"We should try to stop her," Nagato suggested, watching the ongoing events unfold along with all the others.
"But he did bring it upon himself," Sakura reasoned, which caused her former teammate and crush to shoot a glare in her direction. Ren had to agree with the pink haired female, and sat back to watch the show.
While the younger Uchiha was distracted by glaring at his laughing older brother, he had created an opening for the short ebony haired girl who made her move. She lifted the frying pan she had found in one of the kitchen cabinets high above her head, and brought it down on the youngest Uchiha's head. Sasuke fell to the ground clutching his head with both hands. He looked up at Kim, only to find her smirking down at him. He swung one of his legs out in a wide reaching arc, making the girl fall over on her side beside him.
"You ass-wipe," the ebony haired girl cried, making a grab for her younger brother's arm, but he twisted out of her grasp and she had gotten a fistful of his hair instead.
"Ahhhhhhh! Let go," Sasuke commanded, his voice strained. Every time he tried to get his hair free of her grip, she would clench her fist and pull harder. Getting frustrated with the fact that he was getting nowhere, he scooted closer to her and got a fistful of her hair, and every time she pulled her did the same.
"Foolish little brother," Itachi muttered under his breath. Then he stood up and tried to pull Kim and Sasuke away from each other, but when he got to close, Kim kicked him in the shin. Then Sasuke knocked him down with one swift kick to the back of his knees. The eldest Uchiha sat up and tried to pry them apart, yet again. Somehow Itachi had ended up taking part in all the hair pulling.
"I have a feeling that this is going to be happening quite often from now on, un," Deidara commented as he observed the odd scene before him. Not once had he ever seen Itachi as... out of control and unserious as he was at the moment. To everyone who had personally knew the three, it was an odd sight to see. Kim was usually quiet and shy in a room full of people and refused to let her anger show or take it out on someone, but she was doing just that. Sasuke was the 'brooding in a corner' type of guy, and the only time he ever lost his cool was around Naruto. Everyone thought it was cute the way they were 'bonding' as siblings.
After a bit of more fighting they had finally calmed down. They didn't necessarily clam down, they had basically worn themselves out and weren't able to go on any longer. Itachi sat Indian style beside the other two, and Kim was sitting on top of Sasuke's, who was lying sprawled out on his stomach, back with her arms crossed.
"Can someone explain what just happened," Kakashi asked, looking up from his book for the first time since the fight had started. He had come back to the room a few minutes after Kim, mainly because Pakkun had wanted something from the snack machine. When he had entered the room, he had made it just in time to see Kim chasing after Sasuke with a frying pan. No one explained what was going on to him since they were too busy watching the fighting siblings.
"Sasuke's an idiot, that's what happened," Kim grumbled. Said idiot got annoyed and rolled over to his side forcing the girl that was sitting on his back to land painfully on the stone floor. She glared at him. Just as they were about to start fighting again Itachi pushed them away from each other and sat in between them, wrapping Kim in a bear hug, pinning her arms to her chest and restraining Sasuke with his legs.
"Teme told Nee-chan's mother that she could out sing her at the New Year's Countdown Concert, dattebayo," Naruto explained. "Apparently she has a severe case of stage fright." Everyone, aside from Kim and Hinata, stared at him.
"Naruto, since when did you use words like 'apparently' and 'severe'," Sakura asked confused.
"I can do the smart-talk, too, 'ttebayo," the blond cried, pouting. After a few more minutes of receiving odd stares he broke. "Nee-chan and Hina-chan have been helping me with my school work." The indigo haired girl blushed at the new nickname her crush had given her.
"Hey," Kim shouted, trying to get everyone's attention. "What are we going to do about the whole upstaging my mother thing?"
"Maybe she forgot about it already," Jade suggested with a shrug of her shoulders. "Your mother seems like the air-headed, in one ear and out the other, type. I bet she's forgotten all about it by now."
"I guess you're right," Kim agreed, her stomach spinning in discomfort.
***
The next morning, they found themselves seated in one of the resort's many restaurants eating breakfast. Everything was back to normal, and it seemed that no one remember Sasuke's idiotic declaration.
"I want pancakes, dattebayo," Naruto shouted out his order. It caused two different reactions from two different girls. Hinata giggled at his loudness, and Sakura smacked him across the head. "Hina-chan, protect me," the blond exclaimed as he buried his head in the indigo haired girl's shoulder.
"Do-" Sasuke was cut off when something sickeningly-sweet was shoved into his mouth.
"I don't want to hear any of your nonsense," Kim hissed, tired of the younger boy's commentary. Sasuke glared at her and spit out sweet bread he had in his mouth out into his napkin. "Ewwww! That's gross!"
"That's disgusting," Itachi muttered in disgust.
"I don't like sweets," Sasuke defended himself.
"How can you not like sweets? Itachi can eat at least ten sticks of dango by himself," Nagato said, wondering how the two were even related.
"Then there was that time he ate like twenty boxes of pocky in one day, un," Deidara added, shuddering at the memory.
"Not to mention all the candy he scarfed down at Jade's birthday party," Konan pointed out.
"What the hell," Sasuke exclaimed. He was giving his brother really strange looks. Itachi was just sitting there drenching his chocolate chip pancakes in syrup and pilling fruit onto his plate.
"What," the eldest Uchiha asked when he felt everyone staring at him.
"How can you eat that much sweets," Kim asked. She thanked the waitress who placed her omelette down in front of her and prepped the first bite. "I've tried, but I always end up getting headaches or throw up. Last time I want to the dentist, I had two cavities."
"I bet he does," Sakura added, scooping more fruit cocktail into her bowl. "You can't eat as many sweets as he does and not have any repercussions."
"Why is everyone suddenly so interested in my teeth," Itachi asked confused. He was wondering how the conversation had went from Sasuke not liking sweets to how many cavities he might have.
"You can all go to the dentist when we get back to the states," Ren told them, jumping into the conversation for the first time in hopes of ending it. Was it too much to ask that they let him enjoy his breakfast with some peace and quiet?
"Hey! You're Bianca Garcia's daughter right," a tall man with green eyes and light brown hair asked as he walked up to the table. Ren let his fork drop to his place with a clatter, rubbing the place between his eyebrows. Maybe it was too much to ask.
"Uh, yeah," said daughter answered unsurely around a mouthful of omelette. She stared at the man, who wore a pair of kaki pants and a blue freshly ironed button down shirt. She swore she had seen him somewhere before.
"I'm Juan Gutierrez." It all came back to her. The man was a popular Latin American actor from Cuba, most known for his many roles in daytime Spanish soaps. "I'll be the host of the New Year's Eve Event. I heard about your challenge to your mother about giving the better performance, and then I thought 'Hey this would make great television!' I can see it now Bianca Garcia versus, what's your name again?" He looked at her in confusion, his mind drawing a blank.
"Kimberly Cruz," she supplied.
"Ah! Bianca Garcia versus Kimberly Cruz." He held his hands out up in the air, as if envisioning a banner. "The sing off between mother and daughter-"
"Um... yeah about that," Kim cut in, trying to clear up the misunderstanding Sasuke had caused in the heat of the moment. "You see my idiot brother was bluffing, and it's all just a big misunderstanding."
"Yeah, well... you can't get out of it now," the man retorted with a frown. "I've already paid for the advertisement. So you have no choice other than to write a song and perform it live on national television. I will see you on the 31st." With that the man walked away.
"Sasuke," Kim growled out, her right eye twitching. Everyone in the entire restaurant could feel her killer intent radiating from her, though most did not know what it was. "You are going to help me write a song and compose all the music, and you are going to be my personal assistant."
"What's a personal assistant," Sasuke asked confused.
"It's basically a nicer term for lackey," Hana informed him, remembering a mission she had once taken to guard a reporter that had no sense of self preservation. She thought for a moment, then added, "Errand boy." Itachi choked back a laugh at the look of horror that passed over his little brother's face. Kim rounded on him.
"Since you think it's so funny, you're helping me too." She grabbed both of the boys by the fronts of their shirts and dragged them off to Kami only knows where.
***
The three days to New Year's Eve passed by swiftly. Kim had found out that the hotel resort had a private music room. After a bit of explaining to the manager she had gotten him to let her use the room with no interruptions from the other guests or staff members, aside from room service. When all that was done, Kim dragged Sasuke and Itachi into the room, and they were only seen during meals or when Jade forced them to come out and actually enjoy everything the island resort had to offer.
All too soon, the day of the concert arrived. Before the concert was the fashion show. They were seated in the audience in the front row along the circular stage. The models came out from the side of the stage, dressed in the showcasing designers' clothing for the next season, walked along the stage, struck a pose on both sides and in the center, and then walked back to where they came out from to change into the next outfit. They were all bored out of their minds, and not even Jade, who loved all things designer, was having a good time. Everyone had noticed the quick glares Bianca shot towards Kim, the betrayed stares directed at Ren, or the flirty little smiles she gave Kakashi.
Finally, the fashion show had come to an end. Kim, Itachi, and Sasuke got up from their seats and headed backstage while everyone else remained seated. When they got backstage they went directly to the dressing room that was reserved for them. They all changed into their performance outfits. A woman came into the room blabbing about how excited she was to be doing the make-up of her idol. Once the woman said that, Itachi pushed her out of the room, and Kim settled in the chair in front of the mirror to do her own hair and makeup with the help of Sasuke and Itachi.
They were all standing to the side of the stage waiting for their turn. Kim was wearing a long silky robe that went down to the floor covering her dress. A former designer Bianca had gotten blacklisted, had gone up to her and asked her if he could design the perfect dress for her. He showed her some of his previous work, and she agreed. When she saw the finished dress for the first time she simply loved it.
"Nervous," Sasuke asked the ebony haired girl. She was playing with the ties on her robe seeming to be getting frustrated with them, and then she was playing with her hair by twirling locks of it around her fingers.
"A little," she replied, brushing her long bangs to the side and patting them down.
"You should be," a voice said from beside them. They turned their heads to see none other that Bianca Garcia the horrible mother, and like Kim, she was wearing a robe. Juan Gutierrez had just finished explaining everything to the audience and had just called out to Bianca. She gave Kim a smirk. Letting her robe slide down her shoulders, she made her way out to center stage with practiced ease.
Though Bianca was a horrible woman, she looked amazing in her aqua-blue floor length, empire waist with silver belts bedazzled with blue and green gems under her bust. Her hair was in a crazy up-do with a braid going over her head like a headband and a few locks of curled hair framing her face. There was a light purple orchid placed in her hair. Her makeup consisted of pink blush, black mascara, black eyeliner on the top of the eyelid and under the eye, a soft gray eye shadow that made her icy blue eyes pop, and a light coral pink lipstick.
"I would like to dedicate this song to a certain someone special out in the audience tonight," she announced sending a wink in Kakashi's direction. The white haired man, and fearless Jonin, tried to make himself as small and invisible as possible.
After she had said that, the band began to play a familiar beat. It was the song that Kim had worked on for three days straight. Backstage the Uchiha Trio froze in shock. Snapping back to their senses, their heads snapped over to Bianca who was standing center stage. Kim had caught her eye, and the blue eyed woman sent her a bright smile. Then she opened her mouth and began to sing the song that her daughter had worked so hard on.
"You can't go out and sing the same song. What are you going to do," Itachi asked softly, placing a calming hand on his little sister's trembling shoulder. On the inside, he was seething with rage and it took everything he had to keep his bloodline limit from activating. Kim had worked so hard to write that song, and Bianca had somehow gotten a hold of it. When had she even gotten the song?
"I...I might have an idea. How fast can you guys memorize new sheet music," Kim asked almost uncertainly. At first, she was angry when she heard her mother, if she could even be called that, singing her song, but then she really got to thinking about it and her anger began to wane. It was so Bianca. She should have expected it. Then she remembered something from a long time ago. It was back during the last few months she spent living with her mother. A song she had written when she had reached her lowest point, right before she made up her mind to leave and find her father.
"What are you planning," Sasuke asked curious. He was feeling the same way as his brother. She had forced him into helping her write the lyrics and compose the music, and before that she had chased him around with a frying pan because he was the sole reason she was even performing in the first place.
"Here," she said, handing the two brothers separate folded up sheets of music she kept in the black notebook she carried with her at all times. Sasuke got the sheet music for the piano, and Itachi had gotten the sheet music for the violin. Learning to play the piano was another one of the things Kim had forced Sasuke to do, though the three of them had enjoyed learning to play each other's instruments. The brothers quickly activated their Sharingan and scanned over the sheet music and mimicked their hands as if they were playing their instrument.
When Bianca had finished singing she bowed graciously to the cheers of the audience and walked off the stage headed to the area where the three were standing. She flashed them all a smile and went to go take her seat that was in the front row of the stage. She took a seat right next to Kakashi, who let his obvious distaste for the woman show clear as day on his face. He, yet again, reminded her that he was dating her daughter.
Everyone focused their attention on the stage, they cheered as Itachi and Sasuke walked out on stage and took their places. Sasuke took his place beside a large black piano, Itachi was standing off to the side of the piano holding his violin, and the drummer was atop a platform. The Uchiha Brothers wore pressed black slacks with black button down shirts and white ties.
The audience held their breaths when Kim walked out on the stage, and took a seat behind the large piano. The girl who always hid from everyone, looked absolutely breathtaking. Kakashi felt his heart speed up in a way that only the missions he received as an ANBU could make it. He had to remind himself that they would be leaving soon and he would never see her again, but even he had to admit that she look beautiful. He couldn't help comparing her to an angel in that moment.
Kim's ebony hair had been straightened and then given loose curls and pinned to the side in a loose ponytail with her long bangs brushed to the side. Her makeup was kept simple; eyeliner was applied only to her eyelids which were covered in a light champagne eyeshadow, and her lips had an even redder tint than usual. She wore a floor length a-line dress with a deep v-neckline, lace bodice and a chiffon skirt with a slit running up to mid-thigh, exposing her left leg with every step she took. Thin straps wrapped over her shoulders and under her arms, holding the dress up and leaving her entire back, down to her hips, exposed.
"Um... I've never really done this before so just bear with me," Kim explained shyly, staring down at the piano key as she struggled to adjust her microphone. "I was originally going to sing a different song, but I've decided not to. Instead I'm going to sing a song that I had written a long time ago. It's really personal and close to my heart, and I really hope you all like it."
She lifted her head to look at all of her friends, family, in the audience. Her gaze lingered over her father a little longer than the others, then she locked gazes with her mother. Looking into her eyes, she knew that this was her chance to say the things she had not said before. She turned her head around to look at everyone up on the stage with her and gave them all a nod, telling them to get ready.
Smoke slowly began to cover the floor of the stage. With her hands hovering over the black and white keys, Kim took a calming breath. Then lowering her fingers, she began to play the first few bars of her song.
"Skies are crying, I am watching
Catching teardrops in my hands
Only silence, as it's ending
Like we never had a chance
Do you have to make me feel like
There's nothing left of me?
You can take everything I have
You can break everything I am
Like I'm made of glass
Like I'm made of paper
Go on and try to tear me down
I will be rising from the ground
Like a skyscraper, like a skyscraper
She removed the microphone from its stand and took to her feet as Sasuke slid in to take her place at the piano. The boy gave her hand a gentle squeeze of encouragement before she made her way to the edge of the stage. As she walked, the smoke covering the stage parted with the long flowy skirt of her dress.
As the smoke clears, I awaken
And untangle you from me
Would it make you, feel better
To watch me while I bleed?
All my windows still are broken
But I'm standing on my feet
You can take everything I have
You can break everything I am
Like I'm made of glass
Like I'm made of paper
Go on and try to tear me down
I will be rising from the ground
Like a skyscraper, like a skyscraper
Dark brown nearly black eyes stared into arctic blue eyes. Her heart felt heavy but she kept on singing even as her eyes began to burn from the unsteady tears and voice began to thicken with raw emotion.
Go run, run, run
I'm gonna stay right here,
Watch you disappear
Yeah-oh, go run, run, run
Yeah, it's a long way down
But I am closer to the clouds up here
You can take everything I have
You can break everything I am
Like I'm made of glass
Like I'm made of paper, oh-oh
Go on and try to tear me down
I will be rising from the ground
Like a skyscraper, like a skyscraper
(Like a skyscraper)
Like a skyscraper, like a skyscraper," she whispered the last line of the song bowing her head. Somewhere in the middle of the song she began to let her tears fall. She let her hand that was holding the microphone drop to rest at her side, afraid to look up.
Suddenly, cheers broke out through the crowd. Slowly lifting up her head she saw that the entire audience, aside from Bianca who was nowhere to be seen, was standing on their feet clapping, cheering, and whistling; they were giving her a standing ovation. A bright smile stretched across her face, and her eyes shined with happiness. They had all started to chant for an encore, and she gave it to them by performing a song called 'Lightweight' followed by 'Give Your Heart a Break.'
As soon as she was off of the stage, the man who designed her dressed stopped to thank her for supporting him. He then removed the detachable skirt which left her dress to fall just below her knees. Soon after, everyone gathered at the restaurant on the beach for the final countdown and the fireworks finale. When they were all together, they congratulated her. They showered her with hugs and praises. Deidara shocked everyone by giving her a hug, but what shocked them more was when she returned the hug with a smile on her face.
When all that was over and done with, the ebony haired girl made her way out to walk on the beach. She was still in her performance dress, and she had taken off her shoes and left them on a nearby bench along. It was already thirty minutes till midnight; thirty minutes until the new year.
The moon was hanging proudly in the center of the night sky. The only sounds that could be heard were the waves crashing on the shore, and the faint sound of music in the distance.
"You little bitch," a voice screeched from behind her. She whirled around in surprise, not even her training had allowed her to hear anyone approach her. Behind her, at the top of the stairs that lead down to the beach, stood her mother with tears streaming down her face. "You ruined everything! First you take that hot guy away from me! Then you try to take the spotlight away from me! And now because of you I'm going to look bad! I already got released from my contract at the modeling agency!"
"Is she bothering you," a deep and silky voice said, interrupting the woman's rant. Bianca groaned in frustration and stormed away, bumping shoulder with the man. Kim turned her head and caught sight of the white haired Hatake.
"Not anymore," Kim replied as she turned around fully in order to face him. She raised an eyebrow at him, crossing her arms. "Shouldn't you be at the party right now?"
"I could ask you the same thing," he retorted, casually walking down the stairs with his hands shoved in his pants' pockets. She noted how he ditched his suit jacket, and opted to roll the navy blue sleeves of his shirt up to his elbows. She thought over her response as Kakashi removed his shoes and socks, placing them along with hers, and rolled up his pant legs halfway.
"It was too loud, and I think I've had enough excitement for one night," she told him with a smile, linking her arm with his when he offered.
"That was some performance," he proclaimed, leading her down to the shoreline. He flashed he a teasing smile. "You really are a weird one."
"How am I weird," she whined, tugging on his arm while giving him a hopeless frown.
"I don't know. You just are," he mused with all his so-called wisdom.
"I'm going to start taking it as a compliment from now on," she joked.
They remained silent as they finally made it to where the sand met the water, letting the gentle waves wash over their feet. Kakashi stood and watched as the small woman released his his arm from her hold and walked deeper into the water, twirling as she went and then reaching a hand out for him. He took her hand and spun her around a few times, feeling the water soak the cuffs of his pants. Stopping, he pulled her in close, holding her hands to his chest.
"You know... it's about two minutes till midnight."
"I'm aware."
"As my boyfriend, are you going to give me a kiss at midnight," she asked playfully, giving the man a flirty smile. He pursed his lips, thinking, and then he shook his head 'no' like a little child. She pouted cutely before throwing her arms around his neck and he gave her one of his crinkled eye smiles. He touched his forehead to hers and brought up a hand to pull off the black bandana from the lower half of his face.
Her breath got caught in her throat at the sight of his exposed face. He did not have any deformities; there were no buck teeth, blimp lips or a small mouth. His face was not covered in an array of scars, nor did it have a freaky tan line. His skin was perfectly smooth, his skin tone even with a little mole beneath the left corner of his lower lip, and he had a strong jaw. She saw that his scar that went over his left eye stretched down to the top of his cheekbone. Bringing a hand up, she cupped his cheek and traced his scar with her thumb. He stiffened at first, but he soon relaxed into her touch.
"10!" They hear the beginning of the countdown in the distance.
"You don't have to," Kim reasoned, already knowing what he was thinking.
"9!"
"I know, but I want to," Kakashi explained. He reached up a hand and wrapped it around her wrist, turning his head to place a kiss on the palm of her hand.
"8!"
"Do you think that we could ever be a couple," she stuttered out, fighting back a shiver.
"7!"
"No."
"6!"
"Why not?"
"5!"
"We just can't."
"4!"
"Yes, we can."
"3!"
"No. We can't."
"2!"
"We can, if you'd just try!"
"1! Happy New Year!"
Their lips met, sealing the promise she made him. Her hands moved up to tangle themselves in his hair as he wrapped his arms around her and resting his hand on her exposed back, pressing her body flush against his chest. She couldn't help but think that she was enjoying his touch on her bare skin a little too much.
He loved the way her lips felt on his; soft and inviting and like nothing he had ever experienced before. His heart sped up in the same way it did when he was out on a mission as an ANBU. Three times in one night she had gotten that same reaction out of him. The first was when he saw her walk out onto that stage looking like an angel. The second, when she was singing in a way that seemed just for him. In his life and his career, he had many Kunoichi try and seduce him so that they could assassinate him but they always failed. If the small dark-eyed and ebony haired girl was the one to do the job, he would go happily and without a fight. The third time was the kiss she was giving him.
The way she made him actually feel, scared him to no end. As a shinobi he should not be feeling that way, she could be a liability. She was distracting him from creating a jutsu that could take him, along with the others, back home. In the back of his mind, a small part of him hoped that she proved him wrong. He hoped that she would make him stronger and not be a weakness.
He allowed his hands to slowly trail down her body until they reached her thighs, and lifted her off the ground. She wrapped her legs around his waist as he turned around and walked out of the water. Carefully, and without breaking their kiss, he laid her down on the dry sand. He would worry about everything else later and only focus on the now.