A/N: Okay, I'm sorry I have not updated in forever and forever… I've had a lot of problems going on at home including the obvious—school. The other problems were my mom breaking her toe by dropping one of my dad's 10-pound weights on it, then dropping boiling water on the same leg (it's a first-degree burn), my grandma on my dad's side broke her back and had to get an operation, and my grandpa, on my mother's side, just had a heart attack. And I think my mom broke her fingers by slamming them in a car door. -rolls eyes- all of this was in a time period of a month, no less :) I guess my family has really bad luck this year…

But anyway, since I haven't written this in forever, I had writer's block, so I decided to do a little time skip… to give myself breathing room P lol… And there's some hints about InoxShika (if you have any problem with that couple, flame me, so I'll stop :P … I don't really know whether I like writing that couple, so don't be afraid to speak your opinion on it) Anyway, enjoy:D

Chapter 7 – Danger

Sakura sighed as Ino continuously spoke about some incident she had on a mission. Apparently she had embarrassed herself in front of Shikamaru. . . somehow. Ino still wouldn't tell her what exactly happened, only what happened afterwards.

"Ino-pig, can you keep you mouth shut for two minutes!" Sakura suddenly shouted, unable to hide her irritated emotions under the surface anymore. "Gosh, I'm trying to think!"

"Gee, billboard-brow, if you had a problem, you should have said it sooner," Ino commented angrily. Then her mood suddenly changed. "Wait! What are you trying to think about? Sasuke? Ooh, tell me! What'd he say?"

Sakura glared. "Nothing! I don't like him that way anymore, okay?! It's just. . . he doesn't seem to. . . want to talk to me anymore. . ."

"You mean, he dumped you?"

"He never had me, you idiot!" She paused sadly. "I just thought we could be friends since he came back. . . but now he's starting to close up again."

Ino shrugged. "At least, you got him back here at all."

"I guess. . ." Sakura stared at her feet after cupping her cheek in her hand. "He doesn't seem to be thankful that I risked my life for him. . ."

Once again, shrugging, Ino smiled. "Well, you know Sasuke. It embarrasses him to be himself with even his closest friends. I think we all know that by now."

Naruto knocked on the door of Sasuke's real home in the Uchiha residence. "Hey, Sasuke! Want to go eat ramen with me?!"

"No, dobe, go away," Sasuke's irritated voice said.

"But, Sasuke, you've been in there all alone for so long! Come out already!" Naruto banged on the door again.

The door opened suddenly. "I'm trying to think," explained Sasuke, a troubled expression on his face.

Naruto grinned. "What'd I say that made you come out? Huh? Huh?"

"Nothing. I just wanted to come out."

Naruto laughed, and tugged an annoyed Sasuke by the arm before he had the chance to close the door again. "Oh, come on! I said something! What'd I say, so I can say it again next time you won't listen to me?"

"Nothing, dobe!" Sasuke scowled.

Remembering his words, Naruto attempted to find out on his own. "Oh! I know what it was, Sasuke-teme! You don't like to be alone!"

Sasuke scowled even more, but did not answer.

"Ha! That's it! I'll remember that!"

After walking a while, the two friends reached the Ichiraku noodle shop, and ignored stares from the other villagers there. Ordering himself ramen, Naruto casually asked Sasuke if he wanted some. Sasuke merely shrugged, so the blonde Shinobi got him some anyway.

"So, Sasuke," Naruto began between sips of ramen. "Just what were you trying to think about back there?"

"You and Sakura," Sasuke replied vaguely, obviously not wanting to say more.

Naruto grinned. "Really?! What for?!"

The Uchiha shook his head. "Never mind."

Naruto eyed Sasuke's untouched ramen. "Hey, Sasuke? Are you gonna eat that?" he asked curiously when he had finished his own.

Sasuke smirked and handed it over. "Here, you can have it."

Happily eating the ramen in almost one gulp, Naruto glanced at Sasuke. The raven-haired Uchiha had a troubled look on his face again, and Naruto couldn't help but wonder. . . what had happened. "What's wrong, Sasuke?"

He shrugged and refused to say more.

Since Naruto could think of nothing to say, silence engulfed Ichiraku, and neitiher of them could break it. . . until Sasuke finally found courage to speak up.

"Is Sakura mad at me?"

Nearly choking on his ramen, Naruto let out a small laugh, but stopped immediately after seeing Sasuke's glare. "No! She's not mad at you, Sasuke-teme!" Naruto explained. "She thinks you're mad at her. . . since you don't talk to her anymore."

"I killed her parents." Sasuke didn't even dare to glance at Naruto.

"This again? Sasuke-teme, how many times do I have to tell you—Orochimarukilled her parents!"

No reply.

"Sasuke," Naruto continued, "she doesn't care. She just wants to be your friend again." He smiled happily, and was about to pay for his seven bowls of ramen when Sasuke stopped him.

"I'll pay for it, dobe," he stated.

"But—"

"It's the least I can do to begin thanking you."

Naruto shook his head. "You have no reason to thank me!"

"Whatever, I'm still paying," Sasuke said and handed over the money before Naruto could protest again.

"Hey, Sakura. Come eat at my house," Ino said suddenly. "You're all alone here."

Sakura smiled. "Thanks for the offer, Ino, but I was gonna talk to Sasuke-kun tonight."

"No, let Sasuke-kun come to you first, silly," Ino argued. "That's how allromantic relationships work!"

Sakura groaned angrily. "For the last time, Ino-pig! I'm notin love with him!"

Ino shrugged. "Fine, but you're still eating dinner at my house. Kay?"

Sakura nodded in agreement after a moment's hesitation, and allowed Ino to pull her outside, and down the streets of Konoha. The sun was beginning to set, and the sky was transforming from gray to pink and purple.

Suddenly out of the corner of her eye, Sakura saw Ino start fidgeting and looking at the ground nervously.

"Hello, Sakura and Ino," greeted a bored voice.

Sakura glanced up to see Shikamaru, who seemed as though he wanted to get home as quickly as possible in order to go to sleep. "Hi, Shikamaru," she said cheerfully.

Ino still hadn't looked up, and Sakura remembered Ino rambling about some "embarrassing moment" that happened between her and Shikamaru.

"Hi,Ino," Shikamaru said again, attempting to gain her attention. "What's with the blush?"

Ino finally looked at her teammate and glared angrily. "I'm not blushing!"

"Your cheeks are red, though. . ."

"I'mnot blushing! It's the sunset! Everyone looks like they're blushing in the sunset!"

Shikamaru shrugged as he walked off. "Sakura's not blushing."

"You know what?! I hate you Shikamaru! You're such a jerk!" Ino yelled after him.

Shikamaru stopped walking as his shoulders lifted and fell in an aggravated sigh. "Women are so troublesome. At one minute, they're blushing, and, the next, they're telling you that they hate you."

"Iwasn't blushing!"

Sakura giggled when Shikamaru had finally left. "Ino, you're silly."

"Watch it, billboard-brow," Ino warned.

After beginning to walk toward Ino's house again, Sakura glanced in Ino's direction. "So. . . what exactly did happen between you and Shikamaru anyway?" she asked curiously.

Ino seemed to smirk, but it was hard to tell due to the "sunset." "Well. . ." she began slowly.

"Oh, come on, Tsunade. Sasuke has been here for over two months now. There's not a single sign of Orochimaru in him." Kakashi waited patiently for Tsunade to agree with him.

But she was already shaking her head. "That's what Orochimaru would want us to think. . . He would want us to lower our guards. He could still be inside Sasuke, just waiting for the right opportunity.

"But you told me that Sakura used the forbidden seal on him, didn't you?" Kakashi questioned. "Orochimaru shouldn't still be alive."

"Sakura did say that she used the seal, but. . ." Tsunade paused. "She knew that I understood the seal would kill Orochimaru. Maybe she lied to erase all suspicions on him."

Kakashi shook his head. "No, I don't think Sakura would lie about it. Besides, what other seal do you think could have accomplished what Sakura did?"

Tsunade agreed that there was no other seal than the forbidden one, that would have worked, but. . . "Still, Kakashi, I'm not allowing the ANBU to stop following Sasuke. And I'm definitely not allowing him to regain his status as a Shinobi."

Sighing in defeat, Kakashi began to exit the room.

"Wait, Kakashi," the Hokage suddenly said.

Kakashi stopped to listen.

"It's true that the forbidden seal shouldhave killed Orochimaru," Tsunade explained. "But. . . it's been forbidden for Shinobi to use for so long. . . How can anyone really know anymore?"

Kakashi nodded. "I understand." He needed to go explain this situation to Sasuke now. Secrets between him, the Hokage, and the Elders had been kept from the Uchiha for too long. It was time for Sasuke to understand. . . that he was in great danger.

A/N: So! How'd you like it? Excuse my errors… I didn't really edit… :-) Remember how Sasuke was going to tell Sakura something in the last chapter? Well, I changed my mind… sorry… you won't find out until some of the last chapters… but anyway…

I had a good idea for a plot on this when I first started writing it, but… I think that was what was giving me writer's block in the first place. So I changed the plot entirely (the plot really hasn't started in this fic yet… it's just been touched by the end of this chapter). If anyone thinks something about this chapter was really awkward, then tell me, so I can kinda blend my change of plans until it doesn't seem so awkward.

Thanks, you guys!! You're awesome:) And if you're wondering why I haven't thanked anyone for reviewing or stuff on the A/N's yet, I can explain. I'll thank everyone at the last chapter, which is still a long ways off. Thanks again! I'll try to update soon for you all:) as long as I have no more family accidents :P lol. CYA!