A/N: As always, I must inform you, I own nothing concerning Naruto or the characters from the anime.

CH. 2: Another Day in Paradise

He raked his red hair out of his eyes, annoyed that it fell right back down. He sighed in boredom. "I really hate Sundays. You can't go out and party because of school the next day and I don't have to go to school today, so its just a useless day."

He lifted his head at his older brother's comment. He had known his brother had joined him, it just irritated him that Kankuro always whined when he was in the room. It was like Kankuro did it to piss him off.

"You're a fucking pansy Kankuro. Party when you want, forget school. It's meaningless anyways…not like we'll ever use this shit with our line of work." the red head continued trying to rake the hair out of his eyes. Kankuro sighed and leaned against his little brother's window.

"Temari wants us to all greet our new neighbors when they get here. Seems that a older couple with a kid are movin in over there. I hope it's not some snot nosed brat like the last kid that lived there." Kankuro crossed his arms over his chest and looked out the window.

A red SUV pulled into the driveway across from theirs. He almost choked when a young woman in shorty shorts and a tube top got out and went to the door. "Dear Kami-sama please let that be our new neighbor!" he exclaimed, his hand clamping onto his nose as it bled profusely. The red head looked at his older brother, then stood and looked out the window.

"Kankuro, Gaara! Our neighbors are here! Get down here and walk over with me!" came the screech of the female that lived with them. Gaara knew that Temari was only trying to socialize him, so he had no way to get out of it.

"Come on you hentai. Let's go meet the woman of your dreams." Gaara said, grabbing his brother by the collar. Gaara was down the stairs and almost out the door when he heard someone scream.

"WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU MEAN YOU'RE LIVING WITH ME? I'm not a child anymore Karin, I don't need you watching my every fucking move. There is NO WAY IN HELL you are living with me!" came a rage filled voice from inside the house.

Gaara's eyes were wide at the girl's use of language. Girl's didn't talk like that…at least the girls he knew didn't. Kankuro started laughing under his breath and made his way with his two siblings across the street.

"Well too fucking bad you spoiled brat. Because of you I had to transfer as well. This is the only place left that will take you and I have to be where you are, thanks to gramps' damn will. Seems that old man loved a stray more than his own blood." the girl deemed Karin yelled back, her shorts hiking a little as she stood on her tip toes to yell inside the house.

"You can fucking live in one of the apartments the school provides. There is no way you're staying with me! You will never pay for shit and I'm not using MY fucking inheritance from Ji-chan to support your lazy ass! Now get the fuck out before I throw your ass on the corner where you belong you fucking whore!" came the roar from inside the house. All three of them noticed the girl flinch and something went out the door and stuck into the tree in the front yard.

"Holy shit…you almost hit me you little bitch! I'm so telling Obaa-chan about this! She'll make you let me stay!" with that the girl on the front porch took out a cell phone and dialed a number.

"Obaa-chan…Sakura wont let me in the house. Yes, I know she bought it, but why should I spend my money when she has a place I can stay? No…why should I? It's her fault I had to trans-" she started, then turned red at something said, "THAT'S NOT TRUE! I WAS NOT HAVING AN AFFAIR WITH THE ENGLISH PROFESSOR! I had to leave because of HER!" she kept arguing with the person on the other end of the line until she got so fed up she yelled "FINE! See if I take care of you when you get too old to take care of yourself! You're just like gramps! Favoring the stray over you BLOOD relative. I AM NOT A BITCH! FINE…SEE IF I CARE!" she slammed the phone shut and threw it in the house.

"You're such a bitch Sakura. If mom and dad hadn't brought you home I'd have gotten all the money instead of only a quarter! Just remember who mom and dad favor you little tramp. I'm going to call them and they'll make you let me stay here!" she was about to leave when a flash appeared and pinned her to the car. The three had stopped moving when the object came flying out the door.

"Those people are NOT my parents. Obaa-chan and Ji-chan raised me, THEY cared for me. You only care for the money, as do your parents." said the shorter girl with long black hair and highlights who had the older and taller girl pinned against the car, her hand at the girl's throat.

"And I suggest you call a cab because you are not taking my car back to the city. I am THROUGH with you and your scheming. My things are MINE…not yours and if you touch anything else that belongs to me I'll tear you apart, understand Karin? There's a gas station four blocks north of here. If you head there now you can still get there before your shift on the corner starts downtown. And I promise you Karin, If you think your parents are going to make me do something…think again. Why do you think they gave me over to Obaa-chan and Ji-chan? It's because they are afraid of me. DON'T cross me uwakionna, or you will pay with blood." the smaller girl shoved the taller one away and grabbed her keys. The shorter girl walked back into the house and locked the door. The tall, blonde girl stared, then stomped her foot petulantly.

"This isn't over you little bitch! I ALWAYS get what I want! You hear me!?" she stomped again, then tried to get into the car, only to find it locked and the spare key was in the ignition. Sakura had the ones she had swiped earlier. "Dammit! I'm NOT walking four blocks in my brand new Pradas!" she screeched and went to bang on the door more. A few minutes later, a police officer pulled up and parked. He got out and approached the girl banging on the door.

"Miss…this is private property. I'm afraid I'm going to have to take you downtown for disturbing the peace." the officer reached out to take her wrist but she pulled back away from him and curled her lip.

"Do you even KNOW who I am? I live here dammit and my step sister locked me out! She also took the keys to my car and my cell phone! I have no way to get back to my grandmother's house to see my parents when they fly in tonight!" she wailed, turning on the waterworks. The policeman was not convinced.

"I'm sorry miss, but I have to do my job. You were reported by several people for disturbing the peace and I have to take you in. Next time you and your sister have a fight, keep it inside the house." the young officer said, grabbing her wrist and slapping cuffs on her. She screeched and cursed him up and down.

"My FATHER will have your badge you bottom feeder! I am THE Hatori Karin, daughter of Hatori Minotsu. You will pay for this! S-A-K-U-R-A-A-A!" she screamed before being shoved into the back of the police cruiser. He was about to get back into his car when he saw the three of them. He decided to have a chat with them and get their statements.

"Excuse me, but I was wondering if you saw what happened between these two? The one named Sakura said that she was being harassed by her crazy stepsister. Is there truth to this?" the dark haired officer looked at them. Kankuro and Temari couldn't talk…they were still in shock from everything they'd seen.

"Officer…the woman you put in the back of your cruiser assaulted the young lady who owns that house. She threatened her as well. She threw things at her and stole her car. I assure you, everything you were told is true, but I'm sure she didn't tell you everything because she doesn't want to create trouble, she just wants that bitch gone." Gaara's face was as stoic as ever, but Temari and Kankuro were shocked. Gaara never talked this much at once.

The officer seemed satisfied and had them sign their statements, after the other two found their tongues again. The officer sighed and looked back at his cruiser, where it was obvious the girl was still screaming at the top of her lungs.

"It's going to be a long way back to HQ…damn…I always get the noisy ones." the officer sighed and headed back to his cruiser, He saw the black haired owner of the house on the front porch, clutching something in her hands.

"It's not much…but at least you wont have to deal with her screeching. She's like a fucking banshee when she doesn't get her way. Just plug your radio into this panel and you'll hear it directly. I made them when my Ji-chan made detective five years ago on the Kagure police force. I know they'll fit. You can give them back the next time you come out here. I have a feeling she's not going to give up. She doesn't like the thought of having to pay for anything herself. She's been freeloading off our grandparents since she was thirteen." the girl said and handed the young officer a pair of ear plugs that would keep the wench's screeching at bay.

"Thank you miss…" he trailed off, not knowing her name.

"Name's Sakura. Haruno Sakura, and before you ask, yes I am the kid that collapsed in the lap of Det. Hatori ten years ago. Only he was a lifeguard at the time. It was before he got promoted to Detective. I am his granddaughter, if only by paper." she said quietly and glared at Karin, who shut up abruptly at seeing her step-sister glare at her like that.

Karin shrunk into the back of the cruiser, hiding. "She won't be trouble again until you get out of the vicinity. If there is one thing my sister knows…it's not to piss me off while I can still get to her. I have a restraining order in affect in Kagure, I would like to transfer it here as well. I would also like you to know she stole my car and the only reason she brought it back is because she wanted money to put gas in it. That is what started all this, then she tried to come into my house and dig through my personal belongings. I want you to slap her with as many charges as you can to keep her away from me until I can get all the locks in the house changed. She stole one of the spare keys and I don't know where she hid it. I'd only been in town a couple of minutes when she came barging in demanding I hand over everything and that's when she stole my car."

"Several pieces of expensive jewelry my obaa-chan gave me are missing as well, along with some of my clothes, my purse, and my cat's encrusted collar. The collar will be easy to trace because it's specially made. It's black leather with two silver dragons that come to meet at the mouth with a ruby in their jaws. There isn't another one like it because I made the design myself. If you could…I would like to search her myself to find my belongings." the officer looked at her suspiciously. She just smiled sadly and he knew this was a common occurrence for her.

"Why don't you come down to the station with me and I'll have a female officer assist you. I can't allow you to do it yourself, but I'm sure we can find someone to assist you." he smiled kindly and noticed as she tensed up at his suggestion.

"Iruka-san!" came a yell from a neighboring house. It was one of the volunteer officers.

"I'll help the girl search that prissy wench. After hearing some of the things she was shouting at that poor girl, it would be my pleasure." the woman through on her uniform and her gear and hurried to the cruiser.

"Thank you Kurenai-san. It is very kind of you to do this." Iruka smiled at the red eyed woman and smirked as her husband stuck his head out.

"Oi, Asuma-san, I never thought you'd have let Kurenai-san join the reserve force!" the dark haired officer chuckled at Kurenai's sour face.

"Like he could say anything. He's on S.W.A.T. so he can kiss my ass if he thinks I'd listen to him about job choices." she grumbled and walked to the car. Karin sprung out immediately and tried to feed lies to anyone that would listen.

"That's my house and she broke in and was stealing all my stuff and when I drove up she tried to kill me!" she bawled and tried to make people believe her.

"Convincing act you have there miss priss. Only problem is, I live right beside you and I heard everything you said and saw everything you did. There's no way you're getting out of this one." Kurenai's red eyes blazed at the blonde who was still bawling.

"Turn around and brace your hands against the car." Kurenai demanded, cutting off another one of Karin's lame excuses.

"W-what? Why?" Karin screech and everyone present winced at her high pitch. Kurenai grabbed her wrists and turned her around…forcefully.

"Failure to cooperate with an officer is a crime Miss Hatori, regardless of who your father is. If you don't start cooperating, I'm going to have to get rough with you. Now…spread you legs should width apart." Kurenai waited patiently for her to comply, but she never did. Growling, Kurenai kicked her legs apart roughly.

"Iruka…add failure to cooperate with an officer to her offenses." said the female officer, who was currently patting the suspect down. She felt several hard lumps in the girl's shirt and dug after them.

"GET OUT OF THERE! You haven't lost anything in there and this is molestation! My father-" she was cut off when Kurenai pulled several bundles out of the girl's shirt.

"Your father is going to have a hard time getting you out of this one precious. Add breaking and entering, Burglary in the first degree, and car jacking to this as well. I seem to have found four priceless looking pieces of jewelry, a unique bracelet or collar of some kind, a Happy Bunny wallet…oh my…seems someone was pilfering goods for a little drug money. She has X on her. That's a felony sweetheart…you're in big trouble now." Kurenai purred and finished searching her. Credit cards belonging to several people were shoved haphazardly in her back pockets, including Sakura's and a wad of cash was in her front pocket.

"Where did the cash come from Miss Hatori?" Iruka asked, writing down more and more offenses. Karin glared at Sakura, who glared back.

"Let me see that wad of money, if you will. I think I know where that came from." Sakura said quietly and took it from Kurenai.

"Figures…not only do you steal from me, you steal from Obaa-chan too. When will you FUCKING learn that the world doesn't revolve around you Karin. Obaa-chan needs this money, that's why I gave it to her!" Sakura fumed, pacing in front of her sister. Finally, she could take it no longer.

"THAT'S IT! I'm calling Minotsu and Youri and I'm telling them everything. About you stealing from Obaa-chan and about you stealing from me. I won't allow them to leave Ji-chan's honor in your incompetent hands. There is NO way in hell I'm letting you get even one percentage in Ji-chan's corporation. He worked too damn hard for you to ruin everything by embezzling all his money." Karin's eyes widened even more and she shrieked again.

"You can't do that! Mommy and daddy are holding that for ME! It's MINE! You have no say in who gets MY grandfather's company! It's MINE damn you! You're not a Hatori, you can't take the company! The executives will never allow it!" she screamed, then got a smug smile on her face. She thought she had everything figured out.

"You're right…I'm not a Hatori. But you know as well as I do that the executives won't leave the company to a criminal. It would dishonor the family even more than giving it to an adopted child. At least I have never brought dishonor on the family that took me in. You already have four underages, three DUIs and about thirteen minor charges against you. Add breaking and entering, burglary, grand theft auto, and a drug possession…you just handed me the company on a silver platter Karin. Now that I have all the important things back, where are my purse and my clothes Karin? I won't ask again and I WILL take you into the house and beat it out of you if I must."

Sakura's face was stoic and calm. Both officers flinched and looked at the smaller young woman. She didn't look like she could do much damage, but by the look on Karin's face, it wasn't something she wanted to do.

"I took everything to gram's when I went over there, but I couldn't put down the jewelry, the cash or the cards unless I wanted grams to find them." the taller girl said weakly. She knew she had been beat.

"Now that I know where my things are…you can take this uwakionna to jail, where she belongs. You have dishonored Ji-chan's name for the last time Karin. You underestimate my love for Obaa-chan and Ji-chan, and theirs for me. I am their power of attorney, NOT either of your parents. They never told you that did they? That neither of them had been given control over any part of the family? I have watched you run Ji-chan's name into the dirt for the last time Karin. You are, from henceforth, disowned by the Hatori clan. You shall no longer bring dishonor to my Ji-chan, nor will you steal from my Obaa-chan. I have not done this before now because it was Obaa-chan's wishes to give you one last chance. But your chances are over, this is not some game you can play and then erase the board when things don't work out. Enjoy your stay in prison, Karin." with that, Sakura turned and walked into her house, not a glance over her shoulder. Karin stood there, shocked.

The three siblings gawked at the scene before them. THE Hatori Karin, infamous playgirl and tease, had been disowned…by her younger sister, who had all the control over the family and their holdings.

"That's one tough bitch…" Kankuro murmured, dazed at what had just happened. Gaara just stood there, looking at the spot the young woman had just occupied.

Temari saw both her brothers gawking, but it was the look on Gaara's face that got her. She started waving her hand in her brother's face. "Earth to Gaara! Come in little brother!" she said, then finally tapped him on his forehead. He shook his head from his daze and glared at her.

"Don't touch me unless you want to lose that hand, onna." he threatened, but Temari only looked at his with a peevish scowl.

"You call me onna again, and I'm going to poison your food tonight. You can call me neesan or Temari, but don't cop an attitude with me and start calling me onna." she hissed, then walked over to the house where all the drama had taken place.

Temari waved at the two officers, who smiled and continued writing up their report. Karin had been put in the back of the cruiser once more and was too shocked to continue screaming.

"Well…seems the woman of my dreams is a famous tease AND a criminal. I have the worst taste in women…" Kankuro sighed and hung his head. Temari shook her head and laughed. Gaara just gave him a bored look.

"Well…lets go meet our REAL new neighbor." Temari smiled and headed for the door. Kankuro put his hands behind his head and started whistling as he followed his sister. Gaara crossed his hands over his chest and followed his older siblings.

He stopped by the tree and noticed the object this 'Haruno Sakura' had thrown out at her stepsister. He gasped as he saw that it was a chopstick…a simple wooden chopstick. That just so happened to be buried three quarters of the way into the helpless tree.

"Well now…this is an unexpected turn of events. There is lingering chakra on this thing. Like she had used it for a blade. Interesting." he whispered to himself. He then heard Temari knocking on the door and joined his brother and sister.

There was a pause and then the sot patter of feet. They heard a mew on the other side and then the door opened quickly. The woman on the other side had an icy glare on her face, that melted as soon as she saw who was on the other side.

"Excuse my rude behavior. I thought perhaps you were Karin and managed to get out of the police cruiser. Please, come in before it rains." she said, then backed up while bowing in greeting. All three siblings looked up at the sky. It was cloudy but there was no sign of rain.

"Well, I don't know about the rain part, but we'd love to come in and visit with you." Temari beamed openly at the younger woman. The black haired girl smiled.

"Just give it five minutes and you'll see what I mean. I hope the windows in your vehicles are up. It's going to be a nasty one." she smiled and made her way back into the kitchen, where she had obviously been cooking before the interruption with her stalker.

Temari gave her a curious look, then looked over at her white Sebring, whose top was down. Unwilling to risk it when the woman seemed so certain she chuckled nervously and took off to her car. She had just latched the top and rolled up the windows when the first drops plopped onto her windshield. They were huge drops as well. Temari raced back over to her neighbors where her siblings were waiting.

"Holy shit…she was right…I just saw several HUGE drops of rain hit my windshield. I rolled up your windows as well Kankuro." Kankuro hugged his older sister and rubbed his cheek against hers.

"I knew you loved me Temari, even though you threaten to poison me every time I piss you off!" the older boy cooed as his sister's face turned red…from anger. She hissed at him and then dug her elbow into his stomach. She smiled like nothing had happened as Kankuro sank to the sofa behind him, clutching his offended stomach.

"So…your name is Sakura huh?" Temari said and smiled at the girl. The girl smiled weakly and nodded.

"I guess you heard Karin screaming at me like everyone else in the neighborhood, huh?" she asked, then sighed and rubbed her face when Temari nodded in confirmation. Gaara watched as she cut up some vegetables and put them in the pan with the sauce that was simmering.

"I think everyone within a two mile radius is going to know Sakura now that Karin visited. No chance of keeping a low profile here anymore, sweetheart." Kankuro had recovered and was now talking to their hostess. He smiled when she chuckled softly.

"Well it's a good thing that I'm not trying to keep a low profile." she chuckled again, then it turned into a heavy sigh. "I just wish that I didn't have to resort to that. Karin is going to fight every bit of this, but I can't stand seeing her use Ji-chan's name to get what she wants. Not to mention all the dishonor she has brought to the family name by thinking she is above the law." she sighed sadly and continued chopping vegetables. Gaara noticed she was doing it without looking, like it was habit.

"Karin was always a tease to men, always unattainable because she was her father's princess. She knows her own father's political pull. She wouldn't have even thought about what she could do with her grandfather's influence. She never once even referred to him while trying to get out of dealing with the cops. She always said 'My father-'. As stupid as the onna is, I don't think she ever realized how much she dishonored your grandfather's memory." Gaara said, still staring at her cutting the vegetables.

"No…she knew. She once told me that she hated Ji-chan because he loved me more than her. She told me not long before Ji-chan died that when she got control of his company she would run it into the ground just to spite him. That's why I was named his successor without anyone in the family being told except for Obaa-chan. Obaa-chan wanted me to give Karin enough of the company to help her survive because as soon as she turns 18, well…just think of how birds learn to fly. It is family tradition that after one turns 18, one is left on their own. I have been alone for much longer than that. As much as I love Obaa-chan and loved ji-chan…they are not my family. They took care of me after I was found, but I don't know anything about who I am or where I came from. I have been alone since the day they found me ten years ago." Sakura's tone sounded so lonely that Gaara felt compelled to comfort her. He refused to move, however, so he simply talked to her.

"I have been alone for years until Temari and Kankuro found me. My mother ran away with me when I was very small. My father wanted to kill me, but she would never allow it. After my mother died when I was 6, I was alone. It wasn't until after my seventeenth birthday that Temari showed up, searching for the 'crimson haired heir' of our father. By then, I was used to being alone, but they stayed with me nonetheless."

"They may not have the same mother as myself, but they are family. Family can be defined as those that love you unconditionally, despite your fucked up past. That is what a true family is." Gaara closed his eyes as he saw Temari tear up at his words. She gave him a beaming smile and hugged him around the waist. Kankuro gave him a cheesy smile and chuckled.

Gaara noticed the girl, Sakura, watching him closely. Her eyes seemed to bore into him. It felt like she was scanning his soul with those deep emerald eyes. Her eyes widened slightly and she turned away from him. His eyes widened as he heard her whisper what sounded like 'Shukaku'. He stepped towards her, but she just smiled back up at him.

"Thank you for telling me your story. You're right…family are those that care for you and love you, dark past and all. I would like to get to know the three of you better. Would you like to eat dinner with me? I made enough for us all. Cooking is how I relieve stress, and after Karin's display, I needed to cook a lot." she said, smiling. Gaara searched her face for any sign of what he'd thought he'd heard, but there was nothing but loneliness etched in the planes of her face. He sighed and looked at his siblings. Kankuro's mouth was watering and Temari was eyeing whatever was in the dishes.

"Seems like my siblings have taken to your cooking without even trying it. If it's not too much trouble, we will join you. Besides…the rain is still pouring outside and the grill is too wet to light, so our dinner plans have been cancelled." Gaara walked up beside her and held out his hands.

"Here, let me help you take that." he said, a hint of a smile on his face as she turned red at his close proximity.

"T-thank you, uhm…what are your names? I have no idea what to call you…" she said, her blush deepening enough to make him crack a smile, to the shock and awe of his siblings.

"I am Sabaku Gaara. This is my sister, Temari and my brother, Kankuro." As he said their names, Temari gave a small wave with her tongue stuck out and Kankuro scratched the back of his head, smiling with a cheesy grin on his face. Sakura chuckled and grabbed four dinner plates and a smaller dessert plate.

"Hime…come here joji. It's time to eat." she called softly into the darkened stairwell that was right in front of the door. Gaara looked at his siblings and one thing crossed all three of their minds. 'She has a kid? Named 'Hime'?' Sakura chuckled and turned back to them just as a small streak of color landed in her arms from the stairwell.

"I know calling a cat joji is unusual, but Hime is the first companion I have had since Ji-chan died. She is very special to me, so I treat her like she is my own child. She is a little spoiled, but not as bad as Karin. Isn't that right joji…you are my little one aren't you Hime." she baby talked the small kitten, making Kankuro and Temari sweat drop, but it made a blush cross Gaara's face.

'Why did the thought of her having a child upset me so?' he wondered, then looked away as the others looked at him. He didn't want them to see his blush. He turned to the table and got his blush under control then sat, facing them.

'It's cuz you got the hots for her kid. She's one fine piece of female, that one.' came the purring voice of his inner demon, Shukaku. Gaara growled inside his head at the demon.

'Oh shut up. Just because she's pretty doesn't mean I want to jump her. You are such a hentai Shukaku.' the red head growled, then directed his attention to the others in the room. Sakura had sat down beside him, her cat at her feet with it's little plate in front of it. Kankuro sat down across from Gaara, while Temari sat across from Sakura.

"I hope you guys don't mind, but I don't really care for hot things. I use natural herbs to cook with, so it tastes good, but there aren't any spices that you get from the grocery in it. And you can't find capsum here, so spicy is out until I talk to Obaa-chan again. She has all my herbs stored for me." Sakura smiled at her guests and then bent to get Hime's plate.

"I hope you guys don't mind, but I usually give Hime hers first because she can be a little…impatient." she chuckled as she felt the small kitten climbing her leg. She grabbed Hime and put the kitten on her shoulder. She then dipped out a little bit of the meat, with very little sauce, and a few of the vegetables, again with very little sauce. She put the plate down next to her chair, away from Gaara, and then put the kitten down, who began eating without further ado. Sakura chuckled again and looked back up at her guests. "Dig in guys, and let me know how you like it." she chuckled as Temari and Kankuro fought over the meat spoon as Gaara took come of the vegetables and served himself and, to everyone's surprise, he served Sakura as well.

She blushed happily and just sat there, laughing under her breath at the bickering siblings. Gaara smiled at his sibling's behavior until he heard a growling coming from the kitten at Sakura's legs. The kitten's hair was standing up and there was a sense of something not right. Gaara sent a glare at his siblings, who caught the feeling as well and shut up quickly. Sakura grabbed Hime and hid behind Gaara, who put his arm back to keep her behind him. To his surprise, she grabbed it and held on to him.

A knock at the door made her jump and squeak, but the feeling of danger had passed. The beating got louder and then someone spoke. "Sakura…open this door RIGHT NOW. You and I need to talk about you sending Karin to jail!" the voice growled. Sakura's eyes turned cold as an arctic wind as she handed Gaara her cat and walked to the front door.

"Good evening Minotsu. To what do I owe this…pleasure?" she spat the last word out and it was obvious the man had not been expecting this attitude.

"This is the thanks I get for taking care of you these last three months after my father died? Disrespectful-" he never finished because the cold glare Sakura gave him shut him up.

"Care? You call sending me away to some boarding school so that your precious daughter has no competition for a scholarship she has no chance at winning care? Or the fact that you let Karin steal everything I own right out of my hands without lifting a finger to tell her not to take what doesn't belong to her? Or the fact she has been stealing from OBAA-CHAN for the last six months!? Oh, and don't forget that she THREATENED Obaa-chan over MY cell phone that she had taken after she returned MY car that she stole to drive around in." there was resentment and anger in the young woman's voice and there was hard resolve in her eyes.

"I may not have always been fair, but I did provide for you. Where do you think all the money came from to get you this house, and that car?" he said, thinking he'd made his point. He wasn't so sure at the wicked smile on her face.

"This house, that car, and everything else I have EVER owned came out of the money that Ji-chan set aside for me. He knew that you would never take care of me the way he wanted because you were too centered around your own bratty child. My inheritance of the money Ji-chan set aside was three quarters while he left a quarter of his fortune to you, your wife and that delinquent you call a daughter." Sakura's mirth disappeared as she gave him a look that could melt diamonds.

"I will no longer allow Karin to dishonor Ji-chan's name Minotsu. She has run his name into the ground while you have fondly turned a blind eye to the fact. She uses his name to get what she wants and to get out of trouble. I won't stand for it any longer. As of forty-five minutes ago, Karin is no longer a Hatori. She has been disowned by the clan." Sakura delivered the news with stoic indifference to the horror that showed on the man's face.

"You…you can't do that! Only the clan leader can do that! My father was the clan leader and when his will is read in three days it will name ME as clan leader! I demand to know why you think you have the power to disown MY daughter." Minotsu was livid, glaring at Sakura like he wanted to kill her.

"Because the one thing that Ji-chan never told you was who the power of attorney was after he died. Obaa-chan knows, and she agrees with Ji-chan's choice. I think you would have taken a little more care with Ji-chan's health if you hadn't been arrogant enough to think that just because you are his son that you would be named clan leader. Only Obaa-chan and myself know what is really in Ji-chan's will. Now leave before I have you arrested for trespassing. That, with about fourteen other offenses and about seventeen priors, is what sent you precious daughter to jail." with that, she slammed the door shut in the man's face, locking it with her mind, not thinking as to the consequences until she saw Gaara staring at her. He had come up behind her in order to protect her if need be.

"You…you're like me…" he said, then looked at the door and back to her. She gave him a scared look and backed up against the door.

"I'm sorry you had to see that. It's not every day that I send people to jail. I…I have to ask you to leave now. I have school tomorrow and I don't want to be late my first day." She said as she darted around him and up the stairs, Hime bounding after her. The three siblings just stared at the stairwell she had disappeared up.

"Well…seems like our little slice of paradise just ran up the stairs without even giving us a hug goodbye." Kankuro pouted, finishing his dinner.

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Like all writers, I would appreciate any reviews and/or comments. If you're just going to attack my character, then please don't leave anything.

CH. Glossary:

hentai--> pervert, perverted

Obaa-chan (Obaa-san)--> grandmother

Ji-chan (Jii-chan/san)--> grandfather

Uwakionna-slut

onna-woman