Men of the Sea
Chapter 10
"Jenny, tell us about the scene. What do you see?"
"Well, John, as you can see behind me the previous CEO of Mineral Resources is currently tied to a billboard." The newscast woman turns her head a fraction. She squints to get a better look despite the bright sun being positioned directly behind the billboard in question. She puts a hand close to her eyes as if it'll help against the harsh sunlight. "In bold red spray paint, behind him are the words, 'I am a Pig.'"
Before the vandalization occurred, the billboard looked to have been a basic advertisement for a local fast-food burger joint. Now, it was a true spectacle. Cars slowed on the highway, everyone wanted to get a better look.
The small boxed image in the upper right corner of John is zoomed in. His profile now fills the television screen. "Police are currently coming to Eriko Hoshigaki's aid. It's created quite a buzz. Police were first notified about a possible abduction when Hoshigaki missed an appointment this morning. A very unusual event, according to our anonymous source. Once the sun began to rise, drivers on the highway began to notice his body tied to the billboard. Police were then dispatched to the scene."
"Upon the coverage of this story a few women have stepped forward with some serious allegations against Hoshigaki. The range of the allegations varies from battery, sexual harassment, and discrimination based on gender."
The visual pans out. Jenny is now the sole focus on the screen. Even so, the viewer can clearly see the firefighter trucks, ambulances, and police cars that are stationed around the thick pole of the billboard behind her.
"Police have confirmed that an investigation is underway."
Kisame sipped his beer in leisure and watched his television with a satisfied grin. He did well for being under a time crunch and working in poor lighting.
His cellphone rang. He glanced at it once and then ignored it. It had been ringing all morning. For obvious reasons, his father was pissed at him.
He'll get over it.
His Uncle got off easy when they dismissed him from his position. No retribution was distributed. It pissed Kisame off. Not just because of Sakura, though, it was a large reason. But because he should have been let go a long time ago. Instead, he was elevated into a position of power. Stupid. Surely there was someone else that could have taken the CEO chair if not him or Eriko?
Kisame backs his head once more, the amber drink is gone. His stomach is full.
He punished Eriko. Someone had to do it. Legally, their company was no longer liable for what Eriko did. His contract was suspended and he was already let go. But let's say someone did go after MR, they could simply offer a few settlements. An estimated couple million lost at worse case scenario. They'd make it back within a month thanks to their new contract with Uchiha Enterprise and increase of trade.
Either way, Sakura got her justice. Which suited the surfer just fine. Speaking of Sakura, Kisame thought to himself that he should check the time for his flight that evening. He placed his empty beer bottle on the coffee table before him and grabbed his cellular device from the table.
Excitement pulsed within him.
Sorting through his apps he found the one he desired. His email. Within his email, he opened the tab that held his ticket information.
TOKYO, Japan.
It was time to make his move.
Sakura's POV
Fugaku had requested her presence at the Uchiha Manor.
The young pink-haired woman obliged.
This wasn't what she expected when she received Fugaku's invite.
"Sakura." Her heart is in her ears. Thrumming and throbbing. It's deafening to her.
Sasuke clenches her throat with two strong hands. She can't breathe. She sees Fugaku in the distance. She reaches out for him. She pleads with her eyes, 'Help me'.
He does no such thing.
He turns his back from her with a shake of his head.
"Disappear, Sakura."
Sasuke grins wickedly. He squeezes her throat tighter. She claws at his hands with her long nails. Blood is drawn. She doesn't want to die. Not now, not yet.
Dark purple and blue spots dance in her eyes and fill her vision.
"Disappear."
"No!"
Sakura jolts upright and immediately reaches for her neck. However, besides her own, no other hands are present. But the unrest doesn't subside. She is surrounded in darkness. She looks around with a crazed need for light and security. She realizes now she's in her bedroom. But she feels no familiarity or safety. 'Are they hiding? Was someone in the shadows?'
She pushes herself to her headboard, her hands are still on her neck, protecting it from any potential threat.
A flash of lightning, a drum of thunder, Sakura feels small and vulnerable.
When had she become so weak? Storms normally didn't scare her.
A knock rapts at her door, she nearly screams. It takes her a moment to compose herself. "W-who is there?"
"It's me."
'Kakashi?'
She suddenly remembers that Shizune mentioned Kakashi cutting his trip short. "'Can I come in?" He asks. She bites her lower lip. "Yes."
The door opens and he's there.
He switches on the light within her room. He looks hesitant as he takes a small step inside her personal space. Sakura realizes that this might be the first time in fifteen years that Kakashi has come inside her bedroom.
He's still in his day clothes. And he carries with him a faint scent of rain. As he sits next to her at the edge of her bed, she can see the small imprint from the water droplets upon his shoulders and hair. He's obviously just made it home.
"I talked to Shizune earlier…" Sakura clenched and unclenched her fingers. This was a different Kakashi. This person she wasn't used to dealing with. Why was he here? Why did Shizune call him back home? Why was he talking to her? In her room of all places? Why?
Why?
Why?
"But before I go into anything, I first want to ask if you are okay?" Sakura's hands pause. She curls her legs to her chest. 'Was she alright?' Her answer would quite obviously be no. But she didn't feel comfortable telling Kakashi that. "I'm fine," she said, her eyes not meeting his and finding an interesting spec of dark green lint on her multi-colored quilt.
"Sakura, I've decided something on my way here. I'm going to try to communicate with you more, and be there for you. But I need you to be open with me too in order for me to do that." Her head snapped forward.
He looked concerned when she brought both of her hands to her face in a hard slap to her cheeks. "U-Um, Sakura?"
Her face stung.
She was awake.
Her eyes widened. She wasn't still stuck in a dream. "Kakashi?" He hesitantly hummed in response. "You're real, right?" "Uh-huh."
She nodded.
"I thought so."
She bites her lip. She feels too raw for this conversation and unprepared. But, Kakashi was here. He was making an effort. She should meet him halfway, right?
"I understand." She says slowly.
Kakashi nods and turns his head, he faces her window. She momentarily does the same. The storm outside looks violent and terrible.
"I haven't been conducting myself appropriately with you. I'm sorry about that." His eyes are fixated on something. Sakura isn't sure his view is something from within their yard or not. Either way, he's not fully present within her four white walls. His hands are tight on his knees. "As a big brother, I failed you. I should have been there for you. Especially when Dad told me about the whole engagement situation… But I selfishly ignored you and continued to keep you at a distance. I want you to understand that this was not because of you. But rather my frustration with Dad. Before… Before you came here, he was bad. I know you've seen him on his low days. But… He was much, much worse."
Kakashi suddenly stopped speaking. He clenched his jaw and nodded. "He wasn't here. That's the best way I can describe it. He was a ghost. I basically raised myself after my mom walked out on us. And I took care of him too. After a while, I accepted this facet of my life. But suddenly, when I have one metaphorical foot out the door with me getting ready to leave for college, he shows up with you. He's alive for the first time in years. I was jealous. I was angry. I was bitter. "
"I...don't understand," Sakura whispers.
"After years of me trying my best, of me doing all that I could… I couldn't bring him back. I felt like I wasn't enough. You healed him. And I resented you because of it. It was selfish of me. And it influenced my behavior. It wasn't fair to you." He stood and bowed to her. "I-It's alright." "It's not. I'm sorry, Sakura. For not being there for you."
Sakura wasn't sure what to say, so she said nothing. Instead, she slowly eased out of bed and wrapped her arms around Kakashi.
After he straightened his back, his own arms wrapped around her. She said softly, "It's alright."
After all, he was here for her now.
Sasuke's POV
For as far back as Sasuke could remember, he'd always been compared to Itachi. Itachi was the golden child. He was always the exceptional person in the room. And Sasuke, he was Itachi's brother. Never himself.
Never exceptional.
He hated it.
Even in school, teachers would recognize him as the second son of Fugaku Uchiha. As the brother of Itachi Uchiha. Few people saw him as simply himself.
That is until he was thirteen.
A girl comes up to him. He can hardly remember her face, and her name is lost to him. But it was the girl he'd lost his virginity to. They were each other's firsts. It was the first time he was the first of anything in anyone's life.
And he felt good about it.
Not just physically, but mentally. It gave him a high. Nobody cared about Itachi when they were on a date with him, when he was fucking them. He was addicted at an early age. Over a decade later, and he'd become a glutton for physical affection, for the female's attention. So much so, it blinded him.
His behavior worsened, his mood altered. He was always looking for his next lay. And whatever nightlife he had bled into the day. There was no differentiation between work and play. He fucked when at work. He drank whenever he wanted. He partied at all hours. And he treated people as he pleased.
What were they going to do about it?
He was invincible.
A vision of Sakumo in his bed, dying, filtered to the front of his mind's eye. He shivered as he entered his parent's home. He knew his mother, Mikoto Uchiha, was probably still out and about. She was a bit of a socialite and enjoyed spending time with her friends. But at this hour, father was surely home.
He confirmed as much with the house staff as soon as somebody greeted him and handed him a towel.
He took his time as he walked the familiar route to his father's office. He was in no hurry. Even if he was desperate for an explanation… What happened to Sakumo? And why was it a secret? His publication company was running just fine. He hadn't caught wind of there being any issues in the recent months…
Not that he was actively looking for problems. But surely, if things were amiss, he'd know? Sakumo had been mostly hands-off with Hatake Scholastic for over a decade. But he was still the decision-maker. How did they continue to function if he was not an active participant in the business affairs?
He knocked on his father's office door.
"Come in."
He entered.
Surprise overcame him as he took in his brother's form at his father's side. Itachi looked mildly surprised to see him too. Sasuke cautiously sat in the chair in front of his father's desk. Itachi's face instantly screwed into that of distaste. "Brother, you smell like a bar."
In Sasuke's still inebriated state of mind, he realized he probably should have showered before he came to see his father. Well, now it was too late. "I've been out," he admitted slowly. "Instead of reflecting on your shortcomings," Fugaku stated with agitation, his eyes still scanning a few papers before him.
"What are you doing?" Sasuke asked, wanting to change the topic of conversation and not quite able to bring up Sakumo quite yet. "I'm showing Itachi a few things he'll have to be mindful of when he takes over the company." Sasuke stared hard at the deep warm tones of the wooden floor at his feet. As Fugaku's successor, Sasuke knew that Itachi was eventually going to take over Uchiha enterprise. But he never liked thinking about it.
Looking at it now, Itachi was getting the whole company. While Sasuke had more or less lost his job.
Talk about perspective.
"What can I help you with, Sasuke?"
Fugaku was now looking at him expectantly. Sasuke hardly ever came home. Even for the holidays.
"I...I would like to speak to you in private if you aren't busy." Itachi glared at Sasuke. "If this is about your job you could just forget it. You aren't getting it back." Fugaku held up his hand as if to say, "enough".
"Give me a moment with him, Itachi. We'll resume in a little while."
Itachi looked as if he wanted to refute Father. Instead, he gave a curt nod and departed.
Sasuke and Fugaku were alone. Now, Sasuke, what would you like to talk about?" His father now looked bored. It seemed like he thought the same as Itachi. That he wanted to talk about his job.
"I saw Sakumo today."
Fugaku's mood instantly darkened. Before Sasuke could say much else, Fugaku slammed his fists on his desk. "What did you do?!" Sasuke jumped in his seat. "I-I went to the Hatake house and I…. I saw him." It was an overly simplified explanation of what had occurred. But he wasn't ready to criminalize himself just yet.
"And how were you able to see his condition? Neither Sakura or Kakashi would have allowed for such to happen. And Shizune is under contract. She would not have allowed you to see him either."
"I gave myself permission to see him. I went to his room on my own accord. No one was able to stop me." "And how were you able to do that?" Fugaku's face was red. Veins were protruding from his forehead, he was sweating.
Sasuke had never seen his father in such a state before.
It frightened him.
"I stormed into his room." "Where were the Hatake siblings and Shizune?" Sasuke looked at his hands. He didn't answer right away. "Sasuke." His father growled. "I didn't see Kakashi. Sakura was… crying. Shizune was consoling her." "What did you do to that poor, poor girl!?" Fugaku was inching out of his seat and into a standing position, he looked as if he were trying to stop himself from jumping over his desk and attacking Sasuke. Sasuke's foot nervously began to tap.
"I said some awful things to her." "What things?" he spat. "I'd rather not say." "Sasuke, you're becoming too much to handle. The Hatake's are dealing with some troublesome matters, as you've seen. Must you be so cruel to bother them so? And why go to their house in the first place? You are no longer engaged to Sakura, and as I've gathered you never spent time with her anyway."
"I know I was in the wrong, but what I can't figure out is… Why didn't anyone tell me? I would have maybe treated her better if I'd known." "What does it matter? You should have treated her nicely in the first place. Kindness derived from pity is as much an insult as your malice based treatment of her. And furthermore, you did not deserve to know."
"Sakura and I were still engaged." Fugaku clenched his jaw. "Before Itachi approached me I was thinking of canceling the engagement. I just wasn't sure how to handle it. I was hoping Sakumo would get well so we could discuss the matter. You would have never treated her well. And I thought maybe if you weren't tied to Sakura you could focus on yourself, in a more healthy way. But… Sakumo fell ill." "With what?"
"Heartbreak."
"His wife has been gone for years. What are you talking about?" "Sakumo had come to terms with his wife's departure. What he didn't know, until five months ago, was that his wife had died. Despite her leaving him, he'd always hoped she would return. Added with his ongoing depression and who knows what else, he tried to commit suicide. I came to visit him one afternoon, it was our usual Saturday routine: Shoji and tea in the garden. I found him culvusing in his bed."
"God."
"They managed to pump out most of the poison from his body. But he never woke up. This last week it has been confirmed his heart is failing him. He doesn't have long."
In the end, his heart really wasn't strong enough.
"I still don't understand. The Hatakes and Uchihas have been close for decades. Why didn't anyone tell me?" "You have been unpredictable, Sasuke. Why would we tell you?"
Disappointment was laced within his dad's words. It was true. He had been unpredictable.
When had he lost his way?
"I screwed up."
With work.
With Sakura.
With everything.
"How can I make things right with you and Sakura?"
"How can I become a better man?"