Chapter 4

I.

And all the King's horses and all the King's men
Couldn't put Humpty back together again.

II.

Somehow, Sakura managed to be late for work even at the early hour of seven-thirty. Ino was already there- jumping up and down under the roof edge to keep warm. Sakura quickly pulled out the door key and unlocked the doors to the bar. The two are in charge of opening the bar everyday and cleaning up the mess from the night before. To maximize the revenue, the store owner hired only two girls to clean out the entire restaurant as well as several back rooms, making sure they worked from seven in the morning till late into the afternoons. They have short breaks throughout their shift, but can leave as soon as the bar is clean. There were just so many rooms to clean and tablecloths to change. On top of that, all the glasses and dishes have to be washed...

Sakura rarely gets out before five.

"I'm so sorry I'm late," Sakura apologized as she rushed them both in, and the usual scene was assembled in front of them: chairs thrown everywhere, broken glass and trash all over the floor and tables with the strong scent of booze and vomit saturating the air.

"It's alright," Ino said, quickly warming up and beginning to push all the tables and chairs to one side of the room, stacking them on top of one another.

"I'll do the rooms," Sakura said, quickly going into the washroom to fill a bucket full of soapy water and a mop. Then she grabbed a few rags hanging in the closet, some sanitizer and a cart to dump all the dishes in.

The girls quickly worked to wipe down, sweep, and mop the entire bar. By the time they were done it was almost noon and time for their lunch break. They scavenged the kitchen and found some leftovers. Ino sat on the kitchen counter chewing her bread with Nutella spread over it and Sakura devoured her mushroom soup and leftover strudel. Ino felt half-full as she chewed her food slowly, then opened her mouth to talk to Sakura, "Sakura-chan, do you need money... urgently?"

"Sort of." Sakura didn't bother to hide it as she nodded, "My son..."

"You have a son already!?" Ino shrieked in surprise. The two girls had been working together for almost half a year, yet they didn't know much about each other, as each day exhausted them to the point where they didn't even want to socialize.

Both girls could tell the other had her own problems from the beginning, and both knew the other didn't want to share. Over the months they merely conversed in small-talk, but had gained confidence in the friendship of the other.

"Yeah," Sakura answered, "He's six."

"I couldn't tell." Ino eyes quickly scanned Sakura. "I thought you must be, like, twenty-two."

"I'm two years older than that," Sakura smiled, "Thank you, though."

"Wow." Ino blinked. Then shook her head as she remembered what she was getting at. "Oh right. I know you frown upon this, but if you want more money you can work here at night..."

"I appreciate your offer, I really do." Sakura said kindly, "But I'm not a virgin anymore. I'm a mother now."

"I know. It's not what I'm implying," Ino waved her hand as she stopped spreading Nutella onto some more leftover rolls, "I meant, I'm trying it out just now. I've worked for, like, two weeks already. I don't work as a call girl, simply a cleaning lady. Basically what I do here. But there are more breaks and less to clean. Occasionally I bring out alcohol to the guests and set the table. It's really not that different."

Sakura thought about it. "I would, but I have to take care of my son at night, remember? I have to check his homework and cook for him..."

"Yeah, I figured," Ino sighed. "Oh well."

Sakura gobbled down her food and then continued to work. She replaced all the tablecloths and cleaned the kitchen while Ino polished off all the glass and silverware. When the man who re-stocks the bar came, the two girls refilled all of the alcohol and food. Sakura sneaked some mushrooms and a piece of chicken breast in her bag, thinking of preparing a mushroom sautéed chicken for dinner. She could pick up a French baguette for two dollars on the way home for a fulfilling dinner. She smiled to herself and imagined all possible ways to cook the chicken. Perhaps she'll even make chicken strips, but then that would be a waste of oil. Well, it wouldn't be if she kept the leftovers...

The two girls met at the front entrance after their long shift was over. They started a habit soon after working together in which they would walk in companion for a few blocks before they had to depart and go their separate ways.

On their walk Sakura decided to start up conversation, "Why do you need money?"

"I have a mother." Ino sighed, "She's... not well."

"Really?" Sakura asked, surprised. She supposed this was the feeling Ino had when she learned Sakura had a son. "What does she have?"

"Alzheimer's." Ino's said, keeping her tone completely calm. "Incurable. It's an endless money burning pit."

Sakura fell silent.

Ino continued, "Sakura, I'm not pretty like you, so I can't really sell myself for a higher price. But if I had the chance, I would definitely do it."

Sakura turned to Ino and quickly retorted, "Ino, you're beautiful, but no matter what you look like, that thought shouldn't even cross your mind-"

"Oh Sakura," laughed Ino bitterly, "Enough. Enough talking about morals and ethics. I wasn't born in a rich family to begin with, and my mother and father gave me everything that I have now. Now that one of them is gone, I should take care of the other one. I'm just glad that they didn't give me any siblings."

Sakura wasn't in any position to judge, so she refrained from adding to the conversation.

"Really, Sakura, I'm sorry, I may sound awful, please don't be mad at what I suggested earlier." Ino said, she didn't even lift her sleeve to wipe her eyes, "I'm just... I sometimes want to...end it, but even life doesn't allow you that luxury, I have too many responsibilities."

"I know," Sakura thought aloud. "I know. I don't blame you. You just pointed out a way to make money, that's all."

The two girls parted as Sakura turned around to watch Ino's back. She walked down the street with her head held high, even though Sakura knew she had been tired after working all day. Sakura suddenly felt sympathy and admiration for the girl, and knew too well of what that feeling was like. She once cried and cried by Hikari's bedside until she fainted and couldn't recognize what day it was. She also sat against the hospital windowsill, facing the countless number of hospital bills and prescription fees. She held a sleeping Hikari in her arms with the will to jump and end it all. But life had been so cruel to her because it dragged her back into reality and forced her to cope with everything bit by bit, as if she were a snail tugging the largest shell possible on her back, chugging along to its next destination without the chance or choice to stop. As her life went on and time went by, her hope was getting slimmer and slimmer, and with each step along the way her tears salted her entire path, until there was tears left to cry.

After reaching her home, she began cooking dinner for Hikari, watching as he carefully worked on his homework at the table. Sakura saw from the corner of her eye him cowering as he quickly stuffed a piece of paper into his backpack while trying to avoid her attention. She made no note of mentioning it as she laid the table with fresh French baguette and chicken with mushrooms. Hikari carefully split the portion of chicken equally into two and picked the slightly smaller one. Sakura laughed as she switched the two plates: "I don't even like chicken, silly baby."

After dinner Hikari cleaned the table and put the dishes into the washroom sink, while Sakura peeked into his backpack and found a form for a school field trip to the science center. It asked every parent to bring a check or cash of fifty dollars, as the trip included busing, lunch, tickets and a tour guide. Hikari, even at this young age knew the difficulty of their financial situation, and it looked like he never intended to show this to her.

Sakura waited for tears to fall, but there were none. Hikari understood the workings of this world to the point that it made her heart ache.

She stuffed the form back when Hikari finished rinsing the dishes, "It's time for you to dry them, Mommy."

"Of course, baby." Sakura kissed him on the cheek as she shuffled to the washroom. Her eyes were red, but still no tears fell. She scavenged her mind and realized Hikari was right. There was no way she could afford fifty bucks out of thin air at this moment's notice. All her cash went to groceries, all she had leftover from those monthly expenses was small change.

"I'll think of a way," she said as she dried the only four dishes and pot available to the two of them. "I'll think of a way."

After dinner, Hikari continued to practice on his homework. He knew how precious schooling was for him. When September came just over a month ago, Sakura was heavily debating whether or not to let him go to school. If he doesn't then the tuition can be saved to pay rent and various other bills, but it also meant that he's going be held back a year, as he is already five and eleven months old. Not only that, Hikari was so smart; he could solve puzzles and questions Sakura had for him within minutes. Like all other parents, Sakura had no doubt Hikari was going to be smartest kid in school. So. Sakura squeezed money out of their strict budget: including asking for an advance on her salary and asking everyone she knew for some money to pay for his tuition. Even then it was only enough for one semester, but the vice principal was kind enough to register him for a whole year, as per rule, and allowed Sakura the time to save up for the second semester.

Sakura sighed inaudibly as she watched Hikari knelt formally while doing basic math. They are already too easy for him, but he doesn't complain as he completes every question with the utmost attention. This just made Sakura sadder, but she blinked her tears away as she thought up of an idea for the field trip.

"Hikari-kun." Sakura's soft voice cooed, "Mommy is going downstairs for half an hour. Be good, okay?"

"Okay," Hikari replied, scrambling up from his homework to give Sakura a kiss before she took off, and as always he says, "You're pretty, mommy."

He learnt somewhere in the newspaper or a magazine that woman would like to be called pretty, so he made sure to do it as often as possible.

"Of course, baby." Sakura chuckled, her voice like a warm breeze, brushing through their room.

Sakura carefully locked the door behind her and ran down the stairs in her slippers. She walked through streets and got to the barber two blocks over. He had been bothering her to sell her hair for months, but Sakura never agreed.

With a few swipes of his scissors, the hair Sakura had been growing for a few years was cut to just above her shoulders. The barber styled the bottom into layers for Sakura. Her beautiful hair- sixty centimeters long- was now in the hands of someone else. Sakura blinked her eyes, still nothing. She shook her head, and felt the weight has been lifted. Her head felt a lot lighter now.

"Here, a hundred and fifty dollars," The barber handed her cash.

Sakura took it gratefully, and tucked the money in her pocket as she ran back home. Her eyes still dry.

III.

When Sakura was still young, her mother had died giving birth to her.

Now in this situation, the father of the girl could go one of two ways: either shun his child- forcing all possible causes for his spouse's death onto his daughter. Or to love the child to death and spoil her to no end while convinced that he was giving her the love she would have lost along with her mother.

In Sakura's case, it was the latter.

Her whole world was controlled by her whims. It may seem like she was surrounded by everyone, but in truth she had no one except for an overly adoring dad. Her father, Sato KAHaruno, was extremely powerful in the underground world, and took control of everything in Leon to dominate his city: including the supply of waterways, drugs, alcohol, and illegal immigrants. With Leon so close to the sea, many people escaped to the city over the water.

Uchiha Sasuke was one of them.

He escaped to the city with his brother when he was twelve and landed right in the orphanage. After a few days, Itachi mysteriously disappeared, and Sasuke didn't see him over the next decade.

When Sasuke was almost seventeen, Sato KAHaruno came to the orphanage to adopt a boy to train as his right hand. The caretaker taught Sasuke to speak with manners and sweet words so a family might adopt him, but when the families came, Sasuke stared straight into space and refused to make a sound. SatoKA thought he had enough character to run with him through a rain of bullets and sea of fire, and thus Sasuke went home with him that day.

Sasuke was grateful, of course. He began to catch up with his studies as he started high school and went through university. His education was all paid by Haruno, and Sasuke worked for him in repayment.

Sasuke had friends back then too. Naruto was beside him when he was young, and Karin came a little later, but they still all grew up together. Karin is Naruto's half sister, and they both bore the same last name. They look nothing alike, however, aside the fact they're both slightly taller than the average person. Sasuke is a guy who doesn't forgive and doesn't forget. When he grew up and began earning money, he shared equally with his friends and introduced Naruto to Sato too. Of course Sato was pleased and both boys worked under him through the most dangerous missions, trips, and transactions.

During that time, Sakura Haruno, the family princess, grew fascinated with Sasuke. Who wouldn't be? Sasuke had a classically handsome face, as every one of his features are perfect. When put together, they composed a heavenly creation that epitomized God's gift to woman. Despite the fact that Sasuke emerged through the muddy waters, he stood tall in the face of danger. This naturally caused him to have a sense of pride and arrogance; his beautiful face didn't help much either. Perhaps it's in the Uchiha blood, but he has been extremely stoic from the start.

Despite that, Sakura was certain he was hers.

There was one problem though, and it took form in the shape of a red haired girl who was always at Sasuke's side: Karin.

The difference between Sakura and Karin were clear, as the former was spoilt and bratty, while the latter has been through enough hardships to become a clever and cunning societal mole. Both were beautiful, as Sakura had practically been bathed in riches all her life, whereas Karin was forced to know that that "if a girl is two-faced, to at least make one of them pretty."

Sakura, being a childish girl, often asked everyone around her, "Who's prettier, me or Karin?"

And the answer she got undoubtedly pleased her.

When Sasuke was adopted into the family, Sakura was still twelve. They had an age difference of five years, but the age difference between Karin and Sasuke was only a year, and by that logic, it was very probable that Karin would be able to "get" him before Sakura. That mere thought terrified Sakura. She had fun fantasizing about him, and she had fun shyly approaching him. She and her friends used to look at him from afar and giggle, everyone agreed he was the perfect man to ever grace this earth. She adored him with all her heart, and every time he was in the room her eyes automatically went to him, glued onto him, praying he would look at her the same way.

He didn't, of course. In his eyes she was akin to a lamp: a very luxurious and fragile lamp.

But over the years, whenever Sakura got into various sticky situations, such as a cat fight in school to being kidnapped, usually it was Sasuke who came in to save the day. This tendency simply magnified her impression of him, and caused her to imagine him to be a knight in shining armor, born to save her from her boring and restricted life.

As days went by, Sakura became more and more anxious. She swore what happened next was completely spontaneous, and it wasn't planned at all, but fate has a cruel way to twist things upside down just for fun. Sakura learned about it the hard way, and what happened after that was completely her own fault.

On her seventeenth birthday, her father threw her a party that could be passed down as a fairy tale for the ages. Everybody who was somebody was in attendance, and the party was held in the biggest plaza in the city, where everything was done to perfection. At the time of blowing out the candles, Sakura made three wishes that were identical and all had to do with a particular dark haired boy. Her father was so pleased and overwhelmed with the growth of his daughter that he made a bold promise.

"Sakura, what did you wish for? Whatever it is, you will have it. Right here, right now. If you wish for the stars, I will immediately contact the astrology society to name a star after you. If you wish for the moon, I will donate a sizable amount to NASA for them to carve your name on the moon. Whatever you want, dear, you shall have."

That was when Sakura pointed her hands at the boy standing far in the corners, "I want him, Daddy. I want Sasuke."

The entire hall was in complete silence as Sato Haruno gestured for Sasuke to approach.

Sasuke walked up the steps numbly under the jealous gaze of everyone present. In truth, when her finger laid on him, he lost all train of thought for a moment, but soon after the waves of humiliation and disbelief crashed over him.

As previously stated, Sasuke is a very, very proud man. He loathed circumstances in which he had no choice in the matter, and at that moment, his destiny was in the hands of a seventeen year old brat. And, the worst of all, she sat there, so close to the top, on her adorning seat, pointing at him as if he were a commoner and she the queen. What came after was equally disbelieving, as Sato Haruno "ordered" him to marry his daughter. As if his life is less than that of a bug, and they could toy with his freedom however they wanted.

He felt that Sakura was crazy- that she was completely out of her mind, and her insane dad simply followed along to whatever crazy scheme she had that involved toying with him until he had no dignity left.

What came after was entirely disappointing to everyone. Sasuke thought about eloping- about escaping the crazy Haruno family, and he did. One night, he took everything he owned and escaped with Karin.

Of course, with the Haruno's connections, they were cut off before they even boarded the flight. Out of a sense of duty, Sasuke pushed Karin away and asked her to run before they were caught. Karin escaped with everything in tact while Sasuke was brutally punished.

Before that, though, he was taken to Sakura, while she sat on top, as always, and he was tied completely underneath. She looked down at him with melancholy in her big, green eyes.

"What do you want to do with him?" Her father asked her like a king. "Whatever you want, princess, whatever you want with him."

Sakura just shook her head before she blinked and tears fell. She was unhappy, and the whole world knew of it. She turned around and walked away without a single syllable uttered. To compensate for her unhappiness, they dealt with Sasuke in every cruel way possible.

They whipped him like a dog and put him down in the dark rooms where traitors go. They buried him alive and kept an oxygen monitor, only to release him with two minutes of oxygen left. They hung him upside down on a pole and slashed various marks around his body.

Throughout all this, Sasuke maintained as calm as possible. He bit his lips and swore, he swore that one day he will achieve revenge for this, and one day, he would repay Sakura back slowly, in bits and fragments. He will push her to the edge, and watch when she had no choice but to fall pieces.

But, it would be a little while before that.

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TBC

A/N: Edited by K-chu, reupload. Oct 16.