AUTHOR'S NOTES: 2023 is going to be a good year for video games...just saying.

xxxx

Sakura kept herself busy the next two weeks by tending to her patients at the hospital. She kept herself away from everyone and hadn't even spoken to Konnie. A bit guilt ridden, Sakura had been ignoring all of Konnie's efforts to reach her and if it weren't for Termari, she'd probably still be ignoring her. But that day she sent Konnie a message and was making her way to the young woman's house at that moment.

The main topic would be on Sakura's up coming trip to the west. She had a meeting the next day at the Hokage's office and she knew it had to do with the basketball season. Things changed swiftly though. One moment they were hugging, drinking tea, and admiring basketball players on Konnie's laptop and then the next minute...Sakura wasn't sure what happened or what transpired but she found herself on Konnie's couch, her legs spread, pants and underwear down to her ankles, and her cock in Konnie's mouth. But there was one major problem and Konnie noticed.

It didn't matter how much of the length she took in her mouth, it didn't matter if she used her hands or mouth, or both. It didn't matter if she licked the foreskin or the balls, it didn't matter, for Kura was soft and he remained soft.

She licked her lips and got up from her knees and sat down next to 'him'. Sakura lowered herself and pulled her pants and underwear up, not meeting Konnie's eyes.

After a moment of silence, Sakura shrugged and said, "I...I guess I'm just not in the mood."

Konnie just stared. "Have you ever been in the mood...with me?" Konnie asked softly, her voice sounding like it was about to break. Sakura closed her eyes, her jaw tighten and the muscles clenched. Here she was hurting another woman. But she was honest and replied with honesty.

Konnie pushed herself off the couch.

"You're a tease!" She glared at Kura with tears and hurt in her eyes. Her head shook side to side, predicting Kura was going to say words that only would make the pain sting more. Sakura got up and tried to hug Konnie, to console her but the woman pushed away from her, turning and storming off toward the kitchen. Sakura followed after the woman, not wanting Konnie to be upset, to take it all with grace.

Konnie opened the cabinet and got out a mug so as to make herself another cup of tea. She turned to Kura, still visibly upset to the point her hands were shaking, barely able to hold the cup.

"You strung me along on purpose. I should have never took the phone number from that Uchiha."

She said his name with such disdain that Sakura unintentionally glared her eyes and balled her fist at the mention of her husband, and her accusing him of mischief or an malicious action. Konnie was speaking ill of her family.

"He was only trying to help."

"Oh yeah," Konnie was about to walk away back toward the living room. "He should be focusing more on helping rebuild his clan-" A sarcastic remark she wasn't even able to finish.

Crack!

Konnie fell to the floor with a thud, her left eye already purple and blue, busted even, and with the sound of impact from Sakura's fist and her cheek, Sakura knew the bone had shattered. The tea cup laid on the hard wooden floor, broken into many pieces, the liquid on the floor, slipping in between the small cracks of the apartment floor.

Appalled by her actions and shocked, she got to her knees and placed her hands over the wound. She released the jutsu knowing she needed enough chakra to repair the bone underneath the swelling muscle. It probably would have been simple if her own tears weren't getting in the way. She brushed them away with her shoulder, and continued to work on Konnie. When she was done, she placed Konnie in her bed. She left the house, locking the door behind her.

With her head down and still trying to control her emotions-

"Sakura?"

She glanced up at her husband and immediately fell into his arms into despair. With the sounds of her weeps and her attempting to recount what happened, Sasuke was able to put two and two together rather quickly. He especially knew Konnie lived within the vicinity and he knew the darkness growing in Sakura had seeped out once more. That was what worried him. It was a darkness he, himself, had at one time when he wanted to kill his brother. It was a darkness even Naruto had at one time when he was on the moving turtle island and coming face to face with himself at the water fall. It was even a darkness he saw growing within his own daughter...it was a darkness within.

"Come on, I'm done with my mission with Boruto and Sarada is with Naruto, let's go home."

xxxx

Sakura awoke to the sound of rain dancing on her apartment window. She had a dream that the money from the basketball would help pay off the loan that was still owed on their house she accidently demolished. A nice dream it was as she let out a yawn.

She walked into the kitchen and saw the apartment was empty. Food was on the stove in which Sasuke had cooked: white rice, steamed cabbage, black bean noodle-

"Where'd he learn that?" Sakura asked aloud.

Now on a full stomach, Sakura walked the streets with an umbrella to Konnie's residence. When she knocked on the door, Sakura did her best to not break down but the bruise on her face was horrendous, and her eye was partly closed, and Sakura had to replace with it with a glass mold prior to leaving the apartment earlier in the day.

The door was cracked open, probably afraid. Any woman would be.

"Who are you?" She said softly.

"I'm the doctor Kura had asked to help you."

"My face hurts really bad...do you have anything for it?"

"No, I don't, sadly." Sakura had done enough, and there was no way she was going to give Konnie a substance that could get her severely addicted or even kill her.

Konnie was about to shut the door until Sakura put her foot in.

"I can numb the pain."

"I don't want anyone in my house." Her face wasn't the only thing beaten and bruised.

"I won't hurt you..." Sakura sad as gently as she could.

But after a beat, "Please remove your foot, ma'am?"

Just then Sakura remembered Konnie had gone to Naruto's office every day while she was in Orochimaru's lab.

"If I bring Naruto here, will you let me ease the pain?"

"The Hokage...?"

Naruto and Sakura stood outside the door to the apartment. One of his few times to sleep, he wasn't very pleased to be there, but he did remember the young woman, for it was odd for a youngin to even know who they were...but she had went through so much research, determined to find Kura that one time and only just a week or so ago.

The door open slightly and Konnie peered her head out just a little. Naruto smiled.

"Hi, again."

She opened the door and allowed both to enter.

xxxx

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Next update April 2023