Tsunade, after trying futilely to communicate with Naruto and the mysterious green cat, finally gives up. "You know, maybe you guys should go to Jiraiya or Kakashi. Someone who can possibly understand you. I'm not so great at communicating with animals other than Katsuyu."
So Naruto and Lee leave to find either Kakashi or Jiraiya. They travel through the village together. On the way, they meet up again with the other cats. So they all search.
"Look, it's Ichiraku." Naruto sighs nostalgically. "Aw, man, what I would do for a nice hot bowl of ramen right now. …Hey, wait a minute. What's that on the counter?"
Sakura squints to see it, since they are a good distance away. "It looks like…"
"Sasuke!" She and Naruto cry at the same time. They run over to the bar, and see Sasuke sitting on the counter happily. Naruto whispers to him from under the counter.
"Sasuke, what are you doing?!" Naruto demands. He then notices that Sasuke has a collar. It says Ichiraku Ramen Bar.
"…Why are you wearing that?"
Sasuke stares blankly at him. One of the itamae then comes over. He pats Sasuke lightly while waiting for the ramen to cook. He then continues preparing food for customers.
"What are you, their pet?"
Sakura sighs. "Sasuke, you can't stay here. You have to help us find a way to turn back into humans."
She hops up onto the counter beside him. He hisses at her, and moves away. She follows him persistently. "Sasuke, you know you don't belong here."
He refuses to look at her. He walks across the counter, Sakura right behind him.
"Hey, why is there another cat here?" The cooks ask.
"I think Scruffles has a friend. That's so cute!"
Sasuke leaps off the counter to get away from Sakura. She jumps down, and chases after him. "Sasuke, why are you running from me? Come on!"
He runs away into another shop. He sneaks through the doorway just as the door is closing. Sakura sighs and looks helplessly up at the doorknob. "…Oh man, I wish I had thumbs right now." She has to wait until someone leaves the shop before she can get in.
By the time she gets inside, Sasuke is nowhere to be seen. She looks around, and doesn't see him anywhere. All she sees are some people, a few chairs, a shopkeeper coming toward her…
"A cat?" The shopkeeper looks at Sakura, horrified. "I can't have dirty, flea-bitten animals in here!"
"Excuse me?" Sakura starts to protest, uselessly. Then she sees the shopkeeper grab something – a broom. He comes after Sakura with it.
"Shoo, you stupid stray! Get out of here!" He swings the broom at her. She runs for her life, only barely making it out the door. When she is safe, and far away from the shop door, she remembers Sasuke.
"Gah…! How could I forget about him?!" She then hears yelling from inside the store.
"Another one? Why are you all in my shop?? Get out!!" The door swings open, and with one swift kick, Sasuke is sent flying out the door. He crash-lands a few meters from Sakura. He rubs his head with his paw, and stands up, dazed. He then sees Sakura.
"Sasuke…are you okay?" She asks him.
He stares at her for a moment. She steps toward him. "Sasuke…"
Sasuke makes a low groaning noise. He can almost remember her, but not quite…
"Sasuke, you have to come to your senses. Please."
