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A/N: I dedicate this story to HitsugayaFanGirl (formerly UchihaFanGirl). She randomly came up with this story line on the phone one time and I decided it was excellent fanfiction material. Hope you guys enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto…if I did…the manga wouldn't be so depressing right now.

Babysitter

Sasuke was having a good day for once. After he had come back from Orochimaru, he spent a long time regaining the trust of Konoha. Years, in fact. Things moved slowly then, but he finally earned the title of Anbu two years ago and things got much better much faster. He was on good enough speaking terms with most of the ninja and Naruto and Sakura accepted him back like family. Well, a very violent and dysfunctional family. Anyway, he was appointed squad captain last month and had just gotten back from a mission. It had gone perfectly.

He opened his apartment door and walked inside, locking the door. He looked at the clock. They'd gotten back early; the clock read an hour before noon. He walked into the kitchen and grabbed a tomato. Taking a bite into it he began to grab different foods to make his lunch. And yes, Sasuke is able to cook, contrary to Sakura and Naruto's beliefs. He had everything laid out, ready to be cooked, when he finished the tomato. He then went to take a shower. Once he was done, hair still dripping, Sasuke went back into the kitchen and began to cook. When the food was in the pot he sat down on his couch and opened a book.

This was Sasuke's routine when he came back from missions. He was perfectly content. Nothing could ruin this moment. He was just getting comfortable when someone starting knocking on his door. Sasuke frowned. Who would be coming to visit him? He got up and opened the door. No one was there. Sasuke frowned. He hated pranksters. It reminded him of Naruto during their academy years. He was about to close the door when something tugged on his pants gently. Sasuke looked down.

A little girl stood at his feet. Actually, she was more like a toddler. Sasuke guessed she was about three to four years old. The only thing she had on was a massively oversized shirt that she wore almost like a dress. Normally he would have told the kid to go home, but something about this child made him stop.

She had pink hair and green eyes.

Sasuke stared. The little girl smiled nervously. Finally Sasuke opened his mouth. "Who are you?"

The little girl's smile turned into a frown. "Oh come on. Is that really the first thing you are going to ask me?" she asked dubiously.

Sasuke's jaw dropped. He had never been so confused in his life. The girl stared at him, waiting for a response. When she didn't get one she sighed and walked inside without even asking.

"Fine," she said. "It's me, Sasuke. It's Sakura." She had turned and had a hand on her hip, staring at him expectantly.

Sasuke continued to stare at the child and closed the door without looking. He closed the gap between them in about two steps and knelt down. "Sakura? Haruno?"

The girl's eyes narrowed. "How many Sakura's do you know?" she asked sarcastically.

This was not how normal toddlers spoke. It was definitely Sakura.

"But…" he paused and stood up straight, his own eyes narrowing. "What happened?" he asked.

Sakura sighed and looked off to the side. "I was practicing a new jutsu. I must have done something wrong though, because I appear to have lost 16 years off my life."

Sasuke smirked. "Obviously."

Sakura's cheeks burned bright red. "Oh shut up Mr. know-it-all!"

Sasuke laughed. "Whatever. What are you wearing, anyway?"

Sakura looked at him like he was retarded. "Do you think I have baby clothes in my apartment? Really?"

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Why did you come to me with this problem? I don't know how to fix it."

"Because, Sasuke, you are the closest to my apartment. And besides, I don't trust Naruto that much. I need you to go and get me some kids' clothes and then take me to Tsunade. Or you could just carry me to Tsunade and skip the shopping trip if you're so busy."

Sasuke stared at her for a few moments before turning and walking into the kitchen. He heard Sakura run after him.

"Where are you going?" she called angrily.

Sasuke watched her run in, inhibited by the oversized shirt. He snickered.

"Do you think this is funny?" she growled. Sasuke tried not to laugh and took the pot off the stove, emptying the water.

"Sakura, calm down," he said while he grabbed two bowls. He put them on the table and picked her up under the armpits, careful to hold her far away from his body. He placed her in a chair at the table. Her chin was level with the table.

"Now look, I just made some lunch. I'd like to eat before I go anywhere. You can have some too. Just calm down," he said, still trying not to laugh. Sakura glared at him. She knew he was enjoying this immensely. He walked back to the pot, poured some soup into both bowls, and sat down. He handed her a spoon and began to eat. Sakura stared at the food for several seconds and watched him take his first bite. He swallowed and watched her watch him.

"What? It's not poison. I can cook, Sakura."

"Uhuh," she responded. She spooned some of the soup into her mouth and swallowed. "…Wow, Sasuke. This is really good."

Sasuke rolled his eyes again and continued to eat. When they were done, he took the bowls and put them in the sink. He then walked away and came back a moment later with a blanket.

"What is that for?" Sakura asked.

"This," Sasuke said, "is so that people don't wonder why I am carrying around a half naked little girl. I just earned my name back Sakura, and you won't be the one to ruin it."

Sakura giggled and took the blanket, folding around herself. It smelled like Sasuke. She blushed and looked away. Sasuke didn't even notice. He picked her up and walked out the door.

Tsunade stared at them in disbelief. "You WHAT?" she yelled when Sakura explained the situation. "Kami, Sakura, I just don't have the time for this right now…"

Sakura stomped her little foot angrily and narrowed her eyes. Sasuke almost laughed, and then looked away quickly. Sakura noticed and was about to yell at him when Tsunade sighed. "Sakura, I…just…ugh. Why don't you stay with Sasuke for the rest of the day and come back tomorrow? I am so busy right now and just can't deal with this at the present." Sakura narrowed her eyes even more.

"Tsunade-sama…"

"Sakura Haruno. I am very busy. This is just one night. You can think about what you did and try to figure something out, and then come back tomorrow when I can actually help. Accept the responsibility of your actions and come back later."

She stopped and looked down at her papers, making it clear that she was done with them. Sakura turned to leave. "Oh, and by the way," Tsunade added, "why don't you get some clothes?"

Sakura gritted her teeth and stormed past Sasuke. She reached the door and tried to grasp the handle. She was too short. Sakura huffed and looked at Sasuke for help. He once again had to stop himself from laughing. Sasuke turned the handle and Sakura stomped out the door.

"Sakura!" he called as she marched away. "Sakura, come back!" He stopped following her. What was the point? She would come back eventually. He leaned against the wall and waited. Sure enough, a few minutes later Sakura came back, huffing in anger.

"Why are you still here?" she growled.

"Because," Sasuke countered, "I'm your babysitter. You come with me. Not the other way around."

Sakura looked like she was about to explode. "Just because I'm little doesn't mean my mind has regressed! Stop talking to me like I'm a little kid!" she yelled.

Sasuke smirked. "Then stop having a temper tantrum."

That did it. Sakura ran forward and punched him in the thigh, seeing as that was as high as she could reach. Sasuke flinched, knowing her strength. After a few seconds he looked down. Yes, she had definitely hit him…but it barely hurt. A few seconds later Sasuke burst into laughter. Sakura looked up, confused. Had her strength gone? Her little body couldn't handle it. She was completely defenseless.

"Shit," she muttered.

Sasuke regained his composure, although there were many people staring at him. Sasuke still didn't laugh very often, unless maybe it was at someone else. He knelt down to Sakura's height and picked her up. "I guess we should get you some clothes," he commented. Sakura nodded. All of the anger was gone. She was in utter shock.

Sakura sighed again and walked back to the middle of the store where the boys clothes split from the girls. The childrens clothing was in the back of the store. Sasuke had refused to go into the girls section with Sakura. She spotted him and crossed her arms indignantly.

"Sasuke! I need your help. It's not so bad so just come here," she said. Sasuke looked at her and then looked away indifferently.

"No. Why do you need my help? It's not like you've never shopped for clothing before," he responded. Sakura growled.

"Because, Sasuke, I can't reach things! Now come here," she said dangerously. Sasuke looked at her again and decided that if he did this it would at least speed up the torture.

"Fine. Let's get this over with."

Sakura smiled in triumph. She led him into the section she had been looking at previously. "I just need a shirt, pants, and some underwear. That will get me through tonight and tomorrow morning." She glanced at Sasuke. He was blushing. Sakura closed her eyes and sighed. She gestured at the clothing on racks that she couldn't reach. "Just grab this shirt. It looks comfortable enough." Sasuke followed her instructions. They moved a few feet over to the shorts. She pointed at a comfy pair and Sasuke grabbed those too. She started towards the underwear. When she turned around, Sasuke was still standing by the shorts.

"Sasuke!" she hissed. He smiled.

"You don't need me for that. You can reach the shelf, right?"

Sakura rolled her eyes. She could in fact reach the shelf, and she grabbed a pair. She walked back to Sasuke and put it in his hand, smiling. "You need to buy it, Sasuke-kun."

He narrowed his eyes. She smiled sweetly at him and walked towards the register, leaving him standing there. He followed her silently.

"Oh don't worry. I'll pay you back later," she said. The cashier behind the register looked at her and then Sasuke with a very confused look on his face. Sasuke noticed and smiled.

"It's nothing. They want to grow up so fast, right?" he said casually. The cashier smiled in understanding and nodded. When Sasuke walked out, Sakura was glaring at him.

"Very funny," she said. Sasuke shrugged in mocking agreement. He began to walk towards his apartment.

"Wait," Sakura called. Sasuke turned around. Sakura raised her hand. "Give me the bag. I want to change now so I can take off this stupid blanket."

Sasuke raised his eyebrows. "Where?" Sakura gestured to a bookstore next door.

"They have a bathroom, I'm sure," she said. Sasuke sighed and nodded, handing her the bag. Sakura took it and hurried into the bookstore. A few minutes later, she emerged again wearing her new clothes and holding the blanket.

"Everything fits, then?" Sasuke said.

"What if I said no?" Sakura questioned. Sasuke turned around and began walking. Sakura laughed and ran after him. "I was just kidding," she said.

"I know."

They were both silent for another minute or so. "Hey Sasuke, maybe we should drop by my apartment. I want to look at the scroll with the jutsu instructions I used," Sakura suggested.

"Sure," Sasuke said.

Sasuke sat down and yawned. It was starting to get a little bit late and he was still tired from his mission earlier that day. He glanced at the clock, which read fifteen minutes past eight o'clock. They had just finished eating dinner. He stretched and leaned back into a comfortable position as Sakura sprawled on the floor looking at the scroll they got from her apartment. A few minutes later Sasuke realized that the only light in the room was the lamp. He wondered if Sakura could read the scroll well.

"Sakura, do you want me to turn on the lights?"

No response.

"Sakura?"

Still no response.

Sasuke got up and looked at the girl. She was asleep. Why would she be so tired already, Sasuke thought. Then he realized. If the only thing that was the same was her memories, then she would get tired earlier like any other young child. Sasuke smiled faintly. He scooped her into his arms as gently as possible and put her in his guest bed. He placed the scroll on the bedside table and tucked her in. Finally, Sasuke turned out the lights and closed the door. He stayed up for another few hours before going to bed.

Suddenly someone was shaking him and Sasuke sat up groggily. His attention focused on the annoying person who'd woken him up in the middle of the night. He squinted, waiting for his eyes to adjust to the darkness. Then he realized it was Sakura.

"Sakura," he rasped. "What is it?"

She swallowed nervously. She was on the side of the bed on her knees, seeing as she wouldn't be able to reach him very well from the floor with her height disadvantage. "Well, um…Sasuke…"

Sasuke sighed in impatience. "What? What is it?"

Sakura looked down in embarrassment. "Well, I had a scary dream, and I was wondering if I could, um… canIspendthenightwithyou?"

Sasuke blinked in confusion. "What?"

Sakura was obviously flustered. "Can I spend the night with you," she repeated slowly. No one said anything.

"Um, why?" he asked.

Sakura glared. "I just told you! I had a bad dream."

Sasuke realized that his mouth was open, and closed it quickly, trying to gather his thoughts. He looked at the clock. 2Am. Sasuke looked back at Sakura. "You had a nightmare…and now you want to sleep here," he said.

Now Sakura looked angry. "Yes. Jeez, you are slow."

Sasuke laughed. "Sakura, it's 2 in the morning." She didn't respond. He sighed. "Yes, you can stay." Sasuke scooted over to make room for her. Sakura smiled and crawled under the covers.

"Thanks," she whispered.

"Hn." He rolled over, facing the other direction. Sakura smiled and fell asleep. Several hours later, Sasuke woke up once again.

"Oh SHIT!" Sakura yelled. Sasuke opened his eyes groggily in response to her yelling. He was facing the wall, so he had no idea what she was yelling about. He began to sit up.

"NO! Stay put, Sasuke," she commanded.

"…why? What's wrong?"

"Um…well…just stay there until I tell you that you can move."

Sasuke was dumbstruck. What could possibly be her problem? He felt her leave the bed and heard her hurrying away. And then, "you can move now." A door shut.

Sasuke sat up instantly and looked around. She had gone into his bathroom.

"Sakura, what the hell is going on?" he asked.

"Get a pair of your shorts and a shirt," she responded, ignoring him.

"…Sakura…"

"Please?" she added. Sasuke sighed and went to his closet, thinking about why she would want those things. And then suddenly it made sense. Sasuke stopped walking. She had changed back. He flushed. She wanted some of his clothes because hers weren't big enough and must have ripped. And she was in my bed like that, he thought. He flushed even more. Sasuke took a deep breath and continued to his closet, hoping to find something that might come close to fitting her at all. Finally he found some of his older clothing that he thought might fit her better and went back to the bathroom.

"The jutsu reverted, didn't it?" he asked. He could practically see her blush.

"Yes. Did you get some clothes?" she asked.

"Yeah. I'll just…leave…" He put the clothes on the floor by the door and left the room. Sasuke paced his living room, thinking about what Sakura could have done to mess up a jutsu this badly. A few minutes later, Sakura emerged from his room in his clothes. She was definitely back to normal. Sasuke almost forgot how pretty she was. Wait…what? When did he ever think that? She blushed.

"Um…thanks."

He looked away. "Hn."

Awkward silence ensued.

They both started to speak at the same time. "You go first," Sakura said quickly.

"I was just going to say that I guess we should go see Tsunade," he said.

"Yeah," she muttered. She tugged her pants up a little. The shirt was pretty loose too. Sasuke hadn't really expected the clothes to fit. "Yeah, that's a good idea," she continued.

"Okay, well I guess we ought to—"

"Yeah, right."

They left Sasuke's apartment, both thinking that this was the most awkward experience ever.

Tsunade wouldn't stop laughing. The only thing that held Sakura's anger back was the realization that this was her fault for messing up the jutsu. When Tsunade finally caught her breath, she asked for the scroll Sakura found the jutsu in. Meanwhile, Sasuke stood outside the Hokage's office. He heard muffled voices and then more laughter that Sasuke identified as belonging to Tsunade. He folded his arms and continued to wait. Finally Sakura came out of the office. Sasuke looked at her expectantly.
"Well?"

Sakura looked embarrassed. "Don't worry about it." She started to leave. Sasuke frowned. He wasn't going to accept that.

"Sakura!" He hurried after her. "I just took care of you for a whole day. I think I deserve to know what happened."

Sakura stared at him for a few seconds. "It's nothing big…I just…" she blushed, "I read the scroll wrong and messed up one of the hand-signs. Okay? Tsunade-sensei said I was lucky it only lasted 24 hours, because she wasn't sure she knew how to reverse something like that." She turned and continued to leave. Sasuke didn't move. He was trying not to laugh.

"Oh, and Sasuke?" he heard her call. Sasuke turned to acknowledge her. She smiled. "I wondered if you wanted to get lunch with me." Sasuke thought about it for a moment and then nodded, following her. "And by the way," she continued, her face breaking out into a grin, "after yesterday, I think you could be a good father."

Sasuke paled. "W-what?!"

Sakura laughed.

A/N: So how was that? I thought it was kinda cute. Haha. I hope the ending wasn't too abrupt.

So here you go: Happy New Year! And please review!!