Adult-FanFiction.org : Naruto

Denial	By : djserani Category: Naruto > Het - Male/Female > Kakashi/Sakura Views: 4298 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: As always, I don't own the world or characters, I just like to torment them. Kishimoto-sensei gets to keep them permanently. (I make no money from it!)

Chapter List
- 15
- 16
- 17
Maiko sat up and frowned. She didn't like the look on Sakura's face. There wasn't anything wrong with her, she didn't know why no one could see that. She sighed.

There couldn't be anything wrong with her. It was that simple. Because if there was, then she would end up like her mom. And she just couldn't - wouldn't - be like that.

Maiko's mother went beyond being tired and sick. By the time Maiko was walking, she rarely left her room except for dinner and the occasional outing. When she graduated from primary school and headed to the first of her finishing schools, she stopped leaving the house. And before Maiko started to plan her wedding, she stopped leaving her bedroom, altogether.

She wanted a family, she wanted children. And she was determined to have a normal life. She didn't want to end up like her mother.

She swallowed and looked up at Sakura. "What is it?"

Sakura sat on the bed next to her. "It's nothing too serious. But�" she said as Maiko sagged in relief, "If it goes untreated, things will get progressively worse. "

Maiko swallowed. "But�it's treatable?"

Sakura nodded. "Yes. It will take some time to do the procedure and I can't do it here in my bedroom. I would prefer to have a medical facility. I'll go over to the hospital later today and talk to them about setting something up."

Maiko sighed. "I'd�told myself all this time there was nothing wrong with me. It didn't seem serious, you know? Just a little tired." She paused. "My mother has the same thing. I've been avoiding facing it since the symptoms started, some two years ago. I didn't want to be her, you know? I didn't want to end up living in my bedroom, ignoring my family."

She looked up at Sakura. "Are there risks?"

Sakura took her hands in her own. "There are always risks. Less in some procedures than others. It could not work. It could only partially heal it." She sighed. "But the risks are minimum. At worst, you end up on a medication for it." Sakura described what the gland is supposed to do and what it wasn't doing for her. "So, you can see why you feel the way you do."

Maiko nodded, sniffling. Sakura handed her a tissue from the box on the bedside table. "But the good news is that you don't have to feel like this anymore." She smiled at her.

Maiko took a deep breath. "Thank you." She wiped her face, squeezed Sakura's hands and stood. "Well, let me know what the hospital says. How long will it take you?"

Sakura thought for a minute. "You should set at least a couple of hours aside. I know the wedding is in two days. Were you leaving right away for a honeymoon?"

Maiko shook her head. "We wanted to, but Hiroshi has some business this week. He really tried to reschedule, but it just didn't work."

"Okay, well, how about the day after?" Sakura did some quick thinking. "That way if, and I don't think it will, but if anything goes wrong, then you'll have some time to recover."

Maiko nodded. "Well, then. I hope you'll make yourself comfortable as long as you're here." She bent over and hugged Sakura. "Thank you. Very much."

Sakura smiled. "Don't thank me yet."

"No, I do want to thank you. I've been living in denial a long time. Thank you for helping me face it." She took a deep breath. "Well, I have things to see to."

"Okay. Bye." Sakura sat on the side of the bed, lost in thought.

Kakashi found her still sitting there nearly half an hour later. "Sakura?"

Sakura looked up. "Oh. Hi." She smiled up at him as he approached.

"Are you okay?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah. Um, Maiko allowed me to examine her."

"Really? Well? Was it what you thought it was?" He sat down next to her on the bed.

She nodded. "Yes. And I've already talked to her about taking care of it. I'm going to go see the medical staff at the hospital a little later to see if I can work out space to do it."

"Good. Do you know when?"

"We're thinking about the day after the wedding. She's not leaving for the honeymoon right away," she explained at his raised eyebrow.

"Ah."

"Yes. I had to promise to stay for the wedding in the first place to get her to agree to let me examine her." She shrugged. "I didn't think another day would matter."

"I doubt it. Well, then, I suppose I should send a message to Tsunade to let her know. Then, I guess, I have some shopping to do." He sighed, looking distinctly unhappy about it.

"Shopping?" Sakura asked, confused.

"For the wedding? Are you planning to attend in your ninja clothes?" Kakashi asked pointedly.

She glanced down at herself. "Oh. Uh, yeah. I guess I'll do that while I'm out." She sighed and made a face. "I hate shopping."

Kakashi laughed. "I know the feeling."

He stood up, then, formed the hand signs, bit his thumb then slammed his hand down onto the floor. A few seconds later, Pakkun appeared. "Yo."

"Hi Pakkun." Sakura smiled.

Pakkun looked up at her. "Hello, Sakura." He sniffed. "Same shampoo?"

Sakura glared at him as he jumped up to the bed next to her. "Yes, the same shampoo."

"Well, it still smells better on you than me." He gave her a pair of doleful eyes and Sakura couldn't stay mad. She reached out and scratched him behind the ears, giggling when his back leg started thumping.

"If you two are through�?" Kakashi said, politely.

"Oh, sorry boss." He turned to Kakashi.

"I need to send a message to Tsunade. Tell her we've made it to Port City but that we'll be delayed another few days, at least. " Pakkun nodded.

"Okay." And with that, the nin-dog poofed.

"Well, I guess that's that." Sakura stood up. "I guess I better go find the hospital."

"I'll walk you."

Sakura wasn't sure what to make of his mood, but she wasn't going to question it just yet. She had enough to think about without it. "Thanks."

The medical staff were happy to arrange space, especially when she told them who she was and who she worked with. After working out a few details and meeting with a few extra people, she headed to the shopping district.

She stared for a moment at the clothing store, trying to work herself up to going in. Finally, annoyed with herself - it was only a dress, for goodness sake - she marched into the shop. And nearly marched back out again.

There were racks upon racks of dresses, pants, kimonos, you name it. She saw underthings that she did her best to ignore, almost a full wall dedicated to shoes and an alcove just for accessories. Sakura wasn't even sure what accessories were.

"Ah! There you are!" Sakura spun around when Maiko came in.

"Oh, hi." She blushed. "I was just going to find something to wear for your wedding." She glanced around the shop, but couldn't hide the near terror she felt at the idea of clothes shopping. There was a reason she only ever wore her ninja clothes.

She heard a choking sound from Maiko's direction, but when she looked back at her, she must have gotten a hold of herself. "Come on. It's not that bad."

Sakura sighed. "That's what my friend Ino keeps telling me. You see this outfit I'm wearing?" When Maiko nodded, Sakura continued. "I have a closetful of them at home. I have a swimsuit, mourning clothes for funerals and a couple of pair of pajamas. All of my shoes are either ninja sandals or ninja boots."

Maiko just stared at her. "Wow. Well. Let's see what we can do. We're planning a western wedding, so at least you don't have to try for a formal kimono."

"That's good. I think I'd kill myself in an obi." Sakura sighed and turned toward the rest of the shop. "Okay, so�"

Maiko suppressed a bit of laughter. "I'm glad I found you, then." She grabbed Sakura's hand and dragged her into the room.

An hour later, Sakura was carefully holding on to her patience, but at least she had clothes for the wedding. And shoes. And jewelry. And make-up, dear God. And�accessories, though she still hadn't figured out exactly what they were supposed to be. There was a bag that would hold no more than two shuriken and some sort of scarf thing that wasn't going to keep her warm at all. Maiko tried to explain that it was just for show. Sakura just didn't get it.

After thanking Maiko profusely and sending the packages back to the Sugitani house, Sakura stopped at the sake bar.

"You know that stuff doesn't do anything for you." Kakashi's voice came from behind her before he slid onto a stool next to her.

She sighed. "I needed to try something. I spent an hour. An hour. Shopping. For clothes." She shuddered and signaled to the bartender for another bottle. "And shoes and a whole bunch of other stuff. Including make-up. I never wear make-up. Why did I let her talk me into that?"

Kakashi was just looking sideways at her. He motioned for his own bottle of sake. "Um, I have no idea."

She finished her bottle and turned to him. "Well, I have the hospital set up for Sunday. I'll want to stay for another day or so to make sure she's okay, but I think that'll be all."

Kakashi nodded. "That's fine. I heard back from Tsunade. She told me they had everything under control. Even the hospital was quiet and we're supposed to take our time."

Sakura nodded, then waved at the bartender. He looked at her funny, but set another bottle down.

"How many is that?" He asked as he finished his first bottle.

Sakura thought about it a moment. "Um, I think that was five. Or six." She shrugged. There still wasn't the slightest slur in her voice. "One of these days, I'll find something that might actually affect me." She frowned into the bottle.

"Are you trying to be affected by it?" She looked over at him with the 'what do you think' look. "Okay. Why?"

She just shook her head. "Not quite ready to talk about it." She sighed again, then glared at the empty bottle, giving up. "Well, I have laundry to do before dinner. " She stood up off the stool and put some money down on the bar. "Are you staying?"

He shook his head. "No. I can read anywhere." His eye crinkled as she rolled her eyes at him.
- 15
- 16
- 17
You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.
Report Story

Denial