Sakura felt her life was utterly miserable. She had struggled to get into the Ninja Academy as a child, only to be mocked by classmates for her wide forehead. She had finally found a good friend who would stand up for her, only to discover that her first crush was the same person as her best friend. The "best friend for life" promise had dissolved into a flimsy, 'plastic' sisterhood.
After graduating and finally being in the same class as her crush, the one she despised most became a third wheel. She spent a whole year as a Genin in confusion. Eventually, the third wheel left to train and stop radiating his "light and heat," finally giving her a chance to be alone with her crush. Yet somehow, it felt unnatural without that "third wheel." When he returned and restored the atmosphere to "normal," she experienced the ultimate betrayal from her crush.
And now, in the stillness of night, she had to climb out of bed to treat her crush's greatest enemy—Uchiha Itachi.
A chaotic mission had brought them here: Konoha's top rogue ninja, severely injured Akatsuki operatives. During treatment, Sakura discovered that this one was suffering from a serious illness.
"He won't die, right?"
Kisame, still covered in blood, asked. Honestly, Sakura disliked the mood. Kisame was a rogue ninja, a villain. Blood on him meant it belonged to someone else. Villains killed good people; if she saved Itachi, he'd go back to killing innocents. Under that logic, she answered Kisame carefully:
"He won't die. He's severely injured. His illness isn't untreatable; it just needs slow, careful care."
They were in Itachi's room. Kisame had carried him there about half an hour ago. Night had fallen deep; even if they went to a hospital, no one could treat such severe injuries. Then Kisame remembered there was a "living medicine chest" at home.
"What illness?"
Kisame was horrified. Sakura, too, tensed.
"You don't know he has a terminal disease?"
Kisame went from horrified to completely terrified.
"How is that possible?! What kind of terminal disease? How did you even check?"
He complained while worrying, and Sakura laughed. Kisame immediately knew he had been tricked.
"Just kidding. Don't worry. It was discovered early. It won't turn into a terminal illness. If it had been later, it would have been untreatable."
Kisame wanted to strangle her.
Sakura set down her powdered medicine and rose from the bedside.
"Let's go—to your room."
Kisame panicked again.
"W-what are you going to do?"
Though he sounded confident, his posture and aura screamed fear. It was as if Sakura planned to do something to him. Then she recalled the other day when Kisame had revealed her "dark history" at a team-building event. Mischief gleamed in her eyes. She clenched her fists until they cracked and displayed a devilish grin.
"What do you think~ doing~ Kisame~?"
Kisame's heart raced. First thought: kill this woman. Second: can't kill her—or he'd be killed. Third: he was severely injured!
And then, he was laid on the bed.
Her wide robe had been cut open, revealing a huge wound across his chest and abdomen. The bleeding had stopped, but the wound had not been treated. Some areas were showing signs of infection. Luckily, it was only external; no internal organs were damaged, and the ribs weren't broken—just faint hairline fractures.
"Good thing your spleen wasn't hit. You're lucky. I'll do a minor procedure; in a couple of days, you'll be fine."
Sakura said this without even looking at him, quietly wiping the wound edges with a disinfected cloth. The "minor procedure" was simple, and she even hummed happily.
Silver needles were unwrapped, chakra threads wound around them. Stitch by stitch, the several-inch wound was sewn. Glowing green chakra fused with the thread, reducing the large wound to a fine line.
Kisame sweated from the pain but didn't make a sound.
After applying medicine and bandaging, Sakura performed a full-body medical check.
"You have an old leg injury and low vitality. Come to the hospital in two days for a complete checkup. Your wound is fine, but the periosteum is damaged. No medicine today. I'll prepare some for you; take it for half a month. Don't touch the bandage for a couple of days."
Kisame wanted to say, I didn't ask for your treatment; I could stitch this myself!
But seeing her extremely serious eyes, he couldn't. He knew that even slight objection would end badly.
He had heard she had argued with Pain…
"I… I understand."
"Good. Rest well. The medicine has sedatives; sleep soundly."
With that, Sakura left and closed the door.
Kisame was manageable, but Uchiha Itachi was another matter. Cells die naturally, but his necrosis was several times faster than normal humans. If left unchecked, premature aging would be the least of his problems. Luckily, Sakura had discovered it early. He would need a full hospital checkup later. Without machines, even she couldn't detect every symptom.
She began a preliminary treatment on Itachi, slowing the progression. Akatsuki had many complex cases: Kita had issues, the weasel had problems, Kisame had old injuries—she wanted to study them all. Rare diseases weren't common.
Treatment lasted hours. Near dawn, though not fully cured, conditions were stabilized. Sakura yawned, wondering if she could charge per patient—how much could she earn treating one Akatsuki member? Wait—she was treating Akatsuki without pay! Her savings were gone. Without wages, she couldn't afford meals. Corn porridge might be the limit!
But she soon forgot her worries. A diamond-shaped mark appeared on her forehead—the completion of the Strength of a Hundred Technique. This meant she could now use Creation and Regeneration. She should have reported it to her master immediately, but…
Things had changed. She was no longer Konoha's Haruno Sakura but the rogue ninja Haruno Sakura.
Her melancholy was short-lived. When given the latest data by Kisame, he stopped speaking mid-sentence, noticing the new mark on her forehead. He had seen such a mark years ago with Tsunade, before she became Fifth Hokage. He was no fool.
Sakura made a peace sign and smiled.
"See? I finished it. Pretty, right~"
It was hideous.
Frowning, Kisame returned to his seat and said coldly:
"Hideous."
His words chilled her to the bone. Sakura felt her heart ache and tears sting her eyes.
"I… sniff I know I'm not pretty… sniff why… why say that to me? Couldn't you just say it's pretty… sniff"
Sakura felt utterly wronged. She couldn't understand why things had gone this far. In her imagination, completing the Strength of a Hundred Seal would mean showing her master, then appearing before Naruto and Sasuke. Naruto would ask innocently about the mark, Sasuke would mock him, then she'd receive praise and feel secretly delighted for days.
That was her script. But…
It never played out.
Sakura, at her wits' end, bit her lip to stifle her crying, then ran out of the lab. She didn't stop even when bumping into someone, sprinting until she didn't know where she was.
Konan felt unlucky. Coming to talk, she was nearly crushed by a pink figure at the door. Normally, a bump would just stagger someone, but this was different.
She was scattered!!!
Scattered!!!
Gone!!!
The Paper Jutsu activated under physical impact. In short, it was a passive ability. A mere collision caused her to scatter… a first for Konan.
That collision—how much force had it taken?!
She realized this immediately.
"Lucky it was you. Otherwise… even if not dead, you'd be down for days."
This wasn't a joke—it was fear.
Chakra paper reformed her body. Konan's expression was one of relief at her jutsu's uniqueness.
"Why is she crying?"
Shrug.
"Finished the Strength of a Hundred Seal, missing Konoha."
Konan understood. Despite her skill, Sakura was still a teenage girl. Unlike Shion, Sakura had a home.
"She's still a rogue ninja. If Konoha wants her, she can return someday," Konan said, then laughed.
"Do you believe that?"
Konan winked and laughed.
"The team returned yesterday."
It was early—not the expected return time. Sakura asked,
"Mission failed?"
Konan shook her head.
"Half and half. One slipped through."
Understood. Besides Karin, Deidara was skilled at tracking. Sakura nodded. When walking alongside Konan, she paused slightly, asking a question unrelated to the mission.
"Do you think it's worth it, going this far?"
Konan paused, then didn't answer directly. Instead, she asked:
"When we decided to exile the Tailed Beasts, did you think it was worth it?"
Sakura exhaled with a faint smile, shaking her head, and continued walking.
"True to Pain, I'll see it through."
Konan laughed.
"Thank you."
"Nothing. Idle hands, idle minds."