"Really? Your hair just stays like that?" Shikamaru remarked skeptically as he looked down at the comb that had failed to tame his friend's hair.
Naruto gave a triumphant chuckle as he scratched the back of his head. The tuxedo that he was ordered had fit him perfectly and he had just been thanking Shikamaru a thousand times over for it. "It's always been this way. Besides, your ponytail isn't as fancy as it could be either."
"Point taken," his friend agreed with a shrug as he tossed the comb over his shoulder. He was not about to compromise by having to actually put time and effort into his hair. "So, what are you going to tell Gai about the waltz? The pattern will be thrown off if you aren't there in the opening dance."
The blond shrugged as they descended down the steps of the dorm, seeing many other boys getting ready like they had. When they stepped outside the sun had been low in the western sky, casting an orange haze that had shone through the trees with a magnificent glow. The air was cool against his hands, and he fit them into his pockets as they carefully walked up the dirt path to keep their clothes clean. At a time like this nothing had to be said.
Shikamaru had refused to hear the monologue until it was performed, and they had already done all they could to prepare for this moment. Naruto could not have asked for a better friend that would help him through anything like Shikamaru did. With his friend walking by his side as they approached the campus it did not look as foreboding as it had in the beginning. There was a newfound confidence that was sparked within him that gave him the courage to face his obstacles from this point on. What a coincidence that, when he decided this, his first obstacle was to survive the most important night of the year.
"Naruto! Shikamaru!" The familiar cry brought their attentions to Gai who still looked silly, even when he was dressed so nicely. "I need you to line up with your escorts in the corridor on the right of the main hall. Our guests have already started to arrive so we're going to be starting the opening waltz soon!"
"Oh... About that..." Naruto mumbled as he looked down at the ground to avoid his teacher's gaze.
"I'll see you inside," Shikamaru stated with a short wave before he retreated quickly into the main building. Great moral support there, buddy.
"Naruto?" Gai inquired, the worry was evident in his voice now.
"I'm sorry..." he started after taking in a reassuring breath. "But my partner—"
"—I'm here! Sorry I'm late!"
He jumped up at the interjection as he was approached by Kakashi who was closely followed by Sakura, and she was breathtaking. Her pink hair was pinned up with red flowers that accented her flowing red gown of lace and silk. The color seemed to give a rosy tint to her usually pale complexion that gave her a radiant glow.
"Sakura?" He questioned with perplexity before her dainty fingers took hold of his wrist.
"Come on, Naruto! We don't want to be late!"
Without enough time to even look back at the two teachers for a farewell he was dragged into the building and led down a series of hallways. He kept silent, afraid to disturb the peace they were having, whatever it may have been called. If there was one thing he did not expect tonight it was that Sakura would ever speak to him again. Her grasp on his wrist let up as she began to slow her pace.
"Sakura... If you don't want to dance with me, I understand."
"When will you get it through that incredibly thick skull of yours?" She interrupted with the gentle question as she looked back at him with a contented smile. "I wouldn't be here if I didn't want to."
Even though looking at her made his heart ache from the guilt he could not stop the smile that curved his lips as they continued to stare.
"I'm sorry, Naruto," she added, placing a finger on his lips before he could speak, "for not being there for you when you needed me most. I had been bothered by the idea of you and Sasuke becoming so close, but I made it impossible for you to approach me about it. I'm sorry if that ever made you feel alone... I never wanted that."
His chest began to ache even more as he nodded in a silent acceptance of her apology. "I'm sorry too."
"I don't want you to be sorry that it happened."
"I'm not," he said with a shake of his head before he gathered the courage to look into those emerald eyes. "I'm sorry that it hurt."
Even though he felt the sadness agonize him bit by bit she managed to smile weakly. This smile was painful to look at because it attempted to ignore the obvious turmoil he witnessed in her eyes. All he could do was admire her strength in having come this far with him, and for not abandoning him at such an important time. If he was going to survive this night, he was going to need all the help he could get.
They met up with their other classmates who had lined themselves just outside the doors that led into the main hall. Kiba and Ino were one of the few in front who had the courage to peek into the hall and inform those behind them of what was going on. Apparently it was beginning to fill up faster than they thought, and almost all of the guests had arrived.
The superintendent was present as well as few members from the city council and important company figures, Itachi Uchiha being among them.
Naruto clenched his jaw to keep from shivering so he could maintain his composure. That was not what he needed to know at the moment. Before his mind could burst out into a series of confused musings and second guessing he felt a gentle squeeze against his palm. When he looked over to Sakura she offered him a comforting smile as Gai leaned in through the slightly open door. There was nothing that could help the rapid heartbeat that made his hands begin to shake.
"Alright everyone," he began with an encouraging thumbs-up. "This is it! The music is going to start and you guys will make your entrance."
Oh god...
"Just relax and give it your all!" And with that the teacher disappeared behind the door and the students assumed the right positions.
That's not a good combination at all! He tried to calm his panicked thoughts as he wrapped an arm around Sakura's waist and held out his hand so she could place hers on top of his gingerly. An orchestra began to play the entrance music so loudly that it echoed through the corridor making him jump from the anticipation. The line started to move forward as the doors were opened for them.
At first, the various lights that were strung along the walls and the many chandeliers blinded him as they emerged from the darkness of the hallway. He kept a very straight posture as he led Sakura to the center of the hall that had been kept clear for their entrance. His eyes scanned the surrounding people as flashes of various cameras encircled them and trapped him and his peers in a shield of white. When they were all in position he stood in front of Sakura and they faced each other in silence as the entrance music slowly came to a close.
"I want to thank all of you for joining us this evening for our annual Konoha Academy Ball," Kakashi spoke from the stage that was set up to their right. The orchestra had already exited and the silver haired teacher had all the attention on him throughout the short applause. "It is my pleasure to introduce two of our students who will be our first performers tonight." He couldn't help but turn his head, along with several other classmates to watch as Hinata and Sasuke walked onto the stage. "Please welcome Sasuke Uchiha and Hinata Hyuuga as they play our students through our opening waltz."
There was a loud applause that was much more enthusiastic than when they had entered. If he thought his heart was beating fast before, the faster pace at which it started to pound in his chest had become almost too painful. Lights began to dim their audience until the only ones who could be seen were his classmates and the couple on stage.
Hinata backed away, her dark blue dress trailing her movements until she sat at the black grand piano in the back. She plays piano? Sasuke, at the same time, grabbed a small instrument from the side of the stage before he stepped back into the light with a violin in hand. That's what he was carrying before... It was the music I was hearing.
The raven stepped up to the microphone with the instrument behind his back. His expression was void of any emotion as he spoke with a despondent tone. "Am I alive? I cannot tell anymore. Only with a pull against the strings can this story be told. Even though I know you never meant to hurt anyone, it doesn't matter because in the end it hurts just the same." The introduction was recited dully as Sasuke's eyes briefly met his in a piercing stare before he stepped back from the microphone and positioned the violin under his chin.
Naruto bit his lip as he pried his eyes away from the Uchiha and situated himself to begin the dance. The piano began a soft slow tune as the violin chimed in with a disheartening noise. Its melody remained precise as it followed the guidance of the light piano keys. The image of rain falling from a darkened sky filled his mind as he felt his fingers grow colder. There was something oddly familiar about that sound that struck a certain nerve, as if he had felt this way before. He moved slowly, looking to his left as he led Sakura in rhythm to the heartrending song and catching a brief glimpse of the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.
When Sasuke moved the bow across the delicate strings with his eyes closed it was as if he could feel what the song was trying to tell him. Only then, when Sasuke's eyes were not looking back at him, could he clearly see the misery etched into the older boy's features. It was like Sasuke was lost in his own world; there was no ball, no school, nothing. Naruto could feel his chest begin to throb as he let himself be engrossed in this world that the sad strings created in his mind.
As they whisked across the floor artlessly they moved to the dismal song as if acting out its story. They waltzed together, moving in a single uniform motion, but there was also something so forlorn about it that he had never noticed before. Their eyes would never meet because that was not the nature of the dance. They formed these bonds of trust and friendship to be able to come closer together and hold each other, but they were not allowed to look at one another. As the song continued to tell its sad tale he only felt more lonely until the music finally drew to a frightening close, and they bowed to each other.
When he looked up he let out a shaky breath, seeing the expression on Sakura's face which had become more dejected than when they had begun. There was a chilling silence that followed the end of the song as Hinata walked next to Sasuke to take a final bow. The applause started slowly before everyone was snapped out of their sullen trance and began to clap more earnestly.
"Are you okay, Naruto?" she asked with a worried stare as the light began to brighten once more.
"Y-yeah," he answered clumsily as he forced a feeble smile. He tried to voice what he was thinking over the loud buzz the applause was making. "It was just..."
"Sad?"
"Lovely," he finished as they looked at each other awkwardly. "I didn't think a little music would move me so much..."
Sakura shrugged as she wrapped an arm around his as the regular orchestra began to play a much more upbeat tune. "It tends to do that to the person it's directed at."
He looked down at her with a puzzled stare before he looked back up to see that Hinata and Sasuke had already left the stage. He would have never guessed that Sasuke had that kind of talent in him. He was such a reserved person with a bitter exterior; how could he have known that the young raven would be able express himself through such a charming medium? Was that song Sasuke's way of conveying his feelings to Naruto all because he was so reluctant to just listen to him?
Was he alive anymore?
They moved from the center to allow others to join in the rehearsed dances that he never had the time to practice. He never entertained the idea of dancing the night away in the first place. He led Sakura to the other side of the room while nodding at those who barely acknowledged him with a polite grin as they weaved through the elegantly dressed crowd.
"You seem to be holding it together today," Sakura whispered as she flashed a sophisticated smile to a group of adults who waved to her. "Does that mean you have a monologue prepared?"
"I suppose it does," he sighed as he allowed himself to breathe once everyone's attention was drawn to the stage for another performance. His mind didn't focus on much else but trying to calm his racing heart and remember all of the lines he had been rehearsing until the early hours of the morning. "I'm not sure how the night is going to go."
"Naruto!" Hinata called to him as she maneuvered her way through the crowd.
"Oh man..." He breathed with a slight groan as he looked to Sakura for help. "What now?"
"I think you owe it to her," Sakura whispered before speaking up as she stated, "I think I'll go powder my nose." And just like that, he was left to face the young Hyuuga girl on his own.
"Good evening, Hinata," he greeted weakly with a bow as she finally reached him,
She panted slightly as if she had been running around for a while. A short nod was all he received in greeting as she took another moment to catch her breath.
"Umm... Your performance was astounding," he complimented, hoping to spark a conversation about nothing at all. "I didn't know that you knew how to play the piano."
"I guess there are a lot of things that we don't know about each other," she stated softly with a miserable look to the blond.
He bowed his head in admittance to guilt as he fidgeted with his hands. "Hinata... I... I never wanted to hurt anyone."
"I never asked for this," she added numbly as she began to rub her arm nervously. "And I saw what happened... On Thursday."
He felt his face flush as he tried to shake the redness from his cheeks. "I don't know what you want me to say. I can't apologize for what other people feel anymore."
"I never said I wanted one," she pointed out with a slight frown, and he wished that he could say something to make her smile again. "What I wanted to know is how you feel about all of this."
He could not suppress an ironic chuckle as he looked up at one of the chandeliers. Its light reflected brilliantly off of his eyes as he curved his lips into a smile. When he looked back down at Hinata there was a bit more color to her face; she was no longer frowning and had actually managed to smile a little. "I guess we're going to find out."
"Hinata." The two jumped as the small girl squeaked when her cousin emerged from the crowd. "I've been looking for you."
"Neji," she stammered as she took a step back towards Naruto. This was bad. He was hoping to resolve some problems tonight, not make them worse. He could never tell how a situation was going to turn out when Neji was there.
There was more applause to signal the end of one of the performances that made the Hyuuga pause before he spoke. "You look thirsty, Hinata," he declared with a polite gesture to the drinks being served on the other side of the room. "Why don't you help yourself?"
"I'm sorry, Naruto," she whispered under her breath before she obeyed her cousin's demand.
"She found me."
"I'm not in the mood for excuses, Naruto," Neji groaned as his left hand rubbed his temple lightly. He looked even more handsome in such elegant attire, and it was obviously much nicer than his own. His hair was pulled back neatly as always but in this kind of setting Neji seemed to radiate a certain air of power wherever he went. He was quite a compelling person. "I would ask you to stay out of trouble this evening but I don't want to jinx it."
"Okay, I'll admit I deserved that one," Naruto said with a gulp as he tried to stand tall. There was still a part of him that didn't want to make the Hyuuga angry and silently begged for some form of acceptance. He wanted to see the Neji that was unafraid to speak his mind again, but he might have been lost after what had happened. "But I was just trying to make her feel better."
"You can't please everybody. Sometimes you have to leave things as they are," he whispered curtly, making sure that their conversation could not be heard. Naruto felt nervous talking about it as well, knowing that if something had slipped in front of this crowd then everyone in the world could read about it the very next morning. The thought alone was unnerving enough.
"Neji, what's with you running off? I can't find Hinata anywhere."
His heart jumped into his throat as his eyes widened when Sasuke approached them, almost blindly. The raven stopped immediately when his eyes rested on the blond before his eyes darted back to the Hyuuga. Neji closed his eyes tightly, obviously exasperated as he seemed to contemplate what to do next. This is bad. He didn't want to face him right now, and moreover, he didn't want to face Neji and Sasuke at the same time.
"Naruto!" Sakura's heels clicked against the smooth ground as she ran up to him, quick to wrap her arm around his as she looked at the other two boys. "Can we help you gentlemen?"
Naruto could not pry his eyes away from Sasuke, who had refused to meet his gaze again. Now, there was a readable sorrow in his eyes that only made him want to reach out and comfort the Uchiha.
"Why yes, Miss Haruno," a cool voice spoke, alarming all of them. Itachi stepped next to Naruto, a wine glass in hand, as he made a gesture towards his little brother. "Sasuke was hoping to have this dance with you."
"What?" Sasuke questioned sharply while still retaining a calm expression. His gaze turned murderous as he glared at the older Uchiha.
"You have found her, now," Itachi continued as if that had been the case all along. "Do not be rude." That last part sounded more threatening as his tone lowered dangerously.
Sasuke's lips curled into a thin line as he took in a breath through his nose. Without another word he bowed stiffly while holding his hand out to Sakura. "My lady, could I have this dance?"
Sakura looked up to Naruto with a mortified expression that practically begged him to intervene. The blond glanced at Itachi who was looking out at the crowd as if the situation didn't bother him at all. He felt that if he denied her this dance that he would be made to regret it later, so he nodded his head in a silent agreement as he pulled his arm away from her. She turned to Sasuke, and back to Naruto with a look of helplessness before she placed her hand on top of Sasuke's.
"I'll excuse myself," Neji stated hurriedly with a quick bow as he left the two to stand alone together.
"I don't want to talk to you," Naruto mumbled resentfully, though found that his anger was only short lived in the older man's presence. He didn't want this conversation to start.
"Be that as it may it looked like the situation needed to be relieved of so much tension," Itachi explained after he took a small sip from his glass. There was more applause as another song was being played to begin a new dance. "Naturally, I cannot have you upsetting our future business leaders tonight."
"If you were really as smart as everyone thinks you are, you'd open your eyes for two seconds to see that they were pretty disturbed to begin with," Naruto spat, feeling his self righteousness give way to courage.
"You are children," Itachi countered, undisturbed by the blond's venting. "You do not know how to contain that capricious nature that makes you that way."
"Being impulsive because of your youth isn't a bad thing. It's in our nature to do things on a whim, make mistakes, and develop feelings," Naruto's voice held a hint of plea. He wanted to be genuinely heard by the older brother. "What you've done Itachi... You've put them in a cage before they had the chance to know what those feelings were."
"And what did I do it for?" So he knew what he had done, but did that mean he was admitting to his guilt?
Naruto thought it over again, and it was a point that only troubled him to think about. He had gathered that Itachi wasn't a cruel person by nature. There was a selflessness that he acted upon to ensure that his little brother would have something to attain when he left the academy. "You did it... To protect him from failure."
"Perhaps there is hope for you yet, Naruto," he added with a slight smirk which made Naruto blush unexpectedly. If only he wasn't as stunning as he was; it might have been easier to talk to him without feeling so insecure.
"The same goes to you."
Itachi finally took his eyes from the crowd to stare at the blond. The expression was blank for the most part with his brow only raised slightly in mild inquisition. He didn't know that the Uchiha was capable of looking puzzled, so he took the look as a victory of some sort. He smiled at the older brother as he looked up to the stage to see Kakashi walking to the microphone as the song ended.
"Before we proceed with the event of the evening we have one last performer. He is our rookie actor who is full of many surprises, and we hope that you all enjoy him. Please give a round of applause for Naruto Uzumaki."
Shit! He panicked slightly before he ran to the stage without saying goodbye to Itachi. For some reason, he had completely forgotten who he was going after.
"Naruto?" Kakashi spoke into the microphone after the short applause had ceased.
"I'm here!" he shouted from the center of the room as he pushed passed the guests to get to the stage.
His teacher cleared his throat almost uncomfortably as he set the microphone on the stand again. Naruto climbed onto the stage with a slight pant as Kakashi put a hand on his shoulder with a comforting smile. "Break a leg."
I almost wish you would say "good luck" instead.