Chapter 14. Splinters Pt. 2

"And a mistake repeated more than once is a decision."

|Sarada|

I grabbed Inojin's hand from across the table and held it tightly, "I…don't know what to say."

"…Yeah." He said as he wiped his eyes before standing up, "I'm…gonna use the bathroom."

"Okay." I let go of his hand and watched him go to the restroom.

While he was gone, I took the time to process what I'd just heard.

Inojin had known long before me that his father had been unfaithful, that was why he had snapped when I'd called him that time.

He told me that he'd learned about it a while back, sometime when Mama had gone over to their house to chat with Aunt Ino. Apparently, there were some pictures that had been sent to her, capturing Uncle Sai in some…incriminating positions. Inojin said that he only saw one, and that his mother had cried for days after receiving them. I kept my mouth shut as he detailed how life in the Yamanaka household had been on a downward spiral since Uncle Sai's return.

The night of the dinner, after we had left their house, aunty and uncle began to argue and uncle had even gotten physical with aunty. When I heard that, my mouth flew open, but Inojin told me that at most he'd grabbed her roughly, that there weren't any hits. That night. I almost sighed in relief until I heard that part.

I was shocked; I had always associated Uncle Sai with Papa, considering how logical and matter of fact he was, so to hear that he had laid hands on Aunt Ino was bewildering. I thought about Papa hurting Mama during an argument, but it was just impossible to visualize.

After that night, Uncle Sai began to progressively get more threatening with Aunt Ino. Inojin told me that even that day when I had run away from home and gone to him for comfort, uncle had grabbed aunty again, this time hard enough for a bruise to form. That was why she had been wearing a long-sleeved shirt inside their heated home.

And it didn't stop there. Uncle was also being domineering when it came to where she went. Inojin told me that yesterday Mama had invited Aunt Ino to eat out and while she had been wanting to go, Uncle Sai quickly told her she wasn't allowed. But all these instances and more couldn't compare to what Inojin had sought me out for.

"Later that night…" Inojin shook his head.

"That night?" I repeated gently, encouraging him to tell me what was going on.

Inojin took a shaky deep breath and I sat up, fully attentive. This was Inojin we were talking about. He never lost his cool no matter what, so for him to be shivering, just what had happened?

"They were in the kitchen. Ka-san was saying something in a low voice, I couldn't catch it. Tou-san told her to stop talking but she must've continued. All I heard was 'Carmen' and then…" Inojin swallowed hard, "And then h-he grabbed her by the throat and slammed her against the kitchen counter. S-She hit her back against it, hard but he…he wouldn't let her go. He kept squeezing, Sarada. I yelled for him to stop and that's when he stormed out of the house. I haven't seen him since."

"Kami, Inojin! Is Ino-oba okay?" I questioned, concerned as I pictured her hitting a counter and subsequently being strangled.

"She won't let me call the police and she won't go to the hospital…" Tears dribbled out of his eyes, "Fuck, Sarada, Ka-san's in so much pain and I can't do anything!"

"Calm down, I-I'm sure we can think of something." I reasoned.

"It's not just that. When I saw her this morning, I thought about what I'd do to Tou-san if I met him. I was so angry but…but I don't want to fight my father." He cried silently, shutting his eyes tightly.

That's when I had pulled him into a hug and rubbed his back as he emptied his tears into my shoulder.

'Fuck me and my privilege.' I rested my head in my hands.

Except for my feud with Mama, my life was plain and peaceful. I couldn't even begin to think of what I would do if Papa somehow hurt Mama and then disappeared.

'This is no joke, Sara!' I told myself, 'He came to you and only you with this problem. You have to help him!'

I had already begun thinking of solutions. Although I had some choice words for Uncle Sai, finding him would have to come before that. In the meantime, aunty was definitely hurt by uncle when he threw her, talk less of him choking her. Not that I was a medical expert but if she had injured her spine or something important, the longer it stayed untreated, the worse it would get. And right now, there was only one person who could help her. Unfortunately, I had trashed our relationship before coming here.

'I have to apologize.' I deduced, 'I can't just ask her for help and pretend I never said anything.'

But a part of me didn't want to apologize. Yes, I had been rambling in the moment because I was afraid, she would discover the shabu, but some of the stuff I'd been wanting to say for a while.

Mama had taken the one opportunity she had to prove she trusted me and that she was on my side, and she wasted it. I may have regretted going to the party at first but Mitsuki was a great guy who cared for me. Imagine if I'd listened to her! I never would have met him!

'Don't get sidetracked.' I scolded myself, 'Inojin's the focus right now.'

I didn't have to apologize though. The realization came to me as Inojin exited the bathroom. Aunty was Mama's best friend; she would help her no matter what. After all, it wasn't like she was doing it for me.

"Inojin, I've figured out how I can help." I said to him, standing up, "Go home and tell your mom that I want you guys to come over to our house tomorrow. Hell, be ready for it to happen today. I'm gonna tell Mama what happened and then she'll—"

"Are you crazy?" He said in a low voice, "I only told you because I trust you. I don't want any more people finding out."

I sighed, "Inojin, Mama is Ino-oba's best friend. And she's a doctor. Was a doctor. Whatever, the point is, Ino-oba sounds hurt! She needs to get her back looked at and the only person who can do that and isn't legally obligated to report it to the police is Mama."

He paused, contemplating it for a moment before finally agreeing, "Okay. So what do I say to get her to come?"

I shrugged, "I don't know, but make sure she comes! I'll call you after I tell Mama. Maybe she'll be so moved she'll want to see Ino-oba today."

"…Arigato, Sarada." Inojin hugged me, "I…You've always been good to me."

I patted his back as he released me, "I love you, Inojin. We're like cousins. Your problem is my problem."

"Yeah." He smiled weakly, "Cousins."

I stepped back and started for the entrance, "Hurry up, okay? Mama will probably want her to come today."

He nodded and I left him in Lightning Burger.

Between walking and waiting for the bus, it had taken me almost an hour to get here. The heavens must have been smiling on me because a bus was approaching just as I left the restaurant, and I quickly got on it.

As soon as I got to my stop, I dashed home and burst into the house like I had won the lottery, "Mama, I have something to tell you!"

The house was deathly silent, and I shut the door behind me before looking up at the key rack. Although I hadn't seen the car in the driveway, the keys were still here. Just to be sure, I checked the garage and sure enough, the car was parked inside.

'This is weird.' I thought to myself as I climbed the stairs back to the main level.

"Mama?" I tried again, and the same silence met me.

I went up and checked all the rooms before confirming she was not in the house.

'Where could she have gone?' I wondered as I dialed her number.

|Sakura|

I looked down at my phone as it vibrated, and shut it off before I could read the caller ID.

'This is me time. Nobody's getting in the way of this.'

I had to admit though, this wasn't what I'd imagined when I'd dialed him up.

"…Naruto?" I said after the line had connected.

"Sakura-chan? Daijōbu? You sound like you're crying." Concern immediately filled his voice.

"I just—um, can we meet right now? I'm having the worst day, and I-I wanna see you." I blew my nose as I finished speaking.

"Yeah. Yeah sure! Uh…give me a couple minutes to get things sorted out of here and I'll come to you, ya know."

"Oh." I looked at the clock and realized what time it was, "Gomen, you're at work, right? I should've never—"

"No, no, it's fine!" He assured me, "My shift ends at five but hell, I'm the boss so I can sneak out early now and then."

"If it's a problem, you don't have to—"

"I'm telling you, it's fine. I'll be there in 15, okay?"

Naruto laughed as the man slipped on a banana peel, "Why is it there? It's so unrealistic, but it gets me every time."

When Naruto had arrived, I'd assumed he would come inside, and we'd talk for a bit. Instead, he told me to get in his car and drove us to a local theater in Tanzaku, a small town by Konoha.

I looked around. Except for an old man up in the front, the theater was empty, not that it was very large. It was divided into a small front and a sizeable back section, the latter of which Naruto and I had chosen to sit in. After all, we "wouldn't want to go blind" or so he had said.

'Nobody's looking. If we wanted to try something…' I thought of the possibilities before her words came to mind.

"You're a horndog, it's okay!"

"No, I'm not." I muttered and Naruto turned to me.

"You say something?"

I shook my head, "Nothing, nothing."

Unfortunately, I had taken his full attention with my self-reprimanding, and I cursed myself for talking out loud.

"The movie sucks, doesn't it?" He propped his head up with a fist, "I thought it would be a good distraction but what's the point if it's this bad? We can hop to one of the action movie theatres if you'd like." He started to get up.

"Here is fine." I grabbed his arm and brought him back down, "If we were watching an action movie my head would be pounding from the noise of the film and the people. Here is peaceful."

He looked around, "Yeah, there's nobody here."

"Not true." I laughed, jerking my chin at the old man, "Don't count him out."

"Sakura-chan, you blind?" Naruto leaned closer to me and bought his arm around my shoulders, pulling me to his level, "You can't see his head is tilted back? He's completely zoned out."

"Shit. Well, the movie is kinda bad so…" Naruto and I exchanged looks before we burst out laughing.

The old man stirred in his sleep but didn't rouse completely, and as our laughter died down, I looked over Naruto again, "This is how it should be."

"But hasn't it always been this way?" His blue eyes shined as a small smile tugged on his lips.

I blinked as I realized I had voiced my thoughts once again, "No. Well, we…crossed the line."

"Yeah. I know and uh," He cleared his throat, "I've been thinking a lot about what happened yesterday."

My face got hot as I recalled what we'd done, but more importantly the words he'd said to me once we had finished.

"I'm…going to leave Hinata. I got the divorce papers today." He stared straight ahead as he said this.

"What?" I looked up in shock, the heat leaving my face, "Why?"

"Sakura-chan, I told you I love you." He chuckled uncannily, "How can I possibly stay with Hinata after that?"

"But I didn't—" I cut myself off, but Naruto had already gotten wind of what I was going to say.

"But you didn't say it back, right? No need to divorce her, after all, it's not like I'm going to get with you if you do."

"Naruto, that's not—"

He waved a hand, "It's fine. I'm not so naïve to think you'll leave Sasuke just because I left Hinata."

"S-Still," I tried to change his mind, "Hinata loves you and you love her. I'm sure if you take some time to cool your head, you'll—"

"Shit Sakura-chan, are my feelings so wish-washy to you?" Naruto ran a hand through his hair, "I know once you and Sasuke sort your problems out, I'll be kicked to the curb, but I won't be able to pretend nothing happened when that time comes. Hell, I can't even pretend now. Do you even realize how fucked up this situation is?"

"I—"

"You don't." He cut me off, turning away, "I cheated on my wife of sixteen years with my best friend. Twice. And what's even more fucked up is that I don't really regret it. If that doesn't tell you that I should divorce her, I don't know what will. She deserves better than a scumbag like me."

"…You're not a scumbag." I said after a moment of silence, touching his chin and turning him to face me, "And if you are, then so am I."

His eyes darted down to my lips to give me a quick notion of what was to come, so I didn't flinch when he moved forward and initiated a deep kiss. My hands found the back of his head to pull him closer and I couldn't help but gasp as I felt his hand slide up my leg and palm between my thighs.

"Horndog…"

"M-Matte, Naruto. I—I'll be right back." I adjusted my handbag strap and stood up.

"Sakura-chan, what is it? Wait a sec, ya know!"

I sped down the aisle and exited the theatre before coming out into the main hall. A restroom right by the front had several people heading in and out, so I quickly turned and searched for another one, relieved to spot a sign by the back.

When I entered it, I opened the nearest stall and dropped to my knees before emptying my stomach contents, which wasn't much since I'd skipped lunch after my exchange with Sarada. The stall now smelled of stomach acid and bleach, and I took deep breaths before standing up and kicking the handle.

"All this because you've realized your true self?" She was in the mirror, inspecting her nails.

I wanted to cry as I faced her, "Why won't you just go away?"

"…Do I bother you that much?"

"Yes!" I banged my hands on the counter, gripping the edge tightly, "Yes! Can't you just leave me alone?"

"For a straight-A student, you can be so dumb sometimes. How long have I been with you? Since high school? Since middle school? How exactly am I supposed to go away?"

I splashed cold water on my face, trying to wake up from this persistent nightmare, "I don't know! Just do it! It's not like you talk every moment of my life. You choose when to show up, just don't show up ever again."

"A true fool. Every time I show up, it's because you've put yourself in a situation where you need support. And what better support than your consciousness?"

"Some conscious I have." I muttered, "What kind of support are you giving me?"

"It's called tough love, sis. You want someone who only plays nice, you can call Ino. I bring the facts that you already know but need to hear again. That's why you ran out of the theater once you realized you're using Naruto to—"

"Shut up."

"See? You're being difficult again because it's a truth you already know. Naruto's just your—"

"That's it." I unzipped my handbag and brought out the Paroxetine bottle.

"Slow down. You already took a dose earlier with alcohol. Don't take another one." For once, her expression wasn't smug, and I reveled in the fact that I had upset her.

"Why? Because it'll shut you up for good?" I shook out four pills.

"You were a doctor for Kami's sake! You and I both know what'll happen!"

"Anything is better than hearing you!"

"Sakura-chan?" I turned around and saw that Naruto had entered without my knowing.

"What's going on? Who are you talking to?" He pressed the door shut and turned the big metal lock before his gaze dropped to the bottle of pills in my hand, "And what are those?"

"My meds." I quickly closed the bottle and dropped it in my handbag, "Gomen, I left because I realized I hadn't taken my dose for the day."

"And your daily dose is four pills?" He inquired, pointing to my left hand which I had carelessly left open.

I closed my fist around them and smiled, "Yep. People say one pill's hard to swallow, imagine four?"

Naruto stepped up to me and held my hands, "Sakura-chan, please, don't lie."

"Huh? I'm not—"

"What are you taking, probiotics? Even at that, nobody takes more than two of anything." His sky-blue eyes shined with concern, "That can't be good for you, ya know."

"I-I know what I'm…" I trailed off as tears spilled out of my eyes, "Kami, Naruto, I'm going crazy."

He pulled me into a hug and nestled my head into his chest, "How? What can I do to help?"

"You know what you have to do. Use him!" She shouted from my side.

At that, I shoved him off, "No! You cannot help! Just, let's go, just take me home."

I tried to push past but he stood firm, "Sakura-chan, talk to me."

"Drop the pretenses and tell him to fuck you!"

I held my head, "No, I…"

"What's wrong?"

"Come on! You're quivering down there!"

I stumbled back and Naruto grabbed my hands to keep me from falling, "Sakura-chan!"

"Please…let me go…" I shut my eyes as the overlapping voices became too much.

"I don't know what's going on with you." His breath brushed against my ear and I squirmed, "But let's just calm down so we can figure out what to do, ya know."

"N-No, Naruto, I...I…!"

"For Kami's sake! Can't you just say it? What's the point in being embarrassed now? You want him!"

"What is it, Sakura-chan? Tell me so I can help you!" He pleaded.

I covered my face, "Insane. I'm fucking insane…"

"W-What?"

'I've got to be.' I thought to myself as I dropped my hands to grab his collar and smashed our lips together, 'I've got to be…'

|Sarada|

"Why are they here?" I asked Mitsuki with my eyes.

He bowed his head in apology, "I had no choice, they followed me."

"Nice place you got here." Kū whistled as he picked up an old family portrait, "And you've got it all to yourself? Man, rich kids sure have it easy."

"I'm not rich." I said as I snatched the frame out of his hand, "And stop touching things."

He put up his hands in surrender, "Sorry. How does privileged sound?"

I scowled and he grinned.

"Relax, it's a compliment. I wish I'd grown up with a house to myself instead of sharing a room with them." Kū jerked his thumb at the three following behind him, "Kirara got her own space as a girl, but four boys in a room? Send me to prison any day."

"Sarada-chan!" Kirara bounced over to us, "Show me to your room, or more importantly, your closet! I hope it's not as bad as what you've got on because…"

I looked down at the attire I'd worn to meet Inojin, "What? What's wrong with what I'm wearing?"

"I mean it's fine if you're a grandma going for a jog…" Kū snickered and I punched him in the arm, "But I wouldn't be caught dead in those clothes."

I rolled my eyes, "Fine, my room's the second door on the right."

"Perfect. Don't worry sis, I'm going to make you the most fashionable girl in Konoha." Kirara clapped her hands and bounded up the steps.

"Hmph, just be sure you don't have any cards hanging around." Kokuyō grumbled, crossing his arms, "She'll run your credit score into the ground in the name of fashion."

Sekiei laughed, "Oh yeah! Remember? That time that Kokuyō and Grandpa got invited to a fancy dinner? Kirara said she would take care of his clothes, and then she racked up 両100,000."

Kakō lips curled in a slight smile, which surprised me since I'd come to see him as more stone-cold than Kokuyō.

"Dumbass," Kakō smiled, "How can you put Kirara and clothes in the same sentence and think everything will be okay?"

Kū chuckled, "Kokuyō tried to kill her that day."

"And I would've if Grandpa hadn't gotten in the way." Kokuyō shifted, "She's a girl, give her some slack, my ass! If I had checked a day later, the purchases would've been final."

"Well, look at it this way." Kū said, drinking some water, "Now we've got a business where 両100,000 is chump change and with Sarada-chan's ideas? We'll be raking in six times that every day. I think Miss Manager deserves a toast."

The doorbell rang, and Mitsuki looked at me, "Were you expecting someone?"

I shook my head, "No, it's half-past seven. And if it was Mama, she wouldn't need to ring the bell."

Kū tilted his head and grabbed the doorknob, while Kakō stood off to the side, his hand on his waist, poised to reach for something.

"3…2…1." Kū mouthed silently and yanked the door open.

Once Kakō saw who it was, his hand dropped from his side and he scoffed, "This one of your little friends, Sarada?"

I stood up and saw who was standing on the steps, "Inojin?"

"May I…come inside?" Inojin bowed his head and I nodded, stepping aside.

Kū shut the door behind him, and a new light shined in his eyes as he regarded Inojin, "So, Sarada-chan, you gonna introduce this friend of yours?"

Inojin turned to him and then looked around, as if he was just realizing that there were others in the house.

I cleared my throat, "Kū, this is Inojin. Inojin, this is Kū, Kakō, Kokuyō, and their sister Kirara is upstairs. And Mitsuki here is their cousin. He's the one who had the house party where we sold the drinks."

"Nice to meet you." Inojin greeted them formally and Kū slapped his back.

"Aw, what's with the stiffness? A friend of Sarada-chan is a friend of mine! And I can see you're not doing too well. Anyway, we can help?"

"I came here to talk to Sarada about that…" Inojin rubbed the back of his neck, his eyes glancing up at me, "So…"

"Oh, it's a private affair." Kū gleamed and I signaled for him to cut it out, but he must have missed it because he turned to Mitsuki, "You hear that, cousin? How do you feel about this?"

I realized I had forgotten to mention one more thing about Mitsuki to Inojin, but before I could try and correct my mistake, the damage was already done.

"What do his feelings have to do with me and her?" Inojin asked, and I held my breath.

"You mean you don't know? Sarada-chan and Mitsuki are a couple, of course he's got something to do with it!" Kū laughed and Inojin's face dropped as he turned to me.

"Is this true?"

"Yes. I was going to tell you but—"

"Who else knows?" Inojin questioned, and I realized we had captivated everyone's attention.

And there was nothing I hated more than being the center of attention due to some drama.

"Um, Chōchō, Sumire, and Boruto, but I swear—"

"Boruto? You told Boruto before me?" Inojin's voice cracked, and I wanted to punch myself for being completely truthful.

"That was because I needed his advice with something, and he already knew Mitsuki so…" I trailed off, not sure how to resolve this, "Anyway, what does it matter whether you found out first or last? Now you know."

"Ouch." Sekiei said and I shot him a deadly glare.

'I hate this. I really do hate this.'

Inojin shook his head, "Right. It's not like I'm that important to you anyway."

"Inojin—"

"Just drop it." He waved his hand, "I came to ask for some melatonin. I can't fall asleep and I don't have any at home."

Kakō wandered back into the living room with a couple of sodas and handed one to those on the couch.

"Insomnia, eh?" Kū nodded, pinching his chin, "I've dealt with it before. What, is your house cursed or something?"

"Might as well be." Inojin muttered, turning back to me, "So, you have any?"

I shook my head, "I can check in the drug cabinet, but I'm pretty sure we have none."

Inojin sighed, "Alright, well, thanks. See you around."

"Whoa there!" Kū grabbed his shoulder, "She may not have melatonin, but I have something that works almost the same."

My eyes widened as he brought out his switchblade and a block of shabu, "Kū, no."

His eyes darted to mine and I was reminded of his eerie nature. Before I could protest further, Kakō came up behind me and rested his elbow on my head. I understood the silent command of the gesture, and shut my mouth.

"What is it, cocaine?" Inojin asked, looking at the block.

Kū laughed, "Why does everyone think that? Come on, have a bit, you'll see what I mean."

He sliced a sliver off from the side and lifted it to Inojin's face. Inojin glanced at me and I silently pleaded for him not to take it. Then his eyes drifted from me to someone on my left, and I saw that he and Mitsuki were having a standoff.

Mitsuki smirked and Inojin turned back to Kū before lowering his nose to the blade and sniffing the white powder. Immediately, he stumbled back, clutching his head like it was about to fall off.

"Catch him!" Kū yelled and Kakō was by Inojin in a flash, holding him up through his initial reaction to the drug.

Slowly, Inojin steadied out, and I watched in horror as his eyes rolled to the back of his head. I took him from Kakō's arms and looked up at Kū.

"What the fuck did you give it to him for?!" I glared up at him angrily.

"Hey, it worked, didn't it? The kid's out like a light." Kū shrugged, and that was the final straw.

"All of you, get the fuck out."

"What?" Sekiei whined.

"Even me?" Mitsuki pointed at himself, and I gave him a dirty look as well.

"Come on, Sarada-chan," Kū stepped forward, "Don't be like that. The kid's gonna be fine. See? He's breathing alr—"

"Get the fuck out! Kirara, get down here, you're leaving!" I yelled as I began to climb the stairs with Inojin's arm around my shoulders.

Kū sighed before whispering something to Kakō and Kakō shoved me aside while grabbing Inojin, "Move."

As I started to protest, I saw that he was carrying Inojin to my room. He kicked the door open and some words were exchanged with Kirara.

"No!" Kirara shrieked and I watched as Kakō came down the stairs with her over his shoulder, "I wasn't done sorting!"

"Shut up." Kakō said, punching her back in annoyance and turning to Kū, "We'll be in the car."

"Aa." Kū nodded, stepping up to me, "I hate to end things like this, but we'll see you around, ne, Sarada-chan?"

I said nothing and Kū sighed again before stepping out. Mitsuki kissed my cheek and said goodbye, but he also received no response. I just wanted all of them out. Sekiei was the last to go and he gave me a sympathetic nod before closing the door behind him.

'Finally.' I thought to myself as I locked the door.

Immediately my mind went to Inojin and how he had looked after some shabu. I turned off the lights downstairs before going up to my room. Kakō had been nice enough to prop his head up with a pillow and turn on the fan.

'But I read somewhere that they're supposed to be on their side?' I tried to recall where I'd seen it, but all I knew was that if he vomited, he would choke if he was on his back.

It took a considerable amount of strength to turn him over but once I did, I got in bed with him. His eyelids were shut, and I saw that they were a light shade of pink, the same with the tip of his nose, a direct contrast to his pale skin.

"Inojin, you dummy…" I murmured as I stroked his cheek, "Why would you take that?"

I thought back to earlier when I'd called to let him know that Mama was nowhere to be found and explained that Aunt Ino wouldn't be getting treated today. He'd sounded so dejected, and I'd tried my best to give him hope but it was clear it hadn't worked.

And then the situation with Mitsuki…had it really been such a problem? Chōchō and Sumire were the first to know because they were my best friends. He had to be aware of that.

'I guess Boruto was the nail in the coffin.' I realized, rubbing my eye.

But the only reason I'd told Boruto was because I'd wanted some initial advice about how to approach Mitsuki. And seeing as how Boruto already knew him and seemed to be well-versed in the subject of relationships….

'How could I have told you?' I wondered, 'By the time things had calmed down, you'd gone all crazy on me over your parents and we weren't talking.'

"Dummy…it's not my fault." I flicked Inojin's forehead lightly and shut my eyes as sleep came over me, "It's not my fault…"

|Naruto|

"Sakura-chan." I nudged her with my elbow, "Sakura-chan, look."

"Mm…?" She opened her eyes, turning to me.

I laughed, "Come on, it's a full moon. You don't see every night."

She peeked at it before shutting her eyes again, "It's pretty…"

I shook my head and pressed my lips against her ear, "Ora, Sakura-chan. Appreciate the night sky with me…"

I felt her shiver and smirked as I sat up. We were currently in Tanzaku Park, slightly intoxicated and lying down on a picnic blanket. I'd suggested we come here after things in the bathroom were resolved.

Sakura grabbed my collar and smashed her lips against mine, a move that stunned and excited me. But I couldn't forget that Sakura had been collapsing seconds before this, and I pushed her back with my hands before trying to talk some sense into her.

"Sakura-chan, this isn't the time for this. You need help, serious help, ya know! Let's go, I'll take you to a hospital."

"No! Not a hospital, I can't…i-it won't end well for me." She pursed her lips, "Just–Just have sex with me, and I'll be fine."

"What?" I couldn't believe my ears.

She looked down and I was worried I had ruined the chance to get her to talk, but surprisingly, she raised her eyes to mine and continued.

"You can call me selfish; you can say I'm crazy, fine. Sex is the only thing that helps me; and it's not just sex, but…sex with you."

I should've been elated to hear that, and I was, but a sick feeling also pooled in my stomach, "W-Why? Is it because of that night at the motel? Or because of that time at your house?"

"Both." She nodded, and my stomach sank.

"I-I was at a low point in my life at both times, but after we slept together, I felt better. Then after my attempt…I don't know what's going on with my brain, but I do know that everything feels better after I'm done with you." She gripped her arms tightly, "I can try to breathe, I can try to drink, I can take medicine, but nothing works like you."

I stepped back, "Sakura-chan, gomennasai."

"What are you apologizing for?" She reached out to me, "I want you! And y-you want me, don't you? You said you loved me."

"I do." I assured her, "But you're not…you're not just a hookup to me, Sakura-chan. You mean more, that's why..."

I trailed off as I kept my thoughts to myself, 'That's why I'm afraid I'll disgust you.'

Sakura nodded her head cheerlessly, "I get it…your love is pure. Not carnal and twisted like mine."

"Gomen." She swallowed, scratching her throat, "Forget what I said. I think it's best if we give each other some space. It'll give you the clear head you need to work things out with Hinata, and I'll get myself sorted out."

"My love's not pure." I blurted out, cupping her cheeks, "It's so twisted Hinata couldn't accept it when she found out. I…didn't know if you could either so I never tried to show you, ya know."

I invaded her space so that our lips were barely touching, and when Sakura tried to move in, I grabbed her throat and kept her just out of reach, "I'm sick, and sadistic, and full of lust. I…I want to do things that normal people wouldn't think of doing. And if you need me like you say you do, you'll have to deal with that."

"Naruto…" She whimpered my name, and I wanted nothing more than to embrace her right then and there.

"Even now, all I can think about is taking you the way I truly want to." I breathed, "But what you really need is help, not my sick fantasies. I shouldn't be poisoning you anymore…so tell me that."

She shook her head, and I tightened my grip around her neck, getting off on the way her face flushed, "Tell me that you need help, that you want to get better. Tell me to stop."

"I need…you." She choked out and I released her, feeling delight and then immediate disgust in myself.

"No!" I looked away from her, running a hand over my head, "You don't know what you're asking for, Sakura-chan. Not even my own wife likes this side of me. What makes you think you will?"

She stepped forward and hugged me, "I'm sick. Let me be sick with you."

At that, I held her chin with a hand and slowly ran my thumb over her lips.

"I don't think you realize how sick I am." I said tenderly, tapping my thumb against her mouth, "Do you know what I want to do to you?"

Sakura shook her head before parting her lips, and I pressed my thumb down on her tongue, reveling in the look of her face as she closed her mouth on my finger.

"I want to break you." I said into her ear, my voice barely above a whisper, "I want to build you up in pleasure and make you beg for release, ya know. I want to be the reasons for your breath and your tears. Everything about you will be mine."

I removed my thumb from her mouth before kissing her lightly, "Everything."

We snuck out of the bathroom after that, and on our way to the park, I stopped at a liquor store for some Awamori. Part of me couldn't believe that I had managed to say all that to her while completely sober, and since I doubted, I would be able to maintain that level of confidence for the rest of the night, I popped the bottle open. We passed it bottle back and forth until 1/6th of it was gone, and by then we had reached the park.

For the most part, the alcohol had mellowed me out, but I was still in a bit of denial. It was one thing to have told her I loved her, like yesterday. But to share my sexual desires…nobody but Hinata knew about them, and her reaction had made it painfully clear that they were nowhere near normal. Yet Sakura had assured me that she was willing to go along with them.

'Can she really take it?' I wondered to myself as I placed my hand on her abdomen.

She opened her eyes again and I captured her lips hungrily. Sakura's mouth opened for my tongue as soon as it flicked against her, and I slid my hand down to her hip before drawing her closer to me. A moan resonated in her throat, and I felt myself harden as our tongues danced. However, the chirp of a bird reminded me of our location, and I pulled back.

Blinking in fervor, her eyes shot me a question, and I answered it with a thumb jerk in the direction of the parking lot. Without a word being exchanged, we both got up and prepared to head for the car. Together we shook out the picnic blanket and rolled it up before I tossed it over my shoulder. Sakura was slightly ahead of me and that allowed me to get a good look at her figure. Mischievously, I reached out and grabbed her behind, delighting in the fall of her shoulders.

Catching up with her, I kept my grip firm and she looked around before turning to me with reddened cheeks, clearly flustered. I couldn't help but grin at her nervousness, but to keep her at ease I moved my hand up and around her waist, putting it at a more natural position. She hugged me from the side and nestled her head on my arm, and I blew out some air through my nostrils.

'I'm going to ruin you.'

Sakura got into the back seat as I tossed the blanket into the trunk and when I arrived to join her, I saw her hands were folded on her lap. Although she was facing me, the rigidness of her posture combined with how she was pressed up against the door told me that she was feeling a bit uneasy about what was supposed to come next.

'We can't have that.' I thought to myself as I moved over to her and palced a hand on her thigh.

I felt the goosebumps form on her skin as I slid my hand under her skirt and raked my nails gently across her inner thigh. Sakura quivered and I felt her retreat even more as she shut her legs on my hand. I joined our mouths before hooking my freehand around her waist, pulling her off the door and nearer to me. She unfolded her hands and I felt them find support on my shoulders.

Freeing my sandwiched hand from between her legs, I encouraged her to get on top of me, breaking off our kiss as she moved. When she was on top, I rocked my hips upward against her core and grinned at her groan. Although she was straddling me, there was enough space between us for me to unbuckle my pants and free my length from its constraints. With equal quickness, I straightened out one of her legs and removed her underwear before returning her leg to its previous position. She shifted and we both shivered at the contact.

It took everything in me not to lift her up and bury myself to the hilt. No, there was an order to these things. I had dreamed about this for many, many years, and I wouldn't let lust ruin such an opportunity.

I reached into the pocket behind the driver's seat and brought out a black scarf. Sakura looked confused but remained still as I wrapped it over her eyes. When I was done, I tied it and leaned back to admire my work.

"Can you see?" I questioned hoarsely, the desire thick in my throat.

Sakura shook her head, and I pressed her fingers to my lips, "Good."

Hiking her skirt up around her waist, I ran my hand down her core and quietly hissed when she leaned forward in response. As her heat pressed against me, I felt wetness begin to coat my fingers and I smirked. My other hand slipped under her shirt and below her bra to swipe at her breasts. She shuddered as my thumb pressed down on a perked nipple, and I felt the desire to show them some more attention.

Fortunately, I didn't have to say anything as Sakura let go of my shoulders to remove her shirt and unhooked her bra soon after. However, my sight of her beautiful mounds was soon obstructed by her hands, which were crossed over them tightly.

"Come on, Sakura-chan." I whispered, "Let me see them."

Her hands hesitated and I gave her a bit of encouragement by rubbing her nub with my middle finger.

"Mn!" She cried out as she dropped her hands, grabbing onto me for support.

Sitting up and touching against her again, I latched onto one of her nipples and gave it a little bite before sucking lightly. As I did so, I continued to rub her nub in slow, light circular motions. Combining that with my fingers sliding along her lower lips, and I had a shuddering, moaning mess on top of me. The wetness I had felt before was nothing compared to the stream now soaking my hand.

"Hngh, Naruto..." Sakura dug her fingers into my hair, panting heavily, "Hurry..."

"Hurry and what?" I asked in a low voice, enjoying the inflections in her voice.

I pinched her nub with two fingers and she jolted, almost landing right on me. I grit my teeth at the feel of her wetness on my member.

'Almost, but not yet.' I silently exhaled as I focused on stopping myself from cumming.

"You—" She cut herself off as I tapped my fingers on her entrance, threatening to go in, "You know what to do."

"I do?" I questioned in that same tone of false innocence, "I'm not sure what you're asking."

"Please." Sakura begged, and I grinned as I decide to push one last straw.

"Please what?" I released her breast to grab my length and grind it against her, "You have to be specific."

She whined into the crook of my neck and clutched tightly at my shirt, and my eyes widened as I felt her convulse. It hadn't been part of my plans for her to cum this early, but I would have to work with it. I drove three fingers inside her before curling them against her walls, determined to work her through her peak. Fast, light thrusts had her screaming out my name, and I felt the spring in me coil up and prepare to pop.

I replaced my fingers with my length and pushed upward, trying to reach as far as possible. My plans to make things agonizingly slow were tossed out of the window as lust clouded my thoughts, and I grabbed her neck with my right hand. Sakura was already starting to come down from her first orgasm, but at the new penetration, I felt her walls tighten against me. She choked out moans between thrusts, and her hands left my shoulders for my thighs, trying to move off me as she reached her second climax. The feel of her cumming again was euphoric, and I was in no rush to be stripped of the sensation.

I planted my left hand on her hip and held her down so she couldn't get away. She gasped again, and I moved my mouth to hers, sealing her voice with a sloppy kiss. Her nails dug into my back through my shirt, and I could see tears slip out from under the scarf.

"Naruto..." She panted breathlessly, her voice trembling.

That was all it took for the spring in me to finally snap.

"Sakura-chan!" I groaned as I hugged her close, and the heat rushed out of me and into her warmth.

I kept us together until I had come down from the high, and then slowly removed myself from her. She whimpered at the bits of contact as I severed our connection, and I playful palmed her breast.

"Ah!" She swatted my hands, covering her chest, "Please don't, it hurts..."

'Overstimulation.' I understood with a nod, then realized her eyes were still covered.

Untying the scarf, I tossed it aside and met Sakura's light green eyes, still glistening with water as a result of the sexual overload. With a little help, she was off my lap and sitting by my side. I leaned down to her forehead to give her a kiss. She winced as my arm brushed her chest again.

"Is it really that painful?" I asked, curious about how she was feeling.

"It—It's weird." She exhaled heavily, carefully sitting up, "It's like, it feels so good that it hurts. I don't know if that makes sense."

"No, no, it makes sense but that's kinda the opposite of what I want you to say." I nodded my head, lowering my lips to her ear, "I want you to tell me it hurts but it feels so good, ya know."

Sakura's eyes widened and she glanced down at my growing erection before meeting my eyes, "Again? Already?"

I laughed loudly as I unbuttoned my shirt, "There's still so much I want to do to you, Sakura-chan."

"B-But, I can't." She stuttered, "I already came twice. Anymore and I'll...I'll break."

She yelped as I pulled her close and I laughed again, "I told you, didn't I? I want to break you."

I reclined the backseats as I settled on top of her. This was going to be one long night.