Chapter 25: My New Family
"Ne, Otoosan? Who is she? Your maid?" Sakura asked as they neared Reij's home and saw a brunette with a watering can taking care of the flowers in the front yard.
Reij chuckled nervously, "Uh, actually, Sakura-chan, to tell the truth she's my-"
"Reij-kun!" the woman exclaimed heading over to them. She was as tall as Sakura, had her red curly hair put into a low ponytail, she had bright blue eyes, and was a few inches smaller then Sakura, but what caught the pinkette attention was how the woman greeted her father.
She kissed him on the cheek!
She kissed him on the cheek!
She kissed him on the cheek!
She kissed him on the cheek!
What the hell?! was the only thing going through her mind.
The woman smiled brightly at them, "Oh you four must be the Konoha ninja Reij-kun talked about!" but then she glanced at Sakura and gave the most welcoming smile she could muster to make the teen feel comfortable, "And you must be Sakura-chan! Reij-kun told me all about you!"
"Uh, excuse me?" Sakura asked.
The woman's eyes widened and she faced Reij, "You didn't tell her!"
He just chuckled, "Er, I kind of forgot until she saw you out front, dear."
She just shook her head in disappointment but then walked towards Sakura and smiled, "I'm your new step mother, Sakura-chan."
Hell no.
"I know it must come as a shock to you, but it seems he wasn't able to tell you earlier, I'm sorry."
Sakura tried her hardest to smile, "I-Its okay, so... um... when's the wedding?"
"In three months!" she exclaimed happily, but then her eyes widened, "Oh! How rude of me, my name is Mayame!" She faced the others, "Come now, lets discuss your living arrangements in the house!"
XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO
She froze on her place.
That chakra signature... it can't be!
XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO
"And this will be your room!" Mayame said showing Sakura room with two beds, while her father was talking with Kakashi and the other two were still unpacking in their shared room.
"Um, will someone be staying with me?" she asked noting that both the beds were well made and ready for use.
The redhead smiled, "Oh, don't worry, it'll be a surprise!"
She sighed, "I thought I had enough surprises for one day."
Mayame laughed and patted her on the back, "Don't worry, Sakura-chan! Everything's going to turn out wonderfully! Now come, why don't you help me with dinner? Now that I have four more mouths to feed!" Then she grabbed her hand and dragged her to the kitchen.
Sakura glanced at her new step mother again and smiled, She's seems nice.
The redhead headed towards the oven but then tripped on something... an atom... what? It is still something. Sakura quickly helped her up before she reached the floor, "Are you okay?!"
Mayame nodded, "I'm just terribly clumsy that's all! No need to worry!"
Sakura turned back to cutting the tomatoes, "If you say so..."
Her mother went on her tip toes and tried to get a plate from the top cabinet, she was able to get it but ended up loosing her balance. But before she, along with the plate, fell Sakura helped steady her. "Mayame-san!"
She laughed sheepishly, "So sorry for disturbing you... again."
Sakura nodded again and resumed her work. But then she looked behind her, This woman is practically an accident magnet in the kitchen. Her green eyes widened as she saw her step mother grab a knife and walk towards another counter, but she ended up slipping on... something, making her fall and the knife flew up.
The pinkette quickly threw a kunai at the knife, sending it across the room. And the knife ended up almost hitting the new arrival.
Kakashi just rolled his eyes then pried the knife out and placed it on the counter, "Be more careful, Sakura." Then he left.
She sighed then faced Mayame, "Does this always happen or is it just a special occasion?"
Mayame sighed, "I am very clumsy in the kitchen."
"Then how did you cook at all if you're this accident prone?" she asked.
"Er, my daughter does the cooking..."
But at the word 'daughter' Sakura blocked her out.
I have a step sister?!
"I have a step sister?!"
Mayame nodded, forcing a smile, "H-Hai! I wanted it to be a surprise! But there's go my mouth again!"
Sakura pinched the bridge of her nose, Calm down, Sak, calm down. "How old is she?"
"A few months older."
"Who is she?"
"Don't worry!" Mayame exclaimed, "You'll get to know her during dinner, she'll be back home from work during that time!"
Sakura just nodded, "Fine, so, do I have any more new relatives within the last hour?"
"None at all!" she said, then resumed cooking-
"Er, Mayame-san, it would be best it I was the one to cook," Sakura said, Mayame nodded, understanding, then left, leaving her new daughter alone. Sakura just groaned and rubbed her temples, This is going to be a long stay.
XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO
He froze in his tracks.
Naruto faced him with a puzzled expression at his stop in the middle of the hallway, "What happened?"
Sasuke pointed at the picture on one of the walls.
The blonde looked at it and his mouth went agape.
"N-No way!"
XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO
A delicious aroma entered the room, and Melane was the only one who, of course, commented it, with all the others around the dining table, "Oh dear! Who knew our kunoichi Sakura-chan was such a marvelous cook!"
Sakura's smile faltered a little, She thinks ninjas can't cook?! but her resentment left as she looked into those innocent blue eyes. In the few hours she met her new step mother, she was able to almost understand fully. She was so care free, innocent, kind, even naive. Her height mathched her personality, weren't it for her face which showed that she longed past childhood, but still had that mind within her.
She wondered what her daughter was like, having a mother like that.
But before she took her seat next to the redhead, she felt a tug on her hand. She looked up and saw Sasuke gesturing for her to come with him, she nodded and followed.
"I think you should see what your new sister looks like," he said as an explanation. He led her down the entrance hall, but before he could show her the picture the front door slammed open. The others entered the hallway at the sound.
And there, in the doorway, stood a panting sixteen year old girl, looking as if though she ran all the way to the home from who knows where.
But her flushed cheeks disappeared as her eyes met that of Sakura, whose faced paled as well. And the two did something the people in the room never ever thought a strong, dignified, kunoichi would do.
They fainted.
Naruto ran to the pinkette's side, "Sakura-chan!"
And Melane did the same, but headed to the redheaded girl.
"Karin-chan!"
XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO
"Hey! I think she's waking up!" she heard a voice say, no doubt Naruto's. But her eyes remained shut, dripping back to a deep state of conciousness, remembering just what happened. She glanced at her new sister, and she just would not... could not believe it.
The redhead with abnormal hair styles and dorky glasses could not be her sister! Not the one who used to ogle her raven haired teammate like he was a piece of meat! Not the one whom she fought with countless times to retrieve the object of both their affections!
Not the one next to her on the other bed right now.
But she knew denying it wouldn't do anything good.
She groaned and opened her eyes, adjusting them to the light, and, ignoring the group of people around her, faced the bed to her left. And she once again saw the infamous Karin, a member of Team Hebi.
Or what looked liked to be a member of Team hebi. She no longer wore an ninja attire but intstead she wore a black zipped up jacket with denim shorts and slippers. Her hair was the same.
But she no longer wore her Sound forehead protector.
Though Sakura could feel it. The waves of chakra around her at the rage she felt when the two met eyes, the same the pinkette had right now. And, because of that, her new sister's eyes also shot open. Then the met, once again.
The two jumped off their beds and faced each other with a glare.
But Melane quickly moved in between them, "Now calm down, you two!"
Karin growled, "What is this slut doing in my home?!"
Sakura scowled, "Why is there a whore in here?!"
Melane's face paled, but then she fainted. A pure mind, indeed. Sakura dropped to her knees, "Melane-san?!"
Karin also knelt by Melane, but pushed Sakura back, "Don't touch my mother with your filthy hands!"
Sakure glared at her and was about to counter back but then she felt a hand on her shoulder, she looked up and saw her father with a tired glance, and behind him were her teammates. She almost forgot she, along with the other females, weren't the only one in the room.
"I think that's enough now,"
Sakura cast one last glance, or glare to be more precise, at her new sister then left the room.
Reij let out a sigh, "You should not have-"
"But she's an enemy!" Naruto and Sakura both exclaimed.
"She's part of Team Hebi!" Sakura said.
"She tried to kill us more times that I can count!" Naruto exclaimed.
"Which probably isn't much," Sasuke said referring to Naruto's statement.
"Hey!"
"Calm down," Reij said, "She may have been your enemy before, but now she's just neutral. She is no longer a ninja."
Sakura shook her head, "No. It must be some sort of trick-"
"How? Whoever she was before, she isn't now. People can change," he told them.
"I agree," Kakashi said, silent during the first part of the conversation. "She may have decided to leave Orochimaru and live with her mother until she can live on her own."
Reij nodded, "Yes, that was exactly what she told us, once she gets more money she said she'll be moving into her own house."
"But... how can you believe her? What if she's lying?!" Sakura argued back.
Her father sighed, "And what if she isn't? Karin is just a young girl looking for a second chance. She even went through some sort of examination before she entered this town. The head of this village knew of her relation with Sound, but once he found out she became innocent, she was allowed in. She really can change, Sakura-chan."
...
"I'll give you the benefit of the doubt." Then she walked to her... and her sister's room.
Naruto just shrugged, "I'm sure if Karin really did change, Sakura-chan's gonna be the last to know. After all, the two are rivals when it comes to the teme!"
"Shut up."
XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO
Sakura already finished packing her things before Karin came, and she was able to notice her roommate's belongings. No weapons, no scrolls, no ninja attire. Maybe Otoosan was right, was what she thought. But then she saw it.
On the bedside table in between the two beds there was a picture and a the Sound forehead protector. The picture was that of Team Hebi. Karin was in between winking, Juugu was on her left with a grin of some sort, Suigetsu was on her right with an irritated look. And even father on the left was Sasuke, with a blank face.
She frowned when she saw it. By the looks of it the redhead still cherished her old ninja days.
Sakura always wondered what happened to Sasuke's team when Naruto dragged him back. And they were able to find out what happened to the female member.
"Don't touch my stuff."
Sakura's eyes widened and she turned around, but then she frowned. "I was just looking."
Karin just narrowed her eyes at her. "Look, we both know that we don't like each other. Lets just share a room, until I leave, or until you finish teaching. In between, lets just pretend we don't exist, got it?"
The pinkette found no reason to decline the offer, except for, "Melane-san would probably be a nervous wreck once she finds out her daughter wasn't able to become friends with her other one."
"Just let her deal with it. My mother isn't a child anymore that can always be humored," Karin replied coldly. She grabbed some things then entered the bathroom.
Sakura just groaned, This is going to be a long stay.
"What the hell did you put in my bathroom?"
"It's called shampoo, idiot!"
"That smells like shit?!"
"It's called strawberry!"
A very long stay indeed.
XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO
A/N:
I am so, so, so, so, so, so, very sorry for not updating sooner! I mean I had the idea in my head already! But well, it was time that was lacking. Who would have thought chemistry and geometry could be so hard?!
I'd rather not update in months than the be grounded and not use the computer to type for failing a subject!
Yeah, well, enough excuses. What matter's most is that there's a chappie, right?...
Well, you know the drill! Review! :)