They returned to the motel in a profound melancholy.

Perhaps it was risky lingering in Kumo when they didn't know where the boys were or what they were planning, but Sakura pointed out that they had enough of a lead at the moment to throw them off for awhile. With that in mind, they slunk back into their room and changed right back into their pajamas despite the digital clock on the nightstand reading 1:45 pm.

A quick call to room service guaranteed that sandwiches and ice cream were being delivered, and once their food had arrived, Hinata was the first to break down.

"I can't stand it anymore!" she cried, fat tears leaking from her opaque eyes. "He won't let me do anything. All I'm supposed to do is sit at home and wait to get married. He didn't even want me to go to college! Said I'd have no need for it once I found a proper husband! He monitors every single thing I do and I've had it!"

Her stammer was gone. Apparently her extreme emotional duress provided a temporary correction for her stutter.

"It's not even as bad as Sakura's father, my father doesn't hit me, he's just so controlling! He has to know everything I do, everyone I speak to. He judges all my friends, he hates Naruto-kun, he won't let me date who I want to, he just wants the sons of his business partners to come over for dinner and agree to marry me. It's the 21st century, damn it! I don't know why I can't live my own life!"

Ino wrapped her arms around Hinata and let her friend cry desperately into her shoulder. The frustrations of their home lives could be avoided on this road trip, but not forever. There was still Hyuuga Hiashi to contend with when they returned, supposing Hinata and Neji could keep up the lie about being together.

Hinata loved her father despite his overbearing tendencies, and wanted desperately to win his approval. It was a game Sakura had stopped trying to play with her parents. There could be no pleasing the Harunos because they didn't care.

"My parents didn't even come to graduation," Sakura whispered.

There was silence as Ino and Hinata glanced at her ashen face; in the oversize T-shirt and sweatpants she was wearing, she looked smaller than usual, more fragile, like a little girl lost. She was braiding her long pink hair and her fingers trembled as she tried not to cry.

"I thought they'd at least come to that. You know? My dad pushed me so hard all those years wanting me to be valedictorian because he'd expect nothing less, and when I get it, they don't even bother showing up."

"They came t-to Homecoming when you w-won, right?" Hinata asked in a weak attempt to cheer her up.

"Only because Homecoming's a beauty contest," Ino replied sourly. "Her mom went to gloat about having the prettiest daughter at school, which is all she's ever cared about, and her father went to tell her what a worthless thing it was to win."

"Oh," Hinata whispered, wishing she had kept her mouth shut.

"I don't hate them," Sakura murmured. "I think I'm past that. I think I'm just done. I don't want to hold onto my anger anymore. I just...now that we've graduated, I never want to go back. I'll never talk to them again. I got a full ride to Konoha U so I don't need them for anything."

"You sure, honey?" Ino asked gently. "They ARE your family."

"They gave birth to me," Sakura conceded. "But they're not my family. You guys are."

xoxoxo

Shikamaru knew he was in deep animal shit at this point.

Why else would he look to Uchiha Sasuke for romantic advice?

Despite his good looks and popularity with girls, Sasuke was, to Shikamaru's knowledge anyway, still a virgin, whose only romantic experiences came with Sakura, and at a snail's pace. What light could he possibly shed on Shikamaru's dilemma?

Ino. Temari. Temari. Ino.

He'd chain smoked the whole afternoon and nothing had calmed him down. Now he found himself sitting next to Sasuke, asking him what he should do.

Sasuke's answer was surprising. Shikamaru doubted he'd've answered the same way if Naruto or Kiba was listening, but they were currently chasing one another around the playground.

"You figure out which one means more to you than yourself," Sasuke mumbled. He stubbed out his cigarette on the side of the slide and let it fall carelessly to the grass before dusting off his jeans. "I'll call Sakura. We need a clue if we're gonna find them."

Shikamaru was shellshocked. He'd always suspected that beneath Sasuke's ice cold veneer lurked a closet romantic, but having solid evidence of that was mind-blowing. Sasuke spoke like a guy who knew from experience, like a guy in love.

Was Shikamaru in love as well? Did he have a girl who meant more to him than himself? Ino or Temari. His friend or his fling. His potential wife or his summer romance?

Everything was so clear to him now.

He did have a connection with Temari, a strong physical attraction and great sexual chemistry. She was smart and fun to talk to, with her argumentative nature and bone-deep self-confidence. He liked her and wanted good things for her.

But he'd take cloud watching over a romp with Temari any day. It was what doomed their relationship years ago, his lack of desire to commit and put her first in the relationship. They had a connection, but it wasn't strong enough. It wasn't like his connection with Ino.

Ino was a girl who came first in their relationship because she demanded to, and over the years, he'd learned to stop questioning it. She'd muscled her way into his heart and carved herself a place so deep he'd never be able to rip her back out again. She was the potential for something more, the potential of a future, the potential for true love vs. a sexually-charged fling.

How could he have been so stupid?

Shikamaru knew how this would end. Now that he'd figured out his choice, now that he'd decided to give Ino everything and cut Temari loose, he knew what was coming next.

Yamanaka Ino was going to break his heart.

Because, in his indecision, he'd already broken hers.

xoxoxo