DISCLAIMER: I do not own Naruto, it's characters or anything whatsoever about it, except of course my characters that may appear during the story. XP
Chapter 1
"oh God" a horrid scream shook the once still air, trepidation overtook my senses as I buried my head in my hands and squeezed my eyes together firmly as if that
would drown out my sense of precieving sound. It was my mother. She always drank and cried in lamenting anguish over my father who I never met in this
lifetime; however, I've always heard stories about what a great shinobi he was and I was exhalted by everyone that had even some vague memories of him. I hated it and it seemed all
the other kids hated me as well, whispering in jealousy as they berated me in secret. I've grown to hate my father and perpetually turned a deaf ear towards my mother. Now don't get
me wrong I do have morals and feelings, but it was just hard for me to understand something that I've never had to miss...ya'know.
"shut the HELL up" an older deep gruff voice bellowed further disturbing the air, the near deafening sound of skin against skin, accompanied by a heavy thud forced me
to uncover my cerulean-jade eyes under my hands in abhorrence. He hit her again. Everytime he heard my mother drowning in her sorrows, he felt it was necessary to
beat her into a more tranquil state. I got on my feet almost immediately to rush into the kitchen where the scene before my eyes always managed to surprise me.
My mother laid on the floor, a destitute expression spread across her visage, blood trickled from her nose and mouth simultaneously, her ebony hair was a mangled
mess spread across the floor. 'WHY? why did she let this asshole, sad excuse of a man treat her this way?' I thought balling my fist up tightly until my knuckles turned
white, then I looked up.
"you want some too?" he asked storming up to me his hand raised, I clenched my teeth in anticipation of his strike. It didnt even hurt anymore, I always just found
myself on the floor gazing into my mother's eyes. She perceived to already be where my father is, her soul was...decrepit. Something tickled my upper lip, I sat up
and wiped my hand slightly above my mouth. I blinked as I scrutinized the blood smeared over my hand and wrist then sighed.
"mom?" I called to her, she blinked in haze then focused her peppery grey eyes on me then shifted a more somber gaze at an unknown location, I then crawled over
to her and wrapped a supporting arm around her waist to force her to sit up.
"mom, you look like hell...why do you let that asshole to this to you?" I shook her lightly, she was beautiful an radiant at one time, but now creases of depression
and dark circles under her eyes were permanently etched into her skin, a desolate look overtook her, I sighed and was ready to stand up, when she caressed my
face, I looked up to meet her eyes in shock. Tears streamed down her face as her free hand grabbed the back of my head into an embrace.
"Oh...my little Rei" she choked out stroking my dark sepia colored hair, my eyes widened at her randomness, but I felt that it was better if I stayed quiet.
"I dont think you'd ever understand, just promise me one thing...don't end up like me." her slightly slurred words made little sense to me, what exactly did she mean.
She pulled back from the embrace and kissed my forehead.
"Can you do me a favor?" she asked forcing a smile, I nodded. "can you go to the store and buy me some of my 'feel good' candy...im all out."
"sure thing" I smirked back getting on my feet, pulling my mother up with me, she caressed my face again a baffled expression clouded my face as she stared into my
eyes, I furrowed my eyebrows in slight disdain.
"your eyes are just like your fathers, stern yet compassionate" she murmured closing her own, my eyes widened a bit when her face inched towards mine.
"m-mom" I scrambled incoherently, yet her head inched closer to mine
"M-MOM" she paused her eyes slowly cracked open until they were half-lidded then she
yanked back in shock two seconds later as if my voice just reached her.
"Ah, Im so sorry Rei-chan" she blinked before she ran to the entrance of the kitchen "just get my candy now, alright!" I stood there in silence for a minute or two as I daintily set my
fingers on top of my lips in utter disbelief. 'did she really just kiss me' I thought before grabbing my coat and running out of the house. I was
already down the street when a voice sounded from behind me.
"where are you going at this hour Rei-chan?"
"EEEK" I shrieked in shock, swinging randomly at whomever was speaking to me
"hey, calm down...it's only me!" the voice yelled back, I opened my previously shut eyes and saw my friend TenTen staring me down, Lee and Neji were also there in
the background. I sighed in ragged relief.
"why are you sneaking up on me like that?" I vented flailing my arms around
"hee hee, sorry...I didnt mean to scare you" TenTen smiled sheepishly, I narrowed my eyes and abruptly turned around.
"what's wrong with you" she asked her chocolate eyes burned into my back, I looked over my shoulder disdainfully "my mom kissed me."
"are you serious?" she asked incredulously as her mouth twisted up as she tried to stifle a laugh. "well you do kind of look like a boy with that flat chest of yours" she
teased, tears collecting in her eyes. "go ahead, laugh it up" I rolled my eyes and walked faster to my destination. TenTen outstretched her hand from her kneeling
position and weakly uttered for me to 'wait up' between her violent laughing fits. I shook my head, peeved. I was ready to be at the store, buy my merch, and be
done with it.
"come on Rei, dont be like that, Im just fooling around with you.!" TenTen yelled in
the distance, running trying to catch up to me. "Im sorry Rei, dont take it the wrong way..." I chuckled.
"oh Ten, what other way am I supposed to take it, if you bust out laughing in my face then insult my non-existent or under-developed boobs...I guess it would be kind of funny if the
person isnt you." I stated apathetically, she frowned her gaze now burning at the side of my face, her eyes widened.
"What happened to your face? Did your step-father do this?" she asked furiously as we crossed a street light, it was pretty dark before only the outline of our
bodies an scanty expressions can be seen, I didnt even know that he left evidence
this time.
"yeah..." I answered indifferently narrowing my eyes, not really wanting to remember that encounter or willing to regurgitate information about it. "is it that
noticeable?"
"YES!" she shrilled knitting her brows together in helpless disdain "how can you just act like it's okay like that, as if this is perfectly okay and normal.!"
"it is for me" I muttered more so to myself than to her and I didnt think that she heard me at first since the same the intense look tainted her visage.
"what?" she answered breathlessly, as if she didnt know what to say next, she stood still then grabbed my wrist to keep me from going anywhere further. "I'll kick
his ass, hell, we all would" beckoning at Lee an Neji who up until now I didnt know was still following us.
"Tenten-chan has a point" Lee jumped in "you're a girl, not a punching bag for training" I thought it was slightly comical how Lee compared EVERYTHING to some
type of training.
"I gotta get something for my mom" I murmured staring at TenTen's vice grip-like hold on my wrist, she frowned deeper before walking again dragging me with her
since she seemed to have a thing for my wrist now and refused to let go.
"lets get the stupid thing then, so I can tell that prick what's on my mind." she grimaced in anticipation, I kind of wondered what was going inside that brain of
hers. We arrived at the store an I bought my mom some Chocolate chip ice cream, Twizzlers, and some cheddar popcorn.
"Will that be all?" the clerk asked as he finished scanning the last item.
"yes-sir" I answered dryly, he looked up and stared at my cheek with wide eyes,
since im guessing it's the most noticeable part on my face. His eyes shifted between my aquamarine eyes and the wound. I pushed my hair back and cleared my throat
adverting my gaze elsewhere. "how much do I owe you?"
He scrambled to finish ringing up my merchandise. "t-that'll be 628 yen" I dug the coins out of my pocket and paid for the stuff . "don't worry about the change." I
grabbed the bag and almost ran out of that store, I didnt want to be in there for a second longer.
"as you probably noticed, it looks really BAD" TenTen murmured, I nodded "okay, I get it." almost running to get home, it already took longer than I intended it too,
she was probably getting impatient. Upon arriving home, I walked through the door and held it out for the others to get inside before closing and locking the
door. "Mom! I got your 'feel good'!" I called out walking into the kitchen setting the bag on the counter top. "feel good?" TenTen, Lee, and Neji asked in unison, I half-
turned to them and shrugged my shoulders, grinning. "MOM!" I called louder, still no answer. She was probably in the shower, I walked down the hallway holding a
hand out for the others to stay where they were and knocked on her room door.
"Mom, im back...you in there?" I called into the door, still no answer. I turned the doorknob and peered inside she was laying on the bed with her legs hanging off
the side of the bed. I sighed and let myself in, my eyes widened, the room was trashed. The mirror above her dresser was busted, a clutter of clothes and other
miscellaneous materials were thrown about the room. I ran to her and shook her.
"Mom, what the hell happened in here? MOM!" she wouldnt wake up, then I noticed the bottle of pills clutched in hand, come to think of it her face was paled
and had a bluish hue to it. "Shit! Mom, dont you fucking die on me too!" I screamed out, shaking her violently but something already told me that she's been gone for
awhile. The others ran into room, their faces had shock written on their face as mine had just a few minutes earlier. 'where the hell was that bastard' I thought
standing abruptly noticing the shower was going in their bathroom, I kicked the door in violently, I instantly covered my mouth at the sight that was before me
now. That man, that bastard my mom married after my father died...was dead. It appeared that he had fallen over the tub and hit his head hard, there was also a
knife lodged into his chest, blood oozed out of his mouth and out of his wound but the shower was constantly washing it away. I fell to my knees unable to wrap my
head around the situation. TenTen kneeled down in front of me, blocking my view from the carnage that was before me, then she wiped my eyes, I wasnt even
aware that I was crying. I blinked a couple of times before burying my face in my hands in deep, heavy sobs. TenTen then embraced me, I don't know whether it
was Neji or Lee that rubbed my back trying to console me...i don't quite remember, that was two years ago.