Disclaimer: For the third time, I do not own Naruto or any related characters in this story, except my 'made-up' character and the plot itself.

Italics- flashback

Bold italics- character's thoughts

(parenthesis)- an interruption…

CHAPTER THREE

Hatred and Confusions

KRRRIINNGGGG! BOOM! CRASH!

It is a clear, fine morning. As the combined noise of the alarm clock and the noise of fallen objects, a small pink-haired girl gets up sleepily in her bed. Half asleep, she looks at her digital clock; it's only ten minutes past six o'clock in the morning.

"It's only six o'clock in the morning! Where did the crashing sound come from?"

She slowly scans her room for the source of the noise. Her eyes landed in her bookshelf; loads of her books are scattered on the floor. She groggily places her books in place. "Oh! I can't go back to sleep again, I'm fully wide-awake. "

She was about to set off towards the bathroom to wash her face when she bumps into a certain man.

"Yo! Good morning Sakura!" he greets her joyously.

"Hey! What are you doing here? It's too early." She yawns.

"Huh? What do you mean that I'm too early" He draws the bulky curtain wide; the sun is already far above the ground. "In fact, I am 27 minutes, 53 seconds and 16 milliseconds late." He said as he checks his wristwatch.

"I think I need to replace my clock…what time is it?"

"It's already 10: 27 and we need to buy your school supplies."

"WHAT! Oh I forgot all about it…May I'd take a quick bath?" she asks inattentively while she reaches for her towel.

"Okay, do it fast or Mrs.Hyuuga will blame me again if we arrive a minute late." The small pink-haired girl scratches her head questioningly. "Then why did you not wake me a little bit earlier?"

"I'm already late, like what I do at all times…" he mumbles as he press on the doorbell of Haruno's residence.

Ding Dong…

A maid opens the gate and greeted him. "Good morning Mr.Hatake, please come in." He walks behind her. "

Where is Sakura?"

"She's still asleep Sir. I'll check her first in her room." She said and hurriedly walks away. He walks around the garden when a voice disrupts him. "Well Kakashi, you're here again." He stares fleetingly at her. "Why? Am I not welcome here?" She emits a furrowed brow at him "You're really a numb, thick-headed type of person. From the start, you know that I don't like you, but—"

"—But you still appointed me as her godfather. Now tell me, what kind of play you are playing at? I cannot deny that I'm numb, because I don't really understand what kind of plan you are planning to do with me." He cuts her off heatedly. As an act in response, she glares at him with pure loathing; she doesn't know what to reply at him and he seems to know it. "If you don't have anything to say to me, I'll check her now in her room; we will go to the bookstore to buy her school supplies. However, if ever you have enough time for today, and then schedule it right now if you don't want to spot me hanging around here. " And he gradually went inside to proceed towards Sakura's room.

"You must remember, I'm not a thick-headed person."

"Well…I can't wake you up because I can't stand to disturb my little angel sleeping peacefully in her little bed—" his mask crinkled a little bit. "---And you sleep like a log. I already tried to arouse you even a little bit but you look as though you are in the middle of your nice dream. It's already 10:40, we will be late."

They arrived at the bookstore panting, (actually, Kakashi is the only one panting because she rode on his back.) unfortunately, they still a half an hour late. "Yo! Sakura woke late and we ran here like mad—"

"It's okay, let's just start buying supplies." She said wearily as she reaches for a stack of pad papers.

"…" He scratches his head naively; rooted in his place, he looks at her as though he had seen the most bizarre thing happening front of him. "It's very rare for you to turn down a chance to hit me— is there something wrong?"

"Oh never mind it…"

"Sakura, Hinata, stay here for a while. Choose anything you want okay?" He directed them to the books-for-kids section of the bookstore. Then he catches up to Mrs.Hyuuga. "I know you, just tell me and maybe I can help you about it."

She sighed. "Well Ame is already 8 years old, and I wanted her to enroll for grade two but you know, like what she did before, she refuses it again. She said she wanted to earn for her tuition, but it will take her months to earn that amount. Her mother leaves her to my protection, and I feel I didn't do anything."

"You really care for her huh?" He stops to pick some crayons. "If that's the case, then the only thing you can do is to provide her some money to enroll, and then have an agreement to her that she will pay you little by little every month. In such way, she will not consider that she is too reliant to you."

Her face enlightens a little. "Thanks Kakashi, I think that's a good idea. Do you think these stacks of supplies are enough for them?" He scans the contents of her shopping basket;

"They will just start kindergarten, I think that's enough."

"Sakura's parents were gone again?"

She asks Kakashi timidly; now it's his time to heave a sigh.

"Are you still not getting used to it? I guess they treat their house as though it is a hotel or something. They always have some meetings and business trips, and when they arrive at their house, they were still busy to their papers and stuff. They never have a complete dinner together."

"I sometimes get pity to that girl. When somebody looks at you carrying her, nobody will have a single hesitation that you are her father."

He chuckles a little.

"I always make it cheery when we go to some places like at park or at your house, but I know she wants her parents."

"I know that, but you must remember…she needs something more."

Several days later…

It is the start of classes at Konoha Academy; small children were being accompanied by their parents. Meanwhile, a black car stops in front of the main gate.

"Here we go Sakura." Mrs. Haruno's strict voice breaks the creeping silence inside the car.

"By the way, you're Dad and I will not be home until Friday." She added as Sakura steps down from the car.

"Mom, where will you—"; She frustratingly cuts her off "A business trip. I must go now or I will be late at work."

The car's door closes with a snap and it drives away from the school. She walks slowly with her pink heavy bag towards the main door of the academy when Hinata meets her.

"Hello Sakura-chan! I've got something to tell you, Ame-sama will study second grade here at Konoha Academy!"

"Really? Where is she?" Hinata pointed at the corridor on the left. "There she is, in the section A of second grade corridor. She is very bright; she even perfected her entrance exams. " She proudly announce at her.

RRRRRRRRIIIIIIIIIINNNNNNNGGGGGG!

"I think we should go now to our classroom." She said and they proceed to their room. They entered their classroom; several children were there already. A small, bowl-haired boy is pulling the white dog away from its owner. A group of girls is chatting loudly. A boy is sitting beside the windowsill touching a small bug. Then she notices a pale, raven-haired boy together with his red-haired friend talking silently in a corner. "Hinata, lets go there!" she said as she tugs Hinata towards the two boys.

"Umm…hello! I'm Sakura." She greets them happily. The red-haired one nudges him on the ribs. "Hey Sasuke, did we seen her before?" Sasuke take a long closer look at her. "I think we meet her somewhere else, but I can't remember where. She's the only one we've met with a pink hair."

"We met a week ago in the park."

"Oh, I remember!" Gaara exclaimed. She nods with unease "Uh huh. By the way, this is Hinata, my friend." She points at her. "Hi…"

"Hello! You have an unusual pair of eyes."

"Everyone in the Hyuuga clan have a pair of eyes like that."

"GOOD MORNING! This will be our first day of classes. Hey! Hey kids! Gather here in the middle!" a bowl-haired man is roaring in the middle of the classroom. "I think he will be our teacher…" Hinata said shyly. "Do you want to sit here with us?" Sasuke invited them.

"Okay!" the two of them reply a bit louder. "Kids! Don't be too excited!" Gai exclaims.

"Okay, dismissal time already. This is a very—" he did not have a chance to finish to what he was saying, for his pupils make a wild dash towards the door. The bowl-haired boy a while ago gave a big, idolizing smile at him. "Sir Gai, this is my most significant class in my whole life." Gai smiles at him. "I am flattered of what you have said Rock Lee, but this is your first-ever class you've ever attend to."

She and Hinata are walking towards the main door when Hinata stops in front of the second grade corridor. "I'll go now Sakura-chan, Ame-sama is waiting for me. Do you want to have a slice of cake to our house? Mom will be happy to see you."

"Thanks for the invitation but I must go now. See you tomorrow Hinata-chan!" and she sets off. Finally, she makes it through the waiting shed. "Kakashi is late again. I hope he arrives a little bit earlier, my bag is too heavy." After a few minutes of waiting, her bag rips in half; all her books, crayons and school stuff were all scattered at the dry cement floor. She slowly picks her stuff one-by-one and she is about to cry.

"Sakura, why are you crying? Oh my…" Gaara scamper towards her and he sees a dozen crayons, some of them are broken, all over the place. Sasuke picks some of it and places it in a brown paper bag he's saw in the nearby bench.

"Let's pick this up. Come on Sakura; don't cry. " He wipes her tears with his handkerchief.

"Where are your parents? Are you waiting for them here?"

"No, my godfather Kakashi will meet me here. Hey, where are you going?" she asked them as Sasuke shoves the brown paper bag into her hands.

"Where going home…" Sakura scratches her head questioningly. "Were neighbors—"

"Hey…what did you do to her?" Kakashi confronted the two confused yet still terrified boys. Sakura sense that if she not does anything now, it has a huge possibility that Gaara and Sasuke may run to the opposite direction

"Kakashi…they are my friends…they helped me handle my things. Look." Gaara handed the ripped bag at him.

" Oh sorry, I've been an exaggerated man here, Sakura, do you mind if you introduce them to me?" he felt embarrassed, for this is the first time Sakura have manage to have a friend…well Hinata is an exception, since birth they were at each other's cribs, sharing each other's toys. (He doesn't know that Ame is Sakura's friend already. O.o)

"Kakashi meet Gaara and Sasuke." She indicated at them; somewhat, he doesn't seem to notice anything of what she have said, because Kakashi is gaping at Sasuke with such attentiveness. Raven-haired, pale skin, ebony-eyed… something is creeping in my mind when I look at this young man's features…but I'm still not sure…

"What's your name?" he questioned him "Sasuke sir." Nobody said anything for a long tense moment.

"Sasuke… I think I've seen you before."

To be continued…

Kakashi and Mrs. Haruno's cold-shoulder against each other…Sasuke's mysterious personality…Mrs.Hyuuga meaningful words towards Kakashi. Is it about their dark past? Are they destined to change Sakura's life completely?

Hatred and confusions…that's all I can say for now. I might unravel the terrible future that is already fated for them.

Suggestions may do, but I can't assure you a happy future…

Questions meant to be answered…just put it in review for a quick answer.

0Serpentina0

"the darkness lies within me…"