Chapter: Slice of Sakura

A/N: So this chapter deals with Sakura and her relationship with Sasuke. There are mentions of abuse, mostly in passing.

"Sasuke do you even love me?" The pinkette couldn't resist posing the question to the most harmless object in the room. This of course was not the mirror but the lights above the mirror. Because asking the mirror meant she was well aware of how unhappy she currently is and accepting it. She wasn't avoiding the mirror, not really except maybe in the mornings, afternoons, and evenings. It had only been three and a half months since they had gotten together. In Sasuke's favor he had at least attempted to take her to bed again last night. The fact he was so far beyond drunk he couldn't even get it up, just like the first time and every time after too, had been ignored. Any bruises left after his rough handling of her forgiven, hidden and never to be spoken of again. She was most assuredly happy and not avoiding the mirror because of said bruises from yet another failed attempt. She smiled to herself remembering the picture she had been able to take in the process. Of course it had cost her a bit of hair pulling and a little more rough handling than she had gotten accustomed to. But she was ninja she could handle anything he handed out. She most assuredly happy and not in denial.

"Are you in Sakura?" It was Lee's voice that broke her out of her reverie. She had a mission with team Gai while Naruto attended an appointment with his very probably pregnant wife. Of course they weren't sure yet but as a woman and a doctor Sakura did not doubt her intuition.

"Ah sorry Lee I'm almost done!" She grabbed her make-up bag quickly applying it without looking in the mirror. It was a skill she had perfected years ago for reasons much different from now. "Sorry to make you wait." She smiled stepping out of the house wearing her usual mission clothes. She was always worried that one of them might notice if she didn't wear something so skimpy even if it took more make-up to cover all her bruises this way. She was grateful for never missing one.

"Are you alright you look tired?" TenTen inquired looking at the heavy make up under her eyes. She had more to add but waited patiently for a response first.

"I pulled an all nighter working out an issue with one of my charges..." She smiled brighter decidedly not mentioning how she had actually spent her night miserably waiting on Sasuke who had stood her up once again. After an hour of waiting she had put away the dinner she had prepared. Of course she then settled into research projects to escape from the reality of her situation, she was not in denial. Sometime after one in the morning Sasuke had joined her in bed for another drunken attempt. This time he'd been able to get it up but she had kicked him out of her bed when she heard him grunt a name she knew was not hers. A name she recognized and was quickly coming to loathe from her lover's lips as he had been known to whisper it in his drunken sleep but it must have been a mistake. Luckily things hadn't progressed too far so she had escaped with minimal damage, just the usual hair pulling and too forceful hands trying to guide her, Sasuke at least had taken the hint and left. It took her a moment to realize they were still talking to her but having been lost in her thoughts of the night before she completely missed what TenTen and Lee were saying. Her thoughts were still adrift as she began wordlessly following them.

"Sakura?" Neji was the one to break her thoughts a displeased look ceasing between his brows.

"Ah yes Neji?" Once again she had found herself spacing off into her thoughts of Sasuke even as she looked at her team captain for this mission.

"Can you repeat to me what was just said?" In response she looked confused and disoriented at the question and their surroundings, which were actually just a few feet from her front door. Seeing the reaction to his query he made an executive decision he knew they would all agree on. "Never mind. Lee and I are enough for this kind of mission. TenTen please take Sakura to the clinic and if you happen to cross Tsunade on the way be sure to inform her of the changes." Of course the mission was only some leg work with a high ranked scroll and would be completed in a day if Lee was on the job anyway. Not many stood a chance of even catching up with his high speed and with Neji there really wasn't enough danger to warrant their presence, the team had been a unnecessary precaution to begin with. Something about teamwork being important to build.

"What!? Why!?" The pinkette flushed a deep crimson seeing where TenTen pointed. A purplish brown bruise had begun forming in the shape of a hand on her forearm. "Oh my charge must have been rougher than I thought. There's no need to worry." She lied quickly but not even Lee looked to be convinced with her off the cuff lie. She mentally cursed herself for not checking the mirror at least to see where they bruises that would need covering were.

"We all know how Sasuke is." It was Ino's unexpected voice behind her that had Sakura falling to her knees with sudden tears. Because while dealing with her abusive boyfriend she had completely forgotten that she and Ino used to jog for an hour every morning. There were a lot of things Sakura had forgotten allowing herself to fall into the obsessive behavior that kept her chained to the man that didn't love her. It was something had been hurting all of them since the bastard's return. Ino as the most affected was about to confront her when she had found her outside with Team Gai.

Sakura couldn't stop the floodgate of her thoughts breaking free from where she had caged them. There were too many things she had forgotten. She had forgotten that there existed moments where she didn't feel compelled to worry about Sasuke and his needs. She felt so used as she broke down just a few feet from her own door. A door that had stood like a sentinel for her personal affairs, it was now mocking her, watching her break from the wrong side. It was no longer guarding her tears. She cried harder at the thought that for three and a half months she had let him use her in anyway he wanted. All because she loved him. But reality wasn't kind he didn't love her, he loved someone he couldn't have, so he'd settled. And like a love sick puppy she had let him waltz all over her. She had even done it with a smile pretending she was happy. It was almost too much for her to take but she had done it for love. She had thought she could change him and make him love her. But as she looked on at the one that Sasuke truly loved she snapped.

"Did you know he loves you?" Her green eyes stared straight at Lee accusing and angry. She had nothing but hatred for what she had become trying to win the heart of one who loved another but right now she could only accuse Lee of theft. "He was calling your name not mine." She cried a little harder covering her mouth with her hands. "It should have been me..." She whispered to herself no longer looking at Lee but continuing to break before their very eyes. Both Ino and TenTen gathered her up in their arms using a transportation jutsu they had prepared for a different kind of intervention, to get her away to the clinic quickly.

Lee's broken "I'm sorry" was the last thing the three women heard before landing just outside the office where as luck would have it Hinata and Naruto would be having their appointment. And even luckier they were making their way back when they landed with Sakura in a sobbing huddle before the exam door.

"What's wrong?" Hinata was the first to rush up to them followed closely by her husband. Both very confused and concerned at once.

For a moment the only response was Sakura's tears before she spoke with a shaky voice. "Naruto I need you to do me a favor."

"Anything you want Sakura." He whispered helping her to her feet as TenTen and Ino let her out of their hold into his waiting arms. Behind him they could see Hinata's look of horror at the marks around her eyes no longer concealed by her make up and the bruise clearly visible on her arm.

"Could you help me move? Somewhere he wouldn't look for me." She knew she didn't need to mention who, everyone had been worried about her. Ever since Sasuke's return she had been steadily become more depressed and anti-social. She knew it was a sudden decision but she didn't want him to find her. Even though he had settled with her in his eyes she was nothing but his property and he was like a child playing with toys. If he couldn't have his toy no one could, luckily for Lee he wasn't considered just a toy like her. "I don't think I can go back to my place." She began crying silently again but held her head high even as she felt light headed.

"Sure thing Sakura." He smiled as widely as he could as he felt her going slack in his arms most likely from exhaustion and stress.

"I'm tired so I'm going to sleep now." Sakura's head came to rest on his shoulder just as Tsunade turned the corner.

"What's going on?" She demanded in a deadly whisper looking from the face of her apprentice, to her current appointment, to her shinobi that was supposed to be on a mission, and last on her lead interrogator's apprentice. "Well?" She tapped her foot and the floor threatened to crack.

"Tsunade I can explain..." Ino ushered them into the room so Naruto could lay Sakura down and jumped into the thick of things. "You see Sakura has been seeing Sasuke for the last three and a half months. Things started fine but..." Ino's voice faltered and TenTen jumped to save her since she was up to date with Ino. After all they both knew Lee's secret which lead them to he better friends. Also as Sakura's closest friends it was only normal for the both of them to be concerned about and her well being.

"You see Sasuke wasn't in love with Sakura but is gay and madly in love with Lee and..." She stole a look at Naruto to gauge his reaction, which was a mild jaw drop of half surprise. Of course she had already known this part where Sakura had not since she had seen how Sasuke acted with Lee. And she had actually thought that the Uchiha had gotten over the taijujitsu specialist. "Lee isn't interested because he's currently involved with someone..." Out of the corner of her eye she saw Naruto and Hinata mouthing 'who?' to each other. "And since he needed an heir anyway..."

"He decided Sakura would be best." Tsunade finished for her studying the brunette with curiosity. "That doesn't explain why your here, why Sakura is here, and how you know all this."

"Lee told us about him rejecting Sasuke, since we know who he is seeing. And don't ask Naruto this is strictly non gossip material." Ino huffed at the look he gave her. "I'm sure your aware why Tsunade. Anyway upon Lee's rejection he took up with Sakura and had since..." She swallowed loudly. "Become rather violent with her and his advances towards procuring an heir." Ino found herself rather proud she had said most of that with no emotion as her job required. It wasn't always easy being as close to the situation as she was.

"I see. This is a grievous matter. Do you know what Sakura plans to do?"