AFTER DARK | naruto

55 | Dissatisfactory closure 

"My little miracle..." You weren't sure where these memories came from either, your mother holding you close after another run in with the civilians of the Sand village. They hated you back then, as they did Gaara—for being a Jinchuuriki. Based off of this memory, you supposed they made you cry, but your mother held you close once you both got home.

"Don't cry," She patted your head, a tender smile on her face, yet you couldn't remember her eyes. She was kneeling in front of you, yet she was still taller than you as you stood. "You needn't listen to them. Your mamas here for you now." She assured you, using a handkerchief to wipe your tears away. Her voice was muddy and distant, echoing through your head as your head tried to form a correct memory of what she sounded like.

"But..." You put your hands over your eyes, blocking your view from your mother. "Why don't they like me?" You sniffled—voice higher in pitch than it was now.

"Well," Your mother tenderly removed your hands from your face, grabbing your wrists to pull them away. "Sometimes people think crazy things... Unfortunately, not everyone will love you. At least, not the way I do." She was still smiling, but the sight of her eyes wouldn't repair itself in your memory.

But you remembered that you hugged her at that moment, leaning into her as you sniffled. "I don't get it, but I love you and papa, too." In your current mind, the word 'father' would translate into someone like your Sensei, but you knew back then, that 'papa' was your stepfather.

Your mother embraced you as you did her, her arms wrapped loosely around you. "We love you too, honey." She rubbed your back in a soothing motion. "And we always will, no matter what happens." Back then, you weren't even aware of the saying 'there's nothing like a mother's love', but now, there was nothing more you wanted but to feel it again. You had taken so many things in your life for granted, and only missed them until they were all gone.

But you couldn't ever again—because of your pathetically useless biological father. You hadn't seen him in person once in your entire life, you only heard stories of him and the type of guy he was, which was no good whatsoever.

Maybe that's why he manifested in front of you after your brooding thoughts and memories faded to black and got replaced by the white snow. For a moment, you weren't sure who it was that appeared in front of you, but it clicked a moment later.

"[Father]," You spoke, eyes on him. You waited for any form of recognition or response to the name, which he gave. He looked up at you, seemingly lost and confused. You had time to waste after you and your group got momentarily separated, you were told to stay behind until the coast was clear, since it would be bad to lose the Akatsukis very own vessel.

"Who are you?" Your father asked a moment later, already forming a pit of dread in your stomach.

There was a pregnant silence after that question, the indignant look on your face a mix of displeasure and hurt. Your lips tugged downward, brows knitting together in a way that would assume concern. "I'm your daughter... Don't you remember?" You answered, trying to keep some semblance of patience in the wild sea of anger that boiled over.

He already seemed off at a glance, staring absentmindedly at the falling snow. For a moment you believed he hadn't heard you, but it became clear that he had after he answered. "I have many daughters."

The tug of your lips became deeper, your brows furrowing in discontent once he answered you. "Right," You managed to say, eyes falling toward the floor. "How many, exactly?" You asked. It wasn't that you were pleased with the answer you were given, but that you were settling with the fact that you could learn how many siblings you may have had.