A/N: Hehe, here you are, my lovelies. Quicker than the last update, ne? Unfortunately it's also short, but...

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or the characters, I just come up with crazy situations to force them into.

"Hey, Sakura-chan, what do you think the secret ingredient is? 'Cause there must be one, you know?" Naruto inquired as he slurped miso ramen. Broth dribbled out the corner of his mouth and onto his shirt. The others at the table looked on with varying degrees of disgust and amusement.

"It's salt, Naruto. Lots and lots of salt." Sakura picked at her own lunch. Not ramen, but a bento box of rice, fish, vegetables, and boiled eggs.

"No way! There's got to be more to it than that!" Naruto insisted. "I mean, salt makes everything better, yeah, but this is something else! Especially for a school lunch!"

Sakura shook her head, exasperated. Of course when she sat down the first thing to come out of Naruto's mouth would be how amazing the school ramen was. He only brought up the topic at least twice a day now, so she supposed she should be happy that he was getting it out of his system now.

"Dobe, no one cares about the secret ingredient," Sasuke interjected. "And you shouldn't either. They probably add pork intestines to give it that magical flavor."

Naruto's face twisted in an expression of shock mixed with disgust, and, to the horror of those around him, curiosity. "I might just have to get some of those for home, then, if they make it taste this amazing." He continued to inhale his lunch with fervor, unhindered by the possibility of animal innards in his meal.

"Well, if it's pork guts you need, Naruto," Sakura said. "I'm sure Ino-pig can spare some." She glanced at the other girl expectantly, but across the table Ino was murmuring quietly to her boyfriend. Sakura snorted. Ever since the two had started dating Shikamaru had had this mellowing effect on the spitfire Yamanaka. At least when they were together. She had to admit, it sure was interesting seeing this side of her best friend.

But sometimes it was just frustrating. Like when she didn't respond to insults. Like right now, for instance.

On an impulse, Sakura picked a slice of carrot from her lunch and flicked it directly at the blond's chest, where it landed squarely on her cleavage. Ino scowled at the offending vegetable and dropped it on the table. Then, turning to Sakura she said, "What the hell was that for?"

Sai answered before Sakura had the chance to open her mouth. "Ugly was just comparing you to a pig. I believe it was an insinuation of your being overweight?"

Ino turned to the artist with a dangerous glint in her eyes. "Think about what you are saying very carefully, Sai. Did you just call me fat?" Everyone held their breath. Even her boyfriend- no, especially him, for he was very familiar with her short temper.

"I was merely stating what-"

"Calm down, Pig," Sakura interjected with a grin. "He was just repeating what I said. Don't take out all your fury on the poor guy."

Ino immediately calmed, flipping her ponytail over her shoulder in an aggravated manner. "One of you should really teach him something about social etiquette."

"I actually bought a book about that-" Sai abruptly quieted upon feeling Naruto's hand giving his back a friendly thwump.

"Ah, don't listen to her, Sai. We love you just the way you are." He grinned, mouth filled with ramen. The smile turned to a grimace of pain when he felt Sakura punch him none-to-gently on the arm.

"Don't talk with your mouth full, Naruto!" After doling out punishment, Sakura turned back to her own food. As she dug into her rice, she noticed Sasuke studying her vegetables out of the corner of his eye. She smirked, and picked up a tomato, holding it out in offering. He glanced at her in surprise, and took it without a word, biting into the red skin.

In the week he'd been going to Konoha Highschool, he sat with Sakura and Naruto everyday for lunch. While his sudden appearance had caused a bit of a stir at first, people had gotten over it quickly, moving onto other, more pressing matters. Now, it was almost as if he'd never left in the first place.

Since the day he and Sakura had come up with the plan to search the storage facility, they'd gone every single day after school. He knew she was beginning to have doubts. They're search had been thorough, but they had yet find anything that even hinted at answers.

Maybe they never would. Maybe they'd been wasting hours and hours of their lives searching for something that wasn't there. Despite that possibility, he wouldn't stop. He wouldn't stop until every box had been opened, every scrap of paper scanned and discarded. And he knew she wouldn't either.

XxX

A man sat behind an imposing mahogany desk, sifting through a stack o photographs and documents. The photos largely consisted of one Sasuke Uchiha and Sakura Haruno, as expected. One picture showed them in the male's car, another was of them walking down a sidewalk, and yet another caught the pair entering some kind of storage facility. The documents contained all known information about each of them, from their blood types to their everyday schedules to what their favorite meal was.

But none of it contained the answer to his question.

"So, does the girl know anything?" he asked one of the two other people in the room. "Have you been able to glean any information from her?"

The other man, the employee, cleared his throat. "Despite attempts to create a close relationship, she remains emotionally distant. Perhaps the boy will be more forthcoming?"

The man behind the desk taped his fingers against the wood. Perhaps... "Yes. We should reboot that project. Maybe the excitement will open him up..." He turned to the third person in the room, who had this far observed silently.

"Pack your bags. We're sending you in."