Naruto 1. Chapter 1

With what seemed like incredible effort, Sakura hoisted herself to her feet and looked over the small townhouse for what she knew would be the last time. Half of her wanted to memorize every little detail of the space she'd spent the last five years of her life in but she found herself feeling oddly apathetic over the ordeal; there was no real use for such memories now.

Silently she retrieved the last two boxes of her belongings at the foot of the stairs, effectively erasing herself from the little abode. Sasuke's belongings still lay where they always had even before they'd gotten together ― there was nothing left to remind him of the time they'd spent together. Most of it had been pleasant, yes, but some irreconcilable differences were reason enough for the two to head their separate ways. Even with the finality of it all, she had done so much crying in their past that now everything felt quiet and calm within her. The storm that had brewed within her whenever she was near Sasuke lately had left in favor of a clear blue sky.

"Are you done yet?" Called a girl's voice from the other room, followed by the entrance of the girl herself, whose arms were filled precariously with more boxes labeled in black marker 'SAKURA'. Sweat beaded at her widow's peak and her usually neat blonde ponytail was beginning to come undone, setting free a few stray strands that poked out here and there; the two had been hard at work. "Honestly how much shit can one girl have?" Ino Yamanaka asked in a bemused tone, dropping her load on the ground to find her bearings.

Honestly, Sakura couldn't have been more thankful to run into Ino ― or rather, Ino had run into her ― when her moment of need had arisen. After a particularly nasty spat with her now ex-boyfriend, Sakura had half-jogged half-ran in a fit of anger to the local park to call her mother and finally tell her about the problems she and Sasuke were having and the eminent break-up that would soon follow. Rather unfortunately, Sakura's mother adored the boy whom she hoped would one day become her son-in-law, and thus she often persuaded Sakura out of any ill-conceived notions of trying to leave him. It may have been fortunate at the height of their relationship but it was nothing but troublesome trying to speak with her now. Whilst crying vehemently and explaining the situation to her stubborn mother, it was Ino that quite literally ran into Sakura.

Clad in exercise garb and sweatbands decorating her extremities here and there, the blonde rounded the corner and ran right into the crying pink-haired girl. " ― Oh shit!" The blonde had exclaimed, helping collect up the sobbing girl from the ground. "I'm so sorry ― this is the first time I've ever jogged here, I don't know the layout that good and ― hey, don't I know you?"

Sakura had blinked away her tears, watching the not-so-strange stranger help her up until realizing who this girl was. "Ino, is that you?"

Since then, their friendship had begun to flourish once again, just in time to help Sakura out of the pit of despair that sometimes came with a break-up. While they hadn't seen one another for around five years, it felt like they had seen each other only yesterday. Thankfully their friendship had not been affected by time spent apart.

"Care to take a break?" Ino asked with a carefree sigh, obviously unconcerned with what Sakura's answer may have been as she plopped down on stairs, breaking Sakura out of her thoughtfulness.

With what felt like limbs made of lead, Sakura retrieved two chilly water bottles from the fridge, tossing one to Ino before taking a seat beside her on the stairs. Sakura's silence seemed to trouble Ino, for at quiet intervals she tried and failed at a few attempts at making pleasant conversation.

"I'm not upset." Sakura assured the blonde, taking a long sip from her water bottle. "I'm a little excited, actually. I get to start my life again." It was incredibly true. While Sasuke had been supportive in most things productive, his anti-social negative nature kept her from being the social little butterfly she'd always been, even going as far as driving away kind people with his abrasiveness that bordered on rudeness. Even just sitting and talking with Ino would've been impossible a month ago, but things were changing for the better already.

Her words seemed to be what Ino was hoping to hear, for her strained pleasantries ceased after hearing them. "So when's the prince of darkness getting home?" She asked dryly, casting her gaze about the home, now able to fully cast her judgement upon the home without fear of insulting any of Sakura's personal taste by mistake.

"We won't see him." Sakura answered simply, her voice calm. She'd timed the little get together perfectly as to completely avoid seeing head nor hair of Sasuke ― he'd still be at work long after the two women would be leaving. She liked it better that way ― no pressure, no rush, no problem. Ino seemed to relax a little upon hearing the news, she smiled (though Sakura noted it was mostly to herself than anyone else) and didn't bring him up again, electing to complain loudly about Sasuke's furniture choices without calling him by name. Sakura sat nodding beside her in the humid room, sipping from her lukewarm water bottle but couldn't help feeling strangely at ease.

* * *

"My salad days, / When I was green in judgment, cold in blood." - Shakespeare


	2. Chapter 2

Being single and (mostly) independent felt exactly as Sakura had remembered it prior to living with Sasuke. Her old bedroom was packed to claustrophobic heights not unlike the messiness it had harbored in the past, to the absolute horror of her parents. After her departure it had been transformed into a quaint and tidy little guest bedroom but after sixteen boxes and a menagerie of pillows stuffed into a 10 x 11 little room, it resembled more of a warehouse.

Every now and then her father Kizashi would peek his head in the doorway and ask if she needed any help with a sheepish smile but Sakura opted to turn him down. In all honesty she didn't feel the need to unpack anything but the bare essentials because she'd already half-heartedly decided she would try living on her own very soon. She could imagine Ino's teasing tone if she were to ask for moving help once again, "_I've got to help you pack up all that shit again_?"

While she wasn't against asking for help, it felt troublesome asking too many favors of the blonde so soon after rekindling their friendship. She would wait until the very last moment to tell her about anything certain. It was no use mentioning until she'd at the very least gone to look at apartments or signed a lease. Perhaps whenever they needed a little excitement in their conversation.

Quietly, her phone buzzed from within her purse, evidence of a text message. In she and Sasuke's townhome it might've gone unnoticed but in the tight silent walls of her room, she imagined a pin dropping would even make a considerable racket. As quietly as possible she crept across the room to retrieve her phone and sprawled herself back on the bed where space would allow. She was determined to make as little sound as possible to avoid alerting her father to any potential heavy lifting and avoid hearing, "Need some help, lambchop?" a fifteenth time. He was wonderful in almost all regards, really, but sometimes he could be a little much.

With her phone in hand she flipped it open to find a message awaiting her from Ino, as if Ino had known Sakura had been thinking of her a moment earlier. She hadn't expected any less from her phone, it had been truly ages since she had received any messages besides those from Sasuke, who was decidedly less chatty ― which she realized with a pang she would no longer be receiving. The mourning period had already passed but thoughts of Sasuke littered her post-Sasuke life here and there. It didn't feel like it was getting any easier.

Ino's message was short and to the point: _Getting along with the folks?_

Sakura's immediate answer would've been a simple _'yes_' but it was hard to say. Staying with her parents made her feel tense and on edge, her privacy breached and her freedom feeling akin to her high school years. However, she'd take it over living with an ex any day. It felt good to be independent of Sasuke, even if she had become temporarily dependent on her parents.

Before she had the chance to answer at her grandma typing speed, her mother Mebuki entered the room, her expression just as intense as usual beneath her blonde head of hair. Sakura often envied her mother for having such a stern expression. She imagined it would keep any muggers or pickpockets at a distance but she realized with a pang that it probably kept friendly people at bay as well ― which was her mother trying to accomplish? she wondered.

"Are you busy?" Her mother asked calmly, a polar opposite to her fierce facial expression. Sakura met her eyes as steadily as she could, eyes the same color that looked back at her every morning in the mirror. She hadn't been looking forward to any solitary conversations with her mother and had done her best to avoid them but she found it was impossible to look busy while sprawled on the bed.

"Not really." She answered half-heartedly, pulling herself into a sitting position and abandoning her phone on top of a box to her right. Taking this as an invitation, her mother took a seat beside her, scrutinizing the mess of the cluttered room with every glance.

"Are you sure about this?" Mebuki asked glumly, probing Sakura's eyes with a deft precision. "You should really think this one through, honey." Sakura averted her gaze automatically, her eyebrow twitching in annoyance. 'It isn't her fault.' She had to coach herself silently despite the blood rushing in her ears. She had asked herself if she was sure a million times before even daring to tell Sasuke, before daring to tell her mother, before daring to pack, before daring to remove herself from their home. The question had been on her mind for so long that it felt as if her mother was six months in the past where Sakura had first wondered it herself and for that reason she was irritated.

"I have thought it through, several times!" Sakura all but snapped out, trying her best to hold back her anger. "I'm completely sure. You're the one who wants me to have doubts." It wasn't her mother's fault but it felt so easy to be angry with her when she could hardly be angry at Sasuke. She could see why her mother enjoyed him so much but for that same reason she had come to resent him. He was perfect, as perfect as a person can be. But he wasn't perfect for her. Sometimes the most beautiful people are very ugly up close. She had thought the good outweighed the bad but she had been wrong, and the only person to blame was herself ― and for that she was angry.

Her mother frowned, a harsh frown that marred her fierce, blank expression and revealed more emotion than Sakura was used to seeing. She didn't look angry per se, but Sakura chose not to continue once that frown settled onto her mother's mouth. "I just don't want you to look back in 10 years and wish you'd married him when you had the chance."

The thought of regretting getting married to Sasuke was laughable, so much so that Sakura did choke out a laugh. "Not likely." she said with a smirk, anger dissipating as quickly as it had come to form, "He's a jerk with a tiny dick."

"Sakura!" Mebuki said critically at her daughter's vulgarity though when Sakura looked up she saw that her mother was laughing too. It was infinitely easier to make fun of Sasuke than be angry at her mother, especially when she was able to laugh along with her. It may have been immature but in the moment is felt pretty damn good.

― ―

It wasn't until hours later when it was nearly time to go to bed did Sakura realize she'd left Ino's text unanswered. Part of her felt bad for not getting back to her but the rest of her wasn't all that upset ― she had had a much needed talk with her mom to set the record straight and things had turned out better than she'd expected.

She opened Ino's text and slowly typed out her reply. She had decided what to say: '_Yes. So much so that I'm going to start looking for an apartment_.'

Ino called after what seemed like a second after Sakura had hit send. Her excited voice rang crystal clear in Sakura's ear, "That's awesome, have you picked a place? Is it in the area? Make sure it has central air! Maybe you could move into my building!" Ino babbled excitedly for what seemed like hours though Sakura couldn't find any reason to complain, finding herself smiling more than she'd been able to in entirely too long. "We should celebrate!"

Sakura made a noise of agreement, and as she turned over in bed, it seemed Ino's mood had mellowed out and she said in a more serious tone, "I can understand wanting to move out of your parents' house."

"Oh?" Sakura asked, curious.

"Yeah," Ino said quietly, the hint of a smile creeping into her voice. Sakura pressed the phone harder against her ear to listen to every word. She thought silently of how close to each other they'd have to be to be able for her to hear Ino's thrilling quiet voice as clearly as she did through the phone pressed tight to her ear. "When an animal escapes at the circus, they _hate_ coming back, they'll keep trying to break out until the day they die once they get that taste of freedom."

It made a lot of sense to Sakura but left her completely unsure of what to say next. However Ino took the initiative for her, adding, "By the way, you suck at texting."

Sakura would drift off that night still clutching the warm phone in her hand, wearing a smile that would last far after she'd fallen asleep.


	3. Chapter 3

It came as an absolute surprise to Sakura that Ino had kept in touch with a lot of their mutual friends over the years. She hadn't remembered her to be particularly warm with anybody but it seemed they'd still hung around regardless. After pulling a few strings, Ino had even convinced some of them to come together in celebration. In Sakura's mind, there needn't be such a fuss over moving into her very first apartment but Ino wouldn't hear a word of it. Before Sakura knew it she was walking down the street huddled under a very unhelpful umbrella simultaneously towards the past where she had left her friends and the future where she would take them with her.

The whole little event felt overwhelming if nothing else but one step over the threshold and she knew the night would be an exciting one to say the least. The meeting place was a quaint restaurant, vaguely mexican-themed with heavy emphasis on drinking enough to forget that the polar bear was not native to Mexico, and therefore should not be portrayed on the mural of Mexican culture that was painted on the wall. In the far corner, Sakura could see Ino's long ponytail swishing with every mannerism she threw into her speech. Though she couldn't hear a word the girl spoke, she could see someone's face lighting up with laughter. The corners of her mouth itched to smile along with them. Hastily she shook her umbrella before heading toward the table.

"Hey!" cried a voice from behind her in excitement. Sakura turned to see a spiky-haired blonde boy looking absolutely elated to see her. Teetering dangerously in his hands and corners of his elbows were an assortment of drinks, the belly of his shirt already darkened with the stain of some spilled drink. "Did you just get here? Want me to go back and get you a drink?" He offered, beaming at her.

"No, no, here let me help you." Sakura smiled sheepishly, taking the drinks nestled in the crook of his arm that looked most in danger of being dropped. It felt strange standing next to Naruto Uzumaki. He and Sasuke had never quite gotten along. In essence they were rivals through and through, whose tempers would often get the better of them. A rivalry comparable to she and Ino's, even. Sasuke had kept her awake many nights miserable over the thought of the blonde boy besting him in anything. It was that fierce competitiveness that drove the two men apart. While Sasuke never truly gave up his desire to be the best at virtually anything, Naruto had learned some things were more important than winning, his nature no longer suitable to Sasuke's competitiveness.

She shuffled after him to the table where Ino was still standing, with her hands on her hips talking to those in the booth. "Took you long enough Naru ― oh, Sakura you're here!" Ino chirped happily, clasping her arm quick around the pink-haired girl's shoulders and pulling her close as if to show her off to the table, her audience while she continued her vulgar tale she'd been recounting moments before. The liquor on the blonde's breath told Sakura this party had already begun for her.

"She's been drinking already," Naruto explained, "She got here early to make sure everything would be perfect." He carefully extracted one of the glasses from Sakura's hands and handed it over to one of the boys sitting at the table. Their eyes met and Sakura couldn't help but smirk a little. Shikamaru Nara was one of the few guys Sakura had ever seen Ino bother to date, and though they were long since over with, their love life hadn't been tumultuous enough to ruin their friendship.

"Hey there." Shikamaru greeted half-heartedly, looking tired despite the grim smile on his face. Beside him, a chubby boy with long brown hair, Choji, smiled genuinely up at her before returning to the food dishes that littered the table.

Before Sakura could muster a hello, Ino was reaching into her arms for the final drink Sakura had been holding, which was evidently her's, slopping some of the concoction onto the floor but laughing despite herself.

"How troubleso ― " Shikamaru began.

"Hey hey! None of the t-word here, Nara!" Ino snapped, taking a brave gulp of her drink that left her shuddering long after the drink had gone down. "This is a celebration!" With brash confidence she steered Sakura into the booth, quickly scooting after her. Sakura was glad the blonde had taken a few gulps from her drink or it would've been spilled everywhere with her clumsy movements. On her other side, Naruto smiled and shrugged, nursing his own drink slowly. Sandwiched between the two blondes she would sit chatting amongst them for hours at Ino's persistent request ― "you gotta stay, Sakuraaaaaa" ― until the lights had come on and the place was shutting down for the night.

― ―

"Ino!" Naruto cried in exasperation, a disappointed scowl crossing his usual cheerful features. "How am I supposed to take you home now? How could you lose your keys?!"

Ino smiled easily, leaning dependently on Sakura's shoulder. Outside the restaurant it was damp and cool, the last remnant of the torrential downpour that had left Sakura soggy earlier that evening. "Some guy asked me for my number." she said simply, as if it had made all the sense in the world. "I couldn't think of a fake number to give him so I just handed him my keys."

"You always do this, christ!" Naruto huffed, though the trace of a smile flitted across his lips. "Did you even tell him where you live?"

At this, Ino smiled wider, exposing her white teeth. "He didn't even ask, the dumb drunk." Obviously the hypocrisy of her own words had gone right over her head, but Sakura couldn't help but laugh.

"She can stay at my place, I don't mind." Sakura said with the remnant of a laugh still in her voice. It felt extraordinary to be able to call somewhere her place. Ino hadn't been available for the moving-in (forcing Sakura to finally say yes to her father's, "Need some help, sweetpea?"), so she would decidedly be her very first guest.

Naruto paused, unsure whether it was a good idea, but Ino piped up louder than necessary, "To Sakura's place!" They said their goodbyes and headed in opposite directions, Sakura knowing full well that Naruto was peering over his shoulder every so often to make sure they were still alright. The guy had a big heart.

It may not have been a long walk from the apartment but certainly felt longer on the way back shouldering Ino's near dead-weight precarious steps. Every so often, Ino would sniff or clear her throat but was otherwise quiet for the walk, very different from her uproarious state earlier as she entertained the table and drank.

As they carefully clambered up the stairs to her third floor apartment, Ino said quietly in the shell of Sakura's ear, "I don't want to throw up." Her alcohol-stained breath felt like a cloud surrounding Sakura's head and she felt her ears burn red.

"I don't want you to throw up either." Sakura answered as steadily as she could, hoping for some fresh air once she was able to put the blonde on a nice soft surface without fear of her breaking her neck. Every key on the ring seemed to be wrong with Ino's hot breath falling in smooth elegant puffs on her neck. Finally she managed to jam the right key in with a rough shove and hurried into her apartment.

The stark white walls still felt so unfamiliar in comparison to the warm colors she had chosen for the home she and Sasuke had shared. An obstacle course of moving boxes still lay here and there between the door and her bedroom, Sakura adjusted her grip on Ino's hip and shuffled her across the room.

Her bed was made and covered with an abundance of pillows and for Sakura's aching shoulders from dragging Ino, it couldn't have looked more comfortable. Ino groaned gratefully as she sagged into the softness, curling her legs up to clumsily drop her shoes to the ground.

"Well?" Ino said suddenly, struggling over top the covers until she'd successfully slithered beneath him. "Aren't you going to kiss me goodnight?"

Sakura paused, looking at the pathetically drunk blonde, snuggled deep in her sheets, in her bed, in her smell. Her lips were pursed, no doubt dripping with the taste of bitter alcohol and whatever quiet taste of chapstick that managed to survive the night. For a few excruciatingly long moments she considered the idea, the invitation hanging in the air with the weight of the world on those words and yet Sakura couldn't help feeling feather-light, like her head was in the clouds, her heart fluttering excitedly in her chest.

"Goodnight, Ino."

The blonde stared, seeming on the cusp of saying something else but chose instead to smile to herself as if a secret had just been shared between the two of them. Whatever the secret may have been, she seemed to be relishing in it.

Swiftly, Sakura retrieved a small trashcan from the bathroom and placed it delicately beside the bed where Ino's head lay in the event she found the urge to vomit profusely. Better to be safe than sorry. Evidently she hadn't been too swift for by the time she'd returned, Ino was fast asleep. She envied the blonde for being able to so effortlessly drift off, no worry or concern too large to keep her grey-blue eyes open a second longer than they needed.

With her bedroom floor protected and the blonde sound asleep, Sakura climbed into bed beside her, their backs just barely touching. She thought guiltily of the last person she'd shared a bed with and what it had meant, bringing tears welling silently in her eyes. That kind of love and intimacy was long gone and she had little feelings left to linger on Sasuke but Ino's warm back against hers stirred something in her she hadn't realized she'd ever missed.

This simple physical closeness, hearing Ino's steady breathing and her sides rising and falling in a quiet procession. This familiarity where she could lay beside a warm body without feeling resentment or sadness. It had felt fine lying alone while staying at her parents, texting Ino far into the night until one of them had fallen asleep. It had felt fine, lying here beside the blonde, sharing body heat and the same air, it felt more wonderful than she could've ever imagined.

The thought of spending tomorrow night alone felt terribly lonely.

* * *

I just bought Animal Crossing: New Leaf. My mayoral duties keep distracting me from writing ;-;


	4. Chapter 4

When Sakura awoke the next morning, the space beside her was empty with the fleeting warmth of a body that had slept there. She felt a pang of loneliness realizing as little as an hour ago Ino had probably still been laying there beside her and Sakura hadn't even been able to say goodbye to her. Uneasily she thought of waking up after a night-time fight with Sasuke, where she would find the bed cold and empty as he'd gotten up early to avoid seeing her that morning. The thought made her stomach flip.

She didn't have time to dwell on it for far too long however, for her stomach growled aggressively as if angry her thoughts weren't on food already. As she sat up in her bed, relishing in the last bit of warmth she and Ino had shared, the smell of breakfast seemed to be all around her. The smell was no doubt from her neighbors who definitely had the right idea; her belly growled in jealousy.

With more effort than she cared to give at such an early hour, she peeled herself out of the clothes she had worn last night ― and subsequently had fallen asleep wearing ― and redressed herself in more comfortable clothes to lounge about her yet-to-be-unpacked apartment in. After all, today was her day off and it felt a shame not to wear pajamas all day.

After a quick splash of water to wake her up and a sluggish teeth brushing, she traveled out into the living room, finding the smell of breakfast growing stronger still. With a little flutter of panic in her stomach she realized some of the boxes littering her floor had been opened and some of her belongings lay here and there where they hadn't the night before. She wondered nervously if Ino had forgotten to lock the door behind her and someone had ransacked her home while she slept.

Noises from the kitchen sent alarm rushing through her and she reached for the only thing she thought could do any bodily harm ― a skinny black tie she'd worn while waitressing at a ritzy restaurant. At the very least she could strangle the burglar to death. Of course this would happen on the first day living alone, she thought bitterly, wishing she'd invested in an attack dog rather than a nice knife set that was conveniently in the intruder's hands rather than her own. Slipping into the kitchen with her black tie pulled taut in her hand, she prepared for the worst, however she was pleasantly surprised.

"Ino!" Sakura laughed, wiping the sweat from her brow. "God, you could've told me you were still here! I thought someone broke in with all that banging around!"

Ino smirked, clad in an apron wrapped around what Sakura recognized as another set of her own pajamas. "What, you thought I was a robber? What were you gonna do, dress me up all nice before the police arrived?" She asked, indicating the tie in her hands.

"Something like that." Sakura said with the breath of a laugh, dropping her useless weapon of a tie on the table and slumping into a chair. With an excited leap of her stomach she realized the smell that had permeated her apartment hadn't been her neighbors' cooking but rather Ino's.

"I was hoping you'd sleep a little longer so I could make you some customary thank-you-for-dragging-my-drunk-ass-into-your-hous e breakfast in bed." Ino said with an exaggerated sigh, flipping floppy bacon onto the skillet with a pleasant _tssss_. "But you ruined the surprise."

Sakura smiled to herself sadly, watching the blonde toil over the stove. It felt nice being served breakfast, and soon it would feel even nicer eating breakfast together. Sasuke left early in the morning for work and never had time to eat breakfast with her even if she got up early just to make breakfast for the two of them. Her thoughts crept up to her lips before she'd realized and she found herself murmuring quietly, "I was with Sasuke for 5 years and he never made me breakfast in bed."

At the sound of Sasuke's name, Ino dropped the spatula to the floor, swearing at her own clumsiness. When she'd rinsed it off and returned to the stove she said blandly, "He's a dick." Ino glanced over her shoulder at the pinkette uncomfortably, smiling with what looked like guilt as if hoping something had changed while her back was turned. Evidently, nothing had, for she turned back to the sizzling bacon and allowed herself a quiet sigh.

Normally Sakura would've questioned her peculiar behavior but before she could hope to ask, Ino was coming at her with three plates and a fistful of silverware. French toast, bacon and eggs were piled high on one plate while on another (which was placed delicately in front of her) was adorned with two sunny side up eggs and a piece of bacon smiling up at her. "This would've been a lot cuter in bed." Ino said smirking, pushing pieces of french toast onto her plate. "Naruto always wakes up all dazed and then gives me a look like his dream just came true."

"Does he take you home a lot?" Sakura asked with a tinge of uneasiness in her voice, nibbling on the crispy bacon smile to fill the awkward silence that followed. She wasn't sure why she'd asked or what answer she'd been hoping for but now she wished she'd spent more time shoveling food into her mouth. She ate faster.

Ino swallowed hard, wiping her mouth on the apron still tied around her. "Better with him than some sleazy guy." She said mildly, sounding to Sakura as if she'd chosen her words very carefully. "The good thing about staying at Naruto's is he lets me have the whole bed to myself." She added, smiling nervously.

The ball of anxiety in Sakura's stomach seemed to uncurl itself gracefully, allowing her to relax again if only by the slightest. She wasn't sure why it bothered her so much to think of Ino sleeping with Naruto ― Ino was a grown woman, she could sleep with whomever she pleased. Perhaps it was the connotation that sleeping with another person brought ― because of course sleeping together could always lead to less than innocently _sleeping together_. Ino's carefully chosen words were just enough to put her a little more at ease, knowing that they did not share a bed. In fact, Sakura's stomach fluttered excitedly to think perhaps she was the only friend Ino would share a bed with. What that meant exactly, Sakura wasn't sure, but the thought excited her nonetheless.

"Did the Prince of Darkness ever do anything nice for you?" Ino asked suddenly, to Sakura's complete surprise. Sasuke always seemed like a sour subject for Ino though Sakura couldn't for the life of her figure out why. "Sounds to me like I've had one-night-stands be nicer to me."

Sakura flushed, a flare of anger welling up within her that she hadn't realized was there. Maybe it was the thought of men taking advantage of a drunk Ino or maybe it was the realization that she had wasted 5 years with a thoughtless jerk but with her face burning scarlet, she stood from the table and collected her plate without a word.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean ― " Ino began, jumping to her feet with the sound of her chair sliding gracelessly across the linoleum in her hurry. "It ― it just sucks he wasn't very nice to you. You deserve a lot better."

Sakura nodded, running the hot water in the sink to begin washing the dishes. She couldn't bring herself to look at Ino with her face burning red at her words but she nodded silently, wrist-deep in soapy bubbles. In all honesty it felt awful hearing that she deserved better when Sasuke was perfect in so many ways ― and probably perfect for any other girl but Sakura. If she deserved better but for so many, Sasuke was the best, what hope did she have, really? She'd already had the best and it sucked. The thought of dating anyone again felt a little useless when she was just gaining her independence back. Besides, she didn't feel any urge for a relationship ― she had great friends, far better than her love life's tiny population. She had Ino.

Sakura's silence must have unsettled Ino, for she broke Sakura from her thoughts, saying quickly and quietly, "I should go." Swiftly she dropped the remaining dishes into the sink and disappeared into the living room in a flash before Sakura could even attempt to answer.

"Ino, wait!" Sakura called after her, frantically drying her hands on the apron Ino had left draped over the chair she'd been sitting at. Ino was clad in her bra and Sakura's pajama pants, quickly climbing back into her clothes from the night before. "I'm sorry. I'm not angry at you, just the past, I guess."

Ino pulled her wrinkled top over herself and smiled sadly, the same guilty smile she'd given her earlier. "I'm sorry for saying something insulting. I always manage to say the wrong thing," She laughed nervously, hiking on her shoes for the walk home. Though apologies had been exchanged, evidently the mood had been broken for Ino, for she was still determined to leave ― perhaps before she said something worse.

Before Sakura could convince her otherwise, Ino was hugging her as a "thank you" and a "goodbye", and heading out the door without one look back as Sakura watched her disappear down the hallway and round the corner out of sight. It felt as if something beyond Sakura's comprehension had occurred between them in that moment, between Sakura's silence and Ino's guilty expression but she couldn't figure out what. Worst of all, she couldn't help wondering for the entirety of the day what Ino's guilty smile may have meant.

* * *

_A/N: I love summer. In the past week I've watched all of Sword Art Online, began and caught up on Attack on Titan, written this chapter and half of the next one, written a drabble, planned 2 new fics, played the heck out of Animal Crossing: New Leaf and not once woken up before noon. And of course, thank you for all the kind reviews! :) I love to write, and knowing that someone else is enjoying it makes my heart sing! uwu_


	5. Chapter 5

Very suddenly, Sakura found herself on a date. Albeit, it was a picnic with a very strictly platonic friend, but a date nonetheless. It was not everyday that Naruto Uzumaki invited her out to see each other and she would not be turning down offers to be social. The park they met up at had already begun to change into vibrant fall colors, orange leaves thrown about playfully by the autumn wind. It was mostly empty, save for the occasional dog-walker or a stray child cutting across the expansive lawn, no doubt returning from school.

"I hope you like macaroni salad, Jiraiya's been making a ton of it." Naruto said with a grim smile, hulking a red cooler onto the picnic table and taking a seat. Sakura sat across from him, curling her scarf tighter around her neck to keep the chill away. She couldn't afford to be sick much while living on her own. She pulled plates and silverware out of the cooler trying not to think about runny noses and phlegm.

"As long as its not donuts, I think I'll manage." Sakura answered with a smirk, spooning some of the macaroni salad onto her plate. Naruto smiled in return, helping himself as well. Sakura happened to work at a quaint donut shop, fueling her dislike for the treats. Once upon a time she'd only needed the job to pay for utilities and groceries while living with Sasuke but now her entire paycheck went into sustaining herself. She didn't feel as if she were struggling but getting a second job didn't sound half bad for her finances either.

The two babbled cheerfully between bites for what felt like eons, Naruto never running out of topics to bring up and discuss. Sakura could remember inviting him over for dinner and staying up late into the evening, unable to squeeze in a "you should really get out of my house..." between his constant stream of conversation. In this regard, he was exactly as she remembered him years ago when he was still welcome in her home. It felt good knowing some things never change.

"So, did Ino throw up all over your sparkly new apartment the other day?" Naruto asked teasingly, pushing his plate aside with quiet revulsion ― clearly he was done with macaroni salad.

Sakura paused, searching his face for any sign of foreign emotion. He seemed genuinely curious and light-hearted but she had the sinking feeling he already knew the details from Ino already. Including some details Sakura would've liked to leave out. If that were the case, why ask Sakura? "Nah, she jumped in my bed and went right to sleep." She said mildly.

"Lucky!" Naruto laughed, to her absolute surprise. "Whenever I have to drag her to my place she barfs on my clean laundry every time. She's a spiteful puker."

The idea brought a playful smirk to her lips but she chose not to say anything. She felt a little better hearing something like that from Naruto, further solidifying that nothing actually happens when they spend the night together. Her distrust of him dissolved away as quickly as it had appeared.

"Anyway, I'm glad you two are friends again. It must've been hard losing your bestfriend over a bitch like Sasuke." Naruto said grimly, fishing through the cooler and seemingly materializing two pristine cans of soda for the both of them. It felt nice hearing Naruto insult Sasuke, not because she felt all that bitter or resentful towards him, but rather, in the short time Naruto and Sasuke had been close, their insults flying at one another had always made Sakura laugh. She could remember them both shouting rude names across the room at one another and the moment she laughed they would both forget about their argument for the moment to smile at her, both realizing how silly they must've seemed.

But if she really gave it more thought, had it really been hard losing Ino back then? It had been so long ago she could barely remember what had happened to drive her away. It had felt wonderful having her back in her life but she couldn't quite remember why she hadn't given the blonde a second thought for so many years, nor why they had never been in contact with one another again until now. Realizing she couldn't remember why Ino had disappeared out of her life for so long, she admitted with a sigh, "I feel like such an ass."

"Why?" Naruto piped up, his thin blonde eyebrows knitting together in concern.

Feeling in a decidedly honest mood, she explained, "I have no idea why she and I stopped being friends. I remember the day perfectly when Sasuke called you a pussy and a coward for not coming to play soccer with him on the anniversary of your parents' death ― he didn't know, I'm still sorry about that." Naruto's expression darkened but he didn't interrupt and his silence told Sakura she was still permitted to keep going, "I remember Shikamaru and Choji stopped coming around a little while after me and Ino had our falling out, because they're more of her friends than mine and didn't like Sasuke very much to begin with... But I can't remember why she and I stopped being friends."

Naruto smiled sadly to himself, tussling his own blonde locks thoughtfully. "She would be happy to hear that. I think she's been trying to forget since the day it happened." His words despite how light-hearted he'd spoken them sent Sakura's heart plummeting. Watching her glum expression he asked with a disappointed frown, "You really don't know?"

"Of course not, that's what I've been saying!" Sakura snapped, blood rushing to her cheeks at what she felt was a near-accusation. It felt downright awful now having complete affirmation that something had indeed happened between her and Ino once upon a time and it had been significant enough to Ino that she had never forgotten it but Sakura hadn't the faintest idea what it may have been. "If I did maybe I'd know why she's been acting so weird lately. I can't even say Sasuke's name in front of her!"

For a moment Naruto seemed to teeter on the edge of telling her but he glanced discreetly at his watch and murmured, "You're going to be late for work."

Sakura paused, considering checking the time herself in the event Naruto was just trying to weasel himself out of the situation but her eyes did not leave his, piercing him with her jade stare. "What happened, Naruto? If you know, please tell me. I want to fix whatever I did."

"I-It wasn't your fault, really..." Naruto began uneasily, glancing away as if worried the wrong ears would overhear what he was about to say. "Its just, you and Ino were both going after Sasuke, remember?"

Sakura considered the thought for a moment, feeling as if a whirlwind of memories were returning to her, completely insignificant moments when Sakura and Ino were young and lovestruck by the same raven-haired boy.

Her mind swarmed about a memory in which a younger version of herself lay sprawled on her belly across Ino's bed back at the Yamanaka home. Ino sat idly flipping through a magazine while her freshly painted toes drying in the hot, dry air.

_"You like him." Ino said in a matter-of-factly tone, thumbing through the magazine without looking up._

_The accusation left Sakura blushing hot and she pulled the red ribbon in her hair tighter, nervously. "Yeah ― and so do you." Sakura said gruffly, burying her face into the bedspread behind her crossed arms. "Hinata told me you're jealous I asked him to prom."_

_This little bit of information left Ino's eyebrows raised in amusement, though pink dusted her cheeks as well. "Jealous isn't the right word." She said simply, returning her gaze to her magazine though Sakura knew she wasn't reading one word. "I was pissed. The boy is supposed to ask the girl. You cheated. He would've asked me if he had the chance."_

_"I'm not just going to sit and be a wallflower." Sakura said hotly, her pink eyebrows knitted together in aggravation. "And if he wanted to ask you he would've asked already. I think jealous was the right word."_

_Ino scowled and barked, to no surprise of Sakura's, "Get out." This was Ino's favorite command when things weren't going her way in her house, Sakura had heard it many times before. Usually she didn't mean it but there was more fire in her voice than usual, breaking a threshold Sakura was unused to hearing. She was angry._

_"Fine." Sakura snapped, collecting up her backpack and storming out of the room with a slam of the door._

_"Don't slam my door!" Ino yelled from within her room, her voice following her down the hall. Ino's father, a burly man with a long flowing blonde ponytail rivaling even his daughter's, poked his head out from what Sakura knew was the study, shooting her a questioning look._

_"Sorry, Mr. Yamanaka." Sakura said curtly as she passed, avoiding meeting his gaze directly in fear of the tears bursting from her eyes with any unnecessary glances. "I won't be staying for dinner tonight."_

She wasn't sure why she remembered that memory specifically but it left a bad taste in her mouth, especially when she couldn't remember all the context as clearly as she would like. What had Ino meant by "you cheated"? While Naruto had stirred memories she hadn't been able to remember, they seemed to raise more questions than they answered.

Guiltily she glanced at her phone and noted grimly that if she didn't leave soon she would indeed be late. She stood, packing up everything from their makeshift picnic into the cooler with Naruto's help. "I've really gotta go. Thank you though, I'll have all my shift to think this over." She said quickly, tugging her scarf's knot tighter and adding with a smile, "It was nice spending time with you, I missed this."

Naruto nodded, a smile breaking across his lips as well. "Maybe something indoors next time?"

"Yes please!" Sakura said with a laugh, waving goodbye as she went on her way.

* * *

_This chapter should've been a lot shorter for the motif I've had going on but somehow I couldn't stop my fingers, weh. That's alright, its too early in the story for anyone to notice it anyway... ;-; _


	6. Chapter 6

The evening shift at Dippin' Donuts had always been the easiest (and therefore most coveted) of all shifts, and as such, it was quite rare that Sakura was able to snag it. After the doors closed for the night and only the drive-thru remained open, she and the rest of the crew would find their favorite spots to stand and text until someone drove up to order, which was thankfully few and far between at this time of night.

The hours waned on forever but not a single complaint left anyone's lips ― no one could turn down money for merely standing around. Periodically she would text Naruto or Ino (who seemed up to speaking to her now) and wait idly by the window for customers that may or may not be on their way. All this spare time allowed her quite a lot of time to think over what little Naruto had been able to tell her.

As far as she could tell (or remember), she and Ino had both liked Sasuke, and they had both been very aware of the other liking him. She could even remember her own smugness right after getting the "yes" from Sasuke, over having one-upped Ino. But what had driven the spike between them? The thoughts swam in her head for so long that the clock seemed to move faster than usual and her manager was already coming up to her. Discreetly he handed Sakura the key and asked if she was willing to close tonight without really waiting for an answer. Of course, it didn't matter to her ― the place was more bearable empty anyway, so she agreed.

As 2 am quickly approached she began instructing the rest of the crew to finish up their nightly cleaning while she finished up with turning all the machinery off for the night, nervously checking and rechecking. This was not her first time closing but the responsibility always made her a little jittery in fear that a mistake might make it her last. As the final hour winded down she made what she felt was a pretty hefty decision. She would ask Ino herself. With deft fingers she typed out a single question, "_Hey, can we talk?_" and without giving herself one second of doubt, pressed send.

Her heart pounded hard in her chest awaiting a reply but as the minutes ticked by it never came. She wasn't sure if she was disappointed or relieved, unable to stress further or relax. However as she ushered out the night crew so she could count the cash register for the end of the night, she noticed a blonde girl standing outside, cheeks red from evidently the run here. One of the employees glanced at Sakura skeptically, unsure whether to let the huffing and puffing blonde in but she gasped out, "I'm ― Sakura's ― ride home." Not giving it a second thought, the employee opened the door further and allowed Ino to enter.

"What are you doing here?" Sakura asked uneasily, counting out the first register without looking up at Ino. She hadn't seen Ino in days since her abrupt departure from her apartment and the last thing she wanted was to see that sad guilty smile of hers again.

Ino still didn't seem fit to answer her question but held up her phone feebly. "Answering ― your message." She said through her heaving gasps. She swore at her feet, grumbling, "Wow. It feels ― like gym class all ― over again."

"You could've answered like a regular human being." Sakura said with a smirk but Ino wasn't smiling at her, her eyebrows knitted together in a less than happy expression.

"I will never answer a 'can we talk?' text message. Its always something bad so I'd rather hear it in person." Ino explained, seeming to have found her bearings at last. "So what's up? Did your apartment burn down? Are you pregnant?"

"No!" Sakura said automatically, feeling more stunned on the inside than she felt her face portrayed. Privately she wondered if Ino thought about Sakura's sex life the way Sakura thought about hers ― with the faintest trace of anxiety. "I wanted to talk ― about everything."

Ino's eyebrows lifted in curiosity. "That's a pretty broad topic, it might take a few days. You can take notes if you like." Ino quipped mildly, though there was no smile on her face nor in her voice.

Choosing not to beat around the bush though her heart thudded rapidly in her chest, Sakura took a deep breath and asked, "Why did we stop being friends?"

With how much Naruto had emphasized Ino's preoccupation with this era of their friendship, Sakura had expected a bit of shock or panic to register on Ino's face but her expression remained completely unchanged. When she opened her mouth, it was a different story however, for her unsteady voice betrayed her heart more than her expression ever could. "Why should we care about that? That's... in the past."

"Its still bothering you though." Sakura insisted, putting her hand on the blonde's shoulder in some meager attempt at comfort. Ino didn't relax but she didn't push her hand away either.

"Naruto told me. You don't even remember what happened." There was nothing accusatory in Ino's tone but it pierced Sakura down to the bone, hurt bubbling in the pit of her stomach at the thought of Naruto selling her out. "Don't blame him." She said quickly, seeing Sakura's expression change. "He's a better friend than I've ever been."

"Why do you say that?" Sakura asked dryly, growing tired of the run around both of the blondes seemed to be giving her. "What does any of this even mean?"

"It means," Ino gave herself a moment to compose herself, evidently this was taking more out of her than Sakura had given her credit for. "We made a promise and I broke it."

"Promise?" Sakura asked, her voice fading into her thoughts. The word sounded foreign in her mouth, like she'd never uttered the word without the context Ino was trying to give.

Watching Sakura's mystified expression (perhaps checking for sure that there was no trace of anger on the Haruno's face), Ino continued, smiling sadly, "We promised we wouldn't hate each other if the other got to date him ― Sasuke, I mean. But I hated you. I hated you both."

Sakura smiled feebly, her heart feeling more at ease than it had in a long time. "That's it?" She asked gently, "That's all?"

An expression of frustration passed over Ino's face, her cheeks burning an unpleasant pink. "You're so clueless sometimes, Sakura." Despite this, a smile graced her face. "Seeing how much you liked Sasuke showed me a really cute side of you."

Listening to Ino speak after feeling such relief that it had been a minor issue made Sakura feel like she was a hundred leagues under the sea. Ino was speaking words but she hardly made any sense, she wished the blonde would just hold up a neon sign with exactly what she wanted Sakura to understand.

To her surprise, Ino indulged her. "I wished I could see that cute side of you more so I made you fight me for him. Until you won and that cute side became something only Sasuke was allowed to see." She was no longer smiling. "And I absolutely hated you for that."

This forgotten memory caught her off guard.

"_Ino, you promised!" Sakura cried, wiping swollen tears from her pink cheeks. They had been arguing for what seemed like hours now and every moment Sakura wished it was the last._

"_I don't care!" Ino hissed, her arms crossed. Unlike the pink-haired girl, Ino had no tears to shed over this matter. "You chose him over me ― the second he asked you to be his girlfriend our friendship was over. I'll never forgive you!"_

_There didn't seem to be any words to mend their broken friendship, nothing to be said that could undo what she had done. Sakura hung her head, her hands balled up into fists. If Ino was beyond reason, Sakura was beyond trying to explain. "I'm sorry, Ino." She whispered through her tears, though she wasn't sure Ino had even heard her. At that time, she felt that if she couldn't be Ino's best friend, couldn't be Sasuke's girlfriend, couldn't be happy, she could always be sorry._

"Maybe if I had been more honest from the beginning, things wouldn't have turned out like they did." Ino said quietly, breaking Sakura from the depths of her memory. "Maybe I could've told you how I felt."

"But its over now. You dodged a bullet with Sasuke, believe me." Sakura frowned, perhaps more for herself than anything else. "Why does it even matter now?"

"Because!" Ino barked, avoiding looking Sakura directly in the eye. She wished the blonde would just look at her and stop messing with her head for once in her life. "Because I could've been the one making you happy all this time, it could've been me you couldn't stop thinking about because I sure as hell couldn't stop thinking about you!"

It was beginning to make sense, Ino's words connecting into a city of tree branches, all birthing from one single fact Sakura was scared to name lest she be wrong. This unwritten story she'd been living had paragraphs she must've skipped and with these blanks filled, their broken friendship made all the sense in the world. "You loved me." Sakura said softly, no tone of accusation in her voice.

"I did," Ino began, smiling sadly, "... I think I still do. But you never realized; this whole time you never knew."

Their eyes met, finally understanding everything on the same wavelength instead of being separated by a world of static. "Well, I know now." Sakura said with a quiet smile. It was true she did not see Ino romantically but in that moment, she looked like her best friend again.


End file.
