Chapter 33. Till Death Do Us Part

"With this ring, I thee wed."

|3rd Person|

"Heh, so it turns out Naruto can clean up." Temari chuckled as she reached Shikamaru's side, placing a light hand on her husband's shoulder.

Naruto made a face, "When ya put it like that, it sounds like I never look clean, ya know."

Shikamaru joined his wife in laughing and Naruto's pout transformed into a small smile, but before the Naras could continue their playful banter, Kawaki tapped Naruto on the shoulder and let him know he was heading to the restroom.

"Alright, be careful." Naruto said as he patted him on the back.

Kawaki scoffed and muttered something about how it was impossible for him to get hurt in a bathroom before walking away.

"Speaking of coming clean…" Shikamaru tilted his head once Kawaki was out of earshot, "You gonna tell us who this Kawaki kid is?"

"It's a long story." Naruto sighed as he ran his hand through his hair, "He wasn't even supposed to come with me today, but I figured he would be safer by my side than home alone."

"Safer from what?" Temari asked, and Shikamaru nodded to show he was also interested in the answer.

Naruto looked between the two of them meekly, "Let's just say the kid is in trouble."

Shikamaru raised a curious eyebrow, "What kind of trouble?"

Before Naruto could launch into the unique tale that was Kawaki's situation, Udon came up to the three somewhat red-faced and out of breath.

"Nanadaime, sorry to interrupt." Udon exhaled heavily as he tried to catch his breath, "But I—well, Konohamaru needs you."

Saluting Shikamaru and Temari with an unspoken promise to continue their chat, Naruto let Udon lead the way. The two of them met a sullen Konohamaru in one of the inner rooms in the chapel, hunched over on a plain metal folding chair. Naruto took one look at Konohamaru and immediately knew what his problem was, as he too had entered a similar somber state on his wedding day.

Despite having a pretty good idea of Konohamaru's current headspace, Naruto decided to go ahead and ask what was wrong.

"Oh, Nanadaime." Konohamaru morosely called his title as he looked up, "It's nothing, really. I just…need to get a grip."

Naruto waved his hand, "Quit it with the Nanadaime stuff, ya know. I'm here as your big brother, not your boss so tell me what's really going on."

Konohamaru's eyes glazed over with tears, but he quickly swept them away before admitting in a shaky voice, "I don't—I don't know if I can do this."

At this confession, Udon sucked in a quiet breath before turning for the door and murmuring about how he would be outside, leave the two men alone in the room.

Once the door had shut behind Udon, Naruto nodded and urged Konohamaru to continue, "Why? Is it just cold feet or do you not love Hanabi?"

"What? No, of course I love her!" Konohamaru exclaimed, making sure to set the record straight, "But just because I love her doesn't mean—ugh! I just—I don't know if tying her down like this is the right thing to do."

Naruto furrowed his eyebrows at Konohamaru's word choice, "How are you tying her down? The two of you already have a kid on the way, I doubt marriage is an easier commitment, ya know."

"You hit the nail on the head, Naruto-niichan." Konohamaru sulked, "I love her, and I love our child too, but we didn't plan this pregnancy. If we…if I hadn't slipped up, would any of this even be happening?"

"Konohamaru—" Naruto was swiftly interrupted by him as he went on.

"The day after the bombings, I told you that almost dying put things in perspective for me. I didn't want to die without doing things the right way so I proposed, but that's the thing – I'm not dead. And I don't think I'll be dying anytime soon so who's to say we have to rush this?" Konohamaru shook his head, "Before we knew she was pregnant, the two of us were just vibing. Hell, nobody even knew about us except for you. Fast forward four months and we're getting married. Doesn't it seem like everything's happening too quickly?"

Understanding where he was coming from, Naruto nodded and grabbed a chair off the wall before unfolding it and seating himself right next to Konohamaru.

"So what do you wanna do?" Naruto asked after some time had passed, "Should I go out there and tell everyone the wedding's canceled, ya know?"

Konohamaru shook his head, "Everything's been paid for, everyone's already here…a little too late for that, don't you think?"

Naruto threw an arm over Konohamaru's neck and pulled him close, "A wise young man once told me that he doesn't want to live with any regrets. Forget about the money since you can always make more, and as for everybody else…well, they'll understand, ya know. I said that marriage was a big commitment when you first told me about your engagement, remember? But if your hearts not completely in it, don't do it."

Konohamaru sniffled and wiped his nose with the back of his hand before looking at Naruto, "Heh, and here I thought you'd be the one to tell me to tighten up and get on with it."

"If Hinata and I were still together then maybe I would've." Naruto mused with a nod, "But if there's one thing I learned from our divorce, it's that decisions in life are either all or nothing, ya know."

Konohamaru continued to sniffle as Naruto released him, straightening up.

"Look, I can't tell you what you should or shouldn't do, ya know." Naruto admitted as he stretched his arms, "But if there's one thing I'm sure of, it's your love for Hanabi and her love for you. What you need to ask yourself now is: do you think love is enough?"

Konohamaru held his head in his hands and sucked in a deep breath. He slowly exhaled for a long time but once he was done, he firmly slapped his cheeks and nodded his head.

"Aa." Konohamaru answered, standing up, "That's all we need."

Standing up beside him, Naruto smiled and clasped a heavy hand on Konohamaru's shoulder, "Alright then. Now let's get this show on the road!"

Opening the door, a chuckling Naruto and Konohamaru exited the room, much to Udon's relief as well as happiness, as he could see that Naruto had clearly resolved Konohamaru's pre-marriage crisis. Kawaki silently joined the men, although he followed a few meters behind so as not to be forced to interact with them.

Except for a slight face twitch when Sakura passed them by without so much as a nod in Naruto's direction, Kawaki remained unreadable. He watched as more of the men came together and chose to find a relatively empty corner that would allow Naruto to remain in his sight, as well as offer him better angles of the entire environment.

It was due to this change in position that Kawaki caught Boruto stopping Sakura in her tracks to ask her something. Too far away to hear, Kawaki silently clicked his tongue before crossing his arms and doing his best to read their lips.

Meanwhile, Boruto had only stopped Sakura to ask her about Sarada's whereabouts.

"Is she not here?" He questioned, still craning his head around in hopes that he would spot her.

Sakura shook her head, "No, gomen. She was so sick this morning, I ordered her to stay in bed."

"Oh." Boruto visibly deflated at the confirmation of Sarada's absence.

"Why? Do you need something from her?" Sakura inquired before offering him her help, "I can relay a message when I get home."

Boruto waved his hand, "Nah, it's nothing too important. I guess, just tell her to call me when she's feeling better."

Sakura nodded before shooting him a light smile, "Will do."

Bowing his head respectfully, Boruto excused himself before stepping out of her way and continuing forward to the collection of groomsmen and friends now crowding the hall.

However, just as he was nearing them, Kawaki grabbed Boruto by his right arm and pulled him aside, "Oi, brat."

Snatching his arm free, Boruto turned to Kawaki with a vicious glare, "What?"

"You and the pink-haired woman…what did you talk about?" Kawaki questioned in a low voice.

"It's none of your business." Boruto replied hostilely, casting a suspicious eye on him, "Why do you care?"

Instead of immediately responding, Kawaki stared into Boruto's eyes for a moment before a subtle smirk spread on his lips, "I guess I don't."

"What?" Boruto snapped, not liking the arrogant air surrounding Kawaki now.

Kawaki shook his head before shoving his hands into his pockets and leaning back against the wall, "Nothing. It's none of your business."

Anger taking over him at having been fed his own words, Boruto snatched Kawaki up by his collar before tightening his free hand into a fist, "The fuck did you say?"

"Relax." Kawaki answered, his smirk becoming more prevalent, "He's your dad, after all. It's only a matter of time till he tells you."

Before Boruto could get any more information out of him, Naruto placed a hand on either of their shoulders and asked for them to stop.

"Tch." Boruto clicked his tongue before releasing Kawaki and walking away.

When Naruto asked Kawaki to explain what had caused the confrontation between them, Kawaki shook his head and mumbled that it was nothing.

Naruto sighed, "Well, try and get along with him, please? Or at least no fighting at the wedding, ya know."

Kawaki nodded his head and Naruto grinned, "Great!"

As Naruto returned to the group of men, Kawaki couldn't help but notice the mean looks being thrown his way. Clicking his tongue, he shut his eyes and took up his position against the wall. For Kawaki, this wedding couldn't end any quicker.

Boruto, on the other hand, wasn't in any hurry for things to start. Annoyed that his father had stayed behind to speak to Kawaki rather than come after him, he preferred having some time to himself to calm down.

Besides that, he wasn't exactly in the best mood since he'd learned of Sarada's absence, and Kawaki's vague taunts hadn't helped.

Letting out a deep sigh, he continued down the hall only to bump into someone he hadn't spoken to in a while.

"...Yo." Boruto greeted Inojin with a raised a hand, "How've you been?"

Inojin shrugged, "I'm good. You?"

Boruto shoved his hands into his pockets, "Chilling."

Nodding, Inojin stepped forward to continue down the hall when Boruto stopped him.

"Uh, have you spoken to Sarada recently?" Boruto asked, scratching the back of his head, and looking down rather awkwardly.

"Nope." Inojin shook his head, "The last time we talked was at Chōchō's."

"Oh.

That made Boruto feel better about his own situation for all of two seconds, as his empathy quickly kicked in and prompted him to ask Inojin if he was okay with that.

Inojin shrugged again, "If she doesn't want to talk to me, what can I do?"

"Nothing, I guess. But shouldn't you at least try to reach out?" Boruto wondered, slightly tilting his head as Inojin went past him, "Otherwise she might start thinking you hate her, ya know?"

"She knows I could never hate her." Inojin answered, and in a quiet voice said, "…I love her."

Stunned by his straightforward confession, Boruto could do nothing but watch as Inojin walked away. Had Inojin always felt that way? Did Sarada know? And what did that mean for him?

With these questions and more in mind, Boruto shook his head before turning around and following Inojin back to the main hall. It was about time for things to begin.

|Sarada|

"Sarada?" Mitsuki questioned as he stepped aside, allowing me into his apartment, "Is everything okay? You don't usually pop up like this."

"Uh, everything's fine." I nodded as I entered the main hall and made for his living room, "I was just thinking that it's been a couple days since I last saw you."

The door made a distinct cling sound as it shut and moments later Mitsuki joined me, grabbing me by the waist and pulling me into a light kiss me. I struck down the thought to push him away and allowed his tongue to run over mine before we eventually separated.

"So you missed me?" He wondered aloud, smiling as he looked down at me, "You're so cute, Sarada."

"Stupid." I murmured, punching his shoulder as I took a seat on his couch and noticing that he was wearing his sneakers, "Did I come at a bad time?"

He shook his head, "Not really. I was just gonna run down to the store for some snacks."

"Oh." I stood up, "Well, we can go together, right?"

"No, no, no, just make yourself comfy." He waved his hands, "I'll be right back, I promise."

"Alright…" I trailed off, a bit hurt by his refusal to let me accompany him.

Of course, my conscience wasted no time criticizing me for the illogical emotion.

'You had sex with your best friend five days ago but yeah, you get to feel hurt because he doesn't wanna go to the store with you.'

Adept at sensing the shift in my mood, he held my face in his hands, "I'll just grab the snacks and come back, okay? It's a store run, not exactly good material for an impromptu date."

"Yeah, no, I get that." I nodded, taking his hands down from my face, "I just…wanna be around you."

Smiling, Mitsuki planted a soft kiss on my forehead before straightening up, "I love you, Sarada."

"I love you too." I said in a quiet voice, swallowing the bile that had risen in my throat.

Soon after he was gone, and I was left in his apartment with nothing but guilt and self-criticism. It was as I made my way to his bathroom that the small judgmental voice in the back of my mind grew louder.

'You're really something, that's for sure. Telling him I love you after what you did is the height of deceitfulness. So, what now? Gonna keep this relationship going and just pretend you never cheated?'

"Obviously, I can't." I mumbled to myself as I rinsed my mouth, "I'll…I'll tell him the truth and break up with him."

'When?'

"…When he comes back." I resolved with a splash of cold water to my face.

I returned to the living room and laid down on the couch, my stomach tossing and turning as I began to brainstorm how I would deliver the news to Mitsuki. The front door opened with a sharp creak, and I called his name, fearing that he had returned so quickly.

"Not quite." Log grinned as he entered the living room, a yellow popsicle in hand, "Sorry to disappoint, although I'm surprised you're here. All those protests going on at the Square, I wouldn't expect an Uchiha to be out and about."

"I'm not a cop." I shot back, knowing he was alluding to the recent exposé about police corruption.

"Trust me, I know, but your entire family is." He chuckled, licking his icy for a moment before he went on, "You know what's funny about this whole thing? People are so shocked about crooked cops, imagine if word got out that Uchiha Sarada started this whole thing."

I furrowed my eyebrows at the latter half of his statement, "What are you talking about?"

"Oh, you don't know?" He smirked, "The big commissioner who died and cause this uproar, he overdosed on shabu."

My stomach lurched, "No. That…That can't be."

"It is." Log assured, biting off the top half of the icy, "Oh, and the whore he was with overdosed on it too. Besides that, shabu's really hitting the streets. According to the news, almost half of all emergency calls in the past three months have been related to shabu. 'Help! My friend's not breathing! Please, my sister's going to die!' And it's all thanks to you."

"N-No." I stuttered, shaking my head, "I didn't—Kū was the one selling it, I just—"

"Marketed it? Helped it look inconspicuous? Made it so it could be sold right in the open? Sure kid, you're just free from blame." He snickered, "Thousands of people have gotten sick or died, but none of that matters since you weren't on the streets actually handing it out."

Unable to refute his criticism, I tried to turn the tables, "I should be saying that to you."

"I'm not denying it." He shrugged as he spread his arms, "But I'm not the one trying to convince myself that I'm innocent."

I kept quiet, unsure of how to respond, and Log crept closer.

"Y'know, I still don't get why you agreed to help Kū in the first place." He finished off his popsicle, "When Kū threw out that bait about you being an Uchiha and having justice in your blood, I thought, 'Nah, that'll never work,' and then it did. Don't tell me the only reason you got involved with this was because you were going through your teenage rebellion phase."

He'd hit the nail on the head, and when his eyes slightly widened, I knew he'd caught me.

"You're kidding!" He laughed, and the sound of the front door opening faintly registered in my ears, "And to think, when I first met you, I warned you to run for the hills. Man, and I thought Mitsuki was bad but you're the terrible one!"

"I…I'm not…" I faltered as tears began to well up in my eyes, and Log pinched my chin between his two fingers before forcing me to look at him.

His golden orbs shined with some sort of twisted amusement, and he whispered, "You have blood on your hands now, girl."

Just as the tears started to run down my cheeks, I was shoved back, and once I regained my footing, I found Mitsuki and Log wrestling on the floor.

"What the hell is your problem?!" Log roared as he put Mitsuki in a headlock.

"Don't touch her!" Mitsuki spat back, elbowing Log in his stomach as he tried to break free.

With a frustrated shout, Log pulled his free hand into a fist and gave Mitsuki a solid punch to the head. I watched helplessly as Mitsuki went limp, and I took a precautionary step back as Log released him and stood up.

"You should leave." Log said in a strangely calm voice, lifting Mitsuki up to the couch.

Although he wasn't looking at me, I nodded and immediately made my way for the door. Just as I left however, I heard Log mutter, "Fucking idiot…" While I knew it was directed towards Mitsuki, I couldn't help but apply those same words to myself.

Once I was in the apartment lobby, I checked my phone just as I exited the building and saw that it was half past twelve. That meant that Konohamaru and Hanabi's wedding had long since finished, and that the event was now entering its reception phase.

As if fate couldn't get any crueler, a text from Boruto came through reading, Hey, I heard from your mom that you're sick. When you're feeling better, can you please give me a call? I need to tell you something.

I cursed myself for actually tapping the message instead of just reading it through the notifications, as now he would know that I'd seen it. Rather than completely ignore it, I held the message and reacted with a thumbs up before shutting my screen off.

Boruto and I hadn't spoken since we'd slept together, and I hadn't planned on speaking to him until I'd sorted myself out. I'd gone to Mitsuki's apartment in order to remind myself of the lovely boyfriend I had and how terrible it was that I'd cheated on him not once, but twice. Instead, I was met with an unsettling truth: I didn't love him.

He'd protected me from Kū, argued against his father, replaced my phone and much more, yet I didn't love him.

"You're the terrible one!" Log's words rang out in my ears.

As much as I hated to admit it, I had to agree. It was bad enough I couldn't reciprocate Mitsuki's feelings, but I also couldn't state that I strongly felt anything for Boruto. I was a terrible friend, a terrible girlfriend, and a terrible person in general.

While my biggest problem at the moment was sorting out my relationships, other people were crying over their loved ones who had passed away from a drug I had helped spread.

Before I could breakdown crying in the street, I scrolled through my contacts and tapped on a favorited number as I continued walking. It rang twice before the line connected.

"Sarada?" My uncle called in surprise, "This is my direct line; is everything okay?"

Unable to keep the tears at bay anymore, I sniffled and wiped under my eyes, "Obito-ojisan, I need help. Can I come to you?"

"Now isn't really…"

"Please?" I begged, trying my best to keep my voice from breaking, "I-It's important."

He sighed and paused for a moment before speaking, "Alright. Send me your location and I'll come get you."

Thanking him, I hung up the phone and sniffed again. I had caused enough trouble to those I cared about, but hurting innocent people was where I drew the line. Everything would stop today.

|Sakura|

"The service was so beautiful." Tenten said as someone turned on a sink, "It actually reminded me of you and Choji's wedding, Karui-san."

"Our wedding?" Karui didn't hide her surprise at Tenten's comparison, "Huh, well I guess you could say that with the color scheme. And then there were the doves at the end…yeah, I can kinda see it."

"Uh oh!" Temari laughed as the hand dryer roared, "What does that blush mean, Karui-san? Are you planning to relive your wedding night with Choji-san once you get home?"

I could picture Karui's cheeks turning bright red as she stammered, "H-How can you just suggest something like that?!"

All of them laughed and I heard the bathroom door open as they began to make their way outside.

"Listen," Ino's voice rang out above the rest, "We're not judging you, girl. If you want to make Chōchō an older sister, we're here for you."

"When did I say I would…?" Karui's voice trailed off as the group exited the bathroom, and once I was sure the coast was clear, I unlocked my stall and stepped out.

I washed my hands and let them sit under the warm water for a bit, but as I shut the water off, I made the mistake of looking in the mirror and spotting her behind me.

"Don't start." I warned her as I went over to the hand dryer.

She chuckled and out of the corner of my eye, I watched her lean against the sink and make herself comfortable, "Now that's not very nice~! I haven't even said anything yet."

"You don't need to." I muttered before turning to face her, "Why are you even here? I'm perfectly fine, have been for the past three months."

"Um, weren't you an insufferable wench to Naruto five days ago or was that all in your head? Honestly, I wouldn't put it past you at this point."

"That was a momentary breakdown." I weakly countered before shaking my head, "Whatever, we both know that's not why you're really here."

She shrugged, "Well, my dear, if we want to be technical, I'm here because birth control and antipsychotics don't mix. You know that and yet you let Naruto cum in you anyways. Tell the truth, you missed me."

"The hell I did." I crossed my arms and glared at her.

"Oh, come on." She rolled her eyes, "Isn't that what you told Emi-san in your last session? You need me to make your decisions."

"That's…That's not what I meant." I scrambled to explain myself as I recalled my former words, "It's been strange not having you around sure, but I don't miss you. I don't need you."

"Bullshit." She smirked, "If it weren't for me, you and Naruto wouldn't even be together. Face it, Sakura; you don't know what you want. You never did and you never will. I'm the one who calls the shots."

"No." I shook my head, turning away from her, "That's not true."

"I'm the one that kept Sasuke-kun away from you after the kids died, I'm the one who told you to grow a spine when Sasuke-kun kept mistreating you, and I'm the reason your relationship with Naruto didn't end with a one-night stand."

I lifted my hands to my ears and scrunched my eyes shut, "You're not real."

"That's what Emi-san told you to make you feel better about yourself." She snickered before patting me on the back, "But we both know that's not true. If anything, I'm realer than whatever you've got with Naruto."

"Stop." I immediately said, covering my ears tighter.

She threw an arm around my neck and pulled me close, "Please, after last week? Jealousy is never a good look, darling. You know the end is near. And while Naruto's never been the type to kick someone when they're already down, it's only a matter of time till he takes you out one night and ends things."

"He won't."

"He will." She insisted in low voice, and I felt her breath against my hand, "And he'll find someone better. Just like Sasuke-kun did."

"Shut up." I shook her off, gritting my teeth, "You're not real."

"You know why he left? Why Naruto's going to leave?" She laughed, "Because you're a—"

"Sakura?" Someone called, cutting her off and shutting her up.

I shuddered when I felt a hand on my shoulder and moved to pull away, but the hand's grip remained firm and forced me to turn around.

"Hey, it's me." Ino's muffled voice assured me, and I soon found myself being pulled into a hug, "It's me. Are you okay?"

Slowly removing my hands from my ears, I shook my head into her shoulder, "No…"

"Why?" Concern immediately coated her tone as she rubbed up and down my back, "What's happening?"

"She's here…" I murmured as I wrapped my own arms around Ino, tightening the hug, "And she won't leave me alone."

Ino carefully patted my back, "She's not real, Sakura. Remember – she's not real."

"I know…!" I whined as tears welled up in my eyes, "I know that but she's still—I still hear her!"

When I fell to the floor, Ino sank with me, and we remained in each other's arms as I began to cry. While Ino continued to rub my back and whisper words of encouragement into my ear, I felt immensely grateful that my best friend had been the one to catch me like this.

With the steady stream of tears coming down, I couldn't help but think back to four days ago and how we'd patched things up.

"Sakura?" Ino called in surprise as she fully opened her door, "What are you—I mean, um…would you like to come in?"

I nodded my head and held out two cosmos flowers, "I'd love to but first I'd like you to take these."

She gently took the flowers from my hand and when her eyes lifted back up to mine, I noted the powerful emotion behind them but couldn't quite place it.

"Arigato." She quietly thanked me before stepping aside.

I entered their home and stepped out of my shoes at the door before patiently waiting for her to lead the way. Although I'd been to Ino's house more times than I could count, it didn't feel right walking around like I owned the place when we hadn't spoken properly in some time.

Thankfully, Ino understood that and swiftly shut the door before steering me towards the living room.

"Sai-kun and Inojin aren't in. It's just me and you." She informed me, helping me get situated before excusing herself to put the flowers in a vase.

While she was gone, I took the chance to inspect the living room and found it to be relatively normal. Family portraits dusted, coffee table clean…there's wasn't the slightest trace of anything being amiss, but something felt off. When Ino returned, I decided to confront her about the most pressing matter.

"So…" I began as she set the freshly filled vase down on the table in front of us, "Things with Carmen went well?"

Ino rubbed her hands over her thighs as she prepared her answer, and I held my breath. She opened her mouth to speak but quickly shut it and shook her head, and I watched in shock as tears ran down her cheeks.

"Kami, Sakura, I can't…" She bit her lip as she turned to me, "I wish I could tell you, but I can't."

"Why not?" I wondered aloud as I scooted closer to her, "What happened?"

She choked back a sob and I hugged her, "Ino, what happened to the baby?"

"Kami, there was no baby!" She bawled, lifting an arm to her eyes and scrubbing back and forth.

"W-What?" I stuttered as I straightened up, looking at her in confusion, "What do you mean?"

She shook her head and sniffled, "None of it was real. The affair, the pictures, the pregnancy…it was all fake."

Stunned, all I could do was keep my arm around her and gently pat her shoulder as she calmed down. When she'd eventually stopped crying, she chuckled uncannily.

"Sai-kun's gonna be so mad that I told you." She continued to laugh as she swiped under her nose, "But I can't lie to you anymore. I won't lie to you anymore."

"Gomen but I don't understand." I told her truthfully as I removed my arm from over her shoulders, "Everything that had to do with Carmen was a lie? Why would you—I mean…were you in on it? I'm confused, is this all some elaborate prank?"

Ino leaned her head against my shoulder, "No, it's not a prank, we…I know a lot of stuff about Sai-kun now that I didn't know before. I can't say any more than that but trust me when I say I only recently learned the truth."

When I looked into her sea-green eyes, beyond the glaze from her recent crying session was the subtle shine of her sincerity. It'd been a while since I'd seen Ino's honesty so clear on her face, and I was inclined to believe her.

"Okay." I conceded, throwing my hands up, "I believe you. But what about when he choked you?"

Her confidence visibly wilted as she broke our eye contact, "It was a mistake. He was stressed and I was provoking him, but we talked about it and he swore he'd never do it again."

"Ino…" I rumbled disapprovingly and she clasped my hand.

"Please, Sakura, forgive him." She begged, "He apologized, I forgave him…it was a onetime thing, let's just move past it."

With a sigh, I returned the squeeze she'd given my hand, "If you say so."

A light smile broached Ino's lips as she hugged me.

"I thought about you every day." She admitted in a quiet voice, her chest stuttering as she fought off what I thought was another round of tears, "I missed you."

I cleared my throat as I felt my heartstrings get tugged on and returned the hug in full force, "I missed you too."

When we finally separated, Ino laughed and stood up, "Now that that's out of the way, how's life been for you? You and Naruto still sailing smoothly?"

"Y-Yeah." I hesitated to answer, wondering if talking about him was somehow violating my break, "We're doing great."

"Good." She cheesed as she leaned back into the couch, "And still no word from Sasuke-kun?"

I shook my head, "Not a thing."

"Ah, well." She shrugged her shoulders, "His loss."

"…Yeah." I slowly answered, biting my lip at the growing thought in my brain.

Ever perceptive, Ino turned to me with a raised eyebrow, "Is there something you wanna tell me?"

I let out a deep breath through my nose, "Remember the last time we spoke? I told you I was going to therapy and taking my meds and you asked me if I was diagnosed with something."

Ino nodded and I rubbed the back of my neck, "Um, oh Kami, how do I even…well I guess I'll start with Tou-san…"

I proceeded to fill Ino in on everything about my dad and I's battle with mental illness. When I was done, I couldn't meet Ino's eyes, the irrational fear of my best friend turning against me now that the truth was out sinking into my mind. But before the delusion could even sink in, Ino hummed.

"Hm, so you're a…schizophrenic?" She questioned innocently as she sat up.

"No, I'm—I was diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder." I corrected as I turned to find her thoughtfully staring at me, "It's similar to schizophrenia but more…annoying."

She placed a hand on my head and shook it around playfully, "And this other you that you've been talking to all your life…is she the reason for your suicidal thoughts?"

"Hontōni, no." I confessed as I let her shake me whichever way she liked, "I mean, sometimes she was, but other times she was the one who kept me going."

Ino released my head and crossed her arms, "Okay, not that I'm ungrateful or anything but why are you just now telling me about this? You said you've been hearing her since we were kids. Why didn't you tell me earlier?"

I fiddled with my hands, "Because I…I was scared. You know how it was back then, I was already the talk of the town once me and Sasuke-kun started dating. It was hard enough being avoided by everyone but if I'd lost my best friend too, I probably would've taken myself out."

"Oh, Sakura…" Ino rubbed my arm before pulling me in for another hug, "Well, now that I know, I can tell you to your face: I will never abandon you."

"Arigato, Ino." I sincerely thanked her as I hugged her close, "Hontōni, arigato."

"Sakura?" Ino's voice called me back to the present, "You okay?"

I drew back from her hug and blinked, "Yeah, I'm…I'm doing better."

Ino nodded, "Okay. Think you can stand?"

Returning her nod, I took her hands and helped myself up off the floor.

"Is she here?" Ino whispered once I was standing on my own two feet, and I shook my head, "Good. Does she only appear when you're by yourself or…?"

"Sometimes she'll pop up when I'm surrounded by people." I explained as I made my way towards the exit, "I really can't say when she'll appear. She says that she only appears when I'm worried about something or I need to make a choice but then again, she's not even real."

Ino let out a low whistle as I held the door open for her, "I'm praying for you, girl. I really am."

"I've been praying my whole life." I said as we stepped out, and the door shut behind us, "Kami, I just wanna lay down."

Linking our arms, Ino hugged me to her side, "Let's get to our table and you can sleep the hours away."

|Hinata|

"Excuse me, Mrs. Sarutobi?" I approached Hanabi with a smile just as she finished up sending off one of the guests, "How are you feeling?"

"Great." She beamed, a wide grin spreading out on her face as she met me with a hug, "Part of me still can't believe it. I have to pinch myself to make sure I'm not dreaming."

I laughed, "Trust me, this is definitely real. So, what's the next step? You two still haven't moved in together, right?"

"I mean, I've been staying with him, but I haven't canceled the lease on my apartment yet." She explained, "I was going to but with wedding preparations and prenatal visits, everything really…I got overwhelmed."

"Listen, there's no rush." I assured her, rubbing her arm soothingly, "As long as you take care of yourself and the baby, everything else will follow."

Hanabi nodded but continued to stare at me and when she made no effort to speak, I asked her if there was something she wanted to know.

"Um, yes but I don't…" She blushed and I wondered what the topic could be, "I just…um, is it normal to be really horny while pregnant?"

Slightly taken aback by the nature of the question, it took me a moment to respond but once I was past my surprise, I answered as truthfully as I could, "Well, I'm not a doctor but I'd say it is. I was still active when I was pregnant with Boruto and Himawari."

"No, but I mean really horny." Hanabi lowered her voice as she stressed her situation, "Maybe this is TMI, but Konohamaru and I have been having sex three times a day for the past five days. Even when we woke up this morning, we had a little quickie before we got ready."

"O-Okay." I stumbled, swiftly trying to prevent my brain from imagining what she was describing, "I mean, do you not want to? Is there a problem?"

"No, not at all. Sex feels even better now but I…I don't know, I guess I'm just worried that I'm doing something wrong." She confessed with a sigh, "Especially after what Tou-sama sent me."

At this, my ears perked up, "Tou-sama sent you something?"

She slowly nodded her head before unlocking her phone, tapping on something, and handing it to me. I narrowed my eyes as I read the short paragraph.

Seeing as how you have passed the stage where your licentiousness could've been privately dealt with and gone ahead in marrying that moronic monkey, I have officially washed my hands of you. I've removed your name and access from all Hyūga possessions. As such, you may have noticed a significant deduction of funds from your account; this sum was subtracted based off of any money you might've incurred through business acquired using the Hyūga name, which is no longer yours. If you have an issue with the funds removed, you may take it up with the Hyūga family attorney: Tokuma Hyūga 134-XXXXXX.

'Oh Kami.' I shook my head internally as I turned to Hanabi, "How much did he take from your account?"

She tapped on her bank app and unlocked it with face ID and when I saw the red six figure number at the top of her transactions, my jaw dropped.

"That is unacceptable." I said as I returned the phone to her, "I'll ask Naruto-kun to drop the kids off at home because I'm definitely going to speak to him after this."

"Nee-sama, no." Hanabi shook her head, "If this the price for following my heart, I'll pay it. Literally."

"Hanabi, you're five months pregnant." I crossed my arms as I reminded her of how far along she was, "You're not working, and Konohamaru's salary can only handle so much. That money was supposed to make things easier for you. At best, you'd be able to milk it for about two years before things got ugly. Now, what? You've only got six months' worth of funds before…I can't believe him!"

"It's okay." She replied, grabbing my hand and holding it close, "Promise me you won't go bother him about it."

"Hanabi—"

"Nee-sama, promise me." She insisted, looking me in the eyes, "I don't want his money, okay? It's like you said, as long as I'm okay and the baby's okay, we'll be fine."

Pursing my lips, I reluctantly gave in to her request, "…I promise."

She nodded before releasing my hand and shooting me a relieved smile, "Arigato. Now can we please go back to…"

Her smile slipped off her face as she noticed someone behind me, and I didn't have to turn around to know who was approaching.

"Toneri." Hanabi begrudgingly greeted him as he reached the two of us.

"Hanabi." He bowed his head respectfully before turning to me, "Could I speak to you for a bit?"

I looked back at Hanabi to see if she minded the interruption, but it was evident from the sour look on her face that she had no plan to continue speaking right now.

"Nee-sama, I'll see you inside." She announced as she began her walk back to the building.

"Aa." I nodded, "Try and find Sakura-chan to ask her about that other thing."

"Sakura-san?" Hanabi looked back at me with a raised eyebrow, "Didn't Himawari tell you?"

I titled my head in confusion, "No? What did she say?"

Glancing over at Toneri, Hanabi suppressed a scowl to the best of her ability and waved her hand, "Find me when you're inside."

"Will do!" I called as the front doors shut behind her, and I turned back to Toneri, "Gomennasai. You said you wanted to speak to me?"

He nodded, "But here isn't where I wanna have this conversation. Come."

He gently took my hand in his and intertwined our fingers before leading us around the block towards the back of the reception hall. Towards the far end of the street, I could see a gate had been pulled outwards and when we stepped around it and looked inside, I sucked in a sharp breath.

"Oh my goodness." I breathed as I let go of his hand, "It's beautiful."

When we'd driven down to the reception hall, I never would've thought I'd come across a backyard garden half as beautiful as the one we were in now. There was an assortment of flowers planted somewhat chaotically in between each other. From roses to tulips to poppies, this backyard had it all.

"When I went for a stroll to stretch my legs, I happened to peek in on it." Toneri explained as he plucked a moonflower from its vine, "I knew this would be the perfect place."

"The perfect place for what?" I questioned as he brushed my hair back behind my ear and situated the flower just above it.

Clearing his throat, Toneri reached into his right pocket and brought out a small black box before getting down on one knee, and I felt my heart stop.

"Hinata, these past few months have reignited and revitalized the love that I've felt for you all these years." He smiled lightly as he opened the box, "I want to spend the rest of my life with you as husband and wife. Will you marry me?"

In the time that he spoke, all I could think about was the way Naruto had proposed to me. On a hot summer day like this, he had called me out to the middle of Senju Park and with shaky hands, had pulled out a small wooden box and presented me a ring obviously purchased from a pawn shop.

Red-faced and stammering with promises to get me a more fitting ring when he had the necessary funds, I cut him off by slipping the ring onto my finger and pulling him into a soft kiss, and that day two sweaty, nervous, impulsive young adults were bound for life. But the Toneri and I of now were nothing like that.

We were mature, intelligent, and supposedly calm and collected. One glance at Toneri's ring told me that it had to be worth more than 50,000 ryo, and I was willing to bet that the small box it came in might also have cost a pretty penny. Yet, when I looked past the ring and at Toneri's face, what I saw shocked me.

Whereas he was usually cool and composed, for the first time ever, he was sweating, and there was a hint of anxiety in his eyes. Upon closer inspection, I could see his lips twitching with uneasiness, and right then and there I was able to look beyond Otsutsuki Toneri.

The man kneeling before me now wasn't a prestigious noble that had been raised and educated by the best of the best. He wasn't an elite prodigy whose accolades were numbered like the stars. No, he was just a man. A man who had taken a leap of faith to place his heart in the hands of the woman he loved in hopes that she would return his affection. And that was enough.

"I will." I answered, taking the ring and slipping it onto my left ring finger before pulling him up for a hug.

He hugged me tightly for a bit and when I was released, he pulled back and asked, "Can I kiss you?"

I nodded and shut my eyes just as his mouth came into contact with mine. The kiss was soft and gentle, and Toneri clearly conveyed his relief at my acceptance of his proposal. When I lightly brushed my tongue against his lips, he opened them, allowing me to deepen the kiss as I ran my tongue over his.

When we finally broke the kiss off, Toneri let out a low moan, "Kami, you can't do this to me…"

"Really? Why not?" I asked with a giggle as I kissed his cheek.

He shook his head before taking my hand in his and pressing it to his chest, "This heart of mine might just burst."

|3rd Person|

"There's no way…" Boruto murmured as he kept his eyes on his father, "There's just no way."

Yet, just as Kawaki had told him, Boruto watched as Naruto's eyes flicked over to where Sakura was seated. Head down on the table and being fanned by Ino, she obviously seemed rather worse for wear, but Sakura's health was not Boruto's most pressing concern.

What truly had his attention was the longing look in his father's eyes and how his compassionate gaze remained on Sakura for some time until someone else called for his attention, pulling him away. Although Boruto didn't want to believe it, he had to admit that his father's regard for Sakura was beyond that of a concerned friend. After all, Boruto had seen Naruto look at his mother the same way in the past.

"Unbelievable." Boruto muttered, anger, confusion, and hurt hitting him all at once as he stood up, "I'm gonna go talk to him, ya know."

Quickly, Kawaki grabbed him by the back of his suit and yanked him back down into his seat, "Sit down, idiot. For fuck's sake, no wonder he hasn't told you. What were you planning to do had I not stopped you, huh?"

"I was gonna—"

"Ask him about it like a dunce." Kawaki rolled his eyes, "Just walk up to him in front of everyone at his table and announce that they're together for the whole world to hear. Some son you are."

Boruto opened his mouth to refute Kawaki's claims but Kawaki continued.

"I don't even know what you're so mad about. So what if they're together? Your parents are divorced right? That means he's free to do whatever he wants, so why are you gonna punish him for living his life?"

"You don't know jack shit, Kawaki." Boruto snapped once he got the chance, "This is a family matter so why don't you mind your fucking business?"

"Heh, family matter my ass." Kawaki sneered, crossing his arms, "Fact is, he told you you'd be the first to know, and you weren't. Now, you can either ignore me and go up to him like a little bitch or listen to what I have to say and get some fucking common sense."

Biting his lip, Boruto reluctantly turned to face Kawaki and tilted his head, "Well? I'm listening."

Letting out a deep breath, Kawaki leaned forward and lowered his voice, "I've only been with Nanadaime for four days but even I can tell just how much he loves her. I don't know why they're not speaking to each other right now, but he's been muttering to himself about getting things ready for next week and whatnot."

"The point?" Boruto rolled his hand, indicating Kawaki should get on with it.

"My point is, Nanadaime is in love and he's happy. And a good son would want his dad to stay happy." Kawaki leaned back in his chair, "That's all I've got to say. If you still wanna confront him, go on ahead."

Boruto turned back to look at his dad and found that he had moved across the room by the food line and was currently laughing with Sai and Kiba. Once their laughter had died down, Boruto watched as Naruto's inevitably went over to Sakura's corner. With a silent sigh, Boruto made a quiet resolution in his heart and leaned back in his chair, content to sit until the festivities were done.

However, he spotted Himawari coming from the bathroom and stood up.

"Be right back." He informed Kawaki before he scampered off to catch his sister.

Surprisingly, instead of returning to her seat, he found her heading towards the double doors that would lead to the main hallway and reached her just as he stepped out.

"Hima, matte." Boruto called, grabbing her hand and stopping her in her tracks.

She gave him and unimpressed look and tried to shake her hand free, but he kept his grip firm as he apologized, "Look, I'm sorry about yelling at you before, alright? You were just trying to keep me in the loop, and I appreciate that, ya know."

He let her hand go as he finished speaking and Himawari gave him a wary look, "Why are you apologizing?"

"Because…" He swiped a hand down his face and sighed, "Because you were right, ya know. Tou-chan and Sakura-obachan—they definitely have something going on."

Himawari nodded, "So when should we tell Mama? Not today, right?"

"More like not ever, ya know." He said as he gently placed his hands on Himawari's shoulders, "Listen Hima, you can't tell anyone, okay? Tou-chan's eventually gonna tell everyone so we'll let her find out then."

"But he cheated on her with Sakura-obachan!" She protested, "And Mama spent so long crying about who the woman could be; she deserves to know the truth."

"And she will when Tou-chan tells her." Boruto argued, "Ka-chan's doing way better than she was back then, ya know. Do you really wanna tell her just so she can fall apart and lose all the progress that she made?"

At this, Himawari pursed her lips before shaking her head.

"Exactly, so this stays between us until further notice." Boruto nodded conclusively.

Himawari joined him in nodding before raising a hand to her mouth, "Um, there's just one problem with that."

"What?" He raised an eyebrow at her fearful expression, "It's not like you told anyone, right?"

"Actually…" Himawari scratched back of her head as she informed her brother of her blunder.

As soon as Boruto heard who she'd told, he poked his head back into the banquet hall and quickly looked around. With neither Hanabi nor his mother in sight, he cursed.

"Really, Hima?" He questioned as the two raced down the hallway in search of either woman, "Out of everyone you could've told, you chose Hanabi-neechan?!"

"I-It wasn't on purpose!" She stammered as they cleared all the nearby rooms, "After Tou-chan called Mama about Ehou-kun and got me grounded, Hanabi-oneechan wanted to chat. We were just talking and then I—"

"Let the biggest secret in the family slip." Boruto shook his head, "Whatever, now's not the time for this, so let's split up and cover more ground, ya know. If you find Ka-chan, keep her distracted; if you find Hanabi-neechan, make her promise not to tell. Got it?"

"Got it." Himawari nodded, and the two went their separate ways.

While Boruto left the building, thinking that he might find his mother outside, Hanabi continued to search inside. Something in her gut told her to check the lobby bathroom and when Hanabi pressed the door open, her heart dropped to her stomach as she heard two familiar voices.

"Wait, say that again?" Hinata directed this towards Hanabi as she switched on the sink, "Sakura-chan and Naruto-kun were…?"

"On a date." Hanabi nodded her head, "At least, according to Himawari. She said that when she saw them, Naruto's arm was over her shoulders—"

"That doesn't mean—"

"And it looked like they were about to kiss." Hanabi finished.

"M-Maybe..." Hinata hesitated for a moment, "Maybe she was mistaken?"

Hanabi crossed her arms, "Himawari's old enough to know the difference between friends and lovers."

"Okay, well it's none of my business if the two of them are dating right now."

"Nee-sama, please." Hanabi sighed, "You told me that Naruto said he loved the woman he cheated on you with. Do you honestly think he dumped her and started dating Sakura-san last week?"

"I—"

"If that's the case then Naruto's a terrible person, and if that's not the case, well…he's still a terrible person." Hanabi mused aloud.

The sink shut off and Himawari held her breath as Hinata walked over to the hand dryer.

"I…I don't know." Hinata admitted as she dried her hands, "I think I'll ask Himawari myself and make sure she saw what she saw."

Hanabi clicked her tongue, "All she's gonna do is tell you what I just told you."

As the two made their way to the door, Himawari quickly opened and closed it, hoping that it would make her sudden presence more believable rather than suspicious.

"Oh, hey Mama." Himawari greeted her mother with a hug, hoping she wasn't too suspicious.

"Speak of the devil." Hanabi whistled, "Well, here she is."

Hinata looked at her daughter, "Himawari, what did you see at that festival in Otafuku?"

"Um…"

"No, scratch that." Hanabi waved her hand, "What your mom's trying to say is, were Naruto and Sakura-san together that night?"

Himawari tried to speak, "They—"

"Hanabi, you can't ask the question like that, it's too biased." Hinata cut her off, "Ignore your aunt, Himawari. Just tell me what you saw that night."

"I—"

"Tell her what you told me." Hanabi corrected, "There. Happy now, Nee-sama?"

Rolling her eyes, Hinata turned and nodded her head at her daughter, urging her to speak. Unable to find a way to escape, Himawari swallowed hard and quickly told her mother the truth before hurrying off to find her brother who could hopefully minimize the damage.

"What did I say?" Hanabi nudged her sister with her elbow, "Is that enough proof for you?"

Hanabi's voice remained playful, the subtle drop of her sister's shoulders going unnoticed by her. Nevertheless, Hinata shook her head.

"I'm going to ask him." She said as they exited the bathroom and made their way back to the banquet hall, "He's not a good liar in the heat of the moment."

When Hanabi heard her sister's plan, she couldn't help but immediately envision all the terrible scenarios that could play out.

"Are you sure you wanna do this right now?" Hanabi tried to calm her down as they reached the double doorway.

"You were the one trying to convince me that it was true, and now that I want to confirm what I heard, you're stopping me." Hinata frowned.

Hanabi raised her hands in surrender, "I give."

The two sisters separated, with Hanabi heading over to Konohamaru and greeting him with a kiss, while Hinata went straight towards Naruto, who was helping himself to his fourth plate. As she approached him, her thumb continuously twisted her engagement ring.

"Oi, Hinata!" He greeted her with a somewhat drunken smile, packing shrimp onto his plate, "Are you having a good time?"

She nodded, "Yeah, my day's been pretty good."

"Good, good." He nodded, moving on to the rice section.

"What about Sakura-chan? How's she doing?" Hinata asked, causing to Naruto to momentarily freeze in his tracks.

"Uh, she's okay. I mean, she's sitting at her table sick, ya know." Naruto swiftly recovered from his momentary pause, "Why are you asking me?"

"No, well, I just figured you'd know considering she's your girlfriend."

The plate fell from Naruto's hand and shattered on impact, sending shrimp gliding on the floor and rice bouncing around. Thankfully, the loud music covered the sound, so the only people that noticed were the attendants who quickly came over with a broom and dustpan to clean the mess.

"So it's true." Hinata's voice wavered as she confirmed it, "You two are dating."

"…Yeah." He answered quietly, and when he turned to her, she saw that his pupils had constricted, the confrontation having sobered him up.

Although Hinata's heart warned her to end her questioning there, to leave things as they were, her mind wanted answers.

"How long."

Naruto lowered his gaze, "Hinata…"

"How long, Naruto-kun." She croaked, "You owe me the truth."

He shut his eyes and sighed, "Since March."

It took Hinata a matter of seconds to do the math and when everything clicked, something died inside her.

Unable to think of words that could accurately convey what she was feeling, she simply nodded her head before raising her hand to her face and wiping under her eyes.

"That time that you stayed out overnight at her house, you were…" Hinata couldn't finish her sentence as her eyes began to sting, "And at her birthday party, you two…all this time."

Naruto slowly dragged his eyes up from the floor to her, but when he spotted the shiny ring on her left ring finger, he froze. Hinata, seeing that he had noticed the ring lifted her hand.

"Is that…?" Naruto began, letting his voice trail off as she nodded.

"Toneri proposed." She informed him with a sniffle, "He loves me."

The former couple continued to stare at each other, a silent exchange of accusations and questions ensuing, only ending when Naruto's eyes slightly widened as Hinata's shut. Naruto reached out to her with a weak hand, wanting to correct the conclusion she'd come to, but he ultimately stopped himself.

Instead, he offered her words of congratulations and blessings, and when he was done, Hinata replied with a single, "Arigato," before walking away.

A/N: Big Brother Kawaki stepping in to make sure the brat stays in line. Definitely won't play a big role or anything. Impossible, there's not enough chapters left...

Sarada, our sweet summer child, seems to have gotten a grip for the umpteenth time. Who better than Uncle Obito to confess everything to? He's been there since she was a kid, so he'll definitely know what to do. And with Inner Sakura on a rampage, let this be a lesson kids, don't mix medications. Whew, thankfully Sakura's got her best friend by her side to lean on in these trying times. Surely everything will be just fine, right?

So, Hinata found out! Aside from a few tears though, she took it like a champ. Is that a good thing or a bad thing?

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