AN:I'm super pumped to dive into the dynamics between Sakura, Naruto, and Sasuke in this story. I'm aiming for heaps of banter and tension to really spice things up! It should be noted that I'm planning to start Sakura off with some of those less-than-stellar traits she had at age 12 in the original Naruto series—think of it as setting the stage for some serious character development later on. As for Naruto, his pining for Sakura is definitely going to evolve, and I'm still figuring out what twists to throw Sasuke's way... but he's definitely in for a slice of humble pie, too. Its still all in the works.
Ch2: Dark Angel
"Um, shouldn't we move closer to the stage since, well, this is the band you've been dying to see all night?" I asked, trying to infuse a hint of enthusiasm into my voice, despite my better judgment. The truth was, I didn't care about the band; my entire being was laser-focused on getting a better view of the enigmatic dark angel who had unintentionally stolen my heart with just a smirk.
Naruto eyed me skeptically, his bright blue eyes narrowing as if he could see right through my sudden 'interest' in his favorite band. "Are you sure? You didn't seem to enjoy the crowd's antics during the last show, and well, this isn't going to be any better. It'll be worse, actually."
Internally, I cursed. He was right, of course. The previous band's set had felt like being stuck in a blender with a bunch of off-key guitars and screaming fans. But just as I was about to reconsider, I caught sight of him again—the dark angel, whose presence seemed to make the air thicken and my sanity waver. He was laughing, his head thrown back in genuine amusement, and the sight sent a palpable jolt through me. It was like watching Adonis chuckle in jeans and a black shirt, if Adonis had been a rock-and-roll god banished to Earth.
"Let's go," I blurted out, seizing Naruto's hand with a grip that brooked no argument, pulling him toward the seething mass of bodies closer to the stage.
"If you insist," he muttered, allowing himself to be dragged along with a resigned sigh.
As we edged closer, the setup crew and the next band mingled onstage, swapping out instruments and adjusting microphones. Surprisingly, no one seemed to rush them or beg for autographs—it was as if everyone was too cool to show enthusiasm in this underground indie rock scene. "I just don't get it," I whispered, more to myself than to Naruto.
But my bemusement was short-lived as my gaze once again found the beautiful boy. He moved across the stage with a predatory grace, handling cables and equipment like they were extensions of his own sinewy limbs. Suddenly, he glanced up, our eyes locked, and he rolled his eyes with a glare that was supposed to be intimidating but came off as achingly alluring. My heart did a perilous somersault. Was it hot in here, or was it just him?
Naruto, catching onto my distraction, tried to follow my line of sight. "What are you looking at, Sakura?" His tone held a mix of curiosity and an emerging tinge of annoyance.
"That guy," I managed to say, nodding subtly toward the dark angel who was now nonchalantly adjusting a guitar strap. "You called him a roadie earlier."
Naruto scrutinized him, his features knitting together in a frown. "What about him?" he asked, a hint of defensiveness creeping into his voice.
"I mean, look at him... he's just... he's breathtaking," I sighed, not even attempting to mask my awe.
"Okay?" Naruto responded, clearly not seeing what I saw—or perhaps unwilling to see it.
"What do you mean 'okay'? This is like discovering a new species of supernaturally hot human," I said, throwing my hands up in exasperation.
Naruto's irritation was palpable now, and he sighed heavily. "I need to meet him," I declared, feeling a mix of determination and dizziness at the prospect.
"Well, I'm not sure what you want me to do about it," he retorted, crossing his arms.
"Use your Naruto charm to befriend him or something," I suggested, half-joking but entirely desperate.
Taking a deep breath, Naruto's expression shifted from irritated to devilishly scheming. Before I could protest, he called out, "Hey!" waving to the roadie.
My heart plummeted to my stomach. "What the fuck are you doing?" I hissed, grabbing his shirt in a panic.
The dark angel paused, his gaze sweeping over the crowd before landing on us.
"Yeah, I'm talking to you—the one with the black hair, brooding aura, and a chest that's clearly trying to escape from your shirt. Come here," Naruto shouted, gesturing dramatically to the love of my life.
"I'm going to murder you," I seethed. However, with the slow, confident swagger of a cat, mr. mysterious walked to the edge of the stage and jumped down, approaching us with a smirk that suggested he knew exactly the effect he had on people.
As he stood before us, the world seemed to pause—his presence was that overpowering. " can I help you?" he asked, his voice low and deliciously menacing, sending shivers down my spine.
Inside, I was a chaotic mess of nerves and excitement, barely able to form coherent thoughts. Play it cool, Sakura, play it cool. But cool was the last thing I felt as I stood there, utterly spellbound by the dark angel before me.
"Sakura?" Naruto turned his head toward me, his arms crossed and eyebrows arched as if I were the mastermind behind some grand scheme to distract this breathtakingly handsome stranger from his duties. The heat rushed to my face, and I knew without a mirror that I'd be several shades of pink. Naruto, the eternal mischief-maker, wore an entertained, all-knowing smirk that said he was fully aware of his own annoyance factor and was reveling in it.
"Um… hi," I eventually managed to mutter, voice squeaking slightly.
"Hi," Naruto echoed, giving a small, somewhat sarcastic wave.
The dark haired adonis continued to stare at us, and in that moment, I would have given anything to just vanish into thin air.
"Well, if that's all you needed… I'm gonna go," the handsome stranger began to back away, clearly unimpressed by our social prowess.
"Wait!" I blurted out, driven by a sudden fear of losing this fleeting connection. "I—I was just wondering if you, um... if you were going to be playing tonight. It's my first time here and, well, I'm just trying to meet new people, you know... expand my horizons," I finished, laughing nervously, the sound more like a hiccup than actual amusement.
He blinked slowly, half-nodding before his gaze shifted between me and Naruto. "It looks to me like you already have a friend," he remarked, his eyes lingering on Naruto with a mixture of curiosity and something akin to challenge.
Naruto's jaw tightened, clearly not appreciating the once-over. "Oh, this guy?" I jumped in, trying to salvage the conversation. "Yeah, he's hardly been any help tonight."
"Really?" Naruto responded, visibly offended, his tone dripping with sarcasm.
I let out another awkward laugh, which only earned me a sharp glare from my supposedly blonde guardian.
In that instant, I saw something shift in the stranger's expression. There was a flicker of something dark and playful in his eyes. "Well, I'm sorry your 'friend' isn't able to help you understand what this scene is all about," he smirked, but there was nothing warm about it.
"Okay, bro, I think we're done here. Sorry for the weird interaction; my friend here just thinks you're hot and wanted your attention," Naruto declared, throwing in the towel on this disastrous attempt at socializing.
I couldn't help myself; I punched Naruto in the side for his blunt remark, and he absorbed it without so much as a flinch, the smirk never leaving his face. The dark angel didn't seem amused in the slightest, and standing there between them, I felt like the biggest idiot.
"Right," he said, his voice cool as he turned to leap back onto the stage. He resumed setting up without another look back.
As he disappeared, I stood there, feeling like the punchline to a particularly cringeworthy joke.
Mortified? Absolutely. Defeated? Not on your life. Despite the disastrous exchange, which could only be described as a crash course in how not to flirt, there was something about the near interaction and the challenging spark in his eyes that felt utterly electric. Naruto's antics had catapulted us into a social minefield, and while a big part of me wanted to strangle him with his own shacket, a bigger, more stubborn part was already scheming a comeback.
I mean, come on, was I really going to let one embarrassing moment define the evening? Absolutely not. I'm Sakura Haruno—when I fall off the horse, I chase it down, climb back on, and ride it into the sunset... or in this case, back into the dark angel's line of sight.
So, as Naruto chuckled nervously, probably preparing his next set of apologies, I was already plotting. Maybe I'd accidentally-on-purpose bump into Mr. Dark and Brooding while getting a drink. Or I could orchestrate a 'chance' meeting outside when he took a break. The possibilities were endless, and my resolve was ironclad.
No matter what, this night had just shifted from a potential disaster to a challenge I couldn't—and wouldn't—back down from.
"Sakura," Naruto began in a tone that teetered between remorseful and exasperated, clearly not prepared for the evening to take such a nosedive.
"Can it," I interrupted, cutting off whatever peace offering or excuse he was about to make. I took a deep breath, trying to channel some zen—or whatever it was that people who meditated did because if there was ever a time I needed some inner peace, it was now. I looked up into Naruto's eyes, and there he was, doing his classic Naruto-ish thing—rubbing the back of his head sheepishly, half guilty, half annoyed. "If you want to make it up to me, help me at least learn his name."
Naruto's hand immediately dropped, and his face twisted into a grimace. "He kind of seems like a dick if you ask me. I don't think it's worth it. And also, we're here for the music, not to get ass."
"You might be here for the music," I corrected him sharply, "but I'm here because you dragged me along. And now that a fine piece of ass has suddenly reared its head, well, at least now I can say I'm actually entertained."
I could tell Naruto was getting pissed. "I'm gonna get a drink," he muttered and turned to walk back towards the bar.
It occurred to me then that I might have been acting a bit harsh, but honestly, what did Naruto expect from me? This was absolutely not my idea of a fun night out. I was completely out of my element, and if that beautiful specimen of a man hadn't walked through that side stage door, I doubt I would have been willing to stay for another hour—heck, another 20 minutes.
Regardless of how I felt, it didn't seem like the dark angel was going to pay me any more attention at that moment, so I opted to follow Naruto to the back of the building where he was sitting on a couch near the bar with a can of beer. Of course, that bartender gave him a beer.
"Look, I'm sorry for complaining," I said, dropping down right by his side. Naruto gave me a side-eye before pulling the can up to his lips. "Honestly, you should be happy I came here at all… I just wanted to feel like I support your interests."
"Do you support my interests?" he asked, eyebrow cocked.
"I'm here, aren't I?" That earned me a small smile, and I was thankful because if I had any chance of talking to that dark-haired beauty, I was going to need Naruto's help.
"I'll try and do better," I promised, laying it on thick. "I get that you're just trying to expose me to new things, but show me some grace, okay? All of this is totally not my speed, so give me some time to catch up. I'll come around eventually—maybe, probably not if this next band sounds anything like the last one."
"They don't; they are significantly a lot better," he assured me.
"So you say."
"Trust me, they are," Naruto insisted.
"We'll see," I murmured, already plotting my next move. As much as this night was a cacophony of discomfort, my mission was clear: win over the dark angel, even if it meant surviving another set of ear-splitting tunes. I'd play the supportive friend, stroke Naruto's ego a bit if it meant keeping him on my side. After all, I was here now, and I wasn't about to let the opportunity slip through my fingers. Not when victory—or at least a proper introduction—was just a strategic maneuver away.
Naruto and I rose from the depths of the sticky, smoke-scented couch as the band launched into their opening number. The sudden burst of a well-tuned guitar riff cut through the chatter of the crowd, transforming the air into a pulsing, electrified mass. Unlike the previous act, this band knew how to wield their instruments, creating a sound that was loud without being an outright assault on the ears. Their energy swept through the venue, ensnaring even the most stoic of listeners—myself reluctantly included. We made our way to the back of the crowd, positioning ourselves on the subtle boundary that blurred between the pulsating concert area and the more subdued lounge. This strategic spot allowed us to dip our toes into the electric energy of the live music while still retaining a quick escape to the calmer, dimly lit refuge of the bar area.
"They actually know how to play," I admitted, raising my voice to be heard over the cascade of sound. The melody was chaotic, yes, but it had a structure, a rhythm that made sense, that you could lose yourself in if you weren't careful.
Naruto, visibly thrilled, pulled his mouth into a large vulpine-like grin. "Told you! They're brilliant!" His face lit up with a boyish glee that was both infectious and slightly obnoxious. He began to bob his head vigorously with the music.
As the lead singer wailed into the microphone, his voice carrying a raw, passionate edge that actually harmonized with the guitars, I found myself inadvertently tapping my foot. Maybe it was the energy in the room, or maybe it was the way the drummer hit the cymbals with a ferocity that felt like it could crack the very foundation of the building—we were caught in a musical whirlwind.
And then, as if summoned by my reluctantly admiring thoughts, he appeared. The dark angel, casually weaving through the crowd with a swagger that seemed to mock the very concept of effort. His presence was like a cool shadow in the heat of the venue, his attire stark against the backdrop of flailing limbs and spilled drinks.
"Hey, there he is," I muttered under my breath to Naruto, pulling his arm. I was trying to sound nonchalant but I reckon I sounded more like I'd just spotted a celebrity at a coffee shop.
Naruto, mid-headbang, paused and followed my gaze. "Oh, the broody roadie?" he said, a bit too loudly. His voice carried, and a few nearby heads turned, not that the dark angel seemed to notice—or care.
"Stop being obvious!" I shot back, rolling my eyes but unable to suppress a nervous giggle. Naruto's complete lack of a filter was normally a hazard, but tonight, it was just another element of the chaos.
As the handsome stranger approached, his stride confident and measured, my heart skipped to the beat of the bass drum. He stopped not far from us, his gaze sweeping over the crowd before settling on our less-than-discreet duo. His smirk was a mix of challenge and amusement—as if he'd caught us staring, which, embarrassingly, we had been.
He took a few steps towards us, closing the gap "Enjoying the show?" he asked, his voice somehow cutting through the noise with an ease that felt almost supernatural. His eyes locked onto mine, and for a moment, the rest of the room faded to a blur.
"Uh, yeah, it's... good," I stammered, mentally kicking myself for sounding like a star-struck fan. Beside me, Naruto's cheer for the vocalist cut through the tension—a clear, ringing endorsement that filled the air. He then turned to me, flashing a mischievous grin. "What she means to say is that it's the best thing she's ever heard, but she's just too cool to admit it," he teased, giving me a sideways glance that said he was enjoying this far too much.
The dark angel chuckled , a sound that was more felt than heard, a low, resonant hum that seemed to vibrate on the same frequency as the bass. "Glad to hear it. You guys new here?"
"Just trying to broaden our musical horizons," I quipped, recovering my composure. "He's the fan. I'm just the tagalong."
"Looks like you picked a good night to tag along," he replied, his gaze holding mine a beat longer than necessary. The interaction was charged, a dance of looks and words that felt as orchestrated as the music thundering around us.
As the band kicked off another song, the dark angel was abruptly ushered away by a large guy. He gave us a nod as he left, and his departure carved out a palpable void. I watched his retreating figure, feeling a complex mix of relief and disappointment stir within me.
"Smooth, Sakura. Real smooth," Naruto goaded, bumping his shoulder against mine.
"Yeah, laugh it up," I shot back, but the edges of my lips betrayed me, curling into an involuntary smile.
As Naruto and I shared a light-hearted moment, the air thickened, the ambiance shifting subtly, Out of the corner of my eye, I caught the dark haired roadie returning as abruptly as he had left. In his hand, he casually twirled a lit blunt, the ember glowing like a beacon in the dim light.
He took a leisurely drag, his eyes smoldering under the low lights before they locked onto mine with an intensity that felt almost tangible. He exhaled slowly, the smoke curling around him like a spectral shroud, and extended the blunt toward me with a nonchalant grace. "Care to join?" He offered, his voice a low rumble that seemed to resonate just beneath the music's surface.
I felt a magnetic pull, an almost gravitational draw to his brooding aura. My hand, trembling slightly, reached out to accept his offer. As our fingers brushed, a shiver coursed up my arm, capturing me in a moment of utter captivation. The contact sent a jolt through me—electric and a little too intense.
Before I could bring it to my lips, Naruto's hand snapped forward, plucking the blunt from my grasp with a fluid motion that spoke of protective instincts, or perhaps possessiveness. He brought it to his lips, his inhale deep, almost defiant. "She's good," he declared, his voice a pointed blade of ice, slicing through the charged air.
The dark angel's eyes narrowed slightly, amusement flickering through them as he watched Naruto. The air between them crackled with a fierce, unspoken challenge, a silent clash of wills that I could almost hear over the music.
Naruto exhaled a cloud of smoke, his stare never wavering from the dark angel's gaze. "Trying to impress or intimidate?" he asked, his tone balancing on the edge of confrontation and curiosity.
The handsome stranger chuckled—a sound that was more a vibration than a noise—and leaned in closer. "Maybe a bit of both," he replied, his voice smooth, almost teasing.
I stood there, sandwiched between the two, feeling like a spectator in my own life. The dynamic between Naruto and the dark angel was intense, almost crackling with an aggressive kind of chemistry that I couldn't quite understand. Was this a showdown? A competition? Or something more complicated? My heart raced, caught up in the drama, my earlier resolve melting into a mix of fascination and apprehension.