Title: Why Sister?

Author: Ducki3sDay

Summary: "Have you ever been in love?" Suki looks at Ino, long and hard and cringes when she discovers her innocence disappear before her eyes.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

oneureun nawa jeongmal sakwi jadeon, meotjin namja do isseot jyo
geunde jakku geunyeo seoki boyeo
mot nage do geu jaril ttwichyeo nawat jyo
jeongmal mot nage do eojjeolsu eobseot jyo
yeppeun hwajangi museun soyong itna yo

Today, there was a really great guy who asked me out
But I kept seeing him
I stupidly ran out from that place,
I stupidly couldn't do anything
What's the use of pretty makeup?

-Cleansing Cream by Brown Eyed Girls

Suki wonders why her sister brushes her long blonde hair three times a day. In the morning she brushes it about twenty times. In the afternoon, she does the same number in front of the hallway mirror. Before bed, she brushes it ten times more before getting her 'beauty 'sleep.

Ino had long waves of golden locks falling down her back. Her bright blue eyes would flash at anything and anyone and it dragged people with her. They could sense that innocence and pure emotions within her as she and Suki walk down the street. Suki, as a sister, would watch her sister run around every store and become caution free. She had to admit, Suki was amused by how Ino's wide smile could be so bright. It outshined the sun.

Suki couldn't remember when that smile stopped. Maybe it was when boys started to give her attention at the age of twelve. Or maybe it was because of her rivalry with Sakura about that young Uchiha boy. She didn't know when and she wished that it had never happened.

The older Yamanaka sister entered her sister's bedroom to say good night to her until she was met with a surprising but infuriating sight. Ino, for the first time, was trying on makeup. Her hair had already been brushed but it seemed that Ino wasn't ready to go to bed. Suki fast-walked towards Ino and snatched the mascara away from her hand. Her younger sister gasps at the sudden movement and meets Suki's blazing brown eyes.

"What are you doing Suki?" Ino questioned her, curiosity filling her orbs.

"I could ask you the same thing. Isn't a bit late to be putting on makeup?" Suki controlled her temper that was about to explode on Ino. She didn't know why sense she had been wearing makeup since she was Ino's age but…seeing Ino with it made her grip around the cosmetic tighten.

"I was just trying it on," Ino murmured while staring at her sister's hand," I want to look pretty tomorrow when we go out."

Suki's eyebrows moved towards each other as she stared at Ino. When did her younger sister start to worry about what she looked like? She didn't need makeup to look pretty.

"Ino, you don't need makeup."

"But you wear it and it's on now." Indeed, it was. Suki didn't know why she wore makeup but her only excuse for Ino was that she was old enough.

Ino giggled with her reply." I guess so. Can I tell you something?"

Suki nodded as she watched her little sister fidget in her seat in front of the mirror.

"When I grow up, I want to be as pretty as you. I want to be as good as you with makeup and guys."

Suki wondered what that dreading feeling inside her was. She just felt…dirty when her sister had said she wanted to be her. However, Suki stayed in her spot as she listened to Ino's praise.

"I mean, you're so pretty and you have such a great relationship! You go out and do really fun stuff with Itachi Uchiha! I can't wait to get Sas-"

She couldn't listen to this anymore. She couldn't stand there and here such lies and disappointing words coming from Ino. Suki had walked out of the room, leaving her sister confused and dazed at the spot she stood on.

When Suki entered her room, she slammed her door shut and ran to her own mirror. She stared at herself and the makeup she wore. Her eyeliner had appeared on her eye lid perfectly along with the mascara making no clumps on her lashes. Her cheeks were cleared of acne and hair along with her eyebrows arched beautifully.

She hated it. In the morning when putting the makeup on, she didn't feel complete or achieved anything when she was done applying it on. Maybe for a few moments she would enjoy the fact that she 'improved' herself. But at the end of the day like this, she wondered Will I forget being like this?

With Itachi, it made no difference. Yes, he was a faithful and good boyfriend she had for so long but inside her there wasn't anything that clicked or magical whenever he was around her. Yes, sometimes he would sneak in here and sleep with her, but they usual did nothing. Nothing happened and she was left lying in bed feeling nothing.

She was left in the mirror feeling nothing and staring at her nineteen year old self. Suki was a grown up and ready to be married. She was eligible but what good would that do for her? Basically, her life seemed to be over. Suki didn't like to be cliché' or dramatic but really, she felt like her soul and spirit were sucked out and all there was a mind and a dying heart.

It hurt. It hurt to know that when you turn into an adult that it wasn't going to be like starting a new day. No, it was nothing like that because Suki was forced to look for a house with Itachi because…they were getting married. He hadn't proposed to her yet but she wasn't stupid for knowing about that Uchiha tradition.

Suki pulled out her cleansing cream took off the lid until her eyes followed to Ino's mascara. Her first mascara and surely not the last and Suki couldn't help but remember her first cosmetic. It had led her to this. From a window, you could see Suki putting on her cleansing cream but the tear that blends with it was unseen.

She caught Ino staring at Sakura and Sasuke the other day. Suki and Ino were hanging out with Itachi that day, Itachi's arm around her shoulder lazily while they walked around the village and went to open markets. When Suki and Ino were looking at dolls for Ino to collect, Ino had seen Sasuke talking with Sakura.

Suki knew that look that was in Ino's eyes. She had portrayed that look many times when Itachi would speak to his former lover of the Uchiha clan. Ino was heating up with envy as she glared at the scene in front her. What happened next sent Ino to tears. Sakura and Sasuke was arm in arm and walking toward another market away from them. Suki was worried for her sister but Itachi's constant butterfly kisses on her neck distracted her.

Later that night, Ino had come into Suki's room while Itachi was staying the night in there. Ino had crawled into bed with Suki and let her unfinished tears from the afternoon shed. Suki, awoken from the sudden wetness of her nightgown, looked down to find her sister crying.

With a yawn she had asked Ino what was wrong.

"She stole him. Sakura can have any guy in the world and she had to take the guy that I love. I know I'm worth more but…why? Why sister? Why can't I be enough for him? "

Suki patted her sister's head and brought her closer. She couldn't understand why her sister cared about what Sasuke thought or wanted from her. Her sister was the definition of pure and full of happiness but she was crying over a male, like Suki had at her age.

"Aren't I enough?"

No. Both of us are not enough.

Itachi had dragged his brother over for dinner. Since Suki and Ino's dad and mom were out of town, they could invite guys over. Suki thought it was mostly her that would be bringing guys over but she found out that Ino had been bringing all kind of guys into the house. She didn't know what had gotten into Ino thinking that she could do that without her permission but it seemed that Ino thought they were on equal grounds, like they were the same age.

Ino had been overly excited when Suki told her that Itachi and his brother were coming over for dinner. She had went on and on about fixing herself up and getting ready to 'presentable' in front of guest.

"Why don't you just wear what you usually wear?" Suki suggested, curious about why Ino still gave a shit.

Ino groaned at her sister and gave her a 'your-stupid' look. "Why are you giving me all these weird questions Suki? You always look presentable when we go out and you dress nice whenever Itachi comes over! I like Sasuke and I want to look hot for him."

Hot? Was she serious? Suki stared wide- eyed at Ino who only stared back. Out of nowhere, Ino has that look in her eyes like Suki had when she met Itachi.

"Have you ever been in love?" Ino asked her, a dreamy and soft smile appearing on her lips. "Have you ever really loved someone so much that you have to just be…the best for them? You know what I mean."

"Yes."

Suki's lip quivered. She backed away from Ino who only took this as a chance to run to her room. Suki wanted to know why Ino was doing what she was doing. Why did Ino need makeup? Why did Ino need to impress Sasuke Uchiha? Why did Ino want to be like her?

Suki landed in the chair in front of the big mirror and ran a finger through her wavy dirty blonde hair. She started to imagine this house with two sisters, the mature one who wore all the designer clothes, the great makeup and the great boyfriend.

The other was innocent. She ran around the village and played with children and laughed with joy and didn't give two fucks about what the world thought about her. She let her blonde hair down and her orbs sparkle with such grace and elegance that it seemed like it can't be touched. She breathed in life and took it by the horns and roamed free.

She was free from the judgment of people.

Suki wanted to crumble and just let herself go. It hurt to even move her face into a smile with all the red lipstick and the concealer. It hurt to just walk around with this while people looked at her.

Suki wiped the smeared black tear on her face and went into the kitchen and cook the food.

The older Yamanaka picked at her food while the Uchiha brothers, Itachi and Sasuke ate. She didn't like how she cooked the meat or how Ino hadn't come down yet from her room since she last seen her. What could be taking her so long?

As Suki picked at her food, she heard the legs of a chair squeak and someone sitting down on the opposite side of her. Suki didn't bother looking up until she felt that Itachi had stopped eating. She stared at his face but all he gave back to her was an amused smirk towards her sister. Suki shrugs it off and continues picking at her dinner.

For the whole dinner session, all she hears is the flirtatious comments her sister gives to the younger Uchiha and asking him if he would like some wine.

"Ino, you're only twelve, you don't drink wine." Suki interrupts them.

"So, you didn't start drinking until you were fifteen!"

Suki can hear Itachi chuckle. "It's true Suki."

Suki slowly looks up to her sister and immediately her brows furrow.

Ino is sitting next to Sasuke, a flirty smirk similar to her older sisters while a cake full of makeup is on her face. Her eyelashes are clumped with black mascara, along with the abuse of liquid liner and concealer. The blush on her cheeks stands out and her hair is let down sunlight colored curtains. All this is too much for Suki but what stands out the most, what really makes Suki drag Ino out of her seat was the bright red lipstick.

And it was Suki's.

She pushes Ino into the bathroom and demands her to wash the makeup on her face.

"No! Why do I have to? I won't until you wash yours off too!" Ino argues back at her older sister. Suki grabs the collar of Ino's shirt and stares at her face.

"I will certainly not now you do what I tell you to do and wash that shit off your face!" Suki screams at her but Ino seems to be unfazed by unlike before.

"Why do you get to keep yours on?"

"You're too young!"

"You wore makeup the same age as I did! Why can't I do it? I'm almost an adul-"

Suki grabs Ino's hair and shoves her face into the running face, watching the mascara runs down her face. This image will live with Suki for the rest of her life as she watched the makeup run down Ino's face that shed tears. She pulled out Ino's face and pushed her forward to the mirror in front of her and screamed.

"IS THAT WHAT YOU WANT? THIS IS WHAT AN ADULT LOOKS LIKE, INO! IT'S NOT ALL FUCKING SUGAR AND RAINBOWS! IT'S THIS ON YOUR FACE! IT'S YOUR LIFE MELTING AWAY IN FRONT OF YOU!"

After that, Suki couldn't stop dunking Ino's head into the over-flowed water in the sink causing Ino to choke on water. It took Itachi all his strength to separate Suki from Ino and lead her towards the bedroom. In there she collapsed on her bed and felt like her lungs couldn't breathe.

She curled herself into a little ball as her hair shadowed her face. She liked it that way because it hid the mask she showed the world and only for the world to see. She felt dirty. She felt fake and useless and not herself. Will I forget being like this?

Suki felt Itachi pull her over to him and cradle her in his arms as tears went down her face. It was cold being in his arms but she found it comforting somehow. She still felt the hollowness inside her and her heart falling into pieces slowly, so slowly. Itachi's hands had found their way into her mass of hair and had started massaging her scalp.

"I don't love you."

"I know…" Itachi replied but continued to show her affection.

They stayed like that for some time until her tears just silently fell. She didn't shudder nor weep, her tears just fell by themselves.

"Why did we have to grow up Itachi…When did we?"

Itachi chuckled at her words and pushed the hair away from her face. She didn't want him to stare at her especially when she looked a mess and that she just told him she didn't love him. However, Itachi just wiped the red lipstick off her lips and the black eyeliner under and on her lids. He gave her a small smile and for the first time, she remembers why she went back to him.

"I don't know. But we don't have to. I grew up because I had to for Sasuke. He needed someone to look up to and there was no one else around for him to look up to except me. I kind of regret the actions I have showed him, especially the famous glares and such. Unfortunately, we can't stop the mind of the innocent when they find thing they inspire them."

"She said she wanted to be like me…" Suki whispered and curled up more into Itachi's arm. "I can't take such a boulder to keep on my shoulders."

"Then let it be. Just make sure you take care of her." Itachi kissed the top of her forehead and continued to stare into her eyes.

Suki looked away and stared at Ino's mascara on her desk and closed her eyes. She had wished Ino hadn't blossomed until Suki was ready for her.

onjong il michin deushi nolgo waseon
jiteun hwa jangeul ji ujyo
ireon dago da ijhyeo jilkka yo
cham mot nage do banjjeum jiwo jyeo, beorin dubore
banjjeum jiwojyeo beorin, nae ibsul wi e
heullin nunmuri, cleansing cream e noga yo

After playing like crazy all day, I erase my thick makeup
Will I forget by being like this?
Looking quite miserable, on top of my half-erased cheeks
On top of the half-erased lipstick,
The fallen tears melt with the cleansing cream

-Cleansing Cream by Brown Eyed Girls

Author: Well, I had great time with this! Please review and fav