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Make It or Break It	By : Ljiljana Category: Naruto > Yaoi - Male/Male > Naruto/Sasuke Views: 1024 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I don't own 'Naruto'. I earn no money of writing this.

Chapter List
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Make It or
Break It

Part
II

Arrangements and
Associates

Sai liked to listen to Naruto working. He couldn’t
pinpoint exactly what it was about watching Naruto, but it was just something
he enjoyed. It wasn’t that he liked Naruto especially. The guy was loud
and always snapped at Sai when he talked. No one could deny that he had talent
for drawing, but Sai found his series extremely boring and never missed a
chance to say so.

But when Naruto was working, bent low over his desk, he was
never completely silent. He would mutter the lines his characters were saying
in the panel he was working on, mimic their expressions and try out sound
effects. It was odd at first, but never as annoying as Sai would have expected
that kind of childish behavior to be.

He was working on a rooftop a character of
‘Whirlwind’ was jumping off. Naruto hissed a warning and made the
sounds of a car crashing just as the doorbell rang.

“Go ‘way,” Sai heard Naruto mutter. That
was the only reaction he gave. The next noise he made was another sound effect,
something scratchy and low.

The door opened without the visitor being invited in. Sai
had no doubt it was Kakashi, Naruto’s editor, who knew what Naruto was
like and had started coming in on his own a long time ago. He glanced sideways
toward the small hallway, anyway.

Kakashi wasn’t alone. There was another guy behind
him. He wasn’t very tall, he had dark hair, and despite his attempt at
nonchalance, his curiosity about Naruto’s house was obvious.

“Hello, Naruto. Sai.”
Kakashi greeted cheerfully.

“Yo, Kakashi, look at
this,” Naruto said, lifting his eyes from his work with difficulty,
“This is going to be… what the hell is that guy doing here?”

Curious about Naruto’s reaction to the newcomer, Sai
turned to face them properly. Naruto stood up behind his table and was pointing
an accusatory finger in the direction of the guy behind Kakashi – who
suddenly didn’t look curious at all.

“Yes, Kakashi, what am I doing here?”

“I don’t want him here!” Naruto protested
without giving Kakashi time to explain. “He’s, he’s going
to…”

He frowned and gave up on trying to name
a horrible scenario about what the newcomer would do in his apartment. Kakashi
used that chance to talk.

“I am Sasuke’s editor as well, Naruto. I have
business to talk with both of you.”

Sai sat up straighter. He gave a second once over to the
newcomer. It was Sasuke Uchiha. Sai wouldn’t have bothered checking his
manga out, but this guy was all Naruto talked about lately. He was constantly
pointing things out and demanding Sai’s opinion
on Sasuke’s work at least once a day.

There wasn’t much to see, though. He was just another
guy. He wasn’t as talented as Naruto, but he was apparently ranked
higher. He hadn’t sounded all that interesting when Naruto was moaning
about him, but looking at the two of them glaring at each other now, as Kakashi
was trying to get them to sit around the coffee table, was interesting.

“Sai, please come here as well. This concerns
you.”

For the first time since he had walked inside, Sasuke Uchiha
fixed his attention on Sai. It suddenly felt as if there were small poisonous
snakes scrawling underneath his skin, especially in the forearms and shoulders.
He didn’t especially like this person, either.

Sai made his way across the room and sat down next to
Naruto, so he could keep an eye on Sasuke on the opposite side of the table.

“Right, so we’re sitting. What’d you bring
him here for?”

“Sakura’s due in half hour at my place.
She’ll be waiting in the hall until I get back.”

“I contacted Sakura and gave her Naruto’s
address,” Kakashi answered Sasuke first. “She will come straight
here today.”

”Who is this Sakura?”

Seeming startled by his words, all three of them turned to
look at Sai. People did that a lot, usually telling him that he had no sense
for when it was proper to say what. But he had only asked about a person they
were talking about. He didn’t know her, after all, so he couldn’t
be expected to follow the conversation without finding out.

“She’s an assistant, like you. She usually works
with Sasuke.”

“Why did you tell her to come here, Kakashi? I need
her today.”

“No, you’re not going to need her today –
or not for what you think. Your series is going on hiatus.”

“What?” Naruto jumped to his feet instantly,
like Kakashi had said that his series
was going on hiatus.

“That’s not possible,” Sasuke said calmly,
though Sai could see by the way he grasped the edges of Naruto’s couch
that he was actually upset. “It doesn’t make any sense. My anime is
starting in April and the rankings are excellent.”

“Yeah, you can’t put him on hiatus! I
can’t beat him if he’s on hiatus!”

“Naruto…” Kakashi started, but Sasuke
rudely snorted.

“That’s the only way you could beat me.” His own words seemed to have given Sasuke a
clue, and he suddenly narrowed his eyes at Kakashi. “Actually, maybe
that’s why Kakashi is doing it. What are you doing, playing
favorites?”

“He’s not playing favorites! I don’t need
him to do that to beat you!” Naruto passionately shot in Sasuke’s
direction. Sai blinked and noticed for the first time that they were bending
toward each other across the table. Naruto was practically looming over and
Sasuke, instead of backing off with his personal space in jeopardy, was leaning
forward from his sitting position.

Well, maybe Sasuke didn’t mind people in his personal space. Sai had
always thought that people were unreasonably twitchy about it.

He looked at Kakashi, who was sitting on the armrest next to
Sasuke. He had a curious expression on his face, almost as if…. he was
trying not to laugh?

“That’s never going to happen,” Sasuke
said clearly, right to Naruto’s face. “You can keep
dreaming.”

“He draws better than you, though.” Like the
first time he spoke, everyone turned to look at Sai. He ignored Naruto’s
half-confused, half-grateful look and Kakashi’s raised eyebrow and faced
Sasuke.

“He doesn’t,” Sasuke denied instantly.
“And it’s not just about drawing talent. You have to have a good
story and you have to present it well through the panels.”

“Naruto’s story is boring,” Sai shrugged
his right shoulder. “It’s getting too complicated. But he draws
better than you.”

“And who are you, anyway?”

“Oh!” Naruto dishonestly chuckled a bit. “Sorry,
I forgot completely to introduce you! This is my assistant and friend, Sai
– and Sai, this is Sasuke Uchiha, the author of ‘Kaleidoscope.’”

“I’ve figured that out already,” Sai
answered, frowning. Kakashi had mentioned Sasuke’s name, so of course he
had recognized him. “He’s all you’ve been talking about
lately, so I recognized the name when Kakashi said it.”

“I haven’t been,” Naruto muttered. He
seemed to be talking to Sasuke, but he was answering what Sai said.

In order to defend his observation, Sai elaborated,
“You have been. It’s a bit tiring, but it usually makes your art
better, so I don’t mind. It’s easier to work on the details when
your work is of higher quality.”

Naruto glared at him sideways, sitting back on the couch. He
missed the satisfied smirk Sasuke flashed in his direction, but Sai caught it.

“Well, now that everyone’s ego has been
stroked,” Kakashi spoke finally again. “Naruto – your series
is on going on a hiatus as well.”

Naruto, who had barely had the time to touch his ass to the
couch, jumped to his feet again, “What? No, no way! Why?”

“What’s going on, Kakashi?” Sasuke asked,
with much more grace.

“Well, you are both on a hiatus for a month
because…” Kakashi stretched the silence, smiling. He was about to
deliver some very good news, there was no doubt about it. “You are going
to do a oneshot together!”

Unlike his previous declaration, this was initially met with
silence. Naruto’s mouth dropped open as he stared at Kakashi before
switching his focus to his co-author to be. Sasuke did approximately the same
thing, only with his mouth closed.

Kakashi’s smile had tricked him; this wasn’t
good news at all. Sai was confused. “They seem to fight a lot. How will
they work together?”

“Well,” Kakashi smiled, “that’s not
our problem, now is it? They have to find a way to work together because if
they don’t, their series will be canceled and their contracts
broken.”

“But…” Naruto said, looking stunned.
“That’s not fair. I don’t think I can work with him.
We’ll never agree on anything!”

“He’s bluffing,” Sasuke told Naruto. They
had been fighting just a few minutes ago, but Sai thought he sounded like he
was reassuring Naruto. It was a little strange but he had no time to ponder it
further, because Sasuke continued, “This is because we fought in the
editorial department, isn’t it? It’s some sort of ploy to get us
not to do it any longer? Point taken, now knock it off.”

Kakashi shook his head, “Sorry, Sasuke. It’s not
that. The editor-in-chief was looking at your work and thought that if you
joined forces, you could come up with something spectacular. But because
you’ve been fighting so much, he felt we had to put some pressure on you.
It’s not a bluff.”

“This is stupid. He’s so… arrogant! How do
you expect us to work together, when he’ll just make fun of anything I
suggest?”

“I’m not going to make fun of you if you suggest
something that isn’t stupid,” Sasuke denied. “And who would
draw anyway?”

“Naruto is better at drawing,” Sai reminded
them. They ignored him.

“He’d going to refuse to do mainstream!”
Naruto complained. “He’s going to insist on some boring,
complicated story!”

“I doubt it can get any more complicated and boring
than what you are doing now.”

“Shut up, Sai! And stop saying that, my manga
isn’t boring – and it’s the only manga you’ve ever
read, so you wouldn’t know the difference even if it was!”

“No, he’s right,” Sasuke agreed.
“It’s gotten so complicated, it’s boring. All the themes you
were trying to cover are losing their impact with the insane powerups your main character is getting.”

“And you can’t draw human hands for shit,”
Naruto shot back. He was right, too. “And you’re too stupid to let
an assistant do it for you because you’re so arrogant!”

Sasuke glared at Naruto, but Sai felt those words
didn’t cover nearly enough of Sasuke’s drawing flaws, so he added,
“Actually, you can’t draw human anatomy in general; hands are just
the worst of it.”

Sasuke’s glare intensified and shifted to Sai,
“And who the hell are you, again?”

Naruto beat Sai, saying, “Um, that’s my
assistant, Sai. Remember?”

He had correctly answered the question, but Sasuke turned
back to glare at Naruto again, “Seriously? How can anyone be so fucking…”

“That is enough!”

At the sound of Kakashi’s voice, all three of them
fell silent. He hadn’t raised his voice, but there was authority in his
words. Authority was something Sai could easily recognize; it was simple. He
waited to hear what Kakashi had to say.

“Let’s try out an experiment, okay?” Kakashi
said, softly. “Instead of shouting out what’s bad, let’s hear
about what you think is good. Naruto, is there something you like about
Sasuke’s work?”

Sai was confused a little. He had been expecting an order.
Kakashi had a weird way of using his authority. But he wanted to hear the
answer as well.

Naruto looked away¸ fixing his frown at the cushion
that was lying next to him. For awhile, it seemed like he would refuse to say
anything. Kakashi waited patiently, just looking at him. Sasuke was also
looking at him and he actually appeared a bit worried, which was strange after
all that arrogance.

Finally, Naruto spoke, “Well, the story of
‘Kaleidoscope’ is a bit too dark for my taste. The idea of a
children’s toy with a pattern so fascinating it keeps you staring at it,
forgetting to eat and sleep, until you die… But I like the way he tells
it. I like how it feels like every panel is telling a story for itself, and how
each panel is significant, even if it just shows scenery. I don’t know
how to make every panel perfect like that.”

Thinking about it… Yes, Naruto was right. Every panel
of Sasuke’s manga was like an art piece on its own. Too bad his anatomy
was so bad.

“Sasuke?’ Kakashi
prompted when Naruto’s words were left hanging in the air for too long.

Naruto’s eyes darted up to the left, as if shy. He was
probably, like Sai, expecting Sasuke to say something nasty.

“He,” Sasuke said clearly, not looking at
anything in particular, “he’s a better artist than I am.”

“But we all knew that already.”

“Shut up, Sai,” Naruto snapped, though he was
still staring at Sasuke. “It’s not about what we know or
don’t know.”

“But it’s so obvious,” Sai protested. He
didn’t feel it was very fair. Naruto had given serious thought to what he
liked about Sasuke’s work and in turn, he only got something everyone
knew anyway.

“Sai…” Naruto started.

Sasuke cut in, “Fine. The original
idea for “Whirlwind’ was good - as far as mainstream stories go,
anyway.” For the first time since Kakashi came up with the idea to
make them say what they liked about each other’s work, Sasuke and Naruto
were looking at each other instead of elsewhere. “You made a couple of
mistakes early on, though. That’s why you’re struggling now.”

“Yeah,” Naruto sighed. “Kakashi said so,
too. It’s not like I can go back and fix it, so I have to work with what
I have.”

“Hmm,” Kakashi mused, “This conversation
is turning to be much more pleasant than I dared to hope. You could learn so
much from one another. Sasuke, with someone to take over half of your work, you
can concentrate more on your art. It’s not that you lack the talent,
after all, it’s that you lack the time to focus on your art.”

Sasuke nodded stiffly.

“Naruto, let Sasuke do the name,” Kakashi
advised. “And watch him carefully, because you can learn more about how
he is laying out a story that way.”

“Okay.”

“I don’t understand,” Sai had to say,
because he was losing the sense of the conversation. “Aren’t you
trying to beat each other?”

Naruto opened his mouth, but Sasuke answered for him,
“It’s harder to get better if the people you’re competing
against aren’t getting better as well.”

“…So you’re fighting because you’re
trying to get better, not to beat each other?”

“No, it’s like…” Naruto attempted to
explain. “I can’t beat him if I don’t get better.”

“But if he does get better, he might do better than
me,” Sasuke added.

And that was exactly the part Sai had problem understanding.
“So don’t help him get better.”

“He’s set on getting better anyway. This way,
I’ll know exactly where he’s standing.”

“But that means that you’re lying and he can
beat your rankings.” Sai insisted.

Sasuke looked at Naruto, a look of mild confusion on his
face. Naruto shrugged with an odd smile, “Yeah, he gets that way. Last
week I spent three hours trying to explain why someone would hesitate to ask
someone they like out, or open a very important letter. It’s like fear of
rejection is beyond him.”

Three hours or not, Naruto certainly hadn’t managed to
convince him of anything.

“Apparently, the concept of rivalry is also beyond
Sai, so we better let him get back to his work and start thinking about the
story for the oneshot,” Kakashi instructed with that authority back in
his voice. “Sakura and Sai will assist you and you’ll both be
working here, at Naruto’s.”

“Why?” Sasuke protested. “My place is
bigger.”

“Yes, but this is closer for me. I’ll be
stopping by every day to check on your progress and Naruto’s apartment is
on my way.”

Sai left them on the couch, heading toward the desk he had
been working on before Kakashi and Sasuke arrived. He sat back to finish a
large panel of Naruto’s hero jumping off a building, listening with mild
interest to the conversation behind him that occasionally jumped several
octaves.

He hoped his bookstore had a decent selection on rivalry.
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Make It or Break It