A/N:
Hi Readers! Thank you so much for spending your valuable time in reading this story. Here's your change! :)
Chapter 2
Apologies
The woman with jade eyes and golden blonde hair offered him a wide smile. He trailed his fingertips down her cheek, only to feel the cold, smooth, flat surface of the glass.
Kizashi had been staring at his late wife's portrait, wondering what she would do if she were here.
She might have been by their daughter's side every second, like how often she had caressed her swollen stomach. She might have kept on encouraging Sakura to move on, like the way her voice had sung after every kick inside her belly. Because that was how she was, Mebuki was a strong woman.
Mebuki insisted on having a child, despite the complications of her being pregnant. She took the risk of having Sakura, nevertheless. He couldn't compare himself with his wife's display of courage. He was too selfish to lose her. Though in the end, that was exactly what happened.
Now, the void in his chest was spreading. And this time, it was for his little girl.
For the past weeks, Sakura's behavior had been improving. She now paid attention to people talking to her. She now managed to respond to conversations. She was slowly getting back to life, but at the same time she remained different. Her eyes that were once filled with emotion now looked dull. He hadn't seen her innocent smile for four weeks now, and he already missed it.
But he couldn't lose hope. He may have been hanging on by a thread but his daughter was holding onto him. He had taken a month-long leave after considering Tsunade's advice. She was right. He had better be with Sakura in her recovery, and he sincerely wanted that; to spend some quality time with his daughter.
But he couldn't avoid work. He was a businessman, a tycoon at that. Work seemed to follow him everywhere. So instead of keeping full watch of his little girl, it was more like he only took the work home with him. He was working his head off for the sake of his daughter's future.
I would give her that at least… a fruitful future.
He set the picture frame back on the night stand, and lay back on the bed once more. A few seconds passed before he heard a soft knock at the door. He sat up and made an attempt to rise off the bed, but the door parted slightly to give way for the subject of his thoughts.
"Daddy?..." Sakura whispered. She slipped her head in and spotted her father sitting on the bed.
"What is it, honey?" His brows went up, before he took a side glance at the clock. Its thirty minutes past midnight.
"Can I sleep here tonight?"
"Of course honey, come on in."
Sakura stepped in and closed the door while clutching a stuffed teddy bear in her arms. Her footsteps were quiet against the plush carpet.
"What's wrong honey? Did you have a bad dream?" Kizashi asked, as he noticed the crease on her forehead and her paler complexion. He patted the space beside him and Sakura was quick to climb the bed and get comfortable beside her daddy.
"Yes..." she uttered.
"Do you want to talk about it?" Kizashi's brows furrowed. She had been having a lot of nightmares lately.
Sakura shook her head, "No". She shut her eyes tight and squeezed the teddy bear.
"Okay then, honey. Go to sleep. Daddy will chase away your bad dreams." Kizashi kissed her forehead, tucked her in and caressed her head before preparing to sleep himself.
Sakura rolled onto her side and put her left arm over her father's stomach in an embrace. Kizashi, who was facing up, smiled and returned the gesture. He patted her left shoulder with the rhythm of a silent lullaby.
Sakura liked the warmth from her daddy. It eased away the cold of fright brought by her bad dreams. It made her feel secure, the same feeling she had whenever she was with Sakumo-san.
The silence went on. Kizashi's breathing was just starting to even out when Sakura spoke again.
"Daddy?"
"Hmn..?"
"I love you."
"I love you too, honey."
It was seven in the evening. The father and daughter were having supper. Kizashi was sitting at the head of the dining table while Sakura occupied the seat at his right.
Aside from Sakura's behavioural improvement, her appetite spiked up as well. She was able to eat right now compared to the weeks prior, when she had merely taken bites from her dinner.
They were halfway to their meal, when Kizashi's mobile rang. He furrowed his brows after looking at the caller ID and excused himself out of the dining room. Since the house was genuinely quiet, Sakura was able to hear his muted voice from the adjacent parlour room.
"Yes, Shizuko?" Shizuko was her daddy's secretary from work. She frowned and paused her eating. "What? But I won't be back 'til Monday, what about Mr. Watari?... Oh, well what time should his flight arrive?... Fine then, what time will Mr. Uzumaki be there?... What? Why didn't you say so? I'll be right there. Bye."
Kizashi strode back to the dining room and to Sakura's side. He crouched to her height as he flashed an apologetic smile. "Sakura, honey, I need to go to the office for a moment. It's an emergency at work. I'm sorry. I promise I'll be back before bedtime to tuck you in, okay?"
Sakura unwillingly nodded.
Kizashi kissed her forehead then proceeded to the garage door, the sound of his footsteps fading.
Sakura glanced back at the seat previously occupied by her father, her mood dropping in an instant. She suddenly wasn't hungry anymore.
It's not as pleasing to eat in front of a practically empty table.
She looked over at the seat across from her and there was Sakumo-san.
He was bowed to his plate, taking in a lettuce from the vegetable salad. He raised his head and caught her eyes, before the corners of his lips tugged upward in a smile. Sakura just stared back at him, wide-eyed.
She blinked.
And he was gone.
She looked back at her plate, feeling a sting in her eyes. Why was she always left alone? Why did Sakumo-san leave her? Why have her mother did?... Even her daddy didn't want to spend time with her ever since.
Then, there were the kids at school. At one time, during pre-school, they had been asked to draw their family and she had only drawn two stick figures: she and her dad. One of her classmates had seen it and laughed at her until the other kids joined in. Even at school, most kids refused to be friends with her.
Tears filled her eyes, but she just rubbed them off with her sleeves. Her father would come back tonight. He promised… and she would hold on to that.
It was thirty minutes past ten o'clock. Sakura's bed time has passed and she was losing the battle against sleep. She decided to lie down in bed for a moment. She wanted to stay awake and wait for her daddy to come home and tuck her in as he promised.
He wouldn't break his promise, would he?
But then, she remembered the times when her daddy did exactly just that. And they happened quite often: during her birthday parties, when she needed help on her homework, when she first went to the dentist and she was scared to death, when she aced her exam and they were supposed to celebrate at a restaurant, when she joined a quiz bee at school, even during the times when she was kidnapped.
No, he wasn't in any of those. But there was someone present in all of those occasions, and that was Sakumo-san.
Maybe, it could've been better if Sakumo-san were my dad. Tears welled up in her eyes at the thought.
She assumed that her father had finally given her his full attention after what happened, but she was wrong. He wouldn't have stayed home this long if it weren't for that incident. He is the same as always. She wasn't sure what to think of her father anymore.
No, she should not doubt her father. He made Sakumo-san watch over her, after all. She was thankful for that. If her father did that, then like Sakumo-san, he was also a good person. A superhero. Unconsciously, her lips spread into a smile. Dr. Tsunade kept on telling her that Sakumo-san was happy wherever he was; that although he wasn't there physically, he still continues to look out for her from the sky.
Back then, Sakumo-san never failed to mention that her daddy cares for her too. So yeah, she shouldn't think badly of her father. She shouldn't.
Yet deep inside her heart, she wasn't able to deny the building disappointment towards him. She began to agree with it, as she acknowledged defeat in her fight with sleep.
That night, she dreamed of her daddy's peck on her forehead and his hushed words of 'I'm sorry'. Yes, it was only a dream. Because she believed that it was impossible to actually happen. Because she knew that her daddy was good at breaking promises.
Sakura was in her father's home office; she was sitting on the couch across the said man. Her father mentioned he wanted her to meet someone, so they were waiting for that person.
"Sakura," Kizashi started, "you've been away from school for a while now, and I trust that you know how important education is. How would you like the idea of returning to school? Besides, your friends already miss you. They've been sending you letters the whole month, haven't they?"
Kizashi's eyes narrowed, taking in his daughter's reaction. He was silently hoping that he didn't say anything that might bring her back to distress. Shizune advised that Sakura's exposure to more people may help in her full recovery; and that it would be good for her to go back to school. If she could see that more people care for her, Sakumo's absence would be less overwhelming for the girl.
Sakura nodded in agreement. "I would love to, daddy." The corners of her mouth tugged slightly upward.
Fortunately for Kizashi, Sakura also missed the few friends she had at school. And these past few days, she was starting to prefer the noisy atmosphere of school than the quiet hollow spaces of this house. Although now, she was getting used to solitude and was starting to think that it wasn't as bad as it used to be. She realized she still had friends, whom she could confide to.
Kizashi sighed in relief and smiled at her. "That's good then. It's December though, and the holidays will start soon. So it would be best if you just return to school next month when classes resume."
"Okay…" Sakura didn't mind. Besides, she needed some time to prepare anyway.
"There's one more thing I need to tell you, honey. And that's primarily the reason why we are here." At this, Kizashi spoke each word more cautiously.
"You do know that we could not overlook your safety…" Kizashi paused to assess her reaction; Sakura seemed unfazed, so he continued. "So, I decided to assign you a new bodyguard and-"
He was cut off from his sentence by a knock at the door. "Oh! That might just be him." He informed Sakura, before he turned to the door at his far right.
"Come in!" he called out.
Sakura followed her father's gaze and found the door that was swinging open.
She froze. Her eyes widened in shock. What?
Kizashi stood up to greet the new comer, unaware of his daughter's reaction. He walked a few paces towards the visitor. They shook hands and exchanged short greetings. All the while, Sakura kept staring at the visitor, confusion apparent in her features.
"Sakura, I'd like you to me-… honey?" Kizashi turned around and noticed how pale his daughter's face was. He mentally remarked that she looked like she had seen a ghost. "Honey, what's wrong?" Kizashi rushed to Sakura in an instant. He knelt in front of her and nudged her shoulders. But her head remained tilted to her left, to where the new comer stood.
"Sakumo-san?..." She whispered.
That was when Kizashi realized his comment couldn't have been far from right. Of course she would think that. He looked a lot like Sakumo after all.
"Sakura… I'd like you to meet Sakumo's son and your new personal bodyguard… Kakashi."
Kakashi watched the two Harunos, quite understanding the situation. He ignored how the girl referred to him as and opted to go near them.
When Kakashi walked towards them, Sakura was able to examine him up close. She noticed that he indeed looked a lot younger, around early twenties, compared to Sakumo-san who was in his late fifties. Although they have the same hair color and the same spiked hair style; this man lacked the longer hair strands at the back in a low ponytail. His skin was also smoother than that of Sakumo-san's.
What she wasn't sure though, was if he resembled his father's face. His face was mostly concealed by his turtle-neck-like top, which stretched from just below his ears to the mid-part of his nose bridge. It made her think of those typical ninja attires she sees on TV.
Then there were his eyes. Those dark eyes that looked a lot like Sakumo-san's own. Those eyes were mainly the reason why she mistook this man for her previous protector.
"Hi there Sakura! It's nice to finally meet you."
Sakura was snapped out of her thoughts as Kakashi spoke. She was embarrassed all of a sudden for confusing him with someone else.
"H-hi…"
Kizashi sighed and calmed down a bit. For a second, he thought Kakashi's presence had triggered his daughter's trauma.
"You okay honey?" Still, he needed to be sure. Sakura nodded. He reluctantly let her go and stood straight to address the other occupant in the room.
"I apologize for the introduction, Kakashi. My daughter's quite reserved to strangers."
"It's alright Kizashi-sama. I understand."
Just then, Kizashi's mobile rang. He took it out of his pocket, and then glanced at the caller ID.
"Excuse me for a second." He walked out of the study and into the hallway.
Kakashi eyed the girl. Her head was bowed to the floor, her shoulders were slumped and her hands were folded together on her lap. He took note of her long hair that hid the sides of her face, acting like a curtain; and of course, its strange color.
She definitely looked vulnerable.
"You look a lot like him, you know?" Sakura's soft voice broke the silence.
Kakashi was taken aback. He didn't want to talk about his father. "I kind of get that a lot." He tried to sound casual, but his gritted teeth made it sound different.
It was true that he got most of his father's looks. That was the reason why he covered his face in the first place. He didn't want to be labelled as just a copy of his father, Sakumo. Sakumo: the ever loving husband. Sakumo: the best close protection officer. Sakumo: the hero. And so on. Sakumo had played almost every role that he could, with just one exception. Sakumo never truly played the part of being a father to him.
Kakashi couldn't help but feel rage whenever his father was brought up. He was mad at him because he had been too dedicated in his job. He was mad at him because he had spent too much time with the Harunos. He was mad at him because he had chosen to be the hero that he was, and used his body to take on a bullet.
Yes, that was what caused his demise, just one bullet to the nape. He could have survived the first gunshot, since he was wearing the standard body armor. And the force had just struck the part where his right lung was, hence the internal bleeding. He could have pulled through it.
But no… the great Hatake Sakumo, for once, let his guard down. Whatever happened to 'don't turn your back on your enemy?' That was rule number one. His father had been careless. And he hated him for it.
What he hated the most though, was himself. Because regret and longing overpowered in this internal conflict of his. Being compared to his own father sent a rush of these emotions through him. And he hated doubting himself. He hated the thought that once in his teenage years; he had envied this girl before him for having his father's attention.
"I'm sorry…" she uttered, her voice shaky. Her head was now raised to meet his eyes.
Kakashi raised a brow. "It's okay. You're father already said that."
"No, it's not that. I didn't… I didn't mean to let Sakumo-san die." Her voice cracked at the last word; tears were now freeing themselves from her eyes. "I swear I didn't want that to happen either… I'm sorry Kakashi-san… I'm really sorry…" She was sobbing now, complete with the occasional hiccups.
Kakashi just stood there, unsure of how to comfort the girl. Pushing his own issues aside for a moment, he carefully sat down beside Sakura and patted her back. He was jolted by the sudden hold of tiny arms around his waist, before she leaned her head to his side. He let her clung to him for a few minutes while he continued to pat her back. He wouldn't admit it aloud, but he himself missed the comfort of a simple hug.
"It's not your fault, Sakura. It was an accident." The words were out of his mouth before he even understood what they meant. And he knew instantly that those words weren't just for the girl, but for him as well.
Sakura pulled away and looked at him. "So, you weren't mad at me just now?" Her voice was still heavy from crying. "'Cause by the way you talked and how your eyes looked scary, I thought… but I'm not really sure, since I can't see the rest of your face. Can you remove that?"
She pointed at the thin fabric that covered the lower half of his face. Sakura was getting absorbed in curiosity, so she continued. "Can you breathe properly with that covering your nose and mouth?"
Kakashi chuckled as he ruffled her hair. "Hey, do you know that you ask too many questions? And to answer them, 'no', 'no' and 'yes'."
Sakura wasn't sure why, but she immediately felt comfortable with Kakashi-san. Maybe it was the fact that he's the son of her previous bodyguard. Or maybe it was the refreshing feeling of meeting someone new. Either way, what mattered at the moment was this unexplainable light feeling in her chest.
When Kizashi went back to his home office, he couldn't believe his eyes. There it was! He finally got to see the very thing he missed the most. He finally got to see Sakura's sweet carefree smile once more.
It was Christmas day and Kakashi's third week in the Haruno household. In that short period of time, he was able to recognize the Harunos better than the standard profiles given to him. He saw Kizashi as a generous man and a good father who spoils his only daughter, while Sakura was very bright for her age but was quite the stubborn one.
Kakashi knew he was in no place to meddle with their personal business, of course. Sakura suffered a severe trauma, after all. So, he settled to focus and observe the surroundings for any potential threats.
They were at the mall. Kakashi and three more bodyguards were accompanying the two Harunos in their Christmas shopping spree. Sakura would just point at a shop to go to every now and then; and Kizashi and the rest of them would follow. Their shopping went on for two hours until they decided to have lunch at a restaurant.
"Where do you want to go next, honey?" Kizashi asked, as their orders arrived. The four bodyguards were joining them at the table.
"Well, I've always wanted to watch that latest animated movie." Sakura replied rather excitedly. "Can we go to the movie theatre? Please?" Her hands were clapped together as if in prayer.
"Okay then, honey. Finish your meal first." Kizashi was glad to see his daughter became livelier day by day. She hadn't acted this way in a long time. Ever since Kakashi had arrived, it was as if she had never been in trauma at all. He noted that he should thank Kakashi for that later.
The ever so familiar ringing sound interrupted the silence that had just started. Kizashi excused himself, stood up and went to the restroom to answer the call. Two of the bodyguards followed him.
Sakura's eyes followed her father's figure until he was out of view. She looked back at her plate and frowned. This scenario's getting old. She resumed eating; her pace slower than before. All these didn't go unnoticed by Kakashi's sharp eyes.
A few minutes later, Kizashi came back with the two bodyguards.
"Hey, honey, I've got good news. Mr. Uzumaki called and he's inviting us to have dinner at their house tomorrow." Mr. Uzumaki was her father's latest business partner. He mentioned that Mr. Uzumaki also had an only child who coincidentally went to the same school as Sakura's.
"You can finally meet his child and maybe you two could be friends."
It had taken Sakura a few seconds to process that her father wasn't actually leaving.
"Yeah… Maybe," she replied, still stunned.
The Uzumaki mansion was huge, bigger than the Haruno's. Sakura hardly saw the entire grounds from her view inside their car. It had the look of grand classical buildings, typically seen on TV and magazines, those which you couldn't seem to get used to. Landscaping was provided throughout the driveway. The car drove around a fountain before stopping opposite the porch.
Kakashi, who was seated at the passenger side, got off the car and checked the perimeter before he opened the door at the backseat for the Harunos.
Sakura stepped out first in her formal red dress and flat sandals, followed by Kizashi in his black tuxedo. All were wearing thick overcoats as protection against the cold winter breeze. They were led by the maids to the foyer where they took off their coats, and then to the living room where the Uzumakis await them.
Sakura saw two adults, sitting side by side on a couch. The two stood up and welcomed them as soon as they entered the room.
They must be Mr. and Mrs. Uzumaki.
She watched as the couple and her father exchanged greetings, before Mr. Uzumaki turned to her.
"And you must be Sakura. Your father has told me so much about you. Happy holidays!" He appeared to be a kind man and he had a friendly smile, so she returned the greeting.
"Happy holidays, Mr. Uzumaki. It's nice to meet you." Sakura spoke politely as she took the hand he offered.
Just then, another figure arrived. "Oh! There you are. What took you so long? Come over here." Mr. Uzumaki called in the child that looked just about Sakura's age.
"Sakura," Mr. Uzumaki faced her with his ever present genuine smile. "This is my kid… Karin."
