Chapter Text
"You think something happened?"
Temari was leaning against the central island in Ino’s kitchen—if you could still call it a kitchen. Flour, eggs, and sugar were scattered across every square inch of available surface, burying utensils and dishes in cheerful chaos.
Ino cautiously opened the oven, releasing a wave of scorching air before pulling out a tray of burnt cookies. She placed it on the white marble counter, right next to the stovetop, then began coughing, waving her perfectly manicured hand to clear the smoke. Sakura barely managed to stifle a laugh at Ino’s desperate attempts to keep up appearances.
"I think so," Tenten replied, wrinkling her nose delicately at the lingering smell of burnt dough. "I think it's because of her breakup with Naruto."
"Obviously," Ino agreed, casting a disheartened glance at her botched cookies. "She’s been isolating herself for weeks now. That’s why I organized this little girls’ night. Maybe being surrounded by friends will finally make her smile again."
Sakura smirked slightly. She knew full well that was the only reason Ino and Temari were in the same room.
Those two had never gotten along. Their feud dated back to high school, and nothing had really changed since. Polar opposites, they’d never bothered to hide their mutual hostility.
Temari, with her cool, razor-sharp temper, never minced words. She had a talent for putting people in their place with blunt precision, never sugarcoating, never pretending. She hated injustice and despised secrets. Ino, on the other hand, thrived on social games, rumors, and carefully crafted schemes. Fire and ice. Blade and scepter. The rebellious teen versus the flawlessly integrated golden girl.
Years had passed, but the resentment was still alive and kicking. Temari still saw Ino as a spoiled brat who got everything she wanted with a flutter of her lashes. Ino, meanwhile, never missed a chance to describe Temari as an arrogant brute who only knew how to fight just to prove she existed.
Caught in the middle of this silent battlefield, Sakura and Tenten had long since learned to play the cautious observers. They knew stepping in meant risking becoming collateral damage—and neither of them felt like getting skewered by a well-aimed jab.
"These are inedible," Ino snapped.
She tossed the cookie tray into the trash and wiped her hands with a look of disgust.
"I don’t know why you keep trying," Sakura chimed in. "You’re good at a lot of things, but cooking... it’s just not one of them."
"Total waste of time. My mom decided we should rely a little less on our chef. End result? My snacks, dinners, and breakfasts are complete disasters. Honestly, I have no idea what’s gotten into her."
"Your mom had the right idea," Temari cut in. "You should know how to do things yourself."
"I don’t see how getting dirt under my nails is a good idea."
Temari rolled her eyes. She opened her mouth to respond, but Tenten immediately jumped in:
"I’m ordering pizza," she announced, her smile just a little too polished to be genuine.
She shared a conspiratorial glance with Sakura. No way were they letting a fight break out before the evening had even started.
Tenten slipped out of the room toward the living area. Sakura followed her with her eyes, then turned to help Ino in the kitchen.
About thirty minutes later, a housekeeper came to inform them of Hinata’s arrival.
Each of them scrambled to hide somewhere in the living room, stifling their excitement as best they could. The moment they heard footsteps in the hallway, they jumped out of their hiding spots and shouted in unison:
"Surprise!"
Hinata startled. Her eyes widened, then a shy smile softened her features. A lovely blush bloomed on her cheeks.
Tenten was the first to hug her, quickly followed by Temari and Ino. Sakura joined them last. When Hinata’s gaze met hers, her smile faltered—barely, but enough.
Sakura’s brow furrowed slightly, unsettled.
"You okay?" she asked, not understanding the sudden shift in Hinata’s expression.
"Yeah, yeah, I’m fine," Hinata replied quickly. "I... I was just surprised. I thought I was only seeing Ino."
"That was the idea," Sakura said with a smile. "We noticed you haven’t been yourself lately. So we figured seeing all of us might cheer you up."
Hinata slowly turned her head, looking at each of the girls in turn. Her eyes dropped, and she bit her lower lip. When she looked back up, her eyes shimmered with emotion.
"Thank you..." she whispered, her voice thick with feeling.
"Oh, look at this big softie!" Temari exclaimed in mock-dramatic tone. "Looks like she’s about to cry! Aren’t you ashamed of yourself, at your age?"
Hinata let out a nervous little laugh, discreetly wiping away a tear before it could fall. Instantly, they all wrapped their arms around her, cooing in exaggerated affection. Soon enough, laughter replaced the tears, and without anyone realizing it, the evening slipped into playful chaos.
Bit by bit, the shy, withdrawn Hinata faded away, replaced by the young woman they all adored. The one who, despite her reserved nature, always managed to bring them together—even though they were fundamentally different. Because really, they didn’t have much in common, except for their friendship… and, of course, the fact that they were all women. But that had never mattered. What truly counted was how their differences complemented each other perfectly.
Sakura had plenty of examples: there was that time Temari had put a bunch of rude guys in their place outside a restaurant, with a confidence that had left them all speechless. Or the time Tenten, with her athletic drive and stubborn persistence, won them a weekend at a spa. And how could anyone forget Ino, who had used her killer negotiation skills to score tickets to the hottest concert in town when no one else could. And then there was that unforgettable moment when Hinata had calmed them all down with a single, soothing whisper after they’d been trapped in an elevator.
Moments like those had forged their bond—strong and unshakable—and Sakura liked to think that, no matter how chaotic life got, that connection was a constant. A certainty she could always cling to. Together, they were their own little world, one where their differences were their greatest strength.
"This Serena is seriously a problem," Tenten sighed, sounding deeply exasperated.
"Absolutely agree," Temari nodded.
"Why?" asked Ino.
They all frowned and turned to look at her. They were sprawled across the bed in Hinata’s room, watching Gossip Girl.
Tenten grabbed the remote and hit pause with exaggerated gravity.
"Wait, are you being serious right now?" she asked, amused.
"Yeah."
A heavy silence followed—then erupted into collective laughter.
"What is wrong with you?" Tenten teased. "Serena kisses Blair’s boyfriend... That’s total betrayal, completely unforgivable."
"It’s not betrayal if Blair doesn’t know about it," Ino replied nonchalantly.
The couch exploded with outraged screams.
"Okay, okay, I hear you," Ino said, raising her hands in mock surrender. She turned fully toward them, sitting on her knees. "We all agree that kissing your best friend’s boyfriend is a heinous act of betrayal, but—"
"But what?" Tenten laughed. "What could possibly justify something like that?"
"If it ever happened to me..."
"God forbid," muttered Temari, rolling her eyes.
"...I’d do everything in my power to make sure no one ever found out," Ino finished with a sly smile.
"Secrets always come out," Sakura teased. "Someone always talks. People can’t keep their mouths shut."
"Well, I’m not people."
A brief silence fell as the others stared at her, skeptical.
"Why not?" Tenten asked eventually.
"Because I’d kill the guy first."
Sakura burst out laughing and tossed a piece of popcorn at her, which Ino dodged with graceful ease.
"And here I thought you were about to show a little common sense for once," Temari mocked.
"What do you mean?"
"Own up to your mistakes. Tell the truth."
"Why would I do that?" Ino raised an eyebrow. "If no one knows, why ruin a beautiful friendship?"
"There was no friendship left the moment your tongue slipped into your best friend’s boyfriend’s mouth."
A mischievous grin curved Ino’s lips.
"So if that ever happened to you..." she began.
"It wouldn’t," Temari cut in with icy confidence. "I would never find myself in that situation. Never."
"Alright. But just hypothetically," Ino pressed, "you’d go straight to your friend and confess? Just like that? The same day? While you still had her boyfriend’s spit on your lips?"
Temari raised an eyebrow.
"I think I would," Temari said calmly. "I fucked up, I should face the consequences. My punishment would be losing her friendship. But at least I wouldn’t live every day knowing I’m lying to her."
Ino looked at her for a long moment before letting out an amused sigh.
"That’s very brave," she admitted. "And you're probably right—that’s what people should do. But let’s be real: no one actually has the guts to go through with it."
"You’d be surprised what guilt can do," Tenten chimed in. "People have a conscience. They know when they’ve messed up."
"Not all of them..." Sakura murmured, reaching for a bowl on the coffee table.
All eyes turned toward her.
Caught off guard by the sudden attention, she paused, then grabbed a piece of candy.
"I know people who feel zero guilt about cheating," she said evenly. "They go on with their lives like nothing happened."
Her mother’s face flashed through her mind. That woman had always known most of the men she saw were married, fathers, or in committed relationships. But it had never stopped her. She lived selfishly, feeding off those affairs without ever thinking about the wives, girlfriends, or mothers on the other side.
Sometimes, Sakura envied her. Life seemed so much simpler when you only thought about yourself. No guilt, no remorse. Just the certainty that everything revolved around your own needs.
For a long time, she’d thought her mother was twisted. But as she got older, she understood: Kat wasn’t a sadist. She didn’t act to cause pain—just to satisfy herself. Other people simply didn’t factor in. They didn’t exist.
"Hinata?" Tenten asked softly.
They all turned toward the young woman sitting off to the side. She’d been so quiet throughout the conversation, it was like she’d vanished. Sakura felt a pang of guilt for not noticing sooner. The Hinata in front of her now was pale, her eyes red and watery.
"I’m sorry..." she whispered, her voice barely audible.
"What…? Why?" Tenten asked, concerned.
All three instinctively moved closer to their friend.
"What’s going on?" Temari asked.
"I..." Hinata began.
She opened her mouth, but no words came out. She met Sakura’s gaze for a split second, then dropped her eyes, hiding her face behind a trembling hand. Sakura caught just a glimpse of a tear slipping beneath her palm before it disappeared.
"I’m sorry," she repeated, voice cracking.
"Sorry for what, Hinata?" Temari asked more firmly. Her brows were furrowed, her voice sharper now. She was worried too.
"Sorry for lying."
"Lying?" Ino echoed, incredulous. "When?"
Hinata slowly raised her eyes, and locked them on Sakura. Time seemed to freeze.
"I’m talking to you," she said.
For the second time that night, all eyes turned to Sakura. Ino’s brows knitted as she looked at Hinata, face suddenly pale.
"Ino..." Hinata murmured. "Don’t tell me you and Sasuke..."
Hinata stared at her, taken aback, then her eyes widened in visible shock.
"No! Of course not!" she exclaimed, shaking her head vigorously.
Relief washed over them instantly. They all let out a collective sigh, and Sakura pressed a hand to her chest. When she looked up again, she managed a faint smile—only for it to vanish just as quickly: Hinata hadn’t moved. Her face was still stricken, troubled.
The discomfort crept back in, heavier than before.
"Then what is it?" Sakura asked gently.
Hinata swallowed hard, biting her lower lip.
"As you know, I broke up with Naruto," she murmured. "He didn’t leave me. I left him."
She kept her gaze fixed on the floor, still refusing to meet Sakura’s eyes.
"Why?" Sakura breathed, bewildered.
"I broke up with him because... because..."
Hinata clenched her fists.
A wave of panic rose in Sakura’s chest.
"…I left him because I saw him with Sasuke."
Sakura scanned the room, hoping for support. Her friends looked just as lost as she felt. That shared confusion offered a flicker of comfort. The corner of her mouth twitched into a faint smile.
"Okay…" she said uncertainly. "And… did something happen?"
Hinata finally looked up. Her usually gentle grey eyes now burned with an uncharacteristic intensity.
"I saw them kiss."
Silence fell like a lead weight. Or maybe that was just how it felt. For Sakura, time froze: the walls collapsed around her like a crumbling stage set. She stayed frozen, breath caught, heart suspended mid-beat.
Then, slowly, her lips curled into a smile. A twitchy, reflexive thing—almost mocking. She furrowed her brows, amused.
"Very funny," she scoffed.
She grabbed her wine glass from the table and took a sip. Silence lingered. She paused, sat up straighter, and glanced around. Everyone was staring at her, faces stiff and unreadable. Confusion surged in her chest.
"What?" she asked.
Hinata shifted uncomfortably on her corner of the couch. She reached out and took Sakura’s hand. The doctor looked down, watching their fingers intertwine. The sight made her stomach churn. Her free hand tightened around her glass as she looked back up at Hinata.
"Come on..." Sakura said with a shaky laugh. "You can’t be serious."
Another silence.
She yanked her hand back, splashing wine onto the floor.
"What the hell are you saying?" she snapped, her voice suddenly harsh.
"I’m sorry, I—"
"Sorry for what? You’re joking, that’s all."
"No, Sakura... I saw them. I would never joke about something that serious."
Sakura shot to her feet, knocking over her glass. It shattered on the floor in a burst of glass. Ino gasped and stood up, wide-eyed. Tenten and Temari followed.
Sakura looked at each of them, then let out a short, nervous, almost hysterical laugh.
"No-no-no," she chuckled. "There’s no way you’re expecting me to believe this."
"Sakura," Temari began. "I don’t think this is a jok—"
"Then what is it?" Sakura snapped, eyes blazing.
"The truth," Hinata murmured.
Sakura’s emerald eyes snapped to her instantly.
"You’ve completely lost it," she said coldly. "Seriously."
"I didn’t—"
"You’ve lost it!" Sakura shouted, her voice ringing through the room.
All three of her friends flinched, caught off guard.
"That’s impossible!" she cried. "Sasuke isn’t—gay! And neither is Naruto!"
"I saw them..." Hinata repeated.
"Then you saw wrong!"
"Sakura..." Tenten said softly, trying to keep her tone calm. "Why would she—"
"Maybe because she’s been on antidepressants for years?! Maybe because the breakup with Naruto hit her too hard?! Or maybe both?! What the hell do I know?! It wouldn’t be the first time she’s seen or heard things that aren’t there, right?!"
Hinata had always been fragile—physically and emotionally.
"Sakura!" Temari snapped, her voice firm.
She was staring at her, hard. The medic stopped and looked at each of them in turn.
Ino looked like she might faint. Tenten was covering her mouth with both hands. And Hinata... saying she looked like a ghost of herself didn’t even begin to cover it.
Sakura’s lips twisted into a bitter smile.
"All this fuss for a pathetic lie..."
She shoved on her shoes, grabbed her jacket, and slammed the door behind her.