way to the river.

"Naruto", the calm voice of the blonde girl was strangely calm and at the same time something seemed to rumble in her depths. While Ino - that was the blonde's name - put her hands on her hips almost reproachfully, she glanced at the addressee, determined to be polite, but she didn't really succeed. Her features looked slightly acidic, but her lips curled up in a malicious smile, which is why Naruto inevitably took a step back.
"What did you write to Sakura?", She asked - straight as always - and nodded in her direction. She was sitting right behind him and Sasuke and had therefore noticed that he had written something to her, but she had not been able to hear what the two had discussed with each other, which is why she had to squeeze him now - if necessary also Hinata, who was standing next to him.He screwed up his face in disgust and looked at Ino as if she were a particularly hideous insect.
"I don't know what that has to do with you," he said coolly and was about to turn his back on her when he was held back by her. If Ino wanted something, she could be very ... persistent and that was what she proved.
"Come on, Naruto! I know very well that it must be something important if you don't tell her personally and besides ... I'll find out one way or another! Hinata will tell me, won't she?" she turned to Hinata and eyed her intently, as if she could convince her that way. The blue-haired girl, who had stayed out of everything and looked shyly from Naruto to Ino and then back and forth, didn't know what to say, so surprised she seemed to have been included in the conversation.
"Hinata-chan won't tell you anything and now stick your long, crooked nose into things that are your business too," he continued calmly, grabbed Hinata by the arm and wanted to pull her with her, but she threw him one doubtful look too. Apparently she seemed to believe that Ino Sakura only wanted to help and so she seriously thought about telling her.
"Hinata," Naruto began in a warning tone, "I know exactly what you're thinking, but Ino doesn't want to help Sakura! She's just looking for another reason to finish her off! She has no idea how it is Sakura-chan is leaving and to be honest, she certainly doesn't care at all! "
"N ... Naruto ..." Ino pretended to be terrified, "How did you come up with such absurd suspicions! Of course, I'm only worried about Sakura's emotional situation! But what the heck! That comes out when you think ... ", she whispered spitefully and then shook her head again playfully in horror. Naive as Hinata was, she fell for this show and without further ado - and without responding to Naruto's protests - she reported what Naruto had written to Sakura. Ino smiled self-satisfied, thanked Hinata briefly and then disappeared from the classroom with Karin - her new best friend - hooked together.

Sakura had resolved not to even look into the other room, but the concern for her mother, whether she had committed suicide or drunk herself into a coma, was so great that she was almost hanging in the air seemed, had depressed her for so long that she dared to look at the sleeping figure of her mother. In her sleep, her face appeared so calm and relaxed that Sakura could hardly believe that she - when she was awake - eyed her with such a distraught look because she had been gone so long to flee from her problems and take refuge to look in the rush of the river, the water of which flowed calmly past her and acted like a sedative on her.The bottle, the alcoholic content of which was already running low, did not dangle in her hand this time, which otherwise - despite the fact that the pink-haired woman was soundly asleep - was wrapped tightly around it, but lay on the floor and a small circle of the transparent ones Liquid was scattered on the floor.
The television flickered and was only occasionally drowned out by the sleeping woman's snores and pushed into the background. Sakura was frozen in a pillar of salt and pierced the calm body of her mother with an indefinable look, consisting of disgust, disappointment and just this sadness that she could not describe with words. She had only wanted to put down her bag, had done it and now she was clinging to the sad picture of her mother, did not know how to tear herself away again. Next to the picture of her father's death, this one was just as ... painful, burned into her head. Painful because she knew she couldn't help her mother anymore, because the alcohol completely controlled her and made her deaf to any sensible word. Tears welled up in her and the lump in her throat, which was barely noticeable most of the time, grew thicker. How her life had turned upside down. One day she had been a happy girl, had a best friend and boyfriend, and had a happy family, but her father's death had turned the tide like the wind. And although her legs were shaking, she pulled herself together and turned around. Basically, she could be sure that her mother would sleep until late in the evening, because it always was, but a slightly uncomfortable feeling still remained in her.

Sakura sat restlessly on the fallen tree and stared at the water, on the surface of which a duck was swimming with its young. The noise actually calmed her down a bit, but her thoughts only seemed to revolve around her mother. It was as if she were a magnet that inevitably attracted her every thought. As always, when she had too much time to think, the stupidest thoughts and most absurd notions of how her life would go on crept into her. Now and then she actually was afraid of the morning, didn't dare to close her eyes for fear of encountering a nightmare.
Suddenly she heard the rustling of grass, which is why she turned and looked at the petite figure of her former best friend.
"Hello, Ino," she said with a sad look, because she still regretted how their good friendship could be split in two.
"Karin is stopping Sasuke at the moment and he'll probably be here soon, so let's get it over with quickly, Sakura Haruno." The fact that Ino was using her full name didn't exactly help her to hope for Happy ending of their friendship grew. Ino obviously didn't even think it necessary to say a polite "hello" to her, but started directly with the crux of the matter, which is why she got involved in a conversation with her.At a leisurely pace, she ran up to Sakura and smiled her loveliest smile. Sakura noticed immediately that she was putting on a mask and trying to be as nice as possible and, as always, she managed to create a perfect illusion, because like Sakura she was very good at acting.
"You remember, don't you? The letter from Naruto? That was actually Sasuke who wanted to talk to you, but he let Naruto write the letter to be on the safe side, but Hinata has once again proven to be a trustworthy source on my part and given me everything that should happen here and therefore ... I advise you to get out of the field very quickly! "Sakura, who was completely overwhelmed with this situation, underlined her ignorance with a puzzled look.
"I don't quite understand ..." she mumbled confused.
"Sweetie, get out! Sasuke is mine now! You had your chance and you ... threw it away!" Ino poisoned and crossed his arms like a small child in front of his chest, pushed his lower lip forward and pouted. She often acted like this when she didn't get what she wanted or when she didn't like something and she looked like a life-size Barbie doll.
"Stop, stop, stop," said Sakura defensively and raised her hands almost protectively, because Ino walked up to her and with every sentence that came out of her pink painted lips, she became more threatening and her face also changed. Even if Sakura wanted to keep her distance, Ino managed to get very close to her, because there was only water behind her and she could hardly escape into it.
"I didn't even know that Sasuke wanted to come here, you have to believe me!", Sakura assured defensively, who had dropped her hands and looked at Ino with mixed feelings. Ino was not deterred and didn't believe a word of Sakura. Both of her hands suddenly fell flat on her shoulders and before she knew it, she was pushed into the river by her. The next thing she felt was cold water that enveloped her back first and then her entire body. Her mouth was still open and so the water rushed into her lungs so that she pressed her lips together quickly. The shock of this turning point was still in her limbs and left her `hanging´ like lifeless in the water for a few seconds. Only when she was vaguely aware of Sasuke's voice, which Ino seemed to be yelling at, did she react and bring her head above the surface of the water, especially since her chest was already aching because the water had noticed. When she appeared, she spat it out and took a deep breath. Individual strands of hair stuck to her face so that she had to pull them out with her fingers and clamp them behind the ear. And indeed: When she opened her eyes properly and was completely able to see again, she saw Sasuke looking at her in disbelief and obviously amazed at what she was doing in the river.With slow steps he came up to her and held out his hand to her without wasting time with a greeting and yet Sakura gratefully took it.
When she was completely on land again and a light wind blew through the leaves of the dense treetops and also through her dripping wet, pink hair, she began to shiver, which is why she wrapped both arms around her upper body.
"What are you doing here?", He asked surprised and looked alternately between her and Ino. Since he could not mean Sakura when he was the `client` of the letter, this question seemed to apply to Ino. She seemed to know and shrugged her shoulders, but this was not a sign of ignorance, but of indifference.
"Hinata told me and I thought I'd pay you a visit."
"I don't know what that has to do with you," Sasuke said coolly, as if he had heard Naruto's words in