⚡︎ CONTAINS ⚡︎ Smut, language, flirting, suggestiveness, brief sexual themes.
⚡︎ WORD COUNT ⚡︎ 7.3k okayy.. wow
⚡︎ A/N ⚡︎ hiiii first chapter finally :P this fic is heavily inspired by underground music culture + one of my fav movies scott pilgrim vs the world + shoegaze/grunge genres of music ALTHOUGH i plan to add many more genres into it :3. crimson rouge’s vibe is inspired by plastic tree + panchiko while the ninetails are more nirvana/deftones/weezer inspired. And sasukes stage name obviously came from the character envy adam’s!!! but more on that later. hope u enjoy<3
Konoha University is known for having one of the most prestigious music courses in the country, a place where only the most talented musicians manage to survive the entrance process.
Over the years, it has produced legends of the industry, including rival punk rock icons Madara and Hashirama. Heartthrob idols such as the much loved Itachi Uchiha, alongside countless other artists who went on to achieve global fame.
However, entry into the course is notoriously difficult. Very few applicants pass the entrance exam, and those who do are pushed even further through intense individual and solo performances, even if they are part of a band. This system is designed to test whether each musician has what it takes to succeed independently in the future music industry.
Failure, though, comes with consequences. If you flop, best believe you aren’t getting a second chance, and your chances of breaking into the industry afterwards are gone. Nonexistent.
Naruto had passed the entrance exam, as the lead vocalist and guitarist of his band, the Ninetails, consisting of his childhood friends Sakura and Sai. Together, they had earned a place in Konoha University’s elite music course, a space where their talent would be pushed and tested.
Sakura played drums, and people constantly underestimated her at first glance. With her small frame, soft pink aesthetic, and short curled bob, she looked far more delicate than the force she actually was. But once she sat behind a drum kit, she poured her heart and soul into her hits. Her playing was precise, powerful, and full of energy, she’s always the one keeping the band in rhythm. Naruto had long since stopped being surprised by her strength, mostly.. because he had learned the hard way not to be.
Sai was their bassist, quiet and observant, often saying more through actions than words. He also studied art alongside music. Somehow.. managing both courses with an ease that no one really questioned, even if they probably should have. In their band, he handled more than just bass, creating their visual identity through posters, concepts, and tour designs that shaped how people saw them before they even heard them.
And now, things were changing, this new university would act as their new stage.
It was the last free friday before semester started, and the Ninetails decided to spend it walking through the city they were soon going to call home.
Naruto, Sakura, and Sai moved through the streets together, taking in everything with a mix of curiosity and anticipation. The city felt completely different from the country, where they had come from, louder, faster, freer. It was exactly what they had been missing.
Sakura was practically glowing with excitement as she looked around.
“This place is so much bigger than i expected,” she said, spinning slightly as they walked. “There are so many people… and so many pretty girls too. I swear, i’m going to meet theeeeeee one here.”
Naruto teasingly grinned at her immediately.
“that’s what you’re thinking about already?”
“What? i can multitask,” Sakura shot back, laughing. “I can enjoy music and a social life, thank you very much.”
Sai walked slightly behind them, hands relaxed at his sides, taking everything in quietly.
“The architecture is interesting,” he said simply. “… so many tall buildings, there is more variation here than in our hometown.”
“You always say that like you’re analysing a painting,” Naruto replied, yawning.
“Because I usually am,” Sai answered without hesitation.
Naruto laughed, then pointed ahead as they turned a corner.
“Look, that’s the kind of place i’m talking about,” He said, eyes lighting up as they noticed a narrow alley cut between two taller buildings.
There was a staircase leading down underground, neon light spilling faintly from below. A small sign hung above it, an adults only live music bar.
and underneath it, a poster: band competition. winner gets a mini trophy, plus a feature in the city’s local newspaper.
“…Guys,” he said slowly, already grinning. “This. Is. Perfect.”
Sakura leaned in, reading it with a more cautious expression.
“A bar competition?” she said. “Naruto, seriously? We literally just got here.”
“Exactly,” Naruto replied quickly. “New city, new stage. if we win this-we’ll get coverage immediately. People will actually know us here!”
Sai stepped closer, studying the poster.
“Local exposure would be efficient,” he said. “And the visual documentation in the press could be useful for future promotion material.”
Naruto pointed at him like he had just won the argument.
Sakura crossed her arms, still unsure.
“I don’t know… it feels a bit sudden.”
Naruto leaned closer, lowering his voice slightly but still excited.
“Come on, Sakura. This is what we came here for. We’ll go in- play some of our newest songs- and be done!We’re not just going to be another band in the background.”
There was a pause. Sakura looked between the stairs leading down and the two of them.
“Fine,” she said. “…but if this goes badly, i’m blaming both of you.”
Naruto immediately grinned wider.
“Agreed,” he said calmly. “Let’s sign up.”
They were the last ones to sign up.
By the time they stepped inside, the person managing the competition barely looked up, sliding them onto the list with a bored expression.
“You’re in,” he said, pointing vaguely toward the stage. “Backstage in about thirty. Don’t be late.”
The three of them nodded and moved further into the bar.
The place was loud in a way that felt alive. A grungy, rustic underground venue carved beneath the street, lit with dim neon and warm amber fairy lights. The walls were rough brick, layered with stickers, posters, and old gig flyers stacked over each other like history that refused to be cleaned away. Every corner felt like it had a story.
On the stage, a band was already performing to a pit of people.
They sounded good, really good. Playing with confidence that made it clear they had done this a hundred times before. The crowd moved with them, different styles blending together, streetwear, punk, indie all sorts mixing, showing how free and diverse this new city was. It was the kind of place where no one looked out of place.
Sakura was already scanning the crowd, she honestly stood out the most, a bright pink flower, eagle eyeing everyone in the crowd.
“Okay,” she said, her lips curling into a grin, “I like this place. I think I can work with this.”
Naruto smirked, nudging her in the side with his elbow.
“Work with this? What does that meannnn hm?”
“It means,” Sakura replied, leaning slightly closer as she looked around, “there are a lot of interesting people here.”
Naruto jokingly scoffed. “You’re literally girl hunting already- we came her to win not to organise a scissoring party…”
“Excuse me! I am networking,” she corrected instantly.
“it’ll be good to have strong.. connections in a place like this” she continued grinning.
Sai, meanwhile, had already drifted slightly to the side, looking at a small menu board near the bar.
“There is a vegan option,” he said. “Unexpected.”
“Is that seriously… what you are focusing on?” Naruto asked.
“It is relevant information,” Sai replied calmly, sometimes it was hard to tell whether he was joking or not. “I am also assessing the layout of this place for future visual concepts.”
Naruto shook his head, smiling, before leaving the two of them and hopping onto one of the bar stools. He ordered something light, just strong enough to help him feel buzzed, staying mindful of their upcoming performance.
Naruto leaned back slightly, watching the room, the stage, the crowd in awe. The feeling of hundreds of thousands of people looking at him was something Naruto dreamed about. The thrill- the adrenaline- the-
The barstool next to him shifted as someone sat down beside him, snapping Naruto out of his imagination.
The movement was quiet, almost effortless. A presence that felt noticeable before it was even fully acknowledged.
The person ordered a tequila shot without looking up, their voice was smooth, clear but commanding.
Naruto stiffened slightly slowly turning his head.
Dark hair fell forward, partially covering their face, messy in a way that looked intentional rather than careless. They wore layered, slightly worn clothing, black and blue fabrics, ripped shirts under a black hoodie jacket, their hands were pale and pretty with chunky rings adorning each finger. The look was so messy yet so put together, so much like Naruto’s himself.
Their face was still mostly hidden behind their hair until the person took their drink, then finally turned slightly toward him.
Naruto blinked and immediately looked away.
“I- u- uh, sorry,” he said quickly, then glanced back again before he could stop himself.
Not in a simple way. It was hard to even categorise. He genuinely could not tell at first glance if they were a girl or a boy, and that alone threw him off more than he expected.
From Naruto’s perspective, everything about them just stood out.
Dark hair fell loosely around their face, slightly messy but still obviously intentional, shifting just enough to partially hide their features before revealing them again. Their eyes were big dark, pools, unreadable in the low light.
Their nose was sharp and well-defined, fitting their face perfectly, and their lips were what Naruto kept noticing without meaning to, especially when they spoke or tilted their head slightly.
And then there were the piercings.
Naruto quickly realised he could not even name half of them. A septum ring sat at the centre, there were piercings along their lips that caught the light when they moved, one on their eyebrow, and another under the eye that he did not even know how to describe properly. Their ears were also layered with multiple earrings, subtle but noticeable the longer he looked.
It all came together in a way that felt effortless, like none of it was trying too hard, yet it still drew attention without asking for it.
Naruto did not even realise how long he was staring before he looked away for a second, then back again.
They were, in his opinion, almost unfairly beautiful.
“I- uhm- I’m Naruto…” he had begun to stare again, “Oh- uh Uzumaki! You are?”
A scoff left those pretty lips, before it formed into a laugh.
“You can just call me, Envy.”
“Envy?” Naruto blinked. “Is that your real name? Reallyyyyy,”
Before they could answer, the atmosphere in the bar shifted.
The announcer’s voice echoed over the speakers.
“Next up, we have our final competitor before the break. Give it up for the next band.”
The person beside Naruto took their shot without breaking eye contact, setting the glass down slowly on the bar.
A brief pause followed, like they were deciding how much of themselves to reveal.
“Yeah, I guess it is.” Envy smirked, “To you, anyway.”
The name lingered between them for a moment longer than it should have, like it meant something it had not fully explained yet.
Across the bar, movement began toward the stage. The next band was getting into position, instruments being checked, the crowd shifting with anticipation. The sound in the room rose slightly, but it still felt distant compared to the space between the two of them.
Naruto barely noticed any of it. His eyes drifted back to their piercings again without him meaning to.
“Okay,” he said, leaning in slightly, “I am still not over these. Like, how many do you even have? Holy shit, does it not get annoying?”
Envy glanced at him slowly.
“Yes!” Naruto exclaimed immediately. “Because it is actually fascinating. You have like, an eyebrow piercing, and- and lip ones, and that thing under your eye.. what even is that called? And the septum obviously, but I feel like there is more and you are just hiding them from me.”
Then he pointed to his ears, showing off the plethora of earrings he had on, “I have my fair share I guess but you-“
He kept talking, getting more animated as he went.
“And my friend Sai would probably analyse it like it is some kind of art piece and say it is about symmetry or balance or something, and Sakura would act like she’s superscared but secretly try one and probably pull it off better than me anyway-“
He finally paused just to breathe.
Envy had been watching him the entire time.
Then, completely calm, they tilted their head.
“Do you ever stop talking? Is that all that mouth of yours can do?”
“…No,” he said, then frowned. “I mean, yes. I can stop talking.”
Envy’s eyes lingered on him, “Prove it.”
That immediately made Naruto shut his mouth for half a second….. It lasted about two seconds.
Then he leaned back slightly and immediately started talking again.
“Okay that isn’t fair,” he scoffed “My mouth can do other things too.”
Envy’s brow lifted slightly. “Oh?”
Naruto grinned, clearly not backing down.
“Yeah..” he said, then stuck his tongue out just slightly, revealing a small tongue ring he had not mentioned earlier.
“I would say I am pretty good with my mouth.”
For the first time, Envy’s expression cracked just a little. Not fully, but enough. A faint scoff escaped them, almost like they were trying not to laugh.
“Are you trying to flirt with me right now?” they asked.
Naruto did not even hesitate.
That earned a longer, more deliberate look.
Envy leaned in slightly, voice dropping just enough that it felt different from everything around them.
“There is one piercing you are missing.”
Envy’s eyes lowered, maintaining contact with Naruto’s. their voice was lower.. intentional. Like they were choosing every word carefully now.
“You really want to see?” they asked.
Naruto’s grin softened, but his confidence did not leave.
Then Envy smiled slowly, small, and gradually.
And they reached out, catching Naruto’s wrist.
Naruto barely had time to react before he was being pulled off the stool, stumbling slightly as Envy led him through the crowd. The noise of the bar swallowed them for a moment as they moved away from the stage, slipping through bodies, past flashing lights, toward the darker corridor leading deeper into the venue.
“Shittttt.. so you are good with your mouth- hah-“ Envy breathed.
So, one thing had led to another and Naruto was now on his knees in a bathroom stall, with Envy leaning above him, his pretty dick out topped with a prince albert piercing. His face was blushed and lips parted spewing out beautiful pants and whimpers.
The slick heat of Naruto's mouth enveloped Envy's cock, and the vibration of a low, appreciative hum sent a jolt straight through the pierced prince albert. Naruto's tongue- that wicked, metallic-studded muscle- swirled around the sensitive head, the cold ball of the piercing dragging against the underside of his cock in a way that made Envy's hips buck involuntarily.
"Fuck-" Envy gasped, one hand flying down to tangle in spiky blonde hair while the other braced against the grimy stall wall. "That tongue... that- mmmmm.. goddamn piercing..."
Naruto looked up through half-lidded eyes, locking gaze with Envy as he took him deeper. The roof of his mouth dragged along the underside of Envy's shaft while his tongue worked the metal ring, flicking and pressing it against the sensitive ridge with practiced precision. Every bob of Naruto's head sent that piercing scraping deliciously along Envy's length, a sensation unlike anything he'd felt before-cold metal and hot flesh, soft lips and hard suction.
Slurp. Gag. Swallow. Dirty sounds enveloped the whole room, so much so that anyone entering would know exactly what was going on.
Naruto's cheeks hollowed as he pulled back, saliva stringing from his lips to the tip of Envy's cock before diving back down, taking him to the hilt. His tongue piercing pressed firmly against the prince albert, metal clinking against metal, the dual sensations making Envy's thighs tremble.
"S-shit... Naruto, I'm-" Envy's breath hitched, his grip tightening in blonde locks. "I'm close, I'm fucking close."
But just as Naruto hummed in encouragement, speeding up his rhythm, the harsh crackle of a PA system shattered the heavy air of the stall.
"CRIMSON ROUGE, YOU'RE ON IN FIVE. REPEAT, CRIMSON ROUGE, FIVE MINUTES TO STAGE."
Envy's eyes shot wide open, pupils blown and glossy, a string of curses falling from his lips. "Shit! Shit, stop, stop-"
Naruto pulled off with a wet pop, a strand of saliva still connecting his swollen lips to the flushed, slick tip of Envy's dick. His mouth was glossy, his chin wet, and his expression was a mix of dazed lust and sharp annoyance.
"That's my cue, fuck, that's my
fucking cue." Envy was already fumbling with his belt, shoving his still-hard, glistening cock back into his leather pants with a wince. The prince albert caught on the fabric for a second before he shoved it down. "Fuck, fuck, we gotta go."
Naruto scrambled to his feet, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, tasting salt and precum and the faint metallic tang of his own piercing. His own jeans were painfully tight, but there was no time.
The stall door slammed open. They nearly collided with each other stumbling out, Naruto straightening his shirt, Envy zipping up and running a frantic hand through his disheveled hair.
"Stage door, left, now!" Envy grabbed Naruto's wrist, dragging him out the toilets and through the dingy backstage hallway, both of them breathing hard, smelling of sex and sweat and urgency. The distant thrum of the crowd vibrating through the concrete floor.
But halfway down the corridor, Envy stopped short, wrenching them both to a halt. He turned, eyes wild, pupils still blown wide from the interrupted blowjob, his pants strained and his lips still red and swollen from Naruto's mouth.
"No-fuck-Naruto, you can't come with me." He released Naruto's wrist, stepping back, already turning his body toward the stage door. "Go back to the bar. Front entrance, left, down the hall. Now."
Naruto blinked, still catching his breath. His jeans were painfully tight, his piercing cold against his tongue as he licked his lips, tasting Envy's skin. "W-what? But-"
"I need to get to the stage, Naruto." Envy's voice was sharp, but there was a tremor in it-something close to regret. He was already fumbling with his zipper, making sure everything was in place, running a hand through his mussed hair. "I can't miss my cue. This is my fucking band."
Naruto nodded, still dazed, his brain lagging behind the sudden shift from hot, wet urgency to cold, empty hallway. His hand drifted to his own throat, feeling the phantom weight of Envy's dick against his mouth, the sting of the prince albert scraping his tongue.
"Yeah... yeah, okay. I get it." He swallowed, looking at Envy through half-lidded eyes, his voice small but steady. "Will I see you again?"
Envy paused, his hand on the steel door handle. The PA crackled again -"CRIMSON ROUGE, ONE MINUTE."
He glanced back over his shoulder, a smirk flickering across his flushed face, but his eyes were unreadable. "Who knows."
And then he shoved the door open, vanishing into the blinding stage lights and the roar of the crowd, leaving Naruto standing alone in the dim hallway, still tasting him, still hard.
“Well, that was one way to find out his gender..” Naruto sighed before heading out to find Sai and Sakura.
Naruto pushed the door open and stepped back into the main section of the bar, immediately swallowed by heat, noise, and flashing colour. Music pulsed through the underground venue hard enough for him to feel the bass vibrating faintly beneath his shoes, blending with the overlapping sounds of conversation, laughter, and clinking glasses.
Everything still felt slightly disorientating.
His lips tingled unpleasantly every time he swallowed, the cold metal of his tongue piercing brushing against the roof of his mouth and reminding him exactly what he had been doing less than five minutes ago. His heart still had not fully settled either, and the uncomfortable tightness in his jeans definitely had not gone away.
Honestly, he needed another drink.
Naruto dragged a hand through his hair with a quiet groan, trying to gather his thoughts as he moved through the crowd toward the bar. His mind kept replaying flashes of dark eyes, silver piercings, flushed skin, sharp breaths.
What the hell had just happened?
One second he had been talking to some ridiculously attractive stranger with an attitude problem and too many piercings to count, and the next he had been dragged into a bathroom stall by someone calling themselves Envy.
Naruto barely made it halfway across the room before someone suddenly grabbed the sleeve of his jacket hard enough to yank him backwards.
Sakura stood behind him with an expression that was somewhere between panic and irritation, which for her, never meant anything good.
Naruto blinked at her slowly. “Uh…”
“We are literally up after this band,” Sakura whisper shouted, gripping both his shoulders now. “Naruto, we have not even decided how we are introducing ourselves yet. Are we doing the usual opening? Are you speaking first? Am I counting us in? What song are we even starting with? We should probably start with something stronger because this crowd actually seems decent and-”
She continued rambling rapidly without stopping for breath, words practically crashing into each other.
“And Sai disappeared somewhere, and you disappeared somewhere, and if you tell me you got distracted again i’m actually going to lose my mind because we are in a completely different city and-”
A sharp screech of microphone feedback suddenly cut through the venue. The entire crowd collectively winced, stopping Sakura mid sentence.
Then came the low strum of an electric guitar.
The sound rolled slowly through the underground bar, distorted and heavy, carrying something strangely melancholic underneath it. The atmosphere shifted almost instantly, conversations softening as people turned their attention toward the stage.
Naruto looked up automatically.
The lighting overhead dimmed into deep shades of blue and muted purple, washing the stage in cold colour. Shadows stretched across the room, flickering against rough brick walls layered with torn posters and faded stickers.
Four figures stepped into place beneath the lights.
At the back sat the drummer, broad shouldered and calm, messy orange hair pushed up and away from his face. He adjusted his grip against the drumsticks with slow, deliberate movements, posture relaxed despite the crowd watching him.
To the left stood a pale redhead with rectangular glasses sliding slightly down her nose, a bass strapped comfortably over one shoulder. Silver chains glinted faintly against the dark layers of her outfit as she tested a few notes with impatient precision, expression already bordering on irritated.
On the opposite side was someone taller, white hair falling around sharp features as he lazily adjusted the strap of his guitar with a sly smirk on his face, revealing his unnaturally sharp teeth. Even from a distance, Naruto could tell he seemed to be the type with the kind of casual confidence that usually meant trouble.
Naruto’s breath caught somewhere in his throat.
Under the stage lighting, he somehow looked even more unreal than before.
Dark clothing layered over dark clothing, silver jewellery catching faint flashes of blue light every time he moved. His guitar rested naturally against him, fingers loose around the neck. Black hair framed his face messily, partially shadowing his expression without fully hiding it.
For one brief second, Sasuke’s gaze flicked toward the crowd. Toward Naruto, though the look was quick, barely noticeable.
Then Sasuke looked forward again, stepping closer toward the microphone as the room slowly fell quiet around him.
Naruto physically felt it before he could properly process it.
The voice that came out of him was nothing like he expected. Softer than his appearance suggested, lower too, smooth enough to melt seamlessly into the layered guitar surrounding it. It carried through the underground venue effortlessly, wrapping around the room.
The music itself felt distant and heavy at the same time.
Naruto did not know much about genres beyond punk and rock, but even he could tell this was different. The guitars blurred beautifully into each other beneath thick distortion and reverb, every note lingering just long enough to ache before dissolving into the next. It felt strangely dreamlike. Solemn without becoming empty.
Like loneliness turned into music..
The crowd swayed slowly beneath the lights, completely absorbed by it.
Naruto stared at the stage in stunned silence, “What the fuck..”
The beauty of Sasuke’s face somehow matched the beauty of his voice perfectly, it almost felt unfair. Naruto could not stop staring at him. At the concentration in his expression, the slight parting of his lips against the microphone, the way his fingers moved against the strings so effortlessly.
Beside him, Sakura looked equally mesmerised.
“Oh my god,” she whispered under her breath.
Sasuke barely moved while performing, yet somehow that only made him harder to look away from. Every shift in his voice, every subtle glance downward toward his guitar, every slight movement felt intentional without trying too hard.
Naruto hated how quickly he had become completely invested.
Sai’s voice suddenly appeared beside them so quietly that both Naruto and Sakura nearly jumped.
Neither of them had even noticed him returning.
Sai looked toward the stage calmly, seemingly unaffected by the overwhelming atmosphere consuming the rest of the room.
“Isn’t that the younger brother of that idol you like, Sakura?”
Sakura blinked rapidly. “Huh?”
Sai tilted his head slightly toward the stage.
“Yeah,” he said simply. “Itachi, right?”
For a second Sakura just stared blankly, until her eyes widened dramatically.
“Oh shit,” she breathed, before pausing, “Oh my god!”
Naruto flinched slightly at the volume of her voice. “Sakura-”
“That’s Sasuke Uchiha,” she whisper screamed, grabbing Naruto’s arm hard enough to hurt. “That’s literally the Sasuke Uchiha!”
Naruto looked back toward the stage again, heartbeat suddenly speeding up for an entirely different reason.
“…Sasuke?” he repeated slowly.
Sakura looked genuinely offended that Naruto somehow did not already know who he was.
“You seriously do not know the Uchihas?” she whisper yelled, still gripping his arm tightly as the performance continued onstage.
Naruto glanced at her distractedly before looking back toward Sasuke almost immediately.
Sakura stared at him for a second like she was reconsidering their entire friendship.
“The Uchiha family are basically the Kardashians of the music industry,” she explained quickly, lowering her voice slightly once a few people nearby glanced over. “Like- massive names. Everyone knows them.”
Sai nodded faintly beside them.
“Their influence is difficult to avoid,” he added calmly.
Sakura pointed dramatically toward the stage.
“His dad owns Uchiha Entertainment,” she continued. “One of the biggest entertainment companies in the country. They’ve been producing famous artists for years. Singers, bands, actors, literally everything.”
“Yes, seriously,” Sakura hissed. “And Itachi Uchiha? The Idol I listen to all the time? That is his older brother.”
Naruto looked back toward the stage again.
Now that Sakura mentioned it, he could kind of see it.
Not entirely. Sasuke looked rougher around the edges somehow, colder too, but there was definitely a resemblance hidden underneath the dark makeup, piercings, and stage lighting.
Meanwhile, the performance only seemed to pull the crowd in deeper. The layered guitars echoed beautifully through the underground venue, blending into the soft haze of Sasuke’s voice. Even people near the bar had stopped talking completely, attention fixed on the stage.
“But honestly,” Sakura continued, “not much is actually known about Sasuke himself. He barely does interviews, barely appears publicly, and people online are literally obsessed with trying to figure him out because of it.”
“There are entire discussion forums dedicated to analysing his behaviour,” Sai added.
Naruto frowned slightly. “That’s kinda creepy.”
“It is,” Sai agreed immediately.
There was a brief pause between them.
Naruto stared at Sasuke again as blue light flickered across the stage, catching against silver piercings and dark hair.
Then, without thinking about it properly first, he spoke.
“…I just sucked that guy’s dick.”
Sakura stopped breathing.
“…What?” they both said at exactly the same time.
Naruto finally dragged his eyes away from the stage, suddenly very aware of how insane that sounded out loud.
“WHEN?!” she whisper shouted aggressively.
“JUST NOW?!” Sakura looked seconds away from collapsing. “Naruto, what do you mean just now?!”
Naruto rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. “I disappeared for a reason...”
Sai tilted his head thoughtfully.
“That explains why your hair looks worse than usual,” he observed.
Naruto stared at him. “Wow. Thanks.”
Sakura grabbed Naruto by both shoulders again, eyes wide with complete disbelief.
“You hooked up with Sasuke Uchiha, in a random bar bathroom, before our first competition in the city?!”
“When you say it like that it sounds bad.”
“Because it IS bad!” Sakura whisper screamed.
Naruto glanced back toward the stage again despite himself.
Sasuke stood beneath the blue lighting completely composed, singing like he had not just left Naruto alone in a hallway ten minutes ago.
That part irritated him slightly.
“How was I supposed to know he was famous?” Naruto defended quietly. “He introduced himself as Envy!”
Sai hummed softly beside them.
“That sounds like something a famous person would do.”
Sakura sighed for what seemed like the hundredth time in ten minutes, “Okay, look we can discuss Naruto’s escapades after, we need to get backstage and figure our shit out.”
Backstage was somehow even louder than the actual venue.
Voices overlapped from every direction while amps buzzed faintly against concrete walls. Cables sprawled across the floor in tangled lines as stagehands rushed around carrying clipboards and half-finished drinks. The bass from Crimson Rouge’s performance still vibrated through the walls hard enough for Naruto to feel it in his chest while the three of them squeezed into the cramped preparation area.
Sakura immediately spun around toward them the second they found a relatively quiet corner.
“Okay,” she said sharply, clapping her hands together once. “Focus. We have maybe six minutes before we go on stage, and i need both of you mentally present before I actually lose my mind.”
Naruto lifted his hands defensively. “I am present.”
“You were giving a celebrity head in a bathroom ten minutes ago.”
Sai crouched beside one of the amps, calmly checking the strings of his bass, like none of this conversation concerned him whatsoever.
“The important thing,” he said evenly, “is that Naruto no longer appears visibly distracted.”
“I am still visibly distracted,” Naruto admitted.
“Yes,” Sai nodded. “But less than before.”
Sakura groaned dramatically, dragging both hands down her face before pointing one drumstick directly at Naruto.
“ The bathroom situation stays in the bathroom,” she declared. “You can cry, scream, throw up, whatever after we perform and win. But right now? I need vocalist Naruto. Not horny Naruto.”
Naruto barked out a laugh despite himself. “Damn, okay mom.”
“I know, i know.” Naruto exhaled, finally rolling his shoulders back slightly. “Okay. Focus.”
The sound of Crimson Rouge’s guitar echoed faintly through the walls again, softer now as the song neared its end.
Sakura crossed her arms. “Song choice?”
“Guts,” Naruto answered immediately.
Sai nodded once in agreement. “That would suit this audience best.”
Sakura considered it for a second before slowly nodding too. “Yeah… okay. Strong opening, good tempo, dramatic enough to hit hard immediately…”
Naruto grabbed a guitar from where it rested against the wall, adjusting the strap over his shoulder. The familiar weight grounded him almost instantly, fingers brushing automatically against worn strings.
“And the intro?” Sakura asked.
Naruto looked between them, grin slowly returning.
“We don’t need anything complicated,” he said. “We go up there, play our asses off, and let the music speak for itself.”
Sai stood smoothly, bass already hanging over his shoulder. “Sounds perfect.”
Sakura stared at both of them for a second before sighing fondly. “Okay, y’know what! We’ve got this!”
Naruto laughed softly before finally looking at them properly. Then he smiled, bright and confident and certain.
“Hell yeah,” he said firmly, gripping the neck of his guitar tighter. “We’re gonna win!”
That earned matching smiles from both of them.
A stagehand suddenly leaned through the doorway. “Ninetails,” he called. “You’re up next.”
The three of them exchanged one final glance before heading toward the side stage.
The closer they got, the louder the crowd became. Naruto’s heartbeat quickened immediately.
The heat of the lights, the screaming crowd beyond the curtain, the pounding bass rattling beneath his feet. This was it. This was exactly where he wanted to be.
They lined up near the entrance to the stage just as Crimson Rouge’s final chorus rang through the venue. From this close, Naruto could see the way blue lighting wrapped around Sasuke’s silhouette while he sang into the microphone, completely composed beneath the attention of hundreds of eyes as the song ended.
For half a second, silence hung in the air before the crowd erupted loudly enough to shake the walls themselves. Crimson Rouge stepped away from their instruments while cheers crashed through the underground venue like waves.
One by one, the members walked offstage past them. The white haired guitarist flashed them a sharp grin on the way by while the redhead barely glanced over, carrying her bass over her shoulder. The drummer looked exhausted already.
Up close again, Naruto could still see the faint flush lingering across his face beneath the stage makeup. His dark eyes flicked toward Naruto immediately like they had already been searching for him.
Their gazes locked for half a second too long before Naruto quickly looked away. His cheeks turning pink. Sasuke smirked at him, slow and teasing, like he was fully aware of exactly why Naruto suddenly couldn’t look him in the eye. Heat flared violently up Naruto’s neck.
Before he could react, the announcer’s voice boomed through the speakers.
“ALRIGHT EVERYBODY, GIVE IT UP FOR THE NINETAILS!”
The crowd cheered loudly as the stage lights shifted.
Naruto barely even remembered stepping onto the stage after that. Everything happened too fast.
The lights hit him all at once, bright enough to blind him for a second while the sea of people stretched endlessly before them beneath flashing neon and amber light.
Sakura slid behind the drums, spinning one drumstick effortlessly between her fingers before leaning toward the microphone.
“We’re Ninetails!” she shouted, lifting her drumsticks into the air, “1! 2! 3! 4!”
The drums crashed down first, violent and explosive, tearing through the venue like a heartbeat detonating beneath the floorboards. Naruto launched forward alongside it, fingers attacking the strjngs of his guitar hard enough to make them scream beneath his hands.
The opening riff burst through the underground bar fast and messy in the best way possible, that immediately lit the crowd alight.
And then Naruto’s singing voice ripped through the music rough, raspy and overflowing with energy. It was loud without losing control, powerful without becoming sloppy, every lyric spilling from him with reckless confidendce.
He didn’t stand still for even a second, moving constantly across the stage like he physically could not contain the energy inside him, throwing himself into every chord he played. His guitar practically became part of him, each strike against the strings sharp and aggressive enough to make his hands sting.
Behind him, Sakura absolutely hammered the drums.
For someone so small, the force she played with felt almost unreal. Every hit landed perfectly in time, powerful enough to shake through the floor beneath them while pink hair bounced wildly around her face.
Sai looked calm. Almost eerily composed compared to the chaos beside him.
His fingers moved smoothly across the bass with practiced precision, grounding the entire performance beneath Naruto’s explosive vocals and Sakura’s relentless drumming. Even under flashing lights and screaming crowds, his expression barely changed.
Together, they fit perfectly.
The music surged through the venue harder and harder with every passing second, and the crowd completely gave in to it. People jumped, shouted lyrics back at them, despite hearing the song for the first time, hands lifting into the air beneath flashing neon lights while the underground venue transformed into pure noise and movement and adrenaline.
Naruto couldn’t stop smiling.
Everything felt perfect. The music. The crowd. The overwhelming rush burning through his chest.
For the first time since arriving in the city, Naruto truly felt it.
At the side of the stage, Sasuke watched silently.
Naruto’s voice was nothing like he had expected. It was reckless in a completely different way from his own, whereas Sasuke’s was softer, airy and melancholic. Naruto’s was gravelly and explosive.
Sasuke found himself staring before he even realised it.
Naruto practically attacked his guitar every time he played, throwing his entire body into the performance without hesitation, blond hair glowing beneath stage lights.
And the band itself felt strangely fascinating too.
A tiny pink haired drummer somehow producing enough force to rival his own Juugo. their bassist standing calmly the two more composed in a way that oddly reminded Sasuke of himself.
Everything about them contrasted Crimson Rouge completely. And yet the crowd loved them just as much.
By the time the final chorus hit, the entire venue was moving with them. Naruto shouted the last lyric into the microphone with a grin so wide it looked unstoppable as Sakura crashed into the final drum fill and Sai’s bass vibrated through the floor one last time.
Then silence hit for exactly half a second before the room explosion into claps and voices .
The applause was deafening. calls and cheers echoed violently through the underground bar as Naruto doubled over slightly trying to catch his breath, sweat clinging to his skin while Sakura laughed breathlessly behind the drums. Sai gave a small satisfied nod.
Naruto stepped toward the microphone first, still grinning like an idiot.
“Thank you guys so much!”
The crowd screamed louder.
Sakura grabbed one of her drumsticks, pointing it toward the audience dramatically. “You guys were fucking amazing!”
Even Sai grinned brightly, waving at the pit of people with both his hands.
Eventually, all the bands were called back toward the stage while staff prepared to announce the winner. The underground venue buzzed with anticipation as musicians gathered beneath the lights again, Crimson Rouge standing only a few feet away from Ninetails now.
Naruto’s chest still pounded from adrenaline, but honestly, he already knew they had this. The crowd reaction alone proved it.
Sakura looked confident too, though she kept bouncing nervously on her heels beside him while Sai’s hands also sweated nervously, he wanted to win just as much as the other two.
The announcer stepped back toward the microphone dramatically.
“Alright everybody,” he called loudly. “Tonight’s competition was insane, but there can only be one winner!”
Naruto smirked slightly, gripping his guitar strap tighter.
“We had incredible performances tonight,” the announcer continued. “But the band taking home the trophy and tomorrow’s newspaper feature is…”
A pause stretched through the venue as Naruto’s grin widened. They had to have won, they played their hearts out and the crowd loved them and- and-
And Naruto’s smile dropped instantly.
Sasuke smirked the second the winner was announced.
Quiet onfidence curling at the corner of his lips like he had known from the very beginning this would happen. That irritated Naruto more than actually losing.
The crowd erupted into applause as Crimson Rouge stepped forward beneath the stage lights. Their drummer accepted the small trophy first before passing it toward Sasuke, who took it with lazy ease, like awards and cheering crowds were things he had long since gotten used to.
The announcer handed him the microphone.
Blue light reflected faintly against the silver rings lining his fingers as Sasuke lifted the mic toward his mouth. “Thanks for choosing us,” he said smoothly, voice slightly roughened from singing. “The other bands were great and all…”
He paused briefly before smirking.
“…but we were just better.”
The crowd immediately burst into loud cheers and laughter. Some people booed jokingly while others screamed even louder in approval at the cockiness dripping from every word.
Naruto stared at him in disbelief.
“This fucking guy…” he muttered under his breath.
Beside him, Sakura let out a long exhausteddh sigh while rubbing her face dramatically. “Okay yeah,” she admitted. “That was kinda annoying.”
Sai remained standing calmly beside them, still holding his bass loosely against his side. “We achieved second place in our first performance within a completely new city,” he pointed out rationally. “That is still impressive.”
Sakura glanced toward him. “You know what? That actually does make me feel a little better.”
Meanwhile, Crimson Rouge had already stepped down from centre stage and were immediately swallowed by people congratulating them. Someone handed over drinks almost instantly, and Naruto watched with growing irritation as Sasuke lifted a glass lazily toward his bandmates in a small celebratory cheers.
The entire time, he still somehow looked completely composed.
Like he had expected all of this. Like winning had never even been a question.
As if sensing the stare, Sasuke didn’t look away. He held Naruto’s gaze across the crowded bar with infuriating ease, watching the frustration build in him like he could feel it happening in real time.
For a second it looked like he might say something, like he was considering it just to twist the knife further.
Instead, Sasuke lifted a hand loosely to his own cheek and dragged his tongue slowly along the inside, whilst his fist bobbed left and right crudely, eyes still locked on Naruto’s the entire time. Then he smirked, small and vicious, and turned away like Naruto wasn’t even worth a second glance, already slipping back into the noise of his band’s celebration.
Something inside Naruto snapped immediately.
“Oh, fuck off,” he muttered before turning sharply away from the stage, practically brimming with angrery
Sakura blinked in confusion as Naruto grabbed his jacket off the back of a nearby chair with more force than necessary.
“Naruto?” she called after him. “Hey, where are you going? It’s still early.”
“I don’t give a fuck,” Naruto shot back while shoving his arms through his sleeves aggressively. “You guys can stay if you want.”
He glanced back toward the crowd surrounding Sasuke, irritation twisting sharply in his chest again.
Sakura frowned instantly. “Why? Because we lost? Naruto, don’t be pathetic about it.”
Sai glanced up from beside them. “Yeah,” he said bluntly. “Don’t be a pussy about it.”
The second the words left his mouth, Sai visibly realised he probably should not have said them.
A brief silence followed.
Sakura looked horrified. “Sai.”
Sai blinked once. “…That might’ve have been more provocative than i meant it to be..”
Naruto stood there quietly for a moment. Sakura almost expected him to yell back, or argue, or at least defend himself somehow.
Instead, he just pulled his phone from his pocket and opened the uber app without another word.
Sakura’s expression softened almost instantly. “Naruto…”
But he was already walking toward the exit.
The flashing neon lights from outside spilled faintly through the doorway as he shoved the bar door open harder than necessary, disappearing into the cold night air without looking back once.