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Make It or Break It	By : Ljiljana Category: Naruto > Yaoi - Male/Male > Naruto/Sasuke Views: 1023 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I don't own 'Naruto'. I earn no money of writing this.

Chapter List
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Title: Make It or Break It, part I

Author: Cupricanka

Rating: Probably R, some six or
seven parts from now.

Genre: drama,
slice-of-life, romance

Wordcount: 3,800
this part

Summary: Kakashi is an editor in a shonen manga magazine.� At the moment, he�s working with two mangakas � Sasuke Uchiha and Naruto
Uzumaki. They
haven�t quite met yet, but they are about to. Tonight.

A/N: This
story is for Hikari_Shiroki. It was
supposed to be a oneshot, one of those from �oneshots on
deadline� project.
Once it hit 15,000
words and I didn�t
say half of that I had planed�
Well. It stopped being a oneshot, that�s for
sure.
So this
is Part one of that
is now officially a MC.

Inspired
by Bakuman, but doesn�t have much in common with it,
plot-wise.

Make It or Break It

Part I

Chase
and Challenge

The music was good, but too quiet. Or, more accurately, the noise of
hundreds of people talking was stifling it. The lights were too bright, and
everything smelled vaguely of sandalwood or, closer to the buffet table, of
some strange cheese. Sasuke had to avoid that side of the hall completely,
which wasn't improving his mood.
All in all, it was a really dull, tiresome party. Just like every other
work-related party he was forced to attend.
Kakashi had promised he would get to meet other mangakas,
though. At least Sasuke would get something out of the party. There were a
couple of people he'd wanted to check out and this evening was the perfect opportunity
� not that any of them were a threat to him. They weren't.
But they had potential to be, one day. Especially this one
guy.
"See? I told you it was going to be fun."
Instinctively, Sasuke accepted the drink Kakashi pushed into his hand. It
was champagne, if the glass flute was any indication. But he had a chapter
waiting to be finished later that evening, so alcohol wasn't even an option.
Besides, he could tell just from the smell of it that it was of poor quality.
He glared at Kakashi, "I'm not here to have fun. I'm here because you
promised me that the author of 'Whirlwind' was going to be here."
"Ah, yes. I saw Naruto a few minutes ago, he definitely came."
Kakashi turned to scan the room, but he came up with nothing. "I'll bring
him so you two can meet.
"No. I don't want to meet him. Just show him to me when you find
him."
Kakashi gave him a long, unreadable look. He didn't question it, for which
Sasuke was grateful He couldn't tell his editor that the author of 'Whirlwind'
was a couple of tips away from tying with him in ranking, but then again�
Kakashi was a really good editor. He might have known that already.
Besides, his curiosity about the guy was a bit irrational. Seeing him
wouldn't change that something had happened to improve his work lately. The
only thing Sasuke could do was to keep an eye on the guy's work and make sure
he stayed on top. But when Kakashi had said that all the authors would be at
this party after the last two chapters of 'Whirlwind', he had felt compelled to
check him out.
"Ah, there's Shikamaru Nara," Kakashi spoke, looking at someone so
far away Sasuke couldn't distinguish him in the crowd.
"Where?" He wasn't really interested.
Nara could only threaten his series if someone was pointing a gun to his head,
making him draw. He was a mediocre artist. His stories were brilliant, though.
They alone could push him to the top � but not when the artwork was so sloppily
done it made it hard to follow those stories.
"He's leaning on the table with bingo prices, you see him? Asuma
Sarutobi is his editor, they're talking with Ino
Yamanaka right now."
Sasuke saw them. He had never met Ino Yamanaka either, but she looked so
much like the heroine in her series, he could have easily picked her out. She
was a decent artist, and her story � even though it was a slice of life love
story � wasn't bad. Her characters were too weak, though.
"She's going to get canceled. Probably soon."
"Who is?"
They both turned at the sound of the voice. It was Sakura, the half time
assistant Kakashi had gotten to work with Sasuke last year, when his manga got
serialized. She was still working for him, three to four days a week. Her
cheeks and her hands that were grasping a glass were red; she must have been
outside without her coat.
"The author of 'The Language of Flowers', Ino
Yamanaka."
"I hope not," Sakura sighed, looking into the direction they'd
been looking before she showed up. "I love that series."
"You could do better."
"I've no time, Kakashi. I need to study."
Sasuke tuned them out. It was an old argument. Kakashi was trying to talk
Sakura into attempting to do her own series. She was in med school and
definitely couldn't do both. The assistant job was was
to help her pay the tuition. It was her dream to be a doctor, but Kakashi
thought that she was wasting her talent and should at least do a oneshot in her spare time.
But if she did decide to do it, she'd be better than Ino and definitely
better than Shikamaru. Her art could never compete with Uzumaki's,
but she was the type to have all aspects well balanced, so she'd beat him with
good strategy instead of in art alone.
Of course, she'd never come anywhere near Sasuke.
Kakashi leaned over Sakura to touch Sasuke's shoulder briefly and point out,
"There he is."
Sasuke turned toward person Kakashi had pointed out. He was standing next to
the buffet table, sniffing a tea sandwich suspiciously and frowning. How
Kakashi missed him when he had scanned the room before? It should have been
impossible among all these people in their business suits, because the author
of 'Whirlwind', Naruto Uzumaki, had come to the magazine's official New Year's
party in a mostly orange jumpsuit. With his broomtop
of garish blond hair on top of that, it should have been impossible to miss him
in the crowd.
"Oh, were you looking for Naruto? I just met him, we were talking
outside on the terrace," Sakura said, which explained her mild frost bites
and Kakashi's inability to find Naruto. "He was coming on to me, I think.
He was kind of cute."
Sasuke was listening to her but he couldn't stop staring. He'd expected
someone younger, actually. The obvious lack of serious thought put into
'Whirlwind' suggested lack of experience and immaturity, and the series was
riding on raw talent alone. This guy was about Sasuke's age.
"Of course, all he talks about are mangas,"
Sakura chatted on as Kakashi and Sasuke watched Naruto take a careful bite of
his finger sandwich, looking for all the world like he was expecting poison �
or a hidden bear trap at least. "I could never date someone like that. I
like manga too, but there are other things to talk about."
"It's a good sign for me when a mangaka
dedicates his whole life to manga."
"Well, obviously. You're an editor, you earn
your living off them."
"Don't make it sound like my job is a joke," Kakashi protested
Sakura's accusation. "Mangakas need editors, otherwise they'd never make their deadlines."
"I know that! Wait, did you just include me with them?"
"I always finish on time," Sasuke said, before the conversation
became an argument. They were always at each other's throat. If they kept it up
and it started interfering with his work, he would have to take matters into
his own hands and rent them a hotel room for a night. "And you rarely have
anything you want me to change."
"When I do have something I want you to change, you refuse,"
Kakashi answered. "I have a lot of experience so I could help you, but you
won't let me. The truth is, it's really boring working with you. I'm kind of
glad I got Naruto."
"What?" Sasuke hissed, turning toward Kakashi.
"Oh, didn't I tell you? Ebisu said he couldn't work with him and asked
to be appointed to someone else. The chief editor gave Naruto to me
instead."
"You didn't tell me a thing. When did this happen?"
If Kakashi was insulted by Sasuke's harsh tones, he didn't show it. But this
wasn't a good thing. Kakashi was an excellent editor. He could provide some of
the help Naruto needed to reach the top.
"About a month ago."
Naruto's ratings had been steadily growing in the last two or three weeks -
just when the chapters Kakashi had been working on with him started coming out.
That was what made Sasuke pay closer attention to him in the first place.
Sasuke opened his mouth, not sure what would come out. He felt angry � and
eager to leave the stupid party, go home and see what he could do to make his
own manga better.
Kakashi raised an eyebrow, with something akin to a half smile on his face.
His cheerfulness in the very moment Sasuke was feeling betrayed cut deep.
"Hey, Kakashi! Here, I came like I said I would
� can I go home now? I have this amazing idea for how to start on the next
chapter, and I want to do it right now!"
Kakashi smiled more openly at someone over Sasuke's shoulder, "But we
haven't played bingo yet, Naruto. Better stay, you might get something
interesting."
Sasuke turned slowly. In the crowd, he hadn't noticed Naruto approaching
them. He was a bit taller than Sasuke. Just a little.
"I don't care about�" Naruto started impatiently, when he noticed
Sasuke. "Oooh, I know you! You're the author of
'Kaleidoscope'! You're Sasuke Uchiha!"
The awe in Naruto's voice felt really good, but Sasuke was too upset with
Kakashi for that to calm him down.
"There is no need to shout. Everyone here knows who I am already,"
he said as coldly as he could, faced with that bright, enthusiastic smile that
was rapidly melting away. "The question is who are you?"
He could hear Sakura gasping in surprise behind him. He was usually colder
with her than with most people. There had been signs that she had been crushing
on him when they first started working together and he had to cut it off right
away. If she was surprised, his response must have come off as low blow.
All traces of a smile disappeared from Naruto's face. He was rapidly getting
very angry.
"My name," he pronounced every word carefully, in a high volume. "Is Naruto N-Uzumaki! I'm the author of
'Whirlwind'!"
There was a sort of authority in the way he said that. Like he knew, beyond
a shadow of doubt, that no one could stay unaffected at the sound of his name.
The blazing conviction would be enough to sway even those people who hadn't
seen his art; it would make them stare, fascinated. Sasuke, who knew there
wouldn't be many people who wouldn't be swept off their feet at the sound of
Naruto's name if he kept improving, forgot to breathe for a second.
But this was about his career, too. He squashed the feeling, "Oh, that
piece of crap?"
Naruto went red to the roots of his bright blond hair, "A piece of
crap? A piece of crap? I've been ranking in the
single digits for a month already!"
"I assume Kakashi was writing the story for you?"
Like a plug had been pulled, Naruto began shouting, "He's been giving
me tips! All editors do that! It's my story and it's one hell of a story,
too!"
"If your story was that good, you wouldn't need the help of your editor
to get into the first ten."
"You're just scared I'm going to outrank you!"
That hit a little too close to home, but Sasuke effortlessly put on a
mocking smirk, "You can only dream about that."
It was meant to set Naruto off even more, but the effect was exactly the
opposite. He narrowed his eyes and raised his chin a little, "No, I can do
it. I can outrank you. I'll work harder. I'll make my story better. I'll blow
past you in no time."
Sasuke snarled at him, "Like I'm going to sit back and let you do
that."
"Well, it wouldn't be any fun if you did, right?" Despite talking
about it as if it were supposed to be fun, Naruto just looked dead serious,
grim and determined. "I'm going home to work, Kakashi. I can't let this
asshole keep beating me."
He was talking to Kakashi while still looking at Sasuke. They were staring
at each other, but it didn't feel like a staring contest. More like a very
careful mutual assessment. In the end, Naruto nodded � in acknowledgment, as if
sealing a pact. Then he turned and walked away.
"Wow," Sakura said. "That was intense."
Intense? It was exciting. Sasuke could feel his
heart hammering in his chest and ideas that were always looming about his
consciousness all started digging their long nails into his brain at once.
"Well," Kakashi said. "That's Naruto for you. Sasuke, do you
realize that he isn't the type to say something and then forget about it? He'll
be breathing down your neck now. He will see you not as just another author out
there in the sea, but as his rival. Someone he has to beat."
A rival, huh? That wasn't what Sasuke had come to
the party for. He had wanted to check Naruto out, maybe find out why he had
been getting better all of a sudden with his storytelling. It wasn't his
intention to challenge him, to inspire him.
And he certainly hadn't come to get challenged and inspired himself, yet�
"Haven't I said it already? I'm not going to let him do that."
Sasuke left the glass he was holding in his hand on a nearby banister, ignoring
the looks Sakura and Kakashi were exchanging. "I'm going home."
They didn't say goodbye, but as Sasuke started walking away he heard Sakura
saying, "The next issue is already in printing, right? But I'll be looking
forward to the one that goes out after that."
There was just enough time for Sasuke to hear Kakashi's faint, "Me,
too" before he was out of range. He sent a message to the chauffer the
magazine appointed to him for the evening that they would be leaving and left
the brightly lit, noisy hall.
Ideas on how to improve "Kaleidoscope" descended on him,
overwhelming - as if the creative thunderstorm of the century were raging in
his brain. He could barely focus on walking down the stairs. It had been so
long since the last time he'd felt this way.
"Naruto Uzumaki, huh?" he whispered, his voice coming back to him
in a jumbled echo in the empty stairwell.

"It can't go on like this."
Kakashi didn't need chief editor to invite him into his office to tell him
that. He knew things were spinning out of control and that he was the one who
had to put a stop to it. Though maybe while he was in the office already, he
could get some help. He did have an idea or two.
"It's my fault, I'm afraid.I never thought a little rivalry
would hurt anyone."
Danzou, the chief editor, frowned, "Both of their mangas
have definitely reached another level lately. I don't see how 'Whirlwind' can
ever tie with "Kaleidoscope' though, even with it ranking seventh and
eighth consistently now."
"It can't. Naruto, I'm afraid, has written himself into a corner.
Sooner or later, his ratings will drop."
"But how can Sasuke keep 'Whirlwind' in such high regard, then? Not
even you think it can outrank "Kaleidoscope'."
"Sasuke doesn't care so much about 'Whirlwind'. But he can see how much
Naruto has grown with it. Once the ratings drop and the series is canceled,
Naruto will be able to start over again."
"I see. It's the potential that Sasuke can see in Naruto. It's not a
rivalry of their series�"
"No, the rivalry is between the authors."
Danzou hummed thoughtfully, gazing over Kakashi's shoulder through the
glass, where dozens of people were pretending to work while gossiping among
themselves. He didn't want to do anything to drive off two of his best authors,
but he couldn't let Naruto and Sasuke keep up the way they were going. Kakashi
sympathized; he was feeling just as torn. Perhaps more so.
Some of his colleagues were calling him on getting too attached, but he liked
working that way. Investing emotion into work always produced the best results
� and greater satisfaction.
"Still, this isn't the first time they fought in the editorial
department. I can't allow them to continue with that. The previous time they
even had a fistfight." Danzou frowned like the word tasted foul.
"That isn't something people who work with their hands should ever
do."
It wasn't much of a fistfight. True to their profession, they were both
inexperienced and also a little clumsy. They had mostly rolled around on the
freshly swept floor. Despite all of that, Kakashi couldn't help but enjoy the
show. He wasn't known as resident pervert in their department for nothing,
after all.
"I know. I've been thinking about what to do about it."
"Do you have any ideas?"
"Only one," Kakashi admitted. Only one fully formed idea, anyway.
"But it's risky."
"Tell me."
"I thought about making them do a
oneshot." To make it clear, Kakashi added, "A
collaboration."
"I don't see how that will help. They'll keep fighting and come up with
nothing."
"Not if we put their professional pride on the line. I thought I'd tell
them their contracts depend on its success."
"I don't want to lose them that way, either."
"We wouldn't really break their contracts over it, but I don't have to
tell them that." Danzo didn't look convinced, so
Kakashi elaborated. "For Naruto, the most important thing now is to beat
Sasuke. He is desperate not to get canceled. And Sasuke wouldn't allow himself
to get canceled, even though any magazine would accept him with open arms,
because then he wouldn't be able to shove it in Naruto's face that he's still
higher in rank every week. They will do anything to keep this up � even if it
means working together."
"But we don't want them to keep it up."
There was a note of annoyance in Danzou's voice,
but Kakashi persisted.
"No, we don't want them to fight all the time, but we do want them to
keep the rivalry. It's what has made them grow and become so much better. There
are significant benefits from it for our magazine as well." They had both
set personal records selling out the last volumes of their respective series,
both of which had been published after Kakashi had taken on Naruto. The chief
editor had to know that Kakashi knew what was best for his mangakas.
"But I thought making them spend a lot of time together would actually end
up making their interaction less explosive � in the long run."
The sad part was that there wouldn't be any more rolling around on the
ground. Unless the explosiveness of their rivalry transferred to other aspects
of their relationship, but Kakashi was almost positive that Sasuke's foul moods
and sharp tongue would not be an easy obstacles to overcome, even for Naruto.
"I see," Danzou allowed. "Do you think they could manage to
do a oneshot while working on their series?"
"No," Kakashi admitted. "I'm hoping to get them to fight
less, but they'll still fight a lot. They'll need to go on hiatus."
"Then there's no way. Think of something else."
"Like what, locking them in a room for 24 hours?" Kakashi tried
his best to keep his temper under control, but he needed the chief to agree to
this. He turned his words into a joke at the last second. "I thought about
it, but it's apparently illegal."
"I can't put the both of them on hiatus," Danzou said, apparently
deciding that it was for the best to ignore Kakashi's frustration. "Naruto
is barely making the top ten as it is."
"I think that's precisely the reason to put him on a hiatus. He's
spending all his time trying to artificially keep 'Whirlwind' alive and that's
a waste. He can do better. He's learned a lot."
Danzou caught on, "You want to let the series die."
"Yes. He'll be better the next time. He will come up with series that
won't rank below the fifth spot even when it's in the first half of a new
arc."
"You believe in him."
"Yes," Kakashi answered easily. Naruto was a talent that came
about once in a decade. Sasuke wouldn't admit it, but Naruto was easily more
talented than him. "He just needs some careful guiding and a lot of space
to let the advice sink in. I think I think I'm a much better match for him than
Ebisu was."
Which was why he'd subtly encouraged Ebisu to ask for
someone else. Kakashi had only worked with Sasuke, so the chances that
he'd get Naruto had been high. He had decided he wanted to work with him on the
very day the oneshot of 'Whirlwind' the series was later based on was out.
Kakashi had brought a sample of the issue to Sasuke and would never forget the
look on his face. He'd never seen such mixture of awe, jealousy and frustration
in his life.
"Please don't talk that way about your colleagues," Danzou spoke,
bringing him back to the conversation.
"I wasn't badmouthing him. Ebisu insists on strict discipline. He'd
accomplish a miracle with someone like Shikamaru Nara."
"I think that if the author is good, there is no difference in who their editor is." Kakashi held his tongue. If that
were the truth, Naruto would not have grown so much as soon as Ebisu asked to be
transferred. "But it's true that you are very good at your job and have an
excellent instinct. If we do this, 'Whirlwind' will definitely get canceled.
What about "Kaleidoscope"?"
"The anime is starting in April. It will probably drop a notch, but it
won't affect it in the long run. Besides, think about the oneshot they will
work on."
"You mean the oneshot they will work on - if they can stop
fighting long enough."
"They will stop fighting," Kakashi assured with conviction, trying
not to take the cynicism personally. "And they will produce the greatest
manga we've seen in years."
Danzou picked up a pen and looked through looked through some papers on his
table. They were probably plans and schedules for the next issue � or he was
just putting on a show of checking on things while thinking. Kakashi was never
sure about the chief editor's motivations and feelings. It was unnerving.
"Alright then. I'll make the preparations for
both their series to go on hiatus as of the week after the next one," Danzo finally agreed. "Of course, if this fails, you
will be fired."
Kakashi wasn't very surprised. Danzo was ruthless
when it came to the magazine. He had suggested the plan knowing that it would
put his job on the line.
He nodded, "Of course."
"Go on, then. Break the news to your mangakas
and finish other necessary preparations. Don't let them fight over simple
things like where they're going to work and who is going to assist. Take all
the decisions possible out of their hands and report back directly to me."
Dismissed, Kakashi left chief editor's office. There was a reason Danzo was the boss. The idea not to let Naruto and Sasuke
make the decisions about simple things was a great one. It would save them at
least a few days.
Maybe some would consider him insane �. But Kakashi couldn't wait to start
this project, even with his job at risk.
tbc
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Make It or Break It