11Author's Note: Yes, yes. I know. I've been horrible. *tries dodging the tomatoes* I had a severe case of procrastination & laziness. *but fails to dodge the rotten eggs* I apologize but I hope this chapter will make it all up for the time it took for me to write an update!
I want to thank my Beta, Shini-kun, who's not only best friend and my Muse, but my Soul mate, as well. Not only that, he's like my damn editor! Scolding me every day and asking me whether I've finished Chapter 2 or not! Thank, God, I've done my duty...for now. -.-'
I hope you like the drama which unfolds! Enjoy!
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Shini-kun: Drama? Wait till I begin telling you to start writing Chapter 3... which is NOW!
Me: Aaaahhhh! *runs around in circles* Damn it!
Meanwhile, somewhere, in another time and universe, a tea-party is in session;
Hinata: Aaah-chooo! *wipes her nose with a lavender lace handkerchief*
Ino (putting down her teacup): Are you coming down with a cold, Hina-chan?
Tenten: Nah, I think it's our lame, lazy authoress who started this fic, annoyed with other fic authors not updating their stories in time, thinking she'd update it regularly.
Hinata: *nodding at Ino & Tenten* hopefully, she understands now why it's so difficult.
Ino: Oh, well. At least we're getting our well-deserved screen-time.
Tenten (taking a sip of her green tea): You mean page-time. *chuckles*
Hinata: Oh! It's time for the Disclaimer. *sigh* Out of everything in the world, these annoy me the most. *is cross-eyed*
Disclaimer: Why do you insist on this? If I'd owned Naruto, Hinata would've had been the main lead! *shakes fist*
Glossary:
CAPITAL Speech = Exclamation, shout, emphasis on a certain or particular scenario.
ItalicizedSpeech in " " = Whispering, emphasis.
ItalicizedSpeech without " " = Thinking, wondering, inner thoughts, verbs/actions.
Speech in " " = Talking, conversing.
.:{}:. = Change in scene.
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Slam Dunk - A Basketball Romance
Chapter 2: Rebound
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Konoha University is commonly known as Kono-U or simply KU. The campus is located on the outskirts of Konohagakure, conveniently near the Shopping District. It is a mini city in itself, covering about over 150 Acres. What sets apart Kono-U from the other countries' top universities, namely Suna, Iwa, Suwa, and Kiri, is the fact that it holds prestige for acquiring degrees in every field and for being an all-rounder.
It is said Konoha University is included in the Top 5 universities among the five countries, which are: the Fire Country, the Wind Country, the Earth Country, the Thunder Country, and the Water Country. The top universities of each Country are situated in their respective capitals; for instance, KU is located in Konohagakure, the capital of Fire Country, which is found in the biggest state in the Country of Fire, the State Hidden in the Leaves.
So, Suna University - or SUE - is located in the town of Sunagakure, which is in the State Hidden in the Sand, in The Wind Country; in The Earth Country, with the State Hidden in the Rocks, is Iwagakure, the capital holding Iwa University – or IU; The Thunder Country, with the State Hidden in the Clouds, has the capital Suwagakure, placing Suwa Univerity, or SMU; and the town of Kirigakure, in The Water Country, located in the State Hidden in the Mist, has Kiri University – or Kiri-U. Finally, there is the infamous town of Otogakure, which is in the State Hidden by Sound, which holds Oto Unoversity. Its alliance with any country is unknown.
Suna University is known for its brilliant Engineers, Iwa University is recognized for its brainstorming Physicists, Suwa University is acknowledged for its hardworking Doctors, and Kiri University is famous for its master-mind Software Developers. Then, Oto University is notorious for its (mad) Scientists who mostly specialize in Genetics. Even though the state is newly discovered and developed, it lost absolutely no time in gaining respect for the geniuses which have been bestowed by the university.
Evidently, Orochimaru, the Head of Dept. for Biological Sciences in Kono-U, hailed from Oto-U. Not much is known about him but rumor has it that it was he who formed the university in the first place.
Now, compared to the other universities, Kono-U's building is the most unorthodox. Not to mention, it is a work of art. Apparently, it is the first ever collaborative project between Uchiha Itachi, the university's Head of Dept. for Art & Design, and the famous Architect, Tazuna, who hails from the small Country of Waves' Hidden Waterfall Village.
It was constructed with the term 'fun'in mind. Hence, it seems to be like those children's blocks, piled on top of each other, in different colors. The different colors define the Departments.
On the North Wing of the campus, opening off to the Forest of Death, were the Biological Sciences Dept. (Lime-Green Block), Veterinary Sciences Dept. (Sky-Blue Block), Agricultural Sciences Dept. (Cerulean-Blue Block), and the Entomology Dept. (Olive-Green Block) – they were strategically located for the most obvious reasons. Towards the East Wing, over-looking a far-off cliff, were the Mathematics Dept. (Dark-Blue Block), Chemistry Dept. (Fuchsia Block), Computer Science Dept. (Sea-Green Block), and the Physics Dept. (Mustard Block) – a flat terrain with a steep slope was usually needed for various experiments and calculations while the programmers loved the view. En route the South Wing, in the direction of Tanzaku Market, were the Political Science Dept. (Black Block), Pedagogy Dept. (Dirt-Brown Block), History Dept. (Aquamarine Block), and the Business & Economics Dept. (Teal-Blue Block). Off towards the West Wing of the university, near the river which sat flowing beside a beautiful summery hill, were situated the Language & Literature Dept. (Orange Block), Psychology Dept. (Gray Block), Health & Phys. Ed Dept. ( Parrot-Green Block), and the Philosophy Dept. (Peach Block).
Also, far off towards the North-West was the Cafeteria and on the North-East was the Martial Arts Dept. (White Block) while on the South-East was the Home Economics Dept (Sunny-Yellow Block) and the Sports Complex in the direction of the South-West. In the center stood a distinct division: the Arts & Liberal Sciences Blocks with the Art & Design Block (being the most different, painted in strips of red, black, and white, the Zebra-Covered-In-Blood Block), the Performing Arts Dept. which held the Origami Studio (Blood-Red Block), the Media/Film & Television Dept. (Monochrome – as it had Black & White stripes – Block), and the Music Dept. (Gold & Silver Block).
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Monday, 8:30 AM
Shuffling of feet was heard as all the students took their respective positions in dance class. Meanwhile, their dance instructor patiently skimmed through the attendance sheet. Yuuhi Kurenai is said to be one of the finest teachers in the world of performing arts. She not only graduated from the top liberal arts school in the country with highest honors but won numerous competitions since and she has the medals to prove it. Her dance style(s) vary from the raucous such as Hip Hop and Belly-Dancing to the most contemporary forms like Baroque and Jazz but her signature form is Ballet. Apart from Kurenai, Kaguya Kimimaro is quite a competent dance instructor, as well; probably more so than Kurenai. Being the youngest (besides Haku, the Head of Department of Musical Studies) and one of the most talented of the entire faculty, Kimimaro has always been an honor-medal achiever throughout his entire educational (and not so educational) life. He held the only 2nd-to-HoD position available in the university; namely, the Vice Head of Department of the Performing Arts. To say the least, Kaguya Kimimaro is considered a prodigy.
There exists a studio which is used for the sole purpose of dance. The studio is about 6,000 square feet and includes two dance studio halls with sprung hardwood floors, wall to wall mirrors, oversized windows, and barres. There are also viewing windows from the lobby for each studio, a large dressing room and a small music room.
Dance class is usually held in one of the two main dance studio halls. Both studio halls are made according to the routines which are to be carried out as well as the dance styles. They differ from one another in every aspect, from the color of the walls to the floors, from the set-up to the size.
Studio Hall # 1 was mostly used for somewhat-slow, virtuoso, performance dances like Ballet and Japanese traditional dance. It was colored in pastel shades ranging from the lightest of pinks to the sky-est of blues with the mildest of purples and yellows and greens. Obviously, it was the girls' favorite room, dubbing it 'A room fit for a Princess'. As soon as one entered the hall, the entire wall opposite the entrance, where an adorable mural depicting Princess Tutuwas painted, was see-through glass, and looked out towards the university gardens. The remaining two walls, opposite one another, were entirely fitted with (top-to-bottom, wall-to-wall) mirrors; attached to the mirrors were permanent Barres. The wooden floor was a delicious oak. All in all, the room gave a warm, soothing, and calm feeling to its occupants.
In contrast, Studio Hall # 2 was normally used for more fast-paced, contemporary-styled dances like Jazz, Hip Hop, and Polka (many named versions : Ballroom, Folk, Historical). The hall symbolized passion, emotion and expression with its deep, strong colors. Like Hall # 1, this hall was rectangular, as well as having the same oversized glass window, and the remaining two opposite walls bearing mirrors with barres. Funny enough, one part of the hall had a retro, 70's feel to it; with a backdrop of lime green and accents of big, colorful flowers in bright colors. There even was a curtain made of beads hung over the partition which lead to Hall # 1. Whereas, in the other portion of the hall, graffiti was drawn depicting a male dancer in the state of Scissorstep; over the image was written 'I walk Dance, I talk Music' - black, red, and parrot green playing an important role as the base colors. It was chaotic, to say the least, and that was why the boys loved the room.
Today, Kurenai-san was about to show her (and Kimimaro's) students the basic forms of dance. During the first semester of their dance course, the students learned the history and the basic forms of dance; as well as the types they would like to get to learn more of, the music associated with each type, and other necessities such as shoes and costumes. It was in the second semester that the students practically danced.
And it was on this day, the first day of their second semester, that Hinata was dreading to have taken dance. It wasn't that she wasn't adept at dancing; actually, it was quite the opposite. Hinata loved dancing. Apparently, she had learned to dance before she could even walk properly. Her now-deceased mother used to push Hinata into going to dance class so that not only could she improve her skill but grow out of her shy shell and show everyone how gifted she was. However, her father was always against it, identifying it as 'apastimefor the weak'rather than what the so-called strong eldest daughter of the country's most affluent businessman from the country's most intimidating clan should be doing.
Hinata was 5 years old when her little sister, Hanabi, was born and when she had started to notice things had become much worse. As Hanabi grew up, she seemed to be more like their father – clever, calculating, observant, and business-minded. Hinata's parents used to argue about the same topic over and over again, never coming to a conclusion. Well, they always did come to a conclusion; more like, Hinata's mother used to end the argument with an absolute decision,"I will not let my daughter be sucked into a clan's blueprint! Hinata has a right to follow her dream and she will forge her own destiny!"
Hinata later realized, when she was old enough to understand the things around her, her father favored Hanabi more. It seemed Hanabi was his favorite and that made Hinata feel worthless and insignificant but it was her mother who meant the world to her. Whenever Hinata felt as if chains were pulling her down, her mother always came to set her free. She was the one who seemed to understand what Hinata was going through without her needing to say it out loud.
It was in the same year when Hanabi was born, but earlier, that she met her cousin Neji, Uncle Hizashi's son, for the first time. She remembered feeling shy at first but it was Neji's innocent, "Father, don't you think she's cute?" which made her blush and feel affectionate towards him. Hinata liked Neji even more when he presented her with a freshly-picked daffodil. But, somehow, things went horribly wrong after Neji's father died. Their clan had divided into two branches but she never knew what caused it. A lot had been kept from Hinata.
And then, after her mother died, everything fell apart. Being barely 8 years old, she was feeling these tumultuous emotions which were tearing her apart from the inside. Her father completely refused to acknowledge her existence and, instead, put all of his effort into rearing Hanabi. Even though she tried with all of her 8-year-old might, she failed in making her father feel even the least bit proud of her. However, he gave her one chance to redeem herself: by giving up dancing.
And that was one thing she would not, could not, ever give up. When Hinata's mother was on her deathbed, hanging on to her last breaths, she confided in her eldest, and favorite, daughter all those things she kept bottled up; she told Hinata about her dream to become a Prima Donna and that she had become somewhat of an icon during her glory days but, in the midst of a considerably difficult grand jeté in a performance of Giselle,she managed to break her metatarsal bones – one clumsy mistake got her out of dancing forever.
Everything made sense to Hinata after her talk with her mother; all those times her mother stood up for her, supported her, fought tooth-and-nail with her father for her; she could not, would not, go back on her mother's dying wish : to see her daughter turn her dream into reality. Hinata knew her mother had sacrificed so much for her sake, for the sake of her daughter's dream. If Hinata gave up now, she would be betraying the very person who always stood up and fought for her, she felt. How could she ever look into the mirror again?
I'm glad I neverquit,Hinata mused while doing stretching and warm-up exercises with the support of the barre. Beside her, Ino and Tenten were eying their hooded friend with unconcealed predictability regarding her actions.
"Hyuuga Hinata?"
Apparently, Hinata was busy with her internal tirade. But that doesn't mean I'm happy about the current situation!Both her friends rolled their eyes.
"Hinata?"
I mean, how will I dance in front of - and, moreover, WITH – boys?! I hardly have an easy time TALKING with the opposite sex!She was having one of her daily panic attacks, they could tell.
"Hinata!"
Hinata was rudely dragged out of her thoughts by an angry outburst. Looking up, her eyes met an angry pair of beautiful red eyes. As soon as Hinata realized she was talking to herself, in the middle of stretching exercises, during attendance, her eyes widened with embarrassment and she let out a shocked gasp.
"Kurenai-sensei! I'm so sorry!"
Ino and Tenten silently laughed at their friend's antics. Hinata glared – well, as much as she could anyway - at them but miserably failing as another round of giggles and snorts ensued. Wait, snorts?
Kurenai sighed and gave the girl a knowing smile. "Hinata, you should know better than to space out in the middle of class, during attendance. Be glad Kimimaro isn't the one taking class today."
However, Hinata was busy giving multiple bows of forgiveness.
Kurenai sighed, again, frustrated. "Hinata? I think that's enough for now. You can continue with that after class."
Hinata finally stopped and looked up, smiling sheepishly. The instructor tried hard to suppress the laugh, which so desperately wanted to escape. Kurenai swiveled on her feet, facing the dancers."Alright, class! May I have your attention, please?" At once, multiple pairs of curious – and still-sleepy – eyes looked towards her.
The instructor eyed the attendance sheet in her hand and frowned. "Where is Haruno-san?"
Just then, the studio door opened and in came a bedraggled Haruno Sakura. "I'm here!" she rasped breathlessly while trying to slow down her heartbeat. "Sorry I took so long. I *huff* ran all the way from the Sports Complex."
The trio rolled their eyes over Bubbles' admission. Bubbles – I mean, Sakura – glowered at them, noting their obvious eye-rolling.
"Haruno-san, I would appreciate it if you try not making a habit out of this", the instructor admonished. Sakura nodded her head meekly and positioning herself next to the barre. Behind her, she noted with aggravation, was an ever-joyous Lee.
"Sakura-san! You look to be in high spirits today! It's always refreshing to have a run in the morning so, next time, I'll be sure to join you in your training!"
Sakura groaned. She would never understand why Lee, of all people, had joined Dancing, of all courses.
"Lee, I doubt Cherry-Top here had any intention of training." replied a highly-amused Kiba. He swore he heard a low grown emanate from the annoyed girl. Lee was at a complete loss as to what his comrade was talking about. If one doesn't run all the way from theBlood-Red Block to the Sports Complex and back again for training then what would the intention be?This thought was written all across his face. Being with the same group of friends since Academy days made one subservient to each other's traits and emotions.
"Lee, ol' pal, I bet, for a 1000 Yen, she went there to find our stick-up-the-ass friend."
"But what would she want with Neji, Kiba-kun?"
"Lee, the other friend, with the stick way more up than Neji's."
"Aaah. I see", Lee replied, dejectedly. With that, the discussion was over and done with. However, Sakura had witnessed the entire conversation and didn't know whether to laugh or be pissed off. She then made her decision and gave Kiba a good kick where the sun don't shine. With an "Oomph!", Kiba's eyes widened, his knees buckled under him and he was a lying heap on the floor – all within a span of 5 seconds. Sakura smirked with satisfaction over a job well done and regained her posture and composure.
If Kurenai had witnessed the scene, she hadn't even batted an eyelash to indicate it. On the other hand, the trio was going through different phases of reactions – Ino wore a bemused expression on her face, Tenten was rather shocked and was scowling, and Hinata's face was etched with worriment. Too bad they didn't have the chance to go and check-up on him as, with a clap of her hands, Kurenai had started class.
...and Kiba could be heard cursing aloud.
When everyone turned their heads to take a look at what had caused the energetic, cocky brat to scream out like that, everyone sweat-dropped.
Apparently, while he was helping Kiba stand on his own two feet, Sai couldn't resists his intrinsic qualities and grabbed Kiba's - ahem – assets. The male dancers groaned while, inwardly, being glad they weren't anywhere near the strangely perverted social-retard and, at the same time, the girls giggled at Kiba's poor state. Somehow, Sai wasn't fazed at all – not even a bit – and had his signature creepy smile intact. The trio shuddered; something about the beautiful dancer made them uncomfortable – as if everything about him was a facade, an act; he seemed like a cyborg, so robotic.
Kurenai was used to this daily bantering but it didn't mean she had to like it – ah, who was she kidding!? – to be honest, she did enjoy these silly little moments. She had become quite partial towards her new students and adored each and every one of them. Most of all, Hinata. The instructor turned grim at some past memory but shrugged it off, thinking how blessed she felt to have had the honor of being the shy dancer's guardian and God-mother. Hinata's mother was Kurenai's best friend since childhood days since they had started dancing together. Even though Kurenai was younger by 4 years, there never seemed to be an age gap between them – they were practically sisters, neither having siblings of their own. After Hotaru's death, Kurenai broke down, feeling alone. It was as if she had lost everything that symbolized family – her sister, her best friend, her substitute mother when a mother was needed, her confidante, her everything. Both women found in each other what they couldn't receive from their own families – love and trust.
Kurenai's fondness for Hinata was not only on a personal level, she genuinely loved her God-child. Hinata represented everything pure, innocent, and wholesome; she had a lovable personality and such sweet charm. However, one thing which restricted that character to shine through to others was Hinata's indisputable and noticeable shyness. The girl was so shy; she got into a habit of stuttering. Though, Kurenai knew the girl's bastard of a father was more to blame than her lack of social skills, Hinata still tried to break the bad habits.
One of which was fervently being carried on in front of her."Hinata, stop chewing on your lip before you bite it off!" Ino scolded before their instructor got the chance.
One thing Kurenai was happy about was the fact that Hinata had found true friends when she started middle school and, luckily, she has been with them ever since.
"Now, children, let's start with our class . . . again, shall we?"
"Hai, Kurenai-sensei!" came the collective response.
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Monday, 9:00 AM
The characteristically cheerful blonde was getting rather frustrated at his exhibitionist partner who wasn't too keen about the phrase 'team work'.
"Yo, pass over here, asshole!"
Instead of making a pass as his comrade told him to, the ball-holder dribbled his way through the opposing players towards the hoop - he faced the basket with his feet apart, knees slightly bent, and back straight; the ball resting on the fingertips of his left (shooting) hand, slightly above the head, with the other hand supporting the side of the ball. Aiming the ball, he makes a jump shot followed by a follow-through. Instead of going in, the ball rebounded off the hoop. The player smirked, anticipating the upshot.
"He was waiting for the rebound!" yelled the player from the rival team to his partner. His partner gave a silent nod and got to work, on to defending the ball from the rough onslaught which was to come, pushing his way from the center line towards the basket. Looking over his shoulder, he nodded again, giving a signal. Man-to-man defense.
When the blonde tried getting to the ball, he was rudely blocked his way towards the basket. "Tch, shit!" making his partner aware of the defensive strategy when the other rival player moved in front of him, obstructing his path, as well, towards the basket. The blonde's care-taker then, hurriedly, revolved around his current position, clearly going after the ball.
Just as the opposing team thought they had the chance of scoring, the blonde's partner made a swift move – ducking, so that his guardian thought he was trying to pass through the blockade, he faked. He made a swift 180 degrees turn, making his opponent go after him, but instantly twisting again another 180 degrees towards the hoop.
"Dammit! Bastard, get the ball already!" screamed the blonde.
His partner barely made it towards the basket, 3 seconds left on the timer, when he finally succeeded in getting the rebound and making a slam dunk.
"Fuck, yeah! We won!"
Just then, it seemed as if a stampede had let loose. The fact of the matter was, they were all fan-girls, all shrieking as if a mantra, "Sasuke-kuuuuuun! You are so awesome!"
Neji cocked an eyebrow, "How is it that those freaks get permission to enter the Sports Complex without badges during classes?"
His partner answered with a barely-there shrug, "Apparently, I thought you'd understand just by looking at how intimidating as a group they can be."
Neji scowled, "Apparently, I never realized you loved observing girls that much, Shino."
Naruto, on the other hand, wasn't quite as cheerful as he usually was. "Tch. How come he gets all the attention?"
Sasuke merely rolled his eyes, not too enthusiastic about either their win, his shot, or the fan-girls.
"And how come he still acts like an asshole?"
That made the fan-girls turn their heads towards the now-terrified blonde, giving him menacing glares. "Sheesh. They're more like his personal bodyguards", he muttered.
"Naruto, you know this was just practice. Let's go shower. Class'll start in half an hour and I prefer to have something to eat before we head off towards TB Block."
With that, the four players dragged themselves up towards the locker-rooms, the fan-girls stalking after them. Too bad Sasuke had to bolt the doors to not let them in, followed by a string of not-so-feminine curses, so they could shower in peace.
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After-notes:
Ani – is what you call your older brother when you are talking about them.
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Author's After Note: I know what you all are wondering, wasn't this supposed to be a basketball fic? The answer is yes! It still isa Basketball fic but with a few twists & turns – Dance! You'll just have to wait and read along. I just hope I've managed to write a good-enough chapter. *grins sheepishly*
For the complex Basketball. Dance and Ballet terms, that's what Google's good for! ;)
Ooooh! Look how the purty Review Button sparkles! Please R&R! I would definitely love your view, opinions, and ideas on the current chapter. Also, for those who voted for Kakashi in my ex-poll, you'll find out later in the fic as to why I hadn't added him to the Poll. Tallyhoo!