'Something like that exists?!'
Hearing Orochimaru's potion had such a miraculous effect, the most excited person in the room wasn't Sasuke or Itachi, who were about to receive the injections, but Sakura.
Ino didn't care.
She'd started developing recently and could feel her changing curves, so she didn't worry about this issue.
Sakura was different.
She felt like a boy, her curves showed zero signs of changing!
It would've been fine if she was the only one stuck, but the crucial point was that Ino kept growing.
Moreover, there was a colossal presence like Tsunade tits constantly swaying in front of her, reminding her of this depressing fact.
"D-does it really work?" Sakura asked, her eyes shining with anticipation.
Though she tried her best to restrain her emotions, everyone present saw right through her.
Seeing Sakura's expression, Sasuke despaired!
Orochimaru clearly said this helped men who wanted to become women by making their boobs larger.
Why are you so excited?
Sure enough, his suspicions were confirmed.
Sakura was actually a man too!
Otherwise, as a biological woman who would naturally grow up, why would she crave this synthetic transition hormone so much?
Look at Ino and Tsunade next to her—they were calm and unbothered!
Case closed
Sasuke was in despair!
"I don't need this. My heart is at peace." Sasuke firmly rejected Orochimaru's potion.
"Hmm, indeed."
"It seems after the Uchiha clan experiences the stimulation of awakening the Mangekyō Sharingan, their minds also mature quite a bit."
Orochimaru glanced at the heart rate monitor he'd just hooked Sasuke up to, his heart rate was indeed stable.
Orochimaru figured that because Sasuke had awakened his Mangekyo, he'd seen his fair share of bizarre horrors, and his psychological endurance had grown stronger.
"Well then, let's prepare and begin."
Orochimaru handed the medicine to Tayuya behind him and took out a standard medical anesthetic.
"Hey, tomboy, you might as well beg Lord Orochimaru to approve a few doses of this for you and shoot one up every day," Jirobo sneered.
"Fuck off, you damn fatass! Want to die?! You're the one who doesn't need this—even without taking it, your tits are bigger than that pink-haired bitch!"
Tayuya and Jirobo bickered as they grabbed their surgical supplies and headed out into the hallway.
Sakura: "..."
'Damn it! Why do I catch strays when they argue?!'
Sakura was devastated.
...
The surgery was fast, wrapping up before the afternoon was over.
However, after the eye transplant, they still needed time to recuperate in the dark.
After all, it wasn't the era of "hot-swapping" eyes just yet.
Since they were elite ninjas, losing their sight didn't render them helpless.
Once the anesthesia wore off, the brothers didn't need constant supervision.
After Tsunade had essential medical supplies delivered to the safehouse, she returned to Konoha.
Sakura and Ino followed suit.
As a founding member of Team Seven, it would've made perfect sense for Sakura to stay behind to care for Sasuke, or even return to Konoha to fetch Naruto so they could both watch over him.
But Sakura's mind was in a tangled mess, she'd lost her composure and had no thoughts in that regard.
She even forgot to notify Naruto.
In hindsight, keeping Naruto in the dark was the right move.
Tsunade forgot to instruct Sakura and Ino to keep Sasuke and Itachi's situation classified for the time being.
Ino had no reason to tell anyone, nor anyone specific to tell.
Sakura, on the other hand, was the most likely to blab, she could've easily told Kakashi or Naruto.
By the time Tsunade remembered, Sakura was already gone.
...
Mr. and Mrs. Haruno, their faces etched with worry, brought a letter she'd left behind straight to the Hokage's Office.
Sakura's parents were ordinary civilians, and during her rebellious phase, Sakura frequently argued with them.
She harbored a secret ungrateful desire: she wished she were free of their nagging control.
She'd even told Naruto to his face, "I'd be better off without parents like these" and "I wish I had stronger parents."
Now, in her emotionally vulnerable state, Sakura clashed with them again.
Her parents were mundane: her mother was fierce, her father was meek.
Yet Sakura herself became a disciple of the legendary Sannin.
Then there were her teammates: Naruto from the Uzumaki Clan who's also a Jinchūriki, and Sasuke, an Uchiha wielding the Mangekyo Sharingan.
This led Sakura to a wild delusion: 'I must have some incredible, hidden bloodline too! How else could ordinary civilian parents produce such a powerful ninja like me?'
In a world dictated by genetic lotteries and clan politics, fantasizing about possessing a powerful bloodline was a natural coping mechanism.
Sakura resolved to go to the Sound Village, hoping to obtain the potion while investigating her true origins.
In her letter, Sakura didn't mention desertion.
She simply stated she wanted to follow Sasuke's example and study abroad in the Hidden Rain Village, promising to return soon.
"Don't worry, you two," Tsunade reassured the anxious Haruno couple, rubbing her temples.
"Sakura's just... well, going through a typical adolescent phase. With her current strength, she'll be safe as long as she doesn't act rashly."
Comforted by the Hokage's words, the couple returned home.
"Sigh... When I saw Orochimaru pull out that syringe the other day, I knew something like this might happen." Tsunade rested her chin on her hand, looking exhausted.
"What is it?" Shizune asked curiously.
Ever since they secured Kakashi as their administrative errand boy, Shizune's workload had lightened considerably.
Moreover, since Obito fed Kakashi those Hashirama cells, the side effects of his Sharingan vanished, and his stamina surged.
If only Naruto were the Hokage and personally handling all the paperwork with his Shadow Clones, the entire administration could take a vacation!
"A potion that makes a woman's... uh, anyone's 'chest area' larger," Tsunade grimaced.
Orochimaru claimed the primary effect was inner peace, with the physical changes as a mere side effect.
But she'd always suspected the opposite was true.
"?"
"...Lady Tsunade, I still think it's too dangerous for Sakura to run off without a word. I need to go after her!" Shizune dropped her clipboard, slammed her hands on the desk, and stood up with burning determination.
"Shizune, you..."
"Please don't say another word, Lady Tsunade! You haven't even tested that experimental potion yourself, and Sakura hasn't trained under you long enough to master its medicinal properties! If she acts impulsively and messes up the dosage, I need to be there to save her!"
Shizune thumped her own flat chest with a resounding thump, pushed back her chair, and strode purposefully toward the door.
Before Tsunade could stop her, she muttered, "That Sakura! She's so selfish, hoarding such a treasure for herself!" and slipped away into the hallway.
"..."
Dark lines appeared on Tsunade's forehead.
She reached out to stop her assistant, but it was too late!