TRANSIENT FIREWORKS

~ う た か た 花 火 ~

---

Just as they started crossing the bridge back to the other side of town, the clouds released a building rain shower, and in moments they were soaked. "Orihime-sama's crying... I guess the magpies didn't make it this year" she mused. "Hikoboshi- Sama probably doesn't like it much either" Sasuke replied. Song-Inspired Fic. A SasuFemNaru Threeshot.

---

FIRST FESTIVAL

~ 最 初 祭 ~

---

The festival at the end of August
was filled and crowded with people;
I wore a yukata and put on wooden sandals,
Making those clicking and clacking sounds.
When the two of us looked up at
the fireworks that suddenly went up,
I quietly stole a glance at your face
as you watched in a trance.

---

Naruto wished the sound of her sandals clattering on the promenade would make less noise as she darted amongst the people heading for the festival.

'Clik-clak-clok' 'click-clak-clok' it drew heads in her direction before she even passed their owners. It wasn't her fault she was late! Her brother had held her up, gushing over her outfit and cooing about 'Ickle-Nawuto-chuan's' first date.

Then he'd thoroughly embarrassed the both of them with another lecture about 'appropriate first date hanky-panky'. Which really wasn't necessary since she had been dating since her second year of middle school, and her current boyfriend wasn't exactly a stranger to her body. They just hadn't gone that far yet. It was their first actual date though...

The talk was still embarrassing though. It wasn't like she didn't appreciate the brotherly love, but Kyuubi sometimes forgot he wasn't her father sometimes. Then again, he might have made her late deliberately. She never had understood how Kyuubi's mind worked properly. Only his girlfriend Fuu seemed capable of that.

Finally she reached the pier, and glancing around the waterfall just before the wooden pathway stared branching across the ocean, she caught sight of her date. Sasuke Uchiha – Sasuke freaking Uchiha. Ino and Sakura had been spitting mad when they first started going out, but they lived with it, apparently glad it was her rather than some 'hussy' (in Ino's words).

When she told them he'd invited her, they hadn't failed to help her with the girl stuff. It had taken a lot of scouring the shops to find something that she was happy with, but like true friends they hadn't failed her. It had required a little sewing and desecration of a sale's bin yukata, but Naruto could safely say she looked good tonight.

She was wearing a black skirt, and a short, blue one sleeved yukata with black edging. The obi on her waist was yellow, and the bow tied over it at her back a pale orange hue. A variety of thin metal bracelets littered her wrists, along with a crystal necklace from her grandmother on her neck.

She'd given her hair a bit of a trim so it was neater than usual, but it was still fastened into her usual, lower-back-length bunches with a couple of thin black hair-ties. She had a pair of blue leg-warmers on her legs, but her black meta may have to be exchanged for some plain ordinary flip flops, her feet seriously hurt now thanks to the running (hence why she'd brought them, just in case).

She had a bit of make up on too, so foundation to cover up the scratches from the car crash that had killed her parents, a bit of clear vanilla gloss, and some mascara and eye-liner for the smoky eye thing.

"I'm sorry I'm late! My brother was being weird and fussy, but I made it…" Naruto apologized, pausing to catch her breath and sneak a glance at her date.

He was wearing a pair of plain red surf shorts, a pair of flip-flops, and a black shirt with one of his wooden surf necklaces, and multiple earrings and ear chains. He'd also forgotten to button his shirt up. She was so interested with the skin that was showing that she almost missed the well-controlled blush on his cheeks.

She didn't miss it though, so she was grinning like a fool when his fingers grasped her own and lead her down the pier to the festival stalls.

Sasuke was a year older than her. He had already graduated that year and was looking for an electrician or engineering apprenticeship. She still had a year of school left, but Konoha Art School were already interested in her work. They had asked if she would consider them at the exhibition the art club held during the last school festival.

That was where she had met Sasuke. They didn't really mix much in school, but he'd always liked her paintings since she joined in her first year. It was only at the start of her second year they had really started talking though. Which had led to flirting, then some making out in the art supply room several few months ago. Now it was their first real date, at the Tanabata festival no less.

She didn't really know why they hadn't been on a date before, but she wasn't complaining either. At least Kyuubi had let her out of the door. He always gave Sasuke a sour look, even if they got along pretty well. She had half expected him to lock her up, or something equally extreme.

It really made no sense, since she wasn't the virgin in the relationship, something Kyuubi knew full well. Frankly, Itachi was the brother who should be watching out for the younger sibling's purity (though Naruto snorted at the thought of Sasuke having any kind of 'purity'). Then again, Itachi was always asking Sasuke (much to his embarrassment) if he'd 'popped his cherry yet' so maybe not.

They started the night with some friendly competition; a game of Obake Karuta which she won with some good matches of a Tanuki, Bakeneko, Fuujin, and last but not least, the Kitsune Tamamo-no-mae as her final matches (Sasuke's only quick matches were Kirin, the Yamata no Orochi, and Raijin in the whole thing).

After that, was some goldfish scooping, which she failed at miserably due to lack of patience with her poi. Sasuke had much more success, and kindly gave her the three he succeeded in capturing, claiming they would only be eaten by his deranged cat Madara. Naruto pressed her lips against his own in thanks, and enjoyed laughing when he flushed bright red.

Of course, that meant she had to run a way when his pride flared up in anger, but she enjoyed being chased by him all the same to the selection of potted bamboo trees at the end of the pier for Tanzaku-writing.

They would be set afloat and burned when the fireworks started, and both of them had something to hang on the wooden stalks.

There were several things she could have written on her own scrap of paper – family health, good grades, success, but she didn't really needed that. There was something else she wanted, but thinking ahead to the end of the year...

She was hesitant to write it at first. She did write it eventually, but she was in two minds to whether or not it was worth pinning to the bamboo. She was almost grateful when Sasuke asked her to go get a bottle of water from one of the stands.

Folding the paper and handing it to him for safekeeping, she went to the stall in question as Sasuke hung up his own Tanzaku. Returning, he took a grateful glug of the drink, before she stole a few sips herself, grimacing at the bland taste. She didn't like water much, but she needed something to clear her mind up.

"Naruto?"

Naruto glanced at Sasuke, mid sip, and followed his incredulous gaze to the water bottle. Realising her mistake, she made a show of tasting something foul and wiping her mouth, before hanging her own strip of paper on the bamboo.

"Bleargh... Where's the Kakigori stand? I need something decent to get rid of that water taste!" she asked, before dragging Sasuke in the direction he had pointed out to her.

Since when was Naruto Uzumaki worried over things like wishing paper? If she wanted something, she'd get it herself rather than rely on the gods. Not that she meant the gods any disrespect; she just trusted her own judgement a little better was all.

Especially when it came to her boyfriend. That was her belief at the start of the evening. The ending would be very different to her expectations.

---

They played various other games, and even ran into a couple of people from school (like Ino and Shikamaru, the latter being bullied into most of the couple's activities by the looks of things), before heading for the food stalls.

"You brought a costume right? Sasuke asked as they sat at the temporary Ichiraku booth consuming ramen.

Naruto nodded; that part of the invitation had confused her, but she had a towel and swimming costume in the bag now settled beside her stool. It had kind of weirded her out for a bit, but Sasuke had assured her that it wasn't him being creepy, so she had humoured him and brought a bikini. Though what it was for at this time of night was anybody's guess.

"In that case, we should get going before the masses do" he said, finishing his bowl of the broth and setting the disposable bowls and chopsticks in the nearby rubbish bin.

"What? But they haven't even had the fireworks or song yet!" Naruto protested, glancing mournfully at the musicians stand and bamboo pots at the end of the pier.

"We won't miss them – I just don't want to be caught up with the crowd for it" Sasuke replied, leaning against the stall as she hurriedly finished her ramen.

The moment her bowl was in the bin, she took her by the hand and started leading her by the hand through the crowd.

He stopped four times; at a snack stand selling taiyaki and takoyaki, at another that sold some sort of fruit juice, and at one selling senbei where he picked up a backpack from his grandparents, and deposited the food inside it.

The last stop was on the other side of the bridge by the other promenade so she could go to the toilets and change into her swimming costume.

It was an orange halter-neck thing with decent straps (rather than the stringy ones Ino liked) that merged into the top and a pair of short-style bottoms, both with a black polka-dot pattern. After tying a dark maroon sarong on her waist she had joined him outside again, and he' led her down to the beach itself.

She'd long since switched to her flip flops, but even they were beginning to annoy her feet. Sasuke was ignorant as they walked along the sand until she had to stop and flex her foot muscles a bit. Then he realised something was off.

"You ok?" he asked.
"Huh? I'm fine" she replied; she wore heels often so the aches she was currently experiencing were almost insignificant compared some she'd experienced.

She started to walk with him again, but after a few more minuets of covertly watching her feet, he stopped and dropped his backpack onto the floor, along with the bags of goldfish.

"Sasuke?" she asked, pausing in puzzlement.
"Get on" Sasuke ordered, pointing at his back with the jerk of a thumb.
"Eh? Why?"
"Why do you think? Your feet hurt right?"

Naruto blinked once then clambered onto his back – if she was heavy Sasuke had the good grace not to say so. Instead he gave her his backpack and the goldfish to carry as he adjusted the position of his hands. In fact, it felt like...

"...are you groping my ass?" she asked as Sasuke started walking again.

She didn't really mind (they'd gone further than a few gropes when they were home alone lately) but there better ways to grope her ass right? You'd think a self-admitted pervert like Sasuke would know better...

"I'm a guy – of course I'm groping your ass. I'd rater go for your boobs personally, but they're out of reach, so your ass'll have to do for now" Sasuke replied, a slight tease in his tone of voice, squeezing her ass again as if to prove his point.

Naruto laughed, and wrapped his neck around his shoulders, and kissed him on the cheek before leaning her head against his neck as he plodded over the sand.

---

After perhaps another fifteen minuets travel along the beach, Sasuke set her down on the sand and took back his backpack. They were at the edge of the beach, just as it started to curve around onto the bay, and to go any further was impossible thanks to the rocks...

Unless she was to follow Sasuke's lead and wade into the water after him, and go around them that way. She guessed it explained the need for a swimming costume, but she didn't really see what it had to do with the festival. They were pretty far from the pier now...

"Don't worry about the rocks – I checked it out a few nights ago first, and they aren't jagged or anything" Sasuke called back, hoisting himself onto one of the rocks protruding from the inshore tide.

Shaking the pondering thoughts from her mind for the moment, she followed the path Sasuke had just taken, taking his hand when he helped her up onto the rock he was standing on. Following him trough a sea arch that had formed in the cliff and down onto some lower rocks, she recognized their location.

They were directly below the part of the town where the new wind farm had been built. Sasuke hopped down off the rocks and back into the water, hand still in her own. Once down herself, she let him lead her through some more before they finally arrived at a beach.

Despite being the start of July, the water had been freezing at this time of night, and it made her foresight of packing a towel all the more prudent. Sitting down beside Sasuke in her childish old kiddie-anime towel, she glanced around, wondering if something was supposed to be happening.

Fishing his own towel from his bag, he pulled her in front of him, leaning his head on one shoulder as he wormed his arms around her waist. She half expected him to grope her, but the arm that rose was only so he could check the time on his wristwatch.

She was about to ask what he was waiting for, when the loud screech of a rocket whistled overhead, before exploding into a shower of cracking sparks above them; the waves below glittered the reflection of the first firework, just as the musicians started back on the festival side of the bay.

Lips parting in awe, she turned to stare first at her boyfriend, then the cliff above them as the rest of the fireworks were blasted into the air, their sparks crackling merrily even as they faded, the traditional festival music drifting over the waves.

"You sappy idiot... How did you know where they were going to be set off?" Naruto asked, kissing her boyfriend on the lips several times as she did so.

"Itachi helped organise the display this year – I just promised to do his share of the chores for a couple of weeks" Sasuke grinned, pressing his lips into her own and running his tongue against them.

Not getting any complaints from her, he dragged his hands down her sides, pulling her onto his lap and pressing further into the kiss. Just as she was reaching her hand to the soft fluffy spikes of hair at the back of his neck (in other words, when she was beginning to care more about Sasuke's tongue than the fireworks) he pulled back.

With a peck on the nose, he moved so she was sitting between his legs again, her back against his chest, watching the fireworks exploding overhead. Sighing in momentary irritation, she relaxed, leaning back into his hold as she watched the explosions of colour above them.

The display only lasted for half an hour, but if felt like much longer, much shorter too. She wasn't really sure. She just knew something was going on. Even for the secretly romantic sap that he was, this was more effort than she had expected for Sasuke for a first date. He had another motive, she was sure of it.

"Naruto... I have to tell you something..." Sasuke said haltingly, several minuets after the fireworks had fallen silent and the scent of gunpowder had started to linger in the air.

Naruto stiffened in his arms, but bade him to continue anyway; she knew something was off... Sasuke was silent, seemingly searching for the best words to tell her what he had to in. then he found them.

"I got a place on an electrician's apprenticeship. The letter came through a few days ago, and it's completely unconditional but... It's in... It's in Lightning…"

Naruto gripped the arm around the front of her shoulders a little harder. Lightning County was three whole counties away. Fairly large ones. Visiting wasn't exactly within walking. It was more like a plane journey away.

This was exactly what she had been worried about earlier, when she was standing in front of the bamboo; Sasuke was graduating this year, and while Konoha's University had a very famous Art section, did not have the courses that applied to trades like electrics and engineering that Sasuke wanted to pursue. She knew he would have to leave if he wanted to go study it properly.

It had just been a matter of time until she heard it from him. She didn't begrudge him for it – she would do the same thing herself if Konoha Art School wasn't so good – but she knew she didn't have it in her to really, really maintain a long distance relationship.

Well, maybe she'd be able to talk and things over the phone and through texts, but not being able to see him in person at all wouldn't be good. She wouldn't be able to stand it. It had occurred to her that she could just go to an art school near Sasuke's place of study when she graduated, but Konoha Art School really was one of the best. She'd be stupid to leave when they were asking her to consider them.

It wasn't just her either – Sasuke was not the biggest conversationalist in the world. He had a phone, and an email account, but he never had any credit on his phone, and it was always on silent, so actually getting hold of him was hell on earth. He didn't have enough contacts to have a regularly full inbox, so that went untouched for weeks at time sometimes too.

She was sure he'd try in the beginning, just like she would, but... they just weren't cut out for a real long distance relationship, and they both knew it. She was stubborn enough when they had an argument already, and Sasuke wasn't that different, even if he was pretty sweet most of the time. Get on his bad side, or if something went wrong, and he could be the biggest bastard on the face of the earth.

"...I haven't decided yet. There are other places that are close that I can-"
"You want to go" Naruto interrupted.

The silence and stiffening of his arms on her was all the answer she needed. Naruto thought about her next words carefully, making a decision as she did.

"You should go.  If you want it that badly... then you should accept it." she said quietly, turning round on the sand to face him, but not quite managing to look him in in the eye.

Sasuke frowned, and started to voice his protest, but she cut him by pressing her lips onto his own. She could tell he was still frowning as his hands rose to her cheeks, her own fingers tugging him closer with a pull on his shirt.

When his hands started to stray towards her breasts, he broke it off again – he didn't glare at her, but it was clear he wanted another option.

"Naruto, if you want me to stay, say it. I can take another apprenticeship that's a lot closer. It's not like the programmes around here are bad. Just say the word"

She was sorely tempted to. Very sorely, but she didn't. Instead she sighed, and settled for a hug instead. He wanted her to decide this for him, she could tell, but that wouldn't be any good in the long run. He didn't want to go simply because of their relationship, but Sasuke had been dreaming of a chance like this long before she'd met him. Passing it over would wreck him from the ground up. He didn't want to make that decision though.

"I'll admit, I don't want you to leave, but are you really going to be satisfied if you choose one of the local programmes? The ones in Lightning are better aren't they? If you don't go you'll be miserable and like hell I want to deal with your grouchy attitude for months on end..." she replied, tying to lighten the pressure that was surrounding them.

She didn't think it worked much. Sasuke still had a pained expression on his face, but he looked less conflicted, so maybe her words had achieved the desired effect. Brushing a few stands of hair from her eyes, Sasuke kissed her. It was a fairly simple kiss, but she relished it in spite of herself.

"Naruto... Ihis apprenticeship isn't... It's for six years... If I take it then..." he faltered, not wanting to voice the words themselves.

"I know. But you'd do the same for me, and I'd thank you for it in the end. Besides, the holidays aren't over yet..." she grinned half-heartedly.

Sasuke considered that for several moments, before kissing her again – with more enthusiasm and relief than he would probably admit to – and then wrapping his arms around her.

"I love you... I know I don't say or show it much, but I do. You know that right?" he mumbled, reluctant to loose his cool exterior a bit more than usual but forcing the words out anyway.

"I know... I love you too" Naruto replied, tightening her arms around his neck.

After a moment, she stood up just as the band on the other side of town started up again. On cue, the second half of the firework display started with a loud cracking banger. Sasuke raised an eyebrow when she dragged him up with her, discarding the set of towels and heading for the water.

"Come on – I'm... declaring a water fight or something. This is way too gloomy for a first date. We should be having fun, and frankly, I like a good water fight" she grinned, walking backwards into the water to depth that reached just above her knees.

"Won't your brother want you back home? You know how he gets..." Sasuke replied, a smirk creeping onto his face all the same.

"I told him not to wait up for me coming home tonight... If you catch my drift" she grinned, waggling her eyebrows suggestively before plunging her hands in the water and hurling some in his direction.

As she expected, her words stunned him so much he forgot to doge the water, and ended up soaked from the head down. He spluttered, but the blush on his face was plain.

He continued spluttering, trying to think up some sort of reply, but it only ended up with Naruto loosing her footing for laughing at her prudish virgin boyfriend, and falling into the water herself. Realising he was being mocked, Sasuke immediately retaliated, and they almost forgot the unpleasant conversation that had just taken place under the glow of the fireworks.

---

The water fight didn't last long given the lowering temperature, but Naruto thoroughly enjoyed the food Sasuke had taken from the festival itself (even if the takoyaki was cold) and the mini bout of (bad) dancing along to the traditional music drifting over to them from the other side of the bay.

They couldn't stay forever though – it was getting colder for one thing, and there was a tide to pay attention to. Clouds started building overhead as the festival drew to a close, and the notion of being caught in the rain did not appeal either. They decided it best to leave just in case, and after climbing back through the rocks, Naruto got anther piggyback along the beach.

Getting to the promenade, a short argument broke out concerning the night's lodgings and activities. Sasuke was convinced she had only brought the subject up because of his sour-news, and insisted it wasn't 'the proper way to do things'. Naruto was convinced her virgin boyfriend was a prude, and bluntly reminded him that she had already warned her brother she might be out for the entire night. She took great pains to stress that was before he dropped his unpleasant bomb.

She convinced him in the end, kissing his cheek from over his shoulder and giggling at the blush on his face. She often found it amusing that she was the one with more experience in romance rather the recently graduated third year. It was always so much fun to see him splutter and blush when the subject came up. Even though they'd already gone beyond casual making out into more serious stuff, Sasuke still blushed like a tomato if the subject of sex came up.

Of course after that, the argument had been over lodgings and the subject of money. Neither of them liked the idea of love hotels (and besides, neither knew if Konoha even had one), but while Naruto was perfectly happy with a normal fairly cheap hotel, Sasuke was not. Naruto blamed his virginity subconsciously giving him romanticised ideas.

She had argued that her budget of 4,000 ryo would only stretch so far, but Sasuke had had a minor fit of pride and demanded that he at least pay towards the room if not all of it ('I'm a man god damn it! This is supposed to be my responsibility!'). Naruto had rolled her eyes, but agreed all the same, and Sasuke's contribution of 3,000 ryo was enough to get a room in one of the Sasuke-approved hotels.

That was the only spat however, and once settled, they fell back to their previous activity of pointing out the constellations slowly being covered with the dark clouds. All of a sudden Naruto couldn't help but feel a little saddened by the sight of Lyra disappearing behind one of the dark rain clouds.

Like the sight of firework sparks dissipating, it reminded her that everything has a certain time span. Even the good things. It was a reminder she didn't need tonight.

Just as they started crossing the bridge back to the other side of town, the released a building rain shower, and in moments they were soaked. Naruto stared up at the spot where she had last seen Lyra and frowned at the clouds once again.

"It kind looks like Orihime-sama's crying... I guess the magpies couldn't make it this year. She must be lonely..." Naruto mused quietly.

There was a heavy silence, and Sasuke stopped walking as she rested her head on his neck. Her eyes stung, but differentiating her tears from the rain soaking her was impossible. It didn't stop her feeling self-conscious about them though.

This was her idea, she shouldn't be blubbering about it but... it really wasn't the most pleasant or the best idea she'd ever come up with (and a few of her old pranking ones were absolute doozies). She didn't want Sasuke to mope about because he didn't go though, so it was the best thing she could think of. They just weren't the types to make a long-distance relationship work.

In spite of the decision, she was glad Sasuke didn't call her out on her blubbering – instead he stood there, still supporting her on his back as he stared at the impact of the bullets on the water below them.

"Hikoboshi-Sama probably doesn't like it much either" he replied quietly.

Naruto wound her arms around his neck a little tighter, muffling her snuffles withhis shoulder, and Sasuke didn't move until they had passed. When they did, she hopped down from his back and intertwined her fingers with his, reaching them up to the arm that wound around her shoulders.

"Naruto... If you want to change your mind... I really wouldn't complain as much as you think..." Sasuke ventured, after a few long minuets of silent, tense walking.

"Don't give me that option Sasuke... I might just take you up on it" she replied, frankly and calmly.

Catching sight of the hotel they were looking for, Naruto looked up at him with a smirk and pressed her lips onto his own. Flicking her tongue over them, Sasuke responded without much complaint, his hand getting ever lower on her waist until she pulled back and grinned at him again.

"...besides, I don't want to worry about that until I have to. I have other plans for you tonight Uchiha, and they don't involve gloomy speeches and crying. Screaming and moaning, definitely, but crying really isn't something you want to be doing in the middle of the nasty" she teased.

Sasuke immediately turned into a bright red, spluttering tomato. After enduring some more teasing and laughter, he fixed their fingers together and led her to the door of the hotel himself; it was an attempt to regain some of his cool, but the blatant blushing really didn't go with the image he was trying to achieve.

The serious moment was forgotten completely that time, bringing both their focus back to what it should have been on all night; each other.