As a former Japanese Gen Zer, Sakura knew the depths of social isolation.
One of the reasons she got along so well with Naruto was that she understood his pain— that empty loneliness, that feeling of being utterly alone in the world. However, thanks to her friends in the Konoha Twelve and the various parental figures who had taught her to become the best kunoichi she could be, Sakura had forged many precious bonds.
The Zero-Tails' ability to draw out one's deepest, darkest emotions may have shaken something loose in Sakura's head, putting her in a vulnerable state of mind and lowering the emotional threshold to evolve her eyes, but it had been Tsunade's betrayal that had truly awakened Sakura's Mangekyō Sharingan in the end, and it was Tsunade's one-sided shattering of Sakura's bonds that had finally pushed her over the edge.
For those with Uchiha blood, great love could easily turn into boundless hatred… and that was the truth behind the Mangekyō Sharingan. Whether it was love or hate, though it was usually the latter, emotions pushed to their limits force the brain to secrete a special type of chakra that evolves an Uchiha clan member's eyes.
"I see," Sasuke said in a low voice, eyes lifted to the sky. "It's because the depth of my emotions is insufficient. My hatred for that man… does not run deep enough…"
It was a depressing thought. Sasuke had dedicated his entire life to hating on one man, and it still paled in comparison to the hatred he required to awaken the same kind of eyes he had. That she had.
"It's more of a spur of the moment thing, I think," Sakura said quickly, sensing that the topic was veering into dangerous territory. "You were too young to realise what happened back then; I'm sure that if it were now, you would skip straight from two-tomoe to Mangekyō in one bound!"
Obito: 'Hey, that's what happened to me!'
Sakura's heart fluttered as Sasuke stared unwaveringly into her eyes.
"Show me."
After a brief moment of hesitation, Sakura nodded. She closed her eyes, her long lashes fluttering, and when she opened them, they had turned scarlet. The three tomoe that would normally be found in a mature pair of Sharingan had melded together, coalescing into a five-petaled flower pattern.
"Like cherry blossoms," Sasuke murmured. "They're… beautiful."
Sakura had an inkling that if she ever obtained the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan by taking Nanashi's eyes, since they could basically be considered twin sisters through their shared chakra, her simple sakura pattern would change into yaezakura, or double-layer blossoms.
"One of the pupil powers I awakened is called Kotoamatsukami; perfect hypnosis," Sakura explained. "It takes about two months to recharge, but this ability allows me to utterly change one single person. I can manipulate their movements, their senses… even their thoughts, without them ever realising it."
"…what are you saying?" said Sasuke cautiously.
"I'm saying I could bring Itachi back to the village," Sakura blurted out. "I could take away your pain too, and you could be brothers again. You would never have to know the truth of what really occurred… I could make it as though the Uchiha Massacre had never happened…"
Hidden nearby, Obito's eyes widened in shock. Make it as though the Uchiha Massacre had never happened? Overwriting truth with fiction… just like he was planning with the Infinite Tsukuyomi? This girl was just like him, for real, for real!
"Unless that jutsu can bring back my family, then I'm not interested," Sasuke growled. "…and if I ever find out you used that jutsu against me… I'll kill you."
Sakura shrank back in fear.
Even though she was now vastly stronger than Sasuke, having mastered Sage Mode, his unmatched intensity when enraged was still capable of terrifying her. For a brief moment, she wondered if this body's former owner wasn't a sadist, and if the suspension bridge effect hadn't played some part in the original Sakura's obsessive love for an abusive person such as Sasuke. It was incredibly unhealthy, but… somehow undeniably hot, too.
Dancing with death was all part of the thrill of trying to get into Sasuke's trousers, really.
"Wowowowow, this drama is burning too hot for me!" a silly voice shattered the shocked silence that had followed Sasuke's threat. "Someone needs to put out this fire!"
A masked figure wearing Akatsuki robes stepped into the pool of light cast by the lamppost above.
"Madara!"
"Eep!"
Sasuke jumped to his feet and whirled towards the source of the voice, while Sakura, trying to do both at once, got her feet tangled in the swing's chains and toppled forwards onto her massive chest, trapping her head between her breasts. Her fevered mind rightly recognised that she was in mortal peril, and she performed the Body Revival Jutsu, hyper-accelerating her metabolism and instantly flushing the alcohol from her system.
"Okay, all sober, now!" said Sakura, flipping to her feet.
'You could have done that all this time?' Sasuke inwardly lampooned. 'Why make me hang about then, you stupid girl!?'
Inwardly, Sakura was screaming at herself for revealing one of her trump cards in her drunken stupor. She'd been planning to use the Kotoamatsukami on Obito at some point, but now, he definitely wouldn't fall for it!
"Ooh, are those choku-tomoe? Very nice!" said Obito in his silly Tobi voice, pointing at Sakura. "Straight radial pattern instead of the traditional curved spiral, that's a sign of greatness!"
The real Madara had taught Obito about the supposed variations between Mangekyō Sharingan and their power rankings, but personally, he didn't put much stock into such things. To him, his eye ability was the strongest, and his eyeball wasn't choku-tomoe.
"It's been a while, Madara," Sasuke said coldly. "Here to finally tell us what you want?"
Obito ignored him, turning to Sakura instead.
"I listened to your interpretation of Uchiha lore, and I must say, I was veeeery impressed with your understanding," he said in a lilting voice. "Veeeery accurate, but I'd like to hear more about the part you veeeery conveniently glossed over. You said it was the Hokage shattering your bonds that pushed you over the edge, turning love to hatred, but to awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan, one must hold overwhelming hatred. So… have you truly forgiven your Hokage's betrayal?"
If there was one thing Sakura loved more than anything, it was breasts.
"If love can turn into greater hatred, then why can't hatred turn back into even greater love?" Sakura said defiantly. "I love this village, and I love Lady Tsunade ('s boobs). I would never do anything to hurt either the village or Lady Tsunade ('s boobs), so I've decided to live and let live!"
Obito's visible eye grew cold.
"Is that so?" he said, his voice deepening. "If that is indeed the case, you might do well to keep an open mind about what I'm about to say."
Sasuke's eyes narrowed dangerously.
"Very soon, your Hokage will summon your Team Seven to her office, and she will tell you that the Hidden Leaf's spies have uncovered Uchiha Itachi's location, thanks to the sacrifice of a great many men," Obito declared. "She will order you to travel to Itachi's hiding place and kill him, and you will do so without question, for Itachi is the greatest traitor the Hidden Leaf ever gave birth to…"
Obito's voice trailed off, letting the silence speak for him.
"So what if you've got spies in the village?" Sasuke said coldly. "Why should we care?"
"I'm not done yet, young Uchiha," Obito said chillingly. "Kisame, Itachi's partner in the Akatsuki, will allow only you and Sakura to pass him, while he engages your sensei and your little friend Naruto in a duel. You two will then face Itachi, but he will focus most of his attention on you, his little brother… but at the last moment, just when you think the battle is won, he will abruptly shift his focus and strike down Miss Sakura before your eyes, giving you the perfect opening you need to end his life at last."
"…"
Sakura said nothing.
"That's a nice story," said Sasuke, his voice ice cold. "But what do you actually want?"
Obito grinned behind his mask.
"If things truly come to pass as I have just described them," he said, "I should like you both, should Miss Sakura survive, to hear what I have to say then."
And just like that, Obito stepped back into the darkness and vanished.