"Sakura, you should really be feeding her more." Mebuki mumbles as she scrubs the pan in her hand with her sponge. They're both in Sakura's kitchen, and the faint laughter of Kizashi can be heard from the living room along with Kazumi's giggles.

Sakura tightens the grip she has on the drying towel as she puts each plate away and ignores her mother's criticism. Though it comes out softly, it never stops stinging. "She eats more than me." Sakura scoffs, placing her chopsticks and other utensils in the designated drawer.

"She hardly eats her vegetables. That's not healthy for her." Her mom continues, as she hands the dripping plate to Sakura.

"I can handle my kid, Mom."

"I'm surprised Sasuke hasn't said anything."

"There's nothing to say." Sakura mumbles now. Her mom brings him up like he was the better equipped parent. We're a team she wants to remind her mom, but knows that it falls to deaf ears. It doesn't matter that they're coparenting wonderfully, the divorce has always remained the worst mistake Sakura committed to her parents.

Her parents were raised differently. She always knew this. But it didn't mean it didn't still bother her to know that all of her accomplishments as a mother to Kazumi were often overshadowed by her inability to make her marriage work. The antiquated, misogynistic expectations from her family are what's kept her away from wanting to see her parents more than once a month. It pained her that as an only child, she had no choice but to make herself available to them, even if she dreaded it.

"Your father thinks that Kazumi should join a science camp." Mebuki switches subjects after noticing Sakura's silence again. "He can get her in early registration if you would like."

"I'll think about it." Sakura says, her eyes softening as she hears her dad swing Kazumi around the room. The laughter could nearly cut the tension in the kitchen, but it was still so out of reach.

"How is Sasuke?"

"Fine." Sakura hates this. "I'll be sure to tell him you said hello."

It was by the miracle of her overly stimulated child that was in the early stages of a crying spell did Sakura appreciate the interruption. "Mommy, I hurt my head!" She said in hiccups. Sakura bent down to wipe her tears with her finger, allowing Kazumi to cry into her arms.

It always started with a question.

Hinata would ask something, and it would get turned into a contest of who could be the biggest asshole. Emotions would overpower logic and communication. It didn't matter how she asked it, if a nerve was struck, that was it.

"I didn't say that." She'd say. Not particularly because she felt she had to defend herself, but because she couldn't understand how something so small blew up into something much bigger.

"By asking me if I picked up the dry cleaning, as if I don't do that every Thursday? Hinata, you're treating me like I'm an idiot." Naruto opens the fridge and grabs a beer, opening it quickly to take three large gulps.

"I didn't know it was Thursday already." Hinata is cradling her stomach. She's 5 months along, and they just got back from their prenatal checkup. It's a boy.

"You never know every time you ask me." Naruto says, clearly annoyed. Frustrated. His cheeks aren't red from smiling. Not from the glee of finding out they were going to have a son. A boy!

Their first. The tears she shed when the doctor told her the sex of her child brought her so much joy. Naruto was beaming, and was so proud he would tell everyone down the hallway of the hospital that he was having a son.

But the excitement quickly left as soon as they arrived home when Hinata was checking the errands for the week on their calendar.

"I'm sorry." She says. She's always home. This far along, she's too tired to run errands, to see her friends as frequently as she did before. She can only apologize. Was it partial guilt? Sure. He pays the bills. He works.

He picks up the dry cleaning.

But she works, too. She just didn't realize it then.

He sighs and turns to her. "I forgive you." It's almost a taunt the way he says it. A victory for him. She's losing. She always is. He grabs her head and kisses her lips. The smell of the booze from his mouth stings. She closes her eyes, accepting the little he gives.

"Teme, wanna grab a beer?"

Sasuke is agitated. "Dobe, I'm at work. I don't have time to talk."

"...you're responding right now." He had to restrain the imminent eye roll.

"I can't tonight."

"I have good news though!"

"Can you just say it in under a minute? I'm on a deadline." He wasn't lying, but he did wish he had a different reason. Working after hours when everyone else left the building was not the way he wanted to start his weekend.

"Hinata came around!"

He doesn't care. Well, he's curious. Maybe perplexed. He's heard her speak about it and he's seen the visuals. He's never allowed Naruto to tell his side, though. The months leading to this moment he remained in the dark about all of Naruto's problems.

"What does that mean." Sasuke says with faint interest. It stops his concentration. His fingers don't move across his keyboard anymore. He's just sitting at his desktop screen awaiting his friend's reply. For the first time, he does want to know.

"Well, I've stalled her from trying to leave me. That's what I mean. Just have to do counseling or some bullshit. But the point is I think she'll come around for good. There's just no way she thinks it's the end for us."

"When do you start?" He resumes typing. If Naruto was willingly giving the information, it didn't hurt to hear. It's not like he was a double agent and reporting Naruto to Hinata.

Sasuke saw how this all affected her. The words she spoke weren't ones to be taken lightly. Maybe she wanted to try for the kid. He could understand that since he tried for his own, too.

"In a week. She's letting me move some of her stuff back to our house after five sessions if it works!" Naruto sounded so confident it sickened him.

"Good luck, dobe."

Hinata grimaced as she waited for TenTen and Neji's reactions. "So….would you mind watching Souta for those meetings? If you can't, I understand."

"Of course." Neji said with a frown. "Anything for my nephew." He knows what he wants to say, but Hinata's not in the best state of mind. Clearly, he reasons, if she's willing to entertain counseling over the piece of shit of her husband.

TenTen couldn't restrain her opinion even if it killed her. "Are you sure that's good for you, Hina?"

She knew it would come up. "I think it would be healthy for him to hear."

"Is it healthy for you?"

"I-"

"Because fuck how he feels. I care about how you feel. And that's a lot to discuss so openly with him. I just don't want you to get hurt." Her eyes are soft but her words are heavy. But, she's right. Nothing she's saying is wrong and it all comes from a place of love.

"...I think so. I think, if I don't do it, I'll just wonder what could have happened if I did try."

"You aren't the one who fucked up, babe. So don't put this pressure on you to make it work. But yes, we'll watch Souta."

Hinata tries to smile, and eventually does.

Do you think I'm an idiot?

He's staring at the message and it's too late to unread it. He was just about to log off and call it a night but the notification from her surprised him.

They weren't friends. They were barely acquaintances. Frankly, there was no reason to continue any forms of communication with her. She's friends with his ex-wife and his best friend was her husband, who's desperately trying to save his marriage. If he wasn't letting Naruto tell him much, it felt wrong to let her tell him more.

It was complicated.

No. He writes back.

I don't know how sure I am that this will even work. But he's trying so hard. And he's never tried before.

What could he say that wouldn't compromise his friendship? That wouldn't cross a line?

I'm sorry for telling you. I don't want to get between you two either. I just can't talk to anyone else..

The bubbles stop on his screen, telling him whatever she was typing she likely deleted.

It's okay. I get it. Sakura wanted to make it work and he couldn't. It was still a sore spot for her, he knew that.

Before she can reply, he shoots her one last message before he gets to the parking garage.

Don't force anything.

"Before we begin, I just want each of you to tell me why you're here. Sans the court requirement." The redhead pushed his glasses up and was sitting straight in his armchair. The session started punctually and the room was small, hardly much distance between him and the couch where she and Naruto sat side-by-side.

She hasn't been this close to him since it all happened. He smells good; clean, and he just shaved. He used the cologne she always liked. He always used to tell her that it was for special occasions only. That she'd get tired of it if he used it more often. It felt twisted that he'd use it for this.

"I'm here," Naruto says first, but not before grabbing her left hand out of her lap and into his, "for Shouta. For our family."

"Before you speak Ms. Hyuuga, please note that this will only work if you are honest. Do not answer based on what he says."

"Her name is Mrs. Uzumaki."

"In here, I will address you both individually. Mr. Uzumaki, please let Ms. Hyuuga speak." Gaara, the counselor, gestures to Hinata for a word. He is curt and capacious in his delivery, ready to drop all questions needed to make the conversation more uncomfortable.

She feels idiotic all over again, having her husband squeeze her hand, not knowing if it was meant to be reassuring or because he dreaded what she had to say.

"I'm here to try…" she says softly, with a pause. Naruto seemed pleased. "To try to understand how we got here." He retracts his hand away from hers, facing Gaara only. She can breathe.

"Thank you. I'd like to start with you, Ms. Hyuuga. Let's explore what understanding means with some context. Tell me why you left the marital home."

"I found him with another woman." There wasn't a pause, a single hint of hesitation. The air in the room felt tighter. She could hear him stiffen on the couch, the crinkles of the leather suddenly feeling warmer.

Gaara is scribbling notes, and she's suddenly very aware of the wall clock's ticking, the landscape portraits all around the room, and her husband tensing to her left.

"Mr. Uzumaki, do you agree that this is the reason why she left?"

"Yes."

"Ms. Hyuuga, was that the only reason you left?"

"...No."

"Ah. Let's explore that. Mr. Uzumaki, you seem shocked by what your wife said. Do you have an idea as to why she would say this?"

Ignoring the counselor, Naruto turns to her, as if no one else was in the room. "That's bullshit, Hina. Was I always doing shit wrong? Why is there more?"

Hinata takes a deep breath. "I'm here because you begged me to be. And he wants me to be honest, so I am."

"The floor is yours, Ms. Hyuuga."

"I feel betrayed. I have felt betrayed for a long time. I am only here with some sense of strength because I don't want to please you if it means I have to swallow how I feel." She says this slowly, making sure each word is out in the air, trapped within these four walls. She feels the heat reach her ears, the sweat on her palms. She doesn't look at him.

"I…have felt alone since before Souta. And when I saw you with her, it felt like enough of a reason to leave. Because there was nothing there that felt like love anymore."

"Mr. Uzumaki, you may respond if you would like."

"I feel…blindsighted. What the fuck do you mean you felt alone? Did you ever tell me?" He turns to her fully, his whole body facing hers. She stiffens. "You felt alone? Did you ever think that I felt that too? You were so cold, Hina. What the fuck."

She lasted much longer than she thought. The tears were already falling and the heat reached her forehead, and she felt the familiar migraine wash over her again. "Of course you're surprised. I was an afterthought. Because you knew I would be there, you never wondered how to keep me by your side. I gave up everything for you." She says this all between messy breathing, hiccups, and multiple attempts to wipe her tears. Gaara hands her a tissue box, and she pulls three sheets to dry her face.

"What does 'everything' mean?" Gaara asks. He's not taking notes.

"Yeah, what the fuck does that mean, Hina?"

"I couldn't finish school - "

"We agreed until Souta was older!"

"I had to pause everything around me because of my pregnancy. And I did most of it alone.."

"Bullshit!"

"Enough. Do not yell again, Mr. Uzumaki. I will end this session earlier if you cannot behave."

"Fuck this!" He stands, lowering his voice just enough to not get reprimanded again. "Of course this was a mistake. I'm out of here."

Can I call you?

She feels pathetic. Souta is down for his afternoon nap and she just emailed her attorney that she isn't doing another session. Her empty wine glass is mocking her for a refill.

She sees the alert and he sends her his number. 5 minutes.

She's nervous. She hasn't been to a meeting in two weeks. She hasn't seen him. She's scared of what he'll say, if he says anything at all. Why does she care what he thinks?

It felt good to say a portion of what she's held bottled up. She hasn't even been that candid with her friends, and having a semblance of honesty with Naruto did feel good. Did it make for an awkward verbal exchange in the hallway about custody for the week? Sure. "Get your lawyer to tell Ino." Was all she got.

She waited for her laptop to show 5 minutes before she dialed his phone number. For as many years as they've been in similar circles, she had never bothered to have his contact saved. In many ways, it felt comforting to know she could talk more openly with someone so distant to her.

When the line picked up, she mumbled a "Hi."

"Hey. How did it go?"

"Terrible." She laughs a little as she pours her second glass. "Naruto is upset."

"That isn't important. Whatever happened, at least you were honest."

"Can I ask you something? It's okay if you don't want to say." She feels her eyes water, but shuts them after she hears a grunt of approval. "Do you regret your divorce?"

"Yes. But not in the way you'd think. I regret proposing."

She could appreciate his truth but couldn't help but feel pity for Sakura. She knew how much Sakura loved him. "Why did you propose?"

"Because she wanted me to." He said it so simply, as if it made sense to go through so many life decisions based on one person's wishes. "I felt obligated to do it. And now, I'm paying the price of not having a backbone then." He said darkly.

"I'm sorry." She whispers. "For bringing your past up like this. I'm sorry."

"It's alright. None of it was fun, but it's lighter on the other side."

She never thought she'd hear something so positive of her prospective separation. She took a swig of her wine. "I feel like I lost a big chunk of my life to him." She laments.

"You're nowhere near the end. You have time." She never thought that Sasuke would be such a positive person, but given the topic, he survived the worst of it.

"I- thank you, Sasuke."

Ino:

I sent Mr. Uzumaki a generous settlement agreement. If you didn't already have it, I have reattached it for your convenience. Please get back to me as soon as possible to discuss any changes so both parties can move forward amicably.

Itachi

"That son of a bitch." Ino scoffed. "Karin, did you send the discovery? Go ahead and fax that at 4:00."

"Yes ma'am!" Her assistant grinned before stepping out her office.

"And get Naruto on my calendar for this afternoon. Have him come to the office."