Reflected Scars

wow I never realized what a ... descriptive lenght i went to for the melo dramatics of this chapter.. it really sucks...

I'm not offended by criticism and feel more offended when people don't post anything instead of saying what they think. Whether to say the chapter was slow, or it skipped too much and was hard to follow. These things tell me if I'm doing something wrong, or if I missed something. Please tell me! I'm not offended! You cannot offend me! Believe me! I know me!

Thank you:

MORE ON THE PLOT:

I'm dragging this out and I know you all hate it, but TRUST ME! You'll love me later!

There's a vacation coming up for Konoha. Like a March break and it's a week long. No holiday in particular, just a break to give everyone a rest. Vacation starts on Saturday. "Today' it is Tuesday in Konoha.


Chapter 8

Float for a moment

"I'm home!" Sakura called as she shut the door behind her.

"There you are! I was beginning to thing you got blown away in this wind." Her mother said coming out of kitchen and helping her daughter.

"Almost did, we had to spend a night in the next village, so I picked up some souvenirs for everyone." She said handing her mother the pack and bent over to take off her sandals. Her wet hair lay flat plastered to the back of her neck...

The warm air from the house made her arms tingle. She had been pretty warm earlier because they had spent the day running, but now that she had stopped, the heat from her body making contact with warm air instead of blistering cold rain made her shiver.

"Sakura this bag weighs almost as much as you do! How did you bring it back?" An evil grin pulled at the corner of her mother's mouth and she winked. "Did Sasuke-kun help you?"

Sakura shook her head sadly, "No, he didn't even offer so I didn't say anything. Argh! Can't he be considerate of the well-being of his only beautiful, female team mate?!?" The response was sarcastic and truthful at the same time. "I'm starting to think Naruto is more of a gentleman than him.... Almost..."

Sakura didn't notice her mother's hand twitch as she and entered the kitchen with the wet back pack. "I'll have supper ready soon, why don't you take a quick shower and get some dry clothes on?"

"Ok." There was the soft stomp of feet on stairs as she went to take a very welcomed shower.

The older women placed the bag chair on the old wooden chair next to the stove. Its heat drifted up from the red spiral burners making the kitchen warmer then it was suppose to be on such a cold and blustery evening. The song on the radio ended and the announcer came on in a cherry voice and happily informed all his listeners that everyone could expect at least a few more days of hard rain and tornado-like winds. But from the direction the storm front was moving in, it appeared there might be a chance it would all be over by Wednesday night, then nothing but clear skies for the upcoming holiday. But this information did nothing to change the blank look on one of his listeners faces.

She picked up the wooden spoon that lay on the spoon rest and opened the lid of the largest pot in front of her. Vivid memories of a time before her daughter was teamed up with the town's beloved, orphaned Uchiha, and the abomination Uzumaki, ran through her head like a bad movie you just can't stop watching.

*****Mrs. Haruno flash back*****

"Mr., and Mrs. Haruno may I have a word with you?" said the elderly man as soon as the front door was opened.

"Hokage-sama! We were not expecting you! Please come in by all means!" She bowed and stepped aside allowing more then enough room for him to enter. The small hall in front of the door flooded with warm sunlight from the early morning.

"Thank you, you're most kind." The elderly man seemed to drift in silently on the still rays of light. Entering into the living room he found Sakura's father reading that morning's paper. The man looked up at him for a moment before reality hit him with as to who had just entered. He was up in a flash, the paper quickly forgotten as he went to attend to his honoured guest. It must have been something serious if the leader of the village came to your house...Even more serious being such an early hour.

"No don't bother to get up, I can't stay long. I just came to talk to you about your daughter Sakura." He said made a motion with his hand to keep Mr. Haruno seated where he was.

Bother parents were taken aback and immediately started apologizing for her. "What did she do? Oh I'm so sorry for any trouble she's caused. We try and make sure she does the right thing but you know kids these days! If there is anything we can...."

" No, no the child is not in trouble. Dear no, she is one of the best students I've seen in a while. No, I've come to inform you about the team mates she will be studying with as a Genin." Mr. And Mrs. Haruno fell silent and listened intently to the Hokage as he explained their daughter's future.

"The two who I have decided would most benefit her would be Uchiha Sasuke," he could see the smiles and joy on their faces at that name. They knew he was extremely strong and would be able to protect her. And maybe... Just maybe she could grab his heart! Having the last Uchiha in the family would be a great honour.

"And Uzumaki Naruto." All dreams and hopes melted and burned like butter on a hot skillet. Her father was the first to react.

"My daughter on the same team as ...!"

"Enough! I've come to inform you about this situation before even informing my Chunins about this. I see how everyone in the village treats that boy. Even though he was sacrificed against his will to save this village, he is treated as nothing more then a monster. The boy has no friends and no one to call ally. Though you might see him as a threat, he is completely harmless. I've informed you about this for another reason as well. As you would probably cause a protest if you found out through other means.'

" Naruto will be teamed up with Sakura and Sasuke with your permission, or Sakura and Sasuke will not be able to form a team by themselves and be forced to repeat the academy once again till there is a suitable number of students. This is your choice to make. You are both fair and smart people and I know you will do the right thing. You have two days to make a decision. " And with that he vanished out the door.

***End Flash back**

How could they say "no' to the leader of the village? And despite the sickening feeling every time they heard his name on their daughter's lips, whether in insults or comments they had said nothing. Only changed the subject and put the thought out of her mind. She stirred the soup mindlessly as she stared out into space.

***Elsewhere***

No need for lights, nothing had moved in the last few years. Just the same as it was then... That day... That day when everything changed.

He left his bag in the hall and a trail of clothes behind him to his bedroom. He grabbed a clean pair of black shorts from the drawer and entered the bathroom.He was tired and sore, but the thought that came to his mind hours ago would not let him rest. He turned on the tap and let it run. The water splashing over the plastic bottom of the extra deep tub. He tossed his shorts on the closed seat cover of the toilet, one of the only places to put anything because there was no counter. And a towel he tossed on the floor. The water bubbled and gurgled as he turned it off. The tap still dripping as he stepped into the water and eased himself down. Finally adjusting to the warmth on his cold skin, he let his head sink below the tiny waves; feeling the hot water prick and tingle his scalp. He ran a hand through this back mop and surfaced again for air.

He could remember when he was smaller and the tub used to scare him. This big, deep, dark pool of water that could hide anything. Though the only things he ever did find when he finally got in was a yellow rubber duck and the melted bar of soap. Now that he was older and bigger it was a welcoming release from his frustrating life, if only for a moment. He could forget his hatred and anger and float lifeless in the warm water that covered every inch of his body.

It soothed his aching feet, which he never noticed were hurting. His knees and legs didn't seem to know what to do with them selves, being released from the demand of holding up their owner. His stomach and chest were wrapped in a warm, soft hug that never seemed to end. His arms floated limply by his side for a moment before stretching out on their own in either direction before bumping into the sides of the tub. Dark hair fanned out in a bleak halo around his head. His face was the only thing above the water line, and then only because he was a mammal and found it difficult to breath under water like a fish.

His eyes half open as he sunk below the water, letting it envelop him. The ceiling blurred through the veil of water. He could stay there... Just for a few seconds he could be weightless, helpless, powerless.... free...

But the need to survive is strong in everyone; stronger in those who have set a high goal for themselves and wagered their lives on it. The urge to move forward, to push on, to keep going toward that unreachable goal like a tree so tall you can't see the tops. Even when there are no more branches to climb, and no more hills high enough. You keep reaching up with your hand out stretched, just that extra inch, bringing you closer, making you feel warmer and making you want more. Thirst for it, hunger for it, ache for it, kill for it..... that light.

That tiny speck of light so far in the distance that it is barely a twinkle when it reaches you, and that in truth, might not even exist anymore. It can be blinding. Like a searing light you can't turn away from. You become a moth drawn to its flame. It burns you the closer you get and you pull away from the pain. But you go back again and again, blinded each time to the suffering you put yourself through. Till finally the heat becomes too much and we fall.

Fall from the tree, fall from the top of the hill. Down, down, down into the dark, into the cold where we fear to open our eyes, afraid of what we might see, of what we might become. We land hard; knocking the wind from us. Unable to move, looking up into the night, into the dark tree tops in search of our beloved light. That little flicker of hope that keeps us going for so long. We look but we can't see... Its too dark, becoming darker still... The ground is crawling, creatures around you are inching, slithering, sliding, scurrying, scampering, clawing... ripping... Tearing!

Dark eyes gnaw at you, smiles of blood-drenched fangs wink at you. But still you look up. At the place where your little flickering dream once was, your addictive, pain-wrenched dream that kept you captivated for so long. Hurts you so badly, but you still want it, you need it.. Maybe it's a reaction to its presence not being there any more. Or habit of simply always reaching. Whatever it is, your fingers twitch, your hand moves... And slowly but surly your arm stretches sky ward. Reaching out into the black nothingness that you have coated you lonely heart in. Reaching for that small burning dream that hurts so much... But somehow can 't live without....

Finally Sasuke breached the surface of the water. Reaching out for the soap and facecloth that sit on the ledge next to him. He works it into a fine lather and begins to wash off the dirt and sweat.

***

end ch8

Float for a moment