DISCLAIMER: I do not own Naruto.

I really like this chapter, it's mostly Sakura's POV and Edena's… but mostly Sakura's.

So yeah.

Sakura finished brushing her teeth just when Edena walked through the door. Her eyes were red and puffy, and streaks from running tears trailed her cheeks. Edena had been crying.

Sakura tried not to take notice of her, drawing her attention towards her toiletry bag. She rummaged through the stacks of tissues, moisturizer and concealer (which Ino had given to her for her birthday) before finally grasping the familiar sleek form of her face wash. She thought about giving one of the tissues to Edena, but thought otherwise when it was clear she wasn't going to say anything. Sasuke followed slowly, carrying a toothbrush with him.

The pink-haired kunoichi dampened her face, applying the cleansing mixture to her skin, allowing the cool feeling to captivate her momentarily. She had always secretly adored the feeling of body creams, something she had never told anyone due to her own embarrassment.

Edena stayed silent, slowly bringing her comb downwards in an attempt to tame her wild, wavy hair. Unsuccessfully, might I add. That was probably because she was feeling pretty shaken after seeing Sasuke flailing around on the floor, almost as if he had no control over his own body. The spasms…

Sasuke leant against the wall, waiting for the girls to finish. He didn't mid the silence. He actually thought they weren't talking because they thought he was gay.

Sakura watched Edena for a few brief seconds, trying to avert her eyes from the dazed teen beside her. What had gotten into her? She had been pretty quiet the entire time, not like when they first met. As a matter of fact, Edena had been quite irritating back then. She was suddenly so still, or maybe sad?

But it wasn't her business. It wasn't her problem. Sakura had some pretty complicated things on her own plate, and despite her kind heart, she really couldn't deal with anybody else's worries. Still, it was hard to see another girl her age acting so distraught. Why was she crying in the first place? Was it because of the incident earlier with Sasuke? Did she share the same feelings with this strange new girl about the Uchiha?

She shook her head, something that didn't go unnoticed by Edena. How could she be thinking like that? She was trying to be friends with Sasuke, anyway, so what did it matter if another girl liked him? Knowing the raven-head, it wasn't like he would return the same feelings. He never did.

Sakura noticed Edena staring at her. "What is it?"

Edena shrank back slightly, making her feel guilty. "N-nothing, you just seemed very deep in thought for someone washing their face."

Sakura flushed, forcing a sweet smile onto her lips. "Ha, oh, yeah. It's nothing, I'm just tired."

Yes, she was tired. Tired of all the complications she faced, day by day. Edena sensed that conversation wasn't appropriate at that time.

Sakura laughed once, making the other two cast her strange glances. Curse the way of the ninja; she had been raised to be cautious always, never letting her guard down. Always suspicious of every little thing. Although, Kakashi had said that suspicion was usually caused by something other than paranoia, something that may or may not really be there.

She rolled her eyes at herself in the crystal-clear mirror. "You truly have become a ninja, haven't you?" she giggled, flicking a stray hair back into place. The act reminded her that she needed to brush her hair, to get rid of any excess dirt that would have surely gotten stuck in her locks while racing through the trees. She picked up her hairbrush and ran it through her hair.

She had gotten into a sort of routine when it came to her hair care. First, she would brush the right side. Then the left. After that, she had to apply a special mixture conjured up one day by her and Hinata in the experimentation lab at the hospital, which had given one lucky rat some very smooth hair. That was one of the only times she had ever really clicked with the Hyuga heiress. Hinata wasn't very good with people, Sakura figured, with the way she was always fidgeting and stuttering in large groups.

She wasn't obsessed with her hair or anything. Not like she had been when she was younger, anyway. Always fretting over her looks, becoming distressed over a minor blemish or impurity that might rear its head. All for Sasuke, too.

She raised an amused eyebrow as she examined her hair. It had meant so much to her back then. She started to feel a little nostalgic, thinking about the days when she and Ino would have dumb fights over the affection of Sasuke Uchiha. She eyed the spacing-out raven-head through the safety of the mirror. When Ino had skipped giddily over to her one lunch break at the academy, gushing about the newfound fact that Sasuke liked girls with long hair, she felt so disgusted by her looks that she tried to use her father's hair growth formula to lengthen her own mane. She grimaced, remembering how she had been scolded. Sasuke made eye contact with her momentarily before Sakura jerked her head back to facing her own reflection.

What a fool she had been.

Sakura placed a hand on her hip, leaning on her left leg. In the Forest of Death during the Chunin exams, she had been so proud of herself when she cut her hair to save her friends. She felt so useful, that for once she was helping instead of slowing everyone else down. Even so, for months she was revolted by the mere sight of her short hair. It made her feel one step farther from making Sasuke hers, one inch lower down the mountain every girl was trying to climb to reach the top to his love.

And still it would have to take a mountain for anyone to be good enough for him, she thought bitterly. Thinking back to when Edena and Sasuke had been smiling at each other in the detention centre though, she started to think otherwise. Edena had long hair…

Could it be true? Did he really prefer long hair over short?

Well, it didn't matter anyway. She didn't want him to start liking her right when she decided she didn't need him anymore. Well, she did need him, but to be there for her as a friend. Just as she would do for him. It's not like Sasuke was looking for a relationship, and even if he was, she was sure he wouldn't be that shallow.

She furrowed her eyebrows a little bit. She was still a bit curious as to whether he had a hair penchant.

Sakura heard a low chuckle from behind her. Instantly, her hand froze in a tangle of her pink locks when Kakashi strolled in. He had that look in his eyes; the one when he was going to try and cover up a bad situation with dry humour. Naruto followed with a grim expression hiding behind his eyes.

Sakura gulped.

"Sorry to interrupt, I did knock but it seems you were too busy admiring yourself to realize," he said nonchalantly.

She blushed. "I wasn't admiring myself, simply getting ready for bed."

"I never did understand the point of that," he began. "I mean, you really aren't going anywhere, so why get all dressed up? Unless you already know the change of sleeping plans."

Sakura scowled, preparing a rude comment when she realized what her sensei had said. "What do you mean?"

His one visible eye drooped slightly, but the brief emotion passed like a flicker in a fire. "Well, here's the thing; I'm sure you already know all the unfortunate mishaps that have occurred have left only three beds to sleep in," he paused to examine her facial expression – which was completely blank – and continued, "well, I've decided that there is only one solution to this, unless someone is kind enough to give up their place on a comfy mattress. One boy will have to sleep with the two girls."

It was evident, simply by the contorted expression on Sakura's face, that she was imagining all the 'unfortunate mishaps' that could just as easily occur with this arrangement, some with more permanent results.

Kakashi took a deep breath, preparing for the verbal onslaught that was sure to come. "Sasuke will be sleeping with you and Edena."

Sakura felt the blood drain from her face, leaving her as pale as a ghost. It couldn't be. How could Kakashi do that to her?

"Sasuke is going to sleep with us?" Edena scoffed. She had made up the whole gay thing, knowing the guy was straight as an arrow. She'd taken notice of the fact that really good friends tended to make fun of each other, and then laugh about it or act likes it's a fun thing to do. The brown-haired kunoichi figured doing that to Sasuke would seal their newly established friendship.

Kakashi nodded. "Is that okay with everyone?"

Edena nodded. Sasuke glowered at the man once again. "Is this because you think I'm gay?" his voice wasn't as threatening as before, having learnt his lesson.

"Partly," Kakashi droned, "and partly because Naruto isn't comfortable sleeping in the same bed as you." Naruto threw his hands up to cover his face instinctively, then shuffled his feet on the floor. He received glares from all three of the others.

"Well sorry for worrying about my purity!"

"That's disgusting, you loser!" Sasuke yelled.

"I know, that's why I don't want you to sleep with me!"

Sasuke growled, smirking. "I wouldn't sleep with you if my life depended on it, moron!"

The two scowled at each other. You could almost see the static between their stares.

Sakura was glued into place, her eyes distant. She was trying to wrap her head around the fact that she was going to be sleeping right next to the man she had loved for nearly her whole life, and was now trying to befriend. It was hard enough for her to act normal around him again, and the whole being-next-to-each-other-all-night thing hadn't been on her friend making checklist.

Kakashi mumbled to himself, grabbing his pillow. He was going to need some earplugs if he was going to get any sleep at all, so he left the two teens to sort out their differences using good 'ol violence. Mainly because Sasuke couldn't do anything about it

"No…" she trailed off. Every inch of her suddenly felt weak. Sakura tried to clear her head. What are you doing? Stop acting so childish, it's just sharing a place to sleep! The inner Sakura cried desperately, if you faint here you'll never live it down, let alone be able to be friends with Sasuke! Pull yourself together…

She didn't need any more encouragement. Sakura knew her inner voice was right, and she would have to just grin and bear it like a true shinobi. She was all at once aware that Kakashi was keeping her steady from falling to the ground, shaking him off violently.

"I'm fine, sensei. That's okay, I don't mind," she tried to reassure him, and partly herself.

The Jonin narrowed his eyes, carefully inspecting his student. She clearly was not fine, and was not okay with it all. He really didn't think she would respond this way. How could he be so ignorant towards her feelings? He felt a firm grip on his shoulder, raising his head to meet the gaze of two determined, pale-green eyes.

"Sensei, really. I'm a ninja, a Chunin of the leaf village. I've dealt with way worse things than this." She smiled wholeheartedly, something she hadn't done in far too long. Her cheeks felt tight and her lips cracked at the edges, but it was a real smile that she couldn't take away as easily as the fake ones.

Sasuke pouted. Was it really so bad to sleep next to him? Not that he cared.

"Okay then," the Jounin replied hesitantly, nodding in dismissal. Of course she could deal with it. She was grown up enough to be mature about the situation.

So he went to his bathroom clutching his pillow, preparing for bed, just in a simpler way than the Sakura had.

Sasuke was sitting on the side of the bed when she emerged from her bathroom. He had decided to leave Sakura there alone after Kakashi's announcement, forgetting about his own hygiene. It had taken her ages to pluck up the courage to leave the safety of its tile walls, something that was strangely reassuring to her, like a mother's hug. That was probably because Sasuke was on the other side of them, though.

Edena was sitting beside him, which made Sakura's stomach tighten. She grit her teeth, telling herself to stop being so childish. Trudging over to the other side of the mauve bed, she dropped her bag, eyeing Edena with chagrin. What Sakura didn't know was that Edena had been apologizing for her childishness, not making some sort of move on him.

Sasuke glanced at Sakura. She thought she could see a slight tint to his cheeks, but he had turned away too fast for her to be sure. It was probably just a trick of the light.

He cleared his throat, only succeeding to make the whole predicament more awkward. "I'll sleep on the floor," he stated. His tone suggested that this decision was non-negotiable.

"What? No, that's not fair!" Sakura protested, remembering his writhing form caused by that horrid microchip.

He grunted. "It's not like I need any special treatment."

Edena balled her hands into fists and stood defiantly beside Sakura. "Not after that, you need a good night's sleep!" Sakura was startled by the sudden burst of energy. The other kunoichi didn't like Edena standing next to her as if they were on some sort of team, but she couldn't complain when someone was agreeing with her. It was in her nature to allow as many people to back her up as possible.

Sasuke heaved a long sigh, as if he were dealing with a couple of rowdy children after a long day at work. "Shut up, I don't need your charity," he barked gruffly. It was clear he wasn't in the mood for an argument. It was also clear he didn't know how to talk to children.

Sakura folded her arms. "Listen Sasuke, I'm going to feel guilty all night if you have to sleep on the floor like a dog," she cried hotly, alerting Naruto next door. He quickly ran to the room to see what the fuss was about, making his entry loud and proud, as always. He asked what was going on so flamboyantly that even the dead would be unnerved, turning in their graves. He really did have a shrill annoying voice. It's not like he needed to make it any louder than usual.

Sasuke winced as the sound reached his ears. Edena grimaced, as did Sakura. "Naruto, it's late," the latter hissed, "keep it down."

He rubbed his neck apologetically. "I could hear you guys through the wall, though, so shouldn't you quiet down a little also?" For some reason, it always seemed like whenever Naruto did something wrong it was ten times worse than when anybody else did it.

"Sasuke insists upon sleeping on the floor," Edena informed him patiently. She actually enjoyed the company of the rambunctious kid, even when he was being unnecessarily vulgar.

Naruto's voice became an octave lower, to their relief. "Wha! That's stupid, why don't you just sleep with the girls? I mean, you certainly need it after… that."

Said Uchiha groaned. They kept telling him he needed some peace, yet they refused to give him any. Darn Leaf Villagers. "It makes everyone uncomfortable," he reasoned.

Nobody could argue with that. Naruto definitely didn't want the bastard sleeping next to Sakura, even though it was his own fault he was… Sakura didn't feel like sleeping next to someone she had taken years to get over… and Edena was still innocent. Sleeping with guys was out of the question. Plus, Sakura intimidated the hell out of her. Regardless, it was unfair for him to have to sleep on the plain floor. Sakura was a lot of things, but she wasn't cruel.

"I'll sleep on the floor," she decided.

"That doesn't make any sense," Sasuke spat, trying to keep his temper under control. "It would defeat the whole purpose of separating the girls from the guy."

"Well it makes more sense than you having to sleep in cold, hard wood after having god-know-how-many volts of electricity coursing through your veins," she retorted, equally as irate.

"Why doesn't Sasuke sleep with Kakashi and I sleep here?" Naruto offered. The three remaining teens looked from one to the other, than answered with a short but firm "Hell no". Naruto sleeping with two girls? After spending years training under Jiraiya? Not likely.

Edena hummed quietly to herself, then she was struck by such an obvious solution, she could have slapped herself. "Wait, Kakashi has a couch, right?" Naruto nodded. "Well, how about we ask if we can borrow the cushions, then set up an area for one of us to sleep on. Then there will be more space between Sasuke and whoever else sleeps on the bed, and it's less weird." Sakura juggled the idea in her mind, thinking of the benefits. It did sound better than all three of them squishing together, getting in the others' personal space, and feeling their…

Yeah. It was better, alright.

"That's a good idea," Sakura acknowledged, "but who will sleep there? You or me?" Sasuke remained quiet. Partly because he was close to passing out on the spot, and partly because he didn't mind the idea, though it did puncture his pride.

Edena shrugged. "I will." Sakura bit her lip. She didn't want to make the other girl endure a restless night. On the other hand, she was being given the chance to sleep next to Sasuke. Sasuke Uchiha. Sure, they were going to be friends. But what was a harmless crush to a friendship, especially if it was a secret one?

"Okay," she smiled, "only if you're sure." Edena nodded, and hurried out of the room with Naruto to grab the cushions. Sakura and Sasuke were left alone in the room, sitting quietly on the pale purple bedcovers. Hey, Sakura was a lot of things. Selfish was one of them.

The night was still, the outside world quiet. It was a very peaceful night. The only sound that could be heard Edena's breathing. She seemed to be the only one there having a nice sleep, surprisingly.

Sakura couldn't get her mind to stop bustling. Sasuke was so close, his body was so warm. She wanted to roll over and wrap her arms around him, and for him to do the same, where they would lay there in each other's embrace until the sun rose over the horizon. Just holding each other. She craved his touch.

But that was not going to happen; Sasuke wasn't going to return her emotions. She tightened her eyelids shut when she heard the Uchiha shuffle uncomfortably on the other side of the bed.

So close, yet so far.

Though he was eerily silent, Sakura knew he was awake. His breathing was close to mute, but it was there, and it was uneven. Not like the calm lullaby of a slumber-engulfed teenager, what he should have been breathing like. The truth is, Sasuke was unbearably tired. But he just couldn't sleep. He finally started to feel his lids getting heavy, and to his relief, he began the slow journey into siesta…

"Sasuke?" Sakura's voice rang out softly. Despite her efforts to be quiet, the sudden noise in the tranquil room could have easily resembled that of a trash can dropping three storeys to the ground.

"What?" he asked cantankerously. He was trying to sleep.

She vacillated, deterred by his rash response. "U-um, can I ask you something?"

That question was one that had always bothered him. There was really no need to ask whether or not you could ask a question in his opinion. Besides, she could have easily asked whatever it was she needed within the same duration it took her to ask about asking a question. It was quite exasperating.

"I'm not going to stop you," he hissed, raising his voice.

Sakura bit her lip once more. "Sorry, I was just wondering…" it took her so long to continue her sentence, Sasuke started to wonder if she had dozed off. "Do you prefer… long mph do st…?"

Sasuke growled. "Speak up, I can't hear you."

She swallowed audibly. "Do you like girls with long or short hair better?"

He paused. That was her question? She had broken the serene silence of the night to ask him THAT?

He let out a long sigh. "I don't care!" he snarled, then turned away from her.

That was the last thing they said to each other that night.

...

Phew, that took a while. This is the longest chapter yet, I hope it isn't a bother.

I'm sorry for the way Sasuke acted towards Sakura, he was super tired and his mind was blurry…

Don't blame me, blame him. Do you guys like longer chapters? Let me know, because I like writing longer ones too.

Well, please review and let me know what you think. SAYONARA~