Aneko: Exams are done!! I can relax!! (For a while). Ngh. Now I've just gotta get my butt in gear and finish writing my Princess Tutu fanfic I'm working on. Note to self- do not go buy manga to read when you're supposed to be writing. Very dangerous. I bought a series called Time Guardian. It's only two volumes, but I thought it was cute…

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto & characteres already!!! SHEESH!


3. Shadow

After the other three had left, Sasuke examined the gifts. The figurine from Sakura looked surprisingly like Kuroi.

Sasuke spent more time looking at the kunai, turning it over and over in his hands. At first glance, it looked like a regular kunai, but when you looked closer, small symbols could be seen on the binding of the handle.

Sasuke twirled the blade absentmindedly between his fingers, then got up, deciding to go see what the blade could do.


Unsure of where to begin when he reached the practice area, Sasuke experimentally tried outing chakra into the blade. Looking for a target, he flicked it at a nearby tree. He was not expecting what happened next. The kunai glowed red and a small ball of fire flared at the end. When the knife hit the tree, it burned a hole right through the tree. Sasuke walked over and touched the smoking trunk.

I get it…the chakra is turned to fire, and concentrated at the point. Because the fire was so intense, it burned through only the target it was shot at, in less than a second. It's like a flaming bullet.

Sasuke retrieved the tool and practiced a while more, then headed back home.

When he got inside he didn't see Kuroi anywhere, but it didn't bother him. If the cat had decided to leave, oh well. If she did, he wouldn't have to worry about feeding her.

Sasuke ate and went to bed.


When Sasuke woke up, Kuroi was curled up on a spot near him. When he got out of bed she stretched, sitting up slowly, once again observing Sasuke as he walked around, getting ready to go out for the day. When Sasuke closed his door, the last thing he saw was the little black cat.

Sasuke walked to the bridge slowly, still arriving first, and rested back against it. Sakura came a few minutes later. When she saw him, though, she looked confused.

"Sasuke…? Why did you bring Kuroi...?"

Sasuke looked behind his shoulder to see Kuroi right behind him.

"I didn't." He said shortly, "She must have followed me again."

Not sure whether it would work, Sasuke pointed at the ground; and, whether she understood or just felt like it, Kuroi jumped down to sit by his feet.

"That's weird!" Sakura said, "Cats don't usually obey commands."

"Hey! What's the cat doing here?" Naruto came up, looking annoyed.

"She followed Sasuke." Sakura said, smiling.

Kuroi noticed Naruto and hissed, annoying him even more. He jabbed a finger at the cat.

"HEY!! WATCH IT! YOU'RE HISSING AT THE NEXT HOKAGE!"

Sakura shook her head, sighing in exasperation.

Kuroi ignored him completely.

Kakashi appeared to find Naruto yelling at a cat.

"Naruto calm down. It's embarrassing when you shout in public like that. And to a cat, no less."

"BUT-BUT-" Naruto spluttered.

"Just deal with it. We're going to be doing a lot of training for a while, so I don't want to hear any complaints."

Naruto kept pouting as they walked to the training grounds.

Sasuke was afraid Kuroi would trip him up if she continued to shadow him, but when they reached the practice area, she stopped and sat at the base of a large tree, watching as usual.

Sasuke fought until he was sweaty and tired. When he headed home, he didn't even look to see if Kuroi was following him or not. When he opened his apartment door, she was already there, staring at him again, as though she had never left at all.

Sasuke was fixing some dinner when curiosity got to him. He looked at the cat, who had not moved much since he had come home. He gave a slight jerking motion with his head that was very subtle. Immediately, Kuroi jumped up onto the counter he was leaning against. When he stretched out his hand a little, she rubbed against it happily.

When he put his arm down, she stopped instantly, gazing at him solemnly. To anyone else, this would have been unnerving, having a cat stare so intently, but Sasuke was an Uchiha.

Accepting it, Sasuke quietly ate and went to bed.


It became normal for Team 7 to see Kuroi following Sasuke. She usually stayed inside the outline of his shadow, only leaving it when he had to do something like training. As she always stayed silent, no one noticed her, because her dark fur blended well with the shadows.

In turn, she became tolerant of Naruto, which came as a great relief to everyone else, who were glad Naruto didn't yell at a cat any more.

Sasuke grew accustomed also to giving the cat commands. He never had to feed or clean up after her, and she never tried to show affection unless he held out his hand; basically she respected his space. While Sasuke had not known animals capable of that, he was comfortable with it.


One particular night, Sasuke stayed out a little longer than usual to train. By the time he got back it was pouring outside and he had gotten thoroughly soaked.

Feeling not as well as he had earlier, the young Uchiha went to bed early.


Sasuke had a rough night. He woke up many times shivering so hard he could hardly move, his teeth chattering.

He tossed and turned, waiting impatiently for morning.


Morning brought no relief. He still shivered, and now he was half fainted from lack of sleep. In such a state, he didn't notice the little black shadow, which was Kuroi. She took one last look at him as he let out a shivering sigh, then slipped out an open window.

Naruto was very surprised when no one was at the bridge when he got there.

"Huh? Where's Sasuke?" He said out loud, and began searching for said Uchiha; because Sasuke being late for training is like Naruto disliking ramen-impossible.

So, when Sakura arrived, she found Naruto with his head down a trash can.

"Naruto, what are you doing? And where's Sasuke?"

"That's what I'm trying to figure out. He wasn't here when I got here." Naruto had finally stopped searching and was sitting there confused.

His words threw Sakura off. "H-huh? But Sasuke's always here!"

"Yeah! I know!"

Kakashi chose this moment to arrive. "Yo!" He called, waving a hand as he appeared.

"Kakashi-sensei," Sakura said, looking worried, "on your way here did you see Sasuke? He's not here yet…"

"Hmmm, can't say that I did. He's late, you say?"

"Hey, look!" Naruto pointed.

Sakura sighed, "Naruto this isn't the time for-wait that's Kuroi!"

The cat was sitting on the railing of the bridge, looking intensely at them. When Sakura walked over to her, the cat jumped down and started walking back the way she had come, stopping to look at them.

"I think she wants us to follow." Kakashi said, and they went after the feline.


The three of them went through the window, finding the door locked, and Naruto nearly crashed through and broke it.

Kakashi shook his head when he saw Sasuke. "We won't be doing anything as Team 7 today, it looks like."

Sakura looked around for more blankets to throw on top of Sasuke's bed.

Slowly, his shivering stopped and his breathing evened out. Kakashi watched him for a moment before turning to Sakura.

"For today, I want you to take care of Sasuke, Sakura. It's not too serious, just the flu, so he doesn't need to go to the hospital. Just make sure he gets better instead of worse."

"I got it." Sakura said seriously, but Inner Sakura was partying.

I get to nurse Sasuke back to health!! Take THAT Ino!! CHA!!!!

"Well then, we'll be going. See you." Kakashi and Naruto left, this time using the door. "Take care of Sasuke."


A/n: Sorry, SasuSaku fans, don't get your hopes up.