Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Rhythm ❯ Chapter one ( Chapter 1 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

Short Synopsis: After a painful breakup with her boyfriend, Haruno Sakura moves on by joining a rock band, consisting of a loud-mouthed blonde and a handsome blue-haired guitarist. Will there be chaos? Or will love bloom among members? (SasuSakuNeji)

A/N: This is my first ever fic in Naruto, I'm pretty excited actually. I'm hoping for lots and lots of reviews, ok? So keep em' coming!! Thanks!

Beta-Reader: Skye

"Rhythm"

by: Crystalgail

Tokyo, 2:35 pm

18-year-old Haruno Sakura smiled softly while putting some finishing touches on her masterpiece, "He with an Angel". She excitedly but carefully moved the used brush up and down on the canvas.

Her breathing was soft; the small window from the upper part of the attic gave a warm light to her piece. While painting, she would glance at the photo beside the artwork and just couldn't help but give another smile. She was deep in concentration, when. . .

A knock.

". . . Um. . . Sakura? May I . . . come in?" A shy girl with silver eyes whispered.

Sakura was surprised, yet looked at her friend with a concerned face. "Hinata? What are you doing here?" she asked. "Didn't I tell you not to disturb me when I'm painting?"

Hinata ignored her and entered Sakura's secluded painting room with a tray of sandwiches. "Sakura, Please. . . Please eat something already. . . You haven't eaten breakfast or lunch today, it will be bad for your health," she lectured with a shy face.

Sakura grinned but continued with her artwork. "Thank you for you concern, Hinata. Just leave the food by that table, I'll be finished in a sec."

Hinata smiled and placed the tray of sandwiches on the appointed table. She then carefully and silently walked towards Sakura and watched her put finishing touches on the masterpiece.

"It's really beautiful, Sakura!" Hinata praised, "You've been working on that all week, Gaara will be so pleased!"

Sakura laughed. "He better be, I've been working so hard for this one. I took the day off today so I could finish this up and finally be able to give it to him. This painting will be my anniversary gift!!"

Hinata blushed. "You really are a talented artist, Sakura!" she smiled, "And also a successful one."

"No, I'm not all that, Hinata. But hey, thanks for the compliment," Sakura smiled shyly.

"You were always the artistic one, Sakura, since we were still little." Hinata smiled as she reminisced, "You, me and Ino were always together since we were kids. After we finished college, we decided to live together because of our. . . parent's. . . um. . ."

Sakura's smile faded. "The word you are looking for is. . . death, Hinata."

Hinata's eyes started to water. "I'm. . . I'm sorry, Sakura."

"That was a very long time ago, Hina, don't worry!" Sakura forced a smile. "We have each other as friends, what else do we need?" she comforted her friend.

Hinata smiled. "You're lucky, Sakura. You have Gaara." Still smiling, she pointed at Sakura's painting. "Someone who can love you as more than just a friend!"

Sakura blushed. "Yes, I think I am lucky." She dropped the paintbrush by the corner and sighed, "There, it's finished!"

Hinata's face brightened. "It's really great! Will you be giving this to him now?"

"Of course! Today is our anniversary, right? But we have to wait for it to dry for a few minutes, then I'll go to his place." said Sakura while sitting down, then taking a bite on a sandwich by the table. "Come join me!"

Hinata smiled then blushed. "Thank you, Sakura!"

While they were eating, Sakura pulled something out of her pocket and showed a picture of her and Gaara to Hinata. "I love him so much, Hinata. I don't know what I'd do if I lost him."

Hinata comforted her friend, "I know he won't, he's a nice guy."

"Thanks," she whispered, "But that guy didn't even bother to call me, and it's our anniversary!!" Sakura smiled weakly.

"Just go to his apartment and surprise him!" Hinata suggested.

Sakura laughed, "He'll be surprised all right!" She then finished off her sandwich.

In Sakura's bedroom

"Hmm? Will this be nice?" she asked Hinata as she showed off the pink dress she usually wore.

Hinata shook her head. "I don't know. . . It's a special night. You have to pick out a special dress!"

Sakura looked in her closet again and found a black dress that ended barely above her knees, with a stylish red belt on it's waist. It was simple, but cute.

"Say no more, Hinata!" Sakura smiled, "This is perfect!!"

"I couldn't agree more" Hinata replied.

Sakura changed her clothes. It was truly perfect. The dress fitted her very well; it showed every beautiful angle of her body. Not satisfied, she tied her long pink hair up with a red ribbon that matched her belt.

"Thanks for helping me, Hinata," Sakura grinned at her friend.

Hinata nodded. "Don't mention it, Sakura," she smiled, "But I gotta go downstairs and make dinner for Ino. You know how she growls when she comes back home from work and hasn't been fed."

Sakura laughed. "You're right. Thanks again, Hinata!"

Before leaving, Hinata paused, wearing a worried face. "Are you sure you want to give him the painting today? It's pretty late and, well, I'd guess it's going to rain."

Sakura just smiled a sincere smile. "Don't worry, Hina. I'll just bring a jacket, and if I ever reach Gaara's place late at night, I'll just spend it at his house. He wouldn't mind."

Hinata grinned and proceeded downstairs.

'Sakura!! Move now, you baka! I'm already excited to see Gaara's impression of your painting!' Inner Sakura yelled.

"Yeah, yeah. All right, I'll get it upstairs then wrap it," Sakura sighed to herself.

All set and ready, Sakura held the wrapped painting cautiously, like it was her most precious treasure. She wore her jacket and called goodbye to Hinata with arms locked around the painting.

She was walking along the sidewalk in the busy streets of Tokyo. She was already far from home. She'd have to walk to his house, and she had to admit, it was going to be a pretty exhausting trip.

Sakura looked up in the dark sky while walking. "It's a good thing Hinata warned me about the weather. It'll rain pretty soon."

She continued walking without looking where she was going, then as was to be expected she bumped into someone. That someone was a he. They both landed on the ground, Sakura's painting landing safely by her side.

"Watch where you're going, pig!!" The guy with onyx eyes shouted.

"You almost ruined my painting!!" Sakura shouted back while eyeing him. "You. . . You blue-haired bastard!!"

The mysterious guy raised an eyebrow then stood up "But it wasn't ruined, so don't blame it on me! It was you and your clumsiness!! Pink-haired pig." Contrary to what he said, he was extending a hand to help Sakura up.

Sakura growled, got her painting then stood up. "I don't need your help, bastard! I can manage!!" she hissed and left.

The mysterious guy smirked. "Good bye then, pink-haired pig!!"

"Good riddance, Blue-haired bastard!!" she shouted back, still walking away.

She finally reached her lover's apartment building. She then proceeded to stroll up to the guard.

"Is Gaara home?" Sakura asked.

"Yes ma'am. He's in his apartment with some company," the guard replied. He then went back to sleep. (Some security.)

'Company?! Who could that be? Sakura! Go in now and find out!' Inner Sakura ordered.

"Yeah yeah, all right." she sighed and walked towards the elevator.

When she was a few meters away from Gaara's room, she remembered something unexpected. . . the guy she bumped earlier.

'Admit it!! He's pretty good looking!!' Inner Sakura teased.

"Stop it!!" Sakura whispered, "He's nothing but a creep, and besides, I already have Gaara!"

'I know, you can have Gaara, while I have that handsome dude!! Hell Yeah!' Inner Sakura shouted happily with a voice that echoed through Sakura's brain.

Sakura just groaned; she was about to knock at Gaara's door when she noticed it was already open. She silently entered his apartment, and was surprised to see clothes lining the floor of his hallway. Sakura started to feel a bit scared.

"What if his place was ransacked?" Sakura whispered while picking up the clothes. She was shocked to see woman's lingerie.

'Kami! This means three things, Sakura! One, Gaara's gay. Two, he's having sex with a slut in the bathroom. And Three, He's gay!!'

Sakura ignored her inner self. She trusted Gaara, and Gaara wouldn't dare betray her that. But there was a feeling inside her, one that she couldn't explain. . . it must've been doubt.

Then the bathroom door caught her attention. It was slightly open, and while she knew it was a bit perverted of her to peek, she had to know whether her inner self's theory was true. Sakura placed the painting against the wall. She knelt down to peek.

There she saw the things she was afraid to see. Not only see, but the things she was afraid to hear. She could hear moans, lots of lustful moans. Sakura's eyes started to water, tears that couldn't be stopped. Her heart felt so heavy. Gaara was in the shower, with some brunette girl.

They were dripping wet. Gaara's lips were lustfully pressed on the girl's mouth. Both were naked and covered with sweat. Sakura couldn't believe her eyes. Even her own inner self was speechless.

Unknowingly, she pushed the door wide open. The two exposed bodies were shocked. Especially Gaara. Sakura's eyes couldn't stop the tears, they just kept on flowing by her rosy cheeks. They all stared each other for a long time but the girl broke the ice by fetching a bathrobe beside her. She just ran by Sakura while getting her clothes then left. Sakura didn't bother to go after her, but she could never forget that girl's face.

Sakura was still crying. She stood up, not bothering to talk to Gaara, and then fetched the painting behind her. She was about to leave Gaara's apartment when. . .

Gaara grabbed a bathrobe and ran after his girlfriend. "Sakura, wait! I can explain!"

Sakura whirled around and faced Gaara with tears in her eyes. Why couldn't the tears just stop? "Gaara. . . let me go. . ." she whispered weakly.

"Sakura!! I can explain everything. . . I didn't mean to!! I swear!!" Gaara grabbed her shoulders then looked her in the eyes.

"Let go of me. . ." she ordered patiently, looking away. Deep inside she really wanted to burst.

"I love. . ." Gaara shouted.

Sakura's blood boiled, she then faced Gaara, and eye-to-eye she shouted, "Shut the fuck up! Love? You don't know the meaning of that word!! You don't know anything!! We're fucking through!! Now just let your fucking hands away from me before I fucking break them!!" she roared, storming away.

"Sakura. . . I. . . " Gaara whispered.

Before Sakura completely left Gaara, she stopped. Not even looking at him, she muttered, "I can. . . I will live without you, bastard. I don't need you in my life!!" she shouted, then ran away from her ex-boyfriend.

"Sakura. . ."

Haruno Sakura was alone, walking home in the rain. All drenched and wet, she had only an soggy painting for an ex-boyfriend and a broken heart. She didn't care about anything. How could he do this to her? She stopped walking, looked at the painting in her left hand, and ripped the newspaper that protected it off.

She looked at the painting. It was a picture of a happy couple. Gaara and her. Sakura felt a tear fall from her face, and watched it land on the painting, merging with the raindrops. The water started to fade the painting. 'And so does my love for Gaara,' she thought fiercely. 'It's all over now.'

Sakura then placed the ruined painting in the nearest garbage can. She continued to walk with a blank face. She just hugged herself to keep warm. It was useless, her heart was still feeling cold.

She finally reached the doorstep of her apartment. Sakura looked up at the windows. Hinata and Ino were still awake, she could tell. She knocked at the door softly.

Eventually, the door opened. There she saw the happy faces of Hinata and Ino, both looking as if they were waiting for a good news about her and Gaara. But they observed her, eyes red from crying. They both fell silent. Inside, they guessed what had occurred.

"Sakura. . ." Ino whispered while Hinata started to cry.

"Ino. . . Hinata. . ." Sakura tried to force a smile, "Gaara. . . he. . ."

Hinata burst into tears. "You don't need to explain, Sakura! I know it hurts you! We don't want to see you suffering!" She then hugged Sakura.

Ino said in a concerned tone, "Sakura. . . Just let him go. . ."

"I'm all right, really," Sakura whispered, "I can live without him. I'm a strong and grown-up girl, remember?" she gave a fake laugh.

Ino and Hinata were dead silent.

"Stop looking at me like that!" Sakura smiled. "I'm okay! I just need to rest, so good night. . ." she headed straight in her room, leaving her two friends outside.

". . . Sakura. . .wait. . ." Hinata whispered, but Ino stopped her.

"Hinata, let's leave her alone for the night." Ino smiled. "I've known Sakura since we were kids, and she's a strong girl, she'll just have to cry it out."

Hinata nodded slowly in agreement.

Inside Sakura's room,

Sakura just stared at her window, feeling the chill of the night. The droplets of rain pattered against her window. She felt tears in her eyes. She sobbed, remembering all the good times she had with Gaara. Then, like a strong girl, she cried herself to sleep.

. . . to be continued. . .