Chapter 333: Sakura: I Also Want Scarlet Flower Moon
There's actually something like that?!
Hearing that the drug Orochimaru took out had such a miraculous effect, the most excited person wasn't Sasuke or Itachi, who were about to be injected, but Sakura, who had come along with Tsunade.
Ino didn't care much. Recently, she had already started developing and could feel the changes in her body, so she didn't need to worry about that.
Sakura, however, was different. She felt like she was no different from a boy, there were no signs of any curves developing at all.
If it were just that she hadn't changed, it would be one thing. But Ino kept changing.
And on top of that, there was Tsunade, a towering presence, constantly in front of her, reminding her of it.
"R-really? Does it actually have that kind of effect?"
Sakura's eyes were full of anticipation. Even though she tried hard to suppress her emotions while speaking, everyone present could still tell.
Seeing Sakura like this, Sasuke immediately fell into despair.
Orochimaru had clearly said this could help men who wanted to become women develop a chest, so why was she so excited?
So Sakura really was a guy.
Otherwise, as a girl, she would naturally develop sooner or later. Why would she crave something like this so much?
Look at Ino and Tsunade beside her, they were completely calm.
Case closed.
So depressing.
"I don't need it. My mind is completely calm."
Sasuke refused Orochimaru's estradiol compound.
"Hmm, that does seem to be the case."
"It looks like after experiencing the stimulation of awakening the Mangekyō Sharingan, members of the Uchiha clan also become mentally more mature."
Orochimaru glanced at the heart rate monitor he had just attached to Sasuke. His heartbeat was indeed very steady.
Orochimaru assumed that after awakening the Mangekyō, Sasuke had seen too many bizarre things and his mental resilience had improved.
"Well then, get ready. Let's begin."
Orochimaru handed the drug in his hand to Tayuya behind him and took out a fresh anesthetic.
"Hey, tomboy, why don't you ask Orochimaru-sama for a few doses of that? Inject yourself once a day."
"Shut the hell up, you fat bastard! Want me to kill you? I don't need it anyway, even without it, My chest is bigger than that pink-haired girl's!"
Tayuya and Jirōbō argued as they carried the supplies back to the Otogakure Village.
Sakura: "..."
Why am I the one getting hurt when they're arguing?!
Sakura felt deeply wronged.
---
The surgery was quick, it didn't even take an entire afternoon.
However, after the eye transplant, they still needed some time to recover.
After all, this wasn't the era of hot-swapping.
Because they were ninja, even if they temporarily lost their vision, they wouldn't become completely helpless. So after the anesthesia wore off, they no longer needed constant care.
After having someone deliver some daily necessities, Tsunade returned to Konoha.
Sakura and Ino did the same.
Originally, as a member of Team 7, it would have been perfectly reasonable for Sakura to stay behind and take care of Sasuke. It would also have been natural to go back and bring Naruto along to help.
But Sakura was in complete emotional turmoil, her mind in chaos. She didn't even think about such things, she even forgot to inform Naruto.
Not telling Naruto turned out to be the right decision.
Tsunade had forgotten to tell Sakura and Ino not to spread news about Sasuke and Itachi for the time being.
Ino had no reason to tell anyone, nor anyone to tell.
Sakura, on the other hand, was the most likely to let it slip, whether to Kakashi or Naruto.
By the time Tsunade remembered, Sakura was already gone.
Sakura's parents brought a letter she had left behind to the Hokage's office, their faces full of worry.
They were ordinary civilians, and during her rebellious phase, Sakura often argued with them.
In the original "Limited Tsukuyomi" storyline, this period was depicted, and judging by Sakura's wish in that illusion, she had once even wished her parents were dead so no one would control her.
She had once said in front of Naruto, "I'd rather not have parents like this", and "I want stronger parents."
And now, Sakura was in a fragile emotional state, and she had argued with her parents again.
Her parents were ordinary people, her mother strong-willed, her father timid, yet she had become the disciple of a legendary Sannin and Hokage.
Then there were Naruto and Sasuke. One was from the Uzumaki clan and a Jinchūriki; the other was an Uchiha who had awakened the Mangekyō.
This led Sakura to a strange conclusion.
She must also have some incredible bloodline.
Otherwise, how could ordinary parents give birth to someone as exceptional as her?
To be fair, this wasn't entirely her fault.
In a world obsessed with bloodlines, it was only natural to fantasize about having an extraordinary lineage.
In any case, Sakura decided to go to the Otogakure Village. She wanted to obtain that drug, and at the same time, investigate her own origins.
In the letter, she didn't say she was defecting. She only wrote that she wanted to follow Sasuke's example and go study abroad in the Amegakure Village, and that she would return after some time.
"Please don't worry. Sakura is just… going through something everyone experiences during adolescence. With her current strength, as long as she doesn't wander recklessly, she won't be in danger."
Tsunade comforted Sakura's worried parents with a helpless expression.
After being reassured, they returned home.
"Sigh… when I saw Orochimaru take out that thing a few days ago, I had a feeling something like this might happen."
Tsunade rested her chin on her hand and sighed.
"What thing?"
Shizune asked curiously.
Ever since Kakashi had become a workhorse, even Shizune's workload had lightened significantly.
And after receiving Hashirama cells from the mysterious masked man, Kakashi no longer suffered from the Sharingan's side effects, and his chakra reserves had increased.
Too bad it was Kakashi, not the Seventh Hokage who could use multiple shadow clones to handle everything personally.
Otherwise, the whole village could take a holiday.
"A drug that can make that… area bigger, for women… well, actually for all genders."
Tsunade clicked her tongue.
Although Orochimaru claimed the main effect was emotional stabilization and that the physical changes were just a side effect, Tsunade felt the opposite was more likely.
"?"
"...Tsunade-sama, I think it's too dangerous for Sakura to leave the village without saying anything. I should go after her."
Shizune put down what she was holding, slammed the table, and stood up.
"Shizune, you…"
"Please don't stop me, Tsunade-sama. You haven't even tested that drug yet. Sakura hasn't studied pharmacology long enough under you."
"If she acts impulsively and fails to notice any problems with it, I need to be there to save her."
Shizune puffed out her chest confidently, pushed her chair aside, and strode toward the door.
Before Tsunade could stop her, she muttered, "That Sakura is so selfish. Something that good, and she wants to keep it all to herself", and slipped away.
"..."
Tsunade's face darkened.
She reached out to stop her, but it was already too late.
(End of this chapter)