Chapter 24. After the Rain
"When the rain subsides, the sun must arise."
|Ino|
"I'm so sorry about this." I told the bartender as I moved to bring out my wallet, "How much did she rack up?"
The bartender quickly shook his head, "She paid for the shots before she got 'em, and she wouldn't take her money back. That's kinda why we had to give her all of them in the first place."
Sakura groaned in what I could only assume was disagreement, and I nodded as I adjusted her arm across my shoulders, "Well, thanks again for looking out for her."
"Of course." His cheeks wrinkled as he smiled, "How could I let anything happen to one of our best patrons?"
I raised a mental eyebrow at the positive relationship Sakura had with this place, but said nothing and instead returned the smile, "Have a nice night."
He wished me the same and I turned to the door and lugged Sakura out of the bar. Once we were outside, I dragged her over to her car and propped her up against the passenger door before patting her down for her keys.
She fumbled around in her front pocket before bringing them out and pressing them into my hand, "Fuck…"
"Fuck is right." I said as I helped her into her seat, "How is it that you leave the house around noon without saying anything just for some guy to call me six hours later and tell me to come pick your drunk ass up on basically the other side of the city? What the hell happened?"
I put the keys in the ignition and started the car, and as I pulled us out onto the road, I couldn't help but wonder what could've caused her to pick up the bottle before 8 p.m. Sure, Sakura was no stranger to alcohol, but we both understood that there was a time and a place. 6:53 p.m. on Wednesday didn't fit under either of those categories.
Silence remained between us for a while, and it wasn't until we had been driving for a good fifteen minutes that she finally spoke.
"Ka-san's…dead." Sakura swallowed hard, and I stole a glance at her only to find she was leaning against the window, distant.
"Wha—How?" I questioned, confused as to how the able-bodied woman I'd seen two days ago could've suddenly kicked the bucket.
"The bombing." Sakura went on to quietly explain, "She was at the bank when it—she got pinned under a piece of concrete. The flames ate up most of the oxygen…they said she died from smoke inhalation."
Immediately, I grabbed her hand and squeezed, "Sakura, gomennasai."
"The mortician was the one who called me." She chuckled uncannily, continuing to stare out the window, "Asked me to come in and identify her body. I went in there hoping it was some kind of mistake, but it was her."
"Kami almighty." I breathed gently, imagining how stunned Sakura was when she laid eyes on her mother.
"…She was supposed to come by the house today." She croaked, "She had so much to tell me. I had so much to tell her. And now she's gone."
At the stark statement, I couldn't help but squeeze her hand tighter in order to replace what should've been comforting words. After all, what could be said to someone who just found out their parent passed away?
'No wonder she went and got drunk.' I realized as I pulled the car to a stop at the red light.
"Two years, Ino…" Sakura sobbed and wiped at her eyes "I hadn't spoken to her in two years and the day after I try to reconnect with her, she dies? Maybe…maybe I'm cursed."
I reached over and cupped her cheek, forcing her to face me, "No, you're not. Please don't tell me you actually believe that."
"Why shouldn't I?" She blubbered as she continued to wipe her face, "Everyone that's around me, they always end up getting the short end of the stick while I'm left to see what I've caused."
"Stop saying shit like that, right now." I told her as I turned back to the road, the light turning green, "Everything you do, you have good intentions behind it. Hontōni, you're the most selfless person I know, there's no way you're cursed."
She quieted her sobs until she was no longer actively crying, "You wouldn't…you wouldn't be saying that if you knew what I—what I've done…"
"So tell me." I encouraged her, "You're my best friend, Sakura. No, at this point, I can't even call you that. You're my sister; there's nothing you can tell me that could make me think less of you."
"…Even if I told you I cheated on Sasuke-kun?" She posed the hypothetical after sniffing.
Well, she had me there.
I'll be honest, adultery wasn't exactly the confession I'd been expecting, but as I recalled everything that Sakura had shared with me about her marriage including Sasuke's own infidelity, I found myself sympathizing with her.
"You had your reasons, right?" I waved my hand, "You told me yourself, nine years without…anyone would've stepped out a long time ago. You did a good job holding out for this long."
"No." Sakura quickly shook her head, "After everything you've been through with Sai, you of all people should be the last person to give me a pass."
"Sakura—"
"I made a vow, Ino..." Sakura cut me off with a groan, "I swore to love him forever, to be faithful till death, and I cheated."
I pulled us off to the side and put the car in park before completely turning to her, "He cheated first."
"I'm not even sure about that anymore." She lamented with another shake of her head, "Itachi-nii was at the morgue and he said that what Taiko told me wasn't the full story."
'Fuck.' I bit my lip as I realized how things were starting to tip less in Sakura's favor.
"While I was drinking, I thought that maybe…maybe that's why Ka-san died. That my punishment for breaking one of Kami's most sacred laws was to lose her." She sniffed, but before I could begin to tell her how absurd that notion was, she continued, "And you know what the worst part is? I…I don't regret it. All the time I spent with Naruto was…for a moment it was the only thing keeping me going."
My eyebrows raised as I realized she had unwittingly revealed two things in that latter sentence, and I took in a silent breath as I debated whether or not to confront her on them right here and now. Before I could mull over the pros and cons of the choice, Sakura's eyes widened and she turned to me with an expression of absolute despair on her face, recognizing how she had slipped up.
"No—I mean…" She fumbled for her words as she sought to explain herself to me, and I folded my hands in my lap as I waited for her to find them, "We hooked up one night after a lot of drinking. It's a bad excuse, I know, but I never planned for anything to happen. From there things just…took off. It felt right. It still feels right."
"You're still seeing him?" I couldn't help but blurt out the question, shocked that the affair was still ongoing.
She glanced at me sheepishly and nodded.
"Sakura, he's married." I shook my head disapprovingly, "Sure, Sasuke-kun's a shitty husband who's neglected you for far too long, but Hinata doesn't deserve this pain."
"Naruto's…" Sakura cleared her throat as she turned to me, "He already ended things with Hinata. They just haven't told anybody."
I pursed my lips, "Was he already planning to leave, or did he do it for you?"
"…Both?" Sakura answered after a moment of hesitation, and I let out an exasperated sigh.
We sat in silence for a moment, and I shut my eyes, willing myself to remain calm and composed. Although I couldn't say that I was fully understanding of her decision, I knew that the last thing she needed was a lecture about morality after learning her mother just died.
Besides, something she'd said earlier had alarmed me, and I wanted to be sure she hadn't meant what she'd said.
"I told you your feelings about me would change if you knew." She said as she hugged her arms to her body, "I'm the worst, aren't I?"
"You're not earning any points for this in my book, but you're far from the worst." I told her as I held a hand to my forehead, "But what was that about him being the only thing keeping you going?"
She gave me a pitiful look, begging me to turn away from this line of questioning, but as I blinked and realized I had correctly guessed what she'd been insinuating, I sat up.
"Sakura, what did you mean?" I asked her plainly, wanting her to tell me in her own words so that there would be no room for misconception.
"I…" Her voice cracked and she swallowed hard as her eyes looked around for something to settle on other than my own, "Sasuke-kun had just left for his shift and Sarada was giving me a hard time so I…I started wondering if there was any point in me being around. In being alive—"
"Sakura." I grabbed her hand and felt my face soften.
"The thought's been in the back of my mind for as long as I can remember, but it just got louder and louder until Suna." She blinked as tears ran down her cheeks, "It went away with meds but once I stopped taking them, it was only a matter of time till it came back. I was playing Russian roulette with Sasuke-kun's gun one night when Naruto…helped me. Ever since then I…"
She trailed off and I unbuckled my seatbelt and reached over to give her a hug, "Kami, Russian roulette? You could've died, Sakura."
She sniffled and let out a sad laugh, "Don't worry about that. I've learned I have the worst—or should I say best—luck with that game."
My heart ached at the thought of Sakura sitting alone in her room playing that game multiple times over the course of multiple nights, hoping for it to result in her death.
"So Naruto's the only reason you're still here?" I questioned, realizing that she had just revealed her suicidal tendencies and how they had almost prevailed, "How?"
"He loves me, Ino." She admitted to me softly, "He loves me and he's not afraid to show it. And I…I think I love him too."
"You think?" I repeated, unable to keep the questioning tone out of my voice.
Sakura nodded her head, "There was a time when I couldn't see myself without Sasuke-kun. Now I can't imagine a life without Naruto. I…I need him by my side."
"…Wow." That was all I could say after such a serious declaration.
Quiet spread between us and I put the car back in drive and pulled us back onto the road. We didn't say anything for the rest of the ride back, and even when we reached the house, I simply parked Sakura's car in the driveway and helped her up without engaging her in further conversation.
It wasn't until we'd climbed the steps and I'd eased her into her bed that she grabbed my sleeve as I turned to go.
"Ino?" She called my name in a way that forced me to turn back to her, "Are you angry with me?"
"Of course I am!" I sighed in anger, "I just found out that my best friend since I was born has been fighting off the urge to kill herself for the majority of her life, and she never thought to tell me."
"…Gomennasai." She apologized tearfully as she sat up, "I didn't wanna bother you. I didn't wanna bother anyone."
"But if I have a problem, I'm allowed to come to you?" I shook my head, "Come on, Sakura. That's not how friendships work, you're supposed to rely on me for this kind of stuff."
"I know, I know." Sakura agreed mournfully, "Gomennasai."
Her cries began to get louder, and I chalked that up to the alcohol inhibiting her ability rein in her emotions. As I hushed her, the doorbell rang, and I heard someone head downstairs to answer it.
"It's fine." I told her as I shushed her, "But you have to promise to tell me everything from now on. No more secrets, alright?"
Sakura quickly nodded her head, and I gave her a hug, "I'm gonna head downstairs and see who's at the door. You just rest; we'll talk more when you wake up."
She nodded again and as I moved to straighten up, she hugged me tighter, "Ino, I love you."
I returned the squeeze and released her, "I love you too."
Satisfied that she wouldn't require anymore assistance for the night, I dimmed Sakura's light before heading downstairs, and met Inojin halfway. Although he had composed himself pretty quickly, the panicked look on his face hadn't escaped my detection.
"Who's at the door?" I asked him and he cleared his throat.
"Uh, some lady." He avoided my eyes as he continued up the steps, "She says she knows you."
I raised an eyebrow and watched him head into the guest room he occupied before turning my attention back to the front door. As I reached it, I placed my hand on the doorknob and tried to recall everyone I had ever met and considered the possibility of them being on the other side of this door.
'Some lady?' I thought to myself as I opened the door, 'Who the hell…?'
It took all my strength to stop my mouth from dropping open as I laid eyes on the heavily pregnant, dark-haired woman who stood on the front steps.
"Yamanaka Ino, correct?" She confirmed my identity with a grin, "May we come in? There's a lot we need to talk about."
Before I could begin to ask questions, primarily about who the 'we' she was referring to was, Sai came up behind her and my eyes practically popped out of my head.
"Hey, Beautiful." He greeted me with a weak smile, "I hope you've been doing well."
|Sarada|
"So, twerp." Hidan said to Mitsuki, although he was staring at me through the rearview mirror, "When you told your dad about your situation, you didn't mention your girlfriend was involved."
"She doesn't have anything to do with it." Mitsuki promptly replied, and Hidan turned to him.
"If she's got nothing to do with it then why is she with us?"
Mitsuki facepalmed and let out a frustrated sigh as Hidan drove up to a gated entry and fist bumped the guard on standby, "Why are you saying this now when we're already here?"
"It just came to me." Hidan shrugged as he drove through, "Look, I'm trying to help you. Our boss hasn't been in the best mood lately and I'd hate to have to snap her neck because he's a little ticked off."
'No, you wouldn't.' I thought to myself as he pulled us into a reserved parking spot and put the car in park.
I'd bet a large sum of money that Hidan was somewhat interested to know how quickly he could kill me, be it because of a personal grudge, or a whimsical thought. The prominent smirk on his face as he looked back at me seemed to support the latter option, and I scowled before unbuckling my seatbelt.
"That isn't gonna happen." Mitsuki opened his car door, "Don't listen to him, Sarada."
"Wasn't planning on it." I nodded as I followed his lead and stepped out of the car.
Hidan whistled, "I warned you."
Hidan opened the other side door and tugged Kū out before taking a deep breath and lifting him onto his shoulders. With a curse, he adjusted his grip on Kū and proceeded to walk with him in a fireman's carry. Mitsuki held his hand out to me, and I took it before the two of us followed after him.
As we walked from the parking lot into the main ground, I took note of how the area was set up to resemble a miniature town from the Edo era. The multitude of mini houses that stood by side as well as the vegetation neatly planted in between some sparked my interest, and I might've actually been interested in exploring if it weren't for the threat of death that loomed over the environment.
I was quickly reminded that I wasn't in friendly territory as the inhabitants of the compound stopped to stare. Although Hidan carrying Kū could be seen as the main cause for all the attention, I couldn't help but shake the feeling that many of their eyes were on me in particular, but we arrived at the familiar center mansion that I'd previously been in before I could discern whether or not I was being too paranoid.
Sure enough, I found us in the same infirmary area that Tentō and I were confined to when we been taken, and the only difference this time around was that Orochimaru and that black-haired lady who'd tried to help me before were nowhere to be seen.
As far as the city knew, Tentō had gone missing three weeks ago and had yet to turn up. The billboards around the city still had his face and information up but seeing as how he was rarely brought up anymore, it was as if everyone silently agreed that he was dead.
It didn't help to come here and find that he wasn't in the same spot, but a weak part of me tried to make it out to be a good thing, and I told myself that he had probably been moved somewhere else.
'They wouldn't kill him, right?' I wondered as Hidan set Kū down on an empty bed, 'If that was their goal, they wouldn't have snatched him off the street.'
"Well, well, well, if it isn't Young Master." A grey-haired man with glasses smiled as he came out from a back closet.
"Kabuto, you're…here?" Mitsuki frowned.
"Just got back yesterday thanks to him." The grey-haired man jerked his chin towards Hidan who was leaving the infirmary, "Did you miss me?"
Kabuto approached us and quickly patted Mitsuki on the head, and maybe I was mistaken but it seemed like for a second Mitsuki leaned into the touch. As Kabuto lowered his hand, I noted that he had the same golden eyes that Mitsuki and Orochimaru shared, and his gaze fell to our interlaced fingers.
"Is this the infamous Sarada I've heard so much about?" Kabuto questioned.
Mitsuki nodded, "She is. Have you seen Father?"
"You just missed him." Kabuto gave Mitsuki a small smile, "I can help you in his stead. Or do you need something from him specifically?"
"No, well…" Mitsuki motioned towards Kū, "Father said he could help him."
Kabuto went over to Kū and gently inspected him before turning back to Mitsuki, "He's got a few ribs, a couple fractures in his right arm, and I'm guessing a concussion for him to be out like this, but he'll live. I just need to—"
The infirmary door slammed open, and Sasori stepped in.
"Sarada-chan!" Sasori spread his arms as if he was greeting a long-lost friend, "I thought Hidan was lyin' when he said ya were here! What brings ya back so soon?"
I instinctively squeezed Mitsuki's hand for support as I stared Sasori down, and Mitsuki stepped in front of me protectively.
"Oh!" Sasori raised a hand to his mouth and chuckled, "If it ain't the white knight in shinin' armor! Don't need ta give me the time of day since yer boyfriend's here to protect ya, is that it? Well, just wait 'cause once me and yer mom start datin', yer gonna be grounded till ya head off to college."
Against my wishes, my brain conjured up an image of Sasori and Mama together, and I fought off the urge to vomit.
'No 's just no way.'
Mama and Papa's relationship might not have been at its best before Papa went…wherever he'd gone, but if I knew anything about my mom, it was that she loved my dad, and she would never betray him. I told Sasori as much and he laughed in my face.
"Keep thinkin' that. Really hope yer never disappointed." Sasori said as he walked past us and went over to Kabuto, "Ya got any aloe vera to spare?"
"Sure, but what do you need it for?" Kabuto asked as he went over to the cabinet by the window.
He rummaged around in the top drawer before tossing Sasori a small container filled with thick pistachio-green colored cream and Sasori saluted him with two fingers before heading for the door.
"Just need ta treat a mild burn." Sasori answered, "Ya won't need it any time soon, will ya?"
"No, take your time." Kabuto waved his hand, and Sasori grinned at me as he left the infirmary.
I released Mitsuki's hand to hug my arms together and although he gave me a concerned look, I knew that he had more important things to worry about then me, so I nodded my head and silently told him to continue his conversation with Kabuto.
"So, Kū?" Mitsuki cleared his throat as he brought Kabuto's attention back to his injured cousin, "How can I help?"
Kabuto laughed, "Help? I think you've done more than enough. Find a seat while I get things ready."
As if on cue, Kū groaned and shifted a bit on the bed. With his lips in a firm line, Mitsuki fell into the seat beside him and patted his lap as if that was even a viable option. Before I could open my mouth to tell him why I would not be joining him, the infirmary door crashed open again, only this time I had my back to it.
Kabuto groaned, "Why is everyone in this place so…"
His complaint trailed off as his eyes widened, and I didn't need to turn around to figure who had caused him to stop talking. There was only one person capable of generating that kind of response.
"Sir." Kabuto bowed respectfully before straightening up, "To what do I owe the pleasure?"
Somewhat heavy footsteps drew nearer, and I held my breath as I felt the man stop just a few feet short of me.
"Boy." A deep voice proceeded from the man as he addressed Mitsuki, "Orochimaru said something about a police raid. Explain."
Mitsuki had gotten up to bow to him, and raised his head to answer, "He sold drugs, Sir, and he was staying at my house while in Konoha. Someone ratted him out because it was only when he got home that they stormed the place."
"You're sure they have no reason to come looking for you, correct?" The man questioned, "I trust you wouldn't lead them right to our doorstep."
"Of course not, Sir." Mitsuki nodded again, "I wasn't there when they apprehended the others, and I had nothing to do with their drug business. There aren't even any pictures of me in the house so…"
Silence enveloped the room as Mitsuki let his words fade out, but a familiar hiss laugh assured me that time hadn't frozen.
"Mitsuki, when you say things like that, people can only wonder what kind of parent I am." Orochimaru chuckled.
Mitsuki's mouth twitched as if he wanted to smile, but he kept his composure as he spoke to his dad, "*Chichiue, I would never—"
"It was a joke, a joke." Orochimaru interrupted him, "I know you would never disrespect me. Your brother on the other hand…Sarada? You came back?"
"Uchiha Sarada?" The boss inquired, and Mitsuki's eyes widened slightly as he glanced at me, "The girl who was taken with the Madoka boy?"
"Yes." Mitsuki stepped forward, "She's my girlfriend."
"I see." The boss sounded a bit displeased, "Doesn't your girlfriend have a mouth? She should be able to introduce herself."
As I shot Mitsuki a panicked look, I spoke, "H-Hello, Sir. Nice to—"
"It's common courtesy to face someone when you're talking to them."
With a swallow, I slowly turned around and wondered what face I should make as I looked upon the man that had Konoha in a chokehold. I settled on a somewhat serious expression and raised my head to look at him. The first things I noticed were his eyes.
Violet, wide, and paralyzing, it took me a moment to remember that I was supposed to be greeting him, and I quickly cleared my throat.
"My name is Uchiha Sarada, Sir." I bowed my head, "It's nice to meet you."
"What are you doing here?" He immediately brushed aside my introduction.
"I'm here because—"
"Look at me when you speak."
I swallowed again and forced myself to look him in the eyes, "I'm here because I didn't want Mitsuki to deal with this alone."
"He was never going to deal with it alone." The boss stared me down as he spoke, "You were there when he called Orochimaru, right? Then you know that we would have handled it."
"R-Right, but at the time I didn't feel comfortable leaving him in an alleyway after he'd just beaten his cousin to a pulp." I tried to make him understand my reasoning.
The boss shoved his hands into his pockets, "All the more reason to leave. Weren't you scared after witnessing such brutality? Why wouldn't you take the chance to escape? Maybe call the police?"
"I knew he wouldn't hurt me." That hadn't come out as confidently as I had meant it to and it was evident by the crack in my voice.
The boss chuckled as he grabbed my cheeks, "Do you know what I think? I think you're here to throw us all under the bus. One of my men knows your mother, correct? He said he'd kill her if you stepped out of line, so what do you do if you don't want to live in fear for the rest of your life? You strike first."
"I wouldn't." I quickly denied his claims as I felt his grip tighten.
"You stop by under the guise of support but really, you're just here for evidence. No cameras, no devices, that's all too risky. No, all you need to do is see it with your own eyes." He nodded his head, "And since you're an Uchiha, your word would be all it takes to flush three decades of hard work down the drain. I can't have that."
I grabbed his offending wrist in order to try and loosen his hold on me, and he dropped my face before turning to Orochimaru.
"Dispose of her."
My stomach sank as those three words entered my ear and wrapped around my brain, "N-No…"
"Is that really the wisest—" Orochimaru started but was cut off by the boss as he raised a hand.
"I've asked you to do it because I believe you'll be the most merciful, but if you're having trouble, I can always give the job to Hidan."
Orochimaru pursed his lips before walking over to me and grabbing my arm, "Come."
I looked up at him pleadingly, tears coming to my eyes, "Please don't do this. I was never going to do anything! I never said anything!"
"Don't make this difficult." Orochimaru warned me before his voice felt into a low volume that only I could hear, "Trust me."
I forced myself to calm down and stop hyperventilating before allowing Orochimaru to drag me along, but we stopped as quickly as we began to move due to Mitsuki grabbing both of us.
"…Mitsuki, what do you think you're doing?" Orochimaru questioned, giving him an irritated look.
"Gomen, Chichiue, but I can't let you take her." Mitsuki's face was like stone as he prevented us from moving any further, "And I can't agree with his decision to kill her."
"You would go against me, boy?" The boss questioned, a hint of amusement in his voice, "Even when you know what will happen?"
Mitsuki nodded, and the boss bent down to look him in the eye. An eternity seemed to pass before the boss quietly began to laugh.
"Orochimaru." The boss turned to him, a disturbing smile spread on his face, "It would seem your boy has fallen in love. What do you have to say about that?"
Orochimaru shrugged his shoulders, "Children can be molded, but they can't be controlled."
The boss laughed loudly at this and turned to meet Orochimaru's eyes, "I'll spare the girl, for now but she'd better be gone from this place before the Fujikages return."
"I'll take her back tonight." Mitsuki agreed with a nod of his head, and the boss clapped his hands before shaking his head at me.
"Uchiha Sarada, didn't your mother ever tell you to mind the company you keep?" He clicked his tongue as he passed me, "Be very careful."
And with that warning, he left the infirmary with Orochimaru in tow.
Once the door clicked shut behind them, the remaining three of us let out sigh of relief and Mitsuki and I shared a laugh as I hugged him.
"What did I tell you?" Mitsuki said as he patted my cheeks, "Nothing was gonna happen."
"Well, something almost happened," Kabuto corrected, "But since you got him to take back her death sentence, I'd say you did well, Young Master."
Mitsuki scowled at Kabuto's analysis, and I laughed again. It was weird, I should've been too panicked to speak after being in such a suffocating situation, and yet as Kabuto and Mitsuki engaged in a familial back and forth, I felt my face heat up.
Mitsuki had defended me many times in the past hour, be it from Kū, Hidan, Sasori, their boss…and each instance he had done it without hesitating. It made him kind of…hot.
'What the hell am I saying?' I immediately asked myself once the thought left my head, 'I'm supposed to be breaking up with him, not finding him attractive!'
I tried to imagine Mama scolding me for having gotten this involved with Mitsuki, and it actually started to work. For a few seconds, I could hear her begin a long rant about how irresponsible I was being, but Mitsuki literally snapped me out of it.
"Hello? Earth to Sarada?" His fingers were up in my face as I came back to reality, and I blinked before turning to him.
I quickly apologized before asking him to repeat himself and he smiled, "Kabuto's gonna take Kū somewhere to perform some light surgery. Wanna look around in the meantime? We've got a couple hours before I have to take you home."
"Uh, are you sure?" I furrowed my eyebrows at the suggestion of walking around, "If the boss doesn't like me, I'm not sure the people here will."
"Nonsense." Mitsuki threw his arm around my shoulder and smiled at me, "As long as you're with me, nothing will happen to you."
I gave him a look, but his infectious smile remained on his face, and I soon found myself being swayed to agree with his proposition.
"Sure, why not?" I waved my hand as we left the infirmary, "What's first on the list?"
He grinned, "How does the garden sound?"
*An extremely formal way of saying father
|Hinata|
"So you're okay? And you're sure you have everything you need for school tomorrow?" I questioned Boruto as Shikadai handed him a soda.
"I told you, Ka-chan!" Boruto waved his hand before grinning, "I'll be fine."
"Alright…" I sighed as I shut my door and started down the steps, "Just…be careful."
"Mhm! Oyasumi!" Boruto bid me goodnight before hanging up the call, and I swiped out of FaceTime before clicking my phone off.
I zipped up my jacket and pulled my handbag onto my shoulder before turning back to the stairs and cupping my hands to my mouth.
"Himawari!" I called, "I'm going to visit your father at the hospital! Wanna tag along?"
"Can't! Too much homework!" She replied, "Can you call me when you're there so I can say hi?"
"Sure thing!" I promised her and stepped to the front door with my car keys in hand.
When I opened my front door, I was shocked to find a bouquet of white lilies on my front doorstep, but upon closer inspection, I could see two little arms wrapped around them. As I lifted the bouquet, I found a familiar doll to be the owner of the arms, and as I turned it over, I saw that a small card had been taped to the back of the doll.
"My dear princess, I hope to see your face again. You graced me with your beauty and…" That was all I needed to read for me to realize who had sent the flowers.
I tossed the bouquet into the backseat as I got into my car and once I was buckled up, I dug around in my handbag in search of the business card Toneri had given me earlier in the day. When I found it, I turned the car on and made sure my phone was connected to the Bluetooth audio before dialing his number as I backed out of the driveway.
The phone only rang two times before the line connected.
"Hinata, did you get my gift?" I could hear the smile in his voice as I turned down the street, "White lilies are still your favorite right?"
"Toneri, what are you trying to pull?" I questioned as I glanced at the clock and found the time to be 7:22 p.m., "And how did you get my address?"
"I promise I'm not up to anything." He sounded a bit alarmed as he rushed to dispel my obviously hostile attitude, "I—It was nice seeing you today and I felt so happy about our chat that I asked Tou-sama for your address so I could send you a little something."
I made a mental note to give my father a piece of my mind before replying to Toneri's explanation, "Please don't send me anything again. The last thing I need is for the kids to find something like that and get the wrong idea."
"What idea could they possibly get?" He chuckled, "All I sent were some flowers."
"My dear princess, I hope to see your face again?" I shook my head as I reminded him of the words that he had written on the card, "What if Himawari or Kami forbid Boruto had seen that? What would I tell them?"
"…You could tell them about me." He suggested after a pause, "Say that I'm a close friend or—"
I groaned at his words, "That would be a lie, Toneri. And I try not to lie to my children about things as simple as this because it sets a bad example."
"What?" His hurt came through in his voice as he backtracked, "But I thought that you took the card because—"
"It was the courteous thing to do." I clarified, not wanting him to mistake my intentions, "I'm not so callous that I would just rip up your card and throw it back in your face, but I wouldn't have taken it in the first place if I'd known that you'd do something like this because of it."
He went silent and I had to glance at the panel to make sure that the call hadn't abruptly ended.
"I think there was a general misconception between us which led us to this current situation we're in." Toneri said after the moment of silence, "So let me ask you, Hinata: what am I to you?"
I thought for a bit before answering his question, "You are a person from my past who I'm honestly not too fond of, and now that you're trying to come back into my life with the same tactics that you used back then, I'm constantly being reminded why I cut you off all those years ago."
"Hinata, allow me to sincerely apologize for everything I've done to you up until this point, but especially for the past." Toneri began his atonement, "I meant it when I told you I'd changed; I was a spoiled brat, but I promise you I'm different now, I've matured. And if you'll allow me, I want to pursue you with the intent of marriage."
My mouth practically fell open at the proposal but just as I started to list all the reasons why I couldn't accept, he continued.
"You don't have to give me an answer now. You said your marital status was none of my business, and I'm not trying to pry, but it sounds like things are over between you and Naruto." Toneri admitted, "…I love you, Hinata. I've loved you since I first laid eyes on you, and that love will never go away. If you'll have me, I want to spend the rest of my days with you. You don't have to give me an immediate answer, but please tell me you'll think over my proposition today."
As I stopped the car at a red light, I shook my head and decided to say yes so I could be done with this conversation.
"Okay."
"Okay?" He repeated, joy filtering into his voice, "You'll think about it? So when should I expect an answer? In two weeks or—?"
"For Kami's sake, you said you'd give me time, now I have to think about how long it'll take for me to think?" I couldn't help but snap at him in exasperation.
"No, no, no!" He quickly tried to calm me down, "Gomen, I…gomen, you're right. Ah, well, hopefully I'll hear from you soon. Goodbye."
"Goodbye." I returned the farewell before hanging up, and immediately let out a heavy sigh.
'Ugh, what am I doing?' I asked myself as I turned on the radio, the default station being a dedicated jazz channel.
As a calm blues tune floated through the car, I pressed a hand to my head and sighed. Why hadn't I just flat out rejected Toneri's proposal just now? Telling him I would think about was only delaying the inevitable and if anything, it was kind of cruel for me to be leading him on like this.
For a split second, I imagined myself being married to him. My mind conjured up an image of us together, but the depiction of current-day Toneri was soon replaced with the young-adult Toneri of the past. I recalled the day he had shoved my chest so hard that it had bruised, and any attempts to consider a relationship with him were quickly dashed.
I tried to focus on the music for the rest of the ride to the hospital, but try as I might, Toneri's proposal would not leave my mind. It was as I took the elevator up to Naruto's room that a childish plan blossomed in my head, and against my better judgement, I decided I would put it into action.
Naruto was awake when I got to his room, chatting happily with a young nurse who seemed to be standing way too close to just be dropping off some food. I announced my presence by knocking on the door and the nurse's eyes immediately widened in fear as she recognized me.
"U-Uzumaki-san, I didn't know you were coming." She quickly bowed as I stepped into the room.
I nodded as I set my bag down and took off my jacket, "Well, I wanted this to be a surprise."
Naruto raised an eyebrow at me, no doubt catching the annoyed undertone in my voice, and I turned back to the nurse with a forced smile.
"Is there anything else that you need to do?" I questioned as sweetly as possible, and the nurse's face flashed with confusion, obviously confused by the switch in my attitude.
She shook her head, "No Ma'am. Have a nice night."
"You too!" I wished her the same farewell and waited for the door to click shut behind her before turning to Naruto.
"What was that about, Hinata?" He questioned as I fluffed up his pillows, "You scared the girl away, ya know."
I purposefully missed one of my pats to his pillow and swatted his arm before glaring at him, "I did that because she was flirting with you. Maybe after this she'll think twice before trying again."
Naruto's puzzled expression fell into one of realization and then shame, and I cursed myself for having said anything.
'Why does it matter if she flirts with him? We're split; anything he does now is none of my business.'
Naruto cleared his throat, "Everybody stopped by in the afternoon, and you told me that you would come back so when I didn't see you I thought that…well, I'm glad you're here, ya know."
He took my hand in his as he said this and ran his thumb over across my palm gently. I forced myself to look up at the TV in order to avoid staring into his warm blue eye.
'Don't look at me like that.' I thought to myself as I grabbed the remote from the nightstand and turned the TV on, 'Don't give me hope.'
The silence between us was quickly consumed by the news caster speaking into the mic.
"While it's been a full-day since the devastating bombings that shocked all of Konoha, the death-toll continues to climb." He grimly reported from his newsroom, "The newest report tells us that an additional fifty bodies have been recovered from the wreckage of what was once the Konoha Bank, and authorities confirmed that there are many more victims to be discovered."
"It's all my fault." Naruto murmured mournfully, and I looked back at him, "That day that Haguruma told me he would be leaving early…I should've asked more questions. I was so blind…"
I said nothing as he raked his free hand through his hair, his confined arm twitching as he sat dejectedly, "All those people…Buddha have mercy on me."
Unable to think of a way to dissuade him from blaming himself, I brought out my phone and tapped on FaceTime, "Himawari asked to speak to you."
"She did?" Naruto's face slowly brightened at the mention of his daughter, and I nodded as I took a seat on the bed beside him.
Himawari picked up on the first ring, and Naruto smiled as Himawari's happy face appeared on the screen.
"Papa!" She cried gleefully as I brought the phone closer to Naruto, "How are you doing?"
He laughed heartily, "Now that your mom's here and I've seen your face? Much better. Why didn't you come with her?"
"I wanted to!" She assured him with a regretful whine, "But I have three chapters to read for Human Bio and Shino Sensei said that he might give us a pop quiz because some people didn't turn in their Bug Life projects. And then Mirai Sensei just sent an email telling everybody that physical fitness exams start tomorrow! Ugh, Papa can I just quit school?"
I couldn't stop a smile from spreading on my face as Naruto chuckled, "No, Hima, you can't quit school, ya know. I don't have any advice 'cause I was never too studious as a kid, so just do your best, ne?"
Himawari sighed but her smile quickly returned to her face before she switched topics, inquiring about her father's injuries and joking about the possibility of him becoming a cyborg. I looked from one animated face to another as the two conversed and was reminded of how similar Himawari was to her father.
Despite her taking after me with her physical appearance, many of her expressions and mannerisms were just like Naruto's when he was her age, and the recognition warmed my heart as well as pained me.
'If only I weren't so scared.' I shut my eyes as I recalled Naruto's choking complex, 'Then we would still be—'
"Mama?" Himawari's voice calling my name made me snap my eyes open, and I saw that she was giving me a concerned look, "Daijōbu?"
I swiftly nodded to relieve her, "I'm fine, I'm fine. Just had a momentary headache."
She pouted just like her brother had a habit of doing when he didn't believe me, but she decided not to harp on my lie and wrapped up the call.
"Papa, I'll try and see you tomorrow after school, okay?" She blew him a kiss, and Naruto playfully caught it and pressed it to his cheek.
"Aa, I'll be waiting." He chuckled again, "See ya, Hima."
Himawari turned her attention to me, "Mama, be careful when coming back, okay?"
"I will." I assured her, and she waved to the two of us before hanging up.
As I shut my phone off and brought my hand down, Naruto sighed contentedly, "She really is a ray of sunshine. I'm glad she wanted to speak to me."
"Why wouldn't she?" I questioned as I turned to him, my smile slightly waning, "She loves you."
'…I love you.' There was a mutual understanding as we stared at each other, and his eye softened.
I knew he had leaned closer to me when I felt his breath against my lips, and I cleared my throat as I turned away, recalling my plan from earlier.
"Toneri proposed to me today." I said after some time, and I felt Naruto shift beside me.
"…What?" He said once he'd processed my words, "You started talking to him?"
"No but we happened to meet today, and my dad seems to be pulling some strings behind the scenes because Toneri said he gave him our address—"
"Wait a second." I turned to him as I heard anger seep into his voice, "You met him today? And he has our address? Did he come to the house?"
I hurriedly shook my head, "No, no! I actually met him at the hospital just as I was leaving and he—"
"Here?!" Naruto exclaimed in disbelief, "He just saw you today at the hospital and he's already asking you to marry him?!"
I nodded as the hairs on the back of my neck stood up. It wasn't often that Naruto expressed his rage, and I could never remain unfazed when he did.
"So what did you say?"
I decided to cut out the little details and surmise my answer, "I told him I would think about it."
Naruto swore as he clutched his covers tightly with one hand. There was a fire in his eye as he looked upon me incredulously.
"Hinata, you can't possibly be considering this, ya know." Naruto could barely keep his fury out of his voice, "After everything he put you through when we were younger, you'd seriously even give him an ear?"
"I just told him I'd think it over, it's not like I said yes." I countered as I maintained a determined face, but secretly I was drowning with hope.
The night of Sakura's birthday he'd told me that he was still seeing the woman he had cheated on me with, but many events since then had caused me to doubt the seriousness of their affair. Were things between them purely sexual or was an emotional component in play? If there was, then why was he so heated over the possibility of Toneri and I getting together?
"Still, you're basically encouraging him to keep chasing you." Naruto scratched his head angrily, "Why would you…?"
'Yes?' I looked him in his open eye, silently encouraging him to say more, 'Tell me that you don't want me with him. Tell me that you want me back.'
As I waited for him to reveal his obviously lingering affections for me, an unforeseen reaction occurred. The fire in Naruto's eye died out and his shoulders slacked as he sighed in defeat.
"Never mind." He mumbled apologetically, dropping his gaze, "I don't have the right to tell you anything."
'No, no, no…'
"If you want to let Toneri back into your life, go ahead." He continued despondently, "The choice is yours to make and yours alone."
I swallowed hard and lifted a hand to his cheek, urging him to look at me, "Do you mean that?"
When he looked up, I saw an internal conflict ravaging his mind, but as he shut his eye and opened it again, it seemed as though he had fully reined himself in.
"Yes." He nodded his head, his voice barely above a whisper, "You're free."
I stood up at once and wore my jacket before lifting my hand over my shoulder.
"The divorce papers…" I began weakly, clearing my throat as my voice cracked, "I've filled out everything on my end so when you get discharged, you can swing by the house and pick them up."
I held my breath in hopes that he would say something contrary, giving him one last chance to salvage our marriage.
Instead, he gave me a somewhat monotone confirmation, "Sounds good."
I turned on my heels and made my way for the door, but as I rested my hand on the doorknob, I said one last thing.
"I don't think I'll be able to visit anymore." I opened the door, "You understand."
"Aa." There was that same colorless tone, "I get it."
"Goodbye, Naruto-kun." With that, I shut his door and made my way down the hall.
It wasn't until I'd reached my car that I stopped holding back my tears. I put the keys in the ignition as my vision blurred and started the car with a choked sob. There was no going back from this.
|Sasuke|
"If you guys are sure you're okay, I'll be retiring for the night." Tezuna called from the doorway.
"Aa, we're fine." Karin nodded as she climbed into bed, "Arigato, Tezuna-san. For everything."
Tezuna smiled at her before shutting the door, "Oyasumi."
"Oyasumi." The two us called at the same time before looking at each other.
As Tezuna went further down the hall and her footsteps eventually faded away, I got into bed beside Karin and dimmed the bedside lamp. Except for the ticking of the clock above the bed, it was silent between us, and I knew that if I didn't talk to Karin about Pain's journal in the next few minutes, the wine from dinner would soon kick in and she would be fast asleep.
I cleared my throat and turned to her, "So…any thoughts about Pain's journal?"
Karin snorted as she pulled the covers up to her neck, "There's nothing to think about."
"Really?" I couldn't help the skepticism that edged into my voice as I propped my head up with my elbow.
"What do you want me to say?" She rolled her eyes as she faced me, "Should I feel bad for him or something? According to one of those entries, he's been abusing Konan for almost two decades so forgive me if I'm finding it hard to feel any sympathy from him."
"No, I get that but…" I shut my eyes and sighed, "Gomen, I don't even know what I'm trying to say."
When I opened my eyes back up, Karin was looking at me inquisitively.
"You said there was something you wanted to confirm when you asked me for the book." She mirrored my pose and tucked an arm under her head, "Did you find what you were looking for?"
The weight of her gaze grew heavy on me, and I chose to look at the bedsheet in order to avoid eye contact, "Reading his journal taught me that I went about somethings all wrong. I…Pain and I are alike in some ways."
"…If you've ever laid a hand on Sakura, I will—"
"What? No!" I immediately interrupted her at the accusation, "I would never. I just—I mean you said it yourself: I'm an expert at emotional and psychological abuse."
I silently winced as those words left my mouth but continued speaking, "I treated Sakura like shit, but it wasn't on purpose. I'm sure you've heard of it but after what happened in Suna, I convinced myself that I wasn't good enough for her. I wasn't there when she needed me and yet she still smiled at me like I was her hero. It tore me apart."
A pause and a glance at Karin's face led me to see that she was staring at me intently. She nodded to show that she was paying attention, and I sucked in a sharp breath. I'd never told anyone about my regrets from that time, not even Itachi, and yet here I was sharing them with Karin.
Part of me wanted to blame it on the red wine Tezuna had served us, but a large chunk of me knew better. Karin wouldn't pity me like my brother or anyone close to me. She'd made it clear that she wouldn't let our previous friendship sway her judgement of me, and I was sure she would give me her honest opinion and criticisms of my actions.
"So I…I distanced myself from her." At this Karin frowned, and I shut my eyes at her visible disapproval, "I tried not to touch her, not to speak to her, not to sleep with her…I thought that I didn't deserve her presence. And she shouldn't have been tortured with mine."
Karin sat up, "Hold on a sec. If you really felt so bad being around her, why didn't you just divorce her?"
I sat up alongside her and looked at her weakly, "Suna had just happened, and she wasn't in the best state of mind, it wouldn't have been right to leave her in her weakest moment."
"Okay so after?" Karin crossed her arms, unimpressed with my answer.
I scratched my head, "…It took a long time for her to get better, Karin."
"How long?"
"…Five years." I answered quietly.
She tilted her head to one side, "And were you the most loving and supportive husband known to man during those five years?"
"I—No, like I said, I tried to distance myself—"
"So let me get this straight." Karin pinched the bridge of her nose, "You knew she wasn't doing well after the incident, so you didn't divorce her because that would've just been another source of stress, right?"
I nodded.
"But even though you were by her side during that time, you weren't actually there for her in those five years during her recovery." Karin shook her head, "Did you not see how contradictory that was?"
I nodded again.
"Please tell me that you were only weird for those five years, and that you haven't been disconnected from your wife for the past decade? Please?"
Grabbing the covers into my fists, I shook my head and wordlessly answered her.
"Oh…" The hurt in Karin's voice made me snap to her and I could see the pain etched on her face before she held her head in her hands, "Buddha be merciful…poor Sakura. Even if she was a murderer in her past life, she doesn't deserve this kind of cruelty."
As I bit my lip, she continued to empathize with Sakura.
"And that woman has been so faithful to you, Sasuke-kun." Karin shook her head in disappointment, "She loved you and this is how you repaid her love?"
I swallowed hard as I looked down at my hands, "I know."
"You know?" She looked me at again and distress flashed on her face before she laid down and pulled the covers over her shoulder, "That makes it even worse."
She turned her back to me, a clear indicator that she was no longer interested in speaking to me, but I couldn't let things end just like that.
"Is there anything I can do?" I asked Karin in a low voice, "Or have I really, really lost her?"
I held my breath as she sighed and considered her words.
"I think…I think you have to give up." Karin admitted to me, "You've disregarded her for so long…it's not surprising to me that she would get involved with someone like Sasori. He's open about caring for others, a polar opposite of you and—"
"I tell people I care about them." I quietly argued, "I told you that after…after Shojoji."
Karin turned around to face me and I was prepared to meet a hard look, perhaps an annoyed expression, but instead her face was filled with compassion.
"Because I forced you to open up." She explained softly, reaching out to swipe a thumb over my cheek, "Be honest with yourself, Sasuke-kun. If you had gone on this mission by yourself, do you think you would've learned half the things you know now?"
I thought for a moment before shaking my head, and she sighed again, "Exactly. Oyasumi."
With a nod, I returned the goodnight and completely switched off the lamp before shutting my eyes.
Sleep was supposed to be my reprieve, my asylum, but maybe I should've stayed awake. In my dream, I watched Sasori and Sakura enter our home with laughter, Sakura beaming from ear to ear as Sasori shut the door behind her.
The two of them made their way to the kitchen where they continued to joke as they conversated, and Sakura eventually went over to the pantry and grabbed a small black bottle from the top shelf. My eyes widened as I recognized that as the expensive wine my father had gifted us on our wedding day, and I looked on helplessly as Sakura poured a glass for herself and then Sasori.
After a couple glasses, Sasori gave her an erotic look, and Sakura's cheeks reddened as she kept his gaze. They slowly leaned forward and soon enough their lips were in contest with one another. Sasori scooped her up into his arms without pulling away and after Sakura wrapped her arms around his neck, he began walking towards the stairs.
Within minutes, they were on the second floor, and Sakura removed one of her hands from around his neck to open our bedroom door. I refused to follow them upstairs, and watched the door shut behind them from the bottom of the steps.
I shut my eyes as I tried to wake myself from this nightmare, but when I opened my eyes again, I found myself in the bedroom. It was as if my brain was trying to punish me now that I'd realized what I'd lost, and no matter what I did, I couldn't peel my eyes away from the scene before me.
Sasori had lowered Sakura onto the bed and undressed her as they embraced. She too pulled at his shirt and pants, and it didn't take long before the two of them were completely bare before each other.
After which, Sasori knelt down in front of Sakura and kissed up her leg until he had reached her core and proceeded to sweep his tongue over it. At her moan, a pang of pain shot through my heart as I recalled the many times I had denied Sakura this same opportunity. What was the saying? What one man won't do, another will? It seemed as though she'd found her other man.
Sakura quickly tapped Sasori's head once her legs started to twitch, a telltale sign that she was close, and Sasori got back on his feet and licked his lips. He took his member with one hand and guided it to her entrance before placing his other hand on her thigh and forcing her legs a bit wider.
The two stared into each other's eyes and Sakura pulled Sasori down for a kiss, prompting him to push himself inside her. The two groaned as they connected, and Sakura whined when Sasori's newly freed hand found one of her stiff nipples. As he tugged and twisted, he slowly began to rock his hips back and forth, causing more wanton moans to tumble from Sakura's mouth.
"Sasori…" Sakura whimpered as he sped up the pace of his thrusts, "Sasori…"
He grunted as he placed both hands on her hips and threw himself further, "Sakura-san…"
"Hn…!" She moaned as she clutched his shoulders desperately, wrapping her legs around his waist, "I'm close, I'm gonna…!"
She reached her peak with a muffled moan, burying her face into his neck as she came, and Sasori groaned her name as his movements came to a halt, climaxing right after her.
He sank down on top of her in a moment of exhaustion before pulling himself out and rolling to the side. The two took a minute to catch their breath, but as they finally came down from their euphoric state, they turned to one another.
Placing a soft hand on Sasori's cheek, Sakura kissed him before murmuring against his lips, "I love you."
Everything went blank, and when I blinked, I was standing on the front steps with Sakura. She had a determined expression on her face and with a quick glance down, I could see that I had been handed a big brown envelope. I didn't bother to look inside, as I knew it could only be one thing.
She turned to head back into the house, and I followed after her. I begged for her to give me one more chance, one last opportunity to prove that I had changed, but she rejected me each time.
"I'm done, Sasuke-kun." She said resolutely, her tone implying that there would be no changing her mind, "It's over."
I came up behind her and wrapped my arms around her, hugging her tightly, "Don't say that. Please don't say that."
"Sasuke-kun, you need to—" She sucked in a sharp breath as I pressed a kiss to her nape, "Y-You need to leave."
"I won't." I told her, turning her face to the side as I trailed kisses up her neck, "Not until you tell me you'll give me another chance."
"I—" She trembled as I lifted my hand from her torso to her chest, "No…"
"Please, Sakura." I lowered my head onto her shoulder as her hand pulled mine down, "I love you."
She said nothing as I shut my eyes, still holding her tightly, "I love you…"