I do not own Naruto, nor do I make any money off of this.

"talking"

'thinking'

Chapter 3: Black Dahlia

Ino was only eight when she became a servant for Queen Mikoto. She had followed in her mother's footsteps. At first, she was happy to serve the Queen, but then she found out that she was going to be taking care of a male Omega. Omega were rare, male ones even so. She couldn't believe that one actually existed until she met him. Naruto was a cute little boy that had just presented. As a Beta, she couldn't smell him, but the signs were all there. She had learned rather quickly that Naruto wasn't like most Omega. He was very adventurous as well as danger prone. Ino had lost track of Naruto once only to find him on the ground crying. Blood was dripping from just below his eye. Ino had lost it as she instantly called for a doctor. Both of them were lectured by Naruto's aunt. Since Naruto was to marry Crown Prince Sasuke, he had to remain scarless. Luckily, Naruto's wound healed perfectly. Ino's on the other hand, never did. Her back sometimes still hurts during the summer. When Naruto had found out just how Ino had been punished, he had gone ballistic. It took several people to calm him down. Whipping became a banned punishment.

Life for Ino got better when Naruto moved into his castle. She was put in charge of everything. Her goal was to make sure that nothing bad happened to Naruto before his wedding. The day Sakura entered the picture, things slowly began to change. Ino's friendship with Naruto was twisted as Sakura blackmailed Ino into being less diligent. It started with simply feeding Naruto a little less than usual. Eventually, Ino stopped ordering new clothes or jewelry for the blond Omega. Naruto didn't really notice the changes since they were so subtle. He never really cared about how he looked. Ino hated what she was doing even if no one else really cared. Sakura was egging her on by dragging Ino's parents into it. Ino's father had been wounded during a scuffle at the border between the Uchiha Kingdom and the Suna Kingdom. Sakura threatened to falsify documents to make it look like Inoichi was incompetent and that he was responsible for the deaths of the few soldiers that hadn't made it. Ino knew Sakura would do it. She began to slowly poison Naruto's food. The poison wouldn't kill Naruto, but it would prevent him from having children, ruining what Sakura called Naruto's only reason for existence.

Ino stopped giving Naruto the poison when Sakura announced that she was pregnant. She figured that there was no reason to keep feeding it to Naruto now that Sasuke would have an heir with Sakura. Besides, Sasuke never touched Naruto. Even on their wedding night, Sasuke was in Sakura's bed. Ino had comforted Naruto that night. It was the last night that Ino could rightfully call herself Naruto's friend. Her loyalty was once more put in question when Sakura lost the baby. Sakura blamed Naruto for the loss of her baby, despite the fact that Naruto never left his palace.

At Sasuke's order, Naruto was brought before him and Sakura. She cried as Naruto received the accusation. Naruto denied the claims, saying he'd never hurt a baby. But his words fell on deaf ears when one of Sasuke's servants showed them the medicine that Ino had been feeding Naruto. Ino's eyes widened when she saw it. She could have sworn that she had hidden that bottle somewhere no one would be able to find it. Another of Sasuke's servants dragged her forward and Ino got a closer look at the bottle. Upon closer inspection, it was different from the one she had. It also had a lot less in it than the one she had. She glanced over at Sakura who had a grin on her face. Ino's eyes widened. She'd been set up.

Ino swore up and down that she'd never seen that bottle before. She also made it known that Naruto had no way of getting that poison, so how could he give it to her. Also, how would she be able to get it into Sakura's food? But her argument seemed to fuel her downfall, along with Naruto's. Afterall, how did Ino know what that poison did? Ino then turned her words against Sakura, claiming that Sakura was the one who gave her that poison, but in a different bottle. She admitted that she'd been giving it to Naruto as well as where she hid the bottle. Ino never realized that she was just falling into Sakura's trap.

Sasuke sent some of his guards to Naruto's room where they found the bottle in the place Ino had said it was. The girl was quickly bound. She tried to argue for her innocence. However, Sasuke said that if she truly only gave it to Naruto, it was also an attempt on royalty. Ino's eyes widened as tears filled her eyes. She glanced over at Naruto, trying to plead for his help, but he couldn't meet her eyes. He felt betrayed and Ino couldn't blame him. She fell silent as she was dragged away.

Months went by and Sakura visited Ino's cell. Ino hadn't been executed yet, something she was surprised about. Sakura told Ino that she had begged Sasuke for leniency since she believed that Nauto had ordered Ino to carry out her poisoning. Ino knew this was all a lie, but Sakura told Ino that if she pushed the blame onto Naruto, Ino's punishment would be reduced to banishment instead of execution. After a lot of thinking, Ino accepted the offer. Once more, Ino was dragged before the throne. Naruto was also in bounds. What surprised her was the bump seen through Naruto's dress. Her eyes went to Sakura who only smiled at her before putting on a sad expression.

'No!' Ino screamed in her head. She couldn't go through with this. If she was to accuse Naruto of ordering Ino to poison Sakura, he'd be killed. She couldn't be responsible for the death of an unborn baby. She opened her mouth only for no words to come out. Her eyes widened as a hand went to her throat. Once more, her eyes went to Sakura. It was clear what had happened. Sakura had given Ino a drink laced with a drug that prevented Ino from talking.

"Ino Yamanaka, I've been told that you had something you wanted to tell us," Sasuke said. Ino tried to speak, but again no words came out. Instead, she shook her head.

"Oh poor thing," Sakura said. "She must be afraid. Don't worry my dear, all you have to do is repeat the words you said to me yesterday." Ino still couldn't say anything. Again she shook her head. "Oh dear. She must be really afraid."

"Enough," Sasuke said. "It doesn't matter. Naruto, the reason you are here is because the truth has finally come out. You ordered Ino Yamanake to poison Sakura so that she'd lose her baby!" He slammed his fist down on his throne's armrest. "You murdered my heir!"

"I have done no such thing," Naruto said. "I'd never hurt a child."

"So you say, but my heir is dead!" Sasuke yelled.

"I'm sorry for your loss, but I'm not responsible for Queen Sakura's miscarriage," Naruto said. "Do you even have proof that Queen Sakura's miscarriage was due to poison?"

"You dare accuse the Queen of harming our child?" Sasuke asked.

"That is not what I said," Naruto said. "I'm simply asking if there is proof that it wasn't something else."

"The court doctor has stated that it was due to the poison that I lost Sasuke's baby," Sakura said, crying.

"And you believe that I'm responsible?" Naruto asked. "How could that be? There was not a single time that I left my palace before the miscarriage. In fact, I have only left my palace twice since my marriage to his Highness, as I'm sure you already know."

"Concubine Naruto's words are correct," Ebisu said. He pushed his glass backward on his face. "The investigation on Concubine Naruto's movements have shown that Concubine Naruto has only left his palace twice, when he was called here."

"And Ino Yamanaka?" Sasuke asked.

"Ino Yamanaka had left Concubine Naruto's palace multiple times," Ebisu said. "She was seen in and around Queen Sakura's palace during most of those times. The other times, she was seen in the capital's market."

"I see," Sasuke said. "So you ordered your servant to buy the poison and to serve it to the Queen."

Naruto looked towards Ebisu. "Do you have proof that that claim is true?"

"Our investigation was unable to find out how Ino Yamanaka got her hands on the poison," Ebisu said.

"Then we are done here," Naruto said. He turned to leave.

"I did not give you permission to leave," Sasuke yelled, getting up.

"I'm tired," Naruto said. "And you have no proof that I'd commit such a heinous crime."

Sasuke sat back down. Sakura smiled. "That is true. But Ino also revealed something else." Sasuke turned towards Sakura in surprise. "The deaths of King Fugaku, Queen Mikoto, and Prince Itachi."

"What?" Sasuke asked as several people in the room gasped.

"Don't you find it very strange that their carriage tumbled off the cliff while on the way to my Duchy?" Sakura asked. "Why would such a tragedy happen? And exactly who is responsible for it?"

Naruto and Sasuke's eyes widened. "You are accusing me of the late King, Queen, and Prince's deaths?"

"Yes," Sakura said. "Ino told me that you tampered with the carriage in hopes of killing Sasuke and I, but it turned out to be the late King, Queen, and Prince's carriage instead."

"But I rode with you and Sa- King Sasuke," Naruto said.

"You sat closest to the exit," Sakura said. "You could have easily escaped the carriage before it fell."

"Why would I do such a thing?" Naruto asked.

"To make it easier for you and Prince Itachi to wed," Sakura said. She waved one of her servants forward. "We found letters you wrote to Prince Itachi expressing your desires and love for him."

"Impossible," Naruto said. "I never wrote such letters!"

"Then this isn't your handwriting?" Sakura asked. Ebisu and Sasuke each grabbed one of the letters.

"The handwriting matches yours," Ebisu said.

"There is no way that is true," Naruto said. "I never wrote any letters to I- Prince Itachi."

"You can't deny this," Sasuke said. He tossed the letter onto the floor. "It was clearly written by you and addressed to Itachi." He cursed. "I can't believe you had that type of relationship with Itachi."

"You," Naruto clenched his fists. "Are you questioning my purity?"

"What purity?" Sakura asked. "You're clearly pregnant. That means you are no longer pure."

"King Sasuke should know just how pure I was," Naruto said, putting a hand on his stomach.

"There are other ways to please a man," Sakura said, narrowing her eyes. "I'm sure King Sasuke knows that as well."

"You can't be serious," Naruto said. He turned towards Sasuke. "Do you seriously think I'd do such things?"

"An unmated Omega might do anything to get what they want," Sakura said. Murmurs filled the room as Naruto glared at Sakura.

"Enough," Sasuke said. "As Naruto said, I can concur that he was indeed pure. As for his status as an unmated Omega, that is between him and I." Sakura pouted. "My dear Queen, Naruto is my concubine. It is only right that I lay with him at least once."

"Yeah, only after I lose our baby," Sakura said.

"We'll talk about this later," Sasuke said. He turned back to Naruto. "What is up for debate right now is whether or not Naruto is responsible for the late King, Queen, and Prince's deaths."

"I had no part in their deaths," Naruto said.

"We have proof of your motive," Sakura argued.

"Forged letters don't serve as proof," Naruto stated. "I had no motive as well as no desire to harm anyone, and that includes you, my Queen."

"This is going nowhere," Sasuke said.

"I think Naruto should be locked up while we investigate this more thoroughly," Sakura said.

Sasuke nodded. "Naruto will return to his palace where he won't be allowed to leave until the investigation concludes."

"In his palace?" Sakura yelled. "That is too lenient! He may have killed three, four people!"

"Enough!" Sasuke yelled. "I have made my decision! Kakashi, escort Naruto back to his chambers. Guards, take Ino Yamanaka back to her cell!" The mentioned people nodded. Ino struggled as the guards dragged her away.

"This way, Lord Naruto," Kakashi said. Naruto accepted Kakashi's hand. He gave Ino one last look before leaving with the Uchiha Kingdom's finest knight.

Back in her cell, Ino was putting everything together. Sakura had clearly planned things so that she'd come out clean. Ino wondered what the Queen exactly wanted. 'She wants to solidify her position as Queen. To do that, she needs an heir.' Ino's eyes widened. 'But Naruto's pregnancy puts that in jeopardy. If Naruto gives birth to a boy, it will be King Sasuke's firstborn son and the first prince of the Uchiha Kingdom. The only way that he won't become the next Crown Prince would be if he turns out to be an Omega. Beta Princes can still become the Crown Prince. The only reason Prince Itachi wasn't the Crown Prince was because King Sasuke was born an Alpha. He could have fought King Sasuke for the position of Crown Prince, but he didn't. Queen Sakura can still have King Sasuke's heir as long as she births an Alpha son.' Her eyes widened. 'What if she can't? What if Queen Sakura is infertile? Then that would mean that she was never pregnant. That means everything was a lie from the beginning. She bought the doctor off to lie and say she was pregnant. Then she waited until she "miscarried" before making it seem like Naruto wanted to kill her. She could also use the "miscarriage" as an excuse to not be able to give King Sasuke an heir. She'd use it to make King Sasuke feel guilty, but since it's his duty to make an heir, he'd choose someone to carry the baby for him and the Queen. Then Queen Sakura would raise the child as her own.'

Ino could see Sakura doing all of this. But Naruto was still in her way. Even more so now that he was carrying Sasuke's child. There was no way that Naruto would give up his child. That meant that Sakura would need Naruto out of the way. 'She can't guarantee that Naruto will die during childbirth. She has to do something else.' Ino looked at the ceiling of her cell. 'Three, four deaths, that is what Sakura said Naruto was responsible for. Even if the fourth one was found to be false, the first three are heavy. The murder of even one member of the royal family is punishable by death.' Ino's eyes widened. 'If Naruto is found guilty of even one death, he'll be executed. But Sakura will make sure Naruto's baby becomes hers before his execution!' Tears came to her eyes. Ino couldn't even make noise as she cried at the revolution that Naruto was going to die and there was nothing she could do. She curled into herself. 'If only I could go back in time and change things.' Ino closed her eyes, not knowing that someone would sneak into her cell and stab her to death an hour later.

A Black Dahlia symbolizes evil and dishonesty. They also often symbolize betrayal, doom, and other negative emotions.