A week had passed since Kakashi had heard the intense story of what Sasuke had tried to do to Sakura that night. He could clearly picture the events of that night in his head from the vivid description that had been given and felt sick at the mistreatment those girls had to suffer through.
He exhaled loudly as he threw a shuriken just a little too hard at the target in front of him and watched as it destroyed the straw figure.
"Oops!" He winced as he spoke out loud.
He heard a small giggle erupt from his left side as the girl with black hair covered her mouth, trying to stifle the laugh.
"Wow, Baba!" She squealed through her laughter, "I had no idea that you were still that strong!"
Kakashi was driven out of his infuriating mental movie and flung his masked face to Sarada and rose a single silver brow.
"What's that supposed to mean, Sarada?" His voice was serious but his eyes were light and mischievous.
"Nothing!" She giggled again, "Just that…"
"Just what?" He questioned further when she trailed off.
"You're kinda old." She deadpanned with a grin.
He put his hand to heart and groaned loudly.
"I am not that old and that is no way to speak to your former Hokage, young lady."
It was then that Sarada burst into laughter yet again. It wasn't long before the older man joined her in the hearty belly laugh.
"You're so easy to tease and you take it so well!" The young girl spoke, wiping the tears from her dark eyes.
"Well, I get it enough from you and from your mother that I'm just used to it I guess." He pouted to her from behind the mask and stuffed his gloved hands into his pockets.
"Oi! You're such a martyr!" She groaned, with a half eye roll.
"You're alright, kid!" He crinkled his eyes as he pat her on the head and began to walk toward the exit to the training field.
She frowned as she fixed her short hair and headband back into place from the friendly assault on it.
"When are you going to teach me the fire ball jutsu?" She ran after him, pushing her red glasses up as she went.
"In due time my favorite little pupil." He sang as he continued to saunter along.
"I am your only 'little pupil,' so I have to be your favorite." She muttered as she matched his leisurely pace.
"Alas, this is true." He sang again as they crossed the large red bridge leading back into the village.
They walked in silence for a while. With each passing minute, he felt Sarada grow more and more uneasy next to him. He had a good feeling he knew the source of the unease.
"When do you think mom will be done?" She finally asked.
He noticed the hesitation in her voice as he stopped to look at the young girl.
"Honestly, I'm not sure. I haven't ever gone through a process like this before, but I hope it isn't much longer." He shrugged his shoulders.
"You seem really stressed out, Baba." She reached her hand out to touch his arm, "Mama is too."
Kakashi smiled down to where the young girl was holding his arm. She reflected her mothers caring and compassionate side so much in situations like these.
"It's a hard thing. I don't know where my place is in this just yet." He breathed, letting himself be vulnerable for just a moment before he pulled his face back on for Sarada's sake, "But, you don't need to worry yourself with me, little one. I am fine. All I know right now though, is that I need to be here for both you and Sakura. I love you both too much to see either one of you suffer any longer."
"Baba," Sarada spoke in a barely there whisper before she looked at the older man with a sweet smile, "you don't have to put on a brave face for me."
'What an observant girl you have raised, Sakura.'
"I appreciate it, Sarada. I really do. But, I'm alright! I promise you that much!" He lightly squeezed her arm back for reassurance, "We just need to be patient!"
They stood like that for a moment before Sarada suddenly smiled big.
"Let's go get some food then!" She turned and pulled his sleeve, dragging him along the cobblestone path toward downtown Konoha, "And, don't you dare give me the bill!"
"Sarada!" He tried to look offended as his silver hair swayed in the breeze as she dragged him along, "I would never do such a thing!"
"That's not what mom says!" She turned back and grinned, "She says to be careful of you disappearing and not coming back when it involves food!"
He smiled to himself at the thought of Sakura warning Sarada of his trickery.
"I haven't done that in years!"
"Baba! You just did that to Iruka-sensei last year. He told us about it in class before we graduated." She stopped and raised an eyebrow.
Kakashi grinned at the look she was giving him. It reminded him so much of the way that Sakura looked at him when he made a bad joke. He brought his now free arm up to rub the back of his head.
"I have changed my ways." He deadpanned, "I would never do such a thing to you!"
Sarada just crossed her arms then.
"I will not believe it 'till I see the money on the table, paying for both of us!"
"Alright! Alright! I get it, Sarada. We need to make it rather quick though, we don't know when Sakura will return."
"Let's get her a meal to bring home, so she doesn't have to cook anything." The young girl added on when they finally started walking again.
Kakashi nodded in agreement, a sense of comfort overcoming him then.
"Brilliant idea."
"Are you sure you want me to draw up these papers, Sakura-san?" The older woman behind the large oak desk asked as she pushed her rounded glasses up the bridge of her nose, "No one has ever filed for divorce from an Uchiha before."
Sakura sat in silence for a moment before speaking. Taking in a breath of air she looked into the eyes of the person in front of her.
"Yes, Riiwa-san," She breathed out, "I am sure."
"And why is it that you are requesting a divorce?" She looked to her papers.
Sakura sat in silence once more.
"You must answer the question Sakura-san. Everything you say to me is obviously confidential."
The pinkette stared hard at the woman.
"It's a loveless marriage. He's also negligent. I fear for the safety of my daughter and myself." She stated as she stared at the freshly polished tiles under her feet.
"You feel unsafe? Did your husband not just return after nearly ten years of being away?" Riiwa pressed.
Sakura knew this was the process, but it still got under her skin the amount of questions that Riiwa was asking. She felt raw and exposed. Hurt and closed off.
"Yes, ma'am." She took a deep breath, "Sasuke has been away for ten years. He recently returned. But, since he has been back, he has been different and… distant. He's not the same man I married all those years ago."
'He's been different and distant since the day he married me. I just didn't realize it. What a fool I've been. I can't tell her of Sarada's true parentage either. I will surely lose her for good to him if he wanted to be ass about it.'
"Has he laid hands on you or your daughter?" The question almost sounded mundane to Riiwa at this point, like she was callused to this process and that she just pushed everyone's emotions aside.
Sakura understood that. As a doctor, she had to often turn her emotions off to operate. Just so she could sleep at night.
"Yes," She looked the woman in eyes once more, "last week he laid a hand on Sarada and then attempted to sexually assault me afterwards when I struck him for hurting her. I healed her once I got away, but her arm was black and blue."
There was a tense silence after Sakura relayed what the tipping point was for her.
"And, what proof do you have of this abuse? Any photos, blood, etc?" Riiwa asked next.
"No, ma'am. I was the only one who saw it. Well, besides Sasuke." Sakura spoke quietly with a shake of her head.
"And, you said that you healed it?"
"Yes, ma'am."
"Right away? Or did someone else see this bruising that you speak of."
Sakura felt the anger rise in the pit of her stomach only to cool it off. The woman was just doing her job and she needed to keep that in mind. Of course she healed it right away. That was a combination of the mothering side and medic side of her. She suddenly gasped when she remembered Kakashi had seen the mark.
"No, wait! She snuck out and went to Kakashi's house!" She almost yelled in excitement.
The older woman jumped slightly at her sudden change of tone.
"Former Hokage, Kakashi Hatake?" She raised an eyebrow.
"Yes, ma'am!" Sakura stated, gathering herself, "Sarada went to his house after it happened. She snuck out after I sent her to her room so I could deal with Sasuke."
"Why would she go to Kakashi-sama's house? Is this normal for her?"
"Yes, ma'am. Kakashi has been there for Sarada and I for a long time while Sasuke was away. She trusts him wholeheartedly."
"I notice that you call him 'Kakashi', with no formalities. Are you and the former Hokage close?"
Sakura blushed lightly, hoping that Riiwa did not notice.
"We're amazing friends, yes. We've known each other for years."
"How close of friends?"
"He was always there when Sasuke wasn't." Sakura deadpanned, hoping to get her point across with just that statement.
Riiwa once again pushed up her glasses as Sakura hoped she would not pry any more into her relationship with the former Hokage. Besides the handful of kisses they'd shared, he'd been quite respectful of her situation. After that heated moment on his couch the morning after Sasuke hurt Sarada, they agreed to do nothing more until she got her affairs in order.
Sarada moved back into her room there and Kakashi insisted she remain in his room while he continued to sleep on the couch. Reasoning that it wouldn't be long before he could join her. She'd forever be grateful to him for being so caring and accommodating to her and Sarada.
"Okay, I will get these drawn up. It looks like you are on a fast track to sole custody and a quick divorce." She stood, signalling that the meeting was over, "It man not look like it, but I am sad to see any marriage fail. However, I am glad to see you seek happiness Sakura-san."
"Thank you, Riiwa-san." Sakura bowed deeply at the elder womans comment and made her way out of the office.
Once she stepped foot on the cobblestone path with a large smile on her tired face, a sneering voice emerged from the shadows.
"Was that an informative and nice little meeting you had there, Sakura? Did you really think I wouldn't find out about this?"
The smile fell the moment she heard the words slip out of his mouth.
"You are so selfish, Sasuke. I did nothing in secret." She spat as she turned to face the shadow, "You asked for the divorce in the first place, so I'm only honoring your wishes."
He stepped into the light of day and gripped her arm hard. He was a shadow in the shadows to her now. He had shadowed her life for far too long and she knew it. She ripped her arm from his cold grasp and met his hard look with her own icy glare, completely void of love for the first time.
"You can't use Kakashi as a witness. You cheated on me with him!" He said through clenched teeth.
"Why not? Sarada ran to him when you hurt her! He saw the marks you left."
"I'll tell them about your infidelity." A smugness flashed over his face that made Sakura's blood boil.
"My infidelity?! It was a kiss! I'll tell them about your infidelity! About how you cheated and forced me to raise the child against my will and alone for nearly a decade!"
"You wouldn't..." He stepped forward and pushed her against the cold brick with his body as he whispered, "Are you sure you want to give me up for that old perverted bastard that thinks he's better than everyone? Does he make you scream the way I used to? Can he please you the same way I did?"
Sakura pushed him away hard, but he caught his footing quickly. She was not going to let him manipulate her with his words any longer.
"Try me. Don't make it harder than it needs to be. Kakashi is a better man than you could ever think about being. And, don't ever touch me again. I'm not your wife anymore. Once that paperwork gets drawn up and signed, I'll no longer be an Uchiha."
With that she spun on her heel.
"I need to go make sure that my daughter is alright." She threw over her shoulder as she went along.
"Sakura, wait." She heard him call.
'No more…'
"Sakura, please wait." She heard again, his tone beginning to ebb with regret.
'No more.'
"Sakura! I want to work on this!" he practically yelled after her.
'No more!'
"No!" She didn't turn back as she stopped walking, "You had your chance. I gave you thousands of chances and begged you to work on us! I was willing to be unhappy just for you! But you forfeited the best thing in your life because of how selfish you've been. And now, now you need to let go."
She breathed out. No longer would he manipulate her. No longer would she feel sorry for the man that took thirteen years of her life.
Sakura was so tired from the day's event. But, she knew she would sleep well that night knowing there was nothing that Sasuke could do to hurt her anymore.
A/N:
Hey Guys! I'm backkk! I am so sorry that it has taken me sooooo long to update. Life has been rather crazy lately with some weird things and was having some trouble finding inspiration. But, I think I am on the fast track to regularly updating again!
Sakura is finally washing her hands of Sasuke! Are you guys excited? I sure am! What do you think will happen in the next chapter?
To Love A Life is nearing the end sadly! But, I am beginning to work on some new material for a NEW STORY Y'ALL! So stay tuned!
Please review! I LOVE HEARING FROM YOU GUYS!
A VERY special thank you to my dear friend and beta, generaltay! She is amazing guys! I am seriously blessed by her! Go check out her stories! She recently completed As If Fate Would Have It and is currently updating, bi-monthly, Unity Without Sin! You will definitely NOT be disappointed! So, go show her some love!