With two weeks until the show in Ishi, Sakura was immersed in prep for her set. The news was out that she was now with Hidden Sound—the company always put out a list of their artists that would be at the Ishi concert, so a formal announcement was made to prevent the news from dropping with no warning. It had generated some speculative press. Orochimaru had been considered vaguely suspicious for a long time, and now various news outlets were pushing out opinion pieces about possible reasons Sakura had left his management. The bland statement from Cobra had cited "creative differences," which was at least partially accurate. Orochimaru had been silent, per their agreement.

Tsunade seemed pleased to see Orochimaru the subject of criticism, but she was trying to quell as much of the press around the issue as she could. "If they can't find a way to condemn him, they'll find a way to condemn you," she had said to Sakura a few weeks prior.

Sakura was trying not to think about a potential media backlash, and instead focused all of her attention on what she would be doing in Ishi. This would be her first big performance with a new image of sorts: there would be no backup dancers or intricate choreography, and she would have her guitar for the full set.

She and Shizune had met up at Tsunade's offices to look at outfit possibilities for the show. Whereas last year's show had been assembled hastily, this year's was more organized and had twice the number of performers, and therefore even more exposure. Not that it would technically make a difference in Sakura's audience size, which she thought was bigger than she could ever grasp.

After they had been there about half an hour, sorting through the racks of clothes Shizune had brought with her, before Tsunade joined them. She entered the room in a whiff of sharp perfume, wearing an extremely low-cut wrap dress.

"What the hell is all of this?" she said, motioning to the clothes on the rack. She pulled a few tops out and then shoved them back in, looking almost disgusted.

"Um, the options for the show in Ishi," Shizune said. "I pulled some things from the recommendations that the old team gave me."

"Ridiculous," Tsunade said. "Where's she performing, a strip club? I don't think so."

"What am I wearing, then?" Sakura asked, frowning.

"Wear something you're comfortable in," Tsunade said. "Your stylist is more than capable if you need help. But the days of crop tops and flimsy strings are over. Unless you don't want them to be." She rolled her eyes. "If it's what you're into, you can wear whatever mesh non-clothing you want."

"Okay," Sakura said, starting to smile.

They settled on a black crop top and denim shorts, which was a look Sakura was much more comfortable with than a sparkly miniskirt. She was completely fine with baring skin, as long as it was on her own terms. Shizune was enthusiastic to follow her lead. "I've got an awesome pair of boots somewhere in one of your racks. They would look great."

"Sounds good," Sakura says. "If it's cold that day, can I do a jacket with it?"

"You tell me what you want. I'm not the one in charge here." Shizune grinned.

"Well, you're the fashion expert."

"I think a jacket would look great, too. A really nice leather one came in from a vendor, it's a sample size from a new line. You could try try it on and see if you like it!" Shizune was clearly thrilled about the new lack of restrictions on Sakura's wardrobe. "I'm so excited to go through all the clothes we've gotten that your old team put to the side, there's so much good stuff."

"I think I have too many clothes already," Sakura said.

"You can never have too many clothes," Shizune said.

Tsunade snorted. "Alright, let's hurry this up. You have to go into the studio and do a demo of what you'll be singing for some of the executives."

"Do you think they'll make me change anything?" Sakura asked her.

"Sakura, how many times do I have to tell you that you're in charge of yourself now?" Tsunade said. "Anyway, if they have objections, they'll have to deal with me."

The two of them went to the Hidden Sound headquarters, which Sakura was still getting used to. It was a glossy building with huge windows, and she and Tsunade took an elevator to one of the recording studios. Cobra's studios had been state-of-the-art as well, but the thought of recording music here gave her a thrill. So many of her favorite musicians, people who had shaped who she was as an artist, had come from Hidden Sound.

The three executives also seemed slightly intimidated by her, which was almost amusing. After she performed the set informally, with her guitar unplugged, they nodded and clapped and exclaimed over it. Tsunade looked on with a smug grin.

"We're really happy to have you here, Sakura," one of them said. "And incredibly lucky."

She supposed their reaction made sense, when the circumstances were considered. It was extremely rare for a profitable artist to switch contracts like this.

"We stress that our artists are encouraged to be themselves," another executive said. "We're happy that you've taken that to heart. It's obvious that you have several layers that haven't been seen on a big stage before."

"Um, thanks," Sakura said. "That means a lot."

"You're coming in as their newest royalty," Tsunade said afterward as they took the elevator back down to the ground floor. "Young royalty, but still."

"Is that why they were so..."

"In awe? I'd say so. I'll make sure your head doesn't get too big around everyone here. They're shocked they got you."

"Tsunade, this is going to sound ungrateful, because I want to be in charge of my own music, but...If everyone's fawning over me, I feel like I won't get any better. I have so much room to grow, musically."

Tsunade sighed. "You do know what your life is, right, Sakura? Priority number one for everyone around you is to worship you." At Sakura's deflation, she shook her head. "Look, we're in the honeymoon period right now. The Hidden Sound people, at least, will get used to seeing your perfect face soon enough. And there will be plenty of time for your musical evolution. You'll have access to infinite resources and producers. And more importantly, fellow musicians." She smirked. "Would you like me to request the executives to critique your guitar skills the next time you meet with them?"

Sakura rolled her eyes. "What would you do if I said yes?"

"Where did you come from?" Tsunade asked, shaking her head. "Remind me to have a long conversation with your parents someday."

"Why?"

"I don't know if anyone's ever told you, Sakura, but you're an admirable person and you probably deserve everything good that's happened to you." Tsunade glanced at Sakura and caught her blush. "And I'm glad your personality has a healthy dose of sarcasm, otherwise you'd be sickeningly good."

"Um, thanks. You're an admirable person, too, I'm really—"

"Stop right there, I cannot approve a compliment-fest right now," Tsunade said. "Don't get used to me being nice. I'll see you later, I have to go deal with your publicity team. And then some other clients." She reapplied a coat of red lipstick flawlessly without a mirror and headed off to her next meeting.

Meanwhile, Sasuke was rehearsing with the rest of the band, including a lackluster Shikamaru. It had been just over two weeks since the incident with Temari, and neither he nor Ino had made an attempt to talk to each other. The lack of successful contact was clearly getting to Shikamaru—he was always lazy, but never this listless.

"Dude, are you sleeping at all?" Kiba demanded. Shikamaru had forgotten the lyrics to one of the songs on their latest album, despite the fact that he'd both written it and performed it at least twenty times that summer.

"Sorry," Shikamaru said. "Just...Wasn't thinking."

"Is everything okay?" Naruto twirled one of his drumsticks absentmindedly as he frowned at Shikamaru.

"Yeah. Fine," Shikamaru said.

"Can you take it again from the top?" Kakashi was sitting to the side with some people from Hidden Sound. "We wanted to time the set today to see if it'll fit in your slot."

"You got it," Kiba said. He glanced at Sasuke, who sighed and started playing the first few chords of their opening song.

Shikamaru pulled himself together for the five songs they'd chosen, though his voice sounded worse than it had all year. But Kakashi didn't say anything. "Alright, you're all free to go," he said after they finishing running the set. Sasuke lingered behind to talk to him.

"What's eating Shikamaru?" Kakashi asked, arching an eyebrow. "I hope you all weren't trying to pretend that was normal."

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "You see the photos of him and Temari?"

"I don't know how I could've missed them. What, is he upset the news got out?"

"Messed things up with another girl."

"Ah. You all play with too many hearts." Kakashi shook his head, but looked more amused than anything. "Sometimes I regret thinking your appearances were an advantage that first time I saw you all play."

"You thought that?"

Kakashi just shook his head. "Sasuke, you know as well as I do how much looks matter in this industry."

Sasuke didn't want to think about that. He didn't want to credit anything other than musical prowess for their rise to fame. Obviously, that was naïve. "You get the email I sent you about Ishi tickets for some people?" he asked.

"Are they friends of yours?" Kakashi asked.

"No. Just some girl and her friends who couldn't afford tickets." Kakashi looked hesitant, something Sasuke wasn't used to seeing. "What?"

"Unfortunately, we don't have any more comp seats available. I get two for you at every show, but you've set a precedent of never wanting them, so I told a colleague he could have them."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "You didn't ask me?"

Kakashi sighed. "I made a point of asking you for three straight years and got a no every time. Of course, the one time I don't ask..."

"It's fine. Are there any seats in the front section left?" He figured he'd just pay for them himself.

"I'll check." Kakashi pulled out his phone and scrolled through something. "No."

Fuck. It wasn't like he knew them, but Sasuke didn't want to let them down.

"You could invite them backstage to watch," Kakashi said. "Though I know that's not your style." He smirked.

"Hn. I'll do that."

Kakashi raised his eyebrows. "Great. Be sure to send a list of names to me, and I'll forward it to security at the concert."

"Thanks." Sasuke realized he didn't even know Matsuri's last name, but a first name should be enough. He could specify that she'd have three or four people with her. Any more than that and there would be no room backstage. He just hoped they wouldn't faint from the excitement.

Sakura couldn't help herself from looking through some of the articles about her break with Cobra. She gave herself fifteen minutes online to read, because otherwise it would be a black hole of trolling. Thank God she wouldn't have to make any kind of statement about it, though part of her wanted to expose Orochimaru for the person he really was. Knowing he was still out there, with access to people in the same position she'd been in two years ago, made her nauseous.

Many people were eerily close to the truth without any explicit details, though the comments were the worst part.

Orochimaru looks like a snake and prob acts like one too

Do u think she got abused? Like not to go there but just look at how skinny she is

I'm just going to say it. She's picky and entitled to switch deals like this.

Sakura made to leave the site, then saw a link to the side of the article, next to a photo of Shikamaru. She clicked it because she couldn't resist. At the top of the page was a photo of a nondescript restaurant doorway. Ino's ponytail was barely visible; Shikamaru was the visible one, his hand on the small of her back. Splayed across the photo was the headline: Who's the Blonde? The date of the article was from a few weeks ago, but it was obvious that it wasn't Temari. Sakura would not be showing this to Ino.

Known for his hot and cold relationship with Temari Sabaku, Shikamaru Nara was seen outside Fuji Restaurant with a different blonde, this one mysterious and unnamed...

Sakura sighed and slammed her laptop closed. If they found out Ino's identity, this would only get worse. Sakura knew that Ino was desperate not to be associated with Shikamaru in public. It would've been bad enough if they were still together—it would affect Ino's career, especially because the next step from that was to trace her to Sakura, and their friendship would be open to the public. The information was out there if people were willing to dig deep enough, and they always were. Ino was determined to do things herself, with no help from connections in the industry. No one on Karui's team had any idea they were friends. The last thing Ino needed was to be accused of using Sakura to develop a successful career (and a relationship). In this industry, truth was always thrown out the window in favor of a dramatic story.

Sakura knew she should warn Ino that the photo was out there, even though the speculations hadn't picked up any traction. Ironically, the Temari story had overshadowed all other suspicions about Shikamaru's love life. Magazines had picked up new, solo stories about Temari, inserting Shikamaru whenever convenient. Sakura hoped Ino wasn't reading them.

But of course Ino wasn't blind to the media blitz. "I'm moving on from this just as easily as he is," she said over the phone when Sakura called her later that day. "I'm good with where I am right now, Idate's great."

"Are you sure..." Ino had spent most nights at his place ever since her night out with Sakura.

"He's good in bed, Sakura, that's what I need. And Idate's not about to go running after some other girl, he actually appreciates me."

"As long as you're satisfied," Sakura said.

"You're so skeptical. I was together with him for two months. That's nothing. We had a few dinners, so what? It never would've ended well, anyway. We had a scare a few weeks ago, someone caught a photo of the back of my head. It's probably a blessing in disguise."

Ino's emotionless tone seemed to indicate otherwise. Sakura didn't say anything.

"Have you seen him?" Ino asked after a minute.

"No. Sasuke said he's—"

"Don't tell me, I don't want to know," Ino said in a rush.

"Okay." Sakura's phone started ringing again. "Hey, can I call you back? Sasuke's calling me."

"It's fine, I have to go stretch anyway, rehearsal's in half an hour. See you later." Ino hung up.

Sakura picked up Sasuke's call. "What's up?"

"This a good time?"

"Yeah, I'm at home," she said.

"Naruto wants you to come over for dinner tonight. Hinata's in town. I'm here now."

"Will Shikamaru be there?"

Sasuke sighed, and she knew he was rolling his eyes. "Yeah."

"You get it, right? If I see him there's a serious chance of me punching him."

"He's got a side to the story, too," Sasuke said.

"Well, yeah. But Ino's my best friend and I've known him for less than a year. I have clear loyalties and I'm not planning on betraying them. And come on, Sasuke. No matter what his side of the story is, you know he's in the wrong here."

"Hn. You're gonna have to see him eventually."

Sakura frowned at him. "Thanks. I had no idea. I didn't realize you two were in a band together and spent half your waking hours in the same place."

"Sorry. You know what I mean."

"Look, I'll come. But I might not be nice to him."

"Has Sakura said anything about Ino?" Shikamaru said when Sasuke came into the living room after hanging up with Sakura. He was looking at his laptop rather than Sasuke as if he couldn't care less about the answer. Sasuke knew better.

"Just call her."

Shikamaru looked up at him. "Yeah, right."

"What's stopping you?"

"She's with some other guy now. Backup dancer, looks like he could knock the shit out of anyone. She keeps posting photos of them together."

"So?"

"She's moved on," Shikamaru said. "I was an asshole, and now it's way too late."

"Can't argue with that," Sasuke muttered. "But I don't think it's too late."

"This is how low we are," Shikamaru said. "I'm taking romantic advice from you."

"Shut the fuck up," Sasuke said, and turned to leave the room.

"I'm sorry, man. Look, can you ask Sakura where the dance studio is? I don't know where she lives, she'd never let me come over."

"Ask Sakura yourself," Sasuke muttered. "I'm not doing this for you."

"But she's mad."

Sasuke smirked. "You afraid she'll punch you?"

"Kind of. I've never seen her angry. Will she?"

"No." Sasuke wanted to tell him yes, even though he knew she wouldn't actually do it. "She's coming over for dinner, just ask her then."

"Boys are ridiculous sometimes," Sakura said to Hinata. The two of them were hanging out in the living room later that evening while Naruto and Kiba fooled around in the kitchen under the pretense of making dinner.

"They really are," Hinata said.

"How long did you know Naruto before you two started dating?" Sakura asked her. She hadn't actually spent much time with Hinata, but liked her instinctively despite not knowing much about her.

"A few hours, technically," Hinata said, then smiled. "He asked me on a date after one of their shows in Iwa. I was working, and he said he saw me across the stage. But we didn't really start dating until a few months after that. He forgot to get my phone number that first time, so we didn't talk to each other until the next time I was working on one of their shows. I don't have any social media or anything. And it took him a while to work up the courage to ask again. So I, um, asked him out first."

"That's awesome." Sakura laughed. She never would've pegged Hinata as bold, but there it was.

Shikamaru entered the room just then, following reluctantly on Sasuke's heels. He looked sheepish and exhausted, which gave Sakura a tinge of satisfaction. "Hi, Sakura," he said.

She nodded at him, not wanting to be anything more than cordial, and was surprised when he came over to her.

"Can I talk to you for a second?" He avoided her eyes.

"...Yeah." She stood up and led the way out of the room. Sasuke exchanged a glance with her and took the empty seat next to Hinata.

Shikamaru led the way to the front door, where they would be out of earshot of everyone else. "Look, I want you to know that my feelings for Ino...They're sincere. And I need to talk to her. Can you tell me where she rehearses? I know she's there all the time doing prep for Ishi."

Sakura had to give him a little credit: he was clearly desperate to try and fix things. She'd never seen Shikamaru with such an intense look in his eyes. "You know she doesn't want to see you, right?"

"Yeah, I know. And I know I don't deserve her. But I need to do something."

Sakura hesitated and then sighed. "The studio's on the corner of 15th and Oak Avenue. Don't tell her I told you."

"Thanks, really, I—"

"I'm doing this for her, not you. She needs closure." Sakura frowned at him. "Why are all of you so afraid of intimacy? It's honestly ridiculous. Anyway, I'm obligated to tell you that if she takes you back, and you do something like this again, I'll kick your ass."

"Noted," Shikamaru said.

A week before Ishi, Shikamaru hovered outside Ino's rehearsal studio. This was his second time here; the first, Ino was nowhere to be found. He almost hadn't come back, but he hadn't been able to stand giving up. He wasn't sleeping (his favorite hobby other than music) and couldn't concentrate on anything, to the point that he was well aware of the damper he was casting on the rest of the band. It was such a Sasuke thing to do. He had to face her head on, even if it ended up being the worst experience of his life.

Shikamaru found the right rehearsal room easily enough this time, considering it was the only one with hip-hop music pulsing through the walls. Shikamaru glimpsed Ino through the glass slit in the door, and stood at an angle so he wouldn't be visible. The music echoed in the hallway, along with the calls of the choreographer. Shikamaru knew nothing about hip-hop dancing, but watching Ino dance was mesmerizing. Just another thing he'd never told her, and probably never would.

There were five other dancers in the room with her, probably the rest of Karui's group, including the tall, buff guy who set him off on first glance. He was built like the rest of Shikamaru's bandmates: muscular. Shikamaru wasn't out of shape, but lifting weights always seemed like a waste of time, and that opinion showed in his lack of a six-pack. You really feel insecure next to that guy?Apparently, yes.

The music cut off abruptly. "Alright, we're done for the day," the woman at the front of the room said. "Back here tomorrow at eight-thirty sharp, all of you."

Shit. He hadn't thought this out at all. Shikamaru moved farther to the side as a few of them left, walking right by him. Ino took a long chug from a water bottle and then left with another girl, laughing at something.

He stepped forward when she came out of the room. Ino's face froze, and then sunk into a deep frown. "Oh my God," the girl next to Ino said. She looked from Shikamaru to Ino and back again. "Damn, girl. You're stealthy."

"I need to talk to you," Shikamaru said.

"Why the fuck are you here?" Ino said. "You wanna make a scene?"

"What's going on?" The other guy was here now, wiping sweat from his forehead and frowning at the two of them.

"Nothing. Nothing at all," Ino said, glaring at Shikamaru.

"I'm gonna let you all sort this out yourselves," the other girl said, almost looking amused. "Call me if things get out of hand, Ino."

Ino jerked her head in a nod.

"Can't you just let me explain?" Shikamaru asked, knowing he was pleading. "You ignored all my calls."

"Take a hint, dumbass. I don't want to talk to you. Why the hell did you have to come here?"

"You want me to kick his ass, Ino?" the guy asked. Shikamaru could've punched him.

"Thanks, Idate, but no. Not yet."

"Five minutes. That's all I'm asking for," Shikamaru said. "Alone."

Ino continued to glare at him for a long moment. "Fine," she bit out. "This way."

"Ino, what's—" Idate was looking at both of them.

"I'll explain once he's gone," Ino said to Idate. "Be right back." Without waiting for Shikamaru, she headed down the hall, shoving open a door to a smaller, empty studio. She slammed the door behind them and turned to face him. "I'm watching the clock."

"Look, I've tried to think of a way to explain it that's not cliché or ridiculous and there isn't one. I was an asshole—"

"Yep." Her face was expressionless.

"I did have plans to see family, but my dad canceled because he had a sudden business trip. Then Temari called. I hadn't seen her in months, we'd been working on some music together, and I figured she wanted me to approve whatever they'd put together. She's got a recording studio on the coast, that's where the band records. I wanted to hear it, so I figured I'd just switch my ticket. Turns out she was out there alone, her brothers were delayed in Suna."

"So you figured you'd get a little action by the soundboard, and then it got hot, so you moved it outside."

"No. We worked on the song, and nothing happened. We talked and had a few drinks afterward. And then we left the studio, and she kissed me."

Ino rolled her eyes. "Oh, poor you. Couldn't resist the feminine wiles. I love it when the guy blames the girl."

"It's not like that," Shikamaru said, irritated. "We've got history. I've known you for two months. I know that sounds harsh, but it's the truth. Look, I regretted it as soon as we did it. But I was freaked out about you, and I've known Temari for years—"

"What the fuck are you talking about? You were freaked out about me?"

Shikamaru had to look right into her blazing, ice blue eyes. "We weren't even moving fast, but all I was thinking about was you. It's never been like that for me with anyone. Girls are usually casual for me, I don't...You know."

"No, I don't."

"Fall hard." God, he could barely say it.

Ino stared at him. "You're a fucking idiot."

"Is that it?"

"Yeah, pretty much." She shook her head. "Well played, though."

"What are you talking about?"

"Come on, you can't expect me to believe that! I'm not Sakura, I don't get caught up by romantic bullshit. You're Shikamaru Nara, you can pick up and drop girls in a second and get away with it! I let myself fall for it once, and it fucking sucked. I'm not doing it again."

"I'm not lying, Ino," Shikamaru said through gritted teeth. "Why do you think I came here?"

"'Cause you need a convenient hot girl to fuck while your girlfriend's away?"

Jesus Christ. "What's wrong with you?"

She took a step forward as if she was about to slap him. "How do you think I feel? I got screwed over by a rock star, something I swore would never happen. It was the one thing I was afraid of, but I ignored it. And it tore me up, because I fucking fell for you. We were together for two months and didn't even have sex. That's the only thing guys ever want from girls. So if you think I'm gonna melt in your hands that easily, you don't know me at all."

"I'm not asking you to melt in my hands, I'm asking you to give me a second chance."

"And a third, and a fourth."

"No, just a second. If I screw up again, you're better off with someone you actually deserve. But I'm pretty determined not to screw up again. I've realized...what's important."

"Congratulations. I'm glad you got a lesson out of this."

"Come on, Ino." He was angry now, too. "How do you think I felt when three days later you were with some other guy?"

"Oh, I don't know, Shikamaru, maybe the same way I felt when your face was posted everywhere, smashed against some other girl's? After you'd lied to me, while we were still supposed to be together?"

His stomach dropped even lower. "Point taken."

Ino rolled her eyes. "It wasn't just to throw it in your face. I just needed to feel like I was valued, or something. It's bad enough living in Sakura's shadow. Not that we're competing for the same thing. But the combination of both of you in my life at one time is...a lot. And seeing Sakura's relationship with Sasuke is so tortuous sometimes, because it's so obvious how much they love each other and I just wanted something like that. You're all famous and successful, and they're in love. I'm still living in a crappy apartment because I want to make my own way, and it's so easy to feel inferior. So when your first instinct after us having sex was to get back together with your ex-girlfriend, I hope it's obvious how fucking worthless that made me feel."

"Yeah." Shikamaru was bowled over by her honesty.

She grabbed her hair with both hands. "Jesus, why did I say all of that?"

"I'm glad you did. Look, I'm always in Sasuke's shadow. Musicianship-wise."

"Oh, give me a break."

"I'm serious. Like, I know music, but he's on another level. And the media's always been the most interested in him. After our first album, the three of us were worried he was going to go solo. Obviously he didn't, it's not Sasuke's style. He was oblivious to the shadow he was casting, though. But what I'm trying to say is—I did the same thing to you, and I had no idea. Which is yet another stupid thing I didn't think about. Look, Ino, you're so confident all the time, it feels like everything just blows off you. I never thought to consider that it didn't." He'd said it sloppily, but at least it was out in the open now.

Ino rolled her eyes. "Obviously."

"That's not an excuse for anything. I'm sorry. I know that's not enough, but I am. God, I've never had a relationship like this with anyone. Not just the romance part, I've never been able to talk to someone the way I talk to you."

She pursed her lips. "Yeah. That shows you've got some serious issues."

"You're not exactly issue-less yourself."

"Seriously? I might actually slap you now."

"I love everything about you," Shikamaru said. "Feel free to slap me." He didn't even care that he'd become a person who said stuff like this.

Ino sighed. "God damn it, Shikamaru...I hate you so much."

He had no idea where her opinion was right now, or if he still stood a chance. "I'll just ask one more time and then I'll stop. I promise. Can we try again?"

"Sasuke and Sakura set way too good of an example where second chances are concerned," Ino said.

Shikamaru shrugged. "It is Sasuke and Sakura."

"Yeah." Ino tilted her head up to ceiling and back down, then frowned at him. "Okay."

"So you're agreeing...?"

"I'm saying I'm open to the possibility. So chase me. It's been eight minutes, by the way." She opened the door and was gone before Shikamaru could reply.