Disclaimer: Naruto is the property of Kishimoto Masashi, Studio Pierrot and TV Tokyo. I'm only a humble fan who's using their names for my inane ideas.
A/N: Yay! Chapter 11! For those who supported and reviewed this fic thank you very much! This chapter is dedicated to all of you! Your names can be found at the end of this chapter. Please read and don't forget to give me a review after you're done.
Warning! This is a very long chapter! Reviews, comments and suggestions are a must!
Chapter 11: School Affairs Part 6
Annual Konoha Academy Spring Festival
12:00 NN
He eyed the people passing by in and out of the school's main gates. After taking in huge gulps of air into his lungs, Sasuke continued to observe his surroundings with his keen eyes. As of now, he was formulating a plan on how to enter the school undetected and after, leaving the school unscathed.
Geez, I'm huddling behind this bush for about an hour and a half already! And the worst part of it is that I have to pick a girl to show right in front of my brother's face!
Sasuke heaved a sigh. No matter what, he has to enter the school. Or Itachi would burn his precious wardrobe into ashes. He stole a glance at the sleek black convertible parked right next to the school's main gate. "Itachi must be laughing his head off by now," he muttered angrily.
Finally, after berating himself for about the hundredth time, Sasuke stepped out from his hiding place. With stiff legs, he forged a straight path towards the main gates. Upon entering the school he swore. This would be the first and last time that he would heed to Itachi's requests.
He started to look around. "Now that I'm here, what should I do first?" he asked himself. Suddenly, a scent of something good wafted through his nose.
"Wow. Food," was all he said as he followed the scent.
12:35 PM
Naruto groaned as he poked the octopus balls with his metal stick. Customers started flocking their stall by the time the school bell rang at exactly 12 o' clock. Since it was now lunchtime, people began gathering at different food stalls to eat. That would also mean more grunt work for those in charge of the stalls.
And it was not surprising that Ino's Takoyaki stall was now completely flooded with hungry customers.
And Ino, the fearless leader was overjoyed by the number of profits that her committee was about to earn that very same day.
"I want you to make a hundred of those balls! And don't forget to add some spices!" Ino yelled at her subordinates who were busy doing their designated tasks. She began to fan her already sweating forehead with a damp paper towel then turned to Naruto's direction.
"Don't you dare burn those balls again for the fiftieth time Uzumaki Naruto or else!" she barked loudly. Naruto made a noise of utter submission before resuming in poking the balls until it was completely full of holes.
"Damn. Whenever there's a customer, Ino's really all fired up." Naruto commented as he finished cooking his twelfth batch of octopus balls. He then handed the finished batch to his other coworker, a shy and gentle girl named Hinata. "It's now your turn to give them right away, Hinata!" he chirped.
The azure-haired girl squeaked in response as she took over, grabbing the takoyaki with two hands. Naruto exhaled noisily in relief after Hinata left and was about to pour takoyaki batter into the skillet when his blue eyes caught something unexpected.
"What…the?" he never got to finish as he blinked his eyes several times. After opening and closing his eyes for about the tenth time, a grin made its way across his face. "What the hell! I really don't believe this! He's really here!" he exclaimed happily. He waved both of his hands high in the air.
SMACK!
Naruto suddenly stopped from celebrating when his hand slipped and the batter he was holding smacked into someone else's head. He craned his head slowly and he sweat dropped when he saw that the person he hit with the batter was none other than his plucky leader, Ino.
"Naruto…" she snarled.
"W – Wait, let me explain," he began weakly as he tried to his best to avoid Ino's fists.
"DDDDDDIIIIIIEEEEE NNNNNAAAAARRRRUUUUTTTTOOOOO!"
"EEEEYYYYAAAAAHHHHH!"
12:45 PM
Tenten smirked as she closed her logbook shut. She had gathered a hundred prisoners because they all fell for her "Stepping-on-the-line" trick. She put her logbook back inside the drawer. Her co-workers on the other hand were busy with their own private businesses. She would never have to guess that they were either on the Marriage Booth, the Kissing Booth or the Blind Date Booth.
"I wonder when would this day end. I'm already bored and there are no longer perpetrators stepping over the white line I made," she mused as she continued to watch the people moving to and fro. She groaned when she saw some people purposely avoiding the white line.
Tucking her hands behind her head, Tenten was about to close her eyes when her intense eyes caught something amusing. She immediately stood up from her seat.
"A lawbreaker!" she yelled excitedly as she rushed towards the poor unsuspecting person. She grabbed him by the hand and pulled him hard to face her. "You're under arrest for crossing over the white line!" she announced in her "I'm-the-authority" tone.
The boy in front of her immediately bowed his head in apology. "I'm sorry! It's just that… What the…" His onyx eyes suddenly widened out of surprise.
Her eyes widened too. Twice as large as his.
"SASUKE?"
On the other side of the school…
Sakura finished sipping her tea as she strolled towards the stalls that were selling fashion accessories. Stopping in front of one stall, she decided to see some of the goods and perhaps, buy a little.
After searching for any potential buys, her green eyes caught a glimpse of a white-gold ring. It has a large-cut emerald shaped into a heart at the center and flanked with diamonds. She immediately fell in love with the ring, and decided to ask the seller about the price.
"Excuse me, how much does that emerald ring cost?" she asked.
The seller smiled. "Oh. This ring is only for 17,500 yen."
Sakura immediately took her wallet out of her pocket and began to count her money. Her expression fell when she found out she only had 1,000 yen. "Not enough," she said to herself. She smiled and told the seller that she would not be buying the ring.
Disappointed, she decided to continue her walk. At least, maybe after this day, she'd head out to her favorite ice cream shop at the corner and eat a 100-yen scoop of ice cream. Unfortunately, her day went from bad to worse.
Unknown to her, a solitary figure was watching her from behind.
1:15 PM
At the rooftop of the school…
Tenten panted as she sank on the concrete floor, her back against the door. Beside her, Sasuke was breathing heavily, his jacket slipping down his shoulder. His knees were bent and his head was tucked in between them. Only the sounds of labored breathing could be heard from both teens.
It was Sasuke who spoke first. "W…What was that all about…?"
She grimaced. "I don't know! I really don't know!"
Tenten sighed as she tried to remember the event, which occurred to them a few hours ago…
…………
Flashback!
"Sasuke?"
"Tenten?"
Tenten froze.
Sasuke mentally smacked himself as he remembered that saying her real name was extremely forbidden. He grabbed her by her shoulders and shook her. "I was just kidding! Snap out of it, T!"
She returned immediately to her consciousness. She swatted Sasuke's hands from her shoulders and glared at him. "What the hell are you doing here, Su…I mean, Sasuke! Why are you wearing your normal threads?"
He shrugged. "I'm wearing this because Itachi – nisan forced me to."
"But still! Don't you know that once people especially girls recognize your face they will…you already know what I mean!" Tenten protested.
Sasuke heaved a sigh. "I know! I got lost because there are too many people here. I couldn't find the dobe anywhere either! I was about to go and ask for directions when you 'caught' me."
She ran a hand through her auburn hair tightly wound up into a bun. "What should we do? You can't be seen by them!"
He grabbed her wrist. "No choice. You've got to hide me and…"
"OH MY GAWD! IT'S UCHIHA SASUKE – KUN!"
Both teens glanced over their backs and sweat dropped when they saw girls already clustered behind them. Sasuke recognized two of the girls whom he saw at the supermarket.
He sighed. One of the main reasons why he never wanted to wear normal clothes was because of the never- ending showering of affection from the female horde.
Before he could gather his wits, the girls already encircled him like a pack of wolves to their meat. And before Sasuke could utter Tenten's name, the wolves eventually swallowed him up. He struggled to raise his arm up and waved desperately for help.
"T! HELP ME!" he cried out.
Tenten jerked at the sound of his voice. She pushed her way towards him, punching and kicking fan girls along the way. "Move bitches!" she yelled out as she finally caught sight of Sasuke's pale hand that was now almost buried by hundreds of bodies.
"Sasuke! I'm coming!" she yelled out again, so that he could hear her. She was almost near him when the horde moved again and glomped him. Tenten grabbed him by the wrist just in time and yanked him upwards. Leaping safely from the bodies, they finally escaped and avoided being buried underneath the pile.
End Flashback!
…………
Tenten huffed. That wasn't a good memory. But she couldn't help it. She stole a glance at Sasuke who was still not yet recovering due from the onslaught. 'Looks like Sasuke has no other choice but to remain here on the rooftop. This is the only safe place where he could hide,' she mused.
Sasuke raised his head up to look at the clouds looming above him. "This is the worst day of my life. I shouldn't have listened to my brother's ramblings! Look at where it got me!" he grumbled.
Tenten smirked at him. "You have no choice. You're born with looks, Sasuke. No wonder the entire femme fatale is on to you."
"I wish I was born ugly."
"Not gonna happen." Tenten looked at her watch and grimaced. "Great, I have to go back to the Jail Booth and do my job. Looks like I have no choice but to leave you here for a while, Sasuke."
He was busy removing his jacket when she spoke. Confusion marred his features. "What?"
"I have to go back. Shino told me to capture at least a thousand people for today," she said then stood up. Tenten grasped the doorknob and was about to open it when she paused.
"Are you going to be all right from here, Sasuke?"
He only raised a hand.
"Alrighty then," she replied as she opened the door and left.
After Tenten left, Sasuke walked towards the metal railings of the rooftop to view the festival from above. "Now that I 'barely' arrived here in one piece, the next thing to do is to grab a girl and show it to 'Nisan."
He eyed the female population lurking downward with distaste. "Che, this is too sickening. In order for me to mingle with the crowd unnoticed, I have to wear a disguise. But where am I going to find one?" He turned his back and stared at the door Tenten exited earlier.
"Okay Sasuke, you can do this. It's just for one day. After this, you can go back to your old self. Just wait…just wait…"
Opening the door, he winced when a slight draft of air prickled his skin. He took a very deep breath then went inside.
…………
2:00 PM
Sakura wiped sweat from her forehead. The weather was awfully hot today. She cast a glance at the people who were busy enjoying themselves. "I wonder if the band is already starting," she asked herself.
All of the sudden, a hand tapped her shoulder. She instantly jumped out of fright and turned around to face her attacker. "Who…what are…" she faltered.
It was Rock Lee, the school's fastest sprinter. "Gomenasai! Did I surprise you, Sakura – san?"
Her heart was still thumping. "Lee – san! You scared the hell out of me! Is there something wrong?"
"No, there's nothing wrong!" Lee's raven eyes crinkled with excitement. He reached out a hand and grabbed Sakura's wrist. The pink-haired girl tilted her head in inquiry.
"What is it, Lee – san?"
Lee smiled at her. "There's someone who would like to talk to you, Sakura – san."
She shook her head. "I'm sorry Lee – san. But I'm not in the mood to talk to your friend."
The bowl-cut boy wagged a finger in front of her. "No, no, Sakura – san! This is very important. He told me so himself! Now come along with me and don't worry. If anything happens to you, I'll protect you with my life!"
How very Lee. Still, when he mentioned about talking to a friend bothered her. Even though what the thick browed young man had said was harmless, Sakura became wary about this surprise meeting. She mentally slapped herself.
"Why would I doubt Lee – san? He only wanted me to meet his friend. Nothing more," she said to herself. And besides, since this was a festival and there were lots of visiting students from different Academies…surely, it wouldn't do her harm if she would be meeting new friends.
She smiled. "All right. Let's go and meet your friend, Lee-san," she said.
Lee gave a loud whoop. He then took her arm and led her to the stalls.
Back to Ino's Takoyaki stall…
"Thank you, don't come back…I mean, please come again!" Naruto chirped as he handed a bag full of octopus fritters to Inuzuka Kiba. As Kiba accepted the bag, the blond boy couldn't help but notice the purple stamp marks on his arms. "What happened to you?" Naruto asked.
"You mean this?" Kiba asked back wryly. His expression narrowed. "I got this from a psychotic bimbo back at the jail booth. She arrested me for stepping over the white line then stamped me on the arms for twenty times because I insulted her drawing."
Naruto shivered outwardly. He poked the octopus balls to keep himself busy. "Whoa. Tough mess you've got there, Kiba. Looks like Tenten is really serious about her work."
Kiba made a face. "Annoying. It was a good thing I didn't bring Akamaru here at the festival or else she'd arrest me just for bringing a pet."
"Yeah, it could happen. See ya later, Kiba!" Naruto said then waved at his retreating friend. He continued back to his work when his world suddenly turned dark.
What the hell? First the clouds are sunny and then now…"Naruto."
And now a voice from the grave is calling my name.
"Oi, dobe. Why don't you look up here and stop daydreaming."
Oooohhh, and that harsh voice. I swear, I heard that voice somewhere… Wait! Is it me or is it getting hot in here…Itai!
"Hot! Hot! Hot!" he yelped when he felt his face burning alongside the octopus balls he was cooking. He raised his head up to face the person who purposely shoved his face right on the grill. "Who the hell do you think you are…you, you…"
Naruto's eyes widened when he saw a person tightly covered with a black curtain standing right in front of him. He sweat dropped. "Who does this guy think he is? Wearing a cloak even though it's already spring?" he asked himself.
Wait…this guy called me dobe earlier! Does this mean he's…
Naruto yanked the black curtain off to reveal onyx eyes and a shocked pale face. "SASUKE – CHAN!" he exclaimed as he leapt into the air and landed right into the person's arms.
In response, Sasuke immediately dropped him to the ground with a loud THUD!
The blond teen let out a loud yell and rubbed his sore butt. "Ow! That hurt, Sasuke – chan! As always, you're still that cold and mean boy that I've always loved!"
The raven-haired boy rolled his eyes in annoyance as he adjusted the black curtain around his body. He glanced sideways before turning his gaze back to Naruto. "Hn. You still have energy after all of this, dobe? And here I thought that loudmouth blonde was giving you a hard time."
Naruto stuck a tongue at him. "Heh. And why are you here in your normal clothes, Sasuke – chan? I'm sure that what you're doing is not simply a walk in the park."
Sasuke shrugged as he picked an octopus ball from the skillet and popped it inside his mouth. "Itachi – nisan told me to come to the festival wearing this. And also, I have to get a girl by the end of the day or else he'll burn all of my clothes."
"What? That really sounds like Itachi – san! He really knows how to make devious plans!" The blond grinned slyly. "Maybe I should ask him sometime on how to make you fall in love with me!"
"Don't push it, Naruto. By the way," Sasuke pointed at the octopus balls. "Give me four bags of those fritters."
"Four bags! What are you going to do with them, Sasuke – chan?"
"What else? To eat them, of course."
"All right, if you say so." Naruto sighed as he set back to work. After putting the finished octopus balls inside the bags, he handed them all to Sasuke. "Here ya go. Nice and warm!" he said gleefully.
"Uh, thank you." Sasuke fished money out of his pocket then placed it onto Naruto's outstretched hand. He was about to leave when he heard Naruto call out his name.
"OI, SASUKE – CHAN!"
Sasuke cringed at his loud-mouthed ness. He barely turned to face him, his voice hushed. "What?
Naruto winked at him. "You look kinda hot in that new attire of yours! I'm beginning to fall in love with you again!"
And the whole world went into a complete halt.
…………
"Oh my god!"
"It's him!"
"The real thang!"
"It's really Uchiha Sasuke-kun!"
"I want to marry him!"
"Let's get him!"
"Crap! I've been had," the raven-haired teen grimaced when doting, hungry females surrounded him.
Sasuke sweat dropped as all eyes and ears were focused entirely at him. He heard Naruto's snicker in the background and he mentally swore to kill the blond later. But for now, he has to flee for his life. Turning on his heel, he ran to the opposite direction with his four bags of octopus balls.
Oh, and don't forget the 56-person femme fatale hounding after him.
2:45 PM
"Here we are." Rock Lee motioned Sakura to stop as they came face to face with a booth that was covered with white frills and pink lace. The pink-haired girl's green eyes widened a bit when she finally realized where they were.
"What are we doing here, Lee – san?" she questioned. They were now standing in front of the Marriage Booth. She first stared at the student in front that was flamboyantly dressed as a priest then at the two people kneeling on the pew with their hands intertwined.
The thick browed teen grinned. "You're going to be married today, Sakura – san."
"What?" she gasped. There is no way she's going to kneel there and marry a complete stranger! Sakura gritted her teeth.
Turning to Lee, she spoke calmly. "I don't believe this. You set me up didn't you?"
He held up his hands in total surrender. "Gomenasai, Sakura–san. But I have to do this. It's my job as a member of the Marriage Booth Committee."
Sakura paled. She didn't quite expect that. She sagged against the post supporting the makeshift church. She was getting 'married'. Even though it was a make-believe ceremony, she was no way going to kneel there in front of the pretend cleric and exchange vows with a stranger who was supposed to be her 'husband'.
'Don't you want that? As silly as it sounds, it's now your chance to have fun! Who cares if it's a pretend ceremony? Maybe the person who requested for you to become his 'bride' must be a real looker!' Inner Sakura crowed inside her head.
She sighed. There was no way she could back out on this one. After all, Lee worked so hard to bring her to this place. She gulped. Might as well get this started.
She nodded numbly. "All right, Lee–san. I'm going to do this just for your sake."
Lee let out a loud hoot. He grabbed Sakura's hand and moved it up and down. "Yay! Way to go, Sakura – san! I've always known that you're a good sport! Don't worry, you're going to love the surprise I have in store for you!"
Surprise? Inner Sakura echoed in amazement.
"Good! Now why don't you take a seat right here while we wait for your groom to arrive? The others would be finished soon," Lee suggested, shoving a chair behind Sakura and pushed her down to sit.
The still stunned girl barely nodded. She was too caught up with the marriage jeopardy that she didn't even glance at the retreating Rock Lee.
…………
Outside the school…
Itachi flipped open his pack of cigarettes and took one in his mouth. After lighting it up and taking a drag, he stared idly at the school's main gates. Apparently, his younger brother was not yet showing up. Waiting for almost two hours was shredding away each and every last of his patience.
"Maybe he chickened out and decided to wait until the end of the day so that he could escape," he muttered dryly. "Stupid brother of mine, he's really daring me to burn all of his precious collection."
He finally finished his cigarette, dropped it on the ground and crushed it with his shoe. Tapping his foot impatiently, he decided to take a little nap inside the car. Opening the door, he slumped onto the driver's seat and covered his eyes with his arm.
Back to Sakura…
"Where did Lee – san go?" she asked herself as she rubbed her arms. She was beginning to get bored and if he doesn't show up soon, then she'd have to leave.
The clock ticked by and still there was no sign of Lee. Sighing, Sakura stood up and prepared to leave when an all too familiar voice called her name.
"Sakura."
She instantly recognized that voice. She swallowed as she craned her neck sideways to look at him.
"Neji – kun."
…………
Neji stood in front of her, his glassy eyes solemn. Sakura shifted sideways in order to make her escape. She was not yet ready to face him. "It's nice to see you again, Neji – kun. However, I really need to leave…" she trailed off as she turned her back on him and started to walk away.
"We need to talk."
She stopped.
The brown-haired Hyuuga strode past her, only to stand in front of her now trembling form. He placed his hands on her shoulders and without word, pulled her to him. Sakura's green eyes widened due to shock.
"Sakura…I'm sorry."
"Neji – kun…"
He buried his face on her shoulder. "I'm sorry…for everything. It's just that I…I…at that time at the rooftop, I got scared of losing you that I became jealous with your friend." He pulled her tighter to him. "Please understand. I did those things because I love you. I love you with all my heart, Saku-chan."
Tears sprang forth in her eyes. Needless to say, she was deeply moved by his words. "No…it's all right, Neji-kun. You don't have to explain yourself. I understand that it isn't entirely your fault."
He pulled himself slightly from their embrace and stared deeply in her eyes. "You're a kind girl, Saku-chan. I'm so blessed to have someone like you. I promise that I will never doubt you again."
Sakura hugged him tightly. Everything would be all right now. The tears trickled fully down her cheek. She automatically raised her hand to wipe them but Neji beat her to it. He brushed it away with his thumb, earning him another blush from Sakura.
Now that everything was going according to his plan, Neji smirked. 'Time to go to Phase Two,' he smugly thought. Dropping down to one knee, he removed something from his pocket and presented it to Sakura who gasped at the sight of it in return.
It was the emerald ring she wanted to buy from last time.
"I know this is kind of early, but there's nothing wrong in make-believe right?" Neji asked teasingly.
Sakura was speechless. 'This isn't happening…' she mentally scolded herself.
"Haruno Sakura…"
This can't be happening…
"Will you…"
No way…"Marry me?"
A/N: Sorry! Had to leave you another cliffy folks. I promise, nothing bad will happen to Sasuke (crosses fingers). Well, this chapter is dedicated to the people who never stopped in giving their reviews and support: (in random order). If you can't find your name on this list then I'll post it on the next chapter. As always, reviews and comments are welcome.
Natsuhiboshi
Saki-kun
Tishu
Sweet Assassin
InuyashaHELP
Inuyashafangirl333
Kawaii-Chibi-Naruto
AiraEve
Watashi Wa Muryoku
Ashwings101
-Whoeva.I.Can.B-
velii-chan
akire11
Ragnarok-The Fallen Angel
Emily-the-elemental
XSakura-chan
Sanguine DreamsOri
benjem
m.t.dog
Nakarame Scarlet
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Pookey
Sasu-saku forever
FunnyAzn
KarmaLord
Omnikaze
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Itchinhi
Mikota
Quiescent Vengeance
XxLilyNGxX
Shikan
Everything you imagine is real
Sassy4sasusaku
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Liddoloner
Wingedtdg