27Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, nor do I own the songs used in this story. If I did I wouldn't be writing fanfiction. All rights reserved to Shinedown for the lyrics of "Second Chance" and also to Sara Bareilles for the lyrics of "King of Anything." I in no way shape or form claim these songs. They belong to their rightful owners/companies.
XxX
You'll find it different now,
Your long forgotten past is part of your future,
And you're actually going to love it.
XxX
Sakura opened her laptop in the quiet room she was staying at. The few belongings she did bring with her were already packed and ready to be moved to the Academy. She had been waiting for this since before she arrived at Konoha.
Her screen made small noises as she continued to go from site to site online. She had been curious ever since she made it through the auditions; she wanted to know who else had. She knew a few people that would try out and wanted to know who managed.
So far her searches were failing her.
Apparently they liked to tease people in the academy. Their only information she could find about the audition results was the number of people to audition and the number of people to get through. Sakura didn't bother to fathom how many people auditioned. Only two percent of them got through to the academy itself.
She sighed and was about to switch to check her e-mails when she noticed a small link.
Most Prominent Candidates
Curiosity taking its hold, she clicked the link. It led her to a page that literally started off with the four judges of the auditions saying that they had a list of people they found to be the most promising people to make it through the try-outs.
They had gone through they number of people that made it through the auditions and picked ten future students that they thought had the most potential in their particular section of performance. Looking down the list, she found herself and Uchiha on there, but she also found a couple of names she wasn't expecting. She clicked each link on there and found herself smiling at three particular people. Pride emanated off her as she watched and listened to these three people. They were going to make it far.
XxX
Trust yourself.
There is so much ahead of you,
But don't lose sight of what matters most.
It can be lost in the blink of an eye.
XxX
Naruto grinned as he held up the letter that told him what to do for the callbacks. This time he was given a specific time for his performance so he wouldn't have to wait in a line the entire time. He just had to show up about twenty minutes before his performance time to warm up.
Sitting with about five minutes before he was called to perform, he strummed absentmindedly before taking the last swig of water from his cup. He stood with his head held high and kept his grin going. He had this in the bag. There was nothing left for him to do but walk into that room and own it like he knew he would in the future. He threw away the cup of water he had and walked toward the door as the person before him walked out. The poor guy had his head hanging low and a defeated air about him. Naruto clapped him on the back and said, "Don't worry man. There are always alternatives. The Academy isn't the only way to keep a job with your passion."
They guy just looked at him and looked away mumbling, "There goes my stardom."
The blonde shrugged and pushed the thought of the guy out of his mind. He had his own goals in sight. A gloomy stranger wasn't going to distract him.
He walked right into the room and unlike last time, he could see the five judges in front of him, as well as a good population of what seemed to be students at the Academy. Blue eyes blinking at the unexpectedness of the audience, the Uzumaki child walked up to the microphone and waited.
The blonde woman with a huge bust spoke up first. "Good afternoon Uzumaki Naruto. I am Tsunade, headmistress here at the Academy, and these," she gestured to the audience behind her, "are my seniors. They will be helping the five us out with judging your callback audition. I want you to restate why you want to attend Konoha's Academy for the Performing Arts. Then I want you to play your song. We'll go from there after that."
Naruto nodded and did as he was told.
"I'm here because I'm going to prove to myself and everyone back in Kiri that I can make it with the music that they made fun of me for. I know it'll be hard, but that's how it goes. You have to work for what you want."
There was a sounding short whisper in the audience that was quickly silenced with a look from Tsunade. She nodded to Naruto and he took the initiative to start his song.
"My eyes are open wide
and by the way, I made it
through the day
I watched the world outside
By the way, I'm leaving out
today
Well, I just saw Hailey's
Comet shooting!
Said why you always running
in place?
Even the man in the
Moon disappears
Somewhere in the
Stratosphere
Tell my mother,
Tell my father
I've done the best I can
To make them realize
This is my life
I hope they understand
I'm not angry, I'm just saying...
Sometimes goodbye
Is a second chance
Please don't cry
One tear for me
I'm not afraid of
What I have to say
This is my one and
Only voice
So listen close, it's
Only for today
Well, I just saw Hailey's
Comet shooting!
Said why you always running
in place?
Even the man in the
Moon disappears
Somewhere in the
Stratosphere
Tell my mother,
Tell my father
I've done the best I can
To make them realize
This is my life
I hope they understand
I'm not angry, I'm just saying...
Sometimes goodbye
Is a second chance
Here's my chance
This is my chance
Tell my mother,
Tell my father
I've done the best I can
To make them realize
This is my life
I hope they understand
I'm not angry, I'm just saying...
Sometimes goodbye
Is a second chance
Sometimes goodbye
Is a second chance
Sometimes goodbye
Is a second chance"
Naruto finished his last chord and waited. There was no applause. Instead there was an ambush of about fifty hands in the air. Not sure of what to do, the blue eyed boy just looked at Tsunade with a question mark face.
Tsunade nearly smiled at the blonde's reaction. He looked completely and utterly clueless as to what to do.
"Go down the line Uzumaki. Each of these students has a question for you to answer to test if you truly are Academy material."
He complied. He went down the line starting with the person in the farthest corner down to the front opposite corner. Each question was answered to ears critically judging his every word.
"Why did you choose that song to perform for callbacks?"
"Back in Kiri, my situation wasn't the best. I was constantly ridiculed for my music, and in leaving there to come here, I'm following my dream and giving myself a second chance at everything I want to do with my life."
"Why not choose a love song?"
"Love songs are overused and I don't follow trends. I stand on my own as my own person."
"Why come to the Academy? There are plenty of places all over town that you could go to sing at as your own person."
"I'm here to prove that I can make it. It's not just the star-struck lovebirds that can make it. I'm following my passion and making something of myself through it."
"Why should we let you come to our school? What are you going to do for this Academy?"
"I'm going to bring some variety. All I ever hear from the people at the Academy is a bunch of the same kind of songs in the same styles. It's high time someone comes in and mixes things up so it doesn't stay as the same boring old stuff."
"What makes you so different?"
"The simple fact that I'm not going to be following the trend makes me different. I don't plan on following any trends. If things start to look the same, I'll come up with something different."
On the questions went. Many hands went down after a while as their question was answered before the blonde could get to them.
"How do you think you'll handle the legacy that was left behind for you Uzumaki?"
"I plan on just coming in and doing what I always do with my music: say what's real and put some reality in this music industry."
Before the questions could go any further, Tsunade stopped them. "That's enough. Seniors, I want your opinions. I already have my colleagues' opinions. I want yours. Hands that say we should deny him." About twenty hands went up. "Okay. Now to the other side. Hands that say we should accept him."
There were about forty hands in the air now. Naruto grinned.
"There you have it Uzumaki. You are now a student at Konoha Academy. Your classes and everything will be sorted out for you by next week. You'll receive your letter of acceptance, and the information for freshman orientation within the next three days," stated the headmistress.
Walking out with his ever present grin, Naruto didn't expect what he saw on the way out: a small girl that had strikingly pale eyes and a very nervous look on her face. Being the way he is, Naruto walked right up to the unsuspecting girl and gave her words of advice.
"Hey pretty girl! Don't look so nervous! It's easy to get through. All you have to do is show them that this isn't just a place for love songs and stardom!"
With that he just walked out completely oblivious to the bewildered look of the quiet girl. Neither of them had any idea what was in store for the both of them in the future.
XxX
Open up already!
It's time for your future.
Your past no longer applies here.
XxX
Sasuke was listening to music while lying down on the bed in his small apartment. The past events kept playing through his mind. He had not found the auditions to be anything like he expected. He didn't trust Tsunade.
The woman was too strict on their audition. He had since discovered the Haruno's reputation, and he knew his own had gotten far, but that didn't mean they needed that much criticism for their audition. There just wasn't something right about this.
The way the woman called out his partner struck him as odd. It seemed she had a target on the pinkette's back.
He also saw the judges' most promising votes for each of the categories. They were the only ones to get that much criticism for their performance. It didn't add up in his mind.
Being dragged out of his thoughts, the Uchiha looked at his phone that was ringing on his nightstand.
Looking at the caller ID he grunted as he flipped open the phone and spoke, "Haruno? What do you want?"
"Damn! Don't sound so pissed when you pick up the phone. It's a surefire way to make people want nothing to do with you."
"Get to the point Haruno."
"Fine. I just wanted to ask if you wanted to celebrate. You probably get invited to all kinds of parties and the like, but I just planned a small dinner or something with our choreographers."
He was about to deny her request when she spoke up again.
"Look. I know I was a bitch when we were rehearsing and after the audition. That was due to nerves and that headmaster getting under my skin. I don't have the best past with that woman. I guess this will be to celebrate and hopefully make amends for my rudeness even though you were a prick yourself. I'd like to start off the school year on a good note with the person I'm likely to be paired up with again in the Academy. Please come to this dinner."
"You are so annoying. Fine. I'll go if it means you'll shut up. When is it and where?"
"It's that restaurant on the corner of the street our studio was on. It'll be tomorrow night at around seven."
"Fine. I'll be there."
"Alright. Bye Uchiha." –click-
Sasuke looked at his phone in a look of both amusement and annoyance. He shrugged it off and turned his music back up. The first day of classes was in two days.
He didn't really care all that much about the Haruno and her strangeness.
However, he could admit that she had talent as well. He could already tell he was going to end up working with her again. They worked too well together out of the fact that they got on each other's nerves so much. They didn't waste time. That was something he actually liked about this particular girl. He could acknowledge that she did work well. He just didn't care for the girl overall.
XxX
You've fought so hard.
Don't let the doubt consume you.
You can handle it if you just open your eyes.
XxX
Hinata stood nervously as she waited for the next two people to go before her. Her shaking wouldn't stop. She saw a lot of people before her come out heartbroken and only a few had victorious looks on their faces. It would seem that callbacks weren't as much of a surefire thing for her after all.
She watched the person before her hold their breath as they watched the final person before them walk through the door for their audition. The blonde boy that was walking out had an oversized grin on his face. Another victory giving her reason to believe her chances were slimming.
She didn't know if she had cursed herself in her mind or if karma just hated her, but the boy walked right up to her and she was suddenly intimidated by his overbearing shining aura.
"Hey pretty girl! Don't look so nervous! It's easy to get through. All you have to do is show them that this isn't just a place for love songs and stardom!"
Then he walked away. She was beyond flabbergasted. She had no idea what to make of that.
As he walked away, she could only try to understand what he meant by his words or why he even went up to her. She just heard the person before her get called and didn't realize that much time had passed. It was only a short amount of time until it was her turn to perform. She got over the shock and went back to her nerves.
She gulped down the last of her water and just as she thought her nerves were going to take over her, she watched the last person before her walk out of the auditorium. They had a crushed look on their face. She walked into the room and wasn't hopeful.
The doors to the room closed as she got to the center of the stage.
The amount of people before her nearly made her pass out. There was a huge audience before her and she was feeling less and less capable of making a sound let alone singing.
The woman she recognized as the headmistress of the school addressed her first.
"Hinata. As you can already see, this is going to be a lot different than last time. I want you to state why you want to join the Academy and then perform you song. Don't even worry about introducing it or anything. After that my seniors here with ask you some simple questions and they'll help the rest of us judge if you're going to join the Academy or not."
Nodding, she stepped up to the microphone and shocked herself as she spoke the words she already grilled into her mind.
"I'm here because I'm tired of having my life controlled. I'm going to follow my passion and I'm going to be my own person."
With a nod from the blonde in front of her, she gripped her guitar and focused on her music as always. This was her song that she had been working on for weeks. She wasn't going to mess it up now.
"Keep drinking coffee, stare me down across the table
While I look outside
So many things I'd say if only I were able
But I just keep quiet and count the cars that pass by
You've got opinions, man
We're all entitled to 'em, but I never asked
So let me thank you for your time, and try not to waste anymore of mine
And get out of here fast
I hate to break it to you man, but I'm not drowning
There's no one here to save
Who cares if you disagree?
You are not me
Who made you king of anything?
So you dare tell me who to be?
Who died and made you king of anything?
You sound so innocent, all full of good intent
Swear you know best
But you expect me to jump up on board with you
And ride off into your delusional sunset
I'm not the one who's lost with no direction
But you'll never see
You're so busy making maps with my name on them in all caps
You got the talking down, just not the listening
And who cares if you disagree?
You are not me
Who made you king of anything?
So you dare tell me who to be?
Who died and made you king of anything?
All my life I've tried to make everybody happy
While I just hurt and hide
Waiting for someone to tell me it's my turn to decide
Who cares if you disagree?
You are not me
Who made you king of anything?
So you dare tell me who to be?
Who died and made you king of anything?
Who cares if you disagree?
You are not me
Who made you king of anything?
So you dare tell me who to be?
Who died and made you king of anything?
Let me hold your crown, man."
She finished singing and felt relieved. She had done as well as she thought she'd ever do on that. She looked at Tsunade who nodded in return and told her, "Now, my seniors will be asking you some questions. I want you to just go down the line and answer each one until I say it's enough."
Off went the first question.
"What is the meaning behind your song and why you chose it for this callback?"
"Well, I chose this s-song because I've never really h-had any control in my l-life. I decided to change t-that"
"Why did you decide to go as far as to the Academy when your family can back you up with whatever financial needs you have? You could just work in a shop and play music there."
"I have been disowned from my family because I decided to follow my passion and get into music."
"M-my family doesn't really u-understand my passion for music."
"Why denounce your family name just to get the stardom of the Academy? You could just get the fame from your family name."
"I don't like the f-family business. I-I want to make it on my own."
"What makes you so different from everyone else that wants to join the Academy?"
"M-my style is different, and my n-name. Even if I've been disowned, my n-name will get me noticed"
"What can you do for our school?"
"I c-can bring a new style of music and my n-name will catch people's a-attention and allow me the ability to p-pay you guys back through that recognition."
Tsunade cut off the questions there. "Seniors, tell me what you think."
"She could be an asset to us."
"Her name will take hold."
"She'll need to find a way to pay us back eventually if she was cut off from her family, but she seems pretty star struck."
"She doesn't really seem all that different from the other kids we turned down that were focused on stardom."
"She's too laid back and shy for how upbeat everyone is in this generation."
"Overall she probably won't make it."
Tsunade cut their input off, turned to the nervous girl and stated, "Hinata, you seemed to have failed the callbacks. You won't be joining our school. I suggest you go beg your family to take you back."
Confused and shocked, she walked out of the auditorium with a daze. None of what had just happened made sense to her; she thought that's what they wanted to hear. She thought that would make them accept her. They just denied her even though she played it along to exactly what she thought they wanted.
She walked over to a chair and sat down crushed. How was she going to face Neji and Tenten now? They sacrificed so much for her to be able to do this.
With her head held in her hands she just didn't understand it. She could've sworn that's what would've gotten her in. There were only five hopefuls left in the waiting room. She watched as each one of them walked in and came out. The third one came out screaming.
"Damn it! This was supposed to be my big break to being a star! What the hell do I do now?"
She paused and just stared at the person as they stormed out of the room. Then she remembered the one strange boy's words.
"Hey pretty girl! Don't look so nervous! It's easy to get through. All you have to do is show them that this isn't just a place for love songs and stardom!"
Hinata mentally slapped herself in the face. She lost sight of herself. They didn't want to hear her sit there and go on and on about being a star and using her name to get herself known. They wanted to know why she was really there.
She stared at the door as the last person there for callbacks walked out.
Get up and do it.
She felt possessed as she walked toward the door. She walked in as Tsunade was mid-speech. It sounded like she was telling the seniors to pack up and leave. She turned to the shy, pale-eyed girl with an eyebrow lifted.
"What do you want Hyuuga? You already had your callback."
Taking a gulp of air, she spoke with a voice that wasn't hers.
"I lied earlier. I-I was saying w-what I thought you wanted t-to hear me s-say. I-I thought that m-might get m-me through to th-the Academy."
The seniors all stopped packing up and watched the poor girl with smirks and looks of ridicule. Tsunade had a hard look in her eyes.
"You say you lied? What makes me think you aren't lying right now to get through because you failed the first try?"
Hinata gulped. She hadn't thought about that. She hadn't really thought at all. She just followed some unknown force that compelled her there. She figured she might as well continue to follow the force as she spoke again.
"I-I h-h-hate people that are only focused on b-being stars. Their m-music sounds so e-empty. I at l-least know m-mine doesn't. I-I p-put real e-emotion behind my s-songs. I p-proved that w-with the songs I-I used to audition."
"That's all nice and pretty to hear—minus the stuttering, but that still doesn't prove that you aren't here to just get a name and be heard," called out one of the seniors.
"I-I am here to b-be heard! I-I'm here t-to follow my p-passion for m-music and choose m-my own life in-instead of letting my f-family control it for me. I'm h-here to stand o-on my own two feet and d-drop my f-family's name and make m-my own name by my s-self. I could easily j-just stay with my family and have a name and a boring life that way. I don't want it! I want to follow my music. This is the only place I can do that and still be able to support myself though."
Hinata's confidence grew more and more as she spoke. Tsunade gave the seniors a look so that no one else would speak up. Turning to the long haired girl that was shaking with her nerves, but quite obviously determined, she asked, "What makes you think we're going to let you in after you said you lied? After you said you tried to alter yourself to give what you think we wanted?"
"I-I don't know, but I had to try. It's better to take the risk than to not try at all."
Tsunade smiled. "I figured you'd come around Hinata. I knew you told us a lie earlier. You're audition from before proved that. Don't lose sight again. Freshman orientation is in three days."
With that, the seniors finished packing up, left, and Hinata walked out with a feeling of coming out of a trance. She didn't know what got in her to do that, but she did it. She was in the Academy and was going to be able to pay off Neji and Tenten. She could do this.
She walked toward her cousin's apartment with a happy pace. She owed it to that random blonde kid as well. He was the one that unknowingly gave her the words to get her through. She hoped to see him again.
XxX
Fin.
XxX
So it's up! I know it's been forever since I update...well...anything. I'm not going to apologize though. Life is life. Everything that has happened to me lately kept me from writing and had all my inspiration taken from me.
It's better that I update with something good than to update with something half-assed.
Anyone who doesn't like this can deal with it.
Yes I altered the lyrics in "King of Anything" because that song is basically written toward her father and I don't picture Hinata calling her father "babe."
THANK YOU TO MY EDITERS! They know who they are. They helped me out with this. I thank them for everything they've done and I'm sorry I bugged you guys so much with this...I hate being a bother...
So that's it.
~CGWG