AUTHOR'S NOTE: I'll be putting this story on hiatus within a couple of times; this story has a time to it and I like to stay accurate(as accurate one can be with a fanfiction) with the characters, but since Boruto is still ongoing(at the least the manga is) then I can't do that. Similar to how I had to put Birth of a Lord on hiatus. Moving forward until Boruto is over, I won't write anymore Naruto/Boruto time stories; they'll be one set stories like Two Brothers and Birth of a Lord: Rewind.

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Sakura set up in the bed reading all the fan mail she received while in Orochimaru's lab. Of course, it was all for Kura. She received no letters from her friends, most didn't know she was Kura, and the ones who did had a restraining order against her. Naruto and Sasuke had come by, yes, Naruto was cheerful and Saskue sullen, but both were tormented regards to Konnie. They knew the young woman was falling for 'Kura', and at first Sasuke suggested they simply kill him. It was unexpected though for Sakura to come upon quite the find when speaking with the men at the draft, quite changing Sasuke's plans.

It was decided to not kill Kura, and while the men left her alone in the lab, she was actually happy. Even if it was Konnie, she enjoyed being desired, wanted...even if it was Kura.

Out of all the dozens of letters and gifts she had received, she had hoped that buried deep down in the piles they'd be a letter from Ino. A letter wishing her well and saying she forgave Sakura. There was none of that and Sakura secretly wished she was eating apple pie at the burger joint. She wished she could walk the streets as Kura and be sought after, something she hated when as Sakura. She wished she could play basketball and be admired, something even with a sanin ranking she rarely received from the general public.

The half read fan letter in her hand, she threw to the side. She slid herself down in bed about to close her eyes. Karin coming to check on her vitals didn't allow Sakura to close her eyes.

Karin had seen Sakura as Kura and ever since then, a slight blush remained on her cheeks.

"I just don't understand why your chakra is so high as a man when as a woman-" not wanting to offend Sakura, she thought of less mocking words for the mother of one. "It doesn't come close to comparison." Karin set the chart down next to the lab computer and went to Sakura. After checking her vitals, she went back to the chart and flipped over some papers. She unclipped some of the papers and handed them to Sakura. "Here are the findings on the drug samples you and Temari provided. And oh," she handed Sakura an envelope that was red and smelt of Konnie.

Even after Karin left, Sakura continued to read the documents on the pills. When Sakura had fainted four days ago, the pill had increased her heart rate, and blood flow. She remembered having the erection and her mind feeling like it was going to explode. Then blackness.

The pill had a mixture of numerous chemicals but the main ingredient was a drug called fentanyl, in a lesser dosage. The second main ingredient was dihydrotestosteron, but ironically, in a bigger dosage.

Sakura had heard of fentanyl due to the high cases and controversy it was having in the west. It would seem it made it's way to the east. The second drug she knew was a man made substance, more potent than testosterone. She shook her head and sighed, placing the paperwork to the side and picking up the letter.
The letter was severely bent, and she surely forgot how many times she read it, and no matter how long her eyes fixated on the name, it wasn't a letter from Ino-no, it was a letter from Konnie. Most would probably be overjoyed to know someone loved them as much as this lady did but Sakura became more upset. Everything she learned and taught herself in the past weeks began to slip away. Thoughts of it not being her fault, thoughts of how Ino was simply punishing her was beginning to darken Sakura. She gulped, nearly balling the letter up but decided not to. It wasn't Konnie's fault Ino was ignoring Sakura. Sakura, it was as if she completely forgot she had a restraining order against her. She needed to clear her head. She wanted to play basketball, not even as Kura, just play.

She tilted her head toward the desk Karin was just at. There sat letters of draft letters from the National Basketball Association in America. So many players apparently were being suspended for this or that, and Kura and Mari's names have grown tremendously; in other words, they were highly sought after.

Her upper half slammed into the pillow and she sighed before getting up. Not caring she was wearing a patient gown, she walked out the lab after taking the needles and plugs from her limbs, the machines crying and begging her to come back to bed.

Maybe she should have stayed in bed. She didn't know the maze she was in, but her desire for an orange with black lines object shaped like a sphere called to her.

The turn of a corner caused her to bump into a young boy.

"Uchiha?"

A tiny sweat drop appeared on Sakura's hair, and she closed her eyes and smiled. "You can call me Sakura, Mitsuki. Hey, do you know if there's a basketball around?"

"A basketball?"

"You know. Basketball, right?"

"Mitsuki, Boruto is waiting for you."

The gray haired boy turned around and walked past the tall blond man, his Hokage cape fashioned neatly around his shoulders. Under his left arm was a basketball. He handed it to Sakura who smiled widely, bouncing the ball a few times.

"You really fell in love with that sport." Sakura merely nodded at his comment. "That girl...she really loves you. You know she comes to my office everyday and asks for you." Naruto watched the ball bounce slower, and then eventually stop. "Sasuke wanted to kill Kura but you're getting so close, you and Temari. They're asking you to play in the west. I...I think I may have you play... in the west." Sakura dropped the ball. It rolled to Naruto's foot in which he stopped with his own foot. He bent down and picked it up. After turning it over a few times in his hands, he gave it back to Sakura. "For you." He turned to leave-

"I'm going to see Ino."

"Sakura..."

"I won't hurt her. I just want to talk to her. Tell her I'm sorry."

Naruto shook his head. "You should see her on her own terms."

"...I'm seeing her on my terms." Sakura bounced the ball, going back to her room, the ball echoing as she vanished within the darkness of Orochimaru's maze.

XX

Two weeks later, Sakura was able to leave the lab. After stopping by to see Sarada off on a mission, going to the hospital to read up on patients and charts, address any new treatments and medicines that came to the hospital, after checking with Naruto and Sasuke in the Hokage's office to go over the findings of the pill and discuss possibly leaving to the west to play in the NBA, Sakura finally had the time to walk to Ino's.

Naruto was still against it and though he didn't say anything, Sakura felt Sasuke was also against her seeing Ino. And just as she lifted her fist to knock on Ino's door, she began to wonder if maybe they were right. They weren't kids anymore, both boys had grown into wise and mature men. Sasuke even wiser and more mature, and with swift change in decision, she turned to leave but Sai exited from the home.

His smile was genuine, glad to see she was better and allowed her into the house as he departed for work. Smiling and wishing the women well.

Ino glared at Sakura and with Sai gone, she ordered her to leave.

"Ino, can't we talk?"

"No, Sakura, once you're done with that mission making you into a man, maybe, but I don't want to be around you with him just a jutsu away." She wouldn't get close to the Sanin, Sakura was just too unpredictable. First she was shy and reclusive then Ino experienced her getting smart and aggressive, even violent. Ino shook her head remembering what Sakura did to her...in front of all those men, thinking of it made her flush and angry all over again. She closed her eyes and shook her head, crossed her arms. Hoping when she open them and Sakura would be gone, but no, that wasn't the case when she opened her eyes.

"Ino, I'm sorry. For everything. For...for...that time I came here as Kura and Sai touched me, when I kissed you, when I insulted you, when I placed...placed 'myself' on you. I'm sorry, Ino."

Ino felt disgusted with herself for letting herself shed tears for this woman. But every recount Sakura mentioned, it opened wounds Ino thought she sowed up. Sakura hurt her tremendously, just like Temari had hurt Tenten. What hurt even more was how these women thought a simple apology would fix it all.

"Get out, Sakura."

"In-"

"Get out or I'll report you for breaking the order, stripping your rank."

She just knew when Sakura left, Ino's eyes were puffy, red and pink, glue-like because of the tears. Her nose was probably even running, she looked a mess, not pretty at all, she was sure, but all she wanted was to see Sakura leave her residence. She wanted no part of Sakura as long as Kura lived and navigated through the world on his missions. Sakura was lying to herself. Ino felt Sakura couldn't control Kura, for Kura was all the built trauma Sakura held within her from all of these years. Kura...Kura was dangerous and Sakura didn't know it yet but Ino did...what she apologized for was nothing to what Kura could really do. She was a sad, lonely woman and Kura was that, only a man.

Ino walked to the front door...doing something she never had done before...there was no reason to until now: she locked the door.