Tick-tock. Tick-tock.
My mouth dropped open, the air rushing out of me in one sharp, silent breath.
"Sakura... I..." Tsunade's voice covered me like a warm blanket, comfort laced into the smooth sound, even as my mentor, my mother-figure, struggled for words.
Tick-tock. Tick-tock.
The dark-haired man before us cleared his throat politely, drawing my slightly unfocused green gaze back to him.
"Miss Haruno, I understand how difficult this information must be to take in after years of believing that you were completely devoid of any relations, but there are some matters that need to be taken care of." I blinked once, his professional voice, holding just the right amount of sympathy to be appropriate, snapping me from my shock and allowing me to shoulder back my emotions for the moment.
"I think we should have this discussion another time. Sakura needs time to-" I cut Tsunade off, although I sent her a grateful glance.
"It's okay. Um, please, continue." The man nodded briskly, his face impassively, almost clinically, observing the way Tsunade wrapped her strong arm about my shoulders.
"Your grandfather has left you everything in his will, excluding only one of his paintings, which was left to one of the town boys. No one else has stepped up to claim anything and the burial has already been taken care of, so the process should be fairly easy at this point. You have been left a large sum of money, enough to live comfortably for the rest of your life." The man paused for a moment, his eyes flickering under his glasses down to the papers resting on my small coffee table. "There's only one catch."
I shifted slightly on my couch, leaning into Tsunade and biting my lip at his words.
"What's the catch?"
"Your grandfather has expressly stated in his will that you are only to receive his fortune if you move into his house. If you have not decided within a week of being notified, which has happened today, then all of his belongings will be donated to charity and the house torn down." I gaped once more at the ultimatum, my mind still whirling over the fact I even had a relative.
Tsunade, meeting my wide, pleading eyes, stood up from her seat next to me, folding her arms and staring down the lawyer seated on the opposite couch with firm golden eyes.
"Alright, that's enough. Sakura will need time to think over her options at this point." The man nodded, gathering up his papers and standing.
"Of course. I'll leave you to think." The man gave once last cold glance around my small apartment, his stoic face giving nothing away. "I'll be in touch for your decision."
He walked himself out, my ancient door creaking closed behind him.
Tick-tock. Tick-tock.
"What just happened?" My voice lost it's blank quality as soon as the door shut, instead taking on a tone that was shaky with emotions that hadn't quite hit me yet.
"Oh Sakura... Let me get a drink before we talk about this." Tsunade strode over to my kitchen, swiftly opening a cabinet specifically stocked for her with varying brands of sake.
I automatically followed her, grabbing a dish for her and, after a brief moment of consideration, one for myself as well. I leaned heavily on the counter as Tsunade poured the alcohol, not even bothering to comment on the fact that I was underage, my mind finally managing to catch up and spew out the one question it could.
"I have a grandfather?"
Tsunade remained silent, downing her sake and watching me with careful gold eyes. So I continued, the thoughts that started as a trickle quickly turning into a river.
"How long did he-how long did he know? Did he know all twenty years? Has he known all along that I was here? Why didn't he contact me? And if he didn't contact me, then why did he bother leaving me anything?" I squashed down the ridiculous feeling of hurt, replacing it with anger that simmered and bubbled up under the surface. I could handle anger. "Why did the bastard wait until he was dead to let me know that I wasn't alone?"
Tsunade finally spoke up, having downed enough alcohol to have a light buzz going. Which, with the insane tolerance she had built up, was quite a bit of alcohol. I copied her, quickly downing my share.
"I don't know Sakura. All I know is that he's a fucking idiot for missing his chance to know you." Tsunade paused, tossing aside her dish and just grabbing the jug of sake. "And frankly I don't care about him. What I care about is you. So tell me, are you okay?"
I scowled at the ground, knowing that if I met her eyes she'd read me like a book, and I'd rather figure out how I was feeling before being stripped to my core. I slowly riffled my way through the feelings as Tsunade waited patiently, casually tossing aside the now empty sake jug and grabbing the next one. The immediate feeling was anger, my first line of defense. After tentatively working my way through that, I came across the hurt. It was a familiar ache though, akin to the feeling of an old scar being irritated. You see, I'd come to the terms with being an orphan. It sucked, thinking that you were completely alone in the world, but as I got older and gained precious people, like my best friend/rival Ino, or my mentor-turned-mother-figure Tsunade, that loneliness shrank until it was bearable, just an old scar. The only reason it was flaring up now was because, well, it stung. It stung knowing that this whole time I hadn't been alone, I'd just been unwanted by my family member. Ouch. But after working through the hurt, I also realized that in some twisted way I was happy. Happy because, even if it was in some small way, this man proved to me that I was at least worth something to be mentioned in his will. Maybe even slightly excited to explore what could've been. All in all, I was confused mix of emotions that left me between wanting to snub the stranger that could've been family and the desire to go figure out who he was, to figure out who I was.
So I just gave the most honest answer I could at the moment.
"I don't know." I glared down at the scratched-up counter, absently digging even further into one of the marks with a neatly filed nail. "And I don't want to think about that right now. Right now I just want to figure out what to do about the house, and then take it from there."
Tsunade gave me an exasperated glance at my response, but nodded anyway, knowing I would deal with this on my own time.
"I think that you should go take a look at the place before you decide anything. I know you're at least curious about who this man was, and maybe you'll learn something about your family. And if you decide that you don't want to move in, then forget about his money. I'm going to turn you into a doctor before you hit thirty anyway." Tsunade smirked while I let loose a small laugh at that, before her expression turned serious once more. "No matter what your decision is, I'm here for you Sakura."
The burden that had been on my shoulders since I realized I was going to have to deal with this felt ever so slightly lighter at her words, and I suddenly felt immensely grateful that Tsunade had come to help me with this.
"Thanks Tsunade... You're right. I'll go look at the house tomorrow."
"I know I'm right brat, that's just the way things are. Now get some sleep! Have you been staying up late studying again?" Tsunade scowled, reverting back into her usual self while I laughed nervously.
"Of course not! I'll go get ready right now!" I quickly darted from the kitchen and into the small bathroom of my apartment as Tsunade made her way to the door, taking a third sake jug with her.
Tick-tock. Tick-tock.
As soon as the door closed on her slurred goodbye, I paused in the middle of brushing my teeth, instead simply staring at myself in the mirror. A pale, pink-haired girl stared back at me with jade eyes. All simple features, facts, but I'd always wondered where they came from, who they came from. I looked away from my reflection, spitting into the sink. Now that I was being given a chance to find out, I was filled with nervous excitement, my stomach twisting into knots.
I had a feeling that, despite Tsunade's orders, I wouldn't be sleeping well tonight.
-.-.-.-.-.-
I flinched as I ran over a particularly large pothole. My car gave an ominous groan that echoed over the sound of dirt and gravel crunching beneath its wheels.
Our car is so fucked.
I winced even more at my inner's words, knowing them to be the truth. My car was, as Inner would put it, a piece of shit.
Looks like it'll be back to the bus...
Not if you get the geezer's fortune, then it'd be back to the Lamborghini.
I sighed at the thought of owning one of the gorgeous machines, which, according to the large amount of zeros I'd recently seen, would be well within my means if I inherited his fortune. The money was almost enough for me to start packing my bags, but I couldn't find it in myself quite yet. It almost felt like if I took the money, then it was okay for him to have neglected me for my whole life. I at least wanted a reason before I took that step, and I was hoping to find it today.
Screw wanting a reason, I want a Lamborghini!
I rolled my eyes, choosing to ignore her for the moment. Instead I squinted, attempting to peer through the thick walls of trees for a sign of the house and praying to Kami that I'd reach it before my car failed. After a short, fifteen drive from the small town where I resided, I'd come to the big city of Konoha. The huge, bustling city had immediately won the house points; I immediately loved the warm, lively atmosphere that cloaked the city. It was gorgeous really, lots of trees and plenty of smiling people roaming the streets. However, any points the city won were lost as soon as I began the twenty minute, so far, drive on a long, winding road that led deeper into the surrounding forest. After the first five minutes the road began to deteriorate, turning into the mess of gravel that I now drove on. If I had to make this drive every day to get to the city, I'd have to start driving something far sturdier than a Lamborghini. Unable to spot anything through the dense foliage, I gave up and diverted my attention to navigating the treacherous road. I rounded another sharp curve, the plant life suddenly clearing up before me to reveal my destination, which, while it had been right around the corner, had been hidden by the impossibly thick forest.
Oh.
Holy shit.
My lips parted ever so slightly and my grassy eyes widened at the house-no, the mansion before me as I pulled to a stop in front of it. The thing was huge, looming like a dark presence over the surrounding forest. And I do mean a dark presence, the whole thing was a dark, shadowy shade that didn't quite reach black and looked to be extremely old, the boards of the front porch falling apart and the windows cloudy and cracked. I swallowed thickly as I watched a giant cobweb on the side of the stairs leading to the porch quiver, wondering what kind of spider made a web that big.
I hate spiders.
Oh hell no. Forget the Lamborghini, let's leave while we still have our lives!
Don't overreact; we should at least check it out.
Hell. No. I've seen enough horror movies to know what happens to girls who enter the scary house in the woods! They either end up dead, raped and dead, or scarred for life! I'm too awesome to die now!
I winced at her words and the accompanying horror move flashes, but slowly opened the door of my car anyways, tentatively stepping out. As soon as I did I realized how chilly it was, my bare arms breaking out in goosebumps, the rest of me thankfully covered by a tank top-jeans combo. A cool breeze blew by, causing my shoulder length hair to whip about and making me reflexively wrap my arms around myself while shuddering. I really should've brought my trusty hoody, but the weather had been so warm in Konoha that I left it.
Sakura! There is the fucking horror-movie atmosphere going on right now! When that shit happens, you leave! Don't be the stupid chick from the movies! The only way this could get worse is if there were storm clouds...
Shut up! I'm just going to see what the house is like and if there's anything about my... The owner of the house in here.
When you end up hanging in a meat locker, I'm saying I told you so.
I began to walk up the creaking stairs, darting at the halfway point when the spider-web began to wiggle. Fucking eight-eyed, eight-legged, furry monsters. If there was one thing that terrified me above all else, it'd be spiders. I stopped in front of the large door, once painted what looked to be a rich mahogany brown, but now was tainted by the years and held only peeling paint that had been warped into a dark, reddish-brown shade that resembled some sort of mud. I quickly dug my hand into the pocket of my jeans, digging out a key provided to me by the apathetic lawyer from last night, resisting the urge to glance over my shoulder as I did so. I quickly jammed the key into the lock, taking a slight step back as the doors creaked open before me. I allowed them to do so, glancing about for anything suspicious, although I felt more than a little paranoid in the process, before stepping slowly past the threshold.
I was pleasantly surprised at the wave of warmth that washed over me the moment I stepped in. The goosebumps died down, and I shut the door behind me to keep out any persistent chill. I glanced around the large room I'd entered with brows raised, letting loose a low whistle. It was, in complete contrast to the outside, warm and inviting. As soon as I flickered on the large chandelier, it became downright homey. Sure, the carpet was a shade of red that was disturbingly like blood, but it was thick, plush, and warm. Sure, a majority of the furniture was gothic style in deep black, but to the touch it was all soft and comfy. Sure, the fireplace was looming over the rest of the room, but I could already tell it'd be perfect to curl up in front of during winter. All in all it looked very comfortable and luxurious, if not slightly like a modern Dracula lair. I slowly passed through the large living area, pausing only to open the curtains and brighten up the room even further.
I don't trust it.
Ignoring Inner, I moved into the nearest hallway, my earlier fears shedding off at the far less intimidating interior of the house, despite my other self's concerns. I immediately stopped in front of the large painting on the wall, my heart stuttering at the picture. There were two people. The first was by far the more imposing of the two, a tall man with bright red hair and a stern set to his mouth. But despite the initial austere air to him, there was a mischievous glint to his green eyes, eyes that mimicked mine completely. I assumed that this man was the my grandfather. However, it wasn't the man in the picture that captivated me so completely, because standing with his hand on her shoulder was a young woman, probably only a few years older than me, who could've been my twin. We both had the same rosy hair, the same fair complexion, the same jade eyes, and the same toothy grin.
Is that...
Our mom?
I stared at the woman, the woman who I'd imagined meeting my whole life. The one who I'd known as dead in a car accident from my first memories in the orphanage. She stared back at me with blank eyes, her smile radiant even a painting. I felt some unknown feeling clenching in my heart at the sight of her, a longing. Of course I had Tsunade, who did as much for me as anyone could ever hope for from a mother, but I had to wonder. What could've been? I slowly reached out to brush my fingers against her painted face, wondering who the woman could've been to me.
She's beautiful...
"Oi, is this the bitch?! At least she's hot, seriously." A masculine, booming voice came from behind me, freezing me for mere moments before all hell broke loose.
I whirled around, coming face to face with a shirtless, albino man, who was smirking at me with pinkish-red eyes glinting. I paled considerably at the sight of a large, three-bladed scythe resting casually over his shoulder.
I TOLD YOU MOTHERFUCKER! I TOLD YOU! I'M NOT DYING TODAY!
Then I was shoved roughly into the back of my mind, watching horrified as my foot whipped out in a perfect roundhouse kick, slamming the man into the opposite wall so hard that cracks spread from his form.
"SHANNARO!"
I quickly regained control over myself, gasping when the man simply cackled from his position on the ground, even as blood dribbled down from his white hair and over his forehead.
"Hit me like that again! Seriously!"
I didn't know whether to laugh or cry at his statement, so instead I opted for the next best option of turning tail and running. But as soon as I turned to make my getaway, I ran head on into a very firm, very warm surface. I blinked once, the man cackling on in the background, slowly trailing my eyes up a black-cloaked chest until I reached a tan face bearing one blue eye, the other covered by blond hair. It was at that moment I chose to voice the thought running on both my and my inner's minds.
"Well shit."
A/N: Oh how I love Inner Sakura. I really, really do. Anyways, yes I made another story. I couldn't help myself! When the plot bunnies strike, they hit hard! Anyways, this story will most likely be updated every other week, if not sooner. This chapter was honestly more like a prologue than anything else to see if people like this idea, so expect better in the future. Hope you enjoyed! Please review! Bye lovelies!
Word Count: 3,226