Trigger warnings for wrist cutting and mental disorders.

"Aren't you having fun Sasuke?" Sakura's cheerful voice snaps Sasuke out of his daze. The raven has been staring into space for the past half hour.

He has been doing that a lot lately. Just zoning out; losing touch with reality. He is starting to run out of explanations when people notice the slashes on his wrist. There are moments when he finds himself in strange parts of town without any recollection of how he got there. His sense of time has suffered the most. Sasuke always has to ask someone what year it is because he can never be sure.

Konoha citizens are used to the strangeness that is the Uchiha family, but newcomers are always amazed and sympathetic at Sasuke's lack of focus.

"Sasuke?" Said Uchiha stares at the most popular girl in school and wonders why he is so unhappy. Most people would sell a limb to be on a date with Sakura Haruno and here he is, thinking of a plausible excuse to leave.

A lot of it has to do with Sakura's persistence. The pinkette simply had not taken no for an answer from Sasuke, and insisted on a date.

An inner voice which sounds disturbingly like Itachi whispers in his mind. You don't have to explain yourself to her; just get up and walk away.

And Sasuke does just that.

To Sakura's horror, Ino Yamanaka, who just happens to be seated on the table right next to them, sees the entire thing, and quickly pulls out her laptop to share it with the rest of the Konoha High cheerleader community.

Sometimes, Sakura just wants to shoot herself.

"It's a good thing if Sasuke rejected you." Ino says, just after dodging another set of Gucci pumps. Thankfully, Sakura can't aim well when crying. "You don't want someone like him interested in you. He lost whatever mental stability he had years ago."

Sakura's big green eyes look even greener when tear-filled. "It was going so well." She sobs, "He even stopped glaring at me for the last half hour."

Ino has been trying to console Sakura for hours now, and has started playing with her hair out of sheer boredom. A hysterical cheerleader isn't nearly as entertaining as she should be. "You mean he had zoned out."

Sakura shakes her head furiously; effectively destroying Ino's efforts to braid her hair. "No, it was a comfortable silence."

"Will you hold still? I am trying to fix your disaster of a hairstyle." Ino glares at the back of Sakura's head. "I was there today. He had definitely fallen asleep with his eyes open near the end."

"You can't go a day without stalking me, can you, you pathetic bitch?" Sakura says resentfully and then whimpers when Ino tugs at her hair as revenge. "Ow, that hurts."

Ino watches with satisfaction, as Sakura rubs her sore head. "I am done." She lets go of the pink mane after one final touch of hairspray.

Sakura turns toward her dressing table and glances at her reflection. Wow, that actually looks great. She would rather die than admit it out loud.

Ino rolls her eyes in sheer annoyance, "I just happened to be there for a cup of coffee before my test, which went well by the way, thanks for asking." Spending time with Shikamaru on a daily basis for years has rendered Ino quite mellow, but Sakura still manages to frustrate the crap out of her.

Sakura sniffles pathetically. "I don't understand Sasuke. When you love someone, love them back. No need to torture them."

"He isn't torturing you." Ino scoffs at the sad mess that is Sakura. "You are torturing yourself. Take another look in the mirror, and see what unrequited love has done to you."

"I want to be his wife. It's all I have ever wanted. He is everything."

"Wrong!" Ino declares loudly. "He is absolutely nothing to you. And count your lucky stars for that. You don't need that damaged prick anywhere near you. Life is hard enough without a psycho mess of a husband."

"I just want to be good enough for him." Sakura ignores Ino's advice completely. "To be his equal."

"You are going to have to degrade yourself a lot for that." Ino tries to look uncaring but fails. Thankfully, Sakura doesn't notice. "I personally think you are too good for him."

"Don't be silly." Sakura says bitterly. "He is a god."

"I am just trying to protect you." Ino confesses, tentatively. "You are never going to be his mate. And if by some horrible chance, you do end up with him," Ino takes a meaningful pause, "It's not going to end well. He is not stable enough to be a boyfriend, let alone a husband."

Watching Sakura's expression is hard for Ino, but she carries on regardless, for her former best friend'ssake. "He can't even take care of himself, how can he possibly be a good life-partner to you? He lives a nightmare of a life." Ino has a sudden urge to shake Sakura by the shoulders, violently. "He is an alcoholic drug-addict whose greatest accomplishment is being born with a pretty face and his family's money."

Sakura sneers. "Like your precious Chouji and Shikamaru could ever compare to him."

Ino clenches her fists, "Why would they want to? They are normal human beings with actual feelings and empathy. Something your god is inherently missing."

"I wish you could see him like I do." Sakura says softly.

"I see what you see, Sakura. I see his beauty and his money." Ino says, "But it's what you don't see that worries me. His imperfections completely escape your notice."

A lot of people have tried to talk sense into Sakura, and have failed miserably, including her own mother. Ino knows that she is fighting against quite an obsession here. Somehow, Sakura has formed an exceptionally strong emotional attachment to a complete stranger. But even stronger, is Ino's need to protect Sakura. They may have grown apart over the years, but Ino will always have a soft spot for Sakura.

The obsession started when Sakura started her first day of kindergarten. Actually, a lot of girls became obsessed with Sasuke that day, including Ino herself. But over the years, Sasuke shed the cloak of adorable child and blossomed into a dangerous mess. Other girls lost interest out of fear and self-preservation, but Sakura did no such thing. To her, Sasuke has always been prince charming.

"Let him burn in hell." Ino begs Sakura. "Forget his sorry ass, and get yourself a real boyfriend. This fairy-tale fantasy bullshit of yours has to end."

Sakura places her hands on her ears, as if trying to block Ino's voice. She cannot stand such brutal honesty.

"Either let go of him," Ino gives Sakura an ultimatum, "Or keep obsessing after him like a moron. But don't be surprised when he costs you your happiness and your sanity." That said, the blond gives the pinkette one last pitiful look, and walks away, slamming the door behind her.