing him a piece of paper.
"You did? Which one?," he asked looking down at the paper. His blue eyes widened in surprise when he saw the title of the song. "We're doing 'You are my love'? Have you heard of it?"
Naruto thought about it."Wait isn't this from that anime Tsubasa Chronicles?"
Iruka nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, I'm glad you recognise it! I had at first been considering something a bit more folksy, but you're going to be singing to a young audience and old fashion songs will only bore them. So this will be perfect, not to mention you only need a piano and accompany it, so I can do that just fine." He then went over to the big old piano and sat down by it.
"Wait then why does Sasuke need to be here? This is a solo song isn't it?"
"Well yes, you'll be singing solo, but Sasuke will still be needed here. He'll have to react to your song after all, and if we get yours right today then we'll move onto a few duets between you two," Kakashi explaining, his gaze never leaving Iruka sensei.
Naruto grumbled under his breath hating how he was subjected to such humiliation in front of his main rival. He looked down at the sheet of paper the words glaring out from the page burning into his eyes, like a brand. Iruka sat down by his piano, giving the instrument a loving look before opening the top lid to expose the keys. He looked up at Naruto his brown eyes shining excitedly.
"Do you want me to do a run through first or do you know the tune."
"I know it," he used to watch the show a lot, that song was one of his favourite. The blonde ignored the quirk of Sasuke's eyebrows and simply focused on Iruka as he started to play. The gentle tune of the piano filling the room. He took a deep breath of air, closed his eyes and started to sing softly.
"Ame ni nureta hoho wa… (The faint scent of tears…)
Namida no nioi ga shita… (On my rain soaked cheeks…)
Yasashii manazashi no… (The warm look on the face…)
Tabibito. (Of travellers)"
"Shizuka ni hibiiteru… (The music from our childhood…)
Natsukashii ongaku… (Faintly echoes in the background…)
Omoidasenai kioku… (The memories I hopelessly try to remember…)
Samayou. (Wander aimlessly)"
"Yume wa tobitatsu no, chiisana tsubasa de… (But with these tiny wings, launched by my dreams…)
Omoi no kienai basho made… (Over distant oceans and skies…)
Futari de… (We soar together…)
Tooi umi wo sora wo koete. (To a place where memories never fade)"
"Kurai yoru no naka de… (You light up the way for me…)
Watashi wo terashiteru… (In the darkness of night…)
Yasashii manazashi no… (Oh, that warm look…)
Anata ni… (On your face…)
Aitai. (I miss you so much)"
The piano softly clinked on to its end and Naruto finally brought himself to open his eyes again and realised that everyone was looking at him with their mouths agape. The blonde gave the occupants a confused look, his face going red with angry embarrassment as no one said anything. Was he really that bad? He didn't go singing in public and the occasional time he did was in the privacy of his own shower. Naruto was about to walk away in a huff when Iruka suddenly started to clap excitedly, and after a beat Kakashi joined in, while Sasuke continued to simply stare.
"That was wonderful Naruto, why didn't you say that you had such an amazing voice?" Kakashi commented.
"Yeah Naruto that is a wonderful talent, you should be in our singing group!" Iruka gushed.
"…" Sasuke looked away from him a hand covering his mouth, probably laughing at him.
The blonde couldn't help but blush bashfully and look away from all the attention suddenly focused on him, he wasn't used to such a positive reaction. He chewed his bottom lip, and Iruka must have sensed his apprehension, since the older man just gave him a calm smile and backed away to give the young man some room. He reached out, and gave the blushing blonde a gentle pat on the back.
"It's alright Naruto, but you do have a wonderful voice that's all we're saying, do you want to go through the song again?" Iruka asked, Naruto simply nodded and they went through the song again.
They went through the song 3 more times, Iruka and Kakashi working out the pace the tune, until they were happy with it. By the time they had gone through the song two hours had already passed and it was getting late.
"Ah, it has already gotten so late," Kakashi said, although he sounded less than apologetic.
Naruto rolled his eyes ignoring the 'goo-goo' eyes he was making at the oblivious Iruka sensei. Then again if Naruto wasn't so distracted by his sensei's antics he may have noticed a certain dark haired males intense stare focused at him. When they were finally dismissed Naruto shouldered his messenger bag he left the music room, and hurried down the long corridor towards the double doors that would lead him to his freedom…
If only it wasn't raining…
Naruto stood at the alcove watching the dark sky, and the heavy rain pelting down at the ground. As if his day couldn't get any worse, he had forgotten his umbrella at home, under a pile of crap, and his phone had run out of battery to. So he was stuck here, in school, with no way of getting home. This day couldn't get any worse. Naruto was just about ready to use his bag as a shield for the rain, he felt something tap against his shoulder. The blonde looked to his side blinking owlishly when he noticed the handle of an umbrella resting against his shoulder, and attached to the umbrella was one impassive dark haired teme.
"…Huh?"
"Are you going to take the umbrella or just stand there with your mouth open like a dobe?" he asked.
Those must have been the most amount of words he had ever had heard the other boy speak in one go. He was both shocked and confused not really registering the question that Sasuke had asked him. With a frustrated sigh, the brunette, grabbed his hand, and pushed the umbrella into his hold before he walked off, into a waiting car. Naruto still stood there watching him drive off, wondering what had just happened. Slowly he looked down at the object clasped between his finger, like it was cursed, maybe it was and Sasuke had given to him as part of evil plan? Could it be broken?
No, now he was being idiotic, the teme just gave him an umbrella, it didn't mean anything special. He was just being nice. Naruto undid the metal clasp, and the umbrella popped open without issues. He held it above his head and walked out into the heavy rain with a small smile on his face, maybe the teme did have his good side.
Naruto didn't make it very far however when a particularly strong wind broke the support frame of the umbrella, and the whole thing turned inside-out.
"Shit."
OoOoOoOoOoOoO
"Tadaima…" he said tiredly when he got home, he was completely soaked through by the rain, his cold hands gripping onto Sasuke's broken umbrella tightly.
"Naruto you're late, did you walk out in that rain without an umbrella?" he could he hear his mother calling from the living room.
"Yeah…I'm just going to go to my room and get dry…"
"Take a warm shower before you get a cold."
Too tired to reply he just made a grunting noise and staggered up the stairs. Naruto filled the tub up with warm water and then started undressing, uncaring of where his things would land, he just wanted to get warm and relax now. While the tub filled he sat down on the shower stool, put the hand held shower on warm, letting the warm liquid flow over his shivering frame. He soaped his hair with orange and mandarin shampoo, and scrubbed his body with soap. Once he was satisfied he was clean enough he turned the main tap and tested the water with his leg before immersing himself in the hot water.
Naruto took a deep calming breath he sunk himself under the water until he was fully submerged, he stayed there for a while enjoying the silence until his lungs hurt. He emerged with a gasp and rubbed the excess moisture off his face, then rested his head against the cool bath surface letting his eyes slowly shut. He thought about his day, rehearsal had been a mess, people getting in each other's way as they hurried to get things done. Set design, making clothes, designing flyers for the festival, all the noise while they had been trying to rehears their lines.
It didn't help, that he had to let Gaara try and 'seduce' him, which made him see his friend in whole new light… and that scared him. But he could deal with Gaara's touchy-feely-ness, because the worst was still to come, his scenes with Sasuke.
The one thing he could be sure was that it would be awkward, they weren't friends, they weren't even acquaintances. They were enemies, eternal rivals (even if Sasuke hardly acknowledged him as such). They never got along well together, he still remembered during Elementary school given a simple building project to do to promote team work. The task was to build the tallest tower that would stay upright on its own using only a box of drinking straw, and box of paper some blu tack. Now Naruto couldn't say how it started, or who started it (it was him), all he remembered was Sasuke's angry accusing face, their crumples tower, and a lot of fists.
They had ended up in the principal's office with bruised and bleeding, (Sasuke with a split lip, and Naruto with a skinned knee from a fall), their animosity only grew from there. It had calmed down as they got older, they hardly fought with each other anymore , that didn't mean that they were friendly towards each other either… but Sasuke had lend him his umbrella, probably the only nice thing …that he now needed to replace.
Deciding he had pruned up enough in the bath, and the water was now cold so he got out of the bath, grabbed a towel and started drying himself. His thoughts stuck on what tomorrow would bring.
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