Sakura had a radio interview the next morning, and Tsunade was picking her up from the band's apartment. She'd pulled up to the front of the building, which meant Sakura would have to leave through the main entrance. That was the one allowance Tsunade had made in terms of a public statement: seeing Sakura leave the building would put her firmly on Sasuke's side. Not that it'll change anything, Sakura thought as she prepared to push through the door and meet the onslaught of paparazzi waiting outside. She could see Tsunade waiting in a car by the curb.

Sakura took a deep breath and pushed the door open. Immediately, the cameras went crazy. Reporters and paparazzi crowded around her. "What's the real story, Sakura?" someone yelled from the back of the cluster.

"Would you care to comment on the recent statement by Sasuke Uchiha's foster parents?"

Sakura stared at all of them. "Yeah, I would." People quieted immediately. "I think it's an attempt at publicity that's unwarranted and insulting," she said. "Why would anyone take the word of a woman who conveniently waited five years to say something over the word of the three other people in the band who know exactly what his skills are? Instead of ripping apart Sasuke for not connecting with his foster family, why don't you think about the environment he was in? I've been lucky enough to have an amazing, supportive family. Sasuke was moved from place to place, and music was his only anchor. Start spreading facts, not the blatant lies of people who are just looking for money. I haven't been fooled by anything, and if you have any integrity, you'll believe that."

People were silent for a second, and then they started shouting questions at her. Sakura just shook her head and walked straight to the car, ducking inside and slamming the door behind her.

"Wow," Tsunade said, frowning at her. "I appreciate the deliberate disregard of my instructions."

"I'm sorry, Tsunade, but I had to say something."

"I know. And you were right to do so."

Sakura stared at her. "Are you telling me this was a fucking test to see if I would do the right thing?"

Tsunade smirked. "I have to say, angry Sakura might be my favorite version. But no, that wasn't my intention. I'm not running you through an obstacle course of character. No, I was just wrong about this. And keep in mind I hate to admit I'm wrong about anything. But I was worried what the media would do to you if you made excuses for him. I didn't realize things would get so out of control so quickly. Even I am naïve sometimes, as you can see." She glanced back at the crowd and sighed.

"Yeah," Sakura said. "Was it okay, what I said?"

"I'd say so," Tsunade said, grinning. "You went right for the heart and the shame. I think it might do something."

"Good." Sakura just wanted this to be over. "Also, I wanted to run something by you. It's going to sound really weird and paranoid, but I've been thinking about it all night."

Tsunade raised an eyebrow. "Okay..."

"I think Orochimaru might be behind this whole thing." Sakura kept her eyes locked on Tsunade's face, trying to read her reaction.

Tsunade frowned. "Care to explain?"

She didn't laugh off the suggestion, so Sakura took that as encouragement. "First of all, the timing of this is so strange. Why didn't Tayuya go to the press when Firestyle's first album dropped? The stuff about her son's emotional trauma is clearly bullshit. So someone must have offered her something if she spoke up now. A lot of money will make you a good liar. My contract with Hidden Sound is set now, which means Cobra doesn't have any more chances to get a piece of me. And there was no negative press about the switch, not really. I feel like this is Orochimaru's last dig at me. Through Sasuke." Last night, she'd been furious at the prospect of that being true. By this morning, it felt plausible. Predictable, even. But Sakura paused at the deep frown on Tsunade's face. "Is this theory way too self-centered and irrational? Because now that I'm telling you, it sounds like it."

"Considering I know what Orochimaru's capable of, it doesn't sound completely irrational. Of course he wants to bring you down, but he built your brand too well. So he'd want to go for the thing that'll hurt you the most." Tsunade shook her head. "Unfortunately, you don't have any real proof. Do you?"

"One thing. The interviewer in that video...We never see his face. He never identifies himself, or says what company or paper he's from. I thought I recognized his voice, and then I realized. His name's Kidomaru. He's one of Orochimaru's assistants."

"Orochimaru, you twisted little snake." A grim smile spread over Tsunade's face. "We've got him, Sakura. If we can get in contact with this Kidomaru person and get him to spill everything, then we've got him."

"Do you think we could make Tayuya retract what she said?"

"She'll have to, or there's no solid case."

"Case? Are you planning on suing Orochimaru?" Sakura raised her eyebrows.

"I'm planning on accusing him of defamation, bribery, and abuse." Tsunade let out a low chuckle. "And I have no plan to let him settle this time. We're going to open his can of worms for a courtroom to see."

"Is that...A good idea?"

"I didn't do it with you because I didn't want you in a months-long court battle. But since I took you on, I've been talking to other people that have known him or worked with him. Building a joint case. But this little tidbit is the first domino to be knocked down. I think it's the universe telling me it's time." Tsunade was watching her. "I'm going to keep it as quiet as possible, but it's bound to get out eventually. Which means people will want to talk to you about it."

Sakura nodded. For Orochimaru to get what he deserved, she'd have to open up. "Can I do anything for the case itself?"

"Yes. Assuming all goes to plan, you'll have to testify against him. Are you up for that?"

"Yeah. Of course," Sakura said. "What about in the meantime?"

"In the meantime, you can make sure your boyfriend's alright." Tsunade smirked. "And congratulate yourself on your sleuthing abilities. You're not just a musical wonder, you know."

Tsunade came with her into the radio station's offices, but made herself comfortable in the control room instead of the main studio. Orochimaru had never left Sakura alone in these situations.

"Sakura!" the host said, coming forward to shake her hand eagerly when they entered the room. "I'm Iruka. We're thrilled to have you here."

"It's good to be here," Sakura said. "And it's to meet you."

He grinned. "So we'll be broadcasting this live and we'll probably put up a video on our channel online. Anything I'm not allowed to ask you about?" He glanced toward Tsunade.

"Nothing about Cobra, please," Tsunade said.

"Other than that, I'm an open book," Sakura said.

He laughed. "Great. It looks like we're ready in the studio, so if you could just follow me..."

They went into the little radio studio. The cameraman was set up facing both her and Iruka across a table.

"So this'll be as natural as possible," Iruka said. "Are you okay with the camera in that position?"

"Yeah," Sakura said. She took a seat in front of her microphone. One of the producers counted down from five on his fingers and then pointed at Iruka, who moved up to the microphone.

"So we're here with Sakura Haruno live in the studio, who has kindly agreed to spend some time with us and grace us with her angelic voice," Iruka said.

"Oh, wow," Sakura said.

"Thanks so much for being here, I can't believe we've never had you on the morning show before. You've been busy!"

"Yeah, I guess I have. It's great to be here, though."

"So before we get into the real stuff, I have to ask about the elephant in the room," Iruka said. "Sasuke Uchiha. We're all fans of his here, but that was some crazy news that came out. He's been quiet about it. And this morning, actually, you made a statement to reporters and paparazzi. Is it alright if I ask you about that?"

"Sure, yeah." Sakura had expected this.

"It looked like what you said was totally off the cuff. Am I right in thinking it was?"

"Yeah. I didn't think I would have to say anything. But obviously things aren't blowing over."

Iruka nodded. "Is there anything else you want to say before we move on to talking about your music? Obviously that's the most important part of this."

"I think the tabloids would disagree," Sakura said, and Iruka laughed. "Look, I don't think I need to give a more nuanced explanation of what I said to those reporters—my opinion hasn't changed since the interview with Tayuya first appeared. I think the fact that this has caught on is ridiculous. Sasuke's one of the best musicians I know. I'd say that even if I hated him, which obviously isn't the case. You can't plagiarize people's music and make it in this industry the way he has. There's no way that he'd still be making millions with the guitar skills of a fifteen-year-old. No matter how much of a prodigy that fifteen-year-old claims to have been. I shouldn't have to rationalize this. We should all just be asking more questions. I'm saying this as just another musician, not as his girlfriend, or someone who knows him personally." She paused. "If I sound bitter, it's because I feel really strongly about this. For obvious reasons."

Iruka laughed. "No, don't worry about it. That was well-said. In your situation, I would feel the same way. And you shouldn't have to come on here just to defend him."

"And yet here we are," Sakura said. "Because it's good for the press."

"Got it in one," Iruka said. "Let's move on, though. Do you want to play a song for us?"

"Yes," Sakura said, picking up her guitar. "I'd love to. This is called 'Glass Eyes,' it's from my newest album."

"Glass Eyes by Sakura Haruno, live in the studio," Iruka said

She played the song and got applause from everyone in the studio. Iruka whooped.

"So how much of your life is in your songs?" he asked.

"I'd like to think a lot of my lyrics come from real experiences. But I wouldn't try to take apart every song looking for similarities with my real life."

Iruka chuckled. "Take note, folks."

"I also wrote a bunch of songs for this album while I wasn't in a great place mentally. Obviously not all of them made it, otherwise it would be a much darker album overall."

"How about releasing a bonus version?"

Sakura laughed. "Maybe. I'm in a much better place now, so I don't know if I want to revisit all of that."

"Understandable. Well, we're all glad you've come out of it."

"Yeah, me too. I've got my friends, family, and manager to thank for it. And Sasuke." She rolled her eyes. "That takes us full circle, I guess."

"So what's next for you? I know you're coming off an amazing summer tour."

"Yeah, I'll be going back into the studio and starting to work on new stuff. Hopefully doing some fun collaborations as well. And I'll be at the Ame Festival in a few days. Headlining, which is so cool to say out loud."

"I can imagine. Would you mind playing us out to our next commercial break?"

"I'd love to. This is a more upbeat one from the second album, it's called 'Say the Word.'"

"Awesome. Thanks so much for hanging out with us this morning, Sakura."

"Thanks for having me, it's been great."

She played the song and Iruka gave her a thumbs-up. The commercials started as soon as she finished.

"That was great," he said, grinning. "Come back often."

Sakura laughed. "I'll try."

"You're great on your feet," Tsunade said once the two of them were out of the radio station's office. "You handled his questions perfectly. That often takes coaching."

"It's just because I was fighting for people to hear me for so long," Sakura said. "I feel really awkward sometimes."

"Who doesn't?" Tsunade smiled. "Alright, you've got a free rest of the day. What are you doing?"

"I was actually going to meet Firestyle in the studio. Naruto really wants me to play with them at Ame, and I was going to ask you…"

"I don't see why not," Tsunade said. "At least for a song or two. Now that you're under Hidden Sound, there isn't anything contractual that would keep you from performing with them. And the press would have a field day there. I'll talk to Kakashi about it. I know he won't object, you've already saved Sasuke's reputation."

"I don't know about that," Sakura said.

Tsunade rolled her eyes. "Well, you've made the media take a step in the right direction, at least."

That afternoon, Kakashi entered the apartment with a smile for the first time in days. "Due to Sakura's magical influence, I think we're in a better spot than we were yesterday," Kakashi said.

"How'd she do it?" Naruto asked, eyes wide.

"Well, Sakura is the most beloved pop star of this year," Kakashi said. "I'm guessing that had something to do with it. If Sakura disapproves of you, you want to change."

Sasuke rolled his eyes, even though it was true. He'd watched the clip of her outside their building (which had almost a million views already) and listened to the radio interview she'd done that morning. She'd been on a roll. Sasuke had stopped reading about himself obsessively, but Naruto was unnecessarily updating him whenever a news article in Sasuke's favor came out. Sasuke was trying to focus on the Ame show, which they would officially be playing with Sakura. She'd written a complementary guitar line for one of their songs that would change up their stock setlist and actually required another rehearsal. It had gone well, obviously.

Despite the apparent turn in opinion that Sakura had caused, Sasuke couldn't help being slightly wary about the audience that would meet them in Ame. Not to mention a wider audience that might turn on Sakura because of this. Headlines like, Why is She Defending Him? and, Sakura Haruno: Sasuke Uchiha's Personal Defense had been popping up alongside the good press. It infuriated him to no end. He thought about the huge crowd that they would have at the stadium in Ame next week. Maybe it was time to talk.

The band had cut the typical dramatic entrance in favor of just walking onstage at their Ame show, something they hadn't done in almost five years. There were no background sounds, no flashing lights. The reception from the crowd at their appearance was enthusiastic but clearly confused at the change. Especially when the four of them didn't make a move to start playing anything.

Sasuke stepped up to Shikamaru's microphone, front and center on the stage. He stared at the audience for a moment. "I just want to say something," he said. "To anyone who's listening here or anywhere else. I'm here for the music. I've always been here for the music, and I've never used people. Shikamaru and I started this band and wrote every song that it took to get noticed. I don't fuck with lies." Someone whistled. "My personal life is my own business. My music is everyone else's business. It's also mine, and I'd never take credit for someone else's." He stopped for a second; the cheers were almost too loud to continue. "I'm saying this to the press, and maybe everyone else. Go after me if you want a villain. But stay the fuck away from Sakura Haruno. She deserves everything she's achieved. She's smart and kind and worked her ass off to get where she is. So tear me apart, but treat her like the genius she is. I'm still gonna fucking play guitar, and you can listen or not. But make a decision and stick with it." He stepped back.

People started clapping.

"Let's here it for Sasuke!" Naruto yelled, and people cheered.

It was a group of devoted fans, the most receptive audience possible, but the overwhelming support flooding the arena (in the form of shouts, whistles, and applause) was satisfying.

They launched into their first song without further ado and the audience was completely pulled along. After two songs, they came to a stop.

"Thanks," Shikamaru said. "We've been playing this festival for five years alone. So now we'd like to bring out a special guest who you've already heard about tonight..." He paused. "Sakura Haruno."

The crowd went wild.

Sakura came out with a wave to the audience and Sasuke smirked. She went up to the microphone next to Shikamaru and adjusted it. Then she glanced at Sasuke and smiled, which made the crowd scream even louder. Sakura laughed. "Hi, everyone."

"We're gonna sing Porcelain." Shikamaru said.

Sakura and Shikamaru sounded unnaturally good together, Sasuke thought. They responded to each other's energy, a clear sign of how comfortable Sakura was with so many people's styles. Shikamaru stepped back to let her take the second verse, backed by Sasuke's guitar and the drums. When they slowed it down for the next song, the audience was silent, bewitched by the music and the sound of her voice. The song was called 'Wake Up and Smell the Poison', and Sakura had mentioned to Sasuke months ago that it was one of her favorites by the band. It showed in her voice.

The five of them went offstage breathless and sweating. As soon as they were out of view of the crowd, Sakura grabbed Sasuke's hand so he turned to her, and then kissed him. Kiba whistled and they both ignored him. Sasuke pulled apart for a second. "I love you," he said. His face was a few inches from hers.

"I was about to say that to you," Sakura breathed, and he kissed her. "God, I love you."

Sakura had played the main stage in Ame last year, but this year she was truly headlining, with the top spot on Saturday night. It meant the stadium would be packed to capacity, the biggest show she'd ever played. People could buy tickets specifically for her show, not the entire festival; the stadium held 30,000 people. Despite the countless concerts of this past summer, she couldn't help the nerves as she paced backstage, trying to tune out the roar of the crowd and focus. Sasuke was there, looking at ease among the sound and light crew backstage. There were thousands of people out there waiting for her and her alone.

"You're good," Sasuke said. "You'll always be good." A smile pulled at his mouth.

"Thanks," she said, and then the onstage countdown started. He squeezed her hand and then Sakura took a deep breath and walked onstage.

For a moment the lights were blinding, and Sakura's mind flashed back to her first big show. The crowd had been less than a quarter of this size, but the lights and sound equally bright. She felt like she was at the center of a tiny universe.

At moments like these, it was easy why people got so swept away in the power of being a celebrity. When thousands of people were chanting your name with adoration, it was easy. But they were all people, just like her. She'd been one of them, in the same situation with different people. Maybe knowing that made the difference.

Sakura played a gentle chord on her guitar and heard the sound resonate throughout the space. People immediately quieted. She had wanted to start off with something slow and soft and throw a wrench into the typical concert opening. The audience went along with it, and then when she transitioned seamlessly into a faster song from her latest album. Sakura rode the energy, relaxing enough to read the signs people were waving from the stands: her name in big block letters, declarations of love and support, even one that was just lyrics from one of her first songs, written in pink cursive.

She walked to the front of the stage at the end of the second song, and the people in the first row leaned farther forward. "Hi, everyone. Thanks for coming. I've got three more songs in my set. You'll have to bear with me...I have a new song that I want to play for you guys, assuming you want to hear it?" There were deafening cheers in response. "Sounds like a yes."

Sakura hadn't cleared this with Tsunade, but assumed her manager wouldn't mind. She'd written the song during the past few weeks, after returning from Konoha, and something made her want to perform it tonight. It was rough, no one had heard it, there was no backing track to the acoustic guitar. But she wanted to give people something that wasn't polished with a rosy sheen.

That's what this was, and judging from the audience's reaction, they didn't mind at all. By the time Sakura reached her final two songs, classic crowd-pleasers, it felt like everyone was on the same plane of bursting enthusiasm. A wave of emotion hit her, tears on its heels, and Sakura stepped back from the microphone after the first verse of the last song. The audience sang the chorus back to her. If she could freeze this moment, she would. This was what making music was about: having it for yourself and living it with other people.

A/N: Eating my words about finishing this over the summer. But I have a question for all of you: what do you want to see (a few chapters from now) at the end of this? Normally I wouldn't ask something like this, but I'm honestly really torn about how to end it. So I'm just gonna throw three choices out there: do you want this to end 1) with a nice scene in the same time frame 2) with a time jump to a wedding or 3) with a bigger time jump (like 10 years?) to...a baby? I've never written a wedding or baby ending to a story on here, and I know it's cliché but I feel like it might be fitting considering this will probably be my last sasusaku story of this length. You tell me.