Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ All-Girl's Sasuke ❯ Ribbon Heart ( Chapter 5 )

Info: Thank you all for your lovely reviews! Again, they will be answered in the end of this chapter. (grin) Even the threats sounded pretty. xDD This chapter is longer than usual, about 16 pages, due to the fact that I had to fit in a bunch of information. So, be ready for some intense reading. O.o; And, yes, Naruto and Zabuza will actually talk. And I'll be introducing even more characters as this story goes on.... so, maybe your favorite will pop up? Heh.

Disclaimer- I do not own Naruto! Which is good, because then I'd be the one who has to deal with poorly written fanfics ((like this one)). XP

Chapter 5 - Ribbon Heart

-

He swerved around the school's corner, feet meeting with the grey pavement of the parking lot that belonged to the teacher staff. Haku's dark eyes glanced about, trying to catch a glimpse-any glimpse would have done-of his quarry, Zabuza Momochi. His dark eyes lightened once they caught sight of the man, just walking out of the double doors in the side of the school. His hands in his pockets, he looked about as nonchalant as ever, not noticing the frantic looking student watching him from afar.

Haku called out for Zabuza to wait. A single glance at the cross-dressing male, and the man continued onward, pretending not to have seen him. The teen clenched his fists in exasperation, getting tired of this game Zabuza played every time he tried to speak with the man.

Putting on another burst of speed, the young male rushed in front of Zabuza's path, blocking the man from getting to wherever it was he was going.

"Get out of my way," Zabuza ordered, glaring down at the false-female with his pale eyes. "I've no more use for you; I thought I told you that already." He just about stepped around Haku, when the younger male stopped him.

"You did," Haku replied, unmoving. "About four years ago, that is." His own eyes narrowed at the sight of Zabuza's glare, despite the look of inner-anguish that they held. "You may be finished with me, but I'm not yet finished with you."

"Huh." The ghoul-like man harshly shoved the boy aside, Haku landing sharply on his side. The ground scraped at his palms, but the younger male ignored the pain that soon seethed through his arms and the place of impact. "Such a romantic fool, Haku," Zabuza stated, no remorse in his words. Suddenly, a smirk that could only be seen in his death-like eyes appeared.

"You'd be perfect for this little search the school is making me do," he continued, his tone mocking a thoughtful sound. "I'm sure you've already seen the flyers. They're all over the bloody school, after all." An edge was hinted in those last words, showing his dislike for having to participate in such a thing. As far as Zabuza was concerned, whoever thought up this little idea should have dropped dead already. 'Put on a play. Really.... What kind of brainless moron thought of that?'

"I have," Haku said, hesitantly getting up. He couldn't help but glance down at his hands, seeing the uneven flecks of red appearing where the ground had scraped against his skin. Haku looked back up, defiantly, brushing the dull pain in them and his side away. "And I think I will join your fun." For the first time since their meeting, he smirked.

"I also think that I'll prove you wrong," Haku continued. Zabuza stared at him, guardedly.

"Prove me wrong on what?" he questioned, his glowering stare still focused on the cross-dressing male. Haku had gone to great lengths to have a second chance at him. Going so far as dressing like a girl and putting on a false identity; it was incredulous, but at the same time beguiling. Two qualities that suited Yukio Haku to a tee.

"Whether or not I'm still useful to you," Haku answered. "And, I assure you, I still am." He arched a slender brow, almost boldly. "Perhaps even more so now, than before."

"Heh. Still the eccentric one," Zabuza remarked, turning to continue on his way. "Maybe you are. I still have to see for myself, won't I?" And with this, the man left Haku to stand by himself, finding the boy of his past to still hold some of the endearing traits he so found alluring.

As Haku watched Zabuza disappear into the confines of a car, and back out and drive away, he didn't move. Much like that time, so long ago, when the elder man had told him to stay where he was, and Haku had obeyed. He had obeyed Zabuza's every word and command, with nothing but a smile on his face. Why?

The same reason why Haku went through so much trouble just to see him again. After all this time, he still....

-

'Within the village's limits, the three attempted (and sort of succeeded) to exorcise the people's glistening lake of its unwanted inhabitant, whom all thought was a terrible sea monster, but was actually-'

Dark eyes ran over the words, their meaning soon lost with the sound of three soft knocks at the door. The male rolled his eyes, knowing it was coming sooner or later. Sasuke placed his book facedown on the bed, not even bothering to place his bookmark in the pages.

He walked to the door, clicking it open, his mouth open to say something. However he quickly reconsidered berating the person on the other side, seeing as how it definitely was not Haku.

"Ah? Hyuga...?" he asked, staring at the girl, confused. "What are you doing here?" Her cheeks colored at the sight of Sasuke, standing there behind the door.

"Um, uh..." She glanced down at the multiple books in her hands for an answer, Sasuke figuring it out sooner.

"Oh, Yukio forgot something?" he guessed, quirking an eyebrow. "Tch, ditz," Sasuke murmured, placing a hand out for her to give the books to. "I'll tell her off later, don't worry." Hinata hesitantly gave him the texts, nodding her head in reply.

"Uchiha-kun...?" Hinata said, after a short while of uneasy silence. "Uh, um, tell her sorry, for me, okay?" she requested, after stepping back from the dorm room's entrance.

"Sorry?" He repeated, looking at her skeptically. "What for....?"

"N-nothing. Never mind," Hinata quickly said, before hurrying away. Sasuke stared after where she had stood just moments before, obvious puzzlement in his usually stoic eyes. Shrugging it off, he shut the door, walking back to his previous spot of reading, after tossing Haku's textbooks onto 'her' bed.

Just as he was about to flip back over his own book, a thought struck him. "Wait..." Haku wasn't supposed to have homework yet; at least, not until Monday. He looked back over the hardcover books that lay, seemingly innocently on his roommate's bed. Maybe they weren't meant for homework.

Sasuke crawled over to the edge of his bed, suddenly feeling too lazy to just stand up and walk over to the textbooks. He leaned forward as far as he could, but to no avail; he had tossed them to the very end of Haku's covers. A scowl appearing on his face, he brought a hand forward and used it to hold up his weight on Haku's bed, so that he didn't fall between while he hovered over the space that was set amid both structures.

It probably looked silly, seeing Sasuke attempting to balance himself on both his and Haku's beds, while trying to strain himself to read the titles of his roommate's books. And he half succeeded, at that, catching the bold-lettered name of Dragonflight on one, but missing the rest of a half-covered text, titled something that had the words "Renegades of" in it.

"Hn... a dragon fan," he commented aloud, knowing full well the series that both books were a part of, without even having to finish reading the other book's title. Sasuke shifted his weight back onto his knees, which were just barely still on the edge of his bed. He was just about to get back to where he was, when a sudden banging noise shook his entire being. And, the inevitable happened; the spiky-haired male lost his ill-placed balance and fell through the open space below him, landing less than perfectly on the carpet.

The rabid knocking on the door continued, ceasing to appease his incited anger and annoyance.

"What the hell?!" he cursed, heaving himself up on his hands, before lifting onto his feet. 'Dammit if this is Yukio...!' Sasuke didn't even bother to put up an indifferent front when he swung open the door, his fierce stare soon matched with that of his roommate's.

"You shouldn't yell like that, Uchiha-kun," Haku pointed out, mockingly, despite the impatient look he was shooting off. He made his way inside, not even taking a second look at the death glare Sasuke was also giving him. "Besides... what were you doing jumping around?" Once he reached his bed, Haku turned around to face Sasuke, the question still lingering in the air. "Well?"

"I wasn't jumping," Sasuke heatedly returned. "What were you doing scaring the lights out of people with your incessant knocking?!"

All he got in reply was a barely audible, "Hn," as Haku ripped the headband out of his hair and tossed it aside, casually. Sighing, exasperatedly, Sasuke collapsed back down on his bed, grabbing at the text that still laid there, its pages still facing downward. He went back to reading it, lying lazily on his covers for a good while, until Haku spoke again.

"What do you think, Uchiha-kun?" he asked, his own position mirroring Sasuke's, lying face up on his bed, but staring at the ceiling rather than the words of a book.

"Of what?" Sasuke questioned, not taking his eyes off the pages. He was still bothered with Haku, and he showed it whenever he refused to look at the other boy and spoke even less than usual, if that was possible.

Haku turned his head slightly, to gaze at the brooding male. "Of me acting. Do you think I should join those auditions?" Of course, he was going to, whether Sasuke agreed or not. Haku merely wanted to see his reaction.

"Yeah, whatever," Sasuke remarked, wanting no more of the current conversation. He didn't feel like talking at the moment, and it didn't help that Haku was asking for his opinion on something.

Haku sat up, a scowl on his face. "You're not answering my question."

"I just did."

He crawled to the end of his covers, before flopping back down, and resting his chin on his arms, crossed in front of him. "No you're not. Give me a real answer."

"That was real," the dark-eyed male seethed, still refusing to look over at the cross-dresser.

Haku shook his head. Out of the corner of his eye, Sasuke still noticed this, and it only proved to fuel his annoyance. The 'girl' edged closer, and while she was still a length away, he could still feel her enigmatic stare upon him. What was she getting at? "Tell me the truth," Haku said. "Do you think I could act?"

He took a deep breath, whether out of breaking point frustration, or defeat, Haku would never know. Sasuke shifted his dark gaze to the cross-dresser, one brow raised. However, when he spoke, his words were far from an answer to Haku's question. "Why... pray tell, do you never give up?"

Haku smiled, rousing a puzzled frown from Sasuke. "Because...." he replied, suddenly flipping over so that he watched Sasuke upside-down. Haku's gaze never faltered, despite the nonplussed look he was receiving from the other male. "I always aim to get what I want." He instantly sat back up, and reached his hands for the ceiling, stretching them out.

Sasuke made a mumbled noise, sounding like, "Go figure," and returned to the confines of his book. Haku twisted back around, leaning on one arm.

"And, if I'm mistaken, you also do the same," he added, a smirk in his tone. Sasuke snapped his attention back to Haku, a glare returning in his expression as the false-female laughed.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Mer, nothing..." Haku replied, before easing off of his bed, and linking his arms behind his back, with mock innocence. "That is, if by nothing, I mean Uzumaki-kun."

Sasuke jolted up, slamming his book down closed on his covers. "Damn you, Yukio...!"

Haku smirked again. "Heh, I know." And with that, before Sasuke could knock him out with his text, he hid inside the sanctuary that was their shared washroom. Pulling a towel off the wall, Haku locked the door, and leaned up against it, nonchalantly.

Sasuke glared at the shut door, his hands gripping at the sheets that covered his bed angrily. "She always does that," he remarked, before lying back once more, his head swirling with revenge plots. Not even the worst of his fan girls could annoy him like this. Maybe because Haku wasn't one of them? 'Hn. Most likely.'

Meanwhile, on the other side of the door, Haku stripped himself of his uniform. The skirt slipped off easily, considering that it was made for a girl's hips. He pulled off the shirt, after loosening the bowtie he had to wear, and forgot that he was wearing something else underneath.

A bra, of course. A sports one, though, seeing as how anything else would have been pointless. Why was he wearing it? For visual effect. He knew white, school girl's shirts were bound to be a tad see-through; and besides, it certainly helped him act like a girl. No harm done, even to his masculine pride (if, that is, there was any trace of it left).

Perhaps the trickiest things he had to deal with when it came to sharing a room with Sasuke were showering and changing. There was always that chance that he would forget to lock the door, and what if Sasuke caved in to his natural, male perverseness? Though, perhaps a bit of that thought was slightly vain, on Haku's part. He shrugged it off. After all, what red-blooded teenage boy could resist a chance like this?

He rolled his eyes. 'Most likely Uchiha, of all people.' As far as the cross-dresser was concerned at that moment, living with Sasuke was like living with a pet rock; nothing to fear except the embarrassment of being caught sleeping in the same bed as it.

Haku smirked at the thought, before stepping into the warm, running water of the shower. Might as well share baths with the guy, he thought, amused. 'Not like he would notice I'm not a girl. ...probably doesn't even know what the anatomy of the female body looks like....'

-

The bathroom door flung back open, a sudden rush of cold seeping into the heated space where Haku had just been showering. He sighed, the feeling bringing back nostalgia of something that had happened a long time ago. Something concerning the snow and waking to the fading stars....

His towel was wrapped tightly around him, the male making sure to put it high enough so that it covered his chest, and yet low enough so that his cover still wasn't blown. Haku's hair hung limply around his shoulders, trailing like a black river down his back, as the teen approached his dresser, pulling open the top drawer before snatching random articles of clothing out of it.

"You need to remember to do that beforehand," Sasuke stated, putting emphasis on his words. He was seated in front of one of the desks the school had put in every room, and was, luckily, facing away from the washroom door.

"I always forget," Haku apologized, smiling sheepishly. It was true, but it didn't matter much. Sasuke didn't try peeking... or, at least he hadn't caught the brooding male doing so, yet.

Sasuke made a sound of impatience. He was currently buried in his math homework, mentally cursing Kakashi for his inability to teach the subject properly. Writing down the answers in pencil, he paused, in thought. And then, the sudden drips of water came out of nowhere, soaking into his math book's pale pages.

"What the...?" He looked up, only to see a bemused looking Haku leaning over his shoulder. "Yukio?!" Sasuke quickly averted his eyes, a blush falling across his face.

"The answer is 5i plus-"

"I don't care...!" the male insisted, cutting off his currently nude dorm mate's words. "J-just hurry up and go away. Come back out when you're decent or something."

Haku looked at him, blinking. "Hn. Fine," he finally replied, turning. "Wait until I'm 'decent,' then I'll help you." As he walked away, Sasuke cautiously turned around in his seat, watching Haku as 'she' returned to the confines of behind the bathroom door.

'Have to admit, she has a nice ass,' he couldn't help but mentally compliment, silently berating himself soon after for even turning to look. 'Dammit, I'm bloody sick.' Sasuke cursed himself, wondering if he could kill himself with lead poisoning by stabbing his eyes out.

A few moments later, Haku was back out, totally unaware of the aforementioned perverted thoughts Sasuke was attempting to beat down in his head. "Now do you want my help?"

"No," Sasuke curtly answered, tapping his pencil against the wooden desk. He was, obviously, still stuck for answers, but wasn't about to ask for assistance from his roommate. 'Ass-istance...' he mused, the thought soon followed by a strangled groan.

Haku stared at Sasuke's back, bewildered. "U-Uchiha-kun....?" He had stopped brushing his hair, thinking that the other male was choking on his own brains from too much thinking.

"I said, no helping...!" Sasuke remarked, soon crossing his arms while leaning back in his seat. 'That's it! I give up on this homework.' He had a good mind to break his pencil in half. 'I'll just guess on the rest and do whatever when a test comes up....'

Haku pouted. "Fine. But I'm not letting you cheat off my paper when the test comes around."

Sasuke jolted his chair straight again, nearly falling out of it. "I wasn't going to do that," he protested, a scowl heard in his tone. He turned, standing out of the chair and shutting his textbook closed, before shoving it and his pencil into his bag, which had been propped up lazily against the side of the desk.

"I'm so sure," Haku said, sarcasm hinting his voice. Sasuke ignored it, however, rapt by something else. Haku was turned around, facing his mirror while brushing his long hair, the only thing he had on being a very large t-shirt along with some very short shorts.

The cross-dresser wore similar things to this every night, not exactly one for flowery or more feminine wears. However, due to the previous happenings of the night, Sasuke was more enthralled in it than before. Never noticing-noticing it before, Sasuke saw that Haku had much nicer legs than he gave 'her' credit for. This, again, forced him to bring upon himself another mental cursing, which was duly cut off by Haku's own statement.

"Agh, darn it!" the unwitting victim of the stare-down cried, dropping 'her' brush. She reached down to get it, rousing another blush in the spiky-haired male behind her.

Sasuke hastily snapped out of his daze, turning away. "Ugh.... now I need a shower...," he mumbled, feeling the heat in his face.

"What?" Haku turned, hearing his voice, but Sasuke had already disappeared behind the door. Shrugging, he returned to the attention of his locks, brushing out the ends with little more thought to the matter.

-

A glimmer in the morning sunlight caught his eye, flashing and calling for his attention. "Sakura-chan? What's that you have on your finger?" Haku motioned to the pink-haired girl's left hand, where a silver ring was beset on her ring finger. The two were walking to school together, as they had done the days before. Sasuke hadn't even waited up for Haku that morning, which had confused him to no end seeing as how the brooding male usually was the one who woke him. Haku merely presumed that maybe Sasuke had decided to stop by Uzumaki's house before school.

"Are you engaged...?" he asked, mocking her.

She snorted. "Hardy-har-har." Sakura brought the hand up to her view, seeming to admire the way the sun reflected through the blue and white crystals, though she was the one who owned it. "Don't tell me you have never seen something like this before." He shook his head no, still watching the light dance off the ring's silver exterior. She quirked an eyebrow, taken aback.

"What? But, Sasuke-kun has the same exact thing," Sakura explained, furrowing her brows in confusion. Haku blinked.

"Does he, really?" He pouted in thought. "I've never exactly stared at his hands before, so I wouldn't know...."

She looked at him, as if expecting an explanation of her own. 'So what, does that mean you were staring at mine?' Sakura wanted to ask that, but didn't. "You live with the guy, how can you not notice?"

Haku shrugged. "He doesn't interest me." That was lie. Of course Sasuke interested him, just not in the way he interested the fan girls or Sakura. It was more of an intriguing interest; he wanted to know more about Sasuke than just his stupid glares and scowls.

Sakura rolled her eyes. "That's not what I mean," she stated, her tone showing that she was not impressed. "You two have shared that room for five days now. You haven't even caught a glimpse of him in the shower!"

"He thinks I'm a girl...!" Haku returned. "Besides, even if he knew I wasn't, he most likely wouldn't let me see him nude anyway. And... weren't you the one who told me to stay away from him?"

She ignored the last comment, more or less focusing on the first two statements. "Ah me, oh my, did I just hear a sigh of longing?" It was Sakura's turn to mock Haku, as a grin spread madly across her face.

"Oh, just stop already." Haku quickened his pace, Sakura having to hurry to catch up.

"I was just kidding...!" she apologized, Haku glancing at her with dark eyes. "Geez, what? Did something happen last night?"

He slowed, sighing for real this time, though it definitely wasn't one of longing. At least not for Sasuke. "Sort of. I guess it wasn't a big deal, considering we've only known each other for less than a week, but..."

"But...?" she urged.

"I'm most definitely sure he hates me," Haku stated, bluntly. Sakura blinked, nonplussed.

"W-what? What makes you think that?" Sure, Sasuke was cruel, cold, indifferent, and a busload of other things, but that doesn't mean he hates people. Or, well, maybe it did, if he was another person. But this was Uchiha Sasuke they were talking about! He would probably act the same way towards his own brother! ((a.n.- Ah, Sakura... the bliss of ignorance is as sweet as your hair is pink. XD))

"Did he tell you he hates you...?" she asked, hesitantly. He shook his head.

"Didn't have to," Haku replied. "I can tell these things." He had experience, it was true. After all, the boy grew up with nearly nothing but hate aimed at him from almost every direction, save for the few bits of kindness he received.

For the rest of the walk to class, the two were silent, Haku's words still echoing in Sakura's head, as he thought of other things.

As soon as they entered Kakashi's class, they were surprised to find the teacher already there; however, his nose was still buried within volume two of Come Come Paradise. Sakura sighed, exasperatedly, as Haku sat himself down next to Sasuke's desk.

'Well, at least I know he hasn't run away with Uzumaki... yet,' Haku mentally remarked, glancing at the spiky-haired male out of the corner of his eye. And then, he remembered Sakura's words.

"What? But, Sasuke-kun has the same exact thing." Looking up at Sasuke's left hand, which, at that time, was being used for his head to lean against, tiredly, he saw the familiar shine of silver and blue. It was true.

"That ring..." He stopped himself abruptly, not even realizing he had been speaking aloud. Sasuke turned his head ever so slightly in Haku's direction.

"What...?" The word, simple as it was, sounded irritated. Haku frowned, though he wasn't surprised.

He turned his attention elsewhere. "Nothing. Just thinking out loud."

Haku faintly heard a sound of impatience, followed by incoherent mumblings. 'Hn, thinks I can't hear him....'

However, the curiosity of the subject still bubbled under the surface. Why did both Sasuke and Sakura have the same rings on? Were they friendship rings or something else? And did Naruto know about all this? Finally, he spoke up again, wanting to get the question out before the final bell rang. "Why do you have the same ring as Sakura-chan?"

Sasuke looked back at the cross-dresser, arching a brow. 'So now he wants to talk?' He peeked down at the adornment that encircled his left ring finger, much like an engagement ring would. "I don't have the same ring as her. She, and pretty much the rest of the girls here, have the same ring as me."

Haku's brows wrinkled in confusion. "That doesn't make sense..."

"Yes, it does," he said. "Some random fan girl thought it would be cute if she copied my ring and made it look like she and I were a couple, and then all the rest of them did the same. Including your beloved Sakura-chan."

"And what of you?" The cross-dressing male smirked. "Where did you get your beloved ring?" he inquired, mocking Sasuke's use of words.

He simply stated, "A friend," and then the bell rang. As soon as it did so, their conversation ended, and Haku chose not to bring back up again, even when class ended.

-

Haku looked up at the large building that was structured beside the school, their foundation similar to one another. He was standing before the school theater, after classes had ended, the mid-afternoon sun reflecting rays of light orange onto the building's usually pale walls.

The sudden presence of another person was made known to him, as Haku swirled around, expecting Zabuza. However, it was someone else. "Oh... Hyuga-chan..." he murmured, slightly relieved, yet at the same time also disappointed.

Hinata nodded her greeting, apparently having been surprised by Haku's reaction to her standing there. "Uh... what are you doing outside....?" she finally asked, after a few moments of heavy silence.

He snapped back to her attention, after staring at the ground. "Oh? Er, just readying myself for what lies ahead..." Haku answered, his words being a half-truth.

She nodded once again. "Y-yeah, me too." Another few moments of silence.

'She's uber-quiet...' Haku mused, trying to keep from eye contact with her. Every time their sight connected, he found himself staring, despite his better thoughts. 'Her eyes are so... mesmeric...' He cleared his throat. "I... I think we should go in, now," he finally said, Hinata agreeing (as he supposed she would).

When they entered, a blast of cool air was what met them, along with the dimly lit interior of the building. Just ahead was a stage, where it seemed like all the light in the place was coming from. There were rows upon rows of seats surrounding them, as well, with a lighted path lining the walkways up to the stage.

The two followed it, Haku halting as soon as he saw Zabuza's form, lounged in a chair right by the aisle, in the front row. Hinata didn't catch his stop nearly as quickly, and accidentally bumped into Haku, stepping back nearly as quickly with a brisk apology breathed out.

However, the cross-dressing boy didn't notice. All he saw at the moment was Zabuza, who chose not to look back at him. Chose not to. He knew perfectly well that Haku was there, staring, but the morbid man chose not to stare back, with those ice-cold eyes of his. On his other side was a woman with dark hair, her fierce eyes watching the stage with an unwavering stare. Haku recognized her as Yuhi Kurenai, having seen her and Sakura talk in the halls once; apparently, the woman was also one of the writing teachers.

Hinata tapped Haku on the shoulder, timidly. "What are you looking at...?" she asked, unaware of the past he and Zabuza shared. "The stage is up there....."

He shook his head, dispelling the daze. "I-I know... I'm just...." Haku anxiously brushed a hand through his hair, and turned away from Zabuza, pretending to put his attention to the stage. However, his thoughts still lingered on the man.

"Hey." Both Haku and Hinata turned towards the voice. It was Kurenai, staring at them both, from the other side of Zabuza. "Are you trying out or not?" Almost at once, both nodded curtly. "Then go backstage and wait for your cue to come out and show us what you got," she stated, waving them away.

This time, Haku followed Hinata, having never been in the theater building before. When they got there, they found a surprisingly large amount of other girls, waiting for their turn.

"Wow..." murmured Haku, his eyes counting the number that were before himself. "I didn't think we had so many aspiring actresses." He smiled, and Hinata nodded in accord.

"To be truthful, they aren't here to act," she admitted, rousing slight surprise in the cross-dressing boy.

He looked at her skeptically. "Then... what are they here for...?" he asked, slowly.

"For the lead in Ribbon Heart," Hinata simply stated.

"Well, yes, obviously."

She shook her head. "Not just because it's the lead. It's because who the school is making to play opposite of the lead." Hinata placed her index finger and thumb on her chin in thought. "Or, maybe I should have said forced...."

Sudden revelation jolted through Haku. 'Don't tell me....'

Hinata looked up at him, questioningly. "Isn't that why you're trying out?" He warily glanced down at her, arching a brow. "Because Uchiha-kun is going to be in it?"

At the sound of his name, a few of the girls in front of them gasped, quite audibly, looking around. "Where?!" one harshly whispered, her hands seeming to dig into her friends' arms.

"Is he here? Will he be watching...?" another asked, and before Haku and Hinata knew it, girls backstage were nothing but a bunched of shushed shrieks and longing sighs.

He couldn't help it. Haku rolled his eyes, impatiently. "....fan girls...." he mumbled, causing Hinata to look up at him, nonplussed.

"What was that?" she asked, having to raise her voice a bit higher than its usual, quiet state so that she could be heard over the rest of the bustling girls. He shook his head, mouthing, 'Nothing,' and she nodded, still looking a little confused.

Pretty soon, Kurenai came backstage, telling the girls to shush or else they wouldn't get to audition. They quieted down before she finished her sentence, a triumphant smirk on the woman's face as she went back down to the audience chairs.

While they were waiting, Haku kept his mind in thought. He wouldn't have minded talking, really, because they were still allowed to whisper, but Hinata was a very silent girl. She seemed just fine staring into space, her hands wringing each other in what seemed like unease.

'Why didn't he tell me he was stuck doing this play?' Haku mused, his arms folded in front of his chest. 'Was that why he wouldn't give me a straight answer last night...? Or does he even know yet?' A scowl found its way onto his expression, though Haku lacked noticing it.

'I wonder if Uzumaki will go to the play if Uchiha's in it...' he suddenly wondered, tilting his head. 'Was he the one who gave Sasuke that ring? Maybe.... Does Hyuga have one?' Fueled by his inquisitive nature, Haku glanced down, inconspicuously at Hinata's left hand, which was currently being squeezed to death by the other hand.

There. Even in the shadow of the curtains that blocked nearly all the onstage light from going behind it, he could see that now all-too recognizable silver band. 'So, Hyuga is another one of Sasuke's groupies?' He couldn't help smirking. And all this time, Haku had thought she would be too timid to even look Sasuke in the face, much less copy his ring.

Peering down the line of girls, which had shortened very much over the past few minutes, he saw that nearly all of them were wearing a silver ring, studded with white and blue crystals, on their fingers. And the ones that weren't were actually wearing it around their necks, on chains. 'He could start his own line of jewelry...'

"Hey... Hyuga," he muttered, getting her attention. She looked up at him again, Haku having to avoid eye contact with her once more to keep from staring. "Is Uchiha-kun the reason why you're auditioning?"

Hinata's gaze lowered, allowing Haku to se her face. "Well... sort of." She hesitated, before adding, "I actually... I want to get over being shy Hyuga Hinata, you know...?" He quirked a brow, slightly surprised with her answer. "But, yes, Uchiha still a part of the reason, though." She blushed lightly, rousing a lopsided smile from Haku. "After all, there is a... a k-kissing scene in the play....." she managed to say, though the last words were a large amount quieter than the rest. Haku heard them very, very clearly however, and winced.

Sure, he had kissed Sasuke before, but it was very, very late, and he was very, very tired.... and Haku had come to the conclusion that he had gone momentarily insane at that point. After all, the shock of finding out that Sasuke was gay, and then finding him lying in Haku's bed plus a couple of other factors had to eventually build up. And, it just so happened that all of this finally toppled over in the form of a kiss between both roommates. One that he was sworn to never tell anyone, not that he wanted to anyway. Legions of fan girls are very hard to run from, after all....

They didn't speak again after that, Haku returning to his thoughts, and Hinata just returning to staring into nothingness. Finally, after a short while, it was Hinata's turn. At this point, Haku was becoming slightly nervous, more or less, but only because of the fact that either way, he'd be in trouble. If Haku didn't make it, he lost his chance (though, he still wasn't entirely sure what he would be proving just by acting well). If he did, he had to play opposite of Uchiha Sasuke in a play of romantic comedy. It sounded all too much like a cheesy soap opera to him.

And then, the distinct voice of Kurenai came, yelling out, "Next!" like she had been doing for everyone who tried out. He flinched, freezing at first, until the girl behind him whispered, "She said next...!" Haku found his legs, and walked into the stage, not even bothering to shield his eyes from the sudden burst of light that was waiting. Another teacher was there, holding the sheet with the lines on it. He handed it off to Haku, and stepped back.

The woman, Kurenai, was watching him, anticipating whatever it was he was going to do, but Zabuza obviously could care less. Haku became frustrated at his lack of concern, but didn't show it. No, now the teen had to one-up him by getting this part. A mental smirk appeared in his head, and Haku looked down at the lines.

And he performed.

-

She turned the corner, one hand clenched tightly to the straps of her backpack, slung over her left shoulder. Her ring rubbed against the nylon, like how the wind picked up and started whishing through her pink tinted hair.

Sakura had not even bothered to drop her bag off in her dorm; once the bell rung for the end of school, she took off for Uzumaki Naruto's house.

The girl still remembered where he lived. How could she forget? The twit had handed her off so many notes that stated his address, Sakura had memorized it. Of course, just in case, it helped to have a phone book in your dorm room.

A glare was beset in her eyes, as Sakura seemed to stomp down the sidewalk. Unseen, within the confines of her backpack, the Naruto doll was packed away, the girl wondering if any of her torture methods had worked. She knew Sasuke still left his room to see Naruto, so Sakura knew that he couldn't have been dead. That was, unless Sasuke wasn't out seeing anyone else, on the side.

Turn this corner, walk a few blocks. Turn that corner, walk a few blocks. 'How in the world did Sasuke get to and from on time?!' She came to the resolution that maybe they only saw each other for a few seconds, and then it was back to the dorm with Sasuke. Still... who knew what one could accomplish in such a short time.

Sakura shook her head. What was she thinking?! 'That's it! No more devising plans to take pictures of Sasuke in the shower....!!' She paused, her pace stopping just as instantly. 'No, keep devising plans. One day they'll work....' Sakura continued walking, her feet moving even faster.

Just one more turn and- Sakura shrieked, falling backwards. However, hands caught her before she could go all the way down, the girl breathing harshly from shock. She glared up at the one who nearly knocked her down, pushing herself away. "Ugh, don't touch me, pervert...!"

"Sakura-chan?" She blinked. Looking back up, a very familiar pair of blue eyes gazed back. "Hey...! Look, I'm finally taller than you!"

"Wha... Naruto!" Sakura stepped even farther away, cynically. "J-just who do you think you are, groping defenseless women like that?!"

He tilted his head. "Sorry, but you were the one who attacked me head-on." She merely glared in return. Naruto had gotten taller, but it was only by a very, very little bit. Still, it bothered her that this boy, whom she used to be able to intimidate with just her height, was suddenly the one looking down.

".... hey, just what the heck do you think you're doing, anyway?" she asked, one brow twitching.

Naruto gazed upward in thought. "Well, I guess I was just walking around..."

"Not that, moron!" she insulted him, pulling her bag off her shoulder and rummaging in it. Finally, Sakura pulled out a notebook, and a pencil, before sketching something down on it. Naruto watched, highly confused, until she shoved the notebook in his face. "This!!"

He held it farther away, studying the picture. "Oh...." he smirked, laughing. "This is a pretty good picture of two lollipops stuck together, Sakura-chan...!" The exasperated girl growled.

She had to draw a picture because, well... if she could, Sakura would have shown him an actual photograph. However, this was all she could do. "It's not two lollipops, stupid!" she cried, ripping the notebook out of his hands.

"That could've given me a papercut-"

"I don't care," Sakura cut him off, stuffing it back into her backpack. "What... are... you... doing smooching..... my Sasuke-kun...!"

He looked stunned, sky-colored eyes wide. "What...?" Naruto tried to remember the picture she had drawn. "Wait, that was supposed to be me?"

Sakura clenched her fists at either side of her, beginning to get fed up with the blonde before her. "Tell me, what do you think you're doing with him?!"

He stopped, arching a brow. "Well... I don't know. Why, did he tell you something?"

"No, I found out by myself."

"Ah... still the Sasuke-stalker, as always," he mused, earning him a good whapping by Sakura. He backed away, covering his head with both hands. "I was just kidding...!"

"You always are." She frowned, crossing her arms. "So...?"

"So, what?" Naruto was beginning to look impatient. He was happy to see Sakura again, and all, but if she was just going to abuse him, he may as well be on his merry way.

"Tell me...!"

He sighed. "No." Naruto avoided another one of Sakura's attacks, before holding her hands back. "I can't...!" he explained, gaining only a scowl from the girl. "Sasuke told me not to."

She pulled her arms away from his grip. "So? Tell me anyway!"

"No."

"Yes!"

"You already know the truth, right?" She nodded. "Then just fill in the blanks or whatever...! I'm sure you've already done that anyway." Sakura was about to protest, her cheeks colored from his accusation, but Naruto turned and walked away.

"....H-hey...!!" However, he merely waved, without any answer after. Sakura glowered. 'I wanted to know for sure...'

-

After notes: Meow. (claws the air) The play they are auditioning for ((and that Sasuke is being forced to be in)), Ribbon Heart, is something I made up on the spot. n.n;;;; I needed to have made up lines for a scene in the future and I didn't feel like studying up on Romeo and Juliet... which is done too many times to count, anyway. -.-0 Heh, I made Haku a DRoP fan. I was just doing something random, don't worry about it. Oh, and that excerpt Sasuke was reading at the beginning of the second part of this chapter is something from a story I'm writing. (shrugs) Again, didn't feel like reading up on stuff. Now, the reviews!!

((in order they were given))

VG Jekyll - Hey! You made your name easier to write! xDD I'm just joking... ((or am I? O.o;)). Anywho, you got your wish of more Naruto and Zabuza. Well, it was bound to happen anyway but... hey! Might as well say your wish was granted, eh? X3 I'll cherish this voodoo doll of yourself. (grin) Don't worry, Sakura-chan won't get her hands on it. :3

Ramen-sama - That's a lot of "really"s. (ebil smile) Hey, look, more Zabuza appearances! I love Zabuza, cuz he's fairly easy to write. O.o; Or... maybe I'm just making him OOC. (glances about warily) Mwa, rapage is always loved. x3 That's a good idea you had. I was originally thinking of having Sasuke cheat on Naruto with someone else, but then I went with an idea that is currently under wraps. Meaning, secret. xD

A Random Person - Mer, you'll have to wait to find out. (quirks an eyebrow) I like to think I'm secretive.

Monkey Shoes - Thank you! Hehe!

Renn - Indeedy do. I think I made him a little OOC but... o.o;;; Ah, well. I think I made him all better in this chapter. Mer, or maybe worse.... (sigh)

Thank you all!! n.n Review, please...!