Sakura cleared the tables of the little ramen shop on the outskirts of Konoha, blowing the little wisp of hair out of her face as she took them to the back. Dumping the bowls in the sink she grabbed the cleans ones off the rack and brought them to the table next to the chef, the giant pot boiled as he filled the bowls with noodles and broth. She never thought she would end up here but after her family's business went belly up her parents skipped town, she settled on a little village outside of Konoha so she could still see Ino.

It had been a little over a year since her father's company was seized, he was being charged with fraud, extortion, embezzlement, and a long list of other charges. They left town, leaving her here to deal with the bullshit. People didn't like her simply because she was his daughter, people often threw things at her, left things in her mailbox, left packages and letters on her door, but she didn't really pay much attention to them anymore, people had the right to be mad at what her father did.

Ino and her family were the only people that still welcomed Sakura with open arms, she grew up with Ino and they were always in the same class together, she walked across the stage and graduated before it happened, she even had a scholarship to the best medical school on the region, but of course she lost it when the scandal came to light.

She lost everything, she didn't have a car but she liked walking places anyway so it didn't really bother her. She made enough to pay for a crappy studio apartment, the building was run down. The water never worked, the lights flickered and the ac was out. She lived on the the third floor, there was no elevator so she had to take the stairs, as she got closer to the top the hotter it got.

She reached her door after a long shift she was covered in sweat, jamming the key into the door she twisted the key and walked inside. Grabbing her bag she started to pack come over night clothes, she knew Ino would have something for her to wear once she got there.

They were going to a river party tonight, they did that a lot when she was in high school. She never really cared for them but she went because Ino asked her to go, she had been avoiding going to a party there in over a year of course Ino begged her to go.

Her phone dinged, pulling it out of her back pocket, it was Ino.

Sakuraaaa, hurry up or we're going to be late.

We still have five hours before it even starts, it only takes me twenty minutes to walk there.

I wish you would let me pick you up, it'd be a lot faster, and we still have to go through my bathing suits and find something for you to wear!

She tucked her phone back in her pocket, she locked the door and walked down the stairs, the last time she went to a party at the river Naruto and Sasuke were there. Ino and Sasuke were inseparable in high school, They were only two years older than them but Sasuke moved away during his sophomore year. They agreed that long distance would be a bad idea, he was only supposed to be for two years but he's been gone for four.

Naruto lived with them, so he too had to move. His parents died when he was little and Uchiha's were his god parents, Naruto was also her best friend, he was always around when she need someone and often protected her from the bullies. Sakura was always the smallest one, she was short and skinny, so people thought she was the easy target.

Before she knew it, shew as at Ino's house, pushing the buzzer the gates opened. Walking up the driveway to her oversized home, she walked through the front door and found her in her massive closet,

"Finally, lets gooo." Ino pulled her inside and started handing her things to try on.

"We still have like four hours to get ready, what are you so worried about? It's just a river party." Sakura looked through the bathing suits, they were all a little risky for her but she knew Ino wouldn't be satisfied until she tried them on.

"It's not just any party, Sasuke is going to be there. He finally moved back, his father wants him to take over the entertainment side of the business and Sasuke would only do that if he got to come back here!" She skipped around, Ino was a fashion designer and he was going to run one of the biggest studio's in entertainment.

"That's awesome, have you talked to him yet?" Ino shook her head.

"No, not yet. I'm scared too, what if he's changed, what if he found someone else why he was away in America." she threw another article of clothing down, and picked out something else.

"You guys were like the perfect couple in high school, I highly doubt he wanted to come back here because of the scenery." She laughed and shut the door to the show side of the closet and tried on the bathing suits.

"You never know anymore, I heard that Hinata cheated on Naruto, they aren't even together anymore, she stayed back in the states when they came back." Sakura pulled the door open, her eyes were huge.

"Whhhaatttttt, they've been otgether since middle school." She adjusted the pink top, she liked how it looked, the top didn't show too much and the bottoms looked like shorts, "I can't believe she would do spmething like that, she was always so nice and quiet."

"Exactly why I'm worried Sasuke has changed." They finally settled on a bathing suit, Sakura had s un hat to match with jean shorts, flop flops and a black race tank top to cover herself until they got there.

Ino was in a small dark purple suit, the bottoms where small and barley covered her rear but she's got a nice body, why not show it off.

It was finally time to head towards the river, they climbed into Ino's convertible, lowering the top they headed towards the river, it was a short twenty minute drive.

They head towards the river, it was already full of people, they found a spot and set up their towels and set their bags down, Ino went off to get them some drinks, soon she was back and handed Sakura a red cup, she went off to see if she could find Sasuke while Sakura stuck her feet in the crystal clear water. She downed the first cup, she felt a little buzz creeping up on her, she didn't drink often and only ever drank one glass of anything whenever she went out.

The heat from the sun, the coolness rolling off the water around her and the drink was almost enough for her to relax, but that would never happen.

She wasn't allowed to relax anymore, not since her father was accused of being a murderer.