When was the last time she saw Sasuke?
Sakura had already forgotten.
It must have been almost ten years.
Anyway, when she was pregnant with Sarada, Sasuke was already gone.
When Sarada was born, Sasuke didn't return.
When the Konoha Twelve Rookies got married, he didn't return either.
This time, with Naruto's wedding, she thought Sasuke would finally come back. After all, they were best brothers.
At the same time, she also felt that he wouldn't return—after all, he hadn't even come back when Sarada was born.
Whether Sasuke returned or not, she would feel surprised and delighted.
She had already prepared herself mentally.
However, when she received a clear reply from Sasuke today, saying that he couldn't return, an indescribable sense of disappointment and melancholy still surged in her heart.
Her heart ached.
Looking at her friends around her, all close and intimate with their families, Sakura felt nothing but envy.
She could only sit alone at home, watching TV, or spacing out…
If it weren't for Sarada's existence, she probably wouldn't even feel like she was married—like she had a husband, a man, a lover.
"Gulp, gulp, gulp~~~"
The disappointment and melancholy drove Sakura to pour glass after glass of wine down her throat.
"Sister Sakura, don't drink anymore. You're already drunk," Kaien advised, reaching out to stop her.
"Drunk? I just want to be drunk!" Sakura pushed his hand away, tilted her head back, and drank the last drop from the bottle.
She really wanted to get drunk.
She really wanted to see the man she deeply loved—but could never see.
If she couldn't see him in reality, couldn't she at least see him in her dreams?
"Sister Sakura, what's wrong? Tell me what's bothering you. You'll feel better if you talk it out," Kaien said worriedly.
Sakura raised her head, her hazy eyes fixing on Kaien. Seeing his earnest expression, she suddenly smiled bitterly.
"Kaien, you don't understand."
"Is it because of Brother Sasuke?" Kaien asked suddenly.
Besides Sasuke, no one else could make her this upset.
Sakura paused, then nodded gently.
"After Brother Sasuke left that time… he never came home again?" Kaien continued.
"Home?" Sakura laughed softly, bitterness filling her voice.
"Is this really his home? Does he even consider this place his home?"
She lowered her eyelids, hiding the sadness in her eyes.
Picking up the wine glass, she drained it again. The burning liquid slid down her throat, igniting not only her body, but her heart.
"Sister Sakura, don't drink anymore," Kaien said anxiously, trying to stop her.
But she pushed him away.
She poured another glass. Just as she was about to drink it, the glass was suddenly snatched away by Kaien.
"Give it to me." Sakura reached out to grab it—and her delicate body fell straight into Kaien's arms.
Her soft touch and fragrant scent instantly enveloped him, making Kaien freeze.
"Gulp!"
Kaien swallowed hard, his other hand suspended in midair, hesitating whether to take this opportunity to touch the steamed bun.
But in that brief hesitation, Sakura had already snatched the glass back and moved away.
"Gulp, gulp~"
She drank it all once again, slammed the glass onto the table, and lifted her head. Her hazy eyes stared directly at Kaien.
"Sister Sakura, you—"
"Why do you care about me so much?" Sakura tilted her head, her red lips curling slightly.
"Cough, cough…" Kaien coughed awkwardly. "Because you're my Sister Sakura!"
"Heh… is it really that simple?" Sakura looked at him with a half-smile, her gaze sharp.
"Of course!" Kaien replied quickly.
"If it weren't for you, Sister Sakura, I might still be wandering outside the village, not knowing how to come back!"
"Then why did you know I like red bean steamed buns?" Sakura pressed on.
"Why did you accompany me to the mall?"
Her eyes locked onto his, as if trying to see straight through him.
Seeing that he could no longer hide it, Kaien took a deep breath and went all in.
"Because I've liked you for a long time, Sister Sakura!"
Sakura stared at him.
Seeing the seriousness in his eyes, her heart trembled violently. She hurriedly looked away.
"You… don't mess around!"
"I'm not messing around!" Kaien grabbed her delicate hand firmly.
"You—" Sakura's eyes widened in disbelief.
"I like you," Kaien said, his gaze burning.
"From the first time I saw you, I already had a crush on you. But back then, your heart only had Brother Sasuke in it—and you were already married!"
"Sister Sakura, I like you," he repeated solemnly.
"I truly like you."
Sakura fell silent.
Her drunken mind cleared slightly, but her heart grew even more chaotic.
She didn't know why, but her heartbeat suddenly sped up.
"So what?" After a long pause, she sighed.
"Kaien, I know your feelings, and I'm happy you like me, but... I'm already married…"
A wave of regret bloomed in her heart.
Sasuke—the man she had pursued since childhood—had never given her happiness. Only loneliness.
She suddenly wondered what life would have been like if she hadn't married him.
"I know, Sister Sakura." Kaien gently held her shoulders.
"I won't interfere with your relationship with Brother Sasuke."
That was what he said.
But not what he truly thought.
As someone who inherited the Prime Minister's will, he wouldn't give up just because she was married.
If anything, prying her away felt even more exciting.
"You…" Sakura wanted to say more, but shook her head instead.
"It's getting late. I should go home."
She stood up unsteadily.
But after drinking so much, her steps faltered, and she fell straight into Kaien's arms.
[Ding! Mission to touch Sakura's breast completed. Reward: 300 passion points.]
Coincidentally, Kaien's hand landed squarely on the breasts.
[Ding! Make-Out Paradise Mission: Kiss Sakura.
Remaining time: 2 hours.
Reward upon completion: 500 passion points.]
Just as he was about to savor the wonderful steamed bun, the system's notification sounded once again.