Last Time:

It was a week before they left his apartment.

Infidelity: Chapter 12 – Monday

Having to return to reality is what Sakura dreaded most about leaving Sasuke's apartment that morning. She had enjoyed the seven days of near nothingness that she had enveloped herself in with him, and for the first time in an agonizingly long time, she was relaxed.

The car ride back to her apartment from his was quiet, and she didn't mind. Her fingers were laced with his, and she enjoyed the feeling of his thumb brushing against the back of her hand. When they made it back to Sakura's apartment, Sasuke seemed -weary.

"What is it?" Sakura asked.

"I don't know how comfortable I am with you staying in this neighborhood," Sasuke confessed as he looked at Sakura. "There should be plenty of apartments available near the university, right?"

"I mean, sure," Sakura shrugged, "but I can't exactly afford any of those. Even with all my jobs, I barely make enough to afford the place I'm in, and I don't want to move in with my mom and her husband."

Sasuke thought for a moment, then he looked at Sakura, "I'll cover it."

"Cover what, exactly?" Sakura asked.

"The apartment near campus," Sasuke said. "I'll cover rent and utilities, and if you want to keep working, then I trust you can handle any minor necessities and luxuries."

Sakura puffed her cheeks out, and Sasuke chuckled. "It's not funny," Sakura whined. "I like my apartment here because it's mine. I got it all on my own, and I'm taking care of it all on my own. I'm proud of it."

Sasuke sighed, "Is that so?"

Sakura nodded, "Mm."

Sasuke pursed his lips together, but then he sighed again, "Fine."

Sakura giggled, "Thank you."

"I gotta get going, but I'll call you when I get a break," Sasuke assured her as he leaned in towards her. "And hopefully, I can see you again tonight."

Sakura leaned in as well, "You're not sick of me yet?"

"Not even close," Sasuke answered.

He pressed his lips against Sakura's, and it was tender and sweet. Sakura wanted the moment to last a lifetime, but they were interrupted by the ringing of his phone. They pulled away from one another, and Sakura giggled at the frustrated expression on Sasuke's face.

"Have a good day," Sakura called as she climbed out his car.

"I'll do my best," Sasuke called back.

Sakura smiled and waved at him before making her way into her building. Once inside, she looked back and saw Sasuke still waiting. She waved once more, and with that, Sasuke drove off. She rolled her eyes before making the climb up to her apartment.

"Well, look who's finally home."

Sakura came out onto the landing and saw Itsuki outside of his apartment, and for some reason, she felt ashamed. She had disappeared for a week, and in that time, she'd only responded to a few texts with extremely vague responses.

"Haruno Sakura never goes on vacation," Itsuki noted.

Sakura shrugged, "My mother insisted."

"Did she now?" Itsuki raised an eyebrow.

Sakura nodded, "She figured I could use a break, and she wasn't wrong. I had just earned a huge grant that's going to cover all my years of medical school, and it's not like I earned that overnight. That was years of hard work, dedication, and focus on maintaining my grades. So, I figured going on vacation was warranted."

Itsuki chuckled, "I suppose that's fair. Well, at least call next time. The homeless guy by the train station even asked about you. Oh, and your dad came by looking for you. He looked kinda beaten up, so you might wanna give him a call."

Sakura sighed, "Yeah. I'll do that."

"There you are!"

Sakura and Itsuki looked towards the stairs and saw Kizashi limping his way up them. Sakura didn't move as Kizashi ascended the last few stairs on his own, and when he made it onto the landing, Sakura saw just how bad of a shape he was in.

"I've been looking for you," Kizashi exclaimed. "Where have you been?"

"Out," Sakura answered. "Aren't you supposed to be somewhere else right now?"

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about," Kizashi groaned as he leaned against the banister. It creaked a little under his weight, and Sakura tensed up a little. "I got jumped on my way there. I had stopped to get a burger, and some brats saw I had a wad of cash on me. They left me a dollar as a 'courtesy' or whatever."

Sakura pursed her lips together.

"Sakura." Itsuki got Sakura's attention.

"I got it, Itsuki." Sakura unlocked her apartment and stepped aside. "I'll get you cleaned up, Dad."

"Thank you," Kizashi breathed as he wobbled into Sakura's apartment and collapsed onto the couch.

Sakura walked into her apartment and shut the door before Itsuki could say anything. And instead of saying a word to her father, she simply grabbed the first aid kit and started tending to his wounds. Silence hung between the two of them like it always did, and Sakura found herself wishing she was back in the comfort of Sasuke's apartment.

"So, was that your boyfriend?" Kizashi asked.

"Who?" Sakura was in the middle of cleaning a wound on Kizashi's arm.

"The black-haired fellow in the fancy car," Kizashi said.

Sakura casually shook her head, "He's a friend of a friend. Naruto-nii knows him."

"Oh? You still talk to Naruto?" Kizashi seemed too enthusiastic about this information. "He's working for his family now, isn't he? I read somewhere that he was running Obsidian now. That's a stunning building and an even more beautiful hotel."

"Yup." Sakura figured the less she said, the better. "He just happened to come into where I work. I rarely see him."

"Say, do you think he could get me in to see Minato?" Kizashi beamed. "I-I got sketches and ideas. I just haven't shown them yet because only Uzumaki Industries can build 'em."

Sakura looked at Kizashi. She had half a mind to throw him out then and there, but then she looked at his wounds. She would never admit it aloud, but she had a soft spot for Kizashi despite all he'd done. Her mother used to say he was a product of his circumstances, and it wasn't until she was older that she understood what that meant.

Kizashi's parents, Sakura's grandparents, had been addicts too. Kizashi grew up in a poor neighborhood just like Sakura lived in, and had worked harder than anybody in his class to get to where he had been. He paid his own way through school and scrounged together every scholarship he could possibly apply for. He was lucky enough to have met Kushina while in school, and through her, he got his interview with Uzumaki Industries. But then all it took was one failure and dive into a deep depression that landed Kizashi in the pit of addiction he'd fought so hard to avoid falling in to.

"I can't promise anything," Sakura muttered quietly.

"Thank you, Sakura." Kizashi was practically vibrating. "I just need a second chance, that's all. Minato knows that too. Ah, but I would need clothes if I'm gonna meet with him."

Sakura held her tongue. She stifled a smile, "I'll figure something out."

For the next hour, Kizashi talked about his project ideas. Sakura barely understood half of it, but she listened and acted interested anyway. Then in the middle of his rant, Kizashi caught a look at the alarm clock by Sakura's bed. He stood up quickly and started to fidget.

"I-I gotta go. I didn't realize the time," Kizashi stammered.

"Is everything okay?" Sakura asked.

Kizashi nodded, "Ye-yeah. Yeah. Everything's cool. Do you have any cash on you? I wanna buy some things on my own and maybe grab a bite to eat?"

Sakura nodded, "Yeah. Hang on." Sakura walked over to her purse and looked inside. To her surprise, she saw a money clip struggling to hold together a wad of cash that she didn't put there. Then she saw the Uchiha Crest etched into the clip. "He must've dropped it?"

"Sakura?" Kizashi sounded anxious.

"Just a second." Sakura picked up the money clip and pulled it off. She flipped through it and estimated that a few thousand dollars were in it. Then a note fell. She picked it up, opened it, and saw Sasuke's handwriting.

"Keep it," Sakura read.

"Where did you get that?" Kizashi's eyes were fixated on the thousands of dollars in Sakura's hand.

"Here." Sakura counted out five hundred and handed it to him. "I'll get you a prepaid debit card and load some money onto there. In the meantime, use that to get some food, some clothes, and a few nights in a hotel. Okay?"

Kizashi couldn't take his eyes off the money in her hand, "Yeah. You'll give me more, right?"

"Later," Sakura assured him. "I have to go to school in a few hours, so I'll try and get you the debit card by the end of today."

Kizashi nodded, "Right. Okay. I'll see you soon, Sakura."

Kizashi left. Sakura couldn't help but feel uneasy about Kizashi's sudden jitters, but she didn't dwell on it long. She couldn't help but lock all of the locks on her door, though.

Once her nerves calmed down, she showered, changed, and headed out. Though she had walked the same route over a thousand times, today felt too different. She was uneasy, and she felt herself clutching to her purse tighter than usual.

She had left a majority of the money Sasuke gave her at home and tucked away in a hiding spot with the rest of her extra savings, but she still carried a generous amount with her. Whether it was the idea that she'd come into a few thousand dollars or her father showing up unannounced, she wasn't sure which one made her more uncomfortable.

As usual, she stopped and talked to the homeless man who hung around the train station and gave him a more than generous tip. The pure joy on his face was enough to calm her nerves. On her train ride to school, she thought about the list of finals she needed to cram for over the next two weeks before school let out for the spring.

Then her phone chimed.

Sasuke: Miss me yet?

Sakura: Maybe a little.

Sasuke: Only a little? My feelings are hurt.

Sakura: Sorry, not sorry. Shouldn't you be working?

Sasuke: In the middle of a meeting right now, actually. I got bored.

Sakura: Shame on you. Focus on your meeting.

Sasuke: I can't. You keep texting me back.

Sakura rolled her eyes but smiled.

Sakura: Fine. I won't text you back anymore. Enjoy your day at work.

Sasuke: Now you're just being mean.

Sakura: Just a little. Call me later?

Sasuke: Of course.

The rest of Sakura's day was the usual mundane routine. She attended her classes, listened to the lectures, and chatted with friends. Some professors expressed some curiosity about Sakura's sudden disappearance, but seeing as she kept up with assignments and emailed them regarding the lectures she missed, they didn't pry too much.

Admittedly, on Sakura's behalf, she had viewed a few of the lectures while in a more or less compromising position. She didn't say this out loud, though, obviously. And she enjoyed the thought of her little secret. She was willing to admit she'd been a bit of a bore before, so it was nice to have something out of the ordinary finally happen.

"So," Tayuya, a music major and Sakura's friend, strolled beside Sakura with the usual pep in her step, "what's his name?"

"What're you talking about?" Sakura feigned ignorance.

"The only thing capable of keeping Haruno Sakura away from her studies is a dick with magical powers, so," Tayuya nudged her, "what's his name?"

Sakura rolled her eyes, "There isn't a guy. And don't talk like that, it's embarrassing."

"Some guys find it charming that I'm so unfiltered," Tayuya argued. "Well, if it's not a guy, I guess I should ask if you're okay?"

"I'm okay," Sakura said. "I just needed a break."

"Yeah," Tayuya agreed. "You always work so hard; it doesn't hurt to rest every once in a while. I'm glad you did, though. You look refreshed."

Sakura smiled, "Thank you."

"Are you done for the day?" Tayuya asked. "I could really go for some okonomiyaki."

"Me too, honestly," Sakura confessed. "Let's go."

Tayuya stopped. She blinked a few times, and Sakura looked at her.

"What?"

"You actually agreed to get food with me," Tayuya explained. "That never happens."

Sakura shrugged, "I figured I could allow some leniency in my schedule."

Tayuya grinned and linked her arm with Sakura's, "I like this new you. And when you're ready to tell me what his name is, I'll be there to listen. Because if he's able to loosen you up like this, then clearly he's doing something right."

Sakura rolled her eyes, "Let's just go eat before I change my mind, Tayuya."

Together, Sakura and Tayuya went to the okonomiyaki restaurant near their campus. They ate and drank a few beers before a group of Tayuya's classmates came in.

"We're going to karaoke," Sakon, one of a set of twins, announced. "You in?"

"Of course!" Tayuya exclaimed. She looked across the table at Sakura, "Is this new Sakura up for karaoke, or are you done for the night?"

"Karaoke sounds fun," Sakura agreed.

Together, the lot of them made their way to the train station and headed towards Central Konoha. When they got off at their station, they piled into a taxi.

"So, you're the infamous Sakura we hear Tayuya ramble on and on about," Jiroubou, then pudgiest of the bunch, said from the front seat. "With the way she talks about you, we half assume she's in love with you."

"Can it, Pudgy," Tayuya sneered.

Kidoumaru chuckled, "Leave Tayuya alone, Jiroubou. I'm sorry, Sakura, we're usually not this rowdy."

"That's a lie," Ukon grunted.

"Hey, didn't you get the Uchiha Enterprise Grant?" Jiroubou asked as he jerked his finger out the window. "Have you been to their headquarters yet?"

Sakura looked out the window and saw their taxi stopped a light just outside Uchiha Enterprise. She could see a few Uchiha lingering outside the building, then she spotted a blonde. After a set of Uchiha moved, Sakura saw Naruto talking to Sasuke just outside, the two of them holding their satchels.

"That's Uchiha Sasuke, isn't it?" Tayuya asked. "The one who married Uzumaki Karin. I saw a few photos from their wedding. It was gorgeous."

"I heard he hates her though," Kidoumaru commented. "There was a rumor a while ago that Karin cheated on Sasuke when they were still in high school."

"Where did you hear that?" Sakon asked.

"Through the grapevine," Kidoumaru answered.

"If you suggest that we go and get ramen, I'm going to go home," Sasuke warned Naruto.

Naruto grumbled, "Fine. We can get something else."

Sasuke chuckled, then he caught sight of the taxi stopped at the light. Through the barely tinted windows, he saw Sakura looking at him, and he smiled. He pulled out his phone and sent her a text.

Sasuke: Friends?

Sakura: Sorta. Friends of friends. Tell Naruto I said hi.

"Sakura says, 'hi.'" Sasuke flashed his phone to Naruto.

"Yoink." Naruto snatched Sasuke's phone.

Naruto: Sakura-chan! Hinata wants to hang out.

Sakura: She does?

Naruto: She does. She wants to go shopping. Here's her number: XXX-XXX-XXXX. Give her a call when you're free.

Sakura: I'll do that. Give the phone back to Sasuke.

Naruto gave Sasuke his phone back, "Here you go."

Sasuke: Can I come over tonight?

Sakura: You're not gonna want to be in my neighborhood after dark in your fancy car. I can guarantee it'll be missing before morning.

Sasuke: Oh, so I'd spend the night?

Sakura: Not the point, pervert.

Sasuke: I can always get another car.

Sakura: PRE-TEN-TIOUS.

Sasuke: So, I'll see you tonight?

Sakura: If you want.

Sasuke: I more than want to.

Tayuya noticed the slight blush on Sakura's cheeks. "Oh? Is it 'there isn't a guy?'"

"Shush." Sakura mushed Tayuya's face.

"Is Sakura going to your Wedding Shower in a few weeks?" Sasuke asked.

"She should be," Naruto answered. "She hasn't RSVP'd yet, but she really doesn't need to. Is she coming to this year's charity event?"

"I almost forgot about that," Sasuke admitted. "I can't invite her myself; it'll be in poor taste."

"I got you." Naruto took out his car keys, "Let's go eat. I'm starving."

While Sasuke and Naruto ate and shared a few beers, Sakura enjoyed karaoke with Tayuya and her classmates. It was close to midnight by the time they left the karaoke bar, and as Sakura fumbled for her phone in her tipsy state, Kidoumaru joined her.

"You need a ride home, Sakura?" Kidoumaru asked.

Sakura shook her head, "No. I can call a ride."

"Make sure you wait with her until her ride gets here," Tayuya exclaimed.

Kidoumaru waved, "I know. Get home safe."

"See you tomorrow, Kidou!" Sakon and Ukon called before the four of them climbed into a taxi.

Kidoumaru took a seat with Sakura on a nearby bench and stretched.

"I'm glad you finally got to join us," Kidoumaru admitted. "Tayuya's been going on and on about you, and she was always a little disappointed when you couldn't make it."

"Really?" Sakura looked at Kidoumaru. "I guess I was so focused on studying that I didn't notice. I'll need to apologize properly next time I see her."

Kidoumaru chuckled, "I think you appropriately apologized already. That's the happiest I've seen Tayuya in a minute. So, thank you, Sakura-san."

Sakura smiled a bit, "You're really nice, Kidoumaru."

"I try my best." Kidoumaru smiled.

Together, Kidoumaru and Sakura sat and chatted for a bit before an SUV pulled up. Kidoumaru looked up, and he watched as Naruto climbed out the driver's seat.

"Sakura-chan," Naruto sang as he walked over to her, "your chariot has arrived."

"Naruto-nii!" Sakura exclaimed as she stood up and hugged him. She rubbed her face in his chest, and Naruto chuckled. She looked up at him and smiled, "Hi."

"Hi." Naruto rubbed the top of Sakura's head, then looked at Kidoumaru, "You waited with her?"

Kidoumaru nodded, "I did. I wanted to make sure she had a ride before I left."

"Thank you." Naruto shook his hand. "Did you need a ride, also?"

Kidoumaru shook his head, "I'm fine calling an uber. Thank you, though."

"Good night, Kidoumaru-san," Sakura said.

"Good night, Sakura-san." Kidoumaru waved as Naruto helped Sakura into his car.

Once Sakura was buckled in, Naruto climbed into the driver's seat and pulled away from the curb. He handed Sakura a bottle of water, which she happily took.

"Hinata isn't with you?" Sakura asked.

"She has an early morning tomorrow, so she's already asleep," Naruto explained. "Did you have fun?"

Sakura nodded, "I did. I need to go out with them more often."

"I'm glad you had fun," Naruto admitted as he reached over and poked Sakura's cheek. "You were starting to develop wrinkles."

"Was not," Sakura whined as she waved his hand away.

Naruto chuckled, "Sure."

Once they reached Sakura's apartment, Naruto helped Sakura up to her apartment. Though she wasn't drunk, she definitely shouldn't be climbing that many flights of stairs on her own.

"You good?" Naruto asked.

Sakura nodded, "Mm. Thank you, Naruto-nii."

"You're welcome." Naruto rubbed Sakura's head again, "I'll see you again soon."

Sakura nodded again, "Mm! Good night."

"Good night." Naruto left, and Sakura unlocked her front door. She headed inside, and once she was flopped out onto her bed, she called Sasuke.

He answered on the second ring, "Hey."

"Hi," Sakura said. "I'm home."

"Had fun?" Sasuke asked.

"I did." Sakura rolled over onto her back, "Can you come over?"

"Weren't you worried about my car getting stolen?" Sasuke chuckled.

Sakura smiled a bit, "You can always buy another car, can't you?"

Sasuke chuckled, "I'll be over in a little bit."

"Hurry, please," Sakura pleaded in a sweet tone.

"I'll be there before you know it," Sasuke told her. With that, he hung up.

Sakura pulled herself out of bed and took a shower. She found the nicest piece of lingerie that she had and slipped that on. She wore a robe over that, and she patiently waited. It was nearly forty-five minutes to Sasuke's apartment, but there was a knock on her door in thirty.

"Did you break traffic laws to get here?" Sakura now sobered up, got up, and opened her door.

"Haruno Sakura?" a large man stood outside her door with four other men behind him.

"You have the wrong apartment," Sakura said quickly.

"Our apologies," the large man in front said. "Have a good night."

Sakura simply nodded. She started to close the door, but the door was kicked in, and Sakura fell back. She tried to scramble for the bat she kept by her bed, but one of the men grabbed her by her hair and pulled her back before she could reach it.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," the man warned.

To Be Continued…