Short chapter; sorry I'm late. Saw Wicked last night!

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Sakura blinked sleepily as the early morning light filtered through her bedroom window. The room was unusually still, the quiet only pierced by the distant chirp of birds outside. She stretched out her arm to feel the cool side of the bed, not expecting to find the warmth of her husband, Sasuke, but instead met with emptiness. She sat up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes, of course, he wasn't there but she wasn't expecting nor wanting him there. With a sigh, she swung her legs over the side of the bed and stood up, the soft mattress protesting under her weight.

Padding quietly to the kitchen, she was surprised to find Ino standing at the stove, flipping pancakes with a grace that spoke of years of practice. The smell of sizzling batter and sweet syrup filled the air, making Sakura's stomach rumble. She watched her friend, her lover, for a moment, taking in the way her blonde hair was tied up in a messy bun, and the apron she wore over her nightgown. The kitchen was spotless, a stark contrast to the battlefield they had left it in the previous night.

"Morning, Sakura!" Ino's cheerful voice brought Sakura out of her daze. She offered a forced smile, still feeling the weight of her unspoken fears about Sarada's behavior. The young girl was sitting at the kitchen table, her eyes glued to a book in front of her. She hadn't noticed Sakura's arrival, which was unusual.

Sakura poured herself a glass of water, her gaze lingering on the dark circles under Sarada's eyes. The girl looked so much like Sasuke, especially when she was deep in thought. But it was the quietness that had settled over her in the last few hours that had Sakura worried. It wasn't just that she talked less; it was as if she was carrying a secret that was slowly consuming her.

Ino slid a plate of pancakes in front of her, and Sakura took a seat across from Sarada. The silence between them was heavy, like a thick fog that had rolled in and wouldn't lift. Sarada glanced up, her gaze meeting Sakura's briefly before darting away again. There was something in her eyes that Sakura couldn't quite put her finger on—a sadness, a fear, something that made her heart ache.

As Sakura took her first bite of the fluffy, golden pancake, she noticed something out of the corner of her eye—scratches on Sarada's forearm, faint but unmistakable. She frowned, setting her fork down. The marks were too deliberate to be from a simple accident, and they looked recent. Her mind raced, trying to think of a reasonable explanation. Could it be from training? But Sarada's training was always meticulous, and she never came home injured.

Before she could ask, Sarada abruptly excused herself from the table, mumbling something about having to be somewhere. The urgency in her voice was palpable, and she didn't wait for a response before grabbing her backpack and bolting out the door. The sound of the apartment door slamming shut echoed in the room, leaving Sakura and Ino exchanging concerned glances.

Ino broke the silence first. "Sakura, you know her cock is gone right?" she said, flipping the last pancake onto a plate. She turned off the stove and joined Sakura, setting the plate aside. Her eyes searched Sakura's, looking for understanding.

"Excuse me?" Sakura responded.

"Her cock is gone, Sakura. She had sex with someone."

Sakura's chewing slowed to a halt, the syrupy pancake feeling like lead in her mouth. She stared at Ino, her brain struggling to process the words. It was one of those moments where time seemed to stand still, and all she could hear was the dull thump of her own heart in her chest. The room spun around her, and she had to grip the edge of the table to keep herself from falling over.

"What are you talking about, Ino?" she managed to ask, her voice shaking slightly. Ino leaned in, her voice barely above a whisper.

"The scratches on her arm, Sakura. They look defensive, like she was trying to push someone away…or someone was trying to push her away. And her behavior, the secrecy and the sadness in her eyes—it's all adding up to something serious. Something that goes beyond a simple night out with friends and Sarada really only has one friend."

"She's getting along better with Susumi since Boruto's betrayal." Sakura whispered. Sakura's hand trembled as she reached for her water, taking a sip to ease the sudden dryness in her throat. "But why would she keep it a secret from us? Why would she be afraid to tell us?"

Ino's gaze grew more serious. "What if she's not the victim, Sakura?" she suggested, laying a gentle hand on her friend's arm. "What if she's the one who did it?"

Sakura's eyes widened in shock. The thought had never crossed her mind. "But why would she?" she whispered, her voice barely audible. Ino took a deep breath before speaking again.

"Remember what you and Karin told us about those pills she made at the Orochimaru lab?" Ino's voice was low and serious. "How they could affect someone's personality, make them more aggressive? Your studies, Sakura. I could even fill it happening to me...making me sex crazed...making me more hungry each quarter."

Sakura felt a cold knot form in her stomach as Ino's words sank in. The experimental pills that Sakura had been working on, the ones that could potentially give users unprecedented control over when or if they would obtain their cock during the quarter—this was it...her studies were coming to fruition. Her and Karin had been right.

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Next chapter: January.