Lonely, Lonely That is You

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

Three months ago Sakura had Naruto teach her how to do the sexy jutsu. The only thing Sakura wanted to do was walk the streets of Konoha Friday nights without people bothering her. Men wanted to speak with her, women wanted to ask her questions; she simply just wanted to be alone after working long hours at the hospital and teaching students.

Sakura began walking the streets when she had realized there was nothing at home for her. Sarada, though only 12, had missions back to back. Iruka was even on the verge of assigning them S rank missions, plus it was the second annual chunin exams. That meant little time Sarada spent at home. Besides even when she was home, they often rarely spoke. There was a time Sarada didn't even believe Sakura was really her mother. Their relationship was better now but she knew her daughter still thought of her as weak. Her daughter was also not naive to the marriage Sakura and Sasuke had. Then there was the lack of Sasuke. His absence was what she thought of when she walked the streets.

Sakura did the hand sign in the mirror and instantly her body puffed into a male version of her. Her hair was short, wavy at the top, taped off at the back. Her chest and shoulders were broad and muscular. She had an eight pack of abs and an Adam's apple.

She ran her fingers through her pink hair and looked at the sanin mark on her forehead. That was the only thing she covered up with a simple purple triangle skin sticker.

Since she was nude, she went to her drawer and pulled out some boxer briefs, some white slacks, and a red button down shirt. It was an simple outfit, simple clothes she bought those three months ago along with a new pair of ninja shoes that fit.

Besides for a few stares and blushes from men and women, she was left alone while she walked to the burger joint. Kept to her own thoughts, she sat at the far back of the fast food restaurant in a booth near the windows.

She already ate the hamburger, the fries, and even drunk the drink. The only thing that was left was the small apple pie she ate with a plastic white fork.

Her thoughts, her thoughts as she was slumped in the booth, hands in her lap, sadness and sorrow in her eyes, she thought of her marriage. When she was a kid, she was just a girl so in love but now as an adult, a 32 year old adult, she was...she was lost and lonely.

Leaving Sasuke would have been bad(1). Her reputation would have went down as a woman. Even though the man almost killed her, she went with him because it was expected of her and she did love him, even now. Still, she would have lost face and all credibility. Hinata was in a similar situation, really.

After a while of being in her own thoughts, Sakura felt eyes on her. When she looked up, she saw a blonde hair, blue eye woman looking at her. Her purple shirt bared her stomach, and her purple skirt was a bit short for a mother, still, Ino looked great.

Ino walked over to Sakura and sat across from her in the booth. Sakura shuffled in her seat.

"Sakura?" Ino said. "How are you?"

"How'd you know it was me?" Her voice was deeper than her woman's voice but still sounded like her regards to tone.

A small smile came to Ino's lips. "Come on, your father and you are the only ones with that phenotype."

They were silent.

"Are you doing okay?"

Sakura seemed more sad now than when they were kids. Even when her and Ino went on retreats with one another although the pink haired woman was relaxed, there was always a tinge of sadness in her eyes and movements.

Sakura shrugged.

"You look really handsome as a man." Ino laughed a bit. 'You're attractive even as a woman too' Ino thought.

"Ino," Sakura started. Her eyes cast down at her half eaten apple pie. "When I'm using this jutsu, it means I want to be alone."

"Oh...okay...well..." Ino looked at the counter where the cashier was. The woman behind the counter nodded her head and placed the food on the counter. "I should get home anyway...see you, Sakura." Sakura nodded while Ino walked to the counter and took the bags. Before she left, she glanced back at Sakura...still so handsome, so beautiful, so smart yet so lonely.

Ino left the the restaurant, and Sakura picked up her fork and continued to eat her apple pie.

...

AUTHOR'S NOTES:

1.) The creator of Naruto himself said in an interview Sasuke/Sakura and Naruto/Hinata relationships are quite unhealthy; however, he didn't want to change it because if they'd(Sakura and Hinata) were to leave, it would be 'bad'. This is another way of saying, these women would have lost face, lost their reputation, their credibility and their respect which is often the case in many East cultures and not just the Japanese. Quite sad and depressing really.