Last Time ...
"Wasn't it a misunderstanding? Why are you saying again that Sarada isn't Sakura's daughter?"
Sakura abruptly stopped, turned around, and angrily threw a punch. "Ino, this joke is too cruel!"
Ino didn't dodge, her face filled with sorrow. "I also hope it's false, so, broad-forehead, let me give you a gynecological exam. We'll know if you've had a child."
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Sakura's fist stopped abruptly in front of Ino. She stared at Ino in shock for a long time, then finally laughed angrily.
"Fine, I'll see what you can do. Do you think I don't know whether Sarada is my child or not?"
Sakura then grabbed Ino and stormed off to get a checkup. Shizune saw this and asked them what they were doing, but one was extremely angry, and the other was immersed in anger and sorrow, so they didn't answer Shizune. Shizune assumed her two best friends were having a fight and followed them worriedly. She saw Ino prepare the gynecological examination equipment, then push Sakura onto the bed and draw the curtains.
Kakashi and the others waited outside the curtains, just like Shizune. Shizune was confused, but Kakashi and the others had a bad feeling.
Soon after, Ino suddenly started crying. Sakura was distraught and kept saying it was impossible. Then, suddenly, there was a loud bang, and Ino screamed. Shizune thought something had happened and quickly lifted the curtain. Then, everyone, including Shizune, saw that Sakura had fainted, and Ino was frantically shaking her beside her.
"What's going on? What are you all doing? It's still during work hours!" Shizune was almost angry. She used her chakra to check Sakura's condition while scolding her.
But the next moment, Shizune's face froze. Her eyes widened, and after checking Sakura repeatedly with medical ninjutsu, she suddenly screamed in terror.
"How is this possible? How is this possible? Why didn't I notice before? It can't be!"
Ino stopped crying and said sadly, "Shizune-senpai, you noticed too?"
Shizune looked back at her in shock. "Ino, you noticed too? How did you find out? But how did you do that? Why didn't I notice it after checking so many times?"
Ino was both angry and sad. "I didn't expect it either. Who would have thought of this? Broad forehead has never given birth, and she's still a virgin! No wonder she was shy when she saw Sasuke. How can a virgin be open! That trash Sasuke!"
Shizune spoke in disbelief at the same time. "What did Sakura do to deceive my examination? She's clearly on her deathbed, her body decaying like a centenarian, with less than three months to live!"
After speaking, the two realized what the other had said, exchanged a shocked glance, and screamed again.
Shizune was struck dumb. "What did you say? You said Sakura has never had a child? She's a virgin!"
Ino felt as if she'd been struck by lightning. "What did you say? You said Sakura is on her deathbed? With only three months to live!"
The two stared at Sakura, mouths agape.
These two pieces of news were also incredibly shocking to the men watching nearby.
Kakashi finally understood why Sakura's health had always been poor, but how could it have deteriorated like this? Was she sick? Why hadn't Shizune noticed before? Why was she hiding it from everyone? Then he suddenly realized the even more absurd discovery: Sakura had not only never had a child, but she was also a virgin! He exclaimed in shock.
"How is this possible?"
Tobirama suddenly felt an urge to cover his face and leave Sakura's memories immediately. No wonder it was a humiliating and tragic life; no one could accept this. Even the mere thought of dying soon wouldn't have shaken Tobirama, but hearing that Sakura was still a virgin was something he couldn't bear at all. Pain wasn't scary, but this was social death!
Madara Uchiha fell completely silent, lowering his arms. Remembering his insistence on seeing Sakura Haruno's memories, trying to find clues to break the Infinite Tsukuyomi, Madara suddenly felt an urge to slap himself. He could already foresee the pink-haired girl's furious and utterly humiliated reaction once they were out. Well, if she wanted to beat him up to vent her anger, he wouldn't retaliate.
"Twelve years of marriage, a child that isn't his own, and she's still a virgin—that's the deepest humiliation, isn't it? I wonder if Sakura will beat me to death when I get out?"
Izuna, remembering his identical face to Sasuke, was genuinely afraid that Sakura, provoked by this, wouldn't be able to find Sasuke and would seek revenge by using him as a substitute.
Itachi was also somewhat dizzy. Things had not only taken a turn for the worse, but also a completely absurd turn. Sarada wasn't Sakura's daughter, which he could try to accept, but Sakura was still a virgin—this was truly mind-blowing. How much did Sasuke dislike Sakura Haruno? He hadn't touched her in 12 years of marriage. If he didn't like her, why did he marry her in the first place?
Thinking that Sakura Haruno had lived without knowing for 12 years, Itachi's guilt towards Sakura intensified. To be completely undetected, Sasuke must have used Tsukuyomi, using the eyes Itachi had given Sasuke to cast a genjutsu on Sakura Haruno, as if it were a crime he himself had committed.
Minato and Hashirama were dumbfounded. Sasuke was truly ruthless. His wife was legitimate, and a beautiful one at that, yet he had managed to refrain from taking action for twelve years.
"Is Sasuke impotent?" Minato blurted out unconsciously.
Hashirama, somewhat dazed, replied instinctively, "But he has Sarada. He can't be impotent, right?"
"Then what is Sasuke after?" Obito's face went blank. "Why didn't he marry Sarada's mother, Karin Uzumaki? Why did he have to deceive Sakura to marry her? And even after marrying her, he doesn't treat her well."
Hashirama's carefree optimism vanished, revealing his true shrewdness. Minato and Tobirama sighed, while Madara Uchiha snorted coldly. They were both competent leaders, well-versed in politics, and understood the cold calculations behind Sasuke's actions. Why go to such lengths to marry Sakura instead of Karin Uzumaki—it was purely a political decision. Even choosing Karin Uzumaki as the biological mother of his daughter was a ruthless consideration. Compared to Sakura Haruno, who was born a commoner, the bloodline of the Uzumaki clan, a major ninja clan, was naturally superior and more suitable for a union with the Uchiha, ensuring the Uchiha lineage would continue.
Kakashi's eyes were dark, a cold anger surging within him. Sasuke had to marry Sakura because he needed to create a weakness for Konoha. Leaving a wife and child behind meant remaining under Konoha's control, which was the only way Konoha would trust him. Sakura was a true Konoha scion with close ties to the village's leadership, while Karin was not. He sacrificed Sakura to secure his own freedom.
Sasori suddenly spoke up. "This absolutely cannot be a normal Infinite Tsukuyomi. It's too realistic, too cruel, making it seem too real, as if some real future has been projected into this Infinite Tsukuyomi."
Yes, the memories of this Infinite Tsukuyomi are anything but pleasant; they are as cruel as reality, making it impossible for them to accept anything here as fake.
Sakura woke up, completely ignoring the doubts of both Shizune and Ino. Instead, she frantically checked her virginity again. When she discovered she was indeed still a virgin, Sakura utterly broke down. She rushed out of the hospital, wanting to find Sasuke to confirm, but Sasuke had already embarked on his journey again, and Sarada was out on a mission. Sakura ran wildly through the streets of Konoha, finally forced to return home.
Entering her house, Sakura looked at everything familiar around her, at the photos of Sasuke and Sarada, and could no longer suppress the irony in her heart. She vomited a mouthful of blood; her beautiful life had all been an illusion!
What followed was like a whirlwind of events. Sakura, on the verge of physical collapse and suffering a severe psychological blow, was on the verge of death, falling into a deep coma. Shizune desperately tried to save Sakura while urgently sending a message to Tsunade.
Sakura couldn't hide the truth from anyone. Naruto, now the Seventh Hokage, naturally knew the whole story. He angrily ordered Sasuke to come back immediately to explain, and also sent messages to Sarada, who was on a mission outside, and Kakashi, the Sixth Hokage, who had already stepped down and was traveling outside.
A few days later, Sarana, Tsunade, and Kakashi all hurried back after a long journey. Tsunade took over Shizune's treatment. Sakura couldn't survive several times and was pulled back by Tsunade. Sarana was worried about her mother's condition, but she was also hit by her own life experience. She was also on the verge of collapse. Kakashi and Ino could only worry about Sakura and wait angrily for Sasuke's return, while trying to comfort this innocent and poor girl.
Another week passed before Sasuke slowly appeared. Facing Sakura in the ICU, a trace of guilt seemed to flash across his face, but he soon returned to expressionless. Facing Ino's crazy tearing, Kakashi's angry questioning, Naruto's furious beatings, and Tsunade's violent blows, he endured them all without refuting, defending, or apologizing.
Finally, amidst his daughter Sarana's painful questioning, Sasuke finally spoke calmly.
"I thought this was the best outcome for everyone? You all wanted me to be with Sakura Haruno, Naruto did, Kakashi did, and Konoha wanted it too, didn't they? So I married Sakura. She and you should all be satisfied. The Uchiha clan can't be wiped out by me. I had considered having a child with Sakura, but after I got drunk and was with Karin one time, she got pregnant. I thought that was fine. My marriage to Sakura was necessary, so Karin couldn't be with me. Therefore, I used Tsukuyomi to alter Sakura and Karin's memories, making them mistakenly believe that Sarada was Sakura's child. As for what happened after that, I basically didn't go home for the past 12 years. The few times I was home briefly, I didn't have the heart to do this, so it just stayed like this."
Sasuke's emotionless, cold-blooded answer shocked everyone, including Itachi. He suddenly realized that his younger brother seemed to have completely lost the emotions of a normal person. Was it the harm he had caused Sasuke that made Sasuke who he was now? Itachi suddenly felt a deep sense of guilt.
Sakura finally woke up. The fact that her life was nearing its end made Tsunade, Kakashi, and Ino put Sasuke's situation aside for a moment. They were more concerned about why Sakura's health had deteriorated to such a state and why she had hidden it.
Sakura remained silent for a long time before revealing the reason. She had known her body was failing for a long time. After all, she wasn't her master Tsunade, and she didn't have the massive chakra reserves of the Senju clan. Years of practicing medicine and saving lives, using too much of the Hundred Healings Technique to deal with emergencies, had long since overtaxed her body. Ino had once asked her why she didn't use the Hundred Healings Technique to maintain her youth like Tsunade. Sakura outwardly said she wanted to grow old with Sasuke, but in reality, it was simply that her chakra reserves couldn't support such extravagance.
As for why she didn't want to tell everyone, firstly, she didn't want to worry them. Sakura felt that even if she died now, her life would be complete. Secondly, she didn't want her master, Tsunade, to feel guilty, because Sakura herself had forced herself to use ninjutsu she couldn't handle. She had prepared for several times when she was unwell and fainted, after all, she was proficient in medical ninjutsu. If she had deliberately concealed it, Shizune wouldn't have noticed that her body was already in a state of disrepair. It wasn't until she was stimulated by the fact that Sarada wasn't her daughter and that she was still a virgin that she fainted unexpectedly, and Shizune discovered her.
Kakashi and Ino were speechless for a long time after hearing this, while Tsunade was truly filled with guilt and vowed to find a way to save Sakura.
Sakura was mentally prepared for her fate, but the fact that Sarada wasn't her daughter and that she was still a virgin suddenly seemed to lift the veil of her perfect and happy life of so many years, revealing her truly cruel and monstrous nature.
Later, Sasuke visited her. Faced with Sasuke's identical answer, Sakura suddenly didn't know what to say. She didn't argue with Sasuke, but simply nodded to indicate that she understood.
Perhaps out of guilt, Sasuke stayed longer this time and made sure to visit Sakura every day, although each visit only lasted fifteen minutes. He just sat silently, never speaking, as if he were merely fulfilling an obligation. This listless behavior infuriated Ino, who repeatedly told Sasuke to get out.
While Sakura was recuperating in the hospital, gossip increased. No secrets stay hidden forever. While some sympathized with Sakura's plight, many more mocked, gloated, and made sarcastic remarks.
The hospital wasn't a peaceful place either. Sakura was capable and strong-willed, intolerant of any wrongdoing, and had high standards for her work and management. Many genuinely admired her, but many also resented her. However, as the former hospital director, she had no choice but to submit. Now, with Sakura nearing the end of her life and unable to hold any position, these unscrupulous individuals emerged, seemingly without any qualms.
They also made sure not to be discovered, deliberately and obliviously chatting outside Sakura's room when she was alone, trying to provoke her.
"I knew Sakura Uchiha was living the life of a widow, yet she always acts so happy. Who's she kidding?"
"It's hilarious! Married for 12 years and still a virgin? I've never heard of anything so ridiculous."
"Hahaha, who can argue with that? Men are all driven by their lower instincts. Even so, Sasuke Uchiha wouldn't touch her. She's utterly unattractive. A tomboy, yet she always thinks she's a beauty."
"Raising someone else's child for 12 years, all that effort and worry, and getting nothing in return."
"At least her mother is from the Uzumaki clan. What is she? Just a commoner! And she's even putting pressure on us clan-born people. Humph, if I were an Uchiha, I wouldn't choose her either." "Her choice was purely based on luck. She was on a team with the Uchiha clan and the Seventh Hokage, and later became a disciple of the Sixth and Fifth Hokage. If I had those resources and the platform, I could have done it too, even better than her. It's a pity I just don't have that kind of luck."
"Exactly! Always acting like she's the best in medical ninjutsu, thinking she's so great just because she mastered the Hundred Healings Technique? In the end, she still suffered the backlash. Does she think she's Tsunade-sama? The Senju clan, famous throughout the ninja world for their vast chakra reserves? She didn't have that much chakra and yet she tried to use the Hundred Healings Technique? Serves her right! She's already overdrawn her life force at 32 and is about to die. She's so overconfident!"
The words were dripping with jealousy, yet still incredibly hurtful.
In the hospital room, Sakura sat with her head down, her fists clenched tightly on the sheets. She wanted to rush out and punch her, wanted to argue—it wasn't like that. She had put in more effort and hard work than others. But thinking about the current situation, she suddenly felt powerless.
Kakashi felt sorry for Sakura and ashamed of his past neglect of her.
When he led Team 7, he rarely trained her because of her commoner background. He believed she couldn't keep up with the pace of Sasuke Uchiha, who came from a prestigious ninja family, or Naruto, who possessed Uzumaki blood, was the son of the Fourth Hokage, and the Nine-Tails' Jinchuriki.
Besides being a little smarter than others, Sakura was too ordinary. Even with that intelligence, without the resources and training of her clan, it would be useless, as many secret techniques and ninjutsu were inherited.
Kakashi's initial expectation for Sakura was simply that she become a Chunin, which is the ultimate fate of 99% of ninjas from commoner backgrounds. He thought that once Sakura became a Chunin, he would let her leave their team and live a simple but peaceful life of her own, quietly carrying out some low-level missions, which would be boring but safe. Then one day, she could marry an ordinary ninja or commoner and retire from the ninja career. Yes, Kakashi didn't initially think Sakura would marry Sasuke.
But later, Sasuke betrayed the village, and Naruto left to train. The strong-willed Sakura, unwilling to be left behind, proactively sought to become Tsunade's apprentice, and Tsunade surprisingly agreed. Upon learning of Sakura's achievements, Kakashi was both proud and astonished; Sakura had surpassed his expectations and even her own personal boundaries.
After that, he genuinely began to regard Sakura as a companion under his wing, someone he should protect and walk alongside, someone important to him.
Now, hearing these people so dismissive of Sakura, Kakashi felt an urge to give each of them a Lightning Blade.
Minato was furious. He too had come from humble beginnings and had worked his way up to a high position through hardship. He understood Sakura perfectly; to dismiss her was like dismissing him.
"Does saying she wasn't born into a ninja clan erase all of Sakura-chan's achievements?"
Obito was equally furious. "What are these people saying? It's outrageous! All they do is slander others when they're incompetent? Do they think that by dragging others down, they can be on the same level as them?"
Obito wasn't a genius in his youth, and was often overshadowed by Kakashi. Although he was unhappy, he never thought of pulling Kakashi down; instead, he worked hard to catch up and surpass him.
Sasori said lazily, "Isn't slandering easier than striving? They hate those who have it and laugh at those who don't, seizing every opportunity to kick them while they're down, satisfying their twisted pleasure."
He was a genius, and had experienced much of this underhanded targeting, but Sasori had always ignored it and crushed it all.
Tobirama Senju's expression was stern. Although he came from a large clan, he always valued ability more.
"What's the difference between a clan and a commoner? You get what you pay for. To rely on your ninja clan birth yet achieve nothing is truly despicable!"
Hashirama Senju, Madara Uchiha, and Izuna Uchiha all came from prestigious ninja clans. They were groomed as heirs or successors, and were highly respected within their clans and outside. Everyone treated them with utmost care because of their Senju and Uchiha surnames. Therefore, they couldn't truly understand what it felt like to be of commoner origin. However, that didn't stop them from knowing how much effort Sakura Haruno had put in to surpass those from ninja clans and achieve such success.
"A bunch of incompetent scoundrels!" Madara Uchiha spat.
Although they all understood that what these people were saying was nonsense, Sakura in the Tsukuyomi seemed genuinely affected. A week later, after her condition stabilized, she strongly requested to be discharged from the hospital.
To Be Continued .....