And here's the second part of this Two-shot. I hope I don't disappoint.
Once again, I no own Naruto… I can only… only Hope.
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He saw me…
He actually saw me…
Sakura thought. Her hands fidgeted on her hood. How could she let this happen? Her eyes continued to leak of tears. She didn't know whether it was of the hits and words the girls threw at her or at her disappointment. Minutes later the driver's seat door opened. Which slipped in her father.
"Someone saw me," she muttered.
He kept his eyes focused, hiding the slight joy he had by hearing this news.
"Who?"
"… I think it was Uchiha." She said softly. Speaking loudly wasn't something she did.
Kakashi's brow lifted. I somehow knew it would be him.
"He didn't mean to though."
He understood what she meant. The choice to hide her face from the world was the choice of his daughter he had no say in it. He knew the troubles she had faced because of it. He talked to her about it, to no avail. She didn't want her face for the public eye to see. It wasn't arrogance. He was positive about that.
He wanted more than ever to ignore the darkened patches on the face of his one and only little girl.
"What happened?" he asked slowly.
She remained silent for a moment, "… Nothing."
He didn't bother to press on. Pushing her was too much for the girl right now. So he gazed slightly at her red hood in the car. It would remain on until they reached home. And even then she would just go to her room.
It was a sad father-daughter relationship. But she didn't seem to want anything more, and he wasn't really one to try to get a more intimate relationship even to try to stitch back up their ripped relationship. It was on her whether she wanted something more.
He suppressed a sigh. Things were always like this.
Since Rin, Sakura's mother, died.
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Everything just didn't make sense. Sasuke laid on his bed. His parents were out again tonight, all his homework was done for the day… leaving his mind free to think of the events prior to this. He made sure to take in her face; letting it all sink in, with the hopes that it never fades from his mind.
She was beautiful… just there wasn't even a word for her beauty… it was just too much.
He rolled over on his bed.
There had to be a reason to why she hid it.
She didn't have acne, scars, disfigurement, she was everything except ugly. His eyes shifted to his phone, still flickering from a text he received a while ago. Probably from the idiot. He lazily reached over to his dresser and slowly flipped it open.
He frowned when he saw the unknown number light up on his screen. He cautiously opened the message his eyes widened.
New Message:
+14454354532
Come in early tomorrow morning. Meet me in my classroom.
-Kakashi
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First thoughts that morning as he was getting ready; Sakura told him something.
Next the possibilities of what he'd do to him. He made it very clear that Sakura was off limits; did he assume that this accident was his attempt to make an advance at her?
As he walked through the slide door of Kakashi's classroom, his eyes widened when he heard a soft voice.
"But Sensei," she said softly to the masked man, standing behind the desk.
"I've decided, now please leave so Uchiha-kun and I may speak," he said sternly not even bothering to look up at the said teen in his doorway.
She bowed her covered head before brushing passed him on her way out of the room. His eyes wanted to linger on her retreating form more, but he became more aware of the piercing dull eyes staring at him.
"You wanted to see me?" he asked.
Kakashi nodded, walking over to the ledge of the windows in his room. Sasuke followed after being only a few steps away from Kakashi. He followed his gaze out the window to see Sakura stepping out of the canopy of the school. She held on tightly to her hood now; the event of yesterday clearly having an effect on her.
"I heard you saw her face," Kakashi said bluntly.
"Yeah," he mirrored his tone.
They sat in silence; almost endless silence. Both continued to look out the window, eyes trained to the hooded girl who sat under a cherry blossom tree; one hand on her book, the other continually holding on to her hood, shadowing her face.
"Why does she hide?" Sasuke asked. Receiving no response he decided he should elaborate, "She doesn't hold any scars, no distortions no nothing. Pardon me for saying this but, she's beautiful Kakashi," he turned away from Sakura to look at her father's eyes, "So why?"
Kakashi let out a very tired sigh, Sasuke never noticed how aged his face had gotten over the years.
"It was her choice to hide her face," he began, "I thought it was a phase when it began."
"A phase?"
Kakashi folded his arms over his chest, "I'm sure you were made aware of the rumors circling the school concerning of Sakura," Sasuke nodded, "Then allow me to shine some truth on those." He moved back to his desk enlacing his fingers under his chin. "To start with, it's true that we are relatives of Naruto. And Sakura's mother did in fact die giving birth to her."
"I'm sorry for your loss," was all Sasuke could say then.
He shook his head, "Don't worry, it was a long time ago," his eyes didn't fail to show the slight bit of sorrow, "it wasn't really until Sakura was seven when she began to hide her face. I can't say for sure why she does it. She barely even lets me see her anymore. But, I do know that she began right after I finally showed her, her mother's face."
Her mother's face…
"How much does Sakura look like her mom?"
Kakashi paused for a second, "To be quite honest she doesn't really look like Rin. Not one bit," he let out a tired sigh, "Everything of her came from me, well the small percentage of my family at least. I haven't seen her face clearly enough for me to actually be sure anymore."
His tired eyes found onyx, "You've seen it recently, how is she?"
"Like I said Kakashi, she's beautiful," his voice softening at the sight of his teacher.
As his grey eyes closed, Sasuke could tell he was smiling, "That's good."
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I never said it out loud, but in a sense I guess I didn't need to. We came to an unspoken agreement. At school, Sakura had asked both Tsunade and Kakashi to treat her as a normal student, aside from allowing her to wear the hoodies. Therefore, they had no say in defending her from the constant verbal and physical assaults unless another student or she herself made the accusations.
In school, she was a bright red target, just right for the picking. Well if she wasn't going to let her guardians protect her, then she sure as hell will have me.
Whether she wants me there or not.
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Sakura continued to hold onto her hood. This was the first time she had to hold it down this tightly. She wasn't even reading anymore. Her mind was going over what her father and Uchiha were talking about. The last thing she wanted was for her father to get protective of her. She had told him already that she didn't want any special treatment.
Her glimmering green eyes looked over the page, her eyes not even picking up any of the words on the printed page.
"Cuh-ver Girl."
Her head immediately shot up. She had gotten used to the name, though it bothered her she wasn't about to start demanding respect.
The same group of girls from yesterday, and as if to emphasize it more the bruises on her face began to throb. She hesitantly began to stand against the tree, only to be forced back down by a pair of hands.
"Where do you think you're going?" one of them said.
"You forgot the rest of our gift yesterday, we just wanted to make sure you got it," the other said in a too, sweet voice.
Yesterday she had gotten lucky enough to make a break for it, before they started kicking. That always hurt more. She held her hoodie even tighter than she already was. Even though they beat her merciless, they've never gotten a glimpse of her face, that was the only part she was grateful of.
"I really can't leave you alone for a day can I?" she heard a strangely familiar deep voice.
"Sasuke-kun?" one of her would-be attackers gasped, "What are you doing here this early?"
"Nothing that really concerns you, believe me."
Sakura heard his calm footsteps approach her. Her lips trembled with the need to say her little chant, but no one was supposed to hear that either. She felt her heart beat flutter inside her chest. He had seen her face, if anything he probably wanted to rip her hood off so that everyone here could see as well. Her fear increased ten-fold when he hooked a hand under her forearm, lifting her from them ground. She flinched at the touch but not enough to make him retract his arm away from her. She clutched her hood and her bag in desperation. She didn't want to be exposed again. She didn't. She was vaguely aware that she was trembling. And even more aware that Uchiha-san could probably feel her do so.
"So if you'll excuse us," he continued. Leading the trembling prey away from her predators.
Sakura could feel the glares of the girls she had left behind on her back. However, that wasn't what scared her. It was more that Uchiha Sasuke was leading her away. More than that, this person knew her face; she didn't want him near her. She didn't want him to see her. To hear her. To save her.
After turning enough corners Sakura immediately squirmed her way out of the boy's grasp.
"T-thank you," she said softly, her hand still on her hood, "But I have to-"
"Sakura," His voice was deep, yet still soft; she hadn't really noticed before, "I don't think it's wise of you to be wandering on your own, knowing that those girls will just hunt you down."
She bowed her head slightly, I don't want the protection, "It's fine Uchiha-san," she said in her normal soft voice, "I- I don't need to be taken care of."
He didn't say anything for a long minute. She was debating whether or not to make a run for it then and there to her Sensei's room. She shyly glanced over at the boy. And the look he gave her was clear that he would chase after her if she even tried.
"Don't get me wrong, Sakura," he said he name so elegantly, she had never known anyone to say her name in such a way… It wasn't right, "I don't like to pry into other's people's business, but I can't just sit back and watch you constantly get abused."
The grip on her hood tightened even more.
"Stop hiding, I've already seen your face," he hadn't said it rudely or mockingly, but hearing those words instantly made her cringed.
She felt him walk close to her again, she took a hesitant step back, "Why do you hide Sakura?" she trembled more, she didn't like him getting close to her any closer and the shadow her hood created for her would prove to be ineffective, "Why?" his voice got impossibly softer.
She couldn't bring herself to move away from him. He had her stuck there. His eyes staring intently at her, she didn't need to look up to know that. She felt his arm reaching over slowly, painfully slow. Her body didn't respond to her mind's constant pleading to move away from Uchiha. Why couldn't she move? Why was he trying to see her again?
"Teme!"
They both heard the loud shout from her blonde cousin and his best friend at the gate. Sasuke leaned back, a bit taken by the sound of his best friend's shout all of a sudden. Taking the fortunate opportunity the hooded girl fled. Not taking a single look over her shoulder as she did.
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Sasuke stood dumbfounded. That girl can run. He thought a bit impressed. Hearing the loud and obnoxious stomps of his best friend approaching he turned on his heel only to give the blonde an irritated fist to the head. "You idiot," he said through clenched teeth, "I had her."
"Who?!" Naruto said while rubbing his now throbbing skull, "Sakura? What were you trying to do with my cousin you perv?!"
"Nothing!"
"Don't try to sell me that," the blonde bit back. "I've seen the way you look at her."
This caught the raven haired teen's attention, "What do you mean?"
Naruto moved around the Uchiha, situating himself on the patch of grass near the school, "I've noticed every stare, look, glance and gaze you've given my cousin since the year began. I haven't told the others so you can relax a bit. But seriously," the blonde let his frown show, "It's getting a bit creepy especially now that you tried to get all close to her and shit."
Sasuke was at loss of words. He had tried to make it so that no one would notice his constant stares, he knew he had a problem but that… it was too much to resist. And no, he still wasn't obsessed.
"… Well at least you kept your mouth shut," was all he managed to mutter.
The blonde simply waved the words away, "Your life, it's not really my concern now is it… scratch that… it is my concern since it has to do withmy cousin," Naruto sat up abruptly, "So spill."
"Hn," he said taking a seat beside his best friend, "You don't even know her enough to care for her."
"And I suppose you do?" He had him there, "Besides you know I want to protect her, but the way she is doesn't let me do anything for her." The usually happy teen's face fell in a frown, if there was one thing Naruto didn't like was to sit around and do nothing.
"I doubt she even wants help, Dobe," I don't need to be taken care of, is what she had told him, "She takes on every abuse given to her… like she thinks she deserves it…" How could he miss that?
"You don't think," Naruto began, "That she actually thinks she deserves it, do you?"
Sasuke remained silent. He was trying to connect the pieces together. Sakura denies people the blessing of seeing her face; however whether or not others see it as a blessing is another thing. She has a decreased mother (May she rest in peace). From Kakashi's description she didn't really get any of her mother's traits, and she only started behaving like this after she saw her mother's old photograph. It all goes back to her mother.
"… So far… it the most likely reason."
They sat in silence pondering once again. Naruto tried his best to think back of a time, if any, where he might have seen Sakura's face, and even more rare if he had seen her smile. To no avail.
"This is ridiculous," Sasuke seethed, "How can your whole family not have a single picture of her even of when she was little, a baby even?!"
"I told you! We don't speak about her for the sake of Tsunade."
"But I mean like pictures, videos, heck I'll settle for her birth video if that's all you have!"
"… Dude, that's just gross," Naruto said with a disgusted frown.
Sasuke released a sigh, "That's how desperate I am."
"Desperate for what? Has the angle of mystery my cousin possesses caused you to actually fall for her?"
"Don't be a bigger idiot than you already are," Sasuke quickly retorted, "It just curiosity. And it happens to be getting the better of me."
Naruto lay fully on the grass, "Something's different about you."
The said boy turned to face the serious look on the blonde's face, "What do you mean?"
"Iunno," he shrugged, "It's just that you weren't one to be so easily manipulated by your emotions. Or just curiosity for that matter," when Sasuke stayed silent the blonde continued, "I mean, usually if someone hasn't even gotten close to their goal, in this case seeing Sakura's face, the person would usually give up."
"That doesn't really sound like you," Sasuke said absent mindedly.
"I haven't given up, but I can tell she doesn't want her face shown so why should I go against her wishes?" Very considerate dobe very – "anyway, the only reason I see for you to actually continue with this is if," Where are you getting at? "You actually managed to see her face… just a glimpse if anything."
Sasuke stared wide eyed at the blonde before him, There is no way that this moron could've have come up with that conclusion.
"When did you start playing detective?" he tried his best at a mocking tone.
"I prefer smarts, brains, and I saw you two yesterday."
There was a pause, "Wait, what?"
"You helped her, you accidently pulled down her hood and then she ran away," he said just as calmly.
"…What?"
Naruto remained silent, letting his best friend's head sink in the information he had just received. "You saw her," Sasuke mutter almost inaudibly.
"Hmm?"
Sasuke suddenly had his shirt collar in between his hands which were fisted tightly together, "Did You See Her?!" he repeated.
"What? No, you bastard!" Naruto said struggling to free himself from Sasuke's grip.
"You just said that you saw everything!"
"From behind you, your giant ass self, blocked my entire view of Sakura!" at this Sasuke relaxed a bit, "Now let go of me."
Sasuke slowly released his grip, "Talk about a possessive boyfriend," Naruto said under his breath.
"Idiot its not like that," Sasuke said relaxing back onto the grass.
"Sure."
Once Naruto's collar was back into order the two made their way into the school building. Once in their classroom, he noted how there were already students talking with one another before school actually started.
Sasuke's gaze lingered to his desk and only then did he realize there was something different about the class arrangement. His neighbor's desk was set up side to side with his. Looking around he saw the other's desks were the same. Could this be what they were arguing about earlier?
He glanced over to Naruto to see him looking back at him with an almost warning look.
He slowly walked over to his desk. He noted how Sakura had done her best to squeeze into the very edge of her desk. As if his desk was poison to the girl, imagine when he actually sat down.
As he approached closer and closer he saw how she tensed slightly but still tried to remain reading.
His eyes remained trained on her, every breath, every flinch he watched as they unfolded. Her biggest reaction was when he finally scooted behind her chair to get to his. Her slightly slouched sitting position and stiffened into an upright, straight back one. He almost felt bad for making her go through this.
Once he sat down, she angled her whole body opposite of him.
"Why are the seat arranged like this?" he dared to ask the scared girl, his voice so soft so no one other than her could hear him.
It took a while, longer than he expected, before she responded, "… Sensei has something planned… he didn't tell me what," her voice even softer than before.
Right, we aren't alone this time, he thought. She would keep her voice lower, for fear of others hearing her. He would push her. He knew he had to, but he had to be careful. Too much, and she'll fall, and it would be his responsibility to lift her back up.
He didn't fail to notice that the other students were indeed watching them. He could only guess that no one other than her attackers have been this close to her since she came here. He could also say that it was natural for them to watch, who knows maybe with the close proximity she'll loose her focus and her hood will fall, then they can all see it…
From the corner of his eye he saw movement. Behind her. An outstretched hand. Going right for her head. Usually she'd sense something near her hood, and approaching presence anything, that's how she escaped so many times. But now. Now she was focused only on him. On Sasuke. With her head bowed she was only listening for his movements for any indication that he'll make an advance at her.
As the hand inched closer, his body moved without a second thought.
His movements were too fast for Sakura to even make an instinctual movement. She couldn't even muster out a gasp. It was too sudden. In less than a second Sasuke Uchiha had his arm around her waist, and the other was placed firmly on top her covered head. She felt her chair squeal against the ground as she was pulled closer to his side.
"I don't have to tell you not to touch her do I?" she heard him growl to the student behind her. She couldn't see anything. Sasuke still had his hand over her head, her hood completely blocking her vision.
"Uchiha-san? Wh-what are you talking about?" the panicked student asked.
"Your hand," his voice was calmer, but the deadliness remained, "two feet away should be enough."
"Sasuke-kun," another voice, this time of a girl, "What is this? Why are you –"
"It should be obvious, shouldn't it?" his voice was mocking; she could almost see the smirk on his face. His hold on her tightened, "She's mine."
... Yeah I lied apparently. This is no longer a two-shot but it will be a short chapter story... I don't know how many chapters there will be but I can say it won't be more than ten... Sorry about that... hehe. So disregard my comment at the top, trust me I did not plan this but eh, what can you do?
Ja ne.
-Ira