"Behind the Rivalry"

By: AsnGothic

Summary: Behind the rivalry of two boys, there's a phrase of something else.

Couplings: SasuNaru

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AsnGothic: These plots all came to me in the middle of the night. . .enjoy while I try to remember the rest. I own nothing, and I'm going to go write before I forget...

Oh yeah. Sorry that I had to make the spacing totally wide, but ff.net doesn't let me single space...

I own nothing of Naruto, nor do I own Celine Dion's song, "I love you then I hate you."

~

The first rays of morning peeked through dirty windows before an alarm clock was set off. Its' annoying rings and beeps woke a lazy clump on the bed next to it. A hand from under the covers lazily swiped at the clock until it finally knocked it onto the floor, breaking it. Naruto crawled out from under the covers and stretched out the aches in his back. Smiling, he said, "Yoshi! Another day to train!" He jumped out of bed and made some of his ramen for breakfast.

He arrived on their meeting place like he always did, early, but later than Sasuke and Sakura. 'Why do we even bother to come early when Kakashi-Sensei is always late...' Naruto thought. He beamed at Sakura and waved at her. A while ago, she decided to be nicer to Naruto, even if it was very annoying to her. She waved back, with a very annoyed smile, or more of just showing her teeth. His smile stopped when he caught sight of Sasuke. Both boys cast identical glares at each other, but there was something behind the rivalry.

I'd like to run away from you
But if I were to leave you I would die
I'd like to break the chains you put
Around me
And yet I'll never try

No matter what you do you drive me
Crazy
I'd rather be alone
But then I know my life would be so
Empty
As soon as you were gone

Kakashi grinned at his team and greeted them with a "Hey! Sorry I'm late, but - "

"Don't even try to explain, Kakashi-Sensei, we wouldn't believe you." Sakura smirked at Kakashi. Kakashi just laughed at his team.

"Well, I know someone who wouldn't." A low mutter came from the back. "Are you talking about me?" Naruto asked Sasuke angrily.

"Who did you think I was talking about?" Sasuke smirked.

"I didn't say anything this time!"

"You were going to." The boys glared at each other before Kakashi pulled them apart.

"Boys, boys, stop fighting! You shouldn't fight first thing in the morning..."

"It's ok, Kakashi-Sensei, they always do." Sakura giggled.

Naruto stared coldly at Sasuke, but grinned. Fighting with Sasuke was just another way for Naruto to talk to him.

Impossible to live with you
But I could never live without you
For whatever you do - for whatever you
Do
I never, never, never
Want to be in love with anyone but you

You make me sad
You make me strong
You make me mad
You make me long for you - you make
Me long for you

Another hard day of training had shown itself to team seven. Naruto tried hastily to climb up a tree, getting as far as he could before and just a little more. Of course, he was only in this to beat Sasuke. Sakura was already somewhere near the top, but Naruto wasn't keeping track. His focus was on Sasuke. He seethed at him through his eyes and all he got back was a sneer.

Unfortunately, Naruto wasn't concentrated on his footing when he seethed at Sasuke and he only made two steps up before falling. Kakashi, who was in the corner reading his perverted magazine, shook his head at Naruto and said,

"You're getting worse."

Naruto narrowed his eyes at Sasuke and Kakashi before getting back up and concentrating his chakra. Just when he was about to climb up again, Sasuke broke his focus. "Dobe, don't even try, you know you're not going to beat me."

Naruto shrieked as he fell again and he fell straight down on his head. "Sasuke!! You did that on purpose!!"

"An expert ninja wouldn't let something like that distract him from his focus..."

Naruto pointed at Sasuke angrily and shouted back, "I hate you!"

"Hate you too, dobe." Unknown to Sasuke, Naruto's focus was really him. Sakura knew.

'Those two are still at it. All for each other.' She thought as she grinned at the two fighting.

You make me live
You make me die
You make me laugh
You make me cry for you - you make me
Cry for you

I hate you
Then I love you
Then I love you
Then I hate you
Then I love you more
For whatever you do
I never, never, never
Want to be in love with anyone but you

Sakura climbed down from her tree the tenth time and smiled at her improvement. It was getting dark. Kakashi rounded up his team before the ending of the day, calling to them:

"Good job, now let's go before it gets too dark."

Naruto glanced down at Kakashi from a branch and called back, "Can I stay longer? I want to train more." Kakashi smiled at them. "Fine, just don't stay too long." Naruto beamed and he jumped back down.

"I want to stay too." Sasuke called from a higher branch than Naruto's.

"Why?" Kakashi asked.

"He doesn't want me to defeat him." Naruto laughed.

"You couldn't if you tried, dobe."

Naruto glared at him.

"Sure, sure..."

Sasuke chuckled at Naruto victoriously and jumped down from his branch.

"I'm going to get back up before you do!"

"You wish, dobe." Both boys concentrated their chakra to their feet, and climbed up getting to the same height as they fell down and tried again. Kakashi and Sakura were gone when they looked back, but that's the way they wanted it.

You treat me wrong
You treat me right
You let me be
You make me fight with you - I could
Never live without you

You make me high
You bring me down
You set me free
You hold me bound to you

Naruto and Sasuke were both equally tired, but tried to show no weakness to the other. When Naruto finally collapsed, Sasuke smirked to himself. 'I beat him' he thought, 'and he's not even conscious to admit it.' He carried Naruto over to a softer patch of grass, falling down himself, staring at the stars forming in the sky.

"Hehe, Sasuke, we both lost."

Sasuke looked surprised at the ninja beside him and sneered, "You collapsed first."

"That's not fair!" Naruto said, jumping back up.

Sasuke didn't bother to answer, just laughed. Naruto glanced hotly down at Sasuke before sitting back down himself. A silence swept through them until a while after, Sasuke got up.

"It's getting late and I'm going back."

"I guess I'm going to go too." Naruto said, picking himself up.

Sasuke left in a different direction until Naruto called back,

"Yo, Sasuke! Walk me home?"

Sasuke grinned. "Sure, dobe."

They both walked away in a small argument, "Don't call me dobe."

"It fits you, dead-last."

"It does not! More like it fits you!"

"Hn."

"Sasuke!"

Behind the argues, though, was a little phrase of 'Aishiteru' in their voices. There's always something behind the rivalry.

I hate you
Then I love you
Then I love you
Then I hate you
Then I love you more - I love you more
For whatever you do - for whatever you
Do
I never, never, never
Want to be in love with anyone but you

I never, never, never
I never, never, never
I never, never, never
Want to be in love with anyone but you
But you

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AsnGothic: That was...lame. But please review anyways. ^_^ I have a bunch of new stories to write.