Reviewers:

Samm91: WEll! You see...I HAD to, Sam. I just HAD to make a cliffhanger for what how this story literally JUMPED into my head! You'll love it...you'll cry...but you'll smile...maybe not this story though...

Scooby Doo 150: Oh for SURE NaruSaku is the ONLY way to go. Watch Naruto straight through and guess what? For 98% of the story, Naruto's longing to marry Sakura! But SOMEHOW, we have to see a MOVIE...from when they were children...in order for NARUHINA to...make...sense? I call bull-Hockey! You've joined the right side, man :)

BirdManJohn: I could have deleted the review but...they liked my story enough to try to troll me so...yeah. Backstory time!

Hey All! Hope you're all liking my story...Here it is!...The MIDDLE of the STORY...and the CHAPTER that gave me the INSPIRATION for writing this entire thing! Wow...hope you all enjoy...it's your favorite kind of chapter...a Long one :)

Glazed Emeralds: A Hallmark Story

Chapter 17: Young & Naïve

The back of his neck was pure marble, the back of his hair stuck out prominently as he spoke to the classmate in front of him as the sun danced all around his head. Her breath shuddered as she watched as a royal bead of sweat slowly ebbed its way down his neck, and her entire body jittered at the erotic display before her eyes.

"Sakura? Sakura, come on!" Ino urgently whispered as she pulled her friend's arm futilely towards the clothes rack in the store, only to slide back at her friend's feet rooted to the spot. A seventeen year old Ino, with fashioned bangs covered one eyes sighed, annoyed at her friend's glossed over eyes, at her lip slowly moistening at the swipe of her tongue, and brought her fingers forward, clamping around the soft, supple flesh of her bare bicep.

"Ouch!" Sakura jumped, swatting at the pinch skin to madly rub at the pained arm, before her eyes immediately refocused and cast an embarrassed look at Ino, her shoulders sagging. "I was doing it again, wasn't it?" If she had animal ears, they'd be flopped down.

"Yep." Ino popped her lips saying so, as the two girls moved to the changing rooms with their bundle of clothes between them. The rooms were only slightly off in the corner and open at the top and served to only cover their necks down to their lower thighs. Ino had joked once that if there were more boys in town, then they'd cover it up, but as it was, they didn't.

Sakura stepped into one side as Ino did the other and both began to try on swimsuits for the summer ahead, a major milestone of one at that. They were graduating this year, and only had a few days of school left before they became adults in the eyes of the law of Konoha and...their lives would be arranged for the rest of the ages.

"So, you wouldn't believe what my dad asked me last night, Sakura." A teenaged Ino spoke over the wall, trying to keep her friend's attention when her crush was in the room. She turned only to see Sakura stealing glances across the room and Ino's face bristled a little at the lack of attention aimed at her. She had grown up just like Sakura, idolizing that absolute stuck up prick that was Sasuke, ignoring his faults. They grew up, and Ino realized that she was fine on her own if she so wished. She didn't need a guy in her life, though they were fun to have. Sakura though...she fell way too hard.

"You know that he's never once cared about anyone, right Sakura?"

Sakura sighed dreamily. "I know. I just...we're his age, and...his family and mine have known each other since we were born."

Yes. The Uchiha Family. One of the original twelve families to begin Konoha, and until ten years ago, the ones who were in charge of the loans and banking as well. Ino didn't mean good loans either. The Uchiha family had swindled their way into owning forty percent of the land, and Ino's own family, owning fifty percent, got into some rough fights between her cousins and his over the generations. There were blood feuds and vengeance to be had over the centuries. Unlike the Yamanaka though, the Uchiha however had a flaw in their system. They needed loans to make money, and a hard recession had left people desperate for any alternatives to their own.

In a shrewd bid to cut out their rivals, the Yamanaka family decided to use their wealth to cut out the competition for good, and so had paid most of the existing loans off, having the most businesses in town to do so, and people were happier and indebted with the new status quo. The Uchiha power declined over a single generation, and now it was just Sasuke with one leverage holder...Sakura's.

The Haruno Inn had been in their family for generations, but had fallen into disrepair. The tourism of winter hadn't been so good for nearly a decade and their loans had been on the edge of defaulting. They now relied on stipends from the Uchiha, and only last year had barely paid the loan off. Ino despised how Sasuke manipulated her friend, and even moreso when he found out she liked him. She had stolen some things for him, done some questionable favors, and Ino knew that something else had happened. Something that Sakura had been shying away from all week and she'd been cooped up in her room until today when Ino asked her to come over.

"Ino? What did your dad say again?"

"Huh?" Ino jumped out of her morbid thoughts. "Right. Well, he asked if I could take over the land office and go for my lawyer's license online this summer, since we're graduating in three days and all."

"That's great, Ino."

Ino sighed dramatically. "Yeah...that's my life now, right? Standing behind a counter, selling land, making contracts. Yippee." In truth, Ino loved the idea. She loved making deals, the rush of accomplishment an eager goal that she could strive for.

Sakura pursed her lips. "You could...go for fashion."

Ino giggled as she eyed herself in the mirror, her friend's idea stroking her otherworldly dreams and desires. "I could if I went to the city, but I love it here. Besides, you'll be right across from me. Best friends for life, right?...Right?" Ino looked over, and saw her friend biting her lip. "Sakura? What's wrong?"

"It's nothing." Her friend dismissed her worry, but Ino leaned on the divider, pulling at her bare arms to hold Sakura next to her.

"Sakura? Come on! You've been evading me all week. I mean, we hang out every day, and suddenly you're making excuses like you're trying to pull away. What happened?"

Sakura looked back over, and sighed. "I...I'm going to the city, Ino."

"What?" Ino choked, her throat closing up, her head shaking as she refuted what utter nonsense spewing out of her best friend. "But you're taking over the Inn from your mom-"

"I never liked that Inn-"

"Bullshit!" Ino yelled.

"Ino!"

Ino hissed and glanced over to the counter. "Sorry Mom!" She yelled over the store, as her mother turned back to the next customer. Ino glanced back over, her eyes glaring back at her friend's sudden change in priorities. "Sakura, you love taking care of others and cooking. You and I have talked about this stuff for years. What changed?"

Sakura looked away, but Ino jumped out of the stall and moved into hers, her purple bikini showing to the guys in the store. "Sakura?"

"I just...Sasuke's going and…" Sakura murmured, her lips in a pout.

"So what? Forget that creep! This is me we're talking about, the first one we went to about our periods, the secrets we only tell to each other..." Ino sniffled as she hugged Sakura with great force, backing up to look her in her eyes, aquamarine to her emerald.. "Y-you're my best friend."

"H-he...we uh…" Sakura gulped. "We...we fucked, Ino."

'Fucked?' Ino's eyes widened in shock. 'That….t-that bastard.' She thought angrily as she swerved back and saw Sasuke smirking over to her from the other side of the store. 'Why that little manipulating- ' "H-he took advantage of you and-"

"No...he wanted to...he asked during study hall...I wanted it. Last week."

"Did it...was it good?" Ino struggled to ask. Just the thought of him with her best friend made her want to vomit.

Sakura nervously bit her lip. "I...I didn't know what I was doing...He got off though!" Sakura chirped in, her eyes alight with a hint of desperation in her once bright emerald orbs.

'She's trying to convince herself. It's not good if you have to do that, Sakura.' Ino grimly thought, trying desperately of a way to make her friend see how crazy she was speaking.

"Afterwards...he said he was going to the city after graduation. He...he wants me to go with him."

"Sakura-"

"Don't stop me, Ino!" Sakura whispered, gripping her friend's shoulder between her quivering fingers. "I know you! And I know that if you really tried, then I'd stay here with you. Please?!...I want to go."

Angry tears welled up in her eyes, as she struggled to hold herself back. "You...you won't even stay the summer?"

"I need to find a job. He already has an apartment down, but he can't afford it alone. I just...Ino, I love him. I always have."

"Sakura, it's not love if he never tells you back. Please don't-" Ino began before she froze, Sakura's bleeding heart pulsing out of her. Ino's own heart cracked, and her resistance crumbled.

But…" Ino breathed heavily and pulled her into a deep hug. "I won't stop you, despite me wanting to cripple you right now to get you to stay."

Sakura teared up as well. "Thank you, Ino." Sakura tearfully hugged back, rubbing her tear stained cheeks into her friend's shoulder. Ino leaned into her ear, her own eyes bleeding with salty tears.

"Promise me you'll text me! I just got you that phone and everything!"

"I promise!"

(Present)

"So you left?" Naruto asked, the moon pulling behind a cloud as the atmosphere darkened.

"Yeah...but I didn't text her back. I knew that if I connected, I'd just end up in tears." Sakura sniffled, her throat wheezing as she shuddered in his arms. "I was so stupid. She's basically my sister! I love her so much and I abandoned her to chase a guy who-..."

"Do you want to keep going?" Naruto asked as she choked up in front of him, her eyes red and bleeding out her heart, but Sakura nodded and continued on.

"So...I got a job...well...three of them."

(Past)

"Haruno! I need three orders of Udon and two chef specials five minutes ago!" Yelled a large hulk of a man from one side of the room to the other.

"On it, Shisou!" Sakura yelled back as she slashed across the blazing hot stovetop, fire licking across as her spatula flipped the meat. As soon as they were flipped, Sakura twisted to the left and expertly stirred at the ingredients inside, before pouring the broth and meat alongside each other and onto a pristine wooden paddle as she bent towards his presence, her snow white chef's uniform pristine and unblemished. "For your tasting, Shisou!"

"Hmm." The bulky man took a small spoon and sipped, as a young eighteen year old stood straight, her bust pushed out and her face neutral. "This...is Crap! You missed the seasoning completely! And you call yourself great? Another two specials!"

"Yes Shisou!" Sakura tersely replied as she turned back to her station and did the process all over again. All the while, on the other side of clear glass, a number of families watched the dedicated chef expertly cut the pieces with a knife's edge of precision, and whispered excitedly as their food was prepared before their very eyes.

"Alright Haruno, you can clean up the backroom now."

"Thank you, Shisou." Sakura bowed to the waist, as an older woman laughed aloud, her apron dirty and caked with spilled sauce.

"Sakura, you have been with us six months now. You don't need to show us such respect."

Sakura looked over at the older woman, and smiled. "You've given me the opportunity to work here. I never would have learned how to use knives the way I do now without your tutelage."

"That's a good young lass." The bulky chef stoicly nodded, as Sakura disappeared into the back. The woman looked over, her eyes glaring as the man's tough exterior dampened as he shrugged his shoulders. "What?"

"Dear, must you push her so hard?" The wife accused, but the buff husband shook his head and insisted

"Sweetheart, she knows me well enough. If I start to praise her, she will wonder what she did wrong."

"She hasn't gotten a recipe wrong since her third week here, dear." The older woman rolled her eyes, cleaning the tables with a wet rag in her hand. "And she has mastered the knife work for a month now."

The older man sighed, looking around at the small family owned business that was their restaurant in the big city. "I know; I'm glad that we found her. And to think, she was begging us to let her have the job."

"...She wasn't eating properly then." The older woman sighed aloud, remembering the ribs on her when she came in to beg for the job.

"Hmm." The older man frowned deeply. "She is still too skinny now. I wish she would taste what she makes more often. How can she grow as a chef if she doesn't strive for perfection?"

"Oh you silly!" The older woman chortled into the empty room. "Oh! She forgot her schedule!" The older woman huffed, grabbing the pink journal resting on the counter, and, being curious, opened to the front page, only to widen her eyes at the absurd timeline on it.

College 7am-9:30am

Guide of the City of Fire 10am-1pm

College 1:15pm-5pm

Grill and Dining 6pm-11pm

Studying 11pm-6am

Storage Job 2am-6am

"Oh dear!" The older woman gasped, and at her sound, her buff husband craned his neck over to read what she saw. He too widened his eyes, but shame filled his thoughts, of asking his young protégé to stay late to master his knife style, to clean and lock up when he and his wife wanted to go out for the evening.

"Shisou! Have you seen my-...oh…" The two turned to see Sakura misstep behind the curtain to the backroom, her eyes morphed with embarrassed guilt before their presence. "I didn't expect you to look at it."

"Sakura, why are you working three jobs?"

Sakura bit her young lip, looking away as tears ebbed at her eyes. "I don't make enough here to sustain me."

"Sakura, you could have asked for-"

"I saw your finances. You make a good profit, but hiring me is the best you could get without going into the red. Really it's fine! I'm happy here as it is. Isn't that good enough?" Sakura defended with a sniffle. "I am happy to be here."

The woman looked at her closer, before sighing in disgust at herself. "I knew your apartment was too expensive when you told me where you lived. You should have been in the dorms at your school."

"They don't allow for jobs while in school…But I need to work."

"Why don't you move somewhere cheaper? I know a few places that are close by and some of my friends have some spare rooms. It would also give you more time in your day to rest."

Sakura blushed. "I...I'm fine."

"Oh come now, dear. You live far from the college as well. You're pushing yourself too hard. Do you even make it to your classes?"

Sakura nodded quickly, the tears falling drip by drip. "I just make it in before the start...it has to be that place. It has to be."

The couple sighed. Who were they to tell their sole employee what she should do with her young life? All they could offer was their wisdom of years.

"We are sorry, Sakura." The older woman sighed. "You're absolutely right. You can run your own life just the way you'd like. You are a smart young lady with a good sense of morals on your shoulders." Sakura smiled grimly back as her boss continued. "Forgive me for speaking my mind, but I just...I just think you're pushing yourself too hard. This many jobs, your first year of college, no time to sleep. You need to relax and enjoy life. You can work all you want after school. Trust me, you will regret not finding the time after school."

Sakura smiled back with a happy twinge in her eyes. "Thanks for the advice."

"Besides!" The older women jeered. "Right now you should be in love, seducing the man of your dreams. You need to go on dates and entertain lots of company."

"I'll work on that." Sakura nodded as she stepped forward, holding her employer in a fond embrace, making the older couple gasp at the tight hug. "I swear you two are like my family."

"...Have you called your mom?"

"Not really." Sakura frowned as she backed up.

"I'm sure they miss you. You should always make time for your family." Sakura nodded and walked out of sight, as the couple smiled and wished her a good night.

In the small break room that consisted of a small couch, desk, and a locker for her things, Sakura shrugged out of her bleach white work pants and underwear, leaving her in just her open blouse that showed the center of her chest. If there were other workers, maybe she'd mind, but being just her, it didn't matter with a curtain separating the room.

Sakura sighed as she looked up into the small mirror staring back at her. This couple were the best bosses she'd had since leaving her small town. They were carefree, happy, and most of all, passionate for their craft. They were simply too old now to do everything they once could. Sakura glanced around the room, at the back where the stairs led to their house above the small restaurant.

'Mom is their age too.' Sakura's mood dampened at that thought. Eight months. She'd left home eight months ago. It was winter there now, the busiest time of the year at the Inn, and her mother was running the whole thing. Her hands must be hurting by now from the biting cold and the manual and mental exhaustion. She owed all her hard work ethic to her years growing up beside her mother, scrubbing floors and cleaning rooms. Her only skill lacking had been cooking for the guests and now her knife skills were top notch too and her mind full of burgeoning recipes. She was growing as a person, but she missed her so much! She missed her mother, and with the news from months ago…

Sakura reached into her locker and pulled out her phone, the screen illuminating as she pressed to call. The phone rang only once before her mother picked up, a happy tone in full swing.

"Sweetheart! How wonderful for you to call!"

"H-hi Mom. I just felt...nostalgic and-"

"Oh Baby!" Her mother cooed, making Sakura smile at the mothering hen nature that her mom had done to her since she was a child. "I feel like it's been forever since we last talked. How long ago?"

"Just three weeks, Mom….did you get the results back?"

"Yes…"

Tears leaked down Sakura's face as she leaned against the locker and slid down to the floor. "It's terminal, then?"

"Afraid so, sweetheart."

"So then, are you going to get treatment at-"

"Sakura," her mother chided. "I told you that I wasn't getting treatment."

"But-"

"The only benefit would be to make me feel better. It wouldn't extend my life, and would leave you with all my debt. I have worked too hard and too long for you to live life with debt."

"...I just don't want to see you in pain…"

"...You haven't called Ino yet, have you, dear?"

Sakura cringed terribly, leaning back into the metal of the locker as she squeezed her nails into her palm. "She hates me."

"She doesn't, Sakura."

"She must hate me, Mom. I...I left her...I left everyone…"

"You are doing what you believe in. No one can fault you for going out into the world to find yourself. Trust me, Sweetheart. Call her up. She misses you."

"I don't know...I haven't spoken to her since I left…"

"She misses your voice and your presence...we both do." Sakura heard through the speaker and sniffled as silent tears trailed down her cheeks.

"It's winter now. You must be busy."

"Oh I am...but you always make my day. Every time I feel tired, I think of you and my day is full of cheer." Sakura giggled at that, rubbing her nose with the sleeve of her dirty blouse. "Get some rest, sweetheart. You sound tired."

"Love you."

"I love you too."

Ending the call, Sakura sighed and got down to business. She expertly replaced her upper half with older clothes that were comfortable, before going to the much harder task at hand. Grabbing her spare pants she lifted one leg inside and pulled the other up. As it rubbed against her knee however, her leg spasmed and sent Sakura careening into her locker.

"Ow…" Sakura hissed, pulling the fabric up to her waist before closing the locker and moving outside to where her bike was. Just yesterday, she had collided with a runaway stroller. She'd stopped the stroller from entering the street, but she and her bike hit the curb and sent her flying over the bars and flat on her back. It was a miracle that she'd made it through service today as it was, but she wouldn't let anyone down. They expected her to do her best, and she would match their expectations. She...She was everything people thought she could be.

Sakura breathed in and pushed off with her good leg, beginning the twenty blocks of the bike trek home. In such a large city, the buildings screamed by overhead, illuminating her in neon greens and LED blues, as she pushed herself onwards. She preferred to be up here in the air, rather than in the subways underground. Making a sharp turn, followed by a jump up the curb from her bike, Sakura edged up the ramp to the next level of the sidewalk and continued on, her thoughts guiding her as she moved.

As Sakura pushed up into the rich side of the city of Fire, the apartments grew more luxurious, and quite more expensive. She couldn't fault her coworkers, fellow students, and bosses for trying to tell her to find somewhere cheaper and more affordable to live.

'Damn.' Sakura thought to herself. 'That's the third time I forgot my journal.'

Three times she'd forgotten it; Three times people saw her schedule, and three times they urged her to slow down. Her bosses were concerned about her health, her classmates worried for her social life, and her professors had emphasized the recent drop in her grades. Like she could stop her bleeding heart and let go. True; the apartment she rented was way over budget, but it had great amenities. It had a pool and a gym, and an Eden of a garden on the fiftieth floor. It had a second bedroom too...and her boyfriend stayed there with her.

Sakura slid under the backside of the tower where she resided, locking up her bike and scanning her key card to the stairwell to gain entry. True that she didn't see him for a week or more at a time, and true that he never called her to discuss her day or his own, but he was busy!

Her boyfriend Sasuke had parties to network at, shoots to go to. He was an upcoming actor….or artist...or MC. He hadn't decided yet. She was his only support though in this harsh cruel world. Sakura made sure everything was taken care of at home so that he could focus on the job at hand.

A wave of exhaustion hit her and Sakura stopped to lean against the corner of the cold walls of the stairwell, closing her eyes to focus on staying upright… she needed to rest...she was so tired lately, it hurt to breathe at times. She had lost the feeling of eating months ago. One of her classmates had started handing her chocolate bars during class to keep her fed. She was both grateful and guilty to have such a good friend at school.

She almost cried in front of her favorite boss today. She almost collapsed in class giving a presentation the day before...she just needed to see her boyfriend. He would make everything alright.

'Come on, Sakura. Ten more flights.' Sakura pushed herself up the steps, grimacing at the sad thoughts plaguing her mind. She was depressed. She knew that. But all college students got depression, just as the freshman orientation said. That and…hard work paid off, right? Back home, working hard led to great results for all those around them.

In truth, Sasuke and she weren't official. He never said she was his girlfriend, but that's what they surely were, right? He kissed her...he fucked her ever since they moved here…they did it every time he came to stay the night ...didn't that make them official?

With heavy breathing, Sakura stepped out of the stairwell and onto the seventeenth floor. Why couldn't she have come in through the front entrance? Why couldn't she have taken the elevator? Well it was simple to answer; Sasuke didn't want the paparazzi to think that she lived here with him. It would ruin his bachelor appearance. Once he made it big, he promised that he'd pay her back. She could depend on him. Right?

"Ow!" Sakura grunted as her leg tripped and she landed harder than she wanted on the concrete floor. 'Damn, my leg hurts!' Sakura sniffled as she pushed up on her arms and took a few more steps and finally reached the door, wriggling through her pockets for her key. She breathed in. Everything would be alright.

As the door opened, Sakura's ears were bombarded by loud music and the scent of pizza. Adrenaline rushed through her veins and her thighs clenched tight. Sakura surged into the main room, seeing the clothes strung about and two chairs knocked over. The place looked like a mess, but it also meant-

'He's here!' Sakura screamed in her head, and quickly set her pack down on the counter and looked in the mirror, dabbing at her hair to make sure she looked good for him. Nodding to her appearance, she strolled past the full length windows to the view outside, past the expensive furniture that came with the place, at a high cost, and made it to Sasuke's door.

"Welcome home, Sasuke!" Sakura chirped as she opened his door. "I was thinking that tonight we could- WHAT THE HELL?!"

Sakura felt her heart crack, straight down the middle and from end to end. Her body shivered as tears erupted from her eyes. She didn't want to see this. This wasn't right.

Yet here she was standing in the room, as her boyfriend hovered over a red haired woman, ploughing into her with gusto, the two occupants of the bed moaning and writhing as they fucked. 'He never fucks me like that.' Sakura thought morosely. He let her do all the work to get off. Sometimes he let her finish herself, most of the time not. But as she watched, the girl dug her hands into his shoulder and came, her face alight with satisfaction.

"S-Sasuke?" Sakura finally stuttered out, and the two occupants paused to look back. Neither of them freaked out that someone else was watching them. It was like they didn't care how she felt.

"Oh!" Sasuke shrugged. "Hey Sakura."

'D-Did he just shrug me off?' A surge of rage boiled over from inside her stomach, instantly rising out of her veins, and pouring sweltering red into her very pores. 'Okay. No more little nice girl.'

"That's it?! All I get is an oh!" Sakura screamed across the room, as Sasuke edged out of the bed. "What the hell, Sasuke? Who is this girl-"

"This is Karin, my agent." Sasuke yawned, stretching himself out as he moved to the table and grabbed some pills that were lying there.

"Your agent?" Sakura easily read through her memories of proper conduct in the contract she'd gone over when Sasuke got his first gig. "You can't just-"

"-Just what?" Sasuke called over, annoyance on his face. "It's just sex, Sakura. Back the fuck off. Geez, you're giving me a headache."

Giggles suddenly erupted from the bed, bringing Sakura's rage to the girl who sat there, watching the hilarious scene unfold. Karin grinned proudly, letting her nakedness show without a care in the world. "I think it's much more than that, boyfriend."

"B-boyfriend?" Sakura whispered, her rage leaving her as she wearily turned back to Sasuke. "...W-what is she talking about? She's not your girlfriend. You're my-"

"Oh chill out, Sakura!" Sasuke finally reached her, only to push her to the wall. "This is city life. Get used to it already. It's time for you to grow up."

Sakura had no answer to give back, so she could only grit her teeth as Sasuke turned back to sucking face with the girl in his bed. Sakura's body shook as her thoughts broke.

'We were never a couple. He just wanted me around to fuck when no one else was available. Damn it!' Sakura chewed on her lip as her eyes swept over the room in rage, until she gasped again.

"What is That, Sasuke?!"

The two sighed dramatically and Sasuke looked to where she was pointing and shrugged. "That's to help me concentrate."

"That's Cocaine, Sasuke!" Sakura screeched as she moved to the white substance, reaching for the small bag it came in. "We need to get rid of it! God! Are you an idiot?! We could go to jail!"

"If you ask me, you could use a few nights there."

Sakura's muscles grew taut as she turned to gawk at what Karin said. Did she really mean that? She didn't mean what she thought she meant, did she?

Karin smirked. "Maybe lose that stick up your ass."

Death floated in her eyes as Sakura stood straight up. She wanted Sakura to get raped in prison? 'Oh this girl is dead.'

"Sasuke! I want her out! Now!...Sasuke?"

Sasuke was silent. Eerily so. He slowly stood up and as his red eyes flashed at her, all the rage, all the anger welling up inside her vanished without a trace. Replaced with an instinct to flee, Sakura moved for the door, but suddenly she flew into the wall, and a hand wrapped around her neck.

"S-Sasuke….c..can't...breathe…" Sakura choked as her fingers struggled to grasp at his wrist on her throat.

"...You want her to leave? You are so funny, Sakura." Sasuke spoke without emotion, as Sakura gagged and her tears flowed out. "You really think that you have any power here? You piece of trash."

"But...but I-"

"This isn't even your place, Sakura. I signed the lease. The bills are in My name, not yours. Pretty little slut that you are should know better."

"B-...Sa-Sasuke-"

Karin stood up behind them, and went to grab a cigarette. Sakura's foggy mind morbidly thought that she was going to die while that bitch smoked.

"Mmm!" Sakura spit up as Sasuke threw her against the wall, and Sakura choked and coughed as she sagged to the ground, her body trying to regain the air it lacked. Sasuke lowered himself to look at her face and gripped at her chin roughly.

"Oh Sakura. So I fuck another girl? So what? I've been doing this since we got here. You give me the money for rent and food; I let you take care of me because doing that makes you happy. Doesn't that make you happy?"

"I...I…"

"I get it." Sasuke smirked. "It's my fault. I thought that I fucked you enough to keep you happy. I promise to fuck you twice later, okay? You love making me happy, don't you? You'd do anything for me, right?"

Sasuke smiled as Karin passed him the lit cigarette, and he grabbed it to put it between her teeth. Sakura felt the signs of marijuana attacking her brain, fogging it over.

"There. Chill out. Relax. And when you're ready to fuck, then Karin and I will accept your apology, okay? Come on Karin. I got another round for you."

And just like that, the discussion was over. All arguments in her mind died right there on the ground, against the wall, watching the love of her life fuck another while thinking nothing of her. The marijuana cigarette burned slowly in her mouth, her brain refusing to think at all.

Finally, her mouth opened and the cigarette dropped to the carpet, but by the time it fell, Sakura was already racing out of the room. She surged to the entry door and pulled it open. The doorknob crashed into the wall, denting it, but she didn't even think about it. Sakura didn't glance back at her room where her books for college and clothes she'd bought for a night out lay forgotten. She didn't turn around to grab the specialty knife set her bosses got for her last month when they announced her as worthy. She didn't even grab the certificate for the award she'd won last week which would cover her school costs for the next year. She just ran.

Sakura made it down the hall and down ten flight of stairs before her knee spasmed once again. Sakura screamed as she crumpled and was sent flying to the concrete floor, narrowly missing the sharp edge by an inch. However, her body still crashed into the floor chest first, and Sakura crumpled into a ball, her ribs pressing into her lungs as she grit her teeth, masking whatever pain she had left.

"It hurts!" Sakura wheezed as she pulled herself into the corner of the landing. Her chest hurt! She grit her teeth as tears cascaded down her face. It wasn't just the fall; her whole body was broken and racked in pain of some kind. This kind of hurt...it was inside of her.

"….Everyone was right." Sakura sniffled into her arms, wrapped around her knees and face. "...I'm such an idiot...believing him so easily...God, I want to die…"

Sasuke had never cared for her. He just wanted an oblivious lovestruck girl like Sakura to work to the bone to give him anything he asked for. To him, she was just a free fuck when he slugged out and a pot of easy money.

'My money…' Sakura thought morosely. All of her tips had gone into his new shoes. All her jobs went to him for drugs and acting lessons and a free place to stay. What did she even have on her that was hers?

Sakura's fingers scraped morbidly along her sides and chest. Nope. Nothing but ribs and a pathetic chest. Sasuke had always said it was one of her worst features. Tears bubbled in her eyes as she traced over her hips and along the pockets on her ass. Another part she didn't like about herself. She was so skinny but had a fat ass and legs. She didn't work out, so she probably looked bulimic or something-

'Oh…' Sakura's eyebrows rose a fraction as she found purchase on her last pocket. She dug around, and her hand came up with the phone from home. She smiled tearfully. This wasn't even hers. She hadn't bought it, and she hadn't paid for the cell plan at all. She didn't even have the authority to have the line turned off. It was her best fri-...ex best friend's.

"Oh God!" Sakura broke down, her lungs straining for air as she struggled to lay down without crushing her ribs. "I want to go home…"

Suddenly in the darkness, white light pierced her eyes, and Sakura gazed at the device as an animated cell phone appeared on the screen. She smiled morbidly at her betraying finger pressing down on the one contact she didn't want to call. She was going to hate her so much!

"Hello?" An exhausted voice called out from the other line. Why wouldn't they be exhausted? It was midnight there and they lived in a small town. "...S-Sakura? Is that you?" Came a groggy but uplifted voice. Sakura's voice failed her. Tears fell silently down her face. Ino sounded just as she remembered. Full of energy and life and everything from when she knew her.

"Oh my god!" Ino screamed into the phone, the sound of the springs of the bed echoing through the phone. "You're finally calling me! Oh my god, Sakura! You don't know how much I missed talking to you every day! Shikamaru made a pass at me, did you know? I had to tell him that if we weren't seeing anyone else in ten years to hit me up! Can you imagine settling down so soon after high school? I mean, when else can we be just ourselves, right? Oh god how I miss you! Um...Sakura?...Sakura? You there?"

Sakura choked up as her best friend's girlish gossip reminded her of home, and her voice finally came out. "...Help me…"

"Sakura, where are you?"

Sakura's ears twitched. Ino's voice had changed. Gone was her bubbly personality, her flirtatious giggle at the end of every other sentence. It was now replaced by...care? Help? It made Sakura break down even further.

"A-at my apartment."

"Give me the address. I'll come to you."

"Y-you can't-"

"Damn it Sakura!" Ino shouted into her ear, making Sakura cave in submission. "You don't talk to me for two seasons and then call for help. I'm coming to you! Now Give it!"

On the other side of the line, Ino rushed around the room, pawing at her coat and keys, ignoring the raging blizzard that was wreaking havoc on the forest outside her window. Ino raced down the stairs and jumped straight into the whirlwind, plowing through the knee high snow to open the door to her truck. Turning the key, her ears were assaulted by the rev of the engine, but more so at the constant sobbing of her best friend as she stayed on the line. "Don't worry, Sakura." Ino gripped the wheel and narrowed her teary eyes on the road to rescue her friend in trouble. "I'm coming for you."

Whew. This made me cry to write. Hope you all enjoyed. Please tell me if you cried.