Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I do not own Natuto or the characters involved.
A/N: This is totally an Alternate Universe, just FYI. It's very different and very modern. But like I said before, I wanted to incorporate a true story into a Naruto Fic for more reasons than one.
If you don't like it...sorry? (:
I apologize ahead of time incase I don't update very fast. I'm in the process of moving and it's a pain in the ass, let me tell you what! Plus I have three other fics I'm trying to get around to (I know, dumb move on my part but I couldn't hold back!). I think that's it for now!
It all started on a crisp November afternoon.
"How do you feel about him coming home?"
Aiko pondered her best friend's question on the ride home from school one day. The windows half rolled down to let in a slight breeze as the car cruised down a long stretch of road near the Reservoir. It was an unusually warm day in November and it felt great outside.
"I guess it's cool he's coming home..." Aiko said, putting her hand out the window as the car slowed to a stop at a red-light.
"But there's more." Haruno Sakura urged, her long and wavy, pink hair riding the wind current as she pushed her aviators up her head. Turning towards her brunette friend, she put a comforting hand on Aiko's knee as she gave a reassuring smile.
"I don't know. I guess I'm nervous because the attention of my parents is already on Rokuro and his wrestling season that is beginning to start. With Kakashi coming home, it's just going to-" Aiko cut herself off, waving a hand as Sakura began to accelerate, the pink haired girl's attention nonetheless focused on her friend.
"It's just going to be awkward. He's my older brother and I don't even know him. I never really did before. There were times where we went out to dinner as a family but they were few and far between and other than that, it's all pretty much casual. He's been in prison more times than I can count."
Sakura nodded in comprehension, understanding why Aiko seemed so nervous and uptight about her older brother having came home from big boy prison around twelve in the afternoon today. For weeks, Aiko had been talking about this day. Even her parents were starting to stress about it. All this exasperation of one person coming home was starting to pique Sakura's curiosity, though she would never show it.
"Well maybe times are different now. Maybe you guys can work on a relationship, now that he's home and all." Sakura offered, turning right onto the bridge that intersected the large body of water. Within five minutes they would be at Aiko's house.
Within five minutes, she would meet the infamous Hatake Kakashi.
"Anyways, don't fret girl. You've always got me." Sakura smiled. "I'm sure it won't be as bad as you think."
"Yeah, we'll see."
The two sixteen year old teenagers pulled onto the driveway, parking in front of a one car garage that was perpendicular to the three car garage that housed Aiko's mom and dad's car and a whole lot of extra junk.
Sakura and Aiko sported their purses and picked up their school books from the backseat as they headed towards the door that led into the house. Feeling the stress rolling off Aiko in waves, Sakura stopped her friend and gave her a reassuring hug as they entered the house.
And suddenly, it was like slow motion kicked on. Following Aiko into the nicely furnished and familiar decorated home, Sakura searched the all familiar crowd for the one face that had been causing so much "excitement" in the family lately. Seeing Aiko's older brother Rokuro standing near a very beautiful woman who Sakura had seen only a couple of times before, she also saw Aiko's dad Mikio and her mom Junko crowded around the bar stools talking to someone Sakura couldn't see behind Aiko.
And suddenly, the party parted before her like Moses and the Red Sea.
Sakura caught the man's eye almost instantaneously, time slowing to a mere freeze. The tall and slender yet hard muscled man gave her small smirk, if it could be called that, and held her gaze for a moment. Then within a blink of an eye, moved it down the pink-haired teen's body and back up again, resting his piercing and somewhat intimidating black gaze back on her bedazzled face as if what Sakura had just witnessed him do, did not happen and was only a figment of her imagination.
"Sakura, this is Kakashi. Kakashi, this is my best friend, Sakura."
It was all Sakura could do to give a small, sheepish smile as she felt all eyes upon her at that moment in time. It was an overwhelming and extremely uncomfortable feeling so in that instant the pink haired girl bit out a small greeting, finding it difficult to tear her eyes away from the man whom she knew to be Kakashi.
"Hello."
And reluctantly, time picked back up again to normal speed as the family conversed as if nothing had just transpired. Did Aiko even see the scrutiny stare of her oldest brother? Did anyone? Did she just dream the whole thing? Why the hell did it even matter anyways?
Junko walked over and gave Sakura a light hug and smiled down at the young girl, a glass of red wine in her right hand and already seeming a bit flushed.
"It's good to see you honey!" Junko exclaimed, squeezing her daughter's shoulder in a comforting gesture before exiting to the garage to light up a smoke.
Aiko rolled her eyes at Sakura and shrugged as the two friends made their way down the long hall into the family room towards the staircase. Trailing behind Aiko as they climbed the stairs and retreated into Aiko's somewhat crammed bedroom, Sakura felt like she had been zapped by lightning and felt her neves extra sensitized with the encounter that had taken place only minutes ago.
That was Aiko's brother? He was absolutely, without a doubt and unquestionably gorgeous in every aspect possible.
"Well, what do you think?" Aiko sighed, tossing her purse to the side and collapsing tiredly on her zebra printed sheets that lay in a messy fashion on top of her bed.
Sakura set down her purse on top of the dresser, leaning against one of the end tables as she appeared to be in deep thought. And boy, was Haruno Sakura in deep thought.
Sakura had never felt such an instantaneous connection and shock wave of chemistry implode before her own eyes as what she had just felt and witnessed. All the wonder that went with the days of stress and preparing for Kakashi's homecoming had elicited such curiosity from the young female and she couldn't lie to herself by not saying she wasn't in the least bit excited. And for what? He was a thirty year ex convict, not an eighteen year old ex convict.
But something about the way that he looked at her...and that smile.
Maybe this was another one of Sakura's faltering moments where she seemed to completely and totally overanalyze a situation and view it from every angle and aspect possible. It would due herself some good to just call it what it was. A man looking at a new girl who'd he only just seen the first time, right?
But it was more than that and Sakura knew it in her gut.
"I don't think you want my honest opinion."
Aiko gave a knowing smile as she rolled onto her frontside, crossing her legs in the air. "I already have a feeling. I'm pretty sure I've heard it all before."
Sakura bit her lip as she suddenly found the floor near her feet quite interesting at that point in time.
"Well, um..."
"Sakura you are such a flake sometimes! I don't care if you think he's hot. I've had friends tell me that before, ya know."
"But I know you get mad when your friends tell you 'Oh, Rokuro is soo sexy!' or whatever." Sakura whined, moving to sit on the edge of the bed next to Aiko as she folded her small hands in the hemline of her school's uniform.
"So you think he's sexy huh?"
"No!" Sakura about yelled, a mad blush creeping into her cheeks as she swatted the back of Aiko's head playfully.
"Are you lying to me?" Aiko teased as she leaned into Sakura's side.
"Okay he's hot. Real hot. But nothing more!"
Aiko chuckled as she rolled back onto her back, stretching her arms above her head, eliciting a loud groan as a few bones popped.
"But that doesn't matter anyways. But that girl down there, the one I've seen here and there-the brunette. What's her name and why's she here?" Sakura questioned, truthfully curious as to who the gorgeous dark haired woman was. Sakura had heard her name a couple of times before but names escaped her always.
And just the posture of the woman and how she seemed so comfortable around Kakashi...
"That's Shiori. She's Kakashi's ex." Aiko spat distastefully as she drew herself up from the bed and stoof before the wall mirror, fluffing her hair and messing with it.
So that explained it. Was Sakura surprised to feel jealousy creep over her every fiber as the name finally clicked in place?
"She brought the kids over too. I think they might be outside."
With those simple words, jealousy took a whole other turn. It suddenly felt like it was over powering the pink haired girl and this was something Sakura was not used to feeling most of the time and she did not fancy it one bit.
One: Kakashi had an ex girlfriend-a gorgeous one to add-and if they were really, truly done and broken up, why would Shiori have even shown up? Obviously she wanted to fix things, whatever that entailed, much to Sakura's aversion. Two: The man had kids and that just sealed the deal with that being Hatake Kakashi was off limits.
Off limits?? Either Sakura was going absolutely crazy and had lost her mind or Kakashi's pheromones had made the woman slightly dizzy, her world teetering back and forth on edge of something close to dangerous to say the least.
"I know Shiori definitely brought Hiroko. The other two I'm not so sure."
"Is Hiroko the one that comes over a lot?"
"Yeah, the ten year old. She's Shiori's and Kakashi's daughter. The younger two are with some other douche."
This surprised Sakura and her face showed it as Aiko answered her next question.
"This is one of the reasons I honestly don't care for Shiori." Aiko sighed, rolling her eyes as she retreated to the open closet near the door of her bedroom. "She cheated on Kakashi when he was in prison and popped out two kids." Aiko called, a mix of shirts and sweat pants being thrown in disheveled heaps near the foot of the bed.
Sakura's jaw dropped in flat out bewilderment and shock. "So what is she doing here again?"
"Mom told me that they were going to 'try and make it work out', especially since they have a kid and all but it beats me. I think they both could do better then each other. Yeah, Shiori might be pretty and all but looks can be deceiving and honestly? Word goes round that Kakashi wasn't such a gentleman to Shiori either and if you want my real opinion," Aiko whispered as she came back into the room with a red T-shirt and gray sweatpants in hand. "I don't think they're happy together and if your not happy, why stay together and try to force it?"
"Wow," Sakura muttered, her eyes falling to the floor. "That's a lot to take in."
"Yeah, so we'll see if they stick out or not. I could care less honestly. It's none of my business."
Sakura stood up from Aiko's bed and wandered towards Aiko's closet seeming to be in deep thought and concentration, pulling out a pair of checkered purple and pink shorts from one of Aiko's many drawers. Sliding her school's uniform skirt and putting the shorts on, Sakura wondered why Kakashi would even try to work things out with a woman who didn't seem at all loyal in any aspect. Sakura put herself in Kakashi's mindset for a moment and thought to herself if every time she had to look at those two other kids running around, she would automatically think of the unfaithfulness that had taken place there. Sakura didn't think she could carry that weight as Kakashi seemed to be.
Unbuttoning the white button up blouse that was mandatory for school uniform, the pink haired teen grabbed the shirt and skirt and folded them neatly and set them on the stand next to her purse and books. Wearing a white tank top and shorts sported with her favorite tan uugs, she raised her eye brows at Aiko who was peering out her bedroom window.
"They're talking as we speak," Aiko laughed, her finger opening up a small viewing area of the blinds to look at the scene before her. "Poor Kakashi, tsk tsk."
Poor Kakashi indeed. Sakura thought to herself as she grabbed her friend's arm and lead her towards the door.
"I don't know about you but I'm in the mood for some egg wraps!"
"Egg wraps it is, my friend." Aiko agreed as they skipped into the hall.
"So, how are you Kakashi?" Shiori began hesitantly, sitting on the edge of the hottub, glancing back to make sure the sliding back door was closed and the windows shut. She wanted some privacy for a small while to somewhat talk things out with a certain silver haired man.
The said man had his strong arms crossed over his broad chest, his back facing the woman who had pulled him outside to catch up on some things. To be quite frank, this was the last thing Kakashi wanted to do the day he was released from prison. He had been hounded and grilled the whole ride home and even at the house. What Kakashi wanted and needed most right now was some serious down time but Shiori would not grant him this small request.
"Do we really have to talk about this now." It was a statement, not a question.
"I think it's important, don't you?"
Kakashi was slowly getting annoyed and irritated as his ex girlfriend continued to be persistent. That was her alright. Shiori chased after what she wanted and by god if she didn't get it at the exact moment she wanted it, she would sooner or later but Kakashi was not one to give in so easily.
Turning around slowly as he breathed in the fresh, crisp November air, Kakashi ruffled his messy heap of silver hair and sighed.
"I literally walked in the door not two hours ago, Shiori. It's important but it can wait. It's not a life or death matter."
"I'm glad you don't think so." The alluring brunette muttered, rolling her ocean blue eyes as she stood up and walked closer towards the ex convict.
"Just to let you know, I think it's downright wrong how your taking me for granted. Here I am, putting myself out there and offering you a stable place to stay to help get your feet in the ground and you'd rather stay at your parents' house? Kakashi, are you kidding me? There must be something I'm just not quite understanding." Shiori whispered darkly, her face a few mere inches from the said man's face.
"Don't even start that shit with me." Kakashi bit out dangerously, peering down at the woman in front of him. "You were the one who cheated on me, remember? Talk about taking things for granted. I don't owe you an explanation for my reasons of wanting to be here and frankly? I'm done talking to you."
Kakashi strode towards the sliding glass door, feeling more and more angry and stressed by the minute as he left Shiori outside in the cool air, hoping his words stung as much as hers did him.
Sakura had secretly witnessed the whole encounter between Shiori and Kakashi threw one of the kitchen windows over the sink, pretending to be engrossed in Aiko's conversation with her parents about the high school football team playing their rival in a matter of days. By the looks of it, their "talk" had not gone well, reading Kakashi's dark expression and his last words as he stormed towards the door. Turning away quickly as the fit man drew open the door, Sakura felt as though she had been caught in something she should not have witnessed and was deeply private.
Kakashi pulled out one of the four bar stools that lined the outer edge of the kitchen island and slumped in his chair as he ruffled his silver hair in what seemed to be anxiety and heat, his seat only three down from Sakura's. She could feel his powerful aura rolling off him in waves and Sakura seemed to be the only one paying close attention and affected by it.
For whatever reason Aiko strongly disliked Shiori, Sakura was starting to hate the woman just as well for her own reasons.
"You gonna give some to Sakura, Aiko?" Mikio asked, wandering the room aimlessly.
"She's the one that wanted some dad." Aiko said as she stirred the scrambled eggs in the skillet, the delicious scent rising throughout the kitchen.
"Hey it was mutual." Sakura blushed, earning a smile from Aiko's father as he lounged on the couch and flipped the TV on to football.
"What are you making?" Kakashi asked, peering past Aiko to the stove.
Aiko glanced back and threw a smile to her older step brother. "Egg wraps, my speciality. Want one?"
"Yeah, that'd be great thank you."
"Aiko shut the hell up. I was the one who started that." Rokuro started, coming in with his wrestling bag thrown over his shoulder and cell phone in hand. Coming around to the back of Sakura's chair, he gave her a strong hug eliciting a loud shriek from the small girl.
"Rokuro get off me, you smell!"
Rokuro was an extremely touchy-feely kind of guy and quite immature for his age and was always poking and hugging Sakura or Aiko or any female in the room. Being two years older than Aiko and just one year older than Sakura, Rokuro felt comfortable and at ease around the two girls and was always messing around with one or the other, much to their dislike. But that was just who Rokuro was; an extremely outgoing guy who had the rare gift to make anyone laugh.
"You love it."
Suddenly the back door, from where Kakashi had stepped in only moments ago, smoothly slid open as a perturbed-to say the least-Shiori made an entrance with her cell phone and car keys in hand.
"Rokuro you ready?" Mikio asked, turning around from watching the TV as he sensed his son come into the room.
"Mikio do you have the keys? I can't seem to find them..." Junko muttered to herself, double checking her pockets and patting her jeans for her car keys.
"Let's just take the truck."
"I'll be in the car." Claimed Rokuro as he exited the kitchen to the garage with his wrestling bag and shoes in hand. Mikio followed tail, starting the diesel truck with a loud groan as Junko whipped about the kitchen, not giving up the search for her keys.
"Good luck Rok!" Yelled Sakura and Aiko.
"Good luck little bro." Kakashi yelled as well, catching a grin from Rokuro as he shut the door behind him.
"Mom you guys are going to be late for his first match. Just go and I'll look for the keys, alright?" Aiko asked impatiently, wrapping the scrambled eggs into a taco wrap and serving two to Sakura and Kakashi.
"That'd be nice, thank you. Love you guys-be safe! Will you guys be cool while we're gone?" Junko asked, peering between Aiko, Sakura and Kakashi.
"Yep."
"Alright. Gimme a call if you need anything! Love you!"
And with that, Junko hustled on out the door.
"Shou's on the phone. He wants to know if you want to go to the bar and shoot some pool. I said I'd take you because I'm going home to drop the kids off." Shiori interrupted awkwardly, holding her cell phone out for Kakashi to take.
"Tell him that's fine." Kakashi muttered, too interested in scarfing down Aiko's egg wrap then to talk to Shou who was one of Kakashi's oldest friends from long ago.
"Well then let's go." Shiori scoffed, grabbing her purse from the kitchen counter and muttering something to Shou on the phone.
Sakura and Aiko glanced at each other.
Kakashi abruptly scooted the bar stool out and tossed the paper plate in the trash underneath the kitchen counter and grabbed his coat, exiting through the back door and walking towards Shiori's parked car on the driveway as he somewhat slammed the door on his way out.
"Kids! Get your stuff, we're leaving." Shiori called down the long hallway.
Seconds later there was loud pattering as they jogged down the hallway from the main family room to the kitchen, their coats and shoes already on.
"Bye Aiko! Bye Sakura!" Norio, Shiori's only son, called as he hugged Aiko's leg.
"Bye sweetie! Have fun!" Aiko laughed, patting the young boy's head full of brown and wavy hair.
Within moments, the small trio was out the house and the house became eerily quiet.
"She didn't even say bye..." Sakura whispered, taking a bite of her wrap as Aiko rolled her eyes.
"You'll come to realize that she's not the most mannered woman in the world."
"I guess so."
And with that, the two teens took their food and glided down the stairs into the basement to watch some TV and perhaps, if they were lucky, work on some homework.
All the while Sakura pondering that this would be a roller coaster she couldn't afford to miss out on.
There was a lot to this man Hatake Kakashi. And Haruno Sakura was about to uncover him piece by small, small piece.
End of Chapter One. Whatcha think?