Chapter Thirty Eight

  "Does it look bad or something?" Sakura asked her friends as she exited her car, and was met with their shocked faces. They were shocked to see that her long pink hair was now cut short, falling just above her shoulders. She had done it herself the night she came home from her meeting, because after she came down from her high, she had a panic attack that left her a trembling mess.

When she thought she calmed down, she impulsively cut her hair as breakup music blasted from the built in radio in her room, and oddly when she cut it off she felt free.

Free from that night with Sasori, free from grief, and even free from Sasuke. Maybe it was because she hadn't seen him for an entire weekend, but strangely she didn't miss him. Instead of spending her weekend sulking about their finished relationship, she got a professional to fix her haircut, and then decided to treat herself to a spa day.

The doctor she looked up to had truly put some sense into her, and she was determined to become a better version of herself, regardless of if that version ended up with Sasuke or not. "You look.....amazing." Sai said with an encouraging smile, making her smile too.

"Thank you, Sai." Though he wasn't lying when he said that she looked amazing, Hinata, Ino, and TenTen started to give her a weird look, wondering how she was so okay after breaking up with Sasuke.

Honestly they expected her to react in the same manner Hinata had, when she broke up with Naruto, but as she walked in front of them with her hips swaying in confidence, and her shoulders back with her head held high, they were almost in disbelief. TenTen glanced at Hinata, and she shrugged her shoulders, before they all went to their lockers that were in proximity to each other.

"Are you okay, Sakura?" Ino eventually asked, as soon as the boys left and went to their lockers down the hall. Glancing at her, she laughed a little at the worried expression on her face, "You guys don't have to worry."

"Are you sure? Because cutting your hair is a prime example of, 'I just went through a tough breakup', and we just want you to move forward in a healthy manner." TenTen said, implying the question they really wanted to ask, making Hinata add, "Exactly, and we won't judge you. You should try just crying, Sakura. I bet he's taking it as rough as you."

Another laugh left her lips, "I'm all cried out, Hinata, and I'm moving on, you guys. The only thing on my mind is staying sober, and though I hope that he's doing okay, my only concern is myself." With that, she closed her locker just after the bell rang.

"Now, time for class. I stayed up so late finishing the notes for our seminar today." Unlike Sakura, Sasuke was a wreck, and anyone could see it on his restless face. His entire weekend consisted of him lying in bed, in complete silence, either tossing and turning about Sakura, or falling asleep, only to be awoken by the haunting nightmares of his brother.

He had to learn how to sleep without his only sake of sanity next to him, and so far, it was a hard lesson to learn. Before walking into first period, Naruto gently patted him on his back in a comforting way, as he let go of the breath he was subconsciously holding, and swung open the door. Like any other day he walked into the classroom, and felt a few lingering gazes, but before he walked to his seat, he subconsciously searched for her.

His onyx eyes looked into her's, and she gave him a polite smile, that gave him butterflies all while breaking his heart. No one except for their friends were aware of the breakup, but the tension couldn't of been cut with a knife. Walking toward her, she parted her lips to say hello, but stopped as he sat in his seat without another glance at her.

Ino glanced from Sakura to Hinata, and she shrugged her shoulders, before talking to Naruto. "Morning, Sweetie." She said with a smile, making him smile and kiss her cheek cutely, "Morning, Princess. How are you?"

He asked, "I'm good, how are you?" "Better now that I get to see your beautiful face." Ino cooed at them, while Sakura rolled her eyes, "You guys aren't even married yet, and you're already in the honeymoon phase."

Sticking her tongue out at her playfully, Ino said, "Don't be jealous. You know what they say, after a break up some women chop off their hair, while other's get engaged." Hinata shook her head while Naruto tried not to laugh. "No one says that."

Hinata said to Ino, "I say it." She said with a shrug of her shoulders, making Sakura laugh while shaking her head. "You're such a bitch sometimes."

Once class started, Sasuke tried his best to focus on the words his teacher lectured on about, only it seemed to be extremely difficult. "Alright, now it's time for our Socratic seminar. Can everyone please safely move their chairs to the front of the room?"

The class did as he said, and before they knew it, the class of a little less than twenty students broke out into discussion. Sakura had a blush to her face, feeling her ex-lovers gaze as he sat on the other side of the circle. "I guess I will start. One question that I came up with is about Audrey and Ed's relationship. It's kind of a weird dynamic, isn't it? She says that she thinks sex will ruin their relationship, even when Ed ensures that he wants more from her than just sex."

She started, making her classmates jump in. "Totally, I thought that was sort of weird, though I did get it to a certain extent. In the beginning the reader assumes that maybe she see's sex as something deep, but then she has casual sex with other people. Honestly, I just think she didn't like him."

Their classmate said with a shrug of his shoulders, making some chuckle. "Well sex shouldn't equate to liking or loving someone. Maybe by sleeping with other people, Audrey was able to show Ed that she saw sex as something that wasn't soul binding, but rather something that's a dime a dozen."

Ino responded, before Naruto added, "Yeah, she sleeps with men she cares nothing about, and I think it's because she doesn't want to allow herself to be vulnerable, you know?"

When he said that everyone looked at him for a moment, making him blush and scratch the back of his neck. "I enjoyed the book, okay?" Kakashi chuckled from his desk, "That's good to hear, Uzumaki. Anyways, next question, I believed it belonged to Ms. Hyuga?"

She nodded with a smile, "Yes, my question pertained to Ed and Audreys relationship also, do we all agree that Audrey truly loved Ed?" The room grew silence, and as Hinata parted her lips to ask another question, Sasuke spoke.

"No. She convinced herself that she did, because she was finally able to feel vulnerable with someone again." When he spoke, he looked Sakura right in her eyes, and she wasn't sure what to interpret from them, besides the fact that his words were directed at her.

"I-I disagree. From the beginning, she won't sleep with Ed because she cares about him, and as the story progressed so did her feelings, and frankly so did her character development. I think that vulnerability in itself is an aspect of love, and since she was able to tell him that she wanted to move in, he knew that she loved him."

Those few sentences resulted in them staring into each other's eyes, as a discussion between two of their classmates broke out. Neither one of them knew what the other was thinking, but as onyx orbs met emerald ones, the world as they knew it seemed to freeze.

"What do you think, Sasuke?" Naruto asked, as he noticed the intense stare that was happening. Looking away first, Sakura's blush went away as she closed her eyelids, and looked down at the hardwood floor. "I think the quote means that a truly satisfying life only comes from helping others."

When he said that, she was reminded of their conversation about volunteering for community service, and how they were short-lived that they never even got to do it. A sigh left her lips as she felt tears come to her eyes, because the reality of it all seemed to hit her like a truck. She had been forcing herself not to think about, and though it allowed for her to maintain her composure, it created a false sense of reality.

Things were different, and she realized that the moment she realized that Sasuke could hardly even stand to look at her. She wanted to scream that he didn't have the right to be upset, when he was the one who broke up with her, or that his lying was what caused their split, but she knew that wouldn't do any good.

So instead she decided to handle it the healthiest way she knew how, and try to keep her facade of nonchalance. She thought that if she pretended like she wasn't effected, then she'd actually start to believe it.

Sasuke on the other hand knew that she wore her heart on her sleeve, so as he saw her with a smile to her face, while she spoke to their classmate, he wondered how she was okay. Since he had been struggling, she assumed that she would've been too, and it annoyed him. His mind wandered to every conclusion imaginable to try and rationalize her behavior, until he stumbled to one that made him sigh deeply. He assumed that he had over exaggerated his place in her life, and that he had stronger feelings for her, than she did for him.

It broke his heart, and though he tried to feign nonchalance, the minute he felt her emerald eyes glance at him, he had to excuse himself from the classroom. The four friends looked at each other, and Naruto was just as confused as the rest of them. He had never seen him so affected by a relationship, let alone with a woman he had dated for two months.

His only answer to his friends was that he hadn't been getting sleep, which was true, only he didn't know if it was caused by Sakura, or the other things that had recently happened. They all cared, so the minute he came back to class, they all with the exception of Sakura asked him if he was okay. He offered them the biggest smile he could muster up, "I'm fine."

He said, before walking out of the classroom with his backpack, since the bell rung. "God, Sakura, what did you do to him?" Naruto asked her, as she walked with him and Hinata.  

Rolling her eyes she said, "He's the one who broke up with me." "He said it was mutual?" Naruto asked, only making her more agitated.

"It's a long story. Actually? No it's not at all, he broke up with me on Valentine's Day." Was the only thing she said, before walking into class, and seeing him in his normal seat.

This time, they both ignored each other, and for a solid hour they acted as if they were total strangers. They both tried not to take it seriously, but they couldn't help it. After class ended, they both walked away clearly pissed, while Hinata and Naruto looked at each other.

"They're acting like children." Hinata said, making her fiancé nod in agreement. "Better them than us." She nodded in agreement, before kissing his lips, "See you later, Hubby."

A smile came to his handsome face, "See you, Princess." Naruto had a smile on his face all the way to his next class, "Hey, Guys." He said to the guys at his table.

"Hey, are you ready for your big fight?" Lee asked, referring to the championship match that was on the line in just a few hours. "Always."

Honestly, he wasn't worried at all, because he knew that he could win the match as long as he stayed focus. He met his opponent last night, and though he was just as cocky, it didn't affect Naruto. All of his friends would be there, including Hinata, and her family, so he knew that he had everything he needed to ensure his win, alongside the grand prize. "Good! We're all rooting for you, Man." ~  "Are you excited, Babe?" Hinata asked her boyfriend, with her arms wrapped around his waist, as he stood in front of the locker room mirror.

"I am, Princess. Your father gave me his famous pep talk, so I'm ready." A smile came to her face as he said that, "Good, we'll all be out there. Things are still kind of weird, but I got Sakura to come. We'll celebrate after the big win, okay?"

He nodded, before turning around and kissing her plump lips. "Okay. I love you, Princess." She kissed him again, "I love you."

Leaving the room, Hinata went back to the group of people at her school who had come to support her fiancé, as they sat in section of fans, waiting for the fight to start. "How is he?" Ino asked, "Good, he's excited."

That made them all smile, "That's good, when he wins you guys will have the best wedding imaginable." Giggling Hinata shook her head, "We want a small one." She pouted her bottom lip, "But come on, you're the first two to get married, you have to set the bar high."

Hinata laughed while seeing him walk towards the ring, as his song played over the loud speakers. "Maybe it's a good thing that's ours is so simple. You'll have the opportunity to outshine me."

Ino laughed while patting her back softly, "Good point," Once the fight started, they were all on their toes, waiting for Naruto to pounce on his opponent like he normally did, only he didn't for the entire round.

Since the guy was bulkier than him, he decided to take a more defensive approach to try and tire him out. Sasuke had suggested it, and as he stood at his normal place next to the ring, he nodded while cheering for his friend. Everything was going well, and their plan was working, until the third round where his opponent came out from his corner almost a completely new fighter.

Luckily, Naruto was prepared, and had enough stamina to dodge his powerful hits that would've left him dazed. His opponents grunts were becoming more rushed, which he took as his sign to actually start boxing. "You little shit."

The man mumbled, as Naruto quickly jabbed him in the face, causing him to bleed from his nose. He delivered his punches quickly, and before he knew it, they were being separated by the referee.

"You're almost there, Dude, just keep doing everything you've been doing, and you'll win this shit." Sasuke said to his best friend, before hitting his shoulder, making him nod while looking into the crowd to see his fiancée. Seeing her face, he sent her a toothy grin, before putting his mouth guard back in, and heading back out for the last round.

As soon as the bell rang, Naruto and his opponent ran at each other full speed, and as he extended his left arm, leaving himself open as bait, he connected his right fist to his opponents swelling face. He leaned over slightly from the blow he had just taken, but as he noticed that his opponent was also going down, he moved away.

The referee ran in between the men, as the other man fell to the floor of the ring, and rolled over to his side, completely dazed. "Yeah!" He cheered, while throwing his fist in the air, as the entire stadium cheered him on.

The moment that the official announced that he had won, he rushed to the edge of the ring, where Sasuke pulled the rope up for him, and kissed his fiancée. She waited for him with a smile on her gorgeous face, that only widened as he picked her up by her waist, and kissed her in front of everyone.

It was thrilling to be in that moment, as they both had goosebumps all over their bodies. Though Hiashi didn't care for Naruto kissing his daughter in front of over a thousand people, he loudly cheered from his place above the ring. Danzo was there too, and though he wanted to be upset that he lost money, he was proud of the young man who had practically raised. He nodded his head in approval.

After Naruto and his friends went back to his locker room, Sakura and Sasuke were forced to be in proximity to each other, and neither one of them said anything. Once Sasuke left the room, Sakura followed him and said, "This doesn't have to be weird, Sasuke." Her voice echoed in the hallway, so she was sure that he heard her, even though his back was facing her.

He paused for a moment, having a chest full of anxiety as her eyes lingered on him. "No, Sakura, it does." Sasuke stated, without looking her in her eyes.

"If things stayed the same, we'd only go back to what we were before." With that, she asked, "So can we not be friends anymore?" He sighed deeply, and finally turned around to look her into her eyes. "Friends don't love each other the way that I love you."

Though his answer was honest, Sakura couldn't help but to subconsciously wonder if he was being honest. The pair obviously had two different ideals of love, and each of them refused to think that their love for each other was the same, so instead of arguing, she looked away from his gaze.

"O-oh okay. Where does this leave us then? Will it be better for you if we separate? Cut off all communication?" Sasuke wasn't sure of that answer, even after he had been thinking about it for the past few hours.

Being impulsive, he answered conclusively, "Y-yeah, it's gonna hurt, but I can't be around you as much as I am, Sakura. It's not good for me." Tears came to her eyes, but he didn't see them since her face had fell to the floor a few moments ago. "I'm sorry."

He spoke softly, with his voice cracking. It broke her heart more than she thought was possible, but she feigned a smile. "Don't apologize, I understand completely. I'm going to respect your boundaries, and please tell me if I'm over stepping, or anything? I want what's best for you."

When she spoke, he looked into his favorite pair of emerald eyes. Sakura watched his lips open and close as he fumbled over his words. She knew that things in his life had been stressful, and though she wanted more than anything to be there for him, she understood that they needed separation. Though she used to think otherwise, she felt that she was a huge stressor for him. "I'll see you around, Sasuke."

With that, she walked away, and he watched her walk towards the illuminating 'Exit' sign, before opening one of the double doors that led towards the parking lot. He watched her until he couldn't, because of the door closing behind her.

Frankly he felt glued to the floor, because he knew that if he moved, he'd chase after her, and they both knew that was the last thing they needed. Shaking his head in attempt to clear his jumbled thoughts, he spoke softly to himself, "This is the best thing to do." He thought that if he said it enough, he'd actually start to believe it himself, but until that day came, he had to keep his distance.