Behind Her Smiles
A/N- New story and I'd like to say Thank You to Habit for helping me with my plot line, new characters and all. Go check out her stories too! I hope you enjoy this story, especially for you.
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.
Summary: Sakura has finally gotten her life on track, and things seem to be going well until the one she fears the most finds her. Fleeing, she discovers new friends, new enemies, and a new love. But will everything fall apart when fear rears it's ugly head again?
Chapter One: Shadowy Figure in the Stormy Night
The wind howled as fat rain drops fell from the night sky to the ground below. There was noone around to hear the leaves crunching under his feet as he made his way to the cheery little house. He walked to the side of the beige stucco and pulled out his knife cutting the phone lines. There'd be no help this time, he smirked finding an open window.
Silently, he pushed the window open enough to haul his slender frame through. Lightning flashed behind him and he found himself in the middle of a sparsely decorated room. He heard the laughter of children a little way on and a wicked grin painted itself across his face. He entered the hallway pausing at the first door he came to. The room was painted pink, and filled with dolls and stuffed animals.
"A girl..." he whispered.
The next room was painted red, the blue blanket was covered with cars and rocket ships.
"...and a boy."
He seethed as he continued down the hall. When he heard a woman's voice, her voice, rage may have lit his eyes, but his face wore a smug expression. He found her, it may have taken four and a half years, but he found her. He'd warned her she'd never be able to get away, too bad she didn't listen. He quickened his pace, staring straight ahead, neglecting to see the dump truck in the middle of the floor.
He closed his eyes and swore hopping up and down. When he opened his eyes, he found himself staring into the face of a pink haired little girl. A miniature version of her.
The girl's face registered panic as she turned and ran into a brightly lit room screaming, "Mommy!"
"Shimatta," he muttered, following the girl.
There she was, standing in the middle of the kitchen, a look of surprise on her delicate face. Her green eyes staring at him wide and disbelieving.
He crossed his arms and relaxed in the doorframe, "Sakura." He nodded casually, "Were you ever planning to fill me in on the secret? When exactly were you going to let me know that I'm a father?"
Tears filled her eyes as she shook her head, still not believing he was standing there in front of her. "How? How did you find me?"
He smirked, straightening his stance.
"Poor Sakura," he chided. "You're supposed to be intelligent. Did you never figure out that as a member of a gang like Kanpeki, I will do whatever it takes to find someone?" He held out his hand, "come with me now and you'll suffer no punishment. Make things difficult, and...well, I can't guarantee that my kunai won't slip."
"Never." She hissed grabbing her cell phone and handing it to the little girl cowering behind her.
"Taytai, grab Ryuu and go hide, call the police. Remember how mommy taught you? Make sure you give them our address."
"Hai." the girl whispered, eyes wide with terror. She grabbed her brother who was crouched behind the kitchen counter and they ran left into a bathroom.
Once she heard the click of the lock, Sakura remembered to breathe. She balled her hands into fists never looking away from the black eyes of the man who had terrorized her for so long.
"Sakura-Chan, you won't get away this time," he said taking a step towards her.
"We'll see about that." She flew at him, fists clenched. She felt her hand make contact with his face, and watched him stagger slightly.
"You've kept up your training," he grinned spitting blood onto the floor. "So have I."
She ran at him again and he blocked, sweeping her legs and causing her to fall hard on her face. She rolled over to find him standing over her, kunai in hand.
"I told you not to make things difficult, I told you you weren't going to get away this time." As he raised the kunai, they heard it. The blessed sound of approaching sirens.
"Looks like I have, Sai." She grinned.
"For now. Don't get comfortable in your lie, Sakura. You belong to me. You'll realize that soon," he hissed. Turning, he ran for the sliding glass door and disappeared into the darkness. Sakura rose up from the floor and shuddered, that was way too close.
"Taytai, Ryuu!" She called knocking on the bathroom door, "come out. Everything's okay now." The frightened children came out, and Sakura held them close. Her eyes took in the warm yellow kitchen she'd painted herslf, the drawings that covered the refrigerator. The flowers that she'd grown in her own garden and placed lovingly in a vase on the table. This wasn't going to work anymore, this place was no longer safe. The doorbell rang jerking her from her thoughts.
Sakura walked to the front door, a child clinging to each hand.
"He ran out of the back door when he heard the sirens," she told the officers. Three went to search for the man while one stayed behind to take her statement.
Twenty minutes later, Sakura was on the phone with a travel agent buying three tickets to Konoha, Japan. The soonest flight was in five hours, that meant noone would be sleeping tonight. She hated to leave Los Angeles, but there was no way she could stay here. The children would just have to understand, maybe if she told them they were going on an adventure?
"Hey guys," she found the twins in Ryuu's room playing quietly. "We're going on an adventure, so I need you to pick a few toys that are the most important to you." She kept her voice cheerful, hoping they'd buy it. They did. After she packed three bags for each of the children and herself, Sakura called a taxi to take them to the airport.
After the cab driver loaded all their bags onto a trolley, Sakura paid him.
"Listen," she said holding two hundred dollars out to the gray haired man. "Mr. Franklin and his brother here request that you forget you've ever seen me and my children."
The cab driver grinned taking the money, "Mr. Franklin's in luck lady, I've got shit for a memory."
Sakura smiled and pushed the trolley into the airport. Once she and the twins were settled on the plane, she exhaled the breath she didn't realize she'd been holding.
A/N- I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Bye.