Saturday, November 17 10:45 am
It has been six days since Sakura has been back and the very obvious thing Kakashi, Genma, and Yamato failed to notice, was her control. They had been able to sleep and wake up feeling completely rested and more willing to start the day than they ever had since they met her. They thought it was due to her new attitude and radiating personality but it wasn't until she came back from an early morning run did they start to notice her new control, habits, and form of studying.
Aside from doing the house chores like she always did, this time by choice rather than fear or monotonous cycle, she would speed read through the lessons she greatly fell behind on. And not the speed reading most people did. She didn't use a collection of reading methods which attempted to increase rates of reading without greatly reducing comprehension or retention. She didn't use methods that included chunking and eliminating subvocalization. She creatively came up with a sly way of using chakra to increase her speed without reducing her comprehension and retention. It was a little thing she thought of while she was with Tsunade. There was never enough time in the day to memorize all the drills and information that was thrown her way, no matter how fast she read or caught on to the subject or discussion at hand. It was when she came upon a manga book lying around Tsunade's office did she get the idea of trying to enhance her eyes and fingers at the same time. If the main character could use magical glasses that increased her reading by tenfold then who is to say that Sakura couldn't apply that property to herself? She was already smart and read at quite an exceptional speed, but never had enough time to get books and articles done, what with the feeling of exhaust consuming her through the strict physical discipline she was forced to participate in.
Tsunade said so herself that chakra was bountiful if used correctly and could be used for many different phenomena that could make any fiction book or movie seem plausible. And that it held one of the many wonders in the world through nature. It could be used positively or negatively through proper balance and Sakura decided to try out the so called 'balance' on herself, with the supervision of a certain Hokage of course. The first week caused her nothing but migraines but by the second week, she developed a 'smooth rhythm' in conjunction to her output and input ratio of chakra. A 'complex trick' Tsunade had acknowledged, but didn't approve of completely. In terms of learning, it could only be used to accommodate Sakura and no one else. But in terms of being a person, it made her seem almost inhuman at times as she timed Sakura reading a book with and without the enhancement. So long as Sakura didn't use it for extensive periods of time, Tsunade didn't see the problem in using it.
Which brings us back to Sakura's new habits. Upon speed reading, Sakura had a tendency to remove her shoes or sandals in an attempt to 'cool off'. But the truth behind it was that she couldn't clench her toes. Like most people who grit their teeth in anger, pain, or pleasure, the faster she read the more she felt like gripping or clenching her toes onto or against something solid while her eyes and hands were preoccupied with what she was reading. She couldn't do that with her feet confined or restricted. But even if she wasn't reading, she was just accustomed shedding her sandals or shoes off whenever it wasn't needed.
As for Sakura's control, it happened by accident when Genma made Sakura feel embarrassed with the oldest joke in the book.
"Hey Sakura, guess what?" Genma said excitedly as he jumped from the couch upon Sakura coming back inside from an afternoon run.
"What?" she asked, thinking it was something relevant to her history practice quiz or something important.
"Chicken butt." he laughed.
Sakura looked at him with a confused expression on her face but didn't understand what he meant.
"You wanna know what else?" he beamed.
"…uh…what?"
"You're butt smells." he sniggered
Sakura knew she was sweating a little too much that day and felt a little gross with herself. But the fact that Genma pointed it out made her feel embarrassed and she lost control for a bit, letting her feelings and chakra ooze through some cracks. She quickly controlled it again and immediately ran upstairs to take a long, heavy shower while Kakashi and Yamato sighed at Genma's ignorance and forced him to apologize.
All in all things were going well and Sakura had been considering the idea of becoming a kunoichi. After three brutal months of being with Tsunade, Sakura found that her life was growing a little boring. Wake up, cook and clean, eat, study for her upcoming G.E.D test - which she was a little too prepared for now, work out, shower, study some more, cook, read and study before she slept, then slept, then woke up again. Sakura had to admit that before she met any of them, she felt dead inside. Like a walking corpse. But now that she had been able to live and feel alive in more ways than one, she felt like she wanted more. And something about being a kunoichi made her more life seem more alive and exciting.
Her weekends to come were to be filled with anything and everything dealing with the hospital and health, and Sakura had to admit she found medicine fascinating and ever changing - so much that she just couldn't get enough. But something about it wasn't enough. Was it just because she was studying by herself? Studying with Tsunade was more pressuring but she had some fun, though she mostly made Sakura study medicine as if she were a normal person. Not once, after returning, has Sakura gotten to study or really practice her skills and some procedures with a chakra standard since her stay with Tsunade. Yamato and Kakashi had recently returned from a mission with a few bruised ribs and a significant amount of damage that was easy for Sakura to patch up - a perfect opportunity to use her chakra, but they wouldn't let her touch them. She thought it was because they didn't trust her but that wasn't the issue. It was because they didn't want to influence her on becoming a medic or a kunoichi based on always having to heal them or patch them up. She could go to school like a regular person and get a degree like a regular person and work like a regular person, but they didn't want to be the influence or reason she decided on a life of danger and exhaustion. Considering her age, it was going to be a tough decision for her unlike children who were thrown into the academy for training.
As much as she found it interesting and exciting, Sakura couldn't bring herself to make a sound decision. She wanted to study it badly and practice around with it with her chakra, but not with the pressure of actually becoming a medic or kunoichi. She was torn. Thinking about it was exciting and a part of her wanted to make that leap into a life of danger, but another part of her told her 'no'.
If that wasn't bad enough, as great as she was progressing, she was still dealing with the demons that hung around and felt heavy against her back like scars. The brooding feeling of left over hate, disgust, despair, and death. If she was going to move on with her life the first thing she needed to do was rid herself of these 'scars' that she carried around. She couldn't care less if she made new scars in the future, but what she cared about were the scars that held nothing but her past self.
Pulling her hair into a high bun, Sakura walked into her bathroom and shed herself of her shirt and bra and looked into the large mirror. Why was she looking in the mirror? She hated looking there. It only reminded her of her ugliness. It only made herself want to scratch and claw at herself. She turned to see nothing on her body and frowned. Her perfect looking skin that would be deemed flawless by anyone looked so creamy and smooth in her reflection but that was nothing but a ruse. As her fingers touched her back she shuddered at the awful feeling behind her fingers. She couldn't hide it any longer if she wanted these scars gone. She needed to take Tsunade's words, and seek her guardians signatures for an extensive procedure Tsunade was offering. One to help her rid herself of her scars. Until then, Tsunade had taught her a little trick to hide it.
Sakura sighed and let her back show what it really looked like. Bit by bit her back slowly phased in and out in a blurry fashion from a smooth, beautiful back, to the disgusting image of raised skin in different shapes and patterns all over. The scars that were left behind for all of those years when things were really bad. For the scars she could reach now, she trailed her fingers across them, grimacing at the feel of smooth and lumpy skin altogether. The ones that made her feel ugly and more disgusting, were the scars that were formed upon other scars leaving her back to look like a traffic mess. All because she couldn't reach and heal herself before.
When your mobility is restricted and only your fingertips could be placed firmly against your back, of course your self healing would be led astray. There were different swipes of directions in which she healed herself and patterns of extra tissue that formed from in between her fingers and in between her healing sessions, and improper chakra balance. Her back, being the only place she couldn't heal properly growing up was her main weakness and was heavily sought after. If that man had tried to damage her back anymore than it already was she would turn around and force him to injure other parts that she would have been able to see and reach.
She observed the different amounts of discoloration all around her back and felt sick. It was hideous. Monstrous. She reached as far as she could up her back with her hands and sunk hair nails in deep, and slowly dragged them down. She had wanted to claw them off of her and have it go away but that wasn't going to work. She looked upon the scratches and scrapes she left herself just now and within the past week. Some were still pink and some were scabbing. She didn't dare to heal them with chakra because she knew it would go away; that it wouldn't leave an unsightly scar such as the ones that already plagued her back.
Her only self reassurance was the thought, "At least I still look like a woman."
Sakura grimaced even more. The scars were just too unsightly. She felt ugly. She felt like all her hard work up until now was pointless as long as they still remained. And with the words of Tsunade ringing in her ears, she needed to build the courage to ask Kakashi and Yamato to sign her procedure papers. The more she thought about it, it shouldn't have been that hard to talk about it. She had already been joking with them and she had seen a few of their scars; though theirs were much more cooler and heroic looking. It showed their pride and dedication to the city and its people. Unlike hers, they were scars to be proud of.
Feeling upset and disgusted with herself, she threw her bra and shirt back on and turned to see Pakkun sitting there in her bathroom doorway with the saddest looking eyes on his face.
Pakkun had seen it all. Her disturbing back and discoloration between old and older scars. He felt absolutely horrible for her. What made things worse was witnessing her digging her nails into her back just before throwing her shirt back on. He wanted so bad to talk to her but he still had yet to receive the 'ok' from Kakashi to speak.
'What the hell, screw it' he thought. 'Its about time she learns about summons anyways!'
"Are you hungry? I thought Kakashi fed you already." She said with a smile.
"Sakura please don't gouge at your back anymore." Pakkun said with a deep, gruff tone.
Sakura looked at Pakkun for a second, trying to process what the hell just happened and immediately threw water on her face to look at Pakkun again.
"I think I might be getting sick." Sakura laughed, dabbing her face with her towel.
"No you're not sick. I can talk."
Sakura blinked and said nothing as she tried to process the situation again. Pakkun spoke. And it wasn't a ventriloquist's trick either. She walked passed Pakkun and made her way to her bed, slowly sitting at the edge as the little pug pattered across tot floor and sat in front of her.
"You can talk." She said, trying to comprehend the situation.
"Yes I can talk. More importantly, please don't dig your nails into your back. You're making it look a lot worse."
Sakura's face grimaced and she looked to Pakkun with eyes of fear.
"Dogs don't talk. I'm sick." she gulped.
"You're not sick. I can talk."
"…"
"…"
Out of nowhere, Sakura pulled out a dumbfounded expression and stood abruptly from where she sat and walked out of her room with Pakkun following behind.
"I'm sick. That's the only explanation. Dogs lack the proper vocal cords and mouth to form words." she laughed out.
She walked downstairs and into the kitchen to see Yamato and Genma talking about a mission at the kitchen island but she didn't greet them. She hurriedly dug through the little medicine shelf within the pantry making shuffle and clank noises and the two men shared an interested look.
"Sakura what are you looking for?" Yamato asked curiously.
"Flu medicine. I'm sick."
Yamato stood and walked to her, gently placing a hand on her forehead to feel her skin. Yamato didn't know she had just splashed her face and his worry formed a bit. They haven't dealt with a sick Sakura before. People in the house have only had colds so a flu was supposed to be worse…right? Before he panicked even more, he decided to take a safe approach.
"Well you do feel a little clammy. Are you sure its not a cold? Do you want me to make you something?"
"No I'm sure. I'm seeing and hearing things. Pakkun just talked to me. And no, I'm just going to go to bed after I find the medicine." she said with such enthusiasm.
"No way! He did?" He and Genma gasped.
He and Yamato quickly turned their attention to the little pug that sat by the kitchen entrance and looked back to one another.
"I know right? It's so absurd! I told you I'm sick." she said, thinking they agreed with her.
"Um Sakura Pakkun-" Genma started, but was cut off quickly by the little pug.
"Talks. Yes I talk." he ruffed.
Genma and Yamato looked at Pakkun with wide eyes and looked to Sakura to see her stare at Pakkun in just as much surprise and shock. There was no way Kakashi gave him the 'ok' to speak. Should they play it off that Sakura was sick? No. That was too mean of them to do to her. They still didn't know everything she picked up from Tsunade's and had yet to see Sakura pissed. Did she have Tsunade's temper hidden very well within her? If she found out they were lying to her about her being sick would she beat them senseless?
"Yes I'm sick. Very sick. Dogs don't talk." she said reassuringly and nodded her head. "I'm going to sleep. Maybe I've studied too much and I'm having a break down."
"Listen here missy, I talk. You're not sick. You're perfectly fine." Pakkun growled.
Sakura walked towards the sink to see Pakkun following her and scolding her that she's perfectly fine. She then walked in a circle around the island many times with Pakkun at her heels continuing to lecture her and she would continue saying out loud, "Dogs don't talk! I'm sick!"
It was quite the sight to witness as Yamato and Genma were stunned for words.
"Missy I'm as real as any person in this room! For proof I can tell them what I saw earlier and-"
"Oh well what do you know? I'm not sick after all." she beamed loudly.
She quickly swooped over and picked up the pug, making a dash to her room leaving a confused and shocked Yamato and Genma in the kitchen.
"Um…we can't hide that anymore…" Genma laughed nervously.
1:04 pm
Sakura heard a knocking on her bedroom door and opened it a bit to see Yamato standing with a sandwich on a plate and a bottle of water tucked under his arm.
"You didn't eat lunch so I thought I'd bring you something." he said with a smile.
Yamato. The least threatening person in the house. Sakura felt somewhat close to him though she showed equality amongst everyone in the house. She nodded and let him enter as she trotted back to her bed and pushed her books to the side, carefully trying not to close them or lose the page numbers she had left them on. She then sat with her legs crossed and patted the spot next to her and Yamato took that as the 'ok' to enter; of course leaving the bedroom door wide open.
"So… have you come to terms if you're sick or not?" he joked.
"Yes I have." she said as-a-matter-of-factly. "I have come to the conclusion that Pakkun is in fact real after constant reading and research."
"I see. And where is Pakkun?"
"He left. I threatened to shave him."
Yamato laughed awkwardly and rubbed the back of his neck.
"Why would you shave him?"
"I thought he was a dog. He's seen me-"
Sakura stopped herself short of finishing her sentence. She couldn't tell him about the atrocity upon her back. At least not yet. Would it have been better to just leave it as Pakkun seeing her naked? Wasn't that worse? Changing in front of a dog? What would he say if she said 'he's seen me naked.'? Not only did a flush of pink come across her face in embarrassment but she carried a troubled expression. Although it was true she changed or was completely naked in front of Pakkun, didn't that sound shameful?
Her fingers slyly took the sandwich from the plate and brought it close to her lips, taking a bite in tow. Yamato didn't say anything but he could guess that Sakura meant to finish her sentence with the word, 'naked'. He only thought that she would be concerned with Pakkun telling any of them what she looked like under her clothing and then concluded why she threatened to shave Pakkun.
Halfway through her sandwich, she drank from the bottle of water Yamato uncapped and handed to her and sighed in contempt.
"Thanks." she muttered.
A few moments passed and it was quiet. Awkward, and quiet. Yamato was about to stand and leave when she grabbed the bottom hem of his shirt and looked to him with pursed lips; contemplating on what she wanted to say. Not only did she want to change the topic about Pakkun but she had other things pressing her mind.
"Yamato…what if…and I'm only saying what if…"
"Hmm?" he hummed curiously.
"What if…um…what if I only want to be a genin…just what if?" she grumbled.
Yamato blinked for a bit, taking in her question and looked at her quizzically.
"Sakura, where is this coming from?"
"Its just a 'what if' question… I'm just asking…. If I become a genin, I can just take labor missions….right?"
"Sakura you don't have to worry about that. You can go to school and get a part-time job like a normal person."
Sakura frowned and searched his eyes as she continued to ask him more questions.
"But I'm asking 'what if'. I wouldn't need supervision unless it was a "C" rank mission but I highly doubt I'll take anything higher than "D"…so…"
Yamato sighed at returned to his spot next to Sakura, only this time sitting more into her bed.
"Sakura, are you actually thinking about becoming a shinobi?"
"Please answer my questions. Whether I decide or not is my decision but I just want to know what to expect if I do decide I want to do it or not…there's still the option of being a civilian and I know that very well because Kakashi tells me that all of the time. Genma pops it in sometimes but he doesn't push me into anything nor does he tell me much either. So just be honest with me…"
Yamato sighed again and tapped his finger against his knee. The look on Sakura's face said she was serious and said she was going to call Tsunade if he didn't entertain her questions. Tsunade would be more than thrilled to hear Sakura asking and would just throw her into it while explaining things along the way but this was serious. Most kids who joined the academy learned about everything before and during school. It gave them time to think about whether they really wanted to do it or not. The kids that were thrown into the academy from expecting family members were raised on the decision and taught basic skills for a life of a shinobi before entering the academy. But Sakura was too different. She was raised normally… No, he couldn't say she was raised normally but there was nothing else to compare her situation to. This would be a really important and tough decision for her to make seeing as she hasn't learned or started anything from childhood like most people did.
"If you do that, "D" rank is ok. You'd be supervised a few times but you'd mainly have another genin as a partner or you'll be on a team. It depends on the job required. But Sakura you need to know that if you become a shinobi your paychecks are more of commissions. Your health and housing are taken care of but spending money is different. There are job placements for people like us and we can take leave from work without consequences if its for a mission, but you need to think carefully about something like that. Things change a lot in our field of work. I don't want to influence you or-"
"I am just asking a hypothetical question so please answer it honestly." she cut in.
Another sigh came from Yamato's lips and he looked to Sakura with serious yet sad eyes. A big part of him hoped she wasn't going to choose this path after everything he might answer for her. He hoped that he and Kakashi did the right thing by ignoring her concerns and urges to want to help them heal.
"Sakura, my main income is from missions and the same applies to Kakashi. But Genma is different. He's a bodyguard for the Hokage so he makes a regular, hourly wage when he works and he makes an extra income if he takes a mission. Its not a glamorous life. Instead of becoming a genin, why not opt for a medic or nurse? If you learn under Tsunade you can keep a genin title and earn and hourly wage without having to embark on missions…."
"I'm just want to know my options…" she said quickly.
"Sakura the path of a shinobi is not an easy one. There are some "D" ranked missions that turn into "C" or "B" in unfortunate favors. There is always danger revolving around people like us. When you proceed to grow more skillful or powerful you're put into higher ranking missions and the risks are even higher. If you mess up you could end up gravely injured or dead. You might lose a teammate who you feel close to. Its a life we shinobi chose to live and a resolve we've built for the dangers involved."
Sakura nodded as she carefully as she listened to Yamato's words and gave him a thoughtful expression.
"Yamato, its only a 'what if' question. I understand the risks involved but I'm only inquiring because everyone tries to avoid it."
Yamato looked towards the books on her bed and then to the books on her desk. They were all lined up neatly with what seemed like hundreds of tabs and insert notes while a few lay open with highlighted words and sentences; all of them being medical books and written procedures Tsunade had given to Sakura. The thoughts of her becoming a medic or a nurse seemed much more likeable rather than her becoming a shinobi but who was he to say she couldn't become one? She might have been planning on it after she was considered a legal adult.
Yamato turned to face Sakura again, still seeing her serious yet thoughtful expression and sighed again for what seemed like the hundredth time. But what finally hit him was something completely off of what they were discussing. She had just called him by his name. This was the first time she ever addressed anyone, other than Tsunade, by name. Thinking back at how she said his name, something about it sounded smooth and sweet like honey. It made him feel closer to her as some pride swelled slightly in the pit of his stomach. He was the first one in the house she addressed by name.
The two continued their conversation for what seemed like a good two or three hours with Yamato answering all of her questions. But he couldn't help but see Sakura in a different light than before. Her growth was astonishing and she was actually quite the cheerful young woman. She had a radiance that filled a room with warmth and he felt that is should just stay that way. She was a pleasant sight to behold and a presence that was much wanted and maybe even needed in this house. The mood was always nice when anyone came home to a warm meal, clean clothes, and a beautiful, intriguing woman. He didn't want her to embark on a dangerous life like he and the rest did. It was fine for her to be happy and live a normal life.
Friday, November 23 8:27 am
"A part time job?" Kakashi mused with interest.
"Genma took me to a café the other day and they're looking for a part timer. I still don't know what I want and I thought that maybe I could get some work experience at least." Sakura defended.
Kakashi cocked his head to the side and held his chin between his thumb and index finger; rubbing it in slow thoughtful circles. He hummed a bit as he thought about it and looked at Sakura's expression. The determination in her eyes and the inquisitive look on her face were very nice to see and he hummed a bit more in satisfaction. Sakura was definitely growing in confidence and it was great in Kakashi's opinion. Though he knew there was still a major setback to her new found growth, he never argued with it. Seeing her have a tremble episode one night made him question everything that happened but he never approached her about it. It was obvious she wasn't used to touching people but she was able to push it aside until the end of the day.
Kakashi hummed some more and looked her over from head to toe. He couldn't see an ounce of hesitance in her but wondered how long it would last. It pained him seeing her tremble alone at night and having her work part time would only increase the amount of people and stress. It would probably drive her insane. Or maybe it would be one of the best things for her. Somewhere along the way she would get accustomed to excessive interaction and maybe break from her tremble episodes, but Kakashi didn't know. He couldn't know. All he did know was that he wanted her to have a free will on her own and that meant she would make her own decisions about her life. But a part of him wanted her to stay within the bubble of protection he and the others had created for her.
"What about your studies?" he asked curiously.
"Finished."
"But you have a G.E.D. examination coming up. I don't want you to-"
"I won't fail." she quickly defended with enthusiasm and determination.
"Why do you want to work so soon?"
A flick of betrayal crossed her face but she quickly regained her composure.
"I just want to get a feel of working. I know it seems like a stretch because its in a popular area so the drive to work would be about ten to fifteen minutes from here, but Genma said it would be fine since he knows the owner and that they could give me a schedule that's not bad for Genma."
"So Genma put you up to this?"
"Not really…at first I thought it was stupid but somehow the idea grew on me."
"What about the hospital? I thought Tsunade declared you as her pupil? Wouldn't you be working as an intern under her directly? And wasn't that supposed to have been every weekend starting last week?"
"Yes but…um...she's still waiting for me to give her a definite answer..." she mumbled.
"I see."
"..."
"You have a lot of nerve making the Fifth Hokage wait." he laughed.
"..."
"She must really like you if she hasn't come here herself to drag you to the hospital. Does she know about the part time job?"
Sakura stayed quiet. She was waiting for permission first from Kakashi and Yamato before she told Tsunade. They were her guardians after all before Tsunade. And knowing that woman, she probably would have shouted and thrown Sakura into a spartan work out.
"...No... But who was I supposed to ask? You guys are my guardians so I'm supposed to ask you." she exhaled irritatedly
"That's a little cheeky of you to say." Kakashi chuckled. Never had he seen her irritated and he was liking this new set of emotions. She really was just seventeen and he held down a laugh. She was obviously mature for her age and came a long way from abuse and fear, but she never had a chance to experience the rebellious age like most people did at seventeen. Something about her feisty side came off as cute and Kakashi felt like he wanted to make her mad on purpose; but he'll save that for later. This was supposed to be a serious conversation.
A few moments passed and it was quiet. Kakashi stared at Sakura and she stared back; waiting for him to say something more. Anything would have been fine. She was used to him changing the subject to something absurd or profound but the quiet was uncomfortable. As much as she trusted him she still couldn't. That masked face said nothing but deceit and those eye crinkles weren't something she could believe in completely like Naruto or anyone in the house could.
Kakashi cleared his throat and relaxed his shoulders.
"I won't say 'no'. Its like you said. You don't know what you want yet. She was practically throwing a health profession into your face and taking you on odd missions. I don't see a problem with it. Just don't let it affect your studies." Kakashi sang, though he stressed the importance of the last sentence.
'What am I saying? I sound like I'm trying to be a father!' he thought and shuddered.
'What is he saying? He sounds like he's trying to be a father… gross..' she thought.
Tuesday, December 4 2:45 pm
Nine days working at the café flew by faster than Sakura had realized. She was a fast learner and was thankful for that. Recipes, procedures, greetings, they were all too easy for her. This had to have been the most simple thing she had ever done.
The café was simple too. They served all types of dishes that ranged from light snacks and beverages to heavier, filling dishes. The interior was warm and quaint with large panel windows that let in a lot of sunlight. Along the main floor fit about seven tables that seated four people at a time and seven smaller tables that seated two. Though the room was still spacious and could fit more tables and chairs, Sakura knew very well that the café did just fine with the daily average of customers that entered so there was no need for extra seating arrangements. It was perfect and the business did well.
Sakura had just finished changing into her spare uniform, after an accidental spill from her customer, and examined herself in the mirror just before returning to the main serving floor. Her uniform was simple as well and Sakura had a little crush on herself when she saw herself wearing it. It was cute in her opinion. A simple white button up short sleeve shirt, a black clip on bow with a ribbon for her neck, a nicely fitted black vest, a black skirt that came slightly above her knees, black stockings and shoes, and a white apron that tied at her hips and fluttered as far as her skirt. It was simple. Very simple. But it looked very good on her.
She made sure her hair was still neatly kept in her respectable ponytail and fixed the the little bangs she let hang from the sides of her face.
'Perfect.' She thought cheerfully, and made her way out of the bathroom and passed the storage room.
"Sakura I'm sorry but could you stay back for about two more hours? Saki-chan is running really late and we need you to serve on her shift for a bit. Can you handle that?" the owner called from the storage room.
"That's fine if you pay me overtime." she laughed. "Just let me call home and-"
"I'll call Genma for you. Thank you so much! You're really saving me here Sakura!" the owner called again.
The owner was a tall, calm man with long black hair in which he tied into a bun and wore circular glasses. He was very nice gentleman who got along well with his waiters and waitresses and although Sakura didn't trust him because of this traits, she found herself easing into his personality and mannerisms along the course of working with him. Maybe it was possible to trust people who seemed good or perfect in societies eyes.
Sakura, who entered the service area, grabbed a tray of teas and cakes, made her way towards a table of young, annoying women who were not only picky, but very bitchy towards her. Harsh tones, specific orders, ridiculing remarks, Sakura heard it all as they spoke behind her back about her and her pink hair. Though Sakura didn't care for them. Anything they said about her didn't matter since she's heard nothing but worse things all her life. A few remarks, she had to admit, hit her where it hurt, but she was a strong girl. She did, however, feel the urge to smack them silly but knew better. She believed in Kakashi's words that day in the dressing room. "There are good people out there and you just happened to meet the bad ones first." If she didn't believe in his words then surely she would have given up on her job and her life altogether. These girls were definitely a part of the 'bad ones' crowd but Sakura didn't mind them. She had a lot of nice customers too so it was a well balanced world from inside the café.
The bell on the door dinged and chimed and Sakura turned to greet her new set of customers when she saw Yamato and Kakashi enter hesitantly. It was obvious they never frequented to a café and the awkward stances and smiles told all.
"Welcome to the Cat's Eye Café. For how many?" she beamed with a smile.
Kakashi and Yamato couldn't help but feel a little flustered at her beaming smile and cheerful attitude in her uniform. This was the first time they saw her at work and wanted to see how she was doing but they obviously didn't have to worry anymore.
"Two." Kakashi said, indicating with his fingers and waving them side to side.
"Alright, please follow me." She said, grabbing for a pair of menus and led them to a table by one of the large window panes.
After seating them in their respectable seats she looked at them with a smile and asked, "So what brings you here?"
"Nothing really. We were just nearby and remembered the shop was close so we thought we'd take stroll and see how you were." Kakashi hummed.
"Well that was thoughtful but I would have just seen you at home."
"But I want to pick on you today." Kakashi joked.
"Hey that's not nice." Yamato laughed. "Don't mind him Sakura."
"I don't mind. Feel free to bother me when you need to and I will try my best to make your experience here a good one. Now if you will excuse me, I will check up on you in a bit." Sakura sang and turned on the balls of her feet towards a group of people who had pulled three tables together for a gathering at the beginning of her shift.
"This is very interesting." Kakashi mused, as he placed the menu on the table and pulled out a brand new Icha Icha book.
"She's quite taken with her work isn't she?"
"Hmm. I suppose."
"You still have your doubts?"
"No. She a young woman who can make her own decisions. It's none of my concern. As long as she studies and does her part under our watch then its fine isn't it?" Kakashi said flatly and turned a page of his book.
"You're just as worried as I am."
"Who knows."
"Hey… listen there is something that should be brought to your attention."
"Hmm?"
"About two or three weeks ago Sakura asked about becoming a genin…"
"Hmm?" Kakashi hummed, closing his book quickly and flashing a glare to Yamato. "And you didn't tell me about this why?"
"Well they were only 'what if' questions and we haven't been telling her anything. I thought I'd answer her questions. I still stressed the importance of school and-"
"My, my, sounds like a typical teenager thing to do. When the father says no, they go the mother." Kakashi teased.
"But you never said no. You just didn't entertain her questions. I was just honest about it. Kakashi if we don't have a real conversation with her about it then she'll decide to do it anyways and try to find out for herself. Curiosity kills and in our line of work, it literally does. Wait what? Since when am I the mother?"
"I'm the primary guardian and you're the secondary. Doesn't that mean I'm the father and you're the mother, dear?" Kakashi cooed.
Yamato grimaced at Kakashi and shuddered at his knew nickname.
"Please don't give me weird names."
"Why not? You're more motherly than I am."
"Am not! Don't joke like that! It's gross!"
"My, my. My darling is acting out on me. Please don't tell me you're cheating on me with Genma." Kakashi said with disbelief and placed a hand on his heart.
"I am not cheating on you with anyone. Hey, wait! You set me up for that!"
"This surely is the first time I've been able to rile you up like I do with Genma. So its true. You're cheating on me."
"Please stop with the sick jokes already." Yamato said grimly.
"You two sure seem lively. Are you ready to order?" Sakura giggled.
"Just a coffee." Kakashi said with a halfhearted eye crinkle, which surprisingly, Sakura noticed.
She furrowed her brows to him and squinted her eyes in suspicion and then looked to Yamato who only replied with jasmine tea and a scone.
"Ok, then. I'll start on your order. Please wait a moment." she said cautiously and ran to the back with their orders.
Sakura didn't like that halfhearted eye crinkle on Kakashi's face. By now, she could tell when there was a change in his demeanor and a part of her didn't like it. Something about it felt off and too forced; almost as if he was hiding something from her. As she handed the order to her coworker in the back, she got a call from her manager telling her to clean up the table from the large group that had just left and she bolted from the back with a large, serving tray she normally used when collecting dirty dishes.
She fluttered by Kakashi and Yamato who seemed to be in a stare down with one another and quickly cleaned off the tables that were placed together, making a triple trip. Not only did they leave a hefty tip for her, but they ordered so much that Sakura was bound to get some praise from her manager later. On her fourth trip back to the group of tables, she only had two glasses left to remove as she wiped down the tables before moving them back. She felt proud of herself for today's work. Today had been a relatively busy day and she was the main waitress on the floor. She still had another two hours before her shift was over and Genma would be picking her up but she knew it was the 'final stretch' until Saki-chan arrived.
She heard the familiar ringing of the door opening and Sakura greeted the customer without looking away from the table she was wiping down.
"Welcome to the Cat's Eye Café. Please have a seat anywhere and I'll be with you in a moment kind customer." she beamed.
"Hnn?" a voice hummed suspiciously which sent chills down Sakura's spine.
'Great. Another crappy customer.' she thought dryly.
Sakura quickly finished wiping down the rest of the tables and grabbed the two glasses with a bright smile on her face, when an unexpectedly familiar voice came up from behind her low and quiet.
"I found you." the voice said slyly and triumphantly.
Sakura turned quickly and dropped the two glasses onto the floor, staring at one of the last people she ever wanted to see.