Chapter 17 - Problems

“Mom! I’m home!” Hisako sensed the presence of her mother as she walked in the door, along with someone she didn’t recognize. She sighed. How many will it take…? She slipped her shoes off and padded into the house, being sure to make extra noise so she didn’t walk in on a scene that would scar her for life. Again.

Fortunately, her mother was bustling about in the kitchen while a strange man lounged on her couch with a bottle of sake in his hand. Hisako had to suppress an eyeroll and a grimace. Not exactly a looker, is he? She pushed that thought aside and put on a cheery face.

“Good evening, mother. How was your day?” She said in a neutral voice, kissing her mother on the cheek as she passed by, heading for an empty chair.

“Oh, Hisako, Sakura came by earlier. She said she was looking for you,” her mother said in response, casting (what she thought was) a stealthy sidelong glance at the bum on the couch.

Hisako’s blood ran cold.

Sakura came here… while this loser was around? This was why she didn’t like Sakura coming over. The creeps her mom brought home were… She had to suppress a shudder. Their looks alone could make you feel violated. The fact that Sakura hadn’t found her meant that something happened.

“Izanami,” the man called in a gruff voice. Hisako’s eyes widened at the lack of a suffix. Totally disrespectful. I bet you haven’t even known her for a week, you creep. “My bottle is empty. What’s wrong with this picture?” His speech was slightly slurred as he waved around said empty bottle.

“Sorry, dear. Hisako, could you get him another bottle?” Izanami tossed a glance at her daughter.

Can’t he get it himself? He has legs. I could fix that, if you like. She decided not to say that, but instead said, “Sure thing, mom.” She grabbed an unopened bottle and walked over to the man, handing it to him with an extremely fake smile. As she turned around, his “wandering hands” reached inside her shorts. In a movement so fast that the offender didn’t even have time to blink, she had grabbed a pressure point on his hand, her other hand cupping his shoulder blade, and he was face-first on the couch with his arm slowly being pulled out of its socket.

Hisako leaned down and whispered in his ear with a dangerous tone in her voice, “Things like that may work on my mother, and as long as she doesn’t complain, I won’t interfere. But if you ever try to touch me again in any way, shape or form… Well, let’s just say that a dislocated shoulder would be the very least of your worries.

The man nodded his understanding as best he could while his face was being pressed into the couch.

She released him and handed him the new bottle of sake and flashed him a cheery smile.

“Mom, I’ve got to go out again. I won’t be home for dinner.” She hastily made her exit, her thoughts turning to Sakura. What happened?

The door slammed shut and Hisako’s mother sighed.

“After all the time took to make supper…”

“Look on the bright side…” A creepy grin passed across his face. “More alone time for us.”

She giggled like a schoolgirl, and all thoughts of supper were forgotten.

--

Hisako sighed and stepped out into the street. She thought about the creep who was helping himself to her mother. She wondered for a moment why her mother had such poor taste. There was really no point in wondering. If she was happy with her lifestyle, then Hisako had no right to interfere. She turned the corner, lost in thought… and ran straight into Kakashi.

“Kakashi-sensei…?” She blinked, confused.

“Hisako-san! Two in one day, I’m a lucky man.” Kakashi’s surprised expression shifted to recognition, his amicable voice breaking the ice.

“Two…?” She was totally lost.

“I had a similar run-in with Sakura earlier,” he explained, lacing his fingers behind his head as he fell into step beside her.

“Oh? I’m sure that was… interesting.” She giggled, and when Kakashi threw a sharp glance at her, she winked. He looked away pointedly, a blush coloring his cheeks below his mask. Of course she told her. They’re best friends, after all. More like sisters, really. “Don’t worry, she continued softly, breaking him from his thoughts. “I’ll take it to my grave.”

“Haha… thanks.” He chuckled, unsure what to say. “Where you headed?” He asked out of casual interest. He enjoyed her company. She was calm and laid-back like him, but had an interesting sense of humor.

“Oh, just wandering around,” she replied quickly, too quickly, not looking at him.

Oh? He looked at her out of the corner of his eye, intrigued. Where was she going that she didn’t feel comfortable telling him?

“I see. Well, I’ve got to get going. I’ll see you later, I’m sure,” he said, and disappeared with a poof.

As soon as Kakashi disappeared, Hisako headed for Sakura’s house. Kakashi watched from a rooftop above. He quickly came to the conclusion that it was just a stop along the way, since there was nothing remotely embarrassing about that. Damn, now she had him curious. As she knocked on the door, he settled against the roof, hidden from sight. Nothing to do now but wait.

--

Hisako knocked on Sakura’s door, shifting from foot to foot impatiently. When Sakura’s mom opened the door she smiled quickly, but said, “Where’s Sakura-chan? Is she okay?”

“What? She’s upstairs… She’s perfectly fine, why?”

“Just a feeling… Can I see her for a minute?” Hisako’s urgent tone caught the woman’s attention and she let her in.

Hisako took the stairs two at a time, afraid of what Sakura had seen.

“Sakura-“ She ripped the door open and ran into the bedroom, coming to a standstill when she saw Sakura’s sleeping figure.

“She’s… asleep?” She slowly backed out of the room and gently closed the door behind her.

She made her way back down the stairs and smiled apologetically at the thoroughly confused woman staring at her.

“I’m sorry, I… just had a feeling, I guess,” she shrugged noncommittally.

“That’s okay, dear. She came home and headed straight for her room, saying she didn’t feel well. But would you like to stay for supper?”

“No, thank you, but I have somewhere I need to be,” Hisako declined politely, glancing at the window. Night was falling quickly.

“Well, in that case, take some rice balls with you. I made them for Sakura for lunch, but she forgot to take them. Please, go on,” she prompted, handing the carefully wrapped package to a surprised Hisako. Her own mother never did anything like that for her. She bent her head, looking at the sack in her hands.

“Hisako-chan…?” Sakura’s mother trailed off, confused. When the girl looked up at her with tear-filled eyes and flashed her a brilliant, sincere smile, her breath caught. The poor child had never known the simple luxuries of having a caring mother.

“You’d better get going, hadn’t you?” Sakura’s mom said gently. Hisako nodded, and the woman reached up and kissed the girl on the forehead. “You’re always welcome here.” Hisako left Sakura’s house, having experienced for the first time in her life the warmth of a mother’s love.

--

Kakashi got to his feet as he heard Hisako’s footsteps outside the house. She was carrying what looked like a pack lunch. She was about ten yards away from the house entrance when she disappeared.

…the hell? Where did she go? He leaned forward on the roof, searching frantically. I lost her?

“Kakashi-sensei, are you following me?”

Kakashi jumped and whirled around, his jaw dropping when he saw the very girl he’d just been tailing leaning nonchalantly with her back against the rail on the roof, examining her fingernails. How did… When did… What?

“No, no, of course not. I was just… looking… for something I thought I’d lost,” he replied, trying not to wince. As excuses go, that was probably one of the shakiest that he’d delivered.

“Right, sure,” she replied with sarcasm. “Just don’t ‘lose’ things while ‘not’ following me too much,” she laughed. “Your ‘girlfriend’ might get jealous.”

“H-Hisako!” Kakashi was speechless, and a little flustered. She reassured him with a conspiratorial wink, and disappeared again with a poof.

Kakashi let out a long, slow breath. That girl… She sure was a mess. And to think, she was faster than he could track – even though he hadn’t used his sharingan. Well, he supposed it made sense. After all, before the Chuunin exams, she trained every day with Lee for hours.

He was still a little shocked by what she’d said. My… girlfriend, huh? His heart leapt at the thought. Sakura wasn’t yet, but if he had his way, she would be. His run-in with her earlier had just reinforced that.

But… Three years was a long time to wait.


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Chapter 18: http://www.fanart-central.net/chapter-100711.html

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