No Matter How You Look At It

A few weeks before I ran across a story that had Sakura drugging and then raping Sasuke before she turned herself in and went to jail. It was an okay story, but I though more could be done with it. I fell the author missed an opportunity to drive home the seriousness of Sakura’s crime and I personally did not like that had a happy ending with her reconciling with her former teammates after her brief stint in jail. That just set something in craw that wouldn’t come lose.

*Rape is the perpetuation of an act of sexual intercourse with a person against his or her will and consent, whether his/her will is overcome by force or fear resulting from the threat of force, or by drugs administered without consent or when, because of mental deficiency s/he is incapable of giving consent or when s/he is below the arbitrary age of consent.

*Child abuse is a heinous crime. This trauma damages the developing psyche. There is nothing beautiful about pedophilia. If you are victim or suspect that another is harmed in this manner, contact the proper authorizes immediately. You are not just saving one life, you are saving hundreds other.

I am not bashing Sakura; I don’t see the purpose for doing something so pointless. I am however using her as the one of the antagonist for this story. Her character will revert to the slavishly devoted obsessive girl who is relentless in her pursuit of Sasuke.

I do apologize to all Sakura fans for this portrayal of their favorite character.

I don’t own Naruto, nor am I making a dime from writing this. I am just a fan that gets bored from time to time.

Please read this with an open mind and try to enjoy it.


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No matter how you look at it


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Part One

I

It was a well know and widely accepted fact that Uchiha Sasuke was the most sought after bachelor in all of Konoha since he was eight years old. Women had gone out of their way, had done strange and unspeakable things to capture his attention with little to no regard to how this would affect this little boy all in the effort to be the next Lady Uchiha.

By the age of ten, Sasuke was afraid of women. He had learned not trust their smiling faces and avoided their tender caresses and their gentle expressions. Before his mother’s death such sweetness had been welcomed by him and taken for granted since these were things a child became used to receiving from his maternal parent. Yet from the women in village with their gentle smiles, soft touches or sweet expressions had nothing to do with being a mother to the little Uchiha prince.

They would smile to lure the child to them, touch him in places they should not touch then tell him that it was okay when he said it felt bad, and he couldn’t tell anyone about it because it was a secret. Itachi told him long ago if it felt wrong and another wanted him to lie about then Sasuke should tell him immediately. Only Itachi wasn’t here, nor was okasan or Otosan. Sasuke learn just how alone he was after he had gone to the Hokage.

The old man did not say anything to comfort the frightened child and Sasuke knew for a fact that he didn’t do anything since he saw the same women still walking about the village with their soft smiles and gentle expressions. They were still there trying to lure him into their homes and into their clutches. What they had done to him was wrong and for them to do so without shame or reprisal was just another reason Sasuke would never trust a woman within his village.

Things did not change much as he grew older. The only thing that changed was that the girls in classes at the Academy stopped believing that boys were ugly and disgusting. And too many of them were looking at him much like the women of the village did and Sasuke found himself in a horrid position.

He didn’t like the girls clamoring over him, interrupting him, or just touching him. He went to the teachers and complained about the harassment only to later hear the sarcastic comments about how he should relish the attention and live it up.

The Hokage and the Elders viewed this as something else. Young Sasuke had so many potential brides to chose from, all the clans were vying to have him and they fought bitterly to have to placed an a team with their daughters. There was a hint of amusement that followed these meeting although they were quiet vexing for the Hokage. He sought to stow all arguments by placing the boy a team with a girl from a rather common family along the orphaned son of the Yondaime Hokage.

All parties concerned were rather pleased with grouping. The girl-child was intelligent though a somewhat awkward girl, who was not especially pretty. She was easily over looked since she did not hail from any of the Shinobi clans in fact the girl, Haruno Sakura, was the first of her family to enter the Shinobi Academy.

Sasuke was a lord of all intents and purposes. He would want to continue his line with a daughter from one of the more influential clans within the village. The Hokage doubted that Sasuke would look at the Haruno chit as nothing more than a teammate and some day a companion, but never a potential mate. It had been same with his own students the Tsunade-hime of Shinju Clan did not look to her teammates as lovers. She chose her only love from one of the noble clans within the village.

The Noble families did not marry beneath them, Sasuke was had been thought that by his clan, therefore Sandaime did not worry nor did the other clans about any attachment being formed by Sasuke for this unknown girl.

Pleased with themselves, the Council as always in their judgment failed to see beyond their own greed and desires. Like they failed to understand the two boys they placed in a cell with a broken Shinobi, they failed to understand the desperation that was driving the Haruno family. All their hopes for social connections, wealth, and prestige had been forcing on young Sakura. Her marriage to Uchiha-sama that would move the Haruno Clan into the higher echelons of village society as her parent told her every day.

This would be so easily accomplished, the Harunos reasoned. They only saw what they wanted to see. They demanded that Sakura bring the boy home, to be show that she would a good wife and a proper lady. She was quite and demure. She always deferred to Sasuke’s will and opinion as he was her lord and husband. She had to believe that in order for Sasuke to accept that.

Only Sasuke never gave the girl on his team much thought. He rarely though of either of his teammates—except when the little idiot with shocking blue eyes would demand some sort of attention from him.

Uzumaki Naruto was a rather strange individual. He was loud, brash, madly ingenious, and talented as hell. Sasuke had been declared a prodigy since his first days at the Academy, but he knew he was not one, he was just incredibly smart, and it paid off that he had studied under his brother briefly. He was five years behind the genius of his clan, in talent and skill. He knew what a prodigy was as far as he could tell the Uzumaki boy was one of the rarest in the select field of genius.

For Sasuke this was both a positive and a negative. Training along side Uzumaki fueled his own learning rate. He was determined to close that gap and defeat that man but for so long, he felt as if he was chasing a phantom, without a proper challenge, he had become stagnate. Itachi was so far from him and Sasuke felt like he was just spinning in the wind.

By eight, Itachi had developed his Sharingan. Sasuke was twelve when his pinwheel vision developed. Sasuke knew that it was because the forgotten little boy had been at his side. Naruto demanded attention, he was a challenge that Sasuke looked forward to taking on each day. They developed a bond through their fists and harsh words. Their easy friendship, silent communication, and their friendship was all hard earned which was why it hurt so damn much when for the first year that he was with Orochimaru.

His challenge was gone, he was alone, this time by his own choosing, but he was free of Konoha. His days were devoted to the Art of Death. Orochimaru had an idea of his new body would look, how strong he would be, and the many skills he would possess in this new frame. So he drove Sasuke relentlessly and without mercy. But Sasuke did not care for this was first time since the murder of his clan that Sasuke was free of the nightmares of that place. And when he had dispatched his despot of a master and survived his battle with his brother did he feel free of that accursed village. All of his shackles to Konoha and horrible things it represented fell from him…

He was going to burning it to the ground.

Of course things did not turn out the way Sasuke though nor how he wanted. But then Uzumaki Naruto was the most unpredictable shinobi of all the hidden villages. Though he was loathed to admit it, Sasuke knew he never really stood a chance of escaping Naruto.

So he accepted his fate by laying down his sword and taking his friend’s offered hand. His nightmares, his fear, his hatred, he saw them reflected in Naruto’s stead gaze. But there was also hope, strength, and the solemn promise that Sasuke would never stand alone again.

They shared a past of being hurt, Naruto acknowledged this. A carefree smile and the hold tighten on his hand Sasuke followed Naruto into a new future.

At seventeen, he was an assassin, a killer, an avenger, a destroyer, but he was still a boy and still alone even with people around him. In Naruto he had a chance for redemption, hope, and maybe a chance to be happy again.

…just maybe…

II

He did not recognize the room he woke up in.

Sasuke stared at the cream coloured walls of foreign bedroom, ignoring the nasty headache pounding behind his eyes and the foul taste in his mouth as he stared at the cream coloured walls. The bedroom smelled strongly of perfume, a scent that he vaguely recognized but in his sluggish state, his mind was slow in recalling from where or from whom. The pale peach sheets and matching comforter was draped over his sweat covered body sticking to him in the most unpleasant manner. The weave of the sheets and detergent were irritated his sensitive skin and the foreign, cloying scent of the perfume was making his headache worst.

Groaning weakly, Sasuke moved to rise from this strange bed. His only thoughts were of getting out there as quickly as he could and going home.

It was morning, meaning that he never made it home last night. Naruto was coming home today and he had to be there. He eventually managed to get out the bed and stumbled to his feet. The world lurched violently causing his stomach to heave, but he fought back the rising tide of nausea to focus on locating his clothes.

His trousers and shoes at the foot of the bed but he couldn’t find his shirt or underwear. That was his favorite shirt. It was the colour of Naruto’s eyes. He always wore it when he missing him.

What had happened to him last night? Where was he?

He didn’t know but that wasn’t important now. Hurriedly, he tugged on his trousers and slipped in feet into his shoes. He felt the familiar weight of his wallet and keys in his back pocket before going to the open window and slipping out.

In his haste, Sasuke ignored the sundress lay in a small puddle next to his clothes. He didn’t care he just wanted to go home and go back to sleep in his and Naruto’s bed. Everything else could wait until then.

Despite his condition Sasuke leapt out of the open bedroom window and land shakily on the overhanging porch below. Even halfway dead, Sasuke managed to return to Konoha before collapsing in Naruto’s arms. He was stumbling over the rooftop of the next apartment building when door to the strange bedroom creaked open. Had he stayed, Sasuke would have seen a small woman dressed his in missing clothing enter the room carrying a tray laden with a teapot, two cups and traditional breakfast and wearing a happy smile on her lovely face.

But he was gone. The only sign of him once being there was rumpled bedclothes on the left side of the bed.

“Sasuke-kun,” Haruno Sakura sang out sweetly. “Darling, are you awake yet?” When she looked up all she saw was an empty bed.

A slight frown turned down her lips as she placed the tray on the unmade bed. She had wanted to present her future husband with his first breakfast in bed. Well, she was certain that she could coax him back into bed and maybe after the hearty breakfast he would like to resume their activities from last night.

A small tremble went down her spine at the though of Sasuke bedding her once more. He had been a practical beast, so forceful and demanding…The thought of the many bruises that decorated her elegant waist and inner tights made her body ache in anticipation.

She was somewhat miffed that Sasuke obviously had sexual experience. She had always imagined that they would lose their innocence to each other, and it would be a tender, romantic thing that was a culmination of their confessed love. The purity of their gentle affection would wash away the taint of that faceless woman that dared to corrupt Sakura’s beloved.

Maybe their second joining would be that sweetly passionate moment that she dreamed of since she became of aware of sexual relations. But if she was honest with herself, Sakura could admit that she would enjoy a repeat of last night untamed affair.

Smiling and blushing prettily at her own thoughts, Sakura practically danced her way to the other close door in the master suite. She knocked tentatively at the bathroom door before singing out Sasuke’s name only to be met by silence. Concerned, Sakura opened the door thinking that maybe Sasuke had fallen or…and found the room empty.

Sasuke was gone.

But why? Why would her soon-to-be husband leave her after their passionate night together?

Had she done something wrong?

Of course not, she scoffed. Sasuke-kun was mostly ashamed by his ungallant behavior in bedding his wife before their actual wedding day. Such ideas were quaint and very traditional, something that completely expected from her love as he was a true gentleman. He must have felt that she was disgusted by his lack of control. Sakura accepted that she would have to work to teach Sasuke-kun to relax around her as well as learn how to express himself in a positive and loving environment. After making sure that he understood that it was not considered polite to run out on his lover without a word or a kiss good-bye.

“Men!” She grumbled to herself as she stomped back into kitchen pour out cold breakfast. “Who needed them anyway?”

Although she was disappointed by how the morning after with her beloved had turned out, Sakura could not fight the silly grin that graced her face when she caught sight of herself in Sasuke’s clothes. She grabbed the front his button down dress shirt and buried her nose in the sapphire blue cloth. It smelled of Sasuke’s favorite cologne and him. Her eyes drifted close as she imagined what it would have been like to have Sasuke slowly peel the shirt off her body just before he threw on the bed…

Oh, she had best stop before her imagination overcame her sensibilities forcing her to restore to less than gentile manners to rid her body of this wild passion.

Oh, if only he was here with her now, it would have all be perfect. It would be perfect next time, she promised herself. It would be the fairy-tale come true and soon she would be in her loves arms once more. Sasuke would come back to her, he would. There was no way he could deny his feelings for her after the night they shared.

She just had to wait until then like the proper Uchiha wife her mother had trained her to be. Sakura would wait for her husband to come home to her.

_______________________

Someone had drugged Sasuke.

Naruto had stopped screaming and crying and thankfully he did not hit him as Sasuke collapsed right as he drew his fist back.

All thoughts of an infidelity fled when Sasuke started to have a seizure. He stopped being a broken-hearted lover to a capable ANBU Captain in two seconds flat. A kunai was quickly shoved between Sasuke’s clenched teeth and he was rolled on his side to prevent him from swallowing his own tongue. One handed, Naruto summoned a clone, he snapped off orders to call for an ambulance and to warn the Hokage of a possible security breach. Someone had gotten to Sasuke through nefarious means, most likely a kunochi due the overly flora scent that clung to Sasuke body and the width of the scratch marks on his back.

Shame and horror were warring for attention within him but Naruto firmly pushed feeling aside as he focused on his the dying man on the floor. Help arrived within a matter of minutes. Medic nins from the ANBU corps had come instead of the regular EMTs because of who the victim was. Sasuke was quickly stabilized enough for transport then they all vanished from the bedroom reappearing in the Konoha military hospital ER.

The Hokage was already there waiting for them along with a toxicologist and two members from the ANBU investigation unit. This was as bad as it could get. Someone had gotten into the village and took down an ANBU captain, but not just any captain, it was a Sannin.

Not since learning of both her former teammates deaths had the Godaime felt this type of terror. It was not that she had a great affection for the Uchiha brat, theirs was a peculiar kinship brought about by who they were. No Sannin went down easily and Uchiha especially proved that he was damn near hard to kill. The bounty on his head was substantial; sending out into the field without his mask was asking Hunter nins to come after him.

Toxicology had a sample of his blood and was running a trace to come up with an antidote. The investigative unit had his trousers, swabs were taken, his sedated body was picked over, and his and Naruto’s home combed through. Sasuke suffered another seizure and went into cardiac arrest one. Naruto was trying desperately not breakdown in the face of this crisis, but his guilt was eating him alive.

He had been away for the last two days meeting with their surrogate mother while Sasuke had been on a mission. Naruto went because Ayame was having a monthly check up and a sonogram. The fetus was now in the second trimester and they would the sex of their child.

Naruto’s hand went to the snapshot of the sixteen week old fetus, a little boy the doctor had told him. He and Sasuke were having a son…

A sob tore from his chest as Naruto finally broke down. He was losing his family before they could become one. If he didn’t have Sasuke then he was good dead. Their baby was going to be an orphan because Naruto just could bear to live without…he couldn’t…he…

Tsunade had Naruto sedated to end his panic attack. She understood his fear and it pained her to see the powerful man be brought low by his own terror. She understood that his only family was lying in bed fighting for his life.

She would do all that was in her power to save Naruto’s love. The little boy that resided in her heart deserved his happiness and she would make sure that he would forever have it.

_____________

The toxicology report found a mixture of common stimulant, psychedelics, and empathogenic-estactogens in Uchiha’s blood sample. Combined with the Sildenafil citrate that had also been found, it became rather obvious what the spy had wanted: The Sharingan.

The common names for the nasty cocktail stewing the Uchiha blood stream was methylenedioxymethamphetamine and Sildenafil citrate had been used to subdue the him and arouse him…the Hokage drew a deep as she was put aside the second of the regarding the drugging, kidnapping, and rape of Uchiha Sasuke.

Tsunade knew the man’s history both the official and unofficial. His psychological evaluation after his return to the village revealed more of her sensei’s faults and level of neglect when it came to the orphaned children of the village. The treatment that Naruto had received had horrified her, but what Sasuke revealed shook her to her very core.

He had gone to Sandaime, Uchiha had gone to his teachers, people of authority for help only to be ignored and mocked by those who should have done something, anything, to protect a nine year old little boy from his abusers. Uchiha had been raped as a child by an older woman and had endured years of sexual harassment from his female students at academy and from non-shinobi females within the village proper until the day he left Konoha.

And it had happened again. It had taken years of intensive therapy and his relationship with Naruto to see Uchiha start to heal. Tsunade feared that this attack could cause him to relapse or worst. Though she loathed the idea of having to put down on her best and most brilliant ANBU captains it would be only option if Uchiha went on a rampage.

A tired sigh escaped Tsunade’s lips as she reached for the report from the Investigation Unit as she rose from her chair. It had been twenty hours since Uchiha had been brought in, more than enough time for the methylenedioxymethamphetamine to have worked its way out of his system. She now had to work on repairing his left ventricle and his eyes.

She wanted to curse and spit at the dumb bitch for giving him that foul mix. Psychedelics could do some nasty things to those with a kekki-genki and worst to genjustu practitioners. The psychiatric ward of the military prison held a several genjustu masters that dabbled in illicit substances or were just victims of Orochimaru’s experiments. They were trapped in their illusions and eventually their minds just broke leaving them forever lost in whatever reality they mindscapes created.

This would require a precision and steady hand of gifted surgeon, everything that she was before age and the alcohol decided to play catch up with her body. On her way to secured fourth floor where Uchiha and Naruto still slept, Tsunade stopped by the nurses’ station to have them page her apprentice. Sakura had been off the day before and Tsunade did not think it was necessary to have her come in until Uchiha was stabilized enough to withstand the double surgeries.

While she waited for the head nurse to end her telephone call with another doctor, Tsunade opened the file and began to scan the documents.

It was as if the ground had dropped from beneath her feet.

Her hands shook slightly as she forced herself to re-read the first paragraph. There was no outside evidence that what was in her hands had made her blood run cold with horror at this betrayal. But Yamanaka Inoki would never lie about a crime as serious as this. Uchiha was a member of the Council, ANBU Captain, and soon to be sworn in as Chief of the Police Force, a crime done on a person of his political standing would have the public crying out for blood.

Tsunade was so certain that Sakura had out-grown her childhood infatuation with the Uchiha. In the six years since his return he had not shown the slightest romantic attachments towards anyone. She thought Sasuke had let go of her obsession.

He lived with Naruto! What had Sakura been thinking?

Sasuke had rejected her once before. You little fool; do you even know what you’ve done?

He was in love with Naruto. I can’t protect you from this.

Oh, Naruto, this will devastate him. Through your constant rejection of him, Naruto still cared for you.

Sakura assaulted another Shinobi of Konohakagure with malice of forethought and malicious intent. You betrayed your oath, to your friends, your teachers, and me.

The Council will demand the death penalty. Sakura, I cannot save you.

Sakura became a traitor the moment she put this strange plan into action. It was because of Orochimaru that I gave Uchiha my vow.

She would not raise a hand to save her apprentice.

The Godaime Hokage hid her pain well. Calmly, Tsunade requested that Dr. Mou prep for surgery in Operating Room One. Sakura was pushed to the back of her mind until after the surgery.

III

It had been two days since she and Sasuke were together. Two days and she was yet to see her love and she was worried.

She had gone to his home a few times only to find the place empty. She knew Naruto had returned because his knapsack was on chair in the main room, but when she asked around town, no one had seen either him or Sasuke.

She chose to give it another day before she went to the Hokage, but feeling that something was amiss constantly gnawed on her nerves that she rushed to her master’s office to demand that her lover be found.

When she arrived at the tower, she found the Hokage draped carelessly over one of her the sofas in the room staring out at Hokage Mountain. A pot of tea sat on the low square table between the sofas and an untouched cup of tea rested near the pot. Concerned by this strange mood that seemed to fill the air, she softly called out the other woman’s name.

“Sit down, Sakura.” Tsunade ordered. Absently she reached out for her tea before taking a slip. It was hot and very bitter, just what she needed to brace herself for this moment.

Inoki had left not too long ago with the warrant for Sakura’s arrest bearing her signature and seals. Signing that form was one of the hardest things she had done as Hokage, letting Inoki walk out of her office without saying a word a testament to her office.

Tsunade sipped her tea.

“Why are you here, Sakura?” Tsunade eyes never left the view beyond her window.

Perched delicately on the edge of the opposite sofa in a pretty blue sundress with little red and white flowers, Sakura looked as fresh and as lovely as any young woman in the prime of her beauty. Her odd coloured hair was pulled back a messy ponytail with a few loose strains framing her delicate oval face. She was a classic exotic beauty with her green eyes and rose-blonde hair. Men of all walks of life fell over themselves when in her presence, eager peacocks showing their best feathers, ready to give her anything her heart desired. Sadly there was only man that Sakura wanted, only one she ever deemed worthy of having her delicate little hand: Uchiha Sasuke.

She had set her cap for him and nothing had turned her away from him obviously.

As of yet, Tsunade did not know what fueled this sudden, desperate attack on Uchiha, other than desperation. Sakura was now twenty-six, unmarried with no prospects since she refused anyone who wasn’t Uchiha. All of her female friends were married and starting or have started their own families, Tsunade did not know. That was Ibiki’s job to find out.

Sipping her tea, a memory of a young Sakura teased her mind. Sakura had dreamed of being a spring bride. Tsunade had agreed that the season would best suit her as virginal bride. Tsunade’s hand trembled slightly as realized that this would be Sakura’s last spring.

This beautiful girl’s days were numbered. Right now Inoki and the forensic unit were at Sakura’s apartment collecting physical evidence that would be presented at her civilian court trial. If she were smart, Sakura would have gotten rid of any evidence of her crime. Without evidence all the prosecution would have were the words of the Major Yamanaka and the rape kit. Uchiha’s memory of that night was hazy at best a good defense attorney would be able to discredit Uchiha, twisting the story around until Sakura was the victim. It was so easily accomplished it only took the right motivation…

Tsunade turned to face her apprentice, Sakura looked close to tears. Tsunade could see the worry etched on the girl’s brow.

With the ANBU closing in the girl, Tsunade closed her eyes and indulged in the nostalgia of yesterday. “You look troubled, Sakura.” Tsunade said softly. “Come and tell me what has upset you.”

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It took five ANBU to bring Sakura down.

She screamed and cried, crying out for her master, begging her to stop them. Please to make them stop. She had done nothing wrong!

The blue sundress was torn in a several places. Her hair was in disarray and she had lost her one of her flats in her desperate fight against the cloaked warriors. She reached out, crying for her master to end this.

“Take her away,” cool and detached the Hokage turned away from the scene, returning to her sofa to face her predecessors.

She had done what her own teacher could not until it was far too late to stop the monster Orochimaru had become.

She would make an example of Sakura, the same as she had down with Danzo and his cohorts. She would flex her will once more and show that none was above the law, not even the student of the Hokage.

The Shinobi Tribunal would meet in five days hence. Sakura will be declared guilty of assault against a commanding officer and rape of a fellow shinobi. The later charge carried an automatic death sentence. Sakura will not be allowed to appeal, she will be executed immediately, most likely within two months, Tsunade would not allow it to last longer than that. She could grant Sakura that much.

Tsunade sat alone in her chamber, the tea had long gone cold, and night had settled over her village. If she was fatalist, she would believe that it was her destiny to lose those closest to her and loved. Her gaze drifted over to the young Kage who died too soon and far too young. Had Danzo not been so corrupt, had not Sarutobi been more calculating, maybe, just maybe the world would have been much different place and these three young lives…

“Hokage-sama, Captain Uchiha is awake.”


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