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(8.1)

OCEAN

"/Just leave me alone already."/

/Noir/

/./

/./

/./

A young woman with rose gold hair and green eyes - wearing a celadon silk empire waist dress - makes her way to the tent where everyone had gathered for the Wedding ceremony.

Sakura and her friends made their way to their seats.

She slows down when she spots Naruto up ahead.

He was up front, to the left of the altar, getting his video camera ready to record.

Naruto's head turns and she was prepared to smile at him as soon as their eyes meet but Naruto ended up looking at someone else.

Naruto smiled and nodded to someone across him on the altar.

Sakura's eyes darted towards the tall, elegant and handsome man dressed in his black tuxedo.

She subconsciously came to a full stop as she finally laid her eyes on Sasuke after a very long time.

The procession song starts playing in the back but her eyes were glued to him as he was giving himself one last look over.

Sasuke straightened his violet waistcoat and then his black suit jacket. He then glanced all the way to the back while adjusting his necktie. He did a double take when he saw her.

Sakura felt like her heart had stopped when his eyes were on her.

Ino had to pull Sakura to get her out of the way because the bride's entourage had started making their way down the aisle.

Sakura awkwardly stepped aside and lowered her head in embarrassment. She kept looking down that she only saw flashes of black and violet as the bridesmaids and groomsmen walked in pairs.

Ino elbowed Sakura after the ring bearer walks by.

Sakura straightens herself and looks at the aisle just as the flower girl came by. That's when she got a good look at how beautiful Karin was in her wedding dress.

Karin wore double layer wedding dress with simple but elegant violet accents on the waist area. The first layer was a strapless satin open back mermaid gown with a sweep train. The second layer was a high neck long sleeve lace dress with a court train. She had the one-tier blusher veil fixed just above her low bun.

With blushing cheeks and a gentle smile, Karin's beauty radiates.

Sakura can't help but be awed and happy for the bride.

Karin walked onward, accompanied by her father.

Her eyes trailed after Karin's back - All the way until the distance between her and Sasuke is reduced.

FLASHBACK

Sasuke and Karin looked shocked the moment Sakura entered the break room. They were obviously not expecting to see her so soon.

"Good afternoon.", she greeted them nonchalantly.

"S-Sakura?", Karin murmured.

"You came?! Y-Y-", said Suigetsu as he walked in.

"Of course I did.", said Sakura matter of fact. "Well, if you'll excuse me, I'll just get ready for work."

Sakura left them and headed for the changing room.

.

.

.

Inside the changing room, Tayuya was putting on her uniform.

"Hey Sak-" Tayuya was dumbfounded as soon as she saw her. "What happened to your hair?!"

"Oh. I… got a haircut.", she answered while tucking a few strands of her now shoulder length hair behind her ear.

"Sakura.", Sasuke called her from outside. "A word. At the office. Now."

"Okay.", she yelled back.

"Are you in trouble? Did something happen?"

Sakura gave her a timid smile in response. She then made a move to place her things inside her locker before leaving the room.

.

.

.

Seeing Karin inside the office with Sasuke was no surprise.

"Did you want something?", she inquired with the same nonchalant tone she started with.

"Sakura.", Karin spoke first. "W-We're worried about you. It's okay for you to take a few days off. Actually…" she turned to glance at Sasuke. "It's okay if you… decide to… quit at this point.", she told her sensibly.

"Because of what happened this morning?", Sakura sounded upset.

…

"I'm not 'that' weak.", Sakura told them. "I've experienced rejection quite a few times you know. With my own parents. With the other kids back at my elementary school. With the other students at our current school. /Heck/, you guys didn't even know about… about Sasori. That was two weeks ago. I can't help but feel like I'm being looked down at right now."

"But…" Karin looks to Sasuke for help.

"My confession aside…"

Sasuke and Karin looked at her again.

"I was serious about helping Sasuke-kun so… if it's up to me I would like to continue working here as I originally intended."

"But you-"

"I totally understand if you don't want me here. I'm sure that Karin is upset with me right now and-"

"That's not it!", Karin retorted. "I mean- /Yes/. I'm /upset/. Of course I'm upset with you. Why did you lie to me? To us? All this time?"

"I'm sorry."

"Drop it with the apologies already!", snapped Karin. "If you're doing it just so you can feel better about yourself then I don't want it!"

Sakura fell silent.

"Whatever!", Karin groaned frustratingly as she turned to Sasuke. "No one's really innocent anyway. I'm in no position to stay angry at you for keeping secrets. It's not like it's your fault you fell in love with Sasuke-kun either."

Sasuke rolled his eyes.

Karin then turned back to her. "If you think you're going to be all right here after all that's happened then suit yourself.", she told Sakura before walking out on them.

Sakura let out a sigh as soon as Karin was gone. She then turned back to Sasuke then lowered her head in apology. "About last night, I'm really sorry. Please forget about... everything."

"Sakura."

Sakura straightened herself. "It's just as you said, two more weeks. Let's just get through this."

"Why bother? You know it's never going to be the same."

"I don't have any ulterior motives. Just selfish reasons at this point.", she admitted. "It's for my own satisfaction. I just… want to finish what I started. After everything I've lo- … I just want to give myself the consolation of being able to see this through to the end. That's all."

"Fine. Do what you want."

"Thanks.", Sakura nodded at him before turning away.

"IF!"

Sakura stopped without looking back.

"If any of the following days, you decide to stop turning up here…"

…

"...No one's going to blame you."

"Uhn." Sakura left then.

What Sasuke was thinking or how he truly felt about her showing up remains unclear to Sakura. After all, she never looked directly at him the whole time.

.

.

.

Hours passed.

People came and went.

Naruto stopped by for a while. He might've said something about her hair, she wasn't really sure.

Suigetsu would come and talk to her every now and then.

Sakura got through that night like it was any other ordinary night except for the fact that she felt like she was deep under water.

Her mind was numb.

Her body moved on its own as if it was on auto-pilot.

Apart from the scripted smiles and greetings, she reacted minimally to her surroundings.

…

…

…

Before she knew it her shift was over. It was time to go home.

…

…

…

~So vast, so free,

these deep blue waters drown me in jealousy.

I lost my head,

somewhere between the surface and the sea bed.

I'll stay beneath,

where my voice makes no noise, trapped in my body.

But when I leave,

Well I know that one day it's an ocean I'll be.~

…

…

…

Next morning, Sakura spent the day with Ino, Temari and Shikamaru. They had a picnic near the river.

Sakura and Ino stayed under the shade and took the time to finally get some studying done while Temari forced Shikamaru to help some kids who were having trouble flying their kite.

As soon as Shikamaru got their kite airborne, the kids were grateful and Temari compliments him making him bashful and irritated at the same time.

Sakura smiles at the sight but was anxious when she realized that Ino was looking at her worriedly. She gives Ino a timid smile in an attempt to reassure her that she's fine.

The blue sky turned to orange then turned to a dark blue.

…

…

…

~And they call it freedom, how can it be?

When I live in a time zone unsuited to me.

And they call it freedom, how can it be?

When we all follow patterns and live on repeat.

We all follow patterns and live on repeat.~

…

…

…

Next thing she knew, she was at work again.

Her surrounding was a blur. She felt like she wasn't part of the world anymore. Everything around her was moving too fast but at the same time, it wasn't fast enough.

Even when everything seemed like it was played fast forward, her days still felt too long.

Nonetheless, days passed and it passed monotonously.

…

…

…

Finally the week was over.

…

…

…

~So vast, so free,

these deep blue waters drown me in jealousy.~

…

…

…

On Sunday, she went out with her father to run some errand.

She runs into Rin, Sasuke and Karin in the grocery store.

Rin saw her and was unsure how to react.

Sakura smiled and waved at them before joining up with her father again.

…

…

…

~I lost my head,

somewhere between the surface and the sea bed.

I'll stay beneath,

where my voice makes no noise, trapped in my body.~

…

…

…

Monday came.

She slept in and got out of bed when it's almost noon.

She had her cold breakfast alone then did her chores.

.

.

.

Later in the day, she came over to the Yamanaka's house. She helps Ino watch over the flower shop while they study.

.

.

.

She shows up at Otogakure for work.

She finds her new uniform inside her locker – a customized maid outfit and cat ears.

She sighed.

…

…

…

Hours passed.

People came and went.

Soon it was time to go home again.

…

…

…

~And they call it freedom,

how can it be?

When we all follow patterns and live on repeat.

We all follow patterns and live on repeat.~

…

…

…

She slept in and got out of bed when it's almost noon.

She had her cold breakfast alone then did her chores.

.

.

.

When she came over to the flower shop, Ino had gone out.

.

.

.

She strolled around the shopping district for a while and ends up seeing Neji and Hinata along with her younger sister. Hinata invites her to join them but she kindly refused.

Next thing she knew she was on her way to work again.

.

.

.

At work; Hours passed.

People came and went.

Naruto stopped by for a while. At some point he complimented her clothes.

Karin came to the bar. They try their best to act like they're okay but Naruto could tell that they weren't.

The night eventually came to an end.

…

…

…

Days passed.

…

…

…

The week was coming to an end.

…

…

…

~/But when I leave, /

I know that one day it's an ocean I'll...

Well, I know that one day it's an ocean I'll be.

(OCEAN - Lauren Aquilina)~

…

…

…

Finally, it was Sunday.

…

…

…

Sakura enters the changing room and is greeted by an explosion of confetti.

"Thank you for your hard work!~", sang Tayuya and Kin Tsuchi.

"Err… Yes. Thank you for taking care of me." Sakura bowed in gratitude.

"What? That's it? Karin's reaction earlier was more emotional." Kin Tsuchi frowned.

"Sorry." Sakura then walked towards her locker.

"So~ Tomorrow. We're hanging out okay?", said Tayuya.

Sakura looked puzzled. "Huh?"

"We're gonna have a farewell party for you and Karin.", explained Kin Tsuchi.

"Karin said yes?", wondered Sakura.

"Of course she said yes.",

"Oh. Well… That's really nice but..."

"Come on! It'll just be us girls.", said Tayuya.

"Sorry. I already made plans."

"What? Seriously?!"

Sakura lowered her head in apology. "I'm really sorry."

"That's lame!"

"But you three go ahead and have fun tomorrow."

"But…"

"It's fine. I'm thankful enough that you thought of me. I'm really sorry I can't make it."

Tayuya let out a sigh while Kin Tsuchi looked disappointed.

"Okay.", said Kin Tsuchi. "But… if by any chance it's possible for you to join us, please do."

"Uhn." Sakura nodded.

"Well, then. This is bye I guess.", said Tayuya. "We'll see you when we see you."

"It's been fun having you around here. We're really going to miss you. Stay in touch okay?", added Kin Tsuchi.

Sakura smiled at them.

The two girls patted her on the shoulder before getting their things and leaving the room.

Sakura let out a sigh as soon as she was alone.

.

.

.

On her way to the kitchen, she ran into Kimimaru and Jugo.

"Thanks for your hard work.", they told her.

Sakura bowed to them. "Thanks for having me."

"Bye Sakura.", bid Kimimaru.

"Guess we'll see you around.", said Jugo.

"Yeah. Take care the both of you.", she responded. "And everyone else. Please tell them for me."

"We will.", said Jugo before he and Kimimaru left.

.

.

.

"Yo!" Sakura peeked inside the kitchen.

Suigetsu looked away from the sink.

"Don't work too hard now."

Suigetsu put down the plate he was washing. "Yeah, you too. Stay out of troublesome situations."

"Hehe~ I'll try my best although I can't make any promises." Sakura waved at him. "Goodbye Sui. I wish you the best."

"Whatever! Get out of here already!" Suigetsu tried to act tough.

"So grumpy." Sakura pouted then smiled. "This could be the last time we'll see each other you know."

Suigetsu move towards her and placed his wet hands on the top of her head. "Everything we'll be okay."

"Eh?"

"You're gonna be fine. You'll see."

Sakura nodded and smiled at him. "Yeah."

Suigetsu grinned and ruffled her hair.

"Hey!"

He suddenly leaned closer. "You make sure your last words to /him /count as well.", he whispered.

"What?"

Suigetsu quickly stepped back and moved away from her. "Go on. Get out of here!"

Sakura turned away in confusion when Suigetsu went back to washing the dishes.

And that's when she realized that Sasuke was right behind her.

"I'll walk you out."

Sakura lowered her head. "Okay."

.

.

.

The two of them made their way out of Otogakure silently.

['Make the last words count huh?']

When they were near the sidewalk, Sakura tried to say something but-

/"I thought I could have my fun with you. That's all it was!…"/

Sakura shakingly shut her mouth tight.

"Sakura.", Sasuke spoke.

She looked away.

Sasuke took the hint. Whatever he wanted to tell her, he shut it away.

…

A cab stopped in front of them and Sakura quickly got in.

Sasuke didn't bother waiting for the car to leave. He turned around and walked back towards the bar as soon as she shut the door.

The car drives away and she couldn't help but steal a last glance at him.

At his back.

…

/"I thought that you just wanted to have fun too! Clearly, I was wrong. My bad! Good thing we haven't fucked yet right? You get to walk away from this with a lot more than just your dignity intact."/

…

Sakura toughened herself and turned away.

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.

.

-Sunday-

It was half passed noon.

Sakura was lying down on the couch trying to take a nap. She wore a grey t-shirt and a pair of denim shorts.

The television was turned on even though no one was watching.

The old and worn out floor fan gave out loud noises as it swivels from side to side.

The noise her mother was making by washing the dishes in the kitchen could also be heard all the way to the living room.

Her phone that was on top of the coffee table suddenly vibrates.

Sakura turns to her side and hugged a pillow close to her face.

Noises overlap. The first noise to die down was the noise coming from the kitchen. It was then replaced by the sound of stomping feet getting relatively closer.

"Sakura!", called Mebuki as she walked into the living room. "Sakura! Your phone! I can hear it all the way to the kitchen."

"Let it go to voicemail.", she murmured.

The phone went silent.

Mebuki walked towards the television and turned it off.

The phone vibrates again.

"Sakura. Maybe it's important. What if it's an emergency?"

"Then they should be calling the hospital or their relatives instead.", she mumbled lazily.

"Don't be a smart ass young lady."

Sakura gave her mother no more response.

…

The phone went silent again.

Mebuki was on her way back to the kitchen when Sakura's phone vibrated again. She stopped and turned on her heel.

"Hello.", Mebuki answered the call.

"Okaasan!", Sakura turned around so quickly that she fell down on the floor.

"This is Sakura's phone. Who is this?", Mebuki asked the caller. "O-Orochimaru? Who are you?"

Sakura got on her feet and immediately took her phone back from her mother.

"Hello!"

"…/I would like to speak to Sakura please."/

"Yes! This is her. I mean, it's me Orochimaru-san.", said Sakura as she glared at her mother who was grinning victoriously as she went back to the kitchen. "H-how can I help you?"

"Hi Sakura-chan. It's been a while."

"Yes. Hi."

"Kabuto-kun and I came back from our trip early this morning. I found out that Kin Tsuchi-chan and Tayuya-chan were supposed to throw some sort of farewell party for you and Karin-chan."

"Y-Yes. But, I-" She tried to reach for her hairclips but then she remembered that she had lost it and threw her head back in frustration. "I... I... won't be able to make it though."

"So I was told. You already made plans today right?"

"Y-Yes Sir.", she lied. She balled her free hand into a fist.

"Are you with anyone?"

"No. J-Just me. Just running some back-to-school errand." Sakura pressed her lips together and started rubbing her temple.

"Oh. Then, since you're already out somewhere around town, do you mind sparing me a few moments of your time?"

"Eh?"

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.

.

Sakura put on a long red and black flannel shirt over her grey t-shirt and made her way to the genkan.

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.

.

"You're heading out?", wondered Kizashi as he came in from the door that was connected to the bath house.

"Yes but just for a bit.", answered Sakura as she was putting on her ankle boots.

"Okay. Be careful."

"Uhn." Sakura stood up and made sure she was comfortable in her shoes. "I'm off.", she told her father before making her way out of the door.

.

.

.

Sakura entered the restaurant and looked around for Orochimaru.

She found him waving at her from a booth far in the back.

Sakura nodded at him and made her way to join him.

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.

.

"Good afternoon Sakura-chan. Please have a sit.", Orochimaru gestured for the seat in front of him.

"Thank you." Sakura sat down.

"Thank you for taking a moment from your busy schedule to see me Sakura-chan." Orochimaru smiled.

"Y-Yes. It's no p-problem at all." Sakura adjusted herself on her seat.

A waitress came by. "Are you ready to order?", she inquired.

"Yes. We'll both have green tea and… syrup-coated anko dumplings for the young lady over here.", Orochimaru told the waitress. "That would be all."

"That's two green tea and one order of syrup coated anko dumplings?", the waitress repeated the order.

Orochimaru nodded.

"Okay Sir. Please wait a moment. I will be back with your order soon."

"Thank you." Orochimaru smiled at the waitress.

"T-Thank you." Sakura followed suit.

The waitress bowed and took her leave.

"Err… How did you know that that's what I would order?", wondered Sakura.

"Sasuke-kun mentioned it was your favorite."

"Eh?"

"Once on my trip I called him to ask how everything was back here. It happened to be the same day I was shopping for some souvenirs to bring back for all of you. I jokingly asked him what your favourite food was. Apparently he had an answer so there was no need to ask you personally."

"Oh. H-He could've been wrong you know?"

"But he wasn't. Right?"

Sakura nodded. "Uhm. By the way, what is it that you wanted to talk about?"

"Many things actually.", he admitted. "But I can't really disclose much. For Sasuke-kun's sake."

"That again." Sakura frowned.

"Ah yes. Suigetsu filled me in about what has happened over the weeks."

Sakura fell silent.

"You know, Sasuke-kun is very important to all of us at Otogakure. I'm sure that for his family and friends, Sasuke-kun leaving home was nothing but a stupid and reckless action. He put himself in unnecessary danger and hardships. Maybe it really was a mistake on his part but…

/We /at Otogakure will always be grateful for that mistake. When Sasuke first found me, I was a miserable person. I was a frustrated musician who had to retire early due to an accident that took away my gift." Orochimaru looked down at his hands.

"These hands doesn't work the same way it used to. Even after so many surgeries and therapies, I just couldn't play like I used to. I was able to use them again to hold things, feed myself, get through every day like a normal person… I can even do tattoos but… I could never be as good as I was back then. With such skills, I couldn't possibly compete in the music world ever again."

"I-I'm sorry to hear that."

Orochimaru looked at Sakura again. "It took a while for the reality of my situation to sink in. By then, the bar was all that's left of me. But I couldn't afford to keep it open so I considered selling it. That's when Sasuke-kun found me. He- Let's just say, he… helped me in order to take a new direction with my life. I got my house back and as he suggested, I turned it into a dormitory. It was also his idea to let some music teachers rent my studio on the first floor for teaching purposes."

The waitress arrived and served them their tea and a plate of syrup-coated anko dumplings. "Enjoy.", said the waitress before excusing herself.

Orochimaru smiled at the waitress before resuming the story. "Then, he just started bringing in people that he found on the street to live with him in the dorm. The first ones; Tayuya-chan and Kin Tsuchi-chan. They almost gave in to prostitution just to be able to get through the previous school year. Lucky for them, they targeted Sasuke-kun first."

"Eh?" Sakura was taken aback.

"He ended up bringing them to the dorm and offering them an alternative. He told them that if they could bring in some tenants, I'd let them stay there for free during the first two months. They agreed.

Tayuya-chan brought her brother Jirobo-kun who brought some of his friends. Kin Tsuchi-chan brought Zaku-kun and Dosu-kun. All of them had a few quirks and didn't fit in no matter where they go so they had a hard time looking for a place to stay. We took them all in.

Kabuto-kun was also having trouble finding employment so I offered him a short-term job as the dorm's caretaker. He ended up liking working for me and stayed for good.

Of course, most of them had financial problems to begin with so it was only a matter of time before paying rent would become a problem for each and every one of them. But Sasuke-kun suggested another idea. That's when I re-opened the bar. Everyone agreed to stay in the dorm in exchange for working at the bar."

Soon, Sasuke-kun invited Jugo-kun to join us. He was always getting in trouble with people. Sasuke-kun thought he'd be a perfect bouncer. Jugo-kun said he'd only take the job if we also took in Kimimaru-kun. He was a very devoted friend to him. Of course we didn't have any trouble agreeing to his terms just as those two didn't have any trouble moving into the dorm with the rest of us.

Finally, there's Suigetsu-kun. He's a wise kid with a strong personality. But he lacks motivation and purpose. He can't find anything to be passionate about. He sees the world and life itself as a mundane thing. But when he met Sasuke-kun and heard his story, he changed. He doesn't really need to live in the dorm nor does he need to work for money. He just finds being with Sasuke-kun special so he decided to follow him wherever he went."

Sakura was speechless.

"There's only a few of us who are able to witness Sasuke-kun's deeds. Only the few of us knows about the kindness he is capable of. One side of this story talks about a rebellious boy who closed his heart to the world when he lost what was most precious to him. But on the other side, is a boy who despite being angry, miserable and unhappy continuous to leave a mark on people's heart. Even if it's just a small mark. Even if there's only a few people who will see it. Even if most of them won't even be appreciative."

['There was a time when I thought that way about him too but...']

…

/"I thought I could have my fun with you. That's all it was! I was… tired of my daily routine. I was bored and… Sure you help me with my problems along the way and I'm grateful but… seeing you fall emotionally apart was part of the game. I wanted to play with you until you couldn't hold out much longer. It took longer than I expected and I just got bored of you."/

…

['But I guess, to him that can be considered kindness…']

…

/"But like I said, I'm grateful for everything you've done for me. That's why I tried to let you off easily by slowly giving you space. This dinner was a sincere favor I wanted to ask of you as a friend but, I made a mistake early this morning. Old habits die hard. It was a mistake. I knew I screwed up. It wasn't supposed to end like this. Three more weeks and we could've gone our separate ways peacefully."/

…

['Whatever… I'm sick of all of it. Just leave me alone already.']

"W-Why are you telling me all of this now?", she asked him.

Orochimaru took out a box wrapped in brown paper and placed it on top of the table. It was approximately eight inches by four inches by one and three fourth inches.

"What is it?"

"A farewell present.", he answered.

"T-That's not necessary."

"After all that's happened… Maybe one day you'll look back to this day and feel like everything was just a waste of time. A wrong decision you made that lead to a very horrible consequence. You may come to regret it deeply."

['One day?! I regret everything right now!']

"But know this… All of us from Otogakure had always been aware of your desire to help Sasuke-kun.", he added. "We know you tried. Given what you know and what you were capable of, you reached out to him. For all the concern and… everything else that you have given Sasuke-kun we are truly grateful." Orochimaru lowered his head in gratitude.

"Please. Stop it. I… already told all of you, it was all for my own selfish reasons. I- It was all for /me/. /For my own sake/. I don't deserve any of your gratitude." Sakura was frustrated.

"Then, for your own sake as well… Accept it.", he insisted.

"…?!"

"You might be angry at Sasuke-kun. You might be angry at yourself. Maybe you're angry at him and yourself. My suggestion… Keep this. Hold onto it but don't open it until you're ready to forgive whoever it is that you need to forgive. You'll understand when that time comes. I promise you… You won't regret it."

Orochimaru stood up. "Well then, it's been a wonderful pleasure meeting you Sakura-chan. Come and pay us a visit whenever you feel like it. Otogakure will be more than happy to welcome you any time."

He bowed to her one last time before leaving money on the table and making his way to the exit.

…

Sakura stared at the wrapped box in silent.

.

.

.

"He said that?!", pressed Ino.

"Yes.", answered Sakura.

"Well then, what are you going to do with it?" Ino glanced at the box.

She and Sakura sat crossed-legged on her bed. They were facing one another with the box placed right in between them.

"I'm... not sure. That's why I came here to ask you."

"Oh. I- I don't know Sakura, the last time I gave you an advice and you took it, it didn't exactly ended well for you-"

Sakura raised an eyebrow at her.

"What?! I blame myself. You wouldn't have been hurt so bad if I didn't convince you to go to Sasuke and tell him how you feel."

"I decided to go to him and tell him how I feel.", Sakura reassured her. "I came to you because I needed to know that you had my back. Your support was what I needed at the time to become brave enough to do what I had already thought of doing. I had already considered telling him everything even before I went to see you remember? I- I… needed the push. I needed to know that I wasn't the only one who thinks that I… could compete against Karin."

"And you weren't."

"But... in the end, I wasn't good enough." Sakura shrugged.

"Aargh~!", Ino groaned in frustration. "Look at you! Look what Sasuke did to you. You cut your hair. You've lost a lot of weight. Y-You regressed back into this unconfident, self-loathing, depressed person. He ruined you!"

Ino got off of her bed and straightened her sleeveless denim shirt dress then reached for her phone that was on top of her desk. "Where's Sasori when you need him?! Why hasn't he called me back yet? I already told him what happened!"

"You told him?!", Sakura was distressed. "Why did you do that?"

"Why not?"

"Ino!"

"What?! I had to tell him that Sasuke didn't accept your confession and that he got another shot at you."

"What?! No!" Sakura threw her hand in the air. "No. Just No!"

"What do you mean no?! What's wrong with you?'

"Ino. Sasori- He… Remember what you said about how Sasori deserve to fall in love /for real/?"

Ino nodded.

"I agree. He does! He deserve so much better than me. So don't- Stop pushing the two of us together."

"But- R-Right. Sorry. Sorry if I'm often... /inconsistent/. Sometimes I just say what I feel you need to hear without really considering your situation. That makes me a 'horrible' friend now that I think about it."

"No you're not. Okay. Maybe /sometimes/."

Ino looked at Sakura as if she felt extremely offended.

…

Ino couldn't hold that expression for too long and the two girls ended up breaking into giggles.

Sakura shifted and laid down.

Ino set her phone down on the desk again before climbing back onto her bed and lying down beside Sakura.

"You know, maybe it's just as you said.", considered Ino.

"Hm."

"Maybe you just needed to know that I'm here for you. You had already considered keeping it didn't you?"

Sakura looked at the box.

"Yeah. I supposed I did.", she admitted.

.

.

.