On the cusp of dawn, ten Konoha ninja reported to the gates. Six medics, including Sakura and Ino, and four Jonin to guard them, Ko Hyuuga one of them. Since Inoichi had passed away during the war, Ino's fiancé had become her designated Alpha warden, and until he and the blonde had consummated their marriage (in bites, not in penetration), she wouldn't be allowed to leave the Village without him.
"That's strange, that Kakashi sent you out there without an Alpha, isn't it?", her naive friend commented. The combination of Ko's pursed lips and redden neck told Sakura two things: number one, that she ostensibly stank of Sasuke, and two, that the ninja was too well-bred to air her dirty laundry, even to his beloved.
The oldest jonin, a tall Beta shinobi, spoke up. "Attention, everyone." Nine pairs of eyes were set on him. "We've been asked to tour five smaller towns scattered around Fire country. Our goal is twofold: to provide medical care and investigate any criminal uprisings that might be forming after the war."
He then addressed Sakura. "Haruno-san, thank you for joining us on such short notice. Sukui-san was supposed to command the medical squad, but since you outrank her, I want to know if you're interested in leading"
"Oh no, Sukui-san is more than capable of doing so". Sakura wasn't lying. She'd known the older ninja ever since she started tutoring under Tsunade. "She's got far more experience under her belt than I do" The spectacled medic-nin bowed her head in modesty.
"You flatter me, Sakura-sama", the suffix itself made Sakura uncomfortable. "Your expertise goes far beyond your years. However, I will gladly take the lead if that pleases you".
Shortly after their departure, Sakura remembered why she disliked taking missions alongside Ino. Her blonde frenemy's presence made her competitive and defensive, even when they were doing simple tasks like setting bone or mending wounds. She felt like she was twelve again, constantly trying to prove herself. It was irrelevant if her team captain or her medical commander noticed it or not, Sakura recognized the signs with ease. The moment she finished a task, she was looking over her shoulder to check on Ino's progress. If anyone asked a question, she had to reply first as well as making a smart observation, even if there wasn't a right or wrong answer. Whenever they were traveling through the forest, her strides had to be longer and her fatigue less noticeable.
All in all, none of this wouldn't be weighing so heavily in Sakura's beat up heart if Ino hadn't been escorted by her handsome husband-to-be. His solemn face might be inexpressive, but his subtle actions spoke a language Sakura was expert at reading. If they were walking along a crowded street, he'd always position himself between his fiancee and the passersby. Whenever Ino was talking (and she talked a whole damn lot), his face turned towards her, like it would be rude to let her speak without an attentive listener. He never went to bed before her. He never interrupted her work, but if she was dealing with a less than ideal patient, he was always nearby, like a threatening shadow. His face never featured a foolish expression, his tone held nothing but formal admiration, but his eyes… his eyes followed her around - like one looks at a sunset, or a butterfly, or a scintillant flame: with the certainty that if you look away too soon, it might forever disappear.
Because Sakura was a good actress, but a bad liar, she started writing some of her constant thoughts in the journal Kakashi had given her. She took it everywhere, and was oftentimes seen doubling over it, under the pretense of recording medical details that could help her in her studies.
She wrote:
Where did I go wrong: In loving or in hoping?
"Haruno-san, a word?" The mission captain, Mokume-taichou, held her up after finishing her rounds in the infirmary. "We've received a request for a healing squad by some independent organization, which is gathered nearby. The members are most likely shady, but the pay is handsome, and as you know, the village is in no position to refuse any sources of income at this time."
"I've spoken to Sukui-san, and she's OK with splitting the medic team in half, as long as you agree with commanding it. Your subordinates would be another doctor and two jounin of your choice." Sakura had no reason to turn the offer down. If things got messy and they had to fight, she might even be able to shake off this everlasting ghost that had followed her all the way here.
When Sakura and her team arrived at the given location, she was disgusted, but not surprised, to see they'd been sent to a clandestine brothel. Prostitution was illegal under the Daimyo's reign, but wherever there were morally broken men, there were whores, and wherever there were whores, there was money. Money Konoha was in dire need of obtaining.
The place looked like most bars she'd visited, with the distinction of the dozen closed doors behind which Sakura assumed the women laid waiting for their customers. Her team had instructions to make contact with the accountant of the place, who would in turn take them to the different patrons who needed healing.
"Over here, Miss". The man led her to a door on the second floor. The room housed the biggest bed Sakura had ever seen, and on it there was a man surrounded by five naked young women. The medic had to stop herself from covering her nose; the air was suffocating, thick with an artificial sweet and tart smell.
"It seems our time is up, lovelies", the man smacked one of the girl's bottom and nibbled at another one's shoulder. "Go clean up and I'll see you again in a bit". Without a sound of disagreement, all five sex workers stood up from the bed and headed towards the door Sakura was standing in. As they passed next to her, she got to see them up close: their necks and shoulders had been repeatedly bitten. "Come here, medic. Don't worry, I won't bite you… unless you want me to".
Closing her mouth before a rude response found its way out, Sakura approached the man to begin his healing session. She'd changed her appearance slightly, just enough so that she wouldn't be easily recognized. Something told her these men would pay exorbitant amounts to rape a war hero.
The man - whose accent gave him up as being from the Land of Iron or its vicinity - asked: "Do you mind if I smoke?", while opening the drawer from the nightstand.
"It's not gonna help the cancer you've got wrapped around your lungs, but sure". Like she'd just tell the funniest joke in the world, he nearly split his sides.
"You're funny. I love a funny gal. These bitches here are so stupid they couldn't make you laugh if their paycheck depended on it. Come here". He sat on the edge of the bed, and she noticed his legs were wrapped in strange medical tattoos. "That's where the whole ordeal began, y'know. I should have cut the damn things off me when I had the chance, but as you probably know, it's hard fighting without legs. Besides, I'm not inspiring enough to be a cripple anyway".
Sakura wasn't particularly interested in conversing with the guy, but he was a talker, and gathering information was always a good idea. Healing in silence could get awkward, anyways. She put her hands on his chest. "Whoremongers seldom are."
He continued to laugh. The chances he was under the influence were high. "We seem to have a puritan in our ranks". He looked her up and down. "Funny and with a biting tongue. Good thing you're not well endowed, or else I'd be in trouble".
"So that's why you come here? Do they offer the biggest tits in the entire country?"
"Not particularly, but they do happen to have the most mindless Omegas money can buy". Her ears pricked up.
"Can't you just go out and get one of your own? I thought Alphas were built for that"
"Luckily for me, I am a Beta, so I get all of the fun, none of the responsibility, and my penis doesn't inflate like a balloon every time I gotta shoot my load".
"I wasn't aware Omegas were so in demand"
"How couldn't they be? There's nothing hotter than a willing girl. And trust me, they need me almost more than I need them. True cum sluts."
Sakura worked hard to keep her disgust from showing on her face."Aren't you afraid you'll… impregnate them?"
"What do you think, we live in the Edo period? Haven't you heard of condoms?" Well, not really. Contraceptives were not something discussed openly in Konoha. "Anyways, even if that fails, they cannot actually have babies unless it's for their Alpha. At worst, they just get knocked up and lose the pregnancy some weeks later. No biggie".
"That sounds awful, actually. Hey, we're done here. Do you think I could get a glass of water?"
"I guess so. Just go out and ask for Saburo, he's probably…" Sakura escaped the room before he could finish the phrase. She was close to panicking. Of course they were abusing Omegas. Could she be pregnant? Would she also lose the baby if she was? It was unclear to her if Sasuke was or wasn't her Alpha yet. When they had done what they did, she wasn't actually on her fertile days, but everything was so uncertain lately…
"Stop, stop thinking that!", she mentally chastised herself. Right now, what she had to do was find these women and try to help them. Yes, she'd find a way to get them out of there. At the very least, Sakura thought she could map out the place and return with a team later.
A large and severe-looking woman barely opened the door Sakura had just knocked on. "Yes?", she said in an unfriendly tone.
"Hello. Saburo-san sent me. I'm here to check on the girl's physical health". Sakura was truly shooting in the dark here, but her poker face didn't give her nervousness away.
The woman squinted in distrust. "What for?"
Sakura shrugged. "I don't know. There's a guy complaining in the entrance, shouting about a rash he's gotten in his nether region. Maybe about that".
"My workers are clean", replied the woman with obvious offense in her voice.
Time to bluff. "OK then. Less work for me…" Turning around, Sakura made a show of leaving. A heavy hand fell on her shoulder.
"Wait". Bingo. "Just make sure you don't rattle them. They'll be needed soon".
The room was poorly illuminated, and a strong scent of honey and licorice occluded any and all body odor there should be in a place without windows. On the floor, wrapped in blankets, lay at least two dozen women. Sakura couldn't help but wonder if that was how she had looked back in the hut, and the thought made her shiver.
She kneeled by the one closest to the door. Although she seemed to be in good shape, her eyes were glassy, and her hands spasmed. "How long will this take?", their caretaker asked looking at Sakura's glowing hands
"About thirty seconds, unless they're sick and need further attention". That gave her almost fifteen minutes to scout the place. Not bad. She softly nudged the shoulder of the girl sleeping under her. "Hey, can you…?"
"No talking". Alpha command. The ninja's mouth shut out of its own volition. "Don't give me that judgemental look. You'd be doing this too, if you had a good for nothing Omega husband like I do. I've got mouths to feed". Against every one of her instincts, else she'd break the woman's skull with her bare hands, Sakura kept on working. She couldn't waste this opportunity, and there wasn't the slightest of chances she could fight everyone and rescue twenty something women all on her own. She shouldn't have told her guarding jonin to wait by the bar.
She moved down to the next girl in line. "You're lucky the boss is out of town. It isn't often when an unmarked Omega walks through our doors". Sakura's temperamental nature was boiling under her calm façade. She half wished she could undo her henge, just to show exactly who this cunt was talking about. "He avoids employing kunoichi for obvious reasons, but as I always tell him, you don't look a gifted horse in the mouth".
Another talker. "I'm surprised you'd call this 'employment'. I think it goes more along the lines of 'slavery'"
"Think whatever you like, little girl. At the end of the day, either themselves or their parents needed money, and here they've come. From the way you reek and the lack of markings on your neck, I'd say you're in no position to judge".
That was the straw that broke the camel's back. "It's not them I'm judging. It's you and your so-called boss. "
The look in the woman's face was so violent, Sakura didn't doubt for a second she hit the women under her care each time they disobeyed her. "It seems your time is up". The custodian's upper lip was so retracted the gums in her mouth were visible. "Go away now".
They returned to base well after midnight. Sakura was livid , and she wanted more than anything to shake Ino awake so they could be outraged together. She headed to her shared tent, and she was about to start her yelling when she noticed something was laying on her cot. Stepping closer, she was able to distinguish the items: two big folders and a scroll.
Opening one of the folders first, she read:
"The LAND OF FIRE DISTRICT COURT for the Konoha District
THE SHINOBI ALLIANCE v. UCHIHA SASUKE
SUBPOENA TO APPEAR AND TESTIFY AT A HEARING OR TRIAL IN A CRIMINAL CASE
To: HARUNO SAKURA
YOU ARE SUMMONED to appear in the Land of Fire district court at the time, date, and place set forth below to testify at a hearing or trial in this indictment.
The offense is briefly described as follows:
DESERTION, KIDNAPPING, TERRORISM, MURDER, AGGRAVATED MURDER."
But it was the second envelope which made her heart plummet.
"The LAND OF FIRE DISTRICT COURT for the Konoha District
KONOHA v. UCHIHA SASUKE
SUBPOENA TO APPEAR AND TESTIFY AT A HEARING OR TRIAL IN A CRIMINAL CASE AS THE CHIEF WITNESS
To: HARUNO SAKURA
YOU ARE SUMMONED to appear before the Land of Fire district court at the time, date, and place set forth below to testify at a hearing or trial in this indictment.
The offense is briefly described as follows:
AGGRAVATED SEXUAL ASSAULT"
Sakura rushed to open the third message.
"Dear Haruno-san,
I write to you today with less than ideal news.
The guards at the penitentiary have submitted an official complaint against Uchiha-san for aggravated sexual assault against you and inculpatory evidence has been presented.
Even though this indictment will take place after Uchiha-san's war crimes prosecution has been settled, this is the last form of communication we will have before the trial. From now on, I will speak directly to your lawyer, who has been in contact with Kakashi-sama, if you have any more questions you can…"
Ino woke up minutes later to the sound of her tentmate's sobs. Rushing to Sakura's side, she kneeled next to her and held her hands. "Sakura! What happened? Are you hurt?". Instead of answering, the sobbing turned to wailing. Sakura's shoulders shook from her spasmodic breathing.
"Sakura, please say something or I'll have to ask Mokume-taichou to come over"
"I… I j-just…" it was next to impossible to decipher what Sakura was saying with all the choking sounds. After a few seconds of trying, she managed to say a full sentence. "I ruined everything!"
"Ruined? Has one of your patients…?
"No, oh Lord, no". Sakura took a deep breath and told Ino everything. The reason behind her becoming an Omega. How she'd tried to take Sasuke down, and how that meeting had catapulted her body into an early development. The visit to the brothel and the abuse she'd uncovered. "And before coming here, Sasuke and I had sex, and I might be pregnant now and I…"
"What?"
"Apparently Omega pregnancies end in miscarriages unless it's with your Alpha's, and I…"
"No, no no. Before that. You and Sasuke did what ?" Ino's judging tone brought a new wave of tears out of Sakura. Realizing her mistake, the blonde hugged her tightly. "Breathe, Sakura. You're OK. It's OK. You don't need to explain anything to me" The two envelopes were pushed into her hands. Without taking her arms from around her friend's shoulders, Ino skimmed the papers and sighed.
"They're gonna kill him Ino! Kill him or do something just as terrible to him, when it's all my fault!"
"Sakura, if you want my help, I'm gonna need you to breathe in and explain everything in detail, because I'm not following you." After an extra long round of weeping, Sakura had composed herself enough to answer her friend's questions.
"When did this happen?"
"Right before this mission".
"Kakashi mentioned you were upset, but I thought it was from the same old getting rejected…" Ino stopped herself before the crying returned. "... Anyways. Were you in heat?"
"I don't think so"
"And where were you?"
"He had been sent to solitary confinement, and I wanted to visit him and I guess… I guess things got out of control"
"Did he grab you or what?"
"Grab me?"
"Yes, grab you!" Ino thought this was a weird mixture of their childhood gossip sessions and Ibiki's interrogations.
"How could he possibly have grabbed me while being fully restrained?!"
"So you weren't on your heat and yet you jumped him"
"You make it sound like I'm a sex maniac"
"I can't believe you got to bone before I did! And then what happened?"
"Well, one thing led to another and next thing I knew we were doing it".
"Then, perfect! So you got to be with Sasuke-kun, and that's always been your… Why are you crying again?" Sakura's face was contorted with pain and sorrowful wails came out her mouth.
"H-he won't… he doesn't…"
Ino patted her in the shoulder. "You know how Sasuke-kun is with his feelings. He's shy! I'm sure when all this criminal shit is done he'll come around!"
"No, Ino". Two trembling hands covered the pinkette's face. "He told me to get off… he didn't want to… knot in me"
The pair stayed silent for a long time.
Birds chirped outside the tent. Soon it'd be morning. Sakura took a deep breath and, undoing the hug between her friend and herself, stood up. "I think it's time we go. I'll talk to Mokume-taichou, see how soon I can return to the village".
Ino was still as a statue. "Return?"
As she spoke, Sakura arranged the backpack with her meager belongings. "Yes, I should talk to Kakashi-sensei, see what we can do so the charges are dropped and maybe go visit Sasuke-kun, I'd like to apologize to him"
Ino stared into Sakura's green eyes with a blazing fire in hers. "Are you stupid?"
Sakura stood there dumbfounded. "Pardon me?"
"I said", Ino stood up, and repeatedly jabbed her finger into Sakura's chest. "Are. You. Stupid?"
Sakura's anger was quick to make an appearance. "What the hell is wrong with you?!", she said while pushing Ino away.
"Since you seem to be too slow to understand his messages, I'll make it crystal clear to you: he doesn't want you!" Ino looked demented right now, and her high-pitched tone was sure to wake up the entire camp. Pointing her finger accusingly, she continued. "He's an Alpha for crying out loud! Their whole thing is marking their territory. Why do you think that hasn't happened? Sakura he's - God! - he's playing games with you! Wake up!"
"You weren't there, Ino! I'm the one who initiated the whole thing, and now he's gonna go through this horrific trial, and…
"And that's my second point. Do you even realize how deranged you're acting?! You sneaked into a prison cell where he is completely vulnerable, and you go and fuck him? In any other context, everyone would agree that you were the one abusing him". Sakura swore she could feel the burning tendrils of her slap in her heart. The tears quickly resurfaced.
In contrast to her harsh words, Ino's eyes welled up. "You're my oldest friend. I need to know. Is this your only goal?", she said pointing at her engagement ring. "Is this the only thing you dream of, marrying him? -no, no, not even that. To accept however little of himself he's willing to share with you?"
Hugging herself closer, Sakura bit her lips. She couldn't answer. She didn't know.
Ino had more things to tell her. "You've been given a chance , Sakura, a chance to do things your way! You're wielding the same power that's gotten women throughout history relevance and influence, and you waste it on him ?" She was pacing the room like a wild animal in a cage. "You don't like how Omegas are treated in the whorehouses? You disagree with the law, you feel so confident things should be changed? Then marry Naruto!, be the First Lady!, and change anything and everything you're unhappy about! He's so irrevocably in love with you I'm sure he'd still have you even after this scandal!"
"Do you think Mito Uzumaki was just pretty? That she just happened to walk into Hashirama one day and then they were wedded? She was a smart Omega who knew her purpose and took her destiny in stride. All that we have as Omegas nowadays, we owe it to her! She made sure we were exalted instead of…" She hesitated. "Instead of raped and used like breeding hares! But you're so certain you know better? Then try and change things. But don't cry because you can't have your cake and eat it too!"
All this information hit Sakura like a wave. She'd never considered for a second all the legislation had been written by an Omega woman. And marrying Naruto? Could her friend be earnest about that? "What about Hinata?"
"What about her?"
"If I did… If I married Naruto. What would happen with her?"
"Hinata is a simple Beta girl who's own father has considered leaving aside in favor of her younger sister. A snap of your fingers and he'll forget about her".
A flashback crossed Sakura's mind: a dinner table, stew, big evil letters Breathing in deeply, Sakura snapped out of her shock. "You forget, Ino… that I too am a simple Beta girl".
"No, Sakura". The blonde sat down, but the fire was still burning in her eyes. "You're not anymore. Let her go". Sakura's eyes drifted to the envelopes, white like freezing snow. With a softer voice, Ino continued. "I know it's hard to get over him. I loved him too, once. But it's time to dismiss the fantasy".
Sakura couldn't… she wouldn't… "Love? You dare to talk to me about love?" If Ino had grown out of her so-called love, she couldn't have felt a tenth of the magnitude of Sakura's. "You've forsaken love! You've lowered your head and accepted that the powers that be would make your choices! How can you talk about love, when you're willing to marry a stranger who wouldn't give a rat's ass about you if his nose got cut off!"
Now that she'd begun, it felt like the words were escaping her like water out of a dam. "You have your Clan. You have their legacy to live up to. All I have, all I'll ever have is my heart and my convictions. If I cut them out, what could possibly remain of me, besides an empty shell of convenience and cowardly?"
Ino shook her head. She looked more somber than angry now. "I've lost my sensei, lost my father too… I don't wanna see you waste your life away. Love can be a tree you water a bit everyday. You can't tell me you've never even considered Naruto, Kakashi, any of the other Alphas in our generation. You don't like Naruto? Then marry Gaara, or his puppeteer brother. Go tour the world and find someone you like and enjoy talking to - who knows? Alpha or not, I'm sure love could blossom regardless. Just don't waste your life away dreaming of a man who simply doesn't love you."
"That's the thing about women - try as we might, we cannot make a man love us. A man either does or he doesn't. That's one more injustice we have to shoulder. They get to impress us in a myriad of ways; become stronger, or richer. Simply being funny. Devoting themselves to us. Conquering us, inch by inch, turning us theirs. We do not hold such power over them. If Sasuke doesn't want you now, he never will. Better cut your losses and get back in the game. Heaven knows it's not too late for you."
Slowly but surely, the mission came to its end. After careful consideration, Sakura thought it wasn't such a bad idea to let some time pass before returning to the Village. After all, her last major mistake had been borne out of her impulsivity.
When Ino and her parted ways at the Konoha's gates, the blonde gave Sakura a meaningful look before being escorted by her fiancé to her house. The medic didn't feel like returning home, or going to the hospital, so she headed towards the one spot where she truly wanted to be.
"Hey, Naruto". This place was unchanged, even after all they'd gone through in these five years. Konoha's hero, however, couldn't look more different if he tried.
"Sakura-chan! Come, come, let's have some Ichiraku! Hey, old man! Bring the menu!". Naruto hugged his friend tightly, and the warmth of his skin could be felt even through the layers of clothing. "I'm so happy you're back home! Kakashi and Sasuke's lawyer have been prepping me all week and my brain feels like mush! But now you're here, so maybe you can take the stand for the both of us!"
"I'm not half as good as you are with your words, Naruto". She had anticipated this topic was going to pop up, but nonetheless, she had half hoped they could at least talk about something else first. "Also, the Hokage has to sit through countless trials and prosecutions, so this is good practice for you".
Naruto doubled over the counter, saying in an exhausted tone: "Geez, Sakura! Can't we just split the title? That way I'll beat the bad guys and you make sure everything else is taken care of". Ino's words reverberated in Sakura's skull. She bit her lip, damning that mind connection teammates often had.
"So you'll be praised around the villages and I'll be stuck in the office doing your paperwork on top of the hospital's? Thanks but no thanks". Her order arrived: Shoyu ramen with caramelized pork.
"Listen, listen", his face grew similar to that of a grinning fox. "I've heard around town that Kiba is shaggin' a Kiri kunoichi! I hope she takes a shower daily or else she'll stink of dog!" Naruto burst into a loud laugh. Sakura ate away while listening to the rest of her teammate's recollections of the last couple of weeks, observing him like this was the first time she'd ever had lunch with him.
When Sakura got home, she was greeted by an unmade bed and dirty, haphazardly thrown down clothes. In three days, she was scheduled to appear at Sasuke's first trial as a character witness. What exactly was she going to say about him? She had to put her thoughts in order; right now, she couldn't even answer her own questions about the eluding black-haired ninja.
She grabbed her journal. Lately, it felt like it was her most trusted confidant.
SASUKE IS:
She couldn't write a single coherent thought, so she went and took a shower. Afterwards, she tried again.
SASUKE IS:
intelligent, calculating, powerful
That wasn't exactly the picture she wanted to paint to the judges.
SASUKE IS:
intelligent, calculating, powerful
always aware of his surroundings
farsighted, in battle - myopic, in life
a trustworthy comrade
selfless by nature, never hesitating to put his life in the line to protect his loved ones
How personal was this testimony supposed to be again?
SASUKE IS:
intelligent, calculating, powerful
always aware of his surroundings
farsighted, in battle - myopic, in life
a trustworthy comrade
selfless by nature, never hesitating to put his life in the line to protect his loved ones
an abandoned child living in a haunted body
the scapegoat behind our peace
a pure-hearted soul
The exercise had fully gotten out of control.
SASUKE IS:
intelligent, calculating, powerful
always aware of his surroundings
farsighted, in battle - myopic, in life
a trustworthy comrade
selfless by nature, never hesitating to put his life in the line to protect his loved ones
an abandoned child living in a haunted body
the scapegoat behind our peace
a pure-hearted soul
my protector and my enemy
my lover and my executioner
the one who'll forever hold my heart
SASUKE ISN'T:
mine.
When will I stop making Sakura suffer, you ask? The answer is NEVERRRRR Muahahha ? ﾟﾏﾻ ️ - Love seeing Sakura and Ino being best frenemies!
? ﾟﾏﾻ ️ - Sakura dear, that's precisely how someone else looks at you :)
? - Could Sakura be pregnant?!
? - Stop abusing those poor women!
? - What an awful way to discover your beloved is going to jail (or worse)
?￢ﾙﾀ️ - Ino is harsh but right
? ﾟﾦﾱ - Sakura should marry Naruto
? ﾟﾏﾽ - She should be with Sasuke! (I can't find the proper emoji lmao)
? - This is so sad!
? - Thank you for the chapter! (no, thank YOU for your kind comment :) ) I swear to you guys I'm head over heels every time I read your comments! They truly make my day, so please keep them coming :)