Chapter 12 : Aftermath
Sakura stayed at the exact room where she and Hak were fornicating. She was wearing a pink silk robe with only matching panties underneath. She didn't leave the room for five days after Hak left.
The woman was drowning herself in liquor. The hotel waitress kept on sending full bottles and taking empty bottles. Sakura was lying on the sofa with almost-empty glass of wine. The blue haired twenty something woman was leering at Sakura with his eyes, side-eyeing her, like she was a bad woman or something. He was the same cleaning service woman who cleaned the room when Hak was still staying in the room.
With her drunken state, she became a bolder woman. Sakura put the glass on the table and walked to the young woman. "You! You with silly blue hair!" She pointed to the cleaning service lady. The cleaning service lady was shocked. "You have no right to judge me!" She yelled at the girl.
"Did your husband leave you because of another woman? Did you feel bitter about it that makes you judge me so damn harsh?!?" She was a drunken madame thrusting herself into a young woman, with a finger almost pushing the young woman's forehead. She was't afraid of her, she was looking at her with his piercing grey eyes.
"No, Madame," The woman said. "I had an affair and it ends up with me being all alone," The young woman said. "He was fun and sexy, tall, broad shoulder and amazing in bed ... but at what cost? My husband left me, and that sexy man also left me, so i'm alone now," The waitress said. "That blue eyed man who stayed in this hotel room isn't just a sexy tall broad shoulder amazing in bed man! He is ... he is the only man who made me felt beloved," Sakura was frantic, suddenly tears came out of her face, she was sobbing immediately. "I miss Hak so much, i need Hak, I LOVE HIM AND HE LOVES ME!" She was sputtering while crying. The woman then gave Sakura a box of tissue to cry to him. Her expression turned flat seeing Sakura broke down. "Well ... he left you though," The woman whispered but Sakura could hear it. "What did you just say?" Sakura squinted. "The truth is ... he left you, right?" The woman's high pitched tone sounded very disturbing for Sakura. "GET OUT! GET THE FUCK OUT RIGHT NOW!" Sakura was angry, she was throwing empty wine bottles to the wall, one of them reached outside of her bedroom and the woman immediately ran out of the room bringing all of her things.
"Sakura, what the fuck?" Ino who was walking through the hall immediately ran to Sakura's hotel room, appearing in front of Sakura. There the blondie saw a pink haired woman sobbing in her pink satin robe, with pieces of glasses lying on the carpet floor.
She was a mess. Ino thought. She was bare faced, her hair looked like it hadn't been combed in a month, her eyes were swollen, her face was puffy and there were bottles of wine lying on the floor.
Did Sakura really think that she had just lost the love of her life?
Ino was disgusted. But, she tried not to show it.
"Ino, it's all Sasuke's fault," Sakura immediately hugged her friend's stomach once she got closer to her. She was sobbing like a child to Ino.
"He was the one who separated Hak from me! Am i really not allowed to be happy?" Sakura snorted. She kept on crying and crying.
It's really hard for Ino to believe that it was Sakura who really loved Sasuke so badly since they were children who cheated on him and became this desperate drunken woman who's crazy in love with her affair partner, a foreign general, who Ino and the rest of Konoha would have to agree, hot as fuck, hotter than Sasuke too. But, Sakura cheating on her husband was so unexpected.
"Forehead, you're a mess," Ino pushed Sakura's body away and started putting on the empty bottles on the floor and put them outside the bedroom. She then called housekeeping so they could clean up the glass pieces lying on the floor.
"You can thank Sasuke for that," Sakura said while sipping from the glass. "Yes, i heard everything from Sasuke," Ino said while sitting beside Sakura. "You should stop drowning your sorrow in liquor and get yourself right up again!" Ino pulled the glass of wine away from Sakura. "Sasuke doesn't love me! He always does what he does! He always leaves whenever things get rough! And he would do the things his ways and he doesn't even care about how i feel," Sakura's head fell on Ino's lap. The girl was crying her heart out and wetting Ino's skirt.
That damnit Sasuke. Why didn't he send her things like pretty dresses and flowers? I already told him that those are things to go through Sakura's heart! I shouldn't have agreed upon his request!
"I was such a dumb naive girl for chasing after Sasuke and falling over such manipulative piece of shit," Sakura sobbed. "Well, Hak might be the general sexy of your dream at the moment but didn't you marry Sasuke out of love? There must be some of his qualities that made you loved him in the first place," Ino rubbed her friend's head. Sakura didn't answer. She had to admit she did marry Sasuke out of love, out of that dumb fuck teenage love. "You can't just storm out of a marriage when there is a guy hotter than your husband displays his affection to you," Ino rolled her eyes at Sakura's silence. It's amusing to Ino that Sakura managed to make it looked like she was the victim of the affair instead of the participant of the affair.
"Sasuke loves you, you should know that," Ino said. "If he loved me, he would have changed a long time ago, he would treat me the way Hak treated me," Sakura said. "He would have stayed home more, he would have given me diamonds, he would have made me felt like i was worthy enough for him, he would have fucked me like a person, not a sex doll, that what i had done only to marry him was completely worth it," Sakura added, her gaze was fueled with hatred. Ino could see that.
Comparison really was the devil. Ino thought. Sakura wouldn't have done all the things she did if she hadn't met Hak. A man way more charming than Sasuke and the sex must be so good, the woman really couldn't think with her head anymore.
"Well, do you think Hak would be better than Sasuke? You've known Sasuke since you were a child and you still fell in love with him, you've known this Hak guy for like ... how many months?" Ino asked, trying to knock some sense to Sakura's head.
"All those years i thought that Sasuke would change, that Sasuke would eventually be a better husband who didn't leave his wife dry and alone in Konoha, working her ass off day and night," Sakura stood up and looked at Ino with her swollen eyes.
"He's willing to change, Sakura, he knew he wasn't a good husband and now he wanted to be a good husband for you," Ino rubbed her friend's shoulder.
"He didn't tell you what he said to me after he told me that he sabotaged my affair with Hak, right?" Sakura's gaze turned into anger again. "I still remember it very clearly "You will never get away with that guy! You will be the whore of Konoha and i will be the good man who still forgives you even after your disgusting infidelity"!" Sakura's pitch was raised. She said with all of her emotion.
Ino was shocked when she heard that. But, at the same time she somehow understood why Sasuke said that. Sakura wasn't the one who was angry, Sasuke too was angry. Ino couldn't imagine what she would do if Sai cheated on her.
"He was just really angry, you were the one who cheated on him first," Ino said. "But i slept with Hak because Sasuke was never present! And when he was present, he wasn't even fully present! He's always busy with something else! He never cares about me!" Sakura cried. Ino slapped her to stop her from her being so hysterical.
"You are a coward! Instead of telling your husband how you felt, you cheated on him! And do you still think you're the right one here?" Ino yelled.
"And that fucking Son Hak doesn't love you! He left you for fuck's sake!" Ino added while massaging her forehead.
"He was forced by the Queen herself who made a deal with Sasuke! He would have died if he didn't follow the order!" Sakura explained.
"I miss Hak ... i need him in my life ... he makes my life worth living," Sakura cried. Sobbing like a child again.
"Son Hak didn't only fuck your body but seems like he also fucked with your head, didn't he?" Ino folded her arms.
"It's not just how good he was in bed, it's how he treated me, he made me feel like a beautiful princess, Sasuke never makes me feel that way," Sakura poured wine into her glass.
"You should stop drinking," Ino pulled the wine bottle and the wine glass off of Sakura's hands.
"You should get yourself together, wake up from this general sexy dream life and face the world, including your husband," Ino said to Sakura.
"Ino, i don't want to imagine having to deal with Sasuke again," Sakura said. "Oh wait, he's probably already away now," Sakura added, she lowered her gaze as she's trying to reach the wine bottle again.
They could hear bell ringing on the door. "Sakura, it's me," it was Naruto's voice. It was incredibly surprising that the Hokage himself came to see Sakura.
Ino opened the door and greeted Naruto. Naruto brought her favorite foods in a plastic bag, umeboshi and anmitsu. He always knew what she liked.
He looked surprised to see Sakura being an utter mess, hair completely disheveled, with face flushed and swollen.
"You fuckhead! You must be the one helping my shitty husband kicking Hak away from Konoha!" Sakura threw the wine bottle to Naruto, the blonde man definitely dodged it but the bottle hit the wall and broke into pieces.
Sakura stood up and ready to hit Naruto with her fist but Ino stopped her.
"Sakura, stop!" Ino pulled her from trying to hit Naruto.
"Sakura, i'm worried about you," Naruto said.
"No, you don't! You're doing this for Sasuke!" Sakura bursted into tears again as she sat down on the sofa.
"You always choose his side! It's always like that!" Sakura sobbed.
It made Naruto felt bad. She sounded so depressed. She was truly a mess.
"We're here because we truly care for you, we can't let you destroy your life like this," Ino explained.
"Look, i apologize if it hurts ... everything i do is for you," Naruto said to Sakura.
"You don't get to choose what's good or bad for me! I know Hak is what's good for me!" Naruto was stunned when he heard the woman rambled like a crazy woman.
Is this truly the woman who was super crazy over Sasuke back then?
"Sasuke loves you, he wants to be with you, that's why he's so jealous of Hak," Naruto said, trying neither blame her nor Sasuke.
"If he loves me, he wouldn't have disappeared for so many years! Not contacting me at all! He wouldn't have ran away every time we had an argument! When it comes to marriage, he's always a chicken! He never even try to please me!" Sakura said while pointing her finger to her chest while crying.
"Sakura, you're the one who cheated on him! What Sasuke did was wrong but why do you think that cheating with general Son would end your problem with Sasuke?" Naruto called her out.
"You two are trying to convince me that Sasuke cares but right now ... where is he? Does he even bother to check on me? Where the fuck is he?" Sakura was furious.
Both Naruto and Ino could not answer that. Sasuke was also hurt because of Sakura's affair. He needed some time off to clear his mind too, he was afraid that if they met up, they'd fight again.
He never felt that depressive for a very long time. It's like darkness was crawling right back into his head.
A knock on the door followed by "Sakura" got their attention. Ino rose up and opened the door for the teenager.
Sarada showed up in her jonin outfit. She had just came back from a mission and she immediately went to the hotel.
The girl sat beside Sakura. She pitied her mother, her mother looked like a mess. The worst she had ever seen in her life.
"Let's go home," Sarada gazed at her mother.
"Don't," Sakura stopped her daughter from talking.
"I don't want to talk about it, just tell your Papa that i'm not coming home until he's going away for another God knows what mission," Sakura said, she didn't even want to see Sarada's eyes.
"I don't want to see his face," Sakura said.
She'll get around.
That's what his father and Nanadaime said about her mother. That she would come back home and forget about Son Hak.
But, will she? Sarada was the only person who lived with Sakura for a long time, she was almost an adult then. She knew her mother. Even if she got around, it would take a very very long time for her.
She was a passionate person and she probably hated her father passionately at that moment.
"Mama, Papa isn't completely right and i understood that, he left us for many years, turning you into like a single mother, almost killing me, he hurt us, i get it, but since when does all of them justify your affair with General Son?" Sarada said what was in her mind for a long time.
"You don't understand Sarada, a kid like you don't understand what i have with Hak! It was love, he gave me comfort that your Papa had never given me," Sakura was like a child in front of Sarada's eyes.
"But, weren't you the one who taught me that marriage meant you have to put your effort for it to work?" Sarada squinted her eyes.
"The truth is ... It just doesn't work if the effort only comes from one side of the party" Sakura gazed at her daughter.
Sarada stayed silent but after few seconds she chose to defend Sasuke.
"But, he tried, he never gives up on you, he even saw the queen so General Son could be separated from you," Sarada explained.
"He doesn't tell you right on how he said that i'd only be known as a slutty wife and he'd be known the good man who took back a cheating wife?" Sakura sighed. "He also never tells you on how he choked me after that right?" Sakura added.
Sarada was stunned. She didn't know about that.
"All these years, i had tried very hard to clean up his image in front of your face so you would respect him as your father but now that you're seventeen i want to tell you the reality that your father is just an ignorant asshole," Sakura raised her voice.
"Look! The only reason why he suddenly took action was just because he was bothered that his property of a wife might be able to leave him for another man! But, when she was there, working hard and raising his child, he just never appreciated her!" Sakura screamed. She was so angry. She almost broke the table near her.
Sarada was shocked to see her mother saying all the bad stuff about her father to her.
"Do you know that your papa was a criminal? A terrorist in fact! A damn terrorist! Someone only a dumb woman like me would marry," Sakura grabbed the wine bottle and drank the wine right from the bottle.
Sarada knew about it. People talked and she researched informations. Though she couldn't find it on the library but Nanadaime told her about her Papa.
"Mama ... i know you hate Papa because he separated you with Hak and he's being absence et cetera but ... you're the one who tries to break your own damn marriage!" Sarada stood up. She was so angry as well.
"A child that's been raised for seventeen years by me and mostly by me alone is now defending her beloved Papa who wasn't there in most of her life! I'm amazed!" Sakura started to get drunk again. She clapped her hands.
"Mama ... you're the one who cheated here!" Sarada raised her voice.
"You ungrateful child!" Sakura stood up, shouted at her and pulled Sarada's collar.
"Sakura!" Both Ino and Naruto stopped her from trying to attack her own child. Sakura was very drunk.
"Mama ... i am going out now ... just so you know we are waiting for you to come home," Sarada excused herself while holding back her tears.
*
Uchiha Residence. 9 PM.
Sasuke hadn't gone to any mission. Naruto didn't allow him to go to any mission until his issue with Sakura was sorted out. So, he was there, watching tv on their sofa while drinking tea and eating tomato chips.
Sarada had just come home that night. Sasuke gazed at his daughter who's taking off of her sandals. Sarada immediately understood what Sasuke meant. She shook her head.
She then changed to her home sandal and sat on the sofa.
"Have you ever felt some kind of regret for not being with us for so many years?" Sarada asked her father.
Sasuke was silenced. He had never addressed that towards his family.
"Mama is very angry, well, she was certainly wrong for cheating on you but there is no denying that we were hurt because of your absence," Sarada sighed.
"And with you didn't even recognize me at one point ... Man! That hurts like hell!" Sarada's eyes became teary.
"I'm sorry," Sasuke said to his daughter. "I won't defend myself this time, i'm sorry," Sasuke said.
"You should say that to Mama too, she might forgive you ... or at least come home .. i suppose," Sarada stood up and walked back to her bed room.
Sarada couldn't help but have all of the chattering that she had heard from her friends and the aunties about their life. It's like they had become soap opera characters.
"The honorable medic nin cheating on her absent husband for a handsome foreign general" became the topic of the month for those people.
A lot of people slut-shamed her mother. A lot of people also shamed her father's absence. They even created rumors about how her father was also a cheater, that's why her mother cheated. Also another rumor about how Son Hak wasn't the first man she had cheated with. They also questioned whether Sasuke would divorce Sakura or not.
They buzzed in her head like bees. It's annoying for Sarada. She wished she could just make it stop.
But, just like other people, maybe the third person had disappeared but she wondered what would happen to her family.
Sarada clearly didn't want them to separate.
*
The next day, according to Sarada's suggestion, Sasuke went to Yamanaka Flower Shop. He saw Ino there, watching over her staffs.
"Sasuke!" She greeted him cheerfully. It was definitely an unusual sight having Sasuke inside her flower shop.
"Hi, Ino," he has light smile. "Is there anything i can help?" Ino had already guesses the reason why he came. He wanted to give flowers to Sakura. Perhaps it could bring her back home.
"Ino, what is flower that symbolizes apology?" His question stunned Ino. That's very sensitive of Sasuke. Very unexpected.
"Lily of the valley symbolizes apology," Ino answered while showing the flower to Sasuke. "Give me a bouquet of them," Sasuke said, straight forward.
"Is this for Sakura?" Ino asked. Sasuke didn't answer her question, he was just staring at her.
"I know, Sasuke, we all know, she went on dates on public with that Koukan General," Ino said. Sasuke still didn't reply. He was so embarrassed by Sakura's action. He was so angry at her.
"And just so you know, i'm on your side, i don't condone cheating," Ino added.
"Thank you," Sasuke replied.
"But, apologizing first is a wise decision though, she's really angry with you, at least that might be able to bring her back home," Ino said.
"You might want to add more flowers though, like roses or sakura," she picked another flowers and combined them with the lily of the valley.
"Just make me anything that can make her come back home," Sasuke said.
"I can't guarantee, she seems to be very angry but you should try," Ino sighed.
"Do you ladies also blame me for her affair?" Sasuke's question surprised Ino. She never thought that Sasuke would ask that.
"I don't know about the others," Ino lied. "But i don't blame you, she's the one having the affair, not you," Ino replied.
"Yes, they did," Suddenly a familiar voice replied.
"Sai!" Ino was surprised her husband suddenly appeared out of nowhere. She stomped his foot, that means he shouldn't have said that.
"You don't need to sugarcoat it, Ino, i know that i was absent," Sasuke said.
"Well, not every part of it is your fault, she's still the one who was cheating though," Ino while putting the last flower in the bouquet.
"Now, it's done," Ino said while giving the bouquet to Sasuke.
"By the way, you might want to add a piece of jewelry too, that Koukan general gave her diamond ring, you have to compete with that " Ino whispered to Sasuke.
*
Haruno Residence.
Sakura didn't come back to her own house. She came back to her parents' house.
"Sakura, are you kidding me? That's the house you bought! He's the one who needs to get out not you!" Sakura's mother yelled at her.
Sakura was sitting at the dining table, with a glass of sake in front of her. She was drunk in the broad daylight. Still couldn't get over the fact that Hak's away from her.
"Mom, i don't want to meet him," Sakura said while resting her head on the table.
"You're cheating but you let everyone find out that you're having an affair, are you dumb or what?" Sakura's father said to her.
"I was ready to divorce Sasuke, that's why i didn't care at all," Sakura said.
"So, are you going to divorce Sasuke or not?" Sakura's father asked her. Her daughter looked so messed up. She was always so put together before but then right at that moment, she looked very messed up with her swollen eyes.
"What's the point of divorcing him if i can't marry Hak?" Sakura replied.
"Then you have to fix your issue with him," Mebuki said.
"It's never easy for a widower, you know," Mebuki said.
"Sometimes you just have to see your husband as accessory, it's easier that way than being a widower here, people talk and people will accuse you of being an indecent whore if you're a widower here, especially with everyone knowing that you had an affair," Kizashi said.
"He will still be his old ignorant self, it's futile," Sakura sighed.
Suddenly, the bell of the Haruno residence rang. When Mebuki opened the door, she was shocked to see his son in law holding a bouquet of flowers in his hands.
"Good evening, mother," He said. His eyes were cold and emotionless.
"Come in," Mebuki greeted Sasuke.
"Who is it?" Sakura walked to the living room to see her husband with a bouquet of flowers beside him.
He stood up and brought the bouquet of flowers to her.
The first time in her life, Sasuke bought her a bouquet of flowers featuring her favorite flowers, with a small pink velvet jewelry box on top of the flowers.
"Sakura, please come home," Sasuke said to her.
"Apparently it took an affair for you to bring me a bouquet of flowers and ...," Sakura scoffed. "A diamond bracelet," Sakura opened the box while staring at the simple gold bracelet embellished with diamond. Not something as extravagant as the ring that Hak had given her but Sakura was impressed by the effort.
"Sakura, i'm sorry," Sasuke apologized.
Sakura was stunned. It was the first time after so many years that he had apologized to her.
She was frozen for a while.
"Come in," She said. She couldn't let Sasuke stay outside after he had apologized to her.
Both of them were sitting on the sofa, just the two of them, facing each other.
"Now tell me why should i stay in this marriage?" Sakura opened the conversation.
"Sakura, i love you," Sasuke said. Words that were rarely said by Sasuke. Back then,it would give Sakura thrill, butterflies in her stomach but at that moment, she felt nothing.
She felt that it was just a desperate attempt so she could go back home. To be his home-maker, his docile little wife who would do anything for him.
"You have enough money to pay a housekeeper, you don't need me ,and Sarada's big enough to take care of herself," Sakura replied while crossing her legs and folding her arms.
"Sakura, you are my wife, we built a family together, does that not mean a thing for you?" Sasuke replied.
"Do you really think you can expect me to be your obedient little wife while you never even try to be a good husband to me?" Sakura scoffed.
"Sakura, look, i'm sorry, i've apologized, i'm willing to change so we can have better relationship," Sasuke raised his voice. Sakura didn't say anything, she was staring at him coldly.
"Perhaps you two need a break for a while," Kizashi interrupted. The words made Sasuke winced.
"Sakura needs time to clear her mind," Kizashi added.
So, that night, after a glass of tea and snacks, Sasuke left the Haruno residence with no result.
It started to get depressing, even for him. The idea of losing Sakura was something he couldn't comprehend. He was so used to her being there for him whenever he came home after a long mission.
She was his relaxing destination. He didn't realize that all these times he had taken her for granted.
Perhaps, that foreign general didn't take her for granted. That's why she's crazy over him.
Haruno Residence.
In the morning, something shocked Sakura Haruno. She woke up at her parents' home with a headache due to her hangover. The woman drank glasses of sake alone until she passed out inside her bedroom to numb her pain. She walked out of her bedroom to drink a glass of water while her parents were watching TV at the living room.
She was walking to the living room with a glass of water in her hand which she had already taken a sip from. When she saw the TV, she was shocked. She dropped the glass, breaking it to pieces with water splattering on the floor.
"Reporting from Kouka, this is the marriage of General Son Hak of Wind Tribe and Lady Soojung of Earth Tribe, the bride looks wonderful in white traditional Hanbok ...," The reporter lady said on the TV. There were a very familiar man and a woman standing and smiling while getting photographed.
Hak looked handsome, very very handsome white hanbok with a dash of dark blue and silver along with a young woman with red hair beside him.
"No, no, no, it's impossible," Sakura walked to the TV, she didn't care that the pieces of the glass hurt her foot.
But, when she saw even closer. She wasn't mistaken. It really was Son Hak in a traditional wedding attire.
Author's note : your commentaries really make me happy and want to write more. Thank you Candra98.
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