She couldn't understand why cruel cards were dealt to the people they were—people who don't deserve it in the slightest.
She couldn't understand how someone's entire world could flip in a single instant—that could be forever changed after.
She couldn't understand other's lack of empathy; she couldn't fathom how cold hearted these monsters were, taking advantage of someone who offered nothing but love.
Pure, unrelenting love.
Ino sat at the edge of the tub, rubbing a wash cloth over the skin of Sakura's back tenderly; fighting back the tears that threatened to pool at the sound of Sakura's weak humming—a coping mechanism she'd had since they were kids. They may have not gotten along as children, but even with their disagreements, if Ino heard that weak, slow humming; she was at Sakura's side, asking what she could do to make her feel better. Pep talks worked back then; helping her with her hair, boosting her confidence, and remarking—albeit bitterly—what make up made her look pretty for the day. These things seemed to work and bring a smile to pinkette's face.
Now, there was really nothing she could do.
There were no words she could say that she hasn't already said. No amount of joking could make her smile when she was in a state like this. Helping her preen, taking her shopping—all of that fell through the cracks when Ino had to gather Sakura's screaming form in her arms and comfort her as best as she could.
There was nothing she could do besides be there for her.
Sometimes Ino felt useless; her efforts paled in comparison to Naruto's talks or the great big hug he'd give Sakura. Sometimes Ino wondered if she should be around Sakura at all—if she was causing more harm than damage. Sometimes, Ino wondered if maybe she should take Sai up on his offer; move in with him, give Sakura and Naruto space to be just them and cope however they needed to.
But then Sakura would glance at her; jade eyes glossy and pleading, both begging for forgiveness and thankfulness. She would reach out with her still trembling hand, pulling Ino's cool fingers into hers and kissing her knuckles—resting her cheek against the bones and humming.
She did these, and Ino just couldn't tear herself away. No matter how much it hurt to catch sight of the scars that marred her flesh; no matter the surmounting stress or sleepless nights—she just couldn't abandon her.
Sai had told her something once about limits; that Ino was no professional and this was out of her scope. That it was okay if she took a break—for her own sanity. He wasn't coming from a place of distaste for Sakura—as a matter of fact, he cared and asked about her wellbeing often. It was that he saw what holding down a thrashing, screaming woman did to Ino and he cared more for the woman he loved. For a short time, Ino really considered it—living with Sai and breaking away. Seeing Sakura's torment fucked with Ino's head in a lot of ways; it made her nervous, sick to her stomach, and equally fueled with a rage she couldn't simply smother. Just before Sakura started at Dondon, her episodes were getting progressively more violent. Each time, she was out to hurt herself or someone else—completely unaware she was doing it. Each time, Sakura was letting out more and more of the torment she endured; be it shouting to not touch her, muttering about an instance that happened, or cowering as if multiple fists were raining down on her.
It had almost become entirely too much for Ino.
How many times was she held in Sai's arms, sobbing because she was overwhelmed?
How many times did she beg some invisible god that Sakura's pain would end; that she'd be on the road to healing with no more episodes?
How many times did she share an exhausted expression with Naruto—only to have the whiskered man scowl at her, unable to comprehend Ino's fatigue?
It was too many to count.
Too heavy a weight to bear.
But she just couldn't follow through.
Not yet, anyways.
She couldn't leave Sakura, not when she needed her and Naruto the most. She couldn't leave when Sakura cuddled close to her side on days off; sharing snacks, chatting over what was on the TV. She couldn't leave when Sakura sought her out; pulling her into the soft confines of her body and hugging her, her rose petal lips kissing Ino's temple, and reminding Ino of how much she loved her. Ino would catch the flicker of life in Sakura's rippling depths; a genuine smile stretching across her pretty face and joy blossoming across Ino's chest at the sound of Sakura's bubbling laughter.
Ino saw these, and she had hope.
Hope that Sakura would heal.
Hope that Sakura had a shot at a normal life—at being happy with no nightmares.
Hope that she'd find someone who loved her the way Naruto and Ino did—someone who would be patient with her and tender in handling her.
There was hope—and that's all that Ino needed.
It was hope that kept her by Sakura's side; gently stroking the locks of her hair and humming in tandem with her.
It was hope that took the lead from her feet; quick to be there, quick to help however she could.
And, despite her own turmoil; it was love that drowned out Ino's weariness.
Love, because she loved Sakura.
Love, because she knew Sakura would do the same.
Love, because Sakura was the embodiment of the word; soft, feminine, tender, forgiving, and kind.
Love, because that's all she had to offer Sakura; and by the way Sakura leaned into her, relaxed her body around her, and Sakura let the tears fall freely as she sobbed quietly...
It was enough.
It was late.
Really late.
He had work tomorrow, and he should have been in bed already; but he couldn't sleep, even if he tried. After his conversation with Sakura, the flame that had been sparking in Shikamaru was now roaring. He wasn't sure what it was that set it off; be it her admission she can't be afraid forever or that there was fear glistening in her eyes when she said it. Either way, it was around 3 AM and he was hunched towards his computer screen; squinting at surveillance videos from a club the Akatsuki had hit up for a drug exchange—that ended in a bloody, stabbing mess with four men dead and two injured. He was fortunate for other diggers like him—that a man he'd met on the web had access to these recordings of which he happily emailed to Shika in the form of a tacky office email; link hidden in a picture of a tired minion drinking coffee that Shika had to click around until he found it just on the very edge.
The link was encrypted and he was thankful—not that he thought the Akatsuki had any serious techs among their midst, but because the last thing he wanted was the Japanese agency breathing down his neck. Not right now. Not until he had enough proof.
And even then, he wasn't quite sure how he was going to swing it as far as helping them out.
Chances were, they'd trash his email in an instant if he just said he knows things and they should trust him. However, the thought did flint among his mind that if he led them to a member—if he gave them tips on where any one of them would be and they arrest him—then they might listen.
He still wasn't sure.
And as of right now, he didn't have time to think about how he was going to approach the agents. Not when he had a full 24 hours of footage to skim through, considering the crime report stated the members had been in and out of the club for the majority of the day before the stabbing started. So, Shika was making a list of bodies he saw frequently; hastily scribbled down on a scrap of paper beside him:
Guy with ugly hat
Guy with face mask and hat (suspicious)
Bouncer 1, 2, 3
Woman tight red dress
Pencil stash man
He was only ten hours into the video, however the closer the time got to when the attacks began, the busier the club got—the more a few men began to stand out in both frequency and how the club owner behaved around them. The time on the video read 1:44 AM when three men waltzed into the club—guy with face mask and hat, a man with short red hair who looked as though he's had plastic surgery, and another man who appeared to be in his late forties with ashy black hair stopping at the back of his neck. Shikamaru watched with keen interest as the club owner, once yucking it up in the VIP lounge, now on his feet and greeting them dramatically. The owner turns halfway, gesturing for them to follow him down where the camera couldn't reach; the men disappearing off the screen for maybe forty-five minutes. At this point, the club was crowded and it was nearly impossible for Shikamaru to make out what the fuck was happening.
It was all split-second.
One moment, bodies are dancing and thriving to the music—the next, they're scrambling like ants, flowing towards the exit while bouncers waded through. For the next thirty minutes was pure chaos, and then cops began to file into the joint.
He missed it.
Shika sighed, rewinding back an hour and watching it playthrough again; eyes flicking around the screen for any detail—any sight of the men that went to the back committing the crime. Once he was at the cops again, he let out a heavy sigh; rewinding once again and pausing the video, leaning back into his chair.
A slender arm came looping behind his neck, a small hand pressing flat on his shoulder and the hum of Temari's voice sifting through, "Any leads, detective?"
Shikamaru suspired again, rubbing his eyes and shaking his head, "No. There's so much going on when the attack happens that it's hard to make heads or tails of who is where—let alone who did it. It looks like the attack was off camera—which does me no good. If I could just get an image of just one of them, I'd have something solid to go off of. But these men are fucking elusive."
"Do you think perhaps they have someone on the inside?"
Shika opened his eyes, glancing at Temari, "Hm?"
Temari plucked a shoulder, "You know—like a crooked cop or something. Someone they can pay off to destroy any evidence of them?"
Shikamaru tossed his head to the side, "Very well could be. It would make sense as to why not a single one of them have been captured. But then again, they've been murdering men on the police force for years—and those are a lot of proud, proud men. Having one of their own murdered like cattle—there's no honor in that. Why would anyone just bend to these men's wills when they can get the glory from arresting one of these fucks?"
Temari propped her chin on his other shoulder, gazing at the screen, "So, they're not just a bunch of mindless murdering monsters?"
"Unfortunately, no," Shikamaru grunted. "They are smart mindless, murdering monsters. They've been at this game for a long, long time. I mean, shit—there's not even any reports of beef between them and the Yakuza. So, there's some semblance of respect there." He sighed again, "I'm just frustrated. I've spent a whole month simply going over all of their crime reports. There are descriptions of the men, in each report they go out of their way to wear all black head to toe. And this," he pointed at the video, "would have been great to actually see one of them."
Temari rubbed along the side of his jaw, "I'm sorry, honey. Maybe you just need to take a break and step away—you know, look at it again later and maybe see something you might have missed."
"You're right," Shika admonished. "A fresh look at this tomorrow would be better. I've been at this for hours now."
"Besides," Temari purred, kissing his cheek and using the tip of her tongue to flick at his earlobe. "I'm pretty lonely in bed all by myself. I need a man to come and warm me up." Her hands folded over his shoulders to his chest, trailing down his torso to the crotch of his pants.
Shika let out a low hum, narrow brow quirking at the lusty expression his wife bore, "I'll warm you up, Tem. But it'll have to be from the inside out."
She chuckled; throaty, low, and sexy, "Let's not waste any time, then."
"Let's," he agreed, the cool air washing over his back as she backed away from him to the bedroom.
Shikamaru moved forward to shut off the computer screen, pausing only momentarily to look at the paused video in front of him. At the very right corner of his computer where the power button was, was also the very corner of the video—the edge of what the camera could catch. Shika leaned in, squinting at the image and twitching when he recognized it as the fear-stricken expression of the club owner. He tapped the play button, setting the video to play in slow motion and watching as the club owner's face flicked in momentarily at the edge; running for the door a couple feet when a big hand fisted in his hair and jerked him back— a leg in black pants stepping out, an arm holding what Shika thought to be a knife, and the very brief glimpse of a guy with a mask and a hat.
Shika quickly paused the video, zooming in as best as he could on the face and staring at the icy eyes that seemed to be looking down at the man he just grabbed—the club owner.
Shikamaru froze, brows ticking up and muttering, "Guy with a hat and a mask..."
There was muffled shuffling, causing Naruto's eyes to snap open; watching as Ino walked into his room carrying a big black...something.
"What is that?" Naruto inquired quietly, eyes following Ino as she walked around to his side of the bed.
Ino came to a stop, whispering, "Is she asleep?"
Naruto turned his head to glance at Sakura, her body curled into his side and an arm around his torso. Her light snoring could be heard, followed by deep breathing and every muscle in her body lax due to the overwork of stress. He turned his head back to Ino, nodding, "Yeah, she's passed out. I went ahead and set my alarm for her to get up early enough in time to meet Kakashi and Guy tomorrow."
Ino gave her own nod, "That's good...Naruto...Not that I don't appreciate you fucking Sasuke up, but...Are you worried he's going to try to press charges or get you in trouble in any way?"
Naruto snorted unceremoniously, causing Sakura to stir slightly, "No, I'm not. What is he going to do? Tell the cops I kicked his ass because he was practically raping Sakura?"
She pressed her lips together, "Do you think he'll come back around?"
"Tch. He'd be a fucking idiot if he did...But, no—not really. I don't know what it is, but after some time I felt like he was just using Sakura—him and his brother get a lot of clients through Kizashi. I had a sneaking suspicion that maybe he was only in it for that—but I had no proof to base it off of."
Ino's lips curled into a mischievous smile, holding up the mass of fabric in her hand, "I think we might have some proof."
"What is that?"
"Sasuke's jacket," Ino quipped, holding it up to dig around in a pocket. "You drug his ass outside and homeboy didn't even try to come back for it."
"All you'll find is money," Naruto remarked, peering down at Sakura for a second. "He would have definitely tried to come back if his phone was with him—that thing has all of hi-"
"Got it."
Naruto stopped, shifting to get a better look at the rectangle in Ino's hands. He let out a low gasp, holding out his own hand, "No fucking way. Give it here- I want to see what's in it."
Ino tapped the screen, the light of the device lighting up her grimace.
"What?" Naruto pressed, moving to sit up some; Sakura's arm falling away from his body.
She held the screen up, frowning, "He's got a passcode on it."
Naruto scowled, "Of course he fucking does—he's a hot shot lawyer."
"Have any idea what it could be?" She pressed, flipping the phone back around to look at it. "You knew him longer."
Naruto rubbed the sprouting stubble along his jaw, humming, "I have no idea, to be honest. It's probably something basic, like a bunch of zeros. Try that—just do four zeros."
Ino pressed on the numbers, tsking when it didn't unlock and sitting down on the bed next to Naruto, "Do you think Shika would know how to bypass this?"
Naruto shrugged, "Maybe, he is a fuckin' nerd."
"Mmh," Ino hummed, letting out a soft sigh and shaking her head. "We've got to tell Kizashi—you know that, right?"
"Yeah," Naruto frowned, fiddling with a stray fiber on his pajama bottoms, "I know."
"Are you worried?"
He shrugged, "Not so much about Kizashi as much as I am Sakura. I don't want her to be upset with us, but he has to know. Otherwise, if Sasuke can get off on still getting paying customers from Kizashi without ever having to see Sakura again—he will. He's money hungry, that's all he cares about."
Ino glanced back at Sakura, "Do you think...I mean, do you think it's a good idea she goes tomorrow? Don't you think it'd be best if she just called in and took a day to digress?"
"It's a good idea," he rumbled lowly, "but it's also a bad idea. The last thing we want is raising any awareness about any of her personal business. Plus, I don't think it'll be that bad. Kakashi and Guy are good men, so she'll no doubt feel safe around them. It'll be a good distraction, at least for a little bit."
Beside Naruto was subtle shifting; a slow, lethargic rocking motion that made him glance down and give a nervous laugh, "Fuck, I gotta wake her up."
Ino deadpanned, "She's humping in her sleep again?"
Naruto nodded, "Yeah- but you know, it's involuntary and apparently people do it all the time. Comfort or some shit like that. And while it's natural- I'd rather it not happen when she's sleeping with me." He leaned forward, tapping her cheek lightly and humming, "Sakura-chan...Sakuraaa, wake up..."
Sakura made a soft hum in the back of her throat, eyes blinking and squinting as she tried to peer around the room, "Hm?"
Naruto chuckled softly, "You're doing the thing agaaaiiinnnnn..."
"Thing?" She croaked, sitting up and rubbing her eyes. "What time is it?"
Ino tapped the top of Sasuke's phone, "It's 3AM."
"You're both still up?" She squeaked, eyes opening more fully and yawning loudly. "I'm sorry..."
"Ino woke me up," Naruto grunted, using his knee to knock against Ino's back.
Ino smiled, "Sorry, Sakura—I'll leave."
"Wait," Sakura called out, reaching out for Ino and tugging her towards the bed. "Can you sleep with us?"
"You were just doing the humping thing by Naruto," Ino chuckled. "I don't want to be next."
Sakura giggled softly despite the blush on her cheeks, "I'm sorry—I can't control it. I just want all of us together. Is that weird? Am I being weird?"
Ino sighed, rubbing Sakura's cheek, "Is that what you need?"
Sakura gave a small nod, "Just for tonight."
She glanced over at Naruto, "Fine- I'll do it. But only because Naruto isn't going to get handsy with any of us."
Naruto gave a bow of his head, "I would never."
Ino chuckled, "Honestly, it's beyond me. Almost every man across the globe would love to be snuggled up in bed with two women—but here you are, Naruto; ever the gentleman."
Naruto flashed a brilliant smile, "Of course. I love my girls- I'd kill for all of you. I don't know what it is, but I've always had this protective thing about me—you know, wanting to be the protector or big brother or whatever. When Sakura is all cuddled up next to me, I don't feel any romantic feelings—let alone sexual. I just feel...whole and protective. I know it's strange to you, Ino—but it's just a way we bond."
Ino gave a nod, "No, I understand. Well, I'll go change and come back."
Sakura moved forward some, pointing, "When did you get a new phone?"
Naruto shot Ino a glance, shaking his head and letting out a sigh, "She didn't. Sasuke left his jacket here-"
"Because you beat him up and drug him out," Sakura interjected.
He nodded, "Yeah, well—his phone was in his jacket. We were going to snoop through it, but he's got a code on it. We thought maybe Shika could bypass it for us since none of us know."
Sakura stood up on her knees, holding out her hand, "Let me see it. I think I know the code."
Ino gave Naruto a weary glance, to which he just shrugged and nodded. Ino stepped forward, handing Sakura the phone. Naruto watched as she tapped on the screen, squinting at the numbers and mumbling to herself—cursing twice when the code she punched in didn't go through.
"Don't lock us out for good," Naruto warned with a half-chuckle. "We can just wait until tomorrow—I'm positive Shika knows ho-"
There was a clicking noise, followed by Sakura's abrupt bark, "I'm in."
The hiss of the espresso machine whizzed in the air; the low murmur of level-toned voices most people took on this early in the mornings. An earthy coffee smell permeated the air; some instrumental music playing dully over speakers. Some people might consider this shop ran down, but Kakashi begged the differ. They had some of the best teas and coffees in Shinjuku—none of those day and age ones could compare. Hausu Hausu was the very same place Kakashi, Rin, and Obito used to study at when they were in college. It's where he's met some exceptional women; drank the most divine coffee while pouring over Dondon's numbers.
It's where his dad used to take him when he was a kid.
Kakashi had an incredibly special attachment to this place—so much so that, when he heard a year ago Hausu Hausu was under the risk of shutting down due to rent on the building increasing; he didn't hesitate to invest in the small business. He had a soft spot for the owners and for everyone employed there. Not a lot of places made him feel like Hausu Hausu did anymore—he didn't want to lose that, let alone good, hard-working people lose their jobs in the process.
He'd do it again in a heartbeat if they needed him to, too.
Kakashi stepped to the counter, prattling off his order and paying when he felt a tap on his shoulder.
"Caramel, cream, and three doses of sugar? Hatake Kakashi doesn't drink his coffee black anymore?"
Kakashi turned, grinning, "I'm not surprised to find you here."
Rin flashed a smile, dressed in a blue cardigan and blue jeans, "And you happen to be here when I'm here."
"Just a couple of early birds, you and I," he teased, nudging her with his elbow and the pair shuffling to the side. "I'm guessing you've got a big day ahead of you?"
Rin nodded, "I do, yeah. I've got a doctor's appointment and then it's off to work right after."
Silver brows ticked down, "Doctor's appointment? Are you okay?"
Another smile, auburn brown eyes twinkling the way they did when she was excited about something. She leaned in, "You remember that Obito and I are trying for a baby?"
"How could I forget?" Kakashi mused, "Obito wouldn't stop sending me links to positions supposedly guaranteed to get a woman pregnant—like I'm the one pining for a crib-goblin."
Rin groaned, eyes rolling and chuckling all the same, "He did not."
"Mh, he did. So, what—is there a little Obito cooking in there?" He pointed at her stomach.
Rin bit down on her smiling lip, giving a slow nod and a delighted giggle, "I took a test last week and it came back positive. I have the appointment today to make sure it's normal and how far along I am."
Kakashi gazed down at the woman, swallowing the slight bitterness he felt and doing his best to keep his expression neutral. He was never one to think about kids—besides thinking that he didn't want to be a father any time soon. It did cross his mind, however, of how great a mother Rin would be. How couldn't it? Naturally it only followed when you imagined what marrying the woman would be like. Naturally it followed along when you thought about how beautiful she'd look in flowing white dress. How easy being a husband to her would be. Her belly swollen with his child; raising a daring daughter or a sensitive son.
He's thought about it all.
Of course, he has.
He loved her.
Though those feelings have been smothered over the years—but the sting was still there. He wouldn't call Rin the one the got away, because she was definitely there. She was beside him, helping him with late night work. She was behind him, hugging his frame while he dug around in the fridge for something to cook. She was in front of him, tugging his hand along at some amusement park wearing a tacky hat from the gift shop. She was underneath him, clinging onto him and closing around him; spurring him on with melodic staccato moans of his name...She was the one he let go of; drove her away right into the arms of the man who loved her more than he possibly could. Because, while he imagined those things; he couldn't give them to her.
There was no way.
He fixed his expression, offering to smile at her widely and pull her in for a hug, "Congrats, Rin! I am so happy for you and Obito. Speaking of," they pulled back, "where is he? He's not coming to your appointment with you?"
"Oh," Rin hummed, "he doesn't know yet. I just want to make sure everything is...You know, good. I want to show him in a cute way. You know, like the sonogram with a gift or something. I was actually thinking of doing that tonight."
Behind Kakashi, a man placed a cup holder with three coffees in it on the counter; repeating what each drink was before turning to do the next order. Kakashi swiveled and grab the drinks, turning to Rin and raising them slightly, "Well, this is me."
A brow quirked, "Is it? Since when do you drink coffee that isn't black? With like, maybe a dash of creamer?"
"Ah," Kakashi raised his chin, "well I have my black coffee. This one is for Guy—the sweet drink you're referring to is for Sakura."
"Hm?" Rin quipped, surprised. "Sakura? Dondon's Sakura?"
"Do you know another?" Kakashi inquired cheekily.
"N-no," Rin chuckled, shaking her head.
"The three of us have a sales meeting with a client who is apparently a stubborn jackass. Sakura happens to know that stubborn jackass, because said stubborn jackass is a family friend of Kizashi's. Kizashi can't make it to this sales meeting that this jackass is expecting him to be at—so Sakura is our best bet at buttering the guy up. Plus, it could be good sales training for her. She's been doing great as far as design goes, and depending on how she does on this one—we might take her to more and have her help us with selling to clients every now and then."
"Ooohhh, that's pretty cool! I'm glad to hear she's doing well—she seems incredibly sweet," Rin fawned, maroon lips quirked. "But, are you sure she's going to like a drink that sweet?"
Kakashi plucked a shoulder, making his way to exit, "That's how she makes her coffee at work—but the caramel is just caramel creamer. It should taste the same, if not better. I did add a shot of espresso though, just because it's so early."
Rin paused, turning and cocking her head at Kakashi who was now halfway out the door, "You remembered how she makes her coffee?"
Kakashi's brow ticked down, "So? I also happen to know Guy's nighttime beauty routine. What of it?"
"Nothing," Rin remarked quickly, shaking her head. "Nothing..."
"Okaayy," Kakashi sang with a chuckle. "I've got to go, now—text me and let me know how the appointment goes!"
"Wait!" Rin barked, taking a step forward. "If...Uh, if you aren't busy later—you should meet up with Obito and I! I would love for you to be there when I break the news."
"Um..." Kakashi deliberated, mouth twitching. "Don't you think that's kind of personal, Rin? That seems like an A-B type of dinner—no need to C me in it." He chuckled, satisfied with his bad joke.
Rin deadpanned, "You are so annoying. No, I think it would be nice if you came along. I mean, you're the uncle after all."
"I'll think about it," Kakashi answered, shifting in the open door as a couple people walked in. "I'll see you later."
"Hey!" Rin barked again, smiling sheepishly at Kakashi's incurious gaze. "Bring Sakura, if you'd like."
"Sakura?"
She nodded, "Yeah- I'd like to get to know her more."
"Well, don't count on it," Kakashi grunted.
"Just promise me you'll mention it to her?" Rin pressed, eyes almost pleading.
"Sure..." Kakashi trailed off, squinting at Rin. "I'll see ya."
Rin smiled, waving as the door closed on Kakashi's form.
Dondon was quite peaceful early in the mornings.
The cool halls echoed with a silence that Sakura found comforting—almost too comforting as she very nearly fell asleep at her desk. She was beyond exhausted, considering she didn't sleep a wink after they unlocked Sasuke's phone and went through it.
How could she?
Sasuke really did have everything on his phone.
While his email was really nothing but work-related stuff and "businessman's weekly", his text messages were rife with incriminating news. At the top of his thread, was a conversation with 52 unread messages from a woman named Karin. Sakura sighed, unlocking Sasuke's phone again and re-reading some of the messages:
"I'm taking you for all you got you fucker. You'll regret leaving me here for some bitch. I'm going to let the world know how fucked up you are. Then we'll see how much money you make then—no one wants a lawyer involved in a scandal."
"What do you fucking see in her? I mean really what the fuck do you see in her? She's how old and doesn't have shit going for her? She managed to go work for daddy? Do you really think that she has the balls to run his company? She's a fucking child. You would rather leave a grown ass woman for some fucking child? Some pink-haired bitch? You're unbelievable."
"Answer the fucking phone, Sasuke."
"You know what? Fine. Go and be with her and fuck her or what the fuck ever. I'll go find your sexy brother and I'll fuck his brains out. I don't need you."
"ANSWER THE FUCKING PHONE!"
"I hope your plane crashes you stupid son of a bitch."
"I'm going to max out the credit card you gave me. I'm going to trash this nice ass condo and I'm going to key your fancy fucking car. I'm going to take all of your expensive suits and light them on fucking fire in the kitchen. I'll break open that fucking safe of yours and fuck all your assets up."
"She has nothing to fucking OFFER SASUKE. She's fat, she's weird, she's ugly, and she's a loser. You're better off marrying me. At least with me, you'll get triple the money. With me, you'll look like a successful lawyer instead of a rich man taking pity on some pathetic ass bitch. She's PATHETIC."
"If you ignore my call one more fucking time I'm going to fly over there myself and kick your fucking ass."
"I don't even know WHY you're going to see her or why you bother her. You don't even need her fucking dad—your name alone gets you paying clients. You don't need her or her fucking dad."
"She's not going to sleep with you if that's what you're hoping for. She's going to pull away and cry like some freaked-out bitch. She's messed up, Sasuke. She's got issues. You don't need that baggage. You told me yourself sex with her was miserable to begin with, even before she got kidnapped and raped. You told me she was awkward and too sensitive. You told me that fucking me was better. You told me I was stronger. You told me I was prettier—thinner, smarter, and more interesting. You said she was an annoying person and a boring lay. So why the fuck are you doing this? Why are you leaving what we have for some fucking loser?"
"YOU LOCKED THE FUCKING CREDIT CARD?! PIECE OF FUCKING SHIT! HOW FUCKING DARE YOU."
"I'M GOING TO RIP YOUR DICK OFF."
"Sasuke, honey...Listen to me. I'm sorry for how I've been behaving. I get worked up because I love you, okay? I love you and I want a life with you. Remember when we talked about children? Sakura can't give you children, Sasuke. She's barren, now. You're going to shoot all that seed into a black hole. I can give you kids. I am fertile and I'll fuck you a thousand times better than she ever could – not that she would...In fact, you should fly back home because I'm positive I'm pregnant. I took a test before you left and it came back positive. You have to fly back and take me to the doctors so we can get it checked out. Can you believe it? We're going to be a family. You don't need her."
What followed was one single reply from Sasuke that said, "Liar."
To which Karin sent not one, but seven different photos of Karin in different places of what Sakura supposed was the condo they were sharing; posing and holding a positive pregnancy test. Below, Sasuke had merely replied, "I'll call you in a couple hours."
The time stamp read maybe ten minutes before he arrived at Sakura's apartment.
When Sakura went through all of his messages with Karin, there was in fact no end. She spent a good forty-five minutes reading their conversations—and while Sasuke replied to her in a manner that was Sasuke, he was still talking to her. And calling her. And going home to her. Asking her what take out she wanted. Telling her to get ready for fancy dinners, nights out somewhere nice; even sending her money to get her hair or toes done. He paid her bills. He paid for her modeling agent. He paid for her shoots if he needed to.
He came home to her.
The fucker had a condo with her. He paid all the bills while she lived there; sipping on wine and working on staying pretty.
Somewhere along the conversation thread, Sakura came across a long, lovey-dovey message from Karin to Sasuke—happy two year anniversary, it said.
Two fucking years?
Sasuke had been cheating on Sakura...for two years? So, even before the kidnapping...when Sakura thought things were good...He was cheating?
And if she couldn't believe it enough—his photo gallery really sealed the deal. He had an entire album dedicated to Karin—loaded to the brim with thousands of photos and videos. They seemed tame, at first, until they suddenly weren't. Photos of Sasuke eating Karin out from Karin's point of view. Videos of Karin giving him a blow job. Any and all of Karin's nudes.
What did it in for Sakura was the shower video.
She didn't mean to watch it—at least, not all the way through. But she did. Holed up in her room, watching as Sasuke propped the phone up in the bathroom, the camera facing a naked Karin. What ensued was sex that only Sasuke could have. Aggressive. Forceful. She watched as he gripped her hair and shoved her face against the wall; drove into her repeatedly, her shrill cries echoing in the restroom. Sakura watched him get lost in Karin; pulling her against his chest, hand wrapped around her throat and holding her convulsing body as she came—pumping into her and grunting when he did. She watched them come down; their muscles relax, Sasuke release Karin's body, Karin turning around to kiss him. She watched their mouths lock almost passionately; she watched his lips move when he muttered against her cheek, "I love you."
I love you.
He loved her?
What Sakura should have felt was indifference—their relationship had been hanging on a thread anyways. She should have seen it as a sign to let him go and move on.
But she didn't.
She felt enraged—bristling at the fact that his lover of two years tells him she's pregnant and he still showed up at her doorstep; he still forced himself on her. He berated her about being with someone else. Made her feel like shit about Naruto.
For what?
So Sakura would be smitten- and Kizashi would still give him clients when they came along?
So he could go home to his model girlfriend—and now the mother of his child?
What did that make Sakura, all this time, if not some fucking business prospect?
On top of it, when she went through his texts with his brother—Itachi's last text to Sasuke was just before he got on the plane, apparently:
"I am expecting you to sew things up with Sakura—the right way. You either decide to dedicate yourself to her or just end it. We will lose Kizashi, but to me it is not necessarily a loss. Think about what you're doing. Your little red-head girlfriend you've been both playing house with and trying to hide from me is annoying and toxic. I hope you choose Sakura."
For the rest of the night—or, morning rather—Sakura simply went through his phone. She read every text message, every email; she saw every photo, video, and file. All the e-books he had, files for clients—everything.
She saw everything.
And it made her gut twist.
It made her heart break.
She wanted to both run away and find Sasuke to kick his ass. She wanted to stay in bed and feel sad—but she didn't.
She couldn't.
Sakura was already dealing with enough. Rather, Naruto and Ino had enough for one day- the last thing Sakura wanted to do was stress them out with her tears. Even as Naruto was pacing angrily across the kitchen ranting, Sakura did her best to just smile.
Smile.
If she smiled, it'll be okay.
Ino even asked her how she was feeling—to which Sakura simply shrugged and said, "I'm not surprised, honestly. Things were dying out, anyways—so I guess this is just what needed to happen for it to end." Before Ino could grill her anymore, Sakura was up and on her way to getting dressed for work. Sakura decided she was going to just hold it together—for their sake. She really, really did not want to make their day any worse.
So, she's smiling.
Smiling through the tremor ripping itself through her heart.
Smiling through the inadequacy that's dragging her six feet under.
Smiling through the worthlessness chewing holes into her self-esteem.
Smiling through the hopelessness.
Smiling through the betrayal.
Smiling through the rage.
She's smiling because it's all she's got right now.
She smiled when she convinced Naruto and Ino she'll be fine to take the bus to work alone.
She smiled when Naruto told her he'll take everything from Sasuke.
She smiled when Ino remarked she always thought Sasuke was a piece of shit.
She smiled on the bus.
She smiled as she walked up the steps to Dondon.
She smiled as she fixed her hair in the mirror before going to her desk to wait on the others.
She smiled gathering the documents she printed for today's sales meeting with Mashimo.
Once she'd put everything together she was going to need today, Sakura settled for sitting at her desk; going through the phone again, feeling her heart clench at every picture she came across. Feeling her mind whirr with Karin's hateful texts. Somewhere, Sakura knew that none of this was her fault. She knew that Sasuke had always kind of been a dick—but like a fucking idiot she let the handful of good outweigh the buckets and buckets of bad. She had hoped what Sasuke felt for her was true...She had patiently waited on him for so long...For what...?
To watch him make love to another woman in a manner he'd never done to her before?
To hear him say that he loves her—his words dripping with some semblance of sincerity?
To notice that there wasn't a single picture of Sakura on his phone; as if he had gone through and deleted them all.
That, in five years, she meant nothing to the man. He saw her heart and put no value in it.
She sighed, going through the contacts on Sasuke's phone and gazing at the name. Minutes ticked by and before she knew it her thumb had pressed the call button; hand shaking slightly as she brought the device to her ear.
Sakura breathed in.
Several rings passed.
"Let me guess...Sakura?"
She breathed out, "...Itachi...?"
Kira here- reminding you all that I love you dearly and thank you for following me from story to story. Your support and you reading my work means the entire world to me- from the very depths of my heart, thank you. I know this story is an incredibly slow burn, but it's getting qqquuiiiiiite spicy. I hope you'll stay for the ride as it's gonna get MUY CALIENTE! Reviews mean a lot to me- they make my entire day! Thank you for your feedback and insight. I appreciate and love every single one of you. Remember, reviews keep my pimp hand strong. Happy reading, kitties! And hang on- this ride is gonna get BBUMMPPAAAAAAYYYYY.