Chapter Text
Haruno Sakura was sure her parents loved her.
They disciplined her when she was bad (which was often), they clothed her to look good, and they never got in her way.
Discipline was essential, as Sakura knew. She didn’t love it, but she didn’t hate her parents for it either. Her parents never hit her hard enough to leave marks, which was good because it meant that her friends wouldn’t question it. It would be embarrassing to have to admit that she was disciplined so often. She forgot to do the dishes, forgot to take out the trash, forgot to brush her hair, forgot to clean the bathrooms, forgot to clean her room, forgot to organize her shelves, forgot to get the mail, forgot to sweep the floors, forgot to cook their lunches, forgot to cook their breakfasts, and forgot to tell her parents when she would come home late. Whenever she did anything embarrassing, she would get disciplined as well. Wearing something other than the clothes they laid out for her, getting second in class, playing with other kids, asking or demanding anything from her parents, or not acting mature all earned her a punishment at home. Her parents reasoned that they had taken care of her for years and years; now was simply the time to repay them. They would part ways when she turned 18.
She could do things that other kids couldn’t.
She wanted to attend the ninja academy? Yes. Was it that important to her? Yes. To the point she was willing to forfeit her meals? Yes. They eventually relented and signed her up.
Who did she meet? A blond-haired blue-eyed boy. Did he have marks on his cheeks? Yes. Did she catch his name? Yes. What was his name? Naruto.
Did she want makeup to cover the bruises? Yes. Was she ever going to play with the boy again? No. Did she know why? No.
Did she need ice? Yes. Now does she know why she shouldn’t play with that boy? Yes. Why? Because he was a menace to society. What did he do? Painted the walls, mouthed off in class, had no respect, and didn’t clean up. Why did she hang with him? It was fun. What do real daughters do? They don’t have fun. What do they do? They act mature.
They gave her all kinds of advice to help her get ahead in life. Learn to be an obedient daughter, as they said, and she would surpass everyone. A real daughter didn’t kill. A real daughter didn’t cheat. A real daughter didn’t steal. A real daughter didn’t lie. A real daughter had good table manners. A real daughter didn’t hit people, no matter the circumstances. A real daughter would stop for no one besides her parents. A real daughter would not have any flaws. A real daughter would marry into a good family and provide for her parents. A real daughter wouldn’t be an embarrassment. A real daughter…
Haruno Sakura was sure her parents loved her. It was just buried deep inside.