Faraway

by dxkk1104

There are various battles in life. Some are won, other are lost. Sakura and Sasuke have their own. While one remains hidden from the world, the rest are visible to all. Together they will try to overcome their difficulties. How far will they go and what will they lose at the end? Doctor!Sasuke/Patient!Sakura -sasusaku-

4. Madness

Everything around went quiet. Only Naruto's words - "Sasuke has a fiancée" - whirled in Sakura's head and were like a nightmare from which she wanted to wake up.

An annoyed Ino could be heard in the background, but that wasn't what Sakura was interested in right now. Getting up, she walked to the kitchen, pouring water into a glass. With a shaking hand, she grasped the cup, drinking greedily. The image in front of her began to blur, and her lip trembled uncontrollably.

Why didn't Sasuke tell her this? What was so difficult about admitting he had a bride his parents had chosen for him? Sakura would have understood his difficult situation and tried to help him get out of it. He knew he had her support no matter what, and instead of taking advantage of that, he only destroyed Sakura's trust.

She put down the glass, returning to the dining room. She had to get her friends out of the house, visit Mikoto and then Sasuke. Close one chapter forever. And cut herself off from the other.

"Thank Neji for me. I will return the favor to him somehow." She turned first to Naruto, who was all red by Ino's screams "And now, if you'll allow me, I'd like to be left alone."

"Are you sure?" her friend embraced her by the neck "We can talk."

"Today... I don't feel up to it."

"I understand."

Ino kissed Sakura on the forehead, conveying to her that she could always count on her, then headed for the exit, dragging Naruto behind her.

"As soon as I see that asshole here, I promise you, Sakura-chan, that after I give him such a beating—"

The blond man's voice quieted as he was put out the door.

"Damn." Kiba got up from the couch "I... should I leave too?"

"No, stay."

Kiba breathed a sigh of relief, walking over to her. The smile she knew well meant only one thing. He was about to turn on his other personality, which Sakura hated. Listening to the boy's story, it was clear that he had had it since childhood.

"So, Sakura, since you're single now, maybe—"

"Stay away from me." She held out her hand, stopping Kiba at arm's length.

"What is wrong with me?" he began desperately "I look good, I'm funny—"

"You stink of dog."

The boy pretended to be injured, clinging to his shirt at heart level and muttering something to the dog. Sakura didn't care, going to put on her jacket and shoes.

"And where are you going? Aren't you supposed to go hide in your room sad now?"

"And are you surprised that none can stand you?" she sighed, picking up her purse "I'm furious, Kiba, and I'm going to explain a few things."

"This is not going to end well."

She heard it before leaving, closing it behind her. As she walked down the streets, she processed in her head the various paths the upcoming conversation might take. Sakura had to be at least a little prepared to avoid saying anything stupid.

She replayed the information from Sasuke in her head - Itachi was a fucking bastard, but he wanted to save her; it wasn't he who resigned, it was his mother, a woman with a good heart, Sakura once thought. Her reason was still unknown, however, did any of the Uchiha make decisions for the good of the public? More often than not, they thought only of themselves.

Entering the yard, Sakura's heart began to beat mercilessly. There were only four steps left, three, two, one... zero. She found herself right at Sasuke's parents' door, carried here only by her emotions. Did she have any regrets? For now, no.

Sakura knocked loudly, giving a blunt indication of her arrival. She waited for five minutes; she didn't know how she had lasted so long; until she finally saw the inside of the house, and Itachi in the middle. He wasn't the one who should be here.

He presented himself as always too perfectly. Black pants and shirt ironed, without a single dent, hair pulled back, tied with a red string, nails painted, without going over the lines, and that face, similar to Sasuke, but yet different, without a flaw. Until Sakura hit him.

The sound of a splash sounded in the air, attracting the attention of passersby. Sakura, however, did not care, pushing past Itachi.

"Nice to see you too, Sakura." he said, smiling cheekily.

"Where is your mother?"

"Actually, my parents aren't home," he approached her, with his hands folded behind his back, "so either you talk to me or you'll have to leave, Sakura. I promised Sasuke that I would have no more contact with you."

"And have we ever had any?" Sakura didn't expect an answer to this question which was dripping with sarcasm, "I see you're not surprised to learn that Sasuke found out I was alive."

"I expected that. He returned to his home town where you live. It would have been hard not to meet you, Sakura."

"Well sure, how could I have thought otherwise." She knocked her forehead theatrically, looking at Itachi hostilely.

The man walked over to the kitchen island, pouring himself some wine. He swirled it around like a true connoisseur, taking a sip. How annoying he was.

"Finally, tell me why you came?"

Sakura appeared before him, leaning her back against the solid wood table and crossing her arms over her chest.

"I've learned a few things, and maybe you'll know the answers I need." Itachi waved his glass for her to continue, "You were the first donor, your mother the second, and Sasuke has a fiancée."

Setting the wine down on the table, he looked at Sakura carefully, appraisingly. His facial expression betrayed absolutely nothing, leaving her with only a guess as to what was on his mind.

"Interesting." He commented, smiling with half his lips, "Sasuke told you himself?"

"What do you care?"

"Of course not. I assumed so." He approached Sakura, winding a strand of hair on his finger. She moved away immediately "Sasuke is a coward."

"No—"

"Are you going to defend him? After you found out you were the other woman?"

"He loves me!"

"And did he tell you that?" he observed the change in her facial expression, in spirit already knowing the answer "Oh, poor Sakura. You don't even know what kind of relationship he has with his fiancée. And I can tell you that they get along well." Itachi violated her personal space again, but now she didn't back down, enduring the gaze of his hateful eyes "You want answers I don't specifically have. Instead, I can tell you what your situation looks like for us, an influential family that has been going on for centuries, growing stronger in the world with each passing year."

"Sasuke didn't ask to be born into your sick family," she hissed.

"No normal person would want that, but it happened, you have to accept it." He took his glass, sitting down at the large table. With his hand, he indicated a seat for Sakura, but she remained in place "Let's start with the fact that everything was going well until you showed up. Instead of being solely concerned with practice, Sasuke thought more and more about how he could save you. You were his first patient and he treated you differently from any other patient." he took a sip of alcohol "Saving you became his little obsession. He read exclusively about leukemia. And every day he became more and more friendly with you. Because of you, Sakura, our contact deteriorated."

"Don't blame me."

He silenced her with a wave, not liking being interrupted so often.

"However, I had no problem becoming a donor. I wanted to save you because I thought it would bring peace to Sasuke life and he would fly to Italy. I was wrong, but I didn't resign." He corrected the hair falling over his eyes "My mother had other plans instead. She evidently decided that it would be better for you to die than to stay and ruin our relationship and my father's plans. Because you know, Sakura, if you mess them up, which you're trying to do, he won't hold back."

"And what, will he beat his son again?"

A dark shadow ran across Itachi's face. It was the only thing that betrayed any emotion on the man's face.

"You have no idea what he could do to you and him. My father is abnormal."

Good thing he at least knows that, she thought, tapping her fingers against her forearm.

"Your whole family is abnormal." she stated, eliciting a short laugh from Itachi, "Sasuke has a right to a better life."

"He could have a better life, but he's afraid. Because if he had even a little courage in him, he would have cut himself off from us and not continue to be stuck here, conducted by his father. You think why I didn't want him to get attached to you? I knew his future before he did. I myself ended up like him - with a woman I don't love and a child on the way." Sakura made a sound of surprise. Itachi is going to become a father? That didn't appeal to her and she felt even more sorry for his wife, "I just wanted to protect him."

She laughed at his 'justification'. Sakura didn't even see the point anymore in reproaching Itachi for the most important piece of information he didn't pass on to his brother. She placed her hand on the countertop, leaning close to Itachi's face.

"This is protection?" she said in a half whisper, with her voice heavy with venom, "You know what, Itachi? Go fuck yourself."

She did not receive any further words from the man. Itachi watched from afar as she disappeared from the house, leaving only the smell behind - Sakura never appeared here again, erasing this place from her memory.

She left Itachi, wrapping her cloak more tightly around her. It was raining, soaking all her hair. The weather had changed, as if sensing Sakura's mood. Turning at a corner, she almost fell over into a puddle. However, before she fell, someone grabbed her arm. She raised her eyes wanting to say thank you, but in front of her stood Sasuke. His wet hair was sticking to his forehead, and his jacket was soaked with water.

Sakura looked at him and he at her, waiting for her to say something. She could neither move nor get even a word out. She froze, looking at his face, which so often woke her up in the morning and held a secret for just as long.

"Sakura." she let her go "You visited my parents?" he asked, but she couldn't answer him "Hey? Something wrong?" he put a strand of hair behind her ear and started leaning in.

The muscles worked themselves, pushing Sakura away from Sasuke. She was now standing a few steps away from him, with her mascara smudged due to the rain. Sasuke's good mood was gone, replaced by a flash of terror in his eyes - he already suspected, and Sakura had no intention of keeping him in the dark.

"Why did you keep it a secret? Couldn't you have introduced us to each other?" she clenched her hand into a fist, keeping her emotions in check. Talking to Itachi made her quite nervous "Or maybe you liked cheating on her with me and me with her and thought we wouldn't find out?" she asked, unsure; after Itachi's words that Sasuke had a good relationship with that woman; whether he definitely didn't fuck his fiancée while being with her.

"No, Sakura, listen." Sasuke was beginning to panic. He realized what kind of mess he had gotten himself into, "She's just my fiancée. My father and her mother arranged this. We both didn't want anything like that. I never touched her the way I touched you, I promise."

"Wow, at least it didn't cross your mind to sleep with both of us.", she wiped away a lone tear, slowly not having the energy to stand here any longer "Sasuke, I have no intention of being the other woman. Go back to your fiancée."

"You are not the other woman." He assured, spreading his hands in helplessness.

"No one cares who you really love. People will only see you with a wife and a woman on the side. And I won't let people speak badly about me because of you and this whole arranged marriage."

"I will find a solution, Sakura." He moved closer "We'll be able to be together without—"

"That's enough."

"It will-"

"I said enough!" she yelled, when the usual tone stopped working "I think we should stay away from each other for now. Take a break from our presence. Maybe things just happened too fast." Sakura slipped past Sasuke, but stopped suddenly, turning around. She wanted to ask the one question that had been haunting her for ten minutes, "Sasuke, tell me, did you really love me? Or did you just grow close to me, and the thought of my death - your first patient - paralyzed you so much that you started claiming to have feelings for me?"

She immediately regretted it - Sasuke looked hurt. Sakura rebuked herself in her mind, cursing Itachi, who was now speaking for her. He was the one who told her some unbelievable stories that couldn't be true at all. Because Sakura believed in Sasuke's love for her.

"You're wrong–" he hesitated.

Or she was just delusional. Sasuke was not at all sure of his own feelings.

"Oh..."

Sakura walked away with a quick step, not responding to his call.

…

"You look awful."

Sasuke tilted his head, looking at Karin from under squinted eyelids. The woman was spinning in his head, unable to stand still in one place. Perhaps she was disappointed with him, or perhaps disgusted. He wasn't surprised at all - her soon-to-be husband had fallen into addiction again, lying on the couch, unwashed for days. Since he quit therapy a month ago, drinking his problems away, he hadn't shown up for work once, and meeting him sober was bordering on a miracle.

"Aa." he muttered, taking a sip of vodka from the bottle.

He didn't think soberly, in fact he didn't think or reflect at all. Alcohol produced this pleasant feeling of false happiness that left all sorrows far behind. Sasuke didn't need to destroy himself mentally by blaming himself even more for what had happened. Because, of course, he knew it was entirely his fault and Sakura deserved the truth - and he couldn't confess, thinking he'd bypass the contract and get out of the whole circus.

Karin walked up to him and snatched the bottle from him, going to pour the contents down the sink. Sasuke sprang to his feet, but instead of following her, he leaned forward propping himself up against the table and fighting vomiting. Sasuke's stomach twisted a few times, and his head was spinning horribly. Any movement now would end up with him throwing up on the carpet.

"I can only guess at what happened. However, I absolutely do not approve of such behavior." She stood in front of him, with her arms crossed "It was so good, Sasuke, and now you're in the same place you started."

Sucking in air, he pushed himself away from the table and sat back on the couch. Resting his aching head on his hands, he fixed his gaze on the floor, imagining Sakura's face - he couldn't do it, everything was a blur to him, even the memories.

"She was here." He muttered, hiccupping "That's why... it was good." the words barely floated out of his mouth.

"If you wanted to give up solely for her, it's not right, Sasuke." Karin cleaned up three empty beer cans, unable to look at the mess "You see what the consequences are. She left you, and you fell into the same shit." she said, like a mother to her child "You should go to therapy for yourself."

Sasuke finally rose to his feet without feeling nauseous. Sitting at home depressed him; he needed a break. Or maybe he just ran out of alcohol, because he didn't recall having any more here. Karin poured out the last of his supply.

"I have no reason to."

What would it give him to quit the thing that made him feel light, blissful, indestructible? Nothing. He needed it like oxygen to go on through life; no matter what.

Taking his jacket from the rack, he threw it over his shoulders, somehow still walking ahead; he wobbled slightly, but stood his ground.

"I won't let you leave." he heard Karin's accelerated footsteps "You'll hurt yourself."

But Sasuke didn't give a damn about her words. He left, with her right behind him.

He didn't remember anything else from that night.

…

Calm music was playing from a laptop. Sakura sat at a small table in the living room in front of lit candles, open medical books and a notebook full of notes. Behind her in an armchair was Ino, reading stories on her phone. They were supposed to study together, but her friend quickly put the materials away, busying herself with more pleasant things.

In fact, Ino came to Sakura almost every day not at all to study, but more afraid that her friend would lock herself in her room and never come out - she avoided messages from Ino for a week after her conversation with Sasuke. So she made it a goal to spend time with Sakura, trying to push away bad thoughts from the girl. Did she succeed in doing so? She hoped so, but Sakura was much quieter and more withdrawn than usual, and she had no way to check.

Putting aside notes on normal anatomy, Sakura began repeating genetics.

"Look." Ino's voice snapped her out of reading. She looked at the screen; another story about Ino's favorite couple from 'The Bone Season' "You have to read it too. It's brilliant!"

"Maybe next time."

She went back to reading, hearing only her friend's fidgeting in her chair. Sakura already sensed that Ino wanted to say something, but she still kept her mouth shut. She turned to her, however, allowing her to express her opinion.

"It's not that, Sakura..." she tried to put together a sentence that made sense and didn't hurt Sakura at the same time, "I'm glad you're spending so much time studying, but don't you think you could use a break?"

Sakura looked Ino straight in the eye, not quite sure what to answer. The blonde was aware that her friend was preoccupied with her studies more for one reason only.

"I can't take a break. Not now." She flipped the page over "I have exams soon and..."

It was difficult to even say his name.

"Oh, Sakura. I'm so sorry." she said, not knowing why "I shouldn't let you have any further relationship with him."

Ah, so that's what she meant. Sakura shook her head, with a sad smile.

"I don't regret any of the days and nights I spent with him. I was happy."

When she recalled those little gestures, affectionate words; the way Sasuke tried his best and touched her gently, always making sure she was okay with it, she felt a pleasant warmth. Nothing could take away Sakura's memories; they only changed from pleasant to bittersweet.

"You should still be." regret could be heard in Ino's voice. She believed she was guilty of all this, even though she absolutely did not have to be.

"I will, I promise." Sakura grabbed her friend's knee "He will stay in my heart forever," she recalled one of her conversations with Ino, "but he will no longer have any role in my life." She leaned over her laptop, entering the browser "I must eventually move on, just like he did." she entered the first website "After our last conversation, he must have realized that he didn't love me at all after all."

Ino read the article in shock, with her eyes wide open.

"All I want is for him to be happy as well." she felt tears dripping down her pants "I believe that I will soon find my happiness, too."

Gentle fingers ran through Sakura's hair. A large headline written in bold letters drilled a hole in their heads, evoking extreme emotions.

'Fugaku Uchiha and his wife have announced happy news! They are expecting two grandchildren! [...] We finally met their younger son's fiancée! See how Sasuke Uchiha and Karin Uzumaki looked at the opening of the new hospital wing! Is a woman's pregnant belly already visible?'

…

Hangover was the worst part of drinking. It got him first thing in the morning and didn't leave until Sasuke drank again. Every day looked the same. Except for one a week ago, when he had to show up for the opening ceremony. Then he poured less alcohol into himself than usual and presented himself fairly tolerably. And since then things have come full circle again.

Reaching for a bottle of water, he picked it up from the floor, but it turned out to be empty. He rolled out of bed holding his throbbing head for a moment. Sasuke limited himself to slow movements so as not to cause more pain on his body.

Finally getting up, he walked a short distance across the room, kicking a few empty beer cans, clothes and some records along the way. Before the door, he almost stepped on a painting from Sakura. Sasuke picked it up gently so as not to damage anything. The paint on the canvas still looked fresh.

He put the painting back on the shelf. It was the only memento that still survived. Sasuke couldn't allow anything to happen to it.

Grabbing the handle, he pulled the door open. On the other side stood Karin - she was in the process of raising her hand to knock. The woman's eyes were sort of... scared. Sasuke didn't know much about what had been going on with her over the past few days. Karin sat in her room, he in his. They avoided each other more and more, after she had to watch him and lead him back home that one night.

"What do you want?" he asked, already wanting to know why she had come here so he could go to the kitchen.

"Your father is here." She communicated, giving him one last look and disappearing behind the bedroom door.

Sasuke automatically straightened up. When Fugaku came to see him it meant trouble - his father never visited him on normal business. Smoothing down his shirt, he intertwined his hands behind his back to keep their trembling from showing. Walking downstairs, he could already see his father's silhouette in the kitchen. He was drinking tea, specially prepared for him.

"Father, what are you doing here?"

All emotion evaporated from him - there was only him, Sasuke, in the empty dome called a body, and Fugaku, emanating the anger hidden inside him. His father didn't even have a clue that the rage had so overwhelmed him that it sat inside him the entire time.

"I guess I should be proud that you're awake, because there's nothing else left for me." he said sarcastically, dark irises piercing his soul, "You haven't learned anything, Sasuke, have you?"

"I'm trying."

"You're always trying and never succeed."

Fugaku didn't mince words. He took a step forward, and Sasuke took a step back at that. This was exactly how he was reacting to his own father now - he was a grown man, and he couldn't stand up for himself; he was afraid. Once Sasuke had no problem arguing with him, but after what he saw and experienced, he promised himself not to fight Fugaku. The scars on his body spoke for themselves.

"Did you come for something specific?"

"I wouldn't have come here otherwise." He took out a folder from his work bag "Practical classes with students start in two hours. One of the female employees got sick. You will replace her."

There was nothing to discuss. Fugaku knew that his son hadn't been able to show up for work for more than almost three months, but he wasn't too concerned about it. He had probably already written off Sasuke and only needed him for their family's good looks. The rest of the people didn't care - they were only interested in how they presented themselves in front of the camera.

"Alright."

"Just wash off the smell of alcohol before you get there."

He finished his tea and set the cup down in the sink, leaving Sasuke behind. Fugaku left without saying or doing anything else. He had come to say one thing that he might as well have said over the phone? Something didn't sit right with him here.

Sasuke left the questions for another time. He looked through the contents of the folder, learning that today's class was one of the easier ones. It was enough for him to recall the material quickly.

Sasuke sat down in a chair, beginning to read. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Karin standing on the stairs. She was looking at him sluggishly. Only now did he notice the dark circles under her eyes; purple stood out on her pale skin.

"Did you talk to him earlier?"

"No." She continued to stand in the same place. Sasuke didn't know if she had anything else to say or not anymore; she just looked at him, as if wondering how much he should know "Your father is dumber than I thought." was all she said before she locked herself in the room again.

..

He parked; theoretically he was sober, so he came by car; closest to the entrance. A group of students had gathered in front of the building. They came out to smoke, but when Sasuke got out and walked toward them, they greeted him politely and respectfully, moving inside with him.

The nurses, who didn't know him very well, nodded to him with smiles on their lips, glad to see him back. Only the doctors - Tsunade, Shizune and one older man - looked at him with disappointment. They knew his parents, and Fugaku liked to say the only bad things about his younger son.

Reaching the small hall, he was struck by the deafening conversations. People his age were just studying to be in the same position as him, and Sasuke's good contacts were enough for him to already carry the title of doctor.

Inside, he found two doctors and Kakashi, who stood to the side watching his students. Sasuke moved toward his former teacher when pink hair caught his attention. He stopped, staring at Sakura for much longer than he should have. She was sitting in a chair with a group of three students. She was chatting and laughing - not even bothered by his arrival. She had to move on; Sasuke wouldn't lie, it pained him a little.

"It's good to see you, Sasuke."

"Hn." he muttered, greeting Kakashi in his own way. Although from the side he didn't look happy at all, in spirit he was looking forward to meeting the man. Kakashi had something about him that stayed with a person until the end "When do we start?" he asked, wanting to get out of this stuffy room as soon as possible.

He missed Sakura, more than he wanted to, but decided not to impose himself on the girl. He respected her decision, even if it hurt like hell.

Kakashi checked the time on his watch "Now."

One of the nurses closed the door. The students got up and lined up next to the table, listening to Kakashi. The man introduced each of the doctors to them, and then began to introduce them to the topic of the class.

Sasuke stood to the side, not interfering for the time being; he waited for his turn. He spent the entire twenty minutes looking at Sakura - at her hair reaching past her shoulder blades, her delicate hands and big eyes. She was the most beautiful person he had ever met in his life. And as much as he might once have called her his, now he had lost that; he had lost her. She was so close, and yet an invisible wall separated them.

During that time, she only looked at him twice. She quickly fled with her eyes whenever her eyes fell on his face. Sasuke had hurt her so much that she couldn't even look at him.

After another ten minutes, Kakashi let the doctor do the talking. The woman asked questions, which Sakura gladly answered. Her melodious voice soothed his senses. He could listen to Sakura non-stop and never get tired of it.

She spoke with such passion that everyone listened to her with rapt attention. Until it was Sasuke who started teaching the class. Then Sakura stepped back, hiding slightly behind the boy in front of her. She didn't speak again. Sasuke waited impatiently for her to say even one word in his direction, but she didn't.

The class was led by him until the end. And although he taught everyone, his eyes were fixed only on Sakura. He was sure the others noticed that. But, what could he do. He longed for so long to see her, to touch her. Every day he would get drunk and then imagine in his dreams that she was right next to him; stroking his cheek, whispering in his ear, kissing him. The dreams were beginning to tire him, as they remained only a blissful dream that has no right to come true; not after all this time.

Kakashi said goodbye to the students. The room deserted, but he stayed. Sasuke said he would clean up. He was in no hurry to go home. Somehow he missed the hospital so much.

"Let me help you."

He froze at that familiar voice. Sakura didn't bestow a look on him, she just started cleaning. She was putting items back in place when Sasuke stood with his hands placed on the table.

They did not speak to each other. Sakura silently did her work, keeping her distance. And then she walked over to the table, putting the papers in order. Her hands were so close that he could mousse them with his fingers. He dreamed of touching her.

"Sakura." slipped out. Sasuke didn't even know why he said her name.

Maybe it was because he had forgotten what it sounded like from his mouth.

Sakura raised her head, but said nothing. Instead, she started looking for something in her purse. She took out a few items when she finally pulled out a necklace; from him. She handed it to him.

"It's really pretty and normally I would leave it, but," Sasuke clenched the chain in his hand, sensing what Sakura would say, "it makes me think too much about you. Don't get me wrong. We're both entering a new path, and we have to leave us in the past."

Sasuke wanted to tell her that he wasn't walking any new path at all and continued to be stuck in the past with her by his side, but he refrained, understanding Sakura's decision. She needed to get away from him.

"Aa."

"How are you holding up, anyway?"

The question caught him off guard. Earlier she had avoided any contact with him and said goodbye, handing over such an important item, but now she was starting a casual conversation.

"Good." He replied, surprised that he said it so smoothly "And you?"

"It's ok."

Silence fell. They didn't know what else to say to each other. There was probably a lot, but nothing seemed appropriate right now. It had been a long time since Sasuke had felt so uncomfortable in someone's company.

"Um, well... that's all I wanted to say." She headed for the exit. She grabbed the door handle when she suddenly remembered something "Ah, I would have forgotten. Congratulations, Sasuke. You will surely be a wonderful father."

Before the meaning of Sakura's words reached him, she was gone.

Sasuke stared at the door behind which she had disappeared, unable to make any move. Where had she come up with this idea? Since when was he supposed to become a father? He did not recall any situation from which a child could come out. Because it certainly wasn't Sakura who was pregnant, so the only one left was Karin. But that wouldn't add up. He never slept...

Now it came to him. He didn't recall anything because he didn't remember. That one night, when he was no longer in touch with reality and Karin had just followed him out, anything could have happened. Maybe that's why the woman distanced herself from him and acted strangely. Only, why didn't she want to tell him about it? And how could he, Uchiha Sasuke, who had the only thing on his mind for more than a few months, even under the influence of alcohol go to bed with a woman other than Sakura?

He ran out of the hospital, getting into his car.

"That's him! I saw him, Sakura-chan!" he heard the annoyed voice of Sakura's friend through the tilted window.

"Leave him alone, Naruto."

The boy didn't have a chance to run to him, because Sasuke had already left the parking lot. He was driving at such speed that the police would have picked him up right away. Focusing on the road, he called his brother. He hadn't spoken to Itachi in a very long time. Honestly, he didn't even know if he was alive. Itachi answered right away.

"Karin is pregnant?"

'I don't quite understand your question.'

"Is Karin pregnant? What's so difficult about that?" he was irritated.

'As far as we know, yes. She came to our parents some time ago to tell them about it. Father recently insisted on fulfilling the contract.' Itachi's words drilled a hole in his head. He needed to clarify this with Karin 'Are you okay? I haven't heard from you in a while. Maybe you would like—

"I don't have time for this."

He hung up, driving up to the block. Sasuke wasted no time, quickly appeared at the apartment. He called out for Karin, but she was nowhere to be found. Instead, a note was hanging on the refrigerator - 'I left. I don't know when I'll be back.'

He threw it in the garbage, even more upset. Of course, she had to leave him today.

Not bothering with privacy, he entered her room. He searched every corner from top to bottom, finally coming across a closed drawer. For Sasuke, this was no problem. He took a slide out and opened the lock. Inside were some papers, some mementos and a pregnancy test. Positive.

…

Stress was eating her up from the inside. Waiting for the exam results was the worst thing that had happened to her now. Sakura couldn't eat or drink anything all day, thinking about how many mistakes she might have accidentally made and what she would have to do if she didn't pass.

For the past three months, she has only been studying. She would get up early in the morning, eat breakfast, wash up, put on her makeup, then go out to work at the library, where she spent only five hours five days a week, and after work she would shop every other day, eat lunch, get ready for another few hours of studying, and go to bed at almost one in the morning. And so on, and so on.

Sakura didn't even have time to think about her life and the things/persons she left behind.

She has sacrificed too much to now destroy her future with one failed exam.

Suddenly there was a new email from Kakashi. She reflexively reached for her neck. Nothing. Sakura had increasingly forgotten about the missing necklace - a simple piece of jewelry that had accompanied her for four years and supported her in important situations, as she felt through it a strange bond with Sasuke that gave her strength; once upon a time.

With a trembling hand, she grabbed the computer mouse and was already about to open a message, but unexpectedly her phone started ringing. At first she ignored it, but something told Sakura that she should at least see who it is. So she did, only to find that it was Tsunade calling. A stronger wave of stress squeezed her stomach. Sakura picked up the phone.

"Yes?"

'Sakura, I don't want to worry you, but come to the hospital. Immediately.'

Tsunade's voice seemed very anxious. Unable to get anything else out, she said quietly - "Sure, I'll be right there," and ran out of the apartment, clutching the phone and begging in spirit for it to be nothing too serious.

The door opened automatically in front of Sakura, who ran inside. As usual, no doctor was around; they were taking care of patients, and there was a queue at the reception desk, too long for Sakura to stand there quietly. So she ran to the right corridor, looking for Tsunade.

But the woman seemed to have vanished into thin air. Tsunade was not in any corner of the hospital. Looking for her desperately, suddenly Sakura noticed Sasuke in the distance. He was standing talking to one nurse. She ran up to him, knowing that now he might be the only person who would be able to give her answers. Although she hadn't spoken to him, or even seen him anywhere nearby; which she slowly didn't understand, because why wasn't he coming to work?; she now had no inhibitions about clinging to his medical apron like a child. Sasuke was a thing of the past for her, but he was still a medic. She needed him now. Their relationship was back on the doctor-patient track again.

The man looked at her with a blank stare; the former sparkle had disappeared from his eyes. He sent the nurse away and grabbed Sakura's wrists, removing them from his apron and holding them longer than he should have.

"Please tell me what happened. Is it about my medical results? Something wrong with them? Why was I called here-"

"Calm down." He interrupted her, not understanding a word, "It's not about you, Sakura."

"It's about who, then?" Sasuke stared at her, saying nothing for the moment. She began to feel even more uneasy. Something was wrong with him "I beg you to tell."

"It's about your father."

Her breath stung in her throat. The way Sasuke spoke frightened her - he sounded heartbroken.

"Where?"

"In room number twelve. He's waiting for you."

She immediately ran in there. Entering, Sakura noticed her weeping mother sitting in a chair to her left; to the right was a seat for her. Kizashi was lying down, covered by a thin quilt, with his eyes fixed on his wife. When Sakura closed the door, her father focused on her. One eye was closed, he moved neither his body nor his head - he was here, but it didn't look good at all.

"My dear daughter." he said indistinctly.

Tsunade, who was writing down the results, didn't even have to say anything for Sakura to recognize what had happened - a stroke.

"Dad."

As she approached her father's bedside, Sakura felt regret. She had been so preoccupied with herself and her problems over the past months that she had not visited her parents. She had only called them without talking for more than twenty minutes. And now she could lose her father.

"I'll leave you alone." Tsunade said.

After the doctor left, Sakura quickly approached her father, placing a kiss on his forehead.

"You are getting more and more beautiful every day." Kizashi barely lifted the corners of his mouth up. Sakura couldn't stand it; she took her father's hand and pressed it to her lips, tears flowing spontaneously, "Oi, don't cry. I didn't mean to make you sad."

"I'm sorry, Dad." her shoulders shook "I should be with you more often, sorry. Tell me what you want. I'll do whatever you want."

"You've already made my last dream come true." Sakura looked at her father, not understanding "I saw you and Sasuke." she cried louder, reminding herself that Kizashi had no idea what had happened between them. He had missed Sasuke for some time, asking his daughter to bring him back to the family home. And she almost succeeded in persuading the man to do so, but then their 'relationship' totally fell apart. Since then, she has lied to her father, trying not to worry him with her broken heart, "I only wanted to see the two of you before I died."

"Don't say that."

"Oh, Sakura…"

Mebuki handed her daughter sliced apples, changing the subject. The woman had to stop thinking about her husband's lurking death; she did the same when she visited her daughter in the hospital. Only at that moment did Sakura realize how hard it was for her parents to see her in bed, with a death sentence.

Listening to her mother, Sakura tried to stay in reality. More and more it all seemed unreal to her. Until she couldn't handle sitting still any longer and listening to Mebuki's stories.

She stood up from her seat, smiling sadly.

"I'll be back tomorrow, I promise. I need to rest."

"Honey," muttered Kizashi, "Tell Sasuke one thing. When he left, he said he understood that I was angry with him," he had to pause to gain strength, "but I never was. I love him like a son." Sakura wrapped her cloak tighter around herself "Now go to him. I'm sure he's waiting for you."

She didn't have the heart to tell her father the truth, so she left, hearing along the way - "Ah, that love."

Sakura preferred Kizashi to live in the belief that her daughter had a person by her side who loved her and whom she loved. It would be difficult to come to terms with the reality that what was once real is now a distant memory and Sakura has to love someone else all over again.

Walking through the corridors, she wiped away every new tear, barely able to see correctly. The figures were a blur to her. They were all just spots. That's why, when someone grabbed her arm, Sakura jumped aside, wiping her eyes properly to see the person.

"Did you tell him?"

From no one in particular, Mikoto arose. Sakura felt a sudden wave of anger, pulling herself out of the woman's grasp.

"No."

"Then why isn't he talking to his family and avoiding us? What did you do to him!" she said frustrated, as if she had a right to be mad at Sakura.

"What have I done to him? What did you do to him!" rage could no longer hide inside her "You can't even see your own mistakes! No wonder Sasuke wants nothing to do with you!"

"You are destroying our family." Mikoto tapped her finger accusingly, having no arguments to defend her position.

"You are destroying yourselves. And one day you will make a mistake for which you will pay." Sakura stepped back, not feeling like looking any longer at the woman who, with her husband, treated their child more like a puppet than a son "I'll make sure of it. After what you did to Sasuke and how you almost sentenced me to death. What would it give you, huh?"

"Peace of mind! If you died, I would feel better. Everything would be better." After these words, Mikoto's cheek burned mercilessly.

"After what I heard from Sasuke, his life would have been even worse. Maybe you were just afraid that he would love me more than you?" she distanced herself from the shaken woman "I don't understand what happened to you. You used to be much different. I thought you were a wonderful person, and now?"

Mikoto broke into tears, supporting herself against the walls, and Sakura disappeared around the bend. She had to cut herself off from the Uchihas once and for all. Avoid them at all costs, but not yet.

She was approaching the exit door when she got a message - 'Congratulations.' Evidently she had passed the exams, but she was not in a better mood at all. For that, she knew who to go to.

..

Taking off the medical apron, Sasuke massaged his temples. Before coming to work, he took three pain pills. Luckily he had some at home, because he hadn't bought them himself before, and Karin still hadn't returned from her 'vacation', if it could be called that. She had simply disappeared somewhere and there was no contact with her.

Sasuke worried about their situation more and more because of this, and his parents wrote to him almost every day, causing him headaches, but he had no answers to their questions.

The nurse appeared with Kizashi's card, putting it away in a cabinet with important documents. Sasuke unfortunately saw no future for Sakura's father. When he got a call from Tsunade, asking him to show up at the hospital because they were having trouble with the staff, Sasuke barely rose from his bed. He mentally prepared himself for an exhausting few hours. At the entrance, Shizune greeted him and led him to the room where it turned out that Kizashi was lying.

Sasuke no longer even remembered how specifically he reacted, but the first two minutes he stood still unable to move. So many years had passed and they were meeting again under such circumstances. After everything was over, when Kizashi began to be conscious, it was difficult for Sasuke to get a single word out. That's why he spoke up at the very end - 'I understand that you are angry with me. I would be too. But I would like you to know that I will take care of Sakura, even if I can no longer be next to her.'

He had no idea what specifically tempted him to say this, but Sasuke would stick to those words no matter what. He felt the need to assure a dying father of his only daughter's safety.

"You're done for today." the nurse informed him.

He nodded and signed his name on the sheet. Sasuke raised his head as Sakura left the hospital. He couldn't see her face, but her trembling shoulders betrayed her condition.

Leaving a safe building in such a state, and at night, was not at all one of the wisest decisions. Sasuke decided to move after Sakura - he didn't want to approach her, so as not to upset the woman more than she was already upset, even if he had to look scary following her movements. However, before he could take even one step, Mebuki appeared. She put her arm around his forearm, looking sad. Sasuke didn't dare move - seeing a woman for the first time in a long time.

"Sasuke, it's nice to see you again." she greeted, as if a week had passed since their last meeting "I don't want to take up your time, but I have one request. Could you fulfill it?"

"Of course." He didn't hesitate; Sakura's parents deserved it.

"I've noticed from my daughter that something is wrong between you two, and I won't ask for details now, but I'm afraid she might get hurt. Would you see if she came home safe and sound?"

"I had it planned." he said sincerely.

"Thank you." Mebuki let go of him, looking at him with eyes full of sorrow and love "For taking care of my husband as well."

Scrubbing her shoes, she returned to Kizashi, locking herself in his room. Sasuke left the hospital and got into his car, turning it on and heading toward Sakura's apartment. Everything was fine until he pulled out of the parking lot and saw Sakura in the mirror - she was heading in a completely different direction than she should have been.

Sasuke turned the car around, taking off after the woman. He drove quite slowly, but not so slowly that the people behind him started to get too annoyed. He watched Sakura dodge passersby, all the while wiping away tears. She looked like a wreck.

After three hundred meters, she turned right, and Sasuke followed her. He entered a dark alley, lit by a few lanterns. The houses here were much larger and more massive than in most of the city. Rich people lived here.

Sakura walked for a while longer. Finally, she approached one of the houses and knocked. After a second, a stream of light and a man appeared. Sasuke couldn't see his face exactly, but he seemed to recognize him from somewhere. So far, however, his figure resembled no one at all.

From the car, he watched behind the tinted windows as Sakura wrapped her arms around the man's waist and he pressed her face to his chest, slowly climbing inside and disappearing completely from Sasuke's sight.

…

The funeral was modest and short. Mebuki couldn't afford a larger ceremony, so she opted for simplicity. She invited ten people who were closest to her and her husband. However, the woman had to return home twenty minutes after it began anyway, because she couldn't stop crying.

Sasuke was still standing under the tree, watching Sakura. He had come completely sober to respect the man who made him feel loved - something his own father could not do. Although it was damn hard to rid his body of alcohol, he was up to the challenge. He had one last drink on Wednesday, so that he wouldn't pour any beer or whiskey into himself on Thursday. He spent the entire day over the toilet, vomiting every meal he ate through his esophagus. His hands shook incredibly and his head hurt, but Sasuke never reached for anything to drink. Once, at night, when he couldn't fall asleep he considered a small shot, for a good night's sleep, but gave up the idea.

That's how he managed to be fully aware of what was going on around him.

Sound of raindrops bouncing off the leaves grew louder. It rained even more. Sasuke took out his umbrella, protecting himself from getting wet. He stood still under the tree, watching Sakura not move even an inch to protect herself from the rain.

Stepping out from under the cover of the leaves, he slowly approached Sakura and put his umbrella under her head. She looked at him fleetingly with sad eyes, taking the handle in her hand. There was also a frigid wind that afternoon, so Sasuke took off his scarf and wrapped it around the woman's neck to keep her from getting sick.

Sakura swallowed saliva loudly, but said nothing. They stood side by side, watching Kizashi's grave, as if the man was about to rise from the dead. Flowers decorated the concrete slab.

He didn't know how much he had already stood there when Sakura finally spoke.

"He loved you like a son."

"I know."

She turned to him, unconcerned about her swollen eyes and red cheeks.

"Why does it hurt so much?" she asked rhetorically, biting her cheeks from the inside out.

Sasuke couldn't stand seeing Sakura in such a state. Why did fate have to be so cruel to her? What did she deserve?

Placing his hand on her back, he began walking slowly to the cemetery exit.

"I'll walk you home,"

"I arrived by car." She said, turning left into the parking lot.

Sasuke followed her, watching the woman's stooped posture.

"Did you get your driver's license?"

"No."

He didn't ask for anything else. He led her to her destination. Sakura circled between cars until she reached a black Mercedes. The car door opened. Inside sat a man with sunglasses; although it wasn't even sunny.

Stopping, Sakura wanted to give him his things. Sasuke shook his head.

"You'll give it back to me some other time."

She hesitated, but left the scarf around her neck.

"My mother is making dinner. Do you want to come?" she asked hesitantly.

"I'll visit her next time."

Sasuke wasn't sure if he would be able to stand looking at faces immersed in pain. He needed a break from his thoughts and to sink into his sorrows in solitude.

"Uchiha, thanks for bringing her, but could you give her back already? We have to go."

The stranger in the car was no longer a stranger. Everywhere, one could recognize that long hair, a slightly cheeky tone and an attitude that said - I have money and come from a worldly important family. Sasuke had even seen the man a couple of times at the family home when he and his father came to Fugaku to make a deal.

"She's all yours, Hyuga."

Sakura said goodbye, getting into the car and sinking her nose into his scarf, leaving Sasuke alone. Was this written for them from the beginning?

…

The bag seemed much heavier on her shoulder than it actually was. The five books from the library weighed several kilograms, and Sakura had no strength left. She had been on her feet since morning - in addition to her daily chores, she checked on her mother in the afternoon, and then dropped by Neji's for a while to return the suit he had left at her place. After visiting the man, Sakura decided to return to the library and spent three hours there until the librarian kicked her out.

Walking through the streets, the smell of spring was in the air. Winter is gone, and with it an overwhelming sadness. In two hours, the clock will strike midnight. March twelfth - exactly sixty days since the death of her father. Two months of uninterrupted pain and emptiness gripping her heart.

Sakura thought she would do a better job of hiding her emotions, but even Kakashi lectured her a few times in class that she shouldn't come to him in this state. And that's exactly what he said - "I'd rather you take a break. You won't learn by wandering with your thoughts elsewhere." And maybe if it had been that simple, Sakura would have spent that time at home, crying tears into the pillow, but the vision of loneliness terrified her. When she visited her mother, she did so for her, not for herself; the poor woman barely left the apartment. And on the other hand, at Neji's she preferred to enjoy the moment rather than wallow in her sorrows.

Sakura found it difficult to organize her thoughts and feelings.

Entering the street, she took one step and immediately jumped back when a car honked. She was too distracted. An accident could have occurred.

She snapped back to reality, looking around carefully at her surroundings. People were a handful. Most were returning home after a hard day's work. Only a few could afford a trip to the bar or other entertainment on that Thursday evening. And she was not one of those people. In fact, Sakura couldn't remember the last time she really felt happy. Since the whole situation with Sasuke, her life had become gray, boring and full of misery. However, she had to stop treating the breakup of her relationship with him as a series of bad events - she would end up badly.

Crossing to the other side of the street, Sakura passed the always very busy bar - even today there were more people inside than one might have thought. One man had already left the place, walking wobbly forward. His slender figure swayed. The light of the lantern did not illuminate his entire figure, making him seem like an apparition lurking in the darkness.

She almost passed him when the man leaned over a trashcan and puked out the contents of his stomach. Sakura moved away from him, disgusted by the sight and the state the stranger had led himself to. Two other people also gave the man a sidelong glance.

Sakura lifted her chin higher, unconcerned until she heard a quiet curse. She knew that voice, all too well. She turned on her heel, looking at the stranger - Sasuke. He looked tragic. He was so drunk that another moment and he would fall on the dirty pavement.

She repeated in her mind that he should face the consequences of his actions and maybe then he would learn to drink responsibly, but she did not have the heart to leave him like that. He would take her with him if she found herself in the same situation.

As she approached him, she looked around to see if he had definitely come alone. No one was looking for him, so Sakura threw his arm around her shoulder, lifting him up.

"I don't need help." he said inarticulately, tangling himself.

"Absolutely not." she replied sarcastically.

She grabbed him tighter around the waist.

Sasuke, after her words, raised his head. He stared at Sakura with eyes wide open. Beneath the blurred gaze was disappointment - not at her, but at himself. He felt ashamed that she had found him now.

"Sakura..."

He tried to walk on his own, but shifted more of his weight onto her, making Sakura shake under his pressure.

"You're too heavy." She said, and Sasuke, as if on command, straightened up as much as he could and stood more firmly on his feet.

They walked the first hundred meters with great difficulty. Sakura, tired from the whole day, begged to hold on until the end. They had very little left to her apartment - she had no idea where Sasuke lived, since he had never invited her to visit; now she knew why; and asking him about it made absolutely no sense.

"I'm sorry..." he muttered unexpectedly.

She looked at Sasuke, trying to understand the hidden message. It didn't sound like he was apologizing just for today. However, she decided to respond with silence. Sasuke was already barely in touch with the world anyway.

They covered the last meters and climbed the stairs, nearly falling. She took the keys out of her pocket and pushed the door, opening it wide.

"Sakura, finally!" sounded Kiba's voice. She had completely forgotten about him "I was waiting for you because... Oh god." he stood as if he were in a daze.

"Help me."

Her words sobered the boy.

"Yes, yes, right."

Kiba approached them, taking Sasuke from Sakura. She instructed him to lead him to her room - of course, Kiba argued for a moment that she should give Sasuke the couch, but then that would mean he would have to sleep elsewhere, which she refused to do.

"You fucked up, dude." He said, to a practically sleeping Sasuke.

Sakura immediately ran to the bathroom, finding a clean towel and filling a small bowl with water. She took another glass of drinking water from the kitchen and went to her place. Sasuke was sitting on the bed being held by Kiba.

Soaking the towel in water, Sakura washed Sasuke's face of sweat and the remnants of puke at the corners of his mouth. She did this very gently and carefully, as if she were about to hurt him. When she wanted to apply the wet washcloth for the third time, Sasuke pushed her hand away.

"No." he choked out.

"Stop." She clenched her teeth, fighting back tears.

Oh, how much she would have given to know beforehand that Sasuke had fallen into addiction again. She would have helped him then.

Sasuke no longer fought back, biting his lip until it bled. He only stared into her eyes and tears dripped down her cheeks.

Wiping away the last ford, she set the bowl aside and picked up the glass, helping him drink. He absorbed the water like a sponge, and when he drank enough, he lay down slowly. Sakura took his keys, wallet and phone out of a pocket to keep them from digging into his skin through his pants.

"Should I call somewhere? Inform someone? Your fiancée?"

"No one... it doesn't interest them." he said and immediately fell asleep.

She covered him with a quilt, pushing a strand of hair aside. Sakura watched his face, unable to ward off tears and sadness. The last time she saw Sasuke was at a funeral. Back then he looked heartbroken, but it was justified. He was feeling Kizashi's death in his own way. She couldn't guess that he was unwell and such were the consequences now.

Kiba moved restlessly, somewhere behind her.

"You can go now."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"Okay. If anything, I'm next door."

He left her. Sakura, tired of it all, washed up quickly in the bathroom, took an extra quilt out of the closet and lay down on the other side of the bed, as far away from Sasuke as she could get, so as not to touch him in his sleep.

..

The sun's rays coming through a hole in the curtain woke him up. He stretched, massaging his temples. As usual every morning, his head pulsed with pain, and his memory of yesterday was faint. All he remembered was that he felt sick from an excess of alcohol, left the bar, and then someone helped him get home. However, that person's face was a blur in his mind.

The smell of bread reached his nostrils. Sasuke inhaled, smiling involuntarily. He missed Sakura's food. And he had no one else to prepare the baked goods himself, as Karin was still not home after all.

Wait...

He looked around the room, rising to sit, when he spotted a familiar room. He wasn't at his place, he was at her place. It was Sakura who found him in this state.

Sasuke felt a sudden disgust for his own person. He allowed himself to stoop to a level he never even had nightmares about. He thought he had everything under control, or at least to some degree, but the truth turned out to be quite different. He was completely in deep shit.

On the table next to him, he noticed a glass of water and a painkiller. He took it, removing the quilt from his legs. The room was hot, but he still felt a slight chill. His clothes were sticking to Sasuke's body, smelling of sweat. He got out of bed, walking slowly to the door. On the way, he passed a large, oblong mirror. Stopping, he looked at his reflection; he looked frighteningly awful.

Pale skin, purple shadows and hollow eyes, greasy hair, dry lips. In a word, he looked like a walking corpse.

It made Sasuke sick. He couldn't look at himself for a second longer. And he still had to show himself to Sakura and other strangers on the street.

Covering his face with a hand, he headed to the kitchen. For a moment he hid more to the side, afraid to show himself to Sakura, but after a while the woman noticed him and, without speaking, put the bowl of food on the table.

"Eat." She said, returning to cutting the bread. When Sasuke didn't move from his seat, she turned around, and he nodded his head negatively "It's light, nothing will happen to you." she assured, not accepting the objection.

He took the food, picking at it with a fork. The smell alone made him shiver. Sasuke, however, knew that the meal would do him good.

Sakura walked from one countertop to another, and he stared at her. Her red and puffy eyes betrayed that she had cried all morning. Sasuke hated himself for bringing her to such a state - he, who wanted to prevent Sakura from ever being sad and unhappy, was himself ruining her life. And not only to her, but also to his own.

He had completely lost the will to live. And if he wanted to keep the promise he made to Sakura's father, he had to take care of himself.

He ate half of his breakfast and put the rest on the table; he couldn't fit any more in his stomach. Sakura looked at him and said:

"How is it that our paths always cross?"

The question was rhetorical, but Sasuke answered anyway; unnecessarily so.

"We are destined for each other, apparently." he tried to inject some lightness into the uncomfortable situation. Sakura, for her part, began to shake her head from side to side, and her eyes clouded with mist "I'm sorry." he said with remorse in his voice.

"Sasuke," she was on the verge of crying, again, "I don't want you to die." She pressed her lips into a thin line. He himself didn't want to die; to let himself disappear from this world too soon "But all the while you're doing your best to end up in the grave."

She put her arms around herself, seeking comfort.

"Aa."

"I don't understand you." Tears were already dripping down her cheeks "Why? Why are you doing this? You have your whole life ahead of you. Don't leave your child. They will need a father."

There was something else hidden in Sakura's words. She did not say it out loud, however. But she was right - Sasuke, willingly or not, would become a father, or had already become one; he didn't know, because Karin avoided returning like a fire; and he was going to do everything for his child. To be a much better version of Fugaku. And he couldn't do that, as if he were going to die.

So he decided.

"Will you give me the contact for this psychologist?"

Sakura took her phone out of her pocket and wrote down the phone number on a piece of paper. She handed it to Sasuke, feeling a little relieved.

"Tell her you're from me. She'll take you in right away."

He nodded, clutching the piece of paper tightly. They measured each other with their eyes, perhaps waiting for the other to speak up or simply absorbing each other's presence. They were separated by a step, a gesture, a word.

But Sasuke stepped back because he knew there was no place for him in this place now.

…

"That's it for today." The woman closed the notebook, smiling gently at Sasuke "You've made really good progress in these five months."

A soft, yellowish light fell on his face. He murmured a silent thank you, leaving the money on the table. Rising from the large, soft chair, he straightened his back. Sitting in the same place for two hours was frustrating, but helpful.

Sasuke said goodbye to the psychologist, leaving the cozily furnished office. Checking his phone, he read a message from Tsunade - 'Come by after 4 pm.' So he had less than two hours left.

He directed his steps to the car, taking in the scent of late summer. The world had finally taken on color; he was eager to welcome each new day anew. In the evenings he would sit on the living room couch reading or watching, and in the mornings he would get ready for work while sipping his favorite tea. Sasuke changed his lifestyle in preparation for his role as a father, which may one day finally happen. And he sincerely wanted to meet his child; Sasuke claimed the child would give him life more meaning. But there was no sign of Karin.

Twice, a year ago and three weeks ago, she sent a message to her mother that she was fine - which Sasuke thought strange that her own family was not concerned about the sudden disappearance of her pregnant daughter; she left only one message, without specific details, evaporating. He and Mikoto were more worried about Karin than anyone else. Although their concern for the woman's life stemmed more from other motives - Sasuke was concerned about his child, and Mikoto was concerned about fulfilling the contract.

He got into the car, closing the door behind him. The scent of lavender filled his nostrils. He had purchased a beautifully scented fragrance bag from the neighborhood store where Sakura often shopped. Walking there thirteen days ago, he felt a slight thrill, a tension caused by the thought that there was a possibility of meeting her there. Sasuke missed Sakura too much. So much time had passed since their last meeting. Nevertheless, he respected her and her feelings, so he kept his distance from Sakura, waiting for her to contact him first.

Sasuke started the engine. He drove the vehicle into the crowded streets. A lot of people were just going to work, so it took far too long before he reached home. He got out of the car a little irritated. He should have been at the apartment more than half an hour ago.

Entering the apartment, he took off his shoes and put his sweatshirt on a hanger, which suddenly came off the wall and fell down. Sasuke stared at it, counting to ten in his mind to calm his nerves. Anger does no good.

He leaned over to pick up the hanger, but then he noticed the shoes. Not his.

"Karin..." He looked into the closet, spotting a purple jacket "Karin!"

Leaving everything behind, he ran up the stairs, almost tripping a few times. His heart was pounding like crazy. The time had come for answers and the truth they would both have to face.

Rushing through the door, he found Karin sitting on the floor with her back to him unpacking her suitcase.

"We haven't seen each other in a long time, Sasuke." she said in the calmest voice in the world, as if she hadn't been home for a week at most.

He looked at her, now shorter, hair and tried to control his emotions so as not to say something inappropriate.

"Where have you been for over a year?"

"Here and there. Nowhere specifically."

She put the clothes aside, folding them into cubes. She didn't care about their conversation. Sasuke couldn't take it anymore. He started walking toward her.

"What do you mean, Karin? What are you playing at?" he grabbed her arm "And where is our child?"

Suddenly she turned to him and fixed her scarlet eyes on his dark ones. Sasuke was surprised to see sadness, fatigue and lack of any strength in her gaze.

"There is no our child."

He stopped breathing for a millisecond. This was not what he expected to hear. He himself didn't know what was better anymore - the absence of the child, or the presence of the child after all. Because now what sense did it all make? All that awaited Sasuke was a loveless marriage and his father's anger.

"I thought you understood after my last words." she added, pulling out of his grasp.

Sasuke stepped back, overwhelmed with confusion. What direction was his life heading in? Why had Karin returned? Why did he feel so terrible if he wasn't at fault?

"What was I supposed to understand?" he asked, barely forming words.

"I believed that only your father was stupid—"

"Say what you mean!"

"Relax." She spread her arms, getting up from the floor. Sasuke noticed that her body had not changed one bit "I am not and have not been pregnant." she assured, and he believed her because there was nothing else left for him. His whole life revolved around lies, manipulation and misstatements "Your father pestered me to do something with you and convince you to have a baby. After a while, he simply ordered me to get pregnant with your child. His threats were not mere threats. At some point, I began to be honestly afraid."

"And that's why you lied to him?" it was only reaching Sasuke what she had done "God, Karin, you lied to Fugaku. Do you know what you did? You could have come to me after all."

"I'm don't care about the consequences. Not now." she replied, ignoring the rest of his statement.

"Of course. you disappear, making a fuss, and come back, causing an even bigger one!"

"Ah, sorry I decided to be selfish for the first time in my life!" they looked at each other furiously. And all this because of just one person - the devil, hiding in human skin "I had to see him again, don't you understand? My mother won't let me ruin my future. I could never choose my own husband, and I fell in love anyway, breaking both my and his hearts."

He watched the tears flowing from Karin's eyes. Only he could make two women cry, and he felt bad about it. They had to stop arguing. Not today, when one thing was certain. Sasuke thought she might not have come back at all and lived the life she deserved. But it had happened, and it was his job to inform Karin about it. His parents would soon find out for themselves anyway.

"Since you've returned, tomorrow we have to sign the marriage certificate. My mother sent the wedding dress some time ago."

"There will be no wedding, Sasuke." she said most casually, wiping away her tears and returning to her expressionless face.

"What are you talking about?"

Karin looked at her watch.

"In exactly one minute, your family will be unable to fulfill the most important point in the contract, contributing to the breakup of our engagement."

Sasuke was lost in conversation. He stared at the woman, trying to decipher something from her face, but saw nothing. Whatever she did, his future hung in the balance.

Both looked at each other until four pm struck. Then Sasuke got a message and immediately turned on his phone; work must wait. An unknown phone number appeared on the screen. Someone sent him a link, which he entered. The article, written by an anonymous person, was two pages long and had lots of pictures. And the headline made his blood freeze. Although Sasuke wasn't sure yet whether he was happy about it, or should prepare for his father's fury.

"Where did you get this information?"

"Did you know about them?"

She asked, and Sasuke snorted under his breath - of course Fugaku wouldn't share such things with him. He would be afraid that his younger son would make them public in revenge, as Karin had just done.

"No."

"That's what I assumed." She pulled out her phone, accessing the mail "Well, getting to my mother's email wasn't difficult." Karin went into the message folder, signed 'Fugaku' "Next time, our parents should learn to keep such messages in more secure places."

Slowly, as if something was about to happen, Sasuke took the phone from her, starting to read. With every word, he became more and more disgusted with his family. Unfortunately, it has been known for a long time that nothing in the world is fair.

Various emotions ran through him, but it was relief that dominated. He had always feared his father; once he had even seen how cruel he could be; and defying his demands would have brought total disaster for Karin and Sakura if he had followed his heart, so now when all this happened, he no longer had to be afraid for himself or others. Fugaku no longer had the same power.

"Thank you." he said sincerely.

These were the only words with which he could express his gratitude to the woman. She had done more and shown courage that he lacked.

"I thought you would be angry."

She took the phone, putting it in her pocket and crossing her fingers together. Karin played with fingernails, showing uncertainty.

"I won't lie, I'm angry with you, but not for this article." She curled up at Sasuke's words, feeling ashamed for the lie he had believed for so long "You destroyed Fugaku, freeing us from this hopeless situation."

Her pupils suddenly dilated.

"You." She said quickly. Sasuke furrowed his brow "I freed you. My mother probably has a few more candidates. That's why I came back, Sasuke. I couldn't find Suigetsu anyway, and then this stranger contacted me." She took a step back, sitting down on the bed.

The atmosphere in the room thickened again. Suigetsu's name triggered a show of memories for Sasuke - how they had snuck out from last lessons, visited abandoned buildings, sneaked out at night for parties and much more. However, he would never have guessed that his old friend was playing at romance. Suigetsu usually avoided contact with girls, considering them a waste of time in his adventurous life. So when did that change? And how did he meet Karin?

So many questions remained unanswered, but there was no time for them. Sasuke would not let only him benefit from all this. Karin deserved her freedom.

"We can do—" he was interrupted by a sms.

His mother texted him. Nothing in particular. However, he immediately started getting notifications from different social media sites. People were getting faster and faster these days with getting interesting information. Even Tsunade and Shizune had already messaged him.

"Transfer the money to my bank account. I'll give them to you later." She said, clenching her hands into fists "Do you think your father will still show up here today?"

"No, he's abroad."

"That's good. I have at least one day to prepare for the confrontation." She threw him a sad smile.

…

Rough fingers were making circles on her head. Sakura lay comfortably on the couch, leaning against Neji's lap. They watched TV, absorbed in silence. All their meetings began with the simple quiet in which they found each other best. Or at least she did. Sakura could imagine that the hands that touched her belonged to another man. Which, of course, was wrong.

Sometimes Sakura herself was disgusted by this. She started dating Neji because she thought it was the best time and she left Sasuke in the past, yet she only did it to fill the void in her heart. When they first met in the library she thanked him for his help. Nothing out of the ordinary, but after that Hyuga showed up there every other day, and that's how they became friends. And after a few weeks, Sakura proposed a relationship, to which he agreed.

For both of them, it did not seem strange.

Until each of their meetings ended in an argument.

Then Sakura slowly lost her strength. They shouted at each other, pointing out every little mistake. From a misplaced cup, to saying the names of their previous partners. Each day continued to be the same, but neither of them left. They stuck with each other, not knowing why.

Although, maybe Sakura knew - she needed someone different, but also similar to Sasuke, to feel a bit of that with him.

Neji picked up the remote control, changing the channel. He just happened to come across the last-minute news. He started to watch it, and Sakura closed her eyes, wanting to nap for a while after a hard day. She almost succeeded, because she immediately heard that cursed name - Uchiha.

She opened her eyes immediately, looking at Fugaku's photo and listening to the presenter.

'Uchiha have announced bankruptcy. Yesterday afternoon, horrifying facts came to light. An anonymous person published an article online with evidence that turned out to be true. This morning, the hospital run by Fugaku was closed to new patients. Fortunately, starting tomorrow, things will start running again, thanks to Tsunade Senju, who spoke out on the matter.'

Sakura rose to a sitting position, carefully watching the screen.

'What came to light yesterday affected me tremendously. I had no idea what kind of people I was working with. I joined the team of doctors five years ago, three years after this facility opened. I have never contributed to such reprehensible misconduct.' Tsunade moved closer to the microphone 'From today, all medicines will be checked again, and the hospital will be under my care. Thank you.'

Sakura's heart was beating harder and harder.

'Those were the words of the hospital's new owner. And now back, Uchiha has heard accusations - money laundering, giving specifically worse medicines to earn more from treatment. There is also speculation that some patients must have died because of it. In addition, it was discovered that they had a lot of doctors who were not fully trained; took bribes to raise their ranks. People became interested in their sons, too. Itachi and Sasuke Uchiha will suffer the consequences. There is a possibility that they will have their license to practice their profession taken away.' The presenter put the cards aside 'For today it's...'

Sakura did not continue to listen. She sat with her mouth open, unable to drive the words away. The last sentence was like a nightmare. She didn't know what to do with herself. She froze in place, not moving until Neji coughed, snapping her out of her own thoughts.

"Um..." She turned to face him, looking into bright eyes, "What do you think-"

"I did it."

The confession slammed her into the couch. Sakura blinked a few times, as if to ward off his confident, proud expression from her gaze.

"What?" she asked shocked.

"I had been looking for all sorts of information about the Uchiha for some time. It wasn't that easy." said Neji most casually, unconcerned about the anger drawing on Sakura's face, "However, I managed to contact Karin Uzumaki. Together we acquired interesting things. In the end, the simplest thing left was to check all the doctors and Fugaku's data."

It was slowly becoming absurd.

"You did it without informing me?!"

"After all, you wanted to destroy them. You told me that so many times, Sakura."

"But not like this! Not when he will also suffer..." she fell silent, realizing what she wanted to say.

Unfortunately, it was the same thing again.

"You no longer have to pretend that you don't love him at all. You remind me almost every day that I'm not him."

Sakura had to massage the spot between her eyebrows.

"Are you going to play the victim now?"

"I don't do that."

Anger boiled inside her.

"That's exactly what you're doing, Neji. I started a conversation about something else, and you moved on to this." Sakura waved her hands in all directions as he sat calmly, "Does it hurt you that much once I was with him?"

"That question again?"

She stood up from the couch, taking a deep breath. They were arguing at the wrong time.

"Why did you show me this?" she poured water into her glass.

"Why are you changing the subject?"

With her eyes wide open and her lip bitten with anger, she looked at him in disbelief. She tapped her glass hard against the countertop.

"Ugh! Stop finally, just answer the question."

"I wanted to check your reaction."

"My reaction?"

"And it gave me what I needed." Neji also got up from the couch, "You always think only of him, Sakura."

These words stirred something in her. Some invisible string that produced only sadness.

"I've given all of myself to you over the past months, and you still deny our relationship?" she said, but she had no idea who she was really trying to fool.

"Let's face it, you were simply looking for the same thing in someone else that Uchiha was giving you. That makes you impossible to love, Sakura."

And with that, Neji broke off the last thing that kept her by his side. Sakura can't let herself be treated that way.

"In that case, I think it would be better to part ways."

"I already wanted to do it earlier." He moved to the exit door, taking his coat off the coat rack. Before he left, however, he turned around one last time "Oh, and by the way, I didn't do it just for you. I had to get rid of the competition."

Neji slammed the door, leaving Sakura alone. With a trembling hand, she picked up the glass, trying to take a sip, but suddenly felt a lump in her throat. Would no one really love her anymore, through her own fault? Was it so hard for Neji to be with her these few months? How many more times will she be disappointed in some man?

She didn't even feel when tears began to escape from her eyes. Sakura put her hand to her cheek, rubbing it hard. She had to finally stop crying. But she felt so bad...

Pulling her phone out of her pocket, she picked her mother's number. Mebuki answered practically immediately.

'Yes, dear?' she asked. She waited and waited for an answer, but Sakura could not get a single word out, 'Sakura?'

The terror in her mother's voice sobered her. To this day, Mebuki had this fear in the back of her mind that any phone call could herald death.

"Would you come to me, Mom?" she said weakly.

The woman sensed what was happening. Her daughter had been going through life's dilemmas and boyfriend problems too often lately.

'I'll be right there' she hung up the phone.

Sakura went to her room, sitting down on the bed and hiding her face in the hands. Her shoulders shook and her head began to ache from nerves. Why does life have to be so hard - she asked herself all too often lately. And she never received an answer to it. Sakura wished to know how much suffering and loss fate had prepared for her.

She heard the door open - her mother had spare keys, just in case. Removing her hands from her face, she noticed black smudges from mascara and eyeliner. Mebuki entered the room and looked at her daughter, with eyes full of sadness and love.

"Oh, what's wrong, honey?"

She walked over to Sakura and hugged her daughter tightly around the neck. Sakura didn't even have to answer for Mebuki to understand what had happened. A mother's intuition never fails.

"I can't handle it anymore." she sobbed into the woman's chest. The warmth emanating from her mother gave her a sense of security "I wish I could be happy again, Mom."

Gentle fingertips wiped away tears.

"Shh..." Mebuki kissed Sakura's forehead "Don't let anything hold you back."

Once again, she started crying, giving thanks all the time. Finally, the time had come when the pain of losing Kizashi had diminished enough for the two of them to spend time with each other, without that awful feeling of emptiness. And Sakura missed it the most in the world - she needed a mother who could take care of her in times of need.

Completely powerless by now, Sakura lay on her back and Mebuki leaned sideways, rubbing the last wet marks from her daughter's face.

"Did I ever tell you how long it took me to finally be with your dad? Our relationship had so many ups and downs that some people began to doubt that we would ever start a family."

Bloodshot eyes looked at the dark green. Sakura smiled softly.

"No."

"Then listen..."

..

Nervously, they waited for Fugaku. Yesterday, Sasuke remembered as if through a mist. He transferred his money to Karin's account, literally an hour before they blocked his access. For a moment he was afraid that nothing would go his way, but fortunately it did. Sasuke was then able to call two important people who he hoped would help him.

Nonstop he refreshed his phone, looking to see if any messages came in. He and Karin sensed that his father was going to visit them - Fugaku had returned to the country yesterday, which they knew through photos that some stranger had taken. This morning he declared bankruptcy, and for five hours he was not heard of.

The minutes dragged on mercilessly. Sasuke wished he could leave it all behind already. To have everything cleared up, without the shouting and violence he probably would have used if this had happened five years ago. Now he was too mature to act like his emotionally unstable father.

They looked at the clock together, honestly thinking that Fugaku might not come after all, when they heard a terrifying banging on the door. Karin trembled, retreating into the depths of the kitchen. Sasuke took the initiative. He got up from his chair and walked over to open it.

A furious Fugaku entered the apartment.

"It took you a while to get here—"

"Shut up." he hissed through clenched teeth, not even deigning to give him a single glance. His focus was solely on Karin "It's not hard to find out who did this." he informed, moving dangerously close to the woman, "All you have to do is have contacts."

Sasuke snorted at his father's words, drawing attention to himself.

"Which you've already lost today." he said, angering Fugaku even more.

The man must have been brought down to earth by someone - he no longer had the same strength and power over anyone or anything.

"You shouldn't be so cheerful, Sasuke. You're in this whole mess too."

"No, I'm not," he announced, looking firmly at Fugaku, "Unlike you, I have money and a good lawyer. I won't let my years of education go to waste, and I won't be held responsible for your crimes."

As if eyes could kill, Sasuke would have been dead long ago. The hatred that emanated from the man was suffocating.

"You are young and stupid. You're still my son, so-"

"While we're at it." Sasuke took a stack of cards out of his locker, which he got yesterday after talking to his lawyer "We'll meet in court twice. "

Fugaku read the papers, and his face expressed nothing in particular. In spirit, he was probably glad to be rid of his son from his life, but on the other hand he was surely furious that Sasuke had taken such a step and would not participate in the family tragedy.

"You will be left without a family,"

"And I will finally have peace.

"Peace?" said Fugaku with venom in his voice "You'll never have that." He pointed a tense finger at Sasuke and Karin, who stood with her head proudly raised the whole time. She did not regret what she had done "Karma will get you."

This conversation has gone on too long. Surely, if Mikoto and Itachi were here, and Sasuke was only eighteen, there would have been an argument, tears would have flowed and harsh words would have been spoken. But, Sasuke's bitterness and rage were long behind him. He was becoming a new person.

"Unfortunately, you have to leave this apartment."

Fugaku slammed his fist into the wall, clenching his jaw tightly. He had no arguments, so he moved on to threats:

"Be more careful, Sasuke. And keep an eye on Haruno, I suggest you."

And Sasuke would not let anyone threaten the lives of his loved ones.

"You touch her, and I promise you'll spend the rest of your life in prison. Or worse."

He opened the door and kicked his father; soon no more; outside and slammed the door in front of his nose. With that, he closed one chapter in his life forever.

"It wasn't so bad." spoke up Karin for the first time, "You are free of him."

"I'll meet him a few more times, but he won't make my life more difficult."

He approached the woman, taking the prepared tea from her.

"And what are you going to do now, Sasuke?"

"I have one plan."

"Is it related to this girl?" she asked, and he denied, taking a sip of the hot drink. Karin was puzzled, "Aren't you going to fight for her?"

"I would like to." He lowered his gaze to his hands "The decision, however, is up to her. If she wants to have contact with me, she'll reach out to me. But I doubt that we will ever be together again. I lied to her and disappointed her before. And now she's in a relationship and thinks I've started a family."

"Do you love her?"

Sasuke looked at Karin, with one eyebrow raised.

"Very much." He answered honestly, beating himself up in his mind for letting Sakura question his feelings for her. Karin smiled slightly, but said nothing more "And you?"

She corrected her glasses, abashed.

"My mother—"

"I mean Suigetsu."

"It's a difficult situation. I don't even know where he is..."

Seemingly she was in a position to destroy Fugaku, but when she would have to do the same to her mother - to protest; to show the world that she, too, was in some part involved in Uchiha's situation, her confidence left her. Karin needed someone to finally force her to leave Japan.

Sasuke tore out a piece of paper and wrote down a phone number on it.

"Contact Itachi. He knows a guy who can find whoever you're looking for."

"That's nice, but—"

"This is your life, Karin. Get out of this place."

She hesitated at first, but then reached for the phone, wasting no time. Sasuke wasn't going to either. He moved to the hallway to get his jacket.

"Where are you going?"

"To plan a new life." He left, with a lighter heart.

…

Deftly the woman counted the money files. Sasuke watched her carefully, counting in his mind along with her so she wouldn't make a mistake. He specifically deducted the entire amount of money so that would be enough for a vehicle.

"Everything's right." She put the suitcase aside and slid ten sheets of paper "Sign the contract."

Sasuke grabbed a pen, first carefully reading each subsection and then putting his signature at the bottom. The camper van was his. For a week he searched for a person willing to sell him the vehicle. He responded to a hundred offers, but only that woman agreed.

The brunette ran her eyes over his signature and finally handed Sasuke the keys.

"Thank you." He stood up and held out his hand, which the woman shook.

She bid him farewell with a nod, and Sasuke walked out of the cafe into the fresh air. Recently he had been breathing much better. He took his steps slowly, allowing himself to enjoy the crisp morning. People were rushing to work, school, a meeting or an airplane, meanwhile Sasuke could walk leisurely. Fate had given him what he needed.

He crossed to the other side of the street, deciding to enter the store. There were a few products lacking in his refrigerator, and Karin hadn't had time for quick trips lately. She was busy selling the apartment and planning a trip to Germany.

Everything was going their way.

Approaching the supermarket, Sasuke felt a vibration. He pulled out his phone, drawing in the air loudly. Only three people had been calling him notoriously lately; he always didn't answer; and they were his mother, father and Itachi. Once again focused on reject the call, he was surprised as he saw the number. His heart beat harder.

Sakura.

His palm froze and time slowed down. The thought of talking to her was terrifying. Sasuke didn't know what Sakura wanted from him and it scared him. Even more so after everything that had happened between them. But since she was calling him, Sasuke had to answer; this was his chance.

"Yes?"

"Sasuke? Hi!" her voice seemed artificially cheerful. She didn't sound like his Sakura "How are you?"

"Fine."

"Ah, that's ... good." he heard a soft laugh in the receiver. However, there was still something here that didn't sit well with him "My mother asked about you recently, so I thought I'd call." It's been a long time since he heard a worse lie "We haven't spoken to each other in a while and you know, I missed it."

"Sakura, is something wrong?"

He didn't want to doubt that she missed him, but the way she spoke and chose her words was strange. It was as if she was hiding the truth because she was afraid of how he would react. And Sasuke only expected honesty. He needed to know what was going on.

For a few minutes he received no answer. He had been very patient lately and gave Sakura a moment to think. Just listening to her intermittent breathing on the receiver had a calming effect on him.

While waiting for the woman to continue the conversation, he entered the store. Sasuke roamed among the shelves senselessly, as stress made him forget what he needed. His hands were wet with sweat and his mouth was dry from breathing too fast through his mouth.

Finally, he heard a loud intake of air and a stream of words:

"I talked to Karin yesterday." she said and fell silent, perhaps wanting to know what kind of reaction that sentence would provoke in Sasuke, but he remained quiet, with a can of corn in his hand "She didn't say anything bad to me! It was more me who did it, I'm sorry." She added quietly, with remorse "But in my justification, I was just angry that she lied to you, because I know why you went to therapy and for whom you wanted to become a better person—"

"Sakura, you talk too fast."

He put down the corn, picking up the instant soup, and went to the cash register. In the receiver, he heard Sakura sitting down, most likely on the couch.

"Right." She was stressing as much as he was, if not more. A break of more than five months from any contact had widened the distance that had separated them for too long. Sasuke would have been most eager to get rid of it, but it wasn't up to him. And so it was a big step that Sakura called him; it meant that in some sense she would still like to have him in her life "I'll simply tell you this, Sasuke. I know everything."

If it had been anyone other than Sakura, Sasuke would have been angry, but knowing that he didn't have to explain anything to her from the beginning and Sakura understood; he hoped; his situation was reassuring. He could start with a clean slate.

"I'm not sure if I should, but I'm glad Karin contacted me. Thanks to her, I made the decision to call you." she confessed, waiting for some words from him, "Sasuke?"

"I don't know what to say," he admitted.

Taking money out of his pocket, he paid for his groceries and left the store.

"You don't have to say anything. It's my fault that things turned out this way—"

"Nothing is your fault." he interrupted Sakura, finding what she was saying ridiculous.

"... If I had listened to you then—"

"Stop it."

"... Yet I just walked away. I'm sorry—"

"Sakura." he said firmly, finally silencing the woman "I never want to hear that again."

"But—"

"No but. You didn't do anything wrong."

He made her realize, feeling a surge of spite at himself for letting her think that way at all. It all happened because instead of telling her that damn thing - I love you - he decided to hesitate for a moment, ruining months of friendship. And then subsequent events unfolded like a domino.

"Then why do I feel bad?"

The answer to this he did not know. He walked along the sidewalk, kicking a small stone, replaying Sakura's words in his mind. He couldn't help her feel better, so he said the only thing that came to mind:

"I acted like an asshole, and I'd like to sincerely apologize to you for that." he heard Sakura's surprise, "I have a lot of things on my mind right now, you know, courts and family problems, but when it's over, maybe we can meet?"

Evidently this was not what she expected, but pure happiness could be heard in her voice.

"Sure. Sasuke?"

"Hn?"

"I could call you from time to time?"

Sakura's words hid - I want to keep in touch with you, get to know you anew and consider you one of my friends.

"Aa."

…

From time to time in Sakura's case meant every day.

Sasuke could expect a phone call in the morning asking - "Did you sleep well?". He would then answer her - "Yes", so as not to worry her with the nightmares that invaded him too often.

During the week Sakura would call again only in the evening, after classes were over, barraging him with questions - "What did you eat today?", "How are things with the family?", "What will you do tomorrow?". He answered each with calm, short sentences - "Vegetable chops," "Better and better," "Took care of paperwork."

After a series of questions from Sakura, it was time for Sasuke. He always sat at his desk then, looking at the painting and imagining she was in front of him, not a few miles away in her bed. Smiling to himself, he would start with - "Did you remember to eat dinner?", "Did you pass?" to - "How's your mom?", "How are you feeling?".

Then he could sit and sit for two hours listening to Sakura's stories. She spoke so much and for so long that Sasuke would forget details or get lost in her words along the way, but just listening to Sakura's voice was enough for him.

This is how two weeks passed. During this time they did not bring up difficult topics, but that time had to come at some point. First, of course, was Sakura. Sasuke remembered he was preparing dinner when he heard her tired and uncertain voice in the receiver.

"I went to the doctor yesterday." his heart pounded too hard "Everything is fine with the results, but" he stopped cutting peppers, listening to her next words "they detected a small lump in my breast. I'm going for tests tomorrow."

The next three days were like a torture, not only for Sakura. Sasuke suffered along with her, unable to sleep through the night. Only after seventy-two hours did he breathe a sigh of relief when she showed him the results - "I'm healthy."

They were both happy, until Sasuke learned one thing that worried him. He waited a day before saying it, and when he finally gathered the courage, for the first time in a long time, he felt he finally had someone he could rely on without fear of being judged.

"My mother started taking antidepressants and doesn't leave the house. I feel guilty about it."

He got support from Sakura and stopped blaming himself, no longer having in the back of his mind that maybe he should withdraw his parents' disinheritance petition from the court.

After two months of talking every day, they got to the point where they freely told each other everything and casually called themselves friends.

Right now Sasuke was sitting at a table with his laptop open at his side and his phone in front of him, watching Sakura studying. For some time they had been talking with their cameras on, so that they could look at the other person; it was her idea.

"Ask me something." she requested.

"How many nerves does a person have?"

"How about something more difficult?" he looked at her, hiding a smile "The human nervous system is divided into the central nervous system, which consists of the brain and spinal cord, and the peripheral nervous system, formed by 31 pairs of spinal nerves and 12 pairs of cranial nerves."

"Good." she returned to studying "Sakura?"

"Yes?"

"This morning the verdict was made. They are no longer my family." She looked at him sympathetically, so he added the words: "I feel... better." not to worry her.

"I'm glad, Sasuke,"

"We were supposed to meet after all. Tomorrow?"

…

The book lay at her legs. Sakura rode her eyes over the text, but couldn't focus on the story at all, as Ino stared at her, not looking away once. Most of the time she avoided crossing her gaze with her friend, however, it was slowly getting uncomfortable.

"Go ahead." Ino said, and Sakura blinked, not expecting it.

"What?"

"Well, tell me what's going on. Ever since I came you've had a big smile all the time."

"Is it bad that I'm happy?" she tried to dodge the answer.

"I didn't say that."

"You suggested it."

"Sakura!"

"Okay, okay." She put the book aside, biting her lower lip, "I renewed contact with Sasuke."

It had been a while since she had experienced such an awkward silence. Ino sat with her mouth open, clearly a little angry that her best friend had kept this important information a secret for no telling how long.

"You're not going to say anything?"

"Now I should start telling you, as a friend, why I don't think this is the wisest decision, but I can't when you have such dreamy eyes saying his name."

"I don't have—"

"You have. Are you sure about that?"

"Yes."

They measured each other's eyes for a moment, and then Ino smiled from ear to ear and moved closer to Sakura, catching her under the arm.

"Tell me everything!"

"After I broke up with Neji, I called my mother and..."

She didn't leave out a single detail, being grateful that she has someone to tell it to, and that person supports her in every decision, even if it goes against their perspective.

"... and today we meet," she said.

"What? Why didn't you tell me earlier!

Sakura didn't have time to respond when Ino picked her up and led into the room. Her friend took care of putting on her makeup, perfectly matching the colors to her complexion. Along with the makeup came the hair, which Ino curled and pinned at the sides with white bobby pins. Only with the clothes was there a problem, as the blonde claimed Sakura had too little dresses and should go shopping with her in the near future.

Picking up her stilettos, she put them on and was ready. They went out together, and at the restaurant they separated; Ino wished Sakura good luck.

Taking in the last of the fresh air, she went inside. With her gaze she searched for Sasuke and when she found him, she headed there. Sakura's legs softened along the way, and the closer she got, the hotter she became.

Sasuke noticed Sakura when she was almost at the table. He got up from his seat and placed a gentle kiss on her cheek in greeting. She did the same, taking a seat at the table. On the tabletop stood red wine - her favorite - and a red rose in a vase. Candles attached to the wall added to the atmosphere.

"You look nice."

She looked at Sasuke and one smile was enough to make her relax. That's what she longed for - a sense of warmth, security and happiness.

"Thank you. You too."

Sasuke's black hair was pulled back, leaving only a few strands on his forehead. A dark shirt with red inserts framed his body on all sides, looking good on him.

The waiter appeared and they quickly took their order. Sakura poured the wine into a glass, savoring it. It tasted just as wonderful as she remembered. Sasuke sipped his juice. They carried on a conversation for a while until the man pulled out a small golden box.

"What's this?"

"Open it." He urged her, watching her facial expressions carefully.

A gold bracelet with a small bird appeared to Sakura's eyes. She looked at it closely, admiring the beauty of the jewelry. Five years ago, she had shown a similar one to Sasuke.

"Than..." she quieted, pulling out a piece of paper.

On the pink colored paper was the inscription 'I love you, your Sasuke'. Breathlessly, she stared at the words with wide-open eyes.

"It was supposed to be for your birthday, but we had no contact and... Sakura?" she finally raised her eyes at him, showing the card. Sasuke pressed his lips into a thin line "I forgot it was there." he said, as if he thought he had done something wrong.

"Thank you."

Small gestures mattered most to her. She held out her hand, and Sasuke clasped the bracelet around her wrist.

The waiter returned with the food. They busied themselves with their meal and conversation. It was nice to finally see each other in person. They laughed, joked and reminisced about the past years. It was as if they hadn't gone through the difficult almost twenty months at all.

Putting a piece of meat in her mouth, she delighted in its juiciness. She listened to Sasuke, chewing on a piece, until she heard an interesting message.

"A camper? Really? How cool!"

"I've been living in it for two weeks now. Karin sold the apartment and went to Germany, and I'm going to travel."

"Oh..."

"That's also why I wanted to meet with you, because I don't know when I'll be back in Japan again."

"I understand."

"I'm leaving tomorrow." Sakura's mood wavered. She had hoped that she would be able to meet Sasuke more often from now on, but still, things don't always have to go her way. Seeing her sadness, Sasuke grabbed Sakura's hand, which was lying on the table, "Don't worry, we'll still keep in touch, I promise."

"Can I say goodbye?"

"Sure. I'm leaving at three pm."

…

Nervously, she twisted her fingers as she stood in front of the teacher's desk. Sakura began to reflect on her choice, which she had made on impulse. Maybe she had made the wrong decision after all? What if...

"No problem, Sakura." Kakashi placed a piece of paper on the table, showing her to come over.

"Really?" she couldn't believe she had succeeded. Sakura approached the desk uncertainly, taking the data she would need to continue her studies. She only had two years left "Thank you." she leaned in gently.

"Now, go on and enjoy life."

Once again, she thanked the teacher and ran out of his office all smiles. Two things behind her, but there were still many more to come. She was most afraid of rejection.

On her way out of the university, she approached Ino, Naruto and Gaara. They had been waiting for her for ten minutes, as nervous as she was. Though maybe not all of them. Sakura walked up to them, smiling broadly.

"I did it!"

She looked at Naruto, completely unsure of his reaction. She sensed that her friend was not at all convinced by the idea. Ino, just like Ino, squealed with joy and hugged Sakura congratulating her and telling her in her ear what kind of underwear she should buy at the nearest store, which got her a gentle nudge from Sakura. Naruto first contorted his face in a grimace, but after a moment he decided that there was no point in giving Sakura morals, because the most important thing for him was how she felt.

He also hugged her.

"You have twenty minutes, dattebayo!" he said, patting Sakura on the shoulder.

She took her things from her friends, saying goodbye to them one last time. Sakura practically ran, dodging people on the street, just to make it to the designated address in time. The warm spring wind gave her strength and the chirping birds gave her joy. Entering a small field with cars, Sakura saw Sasuke in the distance. He was standing in front of the camper, looking around to the side. Only after a minute did he notice her. She waved at him and approached.

"Sakura." spotted an object behind her "Why do you need a suitcase?"

All stressed, she tightened her hand on the blouse and said without a moment's pause:

"Remember how I said I would show you the beauty of the world? I'm going to do it now." She stood on the first step to the entrance, still shorter than the man.

"And your studies?"

"My studies and job are settled. I said goodbye to my friends and mother. I prepared the necessary things. I'm ready." She swallowed her saliva. She begged him to say something, but by the look on his face Sakura felt at a loss "Unless you don't want to."

"Don't be silly." He stepped inside, inviting her in "I wasn't expecting it, so I was only looking at campers with one bed. But we can buy a mattress on the way, then I'll sleep on the ground."

"Do you think I'd let you sleep on the floor?" she didn't even think about anything else anymore except that he agreed "There are two pillows and quilts, we'll manage."

…

Their first stop was South Korea. They boarded the ferry at six o'clock in the morning, left the camper in the designated room and headed aboard. Sakura hung a camera around her neck, taking pictures of the beautiful sights and Sasuke.

"Look at me." she said, bringing the lens closer to the man's face.

Sasuke made his usual face, squinting at the flash, which Sakura did not turn off. She repeated the photo once more until she was finally satisfied with the results. But before she put the camera back in her purse, Sasuke took it and asked the stranger to take a picture of them together.

"At least smile." she commented, putting her fingers to the corners of his mouth.

At this point, the man took a picture, immortalizing it forever on a small piece of paper.

The rest of the eighteen-hour trip passed in a more pleasant atmosphere. The two did not feel uncomfortable in each other's presence, and even claimed that this was just what they needed - to travel together.

Getting off the ferry, Sasuke sat behind the wheel and Sakura beside him, pulling out onto the street. They set off, cooling off with air conditioning. While driving, they usually talked to each other, although there were days when they needed a moment of silence. Sakura would then settle inside the camper, reading or studying. On Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays, she spent five hours in class with Kakashi, which, as a first and only, he agreed to teach online. Then in the evenings, before going to bed while Sasuke washed up, she would sit and fill in the necessary data - a simple job Tsunade had arranged for her.

In a short time, they learned their routine all over again. In addition to things done separately, there were things they always did together, such as cooking. There wasn't a day when Sasuke didn't stand by or help Sakura e prepare meals.

Their next stop was China. Sakura had never left her hometown, which is why everything around her made her so happy. At one point it was Sasuke who started taking pictures, capturing moments of a woman's joy. He wanted to keep them in his memory.

At each attraction or place they asked a stranger to take a picture of them together. Sakura was still creating the album and even already knew what occasion she would give it to Sasuke for.

They avoided spending too much money, as they lived on Sakura's salary. Sure, he also had money, even a lot of money, but gasoline, maintaining the camper and necessary equipment cost a lot. In addition, they had to save just in case. And for the reason that Sasuke earned by helping others on the road, he didn't get as much as Sakura.

It took them more than two months to leave China and reach Tajikistan. Nowhere they were in a hurry, so they decided to savor their trip as long as possible. Then they arrived in Turkmenistan.

With each new country, they got to know each other more and more. Sakura took the first steps, not wanting to invade Sasuke's personal space too much either. Unfortunately, as they got closer, the problem of awkwardness set in, as they had no idea where they stood and how to define their 'relationship'. There were small gestures and gentle touches between them, but nothing more ever happened.

This was the distance they kept to Azerbaijan. One sunny day in Qobustan National Park, they approached young girls, since they were the only tourists besides them, and showed them the camera. It turned out that the girls spoke English, so there was no problem communicating.

"A little to the right," said the lower one.

"That much is enough?" asked Sakura, protecting her eyes from the sun with her hand.

"Yes."

She quickly took a picture and handed the object back to them. Nothing out of the ordinary, until she spoke again - "You two make a nice couple."

Sasuke noticed that Sakura wanted to correct the girl and instead of letting her, he replied - "Thank you," after which he grabbed Sakura's hand and they went on exploring.

All the way through the park he felt her gaze on him; burning and wanting an answer.

"So, now I'm your girlfriend?"

"You could say that."

"No." she paused, and with her he stopped.

Sasuke would be lying if he said he didn't freak out after Sakura's words. That one firm 'no' evoked more emotion in him than anything else.

"No?"

"I can ask for more, can't I, Sasuke?" she hugged him around the waist "First I want to hear that you love me."

A smile appeared on his lips as he leaned in, touching his nose to hers and whispering a light 'I love you' into the woman's lips, which flowed with the wind, carrying with it a promise for life.

The next few days were spent in constant travel, dreaming only of reaching Turkey.

The first night after crossing the border, they prepared for sleep, circling around each other in a small space. At one point, they found themselves in a very... awkward position - Sasuke leaning against a hanging cabinet, and Sakura with her back against the countertop behind her.

And then it went that way on its own.

Sasuke lowered himself taking her lips into his own. They kissed passionately, without a moment's rest; fresh emotions were just bubbling inside them. Moving closer, the weight of the man's hips triggered a feeling of excitement in Sakura.

Slowly, sensitively, she undid the buttons of his shirt one by one. At the same time, Sasuke tackled her redundant blouse, which landed somewhere on the ground. He grasped a breast in his hand, caressing it gently. They did everything sensually, rediscovering their bodies.

They moved from the tabletop to the bed, where they finished undressing each other. Their naked bodies touched one another. All that could be heard in the room were moans of excitement and affectionate words. Every touch and every thrust of their hips evoked new sensations. They put all their love into it.

In the morning, their dynamic changed. Now it was normal to give each other kisses whenever the urge struck them or to sleep under the same quilt. For the first time, Sakura truly understood what it meant to be in a relationship with Sasuke.

This is how they traveled through Bulgaria, Serbia and Hungary without encountering any complications. Until they reached Slovakia. Starting at noon, Sakura began to feel nauseous and aching. She was unable to function normally until the evening. Sasuke found her sitting in front of the camper, tears frozen on her cheeks.

"What happened?" he brushed her hair off the forehead.

"I have the same symptoms where it all started." She didn't have to mention what, because Sasuke knew it perfectly well "I'm scared."

"We're going to the hospital."

There were a lot of people at SOR at night. By the time they reached the office it was morning. Tired and hungry, they sat in front of the doctor, waiting impatiently for the results.

"I understand that you were frightened," he began in broken English, "but you don't have to be afraid. The results are quite different. You are simply pregnant."

Absolutely they were not ready for it. Although the sense of relief overshadowed the shock. They left the office thanking the doctor. All the way to the camper, Sasuke didn't speak, and Sakura already thought she had ruined his travel plans, but then the man turned around and gently took her hand.

"I'm ready, but if you're not, I'll understand if-"

"Sasuke." she interrupted him, putting her cold fingers to the heated cheek "We will be parents."

The rest of the day happened too fast that they didn't even remember it. They traveled around Slovakia for the next two weeks. Sasuke asked Sakura when he happened to be driving to share her knowledge about motherhood, and she calmly told him everything she knew.

Then they reached Poland, but they couldn't enjoy the benefits of the attractions because Sakura felt terrible; the thing they regretted most was that they couldn't go to the Tatra Mountains. Therefore, they left the country and went to Germany. On the way, they met up with Karin and Suigetsu, which gave Sasuke the opportunity to see his former friend again.

Months passed and they arrived in France. On the twentieth of January, in the freezing cold, as they lay cuddled on the bed under two quilts Sakura asked quietly - "Will you marry me?". He didn't need to answer, but the word 'yes', gave her great joy. They married three days later, in a small village. Sasuke took Sakura's last name, and instead of a ring, he put a necklace around her neck - the same necklace she had given away not so long ago, and which held great meaning for them.

Time until March flew by quickly. Before they knew it, there was one week left until the birth. They were in Spain, driving through the townships, when Sakura's waters unexpectedly broke. A panicked Sasuke, though his wife tried to calm him down, drove far too fast, earning a few disapproving glances from the locals.

They got the room and waited, waited, waited... Sasuke fell asleep from it all. He woke up after Sakura's scream and sobered up momentarily. The nurse asked him questions and he answered, barely able to understand her. The five hours of labor were like a torment to his ears and Sakura's body.

Not even for an inch did he leave his laboring wife, supporting her with words - "You're doing well," "You're so brave," "I'm proud of you," "Just a moment more, hold on."

"It's a girl." announced the nurse.

The baby's cry cobbled together the last pieces of them.

Sasuke leaned over Sakura, whispering - "You did it." But instead of an answer, he received a mist covering her beautiful green eyes.

"Sakura?"

"We have a problem!" the doctor shouted to the nurses, "Get ready!"

He didn't even know when they escorted him out.

𓆙

Sakura cheated death for the second time.

𓆙

These events had such an impact on the two of them that for the first week Sasuke could not leave Sakura's bed, sleeping on a large chair. Next to him they placed Sarada's crib. Only after they left the hospital did they speak to each other.

Sakura recalled that time as one of the worst. She couldn't put her thoughts together and felt constant sadness, loneliness and emptiness. She also constantly felt that she was inadequate. Sasuke helped as much as he could, but there was nothing he could do about the nightmares. All he could do was sit by his wife's side, soothingly turning circles on her back.

After two months, Sakura was finally able to experience motherhood. That's when the days began to gain color again. And they didn't lose them for another six years.

In Ireland, they made the decision to return.

"Sarada is already six years old. She should go to school and get to know her peers."

"Aa."

They looked at each other, understanding that they had traveled practically the whole world and it was time to settle down.

A two-room apartment with a living room, kitchen and bathroom was enough for now. On the first day, they welcomed guests - Ino and Sai, who had finally gotten a son two years ago, Naruto and Gaara, who were just planning their wedding, Hinata and her wife, and Mebuki, who was holding up well despite her ailing heart. To no one was Sarada a surprise. Sakura contacted her friends and mother almost every two days.

Together they spent a pleasant time in each other's company. That's what they both missed - people they held deep in their hearts.

After the school year began, Sakura went to work at the hospital, already a Doctor. Sasuke took up teaching, using his knowledge to train future medics. The family drama went away with the death of Fugaku. The Uchiha surname vanished when his mother disappeared and his brother fled, changing his identity.

The Haruno family was living a quiet life. Until Sasuke was offered a job abroad.

"It's only two years, Anata. We'll manage."

"Sakura..." he had one hand on the steering wheel and the other on her knee "I should be at Sarada's first graduation. We have one last photo left to complete the album."

"There will also be a graduation in three years. But there is only one such offer."

"Okay." He smiled at his wife.

"I'm so proud of you and I love you so much... Sasuke-"

Then there were only blinding lights.

𓆙

Sakura did not cheat death for the third time, it was death that cheated her.

𓆙

---

The sun hid behind the horizon. Sarada heard approaching footsteps, turned her head away from the grave and saw her mother. She walked slowly, careful of the pits. The prosthesis attached to her right thigh should soon be replaced with a new one.

"I hope you didn't wait long." she greeted, kissing her daughter on the cheek.

"No, mom."

In the starlight, Sarada watched the sadness covering Sakura's eyes; it still hasn't gone away. Her mother brought flowers to her husband's grave again. For more than fourteen years she had done so - Sarada remembered the day of the funeral; the exact same red buds were sticking out of Sakura's bouquet.

"Here."

She blinked, switching off from reality again. When would she stop doing that?

Carefully, Sarada took the album from her mother. The delicate upholstery showed the past years of time. Opening it, she glanced at a few photos before reaching the end.

"I always wondered why you didn't fill the last place?" she asked uncertainly.

Sakura told her daughter all about her dad; what kind of man he was, what he accomplished in life, how much he loved them. However, when it came to the album, she avoided the subject like a fire. So maybe the time was finally right to find out.

"Our entire history is contained here." She pointed to the first photo from the hospital, smiling sadly, "With the death of your dad, it ended and a new one began."

Sarada stared at her mother, wondering if she would ever know, even in a small way, how strong feelings her husband had for her. She knew her mother's story; her desires, dreams and the love she had for her loved ones, but she couldn't know her father as intimately. However, he must have loved Sakura the most in the world.

"I have something else for you." She pulled out a small box.

A necklace.

"I can't—"

"Your dad wanted me to hand it to you at the right moment. It has just come."

She clasped the jewelry around her daughter's neck, admiring it. She looked practically the same as him. Sasuke was so well preserved in Sakura's memory that in the evenings before sleep she imagined that he was still in bed with her.

"Are we going, Mom?"

Nodding, she let go of her daughter's hand and said goodbye to her husband, looking up at the sky one last time. Gazing at the moon, she could feel, if only for a moment, as if he were standing right next to her, even if he was far away.

---

When I started writing this story I only knew the beginning and the end. Everything else came out totally by accident and that's how the story of almost 52k words was created. However, I put my whole heart into it, and although the ending is quite sad, I hope you enjoyed it and had as much fun as I did while writing it ;p