With what seemed like incredible effort, Sakura hoisted herself to her feet and looked over the small townhouse for what she knew would be the last time. Half of her wanted to memorize every little detail of the space she'd spent the last five years of her life in but she found herself feeling oddly apathetic over the ordeal; there was no real use for such memories now.
Silently she retrieved the last two boxes of her belongings at the foot of the stairs, effectively erasing herself from the little abode. Sasuke's belongings still lay where they always had even before they'd gotten together ― there was nothing left to remind him of the time they'd spent together. Most of it had been pleasant, yes, but some irreconcilable differences were reason enough for the two to head their separate ways. Even with the finality of it all, she had done so much crying in their past that now everything felt quiet and calm within her. The storm that had brewed within her whenever she was near Sasuke lately had left in favor of a clear blue sky.
"Are you done yet?" Called a girl's voice from the other room, followed by the entrance of the girl herself, whose arms were filled precariously with more boxes labeled in black marker 'SAKURA'. Sweat beaded at her widow's peak and her usually neat blonde ponytail was beginning to come undone, setting free a few stray strands that poked out here and there; the two had been hard at work. "Honestly how much shit can one girl have?" Ino Yamanaka asked in a bemused tone, dropping her load on the ground to find her bearings.
Honestly, Sakura couldn't have been more thankful to run into Ino ― or rather, Ino had run into her ― when her moment of need had arisen. After a particularly nasty spat with her now ex-boyfriend, Sakura had half-jogged half-ran in a fit of anger to the local park to call her mother and finally tell her about the problems she and Sasuke were having and the eminent break-up that would soon follow. Rather unfortunately, Sakura's mother adored the boy whom she hoped would one day become her son-in-law, and thus she often persuaded Sakura out of any ill-conceived notions of trying to leave him. It may have been fortunate at the height of their relationship but it was nothing but troublesome trying to speak with her now. Whilst crying vehemently and explaining the situation to her stubborn mother, it was Ino that quite literally ran into Sakura.
Clad in exercise garb and sweatbands decorating her extremities here and there, the blonde rounded the corner and ran right into the crying pink-haired girl. " ― Oh shit!" The blonde had exclaimed, helping collect up the sobbing girl from the ground. "I'm so sorry ― this is the first time I've ever jogged here, I don't know the layout that good and ― hey, don't I know you?"
Sakura had blinked away her tears, watching the not-so-strange stranger help her up until realizing who this girl was. "Ino, is that you?"
Since then, their friendship had begun to flourish once again, just in time to help Sakura out of the pit of despair that sometimes came with a break-up. While they hadn't seen one another for around five years, it felt like they had seen each other only yesterday. Thankfully their friendship had not been affected by time spent apart.
"Care to take a break?" Ino asked with a carefree sigh, obviously unconcerned with what Sakura's answer may have been as she plopped down on stairs, breaking Sakura out of her thoughtfulness.
With what felt like limbs made of lead, Sakura retrieved two chilly water bottles from the fridge, tossing one to Ino before taking a seat beside her on the stairs. Sakura's silence seemed to trouble Ino, for at quiet intervals she tried and failed at a few attempts at making pleasant conversation.
"I'm not upset." Sakura assured the blonde, taking a long sip from her water bottle. "I'm a little excited, actually. I get to start my life again." It was incredibly true. While Sasuke had been supportive in most things productive, his anti-social negative nature kept her from being the social little butterfly she'd always been, even going as far as driving away kind people with his abrasiveness that bordered on rudeness. Even just sitting and talking with Ino would've been impossible a month ago, but things were changing for the better already.
Her words seemed to be what Ino was hoping to hear, for her strained pleasantries ceased after hearing them. "So when's the prince of darkness getting home?" She asked dryly, casting her gaze about the home, now able to fully cast her judgement upon the home without fear of insulting any of Sakura's personal taste by mistake.
"We won't see him." Sakura answered simply, her voice calm. She'd timed the little get together perfectly as to completely avoid seeing head nor hair of Sasuke ― he'd still be at work long after the two women would be leaving. She liked it better that way ― no pressure, no rush, no problem. Ino seemed to relax a little upon hearing the news, she smiled (though Sakura noted it was mostly to herself than anyone else) and didn't bring him up again, electing to complain loudly about Sasuke's furniture choices without calling him by name. Sakura sat nodding beside her in the humid room, sipping from her lukewarm water bottle but couldn't help feeling strangely at ease.
"My salad days, / When I was green in judgment, cold in blood." - Shakespeare