Hello all you ficcage buffs out there. This is a little piece of something I have been throwing around in the ole brain for a while. It should only be two chapters long but it may run into three, we'll just have to see. Hope you all enjoy.
Saph ~X~
Oh, and Naruto doesn't belong to me. Would I really be writing fanfiction if I did?
Renegade.
Chapter One: No Way Out.
Yuki felt the acidic sting of tears as they welled in her eyes, the panic frothing into her gut and making her feel physically sick and unable to breathe. What had she gotten herself into? She didn't know nor did she want to know. She just stared at the implement in her shaking hand and wished frantically that this was all a dream. What was she going to tell them? Was she going to tell them at all? Maybe it was wrong. She hoped it was wrong. But it couldn't be... could it? What would she say to Kyoshi? Would he be angry with her? Yuki shook her head at the thought. Kyoshi wasn't like that, she knew him better than that, she was sure of it.
Hearing the front door slam shut, Yuki jumped out of her confused state with a startled gasp and crammed the tiny device into her black purse beside her before getting to her feet and gently wiping the tears from her eyes.
"Yuki? You here?" the deep and somewhat relief bringing voice hollered from downstairs. It was only Ichi. That was a relief to say the very least. Not that she actually thought that Mom or Dad would be walking through the door anytime soon. Dad was at some stupid Jounin meeting thing that usually lasted pretty much all day and Mom was on a twelve hour day shift at Konoha hospital. This gave her plenty of time to get her bearings and think through exactly how she was going to get out of her current predicament in one piece. Ichirou however wouldn't suspect a thing. He never did.
Her brother was only a year older than herself but it was so obvious to Yuki that he was the golden child. He excelled in everything he did, it was sickening. Mom and Dad were constantly praising him for one thing or another while all she got were scolds and warnings of having to try harder. She had passed her Special Jouning training... by the skin of her teeth and with a hope and a prayer but it was still a pass when all said and done. But did Yuki get any of this praise they lavished on her older brother? Did she get the elaborate gaming consol contraption that took up most of her room? No. Sure, there was the highly priced music system that they had gotten for her many years ago when she had passed her Chuunin exam, but nothing recently, not like Ichi. Seemed that a pat on the head was all she was worthy of receiving from her parents, and she hated them and Ichi for it. Dad was the worst culprit for it. It was painfully obvious that he looked at his only son differently to how he looked at her. Whenever he happened to glance her way his gaze always seemed to be filled with disappointment and disdain. But when he looked at Ichi... well that was a different story entirely. The amount of pride and unconditional love he seemed to radiate at such times was enough to make Yuki want to vomit.
There was no denying that she was insanely jealous of Ichirou, she knew it herself. But it was Dad that made her feel this way, not that she held any desire to ever tell him about it. Yuki much preferred to stew in her own juices until the heat became so intense she simply exploded in a fit of rage and took it out on Ichi. He didn't understand what it was like to be the black sheep, none of them understood her. She hated being a part of this family, hated it. She yearned for the day she could simply leave and forget she was ever part of this godforsaken clan.
"Yuki? I know you're here, I saw you leave the training field!" Ichi's voice was bordering annoyance which in turn brought a sly grin to Yuki's mouth; there was nothing she enjoyed better than ticking him off. It was simple pleasures like this that helped her through the day. Getting to her feet, Yuki sauntered towards the highly cluttered vanity cabinet at the far end of the room. Planting her hand on the dusty surface she leaned over and inspected her features in the cloudy mirror, covered in year's worth of concealer and other manners of make-up products. What was the point in cleaning it? It was only going to get dirty again at some point.
Yuki pulled at the hollow beneath each eye, ensuring that her carefully applied eye liner hadn't smudged out of place and each blemish was covered in all the right places. Yuki liked to look pretty, make-up was the only way to go; despite Mom and Dad's utter contempt for it. But Yuki didn't care what they thought. She was sixteen now, not a child like they seemed to think she was. By rights she should be able to do as she wished but her parents were sticks in the mud; old fashioned and boring, like most of the ninja families out there. Always wanting to play by the book with their "Don't do this" and "don't do that" philosophies. Needless to say that Yuki didn't play by the book.
Flicking her long tresses of silver hair over her shoulder, Yuki wandered towards the door and pulled it open.
"Yeah I'm here, dog breath, and what do you mean you saw me? Are you spying on me now?" She spat over the viewing gallery of the open plan staircase. Ichi was halfway up the stairs when he lifted his head and shot her one of his most famous yet unsuccessful looks of hatred. That was another thing she hated about her brother, he had pretty green eyes while she was stuck with horrid dark and expressionless ones. Why did he have all the best features? He was a guy after all; he didn't need them like a girl did. Life was full of cruel jokes like that.
"Don't call me that Yuki! And I can see you're plastered in war paint again. You know Mom and Dad hate you wearing that stuff." Ichi spat back as he leaned against the banister. Yuki tutted, sneering down at him like the prize pig he was. He just stood there, glowering up at her like he was the king of the household. Who the hell was he to tell her what she can and can't do?
"I don't care! I can do what I want." She growled, turning on her heel and forcing herself back into her room. Snatching the black purse from her bed, Yuki stormed back through the door way and trotted down the stairs pushing herself past the offensive obstacle in her path, otherwise known as Hatake Ichirou.
"Get outta my way Ichi!" She snarled as she shunted him into the banister. Ichi emitted a pain filled grunt as his back collided with the polished wood, bringing that gleeful sneer back to her mouth. Ticking him off was one thing, but bringing him small bursts of physical pain was what she enjoyed the most. Just to give him that taste of what she felt mentally was enough to satisfy her in this painful mistake of a family.
"Ow! Yuki, where are you going now? You've left three genin in the training field on their own, what the hell is wrong with you?" Ichi hollered. Yuki stopped in her tracks and turned to face him giving him the most displeasurable look she had.
"Oh, so it's okay for Dad to turn up whenever the hell he feels like it and leave his students hanging, but I can't leave mine with a list of training exercises? Get a grip Ichi. Anyway, they aren't my students. I'm covering for a friend." She bit out, turning again towards the door. The dark, unfinished wood panel was forever out of reach when she heard that irritating buzz of Ichi's voice once more.
"All the more reason to stay with them, Yuki. Dad's gonna be so pissed with you when..." At this Yuki whirled around and thrust a finger in Ichi's face. Taking a step back from her, he gasped in mild surprise, his already huge green eyes taking a sickening glimmer of fear and widening dramatically on his pretty little face as Yuki barred her teeth at him.
"And why is that? Are you gonna tell him?" She hissed. Shifting his eyes from her finger to her gaze Ichi snapped his mouth shut and shook his head briskly, the spiky locks of silver hair on his head sweeping over the hitai-ate that dressed his glossy brow. Yuki smirked at him; she doubted very much that Ichi actually feared her. But he knew that she could make his home life very uncomfortable. This had happened many times before in the past when he had taken it upon himself to snitch to their parents about the many things that she had done and shouldn't have. Playing hooky was one of them when she had still been a student at the academy. She still hadn't forgotten about that little incident. He had paid the price of ratting her out however. Ichi had a morbid fear of spiders back then and the large creepy crawlies he had been finding in his room at that point had prevented him from acting out so rashly in the future.
Yuki stepped back, watching Ichi relax, his shoulders losing the once pent up tension at the thought that she would actually strike him, she hummed a chuckle as she clasped the handle of the purse on her shoulder. Rolling her obsidian eyes at him as she turned once more, this time with the full intention of leaving this godforsaken house. She heard something plink to the hard wood floor as she swung the purse behind her and instinctively turned back to see just as Ichi was kneeling and reaching towards it. Her eyes swelled with horror as he took it in his hands and drew it closer to his face for inspection. Whirling around, she made a grab for it, falling to her knees as she went. Ichi snatched it away as she desperately fought to claw it from his grip.
"Give that back! It's mine!" She screamed. Ichi frowned at her, getting to his feet and holding the small plastic device in his fingers. This was it, she was busted. Ichi looked it over a few times before his eyes flashed with a fearful glint of horror and looking down at Yuki and shaking his head.
"Yuki... Yuki, you need to tell Mom about this." He murmured. That disgusting, gut wrenching sensation returned to her stomach. She found it physically impossible to maintain eye contact with him. Lowering her head, Yuki gazed at the floor shamefully as she tried to come up with something, anything to talk her way out it.
"Yuki... I'm worried about you. You need to tell Mom..." His voice had dropped in pitch, the concern that carried in his tone made Yuki feel very ill. Feeling the very colour drain from her entire body she looked up at him pleadingly. She couldn't tell Mom, not yet. She had to inform Kyoshi first, he had more of a right to this information than anyone else did.
"Give it back. Please?" She begged, just as the tears of despair began to flood her eyes once more. Ichi seemed to look through her before turning his attention to the object in his hand. Blowing out a deep sigh he handed it back to Yuki with an expression of utter defeat. Yuki snatched it from him and shoved it back into her purse before scrabbling to her feet. Brushing herself down and smoothing out the slight creases in her light purple shirt the fall had caused she glanced up at her older and somewhat over caring sibling. It was times like these that the guilt would swamp her mind. She treated him really badly when at heart all he ever did was look out for her. How could she be so cruel to someone she should hold so close to her heart. Yuki wasn't sure, but no matter how many times he had been there for her over the years she always seemed to stem back to old habits and begin treating him like the dirt from the sole of her shoes. He was the favourite, the golden boy, the apple of their parents' eyes... and she hated that about him.
Yuki willed him to speak, just to break the unbearable silence that had settled between them.
"Please don't say anything." Yuki whimpered eventually, threading her fingers together and tapping then just below her nose. Ichi simply shook his head, his brow creasing in a frown and dropping his eyes to her feet.
"You need to tell them..."
"I know, Ichi, I know, just... not yet. I need time to think this through..."
"Think what through, Yuki? You can't just talk your way out of this. You need to tell Mom!"
Yuki knew he was right, and she knew that she would have to tell them at some point, but she simply didn't have the right words. And it was their reaction the news that filled her with dread the most. She had already caused both her parents so much grief already; this could very well be the frosting on the cake. Sighing dismally, Yuki turned towards the door and grasped the handle, clenching her fingers around the cool metal; not wanting to continue the conversation any longer. It was none of his business anyway.
"Where are you going? Yuki!" Ichi's voice sliced through her like a serrated blade, making her wince. Pushing down on the handle, Yuki opened the door and stepped out into the cool summer breeze. That elated sensation of freedom consumed her mind as she began to make her way down the path from the home she currently saw as a prison.
"Out." She replied flatly.
Ichirou watched as Yuki closed the door behind her. He didn't know who she was anymore. She hadn't always been like this, all moody and withdrawn. Yuki had always been a little aloof and seemed to wander around in her own little world but she had took a turn for the worse when she had started hanging around with that Kyoshi and his minions. The guy was older then Yuki, in his early twenties at least and Ichirou had heard through the grapevine that he had had a very violent and corrupted upbringing. Being passed from foster home to foster home like an unwanted toy. Nothing was known about his parents, in fact not a lot was known about Kyoshi. All Ichirou knew for sure was that he was no ninja. Unemployed, with no family and no money he had turned his hand to crime, usually just petty theft and now he was dragging Yuki down with him. He was pretty certain that this guy was responsible for Yuki's condition. If Ichirou ever got his hands on him, he swore he would tear him limb from limb for touching Yuki, for turning her into this monster.
Neither Mom nor Dad knew about this boy, yet both were at their wits end with this whole situation. The heated arguments the pair often engaged in were usually over Yuki. Dad insisted that she would come to her senses but Mom didn't seem so sure. All that Ichirou knew was that this was a lesson that Yuki was going to have to learn the hard way.
They were all worried about her and the road on which she was travelling. Her path of self destruction was one she had chosen herself and none of them had any idea as to why she had turned this way. Both Ichirou and Yuki wanted for nothing. They both came from a well established clan and were brought up on principals of the right and wrong. It was not long after Yuki's thirteenth birthday that things had begun to spiral out of control. Her mood swings were unbearable and she was an incredibly difficult person to live with but Ichi loved her with every fibre of his being. Seeing her this way was heart breaking not only for him but for their parents too. It seemed to Ichirou that it was Dad that she took her anger out on the most. She had said evil things to him in the past and almost to the point of driving him to tears. The Copy-Nin wasn't one for showing a great deal of emotion, he was a Shinobi after all, but Yuki had this knack of really ripping into him if he got too close for comfort. The pair had found themselves in many a screaming match when she came home late or she was being particularly aggressive. They all knew that something had been bothering her for a very long time, but getting her to open up was next to the impossible.
Ichirou had a gut feeling that Yuki had no intentions of telling their parents of her pregnancy and Ichirou felt that it was up to him to get the ball rolling, as much as he hated the idea and the very thought of the amount of grief she was going to give him for doing so made him feel a little sick. But he had no choice. If he didn't say at least something, this problem was going to spiral out of control.
"I'm really sorry, Yuki." Ichirou whispered to the fading shadow of his beloved little sister.
Yuki's mind was a blur of muddy thoughts as she aimlessly shuffled along the busy streets of Konoha. The main thought that dominated all of them was of what to do about this thing growing inside of her. She wouldn't have to tell Mom or Dad about it if she could just get rid of it. Most kunoichi had given in to abortion; some more than once. Having become pregnant while out on info scavenging missions, most of which ended up in sex with the target to gain such vital information, they had come back and sought out the help that was on offer at the hospital. But this was hardly the same. Yuki had never been out on a scouting mission, she hadn't partaken in a sexual act with a complete stranger and more to the point she was sixteen, not in her twenties like the majority of kunoichi that were sent on such detestable occupations that demeaned their right of femininity.
It wasn't as if she had actually enjoyed sex with Kyoshi in the first place. He had pretty much talked her into it and the pain during the act had been excruciating. The horrific burning sensation between her legs was enough to put her off sex for the remainder of her existence. She had insisted that he use protection but having nothing of the sort available he had assured her that he would simply "pull-out". Yuki wasn't entirely sure what this was supposed to mean but whatever the method was – she had assumed he meant the withdrawal of the penis from the vagina before ejaculation—hadn't worked. Even so she had also assumed that sex was something that was meant to be enjoyed by both parties, not the agonising fumble in damp grass which she had experienced. She didn't go home that night feeling loved and cherished like she had hoped, she felt used, unclean and utterly disgusting. The bath she had run herself that night had done little to remove the mental filth she could see growing and breeding beneath her skin. No matter how hard she had scrubbed at her already raw flesh, she still felt dirty. And now she was lumbered with this life form growing within her which was set to destroy what little she felt she had of her family life and her slowly dying career.
Yuki had known something wasn't right when she had missed her period almost two months ago; the suspicion itself came when she began throwing up anything she ate in the morning not long after. This was what drove her to buy the pregnancy test. She had to know. Simply ignoring it wasn't going to make the problem go away. But now that she did know, she found that she wished she didn't. Ignorance was bliss after all.
The thought to abort it came again, pounding away at the walls of her brain but with Mom working at the hospital it was going to be incredibly difficult to get it by her. Of course there was the whole patient confidentiality policy but there was bound to be someone there that would at least inform her mother that she had seen her there. And that would be when the questions started. What was she doing there? Why was she alone? Why didn't she tell them about it? And on and on it goes.
The only other way around it all was to try and get assigned a mission that would take her out of the village for a while, to someplace where they had good hospital facilities and have the abortion away from home but that was easier said than done. Most of the missions that led to large cities or other villages were mostly S class and very hard to come by. Usually it was Ninja such as Dad or other high ranked Jounin that snapped those missions up. And now Ichi knew about it, and she knew that there was no way that he was going to just let it lie. Damn him.
Raising her gaze from the ground she spotted a group of people in the distance, they were always here, in the grass banks near the memorial site. Yuki had told Kyoshi not to make her meet him there, Dad always liked to come here when he was being depressive and they ran the risk of bumping into him. Yuki didn't think Dad would actually do anything, he didn't care enough for her for him to act out in the possessive father fashion but she could really do without the lectures when she got home.
She noticed the tall blonde man get to his feet and wave her over. She hadn't seen Kyoshi for a few nights, having been catching up on file reports and student notifications for up and coming exams as well as her much neglected physical training. In normal circumstances she would have been over the moon to see him, the dormant butterflies flittering into life in the pit of her stomach at the very sight of him, but all she felt now was dread.
Yuki shambled towards him and the other people he liked to associate with. There were three others altogether one girl and two guys; Mimi, Tiko, and Hoopa. Yuki was certain that these weren't their real names, just aliases that they liked to go by. They were all in the same boat as Kyoshi, forgotten children in a cruel world that had no room for their kind. But they made her feel wanted, special and loved. Not an outcast.
"Hey, baby doll. What kept you? Haven't seen you for a few days." Kyoshi boomed as Yuki settled herself next to him on the grass.
"I thought I told you not to make me come here." Yuki murmured, wrapping her arms around her knees. The lean blonde shrugged with a sly smirk as he leaned towards her as if for a kiss. Yuki tossed her head away from his, there was drink on his breath again and the smell was repulsive. Kyoshi sat himself up on the grass and chuckled at her.
"Aww, wus a matter Yuki? You scared we'll run into Daddy?" He taunted, jabbing Yuki in the arm as he spoke. If there was one thing that she truly despised about Kyoshi it was his sarcasm. Yuki turned and glowered at him.
"No. I'm not scared of him. I can just do without the hassle, that's all!" She spat out. She began plying the fabric of her black pants between her fingers, drawing her knees closer to her chest as she tried to think of the best possible way that she could tell him that she was carrying his unborn child. She heard Kyoshi chuckle again, under his breath as Mimi, the dark haired female of the group, passed her a cigarette. Yuki looked at the white stick for a moment before taking it from Mimi's hand and nodding her thanks. Yuki didn't like smoking, the taste it left on her tongue and the nasty burning sensation that hit the back of her throat with each puff was anything but pleasurable. But in order to fit in with her selection of friends she chose to partake in the act if ever they offered her the opportunity to do so.
Popping the cigarette into her mouth she leaned towards Kyoshi who flicked opened the zippo in his hand and lit the end of the fiery stick as Yuki took a long drawn out puff from the filter in her mouth. Blowing out a large plume of grey-blue smoke, she lifted the end of the cigarette and looked at the red glow at the tip in distaste. If anyone caught her smoking... she had no idea what they would do but she had a feeling that it wouldn't be good. Dad was a fitness buff at the best of times, he would go mental. Yuki tried her hardest to think that she didn't much care about his opinions on anything that she did, but the fact was that she was more terrified of that disappointed glare than she was about him pasting her into the next year. Dad had not once lifted a hand to her, no matter what she had done. Whenever he had been informed about a misdeed on her part all she got was that glower of disapproval and a grim shake of his head. Mom was no different, although she was a little softer on her. Always asking if she was okay, and if there was anything she wished to talk to her about. Of course Yuki usually managed to shrug her off. The attention she received at such times was irritating, how she wished they would just butt out and leave her to it.
"Wassup Yuki. You look stressed. Family giving you problems again? Here have a drink, we got some sake from the brewery" Kyoshi drawled offering the small porcelain container to her filled with cold sake. Yuki lowered her gaze to the grass at her feet, drinking was the last thing she wanted to do. She knew the alcohol was stolen but that wasn't the problem. Now was the time to say something. If she didn't say it now, she feared she never would.
"Kyoshi... I need to tell you something. In private?" She mumbled as she took a coy look around herself at the others that were currently surrounding them. It was obvious from Yuki's vantage point that the other three were very drunk; by the way they slouched and spoke to each other in broken and slurred nonsense statements. It wasn't the first time she had seen them like this so it came as no surprise to her that they were intoxicated so quickly. She had guessed long ago that oblivion was the only way they could escape the harsh realities in which they lived. Yuki had joined them on only one occasion but it wasn't the drunkenness itself that bothered her, it was the aftermath. The blinding headache the next morning, the consistent need to vomit when the stomach was already empty and the nauseating dizziness when she stood up. It was horrendous. Not to mention the lectures of underage drinking when Dad had picked out the strong scent on her clothes the moment she had stumbled through the door. She hadn't touched a drop since then.
"Private eh? Is it bad news?" His tone was flat and uncaring. This was nothing new but it stirred strange sensations of unease in her mind that Yuki hadn't felt before when in Kyoshi's company. Without lifting her gaze to his she shook her head, flicking at the smouldering stick in her hand before finally plucking it to the ground. She hadn't wanted it in the first place and the first drag she had taken of it had slid down her throat like a jagged rock leaving oozing wounds in its wake. She would taste the bitterness on the back end of her tongue for the remainder of the night now.
"I dunno." She mumbled, picking at the long blades of grass at her feet and feeling a confused frown dig at her brow. The question played vile tunes in her mind. Was it bad news? Was it really? Yuki had answered as truthfully as she could, she didn't know what kind of news it was. She watched Kyoshi get to his feet and offer her a hand. Taking it in her own, he hoisted her to her feet and led her towards a small enclosure of trees. Yuki felt those dormant butterflies flare to life in her belly. But these didn't feel like it did before. She felt edgy and nervous. She didn't want to tell him, but she felt she had to. Kyoshi looked back at her and flashed her a heart warming smile, the very same one that had made her fall for him in the first place. She felt herself relax then as she smiled back, everything was going to work out just fine. She just knew it.
Walking through the door of the over sized family home she closed it behind her and relished in the cover of darkness that the hallway provided. She could see light shining in from the kitchen area, suggesting that someone was home. Yuki sniffled a little as she briskly wiped at the stray tears on her cheeks with the backs of her hands. She wasn't entirely sure if she was crying because she was hurting or because she was angry. Quite possibly it was a little of both but the only thing that dominated her head was the crushing feeling of being totally alone.
Flicking her hair back with a swift backwards movement of her head she breathed in deeply, trying to gain that little bit of composure before entering the kitchen to face her parents and tell them this horrid truth. Kyoshi had let her down badly, men were pigs and that was that. Never had she thought that he would be so indifferent about the whole thing, basically telling her that it was her burden not his. Ichi had been right all along. Kyoshi was a loser. A dirty, rotten loser. Yet another person she could add to the list in her mind along with all the others that she hated.
She just hoped that Mom and Dad would take it all a little better than he did. It wasn't as if she was actually going to keep it in any case. But Ichi had been right that afternoon, they needed to know. Ichi was always right.
Puffing her chest out and clearing her throat, Yuki stormed into the kitchen to see all three of them sitting at the round mahogany table that dominated the centre of the pristine shiny room and staring at her. Yuki swallowed hard before focusing her glare on Ichi who sat at the far end of the table with a shameful look on his face. He glanced up at her and mouthed "I'm so sorry".
She felt the anger flare into her chest as she clenched her fists at her sides. She should have known he wouldn't be able to keep his big mouth shut.
"You... You snake! You promised! You said you wouldn't say anything!" She screamed, lunging towards him, arms outstretched and with every intention of clawing out his spying little eyes. The bastard had squealed, again. Just then Dad lunged out of his chair, the legs of which squealed against the powder blue tiles and grabbed Yuki by the shoulders, forcing her into the chair next to Ichi.
"Get off! Get off me! Daddy, you're hurting me!" She squalled as he planted her into the chair with a loud thump, sending a stinging shock through her legs and backside. She glanced up at him to see that very same scornful look that she had seen from him many times before. The look of disappointment and resentment that he always fixed on her. But this was different, she knew it was. He was angry, really angry this time. To see the ever laid back Copy-Ninja like this was a rare sight. Dad hardly ever got angry, not like this. He had shouted at her a few times before, this was a given, but his expression reeked of utter hatred. It took a lot to drive him to this point but at last, Yuki had finally found a way of breaking him. And she didn't like it one bit.
The hitai-ate that covered one half of his face was still there but the mask had been pulled down to show the displeasured grimace that raped his features. Yuki lowered her gaze to the table, feeling her entire body shaking and that sensation of nausea and breathlessness consuming her. Lifting her dark eyes to Mom she saw her merely sitting opposite with her head in her hands, her short pink hair hanging in wisps over her fingers.
"Empty your purse, Yuki." The sound of Dad's voice chilled her blood right to the core. Her heart stopped for a brief second as she let it sink in. Dad had never spoken to her like that before. His tone was cold, so cold she swore she could feel it on her skin. In a dazed stupor, Yuki looked up at him, his expression hadn't changed. The stone cold stare he had fixed her with before was still there as he loomed over her chair. Yuki had never feared him before, now she was terrified.
"Da... Daddy..." Yuki's plea for mercy was interrupted when he slammed the palm of his gloved hand down onto the surface of the table. It felt like the whole house shook in its foundations as Yuki emitted a startled squeal and almost jumped up from the chair. Mom merely lifted her head. Sweeping feathers of hair from her forehead and resting her chin on her hands. Her eyes looked sore and puffy, the tears still clinging for dear life onto the skin. Yuki's heart sank that little bit lower when Mom refused to make eye contact with her, she wasn't all that surprised really, but it still hurt if only a little. Dad's face was now next to Yuki's ear, straining her eyes she tried to look at him without moving her head. He was glaring at the table, his visible eye, dull and emotionless but the corner of his mouth twitched downwards in an angered grimace. Suddenly he shifted his gaze to Ichi on the other side of the table.
"Go to your room, Ichirou." He stated flatly. Ichi didn't need telling twice. He nodded briskly, pushing the chair he was occupying out with the backs of his legs, quickly made his way out of the brightly lit kitchen and pounded his way up the stairs. Hearing the door of his bedroom slam closed, Dad slowly turned his head towards Yuki as she sat quivering and whimpering in her seat, desperately clawing at the tears that were currently flooding her eyes.
"I said, empty your purse. Now!" His demanding growl shot through Yuki like a rusty saw as she clasped the purse handle around her shoulder and pulled it free of her arm. Placing it on the glossy table top, Yuki then reluctantly tipped the small bag upside down and shook the contents onto the table. All manners of assorted rubbish fell out of the purse. Lipsticks, eye shadows, the odd receipt for purchases long forgotten, a few coins that had come loose from the zipper compartment within and of course the dreaded white device that had just ruined her life.
This was what Dad went for, pinching the short white stick in his hand and thrusting it in Yuki's face. Arching her back, she let out a startled whimper as she finally lost control of the tears, feeling them stray from the corners of her eyes and roll down her cheeks. She didn't need reminding of what was happening; she didn't want to look at it, not now.
"Daddy, please..." Yuki sobbed as she tried to turn away from the device in her fathers' hand.
"Enlighten me Yuki. What is this?" He bit out as he waved it in front of her, taunted her with it. Looking away, Yuki cleared her throat and began to ply the fabric of her shirt between her fingers nervously.
"It's a pregnancy test..." She murmured. Yuki was more than aware that Dad knew what it was. He was testing to see if she would try and worm her way out of it, something that she would always do when stuck in a predicament. But Yuki also knew that there was no way out of this one. She was better off coming clean. Mom and Dad would be angry for a while, but it would pass. Yeah, it would soon pass. It always did.
"And what does it say, Yuki?" His tone didn't change; still cold and dead. Yuki couldn't stop shaking. Getting a hold on the movements of her own body was proving impossible as she turned to look at the sickening blue line that seemed to radiate a disgusting light, taunting her and screaming at her; telling her how stupid she had been. Yuki had made many mistakes in her short life, but this had to be the worst.
"It says it's po... positive." She whimpered. This was all it took to bring it all home. She was pregnant with a child she didn't want by a man who didn't care. All she needed now was the confirmation that her own parents hated her and looked at her like the stupid little whore she was. It was no more than she felt she deserved at this moment in time.
Glancing up at her silver topped father she watched him nod his head, still holding that hateful expression as he tossed the device back onto the table with a swift flick of his wrist.
"Who?" He growled flatly as he continued to stare at the table. Yuki frowned at the question.
"Wha... what?"
"I said, who! Whose is it? Who touched you?!" He all but screamed at her, shoving his face into hers. Yuki swore she could see the blood pulsing through the veins in his dark eye as she cowered from him. Eyes widening dramatically in a fit of terror she shook her head.
"Na... No one..." She stammered. Dad laughed as he pushed himself up from the table and wandered over to the sink. Planting both hands on the edge he looked out of the window and into the darkness of the night shaking his head. Yuki didn't want to tell them about Kyoshi; they didn't need to know about him. Not now that he had abandoned her when she needed him.
"Don't you see what you've done Yuki?" Mom murmured from the opposite end of the table. Her voice was strained and coarse, prompting Yuki to look her way. Mom was looking right at her with sorrow filled eyes that glistened in the artificial light. Yuki looked away and back down at the table and nodded her head slowly.
"No, I don't think you do. Do you have any idea what this is going to do to you? To us?" Mom's voice had rose in pitch as she spoke. But the statement didn't make Yuki open her eyes to situation as she glared at her pink haired mother and feeling the hatred for the woman boiling over in her gut.
"Oh I see. So this is about you now? And I'm sure that your family was your first concern when Dad knocked you up at seventeen, huh?" Yuki spat venomously. She watched her mother wince as Dad turned himself around from the sink and glared back at her. Truth hurts.
"If I hadn't have knocked her up as you like to call it, you wouldn't even be here, Yuki!" Dad snarled. Yuki hummed a chuckle at them both as she got to her feet, ignoring the stares of disbelief that she was receiving. There was no way she was going to sit down and listen to them lecturing her anymore than she had to. She was quite aware of the mess she had gotten herself into. Too bad they didn't believe her. Yuki planted her hands on the glossy table and glowered at them both.
"Is that so? Well maybe life would have been a damn sight easier for you both if I had never been born. You're a hypocrite, Dad. Don't lecture me on something you both did at my age! It makes you look stupid, not that you need any help with that." With this blurted statement, Yuki snatched the purse from the table causing the lipsticks to spill to the floor as she shot them both a look of contempt and stormed out of the room. Making her way down the hall she recalled the expression of hurt on her fathers' face when she had called him a hypocrite. Perhaps in hindsight she shouldn't have said such a thing but that was how she felt right now. She didn't need another lecture, she needed help. But it looked like she was getting none of that here. What a stupid thought it was to think that they would even consider helping the one thing that caused them all their problems.
Sakura got to her feet when she heard Yuki stomp down the hall and leave through the front door, smashing it shut in her wake. She began running towards the door of the kitchen when the dull sound of Kakashi's voice stopped her in her tracks.
"Let her go, Sakura."
Whirling herself around, Sakura stared at Kakashi as he leaned against the edge of the sink rubbing at the top of his head. This couldn't be happening. She knew their daughter could be a loose cannon, but this? Sakura had thought Yuki was better than this. The fact that she had used her own experiences of motherhood at a young age against them was what was hurting the most, the very thought that she thought they wished she had never been born all but tore her heart in two. Even though neither of their children were exactly planned, her and Kakashi had been in a very stable relationship so the situation was indeed, very different and she loved both of her children dearly.
"So we're just going to let her leave? Kakashi... she's pregnant, we can't just leave it here!" She bit out irritably.
"I don't need reminding. She'll be back, but talking about it now isn't going to help matters. Once we all cool off we'll discuss it then." Kakashi stated, far more calmly than he had been before. Sakura had to admit, the way he had reacted towards Yuki was very out of character, even for him. Despite all the years that Sakura had known him, she had never seen Kakashi flare up the way he had done. Kakashi's relationship with Yuki was rocky at best but the fact remained that he adored her and would do anything to try and protect her. Perhaps this was why she was turning against them, defying the rules of the house and pretty much doing as she wished. Kakashi had wrapped her in cotton wool since she had been born, pretty much how he had done with Sakura when she had been his student. He had always been a little rougher with Ichi, not in a bad way but pushing him that little bit more and urging him to go that extra mile. With Yuki, Kakashi had a more gentle side to him that Sakura had never seen before. It had been a beautiful sight to behold this tender side to him but as Yuki grew older and into her teens the strong bond he had with his only daughter had begun to fray around the edges as Yuki's independence began to take over. Yet Kakashi had clung on, not wanting to let her go.
Sakura had seen it coming; having gone through a very similar situation with her own father and it wasn't for want of trying that she had tried to prevent this from happening. Sakura had given Kakashi plenty of warning that too much love can often drive certain people away but he hadn't listened. And here they were now, at their wits end, not knowing how to handle the fact that their sixteen year old daughter had gone and done something so foolish. It wasn't all Kakashi's fault, he hadn't really known any better. Yuki was a highly intelligent girl but her lack of common sense and this tainted view of herself caused her to make very bad decisions.
When Ichirou had sat down and told them both that he had seen the pregnancy test in her purse, Kakashi merely sat with his head in his hands while all Sakura felt able to do was sit and cry. But when questioned about the father, Ichi clammed up. Claiming he knew nothing. Ichirou was more like Sakura than she cared to admit, he was a terrible liar. Not like Yuki, she was all her dad and she was very good at pulling the wool over both their eyes. Everything about her was all Kakashi, her looks, her eyes, her blasé attitude and her unbelievable talent of deceit. So it had come as no surprise to her that Yuki had withheld the details of the father of this child.
There was a time when Yuki was a very lovable and talkative young girl. She would talk to anything if it would sit and talk back. But once puberty hit all that had changed; she became hostile and withdrew into herself. There was no doubt in Sakura's mind that she was spoilt, both of them were, the difference between them was that Ichirou knew how to share, Yuki didn't. She had no friends that either her nor Kakashi knew about, although the amount of times she had come home after her curfew, stinking of alcohol and cigarettes had suggested that she did associate with someone but again she was hazy on the details of who these people actually were.
Kakashi blew out an exhausted sigh as he pushed himself up from the sink and sauntered into the lounge. Sakura followed him, turning on the overhead light as she went.
"Are you alright, Kakashi? We can get through this you know." She soothed as her husband flopped down onto the large sofa that dominated the room. Leaning to one side he rested an elbow on the arm of the sofa and rested the side of his head in his hand. He was tired of it all, as was she. Sakura stepped over to the sofa and sat herself down next to him. Kakashi shook his head and puffed out another sigh.
"What's happened to her, Sakura?" He murmured looking up at the photograph that took pride of place above the stone hearth. It depicted a happier time for the Hatake family, a portrait of all four of them smiling gleefully at the camera. The young girl at the side of her brother stood out the most. Her pearly whites glowing in the light and the light tint of pink that floated over the bridge of her pretty little nose. She was still a beautiful young woman, although it was getting harder and harder to make her see this. The sheer amount of make-up she insisted on wearing suggested that Yuki was very unhappy with the way she looked naturally.
"I just want my little girl back." His voice no more than a whisper he looked towards Sakura before dropping his gaze, somewhat shamefully to the cushions. She knew what he meant; unfortunately Sakura lacked the words in order to give him an answer. Placing her hand on his she curled her fingers around his hand and felt Kakashi do the same. She knew that somewhere along the line they would see a light at the end of this dark tunnel. Perseverance was the key, and getting to the bottom of why Yuki felt the need to shut them out was another. All they could do now was sit tight and hope that their daughter saw that tough love was the only thing that was going to help her.