Who Am I?

Chapter 21: Secrets

Two weeks had passed since Ino's mother had gone missing. Two whole weeks, and she hadn't been allowed to even talk to her best friend. Two weeks of spending time with Sai, going through family finances, and even the occasional mental breakdown that left her locked in the bedroom of that stupid safe house. It was by about the third week that she'd decided enough was enough, and she was going to go back to work. Sai agreed that having her back at home would be better for her mentally and agreed to the change. It was better than living out of somewhere she didn't know and missing work.

As she was on her way to her office from the car, her phone chimed with a message that was sure to lift her spirits.

ON MY WAY TO THE OFFICE. HELP. BOY RELATED 911.

Ino burst into giggles, earning a curious look from Sai. "I have a 'boy-related 911' that I am going to have to take care of," she said, giggling.

"Boy-related... 911?" Sai asked, deeply confused by Ino's statement. 911 meant emergency, but boy-related? Was it serious? Should he accompany her?

"Oh my god, take a breath," Ino said, reassuring him with a hand. "It's not that serious. It's Sakura's way of saying there are juicy relationship details she wants to discuss, but it's kind of a girl-to-girl thing, and she needs my advice. I'm a little more... experienced with relationships than she is." And that was putting it mildly. By comparison to Sakura, she was a world-class expert. Sakura was more like a fish out of water when it came to relationships, and it probably didn't help that the man she'd chosen was equally as awkward.

"I... never did ask," Sai began, awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck. "What is the... story behind Detective Uchiha and Dr. Haruno? You gave me some details, but you seem to know more about Sakura than you were letting on, and when she came with us to the hotel, she appeared... Distraught. I just... want to understand more about your friendship and her relationship with Detective Uchiha." It seemed a bit odd that colleagues would be so close, especially working together in the field... although, given they were from different departments and Sakura worked in a consultant role, they seemed to work incredibly well together despite their relationship. Even in rocky situations, they appeared to be capable of separating their work from their personal lives for the most part. He was struggling with his own emotions, and he wondered... perhaps if he could understand their motivations, he might be able to piece together other parts of his past and fill in more blanks.

"Oh, right. That," Ino reminisced, inhaling and exhaling sharply. "Let's see, how do I put this. Sakura is... Sakura's the kindest person you'll ever meet. She's tough, and she can look at the hardest of cases and seldom lose her cool, but deep down, she's aching. When she's looking at a body, she does not see a corpse. She's seeing someone who's been through something horrible, and she knows that she's the person that has to get those answers. She loves everyone around her deeply, and when she considers you a friend, you're a friend for life, pretty much." Of course, Sakura's kind and warm heart also had its downsides.

"It also means," Ino continued, "That when Sakura really gives her all to someone, and they do something that hurts her, even if it's small, she takes it hard. She'll usually blame herself because she feels she had some hand in that. Girls used to pick on her when we were younger, teasing her about her forehead, bullying her on the school playground, crap like that. Catty bitches, honestly. I had to chase them away so many times I almost got into fights on her behalf. The only reason I didn't was because she'd be standing there behind me, crying her eyes out, sobbing because her feelings were hurt, and at that moment, I had to decide between throwing hands and hugging my best friend and telling her it was all okay." She'd been there for Sakura every time something had happened and had her best friend not been a mess those days, she would have without a doubt thrown hands with those other girls.

"So you two are very close, then," Sai surmised. He... could understand that, somehow. One face he could remember, a boy named Shin, whom he felt the same way Ino described Sakura. He couldn't figure out why he felt those things, but he did. Shin was important to him, somehow. His memory appeared to want to block the rest of it.

"Yes. When we were in high school and even college, Sakura was... hmm, how do I put this," Ino mused, not wanting to make it sound like Sakura was too much. "Sakura was really shy. She struggled to make friends, so I was sort of her only friend. I had other friends, but I spent most of my time with her for two reasons. One, usually our hangouts meant studying that we both desperately needed, and two if I didn't spend any time with her, she'd just spend time alone." Ino honestly felt terrible, knowing Sakura's backstory. She remembered trying to go to school dances and watching almost every other girl get asked to dance--including a lineup waiting to dance with Ino herself--while Sakura stood off to the side like a meek little wallflower.

"Ah... so she was not the most social person," Sai remarked. It seemed that Dr. Haruno had changed over time from his perspective; she appeared very personable and friendly and didn't seem to struggle with interacting with people. He surmised it must have been Ino's influence that changed her in such a manner.

"That's putting it mildly. She was lonely and sad a lot of the time, and she didn't always speak up about it, at least not directly. I'd go on dates, and sometimes I felt bad knowing she was at home, alone, and might even just be... sad that it wasn't her on a date. I still went on dates because I knew she'd be even more upset if I dropped my date to hang out with her. She's so damn selfless it's almost self-destructive. Everyone else around her comes first, even before herself.

"That being said, it seems like Detective Uchiha is determined to do the same to her. He's looked after her. Yeah, he's screwed up, but he's human." Ino chuckled. "Honestly, I don't think I've ever seen her smile so much. She's just... so happy."

"So... you think they'll be..." Sai couldn't think of the word. He knew there was a word, but he couldn't think of it. "I mean, no, that they are..."

"Soulmates?" Ino offered, and Sai felt it click, responding with a nod. "Hmm... I don't know. I think that'd be a question you'd want to ask her because I think she's more into that kind of thing than I am. I... tend to go from one guy to another, sometimes girls, really depends what I'm feeling." She shrugged. "I had one long-term relationship when I was in high school, and it... didn't end the greatest. We're still friends, but... I wasn't in the best shape for a while after that." She made an awkward face, chewing her lip. That wasn't something she wanted to tell Sai just yet. At least she could be sure that he wasn't involved in anything going on with her and her family.

"Oh. I see. Just the one relationship?" Sai was deeply inexperienced with relationships; he'd never been in one, nor did he understand their significance. He'd never felt that way about anyone; he'd never held anyone in such high regard.

"Well, I did have one other... important crush," Ino added, laughing awkwardly. "I, uh... Mmm... There was a point in time in high school where I sort of had a thing for Sakura. I-I knew why, and I knew she didn't feel that way, but it just kind of happened, you know? Even now, I look back, and I think, what's not to love about her? And I do still love her, just... not that way. I love her like she's my sister, and I'm just glad she's happy now." Teenage feelings could be messy, and Ino's were no different.

"Did you ever tell her about it?" Sai asked, mildly curious. He did wonder how their friendship would have survived if she did know or if Ino had chosen to keep things from Sakura.

"I did, eventually. A few years ago, actually. I was drunk during the conversation; otherwise, it wouldn't have come out, but Sakura understood. She knows how I am. By that point, I'd moved on to someone else, and we both agreed that we wouldn't let it affect our friendship." Oh, one of the many drunk nights she and Sakura had on their adventures.

"So... it did not affect your friendship," Sai surmised. "I am... A bit jealous, perhaps, of your friendship with her. I do not know if that is the right word, but... Some part of me wishes that I had a bond like you two do."

Ino laughed. "Yeah, I get that a lot. Most people can't move past that kind of thing. Sakura just has a big heart like that. Speaking of..." Ino looked down at her phone. "Sakura should be here right away. Go, go, this'll have to be private, and if you hear yelling, check if there's also laughing. Probably laughing from me. Just don't panic." She shooed him out of the room, peering out in the hallway before sitting in her chair, waiting for whatever chaos had been unleashed in her friend's life.