Just Sing

(do you have the talent to make it big?)


i. And So They Come

"Number one, please enter!"

A teenage girl with heavy makeup and shiny clothes entered the room with frigid steps, though her expression was that one of pure delight. When she faced the judges on the small stage, she spoke immediately.

"Oh my god, it's such a pleasure to meet you! I've been a fan of this show ever since—"

"Your name is Rita McKin," Kakashi Hatake drawled on the left side of the table, "yes?"

The girl gave a brilliant grin. "Rita is fine, Mr. Hatake! I'm a big fan of yours and—"

"Miss McKin," Kurenai Yuuhi, who sat in the center seat, interrupted warily.

"Miss Yuuhi! I know all about you! You're the nicest judge out of the three, but you're also the—"

"Girl. Just sing." Asuma Sarutobi tapped the cardboard logo behind him loudly.

Rita flushed. "Yes. Of course. My, uh, my song—the song I'm going to perform. I mean, like, the song I am going to sing, not exactly perform . . ."

"Miss McKin."

"'T-Rex' by J. J. Roberts," the girl squeaked out.

The judges shared a significant look. "T-Rex" was a pop song, an unusual choice for the show, Just Sing. Everyone knew "T-Rex" sounded horrible without the heavy metal rock in the background.

Still, if this girl was able to pull it off . . .

Sensing the contestant has frozen in place, Kakashi nodded. "Go on. Start at the chorus if you want."

She coughed into her fist nervously. "Um, of course."

Rita took a deep breath in and began to sing:

"You-you-you-you-you-you are just so
Wild-wild-wild-wild-wild-wild.
Make me lo-ose my head.

And now you run-run-run-run-run;
You're such a helpless thing,
Right in front of me in my grasp.

'Cuz T-Rex, babe, I'm just like a T-Rex,
And I am a carnival—"

"Carnivorous," Kurenai said as she took a long drink from her water bottle. It was becoming clear that Rita had no talent in singing. The girl hit every note correctly, but her voice was as thin as a reed. Hearing her sing was painful.

"Sorry. I mean—"

"Just sing."

"—And I am a carnivorous being.
Let me devour you mind.

Right here-here-here-here-here,
In the jungle, you're nothing but a
Small and cowardly thing.

But your body tempts me so—"

Rita was the first contestant, so they allowed her a few extra verses, but Asuma put down his foot when the high note went ridiculously off-key.

"Stop."

Rita stopped and glanced uncertainly at each judge.

"Thank you, Miss McKin," said Kakashi, his lone visible eye halfway closed.

Rita bit her lip, looking at the three adults almost pleadingly. When there came no response, she walked out the room again, no doubt to cry outside with her friends, to complain about how unfair the judges were, to gain reassurance from her fellow peers that her singing was good.

But she would get over it, like the thousands of others who left the room without green tickets for the trip to Konohagakure.

As Rita left, Kurenai put a hand over her eyes. "God, this is going to be a long day."

"Isn't it always." Kakashi already took out his book of porn. "How many good ones do you think we can find in this city?"

"Hey, don't be so pessimistic, Kakashi." Asuma leaned back, stretching. "Who knows? Maybe we can find another Nagato in this place."

"Impossible. Nagato was a genius himself; there is no way anyone will be able to compete with the guy."

"Hm. I don't know." Kurenai smoothed down her dress. "I heard there are some pretty strong people coming up this year. Famous, too. Know that Uchiha kid?"

"Sasuke Uchiha? Of Uchiha Corps? He is going to come to Just Sing?"

"Yeah. I heard about that too. Lost a bet to Itachi, I think." Kakashi giggled as he read a particularly interesting page of his book. "Prideful Uchihas. They're all the same."

"Fame doesn't mean anything, though. Just Sing prides on real talent—unless, of course, he bribes Tsunade with sake."

Kurenai sighed. "And his mad fans are going to come after him too. I knew it. There were more women signing up this year. Now that is going to be some interesting drama in the show."

"Hey, who knows though? Some of those rabid fan-girls might have real talent."

Kurenai regarded at Asuma with a look of suspicion. "What's gotten into you? Why so optimistic today?"

The man shrugged. "Just a good feeling about this season, that's all."

Rita's high-pitched voice drifted into the room:

". . . think the judges have made a mistake. I don't accept this result! They didn't even hear the whole song. How can they . . ."

The black-haired woman shook her head. "Asuma, you must've smoked on the wrong end of the cigarette yesterday."


"Ino! I am not going!"

"But why, Forehead? You have such an amazing voice!" Ino paused. "Well, not as amazing as mine, of course. Still, you need to come and not mope around about Sai."

Sakura crossed her arms, a fruitless gesture to stop Ino from dragging her across the street. They attracted a lot of gazes from the passerby.

"I do not mope around about Sai! It's called work, 'kay?"

"Psh. Forcing yourself to work, moping about your breakup. Same thing. Forehead, trust me, what you need is a fresh start! And what other way to get that fresh start then by attending Just Sing?"

Sakura ceased her struggles and sighed.

"Wouldn't it be easier if you just, I dunno . . ."

"Set you on a blind date? Hm . . . that actually is a good idea . . ."

"No, Pig!"

"But Just Sing actually has cute boys! You never know, you just might meet a future Nagato."

Sakura scowled. "Pig, you do understand everyone here lives in this area and that we already . . . whoa."

In front of them was the Konoha Tunes Entertainment Huaer City Branch. Hundreds crowded at the entrance of the tall, pristine-white building, talking, laughing, or singing. There was a huge poster stuck to the front of the two-story glass doors with the bright red words JUST SING AUDITIONS TODAY.

Sakura gawked.

Ino gawked.


"Number 352, enter!"

With Ino muttering words of encouragement behind, Sakura pushed through the door and walked to the center of the room.

The three judges gawked at her hair.

"Is that natural?" Kakashi Hatake openly asked.

"Yes, my hair is natural. No, I do not appreciate people staring at it." She could feel the camera zooming in when she said that. Sakura sighed. "No offense."

"None taken," Asuma said briskly, leaning back in his chair.

Kurenai shook herself. "My apologies. Please continue."

"Your name is Sakura Haruno, yes?" the last judge asked. "I see. Please introduce the song you are gonna sing and start whenever you wish."

Sakura nodded. "I am performing 'For You I Sing' by the Butterfly Whisperers."

She gauged their reactions carefully. The judges responded with bored eyes and forced attentiveness. Kakashi's visible eye was closed.

Sakura sighed. Hopefully Ino wouldn't be disappointed if she didn't make it. After clearing her throat, she started, soft and sweet:

"Oh—
It's been three weeks since you left me
Wandering on the curb,
And, seriously, to be honest,
I've been doing some thinking.

'Cuz no matter how hard the breakdown is,
No matter how it should have ended—
Memories are past,
Decisions are made,
And you, my love, are long gone . . ."

Only a verse in, and the judges were left speechless. Even Kakashi sat bolt-upright, listening to Sakura's song intensely.

Sakura's voice rose for the faster chorus:

"It is for you that I changed my own mind,
For you I seek sorrow,
For you I find solitary a peace,
For you I sing this song.

Because you promised me that one time,
Because you said, "I will,"
That you and I will have
A forever everyone is jealous of—"

The last note hung in the air for a while. Sakura felt every eye in the room, including the camera crew and show producers, trained on her.

"But fantasy is but fantasy
And I have grown up.
Now I know not to trust
When some other boy comes along.

Because
It is for you I changed my mind,
For you I seek sorrow,
For you I find solitary a peace,
For you I . . ."

Sakura closed her eyes.

"For you I sing this song."

Sakura lifted her head slowly and watched, impassive, as the judge nodded their heads.

After a quick whisper amongst themselves, Kurenai met Sakura's eye and smiled.

"Miss Haruno . . . how would you like to go to Konohagakure?"


a/n: I just want to get the first chapter out first. . . .

Is this based on American Idol . . . ? Maybe. I don't really watch the show. They comment on everything wayyy too much. So some parts of how the singing contest work will definitely be fictional. Whether that is a good thing or a bad thing . . . depends.

I will be writing all of the lyrics to every single song, and I seriously doubt they will rhyme. Sorry for any bad lyrics in advance. If there is one thing writing really cannot duplicate, it is music. :P