L.
Light after Dark
Chapter 11
Shock registered on the pinkett's face as realization hit her like an ice cold bucket of water. 'Lead to trouble?' Anger began rising from within as her mind kept repeating Kakashi's words.
In an instant, the fuming pinkett stomped out from behind the wall, her face red with furry. "Kaka-how can you say such a thing?" Tears sprung to her eyes as she spoke. "What is wrong with you? Do you not want me to-why would you even say such a cruel thing?" Her voice reached a new high as she screamed, her body shaking as she gripped the edge of her tank.
Baby blue eyes shot up as her voice registered in his head. 'Shit! She was awake? I just left her sleeping!' He glanced at Kakashi, whose entire body had frozen as soon as she entered the kitchen. "Why Sakura…you didn't sleep long at all…" Naruto awkwardly laughed, trying to stall for time.
"Don't fuck with me Naruto." She spat, her face flushed red.
Kakashi heaved a heavy sigh as his lone eye slid close. Deliberately slowly, he turned to face her, one hand gripping his aching ribs. "Sakura…." He spoke calmly. "Sakura listen to me."
Distraught emerald eyes glared up at him. "Why the hell should I?" She sneered up at him from her spot against the wall. "You obviously think I can't do shit in life-"
Kakashi took a deep breath then cut off her rant. "Sakura you are my daughter."
Awkward silence.
No one moved.
No one dared breathe.
After a few uncomfortable seconds of silence Naruto shifted around the counter. "Kaka-"
"I'm your what?" Sakura spoke, her eyes open wide in bewilderment. "Sempai that's not fucking funny." She turned her gaze away from him.
The silver haired male shifted to stand up only to have Naruto's hand slam down on his arm. Dark eyes followed the tanned arm up to his face to see him shake his head 'no'. "Sakura…I adopted you. Legally, you are my daughter." Kakashi spoke softly, slowly. "And in all honestly…I view you as one as well…"
It was then her legs gave out and she slid effortlessly to the floor, her normally expressive face devoid of any emotion. 'Wha…what? Kaka-Sempai is really Otousan…I'm adopted?'
"Sakura…" Naruto's low, raspy voice broke into her thoughts. "Are you-how are…are you okay?" His cerulean orbs were filled with concern.
Sakura tilted her head up to see him standing beside Kakashi, his tanned face a mixture of worry, regret, and love. Slowly, she stood back up, using the wall as a guide she leaned on it. "Did…did you know?" She asked, her voice wavering.
Naruto locked his eyes with her and nodded. "Yeah…"
With that bit of information, she whipped her head to the side and stalked out of the room and down the hall.
Light after Dark Light after Dark
Though bright, midday light tried to break into the dim room of a young man's, it didn't succeed. Dark, heavy shades covered the bedroom window from corner to corner, shrouding the room and preventing any glint of light from filtering in. On the bed, exactly opposite the window lay a motionless body sleeping the day away. That was, until the body slowly moved.
A young man with messy, dark blue hair shaped like a chicken's ass rolled over in pain as his blankets slid to the floor of his bedroom. With a pathetic sniff, he eased himself up and grasped the edge that still cling to his feet and pulled it over his quivering form. Slowly, he snuggled back down into the cool sheets and allowed his aching body to relax.
Then a violent sneeze wracked his form. '…How the hell did I get sick…?' He groaned in pain then sat up and stared at the digital clock on his bedside table. 'It's fucking lunchtime and…I slept past…ohhh…' He pouted like a child then grabbed his cell phone off the table and sunk back down into his bed.
"Sakura…" He called out, slightly delusional as he strolled down the list of contacts and clicked Kakashi's house number. 'I'm…sick…'
After a few rings, someone picked up the phone. "Hello? Sakura?" He asked desperately.
"Not now Sasuke." Naruto's annoyed voice sounded through the line before he hung up.
Onyx eyes stared at his phone in disbelief. "…What?"
After a few seconds he realized what exactly happened and re-dialed the number.
His eyes narrowed as he waited. After two rings someone answered. "Don't hang up." He spoke.
"Sasuke?" Kakashi asked, baffled.
"Yeah…where's Sakura?"
"This is a bad time. Call later." With that said, the line went dead.
Onex eyes stared down at the phone now resting in his lap. '…'
Light after Dark Light after Dark
Sakura wiped the warm tears falling from her broken eyes as she darted out of the house, her coat in her arms. As soon as her boots touched the crisp, fallen leaves scattered about the pathway she bolted. She ran out of the driveway and down the sidewalk, past the neighbors and rounded the corner, her vision blurred by the tears streaking her red face.
After a few seconds of running, she slowed to a stop somewhere in town. By that time her fingers became frozen, her insides had lost all body heat and her tears had become blued to her face. Numbly, she fingered the black coat draped over her arms but made no move to put it on.
Slowly, she raised her head to stare up at the bright sun, its rays shinning down on her damp face and reflecting off somewhere she could no longer see. With a sigh, she released the breath trapped in her chest and let her shattered eyes drift close.
"Sakura?" A woman's voice called to her, somewhere in the depths of her conscious. "Sakura that's you isn't it?" the voice grew louder the more she tried to ignore it. "Sakura come on, it's me Ten-Ten Remember? Look I know we left on bad terms but…don't ignore me…" The pinkett continued to lose herself in her mind, ignoring the pleading voice and the cold biting at her exposed skin. "Sakura I know its you…you're the only one with pink hair…please look at me…let me buy you some-Sakura?" A warm hand pressed against the pinkett's frozen arm only to shatter her inner mind. With a start her eyes shot open, confused and disoriented.
"Wha?" She mumbled, her pink lips frozen shut.
Then her lost gaze fell upon the woman in front of her. There stood a young woman with long, brunette hair pulled into two, low buns on her head, halfway hidden by a large red fur hat. She wore a matching red coat that went down to her knees with black, military like buttons. Her arms were folded in front of her, in an attempt to try and keep the warmth in as she shifted from foot to foot and her tanned face was scrunched in worry and apprehension. "Sakura?" She whispered, leaning forward. "Sakura what the hell is wrong with you?"
"Ten-Ten?"
The young woman sighed and glanced around, noting the sun disappearing behind a large cloud. "Yeah…let's go into that café okay? It looks like it might…the weathers changing…and put your coat on. It's cold out." With that said, she took Sakura's coat from her grasp and draped it over her shoulders.
Sakura did as she said and stiffly hugged the coat closer to her freezing body. '…I don't know what to…to think…this…how…why?'
Together, they walked into the café, Ten-Ten lightly guiding the sullen pinkett as they crossed the street. "So…" She mumbled, reaching foreword to grasp the door handle.
"Hm?" Sakura looked up, her mind lost to the world around her.
Ten-Ten shook her head and gently nudged the other woman inside. "Let's get something warm to eat and drink. What do you say?"
Pink hair swayed as she walked inside, her shoulders immediately relaxing as the warm heat beckoned her inside and hugged her in a comforting embrace. The café was small and quiet, through several customers sat scattered around. The place was painted a light pink with red roses stenciled all over the walls, the flooring was woodened, but it added to the charm.
"Nice huh?" Ten-Ten murmured, sliding past the immobile pinkett and leading her through the aisles of the café to a back seat. "I found this place awhile ago and fell in love instantly." A small smile found its way upon her lips at the memory. "I was just wandering around, killing time before one of my meetings…" She removed her red coat and tossed in into the booth and nodded at Sakura to make herself comfortable.
With measured movements the pinkett also took a seat, opposite her.
Chocolate eyes watched with great interest until the server strode up. "Hello, is there anything I can get you two girls before you order?" The server smiled warmly at them before nodding at the large window beside them. "How about coffee? Tea? It's real cold out there."
Ten-Ten nodded then looked at her friend who kept her head bowed down at the table.
"Sakura?" She spoke. "Sakura what would you like? Coffee? Tea?"
No response.
She tried again. "Come on Sakura you must be frozen stiff. Have something warm to drink."
Emerald eyes stared down at the cream tabletop. "I haven't any money…" She mumbled, defeated. 'I left everything…I just wanted to get out of there…'
Ten-Ten nodded and placed a comforting hand atop her friends. "It's okay. My treat." She then turned back to the waiting server. "Make that two coffee's." The server nodded then walked off.
An uneasy silence fell upon the two until Ten-Ten cleared her throat. "Sakura."
Pink hair swayed as her head shoot up.
"Alright Sakura tell me what's going on." Chocolate eyes narrowed. "You've been moving around like your possessed or something." She leaned forward, closer to the pinkett. "Did something happen? Do you have AIDS or something?"Her voice low.
Emerald eyes opened wide at her friend's assumption. "NO!" She whispered harshly, her cheeks dusting pink. "No I do not! How-why would you even think such a thing?"
"Well I don't know!" Ten-Ten leaned back exasperated. "What am I suppose to think Sakura? You're not saying anything…"
Sakura nodded and leaned back. "…I know…" She tucked a strand of pink hair behind her ear and shifted uncomfortably. "It's just…I just…found out something…unsettling…"
Ten-Ten nodded, encouraging her friend to continue talking.
"You know how I live with Kaka-Sempai right?"
"Excuse me ladies." The server called, walking up to them with two coffee mugs. "Let me just…" She trailed off as she placed the mugs between them. "Are you two ready to order?"
Sakura looked up at Ten-Ten to see her nod. "Yeah…uhm…a croissant."
"And strawberry tart." The young brunette cut in, smiling. "And a blueberry muffin…some cookies…and I think that's-oh and one of those coconut filled pastries." The server laughed and nodded. "Okay, I'll be a moment." Then walked away.
Chocolate eyes watched until the server was on the other side of the café before she turned back to Sakura in front of her. "Continue."
Emerald eyes flashed to the window and looked outside, watching as a little girl buried her nose in her green scarf as the cold wind blew through her hair. "Yeah…where was I?" She whispered, her pale lips barley moving, her eyes glued to the outside world.
"You live with Kakashi." Ten-Ten filled in.
"Yeah…for as long as I can remember I've lived with him…" Sakura mumbled, her eyes unblinking as she became lost in the memories dancing in her mind. "…I can't remember a time when he wasn't there…I can't…remember much of my past you know…only fragments…every memory I have Kaka-Sempai has always been there…"
Ten-Ten nodded and sipped her coffee.
"I was born into this world with him already there." Emerald eyes fluttered close as her lips kept moving. "When I was just a baby he was already there, taking care of me…when did we cross the boundary of friends and became family?"
"Hm?" Confusion flashed in chocolate eyes.
"Or was I just born into the role but never noticed?"
"Sakura what are-"
"Why am I always blind to the truth?" She mumbled, a trickle of tears dancing down her cheek.
Light after Dark Light after Dark
A young man with short, messy brown hair heaved a heavy sigh as he sat up in his bed. He blinked a few times then yawned loudly and swung his feet off the blankets and stared out at the large window smiling back at him. The drapes were drawn open, allowing the warm rays of midday sun to shine into his gloomy room. "…Why the hell are you so happy?" He mumbled and shook his head then stood up. 'Damn am I a mess…talking to the sun…' Slowly he stumbled around his large room, scratching the back of his head. 'This whole, stupid…idea…is making me-'
"Kanky you up?" His sister's loud voice echoed down the hall and under his door.
"Yeah." He rasped, his voice still lathered with sleep as he stretched his stiff arms high over his head.
A knock sounded at his door before it opened to reveal his older sister. She poked her head into his dreary room, a tired, calm look on her face. "I'm going to go buy some breakfast." Her voice was soft, careful.
"Kay." He answered, pulling off his crumpled, black shirt and tossing it to the floor.
"Any requests?"
Kankurou paused for a moment, and then shook his head. "As long as I can eat it its fine."
"Okay…" She lingered in his doorway, watching him for a moment before he noticed.
"What's wrong Tem?" He asked, rolling his neck.
Olive eyes closed. "I don't know…it's weird…"
Her brother looked off to the side before looking back at her. "What is?"
"…Thinking that…tomorrow…"
A dark look passed over his face before he nodded and walked over to his closet. "Yeah…"
"Are you nervous?"
Kankurou hung his head. "Tem just go get breakfast will you? I don't want to talk about that." He mumbled angrily before roughly grabbing a shirt off the rack and slamming the door shut.
Light after Dark Light after Dark
A man with pale skin and inky black hair released a painful breath as he walked into his large, dark room which was located on the top floor of the house. It was a corner room, and two of the walls had glass running through the middle. His room was neat, but fairly empty compared to the others; he only had a king sized bed, a desk, one dresser, and a walk in closet. Slowly, he eased himself down into a chair behind his desk. Slowly he leaned back and made himself comfortable then opened the desk drawer. With a quick glance around his darkened room, he pulled out a large, crisp, white envelope.
"Hn…" He mussed to himself as his long, bruised, pale fingers slid open the flap and he pulled out a few letters. 'Sakura…' His dark eyes fleeted over the papers and notes as they scattered onto the desk.
With great care, he picked up one of the letters folded neatly into a small heart. Slowly, he unfolded the paper and turned it right side up. His name was scribbled across the top in Sakura's neat, precise handwriting. "Sakura…" He whispered, her name stuck on his lips.
"You miss her too?" A low, males voice spoke from the doorway.
"Deidara." Itachi growled, unhappy with the rude interruption. "My door was closed."
The young man shrugged, his blonde hair falling off his shoulder. "Actually it was pushed in." He walked further into Itachi's room. "What are you doing?"
Itachi sighed and gently placed the letter down. "What does it look like?"
"Looks like you're sulking."
"About?"
Crystal eyes glided down Itachi's crumpled frame to his desk. "Sakura." He stated, his voice growing dark. "You kept the letters?"
Itachi raised a slim brow at the statement. "Didn't you?"
Deidara scoffed and walked around the desk to face the large window behind the man. "Of course…" He mumbled and drew open the dark shades, shedding the dark room with bright light.
"What do you want Deidara?" Itachi asked, annoyed with the blonde.
"Nothing."
"You sure about that?"
"…Tobi misses her…" Crystal eyes stared out at the bright landscape in front of him.
"Of course he does…everyone does…"
Deidara turned to look down at him. "Then why don't we do something about it?"
"Like what? We can't see her." Itachi gulfed. "You know that."
"…yeah…I just thought…"
Itachi heaved a heavy sigh and picked up one of the letters "You thought what? That I had some master plan to go and save her from Kakashi? Well I don't." He fingered her lettering, tracing over her signature. "He's taking great care of her…and he doesn't need any help…that much is obvious…"
Light after Dark Light after Dark
Kakashi released a breath he'd been holding and racked his hand through his messy hair. In front of him, Naruto worked in silence though his actions were rough. Angrily, he chopped up the chicken; slamming the knife down into the chicken and down into the chopping board. He severed the chickens leg from his body then moved onto the wings.
"…She took that…better than expected." Kakashi mumbled to himself, watching as Naruto irately tossed the detached pieces into a bowl.
"Sempai what you did…" He began then trailed off, shaking his head.
"What?" He coaxed; his deep voice soothing.
Cerulean orbs stared at the man before him. "You told her…just like that you told her…"
Silver hair swayed as he nodded. "Yeah…I did."
"Why?"
"Because she needed to know…it's myplace to say things like that…she would have-"
Naruto growled and stabbed the knife into the cutting board, blade down. "Kaka-Sempai stop the bullshit and tell me what the hell is going on." He scowled up at the silver haired male looking at him.
Light after Dark Light after Dark
L.
Review or message with your thoughts.
Any thoughts.
Continue?
All constructive and unconstructive criticism welcome.