DISCLAIMER: I do not own 'Naruto'. All rights belong to Masashi Kishimoto. I only own my OC's, if any appear, and this fanfic. Thank you.

Fall For You

Piercing sirens shattered the air, their shrill banshee-like wails washing over the land with ominous presence. Sirens were never a good sign, and especially not in a setting like this.

The prosperous village of Hokage was under siege. A notorious group of rogues known as Sound, with their own base, had finally attacked after all the bad blood built up between both sides over the years. It had all started back when the current ruler of the land had still been in their youth...when things were simpler. Not perfect, just a little easier to handle, until they'd been ripped right out from underneath like a figurative rug.

Even worse, unlike what everyone was expecting, Sound were actually prepared and well-armed. Hokage had been knocked for a loop.

Rushing footsteps filled the streets, as guards, enemies and innocent bystanders alike crossed paths among the chaos and panic. The lower ranked soldiers were doing their best to keep the situation under control, with the guidance of their formidable captains.

Still, there was some fear and anger. "We're under attack, and it's not easy holding them back!" One of said lower ranking Jounin was fighting with a Sound grunt, while attempting to keep an eye on the mother and her two children a couple yards away from him. He really wished they could run faster. "Then-then after this, what?"

His comrade was paying no mind to the passerby-he'd had to duck to the side, narrowly avoiding having his throat stabbed clean through. He wasn't quite as composed here, breathing erratic and momentary aggression darkening his gaze, after sending a final powerful strike into the abdomen of his opponent.

As the figure dropped before him, the second fighter finally took note of the little family across the way. One of the children had fallen to the ground, and was now refusing to get up. Letting out an exasperated sigh, he charged forwards, to scoop up the protesting child and herd the other two people away with it. His reply to his partner was sharp and heated.

"Man the exits! Get some soldiers on those fires! Someone call the prison! And shut off that goddamn alarm! Stupidest waste of 5,000 I've ever heard of!" In times like these, all anger seemed justified, even if it were directed towards something inanimate.

Deep in the heart of the village, further fierce battles were being waged upon the ground outside of the ruler's main headquarters. Their leader was also referred to as the Hokage-it seemed that the first person to assume the title had been the same one who'd founded the town to begin with. Was he that vain? Or just lousy at thinking of titles? The world would never know.

Among the madness, a lone figure marched through, effortlessly taking down anyone who dared challenge her as an enemy. She had one goal, one target. It was just a matter of getting her information.

"Hey! You with the bandana!" Storming up to a lone lower subordinate was none other than Mitarashi Anko, the fierce purple haired captain of ANBU Team B. They were the elite of the elite as far as defense went here, and she was one of the ones who ran the show, under her Leader's orders. Shaking the male in her grasp violently, she continued her forceful prying.

"The Hokage! Where's the Hokage!" Her sharp brown eyes were flashing like blades. "Well? Tell me! You must have heard something, seen something! You're right here!"

He sputtered out a reply. "A-aah! She-she and the-Toad Sannin-they're at the-the laboratories!" It was all she needed to hear. Dropping the dizzy figure, she was already headed toward the building behind him as he scrambled away back into the warfare. Battles had nothing on a pissed off Anko.

Letting out an angry sigh, the woman began running. "Figures...they just can't make my job any easier, can they? Shit." She could only hope to God that the enemy forces hadn't reached them yet.

…...

"Damn it! How do you lock this thing?"

Higher up among the winding floors of the Hokage's main base was a small room, down a hallway with a simple nameplate tacked up beside the door. This was the office for one scientist, who was currently trying to seal off the door, 'trying' being the operative word here. Holed up with her were none other than the Hokage, and her husband.

The former was not a patient woman. She was angrily pounding against the keypad in the wall, smashing at the buttons with her fingers. It was starting to beep more rapidly, and the room's owner knew she had to do something, and fast.

"La-Hokage-sama, the door will not lock without the code!" Shizune, the head of the research and Science department, rushed over and placed a hand on her employer's arm. "I have it and can punch it in, but will you please settle down?"

"Settle down? Shove off! Just do it already!" Obviously, she didn't like being told to cool it, as she shrugged the woman off roughly. Still, she headed over to the corner where her perv of a husband, Jiraiya, currently sat-even if it was with a huff. Sitting down beside him, she crossed her arms, a loose strand of blonde hair falling into her eyes. He chuckled, while she glared.

"And just what is so funny? You ass-it's your kingdom too!"

Another chuckle. How could he be so calm? "Ah, but I know the secrets to relaxation! And besides Tsunade," he said as he tucked the stray lock of pale gold behind her ear, "don't you have any faith in your armies? Your ANBU teams?"

"Frankly, no. Not when we're caught off guard like this." She scowled. He sighed. "Whatever." Pulling out a small orange book from inside his robes, he leaned back against the metal wall and began to read. She groaned in exasperation at the sight. "You and your porno novels! Tell me again why I married you?"

He grinned. "Because-I have a big-"

She grabbed his collar. Her eyes were narrowed dangerously. "That last word had better be 'brain'." Jiraiya shrugged in response, confident grin replaced with sheepish smile. "Well, that too." Tsunade let him go roughly.

"Oi! Shizune!" The younger woman turned her head. "Are you sure that the 'special' section will be safe?"

The scientist gave her a firm nod, faith in her dark eyes. "Yes, Hokage-sama. No one should be able to reach her." Tsunade breathed out in a deep sigh, as Jiraiya wrapped an arm around her comfortingly. "There, there. She'll be okay. They won't get that far." To help soothe her, he began rubbing her shoulder.

"I hope so." Her eyes were foggy with a new fear and despair. "I…I don't want to lose another one."

…...

Far away in the distance, a floor or so above where the trio were holed up, came the sounds of an explosion. The heavy smoke gradually dissipated, revealing a gaping, sizzling hole of an entryway. With that revelation, a lone figure carefully slipped inside, avoiding the corners and debris as they made their way across the floor. A sound of distaste escaped their lips, voice soon revealing them to be female.

"Jeez…for all the fuckin' money they wasted on that noisy alarm, you'd think that some of it would've gone to their doors and security, ne? Bastards don't know how to prioritize. I didn't even have to hack in a code-they still don't have anything that can stand up to one of these puppies." A young woman with fiery red-violet locks and an intense gold gaze stood at the entrance to a darkened room. Vials, tubes, shelves and the like lined the expanse. Lots of folders and cabinets, wires, technology. Technical stuff, that required you to be holed up in a room like this all day. She took a few steps inside and made a face.

"Yeech. A total nerd's paradise. Kabuto would love it here." She picked up a scrap of paper off of one of the desks, and after a few moments of reading threw it back down in disgust. "Math-I fucking hate math." It wasn't so much that she wasn't good at it; she could calculate pretty well in her head, and was even capable of playing 'logical' games, if she so chose.

But it was too damn boring to stick to that path. Destruction was really more her color anyway. She 'planned' to cause as much of it as she could. That was her plan.

"Huh?" As she took another step away from the desk, a strange sound caught the female's attention. Cautiously, she turned to the left. Curtains hung from a circular rod attached to the ceiling. A faint glowing was emanating from underneath their rounded edges, though it was a rather narrow space. These curtains were long.

It seemed rather odd to have curtains in the middle of a room though, when they really belonged over a window. And why round? She marched over, and yanked them open, determined to get some answers.

"Whoa…what…the hell?" Well. This hadn't been what she was expecting. Not at all.

A large clear tube was extending up from the ground. The top and bottom were encased in metal, and many wires, of different colors, were running to and from the bizarre container. Checking around to see where they led, she eventually found a set of computers at a desk not more than a yard away. One was filled with all sorts of symbols and numbers, while the other flashed the same message across its screen: 'Sleep Mode Engaged for Project I , N0 6.' Apparently this was referring to the being behind the glass…

"Fucking trippy, man." The foul-mouthed female returned her focus to the tube, stepping closer. She placed a hand against its surface. It was pleasantly warm.

Inside was a young girl, suspended in strange blue liquid. So that's obviously where the majority of the light beneath was coming from, that substance. What the hell was it, anyway?

But enough about that. Her eyes took in every detail of the figure before her, floating in that world of bubbly, electric blue. Thick, blond hair was pulled into a high ponytail, and swirled around her heart shaped face. Even with the unusual glow being cast upon her features, she was still quite attractive, long legs pulled up against her chest, arms wrapped around her limbs. Her long eyelashes grazed her high cheekbones, and her pale skin was flawless. The observer cocked her head, obviously appreciative of what she was seeing, but unable to address it properly.

"Wow…that's one hot bitch." Finally, her thoughts on the matter after a few more moments of stunned silence. Crude mannerisms and dialect seemed par for the course with this one.

"Wonder why they've got her all bottled up, though…" She focused on the many cords extending from the gigantic cylinder, winding back to those two thick computers. "Maybe she's some kinda experiment?" That was definitely a possibility, though what sort of experiment a figure like that could be necessary for was beyond her. She looked more like she should've been selling something, or starring on a stage somewhere.

She tapped her knuckles against the glass. No response. "Maybe she's some kinda secret weapon or something?" No, that definitely didn't make sense. How was a pretty face supposed to help win a battle? Seduce the shit out of everyone involved? Sexy, but not useful for her to bring back. Not unless she wanted to lose her head to her boss, who wouldn't tolerate such a stupid gesture of offering.

She furrowed her brow, tapping once more. Still nothing. By now, the girl's interest had worn thin.

"Ah, well." She made her way back to the entrance. "Doesn't really seem like there's anything Leader would like in here-'specially not a piece o' twat." She chuckled at the last thought on the matter, her memory of how she'd first discovered that Orochimaru was more inclined towards the 'masculine side of life', as someone so tactfully put it.

Though, rumor did circulate...that he may've loved a woman, at some point in his life. However, no one was stupid enough to dare speak it aloud. Not in front of him, anyway. His highest ranked warriors knew a few more details about him than the rest of them. That's all. But her boss really wasn't one for sharing. She just happened to have a good ear when others spoke between themselves two by two; no one else was meant to hear. But she wasn't just anybody...

"Okay. Time to blow this place up sky-high." Reaching around to her belt, she pulled off a small red ball with a tag. Blowing a last kiss towards the still bubbling vial and sleeping girl, she threw the bomb and prepared to hightail it out of there.

"Sayonara."

…...

Directly above her, as she stood upon the stairs, Anko felt the building shake. Something had gone off, and hard. "Jeez! What now?" Had someone just blown up a whole wing?! Her head lifted as the idea entered her thoughts. She was on the third floor, in the medical section. She still had at least ten or more levels to travel before she reached the Science section. That explosion…

With a few little cracks and crackles, a few pieces of plaster fell into her hair and hit the floor. Her gaze was harsh. Was NOT a good sign. She began running as fast as possible, covering nine more floors in record time...somehow. She had to catch her breath for a couple of moments before stepping into the next hallway on the 13th floor. So far she hadn't sensed hide nor hair of the Hokage. She hoped that was a good thing.

When she stepped outside however, she came face-to-face with…

"Tayuya!" The name passed her lips sharply. Her eyes were wide, vengeful and pained as she focused on the flame-haired female before her. The sight had definitely caught her off-guard, if only for that moment. The briefest moment of memories.

The young woman in question grinned, even as she felt every nerve in her body tightening. That voice. A voice she hadn't heard in what felt like an eternity. She had just come back from her 'adventure' down a floor in the labs, but this certainly wasn't who she'd been expecting to come greeting her here. Keeping up her cocky persona, Tayuya started chuckling. "Heh heh. Well, well, well. Look what the cat dragged in. If it ain't Anko-bitch. The Sound traitor."

Anko gritted her teeth. "The one and only. Where's the Hokage?"

Tayuya shrugged, ignoring the sting of hearing such devotion in the woman's voice. "Hell if I know. I just came here to see if that witch was keeping anything good. But there's absolutely nothing that Orochimaru-sama would give two shits about. So, I'm gonna torch the place." She fingered her belt of explosives longingly.

"Like hell you are!" It had happened in an instant, instinct overruling emotion. A kunai knife flew from Anko's fingers, and Tayuya had to dodge quickly to her right in order to avoid losing an eye. It just barely grazed her head. A brief pang in her chest, then retaliation.

"Hey! That's dirty pool! Give me a chance to prepare, you ugly shit!" Tayuya's eyes were blazing with more than just fury, as she pulled out another bomb. It was too late to stop now; Anko responded with another kunai. This time, it sliced the other female's arm. The purple-haired woman's stare was harsh, even as inside, she screamed not to do it. To just let her go. Let go of the girl, and her past.

But she couldn't, neither one. Her words were like ice. "Not on your life."

Tayuya's tolerance level snapped then-not for fighting, but the energy. She wanted to go destroy more stuff, she just...couldn't do it with this woman around. And she didn't feel like fighting with her now, in this moment. That was a battle for another time. She wasn't running away, she just wanted to savor her throw-down with Anko when she was prepared for it. This time, it had been more of a surprise.

She hadn't been looking for Anko; Anko found her. Like before.

That's it. I'm done here. I can't do this right now. "Fuck you! I don't have time to deal with this anyway! I got bigger fish to fry!" A perfect excuse to mask the pain. Grabbing another bomb from around her waist, Tayuya threw it hard towards the ground. This time though, it was a smoke bomb. Anko coughed, as her raucous laughter faded away.

"Later, you fucking reject!" When the smoke cleared, Tayuya was gone. The ANBU captain cursed, slamming her fist into the wall. Seeing that face again...it was almost too much. After so long...

"AAAHHH!" The sudden scream startled her out of her rage and self-pity. Anko recognized that voice at once. "Tsunade-sama." This time, she bounded down the stairs-the sound was coming from below her. All thoughts of revenge-or resolution-were gone from her mind. Her duty to the Hokage was once again her top priority.

Whatever that entailed.

…...

Slam. Slam. Slam. Slam. One after another, the powerful strikes tore through the remaining walls. A voice roared right through with them, anguished and livid.

"No! No! NO! No fucking way! Why?"

Tsunade was completely unhinged, smashing her fists through what was left of the blown out 'special' laboratory sector. The place was a disaster zone. It would take some time to repair.

But more importantly...the cylinder that had held the sleeping female was gone.

Shizune knew she had to say something, even as volatile as her employer was in this moment. She couldn't just ignore her suffering. Taking a deep breath and a step forwards, she started to speak. "Hokage-sama"- she began. However, she was abruptly cut off as the woman turned on her.

"YOU! You said she'd be safe! What the hell, huh? She's gone now! There's nothing left! Nothing!" In a few swift strides, Tsunade stood before her. Swinging her arm back, she prepared to send her fist flying into the brunette's face. Shizune braced herself for the impact.

However, the punch did not connect, at least not with its intended target. Jiraiya had quickly stepped in, blocking the blow with his hand. Tsunade glowered at him-how dare he deny her her fury! Still, no matter her rage, he wasn't about to let her turn their head scientist into meat pulp.

"Tsunade, knock it off. Yes, you're angry, you're hurt. So am I. But Shizune is not the one to blame." The woman in question bowed deeply, a panicked babble of apology and reasons flooding forth past her lips. "I-I'm sorry, Hokage-sama-they blew the door off of the frame with some kind of custom explosive! I wasn't prepared for that"-

"Shizune." The older male's tone silenced her instantly. She hung her head, even as she straightened her posture. She didn't get any say in the discussion here, not unless they acknowledged her. Satisfied that things were a bit quieter now, Jiraiya returned his attention to his distraught wife. "Tsunade. Look at me." It took some coaxing, but the blonde finally raised her golden-brown eyes to meet his own darker ones.

"She's not dead. She's just missing. We can't be certain of anything until we find her…or her body." He gulped at this last comment, as his gaze landed upon the muted scientist. Even if he was strong, that didn't mean he was looking to set off and deal with a provoked Tsunade one more time. It was time to pick things up. "You said that the 'Eject' mechanism had been activated?"

"Y-yes." Shizune shook her head frantically. "It was supposed to send her to the designated base, but the instructions panel became scrambled in the explosion. So…"

"So where is she?" Tsunade muttered. Her head was drooped once more. Jiraiya patted her shoulder, looking at the scientist with calm, inquiring hope.

"Well…she could be anywhere." The blonde groaned, swinging her head back as she clenched a fist tightly at her side. Shizune figured this was her cue to hurry up. She wasn't about to expect Jiraiya to save her hide a second time.

"B-But don't worry! She has a tracker!" The woman's head shot up sharply as soon as she heard this. "A tracker?"

Shizune nodded, relieved that her response seemed to have worked, so far. "Yes…once she lands, we should be able to trace her and pinpoint her location. Whether or not she's alive…well, that's a whole other matter." Shizune inhaled, bracing herself just in case the Slug Sannin decided to pop her one, because why not. This was all she had to offer in terms of information and support-it was all a matter of whether or not she'd be conscious enough to carry any of this out for her employer.

"Alright. I'll organize a group to monitor the tracking system. The mainframe for that wasn't destroyed, right?" The calm response was startling, but welcomed. Tsunade lifted her head as she spoke, familiar determination evident in her eyes.

Shizune nodded once more. "No, it's fine. I have the main controls for that. Give me a couple of days, and I can get it set up and rearranged on a larger scale." Tsunade merely returned the gesture. As she did so, Jiraiya released his hold upon her. Now he was doing his best to bring up her mood again with his lighter words. "That's the spirit! You'll see-everything'll turn out fine. She'll be home before you know it."

"Yeah. Just fine and friggin' dandy." Tsunade wiped her brow. "Jeez-I hope the ANBU can drive Sound out of here soon. I really need a drink." She lifted her head, eyes now glistening with unshed tears. For all her yelling, she hadn't cried at all. Her face was damp only because of sweat.

"'Sigh' Wherever you may be…I hope you're safe…Alice."

…...

"Augh! For the last time, Tori-NO!"

It was noon on a Wednesday, in the town of Konoha, located on a little planet known as Earth. Far away from any intergalactic mayhem as one could be, for the most part. The majority of the populace was just too unaware to notice when they were actually being involved or visited.

But enough about that. Down a side street in a somewhat dingy neighborhood, two lone figures were clearly visible against the tar road. One was a pink haired female, a striking face indeed. She was desperately trying to shrug off the advances of the second, a dark haired male who didn't seem to understand the meaning of the word 'no', however you put it to him. And she had tried many various languages.

"Aww, come on Saku, why not?" He brushed a long strand of black hair away from his face, and attempted what seemed to be puppy dog eyes. In his case, it made him look like he was going to be sick. The female groaned.

After all of her running, she'd finally reached an apartment complex. Her room was just up two flights of stairs…salvation awaited behind that wooden door.

She just had to get away from this obsessed fool first.

"Tori, I already told you not to call me that! And I'm not looking for a relationship right now, either!" Her boots hit the foot of the stairs, and she began flying up, two at a time. Unfortunately for her, Tori continued to follow, armed with pick up attempts like there was no tomorrow.

"Ah, that's what they all say! Trust me-I'll treat you right! We can go out for lunch, or dinner-hey, you like movies? There's a Vampire flick out right now!" And they sucked too, in more ways than one.

She had reached the top of the second floor, and started making her way up to the third. She knew it'd only be worse if she didn't reply, which was the lone reason she hadn't just tried to ignore him completely. He was more annoying when she was silent, if that was even possible. "Sorry, not a Vamp lover. And I don't like people watching me stuff food into my mouth."

Tori wasn't deterred. "Well, we could go hang out at the mall! Maybe browse around? I bet they've got some nice bling in the jewelry shops!" It never ended. The pinkette wanted to tear her hair out. Now he was starting to sound like a desperate teen! She quickened her pace, as fast as it would go, and pounded her way up to the top. Her door was just five rooms away!

"No, I'm not a mallrat. Sorry to burst your bubble. And I don't wear 'bling', or any jewelry for that matter." Seriously, who had coined that stupid term anyway? Three doors down...

"You don't have to be a mallrat to enjoy it! Come on Saku, just give me a chance! But if you really don't like the mall, maybe we could go clubbing?" At this moment, all the young woman wanted to do was club this idiot over the head for not taking a hint. But violence wasn't the answer-besides, if she ended up in jail, she probably wouldn't be able to pay the fines.

After what seemed like an eternity, she had finally reached the familiar doorway to her tiny abode. Who cared how big it was? All she was focused on was getting rid of this pest known as Kasuga Tori.

Come on, come on! Keys! She was frantically searching through her purse, while Tori continued hovering far too close for comfort, trying to elicit a reaction from her. Oh, he would get a reaction, all right…a fist in his face. A few more moments of incessant babbling, and rabid rummaging, until...

Gotcha! Her fingers had finally clasped around the tiny metal ring and its lone occupant, the only things that kept her from freedom and peace. She shoved the key into the lock and began turning it, the male never ceasing his endless pestering.

"Please, Saku! At least give me your number? So I can call you sometime?"

'CLICK' The door swung inward. The female quickly slipped through the space before it had even fully opened. She tried to close it right away, but Tori had used his foot as a doorstop. Now, he was trying to squeeze his head past. He looked both ridiculous and disquieting, with what she could see of his expression here.

From his mouth came one last-ditch attempt to worm his way in. "Come on, Saku! I love you!"

That sharp, painful tug in her chest. Right where her heart lay. The old images that flickered into her head, like dusty photographs that she never wanted to unearth. It was too much. "I love you". Eight letters, three words. One dull ache that never went away...once you'd gotten the taste of exposure.

"No you don't!" The words that passed her lips came out much harsher than she expected. She pressed her shoulder against the wooden barrier with a new force. "And if you don't move now, I'm going to crush you, and it's your own fault if anything gets severed!" Yes, it was an impossible threat. But she needed something to drive him off! And in this moment, she didn't care much about logic when she was trying to get rid of pains.

All of them.

Strangely enough, it worked. The male paused for but a second, and that was all it took. Shoving him with her force against the door, he stumbled backwards. With a hard slam, the furious clicking of locks could be heard even through the thick wood. The occupant inside now breathed a sigh of relief.

There was silence for a few moments. Then…

"Alright, so I'll see you tomorrow, Saku-chan! Don't forget my offer!" She could hear his footsteps echoing as he skipped-yes, skipped-away along the open hallway and down the stairs. Again, that short stretch of silence. Then...

"GOD! Can he be any thicker?" Nineteen year old Haruno Sakura stood in her living room, running a hand through her short, bright pink locks. Kicking off her boots, she threw her purse aside carelessly. It landed on a plain blue recliner.

Heading into her crowded kitchen, she opened a fridge tucked away in a corner. Magnets and notes were spattered all across its surface. After pulling out a can of iced tea, she stepped back out into the 'living room', and settled down in her lone other chair. It was grey and made of plastic. Picking up a remote control from the low table in front of her, she flicked on a small TV set across the way.

She'd already had to deal with two tests that day-one in Biology, the other in Human Resources. They'd both been painful and, although she'd studied into the wee hours of the morning, she couldn't help feeling like she had completely bombed. Lack of sleep tended to increase feelings of paranoia. She should know that by now-she was, after all, traversing the medical field. She planned to become a nurse. That was very important to her.

And she didn't need to deal with a thickheaded lump that couldn't get it through his head that she just didn't wish to start a relationship with him-or anyone else-of any kind. Relationships led to ruin and mistakes. Isn't that what life had taught her?

Maybe that's why her mother's had always been so shallow...

The screen flickered to life with a click and a couple seconds of static. When the picture steadied, Sakura made a face. "Bleagh. I hate soap operas." With good reason. More memories. She changed the channel in annoyance, only to run into another one. And then another. And then some paid programming.

"AARGH! Forget this!" Shutting the tiny TV off, she stood up and wandered down the short hall, into her small room. It was a mess, with clothes scattered all over the floor, along with various books and papers. A couple of coffee mugs, with a few traces of unfinished liquid inside, rested upon her equally cluttered desk. Their contents had gone cold a long time ago.

Stepping over the piles and pieces, Sakura placed her unfinished can on the nightstand, and collapsed onto her bed. The frame creaked-it was second hand, and very worn-as she buried her face in the pillows and thick comforter.

"I didn't get any shut-eye last night…may as well make up for it now." It wasn't like she had any more classes that day, or a work shift at the bookstore. She could afford a rest. No; she needed one. With that line of thinking, it didn't take her very long to relax. Slowly her eyelids drooped, casting a shadow over her vibrant green gaze, turning it to a shade of deep forest.

Within minutes, she was asleep.

…...

"Man, I can't wait to sink my teeth into that burger~!"

It was around 5:00 pm, and Sakura was locking the door to her apartment. She'd woken up a few minutes earlier, with a grumbling stomach. After looking through her fridge and cupboards, finding nothing suitable, she'd decided to head out to one of the nearby food joints and pick up a meal. Yeah, it wasn't the healthiest choice, but who cared? She deserved a treat. And besides, she had the money; she could afford to indulge a little.

Reaching the bottom of the first flight of stone stairs, she now made her way down the second set, to the ground level. She could almost taste the juicy meat and melting cheese…

Suddenly, a sound, in the distance above her. "Uh?" She looked up. What was that? A plane? No, the sky was empty. Clear too. So it couldn't be thunder. She chose to ignore it, and continued on her way. Another block, and all was silent, aside from the general sounds of the world.

As she passed the neighborhood park however, she heard the sound yet again, and looked up once more to the cloudless sky. This time, though…

"What the…what the heck is that?" A small object of some kind seemed to be making its way down from the heavens. Sakura squinted. Was it an aircraft? No, it was too thin. A kite, perhaps? Or a bird?

"It's getting closer…" The more space the strange object traveled, the larger it got, and the more detailed it became.

Sakura gaped, as the image started to register fully in her sight. "Wha…holy crap-it looks like a person!" Now she was unintentionally transfixed, as the being continued its decent. This certainly didn't happen every day! Closer and closer the shape came to Earth, growing ever larger in her vision, as it plummeted towards her lone figure…

Wait-closer to her? Yes-it was headed directly towards her! And she was too stunned to move.

Oh, what now?

The last thing she'd seen before being struck with the full force of a falling body, was a glimpse of pure ivory and flowing gold.

…...

"...Owww…"

Blinking, Sakura slowly felt the world come back into focus. She was on her back in the dirt, and she was having trouble breathing. Plus, there was a girl on her chest, and her head was aching, along with her stomach. So much pain-had she broken anything? And-

Whoa. Hold on there. Back up a minute!

Her green eyes widened, as she realized exactly what she'd just said-there was a girl lying on top of her! It took all of her self control to keep from screaming.

Somehow, someway, a female had fallen from the sky, landing upon her. Upon her, of all people! And neither of them were dead from the impact-well, at least Sakura wasn't. She felt the pain in her spine, ribs, and head, so that was as sure a sign as any that she was still alive. Whether or not she could move was another story altogether.

The second figure, however…

Tentatively, Sakura reached up a hand, and poked a finger into the curled girl's shoulder. It was soft and smooth. Her skin was like porcelain. She blushed, as the stranger shifted slightly. Her long golden locks fell over her bare flesh, and her hands, clenched into tiny fists, began to subconsciously clutch at the pinkette's shirt, beneath her coat.

Wait…bare flesh…

And that was when Sakura realized that the girl wasn't wearing any clothes.

A/N: Alright, so. If you're reading this, then you may've noticed that this Fanfic has been 'Revamped', as it says on the label. That means, this chapter has been edited some from its original posting, back in the day. As it is, this A/N is completely different, as well. It only makes sense to change it this time around.

All you really need to know here is that A.) This is something of an 'extreme AU', before I learned how to properly rein in my writing when involving fanfic, B.) it is a Shojo-Ai/Yuri, and C.) the pairing is InoSaku, with some other ships thrown in on the side. That's about it, since this fic is mainly intended to be humorous/cute/adventurous. No real warnings I can think of here, other than a possible Lemon [sex scene] in a future Chapter [that I as yet have not typed out]. Depends on whether or not it still fits in the storyline I want to have going here this time around.

If any of this is not to your liking, then feel free to turn away. I won't be mad if you don't read-I want people to read what they enjoy, not what makes them upset. But I figure that fandom's playground is big enough for everyone to play in w/out stepping on toes, right? ^^-

And yes: ALL of the chapters, from 1-17 [last update] are being edited and updated. Hopefully, these edits will make the story more fluid and entertaining. Any and all feedback is welcomed, appreciated and encouraged. It's been nearly seven years since this fic was first published. How does this new version stand up to the original? I wouldn't mind hearing from you all on that end. If you'd like to stop by and say something. No pressure. :3

Next time: Sakura brought home a stray! A really sexy stray...now the question is, will she-and can she-keep her? And what sort of hijinks are in store for her here, whatever her decision may be?

You'll just have to read on and see...