Title: Finding Your Rhythm
A/N: Chapters will alternate between Sasuke and Sakura's POV.
I am posting all four chapters at once for the benefit of the binge readers. Enjoy!
I don't own Naruto or the characters...thank you Kishimoto for creating such a lovely world to play in.
UchiSaku summer event:Reverse Tropes: Lovers to Enemies (Shisui will fulfill this role). Dating your enemy's family member. (Sasuke will fulfill this role)
Sakura and Ino are kicked out of the rock band with the Uchiha Trio, as their manager decides the band should go in a new direction — as a Boy Band.
The girls start to form their own band with Sasuke defecting and joining them to play the drums and Naruto screaming lyrics and alternating with Sakura on the guitar between lead and rhythm while Ino plays keys.
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Chapter One: The Beginning
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Sasuke
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The car ride over was almost unbearable. The only saving grace was that Itachi was driving, so at least he didn't have to worry about abrupt turns or tailgating. Sasuke loved his older cousin, Shisui, but the man was a speed demon. He leaned towards the center of the car to see the digital clock display. They still had plenty of time.
"Are you sure you don't want to watch the Youtube video?" Naruto asked. "You haven't even seen Sakura in years, Sasuke. Don't you want to know what she looks like?"
"I remember what she looks like," Sasuke scowled.
Naruto laughed. "You remember what she looked like when we were thirteen. I'm telling you, you won't recognize her!"
"You look exactly the same," Sasuke protested. He wasn't going to forget what she looked like just because a few years had passed. He had many fond memories of the summer he spent at Naruto's house, before he was sent abroad to boarding school. He'd thought about Sakura Haruno a lot over the years.
"Oh? Is this some former crush of yours, Sasuke-kun?" Shisui teased, leaning his elbow on the console and looking towards him the backseat.
"Just a girl I used to know," Sasuke mumbled, folding his arms over his chest and staring out the window petulantly. He did not need his older cousin to start teasing him on his childhood crush. Sasuke's thoughts drifted back to that long ago summer. He and Naruto spent a lot of the time playing basketball in the driveway of Naruto's house. The girl next door would sometimes join them, but, more often than not, he'd hear her in the backyard next door.. She'd wear her ridiculous bright red earphones with the cat ears and sing along to various girl bands on her playlist, her voice carrying to the driveway. He still had the dark blue set of cat ear headphones she'd given to him on his birthday that summer. Maybe, sometimes, he still wore them in the privacy of his bedroom when he was listening to music.
"Anyways, if you're looking to complete your band, I'm telling you— Sakura and Ino would be perfect," Naruto continued. "If they agreed, that is. They like to do these gigs on occasion, but I don't know how either of them would feel about playing full time. Their song-style is pretty diverse. Sakura can play lead guitar and rhythm. Ino does the keyboard. They can both sing — Ino is more soprano and Sakura ranges from alto to a mezzo-soprano. "
"I'm sure I can convince them," Shisui murmured. He reached over and poked Itachi's upper arm, earning a grunt from the driver. "If I can convince this guy, I can convince anyone."
Sasuke slouched lower in his seat. He'd also agreed to join Shisui's band, playing the drums. He'd always enjoyed the feel of the beat flowing through his body like he could feel the music vibrating through his muscles. It was so easy to lose himself into the rhythm of a song.
When they entered the bar, the stage at the back was empty save an unattended keyboard, a crimson painted guitar on a stand, and a drum set that still had the covers over it. Sasuke sat at a corner booth and his bandmates and best friend joined him. His eyes grew wide when Sakura stepped on stage. Of course, he recognized that pink hair and those jade eyes. He chuckled quietly under his breath when he noticed the cat ear headset with the attached microphone.
"She custom-made her microphone headset," Naruto said, leaning forward, his elbows braced on the table.
"Won't that make it harder to adjust her volume. It's easier to use a free-standing microphone and change one's physical distance," Shisui reasoned.
"It's more functional when your hands are full," Sasuke murmured. He occasionally sang when he played the drums and adjusting his physical distance from a microphone wasn't an option with his chosen instrument. He had to adapt his volume the old fashioned way with his voice alone. His respect for the woman increased a few more notches. He hadn't heard her sing in years, but if it was anything like he remembered, they'd be in for a treat.
"I remember you used to wear a cat ear set of headphones," Itachi said quietly, leaning close to Sasuke.
Sasuke said nothing. Thankfully, the others quieted too when the two women began to play their duet.
"That's exactly the sound we need," Shisui said quietly.
"Tonight's proceeds will be going towards the Konoha orphanage," Sakura said, smiling brightly as she spoke to the audience after the last echoes of her chord faded.
"That is generous of them," Itachi murmured.
Sakura's jade eyes grew wide when she spotted Naruto and Sasuke in the audience. "Oh boy, are you all in for a treat! Give us ten and we'll be back." She gestured for the disc jockey to take over and after securing her guitar, she jumped off the stage with a casual grace Sasuke did a double take as she hurried towards their booth in the back, slipping through the crowd with practiced ease. Ino wandered behind stage with a shake her head.
"Naruto!" Sakura cried out with a big grin on her face and clutching onto the blond's hands and pulling him to his feet.
Naruto wrapped her up in a hug against his taller body. "Sakura-chan! Of course, I came!" He gestured towards Sasuke. "You remember the Bastard? That's his brother Itachi and his cousin Shisui," he introduced in turn.
Sasuke scowled at the derogatory term. "Idiot," he grumbled before adopting a more neutral expression to meet Sakura's gaze. "You sounded amazing, Sakura."
"Thanks, Sasuke-kun!" Sakura smiled at him brightly. "You play the drums, right?"
Shisui snickered at the nickname.
"Yes," Sasuke answered. "I noticed the set still wrapped up on stage."
Sakura nodded. "Okay, how do you two feel about getting on stage with us and performing Last Resort by Papa Roach?" She gestured towards Naruto. "No one is better than you at screaming into a microphone."
"That song has a really good beat," Sasuke mused. "Naruto and I used to jam out to that all the time."
"I know!" Sakura said, bouncing on the balls of her feet. "I remember. Come on! Come play with us!"
Naruto scratched the back of his neck. "Eh, it should be pretty fun. Will you join us, Sasuke?"
"Go ahead, little brother," Itachi encouraged with a none-too-gentle shove of Sasuke's upper back.
"Alright," Sasuke agreed, standing from the booth and following both Naruto and Sakura. He tried to ignore the heat building on the tips of his ears at the feel of Sakura's strong grip wrapped around his wrist as she pulled the two of them back stage.
Ino's blond eyebrows were high in her hairline at their appearance.
"Last Resort?" Sakura asked. "You remember it?"
Ino reached into the front pocket of her shirt and pulled out a pair of ear plugs. "If Naruto is singing, I'm going to need these."
Sakura turned towards Sasuke. "I've got extra plugs. Would you like a set?"
He nodded. It was this easy? It has been seven years since he last saw Sakura and here he was, back on stage with her like they'd been the best of friends all this time?
Nine minutes later, the four of them were onstage. The audience rumbled with curious chatter. Then Sasuke started the beat, Sakura hit the strings of her guitar and Naruto began screaming. Ino adapted the rhythm guitar to the keyboard.
"Cut my life into pieces. The is my last resort. Suffocation. No breathing. Don't give a fuck if I cut my arm, bleeding," Naruto began screaming, bouncing side to side and working the crowd.
Sakura glanced back at Sasuke once and he smiled back faintly. Being in a band with Sakura seemed like a good idea.
"Cause I'm losing my sight. Losing my mind. Wish somebody would tell me I'm fine. Losing my sight. Losing my mind," Naruto continued to wail, rocking his body side to side. "Wish somebody would tell me I'm fine."
However, over the next couple of months, Sasuke watched as the girl of his dreams was caught in the gravitational pull of his handsome, charismatic, older cousin. She was friendly enough to Sasuke, but Itachi's worried glances and Naruto's consolatory pats on his back whenever they hung out showed maybe he wasn't as good at hiding his feelings as he thought. The only one that seemed to be clueless was Sakura herself.
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Seven Years Ago….
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Sasuke
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He dribbled the basketball, shifting his weight between his wide-spread feet while Naruto waved his arms to block the shot. Sasuke darted past his best friend and released the ball, sinking it into the goal with a familiar swoosh. He caught the rebound easily.
The sound of clapping from behind caught his attention and he whirled around to see a girl his age, long pink hair secured in a French braid with flowers tucked within the strands. "I never thought I'd see someone get past your guard, Naruto," she said a big smile on her face, shifting her attention away from Sasuke and onto the pouting blond.
"Ah, Sakura-chan, it's just because he's taller," Naruto pouted.
"Is that right?" Sakura held her hands out. "May I have the ball?"
"Ah," Sasuke agreed, tossing her the basketball.
She caught it easily enough. "Let's go, Naruto. We're the same height." She dribbled the ball and then faked out Naruto, dodging his hands and then shot a three-pointer.
Sasuke caught the rebound again. "You must be losing your touch, Naruto," he teased. "Beaten by a girl."
Said girl narrowed her pale green eyes and glared at him.
Naruto snatched the ball out of Sasuke's hands and scored a basket. "Believe it!"
Sasuke caught the rebound again.
Sakura laughed. "Nice job, Naruto." She looked behind and waved to someone coming out of the gate on the yard next door. "Over here, Ino!"
A second girl, long blond hair arranged in a similar braid to Sakura's, also with flowers interwoven joined them. "Playing basketball with Naruto again? Ugh, come on Sakura. We need to head to the sanctuary before it gets too late in the morning." Her eyes shifted over Sakura and Naruto to land on Sasuke. "Well, hello there, Handsome."
Sasuke scowled, but turned his back on the trio to take aim again on the basket. "What sanctuary?" He caught the rebound once more.
"The butterfly sanctuary. They're making their annual migration through here for the next couple of weeks," Sakura explained. "Would you two like to join us? It's only a short walk away."
"Aw, well, we were in the middle of a game," Naruto started to protest.
"Yes," Sasuke agreed, interrupting Naruto. He set the basketball between the fence and the garage. "Is that why you have flowers in your hair?" He gestured towards the two girls' hair. "To attract butterflies?"
"Exactly," Sakura agreed. She pulled out two violet colored flowers from her hair and stuck one behind Naruto's ear and then stepped cautiously towards Sasuke and did the same to him. Her soft fingers faintly brushed across the shell of his ear and sent a shiver down his spine.
"Sakura-chan is the captain of the girls' basketball team that Ma coaches," Naruto explained. He gestured towards Sasuke. "Sasuke is on the team with me."
"Nice to meet you, Sasuke." Sakura looped her arm through Ino's. "This is Ino. We're best friends and the top ranked students at the academy." The two girls started to lead the way. "Follow us."
Sasuke and Naruto fell into step behind them. He didn't recognize either of the girls. "Do you attend the All Girls' Academy? How long have you lived next door to Naruto, Sakura?"
"Yes and all my life," Sakura answered his questions in turn. She glanced over her shoulder. "How long have you two been friends? I've not seen you around, Sasuke-kun."
"Since we joined the basketball team," Sasuke answered, feeling somewhat pleased by the endearment she attached to his name. "My parents are pretty strict. This is the first time they've let me come over."
"But it won't be the last!" Naruto vowed, slinging his arm over Sasuke's neck in an awkward embrace, made more awkward by Naruto's shorter height.
Sasuke shrugged out of his friend's hold. "My parents are over-seas for the next few months for a work thing. I'll be spending the summer at Naruto's house."
"You're in for a treat!" Sakura said with a laugh. "Auntie Kushina is the best cook and Uncle Minato has the patience of a saint."
Sasuke arched his eyebrow at Sakura's casual reference to Naruto's parents. Why hadn't he heard about her before now? He shot Naruto an annoyed look and was met with a sheepish shrug.
"And Kakashi is supposed to be home for a few weeks next month when he takes his Leave," Naruto added.
"Your older brother is one fine specimen of a man," Ino sighed.
"Don't objectify him like that, Pig," Sakura hissed. Then she giggled. "But you're right, he's a gorgeous man."
Naruto fake gaged. "I'll be sure to not tell him you said that."
Sasuke frowned. The girls knew Kakashi? Sasuke and Naruto were best friends and even he hadn't met the older adopted brother. Though, apparently Kakashi and Sasuke's cousin Shisui were good friends in the military, serving in Anbu together.
It wasn't a far walk to the butterfly sanctuary. The iridescent blue, green, yellow and violet butterflies were attracted to the aromatic flowers in the girls' hair. Then Sakura took a photo of Sasuke with her phone's camera. He'd been about to protest, when she showed him the digital image of himself with a bright yellow butterfly settled on the flower tucked behind his ear. "I can send this to you. I'm sure your mom would love it."
"She probably would," Sasuke agreed. He gave Sakura his number and that started the beginning of countless texts they would exchange throughout that summer.
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