A/N: Three reviews?! People I am disappointed in you, surely you have an opinion. Just kidding!! but anyways since this got the most reviews then its the first to be updated.

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Naruto entered the living room with the shoulder set of a condemned man facing the gallows and that was just how she felt, like she was about to be executed. She didn't like meeting new people, most of the time they had cold hateful eyes that stared. And she felt awkward trying to think of something to say.

"Ah, Naruto," Jiraya spoke and waved her over to stand next to him.

Naruto raised her chin, clenched her jaw with resignation, and walked over to stand next to the tall, white haired, old geezer. She felt a smidge of relief that she hadn't tripped over her own feet or some imaginary carpet roll. She kept her gaze of the floor studying the blue carpet in feigned interest.

"Boys, this is Naruto, she will be staying with us for a little while so I hope that you make her feel welcome."

Naruto finally looked up feeling that she had hidden any emotion other that disinterest to see the five boys sitting in various positions in front of her. The two youngest were sitting with arms folded on the couch. Jiraya introduced them as Tatsuo and Rees, both were dark haired and similar enough to be twins. The other three were about her age. There was a shaggy headed boy who sat Indian style of the floor leaning back on a huge white dog. Naruto learned that his name was Kiba and the dog was Akamaru. Another boy sat with arms folded, almost glaring at her, from an arm chair, his name was Gaara. And the last was leaning against a wall studying her with dark, obsidian eyes.

"And this is Uchiha Sasuke, he has been here a little over a year," Jiraya finished the introductions. "Why don't you tell us about yourself?" …or not.

"Nothing to say," Naruto said evenly.

"How about what your favorite color is?" Jiraya was really trying to get Naruto to open up.

"Doesn't matter. May I go back to my room now?" Naruto asked her gaze dropping back to the floor.

"Um…I guess so," Jiraya said and watched as the girl's shoulders slumped in relief and she beat a hasty retreat.

"Such an interesting person there, Jiraya," Kiba spoke up with an amused laugh.

"Yeah, I bet she's a barrel full of laughs," Sasuke muttered.

"Just like you, Sasuke."

"Go hump a chair, dog boy."

"Hey, now. You need to curb the language. Tsunade will have your heads if she hears you talking like that and we have another young lady in the house so…shut it!" Jiraya interrupted the two before they really began to dish it.

"Jiraya?" Rees asked. "Do you think that she would like some cookies?" The youngest of the group seemed to be the most sensitive.

"She just might, why don't you and Tatsuo go find a recipe and I'll come help in a few minutes." The two boys ran from the room excited about making cookies, because they would also be able to eat them. "Gaara, you haven't said anything, what is your opinion of the newest member?"

"She doesn't trust easily," Gaara said quietly.

"True enough, if her file is anything to go on."

"You've seen her file?" Kiba spoke up. He was the most outgoing of the group. "What did it say?"

"None of your business, but I will warn you, that I wouldn't go getting on her bad side, she can be just as cranky as Tsunade." Jiraya was down playing Tsunade's temper. She could take down the entire house if she was riled enough and he avoided doing that when possible.

"Ha," Kiba snorted. "I doubt that anyone could match Tsunade."

"Okay, but its your own funeral."

Gaara stood up abruptly. "I'm going to go help Rees and Tatsuo with the cookies."

"Hey, me too," Kiba yelled following out of the room along with the Akamaru.

"Whatever," was Sasuke's reply before he slipped out of the French doors he had been standing next to.

Jiraya sighed. He had hoped that the first introduction would go better but he should know by now. The kids that were sent here usually were holding in a lot of pain and didn't like others to see it.

He looked toward the kitchen. If Gaara and Kiba were helping with the cookies then he should be able to go do some writing…

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Sasuke was lying down across one of the stone benches that had been placed next to the Koi pond nearly hidden by the trees and bushes that were Tsunade's pride and joy. He had one arm pillowing his head while the other occupied a space on his belly. He studied the stars that shone in the sky that was occasionally obscured by a wispy cloud that rolled by.

A shadow moving across one of the lighted windows caught his absent gaze. He frowned as he remembered that the window was the one from the yellow room. The shadow must be the new girl. He cocked his head and watched it for another shadow.

When he had first looked at the girl he had seen a scrawny kid in baggy orange and black clothing. A couple of inches shorter that him, with two long braids and cloudy blue eyes. Her face was narrow, high cheek bones that were caressed by three lines on each one. Her lips were turned down into a thin frown and her brow was furrowed but not in anger. He had also seen the haunted pain that he usually saw in his own.

Gaara had lost his parents when he was very young and didn't really remember them. Kiba remembered them but it was a distant memory. Tatsuo and Rees were still young enough that they would eventually forget, but it was only two years ago that he had lost his parents. He could vividly remember his mother's dark locks so much like his own; he had loved to touch her hair and feel it against his face. He even remembered the stern countenance of his father when he looked down on him, but it had been softened with love. He'd had an older brother and remembered being given a piggy back ride home when he had sprained his ankle. These were memories that had stayed with him and would always be with him.

He wondered as he looked up at the window if Naruto had memories like that.

The curtains shifted with the light breeze and Sasuke realized that the window was open. A cat appeared and too the opportunity to jump from the sill to the tree that ran close to the window. It swiftly descended and began to explore. It was a deeper black than the shadows of the dark garden. He held out his hand and the curious creature immediately came over to sniff at it. A second later the feline butted its head against his palm in approval. It jumped up onto his belly wanting some attention.

He absently began to pet the purring beast, feeling a little more contentment settling in.

He had been at the house for a little more than a year. He had grown accustomed to the place and the freedom that Jiraya had allowed them. As long as they were back by nine, they didn't get into trouble, and they respected the other rules, then they were given a lot of freedom. And the added mothering of Tsunade wasn't too bad either. She loved the kids that came through the house, she treated them like the kids she couldn't have and every one of them came back because this was their home and their family.

He saw the window twitch back and Naruto appeared. He stiffened slightly then relaxed as he remembered that she wouldn't be able to see him in the garden, not with the trees and bushes throwing shadows on him. He couldn't really see her with the light at her back but he could tell that the baggy clothing was hiding some pretty intriguing curves. His lips rose slightly at this observation. She had taken her hair down also and it produced ad blond halo around her head before falling in curls down to the small of her back.

The cat decided that it'd had enough attention and jumped down to trot back to the tree climbing the trunk with sharp little claws then along the branch to leap the last few feet to reach its mistress. She caught it easily and hugged it closely to her chest. She ruffled the fur on its head and Sasuke could hear a gently murmur as she talked to the cat affectionately though he couldn't tell what she had said.

…but the tone was enough to get his body to react and he felt himself harden.

He shifted on the bench to get more comfortable and relive some of the sudden pressure on his zipper. He closed his eyes and willed his body under control, but it had a mind of its own and didn't pay any attention to him.

Kuso, he hissed in his mind then sat up. He looked back at the window but Naruto had left. He could faintly smell the sweet scent of chocolate and sugar and decided that he would go in and help eat the cookies at least. He pushed himself off the bench and dusted the back of his pant so remove any dirt or debris that might be clinging to him, and then sauntered toward the house.

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Naruto pulled out her laptop. She had saved her money and had bought it nearly a year ago and always kept it hidden under all of her clothes in the bottom of the smallest suitcase. She plugged it in and booted it up waiting for the log in screen to appear. She had spent an hour pacing the room going form window to window in restlessness, even opening one so that her cat, Tobi, could go out and roam.

She had pulled the ties out of her hair and brushed it until it crackled. She had even sat briefly to sketch our some designs she was going to try into one of the sketch books she carried. She shook her head over the fact that she was once again shuffled into a new house with new people who didn't give one tiny, dried up fig about her.

The login screen appeared on the laptop and she signed on, pulled up her writing program, and began to type. She had a fetish for writing fan fictions and her favorite at the moment was a fiction about a boy who held a demon in side of him. She had been writing this latest fic for about a month and so far she had a good following with lots of reviews. She'd even heard some of the people talking about it at school.

That brought another thought that caused her to pause in her writing. She wondered if Jiraya was going to pull her from her current one and place her in another. Most of them had but she had ended up back at her old school with the last foster home. She had been extremely glad about that and she had tried to stay out of trouble just so she could remain with her old friends, Shikamaru and Chouji.

A knock on the door interrupted her thoughts and she sighed, closed the computer and threw a towel, which she had on hand, over it. She walked to the door and cracked it open. Bright, innocent brown eyes met hers along with a white plate filled with cookies. She opened the door wider and looked in puzzlement at the plate.

"We wanted to make you feel welcome," chirped the brown eyed boy. She looked up at the rest of the group. Then back down at the boy.

"Rees, right?" she asked and was given a nod. "Um, thank you." She took the plate and looked at the rest again. "Thank you."

"I'm Tatsuo, I helped put the flour and eggs in," the other excited young boy chimed.

"Cookies are the best way to break the ice in this place," the shaggy headed boy explained. Naruto had barely glanced at he when she was in the living room but now that she was faced with him she took in the fact that he had red, upside down triangles tattooed to his face. The dog was standing next to him and came up to his hips which was faintly alarming given the fact that the boy stood close to 6'6" tall. Next to him and slightly shorter was the red headed guy. She saw that he also had a tattoo on his forehead but it was somewhat obscured by his bangs.

She tried to smile at them but failed miserably and just stood looking at them unable to think of anything to say.

"If you would like we can go back down to the kitchen and you can have some milk with those," the red headed boy stated with a little jerk of his head in the direction that they had come.

"Um, okay," Naruto agreed a bit reluctantly but felt that she should at least show them some politeness because they had gone out of their way to make the cookies.

She followed them through the house and to the kitchen. She looked around curiously because she hadn't been given a tour of the house so she hadn't been in the room before. It was a cozy setup with a long island separating it from a dinning area a couple of bar stools were pushed under it for anyone who wanted to sit at it. There were also a couple of overstuffed couches cornered around a fireplace with a small coffee table before them. The counters of the kitchen were a warm honey color and the appliances were a brushed stainless steel. The whole place had an inviting air about it, making people feel comfortable and at home.

The dark haired boy was standing at the counter munching on a cookie holding a glass of milk with the other.

"Sasuke!" Tatsuo said jumping up to sit on one of the stools followed by Rees.

"These are good," he complimented the two little boys and grabbing another.

"Thanks," Rees said with a little blush, it was obvious that either Sasuke didn't give out many compliments or the boy did get many to begin with.

"Ah, I see you got her to come down," he said with a light motion of his cookie in Naruto's direction.

Naruto's chin lifted slightly. "I do have a name, you know." She eyed the guy whose hair stuck up at the back and reminded her of a raven.

"Ah," Kiba said interrupting, "do you want some milk, Naruto?" He didn't want an argument to break out between Sasuke and Naruto.

"Yeah, thank you," Naruto mumbled dropping her gaze to the plate of cookies that she set on the counter.

Gaara had taken a seat on one of the couches and lifted a small black remote. Music began to sift through the tension pulling Naruto's attention away from the raven.

"Um, how long have you guys been here?" she asked curiously wanting to relieve some of the stress that meeting new people always brought her.

"I've been here since I was five," Gaara announced, "so about twelve, nearly thirteen years. I have a couple of older siblings, we were placed here together. We got lucky because most siblings in the foster care system get split up. Their attending college now and come down during some of the long weekends to visit and on the holidays."

Kiba stared wide eyed at the speech Gaara had just given; it was the first time he had ever heard that many syllables leave the red head. Then he shook himself and spoke up. "I've been here for about ten years and Akamaru has been here for nearly five. I have an older sister somewhere but I don't know where. I am going to be a veterinarian when I get out of college."

"I've been here two years," Rees mumbled around a mouthful of cookie then looked at Tatsuo who had to swallow some of his before he could speak.

"Me to, but I came before Rees."

She was met with silence and glanced up to see Sasuke studying her. "And you?" she prompted feeling uneasy about the way he was looking at her.

"A year." He set his glass in the sink and grabbed another cookie then left the kitchen abruptly.

"Wow, is he always so abrupt?" Naruto asked the two older boys. They nodded.

"He's been having a hard time adjusting to being an orphan, his parent died a little over three years ago," Kiba said softly, he didn't want Sasuke to over hear them just in case he took exception to the conversation.

"Oh," Naruto said and picked up the cookie. "Wow, these really are good."

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I was told the is was king of boring I appologize for that and any other gramatical mistakes , spelling errors, and what not. I'm still working on the story and hopefully the next chapter will be more exciting. Also people are showing an interest in a SasuNaru pairing but if you want it different then please let me know. It's time to vote for the next AMERICAN IDOL... um, sorry, PAIRING.

SEE YA

ZEN