Author's note : Hey, hope y'all are having a good day. Here's the new chapter, sorry for taking so long!
Disclaimer : Joker-chan no own Naruto desu~ See how bad my Japanese is? There you have it, I don't own Naruto. Just the plot of this story, ne?
Inherited Will of Fire
Mebuki disapproves of Sakura being a ninja, that is a fact. And she is a very stubborn woman, that is another fact. But at the same time the fact that she worries and cares about her family to a high degree is also facts about this woman. It is because she worries that she doesn't want Sakura to embark on the path of being a ninja. After all she's seen how negative the outcome can become. She doesn't want her daughter to become scarred for life or emotionally disabled.
She'll admit that she had been purposely avoiding Sakura in order to somehow guilt-trip her daughter into giving up on the academy, although she knew since Sakura was four that Sakura wanted to become a ninja. Specifically, Sakura had wanted to join the ANBU. Sakura never gave Mebuki the reason why, but Mebuki knew for a fact that Sakura herself had forgotten about that. It wasn't really Sakura's fault that she forgot, it was more like an unfortunate incident.
And now Mebuki will admit that her plan had failed, even failed is an understatement. Because she wasn't blind, she noticed that Sakura was improving. She didn't know whether or not Sakura was being aided or if her daughter was self-teaching herself, but she was sure Sakura will definitely pass her ninja graduation exams in a few years. 'And then become a ninja. And then kill people. And then'- no she wouldn't think about those stuff right now.
More recently Mebuki has noticed that Sakura has been unfocused whenever they would have their meals together. She noticed Sakura giggling to herself and muttering more. Of course, that garnered some concern from Mebuki. She remembered the short period in Sakura's life where her little baby would play with an imaginary friend. Maybe she should call in a favor from Inoichi? After all she did know that his daughter is Sakura's best friend.
But right now Mebuki was concerned, she had just caught Sakura walking upstairs. That would have been a normal scene had Sakura not have red puffy eyes. She didn't leave her room at all.
'Why was she crying?' Mebuki worriedly wondered as she prepared some omurice for lunch the next day.
Should she ask? Would Sakura even want her to ask? Mebuki couldn't help but feel so ashamed of herself, what sort of mother would even wonder if they should ask if something was bothering their own child? But, Mebuki knew that both she and her husband have been...err, very neglecting and borderline emotionally abusive to Sakura lately, even if it was only acting. Which is exactly why Mebuki was wondering if she had the right to ask Sakura anything at the moment.
She let out another sigh, her tenth on in the last five minutes. No one told her that parenting was easy, but no one ever told her it was this hard either. And right now she was so scared, afraid that the mother-daughter bond she has with Sakura was shattering, and she didn't want that. Because she wants to always be Sakura's mom, be Sakura's hero.
Maybe that's another reason why she didn't want Sakura to become a ninja, because then Sakura wouldn't need her anymore. After all she's never heard of a ninja idolizing a civilian.
Suddenly she felt two arms wrapping around her waist, "Isn't that a little too much ketchup?" the teasing voice of her husband.
Mebuki blinked looking down at a plate filled with ketchup, "Yeah." she agreed, "It's just the way you like it."
"You'd think that after ten years my own wife would know that I don't like ketchup." Kizashi said with a dramatic sigh.
Mebuki's eyes teared up, "Y-you're not going to eat it? But I put so much effort in to it..."
"N-no! I'll eat it!" Kizashi hastily assured before practically showing the ketchup and omurice in his mouth.
Mebuki shook her head at the sight, 'Men are so gullible when a woman cries. But then again so are parents when it comes to their children...'
"You were right dear." Mebuki stated with a defeated sigh.
"I was?" Kizashi asked in confusion.
"About Sakura." Mebuki clarified, "I was just being selfish, trying to justify my actions as necessary for making Sakura realize that she's being foolish, but it's me who has been foolish all along." she placed her palms on her head, "I've been such an awful mother!"
"It's good that you realized that now instead of later, because now you...we can fix that."
"H-how?"
Kizashi smiled. "By encouraging her instead of discouraging her."
Aside from Itachi, Sasuke and Mikoto, there was one specific person Shisui thought highly of.
Kagami Uchiha.
Shisui doesn't know exactly how he was related to Kagami, simply that he was. He's always been told that he had Kagami's blood flowing through his veins, but whether Kagami was his father or his grandfather was something he never knew despite being quite close to Kagami.
And despite the age Shisui assumed the man to be, Kagami looked quite youthful, even more so than Fugaku. Actually, now that Shisui thought it over, most Uchiha men looked younger than Fugaku. Seriously, Fugaku really needed a "spa day" if one would have to borrow Ino's words. Which is why Mikoto was openly prideful that both Sasuke and Itachi hadn't took after their father in the looks department. Itachi took after Mikoto, and who knows who Sasuke took after? Most speculated that Sasuke took after his maternal grandfather.
Sasuke's maternal grandfather wa-
Ah, Shisui's getting off track, isn't he?
Ahem.
Kagami Uchiha, as mysterious as he was, would always remain Shisui's idol. Someone whom Shisui would proudly die for. But alas, roughly a year after Sasuke was born Kagami had passed away. The whole clan was saddened, but the one who took it the worst was little Shisui who wasn't even in the village at the time. That was a kunai to the gut.
Shisui had taken Kagami's death so bad that he stopped talking to everyone and simply locked himself up in his room for a whole week, he didn't eat, sleep nor train. His mind was simply blank, because he couldn't come to terms with the fact that Kagami was dead.
In the end it took a visit from Mikoto, Itachi and baby Sasuke to make him realize that it's okay for him to mourn, but he has to remember to live his own life to the fullest as well.
Which is exactly why he's currently trying to persuade Sakura into getting up and eat. "Come on Sakura, I know you know that I know that you're hungry!"
"I don't wanna eat..." Sakura dejectedly said.
"I'll teach you my signature technique." Shisui tried bargaining.
"You can keep it." Sakura informed.
Shisui sighed, how did Mikoto and the others snap him out of his depressive state again? "Kagami-san is looking after you, you know?" Mikoto's voice played in his head.
"Would Yota want to see you like this?" Shisui asked.
"Yota's...dead." Sakura hollowly said.
"Yes, he is. But that doesn't mean he's not looking after you." Shisui noticed how Sakura tensed as if not even thinking about that before, "And do you think he'd want to see you in such a pathetic state?" he could see the gears in Sakura's head turning as the girl sat up.
"I'm taking a shower." Sakura declared.
Shisui grinned, 'That was easier than I thought.'
"But, it's not because of you or anything!" Sakura loudly said walking pass him.
Shisui snickered, 'She's trying to be tough.' he realized.
"I've decided," Sakura suddenly said, "From now on I'll do my absolute best for everyone else too. I'll do my best to be the greatest friend Ino, Naruto, Kiba, Akamaru, Shikamaru and Chouji could ever hope for, I'll do anything I can to make them happy. And if Yota's really watching over me, then...I should do my best for him too, right?"
"I'll do my best for you too Kagami-jii, watch me protect this village."
Shisui nodded, a nostalgic smile on his face.
A shinobi is always calm, gracious and level-headed. They see the hidden meanings within the hidden meanings. They are always prepared for the sole purpose of never being caught off guard.
Sakura reflected that maybe she really wasn't ready to become a ninja just yet as her mother sent her a big smile.
"I made lunch!"
Yes, she definitely wasn't ready.
"Uhh..." was the only thing Sakura could utter as she took a seat across from her parents, she silently cursed Shisui who was snickering at her dilemma.
"There wasn't much in the fridge so I couldn't make anything special, I'll go grocery shopping later so we can eat something more delicious later, okay?"
"Okay?" Sakura mumbled, it sounded more like a question.
"I forgot to pour our drinks!" her mother realized standing up and making a beeline to the kitchen.
"You seem confused Saku." her father noted in amusement.
"I am." Sakura admitted.
"Let's just say your mother and I had an very enlightening epiphany." her father cryptically said.
"So how's the academy going?" her mother asked putting down some orange juice filled glasses.
Sakura couldn't help gaping, "What?"
"How is the academy?" her mother repeated as if it was a normal question. It was anything but a normal question.
'Okay, something is seriously wrong.' Inner stated narrowing her eyes.
"..it's okay, I made some new friends." Sakura answered taking a bite of her omurice.
"That's lovely."
'Extremely wrong.'
"Had any crushes lately?" her mother teasingly asked making Sakura choke. It didn't help that Shisui was laughing at her struggle to understand the situation. She silently cursed the spirit again as she took a few sips of her orange juice.
'Supremely wrong!'
"Okay, what's wrong?" Sakura asked setting down the glass.
"I told you she'd be suspicious." her father said to her mother.
Her mother sighed, "I'm just trying to be a good mother."
Sakura blinked, that wasn't what she was expecting. "Why?"
"Because I want our family to be complete again, I want to be supportive of you and your dreams or choices, even if I disagree with them." her mother explained with a serious look, "I'm sorry. I messed up Sakura. I messed up bad. And I don't want to ever do that again. Please, you don't have to forgive me, but give this a shot, okay?"
Sakura stared at her mother's expressive green eyes for a moment, she didn't know how to feel. She did know it was between extremely happy and a bit of nonchalance. "Yeah, sure. But it'll take a bit for me to adjust." she blurted out. It took her a moment to realize that it was Inner's doings.
Her mother's face practically lit up, "Of course! Take your time sweetie, I'll always be here!"
Sakura offered her mother a slight smile.
"I say this calls for a celebration." her father grinned.
"Yes, a family trip!" her mother declared.
"...huh?" Sakura uttered.
"Then where do you want to go Sakura?" her father asked.
'She's doing it again.' Mebuki noted looking on as her daughter's eyes suddenly focused somewhere else.
'It's like she's actually seeing something, but that isn't possible. Maybe I really need to go to Inoichi-san with Sakura...'
"Land of Hot Water" Sakura's voice cut Mebuki from her thoughts.
"That's a good choice." she faintly heard her husband say.
Chapter End.
Author's Note : Damn it's been a long time since I've updated this fic, I feel so bad. I was just focusing on my other fics and totally forgot to update this chap. Ironically I already had it written a month ago. So once again, I AM VERY SORRY for not updating.
This chapter kinda took a mind of its own and focused a bit on Mebuki Haruno, because well it would have been a bullshit move of me not to place some focus on Sakura's parents here and there. I mean any (good) parent would notice if something's off with their children. It just took a moment for the ever stubborn Mebuki to. But better late than never, huh?
Questions :
1. Who would you want as your parent if you were in the Naruverse?
2. Your arch enemy in the Naruverse would be?
My answers :
1. I'll totally kill the original story by saying that I want Shikaku as my father and Mikoto as my mother. Or I'd want Inoichi and Kushina. Or Tsunade and Orochimaru, because I'm weird like that.
2. Temari. Because I'd have a hard time taking her seriously with her hair. But on a more serious note it would probably be Danzo.