7-1-2015. *Author shyly peeks out from behind a corner* Heeeyyyyyy. Sooooooo, how's it been? Sorry I've been away for so long, but I told you I would never completely abandon my story! In the years (again, I apologize) since my last update I completed college, graduated, and survived my first year as a middle school science teacher. I've been busy and have not had any inspiration so this chapter has been slow going. I wrote the first little section the other year, then I did some more this winter, and then wrote the bulk of it last night for hours on end because I was determined to finally update! If you are a new reader, welcome. If you are a returning reader, thank you so much for sticking with me, it means a lot. I hope this chapter was worth at least worth a tiny bit of the wait.

The heavy embrace of sleep slowly lifted its hold on Sakura as she began to wake up. With eyes still closed, she took notice of all the sensations pervading the world around her. She felt happy, but at the moment was unsure of the reason for the emotion; all she knew was that she was warm and comfortable in a soft bed. As she considered her surroundings she became aware of the presence of someone beside her and the weight of an arm draped across her body. Now fully awake, she opened her eyes to find herself lying on her back next to the sleeping form of Sasuke. He was to her right, lying on his stomach with his face turned toward her and his right arm across her middle. In the instant she saw his face she remembered what had transpired the night before and smiled to herself as she replayed their conversation and ensuing actions.

Sakura could not believe they had been able to finally broach the subject of her captivity and make up their minds about what to do. She'd been positive he wanted her out of his life as quickly as he could manage, so she had been nervous to tell Sasuke she wanted to stay with him. Rejection after baring her emotions would have made her feel like the naïve twelve year old girl she had been and had worked so hard to leave behind. But, to her immense surprise, she had been proven wrong when he admitted to wanting the same. They had delighted in their decision together and now she was lying closer to him than she ever thought she would.

Beside her, Sasuke shifted in his sleep and Sakura immediately became alert to the fact that they were both naked, prompting her to glance around for wherever her clothes had gone. It wasn't that she felt embarrassed, but she did feel slightly vulnerable. Even though knew she was safe with Sasuke, the feeling of being so bare was disconcerting and she wondered whether or not she would be able to get out of bed and put on clothes without waking him. When she made an attempt to slide out from under the covers she felt Sasuke's arm tighten around her waist, involuntarily drawing her closer. Looking over to him she saw one dark eye drowsily open before slowly closing again.

In the scarce light Sakura studied as much of his face as she could, reveling in the chance to look at him without bashfulness or the pressure of eye contact. His fine features were unlike any she had seen before; the line of his nose, the set of his mouth, the shape of his chin. In a word he was beautiful, although she would never tell him that to his face; men never seemed to appreciate that adjective used to describe them, but at the moment that is exactly what he was. Turning onto her side so that she was facing him, she reached out a hand and gently ran her fingers through his soft black hair, feeling the places where it stood out in familiar spikes. So much about him was familiar; his face, his hair, his scent, the way he moved, the way he spoke, and the way his eyes often unintentionally gave away his feelings. If she could see them now she knew the dark eyes that so often shone with annoyance and hatred for the world would be calmer and more at ease.

Sakura was accustomed to his looks of displeasure; she had seen them frequently as a genin on Team 7 and periodically was even the focus of his glare. It was because she was so in-tuned to these particular looks that she noticed his eyes had become much softer when talking to and looking at her. She knew his eyes still held animosity for others, but for now, when he was with her, they showed some tenderness. She had to look closely to find the emotion hidden behind his almost permanent mask of indifference, but it was there.

Smiling softly to herself Sakura thought about the many new opportunities she had for continuing to learn and observe Sasuke now that she was going to stay with him. It was strange to think about how so much had changed with the mutual decision they had made last night. A day ago Sakura would have woken up wondering about how few days she might have left of being beside Sasuke, but now there was no need. For the foreseeable future she would be here, with him. The thought warmed her heart, but also made it shiver for she knew what the trade-off of staying would be. Would she be able to reconcile leaving her village?

On the verge of awakening, Sasuke shifted his position so that he was lying on his side, still facing her. Sakura pushed all doubts from her mind as she looked at him; he was what she had wanted all this time, there could be no other choice than this for her. Sakura watched as, with a sigh, Sasuke slowly opened his eyes that were not quite devoid of the bleariness of slumber. They held eye contact for a moment before Sasuke quietly groaned "What time is it?"

Though she couldn't see the clock from her position Sakura answered "I think it's a little later than you usually get up, I'm not sure."

She pushed herself up slightly so that she could verify the time, and in doing so felt the bed sheet slide off her chest, leaving her torso bare. Automatically she pulled the sheet back up and stuttered "S-sorry."

Sasuke looked at her with a slightly amused look on his face before saying "There's no need to apologize, I certainly didn't mind."

Blushing, Sakura realized that trying to be modest in the darkness like she had just done really did not serve a purpose; Sasuke had already seen her completely naked, with the lights on no less.

"Oh. I just reacted without thinking," Sakura offered as an explanation as she lied back down. The two of them were quiet for a minute more, neither knowing what to say nor feeling as if words were needed.

"I should leave now," Sasuke said, although he made no motions to follow through with his statement.

"Yes, you probably should," agreed Sakura. They glanced at each other before looking away, hiding the amused expressions on their faces. Neither one saying out loud what they were both thinking; that they did not want the moment to end just yet.

With a reluctant exhale Sasuke rolled over and sat up so that he was on the edge of the bed. Rubbing his face with his hands he stood, letting the rest of the bed sheet fall off his body, not even bothering to consider the fact he wasn't wearing anything. Sasuke was at ease with his body and being naked in his own room in front of the person with whom he had recently slept was not a cause of concern.

Blushing, Sakura tried not to stare at the man before her. She wanted to avert her eyes out of decency, but told herself she was being ridiculous. What would be the point in the almost completely dark room?

Sasuke could feel her eyes on him and he smirked while taking clothes from his dresser and gathering his training gear. He didn't mind her gaze, and he knew if the tables were turned and she was the one walking around he would be looking too. About ready to leave he paused a few feet from the door before turning around and walking toward Sakura. He leaned over the girl sitting upright in his bed and said "I'll see you later," before kissing her firmly on the lips. Pulling himself away he headed back to the door, opened it, and disappeared into the hallway.

Sakura put her fingers to her lips and smiled, all while mentally chiding herself for feeling so happy and foolish. She knew she was better than this, where had all of her resolve from a few days ago gone? In the future she would have to work harder to not be so enamored with him. In the future… she thought. Those words and the possibilities they held were enormous, especially after their decision last night.

Getting out of bed Sakura stretched her arms above her head, enjoying the sensation in her body as she thought about others her body had felt not too long ago. She spotted her discarded clothes mixed amongst Sasuke's on the floor and bent to pick them up. Folding hers neatly she placed them on the bed for later and then put Sasuke's in the dresser before heading into the bathroom to shower.

-0-0-

On his way down the hall to the training room Sasuke thought about the night he had and the morning he had awoken to. If that was how life was going to be for a while, he could get used to it. But in order for that to become his new reality, he needed to broach the subject of Sakura with Orochimaru.

It had been easy last night to simply push the details of this next step to the back of his mind, but now that he was facing it head on it was an almost insurmountable obstacle. Sasuke knew he needed to suggest Sakura's presence in a way that would make Orochimaru see her as an asset to his plans, or else the idea of keeping her around would be dismissed immediately. The trick to that, however, was guessing the right words to convince the snake sannin.

Sasuke reached his training site and dropped his bag to the floor before warming up with a quick jog around the room. He wanted to train outside in the fresh air where he could clear his head, but knew they were too close to inhabited areas where repeated bursts of flame jutsu and chidori might not go unnoticed. Besides, he had no idea who could be out there. Would Konoha still be looking for Sakura? Probably, the Konoha nin were not ones to abandon their comrades. Would they be around this area? Probably not; since, to his knowledge, there weren't any traces to lead trackers to this place, but he could never be too careful or too sure.

He knew that a search for Sakura would eventually be called off after a certain amount of time with no results, but she would then be added to a "missing nin" list somewhere and Konoha ninja would always keep an eye out for any traces of her. Similar to the way he knew he was on a "rogue ninja" list and was always being sought out. If she stayed here, would she ever be able to go outside? He was certain Orochimaru would not trust her enough to ever let her be on her own outside of the hidden compound walls, but she would have to be allowed to travel with them from hideout to hideout. Maybe he could negotiate some sort of deal that enabled her to see more than the darkness of the underground tunnels, and after time he was sure she would be given more freedoms after she proved her intentions were to stay.

But who could say how she would feel in a few months, would she still want to be here? Could she resist the temptation of running back to Konoha if she found a way? He knew that if it ever came down to it, he'd be able to let her go back to her life in the village if that was what she wanted. Although Orochimaru never would, especially not with everything she would have seen by then.

If she did stay, what would she do every day? As he was currently learning from the snake sannin, Sasuke was busy with training and missions and spent most of his time occupied with some sort of task or another. Orochimaru would want Sakura to contribute to his plans in some way and would not let her idly spend her days with Sasuke, and in order to convince the snake to let her stay Sasuke would have to propose a use for her time.

He knew Sakura would not divulge secrets or carry out missions that furthered Orochimaru's visions, nor would she want to work as a cleaning or cooking servant as that was below her abilities and they already had plenty of servants in the hideout. Sakura was skilled in chakra control and medical ninjutsu, which could be of assistance to the work Orochimaru and Kabuto did, but he doubted Sakura would want to give her knowledge and time to them. Her decision to stay was about her feelings for Sasuke, not about a desire to be an assistant to whatever shifty work went on in Orochimaru's research labs. Sasuke knew little about what Orochimaru was working toward, but from what he pieced together he was sure Sakura would not agree with it.

Orochimaru, for that matter, probably wouldn't trust her around his labs either as he might suspect her to be a spy. He needed to find a balance between the contribution of work Orochimaru would expect and the work Sakura would be willing to do. Maybe Sakura could do book research on specific aspects of chakra control or medicine? That would suit her skill set while also keeping her separated from the overall theme of the work. Yes, that might just do it. If Sasuke proposed Sakura's addition to the hideout in that manner she could be allowed to stay.

At that thought, Sasuke stopped in his tracks. He hadn't considered what would happen if Orochimaru decided against Sakura's presence. There would be no way he'd let her go free. Would she be imprisoned? Tortured? Killed? No, Sasuke wouldn't think about that right now. Focusing on the best way to proposition Sakura's continued living arrangements was what he needed to do, not create more unnecessary problems. If she was not allowed to stay, he would find a way to keep her safe. It was his only option. However, he knew if he presented her skills as a benefit to Orochimaru, the snake would not be able to pass up the chance of keeping her around.

With a clearer idea of the next steps to take, Sasuke tried to bring his efforts back to his physical routine and away from his mental workout. All he needed now were the right words for Orochimaru, and he could think about those later. Too much planning at one time might lead to oversights and uncalculated errors, and he could not afford to make any mistakes at this point.

Deciding to come back to this issue later with a fresh mind, Sasuke took a firm stance on the ground and began weaving the necessary hand signs for his most recent jutsu. Training always helped him clear his head, and he was certainly going to need it if he wanted to navigate through this situation.

Kakashi jumped from branch to branch, heading in the direction he knew would take him to the suspected hideout of Orochimaru's. Apprehension about his arrival plagued Kakashi as he thought about all the possibilities that could be awaiting him. Would the hideout be occupied, or would the inhabitants have moved location? If that were that case could he find a way to follow them to their new spot? On average, how many people stayed in the compound at one time? Were they skilled, and if so, to what degree were their abilities? Kakashi closed his eyes briefly and sighed; there were too many variables to account for. This mission was hard enough without the numerous uncertainties that faced him with every advancing step he took.

If Kakashi was correct in his suspicion that Sasuke had taken Sakura and if Kakashi managed to find her in Sasuke's possession, how far would he need to go in order to rescue her? Not knowing the conditions of or the reasoning behind Sakura's possible imprisonment did not enable Kakashi to make a plan in advance. Would he be able to sneak in and grab her? If he ran into people how large of a fight would there be? If Sasuke was the one he came upon, could Kakashi negotiate Sakura's release without resorting to attack?

It wasn't that Kakashi didn't think he could bring himself to face-off against Sasuke, he knew he would have no problem if it came to that, but he did not want the attention a fight would bring. He needed to avoid being noticed by the sannin in charge of the place if he wanted to retreat safely. Running into Sasuke, however, could either possibly turn out to be the best or the worst thing to happen.

Kakashi knew his former student was generally calm and logical, not getting riled up unless pushed to that edge. He was also proud and therefore would not call for others to assist him if a confrontation occurred. If Sakura had already served her purpose or if she wasn't that important in the first place, there might not be a reason for Sasuke to care about whether or not she left. From what Kakashi had heard and from his own knowledge of his student's behavior patterns, Sasuke wasn't absolutely devoted to Orochimaru and at times probably pushed the limits of insubordination. Kakashi might be able to convince Sasuke of a peaceful release if that were the case.

In trying that method he would need to stick to factual rationalization about handing Sakura over, any sort of nostalgic or emotional appeals would only serve to annoy Sasuke and possibly turn him away. A calm discussion was an ideal scenario, however unlikely, as Sasuke could instead be in the mood to fight in order to test his abilities against his former teacher. If it came to that, the silver-haired jounin would spare no time in retaliating with as much force as needed. Even though Kakashi would be glad to see Sasuke's return to Konoha and the ensuing completion of the original Team 7, he was a realist and knew that a happy-ever-after ending was not likely. He would not jeopardize Sakura's safety on the slim chance that battling Sasuke might turn him further against a decision to return to the village one day.

Kakashi ducked under a branch as he continued forward; shaking his head at the energy he was expending thinking about how events might play out for every problem he might encounter. Being prepared was one thing, but overdoing this preparation could end up blinding him to simple solutions when it came time to make decisions. It's best not to get worked up before I know anything for certain. There isn't hard evidence that points to Sakura being in Orochimaru's grasp he told himself; even though he had a feeling he would end up at the snake's hideout before too long.

The sound of a distant noise drew Kakashi's attention back to his surroundings and he paused to listen further, hearing what could be the indications of a town to his left. Pulling out a map with the locations the previous trackers had checked Kakashi calculated his approximate position and looked for any nearby markings that would indicate the area as an inhabitation that had already been searched. Not finding any, Kakashi headed off in that direction for a closer look.

He knew time was of the essence to get to the hideout, but he didn't want to pass up any potential places Sakura could be. Or, at least that was how he justified it to himself. The truth was he dreaded what he could might find at Orochimaru's and he wanted to avoid it for just awhile longer.

As he drew closer to the noises a very small town came into view. It seemed to be nothing more than a place to stop and rest during a long journey, but there were a few houses and stores which meant people lived there permanently. Checking the map again he confirmed that the trackers hadn't found this place already, which wasn't surprising based on its size and distance from the other villages they searched. From where he stood in the trees he could see there wasn't much going on in town, but that it was busy enough for anyone who saw Kakashi to simply assume he was passing through and not give him a second thought.

Jumping down to the ground he summoned the ninja hound from earlier and explained to him their task. They would walk around the streets searching for scent trails while judging the willingness of the community to divulge information about anyone matching Sakura's description. If she was located around here, they'd be able to find her.

The room she was in felt different than it had the day before. Nothing had been moved and there was nothing new in it, but as Sakura looked around she felt as if she was no longer just a visitor in Sasuke's space. Speaking out loud about her desire to stay and learning Sasuke agreed meant Sakura could give herself permission to consider living here with him. She had never let herself go so far in her thinking as to refer to her vicinity as anything but "Sasuke's room," but now that could possibly change.

Sitting on the floor Sakura put her legs out in front of her and leaned forward as far as she could reach. After being inactive for so much time, in the past few days she had started a routine of stretches and exercises she could do in the limited available space. It wasn't near enough to test or increase her abilities, but it at least could reinforce the basics. The thought that she might soon be able to venture out of the room was both exciting and terrifying. Exciting because it would mean she could train once again and learn more about where she was; terrifying because of everything else.

Outside the door lay a multitude of uncertainties and the only thing she knew for sure was that she was in an unfamiliar hideout and that it was inhabited by enemies of Konoha. By staying she gains the companionship of Sasuke, but loses her friends, family, and home. Her heart would always be with her village, but she couldn't truly consider herself a citizen of Konohagakure if she willingly took no action against the people who have tried and will probably try to hurt it again. Just as doors open to her if she stays, others close.

No, don't think about that right now. There are other things to consider. How will Sasuke break the news to Orochimaru? Will I be accepted? What will my role here be? There were plenty of questions to keep her from dwelling on the fact she could very well be turning her back on the village, and she decided to focus on those.

The first obstacle was informing Orochimaru of her presence. Sakura knew it had to be done; there was no way to live a semi-normal life if she was confined to this room for the duration of her stay and the only way to proceed would be with the permission of the snake sannin. Whether or not he would allow her as an addition to the hideout was unknown. She guessed it would depend on the benefits of keeping her around outweighing the difficulties. She was intellectually gifted, deceptively strong, determined, and talented in the ways of medical jutsu.

She was also Tsunade's apprentice, a fact that Orochimaru would not be able to ignore. Would he see that as a way to cause strife to his former teammate and consider it an asset, or would it make him cautious of her intentions? Sakura didn't know enough about the dynamics of that former team to predict Orochimaru's thoughts on the matter.

Even if she was accepted after all that, what would her duties be? She doubted she would be able to do whatever she pleased. There would be a long time of proving herself and gaining the trust of her captors. No, she would never have their trust, so maybe it would be more of her working toward not being under as much scrutiny. And technically they couldn't be called captors if she made the choice to stay of her own volition.

From what she knew about Orochimaru's dealings, he was interested in strange and taboo medical experiments, things with which she would not feel comfortable assisting, so what would she do instead? It wasn't like she was going to have much say in the matter, she would have to do whatever was instructed and that could range from being a servant to doing research to possibly being a test-subject herself. Sakura shuddered at that last thought, but there was no way Sasuke would let that happen. He said he wanted her here, and that probably meant healthy and whole.

Her new life would take some getting used to. At least she would have Sasuke. He was the only reason for her to stay. Maybe, with time, she thought, he might have enough of this place and look for something else, something that could be fulfilled in Konoha. The thought of a possible return was enough to give her the conviction to face her upcoming future. She only needed to get through everything until then.

All earlier doubts left her mind as she heard the key turn in the door and saw Sasuke stride in. Seeing him again convinced her that she could withstand anything as long as she could continue to have him in her life. After years of searching and wondering, here he was. She didn't want to lose that feeling for a second time.

Finishing her last stretch on the floor Sakura stood and moved to sit in the chair while Sasuke put away the few things he'd brought to training that day. He felt like he needed to inform her of the ideas he'd had, but didn't know how to start. Breaking right into the topic seemed abrupt, but he had never been good with small talk as a conversation starter. What was there to talk about other than the problems they faced? He was sure she spent her day thinking about the same issues. Walking over Sasuke leaned on the bed and looked at Sakura who looked up at him in return.

"I thought a lot today about what we have to do next," Sasuke started. "As much as I think we would both like to avoid a discussion with Orochimaru, it is the only way to move forward."

"I agree," said Sakura, matching Sasuke's matter of fact tone. It was hard to reconcile this serious version of Sasuke with the one who had kissed her this morning. Not that she was surprised; he had always been prone to demeanor changes, and affection was probably not something he was used to.

"Knowing what to do is different than knowing how to do it, though. I know I'll have to reveal that I intentionally kept you hidden and then suggest your continued presence as a resource to him. I don't yet know how to do this, though."

After a pause in which Sasuke didn't speak further, Sakura said "If you're asking me, I don't have an answer for you."

"No, I wouldn't expect you to. I was only continuing to think. Besides, you aren't familiar with the way he works and weighs his options. You didn't bring yourself here of your own free-will, I made that choice and it's my responsibility to figure it out. I knew I'd have to deal with it eventually, one way or another."

"Okay."

"I can't say for certain he'll be open to allowing you to stay, but I'm sure we can come up with something. He's crafty; he'll be able to see what you have to offer. He's not one to waste resources, no matter how unexpected or uninvited they are."

Sakura must have had a worried expression on her face because the next thing she heard was Sasuke quickly adding "I'm sure it'll be fine. I won't let anything bad happen."

"Oh, I know that. It's just so hard to try and figure this out. I knew my decision to stay wouldn't make things easy."

"Our decision."

Creasing her eyebrows she gave Sasuke a confused look. What did he mean?

"Our decision," he repeated. "It wasn't just your choice to stay. Don't think I'm only agreeing to this because it's what you asked for. I want it too."

With that Sakura averted her eyes and lightly blushed, fighting the small, shy smile trying to find its way onto her face. He sounded determined, like his mind was made up. It made her feel better since she had worried she was causing the majority of the dilemma.

Sasuke slumped into a sitting position on the edge of the bed. That had come out with more emotion than he had intended. It wasn't that he didn't feel it; just that he hadn't meant it to show. He would probably always have some issues sharing his feelings, and soon he would be sharing more of his life, too, if things went their way.

"I'm glad about that. If we weren't at a consensus, this would be pretty uncomfortable, huh?" said Sakura in a light-hearted tone.

"Hn," Sasuke smirked by way of agreement. She always knew what to stay to ease tensions.

They stared at each other for a minute before looking elsewhere, slightly embarrassed and both feeling like the temperature in the room had just increased. Sleeping together the night before had done much to break down the barriers between them, but it also made regular conversation challenging. They'd been making progress in that area, but now felt like some ground was lost.

"Uh, well, I'm going to shower," Sasuke managed lamely before heading off to the bathroom, mentally berating himself for sounding so ridiculous. The sudden heat that flared in his body while looking at her had thrown him off guard, he needed to get away and clear his head.

Sakura watched him go, not breathing until the door shut behind him. Exhaling loudly she sunk further into the chair. Sometimes being around him was effortless, and other times it was so distracting. The feelings that flooded into her were uncalled for, right? All they'd done was look at each other, and that wasn't an uncommon thing. It's because we reassured each other with the decision to stay. In our situation that might as well be an admittance of desire for each other. Sakura rolled her eyes at herself; she really needed to get a grip if she was going to continue sharing a space with Sasuke.

Getting up she tidied some of the books she'd spread out that day and then got her sleeping clothes. Still feeling a bit flushed from the moment that really had been nothing, she reminded herself, her thoughts drifted to Sasuke. If it had been nothing though, why did he hurry off with that expression on his face? The one where he looked like he was both flustered and annoyed at himself, as well as a tinge confused and possibly embarrassed? Recently that was the look that meant he was thinking about her more than he expected or was prepared for. Sakura glanced at the bathroom door, listening to the water sounds. If she was a betting woman like her mentor, she'd bet the water in the shower was cold.

Laughing softly to herself, she undressed, folding her clothes and laying them over the back of the chair as they came off. Just as she reached for her pajamas she stopped, a thought coming to her, unbidden. Turning crimson she shook the idea out of her head and picked up the sleeping clothes, but paused again as she did. No, that's crazy and uncalled for. Things already feel strange enough without adding that into the mix, she told herself.

However, a little voice in her head continued, this might do the trick. If you go far enough past awkward, don't you end up in a pleasant place? Going against her better judgment she put her pajamas on top of her clothes on the chair. Considering her underwear for a moment, she decided she wasn't quite ready to be that bold and left them on. Sakura climbed into bed, pulling the sheet to just below her shoulders and under her exposed arms which she crossed over her chest.

Face burning and trying not to second guess her decision, she waited. Would he notice? It would be embarrassing if he didn't, even more so if he did and ignored her! I didn't think about that, maybe I should – the rapidly turning wheel in her mind lurched to a halt as she heard the shower turn off. Oh no. It was too late now, she had no way of knowing how much time she had until the door opened and he entered the room. Looks like I get to deal with my poor decision making.

Forcing herself to look anywhere but in the direction of the bathroom, she focused on slowing her breathing and wildly beating heart.

-0-0-

Sasuke stood in the bathroom, dressed and otherwise ready to reenter the room, but not sure if he was prepared. There was no steam hovering in the air as his shower had been colder than he usually took it, so the small space was at a rather comfortable temperature. He wasn't sure why he was avoiding his room this time, or where his easy confidence from this morning had gone. Earlier he had been what could be considered suave and self-assured as he had gotten up out of bed, naked. But now was, different. You're being an idiot. There was nothing going on. You're reading into it too much. Just because they slept together yesterday did not mean every time they made eye-contact during a long pause in conversation it was now filled with a new energy; although it felt that way, at the time.

Frowning in annoyance at himself he opened the door and stepped out into the room. Immediately he was aware of the tension filling the space. What in the…? This was worse than when he left for the shower. With no clue as to the sudden change in mood he glanced surreptitiously over at Sakura in the bed. Why was her face so red? Was she angry? Trying not to cry? He had no idea. She's so confusing sometimes.

As he walked over to the light switch he looked over at her lying on her left side, currently facing away from him. Her shoulders were bare and it took him a moment to realize that was unusual. Reaching the light he quickly surveyed the room and noticed the clothes she usually wore to sleep were on the chair. Which meant they weren't on her body.

Understanding rushed through him and he smirked, now able to fit the pieces of the puzzle together. The feel in the room, her flushed face, bare shoulders. He was surprised, but not displeased. Realizing he hadn't misread the situation earlier he flipped the switch and darkness enveloped the room. Walking to the bed he took off his shirt, then his shorts, and underwear, dropping them each on the floor. She wasn't the only one who could play this game.

As he approached he began to feel the heat emanating from the body of the woman there. Embarrassment, he realized. That was the reason for her red face and now the intense heat. He'd have to be careful not to startle her if she was already this on edge. Lightly moving onto the bed he lifted the sheets and slowly slid up behind her so that his bare skin was against her naked back.

"Wait, why aren't you wearing any clothes?" came Sakura's shocked whisper.

"I could ask you the same question," he simply replied.

"But, you just were. You came out of the bathroom with them on."

"I discovered what you were up to," he said before softly kissing her shoulder.

Exasperatedly Sakura sighed. "What?" Sasuke asked, wondering if he had done something wrong.

"I don't know if I should feel more foolish for doing this in the first place or for how fast you figured it out."

"Neither. It was a good idea. I'm impressed," he said smoothing his hand over her hip and hooking her underwear with his thumb. "You forgot this," he informed her as he pulled them downward.

"I wasn't quite that brave," Sakura laughed, turning over so that she was facing him. Kicking the underwear off the final stretch of her legs she kissed him deeply as his hands hungrily explored her exposed skin, delighting in the feel of having her be all his. Every worry and uncertainty about what the next few days held vanished from their minds.

I had not planned for the chapter to end like this, but it just seemed to happen hahaha. I always cut it just short of having to get into too much detail. I'm much too awkward for painting a vivid image of their actions, so I'll let you guys fill it in with your imaginations. As I've said before, I have my little events outline of what it to come and I will keep working when I can! Being on summer break away from my job gives me more time to focus on responsibilities such as this story.

In the time since I've been away I also finished reading the Shippuden manga. **Semi-spoiler/rant coming up, so ignore me after this sentence if you would like.**

Upon reading the last chapters of the manga I could not hold back my tears of joy! Most of the pairings I devoted myself to made it to the end and the ones that didn't I was able to deal with because seemingly Sasu/Saku happened and that was enough to complete my life. I was living in blissful ignorance until the other week when I read somewhere about the true(?) parentage of Sarada?! I'm always behind with Naruto current events so I am hoping it's not true because I don't think I can handle it. I was raging for days and the world has not seemed complete since. I have no friends who watch/read this stuff so I had to hold it all in until now. If you're still reading this, thanks and sorry. I'm just so upset and hoping it's all lies.