Sasaku swallowed hard as he walked up to the door. He stood there for a minute just standing, trying to convince himself to do it. He knocked. After a few seconds, the door opens. Sasaku's father stood there. His hair had receded a quarter on an inch and the sides had turned very slightly grey. Other then that, he looked the same; only Sasaku thought he seemed shorter.
"May I help you?" his dad asked. Sasaku remained silent for a minute. "Dad..." A gasp escaped from his dad's mouth. He embraced Sasaku in a hug, but Sasaku didn't return it. He stood there emotionless. When his dad backed off, he said, "Look at you! You've gotten taller and you're hair has grown. What happened to your eye? Well come in and we'll talk-"
"I ran into Ichigo." Sasaku's dad went totally silent. His lips curled and his eyebrows came closer together. "We do not speak that name in this house!" he hissed, "Your brother left and made enemies with us." Sasaku turned away. "He had good reason." he said. Sasaku's dad coughed, then put a hand on Sasaku's shoulder.
"I didn't do it to replace your mom." he said, "But you have to believe me, I was sad when she died and it was nearly impossible to get over the pain-"
"You got over it in six months." Sasaku said, "You had much to short a recovery time! How could you ever replace mom?!"
"That's enough!" his dad said, "I am your father, and I will not have you speak to me that way! I did what I felt I needed to do!" Sasaku lashed around and decked his father. He stood with his head down and his fist extended, and his dad remained standing with his head turned by the punch. A small drop of blood trailed onto his chin, then dripped onto the ground.
The two looked up into each other's eyes. "Daddy?" Sasaku's dad looked back to see a little girl standing behind him. She was only three or four, and had a stuffed white rabbit under her arm. "Daddy, who dat?" she said, pointing to Sasaku. Sasaku looked at his apparent stepsister. His dad looked down at her. "Nobody Sakura." He looked back at Sasaku.
Then Sasaku's dad walked back into the house. Sakura stepped out the door and looked at Sasaku. "You look farmilyar," she said, "are you da boy in the picture on daddy's desk?" Sasaku looked down at the little girl. She smiled up at him. He attempted a smile back, then walked over to the motorcycle without another word. He got on and put the goggles on.
"Goodbye Sasaku!" Sakura called at him. He looked over at her, and felt a tear come to his eye from behind the goggles. Sakura smiled and skipped back into the house while singing. The engine of the bike roared as he started it up. Sasaku needed to clear his mind, and seriously think. He looked around the area.
There were so many places around that reminded him of his family, way back when... He shook his head and drove on, stopping at a place to rest for the rest of the day and through the night. It was a hotel with a great hot spring. It was famous for how relaxing it was and how it helped to clear the mind. That was exactly what Sasaku needed.
After deciding to make a stay there, he dropped off all his stuff in the room and went straight for the hot springs. He sat there in silence alone. It was an odd time of day to be in the spring. 'I know he's my father,' he thought, 'but maybe I should forgive him. He always has bounced back kinda quick, so maybe he's... is he lonely and trying to fill the void me and mom left when she was killed and I left...?'
He sighed and continued to think, sitting in the water for hours, barely noticing as other people came and left. Finally, he got out and decided he needed to grab a bite to eat. He put on his clothes and began to walk through the place he'd grown up. It all seemed so close, yet alien to him. Nostalgia was the only word that could describe how he felt.
Sasaku stopped in front of this old hole-in-the-wall restaurant. It was where his family used to eat dinner all the time. He wiped his hand over his headband and walked in. It was the exact same as when he'd left. It had the air of a place from the sixties. He smiled and sat at the bar. There he got his food and ate. This was where Sasaku had been the night before the incident had happened.
He sighed and finished his dinner. "No way!" a voice said from behind him, "Enkou Sasaku is that you?!?" He turned around. There stood a beautiful girl with short brown hair. She wore a green sweater and blue shorts. "No freakin' way," Sasaku said with his mouth hanging open, "Sarutobi Yumi?!" He ran up to her and the two grabbed each other in a hug.
When they let go, Yumi looked at him and said, "You didn't even say goodbye to me when you left. Even after how many times I visited you in the hospital." Sasaku laughed. "I'm sorry," he said, "I had a lot on my mind at the time. But man, you look great! How's it been over the past year?"
"It's been really good." Yumi replied, "Everything is moving at such a fast pace. My baby brother was born a month after you left. My mom actually named him after you!" Sasaku stared at her with a grin. Then the two stood there for a moment. "So, how's it in Konoha?" Yumi asked.
"Oh, it's amazing there!" he said, "I've done so much. I've got so many new friends too! There's Naruto, Sasuke, In-" Sasaku stopped for a minute. His smile faded and he slightly downcast his head. "Yumi," he said, "tell me something, and I want the truth. Have you waited for me this whole time, or have you seen other people?" Yumi got a questioning look on her face. "I'll always wait for you." she said.
Sasaku looked her in the eyes, then left without another word. He walked a few steps from the restaurant. "Sasaku, what's the matter?" she asked walking up to him. The light from the full moon shone on her face as he turned to look at her. "Yumi..." he said, "We need to talk..."
To be continued...
