DNON

Thanks so much, Sakura's Indecision, for all the editing this week. You are super!

Hmm, here's another great story I'm hooked on—maybe you'll like it too. It's called- The Butterfly Effect- by The Scarlett Ribbon–Great story!-check it out.

Hey, I'm going to close my poll about the sequel to Wasted Days and Wasted Nights soon. So if you want to get have a say in the main man get your vote in quickly!

Enjoy,

K&K

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Gravity

Chapter 11-Grounded

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Team Seven waited outside while Sakura went up to Ino's apartment. She banged on the door and called to her friend.

"Little Pig, little Pig, let me in."

The door opened a crack and Ino stuck her head out. Her hair was unbound and mussed and her cheeks were flushed.

"Hey, Forehead!" She grinned, tying the sash on her robe. "You finally back? Oh! Did you hear about your house? I was sorry to hear about it, but at least you're safe."

"Yes, that's why I'm here. I-"

"I haven't heard any information about who might have done it," Ino interrupted, "but I'll keep my ear to the ground. People can't just go around torching houses without getting caught."

"That's not why I'm here," Sakura told her. "I need a place to stay for a while. Tsunade thinks that maybe someone is targeting me and she refuses to let me stay by myself in case it's not over yet."

"Sorry about that, Sak, but…" Ino smiled slyly, "you see…Shika's here with me and there's just the one bed and..."

Sakura didn't care if she had to sleep on the floor. "So?"

"He's naked."

A loud thump came from inside Ino's apartment.

"Damn it, woman!" an angry Nara growled from behind the door. "You didn't have to tell her that!"

"So, now you see why I can't have you sleep over. Maybe you can stay with Naruto or Kakashi."

"Thanks a lot, Pig."

"I'll catch you tomorrow and give you all the details," Ino whispered loudly behind her hand, grinning and winking.

"Oi, you troublesome woman!" Shikamaru yelled. "You'll do no such thing!"

"Yeah, I don't need to hear those details, Pig. Sorry, Shika!" she yelled through the door. "I'll talk to youtomorrow, Ino."

Sakura walked slowly back downstairs to where her team waited.

"So?" Kakashi questioned.

"She already has an overnight guest." She blushed when they stared at her. "And three's a crowd."

Naruto started laughing. "You can sleep in my bed, Sakura-chan."

Kakashi smacked him upside the head.

"Ow! Hey! I would take the couch," he defended himself.

"There's plenty of space in the Uchiha district. She'll stay with me." Sasuke walked away before she could object.

Kakashi stopped her from protesting, "Sakura-chan, he's right. There are a lot of empty houses there and it would be safer than the risk of infection from the many science experiments growing on Naruto's floor."

"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?"

"You're a slob, Naruto. If there was such a place as a germ factory, then you would be a giant of industry," Kakashi teased, bringing a small smile to Sakura's face.

Naruto didn't know if that was a compliment or an insult, so he scratched his head and kept quiet.

"Come on, already," Sasuke insisted. "I would like to get some sleep. I have a briefing tonight for my next mission." Sasuke turned toward his home and Sakura reluctantly followed, bidding the others goodbye.

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Sakura quietly followed Sasuke through the deserted streets of the Uchiha District. They were getting closer and closer to his house and she was getting an ominous feeling.

"Uh…Sasuke-kun? I thought I might be able to stay in one of those empty houses." She pointed at them as they passed. "I can clean one of them up for you."

"No. The Hokage said she didn't want you alone. There are empty rooms in my house. The electric and water is off in most of those other houses, so you'll be more comfortable in my house."

Somehow, Sakura didn't really think so. She trailed her stoic teammate with a defeated sigh.

Sasuke was pleased when she'd finally given in—with Kakashi's urging. He felt better having Sakura close while he got to the bottom of this business with whoever was threatening her.

Besides, he didn't want her at the Dobe's house with him touching her all the time. His eye twitched when he thought about the Dobe trying to snuggle up and put his hands on Sakura while she slept. The idiot had no self control and it was almost a sure bet that he would put her in a foul mood with his antics and then they all would pay for it.

Sakura followed Sasuke through his house carrying her pack and the little box that now held all her earthly belongings.

"You can use whatever you want. If there's something you need and can't find, just leave a note on the fridge and I'll get it for you." He handed her a piece of metal. "Here's a spare key, too."

"I don't need a—"

"I'm gone a lot and I don't leave keys under flowerpots," he said pointedly with a sarcastic smirk. "So you will need your own."

He led her down a hallway filled with doors. "This is where I'll be sleeping, if you need me." He pointed to a closed door. He stopped and opened the next one.

"This will be your room."

She looked around, a little confused when she recognized some of the weaponry and personal effects. "But…isn't this…your room, Sasuke? I couldn't possibly—."

"You can and will," he stated firmly over her protest. The look of astonishment on her face made him soften his tone. "If you come with me, I will show you one more thing."

Putting down her bag, she followed him out of the house and down the stone path of the garden to the large hedge wall. When they got closer, Sakura was surprised to see a hidden passage.

"This way." His broad back stalked the path in front of her. The red and white uchiwa on the back of his dark shirt almost glowed in the last, dim light of the day. The narrow passage suddenly widened and revealed its secret.

"A hot spring?"

Almost as large as the public baths in town, the Uchiha hot spring was concealed all around by six-foot high privacy hedges and immaculately kept with trim paths, long, curved stone benches and beautiful, natural architecture. It was absolutely breathtaking.

"The best hot spring in the village," he assured her with pride. "You can use this any time. Only you and I know about this."

"Oh…thanks." She was surprised he would share such a secret.

"Don't tell anyone, especially Naruto. He would never leave here if he knew about this."

"You're right." She laughed a little when she thought about how Naruto would act. He'd probably tell everyone about it. "I promise I won't tell a soul."

"I've got a briefing at ANBU headquarters, but I'll get Kakashi to come watch over you until I get back,"

Her hands rested on her hips, ready for battle. "I don't need a babysitter, Sasuke-kun."

"The Hokage said—"

"I won't be alone," she interrupted, thinking up a lie quickly. "Ino said she would, ah, come find me in a while with some clothes for me. I'm sure she'll be here any minute." If she didn't convince him, she wouldn't get a moment's peace to figure out the next step in her mess of a life.

"Hn."

Her pretty, green eyes pleaded with him. "Please don't make a fuss, Sasuke-kun. I already feel like I'm putting you out."

"You're not." He felt like he was the one who had betrayed her. Hadn't he kept his suspicions of who he believed had torched her house, destroyed all her belongings and attacked her while at work to himself? He felt responsible for bringing Karin into the village in the first place. If she had committed these crimes, he would get to the root of the problem and take care of it himself.

"Be careful."

"Well, thank you." She smiled softly. "I probably won't be here for long. I'm hoping to get sent to one of the outposts soon."

His eyes narrowed in concern, but to her it looked more like anger. "Why would you do that? I thought you liked your job."

"I do. I—uh…" She blushed, realizing she couldn't tell him the truth. "I just thought it would be good for me to leave Konoha for a while…maybe see more of the country." It sounded like a lame excuse, even to her.

"We'll have to discuss this later. I have to leave now."

"There's nothing to discuss," she began, but he was already gone.

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'Why is she thinking of leaving Konoha?' he thought angrily on his way to ANBU headquarters. 'Does she really hate me that much?'

He cursed when he remembered that he had forgotten to inform the rest of Taka personally of the new resident, so that they would be aware of her presence. Karin already knew since she kept close tabs on him. Hopefully, the warning he had given her earlier to stay far away from Sakura had gotten through her thick skull. Since he had confronted her, he hadn't felt her presence lingering. Karin should have informed the others by now, too.

While Sakura was talking to Ino, Sasuke was finding Karin. He went directly to the house the other three Taka members shared.

"Sasuke-kuuun! You're back! And you came to see me first," Karin cried and hung onto him until he removed her.

"Where are the others?"

"Oh, you don't have to worry, Sasuke-kun. We're all alone so you can do whatever you want."

He didn't waste any time addressing her babbling nonsense.

"Did you burn down Haruno Sakura's house?" Sasuke watched her for her response closely.

"Who? Oh, that's your old teammate right?" She looked confused. "Her house burned down?" Karin looked him straight in the eye. "That's too bad! The poor thing! Did she get out ok? Of course she did, she's a ninja too, right?"

"Then you don't know anything about this?" He held up a charred picture of Team Seven with a hole stabbed through it where Sakura's face had been.

"Oh, is that you, Sasuke-kun? How cute! Can I have it?"

He was a little thrown off by her reaction. Usually, the mention of another girl had her in hysterics. Karin could never control her emotions if she felt threatened by another girl's presence, yet she remained calm and even concerned. And, with her obsessive behaviors, if Karin had done it, wouldn't she have kept the picture in the first place?

Now he wasn't sure.

"So you had nothing to do with torching Sakura's house?"

"Sasuke-kuuun! I would never hurt someone you considered a friend!" she pouted. "I know the pain you've been through."

"What about Suigetsu or Naruto?"

"They're different! They pick on me first! Besides, I've never tried to kill them."

"Sakura's coming to stay with me."

"What?"

"She needs a place to live."

"Doesn't she have a girlfriend or something? She's the Hokage's assistant, for god's sake. Can't they put her up at-"

"I'm not asking your permission. I'm telling you so you can inform the others not to bother her…or else."

"But Sasuke-kuuun."

"I'll talk with all of you later. I have some more questions about what you did while I was gone. Tell the others I want to talk to them about it, too. Someone must have heard something."

"Ah, ok, Sasuke-kun, I'll tell them."

'NOT,' she thought.

"You'll stay for dinner won't you?"

"I'm going collect Sakura."

"But, you just got here! Can't she stay with Naru-"

He was already gone.

Karin grabbed a pillow off the couch and screamed into it.

"That bitch! How dare she attach herself to my man?"

Now she had to come up with another way to get rid of the little tramp.

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Sakura put her meager belongings into the two drawers that Sasuke had thoughtfully cleared for her. There had even been space left in the closet, but it wasn't necessary since the fire had destroyed most everything.

She sat on the bed—'his bed,' she thought—and tried to rest, but just being here in his house was completely unnerving her. The blankets and pillow carried his scent. After an hour of restlessness, she couldn't take it anymore and wandered into the kitchen.

She decided to make a snack, so she cooked rice and ate it with some shrimp-flavored furikake sprinkled on top. The leftover rice she used to make some onigiri for tomorrow, rolling up thin slices of tomato which she put into the center of each one—she knew Sasuke preferred tomatoes.

After she cleaned the kitchen, it was still too hard to go to sleep, so she decided to give the hot spring a try. Sasuke would be back soon and she didn't want to tell him that she couldn't sleep in his room because it smelled like him. Besides, a nice soak might relax her enough so she could get a good night's sleep.

She pinned her hair up, took two clean towels from the bath and slipped on the robe Sasuke had loaned her before going out the back door.

Peeking around to make sure there was really no one there, she tiptoed quietly across the yard. Her neighborhood had been quiet, but this one was downright spooky with its silence. Even the crickets and frogs seemed to be sleeping out here in the deep dark.

As her eyes adjusted to the dark, she could faintly make out the path in the quarter-moon's light. She picked her way to the wall and around it to the hot spring.

There was a bit more light here. The hedges had been pruned judiciously and the moonlight caught the white mist coming off the water, making it glow softly in the night. Sakura jumped when she heard the call of a nightingale and smiled in chagrin at her anxiousness.

She removed her robe. She had wrapped one towel around herself to wear in the hot spring before leaving her bedroom. Private or not, she didn't feel comfortable going in the buff—there was no telling when Sasuke might come home! She set the robe and extra towel aside and stepped gingerly into the steaming water.

The heat was nearly too much and it took her a few moments to adjust to the temperature. She hissed softly, letting her skin soak in the warmth of the rejuvenating spring. After a minute, she waded across the pool to the deep ledge to sit and relax. She sighed in pleasure and tilted her head back to gaze at the stars. In a matter of minutes, her eyes slipped closed in slumber.

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Hmmm, I hear the world is gonna end at six o'clock today. Well, I'll be watching the Pirates movie, so if I come out and you're all gone, I'll miss you.

You might see a faster update on this one. Are you interested? Chapter 12 is almost finished!

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