You Wear Insanity Well
Rated: M for mature content and mostly language
Disclaimer: If I owned anything here…well than I probably wouldn't be here…
Summary: "I wouldn't ask this from you unless it was an emergency. Mind you, I still hate you, you bastard, but this isn't about me. Just help me please? Help me save my baby."

Hey everyone. I know its been a while since I last updated and I'm sorry to say I have bad news. My muse with this story isn't exactly cooperating. I feel like it is dragging out and at this point, I'm not exactly sure where the story is going. I may come back to this story when I feel inspired again, but for now this is it. Enjoy what I managed to write for the next chapter and I apologize once again.

019: Wake Me Up
(when I'm wiser and I'm older)

Langley, Virginia, United States
11:23 UTC

Sakura slumped onto a bench at the bus depot and wearily rubbed her bangs away from her face. Another bus screeched to a stop in front of her, billowing out grey smoke from the exhaust. The doors opened and a couple of people trickled out of the door, holding bags and suitcases. Sakura held none. As the people walked away, presumably off to greet loved ones or friends, the bus pulled away, leaving Sakura alone outside.

She was tired, and she suddenly felt dumb.

Three days ago, Sakura had been a different person. But now, there was blood on her hands and no matter how hard she tried, they would never be clean.

The gunshot had echoed through the woods. Sakura had shut her eyes when she pulled the trigger. Yet when she opened them, everything appeared the same. The forest was still silent, the night still dark. There was no blood – at least not any Sakura could see. The sirens never came for her like she half expected them to. She didn't regret her decision, not in the slightest. Nothing had changed, yet for Sakura, everything had.

She knew she couldn't leave the body, but at the same time, she knew she couldn't return home. Her parents were there, waiting for her. They had questions that Sakura knew she couldn't answer; they would want to know things Sakura didn't know. The Sakura from before; before the trigger was pulled, perhaps even before the forest, would have been scared. She wouldn't have known what to do. But this Sakura, this Sakura knew what she needed to do and she could see it with amazing clarity. She wasn't afraid, just tired.

The house was still silent when Sakura approached it, but she could easily picture her parents inside, anxiously waiting for her on the couch. Her father would have the phone in his hand, ready to dial 9-1-1. But Sakura knew that couldn't be an option, it could never be an option. The assassin had managed to unlatch one of the rickety basement windows that was closest to the Steinholtz's house. Perhaps he would have gone back and broken it later, after he had killed them, to make it look like a break-in. Sakura was by no means a contortionist, but she was small enough to fit through the window and land quietly on the floor. Above, she could hear the floor creaking, perhaps from her mother's anxious pacing. Grabbing a change of clothes, Sakura stuffed her pajamas in the laundry where Mrs. Haruno wouldn't find them until much later. She grabbed some provisions from the pantry and then stole back through the basement window.

After setting fire to the body, Sakura walked the rest of the morning to the city centre. The smell of burning flesh would likely haunt her forever.

A fifty dollar bill found in the assassin's pocket along with his phone and motel key had gotten Sakura out of Michigan and to Pittsburg. The assassin had no ID on him, but Sakura was sure that if he had, she wouldn't have been able to trust it was reporting his real name anyway. The extra 500 dollars that Sakura found in an envelope under the assassin's bed in his motel room had gotten Sakura from Pittsburg to Arlington with some still to spare. The bus from Arlington to Langley hadn't been expensive, but now that Sakura was here, she didn't know where else to go.

Neji Hyuuga had been her first and most obvious choice when she had been considering where to flee. But she also had neglected to acknowledge the fact that aside from the city, Sakura had no clue where he lived. And it was really no use having a phone when no one bothered to memorize phone numbers anymore. She would look it up in the phone book, but that seemed a problem on two different levels seeing as she had a hard time believing a CIA operative would list his address in the local phone book and that no public place had phone booths with phone books anymore – only smart phone charging stations.

Sakura closed her eyes and rested her head against the brick building at her back. It wasn't as cold here in Virginia as it had been in Michigan, but that was of little comfort. Sakura had only eaten snacks over the last three days and had barely gotten a day's worth of sleep.

As Sakura's eyes fluttered shut for a brief moment, she was suddenly struck with another moment of clarity. There was something that she could do, and if she could find her way to a public library or internet cafe, she knew she would be ok.

Stuffing her hands into her pockets, Sakura got up and walked inside the building.

Rome, Italy
13:45 UTC

As Neji approached Hinata's room on the third floor, he realized he wasn't sure what to expect upon entering. There was a hastily scrawled Uchiha written on the name card that was placed under the room number on the wall. The door was partially closed and Neji stopped outside the door, unable to push the door open. There was a bouquet of daisies clenched in his hands, for Neji remembered that Hinata loved daisies.

Why was everything going wrong lately and why did it all seem like his fault? This questioned had racked Neji's brain quiet frequently since he spoke to Hanabi, but he still didn't have an answer for it. The practical, Hyuuga part of his brain told him that none of this was his fault and that no one could blame him for Hinata's condition. He knew in his heart that this was true, yet with all the things happening lately, this seemed like an eerie coincidence.

In fact, Neji couldn't even boast to be close to his cousin. They were always cordial with each other at family events, but they had never really gotten the chance to get to know one another. Hinata had always been too timid and too shy and Neji had always been too proud and too arrogant. It wasn't until they had picked similar career choices that they seemed to find new found respect for one another.

Neji could hear the television on the other side of the room and before he could psych himself out again, Neji nudged the door open with his free hand.

There was nothing scary about what he saw. Hinata was perched on her bed, clothed in a set of lavender flannel pajamas and a crème colored robe. There were no monitors, not even an IV drip. Hinata had what looked like a healing cut running across her forehead, but otherwise looked unharmed. Neji let out a sigh of relief and approached Hinata's bed.

"Hi, Hinata." Neji greeted as he set down the bouquet of daisies down on her table where they were surrounded by an assortment of other unusually bright flowers and Get Well Soon balloons.

Hinata turned slowly toward Neji and he was suddenly perturbed by the empty look in her pale eyes. "Neji." She greeted softly before turning back toward the television.

Neji found himself a spare chair and pulled it toward the bed, sitting down. "How are you feeling, Hinata? Hanabi told me that you were in the hospital."

"I feel…fine, I think." Said Hinata. "The doctor said that my injuries are healing nicely. I can already move my arm without too much pain." As if to demonstrate, she picked up her right arm and held it up for a moment.

"That's good." Said Neji, nodding his head. He gave a small smile and patted Hinata's hand. "Has Sasuke come to visit you today?"

A frown marred Hinata's face before evening out into a blank expression. "My husband has not come in a few days." She responded as she looked back toward the television.

Neji frowned. As much as he didn't like Sasuke, he knew the Uchiha was oddly devoted to Hinata and loved her more than anything. He couldn't be anything less than dying for him not to visit Hinata. But sensing Hinata's response, Neji figured it would be wise not to say anything. "Did the doctor say when you could go home?" He asked instead.

Hinata tilted her head to the side as if she were deep in thought. "I…I don't know." She finally said. "The doctor said something, but I don't remember."

Something was wrong, Neji could see that now. It wasn't like Hinata to forget things unless she had some sort of brain injury which Nei was fairly certain she didn't. And Hinata was acting strange. Not that Hinata was overly talkative or exuberant, but her mannerisms today were oddly lifeless and the blank stare on her face was disconcerting. Neji scratched his head and scanned the room, looking for something, anything that was out of place or could serve as some sort of clue…but there was nothing.

"Mama was here though." Said Hinata finally. "She comes to visit every day. She's the only one…" Hinata murmured.

Neji froze and his hands clenched into fists, but he tried to not to let the confusion and fear show on his face, lest he scare Hinata. "Your mother?" He inquired, his voice trying to remain level.

Hinata nodded her head serenely and Neji quickly stood up. "I need to use the restroom. I'll be back." Neji forced himself to smile and pat Hinata's hand before he all but darted from the room.

Leaning against the wall outside Hinata's room, Neji closed his eyes and took in a deep breath of air. There was definitely something terribly wrong with Hinata, some sort of mental condition that Neji had a hard time believing manifested from a minor car accident. If Hinata was talking about seeing her mother –someone Neji knew to be dead for quite some time, then her condition was more serious than Hanabi had let on.

Neji quickly calmed himself and approached the nurses' desk that was at the end of the hallway. There was only one nurse sitting behind the desk when Neji walked up. She was wearing glasses and a pair of purple scrubs and was currently typing something up on the computer. When Neji approached, she looked up expectantly and gave a slight smile.

"May I help you?" She asked.

Neji leaned against the counter. "I was hoping you could tell me the status of Hinata Uchiha's condition?" Neji asked. "She's in room 510."

"You are family?" The nurse inquired as she typed a few things into the computer.

"Yes, her cousin." Neji responded.

With a few clicks of the mouse, the nurse seemed to find what she was looking for. "Mrs. Uchiha is on an indefinite stay." Said the nurse, reading off the computer screen. "The doctor has been monitoring her behavior every day."

"Monitoring her behavior?" Neji repeated, his expression growing confused.

The nurse paused and then looked up at Neji, her expression a mixture of reservation and sympathy. She folded her hands in front of her. "Mr…"

"Hyuuga." Neji supplied.

The nurse gave a short smile before continuing. "Upon suggestion by her attending doctor and approval by her husband, Mrs. Uchiha was admitted to this psych ward a couple days ago. So far, we are unaware of the cause her hallucinations and mental instability, but the doctor is doing the best that he can."

Neji's expression remained neutral as the nurse divulged this information, but his heart had begun to beat quickly. So it was just as bad as he thought. Murmuring his thanks, Neji pushed away from the desk and walked slowly back down the hall toward Hinata's room. How could this have happened? For generations, the Hyuuga family had always been of sound mind, when ambition and greed didn't sour their personalities. What could Hinata have done to cause this?

Neji stopped short outside Hinata's room, once again unable to bring himself to go inside. He ran a hand through his hair and covered his face with his hands.

"Sir?"

Neji quickly looked up and found a young male nurse standing in front of him. He was holding a tray with a glass of water and what looked like an assortment of pills in a small dish. The expression he had was one of mild concern. "I was just going to give Mrs. Uchiha her medication. Were you going to go inside?"

Langley, Virginia, United States
12:43 UTC

"Tenten." Said Sakura dumbfoundedly as she stared through the open window of a black SUV. She hoped that the dismay and confusion didn't show through in her voice.

Hands clamped on the steering wheel, Tenten, dressed in a red pea coat with a scarf wrapped around her neck stared at Sakura expectantly through the open passenger side window. There was a slight smile on her beautiful face, but it was as if she could sense Sakura's discomfort. "I've enjoyed the little greeting cards." Tenten said, turning to face forward. "But considering they are all addressed to my husband, I've been feeling a little left out."

Sakura looked at Tenten sheepishly. She didn't know what to say.

"Well, get in." Said Tenten, beckoning Sakura inside with her head. "I'm not going to leave you standing in the cold."

Sakura stood rooted to the spot for a few more moments before she finally stepped forward and opened the car door, getting inside. Tenten's foot was off the break and on the gas the moment Sakura's door slammed shut and she was quickly zooming off down a side street and away from the library where Sakura had just come from.

"No phone?" Tenten asked, her question unexpected as she turned off a side street and onto a busier avenue.

Sakura looked at her in surprise. "I know, we haven't made things easy." Tenten joked. "We aren't listed in the phone books, but then again, there's hardly a payphone left in the city."

"Resourceful though," Tenten continued, "Remembering Neji's email address…"

Sakura stared at Tenten in confusion. This wasn't the same Tenten that she had remembered meeting in Italy those many months ago. That Tenten had seemed innocent, lovely and perhaps had a quick tongue. And while this Tenten was just as lovely, for some reason, her innocence had been replaced with something that Sakura couldn't quite describe. She seemed on edge and not at all left in the dark as Sakura first made her out to be.

Tenten dodged around a few cars that she must have deemed as moving too slowly. Sakura found herself gripping the handle on the door and being reminded all too well of Naruto's driving.

"I wasn't what you were expecting." Said Tenten finally.

Sakura looked at her. "No." She finally admitted. "I was hoping that Neji would have come. I sort of…need his help." That had been her intention in the first place, to find Neji so that he could help her and Naruto out of the predicament that he had unknowingly started. Tenten's presence was a bit of a letdown but Sakura didn't want to admit as much.

"Neji's gone." Tenten informed her. "He left not that long ago."

Sakura's head whipped toward Tenten, her eyes wide and despondent. Tenten glanced at her and gave her a sympathetic tilt of the head. "You look like you could use a hot cup of coffee." She said after a moment.

Tenten's driving turned less daring as she approached a small strip mall located off a busy street. Clearly, she had no patience for other drivers as a few times, Sakura heard her muttering in some language – presumably Chinese – under her breath. But at least Sakura found she no longer had to grip the door handle.

After stealing a parking space from someone else, Tenten and Sakura entered a Starbucks that was already bustling with patrons. It was warm and comforting inside, with the smell of ground coffee beans and vanilla permeating the air. Sakura ordered the largest and strongest coffee she could find on the menu before she and Tenten made their way toward the back of the café where they would be less likely to be overheard by the other patrons.

"You've been through a lot." Said Tenten. Sakura looked up from picking at her rice krispie and noticed that Tenten was staring at her with scrutiny.

Sakura sighed and took a long sip of her coffee. She could instantly feel the warm liquid travelling down her throat and into her stomach, chasing away the cold. "You could say that."

Tenten sighed and looked at Sakura wistfully before placing her own hand over Sakura's. "I know…that we don't know each other well." Said Tenten. "And I know you were hoping my husband could help you with whatever it is, but maybe I can help instead." She offered.

Sakura glanced at Tenten and managed a smile. "That's really kind of you to offer, but I'm just not sure you can."

"Try me." Tenten challenged.

Sakura paused. She could sense that Tenten was a strong willed woman and it seemed like not much surprised her, but would she be ready for what Sakura had to tell her? Sakura didn't think she would be able to admit to anyone what she had done, save Naruto.

"Have you ever killed someone?" Sakura closed her eyes and shook her head as the words left her mouth. "I'm sorry." She murmured, rubbing her eyes with her hand. "I..."

"I have." Said Tenten simply.

Sakura dropped her hands away from her eyes and stared at Tenten. "You have?" She asked incredibly.

Tenten looked at Sakura and a small smile crossed her lips. "I'm not the...normal civilian I've made myself out to be since marrying Neji." Tenten explained.

Sakura realized that she actually knew nothing about Tenten Hyuuga. Aside from their brief meeting at the Uchiha manor where they both attended Sasuke's party and when Sakura updated Tenten about their foolhardy plan to storm the ITP headquarters, Sakura had never really spoken with Tenten. She did recall that Tenten hadn't made much of a fuss or had even seemed confused when Sakura spoke with her in her hotel room, which in hindsight was quite odd. Sakura wondered if she had a habit of befriending people who were more than they seemed.

"Neji never told you how we met?" Tenten asked as she spun her cup of tea around on the table.

Admittedly, Sakura hadn't really spoken with Neji since Sasuke and Hinata's wedding. Almost embarrassed, Sakura shook her head no.

"Well let's see." Said Tenten, glancing up. "Neji was CIA and one of those annoying know-it-all kind of bastards. Not much has changed since then." Sakura had to crack a smile.

"And I hadn't been in America all that long. Six months maybe, barely knew English." Tenten continued. "I was waiting at the bar in some fancy casino, waiting for a business client when Neji showed up."

"He said that he that he had a proposition for me. He said that I could work for him, by telling him everything that I knew. He would protect me, but if I refused, he would find some way to throw me in jail. Charming isn't he?" Tenten asked, an amused smile on her face.

Sakura frowned. "I…don't understand." She said slowly. "What did you do?"

"I was trafficking in weapons for one the biggest gangs in Hong Kong." Said Tenten. "And I was quite good at it." Watching Sakura, Tenten seemed to get a kick as Sakura's face fell from her revelation.

Sakura remained silent, but Tenten could see the myriad of emotions playing out in her wide green eyes. "I've never told anyone that." Tenten mused quietly, the smile fading from her face. "I never could tell anyone."

"Why tell me?" Sakura finally managed. "You don't know me."

Tenten shrugged as she glanced at the new customers coming in the door. "I don't know. But I know that Neji trusts you. So I trust you. And I don't trust easily."

Sakura took a sip of her coffee. Trust seemed like a heavy thing nowadays.

"You don't have to tell me what you did." Said Tenten. "But I know how you must feel. The weight that sits on your heart, after you've taken a life will never go away, but it can lessen with time. I should know, I have more blood on my hands than you." Said Tenten solemnly.

Sakura looked at Tenten, viewing her in a new light.

"If you'll let me." Tenten continued. "I think I would like to help you."