Chapter Sixteen: Tentative Bonds

Introduced:

I DON'T OWN NARUTO! MASASHI KISHIMOTO DOES! YOU CAN'T SUE ME!

R&R

Not sure of the pairings yet. Ideas are very much welcome. ^_^

Sakura cleared her throat quietly and settled comfortably on the couch between Sai and Itachi who eyed her warily. "Oh quit being a couple of girls." She scolded with a smile. Both blushed slightly and turned their heads away from her. "It was the day before I turned thirteen. My...Haruno-san had been drinking quite heavily the entire day. It was the day my mother and little brother died. He came home from whatever bar or liquor den he had been hiding in all damned day. I was sitting in the bay window of my childhood home for the last time that day. He returned and was in quite a rage over whatever. I asked him to sign some papers and he kicked me through the window. The glass shattered and cut into my back as I flew through the air and nearly paralyzed me. I couldn't even cry or scream because I was in such shock. When I landed, the glass came out of my chest just barely missing my heart and nicking one of my lungs. The neighbors saw me lying there bleeding to death and called 911. Luckily I was taken to the hospital in time. I wasn't paralyzed but I have a nasty set of scars to remind me of that day. The day I became an adult. The way the glass cut into my back, it damaged a few of the muscles and nerves as well so I have to be careful about how I move lest I trigger a muscle seizure and I literally have to writhe on the floor in pain until it stops." Sakura said quietly.

"We know some very good doctors. Let us make you an appointment and see if we can't fix that injury of yours." Katashi said. "I have been to several of the top doctors in Kagure, Suna, and even Cloud. They all say there is nothing that can be done for it. I have to live with it for the rest of my life." Sakura replied. "You haven't seen all the top doctors in Konoha Sakura. If there's any way that your back can be fixed, we'll take it." Katashi said firmly. Sakura sighed and nodded rather than argue with the man she just found out was her father.

Shisui silently padded out into his cousin's back yard because he couldn't sleep. He couldn't believe that he'd had a sister all these years and his father never tried to look for her nor did he even mention that he'd been about to marry another woman. His mother, rest her soul, would have been overjoyed to meet Sakura. 'Think of the devil.' Shisui thought as he spotted moonlit pink hair entering the gazebo by the lake. The dark haired Uchiha decided he would try to get to know his new sister without their father butting in. 'She looked terrified when Sasuke-chan's frends broke the news.' He thought with a smile.

"Couldn't sleep?" Shisui asked as he stopped just outside the gazebo. Sakura whirled to face him, face white. "Oh hello Shisui-san right?" She relaxed visibly. "Just Shisui is fine. I know I can't ask you to call me brother or Aniki because until today you didn't even know me." Shisui laughed. Sakura nodded and moved aside. "Come sit with me then if you can't sleep either." She said. Shisui settled on the bench next to her and Sakura twisted the hem of her shirt in her hands out of nerves. "I guess you think I'm some kind of freak or something." She said. "Not at all. If anything I wish my father had tried a little harder to find out if your mother was pregnant with his child. And since she was, he should have tried harder to stay in your lives so that we could be a proper family." Shisui replied. "Sasuke will never be family to me no matter what. I hate him. He is a brat that I would like nothing more than see brought down low." Sakura said angrily. "I understand how you could dislike Sasuke-chan on site but hate? That's not something I can comprehend." Shisui replied. "I'm surprised you didn't ask Sai or Itachi. I'm sure one of them would tell you the sordid details." Sakura said bitterly. "I'm asking you Sakura-chan." Shisui replied gently.

"Sasuke has been harassing me and bothering me since I first moved here. First it was attempting to claim me as his woman which was insulting in the first place. When that didn't work, he spread rumors that I was a whore. When that didn't work, he put up thousands of pictures that he had photo shopped depicting me and several of my friends in graphic sexual situations. That was the worst. Sai called me that day and tried to tell me not to come to school but I did anyway. It was humiliating. I couldn't even cry about it. I was so shocked and so appalled that I couldn't even feel anything." Sakura said to her legs. "I knew that Sasuke-chan was a bit over the top but to do that to a complete stranger is disgusting. I'll talk to Aunt Mikoto and see if she can't punish him for his behavior. Admittedly they let him do as he pleases but this is too much." Shisui said.

"I wish I had you when I was younger. I probably wouldn't have been beaten as much." Sakura laughed quietly. Shisui's face darkened. "I want you to promise me something." He said softly. "What?" Sakura cocked her head. "Here's my cell phone number. If you ever need anything, anything at all, I want you to call me. No matter what I will come to you. No matter what. That's what real family is supposed to do." Shisui said. "Ok." Sakura agreed with a smile. She was really happy that this newly discovered family didn't hate her or want to hurt her. 'Not like that prick cousin of mine.' She thought with a glare at Sasuke's window. "I think I can get some sleep now nii-san." Sakura hugged Shisui and ran into the house. Shisui followed with a stupid grin on his face, glad he had formed some sort of bond with his sister.

"I will make up for your shitty childhood no matter what. I swear as an Uchiha." He whispered.

Please R&R. I like hearing feedback. However don't use a review as an excuse to be a dick. If you do, I will be a dick right back.