"That's great," the photographer said. "Can you hold that pose for a minute more? I just need to adjust the light..."

Sakura nodded. She, a photographer, and a large crew were in an empty glass-and-brick building in downtown Ishi for a cover shoot. The seemingly random location had been picked by the magazine's scouts, though Sakura had to admit it was an interesting setting. Shizune and a makeup team were standing to the side.

The photographer fiddled with the complicated set-up of lights. "Perfect. Look at that sun..." He clicked away, darting to get multiple angles. Sakura was glad she knew how to deal with flashbulbs now. "Let's get a few of you sitting up on that windowsill."

She changed outfits five times over the course of the two-hour shoot. Finally, the photographer was satisfied, and Sakura got the all-clear to change from a midnight-blue dress back into her street clothes. She unzipped the dress and stepped out of it carefully. She had gained a few pounds since being measured for it. While that wasn't ideal when fitting into a tight dress, this was the last time she would have to wear clothes picked during her time with Orochimaru. Looking at it now, it was obvious how unhealthily small she would have to be for the dress to be a perfect fit.

When Sakura came back out to the main area where they had set up all the clothing changes, Shizune was in the corner on her phone.

"Shizune, where should I leave this?" Sakura asked her.

"I'll take it back to the rack," an assistant said, rushing forward.

"Great work today, Sakura." The photographer, Genma, said. "You're a natural."

"Oh, thanks," Sakura said. "I used to never know what to do with my body in photos. You were really great with direction."

He smiled. "Thank you. Coming from someone who's constantly got cameras on her, that means a lot. I hope we can work together again sometime."

Sakura nodded. "Yeah, me too."

Shizune came out of the corner to join them. "Hi, Genma. Can I steal Sakura?"

"Of course. I was just leaving." He smiled at her. "I haven't seen you in months, not that shoot in...Where was it, Taki?"

"I think so. That was a long time ago."

"Not too long to forget it completely, though." He smiled.

Shizune met his eyes and then shook her head. "Sakura, I wanted to ask you about a few things."

"I'll let you get to it," Genma said.

"What was that about?" Sakura asked, grinning.

"Nothing," Shizune said, shaking her head. "Anyway, it's irrelevant." She paused, looking unsure.

"What did you want to talk to me about...?" Sakura watched her. "Is there a wardrobe issue?"

"No, it's nothing to do with clothes. I...Have you seen this?" Shizune's eyes were wide. "I don't know if I should be the one to show you, but..."

"What is it?"

Shizune showed her a headline on her phone. Is Sasuke Uchiha a Fraud? Suspicious Past Revealed.

"That looks like tabloid crap," Sakura said.

"There was an interview with someone, even reputable places are publishing stuff about it." Shizune kept scrolling and showed her another article: New information about Sasuke Uchiha's childhood causes doubt regarding his character and musicianship.

"What was the interview?" Sakura asked.

"An exclusive with some woman, I think she was his foster mother?" Shizune looked worried. "Do you want to read the article?"

"Yeah," Sakura said, feeling sick. That second headline was from a trustworthy music website. She read the article, which included a transcript of the video that had apparently set the whole thing off. The details made her nauseous. "I need to talk to him, I have to get my phone—"

Sakura left the group of people and scrambled to find her phone in her bag. She had five missed calls from Sasuke and a text: Tell me when I can call you.

She called him back right then instead of bothering to text him. He answered on the first ring. "Did you read any of it?"

"Yeah, one article, it had a transcript from some interview—what's going on, are you okay?"

"It's not true," he said, and Sakura was alarmed at his voice, which seemed close to breaking. "I wasn't nice and I didn't try to get close to them but I never stole any music or—"

"I know it's not true. Did you think I would believe it?"

"Wouldn't blame you if you did, she's convincing, for all you know I could've done that stuff."

"Sasuke, shut up, of course I believe you. Are you okay?"

"Fine. It's—Don't know what to do, Kakashi's out trying to handle it, it's hectic here."

"I'm coming back right now."

"Don't put aside your stuff for me," he said in a low voice.

"I'm done with the photoshoot. I can reschedule the fitting I have in an hour and do it back in Kumo. Where are you?"

"Band's apartment."

"Okay. I'll be there in three hours."

How had things turned so bad so quickly?

Naruto answered the door when Sakura arrived at the apartment. "Hey, Sakura. It's good you're here." Sakura had never seen him so subdued. "He's not in a good way."

"Where is he?"

"His room."

Sakura gave a quick nod to Kiba and Shikamaru in the living room but went right for Sasuke's room and knocked. "It's me."

A second later, Sasuke opened the door. The news had clearly hit him hard. He was pale, and looked younger than Sakura had ever seen him. "Thanks for coming back earlier."

"Of course," she said, grabbing his hand and entering the room. Sasuke closed the door. His laptop was open on the bed, and Sakura had a sinking feeling she knew what the article on the screen was about. "Don't tell me you're reading every article that comes out."

"Have to know everything she said," Sasuke said. "Everything people believe. How much did you read?"

"The whole transcript," Sakura admitted.

Sasuke closed his eyes for a minute. "And?"

"I don't know what you think I'm going to say. It made me really angry. Not because I've realized you're a terrible person, which obviously isn't true. But knowing she was your foster mother, and would say those things...Yeah."

"Some of the stuff she said was true. Thinking about you watching that video made me want to throw up," Sasuke said. It was a bluntly honest statement, and Sakura was surprised he voiced the thought. It was only more proof of how low he felt.

"Which is completely irrational," Sakura said brusquely. "You seriously think my opinion of you would be affected by that? The things she said that are true aren't important. You aren't a miserable sixteen-year-old anymore. You're not a knight in shining armor in my mind, Sasuke. And I'm glad you aren't."

He frowned at her. "Seriously?"

"Would I still be here if I didn't? I like that you have flaws." She let out an impatient sigh. "You're infuriating and I can't help but love you for it."

"You're too generous," Sasuke muttered. I don't deserve you.

"Yeah. I know. That's why I took you back." Her lips twitched, almost a smile. Then she frowned. "If you say I'm too good for you, then I'll throw up."

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "It's true."

"That kind of thinking is bullshit. I don't want to be worshipped. I want to be equals. Obviously that's going to take some time with you. You've got no self-worth about anything except your music. Past circumstances don't negate you being a good person."

"Tch."

"I know you now. And God knows you had it hard enough back then. Discounting the blatant lies about you stealing music, all the stuff they're saying seems like perfectly reasonable behavior considering the situation you were in. And if you think their exaggerated, awful statements about you are somehow going to change my opinion of you, then you don't know me at all."

"How do you know they're blatant lies?"

"Give me a break. I know who you are. And if you want to explain how you shoplifted and treated their other kid like shit, then fine. People change. You're not that person anymore." She shook her head. "Murder, on the other hand...Maybe don't mention that one."

Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"Have you eaten anything today?" Sakura asked. Sasuke shrugged. "Okay, come on. I haven't, either." She grabbed his hand and pulled him up from the bed, and the two of them went into the kitchen.

Sakura rummaged around in the fridge and pulled out a carton of eggs. Sasuke cracked four into the pan.

Kiba hesitated in the doorway and then came into the room. "How you feeling, man?" he asked.

"Fine." Sasuke pushed the eggs around with a spatula. "Has Kakashi said anything?"

"He's been talking to people all day. He says we might have to make a statement. Some shit about you being an upstanding guy." Kiba punched him on the shoulder to lighten the mood. Sasuke glared at him.

"Won't that just...Encourage the rumors?" Sakura asked.

"If we don't say anything, it'll probably be worse," Kiba said. "It's picked up so much speed that if we ignore it, the press will think we're confirming what she says. Assuming people don't lose interest in the next few days. Sometimes this stuff dies down quickly."

Sasuke slammed plates down on the counter. "I'm not giving them an interview."

Kiba rolled his eyes. "Yeah, Kakashi figured that. It would just be the three of us."

"So people actually believe it?" Sakura demanded.

Kiba glanced from her to Sasuke, looking uncomfortable. "I have no idea. You can never tell with the Internet. But if Kakashi wants us to make a public statement...it's bad."

Sakura spent the night at the apartment. Despite the damper caused by the scandal, it felt strange to wake up and make coffee in the band's kitchen. She'd never stayed over before she and Sasuke had bought their own place.

It was seven-thirty, but Naruto was already up. "Oh hi, Sakura," he said with a grin when he found her with coffee and a muffin at the kitchen table. "I didn't realize you slept over."

Sakura rolled her eyes. "No innuendo, please."

"That's Kiba's job." Naruto pulled a package of bacon from the freezer and dumped it into a frying pan. "How's Sasuke?"

"He's okay."

"This sucks," Naruto said.

Sakura rubbed her forehead. "I never expected something like this to happen."

"None of us did." Naruto pushed the bacon around absentmindedly.

Sakura stood up. "I have to go. Can I steal a piece?"

"Yeah!" Naruto offered the frying pan and Sakura grabbed a few bacon strips. She poked her head into Sasuke's room, but he was still asleep, the sheet pulled up around his bare chest. She scribbled a quick note and left it on the bedside table.

Already there was a mob of paparazzi outside the building, and Sakura was glad she'd driven their car over. No one looked twice as she drove out of the building's garage. Her rescheduled fitting was at eight-thirty in Tsunade's offices.

Once there, Shizune met her at the door with a concerned look. "How is everything?"

"I don't know," Sakura said. "Have you been reading everything that's coming out?"

"Compulsively," Shizune said, and then bit her lip. "I don't believe the accusations, but—I can't resist."

"Yeah," Sakura said, sighing. "Is Tsunade coming today?" She hadn't heard anything from Tsunade since leaving Ishi.

"No, I think she's out of town," Shizune said. "She should be back by Friday."

Sakura nodded. A selfish part of her wanted her manager here, to tell her what to do. Tsunade always seemed to have an instinct about the right thing.

"Well, are you ready to get undressed?" Shizune attempted a smile. "Life goes on for you." She held up a few clothing bags.

"Right," Sakura said, shaking her head.

Sakura had a missed call from Ino when she finished at the fitting, and she returned it immediately.

"Okay, this is crazy," Ino said. "What the hell is going on? Is that bitch from Oto actually Sasuke's foster mother?"

"Yeah," Sakura said. "Unfortunately."

"Shikamaru said so, and I didn't believe him. Jesus. It's all lies, right?"

"The bullying and stealing part is," Sakura said. "But Sasuke said he did act cold around them. He never tried to get close."

"Damn," Ino said. "Not that I'm surprised. They seem like a real winning family. I just heard that they got the son to talk and say the same thing."

"Seriously?" That was bad news.

"He looks like a weasel."

"But if he said the same thing as her..."

"It's gonna be alright, Sakura. This shit never lasts. They've got the word of two nobodies against everyone in the music industry."

"But no one knew anything about his childhood. Sasuke never talks about it. That's why they're all suspicious."

"Yeah, but people like him too much. Right?" Even Ino sounded unsure. "I'm just worried about..."

"What?"

"You. I read a thing this morning and the writer was wondering if you were part of a scam, too. I could've strangled them."

Sakura's stomach rolled over. "Great."

"Really makes you realize how much people love to destroy other people's happiness."

Sakura closed her eyes for a moment. "Why is this industry so toxic?"

"It's all about idealization and destruction," Ino said. "In the end, we're all self-centered, envious, and self-destructive."

"I really don't want that to be true," Sakura said. "God, this whole thing is so frustrating."

"Want to come over and blow off some steam? I'm just fooling around in the studio."

"I've only got about an hour before I have a meeting."

"So? You've got a car now, don't you?"

"Yeah, you're right." Sakura plugged in the address of the studio in her phone and drove over. It was a private place, with only one car in the parking lot, which meant the chances of being spotted were low.

She found Ino in a little studio, her tank top soaked in sweat and music blaring. She beamed when Sakura came in and turned down the speakers.

"You are not in the right clothes," Ino said, eyeing Sakura's skinny jeans and sweater.

"It's not like I keep dance clothes with me at all times," Sakura said.

"It's lucky I do, then." Ino tossed a pair of spandex shorts at her. "I don't have a shirt, though."

"It's fine, I'm wearing a sports bra." Sakura pulled her sweater off.

Ino turned up the music again and closed the door firmly. "Time to stretch."

Sakura sunk to the floor obediently and reached for her toes. Ino did a few pirouettes in time to the music, just playing around. "It's been so long since I've had time to myself to do whatever. I never wanted to do this when I had rehearsals all the time for Karui's stuff, I would've killed my legs."

"I realized I never asked," Sakura said. "Is your contract with Karui...?"

"Technically over, as of Ishi." Ino wiped sweat from her forehead. "Up for renewal for her next tour. She's going in a new direction in the fall, apparently. Whatever the hell that means. You should switch legs."

Sakura changed positions and frowned. "So what are you going to do in the meantime?"

"Pretend that my money isn't slowing running out." Ino sighed. "No, I have options. I'm going to start auditioning for other people, short-term stuff. And I can get a gig teaching part-time, probably kids' classes. They're always looking for hip-hop instructors at local places." She shrugged. "It's not ideal, but at least I'll get paid."

Sakura got up. "I'm at your command. Just make sure I'm tired out."

"Oh, that I can do." Ino led her in a series of moves, which Sakura was able to follow much more easily than she had even two years ago. "Wow, you have been taking lessons."

"Not really. But I was doing the same choreography for over a year."

"Remember when you had no coordination whatsoever?"

"How could I forget, with you rubbing it in all the time." Sakura spun on one foot, not nearly as graceful as Ino.

The song ended and one of Sakura's songs came on. "Oh my God," Ino said.

"Please change it," Sakura said over the piano intro and the sound of her own voice.

"I'm not gonna lie, it's a good song for contemporary. Let me know if you need a new choreographer."

"I'd ask you without hesitation if I wasn't trying to phase out any dancing." Sakura smiled, slightly embarrassed. "It's too hard with a guitar, and I like having an instrument when I'm onstage."

"Understandable," Ino said, rolling her eyes.

Ino worked her so hard that Sakura almost forgot about the situation with Sasuke. Then there was a knock on the door, and with the appearance of Shikamaru's face, everything came flooding back. He, too, looked worn from the explosion of drama.

"Oh, hi, Sakura," Shikamaru said. "I didn't realize you'd be here."

"She's blowing off some steam," Ino said, turning the music down slightly. "I thought you were coming at noon."

"I'm only ten minutes early," Shikamaru said, closing the door behind him. "Is that a big deal?" Ino just rolled her eyes.

"I should go, anyway," Sakura said.

"Keep me updated," Ino said. "Don't close yourself off."

A few days later, there were no signs that the drama would settle down. Ukon, Tayuya's son, had indeed appeared in another video, albeit shorter than Tayuya's. He told a sob story that Sakura thought she could see right through, but every news outlet picked it up. Kakashi was out at all hours doing damage control, but nothing seemed to be working. Finally, he resulted to the final strategy: a statement from the band.

Sakura was at the band's apartment with Sasuke (who hadn't left in the past few days) when Shikamaru, Kiba, and Naruto made a public appearance in the lobby of lobby of Hidden Sound's headquarters, where a group of reporters had assembled in anticipation. The livestream Sakura and Sasuke were watching was being broadcast all over the Internet. When the three of them walked out, cameras immediately began flashing and everyone started talking. And yelling.

"Where's Sasuke?"

"Why is it just you three?"

"Is Sasuke a fraud?"

"Did he leave the band?"

Someone quieted the crowd. Shikamaru took the microphone and cleared his throat. "We're here on behalf of Sasuke, as his bandmates and friends," he said. Kakashi had written the statement. "The allegations made against him have no merit. I've known Sasuke since I was fifteen, and he's always been a guitar player. He taught himself everything he knows. He taught me a lot of what I know. The fact that these statements are even being considered as the truth is insulting to Sasuke and to us. He is a core founding member of this group, and we wouldn't be anywhere without his skill and determination. Sasuke is one of the best people that I," Shikamaru looked around at Kiba and Naruto, "that we know." The other two nodded. "We all just want to get back to the music and our normal lives." He stepped back and everyone's voices burst out again.

"Why isn't Sasuke speaking up about this?"

"What's the real story, then?"

"How do you know he's got nothing to hide?"

They didn't stay to answer any questions, however. They were quickly pulled through the crowd by some Hidden Sound staff, though not before the camera caught an eye-roll from Shikamaru. Despite the circumstances, that one breach of professionalism was strangely satisfying to Sakura. Privately, she wondered if an unscripted statement might have been better. Still, it seemed like nothing would make a difference. It was as if every reporter who got screen time was determined to prove Tayuya right.

Sasuke thought that watching this with Sakura, seeing how angry she was on his behalf, was good and bad at the same time. She was the one bright spot in all of this, but she didn't seem to understand why the rumors had picked up so much steam. Sasuke had forced himself into resignation about the whole thing. He had Sakura, and that was enough if the rest of the world hated him. He'd lived most of his life on the fringe, ignored or disliked by people around him. The only thing that kept Sasuke from giving up completely was the effect this would have on the public's perception of Sakura. If things got worse, he wouldn't let her career go down with his.

"I can't believe so few people are asking real questions," Sakura said, irritated. She closed the tab on the livestream of the mob of reporters, still yelling questions even though Sasuke's bandmates were long gone.

"You're so incredulous," Sasuke muttered. "You shouldn't be. It's not a stretch to believe. I know what I'm like."

"Oh, shut the fuck up. Are we really doing this again?" The sharpness of Sakura's tone surprised him. "You know what your public persona is like. Do you actually believe you're the person they're describing?"

Sasuke stared at her. "Not the thief. The other stuff...Yeah."

"Do you not see how much this affects me, considering I know who you actually are? Want me to tell you some things about you that directly contradict the character they're trying to turn you into?"

Sasuke just frowned.

"They think you're cold, careless, and heartless. That's not the guy who, as soon as he realized I was struggling, did everything he could to get me out of that situation."

Sasuke scoffed. "Didn't do anything. I didn't even see how bad things were."

"You called Kakashi, didn't you? And if Kakashi didn't exist, you would've gone to someone else. You would've throttled Orochimaru, maybe, I don't know. And you didn't realize how bad things were because you're not telepathic. I hid it from everyone, even myself. You're not supposed to know me better than I know myself after six months. That's ridiculous." Sakura was angry. Sasuke had never seen her quite like this. "You listened to me, and let me cry, and didn't run from it. You met a random fan somewhere and gave her free tickets backstage when there were no tickets left in the stands. I know you would've paid for the tickets yourself if you had to. If that's generosity, I don't know what is." Sasuke tried to object, and she hissed, "Shut up. Your ego is huge, but you're selfless. You're the heart of the band. You feel things more deeply than anyone I know. And you've helped me in ways I didn't even know I needed." She glared at him. "The Sasuke Uchiha who's all over the news? I don't know who that is. Why the fuck would I fall in love with the guy they're trying to make you out to be?" Sakura spun on her heel and stalked out of the room.

Shit. "Sakura— " Sasuke was about to stand up and go after when she came right back in and stood over him.

"You want to know what's wrong with you? You're judgmental. You're too cocky. You ride a high horse around most of your fans, who love your music and just want to meet you. You're way too closed off about your emotions, to the point of self-sabotage. You're not good at communication. You hardly ever smile so sometimes I don't know if you're actually happy." She stared at him and then blinked, relaxing slightly. "And that's enough honesty hour. Wow, that was cathartic." Sasuke stared at her. "Was that too much?"

"No," Sasuke said. "Thanks."

Sakura flopped down on the couch next to him and closed her eyes. "Sorry. Actually—No, I'm really not."

"I am happy," Sasuke said. "I didn't realize—Didn't even consider you worried about that."

"It's because I'm plagued by self-doubt," Sakura said. She turned toward him and opened her eyes. "I really don't care that you don't smile often. And the cockiness is kinda really attractive. To a certain point."

Sasuke smirked. "Yeah?"

"For example, the first time we met, your head was so big I don't know how it stayed on your shoulders."

"Ha."

Sakura moved the TV remote to a chair on the other side of the room to prevent the temptation to turn it on yet again. "You realize watching this shit and believing that it's justified is just giving in to what they want, right?"

Sasuke rolled his eyes.

Sakura's phone started ringing. "It's Tsunade, I should take this." Sasuke nodded and she went out into the hallway.

"I'm assuming you're keeping up with the Sasuke scandal?" Tsunade asked as soon as Sakura answered.

"Yeah. Where have you been for the past few days? Shizune said you were away."

"I had some business in Kiri. Anyway, I said to Kakashi it was only a matter of time before something like this happened. That band has had a flawless five years. I'm just sorry that it had to happen now."

"I don't know what to do about it," Sakura said.

"I do. You're going to sit tight. I don't want you saying anything, or making any kind of public statement," Tsunade said.

"I can't just sit by silently while people tear him apart," Sakura bit out.

"Yes, you can and will, unless you want all of those people coming after you, too," Tsunade said sharply. "I won't pretend to know Sasuke, but I know he doesn't deserve this. Unfortunately, he's not my priority. You are. I don't want you getting involved. This whole thing is clearly too stubborn to die."

"She's right," Sasuke said when Sakura came back into the room and told him what Tsunade had said. "Stay out of it. They'll drag you into shit."

"That's better than just standing around doing nothing. They'll drag me into it anyway, they'll wonder why I'm not saying anything. It's like Kiba said. Silence is like agreement."

"They'll dissect your words no matter what," Sasuke said. "It'll be twice as bad knowing they doubt you, too."

Sakura sighed. Won't they doubt me anyway?

"Dude, why did you roll your eyes?" Kiba demanded later that night, when the three of them were back in the band's apartment. He and Naruto were watching a clip of their statement. Sakura was still there; at this point, she was just going to stay over again.

"I couldn't help it," Shikamaru said. He was shoving clothes into a bag.

"Where are you going?" Naruto asked.

"Ino's. I'll be back tomorrow."

This was new to Sakura, who hadn't known he'd been to her apartment.

"That was fast," Kiba said, smirking.

"We're just going to talk," Shikamaru said, shooting him a glare.

"Whatever, man." Kiba stood up and yawned. "I'm going to bed. This whole day has been ridiculous."

Naruto turned on the TV to some entertainment talk show. Clearly they had just played a clip of the Tayuya interview. Sasuke let out an annoyed sigh.

"Well, Karin, what do you think of that?" The male anchor almost looked amused. "Sasuke Uchiha's past finally comes out?"

"It's certainly interesting," Karin, the female anchor said. She leaned back in her chair. "Whether to set any store by it, I'm not sure."

"We've all had our questions about him, that's for sure."

"You're right, Juugo. And it's really not a stretch to see that first Sasuke Uchiha who was cold to his foster family and didn't make an effort to get close to them. But celebrities aren't perfect people, and the foster care system is flawed. Apparently Sasuke Uchiha was moved from home to home for his childhood. Maybe instead of condemning him, we should look at the environment he came from."

"But then there's the bullying and stealing."

"Right, that accusation is on a whole other level. Which is why I think it's important to think about the circumstances of this new information. Why is his foster mother coming forward now? Sasuke Uchiha has been an international star for five years."

"Well said," Juugo said. "But we're here for the juicy bits, aren't we? And we already know Sasuke Uchiha isn't exactly the most polite or generous person. Remember when Firestyle came on the show two years ago?" He laughed. "Probably the iciest guy I've ever met."

"He is dating Sakura Haruno, though," Karin said. "Who's definitely the warmest person I've ever met. That says something."

"I think it says that opposites attract. You really are bent on defending Sasuke's honor," Juugo said, chuckling. "Don't tell me you've still got a crush."

Karin grinned and waved a hand. "I'm just trying to analyze the situation. Believe it or not, I did go to school for journalism."

"I guess we'll just have to see how the story unfolds," Juugo said. He turned to the camera. "We'll be updating you with more information in this new controversy."

"Stay tuned for the latest on Karui and Omoi's tumultuous love affair," Karin said to the camera. "Are they finally engaged? We'll find out after this."

Naruto muted the TV. "That wasn't as bad as I expected."

"I never would've pegged a gossip show to take your side," Sakura said to Sasuke. "Like, I'm irritated with them, but at least she's trying to be objective. It's not like many other people are."

Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"I'm serious. That interviewer didn't question Tayuya at all," Sakura said. "He didn't even try to dig deeper."

"Wouldn't have made a difference," Sasuke said. "People latch on to anything they hear. Circumstances don't matter."

"But why didn't we ever see the guy talking to her? It just seems weird. Did he sound familiar to either of you?"

Sasuke shook his head.

"I don't think so?" Naruto said.

"And the way he didn't ask any real questions, it almost makes it feel like a planned..." Sakura frowned. "No."

"What?"

"It's—I just had a ridiculous thought. Never mind."

"She's doing it for money," Sasuke said. "That's obvious."

"No, I know that." Sakura was clearly thinking. "I need to talk to Tsunade."

A/N: Fun fact...Originally I was going to do a canon-ish storyline where Sasuke left the band and broke up with Sakura to go live alone/work on his music. But that got way too dark and angsty haha.