Chapter Nine: The Secret that couldn't be Kept

A/N: Hey Guys! Okay this is a pretty intense chapter if I do say so myself. I can't believe I actually wrote it! Enjoy!

It has been a few weeks since the punishment set by Tsunade on both Sasuke and Sakura's group of friends. Over the past few weeks, the two groups learned how to be civil towards each other. Now the relationship wasn't perfect. There was still shouting matches between Sasuke and Sakura, but they seemed to have each others back more.

The basketball season seemed to be going very well. With the girls' personal skills added to the team, they were a force to be reckoned with. Let's face it; the team was a hell of a lot stronger with them on it. (But you wouldn't be catching Sasuke admitting to that anytime soon.)
So all in all, high school life at Konoha Leaf High School was okay. But the home life for Sakura was terrible. Her father had been drinking more lately causing him to hit her even harder. Sometimes he would just do it for no good reason. Sakura's mother still didn't help. She would either watch her husband hit Sakura, or would stay in her room and do nothing. This caused Sakura to start cutting herself deeper. At first she was just cutting so that it would only scratch the top layer of her skin. Now the cuts were going deep into the flesh letting more and more blood seep out of her arms, traveling down.

Her friends were still oblivious to what was going on with Sakura. They were used to these mood swings she had. Never in a million years would they think that Sakura's father was hitting her. After all, Sakura was the toughest and she never let anyone get to her at school, so they just assumed that she didn't take any crap at home either. But boy were they wrong.

Today the gang was in the gym for basketball practice and they all were on their game except for Sakura. The night before, her father did some real damage. All the energy for Sakura to play drained out of her body and total depression and anger took over.

"Alright so let's work on those left hooks team! I want to see nice swished of the net. Alright, let's go," said Sasuke.

The team went down the line doing the left hook shots, and then passing the ball to the next player behind them. Most of the team got the shots with ease, others didn't. When it came to Sakura's turn, she just took the ball and threw it. It wasn't even a good throw either. It missed the net by at least a foot, maybe more.

"Okay Pinky, let's kick it up a notch. I know that you can do better than that," said Sasuke.

"Whatever, I don't care anymore," she responded as she brushed past him. Sasuke then grabbed her wrist and pulled her towards him.

"Owe! Let go of me Uchiha before I really get pissed off."

"Not until you tell me what's up."

"I don't have to tell you a thing! You're nothing to me! You're not my mom, dad, friend, boyfriend, NOTHING! So why don't you let go of me and leave me the hell alone!"

"What's wrong with you?!! You're getting all emo and I can't stand it."

"Me?!! Having a problem and Turning emo?!! Why don't you take a hard look at yourself before you start pointing fingers!"

"Just tell me what's going on!"

"NO! You know what, I don't have to listen to this. I quit the basketball team and you can't do anything to make me come back."

"Sakura, let's think this through— ," interrupted Ino.

"No! My choice is made. I'm outta here and don't you dare follow unless you want to be severely injured."

Sakura then yanked her arm out of Sasuke's grip and stormed out of the gm. Right after Sakura's outbreak, it took him about five seconds after she slammed the door to realize what just happened.

'Crap, I just lost my best player,' he thought.

"What did you just do to her Uchiha?!!!" screamed Ino.

"I…I…"

"If something bad happens to her, I swear to Kami-sama that we will hurt you!" added Tenten.

"And we'll show you no mercy," said Hinata.

"Woah girls calm down. I'm sure Sakura's fine," said Naruto as he, Neji, and Shikamaru grabbed Ino, Tenten, and Hinata to stop them from hurting Sasuke.

"Let go damnit!" they yelled.

"No," responded the guys.

"I'm going to find Pinky guys. Practice is over for today everyone, so go home," ordered Sasuke.

Meanwhile, Sakura was on the rooftop of the school with her razor in her hand. She needed a way out of this deep hole she felt like she was in, and she needed it fast. Sakura pressed the razor to her already scarred right arm when it was suddenly knocked out of her hand.

"What the hell do you think you're doing Sakura?!!! You know that what you're doing can kill you right?"

"Go away Uchiha! You're not my favorite person right now. And give me back my razor! What I do to myself is none of your damn business!"

Sakura then spotted her razor and lunged herself at it. Sasuke then caught her by the wrist and tackled her to the ground. They wrestled for a few moments when Sasuke finally pinned Sakura down, holding both of her arms.

"Now let's see where you've been cutting yourself, shall we?"

"No Uchiha don't you dare! Let go of me!"

"Too late….Pinky…."

Sasuke saw that the cuts on her arms started from her wrists all the way to her elbows. Some were very deep while others were short and barely touched the surface of her skin. Purple, blue, and red were the color of her arms instead of the pale skin she was born with. All in all it wasn't a pretty sight.

"Okay so now you know. I cut myself, no big deal," said Sakura.

"No big deal?!! Sakura! Talk to me, tell me what's going on."

"You think that because you called me Sakura and you're acting all nice doesn't mean I'll tell! Now let go of me!"

"Not until you talk! I can stay here for hours. I don't care. I'll wait until you're ready to talk."

Being stubborn like she was, Sakura just stayed pinned to the ground with Sasuke above her. There was no way she was going to be telling this jerk about what's going on with her. He didn't deserve to know. He was nothing to her. Ino, Tenten, and Hinata were way more important to her and they didn't even know.

"Sakura, c'mon talk to me."

"Why should I?! You wouldn't understand. You don't even get how this calms me down after…"

"After what?"

"…"

"After my fuckin' father abuses me okay! Sheesh! Are you happy now? You now know my dirty secret that my friends don't even know. Gosh, you're so annoying!"

Sasuke slowly got up off of Sakura and sat up in the upright position. Sakura abused by her father? No, that couldn't even be sure. She was too
strong for that. She and her friends are known as the toughest girls in school. How could she even put with it at home?

"Tell me the whole story."

"No you bastard. You already know that he hits me, what more do you want?"

"Tell me everything or I'm going straight to Tsunade!"

"What? NO!!! Fine, I'll tell you, but it would probably be best if I start from the beginning. It's not a pretty story chicken-ass. And don't you get all teary on me. That just shows that you're weak , and I don't need to deal with any crap like that."

"Fine just start already."

"Okay then, it all started when I was eight…"

Flashback:

Eight year old Sakura came home from Ino's birthday party in Suna at the beach, where she found her father sitting on the couch with a beer in
hand, waiting for her.

"Where ya' been?" he slurred out.

"I was at Ino's birthday party remember Daddy? You told me to have a lot of fun for you."

"Was it at the beach?"

"Yeah that's why I wore my swimsuit."

"There any boys there?"

"Yes, but only— "

SLAP!!!

"Da-Daddy, what d-did I do wrong?"

"You little SLUT!!! You let a lot of boys feel you up in that little get-up of yours? I bet you liked it, whore."

"No Daddy— "

SLAP!

"Don't you dare talk back to me bitch. You need to show more respect to your elders."

"Yes Daddy."

WHIP!

"What did I tell you about talking back? Man, you're annoying and weak. Man up some! You should be able to stand this, but no you're Haruno 'slutty' Sakura. You'd like dancing around a pole more than learning how to fight back."

Sakura's father then fell asleep with the rest of his beer dripping down his front. Sakura went upstairs where she found her mother looking at what just happened. Her mother didn't say a word and just locked herself in her room. Sakura then ran into her bathroom and locked the door. With tears pouring out of her eyes, she saw a blurry image of a razor sitting on the counter. She slowly reached out for it and held it in her hand. Then she pressed it against her other arm and jerked it backwards. It felt so right and so good. It was just the type of pain she needed to get rid of the pain caused by her father.

End Flashback

"So the years past and my friends and I eventually learned how to fight from karate and learning from the streets. But, I never had the guts to
fight my pops. I don't know why, it's just that there is a part of me that always stopped me from doing so. And my mother, well she'll never be any help. She 'loves' him and needs him and wants to stick by his side. But no biggie. This cutting business is just the kind of pain that gets rid of it all for me."

"…"

"Oh, and no telling this to anyone Uchiha. I'm not ready for anyone to know, not even my friends. Deal?"

"Hn, deal…for now."

A/N: Okay, so now you all know the background story to the cutting. Please review the chapter! Thanks!!!!