In front of a cracked mirror, in a run-down apartment, on the rough side of town. That's where she stood. A girl with long, shiny blonde hair and sparkling blue eyes. But her eyes had lost their luster. They had lost their true beauty, to those who had known her before now. To others, they were just blue eyes. Not that anyone around here paid any mind.

She finished applying her lip gloss and stepped back to look at herself in entirety. She wore a mid-driff baring halter top, red, and black mini-skirt with fishnet stockings underneath. Her black leather boots extending to her thighs.

"I still need a little more powder," she told her reflection. "Yes, a little more. Your cheeks." She pointed at her reflection's cheeks. "Scars... ugly scars. They won't want you with those scars." She took her powder and dusted on another layer. "That's better. Now you look more like yourself." She smiled. "Thank you. Am I pretty enough?" she asked her reflection. "Yes, you are. They will want you now," she answered to herself.

Keys, keys, where are my keys? Oh, they're on the table. She reached out and took them, then left the room. Should I lock the door? No, there's nothing worth stealing in there. Getting home will be more of a hassle. Finding the right key and everything. Yes, you're right. She closed the door behind herself, then stepped out into the hot, humid summer night.

"Hey, there. Anything that I can help you with, babe?" Temari asked a man in a red convertible. "Aw, not tonight? That's fine, sweetheart. But promise you'll come tomorrow at midnight." She winked. She saw someone walk closer at the corner of her eye. "Oh, Naruko! How are you? Cute shirt. Love it, doll."

"I told you not to call me that," the girl said. "They'll hear you."

"Alright, alright, Hinata. Why'd you pick that name, anyway?"

"Because it was the first one I could think of," she mumbled. It was the truth. When she first entered the business, she had been thinking about the life she used to lead. The friends she used to have. For example, Hinata, who had recently died at the hands of Akatsuki, a local gang.

Sakura and Ino had moved to France once they were married. Gaara dumped Naruko after a three-year relationship, then joined Akatsuki. Kankuro worked day and night at a pizza place a few streets away, trying to make some money for his brother and sister to live off of, though he didn't know they both had "jobs" of their own. Tenten was the lead singer of a famous band that included her husband Neji, Kiba, and Shino. They were never home anymore, with all the tours, CD recordings, and signings. Choji and Shikamaru became chefs together, and owned a popular restaurant on the nice side of the city. Lee gave lessons for Jujutsu, Karate, and Taijutsu, so he was always at work. Kakashi and Iruka were always grading papers, seeing as they were college professors. Hinata, before she had died, was the leading attorney of a law firm on the nice side of the city. Only Kami-sama knows where the fuck Sasuke had gone to. None of them had heard from him in two years.

Temari and Naruko ended up here, on the corner of 33rd and Brooks, as prostitutes. It was the only way they could get any money. They didn't have nice enough clothing to apply for even a minimum wage job,and they were far too poor to go to college.

"Alright. Well, get yourself together or you won't get any customers. Having nothing to eat for the day's not very fun, especially when you have to work."

"Hey, I'll take the next one. It's my turn, anyway," a girl with short, spiked black hair said.

"Ok, Anko, that's fine. I'll just turn in for the night. I think I've had enough for today," Temari said, yawning. "Good night, Na--Hinata. See you tomorrow, Anko, Kurenai, Kin."

"Hai."

"Ja ne."

At that moment, a black Mercedes Benz drove up to the side of the street. Anko walked towards it.

"A new customer? Don't worry. Rest assured that I'll please yo--"

"Get Hinata," the man driving the car hissed. He emphasized the name. That's weird, Anko thought. How does he know her? I've never seen him around here...

"Yo, Hinata. This guy's asking for you. Ever seen him?"

"Just shut up and get her to me. Now." He spit so much venom into the last syllable that she decided against defying him. She pulled Naruko by the arm towards the man.

"Here, here. Don't get impatient, now."

"Naruko, get into the car."

"Wait, Naruko? Who's Naru-- Hey, hey, Hinata! What the hell are you doing? Don't get into the car! The bastard will kill you! Hey!" But Naruko ignored her and stepped into the vehicle. The tires screeched as the driver put the car back into drive, and Anko tried chasing after it, but it was no use. What the hell am I thinking? It's a fucking car! Soon, it was only a speck in the distance.

"Maybe we should call the authorities," Kin suggested, but Anko was too distracted by her thoughts to notice that anything had been said.

Who is that guy?

"What the fuck were you doing there? Wearing that slut suit?" the man asked.

"Working," Naruko answered.

"Bull shit. Why won't you just fucking take the money I offer you?! You're selling your body to these drunken assholes!"

"So what? I can't do anything else for a living. Besides, you're exactly the same."

"Stop treating yourself like this!"

"Why the fuck do you care, Sasuke? You never did before!"

"And I never thought that you'd end up selling yourself. The world is full of surprises."

"And I never thought that you'd leave me alone here!" At this, Sasuke snapped.

"I left you...? I LEFT YOU?! WHAT KIND OF FUCKING JOKE IS THAT?! I'VE ALWAYS BEEN THERE WHEN YOU NEEDED ME, NARUKO! HAVE YOU LOST FAITH IN ME?"

"So what if I have?! All you ever do is drink! Ever since your brother got killed off by that damn gang--"

"DON'T YOU DARE BRING MY BROTHER INTO--"

"THEN DON'T LIE TO ME!" Naruko screamed as she started to cry. "Do you ever wonder what it's like for me? Do you?!"

"What about me, Naruko! You're not the only one who has problems!"

"Oh yeah, being fucking rich, owning a successful company, so much is wrong wi--"

"MY BROTHER WAS KILLED FOR HAVING IDEAS OF HIS OWN! I'M ALONE!"

"WELL, SO AM I! AT LEAST YOU HAD YOUR BROTHER! AFTER MY PARENTS DIED, I HAD NO ONE!"

"YOU HAD ME!"

"Oh, don't make me laugh! You were always drunk! What use is a drunk asshole?"

"Fine, if you want to take it that way; it doesn't matter what I did! You still had Gaara!"

"Had is the keyword there."

"What do you mean had?! Last time I was around, you still lived with him!" Naruko scraped away at the powder on her cheeks, exposing the jagged scars hidden underneath.

"See this? See this?! Have you ever wondered what these were from? Huh?!"

"I've never seen them in my life. Maybe because you wear so much damn makeup!"

"I guess you were so fucking intoxicated that you didn't realize anything that happened that day! You didn't see when he pushed me down? When he broke that fucking bottle and scratched these marks into my face?"

"What?!"

"Well, that just proves my point. You might as well have not been there."

"What about everyone else?"

"They're all busy with their own lives and Hinata was fucking killed by Gaara!"

"What's Sakura doing that's so important that she can't help you?!"

"She's in France with Ino! They moved after they got married!"

"Married?! They're lesbians?"

"Yeah. I don't see why you're so surprised, though. Any girl would turn lesbian after they got to know you!"

"You little bitch!"

"Yeah, so?"

"I don't need this!"

"Then why the fuck did you pick me up?"

"I don't know anymore, Naruko. You've changed. What happened to you? You were getting along just fine!"

"Gaara did this to me and killed Hinata so that he could join the gang! Pein needed her dead so that she couldn't prove that he was the leader, and in turn, he gave him drugs and a spot in Akatsuki. And you didn't try to do a damn thing to stop him, did you?! He was your best friend, you needed to keep him from getting caught by the police! You were too damn drunk to think logically! "

"Hinata's dead?"

"You see what I mean?! What is the use of a drunk idiot?! You... you just... Fuck you, Uchiha." Naruko made to unlock the door, but Sasuke grabbed her arm and pulled her into a hug.

"... I'm sorry. I just... I don't know what I was thinking... I just lost myself with the depression... I never wanted to be alone. I never wanted to deal with the pressure of handling the business on my own." Naruko pushed him away.

"Save it. Come to me when you have real problems. Last time I checked, having your parents die, worrying about the rent, and not having anything to eat some nights is worse than what you've 'gone through'."

"I don't even know what I should say anymore... If 'I'm sorry' won't cut it, then what will?"

"I don't know. Why don't you try and find out?"

The next few minutes were pure silence. Only the sounds the car would make while sliding over the pavement. Naruko spent that time looking out the window, watching the scenery move across the glass. Soon, she realized that they were heading down a familiar street. One she hadn't been to in years.

"Are we going to--"

"My house? Yes."

"Why?"

"You're staying the night."

"Sasuke, please, let me go h--"

"No. You're staying at my house for the night. Actually, a few. I don't care what you say anymore. You've destroying yourself. Now, I'm going to make it my responsibility to change that. I want to make up for what I haven't been able to do in the past... Though I know this won't ever change what I didn't do, I want you to know I'm here for you now. I want to protect what you were. And what you can become again."

"Sasuke..."

"I don't care what it takes. I'll even give up my business if it means the old you will return." Naruko was silent for a moment, then took a deep breath and sighed.

"Sasuke," she whispered,"I don't want you to give up your life. Just don't drink anymore. Do that for me," a few tears spilled from her eyes,"and I'll be happy." Sasuke smiled.

"Do you know how much I've missed having you over for dinner all the time?"

"I know what the feeling is..."

"Well, the nights you don't stay over, which won't be very many, I'll tell you, you'll come over for dinner."

"Stay over? No, Sasuke, I couldn't possibly--"

"Do you need a job?"

"Sasuke, I can't ask for all this from you. I can't stay at your--"

"I can get you one at my company. I do need a personal secretary after all."

"Sasuke, please, listen to me."

"Alright, what?"

"I can't ask you to do this all for me. It's just too much."

"You're not asking. I'm offering. Actually, I changed my mind. You're moving in--"

"What?!"

"And I'm going to spend as much time with you as possible--"

"Sasuke, you can't--"

"Yes, I can. And I will.

"Then I wouldn't be able to repay you!"

"Let's call it a favor. You need the help, so I give it to you, and in return, you give me the company I need."

"... Are you sure about this?"

"Completely."

"... Why are you going through all this trouble for me?"

"Because I love you. And I have for a long time. Since before Gaara did."

"You...?" Naruko turned and looked at Sasuke.

"Yes. You don't have to decide what you think right now. It's not a relationship I'm worried about right now, it's you. After we get you set up in one of the rooms, fed, bathed, and dressed, you can make up your mind. And even if it's not what I want to hear, don't worry. I'll treat you the same."

For the first time in a long time, Naruko gave a real smile.

Heh. My stories are just so damn depressing... Crazy prossy Naruko/Naruto, drunkard Sasuke, druggie Gaara... Wow. New record of depressing-ness. Whoo. -sarcasm-

Anyway, what Naruko/Naruto decides about having a relationship is up to you. I mean, I love SasuNaru, but I just didn't know how to put in that they became a couple without making it sound stupid. Or making the end sound cliche/stupid. So there you have it.

-Kirami Belle