Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Always A Secret ❯ Old Wounds ( Chapter 1 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

Sasuke sat in the car, looking up at the stars as they went by. He was a little late in coming, wanting to make the very best impression upon the family of his fiancée by trying on every clothing combination in his closet. It took his brother’s sharp wit to stop him and his impressive strength to pull him into the car and keep him there.
“It looks like she could be the one little brother. Father will be pleased.”
Itachi Uchiha wasn’t invited, but thought that his brother could use the support.
Or so he said.
Sasuke could see that he was only there to cause him as much embarrassment as possible. It was his way of loosening up formalities, he said.
Sasuke sighed, not taking his eyes off the stars, “She is a gem isn’t she? The perfect lady. If Father doesn’t like this one, I don’t know what will please him.”
“If this girl doesn’t make him happy, there is always the other side of the sex spectrum to consider.”
“Let’s not revert back to that old conversation. For the final time Itachi, I’m not gay.”
“So you say little brother, so you say. Now, back to this young lady. She will not be a repeat of the Miss Ino will she? As beautiful as the girl was, she did have quite a mouth on her.”
Sasuke sighed, thinking about the many times he could have strangled the girl for speaking so much. It was mainly schoolgirl gossip, the latest hookups, the recent breakups, and the most scandalous of teacher affairs. Petty things that Sasuke had no desire to immerse himself in.
The breakup was devastating, mostly on Ino’s part. When he broke it off, she vowed revenge, spreading all across the school what a lousy lay he was.
This had the opposite affect.
Not only did the student body not believe her, everybody thought she was a whore for saying it and started spreading the news all across the school. She was so destroyed by it; she had to leave the next day.
Sasuke felt for her, but thought she brought such a fate upon herself. It was a month after that he laid eyes on the most beautiful senior he had ever seen. Her name was so lovely; it could have been a song.

“Sakura, did you get out the good china, or the crystal wear?”
“The crystal mama! That way we could have used the silver grandma gave me!”
Sakura was leaning close to the mirror, reapplying her lipstick while her sister did her mascara.
“I hope I’m not too dressy! Mama got me this dress at the best shop in town today, so it won’t be an old trend! Oh, I wish you would wear the dress I bought you last week! That orange one you put out is two years old for Christ sake!”
“But he’ll probably be wearing blue! The last thing I want to do is match Mr. Prettyboy!”
“Narumi! Please don’t call him that! He’s a good man, and he’s going to be your brother-in-law so you’ll have to like him.”
“No I don’t! He’ll probably treat me like some little brat he can order around. I know his type. He’s one of those rich bachelors that think they can buy anything. I’ll never like him! Never!”
“Narumi! What have I told you about screaming at your sister?!”
The chastising voice came from downstairs, but was still clear enough to carry an edge.
Narumi grumbled, focusing back on the task at hand.
“Why don’t you invite Gaara over? As much as I don’t like your creepy boyfriend, I’m willing to be a lady and invite him.”
Narumi ignored the jab and capped the mascara, “I did. He’ll be a little late, but he’s coming.”
“Did you tell him that this was a formal affair?”
“Yes big sister, he knows. I told him to be a good boy if he wanted a treat.”
“You’re going t let him into your cookie jar?” Sakura glared at her sister, “You wouldn’t!”
“What do I look like Sakura!? And anyway, I’ll be the one deciding if that’s any of your business.” Narumi sat on her sister’s bed and sighed, “But I think we are serious. We’ve been talking and….I think he’s gonna propose to me any day.”
Sakura’s eyes widened, “Are you sure?”
When Narumi nodded, Sakura charged her, embracing her with a hug, “That’s great! Then we’ll both be married! I’m so happy for you Rumi!”
“Yeah, yeah, but don’t tell mom or dad. I don’t want them lecturing me.”
“Well, you’re not a little girl anymore. You’re sixteen.”
Narumi smiled, “Yeah…..sixteen…..amazing.”
Sakura laughed at her sister’s sarcasm, then froze when she heard a car pull up in the driveway.
“Oh god, is that them!?”
Narumi peeked through the window, “He wouldn’t happen to be coming in a chauffeured Rolls Royce stretch limo would he?”
Sakura squealed, smoothing out her dress and fluffing her hair.
She was wearing a deep pink short-sleeved gown that showed a light pink fabric underneath. Her hair was pinned up in soft curls and hung a little loose in the back so that the curls brushed against her neck.
She paid a month’s worth of allowance to get the style and slept on her face for weeks to keep it fresh.
Narumi admired how determined her sister was to create this appearance. Though she wasn’t the type to break her arm to impress, Narumi had to give her props.
She did look amazing.
“I have to get the door! Narumi! I want you in that dress I bought you! Please, wear it for me!”
With that, she rushed down the stairs, leaving Narumi to silence.
After a momental pause, she went down the hall to her room, the last one across from the bathroom.
The first ting she saw upon entering was the navy dress her sister bought. Someone seemed to have hidden her orange one.
“Thanks a lot mommy…..” she muttered as she pulled on the dress.

“We welcome you both into our home!” Ms Haruno smiled she stretched out her hands, “We are a modest family, but we do know how to treat out guests.”
Mr. Haruno smiled as well, rather wickedly, “Yes, welcome back Sasuke. Is this enchanting man behind you your brother?”
Itachi bowed shortly, “That I am. Itachi Uchiha; a pleasure to meet you.”
“He is a very polite gentleman Papa.” Sakura saw the smile, hoping that it didn’t mean what she thought it meant.
“Of course….perhaps he’d be much better company than that Suna kid Narumi brings about.”
“Narumi? Lovely name. Perhaps it belongs to a lovely woman?”
Sasuke gave his brother a death glare that he ignored.
“If by lovely woman, you mean a thorn-in-my-side outspoken brat, then that’s our Narumi. She should be right down.”
“I love you too Papa.”
Narumi came down the stairs with her arms crossed and a defiant expression in her cerulean eyes, her pissed expression.
“Mama, I was going to wear the navy dress, so you didn’t have to hide the other dress from me.”
Ms. Haruno’s cheeks went pink, “Sorry dear.”
Narumi’s gaze turned to the company before her. She knew Sasuke and had seen him before. The guy next to him had to be his brother, though more mature-looking and definitely hotter.
Putting on a pompous air, she sized them up, “Can we eat now? My feet are killing me in these shoes!”
Sakura looked at her in shock, “Narumi!”
Narumi only shrugged as she entered the kitchen, “I hope you put a plate out for Gaara too. That Suna kid may not be of expensive taste, but he does treat me well. The least we can do is give him a plate for that.”
Ms. Haruno could have died from embarrassment. Mr. Haruno didn’t know whether to scold his daughter or laugh at her antics. Sakura looked near tears and Sasuke was neutral, if you ignored the corner of his mouth twitching.
Itachi, however, released a loud laugh that broke the tension.
“What a little spitfire! She’s a darling Mr. Haruno.”
Their father nodded, “She’s a rebel, my little girl; my daughter through and through.”
“Oh yes Kakashi! She is all you! Daddy’s little girl to the end! I am so grateful my Sakura came to be more like me.”
“Minus the mousy hair and the plain dark eyes my Iruka.”
Ms. Haruno’s cheeks burned a deeper red, “Kakashi!”
He laughed as he led everyone into the kitchen, his arm wrapped around his upset wife.
“Forgive my family, please. I was hoping they’d be more civil.” Sakura looked up at Sasuke, “You like them alright, don’t you?”
Sasuke smiled at his bride, “They’re very colorful, the very thing families should be. I like them.”
Sakura beamed, “Great! I’m so glad!”
The table was a long, formal piece laden with food. There were seven chairs each; two on one side, three on the other, and one at the each end.
The parents sat at the ends while Sasuke and Sakura occupied the coupled chairs.
Itachi sat at the end closet to Kakashi and Narumi sat in the chair next to him.
“As our daughter cared to mention, we are expecting another guest. He shall be here shortly.”
Mrs. Haruno said this with a sour tone in her voice. Narumi caught it, beaming at her mother with the best ‘piss me off if you want to’ smile she could muster.
“So tell me Narumi, what is the young man like?” Itachi looked sideways at her, “Are you two just simply smitten?”
Narumi thought about this as she chewed. After a few minutes, she swallowed, then put her arms on the table so she could hold her head.
“Gaara is a cool guy. He’s an artist kind of. We’ve been going out for five years now, so I think it’s serious. I do like him, if that‘s what smitten means.”
“Don’t put your arms on the table dear,” chastised Mrs. Haruno
Narumi gave her a cutesy smile and ignored the statement.
“So, do you think that you might marry this boy?” asked Sasuke
Narumi looked at him with what appeared to be a cross between a lazy glance and an acidic glare.
“Maybe, if I’m ready to take the step. I see no reason why we couldn’t.”
“Like hell you are.”
“Mother!” Sakura’s eyes were as wide as saucers, “Please!”
“We’ve talked about this Narumi.”
“Give it a rest Mother, it was only conversation!”
“I don’t ever want to hear that kind of talk again, do you hear me?”
“What talk?! Marriage?! Is the word dirty to now Mother?!”
A knock at the door made everything quiet. Mr. Haruno, who was massaging his temples, told Narumi to get the door. Huffing, Narumi got up and answered it, her eyes lighting up when she saw who it was.
“Hey Goldie, miss me?”
“Hey! Come in, the conversation’s getting good.”
“Sounds like it was about me.”
“Oh yeah.”
Gaara’s eyes traveled over his girlfriend’s body. She was wearing a sleeveless navy gown that hugged all of her curves with the sapphire necklace her bought her for her birthday a few years back. Her flawless blonde hair cascaded down her shoulders in perfect waves, pinned back from her face with diamond pins she got from her dad.
To him, she looked like a fox, blonde perfection.
And she was his.
Dinner from then on was filled with tension. Noone dared say anything, for fear of setting Mrs. Haruno off, whose temper right now was like a gun with a hairpin trigger.
Tired of the standstill, Itachi decided to shake things up.
“So Sakura, what is the plan for the wedding? Knowing how an elegant woman like you has an eye for beauty, I’m sure it will be the event of the year.”
Sasuke glared at his brother. He saw the mischief in his brother’s eyes; that was not a good sign.
Sakura blushed, “I was thinking of a garden scene, so there won’t have to be much decoration. The bridesmaids will wear a light pink and the men will wear a soft green. I want it to be purely sweet love.”
Gaara’s face twitched, but he said nothing. Mrs. Haruno saws his expression, causing hers to go darker with anger.
“And will Miss Narumi be joining the wedding party?”
“She will be my Maid of Honor. I meant to tell you sooner Narumi, but Ten can’t make it for the wedding. Would you please?”
“Absolutely not. Narumi is too young. Why couldn’t you get another one of your friends to be the Maid of Honor?”
“I’m too young Mother? I’m sixteen years old!”
Gaara put his hands around her, attempting to calm her down.
“You get your hands off of her!” Mrs. Haruno roughly pulled her daughter away, “You’ve been all over her every since you got here!”
Narumi snatched away from her, “Get off of me! Why do you treat me like a child!?”
Kakashi stood up, “Iruka, calm down.”
“Because that’s what you are! You’re just a young girl Narumi!”
“Sakura’s eighteen! And she’s getting married! A two-year difference!”
“She knows when things are beyond her understanding! You are still too immature to grasp that! Too stubborn! Too childish! Too hardheaded!”
“Childish, stubborn!? The only reason you say that is because she’d the perfect girl. She gets straight A’s! She gets invited to the Prom! She gets the Principal’s award! She gets a decent job! She gets the best clothes! She gets Grandma’s treasures! She does! You’re saying all that because she’s the perfect daughter I’m not!”
Narumi was shaking now. She was shaking so badly, it looked like she was going to fall over. Gaara hung onto her, pulling her into him and kissing her hair.
Sakura looked on in shock, tears welling up in her eyes, “Mama…please…not now…”
Sasuke looked as if wished to be anywhere else. Itachi surveyed the scene, very much entertained. Kakashi’s face was that of pure anger.
“That is enough. I think we have embarrassed this family enough. I want everyone to sit down and say not another word about it. If you have a problem, save it for a better time.”
For a time, nobody moved or said a word.
“I will not sit down at this table until he gets out.”
There was no question as to who “he” was. Narumi was looking absolutely murderous.
“You never call him by his name. Why can’t you call him by his name?!”
“The boy is five years older than you!”
“Call him by his damn name!”
“You will not use profanity under this roof Narumi Kyuro Haruno!”
“I don’t care how old his is! Sasuke’s four years older than Sakura, but you’re not jumping down her throat! But of course, she’s your perfect little girl! While you were drooling over her perfection, I was the one who had to suffer taunting and teasing! I was the one who had to go to conferences because I got the crap kicked out of me! I was the one who had to limp home in the middle of the night after an attack! Three guys beat up on me that night! You want to know why?! Do you want to know why Mommy dearest!? Because Sakura wouldn’t go out with them and neither would I! She’s so good and perfect; they would never touch her. But if I say no, I’m a punching bag. Or worse.”
If Kakashi was mad before, he was absolutely livid now.
“WHAT?!”
“You’re going to believe that!?” Mrs. Haruno looked from her husband to her youngest daughter, “You’re a liar!”
Narumi looked at her Mother, her anger fading into shock.
Sakura saw look on her sister’s face. She looked as if someone had just slapped her.
“I…I’m lying? I’m lying!?”
“You just want attention! All this drama is just so that you can take the spotlight away from your sister!”
“She’s telling the truth-”
“DON’T YOU DARE TALK TO ME! You are probably the one who hurt her! Get out of my house you dirty son of a bitch! You stay away from my daughter!”
“I draw the line right there! I love Narumi!”
“No, you love what’s between her legs!”
“Shut up!” Narumi tore away from Gaara and made her way to the door.
“Narumi! Narumi you get back here right now! You are grounded! Do you hear me?!”
“Bullshit! I’m going out!”
“Where are you going?! Narumi!”
“Like you fucking care!”
Narumi shut the door with such force; pictures fell off of the wall.
Mrs. Haruno made to follow her when a fist slammed onto the table.
“ENOUGH!”
Sakura jumped, purely afraid of her father’s anger. Sasuke held onto her, just as afraid of his fury. Itachi sat back and observed still, not deterred in the least. Gaara was huffing; grabbing his coat and keys as he also went to the door.
Mrs. Haruno made to tell him off, but the look she got from her husband told her otherwise.
When Gaara left, the whole room was left in an icy standstill.
Kakashi, not seeming to take a breath, made the first move, “Iruka…that…I don’t know what that was…”
“You’re going to go at me about-”
“She lost her temper too, I know, but Iruka…...you told her she was lying! About abuse! That she was childish and stubborn, what teenager isn’t?!”
“She never came to me about it-”
“Of course she did! That night she came limping in the house…she told us what happened.”
“That no good boyfriend of hers probably did that damage!”
“He was the one who drove her to the hospital Iruka! As much as I don’t like the boy, he is a good man for taking care of our daughter. He does that much at least!”
“Why are you so shocked at this?! Yes, she was attacked, but to go so long and not tell us about the others, don’t you think-”“The reason she didn’t tell was because she was afraid you wouldn’t believe her.”
The two looked at their daughter. Her hair was a little mussed and her makeup was streaked from tears. She looked like a stressed mess.
“It was more than one time. I begged Narumi to tell you, but she wouldn’t. She didn’t trust you Mama.”
“Well why didn’t she tell me?!” Mr. Haruno went away from the table, pacing the kitchen.
“She thought that if she told, you two would just get further apart. She didn’t want anything else to come between you two.”
Sakura then stood up, unsteady on her feet. Sasuke supported her, worried about her present state.
“I would like to cut this dinner short. Sasuke, would you mind taking me with you? I’m pretty sure my parents have things to discuss.”
Sasuke nodded, signaling for Itachi to follow, “Thank you for having us Mr. and Mrs. Haruno, I will get your daughter back at a reasonable hour.”
“Sakura-”
“Go. Take my daughter and calm her down. She can come back in the morning.”
When the door closed yet again, Kakashi took a breath, then left the kitchen.
“Kakashi….”
“Our daughter does not trust you. And she won’t come to me because she cares about our marriage. At least someone cares about this marriage.”
“…Kakashi, I said I was sorry. I thought you had forgiven me.”
“….Sometimes sorry isn’t enough…let’s just leave it at that.”
“Kakashi, it was a moment of weakness….a moment of weakness that maybe you’ve thought of at least once!”
Kakashi paused for a second, then turned to his wife. His eyes were unreadable.
“Yes, I’ve thought of it; I thought of it a lot of times. But I loved you.” He walked over to her, getting close enough so that he felt her breath on his face, “I pursued you with passion. You were the one I wanted to marry. You were the one I wanted to grow old with. You were the one I wanted to have many beautiful children with. Even if I couldn‘t do all of that, it would have been amazing just to be with you.”
Iruka locked gazes with him, feeling the intensity of his glare wash over her. It was chilling, but it also made her feel a bit warm.
“You cannot be telling the truth. What would you have desired from a plain little mouse like me?”
Kakashi didn’t respond, but silently left the room.