Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

Don't Know How to Fool You no More

Of course, Hinata knew who Sakura was and had been, how could she not? Her image had been plastered all over the news ever since the day of her disappearance.

She knew of the fake hospital phone call that led her astray into the depths of the world leaving a broken husband in search of his wife who disappeared without a cause or warning.

The eyes that looked at her through the television screen were not the cerulean ocean that she had found herself drowning in years ago. Instead, they were void of life and any will to live. His face was no longer clean-shaven, his hair was long and disheveled. He looked like a ghost of his former self.

Hinata could not bear to see him in such a state.

She wants to say she doesn't know what possessed her into booking the flight that led her to his front door, but a small part of her knows that it is hope of regaining what she had once lost years ago. Back when she was a young timid university student who had fallen in love with the boy down her hall.

He looked worse in person, while the camera did not do his boyish rugged looks justice, it also did not showcase the heavy aura that he carried. It did not show the newly formed stress marks on his face.

It did not show the piled dishes, moldy due to months of neglect. The laundry basket that still held her dirty clothes waiting for her to tend to. Nor did it show the empty nursery that was barren except for a photograph of the tiny feet of a stillborn. They missed the handwritten letter Sakura had written for Naruto neatly folded on his nightstand, promising him that fate would change and that they'd soon have the happily ever after they wanted.

She waited for a whole year before he allowed her to help him slowly clear his house of her belongings. A sign that he was starting to come to terms with the idea that she would never return. Hinata started by removing all of Sakura's photos from around the house. Every time she caught Naruto staring at her image she could hear his heart break a little more.

Hinata didn't blame him for falling in love with her. She was beautiful, exotic with her western features and pastel pink hair, that always reminded Hinata the dragons bear she used to buy at festivals. Hinata couldn't help but feel like she pales in comparison to her.

When she was in undergrad she was often told that she was the night to Naruto's day. She was his opposite that complimented him perfectly. He had a loud outgoing personality while she was quiet and reserved. He looked like the physical embodiment of a bright sunny day, his eyes were similar to those of the sky on a day where all you want to do is soak up his yellow sunlike hair. While her hair resembled the night sky something which contrasted beautifully with her pale, moon-like eyes.

Almost ceremoniously she'd sit and agonize over the pain written in her text. Analyzing every stroke, wrinkle, and mark. Her strokes were rough, difficult to read at times, a staple to her profession. But on rare occasion, the curves of her letters showed tenderness, passion, and love.

This went out for months until Naruto caught her.

It wasn't too long after that he confessed to her that she never had the chance to give him the letter.

"I was searching for a hint or anything to tell me that she left me when I found this in her desk. This is why I won't ever give up trying to get her back. She couldn't have written this and then left me it makes no sense." He lamented while gasping for air agonizing over the idea of his wife being torn away from him. Tears easily spilled from his eyes in sorrow.

"Hinata, I think that I might have pushed her away. I made a lot of mistakes. " He agonized over his actions. Time stopped as Hinata watched him muster up the courage to speak.

And then he confessed, he told her of all his fights all his wrongdoings.

He spoke of how he pushed her away from following her dreams. How he made her move to this godforsaken town that was so cut off from the rest of the world because he was scared. Scared that one day she'd realize she could do better and leave. How he couldn't hold her like he used to after she lost their child. How everytime he'd see her crying he'd walk the other way because he couldn't handle their pain either. How he had once wished for disappearance because that would make his life significantly easier. How wrong he had been because it, in fact, made everything more difficult now that it's happened.

How her absence now destroys him every day.

The taste of the cigarette was bitter and dirty. The rich distinctive smell made Sakura swoon she could physically feel the tar stick her lungs after every inhale. It was slowly killing her, a few years ago she would have resented this because she wanted to be alive for as long as possible. Now she resents it because it's not killing her fast enough.

She wanted to ask Sasuke to leave, but she doesn't know why she can't. So for now, she watches him read a small orange book. While she thinks about how her next smoke break.

He's too cocky, too flirty, too smug but despite that, Sakura can see how his shoulder are slightly too rigid, his eyes watch every movement around him, each turn of a page is calculated with honed precession. She's sure his playboy persona has to benefit him, the information has to just pour onto him. Why else would he keep it up?

She can see it now, Ino's melted into his arms while he's whispering sweet nothings to her. She's so comfortable her mind's so cloudy that the information spilling from her in the heat of the moment. Her words are nothing but pure raw unedited data.

"Like what you see Neko-chan." He teased through amusing eyes as he peers up from his novel. Sakura frowns quickly turning her head back to the stove in front of her.

He walked over to her placing his head on her shoulder. "Foods almost ready?"

Sakura's back instinctively stiffened and her breath hitched. She wants to move from his touch so badly, just like a scared cat. At one point in her life she would have craved physical touches like this, but now it feels unnatural. The heat radiating from his skin is so hot she worries it might burn her.

"Not for another thirty minutes." She says through ridged words. Watching the clock to perfectly measure her breaths.

"Perfect, I got something to take care of quickly. I'll be back." He explained as he left rapidly, not giving her enough time to reply. She missed her opportunity ask him not to come back.

While she cooks, she thinks of all the ways his traits clash in a way that her husband would have hated. She can't help but imagine a world where she would have lived her life happily with Ino and Sasuke back at her home. In this world her baby survives, he's bright and happy just like his parents. Ino doesn't have to suffer through a fake relationship because Sasuke takes her seriously. Sakura no longer finds pain in Ino's eyes at the mention of Sasuke's name. Ino no longer has to hear gossip of his cheating through other nursing staff.

By the time the porridge was ready, she had set aside the possibility of Sasuke's return. She reached for her plate when she felt a hand on top of hers.

"I told you I'd be back before lunch." A voice teased.

"You didn't but serve yourself."

"Neko-chan you're no fun."

They ate in silence, Sakura used to hate moments like this. Moments like this reminded her how much she missed her husband's incoherent rambling. Moments like this reminded her that her life was never going to back to normal.

"Last night, I saw you. Does Ino know you're doing this?" Sakura abruptly says.

Sasuke stops, he looks conflicted Sakura can tell. "Why would Ino be involved in those matters?" His tone raises, she's heard it many times before. If he makes any movement, she'll flinch.

"At the hospital, I hear nurses tell each other of there nights with you... Ino always looks sad after those conversations." Her tone is low, she barely speaks above a whisper because she can feel his dislike of the conversation. For now, she stares at her porridge in hopes of not making things any worse.

Sasuke laughs, much to Sakura's surprise its a rich laugh, not the like smug husky ones she's heard before. "Oh Neko-chan, I'm not dating Ino, those nurses love to gossip. I'll talk to her I don't want her to get any ideas we have our own deal." A deal where he shares his body in exchange for information. Sasuke had never understood her need to be with him, aside from a physical attraction they shared very little interests.

Sasuke changes the subject with a small orange jar placed in front of her. Sakura reaches for it reading the label clearly Hydroxyzine. The name that's usually located on the top of the label had been scratched off.

"I don't use them anymore, I figured you could throw them away or use them." He said nonchalantly a hint of amusement from there previous conversation still lingers in his words.

Sakura felt her lip quiver as she placed them in the pocket of her apron wordlessly. She knew the information he had given was a lie, all of ROOTS agents went through excessive health screening and someone that would require hydroxyzine would have been retired.

"Sasuke, have you ever been to Japan?" Sakura asks in hopes of a favor.

Hinata couldn't count the trips she made to Kizashi and Mebuki's house in the past couple of months. Part of her wishes she could just pack all of her belongs and take them to Sakura's parents' house. The town wasn't very driver friendly with its small cramped roads, everyone resorts to walking around by foot. Despite this, it was quaint in its own charming way, where all the houses compliment each other and everyone is friendly and excited to get to know you.

So, for now, she takes several trips. Allowing Naruto to go through every item before handing it away. He analyzes every object item she owned and goes into great length of his memory of her with it.

Kizashi's voice always lets her know she's arrived to Sakura's parents.

"Hinata common in the doors unlocked. Mebuki is in the kitchen... MEBUKI" Mr. Haruno says through the fence, he's out tending to the garden. Hinata knows through Naruto's stories about how much Sakura took after her father in that regard; always wanting a small garden in her house.

"Hinata, Welcome! Is Naruto with you today?" A cheery voice says from the kitchen.

"No, he went to work, I just came to drop some stuff off." Hinata sweetly replied, looking for a place to place the box on in the midst of other boxes. It wasn't long since Sakura's family had invited Naruto over to tell him that they could no longer live with the pain of losing Sakura. How they firmly believed they needed to start over back in America.

"Just place it where ever you can find space. Come share a cup of tea with me." Mebuki says through confident words, peaking her head out of the kitchen. Hinata recognizes the apron white apron adorned with pastel pink sakura flowers that Mebuki is currently wearing. She's seen it on Sakura through several pictures she had.

It was becoming increasingly clear that impact Sakura had made was never going to disappear. Hinata feels a sinking feeling of despair.

Mebuki was nothing but kind to Hinata, she had never accused her of stealing her daughter's spot in Naruto's life. She had even gone as far as to offer her blessing.

"Naruto's been through a lot since Sakura left. You've made him very happy and he deserves it. We grew to love Naruto as our own son and want nothing but his happiness after all of this."

Despite this kindness Hinata never missed the resentment in her eyes when she'd they'd find her with Naruto around town.

This is what led Hinata into finding a series of alleys, she could not stand to walk around a town that had been so captivated by the loss of Sakura. She wonders if this is what Neji felt right before he ran away. This feeling of helplessness was starting to eat her up, she could only stare at the ground while she walked.

Then a small speck buried in the dirt caught her eye. She figures it's a piece of tin, Naruto had gotten her in the habit of picking this stuff up to throw away because Sakura had once told him animals eventually eat these.

She crouches down to pull a thin silver band attached to a long gold necklace, its dainty, every stone has been placed with great care. The craftsmanship on it is impeccable, this had to have been worth quite a bit of money. Despite its dirtied condition, she can make a small engraved script on the inside of it. S.U. + N.U.

Hinata knows this is the evidence she needs to prove Sakura ran away.

She knows this is what Naruto needs to move on. To understand that Sakura had left and never intended to return.

She clutches it in her hand, her pace quickens on the walk back to Naruto's house.

Not long after Naruto follows in his in-law's footsteps to move away. Asking for her patience while they file for Sakura's death certificate and have a small private makeshift funeral.

In the end, Sasuke had been called away in the form of a phone call. He had promised her he'll look into her request, now all Sakura can do is wait.

Sakura finds herself between staring at her dying garden, a mark of the changing season, and the small bottle of medicine he had given her.

She can make out a faint 'Mi' and 'ha' she can't shake the events of the past two days out of her mind. After her attack, she begged Sasuke to stay. She was scared, she felt like a bystander in her own body. She was disconnected to the point where she could only search for comfort in the person who was next to her.

Maybe she could use hydroxyzine she wasn't a stranger to the small jar of pills in her hands. She'd often prescribe it to patients that had vividly described the very symptoms she had gone through the previous night.

Without further thought, she opens the jar and places the small pill in her mouth.

She needs to adapt to her new life, or it'll leave her behind without answering the rest of her questions.

lll