"What do you mean by that?", Sakura inquired, her brows furrowing in confusion.

Itachi merely stared at her before smiling and turning away. He picked up his book and opened it back to the last page he had been reading as he answered, "That is a story for another time."

Sakura rolled her eyes before her eyes widened, "Another time?"

Itachi chuckled as he clarified, "I used to come here every morning to read on weekdays during the summer when I was younger. It is fairly quiet ergo my desire to reestablish that particular habit of mine."

His eyes then met hers as his tone became serious once more, "If you ever need company, you can come by."

Sakura gasped as she stuttered out, "Y-you know?"

Itachi sighed as he replied, "Your father visited my parents' law firm a few months back. He asked father about the contact details of the best divorce attorneys in the district."

Sakura's breathing became shallow as she felt her head spin. Itachi immediately put his hand on her back and the other on her chin as he gently raised her head so that their gazes met.

"Easy. Take deeps breaths and exhale slowly." Itachi stated as he brought one of her hands to his chest so that she could feel and not only see his breathing pattern. Sakura's lightheadedness evaporated as she followed his lead.

"Feeling better?" Itachi asked after a few minutes had passed.

Sakura nodded after which he released her and she rested her back against the bench. She stared at nothing in particular for what seemed like an eternity before she spoke, "I thought they were at the beginning stages of it. I was not aware they had been in discussion of divorcing each other for months now. Just how much have I missed?"

Sakura was beginning to hyperventilate again as Itachi sighed and replied, "I deeply apologize. I was not aware you were not informed of this."

Sakura chuckled sadly as she quipped, "Apparently, my parents believe in actions rather than words."

Itachi's brows furrowed as Sakura shook her head and continued, "You have nothing to be sorry for. I need to talk to them. Hopefully, at least one of them would be willing to let me know what is going on. How exactly did you find out about this though?"

Itachi sighed as he added, "Father allows me to help from time to time at work. I have an aptitude for it as per his words. I only know that your father asked about the contact details of a divorce attorney. Nothing more."

Sakura nodded as she smiled, "Thank you for your time, Itachi-san."

Itachi's eyes widened before his gaze darkened, "There is no need to be so formal with me."

Sakura watched him in confusion before he lifted his gaze to meet hers and smiled gently, "You practically grew up alongside my little brother and that obnoxiously loud best friend of his. In a way, you and Naruto are family as well."

Sakura bit her lip as she tried ignoring the slight pang in her chest. She should have known that the noble Itachi would think he was obligated to protect his little brother's best friends in some way and potentially saw them as additional siblings he did not ask for. Sakura smiled politely and expressed her gratitude once more before she excused herself and left the elder Uchiha.

Itachi watched her go and was slightly perturbed by her well-hidden sullen expression. He was not entirely certain what he had said exactly which could have upset Sakura even further. After much internal debate, Itachi concluded that she was simply saddened by her parents' impending divorce and he had inadvertently poured salt into her open wounds.


Sakura mentally berated herself for choosing to feed her useless crush on Itachi over the years. She had been stupid to fall for him and fantasize about him yet she could not help it. Even though she knew she never had a chance with him and at best he would see her as a potential friend, it still hurt to be referred to as such. He had even classified her as a little sister. Choosing to find some humor in it, Sakura imagined what Itachi would do if she ever fell hard for a guy who ended up hurting her. He would probably comfort her if she ever chose to burden him with her issue as he had done today. Despite Itachi's reassurance, she wondered how many of his actions towards her had been inspired by politeness and a sense of duty rather than genuine care and worry over her well-being.

"He probably felt obligated to see how I was and politely listened to me talk," Sakura muttered as she collided with someone who grabbed her by the shoulders to steady her.

"Who felt obligated, forehead?" Ino asked choosing to not beat around the bush as usual.

Sakura sighed as she thanked her friend for preventing her fall.

"No one important." Sakura lied.

Ino eyed her suspiciously but chose to ignore the obvious lie. She sighed and her worried gaze met tired emeralds, "Any news about your dad?"

"No." Sakura spat as she opened her mouth to inform Ino of what Itachi had told her yet thought better of it. If she told Ino about what Itachi had told her she would also disclose who the mysterious person she had been grumbling about earlier was.

"Thanks for agreeing to meet me here on such short notice."

Ino rolled her eyes and added, "You know you don't need to thank me for that. If you need me, just holler and I will come running."

Sakura hugged her friend as she fought back tears. Despite the somber atmosphere at home, Ino always managed to brighten her mood. The two friends walked to the nearby cafe where they spent the next couple of hours.

"So you're telling me Hinata has finally got over her childhood crush on Naruto?" Sakura whispered as she took a sip of her juice.

Ino nodded and smiled, "Yeah. I think it will be good for her to move on to someone less oblivious..."

Sakura chuckled as her female best friend rolled her eyes recalling how many times Hinata had tried confessing her feelings for Naruto only to be ignored. Sakura's eyes became tinged with sadness as she recalled her earlier encounter with Itachi and wondered if she was as obvious as Hinata and Itachi had ignored her crush all this time out of politeness. She highly doubted the elder Uchiha was as oblivious as Naruto.

"What's wrong?" Ino asked.

Sakura shook her head as she half-lied, "Nothing new... I just thought about my dad."

Ino bit her lip as she asked, "How's your mom taking all of this?"

Sakura's eyes filled with tears as she answered, "Not too well."

Her breathing became labored as she cried silently. Ino moved to sit right next to her as she embraced her. Once Sakura had calmed down a bit, she looked at her friend seriously and asked, "Promise you will not tell your parents about this?"

Ino's eyes filled with confusion and worry. Sakura sighed and added, "It is not necessarily bad but... I would rather you did not tell your parents just yet."

Ino nodded and promised, "I will not tell them unless I think your mother's behavior is endangering you in any way."

Sakura laughed at the loophole Ino had created for herself yet nodded before confessing, "She's been drinking. I do not remember her ever drinking this much but... now that I have so much time on my hands to go over every single interaction I have had with my parents in the recent past I... remember how my mom always had a glass of wine in her hand either at parties, family gatherings at the Uchiha household, and even during dinners at home and I always thought nothing of it but now... I wonder if she has a problem with alcohol that simply got exacerbated because of my dad's sudden departure."

Ino gasped as she, too, remembered some of these events, and her walk down memory lane confirmed parts of Sakura's statement. She clenched her fists and asked, "How long has this been going on?"

"Honestly, I don't know. She could've been very good at hiding it but now she's been so distraught that she's allowing me to notice or maybe she does not even care that much anymore." Sakura responded as she drifted off and bit her lip.

"I am not sure what I am going to do if her behavior continues like that... What if something happens to her or what if she's been drinking so much for so long that her health has already declined and we have simply yet to witness the adverse effects of it? What is going to happen to me if my dad does not come back?"

Ino immediately hugged her friend as Sakura started crying again.

"Ssh... I know this sounds cliched as fuck.." Ino answered as she rubbed circles on her friend's back and smiled when Sakura chuckled in between hiccups, "But it's going to get better. Maybe not as quickly as you want it or the way you want it."

Ino wiped away the leftover tears of her friend with her thumbs and smiled as Sakura weakly returned it.

"If you need help, just say it."

Sakura sighed as she knew what her friend meant - Ino's father was a social worker and he would be able to arrange for Sakura to stay with them temporarily if her dad never returned and her mother was found unfit to take care of her unless she checked herself into rehab. However, this was not a chain of events Sakura wished to go through.

Just then her phone beeped and she shakily took a breath in and disentangled herself completely from Ino.

Sakura eyed the unknown number she had received a text from and gasped at what it read.

I am sorry for everything you have had to go through in the past couple of days, cherry blossom, and for not picking up your calls or responding to your messages. I needed to sort many things in a very short period and would like to explain everything to you if you would give me the chance.

Know that regardless of what happens, I will always love you.

Your dad.

Sakura swallowed thickly as she saved the new phone number. She pinched the bridge of her nose as Ino watched in anticipation.

"Naruto told me Sasuke has been driving him nuts."

Ino eyed her suspiciously before she sighed and said, "If you do not want to tell me who texted you what, Sakura, it's fine. But don't lie to me."

Sakura looked at her friend guiltily before replying, "I am sorry. I just.."

"If and when you're ready to talk about it, I will be here for you."

"Thanks, Ino-pig."

"Anything for you, Forehead."

The two girls bid each other goodbye as Sakura headed to the supermarket.


She bought only the necessities they needed and began her walk home. During it, she debated whether she should call the new number her father had texted her from. She wondered if she even wanted to hear him out or if she should try and get mother to answer her questions first. Ideally, she should get to hear both sides of the story from both of her parents when they were in a sober state. She mentally berated herself for thinking this way and sighed as she went up the stairs.

The elevator was out of order yet again. She detested taking the stairs as she lived on the 6th floor but she supposed it could have been worse. She quickened her pace when she neared the apartment and heard shouting. Her heartbeat quickened. Was she hearing things or did this sound like her father's and mother's voices?

She hastily unlocked the door, opened it, closed it, locked it with a precision which surprised even her, and dropped the groceries on the floor. She took off her shoes and darted for the living room. When Sakura opened the door all shouting ceased. Two pairs of eyes fell on her as her mother raced for her and hugged her. Sakura returned the embrace and asked, "What's going on?"

Her father hugged her as well despite her mother's protests. He kissed her forehead and knelt.

"I am sorry for everything, my blossom."

"You lost the right to call her that." Her mother spat.

He eyed her thunderously and said through gritted teeth, "Only Sakura gets to decide that."

Sakura gasped and demanded, "Will someone finally tell me what's been going on between you two for the past couple of months? Are you getting a divorce?"

Her mother sighed and walked to the couch. She patted the space next to her and her father nodded. Sakura walked and sat next to her mother and locked eyes with her bloodshot ones.

"Regardless of what you are about to find out and what is going to happen, please, remember that we never meant to heart you, Sakura."

"Mom, you're starting to worry me." Sakura whimpered as her eyes watered.

Her mother sighed and confirmed, "You are correct about the fact that your father and I will be getting a divorce. We have been in the process of discussing his with our respective attorneys for a few months now."

Sakura's eyes widened as she swallowed thickly and brushed away her tears. She distanced herself from her mother on the couch and ignored all efforts of her mother to close the distance between them. Finally, her mother gave up and continued, "You can ask anything you want, but just know that this decision was not made lightly."

"I know. You have been unhappy for a very long time. I just hoped you were going to talk to me before you started the process of completely leaving one another." Sakura answered.

Her father walked and knelt before her once more, "We wanted to be sure of this before we let you know."

Sakura laughed bitterly and asked, "Was disappearing part of your plan, too?"

He sighed and got up. He paced back and forth before adding, "I did not plan on it. However, I am happy that I managed to sort some things out during my absence."

Sakura raised an eyebrow and questioned, "And what did you succeed in sorting out in 3 days whilst we were worried sick?"

Her mother clarified, "Only you were worried about him, honey."

Sakura gasped before her eyes watered and she shook off her parents' attempts at comforting her.

"How about we start at the beginning?" Her father asked to which Sakura nodded.

He sighed and took a deep breath in before confessing, "I cheated on your mother."

Sakura's eyes widened. Before she could open her mouth to interrogate him, her mother added, "It has been happening for years now and I tried ignoring it. Finally, I could not take it anymore so I asked him to choose and he decided for us to separate and start a new life with... her."

Sakura was silently grateful that her mother was restraining herself yet the girl stared angrily at her father, "Have you been with her all the times you went on work conferences? Were you with her during the times you missed my sports events? Were you with her the one time you missed my birthday?"

She hiccuped by the end and her father looked as though he was drowning in guilt.

Sakura's hollow gaze met his as she whispered, "So you're not just leaving mom... You chose to gradually leave me as well."

Her father shook his head and beseeched his daughter, "You have it all wrong. While I am not absolved of fault in the situation, it was never my goal to hurt you or make you feel unloved. I do want you. I am going to fight for full custody over you."

Sakura's eyes widened when her mother replied, "I am intending on doing the same thing myself."

The two glared at each other when Sakura tried to calm her racing heart.

"What is going to happen now?" She whispered.

Her father and mother turned to her as her mother sighed and wrapped her hand around the 14-year-old girl. Sakura whimpered as she lied down into her mother's lap and her mother started combing her fingers through her daughter's hair.

"I will be away for some time, blossom." Her mother professed as she smiled apologetically at her daughter.

Sakura's head shot up.

"You can come to stay with me for the next month or two whilst your mother tries to get better, Sakura-chan." Her father stated as Sakura shook her head.

"Can't I stay with Ino's family?" Sakura inquired. Ino's parents had let her stay with them for several days, sometimes up to a few weeks whenever her parents had gone on vacation together and vice versa.

Her father sighed and explained, "Sakura, I am will honest here. If your mother gets her drinking problem under control, we may get split custody over you. I am sure this is what you want."

Sakura shook her head. Her father appeared flabbergasted.

"I understand you both need to make the choices that will make you happy." She picked her words carefully, "However, I must do the same for myself."

She looked at them both and smiled sadly, "I do not want to lose either of you." Then her gaze hardened, "However, what I want is to stay here, with my friends, in the town I grew up in. I do not want to uproot myself so early and follow either of your whimsical desires."

Her father appeared affronted at her choice of words but she did not allow him to protest.

"I love you both and this will not change, but I want to stay here. If my happiness matters to you at all, you will choose to let me stay here with one of you."

Her mother continued stroking her hair as she had tears in her eyes, "I will call Inoichi tonight and see if you can stay with them as I...go into rehab." She added shakily.

Her father's eyes were blazing and his shoulders shook with anger as he asked, "Are you sure this is what you want, Sakura?"

Sakura noticed that he had not called her cherry blossom for the past couple of minutes yet she was not as affected by having upset him. He had a right to lead a new life with his mistress. She would not allow him to take her with him without a fight at least. If the two loved her, they would at least listen to her.

"Yes, father. I am certain." Her steely gaze was enough to deter him from continuing his attempts at persuading her.

He left the apartment with a heavy heart yet Sakura knew he would not give up without a fight either. Sakura sighed and lied back down onto her mother's lap who started stroking her hair again.

"Are you up for answering some more questions?" Sakura questioned.

Her mother laughed and answered, "You are welcome to ask. However, I retain my right to decline to answer them."

Sakura rolled her eyes before growing serious. She locked eyes with her mother and asked, "For how long has he been cheating on you?"

Her mother stilled as fury filled her eyes and then guilt, "5 years," she finally whispered.

Sakura's eyes widened and she shot upright.

"For that long?!" She screeched.

Her mother calmed her down and explained, "I think that is when he started distancing himself from me and began spending time with her and gradually falling in love with her. He did not do anything with her until 3 years ago."

Sakura took the new piece of information in before enquiring, "Do you know who she is?"

"Yes."

"Are you going to tell me?"

"That is something you should further discuss with your father." Her mother carefully answered.

Sakura sighed.

"You are not going to turn me against him."

"You already have turned against him, cherry blossom. You silently chose me."

Sakura rested her back against the armrest of the couch as she looked at her mother and clarified, "I chose the person who is willing to stay here with me."

Her mother smiled sadly and nodded.

"When are you checking into rehab?" Sakura asked.

"The sooner I do it, the better."

"Is it...do you know how long it is going to last?" Sakura asked.

"It depends on how long I will need it to last." Her mother clarified.

Sakura sighed and asked, "When did you last drink?"

Her mother remained silent for a very long time before she looked down and confessed, "I took a sip when your father came in and we started arguing."

Sakura got up and started pacing, worrying her bottom lip.

"This is why he thinks he can get full custody over me, isn't it?" Sakura asked, "He's going to try and convince the judge you are unfit to take care of me which is why you need to get better as soon as possible."

Sakura's statements were silenced when her mother grabbed her hand. She rubbed soothing circles in it and smiled, "I will do my best to sever all ties with my addiction, cherry blossom. However, it is not going to be easy."

Sakura nodded and sighed, "I cannot believe this is happening."

Her mother tried to respond but Sakura shook her head.

"You should get some sleep," Sakura said instead and went to her room.


After a few hours had passed, Sakura entered the room again and called out to her mother. Her mother did not even stir. Sakura smiled and thanked the gods that her mother was a heavy sleeper. She then started her task of inspecting the entire apartment. She found only half a bottle filled with vodka which she emptied the contents of in the sink before throwing it in the trashcan. She then grabbed the bag in the trashcan and tied a sturdy knot at the top and exited the apartment.

She dumped everything in the respective bins and went back up. Sakura put a new bag into their trashcan, checked on her mother once more, and went to her room. She was surprised to see that she had received a text from another unknown number.

How are you feeling?

She looked at it in confusion as bewilderment and suspicion sank in. If her father was trying to play games with her, it was not going to work.

If this is your way of getting back into my good graces, you can forget about it.

I was not aware that I had fallen out of them. Also, I apologize for not specifying this sooner - this is Itachi.

Sakura's eyes widened at the immediate reply before she cursed herself. She could not believe that Itachi had texted her. Granted his text had been sent many hours ago during daytime yet Sakura had been so overwhelmed with the most recent events during her day that she had forgotten to start charging her phone and switch it back on up until a few minutes ago.

Sakura: I am sorry for the misunderstanding on my side as well, Itachi-san. I thought you were someone else.

Itachi: I gathered as much. You have still not answered my question.

Sakura smiled and tried to ignore the giddiness his texts evoked within her.

Sakura: I am feeling surprisingly well considering the recent happenstances. My turn for questions - how did you get my number and why the sudden interest in my life?

Despite her young age, Sakura was no fool. She was certain there was a reason for Itachi's sudden worry over her. However, she had yet to pinpoint it. Given how secretive the misleadingly docile Uchiha could be, she wondered if she would ever know the truth.

Itachi: My little brother's delirium from the pain medicine has proven to be rather useful.

Sakura's eyes widened as she texted frantically back:

Did you go through his phone?

Itachi read her reply and chuckled before replying:

He asked me for the time. I simply took a look at one other thing.

Sakura rolled her eyes before texting back:

Thank you for your concern and honesty. I am feeling rather sleepy so I will bid you a good night and restful sleep.

Itachi sighed at the formal tone she continued using with him. He smiled before answering:

Good night, Sakura-san.


Sakura awoke to find her phone filled with text messages from Ino. She sighed as she rubbed the remainder of sleep from her eyes and opened the messaging app to read the endless sea of questions that her friend had been throwing her way for the past hour. Her mother had called the Yamanaka household early this morning and had asked if it would be appropriate for Sakura to stay with them for the next couple of weeks. The family had immediately agreed, however, Sakura had been permitted to stay with them for 2 weeks only since afterward the Yamanaka household would go for a planned trip that would last until the end of summer. Sakura pinched the bridge of her nose thinking that she would have to reconsider her father's offer and go stay with him at least until her mother got out of rehab.

Based upon her checks online, her mother would be staying at the facility at least for a month if not longer. Moreover, as much as Sakura dreaded to admit it, her father may be granted some form of custody over her and sooner or later she would have to see what his new house looked like along with its new occupants.

Sakura: Hold your horses, Ino-pig. I haven't moved to Suna yet.

The chiming of a newly received text came 10 seconds later.

You don't know that for sure. What if your mom doesn't successfully get rid of her addiction on time? What if your dad gets full custody of you?

Sakura sighed as she mentally cursed her mother for oversharing about their situation with Ino's parents. However, she was also partially grateful that she would not have to fill her female best friend in on what had been discovered in the past couple of hours. Sakura's dread increased as she thought about Sasuke and Naruto. She did not know how she was going to break the news to them yet. If her father won custody and she had to move to Suna, this would potentially put a damper on their friendship as well. Although the cities were not too far apart, they would barely have time to interact with each other seeing as Sakura would have a completely new life to get used to.

Trying to distract herself from impending nausea over the potential loss of her two male best friends, she decided to tease Ino.

How successful has your plan to seduce Shikamaru been so far, pig?

If you do not want to talk about this further, you can say it to me directly, forehead. Also, there is no plan. I gave up on it.

Sakura frowned before texting back:

Why would you do that?

A painful minute passed during which Sakura saw the bubble appear, disappear only to repeat this sequence a few more times before the reply came.

I saw him kissing another girl on the football field at the end of the school year. She looked older. I am not sure whether they are together or not but I would rather not chase after a guy who is taken.

Sakura bit her bottom lip. Although she had not been actively chasing Itachi, she did have a crush on him and she would be a hypocrite to admit that his attention had been unwanted. Was she in the wrong for accepting it without any token of protest whatsoever?

Geez, I was expecting some sort of sympathetic reply from you at least, forehead.

Sakura rolled her eyes before typing back:

I went to the bathroom. As for your discovery, I am sorry, Ino. At least now you know that he is no longer available.

Ino: I could just be misunderstanding the situation.

Sakura: True. But I still believe you have made the right decision. Moreover, aren't you going to different schools?

Ino: He's going to the same high school as us.

Sakura: Then you will have your confirmation. If you see him making out with an older girl in the halls and/or elsewhere, you will know he is taken for sure.

Ino: You're right as always. How are you taking the news?

Sakura frowned before she remembered that Ino probably knew about the adultery as well. To be safe, she decided to check, beforehand.

Sakura: How much do you know?

Ino: Our mothers are like us from a few decades back. How much do you think I know?

Sakura: Answer the question, Ino-pig.

Ino: Fine, forehead. I forgot your ability to take a joke severely decreases when you are not in the mood. I am aware of the fact that your dad cheated.

"Does my mom have any shame?" Sakura whispered before she sighed. She had no right to judge her mother nor ask her to keep quiet. After all, Sakura and Ino had known each other since kindergarten as well. The Yamanakas were like extended family, therefore, it was not too illogical for them to be filled in on the details surrounding the reasons for her parents' desire to split up. Still, Sakura wished she had had more time to process everything before she had to deal with Ino's interrogation.

Sakura: I will tell you tonight. I will be coming over at about 8 p.m if that is alright with you?

Ino: Drop the politeness. I would've abducted you this morning but my dad chained me to my bed.

Sakura chuckled and thanked the heavens that Ino listened to her parents at least.

Sakura: See you soon, pig.

Sakura ignored the flurry of insults and emojis that rained her screen as she got up to go to the bathroom. She was brushing her teeth basking in the silence once Ino had quit bombarding her with useless messages when a surprising chime was heard. Sakura sighed as she finished rinsing her mouth and went to check. She debated whether she should read the contents of it in detail seeing as it had come from her father. With a weary sigh and dread filling her stomach, she opened the messaging app to read:

I was just informed by your mother that the Yamanakas will let you stay with them for the next 2 weeks only. Once this period passes, I will be coming to pick you up so that we can travel to Suna. Are you sure you do not want us to meet before that? There are many things we need to discuss.

Sakura rolled her eyes before she texted back:

There is a 2-hour drive between Konoha and Suna. I am sure that is plenty of time for you to warn me about your mistress. You can always text or call me if it is something important. I do not wish to meet you for casual chit-chat just yet.

Sakura ignored her father's protests and continued with her day. She tearfully bid her mother goodbye as the woman exited their apartment. Her mother had forbidden Sakura from traveling with her to the facility. She had given Sakura the address of it just in case, however. Sakura sighed as she swallowed the lump in her throat. She eyed the empty apartment and fell to her knees, her wails drowning out the silence in the apartment for the first time in years.


Sakura finished tidying the apartment up and hoisted her bag over her shoulder. She sighed as her gaze traveled over every corner of the place she had called home her entire life. She was not sure when exactly she would be able to come back in here with her mother but she hoped it would be sooner than expected. She locked the door and began her walk down the stairs. As she exited the apartment complex, her mind started mulling over her lack of clarity for the future.

She knew her mother was willing to try and get better yet there was no way of knowing exactly how long it would take for her mother to become sober again and if she would be able to remain sober for the rest of her life. Moreover, her father may have said that he wanted to take care of Sakura yet it was unknown what his mistress thought of the situation.

Sakura was still adamant about not talking with her father for the next couple of days. She needed more time to rein in her anger at the adultery he had committed. Regardless of how much she loved both of her parents, she could not deny the fact that she was bitterly disappointed with them both.

She had about 2 weeks to get her contempt towards her father under control. She hoped that her living arrangements with him would be temporary only and that her mother would win full custody of her.

Sakura's eyes brimmed with tears. She stifled her cries as she stopped her walk towards Ino's house. She sobbed silently for a few minutes and started walking again when she'd calmed down.

The 14-year-old girl would have to accept the fact that even though she no longer idolized her parents, she still loved them. However, regardless of how much she loved them, in her eyes, one of them was the lesser evil. Sakura prayed that she would be able to live with her mother in Konoha and finish high school here.


Ino engulfed Sakura in a bear hug and refused to let her go until several minutes had passed. Once freed, Sakura put her bag on the floor. She then proceeded to remove her shoes.

"Have you told Naruto and Sasuke about this?" Ino asked.

"No." Sakura answered and raised her hands defensively as she added, "Relax pig. I will tell them tomorrow. I promised I would check up on Sasuke tomorrow either way."

"You'd better," Ino replied as she carried Sakura's bag to her room despite the other girl's protests.

Once they had both showered and changed into their pajamas, Ino turned off the lights. She laid down on her bed and gazed down at Sakura, who was currently fluffing her pillow.

"You know you can always sleep with me on the bed, right?" Ino reminded her.

"You know I don't swing that way, pig?" Sakura joked back to which Ino rolled her eyes and replied:

"You know what I meant."

"You know that I know that and I know that you know that I know it. Now that we are done with the small talk, you can begin your interrogation."

"Is that really how you see it?" Ino carefully asked.

Given how tentative yet meek Ino's tone had been, Sakura knew she had been too harsh with her friend.

"No, I am honestly grateful for how considerate and patient you've been with...everything. I am well aware you are only asking me so many questions so that I can share my pain without feeling as though I am burdening you with it."

Ino smiled as did Sakura.

"Are you willing to forgive your dad?" Ino bravely asked.

"Not really." Sakura replied before sighing and clarifying, "I am not sure, to be honest. I am happy that he still loves me and is willing to fight for me. However, regardless of how unhappy he became, nothing can justify his cheating nor his sudden and, fortunately, temporary disappearance from my life."

"True." Ino agreed before asking, "I still cannot believe he left you guys so abruptly."

"Neither can I." Sakura affirmed before rising from her makeshift bed on the floor, "My mom refused to tell me who she is but I have my suspicions it may be someone who has been close to us all these years."

Ino's head shot up as she exclaimed, "No way! That selfish and egotistical bastard..."

"Careful, pig. He's still my dad."

Ino's eyes were blazing as she continued, "I cannot believe you are still defending him. He was cheating on your mom for years with some skank that probably seduced him."

Sakura's eyes shimmered but she held her tears in.

"You don't know that." She whispered.

"What else could it have been?" Ino questioned.

"I don't know!" Sakura shouted, "Can we just drop it? You are not in any position to make such conclusions when you don't even know the whole story."

Ino opened her mouth, closed it, and then sighed as she agreed, "You're right. But I am not apologizing for it."

"I never asked you to."

"Are you planning on hearing him out?" Ino asked.

"Not for the next couple of days."

"You are going to have to talk to him eventually. Have you thought about what you would have to do if he wins full custody?"

Sakura rolled her eyes as she resisted the urge to scream into a pillow, "In the majority of cases like these, the mother wins full custody. Worst case scenario, it may be joint custody."

Ino laughed bitterly as she whispered, "Not if your mom's a drunk."

"What did you just call her?! My God, Ino... I came here so that I could calm down for a bit and forget about my family's problems yet all you've been doing tonight is question me and judge my parents. I am done with this." Sakura half-yelled as she got up to gather her blanket and pillow.

"Where are you going?" Ino screeched.

"Relax, pig. I am going to the living room." Sakura clarified as she sighed and added, "I need to be away from you, otherwise, I may say things which can damage our friendship."

Ino rolled her eyes as she crossed her arms, "Suit yourself."

Sakura rolled her eyes in turn and exited the room. She contemplated slamming the door yet she decided against doing so. The last thing she needed was Ino's parents rushing towards their daughter's room to see what the commotion had been about.


Sakura put her pillow on the couch and lied down as she covered her body with the blanket. She wrapped it tightly around herself and unlocked her phone. She bit her lip as she pondered on the implications of texting Itachi and venting about the unfairness of the situation to him. Sakura wanted to share her troubles with someone and not be judged nor hear slander about her parents from the person she was confiding in. She thought she could trust Ino to be that person yet it appears this was not the case tonight.

Sakura reasoned that Ino would come around and most likely apologize in the morning yet Sakura needed to talk to someone now. She bit her lip and spent the next five minutes composing her message, deleting it, and starting over. Finally, she bit the bullet and sent the text.

Sakura: Sorry for bothering you..are you still awake by any chance?

Sakura had hesitated between telling everything outright but then decided against it. She chose to thread carefully and base her answer on Itachi's response if she even received one at all.

A new text came in about 20 minutes later and startled Sakura who had started dosing off.

Itachi: I am and there is nothing to be sorry for. You are not bothering me.

Sakura smiled and asked: Are you sure?

She was worried about the slight lateness of his reply and thought that she had interrupted something.

Itachi appeared to have read her mind as his next text stated:

Indeed, I am. I was taking a shower hence the slight lateness of my reply if this is what you were worried about.

Sakura's cheeks reddened as her mind conjured images of a lean male body obscured from her vision due to the foam of the body wash and the fog that the hot water would create. She then wondered if Itachi preferred taking cold showers during the summer. She shook her head trying to get her mind to focus.

Sakura: I know you said I could come by the park if I ever needed someone to listen, but I was hoping we could do it tonight.

The text bubble appeared and disappeared a few times before a question popped up.

Itachi: You wish to meet in the park at midnight?

Sakura almost facepalmed as she rushed to reply: No, I am sorry for the misunderstanding. I meant that I need to talk to someone and I was hoping it could be you.

Itachi: You can always come to me if you need anything. However, may I ask why you have chosen to do this now? Did something happen today?

Sakura: My parents are indeed getting a divorce. They've been discussing it for months now, apparently, and decided to tell me now instead of earlier.

Itachi: This would explain why your father asked for a divorce attorney's contact details at the beginning of the year. Did they fight and say something particularly triggering to each other today?

Sakura: Not exactly... They assured me that they both loved me and were willing to fight for me. They are both going for full custody which worries me a bit since my mom is willing to stay in Konoha but my father isn't.

Itachi mentally noted the change in the way Sakura addressed her male parent. Her father had done something particularly disdainful to no longer be addressed as dad or daddy as the girl used to call him.

Itachi: Go on.

Sakura smiled as she started retelling today's events.

Sakura: The reason for my parents' splitting up is not as mundane as them having fallen out of love or even not stand each other anymore. My father cheated on my mom who most probably developed a drinking habit because of this. I am not sure when all of this started as my mom has not been willing to share the details of her addiction with me yet and I have no desire to discuss the subject of adultery with my father just yet. I do not even know what is going to happen to me if either of them gets full custody. I am hoping I can stay in Konoha but I fear that the chances of that happening are not as high as I would like them to be. I feel resentment towards my parents for putting me through this and for hiding it for so long.

I wish time could just stop for a while and I could take the time to just breathe...I feel like I am at a crossroads and everything is covered in a thick fog. I do not which way to turn and simply thinking about the inevitability of everything just crashing down upon me further is making me extremely anxious.

Itachi took some time to compose his reply which worried Sakura even more. She hoped she had not overstepped her boundaries with him nor used up all of his patience.

Itachi: I am sorry to hear about everything that has happened to you. To say that I am surprised about the fact that one of them cheated and the other turned to liquor for comfort would be a lie. Frankly, this happens more often than we would like to admit. I know it feels as though everything is out of your control and to an extent, it is, however, you can decide how to react. It is normal to feel an array of emotions right now as your pillars of stability are being shattered before your very eyes and the people who were supposed to protect you from the pain and problems you could face in this world are bringing them upon you.

Still, despite how little time I have spent observing you over the years, I must say you have the necessary amount of tenacity and maturity to one day forgive both of your patents and forge your relationships with both of them anew regardless of the outcome at court. I wish I could tell you what would happen, however, I do not want to mislead you nor give you false hope. What I can say for sure is that you are strong enough to get through this, Sakura.

Sakura's eyes filled with tears as she smiled and typed back: Thank you, Itachi.

Itachi: You are welcome. I trust you are feeling a bit better?

Sakura: Much better actually. I am thinking of coming over tomorrow around noon to see how Sasuke's doing. I hope it would not be an inconvenience to anyone?

Itachi: Not at all. I am sure my brother will be happy to see you along with Naruto who's been at his beck and call day and night recently. My parents will be working during the day and I will be out for a few hours during the day which coincides with your visit.

Sakura squashed down the disappointment at not being able to see Itachi. She shook her head berating herself for crushing on an older guy who was not only never going to return her feelings but also taken. Resisting the urge to smack herself into oblivion she texted:

I will have it in mind, thanks. Are you going to be spending the day with Izumi?

The next reply took some time which showed how reluctant Itachi had been to confess this piece of information.

If you must know, Izumi and I broke up almost 1 year ago. We have not been in contact ever since aside from a few social gatherings my family and hers attended.

Sakura hastily typed back: I am sorry about this, Itachi. I know how much you loved her.

Itachi's fist clenched before he replied: I believe you do not know how much I love her.

Sakura noticed the correction of the tense as she bit back her pain.

Sakura: Do you want to talk about it?

Itachi: No. Goodnight, Sakura.

Sakura's heartbeat increased as she mentally cursed herself, thinking she had offended Itachi and he would never wish to speak to her in the same manner again.

Sakura: Goodnight, Itachi.

She slept restlessly that night as the whirlwind of emotions consumed and drained her completely.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.