Like High School Didn't Suck Enough Already (A Konoha High Fanfic)

Chapter 24

Never give up, never give in. Always keep fig- I sigh in frustration and crumple up the sheet of paper in front of me. I knock it out of the way and pull out a fresh piece. Across the room I hear Suzume muttering to herself quietly, tapping her pen against the notebook in front of her.

I stare down the page in front of me with a glare, willing the words to form. After five minutes of intense concentration with zero results, I lean back in my chair and look at Suzume.

She's sitting against the wall of our hotel room, notebook resting on her knees as she attempts to balance her pen on her finger. "You look like you're being extremely productive." I say, sarcasm lacing my tone.

"Speeches are hard!" She defends and points accusingly at the pile of crumpled paper in the corner of the desk. "Besides it's not like you're doing much better!"

"I don't understand why Kira gave us the job of the motivational speech," I huff. "She's the coach, she should be doing it!"

"I know. All I can come up with are stupid cliché things to say that sound like they belong on Nike merchandise."

"Same. Plus, the game is in two hours and she wants us there an hour early to warm up and go through our pregame speeches and such. There's no way we'll be done in time!"

"We could, I dunno, just wing it?" She offers, looking unsure.

"Yeah, that sounds like a good idea." I mumble, trying to convince myself. "I got an A in speech class that way, maybe we can make something up on the spot. We just have to pray that it doesn't sound like a Nike advertisement."

"Easier said than done though."

The two of us fall into silence. The weight of our impending failure looms over us like a dark storm cloud waiting to let loose a torrent of rain. Though our inability to write our speeches isn't the only thing contributing to the heavy atmosphere.

It's been two weeks since I found out that the masked man had been working to tear the Uchiha family apart. Two weeks since I found out I might have to go back to Orochimaru, and in that time no one has been able to offer up a solid plan that didn't involve my return to hell. There's only three weeks left until the deadline is up and as the days drag on it becomes increasingly obvious that we have no other choice.

Both of us have started to pull away from our loved ones. I can see how painful it is for Suzume to think of leaving Sasuke, but she knows her duty to the Leaf is more important than their relationship. I have to break things off with Kou today after the game.

At least with the others, they know that what we're doing is for the good the organization, but with Kou it's different. I can't tell him anything. He's a shinobi of Suna and therefore our enemy. It's better for both of us if I end things without telling the truth. The thought makes me feel nauseous, but protecting my family comes before boys. Luckily Naruto offered to come with me as a way to make things slightly less awkward. I just hope Kou isn't as dangerous as Tenshi was implying, otherwise this break up could go worse than expected.

A knock on the door drags me out of my gloomy thoughts. I turn my gaze to Suzume as she stands and makes her way to the door. Before she can even open it fully, my brothers are busting in both with similar looks of annoyance and defeat.

"Please tell me the two of you are having luck with putting together a motivational speech for pregame," Sasuke begged, crashing down heavily on my bed. "Because the two of us have absolutely nothing."

Sorry," I shrug and gesture to my ever growing pile of reject speeches. "Can't help you."

"We're so screwed." Naruto moans and joins Sasuke on my bed.