Every single person in the room was uniquely beautiful in their own way. Sakura found herself stealing glances at each person, observing everyone's different but overall fit physique. The woman next to her was Tenten; she had space buns like Ibiki, her face was heart-shaped and angular, her frame was small but firm. Sakura could see where most of Tenten's strength came from, and it was her muscular thighs. Sitting next to her, they weren't over powered, but Sakura didn't doubt Tenten could squeeze a watermelon between her thighs and it explode. Sakura noticed what she figured must be a dagger on each side on Tenten's hips. Temari was fairly tall, just a foot smaller than Shikamaru. She had her hair pulled back in several pony tails, blond hair frayed out wildly at the ends. Her angled eyes matched evenly with her diamond face, brows arched in a domineering expression. Her stance was wholly commanding, her form sleek like a lioness at rest; muscles bunched up and ready to pounce at any moment.

Standing over at the table beside Shino, muttering together over some papers, was Neji. He was as tall as Shino was, though his hair was twice as long. Raven black hair hung in a low pony tail past his hips, narrowing at the tip. He wore a black headband across his forehead, the straps tied on the back of his head. What took Sakura by surprise the most was the twin pearl-gray eyes he bore, exactly the same color as Hinata's; except his eyes were angled slightly sharper than Hinata's eyes. Neji appeared almost as reserved as Shino, had it not been for him barking off some questions across the room to Naruto. Sakura wondered if Hinata and Neji happened to be siblings. At the desk, Tsunade shuffled papers and wrote vigorously; Sakura had to stop herself from openly gawking at how outrageously huge her breasts were. Tsunade's breasts put Ino's to shame by a long shot. Long blonde hair was worn in low, effortless pig tails. She had honey-brown eyes and equally thin, blond eyebrows that remained fully expressive throughout the entire exchange. By the restroom, the two men Kakashi called Kankuro and Gaara remained leaned against the wall, saying only a few subtle words over their shoulders to each other. Kankuro appeared dense and wide, however it wasn't in the same way Choji was; Kankuro was stocky, with choppy black hair that swept up and out mindlessly. His face appeared to have markings on it, in a deep purple color surrounding to accent the shape of his almond eyes; coming from his left cheek, across the bridge of his nose to his right cheek. Lines met at the peaks of his cheek bones, following the hallow of his cheeks and meeting another set of markings that lined his jaw structure and finally a triangle coming up to a peak over his chin. Leaned against the wall next to him, Gaara stood out. Brilliant red hair flashed in a disordered shock around his head, parting over his forehead to reveal a red tattoo on the right side, just above piercing blue eyes. She noticed his eyes appeared dark; however, it was the only dark that a nurse would be able to catch on and understand it was more than just tired. She suspected he suffered from a form of insomnia, though the severity was beyond her. His expression was blank, revealing nothing as cool eyes raked the room. Sakura remembered Kakashi talk about Gaara, about how he wasn't originally from this chapter but often comes around to help. In her observing, Gaara's gaze caught hers, unblinking. Sakura broke out into an awkward smile, giving a half-hearted wave and turning away to face Ino who was prattling off to Hinata about their plan. Sakura tapped Ino's shoulder to get her attention.

Ino swiveled around, "Oh! Sakura, okay. Here, tell me what you need." Ino pulled her phone out of her pocket, bringing up the notes and eyeing Sakura expectantly.

Sakura huffed out air, thinking.

She honestly wishes this didn't have to happen.

At the hospital, after Kakashi told her that she'd have to stay at his house, she was without a doubt sure she was going to be able to function on her own. Even though she knew her injuries were extensive, she had no clue it was going to be as severe as Tanaka said it would be. She figured they were all being paranoid, after what she went through, who could blame them? But the moment she stepped out of the wheel chair and began to move, that concept shattered into a million tiny pieces. She'd gone through a lot thanks to Taijutsu, Sakura was confident that her pain tolerance was higher than others; though no amount of training could prepare her for what she was feeling. Himari was in no way being dramatic in saying that she'd be feeling like she ran thousands and thousands of miles none stop. Sore was an understatement. All of her muscles felt bound together and beyond tight. If she stepped too far, stretched her arm to high—the muscles would burn and tingle, followed with a sharp jabbing pain as they refused to stretch out. They felt tender, she felt tender all over and she wondered why she didn't feel this way sitting in the hospital. Moreso, the whole shower deal seemed to be really over done; why was it such a big deal to begin with? But after Ino called her stupid, Sakura had tried to reach up to adjust her messy bun only to be met with incredible pain that immediately caused her hand to jerk back down to a tolerable position. If she couldn't even adjust her hair, how was she expected to wash it? She wasn't going to be able to tend to the wounds by herself, and secretly dread what brushing her teeth was going to entail.
Now that she was going to be sure she did on her own no matter what.

On top of the physical pain she felt in her body, there was the non-stop dizziness she felt in her head. It felt heavy, and she often had to stop herself from lolling over to the side in response. She could feel the stinging on her face, the throbbing of her stab wounds, gashes, back of her head, and right cheek. Everything pulsed and throbbed painfully with her heart beat, and she hoped that Himari had put pain meds in the bag with all the other medical supplies, too. She hated how useless she felt, considering she literally couldn't do much for herself at the moment. What's more, she was feeling engulfed by everything going on. As much as Kakashi and the others seemed to be doing their best to diffuse her tension, it didn't stop it altogether. Hearing Kiba say that they could very well strike her if they saw her come into the complex—her stomach immediately dropped and electricity jolted itself in panicked crackles throughout her chest. Her mouth went dry and she bit back the erratic breathing that threatened to fluster from the depths of her lungs. All she imagined in a flash was being grabbed again, pinned to the concrete and strangled to death. In that instant, she saw these kind people murdered, stabbed, and beat—and it would be her fault. Her palms started to sweat at the delusion, and she wanted nothing more than to cry out that maybe her going was a bad idea for everyone involved, but she couldn't find the strength to speak in that moment. Sakura had become gripped with fear, however she was glad no one had noticed it. At least, she thought no one noticed it.
The subtle way Kiba poked her shoulder, so quick that no one else really caught it; the sudden contact jolting her out of it, followed with his suggestion of just taking her to the house.
Sakura was thankful.

The thought of being caught in the grips of fear humiliated her. She didn't want anyone to think she was so shaken up, she wanted to be as strong as the people around her appeared. Each individual exhumed a confidence that could not be shaken, their strength a profession of their fight; no one can take them down. She felt like a child, compared to everyone in the room considering her condition. She felt like a burden that they were taking on, regardless of what Tsunade had said.

She was a part of him?

At the moment, Sakura didn't see that as a compliment or anything to put her at ease. It would be different if she felt like an equal to Kakashi, but right now that wasn't the case whatsoever. Rationally, Sakura should know that was she was feeling and the situation she was in was circumstantial and temporary; she should, anyways. For every self depreciating thought, she did her best to combat it with the practical one as evenly as possible. It just seemed the negative thoughts wailed in the forefront of her mind, while practicality sat in the back. As much as Sakura felt deeply ashamed and embarrassed, she knew that she couldn't just back out. By the way everyone was treating the topic of Sota, she understood he was not someone to be taken lightly. Every person was on guard, analyzing everything they could about him and his team. She knew even if she tried to take off, 1) she wouldn't get far and 2) she very well couldn't hide from the likes of him and his men. They had found her complex in an instant, followed her without being noticed, and managed to slip into the restroom to attack her without anybody picking up on his behavior. She knew she had to comply; to trust that Kakashi and his team would help to protect her. She didn't like feeling like she couldn't depend on herself, but that's what was happening right now and there was nothing she could do to change it besides hope that they get their hands on Sota soon.

Neji had said something about it taking longer than a month.
Would it really take that long?
When she was better, would she go back home or would she remain at Kakashi's?

The thought of staying back at her apartment by herself scared her shitless, if Sota was still out there. Something inside her told her that Kakashi wouldn't allow it, that he'd probably force her to stay at the house if it meant she'd be safe.

He was proving to be more of a quality man than any of the other's she'd met before.
In fact, this entire team, who for the most part she just met, seemed to be made up of people she felt she could wholeheartedly trust.

To further her point, no one had any adverse reactions when Kakashi leaned in and kissed her temple. Not that she expected anyone to, however she didn't expect him to make a move so bold in front of people she barely met. What shook her was how unbothered everyone appeared to be, even Ino who seconds ago was giving him shit for being so tacky. They behaved as if he'd been kissing her all the time in front of them, making them jaded to the action.
Not that she would mind, considering all things.

The way Kakashi made sure to hold her, his calloused hands managed to be so tender. The way he regarded her attentively, making sure she was comfortable—an act no man had ever done for her. Sakura never really liked being treated like a princess, she was a woman after all. But the look in his eyes when he skimmed her face, like she didn't look like she was ran over. His eyes lingering on her lips had her thinking foolish thoughts, given the current situation. His stare was so intense, she had to turn away to break the spell.

"Sakura?" Ino pressed, patting Sakura's shoulder lightly. "What do you want us to pack from your apartment?"

Sakura shook her head, snapping out of her train of thought, "Oh…I'm sorry."

Ino rolled her eyes, "He's hot, Sakura, we get it."

"Um—what?" Sakura uttered, leaning back to look at Ino better.

"Your boyfriend, duh."

Sakura's brows furrowed, confused. "I'm so lost right now."

"Don't play coy," Ino tapped the tip of Sakura's nose. "I saw the googly eyes you were giving Kakashi when he kissed you. You were practically drooling."

"Pfft."

Ino guffawed, "You try so hard, Sakura, but it's so obvious it hurts."

"What's so obvious?"

Ino jostled her head, skeptical, "That you're into Kakashi big time?"

Sakura tilted her head, giving Ino an exhausted expression.

Ino raised her eyebrows, hands up on either side, "Don't shoot the messenger. I'm just stating the obvious."

"Anyways," Sakura interjected tiredly. "Please pack pj's, clothes—different types just so I can have options I guess. Socks, obviously. Panties, toothpaste, my tooth brush, hair brush—all of my shower stuff that's around the edge of the tub. I have a small make up bag that's on the sink, can you grab that please?"

"Mmmhhmmm," Ino hummed, typing away on her phone. "Anything else?"

"I suppose the obvious stuff…oh, I have three blankets on my bed. One's white and very soft, one's red and white and fluffy, and one's black with blue dots. Can you grab all of those for me, too?"

Ino's brow quirked, "Three blankets, really?"

Sakura shrugged defensively, "I get cold."

"Alright, fine. So, the obvious stuff, a selection of clothes, toiletries, make up, blankets—anything else? Anything…private?" Ino leaned in and winked.

"Private?"

"You know," Ino wiggled her shoulders and hips, making her eyebrows dance up and down. "Something a little more…naughty?"

Sakura glowered, "No."

"Mh." Ino shrugged fecklessly, turning her attention back to her phone. "Not like you'll need it living with Kakashi anyways."

At this, Sakura couldn't help the gasp that blurted itself out of her mouth. She wanted to slap Ino across the arm, but knew the action would warrant the stabbing pain she had been working hard on avoiding since its' genesis. Ino glanced over at Sakura from the corner of her eye, grinning impishly.

"You're being bad," Sakura admonished with a scowl.

"I'm just saying," Ino sing-songed, pushing the phone deep into her small pocket. "There's a reason we call him lover boy."

Sakura didn't want to push the topic any more. Her sensibility told her that there was so much going on that Kakashi's sex drive should be the last of her worries. Regardless, curiosity burned deeply over the course of her brain, pushing her to speak before she could even stop it. "What do you mean? How do you know?"

"Well, I don't know personally, nor does anyone here. Kakashi isn't a kiss and tell, he's actually incredibly private when it comes to that, even with his joking around. Bbbuuuuutttt, that wouldn't stop the women he'd bed from opening their big mouths and talking. Most of the time, they'd have one night with him and they'd linger around the club for a week trying to get another shot at him. They'd hang around the bar, asking us bartending questions about his love life. Well, you know, they'd get several drinks in and just…talk."

Sakura didn't notice that she had leaned in, "What would they say?"

"Wwweeeellll," Ino grinned, glancing around before leaning in closer to Sakura, her voice low. "At first, I thought it was just talk. You know how chicks can get after a decent night of sex. But, there was a common theme between them. They'd say words like stamina, which is impressive because Hinata has said that Naruto is literally insane with stamina. They'd talk about how intense it was, how hot it was, how creative he is—"

"Creative?" Sakura whispered, glued to Ino's words.

"Mmmhhmmm," Ino nodded, twirling her long blond pony tail in her hand. "Positions, kinky shit, and that he's a very 'selfless lover.' One woman called him a 'big dicked sex god.'"

Sakura leaned back some, regarding Ino dubiously, "You sure she wasn't just talking him up?"

"No, because the guys—well, Naruto to be exact—have made remarks about his junk, in front of us for some stupid reason. Not that we really care, we're all like family. The guys actually tease Kakashi about it, believe it or not. Naruto calls it the iguana."

"No way," Sakura chuckled. "He's being dramatic."

Ino shrugged uncertainly, "I don't know, Sakura. Women would call him an animal, I mean shit, it must have been good if they're hanging around the club for it. The guys make remarks all the time, if you get Naruto started on it he won't shut up, he's actually bothered by it which is funny."

Sakura's mind started to buzz. Kakashi was a grown man, of course he was going to sleep with women. She shouldn't be bothered by the thought, and while she really wasn't, she wondered if he had a type of woman he'd bag, like Sasuke did. Though Sakura would never admit it out loud, of-fucking-course she's thought about what sex with Kakashi would be like. She wondered if it was funny, because he was always making smart ass remarks. She'd often try to figure out what he had going on downstairs, based off of her medical knowledge—though that was never accurate, considering by the looks of some men she'd never think they were hung like a horse. She'd imagine how he'd initiate, but it only went so far sometimes. Even if she was hesitant, there was no denying the sexual tension between them was so thick you could cut it with a knife. These were thoughts she kept to herself, so she was surprised that Ino had even brought up the topic…Well, maybe not. Ino was pretty crass, so Sakura should know to not put anything past her.

"Ino…why are you telling me this?" Sakura wondered out loud.

"I figured I'd give you something to think about to distract you from everything else," Ino answered honestly. "If you weren't already thinking about it," she winked.

From behind the couch Kiba walked around, Akamaru lumbering behind, "Are you ready, Sakura?"

Sakura glanced over to Kiba, unaware that her face was slightly pink. "Yes," she replied, taking Kiba's outstretched hand.

Despite his brutish attitude, Kiba was surprisingly gentle with Sakura; carefully guiding her to the car at her pace, hovering his hand over her back to make sure she stayed upright. Once she was in the passenger seat, he shut the door and Ino came up. "We'll see you at the house later today, we shouldn't be long in getting your stuff. Will you be okay with Kiba?"

"She'll be fine," Kiba growled from the driver's side, turning the car on and revving it. With a final wave, he took off down the street and away from Samurai.

Most of the drive was quiet, aside from Kiba asking every now and then if Sakura was feeling okay. The radio stayed on, playing some rock music that she was having a hard time understanding, but found she really liked the double bass on the drums. Behind her, Akamaru went from jutting his big white head between her and Kiba, to squeezing it through the space of her seat and the window; huffing warm dog breath in her ear. The further they drove, the more the cityscape of Tokyo began to fade to spread out suburban areas. Concrete sidewalks gave way to dense trees and grassy hills, sections of bamboo shoots, and a pond speckled here and there. They'd passed playgrounds with kids all over it beside an elementary school. They turned down winding roads, until eventually they were met with the pure green thickness of nature. Sakura found herself equally captivated by the greenery, as she had been by the city. She turned her head in Kiba's direction. His eyes were furrowed with focus, one hand on the steering wheel and the other on the gear shift.

Sakura spoke up, "How far until we get there?"

Kiba shook his head, jutting his lip out. "Not long."

Sakura nodded, "Thank you, by the way."

"For what?" Kiba grunted.

"For all of this."

"Bah," Kiba waved at her dismissively. "It's not a big deal. Well, I take that back; it is a big deal, but what I mean is that we aren't bothered by it. You're an ass, but I guess you're our ass, now."

"I don't understand why that keeps getting tossed around," Sakura expressed frustratedly. "I mean yeah, I asked him out, but we haven't even had a first date yet. We only know each other a little bit, and for the most part you and your team barely know me. Why is everyone so gun-ho on including me in on something I'm clearly not a part of?"

Kiba glanced over at Sakura, "He hasn't told you?"

"Told me what?" Sakura inquired, eyebrows flinching downwards.

"Mh, I don't know if I should say..." he mumbled, turning his attention back to the road. "It's really not my place...All I can say, is that not that Kakashi is a man who can't commit—because that's far from the truth. Of the team, he's the most to follow through with what he says he's going to do...but, he's also had something pretty shitty happen to him back in the day that lead him to sort of...I don't know, I don't want to say swear off of relationships, because he never actively said it. He just sort of closed himself off emotionally from women. He wasn't bitter, he wasn't ugly to women by any means—he just kept them at a distance at all times, besides the girls on the team of course."

"What happened? Ino told me that you all call him lover boy? Hasn't he slept around with women?"

Kiba plucked a shoulder, looking both ways across the street before revving the gas and continuing forward. "Well, yeah Sakura—he is human and we all have needs. He just did it differently. Each woman he slept with, he made it distinctly clear it was just a hook up and that's it. He was never ugly or disrespectful; he just made the conditions clear, which I respect because most men just fuck around and never consider the other person's feelings. As for what happened...again," he sighed, rolling is head around quickly, "I really don't think I should be the one telling you...but, maybe if you knew then you'd understand why we all take you just as serious." Kiba peered at Sakura from the corner of his eye for a second, meeting her gaze and blinking before looking ahead again.

"Was he in a bad relationship?" Sakura queried quietly.

Kiba nodded, making a sucking sound with his lips and teeth, "You can say that. It was years ago, he must have been in his early twenties at the time. He was with this girl at the time who actually used to be a childhood crush, I think her name was Yua? They met up at like, the grocery store I think. Bumped into each other, stuff was all over the floor, you know; movie shit. They end up saying hey let's go get coffee and catch up. One thing becomes another and they're dating. Now, you should know Kakashi has always been weird about the way he regards women. While say a guy like me meets a hot babe, I'll go and brag about it all day long. Kakashi, keeps all of that to himself. He could have a solid ten hanging around him, and he wont even acknowledge it. Again, not out of being a dick or anything, that's just how he is. His love life is pretty private, compared to most guys," Kiba mused, shifting gears and wincing at the groan of the car. "So, he starts telling us he thinks she's cute and we go oh shit, he's actually brining someone up? They go on dates, eventually they move in together, and they seemed happy."

"So what was the problem?" Sakura interjected curiously. Kakashi had mentioned Yua to her at the hospital, she noted. He had told her she was the crush he asked out at the dance.

"The problem is that it was all a façade. Sure, at first it may have been nice. It was only after awhile that he started showing signs of emotional drainage? He just seemed like something was bothering him all the time, but he would never talk to us about it which is weird because he'd tell us if something was up. He starts showing up less at the safehouse, not getting drinks with us, hell—he wasn't taking nearly as many jobs as he used to, and he's always taking jobs. We were all suspicious of Yua, I mean none of the girls liked her, and Shino was always wary of her. One night, we managed to talk Kakashi into partying with us at the safehouse—we party once a month at least just to let some steam off, it's like a tradition. The whole time he's there, he's just a shell of a person. He's not really making jokes, he's not talking to anyone; he's just swallowing down drink after drink after drink. I mean, he lets loose every now and then, but he got fucked up, Sakura. Usually it's Naruto we've got to take care of, not Kakashi." Kiba shook his head, irritated. "Ino gets the bright idea that we should capitalize on getting Kakashi to talk about whatever the fuck is going on. Even drunk, it took a lot of pushing to get the man to talk...but once it came out, we didn't know how to feel."

"What did he say?"

"He starts off by telling us he was engaged—of which he never told us before. I guess he popped the question to her awhile back and while he had wanted to tell us, the way she was behaving made him second guess it. Then, he just lets it all out. Apparently, Yua was a manipulating nightmare, a narcissist always twisting his words on him, always arguing with him—you name it. She was always using him for money, she'd ask for thousands at a time for business trips because she was a travelling agent for a magazine company. Sometimes she'd ask for it, but then blow it on clothes, make up, you name it. If he didn't have the money, she'd freak out on him. Calling him names, calling him a failure, breaking up with him, acting like she's going to move out. She'd break shit, she'd threaten to take the dogs even though they were his dogs. She'd want to know where he was at, all the time. She'd blow up his phone, one time we were about to take off for a job and she no-shit called him forty times in one sitting. We were having a meeting and she would not stop. She was crazy jealous, always arguing with him about the girls on the team. She accused him of cheating all the time, she would steal his phone and lock herself in the restroom and just go through it. Once they had an argument so bad that, while he was away on a job, she literally took ALL of his dogs and dropped every single one of them off at the pound—a fucking pound. She disappeared for a week after, he couldn't reach her, her parents didn't know where she was at, nothing."

"Oh my god..." Sakura muttered under her breath.

"Yeah. During this whole time, Kakashi is actively freaking out. He loves his dogs, they're his kids, man. He's a wreck, he doesn't know where they're at. At day five, around like two in the morning, he gets a call from an unknown number and it's Yua. Turns out, she's in Hong Kong with a friend. She tells him that his dogs are going to be put down because the pound can't find the owner, but she's not telling him where they're at. She says that the only way she'll tell him where they're at is if he'll say sorry—even though it wasn't his fault to begin with."

"What were they arguing over?"

"Ah," Kiba chuckled bitterly. "Get this. I guess one of the times she was lurking his phone, she found his notes with passwords and security question answers to all of his banking apps. She snapped a pic of the passwords, downloaded the apps on her phone, and logged in. She starts transferring money from his bank to hers, leaving him with essentially ten bucks across all of his banks. She then all of a sudden has a business trip she has to go to, he knew she took the money, and that's where it started. So she wanted him to apologize, she told him that it was his job to provide for her no matter what. He was so desperate to get his boys back that he agreed. She tells him, and bright and early the very next day he goes with him and he arrived there just in the nick of time; they were quite literally about to put them down. And that's just one instance, dude. There's tons more, like ones of her asking him for threesomes and shit. Kakashi may be a freak, but he's pretty possessive so he doesn't share. She'd lose her shit and take off for a week—then come back like nothing happened. She would tell him how much she hated us and didn't understand why he was with us all the time."

"Did she know about the organization?" Sakura pressed.

"Actually," Kiba commented, "she didn't. She thought that he just worked for the club. He just said he never felt like she was ready for that information yet. If he was with us, she would literally lose her shit. She'd drive to the club and be all sweet to us, but in reality it was like a sign that she's going to fucking snap. She'd go out and party, purposely acting extremely slutty to try to get Kakashi jealous, of which he isn't. She'd tell him he was weak, all this shit. So, then he tells us that when his dad passed away, she was a nightmare. She'd throw it in his face all the time after that. Calling him a coward, saying his lineage was weak, saying the world would be better off if it died with Kakashi. Blaming his dad's death on Kakashi, all this crazy shit."

Sakura scoffed, "Then why didn't he just leave her?"

Kiba pressed his lips tight, shaking his head, "We asked him the same shit. He said at first, he knew she had a bad upbringing and he thought it was because of that. Afterwards, he told us that he actively would try to leave her and she would pull some crazy shit that pretty much twisted his arm behind his back in having to stay with her until he could formulate a plan to get rid of her. After the dog incident, which happened after his dad passed, he laid his foot down and said that's it, you're gone, I'm done. Lo and behold, she gets all weepy and goes to the restroom and comes back to give him a positive pregnancy test."

"No fucking way," Sakura gasped, incredulous.

"Fucking way. We by this point are fucking baffled. We ask him why he didn't tell us, and he said that he just felt like something was off. They go to the doctor, sure enough she's knocked up. She starts telling him she's going to change for him and the baby, blah blah blah. Kakashi may not let on, but he's a family man. He's got a soft spot for kids, and he's told us he'd love nothing more than to have a kid if it were in his cards. Naturally he thinks, oh fuck I've got to hunker down. He told us that initially he panicked, he was young and he didn't want a baby, but that Yua was INSISTENT on having the baby. He could do nothing but respect her choice. He said about five months in, her business trips start getting more and more frequent. What was twice a month turned into once a week, and she'd be gone for like four days at a time. At the very same time, she was pulling a lot of money right before these trips- I'm talking thousands of dollars, Sakura. He'd ask her about the trips and she always had some excuse. He told us that she told him she was in Hong Kong. Kakashi did some sleuthing, and by sleuthing I mean he followed her; which isn't in his character, he's always been someone to give others space. He follows her, she ends up in some really rich ass neighborhood. She walks into what he said was the biggest house on the block. He said he sat in the car watching them and that she stayed at the house from the afternoon until nine, where he saw her walk out all dressed up with some man. They take off to some fancy ass restaurant, and while they're at the place eating the man gets down on one knee in front of everyone and proposes to her!"

"You're kidding me," Sakura gawked.

"Nope. We asked him what he did—shit, if that was me I would of ran up there and fucking raged. Not Kakashi. He's always scary calm, no matter the situation. He told us that she got all weepy, made this big dramatic scene and crying yes and they were kissing and all this shit. They leave, head back to the house and he follows them. At this point, he does go into the house and pretty much walks in on them fucking. He said that she had never looked so freaked out in her whole life. The man was a coward, freaking out and yelling at Kakashi to leave or he'll call the cops. Kakahsi said that for a moment, he didn't know what to do. He said he just stood there and stared at them, and then something snapped. Whatever hold she had on him, or whatever she could manage to threaten him with suddenly loss its' weight. He said that he grabbed the man, twisted his arms behind his back, and held him there to interrogate Yua. The man was screaming like a bitch, Yua was panicking. He said that he told her if she doesn't tell the truth, and the whole truth, he'll fuck her buddy up real good and then report her to the police for theft because he essentially has record of her accessing his bank account and withdrawing money without his permission. She comes from a rich family, so if she went to jail that's it for her. So, she caves. She tells him that all the money she had been taking from him was to come to see the other man, to go to fancy events with him, and that some she even saved to help pay the down payment on the house that man had. Her and that man had been seeing each other for five years. The man was in school when they met, so she never had the money to go see him as often as she wanted. He just graduated college when Yua met Kakashi, and the man hadn't saved enough to get a house for them. Yua's plan was to purely milk Kakashi for all the money she could, for as long as possible to pay for the house and apparently a couple cars, too. She told him that when they got everything they needed, she was going to leave him. The man had an idea of what she was doing, but she told the man that Kakashi was a sugar daddy and that was it."

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Sakura growled angrily. "And what about the baby?"

"Mmh, that's where it gets better," Kiba hummed, pulling down a narrow road. "Kakashi said that he asked her about the baby—she was showing at this point. He had formed a bond with the idea of this baby, you know. She tells him that it's not his baby, it's her lover's baby and that Kakashi was essentially a bank to provide for the shit they needed for the baby. He tells her that he never wants to see her again. He takes a plane home, he said he burned all of her shit as soon as he got home. After that, he said he was a wreck because he had to mourn a baby that wasn't his. He said he'd never felt more stupid in his entire life. He said it was time wasted, and that letting someone in like that was a mistake. Once he told us all that, we did our best to help him feel better. After some time, he got back to being the Kakashi we knew, but he was only a little different. Hurt and jaded. He continued to live his life, but any woman that showed the slightest interest in being with him he'd very carefully distance himself from. We got so used to him just hooking up that we figured he'd never settle again—and who could blame him? Because after all that, then suddenly these dudes start stepping forward out of the blue asking Kakashi if he knew her. Come to find out, she had been actively cheating on him—and i guess her lover- the whole time. She'd sleep with men for money all the time. They'd come to apologize to him, saying that they didn't know she was with him, let alone someone else. Some of them said that she'd steal their money. That just sort of furthered whatever idea he had in his head that he wasn't meant to be in a relationship. Again, he was never bitter about it just...careless, is the best way I could put it. Time passes, and he's healed you know. Life is great, he was happy living the way he was living. Then you come along and he's all wrapped up in you. One of the first things he told us was how beautiful he thought you were, which again he never really talks about the way a woman looks. We never thought after an experience like that he'd commit to someone, yet he was wholly committed. Not in a creepy way, Sakura. Just...determined, I guess. His eyes light up in this way when he talks about you, it's wild. So, what this all boils down to is that he's really committed to doing right by you, and so are we. The moment he brought you up, we just knew."

Sakura didn't know how to feel. Seeing Kakashi, she would have never known him to experience going through that, he was always so relaxed and always so...Kakashi. She felt connected to him in a deeper sense now, knowing what she knows. His experience isn't that off from her's with Sasuke. He probably felt just as trapped as she did at the time, feeling like there's no way out. Deep in her gut, Sakura felt injustice rise like bile. She hated the thought of someone being so ugly, taking advantage of his kindness. Of giving him the idea he was going to have a child, and then rip it away. To basically tell him he was only a bank to her, and nothing more. He must of felt so worthless, so useless. He must have felt awful all the time, and she hated it. She hated the image of him not making smart ass remarks, or grinning like he's got an inside joke going on 24/7. She hated that the things he loved were used as weapons against him, and she never related so hard in her life.

"Do you think he loved her?" She pressed.

"No," Kiba answered instantly. "He told us himself that he didn't. He said in the beginning, he thought maybe he loved her. But Yua is so manipulative, and he was so young and naïve, that he just got sucked in to her traps. He said he stopped loving her long before he even proposed, but that he only proposed to her because she guilted him into it. He also had an inkling that the baby wasn't his—apparently they hadn't had sex in awhile because she was always making him feel like shit."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that he told us she would always ask for threesomes. Or she'd ask if she could fuck someone else and he'd watch. Again, that might be someone else's kink, but he's not the type that likes to share as far as the bedroom goes. He said she'd never be responsive during sex, she'd talk about how boring he was, how much she hated it, and she'd make remarks about that mark on his face and his scar all the time. We know none of what she says about him is true, I think any woman that's slept with him can contest to that. She was just getting in his head and fucking with him and again; he was still pretty young, so he didn't really know better at the time." Kiba explained.

"Poor guy," she muttered, shaking her head with an angry expression on her face. "I can't believe someone would put him through that."

"Yeah, well," Kiba shifted gears, "people like that exist and unfortunately she latched onto one of the most genuine guys I know. They're out there."

"I know all too well," Sakura remarked bitterly.

"Just, don't let yourself get freaked out by all of this. I'm just saying this to put it all into perspective for you, on how we feel about you and how he is. He's going to see everything through with you until the end."

"And what if I don't want that?" Sakura challenged guiltily.

Kiba simply shrugged, "Better to have loved and lost." He looked over at Sakura, "His words, not mine."

At this time, Kiba had turned down a gravel driveway, pulling up to a gate that was closed. Kiba parked the car and jumped out, unraveling the chain that was wrapped around the gate and the post, pushing the gate wide open. He marched to the car, hopped back in, and continued down several feet past the gate before hopping out to shut it again. Her surroundings were dense with trees, bushes, and tall grass. The driveway was bumpy, and Kiba made sure to drive over the dips as slow as he possibly could. The more he drove, a brick house began to break through the trees. The brick of the house was covered in bright green vines that climbed their way halfway up the walls, branches of trees dipped low to touch the roof of the house. There was a gray garage, with leave foliage surrounding the entire property. Though the house appeared to be decently sized, she immediately understood what Kakashi had meant about it being hard to find. No one would really suspect that there was even a house back here, only dense woods. Kiba came to a halt, shutting the car off and letting out a hefty sigh. "Hey, don't be freaked out by everything I told you...I just felt like maybe it would put it all into perspective for you? I don't want you to think he's this creep that's obsessed with you or whatever—he's just really into you, Sakura, and he's a man that sees everything through with unending patience and integrity. We had let go the idea of him settling down, you know. He's so committed to you that we can't help but be just as committed, too. Plus, we all really like you and care about you."

"No," Sakura shook her head slightly. "I don't think that at all. It does give me insight, a lot of it to be exact. It helps me understand him more, he's pretty mysterious."

Kiba chuckled, "Yeah, he's got that air about him. Just, he's got his head screwed on straight, okay? He's not some damaged dude with mommy issues. He learned his lesson and grew up."

"Why are you defending him so hard?" She piqued.

"I just don't want you to push him away, or reject him because of what I've told you today. I mean, I know he would have told you eventually, and I know I'm an asshole for saying his business anyways, but I just felt like considering everything that's going on, you might feel overwhelmed with how helpful he's being and we all are. I bet you thought that he was just after sex or some shit, right?"

"Yeah, for a little..." she admitted openly.

Kiba nodded knowingly, "It's only natural to, not a lot of guys are like him. Just, keep processing things at your pace, is all I'm saying. Don't let what I've told you make you feel like you have to commit to him. He knows full and well there's risk in losing you, but he'd rather have you accept him, if at all, into your space your own way on your own time."

"You're extremely perceptive for someone who talks shit most of the time," Sakura teased.

"Nope, I wish. I'm actually pretty dumb. He told me that."

Sakura started, staring blankly at Kiba. Her mind was running a thousand miles an hour, several different emotions flashing their way across her chest. She felt angry, sad, confused, flattered, and torn. This man's depth only drew deeper, and it honestly surprised her. She wanted to hug Kakashi and apologize on that woman's behalf for him. She wanted to tell him that she thought he was a badass, but she was sure he'd already done his healing. The man she knows now is only self-assured, telling her his experience only caused him to be reborn anew. She didn't blame him for keeping women at a distance, it's the same way she had felt after Sasuke.
That was, until Kakashi managed to get past that hard line she drew.

Sakura felt guilty thinking that Kakashi was like any other guy at the beginning, but could she really blame herself? If she were being honest, she admired Kakashi for becoming strong and moving on from his experience, unlike her. Even if she feels like she's let it all go, some things tend to creep back; like the innate way she feels as though she has to step away from Kakashi any time he gets remotely close. She didn't want to behave that way. She had asked him out on a date, impulsively, but she said it no less and it only resembled what she was feeling. She wanted to be in his space, and she wanted to let him in her space, too. She knew it must take work, she understood she wasn't the easiest to handle when she shut down. Sakura made the active decision to work on trusting him more, even if it scared her to death.
Life was about risk, wasn't it?
Didn't Kakashi say what's life without a little danger?

And he was dangerous.

What Sakura was afraid of the most was actually falling for this man. She didn't want to be back in the same place she was in when she was with Sasuke, though the fact screamed in the background that this wasn't the same. There was still this part of her that clung desperately to the hurt she felt being abandoned time and time again by Sasuke. The lonely nights crying herself to sleep, hating how stupid she felt and wondering what she did wrong. It wasn't going to be easy, but Sakura wanted to be loose of this problem. She wanted to feel freely, and to express freely. Sakura felt as though she needed to prove that she wasn't this shut away woman refusing affection.

Kiba came around to Sakura's side, assisting her out of the car and to the front door of the house. He dug in his pockets, pulling out an old gold key and unlocking the door. The dark red door cracked open, the sound of the insulation around the door making a suction noise. Kiba remarked about how he hadn't been to the house in forever, but before Sakura could reply a herd of dogs made their way to the pair in an instant; Rock being one of them. The fat pug jumped at her feet excitedly, managing to snort and howl at the same time. Sakura tried to bend down to pick him up, until she felt an agonizing sharp pain immediately pulse where her stab wounds were. She jerked up just as quick, the action causing more pain along her arms, legs, and back; as well as making her dizzy. She didn't realize it at the moment, but she had let out what sounded like a mix of a grunt and a hiss. "Sakura, don't do stupid shit like that," Kiba scolded teasingly. "Himari said you can tear open your stitches if you're not careful. Here, you go sit down on the couch and I'll give you Rock."

Placing a hand on her shoulder, Kiba guided her down the hallway that opened up to the living room. Taking in the place, Sakura decided that the home was definitely dated. The couch was a tan color, the fabric of it thin strips of felt that paid homage to households in the seventies everywhere. The floor looked to be a deep mahogany color; however, it was fairly scuffed up along the bottom of the couch and across the room. A very rectangle coffee table sat in front of the couch, marred with every day wear and tear on the top. The TV was fairly old, and it reminded her of her grandparent's TV that they refused to upgrade. Cutting the living room off from the kitchen was a wall that stood up to about Sakura's midsection, with a big cut out so anyone in the living room can see into what was going on in the kitchen any time. The kitchen had the same wood flooring, with cabinets that were a lighter brown and off-white counter tops. There was an island shaped like a bean, the bottom the same light brown color as the cabinets. The kitchen didn't seem to have much going on; there was an old stove, black fridge, microwave, and no dishwasher. Just several feet to the left of the kitchen was a smaller section jutting out that acted as the dining room that had a fair-sized beige table with six chairs that had decorative pillows of Cardinals on the seats. If Kakashi had an affinity for the seventies, his dad must have followed suit due to the overall style of the house.

Surrounding Sakura as she walked was the crowd of dogs. Kakashi's dogs, Sakura's dog, and even Akamaru had left Kiba's side to join in on the party. Though none of them leapt on her, they did jump around with excited yips, tails wagging aggressively. Once Sakura managed to sit herself down, Rock and Bull were the first two to leap up on the couch; Rock directly in her lap and Bull posing on her left. Kiba walked into the kitchen, muttering something about the water; turning on the faucet and emitting a surprised grunt when water sputtered out. He rubbed his hands together, finding the thermostat and turning on the heat. "There," he stated evenly. "It's fucking freezing in here." He opened his mouth to say something else when his phone rang. Kiba dug it out, "Hello?" He glanced around the room, zipping out of the kitchen, through the living room, and down another hall. "Uuuhhh...yes, there is...seems pretty sturdy, too...No, no I wouldn't. Wait, how did you know we were here already?" There was a four-minute pause before he spoke again, now standing in the living room, peering out the window. "Yeah, they're all fine. She turned the water on, too, so that's good...Um," he turned to glance at Sakura. "How are you feeling—and don't bullshit me, Saku."

Sakura scowled, "I feel awful, and I'm not bullshitting you."

"Hn, she says she's feeling awful...Uh, Sakura is the bag Himari gave us with all the medical stuff in the car?"

"No," she responded matter-of-factly. "I think Ino or Hinata had it."

Kiba huffed, "Tweedle-Dee or Tweedle-Dum have it...Uh-huh...No, I can call them. You're doing what?" Kiba paced across to the other window, squinting his eyes to get a good look at something. "When...? Okay, sure. Er—what type of soup do you like?" He turned to Sakura again.

"Umm.." Sakura deliberated, rubbing Rock's ear. "I like tomato soup, chicken, broth..."

Kiba ticked off the flavors Sakura gave him, following up with something about "just make sure it tastes good, this isn't Hell's Kitchen." Several more minutes passed of Kiba talking before he hung up the phone, dialed another number, and began talking to who she could only assume was Ino when Kiba said, "Ino-Bobino." By the time he was done talking on the phone, Sakura had her head tilted back on the couch, eyes closed. She hadn't realized just how tired her body was, even with the minimal movement she's made. Her head seemed to be swimming, and what medicine they had given her at the hospital had worn off completely. She was feeling everything, and she could barely formulate a thought. "Sakura?"

She snapped her eyes open to Kiba leaned halfway over, waving a palm in front of her; his brows pinched together.

"Are you okay? You're looking like you're feeling it," he remarked worridly.

Sakura let out a low sigh, "Honestly, yes. I told you, I'm feeling awful. The meds have completely worn off so everything is just..."

"Oh," Kiba interjected deplorably. "I get it. Is there anything I can do? Ino said that they're almost at your apartment, so once they're done there they'll be here in no time."

"It's fine," Sakura waved. "I'll be fine. I'll probably sleep, if I can."

"Okay, I've got things around here I've got to do, but I'll try to be as quiet as I can."
########################################################################################

She didn't know how long she had been asleep for, but that it was the loud alarm in Kiba's voice that caused her to jostle awake, dread instantly setting in. She stood up, whipping her head around wildly and crouching down despite how much pain it caused her. The dogs had dispersed around her and she felt so frenzied that she couldn't make heads or tails of what was happening. Sakura squeezed her hands into tight fists, ignoring the resistance she felt there because of the swollen flesh. "Kiba?!" She shouted erratically, flicking her eyes all across the room. The footsteps to her left caused her to whip around, screaming when hands came up to catch hers.

"Sakura! Hey—hey, hey hey—calm down—it's me, it's me! It's Kiba—SAKURA!" Kiba held tight onto her wrists after dodging the blows she was blindly trying to strike. He held her wrists out, leaning in to level his eyes with his.

Sakura froze, her whole body tense with shock. She took in a deep breath, blinking back the tears that threatened to form.

Kiba regarded her with concern, "It's just me, dude. You're fine."

"What was that?" She rasped, swallowing the lump in her throat; eyes still wildly flicking around.

Kiba's concerned expression hardened some, as though he was holding something back, "It was nothing, Sakura."

She squinted, "You're lying."

He glanced over to her right hand, "You cracked open some of the scabs on your knuckles. You should go to the sink and clean that up."

She jerked her wrists back, yelping when her body responded to the pain. She tucked her arms down to her sides, closing her eyes and counting down from ten. She immediately regretted her flurry of movements, even in her panic. Everything that had already been pulsing now began to burn and sting at a level way more intense than she had experienced before. Sakura moved to hunch over, hoping it would help with managing, but Kiba stuck out a hand to keep her upright. "You can't do that, Sakura. You're seriously going to re-open those stab wounds—Himari was clear."

She rolled her neck, "I need you to tell me why you were yelling, Kiba. I can't relax until I know what's going on, please."

Kiba growled under his breath, muttering and marching into the kitchen to grab a small dish towel from a drawer. He stood back in front of her, reaching down and wrapping it around her bleeding knuckles. "I'm not supposed to tell you."

"You've told me a lot of things today you weren't supposed to tell me," she rebutted severely.

He scoffed.

"Please," she entreated.

"Fine. Just, don't freak out and try to knock my block off, okay? And don't forget that you are really safe with us, really," he began. "Ino called me..."

"And?" Sakura pressed anxiously.

Kiba sighed hard, running his hand over his hair, "Fuck, dude. You're going to freak out. I just know it."

"Just tell me."

"You're a bully," he stated begrudgingly.

"You're stalling," she bit back.

"O-K-A-Y S-A-K-U-R-A," he enunciated, annoyed. "Ino and Hinata went to the complex to get your shit. When they were at your door, they noticed that it was already unlocked, but Ino says she locked it after she got your pets. Sota had sent his men to ransack your apartment."

Sakura gasped, "Are they okay? Did they attack her and Hinata?"

Kiba raised his hands up, palms facing Sakura. "They're fine. No one was there when they showed up. But all of your shit is wrecked."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, they fucked all of your shit up. Couch, bed, pillows, clothes—everything. Everything was thrown around, stomped on, slashed. Food was all over the place, your clothes were in a pile in the kitchen that they gathered and lit on fire," Kiba explained carefully.

"All of my clothes?"

Kiba closed his eyes and shook his head slowly, "Everything, Sakura. The Yakuza do things like this, it's a clear message. To you, and to us."

She grimaced, feeling her palms going sweaty. "What do you mean message? What are they going to do?"

"That's not something you need to worry about. All you need to know is that we have got it under control."

"What about my stuff?" She piqued, her raspy voice an octave higher. "I can't go buy clothes, I can't even hold my own fucking arms up without-"

"Hey," Kiba interjected calmly, "just relax. Like I said, it's under control. In fact, I have to call Ino back because I hung up to make sure you didn't lose your shit, fists of fury. Seriously, you are in severe pain and you managed to find the energy to fuck me up as best as you can?"

Sakura couldn't focus. As much as she wanted to acknowledge that Kiba was trying to get her to laugh, she just couldn't. She was too busy fretting over the fact that her apartment had been broken into. All of her stuff gone through, burned—she felt violated. She worried about what would of happened if Sota's men were still there when Hinata and Ino had shown up. She worried about what if her pets had still been there, what they would of done to them...

The ringing of her phone snapped her out of her frenzy. She reached for it, slowly picking it up to her ear after several beats, "Hello."

"Sakura, I need to know what size you are." It was Ino.

"Ino!" Sakura breathed. "Oh my fucking god, are you okay? Is Hinata okay? Where are you?"

There was silence on the other end.

"Ino?"

"Did Kiba tell you?" Ino bit, her voice hard edged and openly irritated.

"He did—but only because I made him." Sakura digressed immediately.

Ino scoffed, "What a great fucking Nin he is. Yes, we are fine."

"Is all of my stuff really trashed? Kiba said they burned all of my clothes in the kitchen?"

"Unfortunately, yes. They don't miss a thing when they do this. Just trust that we've got it handled. Now, I need to know what size you are." Ino continued, her once harsh tone now back to her normal lilted one.

Sakura ticked off the sizes to Ino, and as much as she tried to keep her voice level, she couldn't stop the tremoring in her tone.

"Honey," Ino sang softly. "You need to relax. We didn't want to tell you because you are supposed to be stress free—remember? Please just trust us and relax. We can't risk you having another seizure, you'll end up in the hospital for good. I am going to grab some clothes for you-"

"Ino, you don't have to do that," Sakura started in a fluster.

"What are you going to wear, hmmm? Kakashi's stinky sweats? No thank you. We are just going to grab you some things, nothing crazy so don't worry."

"I can send you the money for it," Sakura offered.

Ino laughed, "Don't even. Save your money, sis. I am a bargain shopper, I find all the cutest shit for a good ass price, so it's nothing. Kakashi told me you're in a lot of pain, right? What level are you at?"

"Eight."

"Alright, well in that case I'm sending Hinata over there with the medicine and I'll get your clothes for you. For now, try to actively rest some. You're probably really exhausted," Ino chided tenderly.

"Okay..." Sakura breathed, gripping the phone hard.

"RELAX. I'll see you in a little bit. Bye."

The line went dead.

Eventually Sakura moved to the couch again, cursing under her breath and breathing slowly through the throbbing pain she felt all over her entire body. She felt like her mind was at war. The first response she felt and thought was absolute fear. It was images of her attacker's hateful face laughing at her. Then it was Kiba's voice, Ino's voice, and even Kakashi's voice telling her to trust them; a unison of people consistently reminding her she's safe. That she's in capable hands, that the shit is being handled and she shouldn't stress. Stress meant seizure and that's the last thing she needed.
Sakura counted backwards from 100, breathing deeply with each number. After 32, the panic had ebbed away only slightly, but it was just enough for her to fall back asleep again.

There was a light, delicate prodding on Sakura's shoulder.

Sakura jerked forward into Hinata's open hand, pausing when Hinata kept her hand firm in place to stop Sakura. Pearl eyes searched Sakura's face sweetly, and she ran a hand across Sakura's forehead. "You're sweating, Sakura. You feel really hot. Here," she moved to plop next to Sakura, dragging a bag across her lap, "I've got your medicine." One by one Hinata handed Sakura medicine, of which Sakura wordlessly took. She was just happy to be taking something, anything to at least take the edge off of what she was feeling. At the same time, Kiba walked into the house with two other men who followed him down the hall.

"Whose that?" Sakura inquired, sipping on the water Hinata had given her. She hated the stinging sensation she felt with every sip she swallowed.

"They're furniture delivery men," Hinata answered, pulling out the throat spray in the bag and handing it to Sakura. "Here, this might help some."

"Thank you," Sakura sighed, spraying several squirts to make sure her throat was coated evenly. Upon contact, she felt an immediate warming that helped soothe the soreness some. "What are they here for?"

"Oh, well I think Kakashi said something about the bed in the bedroom being like, really, really old. So, he bought a new one and had it delivered here while he's still out getting some things," Hinata answered casually.

Sakura started, "He bought a brand new bed?"

Hinata nodded, "Yep. But don't mistake him—he's not like this big spender. I mean, yeah he makes good money—we all do. He's just not one to flaunt it or spend it on useless things. So don't think he's trying to show off or anything, he's just getting the stuff for the house to accommodate you."

Sakura felt a little confused and overwhelmed. Everyone seemed to be defending Kakashi at all angles today, and she wasn't even initiating it. The beans were being spilled and all she could do was process the information. Iguana dicks, horrible relationship, and Mr. MoneyBags who lives humbly. She almost wondered if this was planned, or were they all really tight knit like that, to have each other's backs all the time.
She figured it was the latter.

Kiba and the two men came back out of the room after some clattering around, dragging the old bed out. Sakura turned her attention back to Hinata, "Where's Ino?"

"Um, last I checked she was at the mall," Hinata hummed. "She said she was almost done, so she should be here within the next hour or so."

"And Kakashi?"

"I think he said he was at the grocery store, getting food and stuff. It's been more than four hours, so everyone else should be here pretty soon. How are you feeling?"

Sakura sighed, "Shitty."

"I'm sorry," Hinata frowned, patting Sakura's knee. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"I'm just..." Sakura shook her head. "Scared. Confused. Overwhelmed. Hurting. Angry. Sad."

Hinata nodded knowingly, "I bet you're feeling a lot of things right now, Sakura. Even though you've probably heard it a million times from all of us, but please—trust us."

Sakura glanced over at Hinata, her expression stressed, "I do. I guess I just need time to process everything..."

"Take all the time you need," Hinata reassured sweetly. "I wouldn't expect you to have all of these feelings resolved in two days. Just understand that we understand."

Sakura nodded. She wanted to know, she wanted to just relax and trust that everything was going to work out. But she failed to shake the sinking feeling deep in her gut that something was going to go wrong, it was always her luck. She was afraid someone else was going to get hurt because of her. She was mad that she couldn't contribute in the slightest.

She wanted to let go of her anxiety and breathe easy, but that was not a feat she was soon going to be able to accomplish.