Imperfectly Perfect (Naruto FanFic)

Chapter Four

I woke in the morning to freezing cold water. "M-M-Mother!" I exclaim, startled. "Wh-Why'd you do that?" I shiver, goosebumps rising on my skin as my mother pulls the sheets away, exposing my damp skin to the cold morning air. I glance at the clock. It's only 4:45 A.M!

"You know that Grandmother believes that woman should be up in the morning!" Mother reprimended. My blue lips presses together tightly, swallowing the words that were threatening to tumble out.

My mother grabs my forearm in a bruising grip, dragging me out of the room. I'm thrown into the kitchen, hair straggly and wet and my white, damp shift clinging uncomfortably to my body.

I bow hurriedly as my Grandmother walks into the room. "Shift off," She ordered. I obeyed without question, the silky fabric sliding off and landing crumpled on the ground. I resist the urge to wrap my arms around myself, wishing desperately that I had worn a bra to bed.

My Grandmother walked around me. Poking my waist, she muttered, "To fat," I flinch away from her wrinkled, pruney skin when it occasionally brushed across my body. Her gaze slid down to my feet. "Your feet are to big," She declared, "Your legs to short, not toned or skinny enough. There's to much fat clinging to your stomach. Your breasts are miniscule. Your shoulders naturally slump. Your cheeks still have baby fat on them. Your cheek bones are to low. Your hair should be longer,"

I was twelve years old. I worried so much about looking good. No matter how hard I worked out, I was still fat. My body never got the chiseled look of perfection that my sister somehow maintained. I had bad posture. I never cut my hair, but it barely made its way to the middle of my back.

I was a failure.

An accident.

A mistake.

A curse.

Imperfect.

My Grandmother stood in front of me. "Now, a good little wife should know how to cook and clean, even if she has maids to do it. You should also be able to memorize the list of chores I give you now. This is training so you can be a good wife to Sasuke, Neji, anyone from the Hyuga clan, or the others we've talked about. Understand?"

"Yes, Grandmother," I say crisply, clearly.

"Very well then. Sweep and scrub the floors around the house. Wax the floor. Dust the rooms. Polish the wood. Make the breakfast, set the table, serve breakfast correctly, in old Japanese tradition, then clean the kitchen and see if I have any other jobs for you,"

I do a quick calculation in my head. I have to meet my team at 9:00, which leaves me... Three and a half hours to work, if I got time to get ready. "Yes, Grandmother," I hold my bow until I've backed out of the room, then run softly towards the cleaning supply room, slipping on my night gown at the same time. This would be a hard morning.

I create the cleaning solution, arms straining as I carry the heavy bucket to the far end of the house. The rags I'd hurriedly slung over my shoulder brushed against my neck as they threatened to fall off. I made sure not to spill a drop of water as I set the bucket carefully down.

I dip the rag into the solution, ignoring my smarting hands as I wring it out and begin to scrub the floor. I set my body on auto pilot, ignoring my throbbing knees and aching hands as I scrub and polish and dust and sweep through the house.

I lean against the door frame. That had taken a record breaking two and a half hours. Best time yet! But I still needed to make the breakfast, and I only had about half an hour before people began to wake up.

Some maids slink into the kitchen and begin to help me cook. I'm sure that they were disobeying orders, but I found that they usually help one of there own. It didn't matter if I was to be a maid fo a few hours or a few days. They would help.