Chapter Twelve; The Show Must Go On
This is the second last chapter, but sorry it's so late. There was an accident and everything I typed just got deleted. :/ So anyway, it might not be like it was originally meant to be, but what can I say? I tried my best. So I really hope that you enjoy it and Happy Valentine's Day Naruto! should be posted sometime tomorrow.
Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, Hinata and their families headed towards the parking lot together. "Well I'm freezing my ass off, but I have to admit that it was a rather good show." Sasuke began with a grin while glancing over at Naruto.
"Yep, and now it's time to get Sasame and Hiro back home." Naruto began. "Luckily for us Hinata has volunteered to be the one to do it." He finished.
"Aw,.. Uncle Naruto, why can't we come along with you?" Sasame whined.
"Because it would be way past your bedtime by the time we got home." Her mother told her.
"That's right and it's an hour from here." Her father began. "But it will be on television tomorrow night so you'll still be able to see it." he told her before he turned his head and gestured Naruto to get behind his car. "Hey Naruto, before we go to the show, there's something that I have to talk to you about." He said.
"Sure Sasuke." Naruto began before he followed him around it and then two boys turned to face each other. "What is it?" he wondered before Sasuke slowly turned his head and looked away from him avoiding his eye contact.
"I can't believe I'm saying this but,.." he began.
"But what?" Naruto questioned him eagerly before he took a deep breath and sighed heavily while he turned back to look at him.
"But it would mean the world to Sakura and I if you spent Christmas morning with us. And I'm sure that the children would love it too. What I'm trying to say is that you can stay one more night if you want to." He told him when suddenly Naruto's face lit up with excitement.
"Really Sasuke!?" Naruto exclaimed. "I can!?" he questioned him eagerly. "I can't believe what I'm hearing!" he cried.
"You can't believe it? I can hardly believe it either." Sasuke began. "And I'm not saying that because It's not true, I'm saying that because as you already might have noticed, I'm not so good when it comes to my emotions." He told him.
"Well I don't know about that, I think you're actually pretty good at showing me how much you love me actually. Especially if you're willing to put up with me for another night. And the way that you're always sticking your neck out for me." Naruto said.
"Well I have to, you're my brother. And I already know that you would do the same for me because you already did. You never gave up on me Naruto, not once. Even after I told you to." Sasuke said.
"Well that's what friends and brothers are for, and when it comes to friends, you're the best friend I ever had." Naruto told him while smiling warmly at him before Sasuke returned it.
"And you're mine too." He told him before Naruto grinned and stuck his thumb up in the air in front of his face.
"Besides, I never go back on my word remember? Believe it!" he exclaimed with a mischievous giggle before Sasuke chuckled.
"I can't believe that you're still using that idiotic catchphrase of yours. You never change do you Naruto?" he questioned him.
"Nope! You don't have to worry about a thing there." Naruto said before coughing into his fist and then scratching his head afterwards.
"Good." Sasuke began with a grin. "Don't." he told him.
"I won't I promise. I love you Sasuke." Naruto began before he slowly reached his hand out towards him.
"I love you too." Sasuke replied before they both smiled at each other and their hands met while they clutched onto each other's fingers like they had done when they were kids. A few moments of silence fell before they finally let go. "So I take it that means you're staying then." He said.
"Are you kidding!? You couldn't stop me if you tried! This is going to be the best Christmas ever! I'll go ahead and meet you at the stadium!" Naruto exclaimed before racing over towards his car. "Oh and Sasuke here, you might need these." He told him before he tossed his car keys over to him.
"Hey! What were you doing with my car keys?" Sasuke questioned him.
"Sorry, I grabbed them along with mine by mistake." Naruto apologized before he unlocked his car and climbed inside the driver's seat. Sasuke just simply groaned, shook his head, and rolled his eyes.
"Oh Naruto." He said before Sakura walked over to him as Naruto turned on the engine and started backing out of his parking spot.
"Are you ready to go Sasuke?" she asked him.
"Yeah. I just need to turn on the engine for a few minutes to warm up the car. I also need to get gas on the way." He replied before he pushed the unlock button on his keychain and started walking towards the front of the car.
.….
"God damn it!" Sasuke hollered before he slammed on the brakes again.
"I sure hope that we'll get there on time." Sakura said.
"I had no idea that there would be so much fuckin traffic on Christmas Eve." Sasuke said before he stepped on the gas pedal and accelerated a few feet before quickly hitting the brakes again.
"Well hopefully we'll get going again soon. We don't have that much longer to go and since Naruto left before us he might actually be there by now." Sakura told him before Sasuke's foot squeaked a little bit again as he stomped back onto the gas.
"I sure hope so." He told her. Although they spent the next ten to fifteen minutes stopping and starting, finally Sasuke was able to continue driving down the highway. About five minutes later her slowed down again and turned off onto the exit. Naruto was extremely happy and excited to see them as he met them backstage.
"What the hell took you guys so long!?" he hollered.
"Sorry, traffic backup." Sakura told him.
"Well anyway, we're about to go on stage. Riku Adachi is about to announce us." He told them.
"Riku? Is that the guy with the blue hair?" Sasuke wondered.
"Yep that's him!" Sakura squealed excitedly.
"Now don't start shrieking again Sakura." Naruto began. "Somebody will think that you're being murdered again or something. And besides we don't have time for that."
"I don't get to say this much but Naruto's right." Sasuke began.
"Come on guys let's gather together and pray." Naruto said.
"I don't pray much." Sasuke told him.
"I know but I actually think that it's a really good idea Sasuke." Sakura told him before he took a deep breath and sighed heavily.
"Fine." He agreed reluctantly before he took her hand and then offered his other hand to Naruto. "Here." He said before he quickly grabbed ahold of it and then all three of them closed their eyes and bowed their heads.
"Heavenly Father we become before you tonight Lord on this Christmas Eve to just say thank you for sending your Son Jesus into this world to die for our sins and bringing all three of us together tonight. Give us the strength and the courage to go out there and face the crowd as we sing the praises of the birth of our Savior so that they may to come to know Him as well. And also, let us feel the presence of our sensei Kakashi who we know is right there with you right now watching over us. This we ask in your name, amen." Naruto prayed.
"Amen." Sasuke responded before they opened their eyes and bumped their fists together side to side and bottom to top before they brought each other into a tight brotherly hug.
"Alright. Now let's get out there and show them what we're made of!" Naruto exclaimed excitedly.
"Ladies and gentleman,.. Sasuke Uchiha and the Shinobi's!" Riku announced into the microphone before he stepped aside and presented all three of them to the screaming cheering crowd as they climbed onto the stage and walked out into the spotlight.