Bring the Game

Response to yaoi_is_my_antidrug's 'Weird Crossover Challenge'.

Balamb SeeDs-

Squall Leonhart (Point Guard)
Zell Dincht (Power Forward)
Irvine Kinneas (Shooting Guard)
Biggs Darklighter (Centre)
Wedge Antilles (Small Forward)
Seifer Almasy (Assistant Coach)
Laguna Loire (Coach)


Konoha Ninjas-

Sasuke Uchiha (Point Guard)
Naruto Uzumaki (Power Forward)
Neji Hyuuga (Shooting Guard)
Rock Lee (Centre)
Kiba Inuzuka (Small Forward)
Kakashi Hatake (Substitute Coach)
Shikamaru Nara (Stand-in)

Main Pairings: (seme x uke) Squall x Naruto / Sasuke x Zell
Other pairings: (seme x uke) Laguna x Neji / Kakashi x Seifer x Irvine (seme x seme x uke)


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Chapter 1 - The Konoha Ninjas

A loud blare from the shot-clock signaled the end of the third quarter with the Balamb SeeDs boasting a six point lead against the Konoha Ninjas. Each team of five evacuated the court and made their way to their respective corners for their final breather and to strategize their next plan of action for a victorious comeback.

Kakashi tossed a towel to each boy as they approached and Naruto flopped, stomach first, onto the hard bench, his lean, six foot, one inch frame taking up a sizeable amount of space. Sasuke angrily clicked his tongue against the back of his teeth before kicking his blonde team-mate to the floor. "Move your ass, usuratonkachi," he grumbled, ignoring the startled cry that escaped Naruto's lips before he took a seat closely followed by Neji who retrieved a bottle of Gatorade from the cooler by their feet.

"Kuso!" he swore and gingerly rubbed his elbow which he'd used to cushion his head from the fall. "What the hell is your problem, teme?"

"You! You're always in my way," he shot back, referring to Naruto's annoying habit both on and off the court.

"Oh, yeah?" the younger boy shouted, jumping to his feet so he could get in the pompous Uchiha's face, his yell almost drowned out by the spectators' screams as the home-team cheerleaders took the center stage. "Well if you'd stay out of mine then you wouldn't have that problem, now would you?"

"Get out of my face, Uzumaki," Sasuke warned with a feral growl meeting those fierce blue eyes with an intense glare of his own.

"Make me, asshole!"

"They're at it again, coach," Shikamaru complained, irritated that he had to suffer through their constant arguing for what was probably the hundredth time during this game alone. Kakashi appeared to ignore him and the Nara boy sweat-dropped when he realized that their sensei had his eyes glued to the young ladies tumbling and prancing around in the middle of the court.

"Kakashi-sensei!"

The silver-haired man snapped out of his daze but not before a voluptuous brunette lifted one leg high in the air, revealing a teasing glimpse of her black panties and Kakashi quickly brought a fist to his mouth to clear his throat but was really a cunning attempt at hiding the thin trail of blood that trickled from one nostril. "What seems to be the problem here?" he asked in his most authoritative tone-of-voice.

Shikamaru pointed an index finger at the two boys that were now trying to strangle one another and Neji managed to get off the bench just before it toppled over taking the quarrelsome pair with it.

Kakashi sighed and pried the boys away from each other, "Oi! What's wrong with you two?"

Naruto swung a fist in Sasuke's direction but Kakashi was already between them and caught it in time but even then the blonde didn't break his fervent glare with the Uchiha. "He claims I'm always in his way," huffed the younger of the two. "But he's always running all over the damned place and getting in my way."

"Sasuke's point guard, Naruto. He's supposed to be 'running all over the damned place'," reminded the older man before releasing the tanned wrist after it went limp in his hand.

"And just in case you also forgot, I'm supposed to be guarding Leonhart, not you," and Sasuke added with a sneer, "besides...you'll have plenty of time to be all over him when the game's over."

Naruto stiffened with rage then lunged towards the Uchiha but he was once again restrained by Kakashi and Sasuke shot him an arrogant grin before crossing his arms over his chest. "Fuck you, teme!"

"Naruto, calm down," pleaded the substitute coach on another sigh but Kakashi had to agree with Sasuke on that point. During the first half of the match Naruto had been going rather easy on that Leonhart boy and because of his bias he'd cost them quite a few baskets so in a tactical maneuver Kakashi placed Sasuke on Leonhart's guard instead but Naruto still ended up tagging him anyway which only put more strain on Neji who now had to deal with Dincht, the power forward Naruto was supposed to be guarding and Kinneas, the shooting guard for the other team.

If they were to have any chance of winning the championship then Naruto was going to have to get his act together.

"Naruto, I know you and Squall are...dating," Kakashi said, choosing his words very carefully and ignoring the sniggering of their small forward, Kiba. "But don't let your relationship cloud your judgement. This is a championship game and right now you have to see Squall as your opponent and not your boyfriend." Naruto's countenance fell with guilt at the reprimand and he promised his sensei he'd take the game more seriously from now on.

Actually, Kakashi wasn't even sure what kind of relationship the two boys were in since it had only become news to him since yesterday but according to the others, Naruto and this Leonhart guy hooked up during the preliminary matches so they had to have been seeing each other for quite some time now. Kakashi shook his head in disappointment when he had to come to grips with the fact that he hadn't been playing closer attention his charges.

But Naruto wasn't the only one with issues. For some reason, Sasuke had become more aggressive within the past few days and no matter how much Kakashi tried to council him he just blew him off and warned the older man not to 'analyze' him. Neji, who Kakashi could always count on to keep a level head was on pins and needles all evening and as much as he wanted to believe the Hyuuga was just nervous about playing for the college cup he knew there was an underlying reason for his anxiety, a reason Neji didn't want to share either.

Lee was unbearably hyperactive during each game and Kakashi eventually found out that this particular brand of sports drink was to blame but by then it was too late and Lee was already bouncing off the walls. Shikamaru was lazier than ever, if that was even possible, and Kiba remained his usual conceited and loud-mouthed self, in other words, a real nuisance.

Kakashi gathered his 'Ninjas' into a huddle so he could share his strategy for the final quarter. "Okay, we're going to stick with 'man-to-man' defense-"

"That means you're with Dincht, Naruto" Sasuke interrupted.

"Actually, I'm gonna let Lee guard Dincht for this quarter," he corrected and Naruto stuck out a long tongue in Sasuke's direction.

Neji raised one hand and Kakashi nodded his head allowing him to voice his concerns. "But Dincht's their fastest player, do you think Lee will be able to keep up?"

Kakashi shot a wary glance in Lee's direction. His dark pupils were dilated and his body was cloaked in perspiration. Every muscle was drawn taut and his body was primed, yearning to burn the surplus energy that threatened to burst forth but was restrained by his will alone, causing his lithe frame to shake uncontrollably. "Uhh...yeah, he'll be fine," the coach replied and quickly tore his gaze away from the hyperactive youth. Just looking at him was making Kakashi tired.

"Naruto, you tag Darklighter, which leaves Sasuke with Leonhart, Kiba with Antilles and Neji with Kinneas. Any questions so far?" and when everyone shook their heads Kakashi continued. "They're not leading by much but if we can come out strong in the beginning then remain on the defensive for the rest of the match then we might be able to win. Neji...," and the boy addressed looked over to his coach. "As 'shooting guard' we're going to need you to get at least one 'three'. Think you can handle it?"

The Hyuuga boy scowled when his skills were brought into question. "Yes!" he spat and Kakashi had to bite his tongue to keep from groaning and rolling his eyes Heavenward at his hostile disposition. He turned to Naruto who was mirroring a death-glare from Sasuke and Kakashi did groan then. "Naruto, all I'm asking you to do is stay on your target and keep your eyes on the ball."

"Coach means the game ball not Leonhart's," joked Kiba, decoding the older man's hidden message.

"Hn, good one, Inuzuka," goaded the Uchiha and Kakashi wondered if hell had frozen over the very second Uchiha Sasuke joined forces with Inuzuka Kiba.

"Fuck you and especially you," Naruto roared while pointing an offensive finger at Kiba then Sasuke.

"Move it or lose it!" warned the Uchiha but Naruto just grinned wickedly and manipulated his fingers until he was now flipping him the bird. The dark-haired teen slapped the hand away from his face but it flew to one side and it's bronzed knuckles connected with the Hyuuga's dainty nose.

"What the fuck!" he screeched and brought one hand to his face in reflex before pulling it away to check for any traces of blood. He found none but that didn't pacify him in the slightest.

"Hey, don't look at me like that, he started it," Naruto jumped to his defense the second Neji laid those murderous eyes on him and once again, pointed an accusing finger at Sasuke, momentarily forgetting that that was what started this whole thing in the first place.

"What the fuck is wrong with you, Uchiha?" Neji asked before double checking for a bleeding nose.

"What? You've got a problem with me too, Hyuuga?" and Sasuke spread his arms wide in invitation for a fight.

"Oh, I do now," assured the other boy.

Fortunately they didn't resort to fisticuffs but instead they broke out into a war of words with Neji and Naruto on one team and Sasuke and Kiba on the other.

"Shouldn't you intervene or something?" Shikamaru asked of their coach when they started to use excessively colorful language but Kakashi just sighed heavily and wiped an exasperated hand over his face.

Hatake Kakashi rued the day he volunteered to substitute for Might Guy as coach for the 'Konoha Ninjas' and as the whistle blew, signaling the start of the last few minutes of the game, he sadistically hoped that the coach of the Balamb SeeDs was suffering just as badly as he was.