"So, as a wedding gift, I'm giving you this house." Sakumo told them, a month after their wedding.

They wedded as soon as Sakura turned nineteen. It was a small and quaint affair, well aside from the little commotion when her mother, who was freed from prison a week prior to the wedding, barged in and demanded to be present. Obito was the one to drag the woman away.

"Dad, we can't just take away your home." Kakashi declined. "This is where you and Mom lived. We are qualified for family lodgings as shinobis."

Sakumo smiled, placing a hand on Kakashi's shoulder. "Kakashi, this house holds memories, but it's time for a new chapter. I want you and Sakura to have a place to call your own, to build your own memories. Consider it a gift to start your journey as a married couple."

Sakura, touched by Sakumo's gesture, spoke up. "Dad, we appreciate the sentiment, but we can't take your home from you."

Sakumo chuckled, his eyes reflecting a mix of fondness and determination. "You're not taking it away; I'm giving it to you. And besides, I've been meaning to give this to the two of you since day that Kakashi proclaimed that he will marry you. I already have a small house near here to settle into."

Kakashi and Sakura exchanged surprised glances, realizing that Sakumo had been planning this for quite some time.

"But, Dad..." Kakashi began, still hesitant.

Sakumo raised a hand, stopping Kakashi's protest. "No buts, Kakashi. This is my gift to both of you. Consider it a symbol of a new beginning. And besides, I'll be just a stone's throw away if you ever need advice or assistance."

Sakura's eyes shimmered with gratitude, she stood up from her seat next to Kakashi to walk towards his father-in-law. She wrapped her arms around him. "Thank you, Dad. You turned my life around." she said, her tears cascading freely. "If not for you on that day when I asked for help, I wouldn't be here today. You saved me, Dad."

Sakumo returned Sakura's embrace warmly, a paternal warmth in his eyes. "You saved yourself, Sakura. I just provided a helping hand. You've grown into a remarkable young woman, and I'm proud to have you as my daughter."

"Dad," Sakura looked at him. "thank you for my husband as well. I know that he will be good to me and love me. Because you did, even when there are no blood or legal ties that demanded you to do it. I love you, Dad."

Sakumo hugged Sakura tighter, feeling a deep sense of connection and love. "I love you too, Sakura. You're a part of this family, not just through marriage, but through the bonds we've built. And Kakashi, take care of her. She's a treasure."

Kakashi nodded, a genuine smile on his face. "I will, Dad. Thank you for everything."

Sakumo released Sakura from the embrace and looked at both of them with a smile. "Now, go and start your new life together. This house is yours. Make it a home filled with love and happiness."

Sakura wiped away her tears, nodding with gratitude. "We will, Dad. Thank you for this incredible gift."

Sakumo patted his daughter's head. "You're more than welcome, Sakura. Bear with my son, okay? There are times that you will be tempted to return him to me, but he's a good man."

Sakura nodded. "Even if he is a handful at times, he is my handful." she teased. "Visit us always?"

Sakumo smiled. "Of course."

Sakura and Kakashi settled into the home where they grew up. They both agreed to leave the master's bedroom alone as that room belongs to Sakumo. And whenever he stayed the night, they always make him stay on his old room.

Two years after the wedding was when troubles started to show up. Kakashi became restless and started to return home less and less. At first, Sakura brush it off as him being busy to his duties as a village protector. It also helped that she happened to have more and more responsibility in the hospital, so at first she didn't noticed.

However, as weeks passed, Sakura couldn't ignore the growing distance between her and Kakashi. Late-night missions, long periods away from home, and a general sense of detachment became the norm for Kakashi. Concerned, Sakura decided to address the issue one evening.

"Sakura, I'll be going on another mission," Kakashi announced, his tone casual as if it were just another routine assignment.

Sakura looked up from her work, her expression a mix of worry and frustration. "Kakashi, you've been on missions almost every night. We hardly spend any time together anymore. What's going on?"

Kakashi sighed, running a hand through his silver hair. "It's just the demands of the job, Sakura. We're protectors of the village, and sometimes that means being away for extended periods."

Sakura crossed her arms, her concern deepening. "Kakashi, we're married. We're supposed to be partners, supporting each other. But it feels like you're avoiding being at home. Are you getting tired of us?"

"Stop being dramatic, Sakura!" Kakashi raised his voice on her

Sakura, taken aback by Kakashi's sudden change in tone, frowned. "I'm not being dramatic, Kakashi. I'm trying to understand what's going on. We're supposed to be a team, but it feels like you're shutting me out."

Kakashi sighed, his shoulders slumping. "It's not about getting tired of 'us,' Sakura. It's... it's complicated."

"Complicated how?" Sakura pressed, her worry turning into frustration. "We can't solve any problems if you don't talk to me, Kakashi."

"Tsk. Stop breathing down my neck. Be glad I'm still going home to you." he said before he left.

Sakura watched Kakashi leave, a mixture of frustration and hurt lingering in her eyes. The distance between them had grown, and the walls Kakashi had erected were becoming increasingly difficult to breach.

Days turned into weeks, and Kakashi's prolonged absences persisted. And he does return, he is being cold towards her. And suddenly, all of the things that she endured under her own mother's hands came back to her.

One evening, as Sakura sat alone in their home, the weight of the situation became too much to bear. She couldn't continue living in this emotional limbo, unsure of what was happening to the man she had committed her life to.

When Kakashi finally returned home, she decided it was time to confront the issue head-on. "Kakashi," she began, her voice firm yet laced with vulnerability. "We need to talk." she walked towards him when she finally caught whiff of his scent.

She looked at him with startled wide eyes. "Please..." her voice trembled. "Please, tell me that this is not the reason why you're not here."

Kakashi avoided Sakura's gaze, a guilty expression on his face. He hesitated before finally speaking, "Sakura, I'm sorry. I... I fell out of love."

Sakura felt her heart shatter into a million pieces at Kakashi's admission. The pain she felt was raw and overwhelming. She had never anticipated such a revelation, and the realization that the man she loved no longer shared those feelings with her left her feeling lost.

"Fell out of love?" she repeated, her voice barely above a whisper. "Kakashi, what happened? Why didn't you talk to me about this sooner?"

Kakashi sighed, his eyes avoiding hers. "It's not something I planned, Sakura. It just happened over time. I can't explain it; it's just how I feel."

Sakura took a step back, her eyes filled with tears. "How long have you felt this way?" she asked, her voice trembling.

Kakashi hesitated before answering. "I don't know exactly when it started. It's been a gradual process. Then, I met her."

"So all this time? All these 'missions' that you go to. You're just sleeping around behind my back?"

Kakashi looked away, unable to meet Sakura's gaze. The weight of his actions and the pain he had caused were evident in his eyes.

"I'm sorry, Sakura," he said, his voice strained. "I never meant for it to happen this way. I never wanted to hurt you."

Sakura, feeling a mix of anger, betrayal, and heartbreak, struggled to comprehend the situation. "Who is she?" she demanded, her emotions boiling over. "The person who made you fall out of love with me?"

"I fell out of love first. She's not the reason." Kakashi defended the mystery woman.

Sakura's knees gave out and she just crumpled on the floor. "How long?" she asked.

Kakashi sighed, a heavy weight on his shoulders. "A few months, Sakura. Seven months at least."

Sakura felt as if the ground beneath her had disappeared. Seven months of deception and betrayal, and she had been living in ignorance. The pain was unbearable, and the tears streamed down her face as she struggled to process the revelation.

"Seven months?" she whispered, her voice filled with disbelief and anguish. "And all this time, you've been coming home, acting like everything was normal."

Kakashi remained silent, his guilt evident in his downcast eyes. The reality of the situation hit him, and he couldn't bring himself to look at the woman he had hurt so deeply.

"I gave you everything, Kakashi," Sakura choked on her words. "My trust, my love, my life. And you throw it away for what? Someone else?"

"Sakura, I never meant to hurt you," Kakashi finally spoke, his voice strained. "I didn't plan for any of this. It just... happened."

"Am I that unlovable, Kakashi?" Sakura asked. "Everyone that I held dear, turned their backs on me. I don't understand how you can do this to me."

Sakura's words hung heavily in the air, echoing the pain and confusion that gripped her heart. Kakashi remained silent, unable to find the right words to ease the anguish he had caused.

Sakura just stared at the man who saved her when she was seven years old. The same man who promised that he will marry her when they were eight. The man that she married when she was nineteen.

She stood up even though she can still the feel the weakness in her knees. "Thank you for the past fourteen years." she walked pass him to their bedroom and started packing her bags.

"Where are you going?" Kakashi asked her when he saw her throwing everything that she owns on her bags.

Sakura, without looking at Kakashi, continued packing her belongings. Her voice, though strained, carried a sense of finality. "I can't stay here, Kakashi. Not after what you've done. I need time and space to figure things out."

Kakashi, realizing the gravity of the situation, pleaded, "Sakura, please. Let's talk about this. I don't want you to leave like this."

Sakura finally turned to face him, her eyes reflecting a mixture of pain and determination. "Talk? Kakashi, you had seven months to talk to me. You chose to keep this a secret." she zipped her bags and slung it to her shoulder. "You fell out of love? Okay, I'll talk to the elders tomorrow and petition for an annulment."

Kakashi, feeling the weight of his actions, reached out to Sakura. "Sakura, please. I know I messed up, but I still care about you. Let's try to work through this together."

"If I ask you to choose. Who will you choose to keep? Me or that woman?" Sakura asked.

Kakashi hesitated, a conflicted expression on his face. He glanced at Sakura, searching for the right words, but the damage had already been done.

"I... I don't know," he finally admitted, his voice heavy with regret.

Sakura, hurt by his indecision, took a step back. "That's all I needed to know, Kakashi. I won't be someone's second choice." She turned away, determined to leave the painful chapter of her life behind.

Kakashi, realizing the gravity of his mistake, reached out once more. "Sakura, please. I'll end things with her. I'll do whatever it takes to fix this."

Sakura shook her head, her eyes filled with a mixture of sorrow and resolve. "When I asked you to choose, you can't answer me straight. You chose her, Kakashi, not us."

As Sakura walked away from the home that held both beautiful memories and painful betrayals, she carried with her the weight of a broken heart. The man she had once believed would be her lifelong partner had shattered her trust and chosen a different path.