"That's not how you do it."

"What are you talking about, this is how you do it."

"No, clearly it isn't- look, just—move your hand and let me show her."

"Don't touch my fucking hand, dude—I don't know where your creepily long fingers have been."

"They're about to be up your dickhole if you don't get out of my way so I can show her how to do it right."

Asuma let out a grunt when Genma's elbow met his side; shuffling to the left while Genma rolled forward on his chair, wiggling his finger at Sakura so she could squeeze in on the right side to peer over his shoulder and watch. She squinted her eyes at the screen, watching as Genma clicked around in the program; rotating the small foundation and beams for Sakura to see.

"Now, look—it's kind of a bitch doing this on the computer, but the iPads are being used for a bigger project and those take priority right now. So, if you press these keys," Genma paused, pressing down two keys with his fingers and wiggling the mouse, "you see this turns into like, a hand-wheel, arrow-thingy? With this, you can rotate your design, zoom in where you need to and whatnot. Once you have it in a position you like—or need to work on—then just let go of the keys and it'll go back to normal."

"Wow," Sakura hummed, nodding her head and making a mental note of the keys he pressed, "how come I wasn't taught this in the beginning? I feel like it would have been incredibly useful to me."

"Yeah, Genma," Asuma sneered, slapping Genma on the back of the head, "she should have been taught how to do that. Who do you reckon was in charge of training her?"

Genma leaned back into his chair, rolling the toothpick to the left side of his mouth as well as his eyes, "Listen- it never crossed my mind. Most newbies for the first two months do simple linear projects she can simply draw out or have no need to rotate. How was I supposed to know she'd be tackling tiered projects with me?"

"Because her dad owns the company? Of course, he's going to let her do tiered projects this early on, why wouldn't he?" Asuma chuckled sarcastically.

"Excuse you?" Sakura bit, twisting her torso to get a better look at Asuma. "It's not like that at all, and you know that."

Asuma laughed again, palms raised in defense, "I know, I know—I was just-"

"Besides," Genma decapitated, now rotating left and right in his chair, "Kizashi isn't the one assigning projects—it's Kakashi. So, really—it has nothing to do with Kizashi. Plus, if I recall," Genma plucked the toothpick out of his mouth, pointing it at Asuma, "our CEO said that no one gets special treatment. Sakura surely isn't. She's been busting her ass since day one—shit, she works two jobs for fuck's sake. Kakashi assigned her the tiered projects because she did an outstanding job with her first three linear- I mean, she did go to fuckin' college for it, right?"

Asuma scowled, "Okay, I fuckin' get it, I was just-"

Genma let out a big sigh, cutting Asuma off again, "Additionally, if anyone around here gets special treatment—it's you, Repo Man. You just go off, galivanting all over Japan for a full day when in reality it doesn't take but maybe an hour to speak with the clients? But have you heard any of us complain? Has either Kakashi or Guy really said anything to you about it?" Genma leaned forward, his voice low as he grinned, "Do they know about Kurenai and Perrier?"

Asuma's brow twitched, his lower lip in a grimace. He shook his head, "Look, man—I was just teasing. We all bust each other's balls here—Sakura's no exception. She's not being treated any different, is she?"

Genma laughed, slouching back into his chair with hands held out on either side, "Asuma, buddy—I'm just busting your balls, too! C'mon," he turned his head to Sakura, winking, "give Sakura some credit. Besides, she's going to be running the joint in no time, better suck up now, eh?"

Sakura gave Genma's shoulder a slap, "Would you shut the fuck up? There are plenty of people far more capable of running this place better than I could."

"Yeah," Genma grinned cheekily, jutting his thumb at his chest, "like me!"

"I wouldn't go that far," Sakura muttered, giggling when Genma gave her shoulder the softest shove.

"Oh, come on, Sakuraaaaa," Genma sang, lolling his head back; lanky arms stretched across the arms of the chair. "We could be a power couple, you and I. Just think about it—my charm and wit, your beauty and smarts; we'd run not only Dondon, but the architect world. Everywhere we go, people would stop and whisper about us. We'd have a very public, overly done wedding. A year later you'd be pregnant with our first child—the heir to the throne. There wouldn't be a single building in not just Japan, but the world, that wasn't built and designed by Dondon—more specifically, us. We'd have an army of people at our disposal—presidents begging for us to build their white houses, or whatever."

"I think the only president with an official white house is the American one," Sakura reprimanded sweetly, moving her hand to pinch Genma's cheek lovingly. "As for everything else, dream on. If you don't recall, I have a boyfriend."

Both Asuma and Genma grunted.

Sakura glanced between the two, "What?"

"I'm starting to think your 'boyfriend' is imaginary, Sakura," Genma remarked, using his fingers as air quotes. "You've been here a month, and I've never seen him? Shit, I've never even heard you on the phone with him, let alone seeing you text him. If anything, Naruto is more of a boyfriend than your actual boyfriend."

"Naruto is like a brother," Sakura grumbled, turning to grab her purse that was on the opposite side of Genma's desk. "Besides, since when is my private life anyone's business to begin with?"

Genma plucked a shoulder, "Sound awfully defensive to me."

"I'm not defensive, it's just none of your business," Sakura bit, scowling at the toothpick wielding man. "Stop drawing conclusions when you have nothing to go off of."

"That's exactly it!" Genma shouted excitedly, standing up from his chair and laughing. "There's nothing to go off of! Are you sure you're not just telling us that to keep anyone from asking you out?"

"Obviously it hasn't worked if you're asking me out every other day," Sakura huffed, hand on her hip and shaking her head.

"As a friend," Genma exclaimed, "a friend, Sakura!"

"That's how it starts," She enunciated, chin tilted up at an angle. "Then you're several drinks in and it goes somewhere else."

Genma deadpanned, "Sakura, you can trust me enough to not violate the unwritten code of trust between you and your invisible boyfriend. I mean, you're like a little sister to me, too! Well," he paused, gripping his chin, "maybe more like a cousin I get along well with?"

Asuma made a disgusted expression, "You tell your cousin you want to have power couple babies with her?"

Genma balked, "No, I just mean...Like, you know—a friend I won't grow feelings for or fuck. Like, in a protective, best friend, won't-try-anything sort of way. Besides, you should know me well enough by now to know that, while I may run my mouth, you can trust me."

Sakura drew her lower lip in between her teeth, resisting the urge to answer honestly and instead replying, "I do—I just have been so busy that I've never had enough time. Maybe this weekend we can all go? You, me, Naruto, Ino-"

Genma shook his head, sighing heavily and leaning his palm on the desk, "It's okay, Sakura. You don't have to pretend- I get it."

Sakura blinked, "Pretend...?"

Asuma made a weird grunting noise in the back of his throat, "Well, this is my cue to leave. I don't do emotional shit. Genma, you weren't serious about...?"

Genma glanced over at Asuma, winking, "Nah, you're good. Just don't get her pregnant."

Asuma flicked his gaze over to Sakura briefly before chuckling and backing out of the room, "Right, well...See ya!"

Sakura made a small side-step; letting Asuma leave the room and moving to exit herself when Genma cleared his throat loudly. Sakura paused, turning her head back to him, "Yes?"

Genma tossed his finger in the space between him and Sakura, "We aren't finished here."

Sakura tossed her head back and let out a groan, "Genma, please—today has been long and I have a big day tomorrow. I just want to go home and sleep."

Genma held up a palm at Sakura, "Wait, just—hear me out."

Sakura glanced at her watch, "Fine. Five minutes is all I'm giving you, mister. The moment you start talking about anime boobies or get off track in any matter I'm leaving."

"Woah- anime tiddies save lives, Sakura."

Sakura deadpanned.

Genma chortled, nodding and humming, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. This won't take long. I just wanted to finish what I was saying—you know, about pretending."

Sakura gave a slow shake of her head, "I don't understand. Who's pretending here?"

Genma shook his head, "You are. For the past week I've been trying to get you to meet me outside of work so we can just have drinks and chill—you know, things that friends do. Now, I get that you don't know everything about me and time tells—so on and so forth. But, really—after as much time as we've spent here and how well we get along, I figured you'd be comfortable enough to hang out—as friends."

Sakura wrapped her closed fist around the strap of her purse, glancing to the left briefly, "I'm comfortable with you, Genma."

Genma scoffed, "Yeah- and I live in the fucking white house. You are as uncomfortable as they come, my dear. It's not just with me—it's everyone who isn't Naruto, Ino, or Kizashi."

Sakura paused, lower lip twitching and brow crumpling; muttering softly, "I...I mean, I don't know what you want me to say. I'm sorry...it's not like I do it on purpose or anything, it's just that..." She stopped again, letting her eyes drop to the floor. "Genma...I can't explain..."

Genma nodded, his tone casual as he spoke, "It's cool—you don't have to explain yourself. You don't need to apologize, either. Just, you know—stop pretending to be cool with things that make you feel otherwise. If being alone with me makes you uncomfortable right now- I get it. Everyone has their own time frame with things—so, really—don't feel pressured to do anything. And if having that whiskered knucklehead around makes you feel better—than so be it. Just know that I'm your friend and I will never do anything to hurt you or put you in a shitty situation."

Green eyes picked back up, widening at his words. Sakura faltered for several beats, trying to fight back the burn she felt behind her eyelids; trying to remain composed. "Genma..." She sniffed, quickly wiping away one loose tear.

"Yeah, yeah," Genma grunted dismissively. "I have it in me every now and then. Now, quit that or I'm going to have to throw you out the window."

Sakura choked out a laugh, blinking some and simpering softly, "Thanks, Genma. I really appreciate that."

"Don't mention it," Genma replied. "Now, get out of here—you were supposed to be off like forty-five minutes ago."

There came a knock on the frame of the door, alerting both Sakura and Genma's attention; Shikamaru ambling in, holding out a small flash drive to Genma, "Hey- before you go, Kakashi wants you to upload this to your projects manager so it can be cleaned up and finished tomorrow."

Genma bemoaned, sagging his shoulders and head, "I thought we had until Tuesday?"

Shikamaru shook his head, "We did—the client is apparently asking for it to be finished by Friday. I've ran the numbers and draft—so there's not much you need to do on your end, really."

Genma picked his head back up, perked and grinning as he snatched the flash drive, "Oh- say less."

Shika turned his head towards Sakura, offering a nod, "How are you doing today?"

Sakura smiled, "I'm fine—you?"

Shika gave a pressed grin, "Living the dream."

"He says sadly," Genma chortled, turning and plugging the flash drive into his computer.

"Alright, well—I'll see you two tomorrow," Sakura sang, waving at both of the men.

Shikamaru waved back, "Is Naruto waiting for you in the lobby?"

"Oh, no," Sakura shook her head, pink hair swishing. "He took a half day to go have a day-date with Hinata."

A twitch of his brow, "Ino?"

"Ino?" Sakura echoed.

Shikamaru jerked his chin, "Is she going home with you?"

Sakura glanced to the left, cautious and confused, "No...She left earlier, I stayed behind so Genma could show me something."

"So, you're going home by yourself?" He pressed, taking a second to glance outside and noting the sun was well on its way to setting.

Sakura frowned slightly, "I...I mean, I suppose I am."

"She's not a kid," Genma remarked, hunched over his computer. "You're acting like she's never taken herself home before."

Shikamaru plucked a shoulder, jerking his head at the windows and remarking, "It's getting dark. You should really have someone escort you home."

Sakura squinted slightly at the man, a weird flash of anxiety bursting across her chest at both his earnest expression and words. She took a second to gaze out the windows, internally cursing herself for not leaving sooner when she noted the darkening sky. Somewhere rationality told her that she'd be just fine—the bus stop was well lit, crowded, and cops patrolled these streets often.

But everything was lit then, too.
Everything was crowded then, too.
She remembers a blurry squad car in passing...

"My friend said he was going to meet me here—really, you don't have to hang around. He'll be here any minute, he's not one to let me down."

"Your friend sounds like a stand-up guy..."

"He is..."

Shikamaru cleared his throat, breaking Sakura away from her sinking thought, "I'll go with you."

Sakura blinked, "What?"

Genma turned, "You will?"

"You don't have to do that," Sakura began, shaking her head adamantly. "I'm taking the bus, so it's not like I'm walking or anything."

Shikamaru shrugged carelessly, "It's really no big deal. I'm heading out, too—and coincidentally, I'm taking the bus; Temari has the car. Our place isn't far from your apartment—you live with Naruto and Ino, right?"

Sakura gave a slow nod, "Y-yeah...I do..."

"Then it's settled- I'll go with you. Just let me grab my bag that's in my office and we can head out." Shikamaru gave a nod, quickly exiting the room and down the small hall.

Genma cast Sakura an incredulous glance, "Comfortable?"

"Um..." Sakura leaned back, peering down the empty hall where she saw Shikamaru exiting his office and promptly making his way back. She shot back in the room, "I suppose...I mean...it's just a bus ride..."

Not to mention, fear was starting to creep its way into the depths of her chest; gripping her at the thought of making her way home alone while it was still dark out. The thought of being watched, followed, or grabbed flinted across her mind in an instant—of being pulled down dark, musty allies further away from anyone who could help...

But who would help?

How many times had she pleaded for help...?

"I can't find my way home...Sir, help—I forgot where my apartment is..."

"Stop stressing—I'll take you home. Besides, didn't anyone ever tell you not to talk to strangers? There's no point in asking them for help—they never do."

"You're a stranger..."

"No stranger than you, sweetie."

There was knocking, again; this time on the wall outside the door, causing Sakura to jump slightly and bringing her back to the present. Her head whipped to Shikamaru, his hand raised and jerking his head, "Ready? I checked the time and the next bus will be here in ten minutes—so we won't have to wait at the stop long."

Sakura glanced at Genma from the corner of her eye, giving him a side smile and deciding, "I'll be fine—I've got Shikamaru and the bus ride is only twenty minutes to my place." She turned to Shika, "Are you sure you want to come with me? You really don't have to."

Shika waved his hand, "Don't sweat it. Like I said, my house is in that direction—so it's not out of the way. Besides, I'd just feel better knowing you made it home safe—my mother raised me that way."

Sakura gave a sweet, albeit tense, smile, "Your mother sounds sweet."

Shikamaru scoffed, "Oh yeah, she's sweet alright...She's a pain in the ass, too."

Never in all of his life has he seen someone as tense as Sakura.

The moment they stepped outside of Dondon, he could practically see the alarms going off in her head—and even though her expression was blank for the most part, it was still all too easy for Shikamaru to pick up on. It was obvious; the way she glanced around in a paranoid manner, the constant bouncing of her foot that only increased in agitation and speed. He saw it in the way she gripped her purse; adjusted her hair, picked at her nails, and let out long gusts of breath. Shikamaru could tell she was doing her best to hide her paranoia and anxiety—however she was so riddled with it, that her stress was screamingly obvious.

Just like Shika had said, the bus arrived no later than ten minutes; the pair climbing up the steps and Sakura opting to sit as close up front as possible. Due to how packed the bus was, they could only sit across from each other; Sakura gazing down at her phone while Shikamaru made good work of scanning the bus for anyone that could possibly look out of character. Two stops and the seat next to Sakura was free—Shikamaru making nearly leaping over into the empty spot.

Sakura glanced up from her phone and grinned tightly, "Thank you for offering to come with me, by the way...I know you didn't have to, but I appreciate it."

"It's no big deal," Shikamaru replied, eyeballing a man walking past them to a seat over. "Just wanted to make sure you made it home safe, is all."

"Well, that's incredibly nice of you— there's not a lot of gentlemen around anymore. Temari must be so happy with you."

Shika gave a nod, grinning and remarking, "I'd hope so—but I have this sneaking suspicion she's going to poison me and take all my money."

Sakura hummed, "What makes you say that?"

"She told me so," he answered with a side glance, chuckling in response to Sakura's own pique of laughter. Silence stretched between the two for a beat, the bus binging as patrons got off; Shika twisting his torso to better look at Sakura, inquiring casually, "So, how do you like working at Dondon so far? I know we don't really talk often considering I'm all over the place in that office."

Sakura gave a small smile, tucking her hair behind her ear, "Yeah, there's a lot of people I really haven't talked to yet—but I mean we're all working a lot so I get it...As far as your question goes—I happen to like it a lot. It's challenging enough, the hours aren't bad, and everyone seems to be really friendly. Kakashi said that the liner projects I did came out excellent—so now I'm working on bigger projects with Genma. And tomorrow I'm supposed to go to a sales meeting with Kakashi and Guy."

Shika's brows shot up, "A sales meeting, really? This soon?"

"Well...I suppose so, yeah..." She shrugged, "It was Kizashi's idea—but only because the client we are going to see happens to be a family friend who knows me. Kizashi thinks that—because he can't make it to the meeting—the client will be fine with it if I'm there. You know, butter him up and whatnot."

"Ah, well that makes sense," Shikamaru remarked with a knowing raise of his chin. "So, it'll be you, Kakashi, and Guy? Is Naruto or Ino going?"

At this, Sakura's brows plucked down; tone slightly defensive as she spoke, "No...I don't know why they would. They're not my keepers. I can go and do things on my own."

Shika raised his hand, "I know that, I was just wondering...I mean, they're everywhere with you—you and Naruto are attached at the hip. I wasn't sure if they were taking just you or..." Shika trailed off in his attempts to back peddle when Sakura's brows dipped even deeper; settling to sigh and shake his head. "Look...I just...Your father, Kizashi—he..."

"He what...?" Sakura pressed softly, leaned forward with her forearms on her knees. "Did he say something?"

Shikamaru paused, subtly gritting his teeth while he met Sakura's emerald gaze; wracking his brain for what he should say to her. Wracking his brain and wondering what the fuck his end game was, anyways—was it that he wanted her to trust him? Was it that he wanted her to know that he knows—and that he'll do anything in his power to figure all of this out?

And then it went back to why.

Why was he doing this?
Why did he care so much for someone he hardly knew—who hardly knew him...?

Shikamaru was a genius and strategist beyond all measure; he had been that way his entire life. He could figure out the trickiest of puzzles, the most erratic conspiracy theories, and math was cream cheese. However, if there was one thing the man was ever stumped on, it had to be human emotion. He never fully understood why people did what they did, say what they say, or feel what they feel. He couldn't comprehend his own emotions and for the longest time he just pushed them away—until Temari came along and helped him sort himself out; with both love and a firm slap across the face. Afterwards, as he grew older, he really figured these complicated emotions were something he had a handle on—something he could grasp and make heads or tails of; at least, his own emotions.

But now, he didn't know what the fuck to think about what he was feeling, let alone doing. All he knew was that there was this insatiable drive to solve this and make sure each fucker in the Akatsuki were jailed—or dead, he really didn't care.
All he knew was that Sakura was in an incredibly fragile state—prone to snap, even if he had yet to see an episode.
All he knew was that he had to make sure she was safe—or he couldn't seem to sleep at night.

And, in all reality, he wouldn't- not until this was wholly resolved.

Looking at Sakura, the signs of discomfort were there. It was clear that she didn't trust Shikamaru in the same manner she trusted Naruto, or even Genma—but that was okay and to be expected. All Shika needed was for her to trust him, just enough, that she fully understood she'll be safe around him. And, he figured on some level she did if she let him ride the bus with her to her home. It was a start, but there was a fucking anvil on his chest; words he had to get out, no matter how sharp a left they took or how Sakura would take it.

Safe.
She just needs to feel safe with him.

All his work would be for nothing if she saw him as a threat.

Shikamaru inhaled deeply, closing his eyes for a second before he exhaled slowly and matched Sakura's concerned, if not suspicious, gaze. He placed his palms on his knees, explaining himself, "He didn't say anything specific, if that's what you're worried about. I guess what I'm getting at is that...I mean...Your father had a meeting with the team about rules for you."

Sakura nodded, "Yeah, Sai and Ino had told me."

"Right," Shika hummed. "Well, I'll be honest, Sakura—that got me thinking. I mean, it made me wonder what was wrong that a person needed rules...But then, you know, being around you it's pretty clear why."

"Why...?" Sakura echoed, blinking. "What's pretty clear? I haven't had an episode at wo-" She stopped, snapping her mouth shut and staring at Shikamaru.

Shikamaru gave a slow nod, continuing to speak, "It's clear to me, Sakura—because I'm very observant. I noticed the small things, so it was clear you're on edge. You're always tense around other people but when Naruto or Ino are with you, you're relaxed. You pick at your nails, you worry your lip- I mean, it's all there."

Sakura glanced down at her fingers, muttering quietly, "I thought I was doing a pretty great job of...I don't know...Hiding it..." Green eyes picked back up, narrowing on Shika, "Why are you having this conversation with me? What are you getting at?"

"Straight to the point," Shikamaru chuckled curtly, "I get it. What I'm getting at is you clearly feel safe around Naruto and Ino. I suppose what I'm getting at is that you can feel safe around Tem and I. You can include us in your safety circle, or whatever. If neither Naruto or Ino aren't there—don't hesitate to call me or Temari. If you need a ride home, or just to be escorted home to feel better—we can help you. We want you to feel safe around us."

"Genma said something along the same lines to me today," She murmured lowly, eyes now downcast. "Did everyone have a meeting about me again?"

Shika shook his head, "No, Sakura—people are just starting to care about you, is all."

She frowned, "I'm not some helpless little girl. I can take care of myself and I don't need to be monitored."

Shikamaru leaned forward, "You're right—you're not a helpless girl. You're strong...But, right now, it's smart to have people like Naruto and Ino around. I'd imagine you've got a lot to sort through, and the help is important...So, I asked all of that because I just want you safe."

The bus lurched to a stop, bodies swaying to the right and the lights brightening some. Sakura glanced up, mumbling, "This is my stop." She stood to her feet, adjusting the strap to her purse and pausing to glance down at Shika. "I..." She took a breath, peering out of the window into the night.

Shika stood to his own feet, immediately understanding, "I'll follow you out."

Sakura's started, "No, it's fine—you're going to have to wait for another bus and I mean my apartment is right there so-"

Shikamaru leveled his gaze with Sakura's, "Stop disregarding yourself for the sake of an image. If I'm offering my help, it's of my own free will—and does not change my opinion of you in any sort of way. That being said—do you feel safe walking from this stop to your apartment?"

Sakura took a step forward, conflicted as she wretched the strap of her purse. She turned and shook her head, "Honestly?"

"Honestly."

"No."

Shikamaru gave a curt nod, gesturing towards the door, "Then let's go, shall we—before the driver takes off."

The pair filed out of the bus, Shikamaru opting to shove his hands in his pockets as he walked alongside Sakura; remarking off-handedly that it was getting cooler. Sakura hummed in agreement, head dipped and seemingly lost in thought. He followed her all the way around the block; to the gates where she had to pin in a code and up two flights of stairs—stopping at a door at the end of the hall. The entire time Shikamaru was grateful she allowed him to come along with her, because all he could think about was how the streets were essentially empty on this side of the block and how easy it would have been for someone to scoop her up while she was keying in the gate code. There were random cars parked along the street, any of which could have had someone in there watching her- if they weren't already.

She definitely wasn't safe.

Sakura turned, that same conflicted mien burning in her depths; the wheels turning and catching in her head. The atmosphere was awkward for several beats, and Shika wondered for a second if he said the wrong thing.

Sakura broke the air first, clearing her throat and raising her chin, "About what you said..."

"I didn't mean to offend you," Shikamaru began. "I was just...I don't know. I know it's strange considering we haven't talked much, but..." He huffed, rubbing the back of his neck, "You've just got to trust me on this one, okay Sakura—because I'll be honest, I can't even explain it myself. Just know that we care and we are here for you if you need it."

"No...I don't really understand," she hummed, gazing at the floor. "But...I suppose I get it. Especially if it's obvious I'm...freaked out? I don't know..."

Shikamaru sighed, "You don't have to explain anything to me. Just...promise me that, if you need help and those you're more comfortable with aren't there—you'll call Tem or I?"

"I can't do this forever, you know," she enunciated grimly. "I can't rely on everyone to help me feel better. I have to get through this on my own."

Shikamaru let out a hum, gazing over the balcony to the street, "Not forever, no. You will have to learn to cope and move on—but for now, just let it happen. Let people help you so you can help yourself."

"What if I can't?" She pressed anxiously, picking her eyes up. "What if this is forever?"

Shika gave a small smile, "I don't think so. Kizashi is a strong, determined man. I've met Mebuki several times in my life and she is incredibly loving and wise. You are a combination of the two...If anyone can do it, it's you."

Sakura blinked, taken aback, "I...Thank you...I'll admit...This is kind of strange, isn't it? That this is one of the first legit conversations between us?"

Shikamaru plucked a shoulder, "Fate, or whatever. Would you like both of our numbers?"

Sakura bit down on her lip, deliberating, "I don't want to be a bother to anyone."

"We're offering, so it's not bother," Shika deadpanned. "Stop being a pain and just give me your phone."

Sakura giggled, handing over her phone and letting him add both his and Temari's numbers. "Naruto said you were kind of a grump."

"Not a grump, just lazy," Shika replied, handing her phone back. "Alright, well—have a good night. And remember what I said—feel free to get ahold of either of us any time."

Sakura smiled, "Okay...I'll...I'll think about it."

"I'll take it."

"Goodnight," she hummed, punching the code in the door and walking in.

Shikamaru gave her a small salute; watching the door close and waiting until he heard her lock it. With a heavy sigh he turned on his heel; exiting the apartment building and pulling out his phone as he ambled down the street. Several rings, and finally a pick up:

"Late day, huh?"

"Somewhat," Shika grunted, kicking a rock and watching it skitter across the concrete. "I only stayed after to give Genma a file."

"Hm?" Temari hummed, confused. "Then where are you? You're still not at work?"

"No, I'm not. Sakura was still there, too—and she was about to leave when I showed up."

"What's the problem, then?"

"The problem," Shikamaru echoed, "is that she was going to go home by herself—at night. Naruto wasn't there—he was with Hinata. Ino was with Sai, I think. And, had it been day time I might have just let her go but...It just didn't sit well with me to let her go by herself. So I rode the bus with her and made sure she made it home safe."

"She's living with Ino and Naruto, right?" Temari inquired.

"Mhhhmmm."

"At the apartment complex...all the way across town from where we live?"

"Mmmhhmmmm."

Temari sighed, "Well...Okay. Are you going to take the bus home, or would you like me to pick you up?"

"Pick me up," Shika replied without missing a beat. "I used the last of the money on my bus pass to go with her."

"You would," Temari grunted, the sound of keys jiggling in the background. "Just wait at the bus stop, I'll be there."

"Thank you," Shikamaru chuckled.

"Did you give her our numbers?"

"Yes, I did."

Another grunt, "Good. The more people she can rely on, the better."

"I think so, too."

"I love you."

"I love you," Shikamaru titled. "See you in a few."

"On my way," Temari replied, the end of her line clicking.

Shikamaru made his way to the stop, sitting down on the isolated seat and thrumming through his phone; a text popping up on his screen, a satisfied grin quirking:

"This is Sakura. Here's my number so you can save it."

It was contemplative silence Sakura sat in for the next hour or so. Even as she went through the motions of showering and changing into an old t-shirt and panties; she couldn't seem to shake what he said to her. She couldn't seem to shake that strange, knowing look in his eyes...

Was that meeting really all he was told...?

Did Naruto or Ino tell him what happened...?

Sakura wasn't sure, but she had to admit; a deep part of her needed was glad to have the extra help—even if she never called them. She felt incredibly guilty for being such a burden to Naruto and Ino that—if she really, really needed help in any manner she had the chance to reach out to them.

Would she? Odds are, no. Not because she didn't trust them, because on some level she did; but because she didn't want to bother anyone else. She didn't want to rely on so many people. She didn't want to be weak and helpless.

She should have this shit handled.

And while it seems that Shika's words were meant to encourage Sakura to accept the help—in all reality, it did the exact opposite. It only steeled her resolve to take care of herself more—to handle her own business and let everyone else live their lives without her drama. She felt ashamed of herself, if she was being honest; ashamed that her anxiety was noticeable, ashamed that someone felt the need to point it out. She really thought she was doing a great job of keeping to together, but that clearly was not the case.

Clearly.

Somewhere a small voice told her to listen to reason—that Genma and Shikamaru were speaking out of a place of concern for Sakura. It told her to listen to them—to let herself be helped so she can take the time to heal. But there was another voice far louder, screeching at the top of its' lungs in fear; wrenching its claws around the space of her mind and heart—a voice telling her she was weak.

That same fucking voice...

She hated it, that she could still hear him after all this time.

She hated that, even with the abuse she received from all the men; it was his voice that crept among her senses and shook her realm violently. His voice mocking her, torturing her; a parasite that has wriggled its way into the center of her brain and fights to take control. Fights to dismantle the Sakura she thought she had become—the Sakura before all of this.

Strong, bold, and independent...

Gazing in the mirror, she couldn't recognize herself anymore. She couldn't connect with herself like she used to. She was a shell, filled with a drooling, slimy beast that took up space with each passing day. It overroad her senses; erased all reasoning, and all it told her was one thing...

"You're weak."

It was this same empty feeling that drove her to commit suicide the first time around. It was standing there, feeling nothing while dreams and memories of tortured played on repeat in her mind. It was saying out loud she's fine while he laughed over her; while he insulted her at the same time his body was connected with hers—the feel of her soul linking with that of a sick man's. The disgusting, sickening connection of their bodies; of how much she hated it, how much she wanted to die, and her body betraying her all the same. The internal war of being told she loves it—to give in and let it happen; of knowing that she hated it.

She hated it.
She hated it.
She hated it.

Sakura stood in front of the mirror, tears pooling in the corners of her eyes and slipping over the edge; trailing down her cheeks and dribbling onto the sink. A shaky hand came up, gripping the right side of her face harshly; nails digging into the skin and pulling until she winced and pulled away. She placed her hand flat against the mirror, dragging the tips of her fingers down and biting down on her lip to keep a sob from escaping.

"You're weak."

She slammed her fist down on the granite counter; pain immediately pounding along the bone of her knuckles.

"You're weak."

A sob broke through her, her left hand coming up to shakily grip the root of her hair and tug; the sting of her sensitive scalp causing her face to screw up.

"You're weak."

"I'm weak," she whispered, tugging at her hair again and slamming her other fist down. "I'm fucking weak," she sneered through gritted teeth, her frame now shuddering; her world thrumming in and out of focus.

"You're just a weak little girl," he sang, gripping the hair tight on the back of her head as he surged forward; her lip slamming repeatedly into the concrete floor with each push. "You're going to take it like a good, weak little girl would." Another push, "Say it. Say you're going to take it like a good, weak little girl."

In the background, Sakura thought she heard something, but she wasn't sure. Her hand pulled her hair hard, her head jerking to the left and fresh tears spilling out.

The hand knotted rough fingers at the root of her hair, jerking back harshly before slamming her face down onto the floor. Sakura could taste the copper of blood in her mouth; she could feel the lower part of her stomach contract painfully, every inch of the inside of her body screaming in agony this time.

"Say it, you fucking rich cunt," he growled, leaning forward to hiss in her ear, "You say it or I'm going to pull my cock out and fuck your ass." He slammed her face down again, pulling her head back up and muttering, "Say it, bitch. I want to hear you say it."

She could feel it. She could feel the sharp stabbing pain every time he moved forward. She could feel her abused body stinging and burning; her tender flesh literally bruised and scratched. She could feel the weight of his body, she could feel those disgusting hands gripping her skin and pulling it so tightly she screamed every time.

There was that noise again; a muted song behind the scenes.

"If you keep coming inside her you're going to get her pregnant, idiot."

He scoffed, glancing down at her as he spoke, "Not my fuckin problem. It's her fault she's got a pussy that's like heaven." He crouched down, gripping her chin and cooing at her, "Isn't that right? Princess here has the world's most perfect pussy and she doesn't even know how to use it. Maybe if you weren't such a weak bitch, none of this would have happened to you to begin with."

"You beat me every time I fight," Sakura muttered brokenly. "You nearly kill me."

He tossed his head back and laughed, "And that's my fuckin' problem? It's get fucked or die, bitch—and clearly, you want to get fucked. Admit it, you like it just as much as I do."

Music echoed loudly in the restroom; reverberating off the walls, a high note causing Sakura to snap for a second—gasping at the image before her and releasing her own hair. She stepped back, shaking her head and heaving slowly. The music continued to play and she glanced around, narrowing her eyes on her phone that was on top of the toilet; lit up and ringing. She walked a few feet and picked it up; opting to forward the call until she saw the name of the contact calling her.

Kakashi.

She quickly struggled to right herself; wiping away the tears and shaking her head roughly. The ringing died out and she moved to the sink to splash water on her face hoping it would snap her out of it. Sakura wanted to sob- because it nearly happened again. She wanted to sob, because there was no controlling it. She wanted to shower to rid herself of the disgusting feeling she felt—the same way she felt after every time...

"Stop it!" She barked, face hovering over the sink. She let water gather in her palms once more; splashing it over her face, the chill of it causing goosebumps to rise along her arms. She picked her head up and gazed at herself; holding her face in her hands and muttering, "Stop it. Here. I'm here. I'm home. I'm safe. I'm okay."

Okay...Was she okay?

After drying her face off, Sakura picked her phone back up and called Kakashi back; taking a few level breaths and clearing her throat in attempts to make it sound like she wasn't just freaking out in the restroom. The other line rang for a good amount of time, and just before she was about to hang up, Kakashi picked up on the other end.

"Good evening, Sakura! How are you doing?"

"I'm ah—I'm okay. Was there something you needed to talk about?"

There was a hum, "Not in the mood for small talk?"

Sakura tried to laugh, but it came out weak and with no emotion, "Sorry, it's been a long day."

"I understand," Kakashi rumbled, "and it's my fault for calling you so late. I'll get straight to the point—tomorrow we are meeting at Dondon bright and early. There's a couple of things Guy and I have to do, but from what I understand your father's friend is an early bird?"

"Yeah."

A pause.

Kakashi continued, "Well...Okay, so we are planning to meet at Dondon early so we can get everything done that way we meet this client on time."

Sakura squeezed her still trembling fist, once more clearing her throat, "Okay."

"So...If you could meet us at Dondon at 6AM, that would be great. We should be done by 6:30 and we'll be able to meet him at 7..."

"Alright, can do," Sakura replied plainly.

Kakashi gave a half-hearted chuckle, "Are...are you okay, Sakura? Is something going on?"

Sakura's breath caught in her chest; her face grew hot and she could feel the threat of tears. She wanted to sob. She wanted to scream and fight and cry and die. She wanted to disappear.

Instead, she did her best to sound happy; adding a weird influx to her tone that any man could see through, "I'm fine."

"Have you been crying?" Kakashi pressed. "Because you sound like you've been crying."

"I haven't," Sakura deflected quickly.

"Mmhhmm," he hummed skeptically. "That's why your voice is tremoring like that? Did something happen? Do you need any help?"

Sakura gripped her phone hard; the plastic groaning in resistance. She bit the inside of her cheek, anger spiking in an instant as she spat venom at the man, "I don't fucking need help, okay? I'm fucking fine. I'm fine, I'm fucking fine- I'm fucking fine."

"Sakura," Kakashi titled lowly.

"No," Sakura decapitated, her voice raised and brash, "stop pushing it. Stop, all of you just fucking stop acting like you care and leave it alone. I don't need anyone's help. You don't know me from Eve, so stop pretending like you give a shit. Just say what you need to say and move the fuck on."

She was bristling, for reasons she couldn't understand. She was enraged in an instant; irritated, tired, and worn down. She was tired of having episodes. She was tired of needing help. She was fucking tired. On the other end was silence, the seconds ticking by as Sakura heaved to herself. There were no words he could say—and she liked it better that way. The last thing she wanted to hear right now was yet another person offering their unending support and help as though she was on her deathbed. She grit her teeth, hissing into the phone, "You all think I'm weak."

"You all think I'm weak."

Kakashi gazed at his phone, brows ticked up slightly at the verbal asshole she just tore. He gazed at his phone, wondering to himself if this was something along the lines of what Kizashi was talking about.

It had to be.

Her shuddering breath; the way it hitched and caught. Her sniffing, the distance in her tone; it was all there, she was clearly upset about something.

And the snap?
That wasn't out of left field, either.
She was having some sort of episode, that was clear. From one emotion to the other, in a sharp instant? Ranting about help?

Being weak?

Kakashi raised his chin, quipping into the phone calmly, "Where are you, Sakura?"

"I'm sorry?" She bit, her tone slightly taken aback.

"I said, where are you?"

"Home."

"Good."

"Is that it?" She barked. "Are we done here?"

"Are you home alone?" Kakashi continued in the same even tone.

"You are not coming over here, that's the last th-"

"No, Sakura, I'm not coming over there," Kakashi interjected firmly. "I don't plan on going there and it's clear you don't want me there."

Silence.

Kakashi sighed, "I'm going to assume you're home alone?"

Nothing.

"Alright, well then I'll leave you to it. Dondon, 6AM sharp; don't be late or we're leaving without you," Kakashi instructed. "Good night, Sakura."

He hung up the phone.

Immediately, he dialed up Naruto's number hoping the guy wasn't balls deep in Hinata right now.

"Kakashi?!" Naruto exclaimed excitedly. "Why are you calling so late? Wait, don't tell me you need me to come in early tomorrow- I just cannnoooooooot."

"No, don't worry—you're in the clear," Kakashi deadpanned. "I'm calling about Sakura."

"Sakura-chan? What about her?"

A grunt, "Well, I was calling to tell her what time to arrive tomorrow for the sales meeting. She seemed pretty...weird. Wasn't talking much, sort of distant. Then I noticed it sounded like she was crying—and while you don't need to save the day for someone shedding a couple tears, when I asked her what was wrong, she definitely tried to tear me a new asshole."

"Sakura?" Naruto sang, incredulous. "Did you do something to piss her off?"

"I asked her what was wrong—to which she yelled at me that she didn't need help, for all of us to stop acting like we care, and that we all think she's weak."

"Weak...?" Naruto muttered grimly. "She's at home?"

"She says she is, anyways," Kakashi rumbled with a sigh. "Before you go off to see her—which I suggest you do—would you mind filling me in on why she would snap like that?"

Naruto sighed, "I...I don't know, Kakashi...That's really not my place."

"That's fine," Kakashi remarked off-handedly. "I'll just ask Kizashi."

"NO!" Naruto barked loudly. "Do not call her dad...Not...Just...Fuck..."

"I'm asking because as her boss, I'd like a general idea of what she may or may not have so I can better help her. I don't need details- I just need to know. Does she have a mental disorder? BPD? Bi polar disorder?"

Another heavy sigh, "If I tell you, I don't want you telling anyone else. I swear, Kakashi- I'll kick your ass. You may be my boss, but she's family. I'm only agreeing to tell you because I think it would help you and her."

"Whatever helps you sleep at night," Kakashi replied.

"She has PTSD. Severe PTSD. She...She won't get help though, because she thinks she's fine."

"Yeah, she told me that," Kakashi remarked nonchalantly. "If she has PTSD, why didn't Kizashi just tell us that at the meeting? I'm assuming you know?"

"Ah...shit," he sighed, "Because we didn't want anyone to ask why she has PTSD."

"Hm."

"Don't let Sakura know I told you," Naruto warned. "She will literally quit Dondon."

"Quit?" Kakashi echoed, perplexed. "Why?"

"Because it was bad, Kakashi—why else? She said she was home?"

"Yep."

"Alright, well I was about to head home anyways. Thanks for the heads up."

"No problem," Kakashi grunted.

The line ended and he leaned back into his seat; fingers tapping along the wood of his desk and running his tongue along his teeth.

Severe PTSD?

What could have been so bad that Kizashi felt the need to keep the truth away from everyone—a man as honest and upfront as him, no less?

Why did she pop off at the mention of help?

Who the fuck convinced her she was weak...?

It was raining tonight.

The streets went from ashy grey to a soot black; lights on buildings reflecting off of the puddles on the street. A multitude of umbrellas took to this way and that; the hum of voices surrounding him, the distant intercom in the building behind him, and conversations behind him. He stood at the edge o f the sidewalk, hand high in the air and scoffing when several Taxis passed him before one pulled over to the side; trunk automatically popping open. He tossed his bags in there, slamming it shut and sliding into the back seat.

The taxi driver grinned at him through the rearview mirror, lowering the volume on the radio, "Where to, sir?"

"Branch and Tree complex."

Another smile and nod, "You got it."

"Make it quick," he grunted, scowling out the window. "I'm already late because the fucking airports can't seem to get their heads out of their asses."

The car lurched to a start, easily pulling into the flow of traffic.

"Branch and Tree...Home?" The driver asked, grinning yet again.

"No."

"Family?"

"No."

The grin stretched wider, revealing a missing tooth in the bottom row, "Girlfriend?"

Sasuke scoffed, pulling his phone out of his pocket and being greeted by a flood of threatening text messages; missed calls and a multitude of voicemails.

"Girlfriend?" The driver pressed again.

Sasuke gazed out the window into the night, muttering, "No. Business."

The second shower helped—but only a little bit.

It helped to calm her down and bring her back to planet earth; where she promptly began to panic over what she said to Kakashi. She wanted to punch herself for being so fucking stupid—she should have known better than to call him back—especially during an episode, no matter big or small.

What the fuck was she going to do?

She knew she had to apologize to him—but what was she going to say? How was she going to explain it?

And why did it kind of hurt her when he said he wasn't planning on coming over?
Why did she feel...a little let down...?

Once Sakura got out of the shower, it was Naruto and Ino's noisy chatter she could hear in the living room. She opted for another shirt and underwear; padding into the room where they were both standing over a pile of snacks on the coffee table and bickering.

"-a stupid fucking movie to begin with, no one wants to watch that!" Ino snapped, glaring at Naruto. "Besides, this is a rom-com- who doesn't love those?!"

Naruto rolled his eyes and gagged loudly, "Uh, me? They're so tacky. Like, omg you're an artist and I'm a writer and we met at a coffee shop—we're both quirky in our own unique ways but we both get real deep but one of us has a haunting past and the other is sick with some incurable diease-"

"Fuck offfff," Ino groaned, waving him away. "I'm picking the movie and that's it."

Sakura giggled, and it felt good to laugh; as if she wasn't just pulling her own hair and hyperventilating. "What's going on?" She asked, picking up one of the sweets from the table to examine it.

"Sakuraaaaaaaa..." Naruto paused, inhaling deeply and shouting, "CCCHHHHAAAAAAAAAANNNNNNNNN!"

Sakura winced, grunting when Naruto pulled her into his arms and started planting kisses over the top of her head with each word he spoke. "There! Is! My! Sakura! Chan! Who! I! Love! So! Much!"

Ino huffed, "Don't hog the baby."

Sakura groaned, "Please, don't do baby."

Naruto raised his head, holding Sakura out in Ino's direction, "I'm so sorry, ma'am- how rude of me! Here, have some baby."

"Don't mind if I do," Ino cackled, grabbing Sakura and pulling her into her own arms; mimicking Naruto and kissing Sakura all over the top of her head. "I! Missed! You! To! Day! Sakura!"

Naruto gave an unhappy snort, "Excuse you—it's my turn to have the baby."

Ino pulled Sakura in closer, "No."

Naruto scowled, "Don't be like that."

"Please don't," Sakura whimpered against Ino's chest.

"Fine," Ino grunted, "how about we..."

"Oh, god," Sakura bemoaned.

"SHARE THE BABY!" Ino and Naruto shouted at the same time.

Before Sakura knew it, she was in between the two; both hugging her tightly and showering her head in small pecks. Sakura wriggled in between them, screeching and shrieking with laughter as they cooed at her; eventually releasing her, all three laughing until tears were in their eyes.

"I can't believe you babied me," Sakura chuckled, running a hand through her now knotted hair.

Ino plucked a shoulder, "We decided you needed a good babying. Now that that's done—it's movie night!"

"That's tonight?" Sakura hummed, "I don't know if we should- I've got to get up pretty early tomorrow for work."

Naruto waved a hand at her, "Just one movie, Sakura-chan! You can hang, right? Or are you too old and dusty now?"

Sakura deadpanned, "I'm not dusty nor am I old."

"Then you can watch a movie with us."

Sakura sighed, "I've had a long day."

Naruto grabbed a snack, waving it in Sakura's direction, "I bought you snowbaaaaalllllsss..."

Sakura tossed her head back in defeat, "Fine. But just one movie."

Naruto leapt and cheered, grabbing the controller to the TV and immediately skimming through the movies while Ino nipped at him about the good ones he was passing. Sakura went to her room to grab one of her blankets—sitting on the couch and watching as Ino left Naruto's side to make drinks and popcorn. After all the drinks were dealt and snacks were made, the three settled on the couch; Ino curled up against Sakura, Sakura curled up against Naruto, and Naruto slouched into the couch.

They were about twenty minutes into a movie about ghosts when there was a sharp rap on the door; causing all three of them to jump.

"I'll get it," Naruto grunted, shifting so Sakura could lean against Ino and standing up.

He made his way to the door, gazing through the peephole where he let out a snort; opening up the door and remarking, "Well look who it is."

"Naruto. Long time no see."

"Hm," Naruto grimaced unhappily.

Sakura's entire body jolted at the voice- one that she had only been hearing on the end of a phone now crystal clear. She sat up and leaned forward, titling, "Sasuke...?"

Naruto stepped back, allowing the dark haired man to enter the apartment. She sat up more, shock written all over her frame as he turned his head, dark eyes gazing at her, "Sakura."

In an instant, Sakura leapt to her feet; practically charging at Sasuke to embrace him, squeezing him tightly and standing on the tips of her toes. Sasuke embraced her back stiffly, patting her back and then pulling her away from his frame. Sakura smiled at the man, excitement coursing through her veins, "I can't believe it's you—you're...I mean, you're here! Why didn't you tell me you were coming?"

"Surprise," Sasuke answered stonily, glancing around the dark room; eyes raking over Sakura's form, Naruto's, and Ino's. "Did I interrupt something?"

"Um..." Sakura faltered, "No...We were having a movie night."

"Then why are you in your panties?"

Sakura's cheeks burned and she shook her head, "What are you talking about? This is what I wear to bed—you know that."

"Around him?" Sasuke inquired, jerking a chin at Naruto. "Isn't that indecent?"

"He's like a brother, Sasuke," Sakura began.

"So you just chill in your underwear around your brother?" He took a step forward, eyes narrowed on her face.

"It's not like that and you know it," Sakura replied back.

"She can do whatever the fuck she wants," Naruto growled, taking his own step forward. "And how fucking dare you ditch her for a fucking year and just pop back up and talk to her like that—you can get the fuck out."

"I'm not leaving until I've talked with Sakura," Sasuke replied coldly.

"Like hell you are," Naruto barked, shoving Sasuke's shoulder. "I'll toss your ass out of here right now—the fucking nerve you have."

Sakura braced her hands on Naruto's chest, eyes pleading, "Naruto- just, wait, okay? Let's just calm down."

Naruto snorted, "Yeah fuckin' right—you want to hear him out after that? Are you high, Sakura?"

"Please," she hummed softly. "Just give us ten minutes to talk."

Naruto scoffed again, pointing a finger at Sasuke, "Ten minutes, jackass. That's all you fuckin' get."

Sakura glanced over at Sasuke, "I'll go put some clothes on and we can talk outside."

He shook his head, "No. We can talk in your room."

Sakura paused, "But-"

"Ten minutes, right?" He remarked bitterly, moving past her and Naruto to her room. She took a moment to glance at Ino and Naruto, whispering sorry profusely before she turned on her heel and left them; shutting the door behind her. For several seconds she kept her back to Sasuke, hand on the knob of her door.

She wasn't sure why, but she felt incredibly nervous.

Shouldn't she be thrilled?

Taking several slow breaths, she turned to face the man; doing her best to smile at him and hum, "You've...You've cut your hair..."

"Yeah."

Sakura nodded, "It looks nice."

"Thanks."

"You...You look really handsome," she continued, her cheeks lighting up slightly. "You've somehow gotten more handsome over the span of a year."

Sasuke gave a curt nod, "Thanks."

She took a moment to eye his frame, noticing he's lost some of his bulk over the year but that he still looked incredibly good. His eyes were as dark as ever, with that straight nose, even lips, and angled jawline. He was wearing a black cloak-like jacket, his hair was wet from the rain, and he looked as though he were plucked right out of a magazine. She wanted to look upon him lovingly, but there was something in his gaze that made her feel sick to her stomach.

Why was he here?

Sakura cleared her throat, "So...You just showed up to surprise me?"

Sasuke shrugged, "You like surprises, don't you?"

"I mean, I do—but you'd think it'd be more...I mean, you'd tell me since it's been a whole year since I've seen you. Did you have business here?"

He shook his head, "No. I flew here just to see you. I missed you."

"You missed me..?" She whispered, feeling her cheeks light up again. "I..I missed you, Sasuke-kun..."

He raised his hand and waved it, "Come here."

Sakura started, "I...I'm sorry. It's just that I haven't seen you in so long...I've just got to get used to seeing you in front of me right now."

He waved again, "You'll be fine—come here."

"Sasuke..." Sakura muttered, "Just...Give me a second, okay?"

"It's me," Sasuke grunted, annoyance flashing across his features. "What time do you need? Do you need a second when Naruto calls your name?"

Sakura scowled, "What is your deal? Why are you so suspicious over Naruto all of a sudden? Is that really why you flew down here?"

He shook his head, huffing and letting his hand fall, "No. I came to see you. I wanted to talk to you."

Sakura raised her arms, "Well. Here I am."

"You're mad..."

"Of course I am, you just came into my home questioning me like some over-protective dad—acting weird about what I wear and Naruto when you know it's not like that in the slightest."

Sasuke sighed, shrugging off his jacket to reveal a black button up underneath and a red tie. He stepped forward, tone emotionless as he spoke, "I'm sorry. I just miss you a lot and wasn't thinking."

"What was it you wanted to talk about?" Sakura pressed, arms crossed.

He held out his hand again, "Just come here."

She eyed his open hand skeptically, the sickening feeling in her stomach deepening.

He wiggled his fingers, "Trust me. You trust me, don't you?"

Sakura nodded, stepping off on one foot and reaching across the space in between them; her small hand sliding into the grip of his. Sasuke closed his fingers over hers, pulling her closer to his body until she was to his chest; his free arm wrapping around her body to hold her tight against him. Before Sakura could protest, his head dipped and his mouth was on hers; kissing her with instant, bruising force and leaning his body over hers. Sakura whined in the back of her throat, struggling to pull away but unable to break from his hold. She kept her lips pressed tight, jerking her head to the side and dodging his mouth.

Sasuke pulled back, scowling at her, "What are you doing?"

"What are you doing," she bit, pressing her hands flat on his chest and pushing; getting a small space between their bodies before he pulled her back tight again.

"I'm kissing my girlfriend," he growled, reaching up fast to grab her wrists and pin them behind her back; kissing her again, tongue thrusting in when she let out another protest.

Sakura whipped her head again, leaning back and trying to break her wrists free from his hold. She had no idea why he was doing this, but she couldn't stay. Her heart was palpitating like war drums in her chest, her breathing now a rapid cadence that Sasuke tried to consume. The alarms were going off in her head at his gaze; a deep, frightening burn that was familiar in a thousand ways.

"Sasuke, stop," Sakura breathed, twisting in his hold. "Let go of me."

Sasuke pulled back again, glaring at Sakura, "Why? Are you seeing someone else- is that it?"

Sakura stopped, scowling at the man, "No the fuck I'm not."

"Then fuck me," he growled, moving in to kiss her harshly.

Sakura jerked away, "What?! No! Are you fucking crazy?"

Sasuke stopped, his own chest now a heady rise and fall. He cocked his head to the side, "What is the big deal, Sakura? You are my girlfriend, aren't you? You're telling me that we haven't seen each other in a year—and you don't want to fuck? When's the last time we were intimate, Sakura? Are you unattracted to me? Are you sure you're not seeing anyone else?"

"No, jackass, it's not that—and you know it. I can't be intimate, Sasuke—not after everything..." She trailed off, willing herself to not go back down that dark place she was only hours ago.

Sasuke let out an annoyed grunt, "Bull. Shit. It's been a year, Sakura- a fucking year. For an entire year, i was patient with you. But that's it—it's over and done with, you need to move on already."

Sakura gaped at the man, bewildered, "I can't just get over it Sasuke. Every time I think about intimacy, I think about...What he did. I can't shake it. It...It haunts me. I feel disgusted and ashamed."

"Tch," he scoffed. "You've got me—right here- and you still think about that? Why don't you think about us, Sakura? Why don't you stop and remember how much fun we had..." His tone lowered, eyes leveling with hers before he leaned closer to murmur, "Remember how good it felt with me inside you? You used to cry because you came so hard...Remember all the fun things we did together, Sakura..."

"You like it, don't you bitch?"

Sakura blinked.

Hands released her wrists, moving from her arms down to the sides of her bare thighs; her skin jolting on contact, her stomach reeling. He placed his mouth on her neck, muttering, "Remember when I would tie your hands together?" A kiss along her neck, "And I'd fuck you from one orgasm into the next?"

"You came—you actually came all over my cock, you filthy little cunt. All that whining and crying—for what?"

Sasuke let his hands move to the globes of her behind, squeezing them and bile rose in Sakura's mouth. She was shaking, but not in the manner Sasuke thought she was.

She was frightened.
She was frozen.

She could hear their voices hum along each other; two sets of hands gripping her and hurting her. She glanced up at Sasuke with terror filled eyes, choking out, "P-please, d-don't touch me."

"Sshh," Sasuke cooed, kissing her neck again and guiding her to the bed. "You just need to remember how good it felt." He set her down on the bed, watching with indifference as she scrambled to the headboard; knees tucked in and now feeling extremely exposed. She watched him undo his tie, pulling the fabric out of the collar while his free hand undid his shirt buttons.

He stepped towards her, eyes alit with a sickening humor as he spoke, "You're going to undress me, baby. I want you to strip me bare and suck on my cock. I want you to take it all the way back to your pretty throat. I want you to choke on it."

Sasuke crawled on the bed, grabbing Sakura's ankle and stretching her body out below him. He set a knee on either side of her body, leaning in to kiss her as his hands grabbed each of her wrists; panic crackling across all her nerves when she felt the fabric of the tie squeeze her wrists together painfully.

"Sasuke, no," she pleaded, tugging at her wrists and beginning to shift underneath him. She tried to sit up, but Sasuke placed a hand on her shoulder, shoving her back down on the bed hard.

"Don't fight me on this, Sakura," Sasuke growled slowly. "You want this just as much as I do. You'll see—I bet you're soaking down there."

He came hard inside her; body pinning her to the wall, one hand holding her while the other was at her throat. She could feel the canal of her body contract painfully, she could feel the sting of her torn skin. He picked his head up from her shoulder, blinking at her before he leaned in and kissed her roughly; the hand around her throat tightening.

And tightening.
And tightening.
And tightening.

Sakura gagged, her body now shuddering with violence; legs kicking pitifully and hands trying to pry his away from her neck. Pressure began to build behind her eyes and in her lungs; a heat rising to her head that burned her up. He was laughing wildly, a look of pure pleasure plastered on his face as Sakura struggled to breathe. He laughed loudly, the torturous mien following her down the narrow hallway of darkness; rushing in on her senses when her world went to black.

There was a tugging around her stomach, hands moving to fist the edge of her shirt and pull up quickly; revealing the frantic heaving of her breasts. Sakura felt tears begin to stream down her face; quivering with horror, dread gripping her by the neck and squeezing—taking her words from her. Her skin practically burned when he grabbed a handful, her muscles twitching to run but glued in place. She felt his mouth close over the nipple and she sobbed.

Sasuke pulled away, glaring, "You're going to be screaming my name in a minute."

She shook her head, swallowing the lump in her throat and wishing her tongue didn't feel like a brick in her mouth. Sasuke's hands were on her knees, trailing up her thighs and spreading them apart. He climbed halfway on top of her, one hand pulling her panties to the side as he muttered, "Trust me."

The words left his mouth and Sakura felt the invasion of his finger in her body.

Sakura's body tensed.

Her mind snapped.

He knew something was up the moment that fucker arrived. It was in his expression—the way he was looking at Sakura.

Naruto didn't trust it.

And he was right not to.

The moment he heard the shrill screams emitting out of Sakura's room, it took the whiskered man no less than five seconds to get there; bursting through the door and snarling at the scene before him. Sakura, tied at the wrists with her shirt pulled up, Sasuke practically on top of her, and a hand in between her legs. Sakura was thrashing underneath him, bound wrists working on slamming down on the back of his head.

Naruto charged through, using both hands to grab Sasuke by the throat and toss him against the wall. Ino rushed in, swearing at Sasuke as she pulled Sakura's shirt down and tried to untie the fabric around Sakura's wrists.

"What the fuck!" Sasuke swore, scrambling to his feet and glaring at Naruto. "What the fuck I-"

Naruto had no sensibility.
There was no reasoning; no means to hear the fucker out.

He saw red.

In two strides he was in Sasuke's space, arm cocked back and punching the fucker directly in between the eyes.

He punched him in the gut.
He punched him in the chest.
He punched in each eye.
Chin.
Cheeks.
Forehead.
Nose.

He punched him until he was a groaning mess; fisting his hands in Sasuke's hair and dragging him out of the complex. He slammed his face into the wall of the building; he kicked him in the dick and one in the gut.

He squat over the man's body, muttering that he'll kill him if he even so much as tries to talk to Sakura again.

He grabbed Sasuke by the bloodied chin, snarling, "I will not hesitate to fucking end your miserable life. You don't deserve Sakura. If I see you again—I'll fuck you up again. Get fuckin' lost." He stood, spitting on the man and leaving him there.

When it came to Sakura, Naruto had no sensibility.
There was no reasoning; no means to hear anyone out.

He'll always see red.