Haruno, Satomi stared at her daughter as she slipped into the living room, quietly greeting her favorite uncles with gentle smiles and conservative laughs. Satomi's gaze shifted at the too tall, lanky man who slipped next to her daughter, like a reflection countering every one of her movements with one of his own.
Satomi put the cup down and pursed her lips because that man was entirely to out of place here in the Haruno family. He was the reflection of everything Satomi hated, from the aloof personality, to the carless appearance. Sakura knew better, she should have never brought him here.
On the other side of the room Sakura laughed and quickly cut it off though she could not stop her shoulders from shaking. The man- the shinobi- was bent over whispering something in her ear, and Sakura was grinning, and not even bothering to hide her teeth behind a hand.
Satomi hated that. She hated the man, and was glad that she had, had the common sense to put the cup down earlier, if she hadn't she would have dropped it by now, or shattered it in her grip, either way a scene would be made, and Satomi hated to make a scene, though at this moment she desperately wanted to.
Satomi grit her teeth and tried not to imagine what that beast was whispering in her daughter's ear. Some sick sexual innuendo probably, something seductive to get her daughter into his bed again.
Satomi felt sick. She closed her eyes and tried not to imagine that man, that sick man, stealing her daughter in the dead of night, teaching the arts of a Kunoichi, to her child, to her perfect little baby.
Satomi glanced at the clock.
It was time to serve the food, reluctantly Satomi made the dinner announcement and people drained from the other rooms into the dining room.
Satomi tried not to frown when that man, slipped into the spot where Sakura's handsome young cousin Kazu should have been. Dinner began, and Satomi marveled at the lack of tension that filled the room, didn't anyone else think this was wrong?
It was however, Satomi's own mother Suzume, who addressed an issue of concern.
"Sakura, why do you bother with all this ninja business? It's unbecoming of a lady." The old woman barked, and several other clan members nodded in agreement. Finally Satomi thought.
Sakura place her chopsticks neatly down on her plate-at least there's that, Satomi thought- and looked at her grandmother with a clear expression. Blank, cold killers, statues, Satomi shuddered.
"Because I have and a knack for killing things I suppose."
The man at her daughter's side coughed, and Satomi sent him a dispassionate glance. The other clan members began to whisper.
The old woman grunted. "You cheeky brat, I should never have arranged that marriage between your parents, the world could do without an ungrateful, disrespectful, little whore like you."
Satomi froze.
But the man, at her daughter's side did not, he stood immediately disrupting the table as he stood abruptly, his lanky form seemed to fill the room with an unpleasant aurora. Sakura stood, and grasped his arm.
"Kakashi, let's just go please?" The man sent her a look, and she tilted her head. His hair dropped, and Sakura's lashes fluttered. He nodded, and Satomi realized that the odd ninja pair had an entire conversation right then and there without saying a word. She sat back.
She had never been able to do that with her husband.
Her mother and father had never been able to do that.
Satomi watched them leave, and turned her gaze to her mother. The table had fallen silent.
Satomi swallowed. "What's smarter than a talking bird?"
No one answered.
"A spelling bee."
Her nephews, 7, 8, and 10 respectively bursts into fits of laughter. Suzume sent her a dirty look and the tension slowly began to dissipate. Satomi glanced at the empty seats, her daughter and the man- Hatake Kakashi- had abandoned.
She felt light. She lowered her gaze, Tomorrow, she thought I'll send them a bouquet for their dinner table.
And then for the first time in many many years Satomi laughed without covering her mirth with a hand.