Chapter 9
Disclaimer : I DO NOT OWN NARUTO
BLA BLA BLA : SAKURA'S INNER
BLA BLA BLA : SASUKE'S INNER
"Mommy, can Ichigo have biwthday pawty?" Ichigo tugged his mother shorts, beaming with hope. Sakura sighed, time was passed away so fast like a roller coaster, her sons would turn to three years old tomorrow. And now her youngest son was asking her about throwing him a birthday party, a party that she couldn't afford, not because now they lived with Sasuke but the true reason was she didn't have enough money to do it. Since she was pregnant, she never had any financial support from her parents or Tsunade and her friends. They offered her of course, but it was simply a matter of pride. Sakura didn't want to be a burden for anyone else or being pitied by them, this was her own problem so she would deal with it. After all she still could feed herself and her three sons alone only with her job in the hospital. But one thing for sure was she couldn't afford luxury for her sons.
"Sorry, sweety..." She barely said sorry and Ichigo's big emerald eyes were immediately glassy with unshed tears.
"Listen sweetheart, mommy will try to throw a birthday party for you and your brothers, but...i can't promise it, okay?" Sakura picked him and sat him on her laps. Ichigo laid his head to her chest, nodding in disappointment.
"Will mommy make a birthday cake?" Daisuke asked eagerly, he loved cakes more than anything, especially if it was made by his mother. He truly had sweet tooth.
"Of course, I will. And we will sing happy birthday song then you all can blow the candles. What flavor do you want, sweety?" Sakura smiled happily to the three sons of her.
"I want chocolate!"
"No, stwwabewy, stwwabewy!"
"No way, stwwabewy is for girls!"
"No, it isn't. Ichigo love stwwaewy!"
Daisuke and Ichigo argued about their birthday cake flavor.
"Okay, okay, stop it boys. Mommy will make three layers cake so each of you can get your own favorite flavor, how does it sound?"
"Okay."
"Ichigo love Mommy!"
They chirped in unison.
"What flavor do you want to have, Ryu-chan" Sakura looked to her oldest son, who was lazily reading a book of "Peterpan". Hearing her mother's question, he lifted his onyx eyes from the book he barely read.
"Whatever, I don't like sweets." He shrugged slightly.
Sakura's eyes blazing with concern and worry, Ryu was really his father look alike, not just his physical appearance but also his character. It worried her, scared her actually.
"Mommy, Ichigo want new shoes fow pwesent." Ichigo interrupted her, tilting his head to look his at mother's face.
"..." Sakura's mouth opened slightly to say something but then she closed it back. How could she tell her sons that she really couldn't afford any present for them now.
"Sweety, i don't think mommy can..."
"But Mommy, Ichigo shoes have a hole on it." Ichigo pouted. He got up from his mother's laps and ran to get his shoes. With a pair of blue shoes in his right chubby hand, he approached his mother.
"Look Mommy, there is a hole, Ichigo can see toe when wear it." Ichigo showed his shoes to his mother, a small blue shoe and looked old and dirty, and definitely there is medium size hole on it.
"Mommy, Daisuke want new shoes too. I can't put my feet in it again." Daisuke whined.
Sakura inhaled deeply, clenching and unclenching her hands to prevent the tears from falling. She really felt she was a bad mother, she couldn't give proper life for her children. Only shoes, but yet she couldn't buy it for her children. She had saving money but she couldn't use it because she saved for her sons' future, for paying their education when they had started their school.
"Mommy...Mommy really sorry, but Mommy can't buy you a new shoes, sweetheart, maybe next year okay?" her heart was shattered when she said it.
"BUT ICHIGO WANT NEW SHOES!" Ichigo whined to his mother. He was too young to understand his mother's difficulty, he just understood that everybody would get a present and cake for their birthday.
"Ichigo, sweety.."
"NO! ICHIGO WANT NEW SHOES!" Tears rolled down from his eyes as he whined.
"But Mommy..."
"No!" Ichigo ran out from the room.
"Ichigo, wait." Daisuke followed his little brother.
"Ichigo!" Sakura shouted to call him back but the little toddler was ignoring her calling.
Ichigo wanted new shoes badly, so if his mother couldn't get it for him, he was so sure that his Daddy could get him one. That was what on his little mind when he ran out from the room. He searched for his father in his bedroom. Luckily, his Daddy was there. He bolted in still with his blue shoes in his hand, following by Daisuke. He and Daisuke stopped in front of his father, who was sitting on the sofa, reading some scrolls.
"Daddy, Ichigo want new shoes for biwthday. Ichigo shoes have a hole." Ichigo stretched his hand, showing his shoes to his father with sad face.
Sasuke was quite surprise when Ichigo bolted into his room and asked him to buy him a new shoes. He eyed the shoes, indeed he found the hole on it and the shoes was looked quite old.
"When is your birthday?" Sasuke asked out of nowhere. He shouldn't care about this child but yet the question was out from his mouth. He regretted? No, he never regretted anything, moreover no one was here except him and this boy.
"Tomowwow." Ichigo answered his father.
Sasuke stared at him for a while, noticing a big hope and sad in his son eyes.
"Why don't you ask your mother to buy it for you?"
"Mommy doesn't have money. Mommy said we are not rich." Daisuke answered him.
"But Ichigo want new shoes.." Ichigo lowered his head, looking to the floor.
And when Sasuke was going to open his mouth to say something, Sakura entered the room, approaching her sons, or their sons to be exact.
"Ichigo, Daisuke, come with Mommy, we go back to our room." Sakura reached the toddlers' hands, holding it tightly. Ichigo wriggled, trying to free his hand from his mother.
"But Ichigo want Daddy buy new shoes!" He whimpered.
Sakura shooked her head, she couldn't believe it, how could her son being so demanding like a spoiled child. She certainly sure never spoiled the three of them.
"Why don't you just buy it for him, so he can shut his annoying mouth." Sasuke said in very uncaring tone. Icy tone to be exact. Sakura shot him a heated glare.
"None of your business." She spat back to him.
"Don't have money, do you?" Sasuke sniggered.
"Come on sweety." She ignored his mocking laugh, still attempted to persuade her youngest son to go with her.
"You shouldn't worry about money though." Sasuke said suddenly, staring to her eyes. For a second, she thought that he was going to offer her some financial help to support their children. But once again, she was so dead wrong.
"You could use your body to get money, I'm pretty sure there are a lot of men in Konoha who will gladly pay a big amount of money only to have you on their bed." Sasuke smirked.
Sakura blinked her eyes to stop her threatening tears, but yet she couldn't bare it. She quickly scooped her youngest son despite his whimpering. Thanks God her sons were too young to understand what their father had said to her. She said nothing, it was a long lost battle. But she promised to herself that he would pay for what he had done to her. Sasuke was surprised that she didn't retort to what he said. He knew what he said was really cruel, but he couldn't help it when he saw the hateful fire in her eyes. A hatred towards him.
"Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday, happy birthday, happy birthday to you." Sakura sang the song to her sons, then the three of them blew out the candle on top the three layers cake. The boys were beaming happily, Ichigo had forgotten about his new shoes. They were celebrating it in the living room, though Karin was sure didn't like. Sasuke was sitting on the long sofa, while Karin sat beside him, too close that they almost looked like Siamese twin. It sickened Sakura. But Sakura also wondered why Sasuke still sat in this room, because he always thought that her children were annoying. But now he acted like her children's loud voice didn't bother him at all. Though he was reading a jutsu scroll, she sometimes caught him stealing a glance towards the kids. Was he felt something to his children, a father instinct? Sakura quickly shrugged it from her mind, it couldn't be, never, cause Sasuke couldn't feel something for anybody, she sure about it, very damn sure. The doorbell was ringing when she was slicing the birthday cake for her children. But no one was responded to the ringing door bell, nor Sasuke or Karin.
"OPEN IT, BITCH!" Karin shouted to Sakura.
Sakura stood up but not before she sent a glare towards that red haired whore.
"Good afternoon, Mrs. Is this Uchiha Household? I am here to deliver this. This is for..." A young brown haired man with a cap on his head was standing in front of the door, he tilted down his head slightly to read the name on the three boxes which wrapped in blue paper gift. "This for Ryussuke, Daisuke, and Ichigo. Here Mrs." The young man gave the three boxes to Sakura.
"Yes, it is Uchiha Household. But all of this...from who?" Sakura's confused expression clearly showed on her face.
"Sorry, Mrs. I don't know, I'm just a courier. Excuse me, Mrs. I need to go now, I have a lot of stuff that i need to deliver today. Have a nice day Mrs."
Sakura eyed the three blue boxes on her hands, wondering what was inside of it. These boxes were for her sons, but who sent these. Was it Naruto? Or maybe Tsunade sama? Or her parents? She turned the boxes upside down, to find a card or maybe a name of the sender. But nothing.
"Mommy, what is it? Is it pwesent for Ichigo?" without her knowing, her youngest son was already tugging on her shorts with his eyes twinkling with excitement.
"I don't know sweetheart..."
"Open it Mommy! Open it!" Ichigo asked eagerly and she couldn't say no. Sakura opened the box with 'Ichigo' written on top of it. She peeled the paper gift, opened the box.
"YAY! YAY!YAY! Ichigo new shoes! Thanks Mommy!" Ichigo snatched the new shoes from his mother. It added Sakura's suspicion. New shoes? She opened the rest of the boxes hastily only to find all of them were contained with new shoes. The shoes surely were expensive, there was a light on the heel of the shoes and the light would on when you stepped. One name was popped up in her mind. Sasuke. Because only him and her knew that the kids wanted new shoes. But why he did that, buying them presents in their birthday. It wasn't like Sasuke at all.
"Mommy, Mommy look!"
"Yes, Mommy look!"
Ichigo and Daisuke had already put the shoes on their feets. Their faces were so happy. Sakura forced a smile towards them before she walked to Sasuke.
"You did it, didn't you?"
"Did what? Could you be more specific?" Sasuke said, without lifting his eyes from the scroll.
"You bought the presents. I knew it, don't try to fool me, Sasuke! What is your purpose!" Sakura asked harshly.
He sneered at her. "Like I would spend my money to buy something for your bastard children."
"Fine if you don't want to admit it, Sasuke. Guess you just a coward. And one more thing, do not ever think you can buy my children's attention with that expensive presents of yours." She turned her back, walking to her children.
"Like I want their attention." He said right when she turned her back.
"Mommy, thanks for the shoes." Daisuke hugged his mother.
She hugged him back. "But, Daisuke, is not from Mommy."
"Then from who?" Ichigo asked while his attention still glued to his new shoes.
"Don't know sweetheart."
"Maybe it's from Santa, Mommy." Ichigo guessed.
"But it's not Christmas." Daisuke objected.
"Oops..uh huh. Maybe from tooth faiwy." Ichigo guessed again.
"But tooth fairy give money not present." Daisuke shook his head, objecting his brother again.
Sakura couldn't hide her smile, her children were extremely cute and very innocence.
"Mommy, i don't want that present." Ryuusuke suddenly said that. He didn't even lay a finger on his new shoes.
"Why, sweety?"
"Don't know. Just throw it to the garbage. I don't like it."
She huffed. "Mommy will keep it for you, okay. And someday when you want to wear it, just ask me."
"Hn."
Sasuke watched the children who were trying their new shoes happily. He found it very amusing. He liked to see them happy and smiling like this. Though his face was stoic and cold like usual, but his heart couldn't help but smile. These kids had really caused something warm in his heart. He thought he was out of mind when he bought the presents for them, but now when he saw the happy small faces of them, it was worth it. But he would never admit it to them that he was the one who had bought the presents for them. He didn't want them to think that he had some feeling for them.
Those presents undoubtedly from him, Sakura certainly sure about this. It meant he had some feeling for his sons after all. This would be a great advantage for her, not to mention that it was meant she didn't need to worry about her children being hurt by him. Talking about advantage, Sakura thought it was time to give some lesson to the nosy bitch.
"Ichigo, sweetheart." Sakura approached her son, who was playing with his blocks. Her other two boys were playing outside, at the backyard. Ichigo didn't want to play outside because he didn't want his shoes got dirt.
"Yes. Mommy?"
"Ichigo loves Daddy, right?"
"Yes, Ichigo loves Daddy." He beamed to her.
"Ichigo wants Daddy to love Ichigo back?"
"Uh huh." He nodded
"But Daddy can't love Ichigo back, because Karin told Daddy to do so."
Ichigo pouted.
"But Mommy will help Ichigo, how about it sweety?"
"Weally?"
"Yes, sweety. Mommy will help you, but you must obey everything what mommy says, okay?"
"Oookay..."
"And this is our secret, you can't tell anyone else, promise sweetheart?"
Ichigo asked if he could tell his brothers but Sakura not allowed it. Sakura knew what she was going to do was wrong. She had manipulated and used her own son, but she didn't any option.
"It will hurt a bit, but Mommy promise will heal it fast."
Ichigo nodded.
"Ichigo, remember what you should do, sweety?"
"Uh huh...But Ichigo scared Mommy..." His small lips trembled.
"Ssshh...sweety. It will only hurt a bit, beside you want Daddy to love you back, right?" Sakura knelt down, hugging her son to give some reassuring comfort.
"okay."
Sakura smiled sadly to her son, then she took a kunai from her pocket. Her hands were trembled when she directed the kunai on her son's delicate skin. She took a deep breath to calm herself down. Feeling quite calm, she continued what she was going to do. She made a small cut on Ichigo's right upper arm. Ichigo's face grimaced with pain as tears rolled down from his eyes. She made some jutsu to stop the bleeding for 2 minutes.
Sweety I'm sorry.
"Now go to kitchen, sweety. Karin is in there. Do just like what Mommy said, okay."
Ichigo nodded, braving himself and walking to the kitchen. Sakura's heart pounded loudly. What if her plan was failed? What if Sasuke didn't care and react just like what she thought he would be. What if Sasuke preferred to be on Karin's side? There were so much 'if'' in her mind right now. Her mind snapped back when she heard her baby was crying and that bitch was screaming like banshee. She rushed to the kitchen. Her son's right hand was covered in blood. Her jutsu had wear off so it started bleeding again. But that was the point. Karin was standing in front of her child, one of her hand was holding Ichigo uninjured arm tightly. And Ichigo was crying in pain.
"Let my son go!" Sakura spat at Karin.
"No! This brat needs to get some lesson!" Karin tightened her grip on his little arm.
"I SAID LET MY..."
"What's happening here?" Sasuke growled, entering the kitchen. He saw his son blood covered arm, and Karin was holding him, he glared at her instantly.
"What. Did. You. Do. To. Him?" He asked harshly, the sight in front of him was enough to wake up his rage. Seeing his injured son had snapped out something in his heart, he felt rage and ready to strangle whoever had dared hurting his son.
"Sasuke kun, I didn't do anything to this brat. He came suddenly and then he stepped my foot very hard. It hurt, Sasuke kun." Karin defensed herself.
"How could he bleeding when you did nothing to him!" Sasuke shouted, shocking both Sakura and Karin.
"I don't know Sasuke kun. Suddenly his arms started bleeding, i didn't do anything. I barely touch him."
"You said you barely touch him! But your damn hand is holding his arm right now!" Sasuke really had lost his patience.
Sakura was shocked, though Sasuke's reaction was just right like she was expected but still she couldn't believe that he would be so enraged about his son. Sasuke and Karin were engaged in glaring competition while her son still cried in pain.
"Mommy..." Ichigo whimpered.
Hearing his son's voice, Sakura quickly went to her son and pried him from Karin's hold. She scooped her son and quickly made some healing jutsu. Sakura directed her green glowing hand over his son's injury till the cut was closed.
"Sasuke, if you're not going to make this 'friend' of yours pay for what she did to my son, I will." Sakura said venomously.
"No need Sakura. I will take care of her." Sasuke said with his glowed with chidori, it chirped. He walked to Karin, stopping right in front of her.
"Sasuke kun, please I didn't do anything. I didn't hurt him." Karin pleaded, cupping Sasuke's face.
Sasuke smirk.
"I trust you." Sasuke said as he struck his chidori hand right through her chest. It made a big hole on her chest and blood was streaming down from the hole like a river. Sakura covered Ichigo's eyes reflexively. Karin eyes were wide open and her mouth slightly opened as her lifeless body fell to the floor. Sakura gulped, she didn't thought he would kill her. Her heart felt sorry for Karin. But some part of her felt satisfy, Karin deserved it after everything that she had done to children.
"Have you healed him properly?" Sasuke's dry voice interrupted her. Sakura averted her gaze from Karin's dead body to Sasuke's onyx eyes. She nodded. Ichigo still whimpered slightly on his mother's chest. Sasuke came nearing them. Sakura's body stiffened. What if he knew? She prayed silently for her and her children safety. Sasuke stopped in front of her, his gaze glued on Ichigo's injury. He eyed the closed cut for a while before he shifted his gaze to Sakura. Sakura could see something flickered in his eyes. She didn't' knew but she had a strong feeling in her heart that Sasuke was already knew that she was the one who had hurt Ichigo and blame it on Karin.
"Get him rest." Sasuke said shortly. Sakura nodded and didn't waste any time, she instantly and gladly out from this room, out from his presence.
After Sakura and his son were out of sight, she made a jutsu to transfer Karin's body to the middle of nowhere, as long as it wasn't here. Sasuke smirked slightly when he remembered her terrified look on him. She thought he didn't know. But he knew Sakura was the one who had hurt Ichigo because the cut on his arm was too clean and neat but yet not too deep, and it meant only a medic could do it. But it didn't bother him because actually he already wanted to dispose Karin.
TBC...
PLEASE R & R -
