Chapter 22 – The Confrontation
The second she heard his voice, Sakura was wide awake.
She was awake and on her feet and taking many steps back, trying her best to put more space between herself and that man.
"How did you get in the building?" Sakura demanded, her voice sounding a hell of a lot stronger than she felt. "How did you get into my home?"
Haruno Kizashi merely narrowed his eyes and by his sides, his fists clenched. "How I got in here doesn't matter," he muttered and slowly, his eyes moved to Sasuke's. "What matters is that your whoring around–"
"Whoring around?" Sasuke snarled in return and stood up also, standing beside Sakura. "Don't speak to or about her like that."
"Or what?" He barked out a laugh. "What are you going to do about it, kid?"
"Or we'll teach you a lesson in manners," Gaara murmured lowly and his upper lip curled, his own fists trembling by his sides.
Out of the corner of her eye, Sakura glanced around, taking note of everyone and when she couldn't find Hinata, her heart was instantly in her throat. Where was Hinata? "Where is she?" When nobody answered her, her voice grew louder, more desperate and her eyes were wide. "Where the hell is Hinata?"
Naruto was just as anxious as she was, shifting from foot to foot and glaring hatefully at Kizashi. He had no idea what was going on or why Sakura's father was suddenly in the apartment, yelling and threatening them all. All he did know was that Hinata had answered the door and other than her cry when it was slammed open, she had been silent.
When Naruto continued to stare behind Kizashi anxiously, Sakura felt pure fear shooting across every part of her body. "What did you do to her?"
Kizashi glanced over his shoulder before facing them once more, shrugging carelessly. "She was in my way. Now–"
"You bastard!" Naruto yelled angrily but was quickly stopped from making a wrong move by Lee, who pulled him back.
"Don't fight, Naruto-kun. This is a lot more serious than you think."
"What? Why is–"
"Where is she?" Kizashi suddenly demanded, ignoring the other two. "Where's your whore of a mother?"
Whore of a mother? Sakura couldn't help but feel outraged. How dare he? How fucking dare he? Her mother was no whore! In fact, after their failure of a marriage, she had been too busy and too traumatised to even think about trying a new relationship.
"You…"
Tears slipped down her cheeks as vicious memories flashed through her mind, as she recalled the vicious beating she'd witnessed her mother taking, as she remembered how the woman tried to be silent through it so that she wouldn't wake Sakura.
She reacted completely on her emotions.
"Bastard!" Sakura screamed, her vocal chords shaking and face flushing red. Grabbing the vase that was on the table, she threw it at her father with all her strength only to have him easily dodge it. Instead it crashed into the wall, shattering into tiny pieces. "You fucking bastard!"
Her friends were stunned to say the least, all warily standing still.
"Tell me!"
"No!"
It felt like everything slowed down when he stepped towards her and for the first time ever, they saw fear on Sakura's features, they saw the fear Kizashi created. It was a horrible sight and looked so wrong on her. And the second Kizashi made a move towards her, the rest of them did, also.
Sasuke yanked her behind him, the glare on his face vicious, daring him to try and touch her, whereas Lee had released Naruto and appeared by the man's side, his right fist ready to strike should he have to. As for Gaara, he was right in front of Kizashi, refusing to be intimidated as he sized the man up, as he stared him down with a dark look of his own.
"Take one more step towards her and you won't be walking out of here," he muttered warningly, his eyes narrowing a fraction. "Naruto. Go and check on Hinata."
He was gone from their sights in a second, not needing to be told twice.
"Why are you here?" questioned Lee. "If it is to harm Mebuki-san or Sakura-san, then just know that we will not let that happen."
Like hell Sakura would ever let that man harm her mother again. Not after all he'd put her through in the past. She would rather take the beating for her!
When Kizashi spoke, he spoke only to Sakura. His voice was much calmer but the anger on his features had yet to disappear. "Where have you been?"
"Suna."
"And why wasn't I told about it? Why did your mother refuse to answer the door?"
Oh Gods, the thought of him coming here when her mother was alone petrified Sakura. What would have happened if it had been the other way around? If there was only Mebuki here and not Sakura and all her friends?
"It's none of your concern," Sasuke replied for her, the hand holding her arm now seeming more comforting than restraining. "You may have helped create her, but you are no father. You have no right to know about Sakura's movements or her whereabouts. The same goes for Mebuki. She wouldn't open the door because you're a wife beater. You're scum."
Had she not been so scared, had Sakura not been thinking about trying to keep last night's vodka down as well as all of the snacks she'd munched through, then she would have taken notice of the way her heart warmed at Sasuke's words. She would have taken better notice of the way they were all defending her.
"Naruto!" Sakura snapped, her fear doubling at his silence. "What are you doing? Is Hinata okay?"
And then Naruto seemed to be appearing out of nowhere and slamming right into Kizashi. The look on his features stunned them all, but not nearly as much as the blood on his hand, that same hand smashing into the older man's face once he'd made his way around him.
Blood.
"Hinata-san," Lee called, torn between whether he should go check on her or help Naruto.
One look from Gaara had him disappearing into the hallway, freezing in his place at the sight of the Hyuuga. She was slumped beneath the broken shelf and by her side was another shattered vase. What worried him wasn't only the blood on her hand from the broken glass, but also the blood coming from the wound on her head. In a second, he was kneeling in front of her, gingerly tilting her head in his direction. Her eyes were heavy and Lee could see that Hinata was fighting through the pain, through the disorienting feeling that was probably trying to overwhelm her.
"N-Naruto-kun…" she whispered, trying to look into the living room. The angle of it made it impossible. "Help him… L-Lee-san. Please!"
"He will be fine, Hinata-san," stated Lee in return. "It is you who I'm worried about."
"I-I'm fine," Hinata murmured, pressing a hand to her head and wincing at the pain it caused. "I-It's just a… a-a bump…"
He shook his head, pulling back her hand so she could see it. "You're bleeding!"
There was a muted thud coming from the living room and the sound of Sakura's yell had her tensing.
"Help me stand."
There was no asking. It was an order. He could definitely understand now why Neji was so fascinated by her, especially as she pushed aside the pain she was feeling like it was nothing. Not fascinated with her in a creepy way. More like he could see her potential. If only she found that place within herself, one that would help Hinata push aside her anxiety issues! Neji always spoke highly of his cousin and that was something that he didn't do often. He rarely spoke highly of anyone. But when he spoke of Hinata, there was always pride in his stern eyes.
So Lee did not argue with her, especially considering the fact that her pale eyes were serious and narrowed, fighting fiercely through the dazed feeling.
"Take me to Naruto-kun."
Again, he followed her order without hesitation.
And once they were in the living room, she assessed the situation critically, hiding the fact that her heart was in her throat and it was taking everything not to tremble or sway. The dizziness had not left her and neither had the burning sensation in her cut up hand and Hinata was just about managing to keep her stomach calm, to keep from throwing up.
The sight of Naruto on the ground, clutching his face and grimacing in agony, had her moving away from the support Lee had been giving her.
The others watched with wide eyes as Hinata placed herself in front of Naruto, glaring up at Kizashi.
And then Hinata's eyes narrowed dangerously and she fell into a stance she had been taught from a very young age, the sight of it making both Gaara and Sasuke's eyes widen a fraction. That was the same stance as…
"Hinata, you–"
"Neji taught Hinata-san everything he knows," Lee murmured though his eyes never left Kizashi's. "Despite how very much like a porcelain doll she looks, Hinata-san is capable of protecting herself. Neji would have it no other way."
Sakura wished she could find some of her own strength like Hinata suddenly had. That girl… She was a pacifist and so obviously hurt, yet she was tossing aside her beliefs to protect the boy she loved with all her heart. She was pushing aside how she felt to protect them all.
"I won't let you harm my friends." There was no shake in her voice. No hesitancy. The Hyuuga was serious as she watched Kizashi. "If you're going to harm anyone, hurt me. I can assure you that I will give just as much as I take."
It would be a dishonour to her cousin if she didn't.
"Hinata–"
"Stay back, Sakura-san." The seriousness never left her voice for a moment. "I thought I was dreaming last night… I thought it was the alcohol… But your mother really…" She shook her head, that cool expression cracking ever so slightly until it hardened once more. "Mebuki-san is one of the kindest people I have ever met. Nobody has ever seen the true me straight away. They're always blinded by my anxiety. But they did."
She swallowed hard against the dizziness and strengthened her stance, bringing her flattened hands higher and ignoring the fact that blood was now dripping from her left hand, both onto the floor and up her arm. "I don't like how my best friend acts or feels in your presence," Hinata told him coldly. "Haruno Sakura does not fear anyone."
Kizashi looked torn for just a moment, like he was debating on what to do and from behind her, Hinata heard Naruto growling at her to get out of the way, to take care of herself.
"Do it," murmured Hinata as she stared him down. "Raise your hand to me like you did your wife, like you did to your daughter. I promise you now, I will not hold back, either."
And so he did.
Hinata quickly batted it away, the sound of her hand connecting with his echoing around the room and with wide eyes, Kizashi swung for her again, not enjoying the defiance in her pale eyes, nor the fact that she didn't seem affected by him in the least.
"Hinata, don't–"
Lee pulled Naruto out of the way before he could distract her, knowing that this was something Hinata needed to do. It stunned him that she had heard the conversation from late last night, as she had looked to be in a deep sleep.
Like Lee had with Naruto, Sasuke kept Sakura back, murmuring to her that Gaara would be able to step in the second the tables turned. And even though she knew he was right, she feared for her friend. They had no idea what her father was truly capable of. Why would they? Most of them hadn't even known what he was really like. Just like she had been, they'd been blinded by his friendly mask. They had been played just as greatly as Sakura had been, and like her mother had in the beginning, too. All they saw were the kind smiles and the gentle looks, the playful acts or whatever else it was that fathers did with their children.
Finally switching from defensive to offensive, Hinata's stance shifted and she slammed her hand forward, not listening or paying attention to the sound of her hand connecting with his face, knocking Kizashi off balance and smearing blood across his cheek. However, just as she went to follow through, to hit him again, the dizziness returned and she felt bile rising her throat, felt the pain in her head increasing.
During the distraction he caught her wrist effortlessly before it could strike him, his eyes hardening as he glared down at her.
The following crack seemed deafening and had them all freezing.
Hinata could only stare at her wrist for a moment, stunned into shock but the moment the pain flooded into her, it felt like it erupted everywhere within her all at once and she fell to her knees, barely managing to hold back her scream of agony. All that was able to escape her clenched teeth was a shout of pain and once Kizashi let go of her now broken wrist, she held it gingerly to her chest, tears streaming down her cheeks.
Before Gaara could grab him, before Sasuke could stop her, Sakura lunged forward, eyes wide with pure hate as she shoulder barged her father away from Hinata, knocking him straight into the dining table. She followed him without pause, going through it with him and the second she felt his back connecting with the ground, her fist was coming down on him with an unforgiving rage, the other shortly following.
Behind her, Naruto and Lee rushed over to Hinata, the former pulling her against him in her kneeling position and trying to comfort her, but unable to hide his horror at the sight of her wrist.
"It's broken," Gaara muttered from beside them. You didn't need to be a doctor to see that. The awkward angle and the way Hinata was shaking and crying, sobbing outright, was enough.
"Take her to the hospital, Naruto-kun," Lee stated seriously. "I will contact Neji and he will meet you there."
Both Neji and Hiashi would out for blood for this. Nobody was to harm Hinata.
They would have to get in line, Naruto inwardly growled as he helped Hinata to her feet, still holding her against him. He was trying his best not to jostle her too much, to not cause much movement due to the state her hand was in. It was difficult, though. Eventually they managed to sneak out of the apartment.
"Uchiha." Gaara's voice was still low and his eyes were fixed on the sight of Sakura taking out her built up rage on her father. "Contact whatever family member of yours is on duty. They–"
"Itachi." Sasuke quickly turned for his phone, swiftly unlocking it and going through his contacts. "Itachi will get here as quickly as possible."
Nobody detested domestic violence more than his older brother. In fact, he hated any man who thought it was okay to raise his hand to a woman.
However, he shoved the phone into Gaara's hand the second Sakura lost the upper hand, moving forward and grabbing the closest thing he could find. It happened to be a half full bottle of vodka and upon impact, Kizashi stilled, freezing in his position of pinning down his own daughter. But just as he turned to swing at Sasuke, the Uchiha threw the now broken bottle aside and caught his wrist and yanked the man forward, slamming his foot into his stomach and giving Sakura the chance to get out of there.
"Do you even know who I am?" Sasuke muttered darkly and released Kizashi's wrist, his own fist flying forward and causing him to crash backwards into the broken glass of the dining table. "I'm an Uchiha. Don't go thinking I'm weak and defenceless, old man."
Like his father would ever allow for such a thing.
When Kizashi got back up like he hadn't even been struck or bottled, like he wasn't affected in the slightest, Sasuke grabbed Sakura and pulled her away once more, keeping her behind him. His hand was aching and the bottle was smashed from being slammed over his head, so he knew for a fact that he'd hit the man hard. Why wasn't he showing any pain? What the hell was he made of?
"Ex-military," whispered Sakura under her breath, also stunned by her father's lack of pain. "Captain of his own squad back during The Third War."
And he still turned on his wife and daughter? All three boys felt sick to their stomachs. Whether he was affected by what had happened in the war mattered very little. It was never okay to raise your hand to anyone who had no way of defending themselves. That was one of the first things Gaara and Lee had been taught in martial arts, whereas it was just common knowledge for Sasuke, who was raised in a family of police officers.
"Are you hurt?" Sasuke asked her seriously.
Aside from the aching knuckles, Sakura knew she was fine. Well, physically. She just felt so angry for Hinata. Her wrist…
Just the memory had Sakura seeing red and it became more obvious that Sasuke was holding her back from attacking again.
"Neji is on his way to the hospital," Lee informed them, shoving his phone into his pocket. "He is not happy and is keeping it from Hiashi-san for the time being. It will do no good to disturb him at the moment."
It seemed wrong, but Sakura knew that Lee was right. What they needed to do was get her father behind bars first. Not for that bastard's safety, because she would enjoy seeing Hyuuga Hiashi and Neji unleashing their wrath on Kizashi. No, it was so they didn't do anything stupid and end up behind bars, too. Like stated before: the two Hyuuga men would be out for blood.
"What about Itachi?" Sasuke demanded, glancing over at Gaara.
"He is on his way and said he will be no longer than five to ten minutes, though will need to be granted entry to the building."
Damn it. They could always buzz him in, but there was the chance that he couldn't remember what apartment number Sakura was living in, or Kizashi not allowing them to grant Itachi entry. Not only that, but the elevator was down due to maintenance. It would be more difficult in this maze of a building to find the correct floor and apartment.
"Sakura."
Her eyes snapped up to her father's, narrowing with hate.
"My wedding was cancelled."
What? That was news to her. Then again, why would she have known? "So she saw sense."
He shook his head, the look on his face darkening. "Only because that bitch interfered."
Bitch?
Her fists shook.
"The only bitch around here is you!" she snarled angrily. "What sort of man beats his wife? You're a coward!"
Gaara grabbed Sakura's wrist just as she raised her fist, but his eyes were on Sasuke's. "Go and meet your brother downstairs."
"You–"
"I will not let anything happen to Sakura-san," Lee assured him, nodding once and blocking the exit from the apartment. "Go, Sasuke-kun. The sooner this is dealt with, the better."
He shook his head. There wasn't a chance in hell that he was leaving Sakura with that monster. What if she needed his help? So what if Lee and Gaara were there? They weren't her boyfriends. He was. He was the one who would protect her.
"We can sort all of this out," spoke Kizashi suddenly, cutting off their conversation. "Just speak to my fiancée, Sakura. Tell her your mother is off her meds and is making it all up. If you do that, I'll leave and you'll never see me again."
It sounded so tempting, but… "There's no way I'm going to let you put anyone else through what you put my mom through."
"I'm differ–"
"You broke my friend's wrist!" Sakura yelled and in Gaara's grasp, her arm struggled to be freed. "You hurt somebody who was only defending her friends!"
"Saku-chan, I–"
"Don't call me that!" This time, her voice went even louder, went a little higher. "I've told you not to call me that!"
His eyes hardened and instinctively, Sakura shrank back, though quickly straightened up, refusing to be intimidated by him any longer. This man was old news. She would make it that way. As soon as Itachi arrived, the problem would be dealt with and her mother could go on with her life. Maybe she'd even find a husband who worshipped the ground she walked on, giving her the devotion and the attention Mebuki definitely deserved.
Turning her head to the side, she locked eyes with her boyfriend. "Go, I'll be fine." Sakura smiled at Sasuke. "Both Lee-san and Gaara will be here."
Sasuke couldn't help but frown in response. "But you–"
"He won't touch me." Once more, her voice was stronger than she felt. How could she promise such a thing? Her father was one of the most unpredictable men she'd ever met. "Just go. The sooner you're down there, the sooner you're back."
Eventually, reluctantly, Sasuke nodded and after sending another glance over in Kizashi's direction, he leaned forward, kissing Sakura lightly on the lips.
"I'll be back." Then, he smirked against her lips. "Try not to lose your temper."
She returned his smirk, kissing Sasuke a final time before watching him leave, her heart feeling like it was sinking straight into her stomach.
"You…"
When she looked over at Kizashi, he was practically trembling in his place. His face was flushing red with anger and by his sides, his fists were clenched so tightly that his knuckles were white under the strain. Just like his fists, his jaw was clenched and the veins in his neck appeared to be standing out more than usual, as was the one on his forehead.
He was seriously losing his temper, Sakura realised and in response, all colour drained from her features.
Gaara narrowed his eyes, releasing Sakura's wrist as he could tell she wouldn't be recklessly attacking any time soon. "Is the sight really so foreign to you?" he snorted, though there was no amusement on his features or in his voice. "That's how you're supposed to treat the woman you care for, you coward. Not with violence, but with love."
Lee looked quite stunned yet proud to hear such words coming from Gaara's mouth. However, he was quick to agree, his fist clenching tightly in front of him. "I do not mean to cause offence, but you truly are a fool, Kizashi-san. Any man would be lucky to be married to a woman such as Mebuki-san and to have a daughter like Sakura-san would make you just as lucky."
All the time, Kizashi's eyes never left Sakura's, staring her down coldly.
"Her influence…" His voice shook with the rage he could feel. "It's tainted you."
What?
Her features scrunched up with disgust and confusion all at the same time. "What the hell are you talking about?"
"You and that mother of yours," snapped Kizashi in response, his upper lip curling. "Everything about her is filthy and tainted and now you're just as dirty as she is."
In response, she barked out a laugh, sounding amused by her father's words. "You're fucking insane. That or stupid!"
His anger doubled.
Gaara scowled over at her. What was Sakura doing? Was she purposely trying to piss Kizashi off? Yes, he agreed completely with what she was saying, but the wiser thing to do at that moment in time would be to ignore Kizashi. Having her anger clashing with Kizashi's would do more harm than good.
But Sakura knew there was no use in doing that. It was what her mother tried doing so many times over the years. Ignoring him and hoping, praying, that it would be enough to put him off. Praying that he wouldn't see any reasons to beat her. Did it work? No. Kizashi would be pissed off even more by her ignorance and her rude behaviour.
"You may have been married to her," Sakura continued coldly, "but you don't know my mom. You've never known her."
"We were married for–"
"Twenty years. Yeah, I know. But tell me this, Dad," she snarled the word. "What's her favourite colour?"
"Red–"
"Wrong. It's green." Her eyes narrowed. "What about my favourite colour? What about my date of birth? Favourite food? What calms me down or helps me relax?"
Kizashi's upper lip curled whereas Lee couldn't help but gaze at his friend sadly. As for Gaara, he continued to stare Kizashi down, trying to read the man's movements.
"That last thing is the most important, by the way," said Sakura almost conversationally. The tone in her voice was too cool, however and the look in her eyes was definitely not friendly. "And that's because I get my anger from you." When his eyes flashed angrily, she smirked, though there was no amusement in her eyes. "That's the look. Whenever people see that look in my eyes, they run a mile. I've heard that some people even pray to avoid angering me."
"Where the hell are you going with this?" came Kizashi's low growl.
She raised an eyebrow at him. Part of herself felt quite happy and proud, mostly because she was able to remain calm despite the burning anger in her gut. Also because there was no shake in her voice. There were no tears or expressions of agony. She was calm.
"Your anger is a hell of a lot more serious than mine," Sakura told him. "That's where I'm going with this. You've traumatised Mom so badly that she can't even think about being with another guy."
This only seemed to amuse him, though. A sickening smirk pulled at his lips, melting away some of his anger. "Good. That means she's finally closed her legs and stopped being a dirty slut."
Her calm façade cracked. It crumbled right before their very eyes. And when she spoke, her voice shook. "My mom is not a slut."
"She was always sneaking–"
"I very much doubt that," she spat hatefully. Her chest was heaving as she took a daring step forward. "And if she did sleep with other guys, it's probably because you pushed her into it. I wouldn't blame her for seeking comfort from others. Not when she had a spineless, whiny bitch of a husband who probably couldn't even get it up half of the time!"
And then he was right in front of her.
"No fucking respect!" he snarled, slamming his fist into her face and pinning her down to the ground easily. "I'm your father, so I demand that you show me respect!"
Their eyes were wide as they tried to get Kizashi off of Sakura, as they tried to make him stop, but nothing seemed to be working and their fear tripled when his large hands wrapped around her throat, making her entire face grow red from lack of oxygen almost instantly due to still being winded from the fall. Green eyes were impossibly wide as she writhed against the ground, her body trying to get away from the man who was causing her pain and around his wrists were bloody claw marks, with matching blood under her nails.
Gaara wrapped an arm around Kizashi's throat, tightening his hold and growling viciously in his ear, threatening him, but the man seemed to hear none of it, too focused on hurting Sakura.
"L-Let…" Sakura gasped, trying so very hard to breathe. "…go!"
His knee was suddenly pressing harshly onto her stomach and a horrible, strangled screech filled the air as the pressure increased. Tears were streaming down Sakura's red face and her screeches turned into gargled screams as the pressure continued to increase, relentlessly crushing her stomach.
"Fucking let go!" Gaara snarled, trying to yank the unmovable man away. What the fuck was this guy made of?
"You're just like your mother!" Kizashi spat into her face, leaning closer and seeming completely untroubled with Gaara's hold. "Letting pathetic little boys play with you. Both of you are nothing but dirty whores!"
Letting go of his wrist, Sakura tried making a fist and weakly beating his bicep.
It made Gaara and Lee both panic.
"Lee! Go and find Sasuke and tell him to hurry the fuck up!"
"Are you sure, Gaara-kun?" Lee grunted, incredibly frustrated that he couldn't find an opening to hit Kizashi without harming Sakura. One wrong move and the man could snap her neck. "Will you be able to–"
"Go!"
He had never seen Gaara so angry before.
Tightening his hold around Kizashi's neck, Gaara tugged once more and finally, finally grabbed the man's attention.
"Fuck off, brat," he yelled, not even looking at him. "I'm teaching the bitch a lesson!"
"She's your daughter," Gaara snarled in response. "Not your punching bag!"
His face was flushing red now, the redhead noticed, his eyes widening. Gritting his teeth, he grabbed his own arm, pulling it impossibly tighter around Kizashi's neck until the man finally gasped for breath.
It still wasn't enough.
By now Sakura's wide eyes were bloodshot and her face was turning purple, much to Gaara's horror, but it only made him more determined to save her. He had to.
"Sakura–"
Gaara didn't focus on the three males who burst back into the living room, though was thankful that Sasuke and Itachi hadn't been too far from the apartment. He needed all the help he could get, even though he didn't like to admit it. This man was a beast.
But then the sound of a muted thud attracted all of their attention, forcing them to freeze in their places and watch in horror.
The fist that had been weakly beating against Kizashi's arm stopped, dropping to the ground motionlessly.
A/N - Since Breath of Life is now finished, Saviour will be posted the next time I update! Once again, I want to thank you all for your kind and encouraging reviews. They have definitely been encouraging me to continue with my writing.