Wow, a lot of people have put this on their story alert lists! Thank you very much! Sorry if two alerts got sent to you, the breaks in this story never show up so I had to go back and try to fix it. Hope you like this next chapter! Told from Sakura's POV.

Something was up, something was definitely up. I could tell from Itatchi's opening line that something was being plotted, and that Kami-sama was probably in on it too.

"Hello there, Haruno-san." I jumped at the sudden greeting. He had coolly slid into the booth seat across from me when I was trying to ignore his overwhelming chakra. I was shocked to seem Uchiha, as I referred to him in my mind, there with me. What does he want? How did he find me? He actually know who I am?

"You seem to be trying to figure something out, perhaps why I am here?" The man can read minds. I am doomed. "I assure you this is purely coincidence. I came here only with the intention of having a meal, but thought it only polite to sit here since you seem to be at a loss for company." Damn him, damn him and that stupid Uchiha intuition.

"Well, I suppose I am looking a bit off coming in here alone at this hour." I tilted my head down a bit and a faint blushed rushed over my cheeks. I probably looked like some lonely, poor, haggard-looking mess begging for food to the owner. I knew my hair wasn't as neat as it usually is and that my clothes looked a bit messy from my graceful pouncing of the couch, not to mention the dark bags under my eyes. I actually felt bad for the people who had to see me as I made my way down the street.

"You look as if you need sleep. Perhaps I can offer you a room at the Uchiha complex? It is much closer than your apartment." I raised an eyebrow at that statement. How did he know where I lived and why on earth would I go to his house instead of mine?

"I'm judging that based on the few occasions I have been walking with Sasuke as he was headed to your house. And I only offer the room because you would be much safer walking there than all the way back to your house." His lips turned into the faintest of smirks, I you weren't paying attention you wouldn't have noticed the split second it was there.

"Thank you for the concern." My voice came out shaky; there was something about that smirk that made me suspicious. "Not to be rude, Uchiha-san, but it does seem like you came here for more than pleasant company."

"Yes, well, I actually do need to talk to you about something, Haruno-san." His tone turned somewhat serious and he paused. It looked like it was troubling him, has something happened to him or his comrades post-battle? I had been busy at the hospital all day because of the massive amount of injured shinobi, so I could not leave to properly fulfill my duties as ANBU-Konoha Hospital liaison, a position Tsunade-sama created to ensure the safety of her top shinobi. All I could do was wait and look at Uchiha, his arm rested on the wooden table, his head turned toward the wall with his eyes resting on a quaint picture of the owner and his wife at the restaurant's opening. "I need to ask a favor of you. And it actually does have to do with going to the Uchiha complex."

My eyebrows knitted together. Being the "smart one", I started thinking up explanations. Perhaps something had hit the Uchiha family? The flu? Something worse probably, if there were sending Uchiha himself. Unless it had only affected Sasuke, which would explain why they sent him to get me. As his older brother it would make sense for him to come ask a top medic, hospital co-director, and friend/former teammate of said brother.

"It's nothing medical, and it shouldn't require much physical effort on your part, at least, we hope. But we believe only your intelligence will be able to solve this problem. Especially considering who it involves."

"Hm, who would that be, Uchiha-san?" On what planet could an Uchiha only be handled by me? The sense of something being very odd about the situation came back. This story was getting sketchy.

"Sasuke and Naruto." Of course those two idiots would be the ones. Those guys never grew up and they're still at that sibling-like rivalry just like old times. I sighed loudly.

"What did they destroy this time?"

"Nothing, they're just being, well, themselves and no one can seem to get them to stop arguing. Plus they're monopolizing the quiet of everyone else since they are arguing in the main house. My father is not pleased and I'm afraid it's only a matter of time before he starts using jutsu on them."

"Understood. Let's head over there then. I'd like to beat some sense into those boys while giving them a lesson about disturbing my evening." A scowl formed on my lips and I knew my aura had gone from a dusty grey to a dark menacing black.

Those boys. Always causing me problems.

SSSSSSIIIIIIII

"I apologize Haruno-san, for the trouble this has caused you." Itachi spoke as he watched the two victims sulk off to Sasuke's room. Sasuke had a black eye and Naruto was limping as he followed his friend for their sleepover, ehem, manly sleepover, as Naruto had corrected me more than once.

"Oh, no, it's not your fault Itachi-kun, these idiots are just annoying…" Oh Kami-sama. Did I just call him "Itachi-kun"?

I saw him tilt his head toward my direction and the slightest eyebrow raise. He had caught me in my blunder and I was just waiting for the snide little comment to come. But apparently Uchiha has more noble features than Sasuke based on how he let it slide.

"Yes, they can be a handful. I can only imagine what you've had to put up with, being on their team all these years." Ah, some sympathy. This is why I loved talking to levelheaded people like Uchiha, Neji, Shino, and Shikamaru.

"They have been less than easy to deal with, but they make great teammates, I'll admit." A small smiled graced my lips. Even though they were knuckleheads more often than not, they were advantageous in battle and good friends. "Well I should probably head home now."

"I meant what I said earlier about staying here. It's really alright, no one would mind."

"Yes, Sakura," Makoto-san chimed in as she walked past with a laundry basket, "feel free to stay here tonight. I couldn't live with myself if I let you walk home at such a late hour and in such a condition." Yep, I still looked like a ragged beggar all right. "You're like a daughter to me, just like Naruto is like a son. You both can stay here whenever you need to without feeling like a burden, ok?"

Her characteristic smile spread on her face. Sometimes I wondered where in Uchiha and Sasuke those sweet, mothering, warm genes got lost.

"Just have Itachi show you to the guest room. Everything's all set up and there's a bathroom down the hall to the left." With that she turned a corner heading up the stairs humming a little tune. Seriously, how did such a caring lady give birth to such stoic rocks?

"This way." I turned my attention to Itachi. He had already started down the hall to the bedrooms. "Here's the guest room."

The door opened to reveal a simple, but beautiful room nonetheless. It was a nice shade of cool blue (an Uchiha favorite) with white accents. There was a small tea table underneath the window where moonlight was shining out and a comfortable looking bed covered in big, warm blankets. Next to the bed was a nightstand with a vase full of bluebells, Mikoto-san's favorite flower. The room was neat and tidy, just as you would expect of the Uchiha matriarch. I walked in and immediately plopped down on the bed, the weariness of the day finally catching up to me. I laid back and I could feel my eyes start to close. As I started to drift into sleep I heard the door start to close and I swear I heard "goodnight, Sakura-chan" slip from Uchiha's lips in a smooth velvety voice.

Now what was that about? I wondered before drowsiness hit me full on.