Hey all, sorry it took so long for me to publish again. I had finals, my internet broke, and it seemed like everything to decide to crash at once. I hope you enjoy this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it!

Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing.

Love much!

Nicola

Sasuke's kisses grew more fervent with each passing second, his lips leaving hers and traveling down her face, and to her neck. Sakura flinched pleasantly with this development, happy to just be in Sasuke's arms. He continued to kiss her, and she was not going to stop him. It felt so nice to be held like this again, to be kissed like she was loved. For a week, since the ball, she'd been deprived of a soft hand, a kind touch, a sweet kiss. Her heart bounded in her chest and every movement Sasuke made.

The thunder outside, and the pounding rain did not even scare her anymore. They seemed to meld into the background—quiet reminders of the world outside of her little house. But that world didn't matter right now. All that mattered was Sasuke, the couch, and her thudding heartbeat.

Then the phone rang.

Sakura and Sasuke both paused, listening in shock to the ringing of the telephone. Confused for a moment, Sakura soon realized that she'd turned off her cell phone, the main source of connection between herself and Naruto. He was probably having a heart attack that she wasn't answering; because she would bet her life right then that it was him calling on the house phone. She slowly got up with Sasuke's help and made her way over to the phone, straightening her tank top and fluffing out her hair. She did not know why she was doing this—it wasn't as if Naruto could see her or anything—but it felt like the right thing at the moment.

"H-hello?" she answered, mentally kicking herself for stuttering. If she kept this up Naruto would figure something was up and come home.

"Why weren't you answering your cell phone?" was the first thing Naruto said. Sakura flinched.

"Sorry," she mumbled, playing with the cord. "I turned it off."

There was a moment of silence that made her worry deeply. Then he said, "Oh. Well, you just had me worried is all. Hey, I'm really sorry I have to work tonight. I'm out looking for someone and Itachi doesn't want me to rest, apparently."

"It's okay. We can eat a nice dinner tomorrow," Sakura suggested. It was a long shot, but maybe there was still hope for her and Naruto. "So you'll be home in the evening tomorrow?" She was trying to steer the conversation away from topics of Naruto's work. Usually she would ask who he was looking for but she thought she knew this time. Actually she was sure she knew. Sasuke was his intended target.

"Yeah, I'll be home by like seven. He can't keep me forever!" Naruto's attempt at a joke was feeble, but it made her smile anyway. "And dinner sounds nice, by the way. We can go out, or we can just eat in or something."

"Okay," she said. "Well, I'm going to finish my book and then go to bed. So I'll see you tomorrow."

"Alright. Bye, Sakura."

"Bye."

She hung up the phone and turned to see w here Sasuke was. He was still on the couch, this time sitting with his feet propped up on the coffee table, flipping through a book she had laid there. Sakura went and sat next to him again, absently wondering if there was any mark on her neck from his kisses. She should feel guilty, she reminded herself. But she didn't. Even after talking to Naruto and offering some sort of peace treaty, she still did not feel bad about kissing Sasuke.

Ok, so it was more like making out with Sasuke but that was beside the point!

Sasuke was still flipping through her book, apparently ignoring her. Sakura wondered why—maybe it was because he didn't think he was going to get what he wanted. The thought that passed her mind made her shudder and she pushed it away. No, Sasuke wasn't the kind of guy to just use a girl, especially her. He was better than that.

"Sorry that we were interrupted," she said quietly, looking at Sasuke's hands. He stopped turning the pages of the book and set it back on the table. She could feel him looking at her with those intense eyes of his but she kept her gaze lowered. She was afraid of what she might see in his face. Maybe if she looked at him, she would feel guilty. And she didn't want that.

The silence continued. Sakura wanted so badly to go back to five minutes ago, when they'd been kissing and holding onto each other as if for dear life. Well, she'd been holding on to him for dear life. She wasn't sure what he'd been doing. Whatever it was, she had enjoyed it immensely.

"Sakura, look at me, please." Sakura was so surprised at his voice that she did not look up (She had never out-silenced Uchiha Sasuke! This was a first!). Sasuke sighed, and tilted her chin up with his hands ever-so-gently. She relaxed immediately.

His black eyes were not hard, angry, or bored—the expressions she was used to seeing on him. Instead, they were almost soft. There was emotion behind them that she had not seen before. It was a look that usually belonged to Naruto when they were spending a quiet night together on the couch, watching movies. It was kind, almost loving. And it made her heart swell and her face break into a smile.

Sasuke smirked back, apparently unable to smile ever, and leaned in to kiss her gently on the lips. She leaned into him, but he pulled back just slightly so that their lips were barely brushing against each other. She closed her eyes in bliss. She'd never been kissed like this before, not even by Naruto. This was passionate, gentle, sweet, and exactly how someone's first kiss should be (although it was definitely not their first kiss). It was romantic in the simplest in most honest form.

"Sasuke," she whispered, and he pulled her against him, wrapping his strong arms around her. This was what she wanted—to be in the place she belonged. With his arms holding her, she felt safe, secure, and completely whole. There was no missing piece. She was who she was supposed to be when she was with him. Images of the ballroom flashed through her mind, of dancing with him, and of him taking care of her, consoling her, when Naruto wasn't there. Naruto was her rock, but Sasuke was her mirror reflection. He was her complete opposite but her exact match. At least, in that moment, it felt like it.

vvv

Naruto walked into the Metro-Leaf, hands in his pockets, and his walk really a swagger. It was nearly empty at this time of night. Most of the guests were up in their rooms or enjoying the nightlife that Konoha had to offer. Naruto snorted at the idea—there were only a few fun things to do in the city, and two of them only those of Itachi had privilege to. He grinned.

Choji was in the lobby, so Naruto made a beeline for him. They were old friends from back in high school, and Choji usually fixed Naruto up with some good food. The idea of delicious ramen made Naruto's stomach grumble, and he winced and put his hand over his tummy. He really needed food.

"Choji!" Naruto shouted, bounding over. His earlier woes were forgotten—work (and food) was exactly what he needed. Choji looked up and smiled.

"Naruto, what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be at home with Sakura?" the plump chef asked, sipping at his drink. Naruto shrugged. Everyone had been at the funeral that day, and was trying to get over it. Tenten had been everyone's friend. Choji should know that Naruto would drown himself in work if he wasn't drowning himself in either food or Sakura. Naruto winced again at the thought of food.

"Working," he muttered. "I haven't even had dinner yet. We didn't stay for the reception." Choji nodded understandingly and stood up with a huff.

"What did you have in mind to eat today, my bottomless pit of a friend?"

Naruto grinned widely as he followed Choji into the kitchen. "Ramen!"

Choji chuckled. "Of course."

As Choji began fixing the ramen, Naruto sat on a stool and took out his cell phone again. He could not believe that Sakura had turned off her phone when she knew he'd be worried. There was still the house phone, of course, but it was just easier to reach her when she had her cell. Having to call the landline had nearly given him heart palpitations. If she hadn't answered, he'd have gone over there and torn the place apart looking for her.

He felt bad for leaving her, but when Itachi called there was no denying him. The man was not someone you said no to. The last person to refuse Itachi's call had not lasted another month. Naruto snorted—stupid amateur.

Choji put a steaming bowl of ramen in front of him, and he dug in happily. His stomach grumbled in appreciation, then quieted. Yum. Ramen was his salvation. As he ate, his chest twitched guiltily. Sakura was probably eating alone tonight. He saw in his mind's eye Sakura sitting in the kitchen, eating at the table, a sad look to her face. His plate was across from her, the home-cooked meal she'd slaved over slowly growing cold. She poked at her food, pushed it away, and went into the bedroom to cry her eyes out.

And then Naruto saw that mysterious man from the ball in his place, eating with Sakura, laughing with her. She was smiling. Naruto clenched his fist around his chopsticks and they snapped in half. The noise brought him back and he stared down in surprise at his now-broken utensils. Choji glanced over before tossing him a new set. Naruto caught them swiftly and set them down next to the bowl.

He pushed it away. If Sakura was going to be miserable because of him, then he deserved to be miserable, too.

vvv

Sakura closed her book slowly and leaned further into the curve of Sasuke's arm. She'd been reading aloud from one of her favorite novels as a source of entertainment for them both. And Sasuke had been listening quite intently, she was pleasantly surprised to notice. He had played with her hair while she read, but had asked questions about the plot, the characters, and their motives. It pleased her greatly.

"That can't possibly be the end," Sasuke said bluntly, in his usual monotonous voice. Sakura shrugged and tried to hide her smile.

"You'll have to wait and find out the rest of it sometime later." She stood up reluctantly, placing the book on the table and stretching. "Hungry?"

As she walked into the kitchen, Sakura thought how strange it was to feel so comfortable around someone she'd been afraid of barely more than a week before. There she was, curling up on the couch and reading a book with the man who probably would shoot her if his boss gave the order to. She pushed the thought from her mind and got out some ingredients for some sandwiches. She popped the bread in the toaster and pushed the lever down, waiting.

She wondered vaguely if Sasuke like sandwiches, then decided that of course he did, because everyone enjoyed a good sandwich. Glancing irritably at the toaster, Sakura wondered what her boyfriend was up to right now. If he was out looking for Sasuke like she'd assumed, then there was definitely danger on the horizon. And since Sasuke was currently held up in her living room with a sandwich being made for him, the outcomes weren't looking good.

At any moment, one of Itachi's men or even Kakashi's men could come knocking on the door and find Sasuke sitting on the couch. The consequences were immense, she knew. If it was Kakashi, he would immediately arrest Sasuke (who would most likely put up a fight) and take him down to the ANBU station. Then she would be brought in for harboring a wanted fugitive—by this time, she figured, there would be a warrant out for Sasuke's arrest in the missing boy case. She would be put through harsh questioning if it were anyone by Kakashi interrogating her (and she doubted Kakashi would be the one), and Naruto would have to come bail her out. And then he would find out that Sasuke had been at her house, had been dancing with her at the ball, had held her hand and consoled her.

And if Naruto or any of Itachi's men found him…

She knew what would happen if Naruto came through the door. He would reach for his gun and shoot first, ask questions later. And Sasuke would fight back. One of them would end up seriously wounded or dead. If Jiraiya or Sai or Asuma or anyone else came in, they would apprehend Sasuke and take him to Itachi to be finished off, because Itachi would want to be the one to end it all. And one of them would come back for her. Or, they might tell her to stay (and have someone babysit her) until Naruto came home and dealt with her. Naruto would feel so betrayed, he would be so angry. Angry enough to hurt her.

The toast popped out of the toaster, and she jumped. Just as she was taking them out, Sasuke was beside her, and put his hand on her waist. She started in surprise, then turned around and smiled happily at him.

"Hi," she said, and he smiled a little at her in answer. "Fixing you a sandwich." He nodded.

She continued making the sandwich—turkey, by the way—and put it on a plate to hand to him. He nodded in thanks and sat down at the table to eat. She made her sandwich and sat across from him. It felt sort of homely and normal, something she would usually do with Naruto. And it was. If this had been any other night, she would be sitting at the table with her longtime boyfriend, eating Chinese or a steak or ramen. She felt a twinge of uneasiness.

"Good sandwich," Sasuke said between bites. Sakura smiled in appreciation of his compliment. She tried.

Then she heard a noise at her front door. She froze with the sandwich halfway to her mouth, and slowly put it back down. Her worst nightmare was coming true. Someone was here, and she was scared. Sasuke had heard the noise, too. He quickly stood up from the table and rushed to the bathroom, tossing his sandwich and plate into the trash can on the way. She knew he was getting his clothes, so she hurried to the front door.

Before peeping through the peephole, Sakura glanced to make sure Sasuke was not in plain sight. She looked, and saw a familiar blond head fumbling with something in his hands. She blanched—Naruto was home!

"Sasuke!" she hissed, moving away from the door as quickly and quietly as possible and to the bathroom. "Get out! He's here! Hurry, please!"

Sakura looked up at him imploringly, and he nodded. He had his clothes in his hands, even the Ichiraku t-shirt, and he leaned down and kissed her surprisingly. She kissed him back more passionately than intended, and pushed him to the back door. But then another thought crossed her mind, and she hurried in front of him to make sure no one was back there. After looking through the curtains, she saw no sign of anyone and quickly shoved him outside just as she heard the key in the lock. She shut and locked the back door, scanned the kitchen to make sure no sign of Sasuke was left, then grabbed her sandwich, drink, and MP3 player and hurried back into the den. She shoved her headphones in, put her plate and drink on the coffee table, and picked up her book. A clap of thunder sounded.

She heard Naruto cuss, and breathed a sigh of relief. Thank Kami that Naruto could never remember what key was which on his keychain. She tried to relax herself, to look calm and normal when he walked in the door.

Which he did, finally, not a few seconds later. He was slightly soaked from the storm outside, and Sakura felt a little guilty for shoving Sasuke out the door without a coat or umbrella or something. Naruto shook his hair when he walked inside, shrugged out of his windbreaker, and tossed his keys on the table beside the door. She pretended to be absorbed in her book.

He stood in front of the door rather awkwardly, fidgeting from foot to foot.

"Hi," he said quietly.

"Hey," she replied. She paused. "Why are you home?"

"I, uh, well, I kind of felt bad that I left you alone…and uhm…"

Sakura looked back down at her book, turning the page and pretending to see the blurring words on the page. She turned her volume down on her MP3 player, though, to hear if he made any movement. She heard him shuffle his feet and take a few steps over to the couch. He was standing beside it—she could see it out of the corner of her eye.

She almost didn't want him to sit near her, much less be home. She was still in utter shock from having…him over for the night—she did not want to even think his name with Naruto in the room—and the shock of what she'd done. Her chest tightened at the memories of Sasuke's hands wandering over her body, his kisses on her neck. She winced.

Naruto shuffled a little closer to the couch, nearly touching it with his legs now. Sakura stared up at him, her expression one of bafflement and fright. He had not been this close to her in over a week, not since he'd been in her face at the ball. Naruto's angry words echoed in her head as he looked down at her—"It's all your fault, Sakura. You did this…Tenten had to run off and try to find your sorry head…all your fault…"

With a heavy weight suddenly settling on her shoulders, Sakura closed her book and pulled her knees up to her chest. The recollection of his shouts hit her hard in the chest, like a bullet that went straight to her soul. And with him standing so close…the reminders were everywhere. She did not want to look at him for fear she would see the wild-eyed rage that rarely came over him.

Sakura shook her pink hair out of her face, stood, and, with arms wrapped around her torso, walked into the bedroom. She left the door open a little bit and fell onto the bed to curl up in a ball. The tears were coming and the dams she usually put up to block them were crumbling under the pressure. She blinked furiously to fight them away but it was no use; the salty drops of water dribbled over her eyelids and down off her chin to soak into the covers.

Naruto walked into the room then, having taken off his shoes and felt properly terrible, but Sakura did not notice him. She stayed in her position on the bed until she felt someone sit down on the other side. The bed sank a little with the weight.

"Hey," Naruto said quietly. Despite her instincts' protestations and her conscience-stricken heart Sakura looked up into those deep blue eyes she knew and loved so much.

The man's face was drawn and concerned, his brow creased and his mouth tugged down at the corners. His eyes were wide and sad as they looked imploringly into hers. She could not tear away from him now. All her momentary fears and worries melted away under his warm gaze and she automatically scooted closer to him. He was still wearing his black pants and black button down. His outfit drew her closer for a reason she could not put her finger on right at that moment, for it was too preoccupied running up his arm.

This was what they did. Whenever she and Naruto had a big fight, they made it up to each other with a night alone. Usually, this involved takeout or a nice dinner, one of their favorite old movies, and some time spent with the pillows. It was usually pretty sweet and very romantic. Tonight, however, it felt a little different. Yes, the romance was still there, but for Sakura it was mixed with guilt and a strange need she had never felt before. She shifted closer to him until their knees were touching.

She continued to stare into his eyes, feeling a little insecure but confident all the same. Her hand shook as it lay on top of his and he reached up with his other to touch her gently on the face. His lips parted just slightly, and he took a deep breath.

"Sakura," he said softly, almost just a breathy whisper. She grabbed onto his hand tightly while leaning closer into him. "Sakura, I'm so sorry."

Sakura pushed back the immediate feeling of guilt. In all honestly she should be the one apologizing to Naruto—he had only been doing his job, and had a right to be angry with her. But now was not the time to dwell on that.

"It is okay, Naruto," she said, pressing her forehead against his.

He smiled in relief. "I love you, Sakura."

Swallowing the lump in her throat, Sakura found she could not answer back the way she normally would. Instead, she pressed against him and kissed him with the lips that still tingled with the reminder of Sasuke. She kissed him harder, pushing him down on the bed and unbuttoning his shirt. She was going to forget about Sasuke for that moment. Right now, it was just her and Naruto. Naruto kissed her back and put his arms around her waist.

Another flash of Sasuke went through her mind, and she shut her eyes against the inevitable visions. She pushed the image of the black-haired man into the back of her mind, locked him in a drawer, and let her body feel what it wanted to feel.

vvv

Sasuke ran across Sakura's back yard and into the little wooded area behind it. It was still raining torrents outside and he shivered—he was still bare-chested. He pulled the Ichiraku shirt out from under his arm and tugged it over his head. The shirt was soaked, too, but it was better than dealing with cold rain on his bare skin. He pulled his shirt over the ramen tee that Sakura had given him and started walking again.

Back at the house, Sakura was with Naruto again. He had come home extremely early, probably to apologize. Sasuke snorted—Sakura deserved more than an apology. As this thought crossed his mind he winced, for he had not realized that Naruto was most likely going to apologize with more than just word. His blood burned in an emotion he was not used to feeling. It took him a moment to realize that he was feeling jealous of his old comrade. He frowned at the idea.

Ever since childhood he had been better at Naruto in nearly everything. He had certainly attracted more girls than the exuberant man! That was not the only area in which he flourished, however. He'd always been excellent in academics and sports; had the best equipment, clothes, and technology; been the best under Kakashi's tutelage. Hell, he was a better driver, even! And yet Naruto still ended up with everything that Sasuke yearned for on some level.

Yes, life as the lackey of a mob lord was incredibly exciting and risky, just the way Sasuke had always seen his life. He'd been born into the mob, it was in his blood. An escape from it was hardly possible, especially with his older brother heading the family.

Thunder clapped above Sasuke's head, and he flinched a little. He wondered if Sakura had done the same. Then he remembered that Naruto was there and was probably consoling the pink-haired woman. He frowned.

Sasuke thoroughly enjoyed his life. He loved the adventure and the risk and the rush it gave him. Hell, he was in enemy territory, making out with the girlfriend of a rival boss's main enforcer. If he did not enjoy danger, why would he be doing any of this? He snorted. Orochimaru had gotten hold of him at just the right time. If the mob lord had not given him the offer before his training with Kakashi was complete, then Sasuke would have ended up either under the rule of his brother (or the head of the Uchiha mob himself after his gleeful assassination of Itachi) or a member of ANBU. He chuckled darkly at the idea.

Lightning streaked across the sky as he left the little wooded area and entered the small farm where he had parked his car. He went over to the sleek vehicle and got inside, thankful to be out of the rain and cold. He cranked it up, relishing the quiet purr the engine made and cranked up the heat. He looked down at his shirt, and frowned. He would burn it later.

He looked back at the direction he had come from. Sakura was back that way. Again, jealously burned in his veins as he thought of Naruto being with Sakura. There was a part of him that longed for what Naruto had—a home.

Yes, Orochimaru provided him with a ample housing (and a pretty paycheck), but it just was not the same as owning a home and living in it with someone you cared about. The last time Sasuke could remember ever feeling welcome in a home was when he lived with his parents in the mansion. And even then, his father paid more attention to Itachi than to his youngest son, leaving Sasuke with only his mother for comfort. Itachi had been a good big brother back then. But everything changed once he murdered the entire family. Sasuke clenched his fists at the memories.

Naruto had a cute little home with a fence, a yard, and a beautiful girlfriend to go with it. He had someone to spend time with and to love. There would always be a person for Naruto to come home to and to hold onto when situations grew dire. Sasuke bit down on the inside of his mouth to keep from making any noise. Naruto…that bastard. The no good, parentless kid who had had absolutely no potential at all in his childhood was now one of the most feared and respected and well-liked men in Konohagakure. A real rags-to-riches story, wasn't he?

Sasuke put the car in drive once he felt dry and warm enough to go somewhere. He did not know where he was going to go, but he knew he had to be careful. Itachi's men were out looking for him relentlessly. And if Itachi had his way, Sasuke would be either dead before dawn, or sitting tied at his brothers feet as the sun rose above the horizon.

The car drove out onto the back road and he kept his speed down lest he attract attention to himself. It was getting close to half-past midnight, a fact which shocked him. Had he been at Sakura's house for that long? He grinned to himself at the idea of spending the entire night with the beautiful woman. Oh what fun they could have together.

He turned onto the highway, deciding that being on a busy and crowded road would be his best defense against any possible drive-by shootings. He ran a hand through his messy black hair and grimaced at the idea of going back to that ratty old motel. Then an idea ran through his mind—he would stay at a place much classier and a lot closer to home. Sure, he could always sneak into Itachi's mansion and sleep there, but that would be tempting fate just a little too much.

The Metro-Leaf was just up the road. Kiba would have no choice but to accept him as a guest, especially since he planned on getting one of the more expensive suites on the top floor. Kiba was a money-hungry man who never turned down a customer who was prepared to pay in advance, especially if it was at a very hefty price.

Sasuke turned into the Metro-Leaf parking lot and grabbed his bag out of his trunk. He had kept his belongings in the car for fear that the motel would ultimately steal them. He walked inside through the revolving doors and strode up to the counter. The man manning the counter looked up and smiled that generic, customer-service smile he was most likely required to have. Sasuke set his bag at his feet and nodded back.

"How may I help you?" the man asked, clicking a few keys on the computer.

"I want to rent out the upper-level suite please, the most expensive you have," Sasuke replied, feeling a little good about being able to afford an expensive hotel room. Even as a child from a well-to-do family, Sasuke's father had not encouraged his children and family members to spend money at a whim. It felt great to defy his father in even such a simple way.

The counter-man looked surprised but gave Sasuke the room anyway. He asked for the credit card, which Sasuke handed over without hesitation. A smirk played on his lips as the man looked at the name and started before typing it into the machine. He handed Sasuke a key and the card, and Sasuke took his bags to the elevator.

Once in the elevator alone, Sasuke took out his cell phone and dialed Kabuto. The older man answered rather sleepily.

"Kabuto," Sasuke said by way of greeting and leading up to the task he had at hand for the loyal of Orochimaru. "I need you to move the boy. He's at my original room, so please bring him to the Metro-Leaf through the back entrance. Take him up the fire escape to the uppermost floor. I'll be waiting."

"The Metro-Leaf?" Kabuto repeated in disbelief. "You're insane. Orochimaru-sama would never allow me to do something like that."

"He trusts me," Sasuke shot back. "So just do it. I don't have time to argue with you when I know I'm going to win. Have him here before sunrise."

Sasuke hung up the phone just as the elevator reached his floor and he opened the door to his new lavish apartment-style hotel room. As he collapsed onto the couch and put his hands behind his head to wait, he decided that this was going to be easy to get used to.

ooh Sakura so close to gettin caught by Naruto! Badbadbad girl! And Sasuke, you're pushing it by being in the metro-leaf!

Look for more close-calls, drama, and fun things to happen for Sakura, Naruto, and Sasuke, and not necessarily in that order :)

Review por favorrr!
Love much!

Nicola 333