A/N: HEY! Thank you soo much to everyone who reviewed! Thank you to my readers! And everyone who favorites my story and me! And people who add this piece of writing to their alerts! Thank you so much! You guys ROCK!

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

As it happens, Day 1 ended but the night was still on.

Sakura jerked awake a couple hours later, in the dark, staring wildly around at this unfamiliar place. Her sheets were drenched in sweat and she felt alone and scared and lost.

For a second or two.

Until an orange ball of fur opened his ice blue eyes.

Naruto woke up, stretched, and hopped into her lap.

"Hello," she whispered, hugging him to her chest.

Quite grateful, actually.

The moon had apparently come out because soft white light splashed across her floor.

And where there's light, there's shadows.

Dark shapes leaped behind the dresser and computer, by the closet, desk—

It's just your imagination, Sakura!

Yeah….but….

Outside, wind howled.

"Naruto?" she whispered quickly, "I'm thirsty. Let's get out of here."

"Nya?"

She clung to him and tip-toed over to the door, (which was already slightly open, Sakura didn't get why) turning the knob slowly, and creaking it open as quietly as she could, keeping her eyes fixed on it, stepped into the bonus room, then shut it without a sound.

"Well. you're up early."

She jumped, yelped, and spun around when she heard Sasuke's voice behind her.

He was lying on the couch, with his cell phone in his hand, blue light scattered across his face.

"Um. So are you." Sakura said.

Naruto jumped from her arms and flounced over to Sasuke.

It was dark here, too, save for some moonlight flashing through the transparent curtains.

"Yeah," the Uchiha said, snapping his phone shut, "I couldn't sleep. That cat ripped up my bed again."

"…Oh. Um. Again?"

There was a nod—and he left it at that.

It appeared to be something Sasuke didn't exactly want to discuss.

Naruto hopped up into Sasuke's lap, rubbing his nose against his arm, purring in his cute little way.

Seemingly innocent.

Oh, how deceiving this kitty cat could be.

"Sakura…" Sasuke said through clenched teeth, glaring at Naruto, "Get...him…off…me."

Sakura scrambled forward and scooped her cat out of Sasuke's lap.

Sasuke stood and dropped his phone into his pockets.

He stepped into a patch of moonlight.

He had a black T-shirt on and some comfy looking shorts that resembled boxers, but Sakura didn't dare ask.

"I'm going to get water," She said, tearing her eyes away from his figure.

"I'll go with."

And they walked down the stairs, in the darkness.

Naruto did nothing, just let himself get carried across the polished wood floor, occasionally flicking out his claws and looking all smug at Sasuke.

Said Uchiha cast stony death glares at the cat but said nothing.

Sasuke decided to distract himself.

"Nice P.J.'s," he scoffed.

"Thanks!" Sakura said, turning around to grin. Then she looked at what he was wearing.

"Nice…uh…"

Shorts? Pants? T-Shirt?

"Uh…"

The right side of Sasuke's lip shot slightly upward.

"N-never mind."

She turned away flushing.

Sasuke allowed himself a silent chuckle, flicked on the lights, and led her across the floor only to find—

Itachi?

Sitting?

On a couch?

Asleep?

In front of the T.V?

Which was off?

Huh?

Sasuke blinked at Itachi then turned and exchanged a look with Sakura.

Naruto went: "Nya."

Sasuke made his way to his older brother.

He poked Itachi in the shoulder a couple times.

"Hey!" he hissed. "Wake up! What are you still doing here?"

After a while, Itachi muttered: "Blah…GAH!... Blah….pretty…Jasmine flowers… Hmmmmm... Pink..ng…Rhinos...STOP! Come back! I won't…eat….Uhhhhhh…."

Sasuke opened his mouth, just slightly.

"…What the crap?"

Sakura came to stand by him.

"So what? He's just sleep talking. I do that all the time."

"I know."

"Huh?"

He sighed irritably.

"Nothing. This moron went to finish his dinner and decided not to come back up. Well, Fine. We'll just leave him here."

They got Sakura's water and went back up the stairs, Naruto shrinking away from the cup full of H20.

The rosette yawned. And then she noticed a vase of roses in the corner. Roses…

Sasuke jumped onto the couch again as they reached the top of the stairs. He folded his arms behind his head, staring at the ceiling.

Sakura stood there awkwardly, clutching Naruto and the cup.

"Go to sleep," Sasuke said.

"Er-right. You too."

He looked side long at her and nodded. Once.

But Sakura didn't budge.

"What? What's on your mind?" The raven haired asked.

"Um. Can I tell you?"

Sasuke saw the worry in her eyes and swung his legs off the couch, making room.

After some silent weighing of decisions Sakura made her way over and sat slowly next to him.

Naruto felt something sad in the air and ducked his head down, into Sakura's lap.

"So..um…I was thinking about something," Sakura said, "…ok, have your parents ever tried to force you into something that they believed was good for you in the long run?"

There was a nod.

"Well, and…you didn't want to do it, right? And you knew you really sucked at it?"

"Yeah."

"And you had to start, like, a month after all the other kids in the club? So you were always last in everything and you were always the worst and everyone—"

"Laughed? Yeah."

"Laughing. Always laughing. Yeah…so…I was really upset about this club my mom was making me join… and… I kind of did something stupid."

Sasuke waited.

Sakura downed the water and swallowed hard.

"I took this one rose from our garden and pulled all the petals off. Like, one by one. I was taking all my feelings off on that flower. I don't even know why I did it. I was just thinking about how unfair life was, started crying and fell asleep right there. My mom came in a little later and found me like that. Sprawled on the floor with the petals around me, the stem in my hand. She didn't make me go to the club afterwards, even though I was doing all right at it, I guess…but…yeah. And a thorn pricked me, too. Pretty deep."

She held up her thumb.

There was nothing there, but her eyes still saw where it had pierced her skin.

Sasuke nodded, saying nothing.

It seemed to be something he was good at.

Sakura sighed and put her hand back down, running her fingers through Naruto's fur.

"I'm spilling my guts to you again. Sorry I just said all that-"

"Don't be sorry."

Don't be sorry.

"Yeah. And…I dunno…Those roses over there," she gestured to the vase in the corner, "they look exactly like the one I took apart."

There was a long silence.

"I take out my anger in ways I can't explain, too," he sighed, turning his onyx eyes to her. His black hair was outlined with moonlight. "I'm not saying its right or okay. People do it anyway. But it reminds me of this…quotation I read somewhere."

"What is it?"

"'The True test of a person with character is he doesn't lose his humanity even when he is furious.'"

"That…makes sense," Sakura said, "yeah. It does. Who said it?"

Sasuke shook his head. "I don't know. Someone important."

"Oh. Thanks."

He smirked his "you're welcome."

Uchiha Sasuke—

Mr. Blunt and to the point.

Naruto meowed.

Sakura yawned again.

"You should sleep," Sasuke said to her, "big day tomorrow."

Tomorrow.

"Yeah."

Sakura stood and walked to her door.

He sensed slight fear in her step.

"Hey, I promised I'd be here for you, didn't I?"

"Yeah," She said; her back to him.

"But we already had this conversation," Sasuke said, "so sleep."

"Repetitive much," Sakura grinned.

"Yeah, yeah. Night."

"Morning."

Sakura went into her room and shut the door, tired again.

She jumped into bed with Naruto, setting her cup on the desk.

The Pink-haired didn't even look at the shadows, and she finally got to sleep.

~A couple hours later~

There was a BANG BANG BANG on Sakura's door.

She jerked awake again, this time morning sunshine flooding thru the window, bathing the room in vibrant gold.

The rosette's cat woke with a start, too, slightly irritated that someone would so harshly interrupt his sleep with that infernal racket.

Deal with it, Naruto.

"Sakura!" Sasuke yelled from outside, banging on the door again, "come on! Wake up! Get downstairs, hurry!"

"Wha'?" Sakura moaned, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

"Come on," he said frantically from outside, pulling a blue T-shirt over his head, "someone left a message yesterday while we were gone. A social worker's coming, to check up on you— To see how you're doing-she expects us to be waiting for her by the door! And she's strolling up the front walk, Right now! Get downstairs."

Sakura leapt out of bed.

Oh, great, she thought.

On top of everything that just happened, she had to worry about this, too.

Outside her room, Sasuke ran down the steps, using his speed and agility to not fall and land on his face.

He sprinted into the kitchen, swinging around a wall and grabbed half a bagel from the fridge. They had to go to the city today. Oh, right. Sigh. Sasuke was still wet from the shower he had just taken, and his hair was still dripping, plus his clothes were sticking to him, he was tired, hungry, cold, and that Cat had ripped up his bed.

Mondays just don't start better than that.

From behind him someone yawned really loud.

Itachi.

And the door bell rang.

Sasuke gritted his teeth and turned around.

He hurried over to him.

"What the heck are you still doing here? Go get dressed! Someone's coming from Sakura's old Orphanage, hurry it up, you idiot!"

Itachi stretched calmly.

"Sasuke," he muttered sleepily, "I had the weirdest dream last night."

"I don't really care, Itachi."

"No, no listen. I dreamed about this kid named Naruto. He had this really cool spiky orange hair. And he was holding a flower while riding this pink rhino, running away from me…and…I think I was supposed to eat him for dinner or something. But I didn't want to. I dunno. Anyway...Did you have a dream last night?"

Sasuke twitched.

"No, Itachi. Get up stairs and get dressed before I kill you."

"Well, I changed after we came home yesterday. So I'm in P.J's. I think that's okay. Right?"

It rang again.

"It's not okay! Just forget it! Come on!"

It went without saying that, when his parents weren't home, Sasuke was in charge.

Because Itachi was…well…Itachi…

"DING DING DING!" The door bell again, more urgent.

Sasuke ate the bagel as fast as he could, running to the door with his brother.

He almost ran into Sakura (who was sprinting down the steps), and the three of them stood in front of the door.

Sakura stepped forward and opened it.

And it swung open.

A woman stood there, the social worker.

She had long blonde hair in two ponytails.

There was a diamond in the center of her forehead.

And she looked mad.

Mad to have to wait outside for oh-so-very long while she had informed these people that she was coming.

Quite angry to see 3 young persons, one in his P.J.'s with drool on his mouth, another was dripping wet, so much so that there was a puddle of water on the floor, sliding down his black shorts, (she assumed that those two were the Uchiha brothers) and the last one, Haruno Sakura, she believed, wringing her hands and biting her lip, with extremely untidy pink hair—

With a cat on it.

There was an orange cat on her head.

Sakura sent a weak smile in the woman's direction.

Itachi scratched the back of his head quite nervously.

And Sasuke…

Sasuke shoved his hands into his pockets.

A/N: Hi! I feel like I didn't do very well on this chapter. But review, please.